Raguna was up with the sun just like Nero. Both yawned and stretched before noticing Nakietra awake. Raguna watched her work at the medicine table before getting up. He noticed that the fire was built up before going over to her. He waited for her to finish her mixture before bothering her.
"Nakietra," He said and touched her shoulder. She twitched and looked back at him. He could tell she hadn't slept very much during the night.
"I made some food and set it on the counter for you. It should still be warm," She said and then got to her feet. She took her three filled medicine bottle and put them in the chest next to her. He smiled softly as Nero came over to. She ran a hand through the hair on his head and kissed him.
"Why didn't you sleep?" He asked her. He peeked in the chest as she opened it and saw it was mostly filled but for two more slots. She must have worked all night to fill it. They weren't the quick medicines he made either, they were the strong durable ones that he could only get through Lara when she had the time to make them for him.
"I don't sleep," She answered and slowly rose to her feet. He didn't ask her anymore and went to get his breakfast. Nakietra watched him and then turned back to the table to finish making the medicine for Raguna. Without a word, Raguna left with Nero next to him. When the medicine was done, Nakietra made food for everyone else and slowly started to wake them up one by one, starting with Kurogane.
Kurogane pulled her into his arms as he sat up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the fact that he was here. She had another dream last night where she saw him being killed by Benji, tortured first though and she could do nothing to save him.
Kurogane inhaled her scent. She always smelled like herbs, soft green ones that he knew she used to make her daily medicine. He had a dream last night that he would wake up and find her lying dead next to him. It scared him. She pulled back.
"There's breakfast on the counter for you," She whispered and stood up. He got to his feet and put his hands on her waist.
"Did you take your medicine?" He asked. She thought for a moment and then shook her head. He moved by the fire where he left the bag the night before. It wasn't there anymore.
"Someone moved your bag," He whispered and looked back to her. She thought about it for a moment, not comprehending that she needed her medicine right now.
"Raguna wouldn't move it," She finally said and turned to the door. She knew Mokona wouldn't take it.
"Where are you going?" He asked as she stepped into the chilled air. He ran over to her. She had no shoes on and he knew that dress of hers was very thin.
"Raguna!" She called loudly through cupped hand. The man looked from where he was watering the fields in the far back corner and gave a wave that he could hear her. "Where's Marina?" She asked. Raguna face fell and he looked over toward the river.
"Most people would think it's too early to be shouting," Marina said distastefully as Nakietra turned to look at her. Kurogane came over and stood protectively behind Nakietra. Marina's kimono flowed around her bare feet as she walked down the dirt path. Today she was wearing a shimmery grey one with silver storms printed in coils over the fabric. One of her arms cradled Mokona like a baby while the other was busy clasped a smoky looking glass ball.
"Catch," Marina said and smiled as she threw the ball. Nakietra easily caught it and then stared into it. She handed it to Kurogane and then stared at Marina still.
"What is it?" She asked.
"It's an encased storm. I've enchanted it so it will only break around your prince. The only thing you need to make sure of is that you actually hit him with it. The storm is made to soak into his body and then destroy it from the inside. If it hits the ground, your home will be destroyed from the inside and you will defiantly be killed on the spot," Marina said in a tone that moved with the wind. Nakietra looked up at her sharply.
"Anything else I need to know?" She asked. Marina smiled still while Nakietra frowned. There was always an added horror when it came to whatever Marina wanted.
"You will go directly to your home after you leave here. I've made sure of that. You just need to keep your side of the bargain, and trust me, I plan to get my full use out of you," She said and smiled devilishly. She outstretched her empty hand and flicked a finger toward her. The glass ball ripped itself from Kurogane's grasp and back into Marina's.
"First though, we must write your contract before you have a chance to screw me," She stated as her smile grew. Nakietra looked a little pale and her hands shook a little from where she was hiding them behind her back. Kurogane put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Let's get it over with," She said strongly.
"Brave girl…Come then, we have to go somewhere where no one will hear your scream," Marina said and walked across the path to the opposite side of the house where there was a little bridge that went over the river. Nakietra took a step forward, but Kurogane stopped her.
"What is she going to do to you?" He hushed. She looked to him, her eyes betraying the brave look across her face. She was scared, very scared.
"She'll engrave a pattern into my hand which will mark me with our deal. It's very painful I've heard," Nakietra stated. After a moment, Kurogane gave her a long kiss and let her go when Marina started shouting for her to hurry.
"Come back safely," He said. Nakietra nodded her head and ran to catch up.
Kurogane didn't continue Nakietra's work of waking everyone up. He ate his food and then went right to helping Raguna with his work. They talked while they were alone. Raguna didn't only know about the world it seemed. He knew more about Nakietra than any other person they'd met so far. He also knew Hiro. He had no problems talking about him.
