Chapter 11: Kadic
1st of Ferventis
Seven teens walked the last of the long road to the city of Kadic. The outside edges of the group were defined by Yumi on one end and Ulrich on the other, each being careful to maintain as much distance as they could. In the cold space between them walked Odd and beside him, but slightly behind everyone, was the Fair princess, her wary gaze split between the road ahead and the pink haired elf that that was practically walking on air beside Jeremie. The Wise Man himself walked in sync with Aelita but his gait seemed much heavier and the whole group walked in an almost suffocating silence that seemed to have been building ever since leaving Heartwood.
Preoccupied by their own troubles they failed to notice the approach of a deformed man who at one point might have been an elf until he was too close for comfort. His arms and face were swollen with the flesh turned inside-out, his teeth stuck out in all directions, and his red eyes were surrounded in black scribbles, which reminded the Heroes of the Beyond. "This, Aelita, is what a possessed magician looks like," Laura said flatly, pointing to the monster before them.
Aelita glared at her. "I know what a possessed magician looks like." She growled.
The possessed magician summoned a red light from its clawed fingers, and he slammed the light into the ground. It moved towards the group, cracking the earth and knocking the humans off their feet. William grabbed his sword and used it to lever himself up quickly while Aelita summoned and threw icicles at the monster from the ground. The possessed magician blocked the projectiles with his swollen arm and while it was distracted William took the opportunity to slice off the monster's arm. It stumbled backwards, now bleeding profusely. The blood mage summoned his arm, and sewed it back together like a ripped rag doll. "Oh, that's an image I didn't need," William cringed.
The humans took the opportunity to pull themselves to their feet while William stood by, seemingly paralyzed by the disgusting display. Having finished with his arm before the shell shocked teens were ready to fight, the possessed magician opened up his wrist and honed in on the blood. He was immediately cloaked in a fiery aura and he sliced at the air, leaving behind a trail of blood frozen in midair. He raised his arms, and all of the Heroes were lifted up off their feet, squirming in pain as their blood boiled inside of them.
They were trapped and the pain was turning into full blown agony as their skin showed the first signs of really being burned. Jeremy groaned, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as he desperately reached for Aelita and Laura in a vain attempt to use his telepathy to ease their suffering. What they felt, when added to his own suffering, was too much for him and he screamed, severing the short but cooling brush with their minds. Aelita jerked her head towards the sound, losing the water based spell she was working on. Laura too was distracted and lost the magic she was building for an attack. She glared at Aelita, not believing that this was how and where she'd die.
They fell to the ground, landing heavily and panting but relieved to have been released from the blood magic. The fiery aura surrounding the monster vanished and he looked to his fingers in confusion then lower, to where a rapier had pierced his chest. He stumbled forward as the rapier was withdrawn, and the blade appeared again to decapitate the possessed magician. The beheaded corpse fell and began to twist back to its original form, revealing a man in heavy steel plate standing behind him. Over the plate was a thick black cloth embroidered with a white owl holding a spear. The man removed his helm, revealing not a wizened old man but a teenage boy with pleasant features, brown hair and blue eyes. "I'm glad I arrived in time," he said, walking towards the still shocked group. "We've been chasing him for months, and it seems he finally allowed his pet inside, if you understand what I mean. The magistrates will be pleased to learn that—Jeremie?"
Jeremie sighed as he pulled himself from the ground. "Hello, Patrick. It seems that the magistrates have finally accepted you. Congratulations," He said monotonously.
"Manners, Jeremie. Introduce us to your friend," Odd said, motioning to the teenage magistrate Jeremie had referred to as Patrick.
"Oh, fine." Jeremy huffed, "everyone, this is my cousin, Patrick Belpois. Patrick, these are my friends, Odd, Aelita, Yumi, Ulrich, William and Laura." He stated while gesturing to each one in turn.
