FOREWORD
Hello All,
With the emergence of the new school year and all that comes with it, I would like to apologize about the delay in writing the 4th chapter. As it is with any senior student in secondary school, the homework, even within the first week, is almost perpetually coming. What therefore ensues is a lack of ideas, and therefore a horrible case of writers block. I finally managed to get my creative juices flowing on the weekend, which is when I was inspired to completely re-do this chapter. Initially, the Naree and Andrew were to meet in this chapter, but I chose to let things progress a little bit. They should be meeting in the next chapter. I would also like to address something personal which has affected the lives of everyone in my senior class, that being the recent passing of Bart Piotrowski. His death has come as a great shock to the general school population. He will always be remembered for being the biggest advocate of Drama Club at our school (of which I am a part), and as a genuine, hardworking human being. I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to say that his presence will be greatly missed, and that his memory will live with us throughout our lives. This story is thereby dedicated to him.
Thank you, and enjoy the 4th chapter.
Rhys
Chapter Four: The Journey Begins
It was early morning, and the only sound to be heard was the insistent crash of the waves. The sun let out its rays, painting the canvas of the sky in glorious hues of red, orange and deep purple. There was a faint breeze that rustled the grasses surrounding the Karagol, but all signs foretold that the day would be hot.
Oliver stretched his legs out gently, and slowly sat up. His hair, tousled and knotted hung about his face like string. He scratched his head gently, and yawned. His clothes looked like they had been slept in for days. .He looked over at the baby, which was sleeping comfortably. He rubbed his eyes, which were red rimmed from the night before. They felt wet, as though the tears were still fresh. He wiped his eyes hastily, and stepped outside. The sight that greeted him gave him a slight shock. A young girl was sitting at the fire, preparing fish.
"Good morning, Oliver. I assume you've had a fitful sleep?"
Oliver stepped back slightly. "Who are you?" he asked warily.
"It's me, Oliver. Aria. The girl from the Mercury lighthouse. .. Who taught you how to use psynergy?" Oliver, now perplexed, took another step back.
Aria giggled. 'Well, I suppose I can't blame you for not remembering after last night. You were so exhausted, I almost had to carry you back to the tent."
Oliver gave Aria a curious look. " What do you mean, after last night?" He paced.
" Well, you tapped into a great power last night, so a lot of your energy was wasted."
Aria smiled. " Come, sit down. I caught some fish this morning, and I figured we might have it considering how far we have to go."
Oliver looked dumbfounded . "And just where is it we're going?"
Aria stood up and walked over to Oliver's sack. She's pretty, he thought. Too talkative though. I might go deaf in one ear if she talks enough. He sat by the fire for warmth, and helped himself to the fish.
Aria walked back, a map in had. " I took the liberty of going through your sack to find this map. Its better than the one I've got, that's for sure." She opened it up. " Now, I walked to the Karagol from Tolbi, so I suppose that should be our first stop. I think we're about ten miles from the Tolbi city center, which will probably take us 2 or two and a half hours if we work quickly."
Oliver chewed the fish, and thought for a moment. " And what will be our destination after that?" "We'll head through the gates, and then out to Suhalla."
Oliver nearly spat out his food. " What would be the reason for going there? The Venus lighthouse is in the north, isn't it?"
Aria giggled slightly. " No, silly. It's in the south, fifteen miles south of Lalivero." Oliver tore the map from Aria's hands. "That can't be right," Oliver spat, "That would mean that..." "You've obviously had it the wrong way up, Oliver."
Oliver's face turned a dark shade of purple. "I can't believe it! To think that I've been traveling the wrong way for all this time! And I led mother on this way too! If I had gone another way she would have." survived, he finished. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.
Aria's smiling face turned into one of concern. " Oliver..Is something wrong.. what happened to your mother?" Her face contorted into a look of fear. "You mean, what was in that tent. the tent you set on fire last night..was your mother?"
Oliver flinched. " Yes it was."
"Oh my goodness..how awful..is there anything I can do at all?" Aria asked sympathetically.
