9 chapters, wow! I didn't think I would be able to make it this far! Thanks for all the splendid reviews you all gave me! It does my heart good to know that I have at least a few people who read my story who are outside of my family...-sniff sniff -Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this next chapter!
(A/N: I'm surprised that Seishiki has stayed in my story this long. I, at first, had only put him in as a bit part, but he ended up being one of the main characters! That just goes to show you how sporadic I am.)
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Fayt hung his head sadly as he passed through the stone gateway that led to the castle. Hefting his pack higher up onto his shoulders, the teenager squared his jaw and walked through the hallways, heading for Nel Zelpher's room as he decided it would be rude to leave without at least saying something to the young woman. Fayt highly doubted that Albel would tell her, even if she did ask him.
Softly rapping on her door, Fayt heard slight shuffling inside of the room before the door opened to reveal the young, red haired warrior.
"Fayt? What are you doing here?" Nel asked, surprised at the young man's unexpected appearance.
"Nel, I'm really sorry about this, but I have to leave. I actually plan to be out of Aquios in a few minutes." Nel raised her eyebrows and stepped out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.
"Is something the matter? Anything I can help you with?" Nel asked hopefully, wanting to aid her friend through any means possible. Fayt shook his head sadly, blue locks falling into his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Was all he could say before turning his back on the confused woman.
Nel sighed and shook her head slightly, praying silently to Apris for the young man's wellbeing.
The blue haired boy ran quickly down the main street of Aquios, dodging the people as they threw insults and curses at him. Fayt wanted nothing more than to be out of this town. Albel had made the teenager acknowledge the fears that he had thought were buried deep within him, forcing him to realize that they were all true. Narrowing his eyes, Fayt felt his chest constrict, making it hard for him to breath. Nothing mattered anymore. The teenager knew that everyone he had traveled with now thought he was nothing more than a weapon. He was useless. There was nothing that could be done to undo the DNA experiment that had been performed on Maria, Sophia and himself. What was the point anymore? To be a living weapon despised by everyone? Fayt clenched his teeth and continued on through the gateway, almost running into the man who was walking slowly in front of him.
"Whoa! Watch it, pal!" the teenager heard a deep voice say, looking up to find Cliff staring down into his face. "Where are you goin', Fayt?" the Klausian asked, holding the blue haired boy in front of him at arms length.
"I'm leaving, Cliff. I suppose I should have tried to tell you, also, but it slipped my mind. You don't have to worry about me traveling with Albel anymore." Fayt rambled, thinking how he could barely recognize his own voice. It seemed changed somehow, thick with sorrow and hatred.
"You're not jokin', are ya kid?" the older man asked, dropping his arms to his sides, "Where will you go?" Fayt shook his head despondently, looking past his friends shoulder.
"I'll probably just travel Elicoor for a while, alone." The blue haired boy said, moving to walk past the blonde. "Oh, and Cliff? Thanks." He said without a backward glance, wanting nothing more than to get his goodbyes over with. The Klausian shook his head and smiled, pulling something out of the pouch that was strapped to his waist.
"No prob, kid. Don't forget you can always call me." Cliff said, pointing to the communicator that he had fished from his pouch. "Promise me that you'll contact me if you ever get into any trouble, or if you want to come back to Earth." Fayt smiled thinly and nodded his head.
"Sure, I promise." He said, then continued to run out of the bustling town.
Fayt stopped and bent over, trying to catch his breath. He had been running for 20 minutes, and his stomach felt as if it would turn itself inside out. Walking to the side of the road, the teenager spotted a small grove some 30 feet off which might provide some shelter for the night. Fayt started in the direction of the copse, smiling to himself when he felt a raindrop fall onto his head, marveling at the way the weather seemed to reflect his mood. Slinging his backpack to the ground, the blue haired boy dug through it until he found his communicator.
"Promises…" the teenager whispered, staring at the small electronic device as he turned it over in his hands, "…sorry, Cliff, but you can't help me this time." Fayt finished, throwing the fragile piece of equipment to the ground and stepping on it heavily, hearing with some satisfaction as the metal crushed under his thick boot.
