No Scars Only Memories

Part 8: Before the Storm 

A woman lay sick in bed. Her daughter sat beside her grasping her hand as if she was going to float away soon. She gave a small smile. Tears were falling through he daughter's blue eyes.

"Mother, please don't go," the little girl pleaded. The woman just smiled and sighed a bit.

"Honey, things do not last forever. I am not an exception," she told her.

"But mother…I…I don't want to be alone…with him and 'her'."

"Don't say that. You'll be fine. I'm sure of it. Here," her mother handed her a book, "take it. It'll be worth later on. Remember your time might end sooner than you calculate. But try to live and be happy. Be the first to achieve something this family has never done before. Promise me that?"

"I promise, mother."

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Rune sighed tiredly. He was exhausted from all the excitement that radiated off Cesia and Rath. It was like they were on a sugar rush. That really didn't sound to comfortable to him at the moment. While he was being dragged his eyes looked around for his mother. Or maybe his mother decided to avoid the three of them so they could have fun together.

He was surprised as his wrists were grabbed and he was being dragged towards another booth. This one had a long line but he could wait. He wasn't in a hurry for anything. When he saw the sign he really didn't want to go in. Maybe this was another fortuneteller fake. He'd seen many of them. They couldn't match up to his mother's skills, but he wasn't bragging.

"Hey guys, after this lets go to the performance that they're featuring in the main tent!" Cesia suggested. She'd always wanted to see this particular performance because she heard good things about it. Both boys sighed and agreed. She beamed. They sighed again.

After waiting for about a couple of hours they were able to make it in. Cesia went first. Rune couldn't help but glance around the tent. It was normal. There were no symbols or anything for show. It was just a tent almost like when camping. He couldn't help but think that maybe this wasn't some fake. He'd kept trying to tell Cesia that for that past half hour but she said she wanted to have some fun and laugh about it later. Though he doubted that she would be laughing later.

His eyes examined the woman. She didn't seem like those other fakes that would usually dress up in different costumes to impress the public. Or maybe she just couldn't afford it. But he doubted that. That coat with the hood covering her face says otherwise. The coat was made out of pure black silk. That would cost a fortune. But he doubted that anyone would notice that little detail. It was then that he noticed that it was his turn. He shook his head at the offer.

"Oh c'mon Rune ol' buddy ol' pal, please?" Cesia asked politely. Rune sighed and nodded. He sat down on the seat. Now looking at the woman directly he could tell she was no fake.

Her hands grasped a deck of regular playing cards. The woman must be really good to just use plain old playing cards. They usually require the tarot cards. She dealt them out. Looking at it I couldn't really tell. My mother was good at this fortune telling stuff. She then took them back into a stack and handed them to me.

"Shuffle it as many times as you want. I just want to make sure," she told him. He took it and shuffled it five times before handing it back to her. And as she dealt it out, it was the same arrangement as before. A frown made it from her lips. "You're interesting. Very interesting indeed. This is private. I will not say it out. But whatever you do, don't fall victim to the human heart." she told him cryptically before he got up and was about to leave. "Oh, before I forget. Happy birthday, Rune." She told them before disappearing. The three looked at her before the other two looked at the blond.

"Rune, you didn't tell us it's your birthday!" Cesia exclaimed. "We could've done something much more fun!"

"Actually I didn't know it was today." Rune said earning him shocked looks from the both of them.

"C'mon pal I think you've been spending too much time in your room." Rath commented before dragging him, along with Cesia to the main tent to see the good show.

It had been a fun day. At least in Rath and Cesia's opinion. Poor Rune was dragged into their sugar rush escapades. He blames Cernozura for that. Right now Rath was ordering them some ice cream. Him and Cesia were in natural silence and he appreciated it. He told them to calm down about his birthday. That woman was wrong. It was tomorrow. He just barely remembered. But he forgot about that and just continued to think.

Basically it's about what the hell is going on between his mother and her friend. He knew there'd be another fight sooner or later. He wondered about what. Mostly he caught it was just about him and Rath, though he couldn't make a connection. He wondered maybe if it had something to do with the past. His mother never told him anything about her. He tried asking Cernozura but she wouldn't give him any clue. Maybe she'd tell him tonight.

They finally went to see the show. It didn't look that much at first until the best parts came. Good to say they didn't waste their money. Then his eyes landed on the star actress. She kind of reminded him of the fortuneteller that they saw a few hours ago. He shrugged it off as nothing and continued to leave with Rath and Cesia.

Rath kept glancing around for food stands. Or at least something edible to eat. Viola! He spotted an ice cream stand. He grabbed both of his friends' wrists and proceeded to drag them. He asked for what they wanted and Cesia requested something specific while Rune just said whatever he was getting. Rath got the orders and proceeded to think.

Something was definitely wrong. He could sense it. The fights that were constant between his father and Rune's mother was really suspicious. It was as if they were fighting that the world would end or not or how to prevent it or something. He thought it was mostly his father's fault since he seemed to be provoking Rune's mother. Their mystery history was one big problem he guessed. He shook of those thoughts. It was none of his business anyways.

He got the orders and ran back to the table. It was silent when he arrived. Though he thought that maybe Cesia would be talking like crazy. He vaguely remembered that she didn't like silence that much. Shrugging it off as one of Cesia's unsuccessful mission he handed them both their desserts and they ate in silence. 

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Lykouleon looked around the house frantically, but he never showed it. He was nervous since he couldn't find Rath. He needed to speak with his adopted son concerning a certain someone. But he was nowhere to be found. He then opted to find Raselene. She was in the kitchen cooking dinner with Cernozura.

