Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Gradual Break-through!
"Don't hurt her!" Dad barked.
"Manners, or her funeral." the fake smirked wickedly.
"Mommy," Carmine called.
I could hear Dad clicking his tongue in disdain.
"Its alright sweetie," Mom reassured the terrified Helen, "please," she turned to the fake, "what do you want? Don't hurt my daughter..."
"Nothing," she replied with a humming tone, as if wondering something playfully, "just a trade."
"A trade?!" Dad and Fred panicked as their tones synchronized.
"Ah, yes," the fake seemed to be relaxed, "for the crown prince's fiancee. What do you say?"
Nobody moved or made a sound. My jaw dropped as if this horrifying scene was out of a movie or something.
"Wh-" Fred was interrupted.
"Its the Dark guild's bargain." the fake said with a dry laugh.
"Daa Gui?" I mumbled to Fred who tightly held onto me.
"Yeah," Fred replied, "they're the ones who were... after us..."
"Swift?" I asked, baffled.
"That's right."
"No, wait," Mom's voice shook in fear, "is there no other option?"
She was the mother. Of course the choice was utterly impossible for her. Serene had to either give up on Helen or Carmine. Either way, her motherhood would be questioned.
"Wh-what if," Mom tried to ease her quivering voice, "you take me instead and leave my daughters alone?"
Mom had transferred Carmine to Fred before anybody else noticed.
"..."
There was a strong pause in the room. Gloomy and desperate.
"That's cheating," the fake finally answered.
Just as she said so, Avalon had already pounded his sword at her, but he was swatted back like a fly. He landed on his feet and breathed hastily as he swished again for another spar.
A gust of whirlwind helped him this time. Serene was already backing him up now.
The knife let Helen go and in the spur of a moment, she ignited it with fire. Fake Ririna let go of the burning knife, startled by Helen's sudden movement.
In two seconds flat, Helen was by our side, panting and holding her neck. She had this scary expression I had never witnessed before.
"Baby Glow," Fred's voice stuttered at some point, "stay h-here and wait. No movements."
But before Fred could grab hold of his sword, Mom shrieked. Fred jumped and so did Helen, gripping me and Carmine in the process. As we went up into the air, I felt safe for the first time in my life, thank goodness I had learnt the flying spell beforehand. This way, I had more than enough protection to cover me up...!
Avalon and the intruder were crossing their swords for the first time, neck and neck. The rumored Great Lightning King Sword verses a Japanese half-broken katana.
Neither one bulged from spot. However, thanks to the fake's dirty trick, mom got caught and a glimpse of concentration from dad, sent him flying back at us. That's how I was tossed into the air. The wooden floor beneath Avalon's feet was destroyed and he was lightly wounded.
"Trying to trick me, eh?" Fake Ririna chuckled with cold calculating eyes.
Dad was already exhausted. He did not have his protective sheild with him, nor any other weapons, or the windstorm magical cloak. He also had to limit his powers from destroying our house, whilst protecting us.
A Darkling is never an easy defeat. Each of them is equivalent to a mage of Bronze Class, 1st Stage, Blush Red mana core. It's how we knew how powerful the Dark Guild was... not mana colour, but a core!
However, Darklings are just the weakest of underlings in the Dark Guild. That's how influential and indestructible this illegal guild is.
Surrounded by 5 Darklings in itself would take a powerful mage and warrior like Dad all his powers to defeat them. It was ridiculous how strong and cunning the minors of this guild were. To compare just 5 of them with an Emerald class mage...!
I mean, an average Emerald class mage would be equally powerful to 500 Gold class mages. In Avalon's case? He was supposedly in the Emerald Class, 3rd stage, above average and to defeat him meant that the Dark guild would have to send a Darken Byloft.
A Darken Byloft is one of the lowest ranks of the Dark Guild too, but only above the Darkling rank. Not much about them are known though. Just that they are powerful enough to obliterate about more than 10 Emerald class average mages, single handed.
We stared at Dad in astonishment. He did not get the cut from the broken katana because he was weak or anything... it was to protect Helen, because the fling from the katana as it rushed like a gust of wind, was so powerful that it could have cut off her head, as if it was a scissor cutting hair.
"Isn't that sweet?" the fake sarcastically implied.
"Helen, take them to safety, go!" Fred shouted.
Dad and Fred motioned to each other awkwardly. Then came the unexpected twist.
