A/N:Guess who's baaaaaackkkkk? I had a really long hiatus, which totally threw me off course, and I'm looking for more muses to boost me up *sighs* :'( anyway, I finally finished number 13! thanks still to the people who continuously support me and read this. hope you guys enjoy :)
KYOTEN CRAP 13
The band of travelers are well on their way. But the adventure has just begun.
Meanwhile, in a dark hall...
It's as dead as night in the room. Nothing echoes, except for the footsteps ringing on the floor as they move in a steady beat. Seconds later, a small burst of light pops, lighting the room a little. What seems like silt ignites at once, the flame shooting upwards and blazing a bright gold and blending into magenta with tinges of green at the edges, all the while emitting a light much like the color of silver. Then, the light dims slightly, revealing a shallow bowl of gold carved with insignias and symbols as the source of the flame. Ancient runes, in the tongue of the ancestors of royalty.
All at once, multiple pops go off, like firecrackers, and the same fire burns on similar pedestals one by one. Two on each side, reaching all the way across the hall until, at the very end of the hall, a faint outline can be seen.
The lamplighter takes his leave, walking down twisted hallways of limestone and marble. Just like the Blade residence, the walls are covered with tapestries, paintings, relics, and other paraphernalia. In the foyer, a large fresco greets him, full of angels and mortals scampering and crying. He stops to look at it.
"I never understood why our Divine Majesty chose this of all things," another man, who just came from the other wing, says softly to the lamplighter, as if afraid to be heard.
"We never know," replies the stern man.
In the middle of the fresco, the most beautiful angel of them all is painted with colors and brushes that have never before been held by man. As if by magic, by an Oracle. A prophesy. The prophesy must be fulfilled. At least, that is what they see in the angel's terrified sapphire eyes.
Hot water rushes out of the taps, as a woman rinses her body. As she turns the golden knobs off, she dries off her golden hair. Putting on a robe, she immediately walks over to a huge door, pulling it open to reveal a room almost as twice as big as the room in the tower Arion stayed in. All in all, it is probably just a little bit bigger than half of a soccer field. There, all articles of clothing fill up every corner, all neatly packed in their respective sections, for every time of the day and for every season.
She sheds the robe, and picks out a beautiful red dress. Woven from the finest silk drawn from a golden orb silk weaver, and dipped in the fruits of the Garden of Eden, it is no doubt a work of magic. It is fitting for a formidable sorceress such as herself.
After she dresses, she turns to the mirror located across the door. In the dim lights from the lanterns glowing with the rays of the sun, she evaluates her reflection.
At the corner of her eyes, she could see the crow's feet more defined than ever. Her cheeks show signs of slight drooping. Her lips, once full and pink, are gravely set in a frown, thinning and graying. Her hands are now wrinkled and rough, much like the old trees in the garden.
Slowly, her fears are taking shape. She had been waiting for the day that the regeneration spells would stop working.
She scowls, only making her look a few years older than she really is. Her men are not working hard enough. She must have the Seraph before the Millenia Luna Ritua passes. Only then will she achieve immortality.
"I am the fairest of them all," she whispers, as she picks up a phial, made of diamond and filled with an odd ruby liquid, and pours the contents in a goblet.
"To the Holy Empress," she raises her voice, and it echoes through the room as she takes a sip.
All at once, her shape changes. Lines disappear, skin repairs, and her figure grows taller and slimmer, brimming with youth until what is staring back at her is a maiden with beauty unlike any other.
A maiden once known as Alexi.
"The search is...at a standstill-"
The crash of the goblet on the hard granite flooring shrieks loudly in the lamplit hall. The messenger quivers violently, trying to swallow the lump in his throat as he bows his head even lower.
"Milady-!"
"Don't think that your pathetic worship will save you, fool!"
The woman, seated on a lavish throne made of the gold from the Dwarf Mountains and decorated with the ivory from the elephant tusks of the Sebrians, raises her right hand. At once, guards clad in gray uniforms emerge from every arched doorway, taking hold of the messenger's arms and dragging him out of the hall.
"PLEASE, DON'T-"
But the fearful prisoner, crying out in agony, is met with a sharp blow to the head, and he is silenced immediately as the lackeys march on.
The woman watches as the man's head hangs limply, before she puts her fingers on her temple and exhales in exasperation.
