Author's Note: I own nothing of the Ragnarok universe. Much thanks to yra as always and I hope this is enough action for you Crazy Nymph. I hope that this is enough action for you at the moment. Definitely more to come later. Hehehe… Anyways, enjoy the chapter and please review!
Chapter 7: Only in a Towel
As Sara's screams faded into the distance, a head peeked into the room. Century had answered his mistress's summons and received word that he was to go and check on Vættfang for Deliyyja.
"Great, just great. She wants me to get blown up," he had muttered to himself on the way down to the suite. "What did I do to deserve this?" He heard the screams then, and ran down to the door. Slowly and quietly, he touched his forehead and then the door panel to unlock the door. He poked his head in and saw Sara screaming.
"Uh, Mistress Sara? I was sent–" he got no further as he saw that Sara was only wearing a towel that the little ones had left for her. His face turned red and he covered his eyes. Sara whirled around and her eyes flashed with something that Century didn't even want to know.
"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" She took a step towards him with each word as she drew each one out into its own sentence. The air around her seemed to vibrate with each step, and when she reached him, she flung out an arm towards him. In that split second, he was able to see that she held a rune in her hand that was glowing and flaring. Uh oh… was his only thought before the rune hit him. He was knocked backwards, and fell against the door, stunned. Sara walked slowly to him, each step measured, with one hand held in the air. That hand shimmered with power, and she was imposing, even dressed only in a towel. Century cowered slightly, remembering that just before he had left, Deliyyja had muttered something underneath her breath.
"Sneaky female." He muttered. She'd taken off his protections. No wonder he'd flown across the room and hit the door.
"What?" Sara gave him an incredulous look. He looked at her. "What did you call me?" She repeated again.
"Oh, no. Not you, Mistress Sara. I was speaking of Mistress Deliyyja."
"Hmph. Sure you were." Sara examined Century and found the earlier protections missing. Sneaky female indeed. What are you up to Deliyyja?
"Get up, Century." Century scrambled to his feet. He had a confused and frightened look on his face that Sara was pleased to see. Good. Keep him scared and he won't try anything. Just don't do anything to him yet; we need his information. She touched the back of his neck. The compulsion rune was still there.
"Ahh… good. So you're still bound to me that way. Okay then Century, where are my clothes?"
"Uh, clothes… Vættfang? What are you talking about?"
"Don't you dare start with me! I know you know something about this!" She jabbed her finger at him angrily. "Now tell me where my clothes are, or by Freya…" A ball of fire started to grow in her outstretched hand. Century watched that hand and the ball of fire started to spout flares that sprang loose and flew around her. Soon, Sara was surrounded by flying balls of flame. She's really starting to freak me out, Century thought. He shivered at the thought of what she could and might do with those balls of fire. She might burn his eyes out, or maybe just burn his hands. Then he wouldn't be useful at all.
"Vættfang, I swear by the gods, I know nothing about your clothes!" Century held out his hands in protest. "I was sent here by Mistress Deliyyja to check on you after everything that has happened today. She wanted to make sure that you're okay, or if you needed anything."
"Oh, I bet she wanted you to check on me. She wants me to go insane in this little prison, doesn't she?" One of the flames darted from her hand over to Century. It alighted on one of his hands and began to burn. He gasped and used the other hand to slap at it, trying to put out the flames. Sara laughed at him. She watched him and she laughed and laughed.
"It's not going to stop burning until you tell me what I want to know, Century. So unless you want one less hand, you'd better tell me pretty quick. My flame burns fast." Century gaped at her. Was she serious? His hand was turning red and he couldn't do anything to stop it. There was also a strange smell starting to come from the wound.
"I swear to you again, Vættfang, that I know nothing about your clothes. The little ones probably took them as a practical joke. They do things like that sometimes; it's just that everybody else in the castle has more than one change of clothing." Sara looked doubtful.
"Little ones? What exactly do you mean by that?" The smell was starting to make Century nauseous. He swayed a little where he stood, still slapping at the flame burning his hand.
"Mistress Deliyyja likes animals and of course keeps a lot of them. Some of them we call 'the little ones'. They're small flying lizards. They are very fond of mischief, and can be particularly deadly. I don't know exactly where they come from, but they use the tunnels in the castle to go anywhere." He whimpered. "Please, please, stop the fire, Vættfang. It's burning my hand off!"
Sara looked at Century with disgust, and then called the fire back to her. It flew back and joined the other balls of flame flying around their mistress. The other flames congregated around it, whirling around and around as though talking to it, before going back to their original activity of flying around Sara. She curled her fingers around the ball of fire that was still in her hand and it flowed in and around her hand like a living glove. I suppose that he is telling the truth. His eyes don't tell me any lies. …lucky for him.
