Chapitre 93: Confusion All Around
Asahi's eyes opened to the presence of a spacious room with floors of paved silver stone on the floor and walls of thick wooden planks. He saw thin lofty bookshelves, bags piled up on the corner, a table with four chairs on the right, and a bright yellow light filtering through his dry eyelids. The fresh scent of mildew brushed against his nostrils as he slowly awakened and stretched his arms, releasing a soft yawn.
Suddenly, a burst of panic intruded his heart. His eyes widened, confused and unable to identify his surroundings. He hurriedly scanned the room from wall to wall, his breathing weakened, his eyes shuffled back and forth the room, and his heart hammered in his chest.
Asahi's thoughts were jumbled. He hadn't known where he was, but that thought was the least of his worries. What he was truly worried about was Aletha. He never wanted to be separated from her again, not after how much they experienced from that action alone. He scavenged the entire room for her, looking under the table, near the cabinets, and the bookshelves. Yet no one was found.
Grappling his anxiety, Asahi felt a soft texture rub against his back. A gentle, furry and fluffy surface, one that matched the gentle bristles of a cat's fur. A voice sounded out abruptly from his head.
(Calm down, Asahi. Take deep breaths…. then recollect what you saw.)
Asahi listened; his heart steadily slowed down. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths.
. . .
The first thing he recollected was that he departed from Drimi with Kali and Aletha; secondly, he knew that he had entered a marketplace before with unusual amounts of energy, and the last thing he knew, Asahi had passed out.
(Right, I departed with Drimi.)
Examining and scavenging his mind for clues, a clear mental image of the merchant's face flashed in his mind.
"Hey, come over here!" That quaint but faint voice rendered a look of shock on Asahi's face. He pondered.
(Could it be that the merchant was behind this?)
. . .
Asahi turned to his hands and saw no chains, ropes, or anything grappling on him. The only thing that grabbed, or rather... stood on him were two tiny black paws.
(Was there really a point putting me here?) Asahi thought as he felt the paws slowly climb his shoulder.
After a moment of recollection and ease, he freed his arms and turned to his right shoulder, his fear slowly vanishing.
Asahi's heart immediately raced again as he saw a familiar beautiful black kitten latch on his bare shoulder, its long dark furry tail smoothly back and forth. The glacial blue eyes of the black kitten peered directly through Asahi's baby-gray pupils.
"Remember me, master?" A soothing voice said.
"Ames?!"
Disbelief shunned Asahi for his words. He would never have expected his guardian, Ames, to awaken so suddenly at a random time like this. Especially after all that Asahi had experienced when fighting Sadiki, sailing on the ship, or even dancing with Narcissa. The surprised look on Asahi's face turned to one of curiosity. He mumbled as loud shuffles sounded in the distance.
"Ames, I can't believe you're back. What happened? Why were you in material form for so long? I almost forgot about you." The concerns for Aletha washed away as Asahi grew distracted from Ames' presence.
The dark kitten wagged his tail, rubbed his fluffy face all over Asahi's neck, and the voice inside Asahi's mind replied.
"Master, I think my explanation would be too convoluted for you to understand. I still have my power, but it isn't as strong as it was years ago. I can't stay in this form forever, master. Though there's a possibility I could stay, it might hurt me if I try. But if that's what you please…"
Ames hopped off Asahi's shoulder, wagged his tail, and jumped on his lap. A smile shone on the kitten's face.
"Then it will be my pleasure to try and stand by you, as we did many years ago."
A small tear formed in Asahi's eye. Ames tried to wipe it off with his tail.
"I can't accept seeing my master cry. Please, I'll comfort you as much as I can."
Ames fell silent, turned his head to a dark corner, then back to Asahi.
"Master, I sense your sister's presence to be relatively close to us."
Asahi's heart froze.
"H-Huh?!"
Shuffling sounds abruptly echoed over the walls. Ames hastily hopped off Asahi's lap, jolted toward a dark corner and shook the lantern off of the table by pressing his paws against the table's legs. The lantern flew to the dark corner, rolling over the floor revealing a snow-haired girl with fair skin resting against the wall.
The warm luminance of the lantern shone on her eyes. Asahi's eyes widened.
"Sis!"
Her eyelids slowly parted from each other, releasing soft groans and mumbles.
"H…Huh…?"
She bounced upward, froze still, staring at empty space with wide eyes and eyebrows raised. Aletha scratched her head and turned to the other wall, completely oblivious to where she was.