"Get me a new goblet of Octavian Romanus," she orders a nearby servant. The drink is brought to her in an instant, and she sips it gracefully as she reclines in her seat made entirely of white elk hide.
She is making no progress so far, the scouts haven't returned, and her right hand man has gone missing. He has sent her word that he has taken hold of the Seraph, but he has not returned. Had he been deceived? Or had he been a traitor from the start?
"Well, there is always room for one more player in this game, Victor Blade," she snarls as she grips on the arm rests in anger.
"Guards!" She says, "release The Hound."
Two men exit the room in a single file. He is brought to her at once.
The Hound, dressed in black and red with gold belts and emerald sashes hanging from his waist, stands tall and proud.
"I suppose we have a deal," she addresses the man whose wrists are still bound with glowing rings of magenta.
"The Seraph for my freedom," the other replies with a snarky smirk at the end.
"You have a fortnight."
As the words are uttered, she raises her right hand and clenches it in a fist, willing the bonds away. The now-freed man smiles even wider, maniacally, as a dark aura condenses around him. At once, he disappears in a flash of jet black, letting the silence echo through the halls.
Sunlight streams through the open flap of the tent, rousing Victor from his oddly peaceful sleep. It's still early. Just as he is about to sit up, he stops. He feels quite heavy, and looking down, he is half-surprised to see a sleeping Seraph's face buried into his bare chest. The lithe, tan arms are wrapped around his torso securely, making escape difficult, and his soft breathing tickles Victor's skin. Even the smooth legs are tangled in his own.
Victor remembers the events of last night. He remembers all the horrible nightmares flooding back in an instant. The fleeting memories that distorted him until he was beyond saving. How his family and the rest of the world left him one by one. How Arion came asking to sleep beside a monster. How Arion made him feel weaker than before. How Arion made him want to be stronger for everyone he loved.
As he reminisces, he carefully, gently strokes the angel's hair. Arion stirs a little, but the brunette only shifts closer, pressing his little body against the robust muscle while gripping on Victor's back. The warm hands send chills through the vampire's spine, yet he continues to caress the boy all the way down his cheek, and on his shoulder, down his arm, and along the thin fabric on the boy's back, watching the amusing reactions as his companion would scrunch his eyebrows in sleep or let out a little mewl. Victor hardly notices himself doing it over and over, just to see the midfielder toss and turn at different angles. Angles that showed his curvy thighs, revealed his mouth-watering neck, or accentuated his lovely hips. Everything beautiful and sexy.
Before Victor could resist, he plants a little kiss on his angel's temple. Ironic coming from an evil vampire, and from someone who's been denied such loving gestures for a long time. This time Arion stirs too much, and his eyelids slowly crack open to reveal those beautiful gray eyes. They stare straight at Victor, who is very sure that Arion would push him off in disgust and run off, but the vampire is completely in awe when the Seraph blinks a few times before beaming warmly and brightly.
"Good morning," he whispers to the henchman, not making a move to leave, and Victor couldn't contain his scoff any longer.
"Good morning to you as well, dearest Arion," he replies, casually flicking some strands out of the angel's face unconsciously. It would be definitely out of character and beyond bounds considering their twisted 'relationship' or whatever it is, but both of them don't seem to mind this light physical contact. After all, they're just pressed against each other so suggestively that any intruder could have the idea that they had done some intimate activity the night before. No big deal.
Arion looks at Victor's pale face. He wants to kiss the man's cheek for being so brave and so kind, and sometimes he wants to cry because everyone looks at the man like a monster. Arion has no idea how much Victor had gone through in his life, but he's sure that the vampire is a kind person at heart. Like the weary huntsman who has no choice, but still chooses to show mercy despite not experiencing it.
Then, he remembers Sol.
Sol, with the beautiful blue eyes and warm smile, kind of like a ray of sun that lights up a gray day. Sol, who fell in love with him the very moment he laid eyes on the angel, who promised to 'rescue' Arion even if Arion had done nothing to deserve such treatment. Like the prince who would leave the walls of his home and travel to the ends of the earth just for the angel.
Now, Arion feels sick that he knows Sol's plans without telling Victor anything. Whose side is he on? It sounds nice to join Sol and escape his unwanted destiny...
Or he could stay with Victor and be the only one who would forever understand the man even if the whole world is against the two of them.
