A Tale of Many an Adventurer- Joe's Story
Chapter 19
Joebushy- Considering where the two teams are going, the meeting will be short-lived. For John- off to Neasmil. For Joe- Onward through Carinia, to Helioa. I promise the original story ( about john) will be someday updated... but until then, enjoy chapter 19. Remember- keep begging chunkypuff3- somehow
A fire was blazing as Joe and John arived back by their falling point. Axel and Christopher were sitting on a log, forming an intense argument.
" Man, I'm telling you, this thing explodes on impact and comes back!" Axel demanded. Christopher had not believed the story from the start.
" Sure. My axe explodes on impact, to. It's all shiney and fine afterward, though."
Axel stood. " Kid, just watch."
Christopher too stood up. " I will."
Axel threw his boomerang at the biggest boulder he could find. Joe thought he saw him mutter something like ' please work', but it was probly just his imagination. The boomerang hit it's target and did what it was ment to do- explode. It then flew back right into Axel's hand.
" What the heck was that!" Brad said, sitting up now. Everyone else began to stir; the explosion was loud enough to wake them. Once on their feet, everyone gathered around the fire. Joe and John took seats oppisite each other.
All sixteen of them talked. Axel and Rauel were introduced to everyone on Johns team. When it came time for Christopher to shake hands with Axel, who gladly held out a hand, Christopher only nodded. He seriously hated being proven wrong.
" We better get going." Ben suggjusted. Joe felt uncomfortable for a moment, like when your being watched, but that was short lived. He knew everyone around him, so no point in worring.
" Not quite," Chet said. " Kevin, what's in Helioa." Kevin explained about the polar bear battle that had happend to them in the mountains. He also mentioned something about an exploding potion and arrows. It seemed they still had a mystery to solve in Kealato.
" John..." Joe whisperd tensely, " We saw a polar bear in Exemap. It had arrows and a burn on it."
John's eyes widened. " Isn't that an island?"
Joe nodded. " Do you think the blue eyes have anything to do with the mist?"
John thought. Yes, most likely. But there's no way of knowing. I better not tell him that. " No. It's probly seperate."
" Then if so," said Joe, " We must continue going seperate ways." Joe got up. " Everyone to camp. We have time for farewells there." He motioned to everyone to follow. John ran up to Joe.
" Joe... I wasn't serious. Joe, listen to me!" John stopped and looked forward to the exit. There was none. The end of the town only consisted of solid rock. " Where is it."
" Where's what?" Joe asked.
" The exit!" John answered. Joe stared forward. There was a blank wall in the place of the stream. He looked behind him. His friends were standing still. Everything was quiet, like the calm before a storm. Joe didn't believe he hadn't realized it. It was such a villinous technique. This was the end of the line.
Joe swollowed. " Guys," he said, " It's a trap." The earth began to shake again. The purple mist began filling in from the caves. Something was coming again. Everyone knew it. They all turned toward the lake. It began to glow violet, then light purple. Bubbles began to rise like a hot spring. Then, rising from the depths came a figure. A figure with two wings and a sword. Naraf had tricked everyone. Now there could be no survivers to tell of the horrors of the archfiend.
" Guess who's back?" He said. His wings brought him into the air, higher and higher. Then he concield them onto his back and began to dive, a horrible air about the whole thing.
" Everyone, out of the way!" John yelled. Everyone flung themselves to the ground on either side. Naraf swooped through the middle.
" I wasn't expecting more company. Who are these four?" The archfiend questioned.
Joe smiled. " Friends." The sixteen of the team brought out everything they had. The physical attackers waited for Jake and John to use gravity in unison. Naraf was now trapped on the ground; for a small period of time.
The sixteen charged toward the grounded archfiend. " Watch out, he still has a sword!" Chet yelled. Cautiousness took effect within the battle. The attackers were begining to realize just how strong this enemy was. It took twenty attacks to even phase him- but no matter. they still had a chance.
" Incompatant fools! Never can you surpass the great splendor of immunity!"
" Yeah," said Jude sacastically, " Never have we had the miricle of modern medicenes!"
" Well, well, so you think your smart?"
Jude never answered. He stepped back as the rest attempted to harm this beastly thing. How could such a being be living? But then again, he had been taken over by something too. He had just been healed that day. So why, he asked, could a person from earth have chosen the path of an archfiend?
Because, I'm immortal. Jude looked over at the fight beside him. This was getting scary. He had thought telekenetiks was only a star wars thing. But maybe not.
Scared are you? Good. You have ought to be, my friend.
" Joe! Help!" Jude yelled. His mind was going crazy. Whatever was happening, he hated it. He was not used to being pushed around. Not anywhere. The voices were popping up out of nowhere, with no escape. Endless high-pitched screams of horror and the laughs of maddness rushed through his mind.
Oh, am I getting to you?
" Stop!" Jude yelled. " Stop! I can't take it! Stop!" He blocked his ears yet the taunting kept coming. The telepathic connection seemed not to collapse. Jude dropped to his knees in agony just as Amit ran over to his aid, out of the rage of war. But his friend had already fallen. Jude lay on the ground, shaking madly.
