The Knights' Chronicles Part 8
The tension that had built in Heero and his two counterparts left them in a rush, their shoulders sagging and breaths all but puffing out in relieved sighs. Taking in the warm smile of the girl before them, they suddenly had a new outlook as to why they had been summoned... and were more than happy to know that they were not in trouble.
"Friends?" Wufei was the first to speak up when he found his voice. "You... you were able to see all of us before you even knew us?"
Giggling, Relena nodded her head, the small opal draped against her forehead sparkling as it caught the light of the candles around in the movement. "Vivid visions, what we oracles call inevitable predictions, are as crystal clear to us when they come that it is as though we are present in the moment that has yet to happen. Since receiving the invitation to Sanq, I feel as though I already know all of you just from those pictures that flooded me."
A kind grin on her own face, Dallion stood and took her place beside her pupil. Wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders, the dark-haired woman explained, "Though my gift brought on the same certain visions that hers had, I was at odds as to whether or not to allow Relena the chance to meet all of you like this as opposed to simply allowing nature to take its course and have you meet on more... normal terms. Knowing the future when one is not expecting it can be quite the startling thing for those who do not have our ability."
Casting her gaze down to meet the eyes of the blonde girl staring up at her, she smirked, "However, my dear charge is quite the shy one and so very much in need of friends. She was so excited by her visions, of having others her age that she should talk to and connect with, that I simply could not deny her wish to see you all as soon as we arrived."
Equally excited at having a girl that she could also talk to, Anna was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet as she smiled, "Well, it is very nice to meet you also, Relena." Both Heero and Wufei nodded with grins on their faces, flattered that the seer was so anxious to know them.
Stepping forward, the archer offered in a rush, "If you would like, we could give you a tour of the encampment. Or, we could take you around the city, or..."
While Odin quietly snickered in amusement, Justin stepped beside his daughter and patted her shoulder before she got ahead of herself. A sympathetic smirk tugging his lips when Anna looked up at him with wide eyes, he told her softly, "There will be time for that later... after they have seen to King Solo and Queen Sophia."
A blush reddening her face to match her hair, the younger Fraise ducked her head and muttered an embarrassed, "Yes, of course. Forgive me." Quickly, she stepped back to return to Wufei's side.
Gently nudging his 'sister,' Chang gave her a reassuring smile and a wink when their eyes met. The gesture took immediate effect as Anna eased once again and returned the grin. They were so focused on each other that they missed the almost knowing glances and smirks exchanged between both Relena and Quatre as well as Dallion and Virgil.
Stepping to Peacecraft's free side, the young empath bowed at the waist and said sincerely, "That all sounds wonderful, Anna. And we do plan on being here for a while, so we would be more than happy to take you up on that invitation." Once again beaming with anticipation, the archer nodded firmly to him.
Virgil rose from his own chair and addressed the officers, "Actually, I see no reason to why these three charges of yours cannot join all of us in the castle. Their company and their knowledge would be most welcome. That is... if it is alright with you?"
Gasping, the eyes of the trio widened and their heads snapped in their Commander's direction to await his answer.
At the first wave of hesitation that filled him, Odin felt it cut off by a strange, warm sensation when he looked to the bald-headed man. Instead of his initial reservation, he found himself only wanting to grant his students the honor. Grinning, he shrugged and responded with words that he seemed inspired to say, "Of course. This would be a wonderful opportunity for them."
"Excellent," Virgil exclaimed, his large hands coming together to make a loud clap that echoed off the walls. "You are truly a fair and good leader, Commander Lowe." He punctuated the sentiment with a subtle wink to his apprentice.
Blinking as though waking from a dream, Odin nodded firmly to the gifted and turned to his pupils. "You best gather up Wing to follow us out. Dismissed until we meet at the gates shortly. Peacemillion is already being brought out by the squires as we speak, so be quick."
Dallion chuckled at the two young ones that peered up to her with anxious eyes. "Yes, you both may go off with them," she said in her smooth and calming timbre. "Virgil and I will ride with Captain Fraise in the carriage so that you all may work out seating arrangements with the dragons."
Relena wrapped her thin arms as far around her mentor's waist as she could reach with an elated, "Thank you!" The black-haired woman gently ran her hand over the girl's blonde hair, a motherly smile on her face.
Bowing at the waist to his own mentor, Quatre expressed his own appreciation, no doubt through his gift so that Virgil could read it. After a brief silence between them, the burly man laughed, "You have a good time, lad." Raising a dark eyebrow, he added, "But remember that we have business to attend to when we reach the castle."
"Yes, sir," the blonde empath grinned. Turning to the knights-in-training, he asked, "Shall we?"
