Crystal Points
Emania, Land of Infinite Gods
‘Cause we are born innocent, believe me Adia,
We are still innocent, it’s easy we all falter, does it matter?
I take away your pain and show you all the beauty you possess...
If you’d only let yourself believe....
-Sarah McLachlan,“Adia”
Episode 2- Friends for Ami, Minako and Makoto? Revelations on Emania.
Upon the Fire Mountain of Emania, an elderly man tended carefully to his
flock, his old fingers gently tying the message to the offered leg of the
pigeon he held. There were many of these birds around him, and the room was
filled with floating feathers, which glimmered like snow in summer, drifting
in the light from the solar above. Gently, he stroked the head of the one he
held with a finger, setting her down onto a perch. Each of these birds wore
the same message this last one did, neatly tied to their leg in a tiny bark
tube.
Three times the number. Always three times the number needed. Releasing the
latches on the cages, the air was filled with the sounds of wings, beating
against the air and against each other, as they flew high and away. Three
times the number needed, as it always was. One to fall to storm or sickness,
one to fall to raptor or wander. The last, of course, to carry the message
through, reaching the destination set carefully.
Into the air, they flew, separating into their assigned directions. Except
for one. One of these birds did not head south, but north, the total to fly
to that direction four, rather than three. And of these four, this bird was
either a harder worker, or stronger. Or, then again, maybe the fact that its
eyes seemed to ripple in strange shades of ebony had something to do with
it. When her sisters slowed to sleep though the night, this bird continued
to stretch her wings, flying as though she were entirely untired.
For many hours she flew, and eventually, reached the destination of her
flight.
On the ground, a man watched the small, grey pigeon backwing as she settled
onto his gloved hand, and he carefully untied the message she bore, reading
it quickly, though without surprise. He was a tall man, and had the muscles
that came from many hours of training, though at this moment he wore no
armor, but instead a deep crimson tunic, so dark, it seemed nearly black.
Black, also, was his hair, which was long and combed back into a tail at the
nape of his neck. It was with cool brown eyes he read the words, not showing
any reaction to the news, other than to crumble the paper in his fist when
done reading it.
“Lenora has issued the Edict of Cleansing,” he said aloud, though it hardly
seemed to be to the younger man who stood behind him, a falcon, a delicate
peregrine, on his wrist, her eyes hooded. Falconry was this man’s hobby. The
careful art of knowing when to attack an opponent had come to his advantage
in the past, and he found it useful to practice it even when not on the
battlefield.
His squire heard the words, and, being new to his position, mistook the
speaking, thinking it was for him. “Sire, won’t that slow down our advance,
with other soldiers out?”
The lord seemed to pay no attention to him, an instead released the pigeon
from his hands, watching her take flight. “Release Steel Claw,” he ordered.
“But my lord-”
“Release her.”
The man obeyed, and the hood was removed from the falcon’s eyes. Seeing the
fleeing pigeon, she leapt off the man’s gauntleted hand, wings beating
harder and faster than any pigeon’s ever could, and within moments, the two
birds plummeted to the ground, Steel Claw’s talons breaking open the
pigeon’s body. As they stopped, her speckled wings spread, protecting her
newly fallen prey. “Sire, we shouldn’t....”
Starting forward, ready to summon the falcon back to his hand, he was
stopped when an arm barred him. “Let her gorge.”
“But Sire....”
The lord did not respond to his squire’s protest, and instead turned and
returned to his tent.
The feeling of being heavy was the sensation that Kino Makoto woke to.
Whether it was from the fact that she lay so hard against a rock, dropped
there from a long fall, or the fact that her clothes were heavy with morning
dew, she didn’t really know. And she didn’t really care, either. Turning her
head, she saw hair. Bright, yellow hair, and a red bow, not too many inches
from her face, and the curve of Minako’s chin.
“Minako-ch....” she stopped to cough hard, feeling like something had
broken in her lungs. Of course, if something was broken, she would be
feeling a whole lot worse, and that, she did understand. Rolling half over
and looking around them, she could see heavy fog enveloping the area, and it
was easy to feel the humidity against her face. “Minako-chan, wake
up....god, don’t you dare be dead....Wake up...god, how does Artemis do it?
Minako-chan! Breakfast!”
As it would have with Usagi, Minako’s eyes flicked open, though she didn’t
suddenly fling herself off what should have been her bed. “What’s to eat?”
“Whatever we can find,” Mako sighed, trying to pull herself up, wincing as
she did so. “Glad you’re not dead.”
“Me too.”
They looked around, though there was not much to see, in the mist.
After a few moments, they managed to get themselves up, standing and trying
to work their way painfully up the side of the slope. It was not a drop
cliff, but a steep incline, and eventually they stood over where Mars had
vanished, the barrier of fire now nothing more than a depression in the
ground, having sealed itself. Minako turned, and stepped away from the
place, moving downward again, to go stand on the rocks that were upturned,
where Mercury had fallen. Mako watched this, and worried. They hadn’t said
anything since waking, and she saw no evidence that either of their friends
had survived. It wasn’t possible, but she couldn’t deny what her eyes saw
then, and what they saw now.
“They’re not dead, Mako-chan,” Minako stated into the dim light of morning.
She held herself tall, fists clenched. “We’ll head north. We’ll keep to the
plan, and eventually, Rei-chan and Ami-chan will find us, or we will find
them. That’s what we’ll do.”
“Minako-chan....” Makoto began, but was cut off when Minako turned around,
smiling faintly.
“Come on. Let’s go. We’ve still got a world to save.”
The humidity condensed as they descended, following their own path this
time, the original one long lost. Maybe if Mercury were there, with her
computer, they could have found it again, but since they both knew this, and
didn’t want to mention it, they each decided not to bring it up. The fog
thickened, and eventually became a slow drizzle, then a rain that poured.
But fortunately, by then, they had reached the forest around the mountain,
and took relative shelter under the branches of the large oak trees. There,
they did what they could to bind up and clean the scratches and bruises they
had taken against the witch.
Maybe, perhaps, if Mars had been there to sense what darkness lurked in the
shadows, they would not have taken the path they chose the following day,
thinking the soggy, though much trodden path would be safest, considering it
was so well worn and sunny. Each were hungry; Lillia’s basket had been
emptied completely the day before, and they had not planned on needing food
beyond that. Each were dirty; the muck they churned up under their feet as
they walked clung to the bottoms of their skirts, and this time, Mako didn’t
even consider hiking them up. All that would do is cover her from head to
toe in mud. At least with the skirts, the mud didn’t climb. So, they trudged
along, thinking that eventually, they would come across some sort of town or
city.
It was late morning, or perhaps early afternoon, since neither had a watch,
they couldn’t be sure, but when the sun was high in the branches above, a
strange sound clambered to their ears.
“Mako-chan, do you hear that?”
