Lost and Almost Forgotten

[Lilani]

Just as a heads up, this is my first FFXI fanfic. No it is not a rendition of the Windurst missions, no it is not cliched, and no it does not revolve around an adventurer. This story ends just before the first Windurst missions, to give you an idea of the time frame. I don't know how long it will take me to finish and how long the chapters will be, but I think you can expect them to be about as long as this one, maybe a bit shorter.

You kinda have to know the nature of the ministers and Windurst and such to fully understand what is going on, also. But I did try and explain the gist of it for you non-Windurstians out there.

And feel free to reply, I will also be putting this up on fanfiction.net when my retarded 3 day waiting period is up.

Happy reading~

Chapter One: The Dungeon, the Sybil, and the Mute

Deep, deep beneath the main floors of Castle Oztroja, the main headquarters of the Yagudo, was a system of dungeons. Small, musty, and gloomy they were, or so most figured at least. The only ones who knew otherwise were the occupants themselves, however, none who had ever been kept in those dungeons had ever left with their lives. Even with this knowledge, the Yagudo were careful and meticulous compared to the other beastmen. They had a second set of dungeons, much more secret and secluded. They had these dungeons to keep very special prisoners, ones who might have others looking for them.

This is also where, towards the end of the Great War, they kept their slaves. The slaves, mostly Tarutaru, were kept in these dungeons so that if Windurst managed to enter the Castle they would most likely not find the slaves before they starved to death. The Yagudo knew the slaves knew a lot of their secrets, and were going to make sure that they never got out.

However, as of late, the Yagudo had made a deal with Windurst. It was basically a non-aggression pact, Windurst would not attack Giddeus or Oztroja and they would not attack Windurst. The Windurstians also gave the Yagudo of Giddeus offerings of their favorite kinds of cherries as a part of the deal, to give them some incentive to follow through with the deal and reassurance that they would uphold their end of the bargain as well. The Windurstians went along with this idea, not wanting a repeat of what happened 20 years ago in the Great War. They acted like they loved the arrangement, all to not risk another war; for the wounds they received during that horrible war have still not healed.

A young Tarutaru girl, not older than 16, was being held in those secret dungeons of Oztroja. She sat in that horrible dungeon curled up in a corner, meditating, trying to help her most recent wounds heal faster. However, even deep in meditation, she was still very conscious of her surroundings. She had to, she was never warned ahead of time when the Yagudo would want to take her out and force her to do meaningless tasks for their own amusement. The Yagudo also knew she never made a sound, and promised her that if she were to make a vocal noise refusing to do the work they would let her go. They simply knew that she would never make a sound, and taunted her so.

However, this day was to be different....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"No, no, no!"

The minister of the Orastery, Ajido-Marujido, scolded the student as he cringed.

"W-what is it Minister?" the young Tarutaru asked, wondering what he had done wrong this time. He did the spell just as he was instructed, and carried it out just as the others around him had.

"Can you notaru see it yourself, or have you blinded yourself this time? You barely hit that target, in fact, I'd say you weren'taru aiming for it at all!" The minister ranted on. "It takes focus, you need to make sure you hit that target exactly in order to not hit anyone elsy-welse! Try it again," Ajido-Marujido ordered the mage to be. The young man sighed and turned to the target once more, focusing on the center of the orb parallel to him on the other side of the room. If he were to hit the core of the orb with the spell, the orb would glow red.

He cast the spell, and surely enough the orb glowed a bright crimson. Ajido nodded in approval and left the room, just far enough away to not hear the students sigh in relief.

Ajido-Marujido went to his main study, the room in the Orastery specifically designated for the minister. He glanced at his delivery box, not expecting anything to be in the holes, but spied a small sheet of paper. He centered the spectacles on his nose and approached the box. It was a letter, and was sealed with the seal of the Star Sybil. He ripped open the envelope quickly and read the short letter within:


The Star Sybil of Windurst requests the presence of all five Ministers in Heaven's Tower by 16:00 this day of Watersday. The matter is both very urgent and is of strange circumstances. Please report no later than the time given.
–Semih Lafinah, head of the Sybil Guard of Windurst

Ajido cocked an eyebrow as he glanced over the letter once more, and then glanced up at the clock. It was 15:36. He turned around, set the letter on his already cluttered desk, and strolled out of the room.

As Ajido turned in Windurst Waters to make his way to Windurst Walls he spied Tosuka-Porika, minister of the Opistery. Although they were acquaintances, and shared equal diplomatic power, they were not the best of friends. He simply looked by Tosuka and gazed at the Great Star Tree, up where the chambers of the Star Sybil were, and wondered what the "matter" could possibly be. It was only once in a blue moon that the Star Sybil would request the attention of all five ministers of Windurst, after all.

The five ministers of Windurst were gathered in the top floor of Heaven's Tower, awaiting the Star Sybil do emerge from her chambers to brief them on this mysterious "matter" that had arisen. Tosuka-Porika of the Opistery, Sedal-Godjal of the Aurastery, Rukukusu of the Rhinostery, Apururu of the Manustery, and of course Ajido-Marujido of the Orastery. They stood just before a large glowing and floating rock that was the shape of a plate, that served as a bridge over the star spring and to the Sybil's chambers themselves. The ministers had been waiting for twenty minutes, and were beginning to feel impatient, though they did all they could not to disrespect the Star Sybil.

Then, they saw the door of the vestal chambers crack open, and then slowly open further. Then emerged the Semih Lafinah, the Mithra who was head of the Sybil's guards. She turned to the ministers and signaled them to come to her. They did so, and then she gestured her hand to the open door and nodded. She wanted them to enter the Sybil's vestal chambers. They nodded back and did so.

They went up the stairs, and about faced to see the Star Sybil herself, who as of late, had not shown her face in public for a long while. She was staring at a makeshift bed that had been placed in the room, and turned to face the ministers.

"Come, look at this," she said, with just a hint of worry in her voice. The ministers did so.

In the bed was a small, half-starved Tarutaru girl, who by her appearance, was nearly dead. She was pale, thin, and was covered in bruises and scars. Her hair was a pale orange, but was matted and looked as if it had not ever been cared for. Her breathing was struggled, but eerily silent.

"This young lady was found in Tahrongi Canyon, just outside of Meriphitaud Mountains. She was found by an adventurer unconscious. According to what he said, he did not expect her to make it to Windurst," she explained, as she gently touched the girl's hair. "That is not all. The reason I called all of you forth, was because of this." The Sybil took her hand and gestured to some gauze that was wrapped around the top of the girl's right arm. She then took hold of it and slowly unwrapped it, to reveal what was hidden underneath. The ministers nearly gasped at what they saw.

It was the religious mark of the Yagudo, and it was branded on her right arm. Not only that, but there were slits in her skin outlining it; a tradition of the bird-like people that represented ownership.

