And I am FINALLY back with another chapter! My writer's block is gone! Unfortunately, my writer's block is attacking...everything else. So, sorry for the delay. Hopefully my writer's block will clear up soon. *smacks her writer's block with a stick, the stick rebounds and hits her in the face* Ow!
Chapter 16
Picard sighed.
Getting close to Isaac would be a nearly impossible task. He couldn't just walk up to the Head General and ask him for a word alone. He didn't even want to think what would happen to him if he did. In fact, if anyone saw him simply walk up to Isaac and start talking, whether the General was alone or not, he would be whipped at the very least.
*I'll have to talk this over with Garet, maybe he can think of something,* he mused, casting Douse upon himself before entering the temporary shelter of his cave. The caves may have been shaded, but the sheer amount of slaves kept in their recesses made the heat almost unbearable. The people already occupying the cave backed up hastily, looking up at him with expectant eyes. He sighed and cast Douse again. Water condensed, forming a small, dark grey cloud that emptied its contents, becoming a slight whisp of white that hovered near the ceiling for a moment before dispersing. Picard cast Frost on the puddle, and a small collum of white ice laced with brown rose from the puddle. The slaves huddled around it, pressing their hands against the cold surface and then transferring the cold to their foreheads and the backs of their necks.
Garet was near the back of the cave, his back against the wall, eyes closed. Picard envied him, the heat never bothered the Mars Adept. Garet opened one eye when the Mercury Adept sat down next to him, then closed it again.
"It's tonight," Picard murmured softly, so only Garet could hear him. The other slaves, huddled around the ice chunk, paid them no heed.
"Tonight?" Garet responded, his lips hardly moving.
"The Mars Clan...they're attacking tonight," Picard explained himself more fully. "We need to inform Sheba and...Isaac."
"Good luck," Garet replied. "How exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Well, see, that's where I needed your help..."
****
Isaac wiped his forehead against his sleeve. He tried to breath normally, but the air around him was so hot it prevented that. The sun beat down on his head, and the wind seemed to have stopped.
*It's never been this hot...* he squinted in the direction of the blazing sun. *Gods...it's too hot...*
None of the words Feh was saying could penetrate through the heat induced haze surrounding him. He tried desperately to loosen his collar, then removed his gloves.
"General?" Feh asked. The voice seemed to be coming through many layers of cloth surrounding Isaac's brain.
"It's hot," he replied shortly.
"Yes, it is rather hot," Feh agreed, shading his eyes against the sun and glancing upwards. Isaac did the same.
The sky was bleached white by the heat, giving the false hope of clouds and rainfall. Isaac tried to loosen his collar again, choking for breath. The sweat running down his face did little good in the perfectly still air.
The world tilted black, angry red spots swimming over his vision. He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was in his tent. He had been stripped down to his breeches, and his head felt like it had been wrapped in hot cotton.
"Get out, get out, I need room," he heard a familiar voice saying. He lay there staring at the ceiling, when suddenly a lot of cold water hit him in the face. He sat up, spluttering a rubbing his eyes.
"Hello Isaac," Picard smiled disarmingly. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"What happened?" Isaac asked, his mind still felt muddled.
"You passed out, from the heat," Picard explained. He lifted one hand and cast Douse again. Isaac gasped from the shock of cold water against his hot skin. "And of course, they sent for me."
"Oh," Isaac replied, shivering.
"Come down to the slave quarters tonight," Picard whispered in his ear. "The cave where Garet and I are. We'll be alone. Say you have to admonish one of us." He leaned back and cast Ply. The blue light cleared Isaac's head. "There you go, General. You might want to rest in here for a while, and make sure to drink plenty of water."
"Thank you," Isaac muttered, lying back down.
***
"I presume it went well," Garet asked Picard when he returned.
The Mercury Adept, still grinning widely, sat down next to him. "Where did you learn how to do that? It was amazing!"
Garet shrugged. "Just something I picked up."
"Well, it worked perfectly, and Isaac will be paying us a little visit tonight," Picard was still grinning ear to ear.
"I talked to Sheba," Garet informed him. "She has agreed to share her own private little cave with us."
"Perfect."
****
Alex stumbled along behind Agatio. The Mars Adept had bound his hands in front of him, and tied a rope around his neck to lead him. The noose scratched the nape of his neck, but he kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't complain.