“Hai....”
“Let’s check it out.” With that, they moved off their path, and up along a
ridge that ran against one side of the road. It was well covered with bushes
and flora, and they kept down, well hidden as they crept. Coming closer,
they heard the unmistakable sounds of fighting, though it seemed odd to them
that the noise wasn’t of people running away screaming, but of actually
fighting back. It was a strange concept. But, true to their form, two senshi
would certainly not stand by and watch people killed. Not against an enemy
like this. Because never, in all their years, had they seen youma acting in
a unit.
With unbelievable precision, a squad of creatures were attacking what
appeared to be the entourage of a noble. Two of them were massive things,
towering twice the height of either girl, snouted and with elongated arms,
one carrying a spiked club, the other a half-broken rusty sword. And around
them swarmed goblins. Dozens of the things, many eyed and with mottled skin,
sharp fangs pointing up from their mouths. And, quite effectively, they were
cutting though the guard the noble had around the carriage. Three men rode
horseback, and even as the senshi watched from their vantage point, one took
a heavy axe blow to the chest, sending him from his horse.
Minako gagged and turned away as more goblins swarmed over the body.
“We’ve got to help,” Mako grabbed her arm and helped her up, face grim.
“Come on. Jupiter Crystal Power! Make-up!”
The crackling energy of her power blazed though the underbrush, and several
ugly heads turned in time to see yet another flux of magic, this time yellow
and shining, the words, “Venus Crystal Power! Make-up!” vibrating through
the air along with it.
Then, two new figures entered the battle, and though the guards had no idea
who they were, they were quite obviously not demonic, and therefore, most
likely to be on their side. The idea was confirmed when the taller of the
two new arrivals came in, screaming, “Jupiter Oak Evolution!” And into the
thickest set of battle, a storm of bioelectric leaves blasted, sending
goblins running as they were hit.
The other of the two used a different phrase, “Crescent Beam!” to blast two
crouching hobgoblins off the top of the carriage, and once gone, leapt to
the place she had cleared. The point of the attack was clearly the person
inside, since the orc with the club was swinging it back, a blow that would
shear off the door. “Venus Love and Beauty Shock!”
Her aim struck true, and Sailor Venus watched her attack shatter the
demonic monster. There were too many things going on at once in the field of
battle, too many to take in at once. Jupiter fighting in the midst of a
swirling tide of black bodies, the coachman just under her being swamped
with the crawling creatures, and the fact that goblins were even now
replacing the ones she had just killed. Too much, too fast, and Venus felt
the fury building up inside her.
The coachman fell, his knife useless against the insectile armoring the
goblins wore. Rolling off the front, the already terrified horses bolted in
fear, and Venus found herself flung from her feet, grabbing the edge of the
coach’s roof to keep from falling.
From where Jupiter fought, she fought with rage. The anger she had set
aside after the last battle came flowing to her fingertips, and it was too
easy to summon attack after attack, electrocuting everything in her way.
Another of the horsed guards fell, and the remaining one reared up, plunging
in with his own sword to hack at the large orc that was coming to finish the
job. The horseman blocked it, only to have spears sent up around him,
piercing the light armor on the horse, sending him, too, to the ground.
Jupiter saw this, and how he had saved the other man. No, she would not let
him die that way, seeing the orc coming in again for the kill, this time to
the newly downfallen man. She let loose another enraged, “Sparkling Wide
Pressure!”
The ball lightning struck the youma full in the face, and Jupiter could not
bring herself to feel pity for it. The man she rescued was on his feet
again, a large, hand and a half sword twirling as he spun round, cutting
though the mass with the blade. He spared a grateful grin for her through
the battle, sweat in his eyes. “Thanks, Lady Lightning!”
Jupiter didn’t have time to either take insult or compliment. They fought,
the numbers of their allies dwindling, but also the number of their enemy.
“Supreme Thunder!”
Slowly, though time, only the pair of them remained, back to back, and the
last of the creatures fell under a bloody sword. Turning, Sailor Jupiter
looked at him, panting, “Arigatou.”
He nodded, getting the idea, and they both breathed hard for a moment,
letting air fill their lungs again. Then, at the same moment, they looked
up, to where carriage had stood, now seeing that it was gone.
“Venus-chan!”
“Princess!”
Both broke into a dead run.
The horses spooked, they charged forward, and Sailor Venus saw Jupiter
unleashing her electricity at their enemy. She let her fight, since from
where she bounced along the top, could hear sounds of struggle inside the
coach. Pulling herself along the top, she brought herself to see the seat
for the coachman. Then she screeched as a head erupted though the roof, a
ring of eyes glittering at her as it broke through the wood, just beside her
waist, where her short skirt was blowing in the wind. “Hentai!” Her first
reaction was to kick the hell out of the thing, and though Mars was best
known for her heels, Venus didn’t exactly wear flats. After one massive kick
to the face, it broke out of the hole, and tumbled off, rolling into the mud
of the path, they lay still, face down.
Venus turned back, thinking to roll forward and get the reigns, but from
where she lay spread out, she could see something kick open the door along
the side. That something turned out to be a young woman, who was swinging
herself outside the door, flat against the force of the winds screaming
around them as they raced forward. The new woman strained against this,
heavy gown rippling behind her as she stretched forward, her goal the same
as that of Venus. Get to the seat, get the reins, stop the carriage.
Sailor Venus grinned, then flipped herself over the front edge, landing in
a sprawl, even as the newcomer’s face emerged around the edge, eyes flying
wide open to see Venus lying there. “Konnichiwa!” Venus shouted, managing to
get herself upright, and offering a hand. “Welcome aboard!”
The woman paused for only a second, then grabbed the offered hand, the two
blondes sitting in the front seat together. They looked at each other,
smiling, both happy and relieved to be at their destination. Then, at
exactly the same moment, realized that they were in fact in their
destination, and that they really needed to do something.
“The reins! The reins!” Two sets of hands scrambled for the leather straps
that were flapping around on the floor in front of them. “Stop! Whoa! Stop!
Stop!”
Together, they yanked back on the reins, feet braced against the footrest
as they began screaming some very interesting vulgarities at the runaway
horses. The four horses veered off the path, charging into the forest, and
sending the coach flying as wooden wheels struck a rock.
“Venus Love-me Chain!” The line of hearts sliced neatly through the air,
and wrapped itself around a branch, Venus grabbing the woman beside her, and
as the coach overturned, they swung out, crashing instead into the brambles
along the side of the road. They tumbled into the ground litter, leaves
flying as they rolled to a stop. Then, each heard the sounds of wood
splintering, and horses shrieking in the air.
The stranger got to her feet first, using a mossy tree to balance herself.
“Dame knight! Are you injured?” She stumbled over to where Venus was pushing
herself up. “Are you well?”
