Huzzah for me, I'm exhausted yet again. Floor hockey makes me ache.
Thank You!
Kadevi: Poor Forge, I was going to add a lot more fights with Piers and Garet, but I had to sacrifice it. Not totally, however. insert evil grin Longer paragraphs…check…or half check or something like that. I'm working on it!
QueenDragonGoddess: It's okay, I'm tired too.
Magicalflyingdragon: Feizhi played a very small role in the first and second games. She could see the future, sort of, but it wasn't consistent, she was constantly worried about Hsu, a boy who lived at her temple. She tracked Isaac down in the second game to give him a ring (okay, so she told Felix to deliver it for her, but whatever).
Dark Star Dragon: I'm not sure if you'll be too happy with this chapter...if it makes you feel any better, I'm starting the second chapter for my other story. ;;
Wild Fox of the Wasteland: The title was on purpose, I was listening to the song when I first started typing the last chapter. I've been meaning to draw several pictures. Some Garet/Mia and some Piers eye candy. grins evilly I like the thought of that…mmm…Piers. :P More Garet/Mia-ness is coming your way!
Invincible-Titan: Really? You think so? I feel honored! I hope you keep reading!
Dark Ice Dragon: It might be a few chapters before that happens. It will happen though. And then a REAL war will ensue.
0===R=a=g=n=a=r=o=k=: No, it's not Kraden, although Kraden does suggest something rather odd in this chapter. You'll see.
Suh: Sheba does seem to slip in and out of an unreal sort of zone. You'll see why towards the end of the story. That seems to be a long way off. Argh...I'm bashing my head into a wall right now too, so you're not alone.
Hyper Basketcase: I'm glad you liked it!
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Chapter Seventeen: I'm Your Venus
It was around noon time as Feizhi and Felix mulled over a map on the galley table. They had been charting a course for Izumo, where Hsu told Feizhi the Venus Star was hidden. After sailing around aimlessly for two weeks to throw off any dark spies, they decided that they had to go on and get the Venus Star, whether someone was following them or not. In the living quarters, Jenna was fast asleep, and Garet, in another bunk, was also. It seems being around water for a few weeks was finally starting to take a toll on the Mars adepts, they were in a constant state of lethargy and slept for hours on end. They were only awake for around four hours out of the day. Even then, carrying a decent conversation was hard. Whenever Garet was awake, he'd avoid everyone, except Isaac or Jenna. The Martian prince seemed to avoid Mia especially. It didn't bother her at first, he stopped arguing and fighting with Piers, and she got some momentary peace. After about a week of it, she started to feel concerned. The Mercurian princess almost missed hearing Garet's loud, booming voice. Sometimes, Mia might see him talking with Isaac, but it was fleeting, Jenna would call her and they'd get caught up in girl talk or something of the sort. The couple knew something about Garet, something which they didn't want her to find out about. Mia leaned silently against a large rope coil as she contemplated these things.
"It's hard to think, when you haven't had noonday tea," A male voice said causing her to jump. She shifted her blue eyed gaze toward the source of the voice, it was the young Prince Ivan. He handed a blue and white tea cup to the princess, who took it in her slender hands.
"Thank you," she said softly. Ivan sat next to her and gazed up at the blue sky with his curious purple eyes.
"Everything's happening so fast, I hope I can keep up," the young Jupiterian said as he watched seagulls circle over head.
"I'm interested to find out the big picture, what was going on while we were still oblivious to the danger," Mia said as she gently blew on her tea to try and cool it a little. Ivan seemed like a pleasant person, she for one enjoyed his company.
"Feizhi says we'll be in Izumo in a few days," Ivan said turning to her with a small smile playing on his lips. Mia felt herself smiling back.
"Really? I wonder what it's like there," she sighed. Ivan sighed and closed his eyes.
"We'll find out soon enough," he said staring reflectively at the sea.
Lady Uzume was once again sitting on the shore, listening to the waves once again. She made a hard decision, but it probably was for the best. Uzume winced as she rubbed her bandaged shoulder.