He knew Hiro was dead already. Marina told him. That's where Kurogane learned how much Marina enjoyed watching people wither in pain, especially emotional pain. Their talked stopped as the other's started waking up and coming out after their breakfast.
Kurogane was the one that told them what was going on and where Nakietra was at the moment. Raguna then shared what Marina told him last night about the feather. Marina had hidden the feather in a nearby ruin a few miles outside of town. She said that when they had it, they could keep it.
Fai was the one who asked the right question to make everyone uneasy. None of them except for Kurogane knew the full extent of Nakietra's deal with Marina. They knew Nakietra was not one to take orders, and becoming a servant was even worse than that. They knew there was no better choice though after seeing The Prince in action.
Raguna stopped the questions with work then. He told them what happens when the work isn't done for Marina. It's different each time. Sometimes she plays on what she knows will hurt you emotionally, sometimes she hurts you physically, once she destroyed Raguna's field. They stared right away then. Kurogane kept working on the field with Syaoran. Fai worked inside on the new cooking that had to be done, and Raguna took Sakura to get the feather. Nero helped out where he could.
By mid-day, Sakura was sleeping by the fire inside and Raguna was doing the fishing. Work was slowly finished then. Fai took longer than Nakietra, but he did it almost as good as she did. Raguna was amazed how fast the work went. The field was completely clear for once and the crops tended, the fishing was soon finished with the girl, Cinnamon's help, and the cooking was also done as well. Raguna was so happy, he took Syaoran away to help him in town and asked Fai to make a wonderful dinner.
Raguna took his time with Syaoran. He learned a lot about the boy and also a lot about the parts of Nakietra he never needed to know. He smiled at the fact that she was a teacher and that she was actually good. He loved hearing about her climbing and how she would save Syaoran, and also loved about how she still wrote in that same leather book. Syaoran asked what was in it. Raguna wouldn't tell him.
Then they met Kross, the only person Syaoran didn't immediately like as much. Syaoran found the way the man talked as poetic and sad. It almost made him cry to hear the man sound so mournful. Raguna finished his business with the man (paying him to construct a monster hut near his house) and then they moved onto home. Syaoran asked Raguna about the man, but Raguna was just as stumped about him as Syaoran was.
The sun had set and Nakietra was still not back yet though. Everyone sat in front of the fire; waiting. Raguna managed to distract them, but only for short periods of time it seemed. He knew Marina liked to take her time with people she hated. He knew she would take especially long with Nakietra.
Marina was loud and showy with her entrance then. She always was at least. She didn't smile as she walked into the middle of the room. She smirked as everyone scrambled away from her. Nakietra stumbled through the door after her. She clutched the door jam and Raguna just caught her as she was about to fall.
"Don't move," Marina commanded. No one did. Raguna glared at her and then closed the door before gently putting Nakietra on the ground. Raguna took off his gloves and touched her. Her clothes were dripping wet and her skin was like ice. His face got hard. He's never seen her this bad before, and he's seen her collapse into a pool of her own blood that she coughed up because Marina took her medicine and all her herbs to make it.
Marina dropped Mokona in Sakura's lap like a ball of dough and then turned to the right of the fireplace and into the small space of clear wall that was there. The wall shimmered but turned solid again once she was gone.
Kurogane rushed to Nakietra and put a hand to her face. "Are you alright?" Raguna asked. He could see her left hand was covered in diamond looking lines that were jagged and pale like scars. She nodded her head yes very slowly. He ran a finger over her hand. It was smooth. Marina made sure it was as slow and as painful as possible he could tell from how messy the mark was.
"What happened?" Kurogane asked and took her right hand very carefully. She stared at it with dull eyes. Raguna pulled back. He needed to go into town and see if he could borrow some clothes for her. He knew how Mokona worked and knew Marina made sure he would be unconscious for this because she hates Nakietra.
"She took me to the lake…gave me the mark…and then we came here," She stuttered through. He rubbed his fingers over the scars. They were slightly sunken in her could just barely feel. These were very deep wounds.
"They're scars," He stated. She nodded her head slowly and closed her eyes. It was like a chore for her to breath.
"My hand was covered in blood before she healed it," She said absently, "I have to tell you…"
"We already know about the deal," Syaoran told her as he took a seat on the ground on her right. Kurogane let her hand drop and took a space a little bit away from her on her left. Nakietra looked started off into space past everyone with a final wonder if he hated her now because of her decision.
"…The next world will be my home….you need to call me Mariah…there," She said and squeezed her eyes shut like she was in sudden pain.
"Why?" Fai was the first to ask. She breathed three slow breaths.
