WARNING: For details on overall warning, see Chapter One. I also warn you
that Response to Reviewers is out-of-controlledly (not a real word, don't
use at home) long! Feel free to skip ahead to the pretty line for the
chapter; I'm sure I don't say anything TOO important (just details of my
plans to take over the world. That's all.)
Author's note: Sorry again for how long it's taking me to update lately, I'm still grappling with this concept of them wanting us to 'work' at University. 'Work?' What is this thing called 'work' that you speak of? But I DID update eventually, didn't I? Didn't I? ... Why are you all holding weapons?
Response to Reviewers!:
White Chocolate: (Victory dance!) - new reviewer alert! For some reason your reviews disappeared from the review page, but I replied regardless. I too dislike cannon couples, which I guess is the point of fanfiction.. You have a very full life, I'm amazed you have time to review this humble story. Music camp would be more fun in a peaceful suburb where you could practice with the entire orchestra late at night and drive everyone insane, only to leave three days later before they can enact their revenge. (Pats head). There there, I'm a geek who watches all the Japanese Sailormoon too. Thanks for your review.
Rosa Aquafire: Thank you for your support Rosa! Saves me at least three lines in Response to Reviewers and the Author's Notes that everyone apparently reads. I'm sorry, but it's going to take a painfully long time for any real Hawk/Angela action - I put in some scenes this chapter to appease you though, I hope. (Aww, I want a Hawk plushie too!)
Wingnut: O.o? (Goes and sits in a corner, rocking back and forth.) Once I have fully deciphered that review, I will challenge Arianrod for leadership of the world.
Yukariyo: (Victory dance!) I never claimed to be an expert on flirting, but I try. Hope you like this chapter.
Serenity-Wheeler: (Earth is falling out of solar orbit. No sugar high?) Thanks for your review.
WaterDragonerS: Ah well. Thanks for your review. I must find this patch you speak of...
Solarious: I thought Truewind was a girl.. Well, thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter! Sorry about the lack of inclusion of the tiger bikini everyone, but, well - point finger innocently - Truewind already did it. (Ahead again! Must. type.)
Oxi-Nu: /Emote. (????)
^_^: You're right, there wasn't a ghost ancestor of Nikita on that ship in the GAME, but I never said that this was going to be accurate. The doo- whackey is just that. It will forever remain undescribed. (Initiates plans to kill off reviewers by laughing them to death. Oh wait, for that I have to be FUNNY! Oh darn.)
Bishiehuggler: I have no words. Thank for you for you review.
Slash the Ironman: Thank you. Ha ha. Ha.
TenshiNoAkuma: I reallyreallyreallyreallyreally thank you. X4. I could never remember the book thing either. In fact, I probably got it wrong. BTW, everyone, there's a hiatus on the dark magic, simply because I can include only so many features per chapter. I had no idea that the doo- whackey would be so popular.. I should try and sell it to people. Maybe I could use the profits to buy food. Wow, food...
Shade: Thank you for the warning. And the review. And your undying gratitude. And for that statue of Duran outside my window. That was you, right?
Ff.net surfer: Yes, I belatedly realised that I had got Gorva and Genova confused - they sound so much alike! Sorry guys. It's been a while since I've played, to be honest. Please don't kill me.
Wings of Lead: I don't know, I figured that if the Fairy ever does go into Hawk's head it should be an event. I will say nothing more, except for thanks for the review as always.
Nightmares Hell Queen: Okay, now you guys are just badgering me about Gorva and Genova. I got it, okay? I UNDERSTAND! I'M SORRY! I'm not worthy of writing this, obviously, I'll just stop this fic right now! ...(Nah, just kidding, thanks for poitning it out, I suddenly feel enlightened. Had you worried, though, didn't I? No? Aw, shucks.)
Cookie Pixie: Shade was fun to write. Wanted something different from the other dysfunctional Elementals. Have to agree with you on all points - who sticks up a password in a bloody hallway? Really. Thanks for you review, as always, hope you like this chapter as much.
WolfOfDarkness: (Victory Dance!) I made someone's sibling think they are crazy! YAY!
AGAIN (I hope you're all as sick of hearing this as I am) sorry for the delay, and thank all of you for reviewing! Please put away the weapons till AFTER the chapter, please? (Gives me time to hide.)
Cat food.
_______________
Another Witchmaker
Chapter 25 - Ka Boom
By Sinnatious
************
Tranquil ocean. Beautiful beach. The gentle sound of wind and waves mixing with a faint salty scent in the air.
It would have been a really nice thing to wake up to usually.
If it wasn't interuppted but the feeling of what felt like ants biting her face.
"Argh! What?!" Angela yelled, sitting up suddenly, waving her hands around in a semi-conscious panic.
"Eeep! She's awake, Duran!" an all-too-familiar voice called.
The Knight came running on to the scene, looking less handsome than usual, with sand in his hair and bits of seaweed still stuck to his clothes. Well, she supposed she could get used to the rugged look. "Princess! Are you okay?"
"Exthept that I have sand in mai mouth an that thing was slfapping me awake," the Delvar spat out a mouthful of sand, sitting up and feeling for her cane. A sparkle caught her eye - it was resting on the beach several metres away from her. Being slapped awake by the Fairy! How insulting! Especially after how gracious she was in being the temporary Mana Knight! The little deity would get hers later.
"That's good, I was worried when the Fairy woke me up and no one else was nearby." Duran looked relieved. She didn't know why - the Knight was obviously heartier than he looked, and a great deal luckier, if he could swim to shore with all of that armour. He had probably just sunk to the bottom and walked the rest of the way. Either that or their growing arsenal of Elementals were increasing their survival rates in unlikely situations.
"What about you?" She asked belately. Come to think of it, the Forcenan was looking a little pale.
"I don't feel too good - I swallowed a fair bit of seawater, but I'll be fine," he replied, obviously too tired from the whole ordeal to act all macho about it like most Knights were inclined to do.
Nodding in sympathy, she asked, "Where's Hawk?
"He's over the next dune!" the Fairy called from atop the next sand hill, having put her tempoaray flee from Angela's wrath to good use.
Duran gallantly helped her to her feet, but she was still too far out of it to really revel in the tiny victory. They clambered up the sand dune, and immediately spotted the thief sprawled on the beach, still unconscious.
"Hey! How dare you sleep while I work! Wake up, Hawk!" Angela yelled as they reached him, leaning down and shaking his shoulders.
