just finished this last nite.
CHAPTER 2
"Well, what do I do now?!"
Pret slammed the door behind him as he entered his guest room. The room seemed to shake from the impact, several things stacked on his desk rattled, the papers shuffling from the gust. Pret stormed in, glaring at the figure standing inside his room against the far wall, casually staring at him with hooded eyes.
The figure was wearing a black robe, which concealed his entire body. His hands were tucked into their opposite's sleeve and the hood was drawn over his head. It would have been impossible to find him unless you knew he was there. But Pret knew, he continued to stare at the darkness within the dark, waiting for an answer.
The figure finally moved, freeing his hands from each to reach up and pull back the hood. The absence of the hood revealed the mysterious figure's face.
Pale white skin shone through, the opposite of the dark robes he wore. Pale dark lips were the only difference in coloring except for the eyes. His pupils and iris were pure black.
Pret flinched at the sight, "Please do not do that, Nikades. You know very well how that... disturbs me."
"If you wish," Nikades replied pulling the hood back.
"I wish it very much," Pret added, "I've had a long day and the last thing I want to do is have to look at a ghost."
Nikades ignored the remark, continuing to stare at Pret as the hood was draped once again over his head. When he was finished, he remarked, "I take it from your outburst that things did not go well."
"The king didn't grant me the lumber. He said that it was a national symbol," Pret ranted, his tone switching to sarcasm to add, "Now what do I do, oh advisor?"
"You worry too much, Pret..." Nikades replied.
"I worry too much because you don't worry at all. It is as if you don't care about either of our plans succeeding or not! This is our problem," Pret stepped over to his desk and none too gently put his hands on it to lean on, "I need that forest! You need that lumber! Without it, none of our plans will work. So advise me!"
"If you would calm down for a second, you will see that I am your advisor for a reason." Nikades said calmly, "I have a back-up plan. I half-expected you to blunder the original plan."
Pret was enraged, "Blunder?! That was a stupid plan! It wouldn't have worked if Fiona herself had risen from the grave and asked for the wood! Don't forget that you are MY advisor. If you continue these insults, I can have you jailed!"
"You need me," Nikades said in a suddenly dark voice that warned Pret of arguing, "If you try to jail me, your plans will fall apart. If you try to execute me, you'll find yourself in more trouble than you can possibly imagine... Don't play the tyrant until you have the power."
Pret glared at him, his mouth trying to find something to say, to retort to the obvious threat to himself. However, nothing could make its way out.
Nikades walked along the wall, towards a nearby window. "Remember, I have a back-up plan. Our plans have not failed. If you will listen, you will have what you want."
"And I will," Pret finished with a strained voice, finally managing to speak, "or you will pay for crossing me."
Nikades remained silent. He stepped back into the recess of the shadows and stood thoughtful in the darkness. Pret stared at the lump of black for a moment, managing to calm down. Finally, Nikades spoke.
"Ghost, eh?" the tone was, as always, low and calm.
The blackness that had once been Nikades seemed to shift into the darkness, to disappear. Pret nearly gasped at the trick, his hand reaching out but only striking the wall. Nikades was gone.
"You probably wish I was a ghost..."
Pret spun at the voice to find Nikades standing by the door, near invisible, but still there. Pret took a step forward, "Wha?"
"A ghost can't hurt you." Nikades formed a slight smile, then opened the door and left, as quiet as he was invisible.
Pret stared at the empty doorway for several moments, trying to regain his appearance. Finally, he shook his head and muttered to himself, "What have I gotten into here?"
* * * * *
Crono opened his eyes again. It was later, but he was still tired. He debated on whether to get up or go to sleep. Quickly he sorted the reasons of each in his mind. He didn't have anything urgent to do today. He would sleep.
He started to close his eyes once more.
"Crono!"
Crono opened his eyes again. That had been his mother calling. Sleep sounded so good right now, though. He shouldn't give it up for something like a person yelling for him. Crono decided to act as if he hadn't heard.
"Crono!"
There was no use in ignoring it, it wouldn't go away. He got up and dressed, his movements groggy. He was really tired. Looking outside he could see that it was almost midday already. He had slept half the day away.
"Crono!"
"I'm coming!" he yelled back down.
He tried to go to the stairs, but Cyrus got in his way and he tripped over the feline. He fell onto the floor with a thud. Cyrus rubbed against Crono's face. Crono sputtered and moved his face out of the way.
"Crono!" the call was insistant now.
"I'm said, 'I'm coming!'" Crono yelled even louder, getting up.
He clambered down the stairs with his two cats trailing behind. He saw that his mother was at the door. She had the door opened just slightly, so he couldn't see who or what was on the other side. He stopped at the foot of the stairway, his hand resting on the banister.
"What is it?" he asked impatiently.
His mother turned back to the door and spoke to the figure behind it, "Here he is, dear."
She opened the door to reveal Lucca.
"Hi, Crono. What took so long?" she asked cheerfully, too cheerful for a tired and lightly bruised Crono.
His mother walked to the kitchen to prepare lunch. It was indeed midday already. She opened a cabinet, looking for ingredients.
"Don't ask," he said stepping outside and closing the door behind him.
"Be back for lunch," came his mother's fading words through the door.
He reopened the door, "Okay."
He shut the door again and turned to Lucca, "What is it?" he asked in a bored voice, adding to his expression.
"Would you be willing to come to my house? I've got something to show you," she said excitedly.
"What?" he asked, keeping the monodrone voice.
"I won't tell you. You have to come see it," she was definitely excited, "C'mon!"
"Is this another stupid invention?" he asked exasperated.
"Stupid?" Lucca demanded with a hurt expression.
"Thought so," Crono sighed and began to turn around, back to his house.
"Just come on!" she said, running off toward her house.
".....Fine," he gave in. The sooner he began, the sooner it was over.
He followed her to her house.