"I can never return home after I start serving Marina…Its better if they keep thinking I'm already dead," She said painfully.
"That's not fair," Sakura stated first in a quiet voice.
"That's Marina…Nothing with her is fair," Raguna jumped in with a very serious voice.
"It's true…What will you call me from now on?" She tested. Everyone answered Mariah. Nakietra nodded her head in satisfaction. "Nero will run off once we arrive. No one can see him in the city…it's not allowed. Remember, you can't know a dead person," She explained shakily.
"What do we say when they ask us where we're from and why we're here?" Fai asked strategically.
"We came to kill The Prince…say you're from a different world. They'll believe us," She answers.
"Will you be able to ignore everyone you know though?" Kurogane asked. She hesitated and opened her eyes to stare at him. She was drowning in her own depression.
"I'm going to lie," She stated and slightly shook her head no, "I will be one who knows…their culture and traditions."
"You'll get caught if you slip up," Kurogane stated to her. She nodded her head slowly.
"I know…I can't pretend to not understand….anything they do though. It would be worse if I… played ignorant…and was caught because of my knowledge," She responded and closed her eyes.
"We understand," Fai said softly, "Mariah."
"We should leave…now," She said hurriedly as her eyes snapped open.
"Not so fast," Marina said from beside the bed. She slowly walked up, playing with the storm encased glass ball.
Nakietra
I stare at her. I knew she would try this, but I can't believe it took her so long. I wanted to leave before this even if it meant leaving the ball. Actually, if she doesn't give it to us now, then she breaks her side of the deal and I have control over her rather than the other way around.
"Power, wealth, eternal youth…I can give you anything you want, and eventually you could eve give it to yourselves. All you need to do is become my apprentice," She started.
"It's all a lie," I said loudly so they all can hear me. Marina scowls at me and then continues talking.
"You don't know what you're talking about," She snapped nastily at me. She looked down on Syaoran with a smile. "Already you have a little wisdom beyond your years and a very strong will to do what's right," She put a hand on his cheek and leaned close to him. He was already getting ensnared in her trap, "Your potential for magic is so great, you might be able to surpass me with training, and your ability to learn is just as incredible. You could have it all: strength, looks, wisdom, knowledge, and powers beyond anyone's dreams. You could be a god, no. A god amongst us gods even. You could be with the one person you've wanted for all eternity. You could bring back your father. Happiness and power, the true desires of the human soul, would be in your control."
"Don't," I tell him very loudly and watch him, "She's lying. When you become her apprentice, you can never love or have a family." I need to stop him. Marina scowls at me with a glint of fire in her eyes. Good, I hope they all understand that this decision will destroy their lives.
"How would you know?" She asks. I glare at her.
"Hiro told me," I say, staring into her deadly eyes. Syaoran looks back at me and I shake my head at him.
"I won't do it," Syaoran tells her. Marina glares down at him and moves on to Fai. I'm glad he said no.
"No thanks for me either," He said right away before she could even speak. I could hear the smile in his voice. Marina still tries.
"You haven't even heard what I could offer you in particular. You think that you can never use magic again because the witch took away your security, but you're wrong. It's all a matter of control and I can teach you that control with practice. You could surpass, you could surpass Asura and the Dimensional Witch, and maybe even Clow Reed in a few hundred years. Your ability for destructive magic is much more than the boys, but it could be better if you could hide your emotions to yourself instead of just from the world. Do you still say no after hearing all this?" Marina charmed. Fai thought seriously about it now. I open my mouth to stop him but then I stop myself. He hates me for letting his family het hurt, for lying to everyone. I purse my lips. He can hate me, but I won't let him destroy his life.
"Fai, don't do it. She'll corrupt you in all ways. You will your emotions, your humanity even," I hush to him.
"Be quiet," Marina says annoyed. She raises her hand without a glance to me and makes a twisting motion. Pain grips my lungs and I can't breathe. I grasp my chest and pressed back against the door.
"What are you doing to her?" Kurogane asks quickly, drawing his sword. The pain intensifies and I close my eyes. I can't breathe at all now. It's too much. Blood wells up in my mouth and spills onto the floor. It burns worse than any other time. There's so much more blood though. Tears stream down my eyes. I don't want to die. Not here, not yet.
"Marina, stop it!" Raguna yells. The pain lasts longer. Then…its gone. My body goes limp and I gasp for air. I can't breathe. There's too much blood. I need help. I need someone to help me.
"She needed to learn a lesson," Marina says monotone. I open my eyes and watch as Kurogane's and Syaoran's swords spin in a circle around her as she walks toward me. Their fists were both bloody. I never told them about the force field that surrounds her. I should have. Raguna grabs Sakura by the shoulders and pulls her away. We both know none of us can do anything at this point.
