Recovery
Yohan's eyes slowly opened, his eyes glowing purple for three seconds before fading back to normal. He found his body to feel straining, after last night and the fight with Ricky he was surprised he managed to wake up at all. His eyes widened as he remembered about his right shoulder, pulling the sleeve down quickly! When his eyes looked over his shoulder, he saw no marks of any wound. That's when he remembered about Sakuya, and how she had just been gone. He had assumed at the time she went home, but now that he thought about it, he really wished he had tried looking for her more. "Shoot! She might of been taken by someone!"
In another part of town, Sakuya jumped out of her bed with a start. She looked around, confused. The last thing she remembered was trying to cast a barrier spell around Yohan's friends after a portal to the Other Side opened. But now she was home? It didn't make much sense. She walked towards her kitchen and found a quick note. "Noticed you were unconscious near the station. Brought you home to rest. Don't strain yourself next time." Sakuya read aloud. It seemed to be Delta's handwriting. Sakuya sighed and leaned against her table. She heard a beeping from her answering machine. "Oh no!" She remembered that she had just up and left a shift at work. Most of the messages were from her manager wondering where she went. The last message from her manager was of her termination, as all they could see on the tape was her making out with a boy and running off. Today was just not her day, was it? However, Sakuya took it fairly well. She was more concerned over what had happened the night before. Where did they all go? Did they end up being stuck on the Other Side? Brushing her hair a bit and grabbing her shoes, she left her apartment to investigate.
Yohan wanted to get up so badly, but his body failed time and again. So this is what it felt like to be strained after going all out in a fight, huh? Well, that and he had used an incredibly overbearing power that felt like every time he used it, he was running through fire itself! Luckily he seemed to be fine, for now at least. But he wanted to find out where Sakuya had gone, who knows if Ricky had any more plans they weren't aware of. It seemed suspicious to him, why would Ricky go through all that time and trouble just to send some dog first? Whatever, didn't matter, he had to find her. All he could manage to do was sit up though, he felt incredibly strained just moving around. He checked the current time. Noon?! Really?!? He had slept practically through all of the ding-dang morning!
Sakuya was on her way to the hospital. "They told me it was...this one, right?" She asked herself. She had stopped by the police station to ask more about the events of the night before. They had informed her that Yohan was recovering from something. She made her way up the hospital stairs after getting his room number from a receptionist. Soon enough, she arrived at her destination. She knocked on the door gently. "Yohan?" She asked quietly. Sakuya hoped that he was okay...
Yohan practically almost jumped out of the bed if he didn't feel like total garbage right now. Though hearing her voice made him tense up a little inside, what if this was a trick? He had to make certain, but for now there wasn't much he could do. He just had to believe in himself that this wasn't going to go horribly wrong and that this was actually her. "Yeah. Come in." He spoke out from the bed he currently sat in.
Sakuya opened the door slowly. Yohan looked...well, tired was probably an understatement. She shut the door behind her and approached his bedside. "That was...some fight last night, huh?" She tried to joke, but it probably didn't come across very well. "I...I'm sorry. How are you feeling?"
Yohan couldn't help but smile and rub the back of his neck. "Yeah, it was. I wasn't expecting it, honestly. But I'm alright. I'm just fatigued." Yohan looks over at her. "It's funny. I hate the idea of fighting, yet last night brought about a spark that ignited throughout my entire body. I couldn't stop fighting once I started. I loved it. I wanted to keep fighting. It's strange to admit, but it was oddly addicting. I know it sounds stupid, but I can't help but want to get better at it. Get an idea for it, get my body pumped up so I can enjoy fighting people of higher calibers. I just don't know how else to word it. I think I love fighting."
It was at this time that the door would open and two more people were brought in to the same room as Yohan: Sebastian and Felix. All three of them had been looked over from last night's incident and were on the path to recovery now. The doctors had told Sebastian and Felix to take it easy for today, but they would be allowed to resume their normal routines tomorrow. A woman was also allowed inside: Sebastian's mother Tracey. Once everything had been set up, the others leave and it was just the five of them now. Yohan, Sakuya, Sebastian, Tracey and Felix.
