I Came, I Saw, I Conquered
by Corycian Muse
I updated a week earlier than I expected! Yay! (I was on a roll! ) Ok well, if you read the Author's Note (I will NOT do one again. Stupid things) then you'll know why it's taking longer, especially now the beginning's of the story are beginning to unravel, so it takes a lot of brain power. So just to say, don't even think I've given up on this story because I'm not updating, it's just taking a longer time for me, that's all.
To my fellow reviewers
PyroDragon88: Thanks so much, and you are an inspiration! This chapter isn't going to be so focused on Aquashipping, so a sorry from me, but thanks still for the review. Alex is evil? Well it may seem so in this chappie...
ShadeXH: Felix-Feizhi... that's actually quite interesting! I hadn't thought of it, but now you say it, it seems an idea to, err, take into account... See what I mean by you guys helping me out? Aw, thank you so much for the review!
abstractmind: Thanks for the compliment! I hope you'll carry on liking Feizhi in this chapter too (you'll see what I mean), and yes, it made sense! lol
SpaticDjinn: Hellooo, and thank you for the review! I hope you like mine too! Hehehe...
ShadeXH: (gives a big hug) Thank yooooooou! It's so nice you understand, and yes, you're a main reviewer and I love ya for it! I'm sorry about getting your hopes up, and ending up with a stupid Author's note (I hate 'em too), but here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it.
Please Read, Review, and Enjoy...
Chapter Five: Broken
In the deepest, most hidden corner of your heart
Remains a lonely soul, and this soul remains within
You, always broken.
Time passed and brought with it a new day. The tension was still there, and feeling as fresh as ever between Felix and Jenna. He had already made up his mind that he would say nothing of it to her, and let it heal itself without him interfering.
Jenna however, wasn't at such an ease. She could feel all her emotions rearing up in her chest, trying desperately to force their way out of her; anger and confusion, at the most.
Before she could even see Felix the next morning, she decided she would leave, and go for a walk to clear her mind in the fresh morning air. He wouldn't be able to leave anyway, before helping their father out in the blacksmith's. Jenna grinned inwardly. Helping out with things like that was something she didn't have to do.
"So," said Feizhi, as she sat, legs crossed, waiting for Mia to bring her some food. "Am I allowed to walk around this place? You know… I'm not being held hostage, am I?"
Mia closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath. She hadn't talked about it with Piers or Felix, but she couldn't exactly say no, could she? It wouldn't really be fair. But then, what if Feizhi did just run away when she still hadn't given them any information she had? Undecided, Mia said nothing.
"Are you going to answer me?" Feizhi asked, annoyed. Still, Mia did not answer. She ignored her, and handed her some bread. It was all she could give for breakfast. "Answer me! What do you want me to do, so you have my word?"
"You mean, you wouldn't try and escape? You would stay within the village?" Mia suddenly said, turning to stare the other girl directly in the face.
"Well," Feizhi answered, scratching her head. "It wouldn't be hard for me to just run off. But you can't exactly tie me up, can you? That wouldn't be nice. So… what are you going to do?"
"I'm not going to do anything," Mia said flatly. "And this conversation is getting nowhere. Eat your food and be quiet."
Feizhi stared at her in mock surprise. "That's a little harsh, don't you think?" she said in a provoking voice. "All I want is some fresh air, and I get all this."
"Well why don't you make it easier for everyone, and just tell us where you come from and why you attacked us for no apparent reason. Once you gave us that information, I'm sure we'd let you leave."
"'We', 'we', always this 'we'. Can't you make decisions on your own without those other two people's agreement? You should be more independent, whatever your name is," Feizhi said, smirking.
"Mia. My name is Mia. And don't think I'll fall for all your little tricks either. I'm not stupid." However patient and kind Mia was known to be, this stranger was touching her nerves. She couldn't have been more desperate for someone to arrive and take her of her hands. After all, she'd had to put up with her all night.
