Fe fi fo fum . . . yeah, It's me, SirGecko., back with number 13. The third-longest chapter in my story.



Thanks to all the reviewers. I'm really happy for all your encouraging support. Oh, by the way, Great Sayiaman (sorry if I did not spell your screen name right), this chapter is for you.



Now, I've gotta do that good 'ol disclaimer I'm being sarcastic, can't you tell?). Okay, here it is. I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN. If I did, I probably wouldn't be living in Washington State, now would I?



Okay then. Onto chatper 13!



Chapter 13: Escort for Fire



Isaac and the others sat against the railing of the deck, enjoying the pleasant sunlight that was bathing them now that they were further north. Isaac sat next to Mia of course, his arm around her shoulder.



It was the next day, and they were just relaxing after a long night of catching up on their sleep, since they were all dead-tired. This morning, they had had a huge breakfast to make up for the fact of not eating anything the previous day.



Earlier, Isaac and the others got to look at some of the landscape they passed. Some of the coastal settlements had flood damage and trees were scattered from winds, but other than that, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.



"Ahh, it's good to have normal temperatures again," sighed Solaris, stretching lazily.

"I'll agree with that one," said Ivan, positioning himself so that he was lying face-down on the deck. "How long do you think it'll be before we reach the Mars Lighthouse?" asked Garet, in a somewhat whining voice.

"Well, the Mars Lighthouse rests on a lava plateau in the middle of Gondowan," said Lunora. "I remember passing it on our travels before we met up with you guys."

"When she says lava plateau, she means it," chimed in Solaris. "There are rivers and lakes of lava still on the surface. It's gonna be tough going. You're gonna wish you were right back in Tundris when we get there."

"Oh, I don't know about that," said Mia. "I thought that weather was pretty enjoyable."

"You're speaking for yourself there, right?" asked Ivan. "I thought it was a cold version of Hell."

"It wasn't so bad after we lit the lighthouse," said Isaac. "I haven't enjoyed that kind of weather for a long time."

"Man, what are we supposed to do for . . . oh, dammit. How long will it take to reach Gondowan?" asked Garet.

"We'll be there in another few hours," said Ivan promptly. "Then, it'll be another day's travel up the river, until we get to the Mars Lighthouse."

"So basically, we have a day and a half until we get to the lighthouse?" asked Lunora, her chin resting on her hands.

"Not exactly," said Isaac. "We have a huge forest to get through first. Once we get to the other side, we'll be able to see the lighthouse and the lava plateau."

"That doesn't sound too bad," said Mia. "Both of the forests we went to weren't so bad . . . except for Mogall Forest, when Ivan and Garet got lost."

"I wonder whose fault that was," said Isaac sarcastically.

"What? What happened, Ivan?" asked Lunora, interested.

"Well, not much. Garet hit the wrong stump with Force, and we got lost down a wrong passage. It only took us a couple of hours to sort out the problem, though."

"I see," said Lunora.



Everyone said nothing for a long time. They just listened to the seagulls calling overhead, and felling the ocean spray that misted them when they hit a high, choppy wave. Isaac then got up and stretched.



"I'm gonna go and get some rest," he said, yawning. "I'll see you all later."

"That's a good idea. I'll do that too," agreed Solaris, getting up, and striding for the door that led belowdecks.

"I'll stay up here," said Lunora. "I feel wide awake. If you guys want to rest, that's fine with me."

"Thanks, Lunora," said Isaac. "See you later."



And with that, he and everybody else, except Lunora, went downstairs to their respective cabins.



Isaac climbed into his bed, cot, whatever, he called it both. He pulled the thin blankets over himself. He even covered his head. And he slept like a mummy . . .



*******



"Isaac. Wake up. We've reached the river."



Isaac's eyes snapped open. His eyes saw nothing but white, where the blanket obscured his view of anything but himself. He felt very stiff for some reason, especially in his left shoulder. But of course, he knew why that was.



He groaned, and slowly pushed the bedcovers off of his face to see Mia sitting down on his bed, waiting for him to rouse.



"How does your shoulder feel now?" she asked soothingly.

"Like it's made of wood," Isaac mumbled.

"I bet," said Mia.



Isaac lifted himself up with his right arm with difficulty. It hurt too much right now to move his shoulder. He cast Potent Cure on it. The pain dimmed somewhat.



