Original Stories Fan Fiction / Realism Fan Fiction ❯ Aqua ❯ Rogane ( Chapter 22 )

Chapter Twenty-One

Rogane

 

 

Crack!!!

 

“Prince Darain,” an exasperated voice broke through his dreams. “Pay attention. This is the third time this week that you have fallen asleep in my class. If you can't see fit to keep your eyes open in this class then I shall have to call your father about this.”

 

“Go ahead,” Darain said, his words quieting the voices around them. All the students visibly paled as they thought of the day before when King Erald had had to be called down to one of their morning classes when the prince had been dozing for what seemed the hundredth time that hour. The king hadn't been happy with his son and had shouted him down and Darain had just stood there and taken it. When his father had finally drawn breath the prince said something that had made the king's power explode in instinctive rage.

 

The teacher pursed her lips and removed the ruler she had slapped down from the table. She moved from the third row of seats down the stairs and back towards her desk. As she pressed the call button and spoke with someone on the other line, one of Darain's classmates leaned towards him and whispered, “Does this have anything to do with the Letrangra girl, Prince Darain?”

 

At the mention of Letrangra several other students stifled a gasp and then hurriedly looked away as they saw Darain's face darken with hate. “She is not Letrangra,” he snarled at the boy, who turned visibly white. Darain straightened and listened to the teacher as she spoke up to him, something about his father and the mood he was in. “Could you please say that again? I didn't catch all of it,” he said politely.

 

The teacher frowned at him then repeated, “Your father will be here in a few minutes, though I should warn you that he isn't in a good mood. I had to call him out of a negotiations meeting to deal with you.”

 

Darain didn't look at the other students as they began muttering mutinously and throwing him covert glances. He rolled his eyes as he realized that they were trying to figure some way out of sitting through another shouting by his father and the possibility of being caught in the backlash. “I'll take it outside this time,” he promised them, to their immense relief.

 

As the seconds ticked by, Darain found himself becoming more and more irate at nothing. He rested his chin on his arms and tried to wait patiently for his father while hiding his growing irritation at nothing in particular. The lights flickered ominously over head, making his classmates shift nervously and throw him worried glances. Pretending to ignore them, he tried to rein in his magic before he triggered a full-scale attack alert, something that would definitely set his father off even more.

 

Finally, the door swung open to reveal his seething father. Before the teacher could call on him, he was out of his seat and down the stairs. Stopping before his father, he braced himself for the tidal wave that he knew was coming, but was surprised when his father stepped aside and waited for him to step out. As he did so, his father snapped the door shut behind them and placed a hand on his shoulder to steer him through the institution and out into the school garden.

 

Once they were safely out of earshot of the rest of the student body and staff, Erald swung his son around to face him. “What is the matter with you?” he hissed.

 

Darain scowled at his father, furious and repulsed that he didn't already know that answer. “Why don't you take a guess,” he snapped back.

 

Erald drew back slightly at the vehemence he heard in his son's voice. Normally the boy was more than willing to do anything to please his parents, but the few months he had spent away from them had changed him into an almost different person entirely. “Watch your tone, boy,” he said warningly and Darain averted his eyes. “I don't appreciate being called out of a negotiations meeting to deal with you falling asleep in class again. Do you know what it looks like if I leave in the middle of that meeting or if I don't leave to deal with you?”

 

“No,” Darain shrugged indifferently.

 

“Either way, it's bad. Now I'll have to restart the negotiations and they will have the upper hand,” Erald snarled quietly. He didn't really want to have to start shouting his son down again like the previous day, but he would if he had to.

 

“Sorry,” Darain muttered automatically, though he didn't feel the least bit repentant.

 

“Is this just some way to get your mother and I's attention?” he asked suspiciously. “If it is, you're going to give your mother a heart attack soon enough.”

 

“No, it's not,” Darain said, rolling his eyes. “I'm not trying to act out. It's just how I feel right now, father.”

 

“Explain what you mean.” Everything seemed rooted in what had happened to his son back on that planet with that…girl. Perhaps if he could get his son to talk about what had happened on Earth, he could figure out what exactly had happened to him.

