*cries loudly* AARGH! HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY TODAY! NAAAAH, I DON'T WANNA GO! PLEASE I WANT MORE HOLYDAYS! *snif*
Elizabeth the Bathog: Yeeeah, I love cliffhangers... it gives more suspense to the story. And... wow! Even Swedish people reads my story? Cool!
08. Red-Tongue
Estelle, Karol and Eolie didn't left once the tent since Yuri and Repede went back to the hold. Besides, poor Karol had finally became sick. Bad fever, shakings, tiredness... Hopefully Eolie quickly took care of him before he collapsed on the ground. She had placed a wet towel on his forehead to cool down the fever, as Estelle's healing artes was revealed to be not very efficient... Strange.
Eolie was certainly the first person who wasn't impressed by Estelle's healing powers. She just watched her cast her spells and, seeing it didn't worked, simply tried to comfort Estelle and suggested that maybe the smoke was interfering with her powers.
Estelle was really hoping she was right. Sitting next to Eolie and watching over the sleeping Karol, the young girl was nervously clenching her fists. Why does it have to happen? Poor Karol... he's still a child, so he's more sensible to those kind of things...
And why Yuri? Why do they all want him so badly? Yuri has already his own problems to deal with, he didn't need that... and why they haven't met yokais before? Now they are everywhere, like the usual monsters...
Eolie took gently her hands, surprising Estelle. With the red striped mask covering her face, Estelle couldn't tell what kind of expression she had, but... she was exuding a pleasant and comforting feeling that immediately made the princess smile.
"See? Smiling suits you more than worrying."
"… Thank you."
Eolie nodded, accepting her thanks, and refreshed once again the towel with cold water before placing it on the boy's forehead. Eolie was really a nice person, Estelle thought, almost like a mother figure. She was wondering why their customer was hiding herself with a cloak and a mask... it would have been nice to see her face...
When Eolie finished, the princess felt a light breeze on her face. Someone had opened the tent's entrance. Estelle raised her head and recognized the long brown-haired captain.
"Sir... Ludiart?" the young girl asked, not sure about his name.
The captain smiled to her. "Exactly, miss. I'm surprised you remembered my name."
He sat next to Estelle.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, sir?" Eolie asked.
Captain Ludiart slightly jumped, as if he hadn't noticed Eolie was there before. The two of them were now staring at each other.
"Hum?" Estelle said, unable to understand what was happening. "Something is wrong?"
Sir Ludiart snapped out of his transe and quickly smiled again to her. "Oh, no, it's nothing... Then, you want to know why I'm here, Miss..."
"Eolie."
"… Eolie? Interesting... Well, I wanted to know if my guests were alright. I mean, some of my knights are sick right now..."
"Well, as you can see, the young boy there doesn't feel very well."
Sick people? Estelle didn't hesitated. She stood immediately and looked at Sir Ludiart right in the eyes. Estelle couldn't stand anymore waiting nervously for the others to come back. If she can be of some help for the campement... then she remembered her healing artes certainly won't work.
"I... would like to help you, but..."
Also, she couldn't leave Karol... and the kind Eolie too. Yuri is counting on her for that.
Sir Ludiart nodded, understanding the situation. "Yes, of course, you want to stay with your friends there. I'll take my leave then. But if you ever need something, please don't hesitate. My tent isn't far from here, you'll easily find it."
But as he salutated them, a voice coming from the outside reached their ears. "Sir! Sir Ludiart! Where are you?" Certainly one of the few knights who was still well. Sir Ludiart let out a little "excuse me" to Estelle and Eolie before rushing outside. But even if he was outside, Estelle could still hear their conversation.
"What is it?"
"Sir! Please excuse me for the sudden call, but look at that! A monster appeared just above the hold!"
A monster?
Estelle gave a quick look to Eolie. The masked woman nodded, apparently she had also heard the conversation.