"If only it didn't hurt so much," she mumbled. The ruler the small island sighed and let the waves run over her toes. She was stressed out and she could find no comfort anywhere. Susa and Kushinada were young and naïve and they provided little relief from the pressures she felt. Uzume needed someone who would be willing to listen and help shoulder the burden if necessary. The sea breeze played with her hair as she stared aimlessly at the horizon. Unbeknownst to her, Kushinada was watching her from a distance. She had come to tell her sister that Felix and the others had arrived, but she stopped to watch Uzume.
"My sister looks so tragic," the younger girl whispered, "I wish I could help..."
The younger girl continued toward her sister. Lady Uzume turned her way.
"Are they here?" she inquired. Kushinada nodded.
"What's the matter? You look sad, did you and Susa have another fight?" Uzume asked of her younger sister. Kushinada laughed a little and shook her head no.
"I'm worried about you," she said putting her hand on her sister's shoulder. Uzume smiled and hugged her.
"You shouldn't worry, I'll be fine," she whispered. Kushinada smiled a little and slipped her hand into her sister's. Uzume smiled a little and gave her hand a little squeeze. The two left the beach hand in hand.
Felix gazed around the room at his exhausted crew. His sister was practically asleep, and drooling in Isaac's lap. Even Piers, who normally was cool and together, was staring drowsily at the wall in front of him. That Kusinada girl came back in the room and paused at the doorway.
"Presenting my sister, and ruler of Izumo, Lady Uzume," she said revealing a rather refined and expressionless young woman. She nodded to everyone in the room.
"It looks as though your crew is too tired for a formal introduction, why don't you all rest up for a while before we start discussing the Venus Star," Lady Uzume said. The rest of the group groaned in agreement. The young ruler ordered several servants to get them set up in their rooms. Felix approached Lady Uzume.
"Are you sure it's safe for us to wait?" he asked intently. Lady Uzume smirked.
"I assure you, the Star is quite safe," she replied. The young ruler headed for the door.
"If you need anything ask the servants or Kushinada," Uzume called behind her back. Felix gazed after her for a while.
"Something seems off," he mumbled as he turned his attention to his crew. Isaac was trying to drag Jenna out of the room, as she continued snoring away.
"Come on, Jen, wake up!" he grunted trying to shift her weight more comfortably. Piers, Ivan and Feizhi were already in their rooms and Mia was sitting outside on the deck talking with Kushinada, Garet was no where in sight, and Sheba was not far from his side, as always.
"You should relax," she said putting her arm around his waist. The Venusian prince sighed.
"Maybe," he said running his fingers through her hair.
Lady Uzume had resumed her spot by he sea. There were a few clouds in the sky, not enough to really do any damage, maybe this time she could really be alone, maybe take a short swim to relieve her stress. She was wrong however, not five minutes had passed before she heard footsteps on the sand.
"It's probably Susa, or Kushinada," she whispered. She sighed. The last thing she wanted was to answer questions about things she wished to keep secret.
"Good evening, Lady Uzume," a voice said. The sound of the voice startled her, it wasn't someone she recognized. She turned slowly; standing beside her was a man with long blue hair.
"Good evening to you too…I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name," Uzume replied.
"It's Piers. Admiral Piers," he said. Uzume was quiet for a few minutes. She found herself sneaking curious glances at her visitor.
"So, Admiral Piers, what brings you to my private beach?" she inquired.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was restricted" Piers apologized.
"No, it's fine you're a guest in my house," she said as she gently shook her head.
"I just needed a place to think," the young admiral answered. Uzume smiled reflectively.
"I understand, you are more than welcome stay here, I won't bother you," the young ruler replied. The two stood in silence for a while.
"My Lady, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Piers asked suddenly.
"Not at all," she replied.
"How did you get to be ruler of Izumo? It seems such a large responsibility to put on someone as young as yourself," he said. A pained look crossed the young lady's face.
"My parents died when I was twelve" she said sadly.
"I'm sorry," Piers replied. She shook her head.
"It's not so bad anymore, it's been ten years," Lady Uzume said as she sat down on the soft sand, "I took over as soon as they died. I didn't want anyone else to take my parent's legacy."