But just as she was thinking these thoughts, Feizhi suddenly spoke up, and she no longer sounded smarmy, but fairly serious. Mia watched her carefully, trying to read her expressions.
"Alright, I'll say this. I was sent here by my people, as a spy. They won't be expecting me back, because I was meant to stay here for at least a week before returning with a report of what I'd found out," she said, looking Mia in the eye. She sighed. "So you see, you don't have to worry about me leaving because I'm not planning to anyway. And if you're thinking I might return to my people early, well I won't, because I haven't found out anything yet. Understand?"
"What were you sent here for?" Mia asked interested, still watching the stranger's every movement. Feizhi pursed her lips together, suddenly looking a little worried, much to Mia's surprise.
"There have been whispers of… a dangerous plot; of unknown enemies and hidden powers to be unleashed. It's a disturbance in the air and the earth, a change in the wind. You can feel it all around you, wherever you go. There was just – this knowledge, that something was going on, something wrong. And that is why I was sent, because people care."
Mia stared, stunned. What this girl had said, was not much different to Piers' word when he had first arrived. It was more than uncanny, and the disappearance also, of Alex no longer made these strange happenings a coincidence. It could only be providence.
Everything had a purpose, and everything had a meaning.
"You can go out," Mia murmured, catching Feizhi by surprise. "Promise me you won't leave, and promise me… you'll look after yourself."
Regaining control of herself, Feizhi nodded, seeing the blank look in Mia's eyes. "I will," she answered, and got to her feet, disappearing out of the door.
Isaac got steadily to his feet, and after a moment's standing, he sat back down upon his bed again. He had no idea what to do with himself. He didn't know if he should wait till later, or leave now to talk to her.
Sighing, he slowly got back to his feet, deciding it would be best to get out of the small house anyway, even if he were to wait till later to talk to Jenna, and apologise to her for what he'd said.
Silently, he cursed her elder brother.
Still feeling rather dazed when he reached the open air, he took in a deep breath and walked carefully down the path, pondering deeply.
If he had just said nothing about it yesterday, nothing would have happened between himself and Jenna, but he could not change that now. She loved Felix dearly, and he couldn't change that either, but she could at least have understood it from his point of view. And now…
And now they were separated from each other, by a petty dispute. The situation agonised in Isaac's chest, as he waited for the morning to move on; waited to see Jenna again, and make amends.
His thoughts trailed to other places as he walked on past Ivan's thatched (and much superior) cottage, until one particular thought occurred to him, that he stopped in his tracks for a moment.
Where was Sheba? He hadn't seen her for a while, which was unusual. But then… after what happened, maybe she was still recovering. But Sheba wouldn't wait around in bed, Isaac thought, frowning.
Accepting he wouldn't be able to work that mystery out just standing there, he started to walk again, allowing the blood to pump through his body more easily.
"So," Saturos started. He stood, almost triumphantly upon the sand, the Proxian ships in shallow water before him. "Today we will sail west, moving forward in the first step of conquering the new land… and gaining the most basic powers upon this world. The elements," he carried on, raising his voice slightly. "The elements will be ours."
"But as we discussed," Alex murmured at his side. "Things take time. First you need to take… the captive – the pawn. It is the first part of the plan."
Saturos looked at him sharply. "Don't trivialize what I do," he muttered angrily as the Proxians began to lift cargo onto the ships while hiding any traces of their presence being on the island. "I know what I am doing; you, obviously, do not. Don't assume things so simply next time."
He abruptly turned away from the Imilian and marched on deck of the nearest ship. Alex watched him, smirking.
Setting sail!" someone called, their voice echoing through the air. Various commands were thrown from the decks, as both men and women pulled at ropes, bringing up the white sails.
Alex made his way quickly on board the same way as Saturos, just as the ships were hefted into the sea. The small fleet caught the current while the sails pressed forward in the refreshing wind.
They were already well on their way…
He knew where Sheba had gone. He wasn't sure why he knew, but it was something very certain to him, and today it would be time to leave.
