Islanders- Enter the WarMage, Chapter 6: "Rosa's Ruse"
(This is actually probably my shortest chapter, but it begins a plot of Rosa's to show Robert and Aurora what they mean to each other. I actually was a bit ashamed at this part, I tend to pride myself on my verbosity. To me, the shorter it is, the less that is happening. Oh well. *laughs*)
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Robert crouched as the jet of flame screamed over his head. He felt the cloak on his back catch fire, so he rolled to the side, over his back, and leapt to the attack. His attacker kept the flame going, and it followed him wherever he went. He couldn't move faster than his opponent's hand, so he had to out think him.

He rolled again, forward and to the other side, letting the jet pass above him as he did so before the jet dipped to try and catch him. He wasn't thinking now, really, but going on pure instinct... the same instinct that kept him alive during his very dangerous years. It worked well and he trusted it.

But Rubicant was good with fire, and he knew how to use it. The jet stopped erupting from his hand, changing his spell from Flamethrower to a spell he was experimenting with: Flaming Wind. Robert took the moment's pause to press the attack, but Rubicant just jumped aside, stepping quickly behind him and catching Robert in a bear hug as he incanted the twelve syllables of the spell.

The force of the spell blew them both apart, sending Rubicant into a wall with few injuries from the fire itself. Otherwise he had a few bruises from being tossed around and sprained arms... He winced in pain as he found he could not move his right arm. Probably dislocated... , he thought to himself, wincing as he popped his arm back into place, and reached into his pouch for a minor healing potion.

Robert didn't fare too well from the spell, himself. The fire was gone already, but it took him three seconds to come down. Flaming Wind was a mixed flame/wind elemental spell, one that Valvalis and Rubicant had designed, as a dual spell. But he had learned how to control the winds a bit, and thus was able to do a weaker version alone, where the major damage was from the fire.

The spell had centered a tornado on Robert, as Rubicant set the tornado itself aflame with a magical fire. The entire effect was the a disorienting spell that tossed one about as they suffered an extremely-powerful fire spell.

If Valvalis and Rubicant were working together at that time, Robert would probably not have moved again. Rubicant was alone though, and so his spell was as mentioned, weaker. Robert got up from ground after his fall, shaking but putting the pain out of his mind. "Good one Rubicant. I'll be sure to remember about that next time I got close."

Obviously it would not be wise to get up close for one of those lunatic bear hugs, he figured, so he willed his sword, the BlueSteel, to become a longbow. Rubicant raised an eyebrow before groaning as Robert pulled an arrow out of his pouch.

The BlueSteel could fire projectiles of it's own, if one held a bit of magical power remaining within oneself. However, the missiles would be nonmagical, and he needed magical. So he drew an ice arrow from his pouch, nocked it, and let it fly. He repeated, following Rubicant as he ran from the deadly arrows, firing off about an arrow every three seconds.

Finally Rubicant screamed in pain as one of the arrows hit it's mark, embedding itself into his side. The magical ice hurt quite a lot, reacting against the fire he held within himself. It melted quickly, seeping into his skin as he moaned in pain, trying to keep his head straight before Robert had a chance to remove it.

Robert chuckled as he willed the BlueSteel to return to it's original form of a long sword, leaping in for the kill. But before he could bring his sword down, Rubicant willed the pain away from him long enough to deliver a bone-shattering backhand, straight to the chest.

Robert flew into the wall, stunned, trying to get his breath back as Rubicant walked calmly up to him, drawing a flaming broadsword and holding it to his opponent's neck.

"You need to work a bit more Robert. If I wanted to kill you now, you would be dead."

Robert nodded weakly, his breath coming back to him in short, painful gasps. "Where the fuck did you learn to backhand someone like that???" He closed his eyes, leaving his battle mentality.

It was that mentality that protected him from the pain, fear and regret of fighting. By willfully bringing himself to an instinctual level, with a bit of his intellect being watered in when needed, could ignore pain and fear, protect his soul from the shocks it got regularly, and was able to fight much more efficiently and effectively.

But that mentality was gone, and he was feeling the pain very acutely. "Damnit Rubicant! You punctured my lung again!" His voice sounded pained and very annoyed, "Think ya split my liver too."

