Chapter 6: an uncomfortable situation
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Isaac opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at Ivan. He sat up, looking around him at his silent friends. Mia was smiling at him, tears streaming down her pale face. She looked so happy to see him alive. Ivan was just as happy. Garet grinned.
"Welcome back." He beamed at Isaac as Mia rushed over to see how he was. "We thought you were a goner for a minute there."
"What's going on? Where are Saturos and Menardi?" Isaac asked; unaware of what had happened while he was unconscious.
"They got away." Garet replied, scowling. "They wont be so lucky next time though."
"What." Isaac gasped, surprised at them. "You let them get away. Why?"
"It wasn't our fault. We were tricked into letting Saturos recover. By Alex." Garet argued, frowning at Isaac.
"Alex?" Isaac asked, slightly puzzled.
"Alex." Mia replied nodding.
"You mean the mercury adept we met at sol sanctum?" Isaac asked. "The one with Menardi and Saturos?"
"Yes. That Alex. He tricked us into a long conversation with him, giving Saturos time to recover. Then he left us, taking Jenna and Kraden with him." Garet explained. "It's important that we get going now if we want to head them off at the venus lighthouse."
"Come on then. What are we waiting for?" Isaac asked, leading the way out of the lighthouse.
The others sighed, following him onto the elevator. Maybe he wasn't feeling himself; Saturos had just knocked him out cold after all. Mia was sure that he'd be ok again after a rest at the inn. They could hear the slur of voices below them as people gathered round the fountain. Isaac inhaled the crisp air deeply as the elevator lowered them to the ground.
"Before we set off, I think it would be a good idea to stay at the inn." Mia suggested, as they left the grounds of the lighthouse. "We are all tired from battle and we need a rest."
"Mia's right." Ivan agreed, nodding slightly. "We might as well rest while we have the chance."
"You're right." Isaac sighed, laughing slightly as he gave in to their moaning. "I guess it would be a better idea. But it's costing me a fortune."
Isaac led them through Imil towards the inn. Lots more people were out in the streets now that the fountain was running again. They all entered the inn, glad of the warmth and hospitality. Isaac approached the innkeeper.
"Umm, can we have a room each please?" He asked, glancing up at him, then back down at the coins in his hand.
"Uhh.for all of you?" He asked looking round at the four of them. "I'm not sure we have enough room."
"Well.it's important. Are you sure you have no room?" Isaac asked, holding his breath.
"I can go and check.but I wouldn't go getting your hopes up about this." With that the innkeeper stalked off to check the rooms.
"I'm so tired." Mia moaned. "We have to stay in this inn, we have no choice. We are hardly in a fit state to travel. If there isn't room for all of us to have a room each, then we will have to share. Two to a room."
"What! You can't be serious." Garet complained, staring at Mia in disbelief. "Share rooms! I can't share a room."
"Why ever not?" She argued back, glaring at him. "Honestly Garet. It's just for one night. It isn't going to kill you."
Garet frowned worriedly; Ivan giggled. Garet frowned at Ivan as the innkeeper returned from upstairs. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry." He was still shaking his head. "We only have the rooms you and your friend," He gestured towards Garet. "Stayed in on your last visit."
Garet moaned out loud, soon silenced again by numerous glares from Ivan and Mia. Isaac grinned at Garet, turning back to the innkeeper.
"Ok. We'll take them." Isaac said, keeping his face as straight as possible. "Only for tonight though, we have places to go in the morning."
Isaac handed over the coins as the innkeeper pointed towards the stairs. Isaac thanked him as he led them up to the first floor. It wasn't long before they were all arguing about who was staying with who.
"Can everyone be quiet for one minute!" Isaac yelled, reducing them to silence. "It's not just us staying in this inn you know. If we can't decide on who we are going to stay with, then I'll pair us up."
"That's fine by me." Garet lied, looking uncomfortably at the floor. "As long as I'm not with Mia."
