Heidy ho. It's me, SirGecko, back to annoy all who wish for me to annoy them. Actually, I'm just bearing chapter 4. And I did keep my promise, didn't I? I said that updates would be sparse. Hey. So what if it's not a good promise? I still kept it.
God dammit! FanFiction.net didn't upload the corrections to chapter two that NintendoGamer requested. I will try again, but I can't control the spasms of FF.net. So be patient.
So now, the review responses. Twelve of them! Wow.
RalKirGard: Well, you're a new face around here. Welcome! Anyway, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but Alex is not in this story. However, if it makes you feel any better, Mia, as always, plays a primary role in this story. Hope that was of some comfort. Stick around!
khmerboi919: Thank you very much. And as for the last part of the story, you'll just have to find out yourself. ^_^. And Sheba . . . I haven't really decided on her yet. She might start leaning towards Felix . . .
NintendoGamer: You're right about that. I did like the power I gave her though too. She was probably bored enough in Lalivero to research it that thoroughly. Sort of my small-town knowledge, seeing as I live in one . . . ^_^. And ten Adepts? Who were the other four?
QueenDragonGoddess: Thank you much. And yes. I need to keep you readers updated on what's going on in Weyard. Things are gonna get real ugly, real fast.
Great Saiyaman: Yes, thank you. Well, it's about damn time someone put a twist to a main character like the Wise One. Keep an eye out for stuff in this chapter. I put a little scene in here you might like.
moon man: that's okay. I'm insane too.
Ssonic: Well . . . whether they'll even get back is the question. Oops . . . I never said that.
0==l=R=a=g=n=a=r=o=k=: Welcome back, old friend! I was wondering where you had gone. Did you finisk reading my first story? . . . Anyway, I'm glad you like the change. And you know, I came up with that Jupiter technique, and everything about it, on the spot. Kinda shows, doesn't it? And you don't live in America? Where do you live?
Anime-Master7: Thank you. It is getting interesting, and it will get more interesting.
TankMasterG: I know, I know. Sorry. But what do you think of the story?
Black Demon567: I have my good reson, and there's romance in this chapter. Thanks for your support!
blackdragon: Yes, the wise One is up to something. And I have an evil mind? Why thank you!
Okay, that seems to be all. Time for chapter 4!
Chapter 4: Rescue Felix, Part I
This was going to be one long trip.
Ivan and Lunora's taxi had just left Washington, and the taxi had smoothly gotten through the border patrol into Canada (at which point Ivan took out the map scroll to check this new area, and marveling at its size). The taxi driver estimated that nonstop, it would take them about two or three days to get to Fairbanks.
"That's quite a long drive for you two," the driver warned. "Are you sure you still want to go?"
"We have to," said Lunora.
"And why is that?" asked the taxi driver curiously. "Why not just fly?"
"Fly?" repeated Lunora under her breath, obviously confused.
"Because there were no planes available that would get us there in time. We have to get there as soon as possible," said Ivan.
"But why, though?" asked the driver.
Slightly irritated at the driver's non-relenting questions, Ivan responded calmly, "There's a friend we have to meet there. And as soon as possible, like I said."
"I see," said the driver.
They rode in silence for another hour until the taxi driver turned on the radio. Ivan knew about these; he had studied his scrolls thoroughly. But they never did talk about flying much, only about what it was in general. No procedures at all. But Lunora had pointed out to him that Reno, Nevada, which is where Jenna is, is also a long ways away from Seattle. Though not as far away as Fairbanks, Ivan could already tell that he would not be able to spend six straight days in a car again.
"It's about dinner time," said the driver. "and we should be coming up on a town here soon. We should probably stop for something to eat and some snacks, because we won't have the time or opportunity to stop until tomorrow afternoon. We can stop at the Quickie Mart up here. You guys can get something while I fuel up the car."
Apart from the fueling up the car and the Quickie Mart, Ivan and Lunora understood what the driver was saying. Ivan suddenly realized just how hungry he was, and he looked over to Lunora. She smiled at him, but looked like she was ready to eat too.
