LESSON’S LEARNED PT 2: The Not So Wicked-Wicked Plan
Running across the courtyard is Bakta and Bastian in their spirit forms. There are imprints in the grass of invisible feet as they make their way towards the Wares Moss House. They burst inside to find the place flooded with the three children standing there as if glued to the floor. Fazil looks helpless as Bakta stares in horror. There is a reflection moving through the waters as Synjin’s fountain continues to flood the building. Yuki is the closest to the fountain with his hand touching the fountain. His eyes glow a bright yellow and a small voice unlike his own is speaking. It is reading off of the scroll in Synjin’s hands as the words continue to be scrawled onto it.
Yuki in Synjin’s voice:
Baarda has breached the island. Baarda has found a way onto clover. Baarda is here. Believe not what you see. Baarda is a false illusion. Baarda is disguised.
Yuki continues to speak these same sentences over and over again as water continues to pour from the fountain. It had long since over flowed and was filling up the building rapidly. Casee is crying trying to figure out if they were going to die from drowning or from the hands of Baarda.
Casee:
What is happening?! When is this going to stop?! And is Baarda going to come after us?!
Bakta:
Don’t worry Synjin’s words are merely warning for you all; merely meant as preparation. Baarda may not be on Clover exactly but around it. He has no clear cut access unto the holy grounds since we are surrounded by a fortress. Synjin’s fountain tends to overflow as he speaks. And because Yuki is standing near the fountain then his waters flow a bit more rapidly. Synjin is the messenger for the heavens and his descendants are also apart of the Sinth Clan.
Bastian:
Don’t worry children there is a line drawn for Synjin’s waters to stop. Before he flooded this building which is why we have a drain somewhere around here. Once he stops the drain will be activated and the waters will disappear. Now then you are not to move otherwise it will throw Synjin in a panic state and you won’t be allowed to leave here until he has calmed down. Now then have we located Bara?
Fazil:
Yeah we did at least that’s what Synjin was telling us, but he hasn’t really told us much that Bara was surrounded by a shadowed figure and was located somewhere on the castle grounds. After that Yuki’s eyes went yellow and he started speaking in this small voice that freaked Casee out and she jumped. After that the floors began filling with water. We stopped moving after that mainly because we couldn’t.
Bakta:
Okay well it seems that Yuki is back to normal. His eyes are their regular color. Fazil go and catch him.
Just as Bakta says this Yuki slumps to the floor drained from being Synjin’s dummy. The waters begin to fade rapidly and find its way to the drain off to the right side of the room. After the waters have dispersed Casee and Fazil carry Yuki out of the building.
Casee:
Hey did any of you see what I saw? It was Bara moving around inside the Castle. It was his reflection on the waters. He seems fine.
Bastian in an uneasy tone of voice:
Yeah he does seem fine, but it seems that he’s found the Ahn-Kin Lair or at least the doorway.
Fazil:
I saw him go down. Something had to have happened down there.
Bakta:
We’ll find out soon enough we need to go and find him right now. This is serious.
Yuki uttering in a breathless tone:
Dark Mass. Black waters. Soulless army.
Casee:
What is that supposed to mean? Is this some kind of code or warning? Is Yuki alright?
Bastian looks at Casee with a smile that doesn’t seem to quite reach his eyes. She notices this but doesn’t say anything since now was not the time to tell him how his smile wasn’t really a helpful one that made her feel better. Instead she wipes the tears from eyes and listens to what he and Bakta have to say. But even Bakta and Bastian weren’t really sure of how to truly explain what was going on.
Bastian sounding a bit doubtful:
Oh sometimes Synjin’s puppetry carries over leaving a bit more to spit out if you understand what I mean.
Bakta:
You need not worry about such things right now we have to assemble the council and figure out what is going on here. Clover hasn’t been active in centuries and without the proper Heads and the God and Goddess we are left to fend for ourselves.
Casee:
Then why do you keep saying Clover is protected? You keep assuring us that we are safe when we clearly are in danger.
Bakta:
Listen Clover is safe that is true, but without the proper management of the place some spots sit in grey areas. We have to be a bit more cautious until you four fully come into your powers. You also need the last of the Four Clans to be present so we’re kind of in a sticky spot.
Bastian:
Listen we’ll assemble the council and straighten out what needs to be straightened out then we’ll worry about everything else. We’re not trying to scare you children, but you are the acting Heads of the Four Clans, so you need to be up to date on what is to come including the dangers that may follow. Come along we have to fix things. Set them right again.
The five of them make it back across the courtyard and soon find themselves in a circular room with paintings on three of the four walls. There are large doors on either side of the room with large, long handles with an S and C symbol on either knob of the door handles. The room suddenly appeares as Bakta and Bastian lead them down the long hallway and enter. There is a long table with spirits appearing in each of the seventeen seats. Bakta and Bastian take a seat at the far end of the table on either side, Fazil sits at the head of the table while Casee takes a seat on his right next to Bastian, and Yuki takes a seat on his left next to Bakta. Coil is sitting at the other end of the table looking grave and somber. He was one of Synjin’s descendants. Synjin’s family line was the messengers of Clover.
Fazil:
What’s Coil doing here?
Bakta:
He’s apart of Synjin’s family line. They are the messengers of Clover and so he has to be here at every meeting. A meeting doesn’t start without a messenger and Coil is the messenger of this council. Your words flow through him and find their way to Synjin’s scroll.
Fazil:
But I thought we got to pick our own council Coil’s too…young.
Bakta:
That would be true, but messengers aren’t chosen by you they are a necessity and therefore they are placed on the council automatically. And Coil is older than you wouldn’t you say?