 

Darain turned fully away from his father and punched a tree, successfully cracking the thick trunk and splitting it in half. “I feel like this tree,” he muttered.

 

Erald cast the tree a confused glance and then caught his son's meaning. “You miss her,” he said solemnly.

 

“More than that, I want to be out there with the royal guard killing the Letrangra,” he said darkly. He absently kicked the tree and the halves fell to the ground with a deafening thud. Turning back to his father he continued, “I want to get her back.”

 

“That's impossible,” Erald said sternly. “She is in the heart of Letrangra grasp and there is no way to get her back until she resurfaces.”

 

“That could be years,” Darain protested in horror. “You'd have me sit here safe in class while she could be out there being tortured?” It was impossible for him to comprehend why his father wouldn't allow him to rescue Aqua, let alone what his reasoning was for keeping him so closely guarded. Fine, so he had taken off the last time the guards looked the other way, but that was his problem not theirs.

 

Erald felt a spasm of anger at his son's words. It was so clear now what had happened to Darain. The girl had bewitched him into loving her and then she had conspired with the Letrangra to get him captured, but that plan had gone awry somehow. “Darain,” he said slowly. “It's been six months since you left her presence, the spell should have worn off by now. You don't have to worry about it anymore.”

 

Darain looked at his father, incensed that he would even think such a thing. “What spell? The only dangerous spell I taught her was Jidara,” he said, fuming. As he continued to stare at his father, he felt a wave of terror unrelated to anything he had felt that day and then a roiling sickness that made his stomach lurch unpleasantly. He clapped a hand to his mouth and turned away before he could hurl on his father, instead heaving on the split tree.

 

He shrugged his father's hand away as he heaved again and then wiped his mouth clean. The world swayed dangerously around him as the ground rushed up to meet him. “Darain!!” he heard his father say before darkness engulfed him.

 

* * *

 

“-celled.”

 

“I'm sorry to hear that. When would be a good time for you?”

 

“I honestly couldn't tell you. With the way my son has been acting these last five months, I don't know what he's going to do next,” Erald's tired voice sighed.

 

Something scraped against the tile flooring of wherever he lay and the next moment, a cool hand lay against his skin. He groaned and flinched away from the temperature drop. A sigh sounded somewhere above him. “We may have an investigation of our own to do,” a soft voice said. “It seems that we have a rouge to hunt down and deal with, especially if it is your son they are attached to.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Erald asked softly.

 

Another sigh. “Your son isn't simply sick, he is suffering from the backlash of strong emotions from a Rogane,” the soft voice said. “And, for that, I am truly sorry.”

 

“A Rogane?” Erald breathed.

 

“Yes,” the voice sighed. “Do you know of anytime your son could have come into contact with one of our kind? If we knew where to start from, it is possible that we could capture them and reverse the…ah…damage before it gets any worse.”

 

“Earth,” Erald said quietly.

 

A moment of surprised silence followed. “Earth? You mean the planet we signed over to you in our previous treaty?” the Rogane asked.

 

“Yes,” Erald confirmed.

 

“I would have thought that you would have secured the planet by this time,” the Rogane said coldly. “And would have at least stationed several of your own men to protect it from Letrangra invasion.”

 

Erald's voice was remarkably calm as he replied, “That planet was in the middle of Letrangra territory so it was neigh impossible to claim it as ours when the Letrangra would have killed my men in an instant. None of that matters right now, though. I want to know how long it will take to capture her.”

 

The Rogane ambassador hesitated then sighed. “You have every right to know, seeing as you are the father of the one our rouge Rogane is fond of.”

 

Darain opened his hazel eyes to see the brown haired, green-eyed Rogane ambassador. A small smile played about his lips as his focused enough to see that the Rogane had pale skin, skin almost like that of the Letrangra. He was suddenly reminded of one of the first conversations he had had with her and her words floated back to him, her voice a pale imitation his memory produced for him. “I don't know, I was three when she left. All I remember is that she had red hair, really light skin, and green eyes. I suppose I was happy with her around, but then, she was my mother.”

 

“Her mother was Rogane,” he said hoarsely. “Good, I'm glad.”

