As soon as Rei disappeared beyond the great marble archway, Serenity sprang into action. The crystal would be fine as long as it continued to receive prayers from Rei and herself. But she'd promised Rei that if anything happened, she would run.
And she would run, straight to the water, light, and storm vessels. She had to warn them that trouble might be coming so they could escape or defend themselves.
She ran to her chambers, throwing a bundle of clothes into her bag. She paused when she noticed her hands were trembling. Taking a deep breath, she tried to still her heart, but her hands continued to shake.
What if something happened to Rei? What would she do if she were the only fire vessel? Even though in her mind Serenity knew that all the other vessels dealt with this level of pressure every day, she had never had to carry the responsibility since it was shared with Rei. If Rei did...Serenity didn't let herself finish the thought. Rei would be okay. The fire crystal would warn her if something dangerous were coming.
But hadn't it already warned her?
Serenity put her head in her hands, sinking down onto her bed. Her hands were still quivering with anxiety. What would she do if Rei was gone? Sniffling, she wrapped her arms around herself. She couldn't do it alone, the only reason she had been able to handle being a vessel for as long as she had was because Rei helped her.
"My lady?"
Looking up, Serenity saw Naru in the doorway. "Come in," she waved her over, sniffling again.
Naru sat down on a nearby chair, still feeling a bit nervous around Serenity. "There was no connection between the fire crystal and I, so I will be journeying to the next temple to continue to try, tomorrow." Naru saw that Serenity still wasn't smiling, lost in thought. "You're worried about lady Rei?"
Serenity nodded, swallowing. "I'm scared," she said, letting out a shaky breath. She tried to still her hands by pressing them together in her lap but they continued to tremble.
"She seems most capable," Naru reassured her, smiling again. "You shouldn't fret so, or she'll have to come back just to scold you."
Serenity's lips quirked upwards. That sounded just like Rei. "She would," she said.
Naru noticed the bag of clothes on the bed, tilting her head. "Are you planning to go after her?"
Serenity shook her head. "I must warn the other vessels before the soldiers arrive, and help them escape before they are taken from their crystals."
Naru's brows furrowed. "You think the king would wish harm on the vessels?"
Serenity sighed. "I do not know. I do not know of something like this ever happening in the long history of the scriptures.
"The king is a good man, I met him once," Naru said. "When I was a child I saw his coronation ceremony while visiting the capital. It was lovely, but he seemed so young and alone." She reached out in the candlelight and put her hands over Serenity's. "He wasn't much older than I was at the time, but I could tell right away that he wasn't a bad person. He stayed after the ceremony and talked to all of us. It was like a fairytale, talking to a king," Naru's eyes turned wistful. "He said he was proud to have so many subjects so happy to see him crowned. He gave me a flower and told me that he hoped one day I would return to see his son crowned. I think he meant it too."
Serenity looked up at Naru, her eyes shining silver in the moonlight. "But what if he isn't? What if he's truly a tyrant king who wants only for war and destruction? The war has been raging for nearly two years now."
Naru shook her head. "That I do not know. He was but a young boy when I met him, time and power could have changed him. But I do not believe he would harm the lady Rei, even if he has changed. He was too gentle in spirit." Naru's eyes took on a conspirator's twinkle. "I still have the flower."
Serenity smiled, feeling a little better.
"If you'd like, we can travel together to the water temple. It is the closest, less than a day's journey."
Naru beamed. "I would be honored, my lady!"
"Wonderful. But I can't afford to wait until tomorrow. The king's army likely will not give us the leisure. We must leave tonight." Serenity turned back to her bag, stuffing more clothes in with renewed vigor.
Naru frowned, worrying her lower lip. Traveling at night would be harder, and Naru feared the unseen and unknown of the dark.
"Could we travel with the light of the sacred fire to guide our way?"
Serenity waved her question away. "Of course. There is no way we could make it through the forest between temples blind." Naru sighed in relief.
"Then I will go and ready my things. I will see you in the prayer room as soon as I am ready."
Before she could get up to leave, Serenity grabbed her hand, locking eyes with the younger girl. "Naru, you do know that it will be dangerous. Not just traveling at night, but traveling with me to the water temple. I go because I must, to not warn the other vessels would be to sentence them to their fate, whatever it may be. The fire crystal's gift to its vessels is the Sight, and I think using it to protect the other vessels is exactly what the sacred fire would want. But you saw what happened here tonight, we could be walking into battle."
