Chapter Ten: Red flowers : Chapter seventeen

Celsius

The sun began to shine a tad bit brighter then normally, it's piercing yellow rays weaving it's way in and out of buildings, the cobblestone street's color being lit up into a brighter form of the greys and dull blues that characterized the street. People were beginning to stir and some were already making their way to the scattered businesses and jobs. Among those just waking up was myself, staring at the sun in disarray. I wove my way in and out of the quiet streets, gazing upon those who were setting up their shops, I was in the market place, a place where one such as myself could talk without anyone caring who she was.

There I wandered for a few hours, until the place was in full bloom; stalls filled with all sorts of foods, others selling toys and trinkets, and many people just simply wondering and taking in all the sights before being reeled into a random stall or carpet shop with a promise of a good deal. As I gently and deliberately walked to and fro in the streets, I eyed a certain stall; a trinket kiosk to be exact, while not overly extravagant nor exciting like the rest, a small little brooch managed to bring my eyes to gaze at it.

"Young lady!" a man yelled, his deep voice echoing in my ears and isolating me among the other many people who wandered the streets aimlessly. Almost from reflex, I felt my feet glide towards the stall where this brooch caught my eye. "I see your attracted to the Crimson flower!" he smiled, almost dangerous. The man was older with a hint of an accent I can't place in his voice. He was tall with white hair coursing throughout his scalp.

I nodded, "Yea, it's a nice brooch alright. But there's something different about it then normal trinkets, tell me; What exactly is it?" I asked, eyeing the old man while folding my arms underneath my breasts while leaning to one side.

He took the brooch from where it was and set it before me, it was a brilliant shade of red, translucent in color and design. It was shaped in the same form as the Flanoir flower, but it was infused with massive amounts of mana, around the flower part of it were two rings, each of them as red as the flower itself. The chain that held it was a sharp contrast to the crimson flower itself, the chain was an ocean blue, with hints of green emeralds lining it.

"Haha, I see nothing escapes your eyes young lady. The Crimson flower was made from the tower of salvation ruins, it is also blessed by Mana and filled with the spirit energy from nature itself. The red color of it portrays the blood that courses throughout each of us and reacts to different levels of mana within the person it's closest to. Me, for example when it is near me, it becomes a dull red, although still beautiful." He offered my the pendant, pushing it towards me. "Go on, try it on!"

I smiled while carefully taking it unto my hands, I held it close to my chest, it suddenly shone an iridescent red, not emanating any light, but it became nearly transparent as the red became more and more spectacular. I looked at the man carefully, I also noticed that I caught the attention of several people surrounding me. I grinned "heh, is this supposed to happen?" I asked nervously.

He nodded, his face almost in disbelief, "It's never shined that red before. Not even and elf will it shine that greatly for. Just who are you?" he asked.

I sighed, I guess its no use hiding my identity anymore. "Oh, I'm Celsius. Guardian of Fenrir."

His eyes widened, "I've heard your name before." the man squinted his eyes and looked closely at my features. His jaw suddenly dropped. "You're the Duke of Flanoir." He suddenly kneeled in front of me, his head bowed down in deep reverence.

I smiled gently, leaning more to one side, "Since when was I worthy of such veneration?" I asked, nearly laughing.

The man stood up once again, "Nothing has changed at all, has it Milady? I'm Arthur. The librarian from Flanoir!" he shined.

My mind raced, I began to ponder who he was, then I remembered. He was the first person I met while I was in Flanoir, he was 68 at the time. "Oh, I remember you now! But let's not discuss this here." I motioned towards the Crimson flower, "How much is it?"

"As a merchant, it easily sells for one hundred million gald. But I feel like I'm leeching off you."

I smiled, I easily had that much money. But this is business. "Fifty Mil." I replied almost instantly.

"Well if I do that, where's the profit? Eighty Mil."

"Trying to bankrupt me or something? Sixty."

"I'm only a poor vender trying to make a living! Seventy-five."

