Chapter 4: The 'Oracle' "What?" asked Fayt, standing. "But, he's always woken from the trance before." Albel vanished into the tent, still carrying the water bucket. "What's going on?" Edge asked. "Our mutual friend seems to be unable to wake from his trance-state." Fayt replied. "A trance?" Myuria asked. She still held her daughter's hand, a little tighter than usual. Fayt nodded. "It's how he goes back and forth through time." The others stared at him. "Through . . . time?" Edge asked. "How far ahead?" Reimi asked. She placed her hand on her belly. "It all depends on what date it was where you used to be." Fayt returned. "S.D. 14." Edge replied. "Your kidding." Fayt said. "Huh." "What, boy?" Arumat snorted. "It's just the other guy said the same thing." "Other guy?" asked Edge. "Yeah. He said his name was Crowe." "Crowe?" asked Reimi. "He's here?" "Actually, he said he lives just outside of Peterney with his wife and a cat, and does some fishing." Fayt blinked at them. "You know him or something?" "Yeah." Edge replied. "Um, we haven't introduced ourselves." Fayt smiled. "I'll start. I'm Fayt Leingod." "Reimi Thanatos, and this is my husband, Arumat." "Myuria Tyonasi, and this is my daughter, Mia." The little girl waved. "Hi." "I'm Lymle. Lymle Limuri Phi." "I am Baccus, and this is my wife, Milly." "I'm Miracle." "And I'm Edge Maverick." Fayt just stared at him, blinking. "Is something wrong?" Edge asked. "No, it's just I never thought I'd actually get to meet you, of all people." "Why? What so special about Edge?" Reimi asked. "The UP3." Fayt returned. "I was teased about my textbook knowledge about it, and even that my report I wrote was on why the Underdeveloped Planetary Protection Pact was made." Albel stepped back out of the tent. "Hey, maggot. We need a healer, and the brown bitch won't do it." "I'll help, 'kay." said Lymle. "I have healing symbols, too." Edge added. Albel scowled, but led the pair into the tent. Inside was more barren than they thought. There was a chest near the door that was obviously just for carrying the tent, and then a bench, and another chest that was shut tightly. Two bedrolls lay across the floor, and one of these was occupied by a person in brown robes. The fire in the center of the tent made it warm and illuminated the pale face of the sleeper. "He's yet to wake, and I tried water on his face." Albel explained. Lymle walked over and took the pale hand in hers. "He's cold." she said, looking up at Edge. Edge knelt as well, gently pushing the hood back. A spray of green hair showered around the figure's face, leaving no doubt that this was their Eldarian friend. He checked Faize's forehead, then checked his neck for a pulse. "Well, he's at least alive." he said. "But he's got a wicked fever." Lymle looked at Edge. "I have a fever symbol. Maybe that'll work." Edge nodded. "Do you have to draw it?" "I can put it on the ground, as long as it's close to him." Lymle replied. She knelt and started marking the symbol in the dirt. "There. Now I just have to cast it." She put her hand out and tried casting. Faize shuddered and shifted once Lymle was finished. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He lay there, staring at the ceiling for a bit, his eyes distant. "Out." said Albel. He pushed Edge and Lymle out of the tent. "Well, how'd it go?" Fayt asked. "He woke up, but then the guy in the dress pushed us out." Lymle replied. "He seemed to be looking somewhere else." Edge added. "Oh." said Fayt. "A divination." He looked back at the tent. "Morning's coming. I should get the porridge ready." He turned and began working on the fire, setting a pot over it and starting to make a brown-gray paste that didn't smell all to pleasant, either. The other members of Fayt's group began to wake, and were one-by-one introduced. The 'brown bitch', as Albel had called her, was Sophia Esteed. There were two blondes, the male being Cliff Fitter and the other his wife, Mirage. "So, is this everyone?" asked Edge. "No. Roger doesn't come out anymore, and Pepitta's away with her family, the Rosetti Troupe. Nel had some work to do, and Maria . . ." Fayt sighed, deciding to change the subject. "Porridge?" "Thank you." Edge smiled. He looked over as Faize stepped out of the tent, the hood over his head again. "Morning, Faize." The others shared questioning glances when Faize didn't respond, only sat far away from everyone and waited while Albel got breakfast. "Is something wrong?" Lymle asked. "It's become normal for him to distance himself like this." Fayt replied. "It's because of the power he wields, everyone's afraid of him." "What kind of power?" Lymle asked. "He's just a symbologist." Cliff shook his head. "A simple symbologist doesn't sink warships the way he did." "How's that?" Myuria asked. "He raised his hand, and the sky dropped fire and stones. Ice came up from the water, and thunder arced between the ships. Not one enemy soldier survived, and yet the combined forces of Aquaria and Arygliph were spared." Cliff replied. "He can't even go into the towns." Fayt added. "People fear him so much, and yet, they almost worship him as well." "Isn't that going a little far?" asked Reimi. "I think it is." Sophia snorted. "He's just a bully and a scaredy cat." Faize stood from where he and Albel were and walked around the camp towards the plain. Albel followed at a distance, and Edge and Lymle followed as well. However, they stopped when Albel put his arm out to halt them. Faize knelt, running his hand over the soft grasses, then stood and touched a nearby tree, then raised his hands up towards the sky. "What's he doing?" Lymle asked. "Praying for the new day." Albel replied. "For the earth to share it's nourishment, for the trees to offer their shelter, and for the sky to bring what's needed for the crops to grow." Faize lowered his arms and drew a knife, pricking his finger with the tip and letting a few drops fall. "And he gives part of his life so that the planet may know he hasn't forgotten it's sacrifice." Faize looked back at Albel, startled when he saw Edge and Lymle there. He smiled and nodded, so Albel lowered his arm to let them pass. Almost instantly, Lymle ran forward and hugged Faize. "I missed you, you big dummy." Faize was a little shaky, but he put his arms carefully around Lymle. "Missed you, too." he said softly. He looked up at Edge, and the captain could see tears. A.N. - Ok, in Woodly, Lymle mentions her friend, and Faize asks if she's not used to having friends, to which Lymle sticks her tongue out and says "I don't need friends like you". Humorously enough, though, when talking to Gimdo about the trio, she says that they aren't gods, and says "Edgie and Reirei and Faize are friends, kay?" Its obvious at this point that she thinks of Faize as a friend but finds their little arguments to be a kind of fun. It's also easy to tell when she comes running out and tells them they forgot their friend. She looks at all of them, not just Edge and Reimi.