Sakuya was about to respond to Yohan's previous remarks, but she was startled by the door opening. Two men came in, looking just as beat up as Yohan. She felt a sense of dread come up out of the pit of her stomach. They were...something or other with magic. Sakuya waved to them, but stopped as she saw a familiar face, the woman with purple hair. While Sakuya knew that she was considered an outcast among the royal families of the Other Side, she bowed to her regardless. "It's an honor to see you again, Ms. Winters." Sakuya said politely. She glanced over at the other two strangers and also bowed slightly at them. "I hope everything is alright?"
Felix was mostly shocked from the events and pains and while he may have had little physical injury to show, he was taking the doctors' advice quite happily. Although a mildly puzzled expression crossed his face as soon as he entered the room, he tried to cover this up. what he was openly confused about, however, was the way this person addressed Sebastian's mother, as if they were acquainted. The choice of language was...unexpectedly formal as well. "Wait, do you four all know each other?" he spoke up, trying to point to everyone in the room all at once.
Sebastian lay quietly reading a book his sister had so graciously brought up from the apartment, though she had gone home to do the sensible thing and sleep, so for the first few brief minutes his head was buried in the book a book by the name of left hand of god by Paul Hoffman; Tracey, however, was alert and quickly turned to Sakuya upon her greeting, she would bow in response "please, there is no need to bow to me Princess Sakuya" Tracey glanced over at Felix and sighed gently "you really are clueless, I know Sakuya and her family, yes." Sebastian had lowered his book to look over the top of it "good morning" he quietly went back to his book, Wraith however was stood next to his cot, poking Sebastian's left temple, the eye patch was laying on his lap and the scarred flesh usually hidden, exposed to all. "Sebby?" Tracey turned to her son who again looked over the top of his book "aren't you at all wondering?" Sebastian folded the corner of his book set it down and sounding lightly irritated "I've learnt to avoid asking questions of this....could you cut that out?" his head sharply turning to face Wraith, who would stop and then poke the scarred tissue "I hate you so bloody much right now Wraith" Tracey couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose.
Yohan saw the three new arrivals and quickly got impressions from each of them. So Felix was basically a younger Frederick, Sebastian reminded him too much like a male version of Sienna and the lady was... Well, he had no one to compare her to really. Looked around at them all as they talked, he felt really like the odd duckling among them. Who woulda thunk it? "Um." Yohan started, obviously nervous as he turned to look at Sakuya. "I am totally clueless and such so uh --" His brain immediately would turn itself back on to catch up to reality. "WAIT A MINUTE! PRINCESS?!" Yohan felt himself turn into a ghost for a minute or two at this revelation. "Wait and she's also royalty?! Wait, wha, how, but, I, oh, can someone please explain to me what's going on before I end up losing myself in a new wave of overload?"
Sakuya blushed, embarrassed. She nodded at Tracey and turned her attention to Yohan. "There are multiple kingdoms on the Other Side. My mother and father happen to be in control of one of them." Sighing, Sakuya continued. "I also happen to be the crown princess...but please don't treat me like a baby!" Sakuya exclaimed. She glanced around the room once again, calming enough to explain more to Yohan. "There are certain people that have...a unique look about them. The most obvious is our hair." She pointed to her own hair. "I don't know what everyone here knows, so I should let Ms. Winters explain further."
While Felix couldn't see it, he had a pretty good guess what was bothering Sebastian. "If it helps you feel any better, mine's taken to biting now." The small weasel was, in fact, biting the young man's hand. Although now he had figured out that it couldn't do him any real physical harm, he was just putting up with it. He hadn't been expecting to be in the same room as royalty though. "Er, apologies to have not addressed you correctly!" he blurted out, making as if to bow but then hesitating and sort of inclining his head a little. "Er, your majesty? Highness? Ma'am? er..." His voice trailed off.
