Finished: November 28, 2003
Revised: April 7, 2005
Chapter 1: The Movement of Stars
"Your Holiness."
Aquamarine eyes flickered open at the call, focusing immediately on the figure bowing before him. "What is it, Dios?" the youthful-looking bishop inquired, a hand touching his brow wearily.
"I'm sorry to bother you after the matter of excommunication yesterday, but something terrible has happened."
Sasarai straightened at the statement; Dios was never one for dramatics under any circumstances. "What happened?"
"The Beast Rune is missing."
A cold chill shot through the bishop's body at the admission. His life had been nightmarish since the ending of the Second Fire Bringer War, with his questioning of his own existence making life harder than he ever imagined. The simple mentioning of the Beast Rune, however, reminded him of his fateful meeting with Luc, and thus… He shook his head, concentrating on the subject at hand. The Beast Rune had been confiscated after the ending of the Dunan Unification War, contained in Crystal Valley for the years following. "That's impossible. It couldn't just leave…"
"Apparently, sir, it did." Dios sighed, hands folded behind him and his face grim. "It was found missing this morning, but we have every reason to believe it 'left' as early as yesterday."
Rising slowly from his seat, Sasarai pieced together his calm and collected mask. "Dispatch search parties immediately. Scour the entire country if you must. We have to find the Beast Rune." Dios saluted at the order, but the bishop was not finished. "I want a detailed list of people who had access to Crystal Valley and who could possibly carry it away."
"… You have reason to believe someone took it?" inquired the aquiline-nosed Harmonian.
"Like I said, the Beast Rune couldn't just leave," Sasarai stated, a wry smile claiming his features. "We managed to keep it in Crystal Valley against its will for sixteen years. It was only a matter of time before it would try to escape by choosing a bearer."
Dios' eyes widened at the thought. "If that is the case … I will call for the Howling Voice Guild."
Sasarai nodded in approval at Dios' action. "We cannot take any chances. Send for Dominguez Junior as well, Dios."
"Of course, Your Holiness."
My head hurts…
A groan escaped him as he sat up, one hand coming up to rub grit from his eyes. Opening his eyes provided him an image beyond the blackness, and he stared owlishly at his green surroundings.
Where am I?
Nothing around him looked familiar. Large trees loomed above him, obscuring most of the blue sky. Sunlight trickled down from between the breaks in the natural canopy, giving enough light to see birds flit by on lower branches. The chirping of birds and the crunching of his shoes against the ground were all the sounds that greeted him in his confusion.
He felt something slip from his back, turning to gaze curiously at the white garment. He bent down to reach for it, gasping aloud as pain jolted through his chest.
"Happy birthday, son."
"Carrying on the tradition, huh? Runes, I hate long coats."
"You never struck me as the sentimental type."
The agony shot through his entire body, and he found himself reeling away from the offending material with wide eyes. He shuddered and shook his head, frightened by the unfamiliar voices echoing in his head. A final voice entered his mind, demanding his attention and persisting with the same two words:
Not yet.
A howl pierced his clouded mind, bringing his attention back to his woodland surroundings. He looked around in fright, unable to pin the source of the disturbing sound. A second howl echoed throughout the woods, closer than the first and so much louder. His instincts kicked in response, and he fled from the clearing without a glance behind.
The only signs of his passing were broken branches and a discarded white coat.
The weather was beautiful today.
Of course, the Grasslands were not known for their abundant rain, and so the statement was more a moot point than anything; the air was a bit dry, the clouds more than usual, and the monsters watching from a distance. It was a good thing Caesar had attached a Skunk Rune prior to their journey from Brass Castle.
Apple brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, looking behind at her traveling companion. The sleepy-eyed Silverberg was chewing on a long piece of grass, hands tucked behind his head as he walked along like some sort of country bumpkin. She smiled to herself, incredibly proud of her pupil. Caesar was now the same age she had been during the Dunan Unification Wars, but with much more knowledge under his belt than she had at that time. He had handled war strategy and cooperated with his peers, working out efficient plots to bring the Fire Bringers to victory against Luc and his frightening goals.
Her smile gave way for a frown as she realized what he had to deal with to gain that knowledge.