Naru licked her lips, throat suddenly dry. "I understand."
"And you still wish to travel with me? You could wait a few weeks before continuing the pilgrimage, just to ensure that all of this madness has passed." Serenity didn't want to travel alone, but at the same time, putting this girl unwittingly in harm's way was something she couldn't live with.
"I will meet you in the prayer room soon," Naru said, ignoring Serenity's suggestion and smiling reassurance.
Serenity released her and watched the girl scurry off before zipping up her bag. The clothes would last her a few days, a week at most. To journey to all three temples would take her nearly a month. To bring any more than this with her though, would be too much to carry.
She tested the weight of the bag, grunting with the effort it took to lift it using untrained muscles. Taking a belt out of the bag, she looped it through the top and bottom seam of the bag, tying it together at the buckle. Pulling the bag onto her back like a sack, she lifted it and headed to the prayer room.
Several of the acolytes were whispering nervously in the hall as she passed them. Serenity smiled as she passed them but they only ignored her or ceased their whispers long enough for her to pass before starting again. No doubt they were discussing what had happened earlier.
Naru arrived in the prayer room only a few minutes later, with a large trunk. It had wheels grafted onto its feet, allowing her to roll the heavy trunk behind her without difficulty.
"Shall we?" Naru said, heading out into the main hall.
"Yes," Serenity followed after her, stealing one last look at the temple she called home before turning to head out into the dark.
After only a few hours of transporting her towards the capital, Zoisite had already decided that Rei was the worst traveler, ever.
Every few minutes she would make another demand. Bring me more water, bring me a blanket to pad my horse, stop the caravan I need to rest. She chattered nonstop when she wasn't making demands, furthering his hatred of the girl. Her voice continued as a constant drone during the journey, and Zoisite had just about had enough.
"Is it your goal to annoy me to the point I send you back to the fire temple? Because I will make it clear to you now, my orders are to bring you before his majesty and I will not disobey them."
"Mindless grunt," Rei muttered, shifting on her horse.
"What was that?" Zoisite already had a notion of what she had said.
"I said its hot." She lied. "I have never traveled more than a day's journey from the temple, and you expect me to be comfortable while you transport us," here she paused to make a gesture to the many now un-robed acolytes following behind them from the light temple, bound in ropes, "like a herd of cattle?" Riding on a beast like the one she was currently mounted on was exceedingly painful since she had never ridden one.
"You are a vessel of the fire crystal. I'm surprised heat causes you any discomfort," Zoisite couldn't help the bit of snide that crept into his voice, he was at his wit's end.
"Well it does." She crossed her arms over her chest. "And why is it necessary to keep the acolytes tied up like prisoners? Are they not free to leave since I have willingly turned myself over?" Rei had already noticed that she didn't recognize any of the current company, but she wanted affirmation of the fate of the light vessel. She didn't trust the truth of rumors.
"These acolytes are not from the fire temple, my word to you has been kept. Their presence was requested by the king, just as yours was."
Rei raised an eyebrow, pursing her lips. She'd have to push him a bit further to find out what she wanted to know. "He didn't ask to see the light vessel?"
Zoisite knew a fishing expedition when he heard one, and Rei's questions were a bit too close to the truth. "I just follow my orders," he said.
Rei huffed, pulling her horse to a stop. "The heat is overwhelming, I need to rest." Zoisite brought his horse up even with hers. He glanced at their surroundings, estimating their location.
"We will reach our camp site within the hour. The faster we reach it, the sooner you can be out of the heat."
Rei lifted her nose into the air, turning away from him. "Then it will be your neck when I die out here from exhaustion."
"Enough!" Zoisite yelled, giving a hand gesture to signal the other generals behind him and dismounting his horse. "Get off."
It wasn't the graceful dismount as she had intended, but Rei did manage to climb off the beast successfully.
Rei used the frequent breaks to send prayers back to the crystal. Grateful they hadn't bound her hands, she clapped them quietly and prayed.
One of the acolytes was crumpled into a ball nearby. The uneven choked breaths caught Rei's attention. Moving forward, she bent down to the girl, pulling her hood back. "Are you alright?"
Minako gave a wet sniffle, trying to avoid looking at Rei even though they were eye level. "Fine."