Piers sat next to her on the ground.
"It seems a lot for one person to shoulder alone," he said, "If you need someone to talk to, feel free to come to me while I'm here."
"Thank you for the offer, but I'll be fine," she said. Another long period of silence followed.
"You shouldn't be so afraid to rely on others," Piers sighed as stood up.
"Leaving already?" Lady Uzume asked. Piers smirked as he started to leave.
"Yeah, you might want to contemplate your problems alone, I'm just distracting you," he said. Uzume watched as he walked toward the house. He was a mysterious person and she found her thoughts dwelling on him. She closed her eyes as she unbuttoned her outer dress, so she was only in her sleeveless shirt and a pair of shorts.
"A short swim should clear my mind," she said as she waded into the water.
Later that night, Mia wandered the halls of the house with a mission, find Garet. It wasn't like him to be all angsty and listless all of a sudden, it bothered her. She opened the door to Jenna's room.
"Jenna, are you awake?" Mia whispered.
"Ugh, no," the dragon girl replied from under her covers.
"Sorry," Mia said quietly and shut the door. She spun around quickly and came face with Piers. A large guilty grin spread across her face.
"Hello, Piers," the Mercurian princess said a little too sweetly. Piers grinned maniacally.
"What are you up to Princess?" he asked raising an eyebrow.
"N-nothing," she stammered, her heart beating a mile a minute. Piers eyed her and shook his head playfully.
"If you're looking for Garet, I just convinced him to get down from off the roof," he said, "he's in the courtyard."
Mia blinked a few times. Piers and Garet always fought with each other, so this change was fairly drastic. She nodded and headed down the hall.
"Hey, Mia," Piers called, "Catch!" Mia spun around quickly and caught a string of pearls.
"This is..." she said pointing to the object in her hand.
"I kept your bracelet safe, and now I think you should have it back," Piers said. Mia smiled and continued on towards the courtyard. Mia slowly slid open the large, silk screen doors to reveal a very oriental style garden. The clouds rumbled as she stepped outside the confines of the house. Mia wandered around for a little while, listening to the sound her wooden sandals made on the stone path. Then she saw what she was looking for, Garet. The dragon prince was sitting on a boulder and gazing at the sky. Lightening streaked across the atmosphere, as Mia approached him, making his silhouette seem more forlorn. A slow steady rain began to fall, as the azure haired girl climbed on top of the boulder and sat next to Garet.
"Hello, there," she said softly as she placed her hand on his broad shoulder. He shuddered at her touch.
"Garet, you should come inside," Mia said quietly. Garet turned to face her. Without a word he jumped off, leaving Mia to scramble after him.
"Will you please help me?" she requested, "It's easier for me to climb up than it is for me to climb down."
Garet held out his hand so she could steady herself as she climbed off the rock
"Thank you," she said cheerily. Garet nodded slightly. He still had her hand in his grasp.
"Your hands are so cold," he mumbled. Mia gazed at him, concern etched all over her features.
"Garet, what's wrong?" she asked gently. Garet lowered his head and held her hand to his heart. He took a deep breath.
"Mia, when I was young, I was told that mermaid women would steal my soul and make me live in the cold, dark sea," he began.
Mia felt a saddened look cross her face.
"Oh, Garet..." she whispered. He gripped her hand slightly tighter.
"I think that's why everyone back at the castle was so afraid of having you around," the dragon prince continued, "They still held on to the belief that you would steal my soul."
Garet was quiet for a few moments. He looked up and locked his eyes onto hers.
"Mia, I know you would never do that to anyone. If anything I would give you my soul," Garet said. He dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Mia's waist.
"Mia, my heart, my soul are yours, if you will accept them," Garet said earnestly. Mia felt a wave of shock hit her.
"You mean that?" she asked. The dragon prince nodded solemnly.
"On my honor," he answered firmly. She leaned her face closer to his.
"Good, because, in exchange my heart and soul are yours also," she whispered, "I love you." she whispered and placed her lips on his. She pulled away slowly and cradled his head in her arms. Garet buried his face in her chest.
