Clouds started to roll in half way through the day, and Joey hoped that it wouldn't rain or worse: thunder.
They had been walking for the better part of the day and the thin winding path in the woods led to more spacious fields. Being caught out here in a thunderstorm could prove dangerous. Therefore, when the wind started to pick up, Joey tried to hurry them up so they could reach the woods again. Being under trees during a storm wasn't necessarily the safest route either, but it was better than being in the middle of a field. That was like putting a target on you for a bolt of lightning.
Joey rushed up to the top of the hill first to see if there was any sight of cover in the form of trees. However, when he looked, all he saw was more open land. The wide-open spaces stretched on for miles, and they were at the highest point so everything could be seen. Joey didn't see any forests at all. Just grass, and dirt.
The others finally caught up to him, panting slightly from climbing the hill and looked around.
"Well…" Tristan said in a resigned voice. "Looks like we have no choice. Guess we have to keep going."
"Or should we turn back?" Tea said. The wind blew harder for a few seconds and then died down. "I'll take that as a yes."
"We can't turn back!" Joey said. "We've come this far, and we can't let a little bad weather get us down."
"Wait, what's that?" Yugi said. He didn't point so Joey had to look around for a minute to realize what he was referring to.
In the distance, far down in the valley was a house. From where they were standing, it seemed very small but Joey was sure that it was larger than it seemed.
"Hey, maybe that's Jasiri's house!" Tea said excitedly. "What did Helbrede say that it looked like?"
"She didn't," Tristan said.
"Oh… right."
"Well there's only one way to find out," Joey said and pointed towards the house. "Let's go check it out!"
The house was farther out than it seemed. When they got down the hill, they lost sight of it but from there they walked in the direction that they saw it in. It took them another two hours to get to a point where they could see the house from where they were walking due to the rolling hills.
It was definitely larger than what Joey thought. It was a large farm house that stretched from one end of the valley to the other. The house looked a little run down but it's size, length wise, seemed spacious. It was made up of polished wood, giving it a log cabin type of feel. Around the property were fences that housed live animals. Most had animals that were similar to horses and cows. Others however, were of a different species entirely and Joey had no idea on what to call them.
Then, voices could be heard from the other side of the house, almost like they were arguing playfully. Joey looked around until he saw them: two children, no older than twelve years old each, ran around the corner of the building. It was a boy and a girl and they seemed to be having an argument… until they saw them at least.
The two children froze, their brown hair flowing in the wind. Joey didn't know what to say, so he was glad that Tea spoke up first.
"Hi!" she called out to them. The kids didn't say anything but stared at them, almost in fear. "Um… are your parents home? We were kind of wondering-"
"Intruders!" the boy said. He and his sister (they both looked similar so Joey could only assume that they were related.) went into a defensive stance as if they were interested in fighting. "Leave now or we will have no choice but to make you!"
He sounded so young to make such a threat that Joey actually laughed a little. "Aw, c'mon now… we're not here to hurt ya."
"You're trespassing!" the girl said. "Leave, or pay the price!"
"I got this guys," Tristan said with a grin. He walked up to them casually as if he was going to grab them both by an ear and drag them away. However, what happened was totally different.
Once Tristan got close enough, the girl swung her leg out from under her and tripped Tristan. He lost his balance just enough so that the boy could grab him by the arm, and throw him over his shoulder, on to the ground.
"Aarrgh!" Tristan yelled. The two children each put a foot up on his chest as if posing for a trophy picture.
"You okay Tristan?" Joey asked. All he got was a grunt in return.
"Who's next?" the boy asked pointing at each of them in turn.
"No wait, stop!" Tea said. "We're not here to hurt anybody!"
"Haske! Cahya!" said a voice from their left. Everyone's gaze found a woman standing in front of the house looking stern. She was dressed in all black and looked ready for battle. A sword was attached at her belt and she had spikes that came out of her boots, pointing towards the front. Her black cape danced in the breeze and it reminded Joey of a heroine in a comic book.
The two children froze and Joey could only guess that the two words that the woman spoke were their names. Immediately, they ran over to the woman, and stood in front of her as if they were told to run in line.
"What is going on here?" she asked the children. The boy spoke up first.
"We were getting rid of these intruders!"
"Did they try to attack you?"
