Finally got around to this part; I'm proud to say we're almost to the end and it getting me all twitchy- Chapters from here out might update a lot more slowly, or even hit a small hiatus; still unsure! Whatever happens, happens!
Enjoy the next chapter!
(Chapter Twenty Six: Trust, Separate ways)
So that was it; Julia and Melody found themselves standing next to each other, talking, planning. The winds from being so high up blew the trees clinging to the walls of the largest rock formation they stood upon.
"I'll take.. the bell.. and Lava..-" Julia pointed out, But the small child protested; the older girl huffed "kid, I can't.. go to Windmill, or.. the Cage, you know this.."
"I understand the lava; but I still worry about you.." looking up, Melody had worried expression "Do we even know what's inside the bell?" Melody pointed out, looking at the way she was going head; Julia swung her umbrella around, clasping it to her side
"No.. but it looks.. ancient!" She smiled, "I'm just going.. to close my eyes.. along the way..." she added; not sure how she'd handle the traveling. Truth be told, she is looking forward to moving around and solving the crazy predicaments she gets herself into. Even if it ends up unfavorable- talk about a baby bird free falling.
Maybe she should save the bell for last? Julia has dealt with lava before- might as well get it over with.
"I'm.. ready Kid-... you?" Julia looked down with a smile, despite noticing the unsure look, she waited until Melody let a small smile out.
"Alright, yeah.. I'm ready." She took a breath, then with a determined look, nodded. "We'll meet back here when we've grabbed everything. Be careful and don't look down."
"Will do.., Captain!" Julia smiled brighter, mindful to keep an eye open and not trip off the mountain.
Melody still worries as she watch Julia walk away, "do not fret, child" she turned to the badge seller as he spoke "I had been keeping a close eye on her; now is no different- if anything unfavorable happens, there will be intervention."
That was.. very creepy and weird, yet- she felt.. a little better? She knows she's not the only one who's worried for Julia's safety. Though, surprised that the badge seller is among her. Melody softly smiled, nodded and made her way off to the large cage.
'So, how does this work?' Julia looked up, confused at a tree with a red tarp. Clearly she didn't think this through enough when she grappled her way over here.
In the distance behind and above her, you can see Melody gracefully jumping and climbing around, only stopping shortly after seeing a very large goat.. man..?
"Whoa..!" She whispered in awe, perhaps she shouldn't get in his way. She wanted for the goat to continue their way as she quickly jumped up the spring, there she was greeted by a nomad and a very large horn.
"Hey, there!" The nomad waved, and the kid waved back.
"I was told that the way to continue through the alpines was to use a horn..?" Melody was trying to confirm.
"Yes! That one right there to be precise," the nomad pointed, making the child turn her head. That's good, she wanted to make sure it wasn't some sort of horn for.. war or anything..-
"So.. why not blow the horns yourselves?" Melody asked, to be honest, she wanted to know.
"Well, the air is really thin up here!" They chirped, "kinda hard to take deep breaths- but it looks like you have no trouble!"
Duh, she's on a mountain.. even Julia was having more trouble- but these little guys have been up here for who knows how long? Why have they not adapted? She smiled at the nomad and waved goodbye, then she took a deep breaths and sounded the horn as hard as she could.
Down below where Julia was, she jumped from the sudden loud noise, but looked as a string shot out of the tree to her destination! Just like how she and the kid first got here. Time to ride the wire- Julia is going to hate this-
Taking a calming breath, she adjusted her hat, and got ready; clamping the hook to the flags, she forgot that there was a strange force that pushed them. So, she shot away like a monorail. Trying her best not to scream.
Despite how there was lava nearly everywhere, it felt kinda.. nice? The mountains alone were somewhat cold so this complements the area's temperature. Even the little nomad who was wearing green thought it was nice! Julia likes this little dude.
She made a mental note that their hands remind her of the badge sellers.. only two fingers..
Making her way to the right, and ignoring the left, she decided that time was ticking and hurried. Julia thought she best got this over with; what's a few missing object to the potential death of her?
Though Julia still felt it strange that she had to jump on spiders- seem like they live here too? Her stomach made her feel like she was about to pass out from the sheer height but kept going. Finding it nice that the nomads were guiding her, and shot off with the hook once more, going up and around to another location.
Julia hurries up a wooden ramp, then a natural ramp that seemed a bit to steep; then nothing- she quickly stopped, cycling her arms to go back! There was nothing in front of her, and it nearly threw her off the mountain!
"Sweet.. mercifully god!" She breathed out. Then slowly started to breath again; be still, beating heart. Looking around, she only saw one way, and that was up. Boosting herself, she grabbed hold of the cliffs above and pulled. There she was greeted by three small angry crows, a familiar foe plus an extra with odd glasses she'd seen in her world.
Which of course she did not fear, she just kinda.. shooed them away. "Get, shoo- away!" She tapped her umbrella to the ground multiple times to sound scary. It kind of worked with two, but the other she had to.. let's just say it didn't know how to fly yet.
Now she felt bad.
But she needed to push on, a short moment of silence and then hopped up with her hook. Now looking at a village that was slightly on fire. She hopes nobody is currently living here-
Getting rid of the sleepy raccoons, she passed the houses and jumped over to the last platform it seemed. This last tree will be taking her to the actual destination, taking another moment to gather her wits, Then once more she shot off; each time she was getting used to the feeling of being the incarnation of speed.