"Ah, that's better," said Isaac, sighing deeply. "Now, I can actually move my damn arm a little."

"That's good," said Mia, kissing him gingerly on the lips.

After a few minutes of gentle kissing, Isaac pulled away and said, "Did you say we've reached the mouth of the river?"

"Yeah," said Mia softly, running her fingers through Isaac's hair, and resting her head against his chest.

"So what? I'm sure Lunora knows what to do," said Isaac. "If not, I'll go tell her later. Look for a bunch of trees and a beach. Then we're there."

Mia giggled. "That sounds about right. We'll be there in a day, right?"

"About that," said Isaac. "Until then, there's really not much to do around here. Just eat and sleep. Something I missed greatly while I was walking in Tundris."

"Me too," agreed Mia. "I'm pretty hungry right now. Want me to go make something?"

"Nah, I'll get somethin' myself," said Isaac, getting up. "No sense in putting you to work when I'm not."

"You're too kind," said Mia, grinning at him. "Well, let's go down to the pantry and get something!"



So the two made their way to the pantry, where Isaac dug out a bag of crackers and some jerky, and began to gnaw on it.



"Yeech!" said Isaac, going to the nearest window and spitting out the jerky. "This crap is as tough as my leather armor, and doesn't taste much better."



He chucked the jerky back into the pantry and took out a jar of water. He downed it in seconds and then stuffed a cracker into his mouth.



"That was sick!" he said. "Don't eat that."

"I'll be sure not to," chuckled Mia, who was chewing on a prune.

"I think I'm done," said Isaac, putting the crackers away. "That jerky made me lose my appetite."

"These prunes aren't too great either," said Mia, making a face after she bit into another prune. "I think I'm done too."



She threw the jar back into the pantry, and then shut the door, and made her way up the stairs. Isaac followed her.



"So Isaac, what are you gonna do?" asked Mia.

"I think I'll go check on our progress," said Isaac.

"Okay. I'll be down here," said Mia. "In my cabin."

"Okay," said Isaac. And so, Isaac went up the stairs, while Mia went into her cabin, and closed the door gently.



Isaac went up the stairs, and found Lunora and Ivan standing at the front. Lunora was checking the ship, while Ivan was guiding it. Looking around, Isaac saw that the ship was gliding through a very wide river. They were quite close to the left bank however, and they could see features of this bank that they couldn't on the other side.



"Anything amusing yet, or has it been smooth, boring sailing?" asked Isaac.

"The second one," said Ivan. "Seriously, this is so boring. There's nothing going on."

"Whoa, hold up a sec," said Isaac. "I hear something about the lighthouses."



Indeed he did. A man was standing on a high extension on a rocky cliff, some sixty feet from the surface of the water. Rocks were right below the extension. Since they were gliding so close to the shore, they were able to catch what the man was saying.

"So, since the lighthouses are lit, and our doom is sealed, I find no desire to stay on Weyard, and watch us destroy each other. So, I hereby end my existence on this land . . ."

"He's gonna kill himself!" shouted Isaac.

"Lunora! Guide the ship right next to the rocks!" shouted Ivan.

"What?! Are you nuts? We might hit the rocks and we'd sink, and then we'll be screwed for sure!" said Isaac.

"Lunora! Just do it! I know what I'm gonna do! Just try to get as close as you can without hitting the rocks!" shouted Ivan.

"Got it," said Lunora, and she began to guide the ship closer to the rocks.

"This had better be good, Ivan. I'll be belowdecks, in case we spring a leak," said Isaac, and he sprinted through the door and down the stairs.

"C'mon . . . c'mon, dammit! Stupid ship, go faster!" snapped Ivan, pounding the railing.

"This is as close as I'm gonna get!" shouted Lunora. "Oh, no! Brace for impact!"



And with that, the ship shook violently, and a horrible splintering of wood could be heard. A great deal of cussing soon floated up from the open door leading to the lower region of the ship.



"Oh, dammit!" said Lunora. "Dammit to Hell. This stupid river and its strong currents!"

"It's not your fault, Lunora! You got as close as you could get! That's . . . oh Hell! He's jumping!"



And it was true. The guy who was reciting his suicide note jumped off the docks and fell like a stone towards the rocks. The timing had to be just right.



