Authors Notes: Hiya again. FYI a Deep Dragon is a Wolven. When SSO got
dubbed, they decided to call Leki and his kind, Wolvens instead of Deep
Dragons. Leki isn't really a wolf he is a dragon. Awesome ne?
Warnings: Gash! I have a new warning! I didn't create the "Red Death." That is a creation of Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. It is believed that the "Red Death" symbolizes the wasting disease. (That is why I had Mrs. Everlasting cough up blood in the last chapter.) Same warnings as before apply.
"" Conversation
'' Thoughts
// // Passages from letters, books, etc
{} Flashback mode
"Mariebella! Mariebella! Majic! HELP!" Cleao's panicked scream echoed throughout the entire mansion. Majic jumped up in surprise at the sound of Cleao's screams. Dropping the tea tray so that he could reach his sister's Majic caused the delicate china to shatter all over the floor. Racing up the staircase and down the hall as fast as he could Majic hurried to find the cause of Cleao's terror. Yanking open the thick door he was shocked speechless at the sight.
Cleao was standing a few feet away from Mariebella; her hands clenched together near her face in horror. Mariebella was still kneeling on the floor, her hands trying to vainly cover her face. Her face and hands were covered in droplets of blood. A few trickles of blood ran down from the corner of her lip. Bursting out in violent coughs Mariebella bent over in pain, more blood ejecting from her mouth. Leki was standing near by, whining with worry.
"What happened? Mariebella what is wrong with you?" Majic dashed over to Mariebella, but she managed to hold up her arm to stop him before he got to close. Standing before his new sister Majic wondered what he should do. Before panic could set in a soft voice broke into the thick tension.
"You have the Red Death! Just like mother did. You're dying! Dying!" Cleao screamed in horror, as tears flowed down her face in ever increasing streams. Eyes wide with horror, shock, grief, and anger Cleao stared at Mariebella. "Why didn't you tell me you were dying? Why damn you! Why!" Her young body couldn't take the continuous emotional shock. With a faint sigh Cleao fainted. Before she hit the ground Majic leaped forward catching her. Yipping with surprise Leki jumped up onto his bond mates shoulder, staring into Majic's eyes.
"I got you Cleao! I got you..Umph!" Falling on his rump, Majic held the exhausted Cleao to his chest. Looking to Mariebella for help, Majic eyes also started to fill with tears. 'Why is this happening? I just found out that I have a new family, and they're dying on me! I wish Master were here. He would know what to do.' Mariebella meanwhile had managed to put her coughing fit under control. Using the near by chair for support she slowly pulled herself to her feet.
"M-majic. I won't live for much longer. I had hoped that Cleao and you wouldn't find out about my illness until later. Would you take care of her for me? Please?" Mariebella pleaded with her new brother. Wiping the blood off her face and hands with a handkerchief Mariebella walked over to Majic. Gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes she smiled sadly at him. "I head the crash of the china. I'll go make some more tea." Walking out the door Mariebella looked back once before she left the room.
Shortly after she left Cleao started to wake up, her eyes fluttering open slowly. "O-orphen?" Cleao mummers before realizing where she was. "Majic? Where did Mariebella go?" Majic released his hold on Cleao, a guilty look on his face.
"She went to go make tea." Staring down at his hands Majic waited for Cleao's response. Bracing himself for the loud vocal reprimands that were coming, Majic didn't have to wait long. Wincing at the outraged screams near his ears Majic waited for Cleao to calm down.
"What! Majic you idiot! Mariebella is sick! Dying! And you let her go make tea! How could you?" Cleao would be crying, except that she had run out of tears. 'How could this be happening! Mother is dead, Mariebella is dying, and there is nothing I can do about it! Nothing!' Hands on her hips Cleao glared at the quivering Majic. Shaking her head suddenly Cleao reached over and held out her hand to Majic. "Come on Majic. Mariebella is waiting for us with tea. No good getting mad at you. There is nothing I can do. Plus, we need to allow the servants to prepare mother for the funeral."
