Chapter 16 Truths
"There." Ryan said Joining Chad and Joel by the fire. He'd had the others lay the three injured member of their group out and he'd taken over Dana's job.
"Well?" Joel asked as he offered Ryan some coffee.
"From what I can tell they all have fevers." Ryan sighed; he just wished they knew what that meant. Heavens, Dana was the one who was good at the medical stuff, he was just a dumb fighter.
"Nothing else?" Chad asked frowning.
"No." Ryan shook his head grimly.
"The question is what's causing it?" Chad asked and Ryan got up again and went to check on the three.
"Yeah if it's a virus why don't we have it?" Joel asked, it just didn't all add up. If it was some kind of a traveling flu then shouldn't they all have it? But if it was not then what?
"I don't know." Ryan said changing Dana's compress and running a hand through his hair. He was worried, what if…
"Too bad we're not near the temple, we could ask Dulcea if this is either planetary or if it's related to the ninjeti powers." Chad said thoughtfully moving to do the same to Dana.
"Well, can you two hold down the fort?" Ryan asked getting to his feet as Joel replaced Carter's compress.
"Why?" The red clad young man asked weakly. He'd been fading in and out since he'd fallen and now he was confused.
"I'll fly back and see." Ryan said and Carter shook his head weakly.
"No, if it is then you'll come down with it next and Kelsey and Dana need you." He said and Ryan closed his eyes, why was it he hadn't thought of that?
"Well what do you suggest?" Joel asked looking down at his leader.
"Hold on." Chad got to his feet and walked away.
***
"What is wrong?" Dulcea asked feeling the mental touch of Chad's mind.
"Three of the group have been struck down by a fever." Chad informed her and she could hear his worry. That was odd; there was no illness there on her world.
"What other symptoms do they have?" She asked trying to think of what it might be.
"Well, weakness, dizziness and vomiting." Chad said and she had a niggling feeling.
"Have they been using their powers?" Dulcea moved to the stone alter.
"Yes, we flew here and then…" Chad broke off as if thinking about something he'd forgotten.
"What else?" Dulcea frowned.
"Kelsey fell down a pit." Chad admitted and her worst fears were confirmed.
"The lost oubliette." Dulcea gasped and then pulled out another handful of sparkling blue dust. "Chad you must listen to me very carefully."
***
"What did she say?" Joel inquired and Chad took a deep breath, knowing getting settled and telling them the whole truth wouldn't help them right now.
" Joel, I need you to look around and see if you can find a small bluish root with light blue flowers." Chad said and the green clad man nodded and went into eagle mode.
"Ok." And with that he was off, no more question.
"Good Ryan you stay with the girls, you can morph if you have too." Chad said and turned to go.
"It's a virus?" Ryan asked catching his arm before the blue clad young man could go.
"Not exactly, it's a post effect of the pit." Chad said when he saw the determination in Ryan's eyes.
"What will happen?" He asked and Chad found Ryan's silver eyes very disturbing just then, there was a hard light there and he knew he couldn't lie to him.
"I don't know but going in and using their new gifts drained their energy beyond a safe level."
"So what they're super tired?" Ryan asked frowning.
"Yes, but we need to get their levels up and soon." Chad replied grimly.
"Ok, go on." With that Ryan moved to the three laying still where he'd left them. None of them looked good, Carter was too pale, his skin was almost paper thin and his eyes looked sunken in their sockets. He lay beside Dana, for the first time in days not touching her. His eyes moved to his little sister. She was pale too; her California tan was not so prevalent, her frame looking much as it had back in the hospital. He wanted to scoop her up but he was afraid she'd crumble to dust. Then there was Kelsey, she didn't look as bad as they did, probably because she'd been transformed a shorter time than the others. Well, he glanced at the sky; thank the Gods for that at least.
Now, he thought, to get them back. He contemplated the trouble the demons could cause and knew he could do something to stop it. Glancing around he made sure he was alone. He went to his pack and pulled out the salt and spread it in the protective pentagram larger than the camp. Then he moved to stand above the fire.
"Shadow of light, power of right," Ryan spread his hands wide over his head and a silver light began to emanate from them. "Here my words from this time and space. The darkness hath chased us here,
Now we dwell in constant fear." The energy grew, and grew and then had the salted circle aflame as if with silver fire. "Give me the power to guard my friends, with your goodness that never ends."
Ryan felt the power, its seduction and knew it was working, all within the circle would be safe and the others would as well when they returned.
"Ryan?" A weak voice asked and he moved to see that Kelsey was looking at him confused. "What did you just do?"
"Hey, how do you feel?" He left the fire, moving to kneel by Kelsey.
"I'm… Tired but you just…" She tried to sit up but was still a little to weak.
"I'll explain when you're feeling better." He promised, and knew he would, if they were going to make this work, which they were he'd have to tell her everything.
"Ok, what about Carter and Dana?" She asked and he felt her forehead to find it cooler, her fever was lowering.
"Look to your right." He urged and she did and shivered at the sight of her two still friends.
"Oh no, It's all my fault…" she began to cry. Heavens she was such a bad person, she let people get hurt, first Dana and now…
"No, Kelse, it's not, I was the one who said it." He said and picked her up and held her close to him, feeling her shake with her weary sobs.