"Well you're the first vendor I've seen selling things that cost this much. Sixty five."

"Your persistent aren't you? Seventy"

"Sixty five is my final offer."

"You've got to be kidding me! Seventy is my final!"

"Then if that's the case, I'll lower to sixty mil."

"Dammit, Sixty five mil it is."

"But I said sixty."

"No you didn't, you said sixty-five last time"

"Did I? I said fifty-five."

"Dammit, sixty then."

"But I said fifty-five."

"No.." He thought for a bit, "Dammit! Fifty five then."

From my side, I unattached a money sack, brown and unattractive, it contained the highest worth coins ever minted. Each of them was worth one-hundred thousand gald, and the sack was filled with them. She set it on the counter, "this is a little more then Fifty five, but keep the change." I said, looking at Arthur.

He smiled. " I guess I can close up shop for a while. Feeling unsafe with this money."

I laughed, I gently took the necklace and placed it around my neck, the brilliance of it shining even so brightly in the noon-time sun.

Arthur took the bag of coins and placed it in his pocket, it was bulging out too much, but that's just for safety. "Come with me Milady, we have a lot of catching up to do."

I smiled, it's been a while since I've seen Arthur's family. He's married and already has five grand children. "Sure thing."

If I remember correctly, shortly after I arrived at Flanoir, the place was in an upheaval, the last Duke of Flanoir was assassinated which left them in dire needs for a leader. For me, it was the correct time and place to be, as I managed to find and capture the culprits and find the last Duke barely alive. Those were the memories, when I was still the 'blue angel'.

The sky had turned into a pale blue, signaling morning, yet inside the infirmary, time was at a standstill. Blood trickled from the lone operating table, it was a crimson with a green hue to it, the man who lay on it was poisoned, and there was nothing they could do about it. The man laying on the table was old and gaunt, yet had a sparkle in his eyes that could never be denied, nor would it seemingly wane.

The man moved his limp hand towards the women who stood in the background, her arms folded and her gaze unwavering from the man's dying condition. He smiled beneath all of his pain, and opened his open palm at her. "You, that Blue Angel, come here."

The doctors all looked at her, their gaze transfixed upon the women who stood calmly in the corny, watching the man die. She was the one who was said to of been found in the middle of the white desert. She wasn't too tall, only 5'5 at the max, but it was obvious that she wasn't weak, muscles tensed on her upper arms, her stern gaze could penetrate though any thing. She walked forwards a bit, a bit nervous yet still confident.

"Young lady," He spoke, his voice shaking with the throes of death encircling him. "I thank you from the very bottom of my dying heart."

She nodded, "No thanks is required. I was merely doing what was right."

The man coughed a bit, "Well, that is all well. But please, come down here for a second." the man took a ring off his finger, and held it out. "This is for you, my Blue Angel."

She wavered for a second, not knowing what she should do, "But, How can you so easily relinquish your Dukedom?" she asked, keeping her distance from the ring as if it was plagued.

She chuckled before coughing, "Because I can see things within people that others don't. Take this ring, and become the duke of Flanoir." his last breaths were inaudible, but unto which the women nodded her head.

"Celsius! Wake up!" yelledArthur, looking ahead, I noticed we had already arrived at his abode, it wasn't anything too out of the ordinary, just a normal middle-classed Meltokio-style house.

I shook my head, "haha, sorry about that, my mind is lost in memories." I looked upon his house with a bit of scrutiny, and then looked at him again, "it's a fine house."

He chucked a bit, "Liar, you're the type to like both the extravagant and the poverty-stricken." He walked ahead and opened the steel gate, "We have a lot to catch up on, Mistress."

Author's notes- GAH! I'm so sorry for the uber-long update, a gajillion things came up, then I lost my inspiration for writing! And then school came, and BAH! It's October already! I'll get another chapter hopfully up by next week, cause I lost my train of thought for this story, and well, I had to end this one early.