CHAPTER TWELVE
Parting is Bittersweet
It was a relaxing sight for the swordsman to behold. The fireplace was warm and comforting, like the twin size, feather down bed he sat on. Though it took him what seemed like hours to fully dry his thick hair, Crono laid back on the towel behind his head and onto the bed. He was warm, clean, and hasn't seen battle in hours. The only thing that could perfect his tranquil moment is if his friend could quit his annoying pacing.
If Crono didn't know any better, he could've swore that Janus never got any rest, ever. The prince was awake, staring at the fire when Crono fell asleep and when the swordsman awoke the next morning, Janus was in bed but he was staring at the ceiling. It didn't take a genius to realize the turmoil that haunted the prince. Demir sounded sure of himself, that their timeline was halted. Even that impossibility shown some signs of paradoxical disasters but to Crono haven't his friends continued to manipulate fate? Perhaps it was possible, that their petrified timeline could remain frozen in countless seconds and moments in time. There were just too many questions.
Yet even with quantum physics being beyond him and that his friends maybe imprisoned in time, Crono tried to keep his mind at ease. Taking each day as a step towards a brighter future, the swordsman tried to take a nap. The wizard would never allow that.
"Wake up. How many prisons can you sleep comfortably in anyways?" the prince snapped, despising the swordsman's laid back mood.
All the swordsman could do was grin at his friend, which only angered him all the more. But his sneer faded to a baffled look, as if something seemed off about Crono. To Janus, who could see the aura of an individual's magic, he saw Crono's yellow aura beginning to fade. The prince rarely practiced the 'sight' for in the Middle Ages, few could use magic. But it was apparent that his comrade's magic was depleting somehow.
"Spekkio," the wizard whispered, thinking about the complications this could have. Crono's reply came as a hum.
"You're losing your magic, magic that was given to you by that creature of war. After Noah took your connection away from Spekkio, I have seen your magic weaning," the wizard clarified, cupping his chin in his hand.
He knew something was going wrong with his own magic as it worked one second and in the next, it didn't. And then there was Taban. But even with his chaotic magic, Janus knew he wasn't losing his blessed gift. A part of the prince pitied the swordsman, as he was slowly exhausting his magic and losing another part of the swordsman that made him, him. Another part, more selfish to his own end, didn't like giving Noah any more needed advantages.
"What does this mean?" a panicked swordsman asked.
Janus opened his mouth to answer but he shut it immediately as a graceful and beautiful woman strolled into the room. The prince turned his head away from the ninja, refusing to meet her in the eyes. Her spell over Crono, freezing him with a stare, was nothing compare to the delirium that just her presence brought him. At times, he admire her and others, she infuriated him. She attracted him, both physically and with her inner strength and that angered the prince even more. His eye began to twitch.
"My father wishes to speak with you two."
"First it was the war, than the drought and now these two. Magus and Crono. Will this never end?" complained an old mage dressed in a long, green robe.
His companion, Domino, could only shake his head. Out of the entire Ring, the dragoon wondered what dark deed he must have done to have karma stick him with Archipelago the Green. The old mage was a master of earth magic but he seemed a bit more devoted to the planet than he should have been.
The two rules of nature Archipelago the Green always followed: the strong shall live while the weak shall die and there should always be a balance in nature. Though Domino believed strongly in the first rule, he couldn't understand the second through the mage's eyes. Their king was strong, thus lived but Noah was too strong in Archipelago's mind. The entire kingdom knew how he felt and that included Domino and Noah.
If the dragoon was king of Zeal, he would've had the mage hung long ago, if not for the treasonous thoughts but for his constant complaints. But Domino had to admit, through all the mage's faults, he still served Noah and he was the second most powerful wizard, next to their king. Even that last thought, the dragoon had to change, for now he was the third, next to this Magus, who their own king respected.
"Just do your job," Domino finally said, keeping any venom out of his voice.
