A/N: Hello everyone! I'm back with one helluva long chapter. Felix's POV isn't as long as I intended, sorry! I'll try to make it longer in another chapter. It was a two to one vote to Kolima, so Kolima they're going. And by the way, can you believe that Picard's name is now Piers? Ha ha ha! What a dumb name! But that's just me saying. If you like it you like it, I hate it. So anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 11
Felix's POV
So cold… In the name of Sol, why is it so cold?!
My body was numb in the frigid, arctic weather. To make matters worse, we were travelling to Imil in the middle of a blizzard! Travelling to Imil on foot from Bilibin takes two days! The icy winds felt like daggers on my skin. I was practically covered from head to toe in snow. I have to squint in order to see the others ahead of me since everything is white. Saturos, Menardi and Alex were a couple of metres ahead of me, while Jenna and Kraden lagged behind.
We were all trudging through knee-deep snow, so we weren't going real quickly. It might take us more than two days to reach Imil if this weather keeps up.
My nose was constantly running, which annoyed me like the cold annoyed me. I hate this weather.
I couldn't stop shivering as gust after gust of arctic wind swept around me; engulfing me in utter coldness and snow.
"Ah!"
I suddenly lost my footing and fell into a hidden pit of snow. The snow surrounded me and buried me. I got up quickly, spitting snow and water out of my mouth. Now I was wet. I'm going to freeze to death!
Jenna and Kraden caught up to me and saw me. They both chuckled shortly and shivered as another gust of wind blew past. "What are you doing in there?! You're gonna freeze to death!" Jenna said as she reached out her hand, her bare hand, for me to grab.
"Wasn't I freezing to death before I fell in the pit?!" I growled. I swatted the snow in rage and dug a path towards her. I grabbed her hand and pulled myself out of there.
I shivered like crazy. I couldn't stop it.
"You really are going to freeze to death!" Jenna cried out.
"So are you if we don't find shelter. You're not wearing any gloves! Or pants!" Kraden said in concern. Frost covered his already white beard and hair. He looked ridiculous. We all probably looked ridiculous.
I continued forward, tracing the footprints of Saturos, Menardi, and Alex who led the way. We were so far behind, I couldn't see them anymore. That worried me.
Where are they?
I took the lead. Hopefully, I'll block most of the wind for Jenna and Kraden. But it was dreadful for me… I was exhausted. Soon I'll be over my limits and I might collapse…
But I won't. I'll keep going. As long as I can hold out in this storm.
I got to keep going! Step after painful step seemed to take minutes, my legs felt frozen, my whole body was stiff and numb, and it was getting dark pretty fast.
Our situation was not good…
"Felix…" I heard Jenna say weakly. "I… I can't go on anymore…"
"Don't give up!" I shouted over the wind. "Stay strong, Jenna! I… We're almost there!"
I lied on the last part. There wasn't anything in sight but snow and trees. But hopefully it'll keep her going.
Where are they?
I draped my arms around my body, tightly to keep my self as warm as possible.
"Ah!" Jenna yelped. She stumbled and fell.
"Jenna!" Kraden cried. He helped her up but she fell back down. Her whole body was trembling.
"Jenna, get on my back." I said. She looked at me in surprise. She shook her head.
"I'll slow you down… Just… leave me here…" she said weakly.
"No way am I going to leave my own sister behind!" I shouted angrily. "Come on, get on my back!" I knelt down in front of her.
"Felix…"
"Quit fighting with me! Kraden, help her."
Kraden tried to help her up but she pulled away. "Felix, you're in no condition to carry me! Leave me! " she said.
"That doesn't matter! You're in no condition to continue on your own and I'm not leaving you. Now is not the time to argue! NOW get on my back!"
"You should listen to your brother, Jenna." said Kraden. He looked weary and concerned.
Jenna hesitated. "JENNA!" I hissed.
Why does she have to be so stubborn?!
"Alright! Alright!" she said finally. Kraden helped her up and she crawled onto my back.