Eyes snapping open, the thief sat up so fast he nearly hit her on the head, one knife out at the ready, obviously half-expecting to be attacked. An instant later, his temporary panic was broken by a severe coughing fit as he choked up some seawater.
"You okay?" The Fairy asked, hovering by nervously. "I was worried that none of you would make it...."
"Stop pretending to care!" Angela snapped, generously whacking the thief on the back, and enjoying this legal form of violence far too much for her own good. "We're not fine yet! What happened anyway?!"
"I'm assuming we washed up on the shore of a beach after the ship capsized," Duran replied.
No kidding.
"Is everyone alright?" Hawk finally coughed out, obviously awake and recovered from his coughing fit.
"Define 'alright'. Where are we, anyway?"
"Bucca Island," he nonchalently replied.
"What? How do you know that?!"
The thief just pointed. "By that volcano right over there."
"VOLCANO?!" Angela shrieked. "Will it erupt?"
The Ranger shrugged. "Who knows? It was supposed to erupt about three weeks ago, but still hasn't. Overdue I guess."
"Doesn't anybody ELSE think that it's cause for concern that we're washed up on a probably uninhabited island with no means of getting off it?!"
"I do!" Duran announced, as though he were a child answering a teacher's question in class.
"Thank you, Duran, do you have a solution for this problem?"
"......No."
"Brilliant."
"We don't know this island is uninhabited," The Fairy berated. "Get up and search! Surely there must be a primitive village or something. I thought I saw some smoke earlier."
"And did it occur to you that it might be from the VOLCANO?" Angela hissed.
".....No." Like Fairy, like Fairy-carrier.
"I rest my case. We're doomed!" She mightn't have minded her fate were she stranded on this island with Duran alone..... but she had no intention of dying without dragging Koren along with her! Or dying without ever actually receving a kiss from the handsome Knight. Or..... Why did the Goddess conspire to end her life or make it hell every twenty minutes?! Why?!
"Hm?" Hawk sounded surprised.
"What is it?" she asked, hoping that maybe he'd had an uncanny revelation regarding a convenient shipping route. Or anything. Why couldn't the Elementals teach her to fly?! Surely Jinn....
"Thought I just saw a giant turtle out there."
So much for her hopes of rescue. "Just how much seawater did you swallow? I can't believe it. He's already seeing mirages!"
Even Duran was starting to look upset. "After everything we faced, a volcano will be the death of us?"
"Then at least let's find a better place to die," Hawk cheerfully suggested, standing and brushing the sand off his clothes. "Where did you say you saw smoke, Fairy?"
"Follow me!" the small deity ordered, enthusiastically leading the way.
That was always a sign that things were going to go wrong awfully quickly. Not that they could get much worse.
The jungle was not as peaceful as they hoped, and the muggy air didn't help Duran's apparent waves of nausea from swallowing a little too much seawater surfacing - three times they had to stop so he could go into the bushes and throw up, and each time he came back followed by a cohort of pink rabite- like creatures that were decidedly more agile and persistent that their widespread cousins. 'Silktails' they were called, according to the Fairy, forever providing them with useless tidbits of information.
As they dispatched the most recent lot while Duran tried to catch his breath, Angela finished them off once again with a powerful beam of magical energy through her staff.
"That's three times I've seen you use that, Angie," The Fairy observed, for some reason deciding to try and be nice. "What's it called?"
"Beats me. I really need to think up a catchy name for that," Angela mused. "Special Magical Beam Ray of Destruction? No.... Staff of Bright Death? No...."
"Nothing will ever sound cooler than Flying Swallow Toss," Hawk pronounced.
"What about Star Attack?" Duran suggested. Suddenly she understood the unimaginative naming behind the Three-Step-Cut. But.... it was Duran.
"What a brilliant idea, Duran! Star Attack it is!" She gushed, batting her eyelashes at him, hoping his recent bouts of jealousy - and dizziness from his vomiting - might mean he'd take the bait.
Again, she was wrong. Duran just smiled. "You're welcome, Princess."
"I think I see the village the Fairy was talking about through the trees there." The Ranger pointed, somehow managing to pick out what looked like a structure and glimpse of movement through the thick undergrowth.
"I can't believe she was right AGAIN," the Princess muttered under her breath. "Who would live on this island? Especially when it's about to blow?" Regardless, they somewhat haggardly made their way towards the village.
Almost as soon as they were within clear sight of the village, they were approached by a man, vaguely resembeling an eggplant, floating on an ornate cushion. "Shamen....," Angela realised. Why hadn't she sensed them earlier?
"Greetings, visitors. May I ask what brings you here?" the Shaman politely asked.
"A ship haunted by ghosts," Hawk replied casually.
"And the tides that washed us up on the shore," Duran added.
Figuring that if she couldn't beat them, she may as well join them, Angela pointed to the Fairy, still hovering at the head of the group. "And that."
Oddly enough, this seemed to satisify the Shaman, who gave what appeard to be an all-clear signal to his fellow villagers, who immediately levitated over and began to crowd them. "Would you like to buy some armour?"
"How about some items? We have herbs of all varieties!"
"Don't listen! These are top-quality imported goods! Our items are guaranteed!"
"Stay a night at our inn? It's rustic and low-priced!"
"Merchants... they're everywhere!" Angela held a hand to her head in dismay, overwhelmed.
"Business must be hard on a largely unpopulated volcanic island," Hawk mused.
"I still wouldn't think that SHAMEN of all people would moonlight as merchants! I would think their codes of honour to be mutually exclusive!"
"Excuse me, sir!" Duran called over the din to the Shamen who had first addressed them. "This volcano on this island is going to erupt soon, is it not? Can you tell me if there's anyway off this island?"
The Shaman, much to their surprise, nodded, the merchants temporarily giving way to what appeared to be their leader. "You can ask the guardian spirit of this island, Booskaboo, to help you. He lives in the caves to the east of here. But the path is blocked by landslides dislodged by the recent earthquakes."
"We ought to still be able to get in," Angela assured them, confident that Gnome could handle such a small problem. Booskaboo. If she wasn't desperate at this point in time, she'd probably be laughing at any guardian that was so ridiculously named.
"If you intend to go to Booskaboo, you should rest first," the Shaman advised them. "The caves are rife with monsters, even with the danger of the volcano. And you do not look well from you ordeal in the ocean. You may rest safely within the walls of this village tonight if you so wish."
"But... isn't that volcano going to blow up really soon?" the Princess fretted.
"Whilst that is imminent, there is still enough time."
