Chapter 107: Rage Of Chaos
Yugi groaned as he thrashed around in his sleep on the bed. Tossing and turning every which way as the rain outside the window poured heavily down. Blood-curdling screams echoed in his head haunting Yugi's every thought as the scarlet-eyed male clutched his pillow tightly. Once again he found himself surrounded by a sea of flames feeling the heat right down to his bones. All Yugi could do is run through a village of burning houses and trees. Bodies scattered at his feet the breath nearly taken from him as the scarlet-eyed male heard the sound of hooves coming from behind him. Quickly Yugi turned his head as a figure reached out a single hand towards him. "TAKE MY HAND!" a familiar voice cried. For some reason, he felt as if he could trust the figure and quickly grasped their hand in his before the scarlet-eyed male was pulled up onto the horse.
"HOLD ON!" the figure warned as Yugi quietly obeyed wrapping his arms around the figure's waist. In an instant, they rode like the wind as the flames nearly consumed everything around them. Suddenly from out of nowhere, an ice spear struck the horse causing both Yugi and the figure to be thrown from the steed. The scarlet eyed male screamed as he could hear his name echoing from a distance hitting the ground with a violent thud before Yugi began to tumble into the woods down a steep hill unable to stop. It was only until the scarlet-eyed male's head collided with a large rock that Yugi ceased movement. Blood pooled around his head as the fire began to spread threatening to swallow him. A gasp escaped a figure nearby giving off a bluish energy as everything turning to ice around her. Not able to leave the scarlet-eyed male there the figure quickly hurried towards him as the fire swept over them.
"AHHHHH!"Yugi cried out as thunder crashed followed by a flash of lightning as the scarlet-eyed male awakened from the nightmare. Breathing heavily Yugi found himself covered in a cold sweat as his heart raced in his chest. "...Not again..." he huffed out of breath as he held his head. "...But that figure...seemed...familiar somehow...like...I knew them...both of them...but why can't I remember?" the scarlet-eyed male questioned as he shook his head before Yugi jumped hearing another roll of thunder. Quickly grabbing the covers he concealed himself under him praying that it would end. Silently Atem watched over his other half. The dreams seemed to be becoming more and more frequently and frankly, he was worried. Dreams had a tenancy to reveal things yet to come or that had already been. Slowly the Pharoah turned his gaze from Yugi towards the window watching the heavy rain pour down from the sky. "I can only hope you're faring better than Yugi and I Kaiba...tomorrow...the fate of both Xuri and Blaire...could very well rest in our hands...I only wish that we knew more as to what is occurring around us..." Atem murmured softly.
Directly below a carriage slowly pulled up in front of the Inn with both Mallock and Kaiba disguised as Kenshin emerging from within it. "I'm going to put the carriage and horses away...use these coins to pay the innkeeper...I shall meet you inside the room when I have concluded my business here." Mallock told Kaiba. "As you wish Father." Kaiba mused before he did as he was told going up to the small room afterward. Luckilly there was a fire lit by the hearth allowing the golden eyed male to warm himself soaked to the bone. The room itself only had but two beds and a table. But only a candle to light up the lonely room. Just barely Kaiba could see his breath as he rubbed his arms. The solitude couldn't help but remind him of the endless night's he spent by himself working on his computer or sitting in the dark in attempts to come up with strategy after strategy in attempts to defeat Yugi and reclaim his title as King Of Games.
Heh. All of that was more like a distant memory now. Did Kenshin spend most of his days and night's like this in that shop of his? Come to think of it, it wasn't until he met Bloom that he was finally free from that cycle of emptiness. Kaiba peered down at Bloom's pendant still wrapped around his neck as a ghost of a smile graced his lip before the sound of a creek interrupted the CEO's thoughts. "Back already?" Kaiba questioned as he forced a smile. How in the hell was Kenshin able to manage this every single day? It was beyond even his comprehension. However, not even one second passed before the golden eyed male received a violent backhand to his face. The force being so great that it knocked him to the floor. {OW! DAMN IT THAT HURT! WHY THAT SON OF A BI-} But Kaiba soon ceased his tongue before it could respond with the words it wanted to utter along with his own hand as anger boiled up within him.
{I-I can't...as much as I want to retaliate and put that bastard in his place...i'm not the one who would suffer Mallock's wrath if I chose to do so...that would be...} The CEO bit his lip until it threatened to bleed in attempts to contain his rage. "INSOLENT BRAT!" Mallock spat as he narrowed his cold eyes. "You should know well your place and show some respect when addressing someone such as I..." the lord of Juniper hissed. Placing aside all of his pride was no small feat for Kaiba as he eased himself back up to his feet he bowed graciously. "My sincerest apologies father, I meant no disrespect I assure you. It was merely a slip of the tongue forgive me." the CEO appologised. "Good, and you'd do well to remember it..." Mallock told Kaiba.
