Author's Note:
Ok, I'm just gonna say it now.....Blood and gore in the next chapters and I mean a lot so if you can't handle detail than just don't read on okay?
Disclaimer in Previous chapters.
Sarah, frowning, walked up to Celtos as Katie left the training field. "Celt?"
The Elf jumped and spun towards her, his head still reeling from Katie's actions a few moments before.
"Celt?!" Concern spreading across her lean face, Sarah peered closely at him. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I'm.... fine... I think." The Elf shook his head slightly, still trying to process what had happened.
"You think?" the girl repeated skeptically. "I thought it was a yes or no question."
The Elf shook his head and regained himself. "Begging your pardon, Mistress, I apologize for my distraction, but I've just been given something that has thrown me a bit off."
Sarah's questioning gaze bored into the blond Elf, who winced. "Celtos, what are you talking about?"
"Well, you know how Katie-san has visions?"
"....yes...." Frowning at the Elf, Sarah bent to pick up a large stone that was lying by her feet.
"Well, she gave them to me."
Sarah, already unbalanced, toppled forward and into the dusty ground. Scrambling onto her knees, the girl swung her gaze back to the uneasy Elf, the stone hanging loose in her hand.
"She did WHAT?"
Kate walked upstairs to her room and nodded to Amazia. She could feel her stomach turning slightly, but she just went into her room and shut the door. She started to strip of her clothes as she walked into the bathroom. She smiled when she found the big ceramic tub full of warm steamy water.
Thank you. She thought as she removed the last of her clothes and stepped into the water.
Leaning her head against the back of the tub she tried hard to keep her eyes open but they soon drifted shut as the warm surrounded her body. She wasn't getting visions anymore, this time she only got sweet dreams of Neo. She smiled in her sleep.
He had heard the footsteps of someone entering the corridor. She was in her room. He knew it. The only problem was he couldn't get to her. Not with that woman standing outside his door, standing with a knife in her boot and a longbow on her shoulder. He had to get out of this hellhole quick. If he didn't, it was likely he would never get out at all. He smirked at the thought of taking Kate with him. When he got back to the kingdom, he would do as he pleased with her. Not just because of the lust he was holding back, but because it would tear Neo apart. Well, that is after they got the pendants. They were what he had been sent for, the ultimate source of power.
As he thought about his mission, he remembered stories that his lord had told him some time ago. About how way back, two teenage girls had been the source of a lot of problems. As he started to recall it, he wondered what had happened to those women. He closed his eyes and remembered the paintings that hung in the main house in the kingdom.
Two women, bold and grim in their black armor, mounted on their dark steeds. One, he recalled, was quite young, her face turned towards the castle to their left. The other, sitting with easy confidence in her saddle, one hand on the hilt of her sword as she gazed westward, straight ahead, her eyes gleaming red as they reflected the setting sun.
Kate woke up when she heard the noise of everyone coming in for breakfast. Dunking her head under the water she quickly cleaned up and hopped out of the tub, feeling better than she had over the past day and a half. She dried off and walked into her room. She got a cold chill that raked her body before she started pulling on her clothes. She was tying up the front of her tunic when her door squeaked open slightly. She jerked her head up, forgetting about the ties and looked over at the door. No one came in.
"Hello?" she called.
Before she could move the door flew open and someone hit her, sending her backward onto the bed. She yelped and squealed as a sweaty Neo started to tickle her.
"Hello love! Feeling better?"
She squealed again.
"That must be a yes." He said with a smile, eyeing her as he did on almost every occasion.
Her hair was still wet and she hadn't finished putting on her shirt. He tried to hide the growl in his throat but it didn't work.
"Sorry big boy, but I just got clean." She said.
Neo pouted, trying hard to look like a little puppy which he knew she couldn't resist.
"Oh no!" She said. "No way."
"Yes." He said still pouting before attacking her lips.
She didn't move away. She enjoyed it a lot, especially after all that had happened. When they let go in order to breathe Kate looked at him.
"I'm already clean. We won't have time."
"We'll make time," he grinned before pouncing on her once again.
Veronique walked up the corridor stairs and into the hall giving a nod to the woman standing outside Troy's door. Oh, how she wanted to just go in there and rip him apart for what he did, but she figured it best to keep her temper down. Besides, Onyx might have something better in store for him. She just sighed before walking into her room. She peeled off her armor, setting it carefully on a rack she had in the far right hand corner of the room. Twisting her long black hair up, she tied it back behind her head and made her way in to her bedroom. She was exhausted from training. She hadn't slept well the night before though, thoughts of her past running through her head. She cringed as she went off into the bathroom to bath and prepare for breakfast.
After she was all cleaned up, Veronique dressed and walked out into the corridor. Upon hearing noises from inside her light's room, she shook her head and made her way down to the dining hall for a much-needed breakfast.
Much to everyone's surprise, Onyx and Damus were already in the dining room, Damus looking as distracted and disbelieving as Celtos, and Onyx looking as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. In fact, the woman was smiling, a genuine, happy smile – and laughing! Veronique stopped short at the sight. Sarah, who was walking behind here, slammed into the Yami's back and wound up falling backwards into Celtos' arms.
