Weiß Phantasie- Day Five

WARNING!
This story contains the following: Shonen-Ai, Yaoi - Lime and Lemon, Violence, Language, Male/Female sex.

*....* denotes italics
/..../ denotes thoughts

DAY FIVE

PART TWENTY-FIVE

	The echo of the twelfth chime still hung in the air.
	In an agonizing slow moment, they raised their heads and opened
their eyes. Violet looked into verdant. They were dazed by their
actions, and they looked confusedly, almost stupidly, into the eyes of
the other.
	Cordelia’s eyes suddenly snapped open and she pulled forcefully
away from Aya. He let his arms drop, letting her escape from his grasp.
She scooted to the edge of the bench, cradling herself in her arms, as
if she were seeking warmth. Aya looked closely, and saw that she was
shaking. He reached out a hand and put it on her shoulder.
	“Cordelia,” he said softly.
	She pulled away and stood abruptly. She averted her gaze away from
him. “I... have to get back. I’ve been away too long as it is.” With
that, she turned and walked, quickly and stiffly, from the clearing. 
	Aya sat, watching her as she disappeared from sight. He still sat
there, long after she had left, staring at the spot where he had last
seen her. Then he burst out of his sitting position and began to pace
the clearing furiously.
	/What’s going on?/ he asked himself. /I don’t understand any of
this!/ He ran a hand through his air, letting out a ragged sigh. 
	/The unemotional man is finally affected by something,/ the dry
voice in his mind commented. 
	“What’s going on?” Aya repeated. /I feel... connected with
Cordelia somehow. But not romantically./ He shook his head to emphasize
the point. /I’m *not* falling in love with her! And if she is with me,
tough. I’m leaving soon. As soon as I can find that spell./
	/Which may be awhile, since you don’t know where it is./
	“Can’t you tell me?” Aya asked out loud. “You seem to know a lot.”
	/Sorry. That’d be cheating. You’ll find it though./
	“Anytime soon?” Aya sighed and collapsed back onto the bench. 
	/Maybe,/ came the vague answer. Then there was silence, a vacancy,
and Aya knew the voice had left.
	/But getting back to the present problem,/ he said, steering his
thoughts back. /I can’t let anything happen between Cordelia and I. It’s
not... right. That kiss... wasn’t right./
	Aya was restless, so he stood back up and started to pace again.
“It just didn’t feel right,” he continued. “Something was... wrong. And
I don’t know what. I don’t know what to think, damnit!” he cried. 
	He continued to pace, deep in thought. Meanwhile, the day
progressed, and the sun’s earliest rays touched the horizon. Looking up
for a moment, Aya’s orchid eyes focused on it. He knew that he’d have to
go back and talk to Cordelia. Grabbing his staff, he headed down the
path. It would be better if he could catch her alone instead of during
the day with all the inn patrons around.
	He set his staff down hard with every step, frustration evident in
his face and manner. He pushed the door to the tavern open and stomped
in. No one was around. The place was empty, as were the streets of the
town. Not many people were up at this early hour. 
	He clomped over to a table and sat down, waiting for Cordelia. He
knew that she would appear sooner or later. He sat back, closing his
eyes. He was suddenly extremely tired. Walking around yesterday in a
fruitless search, staying up all night, and now worrying about his
present position. It was enough to tire anyone out!
	After several moments of attempted sleep, he felt a presence near
his. He cracked an eye to see Cordelia fidgeting on the other side of
the table. Aya waved his hand, indicating the chair, and the girl sat
down. She placed her clasped hands on the tabletop and stared at them.
	“Cordelia,” he said softly.
	“Yes?” she asked, equally as quiet. 
	“I... Well...,” he began awkwardly. /How am I going to approach
this?/ “Last night...”
	“I’m sorry,” she whispered. She looked up, smiling slightly,
closing her eyes. “It just didn’t... feel right, did it?”
	Aya blinked in surprise. Then he shook his head. “No...”
	“It did at first, but then...” Cordelia laughed softly. “It was
like kissing a brother.”
	A small smile quirked at Aya’s lips. “I felt like I was... kissing
my mother.”
	Cordelia looked up and their eyes met. Their smiles grew and
laughter burst forth. Aya reached out his hand, and Cordelia took it in
hers, entwining their fingers. “Well, now we know our feelings for each
other.”
	“Purely platonic.”
	Aya smiled. After all his worrying that morning, it had all turned
out all right. He felt the bond between them strengthen. They shared
similar pasts, but they were still so different. And yet, they found a
nameless connector that made them united, more so than any loving,
married couple.
	Then Aya sighed and looked away. /Aya,/ he suddenly thought. /We
were connected like this. It wasn’t because we were family. It... was
something nameless. I wonder if I’ll ever see you again. Or if this girl
will try to fill your space in my heart./
	Cordelia noticed his emotional shift. “Aya?” she asked. “What’s
wrong?”
	He looked up. “I thought of... my sister. I... miss her.”
	“What’s her name?”
	“Aya...”
	Cordelia looked at him curiously. “But that’s your name. Right?”
	Aya sighed. He looked deeply into Cordelia’s eyes. The longer he
searched, he knew that he could trust her. “Her name is Aya. Mine... is
Ran.”
	“Ran,” Cordelia whispered, trying the name out. She smiled kindly,
squeezing his hand. “It’s beautiful. Even if it does mean sea queen.”
	A half-smile graced his lips. “Ahh.”
	“You miss her?”
	“Very much. We were... very close.” 
	Cordelia scooted her chair closer. “Tell me about her.”
	“Did you know,” Aya suddenly asked, “That I’m from another world?”
	“W... World?”
	Aya looked up, his face serious. Cordelia stared back in surprise
at him. He nodded. “I’m from a different world. That’s why I’m not like
the other mages, the other people you know. Do you believe me?”
	Cordelia slowly nodded, her emerald eyes searching his. “From
anyone else, no. But from you... Yes, I believe you.”
	Aya looked at the tabletop. “Would you like to see my world? It’s
so different from yours.” He looked up as Cordelia nodded. Releasing her
hand, he reached into once of his pouches and pulled out a pinch of
powder. He sprinkled it in a circular pattern on the table. Holding out
his hands, he closed his eyes and began to chant.
	Cordelia watched, part in fear and part in fascination, as an
image began to take place in the powdered circle. Aya trailed off and
opened his eyes.
	“It’s connected to my mind. So what I think, you see.”
	Cordelia looked at the image plate. It was oval-shaped, and opaque
and white. She could not see through it. It was as if Aya had solidified
the air in front of her. She looked around it. It was thin, barely the
width of parchment. 
	She looked back at the image plate. At first, all she saw was
herself as Aya looked at her. Then an image of the planet Earth floating
space appeared. Cordelia gasped. “It’s beautiful! But... what is it?”
	Aya looked curiously at her before he remembered that their world
did not have satellites and shuttles to see the Earth. He smiled at her
wonderment. “It’s my planet.” He pointed upwards. “If you go past the
sky, you reach space. And if you go far enough out in space, you can see
your planet like this.”
	“It’s round?” Cordelia asked, wide-eyed. 
	Aya smiled, chuckling softly. “Yes. My planet is round, and I’m
sure yours is also.” He rotated the globe and pointed to a chain of
island. “This is my native country, Japan.”
	“Japan,” Cordelia repeated. She reached out and retook his hand in
hers. She felt as if she needed something to ground her or she’d float
away into the beautiful pictures.
	Closing his eyes for a moment, Aya zoomed in on Japan. Slowly, the
clouds parted and they had an overview of Tokyo.
	“Oh my!” Cordelia cried. Never before had she seen such a large
city. Aya opened his eyes to regard Cordelia’s amazement. “What... is
this?”
	“This is Tokyo, the city that I live in.” He changed the image to
a busy street, right across from the ‘Kitty in the House’ flower shop.
	“What magic is this that makes these... these things move?” she
asked, pointing to the cars that whizzed past on the street.
	“No magic. Magic like this,” Aya said, waving at the spell he had
cast, “Does not exist in my world. We use machines and practicality to
make things work.”
	Cordelia watched, her eyes darting back and forth as the cars
passed. “It’s... so different,” she breathed.
	Aya laughed. “Now do you understand why I act the way I do? I came
from this world, placed unexpectedly in yours. It’s enough to boggle the
mind. Look,” he said, pointing to the flower shop. “This is where I
work.”
	Cordelia’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise as she saw the flower
shop. “How beautiful!” She pointed at Yoji, Ken and Omi. “They work with
you! And there’s you!” she cried, pointing to the scowling Aya in the
picture. She laughed delightedly. “You look so mean!”
	Aya laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. “I am...
quite different when I’m in my world. Certain... circumstances have made
it that way.”
	“May I see what... Aya looks like?”
	Aya looked at her, startled by the question. His eyes darkened and
he looked away. A picture of Aya, happy and gay, came into focus. She
was romping through a meadow, a look of exquisite delight on her
features. Suddenly, the girl stopped and turned. She giggled and waved,
shouting something to someone the two couldn’t see. Aya winced as he
watched, bitter pain filling his being once more.
	“Aya,” he whispered, his voice strangled. Cordelia looked at him
in surprise. He reached out, his fingertips touched the vision,
distorting it as a drop of water into a pond would. Ripples flowed out
from his touch, and as he pulled away, the image settled back into
normalcy. 
	“Ay... Ran,” Cordelia asked. “Do you miss her?”
	Tears sparkled in the faint, morning light. They gathered in his
eyes, but he would not let them fall. “This is what Aya looks like now,”
he whispered. He closed his eyes, and the image of the happy Aya faded.
	Aya, bedridden and comatose, appeared. Her hair, gathered in two
braids, rested on her unmoving shoulders. Her eyes were closed, and her
face was composed, as if in death. The faint rise and fall of her chest
indicated that she was still alive. 
	“She hasn’t moved... Hasn’t awoken... Since that day,” Aya
whispered. The tears would not stay put anymore. They trickled, one by
one, down his cheeks. His concentration broken, the image of Aya faded.
It became water-streaked, as if tears were falling down. Slowly, the
streaks ate away at the picture until it disappeared.
	Cordelia watched his pain for a moment, and then reached out for
him. She pulled him close, resting his tear stained face on her
shoulder. His trembling form was pressed against hers, his arms coming
up to clasp her close. She leaned down and kissed his forehead.
	“Everything will be all right,” she said, stroking his hair.
“You’ll return to your world soon enough. And Aya will get better.
You’ll see. Everything will be okay.”
	“No. No, it won’t,” Aya whispered. “I can’t see her ever again.”
	Cordelia pulled away slightly. “Why not?”
	Aya sat up, wiping furiously at his tears. He looked away from
her. “I can’t... tell you. It’s a problem on my world, not yours. But...
I’ll never be able to see Aya after she wakes. She won’t... recognize
me.”
	Cordelia frowned. “You know you can tell me...”
	Aya shook his head, standing up. “I can’t. The pain is mine
alone.” He turned, his attitude cold. “I’m going to get some sleep. I
advise you to get some too.”

~~~~

PART TWENTY-SIX

	Ken slowly woke, moaning softly. His eyes fluttered open,
squinting shut once more as the bright morning sun filtered in through
his eyelashes. He reopened them a moment later and took stock of his
surroundings.
	He was lying in a green, grassy clearing in the middle of the
forest. He lay on his back, facing the few patches of sky that could be
seen through the leafy canopy. His one arm was wound around Omi. He
turned his face to regard her.
	He sat up suddenly, pulling away from the girl. /Omi./ He paled
when he thought of what had happened last night. He looked down at both
of them. They were both naked. He clapped his hands over his mouth, his
eyes wide.
	"Oh my god," he whispered. "I... I made love to Omi last night..."
	Ken looked back at Omi, but this time in his mind's eye, he saw
the young, male Omi lying there. Ken's stomach began to churn with the
thought. He got up and pulled his pants on, and then began to pace the
clearing.
	/What the hell was I thinking?/ he asked himself. /I *made love*
to Omi! And before that, I was just planning on patching our friendship,
nothing more!/ He looked back at the sleeping Omi and blushed. 
	Her body was so beautiful, laying there naked in the new sunlight.
A surge of feelings rose up from Ken's heart and his eyes softened.
Random images flashed through his head: Omi's softness, her kind eyes,
the way she proclaimed her love for him so simply, easily... Ken's face
relaxed into a smile. /Omi,/ he thought, warmth in his tone.
	As if on cue, the girl began to stir. Ken immediately knelt down
next to her, cradling her in his arms. "Omi," he whispered. 
	Her cerulean eyes slowly opened and focused on Ken. "Ken?" she
asked, her face a picture of confusion. Ken found that she looked
delightfully cute like that. 
	"It's about time you woke up," Ken remarked. 
	Omi smiled, sitting up. She looked down at herself and then
blushed. Her arms came up instinctively to cover herself, but then she
remembered Ken. Blushing furiously, she lowered her arms, keeping her
body exposed to him.
	It had been the oddest experience. She shivered thinking about it.
/I'm a guy,/ she thought. /But I made love like a girl./ It had felt so
different than anything, the feel of penetration. And how *wet* it had
been! Omi felt her face flame. 
	It had been wonderful though. Every touch of Ken's fingers on her
body had sent electric shocks through her. Every touch, every movement
had only increased her desire for him. And she couldn't shake the
feeling of how *right* it had felt. 
	Suddenly she paled. /I *am* a girl now,/ she thought. /Does that
mean... that I'm prone to... those girl things? Like...?/ She couldn't
even think the word. But she could only imagine the horror she and the
others would have if she became pregnant.
	/Relax,/ said the soft voice in her head. /That won't happen to
you. You're a *boy* remember?/
	Omi sighed inwardly. One problem solved. She looked over at Ken.
He was trying not to look at her exposed body, but his eyes kept
straying. She flushed. Images from last night flashed through her mind.
The intimacy they had shared, how close they had become in one night.
	"We... Didn't we?" she asked.
	Ken also flushed. He got up and found her dress. He brushed it off
and then tossed it to her. "Yeah," he replied awkwardly. "We did."
	Omi dressed quickly, watching as Ken found his shirt and began to
pull on his boots. "Ken..."
	"Hmm?"
	"How do you... feel about it?"
	"I... don't know."
	Omi stood. Ken's back was turned to her. She walked across the
clearing and pressed herself up against him. "Ken. You know how I feel.
That didn't change because of last night."
	Ken lowered his head, closing his eyes tight. /I love you, Omi,/
he remembered himself saying. When he had seen her this morning, how did
he feel? /It was warm and nice, that feeling I felt. Is that... love?/
	"What... does it feel like, Omi?" he asked.
	"What?"
	"What does... your love for me feel like?"
	Omi smiled, closing her eyes. Ken felt nice pressed against her.
Last night had been everything she had expected and more. It had been
the pinnacle of her love; everything she felt for Ken had been finally
shown last night. Now he *truly* knew how she felt.
	"It makes me warm," she said softly. "I want to be with you all
the time. If I don't see you, I worry that something's happened. I don't
ever want to part with you again. It's... so hard to explain. It just...
*is*."
	Ken turned, taking her in his arms. He sighed, leaning down to
kiss the top of her head. She clung to him, barely daring to hope what
he would say next. 
	"I guess that means I do love you, Omi."
	Omi pulled away, looking curiously at him. Then she laughed. "I
love you, Ken!" Twining her arms around his neck, she brought his lips
down to hers and kissed him deeply.
	Ken felt as if his whole being was floating. It was such a
wonderful feeling, being in love. He pressed his forehead to Omi's after
they parted. "I thought I would regret last night. I was almost starting
to before you woke up."
	"But...?" Omi asked.
	"I don't. Last night... I was acting on my feelings. The feelings
I felt when I first saw you last night. I think I said some things in
the heat of the moment. In fact," he said, blushing. "I don't think that
would have happened if we hadn't met out here."
	Omi's eyes darkened slightly and her face fell a bit. "Are you
saying that... you *don't* love me, and that... you wouldn't have made
love to me? Was it that wrong?"
	Ken shook his head violently. He reached out and cupped Omi's face
in his hands. He leaned down and kissed her forehead solidly. "Never! I
*do* love you! And eventually, we would have sealed it by making love.
But... I think we really rushed things last night. If the situation
hadn't been like that, those things wouldn't have happened."
	Omi leaned up against him, clasping him tight against her. "I'm
glad it did happen, though. Who knows how long we'll be in this world.
That may have been our only chance."
	Ken sighed softly. He regretted the frantic, frenzied actions of
last night, wishing instead that they could have been long drawn out and
more romantic, giving time for their new love to build. Instead, they’d
rushed into it. /And it's my fault. I was the one who started it all.
It's so unlike me.../
	He took her hand in his and smiled down at Omi. "Let's get back to
town, okay?"
	Omi nodded, smiling happily. "Yes." Her eyes twinkled merrily. "I
wonder if they missed us while we were gone."
	Ken flushed deeply, looking off into the woods uncomfortably. "I
just hope they don't ask..."
	Omi laughed, lifting their joined hands to her lips and kissing
the back of Ken's hand. "I don't care. I was with the one I love. That's
all that matters to me."
	They walked slowly down the path back to town. They were silent as
they walked hand in hand. A frown marred Omi's face for a moment.
	"Say," she said suddenly.
	"Hmm?"
	"For some strange reason, I remember this owl above us last night.
It called out... um, twelve times, I think?" She shrugged. "It's all
very weird..."
	Ken laughed. "An owl clock? Telling us it was midnight?"
	Omi smiled. "Just maybe, you know? This is a strange world."
	"And it keeps getting stranger all the time."

