Top of Form
Post-anime depression. Well, not exactly depression, but more like the mixture of "awww", and NO! FOR THE LOVE OF GOODNESS, WHY?" That I always end up feeling when I finish books or a TV series. I got the full set of D-N-Angel DVD's for my birthday, and actually managed to restrain myself for a whole day before ploughing into them. And was promptly confused: the translations for the subtitles in the first three episodes or so were horrendous, not to mention horribly entertaining.
Approx. translation: "I don't want to be a phantom thief! Change me back!"
What the subtitles say: "I don't want to be birdy pirate. Let me restore."
Ehhhh…yeah. Fortunately, they get better. But not before they start calling letters 'pretzels' -faceplant-
Shadow Rave- I'm not really sure how many chapters the fic will end up. I have what will happen from now until the end mapped out in my head, but I can't really translate it into chapters yet. The last time I drew up a plot map with chapters, it exploded in my face anyway. Let's just say enough to keep me busy for a while yet.
Eternitywaits- It's coming. Like I told you guys: wait until we're into Mille Seasu: then we're getting very close.
GundamWingFanatic90- lol, Shane's not exactly dragoon material. He'd throw a fit if you tried to take him away from his boats. As for your other question, I don't really think it would be possible for the former bearers to really inhabit the spirits. Besides, could you picture an argument between Kaelin and Meru? There would be. No. End. O.o The Pain!
Cai's POV:
The warm sounds of music and drunken revelry drifted out the open door of a pub as we rode by in a slow column, the steady rhythm of our mount's hoofs echoing off of the inclosing buildings. A lamp hung on a cast iron hook from the front of each home we passed, casting a small pool of steady light before each doorstep. Though the hour was hardly late the streets were nearly empty; the last person we had seen since entering the city had been an old woman sitting on a bench next to the river that meandered through the city, staring at the moon's reflection dancing on the clear running water. No one seemed to have the urge to venture out of their warm houses into the chill evening air.
We rode along the broad avenue that followed the river through the centre of the city, taking a direct route to Fletz palace. It had been clearly visible ever since we had entered the city, its twin ivory towers rising high over the flat-topped roofs of the city houses, reaching toward the stars above. Behind me, I could practically feel Zion and Kaelin craning their necks upward to stare as their mounts continued to meander along without direction.
"Not much farther, now." Solana spoke up for the first time since entering the city, reaching up with one hand to push back the hood of the dust cloak that protected her fine silks. She had taken the lead as soon as we had entered the city, her grey palfrey stepping confidently through the moonlit streets while my own horse danced and spooked at the shadows. "We'll be leaving the animals in a stable in the main city, so we don't have to worry about guards impeding us should we have to leave in a hurry." She looked back over her shoulder, past me to Kaelin. "Are you still sure you can find a way in?"
Behind me, the slim girl grinned. "Do birds fly? Trust me. I shouldn't take too long."
"Sorry." If Solana wasn't convinced, she gave no sign. "Zion? What about you?"
Zion nudged his horse forward until he was riding beside me where he could be heard without raising his voice. "It won't be fun, but I'll manage. As long as no one tries to get me to take this off-" he rapped his knuckles against the forehead of the fierce helm that covered his head and most of his face, "-it should be okay."
It wasn't a long ride to the stable. Leaving our mounts with the grooms we continued along toward the palace on foot, walking through the lamp lit streets to the city centre where the palace gates were situated. It was quieter now; this close to the palace, setting up an inn or tavern violated city law. Here and there guardsmen roamed the streets, their burnished weapons and armour glinting in the light of nearby lamps. As we approached the first of them I glanced back to warn Kaelin, only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. Walking a few steps behind me, Zion caught my glance and winked. I turned back again, hooking Solana's elbow in mine as we began to climb the short flight of steps that led up to the central square. If Kaelin was already on her way, then it was just about time for the game to begin.
The square was flooded with light from the windows of the storefronts that ringed the perimeter, the golden glow turning the grey cobbles dirty yellow and etching every crack in shadow. One or two people stood outside the entrance to this or that shop, porters for the patrons inside finishing their evening's business. Aside from them, the only other people in the square were the imposing duo flanking the gate at the far end of the plaza. Traditionally, the Royal guard has always guarded the palace, but recently there appeared to have been some changes made in that particular regard.
The dread knights stood at ease to either side of the gate, watching us from the shadows beneath their helms. They said nothing as we approached, but nodded us through mutely once Solana announced herself and stated our business. Then without a word they returned to their posts, leaving us to climb the agonizingly long flight of stairs leading up to the palace by ourselves.
"I hate that," Solana muttered once we were well out of earshot.
"Hate what?"
"They never seem to talk. I don't think I've ever heard one ever say so much as 'hello'."
Zion hurried his pace until he was walking on the other side of Solana. "If they were going to talk, it wouldn't be to say hello." He said shortly. "Trust me, they don't make good conversationalists."
"This? From you?" Solana looked over at him as we climbed; her arm still linked in mine. "You almost sound as though you're scared of them."
"And you're not?" Even under his armour, Zion seemed to shiver. "I'll fight one, if I have to, but without my spirit…" he reached up to his face, touching the steel that covered his scars. "They scare the living daylights outta me." He shook his head. "Honestly? The only person I know who could take one for sure would be…" He trailed off, shooting a sideways glance at me from under his helm.
"Ry." I said shortly, finishing the sentence for him.
"Yeah." Zion looked over his shoulder, back down the stairs to where the knights stood in the shadows of the gate.
"Is he really that good?" Solana slid her arm free of mine so that she could lift her skirts a bit higher.
Zion stumbled slightly as he turned around again, toe snubbing on the top of a stair. Regaining himself, he nodded. "Better, probably. I've never really seen him extend himself all the way, but…well…" He shrugged. "It's just one of those things. Cai, you must've noticed it."
The cloth bit into the back of my neck as Ry twisted it, pulling me forcefully down to his eye level. Frozen in place, I had no choice but to stare into those cold eyes, my insides turning to jelly under the intensity of that glare. Twisting the cloth slowly in his grip he continued to speak, his voice like wet silk drawn across steel. "Face it, Cai. You can't protect her anymore…"
I nodded, but didn't trust myself to say anything.
Solana looked from one of us to the other, and then sighed. "I'll have to take your word for it. This seems to be one of those things that I wouldn't understand."
The long flight of stairs ended at last in the central courtyard of Fletz palace. Reaching the top, I paused a moment to look around while Solana and Zion went on ahead. Though I was by no means fond of the nobility that flocked to the place, there was something about the palace itself that had always held an untold fascination for me. The entire outer level had no roof save the stars above; since Tiberoa seldom saw any serious rain, the notion wasn't a bad one. The bulk of the palace itself was ringed by broad walkways, built with white stone and ornamented with blue tile friezes and ancient marble statues. Plants grew in heavy clay basins in the corners of the courtyard and at the base of the twin staircase that occupied the far end of the courtyard. Even on the most chaotic of days the palace always seemed possessed by an unshakeable calm, as though tranquility emanated from the stones themselves.
