As Luck Would Have It
Disclaimer: Ah, I haven't don't this in a while. *whispers* Pssst! I don't own it! Ha ha!
A/N: What to say, what to say…er…I'm running out of ideas, and enthusiasm, kinda fast…school really takes it out of you. But I'll keep writing as long as you keep reviewing ;).
Chapter Ten: A Little Frosty
"Bilibin Cave?!" six voices echoed, and Zoe and Torrent nodded as one.
"Not another cave," Ivan moaned. "I hate rocks!"
"Just what exactly is so bad about rocks?" Flint asked indignantly, and Isaac laughed. "Well?"
"Everything," Gust shot back, and Forge nodded his agreement. Torrent began to laugh, her eyes fixed on Forge.
"There's water in Mercury Lighthouse," she pointed out, and Forge scowled. "And it's cold up in Imil. And there's water all round the lighthouse too, and snow, and all sorts of things you Mars folk won't enjoy in the least."
"Please, stop!" Garet cried, holding up a hand and faking fear. "I can't bear to hear any more!"
"Come on, guys, this is serious!" Isaac attempted, but he was laughing along with the rest. In fact the only one who didn't seem to be laughing was Zoe. Isaac caught her eyes and in them saw many things, chief among those being worry, fear, and…excitement?
"When do we leave?" Flint asked, jumping up and down on the bed a bit. "I happen to like rocks, cold ones or otherwise."
"We'll leave in two days," Isaac said seriously, a determined glint in his eye.
"Two days?!" chorused a number of aghast voices.
"Isaac, I don't know if two days is enough time for—" Garet began, but Isaac cut him off.
"It is ample time for everyone to be packed, rested, and ready, Garet. Trust me on that."
"But Isaac, you know that's not what I—"
"Not what you meant. I know. And frankly I think you're overreacting. Not to mention overstepping yourself a bit, Mars Adept." This last comment obviously had some significance, though it was not one that Zoe and Ivan understood, for Garet's eyes lit for a moment and he gave a sagely nod.
"Ah. I see your point. Well then…two days it is…anyone for dinner?" Garet asked rather cheerfully, glancing at the setting sun. "We've only got two days to enjoy this fine cuisine after all."
"You call it 'fine cuisine,'" Isaac said with a grin. "My mom cooked better."
"You would say that!"
"You bet. Now go." At that, Garet, Ivan, and Zoe left, their Djinn flashing into invisibility. On the way down the stairs, Garet muttered, "Venus Adepts. You argue with them, you might as well argue with a wall."
"I agree with that at least," Ivan commented, and Garet ruffled the boy's hair. "Will ya stop doing that?! It's annoying!!"
"That's the idea."
***************
Two days later, the four left Bilibin early and headed north. "Imil is north," Isaac had reasoned. "It only makes sense that Bilibin Cave is north too."
"Only one problem with that," Garet said, and Isaac looked at him sideways.
"What problem?"
"Those mountains right there in front of us. Impassable mountains, Isaac. Impassable, by the way, means one cannot pass over, under, or around them."
"I know what impassable means!"
"Why don't we go that way?" Ivan said, pointing to his left. Isaac and Garet looked at each other for a moment, then nodded wordlessly. Zoe, however, was staring at the mountains with a growing frown, and when Garet touched her shoulder he found that she was trembling.
"Zoe? Are you alright?" he asked, shaking her a bit. Snapping out of her daze, she looked at him with concern-filled eyes.
"Something lies beyond those mountains," she said in an ominous voice.
"Many things lie beyond those mountains," Torrent piped up, rather confused at what Zoe was feeling.
"It's not a good thing. In fact it is a very evil thing." Zoe shivered. "And we're going to have to face it…and soon."
"Stop talking like that," Isaac said quietly. "If it happens, we'll deal with it. No use dwelling on such things right now."
"I'd rather dwell on the cooking temperature of Garet's hair," Ivan muttered, and Gust began to giggle. Garet glared, and Ivan gave him an innocent grin.
"Come on," Gust said, trying to pull them back to their current task. "We do want to get out of this cave by nightfall, right?"
"I've heard that before," Torrent muttered grimly. "Didn't like it the first time, don't like it this time, but its not as though I have a choice, right?"
"Not unless you want to stay behind, and miss Mercury Lighthouse," Zoe said with a grin.
"Ok, ok, I get the picture," Torrent laughed as they traveled southwest. They were both pleased and devastated when their path took them around the mountains and to the entrance of a cave.