Patrick smiled. "Pleased to meet you!" He turned his attention back to Jeremie. "What are you doing here? Is Uncle Michael with you?"
"Capital Lyoko was attacked. Most of the citizens fled to Carthage. I hope that my dad was with them, but I'm not sure. I couldn't find him." Jeremie explained.
"Gods, I didn't know! I'm so sorry," The magistrate apologized.
Ulrich adjusted his arm in the sling. "No one knows. That's why we're on the road—to inform villages and cities to prepare for attacks."
Patrick looked to the Mercenary. "I see. Well, you'll probably need to stay in Kadic for a few days to resupply and spread the word. The mayor will want to see you, too, but getting an audience may take a while." He looked at the group. "Who are we fighting?"
Laura wore a somber expression. "The drow,"
He was confused. "I thought the dark elves were dormant."
"Well, they're back, and worse still, Xana Kenval is leading them." William added.
"Xana Kenval is the most famous blood magician of all time. I thought she was dead." Patrick shook his head. "No, I knew she was dead. She was defeated a century ago!"
Ulrich shrugged. "We don't much understand it either, but we've seen her."
The magistrate seemed unnerved, and responded urgently "We should prepare the magistrates. If Xana comes here, we must be ready for her." He motioned for the Heroes to follow him. "So, if I may ask, why are you delivering this message, and not the King's couriers?"
"My father was adamant that Capital Lyoko was safe. He didn't have time to send couriers." Laura explained. "I divined that we were the Heroes of the Warrior's prophecy, and we're working together to stop Xana."
"Then you are… Forgive me, Your Highness. I didn't recognize you." Patrick apologized.
She sighed. "How could you have? We've never met."
Yumi spoke up. "Sir Patrick, I would like to ask you about your work with the magistrates. More bluntly, what you do. I hear about your order all of the time, but I've never met a magistrate."
"We're non-magicians that hunt those that prey on mortals. You know—blood magicians, the possessed, werewolves, vampires and so on. The occasional dragon." Patrick explained.
Aelita crossed her arms. "They target elves because of our different beliefs on spirits. I have seen many elves accused of blood magic who were not even magicians, and the magistrates didn't hesitate to take them away."
Patrick wasn't offended and didn't back down from her accusing stare. "Many magistrates harbor prejudices and assumptions. In Kadic, the Knight Templar orders us to investigate before we attempt an arrest." He explained. "Every city that is large enough to have a magistrate outpost operates under a different Knight Templar. They can sometimes be corrupt," he finished with a shake of his head.
Laura eyed the Outcast. "What's wrong, knife ear? Do you have something to hide?"
Aelita glared at the Fair. "Forgive me if I am uneasy around the hands of my oppression."
Patrick looked at Jeremie. "They really don't get along, do they?"
"Don't get me started," Jeremie replied as they walked up to the house belonging to his aunt and uncle.
Going inside, Jeremie introduced his new friends to his aunt and Uncle much more cordially than he had to Patrick. Next, he explained the attack on capitol Lyoko as well as their journey to Kadic and its purpose. Having heard all they've been through, Jeremie's aunt and uncle agreed to put up the Heroes, although Aelita refused to stay inside the city limits. After trying to secure an answer from her, she said simply she preferred being in the wilderness to the stone walls of the city. It seemed plausible—when Aelita walked in the city, she constantly walked into things, and people. Laura was constantly teasing her about it, though it reminded Jeremie of the first time he saw her.
With the group having secured lodging and Aelita headed out of the city, Laura quickly found the city's archives and began studying tomes recorded in 1:10 Origin, when the people who would later settle Lyoko invaded Elvhenan. The invasion lasted for three years before the elves were enslaved, and she was trying to learn about the magics the elves had used.
Specifically, she was looking for anything that could be used to expose Aelita, but there was nothing. The ancients were more interested in subjugating the elves than recording their magic and history. She slammed the book closed and searched for a journal of a soldier, finding the diary of a medic. The medic spoke of the demons that the elves summoned, and the wandering thoughts that weighed whether or not it was worth it to take over a land filled with hostile savages and cliffs.