Rubicant nodded and held out a healing potion, forcing it down Robert's throat, before taking another for himself, to deal with the minor arrow wound... most of it's damage and pain came from the ice itself. "Sorry about that man. Drink this... it'll keep you alive long enough for Rosa to tend to you."

Robert nodded and tried not to black out as warmth spread throughout his body, mending the worst of his wounds and righting most of his body. Rubicant had gotten up and went to an intercom device, punching a few buttons before announcing, "Rosa, report to Training Cell D at once!"

Rosa arrived a few minutes later, speaking with Rubicant about what happened during their little spar. She had called a couple of the orderlies from the Healing Quarters with a stretcher to pick Robert up as she looked over his injuries.

"Rubicant, be more careful next time! I think you just split His liver! You better come too, for a checkup. I want to make sure you're alright."

Rubicant just followed, chuckling, "I'll be more careful next time."

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Rosa sighed inwardly to herself as she treated her newest patient. Rubicant had turned out to be fine, but Robert wasn't so good. He didn't have anything requiring surgery this time, but it would keep him from fighting for a day or two at least. At least he wasn't killed, she thought gratefully.

Not that she couldn't deal with that too: The most powerful Healers learned how to control the Element of Life to an extent where they could actually raise the dead. But resurrections were messy deals, taking time to complete and a lot of work. Not only that, but they didn't always work, along with being one hell of a drain on her power. She couldn't count how many times she had to resurrect one of the Watchers or Lord and Ladies. Once she had to work on Rydia herself. Things became easier after discovering there was actually a period of time after dying before "true death" set in. It was at that point resurrection became necessary. A minor form of the spell could be used before that, which would revive someone who just died. Fortunately, there was a window of a day or two to act, and Revive was an easier spell to work, along with not being as risky. The only problem remained it that the patient would quickly die again if their wounds were not tended to.

But she needed neither, and she had Robert moved carefully to his chambers to recuperate, with the demand that he not leave his room for at least two days, and he not leave his bed for the rest of the day.

It would put a crimp in his plans, certainly, since the spar was shortly after breakfast. But he didn't argue, she knew what she was doing, after all. So he was in his bed now, doing his best to carry out Rosa's orders. She reminded herself that she'd have to find someone to deliver his next few meals to him, then left, grateful now that she had no more patients to deal with, wanting the peace right now to rest after the healing magics she had to use to mend his wounds. A refreshing swim would be nice about now, she thought to herself as she entered her chambers, getting a towel and changing into a modest one-piece bathing suit.

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Rosa dived under the water, from the surface, reaching down to hit the bottom of the deep end with her fingers. Then she returned to the surface, gasping for air.

She was alone in the pool, for now. Soon Aurora, Cecil, Edge and Rydia would come and join her. It took a bit of doing, but she managed to get all of them to agree to come. It wasn't that they didn't like each other, because they certainly did, they apparently didn't feel like joining her for a swim.

So the aforementioned were changing and would soon arrive. Rosa did not like being alone in the pool, and she needed to talk to Aurora anyway.

Rydia came first, wearing the a swimsuit that was skimpier that Rosa believed possible, that could remain covering everything that needed to. Rosa blinked, than chuckled as Rydia dropped her towel. She's toeing the line, that's for sure. Rosa thought to herself as Rydia stepped into the water and paddled over to her friend.

A fact about Rydia was that she was a bit of a tease... if you wanted to understate. She had actually been the easiest to convince, up until Rosa said, rather adamantly that she was to wear a bathing suit. Rydia had taken the offer as a chance to skinny-dip, since it was one of her favorite late-night activities. She never skinny-dipped outside of the Palace's Pool, but she skinny-dipped often. Rosa really didn't need Rydia naked in the pool with Cecil and Edge... ESPECIALLY Edge. Cecil may love Rosa, too, but he wouldn't miss the chance of the guilty pleasure of ogling Rydia's features.

Rydia had gotten somewhat harder to convince after Rosa asked her she not to go nude, but she eventually persuaded her.