She had always known that Albert would become a great strategist; the moment she saw gazed upon those calculating, dark green eyes, she knew that he would become an astounding and excellent strategist worthy of the name Silverberg. However, she had never expected to face him in battle, and under the command of a familiar man such as Luc. Away from the eyes of the other members of the Fire Bringers, she brooded over the strange twists of fate that brought such familiar figures from her past back - as her enemies.
"Tell me again why we're going to Chisha, Apple?" Caesar yawned, scratching his head and quickening his pace to walk beside the older woman.
"Because Lady Sana wanted to hold a feast in your honor for helping protect the village before, and it's rude to decline such an offer," Apple replied with certainty. She had received the message two nights ago via carrier pigeon and had urged Caesar into traveling as soon as it was light out.
Caesar grumbled, rolling his shoulders. "And then after that? Are we finally leaving?"
"It was very nice of Bishop Sasarai to send materials from Crystal Valley. So yes, I think I'll be finished with this part of the biography," confirmed the woman. "We can head back to Gregminster if you want."
"Eh… Well, that's an idea…" Caesar shrugged, frowning slightly. "'Haven't been home for awhile now…" He adopted the intense look that reminded Apple so much of her old mentor, and she could only imagine what was running through his head.
How do I tell Mom and Dad that I had to fight you, Albert?
He staggered, blinking hard as he found himself reaching the end of the forest. The clouds above rumbled in warning of a coming storm, and he shuddered at the foreboding sound. The land beyond was flat and covered with rolling plains as far as his eyes could see. He stood there, breathless.
It's beautiful … but there's a storm coming… What do I do?
He stepped out onto the plains, feeling the grass tickle his ankles and calves as he warily walked onward. Many animals had gone for shelter, but the occasional quail would poke its head out of the thrush as he passed by.
An endless span of grass, a sea of greenery. Cloudy skies, strong winds, and a sun that shone brightly whenever the clouds parted and allowed the sunlight to caress the flat earth. The trees behind him, the grass before him, no water, no buildings…
Nothing looks familiar.
He stood there in quiet indecision for a moment, a black figure against the colors of the plains. With the storm brewing overhead, he found himself even more unwilling to leave the shelter of the trees. But something thrummed persistently in his head, spurring him onward.
Go. Go now. Farther.
Shaking his head and running a hand through disheveled red hair, the young man went off into the plains without any known destination.
"Have a message for me, Dominguez?"
The nasel bird bobbed its head in acknowledgment, resting on its master's shoulder and showing off the rolled piece of parchment attached to its leg. However, as the man reached to remove the paper, the bird fluttered away and chirped. The blonde scowled, a twinkle in those experienced blue eyes as he took off after the bird.
"It's times like this that I remember exactly why I named you after your predecessor," grumbled the man, shaking his head in amusement as Dominguez Junior flitted out of his reach again. "C'mon, Dominguez, I'm not that young anymore…"
The nasel bird chirped in what could only be called amusement and returned to the blonde, lifting its leg in offering again. Nash Latkje could only chuckle quietly as he removed the parchment, unrolling it to read its contents.
The laughter died in his throat as he read the message.
Report to the Tower at once.
The coat still carried his scent.
He removed one black glove to finger the white material, smooth fingers deftly trailing across latches and buttons that he recognized without looking at them. His eyes were on broken branches and a human-sized impression in the grass, studying them silently and determining which direction the coat's wearer and gone.
It had not taken long for him to notice that Albert had left Harmonia; his contract bond still carried enough power to allow him to sense the red-haired Silverberg's movement out of the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia. Even though he had been several hundred miles away, he made his way to track after the young man he had last been summoned by. He had no idea why Silverberg would leave the shelter of the powerful country only a year after gaining rank, and faint curiosity pulled him towards the strategist's position. However, as time passed and Silverberg gained more distance between himself and the border of Harmonia, the bond they shared became weaker.
Something magical was shielding his contract bond, and it was no longer the magic exuded by the Circle Rune.
Slipping his glove back on, the blonde folded the coat and slung it over one shoulder. Frowning and looking off in the direction the broken branches indicated as the way Albert took earlier, he exited the clearing in the cluster of trees.
His exit was just as silent as his entrance, without footsteps or footfalls.