Of Assassins, Samurai, and Magic
A/N: And the next chapter is up! I've tried to keep everyone as close as possible to their characters in the anime though I'm sure there will be a few OOC moments. Comments and reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy!
On a random note, FFnet is being glitchy and deleting the spaces between words for some lines. I've fixed that now, but who knows if it will actually stay that way. =\
For those of you who have left unsigned reviews, see my replies below:
Love thus story - Thanks for the review. ^^ You sense Vivio huh? *cheeky grin* I can't say anything yet, aside from you'll just have to wait and see. :P I hope you feel better though. I'm happy I was able to brighten your day somehow. ^^
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 32: Entrapment ~ ***
Fate leaned against the balcony railing, the doors leading into her room in the Imperial Palace wide open behind her. Burgundy coloured eyes watched as the sky changed from baby blue to a beautiful orangey-purple colour, the sun beginning its descent for the night. The Imperial Palace truly had a magnificent view.
"Fate?"
An entire day had passed since the meeting with Yunno. Since then, the blonde had barely slept and had barely eaten anything. Last night, she snuck out of the Imperial Palace in search of the White Devil, for Nanoha. Yet, neither she nor the samurai or city guards had had any luck in tracking down the brunette. It was like Nanoha had vanished completely. But Fate knew better.
"Fate?"
The soft padding of clawed feet came up to her from behind.
The day of the new heavenly alignment was drawing nearer, only two days away now. And because of that, everyone was on edge. The samurais and city guards were more rushed than normal. Chrono and Lindy talked in hushed whispers more than before. Even Signum was more tense than Fate had ever seen the Captain of the Samurai before. Everyone was feeling it. The invisible weight hung heavily on all of their shoulders to stop this impending madness. Fate too could not escape from that burden, which is why she now turned to her furry orange friend with her mind made up.
"Arf," Fate said.
"Fate?" Arf blinked, the demon fox waiting for the blonde to say something. A multitude of emotions crossed the youngest Harlaown's face, but the demon said nothing about it.
"Take me to the door of Al Hazard."
Sapphire blue eyes widened in shock. "A-are you sure?"
Arf had spectacular hearing. Supernatural hearing in fact. Her hearing was so good, that she heard the entire conversation that only Fate, Lindy and Chrono were privy too when asked to attend that meeting yesterday. Though, if she really had to admit it, the only reason she heard a single word of it was because she snuck out after Fate and ended up on the rooftop of the Meeting Chambers.
"Hai," Fate replied with a nod. "I need to see it for myself."
Arf hesitantly looked back at the bedroom behind them.
"Kaa-san and Nii-san must not know about this," Fate added, noticing her friend's hesitation.
"O-okay..." Arf said with a frown. She didn't like this idea. Not one bit. But because Fate had asked her to, and since no one else had found the place yet, the demon fox figured it would be alright.
"Just let me get changed quick," Fate said.
Arf nodded.
"Bardiche!"
"Yes Sir!"
"Sugoi..."
The Thunder Reaper stared at the massive double doors made of onyx, crystals and precious metals. After following behind Arf for the better part of an hour, the demon fox finally led her to the base of Mount Fiji, taking her further inside the dormant volcano to where a hidden entrance lay. Walking behind her furry friend, with Bardiche providing the sole light down the twisting and turning tunnel, the Thunder Reaper soon found herself spiralling downwards, walking down onyx step after onyx step until they reached what appeared to be a massive inner chamber underneath the volcano itself. Down here, it seemed like an entirely different world existed.
The floor looked to be made of marble, but the Thunder Reaper had never seen a marble made of this kind of stone before. Even in the Imperial Palace. Walls were made of the same stuff as the floor, some of them having crumbled and broken from age. In the cracks and holes in the wall, the black assassin could see a... well... she didn't know what she was looking at. Purples and blues and greens all mixed together, like oil and water, shifting and twisting in the air outside of the walls. If she didn't know any better, the Thunder Reaper would have thought herself to be in an entire different dimension altogether.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Arf's voice broke the Thunder Reaper out of her reverie. The demon fox currently sat on her haunches, in front of the massive, ornately decorated doors, wagging her tail.
Turning her attention back to the double doors themselves, burgundy coloured eyes ran up and down the marvel, inspecting the intricate design on it. Gold, silver and bronze, along with onyx, diamonds, emeralds and other gemstones and metals the Thunder Reaper didn't recognize covered the door. Taking a closer look at it, the black assassin could just make out what appeared to be some kind of picture, images of what appeared to be a throne of some sort, along with some sort of divine or holy figure. The shapes of demons and what could be the predecessors of the legendary weapons were also depicted on the doors, causing the Thunder Reaper to look down at Bardiche. Raising her weapon up to the door, there was no doubt in the black assassin's mind that Bardiche was one of the weapons carved on the door. Opposite the figure holding Bardiche on the door, there was another one, holding a staff-like weapon which looked very similar to the White Devil's-
"My, my, isn't this quite the place."
