Sorcerer Stabber Orphen Fan Fiction ❯ It's in the Blood ❯ Prologue ( Prologue )

Disclaimer: The usual, I don't own any of the characters in SSO.

This is set after Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: Revenge. This is based off the Anime only and the English ADV versions at that. Warning Spoilers!

Prologue

Night at the Tower of Fang, Lai was in his chambers in a fitful sleep. He was having the same dream that had plagued him every night for the last week. The visions began with a shadowy figure causing a stone seal, covered in indecipherable runes, to crack and shatter. This was followed by visions of whole cities leveled and crumbling, people screaming in terror, and over everything, a pair of red, inhuman eyes. These visions faded. He heard a drop, drop, drop like a single raindrop into a bucket, but to his horror, it wasn't water dripping, but blood. This shifted to a tearful Krylancelo, running towards something Lai couldn't see, as Hartia attacked an enemy, also unseen, and, as the dream ended, he saw a faint fuzzy image of what appeared to be a funeral. Lai woke up in a cold sweat.

He got out of bed, knowing he would not get anymore sleep that night. He'd already brought these disturbing visions to the Elders. Although they claimed they were concerned, their general attitude was that since Krylancelo was in the vision, the entire vision was corrupted and false. Lai, however, felt that all aspects of the vision were critical to the future of the tower. These visions were interfering with not only his sleep, but also his normal scrying duties for the Tower. Lai knew that Azalie, the newest of the Masters and adoptive sister to Krylancelo, did not agree with their decision. So it was to her he went.

Lai stopped at her door, hesitating to knock, for he could sense that her toddler, and his former master, Childman, had just been put in his crib after a difficult night. Sensing his presence, Azalie opened the door and said quietly, "Again?" Lai nodded.

Azalie was torn. She knew her duty as one of the Masters at the Tower, and, if the Elders decided not to help or investigate, she couldn't openly go against them. Even so, if it were within her power, she would not allow any harm to come to her "brother", especially after he'd given up so much to save her. "I can't go against the will of the Elders. After you'd told me you were continuing to have the visions, I tried again to convince them to investigate. I was told no." Azalie winced at the memory. Actually, they'd told her that Krylancelo was a renegade, would always be a renegade, and, if she wanted to continue to have a place for her and the `abomination', then she'd better not go against their will. However, she knew a way around that, so with a sly wink, she said "Lai, I know this is greatly disturbing you. Why don't you go talk to Hartia about it? Telling a friend should help you clear the vision from your mind and make you feel better." `Me too,' she thought to herself, because she knew Hartia would take action, or rather, Black Tiger would. Lai smiled, understanding what she couldn't say, and left her chambers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Orphen woke up in the middle of the night, to see someone standing by the foot of his bed. Once again, it was Cleo. She was sleepwalking, and shaking like a leaf. He waved his hands in front of her face, to make sure she was really out of it. He picked her up and carried her back to her room. As he was putting her back in her bed, she muttered the same thing she's said each night for the last week, "Got to stop him…."

Orphen sighed, "Who, Cleo?", but she only restlessly repeated, "Got to stop him…" Concerned, he watched her for a few moments before he returned to his room.