Oliver looked at her, and smiled wanly. " Can you bring her back?" Aria touched his shoulder gently, but shook her head. "Well I guess you cannot do much for me at all."
Oliver shook away the last of his tears, and stood up to his full height. "We must be going now. Bears still ravage this land, and we don't need too many dangerous situations. If we are to set off, we must do it immediately."
Aria looked at him mournfully. " What are we to do with the tent.and the body?"
Oliver's face twitched. "I will dispose of them. You pack up all of the food and the belongings. Leave anything that can be left behind. If we to travel, we will travel lightly."
Oliver walked over to the tent, and slowly began to dismantle it. It still smelled of rotting flesh, but the smell of burnt canvas also filled the air. He flashed back to that fateful night. The image of his ravaged mothers body still came vividly in his mind. He looked at her. Her eyes were still wide open, looking spooky , even in the early morning. He gently kissed his mother's forehead and shut her eyes. He carried her limp body out of the tent and into the early morning sun. Aria watched sadly as he dumped his mother's body into the Karagol. He stood there for but a moment, barely moving. He then turned around and set fire to the tent. The smell of the burning canvas was acrid, and wafted into his nose like a deadly poison.
Aria, with the two children in her hand, called out to Oliver. " Are you ready, Oliver?"
"Yes," he said softly. "I will take the food and packs. I imagine you'll have all you can handle with these children."
"Indeed," Aria said with a wry smile. And with that, they both set off to Tolbi for the night..
*********************************************************************
Early morning light crept through the small windows of the inn. The curtains had been left open, and the light shone brightly in Naree's face . She blinked slightly and yawned. She stretched out her legs, which were surprisingly stiff. Her hair, which lay disheveled on the pillow, blew gently in the breeze. She sat up mechanically in the bed, stretching out her arms. The Jupiter baby was sleeping soundly in its crib, covered in blankets. Naree smiled. He looks enchanting. Almost like those dolls I used to play with as a girl. She patted his head absentmindedly, and went to get dressed. She pulled on her robes, and looked at Andrew fondly. He was still sound asleep himself, gently snoring as he turned over on his back. Naree giggled slightly at this. I shouldn't wake him up, she thought. I'll let him sleep for a few moments more.
She looked at his back, which was sprinkled with freckles. He must have been a great athlete where he came from, she thought. She finished getting dressed, and went down to get some breakfast. Maybe I'll get him some too, just to surprise him a bit.
The door creaked slightly as she opened it. She gently shut it on her way out, and quietly made her way down the stairs. The breakfast hall was empty but for a few people lounging around the bar. She walked confidently up to the person at the front, and ordered two sets of scrambled eggs, and two bowls of oat meal. The cashier looked astounded at this order, but made it out to her room and told her that it would arrive shortly.
She made her way up to the room, making sure not to make any noise. She creaked the door open slightly and peeked in. Andrew and the children were still asleep. She walked quietly to the opposite bed, took up the map, and looked at their next destination.
A few moments later, there was a hard knocking on the door. Andrew grunted slightly, turning over in his bed. His eyes had dark circles in them, from extreme lack of sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, and yawned gently.
"Good morning, Andrew. You seem to have had a fitful sleep." Another harsh knocking came at the door. "Coming, coming," Naree muttered as she opened the door. The innkeepers daughter, a rather plump girl, had arrived with their breakfast. "Its about time you answered," she said cheerfully. "I've brought you your break fast." Andrew, immediately sat up. excited about the prospect of having real food. He got up, stretched his body, (which Naree couldn't help but to notice) and quickly went to the small bathroom to change.
"He's handsome, isn't he?" said the innkeeper's daughter, with a small wink. "Yes, I suppose he is.." said Naree distractedly.
The girl looked shocked at this remark. "You don't even find him remotely handsome? You two are married, aren't you?"
Naree suppressed a great guffaw. "Certainly not. We only met last night."
The daughter's look of shock into one of disgust. " And to think thought you were a decent girl. I never expected you to be the type to just take a man off to bed after just meeting him.."