In a split second, Ivan thrust out his palm and cast Halt. The spell started to work, and the man still fell. The Halt itself was cast perfectly on the man as he fell past. The man floated in midair, suspended with a look of horror on his face, his arms stretched out in front of him.



"Help me pull him on deck, Lunora!" said Ivan urgently.



Lunora nodded and grabbed one of the man's arms. She and Ivan heaved the frozen man onto the deck. The Halt Psynergy wore off as soon as they got the man over the floor of the ship. He smacked into the ground and fell unconscious.



"Okay, what are we going to do with him?" asked Lunora.

"Well, we're sure as Hell not gonna take him with us," said Ivan. "He'd be way more of a hindrance than a help, seeing as he has no Psynergy. And he looks like he can hold a sword about as well as a pheasant."



Lunora giggled at this, and agreed with Ivan not to take the man with them. Then Isaac came storming up on deck, Garet and Solaris tagging behind.



"We're in big trouble," said Isaac irritably. "I stopped the leak, but there's about a foot of water in the lowest deck."

"Yeah, our food is all soggy," said Garet.

"We knew you'd say something of that measure sooner or later, so don't bother next time, Garet," said Ivan. "But, how are we gonna get all that water out of the lower deck?"

"Well, we could always do it the Old Navy way and have a bucket brigade," said Garet.

"Do the words 'Hell No' mean anything to you?" asked Isaac. Everybody else, including Garet, laughed at this.

"Your Djinn seem quite effective in clearing weather from the ship, Garet," said Lunora. "Couldn't one of them do it?"

"We tried," said Garet. "They only removed about five gallons. And that would take hours to do."

"Well, we'll just have to let it sit, and . . . how did you save that guy's life?" said Isaac, finally taking a look at the unconscious man on the deck of the ship.

"Ivan cast a Halt Psynergy spell on him at just the right moment," said Lunora, beaming at Ivan. "He was suspended in midair, and we pulled him on deck."

"What's going on here?" said a new voice.



Mia had emerged on deck, holding her Crystal Rod. Her eyes traveled to the rocky cliff, to the gathering of everyone but her, and finally, to the motionless man lying on the deck. She gave Isaac a quizzical look. So, he filled her in on everything that had happened in the last ten minutes.

She whistled and shook her head.



"Well, why don't we just find a beach or something that's close by, and we'll leave him there," said Mia. "Because I agree with Ivan and Lunora. I don't want to take him with us."

"Do you think it's okay to sail?" asked Solaris.

"I should probably go patch it up again," said Isaac, turning towards the door and disappearing through it.



Isaac made his way down two flights of stairs, and splashed into the lowest deck. The water wasn't high enough to go above the top of his boots, but it was close. Various objects floated around the place: empty jars and light chairs, things of that sort.



The leak was a large one. Isaac had hastily grabbed some spare boards and nailed then in place using small clay spires. When Isaac reached the leak, he saw that it had been reduced to a droplet every few seconds. He patched that up with a bit of conjured stone. All of a sudden, he heard splashing behind him.



Mia was walking through the water effortlessly. She looked like the river water didn't bother her at all, though she was looking around her with a look of slight disgust on her face.



"Man, it's pretty bad down here," said Mia. "Are you sure we'll be alright?"

"Yeah," said Isaac. "It wasn't Lunora's fault. The river currents rammed the ship into the rocks. The wind's blowing pretty hard out there right now."

"I noticed," said Mia. "Is this going to pose a problem?"

"Well, the food was bad anyway, so that's no big deal. But, this water is gonna slow our progress down. Which means, I'd add another half day to our estimated time to reach the forest."

"Aw man," said Mia. "Oh well. I guess there's nothing we can do about it."

"Well, I've pretty much fixed the leak as best I can," said Isaac, standing up, and cracking his neck. "I'm gonna go back upstairs. Oh, did you want something?"

"No," said Mia. "Just wanted to check on you."

"I see," said Isaac. "Well, this probably isn't a good place. Let's go up where it's not wet."

"Alright," agreed Mia, and she led the way upstairs; both of their feet left footprints on the way up.

"Well," said Isaac, grinning at Mia. "Time to sleep again."

"Are you serious?" asked Mia, looking at him in surprise.

