Golden Sun: The Hunted

Written by Mikaa

Chapter 5 - Why Me?

Wow, either people are slow in reviewing, or no one cares about this. Or maybe I irritated more people with some light Alex/Sheba. C'mon, people, don't assume that I'm going with that pairing! I might, but that doesn't mean it would be the final pairing there!

ER, moving on.

This chapter does contain the action/adventure I promised, what with some very...interesting combat as Igori finds himself in a jam. Oh, and a very bizzare dream that I made up while writing. What significance this has will show up later... Mwueheheheh...

Oh yeah: MIKAA OWNS NOT GOLDEN SUN, NINTENDO, CAMELOT, OR A METROID (IN ANIMAL CROSSING: WIDE WORLD). IF HE DID, THERE WOULD BE A CREATE YOUR OWN GOLDEN SUN SEQUEL DS GAME, AND I WOULD BE HAVING A BLAST WITH MY LITTLE METROID. YES I WOULD, YES IWOULD, YES EOVIVOVIOVI... YEAH...

And now, the new chapter, "Why Me?" For I need reviews to motivate...

The world was ablaze.

The very earth flowed with liquid fire, lava engulfing whatever was untouched. Water filled the sky, seperated from the fire by the "river" of wind and rock. Trees were standing, but instead of the trees that most knew stood flaming towers, their flames wavering in the dust-filled barrier seperating the molten ground from the liquid air.

The only thing that was completely unaffected by the sheer heat of the surface of the hellish world was Igori. He had visited this world many, many times, always in his sleep. Walking on the flaming grass, he kicked a stone, not caring as the phantom pain burned at his toes from the rock. Though his mother had been a Jupitarian, he had inherited his father's earthern abilities. Yet, somehow he always had the odd vision, only a few coming to pass, including the nasty vision of his near death at Sheba's hands.

But this vision, assuming it varied from the usual dreams he had, always came back to haunt him. It moved as it always did, the firey lands cooling slowly, the dusty air settling to form the lands he knew so well, the water falling onto the land, forming the oceans and rivers. Layer by layer, the world reverted to its normal state.

And like every time he saw this damned world revert to the norm, Igori saw a massive blast centered at the Tolbi Lighthouse collapse in on itself, and then the world faded, the dream ended as it always did: the end of the world returning to the point just before it ended. Or so he thought; to be honest, he had no idea WHAT this dream was about. And knowing how his dreams varied at random, leaving him no idea as to when visions were real or not, he just shrugged it off.

As the dream faded, Igori awoke to find himself on a cot.

Immediately, he was fully awake, eyes identifying and looking over every piece of his surroundings. No longer in the waggon he had chosen for his sleep, he was in a dank, dusky cell, the age looking to be old, but lack of use could be messing up the age of it. The bars were strong enough to resist conventional efforts to move them from where they were locked, but he decided against showing his hand; there were no guards, but no one would leave him in this cell without something to alert them if he was moving.

And what had happened to Zial? Where were Isaac, Jenna, and the other two? Quickly he searched his person, paling as he noted the lack of elixer in his pouches. Who-why? Why would they take his elixer! He needed them!

Knowing that his next move would set a chain reaction that he could not control, but he had no choice: if he did not get his elixer within a few hours, they might as well have forgotten him entirely and thrown away the key.

With a flicker of hesitation, he summoned his powers, practically ripping the bars and the hinges from the wall without trying. Igori sent the door flying over the end of the path, suprised to hear it splash into some water. Had to be close to either a river or sea, which, with the time that had to take place between his going to sleep and being left in that cell, left only a few choices.

All thoughts to where he was ended as he saw the stair well: Kalay. Had to be Kalay; no other place Igori had visited had such unique stonework for its stairs. Sensing out, he frowned as he failed to sense Zial, immediately fearing for her. He had not known her long, and to have this mission fail so fantastically, he might as well throw himself into the water, and damn to hell the notion of returning disgraced.

