Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Prelude

Arc 1 - Chapter 5: Bond of clear water.

"So today we will met the other two nobles and the emperor... Are you listening Higeki ?" (Sousuke)

"I am just sleepy that's all."

"And why don't you tell him to go to sleep on time Tomoe ?"

"I...I..."

"Don't blame the kid, i told him to stay awake with me, the story of the past of Soleil is interesting. And thank you so much lady Raphia, you are too kind with us."

"It is nothing too great, i am a lady of art and a fellow artist is a great friend to me."

"Sister, there is something that still require your attention, your new method's result is better than everything we imagine. But we still need the approval from the head of agriculture department."

"You know i will always do anything as long as it bring benefit to the people right ?"

"Yes sister, right away."

"There he goes, never try to find a way to relieve from his duty as the king's aide. Well, he is the only reason we can sit here and enjoy our morning."

Our breakfast is enjoyable, Abrelard and Sousuke discuss about their last duel and the experience they learned from their battle. Siorre is discussing a few matter with Lady Raphia about a few problem she encounter in her journey, that included the problem of Marquis Alvuzt. Their solution is suply the school but the pride of a marquis is great so the best decision is giving that to the bandit, that should be enough. 

"Say ah."

"Ahh..."

"Please eat something Higeki...."

"I will but i want to cuddle you first."

Soft and fluffy with the pure white color, I never felt so familiar no matter how much i saw him i always felt i knew him before. But there is time for everything, it's time to meet other noble, Siorre said that will allow me to make good impression with other families, this could give me a chance to meet the emperor, i really want to know the rest of the story and staying like this feel like a cliffhanger.

"So we should meet the Naudé first right ?"

"Yes, going with you today should be my mother, i have some business to attend to and father, well he is not going to act like a real adult."

"I heard that."

"I want you to heard that, like mother said, you older you are the more the act like a child. But happy birthday father, this should be your 150th right ?"

"Yes, one hundred and fifty years, still youthful."

"Wait, one hundred and fifty ? How could that possible ?"

"Why not, this is a world of wonders, everything is possible. All three nobles families are immune to time but we still suffer injuries and we still felt pain. The price of this immortality is our pain will be magnified many time."

"So it was a deal ?"

"Yes, you can ask our king to learnt more about it but like my daughter said. we can live very long but we have to pay a price for that. But look on the bright side, we are the eternal guardians of Soleil and with the king's blessing we can perform our duty without the fear of death."

"The devotion to protect people, after this cold war end, i shall give everyone a song to praise your bravery."

"There is no need for that, if you want to give people a song, give them a song of wonder of life, our bravery is our own, there is no need to share that. Our bravery is our responsibility, to act as guardian and servant, we accept this fate because we can't trust anyone else."

"Sometime people called you childish but i don't think so, you can say, your action changed my mind about you."

"I prefer act the way i like and sometime just want to think about something else, it is good to relax so when i am with my family i want to relax as much as possible. Now, shall we depart Sousuke ?"

"Yes, so good luck Higeki, remember to make a good impression before them."

A new day begin, Tomoe change his size and lying on top of my head, of course like any housewife Lady Raphia need to goes to the market first before of everything else. A woman who can taking care of all the housework while being the head of the department of agriculture, talking about having so much talent while managing all of that gracefully. Of course because of the current matter, Lady Raphia would just ask them to deliver everything she bought or just make a reserve for her. 

"You really are amazing."

"It's nothing, just live long enough and you can see everything goes really smooth."

"It seem like everyone know you."

"Well, i guess you can say i am known by everyone, now shall we ?"

The Naudé's residence is the same to Hardelbert's residence, white fence with garden and the main house large enough for a family of ten. After Lady Raphia ring the bell it took fifteen minutes for the door to open, but everything is written on her face, just get used to that. The person welcome us is a young man with a scholary appearance, glasses and a white coat.

"Good morning Lady Raphia, we didn't know you wanted to visit us, what a pleasant surprise. And this is ?"

"Where is my manner ? I am Higeki and this is Tomoe, we may not find what we really want in this journey but i really want to know a lot of story in this world."

"Interesting, well, i guess if master Othelio can trust you then we can trust you too. Well then, we shouldn't waste our time standing here. Please, come in."

The interior of the house is different, while the atmosphere of the Hardelbert family is warm and comfy, the atmosphere of Naudé family is enlighting and glorious. Every decoration, every corner of the corridor is glorious but Kuoni told us this is just a magic, knowledge doesn't goes well with wealth. In the garden is another person, a mistress much like lady Raphia, she has a certain charm, a white dress with a large hat, on her face is a white banquet mask with a rose on the right side. 