"Oh no, you don't!" the fake shouted.
Dad lunged himself forward and stalled the intruder before she could chant her spell. Fred dashed after us like a cover up.
With some clanging sounds and a thud, I saw Dad being captured. Fred closed the door and sealed the room with a powerful spell.
"The Lurched Lock," I heard him whisper to Helen, "it's enough."
I saw Carmine whimper, beg and cry. None of us knew the next move. Yet, there was hope, flickering in us.
_______
___
"[Can't they both just escape after we've left?]" I asked out of curiosity.
"I doubt it," Helen replied, "something is probably blocking them. Besides, I'm sure why they aren't doing anything, is because of them."
"Ririna and Britney." I heard Fred mumble.
"[Why not just capture the fake and then interrogate him?]" I asked again.
"Its not that easy. Once you overpower them, they'll commit suicide." Fred answered.
"They are bound to do this by contract of the Dark Guild. Their will is unnecessary." Helen exclaimed in a disgusted look.
"Regardless, we have to go back..." Fred insisted, "Glow, stay underneath this tree with Carmine. It'll protect you."
"[I don't want to! You both know I'm good, let me join...]" I pouted and whined.
"No, this tree is magical, so it repels magic enough to not be found out." Helen exclaimed thoroughly.
We were outside. The night sky filled with the lights of the Pearls of white, glittering and outshining the large moons in view. The trees rustled in cool breeze and the thin snow was scattered all over. Fortunately, it had stopped snowing about a minute ago.
Fred and Helen were still wearing their overcoats and long boots. They had warm clothes, but certainly now just wasn't the time. Carmine wore her favourite pink leather jacket and warm pink mittens. I wore a dark blue woollen cap that originally belonged to Fred. I had to wear baggy warm clothes, but it didn't feel much better.
The big purple hedges blocked the view of our position here. This place seemed more like a ditch than a safety place. Exactly why they wanted us to stay here... a place people wouldn't think we'd hide in.
As Carmine and I cuddled into the ditch, below the tree slowly, Fred and Helen exchanged glances and covered the entryway with the scattered leaves here and there. We could see outside. But from there, nobody could see, hear, or smell our presence.
"We'll be back," Fred crouched down and smiled, "I promise."
Then they both sneaked off towards the house. They left, leaving the both of us behind.
"Seriously?" I thought to myself.
...
I reassured Carmine and left her there. This time, I cast a spell of my own. A basic spell known as, Tree Bind. It's fairly simple since, the branches, barks and roots of the tree, block the caster (or any person) inside itself for protection.
It's safe to assume that it's not a dangerous magic as long as the person inside is not claustrophobic.
I floated stealthily and freely entering through the kitchen window. Fred and Helen weren't there. I assumed that they had probably planned a sneak attack and were fighting in the living room.
I crept into the hallway and flew toward the ceiling. If I was on the ground, I'd be spotted immediately, but not here. Who would bother to search for an infant on the ceiling? Answer: Nobody.
A translucent glass covered me, which was directly above the doorway. I peeked inside.
As I guessed, Fred and Helen were at an utter loss against fake Ririna. Dad and mom were stuck inside a net that was made of wind and steel wires. I was taken aback for a moment.
On second observation, I noticed how the net was manufacturing... the wind trickled in rapid and continuous movement as metal steel flung throughout the net, dismantling their powers with brute force. The steel was sharp. It was slashing them like whip, as tiny cuts also bruised them, painfully.
A torture weapon!
Yet, both of them were struggling, to break free... there was blood flowing about, forming a puddle, underneath them.
Fred and Helen were both not only restless, but they were not co-ordinating well, either. Their opinions turned into aimless shouts and quarrels. The opponent had the upper hand.
Fred was in a bad shape. His arms had light bruises with blood leaking out; and his stomach area seemed to have recieved a strong blunt blow. His clothing was thrashed at that spot and his skin was heavily blemished with a brownish shade.
Helen was slightly better, yet her heavy breaths simply indicated that she would end up collapsing any time soon. Her ponytail hairstyle had most likely been cut off during a struggle. Her uneven and messed up hair deteriorated her keen sight more than anything.
"Haaah~" I sighed heavily, "if they weren't busy bickering amongst themselves and utterly wasting their voice and energy, they'd still have a chance." I thought to myself, "I can't bare to watch anymore."