William, who was trying his best to help the princess, brought her a stack of books that were filled with ancient maps. The map showed Arlathan, as well as the place that would later become Capital Lyoko. There were also accounts of the Surface Wars of Aelita Fen'harel, who was said to use grey magic to turn her enemies against each other in combat. But nothing that was recorded could incriminate the Outcast. Frustrated, Laura slammed the books closed and stormed out.
Jeremie, Ulrich and Odd joined Patrick as he scribbled on parchment, writing out a full report on the death of the possessed magician. Patrick looked up briefly at his cousin and asked, "So what's going on between you and Aelita, Jeremie?"
"What makes you think that anything is going on?" Jeremie asked, crossing his arms.
Patrick laughed loudly, nearly spilling ink onto his parchment. "Oh, please. You were watching her all the way into the city." He pointed out.
Ulrich and Odd laughed, and Jeremie's cheeks turned bright red. "I wasn't watching her. I mean, I was. But, you saw how she is when she goes into a city. She trips over her own two feet." He lied. Sitting up straighter, he added, "I was just trying to make sure she didn't hurt herself."
"Certainly.", Odd replied sarcastically, "And tell me, Belpois; did her hips make it to Kadic safely?" Odd continued haughtily.
Jeremie tried to bury his head and the boys laughed. "I hate you. You're mean people." Jeremie announced.
"Oh, don't be so cranky, Jeremie. We're only teasing you." Ulrich said. He turned to Odd, "help me with this, would you," and asked while fiddling with the sling for the umpteenth time. He knew that he had to wear it, but did it have to be so uncomfortable? He wondered as Odd tried to help him put the cursed thing back on in a less annoying manor.
The Wise Man turned away from the duo and after a few moments became lost in his own thoughts. He went back to that night in heartwood and stared at his empty hand, remembering how her hand had felt in his. He was forced back to reality by Odd, who snapped his fingers in his face. "Medieuropa to Jeremie! Are you listening to me?" The Scout demanded. Jeremie admitted that he hadn't, and Odd repeated, "How are you going to show her that you care for her?"
He sat still for a moment. "I don't know what you mean." He said quietly. "I'm sure that she'll just know."
"No! No! Girls are creatures that seek confirmation! You have to show her!" Odd just about shouted. Jeremie opened his mouth to protest, but he held up a finger to silence him. "Don't argue. I have a lot of experience in the labyrinth of the heart. Have you considered getting her a gift?"
Patrick shooed Odd away from the table, as he'd begun to lean on it. "Be careful. You'll put your hand in ink if you aren't careful."
"I'm not sure what she'd like," Jeremie admitted.
"You'll think of something." Patrick said cheerfully, his optimism in stark contrast to Jeremie's realism. "You always do." Jeremie rolled his eyes at his cousin. "Now out with all of you," Patrick continued, "as amusing as this is I really need to finish this report."
Laura returned to the apartment and found Patrick still filling out paperwork. He peered up at her, and he explained, "Bureaucratic red tape at its finest," She watched him as he scribbled words on the parchment, and she paced back and forth. "Is something on your mind, Your Highness?"
"Have you heard about female elven magicians running from the magistrates?" Laura asked bluntly.
Patrick stopped writing. "Sure, lots of female elven magicians run from the magistrates. They don't want to be arrested." He said sassily. "I'll need you to be more specific."
"Okay… female elven magician, pink hair, green eyes, often accompanied by wilders?" Laura specified.
Patrick glared at her. "You want to know if Aelita is wanted by the magistrates." He said flatly. When she nodded, he asked, "If she was, why wouldn't I have arrested her on sight? Better yet, why didn't she attack me on sight?" Patrick shook his head. "You're paranoid. Not every elven magician practices blood magic."