Their party consisted mostly of Mars Adepts that looked like Agatio. Their skin ranged from green to purple, their upper arms covered with scales like a dragon's. From what Alex had gathered they were from a land called Prox. Judging from their heavy armor and weapons, they were a race of warriors.
Their apparent leader, a violet skinned female taller than he was carrying a huge axe, shouted something in a gutteral tongue, and they stopped. Alex fell to his knees, grateful for the break. A water skin was shoved rougly into his hands, and he held it up, clumsily gurgling water. He nearly gagged when it his his dry mouth and parched throat, but kept drinking greedily, water running in rivlets down his chin. The water skin was taken away, and a chunk of bread replaced it.
"Gather your strength, you'll need it tonight," Agatio told him.
****
Isaac trudged down the line of slave caves. He couldn't imagine what Picard could want.
*He probably wants me to free him...but I can't do that...I thought he knew that...*
He got to the cave he knew that Picard and Garet normally resided in. He stuck in his head, ignoring the stench that accompanied so many people packed into such a tight space.
"Are Garet or Picard here?" he asked.
Several of the slaves backed away from him, fear in their eyes.
"N-no, sir," one of them answered timidly.
Isaac nodded and continued down the line. He got to the last cave, a tiny thing that Picard and Garet had dug out specifically for Sheba. Picard, Garet, Saturos and Menardi were there with the Jupiter Adept, lounging in the cold air brought on by the night. He stepped into the entrance, not sure what to do.
"Take a seat, Isaac," Garet motioned to the floor. Isaac nodded and sat down on the dusty ground, moving his cloak out of his way.
"Here," Menardi handed him a pair of plain leather breeches and a plain white shirt. "You'll need these."
Isaac took them from her gingerly. They didn't smell very clean, and he didn't really want to know where she got them. "What are you-"
"Tonight, General, you're a slave," Saturos informed him. "Because my people will kill you otherwise."
***
And there you have it! I hope you loved it! I hope it was worth the long wait!
Elena: Well, Picard's in it, so therefore it was.
What are you doing here?
Elena: I am taking over you mind.
Oh. Okay.
Elena: Pow pow Picard!
AAAGH! Wrong fic already!
Chapter 16
Picard sighed.
Getting close to Isaac would be a nearly impossible task. He couldn't just walk up to the Head General and ask him for a word alone. He didn't even want to think what would happen to him if he did. In fact, if anyone saw him simply walk up to Isaac and start talking, whether the General was alone or not, he would be whipped at the very least.
*I'll have to talk this over with Garet, maybe he can think of something,* he mused, casting Douse upon himself before entering the temporary shelter of his cave. The caves may have been shaded, but the sheer amount of slaves kept in their recesses made the heat almost unbearable. The people already occupying the cave backed up hastily, looking up at him with expectant eyes. He sighed and cast Douse again. Water condensed, forming a small, dark grey cloud that emptied its contents, becoming a slight whisp of white that hovered near the ceiling for a moment before dispersing. Picard cast Frost on the puddle, and a small collum of white ice laced with brown rose from the puddle. The slaves huddled around it, pressing their hands against the cold surface and then transferring the cold to their foreheads and the backs of their necks.
Garet was near the back of the cave, his back against the wall, eyes closed. Picard envied him, the heat never bothered the Mars Adept. Garet opened one eye when the Mercury Adept sat down next to him, then closed it again.
"It's tonight," Picard murmured softly, so only Garet could hear him. The other slaves, huddled around the ice chunk, paid them no heed.
"Tonight?" Garet responded, his lips hardly moving.
"The Mars Clan...they're attacking tonight," Picard explained himself more fully. "We need to inform Sheba and...Isaac."
"Good luck," Garet replied. "How exactly do you plan to do that?"
"Well, see, that's where I needed your help..."
****
Isaac wiped his forehead against his sleeve. He tried to breath normally, but the air around him was so hot it prevented that. The sun beat down on his head, and the wind seemed to have stopped.
*It's never been this hot...* he squinted in the direction of the blazing sun. *Gods...it's too hot...*
None of the words Feh was saying could penetrate through the heat induced haze surrounding him. He tried desperately to loosen his collar, then removed his gloves.