"That," she stated, "is why I called you here. This girl was a slave of the Yagudo, and they clearly told us that they had none in their possession. And, under our peace agreement, they were to have none." A worried look flashed across her face. "The stars have shown me nothing like this, and no matter how many times I try, I cannot see peace between our kind and theirs," she elaborated on.

Ajido-Marujido decided to take a chance. "Perhaps...ourselves and the Yagudo...were simply notaru meant to cooperate with each other," he stated, almost wincing at what he'd just said. No one had ever openly questioned the idea of peace before, especially in front of four ministers and the Star Sybil. The other ministers looked at him, wide-eyed and not sure of what would happen next. The Sybil looked back at the girl and remained silent for a moment.

"She has been severely abused; her back shows signs of whipping and there are countless bruises and scars all over her body," she whispered, trying to change the subject.

She turned back towards the ministers. "I...have chosen not to take immediate action on this. We will wait for her to wake up and find out what happened. Perhaps...it was just a misunderstanding. However, I did want to inform you of this, in case we do have to take action...." she said.

There was then a sound of shuffling behind the Sybil. She turned and looked a the girl. She was stirring, and feeling around herself. Her eyes slowly opened, and she slightly jumped at the sight of the Star Sybil. She arose as quickly as her body would allow, and looked over at the ministers. She was flabbergasted at where she was, glancing around at her surroundings. She then looked at her upper right arm, and her eyes widened at the mark that was there. She immediately covered it up, as if she did not want them to know it was there.

"Calm down, child. You are in Heavens Tower, and I am the Star Sybil. These are the ministers of Windurst, Tosuka-Porika, Apururu, Sedal-Godjal, Ajido-Marujido, and Rukususu." she told the girl, as she laid a hand on her arm.

The girl's lips moved, although sound did not come out. She seemed to say "Heavens Tower..." although no one in the room could be certain. "What is your name?" the Sybil asked, as she looked into the girl's surprised–and slightly afraid–eyes.

The girl shook her head and pointed to her mouth, which was partially open already.

"You cannot speak?" the Sybil asked, now showing a face of concern again. The girl nodded. The ministers were all showing different expressions on their faces, ranging from shock, to concern, to curiosity, and to sheer confusion.

"I see," the Sybil said, and then she reached out to the girl's hand that was covering the mark on her right arm. The girl lurched backwards on the bed, and nearly fell off of the back. Her head thumped the wall next to her and her mouth opened, appearing to shout. Again, no sound came out. Apururu approached her from the back of the bed.

"Please, calm down dearie-wearie, we mean you no harm!" she kindly said, as she comfortingly reached out to touch her shoulder. The girl forced herself away from Apururu, violently shaking her head left and right at the minister.

"Zere is no reazon to be afraid, my dear, we only wish to ‘elp you recover," Rukususu told the girl in her strange accent. The teary-eyed girl simply looked at Rukususu and shook her head again.

"What is wrong, child, why are you shaking your head?" the Sybil asked again. It was then that Semih Lafinah made herself known. She had been watching the scene from the other side of the room.

"Ma'am, would you like me to get some paper and a pen for the girl to write with? Perhaps she can communicate with us through paper rather than words," she suggested, as she approached the area of the bed.

"Would you be willing to write your story down on paper for us?" the Sybil asked the frightened girl. The girl thought about it for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, I am very sadistic. I am leaving you at a cliffhanger

Thank you for reading, I'll update whenever I can.

[Kutu]

.*demands more*.

[Lilani]

After many hours of typing, adjusting, retyping, etc. I finally have chapter two done! Forget what I said about shorter chapters, I believe this one is longer than the last. Enjoy

Chapter Two: Broken Silence

Of the five races of Vana'diel, the Tarutaru are the least expected to remain silent in a social situation. Most of them are outspoken, which is highly contradictory to their size. There are, of course, plenty of shy Tarus, but the majority will not hesitate when given the opportunity to share their thoughts. Relatively, muteness is the least expected birth defect of the Tarutaru. Blindness, deafness, mental retardation–all of them have been seen more than muteness. There is only one other case that has ever been reported in their kind, but even that is only an old wive's tale.

So of course the Star Sybil and the five ministers would be shocked of a mute Tarutaru showing up half dead and abandoned in Tahrongi Canyon. However, even that is dwarfed by the mark of the Yagudo on her right arm, surrounded by the mark of a slave.

Is she naturally mute, or is it a curse? Was it really the Yagudo who put those marks on her arm, or someone who wants to break up the ties between them and Windurst? Why was she in Tahrongi Canyon in the first place? Why didn't her captors simply kill her, rather than abandon her and risk her finding safety?

All of these questions vexed the Sybil and the ministers. Ajido-Marujido was particularly interested in the girl's story, though for different reasons than the others. He already didn't like the arrangement between Windurst and the Yagudo. He greatly distrusted them, and did not believe that they truly sought peace. He figured that if her tale did in fact involve the Yagudo, that might be some grounds to more openly oppose the treaty.

Semih Lafihna soon returned with a small stack of blank paper, a quill, and an ink bottle, which were sitting on a smooth wooden tray. She then handed the tray to the girl, who put it on her lap. The girl then put a sheet of the paper from the stack onto the other side of the tray, took up the quill, dipped it in the ink, and began writing.

Ajido-Marujido almost instantly noticed that she wrote very quickly, and soon everyone in the room noticed it too. Like lightning she dipped the quill in the ink, wiped the excess off on the lip of the bottle, and wrote again. She repeated this cycle over and over again, effortlessly and swiftly. She stared at the page as she wrote intensely, as though hypnotized in deep, deep thought and recollection. It wasn't long before she had filled up the first page on the stack. With tears held up in her eyes, she handed the page to Semih Lafihna, who read it aloud:

"My name is Chykisasa." Semih looked at Chykisasa–who had already begun writing on the next piece of paper–to see if she had pronounced the name right. She nodded, and Semih continued.

I am 16 years and 52 days old, given that today is Earthday. My parrrents were traveling bards. Seven years and 147 days ago I was with them while they toured. We were crossing through Meriphataud Mountains to come back to Windurst. We werrre attacked by some Yagudo who had been following us that day. They gave their lives protecting me, and I was captured and taken to Castle Oztroja.

The Yagudo first wanted to sacrrrifice me to their god, but their king said sacrificing one so young would be sacrilegious. Their rrreligion prohibits the killing of children unless they have seen a sign that shows otherwise. They forced me into being a slave, and branded and marked my right arm. The brand was supposed to rrremind me of my fate to be sacrificed to their god, and the cuts to remind me of my servitude to them. They forced me to do horrrible things. They promised me freedom if I were to vocally refuse to do the work. Of course, I was never able to do that, so the years drrragged on.