"Now...come join me downstairs, otherwise the food is going to grow cold." the lord of Juniper instructed before he made his way out of the room. "As you wish father." the CEO nearly answered through gritted teeth as his golden eyes glistened with a deepened hatred. He could still feel the pain from being hit stinging his face. Slowly Kaiba made his way downstairs and passed the innkeeper that only showed concern as he did. Once the CEO spotted Mallock Kaiba sat down across from him at the table where their dinner awaited them along with a pitcher of spiced wine. Thank Obelisk Alcohol! After what just happened he needed a drink or two. After Mallock poured himself a drink Kaiba did the same both drinking silently as those in the tavern laughed heartily toasting their ale enjoying lively conversation among one another. Though the place was a bit noisy for the CEO's liking at least he felt as if he could relax a little more compared to the darkness upstairs. In a public setting like this, it wasn't likely Mallock would even think of hitting him. Not if the lord of Juniper wanted to keep up appearances.
Placing aside that thought for the moment. Where exactly were they? It had been pouring rain nonstop and in the dark, he could hardly see anything around them. Normally Raeger or someone else would guide them as they went from world to world however that wasn't the case this go around. Still, if Kaiba asked Mallock it might give him away. No, he'd just have to find another way to find out that information. Man, it was so much easier when he could snap his fingers and let his employees take care of everything. It didn't take long before something one of the big burly men said that caught his ear. "Hoho! Did ya see it!? Two youngins both women came right outta the cook's pot of beef stew! They be REAL lookers too! I wouldn't mind eating them if ya know what I mean" the man raised his brow humerously. {...Women...could it be...?} Kaiba pondered before Mallock scoffed annoyed at the senseless chatter.
"Spreading rumors...how shameful...those who spread such are nothing but men without honor..." Mallock muttered as he took another swig from his cup as their main course finally arrived. "Unfortunately that's to be expected when we're in a town full of drunkards and barbarians..." the lord of Juniper told Kaiba. "Yes, they do seem to be quite worked up about something...though I am not certain as to what." "It matters not...you should eat as we will be turning in early to get back on the road as soon as the sun rises..." "Yes, father..." the CEO quietly responded before Mallock paused as a male walked over to the table and whispered something in his ear. "...It turns out I have some business to tend to...but I shall return shortly..." Mallock told Kaiba before he rose from his seat and disappeared into the crowd. Of course, he raised no objection himself and rose up from his seat.
"Now maybe I can try and figure out where the hell I am..." the CEO muttered out loud as Kaiba turned his head towards the window nearby. Unfortunately for him, it was still pouring down with rain. It wasn't possible for him to walk around and explore the town. However, the loose lips of drunks were one of the best sources of information a person could find if you listened long enough. Silently the CEO skimmed the tables before one in particular caught his eye. It was that woman in his vision. The one with the red hair and amber eyes. He'd sit on her shoulders as they looked out at the falling snow. Just who was she anyway? However, the young woman wasn't alone. Across from her was a raven-haired male with ebony eyes wearing some kind of uniform with black boots. Piled high in front of them was cuisine of all kinds the redhead inviting the sin of gluttony with open arms as she put it away shoveling the food down as if it was going to disappear. Not counting the wooden cups stacked in front of her. Quietly Kaiba listened as he sat at the table behind them.
"HEY POPS! MORE CUPS OF SPICED WINE AND TEN MORE SERVINGS OF THE HOUSE SPECIAL WITH QUADRUPLE PORTIONS!" Noah called out to the waiter nearby them as he struggled to take her order. The man across from her Dorr only made a face. "Good Phoenix Noah you're a chef's WORSE NIGHTMARE!" the black haired male exclaimed as the mage drank her fill. "Oh shut up!" Noah fired back as she slammed her cup down on the table in front of her. "...Riiiight..." Door deadpanned before Cloud approached their table. "FINALLY! I thought I was going to end up with Noah alone the rest of the evening! What took you so long anyways!?" the black haired male demanded to know. "Alright, already i'm sorry! The chef nearly took me, hostage, trying to get me to flavor the beef stew along with the rest of the food...I had to stop him from nearly killing two girls out of rage with all the knives in the kitchen!" the blonde appologised as he worked a cigarette out of its box and lit it before he took a hit off of it.
