Ch4-4: Head to Head
Rosa couldn’t help but be curious about the Lunarian race.
After all, she had been friends with Cecil all her life. The knowledge that he was a Half-Lunar… that part of his heritage was wrapped within the secrets of the stars… was just as new to Rosa as it was to him. However, he seemed to have a harder time dealing with the concept than she did.
Rosa could remember the first time that they had a chance to talk alone at the end of the Crystal Wars. The Paladin had shied away from her approach a number of times before he finally admitted that he was confused and bothered by the revelation of his father’s history. Which hinted at volumes in understatement.
Cecil never speaks so openly about things. And when he lets a little bit slip like that… it means it’s really nagging at him a lot more than he’s telling.
She had responded with only one thing — the fact that no matter what his ancestry might have been, she loved him just the same. She remembered the quiet look on his face as he mulled over her words.A moment later, he had knelt down and asked her hand in marriage.
Yeah… so it was standing in front of the Big Whale out in the middle of the fields of the Mysidian continent. But Cecil’s a warrior… he’s never been one for tactical romance.
Of course, she had joyfully accepted his proposal.
That was even before she knew that he would be asked to step up as the King of Baron. For the most part, things were good. Rosa was happy with the past five years she had spent next to him upon the throne. Thoughts of the Crystal War and struggle with the truth of Cecil’s heritage had faded as time wore on.
After all, Cecil seems about as normal as any pure-blood human that I’ve ever met. Nothing at all like Golbez… Or FuSoYa, for that matter.
All these thoughts drifted through her mind as she watched the old Lunarian Sage stride past her, down the hall. On a whim of curiosity, she called to him softly, “Uncle Fu?”
Maybe it would seem strange to anyone else to hear the young blond Queen using such an affectionate term towards the Lunar. However, FuSoYa was her uncle through her bond to Cecil. Despite his gruff and distant tendencies, she could tell by the way that he treated his youngest nephew that there was more to him than he let show.
FuSoYa paused, turning at the sound of her voice. His bushy eyebrows bristled, green eyes focusing on her in the flickering torchlight. Anyone who did not know him would have probably considered the Lunarian to be quite intimidating — despite his short stature.
What is it about Lunarians that they all have this threatening air about them? They don’t even have to do anything more than look at you?
And at that moment, the Sage’s full attention was on her. Rosa felt a little shiver course through her body.
“Yes, child?” his words came softly, as if an attempt to ease her uncertainty. There was a deep, knowing light in his eyes.
Finding new courage, Rosa paced towards the Lunarian. “Are the reports true? Are you really leaving in the morning?”
“Indeed,” FuSoYa’s answer was measured. As was the way he leaned slightly on the staff in his hand.
“Why, Uncle? Is this Cecil’s idea?”
“No… no… This was my own,” the Sage gave a soft grunt. “There is not much I can do to add to the main questing party. However, I do think I may be of some help by other means.”
“I’m not sure I understand?” Rosa tilted her head. Locks of soft gold fell in front of her eyes only to be removed with a practiced flip of one finger.
“I believe that there were important hints disclosed by that strange child-image that appeared during the Meeting of Nations,” he paused for a moment, stroking one gnarled hand through his beard. “Hints that there are more powers at work in this world than Golbez or I had considered.”
The young Queen stood in a moment of pondering silence. When she finally spoke, her tone was level and concerned. “I agree. Does anyone even know what the little girl was… or why she appeared here?”
“No. These things we do not know. But we mean to find out,” FuSoYa’s eyebrows lowered.
“We?”
“Yes. The Mysidian Elder and I. We will be undertaking a line of research in attempt to clarify the message that was given at the Meeting of Nations,” the Sage frowned slowly. “Call it an inner sense, but I believe the terms ‘Darkstar’ and ‘Sygnus’ hold much more importance to our situation than might be thought.”
“Really?” The chills were returning, prickling the hair on the back of her arms. Just the tone of the old Lunarian’s voice was enough to turn her stomach.
“Cecil has arranged transportation for us,” FuSoYa gave a short nod. “We have spoken with the Damcyan King and he has agreed to give us aid through the use of his library.”
“Edward…? I didn’t know there was a library of note in Damcyan,” Rosa blinked slowly.
“The King is a Bard by trade, yes?”
“That’s true…”
“Even the Elder agreed that the second-most impressive library on the Blue Planet Upperworld is located in Damcyan.” FuSoYa’s face had grown grave once again, “The Mysidian library would have served better. However, the Elder has deemed that it may still be unsafe to travel back through the Serpent Road. So we will begin our search in King Edward’s library.”
“And Cecil’s okayed all this?” her brow wrinkled.
“I have discussed it with him at length. He seems to think it a good idea for a few of us to travel and remain in the Damcyan nation… if nothing more but to put up a defense around the Crystal of Fire,” he replied. “I also do not think Cecil is especially comfortable in sending King Edward home by way of airship alone. One of his fleet is missing, I do believe.”
“The Troian transport? There’s still been no word from the Clerics?”
