Chapter 16 :: The Sun Goddess Appears
--------------------------------------------------"Mithos and the others already left?" Martel asked earlier that morning. Finishing a breakfast fit for a king, Martel, Yuan, and Solstice set out from Sirius' village into the jungles.
"It was Lady Enigma's idea. They wanted to get a head start since they have quite a ways to fly," Yuan said.
"In that case, so should we. It will be well into the afternoon before we reach the lake where the unicorn lives," Solstice said. His long beard was all tangled up from the night's sleep. "Yuan, what on Aselia are you wearing atop your head?"
"Oh, it's a hat that Sirius says keeps bugs out. I got one for you, Martel," Yuan said, giving Martel a straw hat with a net beneath it that prevented insects from passing through. "You need one, Solstice?"
"I'll pass," Solstice replied, for the prospect of wearing a goofy hat did not sit well with him. Rain had passed through the jungle overnight, so the ground sloshed with mud as they proceeded into the underbrush.
"You sure you don't need a bug hat?" Yuan asked. Mosquitoes buzzed around them, biting into any skin exposed. Yuan's cloak and Solstice's robes kept the insects from biting; however, Martel got a few bites on her arms. Irritated by the abundance of insects, Solstice stopped by a tree and pulled down a few gourds, which he broke open and poured their juices into one of his canteens of water.
"Solstice, you'll need that water for our walk," Martel said worriedly.
"As a dragon, I can survive without water, but not with these insects flying around," Solstice replied. Combining the juices with the water, Solstice added a pinch of powdered cinnamon into the solution.
"You aren't starting a perfume business are you?" asked Yuan, smelling a pleasant aroma from Solstice's potion.
"Are you always like this when Alice isn't around?" Solstice replied, annoyed at Yuan's talkativeness. He rubbed some of the potion on his arms and legs and then handed it to Martel. "It will help with the itching and keeps the gnats away."
"Thanks, Solstice," Martel replied, using it and then passing it onto Yuan. He reluctantly accepted, but soon found out that it worked very well. The two bites he had on his hand instantly stopped itching.
"Let's go. Martel and Lady Enigma aren't going to get any better if we stay here," Yuan said. A little before noon, they arrived at a waterfall in the middle of the jungle where crystal clear water cascaded from a cliff into a slow moving river. "Martel, do you need to rest?"
"All right. I think we should have some lunch anyway," Martel replied.
"Solstice, where are you going?" asked Yuan. Solstice turned to the forest, taking his bag with him.
"I know a friend that lives around here, an old acquaintance from before the Eternal War," Solstice replied. "I trust you two will be safe here."
"Please be careful, Solstice," Martel said. "I'll save some food for you."
"It's hard to believe that these places still exist in this world," Yuan remarked, filling his bottle with fresh water from the river.
"When Mithos was still a child training with Kratos, I would bring him to the waterfall near the temple to play my flute. It always seemed to cheer him up, since we were always short on food and had to hide every time soldiers from either side came." Martel said. "Yuan, how did you come about to be Alice's right hand man?"
"It's a long story, actually. I was born into a wealthy family in Meltokio, a nobleman who fell in love with an elven songstress. Then, I began studying magic and the 'dark arts.' When my family learned of this, they notified Lord Procyon's Black Phoenix Knights, merciless slayers of half-elves," Yuan narrated. "They were about to execute me, but miraculously Lady Enigma and her ghosts heard about my dark magic abilities and rescued me. If it had not been for them, my part in this tale would have ended right there."
"How cruel this world is..."
"Martel, what do you wish to do when all of this ends?"
"Maybe, when the world learns to accept all kinds of people, elves, half-elves, and humans, I will be able to rest. Until then, I am but a simple cleric and healer. Sometimes, our struggle seems hopeless."
Yuan sat down next to Martel.
"I'll be beside you ever step of the way... no matter what happens. That's a promise I intend to keep."
"Thank you... Yuan."
"Do you see now that these children are the seeds of the future, Amaterasu?" Solstice said. He appeared with a woman wearing a floral print kimono. Her long black hair reached down to the ground, whilst she cooled herself with a broad wooden fan. Gently smiling, Amaterasu radiated with a warm glow.