Chapter X: The Malumunus

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 X

The Malumunus

“You’re not going to leave are you?”

When he didn’t answer the White Mage heaved a sigh and nudged the sleeping boy on his shoulder.  He jerked awake and turned a pair of exhausted blue eyes on the healer.

“You’re not going to leave are you?”  She said for the second time.

“I’ll soon leave when you let me see her, I will.”  He replied curtly.

She sighed,. Damn my overly compassionate ways.

“Listen.”  The girl said sharply, “You have been sitting here for over fourteen hours.  Have you left at all?  Have you even eaten anything?”

“No.”

The healer sighed again, then looked towards Luna’s room, biting her lip.  She looked down at the boy.  If he was this determined to see her, it probably could hurt... as long as no one found out that is.  Besides, he was one of the hand-picked guests, why shouldn’t get get to see her?

“Stay here.”  She stood and walked back into the room, Rubedo could hear voices, two other men.  One was Yami, the other he didn’t know.  They spoke for what seemed like hours before the girl returned.

“I’m not supposed to do this...” She said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. “But you’ve been here for quite a while, and you seem to be determined to stay here... even if you do starve yourself to death... so...” She kneeled down to him, “Go on in for a short while, I’ll make sure no one finds out.  Just be quiet about it and step softly.  In case you haven’t realized it’s four in the morning and our Princess is asleep.”

Rubedo scrambled up, not even trying to hide his pleasure.  He walked in, taking his hat off as he went in.  The room was small, as most rooms in the clinic were.  Behind him he heard the click of a shutting door and footsteps echoing away.

Yami was by Luna, silent as the grave.  Beside him was a raven-haired man, he too looked worried, but more for Yami than the princess. He turned and smiled weakly as Rubedo came in, rising to bow in greeting.

“You must be Rubedo.”  He said in a hushed tone, “Luna has spoken much of you.”  Rubedo taped his boots on the floor, shifting his weight uncomfortably.  “I’m Jacqueus de Electus, just call me Jack, everyone does.”

Yami looked up, nodding at Rubedo as he sat up.  “The healers say she’ll be fine, just a bit of rest...” He trailed off softly.

Jack leaned towards Rubedo.  “He’s having an awfully hard time with this.  Not by blood, but by heart she is his child, that girl is his life.  He’s worried about her.”

Rubedo nodded, but a click of the doorknob turning interrupted his sentence.  The door opened and the healer-girl came holding two wooden bowls.  It smelled wonderful, cruelly reminding Rubedo of his hunger.

The girl tapped Yami on his forehead with the end of a spoon and handed him a bowl.  “Eat.”  She said simply, “Eat or I’ll throw you out.”

“You could not throw me out if you tried.”  He replied with a worn smile, but did begin to eat slowly.  Jack mumbled something under his breath, but didn’t speak aloud.

“Here.” The girl said to Rubedo.  “I thought I might as well feed you too.  After all...” She smiled with intent, “The Princess seems fond of you.  I don't think she’d be able to forgive me if I let you die of starvation.” Rubedo gratefully took the bowl filled with a thick, rich stew.

“And you.” The healer said, turning her attention to Yami again.  “Perk up.  If Lunamis wakes to see you moping around that definitely won’t mount her spirits.”  Yami flinched at the word, “spirits,” but nodded.

The girl nodded and turned to leave, but paused and glanced at Rubedo a final time.  “How rude of me, I completely forgot to introduce myself.”  She bowed, “I am Beryl les Guérir, it is a pleasure to meet you.”  And before Rubedo even had time to utter a response, she turned and shut the door behind her.

---

“Aye!  The poor lad!”

Azara nodded to Atticus.  “They’ve refused to even let him see her!  In a way I can understand that, but... after all he’s done for her!”

Atticus laughed, “And he’s posted himself at her door?  Aye, good man that boy is.”

Azara nodded with a wry smile, “Man? Still a boy, if you ask me.”

Atticus laughed, “Oi!  Here comes Puren!  Togashi too and... who else?  Dio Creatore, I can never remember her name, one ‘o those eastern names, twists yeh tongue up. ‘Ello ye all!”