"W-Where am I? Asahi, are you there?!"
He paced to Aletha, swayed his feet, and slammed his fist on the table.
"Do you have any idea where we are?"
Aletha shrugged her shoulders and screamed.
"No I don't! Goodness, bro, you scared me half to death!"
"Don't blame it on me. I'm just as confused as you are!"
Ames hurriedly scurried under a chair, hearing loud footsteps sound behind the large wooden door behind. Asahi and Aletha felt a bolt of panic hit them.
"W-What was that?!" Aletha shrieked with a wobbling voice.
"I-I don't know…"
The doorknob clicked followed by slightly muffled voices sounding behind it.
"Shut it, Katib. I'm sure that whoever we had 'captured' they possess something of value."
"You really don't have to be so rude, Brunella."
Asahi and Aletha hid under the table, covering their mouths and forcing their breathing to be as quiet as possible. The heat of the moment was unbearable, they could hardly move because of how cramped they were. A soft fluffy thing rubbed against Aletha's ankle. She flinched, but Asahi forced her head downwards, whispering.
"Shhhh, be quiet."
The wooden door steadily creaks open. Aletha whined as she felt Ames' fur tickle her.
"H-Hey… s-stop. It tickles!~"
Asahi had no choice, he covered Aletha's mouth with his palm and jerked her to the wall. Two shadows emerged from the opening of the doorway, both having a relatively short height. Could it be true that these two were The Wanderer's kidnappers? They couldn't find out.
Asahi tried his best to retrieve Ames, but being so huddled together, their heads could have hit the table and alerted the strangers. So, in contrast to their panic; Asahi and Aletha hoped to god that Ames didn't alert the people.
A glassy stare of deprecating horror was given from the wanderers, hearing the prodding footsteps grow closer and closer. They saw the stranger's feet stepping forward and back, searching for Asahi and Aletha. Brunella made a grave expression, shining a golden haze of pensive light from her lantern.
"I could have sworn that those two were here. Did the merchant not do his job?"
The pink-haired boy jotted his eyes toward the bookshelves, grabbed a pen, and pressed it against a silk sheet of paper. The only word Katib had written in the book was…'Footprints'. Suddenly, all of the steps that Asahi and Aletha made illuminated in dark green, trailing off under the table. Asahi and Aletha's eyes widened in disbelief.
(T-That can't be possible. How did he manage to…)
They saw a faint, transient, wistful smile on Katib's brooding face as he approached the table.
"I found them."
Asahi and Aletha's heart stopped. A trace of irritation flew over Asahi, knowing that he had failed. The girl behind Katib shone her bright yellow lantern underneath the table, revealing Asahi and Aletha hunched up together, quivering in fear.
A faintly quizzical look came into her incisive stare, waiting for them to get up. Her cold blue eyes narrowed directly at them, her silky brown hair flew downward, and a prideful smile shone on her face. She sneered at the wanderers, then tossed the wooden table away, grabbing her pistol from her back. Brunella yelled with a curious tone.
"Honestly, just how pathetic can you truly be hiding under the table? W-Wait…"
She dropped her pistol, falling into pure realization.
"H-How do you two have such a bright shade on your hair?! A-And that attire, it looks so familiar… w-wait…"
Katib raised an eyebrow.
"What is it, Brunella?"
Fear paralyzed her. Asahi and Aletha stood incredibly still, hoping not to be hurt. A silence filled the room. Katib grabbed Brunella's shoulders and drawled.
"Are you okay? I never saw you act like this before…"
A grim and shuddering fascination was made from her.
"T-They… are… no, that can't be right. These two right here… a-are…"
Katib nervously chuckled.
"It's okay. Spit the words out."
A harvest of barren regrets bloomed over her; Brunella mumbled with a terrified tone.
"T-They are… the Adtraic Gods; The original rulers of Gincad! This was a bad idea. What was the merchant thinking? How could one be so oblivious to their presence? Katib, w-we need to run, now."
Brunella hurriedly clutched Katib's hand, sneakily trying to step away from the wanderers. Asahi and Aletha thought something bad would happen to them; they would be the ones afraid. But it turned out that the 'kidnapper' was the one afraid of them.
Staring blankly at Brunella and Katib, Asahi released a deep sigh, stepped forward, and announced in the softest tone he could think of.
"Need not fear, stranger. W…We're not who you think."