“Hai...” Venus moaned, clutching her head. “Just too many hits over the
last couple days...youma. Ugh....” The young lady smiled as Venus pulled
herself together, and they looked at each other.
“Princess!”
The word carried to where the two were standing, and they both turned as
another voice, female, joined it. “Venus! Venus-chan!”
“Jupiter!”
“Balan!”
Both pairs broke into a run, meeting back at the edge of the muddy road,
staring at each other. Slowly, Venus broke away from the princess, and the
knight away from Jupiter, each taking sides across from the other. They eyed
each other with uncertainty, and in some cases, suspicion. It was the knight
who broke the uneasy silence. “We should thank you, dame knights, for your
aiding the princess,” with that, he bowed politely. That gesture, the senshi
understood. They bowed back, politely.
“We were glad to help,” Venus told the two, giving them both a good long
look. The man was handsome, that she could tell, tall and with dark brown
hair, which was currently sweaty, and clinging to his face, falling into
warm blue eyes, that were, at the moment, looking at Sailor Jupiter. He was
armored as befitting a knight, light chain mail and a standard on the light
cloth tunic over it, a very dark blue unicorn, with a white mane and horn.
He still held his sword in his hand, and had not stopped yet to wipe it
clean.
The princess with him, though, wore pale blue, woven finely and embroidered
with tiny sapphires and crystals along the neckline and belt, which sat
lowly below her hips. Her eyes, too, were blue, though paler than the
knight’s. But perhaps what was most remarkable was that she had the longest,
platinum blonde hair Sailor Venus had seen since Queen Serenity, coming to
what was likely longer than her own height, since it just barely reached her
ankles in a thick, smooth braid. Ending with a tiny, perfectly tied, red
bow.
Venus promptly broke into hysterical laughter.
“Is the dame knight in control of her senses?” The knight asked as he
watched Venus gasp for air. The princess, as well, was giggling, though not
quite falling over as much as Venus, since she, too, had noticed the red bow
similarity. It struck them both as funny. Jupiter and the knight shook their
heads as the other two took a moment to control themselves.
“Gomen, gomen ne,” Venus apologized as she calmed herself.
“Thank you, for helping me,” the princess said politely. “But we should get
back. Waiting too long may prevent us from helping any of the wounded.
Come.” With that, the princess turned and began to make her way to the
source of their earlier fight.
“Do you think it wise? Look at them. They may have helped us, but those
clothes...their magic. I’ve never seen a thing like it. It’s not normal,”
that from the knight to his princess, who was currently bent beside one of
her knights.
Eyes closed, the princess said softly, “Earth, who gives life, and to whom
we must return, claim your son,” and shut the staring eyes of her fallen
soldier. “And let him be reborn with the honor he held in life.”
“Princess....”
Opening her eyes, she looked at the strangers, who were currently tending
to one of the injured, by binding his chest. He had blackened out as they
had approached. It seemed he was the sole survivor, other than themselves.
She held out her hand, and her knight helped her to her feet. “Balan, they
saved our lives. And you know that. We won’t be safe until back in the
Northlands. And you and I cannot fight off every random string of goblins
ourselves. I propose we hire them.”
“You think they’re mercenaries?”
“Whether they are or not, it makes no difference. I must get back home, and
safely. Father is depending on it. We all are,” and the final words fell
very softly, since she looked down and away. Then her head returned to the
air, and she stepped around the dead, coming to stand across from the two
senshi.
Sailors Venus and Jupiter saw the other two, and were aware of their eyes
on them, and guessed they were the topic of conversation. “What do you
think?”
“We need their help, Jupiter,” Venus said sadly, looking down at the field
dressing Jupiter was tying off around the man’s chest. Jupiter had
remembered Venus’s rather interesting nursing methods, and had been sure to
get there first. But that aside, she agreed. “We can’t do anything without
supplies, or horses. If she really is a princess, we just saved her life.
She owes us.”
“We can’t stay in our senshi form forever.”
“No,” Venus agreed. “We’ll have to de-henshin.”
Grimly, Jupiter straightened herself out as the other two approached.
“He’ll be all right, if he gets rest for a few weeks, and some food.”
The knight replied, “There’s a village about a day’s good march ahead. We
can get him there.”
“You’ll have to forgive us,” the princess said, “we haven’t introduced
ourselves.” Then she sank into a full curtsy, skirts billowing out around
her as she dropped. “I am Lady Princess Aurora Northerland, Crown Princess
to the throne of the Northern Kingdom,” and with these words, she stood
again, and the knight beside her bowed low. “My guard and protector, Lord
Balan of Boreal, Knight of Northerland.”
The two senshi watched this display with wide eyes. It wasn’t everyday you
meet royalty. Even though, technically speaking, they were themselves. It
wasn’t something they talked about though, not really. And Usagi was a
friend. She was Usagi, not Neo-Queen Serenity. At least not yet. This was
royalty, in the here and now, muddied, battle weary and exhausted though she
may be.
They looked at each other, and then, as one, touched the pins that held
their bow together. Aurora and Balan staggered back under the sudden
brilliance of light and electricity, watching the figures before them
become...rather ordinary looking, slightly battered girls. Then, Aurora
gasped in fear, and Balan had his sword out again, this time, aimed at the
senshi, who were staring in surprise.
“Witches!”
“No! Wait!” That came from Aurora, who was grabbing Balan’s arm
desperately. The two senshi had instantly dropped into defensive postures,
hands up and ready. “Wait!”
“They’re illusionists!”
Makoto glared back at him, and the air began to fill with the crackle of
electricity. “We are not one of those god damned silver eyed witches! Look
at our eyes! Green, not silver, baka!”
He didn’t seem impressed, but that was mainly because he knew that if they
were illusionists, that to disguise the color of their eyes would be an easy
thing. He lifted up the sword.
Into this, Minako spoke to Aurora. It was obvious to her that she was the
one in charge, especially since she was of higher rank. “Aurora-hime, our
appearance changing is a side effect of our magic. We have no control over
that. We aren’t witches. Believe me,” and both of the other two could hear
the bitterness in her voice when she said, “we have every reason to hate any
kind of silver eyed witch.”
“Put it down, Balan,” Aurora told her guardian. “Put it down.”
He said nothing, but watched a moment longer. Then, quietly, he did as she
asked, the moment long enough to suggest that if he had disagreed, he would
have attacked anyway. The decision to stop fighting was his, not hers.
“Then, who and what are you?”
To this, Minako and Makoto bowed from the waist, arms formally at their
sides. “Aino Minako, and my friend, Kino Makoto.” When they looked up again,
she continued, “Minako and Makoto. We are...travellers. From deep in
the....” Minako tried not to hesitate as she thought. They had said they
were from the Northland. So, she picked the farthest place she could think
of. “...south. We...well, we have magic, and we thought we could...ah...find
employment further north.”