~~~~

PART TWENTY-SEVEN

	The streets were just becoming filled with people as Ken and Omi
reentered town. They skirted the Great Market and headed back to the
southern quarter, where their hotel was. 
	As they neared the tavern, they noticed a figure sitting outside
the door. As they recognized the person, the person noticed them, and
rose to his feet.
	He held out his arm, pointing at the two, but specifically at Ken.
"You!"
	Omi sighed, resting her forehead on Ken's shoulder. "Not again,"
she moaned. "Can't Ravi get a clue?"
	Ken also sighed. "I guess not." They closed the distance and stood
in front of the boy. "What do you want?"
	Ravi's hand rested on the pommel of a sword that was strapped to
his waist. "I challenge you!" he cried. 
	"Challenge me?"
	"To a duel! Whoever wins," Ravi said, eyes alight with energy,
"Gets Omi!"
	"Wh...?" Ken exclaimed, immediately looking at the blond girl.
	"Wait a minute!" Omi cried. She stepped forward, glaring at Ravi.
"I'm not something you can fight over. And besides, I choose Ken, not
you!"
	Ravi sniffed aristocratically, turning away from her. "*That*
doesn't matter. Whoever wins, gets you."
	Ken stepped in front of Omi. His face was unreadable to her. "What
do we fight with?" he asked.
	"Ken!"
	"Swords," Ravi said, pulling his halfway out.
	Ken shrugged. "I'll have to get mine."
	Ravi pointed at Omi. "Have her get it. I don't want you to cheat
in some way after you disappear from my sight."
	Ken nodded. Without looking at Omi, he ordered, "Get my sword from
the room."
	Omi, terribly miffed and put out, turned stiffly and marched into
the inn. She stopped for a moment inside the door. /What if Ken gets
hurt in the fight? It'll be my fault.../ Paling, she rushed up the steps
and threw open the door to the room.
	Aya looked up in surprise. He rose to his feet quickly. "Omi?" he
questioned. His thoughts had been shattered by her sudden appearance. 
	Omi shook her head, panting. She quickly located Ken's weapon and
grabbed it. Turning, she raced out of the room again. 
	Puzzled, Aya watched her go. After a moment, he took his staff in
hand and followed her down the stairs. In the tavern, Cordelia stood
pressed up against one of the windows. 
	"What's going on?" he asked.
	She turned to look at him, smiling slightly. "I think there's
going to be a fight."
	"A fight?" Aya frowned. "If Ken's involved in this..."
	"He is," Cordelia said delightedly. She grabbed Aya's sleeve and
dragged him to stand next to her. "Look." She pointed. "That boy there
has challenged Ken. I think the prize is Omi! Isn't this wonderful? A
duel of love..."
	Aya's frown darkened. "He shouldn't be so stupid. What if he gets
hurt? That fool!"
	Cordelia laughed. "Oh, lighten up! He made his choice. He wants to
fight for Omi, and you can't stop him. So don't you even think about
going out there to stop them!"
	Meanwhile, Omi had handed Ken's sword to him. He strapped it on,
and unsheathed the blade. He held the pommel with one hand, and pointed
the tip at the ground.
	"If I win," Ken stated, advancing to the middle of the road, "Then
you'll leave Omi alone."
	Ravi nodded. "I'll promise that."
	Ken raised his blade in a salute. "Then, en guard!"
	With a yell, Ravi charged, swinging his sword wildly. Ken
backpedaled and easily parried the wild strokes. Ravi, right in front of
him, kept swinging with unskilled moves. 
	Ken smiled grimly to himself. He was glad that he had been gifted
with a warrior's mind in this world. If he hadn't been, he wouldn't be
able to handle the sword as well as was. He could easily hold his own
with the sword, and he planned to wait until Ravi had exhausted all his
strength.
	The boy was too close to him. Bringing his sword up, Ken shoved
it, fist and pommel, into Ravi's chest. The younger boy was knocked
backwards, stumbling over his own feet until he fell on his backside.
	Ravi glared at Ken. Shrugging, Ken kept his face innocent looking.
"I'll kill you!" Ravi shouted, leaping to his feet. He raised his sword
above his head and charged.
	Ken met his stroke, and the two warrior's blades crossed. They
each pushed as hard as they could against the other, hoping that one
would give. 
	Ken laughed softly. "You'll never win Omi," he growled.
	Ravi felt a new burst of energy rise within him and he pushed his
hardest against Ken's blade. "I will win her!" he shouted back. "And
I'll pay you back for embarrassing me last time!" Reaching forward, Ravi
hooked his foot behind Ken's ankle and pulled the boy off-balance. The
combination of the force on his blade and his lack of balance caused the
boy to stumble backwards.
	Laughing triumphantly, Ravi swung out wildly with his blade. The
tip caught Ken's arm and cut him. Clasping a hand to the stinging wound,
Ken felt the blood seep, wet and sticky, through his fingers and down
his arm. 
	"First blood!" Ravi cried. He laughed, his eyes and voice now
crazy with desperation. He had seen how good Ken was, and that he truly
had no way of defeating the trained warrior.
	"Ken!" Omi cried, starting forward. Ken stood, waving Omi off.
	"I'm fine," he said. He wouldn't take his eyes off Ravi. Slowly,
he moved his other hand down to the pommel. Before this, he had been
swinging his blade with one hand, never letting the other touch the
pommel. But now, two hands on the pommel signified that he meant
business. And Ravi knew this.
	The younger boy paled and began to sweat. He tried to stop his
arms and legs from shaking. He knew he was going to lose Omi, but he
wondered if he'd also lose his life. The reason for the fight wasn't to
win Omi, but to get back at Ken for spoiling his plans and embarrassing
him in public.
	Ken advanced slowly, keeping the tip of his sword dangerously low.
Ravi gulped and tried backing away, but Ken increased his speed.
Reaching the boy, Ken swung out.
	His first stroke was clumsily parried by Ravi. Ken's shining blade
slipped off the other sword. Quickly, Ken raised it from the other side,
catching Ravi's blind side.
	A loud smack sounded throughout the hushed area as the flat of
Ken's blade struck Ravi on the side of the head. Immediately, the boy
went down, dropping his sword. Ken stepped on the blade and put the tip
of his sword at Ravi's throat.
	Dazed, Ravi shook his head to clear his vision. He gulped when he
saw what was aimed right at him. Mustering up his courage, he valiantly
raised his head to expose his neck.
	"Kill me, then," he said. He was surprised that his voice didn't
shake, with all the fear that he felt inside.
	Ken smiled. He sheathed his blade as Ravi watched. He kicked a
little dirt onto the fallen boy. Without saying anything, he turned and
walked away. 
	Ravi, left behind, scrambled to his feet. He watched dejectedly as
Ken walked back towards Omi. He had been a fool to challenge such a
skilled warrior for such a beautiful girl that would never be his. With
a sigh and parting glance, he turned and walked away.
	Omi stood by the tavern door and only looked solemnly at Ken. He
returned her look and then entered the inn with her following. On the
table in front of them, there were bandages and curative ointments.
Cordelia and Aya were still pressed up against a window, watching the
outside world with curiosity.
	Omi took Ken's hand and pulled him over to the table. She sat him
down and began to dab at the cut on his arm. It was shallow, but it
still produced a lot of blood that continued to stain his arm. As she
kept wiping away the blood, more of it came.
	/It won't stop!/ she thought to herself. She pressed the cloth to
his arm tightly and ran her hand over it. /Stop bleeding,/ she
commanded. When she pulled the cloth away, she saw that the flow of
blood had indeed stopped. She smiled to herself. /What an odd
coincidence./
	Aya turned from the window. The expression on his face was
unreadable, but Omi could detect a faint disapproval in his eyes.
	"What was that about?" he asked, fixing Ken with an icy glare.
	Ken shrugged, wincing slightly as Omi pressed on his cut. "Just a
fight. I couldn't back down from the challenge."
	Aya crossed his arms over his chest. "If you had gotten hurt
badly..."
	"Then I would have!" Ken exclaimed. He threw an arm out into the
air. "It's my responsibility! Here, you're not our leader! I can do what
I want! Even if that is fighting because I was challenged."
	Aya looked slightly taken aback, but he didn't say anything more.
Silently, he watched as Omi treated the wound. 
	"Ken," she said softly.
	"Yes, Omi?" he asked. He turned his gaze from Aya to the girl in
front of him.
	She leaned forward, cupping his face in her hands. She smiled
slightly. "I'm glad you weren't hurt."
	Ken smiled. "You know I wouldn't have gotten hurt," he said,
arrogance in his tone. Omi frowned slightly.
	"All the same, I'm glad you're okay." Leaning forward, she pressed
her lips to his, and they shared a brief, sweet kiss.
	"Ooo," Cordelia cooed. The two lovers turned to look at her, both
blushing furiously. The serving girl winked. "I see what you two did
last night!"
	Ken and Omi both looked at each other awkwardly. They were aware
of Aya's eyes on them, and it only made the situation worse.
	To their surprise, the mage put his hands on their shoulders. They
looked up, expecting to see him frowning. Instead, there was the tiniest
of smiles on his face. 
	"It's about time you found each other," he said. With that, Aya
turned and headed for the steps. 
	"Wh...? Wait!" Ken cried. He stood up, his face flaming. Aya
looked over his shoulder at the boy. "What did you mean by that?"
	The smile returned to Aya's face. "Yoji and I have seen this
coming for a long time." He winked one amethyst eye. "Course, this means
that I've won the bet..." He trailed off, disappearing up the stairs.
	Ken and Omi, thoroughly embarrassed, looked at each other, faces
bright red. They sat there in silence for a while, and then Ken
shrugged.
	"That was odd."
	"Very."
	Cordelia sat down at the table with them. She still stared
curiously at the top of the steps. "He's a very confusing man, isn't
he?"
	Ken and Omi nodded. "You don't even know the half of it," Omi
replied.

~~~~

PART TWENTY-EIGHT

	Yoji could still hear the twelfth chime ringing in his head when
he awoke hours later. He shook his head groggily and slowly opened his
eyes. Bright sunlight struck him, and he was temporarily blinded. He
sat, unable to see, and tried to figure out where he was.
	But his thought process was interrupted as his head began to pound
something fierce. The majority of the pain centered at the back of his
head, where he could feel a lump growing. He remembered being thrown
against the wall, breaking the shelf and the water clock, the water
dousing him a moment before unconsciousness. 
	Yoji tried to move his hands to cover his face to block out the
sunlight, but they wouldn't cooperate. Slowly, since every movement sent
more pounds of pain through his whole being, he tilted his head back to
look at his hands. 
	Chained by his wrists, his arms were suspended above his head. He
wiggled his fingers, which felt stiff and thick. A few, thin slivers of
blood stained his bare arms, cuts from the iron shackles. He pulled
downwards, testing their strength, but they didn't give one bit.
	Yoji looked down at himself. His swollen wrists were chained above
his head, and his ankles were locked to the ground, forcing his legs
wide. He sighed, letting his head drop to his chest. There was no way to
escape this.
	A low, throaty chuckle greeted his despair. He snapped his head
up, and instantly regretted it as a new flood of pain was released in
his body. Slowly, he opened his eyes to regard the person across from
him.
	Lady Aithne watched him with a look of intense pleasure on her
face. A smirk twisted her lips. She wore a white dress toga-style, and
her hair was ornately pulled back. 
	"It's about time you woke up," she commented dryly. "You've been
out since midnight."
	Yoji forced a bitter smile. "Gee, I wonder why."
	Lady Aithne laughed, but there was no humor in it. She stood up
from the divan that she was sprawled on and began to pace a circle
around the captured man. "You must be proud of yourself. Seducing one of
my serving boys, trespassing into my house, and almost making off with
my wealth."
	"Proud doesn't describe it."
	Lady Aithne stopped, smiling cruelly at Yoji, her face inches from
his. "You'd have never made it, even if you hadn't discovered the
chalice."
	"How do you know?"
	"Because there's a security alarm outside the house, and if you
leave with even a piece of my treasure, I'll know it."
	"That's what you think."
	Lady Aithne laughed. "You think you got away with that statue
without me knowing?"
	Yoji's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't think that anyone knew
of that.
	Lady Aithne nodded. "Yes. I knew that you took that. I know
everything that goes on in this house. Everything." She leaned close,
their breath mixing. "Even the night you fucked my servant."
	A blush surfaced on Yoji's cheeks. He averted his eyes. Lady
Aithne leaned back, laughing heartily. Again, she began to circle him.
	"You're still unsure about him, aren't you? I know. I heard your
conversation in the garden. You think you love him, but it's just so
awkward for you." A smirk was on her lips as she passed him once more.
"The renowned playboy, screwing a man. What will the girls think?"
	"How?" Yoji bit out. "How do you know all this about me?"
	Lady Aithne laughed, returning to her couch. "Don't you get it?
I'm the same as your friend." She held out her hand. In response to a
spoken command, a small flame leapt into life. "I'm magi, the same as...
Aya, is it? I can read your mind, little man."
	Yoji shook his head. He felt groggy again. He didn't have the
strength to stay conscious. "Stay out... of my mind..."
	Lady Aithne laughed, a deep sound in Yoji's fading hearing range.
"You'll never leave this place. Not until you're dead. Thieves never
live after they've targeted my mansion."
	Yoji listened, his vision becoming cloudy, as Lady Aithne clicked
out of the room. At the door, he heard her stop. "Guard," he heard her
call. "Find Seth. Bring him down here when you find him. He'll be
imprisoned with his lover."
	Yoji shook his head, one thought surfacing before total
unconsciousness claimed him. /Must be related to Schuldich.../