"Hey don't worry about it, we haven't even gotten our order yet. Oh, and by the way thanks for picking up the tab!" Noah shot Cloud a wink. "Oh great i'm afraid to even ask...and just how much did you order...exactly?" the blonde questioned. "...You don't WANT to know...trust me..." Dorr assured him. "Right my mistake..." Cloud deadpanned before he cleared his throat as his gaze hardened. "So...did you manage to check in on how The Phoenix's party is progressing?" the blonde questioned. "Yeah, I did. Despite how Death tried to get Cupid to kill Bloom, his plan ultimately backfired on him instead. Oh yeah and she actually managed to get her hands on The Phoenix's ashes...but now the HARD parts begins..." Noah admitted."So with that being said, I hope you have some helpful information for us...though I gotta admit it was pretty darn sneaky at how you managed to become a Knight of Derrith's..." the redhead mused as Cloud only sighed.
"There was really no choice in the matter...we HAD to find out just what Derrith and her brother were scheming when they captured Yugi, so Noix had me go undercover to monitor the situation...although there's no longer any doubt in my mind anymore...she and Weldon are definitely plotting against the A.O.J leader using him as a bargaining chip, unfortunately though...we still don't know the reason why...at least that's what I thought...until recently...when I met him... all be it he was unconscious at the time..." the blonde muttered. "I see...well at least we have SOMEWHERE to start..." Noah murmured. "...I hate to be the one to tell you this." Dorr began. "But I have some more bad news...the A.O.J leader's influence is growing larger with each day that passes and it's only going to continue expanding..." the black haired male warned.
"As a Rubenian one of the A.O.J leader's knight's i've been keeping a close eye on his movements but there is something much bigger going on here...if you think about it carefully ever since the Black Plaque and The Knight's And Mage's War...each of them were all sparked into a deadly fire by magic. Both the Aurian and Juniperian Councils have harnessed their history in order to use fear to control their people...but while the councils seem to wield a great deal of power it's designed to look like nothing more than a power struggle to the untrained eye...however in the shadows something much more sinister is occurring...the A.O.J leader is searching for something...recently he even crossed into the Magix dimension throwing both Eraklyon and Solaria into Chaos...but this war is a ruse... whilst they stain their kingdoms with blood the A.O.J leader got his hands on Solaria's second sun..." Dorr told them as Cloud's eyes narrowed.
"Solaria...huh...? No wonder that bastard's been so quiet lately...he didn't even need to get his hands dirty..." the blonde muttered. "And he got exactly what he was after..." Noah followed as she mulled over everything that was just said. "I know it can't be good...but what exactly is so special about this second sun on Solaria anyways? I can't say I understand what in Phoenix he's thinking...I was hoping the two of you might be able to shed some light on this issue...well? Any ideas?" Door questioned. "...Yeah..." Noah finally spoke up. "It's an object of immense power that has passed down from generation to generation...originally it came from the power of The Golden Wolves that served under The Raya Legacy...and from their descendants, Solaria was created...it's the second most ancient kingdom to Sparks in The Magix dimension. The Second Sun acts almost like the planet's heartbeat...however...without it Solaria would grow dark and life would be wiped from existence...but it has another purpose entirely...when combined with the Hall Of The Universe located in Solaria's inner sanctum it has the ability to locate sources of great magical power...there's almost no mistaking it...he's trying to find THAT. Luckilly for us...it won't be as easy as that...no...because there's something else he's looking for..." Noah muttered as she narrowed her eyes.
"Yeah..." Cloud responded as his eyes narrowed further. " Noix told me the same thing..." the blonde admitted. "He had an interesting theory actually...though i'm not sure I should say anything just yet..." "I don't blame you...we shouldn't run our mouths too much...not in a place as crowded as this..." "Agreed." "And besides that..." "Yes?" Dorr mused before the waiter placed their food down on the table. "IT'S FOOD TIME!" Noah cried out joyfully before both men face-faulted. Neither could believe the large amount of food she had ordered. Then again Magic had a tenancy to burn ALOT of calories. They could only watch as the mage nearly consumed everything in front of her. Dorr leaned over to Cloud's ear.
"I bet you're regretting paying for dinner now." the black haired male teased in a loud whisper. Cloud only chuckled. "Who knows. I just might." the blonde teased back with a broad grin before he flipped the waiter two gold coins. "Keep the change," Cloud told him. "Is there anything else I can get you?" the waiter mused. "We'll let you know." the blonde winked before the waiter left the table before both Dorr and Cloud also began to eat only much smaller portions. "I can hear you both you know!" Noah exclaimed. "...A-Ah hahaha...well you did give me some pretty useful intel, so you can consider this as my thanks." the blonde told her. "Hmm fair enough I guess." the mage admitted between mouthfuls. "Hmph...doesn't take much to win you over does it?..." Dorr muttered almost under his breath before the rubenian's crotch met with Noah's foot causing Dorr to turn blue in the face.