Her body was cold against mine. I could feel her trembling. I got up slowly. I almost stumbled but I regained my balance.
"You're heavy…" I whispered meekly.
"Oh… shut up…" she countered softly.
It was pitch black all around us as night drew in. Nothing…I could see absolutely nothing. The blizzard still raged on.
"…Felix!"
I heard someone say. But, from where? The wind must have blown whoever's voice that is this far.
"Feeeeeeliiiiixxx!!" someone called again. It sounded like Menardi's. I followed that voice.
Jenna stirred on my back. "Did you hear that?" she whispered.
I nodded. It was getting difficult to focus… I felt light-headed….
"Feeeeeeliiiiiiiixxxxx!" It was Menardi's voice. It's getting louder, I must be close.
"It's them," I said, feeling more relieved.
Kraden heard it too. He walked up ahead. "Felix! Jenna! It's them! Come on!" he said as he lead the way.
He walked too fast for me to catch up. Jenna's weight was getting to me…. I could hardly move.
Keep going….. Keep going….
"Menardi! Look out!" I heard Saturos say.
There was a deep growl, then an echoing roar. Up ahead, I could barely make out five dark figures in the distance. Six, now that Kraden was among them.
Two of the shadows were abnormally taller than the other three. Plus, they looked like bears standing on two feet. Or maybe they are bears…
I saw a flash of blue as one of the other shadows, possibly Alex, cast a spell that knocked one of the bears down. Then I saw a flash of fiery red as Menardi, or Saturos, cast a fire spell that quickly vanquished the other bear into ash.
The bear that was knocked down never got back up…
Kraden shouted and waved, "Hey! Over here!"
"It's that old man!" I heard Menardi say.
I… I couldn't move anymore…
"Felix…?" Jenna whispered weakly.
My knees buckled below me and fell on them. My breathing was shallow… my muscles ached… my head was woozy…
I just want to sleep…
"Felix?" Jenna said again. "Felix?!" I felt her get off my back. I also heard footsteps coming towards us.
"Felix?! What's wrong?" Jenna cried with worry.
Silly Jenna, nothing's wrong…. We're safe…
But I didn't say anything. I was too exhausted…
"Ah! Felix! You're alright…. Right?" Menardi said.
I closed my eyes…. Oh, it felt good.
"It doesn't look like either of them will make it." I heard Saturos say. "Alex, isn't there a cave we could stay in?"
"No," Alex answered. "But… maybe I could make something like one…"
"What do you mean?"
"Heh heh heh. Just stand around me…" he said in such a calm manner it bothered me.
I opened my eyes to see. Alex stood in front of me, with his back turned to me. He had his arms slightly raised in front of him. A pale blue aura surrounded him. It was the only light source there was.
I could feel it… His Psynergy. It was a tremendous amount that no normal Adept could ever posses… It was definitely far more greater than mine. But, it was not as strong as Saturos' or Menardi's.
His hands started to tremble as was the ground. It surprised all of us. The ground shook even harder as large chunks, no, walls of ice erupted from the ground that rose above the treetops and curved inwards towards us, creating a ice dome. We were surrounded, no wait, protected by this ice dome.
I was so shocked afterwards as the trembling ground stopped. Alex's arms dropped suddenly to his side. He swayed a little on his feet.
He must've used a lot of Psynergy…
He turned around and met my gaze. I couldn't see his face too clearly, but I saw his blue eyes. They seemed to glow a little. Also, he didn't give me his usual cold stare, he gave me a worried look…
Am I seeing things?
"You alright?" he asked me in a hazy tone.
My head started to spin… faster and faster… I felt myself fall over. I heard muffled voices, but I ignored them. I just want to sleep…
…. sleep….
***********************************************************************************
Isaac's POV
"You call this a barricade? It's nothing but a bunch of crates stacked on top of each other with a door in the center with a big lock!" Garet cried out. "This is ridiculous, don't you guys say so?"
"Yup, nothing but boxes." Forge agreed.
"So then, how do we get past here? Knock them down?" Ivan asked.
