"It' been overly quite for the past few days…" the elder mage, Fleaux, dared to declare, "I can only hope it stays this way."
The elder mage knew better than this though, and his self-declaration of the obvious was more of a warning…a means to keep his mind informed that they were still at war with the Bird Tribe.
It had been nearly two weeks since the murder of his eldest son, Tryval, and yet it seemed as though each passing day was an eternity in its own. Yet to be known to him was the purpose of Tryval's return. In such dangerous times, traveling alone meant that one was searching for silence; hoping to steal away to another town without giving away that it was happening. To Fleaux, this meant only one thing: his son was delivering a message…one that he never got.
He wished he could mourn his son's passing…but the times as they were, and dangerous as they were, he had no time. There were many things that his clan had to do before anyone could truly mourn their losses. One of these said things was the continual protection of the village…one that he feared could easily be torn askew. There were too many trade issues…too many travelers that easily passed through the village, and any one of them could be under a glamour.
The village samurai were to be left to handle traveling merchants though; his focus was more on the here and now of it all…to the larger picture. He would have to leave the protection of the village to its own people.
Fleaux sat back in his chair and stared out the window. It was at times like these that he wished he could see the future. Still he sat there and stared out his window…upon the village that he was charged with governing. He couldn't help but feel that something was coming.
--
"Why does it have to be me?" Kotaro whined as he donned his black cloak.
"Because last time it was just about everyone but you!" Yue scolded.
Kotaro's ears lowered themselves in the same way a scolded puppy's would.
"Oh, Kotaro…" Yue whispered in the overall cuteness of his response.
She stood on her toes and gave him a quick kiss before she began to make her way back to camp.
"Oh and, Kotaro!" she yelled back at him.
"What is it?" he dared to reply.
"Hide your ears and tail!"
Kotaro just about smacked himself in the face. Slowly his ears lowered and hid in his hair, and his tail stayed tucked in his pants.
"You know…" Kotaro stated to himself more than his traveling partner, "I can't help but feel that I got tricked into doing this…"
Negi started laughing and looked Kotaro directly in the eyes.
"You and me both…" he finished.
After a day's travel, the two arrived at their destination: Taminari Villa, home of the Taminari Wizard Clan. The place was known for it's affiliation with the other wizard clans as a center of trade. It really wasn't that strange to see wizards of all different creeds shopping at the same markets…there were even some different species among them.
"Hey Negi, this is a time of war, right?" Kotaro whispered, trying not to look suspicious.
"Yeah…I know what you mean. I guess they're from neutral clans…I really don't recall anyone but human's being at odds with the Bird Tribe," Negi replied as nonchalantly.
Though the two were impressed with the size and diversity of the village, they had a task to accomplish. All they really needed to know was the barter of trade and what sorts of good the merchants provided.
"Hey Negi, over here!" Kotaro called out.
The wizard was quick to respond. He made his way from a market selling some of the newest innovations in magic to the food stands.
"Kinda…knew you'd find your way over here somehow…" Negi muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Kotaro responded with a twitch.
"Nothing. Anyway, what is it?"
Kotaro started pointing out a few of the foods when the merchant walked up to him and released a gasp. Kotaro quickly shot his gaze to the older man's face…and returned his vision to the foods on the stand.
"Pardon me sir, but what do you accept as trade for your goods?" Negi asked, trying to grab the merchant's attention.
"…Tryval…?" the merchant dared to ask as he tried to get Kotaro's attention, "Tryval! You're alive!"
There was a quick murmur that spread throughout the crowd and all business seemed to stop. Kotaro quickly stood up and pulled his cloak down to reveal his head.
"Negi…?" Kotaro asked.
"Yeah?" he responded.
"I've got a really…really bad feeling about this…"
--
In only a moments time, the word of Tryval's return had spread across town and finally made it to the elder's home.
"Alive?!" the elder nearly screamed, both in joy and in uncertainty.
"Yes sir!" the familiar masked man in black replied, "But…"
"He's alive!" the elder interrupted, almost sobbing.
"Sir…"
"Find him and bring him home!"
"Sir, there's just one problem…"
The elder turned about and faced the town, where an apparent crowd was forming.
"Can it wait until after he's home?"
"No, sir."
"Fine, then out with it."
"Tryval's dead, sir."
The elder flinched. He had already been informed of this, but he had hoped the report was false…especially with the word that he'd just returned.
"Then who is out there claiming to be Tryval? You think it's some glamour that has made its way past our barrier?"
"I don't know what it is sir, but Tryval is dead. I'm the one who found him and I was there when we burned his body. That man out in the crowd is not your son."
The elder paused for a moment; he had truly wanted it to be his son. "Bring him to me."
