Chapter 11
The Way Things Were
"Do you see it!?" Meirk asked, her weak voice beaming with delight. She hurried up to Saionji, her face aglow.
"See what?" Saionji asked, putting a protective arm around Ambrosia.
"The power! You have been awoken, my illustrious Prince, and the time has come for you to rise!"
"Listen, I'm not interested in these schemes, and I want nothing to do with power." He replied, taking Ambrosia's hand. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Her eyes shining, the young lady followed after him. They made their way from the woods, breaking the cover of the trees. Feeling Ambrosia slow, Saionji turned to look at her. "Is everything alright?" He asked.
"Uh, well, I just wanted to thank you for protecting me, Saionji. After all, I'm only a peasant girl, and you, you're a Prince!" Turning her head aside, she tried to hide the building fear in her eyes. "I guess that you'll be going soon, and I wanted to thank you for looking after me. This was the biggest adventure of my life, like a dream. Now it's over, and I-"
Saionji's finger touched her lips, silencing her sad words. "That's enough, I don't want to hear it." His words should have made her angry, but the way he said them was so kind, it set her heart racing again. She wanted, longed so desperately to believe him, that the adventure wasn't over, that she wouldn't have to leave him.
She looked back up, her eyes trailing shyly towards his. When they met, she could see the deep, sincere compassion in his soul. Falling into his arms, she buried her face in his broad shoulder, thin tears trickling out from the corners of her eyes. For ever they seemed to stand there, locked in each other's embrace.
Watching from the shadows, Meirk smiled, her strange eyes shifting under the bright sunlight. She slid her mask from the folds of her heavy robes, holding it beside her face. "He really is foolish, thinking he is controlling his own destiny." She whispered to no one in particular. "Soon he will see, and two Princes shall be held under our sway."
"We can have nothing less, sister mine." The identical face of Kriem had replaced the mask held in Meirk's hand, and the two sisters started walking in separate directions through the dark trees, slowly circling about Saionji and Ambrosia. In a nearby tree, a spider was working industriously, setting the threads for it's web.
The twins finally stopped their circling, sitting with backs facing each other. Pulling out a pair of curious flutes, they began to play. The eerie, synchronous melodies danced through the trees, drawing snakes of every size and kind from their dens. The girls were quickly surrounded by serpents, swaying to the rhythm of the music.
***
"Captain, we have secured the castle, but Prince Nemo isn't here." The wolf sat on his haunches, awaiting Ragnarok's response. He didn't notice, too upset with himself for failing to be here for his Prince. Nemo, where have you gone? What has happened to you?
Turning away from the wolf Knight, Ragnarok stalked towards the keep, his eyes burning. "Tell the Knights to secure the castle, and commence a search. I want the Bloodsnouts to scour every crevice and crack. We must find Prince Nemo!"
His ears twitched reflexively, and he looked over to see Ryan running up. He looked both alarmed and relieved to see his friend returned. "Ragnarok, thank goodness you're here! Things have been crazy since you left!" He stopped, resting his hands on his knees as he breathed a little heavily from his sprint.
"I think it would be best if you explained what has happened, Sword Bearer." Ragnarok replied.
"Well it all started when..." Ryan began.
High over their heads, the angry Witch watched the gathering and scattering Knights in the courtyard. They would ruin her plans. She had to make her escape before they found her. Even if she could face down the Knights of Ookami, she couldn't possibly stand against Ragnarok and his host if they assembled together. Turning to two of her soldiers, she gestured with her hand.
They promptly took the coats and weapons from their blank forms, replacing them with clothes from a pair of suitcases set upon a small wooden table. Althea took a lock of long hair from her pocket and looped it around one's neck, then picking up a sword and handing it to the other. The two figures disappeared into the darkness.
Motioning for another, she slid her hand aside, then turned back to the scene below. The soldier bowed and swept about, marching into the darkness with a small group in his wake. As they left, Althea walked over to the wall and started throwing things from the shelf to the floor. An ant farm shattered as it broke, sending the tiny creatures reeling from the shock. They dug at the dirt, trying to free themselves from their broken home.
Finally clearing the shelf, Althea took hold of a small bag of crumbs from her side, and tossed them to the floor of the balcony. It was only a short time before a number of crows came to peck at the bread. They were not alone, however, as some of the ants, free of their prison, found the crumbs as well.
***
Anthy stood, stretching her body. She still had many aches from being so cruelly restrained, but such small pains hardly bothered the young former Witch. Despite the best of Althea's torture, her resolve had held, and she had gained much more than she could have hoped to before.
"Chuchu!" Her little furry friend squeaked, waving the knife he had cut her bonds with.
"Thank you very much, Chu Chu." She smiled as he scurried up onto her shoulder. Looking about for anything else that might be useful, her eyes scanned meticulously over the shelves.
"Chu! Chu! Cheau!" Chu Chu squealed, waving the knife as menacingly as he could at the door.
Turning her attention to it, Anthy hurried around the table covered in instruments, crouching to avoid being seen. The door slammed open as one of the black coats stepped in, followed by his group. Upon seeing the torture chair empty, they drew their blades, eyes darting about for signs of danger.
Unwilling to see his mistress threatened, Chu Chu leapt out, his small mind contemplating how heroic he looked. He swept the knife at the leader of the men, squeaking and growling as ferociously as his tiny body would allow.