Laura walked swiftly over to him and sat down. "But she can sense demons! She carries a staff with a skull on it!" She cried out.
"Lots of magicians carry staffs with skulls on them. They're typically old, powerful staffs, handed down through the generations." Patrick said. "And the elves have had magic longer than humans have. Humans only started using magic about three ages ago, and elves have been using magic since before recorded time. It makes sense that they have advanced magic, even after centuries of slavery."
"No! You don't believe me either!" Laura shouted. "Gods! She's going to stab us in the back and I'm the only one who will be prepared for it!"
Patrick sighed. "If you want, I'll observe her. But I'll observe you too. It isn't uncommon for magicians to frame others to hide their own crimes." He compromised.
"I assure you, I am not a blood magician." Laura said firmly.
"That's what they all say."
2nd of Ferventis
It had taken some effort, but the group had managed to convince Aelita to go into town. She was nervous for a while, but when Jeremie stood near her she grew less nervous and more distracted. She ran into two signposts and a man with a dog before they even reached the marketplace. For the remainder of the stroll she walked behind the rest of the group, trying to bury her shame.
Patrick, at the behest of Laura, walked behind Aelita, trying to decipher from her walk and her conversation if she was corrupted. He saw no signs of it—she did not glow, her arms and hands were scar-free, and certainly she did not speak in a double voice. Her body was not deformed, nor did she levitate or threaten innocents. He could see no outward signs of corruption. This, of course, did not mean the corruption was not there, but if it was, she hid it well. Many blood magicians went crazy, as demons of all variety tried to possess them, though Aelita simply could've been very lucky.
Laura knew that Patrick was investigating, so an accurate conclusion was difficult to draw. She, too, showed no signs of corruption, but was that because she was not corrupted, or because she knew he was watching?
He listened carefully to Aelita's conversations with the others. "This city is so big and confusing!" She exclaimed to Ulrich as she watched the Kadic skyline. "How does anyone keep it all straight?" She asked.
"You get used to it," He shrugged, though he clearly regretted the decision. He grabbed his shoulder and cursed it.
She chuckled. "If not, I guess you end up like me; walking into signposts, utterly distracted." She said cheerily. No spiteful, vindictive behavior was evident in her voice, though she was cunning by her very nature. This could be a façade. Elves were difficult to accurately pinpoint, even though they were far more likely to turn. If he made an arrest, it would be without just cause, and even though she'd most likely go free, Jeremie would likely never forgive him. Their relationship was strange and strained as it was.
Patrick jumped as Odd slapped his back, and he nearly dropped his charcoal. "Gods, is every member of the Belpois family jumpy?" He laughed, and Patrick rolled his eyes. Odd playfully tried to grab Patrick's parchment, and the magistrate panicked, trying to keep it away from the Scout. After a moment's effort Odd grabbed the parchment anyway, and he studied the chicken scratches scribbled on it while the group moved off unaware that two members had stopped following. "Are… you studying Aelita?" He asked. "Jeremie won't like that you're studying his girlfriend. And wouldn't you rather study someone willing—like me, for instance?"
Patrick smirked briefly, but he snatched the parchment away. "It is my duty to do so." He said off-handedly.
Odd shook his head. "I thought you needed probable cause in this district." He said.
"Well… yes." Patrick admitted. Odd smirked at him, and the magistrate sighed, "If I tell you, will you let me go on about my job in peace?" The Scout nodded. "Laura… doesn't trust Aelita."
Odd laughed. "That isn't new. Everybody and their greasy haired grandma knows that Her Royal Bitchiness hates Aelita. What does that have to do with you?"
"I was enlisted to investigate her. I'm investigating Laura too, you know—I can't believe that she isn't hiding something." Patrick explained. "Now, please? I'm trying to clear her name."