Heero snickered, "This way." Turning on his heels, he led the band of teenagers from the Commander's station. Reeling from everything that had just happened, the young swordsman was quite anxious himself to learn more about the gifted in their midst.
Once the group was cleared of any other eyes and ears when they stepped outside, Yuy looked over his shoulder to note that Relena and Quatre were keeping up with the brisk pace quite easily with their smiles never faltering from their faces as they scanned what bit of the encampment they could. What came as a surprise was that the two were walking with their hands joined between them.
Ever the inquisitive one, Wufei was the one to ask, "Do the two of you often travel together?" He was polite enough to not make such a bold enough comment about their evident comfort of being as close as they were.
A slight blush warming her cheeks, Relena met Quatre's eyes as she answered, "Quatre and I tend to come as a... package, I suppose you could say." Meeting the former Capricornian's dark eyes, she stated, "Oracles and Empaths have always had a bond of sorts being the ones to see what cannot be seen by those without our abilities. Just as we are connected, so are Dallion and Virgil."
Quatre went on to explain to the eyes that had focused on them, "Visions of the future as well as the reading and manipulation of emotions are not always pleasant experiences. That is why we tend to work in pairs together, for balance and understanding."
"Like a buddy system," Anna smiled. Looking to her 'brothers' she said, "It sounds a lot like what the three of us have." Heero and Wufei nodded at the comment and smirked to their 'sister.'
Giggling, Relena responded, "Yes, very much like what you have." Biting her lip, she glanced back to the empath and they shared a smile that once again had the others feel as though they were peering in on a very private moment between them.
Their eyes wide and throats swallowing roughly, the knights-in-training snapped their heads forward to give the pair some privacy for the remainder of their walk back to the stable.
* * * * * *
A saddle extender was quickly added to Wing when the group arrived and announced to the squires their intent to fly off for the castle together. Already having more than enough room in his seat that had been fixed for a full-grown adult, Quatre shifted himself forward as Sand Rock gently lowered the oracle into his saddle by his tail.
Meanwhile, Heero took up the front of his own extended perch and gathered up the reins while Anna slipped behind him and Wufei after her. "This is so exciting," the archer giggled, bouncing in her seat. "It's been a while since we've had a flight together, and we get to be personal escorts, too!"
Lightly wrapping his arms around the archer's waist once they were harnessed into the saddle, Wufei was unable to hide the small smile that pulled the corners of his mouth upward. "Well, as exciting as it is, we have to remember that we are going on business. I am actually surprised that the Commander agreed to our going to the castle for this in the first place."
The knights-in-training missed the quiet snicker that their new friends were sharing over the last sentiment.
Smirking, Anna looked back at the young swordsman and nudged herself back against him as she pouted, "You know that I will take the visit seriously. Allow me to have a little enjoyment here."
"Of course," Chang chuckled. "truth be told, I am quite thrilled, myself."
Tapping the heels of his feet against his steed's scaly sides, Heero called, "Ready when you are, Wing." Grunting in acknowledgment, the white dragon rose onto his four legs, took a deep breath and charged forward through the stable with Sand Rock close behind.
Once they cleared the building, the two beasts opened their wings and climbed through the air. When altitude was reached, Peacemillion flew up from the tall walls protecting the encampment to take the lead. Along the course of their flight, the jeweled, horse-drawn carriage of the gifted making its way for the castle could be seen far below as it reached the city.
Peering over to the pair riding alongside them, Heero took the peaceful moment to inquire, "How does the gift of a seer work?"
Relena smiled, apparently pleased to have been asked. "There are many different ways that the future comes to me. Sometimes, it can simply come through me when I witness something unfold in the present... like a pebble tossed into a calm lake that creates a ripple effect. Other times, if I have something specific, I can focus on that to have my gift reveal how things will unfold."
At that, Wufei leaned closer towards the oracle as he stated, "You mentioned what you seers call certain futures.'"
"Ah, yes," the girl nodded. "That is the other thing about my gift. Not every vision is clear, or certain chains of events, decisions made and paths chosen can always alter the course of what is to be. Certain futures appear in visions as clear as day to me. Those events will come about, regardless of any outside influence that unfolds along the way."
When the wind picked up a bit, Relena's hold around Quatre's waist tightened. Gently patting her hands, the empath peered over his shoulder to give her a reassuring smile that said he would not allow anything wrong to happen to her. The moment was such that the seer's cheeks blushed as she returned the grin.
Quickly recovering from her brief worry, Peacecraft met her friends' eyes and continued, "We also have what are named blurred visions. When they reveal themselves, it is as though we watch them through clouded glass. The players and situations are known, but the edges are rough and faded. Blurred visions reveal what could happen, but certain chains of events leading to it would have to occur before it would be a certainty."
