Chapter 3 Place of Refuge
Dearth stricken woodland surrounded the narrow hood-like rock formation bounding the cavern entrance leading into the under dark.
Joaquin and Magus appeared nearby after a brief crackle of energy, and three bright flashes of light, with Magus being supported by on Joaquin's shoulder. Immediately the two of them looked around, cautiously scanning the area to assess any possible threats.
Dispersed beams of moonlight pierced through the barren tree's naked bough's, cloaking the ground with ominous mottled shadows.
"Draw out Melfeir's sword... it'll provide illumination... to help you navigate... the rest of the way..." Magus told Joaquin with short ragged breaths between his words. Joaquin reached over, and gripped the hilt drawing the blade out in a smooth motion.
"Now what?" He asked, with anticipation.
"Direct some energy and channel it through your arm..." Magus instructed him.
As Joaquin commenced, the blade began to glow with a glimmer of light.
"Why didn't it burst into flames like when yo used it?" He asked with curious observation as he eyed the scathed hamon (temper line).
"If you discharge the energy... It'll ignite the blade... and if you increase the outflow... it'll project the flame." Magus said with the last part of his words fading out as he fell into unconsciousness.
"I guess I have to bear the burden carrying you the rest ot the way." Joaquin said to himself with a sigh, then he foisted Magus' body up onto his shoulder, and made his way into the dark passage that led down tothe realm below.
Meanwhile back at Dikarns castle, Barachel had returned and informed the elven mage of the proceeding events that had taken place. Seated on his throne Dikarn leaned forward, and clutched his staff tightly while looking at Barachel.
"Do you mean to tell me that you let them get away?!" Dikarn said, shaking with anger as his eyes blazed red.
"Not entirely, I managed to bite one of them before they escaped. Soon he'll be turning and when he does, I'll be locked into him. I'll know where he is,a and I'll know where to find them no matter where they go." Barachel said in a deep rustling tone.
Dikarn lowered his hood, and rose up from his thrown.
"And what do you plan to do when you find them? Get your legs off cut off? Look at you... you don't even have arms to fight with," Dikarn remarked with a scowl as he approached Barachel. "There...feed..." Dikarn said after drawing up his sleeve arm to Barachel. The vampire complied, and sank his fangs deep into the drow's ashen-black fore arm. Barachel found that Dikarn's blood was vigorously intoxicating, and teeming with ether in its purist form. In mere seconds Barachel's arms fully regenerated, then he gripped a hold of Dikarn's arms to indulge himself further. "That's enough..." Dikarn said in a stern tone. But Barachel seemed transfixed in his blood lust, and held onto the arm with a stubborn reluctance to relinquish it. "Fine, have it your way..." Dikarn sneered as bursts of electricity crackled out over his arm, forcing Barachel off violently. Then Dikarn turned, and took a few steps, before pausing, and he looked back with growing apprehension, as he contemplated the subtle impending notion creeping upon him, The puncture wounds in his arms were not healing.
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This was Jake's second day in Carelot and he has still determined in his mind that all of this was still fiction. Although he wrestled Champ, raced the imaginary rabbit Swiftheart, and even got to saber duel, he still did not want to be here. But since the bear's begged him to stay, he obliged unwillingly against his better judgment.
"Man, why do these things always happen to me?" Jake said out loud to himself as he grabbed a tray from the hall of hearts and began gathering choice foods of apple, steak, and potato. 'ehe, I wonder if they'll let me eat rabbit meat."Jake said to himself as he just finished gathering his food. Since he arrived early, their was only a few of the bears present and some of the cousins. Jake sat alone in a far corner alone in the room. "At least I can enjoy this meal in peace." He said to himself after he did his usual ritual of
prayer then began to eat. He was actually beginning to feel pretty good about himself until...
"Hiya Jake! Mind if I sit here?" It was none other than the rabbit that beat him. Jake moaned displeasured as he responded.
