A/N: Time for Friday's post! Thanks to all of the readers and the new follower, Reina Ann Vilre.
Enjoy,
Orangepotato and Emil Lime
Chapter by Orangepotato
Holtz Capella: Now's Hardly the Time for an Adventure.
Ilene leaned against one of the nearby trees, sleep evident in her features. Holtz was going to go and make sure she was okay, but he quickly saw her breathing even out and she slumped a bit. She was sound asleep.
"She must have been tired," the red head commented, flicking his eyes to his sister and back to the auburn. The mercenary –what was his name? – only nodded. He was busy setting up the tents and unloading his pack. Food sacks dropped out along with a canteen of water.
That only reminded Holtz of how tired he was as well.
With a sigh, he sat himself on the ground and dug through his backpack, finding a few berries and popping them in his mouth. The sweet taste was quickly washed down with the warm water and he let out a sigh.
He watched with careful gray eyes as the mercenary finished pitching the tents and left the area. Belted uniform disappearing into the trees, the red head let out a low growl. Who did that guy think he was anyways? What sort of qualifications did he have to become the Chosen's bodyguard?
In irritation, he ate a few more berries, swallowed some water and finally shoved it all in his pack again. He knew that would tide him over till dinner, but he'd have to find something to cook over a fire.
That meant he'd have to go out into the forest alone and fetch something, especially since he didn't know where that mercenary went.
Standing and stretching, he shot a look over to his sleeping sister, wondering if it was really alright to leave her alone. It wasn't like they'd seen any Desians lately and the monsters were all probably sleeping for the night… though plenty of night crawlers probably surrounded the area-
"Could you get a fire started?" The mercenary spoke, his voice startling the red head.
Jolted from his thoughts, he quickly spun around to see the auburn with a large animal being dragged behind him. It's legs had been roped off and a large gash came from his head.
Dinner, apparently.
Anger boiled in Holtz' veins.
"You didn't have to do that," he commented dryly, "I was just about to go find something to eat."
"I saved time, then."
He twitched an eyebrow in irritation. What did this mercenary want to do, make him mad? It was like he did that on purpose… like he could read Holtz' thoughts.
Shaking the disturbing thought away, the red head growled in frustration and then stormed into the woods, aiming to get some firewood. His gray eyes darted along the forest floor. Lush grass surrounded tall and beautiful trees, red sunlight spilling in from the top of the canopy. It tinted the usually green leaves in reds and oranges, making it look like the place was aglow.
It didn't take long to find some sticks in the low light. He spotted the black masses along the ground and picked them up, carrying them in his arms as he found them. He was even lucky enough to find some large chunks of wood, the dry bark curling along the edges.
Carefully, he made his way back, the light eventually fading from the leaves, leaving only darkness in its wake. Just as the last bit of sunlight left the earth, Holtz made it back to the campsite… only to see that the mercenary had started a fire already.
"The hell!" He threw down all of the wood he'd collected, glaring daggers at the auburn man. He only got an inquisitive eyebrow. "What is that?" Jabbing a finger to the crackling fire, Holtz made his way to the blaze and looked down at the mercenary, towering above the seated man.
It was the only time he was taller. Otherwise, he stood only at the stoic man's shoulders.
He repeated his question, more venom in his voice, and the older man replied, "It's a fire."
"The hell kind of answer is that? Of course it's a fire! I want to know what it's doing here!"
"Cooking the food," the mercenary dead panned. He gestured to the roasting animal over the red flames. They licked at the skinned carcass greedily, smoke plums rising into the night sky as the feast baked.
Growling, the red head shouted, "Stop being such a bastard and answer me straight!"
If the other man was upset with the outburst, he didn't show it. Instead, clear disinterest was in his wine colored eyes, "I've given you a straight answer, I'm sorry it's not satisfactory." He certainly didn't sound apologetic.
Heaving a sigh of frustration, Holtz sat himself on the ground and glared into the fire, "You know what? Never mind. I'll leave the wood I collected here and the next Chosen can have it."
He honestly hadn't been expecting some sort of reply, "Do you believe your sister will fail?"
Flicking a glance over to the mercenary, the red head took a deep breath, the swirl of roasting meat and smoke filling his lungs. Did he expect Ilene to fail? Well, he hoped he could convince her to leave…
"This journey is unpredictable. Who knows what'll happen."
"Shouldn't one born of faith believe that things will turn out alright?"
Holtz scoffed, "That's pretty presumptuous, wouldn't you agree?"
"I suppose you're right. After all, I was born into religion and still am unsure."
Now that was strange. Holtz turned to face the mercenary, who was gazing up at the stars. He couldn't quite make out the older man's face, but there seemed to be something serious there. As if he was speaking about something else.
The red head commented, "You don't believe in Martel, either?"
The auburn shook his head, "I'm unsure."
"You saw an angel, right? You're escorting the Chosen… and you don't believe any of that crap?"
