Author's Notes:
Dreamer: Sorry for the late update, I keep forgetting to write lately.
Sky: At least you're updating.
Dreamer: Anyway, this chapter marks the start of the crescendo of the first part of the story. And Heat Hazed-san, I have no problem doing homework as long as it's not from my textbooks! XD
Disclaimer: The author does not own IE or its characters or the OCs featured except his own.
Chapter seven: Whispers Fate...
'Are you sure you're OK Haru?' Miharu's friend Anastasia asked looking very concerned for her friend.
'Yeah, don't worry about it Anne.' Miharu said dismissively, trying to look as casual as possible throwing her ponytail around carelessly as she avoided making eye contact. Well, she was obviously trying to hide the fact she was having visions for a while; she was dreading the reactions of her family and friends. Well, she struck gold without meaning to.
'I'm Anastasia, not Anneliese Haru...' She said exasperatedly shaking her head. Miharu inwardly thanked the heavens that she was very forgetful most of the times.
'Anyway, why are we going to Vladivostok anyway? It's very far away from Moscow, you know.' Miharu asked her with her head tilted to the side as with a puzzled but cute expression on her face.
Anastasia facepalmed at this. She might've cried from exasperation and was obviously praying for patience (and a bit of sanity). 'You're the one who persuaded me to come along with you to visit your uncle who had an accident there...' She said, trying (and almost failing) to keep her voice level.
Miharu blushed at her little mistake. 'Sorry...' she said in a small voice, really embarrassed.
Alec was quickly rushed to the nearest hospital by his classmates and teachers. It was really quite alarming to have a perfectly healthy person standing one minute and fainting without a warning the next.
It didn't really help that he had gone pale as a ghost in probably (as it seemed to his classmates) a second.
Alec opened his eyes a fraction of an inch and found his friend Mikail staring at him along with his homeroom teacher. He was rather surprised to find himself in a snowy white bed and loose-fitting clothes patients usually wear. He looked around, still with his eyes barely opened and realized he was in a hospital cabin.
Mikhail noticed Alec stirring and sat up straight. 'Alec!' he called as softly as possible while still making sure his voice was audible. 'Hmm?' he replied sleepily.
Mikhail and the teacher were both relieved. 'Are you feeling any better Volkov?' his teacher asked. 'Yes...' he replied, once again dozing off.
Mikhail laughed softly. 'Now I know he's fine.' He said shaking his head. His teacher smiled. 'Well, you may go home, I've called his parents and they'll be arriving shortly.' He told Mikhail. He nodded and left the cabin silently.
'Answer me!' the tall woman with black hair tied in an elegant bun said roughly at the figure kneeling before her. It was the same man who had attacked the twins. Now he wasn't wearing a hat or the long overcoat so his lean figure with a black tattoo on his arm and vicious looking face could be seen clearly. But the most frightening feature of his face was the blood red and pitiless eyes that looked more beast-like than human.
The man, now bound by many chains just smirked disgustingly and said, 'I told you once and I'll say it again-' he said something so foul that if it was any other person, they would likely pull his tongue out with their bare hands.
'That is not the answer I wanted.' The woman said, stooping enough so that her face was level with the scoundrel's. 'Well, life tends to be like that.' He scoffed back.
The raven-haired woman was getting impatient now, she snapped back into standing position and was about to say something when a shadow shifted in the dark and empty room they were occupying. The magical peacock, now roughly the size of a normal peacock but with scarlet and green tail feathers gently fluttered on to her shoulder.
'Saori, we're still unable to trace the attack on the Dryad and a report from the Hand of the Magus European Union Division (The Order of Merlin) states that The Dominion's followers are getting bolder and bolder in the Euro zone. They're desperate to get hold of the Heir to The Sacred Crown. But they have no idea who he or she is. Reports also state that they've probably discovered and are tracking one or more of the Jewels of Eternity and Crossroads of Fate located there.' The peacock said urgently in the voice of a male human.
The chained man cackled madly at this and said with relish, 'See? Our plans are already coming into fruition. Soon The Dominion will end this illusion called law and dawn a new age!'
'I highly doubt that.' The woman called Saori said coldly. But it was clear that her insides were aflame with anger and frustration.
