Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Sacrifice ❯ City of Plants ( Chapter 11 )

X.X.X.X.

Sacrifice

Chapter 11: City of Plants

By: Melissa Norvell

X.X.X.X.

Hiroshima sat on the ground, the green grass crunching beneath his black-clad form. His legs were positioned to either side, bent in a loose Indian position. Glass-blue eyes stared a hole into the gem that he held in his hand as a perplexed look crossed the legend's face. Tsurugi was sitting beside of the man and he leaned over to rest his head upon the other's strong shoulder.

"Hello, Hiro-kun," Tsurugi said in his usual cheerful voice, "nice to see you awake."

"How the hell is this supposed to help us in a time of crisis?" Hiroshima inquired.

"Well, Vespa gave it to us for a reason."

Hiroshima looked around at the others, whose forms littered the ground. They haven't awakened from the spell's effects. This gave the two angels time to talk amongst themselves.

"Looks like everyone is still passed out," the legend stated.

"You know, we could always leave them there," Tsurugi eyed the others with a casual laid-back look.

"We could, but we won't," a serious look crossed the other's face.

"Why?" Tsurugi was confused. He didn't know why Hiroshima didn't just want to abandon the band and the others. It wasn't like him to stick with something that annoyed him, and it certainly wasn't like him to follow anyone's orders. He didn't owe any of them anything, so why the change of plans?

"Vespa was right. They want to know about us, and it may be beneficial to get what we want." Maybe that witch knew something. If that was the case, then he wanted to stick around until he figured her out at the very least.

"Ah, manipulation huh?" He hugged Hiroshima tightly as the other man sat his hand upon his.

"What are you thinking about, Hiro-kun?"

"Well," Hiroshima started to say, but glanced over to the blonde male, who was slowly stirring awake. "They're getting up," he decided to keep his sentence buried within the confines of his mind as the blonde sat up, rubbing his head and stirring with the haze of sleep.

"Where am I?" Chichiri looked around, “and why am I lying outside in the middle of nowhere?" He noticed that there was grass and trees all around him.

"We're not anywhere. We're on the outskirts of the City of Plants," Tsurugi told him of their location.

"City of Plants?" Chichiri asked as everyone sat up, waking up shortly after him.

"Hello, have a nice sleep?" Tsurugi's arms were still around the other angel's neck.

"Where am I?" Azmy rubbed her eyes sleepily.

"We're only a couple of towns away from Saesugawa," Hiroshima stuck the communication gem in his back pocket.

"What did you just put in your pocket?" Ko pointed to him. She noticed out of her preverbal vision that the man stuck something in his pocket suspiciously. If he was trying to pull something, she was going to be the first one to call him out on his bullshit.

"None of your damned business," the angel shot defensively.

"It was a gem or something," Chichiri made an observation. He happened to catch the sparkle of the item just as it entered the angel's clothes.

"Hey," Keiji narrowed his eyes as realization struck him, "that's the gem that the witch gave us."

"We're keeping it safe," Tsurugi noted. They were going to be traveling together, so why make such a fuss out of who was holding it?

"Why should we let you hold it? You'll probably take it and run, leaving us stranded," Keiji shot back. He was already suspicious of the angels, and he definitely didn't want to call upon them in a time of crisis, nor did he want to put his life in their hands after they tried to kill them and lied to them.

"You're in no position to make allegations," Hiroshima told the boy.

"You kill people," Ko argued. "Your point is?"

"Well, we're your team mates now. So you have to deal with us," Tsurugi acted as if it were a game.

"How do we know we can trust you with the gem?" Chichiri asked. He really wanted them to give him one good reason so he could stop worrying about it so much.

"Well, you're just going to have to go with your gut feeling on that now won't you?" Hiroshima smirked arrogantly.

"Great, the only way to get anything solved is to work with you people," Ko complained.

"Yes, I must admit this was abrupt," Tsurugi agreed.

"Vespa did this on purpose," Fife stated.

"I still don't get why she'd want us," Chichiri mused. He didn't understand anything, much less why the witch would even trust any of them with such a task. How did she even know they were going to do what she said, anyway? What if they just screwed around the whole time? Was she watching them?

"I knew we were being watched," Hiroshima's gaze morphed into that of a steely hawk's.

"Yes you did," Tsurugi agreed. He was probably the only one who was aware of Hiroshima's knowledge.

"That must have been her. That means…"

"We're like her pawns or something," Chichiri deduced.

"It must be for a very good cause. Vespa would never just use us for her dirty work. She isn't like that," Tsurugi assured. Even if no one knew the witch or her intentions, Tsurugi did. If there was something wrong in Zameln, chances were that it would affect all of them as well.

"What do you mean?" Ko wanted to know what was going on.