The trio came and bowed.  The girl and boy with Puren both had dark hair with the rich skin of easterners, but their dark eyes had a sort of curve that Azara had never seen before.  

“Sayuri, Sayuri, Sayuri!”  The girl laughed, “How many times must I tell you, Atticus?”

Atticus shook his head and nodded at the other boy, Togashi.  “Aren’t twins supposed to have names that rhyme or just... fit together?  Say Puren had a twin; it could be Puren and Pura.”

The two apparent twins exchanged looks and burst out laughing, only laughing harder when Puren rolled his eyes.  Azara smiled, “You two are twins?”

Both bowed the odd bow she had seen a small sliver of Alchemists do.

“Hai.”  They said in unison.  They grinned at one another, and still in sync, spoke rapidly in another language.  Azara was hardly able to tell rather or not there were multiple words in the sentence, they spoke so quickly.

Puren rolled his eyes again.  “Quit being stupid.”  He said to them, “That phrase got old years ago, secondly, she can’t understand a word you two are saying and you know it.”

“ ‘Hai’ means ‘yes.’”  Said Sayuri.

“And the rest meant, ‘since we were born.’” Finished Togashi.

Azara laughed, “So you are from the east?”

Both nodded, “As am I.”  Puren said.

Azara looked at him in confusion, not sure she heard him correctly, “But... but your skin-”

“-I was born and raised in the east, not necessarily a descendent of an easterner.”

“Now Puren.”  Atticus replied, “Interrupting is rude as it is, but to a lady?  Be kind and apologize to the lass, eh?”

Puren sighed and bowed to Azara, “Forgive me.” He said blandly, “I overstepped my boundaries.”

“There now!” Atticus said, clapping his hands.  “See Puren?  You better keep your mannerisms in check if you care to have any girl’s heart.”

     Puren answered with another eye roll.  “Come on!”  Togashi said suddenly.  “Tsutani says he’s figured out a new composition �" let’s go watch his experiment fail again.”

“Togashi!”  His twin snapped, forgetting they had company, “You are so cruel!  I can’t believe you are enjoying this! Especially you Puren!”

“Well.”  Puren replied defensively, “It is a bit on the comical side... and it is his own fault.  I agree with Togashi, lets go.”

Togashi grinned at his sister.  “See?  You should obey your brother!”  His twin knocked him on the back of his head, apologized to Azara for her brother’s apparent stupidity, and excused them all.

Azara smiled and returned their bow, saying goodbye to Atticus before making the way back to the clinic to search for her brother.  She finally found him pouting in the hallway.

“They kicked me out again.”  He muttered, “ ‘She needs her rest!’”  He mocked.  “It’s not like me being in there was bothering her!”

As if fate itself attempted to mock Rubedo, Roland walked down the hallway at that very moment.  When he saw Rubedo hunkered down by the door he glared coolly and knocked on the door.  When the door opened Beryl didn’t waste a second to yell at the disturbance.

“How many times do I have to tell you?  You can-oh!”  She lowered her voice, “It’s you Roland, sorry.  Come in.”  With a spiteful grin, Roland went in, shutting the door behind him with relish.

“What?”  Rubedo hissed in a low whisper, “What the hell?  I have to wait for fourteen hours to see her, and he gets to go right in after a good night’s sleep and breakfast?  Hell no!”

“Well...” Azara whispered hesitantly, “They have known each other since childhood-”

“It’s because I’m a Black Mage, it is!”  Rubedo pulled down his hat and sneered, “That’s the only reason and you know it!  Think I’m gonna set fire to the clinic, the lot of them!”

Azara crouched down beside him.  “Maybe...”

They sat and waited for ages. Azara visited the bibliothèque and brought a book to read.  She had picked up one for Rubedo, but he wasn’t in the mood and flung it at the opposite wall.

After another hour of waiting the door opened and Beryl came out and, shutting the door behind her.  Checking for onlookers again, she kneeled down in front of Rubedo.