"Actually I do." Said Jake bluntly.
"Aw, you still sore that I beat you?" Teased the rabbit poking Jake playfully at his side. Jake thought about back handing the rabbit; but withdrew for although Jake could be mean from time to time, his grandpa had taught him to have respect for all living creatures. Though he was really tempted to make this one an exception. "Can I sit with you Jake? Please? Its not good for you
to be alone." Jake slammed his fork to the table forcefully causing the whole table to shake. "Okay okay, I'm leaving." Said Swiftheart as she slowly got up from the table.
"Now. where was I." Said Jake picking up his fork from the table. Just as he was about to eat again,...
"Hello Sports fan!" Shouted a orange bear with a red bandanna on his head and a trophy on his tummy. "Mind if I sit here with you?" Before Jake could respond,
"Hello Jaky and Champ bear!" Said an too familiar voice. It was Lonesomeheart who was accompanied by her boy friend Aqua bear."Mind if we join you?"
"Oh, sure why don't we invite the whole city!" Shouted Jake sarcastically. "And while we are at it, why don't we invite the president?" Everyone was taken aback by Jake's rash comments.
"Jake? Is something wrong?" Aqua Inquired.
"Yeah! I just want to be alone for once, and here you guys come barging in ruining my breakfast!" Jake said very frustrated and bluntly.
"We only want to be your friends." Champ said rubbing his shoulder.
"I think I just lost my will to eat," Said Jake. "Or what us humans call, appetite!" Shouted Jake as he stood up from the table as he took off outside the hall of hearts while the rest of the bears stood their dumbfounded.
"I'll go talk to him." Aqua bear said as he headed out after Jake from the hall of hearts. But when he opened the doors and looked both directions, there was no sign of him. "Jake! Why do yo have to be so stubborn! You must really need a friend right now." Aqua bear said out loud to himself as he went in search of Jake.
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Back in the under dark, Joaquin had come to the underground fortified city of Wotloc. Magus ether signature was fading, so Joaquin hurried toward the towering dome-like coppered steel structure encompassing the city. On his approach he noticed there was a guard post stationed outside, with four sentries armed with pole ax's, and crossbows and each man was shad in meager looking plate mail beneath red sleeveless tabards emblazoned with gold lion icons.
"Halt! Who are you?!" Shouted one of the guards to Joaquin upon spotting him.
"I am not of this world...but I come bearing Mel'feir's sword, and upon my shoulder-his apprentice Magus, and I am looking for a person inhabiting this city, who's name is Brogan." Joaquin explained to them.
"Wait here." Said the captain of the guard as he commanded the other sentry's to go, and quickly fetch Brogan. A short while later, the guard returned with Brogan the elder dwarf following behind him.
"What's this about? Who are ye?" He asked of Joaquin, as he came out to assess the situation.
"I can explain later, but right now my injured friend is more important." Joaquin said as he carried Magus forward for the dwarf to behold.
"Aye! Magus!" Brogan exclaimed as he recognized his adopted nephew nephew, and motioned urgently for Joaquin to follow inside. Joaquin followed Brogan to his simple cottage like dwelling, where the dwarf directed him to lay Magus upon the kitchen table. Joaquin then stood back, out of the way as Brogan pulled up a stool, and began checking Magus' wounds.
Looking around, Joaquin saw that the interior furniture was set low to accommodate Brogan's swarven stature, but the ceiling was raised high to grant his human neighbors comfortable passage without them having to stoop low.
"So I'll take it ye'll be staying awhile?" Brogan inquired to Joaquin, while cleaning off the areas around Magus' wounds.
"Yeah you could say that..." Joaquin replied as he sat himself down on a strange looking cushion to rest his weary feet.
"Oh...I do nay think Gwother would appreciate you sitting on him like that." Brogan commented, looking over to Joaquin.
