Because I'm nice like this, I've decided to put together a minor music playlist for all of you active readers. It's got character themes, and moment themes... and just random songs that I think fit the story this far.
All the songs belong to their respective artists and lyricists: Taking Over Me (Evanescence), Boulavard of Broken Dreams (Green Day), Once in Every Lifetime (Jem), My Destiny (Katharine McPhee), Shadow of the Day and What I've Done (Linkin Park), First Time (Lifehouse), Stop and Stare (OneRepublic), Stand/Here/What Hurts the Most (Rascal Flatts), No Reason (Sum 41), Beauty from Pain (Superchick) and of course, all the LoZ themes you can think of.
Chapter 25
By the time Trace woke everyone up, Shea had decided that the man should die a slow and horrible death. His muscles felt like they had stiffened and froze during the night, thus when Shea tried to move them... it hurt worse than when he had broken his ribcage. As he sat up, the muscles in his core screamed with the effort; Trace seemed to only grin at the wincing on the boy's face.
He looked at his shoulder, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt. There lay a nasty green bruise, no doubt from the constant bashing it received from the match the night before. But the injury spread from the top of his shoulder down to his shoulder. As Trace walked by, he glared up at the man. This caused Trace to start laughing.
Shea stood up, ignoring the groaning pain in his legs, and walked over to where a stream meandered by. Kneeling, he stared at the clear water before splashing it on his face-
"Good morning!!" Claire screamed as she tackled Shea from behind. Shea yelled with surprise at the sudden attack, also with a mixture of pain, as he and Claire fell into the water.
With a splash, the water erupted into a cold wave around them. Shea found himself dangerously close to Claire, who had ended up straddling his torso. He felt his cheeks grow very warm as Claire's own face turned red.
"G-good morning to you too..." Shea stammered.
Claire grinned a stiff grin. She almost looked like she was wrestling with a thought that was circulating through her head, before standing.
Shea realized how cold the water was, and leaped onto the shore, shivering, giving Claire a cold stare.
Emri stretched, and yawned. She had slight shadows under her eyes, and her shoulders slumped as she rolled up her mat. Obviously, the empath hadn't slept well that night, adding onto the soreness of carrying the pack all day since leaving Ordon. She struggled with the strap; she muttered oaths and curses under her breath. When everything was set, she looked at the pile that she was to carry with disdain, shoulder's falling.
Blaize kicked dirt over the still smoldering coals, and shouldered his own load. He took one look at Emri's discouragement, and refrained from an exhasperated sigh, picking up the girl's things and slinging them over his other shoulder. Emri stared at Blaize with surprise, before her face softened into gratitude. Not a snide remark was exchanged during the transaction.
Trace nodded, once everything and everyone was set, before looking at Emri, "What did you dream last night?"
Emri groaned, "A lot of things, it hurts my head to think about it. First off, I saw us at our current location, going off on the left fork in the road. The vision skipped ahead of us, to show that the left fork was where the Exelians were planning to ambush us. So, the right fork is the right road-" here, Blaize snorted at the accidental pun-"and is the way we need to go. Both roads will take us to Hyrule, and come out in the same general area... just they give enough distance for us to safely traverse around the Exelians without them noticing us." Emri shook her head, "And the rest is just jumbled together. I couldn't make much sense out of it."
Trace's eyebrows came together with concern, "I might be able to. Tell me what you can."
"Well," Emri took a shuddering breath, "I saw fire. Lots of it. And then lightning. There were screams of agony, and someone was crying.I heard myself saying very nasty things about someone, but I never mentioned who. There was a lot of heartbreak... the feeling of it was overwhelming," she closed her eyes, "That's all I remember."
Trace was tapping his foot, arms folded and staring at the ground. He looked like he was rolling the information around in his head, trying to make any sense of the dream. "You're right. There's no order to it. At all," he sighed, and adjusted his cloak, "Let's get going then. No use waiting around here for a sudden epiphany."
