Chapter 28

The others were about to try yet another method of extracted his powers, when he suddenly found himself transported to the middle of Giya. Staring around in confusion Lus half wondered if this was the result of the spell going wrong or whether he should be preparing for a mystery assailant. It was at this point he began to hear music again, although unlike before there was no way he could locate the direction the music was coming from. It felt completely source-less, disembodied and almost too intense.

'I don't know if you care,' he kept his voice as firm and level as possible 'but I'm…'

'Dying,' the music echoed his words.

'I want you to return me to where you took me from. What they were doing was to try and save my life.'

The music around him played on heedlessly. Feeling mildly annoyed Lus tried to Jump himself back home, but found his powers were being blocked.

'You can't keep me here,' he was starting to feel really angry now, 'this isn't fair.'

'Who said fairness had to come into it?'

Whipping round Lus was amazed to see False stood casually behind him. There was an odd look on his face, as though he wasn't completely sure why he was there himself. For a moment Lus began to wonder if he was brought there by the same hand and…

'I'm sorry for the inconvenience,' False interrupted his train of thoughts, 'but I am under orders and I must follow those orders to the letter.'

'Orders from who,' Lus frowned.

'My new mentor.'

'New mentor? When did you get a new mentor?'

'About half an hour ago,' he turned away slightly, 'and they're… too powerful to refuse, so I had no choice but to agree.'

'What do you mean?'

'I'm sorry Lus,' False sighed, 'but I'm the one keeping you here.'

'How the hell did you become powerful enough for that?'

For a moment False hesitated, then he pushed up the sleeve of his jacket to reveal an oddly coloured patch of inflamed skin. For a few moments Lus could do nothing more then stare at it and wonder if False was beginning to turn mouldy. Then he gave a hard swallow and attempted to think of something non-offensive to say.

'I don't know,' False murmured.

'What?'

'You want to ask me what the hell it is, right? Well the truth is I don't know. My mentor did this to me and it's increased my powers, at least enough to be keeping you here. But I don't know what it is and I don't know how long it'll last.'

'Does it itch,' Lus felt dumb for asking.

'Like hell,' he nodded, 'but there's nothing I can do about it.'

For a few moments Lus was again silent as he slowly allowed everything he'd been told to sink in. Clearly False wasn't doing this out of malice, more through lack of any other choice.

'Why am I being kept here,' he broke the silence. 'Did your new mentor tell you that much at least?'

Slowly False shook his head. There was something about the expression he was wearing which suggested he did know, but at the same time that he wasn't allowed to say. Figuring anything capable of increasing the Vii Sen's powers to this level was probably a devil to deal with; Lus felt it best not to press any further.

'Who are they?'

'Who are who,' False frowned at him.

'Your mentor. Who is he or she?'

'Oh,' something about his face suggested the question puzzled him slightly.

'You do know who they are, don't you False?'

'I have been trying to work it out.'

'You don't know who they are?'

'They're Power Limitless, I know that much. And they're a Balancer, but beyond that…'

'You agreed to work for someone you don't know the identity of?'

'It seemed like the right thing to do at the time,' False's expression became strangely pensive. 'You just have to trust me.'

'Why?'

'Because what I'm about to do is for your own good.'

'I thought you said you didn't know why I'd been brought here.'

'I don't.'

'Then how can you be sure it is for my own good,' he challenged.

'Can you just trust me Lus,' he lowered his gaze slightly. 'I can't explain this, I just need you to trust me.'

Wearily Lus rubbed the features of his face with his hands and sighed in frustration.

'It's not like you're giving me much of a choice here, now is it.'

'I'm sorry,' False sighed again, 'if there was any other way…'

'There never is anymore,' Lus cut him off, 'my life has been taken thoroughly out of my hands on the grounds of if there was any other way. Do you know how frustrating that is?'

'I can imagine.'

'I want there to be another way, damnit,' he gritted his teeth, 'I want there to be a choice. Why won't somebody give me a god damn choice?'

'Because not everything can work like that,' False shrugged, 'sometimes there just isn't a choice.'

'Kisara has a choice.'

'I know,' False became visibly pensive.

'Arados thinks once she's made that choice you'll be more willing to accept his child. That the whole reason you can't commit yourself to it right now is because you don't want to jeopardise your chances with Kisara.'

'My mentor planted that thought in his head,' he shifted his gaze away.

'What?'

'My mentor planted that thought in his head,' False sighed for a third time. 'They want to force Kissy's hand and get her to choose.'

'Why?'

'I can't tell you that.'

'You can't tell me much, can you?'

'I'm sorry.'

'I'm sure you are,' Lus glared at him, 'but that doesn't mean I have to accept it.'

'There isn't anything you can do.'

'Like hell there's not.'

'Lus…'

'Fine,' Lus snapped, 'just be that way.'

'This is for your own good,' False sighed again.

'Yeah, well it better be,' Lus glowered, 'because I could do with some good right now.'