"Victor," he speaks, voice unusually soft and worried. There's no turning back now. "I have something important to say."
The vampire looks at him with eyes. They're softer today, more true and less secretive.
"Yes?" he replies, making Arion gulp in fear.
"Sol is-"
Before the angel could say anything else, the tent entrance flaps open, and Vladimir pokes his head in.
"Good morni-oh, am I interrupting something here?" He asks with innocence as he stares at the two, and it only takes a few seconds for Victor to realize the absolutely misleading position he's in.
"No, brother," he replies, sitting up. "I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable. Do you need something from me?"
"I will discuss the matter with you later," is all Vladimir says before excusing himself with a smile. They both let the footsteps fade away completely.
"I'm sorry."
"Hm?" Victor looks down at Arion, who is burying his face in the pillow.
"I think I embarrassed you."
It's hard hearing Arion talk through the pillow, but Victor still understands. He shakes his head, and he pulls the blanket off the both of them.
"No, it's fine. Let's just not keep the others waiting," he says as he stands up and stretches.
Arion does the same, slinking off the pillow and rising to his feet. He exits the moment he sees Victor turning away and pulling off his pants.
Once outside, he runs all the way to his tent, cheeks blushing.
"Hey there Arion! Where have you been?" Jean-Pierre asks, as he rolls the sleeping bags along with Aitor.
"I woke up too early because of a nightmare," he fibs, and he helps them collapse the tent.
Riccardo summons them to the shaded area under the huge tree, and they see Aitor's huge map stretched on a wooden frame. The landscape changed, sort of like a zoomed in version of the woods they're in right now. A path marked in green is drawn through the forest, ending up at the Bermuda Triangle all the way at the top of the map.
"This is our new route. If we travel by foot, it will take us four days to get there, assuming that we have little or no rest at night," he says, and the team is silent. "We will expect wild beasts, so go in trios or pairs. We have to back each other up. No one gets left behind, especially the Seraph. Clear?"
They all nod, and as Riccardo claps his hands, everyone starts grabbing their things.
"What about the carriage? And the submarine?" Harry asks, but Jude pats his shoulder.
"I turned them into toys," he says, showing the mini submarine and the now doll-sized carriage. "Please put them in the satchel."
At once, they leave, not noticing the wrinkled white handkerchief under the tree.
Barely have they left when a shadow slips out from the thicket. The emerald sashes sway in the wind, and a huge hand picks up the dirty cloth. He drops it immediately, smiling to himself.
"The chase has begun."
Their plan is to follow the river.
The company has not gone a long distance when a sharp howl echoes distantly. They all snap their heads to the back, watching tensely as the oaks and rosewoods sway gently.
Another howl resounds.
They look around, even more alert this time as they walk backwards. Their backs are pressed against each other's in a circle, and each is facing in a different direction so that all sides would be backed up.
Everything goes dead and silent.
Riccardo turns around, and the rest of them crane their necks to look at him. He makes a few hand signals, and Arion climbs up a tree.
"One," the leader mouths.
"Two," he adds.
"...THREE!"
He cries aloud as hundreds of black shadows burst through the woods. They howl and hiss and shriek, huge metal claws at the ready alongside big metal fangs, but the San de Salvatorre are ready too. They pull out their knives and bows and arrows, as well as their swords and axes and morning stars. One by one, the ugly black monsters, with wolf heads but a deer's legs, disintegrate into glittering gray sand.
Victor rips through one after another, but he can't hold them off that well because he's constantly looking at his older brother. As he throws another partially dead animal in the direction of the waterfall nearby, Vladimir is merely dodging, evading all the hounds in his way, and his little brother is worried that Vladimir would get eaten.
The henchman's so preoccupied, that he doesn't notice another creature bounding behind him silently. Only when Vladimir turns his head to Victor and shouts does the lackey come back to his senses. When Victor turns around, he is just frozen in his spot, eyes wide open, and he instinctively shields his face with his arms.
"Ah, fuck," Vladimir says as he hoists up his cane in an instant. He cocks the gun in the behemoth's direction and pulls the trigger.
Victor, never feeling the impact, looks up to see the monster dead. It's much bigger than the others, with one glowing red eye and a golden muzzle. Its legs are also mechanical, and the same purple thing that the others leaked is also leaking out of the monster's head and sides.