Time to go and see her again.
He would be back before downfall.
Gently rubbing the horse's nose, Felix looked the creature in the eye, his fingers moving carefully over her hair. He ran his hand up her long quiet head, and along into the coarse mane that fell about the horse's eyes.
"Isatis," he whispered the name, his fingers curling around the reigns that fell about the horse's head. He pulled them down her neck and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes.
He had told his father he would be leaving, and Jenna wouldn't care to know at the moment, he thought.
Gripping the saddle, Felix pulled himself into the seat of the horse, and flung his travelling cloak out behind him. Then leaning forward slightly, he stroked the dark bay's neck, shortened the reigns in his hands and kicked the horse's sides with renewed strength.
Isatis broke into a steady canter, away from the isolated village.
As the rising sun's rays grew stronger, and Jenna stood alone near the edge of town, she wondered if maybe she should see Isaac. Perhaps… just maybe she had over-reacted. Perhaps she had taken it just too far.
Suddenly, a flash of movement caught her eye, and she looked up to see, not far off, a dark horse and rider. They cantered away from the village, taking one of a few trails further inland. Jenna frowned, confused.
"Was that… my brother?" she asked herself aloud, standing upright. Where was he going, and without saying anything to her? What… was going on? Feeling genuinely puzzled, Jenna decided to ignore the matter, and return her thoughts to Isaac.
Well, nothing was going to happen if she just stood there, so she decided to walk again, if only to walk. Maybe, by chance, she would bump into Isaac, and their argument would be amended.
Jenna hoped that would happen.
Menardi snarled as a drop of sweat trickled down her temple and to her chin. The day was already getting hot, and behind them was a mass of cumulus clouds, so large, and high up, and each one a different shape. It was like a different world; hidden kingdoms held in the sky.
But they brought with them dangers of a storm, and they were quickly catching up.
She pulled her whole arm over her head in an attempt to keep her hair out of her face. The billowing winds were stronger than ever, and it was hard keeping control over the helm of the ship.
"Is everything going well?" A voice behind her asked. Menardi whipped her head around to look quickly look over her shoulder. Saturos came to a stop at her back, and for a moment Menardi felt uncomfortable with him so close.
"It's fine," she said stiffly, and he sensed her unease. Taking a step back, he peered ahead of them.
"It will be quick," he said tersely. "It will be a surprise for them – they won't be expecting it. We'll just have to hope it will go easy for us."
"How will we know which person it is?" Menardi asked, turning the wheel slightly as she kept her eyes on the course of the ship.
"We can do nothing but take that scumbag's word for it," Saturos answered, snarling slightly. He glanced over his shoulder quickly, as if to check that Alex wasn't listening, and then continued with their conversation. "It looks like there will be a storm," he said dryly. "It's already started to affect our weather conditions and could make things harder."
"Yes, I agree," Menardi said, "And it's hot, dammit. We're not used to this kind of weather." Saturos silently agreed, his eyes now fixed upon the Proxian.
"Menardi," he murmured, more to himself than to her. She managed to look at him quizzically while keeping control of the ship.
"Saturos?" she said slowly, waiting.
He blinked as if he had come out of a trance, and then shook his head. "Sorry," he said, trying to smile. "I was… miles away just then." He suddenly appeared very confused, and took a step back before turning towards the cabin. "I was – thinking of the old times," he muttered.
Menardi sighed at his behaviour. Sometimes he did not seem fully in control of himself. Sometimes, she wondered, he seemed almost… confused by his past. Maybe that was what caused him to be so angry at times.
Still, she didn't have time to wonder about Saturos right now. Menardi lifted her eyes and stared out from the ship. It wouldn't be long.
Feizhi grinned for no apparent reason. Only she would know why such a random thing happened, and that was that. She scratched her head thoughtfully, and then blinked once. Twice.
He was coming right towards her, head bowed, deep in thought. Was he the one who they had meant?
