Author's Note:
Ryu: *dancing around singing* It's Saturday, Saturday, SATURDAY!
Rio: *with ears plugged* Yes, I know Ryu, now CUT THAT RACKET!
Ryu: *stops* ^.^
Rio: anyway I have a few things to add for this chapter *clears throat*
Disclaimer: (another one) In this chapter I introduce one of three new characters...er ghosts who are not of my making. They are from the book Dalamar the Dark by Nancy Varian Berberick. I am not her, heck if I was do you think I would be wasting my time with fanfiction and school? (like fanfiction is really a waste...but school is)
Also I would like to make clear that there is a bit of Kraden bashing...well its not really bashing. I just hate him a lot (Ryu: *nod, nod*) so I have unfortunate things happen to him. He gets ignored a lot and...er...left behind in the middle of a cave. As Jenna says, "Opps".
Anyway...
Azusasan: Thank you for reviewing yet again! Yes Felix will stay very close to clueless until Lemuria. I came up with the perfect way for Felix to realize exactly who he is falling in love with (which is, of course, Picard). Don't worry, the way I am heading he'll start to figure it out in two chapters and we will get to Lemuria in three or four. Again, I appreciate the grammer corrections, I will get around to revising the grammer as soon as I can...which might not happen until December...
UmbrielBluthorn: Yes, Mia/Alex is one of your favorites I know. I am working on it as fast as I can. Enjoy this chapter...of course you already know the basic plotline...oh the joys of being best friends with the author! (Ryu: ^.^)
BlizzardBuffalo: No, Saturos is sadistic, but not that sadistic! Good idea though...hmm ideas. Also if Jenna died she and Menardi would be in the same plane of existence and you know how much I detest certain *cough*Menardi*cough* characters. Enjoy the chapter!
Ryu: Enjoy the chapter all, see you next Saturday!
Chapter Five: Ring Around the Rosie
"I never want to go swimming ever again." Sheba complained, watching the pool of water which filled the lower area of the room. Considering that the water came from a monster they had just destroyed, her statement was understandable.
"I still want to know how those jellyfish got on the ship anyway." Picard mumbled. Everyone had figured out quickly that Picard was very fond of his ship. He had nearly feinted when he realized that monsters had gotten on the ship and were blocking him from getting to the lower areas of the ship.
While the rest of the group continued down into the ship, Jenna headed for the deck of the ship. She used the excuse that she didn't want to be underneath the ocean with only wood blocking her from a watery death, but only Kraden and Sheba accepted her excuse without question. Both Picard and Felix looked at her with questioning looks. The truth was that she wanted some time to herself, and that she was impatient. She wanted to know why Alex had left Saturos's pendant with her.
Reaching the prow of the ship, she sat back against the railing and opened the letter which Alex had left with the pendant. It was short, and didn't explain anything at all, much to her disappointment.
Jenna,
Saturos left this in my care before entering the Venus Lighthouse. If he survived I was to give it back to him and you would never have known of the interaction. If he died I was to give this to you. This was, as far as I know, his last request, therefore I felt it should be carried out without prying into the situation. Hopefully you will understand this gift, as I do not.
Alex
Well that sure was useful! Jenna thought angrily. The one time, the ONE time, she would have wanted Alex to act like his usual informed self and he ups and decides to respect the dead! Jenna frowned and mashed the letter in her hands before tossing it into the ocean. How was she supposed to know what to do? Was there even anything to do? For all she knew it was just something to remember him by, but why would Alex hint at there being something else to do with the pendant? Internally Jenna screamed. Alex! He MUST know something and, as always, refused to tell anyone what was going on! If he didn't know exactly what was going on then he at least suspected something! And he couldn't tell her what he suspected, no Hades forbid if Alex ever said anything before he had completely thought it through.
Jenna had been gripping the railing of the ship through out this tirade, her knuckles white, and now beginning to hurt. realizing this she let go of the railing and started to move back towards the middle of the ship. The others should be back soon and she had to appear as if she had been waiting for them.
