Chapter 81 - The Book of Secrets

[Schwindelmagier]

Chapter 81 - The Book of Secrets

Well, while writing....some things turned out to be different from what I had planned beforehand. I hope you like the chapter though. Truly, I even left some thought-out parts out. For example the torture of Blade. But the way I finally wrote the chapter just didn't allow me to put such a scene in it. Gomen ne. A little bit torture is in it though

"The sky is clouded."
"Maybe we should go inside soon."
"Yeah, let's go, darling."

The words became blurred in Magier's head like the sea that merged together with sand of an abandoned coast. They echoed and ached in her inner, seemingly never willed to stop and free the girl from her pain. She knew that the "darling" was not directed at her but it just had to. No other person in the whole world deserved the love of the doctor more than her. But the truth is guileful and many a fate hard to bear.

Magier reached out for her most and only precious person but the distance between them seemed to increase and increase like the pain in her heart. No matter how desperate she screamed, the doctor did not turn around, his hand still resting on the shoulder of the beautiful blonde woman at his side. How much sorrow could a single person swallow before she collapsed and crumbled down inside, a broken hourglass alike?
Rain dropped down the Noah's face when she followed the man and his company in a hurry but the ground was slippery and the wooden crutch the girl had to use due to a broken right leg, could not find support, slipped away and let the girl landing ungently on the wet cobblestone. When Magier lifted her torso in order to take a look at the doctor and hoped for a possible notice of her appearence right behind him, she was surprised yet eased that he really stopped. A smile occured on her face and she was just about to stand up, still suffering from the pain in her leg, when the doctor turned around and revealed the head of Jacque instead that of the doctor. And at his side, the most disgusting person Magier could ever imagine. Gabrielle's hair blew in the upcoming wind and rain caressed her body that was constricted by a white, flounced dress. Her smile was mischievous, her grip around Jacque's forearm tight. Magier's look however was empty. She could not avert a gaze as if an unknown strength forced her to bear what was true, a love she could never gain. The two persons' faces that stared at her with a disgusted look, approached each other until the lips touched that of the other one. The female Noah screamed but no sound found the way out of her mouth up to the point she woke up from this nightmare.

Magier quickly sat up, gasping badly. Her head and leg ached the way they did on that very day. It was a nightmare buried deep within her pitiful soul and unable to vanish, no matter how hard she tried. The Noah decided to get some fresh water to drink. She threw on something lightly and went out of her little bed-chamber. Heading towards the close stream that joined a lake not far away from the camp, the girl looked like a beautiful ghost, the light white clothing caressing her fragile, pale body. She was just about to cool her hot forehead when she felt a familiar presence behind her back what caused her to turn around immediately and to face, not as expected Amaterasu, but Jacque who was sitting on a bench. How did he get there without her noticing him? Magier stared at Jacque for seemingly several minutes -the silence was overwhelming- when she perceived a glass with a clear liquor that danced in the darkness of the night.
"Is this...alcohol?", Magier asked, pointing at it. The priest lifted his head and removed a single strand of hair from his forehead.
"It is", he said nodding, "Wanna have a gulp? It's tasty."
Magier stepped back, surprised by the sudden change of her beloved brother. He had sworn abstinence, including the consumption of alcohol. Magier was puzzled by the behaviour of her brother who drank, ambushed girls deep in the night and faced his own sister with such a silky smile on top of that. She wanted to diverge further from the Noah for any reason, however Jacque was faster, grasped her wrist and pulled the girl towards him. Something stirred among the bushes close to them but before both could risk a look, the marplot was gone.

Magier sat on Jacque's lap which was covered by a white priest robe. His personality had changed as well as his clothing. A dark priest robe turned into a white one, a strict and rules-loving nature into a nonchalant disposition. Had he been like this his whole lifetime, his true nature just suppressed by the collar of his former robe?
The man downed the drink with one gulp and his eyes reflected the puddle of alcohol at the bottom of the glass before his look wandered to Magier in order to observe and analyze the girl's body. For a brief moment, Magier swore that her brother's look had paused at her pulsative chest for several seconds. Now however, he stared into her dark eyes.
"Tell me of your nightmare!"
Magier almost shrinked back. How did he know? Before she was able to ask him, the priest answered as if reading her mind.
"I watched you several times. And every time you walk to the water, be it a lake or a simple stream, you seem to look sad and kinda...scared of something. So I was worried and observed you. It has something to do with the person who took care of you when you weren't a Noah, am I right?"