The dragoon moved away and down the hall, leaving the mage to his own thoughts. Even though the greatest mage and dragoon were by their king's side, Domino wasn't sure if they could hold out against the swordsman and the wizard if it came to blows. He didn't want to remain locked in the castle. Domino's battle lust demanded him to gather the Ring and continue the hunt for those two very powerful, very worthy opponents. But his better judgment and loyalty to the crown kept him from doing any rash decisions. So, the dragoon just kept on walking.
"How much longer is he going to make us wait?" Janus grumbled, returning to his pacing in Demir's study.
"How many times are you going to say that?" Crono said as close to a snap that the wizard had ever heard.
Janus took a step back from the unexpected character coming from his comrade. The fire in the swordsman's eyes disappeared, replaced by weariness and defeat. That told the wizard much. Crono still felt responsible for his friends demise and all he wanted was to have things back to the way it was. All of the stupid grins and the relaxing actions were just facades.
Understanding the swordsman a little bit more, the wizard did decide to quit his complaining and his pacing. Instead, he placed his chin back into his hand, planning out the meeting they would have. Demir and Demetera were possibly his only allies in this strange new world and he needed to remain calm and to keep his pride in check. To these people, they thought of him as a wizard and nothing more. He and Crono did well to avoid his noble ancestry, something which Janus didn't like to tell anyone about. The door opened.
In walked the old and youthful ninjas, with the woman helping her father into his chair. The days were getting colder and even the warmth of the caves did little to ease the pains Demir felt in his bones. The sight caused Janus's rage to stir. How easily it was for the old man to subdue him last night and now he was a prisoner in his own body. But the wizard calmed almost immediately.
"My apologies, I was busy elsewhere. So what do you two wish to know?" Demir asked weakly, appearing weary but determined to talk to these unusual men.
"We are in the kingdom of Zeal, the same Zeal that floated in the sky. At least that's what you said. How did that happen and what is this Triad War?" the wizard began.
"Very well. I don't know how the kingdom of Zeal fell or why it survived the fall but for the war, it began a thousand years ago. The Triad War is now being called the Millennium War. The war began when a man named Harold Gaurdia raised up from the slavers of the 'Enlightened Ones.' The magicless humans fled from Zeal to the continent to the southwest; that is now called Gaurdia. At that time, an intelligent race, the mystics, took advantage of the confusion so they, too, could flee but to the east to a continent that is now called Mysteria.
The noble Zealians were fine with losing their slaves but Gaurdia and Mysteria wouldn't let their centuries of torture be forgotten. Gaurdians hated their magic using cousins and the Mystics can't tell the difference between the two human races and Zeal continues to place themselves higher than the lowly peasants of the Gaurdians and Mystics."
"And where do you fit into this war?" the swordsman asked earnestly.
"We are informants for specific, smaller factions within all three tribes. We wish to end this war but lately it seems impossible to erase a thousand years of bloodshed," Demetera said, giving her father a moment to relax.
"So… you're mercenaries," Janus stated, failing to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
"Better to be a mercenary, trying to end a war than a white wizard who only cares about his own ends," Demetera defended sharply but eased back as Demir lifted his hand to hers.
"I'm—" Janus paused, having the apology stuck in his throat. Instead he changed the subject altogether. "What's the best way to get back to the castle and destroy Noah?"
"What you've told me, Noah defeated you both twice. I would say it's foolhardy to even think of attempting any assassination. King Noah is guarded by a hundred dragoon knights and a hundred wizards and that doesn't include the thousands of loyal subjects who would lay their lives down for their king," Demir paused to stare at the swordsman before continuing. "Noah is all but invincible here and with you, Crono, losing your magic, you can't possibly win. You both had Noah weakened and in your own homeland. You had your chance to defeat him and that chance is gone."
Crono leaned back in his chair, both angry and confused by the old man's words. The swordsman took chances after chances in his own timeline, fighting impossible odds and he always came out on top. The situation was different and so bleak now. He wanted to kill Noah and badly, or force him to free his timeline and send him back home. But it couldn't be. Everything was against him.