I searched for a way to join in and show off less. This was a bad time to let others realize my true skills. I'd definitely be in danger of extermination...!
What I needed now, was a plan. An incredible one.
Just as I was pondering and floating there, a red orb began floating on top of the fake's hand, as he held it upwards. A threatning chill went down my spine.
In a glance I understood the terrible danger I was under. She had spotted my presence. I didn't figure out how or why... just the mere fact of danger, gripped my chest tight as a rope.
It formed into the shape of a lightning bolt and headed my way. The other two were wondering why such a powerful spell was cast in an empty direction.
As quick as a bullet, I round house kicked myself in the air and flinched left. The shot missed be by an inch or so.
But the explosion caused my infant body to fly and stumble onto Fred like a slingshot. My butt on his head. The poor fellow was knocked out cold.
Helen stood there completely startled.
"..."
I regained my composure and wobbled my legs to stand up on two feet, but I failed. It had been a while since I'd felt this endangered...!
I stumbled on two feet and fell on top of Fred's face again. I felt pity for him. More so, I tried to keep my floodgates from spilling out tears.
"What's this?" The fake questioned, staring at me with sharp eyes.
"Touch my baby and you're in hell!" Mom scolded the criminal at the top of her lungs.
"Well," The fake replied, staring at me like an eagle, "I've got more than a million teevs for my head... So how am I going to drown in hell more than present? Hmm?"
Teevs was the form of money in this world. Rupees, Dollars, Pounds, yens, did not work here. Money was called money or teevs. Gold coins, silver and bronze existed here as well.
100 Bronze for 1 silver; 100 silver for 1 gold; and 500 gold for 1 Teev. Teevs were paper money. They had an indigo colour and purple hue glowed from them. I have utterly no idea how or why.
So she was that dangerous a lady.
I gulped and took a glance at Helen. She was terrified and out of order.
Then I recalled something from my memory. A long forgotten flashback. I had mostly obliterated those sort of memories from when I turned 13.
That was about the time where, I'd been left in a cage with a pack of bengal tigers as punishment. For being unable to handle the mission as scheduled. It had cost Vel, 5 Million dollars, to patch things up.
Most of the drugs got lost or were possibly stolen. So I had to be in the cage for about a week, struggling for survival, only caring about my life. I hadn't been given food that entire week.
So, by the end of the week, I had turned into an animal. Killed all the adults except for the cubs. Poor fragile things whimpered and curled up together, to protect themselves against me. Their Parents Murderer.
When I was out of the cage, Vel snorted in disgust as he personally came to check my progress.
"Survival of the fittest," he exclaimed with a bright smile as he approached the cubs steadily, "Is especially when you get rid of the burdens."
In the blink of an eye, he slashed all the cubs in one straight blow. The blood spilled and I vomited, unable to control my eyes at the horrific scene. Vel didn't even show a speck of emotion back then.
It was something that was an etched scenery of the rest of my life.
I quickly sent a telepathic message to Helen, "[Let me battle this crooked woman. You get Fred to a safe place. Let's not make any more victims.]"
I saw Helen shaking in fear. She was hesitant to make a move.
"[Helen, please, you have to toughen up. We need to save Mom and Dad. Don't even forget about Ririna and Britney!]" I high pitched the telepathic communication.
Helen took a deep breath, but that did not calm her much. She just nodded. She breathed again and took a firm grip of her weapon.
Helen used a wooden sword for practice, but she was much better with a whip and incredibly agile, like a cat. That was her weapon. The Scorching Heat Belt. It was a whip and the scar it gave, when it would be lit by fire was, as if the design of a leather belt was imprinted on the skin.
"Nice name," I told her the first time she told me about her 'destined' weapon. She had received it as a family heirloom when she awakened. It was the same for all my awakened siblings.
"Oh," the stranger remarked, "You can use telepathy? A baby?"
Helen and I remained silent. The only weakness of telepathy was that it let out a stench. Not of a smelly object, but of mana. Babies who are going to be good with mana after an age, tend to be able to send telepathy, but only in a word or two. It takes a lot of energy.
However, my case was different, much much more than by ordinary measurement.
"Wait... am I missing something here," she ransacked her mind and slyly smiled, "You just dodged my attack, didn't you? A baby!"