Reluctantly, they each nodded their agreement. Satisfied, the lead Shaman left and they were once again harrassed by the merchants. After negotiating a surprisingly cheap night's rest at the inn, which turned out to be some straw beds under a sort of tent, they escaped to set up a small campfire to dry their clothes by the outer edge of the village, the merchants giving them a temporary respite. The sun began to set, turning the sky blood-red. It probably would have been much prettier had that big hulking ugly volcano not been sitting there smoking, a constant reminder of imminent doom. At least they had a way off the island now - they weren't going to die just yet. That left attention for more important matters.
Like Duran. The Knight was gazing into the sunset, more-or-less ignoring Angela again. The Delvar was beginning to get more than annoyed. Even her subtle flirting with Hawk hadn't given hardcore results - she'd done little more than turn his eye thus far, and whilst she admitted she was making progress, it was taking an embarrassingly long time. She was going to have to go to more drastic measures if this kept up. And she'd already thought she'd been pushing the boundaries of 'drastic' as it was.....
As for the thief.... Angela turned to look for him, and was once again confronted only by emptiness. That was the problem with thieves, you could never find them when you wanted to, he was always off somewhere.... rangering.... hiding... wandering.... and, well, thieving. It had only become worse ever since Hawk had performed his first class change, if he became a Wanderer or a Rogue she'd never find him! Why was he hiding, anyway? She turned around again in frustration, and came face-to-face with a serious-looking Hawk.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Duran looked over. "The Fairy wants to know if you mind keeping it down? She's says she's trying to plan something." He resumed his silent brooding, obviously giving some serious thought to how to rid the world of Koren for the first time in a few days.
Angela was about to give the tiny deity a piece of her mind, but realised suddenly that the Ranger she had previously been looking for was standing there looking at her questioningly. "Where did you come from, Hawk? Stop scaring me like that!"
Hawk just shrugged, then held up the hide of a silktail as if it were proof of his innocence, obviously at last conditioned to her constant accusations of stealing and the subsequent cane-bashings. "Don't you remember? I said I was going hunting, since who knows what these crazy Shamen eat for food. Sorry if I frightened you." He walked past her over to where he'd left the smouldering fire, setting up the carcass on a spit before preparing to add more firewood he'd 'acquired' from the villagers.
Angela grinned. If simple flirting wasn't going to get the brooding swordsman's attention, then she'd just have to be more forward. Give him something to REALLY get jealous over.
"Oooooh Haaaawk," she cooed, running up behind him and throwing her arms around his shoulders. To her surprise, he didn't even flinch, and neither did Duran. She frowned for a moment, then began massaging Hawk's shoulders. That got a reaction. He tensed beneath her, and for a moment she forgot her true purpose when she discovered how stiff his muscles were. Was he stressed? 'Of course he's stressed, Angela', she told herself witheringly. 'How many days ago was it that we fought Bigieu? You have the sensitivity of a brick!' Getting back on track, she whispered breathily in his ear, "You've been working soooo hard, why don't you just let me do that for you?" Leaning forward, making sure the Ranger could get a good long look at her cleavage, she used a small amount of wind magic to fan the fire and make it leap to life once again. Within moments a much more merry little blaze was going beneath the silktail.
Just as suddenly, she realised that Hawk had slipped out of her hold and was sitting on the other side of the fire, turning the spit idly. "Thanks, Angela." How did he do that? She'd been holding him, and he managed to move without her noticing until too late? For that matter, she'd expected him to at least develop a nosebleed with that generous look she'd given him, especially given that this was Hawk of all people, ladies' man wanna- be extraordinaire!- or so she'd thought to begin with. She was finding the thief to be like an onion with the many layers of personality she was encountering, making her wonder what the true face of their mysterious ally really was, or if she was ever going to find it.
Eating roasted silktail for dinner though. Over a campfire. Goddess, she missed the luxuries of being a Princess! And that whole embarrassing affair hadn't done much more than raise an eyebrow from Duran. Who knew what the Fairy was thinking.
Sighing and accepting at least temporary defeat, she sat down next to the fire, stretching out to enjoy as its warmth as the air began to grow cooler. It was starting to look like she was never going to get Duran's attention, much less kill Koren. Not that the two events were really that much linked.
"Say Hawk...." the magician mused.
"Yeah, Angie?"
"Why DIDN'T you hop on that boat with Nikita and go back to Navarre? You could have avoided this whole mess we're in right now. I mean, lifting the curse aside, isn't leaving her in Bigieu's hold more dangerous than leaving her cursed?" She hadn't really had the chance to speak with him since Palo port, and it had been bothering her ever since.
The thief sighed, laying back to look up at the darkening sky leisurely, keeping one hand rotating the spit. "It wasn't only that. If I went back to Navarre, I'd probably be put to death."
That WASN'T what she was expecting to hear. "Put to death?! Why?"
"Life's hard in the desert, Angie. Traitors are dealt with harshly. For killing a single fellow ninja, even under the circumstances, I couldn't hope more much less than life imprisonment. And given how many ninja I killed in Rolante and Palo alone, without even taking into account Eagle or any I caused during my escape, there's no way that they'd let me live."
"But surely... with everything you've done.... And it was Bigieu...."
Hawk shrugged. "Maybe. But would YOU be willing to take that chance and head back to Altena?"
Probably not. Looked like she was stuck with him for a while, then.
Duran stood, obviously finished with what had looked to be a long mental conversation with the Fairy; knowing the tiny deity all the in-depth details about being a Mana Knight and a hero of the world and all that. "We should probably go and get some sleep after dinner. Even if the Shamen think there's still plenty of time before the volcano blows, I'd still like to leave as soon as possible tomorrow."
Nodding their agreement, they fell into a comfortable silence. Later, they even managed to get a decent night's sleep on the surprisingly comfortable straw beds.
Of course, they couldn't ever be woken normally anymore. At the ungodly crack of dawn the next day, Angela was jerked away by a distinct shaking and rumbling. "What?!"
"Earthquake!" Duran yelled, already tugging on his boots. "The volcano must be getting ready to blow!"
"WHAT?!"
After a moment, though, the shaking abated. "It must have just been a pre- eruption quake," the Fairy decided, sounding relieved. "We still have some time."
"I don't care! Let's leave NOW!" The Princess hissed.
"Okay. Just wake up Hawk first," Duran suggested.
Sure enough, the Ranger had slept through the entire thing. Amazing, she had found someone who hated early mornings even more than she did. Well, rectifying this sort of problem was what she was best at.
"AIR BLAST!"