“Lunamis is awake.”  She whispered kindly.  Rubedo’s lowered head jerked up to look at her as she spoke.  “She was asking about you... would you like to come in?”

     Rubedo scrambled up, nearly falling back down in his rush.  “She was asking about me?”

“I know it’s so strange!”  Beryl replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes, “It’s as though you saved her life or something of the sort!”  She glanced over at Azara.  “And you are?”

Azara nodded, “Azara - I’m his sister.”

“Let me ask the Princess, see if she’s up to seeing you too.” Going to the door she opened it, allowing Rubedo entrance.  Azara winked at her brother as he reached up to smooth his hair .  He responded with a glare and quickly shut the door behind him.

Roland had his arms crossed over his chest, one hand flickering quickly towards his sword at the sight of the Black Mage, a deadly glare flashing in his eyes.

Rubedo did his best to ignore him, focusing on Luna.  She was sitting up in bed talking to Jack, wearing one of the soft white clinic robes. Her long hair was loose and flowing down her back, rippling into a shallow pool on the mattress.  Rubedo had to force his heartbeat down to a steady pulse.

“Rubedo!” She burst, interrupting Jack mid-sentence.

“Princess Lunamis!”  Rubedo walked quickly to her, trying not to walk too fast.  Roland stubbornly kept his seat beside Jack, but Rubedo didn’t even bother trying to find a seat, instead he crouched down by her bedside, unaware of Roland’s disapproving glares.

“How are you feeling?”  He asked.

“Oh, I’m fine, I don't see why everyone is so worried!”  Luna said with a shrug and a shy smile.  “I heard you’ve been out there a dreadfully long time...”

Rubedo rose an eyebrow, “Been out where?  Oh out there!”  He realized, gesturing towards the door.  “Not so long, no worries.”

Jack nudged Rubedo with his foot.  “Yes Princess, he was only out there a good fourteen hours before they let him in the first time, then about five hours after that.  So he was only out there a total of nineteen hours!”

Rubedo felt his face grow hot as he glared at Jack, who just gave him an over-exaggerated grin.  Rubedo cleared his throat, “It wasn’t any trouble, I just wanted to make sure you were alright, I did. You gave us all quite a scare.”

“Yes.”  Agreed Roland.  “Some of us more than others.”

Rubedo turned to Roland, “You didn’t seem to worried, you waited until the next day to see her-”

Roland glared sourly, “Because I knew very well that-”

“Do not start.”  Yami said grumpily, “I am not in the mood to deal with two boys getting into a scrimmage.”

Luna looked over at Rubedo with her lovely eyes, diverting his attention away from Roland. “Rubedo, Yami says they’re going to have to send me away... do you know why?”

Rubedo raised his eyebrows, wondering why she thought he knew.  “I don’t know, Princess.” He said with a shrug, “Why would I?”

“Luna...” Yami said, a hand on her shoulder, “What happened here is going to attract...” He glanced over at Jack, looking for words, “Unnecessary attention.  You will be taken somewhere else for protection until things...” He paused again, lower his eyes, “Calm down.”

He shook his head, as though just realizing a forgotten appointment, “Speaking of,” He rose from his chair.  “I need to speak with your parents.  Please,” He gave a bow, “I will return shortly.”  He walked towards the door, and with a final, meaningful glance towards Jack, left the room.

Jack looked at Luna and smiled reassuringly, “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon, he just has to make arrangements.” He then grabbed Roland by the ear and started to lead him out of the room.  “Come on Rolly!”  He laughed, “I need you to help me with something.”

“What?”  Roland protested, “W-wait!  I-I can’t leave Lunamis alone with him!  H-hey, ouch!  Let me go, I need that!”

Luna was laughing, her hand pressed over her lips.  She stopped and smiled at Rubedo, who had risen and was sitting on the edge of her bed.

“Don’t worry, Jack won’t keep him long.”  Rubedo assured, “He’ll be back soon, that he will.”

“I don’t mind.”  She said with a smile, “Do you remember that morning, on the balcony?  You were playing that instrument?”

“The ocarina?”  He asked.