“As of last that I have heard, no.”
“That is… worrisome…” Rosa frowned slowly. But before she was able to follow up with her thoughts on the matter, a call rang across the hall.
“Lady Rosa!”
Both the Sage and the Queen turned at the sound. A group of three young White Mages were scuttling towards them. The look on their faces was one of stricken fear.
“Lady Rosa… you just have to talk some sense into him!” one pulled up short, breathing heavily after the jog.
“He won’t even let us come near!” a second spread her hands in defeat. “We’ve tried everything to negotiate with him…”
“And he’s got the most ill manners I’ve ever seen,” another White Mage huffed, crossing her arms. “I didn’t think they allowed such brutes into the Mysidian Academy!”
“Hold now, I don’t quite understand,” Rosa’s puzzled look took in the three with one glance. “Start at the beginning please… explain what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, Lady Rosa,” the first Mage bowed low, face marked with humiliation as she held out a small white cloth. “We are the current Mages on healing duty… the ones assigned to restore the wounded of Mysidia.”
The young Queen took the cloth with a start, “Aren’t these… Cecil’s boxer shorts!?”
The three White Mages flushed bright red.
“Indeed,” FuSoYa murmured from over Rosa’s shoulder. “Enchanted… boxer shorts…”
It was Rosa’s turn to flush. “Ah… Cecil had mentioned… something to that effect. But I didn’t know he was being serious. So Golbez really… …?”
“Encased the power to heal the wounds made by the Crystal of Water into a pair of boxer shorts?”
“…uh…”
“Yes, he did,” FuSoYa’s eyes shimmered slightly in mirth. “No one ever accused that boy of having a shred of sense, after all.”
“Oh… he’s not so bad. I’m sure this has Cecil writhing at the thought, however,” Rosa gave a soft laugh.
“Naturally.”
The young Queen turned back to the three Mages. “So you’ve been using this to attend to the wounded Mysidians?”
“Yes Ma’am… except…”
“Except?”
“There’s a Mysidian White Mage who refuses to let us cure one of the Black Mages…”
“Why?”
“Well… I really don’t know. We were hoping maybe you could do something?” the White Mage gave a perplexed look.
“It’s that bad?” Rosa squinted.
“He threatened to throw us from the upper window of the third floor tower, Your Majesty,” another Mage said, the look in her eyes showing she was not joking.
“It sounds like he’s probably delirious… or simply delusional,” FuSoYa noted in a rather droll manner.
“Well… I suppose something should be done,” Rosa nodded and began to make her way down the hall in the direction that the White Mages had arrived.
The three Mages bowed as she strode past, a look of relief on their faces.
Much to Rosa’s surprise, FuSoYa turned to follow. No words were exchanged between them as the hallway passed under their feet. There was only the tmp-tmp sound of the Lunarian’s staff meeting stone as he strode behind her. Despite his age, Rosa found he had no difficulty keeping up with the speed of her steps.
As the two of them crossed the threshold of the medical quarters, a jeering snarl rang in Rosa’s ears.
“What did I just say? Not a one of you gimp-ass Baronian White Mage wanna-bes are gonna lay a finger on him!”
A crimson-haired Mysidian White Mage stood in the corner, glaring daggers at the two of them from across the room. As the Queen’s soft azure eyes locked with his cold, pale blue gaze, Rosa could see that he was very serious. Dangerously so.
The way he stood over the young, dark-haired Black Mage was not too unlike that of a dragon protecting its horde… a dragon that was ready to strike at any fatal second. She had never seen a White Mage glower with such terrible fury.
Considering what he’s been through… maybe FuSoYa’s right. After all, his home has just been destroyed. He might have lost a number of people who were close to him. He could be suffering from some sort of shock?
“Please… I’m only here to help,” Rosa intoned gently.
“Didn’t you hear me the first time?” he snarled in return. “I told you to piss off!”
Rosa paused, taken aback. It had been a long, long time since someone had spoken to her in such a manner.
Perhaps he just doesn’t know who I am? I’m sure if he knew I am a White Wizard and Queen Rosa Harvey that he would change his tune.
“Excuse me but… do you even know who you’re talking to?”
“Does it look like I care?”
“I happen to be the Queen of Baron,” she stated firmly.
It was such an odd feeling… it wasn’t very often that Rosa used her rank over anyone else. But surely it was called for in dealing with such a badly behaved White Mage.
“Royalty, huh…” he broke off into a moment of silence.
There. Now he’s rethinking his approach. That’s a little better.
“So that means… you can’t piss off for your own self and you’ve gotta go order someone else to do it for you?”
Her mouth almost dropped open. She gathered every ounce of conviction she had not to let the White Mage see her shock at his response.
I take that back. Maybe he really is just a jerk.
“Of course,” she retorted smoothly. “That’s what we do best.”
It was his turn for silent astonishment. Though his face didn’t show it, she could tell by the way his head had jerked slightly as the words registered upon him.
He hadn’t been expecting that, by far. Not from a woman. And certainly not from one that claimed to be the Queen of Baron.