To that, the two nobles blinked, then Aurora broke into a wide grin. “Ah!
That is wonderful!” She nearly clapped her hands together, delighted with
the situation. It was working out far more perfectly than she had hoped. “We
would like to hire you! With my entourage....” she hesitated, then grew
silent for a moment. “Without my entourage, I need escort to my homeland. It
is dangerous for two alone. With your magic, we hope to make it more safely.
We can pay you in full upon arrival in my lands.”
“Princess....” Balan began, a hint of warning in his voice.
“Still don’t trust us?” Makoto asked him, then turned and grabbed Minako’s
hand.
“Mako-chan! What are you...oh yeah!” They held up Lenora’s sigil, the
promise of safe passage thoughout the four kingdoms. To that, the nobles
stared openly, mouths agape. “We have safe conduct. Look. We spent a couple
days at the temple on Fire Mountain. It’s a long story, but we fought with a
witch there. And for helping get rid of her, Lenora herself gave us her
ring!”
Minako was great at making up stories, and there was enough truth in it to
keep her audience believing. Aurora stepped forward, and took Minako’s hand,
running her finger across the surface of the ring. “Ay, Balan, they speak
the truth. Look. It glows.”
And as her fingertip traced the groove of the pattern, the prismic lights
began to glow.
“See?” Minako told them, triumphantly.
To this, they could not imagine another possibility. Either the High
Priestess had given it to them herself, or they had pried it out of her dead
hand. Which, of course, was inconceivable.
“You will have to tell us more of this, Minako,” Aurora said. “But, will
you and Makoto come with us?”
“Aurora-hime, I think that can be arranged.”
Aurora laughed a little at this, saying, “Call me Rory.”
In the end, it was her thirst. Despite the warmth of the black cloak that
wrapped around her body, and the comfort of a dreamless sleep, her eyes
opened, and her mouth was dry, requiring the replenishment of that which was
her element. This was what woke Mizuno Ami, causing her to see above her a
starry sky cluttered with the dark, reaching fingers of trees. A small fire
popped only an armslength away, and a log broke, sending fireflies into the
cool night air, dancing. To one side, she heard a jangle of harness, and
turned to see a deep red horse, tethered to a low branch on an oak tree. It
wickered at her, then returned to idly munching the grass at its feet. If
there was a horse, then she could not be alone. Ami looked around,
uncertain. “Minako-chan? Anyone?”
“You’re friends aren’t here,” she was told from above, and turned her eyes
upward instead, and just behind, seeing a figure sitting calmly in the crook
of a treebranch. Ami began to leap up, to run, to henshin, but she realized
that doing so would be both pointless and impossible. If it was the witch
she was now accompanied with, then her friends were, as she had said, not
here. She remembered seeing Jupiter thrown down the slope, and not coming up
as she fought. Mars enveloped in fire. Venus thrown against the rock. Of
them, maybe Minako had survived...she had not seen what had happened to the
other two. The fact that she and the witch were alone did not bode well for
her friends.
“What did you do to them?”
The witch just looked down at her idly, then kicked a leg over the branch
to look down as Ami sat up in her makeshift bed. “There’s food, there. Roast
rabbit. And a waterbag, if you’re thirsty. Which I’ll assume you are.”
Licking dry lips, Ami couldn’t help but look for the mentioned items. To
one side of the fire sat a chipped clay bowl, a bit of bread and a chunk of
meat sticking out of it, and just to the other side of her, the waterbag.
She reached for the water, and opened it, getting the scent of fruit.
Tasting it, it was as though someone had squeezed an orange or a lemon into
the contents, since the flavor of citrus was faint in the water.
“Slow down, water element or not, you shouldn’t drown yourself.”
To that, Ami stopped, wiping her lips on the back of her hand and replacing
the stopper on the bag’s mouth. “You attacked us.”
To that, the witch just looked down on her, a slight look of pity on her
features. “If I remember correctly, on both occasions, you attacked me
first.”
Ami began to protest, then stopped, as she realized she was right. Looking
up at the woman in the tree was eerie, seeing the orange flames casting
dancing shadows in the darkness. She wasn’t wearing her cloak and cowl now,
and her face was fully exposed. The silver eyes were the most unmistakable
thing about her, as it would be impossible to miss them. But otherwise, she
was fairly ordinary in appearance, thin and somewhat pale. She wasn’t
wearing a dress, as Ami had guessed. Instead, plain brown pants and high
boots, a loose white shirt and leather vest with it. The fire reflected
against her hair, which was a deep mahogany color, long and slightly wavy,
though the sides were tied back in a familiar little bun. She was, at the
moment, frowning.
There were very few things Ami could think of to say. She supposed denying
that the witch would succeed in her quest would seem laughable, the current
situation being what it was. This was why she was so surprised at the
witch’s next words.
“I’m sorry about your friends. It was not my intention to kill them.”
To that, of course, Ami blinked in astonishment. An enemy, who didn’t want
to kill them? That was certainly new.
“You’re lying.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “I rarely lie, despite whatever those priestesses told
you about the nature of an illusionist.”
“Then one of those rare times is now. If you were on our side, you wouldn’t
have attacked us.”
The woman’s brows grew into a tight knit, and she glared at Ami. “Whoever
said I was on your side? Or pretending to be? You were right, to think I’m
your enemy. But that hardly means I’m working with the demons.”
To that, Ami didn’t know what to say. She thought about this for awhile,
and quietly drank more of the water, finally coming to wonder, “Why save me,
then?”
“You’re like me.”
“I am nothing like you!”
She just looked back up at the rising moons in the sky, legs tucked under
the branch. “You’re not an illusionist? Really?” The words were caustic,
dry.
“No, I am....” the words died in her throat as she realized precisely what
she was saying. First, she thought she shouldn’t say she was a senshi. Then,
of course, the woman already knew that. She had seen her henshin, from
within the illusion. Second, she began to think she had no power over
illusion. But that, too, she did not say. Gently, in the back of her mind,
she heard the words, ‘Shine Aqua Illusion’ come to be whispered. That alone,
was merely an attack. But then again, didn’t all of her skills as a senshi
have to do with knowledge, with either seeing through illusions, or casting
them herself? She bit her lip. Still, she never had cast an illusion such as
this witch had. No, she was not like her. “What do you want with me?”
“To help you find the Crystal Points.”
“I won’t help you.”
“Really? I think you will.”
“Never.”
She laughed again, turning her head to look down from her spot. “Look
around you, Ami. You’re in the middle of a forest. You have no one but me.
You don’t know where to go. Your friends are gone, one way or another....”
“Because of you!”
Her eyes narrowed. “I had no intention of causing the earthquakes on Fire
Mountain. You have no way to survive in this world, without help. You need
me, and I need you. You are given a choice. Come with me, and help me find
your Point, and hope that time presents to you some help. Or,” she said
lightly, flicking a hand up in the air, “you can try to go it alone.