Semih Lafihna stopped; it was the end of the page. She looked down at Chykisasa, who held out a second piece of paper. This time she did not begin writing on another page. Semih read the contents of the letter:

The last day I was there they never came to get me until late in the day, which was odd. They usually got me up unbearably early, interrrupting my sleep. They took me to the highest part of Castle Oztroja and put me before their king. He said he would let me go, but under one condition. I could never rrreturn to Windurst, or tell anyone that I was ever at the Castle. He said that if I was wondering why, it was because he wanted to be merciful and to be nice to the Tarutaru; his frrriends. And the next sentence he said warned me that if I were ever found anywhere near Windurst I would be killed on the spot. I would have spat on him if I had any in my mouth to sparrre.

They took me to the main floor, cut me loose, and threw me to the ground. They kicked me and told me to start rrrunning. I ran, and ran, and ran. I passed goblins, damselflies, and all matter of creatures who simply watched me go by. After I ran for what seemed like miles I collapsed, silently screaming for help. Then I woke up here. I don't know what happened inbetween.

Semih looked up from the paper, tears swelling in her own eyes. The room was dead quiet for ages, or so it felt to the persons in it. The Star Sybil had her head down and hands clasped together, deep in thought. The ministers either had their eyes closed in thought, or were aghast and trying to find the words to say. Chykisasa was curled up on the bed with her head resting on her knees. She watched the tears from her own eyes drip down and soak into the linen of the sheets as the memories of her past flooded back, as she was no longer able to hold them back. The labor the Yagudo put her through kept her mind off of the sight of her parents, but now....

"I'm...sorry," the Star Sybil said, cutting the silence, though it was barely above a whisper. "I see why you were so frightened." Chykisasa wiped her tears with her arm. She then picked up the quill and began writing on the paper.

Semih Lafihna looked down and read what she saw, "It's alright, it's not your fault. I just don't know what to do now."

The Sybil smiled, and looked at the girl. "It seems the Yagudo did not taint your heart. We'll help you recover from this, first starting with these wounds." She then looked at the ministers, who had been watching in perfect-though curious-silence. "I want none of you to share what has happened here. There is no need to confuse the Windurstians and make them distrust the Yagudo. For the time being, nothing has come between the bond between us and them."

Chykisasa looked her with a very confused–and almost frightened–face. The Sybil explained, "You see...just recently, us of Windurst and the Yagudo have come to a peace agreement, and we have signed a treaty."

Chykisasa's eyes widened and she quickly scribbled more down on the paper, and Semih read it again, "I'm sorry about what I said about the Yagudo." When the Sybil heard this, she simply smiled again.

"You had every right to be angry, and I am sorry that we are taking no action. However, this agreement is already on thin ice as it is, so I simply don't want to risk a feud...." Her voice trailed off, she was confused on how she should put it.
The girl wrote two words, "I understand." The Sybil kept smiling when she heard this.

"You will remain in Heavens Tower for the time being, as you recover from your wounds. Whenever you feel you are ready you may leave, and we will find living arrangements for you. I'm guessing know of no relatives you can stay with?" Chykisasa shook her head, and wrote more on the paper.

"Thank you, I'll trrry not to be too much of a burden."

"Do not worry about it, the last thing you will ever be is a burden," the Sybil reassured her, as she turned to Semih Lafihna. "Semih, could you please show Chykisasa to where the food prepared for her is? I'm sure she is famished." She turned to Chykisasa, "Do you think you can walk?" The girl nodded as she scooted herself towards the edge of the bed. She then slowly let herself down to the ground, but her legs gave and she went to her knees. A few of the ministers stepped forward to help, but Semih got to her first.

"Careful, now. Are you sure you can stand?" Semih asked, as she knelt down and offered her hands to the girl. She nodded, took Semih's hand, and pulled herself up. She then took a few wobbly steps forward, and then regained her center of balance and walked on her own to the stairs, slightly limping on her right side however.

"Hrrmmm...a strong girl she is," Tosuka-Porika observed as she dissapeared behind the wall that surrounded the staircase. Semih quickly followed up to her to show her the way. "Even though she has been through so much, she still finds the intuition to go on. Simply amazing...hrm...." he put a hand up to his chin in thought as he said this.

The Star Sybil called her attention to the ministers once more, "You all may leave now. Remember, do not tell a soul about this girl until she is ready. I remember when she first visited Windurst 10 years ago. She was born mute, and when she came here with her parents no one would leave her alone. They wanted to see for themselves the ‘mute child'. She was swarmed with so much attention that she hid in her house with her parents, until they went back on tour, when she went away with them." She clasped her hands together once more. "With these recent events, I do not want this to happen again. She will come out when she is ready, but I will not let this concern her until she is ready to accept it. Thank you for coming, and may the stars guide you well."

And with that, she gestured in farewell as the ministers filed out of the Vestal Cambers.

"Fascinating..." Ajido-Marujido thought to himself as he approached the stairs of the chambers; he was the last one in the line to leave. However, his train of thought was interrupted.

"Ajido-Marujido, wait a moment, if you would please," the Star Sybil said, just as he was about to leave. He turned around, looked at her, and slowly approached, not exactly sure how to react to this sudden attention.

"Yes?" he said, almost hushing his voice so that the other ministers wouldn't hear.

"I know you do not like the arrangement between us and the Yagudo, and I know that you might try and use Chykisasa's story to sway the thought of the Windurstians when they hear about it. Please, do not do this. We need to keep peace as long as we possibly can. And, only Heaven knows what will happen if and when the Yagudo hear about her return here," the Sybil said, staring directly into Ajido's eyes. He opened his mouth to oppose her statement, but she went on, "I am not accusing you of anything, I simply urge you to hold your patriotism down for the time being."

"I...understand," he muttered, still trying to gather the proper words to say. "But, whataru will we do if the Yagudo do try and take drasticaru action? Will we simply stand back and let them takey-wake her?" He questioned. Then he realized he had gone a bit too far for his own good, and braced himself for any reaction.

"We'll decide when the time comes. For now I simply urge you to not let it trouble you too deeply," the Sybil stated. "That is all, you may leave now. Thank you for understanding." She gestured her hand to the stairs. Ajido-Marujido about faced and trotted over to them, contemplating deeply on what he had just been told.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've decided to give you a break, no cliffhangers today :D But don't worry, there is more to come, my friends, much much more!

Double Post Edited:
If you first read the story before I posted this please reread it, I've altered a few things I forgot to change before I copied/pasted it. Sorry

[Lilani]

Ok, I've got this on Fanfiction.net if anybody cares. Here's the link to it: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2974163/1/

I haven't put chapter 2 up yet, I'll do that in a few days to keep the readers of fanfiction.net (if any that is) at bay.