"Well…are you all ready?" Isaac asked, his blue eyes serious.
"Hold on a minute," said Flint, appearing on Isaac's shoulder. With a yellow flash, he dissolved into specks and reappeared in another flash on Garet's shoulder. Isaac found his mind suddenly empty of the presence of his Djinni, while Garet suddenly felt two Djinn in his own mind, instead of one.
"Flint, what in the world?!" Garet asked, his voice reaching strangely high tones. Isaac only stood calmly and waited, knowing the Djinni must have a good reason for what he was doing.
"Come over here," he said, running towards a sheer cliff face, several yards away from the actual cave entrance. At the foot of the cliff there grew the sapling of what would someday be a large creeper vine. Garet bent down to look at it and shrugged.
"That's Isaac's department, Flint, not mine."
"It is now! Use the Psynergy I've given you!"
"Psynergy? You gave me…but how?!"
"It happens, sometimes, when Djinni join with those who are not of their element. You should be able to make this grow!"
"What good will that do us?" Zoe asked, and Torrent smiled.
"He is right," she said. "There is another entrance to this cave, one higher in the cliff face. It is said that whoever reaches this entrance shall find treasure."
"Said by whom, I wonder," Ivan mused as Garet puzzled over how to make the small vine grow. "Some thieves waiting to ambush anyone who's already worn out from climbing, I'll bet."
"Well, you're trusting," Isaac said to him, grinning. Turning back to face Garet, he was amazed as a yellowish light surrounded the vine and it shot up, growing until it was high enough to reach the top of the cliff and thick enough to support the weight of at least three people. Or so they hoped.
Flint became sparkling balls of light again and rejoined Isaac, who smiled. Not having a Djinni attached to him had left him feeling rather empty. "Try it, Garet," the Djinni urged, and the Mars Adept shrugged and hauled himself onto the vine, climbing a few feet.
"Holds me well enough," he said, grinning down at them. "Should hold the rest of you just fine. Come on up, guys!" he said, continuing to climb. Isaac followed, enjoying climbing a live vine up an earthen wall. He always was exceedingly happy when he was in his element. He would have stopped when he reached the top just to turn around and enjoy the view from that high up, but Zoe was quickly climbing the vine after him, eyes riveted on the spot where it crawled over the top of the ledge. Sighing, Isaac gave a last shove and landed lightly on the ledge, grinning at Garet.
"Show off," Garet muttered, and Isaac's grin broadened.
Zoe came quickly after them, shaking a bit, but saying nothing. By now they all knew she was terrified of heights, and by now she really didn't care. She actually preferred Goma Cave to this. At least there she didn't have to worry about a long drop ending up who-knew-where.
Ivan came last, and a bit more slowly due to his small size. He had almost reached the top when his left foot slipped on a very small branch of the vine, and because he was reaching up with his right hand as he took the step, he found himself dangling in the air by his left hand.
"Ivan!" was the collective yell as the others saw what was happening. The Jupiter Adept cried out and reached with his free hand for the vine. His hand caught something and he reached with the other one to continue to climb.
The weak stem he had grabbed broke off in his right hand, and with no hands holding on Ivan slid off the vine and plummeted towards the ground. He yelled once, then slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.
"IVAN!" Zoe yelled, and, barely thinking of what she was doing, leapt off the cliff after him, calling out, "Flight!" as Isaac and Garet moved, albeit too late, to stop her. Her fall slowed, then nearly stopped, as silvery light surrounded her. She landed lightly on the ground next to Ivan and gasped. A hand covered her mouth as she choked back a sob. Looking at him, there was no way he could be anything but dead.
Or so she thought, until Gust flickered into view on the other side of the boy. "Gust!" Zoe said, relief flooding her voice. "You're alive!"
"Not for long," the Jupiter Djinni replied weakly, glancing at Ivan. "Let me guess—you can't do a thing about it? Isaac can, I think…but he can't get down here in time…he can't fly like you…I'm babbling, aren't I?" Zoe nodded. "Sorry. It's a Jupiter Djinni reaction to bad situations."
Zoe, about to reply, stopped as her Psynergy began to race through her. Unsure of what would happen and not caring as long as whatever it was worked, she almost automatically threw a hand to the sky and let her power take over.
"Explorer's Restore!" Zoe cried, and was surprised to feel power coming from literally everything around her, its silver light flying from her fingertips and surrounding Ivan. Isaac, who was halfway down by this time, gasped as he looked below him, and Garet, about to begin the climb himself, could only stare in awe.