But Janus couldn't believe anything was written in stone. If he could change time in his own timeline, he would have the power to change the fate of this timeline. He and Crono were the keys to saving their timeline but the wizard hated to admit it, they were not ready. They needed help.
"Demir, do you know of someone who is dedicated to magic?" the wizard asked.
"I would suggest you don't look in Zeal for who you're looking for. By now, you should have a large target on your back. You best bet rests to the east, where a mystic sorceress named Bonnie lives," Demir replied.
"Wouldn't I have a target on my back if I go to a land full of mystics?"
"You've enslaved the mystics before, can't you do it again?"
That remark had the wizard reeling. It was true enough but it was something he wasn't proud of and with meeting Schala, something he never would do again. The prince knew he had no choice, if he wished to figure out what's been going on with his magic and to grow stronger for the battles ahead. But he was no boy this time. He would get help from the mystics but he would not manipulate them under his power again.
"What about me? Unlike J… Magus, I can't stop what's happening to me. I can feel it now," a distressed swordsman said, pointing it out by sending some sparks into his fist but the hold on the electric magic slipped through his fingers.
"You may want to head towards Gaurdia. They have other ways of putting themselves on equal footing with the magical Zealians," Demetera said.
Crono didn't know what to say to that. He lost all of his friends and though Janus was hard to be around, he didn't want to lose him as well. But the swordsman knew this was beyond him and he needed to grow strong. With a long, resenting sigh, the swordsman nodded. Both the wizard and swordsman left after a few more exchange in words with the ninjas, leaving Demir and Demetera alone.
"Do you think they are the ones?" Demetera turned to the man who she admired all her life.
"You know me well. I don't believe in superstition," the old man finished before falling into a much needed sleep.
"A raft!" the wizard screamed but leaned his head back, not really surprised with his luck. "You get to be smuggled onboard a cargo ship and I have to weathered a wintry ocean on a raft. Yup, that's fair."
Crono wasn't listening as he stood silent, gazing to the east. This parting was bittersweet. Janus was his last friend and the only one from his own dimension and now that last connection of home will be severed. On the bright side, Crono didn't have to put up with Janus's superior authority complex.
Janus, too, felt torn with this parting. On one hand, he could finally get something accomplished without the swordsman holding him back. On the other, he grown accustom to his comrade's presences, to his actions and words that kept him from falling into trouble from his own selfish desires. Each of his comrades managed to hold a place in his heart but Crono slowly etched a mark, though small, in his personality.
"Hand me Nadia's pendant," Janus said out of the blue.
The swordsman took a few steps away from his friend, thinking the wizard mad. Even as a subconscious thought, Crono grabbed the pendant in hand, willing to defend it with his life. But his confusion was intensified when Janus removed his amulet.
"We'll trade. Both your pendant and my amulet protected us from the petrifaction. Schala protected me and Nadia you," Janus began, walking over and handing the amulet to his comrade. "I will want my amulet back."
Crono tilted his head as the cool metal touched his hand but then it dawned on him. Janus expected to see him again and Crono knew he wanted to see his friend some day. They couldn't die until they got their items back. Crono would hunt Janus for the pendant as he knew the wizard would hunt him down for his amulet. Without a word, Crono took off the pendant and replaced it with the amulet. Janus placed the lighter pendant around his neck.
"If you lose it," Janus warned, hopping onto his raft and drifting away from the shore. "I will find your body, raise the corpse, and force you as a personal slave for the rest of my natural life."
Crono only grinned. He didn't doubt that Janus would do just that. But that was the wizard, a tough act mostly. The swordsman waved to his friend who just turned his back to the swordsman. Crono lowered his hand, hurt that Janus wouldn't even say good-bye. His smile returned when he saw his friend for the last time for awhile, simply lifted his hand in reply from the raft. With a nod, the swordsman headed in the opposite direction, were his new adventure lied.