Hawk was up and ready within moments. After picking himself out of the windblown rubble of what HAD been the inn. Lucky for them, the innkeeper was conveniently elsewhere.
"Okay, let's go," Duran urged, rushing them from the village. At the exit, the same Shaman that had greeted them the day before was awaiting them.
"I wish you luck and blessings on your journey," he said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks for all your help," Angela dismissed.
"What about you? When the volcano erupts, this village is surely finished." Duran was clearly concerned. The Fairy, sitting on the Knight's shoulder, bore a similar expression.
The Shaman merely shook his head. "Whatever the Bird God wishes will be. If we are to survive, we will survive. This is our home, and our lot. We shall not run from fate."
"Bird God?! We stayed in a village of HEATHENS!" The Fairy suddenly yelled in a violent outburst.
"Shhhh," Angela shushed, plucking the Fairy from the Knight's shoulder and out of sight of the Shaman.
"It's not too late to repent your ways and serve the Mana Goddess! It's the one true path!"
"Shut up already! Besides, you were the one who led us to this village!"
"That's very courageous of you," Duran commended. The Shaman just bowed his head.
"We're going now!" Angela ordered, concerned by the look of glowing admiration and nobility shining in the Knight's eyes and anxious to get away before he decided to stay with the Shamen to the end to share in their heroism, as from what little experience she had with Forcenan Knights it was apparently a very Knightly thing to do. As if reading her mind, the thief tugged on his friends arm, and they made their way back into the jungle and throngs of silktails, waving a brief goodbye. It slightly saddened her that yet another village would probably be wiped out in another couple of days, but at least this was an act of nature and not of some kingdom, and besides, escaping herself was more important.
The caves were surprsingly easy to find - there was even a path leading there that they had somehow overlooked earlier, which did make for less encounters with annoying Silktails. The big boulders blocking the entrance the caves was even easier to find.
"Well, I suppose this is my job." The Delvar sauntered forward, flexing her fingers, and with less effort than she expected, called forth Gnome.
"Hiya! What can I for you guys?" the energetic Elemental asked, hopping from foot to foot. She could never get used to it - especially after just meeting Shade who at least had SOME dignity.
"Can you move this boulder?" Angela asked, pointing at the huge thing.
"Yes I can." The Elemental sat there, staring at her, still hopping from foot to foot.
Long silence.
"Well?"
"I can move the boulder."
Grinding her teeth, the Delvar shouted, "MOVE THE BOULDER!"
"Okay!" It wasn't any problem for Gnome, when he finally got around to it and stopped being such a smart-ass. This must be where the Fairy got it from....
However, Gnome had barely disappeared when the ground rocked violently beneath their feet once again. "AAAAHH! Not again! I thought we had lots more time!"
"Gnome! We shouldn't have used Gnome's power!" The Fairy suddenly screeched, clinging onto Duran like a lifeline, even though theoretically she ought to be able to fly and avoid the whole thing. "Using Gnome set off the volcano! Don't use him again or it'll erupt right now!"
So suddenly their day or two to get through the cave and off the island to safety had just been reduced to hours because they used Gnome to move a boulder? It was true. Mana was having some serious issues.
"What are we waiting for, then? Get inside!" Angela yelled, leading the way herself as the current quake began to abate. As soon as she entered, she was batting away more crazy bats and zombies with her cane. Duran and Hawk followed, and they cleared a path through that cave, wasting no time to the next one, even doing their best to sneak past undetected to cut down on battle-time. Strangely enough, these caverns weren't quite so dark, even with the Fairy seeking refuge inside Duran's head - they seemed to be lit with an eerie red glow that none of them wanted to imagine the source of, given that they were inside a volcano.
"Does anyone know where we're going?" Angela asked, as they followed the somewhat-pathway through the caves further downward. "I mean, I know I kind of didn't pay attention in class, but isn't it generally a better idea to not go DOWN in a volcano? We're only going to get closer to the lava."
Duran shrugged, obviously having great faith in the Shamen. "Booskaboo must be around here SOMEWHERE."
No sooner had they said that, than they appeared to arrive at a dead end. Emerging into the next cave, they were all surprised to see, instead of lava, dark seawater beneath them.
Exasperated, the Delvar sank to her knees. "This is the end of the line. Where's this Booskaboo?"
"Booskaboo nor any other creature will not be able to help you now!" A God- like voice echoed through the cavern.
"That voice.... the Mana Goddess?" Duran wondered.
"I love these acoustics," the voice murmured a moment later. "I must tell Bieigu about this."
"Wait, that's not the Mana Goddess! That's Jagan! I hear you're the one who kidnapped Riesz's brother! And you've been impersonating the Mana Goddess as well!" Duran accused.
Recognition fully set in as the cloaked man turned his eerie crimson gaze upon them. "What are you doing here?" Hawk demanded, moving into a threatening position.
"I have come to kill you. Is that not obvious? Tell me, have I scared you yet, infidels?" the vampiric creature cackled melodramatically.
Angela was finding their foe a little less scary each time they came across him. "We don't have time for this! Get out of our way! This is not the place to fight you!" Plus, there was still the notion that this was a powerful adversary, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take him on just yet.
"You will fight me, infidels, because that is what you are supposed to do!" Jagan hissed, clearly upset at the deviation from the script. "Bigieu said so! Prepare yourselves!" He flung out his cape.
They needed a way out of this situation, now.
"Any ideas, Princess?" Duran prompted urgently.
"Um.... um... EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE!"
Jagan wasn't impressed. "There is no earthquake."
Well, not yet. "Oh, Gnome?"
The Elemental of Earth appeared on cue, did a dance, and then disappeared. Suddenly, the entire cavern began shaking violently, and a rumble filled their ears.
The vampire-wanna-be suddenly seemed to realise that his own life was in jeopardy now. "No! I must flee into the darkness! Whoosh!" Jagan disappeared in his now-customary puff of smoke. Leaving them inside a volcano that was about to explode.
"What were you thinking, Angela!" The Fairy berated, appearing apparently for the sole purpose of scolding the Princess. "I told you not to use Gnome!"
"It was the only choice I had!"
"Get in the water!" Hawk ordered, pushing Duran over and motioning for her to come as well. They jumped in, gasping as the cold splash caught them by surprise. "It's our only chance!"
The earthquake felt as though it was going to shake the entire cavern apart; as it was pieces of the ceiling were shaking loose and falling into the water like deadly cannon balls. This was it, she supposed. Goodbye, cruel world....