 

His father and the ambassador turned to look at him, a frown creasing each of their lips. He laughed slightly at their puzzled looks, then frowned as he remembered something else. “Letrangra raised her to be their weapon,” he whispered. “She was half-human. They killed her father and drove her mother away.”

 

His head spun as he felt another flash of fury unrelated to his emotions. Darain's hand flashed through the air and grabbed the Rogane's collar. He pulled the ambassador closer as he said, “She's been through hell already, so if you hurt her further I'll kill you.”

 

The Rogane's green eyes flashed some in the dim light of the medical hall. “If she is indeed the Letrangra's warrior, it is only a matter of time before they use her to begin the assassinations and when that happens, we'll get her away from them. Don't worry, we won't hurt her in that way,” the Rogane said softly.

 

Darain smiled tentatively at the ambassador before unconsciousness claimed him once more.

 

* * *

 

Arisan's gasp reverberated through the still room as she stared at Aqua's bloodied countenance. If what she had heard was true then most of the blood was not her's, but that of Amber's handler. She had been with Aqua that morning when they had received orders to clean up after one of the messier torture sessions for one of the slave girls and when Aqua had discovered that it was Amber they had tortured. When she had turned to look at Aqua, she had discovered the teen was already gone. Now she stood before an entire Letrangra court facing the charge of murder.

 

Every eye shifted to her as the silent Letrangra turned their attention from Aqua. Some scowled at her while others laughed in their smooth, metallic voices before they turned back to the other weapon as one of her accusers began speaking again.

 

“How do you respond to the charge brought against you?” one asked softly.

 

A ghost of a smile flitted across her lips as she stared back at them. “I was making good on a threat,” she said dangerously.

 

The Letrangra shifted some in their seats and muttered restlessly. While they had not been fond of the Letrangra captain she had killed, he had been one of them and that was enough of a reason for them to want to spill her blood. They grinned maliciously as her accusers bent together and whispered something before cackling delightedly.

 

“Do you admit that you killed the Captain?”

 

“I do,” Aqua said, her strong voice echoing through the room. “Just as I freely admit I would do it again and still feel satisfaction at his death.” A wisp of silver flame twisted around her body before the manacles flashed brightly and absorbed the thread of magic that had escaped.

 

They cackled delightedly again.

 

“Then I officially sentence you to-”

 

“You will do nothing to our weapon,” three harsh metallic voices snarled.

 

Silence fell as the air itself seemed to freeze over with death. Slowly, everyone turned to see the three cloaked figures standing just behind Arisan. “Move, weapon,” one softly ordered her and her body was forced to obey. As she moved, they swept by her and their mere presence made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

 

No sound was made as they seemingly glided across the polished stone to circle around Aqua, facing her. One reached a pale, glistening hand out and grasped her chin between its thumb and forefinger, lifting her head to meet its black gaze. With its free hand, it pulled back its hood to reveal a distinctly feminine face with red hair and hard, green eyes.

 

Aqua trembled for a moment, confronted by the familiar face of her mother. She jerked away and scowled at the Letrangra. “Don't try to trick me,” she snarled quietly. “My mother was not Letrangra. She wasn't quite as pale as you lot.”

 

The female Letrangra smiled coldly at her and then her features shifted to show her true face, blood red hair and black eyes. “Your memory is impressive, little weapon. Very good. You will need that for later.” Her voice was familiar, but Aqua couldn't place it as they continued to stare at each other.

 

One of her accusers stood up, though he was trembling with fear as he stared down at the three cloaked figures. “I am sorry that she is your weapon, sires, but blood for blood is demanded when one of our own is killed by another race. She is to die for kil-” He stopped talking as one of the still hooded figures looked up at him. Quickly, he sat down and hoped that he hadn't said too much to offend the royal Letrangra family.

 

“Blood for blood?” a male voice laughed. He pulled his hood back to reveal red hair and red eyes. “So be it then,” he said with a cruel smile and the Letrangra that had spoken to them burst into red flames. The Letrangra screamed and fell from his seat, writhing in agony until his body disintegrated.