Blinking surprise at Cleao's change in mood Majic stopped shaking. Glancing up at Cleao he saw the wisdom in her eyes. 'Cleao sure has matured since the last time I saw her. That journey we went on must have changed her more that I thought.' Taking hold of Cleao's out stretched hand Majic stood up. Dropping his hands down to his sides Majic felt a slight lump in his pocket. Wondering what it could possibly be, Majic reached into his robe pocket. Pulling out a simply wrapped brown box Majic remembered what he was supposed to do. 'Oh! I almost forgot. Master Hartia wanted me to give this to Cleao, along with a letter. Ah! Where did I put that letter?' Dismayed Majic started to search franticly for the letter.
"Majic what are you doing?" Cleao demanded. She had had enough surprises for today. Finding out that her new brother had lice or something would tip her over the edge. What was he doing? "Is this what you're looking for?" Picking up the simple brown box from that floor that Majic had dropped.
"Cleao that box is for you! Master Hartia gave me it to give to you, along with a letter. Only I lost the letter!" Doubling his efforts to find the letter Majic started to jump and leap around in an effort to shake loose the letter from it's hiding spot. Cleao ignored Majic's mad jig as she rattled the box around to hear what was inside.
Intrigued by the faint metallic ring Cleao ripped off the wrapping. Lying in thin tissue paper was something Cleao thought she would never see again. Grabbing the necklace the tip of the chain she lifted it out of the box. Dangling before her was the signature necklace for the Tower of Fang. Twirling around reflecting sunlight was an exact duplicate to the necklace Orphen wore. "It's a necklace. Like the one Orphen always wore.."
As it gleamed in the weak sunlight, Cleao noticed something about the necklace for the first time. Written in an eloquent script was a name, written in the language used by the Tower. 'It must the owner's name. Why would Hartia give me this? I wish I knew how to read runes. Then I could now who's it is.' "Hey Majic. You can read the runes used by the Tower right?"
"Yes I can. Why?" Stopping his search for the letter Majic looked over Cleao's shoulder. Gasping in shock at the sight of the necklace Majic's mouth dropped open in surprise. "That is what Master wanted to give you?!" At Cleao's nod Majic reached over and looked closely at the inscription on the necklace. "I-I-it says Krylancelo Finrandi. This is Master's necklace!"
"Orphen.." Hugging the necklace to her chest Cleao remembered the memories it brought with it. "Wait! Majic, where is that letter? I need to read it!" Glaring at Majic Cleao suddenly noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the corner of his hood. Yanking the piece of paper from the startled Majic Cleao smirked. "I found the letter. Let's go down stairs."
Opening the letter with one hand Cleao started to glance over the letter's contents. "Oh my.." Eyes wide with shock Cleao handed the letter over to Majic. Skimming the letter Majic whistled in amazement. 'Wow.' Smiling happily Cleao put the necklace around her neck, securing it tightly. Removing her old emerald necklace, Cleao put it safely into her pocket.
// Dear Cleao,
How are you? I'm sorry about your Mother. The necklace I gave truly is Krylancelo's. He broke it when the tower decided to bury Azalie. That was the day he swore that Krylancelo was dead. He had tossed it away on that day. The necklace that Krylancelo always wore was Azalea's necklace. I thought you might want to have Krylancelo's necklace, since he doesn't want it anymore. I fixed it for you. Good luck on your quest.
Sincerely, Hartia. //
'I wonder what Hartia meant by quest? I don't plan on going anywhere. Mariebella needs me here.' Majic had lapsed into silence as he noticed the family portraits along the wall. Pausing in front of a large family portrait, containing Cleao, Mariebella, Mr. Everlasting, and Mrs. Everlasting Majic stared at the man who was his father. 'That is my father. I never knew..' Gleaming proudly in the side of the picture was the sword of Baltanders.
"Majic why did you stop? Oh. Look Leki, that is a picture of my father." Cleao looked up at the family portait. Sniffing at the large picture Leki stood up upon Cleao's head to get a better look.
'Hard to think that my view of family changed so much in such a short time.' Her eyes were drawn to the very item that had completely changed her life. Almost as if it were there the sword in the painting stood out boldly. Descriptive down to the very last detail, Cleao could even make out the runes on the blade. 'Runes of the ancient ones. Items of power. Nothing is as it seems, that which brings forth from within, that which is a pure as water.' Reciting the lines from her dream Cleao was struck by a brilliant idea.
