Chapter 8 (b): Sanctuary Sanctum (...Contd.)
3021 Words
"Sanctuary Sanctum? Seriously? That's what it's called?" Ralph asked amused.
Zee shrugged, "You understand German?" they asked as the gates opened and they continued forward.
"I'm a Chimera Ascendant; certain languages are easy for me to learn. And well the translation spell on the envelope seems to be fluctuating", he answered.
"So I've been speaking German this whole time and you could understand?" Zee asked baffled.
"I mean yes, did you not realize?" Ralph asked confused.
"Of course not! Why haven't you said anything?" they wondered baffled.
"Because I understand German I just didn't care to inform you because as soon as we return to Hale Academy, Language Translations spells will reactivate, they're stronger there. And I figured as long as I could understand what was happening, there would be no point actually bringing up the whole thing", he answered as they rode into the compound.
"I see", they hummed, "Well here we are", they said as they parked under a tree.
"One question?" Ralph started.
"Yes?" Zee asked as they turned around.
"Where are we?" he asked looking around dazed.
"Well for one thing it's a sanctuary for those who have lived a life of discrimination. It's to protect and offer a home to those who have gone through some form of harassment where they were discriminated against their choice of life, their blood, their ethnicity, and everything else or anything else that human nature can come with. I only came here when I was nine, and I have seen so many amazing forms of discrimination it's almost comically ghastly. I mean we've moved 100 years into the future, but still, we're suffering, it's hilarious", Zee explained as they started walking towards the front door.
"What do you mean?" Ralph asked.
"War and Discrimination, it's apparently the only thing we're really good at", they stated and walked forward guiding him.
Ralph paused before he hummed, "Do you truly believe that?" he asked curiously.
"Well yes", Zee answered honestly.
Ralph blinked at Zee confused, "You don't believe in anything else? Love perhaps?" he asked.
Zee laughed their voice carried a musical lilt to it, which enchanted them in a way that baffled all three personalities,
"Love and I? I barely understand myself, how am I to love another?" they asked snickering amusedly, her laughter truly enchanting.
// What kind of magic did this young Opsimath possess?//
"I've never wanted to know what kind of Ascendant other people turned into, but you intrigue all four personalities and I really want to know", he muttered as the young teen keyed in another password. "Also the security on this place is tight", he winced as they both stepped back and the door opened.
Well crashed open with fanfare would be a more appropriate description.
"MEIN LIEBLINGSKIND!"
Ralph winced at the man's volume, the greeting loud enough it effectively ended the Translation spells on the envelope and rendered anyone in the vicinity deaf no doubt. And if that wasn't eye-catching enough, he wore a slinky black evening dress that hugged all his curves. His svelte almost sylphlike body offered an elegant and willowy grace that most women would envy.
He had long black hair and stunning blue eyes, framed delicately with black eye-liner and a soft bronze eye-shadow, his lips were tinted with a peach-pink-colored glossy lip gloss. His fair cheekbones were dusted with a pink shimmering blush that hinted at the man's subtle flair for a dainty appeal that would make anyone fall for his effortless seductive allure.
"Cuatro!!!"
Ralph paused as his charge flung their-selves into the arms of the man, allowing him to spin them around happily. Someone would think they were meeting each other again centuries later.
"Isn't Cuatro the number four in Spanish? Does that mean Tres is actually someone named after the number three?" he wondered half to himself.
It was probably not the best time to suddenly start speaking as he gained the absolute attention of the man swinging Xhe around a tad manically.
"Und wer sind Sie?"
"My name is Ralph O'Connor; I've been selected to be ~Ms. Hunter's~ escort and guard. Are you the head of the house, we have something important to discuss", he stated politely.
"Er ist nicht ein Geliebter ist er?"
Ralph gaped at the man's atrocious statement; "I beg your pardon!!!" he demanded scandalized.
Zee snorted, "Nein", they answered amused.
"Gut, wenn Sie so sagen…"
"Cu…" Zee sighed amused at the man's obvious disbelief, "Wo ist Uno?" they asked.