"Huh? What the -?" Joaquin remarked as he stood abruptly, and realized he had just sat on a large black curled up panther who was now looking up at him with curiosity. ?Nice kitty..." Joaquin muttered tentatively as he backed away slowly, and moved towards the other end of the room.
"Don't worry about him...he'll nay bite ya." Brogan assured Joaquin.
"Its just not his teeth I'm worried about." Joaquin said while still keeping his distance. Gwother merely eyed him, while licking his paw, then he stretched out his toes, and went back to sleep.
"Magus' condition is bad, but he looks like he's gonna pull through." Brogan said as he rewrapped Magus' wounds with new cloth, and tied them. "All we can do now is wait." Just then, Joaquin's stomach rumbled loudly with hunger pains.
"Ye must be starving...c'mon, I'll show you the various foods we have down here. We are a self sustained society, with organic produce, and livestock." Brogan told Joaquin. Shimmeringstar followed Brogan out the door, making sure not to step on Gwothar's tail as he passed by.
Earlier the glimpse of the city had been a blur as he whisked Magus into the house, but now he was afforded an opportunity to fully take in all that was around him.
"This is incredible! I didn't think a populace could flourish in such conditions." Joaquin exclaimed as he glanced all around, looking over the dwellings scattered amidst a net-work of larger structures, some of which seemed to be primitive factories of a sort with sub-standard technologies, and far above all of it was a coppered steel framework with light fixtures, and air vents built into the dome like fortification shielding the whole of the city with a 1/4 cut sphere that ran flush with the rock wall and teeming from an aperture enclosed in the rock wall at the rear part of the city, was a natural underground waterfall, at the base of which was a large water-wheel that seemed to be the main power generator for all the city's sub-modern facilities.
"We had to come down here to escape Dikarn's evil regime." Brogan explained as they walked.
"But I saw some towns on the surface, what about them?" Joaquin asked with a look of puzzlement. Brogan gave him a stern faced side glance.
"They,,,have given themselves over to Shadowmere." Brogan said with an expression of disdain, Joaquin sighed and continued looking around as they walked.
Soon they came to the main store house. After browsing the various food types, Joaquin chose what seemed to be the safest, and the most conventional to eat, then he, and Brogan headed back to the cottage, where they ended up talking through the wee hours of the morning, till they inadvertently agreed to retire by passing out in mid conversation.
Brogan slept like a baby, but Joaquin was not so fortunate. It took awhile for him to fall asleep because of thoughts of missing home.
"If only I never entered that stupid portal here, I'd be at home with Aqua bear and amongst the bears I love so dearly." He thought to himself regretfully. He stood up and walked around for a bit because he couldn't sleep. When he found a secluded area, he got down to his knees and prayed to God out loud. "Jesus! I'm sorry for failing at m mission to protect the carebear! I never should have come through that stupid portal! But I know you work out all things for those who love you and I have faith that you have a purpose in all of this." Joaquin fell down to his head and prayed a few audible words that only he could understand. Then he returned to his kneeling position and prayed again. "Jesus! If I ever find a way home! I'm going to take that as a sign from you that it is indeed your will to receive the gift of immortality from the great wishing star. So I vow this day, if I ever get back to my family the carebears, I promise I will receive that great gift!" He thanked the Lord one last time before he stood back up and layed back down. "Aqua, Wishbear! I miss you guys so much! I can't even hear Aqua's thoughts anymore in my head. Although that was annoying, I miss that and my little brother." He said as a tear escaped from his eyes as he silently cried himself to sleep. After Joaquin fell asleep, he found himself walking through Carelot. The sky was dark, and booming with thunder amidst bright flashes of lightning on the out skirts. There was a palpable sense of sadness in the air like a great loss had been suffered. Then he came upon several disheveled motionless bodies with singed fur laying strewn about the smoky ruins of the once proud cloud city. And standing at the epicenter was a dark robed figure with a red double bladed light saber. Joaquin stared at the figure-with his robe blowing in the wind, and Joaquin's hands curled into fists. And then the figure lowered his hood, revealing his face.
