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ROSE Anatomy by RoseAnatomy (Vea)


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#1 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:42 PM

One of the BEST Rose stories ever written, with over 60.000 words, its bigger then the average Novel. And it reads MUCH better.
For easy reading pleasure i suggest you make the browser window a bit smaller, like book size.

Happy Reading ...


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PREFACE

Aruaâ??s Universe

The Visitors first arrived not long ago. They protect life, and make right from all that is wrong. They are divine beings; they seldom suffer from hunger or thirst, they do not need as much sleep as most other creatures, but they can hurt, they can love. And they can help.

That is why Arua created them, after all.

We donâ??t know where Arua came from, nor how she came to be. We do know, however, that nothing existed before Arua. The Goddess of life, souls, and all existence created the universe as she see fit. A calm and beautiful place where souls could dwell peacefully. The deep matters of the universe cradled the waves of life, on which all beings would sway soothingly. This perfect universe was called the Sea of Souls.

Life would bring shine to the Sea of Souls, in the form of seven planets. Arua created these out of love, and dedicated each of them to the inhabitants that she breathed life into.

â??The planets, as your lives, dear ones, are all yours. As am I. As are your souls.â?

These are the words of Arua that ring in everyoneâ??s hearts when they are born.

â??To you, I give the Gods, to watch over you. Praise them well, for no love can ever match the one you will receive from them.â?

And thus, the Gods were created, to watch over all life that Arua had created among the seven planets. And Arua named the planets after each of the Gods and Goddesses that would look after them: Junon, Luna, Eldeon, Orlo, Karkia, Skaaj, and Hebarn.

Each planetâ??s inhabitants lived in happiness, idolizing their respective God or Goddess, and reveling in the pleasures that living under their protection and rule brought.

But all was not harmonius for long.

When the creatures of the first planet Junon began to adore Arua, the God of Adventure (Junon himself) adored her as well. And Junon Planet began to receive more attention from Arua, than all the other planets. This was unprecedented amongst the Gods and Goddesses, who were all to be equal in Aruaâ??s eyes. But soon, it became quite clear, Aruaâ??s favoritism towards Junon was apparently due to her falling in love.

Arua, who had created the universe from love, was finally receiving some back; from the God of Adventure, Junon, who fell madly in love with the Goddess of Life and Souls almost immediately after his own creation.

Hebarn, the God of Darkness and Secrets, became jealous of the divine affair instantly; and demanded that Junonâ??s love cease, so that Arua may belong to all the lesser Gods and Goddesses equally. But Skaaj, the Goddess of Love, could not deny the veracity of the loveâ??s power; and she blessed Junonâ??s and Aruaâ??s conjugation herself, making it official above all other matters in the universe.

Hebarn was both furious and envious at these turn of events, for his own love for Luna the Goddess of Magic had been ignored completely by Skaaj in the past. Skaaj never officiated anything because Luna, in charge of the cold and icy second planet, never reciprocated the love to Hebarn. It was after this that Hebarn became also known as the God of Jealousy and Envy. The Dark God soon exiled himself from the other deities, vowing revenge against Aruaâ??s love and distancing the planet Hebarn from the rest of the universe: â??If there can be love only from light, let there be hatred bourne from the darkness.â?

The mortal creatures among the seven planets may not have cared for the business of the Gods and Goddesses for long, but then, the Ikaness arose. Born on all seven planets, yet from no one planet at all, the Ikaness were without rightful lands, as they were slowly but surely outcast from the natives of each planet.

Feeling excluded, much like the God Hebarn himself, they waged battles across the seven planets, in order to claim a land of their own. Having no God or Goddess of their own, the Ikaness targeted the citizens of Junon primarily, because of their privileged love of Arua; a Goddess meant for all.

The Ikaness formed an interplanetary organization that officially took arms against the Goddess Arua. This organization (known as The People in Red Robes) began to terrorize the inhabitants of Junon, in hopes that Aruaâ??s utopia would fall apart and open a window of opportunity for Hebarn to step in, to usurp the Goddess of Creation, and take charge. For it is said by the Red Robes that all who follow Hebarn will see Aruaâ??s undoing, as well as receive promised gifts of land, power, and dominance from The Dark God.

For this reason, Arua created 7 magical beings that would protect the balance and peace across the universe. Aruaâ??s Visitors; immortal, innocent, and beloved. When the strange visitors first arrived in Junon, the natural inhabitants accepted them with awe, hoping that the divine beings would deliver them from any evil caused by Hebarn. Created to uphold all that Aruaâ??s universe stands for, the Visitors were prepared to fight against Hebarnâ??s dark evildoers and all that opposed Aruaâ??s love. No one could help but feel protected whenever the very tall, very strong Visitors were around.

The Ikaness were threatened by this, and opened a grand-scale war against Junon. The First Ikaness War was won by Arua's Visitors, of course; immortal titans, protected by the Goddess of Creation. The Ikaness numbers were dramatically lowered, and their people scattered once again across the seven planets. A treaty was formed: the Ikaness would be welcome on Junon, and even claim small parts of its lands, if the Ikaness were to remain peaceful forevermore. This peace treaty was generally accepted, and even other planets (like the third planet Eldeon) allowed the Ikaness onto their lands.

With the peace settled, it seemed as if the 7 Visitors would no longer be needed, so they disappeared amongst the seven planets until a day when Arua's people would call for them again. And the Visitors became legend. Lost, but never forgotten.

But the People in Red Robes continued with their plots until present times. From Hebarn, word reached Junon that they would break the peace treaty, to have a second attempt at revenge and wage war on Arua's universe once more.

â??If ever there's a war to fight for the entire Sea of Soulsâ?¦â?, can be heard spoken amongst the inhabitants of the seven planets, â??â?¦the Visitors will always be victorious!â?

The People in Red Robes also have a saying, â??The Visitors are mighty and legendary, yes, but they are not perfect. For neither is Arua.â?



CHAPTERS

Prologue
1. March of the Clerics
2. Healing Hands
3. The Fairyâ??s Rhyme
4. Ikaness and Shamanists
5. Forget Me Not, Kiss Me Not
6. The Wounded Shamanist
7. Support Muses
8. Listening To Hearts
9. The Raiderâ??s Orders
10. Karitteâ??s Wand
11. The Animals Within the Muse
12. In Kingâ??s Company
13. Blue Blood
14. The Lighthouse Key
15. A Sword Fit For A Goddess
16. Treachery Onboard
17. The Teleporters
18. The Silent Village
19. Genealogy
20. The People in Red Robes
21. The Bond
22. Boys and Scales
23. Katar of the Hay
24. Doonga See, Doonga Do
25. The Forest of Wisdom
26. Leavetaking
27. Shroon's Deception
28. A Peinful Story
29. The Last Hovert
30. Closer To Her God
31. Rush Her Through The Seven!

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written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 09:13 PM.

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#2 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:45 PM

Prologue

Everything you can learn, you can find in blood. That is what the High Clerics say. Indeed, for a healer Cleric, knowledge is bloody; especially for a novice-cleric girl like myself, living in Junon Polis during these times of war.

â??Where lies the magic of healing?â?, young support muses everywhere ask themselves. â??In your heart, and in your bloodâ?, Madame Karitte always used to say. Our blood tells our history, as well as spilling it may determine our future. Know the blood that flows life into every one of Aruaâ??s worlds, and you know Aruaâ??s world itself. However, on that fateful day, I felt like I didnâ??t know anything at all.

I had woken up many times before, of course, but never had I experienced an awakening. When I opened my eyes, I was still on the cold pebbled floor where I had left myself. The back wall of my sleeping quarters was a blurred expanse of stone in my sideways vision. The side of my face that was set against the floor was warm; the only part of my body that felt it so. Except my hands; yes, my hands and wrists were very wet and warm. The eye which I had nearest to the floor was seeing red almost immediately, and a warm liquid made its way between my eyelashes and stung my iris; making me blink. I tried to squint the pain away, but everything hurt too much. That was the reason I was down on the floor in the first place. Everything hurt too much.

I brought my wet hands to my face, and I sobbed for long minutes. Pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes, I could feel the warm sticky liquid on them stream down my cheeks along with my tears. When it all reached my lips, I could taste the salt mixed in with the flavor of death. There was blood on my hands. I was tasting my own blood. I quickly jerked my hands away from my face. My laughter sneaked in somewhere amidst the sound of my sobs, as I realized that I was helplessly terrified. I felt I was going to die. And the pain was so bad, it almost felt as if I had never wanted to die in the first place. Almost.

I turned to lie on my back, and tried to open my eyes again. The sting of tears and blood was still there, but I attempted to blink it away anyway. Suddenly, a pair of dual-colored eyes appeared in front of me; something that I never thought I would have had in common with anyone else in the world. Dual-colored eyes!

The next thing I remember... was hearing the song of morning birds and trees swaying in the breeze. I felt engulfed in a bright, warm light... and the pain, all the pain... went completely away. That was the day that my fate turned on its axis and my life continued much like any of my other days. Bloody.

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written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:41 PM.

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#3 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:46 PM

Chapter 1 March of the Clerics

My name is Vea Nus Inkwood, and ever since I was a child, I had been fascinated by the mystery of change; the pull between right and wrong, the curious yearning for knowledge that was powerful enough to make a difference when deciding which side would give way. I was bedazzled by magic very early on, practically raised around it, and I knew I wanted to be a Cleric since the day that I brewed my first healing potion. I believe I was still growing teeth that day.

I was a dreamer from the day I was born, and I had always dreamt I would be a High Cleric one day. So, when I was old enough to choose my vocation, I left my surrogate family in the canyon village of Zant, and ventured out to the big city; the capital city of Junon Polis, to follow my dreams at the Arumic Academy. The Academy in Junon was a haven for those looking to be cured by magic; a hospital of sorts, for those with ailments otherwise incurable by the other more conventional means of medicine. Clerics-in-training came from all over the worlds to learn the art of healing from the Arumic magic users that had perfected it very long ago.

Studying to be a Cleric proved to be an enormous challenge. The healer's training can be very rigorous, as the Arumic mistresses prepared you for almost everything. Well, not everything. I had been a Muse Cleric in training for a full year at the Holy Junon Arumic Academy for Muses, where my day-to-day routine was always treating the sick or wounded, when the call to battle came. I had just finished watching my teacher Chelsie Chester reattach a kneecap to a Soldier's leg, using a complicated chant while shooting yellow sparks from her magic Wand, when I heard Headmistress Tryteh shout out to my class, â??Clerics! Formation! Three lines! Students follow behind me, Carasia, and Chester! We are not making enough progress here. We leave towards the Lake right now!! Letâ??s move! Hustle, hustle, hustle!!!â?

Her words sunk in surprisingly quickly. The students had been ordered to follow their teachers. We were headed outside of the Academy, to Anima Lake; as of today, a war zone. This was the real thing. Soldiers had been coming in to the Academy all morning, but the training didn't seem any different than any other day. People would come to the Academy, the Arumic mistresses would use magic to heal them, we would watch and learn, and then: next.A war zone was hands-on real-time training! A chance to really put our skills to the test. And I wasn't even a full Cleric yet! So, I spent little time considering it. The excitement sped me through the process of buckling my blue-and-white Heavenâ??s Coat uniform to my torso, over my under-robes, and adjusting my Saint Archmage Bonnet atop my short purple hair.

"Listen up, Muses, Clerics!", my Academy Mistress, Chelsie Chester, instructed us, "We go out there reposed and relaxed! Heal and cure everyone you can� and try not to let your enemy spill any of your blood!�

Soon after that, I was following Chester and the other Arumic Mistresses along with a group of about three dozen Clericsâ?¦ towards the field of battle. We left the Arumic Academy behind us, and we marched down the market street of Junon Polis.



The capital city of Junon was crowded just like any other day. But that day was a day of violence and gloom, and the cityfolk's moods reflected the dark tones of the war that had recently broken out in planet Junon. The tall stone towers and brick buildings showed their age then, more than ever. The city and its people had been through war before. But this new war had come unexpectedly; at a time when Junon's enemies had shown intentions of benevolence, and a promise of peace had been offered to the worlds. As my fellow Clerics and I marched through Junon Polis, we saw that its faith and hopes were shattered. Trust had been replaced with fear. And even the once-lush greenery or the marblestone roadways of the city now showed no effort of luster or shine.

Junon Polis had lost its color, but there was no darkness like the sadness in her citizens' eyes. The group of marching Clerics was met with looks of fear and of contempt from the people. I'm sure it was an impressive sight; over thirty blue-and-white-clad magic users, huddled in lines and carrying Wands, opening the way through the throngs of Dealers and other merchants packing the market street. I wondered what it meant to them... was it a good sight to behold, or a bad omen? Halfway through the city, we passed by a group of Soldiers. Crune, the weapon merchant, spit beside the road we walked on. A few of the Soldiers laughed at this.

â??I never understood thatâ?, the Cleric in front of me abruptly surprised me by speaking during the march. She kept her sights straight ahead, but I just knew she was speaking to me; her whisper carried an air of sureness towards me.

â??Is it envy, over our powers?â?, she asked me, â??Is it misunderstanding of our mysteries? Why would they fear us? The Arumics protect them! Why would they dislike us? We donâ??t dislike them! Usually...â?

The girl was from my class. I recognized her pink hair, bundled on the back of her head. But I couldn't recall her name. I hadn't quite befriended her because I thought she was a bit arrogant about her magical powers. Then again, she had reason to be. She was one of the most advanced students in our healing class. And besides, I hadn't quite befriended anyone in the academy anyway... I mostly kept to myself. Alone with my dreams...

I did not know what to reply to her, so she continued to speak, â??I agree, sometimes itâ??s annoying when a person comes up to me and asks for clerical help when Iâ??m not even working! But hey, I help! And I hold nothing against them. In the end, weâ??re all Arua's children!â?

â??We are all Aruaâ??s dreamsâ?¦â?, I whispered in agreement.

I really didn't know what else to say. However, someone else did. A boy with green hair, that was marching next to the pink-haired girl, said, "Those who fear Arua's children probably do not understand our purpose here. Heck, I don't even understand magic completely, myself! Why have we been gifted by Arua? And where is She in our time of need? Maybe those Soldiers are thinking the same thing. Maybe that's what they fear..."

There was really no response to that from me or any of my fellow Clerics. Not a light-hearted one anyway. Speaking about the absence of Arua was like inviting the presence of Hebarn himself; and Arua-knows that in those grim times, that wasn't something anyone really wanted to be talking about. So, we continued with the silent march. We could still hear the Soldiers laughing behind us, but we ignored them all. It was the soldiers that were not able to laugh at the time, might not ever again, that worried us. Ironically, it was the Soldiers of Junon, who mostly never believed in Arumic magic, the very ones we were marching towards Anima Lake to save.

The awkward feeling, that Junon Polis' darkness gave me, left me immediately after crossing the drawbridge above the moat surrounding the city's high walls. Instead, I was overwhelmed by a sudden nervous despair. For, as soon as my Cleric companions and I left the capital, the winds of Anima Lake blew against our facesâ?¦ and the smell of blood wafted straight to our noses. It was the smell of war, the smell of death; Hebarnâ??s smell.

I noticed that most of the Clerics around me were also nervous. They were all around my age, young, and not particularly secure about being sent off to a war zone. The green-haired boy was starting to sweat, and the pink-haired girl in front of me seemed to shiver once or twice. But that never halted our steps, nor slowed our pace. We were determined. Against fear, against lost hope, we would live to heal; if there was anyone left alive to healâ?¦

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:42 PM.

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#4 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:47 PM

Chapter 2 Healing Hands

After crossing a small meadow, the fortressed city could still be seen behind us when our healing party arrived at Anima Lake. Once there, we were met with the scene of disaster.

Anima Lake had once been beautiful. I remember having come here one time as a child. The once blue waters were now stained in red with our Soldiersâ?? blood. The growing green grass was now a flattened field of armor, metal, and flesh. The yellow sky was darkened gray by various plumes of smoke. But the most horrifying sight of allâ?¦ was what was left of the marvelous Arumic Shrine, which rose from the middle of the lake in the past. The once shiny and colorful spires were now lying sideways near the lake water's edge, charred almost black, and in pieces. Only the towerâ??s base remained standing, splattered with blood. Green blood. The blood of the Aquas.

Far across the waters of the lake, a battle was still taking place. Fires exploded and smoke billowed from the fight. My fellow Clerics and I could hear the far-off sound of metal against metal and warring screams.

â??Can you believe this?â?, the green-haired Cleric nearby spoke out loud.

I turned to look at him, really look at him, for the first time. He was tall, with broad shoulders; rather strong-looking. He could have made a good Soldier. I wondered why he was a Cleric insteadâ?¦

â??I knowâ?¦â?, I found myself replying to him, â??I canâ??t believe that Arua would want this.â?

â??Noâ?¦â?, the Cleric boy laughed, â??I mean, can you believe how much experience weâ??re going to receive with this training!â?

I almost told him that this wasnâ??t training. That this was real. But I simply smiled; glad that I wasnâ??t the only one that felt even a little bit of excitement about actually working in the bloody field. So much for guilt. The company of others like me would also help ease the nerves. I hoped.

â??You!â?, Madame Chester suddenly directed her strong and authoritative gaze at me, â??Inkwoodâ?.

â??Yes, maâ??amâ?, I replied with confidence and bravery in my voice, even though my soul began to tremble with fear.

â??How high did you score on your Second Job Quest?â?, Madame Chester asked.

"100, ma'am", I replied.

â??I scored 190, Madame!â?, the same pink-haired cleric girl that had interrupted the silence of the march, now interrupted my conversation with Chester.

â??Fine! You BOTH go!â?, Chester pointed towards the fallen Arumic Shrine, â??Madame Shroon was supposed to meet us here, but she seems to be missing. Find Shroon! Bring me back any message from her, and let me know how many of our numbers does she need with her! Now! Go!! Hustle!â?

We ran as fast as we could towards the shrine's destruction and debris. As we passed by on the dirt road that surrounded the lake, we saw broken pieces of machinery, as well as broken bodies strewn atop the long-grass that flanked the lake road. No one on this path needed our help; there were carved up bodies of both Soldiers and Aquas where we ran. Human flesh and armor, mixed with large, cold, scaly bodies. Also noticeably, there were arms and legs made of metal amongst the carnage as well.

Someone must be using the humanoid tanks, known as Castle Gears, to fight this war, I thought to myself.

â??Do you see that!?â?, my new Cleric partner called out to me, while pointing to the skies. When I took my eyes off the Castle Gear parts on the ground, I was just barely able to see the remaining silhouette of a flying vessel disappearing into the smoke-filled clouds.

â??Transport!?â?, I asked in between running breaths, â??To where?â?

â??From where, more like!â?, my Cleric partner replied while panting, â??From Luna, I bet! I heard that the Shamanists would come down and help!â?

Luna! The planet of eternal winter. I couldnâ??t resist a look back at the part of the sky where the ship had disappeared to. A ship from Luna! That would be an awesome sight. Luna seemed so far awayâ?¦ and so long agoâ?¦

"Iâ??ve never met a Shamanistâ?¦", I said, "I wonder if we'll get to see one!" All other thoughts of Luna would have to be put aside for now.

The pink-haired Cleric and I were very close to the fallen Shrine, when a mechanical whoosh filled my ears and a metal blur flashed in front of us; stopping us dead in our tracks. Ahead of us stood a humanoid monster made of wood and metal, five times the height of a Visitor, with wide extremities pulsating with mana power and a welded face bearing spiky teeth and smoky breaths. The light bulbs for eyes had caught on to us and were giving us a deathly stare.

â??Aruaâ??s Blessing!â?, my Cleric partner whispered in amazement.

â??Whatâ??s your name?â?, I was able to ask her during my terror.

â??What- Longondo!! Why?â?, was her reply.

â??Iâ??m Veaâ?, I said, â??I donâ??t wanna die alone, you see. I wanted to know the Cleric that stood beside me when this Castle Gear crushed us and smashed us to bitsâ?¦â?

I shut my eyes, as the engine of the death machine roared and steamed in front of us.

â??Are you of Trytehâ??s students?!â?, a raspy, high-pitched voice boomed from the mechanical beast. I looked at Longondo, but she seemed too astounded to speak.

"Y-yes!", I called out to the Castle Gear, "Weâ??ve come from Junon Polis! To aid with-"

â??At last!!!â?, the raspy voice exclaimed; and suddenly the Castle Gear slumped, and exhaustion Mana steam erupted from behind its shoulders. A tiny head popped out from behind the top of the machine. The new face was wearing the easily recognizable black-and-gold veil of the Arumics.

â??You kids are always so slow, so entranced in your bewildermentâ?¦â?, the magic-user that controlled the Castle Gear said, as she dismounted it and came down to us, â??Iâ??m surprised youâ??re even here at all! Even the Shamanists arrived before you!â?

â??There are Shamanists here?!â?, I asked excitedly, when the Castle Gear driver was standing on the ground next to us.

â??Yes, unfortunatelyâ?, said the small Arumic woman, whom we could see was a good length shorter than either Longondo or I, â??Those poor magic-users from Luna shouldnâ??t have to meddle in the affairs of magic in Junon!â?

â??Madame Shroon!â?, Longondo bowed to her, in recognition, â??We humbly serve the Arumics.â?

â??Come children, tell me your names while you followâ?, Shroon nodded in return to Longondo, and the little Arumic woman sped off towards the Lakeâ??s waters.

â??My name is Longondo, and this is Vea!â?, my cleric partner introduced us before I had the chance. She was obviously no longer disconcerted, as we left the inanimate Castle Gear behind.

"How do you know this woman?", I whispered curiously to Longondo, out of earshot of Madame Shroon.

"She used to teach at the Academy", Longondo whispered back, "At first, I heard people say that she got kicked out because she is Ikaness, but that was just cruel rumors. The Arumics surely would have taken in an Ikaness as a sign of peace. Now I hear, that she's out here for some research. Boring stuff. Something about testing the lake's waters, is what people say. But Madame Shroon still visits the school from time to time."

We followed Shroon to the lakewaterâ??s edge, where an unconscious Soldier was sprawled halfway underwater; Trunket Armor torn, gashes all over his face and body.

â??Another Hovert!â?, Madame Shroon introduced him with disdain, â??They all want to be the Hovert of legend! This one, I think takes the sticky rice!â?

"Madame", I said, "Maâ??am Chester asked us to-", I tried to speak, but then Shroon interrupted me.

â??Whatever it is, doesnâ??t matter!â?, said the small Arumic magic-user, â??My priority right now is to make sure this Soldier is healed and stays safe!â?

Shroon looked straight into my eyes, and I was surprised to notice that we had something in common... We both had dual-colored eyes! I was born with a brown left eye, but my right eye was green. Strangely, I felt, I remembered seeing those dual-colored eyes before: hers, yellow and orange. For some reason, before I could enjoy the discovery for long, Shroon ripped her gaze away from me and completely turned her back to me!

â??I have to goâ?, Shroon spoke, uneasy, â??Iâ??ll go to Chester myself! You tend to Hovert here! Be careful, his Helmâ??s stuck to his head!â?

As Shroon sped off in the direction of the Castle Gear, Longondo and I were left with our jaws dropped. We looked at the Soldier lying on the lakeshore, then at each other, and silently wondered how we would undertake the Healing task alone, without an Arumic supervisor.

Longondo began tweaking with the unconscious Soldierâ??s head-wounds, as I took some egg batter form a vial in my belt pouch and began to apply the yolk to his cuts on his chest.

â??Eggs!?â?, the Soldier suddenly awoke.

â??Relaxâ?, I told him, â??Eggs heal people.â?

Then, I gave the Soldier a sip from my drinking pouch.

"Strawberry juice?!?", the Soldier laughed after he had finished drinking, "No, no, don't tell me. It heals too."

I smiled at him, as I took a swig myself.

â??Whatâ??s your name?â?, Longondo asked the Soldier.

The Soldier squinted his eyes, â??I donâ??t remember- Ah! Watch it!! Thatâ??s my head!â?

â??I know perfectly well the locations of your anatomyâ?, retorted Longondo, with a smile, â??Unlike some, Iâ??m no newbie.â?

â??Whoâ??re you calling a newb?! Iâ??ll have you know, Iâ??ve been fighting in this here lake for over 50 levels now! Aaaaghhh!!â?

I suppressed a giggle and unlatched my Conjurerâ??s Wand from my coat belt. I closed my eyes and began chanting a Cure Charm while I waved my Wand over the Soldierâ??s body. When I reopened my eyes after finishing the Charm, I saw that his wounds had begun healing. It was so exciting! Actually healing someone! This wasnâ??t a school lesson, but real life! This was real magic.

Longondo was carefully trying to pry the Soldierâ??s helmet off of his wounded head. She also had her Wand out, an Ouroboros, and was waving it around gently close to the Soldierâ??s temples. A bit of yellow light shone on the tip of Longondoâ??s Wand; unusual for a beginner Cleric, but Longondo didnâ??t notice because she had torn her eyes away from her patient.

â??Is that someone coming our way?â?, Longondo asked, as the Soldierâ??s blood disappeared from his brow, unbeknownst to his healer. Longondo was instead looking at a young man on the nearby lake road. The young man spotted us from afar, and waved. He was short but stout, and was wearing a heavy coat, with furry hood and gloves. Even his boots were thick with fur. The attire was not normal for the warm temperatures of Junon. The young man must be a Lunaris.

â??Oh my Arua!â?, my eyes spread wide as I recognized the waving figure; the tattooed face, the winged ears, brown eyes, the smileâ?¦

â??Longondo!â?, I exclaimed to my cleric partner, â??Please, pretend Iâ??m not here!â?

I frantically looked for a place to hide, but the young man was already walking towards us. I did the first thing that came to mind. I grabbed Longondoâ??s Coat-sleeve for a moment, â??Longondo. Pleeease! Iâ??m not hereâ?.

Then I threw my head backwards into the lake, and I sank my entire body underwater until my back touched the lakebottom.

"What in the-", I heard the Soldier say; muffled by the water now between us.

â??Hello!â?, the young man greeted when he reached us a few seconds later, â??Wasnâ??t someone with you, just now?â?

I saw Longondoâ??s watery-blurred face look towards me, then shake her head â??noâ?? at the newcomer.

Please leave. Please leave. Please leave. I chanted in my head, as if it was an actual clericâ??s Charm. Iâ??d heard of the powers to vanish someone, but had never seen a Cleric do it. In fact, only Godly Ministers were supposed to be able to do it. But then again, Godly Ministers were supposed to be nothing but a myth. At that time, running out of breath underwater and ruining my perfectly good Bonnet, I really wished I could kick the guy!

Then, to make matters worse, I saw from underwater the scaly shape of a blue Aqua swimming towards meâ?¦ Its flat, toad-like face was followed by its large slithering body, as it trailed across underwater towards the shore. Though still far in the deeps, the Aqua kicked mightily and pulled at the water ahead of it with its long scaly arms and legs. I was still hiding underwater when the Aqua bared its sharp teeth and pointed the spear it was carrying straight at me.

Can this be? I had rather face a deadly dirty reptile underwater than let that strapping young man see me?!? Foolish newb of a girl!

"Well, anyway, I guessâ?¦ If you do see a pretty purple-haired girl with dual-colored eyes-", the young manâ??s words were interrupted by the splashing water that surrounded us as I suddenly burst out of the lake!

â??Iâ??m very sorry, Pabel, but we shouldnâ??t talk nowâ?, I said to the boy, exasperated and dripping lakewater, â??Longondo! Thereâ??s a big blue Aqua headed this way!!â?

â??Actuallyâ?¦ fourâ?¦â?, the wounded Soldier said, with a whoozy voice.

And, indeed, four spear points could then be seen shining under the sun as they jutted out of the water and waded speedily towards us.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:43 PM.

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#5 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:48 PM

Chapter 3 The Fairy's Rhyme

The first of the Aqua Warriors was very near us when it leapt from the waters with ferocity. Splashing water everywhere, it was airborne at least six meters from the lake surface before it came down brusquely in front of us; its spear slashing the space where Longondo had been, moments before she had frantically jumped out of the way!

Darn, these were fast! But, so was Longondo. That had been quite the dodge! But, could I be just as fast? The question was quickly answered when the other three Aquas jumped from the water at me. As soon as their scaly bodies had reached the peak height of their jump, I whipped my wand around in front of me and shouted, â??Voltage!â?