The man paused frowning sadly, "Kann ich nicht, derjenige sein, um dieses Problem zu beheben??" he asked curiously.
"Nein", Zee answered simply.
"Warum?" he whined petulantly.
"Es ist etwas, dass sich nur Uno entscheiden kann, es ist besser, wenn ich ihm zuerst erzähle und dann mit Ihnen über etwas anderes, und auch etwas spreche, dass den anderen erzählt werden muss. Können Sie sie alle nach Hause für mich nennen?" Zee requested as they walked into the house.
Cuatro hummed and nodded, "Gut werden einige von ihnen außer dem Heiligtum sein; ich werde versuchen, ihnen allen Haus zu bringen. Ist das für uns alle notwendig, anwesend zu sein? he asked curiously.
"Ja", Zee answered solemnly.
"Ich verstehe. Verlassen Sie es zu mir... Kommen Sie ich werde Sie zu Uno nehmen. Ah..." they paused and hummed, "Wir sollten wahrscheinlich zuerst Ihren Gast einlassen, bevor sein Kopf davon zerspaltet wird", they muttered and pushed Ralph away just as a thin invisible wire appeared, stumbling Ralph shot Zee a sharp look.
"Sanctum? Really???" he asked skeptically.
"Für einige..."
Ralph ignored her smirk and watched Cuatro wave a complicated sign over the door and snapped his fingers with panache.
"A charm?" Ralph asked.
"Ein Bezirk. Cuatro ist für seine Antenne warding bekannt", they sang proudly.
Ralph was impressed by the man's magical talent. Not many mages or crafters could invoke warding in the air. To draw the symbol, push mana into it and create a barrier spell without the aid of a surface. Most people stuck to blood and using chalk on doorways or the ground. At his gesture to enter, he walked into the foyer of the large 'haunted' mansion and looked around more than a little awed.
"You have a beautiful home", he lied easily eyeing the ostentatious décor with a trepid wariness.
Both Cuatro and Zee snorted giggling amused at his clearly blatant lie.
Ralph shrugged, "Okay so it's a little over the top", he admitted as he walked past a garish Ostrich leg side table that hosted a number of scarves and hats.
Zee grinned at him, "Und damit haben Sie das Herz von Cu gewonnen?" they cheekily teased.
Ralph hummed and turned to them, "Well as wonderful as that may seem", he sassed cheekily, "I believe it's high time we get things underway", he suggested.
Zee nodded and escorted him towards their living room.
As they walked down a long corridor, they passed several colored doors, each decorated with a random number displayed with Roman numerals in no particular order, the doors were numbered 3, 14 and ten and two.
// Weird… //
"Here", Zee stated in English and escorted into a room, they stood at the threshold of the door, opening it easily and waiting for them to pass.
Ralph decided to ignore their sudden usage of English and walked into the room warily.
"Uno!"
Ralph looked up as Zee called out to the only occupant in the room.
A tall broad-shouldered man stood in the corner of the room.
The aesthetic borderline a bohemian decorated living room, it oddly went against the dark gloomy corridor they'd walked through and the building as a whole. Pursuing books on a large bookshelf; he was dressed in a drop-dead gorgeous red dress. Assuming it was one dress, the skirt was an ankle long pleated skirt that shaped his narrow waist. His feet were encased in high heeled black boots, sharp enough to be weaponized if someone chose to use those sharp ends.
The top seemingly attached, sat on muscular biceps and strong shoulders covered with a full-sleeved puffed black lace number that left nothing to the imagination. It's almost translucent texture showed off the man's abs and pink n*****s that would tempt anyone if the situation wasn't so professional.
"~Zee~!!!"
Ralph hummed as the at least that magic from Hale Academy seemed to still be working; the name was still shielded if the buzzing was anything to go by whenever a family member spoke the name an intense buzz filled the air like a few bees had flown over to join in on the conversation. It was extremely distracting.
Ralph himself wasn't born with the name 'Ralph', though if he'd had a choice choosing the name 'Ralph' as a pseudonym was probably not something he would have chosen.