"General?" Feh asked. The voice seemed to be coming through many layers of cloth surrounding Isaac's brain.
"It's hot," he replied shortly.
"Yes, it is rather hot," Feh agreed, shading his eyes against the sun and glancing upwards. Isaac did the same.
The sky was bleached white by the heat, giving the false hope of clouds and rainfall. Isaac tried to loosen his collar again, choking for breath. The sweat running down his face did little good in the perfectly still air.
The world tilted black, angry red spots swimming over his vision. He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was in his tent. He had been stripped down to his breeches, and his head felt like it had been wrapped in hot cotton.
"Get out, get out, I need room," he heard a familiar voice saying. He lay there staring at the ceiling, when suddenly a lot of cold water hit him in the face. He sat up, spluttering a rubbing his eyes.
"Hello Isaac," Picard smiled disarmingly. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"What happened?" Isaac asked, his mind still felt muddled.
"You passed out, from the heat," Picard explained. He lifted one hand and cast Douse again. Isaac gasped from the shock of cold water against his hot skin. "And of course, they sent for me."
"Oh," Isaac replied, shivering.
"Come down to the slave quarters tonight," Picard whispered in his ear. "The cave where Garet and I are. We'll be alone. Say you have to admonish one of us." He leaned back and cast Ply. The blue light cleared Isaac's head. "There you go, General. You might want to rest in here for a while, and make sure to drink plenty of water."
"Thank you," Isaac muttered, lying back down.
***
"I presume it went well," Garet asked Picard when he returned.
The Mercury Adept, still grinning widely, sat down next to him. "Where did you learn how to do that? It was amazing!"
Garet shrugged. "Just something I picked up."
"Well, it worked perfectly, and Isaac will be paying us a little visit tonight," Picard was still grinning ear to ear.
"I talked to Sheba," Garet informed him. "She has agreed to share her own private little cave with us."
"Perfect."
****
Alex stumbled along behind Agatio. The Mars Adept had bound his hands in front of him, and tied a rope around his neck to lead him. The noose scratched the nape of his neck, but he kept his mouth shut. He wouldn't complain.
Their party consisted mostly of Mars Adepts that looked like Agatio. Their skin ranged from green to purple, their upper arms covered with scales like a dragon's. From what Alex had gathered they were from a land called Prox. Judging from their heavy armor and weapons, they were a race of warriors.
Their apparent leader, a violet skinned female taller than he was carrying a huge axe, shouted something in a gutteral tongue, and they stopped. Alex fell to his knees, grateful for the break. A water skin was shoved rougly into his hands, and he held it up, clumsily gurgling water. He nearly gagged when it his his dry mouth and parched throat, but kept drinking greedily, water running in rivlets down his chin. The water skin was taken away, and a chunk of bread replaced it.
"Gather your strength, you'll need it tonight," Agatio told him.
****
Isaac trudged down the line of slave caves. He couldn't imagine what Picard could want.
*He probably wants me to free him...but I can't do that...I thought he knew that...*
He got to the cave he knew that Picard and Garet normally resided in. He stuck in his head, ignoring the stench that accompanied so many people packed into such a tight space.
"Are Garet or Picard here?" he asked.
Several of the slaves backed away from him, fear in their eyes.
"N-no, sir," one of them answered timidly.
Isaac nodded and continued down the line. He got to the last cave, a tiny thing that Picard and Garet had dug out specifically for Sheba. Picard, Garet, Saturos and Menardi were there with the Jupiter Adept, lounging in the cold air brought on by the night. He stepped into the entrance, not sure what to do.
"Take a seat, Isaac," Garet motioned to the floor. Isaac nodded and sat down on the dusty ground, moving his cloak out of his way.
"Here," Menardi handed him a pair of plain leather breeches and a plain white shirt. "You'll need these."
Isaac took them from her gingerly. They didn't smell very clean, and he didn't really want to know where she got them. "What are you-"
"Tonight, General, you're a slave," Saturos informed him. "Because my people will kill you otherwise."
***
And there you have it! I hope you loved it! I hope it was worth the long wait!
Elena: Well, Picard's in it, so therefore it was.
What are you doing here?
Elena: I am taking over you mind.
Oh. Okay.
Elena: Pow pow Picard!
AAAGH! Wrong fic already!