Estelle closed her eyes and joined her hands, praying for her friends to be alright. She really wanted to get out of here and help them, but in the same time, she can't leave Karol and Eolie. What should I do? She can hear a voice screaming it in her head.
She could hear Sir Ludiart's voice once again. "Maybe that thing is the responsible..."
"What should we do, Sir? Should we send our remaining men?"
Sir Ludiart's remained silent. Probably thinking about the situation. "No, it won't be necessary. I'll go instead. You stay here and take the commandements."
"But, Sir..."
"This is an order!" Sir Ludiart's voice was now cold and firm. Estelle heard sounds of armor clinking.
"Yes, Sir!" Then, it was the complete silence.
Eolie got up, taking with her the bucket. "I'm going to get some more fresh water. Lady Estelle, please can you look after young Karol there?"
"Hum? Oh, no! Please give me that. I will go instead. You heard the knight, right? There is a monster outside."
"It's very kind of you, but I refuse. You should rest, see? Don't worry, I won't be long."
"But..."
Before she could anything, Eolie left silently the tent. Estelle got up and tried to catch with her... but once standing outside, right before the tent's entrance, she gasped, horrified by the scene happening above Deidon Hold. So the knight was right...
~.o.O.o.~
"Come closer, human."
Yuri raised his head, talking to the invisible thing. "Why don't you come here? I have a few questions for you."
"Why so? I think my partner there gave you a really important information. It's more than enough for you."
"Then maybe you can tell me more about it? Who is the guy she was working for?"
The voice remained silent. Yuri didn't liked it... He came to a standstill, paying attention to every suspicious sound or event that could happened... The silence was complete, Yuri deducing that the others, as him, had stopped moving.
Then something incredible and unimaginable happened. All curls of smoke seemed to converge to the same point, slowly forming a black compact mass... the shape of a body was slowly taking form, as hairy and green giant hands with claws emerged from the smoke.
Rita was clearly disgusted. "Wha... what is that thing?"
"I wonder..." Yuri simply said.
Finally, a morbid green skinned hair appeared, with crimson protuding eyes, a big flat nose and... certainly the most outstanding... a wide opened mouth with yellowed teeth and a very long red tongue.
Everyone, frightened and at the same time surprised, was looking at the strange creature.
Yuri smirked. "I see... so you're the one who contamined all the places... Would you mind telling me why?"
The creature remained silent and smiled, as if looking at Yuri waiting nervously for an answer was an entertainement for him. Damn, those yokais are really something...
"I was supposed to create a demonic smoke to contaminate everyone, so it would be easier for my fellow partner to capture you... in the end, she was completely useless... never mind, in that case, the reward will be only for me!"
His head and hands disappeared and, in a split second, he was just in front of Yuri, his face only a few inches away from Yuri's face. The swordsman held his breath.
"So, you're the famous one..."
"Huh?"
"… how can your tiny body hold such tremendous energy? It's... Even more powerful than him..."
Yuri stepped backward, unable to understand what the creature was trying to say. Repede rushed and charged at the head, stopping it from getting closer to Yuri even more. The swordsman snapped out of his trance and nodded quickly at the dog as a thanks.
"Oh, what a faithful pet you have there! So be it. Let's avoid fight and make a deal then, you and me."
"A deal?" Yuri asked, still defiant.
"Yes. I will spare your friends's lifes and free this place from my cursed smoke."
The swordsman frowned. "And... what in exchange?"
"Surrender and let me take you to our boss."
Yuri was considering the deal. If he surrender right now, maybe yokais will stop crawling over the world and there won't be anymore innocent victims. Besides, it will be a chance for him to meet with the guy who's pulling the strings... asking him some questions and maybe giving him a piece of his mind...
But before he could reply an answer, Judith placed herself, spear in hand, between him and the hideous face. "Don't listen to him."
"Judy...?"
"This is only idle talk. He certainly won't respect the pact."