"Majic! I have it! I know how to save Mariebella from the Red Death!"
Warnings: Gash! I have a new warning! I didn't create the "Red Death." That is a creation of Mr. Edgar Allen Poe. It is believed that the "Red Death" symbolizes the wasting disease. (That is why I had Mrs. Everlasting cough up blood in the last chapter.) Same warnings as before apply.
"" Conversation
'' Thoughts
// // Passages from letters, books, etc
{} Flashback mode
"Mariebella! Mariebella! Majic! HELP!" Cleao's panicked scream echoed throughout the entire mansion. Majic jumped up in surprise at the sound of Cleao's screams. Dropping the tea tray so that he could reach his sister's Majic caused the delicate china to shatter all over the floor. Racing up the staircase and down the hall as fast as he could Majic hurried to find the cause of Cleao's terror. Yanking open the thick door he was shocked speechless at the sight.
Cleao was standing a few feet away from Mariebella; her hands clenched together near her face in horror. Mariebella was still kneeling on the floor, her hands trying to vainly cover her face. Her face and hands were covered in droplets of blood. A few trickles of blood ran down from the corner of her lip. Bursting out in violent coughs Mariebella bent over in pain, more blood ejecting from her mouth. Leki was standing near by, whining with worry.
"What happened? Mariebella what is wrong with you?" Majic dashed over to Mariebella, but she managed to hold up her arm to stop him before he got to close. Standing before his new sister Majic wondered what he should do. Before panic could set in a soft voice broke into the thick tension.
"You have the Red Death! Just like mother did. You're dying! Dying!" Cleao screamed in horror, as tears flowed down her face in ever increasing streams. Eyes wide with horror, shock, grief, and anger Cleao stared at Mariebella. "Why didn't you tell me you were dying? Why damn you! Why!" Her young body couldn't take the continuous emotional shock. With a faint sigh Cleao fainted. Before she hit the ground Majic leaped forward catching her. Yipping with surprise Leki jumped up onto his bond mates shoulder, staring into Majic's eyes.
"I got you Cleao! I got you..Umph!" Falling on his rump, Majic held the exhausted Cleao to his chest. Looking to Mariebella for help, Majic eyes also started to fill with tears. 'Why is this happening? I just found out that I have a new family, and they're dying on me! I wish Master were here. He would know what to do.' Mariebella meanwhile had managed to put her coughing fit under control. Using the near by chair for support she slowly pulled herself to her feet.
"M-majic. I won't live for much longer. I had hoped that Cleao and you wouldn't find out about my illness until later. Would you take care of her for me? Please?" Mariebella pleaded with her new brother. Wiping the blood off her face and hands with a handkerchief Mariebella walked over to Majic. Gently brushing his bangs out of his eyes she smiled sadly at him. "I head the crash of the china. I'll go make some more tea." Walking out the door Mariebella looked back once before she left the room.
Shortly after she left Cleao started to wake up, her eyes fluttering open slowly. "O-orphen?" Cleao mummers before realizing where she was. "Majic? Where did Mariebella go?" Majic released his hold on Cleao, a guilty look on his face.
"She went to go make tea." Staring down at his hands Majic waited for Cleao's response. Bracing himself for the loud vocal reprimands that were coming, Majic didn't have to wait long. Wincing at the outraged screams near his ears Majic waited for Cleao to calm down.
"What! Majic you idiot! Mariebella is sick! Dying! And you let her go make tea! How could you?" Cleao would be crying, except that she had run out of tears. 'How could this be happening! Mother is dead, Mariebella is dying, and there is nothing I can do about it! Nothing!' Hands on her hips Cleao glared at the quivering Majic. Shaking her head suddenly Cleao reached over and held out her hand to Majic. "Come on Majic. Mariebella is waiting for us with tea. No good getting mad at you. There is nothing I can do. Plus, we need to allow the servants to prepare mother for the funeral."