He let the family members meet, patiently waiting to the side as he looked around at the thankfully minimalistic decorated almost sparsely populated living room.
"And you are?" Uno addressed him in English finally.
Ralph stepped forward offering the blue-eyed blonde his hand and bowing respectfully, "My name is Ralph O'Connor", he said and smiled when Uno met his hand with his own, "I've been assigned as pupil ~Hunter's~ mentor and guardian for Hale Academy", he stated with lack of a greeting.
"Ah yes ~Zee~ has mentioned her invitation", the man stated in heavily accented English.
Ralph nodded, "Would you like to ask any questions?" he queried politely.
"If so I would like to talk to my daughter in private", Uno requested.
"Privacy can be granted, but I'm afraid you will not be allowed to have that moment in private. Anti-eavesdropping wards can be put up or any spell work that caters to that. But", he started, "I will not leave their sight", he straightened portentously.
"Even if we force it?" Uno asked voice dipping low with an added measure of rancor.
"If you want a fight I can give that to you. But I am their guard and I will not leave their sight, nor will they leave mine. If I have anything to say about it", he promised, hand reaching for the weapon he had hidden beneath his jacket.
Their standoff remained for several long seconds until Cuatro sighed or more accurately moaned a tad obscenely;
"Ooooooooooh for Heaven sakes!" he proclaimed, "Enough with all this drama", he clapped his hands and posed dramatically, "Ee should leave all the theatrics to Bunny", he said rolling his eyes dramatically.
'Bunny?' Ralph mouthed to himself.
//Now who the hell is Bunny?//
"Cu", Uno scolded sharply, "Get to the calling and stop dropping names all over the place", he ordered.
Cu bowed dramatically, "As you wish your grace"; he stated rolling his eyes and slinking out of the room with a salacious sashay of his hips.
//That is one gracious a*s in all the ways that makes sense… //
*
Uno, though if he had been given a choice and hadn't let Xhe convincingly name him Uno or the others after the Spanish numeral code, because Xhe had a hard time remembering names when she was nine and would have preferred being known by his birth name; Alaric Schulz, walked with Xhe in their garden.
Though calling it a garden was a bit like calling a football stadium a children's park. Arm in arm, they strolled through the grounds watching several children playing an advanced game of Sardines that he chose to ignore.
""All dialogue after this will be typed out in English but assume they will be speaking in German""
"Is this what you want? Or are you being coerced by Mr. Shadow?" Uno asked rolling his eyes at the man following them.
"I don't think there's a man alive who could coerce me into doing anything", they paused, "Although Zen does seem like the kind of maniac that could convince me", Xhe muttered to themselves.
"And who is this Zen?" Uno asked warily.
Xhe hummed, "An eccentric", they answered. "An interesting one", they stated.
Uno hummed at the cryptic answer and nodded.
"Why do you want to go to this Academy? Tobias' Institute can provide you with an education you can be proud of", he stated, "Why go to a mysterious school we haven't even heard of?" he asked quietly.
Xhe hummed, "Choice, Uno you once told me was a habit that shouldn't ever be broken if taken freely. And rarely is in our hands but when it comes should always be made with an open mind and with hope in our heart. This is my choice Uno; I can't forever be bound in these gilded walls. You've protected me for a very long time, from dark times and from all the darkness this world can hold. Against such discrimination that included my being abandoned like a stray puppy", they said, "Have faith in my choice Uno. I need this", Xhe stated. "I need to live if I have to grow", they stated.
"Bunny won't let you go, you know", Uno smiled wearily, "Tres might actually tie you to a chair", he stated amused then, "Or lock you in a room filled with traps only Cinco can come up with", he teased cheekily.
"Well I've been trained by The Septimus Der Mörder", Xhe smirked, "The best family in the world", they promised with amusement.
Uno snorted and "Maybe not the best, but we do make life interesting", he huffed drolly.
// Or at least we make death interesting…//
Uno then sighed, "I will leave the explanations to you and your escort, I do not want to try and explain anything to Seis or worse Dohs, of us seven you know those two are the worst, right?" he muttered. "Do you really truly think you can handle both of them, together?" he asked warily.