"It is a great pleasure to see you here, Raphia."

"It is a great pleasure to see you too, Leviana. I see that you solved the problem of the noble of the east, that could relieve a little bit of pressure on our family."

"It's nothing Raphia, anything for my best friend. And we are the royal families of Soleil, our appearance as teachers make them doubt our power, i guess i should renew those fear."

"Mother! Father and Grandfather back."

"They are here, our heroes."

Descend from the sky are two men, they wear cloak like Kuoni, the younger person wear a pair of glass, he is slimer than the older person. In his hand is a staff much like the staff mistress Leviana used. While the older man look much like master Abrelard, no he is higher and larger, white hair and beard but his eyes still sharp so there is a small chance that he much like Abrelard.

"Father, grandfather."

"Everyone..."

"Why look so worry Leviana, you know me and your husband will never fall before those noble. There is no need for that face, still they choose the hard way to speak."

"And let me guess, you choose to punch them ?"

"I didn't know you are coming Raphia and who are these little boys ? I didn't know you have other friend than the little lady of Giselbert and the commander of Theta squad."

"No, I don't."

"Why don't you introduce yourself first, Higeki."

"Right, i forgot about that. I am Higeki and this is my spiritual guardian Tomoe. My other friend is catching master Abrelard interest so he is not here, our goal is traveling this world and try our best to live a wonderful life."

"That is meaningful, everyone wish for power, wealth or time. We also share those wish, we wish this moment to last for eternity, this moment of peace. And don't mind Leviana or my son, they should have time for themselves but the one caught my interest is you and your friend."

"Us ?"

"Yes, Kuoni, would you prepare us some tea ?"

"Yes, grandfather.

"That's my grandson. Talented, knowledgeable even he still has a small problem in making friend, don't you feel wierd when i have my grandson making tea ?"

"No, everyone have the right to do everything they like, gender is not a problem, i am a boy but i can still be artistic."

"Well, i want him to be free to do whatever he wants, you are staying with Hardelbert family right ? Then you must know we are also immortal but taking intense pain whenever we got hurt right ?"

"Yes, i also know that you can recover, but the more serious the wound, the more pain you have to endure and the time to recover is longer. But i think Tomoe can help you ease a little bit."

"Water can restore you, i sense since the beginning of our conversation that you are enduring the pain because you saw us. We appreciate your hospitality but enduring your pain and putting weight on your body is not the right way to live."

"We travel together to watch a beautiful world afterall."

From Tomoe's palm, a small water drop appear and burst into smaller drop, they formed small glass pieces and overlay on the wound. The glass pieces formed into skin and then the recover complete but that is not all, master Illian's wound is not just physically it is also a pain in his mind. With the process of telling himself to held back the feeling of pain, that is the true pain and the glass pieces also fix that, it told him to relax, slowly soothing his mind.

"My magic ? I sense i am much more powerful than before, the healing water, it healed something else."

"Could this because of our link, your power and mine, you can heal physical pain while i can heal the mental pain."

"That is the only reasonable explain i believe, our power resonate and making ourselves stronger."

"I am not a master of these magic, i think if you want to know more about spirit magic then i guess Lucius would know more than i know. But just like you said, not just physical pain, i felt much more relax."

"The tea is here, grandfather."

"Thank you, Kuoni."

"That's nothing grandfather, now may i excuse myself." 

"No, Kuoni, sit here and talk with us for a little bit more. You should learn more than just basic magic and your abilities, learning from other is a way to improve yourself."

"Yes, grandfather."

"So tell me Higeki and Tomoe, how can a god, the sacred spirit of water choose a random kid to become partner ?"

"Human could never understand us that's what Hisa said to me, it is the true that human cannot understand us. But the first moment my eye connected to him i know i waited for him for so long, something tell me we are destinated to venture together."

"I never know our world have water god and it felt like we just remember that recently, did something happen to you ?"

"It seem like the black box you told me is fit for the thing i am thinking about, it not just imprision you, just like it erase your existance from this world."

"How could someone dare to that to a god... Do you know anything grandfather ?"

"Imprison a god is the greatest sin so maybe the Giselbert will know more than what we know, i am not sure about shady organizations. I was the one who ask about you and now i have to answer everything but i can't do anything."

"They say the table turned no one know how can a conversation change."

"We need a few more discussion, can you take Higeki and Tomoe to the Giselbert, Kuoni ?"

"Yes, grandfather."

