Chapter 5: Surprises

I do appreciate the positive reviews I've gotten for the story so far. As to the negative one, all I have to say is that there seems to be always one in a bunch...and to give a story a chance before you blast it. Also, a little error that Lady Draculae pointed out's been fixed. Thanks much, was too out of it to catch that last night.

Note: From this chapter out, if you see quotes followed by parenthesis, "(Like this)", it means that the person is speaking in Ancient Ispanian.

Guy frowned as he listened to the explanation. Just moments before, Cassa had returned from the private conversation and sat on the ground, looking pretty annoyed and shooting icy glares at Luke. A moment later, Jade had returned and explained exactly what both of their missions were.

"...so you're emissaries of peace," the servant said at the end, "I can see why both groups were classed as state secrets."

"Precisely," Jade replied, "Although, I didn't expect you to be chasing after the Tartarus, much less on foot."

"Blame her for that," Guy said, then asked quickly before Cassa could retaliate, "What I want to know is why Mohs is trying to start a war."

Ion replied in a regretful tone, "That's confidential to within the Order. I can't talk about it."

Luke grumbled at Ion saying that, which earned him a sharp "Shut up," from Cassa.

"Regardless of the reason," Jade cut in, "War must be avoided. We can't let Mohs interfere."

"Well, you've got yourself wrapped up in a big mess here, Luke," Guy said to the red-head.

"By the way," Ion continued, "Who are you two?"

Both Guy and Cassa stood and the man replied, "Oh yeah, we haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Guy. I'm a manservant in Duke Fabre's household."

Ion shook his hand, followed by Jade. The group then looked to the black-haired woman.

"...I'm Cassa Reiner. As Jade guessed earlier, I'm from Grand Chokmah."

It took her all she had to not follow habit and curtsy, but to shake hands instead as well. After all, she knew that a main reason for a handshake was for friend-or-foe markings to be placed.

The brown-haired woman then went up to Guy, who immediately jerked back a few inches.

She looked puzzled at the reaction. "...what...?"

Cassa sighed and shook her head.

"...Guy doesn't like women," Luke explained.

"It looks more like a phobia," Jade observed.

"It is," Cassa stated, "Even though Guy and I are old friends, even I can't get too close."

"Is that so...?" the colonel replied, eyes appearing distant.

The woman replied, "If it helps, you don't have to think of me as a woman," then tried to move in, which made Guy back up each time. After the third try, he stood in place, shaking worse than a leaf.

"I told you so."

She sighed at Cassa and said to Guy, "Fine, I'll keep my distance. Will that help?"

"I-I'm sorry, it's not you...it's just..." he weakly tried to explain.

"Mind telling me your name?" Cassa asked the brown-haired woman.

After a moment, she replied, "Tear. Tear Grants."

That made the noble lady's eyes widen with recognition, then she looked around her carefully.

"If you're one of Duke Fabre's servants, that means that you're from Kimlasca. Had you come looking for Luke?" Jade asked.

"Yeah, under orders from Duke Fabre. We knew he disappeared into Malkuth territory. I traveled by land and ran into Cassa in Chesedonia. I asked her to help and we went searching from there. Dorian General Grants went by sea and started searching from Kaitzur."

"Master Van's looking for me, too?" Luke asked, excited.

"My brother's here?" Tear asked.

"Your brother? Don't tell me..." Guy stared to ask.

Cassa immediately drew her quarterstaff with her right hand and extended the left arm, facing the path that they had come from and said, "Company!"

Jade opened his hand, and a spear materialized in it. "Oh dear, it looks like we ran out of time to chat."

The others immediately got up, and most of them drew their weapons.

A couple of seconds later, a group of Oracle Knights appeared. There were twelve of them, weapons at the ready.

"Pe...people..." Luke said weakly.

"Luke, stay back! You know you won't be able to kill them!" Tear replied sharply.

"You're not running away!" one of the Knights growled and charged in.

Jade moved into position and called out, "I'm casting. Cassa, I need support!"

"I'm on it!" she replied and immediately saw one one of the knights start towards the Malkuth Colonel.

Before the soldier could get a strike in, she had gotten in front of Jade and struck at the soldier with the quarterstaff.

"Nice try, but it won't work," she said to him, then whacked at the soldier's wrist to disarm him, using the staff, then connected with the neck.

A moment later, she heard Jade state, "O mighty explosion...Energy Blast!"

She chuckled for a half second as she saw the resulting Arte blast at one of the soldiers that was attacking Tear.

She switched her staff to her left hand and moved into position, her right hand moving to just above her left shoulder. "My turn to cast. I need a charged Water Field. Back me up!"