The lightning bolt that erupted from the tip of my Conjurerâ??s Wand hit the foremost Aqua in its belly. The spell instantly stunned it and made it fall unconscious back into the water, but not before its rigid body had blocked the jump of the two behind it.

â??Had to jump out of the water, all scary like that!â?, I teased them, as the two that were still awake tried to unscramble themselves free from their companionâ??s mass, which had landed on top of them. â??If you would have stayed in the waterâ?, I said, looking down at my legs, sunk ankle-deep in lakewater, â??I wouldnâ??t have been able to shoot lightning at you, now would I have?â?

My jeer did not last long. My two remaining Aquas had finally disentangled themselves, and were bounding towards me. This time, running in the water, of course.

While I was thinking about what to do next, the noise of nearby metal clanking against metal distracted me. I saw with the corner of my eye that Longondo was also using her magic Ouroboros Wand to defend herself. She held it with both hands in front of her, and swung her arms, slashing vigorously at nothing but the air. A few meters in front of her, a glowing silver sword floated in mid-air. It danced as it slashed, while the first Aqua tried to defend itself with its spear. The motions of the floating magic sword matched Longondoâ??s wand movements exactly.

â??Mana Burn!â?, I shot a string of flame at the water between me and my two approaching Aquas. The fire died instantly upon hitting the lake, becoming nothing but steam and mist.

â??Herh, herh, herhâ?, the Aquas laughed and snarled at me. They flickered their nasty tongues in my direction, as they continued their menacing pace towards me, crossing the mist.

â??Thatâ??s right, dumb reptilesâ?, I stuck my own small tongue out at them, in mockery, â??Tornado!!â?

My weapon shot a spiral of wind at the mist around the Aquas feet, and as I rotated the wand above my head, the mist swirled; and the Aquas were engulfed in a funnel of hot air. I spun the tornado faster and faster, until the Aquas had bumped into each other enough times to be unconscious, then I let them fall back into the water; as docile as the stunned one.

Thank Arua for Mage lessons!

â??Vea!! We have to go!!!â?, there was terror and urgency in Longondoâ??s voice. I turned around and saw over a dozen more Aquas close behind me, headed towards us. They were being led by a gruesome green Aqua Captain, taller than even a Castle Gear! I ran towards my cleric partner, noticing that the magic sword was gone and her Aqua had been slain.

â??Whereâ??s Pabel?â?, I asked a little too worriedly, looking around for the boy from the lake road. But I got no immediate answer. In the rush of escape, Longondo had already taken out a Return Scroll, and was unrolling it atop our wounded soldierâ??s body.

â??Junon Polis!â?, Longondo placed the tip of her wand against the scroll parchment, and the outlined map of a city began to appear across the paper. â??Hold tight!â?, Longondo told the soldier, and the young man known to us only as â??Hovertâ?? grabbed onto her arm.

I was just about to touch my new friend when I saw Pabel jump out of some nearby bushes from the shore. We canâ??t leave without him!!! The thought surprised me. My hesitancy did not allow me to touch Longondo in time, and she and the Soldier disappeared in a blink without me.

Alone!! Blessed Arua! I did not have any Scrolls.

â??Vea! I brought-!â?, Pabel tried to say something, but a sudden sound of rushing water muted out the rest of his sentence. Then, I was overcome by shadow. I turned around to face the oncoming army of Aquas again. I raised my Conjurerâ??s Wand high towards them. â??Pabel!!! Stay back!!!â?, I yelled, tears beginning to form in my eyes.

In front of me, blocking out the sun, the Aquas had somehow summoned a gigantic wave of lakewater and were riding it towards the shoreâ?¦ all of their twenty-or-so spears pointed right at meâ?¦

â??PERMAFROST CHILL!!!â?, I heard a strong female voice shout from behind me. Then, my feet became cold, as the waters around my ankles solidified into ice. The giant wave kept coming towards me, as the ice expanded itself towards the Aquas that were riding it. The ice was so fast! It crawled up the rising water, and the Aquasâ?? momentum became slower. But they were still nearing, and I couldnâ??t move; frozen where I stood.

I watched for what seemed like an eternity, the Aquas still approaching me ever so slowly, as the wave around them began to solidify. When the permafrost chill finally reached the crest of the wave, every single Aqua monster had been frozen in the crescent-shaped slab of ice; and the Aqua Captainâ??s spear-point had only just reached the tip of my nose. A drop of blood dripped from it; down to my lips. I tasted my own blood as I looked into the horrific leathery eyes of the Aqua Captain in front of me. Spilling bloodâ?¦ is inevitable. Those had been the last words I had ever heard from my Master, Karitte, before she had disappeared from Junon and from my life. I savored the blood as an homage to her words, and I felt a bout of dizziness.

I couldnâ??t feel my feet, and my hands felt very cold. Haze surrounded me as I felt my knees bend and my body fall back. And when my head smacked hard against the ice below me, the last thing I felt were shivers all overâ?¦ before it all went blackâ?¦

In the darknessâ?¦ the cold remainedâ?¦


Her wings are so beautifulâ?¦

â??Your wings are so beautiful!â?, my voice echoed my thoughts.

â??Thank youâ?, the reply was given sadly.

She was but a speck of a thing, within the large expanse of darkness; she was no bigger than my hand. But she was so beautiful; and sad.

The tiny woman fluttered her wings and flew up to my nose. Her features became blurry, up so close, but I could hear her much louder as she spoke to me:

â??She must not be brought to any harm.She must knead blade, thread, and yarn.
Her blood is only safe when warm;in the lands of old Hebarn.�

â??What?!?â?, I asked the little flying lady, stepping away from her. Only then, did I notice that she was dressed in plants, and wore the cup of a flower on her head.

â??Rush her through the Seven!â?, the little fairy implored gravely.

â??Rush who!?â?, I asked.

The fairy didnâ??t answer, but she pointed to a blue mass floating in the air nearby. It hadnâ??t been there seconds before! It was of horizontal length, about four meters; no thicker than a tree trunk. On one end, something jutted upwards; on the other, its shape was round like a head. A head!

It was a body! I stepped close enough to it to confirm it. It was a grown woman lying in mid-air! She was so blue, and the air was so coldâ?¦ I didnâ??t have the courage to step any nearer. But I could still see her faceâ?¦ I didnâ??t know who she was. I didnâ??t recognize her. But looking into her sleeplike face was like looking into your motherâ??s eyes for the first time.

I was about to ask who this mysterious woman was, when the fairy flew close to my ear and whispered, â??My wingsâ?¦ will never be as beautiful as her warmth can beâ?¦â?

Warmth. I was suddenly feeling so warmâ?¦ And then, it all disappeared. And I felt myself waking up.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:44 PM.

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#6 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:49 PM

Chapter 4 Ikaness and Shamanists

Upon waking, the warmth was still there. I also smelled a bit of smoke; and the sound of cackling wood was nearby. When I opened my eyes, it took me a moment to get used to the light of the flames, but with the refreshment throughout my body I recognized the magic of the Healing Bonfire immediately.

â??Are you well?â?, a strong yet soothing female voice spoke beside me. My eyes re-adjusted as I looked in her direction, and I saw a slender pale woman kneeling next to me. She was wearing a fur coat, gloves, and a funny plushy-looking hat. Her eyes were purple and her ears were some sort of furry winged extensions of her temples. She had several moon-shaped medallions hanging from a necklace around her neck, and some parts of her skin were tattooed with streaks of blue.

â??Youâ??re a Lunaris!â?, I said as I began to sit up slowly, â??A Shamanist!?â?. The Junon history and astronomy books had excellent depicting images after all! â??Did you save me?â?, I asked her.

â??Shamanist. Yesâ?, was her answer, â??And yes. I save.â? The Lunaris woman smiled warmly. â??Are you well?â?, she asked again, while she reached for me to help me up to my final sitting position.

â??Yes. I think so. Thank youâ? I replied, noticing that her hands were cold. Sheâ??s Lunaris of course! And that reminded meâ?¦ â??My friend Pabel was with me! Is he-?â?

â??Pabel is safely. Pabel is near. Pabel is with pain,â?, the womanâ??s Junon-accent clearly needed practice.

â??Heâ??s in pain? What happened to him?! Did he get hurt? We must help him!â?, I tried to get up, but the Shamanistâ??s cold hands (surprisingly strong) held me down.

â??No, no. Pein is friendâ?, the Lunaris explained, â??Pein help. Pabel set protection. Pein help protect, in night. Pein know Animaâ?¦ much.â?

â??Peinâ?¦ isâ?¦ a person?â?, I asked her.

â??Yesâ?, she laughed, â??And I, Est.â?

â??I am Veaâ?, I said, â??I am honored to meet you.â?

â??I, alsoâ?, she replied, â??Are you Cleric?â?

â??Yes. Well, Iâ??m still in trainingâ?, was my answer.

â??You trainâ?¦ in war??â?, the Lunaris woman sounded taken aback.

For a second, I didnâ??t know how to give my answer. â??Theyâ??ve always encouraged us to fight for knowledgeâ?, I said to Est, â??Even if we donâ??t always understand what we are fighting forâ?¦â?

â??They notâ?¦ Akram Kingdom notâ?¦?â?, Est tried to ask something.

â??Say! Tell!â?, a manâ??s voice reached our sitting area, â??The Akram Kingdom never says a thing! They never tell us anything! Those are the words you are looking for, dear Est.â?

The man that had spoken appeared from the shadows into the firelight. He looked old and worn. He had a white beard and a black patch over his right eye. He was dressed in green ranger-wear, and was accompanied by Pabel, who of course wore furs much like Est did. Pabel looked well. I instinctively smiled at him.

â??The Lunaris donâ??t have words like â??speakâ?? or â??tellâ?? or â??talkâ?? â?, the man, who was apparently Pein, explained to me, â??They communicate through the heart, you see.â?

â??I seeâ?, I nodded, quickly shying my gaze away from Pabel, to turn back to Est.

â??But Est!â?, Pein continued, stroking his white beard, â??The Shamanists do bring answers, do they not?â?

â??Shamanists answer, yesâ?, Est smiled. â??Pabel, pleaseâ?¦ ssppeakâ?¦ ttell.â?

Pein seemed pleased at Estâ??s quick-learning, and I finally looked at Pabel; with surprise!

â??Setting up magical protectionâ?¦â?, I voiced my thoughts out loud, â??Are you a Shamanist too?!?â?

Pabel smiled coyly. He had smiled at me like thatâ?¦ only once before in our lifetime. And that had been on a planet far from this oneâ?¦

I shied from his gaze again.

The night had enveloped Anima Lake, and the planetâ??s nightly ghosts had begun to roam, when we listened to Pabelâ??s story. Pein had assured me that Pabelâ??s protection charms would keep the Candle Ghosts well away, and so, Pabel had my full attention. And also, it had been such a long time since I had looked into those brown eyesâ?¦

â??The Ikaness hostilities are backâ?, Pabel said, â??Itâ??s been more than 300 years since the Ikaness last fought in Junon, during the first Ikaness war. Back when the land was still unclaimed, they had had their fight. And now, theyâ??re looking to have it again.

â??The masters of Hebarnâ??s dark magic will never really cease to have a reason to fight until they are given a planet of their own. Haters of Junon, the Ikaness remain this planetâ??s greatest enemy. True, under the reign of Queen Namielle, the planet Junon achieved peace after the First Ikaness War. Her newly-formed Akram Kingdom was able to defeat the Ikaness, but this time the Ikaness have brought to this new second war a terrible threat. The Devil Pest.

â??This mysterious, magically created disease is far deadlier than any illness ever known. It is showing its wrath on planet Junon and beginning to plague the rest of Aruaâ??s planets as we speak. Every creature that contracts this disease, becomes inexplicably and hopelessly violent. And there is no cure for the infected. None that any Healer has come up with, anyway. Anyone that is infected with the Devil Pest, dies. There are talks that the Devil Pest victims are dead already to begin with!

â??With the Devil Pest here, the Ikaness have used that mighty weapon to start the wars against Junon again. We suspect Herune is behind the Devil Pest, in the first place, of course. But little help that is, when all the peaceful creatures of the planets are slowly being turned into ferocious weapons against us. Without a cure, we donâ??t stand a chance. And it looks as if Queen Namielleâ??s efforts of the past would have been in vain, if the peace of Junon is shattered again forever.

â??If only Her Highness were alive todayâ?¦

â??But in other notes, the Shamanists have discovered a connection to the roots of the Devil Pest. It lies in Eldeon. News from there hardly travel here to Junon. And thatâ??s where we Lunaris come in. Being close to the third planet Eldeon, we have discovered some strange things about the Devil Pest's origins there, which we are now prepared to share with the Akram Kingdom. We have heard that the current king of Junon has begun an attempt to bring all factions together against the rise of the Ikaness. When we heard that the Aquas were blockading the entrance to the Desert of the Dead, a place we all know may have answers to the Devil Pest questions, we decided it was time to come to Junon and help.

â??We understand that Akramâ??s Righteous Crusaders are having a hard time in the field of battle, and that only recently were the Arumic Clerics deployed to aid here at Anima Lake; but we feel confident that your king, Artur, will be victorious. And we are here to join his side.

â??But first, of course, matters of our discoveries in Eldeon must be reported to the Arumic Clerics immediately, since they are the ones most equipped to develop a Devil Pest cure. It is important that Est and I deliver our message to the High Cleric Karitte at the Arumic Academy in Junon Polis as soon as possible", Pabel concluded.

"Her Most High Cleric Karitte...", I responded, perhaps a little overexcited, "I know her. She was myâ?¦ original Master in the magic healing arts. But... she abandoned Junon long ago. Arua-knows which planet she's on now..."

"And King Artur is a difficult man to reach", Pein added, "He lives in solitary, protecting Junon from behind the veil of his secret castle. No one has ever seen him for some time."

"Nevertheless, King Artur and the High Cleric Karitte are the most powerful people in Junon planet", Pabel insisted, "We must find them, one way or another... Vea, will you help us?�

I thought about how I had woken up that day, and what the rest of the day had brought after that. So many new aspects of life... And the Fairy's rhyme of my dream...! Does it have any meaning? Do I have meaning?... Do I have purpose, after all?

The answer I would give to the Shamanists hid the fact that all I wanted to do was cry. "I will help you", I told them, holding back tears of joy.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:44 PM.

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#7 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:51 PM

Chapter 5 Forget Me Not, Kiss Me Not

Later that night, the air was still, but the distant howls of Candle Ghosts chilled me to the bone. I felt safe under Pabelâ??s protection. A Shamanist! I still could not believe it. Here, settled in the high-grass of Anima, with only the handsome Lunaris by my sideâ?¦ I would have felt safe sitting alone with Pabel even if he had been a Zant City leaf-sweeper!

â??Thank you for accepting to help Pein escort us to Junon Polis, Veaâ?, Pabel whispered to me, even though we were now well out of ear-range from the Bonfire, and Est and Pein. The older ones had fallen asleep, and it was our watch for now. Well, it was Pabelâ??s watch. I couldnâ??t sleep.

â??I feel it is my dutyâ?, I replied to him, looking at the stars.

â??Dutyâ?¦ pulls us towards strange destinies sometimesâ?, he replied.

I looked at him intently. Pabel seemed sad. His brown eyes did not have shine. I couldnâ??t kid myself. I knew what he was feeling. And, I was feeling it too.

I continued to look at his face, enjoying the tattoos on his cheeks (brown swirly lines), and spoke to him again, â??Do not blame me for the calling of an Arumic Cleric. I would have loved to have you in my life some more, instead of being separated by the distance of our planets. Becoming a Cleric, here in Junon, was something that I felt I had to do. I thought it had all been a mistake! But I think I was wrong! Arua has a wonderful plan for all of us, right? We do what we think is right, and follow her with our hearts!"

"It is wonderful and noble, that duty pulls you to Arua's tasks", said Pabel, "But remember that we all have our Gods and Goddesses. You have Junon, just as I have Luna. We listen to our deities, with our hearts, as we know that They listen to our prayers. Do not forget that even Junon himself answers to Arua."

"We follow Junon's example, by loving Arua", I told Pabel.

"But never forget those planets that praise their own God instead", Pabel pointed out.

"Hebarn...", I understood, "The people of Hebarn worship only the God of Jealousy, because they have forgotten love, and they have forgotten Arua."

"Arua is to be forever in our hearts", said Pabel, "But she must never take the place of any of our Divine Protectors. Arua is for all, equally, not just for Junon. Your own Gods can be forgotten if you set your heart on Arua too much. Sometimes, I feel that the Arumics may be close to a fanatic cult..."

"You're speaking blasphemy, Pabel!", I said, worriedly.

"Forgive me", Pabel said, "I do not mean to shun Arua. I love and thank my Creator fully. But I wonder, what would the Holy Junon Order say if your people forgot to give Junon due worship."

"We never forget Junon!", I replied, "Even if the Junon Order does seem to receive no answers from the God Junon, as of late... not since the wars started again... Anyway, besides! Arua is our maker, and we will all meet her in the end! Right? I mean, we all hope to meet with Arua someday, I guess; and until then, it is our gift from her to be able to choose which path we want to follow in life. I mean, look at you! A Shamanist!!�

Pabel turned suddenly, to gaze at me with his deep brown eyes, â??And why do you think I am a Shamanist, Vea?â?

I had to turn away from him, back to the stars, â??Duty, of course.â?

â??Duty to my own Goddess, yesâ?, Pabel said, â??I have chosen to follow Luna's path of shamanism; just like you are devoted to Arua. It separates us by more than just planets..."

"You have no idea what I've gone through", my throat clenched, "All I had thought I had lost... But now, Arua has shown me the way! I must follow her!"

"I may not understand why this should even separate us", Pabel replied, "But Vea, I am so very glad I am here with you now! I have missed you��

â??I missed you too, Pabel!â?, I made the mistake to look at him again; he was still looking at me.

â??Your eyes are as precious as I remember themâ?, he told me.

â??You will not melt me anew with those wordsâ?, I smiled, and looked away yet again.

â??Do you remember which one is my favorite?â?, Pabel asked.

Dear Arua! Why must I care? Donâ??t answer him. Just shrug. But dearest, dearest Arua, I thank you for the blessing of my eyes; the gift that you have given me that enthralls this boy so much!

After my silence, Pabel insisted, â??The brown one? Or the green one?â?

I blushed, and my hand slowly lifted to my face, and my index finger stretched towards my left eye.

â??Thatâ??s rightâ?, he laughed. Cruel man!

â??The brownâ?, Pabel said, â??To match with mine.â?

â??You know!â?, I turned to him, trying to conceal my humor, â??A real gentleman would say he cannot pick a favorite and that he likes them both, the green and brown alike!â?

â??Maybe someday I will be a real gentlemanâ?, was Pabelâ??s grinning reply, â??And I will like the green one too, once it matches with another pair of little eyes.â?

â??You fiend!â?, I gasped and held back laughter, as I punched him hard on one shoulder, â??If the Arumic Madams heard you talk like that to a Cleric lady, theyâ??d have your head on a Staff!â?

â??Iâ??m sorry, Iâ??m sorry!â?, he laughed, â??I will save my comments and intentions for cooler weathers, where no soil suffers from Arumic rule.â?

My joy died down that instant. I missed Luna, so much! Foolish newb girl! Your destiny is here! Stuck in this rock of a war-zone. Do not dream of the stars! The pulls of planets was what broke your heart in the first place!

Ah, but the memories of Lunaâ?¦

â??Any word on your sister?â?, I asked Pabel.

And suddenly, he turned somber as well, â??None. But hope remains.â?

â??I am sure she will be foundâ?, I said, â??And Maâ??am Anzhelika, how is she?â?

â??Business thrives, her health is good, but she misses my sisterâ?¦â?, Pabel replied.

â??I remember the first time I felt snowâ?¦â?, I smiled.

â??My sister threw a snowball at you!!â?, Pabel laughed.

â??Yes! But it was wonderful!â?, I laughed with him.

â??She had been so jealous ever since she had heard news that Maâ??am Sharlin was bringing a girl with her on her next visit from Junon! She hated you as soon as she laid eyes on you! Ha ha!â?

â??The bite of the cold snowball against my skinâ?, I reminisced, â??The prickling of melting ice, and the water tickling down my noseâ?¦ It was such a new experience!â?

â??You adored her for it! It made it impossible for her to hate you any longer!â?, Pabel chuckled.

â??Yeah, she triedâ?¦â?, a tear sprang from one of my eyes.

â??When you leftâ?¦â?, Pabel was serious now, â??She sent a message to Sharlin asking when she was going to bring you back to visit us again.â?

â??Iâ?¦â?, I tried to say something.

â??How is Maâ??am Sharlin?â?, Pabel interrupted, perhaps as a favor, to change the painful subject.

I took a deep breath, to settle myself, before answering, â??I havenâ??t seen her since I left for the Academy. But she sends word that she is well.â?

â??I must confess, I almost sent a message to Sharlin myself, asking for your returnâ?, Pabel looked into my eyes.

â??Pabelâ?¦â?, I turned away.

â??I never stopped hopingâ?¦â?, he insisted.

â??We were children, Pabel!â?, I replied, â??Iâ??m not even a full Cleric yet! I have duties here thatâ?¦â?

â??That made you forget?!â?, Pabel said, challengingly.

â??Iâ??ve never forgotten!â?, I brought myself to look at him again, â??But things here areâ?¦â?

â??Forget the things here, Vea!â?, Pabel exclaimed, â??For one moment! If you could forget everything else, the distance, the planets, these stupid wars, do you thinkâ?¦ maybe? Maybe we wouldâ??ve seen each other again?â?

Pabel was close to tears. His voice was a little heated, and his face had come surprisingly closer to mine.

â??Weâ?¦ have seen each other againâ?¦â?, I spoke nervously, â??Here. Right now.â?

â??And this here and now? Will you not forget?â?, Pabelâ??s face edged closer to mine, â??So thatâ?¦ we can keep seeing each other again?â?

Dear Arua! No, Pabel. Do not kiss me! I will not bear the cold of night that will reach my lips when the warmth of yours leave mine!

I allowed him to move a little closerâ?¦ I could already feel his warmth near my face. The only Lunaris whose touch has never felt cold on me.

â??We can see each otherâ?¦â?, I said, in such a whisper it was a surprise I heard myself at all.

Junonâ??s blood, boy! Do not kiss me! I closed my eyes, and moved forward to meet him.

It seemed perfect. A warm night, comfortable grass, all was peaceful and quietâ?¦ But the kiss never came. The night wasâ?¦ too quietâ?¦

I opened my eyes to see that Pabel had stood up, away from me. He looked startled. Then, I heard a screeching yelp nearby, and heard the grass behind me rustle. Instants later, a large bundle of brown cloths rolled out of the grass and settled next to us. The butt of an arrow was sticking out of it, and what looked like white smoke left the cloth to disappear into thin air.

â??A Candle Ghost!â?, we heard Pein say, as the Ranger skipped across the high-grass and approached us, still holding his bow in one hand and pulling another arrow out of his quiver with the other. Est was bounding right behind him.

â??I could have gotten it!â?, Pabel seemed very embarrased.

â??It was your letting your protective Salamander Flames die out that allowed them to come near us in the first place!!â?, Pein scolded him, â??What were you playing at, boy?! Anyway, letâ??s go, letâ??s move! Thereâ??s more of them!!â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:45 PM.

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#8 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:52 PM

Chapter 6 The Wounded Shamanist

We ran as fast as we could through the marshes around Anima Lake, occasionally having to wade through knee-high waters and patches of mud. Pabel and I led the way, followed by Est, with Pein at the rear. We continously heard the howls of Candle Ghosts in the distance, and we could feel the presence of them all around us, but we didnâ??t really see any of themâ?¦ untilâ?¦

Flash! A light momentarily blinded me and I felt a sudden painful shock on my wand arm. â??Ouch! What was that?â?, I whined. My arm felt numb, as it was losing feeling rapidly. It wasnâ??t even completely asleep yet when the Candle Ghost came out from behind a tree to follow me and shot another pulse of lightning at me.

I didnâ??t have enough time to dodge the bolt, so I took my Wand with my other hand and quickly tossed it in the air behind me. The lightning searched for the small metal rod and turned to find it; my Conjurerâ??s Wand catching the full force of the blow. When the wand fell to the ground, it was scorching hot and smoking.

Pabel raised his hands and pointed his open palms towards the cloaked flame-spirit in front of him. Then, I heard him say an incantantion even though I didnâ??t see his lips move, and suddenly a gust of wind left Pabel's hands and overtook the Candle Ghost; the magic wind flapping the spirit's brown robes wildly and putting out the flame inside its hood. Within moments, the remaining lifeless cloth fell swiftly to the ground; white smoke rising from it.

â??I have wand, Vea!â?, Est called out, and she picked up my Conjurer as she went past it, â??Stay at running!â?

Then, another lightning ball erupted from the night; another Candle Ghost! This lightning caught Est at her legs, and she immediately fell forward. One of Peinâ??s arrows caught the Ghost, and the ranger picked up Est as he ran past her. He carried her, while she limped at a trot.

Those little critters! Theyâ??ve learned magic! I could still feel my wand arm was asleep.

â??Be careful!â?, I shouted a warning to my party, â??They can stun!â?

Our pace was slowed because of Estâ??s limping, and we had to encounter a good deal more Ghosts (Pabel and Pein defeated them easily) before the gates to Junon Polis were in sight.

â??There are so many! Iâ??ve never seen so many, in one night, in Anima Lake before!â?, I heard Pein say.

â??The Candle Ghosts have attraction by deathâ?, Est explained, â??Many Aquas and Soldiers have death today in Anima Lake.â?

I suddenly remembered the gruesome aftermath of war I had witnessed by the lake, earlier that day. It felt so ugly, so evil, that at firstâ?¦ I thought the girlâ??s screams were part of the grizzly image in my head.

â??What is that?â?, Pabel asked.

â??Wait, stop!â?, I called out.

I pointed to a cluster of small silhouettes and flashing lights floating over the tall grass nearby. The silhouettes seemed to be connected to the lights, and were dancing around a fixed spot. More Candle Ghosts! The girlâ??s screams were coming from their direction.

Without speaking, we all turned from our path in the direction of the screams. Est was still limping but she was no longer leaning against Pein. My arm was beginning to regain its feeling; so that probably explained it. When Est passed by me, she handed me back my Conjurer. â??Hope is good useâ?, the Shamanist said gravely.

We had to stop in our tracks before we got too close to the scene. Hiding in the dark, behind the flashing flames of the Candle Ghosts, stood a tall scaly green reptileâ?¦ wearing wet armor, and holding a large bloody spear. Its leather skin was drenched and shiny, with small bits of ice and sleet attached to it, already making frostbite bruises within its scales. It grinned when it saw us, and even though the thing was still shivering, it shot at us a death-threatening snarl.

â??Mine is Aqua Captain!â?, Est said; and I saw her produce a large shiny white Staff from underneath her robes, â??Save girl!â?

"Here!!!", Pein shouted at the ghosts, â??Come get me, you scrawny lumps of tablecloths!!! HERE!!!â? The ranger twanged his bowstring loudly as he taunted the Candle Ghosts, and began to step away from the scene, for the Ghosts to follow.

When the Aqua Captain lunged forward, he broke through the group of Candle Ghosts, and they scattered about. Pabel dodged to one side, and I to the other, but the Captain didnâ??t want us anyway. When he landed in front of Est, the slam of spear against staff was loud enough to awaken the entire Lake.

Upon dispersing, most of the Candle Ghosts decided to follow Pein; while the ranger shot arrows behind him as he ran, smiting each Candle Ghost one after another.

The ones that remained, leered toward Pabel and I. â??Mana Burn!â?, I called with my Wand out, but only sparks and smoke shot out of the end. â??Oh noâ?, I said in angry disappointment.

â??Donâ??t worry!â?, Pabel said, while blowing Candle Ghosts away with magic wind from his hands, â??Help the girl!â?

The girl was no longer screaming, so it was difficult to find her in the dark. The sounds of clashing spear against staff behind me was a distraction. But I found her. There was a girl lying in the grass where the Candle Ghosts had been congregated. She was lying on her back; her blue and white uniform tattered, and her once cutely-bundled pink hairbuns now disheveled.