Even so… I rubbed my arms, feeling the bite in the air. As nice as it was, the centre courtyard was no place to pass the time on a night like this. Solana and Zion had stopped halfway across the yard to wait for me; taking one final glance around I caught up to them and together we climbed the short flight of stairs into the palace itself.
Mentally, I braced myself. The royal court of Tiberoa is probably my least favourite place on earth: normally, I make a point of avoiding it like the plague, but there didn't seem to be any way around it now.
My reluctance must have showed on my face, because Solana slipped one slim arm through mine as we entered and whispered, "Strength, my Love. Look at it this way; after this, we'll probably never have to return after this."
I smiled tersely, wishing that I could scowl instead. "That would be the only good thing about this bloody plan," I grumbled, though I kept that stupid smile plastered to my face. "The downside to it all is we'll probably be stuck with a price on our heads for the rest of our lives."
"That does seem rather probable, doesn't it?" She agreed. "Oh well. I'm sure that we can find somewhere else to go. How about Lideria? I'm sure that we could make an absolutely splendid living farming rocks and gathering seaweed."
For a moment my smile was genuine. "Trust you to find the bright side of things."
"Of course. Now, where did the servants get to? If we're going to present ourselves to the queen, we may as well do it properly while the court's in session."
As it turned out, the court was taking a brief recess from the evening's proceedings. Courtiers lingered in small groups in the open hallways overlooking the central courtyard, sipping wine and chatting with one another while blue-liveried servants attended them. Somewhere inside the palace a string quartet was performing; the music drifted out into the hallways to linger amid the casual chatter. Picking her way past the crowds, Solana led us further down the hallway until the three of us were out of earshot of anyone nearby. After taking a quick look around to make certain that we were alone, Solana came to stand next to me, watching Zion with a slightly worried expression on her face.
"I hope that Kaelin was able to make it in all right. I haven't seen her since she left us back in the city."
"That was sort of the idea." I reminded her. "I wouldn't worry about her, though. She seems like a capable girl."
"Mmm." She shook a wrinkle out of her skirt, then smoothed the fabric. "Well, I suppose there's nothing else for it. Are we ready?"
Standing with his back to the railing, Zion toyed with the hilt of his sword. It had been the largest blade available from our limited armoury back home, but strapped to the towering man's belt it seemed small, almost ridiculous. "I'm just wasting time standing around here," he replied, reaching up to make sure his helm was securely in place. "I'll find some way to get word to you once I find her."
"Right." I looked over at my wife. "Come on, lass. Let's go play with the other fools."
-o-
Despite the open windows at the far side of the gallery, the Chamber of the Sun was uncomfortably warm, and crowded to overflowing with court functionaries and attendants as they filed one by one into the room. Wanting to stay clear of the crowd as much as possible I kept to the back of the room, seated on a bench that had been dragged against the wall. Solana had disappeared into the crowd; now and then I caught a glimpse of her milling about with the rest, chatting with old acquaintances and touching base with family representatives.
I smiled, watching as she made her way from one group to the next, chatting, laughing, always smiling. It was all for show, of course; like everyone else in the room her expression was no more than a skilled mask, a front to hide her real thoughts and concerns. In the courts, showing your real thoughts could be a dangerous thing; if you had something planned, it was a fair bet that someone else was planning against you. Unless, of course, you wanted them to know what you were thinking…
It was all politics, of course. I shifted on the bench, resting my chin in my hand. I was surrounded by a pack of hypocrites, men and woman who fought private wars through cunning and deceit to achieve their own ends, all the while keeping a clean face to the rest of the world. The thought of it was enough to make me sick. And yet, the magnitude of what we were about to attempt was enough to make the most dangerous of those intrigues look like a child's game.
"Urgh." I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall, feeling the cool stone against the back of my neck. 'How did we ever get ourselves into this mess…'
"Your wife seems to be enjoying herself."
I cracked one eye open. "Vidal. You're looking well, considering."
The aging man who had come to sit next to me on the bench smiled, the expression looking out of place and hungry on his pale, gaunt face. With a long, protruding nose, and greying, slicked back hair, Vidal reminded me vaguely of a rat dressed in a man's clothes. Reaching up to adjust his monocle, the fine glass blacked out to hide the empty socket behind it, he winked slowly with his good eye. "I could say the same of you, my lord. I imagine that you and your lady had quite the time trying to survive out there in the barrens."
I kept my face impassive. "Oh, we managed." Then, lowering my voice, "What do you want, old man? Your skinny face rarely means good news."
Vidal looked away, one hand sliding into the pocket of his coat. "I do not make the news I bear good or ill, my lord. Only those who are its object it have that privilege." The hand withdrew from the pocket, and he pressed a thin slip of paper into my palm. "This was not easy to come by. Be sure to tell your wife as such."
"I will." I tucked the slip away, wondering what it could be. "And the fee?"
"That has already been taken care of." Touching his monocle once more, the old man got to his feet. "I would tell you to call upon me if you had any other need for my services, but I somehow feel that this is the last time we will be seeing one another. By your leave, my lord." And with that he was gone.
'By your leave…' I almost shook my head. Gail Vidal was a dangerous man; talented at finding out what others wanted to remain hidden, he was valuable enough to be out of danger from any of the major families, and at the same time knew enough to destroy the reputation of any one of them any time he wished. In fact the only thing that held him back from doing so was ethics: after all, if he were to destroy the families, who would employ him then?
"Cai?"
I looked up. Solana was making her way through the crowd toward me, the cheerful mask fading as she sat down on the bench. I glanced sideways, in the direction Vidal had gone. She must have been waiting for him to show up. Digging into my pocket, I handed her the slip. "He had quite the time getting his hands one it, whatever it is. What was it?"
"I had him look into the matter of our knowing guest this morning." She unfolded it carefully, biting her lip. "I just hope it's not as…" She trailed off, staring the paper.
Curious, I glanced over her shoulder at the name on the paper. It was written in a precise, tidy hand, so small that for a moment I had trouble reading it. Then, slowly, the title sunk in.
"Oh for the love of…"
Zion's POV:
"Hey! You!"
I turned around. An armoured guard was coming toward me, pushing his visor up to regard me suspiciously in the darkness. "What the hell do you think you're doing up here?" He barked.
"Up here?" I scratched my neck and looked up at the starry sky overhead, trying my best to look confused. "You mean I'm not inside the palace anymore?"
"No!"