--
"Tryval, what happened to your eye?"
"Where have you been?"
"Who's your friend?"
"Where've you been?"
The questions coming from the crowd were unrelenting…there were too many to even begin to start answering, much less inform them of their error. Each time Kotaro opened his mouth, he was bombarded with more questions until it became apparent that they had to retreat. Whoever this 'Tryval' was, Kotaro and he were obviously doppelgangers.
"I think we've outstayed our welcome…" Kotaro shot to Negi as he was forced to back up.
The two heard some shouts from the middle of the crowd. Shouts they had definitely heard before.
"Make way," the voices called, "We are to apprehend Tryval and his accomplice!"
Negi gave a quick glance to Kotaro, and the two leapt out of the crowd and to the rooftops.
"What the…stop them!" the guards called out to the sentries placed about the village.
In the blink of an eye, several guards made their way to the rooftops and were in quick pursuit of the two.
"This is the last time…" Kotaro huffed while dashing about the rooftops, "That I ever let myself get coerced into this!"
Negi couldn't help but smile at the thought.
"Kotaro, you know as well as I do that you couldn't hold to that if you wanted," Negi smiled at Kotaro, "One word from Yue and you'd be here beside me again."
--
"Sir, they've taken to the rooftops! Our guards are in pursuit of them now!" the masked man formally stated as he saluted the elder.
"Good, now call the majority of them off…" the elder commanded, "It may be an enemy ploy, and if it is, we need to focus on our border's defense, not just the inside."
"Sir!"
"I'll deal with these two personally…"
--
Negi and Kotaro stopped suddenly, both of them had been fleeing for several minutes, and they noticed that they were no longer being followed.
"What was that all about?" Kotaro questioned.
"I don't have a clue…" Negi replied.
"I think we're going to have to find our supplies elsewhere…"
"I couldn't agree more…"
The two were about to drop to the streets and make a hasty retreat from the shadows but were stopped cold. A powerful shiver ran up their spines and the two turned to face an older man…obviously the most powerful in the village.
"Tryval…" the old man began.
"I'm not whoever you guys think I am!" Kotaro argued with the man, "I didn't do anything wrong. Just let us leave and we'll be on our way."
The old man glared at Kotaro…forcing him to take a step back.
"You wear the face of my son," the old man spoke, "who died two weeks ago."
Negi and Kotaro were hit with an understanding. All these villagers thought that Kotaro was the son of this man…and they all knew that he was dead.
"This is all a misunderstanding…" Negi began, but was quickly interrupted.
"You meant to kill him and steal his face! But instead of falling into your clutches, he fell off a cliff side and was lost to you. Still you dare try to invade our village wearing his face?!"
Kotaro began to argue but was stopped prematurely.
"You can't hide it from me boy. I can sense the demonic blood flowing through your veins."
Kotaro flinched. If he didn't say something fast, he might not make it out of here alive. Instead, his voice of reason came from his companion.
"Sir, I assure you that Kotaro and I had no intention to raid your village, and we are alone here. You will find no invading force marching towards your villa. And Kotaro is worthy of trust," Negi stated.
"And who are you for me to believe? You're human, but that doesn't mean that you aren't in with the Bird Tribe."
"Just let us be on our way. You can escort us to the exit if you'd like, we won't put up a fight, and we will be gone forever."
The leader looked deeply into Negi's eyes and smirked, "No, I have a better idea…you will follow me to my home…and there you can explain yourselves…more…in depth."
Negi and Kotaro really didn't like the way he spoke or the hint of anxiety behind his words…but the two hoped that it was only in their heads that they felt this. Slowly, but steadily, the two followed the elder to his home in the center of town. This would either be the best thing they could do, or the dumbest.
--
"It's been a few days since he left…I'm kinda lonely without him," Nodoka sighed.
"I know how you feel, but at least look on the bright side," Yue consoled, "At least we still have Haruna."
Yue smiled at Nodoka's response to her jest. She hadn't seen that kind of sour look since she accidently gave Nodoka a sour drop instead of a cough drop years before.
"I guess we've kind of grown apart over the years…haven't we?" Yue asked.
"From Haruna, you mean?" Nodoka asked.
"Yeah…"
"We couldn't really look back and mourn our loss for her. It's not like she died…at least not that we knew."
"But then she pops up out of nowhere…the same as she used to be…and we've changed so much…"
Yue looked down at the ground. It was true that she had changed. Nodoka had changed, Negi had…Asuna…and Kotaro…they'd all been forced to change and adapt to their surroundings. It was the only way to survive…but this was more than just survival. They'd grown up.
"What sort of world will we see when we get back home, Yue?" Nodoka asked.