â??Longondo!!â?, I cried out. Her wand was still in her hand, but she was unconscious. I picked up her head in my arms and felt her breathing. Only stunned. Thank Arua! I reached for a slice of bacon from my belt-pouch, and moved it around close under her nose. The smell made Longondo squint, and she was soon awake. Her blue eyes looked up at me and she smiled, â??Veaâ?¦ I found youâ?¦â?

â??Yes, you didâ?, I replied. It doesnâ??t matter that I barely know this girl! Thank Arua sheâ??s alive! When I helped her to sit up, she gasped loudly! I turned to see what she was looking atâ?¦ and I saw the Aqua Captain, not thirty meters away from us, holding its spear outâ?¦ with Estâ??s body pierced at the end of it.

â??NO!!!â?, I let Longondo sit by herself and I stood up. But before I could do anything, Est pushed herself off the spear, and in turn pointed her own Staff at the still shivering Aqua Captainâ??s neck.

â??Apologies, for freeze, earlierâ?, Est said, spouting blood from her lips, â??Allow Est, to warm youâ?¦â?

And suddenly, Estâ??s staff began to glow red hot, and black clouds began to form in the sky above her. The Shamanist pushed her staff further against the Aqua Captainâ??s neck and made its head look up. The Aqua Captainâ??s eyes widened in fear, as burning black rocks began to materialize in the stormy clouds above. The scaly monster released a final shriek before the fiery meteorites came crashing down on his face and body, leaving a melting mass of reptile flesh, armor and bones simmering on the marsh ground.

The clouds dispersed, and the wounded Shamanist fell to the ground, unsingedâ?¦ with a smile on her face.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:46 PM.

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#9 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:53 PM

Chapter 7 Support Muses

Pabel was not in sight. He must have followed Pein to help him. I ran to Est and kneeled beside the wounded Shamanist. When I pressed my Conjurer against her chest, I immediately began to chant my Cure Charm, but her wound continued to bleed.

â??Itâ??s no good, my Wand is broken!â?, I cried some more.

Longondo approached us, walking slowly. She held her Ouroboros Wand out, pointed at Est, and little yellow sparkles flew out of it. They danced around Estâ??s torso for a few seconds, then died out, and Longondo fell to her knees.

â??Here!â?, I quickly passed Longondo my drinking pouch. She took it and drank all my strawberry juice down. Then, Longondo wiped her mouth, stood up, and pointed her Wand at the Shamanistâ??s chest again. She began to sing softly, her Heal Charmâ?¦ and this time, a blast of yellow light emerged from the tip of her wand. The light engulfed the Shamanistâ??s entire body and lifted it a meter from the ground. While I could still hear Longondoâ??s sweet singing voice, the body came back down slowly, and rested once again upon the grass. When the song had died out, so had the light; and Est looked as if she was deep in a peaceful sleep. Her wound had sealed, and her blood was gone.

â??Iâ?¦ didnâ??t know I could do thatâ?¦â?, Longondo said, bewildered.

I stood up and gave her a big hug. â??That was elite!â?, I told her.

â??Thanks for coming to my rescue, Veaâ?, Longondo bowed her head towards me after I had released her from the hug, â??I stood no chance against that Aqua Captain. I owe you my Support.â?

â??What? No, what else could I have done?â?, I replied humbly.

â??You took on three Aquas earlier today, Vea!â?, said Longondo, â??I admit, I looked down on you today, for having to be on a mission with you from Chester. Usually, she believes in letting me do things on my own. But, now, I regret it. And I am honored to hold a Wand beside you.â?

â??You could haveâ?¦â?, I didnâ??t know what to say, â??I mean, you- What were you doing out here, anyway?â?

â??Looking for you, of course!", Longondo replied, "When you didnâ??t return to the Academy by sundownâ?¦ I set out to find you!â?

â??Oh, by Arua!", I exclaimed, "It is I who should pledge my Support to you! Such courage, just to come back for me!?â?

â??You would have done the same thing", said Longondo, "In fact, you did! You almost ran past me, but you stopped your party. And just in time, too!â?

Tears were springing up. â??Wellâ?, I said, smiling, â??It is settled then. Should we take this up with Tryteh?â?

â??To Tryteh! Yes!â?, Longondo was clearly happy, and we hugged once more.

â??You are crazy to come out here at night, alone, to search for me!â?, I laughed, upon releasing each other from the hug.

â??She wasnâ??t alone!â?, a boyâ??s voice rang nearby.

â??You followed me??â?, Longondo asked, annoyed, â??I told you not to follow me, Kaizy!!â?

The young Cleric boy came strolling towards us, with his perfectly groomed Heavenâ??s Coat uniform, and his perfectly groomed green hair. It was the same boy I had met earlier that day in the zone of battle. He was followed by Pein and Pabel close behind.

â??Aw, did I miss a fight?â?, Kaizy said when he reached us, â??Did somebody get Meteorite Flowed??? I thought only Madame Shroon could do that! ...Junonâ??s blood! Is that a Shamanist??â?

It was then that Pein noticed Est sleeping on the grass and ran towards her, to make sure she was alright. Pabel gave me a look of concern, and Longondo looked absolutely livid in regards to Kaizyâ??s presence.

Kaizy, the good-looking green-haired Cleric, looked just as pleased as if he were having a cozy dinner in a Breezy Hills hut. He held his Snake Wand up, and said, â??Anyone still need any healing?â?

â??We need to move herâ?, Pein said, referring to Est, â??We need to find shelter somewhere nearby. Regardless of how close we are to Junon Polis right now, we shouldnâ??t continue to the city like this, on this night. We should wait until morning.â?

â??But the Candle Ghostsâ?¦?â?, Longondo asked.

â??Thatâ??s why weâ??re moving her", said Pein, "Pabel, please help me.â?

Upon Peinâ??s orders, Pabel helped to carry Est. I picked up her Staff and followed them. Longondo quickly fell in beside me, and after a while, she called back to Kaizy, â??Well, you might want to finish what you started, stalker boy! Come on!â? And Kaizy caught up with us.

â??Junon Polis is that way. Why are we going this way?â?, I asked Pein.

â??Itâ??s just a small detourâ?, Pein explained, â??Pabel and I ran into Gypsy wagons earlier, while we were fighting Candle Ghosts. Itâ??ll be a good place to stop until morning.â?

â??I donâ??t remember seeing any Gypsies on our way into Animaâ?, Kaizy offered.

â??I bet you didnâ??t see a lot of sense, either!", Pein snapped at him, "Foolish young ones, adventuring in Anima Lake in the middle of the night, at a time like this!â?

â??Sirâ?, I began with as calm a voice as possible, â??We are Arumic Clerics; support muses, trained for belligerent situations. My friends were just trying to make sure I was safe.â?

â??Itâ??s alright, Veaâ?, Pabel spoke, â??Pein is just worried about Est right now, and is a bit edgy, Iâ??m sure. But Est has survived worse things.â?

Soonafter Pein mumbled an apology, two painted wooden wagons came into view atop a small hill. We climbed the hill easily, and a small man left the wagon area to greet us.

â??Pein!â?, the man called out to us, with an austere voice, â??Thatâ??s a bigger party than I expected to receive. Thereâ??s six of ya. Difficult to see a party bigger than that.â?

â??The more Support Muses, the betterâ?, Pein answered, â??We are honored by their escort.â?

Pein gave Kaizy a mending look, and Kaizy nodded in return. I couldnâ??t help but gift the old Ranger with a warm smile when he looked at me afterwards.

â??Agh-hahaha!â?, the small man changed demeanor suddenly, â??I am Edone! And yâ??all are welcome to my Gypsy camp, oâ??course! Haha! It is indeed an honor. Come, come! Thereâ??s hot food anâ?? warm blankets for all!â?

In a few quick minutes, we had all been fed and gathered in blankets around the gypsyâ??s bonfire (this one created by naturally igniting some firewood) and were ready to get some sleep whenâ?¦

â??What ya got there, young Cleric?â?, Edone asked Kaizy.

Kaizy was fiddling with a small stone slab in his hands. It was grayish and flat, about the size of a small book.

â??I found it lying in the grass near the Shamanistâ?, was the green-haired clericâ??s answer, â??Next to some charred remains.â?

â??Ah!â?, Edone reacted after stepping closer to what Kaizy was holding, â??By the looks oâ?? the golden etchings on the stone, looks like ya got yerself a Talisman there, my friend!â?

â??The Aqua Captain must have dropped itâ?, Pein entered the conversation.

â??I guessâ?, Kaizy replied, â??I should keep it.â?

â??Indeedâ?, said Edone, â??Talismans could prove to be of great value.â?

After some convincing, Kaizy passed the Talisman to Edone, and the Gypsy inspected it for a few minutes. When Edone had passed it back to him and with a big smile patted Kaizy in the back, I had already lost my attention towards them and turned to talk to Longondo. When I saw that she had fast gone asleep, I was a little disappointed. But then I caught Pabel looking my way, and I decided to move closer to my Lunaris friend to talk to him.

We talked of the days that led us to the current night, as well as the actual events that had happened that very day at the Lake. After Pabel described the awesome sight of watching large amounts of frozen water shoot out of Estâ??s magic staff, I decided to tell him about the dream I had had after I fell on the ice.

â??A blue woman?â?, Pabel asked me afterwards, â??Who do you think it might be?â?

â??I donâ??t knowâ?, I shrugged, â??But I donâ??t think she was blue. Ratherâ?¦her skin had tones of blueâ?¦ She wasâ?¦ beautiful. I felt warm when I saw her. Even though she must have been very coldâ?¦â?

â??And the Fairyâ?¦ You know, fairies in dreams usually have important meaningsâ?, Pabel told me, â??I shall ask Est about it when she wakes up. Maybe she has some knowledge on the subject.â?

I agreed, and thanked him. Then, we were silent for a while. We blushed as we looked at each other once or twice, then we awkwardly spoke about how tired we each were and that we should get some rest. So, while Pein kept watch over the Gypsy camp, I succumbed to a much-needed slumberâ?¦ purposely having kept my blankets near Pabel, of course.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:47 PM.

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#10 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:54 PM

Chapter 8 Listening To Hearts

The next day dawned beautifully and without dangers. Est woke up healthy and revitalized and was told what had happened. She seemed to be fine with it all and was very eager to continue her mission to the Arumic Academy. She specifically showed interest in discussing Longondoâ??s magical powers of healing with my pink-ribboned cleric friend.

Very soon, our party of six was thanking Edone for his hospitality and generosity, and we were on our way to the great city of Junon Polis.

â??The Shamanist wants to talk to me about Lunaris Healing trainingâ?, Longondo said to me, as we hiked under the morning sun towards the gates of the capital city, â??She says I have great potential for the Shamanist arts.â?

â??I heardâ?, I replied with a proud smile. Indeed, I had been very impressed with the way Longondo had healed Est the night before.

â??I canâ??t wait â??til we talk to Tryteh!â?, Longondo added, in a very chipper tone.

â??Talk to Tryteh about what?â?, Kaizy joined our trot and conversation; and immediately Longondo rolled her eyes. The green-haired Cleric took an apple from under his Heavenâ??s Coat and eyed his breakfast.

â??Weâ??re going to seek Headmistress Trytehâ??s advice about our future as Clericsâ?, I responded to Kaizy.

â??Donâ??t you need to meet special requirements before starting your personal training with Madame Tryteh?â?, Kaizy asked before biting into his apple. The boy caught on fast.

â??And who says we donâ??t meet those requirements!â?, Longondo protested.

Kaizy shrugged as he chewed his food, then said, â??I donâ??t even know what the requirements are! Do you??â?

While my two Cleric companions continued to chat, I left them to argue and stared ahead in front of us at the backside of Pabel, who was deep in conversation with Est. I kept staring at him for a little while, and then I suddenly realized that I could hear him as well! Was that even possible!? At that distance??

I heard Pabel speak:

â??I would not want to keep anything from Vea.â?

â??If it is the woman of the rumors, she should know.â?

â??I donâ??t think she should understand everything, either. But dreams are a powerful thing, and if Aruaâ??s Fairy is beginning to communicate with usâ?¦â?

â??I understand that they might have been once connected in the past. If he and the woman are once again today connected, then a Cleric at our side is what we need! And if Arua has made her choiceâ?¦â?

That is all I heard from Pabel, because Est seemed to get agitated suddenly and the words stopped. It seemed strange to me, that Pabel had been the only one speaking.

â??Vea! Are you alright?â?, I heard Pein ask me. I had slowed my pace, and I hadnâ??t noticed I had let Pein catch up with me. He had been keeping up the rear.

â??Fine. Yes. Thank youâ?, was my reply, and I continued walking. I saw that my Cleric friends were now a few meters in front of me. Oddly, it was Longondo who was now eating from the apple. Kaizy watched her, smiling.

â??You look flustered, confusedâ?, Pein insisted with me, â??And you havenâ??t taken your eyes off Pabel since we left camp! Heheh!â?

â??Well, I-â?, I wasnâ??t sure what to say, â??I think I was eavesdropping, and I accidentally allowed myself to listen. Iâ??m sorry.â? I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Sure, Pabelâ??s words were intriguing, but they had not been directed at me, so I shouldnâ??t have listened.

â??Eavesdropping??â?, Pein seemed very interested, â??From this distance?? You mean to sayâ?¦ you could hear him!?â?

â??Yes", I replied, "I already said I was sorry!â?

â??Hahaha! No worries, my dear girl!", Pein said, "But tell me, could you hear the Shamanist as well?â?

â??Estâ?¦ was not talkingâ?¦â?, I told Pein.

â??Well, my Junon!", Pein laughed for a moment, "This surely explains your young and foolish behavior last night for when the Candle Ghosts appeared! Hahaha!â?

Pein was beginning to worry me. His laughter was mirthful, but it still sounded with a hidden meaning somewhere in the underlying tones.

â??Whatâ??s so funny?â?, I asked him, already beginning to blush. What if the man had spied on us the night before! Heâ??s a ranger after all! â?¦During such a personal moment with Pabelâ?¦

â??Iâ??m going to tell you a little secret, Veaâ?, Pein replied, â??Est was talking with Pabel just now!â?

My face contorted to one of utter confusion, and so, Pein went ahead to explain, â??I told you that the Lunaris speak from the heart, right? You see, their vocal chords are heartstrings. But only someone with crevices in the heart, made for the soundwaves that their hearts make, can hear what comes out of Lunaris hearts. Your heart vibrates to the sound the other heart makes, and thusly, you can feel and hear what theyâ??re saying.â?

I nodded, showing that I was following, so far. And Pein continued, â??Now, when two people are in love, their hearts are connected. Donâ??t ask me how or why, itâ??s just one of those mysteries of anatomy. When your heart is connected to one of a Lunaris, it begins to evolve and merge, and some people from other planets have been known to be able to hear the Lunaris language in their hearts. It works both ways, of course! The heart of someone from Junon is warm and hot-blooded. And you know already that Lunaris are cold-blooded, made to live in the ice. But when a Lunarisâ?? heart is connected to yours, it evolves and merges, and they too can become warm and hot-blooded.â?

I instantly gasped, and my heart skipped a beat. Pabelâ??s touch was the only Lunaris whom I could feel warmth from!! â??Oh my Arua, the wonders of anatomy!â?, was all I could say. Then, I asked, â??If thatâ??s how I could hear him, how could you know Est was talking?? Could you hear her? Do you two haveâ?¦ some kind of aâ?¦ relationship?â?

Peinâ??s grin at that moment was as wide as the Canyon of Zant.

Excitedly, I began to think out loud, â??No wonder what Pabel was saying didnâ??t make any sense to me! I was only hearing one side of the conversation! Between the two of us, we could know what they were talking about!!â?

I gasped again, and looked at Pein straight in the eyes. â??What was Est saying?â?, I asked him.

â??Now, Vea!â?, Pein told me, â??Tsk, tsk. That is Estâ??s privacy, and none of your business.â? He winked at me with his good eye and walked away forwards. â??Take the rear, Cleric", he added, "Watch our backs.â?

And even while staring at the back of the old rangerâ??s head, I knew that his grin was now much bigger than before.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:47 PM.

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#11 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:54 PM

Chapter 9 The Raider's Orders

The sun had not yet reached its midday point when we arrived at Junon Polis. However, already the town was bustling with Vending shops and other Job activities. When we passed the Crusader Training Grounds, we could hear the clangs of weapon against weapon amidst the yells of excited fighters insulting each other. Carts buzzed past us, carrying Artisan materials, and a line had already formed to enter the Storage vaults of the Ferrell Guild Bank. The amount of Zulie that moved around in this city was exuberant; and some were even talking of the economy being over-inflated. The word on the street was: if you want something good, pay an exaggerate amount of Zulie, or go hunt for it yourself. But not everything was expensive; there were always nice shops with good gear at good prices. Still, the Zulie trading was ridiculous.

At one point, "Wow, the prices on some of these things!", Longondo said to me, as we passed a Dealer vending Lava Necklaces for 10,000,000z, "As if Zulie grew on Smoulies!!!"

Fortunately, we passed the busy area of market quickly enough and arrived at the southeast corner of the city with our Zulie still safe in our pockets. The Arumic Academy stood tall and gleaming in front of us; the statue of The Unknown Muse welcoming us. I was home.

â??Clerics! Report here immediately!â?, Chester yelled at us from the large front doors. Apparently, she had been waiting for us. Madame Tryteh exited the building behind her, just as my cleric friends and I were bowing.

â??We welcome the Shamanists hereâ?, Headmistress Tryteh spoke authoritatively, â??I have heard of you. Est, is it? And your disciple? Welcome.â?

As soon as the quick introductions and salutations were finished, Longondo spoke, â??Madame Tryteh, we ask permission to have a word with the Headmistress.â?

Tryteh gave her a hard look, â??Child! We will have Lunaris in Arumic ground for the first time in hundreds of years! There will be many things keeping me busy. Take it up with your class Mistress.â?

Then, Madame Chester took Longondo and I by the arms and began to drag us inside the Academy. In turn, Madame Tryteh began to lead Est and Pabel through the open doors.

Upon receiving no welcome, and pretty much having been completely ignored, Pein said, â??My business is finished here, now that the Shamanists have arrived safely. Thank you, Vea, and you Clerics. I will return to where you can always find me.â? The old ranger then smiled at Est, and the Shamanist blushed before going inside the academy.

Soonafter Pein had sped off, Kaizy spoke, â??Junonâ??s bloodâ?¦â?. Madame Carasia was seen striding fast to meet us at the entrance.

â??Donâ??t you think your Mistress has forgotten you, disobedient child! And donâ??t you dare curse the Godsâ?? names!â?, Carasia slapped Kaizy upside his green-haired head and dragged him inside the Academy as well.

Once inside, we saw the all-too-familiar welcoming altar of the Holy Junon Arumic Academy for Muses. An orihalcon sculpture of a Muse Staff, which magically melted onto the front roomâ??s Paulownia-slabbed floor, re-formed itself to resemble a cobra, then morphed into a big ox, and finally into a goose. Then, of course, it turned again into a magic tool (this time a Wand) before starting the cycle through the three animal representations of a Muse, all over again.

The stained-glass windows made of Blue Crystals depicted the history of Arumic Muses on Junon and let the sunlight in. The lights and images magically danced across the vestibule floor, even if neither the sun nor the windows were moving at all.

Carasia carried her pupil away, and I lost track of where Tryteh took Pabel and Est, while Longondo and I were being dragged to our rooms by our Mistress Chester. When we arrived in a dusty bedroom with only two cots, a lavatory, and one window (this one without any magical flare), Longondo and I stared at each other confusedly. This, of course, was neither of our bedrooms.

â??You will room here until your punishment has endedâ?, Chester told us, coldly, â??And if it pleases Arua, even afterwards as well!â? Our Mistress released a deep sigh, then lost some of her coldness when she added, â??Let us hope for the previous, not the latter. Rest, clean up, and after a meal we will discuss with the Headmistress what you have been up to all night long! Whatever it is you two were thinkingâ?¦â?

We both opened our mouths, but Madame Chester dashed out of the room before Longondo or I could even say a word.

â??Iâ??ve never seen Chester so riled up!â?, I said to Longondo.

â??She never loses her temper,â? my friend replied, then she began to investigate the cots.

â??I wonder whatâ??s going on, that they care so much that two full-grown Muses spent the night out of the Academyâ?¦â?, I said, looking out the window at a nearby vined stone wall.

â??Likely, that we did it without permissionâ?, Longondo replied, as she lay on one of the cots and unbuckled her Heavenâ??s Coat, â??You know how High Clerics believe they rule the planet.â?

â??Tryteh probably could topple the Akram Castle with one swipe of her Wandâ?¦â?, I took off my Heavenâ??s Coat and Shoes off too, and rested on my own cot.

â??But did you hear what Chester said?!â?, Longondo grinned at me, while she loosened the ribbons from her pink hair, â??Weâ??re meeting with the Headmistress! We get to talk to Madame Tryteh after all!â?

I lay back on the cot to stare at the spider-webbed ceiling, placed my hands behind my purple hair, and I said, â??The thing isâ?¦ I donâ??t think weâ??re going to be the ones doing much of the talkingâ?¦â?

Later, I didnâ??t even remember how fast I fell asleepâ?¦ but I remember the dreamâ?¦

I was standing in a world of darkness, much like the space in which the fairy and the blue woman had appeared to me in. Again, much like in the other dream, I wasn't alone for long.

The figure that appeared in front of me was half my height, but twice my bulk. It seemed to shine in the darkness, as if it was made of some sort of glinting metal. In the darkness, it seemed to be creating its own lightâ?¦

Then, I heard it breathe! Its mass pulsated as it inhaled and exhaled, making pulmonary noises much like my own. As I got closer, I confirmed it was a humanoid creature, just like me. And it wasnâ??t shorter than me, it was just crouching.

As it continued to breathe, I was able to make out more of its features. The figure was wearing armor; metal covered the torso, knees and feet. It wore fur-dangling shoulder pads and a cape at his back, made of silver feathers. The head was protected by a round black hat, with three prominent metal protrusions coming up from the front and sides. The hair underneath seemed to be light blonde.

â??RAIDER!!!!!â?, a high-pitched voice with a rasp rang out from the dark emptiness behind me. I jumped, startled, just as the Raider lifted its head to look at me from his crouch. The bottom half of the male face was covered by a black cloth, yet the eyes were piercing.

Just as I realized that the Raider was staring beyond me, I turned around to see the origin of the startling voice. I saw another humanoid figure wrapped in a long red robe; the hood obscured its face completely.

â??RISEâ?, said the voice from the red robe. I turned again to see the Raider stand at full height, taller than me.

â??HER!â?, the red-robed voice spoke again. When I turned to look, I saw a pale arm protruding from the robe, stretched out, palm in front, index finger pointed right at me! â??GOâ?¦ AND BRING HER TO ME.â?

â??What? No!â?, I began to shiver, â??Me? I donâ??t- I havenâ??t-!â?

My voice was interrupted by the Raiderâ??s word, â??Yes!â? It was deep and grave.

There was a hint of a blue light in front of the Raiderâ??s face for a moment, then it was gone. Slowly, after seeing that I was not being attacked or harmed, I began to realize that this was just a dream. That I was seeing these figures and that they werenâ??t seeing me.

â??YOUâ??VE SEEN HERâ?¦â?, said the voice from the red robe, â??GET HER FOR ME!â?

â??Ggetâ?¦ h-herâ?, said the Raider, tamedâ?¦ but with ravenous hunger in his eyes.

â??NOW!! GO!!!â?, snarled the red robe.

â??Ggoooâ?¦ggettâ?¦her!!!!â?, the Raider summoned two large fuchsia-metal blades to appear at each of his hands, then he stretched out his arms and pulled his head back. And, as the feather cape began to unfurl behind him into its true form, the Raider released a maniacal laughter to the dark void. Silver-feathered wings stretched out behind him, and with the Dual Panther blades raised high, the Raider exclaimed once more, â??GO-GET-TER!!!â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:48 PM.

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#12 KingArthur

KingArthur

    Amateur Blogger

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:56 PM

Chapter 10 Karitte's Wand

I woke up screaming and drenched in sweat. Longondo was right next to me, â??Vea! Itâ??s alright, youâ??ve had a nightmare.â?

Madame Chester was at the foot of the cot, â??Weâ??ve been trying to wake you up for a while now. But child, you just kept dreaming! A deep sleep!â?

â??I was worried about youâ?, said Longondo, â??You woke me up with your thrashing noises, and you kept calling out for Pabel. I went to look for him, but I didnâ??t find him; so I brought Madame Chester of course, when I couldnâ??t wake you up.â?

â??I called for Pabelâ?¦?â?, I asked, still a little disoriented.

â??Vea, thereâ??s moreâ?¦â?, Madame Chester spoke, â??When Longondo brought me in here, you were clutching at your wrists and claiming you were bleedingâ?¦ Are you alright, dear?â?

I looked at my wrists. They were fine. They didnâ??t even have scars. Arumic Healing leaves no scars.

â??Iâ??m a little dizzy, a little startled, but otherwise Iâ??m alrightâ?, was my answer, â??Iâ??m hungry!â?

â??Oh, this is yours!â?, Longondo moved a stool closer to my cot. On it, there was a plate with Shabu-Shabu and Piru-Kiru. I saw a similar stool with a plate next to Longondoâ??s cot as well, but this one only had food remains. I sat up and dug into my plate hungrily.

â??What were you dreaming about?â?, Longondo asked, with concern.

â??Now, child, hush!â?, Chester reprimanded her, â??Let the girl eat!â?

But there was worry in the look of the Madameâ??s face. I answered Longondo between mouthfuls anyway, and told her about the winged-raider and the voice from the red robe.

â??A figure in a red robe??â?, now Chester seemed more interested, â??This cannot wait, we must see Headmistress Tryteh right away!â?

There was a quick round of sponge baths that Chester helped us with, and then Longondo and I were shuffled up to the Headmistressâ?? office. All the way inside the Arumic Academy, and all the way to the topmost tower, and I didnâ??t see Pabel or Est along the way.

The inside of the Headmistressâ?? office was large but cramped with books and muse artifacts. It had no crystal windows, but the walls were lined with some sort of jelly that reflected moving pictures of what was going on outside. But it didnâ??t just show the view of Junon Polis! I could see my home town of Zant, and scenery from El Verloon, Kenji Beach, and even Breezy Hills!

The most impressive part of the office, however, was its clear-view floor. It was made sturdy, but of transparent material. And below oneâ??s feet you could see the towerâ??s bell, a large purple Otherworldly Metal ball, bouncing up towards your feet then away back down.

Our Mistress had us sit on what seemed to be two Steel Backseats that had been made into chairs, then she left us alone with the Headmistress.

Madame Tryteh paced between Longondo and I, as she heard our story of what happened at Anima Lake, and I told her about my dreams. When we had finished, the arumic elder pondered in silence for a while, then said, â??There was something else you wanted to speak to me of, was there not?â?

Longondo and I looked at each other, dumbfounded. There would be no reaction to our stories at all??!? But Longondo didnâ??t let that stop her, and she put forth our request immediately, â??We would like the trainings of Party Clerics. Vea and I have agreed, and decided we want to be bound by Karitteâ??s Wand.â?

When Tryteh looked at me, I acknowledged, â??We are confident of our experience, and feel we can grow to the next level. Longondo and I have discovered a mutual admiration for each other, and we would like to work together.â?

â??The Eternal Partyâ?¦â?, whispered Tryteh. The Headmistress looked hard on us both, then said, â??I suppose, you have your Third Animal?â?

Again, Longondo and I shared dumbfounded looks.

â??Haha!â?, Tryteh continued, â??You expect to become powerful Clerics without ALL three Muse Animal spirits!?!â?

â??We thought-â?, Longondo tried to speak spiritedly.

â??Think again!â?, Tryteh interrupted, â??Find your third party member, and I will bind you to Karitteâ??s Wand and begin your final training.â?

â??But whoâ?¦?â?, I asked, perplexed.

Madame Tryteh shrugged, â??This is the Holy Junon Arumic Academy for Muses!! You have as much chance of finding another Cleric as you do of breaking your Wand on its 9th refine!! Which reminds meâ?¦ Take this, Vea.â?

Headmistress Tryteh handed to me a small wooden stick with a small wooden box attached to the end of it. The box had a strange arumic symbol branded into it. â??Is thisâ?¦ a wand?â?, I asked incredulously.

â??Baobab wood, yesâ?, Tryteh replied, â??To replace the very expensive one you destroyed!â?