"Ah, my mistake." I steeled myself and looked him straight in the face, smiling apologetically. "I was looking for a buddy of mine. He said that he'd meet me up here before the court got out. You wouldn't have seen him, have you?"
"How in Soa's name would I know?" The guard growled, thumping the stone walkway with the butt of his spear. "If he was, he was probably chased outta here. Now are you going to leave, or am I going to have to drag you back down the stairs by my self?"
"I think I can manage." Turning around, I headed back around the curve of the palace toward the staircase. Once the guards were out of sight, however, I stopped, slumping up against the wall to give the matter some thought.
At first the plan had seemed to be going well. The bodyguard disguise had worked fairly well, and most people didn't even look up as I passed, let alone demand a good look at my face. For a while this had given me some enthusiasm; after all, that was the most difficult part about getting into the palace, right? More or less content with the fact, I had wandered the halls of Fletz palace looking for some sign of the dragoon, ignoring the nagging little voice in the back of my head that seemed to be trying to tell me something vaguely important. Unfortunately, it took me something in excess of twenty minutes to finally realize just exactly what that little voice was trying to say.
I had, in all of my infinite wisdom, managed to get myself completely, hopelessly, lost.
Berating myself under my breath, I glanced up at the sky again. It was starting to get late; down in the city, the bells would be tolling out the next hour soon. How much more time did we have? After wandering aimlessly for some time I had ended up on the palace roof, though I hadn't even the slightest clue how to find my way back down to the courtroom. Hoping that Kaelin was having better luck than I was, I turned my attention back to the rooftop.
It wasn't really a rooftop, but I couldn't really think of any other way to describe it. Excepting the two towers looming overhead, this was the highest level of the palace. Guardsmen, the traditional palace guards rather than those of the temple, patrolled its length, the moonlight shining off of their burnished silver armour. A pair of guards stood at the base of either tower, guarding the stairways leading up with long, dangerous looking halberds. The only other building on this level was the squat, rectangular structure that stretched between the towers, housing an old start divining room of some sort. Not especially helpful. So what now?
"Arrgh…" I really didn't want to go back into the palace if I could avoid it. Dressed as I was, I couldn't exactly walk around looking through the bedrooms or anything like that. So really, the only option that was left was… I looked up.
Way up.
Solana had said earlier that each of the towers had a room at the very top, though they were usually reserved for royalty or honoured guests. I bit my lip. That would explain why there were so many guards watching the bottom of the stairways. But if the dragoon was at the top, how was I going to get up and back down again without any one seeing?
Around the corner there came the rattle of chain mail. Holding my breath, I sunk deeper into the shadow of the tower, waiting until the guard passed. When the sound faded, I stepped cautiously back out into the open.
Two towers. If I was going to check them, I may as well take the one nearest to me first, and worry about the rest later. That decided, I nodded confidently. So that just left getting past the guards and up the stairs.
Surprisingly, that turned out not to be all that difficult. The stairway spiralled around the tower as it wound up to the top, the lower region of the stair passing three or four feet about my head. The armour made things a bit difficult, but once I was sure that there were no guards in the immediate vicinity I made a jump for it, catching hold of the railing and hauling my self up and over the edge in one effort. Landing in a somewhat unsteady crouch on the stairs, I kept still with one hand on the hilt of my sword, listening with bated breath to see if anyone had noticed the noise. One minute passed. Then two. Satisfied, I began to climb the stairs, almost doubled over as I hurried up.
It was a long climb. By the time I rounded the final bend the castle grounds were far below, the city looking like a child's toy in the distance, all lit up against the night. Half-drawing my sword as I reached the top of the stairway, I braced myself and stepped onto the empty platform that ringed to top of the tower.
There were no guards. With a sigh of relief I pushed my sword back into its sheath and took my hand away. The platform fronted the apartment that made up the top of the tower, a small garden planted against the railing at the far edge. Cautiously, I approached the door. There didn't seem to be any lights on inside; whoever was in there, if anyone, they were probably asleep. Holding my breath, I slowly eased open the door and slipped inside.
There was a light inside, but only one. A small candle guttered on a bedside table, casting a feeble, flickering light that didn't quite extend to the corners of the room. A woman lay fully clothed on the bed next to it, her breast rising and falling gently as she slept.
Frowning, I closed the door carefully behind me. There was something familiar about her that I couldn't quite place. Walking quietly over to the bed, I leaned over, peering at her face.
For a moment, I thought she was a wingly. There was that particular angularity to her features, certainly, but her hair, strewn out on the pillow like a fan, was more blonde than silver or white. Not a wingly, then. A half-breed, maybe? Biting my lip, I half reached out to wake her. So damn familiar. But where…?
As if on cue, the woman stirred, opening her eyes to stare sleepily up at me, violet irises bright and watery in the candlelight.
'Mariko.' The name popped into my mind suddenly, followed on its heels by the memory of the mute woman who had served at the inn Remmy had worked at in Seles. Hadn't Remmy said that her father had been a wingly?
But if she was here, then that must mean…
Blinking slowly, Mariko's eyes came into focus as she shook off the last traces of sleep. For a moment she stared up at me in confusion, her eyes flickering from my face to the sword hilt protruding over my shoulder. Then, without hesitation, she launched a vicious kick that caught me in the upper leg, just short of catching me in the groin. Wincing, I reached out and grabbed her before she could scramble away, forcing her back down onto the bed and pinning her there by the shoulders while she struggled and twisted, whimpering slightly as she fought.
"Mariko? Mariko! Hey, calm down! I'm not going to hurt you." I lessened the pressure on her shoulders, but didn't take my hands away completely.
Gradually, her struggling stopped. Breathing heavily through her nose, she opened her eyes and glared up at me, the question written on her face. Who the hell are you?
"Promise not to run away?" I lifted my hands slowly, then pulled off the helm that had hidden my face. "I'm a friend of Remmy's. She worked as a cook back at your inn in Seles?"
Mariko sat up slowly, the anger melting from her face. Reaching out with one hand, she gently touched the scars around my eye, then pulled away. Nodding, she pointed at me.
"I'm Zion Damnen. I don't know if you remember me, but I passed through Seles a month or so back. Tabby burst the flour bag and made a big mess in the kitchen that day, remember?"
She nodded again, and for a moment there was a smile hovering around her lips. Then she frowned. Pointing at me again, she mouthed the words exaggeratedly. 'What are you doing here?'
I hesitated, then sat down on the bed, pulling the leather gauntlet off of my right hand. Reaching into my armour, my fingers found the spirit hanging in its pouch from a string around my neck. Pulling it out, I undid the drawstring and emptied the red-eye spirit out onto the palm of my hand. Holding it between my thumb and forefinger, I lifted it up so that she could see.