Blinking surprise at Cleao's change in mood Majic stopped shaking. Glancing up at Cleao he saw the wisdom in her eyes. 'Cleao sure has matured since the last time I saw her. That journey we went on must have changed her more that I thought.' Taking hold of Cleao's out stretched hand Majic stood up. Dropping his hands down to his sides Majic felt a slight lump in his pocket. Wondering what it could possibly be, Majic reached into his robe pocket. Pulling out a simply wrapped brown box Majic remembered what he was supposed to do. 'Oh! I almost forgot. Master Hartia wanted me to give this to Cleao, along with a letter. Ah! Where did I put that letter?' Dismayed Majic started to search franticly for the letter.
"Majic what are you doing?" Cleao demanded. She had had enough surprises for today. Finding out that her new brother had lice or something would tip her over the edge. What was he doing? "Is this what you're looking for?" Picking up the simple brown box from that floor that Majic had dropped.
"Cleao that box is for you! Master Hartia gave me it to give to you, along with a letter. Only I lost the letter!" Doubling his efforts to find the letter Majic started to jump and leap around in an effort to shake loose the letter from it's hiding spot. Cleao ignored Majic's mad jig as she rattled the box around to hear what was inside.
Intrigued by the faint metallic ring Cleao ripped off the wrapping. Lying in thin tissue paper was something Cleao thought she would never see again. Grabbing the necklace the tip of the chain she lifted it out of the box. Dangling before her was the signature necklace for the Tower of Fang. Twirling around reflecting sunlight was an exact duplicate to the necklace Orphen wore. "It's a necklace. Like the one Orphen always wore.."
As it gleamed in the weak sunlight, Cleao noticed something about the necklace for the first time. Written in an eloquent script was a name, written in the language used by the Tower. 'It must the owner's name. Why would Hartia give me this? I wish I knew how to read runes. Then I could now who's it is.' "Hey Majic. You can read the runes used by the Tower right?"
"Yes I can. Why?" Stopping his search for the letter Majic looked over Cleao's shoulder. Gasping in shock at the sight of the necklace Majic's mouth dropped open in surprise. "That is what Master wanted to give you?!" At Cleao's nod Majic reached over and looked closely at the inscription on the necklace. "I-I-it says Krylancelo Finrandi. This is Master's necklace!"
"Orphen.." Hugging the necklace to her chest Cleao remembered the memories it brought with it. "Wait! Majic, where is that letter? I need to read it!" Glaring at Majic Cleao suddenly noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the corner of his hood. Yanking the piece of paper from the startled Majic Cleao smirked. "I found the letter. Let's go down stairs."
Opening the letter with one hand Cleao started to glance over the letter's contents. "Oh my.." Eyes wide with shock Cleao handed the letter over to Majic. Skimming the letter Majic whistled in amazement. 'Wow.' Smiling happily Cleao put the necklace around her neck, securing it tightly. Removing her old emerald necklace, Cleao put it safely into her pocket.
// Dear Cleao,
How are you? I'm sorry about your Mother. The necklace I gave truly is Krylancelo's. He broke it when the tower decided to bury Azalie. That was the day he swore that Krylancelo was dead. He had tossed it away on that day. The necklace that Krylancelo always wore was Azalea's necklace. I thought you might want to have Krylancelo's necklace, since he doesn't want it anymore. I fixed it for you. Good luck on your quest.
Sincerely, Hartia. //
'I wonder what Hartia meant by quest? I don't plan on going anywhere. Mariebella needs me here.' Majic had lapsed into silence as he noticed the family portraits along the wall. Pausing in front of a large family portrait, containing Cleao, Mariebella, Mr. Everlasting, and Mrs. Everlasting Majic stared at the man who was his father. 'That is my father. I never knew..' Gleaming proudly in the side of the picture was the sword of Baltanders.
"Majic why did you stop? Oh. Look Leki, that is a picture of my father." Cleao looked up at the family portait. Sniffing at the large picture Leki stood up upon Cleao's head to get a better look.
'Hard to think that my view of family changed so much in such a short time.' Her eyes were drawn to the very item that had completely changed her life. Almost as if it were there the sword in the painting stood out boldly. Descriptive down to the very last detail, Cleao could even make out the runes on the blade. 'Runes of the ancient ones. Items of power. Nothing is as it seems, that which brings forth from within, that which is a pure as water.' Reciting the lines from her dream Cleao was struck by a brilliant idea.
"Majic! I have it! I know how to save Mariebella from the Red Death!"