And if you haven't read chapter two (or one) yet read it dangit!

[Rainlily]

I like it good work and keep it up ^.^

[Suichi]

Wow, that's really good.

I've always wanted to write one about my character.. A COR who sails the Gugru Blue or something along the lines of that. ; ;

[Lilani]

Well Suichi, just open a word processor and get at it That's what I did.

I have chapter 3 up on Fanfiction.net, unfortunately their servers are overloaded right now though I'll try and get it on here before I go on vacation. (I'll be gone from the 11th to the 17th, myabe the 18th too).

Double Post Edited:
Ok, here's chapter three, enjoy!

Chapter Three: Nightmares and Anomalies

Chykisasa went to the area of the top floor of Heavens Tower where Zubaba, the Star Sibyl's head handmaiden, to enjoy a hearty meal. A very large and very fresh salad, a baked popoto (with Selbina butter), some chopped dhalmel meat, and six cups of pure water. There was some more for her, but she insisted that that was all she could eat. Then she took a nice, long, hot bath in a washroom that the Star Sibyl only typically used.

The handmaidens redressed her wounds just before she went to bed, and gave her a beautiful night dress and pants to sleep in. When she looked in a mirror to see how she looked, she stared at the gown for a moment, and then glanced at her eyes, and then to her hair. She smiled as she took hold of one of the bright orange and red locks. It's sheen had returned, and for the first time in a very long time, it was freshly combed.

She slept in the same bed that she first awoke in, although it was moved to Zubaba's area of the top floor. She fell asleep almost the second she hit the bed, and slept for over a day. It had been seven years since she had a comfortable mattress and warm sheets to slumber in, after all. She slept in perfect silence, hardly moving a muscle. Even the handmaidens, who were used to seeing the Star Sibyl pass out and sleep for long periods of time, got a bit worried for her when she had slept motionlessly for 20 hours straight. They checked quite a few times to see of she was even still alive. However, at hour 25, they gave in and went to their bunks, which were located in another hidden part of the Tower.

After 28 hours of nonstop and inanimate rest, Chykisasa awoke breathing heavy, and sweat pouring from her forehead. Just after the handmaidens left, she began to have a nightmare. However, this nightmare was just a collaboration of horrible memories from the past seven years, all mixed together and horrifically vivid.

She saw visions of her parents bodies, bloody and mangled; the corridors of Castle Oztroja, teeming with bloodthirsty Yagudo; long whips, covered in warm flesh–her flesh; bright orange fire, being brought closer and closer to her bare skin; oversized buckets and mops, which they threw her in before they made her clean; horrible and moldy food, which she would almost always get sick from; a grave, marked with the seal of the Orastery....

And a scream. An appalling, bone chilling, helpless scream. It got louder, and louder in Chykisasa's ears as she saw more visions.

It got so loud she couldn't take it anymore, and forced herself around and about the bed, until finally she was awake. When she regained consciousness she noticed her mouth was wide open, and the corners were stretched and sore.

"I...was screaming. It was me," she thought to herself, as she closed her mouth and rubbed her cheeks. "Well, screaming in my mind anyway," she realized as she looked around. According to how dark the room was, she knew it was sometime at night. There were also no guards out, she figured that they only stood guard in the daytime.

"I wonder how long I've been out..." she mused. as she took the covers off of herself, turned around, and let her feet hang over the bed she realized that she was not inclined in the slightest of sleeping anytime soon. She decided to see if she could walk.

"Slowly...slowly..." she warned herself as she carefully let her feet down to the floor. When they were there she cautiously shifted her weight onto them. She then realized right ankle had healed faster than she expected. "Those handmaidens must really know what they're doing..."she thought, as she tried to push back the memory of the shackle that had made that scar in the first place.

She then slowly pushed more weight on it, and realized she could walk with it. Then she stepped forward and made her way to the table about 5 feet in front of her; it was the table Yubaba worked from. She still limped a bit, but it didn't hurt very much at all. On the table was a fairly large stack of paper, and the top sheet had some words written on it:

For the use of Chykisasa
–Semih Lafihna

Chykisasa gazed in awe as she looked at what was lying next to it. A fountain pen, a very rare writing utensil in Vana'diel. She had only seen one one other time in her lifetime. She took it up, pulled a sheet of paper from the middle of the stack, and wrote a test sentence:

I am going out to tour Windurst, I'll be back before dawn. I'm sorry if I worried you with all this sleep, thank you so much for everything.
–Chykisasa

The pen wrote as smooth as a square of freshly woven silk cloth. Chykisasa began to walk away from the table, but then grabbed the pen and paper, just in case she would have to communicate with someone. She then walked out of the small room and looked about for an exit. She saw stairs, "Close enough," she thought as she walked over to them. She then proceeded down the obnoxiously long staircase that lead to the bottom floor. She stopped after the firs t long flight to rest, and gaze at some huge gizmo that was floating in the air. She wasn't sure what it was, but she figured it was something to study the stars with. Once she caught her breath she was off again.

When she finally got to the bottom of the long stairwell she stopped at a door, which lead to the main service desk of Heavens Tower. It glowed with a subtle, but also vibrant, translucent blue light. Cautious as ever, Chykisasa approached the door and slowly pushed it open, being careful not to make a sound. When it was cracked just enough for her to sneak through she did so, and just as carefully closed the door. She looked around the room for a minute, and then headed over to the door on the wall to her right.

When she got through there, she gazed at her surroundings. The main floor of Heavens Tower was huge and spacious, an was illuminated by evenly placed torches on the walls. In the center of the room was the Star Spring, a round pool, that gave off it's own iridescent glow. She went over to it and stared into the perfectly clear water. She watched the water boil up from the hole in the center of the ornate pool, and was tempted to touch it. When she couldn't resist any longer, she slowly placed her hand in the water. "It's cool, but comforting," She mentally observed. Then she heard something move on the other side of the room, and quickly–but silently–pulled her hand out of the water.

It was a Tarutaru guard on the other side of the room that had shifted his weight. His presence startled her, she was so busy looking at her surroundings that she didn't even notice him and his accomplice on the other side of the doorway they guarded. Chykisasa slightly blushed as she walked towards them, writing on the paper she brought. When she got to the guard, she handed the paper to him. Slightly confused, he read it, and nodded. He then turned around and gestured inside the tiny hallway he was guarding. She nodded back to him, and quickly bowed to show her appreciation. She then walked through a swirling vortex of magic, and headed to the door on the other side. Just as she passed through the middle of the vortex she wondered what is was for. Before she knew what was going on a light surrounded her, and she closed her eyes.

