Chapter Four:
Quid Pro Quo
|ii.|
A little town bustling with life that has been missing for years, buildings once torn down by time being rebuilt of alabaster stone, and people once shrouded in misery and despair lookup with bright eyes towards a brand new future that lays before them.
And as Noé watched them from afar while leaning against the tiles of one of the buildings, she sneered at how they spent away in such happiness despite what happened. Barely a week ago, they had been nothing but a pile of shit on this earth. It had been because of her that they managed to rebuilt their town, but that hadn't matter to them. They had forgotten so easily about her and that infuriated her just as much as it gladdened her.
In the end, Noé realized as she watched them go about their new lives so blissfully that she had been mistaken before. These people weren't any more deserving of this world—of this eden— than any of the other weeds she'd ripped out from its soil.
Just another batch to remove later.
Scoffing, she couldn't agree more. Let them have their fun and bliss for now. They and those exactly like them would get their just dues eventually. That calmed her qualms somewhat. For now there was nothing else for her in Maladh. Careful not to hurt her healing burns, Noé climbed down the rooftop into a nearby alleyway that would hide her from the crowd even in the midst of such crowded morning.
"Maladh surely changed from what I remember it being. A djinn's powers and fortune sure can do wonders."
Noé didn't flinch away from the deep voice that came to her ears, not even when it was so close that it was practically standing behind her. Calmly, she turned to face the man that stood behind her just a few feet away. It was clear from his attire that he wasn't from anywhere here; in fact, the way he was dressed reminded her a lot of herself and how her own clothes resembled more a mosaic of different countries. His, though, leaned a bit more towards the kind of fashion she'd seen in Parthevia. Noé held her silence for a while longer and took the time to inspect the man fully. He was a inch or so taller than her—that was saying much seeing as she had just reached her peak of 5"9' a few years ago—which automatically irritated her seeing as she had to look slightly up at him. Under his hood, Noé could see a long braid of golden hair that ran down to his waist. Noé noted how different it looked from Yunan's or Scheherazade's—it wasn't a soft color like the hint of sunlight, it was a pure metallic gold. But apart from that it was his eyes that made her wary. Sharp and intense, they were the color of amethyst and radiated a cold that sent a chill down her spine. They were the type of eyes that she couldn't help but be annoyed with along with the cheeky smile he had plastered on his face.
Instinctively, Noé clicked her tongue before tossing her hair back. "And you are?"
"Sorry about scaring you—" Noé's expression turned aloof and she raised an incredulous eyebrow. He was seriously underestimating her, "—but I happened to be around here a week ago and well...I saw what happened. What they did to you." His hands came up to his hood and drew it back, the intensity from his eyes softening and the hue of his eyes turning warmer as well. "It wasn't right of them to treat you like that."
"I see no reason for you to care. Now scram before I give into the urge to pummel you into the ground in their stead." Being more than done with the conversation, she spun on her heels intent on leaving Maladh and these people for good.
"I care because I have the same goal as you, Noélia." Her skin crawled at hearing that name and she spun on her heels, glowering at the man that kept that same cheeky smile on his face. His head tilted slightly to one side at gaining her full attention. "I wish to find those you call recorders as well."
"Alright, who the hell are you?" And how the hell do you know that name?
"He isn't an original recorder?"
No, Noé would have recognized him had he been. Even if he happened to be, she already knew that none of her original friends were alive anymore. But if this impudent bastard knew these things about her then he could very well know other things. And she would get them out of him one way or another.
The man smiled and bowed slightly before her, a fisted hand crossed over to his left shoulder, before responding. "My name's Rakah Azeri. Where I come from is really nonconsequential but if you're curious, it was a little city called Alexandria."
Noé narrowed her eyes, paying close attention to what he said. Alexandria, the name did ring a bell but she didn't know from where or how. Rakah stepped forward as he opened his mouth to continue, but when she took a step back, he stopped and blinked owlishly.
"You don't trust me," he said matter-of-factly.
"You're going to have to give me more than a name, kid."
Rakah chuckled and nodded pensively. "I see. Wouldn't expect less of you, actually." Raising his hands in mock surrender, he reached to his left arm and began rolling back his sleeve. "Maybe this will get you on board with me." Noé watched closely but her eyes widened as tiny purple sparks began flying across his hand as he rolled back his sleeve. It can't be. But all her doubts were cleared once his sleeve was rolled up past his elbow and his forearm was visible. There on his skin was the faint mark of a sigil, a yellow eight-pointed star with two lightning bolts striking inside it and converging in the middle to form a diamond. The bulging veins were barely visible but they were there, sucking his magoi to create the dark sparks of lightning that flew across his skin like living tendrils seeking under it.
It was a seal, a gift, and he was its bearer. He was a descendent of Arikos. He has the Rumble of Thunder.
For a minute there was nothing but silence between them. It wasn't until the sunlight from above began to be clouded that Noé, perplexed, spared a glance to the skies above her and saw as gray clouds began to roll over them. As they did so, she could see them shift colors from gray to black to gray again. Her ears caught the faint roar of thunder and saw small flashes of the lightning inside the dark clouds moments before the rain started to pour uncontrollably. Shrieks of surprise from around the alleyward came and the people began running past the entrance to take cover. Neither she nor Rakah moved from their places though, her glower now directed at him. He scoffed not taking his eyes from the sky but lifting his other arm to cover his face from the droplets that fell overhead.
"Still don't quite understand why clouds chase me like that." He chortled, something that seemed to contrast the thunder clapping above their heads.
Noé did. "Cumulonimbus clouds are the source of lightning during storms. Rumble of Thunder conjures them and the rukh they contain to augment its powers—" and deplete hers.
It's what she had dreaded about finding the other seal bearers. Noé didn't understand how or why but the seals countered each other in some way, shape, or form. For her, both Rumble of Thunder and Peaceful Darkness were the seals to keep hers in check. It just happened to be her luck that she found the former.