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Seishiki walked languidly down the winding path that led to the Holy City of Aquios. Shoving his hands deeply into his pockets, the man blew a strand of jet black hair out of his face, frowning when he noticed how strange it was to be in a different body. The body he previously inhabited had already been old, decaying, and dying, but this one he had chosen carefully. It would prove a dire consequence indeed if he had chosen another elderly corpse, so he had chosen…this. Glancing down, Seishiki saw a long pair of legs taking large strides as he walked down the path. The body itself was slight of build, but very agile, which was what Seishiki had been looking for. The man's face, which was now his own, was narrow, almost to the point of being gaunt, and his eyes were bright blue, contrasting brilliantly with his black hair. This man had also been very pale, and Seishiki looked down with disdain at his arm, which was reddening slightly due to the bright sun overhead.
Lifting his head back up, the tall man felt something strange quivering on the edges of his conscious. Seishiki frowned, not recognizing this new sensation. The spirit had many powers that those who were bound in flesh did not, from telepathy to seeing the future. Whenever he used these powers, he would feel a twinge, a slight tug on his mind, but he could always distinguish what the sensation meant. Creasing his eyebrows, Seishiki stopped walking and stood still as he tried to figure out what he was feeling.
"Get…out…" Seishiki's eyes widened in surprise when he heard a small echo sound inside of his head.
"Who…?" the man thought, clenching his teeth together as pain laced throughout his body.
"I said…get out…" the same rasping voice said again, this time sounding somehow weaker.
"Get out? Oh, so you must be the lovely little spirit that inhabited this chunk of flesh before I happened upon it. I'm sorry, but I'm going to be needing your body for a while. I hope you don't mind too much…" Seishiki thought back, searching his mind for the small glowing light that was the other's soul. Finding it, the man smiled triumphantly before he reached out and grabbed it, watching the small light flicker and fade. Ah, yes, Seishiki had forgotten about that. Every time you inhabit a new body, you must first subdue the spirit that the body was born with. The last body he had taken over had been old, so the spirit hadn't had any real will to live anymore, making it very simple to suppress it. In fact, Seishiki had cowed the old man's spirit without even noticing, it had been so easy. This one, however, might prove to be troublesome. The man's spirit was still young, some would say the 'prime of his life', being only in his mid-twenties. Satisfied that his 'second' conscious hadn't tried speaking with him again, Seishiki continued his leisurely stroll down the dirt path, stepping over the dark, murky puddles that had appeared after last night's rain.
Watching the scenery to his right pass him by, the man noticed the tall trees…the luscious grass…and the shrubs wearing boots. Pausing when he saw the strange and complicated pair of boots sticking out from under a small cluster of undergrowth, Seishiki tried to stifle his laughter. Shaking his head as he walked off of the path and towards the boots, the tall man wondered who might be the owner of such a pair of boots. Probably some poor drunk who's passed out in the bushes after a night of drinking…
Seishiki crouched down and peered underneath the bush, raising an eyebrow when he saw the thin, blue haired teenager curled up underneath the prodding branches. Seishiki grinned. It was just too perfect.
Standing back up, the dark haired man nudged Fayt with the toe of his shoe, hearing the young boy moan.
"Hey, kid, wake up." He said curtly, watching as the young man tried to sit up then fall back down when he felt the branches scratching his face. Seishiki chuckled in an amused manner as he continued to observe Fayt untangle himself from the twigs, then smiled warmly when the boy's green eyes turned to him.
"Who're you?" Fayt asked, his voice slightly raspy from a parched throat.
"My name is Seishiki, young man, and who might you be?" Seishiki replied, stumbling over the strange way that the inhabitants of this planet spoke. When he had been the village leader, nobody really paid attention to one's dialect, but here the man decided not to take any chances. Seishiki hadn't bothered to change his name. It didn't really matter, since the old spirit wasn't even sure if Seishiki had been his real name that had been given to him by his parents. It had been so long ago when he had been alive.
"Young man?" the blue haired boy asked, eyeing the taller man strangely. "You say that like you are far older than me, which I can see that you are not."
"Damn…" Seishiki muttered under his breath, realizing his mistake. He had forgotten that he had changed into this younger body. "Oh? Well, by the looks of you, you seem to be no older than a child. Forgive me if I am mistaken." The man corrected, seeing the frown of disapproval on the younger man's face.
"Yeah, well…my name's Fayt. What do you want?" the teenager asked, dusting the front of his vest off, which was covered in dirt.