As soon as the light cleared she could feel a slight breeze on her face. She reopened her eyes, and slightly jumped. She was outside of Heavens Tower, and she didn't even have to touch the door! When she got over this slight shock the looked at the guards, who were looking at her in confusion. She then wrote on the paper what she had written to the other guard, and handed it to one of them. He nodded, gave the paper back to her, and pointed to his left. She bowed again and headed that direction.

After Chykisasa crossed the bridge that lead to Heavens Tower, she turned around and gazed at it, and then to the night sky. "It couldn't be past midnight," she thought as she watched the stars for a while. When her neck got sore, she looked in front of her again and proceeded down the path on her left. She looked at the bridge below her, the water below the bridge, and at all the plants and rocks as she absorbed the memories of her youth. Almost in a daze, she slowly proceeded down the lane.

When she got to a fork she stopped. She gazed at a building that was just down the left path. It was the manor of none other than Professor Shantotto, who was both feared and endeared all around the world. She silently gasped as she slowly approached the building.

When Chykisasa got to the front doors of the building she gazed at it, lost in a stream of memories. After a few moments, she reached out and pushed on the double doors, but they didn't budge. She sighed in disappointment at first, but then began to wonder....

She reached out her right hand, closed her eyes, focused hard, and touched the door palm first. Surely enough, a small light flashed below her hand and rippled down the cracks of the doors. She smiled and pushed on the doors once again, which this time opened wide.

She entered the room, and closed the double doors behind her. When she stepped forward, two enchanted lamps lighted on either side of the door. She stood there and simply gazed around the room, very slowly making her way from left to right. She was caught in a flood of memories; an absolute hurricane of recollection and wonder. After several moments she made her way to the right side of the room, where she saw a shelving unit on the wall.

On the shelves were instruments–long, small, stringed, wide, short, and a couple that were just plain outrageous. There were a few drums, two harps, a Tarutaru sized guitar, and countless flutes and other wind instruments. Her mouth was agape when she saw these, and took in the storm of memories they unleashed.

She took up a small flute from the shelf. It was an ordinary–and cheap--flute. It was her flute, the first instrument her parents ever taught her how to play. She stared at it for a moment and then hugged it as tears began to come to her eyes. After a few minutes she wiped her tears, and then noticed something very strange about the room–the whole building, in fact. It was clean, neat, and well managed. She took her left index finger and ran it across a part of the shelves that didn't have any instruments on it. She looked at her finger, and saw that there was no dust on it. She then trotted over to a desk that was in the main room, flute still in hand. She looked at a few papers that were scattered on it's surface. They were letters and maps. Not only that, but recently used letters and maps. They were dated just three weeks prior to the current date.

"That...can't be right..." Chykisasa thought, as she gazed at the papers in utter confusion. She then realized that the handwriting on the letters were not Shantotto's, but someone else's entirely. "They must have given this place to another professor..." she told herself as she sighed in disappointment. Then she looked over at a couch just to her right. "That's her's all right. But, why are her things still here?" she mused as she went over and sat on it. She sunk into the cushions slowly, and then she laid on her side and curled up, clutching her flute to her chest.

"This is so strange..." she thought, as she suddenly felt very tired again. It wasn't long before she was fast asleep once again.

She found herself having a nightmare again, but this time of a very different sort. There was a blonde Tarutaru woman with a shrill voice scolding her, shouting, "You thought WHAT?!" at Chykisasa, as she was trying to explain something to the woman....

Chykisasa awoke from a bright light that was piercing through her eyelids. When she regained her wits, she realized it was the bright morning sun making it's way into the sky.

"Oh no," she thought. "I fell asleep, I'm supposed to be in Heavens Tower!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And that's it for now, folks! Next chapter: Old (and strong) ties between Chykisasa and Shantotto are unveiled, and Chykisasa's biggest secret is revealed!

And here's that link again for my fanfiction.net story, just in case they decide to make their site work again: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2974163/1/

[Lilani]

Just in case you are wondering, no I have not forgotten about this fanfiction After my vacation I did sort of avoid working on it, but the past few nights I've been typing chapter four for hours on end. I can tell you right now, it's gonna be one long-ass chapter. Hopefully it will make up for this long absence

I should get it up within the next couple of days, but I'm (trying) to aim for sometime later tonight. If I do get it done I'll post it up, but it might be tomorrow or the day after (it depends on how detailed I get, lol).

[Lilani]

Alright, here's what you've been waiting for It looks like I'll have to cut it up into three posts, I'll have it all up in just a few minutes....

Chapter Four: History in the Making, and Some Just Plain Made Up

The Star Sibyl awoke early that morning, still concerned for Chykisasa and her condition. At around 5:10 she got out of bed, put on her day clothing, and exited her chambers. Her guards had taken their posts by then, that day they went on duty at 5:00. There were actually night shifts, but the Star Sibyl periodically let them have the night off. She had done it this time mostly so Chykisasa wouldn’t be frightened or embarrassed if she woke up and saw them standing there.

When the Star Sibyl walked across the round, glowing bridge across the star spring, she noticed something was wrong. She hurried over to Chykisasa’s bed, and found it empty. She turned around to find and question her guards when she noticed the note Chykisasa had written, and picked it up to read it. She sighed with relief, and then realized dawn was approaching.

“Chykisasa...please hurry,” she whispered, praying that no one would see her, wherever she was.

Dawn came, dawn went, and yet no Chykisasa. The Star Sibyl called upon Semih Lafihna, and told her to casually search for Chykisasa. If she didn’t find her by 12:00 she was to contact the ministers and tell them to come to Heavens Tower. Semih immediately left to search for the red-headed Taru.

She decided to stroll to Windurst Waters first, and make a circle passing through Port Windurst, then Windurst Woods, and back to Windurst Walls. Semih wasn’t a common sight to see just walking through Windurst, but no one questioned her. Her silver-white hair made her stand out to people who did and didn’t know of her authority; but her tall, sturdy gait (and the simple fact that she was a Mithra) deterred them from asking her business.

She passed by the Opistery, and casually circled around Waters, slowly looking around. Then she headed south to Port Windurst. When she got to the Orastery she slowed down to look around, but her eyes stuck to the building. She crinkled her nose a bit, and went on. Her and Ajido-Marujido were not on the best of terms. She respected him, but didn’t trust him all too much. There was just something about the way he was always curious and always looked like he was up to no good that made her wary.

Semih strolled through the rest of Port and Woods but still no sign of the girl, and the sun was already rising higher into the sky. The residents of Windurst were emerging from their houses. Shops opened, the Auction House opened, and citizens and adventurers alike were walking around and getting to their daily tasks.

Semih stopped at the Auction House in Windurst Walls and watched them open. She had always wondered just who was behind the counters there, but never thought to ask or watch. She had finished her round earlier than she expected, so she watched. It was nothing special, just a few Mithra, Tarutaru, and one Hume (a rare sight in Windurst, but not too surprising).