Dusk was upon them now, and the stars were beginning to come out on the opposite side of the blazing-red sky in front of them. It was difficult to see in front of you without being blinded, but the driver simply pulled down a visor from the ceiling so shield his eyes from the sun.
A few minutes later, the driver pulled into a small building with an overhang, with odd-looking pumps spaced every few feet. Both Ivan and Lunora assumed that these were the fuel pumps, and the small building was the Quickie mart. They got out of the taxi when the driver pulled into one of the pumps, and went inside the building.
It felt even smaller on the inside. There was a tiny little counter with a tiny old man running things behind it. Shelves were stocked with the oddest food and drink both Ivan and Lunora had ever seen. They walked over to the large door-coolers in the back and chose a fizzy drink called Pepsi that they had read about in the scrolls.
Turning around, they walked the rows of shelves, trying to look for any foods recommended by the Wise One in the scrolls. They spotted the chip rack, and grabbed a few bags labeled Doritos. They turned to the candy rack and selected a few packs of gum. This sounded interesting, because it was something that you chewed on continuously, and it wasn't meant to be swallowed. Finished shopping, they walked to the counter and handed the money to the old man.
"American money, is it?" he squeaked, punching a few buttons on the apparatus in front of them which appeared to be tallying their sales. "We like to see that around here." He opened a drawer and took out some changed that looked completely different from the bills they held. "Here's your change: $5.61. You folks have a good night."
"Thanks, you too!" called Lunora as she and Ivan walked briskly out the door.
The air now was chilly as the sun disappeared over the horizon. Trees surrounded them on every side, and a wind was brewing that made things all the more colder. Especially for Lunora, the frigid air blowing against her legs as she walked to the taxi. Although, she noticed, if you looked at it from a different perspective, it was quite beautiful here.
The driver was waiting for them in the car when Ivan and Lunora got in the car. "Save those snacks for another day," he warned. "These are the outskirts of town. We should be hitting a fast-food restaurant here in a few minutes. Do either of you have a preference?"
Ivan had read about these "fast-food joints" in the scrolls, but the Wise One failed to mention that there was more than one type of place.
"Your choice, it doesn't really matter," he said, in an effort to not give away the fact that they hardly had a clue on what the driver was talking about.
"Alrighty then. You like Mexican?"
"Yes," said Lunora, keeping her voice quiet to hide her scepticism.
"Good. To Taco Bell we go!" said the driver, pulling into a place with the aforementioned sign on the front. "We'll just use the drive-thru for convenience. It's faster."
Ivan and Lunora nodded, relieved to finally understand some of what the driver was talking about. They pulled into the drive-thru and the driver ordered a large steak burrito. And then he turned to them.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Uh . . . we'll have that," said Lunora, pointing to a picture of a chicken and rice bowl. The driver ordered their meal for them, and they pulled forward to a window in the side of the building.
"Hey Lunora, wasn't that weird, how that voice just came through the box?" Ivan commented.
"Well, the Wise One did say that this was an advanced civilization," Lunora whispered back.
"What's that?" asked the driver.
"Nothing," Lunora responded quickly. "Hey, we never caught your name, by the way."
"Oh! It's Phil. Just Phil."
"Well then Phil, here's the money for our dinner," said Ivan, handing Phil a few bills.
"No, no, dinner's on me tonight," said Phil.
Ivan and Lunora thanked him, and in a few minutes, received their food after paying and waiting a bit more. Phil separated it out, handed the bowls to Ivan and Lunora, and then dug into his burrito. Ivan and Lunora were soon to follow.
It tasted pretty good for being prepared so quickly, though they both had eaten better on Weyard. They all ate in silence; Phil had once again turned on the radio, and was listening to the news.
"Our top story this hour is once again in Iraq, where more killings of both US soldiers and Iraqi civilians have been reported. A grenade flew at a truck along the road that was hauling food products, and exploded on impact. Our feelings go out to the family members of those injured or killed.