Odd smiled and waved as he walked away. He watched Aelita as she studied the clouds, and he glanced at Laura, who seemed to be more uptight than usual—if that, he laughed to himself, was even possible. Ulrich sat down next to him. "As much as I enjoy spending time with Kitten, there are only so many cloud bunnies one man can take." He said in a tired voice.
"Of course," Odd agreed. The boys spoke for a while, and Odd whispered, "I heard from Patrick that Laura went to the magistrates to investigate Aelita." He said. Ulrich's eyes widened, and Odd explained that Laura had felt mistrust towards Aelita for a while, and she'd told both William and himself to be wary.
Ulrich turned his attention to Laura, who saw his stare and waved. He shook his head, now distrustful of the Fair.
The sun was sinking towards the horizon as Jeremie and Ulrich walked with plates of food for Aelita and Yumi, who'd agreed to stay with Aelita in the woods after Jeremie had asked and then practically begged her to do. As they walked Jeremie Odd's words weighed on his mind and he tried to think of a gift for the Outcast. "Do you think she'd like a book on elven history?"
"Good luck finding one." Ulrich replied as the duo paused near a small pond. "Even the wilders have only reclaimed a little of their history, and most humans don't care." The Mercenary continued, reminding himself not to move his arm. He used his free arm to skip a stone across the surface of the pond.
"I suppose you're right." Jeremie admitted. "Maybe… she'd like jewelry then?" He for a second to paused to think, "but I haven't seen her wear jewelry." He groaned. "Why are women so difficult to shop for?"
Ulrich laughed as they started walking again. "Odd says that they aren't, if you know them well enough, but I'm with you."
Jeremie laughed too, and he continued thinking. "I suppose… flowers? No, I don't think she'd thank me for buying dead nature."
Ulrich considered for a moment, and he reluctantly said, "When we were in Narza, I saw her eyeing rag dolls of elven make. I don't know why she would want one—maybe she was forced to grow up quickly and never had the chance to own one, I'm not sure—but it was obvious that she wanted one." He suggested. "Just on the other side of town, I saw an elven merchant. I doubt that he's from Arlathan, but he sold dolls like the ones in Narza. Just… if she asks who told you, you didn't hear it from me."
The Wise Man laughed, and they kept walking. "I wonder why she acts the way she does. She doesn't speak about her past. All we know about her is that she spent time in Arak-Muna. I don't feel like I can ask her about her past without offending her, or without bringing up that traumatic experience." He mused.
"I heard something from Odd today, about Aelita… I heard that the magistrates told Patrick to investigate Aelita."
"What? Why would they do that? We've been here less than twenty-four hours."
"I'm just telling you what I heard." Ulrich said calmly. "I don't know. I think Laura told them to study her."
Jeremie shook his head in annoyance. "Ugh, is she still on this? I thought she'd moved past it after Dhaune…" There was an unfamiliar flash in Ulrich's eye, and Jeremie stopped his sentence. "I don't know. We can't let Aelita know—gods only know how she'll react. I'll talk to Patrick." His tone dripped with venom.
They approached the aravel, set up about a mile outside of the city. Yumi sat with most of her hair pulled away from her face in a ponytail, and she twisted Aelita's hair into multiple, tiny braids. "Yumi, do you know anything about dragons?" The Outcast asked.
"Why would I?" The Colonist asked.
Aelita sighed. "It's just been bothering me… how do you suppose they scratch themselves if they get an itch on their head? Do you suppose they scratch their heads on a tree, like deer do?"
Yumi laughed. "I'd pay to see that!"
"It makes sense, though, especially if they're shedding!" Aelita pointed out.
"What are you talking about?" Jeremie asked.
"Dragons. It was just a thought." The Outcast shrugged.
Ulrich laughed as he handed the elf her dinner. "Let's hope we never have to find out." He said, and though Yumi grinned, the aura was strange. All of them seemed to feel it and Jeremie, growing uncomfortable in the weird silence, handed Yumi her plate of food, thanked her quietly and walked with Ulrich back into the city in silence.