Chapter II

Something dark is creeping into the world, and it is time to gather the Spirits - special individuals burdened with the duty of bringing a tilting world back into balance.

Chapter II

The Meeting of the Two

Have they gotten closer?

Lunamis looked back for at least the hundredth time that hour (or was it a minute?  Time seemed different these days).  She surveyed the men on horseback behind her.  They had been on the road for three (or was it four?) days now.  They should have passed me days ago…  She thought, Their horses are surely faster than I.

Forcing herself to think that maybe they were just

(following!)

trying not to alarm her by keeping a safe distance, and had no bad intention at all, she continued.  But it wasn’t long before she turned around and looked again, panic welling up inside her.  Yes.  They’re following me.

The clouds that had cast a foreboding shadow on the earth for the past four

(five?)

days opened up, letting loose a torrent of rain.  Shivering and pulling her hood lower over her eyes she walked faster, fighting against nature as the dried dirt that made the path thickened into mud, sucking at her small shoes and trying to drag her down.

She could hear them.  She could hear them getting closer!

Run!  Get out of here now!

Wait, no!  Don't run, they’ll know you’re on to them! They’ll get -

(Kill? Kidnap?)

-you quicker!  Just walk, maybe you’ll get to a town!

No you won't you idiot! Run!  Run!  By God run!

Torn by the two logical actions, she let out a sob, walking as fast as she could.  She turned around and, to her horror, the men had gotten alarmingly closer, and were in full gallop.  Screaming she took off running as fast as she could.

She could hear them laugh.  They were laughing at her!  She turned a final time just in time to feel one grab her hood, hear the clinking of blades, and see the rest dismounting.

She was shoved roughly to the ground.

The rain came suddenly, followed by gently rolling thunder, then violent slashing lightning.  Oh, that’s wonderful...splendid!  The Black Mage thought, I’m riding in the middle of nowhere, I’m soaking, I’m the highest thing out here and... Oh yes!  It’s lightning!  D****t, lets just put a metal rod on the top of my hat and the part will be complete!  Adjusting his hat and buttoning his coat all the way to his chin, he successfully shielded himself from the rain.  With no warning, the wind blew at a sharp angle, nearly knocking him off his horse and sending rain and hail straight into his face.

“D****t! Creator almighty damn this miserable wind!”  After letting off another stream of curses he rode in angry silence, one eye half-closed to avoid letting water and ice strike his narrowed eyes.

On the other side of the hill, the five men looked up at the shout.  “Leave the girl!”  One commanded, “We’ve done our part!”  With a swish of their heavy cloaks they disappeared into oblivion. The girl fell to the ground, cracking her head against the stone-littered earth.  Blood poured on the ground, mixing in with the rain and mud that caked her once-white robes.

Hearing the chaos, the Black Mage jerked his lowered head up.  “Don't tell me...” He whispered, leaping into a full gallop over the crest of the hill and squinting through the rain. A person lay facedown at the bottom of the hill, coated in mud and surrounded by a pool of blood.

He spurred Dominica down the hill, leaping off of her back and rushing to the girl’s side.  He turned her over, brushing some hair out of her closed eyes as he studied her �" there was so much blood!  A large gash streaked across the side of her head, slicking her red hair into clumps and obscuring the wound.  He separated the stiff locks, touching the gash and cringing as blood stained his fingertips.  So many bruises!

What the hell had happened?

He pressed two fingers against the left side of her neck, praying for a miracle.  He felt it, a gentle throbbing - a pulse!  Slow perhaps, but still there.  Just below his fingertips he noticed a small silver chain.  Hoping to find identification, he pulled it out, looking at the small silver circlet, proclaiming the symbol of the White Mage.  He looked at each symbol, slowly going around the circlet.

He dropped the chain as though it were made of fire when he saw the family symbol, his eyes widening he dashed to his horse.

“Hye Dominica!  Hye! Hye-iyiyiyiy-iye!”  He yelled at the top of his lungs, urging his horse faster.  He held onto the reins with one hand, his free arm wrapped tightly around the frail girl.  He didn’t remember how he had gotten both himself and the girl on the horse so quickly, or how long he had been going.  Tearing off another strip of the wide sleeve of his coat he wrapped it around her head, adding to the blood-soaked layers of cloth he tried to use as a bandage.  