"At least you found one, Noé." She agreed but also heard the tone with which Chief said those words. She wasn't all that kin of the man who showed up so out of nowhere knowing exactly where to find her and who she was. It seemed too easy, too convenient.
You found him. Now take it.
Not yet.
Noé took a complete 180 and showed him a lopsided grin, not caring for the rain that continued to pour on them. "Well, I'll be damned. You are one of us."
Rakah took his eyes away from the sky to look at her. "I sure am, whatever that means, anyway." His smile was sweet and boyish and crawled under her skin. "But I'm glad I at least found another one like me. I thought I was alone for sure."
Lying. He was lying through his teeth, that much was obvious. But deterring him was the last thing Noé wanted to do so instead she nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Lucky for you that you found me. How exactly did you?"
"Like I said, I was passing by Maladh a week ago—it's an old friend's hometown—and I happened to witness the fight you and the chieftain had against those beasts." His mood dampened then, a small frown showing on his lips, "And I also saw what they did to you, how they treated you. I've got to say that it wasn't right of them, no matter how you may look."
She narrowed her eyes at him at hearing that, a hand cautiously brushing against her right arm close to her strapped wing. "You saw?" Rakah nodded as a response. "And you're not afraid?"
"Afraid isn't the right word. I am curious, though." He chuckled and brushed his fingers through his wet hair, brushing bangs out of his face. "But maybe we should consider talking somewhere else?"
Noé gave it some thought for a second but realized before long that she kept coming to the same conclusion the more she thought about it.
"You're not thinking of bringing him back to your cottage...are you?"
Although it would be a stupid move, Noé knew that it was the safest as well. If he wants to play rough with me, he'll be the one in for a surprise. She hadn't decided to have her residence there just because of the view after all.
"If you think her spell will hold against another bearer then I won't oppose you. Just be careful, Noé"
Noé nodded to herself and Chief, both agreeing to exert caution before taking a step forward to grab his forearm and flashing both of them away. Despite the relatively short distance separating Maladh and the outskirts of Reim, the drainage was minimal and thankfully the clouds were slow to follow in her flash. The sun bathed them both as they landed a few feet outside of her cottage.
Rakah blinked stupefied at the sudden change of scenery and it gave Noé quite the satisfaction to see that after how brash he'd been. He muttered 'amazing' under his breath before his eyes started scouring his surroundings and taking it all in. She didn't wait for him and instead walked inside the cottage. Rakah followed after a few minutes and after she took the time to change into dry clothes—not caring if he didn't—she took a seat in one of the chairs in her small living room and offered him a seat. He took it uncomfortably but she dismissed it and sat back against her chair.
"Now, lil' Azeri, how about you start by talking?"
"Why am I starting?"
Noé motioned her hands all around her, showing off the place. "We are in my home. And as a guest you owe me for staying. Now," she gave him an eager and cheeky grin, "care to start us off?"
With her gentle nudging, Rakah did oblige in the end and Noé took special attention in picking apart his story at every bridge he crossed. Firstly, she noted how he kept his own past as vague as possible, only mentioning that his master at Alexandria had taken him in and had been the one to teach him about the seal and burden he had as its bearer. Immediately her first interruption was on who this master of his was which cause him to paused, his lips forming a smile that didn't reach his eyes, as melancholy filled his voice. His gaze came up to meet hers and he simply replied with, "She's long passed. But she was a wise and strong woman, the greatest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."
He left it at that and for some reason, Noé didn't feel like prying any further. Rakah quickly diverted the subject along to the struggles with his powers. The nimbus clouds were something he still struggled to chase away, he claimed, and noted how he would start many storms unintentionally. Noé assured him that it was natural; the powers of the seals weren't as easy to utilize as the magic magicians used. It wasn't borrowed from nature, it was imbedded in them, a part of them. Learning to use it was like learning to use an extension of their body they couldn't see or touch but could certainly feel. The struggle he described was something she could sympathize with to a degree.
Rakah explained that after some time of learning to use the seal that he became capable of speaking to the first bearer. "He said his name was Arikos."
Noé nodded but didn't verify anything to him. The boy might know her real name but she doubted he knew who she truly was, there was no need to give him any hints. So instead she played along and heard him out on what Arikos told him. Most of the times, his words were cryptic, puzzles or riddles he assumed; Noé knew better. Arikos always liked to toy with others by making them think harder than they should. And after hearing one of the many Rakah had been able to decipher from Arikos, she knew for a fact that it was him. Their contact was limited, though, apparently the connections between descendents was quite tattered by time. Although she thought it strange, Noé held her tongue and instead focused on what Rakah said next.
"The one thing he keeps repeating is that this world needs its champions to safeguard it. That he and rest of his brethren have a mission to fulfill given to them by their master."
It was here that Noé saw fit to explain further. "That we do." Weaving in some lies to make it believable, she continued, "From what I've gathered myself, they seek to reunite and with the seals combined release their master from her prison."
Rakah's eyes narrowed at this. "Arikos never mentioned she was imprisoned."
"Tragically so. Their master has the power to save this world from the darkness that's threatening to swallow it whole." Along with those nasty weeds and pests that infest it. "But she cannot affect our world from where she lays confined. Our seals are more than just powers, they're keys." Noé watched carefully, eyes glinting in the bright light of the morning sunlight that poured through her open curtains. Chief told her that she had said too much but Noé set that aside for now. If she had indeed, then she would deal with those consequences later. For as much as she yearned to take Rumble of Thunder from Rakah, Noé knew of only a couple of ways to do it. He either 'gifted' the seal to her or she could take it by assimilating with his rukh; the latter was less than favorable to her.
But you won't abstain from the choice if it comes down to it.