"And in other news-" Phil turned off the radio. "I don't like the news, myself," he said, popping in a CD (which Ivan and Lunora also recognized). "It's too depressing for me. Every day someone else gets killed . . ."
"Wow, it must be bad here," said Lunora. "Where is this Iraq?"
"A long ways away from here, in Asia," Phil replied. "Violent country, it is."
The sky had turned completely dark now, and for a few minutes, all did nothing but watch the road in front of them. Every few seconds, a pair of headlights would streak past them on the opposite side of the road. It was surprisingly relaxing with the music playing in the stereo, a kind that neither Ivan or Lunora had heard before. But they liked it a lot. This world seemed to have good taste in music.
"Do you think we'll get to Felix in time to find him?" asked Ivan.
"I don't know," said Lunora. "I'm hoping so. I'm just hoping he hasn't panicked and run off somewhere else that's hard to find."
"Oh I doubt that," said Ivan. "In the little time I've seen him, he seems to be very calm and collected. I think he's thought it out and waited for rescue, hopefully knowing that the Wise One would send someone after him."
"What if he's not where the Wise One thinks he is?" said Ivan.
"Oh Ivan, you're quite the worrier," said Lunora, looking at him and smiling. "I'm sure he's in Fairbanks. And if he's not, then we're in trouble."
"Oh that's reassuring," said Ivan, rolling his eyes and staring out the window.
Lunora turned his face to meet hers. "Who taught you to be so cynical?" she said sweetly.
"Uh . . . me," he said. It came out as a question. "Failing to light six lighthouses will do that to you, and once all is right in the end, it kinda stays with you. Why?"
"Because I love that about you," she said.
Ivan sighed with relief, but was cut off when Lunora put her arms around him and kissed him on the lips so that he could not finish sighing. Not that he minded though, returning the kiss. Though she had just eaten, her scent was sweet as she continued to kiss Ivan. Ivan leaned back slightly, Lunora's weight forcing him down, until his head was resting against the door. Lunora came down with him, her legs crossed.
Above the volume of the music, Phil could see and hear what was going on in the backseat, courtesy of his rearview mirror. Not wanting to disturb them, he eased the volume on his music up and tilted the rearview mirror so that he could not see them. His fingers drumming on the steering wheel in tune to the music, he drove right past the motel he intended to stop at. He didn't want to disturb either of them, and he could wait for the next town. He was smiling.
*******
The hotel they stayed in was a small, cheap one that barely got them through the night called Motel 6. Phil, Lunora, and Ivan all slept badly, but that was to be expected. They all knew that the 6 in Motel 6 was to symbolize the amount of sleep they would get in a room with walls made of cardboard.
But even worse than the lack of sleep was the wait for morning, even though they had driven north for half of the night. They had heard Phil mention that now that they were moving north, nights were longer and days were shorter. This made sense with the fact that Earth was round, and Weyard was flat. This didn't happen in the Adepts' world.
When morning finally did arrive, they all looked like zombies when they got back into the taxi. Despite this, Phil was alert and awake enough to keep driving north. Since they had gone further than Phil had expected, he said that they would reach Fairbanks, Alaska by the middle of the day.
"Aren't you tired, Phil? We had a long night," said Lunora.
"Well, when you've been a graveyard taxi driver for so long, you kinda get used to sleep deprivation," said Phil. "I'll make it to Fairbanks with no problem. You guys can sleep if you want. You'll probably sleep better in this 'ol car anyway," he added with a slight chuckle.
This was no problem with Ivan and Lunora. Ivan fell asleep soon afterward, Phil's radio humming melodiously in his ears, easing him to sleep. Lunora was not far behind. She let Ivan lean against her shoulder to sleep. Lunora did the same to Ivan.
They slept peacefully.
Hours later, Phil called them awake with a simple sentence.
"Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska."
*******
Surprise was with them.
The Wise One knew precisely where and how to strike. He knew that Shaman Village was not very hospitable towards outsiders, and therefore outsiders rarely ventured there. Not just because they were unwelcome, but because the only way into the village was through a cave.
And also, the residents of Shaman Village respected power and wisdom, and the Wise One definitely had both. Well . . . to them anyway. These factors would easily convince Shaman Village to the Wise One's side of the story.
Already he had Adepts traveling there bearing his orders to establish good relations with the people of Shaman Village. Aside from Vale and the cities he planned to take and hold, he needed a secret place to have top Adepts run things. Not the Wise One Himself . . . no. His place was in Mt. Aleph, barricaded in the Elemental Star Room.
He also was sending recruiters to other towns on Angara and Gondowan. He needed more Adepts to join his cause. Already he had selected the four most powerful, loyal Adepts to reside in Shaman Village where, if all went well, the Wise One and his followers would build a fortress for them to reside and supervise in.
The Fortress of Dawn and Dusk.
He had sent the plans with these four Adepts, whose names were: Butch, the Venus Adept, Cassidy, the Mars Adept, Coursair, the Jupiter Adept, and Cassandra, the Mercury Adept. All were powerful, cunning, quick, and very mean. But worst of all, they were totally loyal to the Wise One.
"Good day to you."
The Wise One met the person he wanted to see. This Adept was short, almost shorter than Ivan. He was clad all in black, and stood rigidly, defiantly. You could not see his face, for a broad, black, brimmed hat shrouded it in darkness. He wore black gloves, and black, shiny footwear.
Authority and power radiated from this Adept, whose type was known only to himself and the Wise One. And for the task ahead, it needed to be kept that way. He had been told much, much more about Earth than was told to Isaac, Garet, Ivan, Mia, Solaris, or Lunora.
"Wise One. You are ready to give me my task. I wish you would hurry up, my patience is wearing thin."
"Of course, of course. I have already told you of my plans for Weyard, have I not?"
"Yes. And if any of the Adepts who lit the lighthouse come back here, your plans are in grave danger. They have many friends that they met along the way. And if their forces become large, they could easily overpower you."
"Most of those friends and allies are from town that I will take with my own forces," responded the Wise One harshly. Watch your tongue."
"My apologies. What do you want me to do?"
The Wise One took a moment before responding. "You had a point. If Isaac or any of his friends return, great risk is put to the Greater Plan. That's your job."
"What?"
"To ensure that they don't return."
"How am I going to do that? You split them all up."
"Let me finish," the Wise One said irritably. "They are easily grief-stricken. They have all become so close that if any of them were lost . . . well, they would be at a serious disadvantage, and would not think straight."
"So you want me to bump some of them off," said the black-clad man. He had a deep voice, so cold it froze your heart in place.
"Only the two that I tell you to," said the Wise One. "I paired two of them up for a reason. The ones that if they died, it would affect all of the group even more so than if my pickings were random."
"I see. Who then?"
"Garet and Solaris."
A heavy silence hung in the air before them. The Wise One knew what he was doing; he hoped that the Adept wouldn't mess it up. But he knew that he'd have to explain why he chose Garet and Solaris, and not Isaac. And sure enough.
"Why them?"
"Because Solaris's death will devastate Lunora. Because Ivan has become close to Lunora, he will be sad as well, even more so than if Lunora were just a friend. The same goes for Garet. Isaac's known him since birth, and Mia loves Isaac dearly."
"I like it," cackled the black man.
"One rule of war is to take advantage of anything, no matter how small," said the Wise One. "In this case, their bonds and relationships being severed like this will tear them apart. Garet and Solaris are headed to Portland. By the time you get there, they probably will have the Lemurian, Piers. See that he is killed too, but only if he is with them. We don't want him finding anything out."
"As you command. So, I will do this-"
"-While my forces get into position here. By the time you return, Mordoc, We will be ready to move against our first target."
"Which one is that?" asked Mordoc, slightly breathless.
"Tundris."
*********************
Well . . . the Wise One's got several schemes going at once now. Things are about to get really ugly on Weyard, and for Garet and Solaris. If you want to find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next update! And if you don't two geckos will appear at your front door with a letter bomb.
REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!
~SirGecko~