Note: Another installment to the story! Thanks to all, for no reason. No, Colette, Raine, and Genis, nor the various monsters, are mine completely. Happy Trails!
It's Life: Chapter 6
His eyes creaked open reluctantly, the sun prying away sleep. He propped himself up on his elbow, his other arm touching his tussled white-haired head. He looked around the small tent, noticing the light breathing of Raine beside him. Turning to the other side, he placed his other elbow down on the ground, using it to prop himself more sturdily.
There was no form in the bag on his left. His eyes opened wider and he crawled out of his bag. Pulling apart the flap that lead to the outside world, Genis was surprised to see Colette awake and kneeling by a fire.
"Good morning, Genis!" she said, waving and smiling. She looked happy, yet very weak.
Genis nodded in reply, still shaking off the sleep that had engulfed him in the night. He plopped down on one of the nearby logs and placed his head in his hands.
"Are you okay?" Colette asked. "You seem so tired."
"I am rather tired," Genis said, raising his head. "What are you making?"
Colette smiled. "You remember our journey through the Earth Temple, right?"
"Of course!"
"Yes, and that cute little gnomelette that wanted to taste spicy?"
"Those guys? How annoying were they?" He laughed, glad to have Colette back, but still worried by her gaunt appearance.
"Well, I think they were just misguided. Anyway, I'm making curry, to see if I actually can make 'spicy'."
Genis caught a whiff of the concoction in the air. "It does smell good. Maybe you can take the reigns of head chef when Regal joins up again!"
"That would be great!" She smiled and laughed. "Do you really think Regal and the others from Tethe'alla will come back?"
Genis scratched his head, thinking. "If there's a way to get there…I'm pretty sure we'll get to see them again. At least I hope to."
She turned toward the boy. "Oh, that would be so great! It's been over a year since we've all been together! I wonder how Presea has been doing, stuck in that body of such a young girl." Her eyes stared at the ground, feeling sorry for Presea's predicament.
Genis grew red, remembering Presea, yet also embarrassed by the fact that he liked a girl who could have been twice his age. "Yeah, I do hope she is all right." He turned his gaze up to Colette's face, smiling. "I'm almost positive that our friends will come back. They should join us in the end."
"Yes, they will." She stared off into the open space, unsure of what else to think about. Hearing a small noise from the tent, she turned. "Morning Raine!"
Raine, still tired from the almost sleepless night, nodded. "You seem awfully happy today, Colette."
The girl smiled. "I am. Do you think we'll make it to Dirk's today?"
"Far from it. We may make it tomorrow," Raine responded. She whiffed the air in the middle of a yawn, and noted the smell of curry from the pot Colette was stirring. "What is that wonderful scent?"
Genis turned to his sister. "Colette is actually cooking!"
Raine's eyebrows raised. "Really?" She looked at the girl and gave her a warm nod.
"Yeah. It's curry." Turning back to the pot and Colette, he asked, "When do you think we can try this 'spicy'?"
"Any moment now," Colette said, laughing at the gnomelette reference. "I sure hope it's good."
Genis nodded. "I'll judge that! I am the cook, after all." He puffed out his chest, proud of his natural cooking talents.
"Thanks, Genis."
Raine jumped in, waking up slightly. "Even though I cannot cook, I can still taste! I am rather fond of my tasting ability, mind you."
"What does that mean?" Genis asked, looking at her with an upturned face.
"Well…I…"
With a smile, Genis laughed. "You are just justifying the fact that you can't cook anything edible! Everyone has taste buds!"
Raine sighed. "We all know I can't cook well."
Genis interrupted, "Not at all, actually." Colette giggled, trying to conceal it.
Smiling, Raine turned her head away from the children. "Perhaps…" she trailed.
A small silence took over the group, sending an uncomfortable rush of thoughts into each head. Raine worried for Colette's safety, while Genis was simply glad to have the old Colette back. Colette was thinking about Raine, and how she was saved by her masterful healing. She never wanted anyone to fear her death again. Vowing to stay healthy, Colette broke the silence.
"It's almost done. Get the stuff ready." She halted stirring for a moment, looking into the pot at the red stew. "It looks pretty!"
"Oh, Colette," Genis said. "I've missed you."
Pretending not to notice, Colette continued stirring, keeping the pot at a steady heat and watching the few bubbles that broke the surface. "Who wants some?" she asked, reaching for a bowl held out by Genis. She took it and ladled a couple scoops. Handing it back to Genis, he gave it to Raine, who thanked him. Genis grasped another empty bowl and had it filled by Colette. He also handed this one to Raine, and grabbed their last bowl. Colette spooned he liquid into the final bowl and sat down on the log nearer the fire.
Raine handed one bowl to Genis, who perched next to the former Chosen. He spooned a bit into his mouth. Colette watched, trying to appear nonchalant.
"How is it? Do you like it?" she asked.
His face glowed with the hot soup. "Wow! This is definitely spicy!"
Her eyes closed and she smiled wide. "Thank you!" she said, scrunching together with her bowl held close.
"It is very good, Colette. Thank you," said Raine.
The three ate silently for a short while, each finishing their soup and laying their bowls together. Raine took them and walked past the trees surrounding their campsite and toward the tiny stream hidden there. Bending to cleanse the dishes from the remains of curry, Raine began to hum that same song her mother had sung to her as a child. Soon, she finished with her task and gathered up the three dishes and stood to return to camp.
She stood by a tree and watched the two children struggling to bring down the tent. She laughed a little at their antics, seeing Genis jump at the stick holding the top of the tent up. Colette came to help, letting him climb on her hands to unhitch the tent. It crumpled to the ground and Genis jumped from Colette's helping hands.