Senseless violence for the sake of it wasn't how she liked things done, at least not where the descendents of her dear friends were concerned. If she was going to treat anybody with the dignity they deserved, it would be them.
"And this prison of hers…where is it?"
Noé heard the underlying tone of that question though she couldn't quite name it. Whatever it was, it warned her not to tell him that one piece of information, and for once she heeded her instincts. "That is something I'm researching myself. So far I have no clues as to where it might be. No solid ones at least." Leaning back against her chair, Noé heaved a sigh and brushed her fingers against the wooden armrest. "Now," she gave him a slight grin, "I'm sure you can gather that this conversation was merely a courtesy from my part. Seeing as we're both seal bearers, I thought it'd be fair to share that information at least." Noé clapped her hands getting his full attention.
A smirk rose to his lips and he raised a questioning brow at her. "Are you suggesting we collaborate?"
Her shoulders shrugged but her lopsided grin told him differently. "Two heads think better than one."
"How can I be sure you will disclose fully what you know and do if I accept?"
"How can I be sure you will?" she retorted.
He scoffed at her ingenuity and raised his hands up in surrender, "Fair enough. How about striking a deal then?"
This time it was her turn to hum in inquiry. "A deal?"
Rakah told her not to panic before reaching under the folds of his coat to bring out a wand that was quite shorter than his forearm. It wasn't until that moment that Noé realized that not only was Rakah a bearer but he was also a magician. Deadly combo.
"Is that so?"
Absolutely. Unlike them, magicians made it their life's work to understand magic. Knowledge gave them power unlike any other because it allowed them to deconstruct and reconstruct magic formulae in infinite manners. Imagination, in their case, was the limit. A magician that also happened to be a seal bearer was definitely something not to be taken lightly. He may not be as powerful as a magi in terms of limitless magoi but he was on par with them where lightning magic was concerned. Perhaps even more so. Theirs was a raw power. It wasn't a part of life, it created life. And in the wrong hands, it could very well destroy it too.
Noé thrummed her fingers against the armrest waiting for him to continue. Rakah took the initiative then and tapped his wand against his right forearm where a dark purple mark appeared. It was an intricate design of three dark rings entwined around it, like snakes, that glowed lightly under the sunlight. "I'm a magician, but aside from that, I specialize in brokering."
"I know of your kind," Noé spoke pensively, leaning her chin against her hand, "You curse people into deals so that no foul play can happen. You usually work for high-end trading companies or governments, don't you?"
"I'm more of a freelancer." An bubbly chuckle escaped him then at recalling another thing, "And it's not really a curse. Just an intricate magic formula. Otherwise, you got it pretty on point."
"Are you suggesting we enter a contract?"
"You just met me," he stated blatantly with that same grin on his face, "And you clearly don't trust me. I don't fault you either. But we are aiming for the same goal; I may not know much about the seals or about Arikos and who or what he was but I can agree with him that there's a darkness spreading throughout the world and at an alarming rate at that. It can't be left to roam free to spread further."
Noé thought her options through, her mind running miles a second as a silence came between them.
"Do you trust him to do as he says?"
Hardly, she confessed, but I'm not fond of the idea of robbing him of his seal. And if I can get him to gift it to me, it'd be best for the both of us.
Chief pondered for a moment, her soft breathing slowing down before she sighed in the back of Noé's mind. "What will you do then?"
Wait. Watch.
A grin spread across her lips and Noé stood, taking the few shorts steps to stand before him as Rakah stood alongside her. There was no hesitation as she stretched her hand out, palm open. "Then let's make this mutual, why don't we? You help me, I help you."
"In whatever we may need?"
"In this goal of ours," she specified, her grin turning taut, "You and I know something about ourselves that rarely anybody gets to before they die, we know our purpose. And we have a duty to accomplish it."
Rakah gave her a boyish grin and nodded. "You are right on that. I for one wouldn't want to see the world die off that easily."
"Noé…"
I know. Noé didn't know what it was that both she and Chief perceived from the boy but it was more than evident, no matter how much he tried hiding it behind cheeky smiles and sweet words. She would have to be cautious about how she dealt with him. Whatever he may say his intentions are, Noé knew that she would have to take his words with a grain of salt. And she would have to make hers just as explicit and vague.
"Agreed," she muttered under her breath before taking his hand into hers, "Here's to us helping one another in our mutual goals. So we can save this world."
His grip tightened around her hand and he gave a smirk that reached his eyes, "Let's." The moment they agreed, Noé was blinded by the bright dark light that came from his arm before she felt the sharp sting that began to crawl on her arm. She could have sworn she'd felt it before—a pain that crawled under her skin, perforating it and latching itself onto her very blood—but it was gone before she had anytime to tell and in its place, along the inside of her forearm, the dark ink of magic left its mark.
The moment he released his hold, she took her arm back and inspected the ink left behind. It contrasted against her dark skin, the mark that was so similar to the one he had on his, and glowed faintly despite the brightness from outside coming in. Noé knew of the 'ink' left behind on those who used brokers to negotiate their deals. Each was distinct to the broker, and since only magicians could broker, the inks they put on those they dealt with were unique to the magician. Noé gave the mark on her forearm a small appraisal; it wasn't anything over the top from the looks of it. The rings—the snakes—looked disjointed on the back of her palm and up her arm, as if they had been separated from one another. Sparing Rakah's arm a glance as he rolled down his sleeve, Noé noticed the same thing on his. The rings weren't complete anymore; they had split between hers and his. They were pieces of a whole separated between the players, she guessed.
Noé fisted her hand a few times but found nothing wrong with it. It still functioned as it should. The only thing amiss now was the disconnected snakes.
"By the way…" Noé couldn't understand why it was just now that she noticed the lilt in his voice, but figured almost instantly she would come to dislike it. "There is one thing I'd like to ask now that we've entered this mutual arrangement."
