Chapter Eleven: Rescue
(Sage)
Sweat dripped down my face and acute pains filled my chest. I placed my hands on my head, forbidding myself to move until the moment of dizziness and illness passed. I stumbled up, going to the bathroom and taking some Tylenol without waking anyone. I walked quietly down to the kitchen, pulling out a bowl and loading it with cereal. Maybe eating would stop the shaking.
I exerted myself again in my sleep. I pressed onwards, but last night, there was immense pain as I searched, and the little cave went up in fire. A powerful, swift current drowned me in my to-real dream, and I couldn't sleep any longer. "We have to find her."
"I know," Mia slipped into the kitchen.
"Did I wake you?" Mia Koji, the unofficial big sister, sat across the table, slight bags under her eyes. She still looked beautiful, though, and I enjoyed being alone with her. She treated everyone else like her kid brother, but when it was just Mia and I, there was something different.
"No," Mia stretched. She smiled at me. "I couldn't sleep anyway. You look sick."
"The dream was horrible. I drowned in the little cave where I met her."
"Is she dead?" Mia whispered. I shrugged.
"I think I'd be different." I leaned against the edge of the table. Maybe cereal hadn't been the best idea. Mia scrambled for the wastebasket, putting her hand on my back.
"Okay?" She asked quietly. I sat up, nodding. "Let's go outside and take a walk. If you do feel sick, you won't have to clean it up."
"Thanks." Mia laughed as she headed towards the screen door, me right behind her. Crisp, cool morning air refreshed my sense, sending the bile down my throat. The gray dawn held no echo of bird song, only the splashing of baby waves from the lake in the distance and a rustle of leaves in the refreshing breeze. I stared out at the faint golden streaks across the lake. The clouds tinted a soft yellow on the underside, signaling a beautiful sunrise.
"Let's walk the lake," I suggested, taking up stride with Mia. We ambled towards the shore. "It's going to be a lovely sunrise." Mia's smile filled me with a serene sense.
"Honestly, I'm never up this early in the summer," Mia turned towards me. "You're always up early, though."
"The morning is peaceful. I like everything before the other four throw themselves out into my world."
"Yeah," Mia laughed. "They're great, but you're definitely the mature one. I thought Rowen might be because he's oldest, but man, Sage, after I met you, there was no doubt."
"Really? Am I that much of an odd ball?"
"No, it's a good thing. It's part of what makes me like you. You listen, understand, and generally care." Mia stared at me sincerely. I could feel myself blush. She smiled when I did. "Did I mention you're really cute?"
"You sure know how to flatter people."
"Aw, no, it's the truth. I don't like excess crap," Mia waved her hand. "No point in telling someone something that's not true."
"Any more stunning truths?" I met Mia's gaze. She blushed this time, and I laughed. She put her toe in the sand, smiling.
"Maybe," she grinned as she walked forward. I followed her, admiring her hair as the golden sun glinted across it. The lake burned with golden fire as the clouds because visions from heaven. The world awoke, causing birds to sing and this moment to seem stunning and romantic.
"I've got something to tell you," I touched Mia's shoulder. "You're beautiful in this light."
"Hmm, well, I would say the same," Mia sighed. "Sage...you honestly are beautiful." I smiled and blushed, but stared right back at Mia. She touched a lock of my hair. "Your hair, it makes you have a halo."
I laughed. "That's a nice joke." Mia laughed, too, and began to walk again.
"It wasn't intended, honestly, but that's just what it looked like. I'm not one for cheesy jokes," Mia looked up at the clouds, sucking in a breath. "This is the most beautiful sunrise in ages."
"Yes," I stared out at the lakeshore. We were barely in sight of the manor, coming to the part of the L shaped lake that wasn't visible from the manor. My eyes trained over the orange, gold, and pink water, and then to the shore in the distance. I squinted, seeing a lump at the edge of the lake.
"Mia, do you see that?" I walked over the spot. Mia followed behind me, squinting into the distance.
"Yeah, it looks like an animal. Be careful!" I walked silently up to the blob at the edge of the lake, and as I got closer, I began to make out a shape. A person of some sort lay at the lakeshore!