As her eyes went wide, I told her softly, "We're going to get you out of here. Will you come?"
Her eyes flickered from the stone to my face, then back to the stone again. Swallowing, she nodded.
"You have one too, right?" Another nod. "Where is it?"
She shrugged helplessly. Feeling my heart sink, I put my spirit back into the pouch and slipped it back into my armour. Exhaling loudly, I rubbed my forehead. Ry wasn't going to like it if we came back without the spirit. "All right," I said, "do you have any idea where it might be? We really are going to need it soon."
"How soon is soon, Damnen? You're on borrowed time as it stands."
I felt the hairs rise on the back of my neck. Slowly, as though I sat on shattered glass, I reached up and took firm hold of my sword hilt without turning around. "Soltrane. You have a real talent for showing up at the wrong time."
"Wrong for you, or wrong for me? Let go of your sword, Damnen. I'm not here to fight you just yet."
I hesitated, glancing over at Mariko. To my surprise, she nodded. Regretfully, I eased my hand away from the sword and turned around to face the dread knight.
At the far side of the apartment was a curtained archway that led out onto a small balcony overlooking the ocean below. Soltrane stood in the centre of the arch, long cloak lapping gently at his heels in the breeze. Unarmed save for the long staff he carried in his left hand, he watched me intently from the depths of his helm. "You kept me waiting, Damnen. For a time I was almost worried that you might not come."
"I got lost," I said blandly, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice.
Soltrane laughed softly. "I might have thought as much. My apologies. I thought that removing half of the normal guard would make things easy enough, but I suppose that there's always human error to account for."
I started a little at that. "You removed part of the guard? Wait, are you saying that you wanted me to come here?"
Soltane nodded. "Is that really so difficult to understand? Ah. I suppose that it is. Allow me to explain. But first, My Lady, would you be so kind as to put on a cloak? I'm afraid that it's rather cool tonight, and you would not want to catch a chill."
I sat back onto the bed, bewildered. Mariko silently did as she was bid, fetching a fur-trimmed cloak from where it hung over the back of her dressing screen. Instead of putting it on, though, she stood in front of Soltrane, the unspoken question hanging in the air between them.
Reaching out, the dread knight put one hand on her shoulder. "Whatever may happen, My Lady, there's something better out there for you. I may be beyond help, but that doesn't mean you can't be saved. I have opened the door to your cage. It's up to Zion," he said, looking over pointedly at me, "to guide you out."
Zion? Since when were we on a first name basis? Something odd was going on here, besides the obvious. "What are you…?"
"I thought that would be obvious. I'm giving Lady Mariko her chance at escape." For a moment his voice lost its usual soft edge. "You have no idea what it feels like, Zion, to become a tool of the goddess. For some, it is exaltation. For the rest of us, it is a certain hell." Then his voice regained its strength. "However, no one can serve two masters effectively. So I propose a game."
"Game."
"Yes." Stepping away from Mariko, Soltrane pointed at me with the butt of his staff. "You will fight me. If you win, My Lady will leave with you, and thus be freed. If I win, things will return to how they were." Behind the mask, I was almost positive that he smiled. "We're tossing the dice, you and I. For her sake, I truly hope that you can best me. This way, my conscience will be clear."
I stared at Soltrane, then Mariko, who seemed only slightly less stunned than I was. What was going on? Since when did dread knights make deals with the enemy? Unless in this, Soltrane had found some reason to become an ally…
I shook my head, then reached for my sword. Drawing it, I looked around, assessing the area automatically. Not much room for fighting, even allowing for the balcony. The ceiling was high, though, which might make for some interesting possibilities. At last I sighed, meeting Soltrane's gaze. "I'm not sure why you're doing this, Soltrane, but…" I raised my sword. "Soa help me, I'll play your game."
Soltrane inclined his head, touching the edge of his helm like a gentleman tipping his hat to a friend. "My thanks."
Then, without warning, he attacked.
Lunging forward to meet him, I caught the blow on the flat of my blade, shoving him back hard and then ducking steeply as the lead-weighted butt of the stave whistled overhead. Aiming a quick slash at his legs I sprung backward, raising my blade again to catch the second counter, the shock of the blow numbing my hands. Pulling back for a heartbeat, I readied myself and then ploughed forward again, thrusting straight in with my sword.
From the first exchange of blows it was clear: Soltrane was very quick. Using both ends of his stave to attack and the whole to defend, he bordered on overwhelming. But the room was not a large one, and the furniture hampered the full reach and swing of his weapon. Ducking and twisting as best I could, my short blade posed no such problem. And while it was barely half the length of my old sword… I caught a thrust against the crosstree of my hilt, grabbing hold of the staff with my free hand and heaving hard. Soltrane stumbled forward, dragged down by the unexpected weight. Lashing out with my foot, I caught him hard in the midsection.
Breathing hard, Soltrane was keeping his distance now, flicking his stave now and then in my direction. On the defensive, then. Following his motion with my body, I kept my eyes locked on the shadows beneath the helm. If I could lock the stave again while on the offensive…
I charged forward again, aiming for his neck. The stave came up quickly, sliding along the length of my blade until it locked against the hilt again. There! Reaching out quickly, I made to grab the staff again.
For a moment it seemed that I might; then it was gone, twisting away suddenly as Soltrane stepped in close, shifting his grip on the stave and wrenching it around, breaking my grip on my sword and sending it skittering away across the floor. Without stopping the motion the fat end of the staff smashed into the side of my head, snapping my face sideways as it whistled past. Grounding the weapon, Soltrane drove his foot into my gut, forcing me back. As I stumbled away, the stave came around one final time, one blow ringing off the shoulder plates of my armour before it reversed and followed the path of Soltrane's kick, deep into my stomach.
My vision darkened and blurred; hands groping reflexively at the wooden pole, I felt something hard scraping against my back and dimly realized that I had been forced against the wall. Something warm was dribbling down my chin, and the hot taste of iron was filling my mouth. I'd bitten my cheek when he'd smashed me in the face, but the pain paled next to the comparative agony of a blunt staff slowly being shoved into my stomach.
Soltrane leaned in close, not easing up on the staff. "You can do better than this, Zion. What happened to the power that beat me down in Kazas? Where's your strength?" He grated, pushing harder on the staff to emphasize his words.
'You bastard,' I thought, but all that left my mouth was a broken snarl.
"Come on, Zion!" The staff drove deeper. "Or," He said quietly, his voice hardly above a whisper, "would you rather I called you Reon Aldas again, like this morning?"
'What?' My hands closed on the staff, the shadowy figure that was Soltrane swimming in and out of my vision. The red-eye spirit was there now, a spot of heat at the edge of my consciousness, within reach at last. Reaching out to touch it, I seized it with my mind, drawing everything I could from it.