The group had never been this silent during the entire journey. And it was bothering Shea. Normally, Emri and Blaize would be bickering about any litting thing. Now... it sounded like a funeral march. Silent.
"Hey, Blaize." Claire broke the silence. The Exelian looked over his shoulder.
"Hm?"
"I've been thinking. What caused you to come down from the room on our last night in Ordon? Shea had said you had no interest in the party."
Now, Emri was looking at Blaize, inquiringly.
"I was bored. That's all." Blaize said, voice gaining a monotone ring to it. "And I got hungry."
Claire nodded, looking thoughtful, and let the subject drop.
"Hey, guys," Emri started, as the group neared a deep pond, "I'm going to go fill up my water skin. I'll catch up in a min-"
Suddenly, there was a scream and a thud. Shea whirled, hand on his sword, looking towards the source of the commotion. He snorted... which led to laughter.
"Walking fish!" Emri screamed, wrestling with what looked like an adult Zora. He had the same almond shaped eyes and sharpened face as...
"Radek! Let her go." Another zora climbed out of the water. Her eyes were also black, but her head was adorned with gold and blue gems.
The zora that had tackled Emri looked at the other, and stood up, sniffing. Shea couldn't believe his eyes. Only a few days ago, Radek had been a child! Now.. he seemed like he was an adult zora. To be perfectly blunt, it had Shea baffled.
"Radek?" Emri squeaked, still shaken from the ambush, "But, how did... you are... huh?" And Emri didn't seem too pleased to be meeting up with her choice of a fiancee.
Radek looked at Emri, and grinned, "Am I not worthy to be your husband?" His voice had deepened considerably...
The female looked at Radek with disapproving eyes, "Radek, mind your tongue." She looked at the teenagers with a wry grin, "You probably remember my son, Radek?" She was looking at Emri, specifically.
"Yeah, when he was eleven!" Claire snapped, "I'm a little freaked out here."
The zora laughed; light and bubbly, "Zora children mature much faster than other races, but their growth receeds when they reach four years, or sixteen, in your age terms, to about normal," at the incredulous looks she was getting, the zora laughed again, "Hyrule's waters need constant protection, especially in these dark days. It is us that keep the waters clean and pure," she looked at Radek, "Radek's not completely matured to slowing ages yet, but a few more weeks should be about right."
"Excuse me, but..." Emri butted in, "who are you? Not to seem rude or anything."
"She is Ruto, princess of the Zoras. She had an older sister, but she passed away some time ago. Now her son, Ralis, rules the Zoras with a firm hand. Radek, apparently, is Ralis' cousin." Trace explained.
Radek puffed out his chest in pride.
Ruto sighed, "Yes, my son is next in line for the Zora throne, in the worst scenario should Ralis die or become seriously ill. Anyways, Trace!" She exclaime suddenly, "Long time no see!" The fish-woman bounded forward with un-princess like grace and threw her arms around Trace in a huge hug. Shea saw Emri shudder...
"Scales..." she hissed under her breath.
As Ruto and Trace fell into deep conversation, Radek looked at Emri, and smiled. "Even cuter since last time."
"Radek, just a question: What are you doing in this area?" Shea intervened before things got ugly. Again.
"Mom and I were scouting. We're supposed to report to Her Highness about your whereabouts." The zora prince shrugged nonchalantly, "Apparently, her visions are being cut short by an outside force. Most likely Exelians; and her other seers aren't getting good sights either."
"So, you're meaning to say that Zelda's visions aren't reaching us?"
"Exactly."
Shea's eyebrows furrowed, and he turned to Emri. "Emri, can you..."
"I'm on it." The girl stiffened and her eyes turned blank.
"A seer as well," Radek muttered approvingly.
"Hey," Blaize snapped, "watch it."
"Are you her new boyfriend?" Radek glared, snarling, eyes glancing towards Shea with a renewed distaste.
Blaize reeled for a response, "Um... well... erm... you see... no!"