Her eyes narrowed then. There's the catch. When she remained quiet, Rakah saw this as his queue to continue. "Being only two of us searching this large world, I'd figure maybe sharing a bit might do us good."
His statement was vague but she combed through it well enough to know what he meant. "You want Grace of Sunlight's powers?"
Rakah immediately raised his hands up in mock surrender as he smiled. "I don't want your gift if that's what you think. I was thinking more along the lines of linking with you."
Hearing this made her eyes narrow even further, scrutinizing the boy before her. Noé was astounded that he even knew about linking.
"Noé, what is he talking about?"
That's right. She'd forgotten that Chief didn't know every nitty gritty detail about her seal. Seal bearers are able to propagate their powers through linking with others. The amount of people we're able to link with depends on how compatible and able its bearer is. It's reminiscent of how you lot choose your household members, actually.
It was a process that although knowledgeable about it, Noé was far from familiar with. Unlike household members, linking with others wasn't very preferable in her opinion. Although linking with others did lessen the burden of her penance, it also greatly diminished her powers alongside it. To her, she lost more in that bargain than she gained. She could live with a little parched throat if it meant having her powers to herself.
But even at denying him this, Rakah persisted albeit rather passively. A grin quirked at the edges of her lip. How interesting. Seeing his grit, Noé opted for another option to test him. "Okay, fine. I'll let you borrow Grace of Sunlight."
"Great," he perked up, "then let's—" but a lifted finger from her made him quiet down as she picked up the conversation.
"But it'll be discarded magic."
His brow furrowed and his smile faded. This clearly wasn't what he wanted to hear. Oh, how she relished in this. "What do you mean?"
Getting up, she walked to her dresser where from an old wooden jewelry box she picked out an long necklace from where a small glass sphere barely the size of her thumb hung. Noé's grin grew as she held it up for him to see from where he sat. "A vessel where I can put in magic you can use."
"Linking would be easier."
"And far less convenient for me," she admitted straight forward as she came forth to lean against the back of her own chair. "You want to borrow Grace of Sunlight?" As emphasis, she tapped a finger against the glass sphere and channeled some light magic into it. The sphere glowed a bright orange before it died down into a faint shimmer as the light morphed into a faint substance reminiscent of fine grains of sand. "Then you will under my own terms."
Noé applauded his tentativeness. He knew he was getting shafted, but the way she saw it. at least he was getting something. In the end, he opted for his best choice as shitty as it may seem. "Fine, I agree."
"Don't pout, Ra-chan. It makes you look childish." She cupped her cheeks as she leaned her elbows on his chair's back while from one of her fingers dangled the chain and sphere. "Think of it as a magic tool. In fact, that's exactly what it is. It'll need refueling and you'll need to learn how to channel it, that's really the downsides of it. But being a magician yourself, I don't think it'll be all that difficult for you. Look on the bright side, though."
"There is one?" he asked sarcastically making Noé chuckle. She kind of was enjoying this snarky side of him that was surfacing.
She nodded as her answer before explaining. "You will use what's around you instead of creating it like I do. It won't use up as much magic as linking would."
A half grin came to him then. "The small blessings." He stretched out his hand towards Noé then asking for the necklace. Noé smiled sweetly and reached out to give it to him but before it fell in his open palm she pulled it up just as he closed it.
"One more thing."
"What is it now?" he asked evidently getting annoyed at her pulling his leg.
"If I ever see the need to, I'm allowed to cancel this contract of ours."
"You can't propose that now. We already contracted."
"I beg to differ." She chuckled and tugged at the necklace still between her fingers, dangling it like the delicious fruit it was. "You're the broker, Ra-chan. You can change the deal as you see fit so long as we both agree. So let's jot those down, shall we? You say we have to gather our brethren and their powers. I agree with you there. But I won't agree to your methods if they clash against mine. If this happens I won't let you have anymore of Grace of Sunlight." She pulled back the necklace as a feral grin came over her features. "And if need be, I will take yours as well."
His eyes steeled then as one of his eyebrows rose. "Are you threatening me?"
Noé wasn't bothered by his sudden change in demeanor and simply shrugged her shoulders. "That's just my promise to you, so take it as you will. Either way, those are my terms. Your choice whether to take them or not."
"You make it sound like this is benefitting me more than you."
"Because it is. As things stand, you need me more than I need you." Noé gave him a boastful grin then, a few teeth showing, as she rested her case and extended the necklace one more time. "So, what's it going to be?"
—{ii}—
Carrying a basin back and forth between the river and house always left Maahes exhausted to his bones. Despite being 22, Maahes was not the strong type of person; activities like these mundane house chores did tire him out but unlike the chores he had to do for work, he didn't mind these so much.
As he let the flowing water fill the basin that laid next to his feet, Maahes swept a hand through his long white hair that was wrapped in a low ponytail before deep blue eyes wandered over to glance at the back of the cottage from afar, the small speck that it was from his position, and the garden that laid behind it. A smile crept across his lips at the sight of it. Tending the gardens that Miss Noé kept not far from her small house was one of the few joys to him. Not only was the place beautiful and small, it seemed to mean something to her and if it was to help keep something as special as that alive for her, he could deal with being sweaty for a couple of hours. Taking a deep breath and wiping said perspiration from a dark-skinned forehead, Maahes brazed himself and hauled the basin back to the house.
A few minutes and stops along the way later, the young man found his way to the edge of the garden. Maahes took a breath before he began to water the flower beds that littered the space. Miss Noé never said how she managed to get so many wildflowers to grow there, but he didn't complain. White lilies were a rarity in Reim, often flourishing better under the sunlight that places like Maurenia and Cathargo got to the south. Those were what mostly laid in the garden with only smaller ones bringing a bit of color aside from the prairie's grass. Maahes watered while humming a tune under his breath but stopped when the creaking of the front door sounded through.