Fazil:
Oh okay. So what do I do?
Bakta:
You check to make sure every seat has been taken by those chosen to be on the council and then you just jump right in and get down to business.
Casee takes a head count for Fazil then nods to him letting him know it was okay to start the meeting. Fazil takes a deep breath then begins to speak.
Fazil speaking his way:
Okay folks it seems that we may have a problem. (In a more proper voice and manner) Baarda may have breached our premise and therefore we have to act sensibly, but quickly. Bara has been missing for some time and maybe wandering around the castle without a clear cut way on how to find his way. But we’re not quite sure and therefore we need everyone to come up with a suggestion on how to retrieve Bara and how to figure out where Baarda is located exactly.
Casee looks over at Fazil and stares suspiciously at him. He smiles at her and shrugs. She has figured out that those weren’t Fazil’s words since Fazil did not talk like that. If anything she was the one who used words such as “sensibly”, and “premise”.
Casee to Fazil in a whisper:
Why are you talking like that? Talk normally you’re weirding me out!
Fazil:
Sorry, but I can’t help it. It’s like being in this seat makes me speak and act this way.
Fazil suddenly sits up straight and continues on with the meeting as he found himself being pulled away from Casee’s and his side conversation.
Fazil:
Now then I need you all to speak up and let’s get things moving along so that we may have a leg up on this situation. We do not need things to get out of hand more than they already have. Do any of you have any suggestions that may help us?
A plump spirit with large puppy dog eyes, bushy eyebrows, and thin lips decides to speak up. His voice is light, but not too light and seems to have a slight accent of some kind.
Spirit:
The Fortuths can feel Bara coming from the upstairs. He seems to be in bright spirits.
Casee with a weird feeling inside of her:
I feel it as well. He’s headed…
Yuki:
This way!
Bakta:
Yuki, Sinths can’t hear those outside of the council hall! How do you know he’s headed for us?
Yuki:
Because Coil keeps sending messages to me! Synjin can see Bara’s reflection in his fountain. He’s keeping him under watch.
Bastian:
This is serious. Okay since he’s on his way; let’s see what his true form is. We’ll know if there is something… off about him.
Fazil waves a hand in the air and the doors open upon his command. Bara is standing there looking a bit confused but enters anyway and stands there staring at everyone who is staring back at him in utter confusion. Yuki speaks up before Bastian or Bakta can say anything to Bara. They see something off about him right away, but can’t seem to figure it out. They decide to let the three children handle the situation and see where it leads.
Yuki:
Bloody hell, man! Where have you been?! We were worried sick about you! We’re holding this darn meeting because of you and Fazil’s talking in that weird voice and looking stupid because of you!
Fazil exclaiming a bit loudly:
Hey it’s not my fault it’s... the chair.
Fazil begins moving uncomfortably in his chair after Yuki’s words make him feel weird and uneasy.
Yuki:
Whatever! So what do you have to say for yourself?
Bara after a long pause:
I’m sorry I guess. I got lost trying to find my way out of that doorway that I went through. I started going down, but decided to turn around and found myself in weird rooms. This castle has seen its fair share over the centuries. I didn’t mean to scare you guys. And Fazil I really should’ve listened to you. But if it helps I’ve got an idea on how to punish those who do wrong especially those parents of ours.
Yuki:
Well then spit it out!
Bara:
Don’t rush me. I’m getting to it.
Yuki:
Well I’m getting old over here!
Bara:
Okay, okay. We make them work as slaves and help to purify Arcantha again.
Bakta:
Wait a minute are you sure that’s a good idea?
Bara:
It’s perfect. It’s a way to control those who do wrong and set them on the path of helping to restore Arcantha.
Bastian:
But Bara, Clover isn’t a place to bring evil unless to discard their souls. We don’t have Pure Heads here.
Bara:
Well until the Pure Heads return then we use the ones who wish to do evil as a reminder of what evil can bring you if you are caught. It will lead to a lifetime of servitude here on Clover as servants of the Four Clans. It’s perfect.
Fazil:
Well it does seem to make sense and it would help us to get back at our parents. My father deserves the punishment coming to him. We wouldn’t be hurting them, but merely “guiding” them.
Yuki:
But what’s guidance going to do if it’s a lifetime of servitude? How are they supposed to learn if they are mindlessly serving us?
Fazil:
I say we release them after a time and see how they fair in the world of the living. If they so choose to continue to stray off the right path then we have the right to punish them further by chaining them to a life of servitude never to leave Clover ever again. That is my decision. What’s say you Casee?
Casee:
I say that is a brilliant idea since our parents were rotten people anyway. They deserve to serve us. If they are seen as fit people to rejoin the Arcanthian population then so be it. What’s say you Yuk?
Yuki:
I don’t know it seems to be a bit extreme. We won’t hurt them in any way will we? I mean they deserve punishment, but we’re not people who harm others.
Casee:
Well we’ll deal out the punishment accordingly and we won’t make it extreme or torture. You’re right we’re not people who harm others. What’s say you council?
Each council member look at one another for a minute then slowly going around the table each member nod their heads once to signify that they agreed with the ruling of how to punish those who did wrong. Bakta and Bastian nod unsure of what else to do, but it seems that they are okay with it. Coil automatically closes his eyes and sends this as a message to Synjin who sends it up to Sidia and Charma. And so it is done. The first ruling of Clover Island has been made and with that the spirit council disappears. Everyone seems to be okay even Bara who shows no signs of anything being wrong with him. They exit the council room and decide to go out and hang out in the courtyard and watch the moon. Everything seems just fine… but there was still the small problem of Baarda…