"But if I had just backed off when you said it, not acted like a child." She sniffed and his kissed the top of her head.
"Here." He then have her a tissue from his pocket.
"Ryan?" She asked and he just lifted her and went to sit by the fire.
"Shush, just relax." He said settling her against him as he stroked her back. It wasn't long before she was once more asleep. Even so he sat there, holding her flush against his body, feeling her warmth on his chest and her breath feathering his neck.
***
"Where am I?" Dana asked trying to use her new gifts to peer around in the amber mist which surrounded her. She tried to figure out how she got there but all she could remember was collapsing in Carter's arms… she could remember vomiting and now her cheeks flushed in humiliation. She'd never live that one down…
"A safe zone." The voice answered her question pulling Dana from her thoughts. She tried to pin point where it was coming from but she couldn't. It was like there was just that a voice, no energy, no heat just words on the wind. There was no wind though…
"Who are you?" She asked wondering if this was a trick by one of the shadow demons. It would be like a demon to do this.
"I am Gowen, he who trapped the demons in the shadow world some thousands of years ago." The voice said and suddenly a hand touched hers. She still could not sense anything but it was there never the less. "You have nothing to fear from me daughter of my predecessors." And she had the flashes, not visually but mentally, of his family, her grandmother fifty five times removed and their twins, Jura and Rein. She saw Gowen, his friends, Bronwyn, Thorn, Rowena, and Garic trapping the demons in the tomb with their powers, their druid rituals. . She knew to that each of her friends were from that group, their descendents.
"Now you see, you must know that you and Ryan are the descendents of my children and the others of my friends. You also know now that you have our mixed bloods, Celtic and Druidic. This is why your group would hold your powers with such ease."
"But there have been other rangers." She said even as the vision faded and she felt something trickling into her mouth, bitter and hot.
***
"That's it Dana, drink up."
"What is this stuff?" She asked weakly and realized Ryan was kneeling to her right.
"It's supposed to help you get your strength back." He told her asking. "How do you feel?"
"Tired but I've felt worse." She admitted then wondered where Carter was, lately when she got sick he was usually right there with her. . "Where's Carter?"
"Asking for you." Came Chad's voice and she then felt the cup at her lips again and drank.
***
"Dana?" Carter found her laying a few feet away laying still, she looked pale. Still, she was the best thing he'd seen all day.
"Where are you?" She asked and he was too tired to smile as she reached out for him. He just focused his newly returning energy on reaching out a hand and taking hers. That was how they both drifted off again, peaceful and together.
It was funny, Ryan mused, and even when they were barely conscious they reached for one another, almost as if they were soul mates. He gave a little derisive laugh, like there was such a thing. He could remember how their mother had spoken of it but that had been years ago. And he was a grown up now, not a child, naive and foolish. Then when he found his eyes on Kelsey he wondered if he wasn't a little foolish, if he'd not been she'd never have ended up in the pit. Sighing he moved to where the dark haired girl lay and lay down himself, pulling her close and drifting off himself.
***
It was dark by the time the four awoke feeling even able to sit up fully. They found that while they'd been resting Chad and Joel had prepared dinner and also refilled the canteens, and stocked up wood for the fire. Carter was glad; he'd been to out of it to even think about what would need to be done. Now though he sat with Dana beside him, eating the food.
"So, you said you'd explain later." Joel said and Ryan nodded.
"Right, well from what I gather there was a good reason the demons wanted me." Ryan began and slowly continued. "Dana and I are descended from ancient Druids. We hold their magic with in our souls and so the demons wanted to harness mine."
"That's not exactly true." Dana spoke up from where she sat in Carter's lap and she then told them what Gowin had said.
"So the captain was not the one who really chose us?"
"Nope."
"Woa, that's cool." Kelsey said smiling at the prospect of having been chosen by more than a man.
"'yes but it also means more I think." Ryan said quietly.
"What do you mean?" Chad asked him.
"Well think about it, we are all powerful in our powers, as rangers, as ninjeti and now as…"
"Druids." Dana put in for her brother.
"So that's why we are really here." Joel said thoughtfully. He'd wondered for a long time why they'd been chosen as rangers but now so much made sense. They were there, not just as rangers but as friends to defeat a power few could ever even hope to challenge. He also knew they were going to get the great power and save the world.
"Um hmm." Dana said toying with her food.
"Dana are you sure you're feeling ok?" Carter asked and Dana realized he had taken her neaten dinner from her. She must have zoned out.
"Hmm? Oh yeah I was just thinking we better hurry to the monolith, the earth rangers are going to be able to hold them in check for very much longer." She told him grimly and he moved shifted her to the ground so he could rub her shoulders.
"We will." He said confidently adding. "In the morning we'll move out and not stop until night."
"Carter, your probably still weak, are you sure you'll be able to handle that?" She half turned to face him.
"Me? Dana you went through hell and back again today, I should be asking you." he said and she laughed and leaned up brushing her lips over his said.
"With a boyfriend like you I'm not worried. If I over do it you'll be there." She smiled against his lips.
"Such trust." He smiled and brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek. Heavens she was sweet, and she was the one thing that truly scared him. She got to him like nothing else in the entire world.
"Yeah you could say its blind faith." She said with a little laugh.
TBC
***
Ok, I know its lame but let me know if you have nay suggestions. I've been having trouble with this one.