She nodded, “Yes.” She looked up at him, her eyes beseeching, “Will you play for me?”

Rubedo was slightly startled by the request, but couldn’t say no to those beautiful eyes.  He dug around in his coat pockets until he found the little ocarina.  He played as he had done on the balcony, first playing notes a random, then softly fading into a lullaby that had once been sung to him.  Luna lay down on her side, watching him play.  He tried not to smile as her eyes closed and she fell asleep, but his lips curled despite himself, making it quite hard to play.

He thanked God it was only he and Luna.

---

“So, you actually think she’s one of them?”  Puren looked at Atticus, skeptical.

“It’s obvious, it is.”  Atticus said, “All the Elements showed themselves, that hasn’t happened for a long time.”

Puren laughed, “You think she’s one of the Spirits?”

“Aye!” Atticus said, jabbing his index finger into the air, “I’m sure!  Not since the first of the Angelique dynasty have they shown themselves!”

“How do you know?”  Puren asked, “Think about it, there have been twenty-one generations-”

“Now yeh listen here-”

Puren continued, undeterred, “A ‘generation’ is about twenty years.  Twenty years per generation, twenty-one generations.  That’s over four hundred years, four hundred and twenty to be exact.” He crossed his arms over his chest, “Think about how much stories change in a few hours, much less four hundred years.”  He couldn’t help but give Atticus a smug grin.

“Yes.”  The old man replied, annoyed at the boy’s cockiness, “But those events were written down in the archives, on the exact date of the ceremony!  The Equinox of Spring, the day the ceremony is held every generation.”

Puren’s smile fell and he shifted uncomfortably.  Atticus had proof while he had his own logic.  Alchemists didn’t deal well without proof.

“That is why I keep telling yeh,” Atticus said, grinning just as smug as Puren had, “The princess will not be promised to you.  I guarantee yeh, marriage’ll be the least of yeh worries if it’s time to gather ye all up.”

Puren rolled his eyes, his arrogance restored, “Whatever you say old man. But a union between our families would be too beneficial for it to not happen.  Gathering or not.”

Atticus wanted to strike him down.  So young, and so sure of himself!  Of course, he could always transmute Puren’s chair into something over dinner... in public... yes, that was a very good plan.  Do it where everyone could see him, so hopefully the boy’s cocky arrogance would be taken down a couple of notches.  He watched the boy go, smiling slightly.  

Spirit of Air or not, you didn’t get on the bad side of Atticus Aquinas.

---

“You think we should what?”  Luna’s father nearly exploded at the request, “How can you say such a thing?  Send her there?”

“It is the safest place we can send her.”  Yami answered calmly.  “Not a soul would suspect-”

“No sane soul would suspect!  Yami, have you gone mad?  No one would suspect that because it is the dimmest thing we could do!”

Yami narrowed his eyes dangerously, “I only wish for Luna’s safet.  It is my only concern.”

Luna’s father glared back, “We will take her to Runui, like we always do when danger lurks-”

“That will not work, Roi, because of what she is-”

“My child is not an infernal Spirit!”

Yami ignored him, “Because of what she is the Malumunus will search for her, and Runui would be the first place they would look!”

“You are being naïve Yami!  The Malumunus haven’t showed themselves for five hundred years-”

“435 actually.”

“That is beside the point!  They are a dead order!”

“Or,” Yami replied, anger bubbling up, “Perhaps they have been lying in wait for an opportune moment-”

“She is going to Runui.”

Yami laughed cynically, “Oh no-no-no, Roi.  Lunamis is going to Drajan with the Black Mage, Rubedo.”

“How dare you!  You cannot override me!”

“You cannot stop me.”  Yami said, challenging Roi Angelique to try and overrule him.  The man’s mouth snapped close at the sight of those furious green eyes.  He glared and clenched his jaw tight, biting his tongue. Yami smiled at the silence and left to make preparations for the journey, leaving an angry and fearful king behind.

It wasn’t more than half an hour before Yami returned to the clinic.  Azara had been allowed in, and he bowed to her on his way in, removing his own hood, which cast a mysterious, almost threatening shadow over his eyes.  Luna was listening to Rubedo tell some sort of story, laughing so hard she was nearly in tears.

