Har de har har har! Tis me, SirGecko, with number 15. I've been waiting to post this . . .
Thank you all very much, those of you who read my story. I love the fact that I got nine . . . it's great. Thanks again.
This chapter, 15, is slightly longer than 14 . . . about 7 pages, I think. Still, I think it'll be worth it. I hope you do too.
By the way, this is something that I've been meaning to clear up, mainly for Ssonic's benefit. Maybe this will clear up the confusion for some of you other readers too. I know that Mars Lighthouse is in Prox, I should know. I've played the second game through more than once, so don't think that I don't know what I'm talking about. I just thought that Going to Tundaria for the Luna Lighthouse, where it is cold, and then going to Prox, which is also cold, would be repetitive, and very boring. Plus, variation is good . . .
IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE: I will be leaving for California on Friday or Saturday, and I'll be coming back Monday Night. So, I'll post chapter 16 (only if you want me to, and if I get some reviews ^_^ (gee, I haven't done that in a while)) right before I leave, hopefully. Until I get back, you'll just have to cope . . . shouldn't be too hard. When I get back, I'll put up chapter 17.
Now, I have to do the disclaimer, since nobody likes to be sued. I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN. If I did, then Isaac and Mia would have gotten together . . . and for Akachi, Garet and Jenna. As far as the relationships in the game went, I thought they were too flat and repetitive. This is my own personal opinion, keep that in mind!
Okay, on with chapter 15!
Chapter 15: The Journey to Recovery
Isaac awoke, but didn't open his eyes. He thought that if he did, his head would hurt too much. The throbbing pain coming from the bump on his head was excruciating. Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes all the way, and got a bearing of his surroundings, despite the throbbing pain in his head.
He was in a small clearing completely surrounded by tall, dark trees. There was no sign of his assailants, or Garet for that matter. He tried to move, but couldn't. After a few seconds of fruitless jerking and struggling, he realized that he must have been tied to one of the trees.
The gag was, however, removed from his mouth. He would have shouted for help, but that would have probably resulted in his head splitting open. He didn't want that. But, his hands were itching like Hell from the scratchy ropes that were used to bind him . . .
He turned his wrist so that his palm was facing towards the ropes. Concentrating hard, head hammering, he cast Spire on the rope, which instantly snapped, freeing Isaac's hand. It was only a matter of seconds before he was able to untie the bonds restraining his other hand.
Hands now free, he tried to walk, but tripped. He soon realized that is feet were tied together as well. So, freeing those up as well with little difficulty, he was finally able to walk around.
It didn't take him long to find Garet. After a few seconds of scouring the clearing for his best friend, he found him, attached to the other side of the tree that bound himself. Untying Garet, he let him slump to the forest floor. Garet was still unconscious with a lump on his head that was similar in size, and probably pain, to Isaac's. Now, Isaac had to figure out what to do.
His first instinct told him to revive Garet and run for it. But, then, he considered the matter more deeply. And the more he thought about it, the more he thought that he and Garet should stay here. First off, he needed his weapon back. And the assailants had both his and Garet's. Second, if he and Garet were trying to find their way back to Ivan, Mia, Solaris and Lunora, it would make finding them much more difficult because he knew that they would be searching for them. Third, he didn't think that he or Garet were in any condition to find a small clearing in this vast and confusing of a forest. No, he'd just have to wait for the assailants' return.
He then heard groans coming from the are in which he let Garet slump to the ground. Turning around, he saw that Garet was finally awake, moaning with agony as he felt the bump on his head.
"Is there a way I can kill myself?" he asked, looking up at Isaac.
"If there was a way, I'd have probably used it already," said Isaac. "You are referring to the pain in your head, aren't you?"
"Well, yeah!" said Garet. "Why else would I want to kill myself?"
"Perhaps because we have been taken to the kidnappers' clearing," said Isaac.
"What?!" said Garet. He took this time to look around. "You're right. We're not on the path anymore, are we?"
"Nope," said Isaac heavily. "We'll just have to wait for the kidnappers to return."
"Are you crazy?" said Garet in an unnaturally high-pitched voice. "We might be killed!"
"Well, I probably am crazy, but don't you think they would have killed us already if they wanted us dead?" said Isaac.
"Well . . . you've got a point there," said Garet thoughtfully.
"Besides, if we're on the move while Ivan, Mia, Solaris, and Lunora are, then we'll never find each other. Let's count on the fact that they are going to come looking for us."
"But what if the kidnappers get them?"
"There's no way they can get all four of them, since there are only two assailants. The other two people weren't being attacked would probably subdue them, so they're probably looking for us right now." reasoned Isaac. "So, I think our best bet would be to stay alert, and just wait."
"Well, normally, I'd be complaining but my head hurts too much for that right now," said Garet. "It's not as though one option's any better than the other."