The young soldiers nodded their heads in understanding, the intrigue never fading from their gazes as they took everything in.
"Now, the vision that I had seen of all of us being friends," the oracle went on, "that was so clear that it was as though I could reach out and touch all of you. Dallion saw the same, and so that is why she agreed to our meeting as we did, since it was beyond any doubt that we would all know each other."
Anna questioned, "Does it... spoil not knowing what is going to come in the future for you when you see it?"
Laughing good-naturedly, Relena shook her head, "Actually, it is quite the opposite as there are not many certain visions to be glimpsed. There are so many things that can change the course of events. And along with that, a seer will never be shown their own future."
Heero focused on the blonde rider to say, "You seem to be as much a mind-reader as an empath."
"There is much that can be understood about a person simply by feeling their emotions," Quatre replied, his grin never slipping while he met the cobalt eyes on him. "Simply being in the presence of a person, I can experience every change in their sensations and reactions to anything said or done around them. Simply reasoning with those shifts, it is very easy to come to a conclusion to what anyone is thinking."
Biting his lip, Wufei hesitated before asking, "Is it true what they say about empaths, that they can manipulate emotions within others?"
Quatre never so much as blinked at the question. "Yes, we can do so quite easily," he informed. "While it takes a little thought on our part to use our gift in that way, there is little strain on the act of turning those emotions of human, dragon or animal. And the manipulated have little to no hint that it is even happening."
Taken aback at that, the three soldiers atop Wing sat back and blinked their widened eyes. Chuckling, the blonde empath reassured, "I am not in the common practice of doing that. However, it does come as a nice tool in dire times..." His aquamarine eyes shooting ahead to see that Odin and Peacemillion were well out of earshot, he added quietly, "or when a leader needs to be swayed into a decision."
Whistling through her teeth, Anna thought aloud, "I am sure that it is. To be able to tame a wild bear from tearing you apart, or an attacking soldier would definitely be a great gift to have-" She cut herself off with a gasp, her eyes growing further when the last bit of information from her new friend sank in. Heero and Wufei had caught on the same time as their 'sister' and all three trainees stared ahead to their Commander's back.
"Now, that was not me," Quatre smirked in defense of himself, sure to keep his voice down. "Virgil wanted to make certain that we can spend all of the time together that is allotted. Obviously, he had picked up on both mine and Relena's anticipation of being able to know you all better." Grinning, the oracle nodded her head.
Once again flattered by the interest of these two gifted- who had been complete strangers until moments ago- wished so much to know them, Heero and his companions smiled warmly just as they passed over the forest surrounding their homeland.
At the sight of the tall, shimmering castle framed by ocean to its west and mountains to its east, the guests stared on in awe. The sprawling city of markets and residences, bridges, rivers and lakes was truly a sight to behold from high above.
Turning his head towards the gifted, Heero smiled, "Welcome to Sanq."
"Not one of my visions of this land has given it justice," Relena breathed. Leaning her head forward to rest on her counterpart's shoulder without taking her sights from the radiant kingdom, she all but whispered, "It is simply magnificent."
* * * * * *
It did not take long for the shimmering carriage to make an impression on the residents of Sanq when it passed the city's protective wall.
For the whole of its stretch for the castle, those close enough to see it lined the streets for a good look. Whispers and mutterings fell at its wake as men, women, young and old stood and sat, bewildered by the luxurious cart drawn by pristine white horses. Truly, there was never such an entrance made.
After passing the guards and the short wall surrounding the castle, the carriage came to a stop and its door opened to Captain Fraise, Dallion and Virgil. Nodding to the stricken guards around, Justin let out a sharp whistle and urged, "Look alive, men. See that these horses are taken to the stables and cared for."
Instantly snapping at their superior officer's voice, the armored troops around moved in to see to their orders. SandRock was already deep within the facility when the horses were taken in and was enjoying lunch with Wing and Peacemillion.
Standing at the foot of the tall stairway leading up to the castle, Odin and his charges walked along with the arrived visitors to the ivory palace. Raising the hem of her skirt a bit to make the climb easier, Dallion complimented to the Commander, "You have a most beautiful home."
"Thank you," Lowe grinned sincerely back. "I am most happy that you find it so." He raised a hand in greeting to the guards at large, gold-and-silver ornate doors when they reached the top of the stairs. Bowing their heads, the men pulled back on the ring handles to grant their guests entrance.
For this being Wufei's first time in the castle, he had a time concealing his wonder as he stared around, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
Inside, the cathedral ceilings peaked so far from the floor that it was a strain to find the crest when looking up. The walls appeared to have been cut from the finest of pearl the way that they shimmered in the light pouring through the multi-colored, glass-stained windows.