"Y-you;re...! You can't be" Joaquin stuttered as he stared back at his own face, albeit maligned with evil red blazing eyes.
"But I am..." Said the evil Joaquin addressing himself as Dark Star, "You cannot escape your destiny...you will fulfill the prophecy." He shouted as a dark aura flared out encompassing him, and he lighted off his feet hovering up into the air.
"No-you're not real, none of this is real!" Joaquin yelled refusingly. Dark Star vanished and reappeared behind him and began choking Joaquin with the handle.
"Every step you take is only a step closer to becoming me! Resistance is futile!" Dark Star said in a ragged whisper into Joaquin's ear, as Joaquin struggled to get free.
"No! I'll never become you! Never!!" Joaquin shouted in defiance with his aura suddenly erupting around him like a raging inferno.
"I once told myself the very same thing when I was on the other end of this saber, and I still became me." Dark Star said with a menacing laugh as he yanked the harder against Joaquin's throat.
"Why can't I get out of this hold?! The dark force is suppose to be weaker than this..." Joaquin thought as his vision began to blur.
"You'll never stop me... Unless you stop yourself..." Dark Star said, with the last of his words echoing as Joaquin slipped out of his sleep state, and awoke with his heart racing, and his body drenched in sweat. After a moment, Joaquin closed his eyes, and took a deep breath while putting his hand to his head.
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Meanwhile back in Carelot, Jake went to away to a secluded area in the middle of Carelot behind a house where no one was in sight. Jake decided to do some of his stretches as he decided maybe it would be best to start on his exercises despite the fact he was still hungry.
"Who do those bears think they are!" Jake said as he was stretching his leg against a post. "Always smothering me like they think they know what's best for me!" Jake said musing to himself. "Oh well, at least now I can have some peace and quiet!" Jake said as he dropped down to all fours doing push ups.
"There you are!" Jake stopped in mid movement of a push up and slowly turned his head to see Aqua bear standing there with a smile.
"What do you want!" Jake said angrily at the bear.
"Only to be your friend Jake. Can't you see that?" Aqua said as he approached Jake. Jake saw Aqua's saber by his waste and decided to pull such a mean trick on the bear that he wouldn't ever want to be friends with him again. He thought to himself as he stood to his feet.
"Just leave me alone!" Jake said turning his back to the bear anticipating and hoping he would come up and hug him.
"Aw, Jake, you know I can't do that!" Aqua said gently placing a paw on his back. "At least not until where through with our caring mission with you."
"Oh, and what so called caring mission would you be talking about?" Inquired Jake not really interested.
"To be friends with you no matter what happens!" Aqua said as he now hugged Jake around his mid-section. That's exactly was Jake was counting on as he quickly made a bold move and swiped Aqua's caring saber from him.
"Aha!" Jake said proud to himself expecting Aqua bear to protest. "Now your saber is mine!" Jake said with a sinister grin.
"Jake! You know its right to steal you know?" Aqua said a bit confused and hurt all the while but still hugged Jake.
"I know! But I'll bet you don't want to be friends with me now that you know I'm a thief!" Jake said with a cheesy grin. But Aqua new better.
"Jake! Your no thief! But of it makes yo happy you can keep my saber. Being friends with you is more important to me." Aqua said hugging him tighter to prove his point. "And I won't give up on you like your hoping." Aqua said looking up to Jake directly in his eyes with sincerity. This caught Jake completely off guard as he now realized. 'Maybe this bear does really care about me.' Jake thought to himself. He decided right then and there, that Aqua meant what he said, but he still remained unsure of the other bears.
"Here, I don't want your saber." Jake said handing it back to Aqua bear. "Its just I just wanted to be alone this morning and..."
"And yo wanted to be left alone for a few hours today right?" Aqua said finishing his sentence for him.
"How did you know that?" Jake said.
"Jake? Have you forgotten? I can read your thoughts remember?" He said looking up to Jake with a smile.