Survive, if you can. Do you think you know enough about this world to do it
alone?”
Her hands became fists. The witch was right, about one thing. She would not
survive alone, in the forest. Blackmail. This was planned and executed
blackmail, a trick to get her to come. Then, a thought occurred, and Ami
felt both hope and a small bit of triumph. “If you thought my friends were
really dead, then you wouldn’t need me!”
She witch shrugged, and returned to her position of peering down at Ami,
hunched slightly and ankles crossed. For a long moment, the two stared at
each other, until the woman in the tree broke it. “It is possible for your
two friends, the Minako one and the Mako one to have lived. They were
struck, but I did not see them die. The one you call Rei....” She bit her
lip. “That is unlikely.”
But now, Ami didn’t care. It was enough. If Minako and Makoto were alive,
then somehow, Rei had to be too. They couldn’t die like that. That was no
way for a senshi to die. Not the immortal Sailor Senshi! She would follow
their plan. Go north. Hopefully, her captor would agree to this. It could be
assumed the reason she was needed in the first place was because the silver
eyed did not know where the Point was. She, Ami, had to find it. That’s why
she was needed. Presumably, the others would also find the Points...if they
could only meet somewhere between....
Trying to sound defeated, Ami agreed, slowly. “Fine. I’ll come.”
“Good. I thought you were the smart one.”
“But answer me this. Why? Why do you want the Points? Will that give you
the power to rule the world?”
That caused the witch to stare, blankly, then cover her mouth with her hand
as she began to giggle. The strange thing was, the laughter seemed genuine,
especially since her head was tilted back, and her shoulders were shaking
lightly. “I’m sorry!” She exclaimed after a moment, containing herself and
waving a hand. “Sorry...I don’t mean to laugh at you. But I have no desire
whatsoever to rule the world. Why would I wish for such a silly thing?”
“But,” Ami spluttered, “why else would you want them?”
Her face became considering, thoughtful as she replied. “The demons are
already through the Seal. The Seal itself is nothing more than a dimensional
barrier, keeping Emania safe from Chaos. And its breaking is sign of the end
times. It is believed that my kind are signs of disease in the current
system of magic. We believe this is not so.
“For us to control the power of the Crystal Points, we would be able to
prevent the Cleansings from happening again. We have no choice. It is our
way to fight, since that is our only option. And we will fight until it is
safe for us to live.”
“Cleansings?”
Her face grew very hard, very quickly, and she nearly spat the words,
“Witch hunts. Murder. The High Priestess issues an edict that we are to be
removed from Emania, under pain of death.”
“Lenora would never issue such an order!”
“You have great faith in her. That is foolish. There are things she cannot
prevent. That being one of them. It is only a matter of time before my
people are hunted again. The only way to prevent such a thing is for us to
replace the old order, with leaders of our own.”
“That is not true. There are ways that peace could be attained, without
such violence. The priestesses aren’t evil people. They wouldn’t....”
“Then am I? For trying to live? Evil?” Ami looked at the woman, and the
hard silver eyes that were glowing faintly, casting deep hollows into her
face. In the firelight, they also flickered in shades of orange and gold.
“I’m a rabbit, girl from another world. And those people up in the mountain
are my foxes. Is it so evil for me to escape their jaws so that I may live?”
Ami began to understand that there was more going on in this place than she
had realized. A new faction in this odd chess game formed in the edge of her
mind. Now, there were four of these, moving around on the board. First,
those on Fire Mountain, the summoners, whose plea seemed simple. The demons,
who, it seemed, remained as an enemy. The silver eyed, fighting both
factions, it seemed, both for survival. And finally, the senshi, the
uncertain factor in the game. It seemed odd that everything in Emania
happened in fours, four directions, for Elements. Four Crystal Points,
whatever they were. Her attitude towards the witch changed, subtly.
“You should eat, then get some sleep,” the witch told her softly, in the
suddenly cold night. She shifted on her branch, returning to her more
comfortable, star-gazing posture, one leg dangling idly down into the air.
Looking down she said, “It’s going to be a very long day tomorrow.”
Ami watched her, then after a moment, obeyed, taking the food in the bowl
and stuffing it into her mouth. Into this sudden quiet, Ami heard words
spoken, and gently.
“Do you know why, Ami, they call this the Land of Infinite Gods?” She
turned her moonlit eyes up to the heaven, and seemed distracted by the
beauty of the glimmering stars. Despite the fact that Ami said nothing, she
continued, regardless. “It is said, you see, that there is no end to their
number. That within every blade of grass and every drop of water, every
touch of flame and every breath of air, a god lives. We walk, and they are
among us, we breathe and their magic fills our lungs. Though perhaps, these
are the things that make me wonder if this land is misnamed. So many gods
makes it difficult to discern what is purely good and what is purely evil.
Perhaps, then, this land should be called the Land of Infinite Shadows,
since it seems there are infinite shades of grey.”
With that, the silver eyed sorceress paused, then shrugged. “By the way, my
name is Caitlyn.”
Looking over the smoking ruin that was once a village, the faces of three
women and one man filled with the mixing emotions of revulsion, pity,
sadness and anger. They stood on a hill on the path, which ran through the
center of this village. It was not a large town, but there were better than
a dozen, dried brick dwellings scattered though the area that was clear of
forest. But what was most remarkable was the thing in the village square. It
was a gash, hanging in the air. Had one of them been a farmer, it would have
appeared as though a scythe had sliced through space, tearing it like
fabric.
And then there was the smell.
It was foul, the putrid stink of charred flesh, and blood, seen scattered
in pools around animals and human alike. It had taken Balan, Minako and
Makoto some time to find the remains of the carriage, scrounging for coins
or things of worth. Two of the horses had escaped the snare of the reins
they wore, and had been found. The other two had not been so fortunate. They
had made good time to this village on the backs of the two found horses,
their injured riding with Balan and Rory. This was where they had hoped to
get food, more horses and other supplies, as well as shelter for their
injured man, whose eyes were still closed to the world.
It seemed that would be no more than a dream, now.
“Demons,” Rory stated, staring at the destruction.
“Very astute, madam,” came a voice from behind them.
Whirling, they saw with surprise a young man, carrying a large saber,
leaning easily against one of the trees behind him. He was very dark, and
wore nearly solid, unbroken green clothing. Dark brown eyes were grinning at
them and their astonishment at his silent appearance.
“And who are you?” That demand came from Makoto, who had already climbed
off her horse, feeling a little saddle sore. “What happened here?”
He chuckled a little, his voice low and gentle, shaking his head and
folding his arms. “Two questions at once? Which first?”
Makoto frowned, getting the feeling she was being teased. “Name first.”