By the time Jenna had worked her way back to the middle of the ship, Picard, Felix, Kraden, and Sheba were returning from placing the Black orb in the ship. From what Sheba was saying about pretty stones and what Kraden was chirping about spectacular feats of alchemy, Jenna gathered that it had been an interesting display of Lemurian technology. For a few seconds Jenna wished she had stayed with the group but then if she had she still wouldn't know what Alex's letter had said, and wouldn't have paid attention to the 'feat of alchemy" anyway.
Everyone had assembled at the tiller and the discussion had switched to where they would go now. After all, since they has a ship, they could go almost anywhere. Even Jenna and Felix were caught in the excitement for a while, but Kraden had to bring everyone crashing back to reality by reminding them of their not - so - friendly behavior at Suhulla Gate and the Venus Lighthouse. Even this could not stop the giddiness that seemed to take hold of everyone as they felt the freedom provided by their new method of transportation. The one thing Jenna didn't like was that Picard wanted Felix to steer the ship.
"This can't be good." She thought, remembering Felix's navigational skills. "I give him an hour before he admits that we're lost."
Exactly 59 minutes and 60 seconds later, Felix accepted the fact that they were lost. Well, they weren't exactly "lost". No, they had just gone in the wrong direction.
"And we're exploring this cave again why?" Jenna asked again. "It's not like we haven't been here before." They had in fact they been to the Shrine of the Sea God before, also because of Felix's navigational skills. After Jenna used Lash to get Tavi down from the ledge, they (meaning Felix, Jenna, and Sheba) had over ruled Kraden and decided to leave the cave without exploring. Now they weren't having such luck.
"Kraden wanted to see the inside." was Sheba's dull reply. The two girls were lagging behind the males of the group, thoroughly bored. Jenna couldn't tell if Felix was interested but Picard and Kraden were chatting animatedly about the age of the rock face and how the wooden bridges had gotten where they had.
Suddenly Felix interrupted Kraden with the shout, "Djinn!" Catching up with the boys the two girls saw that indeed a Jupiter Djinn was situated on a rock surface above them, with only a ladder as the way up on to the rocky surface.
Felix began climbing the ladder only to have the Djinn fly away when he reached the top. He took off after it, followed closely by Picard, who was the second up the ladder. Picard was followed by Jenna and Sheba.
Sheba looked at Jenna, Jenna looked at Sheba. Both girls took off after the boys. This left Kraden behind, but in the excitement none of the adepts seemed to notice this.
Rounding the bend Sheba and Jenna stopped. There was no sign of the Djinn or of Picard and Felix.
"I can't hear them running anymore." Sheba spoke, looking around.
"Well then, pick your door." Jenna remarked, gesturing to the many hallways that forked away from the passage on which they now stood.
Sheba looked pointedly at all of the doors, before choosing one leading off to the left. The hallway was short, ending at a cliff that had a slight indentation at one edge. Sliding down the rock face, the girls saw that they were back at the entrance. Jenna grinned.
"Perfect choice Sheba."
Sheba was confused as Jenna headed for the entrance. "Weren't we looking for the Djinn?"
"We were." Jenna agreed. "But our entire group is now split in two. You and me. Felix and Picard-"
"What about Kraden?" Sheba asked, remembering the older man whom they had left in the cave somewhere."
"Opps." Jenna said nonchalantly.
Sheba was surprised by the sudden animosity aimed at Kraden from the older girl, but she didn't comment. Jenna probably wouldn't have told her anyway.
"Anyway." Jenna continued. "We should go back to Dalia and wait for Felix, Picard, and Kraden to regroup with us."
Sheba nodded and the two girls left the cavern.
Dalia was no different from the last time they had been there. Maybe a little dryer, but on the whole no different. This meant that after waiting for an hour the girls were as bored as they had been in the cave a few hours previously.
"Well the only place we haven't been is the Sanctum." Sheba said matter of factly.
"Yes, but that's because we can't just walk into the Sanctum. " Jenna murmured.
"That's true. And we can't pretend that one of us is unconscious-"
"Or poisoned..."
Both girls thought for a minute. "I could pretend to be cursed." Jenna finally decided.
"That would work." Sheba smiled.
And that was how the two girls entered the Sanctum. Sheba leading Jenna by her elbow, Jenna gripping the Staff of Anubis as if it was her only lifeline. This was one of Jenna's former weapons that she hadn't gotten around to selling yet and since they knew the Sanctum's priest would confiscate it, it seemed the proper choice.