"Liar," Rei said, using her sleeve to wipe some of the dirt and tears off the girl's face. "If you're hurt, you should say something so that they can treat you." The acolyte was pretty, in a way that might have been grown straight from the earth. With golden wheat-colored hair and cornflower eyes, she looked about Rei's age but hadn't fully come into her figure yet.
"They can't fix me," the girl said, awkwardly pulling her hood back up with her bound hands. "Nobody can."
"Don't be stubborn," Rei pulled her hood back down. "You'll overheat for sure in this weather wearing that old cloak. All the others have already managed to pull theirs off. Let me help you out of it." And let me see where you're hurt, Rei mentally added. She slid the robe off the girl's shoulders, pausing when she saw it wouldn't come off her hands still bound. "I'm going to untie your ropes to get the sleeves off," Rei said, watching the girl's face. It turned stony and impassive. "Don't do anything stupid though, the guards will kill you if you try to run."
Minako tipped her chin in an indication that she understood.
"Seriously," Rei said, pulling the girl's face to look at her and lowering her voice. "We can try something stupid later, after you're healthy." Minako's lips parted, surprised by the admission that the vessel of fire was going to stage an escape.
As Rei undid the twine and Minako pulled her arms out of the cloak's sleeves and bundled it up, she stretched her arms. It felt good to move them after having them immobile for so long. Rei noted that the girl didn't appear to be injured anywhere visible.
"Don't," Minako said. Still, she put her hands back forward to be tied again.
Rei scoffed, winding the rope back around Minako's hands. "Fat chance. If they find out I untied an acolyte and she escaped I'd be the one in trouble. But in my case, I think they'd prefer me alive."
"Don't plan anything," she clarified. Minako cleared her throat, her voice was still a bit raw. "They'll kill you just as they killed mama."
Rei froze, studying the girl in a new light. It didn't surprise her that the soldier's had killed to get what they wanted, it had been perfectly plain they intended to do the same to Serenity. But it was uncommon for both a girl and her mother to pledge themselves as acolytes. "Mama?"
Zoisite had been watching this exchange closely, and moved in before Minako could answer. "Time to go," he said, pushing Rei back towards the horse she'd been riding.
Rei threw a look over her shoulder at the girl still sitting in the dirt. Minako met her eyes for the first time and Rei felt a sudden sense of familiarity. There was something in her gaze, it held a weight to it that someone her age didn't usually carry. Was it possible they had they met before?
She climbed back up onto her saddled beast, as the trek continued. She'd make it a point to talk with Minako again.
Diamond wiped his brow off. He'd just finished another hard-won battle. Now there would be two more villages in his territory, albeit on the outskirts of the kingdom. Motioning one of his sentries forward, he dismounting his steed.
"Ride ahead to meet the scout returning back from Castien village. If he reports it is occupied with more troops, retreat and report to me. If it is unguarded, we will make camp there tonight, and you may continue there. If I do not receive word from you within the hour I will continue forward with my men."
Nodding, the soldier headed out, with Diamond watching his back. One side of him wanted the village to be unguarded so he wouldn't have to lose any more men, and another part longed for the thrill of another fight. Rotating his shoulders, he moved to speak with his generals.
"Rubeus," he would never approach the man without first announcing his presence. Rubeus was bloodthirsty, and delighted in killing anyone who dared displease him. But he didn't have a mind for strategy, and that gave Diamond the power to use him as the tool he was. It made him an excellent warrior, but a troublesome general.
The redhead turned towards him, wiping blood from his sword off on the coat of his horse.
"That was unacceptable," Diamond said, folding his arms. "We lost nearly a third of the soldiers we went in with."
Rubeus let out a grunt of a laugh. "Against as many men as we faced, count it a lucky break." When Diamond didn't immediately respond, Rubeus added a drawn out "Sir."
"I've no taste for insubordination. You will train your men until they are capable of winning without the losses we suffered today. This battle was as much a win for us as it was for our enemies."
Rubeus' eyes narrowed. "To win a battle against worse odds than this with fewer losses is impossible."
"You'll do as you are told, general, or I shall have you stripped of your rank." Diamond flicked the medal pinned to Rubeus' chest plate, signifying him as a general. "You'd fight just as well without it, but at least then the rest of my men might be properly trained."
Before Rubeus could argue the point further, the sentry returned, jumping off his horse and running towards Diamond.
As he tried to gasp out his news, Diamond held up a hand with narrow eyes. "If Castien village is guarded, I don't want to hear of it. My mood has soured since you left."
