Note: Alright, the second chapter of this title. Ready?
Disclaimer: As I've said, I don't own anything. I'm even more broke than the last time I updated this… So please, don't sue me…
TSUBASA RESERVOIR CHRONICLES
SEARCHING FOR THE LIGHT
CHAPTER 2: A STRANGE COUNTRY
They were invited to Phil's estate to rest up after the scare that welcomed them when they arrived. All along the way, Syaoran noticed that there were no women among the crowd of people walking about the place. There were no children running about either, a fact which puzzles him somewhat.
As he was about to comment to Phil on the lack of female population, he felt Sakura holding onto his arm. Query forgotten for the moment, he turned his head towards her with a questioning look.
"Syaoran-kun… those people… are looking at us…" she whispered softly, her hold on his arm tightening.
He turned and looked around. The crowd of people had paused in whatever they were doing and had fixed their attentions towards their group… or, more specifically, on Sakura. Some of them wore expressions of puzzlement, while others just gawked openly.
Syaoran decided that he did not like the attention they were showing towards Sakura and moved closer to her. Placing a hand on Sakura's, he smiled reassuringly at her, a gesture that made Sakura smile timidly at him in return.
After a few minutes of brisk walking, they arrived at a mansion surrounded by fir-like trees. Phil strode over to the mansion's entrance and pushed open the door. Biding them to enter first, he followed soon after and closed the large doors with a resounding click.
"Well travelers, this is my home. It may look big on the outside but in truth, it's really a small place…" Phil said, making a sweeping motion with his hand over the area.
They were standing in the middle of a huge empty space with the violet-colored carpet underneath them as the only furniture. A few steps away was a great stairway leading to the upper portion of the mansion.
"Hiu it's such a big place!" commented Fai with his trademark sound of a whistle.
"Yes, yes! But, Phil-san, why is it so empty? Don't you have enough money to buy more things?" piped Mokona making Phil laugh again.
"No, Mokona. It's because I've just moved in and was too busy to fill this place up!" replied Phil as he handed Mokona to the person standing nearest to him… Kurogane.
The latter gave Phil a look which says: 'why do I have to take it?' before reluctantly stretching his hand out to let Mokona shift places. The manju in turn, happy that Kuro-wan didn't make as much fuss as before, instantly jumped onto the outstretched hand with a slight giggle.
Following Phil to the upper part of the place, they were soon seated around a dining table laden with food. Syaoran was about to start questioning Phil but was stopped by Phil shaking his head.
"I know you have many questions to ask me but that can wait. Eat first and we'll talk later. I also need to get out of this heavy armor…" he mentioned before disappearing into an adjoining room.
"Well then… shall we eat?" Fai urged with his usual laid-back smile before piling his plate with food from the table.
Mokona soon followed by hopping to one plate and then another, sampling the various dishes without restraint. Kurogane just glared at the happy manju with his arms crossed over his chest as Sakura and Syaoran waited for their host to reappear.
Phil came into the room a few moments later, wearing simple clothes that were almost alike to theirs and taking his place at the head of the table. Once he had seated himself, Kurogane, Sakura and Syaoran began to dine.
Seated comfortably around a fireplace after their meal, Phil began to talk.
"So, I hear that you're traveling to retrieve the young lady's memories… Mokona mentioned that it's in the shape of feathers?"
"Yes. Phil-san, could you tell us if there's anything strange happening around here recently?" Syaoran asked, leaning forward in his seat.
"Strange? Yes, as a matter of fact, something strange has been happening three years ago…" Phil answered; a worried look clouded his jovial face.
"Three years ago, the king found something while he was walking around in the gardens with the queen… No one knows what the king found but days after that incident, the king was found quarrelling with the queen. They were usually very loving towards each other but…
"Later, it was known that the queen was trying to get the 'thing' that they had found in the gardens but the king would not hear of it and denied her… She got angry and threatened to leave if he didn't fulfill her request, which the king didn't, so she left during the night, bringing along all the women and children of the kingdom with her…
"No one knows how she managed to bring a whole group of people out of the barred city gates… The next day, when the people found out that their women and children were gone, they petitioned the king to send out search parties to find them but there were no traces left of them…
"That was why your lady friend there caught so many attentions earlier. The people were surprised at finding her in the city… but she'll be safe here… There's no one in this house now except for me… and I think they will not be so foolish as to break into the house of a knight," Phil explained, noticing Syaoran's worried expression as he mentioned about the lack of women in the kingdom.
"Who were those bunch of people who were chasing us earlier?" Kurogane asked suddenly, after remaining quiet for almost the whole day.
"Kuro-wan speaks! Kuro-wan speaks!" Mokona chanted, bobbing excitedly on the table where it was placed.
"Shut up! And I told you not to call me that!" Kurogane retorted, glaring daggers at the white manju who always found ways to irritate him.
"Come on, Kuro-rin. Mokona was just happy that you finally found your voice…" Fai interrupted cheerfully earning a warning look from said ninja.
"Um… they were the people who refused to move into the floating city… They said that it was not meant for humans to live amidst the skies… Something about defiling the land of the gods…" Phil answered, breaking the ensuing clash.
"Then… this place was not originally here?" Syaoran inquired.
"No, this floating city was found three years ago… after the women and children had left the kingdom…"
"Sakura's feather…" Syaoran said to himself softly.
"Oh, but it would be better if you could speak to the king directly about it… He might know the whereabouts of your lady friend's… feather," Phil added smiling.
"When…?"
"I've already sent a messenger to the king earlier today about your arrival. He would be able to give you an audience tomorrow morning," Phil answered before Syaoran could finish his sentence.
Standing up from his seat, Phil gestured to Sakura, who was already asleep leaning against the armrest of the couch she was seating in.
"The bedrooms are at the end of the hallway. I'll bring you to the king in the morning then," he informed their group and exited the room.
As Syaoran gently lifted Sakura up and placed her in a room, Kurogane, Mokona and Fai were still arguing about the many subjects that they disagreed on.
Note: Okay… This chapter feels a bit off… But, what was to be expected of a work done in the middle of the night?
Anyways, thanks for reading! (I wonder how many reviews I'll get this time?)