~~~~

PART TWENTY-NINE

	The night before, as soon as the party was over, Seth had
practically run to the Blodwyn Inn. He knew that Yoji would be there
waiting for him.
	He entered, but did not see Yoji. He knew that Yoji had three
friends; the red-haired mage, the warrior youth, and the golden-haired
girl in blue. But he didn't see any of them. Even the serving girl that
he had talked to before was nowhere to be seen. 
	Sitting himself down at a table, he waited for Yoji to appear. He
had seen Yoji at the mansion a few hours ago, so he *had* to be finished
by now, right? Seth suddenly felt chilled. /What if he was caught? He
shouldn't have been. He seemed like such a *good* thief.../
	He sat in the tavern for an hour, but Yoji didn't appear. Thinking
that he might be in his room waiting for the boy, Seth mounted the steps
and knocked on the door. No answer. Finding it unlocked, Seth opened the
door to an empty room.
	Now the boy was terribly puzzled. Where was Yoji? If he wasn't at
the inn, then maybe he was still at the mansion? /But he said it
wouldn't be safe. Still... He must be there, so I have to go back./
	Dawn had claimed the skies, tinting the blue sky golden. Jogging
back to the mansion, Seth slipped through the kitchen without being
seen. He passed through the sitting rooms, dining room, and drawing
rooms. It was obvious that Yoji had been here. The rooms were bare of
all the wealth. Gold and jewels no longer sparkled on the tables. Even
the huge gems in the fireplace had been pried away. But Seth found no
trace of Yoji besides the trail he had left.
	As Seth passed the door to the cellar, he noticed that there was a
guard posted right inside the door. Ducking backwards before he could be
seen, he hid behind a drape. From that advantage point, he could see the
door of the cellar and anyone who entered or left. 
	He stood there for a long time, feeling silly. /Surely he's just
standing there. Doesn't mean he's guarding anyone down there./ He
thought of the layout of the cellars. On the first level there were the
wine cellars. Below that was the refrigerator area, which could be
accessed by another stairwell closer to the kitchen. The third level was
a restricted area. No one except Lady Aithne and a few guards were
allowed down there. Seth now wondered if there were dungeons down there,
and if Yoji was being kept down there. 
	He stood watch for what must have been a couple hours. At long
last he saw what he was waiting for. Lady Aithne ascended the stairs.
She spoke with the guard at the door.
	"You don't need to guard this door anymore. Gather a squad and go
search for the servant named Seth. If we leave the door open, he may
wander down there and we'll have him trapped. There are ten guards
posted on each level waiting for him. He's not in the house, so go
search the streets for him." She frowned for a moment. "The boy we
caught was staying at the Blodwyn Inn. Check there for his friends.
There's a high probability that Seth is there also."
	The guard saluted and ran off. Lady Aithne left the door to the
cellar unguarded as she had said, walking off into the house. 
	Frightened, Seth knew that he had to get to Yoji's friends for
help. He knew for certain now that Yoji had been captured. His blood
felt like ice. He wondered if he'd even see Yoji again. Bolting away
from the curtain, Seth started the long trek back to the inn. He had to
beat the guards there!

~~~~

PART THIRTY

	Seth skidded to a stop outside the inn. It was close to noon, and
the hot sun beat down on the small boy. He had run the whole distance
from mansion to inn, and he was terribly tired now.
	He looked around. No guards could be seen yet. He had seen one or
two standing around the Marketplace, but they hadn't seen him. Satisfied
that he had some time left, he entered the inn.
	He stood in the doorway for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to
the cool darkness. He looked around, and instantly spotted the mage and
his two friends. Squaring his shoulders, Seth marched across the tavern
floor.
	"Excuse me," he said, standing at the edge of their table. All
three of them looked up.
	"Seth, is it?" Aya asked, his eyes dark and narrowed in the dim
light.
	Seth nodded his head hesitantly. Yoji must have told them about
him.
	"Seth? Who's this?" Ken asked. He looked curiously at the boy. 
	Aya frowned in Ken's direction. "He's a... friend of Yoji's.
What's the matter? We haven't seen Yoji since yesterday."
	Seth sat himself down at the table, leaning forward eagerly.
"That's why I came! Yoji's in..."
	Before he could say any more, the door to the inn opened quickly
and slammed against the wall. Everyone in the inn looked towards the
door, some in annoyance, one in fear. The guard looked around the inn,
his quick eyes searching for Seth. Finding him, he pointed.
	"There he is! And he's with the others!" 
	Aya, Ken and Omi looked at each other in confusion, and then
looked at Seth. The boy was pale, staring wide-eyed at the door. 
	More guards walked into the inn. There were ten in total. At a
signal by the lead guard, the others began to advance on the four at the
table. 
	The companions stood up quickly. Aya and Ken readied their
weapons, staff and sword respectively. Omi pulled Seth towards her,
grabbing up her own short staff. Her keen eyes searched the inn for
another exit. 
	Seth frowned. "If we get separated," he said rapidly in a soft
voice, "Then meet up at the Rock Street Temple. It's on the east side of
town. Ask anyone on the streets, and they'll tell you where it is."
	Aya nodded to the boy, thinking that was a wise thing to tell
them. The guards advanced still, and the other patrons of the inn
quickly cleared out. The tavern was now empty except for the ten guards
and the four companions.
	Ken laughed, kicking a table out of the way. "Come on!" he cried.
"Come take me on!"
	Omi frowned at him. "Be careful, Ken," she warned. 
	He turned and winked at her. "Aren't I always?"
	Omi looked at him sourly. "No."
	They had no more time for words, as the first of the guards
attacked. Ken caught the sword with his own, easily flipping the blade
away and planting a kick in the guard's chest. 
	Another guard closed in on Aya. Aya held his staff like he would
his katana. The grunt closed in, and Aya raised his staff to meet the
sword's strike. As the two clashed, Aya quickly whispered in his arcane
language. Suddenly, the air was filled with electricity as the staff and
connecting blade were charged. The guard was promptly fried in his metal
armor, and dropped to become a smoldering heap.
	Ken whistled in appreciation. "Good thing I sold my armor, huh?"
The third guard thought he could take Ken off balance, but the warrior
boy casually swung his sword and impaled the man.
	"Pay attention, Ken," Omi snapped. She held off two guards with
her short staff. She snapped the metal-shod point into the throat of one
guard, killing him instantly, while ducking the sword swing of another.
	Ken came to her rescue and cut the other grunt down. He smiled
charmingly down at her. "Ahh, Omittchi! I'd rather pay attention to
you." As if to demonstrate his point, he swung his sword around behind
him, gutting a careless guard, his eyes never leaving Omi.
	Omi rolled her eyes. "What I wouldn't give for some darts or a
crossbow."
	A twang surprised her and she turned. As if in answer to her
prayers, she saw a crossbow attached to a fallen guard's belt. Seth,
hearing her words, had plucked at the tight, waxed string. He smiled up
at her and handed her the weapon. Grinning, the two exchanged, staff for
crossbow.
	Immediately, the new weapon took out two more guards. Aya set
another on fire, and Ken cut down the other. Now only one was left. The
leader of the squad immediately turned and ran out the door.
	Ken began to laugh heartily. "Ha ha! We showed him, didn't we?" He
looked around at the fallen bodies. "That was pretty easy. I almost wish
there were more!"
	"Be careful what you wish for," Aya muttered, watching the door.
The other three turned to watch.
	The squad leader reentered, a triumphant smile on his face. Behind
him was an even larger platoon of guards. 
	The four companions massively sweat dropped as guard after guard
filed into the inn. Now they began to seriously look for an exit. 
	"Charge!" the leader yelled.
	Swords drawn, with a cry that sounded like a whole army, the many
guards charged on the small band of four. Weapons drawn, the four met
the first charge, able to cut down a few of the guards.
	"We have to get out of here if we want to live to find Yoji!" Seth
yelled.
	Aya nodded. "You three escape. I'll hold them off with my magic,
and then I'll follow you."
	"Are you sure about that?" Omi asked. Her dark, thoughtful eyes
were on Aya. "You're not just saying that, are you?"
	Aya managed a small smile. "Don't worry. I don't plan on dying.
Not until Aya is revenged. You know that."
	Omi nodded. She poked Ken. "Let's go, Ken."
	Ken nodded. He sheathed his sword and took Omi's hand. They looked
around for a moment. Omi had no idea how to get out of there, but
apparently Ken did. He began to run, dragging her behind him. With a
leap, he curled himself into a ball, and the two of them went through
the window. They hit the ground running, and soon were gone.
	"Now you, Seth," Aya panted. He cast another spell that sizzled a
few of the guards. Seth nodded, strapping the short staff to his back.
He scampered past a few guards and ran up the steps to the rooms
upstairs. A few of the grunts chased him, but they couldn't catch him
after he bounded out one of the windows and onto another rooftop.
	Aya panted heavily, his body rapidly tiring. He only had a few
more spells in him before he was totally finished. /Yoji,/ he thought.
/You know about Aya. Take up my revenge and wait until Aya wakes up. I'm
sorry, my friends. I can't go on any longer.../
	"Ran!" Cordelia hissed.
	The mage turned for a moment. The girl had poked her head out of
the kitchen door. She beckoned to him. Aya looked back at the guards.
They were massing for a final charge to take him down. 
	Smiling grimly, Aya reached into one of his pouches. He pulled out
several small, red balls. Throwing them hard against the ground, he
ducked back into the kitchen. Each ball opened on contact, releasing a
red, noxious smoke that blinded the guards.	
	Cordelia drew Aya farther into the kitchen, leading him to a small
back door. "Here," she said. "You can escape from here."
	Aya frowned, taking her hand in his. "Will you be all right?"
	Cordelia winked. "Aren't I always? Besides, if I have any
troubles, I'll go to that temple, okay? You can find me there if I'm not
here." Her smile softened. "I'll be fine. I just hope you will be, too."
	Aya smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'll take care of
myself."
	Cordelia took Aya's hand in hers, squeezing it gently. Then she
pointed to the door. "Make sure to find Yoji. And give him a kiss for
me."
	Aya flushed slightly and he turned to flee out the door. "Why do
*I* have to kiss him?"
	Cordelia laughed. She leaned up and kissed his cheek quickly.
"Good luck," she said, her face suddenly serious.
	Back in the common room, Aya could hear the guards cursing as they
tried to maneuver through the thick smoke. He gave Cordelia one last
look before disappearing out into the noontime sun.

~~~~

	As agreed, the four met at the Rock Street Temple. The place was a
huge brownstone building that was now in ruins. Inside, the walls had
once been laid with beautiful tiles, and murals were everywhere,
depicting the history of the town.
	But now, the tiles were missing and dirty. The half that was there
were broken and discolored from age. The place was lit only by the
gaping hole in the roof. In the patches of darkness, they could hear the
scratching of creatures unknown. 
	The four sat themselves down in a small, sunny spot. Seth assured
them that the only people who would be there would be the bums of the
city, people who didn't care one way or the other about public affairs.
	Aya stood, towering over the other three. He crossed his arms over
his chest. "So, what's happened to Yoji?"
	"Did he tell you what he was going to do last night?" Seth started
off.
	Omi shook her head. "Do? We saw him last in the tavern, yesterday
afternoon. After that, nothing."
	Seth nodded. "He was going to steal from Lady Aithne."
	"Lady Aithne?" Ken asked.
	"The lady I work for. Lady Aithne is the richest person in
Talaith. And she's the only elf in residence here."
	"An elf?" Omi breathed. Her eyes sparkled in curiosity. "I wish I
could see her."
	"You just might be able to," Aya commented. "So Yoji's got himself
in trouble. He got caught, didn't he?"
	Seth nodded, and related the events of last night from the moment
he entered the inn to the time he met up with the other three. 
	"A trap, huh?" Ken said. He face darkened. "How are we going to
get in there, then?"
	Aya's face was creased in concentration. "I don't know. How did
this Lady Aithne catch Yoji, is what I wonder. He acted so confident."
	"He looked like a good thief," Seth supplied.
	Omi smiled slightly. "Face it, Aya. He *is* a good thief. The only
way Yoji would have been caught is if someone had known he was there."
	Seth's face lit up. "Wait! There are rumors that Lady Aithne is a
witch!"
	"A witch?" Aya's head snapped up. "A witch, huh? That changes
everything. That means that she must have used a spell to catch Yoji.
But now we know how she knew he was in the house."
	"We do?" Ken asked.
	Omi sighed, reaching out to pat Ken's head. "Yes, Ken. It means
that she used magic to search for unwanted people in her house. She
found Yoji and locked him up."
	Seth bit his lip nervously. "Will we be able to save him?"
	Aya smiled slightly. He squatted next to the boy. He reached out
and rested a hand on his ebony locks. "I'm sure of it. You'll see him
again."
	Seth's eyes lit up. For a moment, Aya resented that. The dream of
Yoji and himself came back to him, and his face flushed slightly. A
short surge of jealously ran through him. Then he shook his head, and it
was all gone. 
	/That was odd,/ he told himself. /Why was I... jealous of Seth for
a moment? What does that silly dream have to do with anything?/
	He sighed. That wasn't important right now. Right now, he had to
think of a way to save Yoji, or none of them would see him again.
	"We can sneak in at night," Ken was saying. "Then we'll take out
the guards on each level, and then rescue Yoji. Simple as that."
	Seth shook his head. "Not that simple. Lady Aithne might use
magic. Which means that she'll make things much harder for us."
	Aya shook his head. "I can handle her. I'll counter her spells."
	Omi looked at the mage in surprise. "Wouldn't it be better to take
time to think of a better plan?"
	"No." The girl flinched at his sharp reply. "No, it wouldn't. We
need to find Yoji as soon as we can. I have this feeling that we'll be
heading home soon."

~~~~

PART THIRTY-ONE

	Not at his command, the darkness parted. Light seeped through his
closed eyes to pierce his brain, sending new waves of pain coursing
through him. Slowly, he began to stir. 
	Yoji hesitantly opened his eyes. The sunlight, though bright, was
not as blinding as before. He judged it to be mid-afternoon or later. He
rolled onto his back to survey his new surroundings.
	He was now in a small cell. On three sides he was bordered by
stonewall, but on the fourth was a gate made of iron bars. Yoji pushed
himself into a sitting position to see outside his cell. He muttered a
curse as he put his hand in a slimy pool. It came away green and shone
faintly. It dripped down his palm to his wrist. He followed the drop
with his eyes.
	His wrists were bound by cuffs of iron, as were his ankles. Linked
to those were chains that connected to the back wall. He stood and
shuffled forward, testing the length of the chains. He stopped several
feet from the barred gate. No matter how hard he tried or what direction
he turned, he always stopped short of the gate.
	Yoji sat back down and sighed. "There goes all hope," he muttered
to himself. He looked through the bars. His cell was in the corner of a
large room. Across the room, there was a small window slit that allowed
for light. Sitting against a wall and angling his head just right, he
could see the length of the room. 
	His cell seemed to be one of the only things in the room. In the
corner diagonal from his, he saw the restraints he had been chained in
earlier. Behind those was a staircase that led up. As he watched, a
figure descended.
	"I see you're awake," Lady Aithne said as their eyes met. 
	Yoji shrugged, pulling himself to his feet to lean casually
against the wall. "Well, you know how it is. When one's beaten
senseless, it does take awhile to recover."
	Lady Aithne smirked and crossed the room to stand before his cell.
"I hope you like the design. This should make it almost impossible for
you to escape. I'm quite proud of it, actually."
	Yoji nodded, a forced smile on his lips. "Of course. It's lovely.
I've never seen another magnificent dungeon." /This is the *only*
dungeon I've seen. And I don't plan on seeing another./
	Lady Aithne smiled knowingly. "Your friends will be coming for you
soon."
	Yoji's eyes widened slightly. "They are?"
	"Naturally. It's only logical that they'd come to that option.
True love and friendship and whatnot." Lady Aithne spat in a very
unladylike manner. "It makes me sick!"
	Yoji leaned against the wall in relief. "They'll free me."
	Lady Aithne laughed. "Can't you captured heroes ever think of
anything *else* to say? Of *course* your friends are going to try to
rescue you. Of *course* you're going to think that they'll save you. And
of *course* there'll be a big battle against the evil sorceress." She
shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's all the same."
	Yoji began to nervously play with his bonds. /If she expects all
that, how can we defeat her?/
	"It's the challenge, little man," she said. He looked up in
surprise and she smirked. "I can read your mind. I don't care how cliché
everything seems. As long as I get the challenge, that's all that
matters. I'll prove the tried and true formula wrong."
	Yoji retreated to the corner of the cell to think for a moment.
/If she knows and expects them, then she'll have a trap laid for them./
	"I've *had* a trap laid for awhile."
	Yoji shot her a glare, but then went back to his thoughts. /I'll
have to try to warn them before anyone can get hurt./
	"Someone will get hurt. I'm going to kill your little lover in
front of you."
	"Seth?" Yoji yelped, turning to face her smirk. He rushed forward,
but was restrained by the chains before he could reach the bars. "Don't
you hurt him!"
	Lady Aithne waved her hand in a tired gesture. "Please! Stop with
the clichéd phrases! Of *course* I'm going to hurt him!" She waved her
hand nonchalantly in his direction.
	Yoji was struck blind by her magic. His hands felt his face, but
he couldn't see anything. Then, an image began to form. 

	*Yoji was still in his cell, clutching the bars and watching the
scene in front of him. Seth was tied up as Yoji had been the other day:
Arms suspended above head, legs spread and chained to the ground. Lady
Aithne stood near him, an unholy smile on her face. She flexed her
fingers, balling them into fists and relaxing them. Each time she
clenched them, Seth screamed in pain as his body was  squeezed
magically.
	Then she began to lash out. She never once touched the boy, but he
felt every blow. No physical marks appeared on his body. Yoji could only
watch in helplessness as Seth was beaten up. Blood trickled out of his
mouth with each cry of pain.
	Lady Aithne traced a shape in the air, and put her hands on the
hilt of it. She sent a grin over to Yoji, who yelled, screamed at her to
stop. Tears flowed freely down his face, and he felt every blow that
Seth was dealt through their bond of love. He could only wish that it
had been him, and not Seth.
	Lady Aithne stood before Seth. She lunged forward, and her
imaginary blade plunged into Seth. The boy's eyes went wide and glassy,
and blood spurted from his open mouth. He tried to say something, but
Lady Aithne wrenched the blade sideways in his body, opening the
imaginary gap wider. At last, the light in Seth's eyes died, and his
head slumped to his chest. He was dead.*

	"NOOO!!!!!" Yoji screamed, insane with grief. He clutched his head
tight, his vision once more black. Tears trickled down his cheeks, and
he made no move to wipe them away. "No," he whispered hoarsely. "Kill me
instead. Not him..."
	Lady Aithne watched him with a smile. She turned on her heel and
made her way from the dungeon, leaving the deluded man to grieve over
someone who wasn't dead.