â??But, Headmistressâ?¦â?, I pouted, â??This is a beginnerâ??s wand!â?

Suddenly, Tryteh had moved close in front of me, and spoke with her nose almost to mine, â??And you will take great care of this one, more so than you did with your last! This Wand shall come to no harm, before you do!! Understood!?!â?

â??Y-yes, maâ??amâ?, I muttered.

â??Now, then, off you go!â?, Tryteh dismissed us.

Yet, just as Longondo and I were about to leave the Headmistressâ?? officeâ?¦ two other people came barging in! One was a very short and plump old man, with fluffy white hair and spectacles. He wore a large white coat and a pencil over one ear. The other, was a young male Cleric, with blonde hair and sunglasses over his eyes. He wore an Archmage Coat, but carried a sword instead of a Wand or Staff.

â??I need to see her, Headmistress, right away! I must!â?, said the plump old man, with some urgency, â??I must see this... specimen, please!â?

Headmistress Tryteh extended a hand towards the man and suddenly the pencil on his ear caught fire. As the fire began to burn his white hair, and the plump old man shook his head about to put out the small flame, the Headmistress said, â??You will learn manners while under Arumic rule, and never walk into the Arumic Headmistressâ?? office unannounced again!! Is this clear, Dr. Spero??â?

â??Cleric Ragnick!â?, Tryteh then addressed the sword-wielding cleric, â??Please escort your fellow Clerics to training, while I attend to Dr. Spero.â?

â??Yes, Madameâ?, the blonde cleric replied. And just as Spero had finished quelching the fire and had begun to stammer in outrage, Longondo and I were escorted out of the Headmistressâ?? office and walked away from the scene.

While walking towards the infirmary (where Clerics trained), Longondo kept staring at the silent man that escorted us. Suddenly, she spoke to him, â??Are you THE Root Ragnick?!â?

â??Please, call me Rootâ?, replied the blonde cleric with sunglasses.

â??Oh my Arua! THE Cleric Ragnick!!â?, Longondo was excited, â??Youâ??re that very powerful Cleric that rebelled against the Arumics a few years back!! Your name is infamous around here! Why did you run away from the Arumic Academy to become a Cleric on your own?!â?

â??Duty and destiny go hand in handâ?, Ragnick replied; and thatâ??s when I turned, to truly look at the man for the first time. He was young yet robust. His facial features were almost perfect, although his blonde hair had strands out of place. Even with his eyes covered by the black-lens sunglasses, he had a striking presence.

â??Thatâ??s how I feel about duty and destinyâ?, I told him, â??You go where you are called to, and become who you are when you get there.â?

â??Well said", Ragnick replied, "Sometimes the pull of your heart can be more powerful thanâ?¦ power itself. I did not feel like allowing my destiny to be overshadowed by the power of Arumic rule, soâ?¦ I learned magic somewhere else. Of course, I got in a lot of trouble for it. Even if you can't tell, Tryteh hates meâ?. Ragnick chuckled, then added, â??I hear you girls have been up to some mischief yourselves.â?

â??Oh noâ?, Longondo explained, â??We were doing our duty! Vea had to take care of the Lunaris, and wellâ?¦ After I had brought the Soldier back here safely, I just had to go take of her! We all must take care of each other! Community is duty!â?

â??Yes, but it can be difficultâ?, Ragnick lost his smile, â??A lot of Soldiers were not as lucky as the one you two saved. You must prepare yourselves for what you will find in the Infirmary.â?

â??Cleric Ragnickâ?¦ Are you working with Dr. Spero?â?, I asked; my curiosity allowing me to be bold.

â??You know Doctor Spero?â?, Ragnick asked.

â??I spent some of my childhood in Zantâ?, I told him, â??I grew up with tales of the Doctor.â?

â??Dr. Spero is a great manâ?, said Ragnick, â??I believe the good Doctor has his mind and talents on the right track, and I will gladly assist him as best as I can in his quest.â?

â??What quest?â?, asked Longondo.

â??Dr. Spero has been working long days and nights to discover a cure for the Devil Pestâ?, Ragnick told us, â??After all heâ??s seenâ?¦ After all the lives that have been lostâ?¦ He has not yet given up.â?

â??The Devil Pest can take over the planet, they say!â?, Longondo contributed.

â??If Dr. Speroâ??s the man to come up with a cure, heâ??s right to not give up!â?, I added, â??We musnâ??t! Any of us! We must all do our part to save Junon!â?

Cleric Ragnick shot a curious smile at me, then said, â??Saying something like thatâ?¦ Setting a goal to save a planetâ?¦ You may be right, in that it may take all of us.â?

â??Why doesnâ??t the Akram Kingdom do something?!â?, Longondo asked.

Ragnick turned quickly to my cleric partner, â??The Akram Kingdom will bleed until the last drop before this planet comes to its demise!â? Then, he turned to stare ahead, â??Alas, Akram is not what it once was; strong, unitedâ?¦ It is difficult during warâ?¦â?

â??But Dr. Spero needs helpâ?, Longondo insisted.

â??I am helping him!â?, said Ragnick, â??And others, as well. There are still those of us who will fight for Speroâ??s quest until the end.â?

â??Is that near?â?, I asked, â??I mean, is there a chance?â?

Ragnick sighed, then said, â??I believe Dr. Spero will find a cure. Heâ??s very near succeeding, I suppose, if only we knew more about the Devil Pestâ??s origins.â?

â??Oh! I believe the Lunaris have made important discoveries regarding that!â?, I said, a little excitedly.

â??Yes! The Shamanist Est even brought a specimen!â?, said Ragnick.

Doubt came over my face as I said, â??We were with the Shamanistsâ?¦ and I saw no specimenâ?¦â?

â??Strangeâ?, Ragnick pondered aloud, â??Itâ??s a frozen specimen. I thought it must have surely come from Luna!â?

â??It did not, sirâ?, I assured him.

â??Why would the Arumics hide this fact?â?, now Ragnick was truly puzzled, â??I can see the Ox in Tryteh even more!â?

â??Ox?â?, Longondo questioned.

â??Yes, the Oxâ?, Ragnick went on to explain, â??One of the three Animals of Muses, the Ox is known to fool others with their slow demeanor, yet they can be strong and aggressive creatures if they want to be. I believe the Arumics are holding something back; information, that would surely make them seem less powerful than what they really are.â?

â??But doesnâ??t Dr. Spero need this information for his quest?â?, I asked.

â??Unfortunately, in times of war, fear keeps a lot of us from trusting each otherâ?, Ragnick said, â??Even the Akram Ministers are up to something behind my- behind all our backs. Oxen, all.â?

â??An oxâ?¦â?, Longondo was now fascinated, â??Which one is your Muse Animal, Master Ragnick?â?

â??Well, we all have partially all three, you seeâ?, was Ragnickâ??s answer, â??But I suppose I am very much like the Goose. The goose is the patron saint animal of Junon the God of Adventure. And I am very adventurous, I must admit, soâ?¦ I guess I am a Goose.â?

I grinned. I felt very goose-like too.

â??What makes you a snake?â?, Longondo continued to inquire.

â??The Cobra would be-â?, Ragnick began.

But he was interrupted by Kaizy, who had just run up to us. â??Girls! Chester sent me looking for you!â?, Kaizy said, between breaths, â??The Infirmary is in uproar! We need all the Clerics we can muster to help!â?

â??Whatâ??s wrong, man!?â?, Ragnick took charge and led us running towards the infirmary.

â??The wounded Soldiers we brought back from Anima Lake! Theyâ??ve all gone mad! Theyâ??re destroying everything! Theyâ??re trying to kill the Clerics!â?, Kaizy had difficulty telling us the news, as he tried to keep up with us, â??The Devil Pest broke out!â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:49 PM.

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#13 KingArthur

KingArthur

    Amateur Blogger

  • ROSE Moderators
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  • LocationAncient player (15)
  • Playing:ROSE Online

Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:57 PM

Chapter 11 The Animals Within The Muse

Before we cleared the last flight of stairs down to the lowest part of the basement, where the Infirmary was, we could hear the commotion that Kaizy had told us about. By the time we reached the entranceâ??s large double doors, the screams and spells were defeaning echoes in the pits of the Arumic Academy. Ragnick went in first, taking his Righteous Sword from his belt before lunging himself through the doors.

When Longondo and I reached the entrance, black flames erupted out through it! The blast unhinged the doors and pushed us backwards through the air, toppling us onto an unsuspecting Kaizy.

â??Urgh, come on, ladies!â?, Kaizy grunted in pain, and he pushed us off him, â??As much as I would enjoy this, under different circumstancesâ?¦â?

We all stood up at once, and without even dusting ourselves off, we had our Wands at the ready simultaneously.

â??Anyway, letâ??s goâ?¦â?, said Kaizy. And Longondo and I gave each other a reassuring look before walking inside the infirmary with Kaizy.

The large room loomed before us, filled with smoke, steam, and lightrays of many different colors. Other materials were also flying around the room, as debris exploded from the different magic objects that were destroyed in battle. The screams became louder, obviously, but it was now joined by yelps, verbal threats, curses, and spells.

â??Junonâ??s blood! Itâ??s like the Crusader Training Grounds!â?, noted Longondo, over the loudness of the calamity.

â??I think this might be a little worse!â?, I yelled back.

â??Stick together, ladies!â?, Kaizy took charge over the noise, â??And Stun, only!â?

Right then, a ball of blue light speared itself towards us. It caught Kaizy in the chest and he flew backwards. Longondo pointed her Ouroboros at him, and a slash of yellow light brought Kaizy back to his feet.

â??Aaaaargh!!!!â?, a Soldier came bounding towards us, â??Charge!â? Another ball of blue light, this time formed at the tip of his sword, came hurtling through the air at us. It grew little blue sparks as it became bigger than the last, and just as it approached me, I managed to hold up my Baobab Wand to it and yell, â??Wind Storm!â?. Small wisps of air formed in front of me and blew the charge upwards to the ceiling; leaving a smothering scorch above me.

â??Voltage!â?, I threw lightning at the Soldier. He swung his sword forcefully and deflected the spell. Then, he jumped in the air and lunged his sword at me. â??Voltage Jolt!â?, I threw a thicker coil of electricity that caught the Soldier in mid-air, and he toppled beside me. I quickly kicked the sword away from the stunned Soldierâ??s hands and looked around to see that Kaizy and Longondo had joined the melee at my other side.

There was a Soldier girl swinging her Axe at Kaizyâ??s neck; he had to swerve backwards in an uncomfortable way to avoid it. Then, Longondo helped by throwing Ice at the axe, and the large weapon was frozen along with the Soldierâ??s hands. Kaizy pointed his Snake Wand at her and jolted the Soldier girl to a stun.

â??Come on!â?, I called out, so that we would continue further into the Infirmary. I had spotted Ragnick fighting two Soldiers at once with his sword. He seemed to be taking them down easily, as he swung his weapon with dexterity and strength, but two additional Soldiers were now approaching the winning Cleric from behind.

â??Hustle! Hustle!â?, Kaizy yelled as he pointed his Wand at me, then at Longondo. We felt instantly energized, and we ran fast enough to stop the incoming Soldiers in their tracks. Longondo summoned her Phantom Sword and swung it at the first one, forcing him to try to attack back.

I lunged myself at the other one, trying to stab my wand underneath his Plate Armor, in order for my stunning spell to get through. I was met with his Shield against my face, and I fell to the floor. Kaizy came forward and threw a Stun spell at the Soldierâ??s face, but the Soldier raised his shield high to block it. The lightning bolts remained dancing around the shieldâ??s metal, until it glowed menacingly. Behind the electrified Mythril Shield, we heard the Soldier start to laugh, then his shield began to grow before our eyes! When it was as big as a Grunter Giant, the Soldier threw it at Kaizy!

â??Chill!â?, a gust of icy wind blew out of my Baobab Wand and filled the air around the shield with frozen particles, slowing it down in mid-air. Kaizy was able to avoid it, and he blew Wind Storm out of his Snake Wand, to send it flying right back at the Soldier. The soldier tried to run away from it, but it caught him from behind, toppling the Plate Armored fighter.

Longondo was in the middle of battle with the other Soldier. Her Phantom Sword clanging against a refined Short Sword. The bulky soldier that wielded it was too slow for Longondo, who danced circles around him. However, when the Soldier released a piercing Howl with all his breath, Longondoâ??s Wand seemed to become heavy and she had to lower it, losing any chance to throw spells at him. â??VOLTAGE!â?, both Kaizy and I shouted, and the soldierâ??s body jumped in the air from the double blow and landed unconscious next to the weakened Longondo.

By then, Cleric Ragnick had stunned both of his soldiers. â??Follow!â?, he called to us when he noticed us. All around us, the fight continued. I even noticed (to be expected, of course) that Est and Pabel were also in the infirmary fighting their part. So, down here was where they had been all this time! I wished then that this fight was soon over, so I could listen to Pabelâ??s heart again some more. But I knew that wouldnâ??t happen so soon. The Soldiers were giving the Clerics a hard time. In a battle to the death, perhaps the Clerics wouldnâ??t be so lucky. But these fights were ending immaturely, for we were stunning the Soldiers before any real damage could be done. However, these Soldiers were many (and strong!), so it wouldnâ??t be too easy. Thatâ??s why it wasnâ??t a big surprise to find both Chester and Carasia having trouble subdoing one specific Soldier.

This one, wore the awe-inspiring metals of the Kurash Armor, and fought fiercely with a single fucsia Panther Blade in his hands. The shiny weapon swung mightily whenever either of the High Clerics shot a bolt of lightning at him, deflecting the stuns almost perfectly every time.

Stepping over burnt cots and broken glass (trying not to slip on the purple and blue liquids on the ground), we neared the place of Carasiaâ??s and Chesterâ??s battle. Cleric Ragnick stopped just before the scene, and he said, â??Kaizy, Longondo! Buff your Mistresses! Vea, I need you to buff me, please! The three of you, keep us strong! Weâ??ll do all the fighting!â? Immediately, the three of us were engulfing our elders in different colored lights, as we sang our buff Charms; and I heard Ragnick whisper, â??Summonâ?¦ Elemental!â?, as he pointed his sword at the winning Soldier.

A flash of white light shot out of the Righteous Sword, and spread out towards the enemy. It split into small shards, which then morphed into winged-shapes. By the time the half dozen geese had materialized out of the white lights, the Soldier had jumped a backflip and was able to avoid the first flyby. He struck at the geese furiously, but couldnâ??t shake them off. He was swinging at the feathered creatures, from down on his knees, when I heard Chester and Carasia call out in chorus, â??Summon Elemental!!!â?.

Each of them had a different light come out of their magic weapon; and it all happened so fast! Carasiaâ??s light was green and coily, and it slithered in the air towards the geese. Chesterâ??s light was a dark shade of brown, a large bundle of light that obscured the Cleric almost completely. When Carasiaâ??s cobra had materialized and reached the geese, Chesterâ??s ox was ready to join the other animals with its own furry light. Once feather, scale, and fur had merged, the lights entangled themselves to form a newâ?¦ bigger creatureâ?¦

Now, the Soldier had no chance.

In front of the Kurash Armored champion, was a red and orange beast larger than a Castle Gear. It stood on its hind legs as it moved its large leathery arms about, clawing at the air with gruesome bone extensions, and let out a horrifying roar. Its small bat-like wings flapped behind it, as it walked nearer to the Champ. The monstrous Elemental that the High Clerics had conjured, moved with surprising agility; its muscles flexing underneath its tough tattooed skin. When it bent over to pick the Soldier up, he could see up close, the horns and the fangs of the ugly monster. The Elemental raised the Champ up in the air with one clawed hand, and roared again. Then, it gave the soldier a good squeeze. He cried in pain as his Kurash helmet fell offâ?¦ and I gasped very loudly!

â??Thatâ??s Hovert!â?, I yelped, as I recognized the soldier that Shroon had named â??Hovertâ??... in Anima Lake, what seemed ages ago. The Elemental dropped the Soldier, as Carasiaâ??s, Chesterâ??s, and Ragnickâ??s attention were suddenly on me. This gave the soldier the chance he had needed to attack! He closed his eyes, and put on a face of concentration. â??Hovertâ?? then began to glow inside a ball of light made up of the different colors of a rainbow. When he opened his eyes determinedly, he yelled, â??Soundless Vacuum!!â?, and hundreds of tiny little white balls of light burst from him and darted all around us. The Elemental froze in its spot, and all of our Cleric buffs disappeared. The Champ had cancelled all our spells. He thrust his Panther Blade towards the Elementalâ?¦ and a bloody fucsia-blade spattered blood all over the monsterâ??s muse tattoos.

But the Champâ??s sword was still loose in his own hands, clean from blood, and inches away from the Elemental. It had been a second Panther Blade that struck! This one, pierced through the Champâ??s Kurash Armor like a twig through snow; and the Soldierâ??s soul left his face as he saw his own blood drip down the leathery skin of the Elemental in front of him.

The hand that held the new Panther Blade belonged to a figure that had appeared in front of us suddenly. I screamed at the sight of him as well as for the Soldierâ??s sudden death! This new fighterâ?¦ I had seen beforeâ?¦ in my dreams!!!

The figure with the feathered armor and skull-pirate hat spread his Silver Astarot Wings wide behind him and took the hilt of his Panther Blade with his other hand as well. Then, he spoke slowly in a very grave voice, â??Gogettersâ?¦â?, and he quickly ripped the Champâ??s body in two as he divided his weapon into Dual Panther Blades when he quickly spread his arms apart. The soldierâ??s body pieces fell to the floor, and without having used any magic at all, the Raider had left us allâ?¦ completely stunned.

Suddenly, all around us, gasps of disheartened surprise filled the air. I looked around to see, that the sounds of dismay were coming from all the Clerics in the room. Exhausted and disheveled, they all cringed at the sight of every single stunned Soldier coming back to consciousness. The Soundless Vacuum had sucked the spells out of the entire infirmary!!!

I snuck a peek at where Pabel and Est had been fighting, and I saw that they were fine; they seemed tired, but still had fight in them. I couldnâ??t help but think that the strength that â??Hovertâ?? had shown was way too impressive, but we had more pressing problems closer at hand.

â??Weapons steady!!â?, Ragnick took command, as the Raider sneered at us, â??We will melee together! We will take him down!â? There was strong courage in his voice, even as the monstrous Elementalâ??s light slowly died out in front of us, and Cleric Ragnickâ??s sword disappeared before our eyes. He was left with but a Shadow Wand, but Ragnick held it up to the Raider confidently. There was nothing but inspiration oozing from that man!

â??GOGETTERS!!!!â?, the Raider roared as he leapt through the air to slash a Panther Blade at Ragnick; just as the loud commotion began anew between Clerics and Soldiers around us. Before I could even register that Ragnick had narrowly missed the blow, the Raider was on top of me , kneeing me in the chin. His other leg had stretched soonafter to kick Longondo in the stomach. And less than a breath later, Kaizy had a gash in his leg from a Panther Blade.

The Raider was too fast! Ragnick had reached us in time to distract him back, away from usâ?¦ but Chester and Carasia hadnâ??t even arrived yet to help him before the Raider had blasted the Shadow Wand from Ragnickâ??s hands with a strike from his dual swords.

â??Gogetters, gogetters, gogetters!â?, he kept repeating, as he ran towards our Mistresses to shorten their run. Chester and Carasiaâ??s staffs were long and powerful enough to keep the Raider at bay, but it was clear that they wouldnâ??t last long without breaths between so many hits.

Longondo and Kaizy found some Shields lying around, and I picked up a Kite Shield myself. When we ran towards the Raider head on, I heard Longondo say, â??Arua bless usâ?, and we saw as the Raider toppled Chester and Carasia to the floor.

When the Raider turned around to face us, the large amount of fear flowing through us made us shout the same Charm at the same time. â??SUMMON ELEMENTAL!!!â?, our three voices rang together. It should have been useless, with the Sound Vacuum in place. Nevertheless, our wands lit up.

Mine, white; Longondoâ??s brown; and Kaizyâ??s green. Three rays of light shot together at the Raider, but our enemy simply laughedâ?¦ and disappeared. The lights continued a bit further and then dissipated into nothingness.

â??Where did he go?!â?, Kaizy asked, bewildered.

â??Heâ??s invisible againâ?, I said, with a small air of understanding, but more of fear.

â??How did weâ?¦?â?, Longondo began to formulate her question.

â??Son-of-Herune!!!â?, I heard Cleric Ragnick exclaim in pain behind us. His body was stretched upwards awkwardly, as he was stepping on his tiptoes. A tiny blue line formed within the skin of his throat, then his entire neck turned icy blue.

We saw the Panther Blade materialize first, sharp edge against the elder clericâ??s jugular; then the Raider appeared behind Ragnick, holding him up away from the floor. The freezing assault quickly spread the cold throughout his body, and Ragnick began to turn completely blue. The Raider raised the other Panther Blade high, and cold purple mist emanated from it.

â??NO!!!!â?, I screamed for Cleric Ragnickâ??s life. But it was for nothing. The Raider had begun to swing his blade down to Ragnickâ??s head.

CRASH!!! A huge bolt of lightning came down heavily onto the Raider, sending him flying away from Ragnick before the killing blow could fall. Subsequently, many other lightning bolts began to crash all over the entire infirmary. â??Voltage Storm!!!â?, I heard an elderly womanâ??s voice shout from the doorway, and the lightning became fiercer.

At the doorway to the Infirmary, stood a tall yellow-robed woman, with long flowing hair; still golden-brown despite her years. She held no magic weapon, but instead used her outstretched arms to continue the rain of lightning on the Knights and Champs spread about the room. Even from afar, I recognized the face, and immediately remembered her tender eyes and smile as Her Most High Cleric Karitte strolled past the falling soldiers and headed towards us.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:50 PM.

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#14 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 07:59 PM

Chapter 12 In King's Company

In short moments, Karitte had all the Soldiers subdued. She called out, â??Purify!â?, and all our spells and magic powers were back. Cleric Ragnickâ??s apparent constant Phantom Sword reappeared over his Wand, and he sheathed his illusory Righteous Sword to his belt.

Following behind Her Most High Cleric, was a short woman covered in black and gold veils. â??Shroon, please take the unconscious Raider to Luxem Tower; he will be questionedâ?, said Karitte.

â??As you command, Your Highestâ?, replied Shroon, in her usual raspy voice. The veiled little woman kneeled beside the fallen Raider and placed her hands on one of his arms. â??Teleportâ?, Shroon spoke, and they both disappeared in a flash.

Then, Karitte turned to the blond cleric with the dark sunglasses. â??Root Ragnick, correct?â?, she asked.

â??At Your serviceâ?, Ragnick replied.

Even though Longondo and Kaizy automatically went over to Carasia and Chester to heal them, I couldnâ??t help but stay near Karitte; regardless of the wounded. Was that so cruel? If I, in turn, had a wounded heart to mend? However, it seemed that Her Most High Cleric didnâ??t miss me the way I did herâ?¦ because she did not acknowledge me at first, and instead continued to speak to Cleric Ragnick.

â??I am happy to see you hereâ?, said Karitte, â??I expect, the good Dr. Spero is with you?â?

â??He is, Your Most Highâ?, Ragnick told her, â??He is holding an audience with Headmistress Tryteh at this momentâ?¦ aboutâ?¦ the specimen.â? It was then that Ragnick cast a glance at me. And Karitte turned to see me.

Her eyes were just as I remembered; full of love and youth and warmth and magicâ?¦ She smiled at me, â??Veaâ?¦â?

I immediately curtsied, â??My Support and my Wand at Her Most Highâ??s disposal.â? As my eyes looked at her yellow shoes, I so longed to hug the woman!

Karitte chuckled. â??Have you come here for her, Master Ragnick?â?, she spoke away from me again.

â??I have no idea who she is, Your Highestâ?, said Ragnick, still looking in my direction, â??Although, Iâ??m beginning to get an idea.â?

â??Yes, rise childâ?, Karitte finally spoke to me, â??Iâ??ve had a dream about you, Vea, do you know?â?

â??I know of dreams, Highestâ?, I raised my eyes to look at her again, â??And I feel Iâ??m being led towards them.â?

â??Indeedâ?, Karitte said, â??So do I.â?

Then, with a quick flourish of her yellow robe, Karitte stepped towards me (still curtsied), and started laughing, â??Dearest Arua, child! I need not your Wand, but your smile!â?

As she approached me, and I began to smell her perfume, a dazzling joy came upon me! By the time she reached for me and embraced me, I started crying in her arms.

â??There, there, childâ?, Karitte comforted me while stroking my purple hair, â??After all these years, youâ??ve grown into a fine young woman. Letâ??s not spoil it by behaving like a newb of a girl!â?

We laughed together. When I detached from her, I sniffed my tears away and gave her my warmest smile, â??Iâ??ve missed you so much.â?

â??I know, my dearâ?, she told me, â??And I, you, of course. Out of all the beautiful sons and daughters of Arua, you are my special daughter indeed, Vea Nus Inkwood.â?

It was then that I noticed that Cleric Ragnick seemed dumbstruck.

â??Madame Karitte raised me!â?, I explained, â??She found me, abandoned in the Valley of Luxem Tower when I was a baby; she took me in, and she raised me. That is, of course, until she had to leave Junon. She left me with Madame Sharlin of Zant to finish my upbringing. Where have you been, Madame Karitte?â?

â??The dark planet Hebarnâ?, Karitte said casually, â??But I shall speak of it at another time. For now, let us speak about what befalls us here in Junon. I need to show Master Ragnick what he has been looking for, and show you what has been looking for you!â?

â??Vea!â?, I heard Pabel call for me, as he ran up to us. His speed was too fast for my excitement; and before he could stop, I had moved myself into his armsâ?? way. We hugged each other tightly as we reassured each other that we were okay.

â??I suppose, the Lunaris can see as wellâ?, said Karitte, mirthfully, â??I see that Est is still busy healingâ?¦ Young man! You will represent the Shamanists, then. Come, the three of you! Quickly, there is not much time.â?

I gestured to my friends Kaizy and Longondo that I would be right back. They nodded approval at me, and Karitte led us out of the Infirmary. She led Pabel, Ragnick, and I to a dingy brick wall, then Her Highest spoke to it, â??You may decloak, young oneâ?. And a small black door suddenly appeared on the wall. Guarding it, was a young mage girl, much like my age, and even with purple hair like mine. But unlike me, she wore a pair of eye-glasses and a slight scowl on her face.

â??I serve the Arumic duty with honor, Highestâ?, the young mage curtsied, then she muttered, â??Even if it is guarding a useless invisible doorâ?¦â?

â??Now, now, Sybilâ?, Karitte was kind in her reprimand, â??It is the mystery behind the door that you guard. And in secrecy, you guard it as a mystery even more.â?

Sybil shrugged and let Her Highest pass. When Karitte opened the door, I saw deep dark stairs leading down. And I thought we were already at the bottommost part of the Academy!

As we descended in the darkness, the air became colder and colder; until finally, the darkness receded against a pale blue light. At the bottom of the stairs, we came to an almost empty room, cold as the deepest pits of Luna.

â??Arua!!â?, exclaimed Ragnick, â??She really IS here!!â?

He referred to the woman floating in the middle of the otherwise empty room, suspended upright only by strands of blue liquid magic swaying in the air. Her skin was pale blue, frozen, and her hair was golden sunlight. She was wearing a body-tight suit (black, like the chamber) that ran from her ankles all the way to her neck; only her head, hands and feet were exposed.

â??Oh, Aruaâ?¦â?, I gasped, â??Itâ??s the woman from my dreams!â?

â??Why do the Arumics have her here?â?, asked Pabel.

â??We donâ??t know, as of yetâ?, said Karitte, sadly, â??Aruaâ??s Fairy told us to bind her this way, to protect her.â?

â??How long has she been like this?â?, Ragnick asked, indignantly, â??How long have you Arumic witches held this poor soul prisoner?â?

â??For a very long, long timeâ?, Karitteâ??s voice grew even more somber, â??But that time will end.â?

Karitte turned to look at me with stern, yet caring eyes, â??A Fairy came to me in a dream once, too, Vea. A long time agoâ?¦ The Fairy said to me: With Junonâ??s blood you will bind her, until the Daughter of Four can find her. For if naught, fear the worldsâ?? distraught, she will bring the Devilâ??s wrath behind her!... And it was how my friends and I came to do something terrible, in the hopes that it would be for the greater good. For that, this enchantment you see before you, I have been named Most High. Alas, no height of honor befalls me, if I am wrong. And may the seven worlds forgive me.â?