Jade nodded and saw one of the soldiers moving towards Cassa in order to attack her from behind. While Tear began to cast the required field, he moved quickly, then impaled the soldier without comment.

Guy, in the meantime, was going after a soldier that had decided to kill the hapless red-haired noble. He disarmed the soldier, then snapped, "Luke!"

A moment later Cassa saw the Water Field of Fonons surrounding her and completed her Arte.

"Show my enemies the true meaning of frostbite! Blizarre Tempesta!"

As she called out the Arte's name, her right arm raised fully into the air. A group of four Oracle Knights were surrounded by a large circle of snow and wind. After a moment, the circle closed in on the enemy, freezing them in place and killing them instantly.

"Whoa, nice!" Luke, who had seen the Fonic Arte, called in surprise.

"Admire later! Focus on the enemy," Cassa snapped, then winced as Tear took a hit from behind as a Knight got in a lucky shot. She lowered her arm for a small moment.

"My words exactly," Jade agreed and went after him.

The Malkuth woman began working a second Arte, right hand above left shoulder again. As she did, Guy took down another Knight with one of his own Artes.

"O healing power...First Aid!"

By now, the group had expected such a power from Tear. However, this time, the voice casting it was Cassa's. The light of the Arte surrounded the brown-haired woman long enough to heal the injury from behind.

"Thanks," she replied, then began focusing her power enough to sing.

Fonic hymns? That explains her, Cassa thought as she saw the necromancer going after the soldier that had attacked Tear, and saw one of the remaining enemy start to attack him from behind.

I'm too far away, she thought, but the words that came out of her mouth were, "Colonel, behind you!"

He spun in place and brought up his spear to parry the overhead strike that the soldier had intended. The colonel then pushed him back enough to throw him off balance before stabbing him through the abdomen.

By then, Guy and Tear had taken out most of the remaining, though one was off-balance and weak.

"Luke! Finish him!" Jade snapped at the redhead.

Luke raised his sword, but began shaking and froze in place.

"Ugh...!"

That was all the enemy needed to disarm the boy.

"Luke! Snap out of it!" Guy retorted.

It didn't help, though, as Luke stayed frozen in place, even as the knight raised his blade to deliver what would be a killing blow.

Guy and Tear charged in, the female getting in front of the cowering noble, while Guy slashed out.

The enemy was cut in two, but not before delivering a blow to Tear.

Cassa glared at Luke before turning towards the injured woman.

"Tear...I...I..." The boy stammered, partly out of shock.

Tear was silent before muttering, "...you idiot."

"Stop," Jade said to Cassa, then went to examine the injury.

The noblewoman nodded reluctantly and let the necromancer work.

"It's not serious," he said a moment later, "But we're going to rest here for the night."

"I can heal the injury, easily--"

"I'm sure you can," he interrupted Cassa, "But you're starting to over-exert yourself."

"N-no, I'm not--"

He sighed in an irritated way, "You're pale and shaking a bit. I'd say you are. If you must heal her, wait until you've rested a little."

"All right."

Cassa looked down and saw that she was, indeed, shaking. However, she knew it wasn't from exertion. Something was dawning on her, now that the battle was over.

That...I...did I kill humans, just now...? she thought. My instructor said I would have to sometimes, but still...I had never...

Guy looked at her for a moment, then said, "The camping lesson can wait until next time, Cassa."

"O-okay," she replied, then took a deep breath, trying to get the shaking under control as she sheathed her quarterstaff.

Guy then tapped Jade on the shoulder and said something in a low voice to him. The necromancer's eyebrows raised and he glanced at Cassa for a moment, before nodding.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a small blue and white bring popped out from behind Luke and bounced right over to Cassa.

"Hm...? Who are you?" she asked, and thought, It's cute...!

"Oh boy...! I knew I was gonna see lots of things, but not one of you!" a small, high-pitched, girl-like voice was heard, coming from the little creature.

"Shut up, Thing!" Luke growled.

"Mieuuu..."

"One moment," Jade cut in, "What do you mean, Mieu?"

"Mieu...? That's a Mieu?" Cassa asked.

"No. Mieu's a sacred cheagle," Ion replied.

"Oh? I've never seen a cheagle before," Cassa replied and reached out to scratch behind one of Mieu's ears, as she would with a dog or cat.

"Mieu, be kind as to answer my question," Jade cut in again, "What did you mean, one of her?"

"You mean Cassa being a Seventh Fonist? That surprised me too," Guy replied.