When the light vanished, Zoe sank to the ground, eyes closed, though she was smiling. Isaac climbed down as fast as he could, and Garet jumped and as he landed, headed into a forward roll that broke most of his fall. Standing and brushing the dirt from his clothes, he went to Ivan, while Isaac knelt by Zoe and gently shook her. Her deep violet eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself up.
"Nice trick," Isaac commented wryly, and Zoe's smile widened for a moment, then became a dark frown.
"Only a nice trick if it worked," she said softly, glancing at Garet, who now stood, carrying Ivan. Isaac helped Zoe up, then looked his best friend squarely in the eyes.
"Well, Garet," Isaac said, "looks like we won't be seeing anything cold today after all."
"Don't assume things," Gust said, appearing again and fluttering to Zoe's shoulder. "It makes quite a fool out of you and me."
"Gust!" Zoe cried again, resisting her urge to hug the little Djinni.
"You seem to have an adequate grasp on what I am named, Zoe," Gust replied with a small smile. Zoe grinned back. Her high spirits had returned, for more obvious reasons this time, but she knew there was still the matter of how they would get back up to the cave's high entrance.
"Strange thing for one who despises heights to have the power of flight," Flint mused, catching Zoe's eye, and she gulped. Maybe the others did have a plan, but she was almost positive she wouldn't like it. "Don't you agree, Zoe?"
"I do, and though I don't like what you're planning, Djinni, I'll do it. If I can, that is. I don't know if I could lift us all…"
"Try anyway," Isaac said quietly, and Zoe considered sending him a glare, then sighed. Whatever she'd just done, it had taken a lot of energy…but she couldn't let them down. It seemed to be against her very being not to at least try.
Closing her eyes and holding out a hand, she whispered, "Flight," and, though she couldn't see it, she knew that Psynergetic light was surrounding her. Focusing as hard as she could, she extended her power to Isaac, and then to Garet and Ivan. In her mind she saw blue light, and felt another power join hers.
Torrent her mind stated, and her answer was a resounding Of course
Slowly the four rose into the air, and Isaac looked down at the ground, impressed. As a young boy he had often imagined what it would have been like to fly. It had been much like this, only in his mind no Psynergy had been involved. He was disappointed when they landed on top of the cliff, and he could see in Garet's face that he was too. The silvery energy around them disappeared, and Isaac, expecting it, turned and caught Zoe as she collapsed again.
"Well now," Garet said, glancing at the high noon sky. "We'll be taking a late-night trip through this cave, I guess."
"At any rate, we can't go through like this," Isaac agreed, gently setting Zoe on the ground, leaning her against the cliff face. Garet laid Ivan down near her, and the two boys looked at each other. Blue eyes met brown for a split second before both of them began to laugh.
"What a rush! I've never felt anything like that!" Garet said, grinning. "I mean…flying, Isaac! I don't even like wind things, but that…I wish I could do it for myself." The look in his eyes was a mixture of excitement, awe, and jealousy.
"Don't think so," Isaac said. "I don't even think Ivan can do it, and we know what kind of Adept he is. But I do agree—that was amazing." Their conversation passed into thoughtful silence, and Isaac sat down, lay back and stared up at the sky. Puffy white clouds floated by, occasionally blocking the sun's light. Garet, not one to sit still for long unless necessary, began to pace back and forth, thoughts tumbling over each other in his mind.
You really need to organize your thoughts Forge said in his mind, and he grimaced.
You don't think I know that already Garet thought back in an exasperated tone.
Thought
I might tell you anyway
"Very
funny Djinni," Garet muttered, and Isaac laughed silently. Whatever had brought
on that comment had to have been funny. Looking back at the clouds, Isaac was
overcome for a moment with memories of his past.
The most prominent of these was when he was about ten, lying on the roof of his house and looking at clouds much like these. It was a warm day in late summer, and his mother was busy cooking dinner while his father was down in the plaza. Eyes half-closed, he had been staring lazily skyward and thinking of nothing particularly profound. Or he was, but the approach of footsteps on the straw roused him, and he leaned up on his elbows, finding himself staring into two cloud-grey eyes.
"'Lo, Isaac," said the girl standing there. Her golden hair blew in the slight breeze as she stared out over Vale.
"Hi," he said back. She was two years younger than he, but he'd rarely noticed. "What are you doing up here?"
"Looking, I guess. Someday, I wanna head out there," she said dreamily, waving her hand at the land outside of Vale. "Explore the world and have adventures. Like you, Isaac."