She stops in front of me and picks me up by the edge of my dress. My whole body is screaming in pain and blood is still dripping down the edges of my mouth. "You will remember that I hold your life in my hands at all times now. YOU are mine. When I tell you to be quiet, you're quiet. If I tell you to kill, you kill. Got it?" She asks. I can't even manage a nod. Satisfied, she drops me like garbage and walks away. I need my medicine before I slip into unconsciousness. I pry my eyes open, but already my sight is already blurring. I just have to stay awake. If I fall unconscious I'll never wake up again.
Voices and faces blur together. I can barely hear what anyone is saying. Then I felt it, like icy fire, the medicine was injected into my arm. I should be fine now.
I feel the change minute by minute. First my head clears a little bit and I can focus a little more on breathing. My eyesight returns soon my hearing. I open my eyes and looked at everyone's worried faces as they looked down a time. The pain is gone. I close my eyes. I can't stand pity. I push myself up with Raguna helping me. I'm stiff and weak now.
"Should you be getting up?" Syaoran asks worriedly. I grip Raguna's shirt with my hands and start heading to the sink. I don't look at any of them.
"Yes," I respond weakly. I need to sleep, but I need to keep myself up because I don't want to spend another night here. I turn on the sink and wash the blood from my face and chin. Raguna pulls away and watches my group behind me. I don't think any of them are going to come closer to me right now.
"What was that stuff you used Raguna?" Syaoran asks then.
"It's just a stronger version of her medicine. You should only use it in emergencies though because it can kill her," He responds. "You have some of that stuff right?" He whispers sideways to me.
"Yeah," I answer and nod my head. I think it's somewhere in my herb bag if I remember correctly.
"Does anyone know where it is other than you?" He asks in the same quiet voice. I close my eyes.
"Yes," I answer hesitantly. He doesn't ask. There's a reason Fai didn't save me. It's easier to play ignorant than know your family is going to die in the next world because of me.
"You're going to need to change first if you plan on leaving tonight," He says.
"I know. Mokona?" I call. He was asleep in Sakura's arms last time I checked. Marina said she had taken control of him so that he would take us to Xion in the first place and then again to come here. After we arrive at my home, he'll be back to his normal self and our destinations will be random once again. I turn around and see him slowly open his eyes. I didn't ask her if she meant to bring us to Benji also.
"Give me my red dress," I say. If I'm going home, I need to wear something that won't be recognized. Sleepily, Mokona yawns and produces the dress from his limitless storage. "And both of my bags," I add and those were produced also. Mokona settled back down into sleep. I put the dress on the counter behind me and bent down next to my bags.
I started with my every day one. I dug out some clean clothes to go under my dress as well as my long shawl that I used to use to hide my face. I've been using it to protect the corners of my drawing book recently. I gathered up the clothes and the dress and went into the corner. Raguna carefully makes all the men, including himself, turn to face the opposite direction without me telling him to.
It's been awhile since I've changed these clothes and washed them I noticed as I peeled them off. There was old blood smeared on them from wounds I don't really remember having. I would have liked a shower, but I settled for the sink and a rag to clean away any blood I found on my skin. Meanwhile, Raguna explained to the group when the highly concentrated medicine should be used. I tug on the loose dress.
It has long, thin, sleeves and stops just above my feet. I believe this is the biggest dress I own. I squirm around in the fabric, wondering why I bought it in the first place and also where. I drape the shawl over my shoulders and maneuver it to shadow my face as well as hide my face. The shawl was made of two different fabrics; the bottom part was stretchy and made to form to whatever you wanted it to, while the upper fabric was sturdy and stiff that casts dark shadows in the sun. All anyone will see is my smile and few people have ever seen me smile in general. I gather up my clothes and throw them in my bag. I'll have to clean them at some point. I look through my other bag and make sure I have enough medicine made. I do.
"Let's leave," I say and stand up. I see the storm ball clutched in Kurogane's hand and frown sadly. I want to talk to him, but not here. Not in this house and not around the others. He has his sword back I see.
"Let's go then," Mokona says weakly. I grimace. Sakura looks worried about him and so am I. I know its Marina's control that has him out of sorts right now, but I still think it hurts him with the soft landings.
"He'll be fine once we get to the next world," I tell her softly. Mokona takes a deep breath and soon we are all moving into the circle. Raguna takes a step forward and tossed me a metal looking ball. I catch it and looked at him confused.
"Marina will talk to you through it once you start your work," He says with a sad smile. I grip it in my hand and look up at him.
"Goodbye," I say with a small wave because I have nothing else to say to him. Then we were gone once again. I'm officially a prisoner now.