Playing With Fire (35 page)

“I
have to admit,” Velkire chuckled, covering the top half of his face with his
hand as if trying to conceal his laughter. “I knew that you wouldn’t put up
much of a fight Alphonse, but this is honestly pathetic.” Al flinched and
gripped his sword tighter. Velkire tilted his head to the side slightly and
lost his smile, his hand slipping down to his chin.

“It’s
time to finish this little game,
Al
,” Velkire hissed, completely lacking
any tone. He almost sounded bored. Velkire held out his arm to the side and
gripped the air. A black rapier hilt appeared in his grasp, and a blade slowly
formed, starting off as vapor but then solidifying into a deadly sharp blade.
The silver light of the candles above reflected off the sword, and a shiver
went down Al’s spine. It suddenly occurred to him that he very well may die.

Alastair
watched Velkire and Al from the corner by the double doors, horrified. Velkire
was finished playing, finally getting bored of his toy. With every fiber of his
being, Alastair wanted to help Al, but the only movement his body could manage
was trembling. He could still feel his master’s presence behind him. A cold
hilt slipped into Alastair’s hand, and without looking he knew what it was.

“When
the time comes,” his master’s raspy voice whispered in his ear, causing him to
shake once more. “You’ll know what to do with it, Alastair.”

The
malicious feeling of the blade he was given was all too familiar. It was Alma
Ladron, the soul thief. Sudden warmth of flames went down Alastair’s back, and
he knew his master was gone.

It
didn’t take long at all to find myself running down a large hallway, which I
was
ninety nine
percent sure (‘ninety nine’ is a good number right?) led
to the throne room. Generations of piercing blue eyes stared down at me from
their beautifully crafted frames, making me feel slightly awkward as I stopped
in front of an empty suit of armor covered in thick layers dust to take its
sword from. It was a perfect mid-range one-handed blade, and it fit into my
hand as if it was made for me.

I’m
sure in your life time, people have told you not to run with sharp objects. I
for one say go ahead, as long as you’re not running in a dress. At the occasion
of tripping over my dress and nearly impaling myself, I decided to search a
nearby room, in which I found an old brown tunic, boots that were a tad tight
but manageable, and a pair of ill-fitting trousers which I fastened with a torn
piece of curtain. I was most likely wearing a dead man’s clothing. I hadn’t
felt more at home in those clothes than any other I had worn in my entire life.

With
my regained mobility, my surroundings blurred across me as I ran down the
hallway, finally coming upon a pair of large dark double doors I recognized as
the entrance to the throne room. I gazed up at them and strength left me. My
whole body went cold and shook furiously, until my legs gave into my weight. I
felt like stone as I fell to my knees. My fear had finally caught up with me. I
let out a shaky breath, and cupped my face with a trembling hand while holding
the sword at my side in a death grip. I closed my eyes and tried to force
myself to regain my composure.

“You’re
more of an idiot than I thought if you go through those doors, girl,” a deep
voice said, breaking the silence with a cold raspy tone. My body twisted around
as I jumped to my feet, and fire enveloped my body like armor caressing me in
warmth. Enzio and I shared an icy glare, but his eyes looked completely bored
as he leaned against a cobwebbed pillar. He was wearing his usual apparel, and
his metal hand had a certain aged glint to it. He seemed more tired than
bloodthirsty. In fact, there was nothing about Enzio that screamed death, or
even ‘die Scarlet’. He also didn’t look surprised that I was still alive.

“Missed
me?” I hissed sarcastically. He didn’t even flinch.

“I’ve
seen much more baffling things than pests coming back from the dead, and
frankly I’m not the least bit interested,” Enzio sighed indifferently. I wasn’t
familiar hearing his voice like that. It was somewhat softer and, if I hadn’t
known better, human. “Scarlet, we both know if you go through those doors you
will most likely die, only permanently. And if you die, so will the rebels and
your family. Do you want that?” I bit down on my lip. Enzio was not mocking me
or lying. I knew that every word coming from his mouth was truth in his mind.
But I also knew that truth in one’s mind and actual truth could always be
different.

“No,”
I whispered, reciting the words in my mind that The Healer had said to me at
our meeting. “No matter what happens, I know
He
is holding me. Whatever
happens, I will be safe, in death or life. I am not afraid to die.” My fire
dissipated with a slight sizzle, and my instant armor faded. I tossed the sword
on the ground, putting my arms out in surrender.

“If
you don’t believe me.” I paused, taking a deep breath. “Then take your best
shot.”