Naree let out a giggle. ' No, miss, I'm still very much available."
The girl eyed her suspiciously. "Is that so ? Well then I suppose you have another explanation as to where these babies came from. They didn't just pop out of nowhere!"
Naree's look changed from one of amusement to one of fear. She hated being asked pointed and direct questions. Naree back away nervously. " Well.you see.. the reason .that." She couldn't possibly tell her about them being children of the divine. She'd have to make something up...but what?
"Well? I don't have all day! Give me your explanation! You owe it to me to say it!"
All of a sudden. Andrew barged out. His face held an expression of anger that made everyone present cringe. " She owes you absolutely no explanation for why these children are here. If anything, you owe her an apology. She may keep whatever secrets she wishes, and to deny her that liberty makes you nothing but a selfish, sordid gossip who cares nothing for the troubles of others."
He tore the breakfast tray from her hands and put it on the bed. " I believe you have done your duty in bringing breakfast to us. And if that is all, you may leave." Andrew motioned to the door coldly, as the girl muttered something to the effect of "wait until daddy hears of this." He pulled her back gently, and said, "Don't expect any tips." And with that, the bothersome innkeepers daughter left.
Naree looked gratefully at Andrew. " I really must thank you." She smiled. " I couldn't have dealt with her better.
Andrew gave a small smile. " It was nothing. She needed to be put in her place, and I hope to the gods that she was today." Naree nodded gently. "While you were sleeping," she said, placing the trays of food on either bed, " I plotted our next destination. We have a lot of ground to cover today if we're going to go through Suhalla."
"How far are we talking?" Andrew asked.
Naree looked at the map. " We have about twenty five or thirty miles to cover." She checked the clock on the wall over the bed. That means that with every thing we're carrying, we'll probably be covering less than three miles per hour. And that of course means that we had better think about moving now." Andrew looked wistfully at Naree, and then at his half finished plate of food. Naree smiled knowingly. "As soon as we finish Colosso, of course." Andrew smiled widely.
*********************************************************
Hello All,
With the emergence of the new school year and all that comes with it, I would like to apologize about the delay in writing the 4th chapter. As it is with any senior student in secondary school, the homework, even within the first week, is almost perpetually coming. What therefore ensues is a lack of ideas, and therefore a horrible case of writers block. I finally managed to get my creative juices flowing on the weekend, which is when I was inspired to completely re-do this chapter. Initially, the Naree and Andrew were to meet in this chapter, but I chose to let things progress a little bit. They should be meeting in the next chapter. I would also like to address something personal which has affected the lives of everyone in my senior class, that being the recent passing of Bart Piotrowski. His death has come as a great shock to the general school population. He will always be remembered for being the biggest advocate of Drama Club at our school (of which I am a part), and as a genuine, hardworking human being. I'm sure I wouldn't be the first to say that his presence will be greatly missed, and that his memory will live with us throughout our lives. This story is thereby dedicated to him.
Thank you, and enjoy the 4th chapter.
Rhys
Chapter Four: The Journey Begins
It was early morning, and the only sound to be heard was the insistent crash of the waves. The sun let out its rays, painting the canvas of the sky in glorious hues of red, orange and deep purple. There was a faint breeze that rustled the grasses surrounding the Karagol, but all signs foretold that the day would be hot.
Oliver stretched his legs out gently, and slowly sat up. His hair, tousled and knotted hung about his face like string. He scratched his head gently, and yawned. His clothes looked like they had been slept in for days. .He looked over at the baby, which was sleeping comfortably. He rubbed his eyes, which were red rimmed from the night before. They felt wet, as though the tears were still fresh. He wiped his eyes hastily, and stepped outside. The sight that greeted him gave him a slight shock. A young girl was sitting at the fire, preparing fish.
"Good morning, Oliver. I assume you've had a fitful sleep?"
Oliver stepped back slightly. "Who are you?" he asked warily.
"It's me, Oliver. Aria. The girl from the Mercury lighthouse. .. Who taught you how to use psynergy?" Oliver, now perplexed, took another step back.