"THAT'LL TEACH YOU TO KEEP YOUR DAMN MOUTH SHUT NOW WON'T IT!?" Noah yelled at the top of her lungs as Cloud made a face. "Remind me never to make YOU angry..." the blonde sweatdropped. "The creep deserved it! A maiden's heart is delicate you know! But NOTHING can upset me enough to spoil THIS meal! I mean it's absolutely DELICIOUS! *munch* not to mention...*chew*...although...*swallow* Elixer's wine *gulp* is considered the...very...best...*Chug* BlackSteel's spiced wine...*gulp* is almost as good! Noah beamed immersed in complete bliss.{...BlackSteel...?} Kaiba questioned. That was one place that he had never heard about until now. And yet...why did it strike him to his core? With Mallock still nowhere in sight, the CEO decided to listen to their conversation a little bit longer. Kaiba watched Noah paused as Cloud looked right at her.
"...If you're going to say something then say it already! No matter how much you look at me i'm not a mind reader...or could it be possible that you're enchanted by my overwhelming beauty...well?" Noah teased Cloud playfully. "Pffff that's the one thing it CAN'T be!" Dorr scoffed. "WHO ASKED YOU ANYWAYS!?" "I-It's not like that!" the blonde cried as his face slightly reddened scratching at his cheeks nervously. "I-It's just...Noix recently gave me the order to find and Join The Phoenix's party, you see I operate separately from him and the others that follow Noix so that the enemy continues to think he's neutral in this matter...not on Bloom's side or the A.O.J's...so my connection to Aster already in their group has to remain a secret for the time being...however...Noix fears that the situation with the desecration of Chaos's shrine will be far too much for Aster to handle alone. Cloud explained to them.
"In otherwords, you need a way to become part of Bloom's group without raising suspicion to all those with their eyes on Noix." Noah finally spoke up. "Exactly...i'm just not sure how I should go about it...it's not exactly easy since i'm an infamous assassin you know?" "...Yeah, you got a point...hmm...well there is ONE way although it will be EXTREMELY difficult to pull off..." the mage told Cloud. "Alright, i'm listening..." the blonde murmured before Noah leaned over and began whispering in his ear. Cloud listened intently nodding in between. However, both Dorr and Kaiba nearly ground their teeth in irritation from not being able to hear anything. "...Heh...that's not half bad...I guess it just goes to show you, you should never underestimate Noah weaver of the Moon and Stars." "Naturally." the mage winked in response. "Well! I better get going if i'm going to make any headway." Cloud muttered as he pushed himself up from the table. "Then I shall depart as well...if I take too long to return then suspicion will soon follow..." Dorr pointed out.
"Oh, alrighty then! I'll see ya when I see ya! And thanks for all the grub!" Cloud only smiled and waved only to get elbowed by Door in the shoulder on the way out in annoyance causing the blonde to drop something on his way out. Noah waved back before they disappeared from her sight. "Aw man those two are ALWAYS a riot! Yep, they sure make for an entertaining evening...still...although I can try to laugh it off I don't like where this is headed at all...there's no mistaking it...he's gotta be using Solaria's Second Sun...to be searching for The Black Power...and lies in the heart of Zaloz...Requiem...I had hoped that once we sealed it away that it would never emerge...but now...it looks like how things are playing out...that must be why Cellos Undine's follower was there with them...and now Cloud's been ordered to do the same...and then there's...my brother...unless I can find him...ugh...we'll never be able to find Artemis Moon's Seal...that holds the key to finding his tablet..." Noah almost whispered as she manifested a blue eyes white dragon plushie into her hand. "This is the only clue I have left...and we were just kids then...I have no idea what he looks like now or where he could be...but I refuse to stop searching until I see him again...Seto..." the mage held the plushie close to her.
Kaiba paused stunned as Noah called out his name before he turned around only to see her holding a Blue Eyes White Dragon in her grasp. A gasp escaped him as he held his head it pulsing uncontrollably. This power swelling within him nearly took all of his breath and retreated stumbling as he did into the wall in the hallway. Wh...What was happening to him? He felt like his chest was on fire. Suddenly the CEO paused as he felt someone grab his hand from behind him ceasing Kaiba's movement. "There you are!" a familiar voice echoed in the golden eyed male's ears. Gradually the CEO felt himself being turned around only to come face to face with Daunte the Prince of Zaloz's Agethrim. Nearly concealed in the shadows except for the dimly lit candles flickering on the walls. But with just one glance of Kaiba's face disguised as Kenshin, a pained gaze eclipsed the brown-haired male's face. Gently Daunte caressed "Kenshin's" left cheek where a bruise still remained before he backed the blunette up against the wall wasting no time in wearing his anger.