The frozen blue woman floated noiselessly before us, for a short moment, untilâ?¦ I broke the silence, â??But, what did it mean? The Fairyâ??s rhyme?â?

Karitte smiled up at the floating figure of a deadlike angel, and a tear fell down her cheek, â??I believe she is the one that will save us. I believe she is the cure to the Devil Pest.â?

â??A frozen woman?!?â?, Ragnick was near rage, â??Madness! Cruelty! Black magic! I was right to leave the Academy to fulfill my duties to my Kingdom with my own magic! If itâ??s up to the Arumics, we can be doomed!â?

â??Calm yourself, Rootâ?, said Karitte, â??I believe Pabel has your answer, in the form of a questionâ?¦â?

â??Um, wellâ?, Pabel was obviously caught by surprise by Karitteâ??s reading of his heart, â??I was just wonderingâ?¦ who is the Daughter of Four?â?

â??Arua gives birth to us all, but she gives us a mother in this worldâ?, Karitte explained, â??The fortunate, remain their lives with only these two Mothers. The unfortunateâ?¦ are abandoned. I have picked up a child, as her third Mother, and taught her the basics of magic, for that is all I knew to teach. For the rest, the things a woman must learn from a woman, I had to pass to yet another Mother. A fourth Mother.â?

â??Arua, my real mother, you, then Sharlinâ?¦â?, I understood, â??A daughter of fourâ?¦â?

â??Yes, Veaâ?, Karitte was now crying fully, â??You have found her! You have found the sin that I had chained, frozen, and buried all these years. And it is youâ?¦ who frees her!! It is you who frees me!â? She held me by the hands, and added, â??You are the Daughter of Four!â?

â??Me... But, free you? Free her??â?, I asked shakily, â??How?â?

â??Root Ragnick, of courseâ?, Karitte smiled, â??The magic is tied with blue blood. Ever since the founding of the Akram Kingdom, the Junon Order and the Arumic Academy have been at odds. They would never come together; why would they? We share different beliefs! Which is why I left Spero and Tryteh upstairs to quarrel, and brought you down here. The chosen who matter! You see, only if the Junon Order comes to terms with the Arumics will the spell be broken. With blue blood.â?

â??Royalty!â?, Pabel understood, â??You mean the King of Junon Polis has to come down here and cut her down?!â?

â??Yesâ?, said Ragnick, with a serious face, looking at the strands of blue liquid magic that held the blonde woman prisoner, â??He does.â?

â??You have dreamt of her, too. Havenâ??t you, My Lord?â?, Karitte left me, to edge closer to the blonde man with sunglasses, â??Has the Fairy asked you to follow Vea? To help Vea?â?

â??Why would Master Ragnick help?â?, I asked, â??He abandoned the Arumics!â?

â??And why do you think he did, dear Vea?â?, asked Karitte, â??What stronger duty could have pulled him away from here, if not Junonâ??s duty itself; duty to his Kingdom!â?

Ragnick slowly turned away from Karitte, and faced me. Unbelievably, the next thing he did was kneel in front of me.

â??Rootâ?¦ Ragnickâ?¦â?, Pabel formed the words of the manâ??s name slowly.

â??I am the King of Junon Polisâ?, said Root Ragnick.

â??Toorâ?¦ Kcinâ?¦â?, continued Pabel, trying the name out backwards.

â??King Artur!â?, the blonde sunglassed Cleric held my hands. â??And in the name of Arua and ALL her daughtersâ?, he glanced at the frozen floating angel for a moment, â??My blue blood is yours, Vea Nus Inkwood!â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:51 PM.

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#15 KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:00 PM

Chapter 13 Blue Blood

â??Please riseâ?, I begged Ragnickâ?¦ King Arturâ?¦

It was all too overwhelming. I couldnâ??t feel that my head was on straight. King Artur stood up, and I saw that Karitte had a broad smile on her face.

â??Things are working out just as you planned themâ?, Artur turned to Karitte.

â??There is much more still to doâ?, was Her Most Highâ??s reply.

â??Soâ?¦ this is definitely the woman from Veaâ??s dreamâ?¦ Right?â?, Pabel stepped into the conversation.

â??It isâ?, I said, contemplating the floating womanâ??s face, and remembering the motherly feeling I got from the dream. Aruaâ?¦ I still couldnâ??t believe it.

â??How do I free her?â?, Artur asked.

â??You must return to her, her blue bloodâ?, said Karitte.

â??Thatâ??s her blood!?â?, I asked incredulously, eyeing the strands of blue liquid that held the woman hanging in mid-air.

King Artur pointed his 'sword' at her, and the tip of the Wand began to glow bright yellow.

â??Only with blue bloodâ?¦â?, Karitte reminded him, â??Not just any clericâ?¦ The King.â?

Artur stared at Karitte for a quick second (a look that may have carried disdain), then he used his Righteous Sword to cut a wound open on his own arm. A blue line formed in his forearm (much like the one that had formed on his neck, when the Raider had held him hostage), and a trickle of blue blood spewed forth onto his hand. Artur squeezed his cloaked Wand with his blue-bloodied hand, and the tip of the Phantom Righteous Sword glowed yellow once more.

Immediately, a thick shard of yellow healing light emerged from the magic tool and engulfed the floating woman. Artur's blue blood trickled from his hand, onto his Wand, and into the healing light; turning it from yellow to bright green.

Soonafter, the woman suddenly opened her eyes; a taste of blue sky amidst strands of sunny yellow hair. Then, the blue strands of magic that held her, began to shrink away. Artur had to hold on to the Wand with both hands when the woman started to struggle in mid-air against the blood that was now flowing back into her body.

It was a silent pain. She made no noise, only sharp jerks of motion and a crunching face. Slowly, Artur brought the healing light towards the floor along with her. And when the light had died out, there was no more blood but Arturâ??s. The blonde woman sat kneeled on the floor, completely healed.

Artur, too, had kneeled. His exhaustion showed as he cast his Wand away and buried his face between his knees. Or maybe he was cryingâ?¦

When I looked at Karitte for answers, a flash of black and yellow jumped across my vision and landed on Her Highest, as the black-clad blonde woman had leapt across the room to attack her!

Pabel and I ran to help Karitte, while she was being punched fiercely by the blonde woman. Karitte was not putting up a fight at all! We managed to pull the blonde woman off her easily, and we saw Karitteâ??s tears mixed in with the red blood now on her face.

The blonde womanâ??s face, however, was clean. Still beautiful, but filled with frightening rage. In our grasp, the blonde woman began to shiver. She was only wearing a thin black bodysuit, and it was rather cold inside that room.

â??We need to cover her up!â?, I said.

â??I have broughtâ?¦ somethingâ?¦ for herâ?, a manâ??s voice spoke from the shadows. We werenâ??t alone! All this time! We hadnâ??t been alone. A man walked out of the shadow of one corner of the room. He was dressed in shiny Trunket Armor; complete except the helmet. On his head, he wore white bandages.

â??HOVERT!??!!???â?, I let go of the blonde woman, to take a step towards him, accidentally leaving Pabel with the womanâ??s entire weight.

â??How can this be?!â?, I exclaimed, â??We just saw you die!!â?

â??Whoever you sawâ?¦â?, he replied, â??â?¦it was not me. Another Hovertâ?¦ perhapsâ?¦?â?

Another Hovertâ?¦ I had heard those words before. Who had said-?

â??Enough!â?, Karitte almost yelled, â??No more questions. Too many answers lead to too many more questions. It is time for action. Hovert, you may go ahead and present your gift.â?

Hovert was carrying parts of a red and black metallic armor in his arms. Over at the corner where he had stood, was the rest of it. As Hovert began to dress the still eerily silent woman (Pabel helped him), I went over to Artur to check on him.

"I can feel her... connected to me...", King Artur whispered to me, "She is... Arua! I know who she is! I can feel her in my heart!" He was on the mend, for then he told me he was fine, retook his Wand, and stood up once more.

I turned to Karitte, â??The Fairy in my dream told me to take care of her, I think. But I have no idea howâ?¦ What to doâ?¦â?

â??Do you recall the Fairyâ??s words?â?, asked Karitte.

â??Yesâ?, and I repeated them, â??She must not be brought to any harm. She must knead blade, thread, and yarn. Her blood is only safe when warm; in the lands of old Hebarn.â?

â??A riddle. Of courseâ?, Karitte spoke, with a bit of disappointment in her voice, â??It is, true, difficult to decipher them. And I am afraid I have not many answers for this oneâ?¦â?

â??Wellâ?, Pabel spoke, once finished gearing up the lady in black, â??Itâ??s obvious that Vea needs to take care of her, from that first line. And maybe take her to Hebarn, from the last one. But in betweenâ?¦?â?

â??Hebarn cannot be just yet, Iâ??m sure. I just returned from there!â?, said Karitte, â??Besides, the Fairy from my dream had told me to imprison her here in Junon. Surely she is needed here for something!â?

â??But what?â?, I mumbled.

â??I can help with thatâ?, King Artur said. Ragnick was back. Artur seemed to have regained his full composure, and his commanding and inspiring presence had returned. Maybe not Ragnick, then, but Artur all alongâ?¦!

â??I know of a wise someone who is very good at deciphering riddlesâ?, said the King.

â??With Artur I shall leave you then, Veaâ?, said Karitte, â??This mission of Aruaâ??s has ended its part with me; and it now begins a new chapterâ?¦ with you. Take care of her, good King, she is most precious. And may Junon bless you all.â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:52 PM.

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#16 KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:00 PM

Chapter 14 The Lighthouse Key

The blonde lady was now covered in oily-black shiny steel. The armor protected her from neck to toes, with a magic power that ran through it like veins. The armor had tiny tubes running all over it, filled with Jabberwock blood; thin red lines coarsing through the black metal. It seemed alien, not of Junon technology. On the shoulders, there were beaklike protrusions that housed the generators that powered the magic protection. The headgear was of that same shape; a closed helm with a black beak with red bloodlines and glass lenses. But the lady wasnâ??t wearing the helmet yet. The womanâ??s long sunshine blonde hair rested upon the armored shoulders and down along the back, beautifully; making the sight of the alien armor on this woman even stranger. Hovert handed the woman the helmet, and proclaimed, â??She is ready.â?

â??Ready for what?â?, I whispered to myself, but knew that Pabel was listening, â??Who readies Arua? And what awaits her? How does one armor a goddess!?â?

â??She is not yet fully readyâ?, King Artur said, â??But leave that to me. I shall make sure that she is.â?

â??Aruaâ?¦ My Goddessâ?¦â?, I spoke to the lady in black. She turned to look at me with piercing blue eyes, but gave no reply. I continued to speak, â??Is there anythingâ?¦ you may need from me? I serve you.â?

The lady gave me a quizzical look, then turned to Artur.

â??Hrmm!â?, the king cleared his throat, â??I believe 'Arua' should keep with us. We will meet with the one that will decipher the fairyâ??s rhyme, then weâ??ll know what to do from there. She will be under our protection the whole way.â?

â??I shall go with you!â?, said Hovert, and the black-clad lady turned to look at him. In her silence, she seemed to approve, because she touched her armor briefly (Hovertâ??s gift to her) then looked down at the helm in her hands. After that, the lady looked at me again, this time expectantly.

I looked at Karitte and said, â??I wish for Pabel to come too, and my friends Longondo and Kaizy!â?

Her Most High Cleric nodded approval, â??You can all go. It is your job to protect her, Vea, and as far as Iâ??m concernedâ?¦ the more friends you have protecting you, the better!â?

â??You can bet your ninth refine sheâ??ll be protected!!â?, Longondoâ??s voice burst into the room, as she finished descending the dark stairs. Behind her, followed Kaizy.

Then, another Muse entered the room, â??I tried to stop them Highest, but they ganged up on me!â? It was the purple-haired mage with the eyeglasses, from before.

â??Itâ??s alright, Sybilâ?, said Karitte, â??They are welcome. If they werenâ??t, they wouldnâ??t have gotten past my magic barriersâ?¦â?

â??That, and she let us through â??cause we threatened to let Madame Tryteh know who it was that hung her underdress from the top of the Junon central fountain that one timeâ?¦â?, said Kaizy, with a grin.

And Sybil pointed her magic staff at him, â??Iâ??ll hang you from the fountain in your underpants, you-!â?

â??Enough, children!â?, Karitte shouted.

â??They stunned me, thatâ??s how they got pastâ?¦â?, Sybil muttered. And a little jolt left the tip of her staff to hit Kaizy in his rear and make him jump a little.

â??Enough!â?, Karitte insisted, while Sybil sneered and Kaizy rubbed on his behind.

â??Sybil, your job was well done, I have no doubt", Her Most High Cleric continued, "You have exceeded expectations with your magical talents, as usual. Now please! To the matter at hand.â?

â??Right!â?, said King Artur, â??For Arua! Vea and party, we have to leave the Academy. I shall lead us.â?

â??Sybil, you have done well with your guard, and shall be rewarded. Stay with me, weâ??ll talkâ?, I heard Karitte say, as I hugged my friends Longondo and Kaizy simultaneously. Longondoâ??s arms squeezed me back, but Kaizy was a little apprehensive.

Then, King Artur led the way up out of the room and up to the Academy vestibule. At first, the lady in black did not care to follow, but Hovert took her hand and she walked with us without problem after that.

The hustle and bustle inside the Academy, with Clerics running everywhere to gather and bring healing materials that would replace the ones destroyed in the Infirmaryâ?¦ to heal the fallen Muses and Soldiers, kept us rather concealed; and we went by unnoticed.

When we left the Academy, Longondo and Kaizy flooded me with questions about what had happened down in the cold pits of Aruaâ??s prison. They also wanted to know who the blonde lady was, of course. I told them as much as I could, as fast as I could, so that they were caught up with what I knew. Most of it anyway, I thought.

â??So, sheâ??s the woman from your dreams?â?, asked Longondo.

â??Yes, she is. I am to protect her no matter whatâ?, I answered.

â??It's like... your burdenâ?, Kaizy said.

â??What?â?, Longondo questioned.

â??You know, like that one story... Never mindâ?¦â?, Kaizy sighed.

â??And whatâ??s up with the guy that looks like Hovert?!â?, was another question from Longondo.

â??That is Hovert!â?, I explained, â??The Soldier that the Raider killed was apparently someone else.â?

â??Another Hovert?â?, Longondo asked. And all I could do was shrug.

â??Whoâ??s Hovert?â?, Kaizy asked, â??The one holding hands with the hot chick?â?

â??Kaizy!!â?, I exclaimed, while Longondo slapped his shoulder, â??I told you! Thatâ??s Goddess Arua!â?

â??Yeah right! And Iâ??m the King of Junon Polis!â?, Kaizy jested.

â??Noâ?¦â?, Longondo was annoyed, â??Thatâ??s the king of Junon Polis!â? She pointed at Cleric Ragnick, who was leading the way through the busy streets that ran the docks of the city.

â??The famous Cleric Ragnick is the king of Junon Polis!?!â?, Kaizy seemed surprised.

â??Havenâ??t you been listening to anything that Vea has told us!?!â?, Longondo retorted.

â??I have!!â?, Kaizy complained, â??Itâ??s justâ?¦ my mind was elsewhere for a moment, thatâ??s all!â? He seemed to touch something in his Heaven's Coat pocket, but before I could ask Kaizy about itâ?¦

Longondo interrupted, â??Iâ??ll tell you where your mind was! Thinking about Aruaâ??s underarmor this whole way!!â?

I was unable to hold back a laugh. And while Longondo and Kaizy began another one of their arguments, I felt my face redden as I remembered that Pabel was walking behind us, keeping up the rear. I could feel his eyes were on me, and I could swear I could hear him thinking about me!

â??Weâ??re here!â?, King Artur announced.

We had stopped at the edge of town. The smell of Junon Bay, salt and fish, flooded my nostrils. Nearby, a large airship was docked on one of the marina piers. Workers and sailors labored to get her ready for a voyage; a tall man in a green uniform shouted unintelligible orders at them. His mean gruff voice seemed to be insulting the sailors as he yelled.

â??Are we leaving planet Junon?â?, Pabel asked.

â??I would think notâ?, was Arturâ??s reply, â??Not yet, anyway, I hope. No. Instead, that there is our destination.â?

We all turned away from the work of the vicious captain and his sailors, to look at what King Artur was pointing at. Near the end of the dock, a large old lighthouse stood against the seabreeze. It seemed abandoned; empty of anyone's presence except for an old man (wearing olden-time clothes) who sat on the steps that led to a rickety wooden door.

â??Jones!â?, the King waved, and the old man stood up.

â??My Lord!â?, the old man greeted Artur, as we approached, â??Are we ready to return today?â?

â??Yes, if you pleaseâ?, Artur replied with a warm smile, and hugged the old man when we reached the steps to the lighthouse.

â??And you bring guests!â?, Jones cheered, â??Itâ??s not every day you bring guests to the castle! Delightful!â?

Castleâ?¦!? â?¦my friends and I seemed to wonder. The lighthouse is the castle...!?

Suddenly, Jones gasped! â??My Liege!â?, he exclaimed when he saw the lady in black, and the old man lowered himself to the floor. The blonde woman let go of Hovertâ??s hand and walked up to Jones. She cupped the old manâ??s chin in one hand and gestured him to rise. He did so, and I saw he was in tears.

â??Please, please. Do pass. Passâ?, said Jones.

Jones led the way up the steps and into the lighthouse. The place was old and rickety, but still, the coiling staircase he led us up on was sturdy enough; and soon, we had reached the top of the lighthouse. The rotating mana flame had long died out, but it was still incredible to be up there, inside the glass cubicle of the top of the lighthouse.

On one side, Junon Polis lay sprawled beneath us like an Artisanâ??s rug; mana lights beginning to turn on throughout the city, welcoming the coming night. On the other side, Junon Bay rippled the sunsetâ??s reflection like a million tiny glowing Topaz gems. On the horizon, a smudge of distant land could be seen; the far side of the bay.

â??Old Junonâ?¦â?, said Jones, â??Before the First Ikaness War, Junon Polis thrived all throughout the crescent shores of the bay! â?¦Sadly, after the invention of the Castle Gear, and the weaponry became too great, most of the city was destroyed.â?

â??Jones isâ?¦ quite the historianâ?, Artur explained.

â??Far across the bayâ?¦â?, Jones continued, â??â?¦all that remains now is a barren ghost land, empty street tiles of the grand city that once wasâ?¦ That, and the royal castle, of course.â?

â??What castle?â?, Longondo asked. Then, the black-clad lady placed a hand against the glass that separated us and the sea. It seemed Artur had moved his arm to do something too, but instead, he stood still and watched what the beautiful woman in armor would do.

For a second, nothing happened. Then, I thought I felt the blonde lady begin to cryâ?¦ and I saw it!! Across the waters of the bay, on top of the smudge of land on the horizon, a vast concrete shape was appearing far in front of us. At first, it was nothing but a glimmer, then it became clearer and clearer. Soon, it had taken the shape of a building, with high walls and towers. By the time I realized that it was getting bigger, I looked behind me to see that we had left the lighthouse behind, and we were riding in a floating glass cubicle above the waters of Junon Bay. As we got closer and closer, and the building became large enough to block out the sunset, I felt overwhelmedâ?¦ Such beauty and size! The Junon Polis Royal Castle was the most impressive structure anyone could ever witness!

â??Oh, myâ?¦â?, Longondo said softly, â??Ok, thatâ??s justâ?¦ wow.â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:52 PM.

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#17 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:01 PM

Chapter 15 A Sword Fit For A Goddess

Once inside the castle, it was equally amazing. The stonework that made up the walls were strong and lavishly decorated. The wide halls were shiny, with high ceilings and well-lit windows. Even as the sun went down, the last bit of sunlight reflected everywhere inside, magnifying the castle's inner beauty. When the mana lamps turned on, the hallways remained colorful, and we could still enjoy the drape-paintings hanging along the walls. One of them specifically, caught the blonde lady's eye, and she stopped. I stood beside her to look at the artwork.

It was a small drape, hanging at a person's height, depicting a large battle scene. It was of a thousand white Lunaris Bears, armored and lanced, running towards the viewer, on a field of green grass.

"Drunken bears, fighting?", Kaizy asked. Apparently, everyone else had stopped to look too.

Strangely, the Lunaris Bears still had their usual rumpouches hanging beside them; some were even depicted drinking while they ran! And who ever heard of Lunaris Bears running in green grass?!

But, that was not the strangest thing of all. Leading the pack, running fiercely towards battle, long shiny sword held high... was a lone armored woman. She wore blue and pink armor, breastplate, gloves, and boots... even an armored skirt! Her helmet was blue with white upward longhorns protruding from the sides. Long blonde hair hung loosely from the bottom of the helm. Her mouth was contorted as if shouting a battle cry, but the rest of her face was masked with black-lens sunglasses.

"Who is she?", I asked.

"That is Namielle. The first Queen of Junon", said Artur.

And Jones told us the story, "When the Akram Kingdom was first formed, in response to the Ikaness attacks on Junon, we were able to gather enough numbers to hold the Ikaness at bay... but the war had gone on for so long, and we had lost so many, it was feared that the Akram armies would not last long enough to win the war. So, Namielle our Queen, did what no other Junon leader did before her... She left us.

â??You see, we were thought abandoned. But it was not until she came back that we found out that Namielle had taken an airship to Luna, for one last desperate and loving attempt to save us all. She went looking for beings of another planet... to help us. Something unheard of at that time! Planets uniting for one cause? Preposterous. But Namielle traveled from one corner of Luna to the other, from polar limit to polar end! And she found help indeed.

â??To this day, no one knows how she managed to convince the Lunaris Bears to abandon their beloved snow, but she brought them here, and their fierce fighting turned the war around for us; winning against the Ikaness and saving all of Junon, of course."

"Namielle Polarbear, she was called after that", King Artur told us, smiling, and he touched the Queen in the drape-painting. I heard his fingers clink against the queen, and realized that it wasn't a painting at all, but a real depiction! Magic! The king was touching actual metal armor; a tiny replica, but real nonetheless!

"Grass!", exclaimed Longondo as she mimicked the king, and ran her fingers through the tiny, tiny blades of grass. Kaizy touched the queen's sword and pricked his finger with the tiny needle. And when I touched the Lunaris Bears, I felt real fur.

Amazing magic, what Artisans could perform!

Pabel wondered out loud what we would feel if we tried to touch the sky above the army and the grass, but none of us could reach it.

"Sky, of course!", said Jones, and we all laughed.

The lady in black seemed pleased, and we all continued walking.

"Who are we here to see?", I asked King Artur, excitedly.

â??Actuallyâ?¦â?, was Arturâ??s reply, â??Weâ??re here on a detour, really. To get this!â?

We stopped in the hallway again. This time, in front of a glass display case that was holding three swords.

â??Although this may seem like part of the castleâ??s decorative collectionâ?¦â?, the king spoke, while he touched the glass with his hand, â??â?¦there is in fact no better place to hide valuables than in plain sight.â?

The kingâ??s hand suddenly trespassed the glass, as if it was water (the glass rippled and everything!), and he took hold of a swordhilt while continuing to speak, â??I said earlier that our Arua here wasnâ??t ready, and that I would take care of that. Well, it is my belief that she will need more than your protection during this ordeal. And if she is to go to Hebarn at any point, what better sword for her than one made in Hebarn itself.â?

King Artur pulled the sword from the glass case, and gave it to the blonde lady; who took it, inspected it, and sheathed it quickly. She didnâ??t even test it, or handle it in any form. In fact, when it had been handed to her, it seemed as though it might have even been too heavy for her. It was a two-handed sword, with a large red Ruby drilled onto its hilt and the letters T.H. branded onto the blade.

â??It originally belonged to Tobias Heruneâ?, Jones explained, â??The first Emperor of Hebarn. It now also carries the symbol of the King of Junon Polis. The Red Ruby. A sign of the universal peace treaty of long ago.â?

"The sword is already a very powerful weapon", King Artur said, "But it still needs to be refined, if it is to regain its lost magical properties."

At that, Kaizy noticed that the King was looking at him. "What?", Kaizy asked innocently.

"To refine the sword, we need a first-grade Talisman", said the King, "And, sadly, I do not have one."

Kaizy touched his Heaven's Coat pocket, just as he had done while we were on our way to the castle. "Will my Talisman be able to refine it? Give it magical properties?", he asked.

"A Talisman would make the sword fit for a goddess, my boy!", replied the King, with a chuckle.

"What will I get in return?", Kaizy's eyes seemed to be interested in another one of the swords inside the display case. Of the remaining two, there was a blood-red sword, but it was the green scaly-looking one that interested him the most. When he impulsively reached for it, his hand thumped against the hard glass.

â??Only those of blue blood may place their hands inside the Herune family's heirloom collectionâ?, King Artur told him, â??They were gifts to the monarchy of Junon, long ago, during more... peaceful times. But... we are in war again with the Ikaness, so perhaps someday youâ??ll earn the right to wield that sword anyway. Who knows? You do look like you could have the body-build of a Soldier, you know. In the meantime, I would be in your debt...â?

King Artur reached his hand out towards Kaizy. My green-haired Cleric companion took his Talisman out from beneath his Coat, and handed it to Artur. "You have my utmost thanks", said the King, and he in turn gave the Talisman to Jones.

Jones took the small slab of stone and pressed it against the sword's hilt, at the blonde ladyâ??s side. The lady in black jumped a little, but allowed the historian close proximity, while he refined the sword still at her hip. Jones intoned some sort of charm, and the Talisman's golden etchings began to glow brightly. Then, the glow was gone. The Talisman crumbled in Jones' hand, turned to dust, and fell away. The historian wiped his hands, backed away from the black-armored lady, and nothing else happened.

â??That's it?!â?, Kaizy asked, incredulously.

"The refinement is never impressive", King Artur laughed, "But wait until you see what that Talisman has now allowed that sword to do!"

It was disappointing to find out that we wouldnâ??t see much more of the castle, since the stop had simply been a small detour to pick up The Lady's sword. But it had been a marvelous experience already, so I didnâ??t mind too much. By the time we had returned to the city proper, it was already nighttime. King Artur had explained that the way out of the city was treacherous in the direction of Anima Lake (because of the Aqua armies that were still stationed there), so the best way out of Junon Polis was by ferry, to Kenji Beach. A night spent on a boat, instead of the castle, would be much more sensible since we were low on time. Running out of time for what? Artur couldnâ??t exactly say. And he wouldnâ??t tell us where we were going to either.

"Why so secretive?", I asked King Artur, as we boarded an ocean ferry together.

â??You must trust me, Veaâ?, Artur told me.

Pabel, Hovert, Kaizy, Longondo, and The Lady boarded with the king and I on a large sailboat run by a man named Itz, of the Ferrell Guild.

The King added, â??The place we are going to is highly elusive, and besides, I feel we are being watched.â?

â??Watched?â?, I inquired, â??By whom?"

"Of that, I am not yet certain", Artur replied, "But we must not voice our final destination out loud. We do not want to invite treachery onboard."

And with that, Itz hoisted the anchor, and the tide pulled Junon Polis away from us, as the moon began her climb over the night sky.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:53 PM.

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#18 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:02 PM

Chapter 16 Treachery Onboard

The crash of the ocean waves boomed loudly against the wooden hull of Itzâ??s boat, and the ferry swayed from side to side agitatedly on our way to Kenji Beach. We stayed on course near the shoreline, and with Luna shining brightly overhead, the tide was high and choppy. I couldnâ??t sleep through it.

Holding on tightly to a rope that was tied around one of the shipâ??s masts, I sat awake on deck during the first part of the night looking at the planets and stars in the sky. Eldeon was not out this night, but I could see a distant Skaaj, blazing pink amidst the immense black. Hebarn was out there too, this season; but without a telescope, not viewable by naked eyes. I shivered at the thought of knowing something that I could not seeâ?¦ was out there. Oh! Get a grip, girl! The seaâ??s chilly night air was getting to me.

â??Another nice night for sky-gazingâ?, Pabelâ??s voice warmed me. I had felt him coming up on deck, but I was surprised (and pleased!) that he had stayed to talk to me.

â??Luna is beautiful tonightâ?, I told him, as he settled himself next to me, holding on to his own part of the mastâ??s rope.

