Chapter 9
Return to Avarice
They ended up a little outside of the city, sitting in a field far enough out that the light pollution from the city didn't obscure their view of the stars. Silently, they watched the stars, the only sounds from the Dragonbird shifting as it lay in the grass near them. They sat a short, comfortable distance apart, allowing the amiable silence fill the gap between them.
"You didn't originally come out to stargaze, did you?" Sakura asked finally, shifting position until she leaned back on her hands in the tall grass.
Syaoran shook his head. "Not entirely. Mostly, I just wanted to get out of that city. I don't like the way it feels."
"That's not all of it," the princess stated, her tone taking on a teasing edge.
Her companion blinked, then smiled. "You're right." He offered no further explanation, and though she was quite curious, she didn't ask.
The Dragonbird shifted suddenly, all but leaping to its feet, head up, ears and eyes alert. The movement startled the two teens into action, and they looked out just in time to see another Dragonbird approaching them. It stopped, turned slightly, and the rider looked down at them.
"Oh! I didn't know that one had anyone looking after it," the rider proclaimed, his voice strong and cheerful.
The two on the ground blinked comically and looked at each other.
"I'm sorry to have startled you," he apologized, patting the side of his mount's neck. Even in the starlit dimness the creature shone with gold undertones, a color, they noted, that almost matched the Astron's hair and fur.
"No, I suppose it's our fault," Syaoran said in return, smiling awkwardly. He blinked suddenly, and stared at the Dragonbird before him. "That one has wings."
The man laughed. "Yes, Arei has the ability to fly, but with it being nighttime out and so hard to see anything, particularly anything I might fly into, I've learned it's safer to travel on the ground when approaching a city."
Syaoran nodded in understanding. "Sorry to have distracted you, you probably want to get into the city and rest."
The man laughed and shook his head. "Far from it. In fact, I'm dreading going in there, but I know I must. It's been a welcome distraction, and again I'm sorry for startling you two; but you know, you shouldn't be out here this late at night. Bandits like to sneak up on unsuspecting folks, especially if they look young like you two. I've got Arei, and he's a fast flier so I'm mostly okay, but even now I'm regretting taking such a long lunch."
"Yeah, we weren't planning on staying long," Syaoran said, and Sakura wondered if he was telling the truth. "We've got to get back into the city soon anyway, I'm sure the rest of our group is worried."
"Ah, then shall we band together and head in?" the man asked. "Or were you going to stay a bit longer?"
Syaoran looked to Sakura who nodded. "No, we'll head back. It's not getting any earlier, and we have a long day tomorrow."
The man nodded and waited for the two to mount their Dragonbird before they all traveled back to the city, exchanging small talk and pleasantries to make the trip go by quickly. The conversation ended with an exchange of names- the man called himself 'Kiin'- and they split up to their respective destinations, with farewells and hopes to meet again soon.
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Said hoped meeting would come the next day as the group passed by the castle's outer walls, only to find the golden-haired man striding out, leading Arei. He blinked upon seeing them, then grinned and waved. "Hello again! Syaoran and Sakura!"
Sakura brightened, and waved at the man. "Hello!"
They exchanged greetings and introductions, Kiin asking them if they'd like to join him for lunch. Having no better alternative, and having mostly failed at gathering information for the day, they agreed, and soon found themselves in a rather nice restaurant. Though people still stared at them when they thought no one was looking, the murmurs and gossip were kept to a minimum- apparently everyone knew the golden-haired man was someone of importance, and since they were his guests they weren't to be disrespected.
It was here, finally, the group caught the break they'd been needing since first arriving in this withdrawn town. Kiin was a royal messenger, and though he couldn't tell them everything, he could give them some basic information, and even a few insider things whispered when no one else was listening.