Wait; was that a giant turtle?
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Cat food. Tada! Please review. Cat food.
Author's note: Sorry again for how long it's taking me to update lately, I'm still grappling with this concept of them wanting us to 'work' at University. 'Work?' What is this thing called 'work' that you speak of? But I DID update eventually, didn't I? Didn't I? ... Why are you all holding weapons?
Response to Reviewers!:
White Chocolate: (Victory dance!) - new reviewer alert! For some reason your reviews disappeared from the review page, but I replied regardless. I too dislike cannon couples, which I guess is the point of fanfiction.. You have a very full life, I'm amazed you have time to review this humble story. Music camp would be more fun in a peaceful suburb where you could practice with the entire orchestra late at night and drive everyone insane, only to leave three days later before they can enact their revenge. (Pats head). There there, I'm a geek who watches all the Japanese Sailormoon too. Thanks for your review.
Rosa Aquafire: Thank you for your support Rosa! Saves me at least three lines in Response to Reviewers and the Author's Notes that everyone apparently reads. I'm sorry, but it's going to take a painfully long time for any real Hawk/Angela action - I put in some scenes this chapter to appease you though, I hope. (Aww, I want a Hawk plushie too!)
Wingnut: O.o? (Goes and sits in a corner, rocking back and forth.) Once I have fully deciphered that review, I will challenge Arianrod for leadership of the world.
Yukariyo: (Victory dance!) I never claimed to be an expert on flirting, but I try. Hope you like this chapter.
Serenity-Wheeler: (Earth is falling out of solar orbit. No sugar high?) Thanks for your review.
WaterDragonerS: Ah well. Thanks for your review. I must find this patch you speak of...
Solarious: I thought Truewind was a girl.. Well, thanks for your review, and I hope you like this chapter! Sorry about the lack of inclusion of the tiger bikini everyone, but, well - point finger innocently - Truewind already did it. (Ahead again! Must. type.)
Oxi-Nu: /Emote. (????)
^_^: You're right, there wasn't a ghost ancestor of Nikita on that ship in the GAME, but I never said that this was going to be accurate. The doo- whackey is just that. It will forever remain undescribed. (Initiates plans to kill off reviewers by laughing them to death. Oh wait, for that I have to be FUNNY! Oh darn.)
Bishiehuggler: I have no words. Thank for you for you review.
Slash the Ironman: Thank you. Ha ha. Ha.
TenshiNoAkuma: I reallyreallyreallyreallyreally thank you. X4. I could never remember the book thing either. In fact, I probably got it wrong. BTW, everyone, there's a hiatus on the dark magic, simply because I can include only so many features per chapter. I had no idea that the doo- whackey would be so popular.. I should try and sell it to people. Maybe I could use the profits to buy food. Wow, food...
Shade: Thank you for the warning. And the review. And your undying gratitude. And for that statue of Duran outside my window. That was you, right?
Ff.net surfer: Yes, I belatedly realised that I had got Gorva and Genova confused - they sound so much alike! Sorry guys. It's been a while since I've played, to be honest. Please don't kill me.
Wings of Lead: I don't know, I figured that if the Fairy ever does go into Hawk's head it should be an event. I will say nothing more, except for thanks for the review as always.
Nightmares Hell Queen: Okay, now you guys are just badgering me about Gorva and Genova. I got it, okay? I UNDERSTAND! I'M SORRY! I'm not worthy of writing this, obviously, I'll just stop this fic right now! ...(Nah, just kidding, thanks for poitning it out, I suddenly feel enlightened. Had you worried, though, didn't I? No? Aw, shucks.)
Cookie Pixie: Shade was fun to write. Wanted something different from the other dysfunctional Elementals. Have to agree with you on all points - who sticks up a password in a bloody hallway? Really. Thanks for you review, as always, hope you like this chapter as much.
WolfOfDarkness: (Victory Dance!) I made someone's sibling think they are crazy! YAY!
AGAIN (I hope you're all as sick of hearing this as I am) sorry for the delay, and thank all of you for reviewing! Please put away the weapons till AFTER the chapter, please? (Gives me time to hide.)
Cat food.
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Another Witchmaker
Chapter 25 - Ka Boom
By Sinnatious
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Tranquil ocean. Beautiful beach. The gentle sound of wind and waves mixing with a faint salty scent in the air.
It would have been a really nice thing to wake up to usually.
If it wasn't interuppted but the feeling of what felt like ants biting her face.
"Argh! What?!" Angela yelled, sitting up suddenly, waving her hands around in a semi-conscious panic.
"Eeep! She's awake, Duran!" an all-too-familiar voice called.
The Knight came running on to the scene, looking less handsome than usual, with sand in his hair and bits of seaweed still stuck to his clothes. Well, she supposed she could get used to the rugged look. "Princess! Are you okay?"
"Exthept that I have sand in mai mouth an that thing was slfapping me awake," the Delvar spat out a mouthful of sand, sitting up and feeling for her cane. A sparkle caught her eye - it was resting on the beach several metres away from her. Being slapped awake by the Fairy! How insulting! Especially after how gracious she was in being the temporary Mana Knight! The little deity would get hers later.
"That's good, I was worried when the Fairy woke me up and no one else was nearby." Duran looked relieved. She didn't know why - the Knight was obviously heartier than he looked, and a great deal luckier, if he could swim to shore with all of that armour. He had probably just sunk to the bottom and walked the rest of the way. Either that or their growing arsenal of Elementals were increasing their survival rates in unlikely situations.
"What about you?" She asked belately. Come to think of it, the Forcenan was looking a little pale.
"I don't feel too good - I swallowed a fair bit of seawater, but I'll be fine," he replied, obviously too tired from the whole ordeal to act all macho about it like most Knights were inclined to do.
Nodding in sympathy, she asked, "Where's Hawk?
"He's over the next dune!" the Fairy called from atop the next sand hill, having put her tempoaray flee from Angela's wrath to good use.
Duran gallantly helped her to her feet, but she was still too far out of it to really revel in the tiny victory. They clambered up the sand dune, and immediately spotted the thief sprawled on the beach, still unconscious.
"Hey! How dare you sleep while I work! Wake up, Hawk!" Angela yelled as they reached him, leaning down and shaking his shoulders.
Eyes snapping open, the thief sat up so fast he nearly hit her on the head, one knife out at the ready, obviously half-expecting to be attacked. An instant later, his temporary panic was broken by a severe coughing fit as he choked up some seawater.
"You okay?" The Fairy asked, hovering by nervously. "I was worried that none of you would make it...."