Magier's eyes widened. His knowledge of things he actually shouldn't know scared her. Not taking notice of Magier's fright, he continued.
"You may not remember but I was there. I was on the graveyard when you buried your most precious person, just accompanied by the rain as it seemed but in actual fact kept tabs by the Earl...and me. Your soul was broken, your mind in uproar."
"S-stop, please....", Magier muttered and tears dropped down her pale face: Her lips were trembling, her body shuddering. But he didn't stop.
"Every action, every centimeter your hands tunneled their way through the wet dirt and every tear that joined your wrought-up feelings was a further step that led you to what you are now: a Noah. Thus, it was necessary to-"

"S...stop..."
Magier's mumbling was like a drop in the bucket. It took her all effort to suppress the tears but they just kept on dropping. Jacque's strange voice echoed in her head, over and over again, not willed to stop like the nightmare wasn't to do so either. His voice just broke through the wall of unruly tears.
"...necessary to kill your most beloved person in the world."

[FLASHBACK]

"I'll be back soon. Just rest for a spell", the doctor said gently and kissed the girl on the cheek. "Though, I still wonder why you fell down the stairs and broke your leg."
Magier stared embarrassed at her feet. One foot was covered by bandages, supported by a crutch. Dark clouds passed by the window yet they didn't constituted a threat for a good walking. The man took his cylinder, changed his white coat into a long brown one. He nodded, signifying that he would leave now.
When the door snapped, Magier let herself fall onto the white-sheeted bed from where she could watch the sky, counting the flouting clouds. Hours passed by and in the meanwhile, the sky had turned into a sea of white and grey.
Magier lifted herself when she heard a familiar voice. She kneeled down on the bed the best she could in order to look through the blurred window. Her eyes widened, her heart shattered.

"The sky is clouded", said the doctor and affronted a beautiful young woman.
"Maybe we should go inside soon", the woman said, looking at the sky above their heads and wrapped up in her dress the best she could. The doctor took his coat and enclosed her with it. A thankful look and a kiss on the mouth followed.
"Yeah, let's go, darling", the doctor said and wanted to lead the woman to his house when he heard an ungently bounce and turned around. Magier had slipped due to the disability of her leg and had fallen down the little stair that led to the front door of the doctor's house that was his office at the same time. The doctor approached her accompanied by the rain that had come up. He wanted to help her up and take a look at her leg but he was pushed away by the girl who tried to head towards the woman who, and this had been her decisive mistake, wanted to catch the girl in order to save her from falling again. Blood spilled and covered the street, dipping it into a pretty, shining red.
The knife, Magier had rammed into the woman's stomach, was soaked with blood and cut into her own hands. But the girl didn't care. Nothing caused greater amusement than getting rid of the woman who was about to destroy the world Magier had constructed for the doctor and herself. With the last breath disappearing from the marplot's lungs, she had a peaceful life together with the one she loved in contemplation, however she was mistaken. Magier turned around tottering, the knife still in her right hand.
"Now, we can live in peace, darling...", Magier said almost apathetic but the look she earned wasn't what she had expected from the doctor who stared at her as if a lunatic stood in front of him. The smile on her face disappeared and emptiness replaced the shining eyes. She turned her head to look at the dead woman who lay on the wet cobblestone, the brown coat soaked with rain and blood, caressing her body and displaying her beautiful and well-formed body. Yet, she was still more beautiful than Magier could ever be.
"Do you love me?", the confused girl asked the shocked man. But to Magier's misfortune....he shook his head.
"I don't love you."

The world, a world that could have been a place to live, a world where not sadness but happiness ruled, scattered in front of Magier's eyes. All hope was lost and the hour-glass that had been damaged beforehand but was on a good way to heal during the time at the doctors', just bursted into pieces. The shards spread all over the street, cut into the girl's feet and caused endless pain. Were it tears or the rain that rolled down her cheeks? Nobody ever learnt of the truth. The grip around the knife hardened, Magier staggered towards the doctor. She never knew why he hadn't defended himself back that time. It would have been nothing to just push the girl away, call the police and institutionalise the girl. However, he had done nothing of the sort.

Magier felt the warm blood dropping down her wrist and buried her head in the clothings of the person she held dear.
A trembling hand suddenly caressed her head and she lifted it, staring into gracious eyes.
"I do not love you like a normal woman, like the woman you stabbed, my little girl. I love you the way just a big brother can love his little sister. I just...wanted to protect you. Your soul is too fragile to bear the ups and downs of a real, intimate love..."
With the last word spoken, he kissed her on the forehead, then collapsed on the ground, sliding through Magier's arms.