“That, madam, would be Xanntippe. And as for what happened here, it is as
the Lady said. Demons. Come,” he gestured at them, turning back into the
forest. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for people such as yourselves. It is
unsafe. The creatures seem to be gone, but I have found several within range
of the village.” He ran a thumb meaningfully over the edge of the blade,
then sheathed it. “You have injured. Some of the people still live, in
hiding. If you wish for medical aid, I can show you where you may receive
it.”
With that, the stranger disappeared back into the forest.
They traveled quickly, following the strange man. He ran though the trees,
cutting a path of his own through the underbrush as he ran. Their horses
hindered them more than they helped, since the forest grew thick with
foliage, Xanntippe appearing and disappearing as he ran along.
Within a few minutes of backtracking though the woods, they head the sounds
of men and women moving, as well as the slow plod of horses and cattle.
There was even the sound of a chicken squawking. Breaking upon a back trail,
they emerged in the middle of a thin, pitifully short chain of refugees from
the village, heading back north, the direction of the Fire Mountain.
“I know it’s hard, but we have to keep moving!” A man was calling
encouragement to the caravan as he rode up and down the length of it. He was
riding well, with training. A soldier, perhaps, home from leave. Young and
with close-cropped blonde hair, he wore light armor, and a broadsword
strapped to his back. His arm had a bandage around it, and his face was
still streaked with dirt and tinged with blood. He had been fighting, and
recently. It took him only a few seconds to see the newcomers, to which he
instantly cantered over. “Who are you?” He had his hand on the broadsword,
ready to pull it from the sheath on his back.
Rory was the only conscious one who did not instantly begin to introduce
themselves. After a moment, the two senshi paused, and Balan continued. “Sir
Balan, of the Boreal Forest. Lady Aurora,” then he made a gesture at the
other two, “Minako and Makoto. But...” he was looking around himself, as
Rory was, searching for their guide. “we were brought here...by a man who
called himself Xanntippe. He was just here...”
At the name, the soldier relaxed, hand leaving the broadsword. “Ay, if
Xanntippe bought you here, it’s fine.” After a moment, still seeing their
confusion, he laughed, if grimly. “Xann has a tendency to come and go, and
not tell anyone when he leaves. He’ll be back, eventually. Name’s Sky.
Guardsman of Fire Mountain. I was visiting my family down here during the
attack...you have a man down?”
“You have healers?” Balan angled his horse over, turning their guard over
in his arms. The man emitted a low groan.
“Not really. But...” He hesitated, then turned, twisting in the saddle as
his eyes skimmed the train of people. “Rose? Rose!” Waving his hand, he
caught the attention of a young woman, also mounted. She was leaning down
and talking to one of the children, the curl of her light yellow hair
falling over the shoulder of her azure dress, bound back and decorated with
a small red rose. At the sound of her name, she sat up, smiling sadly, and
walked her horse though a break in the tide of people.
“Sky? What is it?” She looked at the newcomers. “Injured? Did you get
caught in the attack?” Then her pale blue eyes fell on Rory, still in her
expensive, if badly damaged, gown. Her face lighting up, Rose exclaimed,
“Are you a princess? Are you all right? Oh, you must be a princess! Sky!”
Minako leaned back to Makoto, whispering in an aside, “She remind you of
anyone?”
Makoto found herself trying not to laugh in such a serious situation.
“Usagi-chan?”
Already with a despairing look on his face, Sky sighed as Rose continued to
be distracted by the fact Rory was looking embarrassed. It was obviously
enough to confirm her suspicions, and that only made Rose bubble on more
about it. “I can’t believe it! A real princess!”
“Rose,” Sky commented drily, “they need our help.”
She blinked. “Oh! Here! Give him to me.” Instantly, she was back to
business, angling her mount alongside Balan’s, and accepting the man from
his arms. “We’ll take him up to the Mountain with us. There are healers
there that will be able to help him.” Cradling him in her arms, she frowned
at the blood that was pooling though the linen bandages on his chest.
Closing her eyes, they fluttered slightly as she frowned in concentration.
“Waters of Life, cleanse this man’s wound, who is surely your servant.” Her
hand a fingerlength away from him, the air rippled as though a current of
water flowed between them, and the red circle of blood faded away. Rose was
sweating, and she licked her lips as she breathed hard.
“You all right?” Sky asked her, and she nodded.
“Just thirsty. Give me a moment....” She breathed hard, and they looked at
her, waiting. Minako and Makoto exchanged a glance. It was strange, to see
someone use effort to use their magic. It seemed so easy to those on the
Fire Mountain.
“Sir Sky,” Rory asked, peering around Balan’s back, “we realize you have
sustained great injuries...but we are in desperate need of returning to my
homeland. If there are any horses you could spare, we would be eternally
grateful.”
Sky and Rose looked between themselves, then at the end of the train of
people. The elderly were towards the back, being slower in their age, bent
and tired. The horses they had passed a minute ago, carrying a quickly
rigged up litter on two poles, the ends trailing in the narrow footpath. The
gouges were still fresh in the dirt. It was Sky who replied, “We would,
Lady, but we need what we have....”
“Wait!” Rose gasped as she struggled with the man in her arms awkwardly.
“Wait. My home...it’s in the outskirts. We have some horses. Our home is
untouched. We were in town...” her voice broke, and she looked down at the
man in her lap. “...we weren’t home. The barn should still be safe, if the
creatures didn’t pass that way.”
She hesitated, then her horse pranced, picking up on her rider’s sudden
nerves. “I’d show you the way...but I...I really shouldn’t leave the
others.” Her voice grew a little faint, and she wobbled in the saddle. Sky
grabbed her arm, keeping her and the guard from toppling out of the saddle.
“I’m sorry...I’ve had to use my magic a bit more than usual today...and I’m
not that strong...” she smiled faintly. “I’m going to rejoin the rest...I
don’t want to fall too far behind.” Then she looked at Rory, smiling. “I am
Rose, of the village of Shaking Pines. It was lovely to meet you.”
“Aurora, Lady Princess of the Northern Kingdom,” inclining her head from
the back of her mount, Rory smiled at the other girl, who was about the same
age. Rose’s face lit up, and she held the man in her arms more tightly.
“Don’t worry! We’ll take good care of your guard! Oh! And if you need a
change of clothes, feel free to take mine. You’re so easy to spot in that
gown! Good traveling.”
With that, Rose turned the head of her horse, and kicked up small clods of
dirt as she hurried after the others from her village. Long blonde hair
streaming out behind her, she didn’t look back once.
Minako then spoke up to the rest of the group. “How do we get to Rose’s
cottage?”
Their eyes settled on Sky, who was frowning. “I shouldn’t leave the others.
There aren’t many fighting men left.”
“That’s why I hurried so much,” came an announcement from behind them on
the path. Everyone other than Sky jumped at the sound, and turned to stare.