~~~~

	Yoji finally uncurled himself an hour later. The tears had long
since dried, and his vision had returned. Reluctantly, he looked across
the room to the hanging restraints. He was afraid that he would see
Seth's limp, dead body still hanging there. To his surprise, no one was
there. Not even the trace of blood.
	He sat up and clutched his knees to his chest. /So Seth isn't
dead. That was an illusion. It felt... so real./ He was chilled to the
bone. /It may be the future. She could be related to Crawford as well as
Schuldich for all I know./
	He shuddered at that thought. He gripped himself tightly. /If
anything happens to Seth...!/
	He sighed and stretched out on the cold, hard floor. He rested his
head on his arms. He was resigned to the fact that there was nothing he
could do.
	He closed his eyes. /I miss you, Seth,/ he thought to himself.
/Why was I such a fool to get involved with you? You'll only get hurt.
I'm too stained for you. I can't even tell you who I really am... And I
hate myself more for lying to you./
	He sighed and curled up into a ball. /There's nothing I can do but
wait. This cell is foolproof, so I can only sit here and wait for the
others to free me./ He clenched his jaw hard, trying to fight back the
fear and pain that overflowed from his heart. A single tear squeezed
itself out from under his eyelid.
	/Seth.../

~~~~

PART THIRTY-TWO

	"So, do you think there's an alarm?"
	Aya frowned, peering out from between the branches of the shrub he
was sitting behind. "More than likely. As soon as we step onto the
grounds, Lady Aithne will be alerted to our presence."
	"Can't you stop it?" Omi asked.
	Aya shook his head, sighing. He didn't have the strength now. He
had cast too many magical spells that day, and hadn't had enough sleep
to replenish his powers. The rest at the Temple had been too short. 
	"No," he finally replied. "The signal will go too fast. By the
time I cast the spell to catch it, it'll be too late."
	Ken scratched his head. He sat next to Omi behind another bush.
Aya and Seth were hiding behind the shrub next to them. "So what do we
do? Charge the place?"
	Seth shook his head violently. "We can't! Lady Aithne has too many
guards as it is, and she might hurt Yoji if she sees us coming."
	Ken looked at Seth, his eyes narrowing. "What exactly *is* your
relationship with Yoji?"
	Aya cut him off with a wave of his hand. "That's not important.
Right now we have to figure out  how to get inside."
	Ken shot Aya a glare and mumbled something. He was silenced by
Omi's hand on his arm. "Perhaps we can go in by air?" the girl
suggested.
	The four looked up and around. They saw trees that sloped into
Lady Aithne's garden, but they were all thin and scraggly. None of the
branches would hold their weight. Ken sighed. "That's out of the
question."
	"Under ground?" Seth asked.
	"It'll take too long." Aya shook his head. His eyes drooped, and
his movements were almost sluggish. He only had the strength for a few
more spells before he would collapse. "I don't have the strength to do
it magically. And if we try man power..."
	Seth nodded, sighing. "I see."
	"So, what *are* we going to do then?" Ken asked. 
	Aya put his hands to his temples. "Just let me think!" he snapped.
The others fell silent.
	/What are we going to do?/ Aya asked himself. /How are we going to
get in? In any case, we'll alert Lady Aithne, and our plan will be
blown.../
	"Well," Omi said. "Are we even sure there's an alarm on the
grounds?"
	Aya waved his fingers around and muttered a few words. Seen only
to him, the grounds began to glow with a faint yellowish tinge. He
sighed. "There's a very sophisticated barrier in place. If I cast a
spell right here, she'll be able to detect it."
	Ken gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. "Then wouldn't she know
that you just cast that spell?" he asked, his eyes wide. 
	Aya shook his head. He massaged his temples to try to make the
splitting headache go away. "I used a detecting spell. That kind of
spell is a neutral one. It can't be detected because it's detecting
something else. It makes no... sound."
	"Sound?" Omi asked. "Magic makes sound? Why can't we hear it?"
	Aya groaned inwardly. Why, of all times, were they getting into a
magical discussion *now*? "Magic makes a sound that only magic users can
hear. If you're destined to be a magic user, you can hear it from birth.
Every spell, except neutral spells, makes sound. Neutral spells have no
side affects and they can't cause any harm, so they make no sound." He
opened his icy eyes and glared at the other three. "Now can we please
get on with the rescue, and stop discussing magic?"
	The other three nodded. "Yeah, sorry," Ken muttered. 
	Omi sat there for a moment, thinking. "So we need a spell that
won't make any noise." Aya and Omi pondered deeply over the problem,
while Ken and Seth kept watch over the surrounding area. 
	"If only we could be invisible," Ken commented. "That would let us
slip past anything."
	Aya was startled out of his thoughts by Ken's statement. Omi
glared at him. "Hush, Ken," she said. "You don't know what you're
talking about."
	"No, I think he's right!" Aya exclaimed. "Invisibility is a
neutral spell. It'll help us to slip through her alarm too. That's the
answer!"
	Ken made a face at Omi. "See? I do too know what I'm talking
about."
	Omi threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. She
smiled sweetly. "Did I ever doubt you?"

~~~~

	Aya reached under his cape. In a secret pocket near the back of
his cloak, there was a small pouch full of silvery dust. He pulled that
out and stuck his fore finger into it. 
	He walked up to Ken, and with his coated finger, he drew a cross
on the warrior boy's forehead. He repeated the sign on Omi and Seth's
forehead, and then on his own. 
	Ken tried looking upwards to see the sign on his forehead. "What's
this for?" he asked curiously.
	"Don't smudge it," Aya warned. "It targets the spell onto you.
That way I won't waste my strength turning bushes and trees invisible
when I only meant to aim for you. Now be quiet and let me think."
	The others fell silent and watched Aya. He closed his eyes and
clasped his hands before him. His forefingers lay together pointing up.
The mage began to chant words in a spidery, foreign language. Using his
fingers, he traced patterns in the air. A small spark appeared at the
tip of his fingers and left the image to hang suspended in the air for a
moment before the breeze blew it away. 
	The silver crosses on their foreheads began to blaze, and each
could feel the magical heat from them. Ken began to sweat nervously. /I
sure hope this is an invisibility spell and not a fireball.../
	As if sensing his worry, Omi inched closer to him, taking his hand
in hers. She squeezed it reassuringly, but her eyes never left Aya.
	At long last, Aya finished his chanting. Slowly, he lowered his
hands and opened his amethyst eyes. He looked at everyone, and then
nodded. "Let's get going."
	"But!" Seth protested. "I can still see everyone! We're not
invisible!"
	Aya sighed, tired at having to explain his magical art at every
step. "The cross on your forehead lets me zero in on you with the spell.
It also lets us see each other."
	Ken nervously shifted his weight as he glanced up at the imposing
mansion. "So, we, uh... hope that they can't see us."
	Aya picked up his staff. "I'll be able to tell if Lady Aithne
senses us. If that happens, we'll have to make a break for it towards
the house. Then, we're on our own."
	"We're on our own as it is," Omi said softly.
	They crept closer to the mansion grounds. Each one tiptoed over
the threshold, holding their breath. Aya's violet eyes flashed once as
they crossed. They sat, a step over the invisible magical line, and
waited for his word.
	“Well?” Ken asked, his voice tight. He watched the mansion,
waiting for guards to pour out of the place at any moment.
	Aya shook his head, listening hard. There had been no sound.
Chanting softly, he cast the detection spell once more. The yard glowed
yellowish again, and the four companions radiated their own reddish
aura. Everyone was still.
	A rare smile touched his lips. "We're in," he said.
	Omi released the breath she didn't know she was holding and
smiled. "Whew," she sighed. She smiled over at Ken. “Your idea worked
after all.” Her gaze hardened as she looked at the house. "Now let's get
on with this."
	
~~~~

	They snuck in through the kitchen. While the servants saw the back
door and kitchen door open mysteriously, they didn't question it,
chalking it up to a playful summer breeze. And so, the four companions
made it through the first floor rooms without being caught. 
	Seth guided them to the cellar door. One guard guarded it. They
snuck past him easily. Ken tried to resist the urge to pester the guard,
but as he was reaching out to push the grunt's helm from his head, a
hand closed over his. He looked in surprise at Omi, who shook her head.
Sighing, Ken followed her down the steps.
	The stairs curved and then broke into a small landing. They looked
back, but the curve of the stair had hidden them from the guard at the
door.
	Aya leaned against the wall. "This is taxing my strength to keep
this spell up. I need to dispel it, or I'll be of no use later."
	The others readied their weapons. Ken withdrew his sword, Omi
loaded her crossbow, and Seth unsheathed a short sword that he had
picked up off one of the fallen guards at the inn. Aya picked up his
staff. He knew he'd have to fight with that since his magic would not be
the strongest.
	"The cross on your forehead," he said, looking up and down the
stairs for approaching guards. "Rub it off and you'll become visible
once again."
	The others complied, using handkerchiefs and sleeves. They felt a
telltale tingle throughout their bodies as the spell wore off. The
silver dust that they had rubbed off instantly disappeared from sight.
	"Ready?" Ken asked, looking around. The others nodded. Slowly, as
a group, they began to descend the stairs. Ken took the lead, with Omi
following him. She would be their best asset as soon as they saw the
guards. Her crossbow would be able to cut down the numbers before the
real fight began. Seth walked behind her, and Aya came last, guarding
the rear.
	The flight of stairs went straight down with no curves or
landings. They neared the door, and Ken let Omi pass him. She crept down
the stairs while the others hid up above.
	A shout was given as the guards saw Omi. Holding the crossbow to
her shoulder, she fired off a bolt and quickly reloaded. The other three
rushed down the steps and into the room, ready to join the fight.
	Omi continued to reload and shoot until it became hard to
distinguish friend from foe in the melee. She attached the crossbow to
her waist and pulled out her short staff. She had felled two of the
guards and wounded three more.
	Swinging his sword in a wide arc, Ken made the guards back off. He
counted them as he crossed the room. Two were dead, three were wounded,
and five were still ready and able. Leaving the wounded to the others,
he turned to attack the fresh guards.
	Seth, ducking and weaving through the guards, used his speed and
slim body as an advantage. Coming up behind one of the wounded guards,
he put his sword to the man's throat and quickly ended his life. He
turned, hearing armor clank behind him. A sword swept down on him as he
could only weakly bring his blade up, unprepared.
	But the sword stopped. Aya's staff had caught the blade, and the
taller and stronger mage jerked the blade out of the guard's hands and
threw it away from its owner. With a tight smile of thanks, Seth slipped
away. He turned in time to thrust his short sword into the belly of
another guard, felling him as well.
	A leering guard advanced on Omi, making her back into a corner.
The grunt held his sword low, not expecting Omi to be a real threat.
/That's where you're wrong!/ Smiling sweetly, Omi suddenly snapped her
staff up into the guard's chin. His head was thrown backwards and he
stumbled back a few paces. Leaning on her staff for support, Omi pivoted
on one foot, throwing the other into the air. Her heel connected solidly
on the side of the guard's head, and he dropped like a stone.
	Omi stood over him. She put the metal shod tip at his throat. "I
hate killing," she whispered, true pity in her eyes. With a thrust
downwards, she stabbed the point through the guard's throat.
	Three guards advanced on Ken at the same time. He kept the point
of his sword low, flicking it up to hold the guards at bay and let them
know he was a real threat. 
	One of the guards yelled something unintelligible and charged at
the warrior boy. Ken easily parried the stroke. As his sword was caught
up with the other's, another grunt closed in on his unprotected side.
Quickly, Ken brought his foot up and kicked the first guard in the
stomach. He turned just in time to catch the second's blade with his
own.
	Twisting his sword in a circle, he forced the other's blade out of
his hands. One hand bracing behind the hilt, Ken ran the man through. He
pushed the limp body off the end of his sword with his foot, turning to
confront the other two.
	But he was too late. The third guard rushed at him, slicing
downwards with his wicked blade. Ken, not being able to defend his
turning side, received a jagged, nasty cut on his arm and side. He
winced, but ignored the pain, seeing an opening. The grunt finished his
cutting stroke, the force of the swing carrying his blade wide. Raising
his own bloodied sword, Ken stabbed it into the unfortunate guard.
	"How many are left?" Ken yelled to his other companions as he
faced down the last of the guards that had come at him.
	Omi, alone for the moment, looked around. "Three!" she yelled
back. She watched as Aya, using his staff like his katana, countered the
guard's sword strokes. The only problem was that his wooden staff could
do little killing damage. He could only annoy the guard he was fighting
with bruising hits. Sheathing her staff in the sling on her back, she
fumbled for her crossbow. Loading one of the heavy bolts into the slot
and cranking back the mechanism, she brought the weapon to her shoulder
and aimed. The guard Aya was fighting was struck in the heart and
killed.
	Behind him, Seth traded swings with another guard. This grunt
could only use one arm because his other one had been wounded by one of
Omi's crossbow bolts. Closing in on his weak side, Seth quickly ended
the fight by jamming his short sword into the man's side. Twisting the
blade cruelly to widen the wound, Seth showed no hint of emotion as
stray blood from the cut showered onto his face.
	The last guard looked around, finding himself alone. He watched
out of the corner of his eye as Omi went from victim to victim,
thrusting the evil tip of her staff into the neck of every guard to make
sure they were dead. Then he looked back at Ken, who tried to hold his
sword with one hand, staunching the flow of blood from his cut side with
the other. Thinking that if he could only take one of the four out, it
would be Ken, the guard charged.
	Ken met the stroke, but his hold on his sword was weak. His arm
trembled as the guard continued to press down on the faltering warrior.
A gleam came into the grunt's eyes, and he was sure he would win. As Ken
watched, his mouth became dry. He opened it to try to call for help, but
he couldn't make a sound. /I don't want to die!/ he thought. /Not here,
not like this!/
	A silver gleam appeared at the guard's throat, and suddenly the
pressure on Ken's arm lessened. Blood stained the dull sword, and the
grunt wobbled on his feet a moment before falling off to the side. Ken
looked up in surprise.
	Seth leaned down and wiped his blade on the dead body. Blood
speckled his serious face. /I don't recognize him,/ Ken thought. /He's
not the boy we thought he was./
	"Seth," Omi said quietly, coming up behind him. The boy sheathed
his blade and then wiped at his face. "Why... Where did you learn to use
the sword like that?"
	Seth shook his head, trying to clear his mind as if coming out of
a deep dream. He flushed, his eyes widening. "I...!" He looked down at
his blood stained hands, surprised as everyone else. "I killed those
guards?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.
	Ken nodded. "You're a pretty good fighter."
	Seth looked around him. "I can't believe I did that!"
	Aya patted himself down to look for wounds. A scratch on his
shoulder was all. "Don't then. Before the battle," the mage admitted, "I
cast a spell over you. I knew you wouldn't be a good fighter by
yourself, so I gave you the power to fight like a real warrior."
	"So I... didn't do that by myself?"
	"You did. After I gave you the knowledge of the blade."
	Seth looked sorrowfully at the bodies on the floor. "I took human
lives..."
	"Don't think about it," Aya responded coldly. "We'll need you for
the next fight. You'll thank me later for the gift I gave you. Besides,"
he added with a sharp look at the boy, "It's a rough world. It'll come
in handy."
	"Ken!" Omi cried, noticing for the first time the warrior's wound.
"You're hurt!"
	Ken tried to push the girl away. "It's nothing," he murmured.
	Omi frowned darkly. "It's nothing, of course. I shouldn't be
concerned when you're bleeding all over the place!" She pulled her pack
off of her back and opened it. Foreseeing that someone might get hurt,
Cordelia had forced her to take some clean bandages and healing salve.
Omi removed those from the pouch and turned back to Ken.
	The cuts were shallow, but long. They bled profusely, and Ken was
beginning to feel a bit lightheaded from the loss. Omi quickly smeared
them with the herbs and tied the bandages around his right arm and side. 
	She frowned. "This'll have to do for now. When we get back to the
inn, I'm going to have to do more work on those."
	Ken waved her away. "It's nothing, I tell you! It'll heal
quickly!"
	Aya stood over the other three. "Two more levels to go," he said
softly. "Can you make it, Ken? If not, I can make you invisible again so
that you can go back to the inn."
	Ken stood up, face red with anger and embarrassment. "Are you
saying I'm a burden? That I'll just get in your way?"
	"I'm thinking of your safety."
	Ken raised his head high. "I can manage."
	Aya tried to out stare the boy, but a sudden wave of weariness
came over him. His eyes rolled back in his head and he teetered forward.
Reaching out, Ken caught the mage as he fell.
	"Aya!"
	Aya put a hand to his head. "I... I'm sorry. I guess my
strength... I've cast too many spells today, that's it." He stood again,
straightening his robes. 
	Omi frowned. "Are you sure you'll be okay? Should we still
proceed?"
	Aya nodded firmly. "Yoji needs us now. We can't think of each
other. I'll be fine. Ken will be fine. Yoji's the one in trouble."
	"We're trying to save Yoji, not kill ourselves!" Omi protested.
	"You three go back," Seth whispered. "I can save him myself. It's
my fault he got caught."
	Aya reached out and put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's his
own fault that he caught. We'll save him together."
	Seth looked up, ready to protest, but he saw the mage's eyes.
Smiling grimly, he placed his hand over Aya's and nodded. "We go
together."