"Fine." Isaac paused unsteadily. "Look, I'll go with Mia and Garet, you can go with Ivan. Sorted?"
"But."
"No buts. Now go." Isaac turned to enter his and Mia's room. "I'll see you in the morning."
The room had 'two' beds, but they were so close together that they could of easily passed as one. Isaac sighed, as he lay back on his bed. He smiled at Mia as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her and blushing. Isaac could hear Garet and Ivan arguing about the beds in the room next door.
"Well." He said uneasily. "What now? I mean.do you want to talk or something?" He asked, looking at the floor.
"No." She replied, quietly as she crossed over to her own bed. "I think I'll just go to sleep if you don't mind."
She undid her hair clasp, letting her aqua coloured hair fall either side of her waist. She tucked a few lose strands behind her ears as she sat down, smoothing out her pillow before she lay her head back on it. She looked beautiful. Isaac thought.
"Good night Isaac." Mia yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Night." Isaac smiled. "I hope you don't mind me staying up for a while. I'm not that tired yet."
But there was no answer because she was already fast asleep. Isaac lent towards her. She looked so peaceful, so calm. He smiled, taking her hand in his. She stirred slightly, rolling on to her back. He placed her hand back beside her face. He stroked the hair from her eyes, feeling it's silky smoothness against his fingers. He ran his hand through her hair gently, so as not to wake her.
"What am I doing?" He questioned himself, backing away from Mia; sitting on his own bed.
He lay back, wondering what had just happened. He could hear Garet arguing with Ivan about having to sleep next to him. Blind to his own feelings, Isaac lay back, deciding it was time he got some sleep himself.
"I will be fine in the morning." He whispered to himself shakily. "All this travelling must be getting to me."
He lay wide-awake, unable to sleep at all. The time passed steadily until even Garet was asleep. Isaac looked across at Mia. He still thought she looked beautiful. Why did he think this? They had only just met the other day. He looked away again, his thoughts far away from him, the inn, or even Imil. His dreams soon left him fast in a worriless sleep.
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Isaac opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at Ivan. He sat up, looking around him at his silent friends. Mia was smiling at him, tears streaming down her pale face. She looked so happy to see him alive. Ivan was just as happy. Garet grinned.
"Welcome back." He beamed at Isaac as Mia rushed over to see how he was. "We thought you were a goner for a minute there."
"What's going on? Where are Saturos and Menardi?" Isaac asked; unaware of what had happened while he was unconscious.
"They got away." Garet replied, scowling. "They wont be so lucky next time though."
"What." Isaac gasped, surprised at them. "You let them get away. Why?"
"It wasn't our fault. We were tricked into letting Saturos recover. By Alex." Garet argued, frowning at Isaac.
"Alex?" Isaac asked, slightly puzzled.
"Alex." Mia replied nodding.
"You mean the mercury adept we met at sol sanctum?" Isaac asked. "The one with Menardi and Saturos?"
"Yes. That Alex. He tricked us into a long conversation with him, giving Saturos time to recover. Then he left us, taking Jenna and Kraden with him." Garet explained. "It's important that we get going now if we want to head them off at the venus lighthouse."
"Come on then. What are we waiting for?" Isaac asked, leading the way out of the lighthouse.
The others sighed, following him onto the elevator. Maybe he wasn't feeling himself; Saturos had just knocked him out cold after all. Mia was sure that he'd be ok again after a rest at the inn. They could hear the slur of voices below them as people gathered round the fountain. Isaac inhaled the crisp air deeply as the elevator lowered them to the ground.
"Before we set off, I think it would be a good idea to stay at the inn." Mia suggested, as they left the grounds of the lighthouse. "We are all tired from battle and we need a rest."
"Mia's right." Ivan agreed, nodding slightly. "We might as well rest while we have the chance."
"You're right." Isaac sighed, laughing slightly as he gave in to their moaning. "I guess it would be a better idea. But it's costing me a fortune."
