Last chappie! I think. XD It's 10:44 and I'm back at S tomorrow, but I'm pretty much sure I've quit Wal-mart…and I played hooky the past two days so yeah…I can make more money working less hours at S, and it'll give me some time off. Two days off a month is just killer, especially when I end up running errands on those days anyway. _ Which is good news for my writing now XD Mmm. Let's see. Yes, this should be the last chap. But let's see if I fall asleep or not _ it was going to be quite long but I'd like to finish before tomorrow without staying up all night…*must be up in seven hours* XD
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"You know, I did come all this way. You could pretend to be a bit more grateful." Duke Rufus Barma said with a bit of a huff as he leaned back in the chair he occupied while Liam stood by his side.
Gilbert and Break had remained in the room with Alice and Oz, and a couple of hours later, the expected Duke arrived. Apparently he had some information, but he needed to see Oz and Alice to confirm a few things, hence his arrival rather than a demand that they visit him. Oz and Alice hadn't stirred, nor had they returned to see Lucero, and not once had Gilbert left Oz's side, not until Barma had arrived and they'd withdrawn to the parlor.
"Just tell us what you know, that's what you came here for, isn't it?" Gilbert growled He had his own reasons to dislike Barma, such as his near-attack on Sharon, and his little incidents. But furthermore, he was testy at the moment, on edge with his worry for his young master, and even…a bit for that stupid rabbit.
Barma frowned at Gilbert before he shrugged. "That…and other things. But first I'll need to see the pair of them, to be sure."
"But you suspect something, don't you?"
Barma fell silent a moment before he spoke up. "Did you know that not all Chains were born in the Abyss?"
"What?" Gilbert's brow furrowed and Break frowned slightly, while Liam blinked in surprise.
"Indeed. When an illegal contractor is dragged into the lowest level of the Abyss, their fate isn't certain. But a good many of them lose their way and become consumed by the Abyss, and become Chains themselves. It is not a difficult or unusual process, as I understand. And humans who give up enough of themselves to the Abyss, or as you know-form contracts, can utilize Chain-like influence as well."
"But what does that have to do with Oz and the stupid rabbit? Oz's incuse hasn't…made a full revolution."
"…I'll need to see them first." Barma repeated and Gilbert's jaw clenched slightly.
"It's all right, Gilbert-kun, if his grace wishes to see them, then of course we will oblige…" Break said with a smile.
Once they had reached the bedroom and headed in, they found Oz and Alice, both still unconscious.
Gilbert's gaze softened sadly as he moved to Oz's bedside again. Yet again, he was separated from his young master. He'd spent five years by the other's side once, would he ever surpass that, or would he always lose the other somehow?
"I see." Barma examined both Oz and Alice, he tested their respective pulses and eyes, and prodded a few places. "And all you know is that the Abyss was activated somehow? All for you." his gaze slid to Gilbert. "All of these pawns line up to fall for their king, but in the end, the king sacrifices himself for a mere knight. Chess is not your master's game, it seems. Or is it? I wonder. Perhaps he simply playing by a different set of rules." Barma mused.
Gilbert's hands clenched lightly. This man…he really…did not like this man.
"Then, do you know what happened?" Break queried.
"…Their bodies are here, but I don't believe there's more than that left."
Gilbert's eyes widened. "What are you…saying?"
There was a cough from behind Barma and Gilbert's eyes shot to the bed where Oz began to wake up. He clutched at his chest as he gave several wracking coughs and clenched his fist in a handful of blanket.
"Oz!" Gilbert darted to his side and sat beside him as he put a hand on the other's back. "Oz! You're awake…" his relief was nearly palpable, but the hope within him died the moment that the other looked up.
Emerald eyes gazed back at him, but it wasn't Oz behind those eyes.
"Sorry, Gil." Jack Vessalius said softly. "But I'm not Oz."
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There it was again…that sensation. That unfamiliar soul that made the air taste…strange. That power… A soul like that…
Lucero slid up from the bed and smirked faintly down at the hand cuffs. Magick had never been his forte prior to becoming a necromancer, but what magician couldn't pull an escape trick or two? He closed his eyes and with a wince, clenched his hands and with a tug, slid them free of the restraints. Lucero knew that it would be in his best interest to run, but he wanted to see that soul…and he had to make sure that Oz Vessalius was alright…
"Vess…alius?""Yes. There are four ducal houses. Nightray. Barma. Rainsworth. Vessalius. Once long ago, there was another in the place of Vessalius, the house of Baskerville. Each has it's own head Duke or Duchess."
"Ohh…so dukes are important? We have to listen to them?"
"…Well, we're supposed to, in a way. But in truth, the houses of Nightray and Barma have strayed. As for Rainsworth and Vessalius…should you ever meet someone of those houses especially, I want you to run."
"Run…how come, Father?"
"Because if they catch you, they will never let you go."
Sharon Rainsworth was annoyed. And why? Because she hadn't been informed of anything at all. She'd heard about the Nightray attack from her maids before she even heard it from Pandora, and furthermore, for no one to have mentioned that Oz and Alice hadn't awoken and were at her estate…did Break think he was protecting her somehow? But it wasn't like him to patronize her this much, so what went on? Sharon bumped into someone and pulled back, startled.