Tracey glanced to Sakuya "oops, i take it you were keeping that secret sorry" Tracey tied her purple shoulderblade length hair back into a pony tail and nodded "Sebastian you best listen as well" Sebastian sat back relaxing a little since Wraith left to 'rest' "yeah sure" Tracey just glanced at her son, before looking around to everyone, keeping the nagging voice about the blue haired teen in the back of her mind while she would explain. "firstly, the unnatural hair colours, come from our dragonblood heritage, for myself and my Son Sebastian here, though recessive gene took hold and his hair is a much darker shade, Dragonborn were sired from the Dragon god: Dracul" she spoke the name with some venom and disgust. "most commonly the hair colour you have show's from which bloodline you come, Blue, Gold, Pink, Purple, there are green. There is quite the array, really." she paced a little thinking what would be needed to know and what could be left by the wayside.
Yohan heard about the whole blue thing and reached up to pat his own hair. Well, that just couldn't be, there was no way she was referring to him. Those scales he had manifested before couldn't of been because he was this Dragonborn thing they were talking about. He nodded to her words as he couldn't help but blink. This really seemed like just... Casual information to throw out? He felt like there was more she could of told them, but she was giving them the basics. Really, three in the present room were at least of these Dragonborn's she spoke of. He couldn't really say anything about himself, but that Felix over there looked about as human as Frederick right now. He decided not to really bring up any questions, since, well, he had no idea what to really ask. This was all shocking to him, in reality, he should be freaking out. But he wouldn't do that in a public hospital.
Sakuya listened attentively, though it was information she had known her whole life. She could see Yohan's confusion as he touched his own hair. "Yes, that means you too, Yohan. Your family....your family is not in good graces on the Other Side, though..." She said with a tinge of sadness. "I don't understand why, but a lot of the Blue line was killed off. My mother had a personal grudge, but even she was distraught by the news." Sakuya put a reassuring hand on Yohan's shoulder before turning towards Felix. "Sir, may I ask you a strange question? You don't have to answer, of course, but do by any chance have...magic? You look fairly human to me..."
Felix was a bit taken aback when Sakuya decided to ask him, of all people, for information. “Wha - me? Er…maybe? I think so? I can’t do anything like the others, but I have one of those…things following me around. That only I can see, I mean.” He answered, sighing. “I’m sorry, this is just a lot to take in and I’m a bit lost. Yesterday someone gathered a bunch of us, including Sebastian and myself,” he gestured to the dark-haired man, “and said a load of stuff about...well, magic existing, and us all having it. I’m not even sure what to make of that. Now I’m hearing there’s these dragon…people as well? I really am clueless, I’m afraid.” He paused in thought for a while, “When we went over to that…er, ‘other side’ place, we got these weapons and at one point mine lit up and there was this gold energy that made a kind of shield around me. But I think that was just an enchantment or something, not me. Either way, I'm definitely one hundred percent human, if that helps.”
Tracey nodded taking in what Felix spoke on about. "you mentioned fighting a hellhound on the way here, how you guys survived getting close enough to strike it is beyond me" Sebastian smirked proudly though, he winced when he realized that he still ached and hurt "yeah..." Tracey crossed her arms looking over at her son "what?" she raised an eyebrow "how?" Sebastian's face changed from pride to dismay, he was being interrogated, he let out a soft sigh "I'll explain my story, once you've explained to Yohan, so he stops catching flies" that got Seb a clip across the back of his head, by his own book no less Tracey had used her dominion Telekinesis to clout her son "stop with the attitude, it belittles you" Seb just nodded rubbing the back of his head. Tracey turned back to the others. "Yes...Yohan is it? you are the last of the Blue lineage to my knowledge" she says her demeanor saddened though she set aside the sadness "though back to the lesson, all dragonborn came from the first Dracul the god of dragons, his shards after his shattering formed the different draconic royal family's, and once every so many generations he would reincarnate in a newborn of each family...the last reincarnation was my father...a sad truth really"
Yohan couldn't really believe what he was hearing right now. The heck was this information suddenly? Why hadn't his mother or father mentioned this before? Then again, they hadn't even mentioned the Gateway to him. Everyone else seemed to just magically know this stuff and yet here he was, the odd duckling who was just left out to dry. It upset him in some ways, but in others it made him curious. Curious to find out. He looked over at Sakuya and took hold of her arm lightly with one of his hands. "Thank you all, really. Sakuya, I need you to help me move home. Sorry to just drop out of the conversation suddenly, but I have something to look into now."