Let’s see, Lunamis, Lunamis, Lunamis, from here it must be four or five days on foot, stopping at sundown, continuing at sunrise.  That makes...d****t think, think!  Lets see, four days on foot, a horse travels about twice as fast as a person on foot, that’s on a trot though, at a full gallop-” He racked his brain, fighting against cold and fatigue.  About...it’d take about two, two and a half days on horseback... d****t we don't have that kind of time!

“Damn!  What do I do?”  He yelled over the thunder, screaming to the clouds, and elements pouring down on him.  “What the hell am I supposed to do?”  He looked around, desperately thinking, looking for something to help him.  He then spotted his staff, rainwater spraying off of it in white sheets of rain.  Abandoning his grip on the reins and holding onto his mount with his legs, he grabbed for his staff, cursing as his hand slipped off the polished wood.  After a few more grabs he was finally able to get a firm grip, pulling it out and holding it up to the sky with a shout of “Celeritas!”

For a breath all activity ceased, but with a booming warbling sound and the feeling of power coursing through the Black Mage's veins, a huge mass of light burst forth, surrounding his horse.

He could feel it - his horse began to move her legs faster as she excelled to impossible speeds.  He tightened his grip on the girl and leaned forward, urging his companion on with shouts of, “Hye Dominica! Hye-iyiyiyiy!”

As they neared the city, the Black Mage felt fatigue settling in �" how much longer could he keep his horse going at this speed?  How long before his energy was depleted?

Just as he was ready to collapse, the first turrets of Lunamis Palace rose over the hill, the crystal that decorated its towers glinting orange in the setting sun.  In that instant, there was no sight more beautiful than that scene.

As he rode into the city, pandemonium rocked its foundations. People were running everywhere �" after all, a Black Mage in this city was rare, and one galloping  through the streets with an injured girl in his arms was call for terror.  People ducked into their houses at the sight of this boy.

He would have seen the soldiers coming if he hadn’t been so near collapsing.  His was alerted by a shout and turned around just to see the end of a staff as it connected with his skull.

So cool...

God, it’s a little wet... but so cool �" oh, my head... where am I?

Tired.

What’s on my face?  Feels stiff...frozen... but not cold... warm... thick too... what the hell?

The Black Mage touched his face, feeling a thick sort of dampness that cracked under his fingers.  Mud?  He thought.  No... not mud...  He shook his head, looking down at his red-stained fingers.  Blood... my blood?

Dizzy...

Slowly he started to stand, but his legs shook under his weight and he collapsed to the floor.  Touching his cheek again, he wondered for the second time what was on his face, unable to remember his last conclusion.

What happened?  He thought, I was riding and... that girl... yes that girl!  She… oh God, was she really a princess?  Slowly, remembrance returned to him, Lets see... then... then I was taking her to the capital... I was coming over that last hill and... that man, he - ow, my head...

Everything was starting to clear up and the room began to come into focus.  He looked behind him, squinting his eyes at the bars on the only door.

“I... a jail?”  He staggered to the bars like a drunken man, holding on with both hands and looked around.  “Hey!”  He rasped, trying to get his voice to carry.  “Anyone going to tell me why I’m here?  What’d I do?”

Silence.

Fuming, he surveyed his cell.  There was a cot on the left side of the room with a small chamber pot stowed underneath. His hat had skirted to the far corner of the room and was covered in dust from the floor.  He picked it up, dusting it off before putting it back on head.  Suddenly realizing his staff was no where to be seen he started to comb what little living space he’d been given. As he bent to look under the cot the world dimmed and began a slow dance around his head.  He slumped forward onto the cot and slid to the floor, fallen into an awkward sitting position.  Uncomfortable, but he couldn’t seem to keep the room still long enough for him to change positions.

He looked up at the sound of two voices, both men.  He moved closer to the door, listening as the conversation drew nearer to his cell.

“Yes sir.  He’s secured.”

“May I inquire as to why?”

“Wha... what do you mean si-”

“I mean what is the man who saved our little Lunamis doing in a jail cell?”

“Saved?  Sir, he’s a Black Mage!  He probably came to-”

“To what?  Turn himself in?  Expecting a little slap on the wrist and a swift goodbye? I think not.”

“But sir-”

“Quiet.”

