Chapter4
They Hold You Close
Felix blinked three times and read the letter again. There it was, in a neat and flowing hand,
'You are henceforth banished from the Island of Lemuria, under penalty of imprisonment in the palace dungeons.' he shook his head.
'Damn it, Piers, I'm sorry…' the Adept thought as he raised his dark eyes to Lunpa again. They were all assembled in the Throne Room.
"We didn't actually think Conservato would be able to pull it through, many in the Senate stand against him, but apparently more still fear to disobey him…" Lunpa said, the thin man with thinner black hair and a pointed nose was shaking his head. "He rallied enough support and forced Hydros to sign… Now it leaves the city torn." The old explorer sighed as Felix passed the letter to Jenna.
"What does this have too do with the people?" Garet asked. Lunpa looked up to answer, but Hydros beat him to it.
"In his absence Piers became a common topic of conversation all over the island." The king said,
"Kind of like a Hero?" Sheba offered. Hydros mulled over it for a moment, giving Leon a chance to speak up.
"That's all a matter of perspective really." Pier's Uncle said, though his voice was quiet, hardly filling the air between them, let alone the massive chamber of aquariam stone. "Those who have felt the changes in Lemuria since the Lighthouses' were fired do consider him a hero of sorts, especially among the younger people who now wish to see the lands outside the Sea of Time."
"But there are still those who stand against Alchemy and leaving the island. So he is not as well-received." Lunpa pointed out, the old king sighed, stroking his dark grey beard with one bejeweled hand, a skyblue curtain of silk wrapped around his head save for his face, banded with platinum which was real as opposed to the flashy thread of Piers' own.
"This issue is tearing Lemuria apart," he said sadly. "I cannot tell with this ploy whether Conservato aims to re-unit our people, or only widen the gap between them."
"All you are certain of is that Piers will never re-enter Lemuria." Ivan said sadly, the three men nodded.
"Then I say it's best to get our boat fixed and leave as soon as possible." Isaac said. "It would kill me to be banished from Vale yet still have to stay nearby. I think it's the best thing we can do for Piers, especially with his injury."
"Injury?" Piers' uncle repeated, looking up at Isaac, "What happened? What's wrong with him?" Felix saw worry flashing across the old man's face at the thought of his nephew in harm. The Venus-Adept felt a stab of guilt.
'Damn I mean, he lost his sister and now his nephew's been banished, how could so much go wrong for this guy's family in just under a year?' Felix thought as Lunpa put a hand on Leon's arm.
"Easy, friend," He said, "Do not always assume the worst has come to pass, let them speak." Looking back at the Adepts, Jenna was the one to explain.
"Piers received a stab wound sometime last night or early this morning, he was asleep for a few hours before we all made our way to the city." She said. Felix was surprised when, not just Piers' uncle, but Lunpa and Hydros also perked up.
"What kind of wound?" Hydros asked.
"Uh… It looked like he'd been stabbed with Felix's Trident." Ivan supplied,
"Yeah, he said he got it when he was dragging Felix inside and it poked out and got him." Garet said. Lunpa quirked an eye-brow.
"Why would he be dragging you in?" He asked.
"We were knocked out in the storm." Felix said, his first verbal contribution to the discussion.
"No" Jenna said.
"We were knocked out by that flash of psynergy when Piers' power sky-rocketed." Isaac stated. Felix briefly recalled the lines of blue webbing across the ship, so unlike anything he'd seen before, not to mention the solid wall of energy around his friend. Not even the Wise One had ever achieved such a feat as far as he knew.
"When it what?" Hydros thundered, standing up suddenly to loom over the more than slightly surprised Adepts, memories of the storm were abruptly shattered. Lunpa looked shocked while most of the blood drained from Leon's face.
"I remember that," Ivan said, shakily. The Jupiter-Adept let out a yelp as Lunpa came forward and lifted him by his collar.
"You tell me everything that happened up until that point! Every last detail, do you hear me?" He shouted, shaking Ivan as he did so, and nearly choking him as Ivan's toes just grazed the floor.
"Lunpa, put the boy down." Hydros commanded. Lunpa bit his lip and set Ivan down. Wiping his hands on the front of his shirt, the man looked as if all he wanted too do was pick Ivan back up and shake some answers out of him.
"I'm sorry," He apologized in a rush, "But you must tell us everything." Felix nodded.
"Everything."
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Mia walked down the dank caverns. Illuminated by flashes of sea-greens and blues. She ran one hand along the slick wall, guiding her through the shadows. The sound of water dripping and seeping down the walls echoing in the volumouse space in her other hand she held a bunch of letters from inside Lemuria.