Sakuya nodded at him. "I understand. It's...a lot to take in, I'm sure." She looked at Tracey. "Thank you for trying to explain. I think we can handle the rest. Regards to your family." She helped Yohan out of the bed and out of the room in turn. She waved goodbye to Sebastian and Felix, giving an apologetic look to the latter. She shut the door quietly and lead Yohan out of the hospital after he had checked out. "Are you sure you want to walk the whole way? It's pretty far..."
Yohan had a determined look in his eyes as she spoke to him. "Yeah, I do. It's a long trip, but it'll be worth it. Sorry to put this on you out of the blue and all. But if all she's saying is true, there must be evidence at my house from my parents or something relating to all of this. There just has to be something we can find that helps back all of this up. There must be, there just has to be!"
Sakuya sighed. She couldn't argue with him. The girl started off in the direction of Yohan's home. "It must be difficult for you to process this." Sakuya tried to make some sort of conversation as she thought about her childhood. Something struck her. "Do you remember your father's name?" Sakuya asked suddenly. They were still walking all the while.
"Richter Belmont." Yohan said without hesitation. "Yeah, I know. It sounds like the video game character."
Sakuya almost stopped. She did some quick math. "We need to get to your house quickly. It's going to sound weird, but trust me, okay?"
Yohan blinked in obvious confusion. "Uh, okay then."
"Can you move faster? I don't want to strain you, but any speed would be appreciated." Sakuya said quickly.
"Yeah, sure, sorry." Yohan moved faster at her request.
"Good! Let's hurry!" With that, the two hurried along in their way.
Epsilon was a rather quiet man. He preferred to relax in his strange little room of star lights projecting from his machine he set up right in the center of the room. It gave the room a space feel when all was black and the stars all shined the way they did. Sitting in his hovering bed, he flipped through pages of his book quietly. Whether he had read the book multiple times or didn't really care to read through this one was hard to tell, even for those who had known him for years. Surrounded by strangers who would rather waste their time practicing how powerful they were and how much they could destroy, Epsilon remained in the shadows of his own room and merely relaxed.
He could hear the playing that was being done by Susanne Fitzgerald, his daughter. Susanne was currently messing around with blocks and other toys in her own little floating space. She had long since gotten used to the strange rooms her father ended up creating for himself. Though it would be odd for anyone to see a grown woman playing around like some kind of child. Susanne didn't seem to take note of the world around her though, but to those besides her family that got close to her, she would give off a pretty sickening aura that kept the Dark Wizards their distance from her. One wrong move and she wouldn't hesitate to pop each of their heads.
The door creaked open and Upsilon walked in as slow as ever. Epsilon rolled his eyes and closed the book, putting it down on a floating table next to him, not like it really mattered though. Rolling off the bed, Epsilon adjusted himself to now floating in the air as he looked down at the old man. "Well this is a surprise, I had thought the meeting would of gone on longer than that. Though you've probably already heard that from one of your little apprentices." Epsilon's form was kept in the dark, no one but his kids were allowed to see the true form he put on for himself. Floating down slowly, Upsilon could only watch as Epsilon gave off an intimidating aura about him. Upsilon narrowed his eyes as Epsilon's feet touched the ground. He had to keep his guard up as usual.