"You see, Vespa is the Red Witch of Zameln, town renowned for its great magicians. She's a Master Mage. A long time ago, the wizards of Zameln were powerful defenders of their magical sources. The town of Zameln is a gateway for magic of sorts, and almost anyone could obtain and many wanted to covet."

"What kind of power?"

"There was said to be infinite upon their most powerful weapons. One of them is in her possession with each passing generation, gain more and more magic."

"How many objects are there?" Keiji asked.

"No one knows, since they are heavily guarded and only those who are truly worthy of them possess such a weapon," Hiroshima explained.

"And whoever has earned them by going through trials and tribulations," Tsurugi added.

"Only the strong of mind and body can truly possess one," Hiroshima spoke.

"Do you have one?" Azmy asked.

"Hm?" Tsurugi lifted his head from Hiroshima's shoulder.

"You talk about them like you know a lot," Azmy replied.

"Only someone who possessed a weapon that important could know the intimate things about it, so speak up," Ko demanded. If they thought for one second that she was going to let that fly, they were dumber than they looked.

"Who said I was working with you?" Hiroshima grew annoyed at the girl's constant demanding. It was beginning to piss him off that everyone was so suspicious about him. "Vespa said it was a matter of choice."

"So what? You're going to be a jerk about it?" Keiji asked, tension growing in his voice. Hiroshima wasn't helping anything by acting like a total dick about everything.

"What!?" The legend outraged. How dare this child insult him in such a manner! Who the hell did these people think they were? Even if they were on the same level, they'd get no real answer from him.

As Azmy looked at the angel, she could see a sword hilt sticking out from his cape. She couldn't help but be drawn to the beautiful wave patterns on it. Her eyes followed each decorative design as it bobbed back and forth with the angel's movement.

"This is stupid," Ko retaliated.

"It's not like I like it either," Keiji crossed his arms defiantly.

"This is happening too soon," Hiroshima remarked.

"What do you mean?" Fife asked.

"I don't like being haphazardly thrown together like this when we barely know each other," Hiroshima wasn't too keen on the idea either, but as matters stood he had no choice.

"But she said it would be beneficial," Tsurugi noted. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they traveled together. Maybe, in time, they could possibly end up being friends or great allies. Hiroshima just had to loosen up and give him a chance.

"I don't see how," Chichiri muttered.

"I trust her."

"She said we both have something to gain," Undine addressed. "When we're finished with what she asks of us, we get to have a wish."

"How so?" Chichiri asked.

"Many people wish a certain person would love them, but if you force someone to love you it will always turn out empty. If things weren't meant to be, they will eventually force themselves apart again," Tsurugi explained.

"Then why do people wish?" Ko asked.

"Yes, a lot of wishes are based upon things that won't or have very slim possibility of happening," Fife noted.

"Everything is in order."

"She said we were sent here to travel and train…" Keiji looked thoughtful on the subject. He still didn't grasp everything that the witch has said, but he was trying to put things together. Things happened so fast that none of them really had time to think about their circumstances.

"Train for what?" Ko asked.

"I wasn't aware we needed to train," Tsurugi glanced at Hiroshima, who smirked at the others.

"Maybe it's just you guys," Hiroshima said slyly.

"What are you trying to say?" Chichiri responded, not sure if he was being offended but at the same time, trying not to get offended.

"You're easy to kill. All you know is street fighting and how to act like idiots. That kind of attitude will get you nothing but killed,” without him, Hiroshima knew that these kids didn't stand a chance. Even if he gave them their precious gem, on their own they were worth nothing.

"What do you expect? We weren't raised in carnage like you," Keiji shot, causing Hiroshima to narrow his eyes. Tsurugi looked to him with concern, and a saddened expression crossed his face.

'Hiro-kun…'

"Just because we're together, doesn't mean that I'll help you," Hiroshima closed his eyes and frowned. "Let's be clear on that," he told them callously. More than anything, he didn't plan on making a bond with any of these idiots.

"Why would we expect that from an unsympathetic monster like you?" Keiji told him gravely. His words seemed to pierce something deep within the angel's being, causing him to look as if he'd been shot for a few minutes before his features turned sorrowful and he averted his eyes from the group, wanting nothing to do with them.

"Keiji-kun…Don't say things like that," Fife caught the look on Hiroshima's face and decided to defend him. Besides, it didn't benefit anyone to fight with each other.

"That's not true," Tsurugi tried to chide the worries of his fellow. Keiji was just being harsh; surely his words were just spoken out of anger for what happened at the Rose Hip. Rightfully, he had every notion to feel that way, but the principal of the fact was that it actually dealt a devastating blow to someone that he cared about.