"Why you little!" Jake said reaching for him and picked him up from beneath his arms. "You know you shouldn't do that?" Jake pointed out.
"I know. But sometimes I just can't help it." Aqua said forcing a smile. "I think your a great guy Jake and I hope we can be friends from here on out! And I'll talk to the others and Lonesomeheart that you just want to be left alone for a time and I'm sure they'll grant you your request."
"You'd do that for me?" Jake said a bit dumbfounded.
"That's what friends are for." Aqua said smiling at Jake.
"Oh thank you!" Jake said kissing the bear on his cheek about three times before recomposing himself and looked Aqua in the eye again. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to." Jake said a bit embarrassed.
"No harm done," Aqua bear said in understanding. "Now can you please put me down so we can get you something to eat and so that I can talk to the others?" Aqua said pointing down.
"Sorry, yeah! Let's do that." Jake said as the two walked back to the hall of hearts together.
Aqua did what he said he was going to do and Jake now at alone in the hall of hearts enjoying his meal chomping down his steak.
"Yum! This food is pretty damn good!" Jake said to himself. "And this place isn't so bad! So long as those bears give me my space!" Jake said rolling his eyes.
After Jake finished his meal, he emptied his trey and went to find a secluded spot where he could train alone.
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Back in the other world shortly after Shimmeringstar woke up.
"Bad dream?" Asked a familiar voice off to his right. Joaquin turned and saw that Magus was standing by the table, rubbing his neck.
"To say it was a bad dream is an understatement." Joaquin replied in a sullen tone. "Everything since yesterday seems like a bad dream..." Magus said as he gazed out the side window, and propped his arm up on the sill.
"I'm surprised ye can even stand! Yesterday you were knocking on death's door." Brogan commented as he set three wooden bowls down on the table.
"Yeah. I surprise myself myself too sometimes." Magus said dismissively.
"Yeah but you look a little too well..." Joaquin added with growing concern.
"Can't you all be happy, seeing I'm alive?! What's with you guys?" Magus said sounding annoyed.
"Something doesn't add up...you were down and out, and now you're bursting with renewed vigor...its like you didn't even get hurt." Joaquin said looking perplexed.
"But I thought one of you used something to heal me...didn't you?" Magus said with a worried look on his face.
"All we could do was patch you up, and hope you would pull through." Brogan sated after clearing his throat. Reaching up, Magus tore the bandages from off the side of his fore head, bearing only three scar lines running down and across his face.
"Is it healed?" he asked in an empty tone with his eyes closed.
"Almost entirely." Joaquin said matter of factly.
"There is only one explanation...the vampire. He didn't just bite me, he was marking me." Magus said with embittered realization.
"I don't get it..." Joaquin said looking bewildered.
"Sometimes a bite a just a bite...and sometimes its to inflict vampirism." Magus explained.
"We have to find that vampire." Brogan said in an urgent tone.
"Forget it, it'd be a waste of time, he'll come to us." Magus said with certainly.
"So what do we do now?" Joaquin asked,
"We came here to find the temple right? So that's what we're going to do." Magus said turning in mid sentence, and commenced tearing off the rest of the bandages as he walked away.
"Well I guess I'd better go get the supplies we'll need, its a long journey to the temple... Come on, Gwothar let's get you suited up." Brogan said as he and the panther left going out the door. Joaquin looked to where Magus was leaning upon the kitchen counter with his back towards him.
"Are you okay?" Joaquin asked him. Magus looked back over his shoulder having his eyes ablaze with ether, and his mouth opened slightly bearing two newly distended fangs.
"Its beginning..." He said in a solemn tone.
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After Jake found a secluded spot surrounded by houses but to where nobody could be seen, Jake began his stretches, did his push ups, and was about to do his wall running until...
"Hiya Jake! Your the one that everyone's been talking about!" Jake turned his head and saw a green bear with a four leaf clover on his tummy symbol and a strange looking black and grey bear. "Jake, I'm Goodluck and this is my fiance Polite panda."