Perhaps not quite ready for such a rude awakening, the spirit quite literally exploded into life. Flames burst angrily from the stone around my neck, the intensity of the heat driving Soltrane back a step or two, taking the stave with him while fire wreathed my body, flaring into incandescence as it began to form into armour.
Not waiting for it to finish, I stretched one hand out to Soltrane, palm raised outward. Pulling more power from the already blazing spirit, I formed the image of fire as best I could and let it go. The spell tore loose in a twisting torrent of fire that caught the knight at point blank, blasting him away.
I doubled over, gasping for breath as the transformation finished with one final flash. Slowly, my vision returned to normal. Wiping blood from my mouth with the back of my gauntlet I straightened as best I could, wincing. I had bitten almost clear through my cheek, and the blood was flowing like water. New hurts seemed to be springing up all over me now; that final combo of attacks Soltrane had launched had nearly taken me down for good.
However…
Slowly, wings flaring to balance myself, I limped over to where Soltrane lay splayed across the floor. Mariko already was crouched next to him, looking helpless and angry as she shook the knight, trying to stir him. By the time I had retrieved my sword the knight was conscious, helped into a sitting position by Mariko.
Kicking the knight's staff away, I flicked the sword point at the helm. "Take it off," I told the knight.
For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, slowly, as though it was causing some obscure pain, Soltrane reached up and unfastened the great helm, lifting it off and sitting it on the floor. With the same great care, one hand pulled away the singed cloth that had served to mask the lower two-thirds of the face, leaving it to hang loose around the neck piece of the armour.
Mariko made a soft sound that was almost a cry.
Amaya placed one hand unsteadily on the helm, meeting my eyes at last. Her face was burned and red, one side of her face already blistering from the flames that had scourged her. The long red hair around her face was singed and smoking, and her left eye was rapidly swelling shut. Smiling through cracked lips, she lowered her head. "Looks like the game went a little too far, Zion."
"Amaya? But… you're…"
She snorted, then winced. "Refrain from stating the obvious, if you would. It doesn't do much for the either of us."
I didn't trust myself to reply, because at that moment, pain stabbed through my stomach, sending me to my knees. Slowly, the armour disappeared, and I sunk down to the floor, the full force of the battle catching up with me at last. "I…still got you, though." I managed to force out at last.
"We're both running out of time, it would seem." She took a shallow breath. "All right, Zion. You won." Reaching into the neck of her armour, she withdrew something small and round and handed it to Mariko. "Here, My Lady." Smiling painfully, she let her hand drop to her side again. "You had best leave before the child returns and discovers it missing."
'Before the child returns?' So Ry's diversion had worked, whatever it was. Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I watched Mariko turn the spirit over in her hands, a slight frown fixed on her face as she puzzled over something. Abruptly she reached out and grabbed my spirit from where it dangled around my neck, holding it close to her own. For a moment nothing happened; then the two stones began to resonate together, the white-silver's pulsating glow growing stronger and stronger until my own red-eye spirit was lost within it. As the light reached its apex, I began to feel a particular sort of relief; there was a sensation like ice water trickling through my body, numbing the pain and returning some life to my tired limbs. And then the light faded, leaving me lying on my side on the floor with only a few bloody smears on my skin and clothes to suggest that I was ever injured. Sitting up, I felt myself over gingerly. No pain. No wounds.
Mariko tucked the spirit away into the front of her dress, then turned to Sol… Amaya, who sat in a similar state to myself. Giving a reassuring smile, she nodded mutely and got to her feet. Slowly, the two of us followed her lead.
Down in the city, the bells began to toll the midnight hour. Amaya glanced out over the balcony, then back at Mariko and I. "You should leave. Your friends will start worrying soon."
I hesitated, then nodded. "Right. Mariko? Let's go."
Mariko didn't move.
"Mariko? I mean it. We don't have much time."
She grabbed Amaya's arm and tugged it. Confused, Amaya looked at me, then back at the other woman. "Uh, Mariko…?"
Sighing heavily, she let go and stepped back a few paces. Then she pointed at the griffin helm lying on the floor, then back to Amaya, and then out the balcony doors, toward the city below. And then, after seeing the blank, uncomprehending stares on our faces, repeated the process three more times before at last something clicked.
"Wait… you don't mean…"
Folding her arms across her chest, Mariko nodded emphatically. Down in the city, the bells continued to toll. We were running out of time.
I stared, then took my head in my hands. It was probably the easiest way out, but Ry was so going to kill me for this…
-o-
Whatever objections I may have had at first, I did have to admit that having Amaya lead made things much simpler. Hidden under my helm, I followed behind her at a distance. Mariko kept close to me, her face hidden by the drooping hood of her cloak. Whatever nervousness I may have felt about the situation, she seemed completely at ease. She, at least, had faith in Soltrane- which seemed to puzzle the other woman even more than it confused me.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs ahead of us, Soltrane dismissed the guards and waved us down. When we reached her, turned to me. "Where were you to meet your friends?"
"In the central courtyard, I guess. But if they're in the courtroom, we'll need to find a way to get word to them first."
"I'll take care of that." Soltrane- as long as she wore that griffin helm, I couldn't think of her as any one else- turned away. "Now that our little bird here has seen fit to drag me into freedom right along with her, it doesn't look as though I'll have to worry about keeping up any pretences around here after this."
Keeping to the outer hallways, we continued down through the levels of the palace without incident. Any guards or servants we happened to encounter along the way were summarily dismissed or set to other tasks that took them in some other direction, leaving the way clear for us to pass through. By the time we reached the main floor, it might have been quarter after twelve at the latest.
As the entrance to the Chamber of the Sun came into view, Soltrane pulled the two of us off to one side, out of sight. "I'll fetch your friends. If you backtrack along this hallway a little way, you should find a stairway that will take you down into the courtyard. Wait for me near the base," she instructed curtly, "but if anyone comes down after you, keep on walking as though you were heading for the court room. I'll try to be quick." And with a swirl of her cloak she was gone, striding briskly around the corner toward the Chamber of the Sun.
I shook my head, looking down at Mariko. "You know, maybe it's the fact that I'm being helped by someone who's been trying to kill me lately, but this is really making me nervous. Are you positive we can trust her?"
Mariko nodded, her face almost completely hidden by the fabric of her hood. Taking my arm, she began to lead me back down the hallway, toward the stairway Soltrane had mentioned.
"You know, we really need to get you a pencil and some paper or something. That way you can sit down and explain your reasoning to me."
The pull on my arm became more insistent. Giving up, I let her drag me down the hall to the stairs. When we reached the bottom she let go of my arm and leaned up against the wall, pushing her hood back slightly. Following her lead, I sank down into a crouch to wait, hoping that the dread knight wouldn't be long.
