Bastard!! Fan Fiction ❯ Rapture. ❯ Part 2. ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimers and Warnings: Same as before.

Purple Mist: I hope you readers of Rapture are enjoying my Bastard! Fanfic. Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think or what you'd like to see happen. ^_^

Schneider: Suck up.

Purple Mist: * Grins *

To Yoko the Sirens' land was breathtaking. There wasn't any other way to describe the paradise magically shielded against the winter of the Northern pole outside. The land was lush with exotic plant life the red head could only dream of or recalled from the colored pictures in her father's scrolls of foreign lands. The scent of rainfall and brightly colored flowers blooming in abundance hung without being overpowering, despite the amount of them, in the air and teased the scenes.

" This -this is paradise, " Yoko breathed in awe.

" Tread with care, girl, " Schneider cautioned in her ear. Yes it was lovely, but a being such as he, the wizard could sense the secret the beauty hid. That dangerous aura that tingled in the air. Magic, just as old as his, poured out from the tallest tree, from each blade of grass, and even from the mountains that looked out of place when one first approaches. But it was a magic he was willing to face for one wearied soul Kall Su. He made a silent vow to himself to ease the boy of whatever troubles plagued him so once they were back home as this was something Schneider didn't want to endure again. But still, the taste of the challenge before him stirred a ripple of excitement inside the almost ancient wizard.

Yoko nodded and the two treaded with care. Insects hummed and birds sang or called out about them. Yoko, with what little training she had for tracking and for sensing magic, kept her eyes peeled for anything of a threat or a clue in the whereabouts of her fair haired friend. She, not Schneider of course, was surprised when a young woman of fairy tale beauty stood ahead of them as if she had been waiting.

" Welcome, it's not often we have guests on our little island, " she spoke in a melodious voice. Her gaze fell on Yoko for a quick moment sensing little malice from the red head after her study of the powerful wizard whose hundreds of years worth of magic, power, skills, and fine looks was something to be admired by a creature such as she. " We rarely have a female guest. They hardly stop by unless they share a common taste. "

The smile on the Siren's face was so obvious that even Yoko blushed. Schneider allowed himself a spell of laughter and the red head by his side glared up at him.

" With such a delightful greeting, perhaps you could be so helpful as to tell us if a friend of ours is a guest here as well? " Schneider asked, having no fear of a direct attack. Sirens liked to catch their prey off guard.

" You mean our opal? " She asked and caught the look of annoyance to someone else lying claim to someone who was his on Schneider's face. Some things were unable to hide and the Siren could sense this wizard's claim on the boy.

" Ah, yes, I should have known. His scent is with yours, " she added, twisting the knife and shrugged her shoulders as if it didn't matter. The siren turned and waved them to follow.

" Should we follow her? " Yoko asked in a hushed voice.

" No, we'll sneak into their camp with them knowing we're coming, " Schneider answered with a mild annoyed tone and strolled quickly after the Siren. Yoko frowned and caught up with him, thinking Schneider's ignorance was going to get them killed.

The Sirens had to "palace" to say. With control over the elements, they had little use for shelter except to harbor their treasures and those were kept deep under ground by entrance of a cave. Clique, but it fit its purpose. There were only twenty-five sirens and all female. They dressed similar, some had long hair, some had short so it was easy to tell which was the leader. She sat, well stretched out like a cat sunny herself under a sunbeam, on a throne of thick moss covered rocks with jeweled flowers adoring her royal seat. Her dress, unlike the single shouldered strap ones of her followers, had two billowy sleeves tailored to fall open so that her arms might be bare when she raised them, her flowing gown white stood out among the many colors around her with sashes of pears criss-crossing over her bust and fell in two strands down either side. Her hair was dark as were her eyes and a single sapphire decorated the middle of her head like a crown. The queen of sirens gave the new two comers a smile and sat up.

" Welcome young Yoko and Lord Schneider. Even apart from the rest of the world, we still watch over our mother planet and her beings, " she said, a quick explanation of how she knew the two followed with a cultured bow of womanly grace.

" Charmed to know my reputation still upholds, " Schneider smirked. Even in the heart of their land where their power was at its peek, none of the sirens had yet to place their mind melting games on either one of them. This led him to believe they wanted something. Interesting if that was the case.

" I know you are here for our opal so I won't insult your intelligence and pretend otherwise, " the queen said.

" His name is Kall Su and he belongs to me. " Schneider got straight to the point, "And I want him back. I don't care if he or any of you think otherwise. I took him in, I raised him, I taught him even thing he knows, so I'm the one he should be coming to with his problems and not running off to get his mind erased by a bunch of sirens who like to collect pretty things just to add to their collection! I will deal with what's bothering him and no one else has any right to say otherwise or stick their noses in matters that don't concern them! "

Yoko glanced up at her snow haired companion. She hadn't seen him this worked up over Kall Su since that one time… The red head shook her head and left the unpleasant memories to rest.