I scrambled out into the water, where the shape partially hidden. I reached down, pulling on shoulders. I gasped, frozen in place.
She lay at my feet. The star showed on her exposed chest, which rose and fell with gentle breaths. Her wet figure lay there, but not alone. A male lay naked beside her, as well, wrapped up in her arms. I removed the straggly, white hair from his face, falling to the sand from recognition.
"Sage?" Mia asked hesitantly from about a foot behind me.
"Go, get the guys, Mia! GO!" I shouted toward her, finally finding my voice. I pulled the two forms out of the water. Dais's bad eye was easily recognizable, but why was he with this girl? I stared down at the two unconscious forms, trying to decipher the meaning of this crap.
I frowned down at Dais, looking at his chest. A green star with the strange flower tattoo lay perfectly etched on his skin just like hers. "Wow, there needs to be some explanation," I whispered to myself.
"Sage!" I turned towards Cye and Ryo, both racing at breakneck speed down the beach.
"It's her!" Kento, Rowen, and Mia followed shortly after. Ryo and Cye's eyes widened as they looked at the two unconscious figures at my feet.
"What the hell?" Kento blurted out. I frowned, turning to my friend. "What is he doing here?"
"That's the girl?" Rowen asked. I nodded. He frowned, walking forward, braking the weird trance that had set over us. "Come on, Kento, help me! Sage, Ryo, grab her! Cye, Mia, we'll need beds and clothes." I grabbed the girl's feet and Ryo grabbed her shoulders, and we carefully took her up to the manor. Cye had prepared Mia's bedroom for her and that's where we laid her.
"Looks like you don't have to dream search for your lady," Mia sat on the couch, waiting for me and Ryo to come down. Cye was still busy changing Ryo's sheets and fixing his room.
"Yeah, but man, this is weird," Ryo plopped down next to Mia. "I mean, we look for her, and she washes up on shore with Dais! By the way, what were you two doing at the beach this morning?"
I punched Ryo's shoulder.
Thank you for reviewing, this story is about half way done. Here is the big interaction between Mia and Sage, and even though the pairing isn't my favorite, this is my take on the Mia/Sage pairing. Thanks, MorganRay.
(Sage)
Sweat dripped down my face and acute pains filled my chest. I placed my hands on my head, forbidding myself to move until the moment of dizziness and illness passed. I stumbled up, going to the bathroom and taking some Tylenol without waking anyone. I walked quietly down to the kitchen, pulling out a bowl and loading it with cereal. Maybe eating would stop the shaking.
I exerted myself again in my sleep. I pressed onwards, but last night, there was immense pain as I searched, and the little cave went up in fire. A powerful, swift current drowned me in my to-real dream, and I couldn't sleep any longer. "We have to find her."
"I know," Mia slipped into the kitchen.
"Did I wake you?" Mia Koji, the unofficial big sister, sat across the table, slight bags under her eyes. She still looked beautiful, though, and I enjoyed being alone with her. She treated everyone else like her kid brother, but when it was just Mia and I, there was something different.
"No," Mia stretched. She smiled at me. "I couldn't sleep anyway. You look sick."
"The dream was horrible. I drowned in the little cave where I met her."
"Is she dead?" Mia whispered. I shrugged.
"I think I'd be different." I leaned against the edge of the table. Maybe cereal hadn't been the best idea. Mia scrambled for the wastebasket, putting her hand on my back.
"Okay?" She asked quietly. I sat up, nodding. "Let's go outside and take a walk. If you do feel sick, you won't have to clean it up."
"Thanks." Mia laughed as she headed towards the screen door, me right behind her. Crisp, cool morning air refreshed my sense, sending the bile down my throat. The gray dawn held no echo of bird song, only the splashing of baby waves from the lake in the distance and a rustle of leaves in the refreshing breeze. I stared out at the faint golden streaks across the lake. The clouds tinted a soft yellow on the underside, signaling a beautiful sunrise.
"Let's walk the lake," I suggested, taking up stride with Mia. We ambled towards the shore. "It's going to be a lovely sunrise." Mia's smile filled me with a serene sense.
"Honestly, I'm never up this early in the summer," Mia turned towards me. "You're always up early, though."
"The morning is peaceful. I like everything before the other four throw themselves out into my world."