---Flashback---
"After we told him what had happened," One guard said, still not meeting her shocked gaze, "The look on his face it… It was just too hard. I mean. I can't fathom what he must be feeling right now…"
"A-and he just, he turned around and left?" She asked, still trying to understand what she had been told. Mia clutched the letter in her hand as both nodded. "Where do you think he went?" She asked.
"We aren't sure. After you all fired the Lighthouse', things have been changing in the caverns." Mia looked up at him, confused. The Lemurian continued.
"With Alchemy unleashed, the caverns seem to be expanding. No one knows what cavern lead's where, but anyone who goes in oddly never gets lost." the other guard nodded. "The only one it doesn't work for is Sir Lunpa, so everyone thinks it has to do with being Mercury-Adepts."
"So Piers won't get lost?" She questioned.
"Nope, and I doubt you would either if you went in." Mia looked at him, that same look of guilt and shame creeping back into the eyes of both.
"That small Djinni went with him, but I think it would be a good idea, what with everything, for Piers to speak to some one more…"
"Solid." The other finished. "We'd go ourselves but…"
"Neither of us think we could stand to face him again so soon." He paused. "With your quest completed and Piers with no home to return to,"
"We think it might be best for him to talk to one of you." Both stopped, looking if they had nothing more to say, the mood seemed a bit tense as the unasked question hung in the air. Mia nodded solemnly.
'He'll need a friend and the others are all talking with Hydros by now.' She thought, as she smiled sadly. The one standing to her left reached into his pocket and pulled out a bundle of letter, looking at them sadly before handed them to her.
"They're for Piers." He said quietly. "They're from people inside the walls, his uncle, His Majesty the King, Sir Lunpa, and others that have been supporting him. I didn't have a chance to give them all to him." Mia nodded again, accepting the thick bundle of parchment.
"I'm sure he'll want them," She said, tucking them away within the thick white folds of her cloak. "I won't forget to deliver them."
--End Flashback--
"'No one ever gets lost', he says. 'Mercury-adepts know there way around the caverns', he says" Mia muttered under her breath as she came to a fork in the cavern. "If that's true then tell me why I can't tell which way I came from three paces back, hmm? Tell me that."
Mia kept muttering as she tripped over a large bump up against the wall. Giving out a startled yelp, she put her arms out to keep from getting a face-full of grime. She succeeded in keeping her face, and the letters, out of the muddy water pooling in the caves, but she was not so lucky with her clothing.
The Mercury-Adept cringed as she felt cool water seeping through her dress, as well as through the cloth on her arms as she pushed herself up. Standing up, she grimaced at her clothing.
'Things refuse to go well today…' She though, 'The ship gets trashed, Piers is stabbed by something, he gets banished, and now I get lost. Gods, the Wise One's probably laughing up a storm right about now.' She gave a heavy sign and bent down and to retrieve the letters.
"M-Mia? Is that you?" A shy voice asked. Mia froze, pausing slightly before straightening up again.
"Spring?" The dim light made it hard for her to see, but when the lump she had tripped over moved, Mia was sure it was the Djinni. "Spring, where did Piers go?" She asked worriedly. She heard Spring sniff before replying,
"Piers ran off…" The Djinni said. "He didn't say a word, and I don't know what happened. One of the Lemurians at the door handed him a letter and then he looked so torn and started walking away." Spring sounded chocked and more than slightly worried, Mia held her arms out and Spring jumped up. Mia then sat down on a nearby rock and tried to sooth the small spirit.
"What do you mean he ran off?" She asked, "As in he just left you here?" Spring nodded and curl up against her arm.
"I tried talking to him, but I don't think he heard me…" She said. "He just stopped and stood there shaking before running off down the passage." Spring started shaking as well, and Mia heard the Djinni whimpering slightly. She rocked the spirit gently as Spring continued. She felt so uneasy at the thought of Piers just leaving like that. According to the others, Piers had been with Spring and Shade long before he had ever left Lemuria. And she knew for a fact that the three were closer than Flint and Isaac.
"I even called after him once he started running but he didn't turn back or even notice me…" Spring continued, "He was in so much pain, Mia, I wasn't even using the mind-link, but I could still feel it." She felt added moisture on her left arm as she realized that the Djinni was crying. Mia hadn't even bee aware that Djinni could cry.
Whimper? Yes. Complain? All the time. Argue? Constantly. But never cry. If Piers had made Spring so worried that she would start…
"He was banished, Spring." Mia said softly, she felt Spring freeze in her arms. "That letter was from the Senate," She continued "Conservato received enough support from the rest of the Senate that he was able to pressure Hydros into signing it."
