There is a quote from the movie 'Men With Brooms' in this chapter. I don't own that movie, or Curling for that matter, and certainly not Golden Sun. Golden Sun belongs to Camelot, 'Men With Brooms' is some one else's.
Chapter 8
Creeping so Slowly
Felix straightened from where he had just finished hammering in the last few nails in the cabin's outer paneling. It had taken over three hours, but the Lemurian workmen had insisted that they replace almost everything on the ship, and the battered, blood-stained, broken outer wall had been high on there list of non-crucial repairs.
'Took long enough,' He thought, trying, and failing to get up, 'Now let's see if I can stand.' Wiping his forehead with the back of his gloveless hand, Felix smiled as Jenna came out and walked over with a warm drink.
"Thanks," He said with a grateful smile, he might be tired and a bit sweaty from working all day, but it was still too icy in the caverns for him to feel his fingers. Jenna smiled and crouched down next to her brother.
"Sheba and Kraden are cooking supper," She said, "Most of the workmen have already gone for the day, but some are inside warming up by the fire, you should come in to, you're icy."
"All right, Mother" Felix said sarcastically, smiling as Jenna smacked his arm. "We don't have a fire-pit though." He pointed out; his sister just looked in another direction.
"Jenna" He said in a warning tone,
"What? It's not that big…" She protested,
"It's not the size of the army that matters, but the furry of its onslaught." Felix quoted, grimacing; he managed to get to his feet at last. "Kraden's cooking? Dear Gods." Jenna laughed a bit as they stood there a while more, Jenna looking around the deck,
"Looks a lot better than this morning," She commented, "Hydros and Lunpa ought to be arriving soon." Felix nodded, then remembered something,
"Have Mia or Piers come back yet?" He asked, Jenna looked at him and bit her cheek,
"No," She said, "I haven't seen them since they went for a walk together earlier." Jenna looked over his shoulder and her eyes widened,
"Felix…" She said urgently. Confused, the Venus-Adept turned around,
"Oh sh—"
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Marius had lived a long life in Lemuria, he had supported Piers against Conservato, like all of the other workmen currently helping to repair his ship. Yes, Marius had lived a long and quaint life inside the Ancient city of Lemuria, where nothing un-expected ever happened.
Holding the thick clay mug in both hands, he and his comrades, as well as the outsiders who traveled with Piers, were all becoming rather nervous at the noises and fumes being given off by the pot the elderly man was pouring ingredients into.
"We don't have to, eat, that do we?" Allan whispered, the young Mars-Adept had had the right idea in leaving to give her brother a drink,
"I don't think so, but they might." Joseph replied. Yes, other than this first encounter with the elderly man's 'Stew', Marius had never had anything out of the ordinary occur in his life.
Well… Not until two screaming Venus-Djinn smashed through the newly repaired wall, collided with the big iron pot that was now over-flowing with green guck. The pot fell on top of two rudely awakened, and still disoriented Jupiter-Djinn. And then the two surprised Djinn summoned winds to free themselves, coating the whole room with green mush.
Yes, other then that, nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.
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Felix lay on the ships deck panting as Jenna started trying to get him up. No two sentences from his sister making sense among the whirl-wind of activity the two Mercury-Djinn had created inside his mind.
'Where on Weyard did you two come from?!' Flower shrieked in his skull,
'You blasted Iron and Echo right outta here! Look at the wall Felix just finished!' Mud yelled, hysterical.
Meld and the other Djinn seemed too stunned to add in there comments. Felix tried to get his head in order, that being made especially difficult by the fear and confusion pouring through the Djinn Mind-Link.
"Spring, Mist…" He said hoarsely, "Calm down…" Jenna muttered something as the others made there way out on deck, Isaac holding Echo and Iron, Ivan and Sheba trying desperately to keep Squall and Blitz from attacking Felix. The Venus-Adept's eyes went wide as the two listened and spoke clearer.
Kraden came out talking with some of the remaining workmen, saying that they'd best go home and that they'd be ready for them the next morning.
"Yes," one workman was saying, "We'll be here bright and early to repair the wall… Again…" Nodding, the workmen, still covered in Kraden's concoction, walked off the ship and down the docks back to the city.