[FLASHBACK | END]

Magier hugged Jacque tightly, hoping for a place to retire. The priest's robe was soaked with tears of pain and sorrow.
A burden of unbelievable heaviness fell off her shoulders when her brother responded her sign.
"I want to protect you, big brother", Magier muttered.
"I never let anyone harm you, Magier-chan", Jacque whispered, enclosed the girl's face with both of his strong hands and kissed her on the lips. With the warmness of the priest flowing through her body, Magier closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep. What also happened in this silent night was something just the priest and a quiet watcher that lurked in the shadows knew of.

Lione stared at the spot where previously two Akuma tried to fight against him and failed. The dust was about to disappear when the exorcist averted his gaze and looked through the room anew in order to find a place to hide or a way to escape. He wanted to analyze the windows when he passed by the huge table and eyed an open book lying on it. The writing was almost inhuman. Lione stared at it with a distorted face until he figured out that he held a log book in his hands. His confusion immediately turned into interest, interest into analysis and analysis into fright. His look wandered to the record date.

24th August, 1723
"I finally won the full confidence of the landlord. He recruited me as temporary help in his little tavern. My plan's panning out in progress. Those stupid townspeople don't know what awaits them."

The rest of the entry seemed to consist of coordinates, directions and scrawly names. Lione flipped the yellowed pages carefully, always in suspense of the next entry.

26th August, 1723
"The act of reprisal comes closer and closer. This town of endless agony is facing its doomsday. Soon, my plan will be realized. I will destroy the place that just brought misfortune upon me. A gibbet for me, a hellfire for them. They still don't know who I am."

Lione stared at the last line and the dream he had experienced after Anlen had kissed him, popped up in his mind. A gibbet? The man slowly sat down, a book in his hands that told an old story buried in the depths of history. He wasn't able to avert his gaze. The black ink on the yellowed pages kept him imprisoned in an ancient world. Just now, he realized for the first time that the ship he was held captive on, the crew and maps, even the fact that Anlen was a pirate captain was just too absurd to be real. Anlen was an individual that should not be allowed to exist. Frightened by this strange log book, Lione flipped the pages anew.

28th August, 1723
"The last step is fullfilled. I now know where the men go for a drink, where the children play and the womens' chitchat takes place. They will face the hellfire and can't avoid it. Their trust in me will push them into the abysm of their own sins. My death is their doom. Tomorrow, everything will be over and the pain will vanish. Forever."

Lione's hands trembled when he flipped the page and looked at an entry that seemingly was written with blood. He did not dare to think about the blood's origin. A feeling that it was certainly not that of Anlen rose within him.

29th August, 1723
"It's finally done! They're dead, the townspeople are dead. Burned, stabbed, shot and beheaded.
But it didn't want to succeed. Why? Why was I unable to hang a single person?! Why was I unable to let them feel the same pain I felt back that time. The feeling of life being pushed away and leaving the body! Every time I approach a gibbet, it makes me sick, I feel giddy and am about to barf. I once even viscerated a human but I can't hang a single one! The pain drives me crazy!
Now, at this lone time when the moon is covered by clouds and just single spots are illuminated on deck, my silvery gun and the single bullet in it are my comforter. The barrel stares at me with its mischievous yet becalming smile.
The stars will be my grave...."

The exorcist touched the last words softly and fear was displayed on his face. His breath went nervously when he read the very last entry.

9th September, 1723
"I tried it....several times. But...
...I can't die..."

Suddenly, a bullet landed in a pile of old papers, documents and maps right behind Lione. He shrinked back, ungently awaking from his state, a bad dream alike, and dropped the fearsome book. He stared at the door and recognized a familiar silhouette. At this particular time, the exorcist wished to be somewhere far, far away. A whole bunch of Akuma was nothing against the person who was entering the stage, joining a drama that most probably would not turn out all right for Lione. Green eyes, deeper than the sea, stared at him pitilessly. Traversed by clouds of smoke, they bandied looks and that of Anlen was definitely the superior one.
"What are ya doing there, landlubber?!", Anlen asked while approaching him. To Lione's gladness, the female Noah put the silvery gun away and hid it somewhere in her coat that blew in the wind which springed up and ran through the open door. "Answer me!"
Before the man could barely open his mouth, she already stood in front of him, arms akimbo. Lione felt kind of captured, no way to escape unscathed. His eyes searched for the log book. Luckily it got buried under bottles of rum and loose paper sheets. He just wondered why there was a fork rammed into the floor when he heard a loud bounce.
For the second time a day, he shrinked back, lifted his head and faced Anlen whose face was barely away from his.
"I said ANSWER ME!", Anlen shouted and collared Lione who was just able to whimper.
"N-nothing particular", Lione answered frightened.
"And I shall believe you this shit?", Anlen said with sarcasm resonating in her voice. "Well, if you don't want to answer, you have to clean the deck after our drinking orgy tonight. Await a long, cold and lonely night, exorcist."