The queen looked at him with vivid eyes. His kind was also so passionate when someone of his or hers was taken away. Dark Schneider may be the most powerful wizard to walk the earth in the hundreds of years that she had witnessed pass by, but he was still a human with human instincts. And when it concerned her opal, his mage, what instincts that were screaming, bursting out in a jealous rage, made her want to laugh in spite. She sighed to herself, caring a little too much for her opal. But then again…

" So you say, " she murmured. Just wait till he finds her opal. Jealous rage indeed and that led to another matter. The queen rose, " Well, then, you say you want Kall Su back. Perhaps we can help each other if you wish to hear? "

" I'll bait. "

She smiled, " Four months prior to your visit and Kall Su with us only one month, some brave pirates came and raided our treasure hold. It seems this crew wasn't your run of the mill bunch of swash buckling cads. Each man was divine in appearance and led by one shrew of a man who was also familiar in dealing with creatures such as us. We sirens have only our songs for means of attack and the pirates knew exactly how to avoid our spell. Enchanted wax blocking each ear. "

" You've got to be kidding me! " Yoko gapped at this outrageous tale. Schneider was taking it all in seriously.

The queen smiled. " Yes. They didn't harm us, as I said this wasn't your run of the mill raping and pillaging group, and empty our treasure hold. Any being, man or beast, we fancy are kept for safety with the rest of our treasure and the crystal ball holding Kall Su was stolen as well. "

" Though, it took four of their men to steer the crystal ball to their ship, " she added with an amused smile that the memory.

Yoko, in a fit of womanly woe that would have put even her princess to shame, fell to her knees. A few other sirens gathered around, to watch if she would start sobbing next. Oh, they could act on such emotions themselves if they wanted to, but rarely did, so this show of emotions was fascinating. Schneider again ignored her in favor for more information.

" You said something of us helping you, " he said.

" Yes. Like you, we sirens don't like it when something of ours is taking and we fear for Kall Su so we will give you means to find or need be rescue the boy from what ever hands he's falling into, " the queen said, " We have a ship built from the trees of our land. With its magic you'll never have to worry about low supplies and she'll sail at twice the speed, even without a wind. You'll go and find Kall Su, and if he's in the company of the pirates, give them our regards. " Schneider shared her smirk.

" Oh, Kall Su! At what hands are you suffering so!? " Yoko finally broke down and sobbed.

Both Schneider and the queen shared a pained sigh. Really, sometimes the girl was more like that annoying fool a princess and not like the strong, brave, and fierce red head that had faced off the wizard in the first place.

" Where ever he is, he's all right, " the queen assured her.

Yoko looked up and blinked, face to face with a somewhat compassionate Siren queen gazing down on her.

" How can you be so sure? " Yoko sniffed. The queen reached up to the sapphire on her forehead and plucked it off. She offered the girl a smile and pressed the gem to her own forehead, where it stayed.

" That is a gem ward, weaved by my own magic and protects any who is adorned with one. Kall Su wears an opal gem ward and it protects him in all ways, " she said, even as a same sized amethyst appeared in the sapphire's place. Yoko felt that deadly weight in her chest vanish. But something made her curious.

" Why do you give me one? After all… " She left off with a gesture towards Schneider as if to say ' He's always there to protect me.'

" For when your man cannot, " The queen said and helped Yoko to her feet. She then whispered in her ear, " And because you are the first female in our opal's life to not take something dear from him. You give, not take. We looked into the boy's mind before erasing it and saw his past. Even with all my magic, I cannot erase his memories from my own mind and sometimes at night I cry for him. "

Yoko blinked in awe at the caring and troubled tone in this so called heartless Siren's voice. The queen dropped the red head's hands and stepped back.

" Come, I'll take you to your ship. She can sail even if her crew has no idea of how to manage a ship, but she is yours to name. "

* - * - *

Now on the ship and with the still un-named ship slicing with ease and speed through the icy waters with the Sirens' island fading from view Schneider approached the silent Yoko.

" What was it the queen said to you? You've been quiet ever since we left. " He asked.

" The ship… " Came a murmur.

" Hmm? "

Yoko looked up at her… Captain. Captain Schneider. That made her smile as it struck her with amusement. He would fit the part of pirate very well.

" The ship. Let's call her the K. S., " she said.

Schneider wrinkled his nose. Not what he would have named the ship. Something flashier that told the world first hand of her dashing man of a captain, but he saw the red head's obvious reason.

" Okay, " he smiled.

T.B.C.