King Ursa, they'd discovered, was not a kind ruler, and were the Emperor and his men not watching him carefully, the people in his kingdom would be under heavy oppression- his manner of ruling was to do so with fear rather than kindness, force the people to bend to his will. Recently, it had come to the Emperor's attention that Ursa had hired a fairly powerful mage, one whose powers were said to be odd, but extremely potent. Kiin divulged that he'd been sent to identify whoever the mage was and report back to the Emperor what threat level the man posed.
"Turns out the guy's mostly a crack," the messenger laughed, waving his hand. "He keeps talking big, but he's actually quite harmless. 'When I get my hands back on the source of magic!' Ha! I want to know what a feather will do to make him more powerful. What, does he think the down of the Phoenix of the Sun will grant him magical powers?"
The group was suddenly paying rapt attention.
"Anyway, so he's apparently looking for a magical feather and that'll make him suddenly more powerful or something," Kiin waved his hand dismissively.
"... Do you know where there might be something like that?" Syaoran asked, beating Fai to the question.
The man tilted his head back and scratched his chin. "Well... hm. Actually... King Castor was telling me a few months back that he'd found a pure white feather in his temple's Phoenix feather collection... the Phoenix is usually golden yellow, see, and he told me that it's magical in its own right, he thinks it might've come from some other magic bird- maybe a special breed of Rok or Dragonbird. So he's been holding it as a good luck charm."
"Well," Fai said, looking about the group and smiling. "It looks like we have our next destination."
"You plan on going all the way to Gemini Sinistra?" Kiin noted, blinking comically at them all. "That's a ways away from here... almost as far as King Canis' kingdom."
"Well, see, that feather might just be the thing we're looking for," Syaoran explained, his voice keeping calm.
"And how do you plan on getting even close enough toKing Castor to even be able to see it...?" Kiin asked, smirking in amusement.
The group fell silent.
"You know, you're lucky you met me. I might just be able to get you an audience with him. That is, if I can work my messenger magic enough. If you want a chance to meet him, meet meat the landing strip on the western edge of this city tomorrow morning. I can't guarantee anything, but it's worth a shot, right?"
-
The next morning Fai, Kurogane, Syaoran, Sakura and Mokona found themselves standing on the edge of a long, smooth strip of worn grass. Several carriages had already come and gone, yet none had paused nor had they seen hide or hair of Kiin.
"You think he's running late?" Fai asked, watching a speck in the distant sky slowly begin to get larger. It must've been another carriage coming in for a landing.
"Or maybe he told us to wait here as some sort of joke," Kurogane said, taking a slightly more pessimistic viewpoint.
Fai chuckled. "I don't think that's the case. Kiin didn't seem like the kind of man to be like that. And oh, isn't that a fancy carriage?" He pointed to the gold glint coming from the approaching carriage. It was pulled by a team of what looked like seven gold-colored Dragonbirds.
"Hey wait... isn't that A... Arei?" Sakura asked, watching the lead Dragonbird very closely.
"I think it might be," Syaoran agreed. "But why is it pulling a carriage?"
The carriage wheeled about in the air, straightening itself out with the runaway, before touching down for an easy landing. It slowed, and the Dragonbirds pulled the carriage like horses until the side door was only a few feet from the group, any farther forward and the triangular wing attached to the side of it would've knocked them over. The door swung open dramatically, and Kiin stepped out, looking a bit neater than he had the previous two days, but still quite unchanged. He motioned them inside and they stepped in a bit awed.
"Apologies for the cramped quarters, but this was the best carriage I could get on such short notice," he commented as he closed the door and knocked on the wall behind him. Kurogane and he sat on one side, while Fai, Syaoran, and Sakura sat on the other side.
Fai smiled right at Kiin and tilted his head slightly. "You're not just a messenger are you?"
Kiin laughed. "Were the golden Dragonbirds a giveaway?"
"Partially," Fai answered, then relaxed back. The carriage jolted and began moving.
"Oh, hold on to that handle if you don't want to end up in your friend's lap over there," the golden haired man mentioned to the ninja as he himself took a hold on the handle and braced his foot against the base of the opposite seat.