Enzio
didn’t respond, he only stared at me skeptically. Then, Enzio stood up straight,
and walked slowly to me until my forehead was about four inches from his chest.
The thick smell of blood wafted off his clothing, choking me slightly. Enzio gazed
down at me, his red eyes boring holes into my skull, but I stood my ground. It
was only when he made a move that I did not expect that I was taken aback.
Enzio grabbed the end of my chin, and looked into my eyes. They lingered for a
moment, as if studying the very depths of my soul. Seeming content, he released
my head, and my arms fell in surprise. I stared up at him, half in confusion
and the other half still intent on proving I wasn’t afraid of death.

“You
have the same eyes as your mother,” he said finally, sort of reminiscently. “A
very light kind of grey, so much so it’s almost white.” I was about to give him
a smart remark, but the look in his eyes stopped me. I couldn’t read his
expression at all, and what it reminded me of was a blank page. Enzio reached
into his pocket with his true flesh hand and took out a small silver chain, the
silver glinting so brightly that it turned white. A small silver trinket
dangled from the chain, taking the form of a tiny flame. Enzio took my wrist
and slipped the small chain onto it, and suddenly it came alive. It shrunk,
until it was tight on my wrist, as if insuring that it would not be removed. I
flinched, though it did not hurt. Enzio turned away quickly, his cape snapping
behind him as he retreated down the hallway.

“What
is this?” I called after him, picking up my sword. Enzio stopped in his tracks,
and seemed to take a moment to find the right words.

“Your
mother’s dying wish.” Enzio said it plain as day, and continued walking away.

I
watched him go, staring in shock until he was out of sight. The little chain
weighed virtually nothing, but I could feel it on my wrist as if it were a full
grown grizzly bear. My thoughts were spiraling from question to unanswered
question, until a cry of pain penetrated my ears. With a jolt, I rushed for the
doors, pushing them open with all my might. Nothing was going to stop me.
Nothing was going to stop me from killing whoever had make Al scream like that.

~

The
first thing that met my eyes was my worst nightmare. Velkire had my brother Al
lifted off the ground by his neck, choking. By Velkire’s hand a black mist
retreated and a silver sword laid just below Al’s feet. Al clawed at Velkire’s
hand, and Velkire threw his head back cackling. It all seemed like a sick game,
which it probably was from Velkire’s perspective.

Velkire
released my brother and drew his free hand back, punching Al in the gut
creating a loud snap. Al’s eyes went wide as he fell to the ground, clutching
his rib cage. Velkire looked down at him, smiling with murderous glee. Smoke
enveloped Velkire’s hand, and a black saber appeared in his grip.

“It
looks like I win,” Velkire sang as he raised his sword over his head. “You
really shouldn’t have left your parents in that house alone, Alphonse Lucelles.
When that wretched messenger brought you back to your bed, your parents’ home
caught fire, and they were dead by morning.” Al stared at him in horror, tears
welling up in his eyes. What Velkire was spouting made no sense to me except
for one thing: it hurt Al.

An
angry cry escaped me, and the two turned in shock. Fire exploded around Velkire
as I charged forward. He jumped back before the flames could singe more than
his clothes, but I didn’t care. My only concern was my brother, who was staring
at me with disbelieving eyes.

“You…you
were dead…” the pained words left his lips with hardly any movement at all, so
softly I could scarcely hear them. I dropped down to him, and took his arm,
slinging it over my shoulder. I strained myself to smile cockily as I stood the
both of us up.

“Yeah?”
I said in the most laid back voice I could manage, mixed with a tone you would
give to a ranting two year old you wanted to see happy. “Well, I was a lot of
things.”

Al
cracked a smile, and almost laughed too, but his pain overwhelmed him. Al
passed out cold, leaving me to drag him into a corner by a glowing blue sphere.
To my horror, I saw the soft yet bruised face of my Guardian within it. I
searched around, realizing that there was not only her, but a man, Kyra, and
Yuki in similar spheres at each corner of the throne room, each casting a
ghostly blue light. I set Al down, leaning him against the wall. It wasn’t just
my life I was gambling for. It was everyone’s. Nothing like the lives of five
unconscious allies to say ‘no pressure’, especially when the lives of the people
you were gambling with were the ones who actually meant something to you.

Mad
cackling echoed through the throne room, and I spun around, sword in hand.
Velkire was on the opposite edge, doubled over clutching his face as his
lunatic laughing and giggling filled the room, seemingly choking him.  He threw
his face up, and with the shadows casted by the demonic candles I could only
see his wide, twitching, grey eyes. If I had ever had doubts that he was
insane, they were gone.