"We should go in now, we're both soaked, and I know how much you hate being wet," she said softly as she brushed her fingers against the back of his neck. Garet stood up and put his arm around her protectively as they walked back to the house.
Piers watched the fire in the main living room silently. If things continued the way they were between Garet and Mia, he'd have a loud, hot headed king ruling over him soon. That was definitely not something he was looking forward to. He smirked as he poured himself some saké in a small shot glass.
"To the happy royal couple," he said raising his glass and drinking its contents. Just as he put the cup down, Kushinada burst through the door, obviously distressed.
"Admiral Piers, have you seen my sister?" she asked.
"I saw Lady Uzume earlier in the evening, she was by the beach," the blue haired man answered.
"I went there and I couldn't find her, everyone's been searching she's not around here anywhere!" the young girl cried, "She might have gone swimming, and drowned or something!"
Piers watched Kushinada pace back and forth across the floor. The look of dread that crossed her face made him feel as though he should do something to help.
"Do you want me to look for her in the ocean?" Piers asked. Kushinada turned to him frantically.
"It's a bit dangerous..." she said hesitantly. The admiral nodded in affirmation.
"I know," he said as he headed out the door, "It shouldn't take long." The wind whipped his long hair in all directions as he closed the door behind him and headed toward the water. A storm had begun to lash the tiny island with its wrath. He dove head first into the towering waves. Wherever Uzume was, she wasn't going to be in good condition. A quick scan of the shallow water showed no signs of her, the ruler of Izumo was probably caught in an under current and dragged out to sea. But in which direction was she taken? Piers swam out further into the water, and found a clue, a scrap of white fabric with a small stain of blood on the corner. It was far too thin to be anything else, but part of an entire garment. The blue haired man turned the cloth over in his hands. She had to be nearby, so Piers kept a sharp look out for any more signs. He didn't have to look much farther, suffocating in the tentacles of a kraken, was Lady Uzume herself. One of her hands gripped the slimy tentacle wrapped around her neck, the other hung limply by her side, all signs pointed to her giving out at any moment. Piers cast Diamond Berg on the creature, causing it to rear back in pain and release its captive. As her body fell toward the ocean floor, Piers scooped her up, and headed toward the surface. The angry kraken was in hot pursuit, and gaining on them fast. Piers turned and pointed to it.
"Frost," he said quickly. The creature became coated in a solid layer of ice. As it started to float upward, the admiral latched on, and surfaced with it. Uzume although hardly breathing was, thankfully, alive and barely conscious by the time they made it to the surface.
"Lady Uzume! Can you hear me!" Piers shouted above the waves. The shivering girl nodded weakly.
"We've got a long way to go, and I know you can't make it underwater," the admiral told her, "So you've got to hold on to me, I'm sure I can get us both home safely."
She said nothing, but attached herself to his back and held on tightly with her uninjured arm. Uzume didn't like to have people play hero for her, but she was in no condition to fight it. The water was freezing, she could feel her legs growing numb.
"Lady Uzume, are you holding up okay?" Piers questioned. She nodded, although she knew it was a lie. The ruler of Izumo was loosing all sense of time now, minutes felt like hours, and she felt she was going to be lost in the sea forever, holding onto Piers for dear life. Uzume buried her face in his long, wet hair. For the first time in her life, she felt she couldn't get control of the situation she was in.
"We're almost there," Piers said. Uzume held on to him tightly. When they got into shallower waters, Piers started to struggle.
"What's wrong?" she asked. He strained a little more.
"Something's got my tail," he said. Uzume turned slowly as the pink monstrosity came into view.
"Grand Gaia!" she shouted. It lessoned its grip just enough to allow the mermaid man to escape. Piers crawled onto the shore and Uzume slid off of his back. The two of them lay devoid of all energy on the beach for several minutes. Uzume sat up in fear as she felt a wet, slick apparition wrap around her ankle. Piers forced himself to get up and step on the kraken's tentacle and the girl wrenched her foot from its grasp and scrambled away as best she could. The admiral picked her up and continued on. Uzume looked up at him questioningly. The blue haired admiral said nothing, but he gave her a tired smile. They had finally made it home, or so they thought, a pink tentacle wrapped around Piers' leg. The kraken wasn't done with them yet. He cast Frost on the tentacle and smashed it, freeing himself, once more.