"Ouch.... Veronique, it's not polite to stop in doorways!"
"Sorry," came the embarrassed murmur, and the Yami quickly stepped into the room.
Celtos, who had caught Sarah around the waist, pushed the girl lightly back to her feet. Onyx looked up immediately as the other Yami entered, and greeted her counterpart in a language that none of the others understood. Veronique, in utter shock, heard the ancient language of the King's Mages, and recognized the words as easily as those in the language they spoke every day.
"(Veronique, I've told Damus everything.)"
"(Why?)" Shocked and pale, the Yami dropped into her seat, staring across the expanse of table at the dark woman.
"(I had too. I am now convinced that Troy is a soldier in the King's Army. He is from the House of the Snake.)"
Veronique, who had made the mistake of drinking a mouthful of tea, promptly choked on it, sending the hot liquid across her place setting at the table.
"He's WHAT?"
Celtos, who was closest, passed a spare napkin down. It was simply shock that had forced Veronique's language back to their common tongue. Damus had his head tilted slightly to the side, listening keenly to their speech, trying to find patterns in the words and sentences. The mage was always eager to add another language to his extensive list.
Onyx waited patiently until Veronique had regained her breath before she resumed speaking. "If we are to defeat the current threat, than we have no choice but to give the information to them." At the 'them', she gestured aimlessly around the table at Sarah, Celtos, Gartic, and his identical twin, Garrus, both of whom had just entered.
"My room, immediately after breakfast, all of you."
Veronique arched an eyebrow at Onyx as the two Elves sat down. "And my Light?"
Onyx took an unnecessarily large gulp of hot tea and winced when it burned her throat. "Later," she managed. "At the moment, she's too... emotionally entangled in this situation."
Veronique nodded slightly and snagged the nearest platter of toast. Onyx sighed and settled back in her chair, as the door opened once again. This time, it admitted a slightly flushed Katie and a rather smug-looking Neo. The entire table shared a collective eyeroll at the sight.
Katie sat down quietly in her spot.
"Feeling better?" Veronique asked.
"Yes." Kate accidentally squeaked causing Veronique to chuckle slightly.
The chuckles stopped quickly as Troy and Seltis entered the room. Troy looked slightly annoyed by the fact that he was constantly being followed. He went over and took his seat at the table. Katie glanced across the table at Troy and quickly diverted her eyes elsewhere. She could feel her stomach turning once again. Neo placed his hand on hers and nodded that everything was going to be all right.
'You better not go off on him though,' she warned him mentally as she started to collect her breakfast.
'I won't. I promise.'
Troy continued to glance around the table. Even though he was in trouble with these people, it didn't mean he was going to be frightened of them and drop his mission. He had to get the pendants and get the hell out by tomorrow or his men might leave him. He glanced over at Katie and kept from smirking.
You should say goodbye to you friends little one. He thought.
Kate shivered at the feel of Troy's eyes on her. She stood up quietly.
"Excuse me," she said before leaving the table.
Everyone looked concerned as she left the room. Neo glared at Troy for a few moments, getting an equally evil glare back. Onyx, at the end of the table, set her cup down with a thud. Several people jumped, and Onyx sent Troy the worst look she could muster, curling her lip back to bare her overly sharp teeth.
Troy suppressed a shudder and looked away. Neo, looking aggravated, seized a piece of toast and stormed out of the room after Katie. Sarah sighed wearily and turned toward Celtos, beginning a mental conversation with him even as they both returned their attention to their breakfasts.
Garrus and Gartic began to discus a new training technique involving blade-tipped quarterstaffs as Damus and Onyx spoke quietly about Mirai's training. After a few moments of listening silently to the conversations, Troy risked looking up again, this time looking to Veronique.
"Maybe I should - "
"Troy, be silent or be neutered," snapped Onyx, fingering the hilt of her knife. Instantly, all the male monsters at the table fell silent, and Troy slouched a little further into his chair.
"Onyx," scolded Sarah, looking bemused. "It's not polite to talk about removing men's testicles at the breakfast table."
The males paled further, and Veronique had to clap a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, although little giggly snorts still escaped her nose. At the other end, Onyx's mouth twitched at the corners as the Yami suppressed the urge to smile.
"Besides," Sarah continued, using a piece of toast to soak up the egg yolk lingering on her plate, "it's so messy, with blood spurting everywhere, and this tablecloth is such a nuisance to clean..." At that point, the three females at the table lost their control completely and dissolved into hysterical laughter.
Meanwhile Kate had gone outside and down to the training fields. Only a few of the monsters were walking around and no one questioned her as she made her way inside a small building on the far end of the field. Quickly she walked over to it before throwing off her boots and going inside. It was a small building, the floor was covered in mats and hanging from the ceiling was a large stuffed bag. Kate took a stance before throwing a few punches at it. She kicked and punched it until Neo appeared in the doorway.
"Kojika?"
She looked over at him before throwing another punch.
"I let him get to me." She said before sending a sharp kick at the bag.
Neo raised an eyebrow in confusion as he stepped inside.
"I let him make me feel like shit. I let him scare me and break down my walls." Her punches and kicks became more fierce and demanding.