Isaac nodded, and began scouring the ground, apparently looking for something. Then, finding what he was looking for, he picked up two, long, mostly straight sticks that were about one-and-a-half inches wide. He threw one to Garet, who caught it one-handed.
"It's not much," said Isaac. "But, a flimsy weapon is better than no weapon, and we have to have one until the assailants return."
*******
"Well, how are we going to find them?" said Lunora.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" responded Ivan hesitantly. "I mean, we could get lost."
"Well, so could they!" said Mia indignantly. She was worried sick for Garet and Isaac, especially. "Believe me, I think we're in a better condition to look for them than they are at finding us. They might not even be able to get to us!"
"A very good point," said Solaris, nodding his head. "Mia's right. They might be bound and gagged, so we have to assume that. We'll hunt for them as one group, since we don't want to split up and get lost."
"This is going to be tough," said Ivan. "I mean, we're all so tired."
"Yeah, me too," yawned Lunora, leaning on Ivan's shoulder to support herself. "But, sleep is not an option. The more time we waste, the more danger that Garet and Isaac are in."
"Shall we go?" asked Mia, turning to the spot where they knew Isaac and Garet had been dragged away from the forest path.
"Let's," said Solaris. He drew out his Sol Blade, and the rest of the group followed suit.
Ivan led the way into the dark forest, Kikuichimonji out, slashing at vines in his way. Mia followed holding the small lantern, then came Solaris and Lunora. Lunora listened or scouted for any signs of movement or, hopefully, a campfire. But she doubted that, as she was pretty sure the assailants were too smart to do something as stupid as that.
She saw a monster approached, but instantly heard a squeal the moment Solaris charged it. So, with that out of the way, they were able to proceed again.
Mia was looking at the ground, whispering to Ivan which way to turn. It was always a difficult call, since so few people traveled into the growth of the forest. But, she detected a sign of disturbed greenery here and there, and that always helped them to go in the right direction. She hoped to Mercury that Isaac and Garet were okay, or, she dreaded the thought, not dead . . .
*******
Isaac made sure that there were no sounds coming form beyond his point of vision. Garet had lit a campfire in the hopes that Ivan, Mia, Solaris, and Lunora might see it. But, it would have to be extinguished if they heard noises coming form outside the clearing.
Garet was currently sleeping, and Isaac was feeding the small fire with little sticks, just enough to keep it going with out making it overly bright. He hoped that Solaris and the others would find them before the assailants did . . . that way, they'd have some extra security, and some extra help. Isaac and Garet had decided instantly that they were not going anywhere until they had their weapons back.
Garet stirred with a groan, and shifted to his other side in his sleep. Isaac slowed down his movements, so as not to make as much noise. Then, without warning, he heard noises approaching their little clearing. The crunching was too heavy to be that of a forest monster, which could mean only one thing . . .
Quickly stamping the fire with his foot, he went over and roused Garet, who took one look at the worried expression on his face, and knew that the assailants were returning.
"What should we do?" said Garet, picking up his pole.
"Fight like Hell and hope we live," said Isaac, grabbing his own pole, and holding it two-handed in front of his torso.
The assailants burst through the clearing with such suddenness that Isaac and Garet jumped about a foot in surprise. The kidnappers took one look at Isaac and Garet, lumps protruding slightly out of their scalps from where the swords hit them, poles in hand, in a fighting position. This brought one of them to a chuckle, the one that Isaac assumed was female.
"Don't waste your time," she laughed. "Without your weapons, and only sticks, you would be no match for us."
The voices were still muffled, and Isaac became extremely irritated with himself that he couldn't figure out who the assailants were. But he knew from the fact that they kept their identity hidden so well, that they had made contact him and Garet before . . .
"Well, if we're gonna die, we're gonna die as warriors!" said Garet defiantly. "No matter the odds."
Isaac praised Garet for saying the words he would have said, only his head hurt too much to use that volume of voice.
"You are not going to die tonight," said the other voice, who Isaac was sure belonged to a male.
"What do you mean, we're not going to die 'tonight'?" said Isaac warily.
"We merely mean that we are not going to kill you," said the woman's voice. "But the others will."
"Others . . . you mean Karst and Agatio and Alex?" said Isaac. How did the kidnappers know about them?
"We do not know or care what their names are," said the man. "We do, however, care about a certain item you possess. Give it to me."
"Huh?" said Isaac.
"We want the important item!" said the man impatiently.
"What item?" said Garet. "We cannot give you anything unless-"
"The Mars Star!" screeched the woman. "Give it to us, or you will die tonight!"
*******
"I see no sign of them. Do you?" asked Mia to Ivan.
"Not a thing," he said wearily. He was now wearily swinging his arm at vines and growth in their way.
They were all exhausted. They had not had a wink of sleep for half a day, and no food for three days. They didn't want to face it, but they all knew that they had a limit. And that limit was approaching. Soon, they would succumb to exhaustion, no matter how much they resisted it. But for now, they pressed on.