We left the Naudé's residence with more questions but in our heart we believe that our questions will receive answer, the Giselbert family live near the outskirt of the city. This give them the advantage to take care of their unwanted guest with attract unwanted attention. Different from the residence of Hardelbert or Naudé, the Giselbert 's residence is a school, a very special school where student learn everything, magic, common knowledge and most of all, manner. Maybe another of acting will be much more appropriate, the way of acting with the Hardelbert and the Naudé isn't fit for this.

"Master Kuoni, is there any specific reason you want to visit us ?"

"Yes, but this matter require the appearance of master Lucius, so is master Lucius here ?"

"I will take you to the office and these two guests ?"

"They are with me, please consider them as my guest of honor."

"But you know the rule, even if you are the one who earn the affection of Lady Libitina this cannot be an exception."

"It is fine Kuoni, we can wait."

Then we seprated, while Kuoni earn the approval of Lucius Eveningstar Giselbert, we will wait in another room. There are many room for guest in this academy but our room has something else, an incense burner, i never see something like this appear in this world. The smell of our incense, lavender.

"Greeting dear guest, welcome to the only academy of Soleil, i am Libitina Eveningstar Giselbert. I am deeply apologize for making you wait."

"That is not an important matter, i can wait as long as the limit of myself allowed to. I have so much questions to ask your grandfather but we can wait."

"So i see you can form a bond with a spirit."

"... Ebony, i can sense you. I am imprisoned and forgotten but i am still one of the sacred one, any spirit lower than a sacred one cannot hide their presence from me you know that ?"

"Ebony ? He can sense you ?"

"Not just sense milady, he can know my form, he know everything about me even how hard i tried to hide myself. Of course it is because i am no match for the sacred one, we are spirits but there is a system appear among us. The sacred ones are the strongest, there were five of them but with the wake of the lord of clear water we all remember now, there are six sacred ones."

"A magic that can imprison and erase the presence of a sacred lord. I don't think other lords would want that to happen, so this should be the work of someone else."

This maybe a sudden turn of event, someone else did this, a much more powerful person who have knowledge of the spirit realm. To even imprison a sacred spirit, finding this person or this organization will be a tough job, but for now, let's focus on our power, what is this resonance between me and Tomoe.

"Thank you my grand daughter, it seem like your fiance was right, our guest is not a dangerous person, just a little bit special."

"I also heard from Ebony that one of our guests is a sacred one."

"Yes, my memories just return to me, Tomoe is the lord of clear water, the true lord of every single drop of water in our world."

"Not now, my power is weakened, maybe that prison have some effect on me afterall, my presence just returned to this world. Maybe something else have a great effect on me, but i know as long as my journey have Higeki then we may discover something."

"Hmm, i guess my eyes lied to me again, maybe both of our guest is special, Higeki, you are not from our world right ? My eyes can't lie to me so every thought should be the truth."

"So you can see that."

"Yes, we all can see that, even Abrelard, Illian and our king. We can see your memories, Abrelard and Illian didn't want to see that but i would like to apologize for my action of intruding."

"I won't mind that much, like you see in that memory of mine, the world is plain and there is no color. You also see my meltdown isn't it, living in a world where everyone work like a perfect doll, follow the same order. There is no future, no past, everything perform like a machine."

"That is the reason you run away, to escape a world with no possibility to seek a world with color."

We continue our conversation, master Lucius's theory on Tomoe's power, because of the prison Tomoe's power is weakened but because of the prison, Tomoe's power rebirth into a blank paper. Also because of my influence of music on Tomoe, his power growth and adapt to what he see like a child who learn the world. The mental cure is a fuction of music, every melodies have a mental impact, the influence of music combine with the nature of water.

"But becareful, the ocean can be calm but when the storm came it can be furious much like music, calming yet powerful."

"Don't worry, we can control ourselves, there will be time and places for everything. Afterall, a child is watching me, i must act with proper manner, control myself."

"I heard that you want to visit our emperor for his side of the story about the history of this kingdom, right ?"

"Yes, we did read about the past but i believe that is not all of the story, there must be something more, a side of the story we didn't know, if it is a secret i swear i won't speak a word to anyone else."

"You are a funny person dear child of another world, everyone in the capital know the story, that is the reason why everyone in the capital loyal to the king. Because he sacrificed for them, like a true king. But i think the story the king told you will be different from mine but you gained my approval to visit the castle."

"Thank you master Lucius, you done so much for us."

Our next destination should be the castle, it would be interesting to watch a duel between Sousuke and master Abrelard.