"Nothing in particular. I was just passing by when I spotted you sleeping underneath that bush. It struck me as somewhat strange and so I decided to investigate. I'm terribly sorry if I have disturbed your sleep. I must ask though…why were you sleeping on the road? Bandits pass by here regularly, as do the monsters who prowl these parts. Weren't you at all concerned for your own welfare?" the dark haired man said smoothly, watching as Fayt glanced to the ground.
"I must have been tired yesterday. I had been traveling and I guess I just passed out. I'm headed towards Peterny, so I suppose I still have a ways to go…?" the blue haired boy asked, not quite sure where he was. It had been so dark the night before that he hadn't really paid attention to where he was headed.
"Peterny, eh? Why, I myself am headed there as well. What a stroke of luck! It's only a few hours from here. Let's travel together. It's easier to fend off the bandits and such if there are two of us. I must confess, however, I am not too skilled when it comes to fighting. I trust that you are adept when it comes to that sword you have strapped to your back?" Seishiki asked, raising his eyebrows. If the blue haired boy refused now, he would have to change his entire plan.
"Okay…but it seems to me like I'm getting the short end of the bargain. If you aren't good at fighting, then apparently I will become a bodyguard." The quick-witted teenager said, narrowing his eyes.
"Oh, of course you will be paid if your skills are put to use throughout our traveling." The dark haired man said, seeing the boys eyes light up.
"Very well…Seishiki, was it?" Fayt said, nodding his head. "Let's get going then. I want to be in Peterny by sundown, if that's at all possible." The taller man smiled and nodded his head, looking down into the younger man's face. It seemed he wouldn't have to change his arrangements after all…
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Albel paced the small room to which he had been assigned in the palace at Aquios. He had left the tavern shortly after Fayt had, not being able to escape his thoughts of the young boy, and now was being driven to the point of insanity with boredom.
"This is madness…" the swordsman thought angrily to himself as he wrenched the door open and stormed into the hallway. Many people had been astounded when the Queen announced that Albel the Wicked was allowed to stay in the castle, some even going so far as to argue with her royal majesty. Most, however, remained quiet and quickly looked away whenever the swordsman's cruel glance was turned their way. Albel huffed when a small group of villagers who were visiting the castle shuffled quickly out of his way, whispering hurriedly amongst themselves.
"Damn maggots…" the tall man thought, placing a wrist on the hilt of the Crimson Scourge. The sword hummed when it felt the cool touch of its wielders hand upon its hilt, wanting the bloodshed to begin. The sword usually reacted to Albel's thoughts, and at times it seemed that the sword would jump into his hand as if of its own accord. Albel looked down at the Crimson Scourge and smirked, staring at the intricate patterns of golden script flowing down the hilt, which would eventually splash onto the blade itself.
"Albel, where are you going?" a familiar voice asked, making the swordsman jerk his head up and glare steadily at the young warrior in front of him. Nel stood with her hands on her hips and her head cocked to one side, a questioning look on her face.
"It seems that has been the favorite question to ask, as of late…" Albel sighed, shifting the sack that was slung over his shoulder. "Don't ask me again, maggot, because even I'm not sure where I will go yet. All I care about is getting away from this damned town." The swordsman moved quickly past the red haired woman, who was opening her mouth to reply, but stopped when Albel glared at her quickly over his shoulder before leaving the castle.
"Well…now what?" Albel thought to himself as he passed through the town. "I suppose I could return to Airyglyph, even though the arrogant King annoys me still. Woltar is there, too… Ah, well, I suppose I'll just head towards Peterny before deciding where to travel."
Stepping out from underneath the gateway's large shadow, the swordsman glared into the bright sun. He turned towards the path that led to Peterny and took a step forward, his blood red eyes unintentionally straying off of the pathway and looking for something that seemed to be missing.
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Seishiki cradled his head in his hands, shutting his bright blue eyes tightly. His breath came in short, uneven gasps as he fell to the ground, his back up against a tree.
"Damn…" Seishiki thought when he felt the pain lace through is body once again as the other's soul grew all the brighter. The other inhabitant of this body had been growing in power, making it harder and harder for the spirit to concentrate on the task at hand. Clenching his jaw tightly, the dark haired man reached out and grabbed hold of the soul once more as he tried again to suppress it. The soul grew very bright, making Seishiki squint his eyes, before it faded all together and disappeared into the darkness of his mind. Opening his eyes, the tall man found to his satisfaction that the pain that had plagued him night and day was now gone. Seishiki stood up and extended his hands above his head, stretching his back and shoulder muscles. Maybe now he could finally get some peace and quiet.