~~~~

	The next staircase was similar to the first. The first set of
steps curved and then stopped at a landing. They reached the open space,
and Ken stumbled, leaning against the wall for support. He had taken
rear guard to hide his failing strength from the others. He wouldn't let
them make him go back!
	"Ken," Omi said softly. She had been watching him. "You're not fit
for this..."
	"I'm fine!" he snapped back. Seeing her flinch, he instantly
regretted his words. Reaching out, he clasped her to him. "I'm sorry,
Omittchi. I'm just scared. For you and for everyone."
	Omi reached up, placing her fingers on his lips. "I'm scared for
you," she whispered, her brow marred by worry lines. "I don't want
anything to happen to you..."
	Ken smiled reassuringly. "Nothing'll happen. I'll stay in the back
this time, okay? You guys can go first and I'll bring up the rear.
Deal?"
	Omi thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. "Deal."
	"Omi," Aya called. Omi leaned up and kissed Ken quickly before
leaving him to join the mage. "You'll go first again," Aya explained.
	Omi nodded, checking her pouch for crossbow bolts. She frowned. "I
don't have many bolts left."
	Aya frowned. "You can't go retrieve some from the room up above?"
	Seth shook his head. "They're embedded too deep in the bodies.
They'll break on the way out anyway." He looked back up the stairs,
frowning worriedly. "I'm surprised there aren't any more guards. The
sound should have attracted someone, I would have thought..."
	Aya shook his head. "We have to move quickly. We can't worry about
things like that." He inwardly smiled at his spell. Seth was a trained,
seasoned warrior now. He could always remove the spell, of course.
Before they had entered the first room, the mage had secretly analyzed
Seth. Although the boy carried the short sword, he had no knowledge of
how to use it. And so, using a spell that would be valuable to the
group, he gave Seth the knowledge. And he was quite proud of that spell.
	Omi once more snuck down the stairs. She shot off a few bolts
while the other three rushed down the stairs to take the guards by
surprise. Ken stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he had promised
Omi, staying at the back of the fight. The girl slowly walked down the
stairs behind him, firing off bolt after bolt into the guards.
	This time she had killed three guards, wounding several more. She
had five bolts left in her pouch. There was still another room of guards
below them, after all. 
	Seth and Aya charged into the remaining guards. Running like a
little machine of death, Seth ran low across the room. On the way, he
managed to kill two of the guards. When he turned, he was trapped by two
more guards, skilled fighters who were able to keep him trapped and
isolated.
	Omi drew her staff, and went back to back with Aya. Their staffs
were formidable weapons against the two grunts, but hard to use as
killing weapons. They were able to block and parry the strokes of the
guards to an extent, but their return blows glanced off armor
harmlessly.
	Ken was also having a hard time with the guard he was fighting.
His side ached and kept bleeding. The wound was not given the
opportunity to close, and his constant movement irritated it. He
resorted to swinging his sword with his left arm while keeping his cut
right arm to his side. But this only made him have to work harder, as
the guard tried to aim for his weak side. 
	Again and again their blades clashed. Out of the corner of his
eyes, Ken saw Seth fell one of his opponents. The smaller boy fought
like a demon, his eyes blazing dangerously. His short sword danced like
lightning, and the other grunt that fought with him was weakening
rapidly. 
	On the other side of the room, Aya was able to knock one of the
guards sprawling with a lucky blow that hit the side of the man's head.
He and Omi turned, letting the girl finish off the fallen grunt with her
staff while Aya kept the other one at bay. 
	Ken watched all of this in fascination as he fought hard to keep
his defenses up. He knew the longer he defended, the weaker his enemy
would become. And, he was hoping, it would give the others time to
finish off their own opponents and come help him. 
	Seth jumped into the air, whirling in a circle. His blade spun out
and cut delicately through the guard's neck. Spraying blood coated
Seth's face and clothes. Ken noticed with a shudder that the boy had a
wicked smile on his face. /Where did Aya get that spell? Did he copy
Farfarello's mind and then give it to Seth?/
	In a partnered move, Aya lifted up his arms. From underneath his
left arm, Omi's staff sprouted and buried its sharp point in the guard's
neck. A gurgling sound escaped the grunt before he toppled backwards to
lay sprawled on the ground.
	Everything was in slow motion. Ken watched as the guard he was
fighting knocked his predicted block away. His sword was thrown from his
hand. Ken looked up, watching as the enemy's blade descended upon him.
	His body shuddered as the blade bit deep into his side. The grunt
kicked the warrior's body off of the sword. Ken tumbled back to lie on
the steps. He couldn't move. He could only watch. And he watched, a calm
settling over him. 
	The guard plunged his blade through Ken's stomach, so far that the
tip emerged from Ken's back. Ken grunted softly with the feel. But he
felt no pain. The pain of the first thrust had worn off, and he was just
comfortably numb now.
	Ken looked up, his eyes heavy lidded. Seth, wide eyed, raced
across the room. Aya, pale as death, stood frozen in his spot. Omi
screamed something, and instant tears appeared in her eyes.
	/Omi,/ Ken thought. A small smile touched his lips. /I love
you.../
	Fear and anger boiled up in Aya. Angry tears leapt to his eyes as
he watched his friend being cut down. Raising his hands, he muttered the
words in a harsh, low voice. Instantly, the guard went up in flames. But
that wasn't enough. The mage cast another spell, and the grunt was
picked up by invisible forces and hurled across the room at top speed
and into a wall. With an inarticulate cry, Aya used magic to crush the
grunt's head against the wall. The fragile skull shattered, and blood
and brains were splattered on the wall. The mage collapsed, utterly
exhausted from casting the stressful magic.
	Omi gathered Ken in her arms. Tears ran freely down her face. She
forced herself to look down his body, to see the wounds. Gaping wounds
that kept bleeding. She choked back a sob. There was no way that Ken was
going to live.
	"O- Omi...," Ken whispered. Seth stood behind the body of Ken,
while Aya watched from where he was sprawled on the floor, barely
conscious. Omi took notice of their presence, but her eyes never left
Ken's. She took his trembling hand.
	"Ken," she sobbed. "You'll be okay! I'll make you better! Oh, Ken,
don't worry!"
	Ken smiled up at her knowingly. His eyes expressed all of the love
he had never put into words. The light behind his brown eyes dimmed.
"Omi," he whispered.
	"Ken!" Omi said hoarsely. She could only watch as his spirit
withered away. She tried to grab it, to hold onto something to save, but
it was futile. Like catching the wind.
	Ken took a shuddering breath, his eyes staying hooked on Omi's.
His body shook as he let it out. The hand that held Omi's went limp. He
did not draw another breath. 
	"Ken...," Omi whispered. Her mouth was dry. She couldn't say
anything, do anything. Her body was frozen. The moment that she had
never thought would happen, had.
	Ken was dead.

~~~~

Failing Stars

The fate of stars so deeply falling,
shining like the heart of grace;
From thine eyes a love is calling,
drifting with a timeless face.

My love, fear not, please do not cry,
my blood is naught beside your pain;
To see your eyes sans joy so high
leaves me grieved in angel’s rain.

Tears of sorrow, tears of fright,
bless my unworthy soul one last time;
Angel’s sanguine daggers alight
upon this failing heart of mine.

My stars are crossed, the choirs singing,
The fate of fate welcomes my soul;
With your words in my mind ringing,
I sadly drift beyond this world.

One night of passion, hot and sweet,
breathed life into this feeble heart;
These memories now I closely keep
as what was us is torn apart.

Live my life as I would have lived,
live for love once short, once true;
As we now part, I can only give
my last, sweet tear to you.

