Destroyers Of Time
Chapter Twenty-one: Return
By: Efra
Cliff emerged from the mist slowly sadness gleaming in his blue eyes. His hands covered in blood as he held Albel in his arms. Albel had his head rested against Cliff's uppermost chest with his eyes shut skin pale and a small trickle of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth to his chin. His left arm lay rested on his lower waist while his other arm fell freely over Cliff's wrist. Cliff's hand was covering a blood stain on Albel's chest that ran down Albel's side while his other kept firm grip under Albel's knees. Cliff stared forward liping words that could not be heard.
"Elvy? Elvy wake up. Please?"
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Elvira opened her eyes slowly blinking a few times. Valkin stared down at her like a reflection in the mirror. "How do you feel?" Valkin asked. Elvy sat up a throbbing pain running across her forehead. She looked around a nicely decorated room full of little nick knacks. There was a maid filling a bowl with hot water next to her. Elvy stared at her for a moment then looked back to her brother.
"What happen…" Elvy began but was cut off by another much slyer voice.
"You took a hit in the head." The voice replied.
Valkin looked annoyed and turned around facing a silver haired man sitting cross-legged on the dresser with his arms crossed. "I could have told her that myself!" Valkin snapped. Prae sneered at him "Well I don't care." He countered smugly. Valkin growled under his breath giving the Destroyer the finger. Prae smirked at him obviously taking the invitation "Well I didn't know you went that way." He replied standing up. Valkin turned a little pink in the face backing away from him "That's not what I meant!"
Prae smirked again turning his back to him. "Obviously." He replied walking back over to the dresser and sat down again.
"Is Albel back yet?" Elvy asked standing up.
Valkin shook his head as the maid scurried by him and sat Elvy back down again. "Don't move your not healed yet." She commanded unraveling the bandages around Elvy's head. Valkin walked over to her "Don't worry bout him he'll come back soon." He reassured.
"Pity." Prae muttered.
Valkin closed his eyes gripping the bedpost firmly. Prae looked to the door suddenly narrowing his eyes as the handle turned slowly. "He's here." Prae muttered jumping to his feet. "What?" Valkin cried standing up.
The door swung open revealing a tall man wearing black armor with shoulder length brown hair. "Shit! Why didn't you say something sooner you idiot!" Valkin snapped in Prae's direction. Prae shrugged "Guess I forgot." He replied grabbing a spear from the wall spinning it around a few times.
"FORGOT?"
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Albel sat up slowly his hand on his forehead. The sheets were damp with sweat and twisted in a heap at the end of the bed. "What the hell?" Albel muttered as the lights flickered on blinding him for a moment. Cliff stood in the doorway with a smirk on his face "Good morning!" He called happily. Albel glared at him and flopped back onto his side with his back to Cliff.
"Go away fool before I chop you in two." Albel snapped disappearing beneath the blankets again. Cliff blinked and sighed as Fayt wandered by the doorway. "Hey wait up!" Cliff called running after Fayt. Fayt looked at him groggily. "Hi…" He muttered. "What's the mattered can't wake up either?" Cliff teased poking Fayt.
Albel lay there silently for a moment looking at the floor a small tingling sensation disturbing his shoulder's peace. Albel glared at it then threw the blankets off his body and stood up.
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Fayt yawned entering the control bay where the others were standing. Mirage smiled at him as he entered "Good morning sleepy head." She teased. Fayt smiled "G'morning." He replied. Maria looked over her shoulder form where she sat. Sophia was examining something across the room. "Where's Albel?" Maria asked. Cliff looked agitated and replied "Still in bed. He refuses to get up…. whoa!" Cliff yelled jumping to the side away from Albel's claw.
Albel stood up straight staring at all of them with dead eyes. "Albel what are you doing!" Fayt yelled. Albel said nothing and pulled his sword out leaping at Fayt who unsheathed his just in time to clash with Albel's. Cliff jumped up from the floor and ran towards Albel. Fayt slid backwards a few inches struggling to keep his grip on his sword.
Maria pulled her gun pointing it at Albel "He's gone insane!" She yelled. "No don't shoot him!" Fayt demanded sliding backwards a few more inches. Maria stared at him in shock "Fayt he's trying to kill you!" She cried. "It's not Albel!" Fayt replied loosing his grip on his sword. Cliff jumped forward with Nel at his side.
Albel spun around clawing at both of them. Nel successfully dodged him but Cliff was thrown into one of the chairs. Albel turned back to Fayt who was in Sophia's arms with a devilish smirk.
"Albel what wrong with you!" Fayt cried as Albel took a few steps towards them.