"Yes, glad to know you are still observing everyone as always." Upsilon commented. "Paranoid as ever. You just can't let any of us have a break, huh? Well I'm here to tell you the bloody details. Looks like you were right. Magic in Gaia has been on the rise lately. In particular, The White and The Black. Looks like The Emperor's got some stupid vigilante plan for Gaia, but who cares? He used some dumb dude named Ricky to get this whole thing on a head start. The Legion of Demons are ready to attack at any moment, just give me the word and I'll have one of their best lead a charge. It doesn't matter if we start this whole war against the Legion of Demons, they'll never be able to take down the Demon Generals or the Demon Lords. The Order of Gray are all out and about doing things, Lady Alpha requires more information in order to make a stance."
"As to be expected of everyone." Epsilon walked over to one of his tables and opens up a rather large book. "Everyone just needs a little push. The Dark Wizards can assist the Legion of Demons. The Order of Gray will no doubt try and target the Legion of Demons first, then us. The Sukodo Empire won't attack, they will defend. They are too busy mobilizing their forces and defenses. As for The White and The Black forces on Gaia, we can consider them just like the smaller nations and organizations. Everyone's choosing sides. Most of the Dragonborn families have already allied themselves with The Empire. More Dragonborn are becoming allies with them by the day. It's only a matter of time before all of them are under The Sukdoo Empire."
"Whatever. All I care about is finding the mark." Upsilon managed to growl out, the goal he had set in mind was one that Epsilon found to be curious, but he could already guess what it was. Upsilon was too easy a person to read, honestly. He may have tried to fool everyone else, but to Epsilon, he could easily see Upsilon's true intentions clear as daylight. That's why he kept him around. It was just so easy to use such an obvious puppet like this into doing what he wanted him to do. Epsilon had long ago thrown aside the feeling of mercy for people like Upsilon or most of these dark wizards. They only followed him because he had a strong image and reputation about him, nothing more, nothing less. They felt safe behind his shadow, they felt protected by his sheer intelligence and power to overcome any threat that dared cross them. They would have no problem stabbing him in the back if the time came when they saw him as useless. That's just how life in the dark wizard's worked.
"You say that, but for all you know, this person with the mark is already dead." Epsilon continued to scroll through the large book before him. "If you really wanted to find the one person out of everyone with this mark, you should of simply come to me from the start with investigating into it. I would of done the proper research into it, unlike you and leaving apprentice's to do the job for you. What, still upset about that? Don't be. You chose poorly in allowing new people to do research into matters that are beyond them."
"What exactly is the problem with that?!" Upsilon gave a sudden outburst to Epsilon. "I can't do all the work by myself, you know that! I'd like to hear you come up with one of those lame excuses. You can't do everything either, Epsilon! Or did you forget you are still only mortal like the rest of us!"
"Yes, I do not deny that I am mortal. However, I know the truth about the situation of the world at large." Epsilon stopped and pointed at a specific page in his book. "That the world is full of lies. It is full of manipulators and people who would rather erase the truth than keep it. Why do you think no one really speaks of the Gods that the Dragonborn worship? Or of the Ancients mentioned in stories like The Wizard VS The Blue-Haired Warrior? Haven't you ever thought it strange? How The White and The Black are so inaccurately described from what we have read about accounts of them? Too many holes people have just covered up over the years that I am seeking out."
"You say that as if there's a problem, Epsilon. Then again, you did leave The Order in a rude fashion some years ago. Has that, too, been fabricated to you?" Upsilon questioned Epsilon. But Epsilon couldn't help but smile.
"Oh Upsilon. you say the that like you aren't responsible for most of this." Epsilon couldn't help but chuckle as the book began to glow. "But don't worry. You won't have to worry for long. Once I find the book with the inner demon I am looking for, that will all start to change." Upsilon could only watch as the book's words began to shift and form into a circle in the center of the book. "So that's where it's been all this time! I was hoping to use that ring to help me find it sooner. But whatever, set backs have been dealt with." Epsilon began to move around the room. "Upsilon! Call Ken in for me. As much of a goofball as that kid is, he is my direct apprentice. And don't let him near the dark wizards! I don't need them getting recklessly killed!"