"Fools like them could never understand," Hiroshima looked to Tsurugi, his features back to as they were but there was something about them that caused a radiated feeling of sorrow to overcome Tsurugi. He almost had to force himself to look into his eyes.

"Don't act like we're the bad guys when you're the ones killing innocent people," Keiji spat. He wasn't about to feel sorry for someone who killed because they chose to. He was angered that Hiroshima would act as if they were the ones causing him grief. Just because he insulted the angel gave him no right to try and turn the situation around.

"You're just like everyone else," Fife spoke up again.

"You…You're right…" Green eyes widened as Fife's word's reached the drummer's ears. He had remembered the conversation before, about how it was theorized that they should treat the legend kindly in order to save more lives and how people's hatred could have been the cause for his murders.

"I could tell you a couple of things about humans as well," Hiroshima spoke in a subdued voice, not looking for another fight but simply stating that some humans were no better than him and shouldn't act self-righteous when they weren't.

"Like what?" Keiji asked, his voice subduing as well.

"You're fickle, prejudice, and you cliché things. Not to mention you have so many sins and flaws that it's pathetic. You're an experiment from which God created. Do you honestly think you're superior? If you were, then why would you need the guidance of others, or angels?" Hiroshima made a point. Vespa stated that the group needed them. Keiji shouldn't have been so brash; he was severing his ties before he found out their true potential.

"Angels aren't perfect. That's why you got cast from heaven," Keiji pointed to Tsurugi, "and you probably did too." He looked at Hiroshima. There was no way that these two were some kind of guiding lights that were meant to show them the right path. He refused to believe that logic.

"I don't come from heaven," Hiroshima told him simply.

"Then where are you from?" Keiji wondered if that was just a smart ass remark or if he meant it.

"I was born in hell."

"How can an angel be born in hell?" Ko was confused. Surely all angels came from heaven.

"Lucifer is an angel fallen from heaven. He was cast out by God for betraying him. He isn't a demon as most people depict," Hiroshima noted that there were special cases.

"Yes…and keep in mind that humans can be the cause of angels falling from heaven." Tsurugi replied as he and Hiroshima arose and turned their backs to their new team mates, walking ahead of them and heading down the pathway to the City of Plants.

"Hm?" Fife blinked and turned his head to see them departing.

"Where are you going?" Undine asked, but Hiroshima gave no answer and just kept walking.

"Into the city, we're going to look around," Tsurugi answered her.

"Hey!" Chichiri stood up abruptly, not wanting to be left behind. "Don't leave me here in a place I've never been before!" He yelled and ran after them.

"I guess we should follow," Ko said from her seated place on the ground, looking at Keiji.

"I guess…" The drummer replied sadly. 'I can't believe I said that to a man who almost killed me earlier…and I can't believe I feel bad for saying it. Fife was right. It is attitudes like that which make him want to kill…' He thought as he found himself walking with Fife and the others.

"Are you alright?" Fife asked.

"Sorry, Fife," Keiji apologized.

"For what?" The feminine one asked.

"Acting like that, I'm just under a lot of stress."

"You should tell Hiroshima that," Fife hugged him.

"W-What," The drummer blushed a little.

"I'm glad you understand."

Keiji said nothing.

"Why are you blushing?" Fife teased him.

"I…Don't know." the green-haired boy grew embarrassed but he didn't know why. These growing feelings inside began to tug at his strings and he once more feel like he had to get away from the situation. He looked down and trudged past him, walking ahead to the two angels. Fife put a finger to his lips and looked perplexed.

"You're silly…Keiji…ku-" He was cut short by Hiroshima looking over his shoulder and gave a 'hmpf' in reply and turned to look ahead again.

"Don't snub me like that," Keiji said boldly to the dark man.

"Shut up or I'll kill you right now," Hiroshima warned him. He didn't want to hear any more of the boy's arguing.

"Look I wanted to say that I was sorry for calling you a monster…But what do you expect? You tried to kill me."

"I don't expect you to like me, kid. In fact, you should probably hate me," Hiroshima looked straight ahead and never glanced back behind him.

"But…I don't for some reason," it annoyed him. It even made Keiji sick, but he couldn't deny that for some reason he couldn't find himself to hate the wayward angel.

'Maybe he's not a lost cause after all.' Tsurugi smiled at the boy over his shoulder.

"See? We all want to know things about you. You're certainly dark and mysterious," Fife was perplexed by the two angels. He had never seen such beings before and they captivated him.

"Yeah, I mean, maybe you're not so bad since we have to put up with you and all," Chichiri decided that he might as well get used to them. They weren't going anywhere.