"N-no, I'm not a Seventh Fonist," she replied.

"But you use healing and attack Artes," her old friend countered.

Mieu broke in by saying, "I can see the fonons! Cheagles, even as small as I am, tell types of fonists apart."

"How so?" Jade asked, seemingly curious.

Oh no, Cassa thought, stopped scratching behind the ears and said, "Mieu, not another word!"

"Mieuuu..."

"No, continue," the necromancer replied, "I want to know what you mean by that."

"So do I," Guy agreed.

"Same here," Tear joined in.

Mieu hopped up and said, "Cheagles can see fonons surrounding fonists, one color for each type. Jade has six fonons circling around him."

"Yes, because I can use the First through the Sixth. The Seventh is beyond my power," he admitted with some distaste.

"Cassa's got all seven surrounding her!" Mieu continued.

That made the necromancer turn abruptly and stare at her.

Oh great...so much for secrecy.

"What? What's that thing talking about now?" Luke grumbled.

"Does what Mieu's saying make any sense to you, Cassa?" Guy asked.

"Now she really does look pale," Jade observed.

"Unfortunately...yes," the Malkuth woman replied, then sighed. "I wasn't lying...I am not a Seventh Fonist."

"Then how come you can use--" Tear started to ask.

"It's because Cassa's a fonic sage!" Mieu said quickly.

There were various reactions to this. Tear's mouth opened in surprise, Guy's jaw dropped in shock, Ion stared at her with wide-eyes, Luke looked confused and Jade stared at her as well, with both eyebrows up.

"Cassa, is that true?" Guy asked after a moment.

"Yes," she replied, sounding a bit defeated, "It's true. I'm a fonic sage."

"That's impossible...fonic sages only exist in fairy tales..." Guy replied, voice a bit faint.

"I'm no illusion."

Tear's voice was one of shock as she said, "The last time one was on Auldrant was 500 years ago...and before then..."

Jade added, seemingly mostly unfazed, "Before then, a fonic sage existed 2000 years ago. It's rumored that it might have been Yulia Jue." He paused before asking in a tone that contained an edge, "Did Peony know about this?"

"Yes," Cassa answered, "The only ones that know are the Emperor, my instructors and my father. Officially, I'm classed as a noblewoman with negligible abilities."

"That explains how you were kept out of the military," the colonel mused, then grumbled, "(Peony, you should have said so in that letter. Keeping something that high-level from me...you will pay for that.)"

Luke blinked, thoroughly confused, Tear acted as though she didn't hear anything, Guy coughed into his hand. Cassa snapped her head up and replied, "(If you want to exact revenge on someone, do it on Graham Reiner, not Peony.)"

Jade blinked then said, "You're fluent."

"Yes. It's taught right alongside the Fonic language in my family, so I'm equally fluent in both."

"Now I'm confused as all hell," Luke snapped, "What did you two just say, and what is a fonic sage?"

"None of your business, boy," Cassa replied coldly.

"Not quite as rudely put, but Cassa is right. It is none of your business what is said," Jade replied.

"Seventh Fonists are not that common," Guy started to explain.

"Yeah, Mieu told me. So?"

"Fonic sages are extremely rare. They can control all seven Fonons, so they're extremely versatile," Tear added.

"However," Cassa said, though obviously not talking to Luke, "It means I also have no strengths."

"No strengths?" Luke asked, "Wait, you mean like that saying, 'jack of all trades, master of none?'"

She winced but admitted, "That's what it means. Also, I can't do things like cause hyperresonance, and fonic hymns like those of Yulia Jue's are also out. Those are strictly for the Seventh Fonists."

"Well, as interesting as the topic is, we need to make camp before dark," Jade cut in curtly.

"Oh, speaking of which, Cassa," Guy asked, "What happened to the rest of the camping equipment? The stuff that was on you when we found the Tartarus?"

She looked a little sheepish and replied, "Well...for an Arte like I used to lift you to the top of the landship, I have to concentrate completely, blocking everything out. When you were little more than over the top...some monsters got a hold of the rest of the equipment. Sorry."

"That's why it wore off while I was in mid-air...well, at least I got the part that's got all the food and that half-Arte of yours..."

"Guy, I believe I said that we need to make camp," Jade cut in, sounding slightly irritated.

"Y-Yeah. I'll get some firewood. Cassa doesn't know how to make tents and stuff yet."

"But she can do other things, I assume? Or are fonic sages only good for battle?"

"I can cook," she replied, "I cooked dinner last night, just outside of Engeve."

"Yeah," Guy agreed, "She makes a mean vegetable soup."