“Xann, you really need to learn to make some noise when you approach
friends.”
The green clad man shrugged, from where he was mounted on a horse of his
own. “I’ll take you, and catch up later. I figured you’d need my help. So,
I’m back.” His horse snorted as though to emphasize this, and they danced in
place a bit, Xanntippe controlling his mount with a firm hand. “Ready? It’s
not too far.”
“Arigatou, Sky-san,” Makoto told the young man as their horse wheeled at
Minako’s command.
“You’re welcome. And be careful!” He called as the two horses and their
four riders began to chase Xanntippe once more. With that, he turned and
broke into a gallop to catch up with the rest. He was needed there.
Rose’s home was a small, grey stone cottage with a thickly thatched roof, a
slightly crumbly chimney poking out one side, set into a sparsely treed
hill. Outside, there were rings of vegetables, not in perfect rows, but
scattered, as though in actuality wild, but encouraged in their growth. The
house was empty, the door closed and locked, as though the family were away
for a day, nothing more. Down the low slope of the hill, a path led to the
barn, and Balan found the horses Rose had mentioned, two, well groomed
geldings, which would work just fine for their travels. That settled, the
girls headed into the house, breaking in though the lock. They decided to
take Rose’s advice. It would be better and more inconspicuous if Rory were
not so easily identifiable.
Balan threw the saddle over the back of the horse before him, and looked at
Xanntippe, who was leading his horse into the center of the small barn. Bits
of straw floated around in the afternoon sunlight, and the smells of a barn
were strong. “Rose’s family were in town when it happened, weren’t they?”
From where he stood, Xanntippe agreed, stuffing oats into a bag for the
horses. “Yes. I was, as well.”
“You came out of it pretty well,” Balan grunted as he pulled the girth
tight, the gelding snorting as he did so. “Must be a hell of a fighter.”
Xanntippe said nothing to that, but patted the horse approvingly,
scratching his forehead. “Same for you.”
Opening the stall door, Balan joined the dark man in the patch of sunlight,
and they led the horses outside, hearing the girls moving within the house
not far away, the sounds of rustling as they rummaged though things. “What
happened, exactly?”
To this, Xanntippe frowned, and began to take the path up to the house,
where the other horses waited, grazing idly. “It was very sudden, and very
fast. I didn’t see the opening form. But I saw what happened after. There
was screaming as the creatures came from the Chaos outside our world. The
Seal between us is breaking, Sir Balan. You’d be best to be wary for the
ladies you accompany.”
“Balan! Look!” Rory came out of the front door, Makoto shaking her head in
despair as Minako beamed. It seemed Rory and Minako shared their interesting
taste in fashion, and Rory had assembled a colorful, layered, outfit of dark
orange and red. Twirling once, Rory showed off the dress, which flew in a
circle around her. Within the house, Minako had bound the long braid up into
a crown around her head, a knot at the back, keeping it up and away. “Do I
look like a peasant?” she asked hopefully.
Xanntippe managed, “You will never look like a peasant, Princess.”
Balan had a hand on his forehead, agreeing with Makoto, who was still
shaking her head. But Rory liked it, and so did Minako, who beamed at the
praise. “Come, then!” Rory announced, looking at the two new horses. She
picked after a moment, then selected the one closest to her, swinging
expertly up onto its back. “We must get going. We should make a good start
before the day is out. Who knows how far those demons have traveled?”
In agreement, the other three nodded, selecting their own mounts. “Thanks,
Xanntippe,” Balan told the man who watched them, one hand on the neck of his
horse. “Best of luck to you.”
“And to you,” he stated as they rode into the forest. “All of you.”
Then he left to join the other villagers.
They traveled far in a short time, the two of them. Caitlyn seemed to know
the back paths of the forest as well as the forest creatures who watched
them as they passed. It was strange to Ami that the deer did not run in
fright as they passed. She asked Caitlyn about it as they rode by, and
Caitlyn had sounded incredulous in her answer. “It is not so in your world?
They know we don’t hunt them. We had breakfast. Why should they be afraid of
us?”
Ami thought about this for a very long time. She knew, in nature, lions
could walk not far from gazelles, and not disturb them in the least...unless
they hunted. To see animals behave the same way towards mounted humans
seemed very strange. But then, this was a very strange place.
It turned out that Caitlyn had named her horse Ember, for the dark reddish
shade of the mare’s hide. Ami rode behind the silver eyed sorceress, fingers
loosely clasping the older woman’s cloak. Ami, getting a good look at her in
the daytime, saw that she was in her middle twenties, or at least would be
if ages ran the same in Emania as in Tokyo. After all, Setsuna was centuries
old, and only looked like she was in her early twenties. They leapt though
some branches, then Caitlyn drew Ember to a pause. “Get down,” she was
commanded, and Ami slid off the horse’s back.
“What is it?”
She got no reply, but followed Caitlyn as she slipped though a break in the
trees, then down a slight incline. It broke into some shrubbery, and below
them was a drop, and a emerald green valley, where a wide, glittering blue
river ran in the sunset light. “Look,” she pointed, pushing a branch out of
the way for Ami to see. “They’re headed north, as well.”
Deep in the heart of the river valley, there was a mass of darkness, a
steady column that was following the contour of the river. Eventually, they
would need to cross it, as the pass they appeared to be heading towards was
on the opposite side. “That’s the Lagu.”
“The river?”
“Yes. It originates up in the mountains somewhere, in the north. Look,” she
pointed again, eyes sweeping over the black horde. Though some parts were
disjointed and roaming around, others were well drilled, marching in neat
files. These did not bear standards, but they carried the markers
identifying legion from legion. Ami heard Caitlyn mumbling under her breath.
“Too organized...can’t be orcs....” Then her silver eyes reacted to a
thought, blazing then dying. “Humans! It can’t be! Humans wouldn’t dare!”
“Nan ja? Wouldn’t dare what?”
Caitlyn had leapt back when she had realized this, and was sitting on the
ground, a look of utter disbelief on her face. “It can’t be. It just can’t
be!”
The look of horror growing on the sorceress’s face, Ami realized why she
would be so shocked by this. It was, of course, obvious. Goblins and such
creatures, from what she had been told, had been attacking humans. Not
helping them. If some human faction had allied themselves with the forces
breaking though the Seal, then humans were betraying their own kind. Ami
pushed back the branches again, and looked. There was a small army filing
though the beautiful valley in the mountains. In their wake, it seemed
darker. As though the light were being drained from the land they touched.
Ami felt a little ill.
“Caitlyn-san,” she said, looking at the still disbelieving woman, “we
should do something.”
“Against that?” She returned to looking at the columns streaming out though
the valley. They were making slow progress, though steady. Armies didn’t
move too quickly. Especially since a good half of it was made up of inhuman
creatures who didn’t want to follow obediently.