â??If we talk about my home planetâ?, Pabel said, â??we will pick up where we left offâ?¦ And if I remember correctly, we were-â?

â??Pabel, the Hawker!â?, I exclaimed, â??Whatâ??s your hurry? You certainly are a fast one! Straight to the point! Is that the only reason youâ??re up here?!â?

Even though I was half toying with him, Pabel responded with a tone of shame, â??Iâ??m sorry, Vea. Actually, I came looking for you becauseâ?¦ Iâ??m a little frightenedâ?¦â?

â??Frightened?â?, I asked, â??What scares you?â?

â??Well, this whole thing with Arua, really, and the Devil Pest!â?, he replied, also shivering slightly, â??It all seems a bit dodgy. Why would the Arumics imprison the blonde woman? Wouldnâ??t Karitte and the others have found a better way? It just seems unbelievable to me.â?

â??Iâ??m frightened tooâ?, I confessed, â??Scared out of my wits, really! I mean, I am the daughter of fourâ?¦ But who am I to take on such a huge responsibility!? How can I protect a Goddess? And I know I have all of you to help me, and thank you! Butâ?¦ itâ??s all a little too daunting... So dark..."

"Please don't cry...", said Pabel.

"Oh, Pabel! I'm so sorry!", I started to cry, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before, but there's something that I must say to you!"

"It's okay, Vea", Pabel held my hand, "You can tell me."

"Before you came back into my life...", I spoke between tears, "I was living a life that I didn't really want! I wanted it to be over with! I was dissatisfied. Alone and confused. There was so much death around me, in the Arumic hospital... I failed to see a purpose. I failed to see my purpose. I was lost. I secretly yearned for the end of my life. No one else knows this, Pabel! You must not tell a soul!"

"I won't", Pabel said, his voice breaking, "But you are alive, Vea. And that is a very good thing. Trust me."

"I am alive because of a pair of dual-colored eyes...", I sniffed.

"Your green and brown eyes?!", Pabel asked.

"The person who saved my life...", I explained, "...shared my condition of dual-colored eyes. But they were different; orange and yellow. And that day... Pabel, that very day! When my life was saved, I was sent to Anima Lake to start saving lives for the first time! The Fairy came to me in my dreams and gave me a purpose sent from Arua herself! And you! You came back to me... All these things have saved my life, yet... I still don't know how to live it... I mean, where are we going?? Whatâ??s ahead of us? Why am I doing what I'm doing?! Why was I chosen?â?

â??I have none of those answers for youâ?, Pabel said, â??but I can be by your side when you find them. I feel safe with you, Vea, in this unsafe world. Even with Est, I didnâ??t feel as safe. There always have been questions, and now even more! But I enjoy this little piece of certainty I feel for you; the only answer to a question I do know.â?

â??I think I feel what you feelâ?, I told him, â??But what are your questions, Pabel? I mean, about our destiniesâ?¦ Hasnâ??t Est given you any answers?â?

At this, Pabel turned a bit sad, and spoke with concern, â??It is of this that my confusions are created from. When Est came back from her last trip to Eldeon, we thought we had found answers; a possible path to the cure for the Devil Pest! But if Arua has truly led you to our savior, then there are things that have been happening in Eldeon â??and perhaps all the other planets as well!- that I cannot understand; that just donâ??t make sense. It's as if Arua wanted to save us, with Her plans and actions on this planet... but Her actions do not coincide with what She may be doing on other planets. So I ask myself, why? Why the discordance? This, I ponder now. And by arriving at no unsuspicious conclusions, I am frightened.â?

â??You have been arriving at suspicious conclusions then?â?, I inquired, â??You know, Cleric Rag- I mean, King Artur hinted that he might not trust everyone on this boat. Are you feeling the same way?â?

â??Perhaps. I cannot imagine that's the real danger, howeverâ?, Pabel said, "I fear the danger might be larger than mere mortals."

"Then the Gods will help", I said.

"That's the point!", Pabel replied, "When? I mean, didn't you say that even the Junon Order's prayers weren't being answered, or something? This feeling of absence from our Gods, is just too frightening..."

"Arua is with us...", I whispered, "I know it..."

After that, we became silent for a while. We looked at the night sky above us; the shipâ??s crowâ??s nest constantly bobbing in and out of the planetsâ?? view.

â??Luna is beautifulâ?, Pabel broke the silence, â??I can see the Sea of Dawnâ?¦â?

Right then, I let go of the mastâ??s rope and threw my arms at Pabel. I held his face and neck with my hands as I pressed my lips to his, and I gave him a strong, firm kiss. Pabel returned the kiss gently, but eagerly. When I parted from him, I told him, â??I trust you, Pabel. Whatever the danger, whatever the suspicions on this trek, whatever the fear! I trust you, and I feel safe with you.â?

I didnâ??t enjoy the look of surprise and happiness in his big brown eyes for long, for I quickly buried my head in his chest and hugged him tightly.

â??I love you, Veaâ?, he said to me. I love you.

And I could hear his heart beating verses of romance to me.

Night at sea was cold, but Pabel was so warm! I was not surprised at all that I fell asleep in his arms. Also not surprisingly, was the visit of another vision in my dreams. Except, this one was a more pleasant one than the last.

I dreamt that I was soaring in the sky, with fluffy clouds surrounding me. The dark blue waves of a sparkling ocean played below my floating feet. And I saw a pair of white feather wings flapping nearby me. The creature that owned the wings reminded me of Aruaâ??s Fairy. Oh, how I would love a pair of wings at my back, to fly over the worlds!

But when I checked behind me, strangely enough, I did have wings! White-feathered wings! Just like an angel!

The other winged creature flew towards me, and I could begin to make out more of its features. It seemed, it was an angel too; a boy with tussled blonde hair, wearing a white toga and nothing else.

â??Vea!â?, the winged boy called to me.

â??Hello?â?, I called back.

When the little angel stopped in front of me, his wings kept flapping, and I looked into his green eyes as he spoke to me, â??You are the one Junon seeks! Phew! Iâ??m glad I found you! Itâ??s not easy dreaminâ?? with someone that doesnâ??t know how to dream! You must be a heck of a dreamer, eh?â?

I laughed, â??Iâ??ve had my share. But, you donâ??t look like any past visitor Iâ??ve ever had in my dreams. Youâ??re not shrouded, youâ??re not as colorful as fairies are, and youâ??re not meeting me in some dark and creepy placeâ?¦â?

â??Thatâ??s â??cause youâ??re getting better at this dreaminâ?? thingâ?, the angel winked at me, â??Anyway, have you talked to Aruaâ??s Fairy lately?â?

â??Only the one time. Why?â?, I replied, â??Do I get more answers from you now? Or just another fairy riddle?â?

â??Hey! Iâ??m no fairy!â?, the angel was offended, â??Iâ??m a Cos-micâ?¦ Vas-salâ?¦ ok? Iâ??m the Angel of Junon, in fact! Iâ??m a lot bigger than a fairy!!â?

â??Ok, so the God Junon sent you?â?, I asked.

â??Yesâ?, the Angel of Junon said, â??Junon wishes Aruaâ??s well-being, and is willing to lend his powersâ?¦ but first, you must rid Junonâ??s planet of its enemies. The woman you freed should help you with that. Butâ?¦ your enemies are much closer than you think. Junon has reason to believe that not all who serve Arua are trustworthy. She may have traitors. Junon thinks that Aruaâ??s Fairy has a hidden agenda. If sheâ??s doing only Aruaâ??s bidding, then Arua is keeping things from Junon for the first time, ever! So, itâ??s either that Arua has lost trust in Junon, or that Fairy is working for someone else as well. Sheâ??s been disappearing from the heavens and doing things even we donâ??t know anything about. And trust me, Iâ??m nosy! I would find out, if that Fairy wasnâ??t trying to keep things so secret!â?

â??Butâ?¦â?, I was confused, â??I did what the Fairy wanted me to do! I freed the frozen lady! Is that wrong, then?â?

â??Well, you havenâ??t done everything the riddle told you to do, yet!â?, the little angel said.

â??How would you know what the riddle said?â?, I asked.

â??I told you! Iâ??m nosy!â?, he told me, â??Just tread carefully, okay? What Karitte froze, you thawed. Itâ??s your responsibility now. Make sure you do things right. Watch your back. And if Aruaâ??s Fairy finds you and contacts you againâ?¦ Be careful. Choose your paths wellâ?¦â?

THUMP!!

â??What was that?!â?, I looked at the Angel of Junon for answers.

SCRRRATCH!!!

â??I dunnoâ?¦â?, he said, â??That ainâ??t dreaminâ??!â?

And he disappeared.

I woke up with a startle, still next to Pabel; on deck, by the mast. I sat up, alarmed, and shook Pabelâ??s chest with one hand. â??Pabel, wake up! I heard something!â?, I hissed.

Pabel woke up and held my hand in his. â??What? What was it?â?, he whispered.

â??It sounded like a thump against wood, then a metallic scratchâ?, I explained, keeping my voice low.

Our eyes darted everywhere, but there was no one else on deck with us, and all was quiet on the boat once more. It was still the middle of the night, and everyone else seemed to be asleep in their quarters.

THUMP! ... SCRATCH!!

â??There it is again!!â?, I half-yelped.

â??I heard it tooâ?, Pabel said, and he stood, bringing me up with him. The boat was not rocking as much as before and we were able to stand upright without any holds.

â??Whereâ??s it coming from?â?, I whispered.

â??I donâ??t knowâ?, said Pabel, â??The wind carries it.â?

THUMP! ... SCRATCH!!

â??There!!!â?, I called out, my excited voice betraying our stealth, â??Itâ??s coming from the sea!â?

Pabel and I ran portside, to the railing, just as another wooden thump rang outâ?¦ followed by a metallic scratch. Before we could reach the edge of the ship, a hand came up from overboard and grabbed the side of the boat! Then another!

We stopped in our tracks, and I pulled out my Baobab Wand from my coat, just as we heard another thump and then a scratch. â??Wait and seeâ?¦â?, Pabel cautioned.

I could already hear the manâ??s gasping breaths before I saw his wet head come up over the railing. It was an armored Soldier! After he pulled himself up completely, he keeled over the railing and onto the deck of the ship facedown; one final thump, then his armor and sword scratched the boat as he turned over.

â??Itâ??s Hovert!!â?, I recognized him.

â??Arua!!!â?, Hovert exclaimed after he had spat out seawater, â??Heâ??s taken her!!â?

â??What? Who?!â?, Pabel asked.

â??The Raider!â?, was Hovertâ??s angry answer, â??He came into our quarters with such Stealth! And took her! I tried to fight for her, but he teleported me away to sea!!â?

â??Where is he now?!?â?, I cried out, â??Arua! I should have never left her side! Longondo!! Kaizy!!â?

â??The Raider is gone!â?, Hovert yelled at me, â??Do not punish yourself. I was enough to protect her, young one, but the Raider is gone. He has teleported!â?

â??Thatâ??s impossible! Arua's not gone! I can't lose her!!â?, I yelled back, frustrated, â??Only a powerful Cleric could be capable of-â?

â??Geez! What is it? Whatâ??s the racket?!â?, Kaizy said, as he stepped up on deck, followed by a sleepy-eyed Longondo. They both had their Wands out.

â??Vea, whatâ??s wrong?!â?, Longondo asked.

â??The Raider! He took- Oh, no!â?, I gasped, â??Of course!! How could I have been so blind?! The Raider wasnâ??t at the Academy looking for me! In my dream, the red-robed figure asked him to get someoneâ?¦ but he was looking at a blue light! The frozen blue lady! Arua!!â?

â??That â??gogetters, gogettersâ?? guy!? He took Arua!?!â?, Longondo asked, â??I thought Madame Karitte sent him to some tower!!â?

Then we heard a crash above our heads, and large splinters of wood rained down beside us. When I looked up, I saw that most of the railings of the crowâ??s nest had shattered. We could suddenly hear grunting up there, along with the clang of metal against metal.

â??Someone wake Artur!â?, Kaizy called out to the rest of the group.

â??I thinkâ?¦ that is King Arturâ?¦â?, Longondo replied, looking up at the crowâ??s nest.

Indeed, I could see Archmage robes billowing in the wind up there! Also, the intermittent flashes of purple-colored metal. Panther Blades!

â??Heâ??s hereâ?¦â?, I was beginning to breathe heavily, â??The Raider is still hereâ?¦â?

â??Still here??â?, Longondo questioned, â??He was never in the boat to begin with!â?

â??Well, heâ??s definitely here now!â?, replied Kaizy, â??Thatâ??s definitely him up there! And thatâ??s King Artur heâ??s fighting!â?

â??But how did he get here?!?â?, Longondo insisted.

â??Teleported!â?, Hovert chimed in, angrily.

Kaizy scoffed, â??Raiders canâ??t teleport!â?

â??He was brought hereâ?, Pabel spoke, calmly.

I looked at Pabelâ??s eyes with sadness, then I followed his and everyone elseâ??s gazeâ?¦ up the mastâ?¦ to the crowâ??s nest, where the only powerful Cleric on the boat was currently dueling with our murderous enemy.

The dangerously agile Raider was very fast, swinging his twin-blades hard against King Arturâ??s righteous sword.

â??We have to get up thereâ?¦â?, my words barely left my clenched throat.

Hovert held his sword tightly, and gritted his teeth. â??These are dangerous waters and the ship is a sitting duck!â?, he said, â??Where is Itz?â? Then the soldier ran belowdecks, but not before shouting, â??Get us moving again!â?

Pabel immediately ran astern and pointed the palms of his hands at the sails. He furrowed his brow, and wind emerged from his hands. Slowly, but surely, the boat began to sail anew.

I gave him a look of utter worry, then turned my gaze upwards at King Arturâ??s fight.

â??How do we help him?â?, I heard Longondo say.

THUMPP!! SCRRATCH!!!

Oh no!

Th-Thump! Scra-scratch!
THUMP!! SCRATCH! THUMP SCRATCH!!

â??I guess thatâ??s why Hovert was so adamant about moving!â?, said Kaizy, peering over the side of the boat, â??There are sea monsters climbing aboard!!â?

Indeed, giant red crustaceans with humanoid shapes were climbing onto the boat! From both sides, the deck was soon filled with a lot of upright lobster-men! Krawfies!

â??Back to back!â?, I called to my friends, as I ran to them, â??Stay together!â?

The clickety-clacks of the Krawfiesâ?? pincers were already creating an unbearable jumble of noise. Soonafter, the noise was accompanied by blasts of fire and ice from our Wands. As some of them burned, others froze; but all that were harmed jumped back into the sea. The problem was, however, that even more Krawfies kept coming still!

â??There must be dozens of them!â?, I exclaimed.

â??Fend them off with Tornadoes!â?, said Kaizy.

â??One, twoâ?¦â?, Longondo prepared us, â??THREE!!â?

WHHOOOOOOSHH!!!!!!! Three tornadoes erupted from our Wands and toppled all the Krawfies. The powerful winds pushed them into piles to the sides of the boat. Some went over the railing.

â??I canâ??t hold it!â?, yelled Pabel. The tornadoes had tampered with the winds he was creating to push the boatâ??s sails alongâ?¦ and now the ship was teetering wildly across the sea. The staggering vessel made us all lose our footing, as we slid across the deck after falling to our knees.

A glimpse of movement from above caught my eye, and I looked up to see that the Raider and KingArtur had fallen off the mast!

â??Pabel! Save him!â?, I called out to the Lunaris, but the air he was trying to control was too strong. He could not hear me over the winds, and he was too preoccupied to notice.

â??Right! Together!â?, Kaizy said, pointing his Wand up at the falling pair, â??STORM!â?

â??Vea! Melt my ice!â?, Longondo instructed me, as she stepped away from where Artur would land, â??CHILL!â?

â??Yes!â?, I followed suit and pointed my Wand at the spot where Longondo was pointing, â??FLAME!â?

As Longondoâ??s ice met my fire, it melted, and a small body of water was created in the middle of the deck. With Kaizyâ??s wind slowing the pairâ??s fall, King Artur and the Raider fell gently onto the temporary pool that we had created.

After the splash, our magic stopped, and the water was washed away across the deck; leaving us ankle-deep in water. While Artur and the Raider were recovering themselves from the fall, we noticed that Pabel had settled the ship back on course, and the Krawfies were now comfortably clickety-clacking their way towards us again! Whatâ??s worse, they now had an almost flooded deck to wade across! So they were surrounding us fast!

The Raider didnâ??t seem to care. He lifted his Dual Panther Blades and began striking at King Artur again. â??Wherrrre issss sheeee???!!!!!â?, he growled.

â??I donâ??t know! I thought you had her!â?, King Artur replied, meeting his opponentâ??s Blades with one wide swing of his Righteous Sword, â??So... you lost her?! Haha! Fail!!â?

â??JOLT!! JOLT!!â?, my friends and I were stunning Krawfies as fast as we could. By forming a perimeter around King Artur, we were keeping the Krawfies at bay, leaving the two warriors to fight one on one.

â??Alright, Raider!â?, King Artur called out to his opponent, â??Who are you, and what do you want?â?

â??Gogetters!!â?, the Raider snarled back, â??Death!!â?

With sudden movement speed, Gogetters lunged himself at King Artur, unleashing a barrage of assaults from his Dual Panther Blades. Artur was taking every hit with his magical sword, but he looked to be getting very weary, and his face began to glisten with sweat.

The Raider began to smash his blades so hard against the King, that Artur ended up falling to one knee, and his sword disappeared; leaving his Shadow Wand exposed.

â??Noâ?¦â?, I ached inside, suspecting what was next.

Gogetters crouched low, crossing his arms in front of him, blades out to the sides. He then sprang upwards, jumping high into the air! â??CIRCLE BREAK!!!â?, he shouted, and backflipped, turning upside down. The Raider stretched his duals outwards and began to spin fiercely in mid-air! The magic that left the blades was strong enough to create a circular whirlwind of pain, erupting from the Raider! King Artur got the worst of the blow; but Longondo, Kaizy, and I (and even the Krawfies!) were sent flying backwards off our feet, to land on our backs on the wooden deck of the boat.

The first thing I saw when I sat up was a few scared Krawfy crawling over the shipâ??s railings and back to sea. The others, including my friends, were still getting their bearings. Next, I saw King Artur laying motionless against the base of the shipâ??s mast. His forehead was bleeding; blue already running down his cheeks. Absentmindedly noticing that at least he still held his Wand in his hand, I immediately pointed mine at him, and I sang: RECOVERY!

The song of a Cleric can be heard in many ways. I always hear morning birds and trees swaying whenever I am healed. Itâ??s as if being in a deep, deep sleepâ?¦ that awakens you to a new burst of life. Artur, I would later come to know, heard my song to be a million children laughing, echoing against the tiles and walls of Junon Polis. While my yellow light engulfed him, I began to sing my charms to him as well. He heard refreshing waters crashing against the Junon coast and onto his skin; and he heard what Namielle Polarbear herself had once said to him: There is unconditional love in Aruaâ??s Visitors. The power of that love can carry Junonâ??s undying peace and strength. Let the love you feel for your people fill your heart with both.

And just like that, the king was back on deck with us. When King Artur opened his eyes and began to rise, I felt his heartbeat for one quick instant. All the way away from where I had been standing, I heard him say two words: I love.

As soon as Kaizy and Longondo were ready, they too pointed their Wands at Artur and helped to heal him and buff him. After all three of us were done, Artur shone brighter than a Grade 9 gem! Alight with power!

Gogetters had simply stood there, curious. He now grinned. â??Moreâ?, he said, and beckoned Artur to continue fighting him.

Artur grinned too, and pointed his Wand at the Raider.

â??Summon Phantom Sword!â?, he yelled, â??Caliburn!â?

And a giant slab of sharp black metal appeared before Artur. On one end, a small metal bar protruded towards the King to serve as a handle. On the opposite end of the blade, the black sword shone orange and red with scorching metal.

When Gogetters charged, Artur was too quick and too powerful for the unfortunate Raider. In two swings of the Dual Panther Blades, Artur managed to counterswing his Caliburn with ease, to sear each of the fucsia weapons straight in two; leaving Gogetters with nothing but the handles.

King Artur pointed the burning edge of the Caliburn centimeters from Gogettersâ?? face. â??Now, Raider, you have lost! Listen here!â?, Artur began his threatening reprimand. But just as victory seemed nearâ?¦ a figure wearing a red robe appeared beside the Raider. Although it was not wearing its red hood, its face was concealed behind a black and golden veil. It placed a hand on Gogettersâ?? left shoulderâ?¦ and just before they disappeared in a blink, Gogetters managed to throw a mystic knife at Arturâ??s chest.

When the veiled figure and Raider had gone, the rest of the Krawfies (that were still on the boat) jumped ship; apparently no longer wishing to fight against the magic displayed on the shipâ??s deck.

Suddenly, Artur was back off his feet, lying with his back to the deck and clutching his chest with his wand hand. The Caliburn was gone. The Shadow Wand rolled freely beside him. A pool of blue blood was already forming on the front of his Archmage Coat.

As Longondo, Kaizy, and I rushed to him, three more figures magically appeared on the deck of the ship. Shroon stood in between the other two newcomers (whom I recognized as teachers from our Academy; Idiosel and Selladin). All three women, wore the garbs of the Arumics; and all three, wore black and golden veils around their heads.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:54 PM.

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#19 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:03 PM

Chapter 17 The Teleporters

Shroon stood shorter than the other two Arumics at her sides, but her stance nevertheless was of an obvious commanding authority. â??Where is she!?!â?, Shroonâ??s raspy voice cut the air.

No one dared know how to answer her. Shroonâ??s anger was clearly visible. King Artur groaned in pain, and my attention was brought back to the priority. Idiosel and Selladin also noticed the fallen, and each gave an uncomfortable look of concern. Meanwhile, Longondo pointed her Wand at Artur. In a flash, Selladin was at her side, holding Longondoâ??s wand arm up away from the kingâ??s chest. Idiosel had suddenly appeared sitting next to him, to cradle Artur in her arms.

â??Arumic magic can only make it worseâ?, said Idiosel, â??Thereâ??s a Mystic Knife inside of him.â? Longondo nodded to this, at a loss for words, and Selladin then finally let go of her hand.

Shroon stepped forward towards the King. She was about to shout something before Kaizy courageously interrupted her. â??Weâ??ve lost her, Madam. A Raider came for her, and-â?

â??Youâ?¦ LOST her!??!â?, Shroon exploded. Her head swiveled maniacally, looking at each of my friends in turn; even Pabel received an angry stare. And finally, her glaring eyes rested on me. She took several steps to be in front of me, and even though she was shorter than I, it was difficult not to feel that I was looking up at her to meet her eyes. I saw ire in those eyes. Hatred and malice. But why? Why was she so angry? I felt pained to look at her dual-colored eyes. Her left eye, clearly orange, while her right eye with a lighter yellowish tint. And I suddenly understood my pain. I suddenly remembered where it was that I had first met those dual-colored eyes! Alas, just as I was starting to feel that small bit of connection with her, Shroonâ??s hand suddenly flew towards me and struck me in the face.

The warm sting was beginning to coalesce within my cheek, as my first tear rolled down. I had been feeling the pain long before Shroon had even appeared on the boat. I had lost her! I had lost Arua! I allowed more of my tears to fall freely.

â??V-Veaâ?¦â?, I heard Arturâ??s weak calling. I bowed my head away from Shroonâ??s gaze, and turned to the King. â??The Raiderâ?¦ did not takeâ?¦â?, he spoke with some trouble, â??She must stillâ?¦ be near.â?

â??We have to teleport him back to the infirmary immediatelyâ?, Idiosel said, looking at Shroon, â??We need to remove that Mystic Knife!â?

â??I will take himâ?, Shroon said, then moved away from me to take Artur. Her stern dual-colored eyes addressed me one more time, â??You find her! Do you hear me, child?! You find her!!â?

Before Shroon vanished with the King, Artur had winced some parting words (the only ones that the quick and cruel teleporter allowed us), â??I have failed youâ?¦ Veaâ?¦â?

Less than an instant later, they were gone. I was left silent, with my mouth agape. What came next shocked me as well.

â??Itz is dead!â?, Hovert announced, returning from belowdecks, â??Apparently, the Raider got him.â?

â??Oh, dearest Aruaâ?¦â?, Longondo mourned.

â??Wait!â?, Hovert reached us, â??Who are these women?!?â?

â??We are Arumics from Junonâ?, the taller one finally spoke, â??I am Selladin, and this is my companion Idiosel.â?

Kaizy quickly erupted with questions towards the remaining two teleporters, â??What the heck just happened here?! How did we lose Arua? Why did you and Madame Shroon come here?â?

â??We are here to help with your-â?, Idiosel attempted to speak. But Selladin interrupted her, â??Weâ??re here to look out after you!â?

Kaizy noticed (as did I) that Selladin had glanced at only three people while she had said that. At only Kaizy, Longondo, and I.

â??We were trying to protect Arua!â?, I exclaimed, done with my tears, â??If you want to look out after us, help us protect our charge!â?

â??You are not protecting Aruaâ?, Selladin said solemnly, â??And not even Arua herself can protect our fate, in times like these.â?

This was very confusing to me, but before I could question the teleporterâ??s words, Longondo interjected.

â??Adding the teleporters to our number wouldnâ??t have helpedâ?, Longondo said sadly, â??I mean, we wereâ?¦ what? Six? And we still lost Arua!! We need to level up and really improve our game if we want to succeed in what Vea has set out to do! If we ever find Arua againâ?¦â?

â??Like I said, you have not lost Aruaâ?, Selladin said, â??Arua will always be with you. But if improving your game is what you endeavor, then allow us to send you on your way.â?

At this, there was no reply. We were all at a loss.

â??The Shamanist and the Soldier should continue on to Kenji Beachâ?, Idiosel began to explain, â??You will find some interests of yours there.â?

â??The Clerics come with usâ?, added Selladin, â??You will need more power than what you have now, in order to face what lies ahead. We can take you there.â?

â??To more power?â?, asked Kaizy.

â??Yes. The three of you. Together.â?, said Selladin, as she took my hand and positioned me next to Idiosel, whose hand I took intuitively. Selladin beckoned Kaizy with her free hand, and the green-haired cleric took it reluctantly. Longondo quickly understood, and took Idioselâ??s free hand when it was offered to her.

Pabel saw the line that had been formed: Kaizy, Selladin, Vea, Idiosel, Longondo; held by the hands. â??Wait! Are you sure we should separate?!â?, the handsome Lunaris protested.

Before I could reply to his warm gaze, Selladin said to Pabel, â??This is as your friends themselves have requested. This is what must be done.â?

Iâ??m not sure if Pabel got to see my reassuring nod. The Shamanist, the boat, and the night had disappeared in an instantâ?¦ and I suddenly found myself alone in the middle of a dry desert. The smoldering sun bearing down on me.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:55 PM.

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#20 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:05 PM

Chapter 18 The Silent Village

The heat was relentless, but my panicking thoughts ignored it at first.

Where am I?!? Where is everyone else?!? What happened to the night?!?

As I looked around to get my bearings, I saw that endless sandy dunes were all around meâ?¦ except in one direction. Yes! In the direction of the setting sun, there was a dark blur on the horizon. Somewhere behind that heat haze, there was something there other than endless sand. So, I walked. I began my trek towards the unknown spot in the distance.

It was a big change. From the soothing sways of a boatride, to the aching stretches of my walking leg-muscles. From the chill night sea air, to the crisp and merciless desert sun. But I kept onward; I took off my Heavenâ??s Coat and was left wearing nothing but my light Spiritual Vest, but I kept onward. Somewhere, over in the direction of that blur, I would find answers.

The first thing I found was a dead end. The horizon had broken into a dark line that cut the otherwise undying desert. Rock outcroppings, the color of sand, had begun to appear in my path, and even mountains of stone could be seen to the sides in the distance, when the dark line finally became clear. A cliff.

As I stepped up to the edge of the rocky drop, I found a second thing. There was a blotch of color on the other side of the gorge. It stretched upwards, touching the sky, slightly curving the horizon. A village!

Looking down proved vertiginous, yet I discovered that a small stream ran down the middle of the gorge. Eons of riverwater had carved these canyon walls slowly; step by step. Soâ?¦ it was climbable!