"…Well… no but-"
"Did they try to speak to you at all?"
Both of the children were silent.
"I see… so you decided to attack someone without asking their business. This is why you two have not left this farm. I cannot let you lose upon the world if you decide to attack everyone you see!"
"But we were only trying-" the girl said but the woman cut her off.
"You must know timing when to use your abilities." She said. "Only then will you master them."
While she was talking, Joey helped Tristan up.
"You okay?" he asked. Tristan didn't look as hurt as he was angry. He glared at the kids as if they defiled his great ancestors and he planned on getting revenge.
"Fine," he mumbled. Joey looked on in at the woman berating the children and wondered if she taught them how to fight like that. The woman continued.
"It is because of your faults, that I am extending your stay for another month."
"What?!" the girl exclaimed. "But-"
"No arguments. Now go and tend to the firewood. We are going to need the extra kindling tonight."
The children looked like they wanted nothing more than to argue but decided that it was within their best interests to do what she asked. Both children ran off around the side of the house and out of sight. The woman then turned to them.
"I apologize for their behavior. It was unjust. I do hope that they did not cause any lasting damage."
"Nah," Tristan said standing up straighter. "It takes more than a couple of kids to stop me!"
The woman gave him look that told Joey that she didn't believe him, but then she addressed them as a whole.
"Now what brings you to this side of the mountain? Normally travelers do not trek this way."
"Uh…" Joey said wondering how to say what was on their minds. "We were looking for someone named, 'Jasiri.'"
The woman smirked. "Helbrede sent you?"
"Wait… you're Jasiri?" Tea said sounding shocked. "We made it?"
"I am," Jasiri said. She bowed. "It's a pleasure."
"Wow, you're different from what I expected." Tristan said. Jasiri looked at him.
"Looks can be deceiving. Surely the children taught you that?"
Tristan blushed but said no more. Jasiri then looked at each of them but her eyes then rested on Yugi. She sighed then addressed all of them once more.
"Come inside. We have much to discuss."
Jasiri led the way into her home. They went in through what looked like the back door which was wooden like the rest of the house. They came into what looked like the dining room that was attached to the kitchen. Both were large and had seating to fit at least ten people. On the walls were pictures of all sorts, but it looked as though they were all taken at this house. There must have been about fifty pictures hung up, all of different people.
She led them to the long table and gestured for them to sit. They all did so with Jasiri at the head. She looked at Yugi, who was sitting to her direct right.
"Helbrede has told me about your plight, however the letter did not go into specifics. Tell me… how long has it been since your Shadow separated itself from you?"
"Uh…?" Yugi said, and looked at the rest of them for support. Joey thought it strange that he didn't know the answer but then thought about it. He had been unconscious for the first day and when he woke up, nobody told him how long he had been out for. Seeing his confusion, Tea spoke up.
"It's been four or five days I think…"
"It's good that you got here in such a short amount of time," Jasiri said, then looked at Yugi again. "However, it looks as though your Shadow has gained a significant amount of power since then. That is… uncommon."
"How can you tell that?" Joey asked. Thinking about it, Jasiri knew that Yugi was the one with the Shadow without even asking.
"I have been doing this for a long time," she replied before looking at Yugi again. "Now I'll assume that you can feel when your Shadow gains power, yes?"
Yugi nodded.
"How often does that happen?"
Yugi hesitated before speaking. "… at least twice a day."
"…That is…often…" Jasiri said looking thoughtful. Joey almost thought that she looked unnerved but it was hard to tell because it didn't seem like she showed her emotions much.
"I had a question about that." Tea asked. "How do these Shadows gain power? Do they just randomly get it or something?"
"Power like that does not just fall from the sky." Jasiri said with a sigh. "There are many ways that a Shadow can get stronger. The most common way is through training, and this mostly happens after it finds the Mage who made it in the first place. The other way is by finding Orbs."
"Oh…What are Orbs?"
"They are small, glass-like spheres that can harness an incredible amount of energy. No one knows where they came from but there are stories. You can find them scattered throughout the land. They vary in power, and in some rare instances, orbs have been known to destroy entire villages. Shadows have a tendency to find these Orbs and absorb the powers from within. Spikes in energy like this can wear down the host very quickly. That is the only explanation I can think of that would explain your condition."