Often, they imagined that they heard voices, but when they asked another if they had heard the same, they would deny it. So, many disappointments aroused within the group when this happened.
Now, no sounds were heard throughout the forest, except for the own crunching of their feet, stepping on twigs, and Ivan slashing at greenery in the way. They weren't even sure that they were going the right way, since they had not seen other disturbed foliage for a long time.
"I hear something!" shouted Lunora suddenly, making everybody start.
"Are you sure?" asked Ivan, looking up at her.
"Definitely! Listen!" she said.
Everybody ceased all movement and listened. They heard the crickets and tree frogs making their night noises. It was a pleasant sound, but there was another sound mixed in with that that seemed out of place. It was the sound of human voices.
*******
"Give you the Mars Star? What would you want the Mars Star for?" said Isaac, looking over at Garet. He had the Mars star in his pocket, not Isaac.
"Would we be so foolish as to tell you?" sneered the man. "Maybe it's for personal gain. Maybe it's to put it where it belongs. Maybe it's for an entirely different purpose. Nevertheless, we will not tell you our reasons."
"Then why should we give it to you?" asked Garet boldly.
"Because if you don't, we will do more with your weapons than conk you on the head," said the woman mockingly, taking out Isaac's Gaia Blade, while the man drew out Solaris's Sol Blade.
Isaac and Garet tensed, clasping their poles tighter, willing to try anything to ward off their opponent. This time, they were not attacking foes or killing monsters for eating. They were now merely defending themselves, trying to fight for survival. This pumped up Isaac somewhat, the more he thought about it.
The man charged, followed by the woman. Isaac and Garet raised their poles and starting making jabs at the assailants. The assailants, they soon found out, were virtually untouchable. They either blocked everything or swiped Isaac's and Garet's weapons so that Isaac and Garet had to recoil to avoid losing a limb. Every once and a while, they made a blow to the assailants, but it was either a glancing blow, or not enough to do any physical damage.
Isaac fought like he had never fought before. He fought harder than he had ever fought against Karst, Agatio, or Alex. He cast Stone Spire on the woman, but she shattered them all with the Gaia Blade.
'This is pretty much the end,' thought Isaac. 'I will fight to the death, but I don't see how we can win. I will die a hero's death . . .'
All of a sudden, the woman screamed and flew forward. Isaac immediately leaped out of the way of her and the Gaia Blade, so as not to get injured. She slammed hard against the forest floor. The man got a taste of it this time. Only Garet was not so quick in getting out of the way. The man collided head-on with Garet, knocking the wind out of him. Thankfully, Garet managed to avoid the gleaming, razor sharp blade of the sword.
Isaac looked towards the source of the man and the woman's blows, and seconds later, he saw Solaris and Lunora scamper out of the clearing, weapons drawn. Ivan and Mia followed soon after. Mia immediately rushed over to Isaac.
"Isaac, are you okay?" she asked, more calmly than Isaac thought she would, though she did give him a good, long kiss.
"Fine," said Isaac, after the kiss. "But I wouldn't have if you didn't show up. I'd have been dead. Garet too."
"Oh, Mercury! I'm so happy to see you okay!" she said, giving him another kiss.
"Me too," said Isaac. "I've never fought so hard in my life."
"Let me at least ease your pain," she said, and she cast Pure Ply on the bump on Isaac's head. Naturally, the pain and the lump vanished instantly.
Garet, meanwhile, was being tended to by Lunora, who cast Lunar Aura on him to relieve him of the pain in his own head. He was helped up by Solaris, who dusted him off.
Ivan was holding back the attackers, but Garet, Isaac, and the rest were soon to join. Isaac and Garet with their poles, Ivan and Solaris with swords, and Lunora and Mia with staffs. Though he knew it pained the assailants to make this decision, Isaac saw the comprehension dawn on their faces that they would not win a six-on-two fight.
They threw Isaac's and Garet's weapons at their owners lethally, but thankfully, both were able to just barely move out of the way unscathed. The weapons collided with trees behind Isaac and company, embedding at least six inches into the soft, damp bark. Then, the assailants ran off into the forest, as quietly as the night itself.
Isaac and Garet walked forward to the trees that their weapons were embedded in, and pulled them out, with surprising difficulty. The assailants were very strong, and hopefully, they had seen the last of them.
"Oh, Mars," said Garet wearily, handing Solaris his Sol Blade in exchange for the Giant Axe. "That was horrifying."
"I bet it was," agreed Ivan. "Good thing we found you, too."
"It is," said Isaac. "If you didn't we'd have been dead for sure."
"I shudder at the thought," said Mia. "Well, let's get back to our camp."