"There's no time to waste!" Vladimir shouts from the other end. "Victor!"
At once, the vampire shakes his head and resumes killing the other vile beasts. But just as the numbers dwindle, hundreds of more animals with magenta glowing eyes spring from every direction. The San de Salvatorre, weary and tired, back up.
"They're too many!" Riccardo says, breathing heavily.
Arion watches helplessly as his companions are slowly getting cornered by the darkness. With every step of the hoof, more disgusting magenta goo taints the dirt.
"No!" Arion screams, but holds himself back. He needs to find a way to distract those animals. In his frantic search for a solution, he notices three beasts, larger than most, circling the outside of the pack. They look like the one Vladimir killed.
Arion cautiously slips down from the side of the tree. He doesn't notice the unconscious black hound laying near his feet until a small growl comes from its mouth. Arion gasps, fearing for his life, and backs up against the tree in horror as the animal starts shifting and stirring, its bronze legs unfolding and its red eye flickering as it stares at the angel.
It snarls at the brunette, barking to reveal a nice set of bloody teeth as it rakes the ground with its hoof. Drawing closer, it stops right in front of the angel who is close to tears. Arion is about to scream until he sees the blood pouring from the side of its head from Vladimir's bullet. He sees its bleeding sides, and he suddenly is moved by pity for the poor thing even if it's a scary monster that everyone thought of as evil.
Kind of like Victor.
He, pushing aside his fear and swallowing the lump in his throat, pushes off the bark and touches the wound lightly.
"Poor thing..." he whispers, and just as he says the words, a small glow issues from his fingertips. He stares in awe, watching as the wisps of light engulf the wound, and in a few seconds, the bleeding is gone and the gash is closed. He looks up at the hound, and putting both hands on its head, the monster stops growling and snapping, calming down a bit and slowly sitting down. Arion laughs; he remembers Spotter back at home.
"CHARGE!" The sudden battle-cry alerts Arion, and he sees the men and the hounds run toward each other.
"STOP!" Arion yells with all his might as he runs towards his team mates. All heads turn to him, and without a second wasted the hounds bound towards the unmoving Angel.
"Arion!" Victor runs at once to push the Angel out of harm's way, but the hounds are too many to cut through to get to his Seraph in time. He watches as the big one bounds closer, mouth wide open and ready for the kill, but Arion is only waiting. The rest of the members are busy fending off the hounds that have stayed, and Victor is still ripping at the ones attacking him.
When the giant monster comes close enough, the Angel does as he did a while ago. He holds his hands up, in an embracing gesture, and the alpha starts miraculously slowing to a stop, continuously decelerating until it stops in front of the Angel. It tilts its head a bit to the side, still growling but unable to charge nor attack. The other hounds also stop in their tracks, as if a force field has built itself around the brunette.
Arion walks closer to the big dog, who is also injured, and kneels in front of it to touch the wound. The gash immediately heals, and the dog looks up at the Angel with its beady eyes. It cautiously sits, and after a while, lays its head on the boy's lap. Arion laughs in joy, ruffling its hair, and the dogs stop attacking his companions as well.
"Peace."
They all look at Aitor, who speaks out of nowhere.
"It's one of the gifts of the Seraph to forgive and to stop war. It must have been manifested after we got the first Rune," he states, and they all lower their weapons.
"Let's take a rest, but not too long; this encounter looks more like it was planned than it was the animals' choice. The enemy must be nearby," Riccardo orders.
The team walks over to the river bank to take a rest.
Victor splashes some water on his face, washing off the blood and dirt when he sees something moving in the water. He freezes, watching the eerily fluid shadow in the water, but he is distracted when he hears a crackling sound.
The company watches as the hounds start pulsing lightly, and the animals are enveloped in a flash of white before they burst into specks of light. All traces of the battle are gone, and the men are healed.
"What just happened?" Roma asks in confusion.
"Arion must've unleashed a sort of healing wave, replenishing all of us while lifting some kind of ailment on the hounds...a curse, probably?" Gabriel wonders aloud, but jumps off the rock he's sitting when a sharp, slow applause comes from behind him.
They turn their heads towards both directions of the path, but they see no one standing there.