 

The female's eyes flicked to her brother. “Enough, Ralon,” she said harshly. “We are not here to pick a fight with the court, but to collect our weapons.”

 

Ralon rolled his eyes, but shrugged his hood back on. He was powerful, but his power could hardly be compared to Larina's, especially when she was pissed. “What do you think, Safrey? Is she ready?” he asked his brother to distract their sister.

 

Larina's black eyes flicked to their brother as he spoke, “Her magic will not be mature until a month passes, but, yes, I do think she is ready for her first assignment.”

 

Her lips curved into a mocking smile. “Yes, especially if she can kill that remorselessly.”

 

Aqua's eyes flashed some as she realized what they were talking about. “And Amber?” she prompted.

 

Larina's black eyes flicked to her green ones, surprise flickering in their black depths. After a moment, Safrey answered for the three of them. “She still has her uses so she will be given to another handler with orders not to hurt or touch her. We don't need you balking at our orders,” he said smoothly.

 

She eyed him for a moment, then shrugged. “What do you wish me to do?”

 

They simultaneously glanced at Arisan then back to Aqua. “Kill Arisan,” Larina said smoothly.

 

Aqua laughed. “No can do. Arisan is magically more powerful than I am and I know for a fact that her magic is not bound by your control spell. I know that the instant I attack her, her magic will strike me down,” she said coolly. Truth be told, she refused to kill a Night-n-Gale, especially one she was almost fond of.

 

“She is smarter than we give her credit for,” Larina laughed. “Alright, then.” She turned to face the Night-n-Gale. “Arisan you will hand your next assignment over to Aqua and allow her to take your place. You will remain behind this time, understood?”

 

“Not really, but what choice do I have?” Arisan said with a wryly smile.

 

“None,” Larina said with a cruel smile. “Now, come, the both of you.”

 

* * *

 

Aqua surveyed the red luminous planet below, eyeing the emptiness beneath her with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. “This is just an observational room, isn't it?” she guessed. “Made to give a view of a mission before hand.”

 

Larina's lips curled back into a primal snarl. “Do not insult us, brat. We do not have anything so primitive. This is the room from which you will leave to attend to your missions without wasting our valuable time. Now, go and stand over the planet's moon before I change my mind.”

 

She eyed the red haired female with a speculative look before she thrust her hands out in front of her. “Take these off and I will,” she said softly, her ice green eyes flickering with an untamed emotion. “I resent being bound like an animal and I won't tolerate it a moment longer.” As if to press her point, silver threads flickered into existence and flared around the manacles.

 

Larina's eyes narrowed in disgust at the disrespectful child. “If you were not so valuable to us I would kill you here and now for such tones,” she hissed dangerously. “If you are not careful, we will take measures to ensure your loyalty to us.” She turned her head slightly so that she could better see Safrey as she asked, “How do you think that little slave girl would fare under isolation and torture for another year?”

 

Harsh laughter echoed through the dark room, shocking the three Letrangra. “You think that I am fond of Amber? How convoluted are you insects? All I wanted was an excuse to go after the bastard that captured me and she provided me that opportunity. She is nothing more than a tool to me, so do as you wish with her, but don't blame me when I use her as an excuse again,” Aqua sneered. “Now take these off before I decide to attack.”

 

Safrey tilted his head in wonder as he looked her over. He reached past his shocked sister and tapped the manacles, which slid easily from her wrists and evaporated. “Do not overuse your powers for the next month or else they will destroy you,” he said softly.

 

“I'll keep that in mind, but I will do as I please with them,” Aqua replied absently as she rotated the kinks out of her sore wrists. She ignored the bickering that erupted between Larina and Safrey as she strode away from them across the room to stand above the below planet's moon. Her green eyes flicked to Ralon's black ones and frowned as she saw them flickering. “Am I going to stand here all day or what?” she asked him and he flashed her a cold smile as he said, “The planets prince is your target,” before turning to join his siblings in the argument.

 

She yelped as the ground suddenly fell out from under her and she plummeted through empty air. Before she could get a firm grasp on her surprise her feet slammed against solid ground and she tumbled forward landing face first in the mud. As she got to her feet and wiped the mud off she took in her surroundings and saw that she was in the middle of a sea of giant trees.