Banners and flags of royal purple, deep blues, pure golds, rich greens and fiery reds hung from every pillar that held the foundation of the castle. And in the center of the main hall rose a spectacular fountain with statues of dragons 'dancing' in the falling water.
Though he had never been within the castle of Capricorn, Chang was not at all sure that it would have been anywhere near as breathtaking as his current surroundings. "This way," Anna whispered in his hear, hinting to him that the group was about to make a turn down another corridor that he would have continued to walk past.
A sheepish smile on his face, the swordsman turned to the smirking archer beside him and gave her an appreciative grin. Keeping himself from staring at her for too long, he forced himself to look ahead once again.
Once more, they missed the small, knowing smiles shared between Relena a Quatre as the gifted followed close behind them. However, Heero had caught it and smiled in amusement to himself. Silently, he pondered what the seer and empath may have been able to pick up regarding his clueless 'brother and sister.'
Soldiers, staff, advisors and other residents walked throughout the immense palace and most took the time to pause offer a smile or a nod to their guests in their passing. The pleasantries only added to the grandness of the atmosphere. Virgil and Dallion made a point in hiding how impressed they were with everything that they were coming to behold.
Nearing the closed doors of the long hallway lined with attentive soldiers at either end, the lot was wordlessly given access.
Beyond the opened barricade, the spacious throne room was colored with giant portraits, more flags and banners. The colored glass windows were framed with a fine line of gold that shimmered in the light seeping through. And yet, while it was certainly extravagant decor, not one detail was overdone or boastful.
Again, Wufei stammered as he tried to take in everything around him. Snickering quietly, Anna reached over to discretely hold his hand to bring him back to the present. "Remember that we are here on business," she reminded, using the swordsman's own words.
Shocked from his wandering thoughts, Chang's head and eyes snapped downward to spy on their joined hands. At the gentle squeeze that he felt, he peered up at the smiling redhead. "Y-yes, of course," he stammered. Clearing his throat, he reluctantly pulled his hand away to miss the warmth of the hold the moment it broke away.
For just a moment, he wondered if perhaps Quatre was responsible for what feelings had risen up in him, but Wufei knew better than that. For her part, Anna was also coping with how empty her hand felt.
Before either knight-in-training could dwell more on what was coursing through them, they quickly fell into their escort roles when they stopped with the rest of their party before the raised thrones before them. Dressed in their finest of golds and purples, the king and queen of Sanq sat with anxious, welcoming smiles on their faces.
Heads lowered, Odin, Justin and their charges fell to one knee with their right fists over their hearts. The gifted were about to quickly follow suit when King Solo rose from his lavish perch and urged, "No need for bows, friends. We are not in the presence of others, so the formalities are far from necessary. Please, stand."
While the soldiers returned to their feet, the tall, braided man turned to his bride and offered his hand. Graciously accepting, Queen Sophia stood and walked down the short rise of stairs to join the others on the floor with her husband. Her violet eyes falling on Heero, Wufei and Anna, her smile grew. "Well, it is a most pleasant surprise to see all of you," she winked.
Dallion grinned in explanation, "We were all quite taken by these three fine knights-to-be and so hoped to have them serve as our escorts for the duration of out stay in your beautiful kingdom. I do hope that we did not step on any toes in having them here."
Shaking his head, King Solo snickered, "Not at all." He smirked to the trio and said, "I follow Commander Lowe's reports of what happens in the encampment and so have found them captivating, myself. There is not a doubt in my mind that they will be the finest of knights when they are finished their training."
"I second that," his wife nodded. Odin and Justin's eyebrows raised when their eyes met.
Unable to contain their shock and thrill over the sentiment by their royal couple, Heero and his 'family' exchanged their elated expressions. Stepping forward when he was able to find his voice, the unruly-haired boy gazed up and replied quietly, "Thank you, your majesties."
Sophia's smile faltered a bit as the nerves that she had been fighting made themselves known across her lovely face. Rubbing her hands together self-consciously, she focused back on her gifted guests and asked, "Will we be able to sit and discuss a telling, then?" Solo matched her deep frown, an arm wrapping protectively around his wife's shoulders in support.
As quickly as that tension appeared, it faded from the queen as Virgil stepped towards her and smiled, "There is nothing to be worried about. The four of us can sit privately to discuss whatever it is you wish to know."
It was a wonder for the young trainees to watch the empath's gift at work, the way that it calmed away stress from the royal couple like a soothing waterfall that melted their troubles.
Soothing as Virgil's words were, Heero's own concerns mounted in the realization of what had the king and queen so anxious. His initial thoughts to their requesting an oracle were right...
...they wanted to know if there was a child in their future.
TBC...
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