"Hydros he? But-but, Mia… Wha—NO!" Spring shouted suddenly. Wrestling free of Mia's grasp Spring started running around shouting, the fist-sized blue creature literally bouncing herself against the cavern walls.
"He's the one who sent Piers out in the first place!" She cried, "How could he betray Piers like that? Piers followed Hydros' orders! It's not fair that they do that! They can't do that!" Spring stopped and turned on the Adept.
"You're lying!" She accused, Mia balked at the accusation. The Djinni had gone from sad and disbelieving, to volatile and angry. "Hydros wouldn't let that happen! I know for a fact that he wouldn't do that! You can't tell me that! I-I, I just know… I mean… He wouldn't… He… No…"
"He did, Spring."
Mia gave a start, glancing over her shoulder she saw Piers standing just a ways off, walking slowly towards them both. Spring leapt up and cannoned into him, still crying.
"No…" The Djinni sobbed into Piers' shoulder. The Mercury-Adept reached up and rubbed the spirit's back, Mia felt a stab of guilt at the sadness reflected in his eyes. Standing up, Mia made her way over to him.
"I'm so sorry, Piers…" She murmured. He gazed down at her and nodded. Placing one hand on his arm, Mia offered up the bundle of letters. Piers just looked at them as Spring melded into his shoulder, Setting herself instantly.
"It's letters from people inside the city." She said softly. "The men at the gate asked me to deliver them to you. Some are from your uncle and Hydros." She added.
With both hands now free, Piers took the bundle and looked over it. The corners of his mouth pulled up slightly, a small, sad smile.
"Thank you, Mia…" He said softly then, glancing around her said. "I ought to head back to the ship, I'm sure you want to go back inside and see the city." Mia felt a flash of guilt at the way he said it, his tone failing to mask the longing in his voice.
"No," She said, shaking her head. "I got a good look around, I don't really want to go back in." Piers smiled slightly as they started walking, side by side, down the passage.
"That's a lie and we both know it." He said, that sad smile still hanging there. "You shouldn't miss out on this." He continued. Mia shook her head again.
"I'm not going back in, and there's nothing you can say that will make me" She said sternly.
"Mia."
"Piers." She mimicked. "Don't you see that I can be just as stubborn as Jenna?" She stopped and planted her hands on her hips. But her expression was still soft. They stopped walking for a moment with her standing like that, but then they began to walk again.
"I know you may need some time to yourself," She continued before an uncomfortable silence could sneak up on them, "But right now, with you injured, is that such a wise choice?" She asked. Piers seemed to mull over this a moment. Taking a step closer, Mia reached out and touched her friend's hand.
"I'm worried." She said. "You lost your mother not to long ago, and now you can't even go back and see her grave." Piers looked down to meet her eyes.
"Mia, I've gotten over my mother's death." He said, almost casually. "I've mourned and now I've--."
"Don't lie to me." She said sharply, cutting him off. She stared straight up into his golden eyes.
"Mia, I'm not lying, I've moved on." He said, turning away, he started walking again.
"Do you think I can't tell?" She asked him, walking quickly to catch up with him "I've seen what death can do to a family Piers. It's my job, I can't be a healer unless I know what I'm trying to prevent." She said flinching at the sound of her own voice as it echoed through the caves. Piers just seemed to ignore her as he shook his head.
"I know you still weep." She said simply. Piers stopped dead and turned to face her. She could tell he half expected her to be smiling triumphantly, but her expression was pained.
"You wept just this morning, before I came in and looked over you." Mia continued. "You thought of your mother and you wept. I don't call that a reaction of some one who has moved on."
"What? How did you?" He couldn't even finish the question, his tongue just wouldn't form the rest of the words.
"Shade couldn't keep her mouth shut to save her life, Piers. You know that." Mia said softly, her face still blank. Piers lowered his eyes as she walked up to him again. Now was not the time to be badgering him, and she felt awful for bringing his mother up. But she'd been noticing things that were making her worried, and his banishment could only make things worse for him.
"Piers, when she died you had to be strong in order to complete our quest and save Weyard." Placing a hand on his cheek, she made the Lemurian meet her eyes.
"But now that that's done and over with, you have to mourn her properly and really let go." She said. "You have to let go eventually or it'll tear you apart inside." She felt him tense up for a moment and she removed her hand. Piers just looked down at her, and odd look in his eyes.
"We have to get back to the ship." He said hoarsely, urgency seeping into his eyes as Mia just looked up at him, a little surprised.
"Why? Is something wrong?" She asked; Mia took a hesitant step back as she looked him up and down quickly. Her eyes froze on the dark patch spreading rapidly over his stomach. Piers wiped away a small trickle of blood that seeped past his lips.
"Yes, very wrong."