She's here! His smile widened at that since the times when he happened to see Miss Noé were few in between. Leaving the basin and ladle he'd been using to water the plants, Maahes sprinted out of the garden, careful not to step on the lilies, and rounded the house expecting her but finding a complete stranger exiting the cottage.
His brow furrowed just as a blond man spared him a glance from arranging his gloves back on his hands. Amethyst eyes met a deep blue and blinked owlishly a couple of times before smiling at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you coming this way."
"I-It's fine," he muttered back under his breath, his gaze falling away from the man. "I thought you were—"
"Maahes?" Deep blues circumvented the blond man and caught the sight of the woman who'd spoken and who he knew best. His glee returned at seeing Miss Noé come from behind the man and he quickly took the few steps to reach her side. "You're here?" she asked in a quiet voice.
But before he could answer, the blond man stepped away from them to turn towards Noé. He tipped his head modestly and spared them a smile. "I'll be in contact with you, Noé." She only muttered her agreement to something that Maahes didn't know. "Hope next time we meet it's with better assets in our arsenal. You two have a good rest of your day." With that the man turned about and went on his way.
Miss Noé didn't even wait for him to disappear beyond the hill before she went back inside the cottage. Confused, Maahes couldn't do much else but follow as he began to ask, "Who's—"
"Business partner."
Odd. Maahes never knew she worked anywhere where she'd need partners. He shook the thought out of his head as Noé went about the kitchen making some tea. As the water boiled, she came back and ruffled the top of his head affectionately and got a chuckle out of him. With their height disparities—she a good half foot taller—it always made him feel like a child. It wasn't something he completely disliked though.
A lopsided grin came to her and she leaned back against the counter propping herself with her arms. "It's been awhile, Maa. How have you been?"
Yeah, two years is quite the while. But Maahes had figured out some years ago that Miss Noé did not have the most accurate internal clock. She would often confuse a few months with a few years whenever they reencountered and he would have to explain to her exactly how long ago they'd last met. Is that so, she would reply and simply dismiss it like just another season having passed. It didn't bother him much, though. He liked that part of her, frankly, the one that didn't put any attention to the unnecessary.
"I've been good, Miss Noé," he began, "Work has been grand. Commander Alexius says that my latest work has helped his troops with training."
"Oh, Natty's using your inventions?" Maahes chuckled at the nickname Miss Noé had for Commander Alexius and nodded as a reply. Her laughter rung through the cottage and mixed with the whistling of the boiling water. She poured the tea for both of them and guided them back to sit by her small dining table. "That's great, Maa. Good to hear, really."
"How about you, Miss Noé?" Maahes perked up when she boastfully lifted her chin and chuckled.
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you."
"Try me," he jested with an airy laughter. That was all the incentive she needed to start on one of her stories about her many adventures. Maahes never knew how much of them were real since she often times exaggerated things, but he knew that if any of them would be true, they would be the ones of her dungeon diving.
|i.|
There were times when Noé wondered the same thing that crossed Chief's mind about her decisions. This moment was definitely one of them. Slim fingers thrummed against her thigh as she sat cross-legged before the problem before her.
"Noé?"
"Mm."
"What are you going to do about this?"
"Frankly, I'll take your suggestions," she muttered under her breath. Emerald eyes trained on the tiny body of the white-haired boy resting before her. Noé had seen strange things while dungeon diving, and over the past years she had grown more than accustomed to it, but it wasn't often that she found things that weren't supposed to be in dungeons...like drowning kids. She heaved a sigh still not getting why she bothered to save the boy.
"You're not one to leave the innocent to a cruel fate."
She supposed that was a reason. Her mind wandered on about her logic but her eyes went back to the boy. The poor lad had been struggling in the running waters of the dungeon when she saved him; the dark skin and white hair told her that he was obviously a native of the country. With the guards that had been outside the dungeon, she mulled over just how such a young-looking boy snuck his way through. But those thoughts escaped her as the boy began to groan awake, turning on his side as he coughed up. Dark blue eyes widened and stared bewildered at her after scouting his surroundings.
Noé smiled at the boy and waved dismissively. "Hello, boy. You feeling alright? "
He blinked owlishly, breathing heavily from almost drowning, but he managed to nod after a few moments. She smiled and nodded alongside him trying to get his head set back on the earth. When she asked him to speak, the first thing he said was "Maahes."
Her brow furrowed at hearing this. "Huh?"
"M-My name…" he mumbled between coughs, wiping droplets that clung to his hair and fell to his face away, "My name is...Maahes."
How odd.
"Look at his clothes, kid."
Her eyes fell on the wet clothes—ripped at parts, dirty, simple—that clung to his tiny body. Tiny, malnourished. Her eyes narrowed as they filled with pity. Poor thing's a slave. Noé hadn't been to the southwestern part of the world often which is why she wasn't very well versed with the countries or peoples in the southern deserts. But Heliohapt turned out to be a pretty normal society. Aside from being isolated, the people were broken between their ruling factions. Something she noticed despite not putting much attention to it when she did. It bothered her—slavery always bothered her—but like always she rarely did anything about it. There was little that one person could do to change a transnational practice like slavery, anyway.
Which brought her back to her original query of how a slave managed to enter such a highly guarded place. Giving some of her water to the kid, she watched over him until she settled to ask him, "So, what's a kid like you doing in a dungeon?"
His big blue eyes shot up at her and pled for her to keep quiet. Apparently he knew what he'd donw but also appeared to want to be here. Stranger still, but Noé took it in stride. It wasn't any of her business anyway. It wasn't until after she assured Maahes of this that he decided to open up about why he was there in the first place.
Maahes wanted the djinn. He wanted to escape his life of servitude and explore the world...to learn. Noé felt for the boy, she knew exactly what that was like. So instead of leaving the boy to fend for himself, she took him along partly because she was empathic about him. And also because she would need someone to capture the djinn of this dungeon, one she still had no clue of who it was.