I began to scale down the gorgeâ??s wall. If only I could use magic to get acrossâ?¦, I thought, But I donâ??t know how to make myself flyâ?¦

The climb was bearable, but I proved to be a fallible mountaineer when I lost my footwork with one fatal slip, and I was left clinging dearly to the rock wall with my fingertips!

This cannot be!, my mind raced, I canâ??t die now! I have a mission from Arua to fulfill! I donâ??t even know where I am right now! After all that I've gone through!? How cruel can destiny possibly be!?!

But destiny, it seemed, was to be cruel enoughâ?¦ for my fingers slipped away from the rock, and I found myself tumbling down the canyonâ??s air currents, towards the river below.

As my mind fought whether to accept that I was falling to my death, I saw the water rise towards me. Then I realized that it really was rising towards me! It wasnâ??t just the fall playing tricks on me! As the river rose, large gray stones surfaced from below the water. One in particular, with smaller stones attached to it, reached out towards me. As the oddly-shaped set of stones grabbed me, I was surprised to not feel that much pain upon landing. And my Baobab Wand was intact. I survived the fall. Scraped and bruised, I stood on the stony hand and saw the giant Stone Golem that had erected itself from the river below to save me.

The giant Golem did not have a face. It had a lone green gem on its head, from which to read all expressions. This Golemâ?¦ was not aggressive. Its docility was proven by the way he handled my presence on his giant hands of stone. It gently placed me atop the cliff, on the other side of the gorge.

â??Thank youâ?, I panted, still out-of-breath from the near death experience.

â??Yyoouuuâ??rrrrrre wwwwelllllllccommmmmeâ?, the Golem answered withâ?¦ not a voice, but the echoing sounds of gems scraping against stone inside a cave. Then the Golem lowered himself under the river again. And I saw the peculiar sight ofâ?¦ not riverwater coursing over rocks, but rocks moving underwater instead, as the Golem continued his peaceful swim.

Strange. The Devil Pest must not have affected this area yetâ?¦

When I turned away from the Golem and the gorge, I saw the village ahead; closer than I had expected. The soil here was more arid rock than sand, and the air was slightly cooler, so I ran to the village townâ??s entrance; small patches of grass greeted me underneath my Heavenâ??s Shoes as I passed underneath the wooden log gate.

But the village was empty! The further I walked inside the town, the quieter it all seemed. It had been abandoned. There was absolutely no one about!! The silence was eerie. But it was strong. Too strong! Almost, as if, the silence itself was a sort of powerful sound. A crying, wailing sound. Then somehow, I started to feel misplaced; like this was all a dreamâ?¦ Is that why I was almost sure I wouldnâ??t die just then, at that gorgeâ?¦? But I was supposed to be at that village! I had been sent there!! Hadnâ??t Iâ?¦?

A loud boom followed by a shrill scream shattered the silence of the village, and I instinctively ran towards it. At the edge of the village, I crossed a rope bridge across a small chasm and I arrived at a place with a windmill and a farmhouse.

Noises of grinding metal met my ears, and the smell of burnt fuel reached my nose. The side wall of the farmhouse had been torn down, and screams continued to be issued from inside. I immediately ran to the broken wall. Through the gaping hole, I saw the back of a large smoke-spewing battle machine; a Castle Gear! It was walking towards its victims inside the farmhouse; a farmer and his screaming wife. I couldnâ??t discern many details because of all the smoke that spewed from the machine itself, but I could see that the controller atop the Castle Gear was a figure wearing a red robe.

I pulled out my Baobab Wand defensively, and pointed it at the back of the Castle Gear, just as I heard the farmer yell, â??Do not dare harm my wife or my child, you dirty Ikaness!â?

Child!?? Then I saw it! A pink-haired baby, fast asleep, draped over the shoulder of the red-robed figure! I lowered my Wand, thinking desperately on how to defeat the Castle Gear without harming the child! But my hesitancy stole precious time. In the blink of an eye, the Castle Gear slashed at the farmer and his wife with its Drill Arms.

My body visibly shuddered as it released a short jolting outcry of pain. I was left speechless facing the Castle Gearâ??s slaughter, and I fell to my knees, knowing nothing else to do but to drop my Wand and stare stupefied at the carnage.

Then, uncontrollable anger surged through me. So I picked up my Wand again, stood up, and faced the Castle Gear once more. Wand held firmly in front of me, I let out a savage yell as I ran towards the murderer! Butâ?¦ Longondo beat me to itâ?¦

Curses flew freely out of my friendâ??s mouth as she pounded the Castle Gear with what looked to be a useless Ouroboros. Longondo was crying harder than Iâ??d ever seen anyone, as her rage grew even stronger. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Kaizyâ?¦

Kaizy walked slowly towards Longondo, finally grabbing her by the arms as he reached her. As she struggled against Kaizyâ??s strong arms, to continue her fight with the Castle Gear, I noticed that the Castle Gear was not even moving anymore. In fact, even the smoke in the air had ceased to swirl! The entire scene that played out in front of us had been frozen in time! The clouds, the wind, even butterflies in mid-flight; all stood still. Only my friends and I were moving.

Kaizy managed to hold Longondo in his arms, and she began to slow her attacks. Kaizy met my eyes at this point, and I gave him a questioning look. He averted his eyes to look at Longondo, and I overheard him whisper to her, â??Itâ??s over. It is past.â? I disregarded the fact that Kaizy did not move his lips to tell her this.

When I turned my gaze on Longondo, my friend was still distraught. Her beautiful pink hair was disheveled, and her face was very red; mouth still agape, filled with tears and spit. But she was silent now; shuddering in Kaizyâ??s arms.

What happened here?!, I thought, as I looked across the rope bridge back to the abandoned village. And the silence of the village reached me again. And the village cried in its silence. I looked back at the suffering Longondo, still held by Kaizy, and I thought to myself again, What happened to this placeâ?¦?

The village answered me by wailing in silence.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:56 PM.

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#21 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:07 PM

Chapter 19 Genealogy

Some time passed before Longondo could calm down. The scene was still frozen in front of us when she managed to confess to us what she knew and felt.

â??We are in the Gorge of Silence, Selba Village to be exact, where my family is fromâ?, Longondo spoke to us slowly, â??It was here that the Ikaness brought the Devil Pest for the first time. Along with that, they brought their war machines and genocide. You are right, Kaizy. Itâ??s all past. Literally. This happened to me a very long time ago.â?

â??Is that you, Long?â?, I asked my friend.

â??I am the babyâ?, Longondo replied, â??And thoseâ?¦ were my parentsâ?¦ Londellaâ?¦ and Mikeâ?¦â?

â??So thatâ??s why you got so freaked out when we encountered that Castle Gear back in Anima Lakeâ?¦â?, I said, almost under my breath.

â??You donâ??t have to talk about itâ?, said Kaizy. He no longer had to hold Longondo, but he remained close to her nonetheless.

â??I think I doâ?, Longondo spoke again, â??I think thatâ??s why weâ??re here. This is magic, Iâ??m sure of it. Now, that Iâ??ve had time to assess, I realize that this doesnâ??t seem real to me. These arenâ??t my real parents. Theyâ??re just the shadow that is left, the silence that remains.â?

I moved closer to my friend, so I could touch her. I placed my hand on her arm, â??But why make you go through this?â?

â??Maybeâ?¦â?, Longondoâ??s eyes glistened with old tears, â??Maybe it was you two who had to go through itâ?¦â?

â??Why do we need to see your parentsâ?¦ die?â?, asked Kaizy.

â??I donâ??t knowâ?, murmured Longondo, â??I donâ??t understand this any better than you two.â?

â??Were those your real parents, Long?â?, I asked.

â??Yes, why?â?, replied Longondo.

â??I never met my real parentsâ?, I said, and my voice trailed off.

â??Were your parents magical?â?, Kaizy asked.

â??They were farmersâ?, Longondo said, â??But I believe so. They always told me at the Academy that magic ran strong in my blood.â?

â??They said the same thing about my bloodâ?¦â?, Kaizy thought out loud.

Before I could say that I knew next to nothing about what I might have inherited through my bloodâ?¦ something strange began to happen. So I said instead, â??Do you feel that? Whatâ??s happening?â?

Slowly, the Gorge of Silence began to disappear from around us, and the ground started to flood with dark waters. Except, it wasnâ??t water. It wasâ?¦ heavier. And the more the ground filled with this dense liquid, the darker it became, until it was completely black. And thenâ?¦ the rest of the world, the village, the gorge, the skyâ?¦ was gone.

We were now ankle deep in the black liquid; the three of us stood alone in an endless expanse of a sea of darkness.

â??I know this placeâ?¦â?, I spoke softly, â??I recognize it from an old childrenâ??s ghost story that old man Lutis used to tellâ?¦â?

Longondo looked at me funny, and Kaizy examined his surroundings by lifting a foot from the dark substance. Strands of the dense liquid stuck to the sole of his Heavenâ??s Shoe.

â??This is the Petrol Sea in Hebarnâ?, I told my friends.

â??Weâ??re in Hebarn?!!?â?, Longondo was dumbfounded, and sounded a little scared.

â??Yesâ?, I responded, â??We must be! Look at the sky!â? The world above us was of a translucent gelatinous substance, with ridges and contours; like an insect wing or shed snakeskin. The light of the faraway sun bounced awkwardly through it, giving the planetâ??s sky an eerie yellow glow. Nothing but black oil below our feet, as far as the eye could see; and above and all around us, a hazy, darkened yellow sky. â??This is Hebarn all rightâ?, I nodded.

Kaizy began to trod through the sloppy oil, staining the pants of his Heavenâ??s Uniform up to his shins.

â??Stop!â?, I warned, â??Thereâ??s more to it than endless oil. According to the stories, the Petrol Sea is but centimeters deep from coast to coastâ?¦ but in many places throughout, the land falls away, into endless chasms filled with oil. Death Wells they are called; and there is no way to tell if where the next place you step will be only up to your anklesâ?¦ or you sink to your death.â?

Needless to say, Kaizy stayed put.

â??Be carefulâ?, I continued, â??Iâ??ve heard there are nasty monsters that live in the Death Wellsâ?¦ Letâ??s not find out if any of them like to come up to the shallow parts for a breath of airâ?¦ or worse, to feedâ?¦â?

â??Nastyâ?¦ monsters??â?, Longondo was clearly very scared now.

â??What in Hebarn?!?â?, Kaizy suddenly exclaimed a curse; his pun surely not intended.

A figure was materializing ahead of us, atop the oil. It had humanoid features; it was clearly a person. Soon enough, the figure had become clear. Astonishingly clear, actually! The man that had appeared was wearing a red robe, but underneath it he wore a Heavenâ??s Coat. He had green hair, and his face was all-too-familiar. Kaizy himself was now standing a short distance in front of us! Except, this couldnâ??t have been Kaizy. This personâ??s green hair was much longer and tussled. He looked battle-weary; his red robe was tattered, and his uniform was stained with blood in many places. He wore a strange pendant of a golden tree leaf around his neck. Stranger still, this Kaizy held not his usual Snake Wand in his hand, but a green Elven Sword instead!

â??Kaizy! I knew youâ??d eventually claim that green sword from the glass case!â?, a familiar voice startled my friends and I from behind. We turned to see that apparently another figure had materialized at the same time that the red-robed Kaizy had joined us. This second figureâ?¦ wearing an Archmage Coat and holding a Caliburnâ?¦ was unmistakably King Artur!

â??You knew all along about my ancestry?â?, the red-robed Kaizy spoke to King Artur. My friends and I turned again to see that he was looking at only King Artur, staring straight through us.

â??I knew about your bloodline, yesâ?, replied King Artur. We noticed that Artur was also ignoring us. My friends and I were in the middle of it all, and the two men were totally impervious to it! We didnâ??t know what to do, and none of us dared move.

â??How come you never said anything?â?, the red-robed Kaizy asked, clearly upset.

â??Tell you that you were a descendant of Herune, leader of the Red Robes??â?, King Artur almost laughed, â??I was afraid, of course! Afraid of what you might have turned into, with that information!â?

â??Then you know what I will do with this swordâ?, the red-robed Kaizy glared at King Artur. The Elven Sword he held had clearly seen battle already, as it had blood-red stains along its edges.

â??I surmise your intentionsâ?, Artur replied, â??But you donâ??t have to do this... She still believes in youâ?¦â?

â??You are insane if you believe that there is no other way!!â?, the red-robed Kaizy retorted, filling with rage unusually fast, â??She must pay! And I will kill her!â?

â??You must know I will protect her to the deathâ?, King Artur retained a calm voice as he readied his Caliburn for battle, â??You betray herâ?¦ and you become my enemy.â?

â??She has betrayed us all, you fool!â?, the red-robed Kaizyâ??s face was fully red, and he was in the verge of irate tears, â??Look at yourself! You are no longer a king because of her!! And you still wish to protect her!!? To follow her!!? If you wish to fight for her, then so be it! Die for her!!â?

â??I fight for Arua!â?, Artur replied with upset tones, â??I die when The Goddess will have me so!â?

The red-robed Kaizy held the Elven Sword firmly in front him, pointed at the former king, and spoke grimly, â??Then Arua calls for you today, old friend.â?

And the two men leapt at each other, swords first!

When my friends and I instinctively pulled out our three Wands in unison, the two swordfighters froze in mid-air; sticky black oil trailed their floating bodies suspended in mid-air.

â??What the-â?, was all that Longondo managed to say before everything around us blacked out, and we were tossed again to yet another worldâ?¦ at another timeâ?¦

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:56 PM.

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#22 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:08 PM

Chapter 20 The People in Red Robes

The first thing to appear around Kaizy, Longondo, and I was a large cavernous surrounding. The floor beneath our feet became clear, and we could see gray marble, with etched lines of gold throughout it. The lines of gold shaped around the floor together to depict images; and inside the images, other precious stones and gems were inserted into the floor to provide the colors. We were standing on what was probably the most expensive floor in all of Aruaâ??s seven planets.

But there was more! As more light reached our eyes, we saw that the cavern walls werenâ??t made of ordinary rock, but of solid gold instead! Very high above us, rich golden stalactites pointed their zulie-like shine at the already expensive floor.

Somewhere to the side, in a still darkened portion of the cavern, stood a metal dais surrounded by high-back velvet chairs, all edged with gold, of course. The chairs were empty, and for that matter, the rest of the cavern seemed to be as well. We lowered our Wands and waited for something to happenâ?¦ Surely, some sort of impressive event would occur!

When long moments had passed, with nothing special happening, Longondo finally spoke, â??Ok! What the heck was that, Kaizy?!?â?

â??What??â?, Kaizy answered defensively.

â??Was that you?â?, Longondo asked, with obvious concern in her voice, â??Attacking Artur?!?â?

â??Now wait a minute!â?, Kaizy replied, â??I was standing next to you the whole time!â?

â??Technically, that other Kaizy wasnâ??t standing next to usâ?¦â?, I offered.

â??Exactly!â?, Kaizy retorted, â??Where were you two?! As far as I know, you two have gone-â?

â??Or you have gone!! Why were you wearing a red robe?â?, Longondo continued her interrogation.

â??I wasnâ??t!!â?, Kaizy insisted, â??That wasnâ??t me!!â?

â??Was that yourâ?¦ brother, or something?!â?, Longondo pursued.

â??I donâ??t know!!â?, Kaizy said, exasperated, "I don't have a brother..."

My friendsâ?? voices had echoed greatly inside the golden cavern hall, and then there was silence againâ?¦ until I said, â??Whatever we saw, it didnâ??t seem real. I mean, think about what those men, whoever they were, spoke about. They talked about things that arenâ??t real.â?

â??Yet!â?, objected Longondo, â??Not real, yet. The things they mentioned, it could all come to pass. The betrayal, the killing, Artur not being kingâ?¦ That could be the future! If the magic let us see myself in the past, maybe it let us see Kaizy in the futureâ?¦ He had longer hair!â?

â??Yesâ?, I said, â??That looked very much like Kaizy, but Iâ??m sureâ?¦ Kaizy! You would never act like the way we just saw! Would you!?â?

Kaizy took pause before answering, â??I donâ??t believe so. It feltâ?¦as if I had been watching myselfâ?¦ But I donâ??t believe so.â?

â??So whatever magic is at workâ?¦â?, offered Longondo, â??â?¦wanted us to see that, too!â?

â??But why?!â?, I was beginning to feel annoyed, â??The teleporters took us! And now weâ??ve been teleporting to all these places, and maybe times!! Are they doing this?! Why are they showing us all thisâ?¦?â?

â??And where are we now?â?, Kaizy interjected, â??And what are they going to show us next?â?

Both Kaizy and Longondo turned their gaze at me. â??I donâ??t know where we are!â?, was my defense, â??Iâ??ve never been here in my life!â?

â??OH, MY ARUA!â?, exclaimed Longondo, and she quickly pointed her Ouroboros Wand at the metal dais. Kaizy and I quickly followed suit with our Wands held high, and sawâ?¦ there were now many figures sitting on the high-back chairs around the dais! It was difficult to count how many, in the darkness, but one detail was clearâ?¦ they were all wearing red robes!!

For a while, nothing happened; we just stood there, pointing our trembling Wands at the red robed congregation. â??Could this be the present?â?, I heard Longondoâ??s heart skip. â??Are we going to be shown something to do with Vea?â?, questioned Kaizyâ??s heart.

Then a deep, low, rumbling voice spoke from within the red robed ranks, â??Welcome, my brothers and sisters, my mothers and fathers, my sons and daughters. Welcome, devoted souls. Hebarnâ??s power over the fourth planet Orlo welcomes you. Let us listen to each other here tonight. Let us share blood here tonight.â?

â??May Hebarn reign. May Hebarn ruleâ?, the red robed figures all chanted together, â??Let us have our souls be done. For the Jealous. The Victorious. The One. Thank you Hebarn, for our lives and our deaths. The Seven Hearts will prosper under Hebarn always.â?

â??Nowâ?¦â?, the red-robed man with the rumbling voice continued, â??On to our reportsâ?¦ Each of you have ongoing projects in the name of our lord Hebarn, that are happening in each of the seven planets as we speak. Of Orlo, I am taking care of, and you will hear more of the ultimate plans while the Orlean wars are readied. Furthermore, there is much to discuss tonight about a solution to the failed Devil Pest experiments in Eldeon, the loyalty of a certain Akram Ambassador in Luna, and of courseâ?¦ the missing clone for our pact in Junon. Our youngest, please report.â?

After this, another voice took command of the meeting. This woman had a raspy high-pitched voice, and she spoke agitatedly, â??The clone project is, of course, in more danger now than ever. We have tracked the last one, but have not yet been able to ensnare him. He isâ?¦ being protected. His lover has awoken, you see. The Daughter of Four has brought his lover protector forth once more. She will be dealt with though. The Daughter of Four will soon be drawn to me. There, I feel confident she will die. And the clone's lover will bring his Devil Pest back. The God will be released, and the pact will be complete!â?

â??The mythâ?¦ the Daughter of Fourâ?¦ she lives?â?, the man with the rumbling voice spoke again.

â??It was not until recently that I finally found out who she was. If I had known who she was, I would have let her die when I had the chance. But Her Most High Cleric Karitte has been protecting her all alongâ?, replied the woman, the youngest of the red-robed, "And still does to this day."

â??What is her name?â?, asked the man with the rumbling voice.

â??Vea Nus Inkwood is her nameâ?, replied the raspy-voiced woman, "But fear not, I can kill her. She wants to die!"

â??Veaâ?¦ Nusâ?¦ Inkwoodâ?¦â?, the rumbling voice tasted my name, â??Yes, I can sense herâ?¦â?

There was no response. It was as if everything around Kaizy, Longondo, and I had frozen once more. Then, one of the red-robed stood. It was a large and impending figure. It walked slowly around the dais, and moved towards us. When it reached us, it stepped right in front of me so I could hear its breathing. Somewhere in the dark recesses of the hood, I could make out the square-jaw and lined-face features of a rugged dark-skinned man.

Our three Wands were now pointed at this red-robed manâ?¦ when the deep, low, rumbling voice spoke anew, from the darkness beneath the hood, whispering in front of me with a chilling calm, â??I sense you there, Inkwood. How is it that you have come to be here, I do not know. But I suspect I will be able to meet you againâ?¦ where I can see youâ?¦ where I can touch youâ?¦â?

A dark, charred hand issued from beneath the red robe and shot towards me. It caressed my face before I could do anything about it; yet I couldnâ??t feel a thing, as if the hand was not real, not really there. Not pressing coldly against my skin. The burned and skeletal hand continued to slide itself across my face and down onto my neck, and then it squeezed! â?¦But it squeezed nothing.

â??Yesâ?¦â?, the rumbling voice chuckled, as the dying hand retracted back into the red robe, â??I will touch you somedayâ?¦ Inkwoodâ?¦â?

By the time the world had begun to disappear around us, and my friends and I were enveloped in nothingness once more, I had already bent to my knees and begun retching.

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:57 PM.

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#23 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:10 PM

Chapter 21 The Bond

My friends immediately crouched beside me to comfort me, and I told them that I was allright, that the nausea had passed. I was surprised, but grateful, that neither of them brought up what the red-robed voice had said about me.

It was a starry night when the world had come back around us. We were standing on sand; saltwater waves cresting gently behind us. A dense jungle loomed before us, and the beach air carried the smell of Bonfire.

When we found where it was coming from, we walked along the shoreline towards it. Soon enough, we found a lone Bonfire kindling in the middle of the beach, tended by a single person wearing Arumic robes. In the dark of night, it was difficult to tell who the person was, even with the light of the flames. But when she spoke, her stern voice was unmistakable.

â??Welcome to Kenji Beach, my childrenâ?, said Headmistress Tryteh, â??And welcome to the beginning of your final training.â?

The three of us plopped down on the beach sand, to take in the healing fumes of the Bonfire. â??Is it really Kenji Beach, madam?â?, Kaizy asked the Headmistress.

â??This is really Kenji Beachâ?, Tryteh replied soothingly, â??And the places you have been to have been real enough as well, in some form or another.â?

â??The Teleporters took us there purposefully, right?â?, asked Longondo.

â??Chosen places in timeâ?, explained Headmistress Tryteh, â??Moments that may or may not define your three lives. May or may not define your three powers. One thing is certain, though. You will need each other, and those moments, if you wish to truly have your magic intertwined with one anotherâ??s.â?

â??We doâ?, I told our Headmistress, and then I looked at each of my friends in turn. Longondo nodded at me, giving me her reassuring smile. Kaizy was a bit apprehensive.

â??This trainingâ?¦â?, our green-haired Cleric companion spoke, â??Why am I included in this?â?

Tryteh replied with, â??I would think that your Cleric friends need you. Thatâ??s why they have chosen you.â?

Then, Longondo said, â??You have been with us through so much, Kaizy. We should stick together.â?

â??Even against my will?â?, responded Kaizy.

â??Is it against your will, Kaizy?â?, I asked, â??I wouldnâ??t want to join you if itâ??s something that you donâ??t want. Butâ?¦ you followed Longondo into this adventure on that night, and you havenâ??t really abandoned us ever since.â?

â??And remember on Itzâ??s boat?â?, Longondo contributed, â??We worked so well together!â?

â??I think it is Arua that has brought us togetherâ?, was my opinion, â??I would like it if you joined us in our quest, Kaizy. But what do you want?â?

â??I want to join youâ?, Kaizy said, â??But you saw what Iâ??m capable of, back there in that vision! Can you trust me?â?

â??You tell usâ?, I said to him, â??Can we trust you, Kaizy?â?

I caught the glimpse of a smirk spreading across Headmistress Trytehâ??s face before Kaizy answered. But I chose to ignore it. I felt no reason to not trust Kaizy.

â??Iâ??m on Aruaâ??s side, all the wayâ?, Kaizy said, â??So I guess that means Iâ??m on yours.â?

â??Good! Settled then!â?, Longondo concluded.

â??Are you sure you wish to have no more discussions about the visions youâ??ve just had?â?, asked Tryteh, â??If you have any questions, now is the time.â?

â??I was a little disoriented by my visionâ?, I confessed, â??Who are the people in the red robes? And why could theyâ?¦ sense me? Can they see me? Can they touch me?â?

â??The Red Robes have very powerful magicâ?, explained Tryteh, â??There is no doubt that they can foresee certain events happening here with us, just as we Arumics had the power to see that particular event happening there with them. They may know about you, Vea, and about your mission. From now on, you must be even more careful. Now you need your friends the most.â?

â??What about my vision?â?, Longondo asked, â??What was it for?â?

â??You have witnessed something that you cannot changeâ?, Tryteh said, â??But you have seen the pink-haired girl survive.â? Tryteh gave Longondo a warm smile, and continued, â??This means that there are still things that can be changed. There are some destinies in front of you, and the power to change them are in your hands.â?

â??So, our destinies are intertwined?â?, questioned Longondo.

â??Weâ??re not just following Vea?â?, asked Kaizy.

â??Thatâ??s rightâ?, said Tryteh, â??I ask that you take advantage of this, by forging your destinies further and uniting the power of your Wands.â?

â??The power to change themâ?¦ in our handsâ?¦â?, I murmured.

â??I believeâ?¦ you three are meant for thisâ?, Tryteh added, â??Do you accept this bond?â?

â??Yes!â?, Longondo, Kaizy, and I replied together.

â??Then, let us not waste any more timeâ?, said Tryteh, â??Dear Vea, please hand me your wand.â?

â??Oh! Okay. Well, I have taken great care of it, like you askedâ?, I said, nervously, as I handed Tryteh the Baobab Wand that I had been given to replace my damaged wand.

â??That is very wellâ?, Tryteh said, as she took the Baobab Wand from me and examined it, â??For this is the Wand that will unite you. This is the Wand with the power to call forth your Muse Animals, and join their powers as one. This is the Wand that will bind you three together, forever.â?

â??A beginnerâ??s Baobab Wand?!?â?, Longondo interjected, â??But I thought only Karitteâ??s Wand had the power to conjoin three Muses into an Eternal Party!?â?

Tryteh suddenly swept her eyes over Longondo, giving her a meaningful stare. Then the Headmistress grinned, and even snickered slightly. And then Longondoâ??s eyes widened with understanding.

Unbelievable. I had Karitteâ??s Wand all along!

â??Karitte is the most powerful Cleric in all of Junon, maybe even the worldsâ?, Tryteh said, â??She has the power to store the greatest magic of a Muse, inside a single needle! So why not in this lowly-looking wand, which she cherished since her novice-cleric days in planet Skaaj.â?

â??Youâ?¦ trusted me with it? With Karitteâ??s Wand?â?, I had to ask.

â??I canâ??t say that I fully did, childâ?, was Trytehâ??s response, â??But you had to be tested. The Wand would not have allowed you to use much power, if the Wand did not believe that you were ready to carry out the tasks that Karitte has placed upon you. I must say, I am a bit surprised that the Wand believes you ready. You haveâ?¦ powerful friends. Good friends. Keep them well.â?

Tryteh looked at Longondo and Kaizy as she spoke of them, but then rested her eyes back on me, and spoke only to me, â??You are the Goose. Endowed with an adventurous spirit, you will guide the Eternal Party down the correct paths, to glory, to death, to fate. Nurture that faith that keeps you dreaming. Hold the fear that keeps you from straying into dark places. Fly true, into the heart of adventure, and you and your Party shall find happiness.â?

Next, Tryteh spoke to Longondo, â??You are the Ox. Hidden behind a veil of humility, you carry a strength beyond any of the members of your Eternal Party. Use this strength to care for them, to protect them; for they will come to know your weaknesses well, and be there to save you when your heart truly needs it. Stamp hard, your hooves of kindness, and you and your Party shall find safety.â?

Lastly, Tryteh spoke to Kaizy, â??You are the Cobra. Camouflaged by mystery, you may use deviant ways to reach goals that others in the Eternal Party may not. All should tread lightly around you, for not even your closest friends know when you will strike, if your survival is threatened. Attack wisely, with blinding venom, and you and your Party shall find truth.â?

After the ceremony, the Headmistress began to swirl the Baobab Wand in front of us, as if drawing a circle in the air around Longondo, Kaizy, and I. The light that suddenly illuminated the three of us was very bright. It was warm and soothing, quite like a healing light. In fact, watching the magical power that streamed from Karitte's Wand and danced around our bodies was like hearing Karitte herself sing. And as I heard her voice, I thought I could hear Longondoâ??s as well, and Kaizyâ??s. Then the melodic voices, and the light, were gone.

