Chapter 7

Michelle opened her eyes and had to catch herself before she collapsed. She continued to gasp for breath until Numair and Jonathan came to give her support. Lindhall ran out to get Duke Baird. "Are you okay?" Numair asked, moving Michelle over to a wall so that she could lean against it.

"I'm tired of people asking me that. Yes, Numair I'm fine. I'm as fine as I'll ever get." Scared tears welded up in her eyes, but Michelle turned away before either of them could see.

"What happened then?" Jonathan asked, just as concerned as Numair.

"It's damaged, badly damaged."

"What is?" Numair prodded.

"The artifact; the Inferno. There's a giant crack extending from the tip to base. I tried to repair it, but I don't have enough energy."

"What does it mean?" Jonathan accepted the glass of water from Lindhall and convinced Michelle to drink.

"It means that I'm out of control and dangerous." She looked each one in the eye, moving from Numair to Jonathan, Lindhall, than even to Duke Baird. "If I don't fix it Inferno's going to take over. If that happens--"

"Don't even talk that way, Michelle," Numair interrupted.

"If that happens you have to do anything to stop me. Understand?" Michelle sighed and leaned her head back against the wall. "How long was I sitting there?"

"About four hours," Lindhall responded and stepped aside to let Baird take a look at Michelle.

"Four hours?! How many times did I go Inferno?"

"Only twice and it wasn't bad. You just flared up, but even that was fleeting. Don't worry, Numair and I kept ourselves busy." Jonathan smirked.

"Yeah, he beat me every time at chess," Numair complained. "And Lindhall here was too scared to play."

"Well, when I saw Numair get beat I knew I never had a chance," Lindhall explained.

Michelle forced a laugh. "Stay still," Baird ordered. He placed his hand near her face. Green light emitted from it causing Michelle's eyes to grow heavy. "There, you need some rest."

"I can't stay in Corus tonight," she whispered, her eyes growing out of focus.

"Well, you can't leave." Was the last thing she heard before she was out.


'I'm really beginning to hate this infirmary. I'm going to complain to Jonathan about his choice of coloring,' Michelle grumbled silently. She looked around and realized that she wasn't in the infirmary, but her own room. Red fir at the end of her bed caught her attention and she knew it was Aquaris. She was tempted to kick him awake, but didn't have enough energy to be cruel. Instead she turned towards her right and noticed someone sleeping in the chair near her desk. She strained her eyes to see and had to blink a few times to get them in focus. "Ray?" she asked and saw the person stir. 'Is that really him?' she wondered. She struggled to sit up but finally managed after a few tries. 'Wow, I'm really drained. Thanks, Baird….'

"Ray?" She asked again this time waking him up.

"Hm?" He opened his eyes a crack and stretched his arms above his head. "Sorry Daine, I don't think she's up yet."

Michelle muffled a chuckle. "Who are you talking to? Definitely not my sister."

Ray glanced towards Michelle and fell out of his chair with surprise. He managed to regain his composure a few seconds later and walked to her side. "How ya feeling?" he asked and placed his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

Michelle swatted it away. "I'm sore and obviously grouchy but that's about it."

Ray sighed of relief. "Good. Daine and Numair told me to come and get them when you woke up so I'll be right back." He kissed her forehead and walked out of the room.

Michelle flopped back onto her bed once he left. You really must learn to take it easy. Aquaris stretched then sat down at her elbow. Here I'm all excited to see you after such a long winter and I find out you're unconscious. Then when I check on you the next evening, you're gone. And just now you've been asleep for the past day and a half.

"Really? I was out that long?"

Aquaris snorted. Would you like me to set up a permanent residence for you in the infirmary? You seem to spend more time there than here.

"I'm sorry Aquaris. I just had to do something that couldn't wait."

You mean with Inferno then? I heard that it's getting pretty bad.

Michelle nodded and scratched behind his left ear. "The artifact's almost broken in half."

That's bad….

"I know." A long silence passed between them before Aquaris broke it.

I talked to Tsunami the other day.

"W-what?!" Michelle exclaimed.

Yeah. She appeared in one of my dreams.

"What did she want?"

She was wondering if I'd seen Amara.

"You mean she's missing?" Michelle stared wide-eyed at the fox.

Apparently Amara's world was destroyed, but she didn't go with it. Tsunami doesn't know how she escaped. She figured she'd go to this world if any.

Michelle took a moment to digest the information. "You mean she could be here?" Daine opened the door before Aquaris could continue.

"Michelle!" She yelled and ran at her like a little girl to her mother. She gave her a huge hug and sat down. "I'm so happy to see you awake!"

"And I'm glad to see you back on your feet." Michelle matched her smile and gave her another hug.

"You really scared me, Michelle."

"She scared all of us." Numair walked more civilly into the room and grabbed the chair that Ray was using. Ray shrugged and brought of the stool near the end of her bed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't really expect this to come up so suddenly." Michelle forced out a laugh then looked down so that no one could see her blush. She felt like everyone was looking at her and only her. 'Well, they probably are,' she thought and heaved a sigh. She pushed the blush out of her cheeks and looked back up. "I want you to--"

"No way. We're not going to lock you away or anything," Daine interrupted and folded her arms across her chest. "End of subject."