 

Flicking the last of the mud from her fingers she started forward. She trudged through the thick underbrush and kicked the mud away as she continued on her way, always conscious of the quiet footsteps that seemed to be one step behind her.

 

When the footsteps picked up in pace she slowed and waited for them to attack. She was not disappointed.

 

Spinning around, she ducked the curved blade and plunged her hand into the creature's stomach. Rolling back with the weight of the body she wrenched her hand free and tore his intestines out. Tossing them aside she focused her attention on the three that had followed her. They moved in cautiously, holding their blades aloft and waiting for her to make a fatal mistake.

 

Their red scales glinted in the soft sunlight as they began to move in a tight circle around her, grunting and growling to one another in their strange, guttural language. She smiled a cold, brutal smile and allowed the ice to tighten its grip on her. This was where she belonged, in the heat of battle not under the watchful eye of some trainer or teacher or some other damn official that would restrict her freedom.

 

* * *

 

Safrey stared in utter amazement as the girl tore through the Freclen guards like they were toys. He studied the way she moved and the way her auburn hair flashed in the sun as she dodged a blow meant to strike her stomach. “Perhaps we were a little too through in her training and creating her,” he said quietly. “She is too cold. Even Arisan showed some disgust on her first assassination.”

 

Larina glanced over his shoulder at the younger girl and laughed. “She has killed before or have you forgotten the two handlers?”

 

“One was for revenge, the other to protect,” Safrey replied evenly. “Things such as that are practically ingrained in her two races. She would not do otherwise.”

 

“Says you,” she said tartly.

 

“Are we through here?” Ralon whined. “I'm sick of standing around. She's killing just fine, so can I go?”

 

“Scat, little brother,” Larina said impatiently. If there was one thing she hated about Ralon it was his childish impatience and impulsiveness when he got bored with something.

 

Safrey ignored the pair as he continued to watch her progress. She wasn't even trying to be subtle about her task the way she was tearing through the forest and anyone that got in her way. The forest guards taken care of she had entered the city itself and quickly taught the common folk to stay out of her way when a dozen or so had tried to stop her and they had ended with being splattered against the rough stone walls. Weaving through the intricate maze of buildings like it was nothing she quickly came to the palace steps and paused.

 

“Larina, what was the Freclen prince's rating?” he asked as three guards and the prince stepped forth from the magnificent structure.

 

“He's an elite, why?”

 

“She's already drawn him out.”

 

“What?” Larina said softly as she joined her brother at the pools edge. “Already?”

 

Together they watched as she tore the three guards apart in no time flat and turned her gaze to her true target. Standing there, slicked in their black blood her green eyes flickered strangely as she stared, just stared, at him. She was a demon.

 

They didn't even see her move before she appeared next to the Freclen prince, the battle over before it had begun. He was dead before he hit the ground, his throat slit clean across the jugular vein. No emotion played across her face as she turned slightly to look at her latest kill. It was as though she knew there would be a thousand others like him and that her hands would be coated with the blood of innocents.

 

Larina cursed softly. “I didn't think she would be this dangerous,” she breathed. “I had thought to test her strength against that of an elite when I sent her for this, but I never dreamed that she would take him out in less than two seconds. If she decides to go against us we'll have to deal with her directly.”

 

“Yes,” Safrey said. “None of our captains would be able to handle her. Do you have a plan for controlling our little weapon?”

 

“I've taken precautions,” she said slowly.

 

“Will they be enough?”

 

For a moment, she said nothing. Then…

 

“We need the Night-n-Gale prince. She protected him from being captured back on Earth and willingly handed herself over to ensure she would keep him safe. She loves him, at least, and will obey if we threaten her with him.”

 

“Or she'll go berserk like she did earlier today,” Safrey pointed out. “No, I think the best plan we can have is to wait and see how well she takes to her new life. If it appears that she will need convincing then, yes, we will go for the little prince, but not until then. We can't risk her turning on us so soon.”

 

“So, we wait?”

 

“For now.”