You really have no idea who this is?
Chief heaved a deep sigh as she thought about it. Noé didn't interrupt and simply gave her time. Surely she would come up with something while seeing the dungeon as she and Maahes traversed it to get to the treasure room. But even as they stood before the last room's open entrance, Chief still had nothing. Noé really thought nothing of it. It wasn't like they hadn't plunged into dungeons without knowing the djinns they housed before.
The moment she heard his voice, though, she knew better than to step so carefree through this treasure room and quickly pulled Maahes back against her before fracturing the light to shroud them.
"Welcome, humans."
"Oh dear…"
"I am the djinn of spirit and puppetry…"
Noé paled and held a hand over Maahes' mouth as he struggled to be let free and figure out what was happening. But she couldn't allow themselves to be seen. Chuckling nervously under her breath, Noé lightly knocked her forehead against the top of Maahes' head.
Why out of all of them did it have to be Zepar?
|ii.|
"You're leaving so soon?"
Noé's lips turned to a taut line as she began to take some of the desserts Maahes had made for tea. Hours had already passed since their chat and a dull morning had turned quickly into a very animated evening. Frankly, she enjoyed the time with Maahes but she tended to leave the time she spent in her cottage at a minimum. And since she had recovered already from what happened at Maladh, she was ready to head out again.
Back to dungeon diving. And her new broker 'friend' had given her quite the drop of information as well. One she wanted to verify for herself.
"Sorry, Maa, but there's much for me to do still. I came by to rest up a bit is all. Sorry I can't stay longer."
Maahes took a deep breath and reciprocated the gesture. "That's alright. It's not like I don't understand. Things have been very hectic at Reim too." The boy pursed his lips pensively, "Especially with Commander Alexius and the Fanalis Corp."
"They've been training more than usual?" she quipped with a chuckle.
"That, and I've been hearing stuff. Something concerning the country-state that's across the sea to the east, I think."
Noé stopped briefly from stuffing her face with food at that comment but finished her treat quickly afterwards, licking her fingers off from the cream, before speaking. "Magnostadt?"
Maahes snapped her fingers. "Yes, them. It's a country of magicians, right?"
"Yeah," she replied as she continued to pack some supplies in a simple knapsack she had lying around in the cottage.
Magnostadt. She hadn't been around those parts of the world since before the Musta'sim Kingdom established itself. Noé had heard of the revolt from the school and had also heard the outcome of said revolution, but because there hadn't been many dungeons raised there, she seldom went around those parts of the world. But if Reim was beginning to be wary of the place perhap it would be a good place to look into.
But later. We still have somewhere else to go to first.
Having finished packing, Noé turned to Maahes as he finished cleaning what dishes they had used. A lopsided grin came to her lips as she tossed the knapsack over her shoulder. "You take care, Maa. Things seem to be getting interesting for once."
Maahes nodded solemnly before smiling daintily. It always amazed Noé how even after growing so much, Maahes still looked younger than his years. He looked so gentle, kind, and understanding. And he was all those things and more. "I will, Miss Noé. You take care of yourself too."
Noé mumbled her response under her breath as she headed to the door. Before she stepped through the threshold though, she turned to glance over her shoulder at the boy. "And thank you for caring for the garden, Maahes." She didn't wait for an answer, quickly exiting the house before instantly flashing.
In an instant the quiet prairie of Reim's countryside was replaced by the lively burghal island of Sindria. Her nostrils immediately caught the scent of salt and her ears thrummed with the sounds of the ocean waves lapping at the island's edge. Over the sea salt, she could also catch the superfluous scent of spices that overran the city's marketplace. Although she loved Sindria for its culture, it wasn't her destination, so instead of staying to enjoy the food as she usually would, Noé stepped out of the alley she'd flashed to and took the road heading for the ports.
"You're really going to take the boy Rakah's advice?" Chief asked, wariness and disbelief weaved in her voice.
It's not unfounded.
Noé knew two of the three magi currently alive personally. And although it had been sometime since she last talked to Scheherazade, Yunan often told her about the dungeons he constantly rose and collapsed. From the last list he had provided her, she had gone through eleven of the twelve in the past years. The one that Rakah told her about during the long talk was indeed the last one on that list she had still to visit.
An island off to the south of the Sindria Kingdom, one inhabited by people of Toran. Rakah described the dungeon like Yunan had word for word.
Let's finish Yunan's list first.
"As you wish," Chief agreed with solemnity.
The Toran. A smile crept to Noé, her ears buzzing with the chatter of their language as she walked through the village. How nostalgic.
"Like a gift for you pretty lady?"
A chuckle escaped her at seeing the young toddler that approached her holding a necklace made of shells. More of her little friends hovered around her, offering gifts and other knick knacks clearly handmade. She laughed again under her breath as she hunched down so that the little girl could place the necklace over her head. They were so cute thinking they were swindling her. Reaching into her pocket, Noé took a handful of gold coins before distributing them around to the kids. Their eyes grew wide and sparkled as the fat coins landed on their palms.
Lilting her voice to speak, Noé ruffled the little girl's head as she stood up, "You lot take that back to your parents. Keep one for yourselves too. And stop tricking people."
A chorus of thanks resounded through the children, some snickering from that last comment, before they scurried off. A scoff escaped her, her hand reaching to accommodate the shell necklace they'd given her, before going about asking the locals about the dungeon. Many were astounded she could speak their language, and speak it so fluently for that matter, but she guessed her appearance did give off a very foreign vibe. But as she went on gathering information, she noticed that many said the strange tower was off limits for them and that anybody who wanted to approach needed to talk to the chieftain first.
"That would be problematic."