The sentry shook his head, still winded but catching his breath. "Castien is ours. But my lord, it is deserted."
Diamond's eyebrows furrowed, "Deserted? You mean they don't even have the compulsory royal guards to protect the gates?"
"There is no one. No royal guards, no enemy troops, and no villagers. The entire village is empty, sir."
"Were there signs of combat in the area? Blood on the buildings, bodies on the ground?"
"No sir, it was just empty. There was nothing there but vacant buildings."
Diamond frowned, feeling ill at ease. It could be a trap, a stage set for a battle so that as soon as his men made camp they would be laid siege upon. The king was no coward though, and it was not his style to face a foe by such underhanded tactics. For the village to not have a royal guard was unusual, but it was out the outermost edge of the kingdom. Perhaps the king had to recall his guards to add to the strength of his royal army. If it were truly deserted, then what had driven the villagers out?
Diamond dismissed the sentry, having come to a decision. "We make camp here tonight," he yelled out to his men. There was a rumbled affirmative from them before he turned back to Rubeus.
"I've reconsidered your value to me. You and your men will camp in Castien village tonight, and report back to me anything unusual," Diamond's tone was that of an order, and even Rubeus didn't dare interrupt. "My men and I will continue onward towards the capital. You will rendezvous with us by sundown tomorrow to give your report."
Rubeus glared at Diamond. To ride from Castien inward towards the capital in less than a day's time would mean he'd have to wake up before sunrise and ride his horse at full speed for the entire day without pause. This was to be his punishment, he knew. "Yes sir," he said, not bothering to disguise the displeasure in his voice.
Diamond moved away, still pondering the abandoned village. A sense of foreboding sat in the pit of his stomach, but he couldn't place the source.
Maybe it was a trap after all.
Upon reaching the palace, the acolytes were separated from the vessel. Herded like sheep, they were lead down to the royal prison where they were grouped and confined to a handful of cells.
After they were locked into the cells and their bonds cut, the guards left them to their own business.
"What's going to happen to us?" one girl asked, fear thick in her voice.
"Let's get out of here!" another acolyte said.
"What could the king want with us and the vessels anyways?"
"We just have to do what they tell us to do and everything will be fine," another acolyte tried to reassure them.
Minako moved away from the others, unfolding her cloak and wrapping it back around her shoulders. It was still daylight outside, but soon it would be sunfall and this new cage would be much colder.
She stopped halfway through pulling the hood back up, staring at her hands.
They were glowing.
It was faint, almost unnoticeable, but there was a shifting golden light hovering just above her skin. Pulling her sleeve back, she saw that the glow extended across her entire body.
"What...?" she whispered, totally unheard by the other acolytes present as they continued to discuss about what they should do. Minako's knees gave out and she sank to the floor of the dungeon cell.
She knew what the glow meant. Her mother had told her about it when she was a little girl.
She had been chosen to be the next vessel of light.
She buried her face into her knees. It was too overwhelming. Only two days ago, she had been at home with her mother in the temple, giving her prayers to the crystal with everyone else. Today she was in an unknown land, locked in the castle's dungeons. Her mother was dead and she was the next vessel. She'd have to pay the price of the light crystal...Minako felt hot tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. An elderly acolyte stood above her, smiling. "It will be alright child, don't worry. The crystal watches over us."
Minako dropped her head back down. The crystal hadn't watched over her mother.
Vowing to herself that she would keep her promise, Minako squared her shoulders and stood up. Since she was the new vessel of light, all she had to do was stay alive. Easier said than done, but still simple enough. Her best chance was to blend in with the rest of the acolytes, nothing special or out of the ordinary. It was known among them that she was the daughter of the previous vessel, but this would hardly put her under suspicion. It was tradition for a vessel to keep her daughter's with her at the temple where she prayed.
With renewed determination, Minako inserted herself into the conversation. "We just need to keep praying to the crystal, it will always watch over us." The echoed words were hollow and flavorless in her mouth, but Minako knew that if she could get the others to pray with her, her prayers to the crystal would be undetected as anything different.
"Of course," the scared young acolyte agreed, clapping her hands together and giving a short prayer. Minako mirrored her motions, saying a prayer herself. She knew that the blessings of the crystal wouldn't take long before they started to show, but it still gave her some time.
As long as she looked and acted the same as the others, she'd be safe.
Minako hoped she was right about that.