"Yeah," Mia laughed. "They're great, but you're definitely the mature one. I thought Rowen might be because he's oldest, but man, Sage, after I met you, there was no doubt."
"Really? Am I that much of an odd ball?"
"No, it's a good thing. It's part of what makes me like you. You listen, understand, and generally care." Mia stared at me sincerely. I could feel myself blush. She smiled when I did. "Did I mention you're really cute?"
"You sure know how to flatter people."
"Aw, no, it's the truth. I don't like excess crap," Mia waved her hand. "No point in telling someone something that's not true."
"Any more stunning truths?" I met Mia's gaze. She blushed this time, and I laughed. She put her toe in the sand, smiling.
"Maybe," she grinned as she walked forward. I followed her, admiring her hair as the golden sun glinted across it. The lake burned with golden fire as the clouds because visions from heaven. The world awoke, causing birds to sing and this moment to seem stunning and romantic.
"I've got something to tell you," I touched Mia's shoulder. "You're beautiful in this light."
"Hmm, well, I would say the same," Mia sighed. "Sage...you honestly are beautiful." I smiled and blushed, but stared right back at Mia. She touched a lock of my hair. "Your hair, it makes you have a halo."
I laughed. "That's a nice joke." Mia laughed, too, and began to walk again.
"It wasn't intended, honestly, but that's just what it looked like. I'm not one for cheesy jokes," Mia looked up at the clouds, sucking in a breath. "This is the most beautiful sunrise in ages."
"Yes," I stared out at the lakeshore. We were barely in sight of the manor, coming to the part of the L shaped lake that wasn't visible from the manor. My eyes trained over the orange, gold, and pink water, and then to the shore in the distance. I squinted, seeing a lump at the edge of the lake.
"Mia, do you see that?" I walked over the spot. Mia followed behind me, squinting into the distance.
"Yeah, it looks like an animal. Be careful!" I walked silently up to the blob at the edge of the lake, and as I got closer, I began to make out a shape. A person of some sort lay at the lakeshore!
I scrambled out into the water, where the shape partially hidden. I reached down, pulling on shoulders. I gasped, frozen in place.
She lay at my feet. The star showed on her exposed chest, which rose and fell with gentle breaths. Her wet figure lay there, but not alone. A male lay naked beside her, as well, wrapped up in her arms. I removed the straggly, white hair from his face, falling to the sand from recognition.
"Sage?" Mia asked hesitantly from about a foot behind me.
"Go, get the guys, Mia! GO!" I shouted toward her, finally finding my voice. I pulled the two forms out of the water. Dais's bad eye was easily recognizable, but why was he with this girl? I stared down at the two unconscious forms, trying to decipher the meaning of this crap.
I frowned down at Dais, looking at his chest. A green star with the strange flower tattoo lay perfectly etched on his skin just like hers. "Wow, there needs to be some explanation," I whispered to myself.
"Sage!" I turned towards Cye and Ryo, both racing at breakneck speed down the beach.
"It's her!" Kento, Rowen, and Mia followed shortly after. Ryo and Cye's eyes widened as they looked at the two unconscious figures at my feet.
"What the hell?" Kento blurted out. I frowned, turning to my friend. "What is he doing here?"
"That's the girl?" Rowen asked. I nodded. He frowned, walking forward, braking the weird trance that had set over us. "Come on, Kento, help me! Sage, Ryo, grab her! Cye, Mia, we'll need beds and clothes." I grabbed the girl's feet and Ryo grabbed her shoulders, and we carefully took her up to the manor. Cye had prepared Mia's bedroom for her and that's where we laid her.
"Looks like you don't have to dream search for your lady," Mia sat on the couch, waiting for me and Ryo to come down. Cye was still busy changing Ryo's sheets and fixing his room.
"Yeah, but man, this is weird," Ryo plopped down next to Mia. "I mean, we look for her, and she washes up on shore with Dais! By the way, what were you two doing at the beach this morning?"
I punched Ryo's shoulder.
Thank you for reviewing, this story is about half way done. Here is the big interaction between Mia and Sage, and even though the pairing isn't my favorite, this is my take on the Mia/Sage pairing. Thanks, MorganRay.