In a way, she might not be wrong. Yokais are also wicked monsters, Yuri knows that perfectly now... there's no guarantee the monster will respect its engagement. So what should he do?
"What is it, Krytian? You think we yokais don't respect our engagements?"
"I know from experience."
Yuri stared at her. She knows by experience? Does that mean... she already met with yokais before? In a similar case?
"Really? But that doesn't mean all yokais are like that, Krytian. So, can you let us alone? We have a deal to settle."
"I'm afraid I won't allow that. A deal that can put my friend's life in danger and kill him. Not really for me, you know."
Yuri smiled at Judith. Despite her cold and emotionless tone, he knew she was really worried for him. If she had already experienced that before, then there's no reason he couldn't trust her. He put a hand on Judith's shoulder and pulled her behind him.
"Thanks, Judy."
"But...!"
Ignoring his friend's protestations, he faced the creature with determined eyes. "Besides making a deal you'll certainly scrap, do you have something else to say?"
The creature smirked. "No deal, then? What a shame... Well, anyway, I need you right now, whatever the ways I use for it. I just wanted to give you the chance to not end this in blooshed..."
On that note, the creature opened its mouth and spitted out black smoke on the group.
"Don't breath that thing!" Judith warned... but it was too late. The smoke had spreaded over them so quickly, they didn't had the time to protect themselves. Yuri was covering his mouth and nose with his hands, but the sicking smoke had already got into his lungs, so he started to cough. Judith and Rita weren't spared either.
"Well-judged, Krytian, but too slow! I can create several types of smoke. The one I used on you can make you sick in no time... but don't worry, I'll soon put an end to your suffering... the next one will even burn your skin..."
"Hey, that's cheating... Red-Tongue!" Yuri managed to say between two coughs.
Red-Tongue didn't reacted to Yuri's comment and instead opened once again his mouth. This was really bad, and Yuri knew that no matter what happened, he just couldn't allow Red-Tongue to spit more smoke, or it will be the end for them...
A book throwned from behind landed in Red-Tongue's mouth. Surprised the creature shut his mouth and swallowed the book, making a grimace of disgust.
"Hey!" Rita screamed, facing Red-Tongue. "You weren't supposed to eat it! Now give it back-"
She didn't had the time to finish her sentence, as Red-Tongue's floating hand captured her.
"Thanks to you, little brat, your thing is stuck in my throat!" he uttered between two coughs.
Rita screamed in pain. Red-Tongue was coughing, spitting in the process curls of smoke, and was clenching her tiny body in his fist. If he continues like that, she will be crushed in no time...
This is really bad... Repede was now totally useless, his sense of smell being damaged by the nasty smoke. Rita is between Red-Tongue's hands. And himself and Judith, in their state, won't last long... No more time for trying to get more informations from Red-Tongue. This battle has to end quickly.
"Let her go..."
"Mmh? Sorry, little bug, I didn't heard you..."
Rita screamed more. That bastard...
Yuri felt once again a surnatural flow invading himself... like last time, in Zaphias. He closed his eyes, this unknown energy bustling in him, and raised his sword. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Red-Tongue had stopped coughing and was now looking at him, horrified and admiring at the same time. Red-Tongue started to laugh, an hysterical and powerful laugh resonating in all the hold.
"That power... Yeah, I feel it! I understand know... But why you? You don't seem to know how to use it properly..."
"Shut up..."
This time was a little different than before, as a blue magical circle appeared under his feet. The circle was filled with strange symbols he couldn't understand at all, with a five-pointed star in the middle. But that circle wasn't his priority for now. If he tries to use an Arte...
"Azure Edge!"
He sliced through the air, the blade creating a powerful blue wave that smashed into Red-Tongue's head. Blood gushed out from the sliced head, staining the ground with its dark red colour. But before the dead Red-Tongue fell on the ground, its entire body disintegrated into fine particles of blue light that soon disappeared in the air.