I shrugged, "We could climb over. If Kolima is a dangerous place to go to then we should prevent other people from coming in by leaving the barricade alone."
"Hey, how about we burn it down!" Garet suggested, totally ignoring what I just said.
"WHAT did I say before?!" I asked him impatiently.
He scratched his head nervously, "Oh… Right."
"There he goes with the fire again…" Flint muttered. "Such reckless action…"
"Hey! I'm not reckless!" Garet replied.
Ivan and I both raised a brow at him. "What?" he asked.
"You're as reckless as ever, Garet. Now, let's climb over," I said as I looked for a ledge I could use for footing. Not much luck finding any… It was amazing at how precise the people who built it had lined the crates together so perfectly.
"Hey! Look at this!" Ivan called out. "This crate isn't supporting any other crates, so we can move this one without knocking the barricade down."
He was right. The lone crate at the far edge near the river can be easily moved.
Garet stood beside it. "'Kay, I'll move it. Stand back."
He cast 'Move' to move the crate to the side, revealing an opening. He grinned and lead the way. I moved the crate back in place.
Yup, we all decided to go to Kolima instead of Imil. Actually, I decided for all of us since, somehow, I was the leader.
So we trekked on the path that lead to Kolima. Garet hummed his familiar tune of Vale when suddenly he let out a cry of triumph. "Alright!"
I gave him a weird look, but he continued. "Heh, I finally remember the last part!"
"Of your song?" I asked.
He nodded. "Yeah, listen to the full version now:" He cleared his throat and began:
'The road is long and winding
But you most never give up
For the end is closer then you think
So sing loud and cheerfully
While you still can
Cause soon you will be home
With your journey being a fading memory
So sing loud and cheerfully
Dance with the lady
That dances among the leaves
And do not fret about the end
So sing loud and cheerfully!"
"Bravo!" I cheered while I was trying to suppress my laughter. I was doing a terrible job of it though. Ivan's giggling had sent be bursting into hysterical laughter. The Djinn laughed along with us and soon, a red-faced Garet chimed in as well.
We giggled all the way, till we saw a tree-like village. Must be Kolima.
The closer we got, the more amazed at how the village was made. People actually lived inside trees. The tree stumps were the size of a small house. It was like in those stories of elves I've read in books. It was like a fairy-tale village. The creepiest thing though, was that there were more of those human-like trees all over the place…
"Quite disturbing… looking at these trees." I mumbled.
Ivan approached one and touched it. He jumped back like it bit him. Fear ran over his eyes…
"Ivan? What's wrong?" Garet asked him.
"This tree… it was a person." Ivan answered.
I looked at each tree. They were so human… "All the people must have been turned into trees…" I said. "But how?"
Garet and Ivan shrugged. Ivan stared at the trees again, with a confused look. "Look. There's all this sparkly stuff everywhere… What do you think it is?" he asked, cautiously.
Sparkly stuff? I looked at the ground, it was shimmering like diamonds in the sun.
Suddenly I felt a wave of energy hit me, knocking me to my knees. I tried to get up but my body wouldn't move…
"Ahh! What's happening?!" Garet cried out.
Ivan screamed, "My mind! Someone's attacking my-"
He didn't finish as we all lost control of our body. We collapsed onto the ground. My body was completely limp.
"Isaac!" It was Flint. "Hang in there! Gust, what's happening?!"
"I..I don't know!" the Jupiter Djinn replied. "Look! The sky!"
I moved my eyes to the sky and saw the same sparkly stuff that was on the ground, falling towards us!
"That sparkly stuff must be what turned those people into trees!" Ivan gasped, "We have to get out of here!"
I tried to move but nothing moved!
Damn it! Move!
"I can't move!" Garet and I both screamed.
I heard them struggling. It's no use…
It was getting closer…closer… closer…
I closed my eyes and waited for my inevitable end….
….I waited… waited……waited……and waited…. Eh? I don't feel anything.
I opened my eyes. The sparkly stuff was still falling, but it fell around me. There was a blue barrier around me. "Isaac! Are you okay?" Flint asked. He was by my side. I tried to nod.