No kidding. Noé was definitely not the best diplomat. She doubted that talking to their chieftain would help her get anywhere near the dungeon. Plan B it is then. Stopping a young lady, she asked a vague question but one that would get her the information she needed all the same. Thinking Noé wanted to be wary of the dungeon so as to not be snagged like all the others, the woman pointed and describe the area to be careful off.
Near the reefs, huh?
"You think you can flash your way through?"
If I take it piece by piece, sure. Besides, I only need to come close enough for the dungeon to whisk me away.
That in mind, Noé went off to the outskirts of the village before hiding to flash out. From her voyage from Sindria, she had gotten a clear view of the many little islets surrounding the mainland and recognized those that the woman had described from memory. She flashed from islet to islet to get there, stopping briefly at times to let the rays of sun replenish her magoi before continuing on, and before long reached an island big enough where she could catch a glimpse of the dungeon itself. Flashing to it and finding a tree to survey the area, Noé perched herself on it watching the dungeon from afar and taking the time to take a couple of water.
"So that's Zagan," she mused a bit disquieted.
"By the looks of it," Chief replied before heaving a sigh. "Are you sure about this? Zagan wasn't quite fond of you recorders, if I recall correctly."
A nervous chuckle escaped her as she dropped from her perch to the ground beneath. "He may not be fond of me but I still think it's worth a try to speak to him."
"Should I remind you how bad your attempts ended when you went into Leraje's and Zepar's with that same optimism?"
She'd rather not. But high probability didn't equate certainty.
"But it damn well predicts it, kid. But if you still want to go in then I'm with you every step of the way."
"Thanks, Chief," she mumbled under her breath as she trekked through the jungle to get closer to the dungeon. "Let's be honest here, though, you do enjoy my being pummeled down a notch or two from time to time."
Her confidence dropped at hearing Chief's bellowing laughter through her head. "I won't lie to you, it is quite amusing seeing that when it's due."
Noé mocked her laughter but stopped short when a glint of something at the dungeon's entrance caught her by surprise. Her eyes narrowed, hearing sharp, but nothing prepared her for the flash of light that swept down from it to wrap around her whole body. The sudden tightness of the tendril caught her by surprise, her ferocity wanting to lash out and escape from its grasp, but she managed to control herself long enough for the dungeon to do its job and drag her into itself.
A blinding light caught her eyes before she saw that world again. And then all at once everything went dark.
|i.|
It was incredible that Zepar was still as much of a child as before. Even if he was the head of the imps, he was still an imp in the end. Regardless of that, though, Noé understood why his tests were so harsh concerning the subordinates of his potential king candidate.
Speaking of which…
That's the little sailor boy from Baal?
"Years change a person, Noé. And time is different for them than it is for you."
True but she was surprised still to see the sailor from Baal's dungeon so grown. She didn't remember well when that had been—almost four years ago?—but she knew that he hadn't looked like that or had as many companions as he did now. Guess the years did change people.
"Miss?" Noé hushed him with a hand over his mouth. Even if he whispered, speaking was still quite a hazard in this dungeon now that she knew it was Zepar's. Coming closer to his ear, she tried her hardest to whisper as lowly and with as few words as possible.
"That's the djinn. It's not safe right now for us. Let's wait and watch for now." Curiously, Maahes listened and nodded before relaxing in her hold. Now that she had him more calm, she tried guiding them closer to the arena to watch. If Sinbad the little sailor was here then it made her job easier. However a part of her mind doubted things would go as smoothly as she thought they would. This was Zepar they were talking about, after all.
And the tests he gave to Sinbad's companions were brutal. Two knocked each other out after managing to summon their household vessels. The next pair—two freaking kids for crying out loud—duked it out next. What she hadn't expected was that they would refuse making Zepar control the redhead she hadn't noticed was a Fanalis. But what surprised her most was the assassin that had used his previous abilities to fake his own death to 'pass' Zepar's test. Oh, little sailor boy had gotten himself a particular crowd indeed.
But that last stunt cost Sinbad his candidacy. And it seemed that they would certainly remain here if Sinbad's only remedy to the situation was violence. Truly, he hadn't taken anything into consideration even after seeing Zepar's powers.
It appeared one of the little ladies with him had though. But with her up for candidacy brought up a whole new game of Zepar's.
But just as they were about to start, Maahes curiously turned his head up to whisper. Loudly. "B-But what about me?"
Everything after that happened way too fast. Noé knew that if she had been able to hear his whisper that loudly then Zepar had heard it more than clearly. But she didn't wait to confirm it. The instant she felt the atmosphere around her change, Noé used her metal vessel to materialize shields of light around her and Maahes. The boy screamed in her tight hold as the sound attacks burst through every angle. The shields were not strong enough to withstand the relentless attacks, though, and broke within moments. Noé didn't hesitate to cover Maahes with her body to take the onslaught that came against them. Taking the full brunt of it while protecting him threw her off her feet, tossing her onto the ground and breaking her illusion.
Maahes mumbled unintelligibly, shock and concern pouring from his words, but Noé sat up with him in arms and smiled down at him despite the pain from the assault. "You okay, Maa?" The name slipped from his lips like a prayer as tears began to prick at the corner of his deep blue eyes. But the moment that Zepar spoke up again, the little Heliohaptian boy strapped his arms tightly around her torso, holding onto her like a lifeline.
"You…"
Noé knew this would happen if she were found in this dungeon but damn did the imp hit hard and relentlessly. From the group of travelers, a loud gasp was heard from one in particular, the sailor boy. She scoffed, apparently she wasn't the only one that remembered their meeting.
"H-Hey," she called out loud enough for everybody to hear but focused her gaze at the djinn, "mighty welcome you gave for a king's candidate."
Zepar glowered, baring teeth as he grew in size to tower over the whole of them. "You and your kind are no candidates for our power!"
His declaration made her scoff, "Seems Chief Romali thought otherwise."