Raine walked into the area, saying, "Would you like me to help with that?" She placed the bowls in her bag and then grasped the body of the tent, dragging it away from the sticks. With Colette on the other side, they folded it into a small knot and put it in Colette's bag. Genis picked up the sticks and shoved them into his own bag.
"Well, are you two ready to set off?" Raine grabbed her pack and hurled it over her shoulder, followed by Colette and Genis.
"Boy, am I!" Genis exclaimed, jumping up to Raine, who smiled and led the way north, toward Dirk.
With mild conversation, they trekked a rather long distance, resting very little along the way. The sun was starting to set on the green horizon, and Raine noticed the House of Salvation in the distance. She looked at her two companions, noticing their tired expressions.
"We'll rest there for tonight," she told them softly. Genis raised his head and yawned.
"Can't we keep going?" he asked, shaking his head out of his sleepiness. He walked forward, but at a slower pace.
Colette raised her hands above her head in a stretch, her neck cracking at the strain. "I think it would be good to stop soon. Will we get there tomorrow?"
Raine nodded. "We should. It's only through the forest. As long as we don't dawdle much, we'll see Dirk by sunset tomorrow."
"That's good!" Colette laughed, placing her arms back at her sides.
Genis yawned again, but was interrupted by a flying ball of lightning, straight at his head.
"Watch out!" Colette screamed, her eyes growing large at the sight of the hot ball. She threw her chakrum at the lightning, and managed to hit it away from the unsuspecting boy.
Genis, no longer tired, yelled at the unknown predator. "Man! What's wrong with you?" He removed his kendama from his pocket and began to power up a spell in retaliation.
Raine turned round, her staff at the ready. "Watch out for the spell!" she cried to the children, noticing the still forms in front of her. They shook lightly from the mana flowing through their bodies.
Colette caught her weapon flying back at her and then ran up to the four mages attacking them. Pointing her weapons at the second in line, she started to spin wildly, yelling. "Triple Ray Satellite!" Her chakrums sliced through the mage, and he stopped his spell. Colette continued her string of attacks, sending out balls of shocked mana. "Para Ball! And how about this? Pow hammer!"
The mage cried out, pained by the flurry of attacks. He fell to the ground, then ceased movement. The mage next to him sent three fire balls at the girl, who blocked them with her metal rings.
Genis, done powering up his magical spell, called out to the group. "Want to charge? Thunder Blade!" Suddenly, a huge, purple sword made up of light flew down on two mages and lodged into the ground. The mages were stunned, and then were shocked by a tremendous blast of electricity coursing through their bodies.
Colette took her chance and threw both her weapons at the stunned mages, causing them to fall to the ground, dead. She then ran to the back of the group, raising her arms and speaking softly to herself.
The final mage had roamed closer to Genis and Raine, using his staff as a hefty weapon. Raine was hit by the rod, but she retaliated quickly with two swipes of her own. She yelled at the man to let her be, giving him a blast of photon.
Locked in a splendor of light, the mage screamed. Unable to move, he was sent off to death by a small water spell from Genis.
Colette canceled her spell, and then sighed heavily. "What did they want?"
"Probably just petty thieves," Raine said, displeased by the attack. "Are you okay?"
Both the children nodded, and Genis said, "Yeah. They were amateurs."
The three continued on their way, and easily made it to the House of Salvation. They entered the hospitable abode and walked up the few stairs to the large room filled with many beds. Few were occupied by travelers, and Raine led the two younger members to the last three beds in the far corner. "We'll set off in the morning. Maybe at eight o'clock? Have a nice night, and sweet dreams." She smiled at them and tucked her sleepy brother into the bed.
"Raine?" he whispered to her.
"Yes Genis?"
"Well…nothing," he said, closing his eyes. "Goodnight."
"Yes. Goodnight." She then walked over to Colette, who lay across from the bed in which Genis slept.
Colette was already in bed, and her eyes were closed. She didn't seem to be sleeping, but Raine let her be, not wanting to destroy the thoughts she must have been working over.
She slowly walked over to the farthest bed, the one next to Genis. "Goodnight Colette," she whispered, getting into the bed. Pulling the covers up to her neck, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be drifted off the sleep.
Still not sleeping, Colette sat up, looking around at the large, empty room. The only things in it were the twelve beds, and three sleeping forms, not including her friends. While walking in, she had notice one body that intrigued her. She knew of him from somewhere.
Rising, she gently lifted herself from the bed and tip-toed up to the foot of her bed. She looked at Raine and Genis, noting their calm bodies rise and fall slowly in the sleep cycle. She sighed and then continued down the beds, looking into them and trying to find the man she had seen earlier.
When she reached the few occupied beds, she saw a young woman with orange hair, her back exposed by the upturned sheets. Her face was cut deeply, at least on the visible side. Colette watched as the woman turned fitfully in sleep.
The next bed held a tall man with a tired, worked face. He appeared so haggard. His beard was unkempt, and his brow was furrowed, even in sleep. Colette felt sorry for this man, and wanted to share his pain. She had the need to console him and let him know that whatever he was going through, he would get through it.
Sighing again, Colette made her way to the final bed and looked in on the man sleeping within the comforting sheets. She leaned over the form, and was distraught to see the covers over his face. Only his hair was visible, and it was a dimmed red-brown. She knew of that color from somewhere. "Could it be?" she wondered to herself, quietly thinking. With a final sigh, she walked slowly back to her bed. "I'll find out tomorrow…" she told herself, slipping under the covers and releasing her thoughts to sleep.