"Dead serious," said Isaac. "I'm still exhausted."

"Well . . . do whatever," said Mia. "I don't care."

"You should sleep too," said Isaac. "You don't look exactly awake yourself."

"You're right," said Mia. "I think I will. I'm still pretty tired."



Isaac nodded and opened his cabin door. Entering, he took off his boots and then lay down on his bed He felt the ship start to move again. Then, he remembered he still had things to do.



Putting on his boots again, he walked out of his room yet again and went up on deck. He saw Solaris guiding the ship this time. Lunora came out of nowhere and spoke to him just then.



"Everything's all sorted out up here," she said. "We're gonna find the nearest beach upstream, and drop the guy off there. He still hadn't woken up yet. And I prefer it that way."

"Sounds good. I just wanted to know what you planned to do," he said. "We're gonna have to stop at an inn for some dinner. Our food is wasted."

"Okay then," said Lunora.

"I'm gonna go back to sleep," said Isaac.

"Fine. Solaris and I will take care of things until we see an inn. There's got to be one somewhere along this coast," said Lunora.

"Wake me up when we find one."

"Will do. You just go catch up. I wasn't the one who took a scythe to the shoulder," responded Lunora, making a shooing motion with her hands.



So, Isaac made his way downstairs again, and once agin took his boots off, and collapsed on his bed. The normally hard bed now felt feather-soft to an exhausted Isaac. He instantly felt his eyelids grow heavy.



*******



Isaac woke up, and instantly noticed the decreased amount of light flowing through his cabin window. It wasn't totally dark out yet though, but the sun's glow was red, signaling it was dusk.

Getting up and stretching, he put his boots back on, which were dry on the outside now. He walked slowly out of his cabin door, since he wasn't fully awake yet. He walked up onto the deck, where to his slight surprise, he found everyone sitting.



"Well, glad you could join us," said Garet. "Geez. You slept long enough."

"Exactly how long?" asked Isaac.

"Half a day," replied Mia. "Maybe more."

"Wow, I did sleep a lot," said Isaac, going over and sitting down next to Mia. "But no matter. I feel better now."

"We haven't been able to find an inn yet," said Solaris, scanning the beach unnecessarily.

"Yeah, and I hate that," said Garet.

"We knew you would," replied Ivan.

"Like you predicted, Isaac, we have been moving slower because of the water in the ship," said Mia.

"I figured," said Isaac. "I just want to get to an inn."

"I think we may be in luck," said Solaris, pointing.



Everyone looked in the direction of his finger. He was pointing to a small beach off the left bank. A few people were walking past, but there were no buildings. Isaac was the first to voice this.



"But there's no town or anything around here," he said.

"Well, maybe one of them could tell us where an inn is," said Lunora, pointing at the passerby.

"Well, let's beach this thing," said Garet, and he started to direct the ship towards the beach. "Hey, keep that guy knocked out, will ya, Ivan?"

"Sure," said Ivan, and he cast another Sleep Psynergy over the man, by which he would have been conscious if Ivan hadn't kept putting him to sleep.



In a few minutes, the ship was safely docked on the beach. Garet unnecessarily chucked the man overboard onto the beach, where he landed with a hard *THUD*. After being scolded by Lunora, Garet check over the man to make sure he was okay.



"Well, let's ask someone where an inn is," said Isaac. "I'm hungrier than I've been in a long time!"

"Me too," said Solaris rubbing his stomach.

"Here's someone who looks halfway decent," said Lunora. "Excuse me, sir. Is there an inn nearby?"



She stopped a teenage boy who was walking past, and he turned to her. Surveying her and the rest of the group, he pointed to a building off in the distance. It had smoke rising from a large chimney, and gold flickered in the windows.



"Thanks," said Lunora, and she started to hurry off.

"Wait up a sec," said the boy. "Y'wanna come with me first I know a place where we could have a good time," he asked, grinning at her suggestively.



The response the boy got was not one he expected. A blade came out of nowhere and was held up to the back of his neck. Ivan had his sword out, and he was looking quite enraged.



"Take that back, you scum, or I'll feed your head to the rats on my ship," he snarled. There were, of course, no rats on the Lemurian ship he and the others traveled on, but he wanted to make his threat sound more severe.

