Where was he? The last thing he remembered was being in Xenia's room. This place was almost like walking around in a dark alley after night with no end in sight. There were no sounds or even signs of anyone living there. Instead, there were some strange mirrors along the walls. Each of them lit up with a different kind of color of light, but it wasn't enough light to light up the ally way.
"They must be memories." He said to himself as he got close to one. This had to be Cetus's mind. These had to be his memories. Maybe he could find a way out if he got a peak at them.
He reached forward and felt as he was taken there.
Flashback
He smirked to himself as he walked through the city. His follower seemed happy as the festival continued. He was 16 today, so of course his people would be celebrating.
Beams of magic shot up into the sky, lighting it up as they took different forms.
"Everyone looks happy, sire." His advisor said at his side.
"Good." He said looking pleased with himself, as some of the small children ran around. Some of them were using magic as they played a game in the square. But his eyes weren't on them. They were on a lone girl sitting by the fountain. He watched as she pulled a lock of her hair red hear back behind here ear as she read a book. She seemed completely entranced in her reading. From what he could tell, it was a book of spells.
Suddenly a young boy with, blond hair ran in front of her, splashing mud on her and the book.
He felt himself scowl at the boy for his stupid actions.
He took no time walking over to the boy, who was in rags and tossing him to the side. He could tell by the look of him that he was common street filth. He was one of them.
"Lord Cepheus, you don't need to be so mean. He's just a child." The young girl chastised him as the boy ran off.
"That boy has no magic, Cassiopeia. There is no reason for him to even be here." He stated angrily, his red eyes almost flashing after the boy.
She put her book down on the side of the fountain. "You know as well as I do that they have rights just like everyone else." She said.
"Oh please. They are a waste of space. The last thing that we need is for them to breed with our kind. Can you imagine what kind of world that would be? The disorder of it all." He began his tirade.
"They are harmless." She said, watching as the children around them began to play again.
"It doesn't help that many of our kind our moving south. Apparently, a new country his being formed there. My Sister, Nerida is on her way there now." He said, quite pleased with his sister's marriage. One of the dukes had founded this place that he called Fiore and they were in the middle of setting it up for his sister to be named Queen. She and the duke now King, Nidhug Fiore, were stating that it would be a paradise for those who used magic.
He laughed at their claims. Everyone was only flocking there so that they could see the new world. They would be back after they tired of Fiore and return to Miresa.
"You don't see them as a threat?" Cassiopeia asked, her blue eyes almost glistening in the sunlight.
He chuckled. "They are no threat to my kingdom. In the end, we will just expand outward anyway. Noble blood will mix and the kingdoms will be one in about 50 year's tops."
She gave him a smile. "So you plan for your child to marry your sisters then?" Teasing him.
He laughed. "No, I'll just have my child take it by force. I figured that I would let my sister have her fun at being a queen. She should know that she is a queen of nothing anyway."
"Speaking of Queens, aren't you expected to marry within the next year, your highness." She was giggling as he blushed.
He had known this girl from his childhood and she was already betrothed to another. But it didn't mean that his heart didn't ache for her. "I have not yet decided."
She laughed again. "That is because you are a stubborn man, Cepheus. You don't know what you want."
How wrong she was. He knew what he wanted. It was only a question of whether or not he could have it. "It's not my fault that they are all so boring. Come on, let us take a walk."
She gave him a smile as he offered her his hand. His heart was going crazy when she took it and they began to walk away from the festival. He wanted to be alone with her anyway.
They walked in silence for a goof couple of minutes, reaching one of the gates that over looked the countryside, he gave her a smile. "Do you want to see the top?"
She looked wary. "You know that it is against your father's word. Those are for the military only."
"Yes, but we won't be there long." He began to climb up the wall. "Trust me."
She shook her head but followed him anyway.
When they reached the top, the sun was just starting to set. Making the sky match her hair.
She practically ran to the side, overlooking everything. "It's beautiful."
He came up beside her, turning on his magic and taking her hand. The night sky filled with wispy souls. As he looked over, he could see how entranced she was with everything.
Her eyes turned to look at him, looking as if she was going to ask him something, but stopped when their eyes met. He could feel her trembling next to him as he leaned down and kissed her. His heart began beat faster as she started to kiss him back.
He had never felt so happy in his life. Everything was finally perfect. He would talk to his father. He had to have her as his queen.
Flashback ends
He pulled away as the memory faded, almost lost for words. Cassiopeia looked just like Flare did, well except for her blue eyes. And not only that, the magic that Cepheus was using. It looked just like his own. But how did Cepheus relate to Cetus? He had not seen the demon once during that entire sequence of events.
He had to get to the bottom of this. Lisanna and the others would have to wait a little longer. The key to him getting out had to be in here. Lost among the memories. It would just take him time to sort through them.
The darkness overcame them as he looked over 32. Once they were in the new realm, he could see her freeing herself from the control that she was under. Cetus's magic couldn't reach her here.
Her eyes were cloudy as she woke up, but when she did, her eyes went wide at the sight of him. "55? Why are you here? Am I dead?"
"No. Your alive 32." He stated.