She trekked up the hill that lead back to Heavens Tower, and began a second round. This time she went to places she hadn’t visited before, and took longer to peek into small corners. But still no avail, Chykisasa was nowhere to be found.

Noon was approaching, so Semih stopped by the Ministries on her third round. She discreetly took the ministers aside and informed them that the Star Sibyl wanted to see them. And so they followed their orders without question, except for Ajido-Marujido (of course). He tried to ask Semih what was going on, but she simply gave him a cold stare and told him not to be late.

And so the five ministers were once again gathered at the top of Heavens Tower, awaiting more news. This time, however, the Star Sibyl came to them; and not too soon after they arrived. She was carrying a sheet of parchment.

“Chykisasa has gone missing. I discovered this note on the table just as dawn was approaching. It reads ‘I am going out to tour Windurst, I’ll be back before dawn. I’m sorry if I worried you with all this sleep, thank you so much for everything.

–Chykisasa.’ I need you five to look out for her, and if any of you have seen her around Windurst, please inform me now,” she told the ministers.

None of them spoke up. The Star Sibyl sighed, closed her eyes, and lowered her head. “Then I am afraid we must assume the worst.”

All of the sudden, a sound was heard from the stairs. Someone was coming up to the top of the Tower, and they were running as fast as they could. Everyone in the room turned around to see, and the guards prepared themselves for anything.

A mesh of red hair peeped over the top of the stairs, but then it was gone, and a muffled “thud” followed. The ministers, the Star Sibyl, and Semih Lafihna all ran to the edge of the staircase.

Surely enough, it was Chykisasa. She had run all the way to Heavens Tower and all the way up the stairs, and had tripped on the last few steps out of exhaustion. She was breathing very heavy, and was clutching to a small stack of papers and a fountain pen. She looked at the people in front of her, jumped, and got straight to her feet as fast as she could.

“Chykisasa!” they cried in unison, some questioning and others exclaiming.

“Where have you been, child? I was just informing the Ministers about your absence,” the Star Sibyl asked as she made her way to the girl. Chykisasa grabbed hold of the railing next to her as she continued to catch her breath. She then put the papers on the railing and began to write with the pen. After a moment she handed the paper to the Star Sibyl, who read it aloud:

“I am very sorry, I was walking around Windurst Walls and had went to the roof of the House of the Hero to get a better view. I got very tired and sat down for a moment, but I seem to have fallen asleep. I woke up and it was about noon. I ran here as fast as I could, but I don’t think anyone except the guards saw me. Please forgive me.”

The Sibyl smiled, “Of course I forgive you. It was an accident; I cannot blame you for something you didn’t mean to do. However, please be a bit more careful when you are taking a tour unsupervised. At least for the time being, until you decide to go out on your own.”

Chykisasa smiled nervously and nodded.

“Ah ha! I knew we’d see a smile from you eventually, dearie!” Minister Apururu piped up. Chykisasa seemed to giggle at this, but still looked a bit nervous.

“Yes, you may all leave now, thank you for coming. I also encourage you to keep an extra eye out for Chykisasa, though, in case she decides to wander again. If everyone starts to bother her, take care of the problem right away and inform me,” the Star Sibyl concluded. “Chykisasa, we have lunch set out for you right over there, if you are hungry,” she said, gesturing to Zubaba’s table on the other side of the room. Chykisasa nodded, bowed, and quickly made her way past the ministers (who were beginning to file down the stairs) and over to the table.

Ajido-Marujido’s eyes followed her for a moment as she passed by him. “Now what could that be...” he mused as he gazed at a small bulge in the pocket of her nightclothes. He was tempted to point it out, but he quickly abandoned the idea and went on down the staircase. Still, he was very curious as to what she could have picked up in the time that she put those clothes on and right then. He also began to wonder about her story about falling asleep on top of the House of Hero. Somehow, it just didn’t seem right.

Chykisasa ate another hearty meal, and put on some day clothes. Although the day was already half over she was much more comfortable wearing a proper tunic and slops. When she put these on her wound were–again–redressed. She pointed out how much they were already healed, and Zubaba gave her a long lecture on alchemy and how the handmaidens spent days on end coming up with faster ways to heal wounds, even cursed ones. Though most would have found it boring, Chykisasa found it very interesting. She always loved medicines; and was amazed at alchemists who could constantly improve on what they’ve done, even though it seems like they’ve made it perfect. Then again, she had been given no entertainment for long periods of time for the past seven years, so any event was highly entertaining for her.

She was also given books to read. A few fiction works mixed in with ones that revealed the recent history of Windurst, so that she could catch up on what she had missed the past years if she wanted to. Among these books was also a diary, which Chykisasa could not thank the Star Sibyl enough for. The diary she had from her childhood had been destroyed when she was captured. It had a lock and everything, and she always kept the key around her neck so she would always know where it was. The Yagudo drug her by this chain in the beginning when they found her, but when it broke they simply threw it in a fire–right before young Chykisasa’s eyes.

This one had a lock as well, but no chain for her to put the key around her neck, so she kept it under the pillow of her makeshift bed. When she did this the guilt of the lie she had told the Star Sibyl and the Ministers hit hard. She was afraid to tell them about her visit to Professor Shantotto’s manor. When she realized the time when she woke up that morning she panicked. She paced the floor, clutching onto her flute for comfort, and worked out the chain of events in her head.

Chykisasa knew that the Star Sibyl would ask where she was, and if she told her that she was at Shantotto’s, she would ask how she had gotten into the house in the first place. Then she would have to reveal the relationship between her and Shantotto, and ultimately the secret she had sworn to protect! She couldn’t let that happen, so she devised a believable lie to tell the Sibyl when she asked.

Chykisasa grabbed up her things, and checked the windows to see if anyone could see her or the door. She realized that the only people who could possibly see her leave the house were the guards at the front of Heavens Tower, but there were trees next to the moat that surrounded the tower which would block their vision. With the most silence she could muster, she hurried to the door and slipped out. When she started for the bridges that lead to the entrance of the tower, she realized that if she was supposed to have been sleeping at the top of the House of Hero, she would have to come running from the direction of the House of Hero, which was on the other side of Windurst Walls!

Chykisasa slipped back into Shantotto’s and looked for something to cover herself with. She knew that if anyone from either Heavens Tower or one of the other Manors were to see her she would be easily recognized by her night clothes. She found a tunic hanging from a rack in one of the corners of the room, grabbed it, and put it on. Just before she left she put the hood up. From her little memory of them, she did know that adventurers wore their tunics in such a fashion, so she figured she could pass off as one just long enough to get to the House of the Hero. There she would put the tunic on the roof, and the very next morning would take another “tour” to return the it to the house.