"Show yourself!" Victor commands, but even if laughter resounds in the air, no rustle is made in the woods
"I was going to commend you for your brilliance until moments ago when you couldn't even spot me, Gabriel."
The sarcastic, taunting remark makes the pinky whip his head to the water. There, leaning on a huge slab of stone beside the waterfall, is a weird creature, swishing its tail in the air and water lazily.
"Rondula," he breathes.
"Is that a mermaid?" Arion whispers to Skie as the silver-haired creature laughs some more, gathering her purple-tipped hair and draping it over her right shoulder.
"I'm touched you still remember me. But I didn't come here for you. She's interested in that one."
As she says the words "that one", she points at the bruised henchman while wrinkling her nose in slight distaste at his wounds. "Well, maybe I'll see why after he cleans up."
"What do you want from him?" Arion asks boldly before he could stop himself. She looks at him, blue lips in a pout before narrowing her eyes in disdain.
"Don't think you can get cocky like that just because you freed some cursed mutts," she says, and turns her attention to Jude this time.
"You're a warlock, no? More like the warlock, I mean."
"Yes," he says carefully, and she swims over to hand him a bag of small stones. "My mistress says that only you can activate the spell so that you lot can breathe underwater."
He opens the small pouch, and pours the pebbles in his hand. Along with it comes a small strip of seaweed, and he unrolls it to read the incantation.
"Hengin hengin, hengah!" He exclaims, and the stones turn white. He then distributes the stones.
"You're supposed to swallow it. Kind of like a...like a..." She snaps her fingers, trying to recall the term. She looks at Arion, and she remembers it all of a sudden. "Like a medicine capsule in your world."
"Oh." He says, and he fills his flask with water and drinks the small stone.
"I would've gotten into the water first if I were you," she says, and the moment Arion hears it, his legs suddenly go numb like jelly. He collapses, and the vampire runs to his aid as Arion's breaths get more and more labored.
"Victor! I-I can't b-breathe!" He gasps and chokes, one hand clutching at his neck and the other one on Victor. For a moment, a picture of the beautiful boy panting under him in pleasure corrupts his mind, and he struggles to carry the Angel into the water.
Bubbles form from where the Angel was dropped, and nothing resurfaces for a while. They are all worried until a head pops out of the water, shaking vigorously.
"It's cold," Arion mumbles, hugging himself, and the others exhale in relief.
"What happened to your clothes?" Rosie asks, and Arion looks around too.
"HUH?!" He squirms and struggles, and they see a flash of gold and white whisk through the air.
"You're a mermaid?!" J.P asks in surprise, and Arion just scratches his head.
"Meh, I'm used to these weird stuff now."
"By the way, just leave your clothes on. When you turn back, the same clothes will be on you," Rondula says in a bored way.
One by one, they jump into the water after "ahhh-ing" in realization, and they copy Arion. Seconds later, they all resurface, laughing and smiling after being refreshed in the water. Only the Blade brothers and Gabriel are left on land.
Victor looks at the water, not daring to jump in. Even if he's done some crazy dangerous shit for Zabelle, diving into the mermaid world? Not happening.
"Victor. You'll be okay. I'll be okay," his brother reassures him. The vampire looks into his brother's hazel eyes before nodding and jumping in the water. He helps his brother in, and they swallow their stones at the same time, resurfacing afterwards. Victor has a blue tail with silver designs, while his brother has a white tail with sapphire designs, and the cane is transformed into a sort of cane made of coral and seashells.
"What are you waiting for?" Riccardo asks Gabriel who is still standing around. "If you're scared, I'm here."
As Gabriel looks at the brunette, a wave of nostalgia washes over Riccardo.
~*~ flashback
"I don't like this idea," he mutters as he stares at the waves breaking on the rocks.
"What are you waiting for? If you're scared, I'm here."
Her voice floats through the air even if he can't see her. He knows she's just hiding in the cove that is formed by the rock he's standing on, so there isn't a reason to be afraid. Rick takes a deep breath, and falls headfirst.
Even if he tries to open his eyes, the wind rushing past is just too fast. He smiles, enjoying this newfound feeling of weightlessness before he crashes into the water. He swims back up with ease, only to hear her laugh as he turns her way.
"See? Told you it was fun!"
~*~ end of flashback
He jolts back to reality when he hears a splash. Beside him, Gabriel reemerges, and the leader notices that the pinky hardly has to keep his balance unlike the others. It bothers him, along with the fact that his right hand man knows the mermaid's name and knows way too much about Etlancis.
