Chapter 13: The Hidden Town
It was extremely hard to get up. Being the one who "slept" in all the time it was difficult to make departure from slumber land. She had set up Breath to wake her up early. He nudged her on the cheek, telling her silently to wake up. The Djinni knew about her little plan. He could see why she wanted to get back at him. Ivan always teased her. He had known all the recent events that she had to go through.
"Is it time?" She whispered, still half asleep. Breath replied with a squeak.
"Good." She got up. "Show me where the sap is Breath."
A bright sphere of purple raced ahead of her and stopped. Before she went over to follow the signal, Sheba grabbed a flat surfaced stick. She approached the tree. Sap had been flowing out of it. It wasn't ordinary sap. It was the kind that stung on flesh, like poison ivy. It wasn't all that bad. It wiped off easily. She stuck the stick in to get the sap. She was careful not to get it on her, or her trick would have backfired. Breath lead her to Ivan, both had evil looks in their eyes.
"It's payback time." She let the sap drip onto his arms and his cheeks. She would put in "other" areas, but that was just too mean. She then wiped the stick onto the tree and threw far away so no one would notice. She went back to her sleeping spot giggling softly. Ivan had awakened from a sudden sting on his skin. He yelled out....quietly to himself and looked around. The tree that he slept by could have not done this. He knew that kind of tree couldn't produce such a stinging sap. He then looked at Sheba, glaring at her. He had a feeling it was she who put sap on him. He felt his paralysis gone and stumbled over to her. He did it very quietly so she wouldn't know that he was sneaking behind her. He endured the stinging pain and tried not to make any noise. He read into her mind.
"Hey! What's your problem!?" He yelled into her mind bending down on his knees and glaring at the girl.
"Oh the sap?" She asked. "You know you deserved it! Hey you told me you would stop yelling at me!"
He sighed and said calmly. "How did I deserved it Sheba I didn't even do anything to you!"
"Yes you did! All this time you teased me, and you at times made me feel like crying...you even make mean jokes about me!" She hissed.
"You could have told me to stop." Ivan wiped all of the sap with some water and a cloth.
"I did tell you to stop, but you still went on!"
He was mentally chocking. He couldn't think of anything to say to her.
"Are you even listening?" She demanded."I'm beginning to hate you Ivan."
"I really screwed myself up." He muttered under his breath.
"I didn't mean it." Sheba stopped arguing. Ivan looked depressed now.
"Ivan..."
"I'm sorry." He said quietly, not looking back at her.
"I don't really hate you." Sheba said softly. "Don't take it the other way."
He ignored her.
"Give me some time alone."
"Just don't take it so hard." She went and found another spot to stay in. Breath was waiting for her. She talked to him quietly. The conversation soon began to bring a few tears in her eyes. He was giving her the cold shoulder. She knew she couldn't get him to talk to her.
"Hey what's wrong?" Jan walked over to her. She turned her head.
"There's nothing wrong Jan. I'm fine." She turned it back toward Breath.
"No I heard about the conflict this morning. Something is wrong." Jan sat down by her. "I might be able to help."
"What would do if someone gave you the cold shoulder?" "I would give them some time to themselves and explain to them later when they don't feel as bad."
"I don't want him to think I hate him..."
"Everything will work out eventually." Jan assured, "I'll make Picard talk with him after breakfast."
"Thanks." Sheba hugged her. "I knew I could count on a friend."
"It was no problem." She got up, "Picard went out to hunt, he'll be back soon. "He said he wants to try and cook this time."
"All right."
Ivan took out his flute. He hadn't practice playing in a while. This was a good time to practice. He thought of a song to play. After a few minutes of thinking, he started to play a song that his mother had taught him. It started out at a medium place. It sounded angst and mysterious at once. He felt it could cheer him up. His mother had told him to play the song whenever he felt heartbroken or depressed. He continued to play. Sheba heard the sweet song. It lured her to him. She had never heard him play it in that way before. Picard heard it too, but he stayed where he was to listen to it. Sheba approached him again.
"The Minuet of the Jupiter Lighthouse.." She said softly in front of him. He nodded without looking at her.
"Sister taught me."
"You play it like a masterpiece."
"Thanks...I play it whenever I feel down." "
I'm sorry about this morning..." She whispered, bringing up the issue again.
"I think I did deserve it."
"Oh really? What's done is done, but it still didn't change my feelings for you." Sheba sat cross-legged on the forest floor.
"Mine haven't changed as well." "Are you ready to head back?" She said getting up. "Breakfast will be coming you know."
"I am." He slipped the flute back into its case and into the bag. Picard had recently gotten back from killing two ducks. He had finished plucking them and left Jan to do the butchering this time.
"They got back together again." Jan muttered something to Picard. She finished cutting the meat up. She helped Picard began cooking the sliced duck.
"Sheba must have explained to him." Picard took some meat. "They look very well together."
"They look related, I mean what if they are related?"
"It's impossible. Sheba couldn't be related to him in anyway."
"You never know though....they could be cousins."
"What are you two talking about?" Sheba turned her head to hear them talking low.