Quickly he chewed up the last of his toast before moving closer, being aware of her ever move. "What do you mean?"
"I mean (kick) he has managed to break down my walls. He's degraded me in the most disrespectful way."
Kate punched and kicked more fiercely and Neo knew he had to stop her before she hurt herself. Quickly he stepped up behind her, taking her around the waist and pulling her away from the bag. She tried to break free of his grip but soon gave up as he sat down against the wall holding her.
"I can't do it, Neo," she said as she started to break down. "I can't even be near him without feeling like I made a huge mess of things."
He held her close and whispered in her ear. "Shh, it's all right. You didn't make a huge mess of things."
"Yes, I did!" She cried out. "If I hadn't let him in..."
"It's not your fault he's a jerk and acted the way he did." Neo interrupted as he tried to keep his anger for Troy from flaring up.
"I feel so-so unworthy of living here. Onyx was right, I always create havoc everywhere I go."
Neo took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. "Never say that. You're worthy of everything you have here and nothing could possibly change that. Yes, you sometimes cause a little chaos but that doesn't mean you're unworthy of living here or that we love you any less. Besides," he added with a slight twitch of his lips, "you cause much less chaos than Mirai."
She just looked him in the eye and cried silently. He pulled her closer as he let her cry until she was exhausted.
Troy, who could feel the anger in the dining room directed at him quite clearly, made an effort to finish his breakfast more quickly than usual. Despite the jokes that the women shared, most of which related to amputating a few of men's more precious parts, the tension was still present, and it was making Troy nervous. As Seltis followed him out the door, Onyx raised an eyebrow at Sarah.
"Are you sure it was wise, my Light, putting such a temperamental warrior in charge of guarding such a high-risk person?"
Celtos quickly raised his hand, calling the dark woman's attention to himself.
"It wasn't her choice, Mistress, Seltis... ahem... 'volunteered' for the shifts today and tomorrow to make up for his rather dismal performance in the sword ring yesterday."
The smirk on the older Elf's face informed everyone quite clearly that the volunteering had been anything but voluntary. Onyx nodded, granting the Elf a slight smile. She, like the others, knew that Seltis, as an Elf, did not need to sleep as humans did, and could easily take the entire forty-eight hours of the shift without difficulty. Frustration, perhaps, but no difficulty.
"Very well," Onyx remarked, standing. "Everyone finished?"
She received all affirmatives in reply. "Very good," she murmured softly, then beckoned to the others with one hand. "Follow me." And she led them out of the dining room, up the stairs, into the hallway where the living quarters were contained, stopping at a door painted such a dark green it was nearly black.
Silently, she opened the heavy door and motioned for the others to precede her in. Damus, who entered first, lit the torches on the walls with a wave of his hand, illuminating the room in a soft, golden glow. It was already rather golden – a liberal use of enchantments had turned the walls, floor, and even the ceiling from wooden boards into polished golden stone. Without the furniture and tapestries that lay about the room, it would have resembled an ancient tomb.
However, the furniture largely prevented that. All of it was moderately large and very opulent, done in wood inlayed with gold and gems, upholstered with velvet, leather and silk. There were two sofas and a loveseat in the middle of the room, arranged in a horseshoe shape around a highly polished coffee table. Onyx and Damus took their places on the loveseat, leaving Veronique and the twin Elves to one sofa, while Sarah and Celtos took the other.
A quick wave of Onyx's hand caused a handsome tea service to appear on the table, with enough cups for everyone and a steaming pot of tea. A few people helped themselves to tea, while the rest simply sat back and waited. Once everyone had gotten themselves completely settled, Onyx sighed and stared at her hands, folded in her lap. "This morning," she began, "or perhaps last night, I lost track of time, I confessed to Damus my entire past." A collective gasp, without the contribution of Veronique or Damus, went up.
"I realized a few days ago that it would be necessary for my past to be revealed if the threat that Troy presents is to be defeated. For his past, and my own, are linked, by a thousand years of fear and bloodshed. In truth, it includes you too, Sarah - " the girl blinked, surprised, "and Katie."
"And Veronique, I take it?"
"Well, yes, my light, of course Veronique is involved. I think we're actually cousins, to a degree... I never quite managed to trace that down the king's rather complicated breeding charts." And with a faint sigh, she began to speak.
For nearly two hours she held the others in the room spellbound, as she spoke with greater eloquence and detail about the rise and fall of the two Houses. Even Damus listened, hearing the longer version of the story.
When she was done, Veronique sighed. "Wouldn't have minded forgetting most of that, actually, but I agree with Victorianna, it was necessary."
"Victorianna?" Sarah repeated. Although Onyx had told them the whole story, the dark woman had somehow neglected to mention her former name. In turn, the older Yami shot her counterpart a filthy look, a few strands of hair falling forward into her eyes as she glared.
Veronique laughed. "That's the same look you gave your horse when you got thrown."
"Thrown?" Sarah echoed in disbelief. "I've never seen you get thrown, you're an excellent rider!"
"I am now," came the weary reply. "The incident Veronique was referring to occurred when I was twelve."