"Yeah," Yugi looked at the table although not really seeing it. "I think…. I remember seeing that it got one of those…"
"Your Shadow has shown you visions?" Jasiri asked. Yugi nodded. "What else does it do?"
"I-" Yugi started to say but cut himself off. He looked at Joey for help, and Joey knew what he was thinking.
"Well there was what happened last night," he said. Joey explained to Jasiri exactly how he explained it to Tristan that morning. He told her all about the supposed nightmares Yugi was having and how he seemed to be not fully himself when he woke him up. When he was finished, Yugi was looking at the table almost shamefully, and Jasiri was looking thoughtful.
There was a moment of silence before Jasiri spoke, and when she did, it was carefully, as if she was afraid to say the wrong thing.
"Now I'm not going to jump to any conclusions," she said. "But I'm going to tell you what this sounds like."
Joey mentally braced himself. From what she just said, it almost sounded like she didn't believe what he just told her. If that was the case, Joey was going to fully argue with her. He was there and saw what happened.
"It sounds like that the Shadow that was produced is what is called a 'Super Shadow.'"
"Super Shadow? What's that?" Tea asked. Jasiri sighed as if mentally preparing herself for what she was about to say.
"Every time a mage plants a Shadow seed in somebody, that Shadow has a one in eight-thousand chance of becoming a Super Shadow. They are beings of incredible power. Within its first week, a regular Shadow might gain power once every couple of days, and maybe it's host will see glimpses of what it's doing. A Super Shadow is constantly growing. It does not become a foot solider like the others, but is destined to be a leader of them all. They are very rare and I've only seen one other in all of my time doing this."
"So, what does that mean?" Tea said. She almost sounded demanding, but Joey couldn't blame her. What Jasiri was saying did not sound good at all.
"What that means, is that the odds of survival are smaller than normal." She said, sounding saddened. "The odds might actually be nonexistent… but I do not know. What I do know, is that no one has ever defeated their Super Shadow."
There was a second where she paused and no one spoke. Yugi was looking at her with wide eyes but had nothing to add, so she continued, looking at him.
"If you still wish to get training, know that I will do everything in my power to help you survive and defeat your Shadow. However, if your willpower is not strong enough… if you have any doubt in your mind about being able to do this, then no amount of training will be able to help you. So let me ask you: do you still wish to proceed with your training?"
There was another pause where Yugi looked at all of them, as if doubting the answer himself. Joey was afraid that he was going to say, "No" or not answer at all. However, before Joey could say anything, Yugi turned back to Jasiri and nodded.
"Yeah. I'll do whatever it takes."
"That is…good to hear," Jasiri said. But Jasiri's words made Joey feel on edge, like she didn't expect Yugi to get very far. The thought made him angry but he tried to force the anger back for now by asking her a question.
"You said that you've seen another Super Shadow before. Was that someone you trained?"
"…It was."
"And how did that turn out?"
Jasiri hesitated. "Not well."
"What do you mean?"
At that, Jasiri got a little angry herself. "I am not going to tell you the story now. Presently, we must get things underway." She took a deep breath as if to calm herself and continued. "First thing's first, I would like all of your names. If we are going to be spending large amounts of time together, the least we should do is become acquainted with one another."
After Jasiri's anger a second before, hearing her say that sounded odd to Joey but he obliged anyway. Everyone introduced themselves and Jasiri seemed satisfied. She stood and motioned for them to follow.
"Very good. Now I will show you all where you will be staying. I request that you all keep your rooms clean and upkept. I do not have time to clean everything, nor do I have a maid. It is up to you to clean up after yourselves. Understood?"
She led them down a long hallway that reminded Joey of the Inn they were staying at before this whole mess started. The hallway was long and had multiple doors on either side. Jasiri pointed to the first door on the left.
"This is the bathroom and there is another one on the same side at the opposite end of the hall. The rest are bedrooms. You may choose one that fits you best later. For now, leave your belongings here and I will properly introduce you to the children."
They did as she asked and then she led them back outside and walked in the direction that the kids ran towards earlier. As they walked, Tea came up beside her.
"So are those kids yours?" she asked.
"No, they are my students."
"Students?" Tristan said. "Does that mean…?"