But, no. A lesser soldier, fearing for position and role in the army, might do such. But Igori would sooner sack himself to save another than to abandon them to ruffians. And why were they in Kalay, anyway? Slowly, he rose through the star well, eyes watching with intense interest for any sign of guards. Maybe they decided he would be no threat; after all, they thought he was an old man, though if Zial told them anything, she might tell them he had some abilities.

Then again, he mused, Zial also thought he was an old man; the woman had barely been around before the mission began anyway.

Igori froze at the top of the stairs, dread filling him. Zial had not been in the army long, was choosen to go on this mission, recommended by high-ranking soldiers, was not locked up as he was. There was only one real conclusion he could draw from these thoughts, one he did not like at all:

Zial was a rebel.

Swearing, he increased his climb, knowing that he had to confirm his suspicion, and get at his elixer. He chuckled darkly; it didn't matter if they killed him now if he didn't get more elixer; he'd die within two hours if he didn't get some.

Opening the door at the top, he swore as a servant dropped a dish of food, probably intended for him. At the sight of him, the servant ran, raising an alarm as she did. Igori prepped himself; here we go.

The first resistance to his search was a pair of house guards, who drew their blades at the sight of him. Igori considered gripping the blades with his mind and slaying them, but thought the better of it; the General always stated, kill only when you have no choice. Instead, he reached out with both hands, gripping them both, hurling them to a far wall. They impacted hard, knocked out immediately.

The next opposition, though, was one Igori was not expecting so soon: Isaac and crew.

Felix moved first, blade drawn and moving towards him, Igori guessing that he was hoping to "scare the old man to surrender" trick. Whatever his intent, Igori was not going to just lay down and let them lock him back up. He had maybe another half hour or so before he would feel the effects that followed not consuming elixer. Raising his hands, he grabbed Felix, ignoring the failed attempt to resist the grip. Lifting him up, he hurled him towards the others, missing Mia and Isaac, but hitting Jenna and a guard (who had just arrived at the wrong time) and sending them sprawling.

Isaac rushed at him, his obvious intent to tackle Igori forcing the "old man" to reach out, gripping one of Isaac's feet, tripping him up and sending him skidding along the ground. To Igori's shock, Isaac lifted a hand, pushing with his mind to send Igori backwards. Or at least, that would have worked, if Igori had not summoned a counter-push, straining to try to keep Isaac's psynergy matched so as to not cause acciental harm to Mia and the others, not to mention possibly breaking Isaac's neck with the force that he might accidentally unleash.

He sensed Isaac dropping his efforts, and Igori matched, breathing hard from the strain. Isaac appeared to be out of the fight, really leaving only Mia to oppose hi...

Then Zial appeared. Still clothed in the same attire, she lept over the bodies of Felix, Jenna, and the guard, lightning from her fingers lancing right at Igori before her feet hit the ground. Igori strained to keep the bolts in check, barely able to grasp a vase behind her. Sweat poured down his disfigured features, his breathing becoming harsh and painful. Had he misguessed the time between his last elixer?

Grasping the vase with all of his might save what he needed to keep Zial at bay, he hurled the vase at her, knocking her out, but also sending some of the bolts in a wild arc. One bolt impacted the wall next to Igori, exploding the stone and sending debris smacking into his head. With his breathing dying down due to sharp pain in his lungs, his psynergy strained due to his innability to focus due to the extreme pain, he was unable to keep ahold of awareness, barely able to see or hear any more.

The last thing Igori thought as a blue blurr moved to his side as he fell was that, of all the people in this damned world, why him? What did he do to deserve this?

End Chapter 5 - Why Me?

Wow, neverminding the wacko dream, is Igori going to die? I'll let you decide that one. On another note, what did you think of the battle? Opinions, people! Mikaa needs opinions!

Now, review, while I consider when I shall write Chapter 6...

Mikaa, Lord of the Flypaper, Defender of the DS Against Naysayers