Taking no chances, she pranced to the right and laid herself flat against the house's wall. Breathing in slowly, Feizhi turned her head to peer out at him. It was then that she realised the most obvious point of this plot, also being the one they had missed.
Silently, she cursed. She cursed herself and those above her for not thinking of it either: How was she to know which person it was?
Feizhi had been given no clues, no idea of who she was looking for. What they had told her had been firm, and what she thought was to the point.
"Head for the village by the sea – you know which one. Remain there, in secret – don't let anyone see you or else the mission may fail. The morning after you arrive, Frame him." That was more or less what they had told her to do, the fools.
Well she had been a fool at the beginning, Feizhi admitted to herself. She had thought she had been caught, and consequently attacked the villagers, only to bring their true attention upon herself. She ran, but they caught up, and Feizhi had been captured. That had happened yesterday.
At least she had managed to get out of the girl's house this morning. What was her name? Feizhi wondered uninterestedly. Mia. That was it.
It was not long before the person walked past, seemingly oblivious to all around him. It was so obvious to Feizhi that he was deeply lost in his thoughts, then if she had been sure that he was then one, it couldn't have been easier to get the job done.
However, she wasn't sure, and she had no proof either. If Feizhi killed the wrong person, then there would be sincere punishment for her at both ends; if she returned to her hirers, or if she remained to kill the right person.
Feizhi suddenly shivered. "Frame him." That was their words, not kill. She didn't have to kill him then, only frame. But in ways, framing was harder.
It was no use. If she was going to get this right, she had to take the opportune moment, and find out who he was while she was framing. Slowly, a plan started to form in her mind.
Silently, she slipped out from behind the house and followed her prey. As she did so, she looked out to the ocean, and saw dimly in the morning mist, the faint shadow of ships. They were coming.
And from now on, everything came down to timing.
Jenna, still slightly baffled by the sight of her brother leaving so suddenly, continued round the corner of a house on the outskirts of the village. She fanned her face for a moment, already feeling the heat of the sun upon her face, and glanced up at the sky.
Heat didn't just bring discomfort. Storm clouds were forming; pure, white fluffy tops, with almost black undersides. She could almost feel the tension in the air.
Unable to explain it, Jenna suddenly felt a huge wave of apprehension flow over her, and her stomach seemed to knot together. She bit her lip, confused.
And immediately tasted the coppery flavour of blood.
Jenna brought two fingers up, and she gingerly pressed them to the offended lip. Pulling them away once more, she saw her crimson blood upon her fingertips, and quickly wiped her mouth on the back of her hand, cursing silently, and wondering why she hadn't felt any pain.
Seeing the cliffs subside ahead of her, she moved onwards, her feet carrying her towards the beaches. The sound of the waves crashing against the shores washed a new sensation through her – it was an almost calming sound.
Isaac felt the presence, but something stopped him from turning to look. He kept walking, not aware of where he was going, and pondered on what to do.
He felt it before he heard it. The air was still and calm, as well as being humid, but he sensed that dangerous calm around him, and the silence that pressed down like a thick rug, muffling out the smallest of noises. Even the birds did not sing. They waited apprehensively in the trees, and Isaac felt that same anxiety inside him.
It may not have been because of the ensuing storm though.
And then, a few moments later, the silent flash of forked lightning came down from the sky, followed some seconds later by the first tremor that rumbled through the air. The distant thunder rolled out of the clouds and echoed over the waves towards land.
Before Isaac knew it, there was dry, coarse sand beneath his feet. It rolled out and down towards the sea, and the grass that sprang up in clumps shivered in a breeze that could not be felt by him.
He stopped where he stood, for a moment forgetting the presence he had felt following him, and looked out directly ahead of him. The ocean was a murky green, and the horizon was filled with darkness. The clouds brought with them tension as they hung threateningly in the sky above his head.
For the first time in a long time, Isaac felt alone, and empty. He felt sadness wash over him like the foamy waves that washed over the dull golden sand.