Cecil and Edge followed a few minutes later, joking with each other before making a show of staring at Rydia in shock and drooling like idiots as she preened in front of them. Rosa laughed and pulled Rydia underwater while Rydia invited them in her best mock-seductive tone, bringing the two men, and Aurora who joined a moment before, to fits of laughter before they jumped in, while Rydia was sputtering and getting her hair from her eyes, laughing herself.

Rydia thought it was funny, but she was angry for a few seconds... almost angry enough to slap the living shit out of the impudent Healer. For a moment she was scared she might swallow water... Rydia had a deathly fear of drowning, gained as a child as she was thrown from the ship that Cecil had borrowed from Fabul to get to Baron. She was pretty close to drowning when Leviathan rescued her, and had been scared of drowning ever since.

That fear abated a little after Leviathan, concerned for her, thought her how to swim, and swim extremely well. She was on par with Olympic class swimmers, but that fear always remained. Rosa knew this, and pulled her aside, apologizing.

"Sorry about that Rydia. It was that or have the boys scrape their chins on the concrete."

"It's ok, Rosa... just warn me before you do that, so I can get some air first."

"It wouldn't have been as much fun then."

"For a Healer you're awfully sadistic."

Rosa only laughed, "I'm not a sadist, dear. Just didn't want them to lose their eyes."

Rydia laughed in return, preening a bit. "Boys will be Boys."

The two women returned to the groups, splashing Cecil and Edge, and getting splashed back before all three women engaged in underwater wrestling with the men, trying to hold them underwater for a bit. After a while, the women lost, too busy laughing at the comments and teases Rydia and Edge could not absolutely RESIST making.

A few minutes later Rosa got out of the pool, calling out for Aurora. She needed to talk to her.

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Rosa and Aurora left, Edge turned to Rydia. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know. Probably has something to do with that little crush Maria told us about."

"Really, who does she have a crush on?" Cecil asked.

"No idea, I think. Even she doesn't know. Apparently she went to Rubicant and Edward because of a dream she had."

"Ummmmm... Why so?"

"She had some dream the night before. Apparently she thinks that the man in her dream, her crush, is someone she knows and had Rubicant and Edward make a mask and cloak. She wants to have some of the men here try them on, and if they fit one of them, well..."

"I still say it's a loony idea."

They had a newcomer to the pool, paddling over to them. Unlike Rydia, this one was a clumsy swimmer. Robert could swim enough to stay afloat, and that was all. But he was learning.

"She told you?"

"Oh yeah," Robert grinned. "She tells me everything. I rather made a few jokes about it last night."

"Well she tells me everything too, Robert. Did you have fun with Lassie?"

Robert groaned and sighed as Rydia burst out laughing, leaving the rest of the occupants confused.

"Don't you dare tell them Rydia, or I will strangle you!" He sighed softly. "I have to have a word with Aurora later."

"Come on! she's my daughter. I like to check up on her too. Besides, you just missed her."

"Oh really?" He looked surprised at that.

"Yeah. Rosa called her over. Wanted to talk to her about something, so they left. If you wait, they'll be back."

"Ummm... Aurora and Rosa? Both?"

"Yup. It was Rosa who set up this little pool party."

"I see. Well, I'd hate to leave you all, but I have to go. Rydia, I'll see you later, be well Cecil and Edge." He quickly got out of the pool, but couldn't escape quickly enough to leave before a very angry pair of women showed up and started screaming that he shouldn't be out of bed. Rosa reentered the pool as Robert gave a pained look to Rydia as Aurora literally dragged him off by his ear, telling him that she was going to lock the door.

Aurora returned ten minutes later. "So help me, if I see him out of that room anytime within the next three days, I'm going to work him over worse than Rubicant did."

Rydia, Cecil and Edge looked confused as Rosa asked, "Did you lock the door?"

"From the outside, with about seven keys." Aurora held up the keys for all to see before throwing them to her towel.

"That should be enough."

"What's going on NOW?" Edge asked.

Rosa told them what had happened.
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First of all, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Thus I put up two chapters, and let's pray that I never procrastinate again. Personally though, I would LOVE more reviews. If you loved it, liked it, or even hated it, tell me! Kay? StarStorm out.