"...Unforgivable..." Daunte hissed as venom dripped from each word he spoke before he checked Kaiba for any further bruises or injury. "He better not have hit you anywhere else I swear! How much more must I take!? I CURSE THE FACT I WAS BORN UNDER THE BLACK FAMILY! If I had been born like my sister then...then maybe I could finally begin to mend the scars that have been inflicted upon your heart...like you did mine..." the brown-haired male's voice trembled as his hair concealed his face. "...Please forgive me Kenshin...I promise...I WILL find The Black Power...and I will free you from these chains that bind you to this accused fate...just hold on...a little bit longer..." Daunte promised as he leaned in towards the blunette and his lips met with his Kaiba unable to stop him from doing so. However, from his shock filled gaze, he watched as Bloom and Roxy descended down the stairs nearby.
"I'm so glad they had a vacant room upstairs!" Bloom's voice broke through the silence. "Yeah, I just got the smell of the stew out of my hair! It smelled so much like carrots Kiko probably would've nibbled on it!" Roxy giggled causing Bloom to giggle too. " *giggles* I can imagine that. I mean who knew we'd end up on a completely diffrent world from our original destination." "Not me that's for sure!" Roxy admitted. "It was lucky for us that cute blonde guy stopped that chef from turning us into sashimi!" the faerie of animals cried as her mind went back in time. Both faerie's screaming as they realized they were in a boiling pot of Beef Stew.
"AHHHHHH! HOT HOT HOT!" Bloom and Roxy both cried and leaped out of the pot as the chef's eyes lit up with a fury unknown to any mere man. "MY STEW! YOU RUIN MY BABY I MADE WITH MY OWN BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS! I MAKE MEAT OUTTA YOUR FACE!" the chef cried out. "Uh oh! I think it's time to-" "RUN!" Bloom finished Roxy's sentence as the redhead grabbed her and ran as the chef chased after him flying past Cloud as he attempted to season and flavor the stew in question. The chef was under immense pressure because it was rumored Kenshin of Juniper had entered the tavern and the blunette was known to be a VERY picky eater with first-class taste. Any restaurant that did not meet his expectations was never heard from again. Thus he had forced Cloud a gourmet chef in his own right to assist him in spicing and flavoring his food to perfection. But now all that hard work was a wasted effort!
"EWWWW..." Roxy groaned as she sniffed her hair and clothing. "I-I smell like...like soup!" "...Well at least if they ever have a market for a beef stew perfume we can call it The Chef's Special." Bloom teased Roxy. "Haha very funny Bloom..." the faerie drly laughed. "Anyways I think it's safe to say that something went wrong with the portal potion." the redhead concluded. "VERY wrong..." Roxy added in. "Well, it doesn't matter, first we need to figure out just where we ended up..." Bloom concluded before both Roxy and she paused hearing voices just beyond the kitchen. "Roxy do you hear that?" "Yeah...it sounds like there are a lot of people outside the kitchen. Maybe we can ask someone where we are!" Roxy suggested. "Well, whatever we do we better do it fast! Because the chef is coming this way! And he looks MAD" Bloom cried before sharpened knives flew in their direction.
"WATCH OUT!" Roxy called out. "Roxy it's time for Celestix power! WINX CELESTIX!" Bloom cried before both Roxy and Bloom transformed into their faerie forms. "IRON FANG!" Roxy cried as she manifested a wolf's fang as a shield to protect both of them from the oncoming barrage of knives before another wave came their way. "I'll put an end to this!" Bloom narrowed her eyes before suddenly a magic circle appeared in front of the girls as Cloud emerged from within it. Using his blade he shielded Bloom and Roxy from being struck. Both girl's eyes only widening in surprise as the blonde narrowed his eyes in anger. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!? SOMEONE COULD'VE GOTTEN SERIOUSLY HURT!" Cloud yelled at the Chef as he approached them.
"It was THEM I tell you! They painted the dungeons with our soldier's blood and desecrated Chaos's Shrine! They are Witches that appear out of nowhere beyond the gateway!" the Chef accused as he pointed towards Bloom and Roxy whom only looked at each other in utter confusion. "Uh...do you know what he's talking about...?" Roxy questioned Bloom. "...No...but maybe if we talk we can reach some sort of understanding," Bloom suggested before Cloud only let out a scoff. "Get real, you've been inhaling too many fumes from the bleach bottle you use to clean your damn kitchen..." the blonde brushed off the Chef's accusation. "Oh, and by the way...you might wanna check on that smoke coming from the back...trust me if you serve anything less than perfection to Kenshin you can kiss this inn goodbye." Cloud teased the Chef before the male turned white in the face and hurried back inside. Bloom and Roxy let out a sigh of relief once he disappeared from their sight as the blonde placed his sword back in his sheath.