"What's going on?" I asked him.
"Just wait…" he said. I continued to watch the shower of sparkly stuff as it slowly ceased.
Garet was the first to speak, "Isaac…What just happened to us?"
"Don't know…" I answered.
"There were barriers around us… I think they saved us."
"I agree. Those domes… I think it was our Psynergy." Ivan said.
"What? What are you talking about?" Garet asked. I heard him move. "I didn't use any Psynergy!….Hey! I can move! Guys, get up!"
I moved my arm and it responded. Yes! I climbed to my feet. The slight numbness quickly disappeared.
Ivan got up, "Those barriers… I'm sure it was our Psynergy acting on it's own, to protect us."
"What?" Garet asked, dumbfounded .
"Let's just say that it acted like a internal defensive system. So when we are in danger, our Psynergy will protect us in a way." Ivan continued.
"Hey, that's pretty neat. If we can master using it anytime we want, I'm sure it'll help us defeat Saterus and Melody!" Garet exclaimed.
"It's Saturos and Menardi." I corrected him.
He rolled his eyes as usual. "Whatever."
"Lookout!" Gust warned us. The sky began to rain with that sparkly stuff again. The protective barriers formed around us once again, preventing the sparkly stuff from touching us.
A loud, booming voice erupted the sky, "Hroom! Why don't they turn into trees?"
Where was it coming from?
A softer, more feminine voice spoke, "Who are they? What people are these who are immune to Tret's glamour?"
I looked around the treetops. There wasn't anybody…
"Have they come to save that village with their strange powers?" the voice continued. "It will not be enough to save the people of Kolima."
Not enough? What does that mean?
The booming voice spoke again, "They earned their fate… Kolima took their axes to me, and now I shall take mine to them!"
The softer, gentler voice spoke, "You children may not know this…but we are dying."
Flint gasped quietly on my shoulder. "That cannot be…" he whispered.
"And Kolima Forest will wither and die when we are gone." she continued.
"We are not the only ones who will die, Laurel." the booming voice said, "Once we are gone, they, too, will go!"
"No…" Flint whispered, shaking his head.
"Tret was once a kindly forest king. But he is slowly dying, and his heart has been torn into two…" the one called Laurel, said sadly.
"His wrathful side turned the people of Kolima into trees. The kind Tret speaks no more." she continued.
Tret laughed a booming laugh that broke though the sky, "Hroom! The kindly heart invites destruction… I need no kindness!"
"If you wish to save those whom Tret have turned into trees, you must wake his gentle side." Laurel spoke, sadly, "But… if you cannot stop Tret from withering… we all will… Look for Tret deep within the forest."
"It's no use, Laurel! Humans cannot be trusted!" Tret warned. "I shall die… and the rest of the forest will die with me!" His voice echoed as the sparkly rain stopped.
I shook my head. This wasn't what I expected… The forest cannot die. No one should die. I won't let that happen.
"This wasn't what I expected to happen," I said. "We should hurry to the forest and save Tret!"
"I know we should… but what do we do?" Ivan asked, uncertain.
"We," I said, "are going to look for the kind side of Tret. Then we try to heal him… somehow…"
"Isaac," Flint said, "Tret is the oldest and wisest tree in the world. You mustn't let him die!"
I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Flint. We're going to save him, and the people of Kolima. Right guys?"
Garet rubbed his chin, "Hey, if Isaac says so, then we are."
Ivan nodded and smiled as well, "I agree. Let's hurry!"
"Wait!" Forge called, "I sense another Djinn nearby…. Over there!" He hopped off Garet's shoulder and bounded towards a wooden fence. Inside the pen was another Venus Djinn that looked exactly like Flint.
"Oy, Granite! That you?" Forge asked the little Venus Djinn. It looked over at us with sheer happiness.
"Forge?!" It said. It's voice was much, much higher than the rest of the other Djinn. This must be a female.
"Heh, it is you! Hey Flint, found your sister," Forge said.