Now that we were outdoors again, the wind seemed to be picking up slightly. Wishing that I had thought to bring a proper cloak with me, I wrapped my arms around myself, hoping that some heat would find its way through the steel plates covering my jerkin. It wasn't especially cold out, compared to the weather that we got in Serdio some days, but after spending the last week or so under the blazing Tiberoian sun, it was more than cold enough to start me shivering. Hoping that the shaking wouldn't start rattling any armour, I closed my eyes and tucked my head down to my chest, willing the chill to pass.
"Zion? Is that you?"
Someone was coming down the stairs. Opening my eyes, I looked up as Kaelin squatted down next to me, her own brown cloak wrapped loosely around her. "There you are. Where were you?"
"Around." She rocked back onto her heels. "I didn't have any luck though."
"Don't worry." I pointed to Mariko, who was peering around the corner ahead, presumably waiting for Soltrane to return. "I found her."
"Really? The spirit too?"
"Yeah. I think we ran into a slight bump in the plan, though."
Kaelin's eyes narrowed. "'Bump'? I don't like the sound of that, Zion. What happened?"
"Well…" I scratched my nose, trying to think of the easiest way to put this. "Mariko- the dragoon- has a… friend of sorts who she adamantly refuses to leave without."
"A friend? Zion, don't be cryptic with me."
"Ah…" Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mariko returning with a relieved expression on her face. "Why don't you see for your self?"
"Huh?" She looked up, just in time to see Soltrane round the corner, Solana and Cai trailing behind her. Leaping to her feet with a curse, her hands automatically dove into her sleeves for her knives. "Zion! What the hell kind of a joke is this?"
Grabbing her arm, I pulled her back down and hissed, "Shut up! Do you want the whole palace to hear?"
"What does Soltrane have to do with all of this?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Cai had just come within earshot. "Zion, just what is going on here?"
Looking helplessly from one angry face to the next, I finally gave up and got to my face. "I'll explain when we're outta here," I muttered. "I don't really like it either, but Mariko won't leave without her."
"Her?" Kaelin said sharply.
I buried my face in my hands. "Just… go with me on this one. We need to get out of here, and Soltrane's agreed to help us do it. I'll explain the rest once we catch up with Ry, okay? We're going to need him around to figure everything out."
For a moment Cai looked as though he was about to say something, but then Soltrane cut in, interrupting him smoothly.
"We don't have much time. If we're going to leave, we must go now, before someone discovers that I dismissed the guards." She looked around. "Zion's right. Any explanations will have to wait until later. Are we ready?"
Avoiding the main gate, we left the palace grounds through a secondary gate in the outer wall. Cai and Kaelin went on to the stables ahead of us to prepare the horses, so that when the rest of us caught up our mounts were ready and waiting. We did run into some trouble here; even after purchasing an extra horse for Mariko, that left five horses for the six of us. In the end Solana gave up her horse to Soltrane and rode on the front of Cai's saddle, one of his arms wrapped around her waist to make sure that she didn't slip.
We kept the mounts to a walk until we were clear of the city gates. After that we traveled at a fast canter, pounding along the hard beaten road in a loose cluster as we pushed to put as much distance between us and the city as possible.
When we had gone perhaps two or three miles, I drew rein and slowed my horse's pace slightly so that I could get a good look around. Ry had left us somewhere near here earlier that evening, intending to draw the Moon Child away from the palace to make things easier for us. As I looked around, however, there was nothing to be seen save for barren rock and scrub, stretching across the landscape for as far as the eye could see.
Catching up to me, Kaelin slowed her horse's pace to match mine. "He's not here," she called, raising her voice to be heard over the rumble of hoof beats.
"I wouldn't worry too much about him," I replied, giving my horse a little more head when he began to champ at the bit. "He can take care of himself."
Kaelin didn't answer, but she did take one last look out over the waste before pushing her mount ahead again, leaving me to ride at the back of the group by myself.
Kaelin's POV:
Ry hadn't returned with us.
After returning to Solana's some time after two in the morning, we'd retreated to Solana's study to rest up a bit and wait for him. However, after ten minutes of sitting in dead, tired silence, I had left my cloak on a chair and left, to restless to sit still. After wandering through the house for I bit, I finally settled down near a window that faced the stable, allowing me to see anyone who passed across the moonlit yard. Every now and then my eyelids began to droop; angrily, I forced myself to stay awake. After I got the chance to talk to Ry, then I could sleep. But not until.
Fortunately, I didn't have long to wait. I had been waiting for maybe twenty minutes when a shadow crossed the yard from the stables. I waited, expecting him to come through the front door, but he passed by, heading for the kitchen door around the back of the house.
A little peeved, I got to my feet and followed, picking my way through the hallways toward the kitchen. It was a little out of the way, but no matter. Reaching the kitchen door, I pulled it open and sidled in.
No lamps were lit, but Ry was already there, sitting in the moonlight on the edge of a table. He had been examining his leg, but looked up as I entered, his face lost in the shadows of his hair.
"You guys made it back in one piece?"
"Yeah." Pushing the door shut behind me, I started towards him. "Did you hurt yourself or something?"
"This?" He gestured at his leg, which I could now see was seeping dark blood over his pants. "It reopened while I was riding back. I think that the bleeding's just about stopped, though. Did everything go okay?"
"Depends on how you look at it."
Ry looked up, holding his hand tightly over the wound. "What happened?"
Picking up a cloth from the counter behind me, I tossed it to him. "Don't worry about it for the moment. Clean yourself up first. I think the cooks keep some remedies on hand in case of emergencies."
"Thanks." Ry caught it, pressing it to the wound. Getting to his feet, he began opening and closing the kitchen cupboards. When he found what he wanted, he pulled the bottle down and set it on the counter, working the cork out with his teeth. Pouring some of the potion onto the cloth, he began to dab at the gash on his hip.
I licked my lips. 'Here goes nothing,' I thought to myself. "I was doing some reading earlier."
"Really." Ry poured more potion onto the cloth, holding it tightly to his wounded hip. "Now why would you be doing that?"
"Oh, you know. We all were desperate for something to do this morning." I sat on the edge of the counter behind me, dangling my feet above the floor. "Solana has quite a big collection of periodicals in her study, so I spent some time catching up on recent history."
He pulled the cloth away and touched the newly mended skin gingerly, testing it. Satisfied, he wet the cloth again with water and set to work cleaning the dried blood from his hip. "You must have really been bored."
"Not really," I shrugged. "There's some interesting stuff, if you know where to look for it."
"Yeah?" Ry hesitated, then reached for a new rag. "Like what?"
"Lots of stuff. You interested in anything about the Black Monster at all?"