"Piers, get help..." she whispered. Piers trudged up the beach to try and get out of range of the Kraken's wildly thrashing retractiles. The blue haired man winced as he felt a harsh lash against his back. He was extremely exhausted and he knew he wouldn't make it much farther. If only he could call the others. As if someone read his mind, Felix, Ivan and Garet came running his way.
"We'll take it from here, Piers," Felix called to him, "You get Lady Uzume to safety."
Piers nodded and held Uzume tighter. As he drew near the house, Susa and Kushinada ran to meet him.
"Her arm is broken, wake Mia and get her to cast Ply on her," Piers said as he entered the house.
"Mia's already awake," the Mercurian princess said as she came closer to the two of them.
"Hold still and relax," she said to Uzume soothingly. The azure haired girl clasped her hands together and whispered, "Ply."
A blue aura appeared around Uzume and she sighed and fell asleep. Mia got up and smiled.
"Tomorrow, her arm will be a little sore, so put it in a sling. Just let her rest now," she said, "You should rest too, Piers."
Piers nodded silently.
"We are indebted to you, Admiral Piers," Susa said, "is there anyway to repay you?"
Piers smiled wearily and shook his head.
"Make sure Lady Uzume is safe and comfortable and…sleep would be nice," he said as he leaned against the wall for support. Mia ran over to him.
"Piers? Are you okay?" she asked. Piers didn't answer as he stumbled out of the room. The three of them glanced at each other nervously. He didn't look too good. Mia followed him down the hall.
"Piers, what's wrong!" she cried. Piers glanced back at her.
"Nothing," he said. Mia was left alone as she heard the sound of Piers' door closing. She felt her friend drifting away and it worried her.
Uzume woke up the next day, to a perfect, cloudless morning. Her senses slowly started registering everything around her, including a dull pain in her arm. Then the events of the previous night flashed before her eyes. The young ruler, crawled out of her sheets and walked outside onto her terrace facing the sea. As she expected, the large corpse of the Kraken was not far off shore. Lady Uzume drew closer to her spot on her beach, and realized someone had beaten her there. Piers was there, sprawled out on the beach, water dripping off his body. He still had his fin, and she guessed that he had just taken a quick dip in the ocean.
"Good morning, Admiral Piers," she said politely.
"Good morning, Lady Uzume," he replied. A soft breeze played with her hair as she stood in silence.
"Thank you, Admiral, I owe you my life," she said solemnly, "I should have known better than to go for a swim, even if there were only a few clouds."
Piers smirked and brushed a few strands of his hair behind his ear. "It was a simple, yet dangerous miscalculation on your part," the blue haired man pointed out, "We were lucky to get away from that kraken, Felix told me something a little disparaging this morning after breakfast."
The young lady turned to him questioningly. Piers closed his eyes. "The kraken was controlled by a shadow warrior," he said. Lady Uzume narrowed her eyes in hatred.
"They won't give up will they?" she said, "I'm the only thing that stands in their way of the Venus Star."
Piers glanced at her with a hint of interest. "There is the Serpent of Izumo, a great lizard-like creature. It is my pet of sorts," she began, "it only listens to me. In order to keep the Star safe, Kraden suggested that I feed it to the Serpent."
Piers' blue eyes widened in surprise. "That means..." he started.
"The Venus Star is in the belly of the Izumo Serpent," Lady Uzume said looking solemnly ahead.
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A mysterious woman, a serpent, and a quickly changing world. It can only get better! Next chapter, something goes wrong with the Izumo Serpent, as the gang is forced to fight it before it destroys the entire island! Okay, see ya next chapter! (psst! If the you like Picard(Piers)/Mia check out my new fic, "Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner!")
Next Chapter: Dungeons and Dragons