Once the place is plunged back in the dark, Red-Tongue had completely disappeared. Rita was safe and sound, as she was now complaining about her sore body. Judith was tired but she was alright too, as she standed and immediately went to help a still confused Repede and a shouting Rita.
Yuri felt relieved. He didn't get the informations he wanted, but a least the battle was over... besides, the smoke was disappearing too. The buildings reappeared in his field of vision, even the battlements surrounding the hold...
He noticed then a shadowy figure standing on the battlements, next to the exit to Halure. It was obviously looking at them. He didn't knew for how many time it was standing there, nor if it was a woman, a man... or even a yokai... or maybe... the guy Red-Tongue and the long-haired woman were talking about? He decided to go closer.
But his body wasn't responding to him anymore, and he suddenly felt dizzy. No, not now... His legs couldn't bear anymore his weight and he dropped his sword on the ground. He barely heard the metallic sound caused. As everything around him became blurry, he only had time to see the shadowy figure disappearing behind the battlements, before he passed out.
~.o.O.o.~
When Rita woke up, it was really early in the morning. The sun hadn't made yet his appearance, the sky still coloured with a mix of blue, red and orange shades. The ambiant air was now safe and breathable, the black-purpish smoke had now completely vanished.
Right after that bid red-tongue monster was killed, Rita should have felt relieved that the incident was over... but it left a bad taste in her mouth. How Yuri managed to do it? Azure Edge is one of the few Artes he has requiring magic, so without a bodhi blastia...
And yet, he did it.
Does it have a link with the circle who appeared right under his feet? Rita could bet it was a formula, unfortunately she didn't had the time to analyze it properly. She remembered she faced Yuri, trying to get some explanations... only to find him lying on the ground, unconscious and covered with bruises. She and Judith really had a hard time bringing him back to the campement, where she remembered Estelle's worried face welcoming them. The knights helped them to take Yuri to the tent where Karol was already resting in. Ludiart decided to give them a second tent, for the girls.
Rita really wanted to ask some questions to Yuri... but with him in this state, she had no choice but to come back next morning. After Estelle healed her, she decided to have some sleep.
She hastened to leave her sleeping bag. She tried not to make too much noise, as Judith was still sleeping and, without even taking the time to have a wash, she left the girls's tent.
The boys's tent was at the other side of the campement... Ludiart excused himself for not being able to give them a tent next to the first one, as the ones surrounding it were already filled with sick people... He said he just couldn't afford to move them somewhere else. Rita was the first to tell him it was no big deal, since her top priority was to have a place where she can sleep in peace.
But once she reached her destination, she nearly bumped into Estelle. Her friend was just leaving the tent with puffy eyes, meaning she had just woke up. Despite her tiredness, she smiled at the sight of her friend. "Oh, Rita, good morning!"
"...'morning... Wait, don't tell me you slept here?"
"Hum? Oh, that's right... I was looking over Yuri and... I think I slept here before I realized it..."
Rita sighed. "Speaking of that, is he awake?"
"Yuri? No, he's still asleep. He looks very tired, you know, that really worries me."
"Oh." Rita said, really disappointed. "Guess I have to wait then."
"You wanted something from him?"
"Yeah, but it's no big deal. It doesn't matter, I can wait."
… Actually it does matter, and no she can't wait anymore! Trying to calm her impatience, she sat on the ground next to the tent's entrance. Tons of questions were now filling her mind. She was sure Yuri had no bodhi blastia on him, so how? Can he convert aer into energy on his own, like Estelle? No, it can't be that... Phaeroh and the others would have mentionned it, during their adventures. If only she can have a look at the formula who appeared...
Speaking of that, she did remember there was a strange-looking star composing the circle. What does it means? And... is the mana have something to do with it?
Besides... Yuri collapsing after a battle was pretty unusual, and Estelle said he was really tired. Of course the battle was intensive, it was the first time they were dealing with a monster like that... but still... did he use his own life energy to do it?