“Slow them down, somehow,” Ami told her. “You say they are your enemy as
well. There is a saying, in my world. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’
Let us be friends for a time, Caitlyn. Let’s do what we can.”
The sorceress looked skeptically at Ami’s offered hand. Her thoughts ran
quickly, considering the girl across from her and what had happened. Ami
genuinely wanted to save Emania, as did Caitlyn. She knew she would not
survive without her knowledge of the land, of how to live in the wild. It
was unlikely she would run away, and certainly not to someone she clearly
saw as an enemy. Caitlyn bit her lip. Ally herself with someone working for
the priestesses? Still, this girl was not of her world. She, and if any of
the others like her survived, were a uncertain factor in all this. She
grasped Ami’s hand. “Truce. For now.”
“Hai.”
“What did you have in mind?”
Uncertain, Ami looked at the swarming army pouring out of the forest to
their back. She looked at Caitlyn. She hadn’t wanted to do this in front of
her, but.... She held her hand out, and the Mercury Computer appeared.
Caitlyn didn’t react at all to the sudden appearance of the thing in her
hand but stared openly as data began to stream across the surface of the
monitor, analyzing the conditions and status of the horde. “There’s
approximately six hundred of them, all together, and yes, some of them are
indeed human. Estimated time to reaching the river at current
pace....seventeen point six minutes.”
“You can tell all that, by reading those strange letters?”
“Can’t you read?” To that, Ami was surprised.
The sorceress bristled at the suggestion, standing. “Of course I can! My
language doesn’t have characters such as those!”
“Gomen nasai,” Ami apologized. She had taken for granted that since they
seemed to magically speak the same tongue, that the letters were the same.
The fact that they could speak the same language confused Ami, but
eventually she just let it go as one of those unexplainable things. Kind of
like magic. It really didn’t matter.
At Ami’s apology, Caitlyn sighed. “I’m not a scholar, the way you seem to
be. But it doesn’t mean I’m illiterate. I keep my grimore carefully. Believe
it or not, I like to read.”
“Then why do you fight?”
“Because I have to. You do. To protect people, from what I heard you all
talk about,” with that, she headed back up to their horse. “I would have
liked to be a scholar. But these times don’t exactly give much choice to
people like me. Come on. Seventeen minutes and counting.”
They rode forward, racing ahead of the columns. “What did you have in
mind?”
“How powerful are your illusions? I agree we can’t fight them all, but
there has to be a way of slowing them at the river. What’s their weakness?”
“The goblins. They’re stupid, and will attack anything. Without fear, which
is what makes them valuable. As for my illusions, they’re strong enough, but
if we want to escape whatever you’re planning, they won’t last long without
me around to maintain them.”
Ami thought about this as they raced, Ember’s hooves pounding against the
ground as they slowed to half slide down the hill, the two, light women
easily distancing the slower, bulkier mass of the army. Her thoughts whirled
like a river, considering the options. There had to be a way to slow them.
At least for a few hours. It was nearing night. There had to be a way...
something simple. It had to be right in front of her.
They reached the river.
“Caitlyn-san, is there any way to create a fog quickly?”
She waited as the other woman thought about this. “I can cast an illusion
that does such a thing, but like I said, if I’m not around to maintain it,
it won’t last. We can try to summon the river spirits, but such things may
take some time to get large enough.”
Ami held on as Caitlyn angled Ember into the Lagu, sending up foam as they
splashed their way into it. It was shallower there, which was why they chose
that place to cross. The water came only to their waists, and did not move
too rapidly. It took them only a minute to cross. The oncoming army would
take just as little time.
Slipping off the horse’s back, Ami wrung out the heavy dress. It was easy
to tell why Caitlyn wore the more practical pants and shirt. “I can make
dense fog quickly. But it won’t be large enough to cover the whole valley.”
Calculating, Caitlyn looked at her, then the river. “A gestalt. Simple.”
She looked at Ami again. “You are untrained in using the Elements to magnify
your powers?”
To this, Ami agreed.
Caitlyn frowned. “Then you had better be a very fast learner, scholar.
Because you’re going to get a very fast lesson in practical magic. If this
works...then I think you may be on to something. Here’s what you need to
do....”
From the head of the column, a black cloaked man hesitated, a chill running
down his spine. He heard something shouted, words and then a flash of light,
dim against the brightness of the valley. It glittered, merging with what he
saw of the expanse of river up ahead of him.
“Sire?” One of his squires asked as he drew his horse to a halt.
He held a hand up for silence, which was obeyed instantly. Into the stained
red and purple sky, he felt a cool chill. It rose around him, a mist
coalescing out of the random bits of water in the air, thickening and
swirling around him. His statuesque face turned downward in a frown. Then he
kicked his black mount into a frenzied gallop, leaving the others behind
him.
It took only a moment for him to reach the edge of the river. His destrier
was swift, and he reined the stallion to a snorting halt as the fog grew
denser. He could hear the startled cries of his men behind him, the mist
growing thicker by the moment.
Before it completely obscured his vision, he could mistily see two figures
on the other bank. Two women, one silver eyed and sitting on her horse,
staring at him. The other was younger, wearing strange clothing, which, in a
less irritating situation, he would have found laughable. She stood in the
water, her feet in the center of the rippling surface. He met the eyes of
each in turn, and they knew he could do nothing, even though they were so
close. He spat, once, into the river, then backed his horse away, not
breaking eye contact with either of them. The one in the strange clothing
turned away, and the silver eyed one gave her a hand up behind her.
Then they rode away, and the mist cloaked their direction.
************************************************************************
Ah! Another chapter down! Yay! What do you think? Stayed up late to finish
this one. Sorry, Rei fans...not this chapter...hang on! Please?
So, last random babbling, I think I mentioned that some of these characters
were from old, old stories I wrote, and are back here. You can probably
guess which ones those are. Caitlyn, of course, as I mentioned. Rory, Sky,
Rose and Xanntippe are others. You can probably tell by the fact I gave them
a little more characterization than I normally would have, for temporary
characters. I hope I can get them in again, later. Now, If I can find a
place for one more...! Nope, not Balan. He’s new. So are most of them. Rory
was originally just a Lady. She got promoted for the story! And Cait got
some interesting athletic abilities.
I hope you’re enjoying so far. And don’t worry, Rei fans! Soon, promise!
Promise!!! We’ll see how long the next chapter ends up being. If not the
next, then definitely the one after that! Only a couple days are passing for
our heroes. Just a lot happens in a couple days! Don’t worry, her return
will be well worth the wait. Sailor Moon, eat your heart out! Mars will be
making the entrance of a lifetime! That’s a promise.
So, bear with me, and don’t forget to review! More to come!
Ja ne, til next storytime!
-Queen
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
(
geocities.com/tokyo/shrine) (
geocities.com/tokyo)