The Thunder Reaper spun around at the voice, Arf already on her feet and growling menacingly at the intruder. Or rather, intruders. Blood coloured eyes widened a fraction, immediately noting six Numbers assassins who blocked the only entrance out of this place. A seventh assassin, this one dressed in black, also stood amongst the group.
"Well done, Lu-chan!" the leading blue assassin said. The assassin, their insignia 'IV' blatantly showing on their back, patted the enemy black assassin on the head. "Our Lord will be pleased."
The Thunder Reaper gritted her teeth, clearly recognizing the annoying blue assassin from previous battles. She had yet to meet whoever this Lu-chan was, but it was quite evident the smaller assassin was in league with the Numbers clan.
The small black assassin nodded, making a sound of affirmation.
"Head back to our Lord and let him know where we're at," the blue assassin said. "We'll finish up here."
"Understood," the other black assassin said.
Circles of purple runes materialized around the black assassin, the Thunder Reaper only then realizing the smaller assassin had not come alone. She had come with an entire bug army it seemed, most likely the little insects (who were now visible due to the light) being the ones who tracked her here without her or Arf noticing. With her summons now returned to their world, the black assassin took her leave.
"Now," the blue assassin said, turning back to the Thunder Reaper. "Where were we again? Ah yes! Finishing off our fight from before, before we were so rudely interrupted!"
Knock. Knock. Knock.
"Fate-chan?"
Harlaown Lindy waited patiently at the door to her adopted daughter's bedroom in the Imperial Palace. She knew it was late, but given all that had happened in the past two days, this was one of the few times where she actually had a break. It bothered Lindy how pale Fate had been after yesterday's meeting. But that couldn't have been avoided. Lindy could hardly believe how things were going herself.
"Fate-chan?"
More knocking.
Lindy had no idea how the meeting yesterday would affect her adopted daughter. She herself knew very little of what it was about until the meeting actually started. And when it did, the teal haired woman wanted nothing more than to steal her daughter away instantly. Fate had gone deathly quiet since the meeting, the blonde barely speaking to anyone since then. Lindy could only fear what the meeting may have driven Fate to do. They had still yet to talk about Fate hiding the location of the door to Al Hazard.
A sigh.
Having received no reply, Lindy turned back towards her room down the hallway. While it was quite possible Fate was sleeping right now, Lindy was more accepting of the fact that Fate had gone exploring the palace again rather than sleep. The blonde was very much a night owl, often staying up into the wee hours of the morning, long after Lindy herself had gone to sleep. Disappointed as she was about this, Lindy was not deterred. She'd just come back at a later time to talk to the blonde. Until then, she'd just get some sleep.
CRASH!
Or not.
"Fate-chan!"
Lindy charged through the doors to Fate's room, the noise having clearly come from inside. The moment she stepped foot inside, a gasp escaped her lips. Arf, bleeding and beaten, lay half inside of the room and half on the balcony connected to the room. On the floor next to the demon fox was one of the decorative vases, in a billions pieces, having been tipped over by accident when the demon fox came tumbling inside.
"Arf-chan!"
By now, booted footsteps came running towards the room, Signum and a few samurai racing inside also having heard the commotion. Lindy was already at Arf's side, cradling the demon's head in her lap as she stroked bloodied fur to rouse her.
"Arf-chan! Hang in there!"
"Fate..." Arf said weakly, blue sapphire eyes barely opening to look at the one who held her.
"Get Shamal-san! Now!" Signum ordered her samurai, her men immediately bowing before scattering in search of the Empress' attendant.
"What about Fate-chan, Arf? Where is she?" Lindy felt the cold of dread seep into her being.
"Help..." Arf said softly. "Al Hazard..." And Arf's eyes closed.
"Arf! Keep your eyes open!" Lindy said, her voice shaking. "Where is Fate-chan!" the teal haired woman asked, shaking the demon. "What has happened to Fate-chan!"
A/N: For those of you unfamiliar with the non-English words, I have translated them below.
Hai = Yes
Okaa-san/Kaa-san = Mother
Onii-san/Nii-san = Big Brother
Sugoi = Amazing
For an explanation of Japanese honorifics (eg.[name]-sama), please checkout: http:/en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics