Iea

IV : Wild

Stepping into the morning light, Nia made sure her brother had exited the passage before pushing the door back shut, to prevent anyone from following them. Namely, she was worried that the mysterious woman from before would be stalking them.

"We're on a balcony.'

"Hm?" Nia looked back at Ain, then glanced around, "Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"The waves... the seawater... the breeze."

"Ah." Nia paused, closing her eyes. Listening to the noises and smelling the wafting breeze, she knew instantly how he could tell. "You're right, you're getting good at that!"

"Not really..."

"Oh, don't be an old poop about it." Nia walked, brother in hand, to the edge of the balcony, staring down. An old metal ladder led down to a railway, suspended around the walls. "Hey, I found our next destination."

"Where?"

"Down. We've got to use a ladder."

"But..." A faint whine mingled in the breeze, "I can't..."

"Oh, forget you can't see and hold the whine." Nia led him to the ladder, then helped him get positioned. After he was steadily standing on the ladder, the girl carefully slid around behind him, standing on the rung below. Holding the sides, she made somewhat of a basket around him, assuring the fact that she would not let him fall.

Slowly they scaled down the ladder, one step at a time. Reaching the bottom rung, Nia jumped off, and then lifted Ain onto the track. Uselessly brushing at her damp clothes, she gazed around before taking his hand.

"We need to be V-E-R-Y careful. We're on some tracks, which means there's gaps."

"Could you...?"

"Huh?"

"...carry me?" Ain shifted slightly.

"I suppose..." Walking to him, she turned around, and then hauled him onto her back. After getting him situated, she began slowly walking across the tracks. "This okay?"

"Yeah..."

"Goodness gracious, you've gotten heavier..."

"Sorry..."

"I told you before, that's a good thing, you nutcase."

"Sorry..."

They continued around a wide curve until a strange cart was seen. It stood on the tracks, awaiting a rider. Hauling Ain to it, she rested the boy upon it, gazing over the strange vehicle.

"Sis, what is it?" He was busily running his hands across the chilled metal.

"Looks like a cart or something." Climbing up behind the boy, Nia pulled Ain into the center of the vehicle and then walked to the lever at the head. "I wonder if it works."

Lightly pulling on the switch, the cart slowly began moving back.

"M...moving..."

"Don't worry, I'm doing that. Hang onto my leg if you're scared, because I'm going to go a bit faster." Upon feeling her ankle taken into a hug, she pushed the lever ahead, the cart suddenly speeding off extremely smoothly. Cold wind burst across their faces as they whipped around the curve.

"Aren't we going a bit fast?"

"..." Silent, Nia kept her eyes fixed on the path ahead. Rounding the curve, and zooming past a section of wall, the girl suddenly found herself above open seas. The suspended railway gave ample view of the angry waters below, a somewhat scary sight.

Somewhat distracted, she failed to notice the path until taking another look ahead. Letting out a loud gasp, she tensed up, then dropped onto the platform.

"Sis, what is it?"

"Holy apricots..."

Even though she had released the lever, the cart continued to slide to the edge of a large dip. For a minute, it seemed to slow down enough, but gravity took hold and the trolley launched itself down the steep indent. Both kids were clinging to each other, shrieking something terrible, as they nose-dived right for the waters.

"The track leads right into the sea!!" Nia's eyes became two blue dots, watching the water's surface race closer and closer. Still clinging to her brother, she flinched when they were to hit the water.

Feeling herself still dropping, but never falling through the surface of water, the girl slowly opened her eyes. Looking around, she gasped to see the ocean's water rushing around them... it was like they were trapped in a bubble of air.

"W...where's the water?" Ain had a deathlock on Nia's arm, "The sploosh?"

"We're... in a tunnel!" Nia soon realized the track was entirely enclosed in clear glass, watching the gray-blue waters rush past. "Its actually kind've cool!"

Going into a sharp curve, they were suddenly brought back into the lower level of the castle, running in a back room covered in railway. It appeared to have once been the first place carved out, since even though the cavern was scraped out, long rock points seemed to melt off the ceiling. Below the track was darkness, and the sound of frothing waters.

"Where are we?" Ain loosened his grip as the cart slowed down.

"Under the castle." Standing back up, she pushed the lever ahead, continuing the smooth ride. "I'm watching the track a little better this time."

Heading across the track, Nia caught something glowing out of the corner of her eye. Looking back momentarily, she found several dark shadows were coming from the walls. "Well, poop."

"What?"

"Hold on." Shoving the lever ahead, they suddenly shot off at the highest speed possible, just as the dark shadows had taken to the air. Pulling the frying pan out of the makeshift pocket on her canvas skirt, Nia slowly turned around, and pulled Ain closer to the head of the trolley. Watching the monsters come close, she suddenly swung the pan and hit one- it lost its balance and fell down into the depths of the cavern with a splash.