"Yes," Jasiri said grimly. "They have Shadows of their own. These twins were quite unfortunate. Not only did the mage plant the Shadows within them both, but their family and their home was destroyed as well."
"That's so young!" Tea said in shock.
"Age means nothing to a Shadow. Innocence is the easiest to target and manipulate so children are often attacked by mages the most."
"That's so sad…"
"It's odd though," Tristan said. "They don't act like they're in pain from their Shadow or anything."
"Yes," Jasiri said, a hint of pride showing in her voice. "They are trained well."
"Trained?"
Jasiri didn't stay on the topic and continued walking.
They walked upon a barn towards the edge of the fencing, where the two children from earlier were cutting wood using axes. It would only take them each one swing and the pieces of wood would go flying. Those kids were really starting to freak Joey out.
"Haske, come." Jasiri said. The boy stopped what he was doing and came up to her, giving Tristan a wary look. Jasiri looked at the girl. "Now, Cahya, come here please."
The girl named Cahya stopped as well and stood next to her brother. Joey was surprised by their obedience considering how they acted earlier.
"These are our new guests. I trust that you will give them the same respect that you give me. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am." They both said in unison.
"Now I would like you two to apologize to Tristan for throwing him earlier. Can you do that?"
The twins then shifted their gazes at Tristan and bowed.
"Sorry for earlier," they said. Tristan looked a little taken aback.
"Uh… sure. Whatever."
Tea then stepped forward, looking at the twins.
"Hi! I'm Tea! And this is Joey, Yugi and Tristan. Nice to meet you!"
Tea had spoken in an overly happy voice and so Joey and Tristan exchanged confused looks. Those looks were shared by the twins.
"Uh…" Haske said. "Sure. I'm Haske and this is my sister Cahya."
Cahya looked up at them all with a bored expression. "So you all were attacked by mages huh? They're getting more active. Jasiri, we need to get rid of these things!"
Jasiri gave her a stern look that stopped Cahya from talking anymore. Once Jasiri was sure that she wasn't going to be interrupted, she spoke to the twins.
"First of all Cahya, nothing that you say will make me change my mind about you two staying here. Only your actions will. Is that clear?"
Cahya's face became a little red but she said nothing. Her brother nodded.
"Secondly, assuming can only get you so far. It turns out that only Yugi here has a Shadow to deal with. While he undergoes training with you two, Joey, Tristan and Tea will be helping around the farm."
"Can any of you cook?" Haske asked, looking up at them eagerly. "Cause Jasiri burned the pot of water again yesterday…"
"Idiot!" Cahya said. "You can't burn water!"
"Then why did it smell so bad?"
"Children," Jasiri said warningly. The twins immediately stopped.
"Actually, I can cook," Tristan spoke up. Joey looked at him, feeling surprised.
"Really Tristan?" he said. "Where did you learn to cook?"
"That is neither here nor there," Jasiri said. She looked at Tristan. "If that is true, then your first test as cook will start tonight. If I show you around the kitchen, can you promise to make a meal for everyone tonight?"
"Uh… I guess?"
"Good. Then follow me, and I will show you around my kitchen."
"Wait," Tea said before they could start walking. "Can I come too? I don't know if I completely trust his cooking or not. I can help and make sure he doesn't burn the house down."
Jasiri nodded. "Yes, but only for tonight. Other chores will need to be completed, so more than one person in the kitchen may be unnecessary every night."
"Yay!" Haske said looking excited. "Make something delicious!"
"Oh, we'll definitely try!" Tea said looking nervous. Jasiri looked at the twins.
"Now while I'm showing them around the kitchen, you two acquaint yourselves with Yugi and Joey here. And please, no martial arts just yet. I do not have a healer on site anymore and if anyone gets hurt, then training is postponed. Understand?"
"Yes Ma'am," the twins said in unison.
Appearing satisfied, Jasiri led Tea and Tristan back into the house. Joey looked over at the twins.
"So…you two are pretty good at fighting, huh?"
"I guess," Cahya said, looking bored. "Jasiri does train us every day."
"Oh, yeah! We get to hit mannequins and lift heavy stuff!" Haske said sounding upbeat. Joey immediately knew who he preferred talking to.
"That's cool! How long have you guys been doing that for?" Joey asked, genuinely curious about the answer. The siblings eyes became unfocused as they thought about the answer.
