11. Lurking in the Light
This is weird, Lucius thought as he meditated I know that darkness is a part of the world like the Light, but this is insane, is there no love in the world anymore?!
Lucius, the newly appointed Bishop of the Church of Elimine had been becoming increasingly angry at the lack of compassion the people of the world were showing. As of late, Lucius had become more sensitive to violence and people had even noticed he had taken on a sort of glow. With his increased sensitivity came the realisation that darkness was once again descending on the world, but what it was he had no idea. He had no time to go and find out of course but surely, he thought, walking over to the window to let some let some light in, he could get someone to investigate for him.
Lucius smiled radiantly as he saw Erk, Serra, Priscilla and his dear friend Raven walk up the pathway to the Church's door.
As he rushed down the stairs from his room and walked gracefully yet quickly to the door he heard the expected pounding at the door, Ah Raven, I knew some things don't change. Lucius opened the door and ushered them in, hugging each of them as they came through the door, but when Raven got his turn to come in, he beat Lucius to it, giving him a hug that nearly made Lucius throw up his lunch.
"It's so good to see all of you again" Lucius said as he gazed over them when his eyes rested finally on Serra and Erk who was standing behind her and to the left.
Lucius couldn't help but notice that Serra had grown into a woman. Serra's pigtails were still there but they had grown a bit longer and were now an even lighter shade of pink. He also noticed that she was much more voluptuous then he remembered and he mentally slapped himself before his thoughts could go further. She had also grown a few centimetres putting the top f her head almost equal with Lucius, though Lucius still have a bigger frame.
He looked then to Erk to see he looked ready to slap Lucius as well, and Lucius was smart enough to put two and two together. Erk had grown over a foot and now resembled a purple-headed Pent except taller slightly.
Quickly speaking before the silence held for too long he said, "Please, sit down", motioning to the large chairs that were positioned around deep tray filled with scented candles of different colours and sizes.
Hector stomped back through the labyrinth-of-a-castle absolutely furious with himself for not being able to tell Eliwood how much danger he was in. I am going to be the death of my best friend he thought all you had to say was "Eliwood, you are in danger, I think it would be best if you left the castle for a few days with me".
As he came to the large, gold porthole to his room he continued muttering furiously and quickly pushed it open, not stopping to realise that it was, in fact, open and went straight to his bed, discarding all his clothes except for his undergarments to the corner of the large room. Hector lay down on the bed and wondered where and what Matthew was doing. He didn't know what was under his bed at that very moment.
Matthew was still unable to find a clue as to Jaffar's whereabouts within the castle, and this was starting to be a bit of a drain on his pride. Matthew had always found his man before this. When suddenly an idea struck him, if he couldn't track Jaffar - No! The Magic Seal he thought – he would have to think where he would go if he were the Magic Seal.
That's when it hit Matthew where to look, and he cursed himself for being so stupid. Then another though hit him. Things could possibly be about to go pear-shaped for Jaffar, and in an equally worse way for Hector. Matthew sped towards Eliwood's bedroom; Eliwood and Hector have he same looking door to their bedrooms.
Eliwood had his arm draped over Ninian as he walked back to his bedroom, having nowhere near as much trouble with what people had described to him as a maze for a castle.
Ninian mumbled something softly and he questioned her on it.
"I said there was something Hector didn't tell us, I could sense it", Ninian looked even slightly disturbed by this.
"I'm sure that whatever he was going to say wasn't that important nor of a sinister nature, Ninian you have my word that Hector is as careless with his words as anyone I know…"Eliwood looked deep into his wife's beautiful eyes, "he would have told us!"
Eliwood pushed open the porthole and came straight into the path of a speeding dagger.
Hector finally fell asleep after a lot of tossing and turning, after having finally decided that if Matthew had found something he would have let Hector know.
Just as his eyes closed one final time, Hector had the biggest rush of adrenaline he had ever felt, and made a rolling leap from his bed to land near his weapons.
At that same time a dagger plunged through the bottom of the bed, coming to a stop to protrude a good foot or so from the sheets of the bed, and some of the hand was visible, and was covered in a black material.
Hector grabbed Armads and cleaved the entire bed in half and wasn't surprised to see what was under it…
Matthew's hand holding the dagger stopped about an inch from Eliwood's face, but Matthew still had to give credit to Eliwood who obviously would have dodged the blow being in the crouched position he was and he had already slid his rapier from its sheath.
Matthew looked at Ninian as he slid his dagger back into the folds of his robe and bowed a deep bow.
"You'll have to excuse me, both of you, I am very sorry", and with that Matthew sprinted off into the 'maze' once again.
Hector threw all his weight behind the axe as he swung straight for the Magic Seal's neck, and instead of lopping off his head he met the famed Killing Edges as they smashed against the blade of the axe to deflect it.
Hector laughed, "Whatever made you think Jaffar was going to be a willing participant to your games you godforsaken Seal!"
The Magic Seal knew him to be right. So far Jaffar had led him to the wrong room, and had advised him of the wrong tactic to use against this large brute.
The Magic Seal, in Jaffar's body, leapt at Hector, deciding top try a new tactic. Just as Hector threw that might axe at Jaffar's flying body Hector remembered who he was trying to kill and so the blow did land, and the Magic Seal was shocked.
Unfortunately for the Magic Seal, the blow was struck with the other side of the axe, send the body of Jaffar blitzing into the broken remains of the bed, knocking the life out of the body.
Stuck in a body with nothing to do, the Magic Seal was finally shown once again in its true form, as the mist left Jaffar's body and dissipated to reveal that evil robed figure. Matthew gasped as he entered the room.
Sothe sat with his feet up on the table as he sipped his herbal tea. His green hair had grown long with his apathy to do anything but sit around and contemplate his now second removal from his brother.
When a messenger arrived with an order to begin a new life direction.
"This is from Lord-General Oswin of Ostia, you have until to tomorrow to depart with us or you will cease to be contacted by us as a source of business".