She snapped her fingers and the peacock jumped in the air and went behind her, spreading his wings wide.
A seal glowed around her and soon only Saori stood, now clad in armor of sapphire blue and emerald green, her face covered with a smooth, faceless metal mask which had no eye-holes. The armor covered every part of her body and from beneath the chest to abdomen was a mirror-like surface that was more reflective than the most expensive mirror. Something like a skirt with an open front made of giant peacock tail feathers (that resembled her peacock) came down flowing from her hip and trailed delicately yet extravagantly over the floor. On her back was two shining metallic wings also like her peacock folded delicately at her sides. The only part of her not covered in metal was her raven hair.
The man looked at her transfixed with fear at that point. Saori snapped her fingers again. Some of the large feathers disappeared.
The heads of the feathers, now as large as pavement slabs and resembling ornate floating mirrors began circling the man. 'You-you wouldn't dare!' he yelped, but it was clear that he himself wasn't too confident about it.
'This is your last chance.' Saori said in a ringing voice, her figure slowly ascending without support as the mirrors or feathers started circling the man even more furiously. 'Tell us how the Dominion is finding out our secrets? How are you convincing or forcing more people to invoke the Mark of The Accursed?' she asked threateningly.
The feathers halted and were obviously ready to strike a deadly blow. The man looked more vicious than ever as hatred and anger tinted with fear distorted his face. He finally said, 'I don't know. But Dorahaido-dono had been visiting the Old One very often. Maybe she was able to make out what that senile haggard keeps blubbering on about.'
'How dare you disrespect the Wise Hermit!' Saori said disgustedly. 'It's real easy.' The man said with a mirthless laugh (it looks like he was getting his swagger back, seeing how Saori had not struck when he disrespected the Hermit. He was half expecting her to kill him due to his insult. The Hermit was very highly respected among the magi.) 'Why do you care anyway? He's just an old fool like you people who believe humanity can't be discarded!'
This was the last straw. Saori pointed her finger at him and from the mirror sharp spikes of metal shot like bullets towards him. The man yelled, but-
'The Cards have spoken, may all be still!' A voice came, and the spikes stopped midway.
A handsome blond man walked to them, holding three cards in his right hand and a deck of cards in his right hand followed by a large golden lion with a mane of fire and golden wings. He was tall and strong-looking, his sea blue eyes shone from behind his silver-framed glasses. 'Now, don't lose your head Saori. We can't stoop to their level you know, and it would be a shame if you ended up imprisoned for this offence by the Mystics.' He said in a gentle, calm and composed voice. It was a statement but it had the same effect of a scolding. Saori looked ashamed and disgusted with herself. The man smiled and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.
'Ha! Stoop to our level indeed! You people are just weak!' The man taunted again. (He seemingly did not have a sense of shame or gratitude.)
'You sir,' The man started again, 'are disgusting and don't deserve to say here.'
He shuffled the cards in his hand into his deck and this time only drew one card. 'The cards have spoken, may you be gone!' he said, only glancing at the card once before saying that.
A different seal appeared under the man, and he soon melted through the ground into the seal.
'I didn't know you could send people to Abbaidon with the tarot cards, Aaron.' Saori said interestedly as she reverted to her normal form and the peacock reappeared on her shoulder.
'Nor did I.' Aaron replied pleasantly. 'I guess I still have a lot to learn about my own capabilities.'
'I too need to learn a lot from you.' She said, the shame of losing her temper returning to her. 'I think their nature is starting to rub off on me.' She added with her head down.
'It's only natural Saori. Always remember that "Disease is contagious, not health" people only imbibe the bad qualities of other people around them, only the person innocent enough to see good in all people is the exception. But don't fret, we're only human after all, and I would never believe anyone, especially you could ever stoop to their level.' Aaron said wisely.
Saori smiled, and by the peacock and Aaron's expressions, it was a really rare event. 'Anyway, I'll be leaving now; Aodh and I need to return to Spain for an errand.' He said, gesturing towards himself and his silent companion (the golden lion).
Saori nodded and said, 'I must visit the Hermit, this insanity is getting out of hand. Come, Touya.' The peacock named Touya nodded and they also left the dark room.