Diverting her attention away from an immediate fall, she saw the lava cake, a lava formation that looked like a cake! Hah! That's great- it was honestly quite amazing to look at; not only that but she seemed to be at a hot springs! Oh, she needs to come back here some time!
Passing the odd purple flowers, she took notice of the pillar that rose and fell; seeing it was a timed pattern she needed to follow. 'Like a true platform game..' she thought. Waiting for it to drop, she stood on it to go up; the sudden movement made her tumble slightly- that's not good. Before she continued she stayed as long as she could to get used to the movement, just in case- and when she could stand finally without falling over she moved on.
Shooing away the birds on the second level of the hot springs, she got up on the next pillar and saw a canon. Oh, joy.
"How did this place end up like this anyways..?" The nomad questioned in wonder; Julia looked at the little being with a face that read 'are you serious?'
"I want to know.. how you.., ended up here.." the nomad just looked at her and then shrugged, of course that's her answer, why would it not be? Well, she just hopes the lava doesn't fall on the little guy, or her for that matter, as she moves- time to get that time piece!
It was like a very slow rhythm game, wait for a pillar, jump, wait for another, jump- avoid the spinning fire contraption, question why that thing was there, climb up and jump through three pillars that were off sync. Avoid another spinning fire contraption, jump once more, getting into canon-
Shooting up to the next floor, Julia looked on- a different obstacle before her; hook shooting to the relatively safe platform she saw it was mostly just pillars. Cracking her hands and neck, she continued; maybe she can actually make it out without another burn! That would be an achievement, not getting hurt here.
Running, she cleared the first set of pillars, reached the second platform, then quickly tried to get of the next set- once she was safe, she was startled by another nomad!
"Hi! This is clearly a safe place for a child to be." It nervously chuckled at her; was this little guy trying to traverse the lava cake too? Why?
"Need.. help?" Julia asked
"A.. a little."
"Get on." Julia pointed
She's now carrying a passenger, great. Now she really needs to be careful.
"You.. are quite brave!" The nomad said, looking over Julia's shoulder.
"It's more.. of stupidity really." Julia chuckled
Once they shot out and up from the canon, the nomad quickly looked around and then they pointed in a direction "there is my friend!" As the touched down on a platform with an ice board. The nomad climbed off her shoulders and quickly used the spring board- which puzzled Julia because she's only seen Melody use it with her ice hat. This was actually not that far either.. don't dwell on it, they're.. somewhat... safer now.
"This is stupid.." she whispered as she continued.
The course up ahead was a lot smaller this time, though there were some sleeping raccoons! And... one just fell into the lava. Okay. That happened. There was 'one' sleeping raccoon.
Julia waited for the pillar to pop up, then jumped to the next one, and then the next! She was now greeted by once again a spinning fire contraption. Then a canon.
Next level, a little more dangerous then the last few; disappearing platforms- oh boy. Staying to long will make her fall, especially if Julia has to wait for the pillar to rise. Timing is everything now.
Waiting for the pillar to fall, she ran, hopped from platform to the next, and once the pillar came up, she stopped for a second to wait, then jumped again. For an actual second she thought she was going to get sucked down. Though the up coming obstacle was a little more worrying, another vanishing platform and an even bigger spinning fire contraption, this time it has three protruding out.
Taking another jump, she hopped off the platform, and narrowly escaped one for the fires; going around it in its own pace, she sacked the birds, that were calmly on fire, away from her.
'Like little coals with feet..' she thought, hooking to the next canon.
There it was, last floor- Julia was almost to her objective. Just pillars this time, making haste to get going. As she hit the bird out of her way, she ran- noticing that the pillars went down in a pattern that if you make it to the next one, the previous would go down. So Julia waited for the first to fall, then once it came back up she jumped, and as if going up stairs, she too eventually made it to safety.
One pillar away.
The time piece was right there, humming a tone that itched her skull. She had to grab that. She really didn't want to, but she needs to.
"3... 2.. 1.." counting, she jumped the pillar, and reached the magical item. She hesitated for a few minutes, just looking at it, then grimaced.
Grabbing hold of it, fast images flashed through her mind; image of her grandfather, and some of MoonJumper. She screamed out as she held one hand to her head and held tightly to the other as she clenched her teeth. It was reading her mind.
What was it she wanted most?
What was it she wanted to change, or to get back?
Whispering empty words echoed through her ears; but she yelled out once more trying to get her breath back-
"Shut. up!"
Everything was silent, the wind and heat blew by..
She sat for a second, the want was still there; to see her grandfather, to see Moon.. her dad.. again. However, this thing.. in her hands.. was only trouble! She needs to remember that!
"Shut.. up.." she said once again, more calmly as she breathed. So that's how it worked, it reads your mind and that's how it corrupts you.. it promises empty things that won't end good.
Why did it hurt her though? She saw that Mustache girl was fine after she grabbed it, nothing happened at all..
Was Julia's body rejecting the magic inside it?
Back at the start, ominous flowers bloomed; seedlings taking flight, and finding whatever it can snag to. The goat it hit twitched and sneezed.