[Lilani]

Her plan had worked perfectly up to that point; or so she thought. She thought she managed to convince not only the Star Sibyl, but the five Ministers as well. However, she still made one mistake. She had put herself onto thin ice with Ajido-Marujido, which she would later regret...

After her meal when Chykisasa was changing out of her night clothes she saw something fall out of her pocket. It was her flute she found at Shantotto’s manor! She realized that she had inadvertently slipped it in her pocket when she was picking up her things to leave. She quickly checked her new clothes and discovered an inside pocket, which she carefully placed the flute in so that it wouldn’t bulge out. As she left the changing room she wondered what she would do if she ever got clothing without pockets, but she decided to figure that out if it ever happened. During that time, pockets came standard in about every form of clothing, considering the huge influx of adventurers roaming the lands.

When it came time to change back into her night clothes, she used the same ones from the night before, so she hid it in her pocket again, this time being conscious of the bulge it made against her thigh.

Chykisasa had another dream that night, but this time it was not a nightmare–to some extent. Actually, she wasn’t exactly sure what to consider it. All she saw was a bunch of images passing by in sequence, appearing there just long enough for her to identify them. Some made her happy, others made her think of things she wished to forget. As soon as she realized what it was it dissapeared and was replaced by something totally different, and so on. She saw beautiful, glimmering instruments flying around in the air, but the melody they played was horrible and tainted. She saw rolling plains and hills, and four chocobos with things packed on their backs. Riding on them were three Tarutaru, a man, a woman, and a very small child–who seemed to be playing a small instrument. She saw Yagudo–laughing–and heard their horrible voices squawking as they pointed to the ground at a small creature that was balled-up in a corner and shivering.

She saw other images that passed by faster and faster until they were all a jumbled blur of emotion. A sad Star Sibyl, shocked and disappointed Ministers, and all sorts of other things that made her think of the lie she had told. She also saw a strange sequence of events that made her think of the Secret, and she clearly saw the image of an older Tarutaru wearing spectacles in that sequence as well...

Chykisasa woke up, once again, breathing heavy and sweating bullets. This time there were guards out; they stared at her in the dim light, looking very concerned. Chykisasa caught her breath and got out of the bed. But just before doing so she secretly used her left hand to move the flute she has been sleeping on so that it would remain hidden. She walked over to the table, where the paper and the fountain pen were lying on. She wrote a short note, walked over and handed it to the guard. The Mithra silently read:

“I am going to walk around Windurst again. This time, however, I will try to make it past Windurst Walls. I don’t think I need an escort, I will be much more careful to make it back before dawn this time.”

The guard smiled and nodded, and gestured to the stairs.

Chykisasa left Heavens Tower with no trouble at all, she simply nodded to the guards, who nodded back to her. She almost started laughing at the signal system they had developed between each other so quickly as she left the vicinity of Heavens Tower. As soon as she could get a good view past the top of the Great Star Tree she gazed at the sky, and figured the time to be about 2:30. “Perfect,” she thought, “I can walk all the way to Woods, down to Port, up to Waters, and then sneak by the House of the Hero again when I come back to Walls."She heaved in air silently, and then trotted off down the bridge.

Chykisasa looked all around her as she slowly walked down the path. Things had changed ever so slightly since she had left; she was surprised at how much Windurst was preserved. When she passed by part of Mithra Groves in Windurst Woods she noticed a few more houses that weren’t there before, but that was about the only anomaly she saw in her whole tour. The only other things that had changed were the sizes of the trees and how much ivy and moss covered the rocks, paths, and other old features such as the Ministries.

There were some guards that stood at the entrances and exits of pathways and tunnels, but they had already been briefed by Semih Lafihna about Chykisasa, so they simply nodded if she looked at them in question.

It took her about 45 minutes to make her way from Windurst Walls to Port Windurst. She stopped and gazed at a huge airship that was docked for the night in the building that was turned into an airship agency. Just before she left Windurst seven years ago that change was just beginning to occur, but she never thought she would actually a real airship.

When she was done looking at this, she made her way up to the other sections of Port Windurst. The Port was split into three “sections”: one connected to Windurst Woods and contained the airship agency, the next section contained a few storehouses and some boats that had been permanently docked and turned into shops, and the last section connected to West Sarutabaruta and Windurst Waters and contained the Orastery, the Bastokan consulate, and the fishing guild.

Chykisasa made it to the last section of the Port, but stopped abruptly. She gazed upwards at the Orastery–the ministry that was for the education of mages and those who wished to become War Warlocks; who were once the most powerful section of Windurst’s defense. So many memories flooded back to her; ones that she thought she had forgotten long ago. She stood there for a long time, until she wanted more than just to think about the Orastery...

Ajido-Marujido had spent his entire afternoon and evening going through old newspapers and documents trying to find any anomalies in what he knew about Chykisasa so far. Up to this point all he knew about her was what the Star Sibyl and Chykisasa herself had said. He slightly remembered her presence in Windurst as well, although he was far too caught up in his studies to take any interest.

But there was one more memory that nagged at him; one that up to that day he could not figure out what had happened. About eight years ago–while he was an apprentice for the previous minister of the Orastery, Lady Shantotto–he went to the Orastery rather late at night to return some equipment to her that he had brought to his home for some experimentation. When he entered the building there was no one there. He had figured as much, the Minister of any ministry was usually gone by 18:00-19:00, and it was just past 22:00. He decided to leave the equipment in the Minister’s study so that no students would come across the equipment in the morning and damage it.

However, just as he approached the door to the room, it cracked open ever so slightly. A small, carrot-top head peeped out of the crack, jumped slightly, and peeped back in to the room. He ran over to the door to see who it was, but when he got into the room it was empty. He used his heightened senses and even a couple of spells to try and find the figure, but it was nowhere to be found.

Ajido decided not to tell Shantotto about it; he wasn’t even sure if it was real. How could it have possibly existed if he couldn’t find it anywhere in the room? He was positive it couldn’t have left the room, there was no other way out and he closed the door behind him when he entered. Maybe he was tired from staying up so long.

But still...

Eight years later that memory still nagged at him. It was a puzzle that he was never able to solve, and he cannot stand to fail. That afternoon, evening, and night he filed through every book, journal, letter, and every other periodical he could find that dated between then and the present, and that could possibly hold the answer to who Chykisasa was. He also wanted to find a picture of her around that age somewhere, although he highly doubted that he would find one. If Chykisasa was as shy as he had been told, she would never let someone draw her portrait. Still, he wanted to look anyway.

“Useless!” he muttered as he slammed another stack of old newspapers onto a pile in the corner of the room.

