I apologize for how short this chapter is, but hopefully Janus/Magus doesn't sound so OOC in this chapter. There's a nice little surprise character to show up in this too. I think you'll enjoy it. R&R!

Chapter 2- Death

Ozzie and his band of imps- the small mystics from before in the forest- came back later that night when I was asleep in a room Felea and Salasha found for me. When I awoke this morning, I found that I still couldn't talk. Nothing outside makes me want to leave my room. There's nothing there like Schala, Alfador, or home, so I'll stay in here.

My solitude is short lived as someone slides the screen hiding my room away. I squint at the new light coming in, then frown at seeing Felea. Her perkiness is the last thing I want to see right now. Her sonorous voice quickly greets me. "Good morning, kiddo! Isn't it a wonderful morning?"

What's so wonderful about it? I inwardly mutter. My scowl tips her off that today really isn't that great of a morning. Felea frowns and leans back on the stone wall of the cave. "Still have no voice?" she asks lightly.

I shake my head, even bothering to mouth, "Nothing yet."

She taps her chin, lost in thought for a long moment. Finally, she says, "What you need… is a trip around town. What do you say?" After another scowl, she adds, "Just because you've never been to Truce doesn't mean that someone you may know hasn't been there. We can ask around and see if anyone knows about those 'Lighted ones' or whatever."

"Enlightened ones," I mutely correct. I frown up at her and mouth, "But you don't know their names, and I can't tell you how to pronounce them."

We both dismally sigh. "Well… that's still no reason why we can't go out and wreak some havoc, right?" she says, her mint green eyes lighting up in anticipation. Felea nudges me with her elbow. "Destruction is always a fun thing, eh? I know! This is the perfect time for Salasha and I to practice some fighting! See, he's a swordsman and I'm a magician! Since we're practically Ozzie's right-hand men, we've got to be the best of the best. He's been ranting on and on about training anyway."

I still don't want to venture away from my room- or even my bed, for that matter- but I can't ruin the day Felea has planned in her mind on account of my depression. Even though it's her foolhardy attempt at getting a smile out of me, I'll go along with her.

((((()))))

I never should have gone with her.

Felea's idea of "fun" is setting fire to rural homes on the mountain opposite of where Ozzie's cave is. She laughed while using her magic to bring destruction to those people's lives- is that what Ozzie will want me to do with my magic?- while Salasha easily cut through doors to homes and barns to take hold of valuables and money.

What strange money….

"Call the guard! Mystics are about!" a woman shrieks from a burning home behind us.

Grinning wickedly, Felea turns and blows her a kiss that turns into flames, hitting the doorframe around her. The woman screams and grabs her two children, running for safety away from her burning home. One of the youngest children drops and leaves behind a doll. It is quickly set aflame by the fires raging through the dry grass. And all of this is happening to them during a drought as well….

"Kid, we're heading to the next town! Are you coming?" Felea turns and calls back to me with an even voice and calm, clear face.

I hesitate, then shake my head. I waved them off, motioning that I was going to stay a while longer. The siblings shrug and walk off, ready for more destruction in the next row of homes.

Just like never before seeing a weapon, I have never seen such utter chaos in all my life. Seeing the earth ripped apart by Felea's fire and the unfortunate few caught before Salasha's blade… I'd say it was frightening, but somehow, I just don't feel anything. I don't feel horror at what I have witnessed, or sorrowful at how so many lives have ended in ruin.

I think… that is how my mother felt before the monster took her.

((((()))))

I wander through the remains of Felea and Salasha's "fun" in the next area I come across, looking at the decimated buildings and hear an unusual sound: music.

It's a soft melody that is so unfitting of this scene that assures me I'm not imagining it. From somewhere, I know I've heard this. Somewhere….

After climbing through the wreckage of a house, I finally found it. A music box small enough to fit in the palm of my hand playing a tune so mellifluous….

"Th-that's my mother's! P-put that down, mystic!"

It takes me a moment to register the voice, and even longer a moment to turn and see the boy behind me. Soot covers his cheeks- as it undoubtly covered mine- and olive green hair shot out in uneven patches on his head. Streaks in the dirt on his cheeks gave away that he had been crying, but nothing else suggested weakness in his firm face. "I'm not a mystic," I mouth, shaking my head.

The boy blinks and takes a hesitant step forward. "Wh-what?"

I shake my head again and point to my mouth. I can't speak.

"Oh…. Well, what are you doing here? It's all rubble," he unnecessarily tells me, gesturing to the burning remains of what must have been his home. "I came back for that music box."

I make my way back across the debris and hand it to him. "It's pretty," I tell him, though he's too busy staring at it to read my lips. He finally looks up at him. "I'm going to be a knight one day," he says suddenly with determination. "I'm going to kill all of the mystics who did this to our homes and make everyone feel safe."

He puts the box in his pocket and looks at me again. "Oh, and my name is Cyrus."

I slowly give him a small smile. "I'm Janus."

Even though I know he couldn't have heard me, he grins and shakes my hand. "Nice to meet you. I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got to meet up with my friends."

I nod again and give him another smile. As he turns to leave, Cyrus waves back at me. I'm too stunned to return the gesture.

So… I truly must appear to be a mystic to these people. I leave behind the fading sound of his footsteps running off and head towards screams and crashes, signaling Felea and Salasha's whereabouts.

((((()))))

"Ooh, this stuff is too heavy!"

"You took things that won't even prove remotely useful! It's your fault we've got this load to carry back!"

I sigh, dragging my part. It doesn't even make since I'm doing this- I didn't steal anything. And most of it is Felea's junk.

The two siblings argued the whole way back to the cave, almost to the point to where I thought my ears would bleed.

Finally, I drop my load and tug on their sleeves. I scowl and mouth, "Felea, can't you just teleport us back to the cave?"

Her eyes go wide. "Teleport us? I'm not sure anyone can teleport this much mass in one round."

Can't even do that much? I growl in my mind. I sigh and grab up my load again. "Don't move," I tell them, grabbing the pendant tied onto my belt.

And for the first time in what felt like years, I used magic.

((((()))))

I'm not sure which is worse: having to lug around Felea's crap or to hear these fools drool over my magic. My rudimentary magic, which probably would have made my mother cry if she were to see it.

Apparently the only magic Felea knows is flame-related, and Ozzie only knows how to encase himself in ice as a barrier and create animated skeletons. So simple!

Among the Enlightened ones, we were to learn what would seem like the impossible to these Mystics. I try to hide back my snide comments, seeing as how they were out to kill me yesterday when I first arrived here.

Finally I manage to slip out of the mass of Mystics and run straight for my room.

I fall back on my bed and stare at the pendant Schala gave me. She told me that it would help me and keep me safe- but so far, the only thing it has accomplished is making me annoyed beyond belief.

…And didn't Schala also tell me that she would protect me?

Well, despite how I'm practically revered as a hero to these monsters, I don't feel very safe, helped, and protected.

I feel more alone than I've ever been.