And also Judith's "purification" spell she used on the female yokai... She didn't knew a spell like this was existing...
"Aaargh!" Rita screamed, stamping furiously her feet on the ground.
"What is it, Rita?"
Rita was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't noticed Estelle sitting next to her. The young mage sighed. "Oh no, it's nothing, it's just... that's really puzzling."
But even if it's nagging her, she didn't knew if she should tell Estelle about it. Knowing her, she'll just get more worried. After some silence, Estelle decided to change the subject of the conversation... or not really, after all.
"So it was really a yokai who was behind all of this..."
"Hum... actually, two." Rita rectified.
"Really?"
"Yep. And to think I was dragged into this mess!"
Rita explained to her that Judith witnessed Yuri and Repede getting in the hold, so together they decided to follow them... no, rectification, Judith alone decided to follow them, and Rita was forced to come too. They wandered in the hold for a while... the place was barely recognizable, the smoke covering all the buildings and even the roads. The only thing they could do was walking blindly, hoping they'll bump into Yuri and Repede soon enough...
But instead they met an injured yokai, a hari-whatever, who immediately attacked them with her hair before they could count to three.
"With her hair?" Estelle cried, surprised. "How is it possible?"
"Don't ask me. Now I know each Yokai is more weird than the other. And you still don't know about the second one we met..."
Rita then continued. Both Judith and her, along with the missing people Ludiart was talking about, were made prisonners in one of the hold's building. The yokai told them something about using them as baits to lure someone... for revenge. Once she left, they were saved by glowing petals who untied them.
"Glowing petals?"
"Yeah. Don't ask me about that."
They concluded the "someone" she was searching for was definitely Yuri, so they left in a hurry. Luck or simply coincidence, they managed to find Yuri and Repede, along with the hairy woman. Together they all defeated it, and this is precisely where the main culprit, that Red-Tongue thing, made its appearance.
"Red-Tongue... Oh, that! We saw it too!"
"Eh?"
"A monster with a body made of smoke and a long red tongue! It was just for a few seconds, but I saw it... And you managed to defeat it?"
"Hum... Actually..."
Should she tell her? Or not? Oh, well! She's her friend, after all!
"I don't really know what happened, but Yuri managed to use his Azure Edge on it..."
"Oh! He did it again?"
"Again?" Rita asked, without understanding.
"Yes... In Zaphias, when we were attacked... you don't remember?"
"I wasn't with you there... I was helping Judith and Ba'ul."
"It was when we were fighting their leader. Yuri... he used Azure Edge on them, but... it was different from the others times he used it when we still had the bodhi blastias. I would say... it was more powerful..."
Rita thought about it. Yes, this is exactly the same impression she had... after seeing Yuri fighting so many times, she had memorized his combat style and the way he was executing his artes...
But it was the first time she had seen an Azure Edge like that. It was... too strange.
"This is why you wanted to see him?"
Rita jumped slightly. "Hum? Oh... Yeah, it was because of that. Did he said something about it to you?"
"He said... that he either don't know what he did... so I didn't asked more..."
"Huh? He don't know either? What the... That doesn't sound logical..."
Estelle quickly looked at the tent's entrance. "For now, we should let him have some rest. When he'll get better, then... we can go and ask him."
"Yeah... for the moment, this is the only way we have..."
Suddenly her eyes sparkled. What if... it's related to the reason the yokais are after him? That could be it! Azure Edge was very efficient against Red-Tongue last night... maybe the yokais are afraid of that... No, maybe not, because if it was really the case, the yokais would have already killed him... as far as she could tell, they all said they wanted him alive... Hell no, that female yokai wanted to kill him!
Argh! It was so confusing!
"By the way Rita..." Estelle said, drawing back Rita's attention on her. "How is Judith?"
"Oh, her? She was still sleeping when I left..."
~.o.O.o.~
It took Yuri at least five minutes to open his eyes, and almost the same amount of time to clear his sight and let his senses slowly coming back to him. He was apparently lying on a bed... the ceiling above him was surprisingly transparent and was made of tissue... oh, that's right, he's in the tent.