A pair of surprised violet-eyes stared down at her and Sharon felt her cheeks warm faintly as she stared up at the young man before her…he was handsome, with the sort of roguish look one of the rakes in her books might have.
Lucero gazed down at the young woman before him. She was young yet, but quite the piece. And such lovely eyes, the color of amber…
There were footsteps behind him and he cursed as he grabbed the young woman and pulled her into a little space behind a suit of armor where he covered his mouth with hers in a kiss as he held her close and waited for the guards to pass. He felt the girl stiffen and go still, and when the guards had passed he pulled back and pulled away with a bow. "Forgive the impertinence, lady. If the time comes that I may serve you in some way, you have but to ask."
"W-What?" Sharon's cheeks were flaming red, she was faintly dazed from what had just happened.
Lucero's gaze softened as he chuckled, and leaned forward to press a soft kiss to her cheek. "I am in your debt, sweetheart, and I always repay my debts." with a bow, he was gone and left a stunned Sharon in his wake. Lucero headed off to seek out the soul, and assumed that the young woman was likely some noble's daughter.
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"Jack…but.." Gilbert's hands gripped what were currently Jack's shoulders. "Where is Oz?" he demanded, although he had a sinking feeling that he already knew the answer.
"The Abyss." Jack said quietly. "As for Alice…I don't know. I wasn't sure of what Oz had planned right up until he had done it. I understood that someone had spoken with him, but I had been blocked from seeing or hearing the meeting." "Someone?"
"I heard bells ring, and then was in darkness." he murmured.
Barma stared at Jack with a mixture of curiosity and something shrewd. "You are Jack Vessalius?"
Jack's gaze slid to Barma. "I am." he said simply. "And you are Rufus Barma. But you still haven't found what you seek, have you?"
Barma's eyes widened slightly. "How could you possibly-"
"But what about Oz? What happened?" Gilbert demanded and he shook Jack a bit before Jack gently pushed his hands away.
"He drew the Abyss and power into himself, to take it from you. It all had to go somewhere, and it dragged Oz down to the Abyss with it. He didn't fight it, if he had, the destruction that much unchained power might release…or if it went back to you…"
"Oz sent himself to the Abyss…for me?" Gilbert asked, his voice pained.
Jack nodded. "More or less, yes."
The door slid open and three pairs of eyes plus one slid to the doorway. Barma's brow lifted as he examined the new comer before his eyes narrowed slightly as he noted the color of the boy's eyes. "Mr. Regnard…you hadn't mentioned this to me."
"Probably not, my masters are the Rainsworths, after all." Break said with an overly cheery smile, just to further annoy Barma.
Lucero stared back at Barma with a bit of an ill look. "Red-hair and attitude, you must be Duke Barma."
"Violet-eyed and as ill-mannered as your father, you must be one of the Dare brats."
Lucero stiffened and his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch your tongue, your grace, your family is not the only one to hail a line of sorcerers."
"Oooh, I'm trembling." Barma replied with cool amusement.
"Enough." Jack's voice was quiet but the authority it held was unmistakable. "Oz is currently trapped within the Abyss, the sooner he is reached, the better." That was enough to quell the Lucero issue for the moment, and to likewise silence Barma.
Lucero's gaze slid over to Oz's body. There it was, the source of the strange feeling…the soul within was old and powerful.
"But where in the Abyss is he? How can we save him?" Gilbert asked. Without Raven…how could they open the gate?
Jack lifted his gaze to Barma's. "I assume that you already have some idea in that regard."
"Yes…but if you'd care to share yours….?" he said as he gave a bit of a bow. Jack deserved some respect from him, after all.
"Oz is now trapped within the Abyss, sans his own Chain to release him, and this time he's contracted…it's unheard of for an illegal contractor to be in the Abyss prior to the nullification of his contract once the incuse reaches a revolution. Furthermore, as I am in his body, he is trapped as a soul alone…that being the case, there's really only one way to save him and bring his soul back to it's body." Jack said quietly.
"Well? What? How do we save Oz?" Gilbert asked urgently, and he stilled as emerald eyes met his own golden ones.
"You will have to complete a contract with him, I say complete, because you have already begun one by sharing blood…amongst other things."
"…What?" Gilbert asked, uncertain that he understood correctly, because surely the other didn't mean…
"To save Oz Vessalius, you must form a contract with him and bring him home…as your Chain."
"So hurry up, Gil…"
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A bajillion words later…END OF SEGMENT ONE! XD I wanted to cut off at the 'I am Jack' part. But this needed to be done with all at once. XD Yes, the epicness that I have been preparing for…DUN DUN DUN! Stay tuned for the sequel, Chains of Brotherhood. XD It's not really a very 'ending' kind of ending. But it'll do. XD The next one won't pick up from this scene, so it's ending enough. XD Thank you for your support, peeps! I couldn't have done this without youuu~ Now I feel so sad cause I want to keep updating this one. XD And by the by, I fell asleep, but I woke up at 4:20am and it's now 5:55am and I have to get ready for work, but tis done! Muwaha! XD~ Lots of lovenezz from Witchy~