Mom and Dad heard the conversation, but couldn't utter a word, after all, they had no clue. They were quite at a handful with the power sucking net. But their emotions and expressions became evident.
"Where is she?" Helen tried to change the subject. She even used her deadly stare.
"That's a secret," the fake only dismissed her entirely.
"Anyway," the fake went on, "baby, who are you?"
I stayed silent.
As planned, Helen leaped onto the lady, but just as the criminal tried to capture Helen again, Helen did a round about turn. Fake Ririna was baffled. Helen took hold of Fred's shirt and with a single power booster, she leaped and ran from the room.
"I'll be back," she reminded me just before she had boosted off.
"That's your plan?" The fake giggled, "What's your name?"
I didn't answer.
"Silent treatment, huh?"
A pause held between us. In that moment, I realized she was preparing something, too. In the process of inhaling oxygen, I realized an odd smell... kerosene. That's when I stared below me and in half a second, I flew up onto the ceiling and rolled off, just as the kerosene beneath me was lit.
The blaze of the flame almost... almost burned me alive. This time again, I was glad to have had the life on Earth, before here.
I gulped and panted heavily. Playtime was over.
"It was you," the fake laughed and shouted. Her echoes could be heard all around, "Crafty, aren't you? Are you... Her? The fiance?"
"[Wrong house.]" I finally replied.
I let my telepathy out freely. This way, Mom and Dad could hear me, so could Helen and Fred. The cat had to get out of the bag... but, I was still partially hesitant to do any unrequited movements.
Tampering beyond capability was always the fuel for death. Like Cancer, or... whatever.
It was how I was taught. Safety before Casualty.
"So you can communicate!"
"[So?]"
"Genius," she remarked, "If I prove your powers to the guild and kill you off... I can skip! I'll be a Dreaded Rank!"
Her eyes glowed and her jaws opened wide. She had that same look of the hungry tigers back then. Whilst I remembered, I began to calm down, until eventually I smiled back at her.
"You'll be sorry," she said and jumped towards me.
I floated from my position and dodged her easily. She hit the ground and barely prevented herself from touching the ignited fire that she started...!
"You've got to be kidding me," she said, staring at the blood that dripped onto the floor from her bruised head.
"You've got to be kidding me!" she shouted like a maniac.
Her eyes screamed revenge. She darted her eyes at me as if I was her baked turkey for Christmas dinner.
"Allow me to teach you some manner lil' girly," she offered, panting louder.
"I was gonna get to the promotion... But," she calmly said, then clicked her tongue, "they said I was too brutal! They said that I was careless...!"
"[Evodana la Majoha, Tuvano!]" I shouted as a mana chain stuck out from my arm and curled on her, tight and strong.
Mom and Dad had managed to free themselves. They were so exhausted by now that they barely managed to sit. Mom, who was an expert healer, tried to close dad's injuries first.
"[Forgive me,]" I leaked this telepathy to them.
Neither of them gave any reply, nor flinch for a moment. I was a monster. They couldn't accept it. Who would?
"Hehehe..." she had this smug face, "Let me show you my best creation! Observe!!! The petrifying Smoke Tomb!"
She laughed crazily and let go of a small bottle that fell on the floor. A white cloud formed around her feet and before I realized, she was encircled by the smoke.
"Hurry," a familiar voice rang from behind me, "Let go!"
A sharp sword cut the mana chains and I knew who it was. Fred was fine. He grabbed me and Helen used her whip to tangle us. She pulled us towards her.
Fred and I flew up and were thrusted down harshly.
"I'm still working on that." Helen whispered.
Before anything else, Fred asked me a peculiar question, "How good are you with barriers?"
"Very," I replied as I winked at him, with pride.
"I want you to capture that smoke cloud as fast as you can, from all angles, until not even a hint of it is free. Think you can do that?" He questioned, calm and focused.
"Yep!" I replied, trying to concentrate.
"Mom and Dad," Fred whispered to me, "let's save them. And if you have to leave... you won't be alone."
I sighed with relief once again. He had said the exact same thing before, on Earth. So I exhaled with everything I had and put all my powers into this.
I shifted my arms towards the cloud and tried to trap it from all sides and angles. My arms were stretched out and my eyes were closed my eyes. My head hurt painfully! The freakin' cloud was putting up a crazy fight. I could feel it.
