Chapter 7
As the Darkness Comes
Mia adjusted the cloak around her shoulders as they walked side-by-side through the caverns, the tranquil silence only broken by the constant dripping of water, and the distant crash of the waves against the Island's Western side.
Neither one spoke, but Mia was fine with the easy silence between them, it wasn't strained or uncomfortable. If not for the waves that were making a considerable amount of noise, she would have been completely at ease. Piers seemed to notice how she tensed up whenever the crashes echoed in the small space.
"You needn't worry about the waves." He said with a small teasing smile, his words breaking the silence as his voice echoed gently off the walls. Mia looked over at him and darkened slightly. Piers pointed off down into the shadows to the left of them,
"The part of the island on this side breaks off into a steep rock-face on the outside. Its solid bed-rock but for the part where Ancient Lemuria stands, there the rock has been worn away so the sound comes through much clearer. That cave right there leads to the old part of the city, so we can here the crashes." Mia tilted her head to one side, unable to see any opening in the rock wall where he was pointing because of the shadows.
"Huh," She said with an amused smile, "I hate how you know your way around so well. Not fair for me to have to be the one who proves that not all Mercury-Adepts can navigate these caves." Piers chuckled slightly as they kept walking,
"So how come Felix and the others never mentioned the noise any other time when they described Lemuria?" She asked him, the silence had been nice, but she was glad to have a chance to talk to him.
"They came here in Spring and Summer," He replied, "From Autumn through to Winter the Sea of Time becomes a bit more violent, and that side of the island gets bombarded by more powerful waves."
"That's nice to know." She said, "Is that why no one lives down in Ancient Lemuria anymore?" she asked, Piers looked puzzled for a moment before smiling slightly.
"Probably," He said "Half the time it's too loud to here yourself think if you go inside the buildings, and at night you can't sleep unless someone hits you with a rock." Both laughed and continued on.
The conversation strayed to a bunch of different topic, Piers told her about the different things happening in the festival in the city, customs and events that would take place. They talked about their friends and the Djinn, finally, Piers turned around and started asking her questions.
"I've answered plenty of yours," He said cheerfully, "Now I want to ask you what you're going to do, now that everything's said and done with the Lighthouses." Mia bit her lip as she thought. They'd stopped for a short rest near one of the many streams they'd encountered. Spring and Mist had accompanied them, and the two Djinn were a ways off squirting water at each other.
"Well," She said looking away, "I haven't given it much thought really, a bit in the months since the lighthouses were fired, but not much." She glanced back at him, "First of all I want to help you through this in anyway I can. I know that's high on everyone's list at the moment." Piers smiled a bit,
"Well, in reality, I think there's only one person who can be the most help with this." He said; Piers glanced away as Mia turned to face him fully.
"What do you mean?" She asked, Piers took a deep breath as if to steel himself.
"Hydros didn't explain the Bond yet, did he?" Piers asked. Mia shook her head; the Mariner leaned forwards to look at his feet and let out a sigh.
"I need the name of one person I trust the most on the Bond, in order to live through whatever it is that's coming." He said, not meeting her eyes. "That person has to be strong enough to keep me alive through that, 'Sleep of Pain, or whatever it is. My uncle put it as, 'An anchor on reality' something to keep me together." Mia swallowed slightly, her mouth was suddenly dry.
"Well," she said hoarsely, "I suppose Lunpa really doesn't like to exaggerate. He said that without the Bond you'd die, I suppose needing something to help you discern reality, well..." Piers nodded solemnly, looking at nothing in particular. "H-have you chosen yet?" She asked, Piers laughed bitterly,
"My uncle is constantly asking me that same thing." He said bitterly "I have no idea who to choose, Mia. My uncle would be the most likely choice, but he smothered the idea in an instant, Lunpa and Hydros as well." Mia let her confusion show on her face as he spoke, Piers noticed this and explained.
"Apparently, if it's kin then it won't work, it's too painful on both sides. There's some kind of mind-link involved that puts to much strain on both ends. And Djinn won't work, need someone human."