"Hi!" The panda waved with a nervous smile.
"Hi." Jake said unenthusiastically and decided to continue his training anyways. Goodluck bear took note of this, but was still determined to make friends with the teenager.
"So what you doing today Jake?" Inquired Goodluck bear.
"Oh, just my usual daily training regiment." Jake Replied as he executed a round house.
"That sounds like fun!" replied Polite. "Can we join you?"
"Well its kinda private,..."Jake said.
"Please?" She said crossing her arms while blinking her eyes cutely to Jake.
"Okay, but under one condition, you two must keep up and not slow me down." Jake said. They both nodded and trained with Jake just trying to imitate was he was doing.
"So Jake, you looked a little upset back their," Goodluck said. "Is something bothering you?"
"Goodluck, I know your just trying to help and all," Jake replied trying to sound polite. "But I really don't wish to talk about that at this time." Goodluck bear was about to talk to him until Polite beat him to the punch.
"Is it because you wish you had someone?" Inquired Polite. This infuriated Jake a bit, but he forced himself to calm down before he answered.
"The truth is, I already do have someone." Jake Replied.
"Who?" Asked Polite inquisitively.
"Samantha." Replied Jake as he sighed with sadness.
"Who's Samantha?" Goodluck Inquired.
"I see that your not going to stop until you get your answers, so I minus well tell you the whole story." Jake said as he continued on. When Jake finished explaining, Goodluck and Polite were both in tears feeling for Jake's agony since he couldn't visit Dinotopia whenever he wanted. What made it worse, its been over two months since he's even seen Samantha. "And that's my predicament." Jake stated as he sat down crossing his arms. "But sitting here isn't going to improve the situation.""It was during my first week at Vidabba Earthfarm, I was working in the fields with the other students, though I was the youngest one their apart from
Samantha" Jake said softly. Both bears nodded as he continued "I got bored after awhile, and took a quick break, doing some martial arts. The others had never seen it before, so I showed off abit. I met her when she offered some lumber I could use to
break. After wards, she asked if I could teach her. I had never taught anyone in my life, so I was reluctant, but when she smiled...my heart melted" Jake sighed, remembering her smile. Realizing the bears were listening to him, Jake blushed as he glanced at them. Both we're smiling at him. "Uh..anyway, not long after, I found out from her mom, that she was sick with a deadly disease, Octium Nyonus. It would kill her soon" Jake admitted. Polite and Good luck gasped at this, which caused Jakes stomach to tighten.
"She told me the only cure was in the black wood flats, a dead part of Dinotopia. Not wanting to have anyone else die, I went their with Backstop to save her. Too make a long story short, we got the cure back, and saved her". The next part he told, made Jake blush abit more. "After wards, when she was all better, she tanked me, and said that she....liked me..I think more then a friend." Jake paused before continuing because he was now showing a nice beet red from blushing so hard. "I never really was into scoping girls like Karl was, until he met Marion, who straightened him out. So when Samantha came with us to try and save Dinotopia, we slowly fell in love" Jake said. Forgetting the two were even their, Jake smiled "I can still remember what happened when we found out Dad was still alive, and we brought him, and 10 dozen sunstones up to Waterfall city. We met in the square amonst the celebration...and kissed" Hearing giggling, Jake remembered they were still their, and immediatly shot a glare
at the two, but let it go. "For the next six months, we would go on all these crazy adventures, and challenges. From getting the jink a back from Le Sages group of Outsiders, to us exploring parts of the Rainy basin ourselves...everything". Said Jake as he
hopped up. "So I minus well continue my training." Jake started off with some roundhouse kicks as Goodluck and Polite took off to see how they could help Jake.
A/N Sorry this took so long and I hope you all like! The next one will be much longer so it'll be a bit longer than even this took to write, so hang on to your hats partner. ^^ There's more to come.