"But you don't understand, Daine! If I get mad again--"

"Then we'll make sure that doesn't happen. Somehow we will," Ray informed and Numair nodded.

"There's no other way then to lock me up in this room and throw away the key."

"How about if I watch you throughout the day?" Daine suggested.

Michelle shook her head. "You have loads of things to do around here. Even more now that you're better and can finally get to them."

"I'll do it," Ray offered.

"That'll work!" Daine announced, almost too cheerfully.

Michelle knew what she was thinking and could only sigh. "So I guess I'm to be flanked by Ray then. How exciting…. But what if I get angry at Ray?"

Numair shrugged. "You can't."


Michelle was on her feet and out the door in less than an hour. The first thing she did was go to a secluded area to train. Ray, as promised, followed her every step. Even though he looked like a lost puppy dog seeking attention, Michelle was glad to have him around. Not that she'd admit it of course.

"You sure this is a good idea?" Ray asked, plopping down upon a tree stump. Michelle had found her training area, a small clearing in the forest. "I mean it is just you… and me… out in the middle of no where. You're not worried I'd jump you or something?" Ray asked jokingly.

"I'm the one with the swords remember."

"How could I forget?" Ray gulped when the tip of Antares grazed the tip of his nose.

"You'd do well to remember. And besides," Michelle paused as she went through a series of stretches. "a respectable man like you wouldn't take advantage of a poor, defenseless girl like me would you?"

Ray chuckled. "Well, defenseless you aren't and poor is a trait I have yet to see. A comment like respectable my make me keep my seat though."

"Good." Michelle, now done with her stretches, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She muttered her training spell and reopened them. "Hello copy," she greeted politely. The other bowed in response.

'This'll probably take a while….' Ray thought with a sigh and moved to a low-hanging branch in the nearby tree. He leaned back against the trunk and shut his eyes.

"Wake up sleepy head." Michelle tugged on Ray's foot after about an hour of practice. He cracked open his eye before stretching his arms lazily above his head.

"You done already?"

"Already? I've been training for the past hour. C'mon. Let's head back."

Ray nodded and jumped down from his perch. He landed comfortably on the ground and followed Michelle's lead. "How'd it go?"

"Training you mean?" Ray nodded. "It was alright. Not very eventful."

"That's good. You plan on doing your meditation thing tonight?"

"I'm hoping to start it as soon as I get back actually. I want to get a head start on it," she added after receiving a weird look from Ray.

"Alright. I'm hoping that they'll let me sit in on this one."

"It'll be boring…." Michelle warned and brushed aside a low-hanging branch.

"I'll bring a book or something."

Michelle shrugged "Suit yourself." She hopped the meadow fence and worked her way towards the meditation room. "Can you go get Numair and Lindhall for me?"

"Sure. Just don't do anything until we get back here. Understood?" Ray waited until she reluctantly gave in. He spun on his heel and headed towards the castle door.

Michelle watched him until he went out of sight before opening the large double doors to the meditation room. She stepped inside and shut them after her. Sitting down in the traditional Indian style, she closed her eyes and calmed her mind. She didn't even hear Ray grumbling off in the background when he came in.

The pedestal and flame stood before her mind's eye in all its magnificence and fury. The stream of blood, looking like nothing more then a small spring before, was now forming into a pool. The red liquid went up to her knees and flowed with a strong current. "I knew you'd be back today. A little earlier than I expected, but I knew you wouldn't be gone for long. Hoping to finish it all in a stretch?" Inferno laughed and skipped her translucent self around Michelle. "Like the lake? There's a lot of it now isn't there?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll all disappear soon."

"You so sure?" Inferno snickered. "Soon, very soon it will engulf you. Aren't you afraid?"

"There's no reason to be."

"There isn't?" Crimson strands entangled themselves around Michelle's upper and lower torso. She flailed her arms in a feeble attempt at keeping them away. One wrapped itself around her neck. She tore at it, but it wound tighter. She screamed and Inferno laughed. "You see? Now I have you. Your one moment of weakness has been your downfall." A portal of light opened at Inferno's back. "There's my exit. Do have fun in here, my pet." She patted Michelle's cheek before walking towards the glow.

"No! Stop!" Michelle yelled, terrified tears welding in her eyes. "Don't hurt them! Stop!" Inferno had now almost disappeared and the strands of liquid began pulling Michelle towards the abyss of the artifact. "Inferno!" She shrieked and struggled some more. "I won't let you do this to me!"

"You don't have a choice," Inferno's voice whispered in her mind. "In the end I always win."

Tears trickled down her cheeks. "Ray help." She gasped as the liquid tightened around her throat. "Numair, Daine, someone…. Help!"

Black hand-like fire reached out from the lighted portal and grabbed Inferno. Blue and gold energy fought the strands around Michelle, biting at them relentlessly. Inferno screamed in defiance, but it was no use, Numair's magic wouldn't budge. Michelle, who was freed a moment later, wasted no time in racing to the opening, Inferno's screams fading behind her.


A/N: Hey guys! Well, NanoWrimo's done... Heh... That was quite funny. I think I got... 18000? Oh well. I was redoing the story before this one and it's going to be a while yet for that one lol. I don't really like the first part in this chapter so feel free to critcize me on it... Hope you enjoy the rest though. Thanks for the reviews!

Strata