Yami sat beside Rubedo while he spoke, and said in a quiet voice, “I need to speak with you Rubedo, it is of dire precedence.”  He stopped and looked over at Yami, a single eyebrow raised in confusion.  “Finish what you were saying and come along.”  Yami said, rising from the chair and waiting for him.

Rubedo, finished telling his story quickly, if not distractedly, and excused himself.  Yami pulled him out of the room, still speaking in a quiet voice.  “I have a favor to ask of you.  I do not know if this is fair of me to ask this of you, this is asking a lot of a young boy.”  Normally Rubedo would have butted in, proclaiming that he was not a “young boy” but decided against it.

The look in Yami’s eyes was serious and anxious.  “How much, Rubedo, would you risk for the Princess?”

Rubedo performed the traditional Black Mage bow, right leg stiffly out in front of him, the heel planted to the ground, his left arm behind his back and his right crossed diagonally over his chest.

“I would give my very life!” He said honestly, “What is it you need?   If it is for Princess Lunamis’ sake I would go to Hell and back!”

Yami smiled, wondering how much of this was truth and how much bravado.  He could feel the boy’s courage and strength, but a strong surge of youthful stupidity as well.  Would his confidence and dedication remain, or would the capricious nature of the young dwindle his devotion?

“Rubedo,” Yami continued, “Have you ever heard of the Malumunus?”

Rubedo nodded, “The legend?  Of course, it is a story all Black Mages are told,it is.  A cautionary tale, told to the little ones so they know to avoid the dark side of our magik.”

“What did they do?”

What is this?  Rubedo thought, wanting to get to the part concerning Lunamis, A history lesson?   “The Malumunus are a people who try to harness the power of the Spirits.  They use this power to generate energy for an apparatus that is said to give the er... ”  The omnimodus tongue failed him for the exact words,

“And what is an apparatus?”

Rubedo shifted, “It’s like a…”  He gestured, “Like a tool �" but it moves by itself �" but not with magik, with…”  He shrugged, “I don’t know how they work.  But it’s supposed to be bad.”  He suddenly felt childlike, using the simple word of “bad” to describe an apparatus.  He added hesitantly, “They’re supposed to be able to control you.”

Yami laughed bitterly, “It seems you know your history.  By the way, apparatus are known as Machina in the Omnimodus language.”

Rubedo shrugged, “I don't care how to say it in the universal tongue...”

Yami smiled sadly, moving on.  “The Malumunus are no legend, Rubedo.”

Rubedo barked a laugh.  “Aye, you sound like my mother!  She use to tell me that if I didn’t behave they’d come in and pluck me from my bed, she did.”

Yami ignored him.  “It is true. You may mock me as you please, but it will not change the fact of the matter.”  He looked at him, “You know that they target the Spirits, no?”

“Well, according to the legends, yes but-”

“Lunamis is in danger.”  Yami said softly, “I need you to take her away from here, to your village of Drajan.  I know this is asking so much of you...”  He performed a low bow, and folded his hands as if in prayer, “But please, hear me, I beg you.”

Rubedo was unable to answer at first, taken aback by Yami’s plea. But quickly shook it off and gave an energetic nod.  “Aye!  I’ll do it, I will!”

Yami smiled, “Well that was swift.  The moment she is well again I need you to take her.  Be quick.”  He paused, “Do you know where the Alchemia is located?”

  Rubedo nodded, wondering what he had gotten himself into, “Aye, it’s west of Drajan, it is, about a month away.  Why?”

“Good.”  Yami said, “I will explain more when the time comes.”  His eyes seemed to boring into Rubedo’s, looking into his mind, “Are you sure you are ready for this?  If it comes down to it, you may have to watch the one’s you love die. There is nothing worse than watching something like that and being unable to stop it... do you not agree?”

Rubedo nodded.  He turned to look back at Luna’s door, feeling afraid and invigorated at the same time.

What had he gotten himself into?

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.