~~~~

PART THIRTY-THREE

	"Ken," Omi sobbed quietly. She wanted to scream, but the rational
part of her brain told her that that action would only bring death
closer to the others. She held Ken's rapidly cooling hands in her own.
	Aya struggled to his feet, leaning heavily on his staff. He
coughed, blood coming to his lips. Seth rushed over, letting the broken
man use him as additional support. Together, they hobbled over to look
at Ken's mangled, dead body.
	"Ken... Ken...," Omi whispered over and over, tears pouring down
her face. She cupped his face in her hands, kissing his still-warm lips
and face. She didn't want to believe that this man, who had been so
alive the moment before, was now dead before her.
	"I love you," she said. "Make it like the movies and wake up.
Please, Ken!" Sudden anger coursed through her. She grabbed his heavy
shoulders and shook him. "Ken!" she yelled as loudly as she dared. "Wake
up, damnit!"
	"Omi," Aya whispered, leaning down to place a hand on her
shoulder. Tears ran unchecked down his own pale cheeks, and even Seth,
who had hardly known the warrior, felt the pain of loss. "We have to go
on..."
	"We can't leave him!" Omi cried, turning her anger to the mage.
"They’ll do awful things to his body! I won't allow it!"
	"Omi, in this world its kill or be killed," Seth said softly. "We
have to go on." He rested his hand on her shoulder.
	"No!" she cried, standing up. "I won't leave him!" Omi opened her
mouth to say further words, but suddenly her body rocked violently and
her eyes went blank and glassy.
	"Omi?" Aya asked. He reached out to take her hand. "Omi?" he cried
more urgently when she didn't answer. "Omi!"
	Slowly, Omi reached up and pulled the staff off of her back. She
turned to face Ken. Aya watched, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. /Has
Lady Aithne enchanted her?/
	He looked closer. A dull light shone from underneath her blue
robe, above her heart. As she leaned forward to kneel over Ken, the
light slipped into view and rested on her breast. Aya's amethyst eyes
widened in surprise as they recognized the silver cross that Omi wore
around her neck. The necklace was blazing with light, like a star in the
night sky.
	Omi knelt by Ken's side, her eyes closed. She held the staff above
Ken's body, parallel to it. Bowing at the waist, she placed the staff
over his body, laying it on him and then releasing it. She clasped her
hands over the silver cross at her neck, folding them around the charm
to obscure it's pure light.
	Aya watched, and he knew that Lady Aithne could not enchant Omi.
In a low voice, the girl began to incant mysterious words. The mage's
eyes snapped open. /I've heard of this kind of sorcery... but I never
knew it could be preformed! But that would mean that...!/
	"Omi, stop!" he cried. He reached out his hand to pull the girl
away, to break her concentration. They had lost one friend, they didn't
need to lose another.
	But Omi ignored him. She finished her spell and released the charm
at her neck. The silver light struck Aya and Seth, stopping them in
mid-step. They stood, frozen to the spot, and only their eyes could move
as they watched Omi complete the incantation.
	She placed her hands over Ken's heart, gently pressing down.
Slowly, her eyes slid open. They were still blank and glassy. Her body
shook slightly, and she blinked several times. The light that radiated
from the cross began to fade. 
	"Ken?" she asked quietly. "What...?" She looked down at his body.
On an impulse, she leaned down and kissed his cold lips. She pulled
back, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I
have to leave you now..."
	Aya and Seth found that they could move again. Aya shook his head,
running a hand through his hair. "What... happened?" he asked himself
softly. He was amazed at the strength he felt flowing through him. Then
he realized. His energy had returned. He was no longer tired or
exhausted from casting those spells. He felt rested.
	Quickly, he pulled open his robes and looked at his shoulder. A
guard had sliced it open, but it wasn't a major wound. He looked, but he
could find no cut. Similarly, Seth couldn't find any wounds on himself.
	"We were... healed," he whispered in awe. 
	Omi looked up at them. "Healed? How?" she asked.
	A shuddering breath was drawn. The three froze. Seth looked around
Omi, while the other two were too afraid to look.
	Another breath was taken, and then he began to cough. A faint
groan escaped his lips. "God, what happened?" he muttered. His hand,
weak and shaking, lifted to touch his face. “I feel like I died.”
	Aya slowly withdrew his eyes from Omi's and looked. Omi, her eyes
wide with fear, fear that this was only a dream, could not look behind
her. /It has to be a dream. I've died with him, that must be it. He
*can't* be alive. He just died.../
	"Omi!" Aya said, his voice tight with restrained emotion. Omi
looked up at him. Tears were once more flowing down his face, but a
smile curved his lips. "It's...!"
	Seeing his tears only provoked her own. With a sob, she turned and
flung herself on Ken. 
	"Ken!" she cried, burying her face in his shoulder.
	"Ahh," Ken replied, confused. He patted her back lightly and
struggled to sit up. Omi immediately jumped back to help him up. With a
thought, she suddenly pulled his shirt up, running her hand over his
stomach.
	"Omi! Hey, hey!" Ken cried, feeling her hand snake across his
belly. "Omi!" he whined. He was ticklish and the feel only made him
laugh.
	Omi looked up Ken, her eyes wide. "Ken, you're... alive. No
wounds, no nothing. Just like before..."
	Ken looked at her, totally confused. "Of course I'm alive,
Omittchi."
	Omi put her arms around him, laughing through her tears. She
kissed him deeply and held him tight. "Of course you're alive, Ken. Of
course you are."

~~~~

	"So, how do you think that happened?"
	Aya sat on the steps, curled around his staff. His eyes were wide
at Omi's question. "You mean you don't know?"
	Omi shook her head. She hadn't let Ken go yet. He kept protesting
that he was okay, but she wouldn't let him out of her arms. 
	"What happened?" Ken asked, his voice harsh with frustration. No
one would tell him what was going on!
	"You died." Ken's eyes widened at Aya's statement. 
	His hands traveled over his body. "I... died? Then why am I...?"
	"Because of Omi." Aya stood up, resting his staff on his shoulder.
He began to walk around the room as he talked, stepping in and out of
the bodies of the fallen guards. 
	"You, Ken, were stabbed twice in the gut. So far that the sword
came out the other side." Ken grimaced, putting a protective hand over
his stomach. "You died moments later, in Omi's arms. As for why you're
alive now... That's thanks to Omi."
	"Omi?" Ken asked, turning to the girl. He put his hand on her
cheek. His eyes searched hers. "What did you do?"
	"She doesn't know herself." Aya looked down at the guard he had
kicked. "Omi, throw me your staff." Omi complied, and Aya caught the
plain piece of wood. Casually, he stabbed it into the throat of a guard
who was still alive. "Omi, as it turns out, is a cleric."
	"Cleric?"
	"Healing magician, if you will." He tapped the top point of Omi's
staff against his chin. "Something took over her body. That's why she
shuddered and her eyes went blank," he explained, looking at Seth. The
boy nodded. "At first I thought it was Lady Aithne, but when the cross
at her throat began to glow, I knew it couldn't be. Omi's being is too
pure to let an evil sorceress like Aithne in.
	"I didn't know Omi was a cleric until she began chanting. I had
heard of a life spell before, but I didn't think it was possible. I had
never heard of it being successful, or if it was, it took the life of
the cleric while giving the victim back their own life. I tried to stop
you Omi, fearing that we'd lose you. That's when you let go of the
cross.
	"The light froze Seth and I. For the magic to work, your subjects
must be still. And so, it stopped us. The magic works by targeting the
people in the cleric's mind and heart. Ken was your main target, but we
were also there, and that's why we were healed as well."
	Aya twirled the staff in his hands. He looked at it thoughtfully.
"This staff is a part of your powers somehow. You laid it across Ken's
body, and I'm guessing you use it as a conductor of your healing powers.
You centered on Ken's heart, and the staff must have transmitted the
powers to the rest of the body."
	He walked back to the other's, handing the staff to the amazed
Omi. "As a finishing touch to the spell, the mysterious entity freed you
from its control. All you had to do was lean down and kiss Ken, which
you did. The spell, finished and sealed, and Ken came back to life." He
sat back down on the step. "The person who possessed you must be
powerful, to be able to save Ken's life as well as keep yours. I was
truly afraid that we would lose you too."
	The other three were stunned into silence. Ken and Seth stared in
surprise at Omi, who looked at her own hands. "I... have that kind of
power in me?" she asked softly.
	"You do," Aya confirmed.
	"I do!" Omi suddenly claimed, her eyes lighting up. "Ken, do you
remember when you fought Ravi? You were wounded, and the cut wouldn't
stop bleeding. I told it to stop bleeding, and to my surprise, it
stopped!"
	Aya nodded, his hand on his chin. "You seem to be very powerful.
The spirit that claimed you for a moment seemed only to give you the
words of the spell. You could do everything else on your own, you just
needed a little push."
	Omi looked at Ken, her eyes tearing up again. "Oh, Ken. We must be
blessed..."
	Seth looked over at Aya, an eyebrow raised. Ken and Omi were too
occupied to notice. “And how,” Seth asked warily, “Did you know all that
about Omi?”
	Aya looked back at the boy. A flare of jealously sparked inside of
him again. /Stop that!/ he silently commanded. /I don’t care *who* Yoji
sees!/ He shrugged the question off as well as the jealously. “You don’t
know much about mages, do you?”
	Seth flushed slightly. “I just want to know so that we don’t find
out that you’re in league with Lady Aithne!”
	Aya shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “Mages are
sent through years and years of study on magical properties. Even though
I’m a red-robed mage, a neutral mage, I still have to study about other
mages. Clerical mages are one of the types I had to study intensely. And
therefore, I know a lot about the clerical magic’s.”
	Seth looked at him a bit longer. “I’ll believe you for now. But if
anything happens to Yoji...”
	Aya frowned. “I would *never* let anything happen to Yoji!”
	Seth’s eyes narrowed. “You like him, don’t you?”
	Aya stepped back a few paces. “I..”
	Seth nodded. “You want him! I can see it!”
	Aya frowned darkly, expelling the blush from his cheeks. “I do
*not* want Yoji. I don’t know where you came up with an idea like that,
but you’re totally wrong!” With that, the mage turned around, crossing
his arms over his chest and mumbling to himself in a low voice.
	Seth, knowing that he had hit a tender spot on the mage, smiled
grimly. But no one would touch his Yoji. Now, ignoring the two (who were
getting too sappy for his taste) and Aya, he turned and put his ear to
the stone step. His eyes narrowed and he listened more closely, blocking
the other sounds out. Suddenly, his head snapped up.
	"Guards are coming down the steps! We have to go! Now!"
	Everyone leapt to their feet. Ken wobbled and would have collapsed
had not Omi been there to catch him. He flushed in embarrassment. "Weak
as a baby," Omi commented with a smile.
	Aya frowned grimly. "Be on your guard, everyone. We still have one
more room to clear before we can even think of freeing Yoji."
	With Omi supporting Ken, they made their way down the first flight
of steps to the third level. They stopped at the small landing to give
Ken a breather, but they couldn't stay for long. As they walked, Ken
regained his strength until he could walk on his own.
	Leaving Ken, Omi loaded her crossbow and crept down the stairs.
She brought the weapon to her shoulder and prepared to fire, but
stopped. She lowered the weapon in surprise. 
	"Omi! Shoot!" Aya hissed.
	Omi shook her head. She beckoned for the others, and they
descended to where she stood. They looked out upon the room.
	Ten guards stood waiting, but not a weapon was drawn. They lined a
walkway that led to a heavy oaken door. The first guard stepped out,
bowing before them.
	"Lady Aithne requests your presence in the next room," the man
said, his voice muffled by his helm. "We will not hurt you as you pass."
	Aya sighed. "We have no choice. We're blocked in." He indicated
the top of the steps, were several guards now stood.
	Still, Ken and Seth drew their swords, and Omi kept her crossbow
level to her shoulder. Aya took rear guard, twirling his staff
dangerously. Slowly, they crept through the line of guards to the door.
Ken reached up and pulled the heavy wood door open wide, exposing the
room behind it.
	With a deep breath each, the companions walked onwards.

