When last we left Aaliyah, and Gorpi, they had been attacked by a group of Grime Fairies and their Mistress. Separated in the battle, Aaliyah was surrounded by the group of fairies, and Gorpi faced the Mistress. The Mistress shattered the roof of the cave with her electric blasts, burying Gorpi. Aaliyah had killed four of the Grime Fairies in self defense, and had just shown mercy to the fifth. Yet as Aaliyah left to aid Gorpi, that fairy had grabbed a rock from the rubble and was charging at Aaliyah...
"Aaliyah, behind
you!" Shard screamed.
Aaliyah turned just in time to dodge the
fairies attack. She quickly shot a fire barb at the Grime Fairy,
ending her life.
"Shard, I..."Aaliyah said sadly
"Aaliyah,
you did what you had to do!"Shard interrupted.
And on the
other side of the battlefield, the Grime Fairies' Mistress had begun
digging furiously through the rubble. She finally found Gorpi and
lifted her up out of the pile of rocks by her throat. She raised her
other hand above her head in a clenched fist. Electrical energy began
swirling about her fist.
"Time to die, dirty, little tamer."
She said with a disgusting smirk on her face.
"I don't think
so!" Aaliyah screamed in anger as she launched a fire barb attack
at the Mistress. It hit the Mistress square in the back, but the
Mistress's defenses were high, and she easily recovered from the
attack. She began firing electrical blasts wildly at Aaliyah, but
Aaliyah easily dodged the sloppy assault. She ran directly at the
Mistress, impaling her with Shard. This time the Mistress fell, and
she did not get back up. Aaliyah also fell, still battered from the
brutal assault to her face and head she received from the Mistress's
servants. The Mistress turned over to face Aaliyah, and began
talking, while staring directly into Aaliyah's eyes.
"This
won't be the last time you will kill, many will fall to your
murderous hands." She said
"Shut up, you know nothing!"
Aaliyah shot back hardly in the mood to listen to rants.
"I know
more, and everything about you Aaliyah of Laurel Mountain. I know you
will kill many, or is that the other you? Either way, many will die
because of you. You will know nothing but betrayal... and when you
die, you will be alone, your true love having already died because of
you. And when you face yourself, that final time, you will be alone ,
and you will die..." she said as she closed her eyes, never to open
them again.
"What happened?" Gorpi said as she rolled over in
the rubble.
"Nothing, we're getting out of here."Aaliyah said
as she walked over to Gorpi.
"She grabbed her telestone as well
as Gorpi's, tapped it twice, and the duo faded from sight. Back at
Ullara, they re-appear.
"Now see, thats the way it should be.
No fuss no muss, just once second your there the next your gone...",
Gorpi said as she passed out.
"Ullara, please we need
healing...",Aaliyah said as she too passed out.
The next
thing Aaliyah knew was all black. Quiet, nothing, not even Shards
voice. Soon she could hear faint whispers. Whispers she felt she knew
where they were coming from. The whispers got louder.
"I hope
shes okay, I saw her take a few to the head."It was Gorpi's
voice.
Aaliyah opened her eyes. She was back in her quarters in
Green Scarp. Novice Shan was there, and so was Gorpi, and
Cartaelian.
"Look, she's okay!" Cartaelian said
loudly.
"Quiet! Now let her get some rest."Shan said in a
scolding tone.
" It's okay Novice Shan, I'm just happy to be out
of there."Aaliyah responded
"It's a good thing you woke up I
was just getting ready to report in to Novice Shan what happened at
the cave."Gorpi said
As Gorpi started talking, all Aaliyah
could think of was the brutal attack the Grime Fairies dished out.
The claws and fists ripping and smashing. She knows if it weren't for
Ullara, she could be dead or worse. She only starts paying attention
again after Gorpi stops talking.
"This is very disturbing
news!"Novice Shan said almost in dis-belief. "I need to report
this into my superiors, I advise you two get some rest. I want to
begin training you two for the trials to come at soon as
possible."
And so the weeks went by. Novice Shan had done
just as he said he would, he began training both Gorpi, and Aaliyah
fully in the use of their talisman. Aaliyah even learned two new
skills, the fire dragon attack and the fire spiral attack. Yet Novice
Shan did not report his findings to Aaliyah and Gorpi. He just
insisted they follow a very strict training regime. And one one such
training session...
"Aaliyah, you've been awfully quiet lately.
I hope you aren't making to big a deal of what happened at the cave.
They we're going to kill us, you know?"Gorpi said
"No, its not
that, I know I did what I had to. I just cant get over how brutal
those fairies were. They enjoyed hurting me. I'm actually glad things
ended the way the did."Aaliyah said with a hint of sadness in her
voice.
"Well, I just wanted to thank you Aaliyah, I wouldn't be
here today if it weren't for you."Gorpi replied.
"Gorpi, I've
been meaning to ask you something. Why don't you have a pet?"Aaliyah
asked innocently.
Gorpi turned her head away from Aaliyah's
view.
"I'm sorry, its to personal, you don't have to tell
me."She said
"No... its okay."Gorpi replied hesitantly"It's
just that I never really told anyone, but I trust you."She said
with a smile.
"It all happened a year ago. I was in love with an
assassin who had a gift for getting us into trouble. One day we
wandered upon a group of Bobtail Monkeys. I saw one that was so cute
compared to the others, he was very feisty and playful, and I just
HAD to have him. I began my taming spell, but the monkey didn't fight
me he came right to me. The three of us went on many adventures
together, but one day my sin insisted on going hunting in the desert
near Sand Village. As we left Flowers Mountain we were surrounded by
a group of bandits. They had grabbed unto me and started feeling my
clothes for money I hoped. My monkey lunged at two of them which gave
my sin just enough time to grab me, and use his hasty shoes to
escape. The last I saw of my monkey he was thrown on the ground. It
was at that moment Onjo was born."Gorpi said sadly.
"Thats
another thing I don't fully understand. If Onjos a part of you, how
can he be a man."Aaliyah asked.
"I'm a manifestation of what
Gorpi wanted to be at the moment of infusion. I'm, for all intents
and purposes, the warrior she wanted to become, in order to save her
pet."Onjo chimed in.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up any
bad memories."Aaliyah replied.
"It's no problem. As a matter
of fact, I have a few questions to ask you. Just what exactly
happened at Laurel?"Gorpi asked.
"You don't have to tell
her..."Shard began to say
"No, I think its time I told
someone. Its not right to keep it bottled inside."Aaliyah
thought.
"It was a bright and sunny day at Laurel. My father had
just asked me to collect some tiger
pellets..."
****************************************
What
happened at Laurel Mountain? Find out in Part 1 of Reunions, but
first check out Prelude 1 of the Tales of Talisman entitled "Gorpi,
and the Hidden Cave", an important tale that introduces Fudjya, and
Assassin that will play a large roll in the lives of both Gorpi, and
Aaliyah!