But as his blue eyes roamed over the shoreline, he slowly brought his head up, and looked off to the right. Only to have his gaze met by someone else's.
"Jenna?" Isaac said slowly, saying her name. He stood stock still, staring at her, and she too, remained frozen, her long mahogany locks falling about her shoulders, her eyes wide and unemotional. "Jenna…"
"Isaac!" came a new voice that echoed through the air, piercing his thoughts so that his eyes broke away from Jenna's. Isaac made a very big mistake when he heard his name being called. He turned, to look at who had spoken.
"Yes?" he asked as soon as his eyes set upon the newcomer.
And so gave her the answer of who he was.
Feizhi had seen the girl further down the beach. She saw they way their gazes locked into one another. She already knew who was coming along the beach from behind the cliffs. And she knew now, that her job was nearly complete.
The rising storm sent shivers of energy down her spine, and she relished in it.
Setting her eyes back on Isaac, she sprinted down towards the beach, arms open wide.
He had never seen her before, but she came to a halt in front of him, smiling broadly. Her eyes twinkled as she watched Isaac with berated breath.
"Do I know you?" he asked, as politely as he could. He cast a quick glance off to his right to see Jenna still standing, watching.
"Isaac…" Feizhi murmured, noticing his gaze. He slowly brought his attention back to her and wondered why she was taking so long to get to what she was here for. "Isaac, it's really you," she said, still making no sense.
Isaac didn't know what to say.
Suddenly, Feizhi moved herself behind him drawing his sight away from Jenna. Taking his full attention, she stepped forward purposefully, and before Isaac knew what was happening…
She had put her arms around him in a loving embrace.
"Don't say anything," she whispered in his ear, closing her eyes.
The pain it caused ripped through Jenna like a knife. Isaac's back was to her, but what she had seen was clear, and Jenna clutched at her chest, eyes burning, body trembling with anger, and complete distress.
"What… what are you doing?" she muttered, unable to control herself. The tears burned her cheeks; her eyes were wide and unblinking. Her head felt light, but she brought her vision back up again once more.
Cold, calculating, and victorious eyes stared at her over Isaac's shoulder. They filled Jenna's sight, and she took a step back, afraid. She suddenly longed for her brother's comforting arms, for soft words to be spoken, for Isaac to have not… betrayed her. He betrayed her. The word pounded in her head like the dull thud of a hammer. Betrayed.
But, more than anything else, Jenna felt broken.
She turned away from the heart-wrenching sight, intending on walking away. Isaac had seen her, and he had made it clear that he no longer wanted her; he was already after some other girl after what had happened yesterday. Jenna felt sick, and she kept her eyes averted, not seeing him push Feizhi away.
"What the hell are you doing?" Isaac snarled at her, his hand clenching her wrist as he held her away from him. But only Feizhi heard his words as a second, louder rumble of thunder emanated from the dark sky.
She smiled maliciously up at him, but her eyes drifted past Isaac to Jenna. The girl was walking head on into her greatest danger, and she didn't even realise it.
Jenna looked up a moment too late, and before she knew what was happening, her arms were pulled tightly behind her back, and a sweaty hand was clamped over her mouth. She squirmed stubbornly in the iron grip, and kicked out, managing to connect with something. She heard the sound of a male person grunting in pain, but the hold on her remained unbroken.
Then came the sound of more footsteps, and Jenna looked up into blood-red eyes. She stared, seeing nothing else, drowning in crimson pools that glittered in the flash of lightning.
And then, from nowhere, someone elbowed her in the stomach and she reeled forward in pain. A hand was brought down on the back of her neck, and a comforting darkness enfolded her vision, too late to catch a glimpse of Isaac running towards her.
Feizhi laughed.
End of Chapter Five... but more to come! Mwahahaha...
Constructive comments are really appreciated, and just reviewing to tell me what you think really helps out a lot, so thanks if you take the time to do so. Anyway, until next time, Tally ho!
(rides off into the sunset to write chapter six)