He took several minutes to notice something was sitting next to him and staring at him.
Rita.
The young girl was holding a towel in her hand. What was she doing with it? She said something, but he could only heard muffled words... as if she was speaking her face buried in a pillow. He wanted to tell her he didn't understood a damn of what she was trying to tell him, but no words wanted to come out from his mouth. His entire body was numb... and why was it so hot there?
Rita facepalmed and apparently decided to give up. She placed the towel on his forehead, took the bucket and was ready to leave... but Yuri finally managed to pronounce a few words.
"Hey... wait..." His voice was still weak, but she clearly heard it as she stopped and turned to face him once again. She sighed and sat next to him.
"Wow, and here I thought I was talking to a zombie..."
He was regaining slowly his strenghts... but not enough for him to sit on the bed. His arms were simply refusing to obey him, so he gave up.
"Still feeling drowsy?"
"Yeah... kind of... what happened?"
"You managed to blow that Red-Tongue with an Azure Edge."
"I... huh?"
"You heard me. You used an Azure Edge. Mind to explain me how?"
Wow... this is what he calls being frank and go directly to the point.
"I see... that's why you're here..."
"Huh? Hum... not at all, I... I heard you caught a fever and... the others were busy..."
He caught a fever? Oh, so that's why he thought it was really hot there. He sighed and close his eyes, letting his memories coming back to him. Deidon Hold covered with a smoke... an hysteric woman who attacked him with her hair... and yeah, of course, Red-Tongue. Judy, Repede and Rita were also with him.
So... he did it again. He managed to use once again Azure Edge, which apparently drained the rest of his energy. That must be it.
"Yeah, I remember now. But sorry to disappoint you, I don't know how I did this. Really."
"But!" Rita put her hands on the edge of the mattress. "And that formula? What was it? Can you try to do it once again so I can analyze it?"
Yuri was clearly irritated now. He frowned and, despite his weak condition, pulled away Rita as she was practically bending over him. "Hey. Calm down now."
"Oh, hum... I'm sorry."
She came to her original position on her chair and was now looking at her laps, embarassed. "So... Estelle was right... you don't know either. But..."
"But? You have an idea?"
"Maybe, but I'm not sure. Frankly, I don't know the nature of your strange ability, but I think this is why yokais are after you."
Yuri blinked. He hadn't thought about that... he didn't replied, allowing her to continue.
"You seem to be able to create some kind of magical energy, allowing you to use Azure Edge."
"You mean, like Estelle?"
"I don't think so, Phaeroh would have told us about that or else. The formula you used... I can't clearly remember what it was but I can say it's a formula I had never seen before..."
Yuri sighed. This is getting more and more complicated.
"It must be a very important power... Either the yokais are afraid of that and want to kill you, or they're simply coveting it for whatever reasons. That's why I thought if I could analyze the formula, then..."
Yuri wasn't listening to her anymore, now lost in his thoughts. Rita had only emitted hypothesis, but her reasoning was logical, after all. If trying to understand that "formula" could be of any help for them, then so be it. He just have to found out how to do it again, and that won't be easy as it seems to be a pretty capricious power who just show up whenever it wants.
The situation was now more precise and clearer. As yokais are hunting him down maybe because of that strange ability he possesses... and a certain guy was pulling the strings behind the scene. This is all the informations he had for the moment.
Thinking he was feeling better now, Yuri tried to sat on the bed... but as he did, he felt incredibly dizzy once again. Objects around him started to mix all together until becoming an incomprehensible mass of mixed colours.
"Oh great... not again..."
He barely heard Rita's panicked voice next to him and sank into a deep sleep.
WHAT? I'M STARTING WITH PHYSICAL SCIENCE? NO WAY!
Ah... nevermind. If I get bored, I'll just think about should I write for the next chapter...