"Is everyone here?" He decides to ask instead.
"Aitor is missing!" Sam Gook reports, and they all look around for the teal-haired boy. Gabriel sighs.
"He's hiding beside that waterfall."
They all look in that direction, and they see a tuft of blue green poking out of the rocks.
"I don't want to come out!" He shouts.
"Aw come on, you can't look that bad," Skie says as she swims over and pulls the blue green tuft. Instead, she ends up shrieking and moving back.
"Just suck it up! Time is of the essence," Kaiser says, and slowly, Aitor moves out.
No one dares to say anything when they see a huge shell on Aitor's back, antenna on his head, and two nice claws instead of hands.
"WHY AM I A CRAB?!" He laments aloud, thrashing around. Gabriel tries hard to stifle his laughter when he sees tears forming in the pitiful boy's eyes.
"My mistress can fix that later," Rondula says as she tries not to snicker as well. "Right now, I will show you the way to Etlancis."
"What's in it for you?"
"What?" She turns her attention to Jude, who doesn't need a tail since he's a warlock.
"I said, what's in it for you? Merpeople do not offer assistance out of pure chivalry."
She smiles cunningly before turning away. "We will discuss that later."
With that, she swims under the waterfall, and the others follow. They follow her into a strange tunnel, with coral and anemone and buried treasure stuck here and there on the circular walls. After a few turns and twists, they end up in a "clearing".
In front of them, at a distance, they see a huge city surrounded by a force field, with merpeople bustling about, in and out of the huge coral buildings. In the middle is a citadel, with a royal air, and guards are stationed everywhere. At the town square is a huge statue of a beautiful mermaid, with her hair down and a crown on her head as she holds a trident. Her eyes are almost almond-shaped, and her ears are pointy.
"We go to the castle. My mistress, the queen, mustn't wait any longer," Rondula says as she swims again.
Gabriel groans, clutching at his head weakly, and Arion notices this.
"You okay?" He asks, touching the boy's head. The pain partially subsides, and the pinky nods.
"Yeah, thanks. Don't get too far behind."
Well, Gabriel was sure he wouldn't even get lost in the first place.
They reach the city gates, and the guard immediately steps in front of the entrance.
"Who is it?"
The mermaid rolls her eyes.
"It's Rondula. And these people are the key to getting what the queen wants."
The shaggy-haired guard steps aside. When they get to the castle, the guards do the exact same thing. Just as they are about to ask Rondula more questions than the first guard, their eyes fall on the cranky aqua-eyed mermaid who is trying to fix his hair all the way at the back.
"Is that-!..." One of them begins, but breaks off and says nothing more as he opens the huge golden shell doors, adorned with red corals and other precious stones.
As they pass through the foyer and through the blue-green rock and limestone halls, they look at the completely different architecture. It's a nice calming view of the sea and the city, but it could be a little cold and lonely despite the ticklish anemone and soft beautiful music thanks to the sponge and different enchanted creatures. Maids and guards that pass by greet the band of travelers, but Gabriel just feels more and more uneasy as they draw nearer to the great receiving hall of the queen.
"I have returned, my Queen," Rondula says as she bows shortly before leaving.
A mermaid whose back was turned to them initially, spins around. Her violet eyes twinkle when upon seeing them, especially when she sees a certain seasick vampire at the back.
"You must be the San de Salvatorre. I am the ruler of Etlancis, Queen Leia. Please, before we discuss business, let me know if there is anything else I can do to make you feel more comfortable."
As if on cue, Gabriel magically falls on the sandy floor. Riccardo rushes to his side, and looks at the queen with fear in his eyes.
"Thank you for your hospitality. A place to rest and some medication will be highly appreciated by me and my friends here."
As Riccardo scoops his friend in his arms and checks for a pulse hurriedly, Leia still does nothing much to everyone's surprise. In fact, she bursts into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.
"She didn't tell you? That's so typical of my dear cousin."
"COUSIN?!" Everyone yells, looking at the pink-haired boy whose eyes are weakly glaring at the young queen.
"Don't do this Leia," he says with gritted teeth as he watches her come closer.