Sheba inwardly marveled at Jenna's acting ability. Jenna had used the Staff of Anubis in battle before so she knew that it was not a cursed item, but Jenna was acting so well that it caused one to wonder. She had even managed to give her eyes the glazed over look, and was shiftily looking around as if at any minute someone might take the staff from her.
They easily walked into the Sanctum, the guards stepping away from the "possessed" Jenna. Once inside the Sanctum they were immediately hailed by the eldest priest. Sheba explained that her friend was "cursed" and asked that the priest remove it. It was hard to keep from giggling as the priest went about gathering the necessary materials to remove a curse. Suddenly Jenna grabbed Sheba's arm.
"Look. The alter. Its the same as the alter in the Cave."
Sheba looked and Jenna was right. The blue stone structure was the exact same as the structure which Kraden and Picard had tried to figure out in the Cave.
"There're something in front of the alter." Jenna whispered, while glaring at a guard who happened to walk to close to her staff.
"I see it." And indeed Sheba could see a bluish sparkle at the base of the rock figure.
"Try to get it." Jenna murmured.
Sheba looked at Jenna as if the girl was crazy but then gave in. It was just a harmless way to pass the time and it would be a challenge to get whatever the item was as well..
The priest had finished preparing the spell that would remove Jenna's curse. The girl inwardly smirked. She watched as Sheba worked her way around those assembled to help the priest and slink towards the alter in the back. The priest centered Jenna in the middle of a pattern which had been carved in the floor and filled in which a liquid that sparkled. Then priest started chanting and his aids joined in after the original verse was said. Jenna watched amusedly as Sheba scaled the rock which the alter was placed on with little difficulty. her sight was then blocked by a golden aura which was caused by the curse removal spell. Jenna waited patiently for the spell to finish.
And after a few minutes the luster of the spell faded and the priest looked at her with questioning, kind eyes.
"Do you feel any different?" The priest asked.
Jenna ignored him, watching Sheba exit the Sanctum out of the corner of her eye. This caused the priest to repeat his question, which Jenna didn't hear.
She blinked at him, "Sorry, what were we doing again?"
The aid's gasped. One of them whispered, "It must be a horrible curse if she can't even remember it!"
The priest smiled (Jenna was starting to get sick of this smile) and said, "Can you let go of your staff?"
Jenna shrugged, "Why not?" and thrust it at one of the aids who held it reverently for a minute and then dropped the staff realizing what the weapon was "capable" of. Jenna nodded to the priest and left the Sanctum. Horribly rude, but Jenna didn't really care.
Once she was outside of the Sanctum she was hailed by Sheba and Kraden. Kraden explained that he had found his way out of the Cave and waited for Felix and Picard who hadn't appeared. Jenna nodded, feeling a smooth, round, item being slipped into her hand. She smiled at Sheba who grinned back at her. Pocketing the bluish item, Jenna turned her attention back to Kraden who suggested that going back to the Cave to look for Felix and Picard would be the best course of action. Agreeing, the three of them started walking back to the Cave of the Sea God.
"You know, I figured out something." Sheba commented. They were in the heart of the Cave, after looking for Felix and Picard without finding a trace for an hour.
"Other than the fact that whoever made the walkways in this cave was completely crazy?" Jenna asked nonchalantly.
"Yes. The person who made the walkways in this cave had to much time on their hands." Sheba stated.
Jenna nodded and sighed.
"Perhaps Felix and Picard went back to the ship." Kraden suggested.
"Perhaps not." Jenna suggested, and everyone heard the faint, "Get back here you little rat!" from down a passage way.
"You're not telling me they were running around after that Djinn this whole time!" Sheba was bewildered.
"I wouldn't put it past my brother." Jenna muttered, watching a purple flash zing past them with Picard and Felix chasing behind it.
Sheba and Kraden moved off after the Djinn chasers, but Jenna's attention was drawn to the back of the cavern she was in. The Djinn had illuminated the back of the cave and she saw the same blue rock formation that was in the Sanctum. Intrigued she made her way over to the rock formation. She had to get wet because the rocks weren't in the right spots for jumping but it was just a little water. As she got closer she thought she heard humming coming from somewhere in the room. It got louder as she got closer. Frowning she realized that the humming was coming from her pocked, or from the thing inside her pocket.
