To Love a Theif

By: Helbaworshipper (AKA 'Helb')

Chapter 6

Alice woke that morning with a heavy heart. After being in the safety of the lotis theives for so long, she was to take her very first field test. She had often heard stories about a field test out in the world of the maram. Scipio had often mentioned how the war had changed the balance between the maram and the lotis. In her pack contained a week full of food, a few blankets and clothing. If she could survive out her first field test, she would be able to go on a field test with a partner. Hopefully the test wouldn't be as bad as some of the stories had turned out. She pulled the pack to her back as she tugged it up and went outside, everyone was waiting for her to appear. Scipio stood before all of them, leading her to the boundary of Kara that protected them. "We are not allowed to help you in this test. We all wish you luck and for your safety." She nodded before letting her body leave the protection she had been in for only two months at the most.

Darva's Castle...

"Master Eric, the field test has initiated. Kayna has reported that she has just left the barrier." Shinigami kept a low bow as he noticed his master making a sign with his hands. "She awaits your instructions."

"We will wait four days, and then we shall use her."

"Understood."

Field test (Day 2)...

The first day had been easy, there was a protection still there nearer to the kara barrier around the headquarters. Now she was deep within the territory that would offer her problems she had to solve. Part of this made her nervous, and part of it made her want to go on an adventure. "Part of me wishes this test were over already." She didn't know why she started to feel this way, but there was something wrong with this forest.

Lotis Thieve's headquarters...

Like every field test, all the lotis masters inside the headquarters would often worry over the person taking the test. Each time a field test was taken, Scipio would make his speech and then lock himself in his chambers and watch the field test for the whole week. He wouldn't even pause for a bath, which made some of them wonder why he watched the test so closely. However, they could only train and hope they would somehow get stronger while they waited.

Field test (Day 4)...

Night time now fell upon the forest once again, and Alice felt no action was ever going to get her. However, this part of the forest was colder and she had begun feeling more cold waves. She began to tug more wood for the fire she had started about ten minutes ago. She huddled close, since the fire was started with Iru and not a usual flame. The Iru would warm the body that is being sorrounded by the maram. Her eyes began to drift to a slow and almost comforting sleep until she heard a noise of feet. A quick Dana put out the fire and she hid behind a bush, looking at the person or creature coming towards her. The figure fell to their knees, seemingly holding an injury on her abdomen and limping with a small cut on their leg. When the figure stopped moving on the ground, she moved from the vegitation to look at the figure. "Maki!" The servant was still dressed in the last clothing she had seen her in the castle. A large gash was in the right side of her abdomen, under her arm. A twisted ankle also adorned her, which caused the severe limping. She pulled her blankets out and placed Maki on one,and made a pillow with the other. She had saved her dress from that night, and toresome of the fabric to clean up her former maid's body. She reset the Iru fire and set a Jiva on her servant to heal her wounds as if they had never existed at all.

The next morning, her servant began to awaken and found her body not as it had been for the past few days. "Princess Alice?" The figure near the fire nodded as she approached her in happiness.

"Maki! I was scared when you appeared out of nowhere, I'm glad you're all right."

"Where have you been princess? You look much different than me."

"I've been with these people who have taught me more lotis. Where have you been?"

"After the castle was destroyed, I was kept in a dungeon until late. Last night I was thrown out here, and I found myself wandering to a warm fire. Was it yours princess?"

"Yes, I'm glad you're okay, I should take you to my friends after my test is over."

"Princess?"

"Yes Maki?"

"I think I left something back where I was dropped off."

"You want to find it?"

"Yes, could you help me?"

"I suppose so."

Lotis Thieve's headquarters...

Scipio's eyes caught onto the problem, Maki could not have been there without a bit of Maram influence. He knew that he could not help, but there was a hunch that this would lead to more than just a failure on Alice's behalf, he should have been more protective. He knew something was wrong, but he just couldn't ascertain what it was.

Field test (Day 5)...

When the sun had just begun to fall down below to give the moon it's time to shine on the planet, they had arrived. The two had begun to search for Maki's lotis mark necklace. The necklace meant that she had worked on the lotis side of the war. However, her servant must have known that she had transformed it to maram while in the dungeon. The female that was her target had no idea that it had happened though. "Maki, I don't think that it is here."

"I swear it was here." The servant made a notion and her former charge made a new vigor to find the necklace once again. The servant made a notion to the two maram masters standing behind her as she was silenced to sleep. Apparently the royal had not heard the fall, and still continued to look until the female stealthily pulled her back, covering her mouth and holding her against a tree tightly. The royal had no time to fight before she was pushed to a sitting position and her hands and arms were tied around the strong trunk. Her mouth was about to utter a word before a gag was tightly pulled against her mouth. The fire she had started began to feel cold, and her lotis began to lose more power as the two went in front of her.

"Well, it wasn't too hard to do this, was it Samuel?" The tall female seemed to be speaking to the curly haired blonde beside her. Alice then noticed her fallen servant and tried to move, trying to chant the lotis in her heart. She had managed to pull her restraints off quickly before running to her servant. The two maram masters were on her side at once holding her down once again.

"She's still stronger than we had at first thought." The two began to restrain her again, now holding her closer to the maram fire they had started with jeta. She was powerless against the fire as the restraints were even stronger than before. "Well, let's just get her out of here. I'll take her and you get the servant."