His eyes widened slightly when hearing that but he regained his menacing composure almost immediately before lifting his hand towards her to attack again.
"Equip me."
No point. Zepar could control her as easily as he had done the little Fanalis cub. And with the amount of power she had, he would definitely just make her attack everybody else. She wasn't about to risk innocent bystanders to fight against a childish and impudent imp.
"Stop!" Emerald eyes widened and stared at the young man that stood before her and Maahes sword held aloft to defend them. All Noé saw however was the back of a little kid that had broaden and whose spine had grown over the last few years. Sinbad eyed Zepar calmly, raising his weapon only in their defense but not seemingly to fight him. "Why are you hurting her so out of the blue? Aren't you djinn supposed to treat all those who enter your dungeon equally?"
Zepar clicked his tongue annoyed at Sinbad's interference. "Vermin like her don't deserve us. They come from a traitorous master, and I will not consign myself to her even if she were the last person in your world."
"My master was no traitor." Noé knew very well that speaking now would only put her in worse trouble but frankly that mattered little to her now that Zepar had spoken so blatantly about her. Baring her own teeth, though that did little to intimidate such a being, Noé glared up at him. "She aided you, she fought for you, she freed you—"
"She betrayed us, she betrayed him. That makes her a traitor. And as one of her disciples, you're no different." Zepar swept his outstretched hand to the side and Sinbad got transported back to his group, baffled and too far away to reach and protect the two of them as the djinn raised his hand once more at her. "And I will never accept a traitor as a master."
She didn't know what he would do so Noé held onto Maahes tightly, protecting the boy, as Zepar flicked his hand away. Noé took a punch to the gut that robbed her lungs of air as she felt gusts rush by her hair. Taken aback by the hit, she closed her eyes and waited for the feeling to leave her. That ended when out of the blue her back hit solid ground, her wing throbbing painfully from the hit as she skidded across the sand to a stop. Noé took a deep breath once she noticed she wasn't moving anymore and opened her eyes to find herself blinking at an undying sun whose rays ruthlessly hit at the ground she now laid on.
Did he…
Chief sighed through her nose, the gesture more than a little upset. "He expelled you from the dungeon."
You guys can do that?
"If circumstances call for it. Killing you seemed like his preferable option from what I saw however. I guess he's not as brazen or childish as you thought if he knew and took into account the consequences that particular action would bring."
Gee, Noé sure was glad to be her for once because dying was not in her plans right now. Or anytime soon for that matter.
The spewing so near her face reminded Noé of the child that she still held tightly in her arms. Her hold slackened and it allowed Maahes to lift up from his spot lying on top of her. "W-Wh-pft-what happened?"
"The djinn threw us out of his dungeon." A first for her, and knowing the others that weren't particularly fond of her, she guessed it wouldn't be the last. "Sorry, kid. I thought I'd be able to get you that power." And those riches.
Maahes didn't answer. Instead he helped himself off of Noé and silently sat with his legs tucked beneath him, his skin touching the scorching sand. Noé let a sigh through her nose at looking at the boy so devastated and doleful. This had been his chance to live a different life than the one he had before. His chance to be more than a piece of meat someone sold and that others tossed around for work.
And because of her, he lost that.
"His circumstances and yours don't coincide that way, Noé. You saved him from dying."
Those words meant nothing when she heard Maahes sniffling only to see him quickly rub at his eyes to whisk the tears away. Tears that came from knowing the same thing she did.
And he gets to live out the rest of his miserable life in servitude because of me.
You cannot change what is.
She knew that—her hand reached up to grasp at her left shoulder sullenly—and she frankly doubted there was anybody out in the world who understood that fact for what it was better than her. But as that same fact kept replaying in her head, another much louder one spoke above it.
Maahes is not me and I won't let him be.
Letting go of her shoulder, Noé reached out to Maahes and took his cheek into her hand. She gave him a small but kind smile when his deep blues eyes with huge droplets of his tears swimming in them stared up at him incredulously.
"Hey, Maahes, would you like to come to my house to have some tea?"
A/N:
Long chapter with lots of things going on! I'm glad I wrote up to half of ch6 of this story ahead of time. It gives me so much time to think of what to do in the later stages of the story as well. We got a little bit of an old chap coming back and then a new one coming along! Well, if Noè ain't the popular one cx That aside next chapter will be all about diving Zagan's dungeon so look forward that everybody!
First let's give a huge thank you to CalliL13 and TwilightNinja00 for Following and Favoriting this story! And I'll reply to the reviews I couldn't before!
= CalliL13: I'm glad you like it. The writing style is new to me too, but it's different and I'm glad it's working out so far.
= Aivantei: Oh, I didn't know that! Well, here's to the future stories were Parthevia may play more major roles. And yeah, Noé's warning may go through one ear and out the other with that boy. Also, no worries, you'll get the dungeon diving next chapter with Zagan's! As for the bit about who she'll encounter in the future well *giggle* I think you just met one *points up to the last sentence of the chapter* Glad Niko's been a good character so far. Although we might not see more of him until the end, rest assured that he'll be back for the next story coming up in this series. I never thought about chibi Judar but now that you mention it, that might've been a cute encounter. But yeah, the alternate worlds are a bit thing which will be brought even more to the forefront in the next story as well. Those dark djinn are actually different from the ones that usually exist in the Magi-verse, but that'll be explained at a later date as well. As for the reveal I was questioning whether to actually reveal it, but in my mind when compared to the other major reveal of her whole arc, this one is a small one :3 Thanks for the kudos on the techniques (-/w/-) I try hard to make things enjoyable but still coherent prose-wise and I'm glad it's working. Oh, little Elly will come soon enough. As for her time in Reim, that's what ch6 is panning out to be, past and future.
Well, that's that. I really hoped you guys enjoyed this chapter and as always stay tuned for the next update! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm in much need of a rest.