"I don't know, Nodoka…I really don't know."
Chisame stood in the shadows, listening to Nodoka and Yue's conversation. She couldn't help but wonder the possibilities, and scorn the fact that she'd been forced out of her reality into a world of magic…with no way home except through time. She took out her artifact card and couldn't help but smile at the irony. Her only connection to home…to the normal world she lived in…was through a magic card.
Yue looked over to the place where Haruna was sleeping.
"Seems she can't wake up early without an alarm clock…" she muttered.
"You and I were the same way in the beginning…" Nodoka commented.
"I know…but I hope that she doesn't have to spend the next ten years like this. I really hope we can get home soon…"
Nodoka smiled a wrapped an arm around her friend, "I wonder what everyone back home will say when they see us?" she asked, to get Yue's thoughts on a more positive note.
Yue smiled and looked forward, "I bet their mouths will drop."
--
Kotaro and Negi couldn't help but feel at ease in the council room. When Fleaux first led them there, they had expected the worst, but after explaining their situation…the parts they could actually explain…he seemed more than happy to have them around. After a quick inspection of their borders, that is.
"How long will you be in our village?" Fleaux asked.
"Not very long, sir. We travel with seven others…and an ermine…" Negi replied.
"I see…you should return after meeting with them again. You are a welcome sight in our village, and I apologize for the way you were treated earlier. I assure you that no harm will have come to you had you cooperated…but giving your…extreme…circumstance I don't blame you for running, having been rejected from so many other villages because you're biracial and all."
"I thank you for your offer sir, but we don't have the means to pay for a place to sleep…we came today to check your methods of barter. We're running low on medical supplies," Kotaro added.
Fleaux couldn't help but give Kotaro an uneasy glace; Kotaro just took it in stride.
"I'm sure we can work something out…" the old man replied, stroking his beard.
Negi couldn't help but smile. The way Fleaux stroked his beard reminded him of how Konoka's grandfather did when he was planning something devious.
"But please, when you've rendezvoused with your companions, come back to our village. More than anything, we would welcome your biracials. You are a sign of the possible peace among our tribes."
Negi felt a glimmer of hope, but was forced to inform the elder of their other biracial.
"There is something you must know about our…other, Setsuna."
"What is it?"
"She's half human, half bird."
The elder stopped stroking his beard. He was more than shocked…a human and one from the bird tribe had mated? In these times?
"It should be fine. Just make sure she hides it well."
"Then you can expect to see us again," Negi replied, bowing as he stood.
Kotaro followed Negi's example and the two headed for the door.
"One more thing, Kotaro, was it?" the elder interrupted.
"Yes, elder-san?" Kotaro asked.
"Try to avoid wearing that black cloak among the people…that was Tryval's trademark. It would only attract more attention."
Kotaro smiled, turned and bowed once more before taking his leave. When the two had left, the elder was forced to peer into the skies.
"One day…" the elder whispered to himself, "Will we coexist to a point where people such as this Setsuna and Kotaro can live freely without hiding?"
--
Kotaro and Negi dashed through the trees. They needed to return to camp before the next of their group left for a nearby town. The wilds were dangerous in these times, even in neutral territory, and if they could take shelter in a village, they wouldn't have to worry so much about protecting their backs. If they could avoid bloodshed, they had to take the chance.
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Author Notes: (Yes, even I leave Author Notes, I've just been putting them in my bio instead of on these...probably not the smartest idea...)
I apologize if this chapter confuses anyone...I've been up quite a while and I'm not too sure if it's been reflected in my writing. Needless to say, this chapter didn't turn out EXACTLY the way I wanted it to. But I've gotten a little further along, and I'm finally leading to some of the more interesting parts of my story. I got a review asking about Tryval, and so you know...the little intro I put in there where the young man was impaled from behind was both Tryval's first entrace and his final. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus-far, and I hope you will continue to read it. I promise you that I will follow this story through until they return home...and even farther!
And so you guys know, I update about once a week now...and you know...the more reviews I have, the faster the next chapter comes out! I'm actually not kidding. If I don't get any reviews for the story...it kinda dampens my hopes and I don't get in the mood to write...but if I get FOUR (big number for me...I've never had fans before) it will probably come up on my next day off...like this one. I got four reviews in two days! I am exstatic! Anyway, now that I'm done rambling...I appreciate all of you that read this! If it weren't for you, this would still be just another thought in my head!
Fenix
P.S. If you want to know about anything that may have confused you...you can message me about it...and you might outta check my profile once in a while, I have updates on it. Also...I can't help the little square boxes that appear randomly throughout the story. They happen when I get a page-break in Microsoft Word.