"About food and cooking, nothing else." Jan began to talk about how to cook the meat so Sheba wouldn't become suspicious.
"It's almost finished anyway." Jan took the cooked meat off the fire to cool. The deer skin that Ivan had saved made a very good place to put meat out to cool. The meat cooled and everyone ate, preparing for the day ahead. Ivan was able to move again so it was time to move on. The Oradons moved freely into the forest. The forest slowly ceased into a clearing. This place wasn't marked on the map. It was hidden deep in the heart of the forest, isolated away from the world's problems.
"There is a town straight ahead." Jan pointed to the town just 100 yards away, " I think it is Morimachi."
"Never heard of the place." Picard shook his head, "is this like how Lemuria is, blocked off by outsiders?"
"Not exactly, but yes. It is a town hidden in the forests."
"Do you live here?" Ivan piped it.
"No, but I live among the forests here, but I do visit this town often to check things out."
"So that's how you pulled that fire attack on that monster.."
"Yea, just plain psynergy." Jan said, heading toward the town, "it's getting dark, we better head in."
The others followed until they were stopped by two guards.
"Hello Jan, are they with you?" The guard asked.
"They are."
"Proceed." The guards let them into the village. The village wasn't too big. It had two plazas with beautiful marble fountains in the center. The houses were tall blue rimed cottages that were close or put together. Those were in the left plaza. The right plaza had all the business related things like market stalls and shops. There was also an Inn.
"It's a nice place." Sheba astonishingly scanned her surroundings.
"I can get you guys a room for free." Jan got off the Oradon. "My friend owns it."
"Cool, but where do we put the Oradon?" Ivan asked.
"I'll go take them into the inn's stables." Jan led them nearby to the stable. The Oradons were secured and fed.
"I'm tired....and a bit hungry too." Ivan heard his stomach growling.
"Marle cooks great food. You'll like it."
As they entered the inn, Jan told Marle about her friend's situation. She understood and led them upstairs to four bedrooms. Each room had a small bed, a writing desk, and a lovely vertical window to look out of. Green drapes were hung neatly to match the room's forest theme interior. Each room even had its own bathroom, very rare in Wayard. The Inn was fairly large. Luckily, Marle had a crew of maids to clean the amount of rooms. After getting settled in the rooms, dinner was just about finished. After dinner was finished, they all went upstairs again into Picard's room to chat and discuss travel plans. Tomorrow they would head into the Suhalla Pass. Soon after the talking stopped and everyone departed into their rooms to sleep.
A/N: By the way...that song Ivan played is the music that you hear in the Jupiter Lighthouse...
It was extremely hard to get up. Being the one who "slept" in all the time it was difficult to make departure from slumber land. She had set up Breath to wake her up early. He nudged her on the cheek, telling her silently to wake up. The Djinni knew about her little plan. He could see why she wanted to get back at him. Ivan always teased her. He had known all the recent events that she had to go through.
"Is it time?" She whispered, still half asleep. Breath replied with a squeak.
"Good." She got up. "Show me where the sap is Breath."
A bright sphere of purple raced ahead of her and stopped. Before she went over to follow the signal, Sheba grabbed a flat surfaced stick. She approached the tree. Sap had been flowing out of it. It wasn't ordinary sap. It was the kind that stung on flesh, like poison ivy. It wasn't all that bad. It wiped off easily. She stuck the stick in to get the sap. She was careful not to get it on her, or her trick would have backfired. Breath lead her to Ivan, both had evil looks in their eyes.
"It's payback time." She let the sap drip onto his arms and his cheeks. She would put in "other" areas, but that was just too mean. She then wiped the stick onto the tree and threw far away so no one would notice. She went back to her sleeping spot giggling softly. Ivan had awakened from a sudden sting on his skin. He yelled out....quietly to himself and looked around. The tree that he slept by could have not done this. He knew that kind of tree couldn't produce such a stinging sap. He then looked at Sheba, glaring at her. He had a feeling it was she who put sap on him. He felt his paralysis gone and stumbled over to her. He did it very quietly so she wouldn't know that he was sneaking behind her. He endured the stinging pain and tried not to make any noise. He read into her mind.
"Hey! What's your problem!?" He yelled into her mind bending down on his knees and glaring at the girl.
"Oh the sap?" She asked. "You know you deserved it! Hey you told me you would stop yelling at me!"
He sighed and said calmly. "How did I deserved it Sheba I didn't even do anything to you!"
"Yes you did! All this time you teased me, and you at times made me feel like crying...you even make mean jokes about me!" She hissed.
"You could have told me to stop." Ivan wiped all of the sap with some water and a cloth.
"I did tell you to stop, but you still went on!"
He was mentally chocking. He couldn't think of anything to say to her.
"Are you even listening?" She demanded."I'm beginning to hate you Ivan."
"I really screwed myself up." He muttered under his breath.
"I didn't mean it." Sheba stopped arguing. Ivan looked depressed now.
"Ivan..."
"I'm sorry." He said quietly, not looking back at her.
"I don't really hate you." Sheba said softly. "Don't take it the other way."
He ignored her.