"Stop pretending to care!" Angela snapped, generously whacking the thief on the back, and enjoying this legal form of violence far too much for her own good. "We're not fine yet! What happened anyway?!"
"I'm assuming we washed up on the shore of a beach after the ship capsized," Duran replied.
No kidding.
"Is everyone alright?" Hawk finally coughed out, obviously awake and recovered from his coughing fit.
"Define 'alright'. Where are we, anyway?"
"Bucca Island," he nonchalently replied.
"What? How do you know that?!"
The thief just pointed. "By that volcano right over there."
"VOLCANO?!" Angela shrieked. "Will it erupt?"
The Ranger shrugged. "Who knows? It was supposed to erupt about three weeks ago, but still hasn't. Overdue I guess."
"Doesn't anybody ELSE think that it's cause for concern that we're washed up on a probably uninhabited island with no means of getting off it?!"
"I do!" Duran announced, as though he were a child answering a teacher's question in class.
"Thank you, Duran, do you have a solution for this problem?"
"......No."
"Brilliant."
"We don't know this island is uninhabited," The Fairy berated. "Get up and search! Surely there must be a primitive village or something. I thought I saw some smoke earlier."
"And did it occur to you that it might be from the VOLCANO?" Angela hissed.
".....No." Like Fairy, like Fairy-carrier.
"I rest my case. We're doomed!" She mightn't have minded her fate were she stranded on this island with Duran alone..... but she had no intention of dying without dragging Koren along with her! Or dying without ever actually receving a kiss from the handsome Knight. Or..... Why did the Goddess conspire to end her life or make it hell every twenty minutes?! Why?!
"Hm?" Hawk sounded surprised.
"What is it?" she asked, hoping that maybe he'd had an uncanny revelation regarding a convenient shipping route. Or anything. Why couldn't the Elementals teach her to fly?! Surely Jinn....
"Thought I just saw a giant turtle out there."
So much for her hopes of rescue. "Just how much seawater did you swallow? I can't believe it. He's already seeing mirages!"
Even Duran was starting to look upset. "After everything we faced, a volcano will be the death of us?"
"Then at least let's find a better place to die," Hawk cheerfully suggested, standing and brushing the sand off his clothes. "Where did you say you saw smoke, Fairy?"
"Follow me!" the small deity ordered, enthusiastically leading the way.
That was always a sign that things were going to go wrong awfully quickly. Not that they could get much worse.
The jungle was not as peaceful as they hoped, and the muggy air didn't help Duran's apparent waves of nausea from swallowing a little too much seawater surfacing - three times they had to stop so he could go into the bushes and throw up, and each time he came back followed by a cohort of pink rabite- like creatures that were decidedly more agile and persistent that their widespread cousins. 'Silktails' they were called, according to the Fairy, forever providing them with useless tidbits of information.
As they dispatched the most recent lot while Duran tried to catch his breath, Angela finished them off once again with a powerful beam of magical energy through her staff.
"That's three times I've seen you use that, Angie," The Fairy observed, for some reason deciding to try and be nice. "What's it called?"
"Beats me. I really need to think up a catchy name for that," Angela mused. "Special Magical Beam Ray of Destruction? No.... Staff of Bright Death? No...."
"Nothing will ever sound cooler than Flying Swallow Toss," Hawk pronounced.
"What about Star Attack?" Duran suggested. Suddenly she understood the unimaginative naming behind the Three-Step-Cut. But.... it was Duran.
"What a brilliant idea, Duran! Star Attack it is!" She gushed, batting her eyelashes at him, hoping his recent bouts of jealousy - and dizziness from his vomiting - might mean he'd take the bait.
Again, she was wrong. Duran just smiled. "You're welcome, Princess."
"I think I see the village the Fairy was talking about through the trees there." The Ranger pointed, somehow managing to pick out what looked like a structure and glimpse of movement through the thick undergrowth.
"I can't believe she was right AGAIN," the Princess muttered under her breath. "Who would live on this island? Especially when it's about to blow?" Regardless, they somewhat haggardly made their way towards the village.
Almost as soon as they were within clear sight of the village, they were approached by a man, vaguely resembeling an eggplant, floating on an ornate cushion. "Shamen....," Angela realised. Why hadn't she sensed them earlier?
"Greetings, visitors. May I ask what brings you here?" the Shaman politely asked.
"A ship haunted by ghosts," Hawk replied casually.
"And the tides that washed us up on the shore," Duran added.
Figuring that if she couldn't beat them, she may as well join them, Angela pointed to the Fairy, still hovering at the head of the group. "And that."
Oddly enough, this seemed to satisify the Shaman, who gave what appeard to be an all-clear signal to his fellow villagers, who immediately levitated over and began to crowd them. "Would you like to buy some armour?"
"How about some items? We have herbs of all varieties!"
"Don't listen! These are top-quality imported goods! Our items are guaranteed!"
"Stay a night at our inn? It's rustic and low-priced!"
"Merchants... they're everywhere!" Angela held a hand to her head in dismay, overwhelmed.
"Business must be hard on a largely unpopulated volcanic island," Hawk mused.
"I still wouldn't think that SHAMEN of all people would moonlight as merchants! I would think their codes of honour to be mutually exclusive!"
"Excuse me, sir!" Duran called over the din to the Shamen who had first addressed them. "This volcano on this island is going to erupt soon, is it not? Can you tell me if there's anyway off this island?"
The Shaman, much to their surprise, nodded, the merchants temporarily giving way to what appeared to be their leader. "You can ask the guardian spirit of this island, Booskaboo, to help you. He lives in the caves to the east of here. But the path is blocked by landslides dislodged by the recent earthquakes."
"We ought to still be able to get in," Angela assured them, confident that Gnome could handle such a small problem. Booskaboo. If she wasn't desperate at this point in time, she'd probably be laughing at any guardian that was so ridiculously named.
"If you intend to go to Booskaboo, you should rest first," the Shaman advised them. "The caves are rife with monsters, even with the danger of the volcano. And you do not look well from you ordeal in the ocean. You may rest safely within the walls of this village tonight if you so wish."
"But... isn't that volcano going to blow up really soon?" the Princess fretted.
"Whilst that is imminent, there is still enough time."