"Me? I've had no adventures, unless you count that time I almost snuck up to Mount Aleph."
"Not yet! In a while." The girl's eyes became distant, and Isaac looked at her strangely. "When three of the Four are taken by fiery hands, you will go, and others with you. I wish you luck," the girl said, jumping off the roof and landing near her twin, who was waiting.
Thinking back on it now, Isaac realized that what the girl, who had eventually become a Jupiter Adept, had said was true. Saturos and Menardi had taken three of the four Elemental Stars, and he and Garet had left Vale. And he had made a promise that he would not return until his quest was finished.
Sighing, Isaac pulled himself up and sat cross-legged, staring out over the part of the world that he could see. He thought he saw a town to the south, and wondered if maybe it was Vault, but that wasn't likely. Their short stay in Vault seemed ages ago. "Was it so long?" he asked aloud, and Garet turned to face him.
"So long?"
"Since Vault. It feels like it's been forever. I guess it hasn't…but I know we've still got a long way to go. And the longer we wait, though we can't help it this time, the closer Saturos, Menardi, Alex and Felix get to lighting Mercury Lighthouse. And we can't let them do this. We just can't."
"I know we can't, Isaac. I'm just as determined to stop them as you are."
"So many people…the entire world is depending on us. US, Garet. Four kids!"
"Look, Isaac," Garet said, staring into his friend's eyes with all the intensity he could muster. "I've known you my entire life, and you've never once lost your cool. Don't start now. Not trying to pressure you or anything, but if you panic, we all do."
"A matter of one's perspective," a voice said, immediately breaking into giggles. Garet grinned, and Isaac turned towards the source of the voices.
"Ivan!" they both said at once, and the Jupiter Adept nodded and slowly stood, still grinning, and looked down at himself, rather amazed.
"What in the world…" he whispered, turning his hands over and looking at his palms. "Is there an explanation coming, or do I have to guess?"
"Please, no more guessing," Zoe said sleepily from where she sat. The three turned to look at her. "I've had enough guessing for three lifetimes." Standing, she grinned at them, flicking her braid back over her shoulder. "So, what did I miss?"
"Not much, actually. Or, rather," Garet amended, "not much time. If we're ready…we should really head into the cave."
"Well, I'm ready."
"I don't think I could possibly be more ready!" Ivan said, his big purple eyes even wider in awe and shock. "Zoe, what happened? I know I fell…"
"No offense to you, Ivan, but can it wait? I'm not sure myself, exactly. Except that your Djinni has a tendency to babble."
"I cold have told him that," said Gust, appearing again. Ivan jumped.
"I will never get used to you
popping in and out like that!" he yelped, and Gust laughed.
"Good. That means I can keep you
on your toes." The Djinni said, and disappeared again. Ivan slapped his fore
head with his hand and sighed, making the others laugh.
"The downside to Djinn," Isaac said, putting a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder, "is the fact that they're with you all the time. Which, if you think about it, is also the upside."
"No logical reasoning," Garet said, shaking his head.
"How would you even know what logical reasoning was?" Isaac retorted, and Garet frowned. Zoe laughed along with them, but was shooting continual glances at the cave entrance. "Right," Isaac said, seeing this. "Let's go, guys. And please, no discussion on just how big Bilibin Cave is. Let me clarify, Garet, that it cuts through a mountain range. Pretty darn big." Isaac gave Garet a wry smile and headed for the cave entrance. Zoe laughed and fell in behind him, with Ivan walking next to her and Garet trailing behind, sulking.
***************
"Jump across, idiot!" Garet said. Isaac glared at him. The five-foot-wide jump to the other side of the crevice wasn't something he was going to enjoy. But on the other side was what looked almost like a treasure chest, if that idea weren't somewhat odd. Isaac backed up a few feet to give himself a running start, then ran at the jump and at the last possible moment pushed off. Flying over a space just under his height was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. Landing on the other side was a bit pf a problem, and resulted into a rather painful roll into the chest.
"Ai," Isaac muttered, standing and facing the strange object. Seeing it was unlocked, he pushed the lid open and gasped at what was inside. It was a sword, longer than his current one and lighter, but looking all the more dangerous. Flint flashed visible on his shoulder and let out a long, low whistle.
"Elven Rapier," the Djinni said in an awed voice. "Very powerful weapon. It's got some weapon Psynergy or other, but I don't know what kind."
"How do you know what it is, anyway?" Isaac asked as the others followed him across. They slid down an embankment and landed on the lower floor before the Djinni answered.
