Fan Fiction ❯ Black Orchid ❯ Fire and a Devil's Deal ( Chapter 7 )

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"Oh, Montblanc," called Merlin as the three landed on the far shore. The green-jacketed moogle flittered back to the blue robed wizard.

"Here," he whispered. "I want you to give this to Orchid once she's mastered the four basic elements and the basic heal." He pushed something into Montblanc's hand, and Montblanc immediately put it in a safe pocket, then flew off to rejoin the others.

* * *

Give in.

"Can you help me find my home?"

Yes. Give in.

"Can you help me find my friend?"

The Flower of Arcadia?

That was a strange thing to call Orchid.

"Uh, yes. Can you bring me too her?"

We, too, search for her. Give in.

"Then I will."

I'm coming Orchid.

And with that, Eriks walked into the darkness.

* * *

"What did Merlin say to you?" asked Orchid.

"Nothing," replied Montblanc, a little too quickly. "Anyways, we should begin your education."

"What education?" asked Orchid curiously.

"Your education in magic," explained Montblanc, flourishing his rod grandly. "You don't think that Sora defeated the Heartless with brute force alone?"

"You mean you can't defeat everything that way?" asked Arc, clenching his fist. There was the now familiar sound of grinding stone.

"Of course not," said Montblanc, putting his rod under his arm, and cupping both hands in front of his chest. A small, glowing red ball formed between them. "Now, hold out you hands, like this."

Orchid obediently cupped her hands similar to Montblanc's. He dropped the ball of energy into her hand.

"It's warm…" she said distantly. "What is it?"

"It's a portion of my magic," he replied. "Now pull it into you."

"Uh, ho-?" started Orchid, but before she knew it, she had pulled her hands to her chest and pushed the ball of magic into herself. Suddenly, she crumpled over and cried out. "It burns! Ahh!"

"I was afraid of this," said Montblanc, shaking his head, his antenna ball drooping slightly.

"What'd you do to her?" demanded Arc.

"I gave her the fire spell directly. I thought she could handle it, but…"

Orchid was now on her knees, bent double and clutching her chest, her forehead touching the flagstones outside the wizard's door. Panting heavily, she struggled with what was inside her. Then she got up, slowly.

"Whew," sighed Montblanc. "I knew she could deal with it."

"And if she couldn't?" asked Arc.

"Y-yeah…" moaned Orchid. "What if?"

"She'd probably have burned up and burst into flames," he said, his back to them.

"WHAT!?" shouted Arc and Orchid together.

"Y-you mean th-that you gave me something that d-dangerous?" demanded Orchid, while Arc frantically waved one arm and pointed with the other.

"Don't worry, kupo," he said, turning back. "I could have pulled it back out any time. That would only happen if I left it in her for maybe an hour or two."

"So…what did you do to me? I mean, why?" asked Orchid, still not happy at being manipulated like that.

"Because you needed to start learning the spells, kupo. There will be some enemies that will not fall to physical force."

"But why like this?" shouted Orchid. "I don't recall Sora getting it like this!"

"That's because he received it as a gift when he was already receptive to it, kupo. You seem to be shut out from magic. Your abilities for it are there, but it seemed that that flower hasn't bloomed quite yet, kupo, as if it needed more time."

"And we don't have that time, do we?" said Arc.

"No," sighed Montblanc. "So I had to force it, kupo."

"Will every spell I learn be this painful?" said Orchid in worried tones.

"I don't think so, kupo. Now that you've opened the door, it should come more naturally," finished Montblanc.

"Well, that's a relief," sighed Orchid.

"Now try it," commanded Arc. "Unlock the wizard's door!"

Orchid stood there, not taking any action.

"Um…how?"

"Call the spell to mind," explained Montblanc. "In this case, it's fire, so imagine a fireball, kupo."

Orchid did as she was told, and felt a warmth start to build in her chest.

"Oh, and you'll want to focus it into your hand, kupopo."

She changed her thinking, and the warmth slid down her arm to the hand not holding Bramblebite. She opened her eyes to see a small fireball growing there.

"Now fire it at the door, you merely need think it!"

"Fire!" she said as she released the spell, and the fireball shot and hit the door's stylized flame, causing it to open. She gave out a little squeak of delight, something unusually feminine for her. "I did it! I really did it! I did magic!"

"Kupo job! You're going to want to practice that later so that you can do it immediately and not have to stop like that, kupo."

"Now let's go," said Arc impatiently, once more pushing his yellow shades up. He walked out of the alley they were in and entered the well-lit main square of the Third District.

* * *

"You have rested well, I trust?"

Eriks stood in his new clothes before the man. He shifted uncomfortably in the black leather jacket, slightly unnerved by all that had been happening.

"Um, yeah," he replied. He walked forwards, jangling slightly from the various straps, belts, and catches on his pants, also black.

The man had his back to him, revealing only luxurious, long black hair, and spindly, spider-like limbs wrapped in a grim black suit, its four coattails giving it an archaic feel. "Well, I hope it is so, for you have a long way before you."

The man turned to face Eriks. The right half of his face was covered by a half mask, plain white; its only markings were an upward curve for the eye, and half a downward curve to make an impression of a smile. The left half of his face contained only a small closed half of a frown, half a slender nose, and an eye with a scar running over it from cheek to forehead. The eye stared at Eriks, and he suddenly found himself almost lost in the inky depths of it. Then he blinked, and the contact was lost. The man turned away from him again, his long black hair flowing gracefully with the movement. Intricate shadows formed in front of him as he crossed his skeletal arms.

"I am called Elias Daemonwing," he said emotionlessly. "You seek the Flower of Arcadia, too?"

"Uh," stuttered Eriks, caught off guard by the bluntness of it, "um, yes."

"I see," said the figure. "And would you do anything to find it?"

"Of course!" said Eriks, surprising himself with how automatic the answer was.

"Then you shall be of use," continued Elias. "Your apprenticeship starts now. You will serve, through me, under the Master. You may call me 'my lord' or 'Master Elias'. If you have any qualms or doubts, now is the time to turn away. If not, then we shall begin."

"Yes," said Eriks, one thought on his mind.

I'm coming Orchid.