So, staying closer together than was normal, they proceeded back to the main path of the forest, Ivan leading the way thanks to the greatly disturbed greenery, compliments of his now green-stained Kikuichimonji.
*******
Isaac and company burst through the foliage, at last, onto the path. Everything was set up as they had left it, though the fire had gone out. Everyone set about, checking the final details of the camp to make sure everything was still untouched, or disturbed by monsters. Solaris checked the bear meat, to make sure that it was still fit for eating. Thanks to the cool of the forest, it was.
Garet lit the fire again with a flick of his wrist, and Solaris applied some sticks, twigs, and pieces of wood to it, until they blazed angrily with fire. Solaris then took the serrated knife from his pack and cut sizable chunks of bear meat away from the large pieces he stripped form the body of the bear.
"Everyone look for a good sharp stick, and then clean it. We're gonna have roasted bear meat," said Solaris.
"Yum yum!" said Ivan, licking his lips.
Everyone brightened at the prospect of food at last, and set about finding sharp sticks. Mia cleaned off the end of every one with a small, but powerful burst of water. They each speared a sizable chunk of bear meat onto the end of their stick, and held them over the fire.
Isaac and Garet then spent awhile recalling their time away, in the hands of the kidnappers. There wasn't much to tell, but Ivan, Mia, Solaris, and Lunora hung onto every word with interest and, in the more intense parts, anxiety. The story took about half an hour to tell.
By the time everybody finished, their bear meat was done. Sizzling on the end of their stick, they took it out of the flames, ready to eat.
"Hold it!" shouted Garet. "I brought something for this."
Everyone watched with amusement as Garet drew out several foreign spices that he had brought with him, just in case they did find and eat a wild animal. He sprinkled a few of the spices onto every piece of bear meat, and then gestured for everybody to eat.
The bear meat was delicious, cooked to perfection. And even better with Garet's spices. But, they all suspected it tasted so good mainly because they had not tasted food for three days, and had lost a lot of weight.
The food was devoured within minutes, and left everyone feeling stuffed and happy . . . with one exception. They all needed sleep. So, not caring whether the assailants chose to return and get revenge, they all laid down on the forest path, and fell asleep almost instantly. They were undisturbed the entire time.
*******
Isaac woke, face staring into the dying embers of the fire. There was slightly more light coming into the forest, now that it was daylight. Or Isaac assumed, anyway . . . it was hard to tell, the trees were so thick. Around him, he could see that the others were still fast asleep. Except for one, who's blanket was already dusted off and rolled up.
"Good to see you awake," said Solaris, nodding.
Isaac started, and sat up, rubbing his eyes vigorously. He looked around, and saw Solaris sitting on a stump next to the fire. The very stump, in fact, that Isaac had sat on the previous night when he was abducted. He got up fully, yawning, and started to shake out and roll up his blanket. When his bedding was ready to be packed again, he sat on the dirt path next to Solaris.
"Looks like you slept well," commented Solaris, grinning at his mussy hair and groggy expression.
"The night wasn't long enough," grumbled Isaac. Solaris chuckled slightly. "Though I will admit, I do feel more full of energy than I have for three days," added Isaac.
"I do too," said Solaris. "It's good to see you in this condition. I was afraid we would have found you beaten or something."
"Nah," said Isaac. "I may have gotten hit, but I can usually avoid something like that," said Isaac modestly.
Both turned sharply when they heard a rustling behind them, but it was only Ivan, waking up and stretching. Everybody else was soon to follow. And together, they rolled up and packed their bedding, stamped out the ashes, and threw the remaining bear meat into the foliage.
"We are ready to go!" said Isaac, stepping in front of everybody else.
"You bet! Refreshed and rejuvenated!" said Ivan briskly, hoisting his backpack over his back.
"Right! Let's proceed!" said Solaris, and at that Isaac started to move forward, ready to continue.
Isaac, Ivan, Mia, Solaris and Lunora took about fifty steps down the forest path when they noticed Garet standing absolutely still near the campsite, mouth hanging open, looking absolutely terrified. Isaac rushed forward to his friend, but Garet hardly moved. He only turned his head and closed his mouth, but the terror never left his eyes.
"Garet! What's wrong? It looks like you've just seen our death!" said Isaac worriedly.
"In the end, maybe I have," said Garet squeakily. "Oh Mars . . . why didn't I check earlier?"
"What are you talking about, Garet?" said Lunora, looking both concerned and confused.
"The Mars Star . . ." said Garet weakly. "It's gone."
***********************
Eep. Another small cliffhanger. Oopsy on Garet's part. And for all you Garet fans out there, I'll tell you before hand: THIS WAS NOT HIS FAULT. And I'll explain why in chapter 16.
Anyway, review people! I loved the flood of them last time, so the deal still stands. I will repeat this at the end of every chapter. The more reviews I get, the faster I update. Fair? Good. Now, review.
~SirGecko~