Emri shuddered and looked at Shea, "The way's clear. We're still good to go on this road."
As Radek was about to say something, Blaize suddenly put an arm around Emri's shoulder, hugging her close to his side. It was obvious that Emri wasn't comfortable with this.
Radek was just as surprised. "Wait, I thought you just said you weren't together!"
"Well, now we are!" Blaize contradicted, locking the squirming Emri in a firm hold. Somehow, he had managed to slip his hand over her mouth.
Radek blinked, analyzing the situation. "It seems to me-"
"We. Are. Together. Now beat it." Blaize growled.
To save him from a sure fistfight, Radek's mother called from over near the pond bank. "Radek, time to go. Her Highness is expecting our report!"
The zora looked once again at Emri, glaring at Blaize, completely forgetting Shea and Claire, before turning on his heel defiantly, and took a running leap into the water. He and Ruto weren't seen after that.
Emri was finally able to burst free from Blaize's death-grip, and with a gasp she cried, "What the devil were you thinking?! You had no right to... you've infected me with your pompous self! How dare-"
"I just saved you from an impending doom called marriage. Now shut up." Blaize deadpanned, walking forward... dumping Emri's pack in the dirt. The expression plastered on Emri's face was wordless. Blaize, however, was smirking.
"Ungrateful little... selfish, pigheaded..." Emri muttered as he picked up her things, slinging the pack over her shoulder, "... arrogant, conceited, worthless..."
It was amazing how fast the two changed moods! Shea could only shake his head and worry if they'll survive the next five minutes.
"Come on, we're wasting time." Trace called over his shoulder. Shea could see that he was desperately trying not to laugh at the previous going-ons.
The butterflies were once again awakened inside Shea's stomach. They were so close... everything he'd been working for... he was almost there.
"Trace, how long?" Shea couldn't help but ask."How much longer of a walk?"
"We should be there in an hour, or so," the man looked over his shoulder as Shea, "I'm guessing that you are anxious?"
Shea nodded, before getting a quick idea. There was something that he wanted to do before reaching Hyrule... he glanced over towards Claire. How, exactly, would he carry out his plan, he didn't know. Suddenly, he felt very, very warm, and he involuntarily started to shake with unbidden nervousness.
Emri must have noticed a change in the group's average mood, because she looked around. "Shea? Are you alright?"
In fact, he must have looked like he was about to faint. Shea shook his head. For an odd reaon... he was feeling sick to his stomach.
"There's a stream nearbye. Go splash some water on his face." "Claire, help him stand, for Goddesses sake, he's about to fall!" Emri and Trace ordered simultaneously.
Blaize groaned, "Hurry it up, though."
Claire helped Shea put an arm over her shoulder, and they both walked off in the direction that Trace had pointed. Being in this close of proximity to Claire really wasn't helping matters at all... Shea grimaced.
Sure enough, a small stream meandered through. Claire and Shea knelt by, but as Claire was about to shove Shea's face into the water, he shook his head firmly, "I don't need water, Claire." He sounded so much more confident than what he felt. By a long run.
Claire frowned, "You could have saved us a trip, you know."
Shea didn't answer vocally. In fact, his response was completely subconcious. He lightly put a hand on Claire's cheek, and closed his eyes. He felt Claire's lips relax after the initial shock of what just happened. And she kissed him back.
Pulling away, Shea stared in Claire's eyes, and whispered, "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
Claire laughed softly, "Strangely enough, I think I do."
They both smiled, and they lightly kissed each other's lips, before standing. Claire looked at Shea with a devious glitter in her eyes, "So, being sick was all just an act? Impressive."
Shea forced a laugh, "No. I felt like fainting." He took note of how Claire's face was glowing as they walked under the scattered light of the trees; she was standing straighter than before.
And as for Shea... he felt invincible.
Aww! First kiss by Shea and Claire... about time too, huh?
Well, it's actually pretty amazing that I was able to get this done before I left for school. And Christmas Break. So HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! See you all next year!