But just then, he felt something. Someone was nearby, just outside of the Orastery. He stood up straight and focused a bit more. “This presence...it feels familiar,” he thought as he waved his arm at some enchanted lamps hanging around the room. The lamps dimmed, and eventually went out altogether. He silently walked over to the door of the room, as he chanted a sneak spell. When he got to the door he cast the spell, and then chanted an invisible spell as well. The he opened the door and quickly made his way to the “stage” in the middle of the main room of the Orastery. It was then that he heard a slight sound against the door that lead outside to the right of him.

Chykisasa slowly approached the door of the Orastery, still half dazed from millions of memories coming back to her. She put her hand on the door and slowly ran it down the wood frame, and realized that she wanted to enter the building. She first tried opening it, but as she pushed on the door, she noticed that it was locked. She then wondered if it would still work...

She held out her right hand, perfectly straight, and closed her eyes. She focused as hard as she could, forcing herself to remember how that enchanted lock worked. A few seconds later a small light emitted from her hand, and then it resonated through the cracks of the door. She opened her eyes, put down her arm, and pushed the doors wide open.

Ajido-Marujido silently gasped when he saw the light around the door, and was even more surprised when he saw them burst open. Right then he almost let down his sneak and invisible spells and catch whoever it was, but decided to wait and see who they were and what they wanted; and just how they could have opened the magical lock in the first place.

He squinted in the dim moonlight to try to identify the figure who walked in, but as soon as he looked at the red hair, he knew.

“Chykisasa? Whataru could she possibly want here, and how could she have opened that door! Only the Minister can give someone thataru power, and even so they need to know how to cast magic. Unless...” He mused on this for a moment, but threw out the idea. “Impossible! To cast magic, you need to be able to chant aloud, and she can’t! Ugh, but that still doesn’t explain how and why she’s herey-were!” He went through this over and over in his head as he watched Chykisasa quietly close the doors behind her. Once they were closed the room was extremely dim, except for a few extremely dim lamps in a few places on the walls. Chykisasa paused for a moment to let her eyes adjust, and as she waited she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched.

[Lilani]

She pushed back her worried feeling and approached one of the stands with a black spell-training orb on it. She ran her hand across it slowly, becoming swept away in another flood of memory. Ajido-Marujido watched her slowly circle the orb, wondering what she was doing.

Then, she walked to the other side of the room. She turned around and faced the orb in the exact place a student would stand if they were going to cast spells. Ajido was absolutely puzzled as he watched her position her hands to cast a spell.

“It’s not going to work...what are you thinking...” he asked in his mind, as if she were able to hear him.

Chykisasa did all in her power to remember what she had been taught all those years ago. She remembered what to chant, but she worked on how to chant it...

In that moment, Ajido-Marujido saw the most amazing thing in all of his living years. Bubbles and light beams shot out from around Chykisasa. He looked at her mouth, but her lips weren’t moving; she was not chanting–or so he thought. After a few short seconds, she raised up her right arm, focusing with all her might, and released the energy she had been building.

An ornate and shining circle surrounded the orb and herself and some glowing rocks appeared, but she jumped completely in the air and put her hands over her mouth when she saw a third circle up on the stage. The light from the spell faded, and only the dim lamplight and the now glowing red orb lit the room.

Ajido-Marujido himself was startled by the spell. He was so focused on the fact that she had used magic that he let down his guard and didn’t think about whether or not he was in range of the spell. When saw Chykisasa slowly backing away from the stage with her hands over her mouth, he knew she saw the spell on him too.

“Weren’taru expecting that, now were you,” he scoffed as he let his invisible and sneak spells fade away. “And, to tell you the truth, neither was I.” He pointed a finger at the shivering girl. “I have a lot of questions for you, missie, and you aren’t leaving until you’ve answered them–truthfully,” he emphasized the last word as he gestured her to follow him.

Chykisasa herself was near tears. Not only was she going to have to reveal what she had done at Shantotto’s, but her secret she had solemnly promised to keep. She was frozen in place, not sure of what to do. She was quite used to Ministers and how to behave in front of the, but Ajido-Marujido was different. He wasn’t afraid to use his power and authority to get what he wanted from others, and she felt that he wouldn’t hesitate on her either.

“Did you bind yourself or what?” Ajido called from the stage, still waiting for her. “I’m not going to hurt you, unless you decide to make a run for it.” And with that Chykisasa unfroze herself, nodded very nervously, ran to the stairs, and followed the minister to his study.

After they were in the room, Ajido closed the door behind him. He then walked over to his recently cluttered desk, and pulled out some blank paper. He also grabbed a bottle of ink, and moved some papers around until he found a quill. He turned them towards Chykisasa.

“First, tell me why you are here,” he said, pointing to the paper. Chykisasa nodded, and grabbed the quill. Her hand was shaking so much that it was making the feathery end of it quiver violently. Regardless, she dipped it in the ink, but paused abruptly. She just stood there for a few moments, quill tip still partially in the bottle, contemplating on where to begin. “Well?” He asked, already beginning to grow impatient. She then decided and began to write on the paper. Ajido-Marujido walked around to her angle and silently read what she was writing:

“I am here because I almost grew up in this place. When Lady Shantotto was minister, she took me in whenever my parents had to go on music tours and didn’t want me to come along and be in possible danger.Both my father and my mother graduated from the Orastery, at different times of course, but both of their hearts were in music. Shantotto knew it and introduced them, and when they had me she wanted to do everything she could to help. She treated me like a daughter, but was embarrassed to admit it to anyone else. I understood and did all I could to keep it a secret. And a secret it was; if I wasn’t at the Orastery I was at her home.

She quickly noticed that I was very interested in magic, but at the same time pitied me because I would never be able to do it. So she began to develop very special spell scrolls that would allow me to chant in my mind, rather than aloud. After a long time she showed me, and after a few trials, we finally got them to work. She started out with simple white and black magic spells, and began to create higher level spells as well. However, for me to have been able to use them, I would have had to get proper training, which she didn’t have the time to do in secret. I was nine then, and just a few weeks later my parents wanted me to come on a tour with them, and that was the tour that I never returned from.”

Ajido-Marujido was silent for a long time. The story was nothing like he had expected. For the first time in his life, he did not know how to react or respond to what he had just heard. All he could do was stand there and think, putting the pieces together.

After a while, he looked at Chykisasa, who was confused by his sudden silence, and spoke, “Shantotto...of all people!” he said, as he put his hand over his face, thinking of what to think next. “I think I saw you once, here...but I’m not sure. Eight years ago I was taking some equipmentaru to this room for Shantotto, and I saw a small child with a red head pop in and out of the doorway. I went in and searched the room to the best of my ability-wility, but I couldn’t find the figure anywhere. Do you remember anything like this?” he asked.

Chykisasa closed her eyes in thought for a moment, but quickly remembered and began to write:

“Yes, I think I do remember. Shantotto had gone to make more spells that night, but I wanted to stay in her study and read some books