The older man turned to face Holtz, "I'm simply unsure. Yes, I saw the angel and you will too at this next temple, but doubts are not so easily cast aside."
Looking back to the fire, Holtz watched the reds and oranges mix and crackle. For some reason, he found it odd that the mercenary didn't believe in Martel. It just seemed like it'd be part of the job description when the priests were hiring someone. Be strong, be willing to take long treks and believe in Martel.
Inwardly, he shrugged. He supposed he was the one being presumptuous now.
He turned back towards the auburn –whatever his name was – only to see that he was staring up at the stars again.
"Someone you love up there, gramps?"
"You mean someone who's dead?"
"Well, you're old enough. Everyone you know is probably up there."
He faced the teen, "The stars just give me comfort. They're predictable, unlike life."
"Oh God," the red head twisted away from the mercenary, "Don't try to teach me any life lessons here, gramps, I'm only fifteen years old."
He could almost hear the older man roll his eyes.
Standing, the red head moved to where his sister slept. She was still leaning against the tree, head resting on her chest. He watched her as she took light breaths, feeling a small wave of relief echo through him.
Gingerly, he picked her up and moved her to a tent. Embarrassment covered his face as he remembered that he'd have to disrobe her, so he opted to only take off exterior clothing. If she woke up in the night, she could undress herself. He managed to slip her jacket off and her shoes and socks, leaving her dress and pants in place. Snatching up a light blanket, he tossed it over her and left. He'd have something to eat and then get some rest himself. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.
They both ate in silence, the mercenary finishing and storing the rest of the food. It'd probably last them a few days, so he decided to bring some. It'd save them the trouble of having to hunt down more food. Then, he exited to his own tent, leaving the red headed teen alone.
Holtz ate his share and then put out the fire, crawling into his sister's tent and curling nearby. With a cotton blanket pulled over his head, he drifted off into sleep.
It was Ilene who woke him, and the three of them tore down the camp site and began their journey up the mountainside. The mercenary had pointed to an area that had been exposed in the daylight. It was a deep cavern in one of the mountain faces, darkness welling up inside of it as if no amount of light could penetrate it.
Ilene agreed that that was their destination.
The trek took half the day, many of the monsters being easily defeated. Most didn't even bother to come around.
As they reached the crease in the earth, Ilene poked her head in.
"I can just make out something further in… come on." Holtz cut in front of the auburn mercenary to walk next to his sister. Secretly, he hoped he'd made the man mad.
"Sis, how can you see anything?"
"Your eyes get used to it."
After a few seconds, even he could make out shapes in the shadows.
"I guess," he muttered.
They walked in silence, the inky blackness seemingly absorbing all sound. It wasn't until they'd walked for a good half hour that they began seeing something in the distance. Golden beams of light filtered in from the roof and there, in the middle of a large opening, was a towering black building.
The front had a few twisted pathways, each surrounded by dark purple columns and ending with a doorway that entered the unknown. There was a stillness around the area that bothered Holtz. Hesitation rolled through his muscles as they approached. Every nerve in his body screamed You are not wanted! Leave now!
"Is this it?" He questioned.
It was the mercenary who responded, "It seems to be."
"The Temple of Darkness…" Ilene's eyes traveled over the area one more time, and then she walked forward. The two men followed, all three entering the nearest door, darkness swallowing them whole.
Inside was pitch black. Even after he found a wall, Holtz had no sense of direction. Whether they needed to walk up or down, to the left or right… the only sense he got was that the temple went further underground. While his brain imagined a gaping hole in the middle of the floor, he stated the obvious, "Man it's dark in here."
"So it would seem," the auburn spoke.
So it would seem? What kind of statement was that? Had it not 'seemed' that way before? Holtz growled at the older man, "How are we going to make it to the altar if we can't even see?"
"We use a light," Ilene commented. She rustled around in her bag for a second and then, something flickered and a small prickle of light came from her fingertips. In her hand was a match, the red flame barely doing anything to the darkness.
"Great job sis. Now all we have to do is light up a billion more of those and I might be able to see my toes."
The mercenary stated dully, "there's a rumor that a blue candle is necessary to discern the room through the darkness."
"A blue candle?" Came Holtz disbelieving reply.
"Yes. The Meltokio Research Facility is supposed to have one."
"Oh. How useful. Why don't I run back to Meltokio and grab it for us?" The sarcasm in the red head's response was thick, "You couldn't have said something back in Meltokio?"
"It's a rumor. That, and the research facility has been underfunded for years. Who knows if they have the blue candle at all."
Ilene let out a sigh, putting out the match light. It took a moment, but she soon returned light to the room, this time in the way of a torch. The end glow amber, making only their nearest surroundings escape from the shadows.
"This'll work. We'll just walk carefully."
Holtz stepped gingerly over to where his sister was, "I have an idea. Let's let gramps here take the lead. If he falls and breaks his hip, we know it's the wrong way."