Aria giggled. 'Well, I suppose I can't blame you for not remembering after last night. You were so exhausted, I almost had to carry you back to the tent."
Oliver gave Aria a curious look. " What do you mean, after last night?" He paced.
" Well, you tapped into a great power last night, so a lot of your energy was wasted."
Aria smiled. " Come, sit down. I caught some fish this morning, and I figured we might have it considering how far we have to go."
Oliver looked dumbfounded . "And just where is it we're going?"
Aria stood up and walked over to Oliver's sack. She's pretty, he thought. Too talkative though. I might go deaf in one ear if she talks enough. He sat by the fire for warmth, and helped himself to the fish.
Aria walked back, a map in had. " I took the liberty of going through your sack to find this map. Its better than the one I've got, that's for sure." She opened it up. " Now, I walked to the Karagol from Tolbi, so I suppose that should be our first stop. I think we're about ten miles from the Tolbi city center, which will probably take us 2 or two and a half hours if we work quickly."
Oliver chewed the fish, and thought for a moment. " And what will be our destination after that?" "We'll head through the gates, and then out to Suhalla."
Oliver nearly spat out his food. " What would be the reason for going there? The Venus lighthouse is in the north, isn't it?"
Aria giggled slightly. " No, silly. It's in the south, fifteen miles south of Lalivero." Oliver tore the map from Aria's hands. "That can't be right," Oliver spat, "That would mean that..." "You've obviously had it the wrong way up, Oliver."
Oliver's face turned a dark shade of purple. "I can't believe it! To think that I've been traveling the wrong way for all this time! And I led mother on this way too! If I had gone another way she would have." survived, he finished. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.
Aria's smiling face turned into one of concern. " Oliver..Is something wrong.. what happened to your mother?" Her face contorted into a look of fear. "You mean, what was in that tent. the tent you set on fire last night..was your mother?"
Oliver flinched. " Yes it was."
"Oh my goodness..how awful..is there anything I can do at all?" Aria asked sympathetically.
Oliver looked at her, and smiled wanly. " Can you bring her back?" Aria touched his shoulder gently, but shook her head. "Well I guess you cannot do much for me at all."
Oliver shook away the last of his tears, and stood up to his full height. "We must be going now. Bears still ravage this land, and we don't need too many dangerous situations. If we are to set off, we must do it immediately."
Aria looked at him mournfully. " What are we to do with the tent.and the body?"
Oliver's face twitched. "I will dispose of them. You pack up all of the food and the belongings. Leave anything that can be left behind. If we to travel, we will travel lightly."
Oliver walked over to the tent, and slowly began to dismantle it. It still smelled of rotting flesh, but the smell of burnt canvas also filled the air. He flashed back to that fateful night. The image of his ravaged mothers body still came vividly in his mind. He looked at her. Her eyes were still wide open, looking spooky , even in the early morning. He gently kissed his mother's forehead and shut her eyes. He carried her limp body out of the tent and into the early morning sun. Aria watched sadly as he dumped his mother's body into the Karagol. He stood there for but a moment, barely moving. He then turned around and set fire to the tent. The smell of the burning canvas was acrid, and wafted into his nose like a deadly poison.
Aria, with the two children in her hand, called out to Oliver. " Are you ready, Oliver?"
"Yes," he said softly. "I will take the food and packs. I imagine you'll have all you can handle with these children."
"Indeed," Aria said with a wry smile. And with that, they both set off to Tolbi for the night..
*********************************************************************
Early morning light crept through the small windows of the inn. The curtains had been left open, and the light shone brightly in Naree's face . She blinked slightly and yawned. She stretched out her legs, which were surprisingly stiff. Her hair, which lay disheveled on the pillow, blew gently in the breeze. She sat up mechanically in the bed, stretching out her arms. The Jupiter baby was sleeping soundly in its crib, covered in blankets. Naree smiled. He looks enchanting. Almost like those dolls I used to play with as a girl. She patted his head absentmindedly, and went to get dressed. She pulled on her robes, and looked at Andrew fondly. He was still sound asleep himself, gently snoring as he turned over on his back. Naree giggled slightly at this. I shouldn't wake him up, she thought. I'll let him sleep for a few moments more.