"Uh…." Haske said, counting off his fingers. "I guess it's been a year, right Cahya?"
"I guess." She said, picking up the axe again and went back to chopping wood. Haske did not follow her example, and instead turned to Yugi.
"So how long has your Shadow been free for?"
"A few days… I guess…" Yugi said. Joey looked at him. He was starting to sound weaker again.
"Wow, really?" Haske looked surprised. "I thought that we would've had our Shadows for the same amount of time. You don't look so good."
Joey agreed with him. Yugi definitely looked worse than he did a few minutes ago. He put a hand on the teen's shoulder as Yugi started to breathe heavily again.
"Oh no…" Joey said nervously. "Not again."
Cahya stopped what she was doing as Yugi grunted in pain, clutching his chest, much like he has done before when his Shadow ever gained power. It lasted around ten seconds before Yugi started to relax, and the pain slowed down.
"S-sorry…" Yugi said, still panting. Haske and Cahya exchanged shocked looks.
"Wow," Haske said. "Your Shadow must be really strong."
"Yeah," Joey said, while making sure Yugi was going to be okay. "Jasiri said that It looked like a Super Shadow."
"Oh," Cahya said suddenly. She then turned back to the wood and started cutting it again. "Well, he won't make it then."
"Huh?" Haske turned to her. "What makes you say that?"
"Don't you remember what Jasiri said about Super Shadows? You can't beat them. No one ever has. They're too strong."
"Well… someone is gonna do it someday!" Haske said. He turned to Yugi. "You can do it!"
"Yeah right," Cahya said under her breath. Haske looked a little put down at that.
"I agree with you Haske," Joey said. He turned to Yugi. "You're gonna be the first one to do it, right Yuge?"
"I know!" Haske spoke up before Yugi had a chance to speak. "I'll show you what I like to do when I hurt a lot!"
Haske grabbed the axe that he had been cutting wood with earlier, swung it up in the air, and swung it horizontally in the air, hitting the side of a tree. The gash that it left behind was pretty large for a child's doing. Haske looked at Yugi excitedly.
"You should try it! It helps!" he tried to hand Yugi the axe but Yugi looked as though he was still feeling ill. Joey took the axe instead.
"Here, I'll try!"
Joey swung at the tree, but the axe didn't go through like Haske's swing. The axe got stuck in the side of the tree, and Joey had to pull pretty hard in order to get it out. The result was a gash in the side of the tree instead of a slice. Haske looked at it and laughed.
"I think you should've swung harder."
"I did swing hard," Joey said, feeling a little frustrated that he was out performed by a twelve-year-old. He handed the axe back, determined to get better at it before they get back home. Haske then gave a sad look at Yugi, who was still recuperating from his last attack.
"Hey, I know!" Haske said, suddenly looking cheerful again. He grabbed Yugi by the wrist and pulled, as if trying to get him to stand. "Follow me! I know a place that might make you feel better!"
"Uh…" Yugi said, giving a quick sideways glance at Joey. "Maybe later Haske…"
The child started to look frustrated. "Ya know, you won't start feeling better until you work at it! Why wait, when you can start now!" Haske pulled on Yugi's arm again, which surprisingly got him up.
Yugi sighed, obviously still not feeling well. "Well…alright. Where?"
"Follow me! You too Joey! Cahya, you coming?"
"Nope," she said, slamming the axe down on another unfortunate piece of wood. Haske looked annoyed for a second before turning around and beckoning them to follow.
Once they got far enough away from where Cahya was, Joey looked at Haske and said, "Well she's a ray of sunshine…"
"She wasn't always like that," Haske said sounding sad. "After what happened to us and our town…she sorta… became that way."
"Well at least you didn't. Don't let her bring you down kiddo."
Haske smiled, looking like he was feeling better and looked forward with a new determination. He pointed out in the distance where another cluster of trees were about a half mile away from the farm house.
"Over there," he said sounding upbeat. "Whenever Cahya gets me down or my Shadow is making me feel bad, I go over there. Come on!"
So for the next fifteen minutes, Haske led them over to the cluster of trees. He strode ahead, seemingly unable to contain his excitement, but Joey stayed back with Yugi who was walking a little slower than normal.