â??I could hear you singing to me!â?, said Longondo, to Kaizy and I.

â??So could Iâ?, said Kaizy, â??We were all singingâ?¦â?

â??But what was that?â?, I asked, â??What were we singing?â?

Headmistress Tryteh lowered the Wand, and explained, â??It is a very ancient incantation, only bonded Muses can know. It will keep you together for a long time to come. For only when you learn the words of this incantation, and sing it together again, can you ever be released from the Eternal Party.â?

She handed Karitteâ??s Wand back to me and said, â??Take Karitteâ??s power with you, Vea. Make it yours. It will make your Eternal Party even stronger.â?

â??I will treasure itâ?, I promised, â??And will point it always in the direction of our Goddess Aruaâ??s wishes.â?

â??May Arua bless you all, and this Bondâ?, replied Tryteh.

â??I donâ??t feel any differentâ?, Kaizy spoke.

â??You willâ?, Tryteh told him, â??The animals within the muse will soon show you the connections between the three of you, as well as powers you have never even dreamed of. And some that you might have.â? At this last, Tryteh turned to look at me. I could have sworn she winked at me, but I must have been wrong. Headmistress Tryteh never winks.

â??So, what do we do now? Where do we go?â?, Longondo asked, â??We need to find Arua, and get her back!â?

â??Your friends, the Lunaris and the Soldier, are here in Kenjiâ?, Tryteh said, â??Trek through the jungle until you find a river, then follow it upstream. That is where they were last known to be. And I believe, they are waiting for you now.â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:58 PM.

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#24 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:12 PM

Chapter 22 Boys and Scales

We left the night behind, at the beach, with the Bonfire. Headmistress Tryteh surely teleported back to wherever it was she was supposed to be. And with the entering of Kenjiâ??s tropical jungle, the dawning of the new day was upon us. The sun began to appear in the middle of the sky, as the first rays of daylight shone through the leaves of the trees that surrounded us. We walked atop the morning shadows, stepping lively on the path towards the river.

After we had rested next to the Bonfire, Longondo had asked Tryteh one last thing before we left. Where would Gogetters take Arua? Trytehâ??s answer gave no comfort: Some answers, we would have to find on our own. And that made our jungle walk a somber one.

Even when the creatures of Kenji rose with the morning, and animal noises began to be heard all throughout the jungle, our Party remained quiet. There were many things on our minds; so, naturally, no one spoke.

Our morning grew older as we marched silently, and it wasnâ??t until the far-off sounds of running water reached our ears, that Kaizy finally said something. For at the same time that we realized we were close to the river, my feet stumbled upon a rock outcropping and I fell to the ground.

â??Get up, Vea. Weâ??re almost at the river.â? Those were Kaizyâ??s silence-breaking words.

â??Sure, like I prefer to twist my ankle and scrape my knee, just to get a momentâ??s rest, than actually reaching our destination to get a drink of water!â?, I was obviously frustrated.

â??Are you alright?â?, Longondo asked, instinctively pointing her healing Ouroboros Wand at my knees.

â??Iâ??m fine. Just a stupid rockâ?, I replied, with a little more attitude than I should have. Longondo placed her Wand back at her side, while I resentfully looked for the object on the ground that I had tripped over.

It was a rectangular piece of straw-colored stone, about half of it buried under the jungle dirt, one corner jutting out from the ground.

â??I donâ??t think thatâ??s just a stupid rockâ?, said Kaizy, and he moved forward, leading the way with curiosity in his walk.

Longondo and I followed Kaizy, helping him push fronds and tree limbs out of our way. Not much farther after we walked over a brush of dense jungle leaves, we saw more of the rectangular stones. All were strewn about the dirt path, but not all were buried. The ones aboveground were clearly rectangular in shape; almost perfect cubes.

â??Bricksâ?, Longondo noted, and we kept onward. Our Wands now at the ready.

Soon enough, the overgrown grass and trees began to give way, and we saw that the stones were placed in a pattern; after a few more steps, neatly in rows. â??Paving stones?â?, I asked.

â??Weâ??re walking on a roadâ?, said Longondo.

â??Not wide enough to be a roadâ?, suggested Kaizy, â??Hallway, maybe.â?

â??Do you see that... between those palm trees...?â?, I tried to peer into the distance.

â??Wind chill!â?, Kaizy raised his Snake Wand against the jungle palms, and a cold breeze pushed the trees away from our view, to uncover a giant rock statue surrounded by a large array of broken columns; a circlet of ruined stone.

â??Whoa...â?, Longondo uttered. Then she and I followed a running Kaizy towards the ruins.

â??Be careful, we donâ??t know what this place is!â?, I warned, looking at the decrepit old statue now in front of us and the crumbling columns that surrounded us.

â??Itâ??s the Ancient Kenji ruinsâ?, said Kaizy, with a childlike look of awe on his face.

Longondo and I looked at him with surprise; our eyes quickly showing eagerness to know more.

â??The Kenji were the dominating race that populated this planet in its originâ?, Kaizy continued, â??Theyâ??re thought to be extinct, but no one really knows what happened to them for sure. The Kenji were the original devouts to the God of Adventure, Junon. When the races of other planets began to appear here, and the people of this planet began the adoration of Arua, the Kenji either died out... or disappeared. Whatever happened to them, they left their culture behind, all over the planet. This Kenji Stone is but one of many, said to be scattered all over Junon!â?

â??If theyâ??re all over Junon, how come Iâ??ve never seen one before?â?, questioned Longondo.

â??Exactly!â?, Kaizy answered with a smile, â??Itâ??s surely Kenji though! Look at the creature formed in the statue! Its short body, but elongated face... large earrings and feathered crown... Haha! Ladies. We have found one of the legendary Kenji Stones!â?

â??Do you think Tryteh sent us here on purpose?â?, I asked.

â??Maybe...â?, was Kaizyâ??s reply, â??No idea why, though.â?

Kaizy started to investigate the outside of the ring of broken columns, when Longondo asked him, â??How do you know all about the Kenji?â?

â??Hey! Vea is not the only one that pays attention in â??planet history classâ??!â?, Kaizy retorted.

â??The Petrol thing was about a ghost story I had heard!â?, I remarked, â??I didnâ??t read it in a book.â?

Longondo and I followed Kaizy as he distanced himself from the ruins, and headed towards the sound of the river. â??Iâ??m just sayingâ?, he said, â??I read about the planets. I know a lot of stuff too, like about the myth of the Forest of Wisdom, and the creature that hides itself there. There are many things to discover about Junon.â?

Kaizy used his Snake Wand to blow some wind across more trees, and we suddenly came face to face with an enormous precipice. The sound of the river far below us became rougher, and at the other side of the cliff (a good deal many meters wide) the jungle continued to loom, ever green, ever ominous.

To our left, the river disappeared far away into the northern cliffs and jungle; a hint of a waterfall in the distance. To the south on our right, the river opened into the distant sea, glittering under the midday sun. And all the while, the riverâ??s wild whitewaters ringing in our ears.

â??Yesâ?, Kaizy concluded, â??Junon is pretty cool.â?

After having had some mangoes for lunch, we stood at the top of the cliff, enjoying the view for a few long minutes. Longondo put her arm around my shoulders, and I too felt glad to be experiencing this awe-inspiring moment with a friend by my side. Kaizy crouched to the side by himself, enjoying his discovery, along with a dose of pompous male adrenaline by sitting a little too dangerously close to the edge.

â??The jungle is moving on the other sideâ?, Longondo spoke nervously.

â??The wind?â?, I asked.

â??No, lookâ?, Longondo pointed, â??Something... itâ??s too far to see... is moving...â?

There was a shimmery patch of green on the other side of the cliff. It seemed to move, but when one would try to focus on it, it would become still.

The unexpected sound of a gun firing startled us half to death, and our Wands were out at the ready once again. The gunfire had echoed down the cliff, coming from the north.

â??Well, forget about the other side. Weâ??re headed upstream anyway... might as well check where the gunshot came fromâ?, said Kaizy.

When we looked across the cliff again, the shimmery greenness was gone. So Longondo and I followed Kaizy once more, as we trekked along the edge of the cliff, following the river northward.

During our walk, Longondo and I would continue to look across the cliff, for any sign of strange motions. But we saw nothing out of the ordinary. As the distance to the north was cleared, the waterfall where the river began clearly came into view, along with a rope-bridge in front of it that connected the two cliff faces to one another. The day was also ending, and night began to fall.

â??There! Look! Did you see that?â?, Longondo exclaimed.

I turned to look where Longondo had pointed, but all I saw was the flicker of two small yellow lights, coming from the jungle on the other side of the cliff. It was gone in an instant, and I dismissed it as my eyes playing tricks on me.

â??Whatever it is, itâ??s on the other sideâ?, Kaizy tried to calm us, â??Canâ??t much hurt us over here.â?

As we approached the waterfall and neared the bridge, it was already getting dark, so we lit our Wands as torches, â??Flame!â?

The new light brought us bad news: the bridge was broken! Its floorboards had been toppled; only the ropes remained.

â??I think we can still crossâ?, offered Kaizy.

â??Yeah right!â?, complained Longondo.

â??We donâ??t even know if we should cross!â?, I argued, â??Trytehâ??s directions were only to get this far!â?

â??Not crossing, would be making a wise choice!â?, we heard a voice coming from the jungle right behind us. Then, a small old man dropped down from one of the palm trees. He was short and plump with fluffy white hair. I would have recognized him instantly if it hadnâ??t been for his tattered white clothes (that no longer resembled his usual lab coat) and his broken spectacles. It wasnâ??t until he spoke again, approaching us while waving a pencil at us, that I remembered I knew who he was.

â??You should take cover from prying eyesâ?, Dr. Spero told us, â??Dangerous... reptilian... eyes.â?

It was then that I realized that he wasnâ??t pointing his pencil at us. I turned quickly, to shine my wandlight back across to the jungle on the other side of the cliff. When my friends did the same, we were met with dozens of the pair of yellow lights that I had seen across the cliff before. Reptilian eyes!

â??There is a reason why the bridge is out!â?, continued Dr. Spero, â??We are in the middle of a turf war!â?

I turned back for another glance at Spero. â??A turf war?â?, I asked the old doctor.

â??Those are Kaimans across the way! Ever since the Devil Pest reached these regions, theyâ??re constantly fighting the Doongas over the tropical jungle lands of Kenji!â?, the doctor explained, as he pulled a gun from underneath his torn lab coat. He clicked the gun, ready to fire it, and said, â??The last place you want to be in Junon is between an angry mob of Kaimans and their enemy Doongas! â?¦Youâ??ll find her in Kenji, she said! Iâ??m going to shoot Tryteh in the toe!!â?

â??Relax, old manâ?, Kaizy noticed that Spero was pointing the gun at the Kaimans across the cliff, â??I donâ??t think they like it when you shoot at them.â?

â??Guys, theyâ??re moving closerâ?, Longondo announced, a bit of fear hinted in her voice.

Indeed, when I looked back across the chasm, close to a hundred Kaiman crocodiles had left their shadowy veils and where walking on hind legs towards the edge of the cliff; ghastly beasts standing upright underneath the moonlight. Their large scaly bodies reflected our wandlight, dark green with golden underbellies. Their long snouts snapped open and shut as they cackled against the noise of the waterfall. Hundreds of muted snarls. Or was it the Kaimans that were muting out the waterfall...

â??Donâ??t shoot, old man!!!â?, Kaizy ordered, â??That goes for all of us. Hold!â?

â??Theyâ??re on the other side. Canâ??t hurt us over here. Theyâ??re on the other side. Canâ??t hurt us over hereâ?, Longondo repeated to herself out loud. She pointed her Wand steadily at the Kaimans across the chasm.

â??Let them come! I got plenty of bullets for all of them!â?, Spero called out across the cliff.

â??These creatures speak!â?, Kaizy alerted us, â??We can avoid bloodshed, if they talk to us!â?

â??I got a few questions for them, myself!â?, shouted Spero.

It was then that the Kaimans in front of the bunch (crocs wearing gloves, boots, and leather armor) pulled out some crossbows from their belts and pointed them at our side of the cliff.

â??Theyâ??re on the other sideâ?, Longondo continued to chant, â??Canâ??t hurt- Oh, my Arua...â?

â??Wands ready, girls!!â?, Kaizy called to us.

â??Wait!!â?, I screamed, completely terrorized. It had not been the fifty-something crossbows pointed in our direction that had scared me. It was the lone figure that appeared smaller amongst the crossbow-wielding Kaimans, that shocked me to my very core.

â??PABEL!!!!â?, I shouted across to him, doubtless unheard.

The Kaimans pulled the strings back on their crossbows.

The next figure I saw was our Soldier friend... standing with the Kaimans as well!

â??We found them!â?, I shouted, â??We found Pabel and Hovert! PABEL!!!!!! He canâ??t hear me...â?

A tear of defeat escaped the corner of my eye. However, I could see that Pabel was trying to shout something to me as well. Katar? I couldnâ??t hear him over the noise of the waterfall. Was he shouting...katar up... katar up there hey?

â??Ok, I see our companions, Vea, but we have to stop those arrows! Get ready!â?, yelled Kaizy.

And the tip of Longondoâ??s Ouroboros Wand was already sparking blue lightning.

What was Pabel trying to say? He kept repeating it... Katar up... Katar of... Katar of the... Hay...?

Katar of the Hay!

I closed my eyes, to try and listen with my heart... when the Kaimans let loose their many arrows upon us...

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:58 PM.

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#25 KingArthur

KingArthur

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Posted 23 July 2010 - 08:13 PM

Chapter 23 Katar of the Hay

I know your heart, Pabel. I know its warmth. I know the rhythm of its beats. Talk to me Pabel. What are you trying to say?

The Kaimansâ?? arrows sailed swiftly over the cliff. They cut the air with perfect aim, towards their targets.

I opened my eyes suddenly. Just as the arrows reached us!

â??I heard what Pabel was saying!â?, I exclaimed. But it was too late. The arrows had already hit their marks.

Longondo, Kaizy, and I stared dumbstruck at the butts of over fifty arrows, still quivering after having just struck the trunks of the many palm trees on our side of the jungle.

Even Spero was confused, â??Why are there ropes tied to them...?â?

We moved our eyes to follow the ropes, from the back of the arrows, across the river canyon. Pabel was still yelling at us, â??Katar of the Hay! Katar of the Hay!â?

But thatâ??s not what my heart had heard him say.

The Kaimans had been quick to tie their ends of the ropes to the tops of the palm trees on their side. Many of them had already swung their belts over the ropes, and had begun to slide down them towards us, crossing the cliffâ??s gap at an alarming speed. Two of the Kaimans carried people on their backs: Pabel and Hovert.

â??Katar of the Hay!!!â?, shouted Pabel as he rode across the chasm on the back of a large Kaiman warrior. Even Hovert (clinging to his own Kaiman) joined him in the yelling, which became clearer as they got closer, â??Gettar of the hay! Gettar of the way!â?

â??Get out of the way!!â?, I shrieked loudly to my friends and Spero.

â??GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!â?, Pabel and Hovert shouted together, as dozens of Kaiman warriors swung above our bodies, which we had ducked just in time.

Face down on the ground, my friends and I felt the legs and claws of the many Kaimans as they landed all around us from the other side of the river canyon.

When they had stopped arriving, and the dust had settled, I felt a hand grab me by the arm and pull me into a sitting position. â??Are you alright, Vea?â?, I heard Pabel say. His beautiful face began to appear in my vision, slowly, in the dark of the night. â??I tried to tell you to get out of the way!â?, he spoke gently.

I began to cry tears of joy, at the same time that I burst out laughing, â??I know, I know! I heard you. I heard you, Pabel! Even across the way, I could feel your heart, and I heard you!â?

Pabel held my face in his hands, and kissed me. â??I am so in love with you, Vea!â?, he said, joining me in laughter and tears, â??Iâ??m glad you didnâ??t get hurt.â?

â??Iâ??m so happy youâ??re okay!â?, I embraced him in a tight hug, â??I was worried. Iâ??m glad weâ??re together again!â?

Then, Kaizy interrupted the warm reunion with a sudden outburst, â??What in Junonâ??s name was that!?!â?

By this time, the Kaimans had already lit torches, and were even almost done with the retrieving of their arrows and ropes. One particular Kaiman, brown-scaled and wearing metal armor, approached Kaizy and put his snout in front of the green-haired clericâ??s face, â??Well, you got in the way, now, didnâ??t ya?â?

Several of the other Kaimans cackled with laughter. â??Ya wanna stay... in our way? Little Cleric?â?, the brown-scaled Kaiman sneered. His jaw was clenched shut, and his snarl revealed several pointy incisors. â??I didnâ??t think soâ?, the brown Kaiman backed away from Kaizy and rejoined his brethren. The Kaimans then went on to boast jeers in their own language.

Hovert approached Pabel and I (no longer embraced, but half unaware that we were still holding hands). â??Everyone alright?â?, the mysterious Soldier asked.

â??Weâ??re fineâ?, I answered. Somehow, I didnâ??t feel the need to ask how my friends were. I could... somehow feel... that Longondo and Kaizy were alright as well. They nodded their approval.

â??Dr. Spero...!â?, I remembered.

We found Dr. Spero in conversation with the armored brown-scaled Kaiman that had bullied Kaizy. By the large scaly beastâ??s posture, it was clearly a conversation of the same type.

â??You the one that shot at us?â?, the brown Kaiman sneered, â??Not very friendly, is it?â?

â??Well, sirâ?, Dr. Spero replied, surprisingly holding his ground, â??Youâ??re not a very friendly race of creatures, are you?â?

â??Hmm. Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmmâ?, the brown Kaiman chuckled, â??Good point, old man.â? He turned away from Spero, but only a second after the old doctor had relaxed his muscles, the large Kaiman turned to him again suddenly and grasped his neck inside a scaly claw. The Kaiman lifted the doctor into the air, and said, â??You should know that if that bullet had struck any of my crocs... the conversation we just had would have turned out a little differently, now wouldnâ??t it have?â?

The Kaiman allowed for the choking Spero to reply with a nod and a gurgle, then put him down. But still holding his neck, he added, â??Donâ??t shoot your guns at us again... doc.â? Then, he set Spero free, and joined the other Kaimans again.

Longondo ran to Dr. Spero and gave him some strawberry juice to drink. The healing broth would do wonders especially for his throat.

â??Hey, Lunaris! What on Aruaâ??s name are you doing?â?, Kaizy was still upset, â??Are you and the Soldier here hanging out with these brutes?!â?

Pabel was patient with Kaizy, and answered him calmly, â??They saved us. Itzâ??s ship never made it to the docks at Kenji Beach. The storm gusts and wave crashes it received during the battle against that Raider... and with the captain dead we were left without a course guide... well, the ship never made it. The Kaimans found us near the shores. They were apprehensive and violent at first, but they did save our lives.â?

â??So, now what? Youâ??re jungle buddies?â?, asked Kaizy.

â??Kaizy, watch itâ?, I scolded him.

â??No, Veaâ?, Kaizy retorted angrily, â??Weâ??re supposed to find Arua! And Tryteh sends us after these guys... And for what? We almost got trampled to death by a bunch of uncivilized dinosaurs!â?

â??Whatâ??s the matter with you, Kaizy?!â?, Longondo joined in, â??A minute ago, you were willing to sit and chat with those same uncivilized dinosaurs!â?

â??Whatever. Never mindâ?, Kaizy grunted.

â??Look, Kaizy...â?, Pabel still remained cool and calm, â??When we got to talking with the Kaimans, and they found out who we were after, they invited us to join in their battle against the Doongas. It seems, the Doongas have acquired a new leader since last night. A blonde, black-clad lady, with a sword.â?

â??Arua!â?, I exclaimed.

â??We think it might be your charge, yesâ?, Pabel agreed.

â??I do not trust these reptilesâ?, Hovert chimed in.

Then, Dr. Spero joined the conversation, â??There is some sense in not siding with Kaimans. When it comes to these creatures, itâ??s best to... how did you two put it... katar of the hay?â? Spero laughed at his own joke, then coughed, apparently still pained by his throat.

â??I believe we must go with themâ?, Pabel said, â??Vea, Est came to me in a dream. She said Tryteh would instantly teleport you to us. She said to wait for you. We waited a full day, and you did not come. The Kaimans became restless; they decided not to wait any longer and send their troops to fight the Doongas. And just when all hope was lost, that we would face the Doongas and their new lady leader without you... here you are!! Just as Est and Tryteh predicted! We find you on our way with the Kaimans! Surely, it means we should continue to follow them!â?

â??I guess...â?, I mumbled. Somehow, I was lost in thought. Something did not fit. But, I said, â??I trust you, Pabel. If you think we must follow them...â?

â??Creatures!!!â?, a growl came from the big brown-scaled Kaiman, and his Kaiman warriors laughed again. They were all geared up to go, ready for a fight. â??You follow us now to the Doongas, if ya wantâ?, the Kaiman leader said, â??Or you follow us never! If youâ??re not with us, donâ??t you dare let me catch ya at our tails!â? The Kaiman snapped his powerful jaws at us threateningly, and I felt everyoneâ??s stare on me.

â??Letâ??s go with themâ?, I said. Kaizy grunted, Spero groaned, and Hovert seemed insecure. But when the troops of Kaimans began to march westwardly into the nightshades of the Kenji jungle, we all followed the reptilian beasts.

During the march, we all pretty much huddled together, allowing some distance from the Kaimans that led as well as the ones that held the rear. Positioned this way, we could all talk freely and in private, even if it felt like we were actually the Kaimansâ?? prisoners.

Longondo was the one to start the conversation. â??So, we were late... but kind of still on time?â?, she asked.

â??Why would Tryteh not teleport us straight to Pabel?â?, I voiced out loud.

â??Ha! That vicious Tryteh!â?, Dr. Spero interjected, â??She teleported me to the waterfall bridge! A lot of good that did! Where is her specimen?! I suppose it is this blonde warrior lady you seek?â?

â??The woman we seek, is the woman that was held captive in the Arumic Academy, under the guise of a Lunaris specimenâ?, Pabel explained.

â??The same!â?, Dr. Spero exclaimed with some glee, â??Iâ??m sticking with you guys. I just hope you donâ??t stick with these Kaimans for very long...â?

At this, some Kaimans around us were heard to mutter insults at us, in their language.

â??Dr. Spero...â?, I was still thinking out loud, trying to piece things together, â??How would Headmistress Tryteh know to teleport you here? How would she know weâ??d all find Arua- the blond-haired warrior... specimen... here?â?

â??Ha! Tryteh didnâ??t know that!â?, Spero replied, â??The purple-haired young Muse did!â?

â??Vea?â?, Kaizy asked.

â??Noâ?, said Spero, â??This other one wore glasses.â?

â??Sybil!â?, I understood, â??What did she know? What did she tell you?â?

Dr. Spero took a moment to remember, then rehashed the whole tale, â??She said that she had had an order from Karitte herself to keep an eye on a prisoner in some tower, in Luxem Valley I believe. A murderer of some sort. A dangerous Raider. She said that a woman wearing a red robe and arumic veils broke the prisoner out! And teleported him away!

â??The muse girl, avid in teleportation studies, followed them. To a boat, at sea. There was a scuffle. When the mage girl- Sybil, was it? When she tried to teleport the Raider back, she took the specimen with her as well! Apparently, that Raider had a good grip on the specimen woman! Sybil also said that she felt someone else grabbing her foot. When she teleported away from the boat, it was too dark, so she didn't really know how many people she took with her. Unable to teleport more than one person at a time, Sybil ended up teleporting them into the sea accidentally! Underwater! Someone managed to save the Raider, teleporting him away. And Sybil teleported herself and the specimen to safety. Unfortunately, still being a novice at teleportation, and having just gone through that dangerous ordeal on the boat... she teleported blindly.

â??The mage girl then told me, that once on dry land, the specimen drew a weapon on her, and since she was not Sybilâ??s charge... she left the specimen woman there. When she tried to teleport back to the boat, neither Raider nor boat were there. So, she went back to the tower prison, where she informed her authorities. Sybil was sent immediately to Tryteh, who was informed that the specimen was last teleported to somewhere on Kenji...

â??So, I demanded I be teleported here immediately, where you found meâ?, concluded Dr. Spero.

â??Where you got spooked and shot randomly at us!â?, a Kaiman warrior added, mockingly.

â??At which, we did more than spookinâ??, haha!â?, another Kaiman boasted.

â??They tried to shoot back!â?, Spero whined, disbelieving, â??They are animals with arrows...â?

â??Little fat doctors sure can climb palm trees fast when ya spook them right!â?, the first Kaiman laughed hysterically. And several other Kaimans joined in.

As the laughter died down, my friends and I took in Dr. Speroâ??s story and pondered silently, connecting the few missing pieces in the story that was our night on Itzâ??s boat.

â??Dr. Spero, may I ask...â?, Hovert spoke from the silence, â??What is your interest with the woman?â?

â??The specimen?â?, voiced Spero.

â??She is a womanâ?, Hovert corrected him.

â??Yes, well, a woman she may be...â?, said Dr. Spero, â??But she can be more than that, as well!â?

â??How do you mean? What do you know of her, Dr. Spero?â?, I was intrigued, of course.

â??She holds the answers to some of my most fondest questionsâ?, Dr. Spero stated matter-of-factly.

â??Yes. Weâ??ve heard about your quest, Dr. Spero!â?, Longondo said cheerfully, â??If we could be of help, weâ??d love to!â?

â??And who told you about my quest?!?â?, Dr. Spero was flabbergasted.

â??Root Ragnickâ?, I said.

â??Root-! ? By Junon!â?, Spero exclaimed, â??I donâ??t care who that boy is, I will put Visitor Sandal to his bottom the next time I see him! Why on Junon would he tell you such secrets?!?â?

â??We can help youâ?, I told the doctor, â??We are charged with the protection of this woman. The woman you believe could be the cure to the Devil Pest...â?

â??Well, Iâ??m not sureâ?, Spero chuckled, â??I mean, she may lead to a cure, I am certain, but be the cure herself? Iâ??m not sure...â?

â??She is Arua!â?, Longondo smiled, â??She will save us! I know it.â?

â??Oh, child, if onlyâ?, Spero chuckled once more, â??If only...â?

â??How will she do it?â?, asked Kaizy, â??How exactly will she provide the answers?â?

â??Well, you see, I have been working on a cure for quite some timeâ?, Dr. Spero explained, â??I have failed thus far. I have witnessed the loss of many victims of the Devil Pest. But Iâ??ve discovered a promising lead! It seems that the Visitors created by Arua herself can develop an immunity to this Devil Pest. I believe this explains why a Visitor can be exposed to it in the Desert of the Dead... and live! The Desert of the Dead, as you may know, is the land that was given to the Ikaness after the peace that followed the First Ikaness War. So, that could very well may be where the whole Devil Pest thing started. Where it was born! Iâ??m not sure, though. I need to know more about the Devil Pestâ??s origins...

â??Anyway, I have not been able to derive any antidote from a Visitor, but if I could study the Devil Pest on a Visitor's blood...â?

â??But the 'specimen' from the Arumic Academy is not a Visitor!â?, differed Longondo, â??She is all Goddess!â?

â??She is a womanâ?, insisted Hovert, almost quietly.

â??Dr. Spero, you must know...â?, Pabel interrupted, â??You must be told of the findings that my Shamanist elder and I have found in Eldeon, regarding the Goddess Arua and the beginnings of the Devil Pest.â?

â??What is it, boy?!â?, Spero inquired, wide-eyed.

Pabel took a deep breath, and began, â??We believe Arua was-â?

â??SHHHH!!!!â?, snapped the brown-scaled Kaiman leader, â??Silence! We have reached the Doonga camp!â?

We were hidden behind some trees, on a hilltop. From the edge of the jungle, we could see a vast grassy plain below us, dotted with wide boulders... small torches... large tents... and well over a thousand giant ape-men practicing battles with their axes, swords, and other blunt objects.

â??Oh, yes...â?, Dr. Spero intoned worriedly, â??We definitely should â??katarâ?? of their â??hayâ??...!â?

Posted Image
written by: Vea
guest-starring
Longondo
Kaizy
KingArthur
and Gogetters!
siggies and badges by: Sparx!

Edited by KingArthur, 23 July 2010 - 08:59 PM.

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