Isaac led them through Imil towards the inn. Lots more people were out in the streets now that the fountain was running again. They all entered the inn, glad of the warmth and hospitality. Isaac approached the innkeeper.
"Umm, can we have a room each please?" He asked, glancing up at him, then back down at the coins in his hand.
"Uhh.for all of you?" He asked looking round at the four of them. "I'm not sure we have enough room."
"Well.it's important. Are you sure you have no room?" Isaac asked, holding his breath.
"I can go and check.but I wouldn't go getting your hopes up about this." With that the innkeeper stalked off to check the rooms.
"I'm so tired." Mia moaned. "We have to stay in this inn, we have no choice. We are hardly in a fit state to travel. If there isn't room for all of us to have a room each, then we will have to share. Two to a room."
"What! You can't be serious." Garet complained, staring at Mia in disbelief. "Share rooms! I can't share a room."
"Why ever not?" She argued back, glaring at him. "Honestly Garet. It's just for one night. It isn't going to kill you."
Garet frowned worriedly; Ivan giggled. Garet frowned at Ivan as the innkeeper returned from upstairs. He shook his head.
"I'm sorry." He was still shaking his head. "We only have the rooms you and your friend," He gestured towards Garet. "Stayed in on your last visit."
Garet moaned out loud, soon silenced again by numerous glares from Ivan and Mia. Isaac grinned at Garet, turning back to the innkeeper.
"Ok. We'll take them." Isaac said, keeping his face as straight as possible. "Only for tonight though, we have places to go in the morning."
Isaac handed over the coins as the innkeeper pointed towards the stairs. Isaac thanked him as he led them up to the first floor. It wasn't long before they were all arguing about who was staying with who.
"Can everyone be quiet for one minute!" Isaac yelled, reducing them to silence. "It's not just us staying in this inn you know. If we can't decide on who we are going to stay with, then I'll pair us up."
"That's fine by me." Garet lied, looking uncomfortably at the floor. "As long as I'm not with Mia."
"Fine." Isaac paused unsteadily. "Look, I'll go with Mia and Garet, you can go with Ivan. Sorted?"
"But."
"No buts. Now go." Isaac turned to enter his and Mia's room. "I'll see you in the morning."
The room had 'two' beds, but they were so close together that they could of easily passed as one. Isaac sighed, as he lay back on his bed. He smiled at Mia as she entered the room, shutting the door behind her and blushing. Isaac could hear Garet and Ivan arguing about the beds in the room next door.
"Well." He said uneasily. "What now? I mean.do you want to talk or something?" He asked, looking at the floor.
"No." She replied, quietly as she crossed over to her own bed. "I think I'll just go to sleep if you don't mind."
She undid her hair clasp, letting her aqua coloured hair fall either side of her waist. She tucked a few lose strands behind her ears as she sat down, smoothing out her pillow before she lay her head back on it. She looked beautiful. Isaac thought.
"Good night Isaac." Mia yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Night." Isaac smiled. "I hope you don't mind me staying up for a while. I'm not that tired yet."
But there was no answer because she was already fast asleep. Isaac lent towards her. She looked so peaceful, so calm. He smiled, taking her hand in his. She stirred slightly, rolling on to her back. He placed her hand back beside her face. He stroked the hair from her eyes, feeling it's silky smoothness against his fingers. He ran his hand through her hair gently, so as not to wake her.
"What am I doing?" He questioned himself, backing away from Mia; sitting on his own bed.
He lay back, wondering what had just happened. He could hear Garet arguing with Ivan about having to sleep next to him. Blind to his own feelings, Isaac lay back, deciding it was time he got some sleep himself.
"I will be fine in the morning." He whispered to himself shakily. "All this travelling must be getting to me."
He lay wide-awake, unable to sleep at all. The time passed steadily until even Garet was asleep. Isaac looked across at Mia. He still thought she looked beautiful. Why did he think this? They had only just met the other day. He looked away again, his thoughts far away from him, the inn, or even Imil. His dreams soon left him fast in a worriless sleep.