"Hehehe Sorry about that, are you girls alright? You're not hurt are you?" Cloud questioned. "No thanks to you. But...why did you defend us?" Bloom questioned. "Well, for one thing, you don't look like you're from around here and secondly you don't strike me as being anyone with bad intentions. You just ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. How did you end up in the Chef's stew anyway?" the blonde questioned. "Actually, we and our friends were trying to use a portal potion to travel to Covenant where our other companions are...but instead we ended up emerging in the beef stew and our friends nowhere in sight..." Roxy explained. "...Aw, man, that IS a complete disaster." Cloud couldn't help but chuckle. "Unfortunately for you, this isn't Covenant but Black Steel. It's a world that specializes in the art of BlackSmithing and that includes forging magic and non-magical weapons and armor. There's also a mine that contains rare and common ore that you can mine but it ain't as easy as people think it is. Normally BlackSteel welcomes any and all visitors but as I mentioned before you two happened to come at a bad time." the blonde explained before he paused.
"Oh boy...something just occurred to me...I haven't introduced myself have I? Sorry about that, manner arn't exactly one of my strong points." Cloud laughed nervously. "Let me introduce myself, My name's Cloud Raya. It's a shame we didn't meet under better circumstances." the blonde admitted before he held out his hand. "No kidding. My name is Bloom i'm the Princess of The Kingdom Of Sparks on Magix, The Keeper Of The Drag-I mean Phoenix Fire." redhead's head introduced herself. She was still getting used to that title herself. "And i'm Roxy. Princess of Tir-Nan-og of Earth, I'm the Faerie of Animals." Roxy followed. For a brief moment, Cloud's eyes widened as he looked at Bloom. {...So it's her...she's The Phoenix i've heard so much about...well now this IS interesting now isn't it...} the blonde thought to himself before he offered a warm smile as the girls took turns shaking his hand.
"It's very nice to meet you Cloud." Bloom offered a smile in return. "Likewise. It's nice to see a friendly face after THAT encounter. Roxy agreed. "Heheh I bet. Why don't we go somewhere a little more comfortable so we can talk for a bit? Then I can fill you as to what exactly is going on here...uh but first...walking in the tavern looking like that...could definitely cause some problems..." the blonde sweatdropped. "Oh! Right of course!" Bloom exclaimed before both she and Roxy reverted back to normal. "Hows this any better?" Roxy questioned. "Yep! I think that'll do, come and follow me this way." Cloud coaxed before he found them a table to sit at as Bloom and Roxy looked around in awe.
"Can I get you ladies anything to drink? I hear the spiced wine is especially worth trying." the blonde questioned. "Or if you're hungry I believe they're serving dinner right about now. They have some killer meat pies. So how about it?" Cloud offered. "Hmm, I wouldn't mind some Spiced Wine," Roxy admitted. "Alrighty, and you Bloom?" "None for me thanks. But it's kind of you to offer." Bloom shook her head as she waved her hands. The incident with Chris GoldenWater was still fresh in her mind. Although it was more than tempting since it smelled so good the faerie didn't think it was a good idea to let her guard down around people she had just met. Not that she believed Cloud meant them any harm. But they knew nothing about him either. Bloom watched carefully as the blonde poured Roxy a cup from the pitcher of wine on the table and placed it in front of her. Roxy picked up the cup she sniffed its intoxicating fumes.
"Mmm, it smells great! And it's warm..." the faerie of animals murmured as she took a sip. One sip had the power to warm her inside. "Are you sure you don't want any Bloom? It's REALLY good!" "Thanks but no thanks, Roxy. So...about what you were saying earlier...about us being in the wrong place at the wrong time...just what did you mean by that? Can you elaborate please?" Bloom requested. "Huh? Oh yeah right! Well there was kinda an incident that occurred and it has EVERYONE on edge...you heard the Chef back there mention bits and pieces of it. But i'll try and clear things up a bit." Cloud cleared his throat. "Basically BlackSteel is home to a shrine to one the gods of the NeitherWorld Chaos, and within it rests a blade of immense dark power The NightShade. Or it used to anyways..." the blonde began.
"But that's not all that BlackSteel's sanctum protects...although I can't say any more than that...mercenaries were hired to protect and guard the sacred shrine that lies deep below the dungeons...but somehow someone in the dead of night broke into the sanctuary and slaughtered all of the guards and hired swordsmen...not a trace of their presence other than the bodies scattered and the stoned floor stained with their blood...and when they disappeared...so did the sword...and something else that was precious...and since there were no witnesses it's impossible to discern who committed the crime that took place. Since that sanctum is a sacred place, all of BlackSteel is in a panic trying to catch the perpetrator. So you can see why they'd automatically be suspicious of anyone able to enter BlackSteel without using either a pass or the gateway..." Cloud explained to the girls as Roxy and Bloom exchanged worried glances.