"Oh come on and spit out that stone. You know that the enchantment only works on humans and not on mermaids," the raven continues as she reaches out her hand which is now glowing with a purple light. "Besides, secrets cannot be kept forever Gabriel-or should I say, Galadriel."
With that her hand touches his chest and he screams. A blinding flash of violet fills the whole room, and when everyone opens their eyes, they are that in Riccardo's arms is no longer Gabriel Garcia.
In his arms is a beautiful maiden with pink hair flowing around her shoulders, and a crown of seashells is on her head like a headband. Her eyes are a bright aqua, and instead of legs, she has a salmon-colored twin tail.
Riccardo's eyes widen, and he reaches up to touch her cheek.
"Galadriel?..." He asks softly, but just as he comes in contact with her, his hand passes straight through her, alarming the mermaid.
"NO!" She screams, grabbing him by the shoulders, but his shoulders slump and she cannot touch him either. With burning eyes, she turns to the queen.
"What did you do?! What did I do to deserve this!?" She cries, tears spilling down her cheeks. Leia blinks in feigned innocence, smiling too sweetly to be real.
"You came back, that's what happened," she snarls. "No matter what I do, they still love you. You, who took away everything from me ever since. Now, I'm taking away what you love the most."
They all stare in horror as their leader is slowly fading from existence, watching as his fingertips degrade into dust. All except for Arion.
Before he knows it, he screams at the top of his lungs, and another light, this time the color of white, shoots out from his hands and strikes Riccardo right in the chest. They all gasp as the dust stops and reverses in direction, rapidly going back to its place before the boy could disappear.
"Huh?..." Galadriel looks up from teary eyes, and when she sees her friend back to his normal state, she catches him.
"Rick!" She says, shaking him, and he opens his eyes. For the first time in many years, a genuine smile that dated years back returns to his face.
"Galadriel...it's you!" He says, and he laughs before swinging her around in his arms. Both of them, caught up in their happiness, don't notice as Arion, who is extremely glad that he helped, passes out.
They only notice it when Leia laughs.
"Ah, it seems that you got what you want. But have you paid a fair price?"
They turn their heads, and they stop when they see an unconscious angel in Victor's arms.
"Arion!" Galadriel gasps, and her cousin cackles.
"Servants!" She calls, and merpeople swim into the room. "Bring the Seraph to the resting chambers."
They approach Victor, but in an instant, he clutches the boy close before growling at them in an intimidating manner.
"Don't touch him," he hisses, and they back off. "I will follow you."
He exits the room behind them, leaving behind a worried company and a quite upset and annoyed queen. She turns back to them.
"Your rooms are in the right wing. Galadriel can show you the way, right?" As she says the words she looks at her angry cousin, who takes off at once.
"What about me?!"
They all stop once they hear Aitor's sudden outburst. He gestures to himself, and the queen huffs before waving her hand. In an instant, he gets a normal green tail, much to his happiness.
They then continue their journey, passing through the halls, and when they are at a good distance away from the receiving room, Jude swims ahead in front of Galadriel and stops before her.
"Explain," is all he says before she sighs in defeat.
"I know. Just follow me," she says as she continues to the end of the hall.
They end up in a closed room, kind of like a cove. The floor is covered in gold coins and ornaments, and the walls are made entirely of limestone, corals, and precious shining rocks. Crowns, scepters, books, and antiques are on all of the the walls except for the one in front of them.
On the said wall are pictures of merpeople, conjured on enchanted glass by means of spells and mist.
"The Orbes line..." Vladimir reads out loud as his eyes follow the pictures down until he sees Leia. He stares at it for a while, taking note of her pale complexion and her violet hair, as well as her blue-green eyes and the purple crown on her head made entirely of obsidian and pointy shells.
Beside it, another area is allotted for a different family. The image of Galadriel is difficult to miss, and below it, the label is "Galadriel of the Quirino Line".
They all look at her, but she refuses to make eye contact. She takes a deep breath and looks at them bravely.
"Let me tell you everything."
A/N: TADAH! Disclaimer, i don't own IE/IEGo. anyway, there will be more adventure still, and stuff and blah blah blah.
PS, I changed Hilary to Rondula because the English dub name finally came out :D
The next chapter involves more decision making and more sacrifices. Will the team be able to handle the loss of one? Or will they still be able to pull themselves together? Catch you next time :)) 3