She looked at his back, which was sprinkled with freckles. He must have been a great athlete where he came from, she thought. She finished getting dressed, and went down to get some breakfast. Maybe I'll get him some too, just to surprise him a bit.
The door creaked slightly as she opened it. She gently shut it on her way out, and quietly made her way down the stairs. The breakfast hall was empty but for a few people lounging around the bar. She walked confidently up to the person at the front, and ordered two sets of scrambled eggs, and two bowls of oat meal. The cashier looked astounded at this order, but made it out to her room and told her that it would arrive shortly.
She made her way up to the room, making sure not to make any noise. She creaked the door open slightly and peeked in. Andrew and the children were still asleep. She walked quietly to the opposite bed, took up the map, and looked at their next destination.
A few moments later, there was a hard knocking on the door. Andrew grunted slightly, turning over in his bed. His eyes had dark circles in them, from extreme lack of sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, and yawned gently.
"Good morning, Andrew. You seem to have had a fitful sleep." Another harsh knocking came at the door. "Coming, coming," Naree muttered as she opened the door. The innkeepers daughter, a rather plump girl, had arrived with their breakfast. "Its about time you answered," she said cheerfully. "I've brought you your break fast." Andrew, immediately sat up. excited about the prospect of having real food. He got up, stretched his body, (which Naree couldn't help but to notice) and quickly went to the small bathroom to change.
"He's handsome, isn't he?" said the innkeeper's daughter, with a small wink. "Yes, I suppose he is.." said Naree distractedly.
The girl looked shocked at this remark. "You don't even find him remotely handsome? You two are married, aren't you?"
Naree suppressed a great guffaw. "Certainly not. We only met last night."
The daughter's look of shock into one of disgust. " And to think thought you were a decent girl. I never expected you to be the type to just take a man off to bed after just meeting him.."
Naree let out a giggle. ' No, miss, I'm still very much available."
The girl eyed her suspiciously. "Is that so ? Well then I suppose you have another explanation as to where these babies came from. They didn't just pop out of nowhere!"
Naree's look changed from one of amusement to one of fear. She hated being asked pointed and direct questions. Naree back away nervously. " Well.you see.. the reason .that." She couldn't possibly tell her about them being children of the divine. She'd have to make something up...but what?
"Well? I don't have all day! Give me your explanation! You owe it to me to say it!"
All of a sudden. Andrew barged out. His face held an expression of anger that made everyone present cringe. " She owes you absolutely no explanation for why these children are here. If anything, you owe her an apology. She may keep whatever secrets she wishes, and to deny her that liberty makes you nothing but a selfish, sordid gossip who cares nothing for the troubles of others."
He tore the breakfast tray from her hands and put it on the bed. " I believe you have done your duty in bringing breakfast to us. And if that is all, you may leave." Andrew motioned to the door coldly, as the girl muttered something to the effect of "wait until daddy hears of this." He pulled her back gently, and said, "Don't expect any tips." And with that, the bothersome innkeepers daughter left.
Naree looked gratefully at Andrew. " I really must thank you." She smiled. " I couldn't have dealt with her better.
Andrew gave a small smile. " It was nothing. She needed to be put in her place, and I hope to the gods that she was today." Naree nodded gently. "While you were sleeping," she said, placing the trays of food on either bed, " I plotted our next destination. We have a lot of ground to cover today if we're going to go through Suhalla."
"How far are we talking?" Andrew asked.
Naree looked at the map. " We have about twenty five or thirty miles to cover." She checked the clock on the wall over the bed. That means that with every thing we're carrying, we'll probably be covering less than three miles per hour. And that of course means that we had better think about moving now." Andrew looked wistfully at Naree, and then at his half finished plate of food. Naree smiled knowingly. "As soon as we finish Colosso, of course." Andrew smiled widely.
*********************************************************