"Whoa, easy there man," said the boy, putting up his hands and backing off. "Not a problem. I'll just move along now."

"You do that," said Lunora nastily.



The boy hurried away, and Ivan sheathed his sword. He walked back over to the group as if nothing had happened.



"Now, before we were interrupted, we were just about to head over to the inn that the scum pointed out," said Ivan. "Shall we hurry along? I want to get out of here as soon as possible."



The others nodded, and they quickened their pace to get towards the inn. After walking for a minute or so, they pretty well got the idea that this was a rough area. People of both genders looked at the opposites of Isaac's group suggestively every so often, but when they caught a glimpse of that person reaching a hand towards their weapon, they got the idea to get away from them as soon as possible. So, they reached the inn without a problem, though the walk took a good twenty minutes.



They pulled open the door, and saw that if there were a choice of inns to stay at, this one would be at the very bottom of the list. The bar was the center attraction at this inn, and there were tables and chairs flying every few seconds as drunk arguments broke out.



Right away, Ivan turned on his heel, and backed out of the inn. Isaac saw that he was going around the far corner.



"Hey, Ivan! Where are you going?" he called.

"To find something to eat!" he replied. "I'm sure the garbage can has something good."

"Ivan, get back here now!" said Lunora, going up to him and pulling him back to the entrance gently by the arm.

"What the?! Lunora, I'm serious. I'd rather eat discarded food than the crap in there. They probably put alcohol in everything!"

"Y'know, I'm willing to bet that he's right," said Mia.

"I want to know where we are," said Ivan.

"I'll go find out," said Garet.

"Here, take this," said Solaris, pulling out a small serrated knife form his backpack. "It's just for self-defense. I know that guy looks sober, but it's better to be safe."

"Thanks," said Garet, taking the knife quickly so that nobody would notice.



Garet walked over to a middle-aged man who was leaning against a wall with a mug in his hand. The knife hidden in his hand, he stopped a few feet in front of the man.



"Hey, where the Hell are we?" Garet asked the man.

"The Gondowan Settlement," he slurred.

'I guess he is drunk,' Garet thought. "Thanks," he said, and he started to walk away. He made his way back to the rest of the group unscathed. "This is the Gondowan Settlement, Isaac," he reported, handing the knife back to Solaris. "That would mean that the forest is northeast of here," said Isaac. "Well, let's get going. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't eat here if you paid me."

"Amen to that," said Solaris. Everyone else agreed.



They walked out of the inn to loud burps, laughing, and other assorted sounds. People were still walking about, even though it was almost entirely dark now. The temperature was very pleasant, and a soft breeze ruffled everybody's hair slightly as they made their way back to the ship.



"Well, that was a complete waste of time," said Ivan.

"I agree," said Lunora.

"Let's make haste," said Mia. "We don't want to get caught here. I don't trust this place."

"Neither do I," said Isaac. "Not to worry. We should be at the ship in about fifteen minutes. All the same, I think drawing our weapons would keep the people away."



Everyone nodded, and drew out their swords. Sure enough, people looked at them warily, even the drunk-looking ones. They all kept their distance, which is what the group wanted. The walk to the ship did not take long.



"Okay, who has watch tonight?" asked Isaac.

"I do," said Mia.

"Well, let's get this heap going again, and then we'll turn in," said Isaac.



Isaac got the ship away from the beach and going on the right path again, and then he went down to his cabin. Taking off his boots, sword, and armor, he sat down on his bed. He heard everyone else's cabin doors shut with a snap. Then he decided to go visit Mia. After all, she visited him while he was on watch. Plus, it was just soothing to be around her . . .



He got up and went back on the deck again to find Mia leaning over the side of the ship, her hair blowing in the breeze. The ship, despite the water in the bottom, still moved quite fast. She looked around to see Isaac, and smiled to see him there.



"Boring as Hell, huh?" asked Isaac, walking up close to her.

"It was," said Mia. "But you're here now. It won't be so bad."

"I doubt I'll be much help," said Isaac, shrugging his shoulders, and wincing when he did so.

"It's beautiful out, isn't it?" said Mia, indicating the landscape and stars.

"It is," said Isaac. "The moonlight really adds a mystical aura around the place." He looked over at Mia. "You know, I should see you under the moon more often. It does wonders for your hair."