“Bu-”

“No buts.  Lunamis is usually quite sweet, but you know as well as I do what our little princess is like when she see is angry.  And I will tell you, if the princess were to find out you jailed this man... well you know how she would react.”

“Y-yes sir.”

Footsteps. Clicking noises... a lock!  Someone was unlocking a door!  Not his door, but one nearby �" maybe they were making rounds. The room spun around and the Black Mage sunk to the floor, unable to rise.  He reached up to touch his skull again, feeling a slick of fresh blood.

“Thank you.”

“Sir?”

“Hm?”

“If... if I may ask... has she woken?”

“She is very exhausted Roland, we have been allowing her to sleep.”

“Yes sir, give her my regards.”

“I will, I assure you.”

More footsteps.  More voices... getting louder... getting closer!

Have to get up... the Black Mage thought wildly, struggling against gravity.  Can’t have them seem in such a weak state... have to...

“I assume you have healed him?”

“Uh... about that sir...”

“You have not healed him?”

“Well, it’s been awfully busy here-”

“He is the only one in the jail.”

“Sir!”

“You people... fine I will get Cheryl on it.  She is young, but an excellent healer.”

“Sir, please I-”

“Roland?”

“Yes sir?”

“Hush.”

With a click and a rattle, a wooden door on the other side of the bars opened. Freedom! A voice roared in his head, Yes, yes, yes!  Freedom!

Two men stepped through the door. One was equipped with the White Mage guard uniform, a white (of course) coat with bits of mail on the torso and hood.  He was set with a staff, donned with an aqua stone (used mostly for healing, but Rubedo knew it could give a nasty shock of electricity or paralysis if the need arose) and a nice... very nice sword tucked into a wide belt.  It looked like strips of uniform cloth wrapped repeatedly around the waist, like a bandaged wound.  Smiling, the Black Mage assumed this was Roland; he was shaking nervously, sending startled looks towards the imprisoned boy.

The other man was like none he had ever seen, he had dark skin, the color of dried earth.  By God!  He thought.  I bet he’s from the east!  The young man looked at this person in wonder.  The east was the high point of all magik, but an ocean separated their lands, so he had never traveled there �" but oh, the stories he had heard!

The Black Mage studied this strange man, he was a bit taller than himself but had a sort of grace to his image that was difficult to identify.  Perhaps it was the man’s slenderness that seemed contrast to his powerful air, or the dark hair that fell about his eyes... and his eyes! The Black Mage had seen easterners once, but none possessed eyes such as these �" they were green, amazingly green!  The Black Mage tried to lift his head to get a better look but it was useless.

As the easterner drew closer the Black Mage noticed his clothes, like a fabric pearl they were!  Different colors swirled slowly amongst the white, they looked to be moving!  How much blood had he lost?

“Roland!”  The dark-skinned man shouted, “Get Cheryl, he needs attention immediately, you did a number on his head!” He felt the easterner touch his shoulder and gently guide him to lie down..  “Can you hear me?  Do not worry, you will be fine, just wait a few moments.”

The Black Mage felt like getting up and hitting this man.  My head is bleeding!  He wanted to yell, I think a pool is starting to form!  I can’t even move!  He struggled to get up, but the easterner only pressed him back to the ground softly.

“Be still, do not try to rise, someone will be here to help you soon.”  The youth lay his head on the hard floor, listening to approaching footsteps.

“Roland, what kind of a White Mage are you?”

“Cheryl!”

“We’re supposed to heal anyone who needs it!”  He felt someone kneel down beside him.  “No matter the race!  Be them a Hume or a Black Mage!  It’s our duty!”  A hand touched his face, gently, fingertips touching the cut on his head, covering his throbbing ear.

He had only experienced this once, being healed by a White Mage, but he remembered that warmth.  He opened his eyes and could see light radiating from the corner of his eyes.  He closed them again, feeling the pain diminish and the slight itching of new skin and hair growing over the gash.

He glanced up, seeing the girl who had healed him sit back.  “There...” She said softly, “Good as new.  How are you feeling-”

“If you mean to threaten the princess in any way I’ll-”

“Hush Roland!”  The girl snapped, glaring at him.  She looked back at the Black Mage, “Ignore him, he’s paranoid.”

“I am not-!”

“How are you feeling?”