The carriage bumped and jolted a little bit, before pitching slightly backwards, nose pointed for the sky.
"Well, if all goes well, we should make it to Gemini Sinistra before nightfall," Kiin said, still smiling.
"Wait, before we do that," Kurogane studied him with deep red eyes. "Who are you exactly?"
Kiin tilted his head back as if to think. "I have a lot of names, really. But I suppose..." and he looked at them all, the happy cheerful exterior falling away until his smile became something more of an arrogant smirk. "I suppose 'Solaer' would be the most proper, as it's my given name."
The group fell silent for a moment, contemplation evident in all of their eyes. Solaer felt one of his eyebrows rising at their lack of immediate response.
Finally, Syaoran jumped in place like he'd been shocked, then watched Kiin carefully. "Wait... Solaer is the Emperor's name..."
"Good memory," Solaer commended. "A pity you are not of this world or I might employ you in my services."
"Wait," Kurogane said, and his voice was deep and serious. "So you're the emperor?"
"Correct," And he smiled.
"Why do you go around like a messenger or commoner, calling yourself Kiin?"
Solaer shrugged. "It makes it easier for me to keep tabs on those people whom I deem... 'interesting' and in need of observation. As they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
"Why the interest in us?" Syaoran asked next, barely giving the golden-haired man time to pause.
"You said yourself that feather King Castor has might be the thing you're all looking for, and the man Ursa hired... what was his name... Kyle? Was also after it."
The group exchanged glances.
"Kyle Rondart?" Fai asked, suddenly as serious, or even more so than the Emperor sitting among them.
Solaer thought for a minute. "Ah, yes. That was his name. Kyle Rondart, odd name, that. Apparently he found out about the feather as well, as he took off late last night for Gemini Sinistra."
Sakura sighed. "We're never going to beat him there."
"Do not worry, my lady," Solaer said, and that arrogant smirk widened. "The Kings of my Empire are very cautious and wary, especially of anyone coming in from Ursa Majora. And besides, I have already contacted him as warning."
"What are your reasons for helping us...?" Kurogane growled, on the edge of his seat.
"Mostly, they are for me to know and you to never find out," Solaer grinned right into the ninja's face, saffron eyes challenging scarlet. "But on the most basic level; not only do we have no need or use for such a feather when the magic in our world is already so abundant, giving you all the feather will prevent Ursa's little minion from taking it and becoming a thorn in my side later."
"So it's simply a way of preventing your enemies from gaining any sort of advantage," Fai stated, sounding impressed. "A shrewd politician."
"One must be, if one is to survive. Besides," And he looked directly at Sakura and Syaoran, a grin that could almost be called wicked spreading across his features. "These two youngsters have quite the magical signature. Getting close to them let me assess their threat level to myself. And how useful they might be in the future."
"So you plan to do nothing more than use us," Syaoran said, voice low, almost a growl.
Solaer returned the glare with his arrogant grin. "Plan to? Dear Syaoran. I already am. And what choice do you have but to go along with my plot?" And then his face went back to cheerful, outgoing, I'm a nice guy, trust me.
Fai frowned. "And you have no interest in the feather itself?"
The emperor shook his head. "It's a power that may easily be stolen and used against me. Of course I am interested in it, being that it is indeed powerful, but I'd rather it not be in this world at all... and you all, you travel between worlds, do you not? You will take it away from here." He rolled back his sleeve, showing a strange scar around his wrist; feathers on either side, and a sun on the top and bottom. Fai watched it with interest for a moment. "I have all the power I need anyway."
Syaoran said nothing, just stared out the window at the passing sky, Sakura staring beyond him sadly. Mokona remained motionless in Fai's arms as the magician leaned back and closed his eyes. Kurogane glared at the emperor for a long while, before finally giving up and mimicking Fai's position, though he kept his eyes open and watching their strange companion warily.
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A/N: Exciting Things happen in the next one, I swear. Feedback is, as always loved, and so reviews will be appreciated mightily. Until next time!