~~~~

PART THIRTY-FOUR

	Aya slowly swung his staff in front of him as he slowly trailed
the others through the path of guards. Not one armor-clad man moved to
stop their progress. They were all glad for Lady Aithne's interference,
but they knew it would only be a double-edged blade. They could save
their strength through the last room, but there was still the final
battle for Yoji.
	The mage found his mind wandering as he walked towards the door at
the end of their path. He was surprised at how much his feelings had
changed since they had come to this different world. It was only their,
what, fifth day here? And he had changed so much in so little time.
	He had shed tears for his friend. He, Aya the man of stone, had
*cried* when Ken had been fallen. Seeing the warrior boy struck down had
brought such feelings to the surface that he could no longer hold back.
The tears had just streamed forward on their own account, and his heart
felt torn with the loss of a dear friend.
	/Dear friend?/ he asked himself. /Is that how I view Ken?/ He
shook his head. /I didn't feel that way when I learned Yoji had
disappeared.../
	/No,/ the wry voice inside his head said. /Your heart was gripped
with such an icy fear.../
	/Shut up!/ Aya commanded. He didn't want to hear those words, even
though he knew they were truth. That was another part of him that had
changed drastically, and he hadn't even seen the change taking place.
	Since they had arrived, he had felt himself becoming closer to the
thief. But Yoji was barely around. And Aya always wished that he would
stay longer so that they could spend more time together. 
	/Tears, feelings... Whose are they? They can't be mine.../
	/Ran./
	/Ran's?/
	/Those tears are Ran's. Those feelings stem from the pure feelings
in Ran's heart. They are melting the ice of Aya, and slowly you are
transforming back into Ran./
	/But!/ Aya protested. /I can't! Ran had nothing to offer in this
world we live in, and so I shut him away!/
	The dry voice made a disapproving clucking sound. /Ran has much to
offer you. You should get to know him better./ The silence resounded in
Aya's head, the voice now gone.
	Aya bit his lip nervously. This was the last thing he needed at
the moment. His emotions and mind were in conflict, in turmoil. He
couldn't fight at full power thinking like this. The addition of seeing
Yoji at the moment would not help matters.
	He approached the open door. He watched as Ken and Omi walked
cautiously through the door. He smiled slightly at the sight of them
together again. /It would have been wrong to rob either of them of the
first love they've ever shared./ He sighed softly to himself. /But I was
no help. I couldn't help either of them. I can never help them. I will
probably fail them in this battle./
	As if reading his mind, Seth stopped to wait for the mage. "You
are questioning yourself. Why?" the boy asked.
	Aya blinked at him. "How did you...?"
	Seth shrugged. "The look on your face."
	Aya turned away. "It is none of your business."
	"You will be needed in this battle. Don't fail us now." He looked
at Aya a bit longer and then turned to enter the room. Aya's lips
quirked a bit in a smile. With his simple words and faith in the mage,
Seth had inspired confidence into the mage. From such an unlikely
source, considering their earlier fight, confidence came, and Aya felt
needed and whole once more. 
	A gasp escaped the boy and he stopped in his tracks. Aya hurried
up to him. "What is it?" he asked. His narrowed violet eyes swept over
the room and stopped in horror.
	Yoji hung in chains next to the door, in full sight. His hands
were chained above his head and his feet to the ground. Blood seeped
down his bare shoulder and a few trickles came from his mouth and nose.
He seemed relatively unhurt and only unconscious for the time being.
	Aya felt his heart lurch. /Yoji.../ A slow anger began to build in
him. /How *dare* she hurt my friend like that!/
	/Friend?/ the voice asked in an amused tone, and then disappeared
once more. But the voice didn't bother Aya. The scene only reinforced
the strength given by Seth. Aya knew he could not fail his friends now,
could not fail Yoji.
	Aya turned, his eyes locking with Lady Aithne's. She stood, the
look on her thin face triumphant as she watched the companion's faces.
Aya held out his staff and opened his mouth to speak.
	Before a word could be spoken, a strangled cry escaped Seth and he
ran over to Yoji. He threw himself on the older man, tears running down
his cheeks.
	"Yoji... Yoji...!" he cried over and over brokenly. 
	As if roused by the cries, the thief began to stir. He groaned
softly, and the chains that held his wrists rattled. He lifted his head
to look at them, and then at Lady Aithne.
	"Not again," he muttered. He then looked down at the person who
held him tight. His eyes widened in surprise. "Seth!"
	Seth looked up, face tear streaked. "Yoji!" he cried, flinging his
arms around the older man's neck. He pressed his lips to Yoji's in
short, frantic, desperate kisses.
	Aya's face flushed. His heart constricted and he felt pain flash
through him. /What is this?/ he asked himself angrily. /Why am I acting
like this? It's stupid!/
	He shook his head violently to clear it of the emotions and
thoughts. "Aithne," he said, pushing Yoji from his thoughts. "I guess we
can't take him without a fight."
	The elf woman shrugged. "You can try to take him if you want."
	Seth pulled out his short sword. Yoji looked at the boy nervously.
"Ahh, Seth... Why don't you just try to find the keys?"
	"They're not in any place that you'll find them." Lady Aithne
watched with a raised eyebrow. 
	Seth swung at the chains that held Yoji's wrists. His blade stuck,
but suddenly the links glowed green, and the sword bounced off. He tried
repeatedly, but again the same force field prevented him from cutting
through the chains.
	He collapsed, weeping, on the strung out Yoji. "Yoji," he
whispered, a catch in his voice.
	"Shh," Yoji said softly. "Don't worry, things will work out." He
looked up, his serious green eyes meeting Aya's. They looked at each
other for a moment, before the mage nodded curtly and turned away.
	Lady Aithne watched, her eyes narrowed. There was a power she
sensed in Seth, and didn't like. With a wave of her hand and a soft
word, a fine mist of sparkly golden powder rained gently over Seth. He
sneezed, choking on the dust, causing the others to look at him.
	"Seth?" Yoji asked anxiously. 
	Lady Aithne laughed. "Your toughest warrior is mine now." She
clapped her hands together, and then arched her knuckles, as if cradling
a small creature that one doesn't want to run away. As she did so, the
golden dust around Seth solidified and captured him. He banged against
the rubbery sides fruitlessly. Seth was caught in a magical bubble.
	"Nice spell, mage," Lady Aithne said, nodding her head
respectfully at Aya. The red-robed mage snorted, and turned to dispel
the witch's spell.
	Ken withdrew his sword from his sheath, and Omi readied her
crossbow. "We will fight," Ken said solemnly. Omi nodded. They
understood. They had to distract Lady Aithne while Aya tried to free
Seth. They would need the boy's help now.
	Lady Aithne smoothed her deep purple dress and then held out her
hands. They were bedecked in jewels. "Wind," she whispered, pointing at
Aya.
	The dust on the ground stirred as a wind wrapped itself around his
feet. Gathering speed quickly, it crawled up his body until he was
wrapped in a tunnel of fierce wind. He tried moving, but the wind
trapped him in place. With a sinking feeling, he felt himself being
lifted off of the ground.
	Lady Aithne laughed throatily. "Your powerful mage, caught by such
a simple spell!"
	Ken looked at Omi, who nodded. They stared at each a moment
longer. They knew that they might never be able to hold each other
again. This might be their final mission together. 
	Tearing his eyes away, Ken raised his sword in a salute to the
sorceress. With a battle cry, he rushed forward to strike. As he brought
his sword down on the seemingly unprotected woman, a red glare blinded
him. He felt himself lifted and thrown backwards.
	He couldn't even make a sound as he was slammed into the brick
wall. He felt his arm crack loudly. The force of the blow held him,
suspended in the air, for a moment, before he slid down to collapse on
the floor. Gathering his strength, he staggered to his feet, his left
arm hanging uselessly at his side.
	"Ken!" Omi cried, rushing to him. She put her hands on his broken
arm and whispered a few words. A pure light radiated from her palms, and
soon Ken's arm was working once more.
	Ken smiled grimly at Lady Aithne's surprise. "We can go on forever
with that kind of power, Aithne."
	Lady Aithne frowned slightly. Then her eyes lit up as they
targeted Omi. "Not if she's taken out of action." She pointed at the
girl with one finger. "Fire," she breathed.
	Racing across the floor came a trail of flames, heading straight
for Omi. The girl stood, still busy with Ken as she checked him over for
other wounds. Knowing that a vocal warning would be too late, Ken knew
he had to take action. A moment before the flames struck, Ken hurled
himself at Omi, knocking her out of the way, the hem of her robe singed
by the fire.
	They rolled to their feet, Ken crouched in front of Omi to protect
her from any new danger. Across the room, Seth banged helplessly against
the sides of the golden bubble. Yoji watched the fight, no hope in his
eyes. Surprise registered in Ken. Even Yoji didn't think they could win.
And Aya... The mage was still caught in the wind tunnel, lifted high off
the ground. The breathable air was being sucked from the tunnel, slowly
making the tube a vacuum and letting the mage die a horrible death.
	Ken shook his head. /No! Yoji must have hope! We have to save him.
We have to do something about Aya. But in all cases, we can't die!/
	Omi looked up at Ken and saw the sudden determination on his face.
She looked around and saw the same sights he had seen, and felt the
hopelessness reflected in Yoji's eyes. But then she steeled herself by
looking once more at Ken. If he had hope, then she would believe in him.
	She stood, casting aside the useless crossbow and drawing her
staff. She stepped up beside Ken. "We fight together," she said to him.
He looked at her, opening his mouth to protest. But when he saw the grim
look on her face, he smiled.
	"My Omittchi," he said softly. They risked a glance at each other.
"We fight together. As one."
	Lady Aithne beckoned them mockingly. "Come then. I will fight the
two of you."
	In a flash, the two sprang away from each other, intending to
attack on different sides. Lady Aithne held a hand out facing each of
them, readying her defense. 
	Ken struck, and his blade bounced off of the shield that was
contained in the witch's hand. Lady Aithne turned her head as Omi's
staff descended. The plain wood struck the woman's hand, and instead of
bouncing off, it cut through the barrier, scorching the hand that was
held out.
	Lady Aithne cried out in despair, pulling her hand away from the
staff. "You...!" she cried, as the two pulled back again. "You got
through my shield!"
	Ken looked proudly over at Omi. "Good work!"
	"Flames!" Lady Aithne shrieked, pointing in front of her. A line
of tall flames flickered into life, cutting Ken and Omi off from each
other. The fire was so high that Omi could barely see Ken in the dancing
orange flames.
	Omi called joyfully, "There's a chance after all! The staff, with
its clerical powers, can hurt her!"
	Ken nodded, waving his hands for Omi to see. "Let's do it again,
then!"
	They rushed around to opposite sides. Lady Aithne smiled grimly.
"I won't let you get the best of me this time!" she crowed. She powered
up her defenses and held both hands out while she waited for Omi's
attack.
	Ken, meanwhile, was behind her. He slashed at her, and
surprisingly, found no barrier that stopped his sword. His blade cut
through the back of Lady Aithne's dress, scarring her back. The witch
cried out horribly, and turned to face him. Her nails struck out, and
she slashed Ken across the arm that carried his sword. Grunting in pain
as he felt the blood flow down his arm, Ken backed off.
	At that moment, Omi leapt forward, leaning heavily on a powerful
down stroke. The tip of the staff caught Lady Aithne's face and then
traveled deeply into her arm. The witch's skin melted like wax, giving
in as the staff left its mark.
	The witch screamed and flung out with her powers. Ken and Omi were
hurled across the room, slammed into the walls. Omi recovered quicker,
as Ken tried to struggle to his feet. His bloodied arm was weak. Omi
tried to get to him, but the wall of flames prevented her from helping
him. Lady Aithne stood, huffing, watching them with narrowed eyes.
	"Gaah!!"
	Surprising everyone, Aya dropped back onto the battlefield. The
shreds of wind torn from the tunnel whipped around the room. One brushed
by Seth and he cried out as the sharp wind rocked his bubble. Aya, his
face red, gasped for air as he brought his staff up to protect himself.
	"Nice spell," he grunted. "Let me counter it with one of my own."
	"Grow," he whispered, pointing at a clump of moss in the corner of
the dungeon. Immediately the plant began to thicken and prosper. It
crept up and around the wall, coming up behind the witch. Lady Aithne
stood warily, her eyes flickering around as she waited for Aya's spell
to take effect. Thinking he was bluffing, she relaxed her defense and
started to laugh.
	"You foolish mage," she chuckled. "Trying to scare me with a small
spell. It didn't even work!"
	With a lurch, the lichen flung itself off of the wall and onto
Lady Aithne. The green plant began crawling over her thrashing body,
slowly covering up her face and wild eyes, until she was finally
covered. The thick plant muffled her cries.
	Aya turned to the others. "Are you all right?" he asked in
concern, putting his hand on Omi's shoulder. She shook him off quickly,
running to Ken as the flames died. With her powers directed elsewhere,
the fire died out. In a moment, Ken's arm was healed.
	She nodded. "We're fine." She held up her staff. "My staff, it
hurts her."
	Aya acknowledged that with a nod. "As I suspected. Your powers are
pure and good, while Aithne's are only dark and corrupt."
	Ken looked at the struggling mass of green. "What are we going to
do now? We certainly can't leave her alive. She'll come after us for
sure."
	The mage sighed. "I don't know what we're going to do. But let's
get Yoji out of here for the moment."
	"Whoa," the said thief responded. "You're saying that you're going
to free me and then tell me to get lost like a good boy?"
	The redhead nodded. "Something like that, yes."
	The jade eyes flashed warningly. "Not quite, Aya. I'm part of the
team, and this is my fight as well. I'm not leaving."
	Aya frowned darkly. "But you're hurt! Weak! You can't fight! You
don't even have a weapon!"
	Yoji shook his head, his auburn waves framing his pale face. "I
don't care! I'll fight with you!"
	"I care!" Aya yelled back at him. "What happens if you get hurt?
Then we'd have wasted our time coming to get you! You should leave while
you have the chance. Take Seth with you. The three of us can manage."
	Yoji glared at Aya, and the two fought silently with their eyes.
Finally, the older man submitted. "I don't want to leave... But if
you're forcing me to..."
	"I'm forcing you to," Aya nodded, crossing his hands over his
chest.
	Yoji looked away, his body heaving with a sigh. "Then I guess I'll
take Seth to safety, get a weapon and come back." He turned back to Aya,
a smile lighting up his eyes.
	Aya's face turned red with anger. His clenched fists banged on his
thighs. "No!" he roared. "You'll leave and you'll stay out there! You
*won't* come back, or I'll kill you myself!"
	A sudden crackling sound alerted all of them and they turned
around. The lichen had burst into flames, and slowly it dissolved into
nothing but ashes. From the debris stepped Lady Aithne, a little singed
and very much mad.
	"You... you...!" she raged, her eyes fixing on Aya. She shrieked,
unleashing a bout of magical powers. Aya was flung into the air and
against the wall. The impact knocked the breath from his body and sent
his vision spinning. He crumpled to the floor, coughing and choking for
breath.
	"And *who* needs help?" Yoji asked dryly. Aya's head snapped up
and he shot a glare at the older man. Slowly, he struggled to his feet,
leaning heavily on his staff as he wiped blood away from the corner of
his mouth.
	Omi stepped in front of the mage. "You'll have to go through me,"
she said menacingly. Ken sidled up beside her.
	"And me," he added. 
	Aya shooed them aside. "Stop this," he chided. He looked at Omi,
his eyes darting back to Lady Aithne's side. Omi nodded slightly. He
swung his gaze to Ken, and the same gesture was repeated.
	"If she wants to fight a mage," he began. He reached into one of
his pouches, and pulled out a ball of fluff. He held it cupped in both
hands. The other looked worriedly at him, wondering if the fluff would
be able to do any damage.
	He began to chant, and when he finished, the fluff burst into
flame. He smiled grimly, pulling back his arm in preparation to fling
the ball. "Fire ball," he whispered, the smile still twisting his lips.
He lobbed the ball at Lady Aithne. He finished, "Then she'll fight one."
	At the same time, Ken and Omi closed in on her two sides. Lady
Aithne, not seeing them, concentrated her powers on the fireball, and
not on the other two. Ken's swing caught her side, cutting deep into her
flesh. Omi's swing left a blazing trail down her back, criss-crossing
with the other scar left there by Ken.
	The elf woman screamed shrilly, dropping her defenses in shock.
The fireball hit her right in the chest, knocking her backwards. 
	She sat, stunned. She had fallen on her knees, her breast smoking
and her sides oozing blood. Her eyes were glassy and she looked in all
appearances to be defeated. 
	Yoji nodded. "Now let's do something about these chains, huh?" he
asked, rattling them. Seth sat curled up in his bubble, leaning against
the side that leaned against Yoji's leg. The boy had somehow maneuvered
the bubble to rest beside the older man. 
	Aya glared at the boy. "I generously waste my strength to give you
the power to fight, and here you can't even get out of a bubble." Seth
only glared right back at the surly mage.
	Aya ran his hands over the chains while Ken and Omi kept watch on
Lady Aithne. She didn't move. The mage frowned. "There's a very powerful
barrier spell on the chains. I hope I have the power to break it."
	Yoji sighed impatiently. "Just get on with it, okay? My arms are
killing me, and I need to stretch my legs." He glanced down at Seth, his
eyes softening. "Don't be hard on him, Aya," he whispered. "He's just
scared, that's all."
	Aya snorted. "Scared. Funny how he wasn't scared in the other
rooms." Reaching into another pouch, he pulled out a handful of powder.
He spit into it, and rubbed it around in his two hands, mixing the
saliva into it. The dust soon turned into a sticky mixture that he
smeared onto the chains.
	"Lovely," Yoji commented dryly.
	Aya snapped a glare in his direction before closing his eyes and
beginning to chant.
	/You'd better stop that./
	/Why?/ Aya asked.
	/Aithne's definitely not beat yet. And she'll be back up in a
moment. Stop your spell and I'll give you a new one./
	/New one?/
	/It'll help you, trust me. You have to get the words to Omi
somehow./
	/Why Omi?/
	The voice sighed. /Who else with magical powers are you going to
have cast the spell? Ken? *Aithne*?/
	Aya abruptly stopped his chanting. Yoji looked at him curiously.
"Hey. What gives? Come on, finish it. Free me, okay?"
	"Aya!" Omi cried urgently. The mage turned. 
	Slowly, Lady Aithne staggered to her feet. Her wounds had stopped
bleeding, and some of the lesser wounds had closed, disappeared. A low,