"If that's true then what's going to happen to the others if they ended up somewhere in BlackSteel too!?" Roxy cried out worried before Bloom placed her hands on her best friend's shoulders. "Try and calm down Roxy...either way we can't go anywhere in this storm...we'd only raise further suspicion if we wandered around the town." Bloom attempted to reason with her. "So...just how far away DID we end up...exactly...?" Roxy questioned. "From Covenant you mean? I hate to tell you this but PRETTY far...unfortunately that's the pitfall when using Portal Potions...you mention you were in a group right? In that case, some of you may have ended up at your destination...while some of you didn't...I learned that from a friend of mine that's a mage...and speaking of which I have to meet up with her and someone else. By the way do you any place to stay ?" Cloud inquired.
"No, actually do you know anywhere we could crash for the night?" Bloom questioned. "Yeah from the looks of it we won't be going anywhere any time soon..." Roxy agreed. "In that case, I'll use my influence to snag you guys a room. Lucky for you a small handful of gold coins tends to put people in a charitable mood." the blonde grinned before he eased himself and got up from the table making his way towards the innkeeper. "Wow Cloud sure is nice isn't he?" Roxy admitted. "Yeah...he is...but don't let your guard down. Most people arn't nice without some kind of motive." Bloom warned the faerie. "...This is about Chris GoldenWater isn't it...?" Roxy frowned. "...E-Everyone warned me about him...and yet I ALWAYS try to see the good in people instead of the bad...and where did that get me? I was completely suckered by him and nearly ended up losing my life...and hurting Kaiba in a way that I never could take back..." Bloom told Roxy with a sadness in her voice as she frowned looking downwards.
"...Bloom, you can't blame yourself for that...but distrusting people at first glance just isn't like you...it's ok to be careful...but don't let it consume that warm heart of yours...there needs to be a balance...just like anything else. And who knows maybe you're right and maybe i'm wrong...but Cloud doesn't strike me as a bad person...I think we can trust him." Roxy murmured before a smile worked its way onto Bloom's lips. "You're right Roxy...and thank you..." the redhead smiled warmly before she hugged the faerie of animals. "From now on i'll try to stay positive." "That's Bloom we know and love." Roxy smiled in return before Cloud came back. "I booked you a room upstairs. It has a fireplace so you should be nice and warm for the night. Oh, and I ordered an apple pie for you guys on the house. I hope everything works out. If you need anything i'll be in the room down the hall after I finish my business here." the blonde told them.
"Thank you for everything REALLY. I don't know what we've done otherwise." Roxy thanked Cloud. "Yes, thanks a lot. But before you go can I ask you something real quick. It'll just take a minute of your time promise." Bloom questioned. "Sure go right ahead." the blonde told her as he rubbed the back of his head. "I'm just asking this out of curiosity...but could you please tell me how far it is to Emerald from here?" the faerie asked. "Oh, that? Actually, it's the next planet over...but if you use the gateway you can get there easily...though you'll need a gatekeeper's passcode to activate it i'm afraid... but what do you want to go to Emerald for?" Cloud questioned it peaking his curiosity. "Some of our friends are already there attending Emerald's Summit." Roxy filled in the blanks for him. But Cloud's eyes only narrowed.
"A piece of friendly advice...I wouldn't travel there if I were you...Emerald is in the midst of dealing with a power struggle between the Elves of High Kingdom and the Werewolves of Silverfang and Charcol Forest...expecially because recently they've had an outbreak of a blood magic curse causing the werewolves to behave like wild beasts...they are usually docile creatures so this is abnormal...however much like BlackSteel as to the case the case remains unsolved...and of course the werewolves blame the Elves and the Elves are using this situation defense to justify purging the entire race...the whole thing makes me sick to my stomach...either way it's best you not get involved...not if you value your lives..." Cloud told Bloom and Roxy before he walked away. Both watching as he disappeared into the crowd.
"...I don't know about you Bloom...but I DON'T like the sound of that!" Roxy exclaimed upset. "Me neither...but Cloud seemed pretty serious just now...it sounds as if all of the worlds are facing some kind of turmoil no matter where we go...and i'm betting you The A.O.J has something to do with it! If only we could find out more information about them...then maybe we would have a better idea how to fight the leader and those whom follow him!" Bloom exclaimed as she tightened her fists at her side. "Well, I guess for now let's go up to our room and try to get settled in. Though it's not exactly going to be easy to sleep when we just woke up. I didn't even realize that it's night here." Roxy murmured as they walked up the stairs. "I know that was a big surprise for me too." Bloom agreed as she opened the door. It was a cozy room with a freshly baked apple pie waiting for them on the table in the corner as promised.