"Then while you get the firewood, Guy, Cassa can get the ingredients out for our meal."

0000000000

After the sun had set, Luke walked around, stretching his legs. He stopped for a moment to talk to Tear, then Guy, Jade and Ion.

Cassa sat on a log a short distance off, staring at the stars.

The cooking turned out better than I thought, since I made soup for more people this time. But...I wonder...is this what the voices in the dream meant? When they said that once I started after the landship, I wouldn't be able to turn back?

"Mind if I join you?" she heard from behind her, startling her for a moment. There was a very slight chuckle, then the voice continued reproachfully, "If you're going to be traveling and fighting alongside us, you need to be more aware of your surroundings outside of a battle."

She nearly glared at the speaker, but replied, "Luke is the idiot, not I, Colonel Curtiss."

"I would rather you call me Jade. I'm not used to being addressed by my family name."

"All right...Jade."

"Much better."

Jade sat down on the log beside her and asked, "I would assume that you stare at stars when you have things on your mind."

"Let me guess, those in your division have the same habit?"

"A few, yes."

She nodded and replied, "Thought so."

He was silent for a moment before he said, "That was your first time?"

"First time doing what?"

"Taking a person's life."

She looked right at him, shocked.

"Guy told me."

She sighed and nodded before looking down.

"Yes."

"Luke became scared...rather hesitant after his first time as well, and you saw what happened as a result."

"Well, I'm not like that."

"You're not scared?"

"Of course I am! Like you said, I had never killed a person before. But..."

"But...?"

"It's not going to do me any good. One instructor told me that my powers mean that I would eventually spill human blood, probably more than once. He also said that I would have to get past the feeling of the first time, or I would be killed in the next."

Jade nodded and mused, "Wise, that instructor. I have no doubt that you'll do precisely that...if you haven't already."

"Hm."

"How do you know Guy?"

"I met him fifteen years ago," she replied, "My family and I were in Saint Binah on business. Even with his problem, we got along well. When I remembered not to get close, that is."

He looked at her and said, "St. Binah, eh...? I'll let that be for now. How about Luke?"

"Ugh. Him, I've known since he was five or six. Before the kidnapping, he wasn't like...he is now. Ever since his amnesia, he's become, well..."

"So it's true? That our country kidnapped him?"

"He was kidnapped, yes, but I don't think we did it."

"Why not?"

"Something that high-profile even I would have heard about before..."

"Before?"

"Guy's the one that told me about it. I wasn't told why our country got the blame, just that the child was found somewhere around Kaitzur. Luke, back before then, was pretty likable. But ever since, he is a no good--"

"I do believe you've stated that opinion more than once."

"Hmph."

"Although..."

"What?"

"I don't believe that Malkuth was behind the kidnapping, either."

She said nothing to that.

"For being the famous Necromancer, your repertoire of Artes is pretty limited."

Though she didn't see it, he arched an eyebrow at her. "For one of Emperor Peony's closest friends, you are rather rude."

"Well, I never!"

"Yes, I quite believe it."

She hmphed at that.

"As far as my repertoire is concerned, it's due to the fact that one of the God-Generals decided to use a fon slot seal on me while on board the Tartarus."

She shuddered at that. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"The fon slot seal and for the careless remark."

"Well, I'll accept your apology...this time."

Cassa is certainly more proper than a certain Duke's son, even if she is frank and rude.

"Well, now that that is settled, I do believe that you should get some sleep. First kill reactions aside, you did use a lot of power today with both the Wind Fonon Arte and the battle with the Knights."

"Yes, I did. Thank you for the concern."

"You think it is concern? The fon slot seal already has caused a partial drop in my abilities, and it will take a long time to undo it. Between that and Luke's inability to kill humans, we already have a problem. The last thing I need is more dead weight."

"Hmph!"

Cassa heard the sound of footsteps going away from her, although she couldn't quite tell if she had been hearing things or if Jade had said, "Good night, Cassa".

She got up and went over to the campfire. A few sleeping rolls were set up, although there weren't enough for everyone.

Guess I'll try sleeping on the ground itself.

Luke was already sleeping. She went over to Tear. Touching the injury to the arm, the sage quietly cast an Arte to heal it. The brown-haired woman nodded gratefully, but Cassa heard a hassled sigh from behind her. When she turned to look, Jade shook his head, with a disapproving frown and an icy glance.

She shook her head, picked a spot that wasn't too close to the fire and tried to find a comfortable position. As soon as she found one, she thought that maybe the nasty colonel was right about overdoing it. Almost as soon as the thought was finished she had fallen asleep.