Once they got to the small tree cluster, Joey looked inside. What was inside looked like something you would see on a fantasy post card or in a fairy tale book. In the very center was a small pool of water that had water emptying into it gently from one of the tree trunks. How water got into the tree was beyond Joey so he looked around the canopy. Little fireflies flew around silently glowing in the shade that the trees gave them. They were all in different colors ranging from yellow to pink, some even flashing in subtle rainbow colors. The enclosure of the trees ensured that wind did not enter the small sanctuary, leaving it feeling very serene. Joey understood why Haske liked this spot. It was a way to relax and escape the outside world for a while.
"Isn't it great? Jasiri said that spirits come here sometimes. I wanna meet one someday!"
"This place is great…" Yugi said looking around in wonder. Joey thought that maybe this place was good for him. Yugi looked like he was getting some color back into his face.
"I'd like to call it, Haske's Retreat!" Haske said, sitting on one of the rocks by the pool of water.
"You know that that is not its name, Haske," a voice said from behind them. Joey quickly looked as saw Jasiri standing at the opening with her arms crossed. Joey stared at her for a few seconds, feeling surprised that he didn't hear her come up.
"Oh!" Haske said standing. "Sorry Ma'am! I was just showing them this spot! I swear I was going to go back to help Cahya cut the wood!"
"Well then what are you waiting for?" she motioned for him to exit. Haske wasted no time, and ran off to do his required chores. Jasiri strode up to Joey and Yugi looking at the small waterfall. "He was right to bring you here…"
Joey shared a confused glance with Yugi before she spoke again.
"This area is actually called the 'Spirit Oasis.' It is a sacred piece of land that light spirits tend to visit frequently. The water has healing properties and the very air in here has a tendency to lift the soul. Rumor has it that there are more throughout the land, but I have never found them. Only this one has been found by my watchful eye. The children have a tendency to come here without permission whenever they are feeling blue."
"Is that why you built your home over here?" Yugi spoke up suddenly. His voice sounded a little stronger, which Joey was glad to hear. Jasiri nodded, looking at him.
"It is, but there are other reasons. Being away from civilization brings safety to the common populace. Because of the work that is practiced here, we have a tendency to attract some unwanted attention."
"Like what?" Joey asked. "Mages?"
"Shadows." She said sounding grim. "Thankfully Mages have not come here as of yet. Perhaps it is because they fear for their own safety, or they think that their soldiers can do the work. I cannot know for sure."
"Your house gets attacked then?" Yugi asked looking concerned. Jasiri looked at him.
"It's nothing that we cannot handle. The shadows that attack us are not of the elite, and despite what it seems like, are quite easy to defeat. However, they are impossible to kill."
"There has to be a way to kill a Shadow without its host…no way that's impossible. If the Shadows are made of darkness and places like this repel them, why not use the energy found here in order to fight back?" Yugi said sounding almost desperate. Jasiri continued to look at him with an intrigued gaze and Joey wondered vaguely what she was thinking about.
"And how would you do that?" she asked. "What instrument would you use to fight back against those shadows?"
"I'm not sure…but I'd do whatever I could. Light comes in many forms…"
Joey felt confused by that statement but Jasiri looked at him with a new-found respect.
"That it does…"
There was silence amongst the three of them as they sat in the purifying air. Joey felt as though everything was at peace and knew why the twins liked coming here. It was almost like they were in a safe-haven…a bubble that protected them from the outside world. Joey would have loved it if this moment of peace lasted forever….
"Now," Jasiri said suddenly, looking at Yugi. The sudden voice caused Joey to jump. "Before we start training, I would like you to sit in here for some time. You cannot start working when you're feeling weak and this oasis will help you focus."
"Okay, how long?" Yugi asked, sitting at the rock that Haske sat at earlier.
"I will let you know when the time is right. For now, meditate in here. I will call upon you when you are ready."
Yugi nodded as Jasiri looked at Joey. "Come Joseph. We have work to do of our own."
"Uh it's 'Joey,' actually." Joey said feeling a little annoyed. He looked at Yugi and was about to ask if he was okay with this, but then Yugi gave him an encouraging nod, which set his mind at ease. Joey gave him a thumbs up. "You got this, Yuge!"
With that, Joey followed Jasiri back towards the farm, with a good feeling that things might work out for once.