Roger scurried into the room seconds later "Swirling Heat!" He yelled wrapping the yellow whip around Albel's ankles and pulling with all his strength. Albel didn't budge no more then a centimeter. Albel turned to Roger sending a flurry of reddish dragons at him. Roger screamed and hit the deck dodging them. Cliff and Mirage both took the chance and tackled Albel onto the ground.
Albel growled and struggled under both of their weight nearly knocking them off. After a few moments Cliff finally hit Albel on the back of the head. Albel fell limp immediately afterwards. Fayt stood up walking cautiously over to them. "Cliff what do you think is wrong with him?" Mirage asked moving off of Albel. "I think it's that bite on his shoulder… He's been acting funny ever since he got it." Cliff replied also moving off of him.
Roger stood up looking around nervously. Maria returned her gun to its holder. Cliff lifted Albel into his arms gently "Lets get him to the hospital wing for now." Cliff turned walking out of the control room.
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Albel opened his eyes awakening from a deep sleep. He looked around slowly; he was in a stone chamber covered in red markings on the other side of the room was another door that concealed darkness beyond it. He was curled up above the ground inside a beam of golden light. He felt as if he shouldn't be awake and stood straight landing onto the ground softly.
He stepped off the altar like structure the light disappearing as soon as he was out of it. It took him a while to realize that he could see perfectly, not with on side blurry, he blinked and looked around some more. He put his hand on his eye; the scar from Neka's claws was missing. He smirked and headed towards the doorway. As soon as he reached it he saw something peering at him from the other side. Albel pulled his sword and crouched low to the ground "Who are you?" He demanded his voice echoing through the room.
"Your one of them isn't you?" The voice asked softly. Albel sneered, "Depends on who's asking." He replied still on guard. A small girl emerged through the doorway wearing a torn sundress with black soot all over her. "Then…then you protect me?" She asked nervously. "What do you mean? Why would I do that?" Albel muttered standing up.
"Because there's a angel breaking town…" She replied tears falling down her cheeks. "He…mommy…" She cried running to Albel and wrapping her arms around his leg. Albel looked at her with interest. "An angel huh?" He asked. The girl nodded.
"Well then. I'll take care of him." Albel said then ran through the doorway.
The town beyond wasn't very big at all and covered in flames. Several people were running in fear while others had long passed over. And amidst of the chaos stood another man with waist length platinum blonde hair and three jointed wings with his back to him looking at the sky.
The embers danced in front of his dark emerald eyes as he stared at the stars. "Claude! Where are you! Come out so I can finish the job!" He yelled towards the sky.
Albel stared at him in confusion he knew exactly who the man was calling but for the life of him couldn't remember his face and yet for some reason he though of Fayt but he pushed it aside and shook his head then pulled his sword. "Sorry but Claude isn't coming anytime soon." Albel replied.
The angel leered over his shoulder with a smirk. "Well well if it isn't Dias I thought you were taken care of permanently." The angel replied.
"Dias? Who the hell is Dias?" Albel snapped.
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"So…will that stuff help him?"
"It should. I am a master that this ya know. He'll be better as soon as he wakes up"
"Oh really…I never knew."
"That's because I never had a chance to demonstrate it."
"I don't see your sister around."
"She's with Woltar. As soon as she can she'll be in here."
Albel shot up from the soft bedspread breathing heavily. Cliff and Valkin both jumped and stared at him in shock. "What's going on?" Albel snapped jumping out of bed. Cliff looked at Valkin in even bigger shock. Valkin smirked and headed towards the door "Didn't I tell you?"
Albel jumped over the bed catching Valkin just before he left the room. "Where is she?" Albel demanded. Valkin stared at him blankly "Which she? There's quit a lot of them running around here." He replied. Albel shoved him into the wall sneering at him. "You know damn well which she." Albel snapped.
"She is with the old fool in his room." Another man replied.
"There he goes again…" Valkin sighed.
Albel looked to the doorway where his second most nemesis stood. They both stared at each other for a moment before Albel threw a punch at him. Praetorian, who was amazingly caught of guard, was hit in the cheek and knocked into the opposing wall. Prae rubbed his cheek muttering under his breath then looking back at Albel. "What was that for?"
Albel crossed his arms "You know very well what that was for mutation." He replied snobbishly and darted down the hall. Cliff looked from Valkin to Prae then went after Albel. Prae continued to watch Albel walk away. He narrowed his eyes their dark color shifting to red with cat like pupils for a split second then back to normal.
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Albel opened the door to Woltar's room noisily looking around. "Woman where are you!" He demanded walking over to the desk. Elvy appeared in the doorway looking a little bit surprised. Albel glared and turned to her.
"Your back." She muttered vacantly.
"No. Your just to clever." Albel replied holding his arms out slightly.