I imagined a crystal ball that trapped the white cloud and tried to form it physically, as much as I envisioned. It was not easy. The most difficult part was controlling the cloud that had already turned grey. It wasn't like fighting against a spell... It felt like the thing had it's own consciousness!
It was so damn freaky!
I was crying before I could open my eyes. And when I did, I regretted letting go of that chain, but I felt safe at the same time.
There it was, a skeleton that was smeared with bits of flesh and plenty of blood here and there. It was beneath the crystal barrier, where the cloud was released.
I blinked and stared at the skeleton in disbelief. I pointed and looked at Fred.
"Its too late," Fred said as he sighed, "Thank goodness, you're safe."
_________
___
Mom and Dad were fine. By dawn, the rescue team had finished their job. They had a letter when they arrived. It was from that dark prince. Never knew that something from him would relieve me so.
Mom was in tears as she looked at me. Dad wasn't sure whether he was in a nightmare or not. Fred and Helen stood meekly by my side.
"You two knew...?" Mom asked while weeping.
"Fred, Helen," Dad shouted aloud like a commanding officer, "what were you thinking? Bringing a child to such a dangerous atmosphere!"
They were being reprimanded? We stood there in shock, heads down to the ground, regretting.
"Oh, my baby," Mom reached her arms to pick me up, "You must be been so scared!"
"[You're not mad?]" I asked, teary eyed, directing my gaze towards her.
"No, Glow," Dad commented, "We are both so very proud of you. We got scared, not because we were afraid of you, but because we thought you might get snatched away."
"That's right," Mom added, "it's not your fault. Perhaps it's just how fate is..."
I began to cry heavily on her shoulder. It was all warm, fuzzy and a blur. I was relieved! So, very, very much.
"You two, on the other hand," Dad proclaimed grumpily, "You're both gonna receive extra training! Not to mention-" he stopped short.
"[I followed them,]" I interrupted Avalon, seemingly cute and in tears, "[Sorry, Daddy...!]"
I apologized to him properly.
"We are sorry too," Fred and Helen apologized simultaneously together, "we promise to get stronger."
Suddenly, the next thing I know, I'm huddled within a crowd of adults, hugging. It was hot and hell, but my tears had halted and I felt a sheepish simpler, cast over my face.
...
I felt as if I was forgetting something... what was it?
It was already 10 in the morning right now. Dad was re-training Fred and Helen. Mom was busy in the kitchen.
I was concentrating in my mana manipulation. Gradually and steadily. That's the advice Dad gave me.
I did exactly as he said, "Regulate your mana and concentrate on getting yourself in the stability of mental and physical issues. Like Black and White. Remember to focus and forget."
I tried and failed about five times already. Things looked bleak.
I sighed and swore to try this one final time. I closed my eyes and imagined that black hole from back then. I noticed that it had a strange brownish colour now. It was as if that thing was sucking up all my energy, when I tried approaching it a second time.
I used the same spell as before, the chain binding one, to reach the black hole within my consciousness. I could feel my physical body being lifted into the air. As light as a feather.
I repeated the words, "[Evodana la Majoha, Tuvano!]"
The black hole disappeared and then, like a vacuum, my mind went blank. Everything turned white. By the time I could even comprehend what was going on, my whole body began sweating like crazy! It just got warmer and warmer...
I screamed and recalled, "Where's Carmine?!"
The whole family came running to my aid. Mom tried to heal me, but dad intervened. He said that I should try again... I was almost there. Fred and Helen ran towards the tree and came back.
Of course, I had to go. I needed to go. They wouldn't be able to open the tree without the caster.
"Take me," I managed to say it out loud, motioning to Fred.
I was rushed there. Dad looked displeased and mom was concerned. She wanted me to unlock the tree, but was hesitant, due to my current condition.
I recited the spell.
While doing so, I felt my body changing. A bubbly feeling twinged and I knew what had happened... I had successfully reached Lead Class, 3rd Stage, Wine Red mana colour!
The spell had become easier to handle now. I felt so enlightened... so alive!
"I did it," I exclaimed, dumbfounded, happy and excited.
"I did it!" I yelled, as I saw Carmine sleeping peacefully inside the tree, not a care in the world. Finally, all this tension, seemed over...
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PeacePainter707
PeacePainter707 Hopefully, everyone is enjoying my writing? I'm still learning so, it's not all that good... but I hope to get better in the future!!
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