Both kids suddenly fell onto their sides as they rounded a curve, the shadows suddenly catching up. One of the winged beasts suddenly grabbed Ain off the trolley midair, pulling back as the vehicle continued around the curve.

"Hey!"

"BIG SIS!" The shout echoed across the walls.

Nia, in panic, looked around- spontaneously, she threw herself directly at one of the shadows, expecting it to want to take her, as well. Wincing upon impact, Nia soon felt herself falling above the creature. Both tumbled through the air, down into the darkness, disappearing with a sickening, cold splash.

Meanwhile, the winged captor was busily flying to the shadow from which it originated. Getting it within its sights, the creature made a quick beeline to the wall. Ain was, of course, kicking and screaming- feeling his feet suddenly sink into what felt like ice water, he doubled his volume.

Nia had landed into a sea of pure shadow- waves of ice splashed up around her, as she frantically looked for a way to find her brother. She also had found that the dark mists of the shadow which had brought her into the pool in the first place had somewhat melded with her body, unwilling to wash off.

Inhaling large amounts of the dark miasma, the girl felt like she was dying. Slowly slipping into the black water, she scolded herself mentally for leaving her brother. Free-floating in the darkness, she voiced one thought: "If only I could fly."

Halfway in the hole and halfway out, Ain was trying his best to free himself from the strong pull. Hands slipping against wet rocks around him, it seemed hopeless to even dream of escape. Soon, though, he felt some thick liquid drop down and ooze around off his neck.

"What the heck?? Ugh- I've got to get out!" Wriggling with vigor, the boy tried his hardest to grab a rock- or anything- around him.

Above, a shadow had spread open, and a dark figure slowly wandered out of the dripping darkness. It landed on a rock below, shaking off the excess miasma off its wings. Unlike the other foes, the shadow looked not unlike a young, female child, complete with a set of horns and Nia's long bangs.

Taking into the air with a leap, the creature made a graceful U-curve and nearly hit the wall of the cavern- still flying, it braced one talon against the rocks, using the other to grasp around Ain.

"No, you can't push me in! I have to find my sister!" Ain wailed at the top of his lungs, "Please, you must let me go!"

Talons gripping tighter, the demonic shadow suddenly pushed off the wall with a great flap. With a loud 'spurt', it had pulled Ain out entirely, catching his legs in it's other talon. Turning around midair, the shadow quickly dived beneath the other flying foes.

"I'm going to die..." Slowly going limp in the tight claws, Ain finally decided it was high-time to give up to fate. "...might as well make the most of it."

Following the tracks, the creature came upon the cart, and landed on it with one foot. Still holding onto Ain with the other talon, it pushed it's head against the lever, causing the trolley to start moving. As it did, the shadow gently placed the boy into the center, then took off with a backwards flap.

"Huh?" Lying across the trolley, Ain felt the humid air rush around him. "It... let me go."

He could soon hear approaching wings, fearing his capture was again coming. "Help!"

The female shadow from before stopped before diving into a hole- instead, it threw itself off the wall, flying straight for the trolley. The other shadows were closing onto it, all reaching for the boy. With a spurt of speed, the female landed quickly on the trolley's lever, causing it to shoot off at the highest speed. Keeping one wing curled around Ain to prevent his falling, the shadow kept the lever pressed, staring with two glowing eyes at the disappearing foes.

"Y...you helped me..."

The creature momentarily looked down at the boy, then looked back up, to make sure nothing was following. Suspicions confirmed, it let off a great flap, causing the trolley to gain a boost of speed. It let go of the lever, and stood entirely on the vehicle, fanning it's wings out around the boy like welcoming arms. Slowly, the cart came to a halt before a wooden platform, the shadow taking the boy into it's arms. Stepping off the trolley, it walked him to the center of the platform.

"W...why did you help... help me?"

"Ti'vante ecoule tru'reive... Seisu unne de'toile, en cathe." The voice came out in a harsh whisper. "NAVOUSS de'toile."

"...I don't... understand..."

The shadow suddenly collapsed into a splash, the black substance melting out. Out of it, a pitch-black Nia crawled, standing up. Wiping the stuff off her face, she turned and faced her brother. "Ain?"

"N..Nia!" Lurching forward, Ain wrapped his arms around her wet skin, "I was s-so scared... t..they... y-y-y-you... a shadow..."

"Shh. Calm down." Hugging him back, the girl rested her forehead against his own. "Talk AFTER you're calm."

In the darkness, the two stood silent, locked in a warm embrace; the dark puddle on the floor slowly evaporated, leaving them entirely alone in the dripping caverns.