Elvy walked over to him and looked up to his face with a smile "Hi."
Albel stood there still with his arms out still as if waiting for something for as long while before standing straight. "Hi? That's it!" He snapped. Elvy looked away from him and walked over to the doorway to Woltar's bedroom and looked back at him "What were you expecting a kiss?" She asked. Albel sneered and crossed his arms looking agitated.
"I see you already found each other." Fayt laughed, "Is Woltar alright? I heard he got pretty banged up with the last wave."
Elvy looked to her feet sadly "Yeah he's alright. He just fell asleep but with dragon breath here he's probably awake." She replied.
"DRAGON BREATH!" Albel yelled holding his claw out threateningly. Elvy looked over to him with small eyes "See what I mean?" Then headed to the door.
Albel watched her as she went feeling an unnatural feeling around his lower back. Albel stood petrified until he realized what she had done before turning a little pink in the face. "WENCH!" Albel yelled in a rather defeated voice. Fayt looked around nervously and rubbed that back of his head "I'm uhh gonna check on…Woltar…yeah that's it Woltar!" And darted out of the room.
Nel stared at Albel for a moment then smiled slightly "Are you going to take that abuse?" She asked. Albel looked up from his feet with a look of interest "Of course not." He said smugly and glided out of the room after Elvy.
Albel found her sitting in an apple tree outside looking over towards the graveyard. Albel put his hand on his hip as Cliff passed with Valkin whom were chattering fifty miles per hour then walked over to the stump of the tree and leaned against it. "Well since your up there slave get me an apple."
Elvy leered down at him blankly for a moment before looking mischievous and crawled up into the higher branches for a few seconds then returned to her perch handing an apple down to him. Albel smirked and snagged it. Just as he was about to take a bite he noticed something not right. There was a long green worm swaying back and forth in a hypnotizing manner.
Albel muttered and tossed the apple looking back up to Elvy "One that's not infested." He called. Elvy returned to the branches for a long while. Albel leaned against the trunk finding the graveyard with his eyes. Neka was prowling up on the wall that surrounded it after Roger who was looking like a jumper at the other end. Clous was sitting next to Layla on a bench a little farther off while Prae, is ultimate arch nemesis was examining a small girls scrapped arm… the most disturbing site he had ever seen.
A small hard object bounced off his head and onto the ground. Albel glared upward "That's it woman!" He yelled jumping into the tree. Prae finished healing the girl's arm and shooed her away before looking over to the tree. Albel was tossed from its branches onto the grass he laid there for a moment before yelling something and returning to the branches. Elvy was tossed out next though she landed on her feet and jumped back into the tree and so on so forth etcetera etcetera.
Prae wandered over in a sort of swaying manner (Or in other words a crazy person) and looked up at the tree just as both of them fell from the branch they were standing on right in front of him. Albel muttered agitatedly and sat up making eye contact with his enemy. Prae tilted his head to the side blankly "Get a room." He whispered. Albel glared "What did you say fool?" He growled threateningly and pulled the Crimson Scourge.
Elvy grabbed his ankle and pulled him back to the ground next to her. "What wench!" Albel snapped. "Did it ever occur to you he wants you to fight with him?" She asked. "What are you implying?" Albel asked his anger level rising. Elvy blinked and put her hand on her forehead "Men…always taking things the wrong way…" She sighed.
"Oh really. How about I slice that pretty little outfit off you. I bet you look nice underneath- GAH!" Albel fell onto his back. Elvy stood over his cracking her knuckles. "You want to run that past me again Nox?"
Prae sighed turning away from them looking rather homesick. Several whispers echoed into his ears. Prae covered his eyes with his hand his wings drooping downward. The whispers slowly became words with an accent in them, Prae looked up to the sky with interest at the white feathery clouds moving sluggishly but the now blood red sky.
"Gabriel…" Prae recited
Albel and Elvy both stopped fighting and looked at him. "What was that fool?" Albel demanded giving him an icy look. Prae blinked and glared at him his eyes shifting back to the small red catlike eyes again for a second. "Try none of your business?" He replied. "Heh well it's about to be." Albel snapped pulling the Crimson Scourge swinging it around a few times.
Fayt came running up to Prae looking a tad bit nervous. He whispered something into his ear and lead Prae away with him. "Gabriel…" Albel muttered, "Why dose that sound so familiar?" Albel added turning back to Elvy.
"You know anyone by that name?" Albel asked.
Elvy shook her head "No…but I feel like I
do…"
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Wow it took be forever to get this chapter up hehehehe I blame Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children. But anyway have I confuseld everybody yet? Sorry bout the wait I know your going to kill me. Reviews please and the next chapter Luther will make appear magically soon glomp's Riku
