((attempt at moving people numero deux.))
Some time passed and the moon was beginning its trip back to the blankets of the horizon. There was an eerie stillness about the castle, interrupted only by the hushed councils and drunken ramblings that were hidden in the shadows and unknown rooms of the palace.
A terrible peacefulness rested about the atmosphere of the infirmary; those who lay there were either unconscious from pain or had died of it long ago. Exhausted, Titania pulled closed the heavy drapes of a window that brought the only light into the room. With a sigh, she sat down on her chair and tried to get some sleep. There was no use.
From somewhere in the room there was a gargled moan that did not sound quite human. Lighting a candle, the girl made her way along the rows of bloody beds, shining a steady beam of vision on every one to make sure its inhabitant was either asleep or dead.
“Grrgh.” There was the terrible moan again.
She turned, quickly, bringing her candle up to view the direction where the voice had come from. To her surprise there lay an empty bed- its sheets were in disarray.
For a moment she looked around the room, as if believing that the injured man would be found walking upright.
“Don’t bother.” Came a weary suggestion “Just let him be for now, he won’t get far.”
She shone her candle on the speaker. It was Belial.
“Who was that?” Titania asked.
“A friend.”
With the façade of a weary arm, she lowered the flame to avoid seeing the demon’s face. Whether she would say so or not, his tattooed appearance had always disturbed and reminded her of the mist-covered roots at the Iifa Tree.
“He sure can run fast.” she muttered, frankly, uncertain as to what else she should do.
Belial laughed “You could say that.”
Titania smiled, realizing that there was probably something she’d missed.
“So…you were watching over him?”
“In a way.”
“Ah…”
There was an awkward silence, as the two said nothing. Though neither could quite explain the sensation, both could feel the disturbing feeling of magic masterlessly conflicting in the air. Wishing to end the un-easy scene, Titania finally spoke up.
“…erm…do you know where Malice is? I was going to ask him for help with a spell.”
Belial shook his head, and then realized that she probably could not see the action in the darkness.
“Nope. I was…busy…earlier and I didn’t get a chance to speak with him.”
“Oh.” Titania said, sounding a little disappointed.
“Nichi might know where he is.”
“Oh. Do you know where Nichi is, then?”
“Nope.”
“You’re a big help.”
“…Nope.”
Titania rolled her eyes and made for the door.
“Oh.” She began, stopping in her place “Can I trust you with these men?”
“Nope.”
Having somewhat predicted the answer, the white mage left the room, to make her way down an abandoned hallway.
*
The winding passage was eerie at night, with its dark stone floor and stale smell. On both sides, the walls were dotted with small windows, each displaying a beam of moonlight on the shadowy grounds. In the uncomfortable silence of the place, Titania could, for a moment, make out the hissing of a night-wind as it spiraled along outside. Trying to escape from the stagnant air of the place for just a moment, the girl stood on a dainty relevé, pushing her hand through the glassless window to try and feel the rush of the wind. To her disappointment, it seemed as if the gust had ceased just before she had reached out for it. A little more bothered by this than she thought she should be, Titania turned, only to bump into a standing, iron oil-lamp. She cried out as the object hit the ground with an echoing clank, and immediately tried to stand it back up. Passing through the ends of the flame, her hands did not find pain in the glowing fire, but instead were warmed by it.
“You really have trouble looking at what’s going on around you, don’t you?” came a voice from behind her.
Standing the lamp back up, Titania turned to see Nichi’s silhouette against a moonlit window.
“I guess.” She said.
“Why do you think I felt like following her. I knew something funny’d happen.” This time it was Belial speaking “I don’t know what’s more ironic- that I’m right, or that you didn’t notice me.”
She turned to find the cocky warrior leaning against a wall.
“Oh! You think I’m so clumsy?” she put her hands on her hips as she made the fake threat. “Why don’t you come over here and I’ll show you how clumsy I really am!”
Mock-accepting the challenge, Belial made his way over, only to burn his feet on the oil that had splattered on the ground. The demon exclaimed something which shouldn’t be written down and shook his head.
“You knew that was there.” He said.
“…nope.”
Once again the wind rustled outdoors, seeming to instill in all three a desire to get out of the musty hallway.
"The demons don't sleep." Nichi said, suddenly taking a serious tone. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Ishia's death had affected him the most "We'd better get outside."
"Oh, wait! Nichi...I was going to ask you. Have you seen Malice anywhere?" Titania finally piped up.
"Not for a while, now that I think of it," the warrior replied, then raised his eyebrow "...why?"
"Oh… I was just going to ask him for some help with a spell. It’s not important.” She said, obviously disappointed by Nichi’s answer.
“We’d better find him, anyways. Important or not, last thing we need is you taking limbs off the injured.” He teased, though he was genuinely bothered by Malice’s absence.
“It’s a reflection spell. I just figured out I have it….” She replied, starting to get a little irritated by all the jokes.
Seeing that his humour had not been taken in, Nichi shook his head “…come on, let’s go find Malice.”
That said, the group made its way outside. As they descended the stone steps of the palace, a gentle wind blew along the ground, sweeping past Belial and Titania before finding Nichi.