“So you might actually have a few working brain cells in that blond head of yours,” he grated.
“It’s probably more than you can say for yourself.”
“So, what do you want? ‘Best Bitchiness of the Year’ award?” he crossed his arms.
“Oh, I don’t know. Judging by the swill that comes out of your mouth, I’d think you’d be first in line for something like that,” Rosa replied curtly.
The White Mage paused. His eyes never left the image of the young Queen that stood before him.
She probably didn’t look all that much like royalty at the moment — clothed in a simple white dress that bore the marks of a hard day of tending to the wounded. Her hair was pulled back out of her face with small wisps of gold stuck to the heat of her brow. Her sky blue eyes remained locked with his gaze, never flinching as the words flung between them.
FuSoYa simply stood in silence at the doorway. It was apparent wisdom that kept him from sticking his nose in between the two warring White Mages.
“Not bad,” the red-haired youth admitted after a moment of thought.
“My father was a military man… as is my husband,” Rosa’s face was stern. “You learn how to talk the talk when you’ve been raised around soldiers all your life.”
“It’s not very ladylike,” the White Mage gave her a long look.
“Sometimes ladylike doesn’t get the job done.”
His face had grown somewhat more relaxed as he finally nodded. “Well, are you going to stand around here running your mouth all day? Or are you gonna show me that your royal good-for-nothing-ass can do something more than knit sweaters?”
Rosa gave a half-disgusted look, pushing her way to stand beside the sprawled form of the Black Mage. “I’ve never knitted a sweater in my life.”
“Then you’re more useless than I thought.”
The young Queen worked to shove this last comment out of her mind as she knelt down. One cool hand reached out, pulling the blanket off the Black Mage that lay on the floor.
Though he was not, by far, the most gruesomely wounded of the mages that Rosa had seen, the flesh burns on his face and neck seem to be very deep and pronounced. Some of them even bled, trickling slow streams of black liquid. The mage’s skin was very pale in contrast, and almost rubbery to her touch. His eyes seemed to be rolled up into the back of his head… and the tension quivering through his body spoke of a person in great pain.
The fiery-haired White Mage leaned over from the other side. “He’s gonna die. You don’t have to tell me one way or another… he looks half dead already. And nothing I’ve done has affected the wounds. So why you wasting your time?”
“Then why are you wasting your time? Is he a friend of yours?” Rosa answered in a murmur, pulling the cloth away from the Black Mage’s body. She began to remove his heavy over-coat, eyes growing damp as the scent of burned flesh struck her senses.
The White Mage fell silent, face grim and suddenly worn looking.
“As it is, he’s not dead yet,” she told him softly.
His ice-blue eyes followed the motion of Rosa’s hands as she pulled away the last of the unneeded clothing. Carefully she brought out the pair of boxer shorts, keeping them folded in attempt to keep their true identity concealed.
Fingers trembling slightly, she placed the square of cloth on the Black Mage’s chest. Instantly, a rush of vast energy shook her body. Her eyes widened as she fought to grasp the unexpected welling of holy magics that leapt to her command through the weave of the fabric under her hand.
The nature of the magic was unlike anything she had ever felt before. The flow of the energy was so intricate and immense that it took every ounce of her concentration to focus it upon the wounded boy at her side.
At first, she feared that the energy would not bend to her will. But the moment the holy light touched the Crystal-marred victim, a ripple of transformation spread across the young Black Mage. Pale skin began to wash itself of the dark-rended chasms as if they were nothing more than streaks of dirt… the white becoming smooth and unmarked, a soft color returning to the flesh.
The red-haired White Mage was staring, looking shaken.
Rosa couldn’t help but to feel the same.
No wonder it took three White Mages to control the healing process… I’ve never felt anything like that — ever!
She rocked back on her heels as the final trickle of power faded. Hands still shaking, her eyes never left the unmarked face of the young Black Mage. Though he did not wake, his breathing was relaxed and his expression was one of peaceful sleep.
“I… I’ll send someone to find the first available sleeping quarters. He doesn’t need to remain here in the sickrooms,” Rosa’s voice sounded thin to her ears. She rose slowly to her feet, gazing on the still-stricken White Mage. “I trust that you will see to his well-being from here?”
“Yeah…” he answered, his face struggling to harden itself.
Not even a word of thanks, eh? He’s a hard case to crack…
Rosa simply nodded and turned to make her way back to the door.
I really need to talk to Uncle Fu about this… so much power locked into such a small thing… I thought it was impossible to…
“Hey..!” the White Mage called to her just as she reached the doorway.
“Yes?” the young Queen turned to address him.
There was a strange look on his face as he peered across the room. Nothing like the glare of fury that he had first met her with.
Maybe…. maybe he is going to thank me?
Rosa blinked back at him, waiting calmly.
“Is…” the White Mage squinted. Then he pointed slowly towards Rosa’s hand, “Isn’t that a pair of boxer shorts?”
The only sound left to the room was FuSoYa’s low chuckle.