The rag slipped in his hand, and he glanced over at me. "I've read up on it once or twice. Why?"
Ha. Now I had his attention. I shrugged again, trying to look casual. "Nothing really. I just found some interesting stuff, that's all." I pulled my feet up onto the counter, wrapping my arms around my legs and resting my chin on my knees. "Did you know, that except for an incident in Serdio a few months ago, the Black Monster hasn't really been seen in almost ten years."
Getting to his feet, Ry walked across the kitchen to the water basin and began rinsing out his cloth. His back to me, he shot a glance back over his shoulder. "That's interesting. I guess all those stories circulating over the past few years must just have been rumours, then." Taking the cloth in both hands, he wrung it tightly. The sound of the water dripping back into the basin seemed hollow in the cavernous kitchen, disjointed and lost in the darkness.
I scratched the back of my head. "Funny thing, that. You see, they weren't really rumours. Just an exaggeration." I took a deep breath. "The Moon Child was attacked, but it wasn't the Black Monster who did it. Just two, regular men."
The cloth dropped back into the water with a splash. Leaning over the sink, Ry seemed almost to struggle with himself, quite deliberately not looking back at me. The silence stretched.
At last, he spoke. "All right, Kaelin. What do you want?" There was an edge to his voice, as though he was expecting a fight at any moment.
"The truth, Ry. That's all I've ever wanted."
"Really. By the sound of it, you've already decided what that is."
I flushed slightly. "I've been looking into this for a while, Ry."
"I don't doubt it."
"Would you stop it?" I snapped angrily, then immediately regretted it as he turned around suddenly, the moonlight from the window behind him casting his features in sharp relief.
"Stop it?" His eyes narrowed. "You're one to talk. I told you to keep your nose out of my life, Kaelin. What I do isn't really any of your business."
"'What you do'? So it was you, then." I retorted, fighting down the wave of anxiety that was rising in my throat. I shouldn't be pushing things this far, but it was out in the open, now. However he might react, I was determined to get my answers out of him one way or another.
Ry opened his mouth, then snapped it shut again angrily. "You..." He seemed to struggle, searching for the words, but could find none. At last his shoulders sagged and he turned away again, grabbing the back of a chair and pulling it toward him. Straddling it, he sat down, resting his arms on the back while he avoided my gaze. "Why do you keep after me like this, Kaelin? Don't you think you know enough already?"
That surprised me. I had expected him to yell at me, argue with me; not just deflate like this. Unsure of exactly what to do, I replied carefully, "I don't like being left in the dark, Ry. Put your self in my shoes for a moment. I've been following you around for a few months now with only a few blind assurances to guide me. With all the crap we've been through, it's like being led blindfolded along a clifftop."
Ry said nothing.
"I know you don't like it, but please."
"And if I do? What will you do then?" He lifted his head to meet my gaze, his pale blue eyes piercing even in the shadowy gloom. "Tell everyone else?"
"I've suspected this since this morning, Ry." I reminded him gently. "If I really thought everyone needed to know, don't you think I would have told them already?"
His eyes dropped. "Maybe."
"Ry, please. Were you one of the men attacking the Moon Child?"
Silence.
Then, "Yes."
I felt a chill run up my spine. "Who was the other man?"
"A friend of mine. He's a wingly."
I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the chill. It was one thing to suspect it; to hear it from his own mouth was another thing entirely. "Why?"
"That's a hard question." He looked up again. "Why what?"
I snorted. "Why did you do it, obviously. It's not like you're the Black Monster or anything, so what reason could you possibly have for going after her?"
"Reason?" He frowned. "Kaelin, let me ask you something. Try not to be sarcastic, because I mean this in the most serious way imaginable. Did you ever honestly stop to think what the Moon Child is supposed to do? Or the Black Monster kills the Moon Children?"
I waved one hand vaguely. "Easy. The Moon Child is supposed to bring us our Utopia. The Black Monster doesn't want that to happen, so the thing kills them whenever they're born."
"Right. Now think about it for a moment. How would the Moon Child create a Utopia?"
"How?" I snorted. "How am I supposed to know?"
"Kaelin..."
"Right, fine. No sarcasm." I looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "I guess she'd have to fix up this world."
"You'd think." Ry rested his chin on his arms. "But could she? This world is so corrupted and flawed, it's hardly the material for the Utopia she'd desire. She'd have to start over. From scratch."
"From scratch?" I frowned, still looking at the ceiling. "But that would mean that..."
"Exactly."
"No way!" I said sharply, jerking my gaze down again. "This would be her world? Why would she do that?"
He shook his head. "This world isn't hers, though. It belongs to Soa. In order to have her own world, her own Utopia, she'd have to remake the world. And all the creatures within it."
"But..." My head reeled. I had never been fond of the Moon Child, true, but still...
"There's another name for the Moon Child," Ry continued, ignoring my interruption, "or at least for the spirit that resides within it. The Virage Embryo. The god of destruction."
My voice felt weak. "But that's... I mean... how do you know this?"
"Someone a great deal more knowledgeable than I told me a long time ago." He said softly. "And I've met others who have had solid proof of the same. Do you see what I mean, Kaelin? Sometimes the truth is not really what you need to hear."
"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked, my voice subdued.
"Who would believe me? Zion might, but you know how Cai would look at it. Solana would follow Cai, and sooner or later I'd have a fight on my hands." He held my gaze steady. "As it is, I don't even know why you're still here listening."
I hesitated. Why was I? A month ago, I would never have even considered this, and yet...
Slowly, I shook my head. "I don't really know either. It sounds crazy, and I think we've all had some second thoughts about your sanity at one point or another, but at the same time..." I heaved a sigh and shook my head again. "I can't believe that I'm saying this, but... I trust you."
Ry's eyebrows raised. "Completely?"
I snorted. "Hell no. I'd really have to be a fool to do that. But I can read people, and for all the times in the past that you've held things back from all of us..." I looked at the floor. "This time, I think you really are telling the truth."
"I've been telling the truth all along, Kaelin. It's just that sometimes people won't accept the whole thing, so you can only tell them what they're ready to know." He folded his arms on the back of the chair and rested his chin on them, watching me. "As it stands, so far you're the only one who's actually seen deep enough into the situation to corner me like this."
I laughed, but there was no humour in it. "More like I'm the only one with the guts to," I said. "No one will admit it, but you scare us. All of us. When someone gets you angry, well, it's like..." I trailed off, suddenly conscious of how intently he was staring at me.
"Like I'm an entirely different person." He finished quietly.
"Yeah." I pulled my knees closer to my chest, suddenly feeling chilled. Was it just me, or was the night air finding its way into the kitchen?
Ry sighed and turned his eyes away, looking at the shadows next to the door. "I'm sorry that you guys feel that way, but I can't really help you there. I am who I am. If I have a bad temper, there's not all that much I can do about it.