"It goes well with me, doesn't it?" said Mia, turning to Isaac. "Just like you."

"I know that," said Isaac, putting his hand on her back. "I'm pretty great, aren't I?"

"You are," said Mia, lowering her lips to his.



*******



Ivan lay in bed, reading a book that Master Hammet left with him on his quest. It was a good read, but now that he had read it about five times, it was getting rather old. Still, there was nothing else to do, so he resigned to reading it over and over again.



All of a sudden, he heard a knock on his bedroom door. Marking his page, he got up out of bed and went to open the door. And there stood Lunora.



"Erm, hi," he said. "Wanna come in?"

"Sure, thank you," said Lunora.



Lunora entered and sat down on Ivan's bed. She sat with her hands clasped together, resting on her lap. When Ivan had shut the door and leaned up against it, she spoke.



"Something has been on my mind since we got back," she said slowly, but evenly.

"What's that?" asked Ivan, wondering what this could possibly be about. Usually, if people wanted to know something, they talked to Isaac. But perhaps he was already asleep . . .

"I want to know why you got so defensive of me back when that kid was trying to turn me on," said Lunora simply.



Ivan was quite taken aback by this statement. It was true that he did get defensive of her, but he didn't expect her to take notice of it.

'But then,' he thought, 'maybe I did overreact a little.' "I dunno," said Ivan. "I just thought that the kid was scum. Like he wanted to do it just to piss you off."

"But you're the one that got pissed off," said Lunora, smiling at him.

"Well, yeah," said Ivan. "He didn't have a right to act like that. Like an idiot, anyway. I just felt like sticking up for you, that's all."

"I thank you," said Lunora, glowing at him, and standing up. "You're really nice to be around."

"You too," said Ivan, stepping out of the way of the door so that Lunora could pass through.



She opened the door, and was about to go through, but then she stopped. She turned to Ivan, and put a hand up to his right cheek.



"I don't think you are aware of the trust you engender," she said. "You've been there to stick up for me, and you saved Isaac's life too. You're very important to all of us, and . . . to me in particular."



And with that, she leaned forward and planted a soft, but lengthy kiss on Ivan's lips. Ivan started to draw away in surprise, but her lips were so soft and warm, and the same went for her hand. And he realized also, that he was waiting for this to happen for a long time now. It was when he started to kiss back that Lunora began to kiss harder. She placed her other hand on Ivan's other cheek, and Ivan placed his hands on her back.



A few seconds later, Lunora broke the kiss. She and Ivan stood there, slightly out of breath. Lunora then smiled at him, her face slightly red.

"Not only did you do all of that stuff, but you're a good kisser too," she said.

"Huh. My first time," said Ivan, whose face was also slightly red.

"Well, goodnight Ivan," said Lunora, and she gave him one last kiss before walking out his cabin door.



Ivan walked back to his bed and climbed into it, having that feeling when you're kind of unsure that something just happened, because it was too good to be true. He moved his book, and got situated into a comfortable reading position. He decided that the moment was real. Now, he thought, smiling to himself, reading this book will be much more enjoyable.



*******



Isaac drew back from Mia, panting slightly. Mia was looking at him with much satisfaction and content. She had her arms around his waist, and he had the same with his arms. He drew in for another passionate kiss. She groaned and opened Isaac's mouth wider so she could slide her tongue in his mouth. Isaac, of course, did the same, holding Mia as tightly to him as possible.



This continued on for much of the night. As for Solaris and Garet, they were completely oblivious to all of this. They were both exhausted for working much of the day, and were sleeping peacefully. It was an uneventful night.



*******



Isaac woke up on the deck of the ship the next morning, sprawled out like a cat. He got up, rubbed his eyes, and blinked in the bright sunlight. It was early morning, and yet it was already warm out. He was very hungry, to say the least.



So, in an act of desperation, he walked through the door to the lower part of the ship. He splashed through the water, and opened the door to the pantry. But he was in for a big surprise.



Everyone else was seated on a wet bag of flour, munching on various items scattered around them. Instantly he was hit in the side of the head by a bag of crackers, thrown to him by Garet.



"Caught on, too?" he said. "It's not much at all, but it'll suffice . . . if you eat enough of it."