Seishiki wandered back to the path and glanced around for Fayt, who had resentfully agreed to a short rest. Seeing the younger boy jump up from his seat beneath a large willow tree, the tall man smiled thankfully as Fayt approached.
"Thanks for allowing me that short rest. I must be getting out of shape, in my old age…" Seishiki joked, hearing the blue haired boy snort in reply.
"Yeah, right…" he said, nudging the older man in the arm playfully. The dark haired man stared in Fayt's direction as they started walking again, when a thought struck him.
"What are you running away from, Fayt?" he asked airily, as if the question had no underlying meaning to it.
"What makes you think I'm running away from something?" the teenager replied, glancing to the taller man and raising an eyebrow.
"Nothing, really. It's just that most people who are traveling to Peterny are either running away from something or are going to the large market there to sell their wares. Since you don't have anything on your person other than that small bag on your back and your weapon, I wouldn't think it was the latter." Seishiki said as he shoved his hands deeply into his pockets and looked farther down the road.
"Well, what about you? What are you running away from?" Fayt said, avoiding the older man's question. Seishiki smiled sadly and ran a hand through his dark locks before answering.
"I was…run out of my village." The tall man said, shrugging dismissively.
"Why?" the blue haired boy asked innocently, honestly curious as to what the older man did to deserve such a thing.
"It's a long story." Seishiki sighed, glancing over to Fayt to see the young man still staring at him with wide eyes. "A few weeks ago, people in my village had been turning up dead. All of the corpses were the same: their throats slit and their eyes and mouths wide open, as if they had died screaming. The bloodied knives were always next to the bodies, making it seem as if they had killed themselves. The villagers all started speaking about sorcery, or better known as witchcraft. They speculated that one of their own had gotten involved in this hated crime and had been infecting the minds of others, forcing them to kill themselves. When the word 'witchcraft' spread throughout the small village, all fingers pointed towards me. Know that it wasn't I who killed these people. The only reason those in my village thought it was me was the fact that my mother had birthed me without a husband. She had come to the village years ago pregnant and without a clue as to who the father was. The villagers had accepted her, but they always looked at me with distrust and hatred. They knew I was different and that my father had apparently been from a far away land. See how pale my skin is? See the color of my hair and eyes? The rest of the villagers had dark skin, dark eyes, but lighter colored hair. I was the complete opposite of what they looked like. My mother had dark skin and dark eyes, but also had darker colored hair. They still accepted her, though, since she looked enough like them to pass off as one of their own. So when the third body appeared late one night, they naturally forced me to leave." The dark haired man finished his tale and sighed, dropping his head slightly.
"I'm sorry…" the startled teenager said, not expecting his companion's tale to be so dismal.
Seishiki smiled. "Think nothing more of it. I just don't understand why people can hate so easily and find it hard to trust. They acted as if they were scared of me throughout my whole lifetime. Even my mother began to become nervous whenever I approached her. It seemed as if the rumors about me had finally infected her, as well. I can't really blame them, though. I didn't belong there. At times I hated myself for being different. When I was a child I would smear mud on my face in an attempt to look more like them, to stop my peers from running away from me every time I approached. They despised me more than anything. I hope that they are happier now that I am gone." The tall man said sadly, watching for the teenager's reaction. Seishiki silently prayed that his lie would be enough to gain the younger man's trust.
Fayt's heart beat faster as he listened to the older man talk, realizing how much alike they were. They were both hated for being something that they held no sway over. They both hated themselves for being what they couldn't change. The teenager's eyes widened before he spoke, staring into the older man's bright blue eyes.
"My story is very similar to yours…." Was all he could say, then snapped his gaze back to the road ahead of him. He couldn't bring himself to tell Seishiki about being the embodiment of destruction just yet, though he greatly wanted to. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it." He mumbled, seeing the disappointed look in the dark haired man's eyes. Fayt reminded himself of what Albel had told him, his chest constricting when he thought of the cruel swordsman. That's right, if he were to tell Seishiki about being the embodiment of destruction, his newfound companion would probably look at him with the same contempt that Albel had. Fayt didn't know if he could bear seeing that again.
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