"Oh…" Mi mumbled, "I take it the fact that Lunpa and Hydros both hold high positions puts them out of the picture as well."
"Yes, and the fact that it leaves eight people to choose from isn't all that great either." He said dryly. "Kraden's out because he's too old, apparently this isn't a nice experience, and I don't want to put him through it. Sheba and Ivan aren't options because they're the youngest and I won't burden them with this." Mia nodded in understanding
"Five left, what's your take on everyone else?" She asked, Piers let out another breath, leaning back on his elbows on the rock they both sat on.
"Felix would be my best choice." He said after a few moments, "he's the strongest among us, emotionally and physically,"
"But," Mia said, Piers shrugged, "you feel he's been through enough what with living in Prox, the Lighthouses, and having his parents turned into the Doom Dragon by the Wise One. Same things go for Jenna and Isaac. Am I right?" She asked, Piers smiled sheepishly and nodded.
"And I don't get along with Garet as well as I could." He finished, grinning as she glared at him, "At least I care about my friends." He said in his defense as Mia swatted at him,
"Frankly, I think they'd all want to knock some sense into you if you said that to them!" she berated, crossing her arms as he laughed a bit more.
"What about me?" She asked him, Piers blinked a few times at the question, so she had to ask again "What. About. Me?" Mia repeated, poking his arm with each word, Piers shrugged.
"I don't know." He replied, "And it's not a lack of trust if that's what you're thinking." He said quickly, Mia glanced at him for a moment. Piers seemed a lot more jumpy all of the sudden.
"Hey! Watch out!" Spring cried out suddenly. Surprised, both Adepts turned around to look at them. In the shadows Mia could hardly see whatever it was that had gotten the attention of the Djinn. Eyes searching fruitlessly through the inky darkness, but at the sharp metallic clink that echoed through the caves, her eyes shot towards a small sphere bouncing towards them.
Everything seemed to slow down for Mia as the sphere knocked into another large rock on the cavern floor. Florescent light blinding her momentarily as the air was instantly filled with thick smoke.
Her first thoughts were of a sleep bomb, but as the mist surrounded her, her skin felt enflamed and she fell to her knees choking. The mist burned her where ever her skin was exposed. She opened her mouth to scream, but billowing clouds forced down any sound she tried to make as thick tendrils slid down her throat to tear at her lungs. Tears spilt from her eyes as they tried to wash out the burning smoke, but as she shut her eyes tight to keep more of it from attacking her, it seeped under her eyelids and only caused more burning pain.
Disoriented, Mia shook as she tried to crawl away from the burning mist, but as soon as she started moving; something grabbed the back of her cloak and pulled her to her feet. Whoever it was pushed her roughly in one direction and she stumbled before slamming into the rock she and Piers had been sitting on. Frightened, Mia opened her eyes again. The mist seemed to be retreating, but though the burning didn't increase, she was unable to see anything more than faint shadows amidst a blurry grey.
Mia gripped the smooth rock tightly as she tried to wipe her eyes, but that same person, or another, she couldn't tell, came up behind her and grabbed her neck. Forcing her head back, Mia felt something cold being poured down her throat. She coughed and tried to spit it back up, but whoever was holding the container only tried to jam the whole bottle down.
"Mia, don't!" Piers shouted his voice sounding distorted for some reason. Mia thought she heard something like a person being hit, and then a loud crash as if something heavy had been thrown to the ground. Mia wasn't sure; all she wanted was to get away, as far away as she could, as fast as she could.
The icy liquid seemed to turn to fire as she was forced to swallow, burning worse than the mist that still hung lightly in the air. Her throat burned as the bottle was taken away and Mia was thrown down. Her limbs were on fire and she couldn't make a sound, her head now felt like it was about to explode, every part of her screaming in agony.
Mia tried to scream over and over, but only fleeting whimper ever made it past her lips. Something echoed in the cavern, Mia was blind to whatever it was though, unable to form a coherent thought past her own pain. A few words made it through though, "Weak" and "Easy" were not hard to pick out.
Dimly then, just before Mia's dark world was thrust into sleep, she felt herself being picked up, and carried away.