“How...” The Black Mage murmured, “Am I feeling?  How the hell do you think I feel?  That idiot cracked my head open, I’ve been jailed!”  He sat up, “I think I’m going to starve to death if I don’t die of thirst first!  And you’re asking me how I feel?”

The easterner smiled, “Yes. Take a breath.  Are you alright?”

The boy got up and looked around �" he actually felt pretty good.  The girl was yelling at Roland, who shrunk back at the assault.  “How could you Roland?  He could have died!  And treating him the way you have, you should be ashamed of yourself!  Luna is going to be so upset with you-”

He shook his head again, getting to his feet and starting at a hand on his shoulder.  The easterner smiled at him and gave a nod,  “I will show you where you will be staying.” He tossed him his staff.  “I think this belongs to you.”  Without another word and a swish of his robes, the easterner led the way outside.

The Black Mage followed him, squinting his eyes in the light and looking around.  He realized his robes were absolutely destroyed, but this bedraggled appearance probably accounted for the calmness at his presence.  Nobody was giving him dirty looks or hurrying indoors, but his staff still brought raised brows.  He looked down at himself with a pang of regret.  He had really liked that coat - it had been a coming-of-age gift from his sister, pewter buttons and everything.  He sighed regretfully �" she’d kill him when he returned without it.

“I am called Yami.”  The easterner said as they walked down the street.

The Black Mage spoke his own name.

“Interesting name.”  Yami said, “Strong name.  You know how to protect people, eh?”  He looked at him intently.

The Black Mage shuddered slightly, Now I see what Azara means when she complains about me studying people.  He thought.  It’s creepy... awfully creepy.

As they entered the palace (“Oy!  I’m staying at the palace?  Prodigiosus!”)  The Black Mage was finding it increasingly harder to look in front of him (which led to him coming close to running into a column, statue, rare piece of art, or person at least a dozen times.)  It was all too amazing! He didn’t even notice the startled stares of people, never before seeing a Black Mage here.

About a half hour of walking, (“Damn, this place is huge! Oy, do you ever get lost?”)  Yami opened the door to what seemed to be a large sitting room.  He motioned for him to sit, and with a nod he spoke to him.  “I will retrieve Princess Lunamis.  Wait here.”

Feeling immensely awkward, being in a home of people he didn’t even know (the fact that they were White Mage royalty didn’t help) the Black Mage began to pace around the room, routinely looking out the archway Yami had disappeared through.  He looked at the paintings and sculptures around the room, accidently breaking one when his staff smacked into it.

His ears perked at the sound of two footsteps and he dashed to a chair, making sure his guilty evidence of a stone hand was out of sight as he leaned back against the chair, trying to look as though nothing was amiss.

Too busy watching the archway and wondering why the footsteps had stopped, he had failed to notice the door on his right open.

“Um... hello.”

Surprised by the sudden voice, jumped from his chair, but his feet tangled and he fell to the floor.  The girl put her hand delicately to her mouth and shook with silent laughter.  Bending down over him she smiled gently.

“Thank you, you saved my life.”  Offering him a hand she helped him up.  The Black Mage looked down at this girl, one who hardly came to his shoulders.  The angelic face that he hadn’t noticed during his rescue was now smiling up at him as he examined her with surprise.

Her hood was up over her red hair so only the front most locks of her hair was visible, gracefully curving close to her eyes before disappearing into her hood.  He couldn’t help but stare at those eyes.

I’ve seen green, blue, brown and hazel... but never this!

Her eyes were the color of a polished amethyst crystal, and sparkled just as bright.  Putting her hand back to her mouth and laughing again, she gave him a gentle bow.  “My name is Princess Lunamis Rosemary Angelique XXI” She stood up straight and smiled (such a lovely smile!)  “but please, call me Luna.”

The Black Mage gave a low, deep bow, right foot forward, the heel planted to the ground with his corresponding arm crossed over his chest �" the traditional bow of his village.  “M’lady, I will call you by your title, as is custom where I am from.  In my village you never call a lady by her given name except under few conditions.” He rose, smiling his crooked smile at her.  “I am Rubedo Infestus Patronus...” He laughed slightly, “The first.  It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess.”

And so it began.

Author's Note

I'm interested in anything that you think will improve this writing. From grammar and spelling errors, to funny dialogue and plot holes that I've missed, to things that just don't sound right