He watched as her face changed. Multiple emotions crossed her face at once. Like she couldn't decide what she wanted to feel. "How are you here? You should be dead." She made to step forward, but he made a small rift in the floor. As much as he would love to hug his sister, he just couldn't let here near him. Not yet.
"It's a long story." He said, not taking his eyes off of her.
She looked at him confused. "55, I need to know what you have been doing. Our Master will want to know that you are alive."
Here's where her kindness would end. "I don't have a Master anymore."
She backed up as she saw how serious he was. "How can you say that? Master gave you everything!"
He chuckled. "Everything but the truth. I know everything now, there is no reason to return to his side when I know of the atrocities that he has done." He pulled his jacket off, exposing his guild mark. She gasped. He knew that she knew the mark of Raven Tail. They had all seen it. "55 is dead, he's been dead for years. Viktor Resus is who I really am."
He kept his gun aimed at 25, as she looked at him in disgust. "You don't want this 25."
She laughed. "But I do. My master wishes it."
He felt his finger slightly grip the trigger. "And who is your Master? And are you really okay with being his slave?"
The smirk on her face fell. "I'm not a slave. I can leave my Master anytime."
He felt himself smile at her. He could definitely see the resemblance now. "Then why don't you do that now? What is stopping you?"
He could see some fight in her eyes. She was trying to pull free of Cetus's control, but at the same time he could see her thinking about herself.
"You're just trying to confuse me!" She said, cocking the gun.
"No, I'm trying to free you." He said it as calmly as he could with a gun pointed at him.
"Why?" She said, her gun wavering in the air.
He couldn't help but smile. "I said it before. I am your brother. If you put the gun down. I can explain everything."
He could see that Cetus's control was weakening on her. She had to be really hard headed or something. The demon probably found the loophole he needed when he told her about their relationship.
He watched as she dropped the gun again, screaming as she held her head. Fighting as hard as she could to regain her mind back.
He threw his gun down and went to her. This time kicking her weapon out of arms reach. "You can do this! Don't let yourself be controlled! You're a Brass, dammit!"
She was shaking as he made to hug her. He couldn't have his grandmother or his parents. But he was going to have his sister, one way or another.
He watched as the red in her eyes faded back to the dark brown and she fidgeted a little. Shaking her head back and as if trying to pull herself out of a trance. "Where am I?"
"You're in Absolon's capital, 25." He was already starting to hate that name. Now he knew why Remy and Ivan made it a point to change Viks as soon as possible.
"I don't understand. You…" She tried to back away from him. Fearful of the words he was about to say.
"Sis, you need to calm down. I'm not your enemy." He said, watch as her eyes scanned her surroundings.
"I still don't understand. My family is dead. How are you alive?" She looked like she wanted to cry, but she had too much pride to.
"6 of us were made 25, but only you and I share DNA." He stated. He knew he needed to take this slow, but this wasn't the place to do it.
"Made? What do you mean by made?" She sounded frantic, he could tell that the pieces were starting to fit together in her head.
"We will finish talking when we get out of here. Who knows where Cetus is." He said looking around. He hoped that Remy was having good luck in finding where the demon had gone.
"Cetus?" He could tell that now that she had one answer, she was going to want them all. He felt himself smile to himself. Finally, she would be free of the King's control.
"A demon. It has possessed one of our kind. One Bickslow Resus, older brother of Viktor Resus. You may know Vik by another name. Does 55 ring a bell?" He found himself teasing her a little bit.
She looked dumbfounded. "55 is alive? But that doesn't make sense. The blast killed him."
"Trust me, he is plenty alive." He said picking up his guns from the ground and storing them away. "Now come on, let's get you back to base."
"What are you going to do?" She sounded worried. Confused but worried.
"I have to return. Who knows what is going to happen here."
He could hear Magus as the man started to come to.
He frowned. Unlike Modd, he was bound to make some noise. He strode over to Knud. The time for games was over.
"What are you doing?" Modd asked as he came closer.
"Just getting rid of some garbage, that's all." He placed his hand on the man's shoulder. It would only take him a couple of minutes and Knud would be dispatched.
He watched as Magnus eyes went wide as he stared at him. "What are you doing? This wasn't the plan?" He could hear the fear in his voice and he loved it.
"Now Magnus, I thought you wanted a war. How about you tell Modd over there how you told me to end his life." He said pointing at the other man with a sly look on his face.
Knud looked embarrassed. "I just told you to get rid of him, not to kill him."
"But you never objected to the idea, did you?" His words silenced both men. "Besides, you have done nothing but destroy this place. All of you have."
"What are you talking about?" Modd said. The man seemed really intrigued with what he had to say.
"Not one of you uses magic, less than half of this country does!" He said glaring at the politician.
"Having magic doesn't make a good leader." Modd argued.
"No. Things were beautiful back then. My kind were in control and your kind were regulated to the street, where you belong."
"That is not how everything works Cetus." He turned to find the father of his host staring at him. How had he not sensed him coming. "The world has grown since your time."
He chuckled. "Do you think that your words will calm me enough to free your son from my grasp?"
The man stepped forward. "I can at least try."
To Be Continued…
Author's Note
I figured that I could start these chapters with the bits and pieces of Cetus's past, then go on to the rest to of the story.
This is early this week, as I am going on vacation for a week starting on Weds night.