"I just do."
***************
"I don't believe it," Ivan said, shading his eyes from the fading sunlight.
"Don't believe what? How cold it is here?" Garet said, shivering.
"We made it through that cave and didn't see a thing. Not one monster or demon or whatever it is that likes to beat us up. But I did see a nice-looking torch that might be useful in the hair re-styling of a certain cold-hating Mars Adept." Ivan grinned slyly as Garet aimed a punch, which the boy ducked easily. "Sorry, Garet, but you're a bit too slow for a Jupiter Adept."
"Good thing, then, that I'm a Mars Adept."
"Very funny."
"Thought so."
"Are they going to argue the whole way to Mercury Lighthouse?" Zoe wondered aloud, shivering a bit at the chill of the wind.
"And probably well beyond that," Isaac answered with a wink. He was almost knocked over by Ivan running forward, into the steadily strengthening winds.
"I feel sorry for you!" he called back. "You can't enjoy this!"
"Don't want to," Garet mumbled, and Isaac chuckled. Zoe began to laugh too, but her laughter was cut short as Ivan let out a strangled cry. Looking at each other for a fraction of a second, the three ran ahead to where Ivan was out on the middle of a frozen lake facing down a giant bear-like creature.
"Mauler," Isaac muttered, drawing his new Elven Rapier. Garet drew his longsword, and Zoe sighed and worked free of its sheath the longsword that Isaac had given her after obtaining the Elven Rapier. She had actually preferred the Bandit's Sword to this, it being lighter and having its own sort of Psynergetic attack, but she did agree that one did more damage with a bigger weapon.
If one could lift said weapon off the ground.
Ivan had already unleashed a blast of wind at the mauler, but it hadn't done much of anything. Angrily, and dodging swiping claws, he glared up at the monster and yelled, "Gust unleash!" into the wind. The Djinni appeared and became glowing winds, flying at the mauler, who still seemed unaffected.
"Guard's Flare!" Garet called as he brought himself to a stop on the slippery lake. Fireballs pelted the creature, who roared in more annoyance than anger. "Well, that worked like a brick."
"New expression, Garet?" Isaac asked as he passed him by, swinging at the mauler with the Elven Rapier and yelling, "Vorpal Slash!"
"New expression. Right. Boy's losing it."
"Not the time, fire-head," Ivan said as Gust reappeared, now more of a ball of purple light than a Djinni. "I summon the spirit of Jupiter, power of the Wind!" The power of Jupiter attacked the mauler, who was now clearly on the losing end of this battle, and Zoe slid up next to Ivan, preparing to stab the thing with her longsword, since she couldn't raise it any higher than her waist.
Seeing her weakness, the mauler struck one final time, and its claws tore into Zoe's stomach, staining the snow a deep red. Isaac moved to help her, thinking she would fall, but instead watched as, defiantly, she ran her sword into the mauler, which disintegrated. Sighing in what had to be relief, she collapsed on the snowy ground.
"Zoe!" Garet cried, hurrying to her but slipping on the icy lake. "Hold on Zoe!"
Those were the last words she heard before everything went black.
***************
"One more ooze and I scream," Ivan muttered. Even he was feeling the cold now, and the winds had died down. He was definitely no longer enjoying this walk. Or hike. Or whatever it was. "How close do you think Imil is?"
It was fully night now, having been twilight when they had run into the mauler. There was no moon, and barely any stars to light their way. Worse, it made it increasingly hard to see any enemies that might be lurking about. To top it all off, Ivan thought miserably, we have NO IDEA if we're even close to Imil at all here in the dark, but we can't stop.
"Lights up ahead," Isaac said, pointing though he knew no one could see his hand. They didn't need to. The lights were comfort enough. They were indeed close to Imil, and moving in the right direction.
Garet remained silent, as he had been for much of the time after the mauler attack. He was carrying Zoe, who stirred once or twice, but otherwise was basically, though he hated to even think the term, dead weight. But he'd never say so out loud. He knew he wouldn't feel that way about it, either, if it weren't so dark and the situation so…serious.
Slowly, more slowly then they really liked, the four Adepts walked into Imil.
***************
Vil: FINALLY! It is DONE! Sorry it took so long. Trying to come up with good description this time.
Kaede: emphasize trying
Vil: shuddup. Anyway, like usual, REVIEW!! Chapter eleven in process as I type!
Kaede: just one question. Have you been cutting scenes again?
Vil: Yes. But I think they can gather the parts I left out for themselves. I like to make my audience think a bit.
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