Reluctantly, they each nodded their agreement. Satisfied, the lead Shaman left and they were once again harrassed by the merchants. After negotiating a surprisingly cheap night's rest at the inn, which turned out to be some straw beds under a sort of tent, they escaped to set up a small campfire to dry their clothes by the outer edge of the village, the merchants giving them a temporary respite. The sun began to set, turning the sky blood-red. It probably would have been much prettier had that big hulking ugly volcano not been sitting there smoking, a constant reminder of imminent doom. At least they had a way off the island now - they weren't going to die just yet. That left attention for more important matters.
Like Duran. The Knight was gazing into the sunset, more-or-less ignoring Angela again. The Delvar was beginning to get more than annoyed. Even her subtle flirting with Hawk hadn't given hardcore results - she'd done little more than turn his eye thus far, and whilst she admitted she was making progress, it was taking an embarrassingly long time. She was going to have to go to more drastic measures if this kept up. And she'd already thought she'd been pushing the boundaries of 'drastic' as it was.....
As for the thief.... Angela turned to look for him, and was once again confronted only by emptiness. That was the problem with thieves, you could never find them when you wanted to, he was always off somewhere.... rangering.... hiding... wandering.... and, well, thieving. It had only become worse ever since Hawk had performed his first class change, if he became a Wanderer or a Rogue she'd never find him! Why was he hiding, anyway? She turned around again in frustration, and came face-to-face with a serious-looking Hawk.
"AHHHHHHH!"
Duran looked over. "The Fairy wants to know if you mind keeping it down? She's says she's trying to plan something." He resumed his silent brooding, obviously giving some serious thought to how to rid the world of Koren for the first time in a few days.
Angela was about to give the tiny deity a piece of her mind, but realised suddenly that the Ranger she had previously been looking for was standing there looking at her questioningly. "Where did you come from, Hawk? Stop scaring me like that!"
Hawk just shrugged, then held up the hide of a silktail as if it were proof of his innocence, obviously at last conditioned to her constant accusations of stealing and the subsequent cane-bashings. "Don't you remember? I said I was going hunting, since who knows what these crazy Shamen eat for food. Sorry if I frightened you." He walked past her over to where he'd left the smouldering fire, setting up the carcass on a spit before preparing to add more firewood he'd 'acquired' from the villagers.
Angela grinned. If simple flirting wasn't going to get the brooding swordsman's attention, then she'd just have to be more forward. Give him something to REALLY get jealous over.
"Oooooh Haaaawk," she cooed, running up behind him and throwing her arms around his shoulders. To her surprise, he didn't even flinch, and neither did Duran. She frowned for a moment, then began massaging Hawk's shoulders. That got a reaction. He tensed beneath her, and for a moment she forgot her true purpose when she discovered how stiff his muscles were. Was he stressed? 'Of course he's stressed, Angela', she told herself witheringly. 'How many days ago was it that we fought Bigieu? You have the sensitivity of a brick!' Getting back on track, she whispered breathily in his ear, "You've been working soooo hard, why don't you just let me do that for you?" Leaning forward, making sure the Ranger could get a good long look at her cleavage, she used a small amount of wind magic to fan the fire and make it leap to life once again. Within moments a much more merry little blaze was going beneath the silktail.
Just as suddenly, she realised that Hawk had slipped out of her hold and was sitting on the other side of the fire, turning the spit idly. "Thanks, Angela." How did he do that? She'd been holding him, and he managed to move without her noticing until too late? For that matter, she'd expected him to at least develop a nosebleed with that generous look she'd given him, especially given that this was Hawk of all people, ladies' man wanna- be extraordinaire!- or so she'd thought to begin with. She was finding the thief to be like an onion with the many layers of personality she was encountering, making her wonder what the true face of their mysterious ally really was, or if she was ever going to find it.
Eating roasted silktail for dinner though. Over a campfire. Goddess, she missed the luxuries of being a Princess! And that whole embarrassing affair hadn't done much more than raise an eyebrow from Duran. Who knew what the Fairy was thinking.
Sighing and accepting at least temporary defeat, she sat down next to the fire, stretching out to enjoy as its warmth as the air began to grow cooler. It was starting to look like she was never going to get Duran's attention, much less kill Koren. Not that the two events were really that much linked.
"Say Hawk...." the magician mused.
"Yeah, Angie?"
"Why DIDN'T you hop on that boat with Nikita and go back to Navarre? You could have avoided this whole mess we're in right now. I mean, lifting the curse aside, isn't leaving her in Bigieu's hold more dangerous than leaving her cursed?" She hadn't really had the chance to speak with him since Palo port, and it had been bothering her ever since.
The thief sighed, laying back to look up at the darkening sky leisurely, keeping one hand rotating the spit. "It wasn't only that. If I went back to Navarre, I'd probably be put to death."
That WASN'T what she was expecting to hear. "Put to death?! Why?"
"Life's hard in the desert, Angie. Traitors are dealt with harshly. For killing a single fellow ninja, even under the circumstances, I couldn't hope more much less than life imprisonment. And given how many ninja I killed in Rolante and Palo alone, without even taking into account Eagle or any I caused during my escape, there's no way that they'd let me live."
"But surely... with everything you've done.... And it was Bigieu...."
Hawk shrugged. "Maybe. But would YOU be willing to take that chance and head back to Altena?"
Probably not. Looked like she was stuck with him for a while, then.
Duran stood, obviously finished with what had looked to be a long mental conversation with the Fairy; knowing the tiny deity all the in-depth details about being a Mana Knight and a hero of the world and all that. "We should probably go and get some sleep after dinner. Even if the Shamen think there's still plenty of time before the volcano blows, I'd still like to leave as soon as possible tomorrow."
Nodding their agreement, they fell into a comfortable silence. Later, they even managed to get a decent night's sleep on the surprisingly comfortable straw beds.
Of course, they couldn't ever be woken normally anymore. At the ungodly crack of dawn the next day, Angela was jerked away by a distinct shaking and rumbling. "What?!"
"Earthquake!" Duran yelled, already tugging on his boots. "The volcano must be getting ready to blow!"
"WHAT?!"
After a moment, though, the shaking abated. "It must have just been a pre- eruption quake," the Fairy decided, sounding relieved. "We still have some time."
"I don't care! Let's leave NOW!" The Princess hissed.
"Okay. Just wake up Hawk first," Duran suggested.
Sure enough, the Ranger had slept through the entire thing. Amazing, she had found someone who hated early mornings even more than she did. Well, rectifying this sort of problem was what she was best at.
"AIR BLAST!"
Hawk was up and ready within moments. After picking himself out of the windblown rubble of what HAD been the inn. Lucky for them, the innkeeper was conveniently elsewhere.