Serenity held a small globe of flame in her hands as they walked, lighting the path. They had been traveling in silence for almost two hours now.
There was something in the air, a thickness as if danger could strike at any moment.
At least, that's how it felt to Naru.
"So..." Serenity said, breaking the long silence round her pants as she continued to haul the heavy bag forward. "Tell me about yourself."
Naru moved a little closer, lifting her trunk over a large root. "There isn't much to tell. I'm just the daughter of two merchant traders, a nobody really."
Serenity tsked at her. "No one is a nobody. Especially not you. What made you pledge yourself as an acolyte so young?"
Naru licked her lips, a bit embarrassed. "I didn't like traveling. My parents were always getting into arguments over the sale of their wares, and I knew that when I came of age, they'd want me to follow in their footsteps. I wanted somewhere to call home, not just some wobbly caravan."
Serenity moved a branch aside, careful not to light it on the flame she held. "It sounds fun, traveling so far. I bet you've seen so many interesting places."
Naru nodded, even though Serenity was in front of her and wouldn't see it. "We traveled all over the lands, all the way from one edge of the kingdom to another. I've seen the great desert and the sea at world's end. It was unlike anything you've ever beheld."
Serenity smiled, trying to picture what it must have been like. "That sounds like such an adventure. I've always wanted to see the world."
Naru sobered, remembering who she was talking to. "I didn't mean to offend you, my lady." For a moment she'd forgotten the darkness of the forest around her, but it returned full force now, and she felt fear snake up her spine again.
Serenity shook her head, laughing it off. "I was young too, when I went to visit the temples. Mind you, I hadn't pledged myself as an acolyte, I just made the pilgrimage to see if I felt a connection between any of the crystals as is custom. But on visiting my first temple, I felt the spirit of the sacred fire. I knew that it was a calling I could not ignore, so I gave up on my plans to see the country. Such a life isn't possible for a vessel."
Naru looked down at the forest floor, feeling guilt gnaw at her.
Serenity laughed again. "But who knows, maybe one day I will see it. Now that the crystal has chosen two vessels, its possible right? With enough prayers, it might not need me anymore, and I could still see the world."
Naru lifted her head, reassessing the girl in front of her. Serenity couldn't be more than ten years older than she was, but she had the carefree spirit of someone much younger. Quickening her steps, she slipped one arm through Serenity's, mindful that she was pulling weight behind her and the vessel held fire in her other hand.
"I'll tell you about all the places I've been, anything you want to hear."
Serenity smiled, hooking her elbow around the younger girl's. "Tell me about the ocean."
Naru beamed, her steps feeling a bit lighter. "Its bigger than anything you've ever seen. It stretches for miles and miles, all the way to where the sun meets the ground. Except there is no ground, only water. The whole thing is water, and salty like tears too!"
Serenity closed her eyes, trying to imagine it. "It sounds wonderful."
"The wind was stronger there, closer to the shore. It was colder too. The air held a salty taste just like the sea, and the sun shone twice as bright."
Serenity couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Are you playing with me now?"
Naru shook her head, a giddy smile on her face now too as she remembered it. "Honest truth! I swear it!"
Serenity giggled, pausing to untangle herself and wipe the sweat off her face. "We're probably close to the water temple now, I'll have to dim the fire just to make sure no one notices."
Naru froze, panic worming its way into her mind. "But how will we travel with no light?"
"I'll just dim it, not extinguish it. We should still be able to see, just not far."
Naru picked up a branch, holding it out to Serenity. "Light this, then no one will question it if they see the light."
"Tinder will go up in ashes and burn you," Serenity said, moving the hand holding the flame away from the extended branch.
"I'll wrap it then." Tearing off a piece of her skirt before Serenity could protest, Naru wadded it around the branch.
"I won't be able to control the fire once its left my hand," Serenity said, reaching forward to light the torch. "If it starts to go out or ignite the bark, put it out before you get burned."
"So you can relight another flame?" Naru asked.
Serenity shook her head. "I cannot. Rei can create flame from air but I am not as skilled as she. I can only control flame that has already been lit."
Naru nodded, moving in front of Serenity to light the path. If it started to go out, she'd tell Serenity to take the fire back instead of putting it out. She glanced nervously into the darkness all around. Better that than take the chance they might be trapped in darkness.
After traveling a few more minutes, the shape of a building began to take form.