" Man, are you ok? Jude, Get up! Jude!" Jude's eyes began closing as he began to float away into uncoincessness. He was out and yet Amit wouldn't believe it. Jude couldn't do this, not now. " Jude, I promise I'll be back. Just please, don't get hurt. Lifalin!" The downed comrad levitated within the beam as Amit moved him to the top of one of the boulders that had fallen on their trip down. He then crossed his fingers and ran back into the battle.
"Now, be gone!" Naraf commanded. He swung his sword three hundred and sixty degrees. The surrounding attackers ducked. For someone not twice their size, The archfiend was putting up a fight. Amit ducked the swing and ran into the frey. He then lunged at the monster in front of him. Naraf put out a hand and smiled.
" Garamaness!" he yelled. Gaint spheres of darkness immediatly were on a constant output from the hand, on a straight line toward Amit's upper torso.
" Soonko!" Amit yelled almost simultaneously. The blackened sphere stopped almost a foot from him. " Naraf, never walk on this planet again- nor any other in which your terror could be provided!" The sphere flew back to Naraf. He had been to confused to move. The garamaness struggled to enter the body, but it succeded. Naraf began to float off the ground as everyone backed up from the nightmarish spectacular. His back then hunched and his arms and legs flew back. His whole body began to quiver.
The teams thought it harder and harder to see the body. " It- It's dissapearing," Kevin said astonished. Everybody looked closer to see that he was in fact correct. The molecules in the evil body of the once upon a time human were just dissapearing. Finally he was gone. This time, Joe was sure.
" We have a lot of digging to do, so lets prepare to spend the night." Rauel suggested.
" No need, " Joe answered. " We have four magic users." He pointed to John, then Jake, and finally Amit. " Well, three." He said. " Can you guys get us out of here?"
" Sure," John answered, " But you're cooking once we're back." Three magic spells were fired at the wall of Mythinia. The rock colapsed to reveal the stream, rushing silently into the cave.
" This world is just so mysterious..." John inquired. " Why, for instance, will water only flow when it can? Why do we all have magical powers, or great strenghts? Just why?"
Joe stared at the reformed cave in thought. " I will explain my theory at camp. For now, grab Jude. I'm sure it is going to be a long walk.
Indeed it turned out to be. Taylor carried Jude on his back and out through the cave, in front of all but Axel and Rauel. The team walked though the tunnel for quite some time, winding and squinting only through the light provided by John, Amit, and Jake. Everyone was relieved when they felt a breath of wind from the outside.
John created a dirt bridge for everyone to walk over so as not to wet their feet more as they walked out. They walked about another two miles before reaching the campsite. " Marshmallow must be out hunting." Christopher said. " We were longer than expected. The late night air showed it was past nine pm, so they started a fire as to prevent the chill.
John grabbed a tarp out of his bag and put up a side of Joe's tent. It was actually surprising how big it was. It had fit eight people for at least four nights. With the tarp extention, though, all sixteen should fit snugly. After he melted the tarp on with fireaim, he directed himself toward the fire, where Jude was just stirring.
" W-what happened?" Jude questioned. He looked around. They were back at camp, away from Mythinea and the fire and ice caves. No more trouble...
" Naraf is gone." Amit remarked. " He knocked you unconcious as you went in for what could of been the final strike. But I got him. No worries."
" Hopefully not," he committed. " But he had nothing on bogeyman, seriously."
" I know what you mean," said the mage. The two began to laugh, but it didn't catch on.
They stayed up late, untill about one in the morning. When they awoke, Marshmallow had still not arrived. " Where is he?" Christopher asked tiredly from his sleeping bag. No one answered. He got up and looked outside. Only the coals of the fire remained. The sun shone over the surrounding mountains, making it feel like a definate morning. " I should not go looking alone."
He walked over to Brad and shook him awake. " What!" He said madly. He looked up at Christopher, who was looming over above.
" Marshmallow hasn't returned, and I need help looking for him. Come or not?" Brad thought about the offer then sat up.
" Fine, but I havn't taken a shower in ages. If we find even a trickle, I'll clean off." The two grabbed a backpack to fill with their clothes. Once filled, they each grabbed their weapons and walked out of the tent.
They were about to start on the path when they heard a voice from behind them. " Not going alone, are we?" They turned to see Joe standing there, fully dressed and packed. " Well, I don't think you have many potions from kevin, do you?"
The two's faces stayed blank. " Well, no, not really." Brad opened up his backpack. " We do have a couple Kawishi herbs, but thats it." He closed his backpack and looked to Joe.
" Well then, you'll need a healing mage. Maybe I can do some training with other people for once." Joe thought about what he just said, then again spoke. " I'll write a note. We can tell them to gather as many things as they can that's worth anything. Now, how long will we be away?" He grabbed a pen out of his bag and parchment from his pocket. " I'll just say we'll be gone for the day. Does that sound good?"
Christopher thought for a moment, then said, " Better make it two. All the better if we get back sooner." Joe nodded and finished the letter with a fast scribble. He walked inside the tent to set it down, then came out a moment later. He nodded as his feet carried him toward the two comrads, and the three began their quest to find Marshmallow. As they left, they had failed to notice the flame creeping toward their friend's camp.
Joebushy- Sorry it took so long for this chapter ( What, four months?). It seems I get a lot of writers block. Anyway, I'll begin on chapter 20 ( whoopie!) as soon as this chapter is uploaded to the site.