The auburn's low voice resonated through the air, "An excellent plan except that it'll only work once. If we chose incorrectly again, it could be disastrous." He seemed utterly unfazed by Holtz' constant badgering, which only infuriated the teen more.
"Well, you're just going to have to be a trooper there, gramps."
The older man stepped past the siblings and started leading the way. He remained relatively close, however. His feet barely left the small amount of light as they travelled through the temple.
The pathways were rather spacious, but Holtz could tell, even in their limited light, that one wrong step would send them tumbling over the edge. He got the feeling that it wouldn't be a small drop, either. One would probably fall to their death if they stepped into the abyss.
Absently, he wondered how many Chosens had stepped into the abyss, plummeting to their demise.
He pondered it as they travelled down path after path. It seemed like it only grew darker, the air becoming chilled the deeper they went. He was about to say something when the ground beneath them leveled out and he could scarcely make out a large dome in the shadows.
"What is that?"
"The altar it would seem." The auburn remarked.
Ilene handed off the light, gently making her way to the dome and up a few steps or so.
The red head watched as his sister reached around, probably finding the altar. Just as he was about to approach to give her some light, the mercenary stuck his hand out.
"What?"
"Don't interfere. The Chosen is doing her duty."
"I was just going to give her some light, but if you want her to trip and fall on some pointy statue or something, then I'll just wait here."
Since the man didn't move, Holtz assumed he did want Ilene to fall on some pointy statue.
"Hey!" he called out to his sister, "Watch out for deadly decorations!"
She gave a light chuckle, but no response.
Shifting uneasily between his feet, the teen felt an icy drop in the temperature as his sister apparently found something. It was an unreal feeling. It'd already been cold, but now the temperature was freezing. Shivering, he looked to the auburn to see that the man seemed unaffected by the chill.
"You too old to feel anything, gramps?" he jabbed, but there was no heart in it. Instead, fear began rising in his chest. He just wanted it to be over with. Calling out, he caught his sister's attention, "Hey! How long does it take the Great Chosen to find an altar?"
The humor in her voice was thin, like she was just as scared as he was, "The Great Chosen takes her time."
As if on cue, a loud noise boomed through the air. Startled, Holtz jumped, dropping the torch onto the ground.
"Shit!" He knelt down to grab for it, but heard Ilene shout from in front of him. For one second, the room lit up with light. The pure white energy poured out of his sister's crystal and twisted around the room. The altar in front sparked, forming something in the center of it. Just as the light was fading out, Holtz saw what beast was before them.
It was a large creature with a snapping mouth. Its long snout was colored a sickly green and razor sharp teeth decorated its lips. Fur and feathers fluttered down its neck and legs, front legs colored orange and red while its back legs were brown and stubby in nature.
It gave off a horrible gurgle, eyes narrowing in on Ilene.
Holtz' heart stopped beating as darkness consumed them.
He heard a loud, quick shuffling and then the grunt of his sister. She gave off a small yelp and then was running in a different direction.
"Ilene!" He called.
Unfortunately, it seemed to catch the attention of the monster.
"Shit!" He heard the long nails of the creature's front feet clacking against the cobblestone ground as it raced towards him. In desperation, he fumbled with his sword, darting backwards as the creature ran over the torch, extinguishing the only light source they had.
Now in complete darkness, Holtz brought his blade up right as the monster swung for him, claws digging into his skin as it knocked him to the left.
Crying out, he landed on the ground and rolled. His thoughts swam and he desperately tried to get his footing. As he heard the terrible creature running for him again, a low chant came to his ears and the next thing he knew, lightning filled the air, sparking around the creature in a momentary burst of light.
The red head shot a glance over to the mercenary who was already letting off another spell.
Red hot lava scorched the creature's legs as it dashed over to its new target, teeth bared in fury. Just as it was charging the auburn, he jumped out of the way and sliced his blade into the soft golden fun of the monster. It let out a howl as the mercenary kept the creature's attention focused on him.
Ilene was at Holtz side a moment later, and even though he could only see his sister when there were flashes of light from spells, he could see her determination.
"We'll attack it together," she said.
Nodding, the red head prepared himself but wasn't even able to charge forward when a voice echoed off of the walls.
"Well, well, well… if it isn't the Chosen of Tethe'alla. It's a pleasure." Surrounded by Desians, all of whom carried torches, was a tall man with blonde cropped hair. His uniform was crisp. Gray and black colored it, shining silver armor covering his shoulders and chest. There was an intimidating attitude about him, making Holtz' heart seize in his chest. The Desian's blue eyes narrowed and his face was serious. His voice portrayed nothing but slight annoyance, "You're nothing but a casualty of war, I'm afraid." He snapped his fingers and a swarm of Desians ran down the ramp and entered the fray. Right as several of them made it to Holtz and Ilene, the top Desian said, "Curse your fate, Chosen. Not the one who deigned it."