“So
not even torturing you to death will get you off my heels I see?” he howled,
gripping his saber at an awkward angle close to his torso. “I guess I’m just
going to have to take care of you personally then!”

Velkire
disappeared from sight, and my eyes shifted around the room warily. His
laughter still bounced off the walls, coming from all directions and never
settling on just one point. The candle light from the chandelier flickered, and
a shadow darted in and out of sight beside me. I turned sharply, but too late.
The tip of Velkire’s saber was already jutting out of the air, pushing towards
me at speeds I could never dodge. I swept my sword in an arc, parrying the
oncoming blade and causing it to sail forward a little ways away from my right
shoulder. Its owner’s body followed, appearing from thin air as if entering
from an invisible door way. A crazy grin swept across Velkire’s face as he
stumbled forward a few steps due to the momentum.

“It
seems you’re not a baby anymore,” he said while straightening his back.

“Indeed,”
I hissed as I glared at him, holding my sword defensively. Velkire laughed, and
flinched towards me, as if to lunge. I stared at him unfazed, and his smirk
faded, as if my lack of fear spoiled his fun (which, to my satisfaction, it
probably did).

“You’ve
always ruined everything you know…” Velkire hummed quietly, a small smile
playing across his lips as the words met my ears. He disappeared again, reappearing
by the throne. “Not only are you the reason our mother is dead, you’ve also
caused pain to those who made the mistake of loving you.”

My
shoulders clenched up, and my hands shook a bit. It would have been one thing
if Velkire had been lying, but telling the truth was another. Velkire smiled
and lowered his saber with a loose grip. He turned and walked slowly to the
center of the throne room, his movements and posture like that of a snake about
to kill its prey.

“Take
your brother Jake, for example,” Velkire hissed softly, his words slipping
around my throat, threatening to choke me with an unforgiving grip. “It must
have been painful, receiving that permanent scar at such a young age. Even
after that he still took you in and loved you as if you were blood related.”

“I
was only a baby, I couldn’t control myself,” I said in return, but in my mind I
was uncertain. Velkire whipped around, his cape snapping behind him, and stared
at me with a stone cold look.

“Does
that change the fact that it happened?” he responded indifferently. “Does it
change the fact that to this day he spends every waking moment thinking of the
wellbeing of a treacherous brat who’s only ever brought him suffering?” His
words cut like a knife, and I could feel them stab my heart. I didn’t answer.

“And
what of your vampire friend, Gabriel?” Velkire continued. “If you hadn’t
intervened, he may have had a chance to save his parents and reclaim the
throne. His sister wouldn’t have had to feel that pain, and her smile would
never have faded.” The thought of Jezebel and Gabriel filled me with guilt.

“You’re
wrong…” the words only came out as a whisper, so scarce I could hardly hear
myself. Velkire glared at me like an angry parent, and took a step towards me.

“Am
I?” he accused, his voice rising. “Is it not due to your utter stupidity that
the nymphs are dead because their forest is burnt to the ground? Is it not
because of that same reason that the rebels are now without a home? Tell me, is
it not because of you your brother lies there unconscious and hardly breathing
because he came here to rescue
you?
”

My
heartbeat pounded in my ears, but it felt as heavy as stone. With all my
failures laid out before me, my sanity was threatening to break. My whole body
shook, and my legs felt as if they would fail. I looked up into Velkire’s
blazing eyes, and couldn’t believe that someone like him could point out all my
failures to such a horrible extent.

“Answer
me!” he bellowed, and disappeared, leaving a hissing sound as he materialized
beside me, sword raised. Velkire brought his gleaming black blade down in a
powerful arc, and I locked swords with him, struggling under his surprising
strength.

“Did
you know that Al had found his parents?” Velkire growled, leaning over our
swords close to my face. He forced me back, causing me to hit the wall and duck
as he swept his sword across where my neck would have been. I rolled out of the
way, and jumped back to my feet in time to parry his next swing.

“They’re
what he’s desired for so long,
you know that full well
, but he gave up
his chance to be with them to rescue you!” Velkire let out a flurry of slashes
that drove me back as I dodged, blocked and parried, leaving no room for me to
land any of my own attacks.

“And
now, both of his parents are dead!” Velkire howled as he continued his relentless
attacks. “A careless candle was left burning as they both drifted off to sleep.
It fell to the floor, eventually engulfing their whole home in hungry flames!”