It was a dark and lonely road, and a solitary woman in magnificent robe-like clothing was confidently following the path that she knew would lead her to her success. The misty path was oddly comforting and gave a sense of safety, unlike most paths of the like that make people insecure.
She soon saw it, a lone hut she was looking for. No one would ever think of finding a hut in this place. The forest outskirts were long abandoned by its human neighbors and it was thus unlikely that anyone would ever come here.
She was about to knock when a cracked, but kindly voice came, 'Please enter.'
The woman looked unsurprised at this and entered the dark hut. But it wasn't actually dark. An old man with snowy white hair and a long beard wearing a green robe was sitting with a rosary in his hand. He was giving off an audible aura that seemed to illuminate everything around him. He was obviously blind, but he was seemingly able to see everything, and probably more than others.
'Welcome Dorahaido. What brings you to the humble abode of this poor old soul again?' He asked kindly.
'For the same reason I've visited before, Wise One.' She said softly.
'I've told you and the whole world, the Almighty has only gifted me with intelligence that lets me deduce what will happen in the near present, not the ability to see the future.' He said softly 'So I can not tell you the future. But I can tell you a story.' Dorahaido stiffened. The Hermit cleared his throat and continued, 'My, I have missed telling stories since my only son and his wife and children died so long ago. What can an old man do with out a family? So, I will start.' Dorahaido was waiting for this; she sat down on the floor and started listening with rapt attention.
'Now I will tell you about the poor things that escape our sight, but this old man notices because alas, he has nothing to do in solitude. The light, with its shining glare looks so strong and pure. We all thing it's natural for light to illuminate the way, but do we ever consider that the light feels the need for love? It is our nature to not give anything easily, so we never do give. The fact that light never asks or accepts also is the reason that we cannot give.
Then there is darkness, light's opposite, while light is reluctant to accept love, darkness is reluctant to give the amount it wants to give. While it embraces all, it's still afraid that in its embrace evil and malice will spawn once again. It is not the darkness's fault that it relishes in giving love to everyone without discrimination; it is the fault of the evil that grows when not faced by discrimination.
And the fire that's contained in embers, it's also afraid to grow to its full potential, because its kin can also extinguish it easily, or it mayn't be the most prominent of all. Another flame fears the destruction it may cause if it embraced others, so it keeps its solitude. So, everything in the world fears, and also suffers for its own nature.' The Hermit paused.
Dorahaido waited, and when he said no more, she said, 'But, that doesn't tell me anything about-' But was cut off by the Hermit. He said, 'Dear child, you must understand that the writer of a story doesn't tell his characters their own stories, nor do the characters tell the other characters their stories. Rather, they all tell the other the story of people around them, so they can discover their own story.'
Dorahaido pursed her lips, obviously not pleased. She nodded and left the hut, but the Hermit said one last thing before she left, 'And keep your ears and eyes open, fate is always whispering and destiny beckoning.'
Rin jerked up into a sitting position, looking frantically around. She was, mysteriously back in her room, or was she just dreaming about the whole affair of the people and Kazemaru vanishing and then calling her Chihara-chan and the windstorm...
It seemed that way though, she seemingly had been snoozing with her head on the windowsill with her head bent towards the path that leads to Kazemaru's house.
She shook herself mentally. It was enough weirdness to last her a lifetime, and she wish this was all the weirdness she'll experience in her lifetime. But at least this time she was actually sleeping. Having strange dreams was really normal for a teen. But hallucinations, argh...
Claira opened her eyes sleepily, but she saw nothing but darkness and a faint light. After a few moments she realized that she was sleeping with an open book on her face. She removed the book and stretched, stifling a yawn (it's very unladylike to yawn) as best as possible. She saw that Zoey had also fallen asleep with her homework in front of her. 'That's odd.' She thought. Indeed, this was the first time they had dozed off during homework.
Well, that meeting with the team earlier this morning was more tiring than they thought at first. But Zoey's probably really happy, Gouenji gave her a present during the meeting, a strange peacock-feather hair ornament...
END
A lot of unfamiliar names in this chapter, but all will be explained in time...
Sky: You've been saying that since chapter 2...