"Ah! We're here." Serenity huffed as she sprinted forward, sliding her bag off her back at the foot of the temple's main pillar.
Noticing a small light on the interior of the temple, Naru pointed to it. "Who would be awake at this hour. Its well past evening devotions." She glanced at the sky, which was starting to take on a lighter hue. "I think it will be morning soon."
"Let's find out," Serenity said, stepping into the temple and pausing to gaze in wonder at the water crystal.
Unlike the fire crystal, it shone a brilliant aqua, even with the low reds of the torch as its only light. About the same size and shape, it towered up to the ceiling with the same building structure to frame it.
Serenity was enraptured though. She hadn't felt this way in years, but she recognized the sensation flooding through her.
Moving as if pulled by unseen forces, she moved up to stand before the crystal, kneeling before it. Clapping her hands, she began a prayer-this time to the water crystal. Immediately the crystal reacted, answering her prayer with a rush of warmth she had only experienced once before.
"What are you doing?" Naru asked, moving to stand behind Serenity.
But Serenity couldn't hear her. She could only hear the song of the crystal, as it tried to connect with her. Reaching out, she continued the ritual by placing both her palms flat against the crystal. On contact, it was like a weight she'd never known existed was suddenly removed. Everything felt lighter and calmer.
Blinking and refocusing on her surroundings, Serenity pulled her hands back, staring down at them. Had she really just connected with a second crystal?
"What are you?" A quiet unfamiliar voice called out from the hallway. Serenity and Naru turned to regard the newcomer.
She was dressed in a simple night slip, and had soft features. But atop her head was a short bob of inky black hair that shone almost blue in the light.
Serenity stepped forward, giving a quick bow to the girl. "I'm sorry for intruding upon the temple, but I have urgent news for the water vessel. Can you take me to her?"
The girl stared at her for a moment longer before speaking. "Tell me who and what you are and I will gladly take you to see her."
"I am Serenity, and this is Naru. I am a-the fire vessel, and she an acolyte of the fire temple. Now please, take me to speak with the vessel of this temple."
The strange girl's eyes widened, catching the slip, then tipped her head in a bow of respect for Serenity. "Would you mind demonstrating this? I am wary of strangers who arrive at unseemly hours."
Reaching out, Serenity pulled a bit of flame from the torch Naru still held into her hand. She let the fire spin around her fingertips for a moment before letting it fade.
The girl nodded, "I am Ami, vessel of this temple."
Serenity's mouth parted in a silent O, feeling sheepish for her behavior now.
"Now what is this urgent business you have with me?" Ami moved to help Naru roll her trunk further into the interior of the temple, while Serenity went back to lift her bag back onto her back.
"Our temp-" Serenity began.
"We should discuss this in private," Naru said, glancing around nervously. Tossing the torch outside into the dirt, the three moved further into the living quarters.
"You are right, this is not news for idle ears," Serenity said, studying the girl in front of her.
Ami had probably felt her connect to the water crystal.
Moving into a small room, Naru and Serenity seated themselves on the windowsill and bed, as Ami moved to sit back at her desk chair. A small candle was burning and a large book of scriptures lay open on the desk.
"It was you, up reading at this hour," Naru said, feeling a bit confused.
Ami nodded, turning the chair so she could face them.
"I couldn't help myself, this book was too fascinating to put down. You said you bring urgent news?"
"Yes," Serenity said, leaning forward and recounting the day before. She omitted the part about Rei being a fire vessel, instead telling the story that all of the acolytes except Naru had either fled or been captured protecting her so she could escape.
"Interesting," Ami said, tapping her chin. "And you suspect that the other temples will soon be visited by the king's army as well?"
"There is no doubt, the soldiers that arrived at the fire temple already had acolytes bound in ropes with them," Naru said.
"Then I have little time," Ami said, standing up.
"Little time?" Serenity asked.
"Of course. You both flee to the next temple to warn the next vessel, am I correct?" Ami said.
"Yes, we will be leaving after resting for a few hours," Serenity said.
"I'll be joining you," Ami said, moving to pack up her things.
Serenity's brows creased, confused. "We came to warn you so that you could escape before the soldier's arrive and go into hiding."
"And I will be escaping and in hiding, just not in one place. I'll be traveling with you two, since I'm curious how you did that, earlier."
Serenity felt a small lump form in the pit of her stomach. Ami had noticed.
"What did she do?" Naru asked.