"Yeah, I bet," said Isaac, and he opened the bag and stuffed some of the crackers into his mouth. They didn't taste like all he had hoped for, but it was food. So, he consumed the package in only a couple of minutes.

"Well, the water level seems lower," said Solaris.

"By about half a centimeter," said Ivan. "I wonder how we are going to get rid of it."

"I thought we had decided to give up," said Garet.

"For now," said Isaac. "But hopefully, we'll find some means of clearing it out."

"Hey, when do you think we'll reach the forest?" asked Lunora.

"Well, normally I'd say tomorrow afternoon, but the wind is with us for now," said Isaac. "So, I'd say sometime in the early morning, when Luna shines."

"Um, Isaac," said Ivan. "There's no moon tonight."

"Oh," said Isaac. "Well, that helps with the navigating," he added sarcastically. "Oh well. It won't be too bad."

"Well, damn," moaned Garet. "Another day sittin' around on a ship with a ton of water in the bottom. Anyone wanna swim?" he said.

"No, Garet. Now, stop being sarcastic," said Isaac. "There's nothing to do. You could always get your stuff together."

"But that'll only take an hour!" said Garet.

"That's an hour that you won't have to spend doing nothing!" said Isaac, exasperated. "Now, quit whining and go find something to do! You're giving me a headache."



Garet nodded, grumbling, and sloshed his way out of the pantry. The rest of the group could hear the sloshing, and then a door slam.



"Well, I think I'll go do the same," said Isaac. "Anyone up for a bit of weapon shining?"



The rest of the group nodded, and the threw the uneaten food aside. They got up, following Isaac through the water and up the stairs to the cabin level of decks.



*******



'We are the Escort for Fire. We are the Escort for Fire. We head right for fire at its most powerful.'



This thought ran through Solaris's mind repeatedly as he stood. It wouldn't leave no matter how hard he tried. The lighthouse that his brother had once set foot in, his brother's lighthouse. Saturos would have probably had a better shot at defeating Agatio in that lighthouse. But then again, Agatio was a Mars Adept, too . . .



Solaris guided the ship along the river, which was now as smooth as glass. And as black as the darkest night. He had a slight bit of trouble seeing where he was going, as it was hard to make out where the bank was, let alone a beach and a forest.



It was his turn for watch tonight. The others slept or finished gathering the stuff they would need for the trip. Many were not looking forward to this hike to the Mars Lighthouse, though they all admitted that they had higher spirits than at this point when they were going to hike through the blizzard on the way to the Luna Lighthouse.

Solaris squinted in the distance, looking for any signs of a place to land, and for any tall trees. It was hard work, seeing as there was virtually no light, except for the occasional lantern held by somebody, that floated by.



Tired of squinting all over the place, he cast a solar flare into the sky to shine things up a bit so he could see better. Looking to the right side of the river, all he saw were flat, rocky fields with no signs of life, let alone a forest.



And then, he saw it. A beach, and trees that rivaled the height of the lighthouses on the left side of the river. There was, though it was hard to tell, a path leading into the forest, a five-minute walk from the beach. He walked over to the mast and rang the bell.



A few minutes later, everybody else emerged on deck, looking bleary-eyed and groggy. They were though, all geared up; armor on and weapons at the ready.



"Whassadeal?" asked Isaac, almost incomprehensibly.

"We're coming up on the forest," said Solaris simply. "There's a beach near it, so we won't have to walk very far."

"Well, let's get this ship ready for docking!" said Ivan, and he started to cover things up that might be damaged if exposed to weather. He didn't know how long they were going to be away from the ship, but he thought it best not to take any chances.

"Okay, it looks like we're coming up on the beach now," said Solaris.

"Let's get our weapons out, shall we?" suggested Isaac. "In case we meet the same kind of trouble that we met the last time we got on land."

"Or there might be some really powerful monsters on the loose too," added Mia. Everyone else agreed and drew out their swords, staffs, whatever the case may be.



Not long after, they felt the now-familiar jolt of the ship running into a sandy beach. Garet lowered the plank, and, Isaac in the lead, they set foot on land once again. Then, they all started to walk. Their destination: the Mars Lighthouse.



**********************



Not a cliffhanger, but there is another one to come, I promise you that.



Now, you're welcome to click that purple button in the corner of the screen. Which, obviously means that I want you to review. *Summons geckos* Or else!