"A candle?" Bloom questioned as she noticed that it and the fireplaces were the only sources of light along with lanterns. "Wow...I guess this is what Raeger meant by each planet having its own technology and defining features..." Roxy surmised. "It sure looks that way. But it's not so bad. At least we have beds." Bloom pointed out as she sat down before a roar of thunder nearly sent both faeries up to the ceiling. "OHHHH I HATE THUNDER!" Roxy cried as she attempted to cover her ears. "I can't hear anything! I can't hear anything lalalala..." the faerie of animals attempted to tune out the loud crashed echoing through the walls. "Just hold on a little longer Roxy i'm going to see if I can't calm down the storm a little with some magic..." Bloom told her best friend and stuck her head out of the window. "Wait for me Bloom i'll help you!" Roxy exclaimed before both of them used Celestix convergence to force the downpour into a light shower. Unfortunately, though they got more than a little wet.
"...Well...THAT didn't go exactly as planned..." Roxy murmured. "Yeah, we're soaked! Let's go and see if the innkeeper has any spare towels and some plates for the pie while we're at it." Bloom suggested. "Sounds good to me." Roxy smiled before they made their way down the stairs. "I'm so glad they had a vacant room upstairs!" Bloom's voice broke through the silence. "Yeah, I just got the smell of the stew out of my hair! It smelled so much like carrots Kiko probably would've nibbled on it!" Roxy giggled causing Bloom to giggle too. " I can imagine that. I mean who knew we'd end up on a completely diffrent world from our original destination." "Not me that's for sure!" Roxy admitted. "It was lucky for us Cloud stopped that Chef from turning us into sashimi!" the faerie of animals exclaimed. "Yeah, it sure was!" Bloom agreed before they paused as they came across Kenshin and Daunte kissing in the hallways.
"Oh boy..." Roxy groaned as her face turned red and hid it in her hands embarrassed. Bloom opened her mouth to speak up before she watched Kenshin grasp Daunte's arms and forced them apart nearly out of breath. "...S...Stop...i'm...i'm not...who you think I...am..." Kenshin murmured as his hair covered his expression. "AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!?" Daunte demanded to know before the blunette broke away from the brown-haired male and stumbled up the stairs. "KENSHIN!" Daunte yelled out after him before he cursed under his breath. "Tch..." the brown haired male hissed before his eyes turned towards both Bloom and Roxy. "...Sorry I hope we weren't interrupting anything..." Bloom appologised as soon as Daunte's eyes met hers. The brown haired male only shook his head. "Nah, not really...i'm just pissed off right now...damn it" he growled.
"About what?" Roxy questioned as she covered her eyes. Daunte only bit down on his lower lip. "About every bloody damn thing! Every time I see Kenshin he's got a new bruise or injury from being beaten like a rag doll from his father...it infuriates me...the fact I can't do a damn thing just PISSES me off more...I know damn it that he doesn't want his father to catch us together...I know that I do...but...I can't stand him pushing me away like that...though...that behavior was bizarre...even for him...it bugs the living crap out of me...but I guess he must've had some reason..." the brown haired male muttered as he crossed his arms and let out a heavy sigh as he shot a worried glance up the stairs. "...Are you worried something might be wrong with Kenshin?" Bloom questioned concerned herself.
"...Yeah...he's ill with Agethrim's plague...and I fear it might be getting worse...he has this nasty habit of working himself into the ground trying to help others rather than focusing on his own health...typical... always...worrying me sick..." Daunte muttered in frustration. But the concern was plain to see on his face. "You know I think you're making too big of a deal, a lot of times late and night people are more sensitive than they should be because of their fatigue, I'm sure everything will be fine tomorrow," Roxy told Daunte. "...Yeah, you've got a point...guess i'll just get a drink...Phoenix knows I need one..." the brown-haired male sighed and made his way back to the tavern. "And we should be getting those towels!" Bloom exclaimed. "And those plates. After going through all that I think some apple pie is seriously called for!" Roxy added.
"Agreed." the redhead giggled as they made their way towards the innkeeper before Bloom paused causing Roxy to bump into her. "Ouch! Why did you stop all of a sudden?" the faerie of animals questioned. "Sorry, Roxy...I just felt...a strange aura all of a sudden...I think it's coming from over here somewhere..." the redhead murmured before she spotted a sun pendant laying on the ground. "Over there!" Roxy pointed out as Bloom reached down and picked it up. "Roxy take a look at this!" the redhead called out before Roxy made her way over to Bloom. "Hey! Doesn't that look like the pendant Yugi had back when we opened the temple?! We had the Moon pendant but he had the Sun." Roxy murmured. "You're right Roxy...it's exactly the same..." "But why would it be here? Do you think it's Yugi's and he's been here the whole time?" the faerie of animals questioned. "Maybe...or it COULD be someone else's..." Bloom answered softly.
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