'You're wrong, Ry. Cai has a bad temper. You've got a demon inside you.' But for once, I kept my thoughts to my self. Instead, I took a different route. "So if you're after the Moon Child, why have you spent so much time trying to gather the dragoons together? If she's going to be the cause of this catastrophe that you keep hinting at, why don't you let us handle it?"
Ry sighed. He looked tired now, and it wasn't just an illusion of the shadows filling the kitchen. "If Ayrel had her way, the lot of you would be fighting for her, not against her. She doesn't really need your power, mind you, but neither of us wants to have to go through a flock of dragoons to get at the other."
"So you're saying that we're pawns." I said flatly.
He shook his head. "Don't believe it for a minute. To her, yes, you would be, but the way things are developing, I honestly need all of you. If I can have it my way, it'll only be me and her in the end, but until then there's battles that you'll need to fight. For your sakes. Not mine."
"I don't know," I said, a bit dubiously. "That still makes it sound like we're just pawns. I don't like that."
Ry sighed again, then tried a different approach. "Look at it this way, then. The dragoons only gather when the world has need, correct? And since the group of you seems to be growing larger every time I turn around, that should be a fair indication that there is something that needs to be attended to. With me so far? All right." He closed his eyes a moment. "The dragoons were meant to be resisting the Moon Child. It's happened at different times throughout history, and it's happening again. In a very real way, you were born for this."
"All right," I conceded. "Makes sense. But where do you come into all of this?"
He hesitated. "I guess that you could call me the maverick. Fate's wild card. You may be dragoons, but none of you really have very much experience. As a group or one on one, none of you are ready to face off against the Moon Child. I've been resisting her for a very long time, so I'm the one who's making up the balance." He scratched the back of his head, and for the first time that night, smiled. "I'd say that I'm really not supposed to be here, but since this is fate that we're dealing with, that wouldn't work."
"But if this is true, then why does she want us on her side?"
He shrugged. "Ayrel is used to having things her own way. She doesn't really seem to know that much about dragoons and fate: the only thing that she's concerned with is finding ways to get at me. And if she thinks she has to bend fate to do that, she'll probably try to do just that."
I let this sink in, rubbing my forehead. "This is too complicated." I grumbled. "Why couldn't things just be simple for a change?"
"You're starting to sound like Zion."
"Be nice," I chided. "So that's it, then."
"More or less."
Slowly, I slid off of the countertop. "I still think it's all a bit incredible."
Getting to his feet, Ry pushed the chair away. "It is." He said simply. "But you said that you trusted me."
"I know," I grumbled. "That's what bothers me. Now that you've told me all this, I don't know whether I should or not."
One eyebrow raised, Ry waited.
I scrubbed at my eyes. "On the one hand, what you're telling me goes against everything that I've been taught. You've been trying to kill the Moon Child for years, and you're also the reason that she's after us." I exhaled. "But, on the other hand, you haven't led us wrong so far. And then there's the fact that you even bothered to tell me this. You're too smart to come up with something as stupid sounding as this for a lie."
"So nice of you to say so," he replied dryly. Then he held out his hand.
I bit my lip, holding my breath while I thought it over once more. Then I let it out slowly. Reaching out, I clasped his hand tightly. "Yeah. I trust you."
Ry held it for a moment then let go, smiling in what looked oddly like relief as I stepped around him and opened the door to the hallway. "Kaelin? Thank you."
"Don't make me regret it." I stopped; holding the door wide open as a second thought wormed its way into my head. "Besides, it's not as though -you're- the monster, is it?"
"What do you think?" He brushed past me through the door, blinking in the comparatively bright light of the hallway outside. "We're all monsters on the inside, Kaelin. It's what makes us human." He glanced down at me, and it suddenly struck me that for all he claimed to have been through, he couldn't have been far over thirty. "You won't be telling anyone about this." It wasn't really a question.
I crossed my arms and looked up, meeting his gaze eye for eye. "I told you that I trusted you in this. Now you're just going to have to trust me."
We stood like that for a moment, eyes locked. Then, to my amazement, he turned away first. "You're right," he admitted. Then he laughed aloud, startling me. "Looks like you're not the only one who needs to learn how to trust people again. Jeez..." He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. "Right. So what was this important matter you mentioned earlier? Did everything go alright?"
"What? Oh, right." I bit my lip, pulling my thoughts back into order. "The depends on how you look at it. We found the Mariko- the white-silver-" I supplied for him when he gave me a questioning look, "but we ended up with an unexpected guest. She might cause us some trouble later on, but for now we're stumped as to what to do with her."
"Ah. Where are they?"
"Everyone's waiting up in Solana's study."
"Right." The smile faded from Ry's face. "They're probably wondering what's keeping us, then."
We headed up to Solana's study in silence, both of us lost in thought.
'We're all monsters on the inside...' What did he mean by that? He couldn't be the Black Monster. I mean, he was only thirty or so, and the monster had existed since... well... since the start of human record at least. But at the same time...
My head spun. I was too tired to deal with all of this; not only wasn't I making any sense, I was starting to think that I was becoming delusional as well.
"Arrgh..."
"Hmm?"
"...Nothing. I just need some sleep."
"Ah." Ry rubbed the corner of his eye. "I think we all could. It's been a hard day."
'For you or for us?' Muttering an incoherent reply, I did my best to put my thoughts to rest. The speculating was done for tonight: any more information and my head was in serious danger of exploding. I had told Ry that I trusted him, and for better or worse, I knew in my heart that I had meant it. Where that might lead, well...
Sometimes, you have to make a leap of faith.
I hereby dub this chapter the chapter of Excruciatingly Long but Necessary Conversation! Huzzah! -.-; The damn thing never seemed to end, even while I was writing it. This ought to be the longest chapter, period. The only things that might be this long ever again are the final two chapters, and I somehow doubt even that.
Sorry if I confused anyone with Zion constantly referring to Amaya as 'Soltrane', even after he realizes who she really is. It's a bit of a psychological thing; when he sees the armour, he automatically thinks of her as Soltrane, not Amaya. That just sort of worked its way into the writing.
IMPORTANT:
Sorry guys, but there's going to be a definite hiatus between this chapter and the next. Why? I have another story that I need to have written and finished in about two months time for a writing contest. Unfortunately, this is going to take up most of my free time, so any other writing or work that I'll get done will be minimal. –cries- Argh. Oh well; not much to be done there except to hope that I can get through this story relatively quickly while doing a good job. –crosses fingers- Oh well.
Again, apologies. Please don't bother me as to when the next chapter will be up, because I honestly don't know. New stuff will still being posted on my Deviant art account, for those who are interested, but other than that… -shrugs-
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