"Raselene?" he called out.

"Yes dear?" she answered.

"Do you know where Rath is?"

"He's-"

"He's not dead, if that's what you're thinking." They looked at the doorway to see Essan standing there with a smug grin on her face. She walked in further with the three children following. "I just took them to the carnival in town. They were hungry and missed the ladies cooking so I brought them back earlier than expected. Cernozura, what's the record?"

"One hour, miss," Cernozura answered before returning to cooking. She was sure things were about to heat up in a few seconds.

"Well isn't that surprising."

"Can I speak to you for a moment, alone?" Lykouleon told her before walking out of the kitchen calmly as he could.

He led them to one of the abandoned rooms he found while exploring. He didn't like the pleased look Essan was holding as she took in the scenery. He didn't know what was in here so he had something to worry about.

"My friend, you seem so distrustful today. Was it something I did?" she said fingering something that she grabbed from the shelf.

"Yes, why didn't you tell me you took him out?" he asked harshly.

"Oh, you were somewhere, I didn't have time to find you. So I told Cernozura, if you asked she'd tell you. We came right on schedule."

"Well then you could've told me earlier."

"I thought you were still mad at me after the way I pushed you out my door last night. I didn't want to risk losing my head just yet."

"Does violence always run through your mind?"

"Why, it does. And since you're such good competition, why don't we settle this." She gestured to the arena and tossed him a blade.

She charged at him and he barely had time to block. She jumped back and gestured for him to come. As much as he hated to settle things this way, she wouldn't have it any other way. Plus she might really kill him. Last time they fought like this she almost killed him. She made it to the point of near death.

Their swords clashed together and fought as if in a death dance. They were unaware that they had an audience because Essan could care less while Lykouleon didn't want to end up back in a hospital.

"Oh dear, not again," Cernozura said in disapproval.

"What?" Raselene asked.

"She's going to try to bring him on the edge of death."

Before they could respond they noticed that it stopped and it was silent. Looking in the middle of the arena, Essan had him pinned under her blade. But he was without any scratches, save a small cut on the neck.

"I see you haven't improved. Either that or you didn't want to hurt me. Even though, I'm still far superior. Interfere with me again, you will not just be sent to a hospital room, you'll be sent straight to a morgue." She told him before tossing her blade somewhere. Rath jumped as the sword was back in its sheath that was sitting next to him. Essan walked past them and out into her room. She needed sleep. It would happen tonight. Everything would fall in place tonight.

Because tomorrow was her son's sixteenth birthday. She walked to the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she drank it, pain struck her form. She grunted and dropped the glass hearing it shatter to the floor before she herself fell to the floor missing it by centimeters.

'No, I can't let go yet. I'm not finished. I promised…' she thought before falling straight into a sort of trance. Her vision blurred as she saw everyone come towards her. She was afraid. Something she wasn't able to feel in a while. She felt herself being picked up and carried by whom she didn't know. Fighting wasn't an option seeing as how she just didn't have any energy. She soon fell asleep, unaware of something lingering at the back of her mind.

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Rune looked worriedly at his mother. She was so pale compared to the beige sheet beneath her. There was something going on and he knew that somehow Cernozura knew of this, as did Tetheus. He walked out of her room only to bump into Rath who was walking around the halls.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rath asked.

"No," Rune answered before walking towards his room.

"Hey you don't mind if I accompany you for a while? I doubt I'd get much sleep."

"Sure, I guess."

They both sat on Rune's bed talking about this and that. Though Rath did most of the talking. Well he was trying to distract himself from his own…thoughts. But Rune did notice the sudden urge to talk. He knew that Rath was trying to forget something. Maybe talking someone to death was the only way he could cope with it. Well at least he had some company to talk to, well listen to.

Rath tried hard to distract himself. He couldn't help it that the blond sitting right across from him looked positively beautiful. Though he knew where he got it from since his mother is equally beautiful, dangerous beauty though. It was then he realized that he stopped thinking and Rune asked him a question.

"Rath are you alright?" Rune asked again for the second time.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine! I think I better get to bed it's almost midnight. Night." Rath said before heading out and walking towards the front door.

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Essan woke in the middle of the night. It was chilly. Her robe didn't help so much. Looking out she noticed that it was almost midnight. She couldn't believe she overslept. But she never remembered sleeping. Then she remembered the pain before falling unconscious. Right now she could sense almost everyone awake. Rune was asleep, she could tell but the other…was outside. It was perfect.

Going out she saw Rath sitting on the swinging bench. Perfect. Her footsteps echoed alerting him of her presence. He turned around to give her a smile then looked back up at the full moon. She leaned against the railing. It was silent.

"So, Rath. How did you get adopted by them?" she asked trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, I don't know. I was with them since I was three so I had no idea really." Rath answered calming down a bit as he realized she wasn't going to hurt him. Although she may not look it, she really could probably kill him first shot.

"How do you like it here?"

"It's nice. At least there are a lot of people around."

"What do you think of my son?" she asked as she surprised him by appearing next to him. Rath gulped nervously. He couldn't offend her or anything. She might bite his head off, literally!

"He's…

3…

"Nice…

2…

"And cool…"

1…

Midnight.

A scream erupted through the house. Rath was about to run inside but he was surprised as her hand was in front of his forehead. It was glowing a blood red light. Soon his eyes became unfocused as he lost his sight of reality and became the demon he buried deep within himself. She leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"He's waiting for you."

TBC----------------

Kinshin: I know not too much Rath. But rest assured there will be in the next chapter! Thanks for your visits!

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