Ami gave them a shy smile, looking at Serenity as if she were the most interesting thing she'd ever seen. Serenity blushed under the scrutiny. "She did something impossible."
Her arrival at the grand palace hadn't been half of what she'd hoped for. The general, Zoisite was his name, had separated her from the acolytes upon arrival. There was no welcoming party, only one guard who ushered her to her chambers.
The room she was given was nice enough, if a bit sparse. Even the meager rooms at the temple had more decoration than this room. With a simple bed, bathroom and one window, there wasn't even a desk or dresser. It did have a closet, full of gowns of various sizes. Rei scoffed at the taste of the dresses provided, none were acceptable.
Not that she'd had time to pack and bring any of her things, but it would have still been nice to be afforded the luxury. The gowns she had here would either be too revealing for a fire vessel or too lengthy to wear in the heat.
Sighing, she sat down on the bed, glancing at the door. Would she be free to move about the castle as she pleased?
Moving to open it, she stuck her head out, noticing the guard still standing watch. "Am I free to come and go as I please?" she asked, watching him glance her way.
"Only with an escort, my lady." His voice was clean and clear, and held a musical quality to it. Rei immediately wanted to hear him speak again.
"Who will escort me?" Rei asked, stepping outside the room.
"Whoever has been assigned to guard your room, my lady." Rei tried to suppress the small thrill that went through her, hearing that sweet voice again but she couldn't help herself. It was the most pleasant voice she had ever heard, even garbled by the inside of his helmet.
"And who is guarding the room today?" Rei asked, crossing her arms and trying to appear cross.
"I am, my lady."
"And you are?" She tapped her foot, giving a pointed look at the large metal helmet that blocked his face from view and obscured his voice.
"I am your guard," he said.
"Does my guard have a name?"
She could practically hear him smile behind the helmet.
"Yes of course, my lady."
"And that name would be...?" He may have the best voice on the planet but he was already annoying her with his circular answers.
Reaching up, he pulled his helmet off, unveiling a shock of short blonde hair and playful blue eyes. He gave her a half bow, never taking his eyes off her. "General Jadeite."
She caught the rank, but intentionally decided she wouldn't use it. "Well Jadeite, I'm-"
"I know who you are," he interrupted, pulling his helmet back on. Rei felt like stomping her foot in frustration. He'd only taken it off for a moment and already he was putting it back on!
"Must I talk to a statue?" Rei said, glaring at his armor.
"I wouldn't risk your safety for comfort, my lady." Rei was beginning to notice the note of deviousness in his voice. Almost as if he were taunting her.
Rei's eyes narrowed, two could play at this game. "I'd ask that my escort not wear a helmet, so I may at least talk to a face and not a metal grill."
"Of course," he said. But instead of reaching up to remove his helmet, he simple pulled the grill work protecting his jaw downward.
Rei raised her nose in the air, heaving a sigh. "Unacceptable. I cannot be seen walking around with a suit of armor as my escort."
"Then I guess you cannot be escorted," Jadeite said, pulling the metal back up to block his mouth.
Rei glared at him, poking a finger into his chest plate. "Very well then I shall simply go on my own." She turned on her heel to walk away.
"I'm sorry my lady but I have orders to escort you should you wish to leave your chambers." He moved in step behind her, following like a shadow.
"I don't want you to escort me. Go back and guard the room." Rei turned to glare at him again.
"No can do," he said, and this time Rei was sure she heard a heavy note of mocking in his voice.
"FINE!" She said, whirling around. "Then I'll not leave my chambers until a more reasonable guard arrives." Slamming the door behind her as she re-entered the room, she blew out an angry breath.
Why was such an unpleasant guard making her heart race so. Putting a hand to her chest she closed her eyes. He was just a stupid grunt, like the other general. Just following orders blindly like a pawn.
But then why did she want to go right back outside and argue with him again?
Rei sat down on the bed. This wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.
Holding out her hand she summoned a tiny bulb of fire, watching it dance and soothe her. She'd made her choice a long time ago, and this one guard changed nothing. She'd be a fire vessel until the day she died. The sacred fire was her other half.
The price of the fire crystal's gift had never felt like a burden until now.
But now, Rei wondered if the price to remain a fire vessel was worth the cost.
AN: I don't know how medieval armor works and I don't like doing actual research for fanfiction (no money no research, personal rule) so if mouth grills can't be actually pulled down please ignore it. Next chapter: Fractured Crystal.