Aletha cringed strongly at Asahi's attempt at speaking like a 'god'. She couldn't help but burst out in laughter from his voice, with tears flying down her eyes.
"Goodness, Asahi, that's the worst impression I have ever seen!"
Brunella and Katib cocked a brow in surprise. The pink-haired boy gave a petulant whisper to her as Asahi tried desperately to stop Aletha from laughing.
"Eh…? Brunella, I thought you said The Adtraic Gods were powerful? Shouldn't they smite us with their moon-destroying lighting bolts?"
Asahi's eyes widened in shock.
"Hold on? Do you two really think we would use that ability for simply kidnapping us?"
Aletha made a loud, uninterested yawn, leaned back on a chair, and giggled while speaking in a mocking tone.
"Haha! K-Kidnap us?! That's the worst excuse from a power I have ever seen. Blah, blah, blah… stop being so boring. Get to the point and shut up, Asahi!"
Asahi's face reddened with anger.
"Don't make me slap you in the face!"
"Not if I slap you first!"
As Aletha were fighting all over the room, slapping each other, pinching, and bruising themselves, Katib leaned to Brunella and whispered with a suspicious look on his face.
"Are you SURE that these two are the Adtraic Gods? All I see from these two is goofiness."
Brunella shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.
"I'm absolutely certain that those two are the Adtraic Gods. They match perfectly to their description. White hair, gray eyes, an S mark on their faces, and black attire… t-they couldn't possibly be acting like this. Perhaps it's an illusion?"
The wanderers continued to fight, screaming from across the room while Ames cowered underneath the table.
"Stop pinching me! It hurts Asahi."
Asahi's face was coated in rage.
"Oh, NOW look, who's the one being a crybaby?! You started it, don't put the blame on other people other than yourselves. Just shut up already!"
"NO, YOU!"
"No…YOU! It's YOUR fault! Just grow up and accept it!"
"Nu… uh!"
"Yes… huh!"
The siblings erupted in rage and fought over the room, bouncing from wall to wall, toppling the bookshelves, and messing with the devices. The current situation was getting out of control. Brunella wanted to interfere but was too afraid that she would get caught up in the storm. So, dismissing her usual personality, Brunella hid behind the door and demanded Katib.
"Go and settle them down!"
Katib raised an eyebrow.
"Why can't you do it, yourself?!"
Brunella hunched down to her knees, fearfully closed her eyes, and heard the room tremble.
"B-Because… j-just interfere! Give them money, see if that would help."
Katib's crystal cyan eyes shrunk in disbelief. He would never expect Brunella, whom he thought was intelligent and sophisticated, to surrender so easily and give up her hard-earned cash. He pulled out her purse, grabbed a handful of shiny Gincoins, and ensured that Brunella was serious.
"Are you sure you want me to throw this at them?"
"YES! DO IT NOW!"
Katib shook his head and sighed. "Okay… here goes nothing."
As the ferocious animals fought all over the room, trembling and disturbing the people above them, Katib catapulted a cluster of shiny Gincoins into the air. An awkward silence flooded the room. Asahi and Aletha froze in place, turning upward to see golden objects rain from the ceiling.
"What's that?"
Yet, despite the money, it wasn't enough to stop Asahi and Aletha from fighting. With no choice, Katib slowly stepped away from the room, slammed the door shut, and let the situation escalate.
"I give up. I can't do anything to stop them."
Brunella shuddered.
"A-Are you sure? M-Money doesn't work?!"
Katib sneered at her with a scowling, shamefaced look.
"What was even the motive of capturing these two?"
"I-It was to…"
Just as Brunella revealed why they captured Asahi and Aletha, a faint green luminance opened from the staircase. A girl with short green and lavender hair, cyan eyes, and colorful attire emerged from the light, squinting at both Brunella and Katib in a menacing tone.
They knew they had messed up big time.
"Queen of Linuxinia, what are you doing here?!"
The girl hurriedly sprinted down the stairs and clutched the doorknob, with a green luminance shining on the palm of her hand.
"Don't ask. Asahi and Aletha are in there, right? The two with white hair?"
Brunella and Katib slowly nodded their heads.
"Y-Yeah…"
A faint tremor of amusement was on her lips.
"Ah, I see. Then the Sealed Beatific has gotten them too. Okay! You two stay put. Let ME fix this!"
As the screams and whines behind the door escalated, Katib and Brunella responded with a trembling, active tone.
"Yes, your highness!"
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone