Hi ho, hi ho, I can't wait for some snow! Okay, that was weird. I'm sorry. Anyway, it's me, SirGecko, back with number 21. It's a long one, about 10 pages, so it's a decent length. Yay for me.
Now, I have something I'd like to add, as part of my appreciation for all of those that review (thanks very much for the reviews on chapter 20 by the way). I have given this some thought over the last couple of days, and I think that the author responding to the reviews he/she got makes teh reviewer feel noticed and appreciated. So, from this point forward, I will respond to all reviews I got, pertaining to the previous chapter (20). It's my way of saying thanks.
Note: Those who reviewed first will be at the top of my reply list
So, to begin!
Lumino: I'm glad you like my sorry ^_^, but when I said mine is the longest story of the GS stories, I meant in terms of word count, not chapter quantity. I know, mine DEFINITELY is not the longest in terms of chapters. That was my error for not clearing that up. I apologize. But, I'd appreciate it if you continued to review my work! Thanks.
Ssonic: I'm glad you like this story, and even more glad that you have me on your fav authors list! Kudos to you ^_^. As far as Isaac and Mia making up, you'll just have to read to find out when . . . maybe it'll be this chapter . . . ^_^.
QueenDragonGoddess: I can tell that you're very enthusiastic about this story, and that's part of what compels me to update so frequently. Thank you very much! ^_^ And I have updated soon . . . I think. You tell me.
TankMasterG: I can tell you just read the story recently, and I was very, VERY pleased to hear your comments about it. They made my day ^_^. And don't gnaw off your leg just yet. I have a long chapter for you to digest. (excuse the lame pun)
Anime-Master7: I'm glad you like this chapter. And yes, I tried to meet your requested deadline, of updating within a week. So, here you have it. And I also want to thank you personally. You have stuck with this story since day 1, chapter 1. Thanks very much. ^_^
Dragoon knight: Thanks, I'm glad you like this chapter, and my work. Don't you worry, Isaac and Mia will make up, but like I told Ssonic, you'll have to read to find out how and when. Sorry! ^_^
SniperSightX: I know it, I'm so evil. Just read my bio, it proves it. ^_^. I'm glad you like my story, and the Sol Lighthouse is coming up soon. Don't sweat it too much. ^_^
Sukasa the Third: I'm gonna keep writing, just you wait. I hope you've thought of more threats. The mpre motivation to write, the better. Even if it threats my mortality . . . ^_^
Akachi: It's okay that you've missed chapters, with your reason, I totally understand. I've got some sough math and science to deal with myself, so I completely understand. And as far as the flameshipping goes . . . well . . . I have good news and bad news on that. First, I'll thell you the good news which is: There will be flameshipping. The bad news is: It won't come 'till near the end of the story. So, be patient for me, and review. The more reviews I get, the faster i update, and therefore, the sooner you get to the flameshipping. Thanks for being my first reviewer, by the way! ^_^
0==l=R=a=g=n=a=r=o=k=: Yes, sarcasm rules! Amen to that! ^_^ You're right, as well, on the fact that Mia and Isaac are working things through. They are, most definately. Oh yes, and by the way, I love your screen-name. It's very clever. ^_^
Yes, I know I had a lot of smiley-faces, but it's been a very good day today. Thanks for everything, reviewers! It's all for you!
Okay, I almost forgot, and I regret that I remembered, but it's time for the ever-constant disclaimer. I DO NOT OWN GOLDEN SUN. If I did, then these characters and concepts would have been The Lost Age.
Now, I've already explained about the chapter, so it's time you started reading. Onto chapter 21!
Chapter 21: Passion and Progression
Lunora immediately walked across the front part of the deck and rang the bell that was attacked to the center of the ship. In few-minute intervals, the rest emerged on deck, yawning and rubbing their eyes, some looking nervous, probably thinking that another storm was approaching. Isaac cleared his throat.
"Hey Ivan, why are you looking so glum?" he asked.
"I'm tired, and I wouldn't be surprised if we were being attacked by pirates, the way our luck is running right now," responded Ivan grumpily.
"Quite the contrary, Ivan," said Lunora, walking over to him and tilting his chin up. "Look ahead of you. What do you see?"
"Fog," said Ivan flatly. "Just what we need. To be lost . . ." And then it suddenly dawned on him, and his face split into a grin. "D'you mean to tell me that this is Lemuria?"
"Right you are, Ivan," said Isaac.
"Well, maybe you were wrong, Ivan," said Solaris. "Maybe our luck isn't so bad after all."
"In some ways yes, and in others, no," said Mia airily.
"What do you mean?" said Isaac.
"I'll tell you later," said Mia. "Right now, I think we'd better concentrate into getting into this fog."
"Good idea," said Garet.
"Yeah, Once we get in a certain distance, we probably shouldn't sail for the rest of the night. It's best if we try to pass the waters by day," suggested Solaris.
"That's also a good Idea," said Isaac. "So, let's get going then. Lunora, would you like to do the honors?"
"I'd be glad to," said Lunora.
Turning the ship using her psynergetic powers, they all found themselves slowly facing the dense outer fog of Lemuria. Sailing at full speed, they were able to make it into the fog in about ten minutes or so. This was greeted by cheering from everybody except Isaac and Mia . . . they had other things on their mind besides getting to the fog . . . the dangers that lay ahead, for instance.
Lunora guided the ship to a stop about a mile into the fog. The ship sat there, not moving at all, as the dense fog swirled around them in the very slight breeze that was blowing.
"Well, I don't think anything's gonna happen until morning arrives," said Garet. "I'm still tired. Why don't we all turn in?"
"That's a good idea," said Isaac. "Lunora, you're off the hook. Since we're not going anywhere, nobody has to be on watch. Besides, I think we're all gonna need our wits about us tomorrow, when we try to figure out the currents and whirlpools."
"I agree," said Mia, and she turned around and headed for the door, the rest following her.
*******
Isaac was thinking dark thoughts in his cabin. He knew that they may not survive the Sol Lighthouse . . . that being the final, and most difficult, of them all. He knew that they may not even live through tomorrow morning . . .
There was a knock on his cabin door, which jerked Isaac out of his thoughts. It was a good thing too, because he thought that he would cry if he continued to think about everything . . .
"It's open!" he called.
The door opened slowly, and Mia entered the room. Isaac was surprised, and again felt that consuming dread in his gut. He had enough problems to deal with. Apologizing to Mia would be a one-shot deal, as well as everything else. If you screwed up, it was over. And he wanted to face as little one-shot situations as possible.
"Am I bothering you?" she whispered.
"No, not at all. Why would you bother me?" he said.
She smiled at him. Isaac patted the cot next to him, inviting her to sit down, which she did. They sat there, not saying anything for a few minutes. Then, Mia spoke up.
"There's something I want to say to you," said Mia, looking as though it would be torture to say it.
"Yes?" asked Isaac, holding his breath.
"Well . . . you do know that there's the possibility that we may not survive the Sol Lighthouse?" she started.
"All too well," said Isaac heavily. "Or even entering Lemuria, for that matter."
"I thought of that too. And that's why I want to talk to you now," she said, looking at him with her light-blue eyes.
"And?" said Isaac softly.
"And . . . well . . . if we do die . . . I'd regret dying without having spoken to you before I did . . . about what happened," she said, putting her face in her hands.
"I know, and I want to apologize for saying that the way I did," said Isaac sincerely. "I had no right to, I was just up to my neck in stress and worry, but that doesn't excuse my behavior. Will you forgive me?" he finished, somewhat hopefully, and somewhat pleadingly.
Mia responded by climbing into his lap and bringing her lips to his. Though Isaac was quite stunned at this way of saying "yes", he enjoyed it immensely, and instinctively kissed back.
Mia then did something that struck horror into his features. She reached behind his neck and started to slide his tunic off his neck. His first thought was that he wasn't ready for this. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew he wanted it. And the more he realized that he might never get a chance to express his love to her in this way after this.
He and Mia slid onto his cot, and continued to express their feelings for each other throughout the first part of the night.
(Author's Note: I think you know what happens next. ^_^)
"Now, I'll have no regrets if I die soon," said Isaac.
"Neither will I," said Mia. "Now that I have devoted myself to you . . . if I am to die, I can die without regret as well. I love you, Isaac."
"And I you," he replied, kissing the tip of her nose before falling into a deep sleep.
*******
Isaac awoke to faint light streaming through his cabin window. He felt Mia stir beside him, and he ran his hand over her bare back, in order to wake her up calmly. She moaned, and her eyes fluttered open. Smiling at him, and passing one of her soft hands over his chest, she greeted him with a kiss.
"Good morning," she sighed, stretching.
"Same to you," said Isaac. "Now that we've enjoyed ourselves, we have to risk our lives now. I suppose it's time to get to Lemuria."
"Right," agreed Mia. "The sooner we can get this whole quest over with, the better. . . . Do you realize that we are almost finished, and yet we're so far away from home?"
"Now that you mentioned it, it does feel weird," said Isaac. "I mean, we've all been on this quest for almost a year, and yet, when we're finished, it'll feel like we've lost something. Isn't that odd?"
"Yeah," she sighed, sitting up. "Now, let's get dressed."
They both got up, kissing each other when they were out of bed, and then dressing silently back into their traditional robes and tunic. Once finished, they stepped out of Isaac's cabin, and were relieved to find that they were the first ones awake.
"Let's just play this off like normal," suggested Isaac.
"That's my plan," Mia nodded, heading up the stairs to the deck. Isaac followed.
When both were on deck, they fully saw how thick the fog was. They could barely see their hand in front of their face, let alone anything around them. The fog swirled slightly, as a small breeze picked up here and there.
"Hard to see, isn't it?" said a voice.
Isaac and Mia jumped slightly, and squinted to see who it was that spoke. The green suit, the blond hair . . . it was Ivan. So, they realized with slight horror, they were not the first ones awake. Isaac mentally prayed that Ivan didn't know.
"Yeah, I couldn't even see you," said Mia, in a slightly trembling voice.
"I couldn't see you either, I just heard the door open," said Ivan. "You're Mia, right? And Isaac's with you?"
"You got it," said Isaac.
"Made up, have you?" said Ivan. "About damn time. That's one thing about relationships that I'll never understand . . ."
"What do you mean, 'about damn time'?" said Mia indignantly. "How did you even know about-"
"Oh come on, it was obvious," fibbed Ivan.
Isaac was very grateful that Ivan did not reveal that he, Isaac, had talked to him about what occurred between him and Mia. Ivan had a talent for keeping a straight face; Isaac made a mental note to himself never to play poker with Ivan.
"Anyway, do you know whether Solaris or Lunora are up yet?" asked Isaac.
"I don't think so," said Ivan slowly. "I haven't seen them, at least."
"And unless we were in the ship, you wouldn't see us out here anyway," said a light, accented voice.
Lunora and Solaris had emerged on deck. They were barely visible through the dense fog, but Isaac definitely recognized Lunora's voice, and he could faintly see the bright red color of Solaris's cape. He also saw red tips behind Lunora's shoulder, which meant that Garet had awoken as well.
"Well, where do we go from here?" asked Mia. "Are we even ready to go?"
"I think so," said Solaris. "We're as ready as we'll ever be, anyway."
"Okay, let's get this heap going again!" said Garet.
"This fog is driving me nuts," growled Ivan. "Tempest!"
Ivan cast his Tempest psynergy on the surrounding fog, but it did nothing at all, except swirl in new fog where the old fog had been blown out.
"Damn! That didn't work," said Garet.
"Yeah," said Ivan. "I should've learned by now that the easy way is never open on this quest. Well . . . I guess we'll be sailing blindly."
"That's all we can do," responded Mia. "Well, shall we get moving?"
"Let's!" shouted Isaac, walking forward to the Black Orb to get the ship going again.
The ship started to move very slowly through the still water, steadily gaining speed. The bow of the ship parted the fog in their way, only to be replaced by other swirling fog. So, there was no improvement in vision.
Isaac adjusted the ship's speed so that it wasn't going as fast as it could, lest they run into a whirlpool or current obscured by the fog, but enough to safely gain some distance to Lemuria.
After sailing for a good twenty minutes, and not seeing anything new but a wall of white in front of them, tempers began to flare.
"Are we even going in the right direction?" snapped Garet.
"You try navigating this ship in the fog, Garet!" said Isaac cooly.
"If it makes anybody feel better, does it seem like the fog is thinning, or is it just me?" Mia cut in.
At this Isaac abruptly stopped the ship, so that everything was still. Looking at the ship, he saw that she was right. He could see the door a lot better, and even make out the water, though that was almost impossible.
"Maybe it thins out the more we go in," Isaac reasoned. "'Cause you're right, Mia. It is thinning out."
"Well, let's get going again and find out!" said Garet.
"Righto," said Isaac, starting up the ship again.
Over the next few minutes, as the ship started to regain speed, the fog grew thinner and thinner. It was still thick, yes, but it was not wall-like anymore. Thickly transparent was a better description for it now.
"Oh, damn! Prepare for a hard turn!" said Isaac, concentrating all his Psynergy into the ship.
Abruptly, the ship veered to the left, knocking everybody but Isaac off their feet. The ship turned so sharply in fact, that it listed. Isaac then brought the ship to a stop and turned around, panting, to look at his friends, sprawled out on the floor of the ship.
"Mars! What the Hell was that for?!" said Garet indignantly, getting up and dusting himself off.
"Look for yourself, to the right," said Isaac flatly.
The rest of the group got off the ground, and followed Garet to the starboard side of the ship, to peer out into the sea. After squinting for a few seconds, Garet recoiled slightly in fright, seeing what Isaac had swerved to avoid.
A large, ominous whirlpool raged to their right, water viciously swirling in a circle 100 feet away. But, this was no ordinary whirlpool. It didn't look like it could suck anything underwater. Instead, it was just a swirling circle.
"I think . . ." started Lunora. "Look closely, in front of the whirlpool, which would be our left. Do any of you see a river current past that?"
"I did," piped up Isaac. It was a narrow, but extremely fast current of water."
"I see it too," added Ivan, pointing.
The others followed the direction of his finger, and they saw, indeed, that there was a narrow, swift current beyond the whirlpool.
"Yes . . . I think if we went inside the whirlpool . . . that it would just swirl us around in a circle. That way, we can pick up speed, beyond what we would normally be able to go. Then, once we get enough power behind us, we'll shoot out of the whirlpool, and across the current. It's narrower than this boat, so we shouldn't be swept down very far."
"That's a great idea!" said Ivan. "But, are we sure that the whirlpool won't suck us under?"
"There's no swirl of water in the middle, is there?" asked Solaris, more to himself than anyone else. "No. So, we won't be sucked under, but we may get a little dizzy."
Everyone chuckled slightly, and prepared to sail into the whirlpool. Once they were all ready, and Isaac checked to make sure that everyone was ready, he started to turn the ship back right, facing the whirlpool. Then, putting on some decent speed, the ship shot towards it.
It seemed like hours until the ship reached the whirlpool. When it did, everyone felt a tremendous jolt as the ship got caught up in it. The ship was uncontrollable now, caught up in the swirling water. But fortunately, there was no tugging, which meant that it would not suck them under.
"Okay, now we . . . look, why don't you let me steer the ship? Things will be a lot easier that way," said Lunora.
"Fine with me, now the pressure's off," said Isaac.
"What're you talking about? You're a pro at guiding the ship," said Garet.
"Well, if I screw up here, then I don't want to be responsible," said Isaac.
"I see," said Garet.
Lunora walked forward and put her hand just above the Black Orb. Slowly, she began to turn it, flowing with the whirlpool, so that they were going even faster than before. She was now adding the spin of Psynergy to the spin of the whirlpool, making the ship move faster.
When she had powered the ship to its maximum speed, they were moving three times as fast as its maximum speed while sailing in the open sea.
"Now, when we're facing the current, I'm going to make us shoot out of the whirlpool. I think that at our speed, we shouldn't move down with the current very far."
Everyone else was too nervous to reply, but Lunora took no notice of this. Instead, she concentrated on the timing of her move, because if it was timed incorrectly, the results could be disastrous.
In an instant, Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Mia, and Solaris felt the biggest jerk yet as Lunora put on her burst of speed, and they went shooting out of the whirlpool at just the right moment. They felt the ship jerk again as the current picked it up, and then they felt it slowly sail to a stop on the other side of the current, twenty feet to the left of the whirlpool they had propelled out of seconds ago.
"Nice work, Lunora!" said Solaris, nodding and grinning, and giving her a hug.
"Best I've seen yet!" said Ivan, looking very pleased and happy.
"I hereby relinquish my position as main helmsman to Lunora," said Garet, extending his hand to the Black Orb, and motioning for Lunora to stand by it.
"Oh come on, you're making a big deal out of this!" said Lunora, but she looked pleased all the same.
"Well, that's the first one though," said Ivan. "I doubt that's the only whirlpool we have to pass to get to Lemuria."
"That's not the only thing that gets tougher," said Solaris. "Look ahead."
They all did, and they saw many more currents, but no whirlpools. The group all sighed nervously. Now, sailing in the right direction was, like it was to find Lemuria in the first place, a guess.
"Well, that was the easy part then," said Lunora. "So don't be cheering for me yet. Which way do you want to go?"
"Whatever way takes us further north," said Isaac instantly.
"Well . . . it looks like that would be right, then," said Solaris, pointing at a current that came from the north.
"Okay then, right it is!" said Lunora.
"Hold on!" said Ivan. "In that book you had, Isaac, was there a map charted by a Lemurian that covered the way in?"
"I doubt it," said Isaac. "The whole purpose of these currents is to keep people out of Lemuria, I don't see why somebody would give it away."
"True," said Mia. "Sorry, Ivan."
"Dammit!" Ivan cursed, slamming his fist down onto the railing.
"It's okay," said Lunora reassuringly. "We were able to guess what direction Lemuria was in. Maybe we've guessed the right direction again."
"Maybe," said Ivan, but he still sounded doubtful. "But, I don't know any better than any of you do. So, go where you like. I'll go for either-or."
"Right it is then," said Lunora, starting the ship up again.
They followed the current that came from the north for some time, all the while the dense fog, which had now dampened everything on the ship, including the Adepts (Garet wasn't too pleased about this), growing slightly thinner, the further they went into the unexplored area.
Then, they saw another whirlpool approaching, as well as a current that ran to the north of it, this time flowing to the right. But, a new obstacle was going to make things tricky. Large boulders, protruding out of the water, was going to make things both tricky, and dangerous, maybe even fatal if the ship crashed into one of the boulders.
"Let's see if I'm still a great helmsman now," said Lunora, slowly steering the ship into the wormhole. "I have faith in you," said Ivan. "And I don't think I'm the only one."
Lunora smiled at him. "Thank Luna for that," she said.
They felt the now-familiar jolt of the ship being swept into the raging water. Now they were slightly dizzy; this whirlpool spun a bit faster than the other one, making this maneuver all the more difficult.
"Well, on the plus side, we have more speed, so we won't be swept down as far," said Solaris. "But on the downside, the timing will be harder."
"You got that right," said Lunora. "I'm speeding up the ship now."
All felt the ship speed up slowly after she said this, and before long, they were going so fast that they couldn't make anything out. They were also becoming increasingly dizzy. The longer they waited, the less chance that the timing would be correct.
"Now!" shouted Lunora to herself, turning the ship so that it was going north.
It was a very tens moment as all felt the ship shoot out of the whirlpool, and be jerked into the current. But, they quickly jerked out of it onto the other side, narrowly missing a boulder, and gliding to a smooth stop a long way off from the current.
"Yes! We made it!" cheered Ivan.
"Now are you gonna call yourself a lousy helmsman? If you are, I'm gonna have to cast Pyroclasm on you!" said Garet, in a good-natured tone of voice.
"Well, maybe I'm not half-bad after all," said Lunora thoughtfully, starting at the slightly glowing Black Orb.
"Not half-bad?" said Isaac. "I'd still be working up the nerve to do this on the first whirlpool if I were steering the ship." Everyone chuckled.
"Well, now we have to proceed," said Mia. "I think I remember reading that there were only three whirlpools, back in Imil when I was a kid. So, the upcoming one is the last one, but it's probably the most difficult."
"Let's get going then," said Lunora. Then she added humorously, "I'm on a roll."
"Amen!" shouted Garet triumphantly, and they started north again.
The ship moved more slowly now, as the water was now dotted with large boulders that Lunora had to work her way around. So, the work became more tedious, and demanded more concentration then either of the last two segments had.
This particular segment seemed to stretch on forever; the only thing that got easier for them was the level of fog they faced. The fog was quite thin now, and they could see the water and the boulders in front of them quite clearly.
After another few minutes, Lunora stopped the ship, for the third and final whirlpool lay in front of them. One look, and they knew that surviving this one would be about as likely as Karst giving them the Sol Star. The whirlpool sped extremely fast, boulders were numerous around the whirlpool, and worst of all, the current (which flowed to the left) went under a rock archway about fifteen feet away from the whirlpool, to the left. If they ran into that, it was all over.
"This . . . this is going to be difficult," said Solaris nervously. This surprised everyone else. Solaris rarely got nervous. But, he sure had reason to be now.
"That it is," said Lunora, letting out a great, shaky sigh. "Well, if you're ready, let's get it over with and out of the way."
Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Mia, and Solaris held their breath as Lunora eased the ship into the whirlpool. This one sped the ship around at the same speed as the first one did with the ship at full speed. But, due to that archway, Lunora needed to apply full speed here as well. It was going to be close.
"Increasing speed!" announced Lunora.
As as soon as she said that, they all felt the ship spin faster and faster around with the whirlpool, until they were going at least six times as fast as they would, at full speed on the open ocean. The surroundings were a blur, and more than one person vomited over the side of the ship with dizziness.
Lunora, through some type of strength that the rest envied, managed to remain standing, and not sway with seasickness. She was concentrating on the spinning of the ship, a stony expression fixed on her face.
"Wait . . . not now . . . no . . ." she muttered to herself as she continued to pump Psynergy into the ship. She was starting to feel weak from lack of Psynergy. "No . . . no . . . NOW!"
She instantly turned the ship so that it was going straight. It shot out of the whirlpool so fast that nobody even noticed the jerk. All breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the ship skim quickly past the rock arch, and begin to slow down.
"Oh no!" shouted Isaac. "Boulder! Turn right, quick!"
"Oh, crap!" muttered Lunora, Psynergetically trying to turn the ship right.
It was a white-knuckler, that was for sure. The ship continued to slow down, and began to turn slowly to the right. The boulder which unfortunately had a sharp out-jutting on its right side, caught the side of the ship. The boulder put a big scratch on the left side of the ship, but Lunora had turned it just in time, so that they didn't crash head-on into the boulder, or make the sharp part of the rock tear a hole on the side of the ship.
The ship cleared the rock and all the rest, now with an inch-deep gouge mark running along the port-aft part of the ship. But that didn't matter. They were all okay, and more importantly, alive.
"Oh, thank Luna," sighed Lunora, collapsing from apprehension and energy loss, though she was still conscious.
"We're alive! We're alive!" cheered Garet. "Yes! We made it past the waters!"
"Lunora, you're the best!" shouted Ivan.
"I think I'm about to have a heart attack," said Mia, clutching a hand to her chest, where her heart lay.
"Superb driving," said Solaris. "The best navigation."
"Thank you very much for a nerve-racking, nevertheless a safe, ride through the waters of Lemuria," said Isaac.
"I can't believe I did that," said Lunora, shaking her head from where she was lying on the ground. Ivan helped her up.
"C'mon. After the second whirlpool, I could," said Solaris.
The group continued to congratulate Lunora for some time, all patting her on the back, cheering, or, in Ivan's case, sneaking in a kiss that nobody else saw.
"I feel beaten," she muttered through a grin, some ten minutes later.
"Well, we'll concentrate on something else then, because we don't want to knock you out," said Mia happily.
"Thanks," said Lunora, giving her a quick hug.
"That was the last whirlpool!" said Isaac. "Now, we can finally access Lemuria!"
Everybody, including Lunora this time, cheered. Since Lunora was drained of Psynergy, and Garet was hampered slightly by the dampness of the fog, Isaac once again took the Black Orb. He propelled the ship forward slowly, and increased to full speed. They got a surprise, however.
The fog this time did not continue to get thinner. It got thicker. It got so thick in fact, that it was like a wall again, and Isaac couldn't even tell if his hand was still above the black orb (the place it needed to be to power the ship).
"This can't be good," said Isaac, his happy expression slowly fading off his face.
"Not at all," agreed Solaris, looking around, though he could see nothing but swirling white fog.
Isaac slowed down the speed of the ship, just in case they were in store for any surprises. He was rather nervous now; the nervousness had quickly replaced the happiness he had felt just moments before. But then, he was in for another surprise.
The ship burst through the fog and into bright sunlight, blinding all of them. They quickly put up their arms to protect their face from the sudden change in the amount of light. When they could see again, and they looked ahead, they saw an amazing sight.
The Island of Lemuria lay before them, maybe a mile to the northeast. Even from where they could see it, they could tell that it was a magnificent city. But what stood out even more, was a sparkling, orange structure that scraped the sky, just off to the left of Lemuria, on its own little island: the Sol Lighthouse.
"It's beautiful!" said Mia, her mouth slightly agape.
"Very mesmerizing," said Lunora, looking in awe at the sight before her.
"That's the decider, right there," said Ivan. "The fate of us, the fate of Weyard, will be decided right there, on top of that lighthouse."
"I'm nervous," said Garet, looking apprehensively.
"Yeah, me too, brother," said Solaris, clapping a hand on Garet's shoulder.
"Okay people, listen up," said Isaac. "All Djinn, too."
In an instant, 46 little Djinn popped out of various places on their person, and turned their attention on Isaac, as well as the rest of the adepts.
"I only have one thing to say, just to get you pumped up," said Isaac. "This is it. This is our last chance. And as a famous person once said, 'In this sort of race, there's no silver medal for finishing second'."
"There isn't," agreed Solaris. "Good quote."
"All right, that's it, we're going straight to the Sol Lighthouse," said Isaac, walking forward toward the Black Orb. "Are we ready?"
"Ready," chorused five voices.
"Get 'em!" squeaked 46 little voices. Isaac nodded, and turned to face the lighthouse.
"Let's go."
********************
They're off! The final lighthouse is in sight . . .
As far as Isaac and Mia go, I'm sorry if anyone found that offensive at all. It was just . . . I don't know. It seemed fitting. On the plus side, I did not make it a lemon, because I think a lemon in this story is unnecessary, and in itself, would be a pointless addition to the whole story. This is why it's not a lemon. It's not necessary.
Now, I'd like to remind all of you to check my bio regularly for updates, since I usually update it every day. You'll find a lot of stuff about me in there . . . I basically tell you everything about me other than: anything about my parents, my real name, and address, of which I don't think any of you need to know ^_^. So, like I said, check it out, if you haven't for awhile, or at all. You'll find some intersting stuff.
And lastly, remember ths SirGecko deal! The more reviews I get, the more I type, and the faster I update! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!