"Don't get friendly with me. I already told you that I'm not helping you," Hiroshima didn't care about what they had to say. He walked ahead as the group entered the town. Each one looked around at the large but peaceful village, filled with beings of all types who were walking the streets. It looked like a market square of sorts and plants of all types were grown and could be found everywhere. It was as if they were a town commodity.

"This is quaint," Ko broke the silence between the group members.

"There are a lot of weird people here," Chichiri noted as they went through the massive crowds.

"The City of Plants is a place where people can get herbs and medicines not natives to their village. Hard to find plants grow here and wizards, magicians and other magical spell-casting beings come to buy, sell and trade items here," Hiroshima informed.

"Wow," Ko was in awe. She looked around at the wizards and various magicians. "I thought wizards and magicians were hard to come by."

"Of course they are real," Tsurugi replied. "Many things you find mysterious or don't understand exist everyday on a totally different plain."

"How do we train here anyway? It's boring and there is nothing to fight," Hiroshima complained, but after he spoke a blood-curdling scream was produced.

"As you were saying?" Tsurugi disregarded the scream and looked to Hiroshima, who smirked.

"Let's go," the angel smirked mischievously as his partner nodded and the two ran off together.

"Wait!" Azmy cried, taking off after them.

"What should we do?" Chichiri looked to Ko for an answer.

"Why are you looking at me?" Ko asked, a little irritated that he didn't even try to find an answer to his question.

"Follow them," Undine got up and ran after Keiji and Fife who were already running.

"What can we do?" Fife looked to Undine.

"The best we can," Keiji responded with determination. "This is training, right? And I wouldn't want them to think we're weak or they'd just think badly of us. Are you still hurt?" His gaze turned to Fife.

"A little, but I can manage," Fife didn't really want Keiji to worry about him.

"Then stand back and I'll protect you," above all things, Keiji was bound and determined to keep his promise.

X.I.

"It's begun…Ceres."

The dark haired girl kissed one of her male slaves passionately, then turned to the direction of the voice. "Yes, my mistress?"

"Now is the time," Soel spoke. "My plans have been set into motion. The first assault has been made."

"About time," Ceres replied in her usual seductive and low voice, happy that she didn't have to wait anymore to carry out her part of the mission, but then pouted, “but sadly I must leave my wonderful slaves."

"If you can carry out my plans successfully, you can have any one of them you want, except Hiroshima, as a slave," Soel told her in monotone. It was a promise that she could do well on. Surely it would pique her interest.

"Oh! Wonderful! I can't wait to check them out in person! I'm on my way!" She said in an excited tone and jumped back into the wall, fading into it as she disappeared from sight.

"Do you think this is a good idea, Soel?" A man dressed in a white suit asked from a comfortable white couch spoke to her. He had shoulder length stringy hair that was of pale sea foam green. Parts of his body were robotic and others were human. His eye was a round red reflective surface; he also had a bird beak, a metal hand and large, metal wings that closely resembled angels.

"Everything has a purpose. No matter how small. Soon…He will be mine…" Soel spoke as a small smile graced her features and the man looked at her from across the room.

X.I.

Masses of people ran around in hysteria. Populace was running and screaming as they tried to escape from the large vines that crawled through the city, all connected to a large plant that was centered in the middle of town. It was large and had several vines and large pink flowers protruding from the top of it. There was a band of wizards and other beings tried to stop them by shooting beams of magic and casting spells but the plants kill, eat and smash them. Their dead bodies lay everywhere in the town, fallen heroes that were casualties to their cause.

Hiroshima and the others stood amongst the carnage as people ran past them in fright, screaming and panicking as their village was under attack.

"All these people," Ko looked around at the citizens and spoke lowly and sympathetically with sorrow in her eyes. It seemed as if no matter where they went, everyone was dead or dying. She had just gotten over the Kabuto incident and not long after she was plunged into this place. When would she be able to get her mind off of this subject?

"We're supposed to defeat that?!" Chichiri had a flipped out look on his face as he pointed up to the gigantic plant with a shaky finger.

"Got a problem with that?" Hiroshima swung his sword over his shoulder and turned to him with an enticed look on his face, as if going into battle were a great joy to him.

"I have many problems with that!" Chichiri yelled in disbelief. "How are we supposed to fight these things!?"

"Think of a way, this is your training," Hiroshima told him.

"Look out!" Azmy screamed, holding her balled fists up to her face as a vine landed in the midst of the group. Debris were flung about and a large cloud of dust was visible. The vine had headed straight for Chichiri and Hiroshima, but no form of life could be seen.

"Hiro-kun!" Tsurugi yelled as they all were covered by small debris and dust.

"Oh no!" Fife called out and Undine looked slightly surprised, eyes only widening a small amount.

"Chichiri!" Ko screamed in dismay as she saw what had befallen him.

To Be Continued…