"Okay, let's go," Duran urged, rushing them from the village. At the exit, the same Shaman that had greeted them the day before was awaiting them.
"I wish you luck and blessings on your journey," he said, bowing slightly.
"Yeah, yeah, thanks for all your help," Angela dismissed.
"What about you? When the volcano erupts, this village is surely finished." Duran was clearly concerned. The Fairy, sitting on the Knight's shoulder, bore a similar expression.
The Shaman merely shook his head. "Whatever the Bird God wishes will be. If we are to survive, we will survive. This is our home, and our lot. We shall not run from fate."
"Bird God?! We stayed in a village of HEATHENS!" The Fairy suddenly yelled in a violent outburst.
"Shhhh," Angela shushed, plucking the Fairy from the Knight's shoulder and out of sight of the Shaman.
"It's not too late to repent your ways and serve the Mana Goddess! It's the one true path!"
"Shut up already! Besides, you were the one who led us to this village!"
"That's very courageous of you," Duran commended. The Shaman just bowed his head.
"We're going now!" Angela ordered, concerned by the look of glowing admiration and nobility shining in the Knight's eyes and anxious to get away before he decided to stay with the Shamen to the end to share in their heroism, as from what little experience she had with Forcenan Knights it was apparently a very Knightly thing to do. As if reading her mind, the thief tugged on his friends arm, and they made their way back into the jungle and throngs of silktails, waving a brief goodbye. It slightly saddened her that yet another village would probably be wiped out in another couple of days, but at least this was an act of nature and not of some kingdom, and besides, escaping herself was more important.
The caves were surprsingly easy to find - there was even a path leading there that they had somehow overlooked earlier, which did make for less encounters with annoying Silktails. The big boulders blocking the entrance the caves was even easier to find.
"Well, I suppose this is my job." The Delvar sauntered forward, flexing her fingers, and with less effort than she expected, called forth Gnome.
"Hiya! What can I for you guys?" the energetic Elemental asked, hopping from foot to foot. She could never get used to it - especially after just meeting Shade who at least had SOME dignity.
"Can you move this boulder?" Angela asked, pointing at the huge thing.
"Yes I can." The Elemental sat there, staring at her, still hopping from foot to foot.
Long silence.
"Well?"
"I can move the boulder."
Grinding her teeth, the Delvar shouted, "MOVE THE BOULDER!"
"Okay!" It wasn't any problem for Gnome, when he finally got around to it and stopped being such a smart-ass. This must be where the Fairy got it from....
However, Gnome had barely disappeared when the ground rocked violently beneath their feet once again. "AAAAHH! Not again! I thought we had lots more time!"
"Gnome! We shouldn't have used Gnome's power!" The Fairy suddenly screeched, clinging onto Duran like a lifeline, even though theoretically she ought to be able to fly and avoid the whole thing. "Using Gnome set off the volcano! Don't use him again or it'll erupt right now!"
So suddenly their day or two to get through the cave and off the island to safety had just been reduced to hours because they used Gnome to move a boulder? It was true. Mana was having some serious issues.
"What are we waiting for, then? Get inside!" Angela yelled, leading the way herself as the current quake began to abate. As soon as she entered, she was batting away more crazy bats and zombies with her cane. Duran and Hawk followed, and they cleared a path through that cave, wasting no time to the next one, even doing their best to sneak past undetected to cut down on battle-time. Strangely enough, these caverns weren't quite so dark, even with the Fairy seeking refuge inside Duran's head - they seemed to be lit with an eerie red glow that none of them wanted to imagine the source of, given that they were inside a volcano.
"Does anyone know where we're going?" Angela asked, as they followed the somewhat-pathway through the caves further downward. "I mean, I know I kind of didn't pay attention in class, but isn't it generally a better idea to not go DOWN in a volcano? We're only going to get closer to the lava."
Duran shrugged, obviously having great faith in the Shamen. "Booskaboo must be around here SOMEWHERE."
No sooner had they said that, than they appeared to arrive at a dead end. Emerging into the next cave, they were all surprised to see, instead of lava, dark seawater beneath them.
Exasperated, the Delvar sank to her knees. "This is the end of the line. Where's this Booskaboo?"
"Booskaboo nor any other creature will not be able to help you now!" A God- like voice echoed through the cavern.
"That voice.... the Mana Goddess?" Duran wondered.
"I love these acoustics," the voice murmured a moment later. "I must tell Bieigu about this."
"Wait, that's not the Mana Goddess! That's Jagan! I hear you're the one who kidnapped Riesz's brother! And you've been impersonating the Mana Goddess as well!" Duran accused.
Recognition fully set in as the cloaked man turned his eerie crimson gaze upon them. "What are you doing here?" Hawk demanded, moving into a threatening position.
"I have come to kill you. Is that not obvious? Tell me, have I scared you yet, infidels?" the vampiric creature cackled melodramatically.
Angela was finding their foe a little less scary each time they came across him. "We don't have time for this! Get out of our way! This is not the place to fight you!" Plus, there was still the notion that this was a powerful adversary, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to take him on just yet.
"You will fight me, infidels, because that is what you are supposed to do!" Jagan hissed, clearly upset at the deviation from the script. "Bigieu said so! Prepare yourselves!" He flung out his cape.
They needed a way out of this situation, now.
"Any ideas, Princess?" Duran prompted urgently.
"Um.... um... EARTHQUAKE, EARTHQUAKE!"
Jagan wasn't impressed. "There is no earthquake."
Well, not yet. "Oh, Gnome?"
The Elemental of Earth appeared on cue, did a dance, and then disappeared. Suddenly, the entire cavern began shaking violently, and a rumble filled their ears.
The vampire-wanna-be suddenly seemed to realise that his own life was in jeopardy now. "No! I must flee into the darkness! Whoosh!" Jagan disappeared in his now-customary puff of smoke. Leaving them inside a volcano that was about to explode.
"What were you thinking, Angela!" The Fairy berated, appearing apparently for the sole purpose of scolding the Princess. "I told you not to use Gnome!"
"It was the only choice I had!"
"Get in the water!" Hawk ordered, pushing Duran over and motioning for her to come as well. They jumped in, gasping as the cold splash caught them by surprise. "It's our only chance!"
The earthquake felt as though it was going to shake the entire cavern apart; as it was pieces of the ceiling were shaking loose and falling into the water like deadly cannon balls. This was it, she supposed. Goodbye, cruel world....
Wait; was that a giant turtle?
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Cat food. Tada! Please review. Cat food.