She drew out the gem. It was shaped like a tear and seamed to be a container for a watery liquid that gave it the blue color. Jenna held it in front of her and the humming increased still more. Startled she watched the tear break, shatter, as if it was made of glass and dissolve into the blue rock that was in front of her. The room started to tremble as water poured into the floor and the platform on which she stood began to rise. It rose higher and higher until Jenna found herself in a different room altogether. She noticed a ladder in the back corner and a patch of light in the ceiling so she decided to climb it. What could happen right?
Emerging out of the room Jenna found herself on top of the Shrine itself. The rock looked man made, unlike the rest of the cave. In fact it looked similar to the rock of the lighthouses. Pondering this, Jenna shrugged and continued up the outside of the Shrine. Climbing up some vines she saw that at the top of the shrine there was a pedestal and on it was some type of mettle object. She walked over to it and pulled it from the rock pedestal. Examining it she saw that it had a dull end and a sharp, arrow head like end. It looked like it was part of some other object. She put the object into her belt and looked around. How was she going to get down form here? This thought was driven from her mind as she found herself starring into a pair of red eyes
She started, stepping back away from the spirit in front of her. And a ghost it was, or rather she was. The ghost was of a woman, dressed in blood red clothing that hung around her body, as if tailored to her exact shape. She had blood red hair exactly the color of her clothes which was pulled into a braid that ran down her back, all the way down to where here knees would be. Her lips were this same red. But most sunning feature of the ghost was her eyes. They too were red, but a dark red, much darker than Saturos's eyes had been. The ghost had also moved back and stood (or acted as if she was standing on the ground) looking at Jenna in a calculating manner.
"So, after five hundred years, someone finally has the courage to take up the Dark alchemy." the ghost spoke, her voice a sultry, low, alto.
Jenna blinked, realizing that she wasn't trying to see this ghost. She was just there. Jenna didn't have to squint, or cross her eyes, or anything. "Why can I see you if I didn't call you?" Jenna asked. Nothing made seance. She should only see ghosts if she called them, not if they just upped and decided to say hello!
"I am your kin. That is why." The ghost explained. "I am attached to the item you took from that pedestal, so now you can see me. We are on the same wavelength to be exact."
"You mean this thing?" Jenna gestured to the mettle object that she now carried.
The ghost nodded. "But why do you not have a ghost familiar of your own? All Dark Mages had at least two, maybe three."
"I'm not most Dark Mages." Jenna murmured. "Most Dark Mages are dead by now."
The ghost nodded again. "Yes, you are the only Dark Mage now, but all the more reason for you to follow the path of the Dark Mage correctly. The path of a Dark Mage is meant to help others, though it seems to not be the case. Dark Mages are the only living link to those who were killed before it was time for them to die. Dark Mages love life more than most of the other Adepts." she looked at Jenna closely. "And yet there you care for no one."
"What are you implying?" Jenna growled. "I care for many people."
"But you will not let them get close to you lest they hurt you as your brother unintentionally did. No, I see your problem, little Mage."
"I have a problem?" Jenna asked, annoyed.
The ghost smiled. "Yes. How can you care for the living when you care first and foremost for one who is dead?"
Jenna's eyes widened. The ghost's smile turned into a smirk.
"I'm right, am I not? And until he is among the living again you will not be able to truly care for your kind."
"And you are implying?"
"That you will not be able to do so."
Jenna blinked. "You doubt my ability?"
"No. You have more power than many Dark Mages that I have seen, but you lack the knowledge of the spells we use."
Jenna frowned. What a minute! "We" used?
"And how would you know of Dark Mage spells anyway?"
"Because." the ghost answered. "I am Lunitari, the First of the Dark Mages."
Author's Note:
Rio: Well, is the plot-line coming together yet? I think it is. Did anyone wonder how Jenna would bring Saturos back? Well, I don't know if you can tell exactly how yet...but if anyone has any guesses or ideas, speak up!
Ryu: Yes, we are friendly people...person...oh well, you know what I mean. Reviews are welcome and thank you again to all who reviewed!