Anlen let go of him, turned her back on him and was about to leave when she stopped, turned her heel and looked at him anew.
"This is just one part of your punishment. There's a second one receivable, after all, you tried to escape from the ship. I will leave it at that nonetheless. But don't expect me to be nice to you every time", Anlen proclaimed and nailed Lione down with her look. "You will soon notice, that I can be crueler than every nightmare you ever had."

Lione nodded and Anlen banged the door behind herself, causing some books to fall from the shelves. The exorcist rummaged around until he found what he searched for. He fished the book out of the mess, observing it again. He decided to keep the book with him and take care of it. It certainly would be of use in the future, maybe even of help to understand Anlen's doings.

Night came faster than expected and soon, Lione hurried from bow to stern, from larboard to starboard just in order to clean the mess the Akuma, southerners and especially Anlen caused. He still could not believe that a 18-years old woman was unable to properly use a knife or a fork, lacked of table manners and displayed a behaviour that scratched at inhumanity. Lione wiped off a puddle of rum when he heard an unknown Akuma talking to the captain. He slowly approached the speakers and hid abaft the mainmast, always guarding against unexpected guests.

"But my master begged you to come, Mistress Anlen."
"It's Captain Anlen, if you please."
"Jacque-sama will behead me when I return without you."
"Ya know what? I'll tell you something now, something you can tell ya master."

Silence occured. But what came out of Anlen's mouth almost caused Lione to barf into the wooden bucket and bestowed the contents of his stomach on the puddle of spilled rum and the wimpy remainings of Anlen's meal. Instead of it, he barely could choke laughter.

"Ya can tell your beloved master Jacque-sama that he can poke his damn family dinner together with this stupid book -how was it called? Bibol, bubo, I guess...- into his damn fuckin' ass!"

Lione risked a look just in time to see the Akuma leaving with a fearful face. He wasn't allowed to disobey the Noahs' orders, so he had to bear Jacque's possible blaze of anger. Lione did not know if he should feel sorry for the pitiful soul but he voted against it when he noticed Anlen approaching him. Thanks to his curiosity, he asked for more trouble.
But to his surprise, Anlen grasped him at the sleeve and asked him to take care of her bottle of rum. He nooded and agreed quietly, curious of Anlen's intention. While Anlen disappeared in her cabin for a few minutes, Lione observed the bottle. Did he just smell acrimoniously herbs mixed with alcohol? Nothing what rum should smell of actually.
Before Lione could inquire further, Anlen stepped out of her cabin, entering the drinking orgy anew with a fiddle in her right hand.
"Heading for a little bit atmosphere here, guys", Anlen announced, set the bow and began to play a funny and entertaining song that even caused Lione to tap with his foot on the wet ground. Maybe Lione's involuntary stay on this pirate ship would turn out to be not as worse as expected.

Well, well....this was it, my chapter. I guess with a little bit imagination, you can think of what happened there between Magier and Jacque while Magier was...kinda doped. And the watcher, I left the decision to you although I can imagine who it might be ^.~...Finally Magier's whole past is told and yeah, she did not know that Jacque dropped his abstinence xD
Yap, you thought right, Anlen put absinth into her drink again. You can be sure that she's really not afraid of Jacque's reaction.

[rhapsody blue]

Buwhahahaha! First to post!

I really liked this chapter because it provided closure to magier's past and indirectly present. The allusion to the jacques's change in personality to his robe was brilliant. Lione and Anlen's interaction = <3 I guess Lione will like the fact that the ship isn't "dry" and he has plenty of access to alcohol. Is he being submissive in order to get more info about the Noahs?

What also happened in this silent night was something just the priest and a quiet watcher that lurked in the shadows knew of.

so is it safe to say that magier is now a grown woman? And I have an idea for the lurker...

[Schwindelmagier]

Is he being submissive in order to get more info about the Noahs?

Who knows, who knows....
But I guess, regarding Anlen's condition after the drinking orgy...he might have a good chance to get some information. But truly, Anlen is not the best source for information about her "family" xD.

[kcampy]

Cool chapter! Magier's past was cool. Anlen doesn't like her family much....