"Doesn't taste that bad, actually..." One commented as they faded into the dank shadows. After the adepts were sure the men had left, Spring and Mist detached themselves from Felix. The two looked around wide-eyed and shaking as the rest of Mia and Piers' Djinn came out as well. Felix just stared at the two taken aback
"Now tell them everything you just told me." He said.
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Mia couldn't move. She couldn't think past much more than the fact that she could not move. Her head was still pounding viscously and when she opened her eyes they refused to focus. They were still in the caves, she could tell that from the lack of light and how she could feel the earth all around them. She was on her side; a rough mat was beneath her. But even though she felt nothing holding her back, her limbs refused to budge.
'What did they give me?' She thought wearily, her mind too muddled to think clearly. She was sweating yet freezing at the same time, it was hard too breathe. 'Oh gods, I have a fever… What's wrong with me?' Closing her eyes as things seemed to shift, Mia heard someone talking nearby. Not to her, but still talking.
'Two, there are two people talking… And… Arguing about something…' There was a loud bang, like someone slamming their palm on a table. The Mercury-Adept cringed slightly as the sound was amplified and struck her like a blow. A small whimper escaped her lips, that too echoing in her ears.
"You can't do that!" Someone hissed, Mia didn't recognize the voice, the words grating against her as she forced her eyes open again. Tears sprang up in another attempt to wash away whatever it was that was blinding her.
It seemed to work better this time; Mia was able to see the re-assuring glow of a candle nearby. Not the candle it's self, but the soft sphere of light given off by the tiny flame. She was also able to make out a table top, she was on the floor, but was still able to make out the sharp corner of the thick desk. Mia was also able to make out the silhouette of someone standing on the side nearest her; that was the person who had hit the table.
"Would you rather she just die then?" The second voice sounded the same, but the way the words seemed clipped at the ends told Mia it was someone else. The owner of the second voice reached out and picked something up, and she saw the figure holding whatever it was up for the first to see. Mia thought it looked like a bottle, something giving off and eerie blue light trapped inside.
"It's all so easy to save her, you know." The second figure continued, Mia forced herself to memorize the tone used, she may not be able to distinguish the voices, but she knew she'd have to identify the person sooner or later. "If you refuse to answer, I have no qualms about letting her suffer and die. I never knew you had such a cold streak in you, Piers."
Mia saw the one closest to her tense up slightly. Piers, she was sure it was he, leaned forwards as if to loom over whomever it was who had brought them both here.
"Let them go." He said simply, Mia still wasn't able to recognize his voice, but she still sensed the tension in his words. "Let them all go. Let them out of Lemuria, out of the Sea of Time. If any of your men so much as touch one of them, it's all off." Piers finished. Mia felt confused at what he was saying; he wasn't including himself in whatever deal he was making.
A wave of nausea hit her as she tried to focus her eyes again. She let out a small whimper as she shut her eyes, praying for the pain that engulfed her senses to abate. Mia heard Piers and whomever it was he was talking to say a few more things; Piers shouted something and the other man grew angry. None of the words made sense to her though, the harshness of their voices sending her to her limit.
"Alright." She heard at last, the talking stopped, and though she didn't open her eyes again, she heard the second man mutter something that sounded like 'Out'. Quickly Mia heard a few sets of boots scrapping along the ground as other men she hadn't even known were in the room left.
Mia, thinking she was alone, tried once again to move. Fear bubbled up inside as, instead of finding it at all easier to raise her arm or even role over, it felt as if she were entombed in ice, unable to move or even breathe. Her heart stared pounding in her ears at the thought, tears, not just to wash away her blindness, but of fear pricked her eyes, she couldn't even weep, Mia couldn't make any sound.
Her fear spiked again as she heard movement near her head, she heard something being picked up off the table as well as the soft crunch of the gravel under heavy boots. Mia squeezed her eyes shut, 'He wouldn't leave me like that,' She thought franticly, 'Piers isn't like that, he wouldn't—' Mia's thoughts came to a halt as she felt a warm hand on her cheek, as whoever it was wiped away the tears staining her face.