"Give me some time alone."
"Just don't take it so hard." She went and found another spot to stay in. Breath was waiting for her. She talked to him quietly. The conversation soon began to bring a few tears in her eyes. He was giving her the cold shoulder. She knew she couldn't get him to talk to her.
"Hey what's wrong?" Jan walked over to her. She turned her head.
"There's nothing wrong Jan. I'm fine." She turned it back toward Breath.
"No I heard about the conflict this morning. Something is wrong." Jan sat down by her. "I might be able to help."
"What would do if someone gave you the cold shoulder?" "I would give them some time to themselves and explain to them later when they don't feel as bad."
"I don't want him to think I hate him..."
"Everything will work out eventually." Jan assured, "I'll make Picard talk with him after breakfast."
"Thanks." Sheba hugged her. "I knew I could count on a friend."
"It was no problem." She got up, "Picard went out to hunt, he'll be back soon. "He said he wants to try and cook this time."
"All right."
Ivan took out his flute. He hadn't practice playing in a while. This was a good time to practice. He thought of a song to play. After a few minutes of thinking, he started to play a song that his mother had taught him. It started out at a medium place. It sounded angst and mysterious at once. He felt it could cheer him up. His mother had told him to play the song whenever he felt heartbroken or depressed. He continued to play. Sheba heard the sweet song. It lured her to him. She had never heard him play it in that way before. Picard heard it too, but he stayed where he was to listen to it. Sheba approached him again.
"The Minuet of the Jupiter Lighthouse.." She said softly in front of him. He nodded without looking at her.
"Sister taught me."
"You play it like a masterpiece."
"Thanks...I play it whenever I feel down." "
I'm sorry about this morning..." She whispered, bringing up the issue again.
"I think I did deserve it."
"Oh really? What's done is done, but it still didn't change my feelings for you." Sheba sat cross-legged on the forest floor.
"Mine haven't changed as well." "Are you ready to head back?" She said getting up. "Breakfast will be coming you know."
"I am." He slipped the flute back into its case and into the bag. Picard had recently gotten back from killing two ducks. He had finished plucking them and left Jan to do the butchering this time.
"They got back together again." Jan muttered something to Picard. She finished cutting the meat up. She helped Picard began cooking the sliced duck.
"Sheba must have explained to him." Picard took some meat. "They look very well together."
"They look related, I mean what if they are related?"
"It's impossible. Sheba couldn't be related to him in anyway."
"You never know though....they could be cousins."
"What are you two talking about?" Sheba turned her head to hear them talking low.
"About food and cooking, nothing else." Jan began to talk about how to cook the meat so Sheba wouldn't become suspicious.
"It's almost finished anyway." Jan took the cooked meat off the fire to cool. The deer skin that Ivan had saved made a very good place to put meat out to cool. The meat cooled and everyone ate, preparing for the day ahead. Ivan was able to move again so it was time to move on. The Oradons moved freely into the forest. The forest slowly ceased into a clearing. This place wasn't marked on the map. It was hidden deep in the heart of the forest, isolated away from the world's problems.
"There is a town straight ahead." Jan pointed to the town just 100 yards away, " I think it is Morimachi."
"Never heard of the place." Picard shook his head, "is this like how Lemuria is, blocked off by outsiders?"
"Not exactly, but yes. It is a town hidden in the forests."
"Do you live here?" Ivan piped it.
"No, but I live among the forests here, but I do visit this town often to check things out."
"So that's how you pulled that fire attack on that monster.."
"Yea, just plain psynergy." Jan said, heading toward the town, "it's getting dark, we better head in."
The others followed until they were stopped by two guards.
"Hello Jan, are they with you?" The guard asked.
"They are."
"Proceed." The guards let them into the village. The village wasn't too big. It had two plazas with beautiful marble fountains in the center. The houses were tall blue rimed cottages that were close or put together. Those were in the left plaza. The right plaza had all the business related things like market stalls and shops. There was also an Inn.
"It's a nice place." Sheba astonishingly scanned her surroundings.
"I can get you guys a room for free." Jan got off the Oradon. "My friend owns it."
"Cool, but where do we put the Oradon?" Ivan asked.
"I'll go take them into the inn's stables." Jan led them nearby to the stable. The Oradons were secured and fed.
"I'm tired....and a bit hungry too." Ivan heard his stomach growling.
"Marle cooks great food. You'll like it."
As they entered the inn, Jan told Marle about her friend's situation. She understood and led them upstairs to four bedrooms. Each room had a small bed, a writing desk, and a lovely vertical window to look out of. Green drapes were hung neatly to match the room's forest theme interior. Each room even had its own bathroom, very rare in Wayard. The Inn was fairly large. Luckily, Marle had a crew of maids to clean the amount of rooms. After getting settled in the rooms, dinner was just about finished. After dinner was finished, they all went upstairs again into Picard's room to chat and discuss travel plans. Tomorrow they would head into the Suhalla Pass. Soon after the talking stopped and everyone departed into their rooms to sleep.
A/N: By the way...that song Ivan played is the music that you hear in the Jupiter Lighthouse...