Undaunted by his tiny foe, the man swept his rapier down, trapping the little monkey under his blade. "Foolish creature, you should not make yourself so obvious a target." The man said, his dark voice full of confidence.
"Leave him alone!" Anthy yelled with all of the fury she could muster as she brought a large vase down on the man's head with a crash. Unprepared for the attack, he dropped under the heavy blow. His men quickly swarmed up to take his place. Just as they were about to lunge over the table, however, one of them yelled in pain.
Still growling, Chu Chu stabbed the knife into the hand of the now injured soldier. Glowering, the man next to him swept his sword back to split Chu Chu. As he turned, his blade tipped a jar of oil over on his coat. Hearing this, he turned, dragging his drenched sleeve over a candle. Within the space of a breath, the man was an inferno, blazing furiously inside his oil soaked coat.
Shouting in rage, the injured man rushed around the table to attack Anthy, only to hear a creaking behind him. He had bumped one of the shelves too hard bringing it toppling over on top of him. The remaining guards hurried emotionlessly around their dead and dying companions, intent on finishing Anthy. Just as they closed, a series of howls rang out, and a team of Ragnarok's Knights joined the fray.
Leaping upon the backs of their adversaries, they clawed and bit, ripping and rending the flesh of their foes with ruthless efficiency. One of them stalked around the table, bowing his forelegs politely before Anthy. "Please, come with us, miss Himemia. Ragnarok has need of you."
***
Saionji and Ambrosia hurried down the old path, making their way out into the open fields. High upon the hills of the camp, the men were celebrating. They stood there for long moments, staring in wonder at the change that had come over the men on the hill.
Gone were the violent, barbaric rabble that had been in the lower camps, gone were the myriad crude stacks of war supplies. In their place were men dressed in fine, glittering armor, each wearing proud tabards and well-kept weapons. Bright banners now flew high over the tents that surrounded and climbed the hill, white with green borders. Upon the doors of the tents, heraldry was now proudly presented in place of the tattered hangings. Each bore their own symbols, but one was a constant, a great oak over a gold bar sinister.
Stepping cautiously into the camp, Saionji tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Suddenly the men came pouring down about him, shouts filling the air. He grabbed his sword, but before he had a chance to draw the weapon, he was swept into the air, and deposited upon a large chair made of oak and iron. The men proceeded to parade up the mountain, carrying him amidst the blast of trumpets.
"Saionji, what's going on!?" Ambrosia called over to him from another chair that was being borne up along the left side of his.
"I-I don't know!" He yelled back, his eyes reflecting the confusion he saw in hers.
They were carried up to the grand pavilion atop the hill, where a great flag bearing the oak and gold bar crest flew upon it's central pole. The men quickly formed into flawless ranks on either side of the chairs, standing at the ready.
"What's going on here!" Saionji demanded, looking for someone to answer him. As if on cue, the twins Kriem and Meirk stepped out of the pavilion, bowing low before him.
"The Old Way has been fulfilled..." Meirk started.
"...and a new Prince has arisen." Kriem finished.
"It is your time, Prince Saionji. All that you behold is yours," they said in unison as they rose, "and anything you command shall be done."
"What? You can't be serious?" Saionji wasn't sure he believed them.
"What is dictated will be true, even unto death, Prince Saionji. You command and it shall be, no one under you will question that right." Kriem said.
"When you defeated Asrad in battle, you took his right as Warlord, stolen from your fallen and lost homeland, and restored it to yourself." Meirk said.
"These are not just your men now, but they are also your kin, the blood of your fathers and those that served them. You are a Prince, by legacy and by blood, both bound to duty and given the right to rule." Kriem explained.
"The Old Way demands many things of it's chosen, and places power only in those destined to rise to truly great heights. You are a Prince, those heights can only be claimed by your kind. Cast aside the ordinary, and rise to meet your destiny." Meirk continued.
The sisters bowed low, followed by the entire contingent surrounding the two bewildered teens. As they rose again, a cry caught in the breeze as each man shouted in unison. "All hail Prince Saionji, champion of the Golden Oak, and ruler of all he desires! Sai-on-ji! Sai-on-ji! Sai-on-ji!"
***
Utena wasn't sure just how far she had walked along the winding path. The city had been left behind as the beaten walkway trailed up amongst the rocks of the mountainside. The cliffs upon her left grew higher and higher, and the drop to her right all the more perilous.
She dared a look back, wondering if she couldn't find another way. The thought of Akio still following somewhere behind her quickly changed her mind, and she headed further along, hoping to find a way off the mountainside.
"Well, this is a fine mess I've gotten into." She said to no one in particular. "I don't know where Anthy is, the others have gone missing too, and Nemo reveals his true colors." She sighed in frustration, trying to convince herself that she was only angry. A lone tear crawled off her cheek, dripping to the rocks far below.
"Feeling alone, well no matter. You'll be dead soon, anyway." Utena whirled about, her eyes falling upon Akio.
"Akio!?" Panic gripped her again, but before she could run, he caught her by the shoulder. Lifting her into the air, he laughed mockingly as he dangled her off the edge of the high cliff.
"Hahahaha! Now you die for your crimes, Utena Tenjou!" With a mighty throw, he cast her off the ledge, and towards the rocks below.