"Alright, Century. I'll believe your story–for the moment. Come here." Century stumbled forward and Sara took hold of his hand. "I'm going to heal your hand… partially. I will heal it the rest of the way when I get my clothes back." She brought out a healing rune and activated the part that would take away the pain and cure the worst of the burn.
"But I don't know–"
"Oh, I'm sure that you can help me figure it out, Century. You're clever enough that Deliyyja's kept you around for years. Think about it. Where would the flying lizards most likely take my clothes?"
Century was silent for a moment, thinking. He finally said, "They might take the clothes to Mistress Deliyyja."
"Take me to her."
"I don't think–"
"Exactly. Don't think, Century, if you want to keep me in a good mood." Sara turned her back to him and picked up Shinryongdo and Haeryongdo. She muttered a spell that secured the towel around her body, and then motioned to Century. "Undo the seals on the door, and then take me to Deliyyja." Sara put her hand on Century's shoulder and followed him as he went to the door. She watched him touch his forehead and then the door panel. Ingenious. Only those with the proper 'touch', I guess you could call it, are you able to open the door properly without blasting through it; or finding some other way out. It would've taken me another two days at least to lay the foundations to get out of here. Damn.
Century led her into the hallway and turned right. They passed countless rooms and Sara tried to keep track of how many times they had turned, but it seemed impossible. Was it right, down some stairs, right, left, then up some more stairs and straight for a while before another left? For all that she was confused, Sara was able to see that Century was touching the walls every once in a while. Every time he touched a wall a magical map would appear and show their position in the castle and also Deliyyja's position. Interesting. I wonder if you have to have the biological key for this also.
"How long until we reach Deliyyja, Century?" Sara scratched a nail down Century's burned hand. The burn stung and Century gasped.
"Not… long…" he tried to control his breathing and stay calm as the pain subsided. "Another couple of minutes. She's in the Storm Springs." He turned one last time and opened a door for her. She went in and gave a pulling motion and Century was pulled forward involuntarily by her rune that was still stuck to his neck.
"Don't think you get to leave just yet, Century. Stay right behind me." She turned her back to him and continued into the room. The Storm Springs outer room was painted a blue with clouds and weather symbols all around the room. It looked like a person was standing in the middle of a cloud with birds and lightning and any type of weather imaginable. She couldn't tell exactly how large the room was, but in one section of the room were a chair and a table. That section of the room looked to be moving between snow and hail. Consequently, the chair had a covering over it, as it was prone to looking as though it was covered with snow or golf-ball sized hail. Another section of the room looked like a hurricane, while another section looked to be the northern lights. Sara turned around slowly, gaping at the extravagance of it all. Never before in her life had she seen a room like this; not even in Freya's palace. The outside of the castle did not do it justice in the least.
"Did Deliyyja do all this?"
"I believe she did, Vættfang. It was a personal project of hers, I heard, before I came to work for her. This way, please." He ushered her through one last set of doors and then stood to the side quietly. I really, really don't want to get in the middle of this. Mistress Deliyyja isn't going to be happy that I brought her here.
A voice came from in front of them where Sara could clearly see the springs now.
"Is that you, Century? What did Sara say?"
"Get up Deliyyja. You had better start explaining why you put me into an enchanted room, stole my clothes, kept me captive, and refuse to give me satisfaction."
"Sara?" Deliyyja sounded incredulous.
"Yes, it's me," Sara sneered at her. "Now get out of that water and go get me my clothes."
"Where's Century? What have you done to him? You'd bet–" Deliyyja ducked under the water as Sara threw one of the little balls of flame at her. The ball of fire sizzled and died as it hit the water and Sara smiled as it did. Century started forward, but stopped when Sara looked at him. Reaching into her rune pouch, Sara took out a second healing rune and motioned to Century again. Fearing what would happen if he disobeyed, he came forward.
"I promised to heal your burn the rest of the way when you brought me to Deliyyja."
"Yes, Mistress Sara. You did."
"Give me your hand." Out of the corner of her eye, Sara saw Deliyyja start. She smiled at her reaction. Good. Let her be unbalanced around me.
"What did you do to his hand? Get away from him!" Sara ignored her and stroked her fingers down the rune and watched as Century's hand healed. "There. Good as new; now go stand in that corner and be as quiet as a mouse, or you'll lose that hand permanently." Century obeyed with a swiftness that Deliyyja hadn't seen in years. Damn that girl's good at persuasion. Century doesn't scare easily, but he's terrified of her– and she's only in a bath towel. She giggled at the thought that Century was terrified of a woman clad only in a towel. Sara glanced at her sharply.
"What's so funny?"
"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Now what was the matter?"
"Where are my clothes?"
"I don't know. Why don't you ask the little ones? I had nothing to do with your clothes disappearing. I've been taking a dip in the Storm Springs for the last hour."
"I keep hearing about these little ones. Where the hell are they?" Sara shrieked in frustration. No one was helping her and her patience was starting to wear thin.
"Right behind you."