deep chuckle escaped her. Her head lifted, and her eyes focused on the
companions. The orbs, once green and normal, were now completely black.
The irises, the pupils, the whole eyeball was pitch black. 
	She raised her hands. Her nails had grown terribly. Now they could
appropriately be called claws. She held them out dangerously towards the
warriors. She advanced a step.
	"Damnit," Aya swore. The words of the spell poured into his head,
taking his attention away from the witch. "Quick! Damnit, someone give
me parchment! Ken, you distract her for the moment!"
	Ken looked at Aya in surprise. "Just me? What's going on?"
	"Damnit!" Aya howled. The spell was flashing through his brain and
he needed to write it down for Omi. Thankfully, the girl pressed a scrap
of cloth and charcoal into his hands. Quickly, he began to scribble down
the words.
	Ken turned, readying his sword. He had to do what Aya said,
without explanation. It was something he had learned over the years from
their leader. To do with out questioning, and to just trust Aya. He held
the blade low so that the tip scraped the stones. Lady Aithne advanced
another step. With a cry, Ken rushed forward, lifting his blade to
attack. 
	When he was a few paces away, bright bolts of light shot from Lady
Aithne's fingers, smashing into Ken's chest and hurling him backwards.
	"Ken!" Omi cried, watching the scene. She turned, torn between
Aya's instructions and Ken's battered body. The warrior used his sword
to stand up, hefting the blade for another attack. He *had* to distract
Lady Aithne as Aya had told him. Ignoring his smoking shirt, he charged
again.
	"Aya!" Yoji cursed. "This is no time to be drawing! Get in there
and fight before Ken's killed!"
	Aya shook his head, finishing the last of the words. "He's already
been dead once," he muttered darkly. He turned to Omi. "Omi, listen to
me. Omi!" He said urgently, shaking the girl's shoulders.
	She looked away from where Ken was slammed into the wall once
more, his face and side bleeding freely from a swipe from Lady Aithne's
claws. "But...!"
	"This is more important, trust me!" He shook the cloth in her
face. He noticed then that it was blue. It had been torn from her robe.
He lessened his grip. "Omi," his voice was gentle but tight. "You and
I... We have to repeat this spell in unison. I don't know what it'll do,
but the voice in my head said it’d help with Aithne. Something about all
of us attacking at once..." He trailed off, his eyes clouded with
thought.
	Omi watch as Ken picked himself up once more, staggering. The
hands that held his sword shook with fatigue. She pulled her eyes away
and nodded to Aya. "We repeat it at the same time, and then we all
attack at the same time."
	Aya nodded. "Yes. Yes! Now," he said, grabbing his staff, "Get
back to back. When we finish the spell, point your staff at Aithne."
	"Ken!" Omi cried. The warrior boy wiped blood away from a cut on
his cheek and looked over at Omi. "When Aya and I point our staffs at
Aithne, attack!"
	Ken nodded, readying his blade. Lady Aithne turned her eyes
towards Aya and Omi. Turning her broken body, she began to stagger
towards the two. 
	"Now, Omi!" Aya commanded, and together the two began to chant the
spell. 
	As they recited, a great power began to collect at Lady Aithne's
fingertips. The blinding white light gathered there and multiplied,
ready at any moment to leap forward and destroy the offenders.
	They both pointed their staffs at Lady Aithne. A thin streak of
lightning crackled out, and Ken leapt, his sword descending upon Lady
Aithne. The light and sword contacted at the same time, and a flash as
bright as a super nova filled the room, blinding everyone.
	Everyone was thrown, and they all collided with the walls. The
force of the blast was great, leaving a charred streak on the stone
floor. The light faded, and Aya slowly blinked the stars away.
	The smoke drifted away, revealing Lady Aithne. Surprisingly, she
still stood. Her right arm had been severed from Ken's blow, and there
was a definite hole through her midsection. Aya looked at the witch
curiously. She had not fallen. 
	/Which means she's not quite finished.../
	In horror, he realized that the spell that had collected at her
fingertips was still there. The mage scrambled to his feet, looking for
the others. Omi was at his feet, and Ken was to his left. Each groaned
softly, trying to shake away the blast.
	Sensing movement, Lady Aithne turned to Aya. Her pitch black eyes
blinked a few times, and a smile curved her lips. "Go," she whispered,
leaning forward to blow on the ball of light.
	The gentle breath gave Aya the impression that the destructive
ball would float gently, like dandelion puffs. What he didn't expect was
the rocketing ball of light that buzzed past him, searing his shoulder
as he jumped out of its way. The ball passed him, and then turned around
for another go. 
	This time, the mage threw himself flat on the floor, putting his
hands over Omi as she tried to rise. "Don't!" Aya hissed. Omi blinked
the light away from her eyes and looked up.
	She looked up in time, as the light ball had stopped above them
and now dropped suddenly, intending to smash them to the floor. Grabbing
the front of the mage's robes, Omi rolled, pulling Aya with her out of
the way. 
	"Destroy that thing!" she cried.
	Aya shook his head. "With what? I don't know what will counter
that!"
	Yoji ducked the flying light ball more in irritation than fear.
"Come on Aya. This is magic, and you're the mage. Figure something out,
okay?"
	Aya growled, rising to his feet. He stalked across the room to
Yoji. Shaking his finger in the older man's face, he said, "I've just
about had enough of this!"
	Yoji smiled slightly. "Duck, Aya."
	"Duck?"
	Yoji's green eyes became impatiently. "Just lower your head."
	Watching him closely, Aya did as he was told. Just in time, as the
light ball whizzed close to his face. He gasped in shock as it brushed
his cheek, drawing blood.
	"See? You never listen to me," Yoji sighed.
	Aya frowned, turning, a sudden idea popping into his head. "Omi,
repeat after me!" The girl nodded, picking up her staff from where it
had landed on the ground. Next to her, Ken groggily woke up, shaking his
head.
	The mage slowly said a string of mystical words. Omi repeated them
with force, spitting each one out at Lady Aithne as she closed in on the
girl.
	"Hold your breath," Aya warned the thief.
	"Why?"
	"Trust me."
	Yoji would have sighed if there had been air. Instead, he took in
a mouthful of water as the air disappeared. His eyes went wide as he
began choking and spitting. But it didn't help, there was no air
anywhere, and he couldn't move. His eyes went wide as he realized what
would happen. He would die. *He* was going to die.
	He watched as Aya floated in front of him, a smug smile on his
lips. Yoji began to thrash around. /The bastard's laughing at me!/
	With a cutting motion of his hand, Aya dispelled the water. Which
left, with the exception of Aya, four very angry, wet, and gasping
people. But, thankfully, the water had soaked the light ball, and the
magic was no more.
	"Bastard," Yoji coughed, breathing in deep lungfuls of air. "But
why did Omi have to say that?"
	Aya pulled off his wet cloak, throwing the heavy garment away from
him. It would only slow him down. "Because her powers radiate purity. My
magic borders on evil, so I would only have fueled her spell."
	Seth, who had been protected from the water spell by his magical
bubble, looked up at Yoji. "Yoji?" he asked in concern. 
	Yoji continued to glare at the mage. "I'm all right. Don't worry."
	Lady Aithne lay on the floor, but she did not gasp for air. The
room was suddenly deathly silent. They could tell that the witch was not
quite beat yet. She lay, gathering her powers.
	"Omi," Aya called, and the girl and the warrior boy joined him.
Aya frowned, putting a hand on his chin. He ran his other hand through
his wet hair, pushing back the long, dark red bangs. "The spell we used
before didn't work."
	Omi nodded. "Maybe if we try it again?"
	"Think of something quick," Ken warned. "She's getting to her
feet, and she doesn't look happy."
	"Why is she still moving around like that?" Seth asked, wide-eyed.
"She has a *hole* in her!"
	Yoji shrugged. "Magical powers can keep you going for a long
time."
	"Strength for anything?"
	Yoji smiled fondly down at the boy, his heart aching as he wished
he could wrap the boy up in his arms. "Anything."
	"We all have to hit her," Omi mused. Her wide eyes flicked over to
Lady Aithne, who was still struggled up. The scorched hole in her
midsection allowed them to see the bloodstained wall behind her.
	Aya smacked his fist into his palm. "That's it! All of us. That's
the four of us. Yoji has to hit her somehow."
	"How do you know it's not Seth?" Ken asked. He shifted his sword
from right to left hand, wiping his wet palm against his thigh. 
	Aya shook his head. "That wouldn't make sense. The four of us.
It's always been us. It wouldn't be Seth because he's not one of us..."
Aya frowned. "I can't explain it well. But I *know* it's Yoji!"
	Yoji sighed. "You forget, Einstein," he said dryly. He shook his
wrists. "I'm chained up and couldn't hurt a fly. What do you want me to
do, bite her if she happens to get close to me?"
	Omi shrugged as she and Aya stood back to back again and Ken
crouched low. "You'll think of something, I hope."
	Ken smiled up at Yoji. "I'll push her in your direction, and when
the two point their staffs at Lady Aithne, attack. Okay?"
	Yoji rolled his eyes. "Yeah, attack. Gotcha."
	Lady Aithne was on her feet again. Her eyes glinted dangerously.
The puddles on the ground stirred slightly as a gentle wind began to
blow.
	Aya and Omi began to chant. "Don't falter," Ken said. His eyes
narrowed. The wind grew, and began to push at him. His clothes flapped
wetly in the breeze. 
	Walking against a wind had to be the hardest thing he had ever
done. Ken gritted his teeth and wouldn't give in. He lifted his sword,
nearing Lady Aithne. 
	She turned to face him, a joyful smile lighting her lips. Ken's
hopes sunk. /The wind'll keep me from reaching her! I'll never be able
to attack!/ He stepped closer. Not affected by the wind, Lady Aithne
sprang backwards lightly.
	Yoji's eyes lit up. /Well, here's my chance,/ he thought. Lady
Aithne had saved Ken the trouble and jumped right in front of the thief.
/Now if I can just find a way to attack her.../
	Seth looked up, the wind making his eyes tear. There was no way
Ken could reach Lady Aithne to attack her. His sword was too heavy, and
the wind was holding him back. The boy glanced at the two spell-casters.
The spell was almost done. Slowly, they began to point their staffs at
the witch.
	Seth's frantic eyes looked around the room. His eyes watched as
the wind whipped tornado-like through the room. The room was like a
maelstrom of wind, circling faster and faster. He looked at the wind a
bit closer, snatches of the spell coming to his ears.
	The mage and the cleric had fully lowered their staffs. In another
moment, the spell would be finished. Lady Aithne stood, arms crossed
over her chest. Seth could see the glittering defense shield that
protected her. She knew that once this spell had failed once more, the
warriors would be hers to finish off. Strength was already gone, and
they were all working on pure will alone.
	Seth felt time slow down. Light began to build at the tips of the
staffs. He turned to Ken, who was nowhere near the witch. And he
wouldn't make it in time, either. 
	And then, it was clear to him.
	"Throw it!" he yelled, letting the wind carry his voice. Ken
looked up, frowning as he thought he heard something.
	"Throw the sword, Ken!" Seth yelled at the top of his lungs. 
	Light burst forth from the staffs. Shrugging, Ken did as he was
told, and threw the sword into the wind. The light hit the witch, and
she screamed with the impact.
	The wind, circulating throughout the room, carried the sword in a
wide arc. It tumbled, tip over hilt through the air. The sword, tossed
and turned throughout the wind, passed the witch. Ken felt the
disappointment and fear fall heavily upon him. /We're going to die now,/
he thought. /And I won't be with Omi anymore.../ The despair ate at him
as he watched, just a moment longer before turning away to face his
fate.
	But at the last moment, the sword turned over. The tip of the
blade scratched at Lady Aithne's face, drawing blood.
	Elation shot through Ken. He *had* hit her! And now they were only
waiting on Yoji. "Now, Yoji!" Ken and Seth cried in unison, turning to
the last man.
	Yoji watched, his mind racing. /I don't have anything to attack
with. I have nothing but myself and my spit, and.../
	Before the light died and the spell was wasted, Yoji had to
attack. Any form of attack. Just so that he hit Lady Aithne. And then it
would be over.
	He knew it was stupid. It had to be the stupidest idea he had ever
come up with. But it was an idea, and the only one he had at that.
	/An attack.../
	Yoji spat.

~~~~

PART THIRTY-FIVE

	The glistening globule of saliva flew perfectly from the lips of
Kudou Yoji. Since Lady Aithne was only a few feet in front of the
chained man, he stood within the eye of the storm, the haven of peace
from the whirling winds. There was no air resistance to knock it away
from its target.
	It soared upwards, tracing a delicate path in the air, the light
reflecting off of the spit to glitter in the space like diamonds. As it
reached its zenith, it began to descend. The beautiful loogie fluttered
gracefully through the air to land smack dab on Lady Aithne's forehead.
	A scream, such as never had been heard before, echoed throughout
the room. The companions all had to cover their ears from the banshee's
wail, lest they be damaged while listening to the dreadful song. 
	The saliva first began to eat away at her skin, like acid. Slowly
it dripped down her face, devouring her like a parasite does a host.
Muscles, tendons, sinew and cords were all consumed, baring her bones to
the air that still whipped around the room.
	Again and again screams echoed from her throat. And then, they
were suddenly silenced as the spit reached her throat, eating away at
her vocal cords. 
	The second attack then began. Her bones were laid bare by the
spit, still standing despite the horrible pain. Again, starting at her
forehead, the spit began again, only this time eating into her bones.
They crumbled like fine powder, baring the fresh, pink organs beneath.
Those too were eroded by the powerful spit, aided by the magical spell,
and hastened by the flowing blood that once adorned the witch's cheek. 
	As the four watched in utter fascination, the spit consumed Lady
Aithne. She wilted away until nothing was left. The fierce, circling
wind flashed out once before she was totally gone, in such a brutal way
that everyone was thrown away from the center of the blast. 
	When they opened their eyes, there was nothing except ashes
floating on the last vestiges of the wind. The few ounces of dust that
remained suddenly turned into small flames that ate each other up. And
then, silence.
	Aya and Omi collapsed against each other, their energy spent and
their bodies drained. Ken limped over to sit next to Omi. The
cerulean-eyed girl blinked owlishly at him.
	"Is it... really over?" she asked, her voice sounding loud in the
silence that reigned. 
	"It's over," Aya confirmed. The mage ran a hand through his red
locks. "Even a powerful witch like Aithne can't come back from being
burned up."
	"But it just seems so..."
	"Anti-climatic. Disappointing, I know." Aya shrugged. "Things
never happen as they're supposed to. If we hadn't all hit Aithne in that
moment, we would have been the ones with our ashes floating on the
wind."
	The mage dragged himself to his feet. "I'll try to get those
chains off you," he said, looking at Yoji.
	Yoji raised his head wearily. "Please," he begged. "I can't bear
this much longer." His eyes traveled over to Seth. As Aithne's magical
powers had flared once more before her defeat, Seth's protective bubble
had burst and he had been flung against the wall and knocked
unconscious.
	Picking up Seth's fallen sword, Aya took an experimental swing at
the chains. One cracked under his blow. The spell that had protected the
links had also worn off. Chopping away diligently, Aya was rewarded when
one of the strands broke. He began hacking away at the others with a
renewed strength. After a moment of watching, Ken joined him, and soon
Yoji was free.
	The thief took a few staggering steps before his weak legs gave
out and he fell forward. Aya caught him and lowered him to the ground.
They sat across from each other, Yoji's head lowered as he played
uncomfortably with the metal cuffs around his wrists.
	"Here," Aya said softly. He reached out and took Yoji's hand in
his own. Muttering softly, a bright spark appeared at the tip of his
finger. Putting it at the keyhole, it flared for a moment, and then the
cuff fell off, to clunk loudly on the floor. Aya did the same with the
others, freeing Yoji of the last of the bonds. 
	Yoji nodded his thanks and crawled away to where Seth lay. He
pulled the boy to him, resting the ebony head in his lap, stroking the
locks away from the pale, serene face.
	"Say, Yoji," Ken asked. He and Omi sat, shoulder to shoulder, with
his arm around her. Her blond head rested on his shoulder, her eyes
closed. "Aya and Omi used magic, and I used my sword. How did you end up
attacking her?"
	Yoji's face flushed and he looked away uncomfortably. "Well, you
know... Like a warrior should and all..."
	"You bit her?" Omi asked.
	Yoji snorted. "No." He tossed his head back in an attempt to be
nonchalant. "I spit on her."
	"Spit?" The young couple burst into laughter. Even Aya was trying
hard not to show that he was laughing. Yoji frowned, his face flushing
bright red as he looked away.
	Aya stood up, biting his lip to stifle the smile. "Come on, now.
Let's get out of here. You can tease Yoji later."
	Ken stood, helping Omi to her feet. "Maybe you can attack Schwarz
with spit next time?" Ken suggested, grinning hugely at his embarrassed
team member.
	Yoji picked up Seth in his arms and tried to stand, but his legs
shook terribly from weakness. Leaving the laughing Ken, Omi went and
placed her hands on Yoji's shoulder.
	"Be well," she whispered, her eyes closed. A pure white light
filled Yoji's mind and he felt all of his pain and weariness taken away
for a moment. The pleasant sensation flowed through him and he didn't
want it to stop.
	But all soon, Omi pulled away and the feeling stopped. Yoji gasped
for breath, looking in surprise at the young girl. "What...?"
	Aya reached down and picked the unconscious boy up in his arms,
and then held a hand out to Yoji. The thief put his palm in Aya's and
stood, taking the young boy back into his own arms.
	"Omi's a cleric," Aya explained briefly. Slowly, they made their
way from the room. The soldiers that had previously occupied the room
were gone, leaving it empty and desolate.
	"How'd she find out?" Yoji asked. They walked side by side. Ken
and Omi, holding hands, proceeded them at a fast pace, eager to get out
of the dark dungeon.
	"Ken died."
	"Died?" Yoji exclaimed. His eyes flashed to the warrior boy in
front of him. "Then... Who's that?"
	Aya smiled. "That's Ken. Our Ken." He ran a hand through his hair
and explained Ken's death and resurrection. Yoji listened, wide eyed.
	"Omi... *Our* Omi did that?"
	Aya smiled proudly at the girl. "Yes. Our Omi did that."
	Yoji grinned and winked. "Speaking of Ken and Omi, that means I
win our bet, you know."
	Aya looked over at Yoji, his eyebrow raised. "If you'll remember
correctly, I was the one who said they'd get together during our time
here. That means *I* win the bet."
	"Damn," Yoji cursed, shifting the boy in his arms. "I'll pay you
later."
	Aya smiled slightly. "You'd better. I won't let you forget."

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