"Yes, well I hope so", they stated more than a little worried.
Uno hummed, "Well let's just hope your guardian is worth it, something tells me he's the only one who could handle Dohs", he muttered as they took the path down towards their townhouse.
"Well I'd bet my ken on Zen", they mumbled to themselves.
Uno frowned at the name again.
"Zen?" he asked curiously, "You keep mentioning him, who is this person?" he asked gently lifting his skirt and stepping over a few rocks and almost stumbling. Xhe caught him snickering at him, "Where's that stupid gardener, this feels like a trap", he muttered to himself as he crossed that awkward hurdle.
Xhe chuckled at his general klutziness no doubt, and hummed, "I don't know", they answered, "I only met him for roughly twelve hours", they answered, "There's just something about him and his schedule from hell that hints at the fact that that man is something terrifying if you're not his friend", they paused, "Although maybe even more so if you are his friend", they muttered bemused.
Uno nodded confused, "Right", he drawled as they stopped in front of a quaint three-story-house. "Well showtime", he smirked mischievously as he opened the white picket-fenced gate and walked down their cobble-stone path to the blue front door, "Have fun", he wished as he waved for Xhe's escort and let them both into their house.
"Wait, where are you going?" Xhe asked grabbing his hand.
"Honey", he smirked amused, "If you think I am missing this confrontation you're mental", he stated, "But I am going to safely watch this in a place where any flying glass pieces aren't likely to pierce my tender skin", he said, "I just went to the day-spa and got my delicious flesh all moisturized and steamed", he stated tossing his hair imaginary long hair back dramatically.
"Coward!" Xhe hissed trying to capture him only for him to slip through their fingers.
"Self-preservation instinct", Uno corrected waving daintily as then slinking through a side-entrance and escaping, ignoring Xhe's frustrated yell.
"ALARIC!!!You'll pay for this!"
The last thought he had as he walked into the panic room adjacent to the coat closet was;
// Sanctuary's and Septimus Der Mörder… there's a special irony right here…//
xXxXx
End of chapter 8. Please Read, review, vote and Rate this story! Thank You!!!
Translations (if I've missed anything please let me know. These are translated using an IM translator...) :
Mein Lieblingskind! >> My darling Child!
Und wer sind Sie? >> And who are you?
Nein >> No
Gut, wenn Sie so sagen... >> Well, if you say so...
Wo ist Uno? >> Where's Uno?
Kann ich nicht derjenige sein, um dieses Problem zu beheben? >> Can I not be the one to solve this problem?
Warum >> Why
Es ist etwas, dass sich nur Uno entscheiden kann, es ist besser, wenn ich ihm zuerst erzähle und dann mit Ihnen
über etwas anderes, und auch etwas spreche, dass den anderen erzählt werden muss. Können Sie sie alle
nach Hause für mich nennen? >> It's something only Uno can decide on, it's better if I tell him first and then talk
to you about everything else, and also something the others will have to be told. Can you call all of them home
for me?
Gut werden einige von ihnen außer dem Heiligtum sein; ich werde versuchen, ihnen allen Haus zu bringen. Ist das für
uns alle notwendig, anwesend zu sein? >> Well some of them will be out of the Sanctum; I will try to bring them all home. Is it necessary for us all to be present?"
Ich verstehe. Verlassen Sie es zu mir... Kommen Sie ich werde Sie zu Uno nehmen. Ah... >> I understand. Leave it
to me... Come I will take you to Uno. Ah... Wir sollten wahrscheinlich zuerst Ihren Gast einlassen, bevor sein Kopf davon zerspaltet wird! >> We should probably first let your guest in, before his head gets cleaved off!
Für einige... >> For some...
Ein Bezirk. Cuatro ist für seine Antenne warding bekannt >> A ward. Cuatro is known for his Aerial warding.
Und damit haben Sie das Herz von Cu gewonnen >> And with that, you've won Cu's heart
Er ist nicht ein Geliebter ist er? >> He's not a lover is he?
- Writer