"Mia," Piers said softly, it reminded Mia of when she'd woken up after the storm and the others had all been asleep. "Mia, it's alright now. You're safe." He whispered; Mia felt his arms slip under her and lift her up against his chest. If she had been able to move at all she probably would have buried her face against him, but she was still hopelessly paralyzed.
Mia realized she was shaking uncontrollably as Piers stroked her back re-assuring. She felt surprised as the cool lip of another bottle was pressed gently to her lips, and something cold, but not icy, slipped into her mouth. The odd coppery taste reminded her dimly of one of her own remedies, but the thought faded as Piers spoke again.
"Don't worry, Mia," He said softly, "this will help wash the poison away. I need you to do something for me. You have to listen closely." Mia opened her eyes and was able to see the bright blue of his blazer. The liquid he was giving her, like the one that had burned before, grew warm as she swallowed, but it seemed to push away the pain and restore some of her energy. Not enough to move, but once he took the vial away she was able to move her head against him and nod slightly for him to continue. Piers swallowed as he rocked her back and forth. The odd copper taste still lingering in her mouth.
"I-I need you to go back to the others, tell… Tell Felix to bring the Trident to Ancient Lemuria and throw it into the waters near the submerged fountain…" Mia's brow furrowed, his voice was still distorted to her ears, only just regaining it's normal sound, but she was still able to hear the worry and regret seeping into his words as he spoke.
"Tell him to leave the Trident there, as soon as the ship is repaired." He continued he sounded slightly chocked as she managed to slip her fingers in between his, "And then…I want all eight of you to get on the ship, and leave." Mia froze as he said it, her eyes wide as she tried to shake her head.
'What about you?' She thought confused; her voice still lost to her, 'We can't just leave you here! You said it yourself you need us to help you! You--We can't— No…' her thoughts scattered as she forced herself to shake her head, heedless of the nausea that hit her with the action.
'NO.' she thought stubbornly, 'You're one of us, we won't leave you here behind. You're our friend, Piers, you can't make us go. You can't… What will happen to you if those you trust in the city can't help you through this? What will happen?' She wanted desperately to ask him, maybe to yell at him as well, but no matter how much she tried, she just couldn't form the words…
"Mia," He said softly. She was able to look up slightly and make out the lines of his face. That was all there was for her though, his golden eyes were blurred to her, and she could barely make out the regret etched into the lines of his face.
"Mia, please," He whispered, she felt his hand stroking her cheek again, as soft as his words, "I know it's hard, and that none of you will agree, but…" He stopped again, Mia blinked away the rapidly forming tears, "But you have to leave the island, forever. Don't come back, forget I even exist. There isn't any way out of this, please, I know you can't understand, but I know what is going to happen. And I know that I can't stop it…"
'No, you're one of my closest friends… No…' Mia pressed her face against the soft fabric of his vest, tears spilling over as she sobbed, still silently, into his chest. 'I can't talk to any of the others like I can you, Piers. I won't be able to forget you, none of the others will let it happen either…' Piers placed a soft kiss on her head, holding her close as he rocked her back and forth still.
"Things would have been like this anyways, Mia," He said hoarsely, and for some reason, Mia began to feel sleep coming over her, though she fought it as hard as she could. "They had the Bond this whole time, waiting, there's no way I could have gotten one of you to sign it."
He'd drugged the antidote. The knowledge stung but made sense, the same herbs she used to put them all to sleep had been mixed in. Mia summoned up her strength against the darkness that threatened to over-come her, tears still streaming down her face as she tried to shake her head again.
"Mia, I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do…" Piers said softly, sounding for all-the world like he wanted nothing more than to deny everything he'd just told her. "Tell Felix to take the Trident and throw it into the waters in Ancient Lemuria, then all of you get aboard the ship and leave. Leave, get on with your lives, forget…"
Mia looked up into his eyes again, her body felt cold as the drugs stole her away. The last things she saw were his Golden eyes touched with guilt and sorrow.
"Forget me…" He whispered, as her sight was lost again to shadows.
'I can't…'