Flint jumped happily off my shoulder and landed inside the pen. "Granite, I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried. What are you doing in this pen?"
I saw specks of tears in both their eyes as they gently rubbed their heads together. "After the eruption, I found myself here. The humans that were here took care of me. But, look what happened to them! They're trees!" Granite then looked towards me, "Flint, is that boy…"
Flint nodded, "He is now my master. Granite, would you challenge Isaac?"
Granite cocked her head to the side and smiled. "I don't need to."
Forge interrupted, "Aww! Not you too! Come on! Don't tell me you're going to wimp out on this scrawny, little kid?!"
I glared at him. He stuck out his little, pink tongue at me.
Granite sighed, "Oh Forge, you're always the same. You know I'm against such violence. If there's no need for a fight, then there's no need. Besides, if Flint already trusts the boy, so can I." With that said, she jumped out of the pen landed in front of me. "Isaac, is it? I, Granite, Venus Djinn of strength, will be honoured to join you in your quest. If you accept… that is…"
I grinned, "I accept. I, too, feel honoured to have you by my side, Granite."
She cheered and hopped onto my shoulder. Flint hopped onto my other one. I probably looked ridiculous with them….
"Umm, you two, if you don't mind, could you guys hide in my bag?" I asked them.
They both cocked their heads to the side. "Why?" they both asked.
"It's just that… um, never mind."
Granite chuckled, "Are you embarrassed to have us on your shoulders?"
"I guess…"
"Just think of us as parrots on a pirate. And you're the pirate."
Garet and Ivan laughed at me. I stuck out my tongue at them. "I'm not a pirate. Well, you two can stay there for now, but when we are in a town or something, hide in my bag, okay? So people won't think you're monsters are anything."
Granite shrieked, "I look like a monster?!"
"Ya sure do!" Forge said, laughing his little head off.
Granite started to flush with anger. "How dare you, Forge!" she puffed, "I'll.. I'll rip you apart!"
She began to glow yellow…
"Granite, calm down! Forge was just joking!" Flint cried out with worry.
The ground began to shake! Granite was using Psynergy!
The trembling knocked all of us off balance so we fell on our butts.
"Flint's right! I was only joking! Now, please stop making that earthquake!" Forge cried.
The ground stopped trembling instantly. Granite glared fiercely at Forge, "You better be!" she yelled. Then she smiled at me like nothing happened…
"So Isaac, where are we going?" she asked sweetly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kolima Forest was practically like autumn. All the leaves were red, yellow, orange, and brown. Each gust of wind blew them off their branches, creating a beautiful sight. But, beautiful as it was, the trees didn't look too good; some were withering, some were already dead. There were large clearings where many trees once stood, now in their place were cleanly cut tree stumps. Some of the chopped down trees were still on the ground, dying away. It was a sad sight.
Every time I was alone in the woods, I could always hear these noises. What they were, I guessed it was the trees. It was like a humming noise. A sweet, gentle hum that I could hear in my head. Garet and Jenna couldn't hear it, so I figured it was because they didn't concentrate enough. They thought I was crazy because I could hear the trees sing. I didn't care. Their humming was soothing and relaxing.
But now, in Kolima Forest, I could only hear slight whispers and murmurs coming from the trees. Was it because they were dying?
'Isaac, do you hear that?'
What the-?! Who said that?!
'Don't worry, it's only me, Flint.' I looked over at him. He winked. 'You may not know this, but you and I have a telepathic bond with each other.'
I raised a brow at him. 'Give it a try, speak with your mind.' he continued.
You mean, like this? I just have to think of the words to say, right?
He smiled, 'Yes, that's right. I can read your thoughts, you can read mine. Granite can as well. Right, Granite?'
'Yup!' came Granite's voice.
'We have this connection because you are a Venus Adept and we are Venus Djinn. We share the same Psynergy. Forge and Garet have the same together, as does Ivan and Gust. All creatures who share the same Psynergy have a telepathic bond with each other. Now listen, do you hear those whispers?'
I nodded.
'Those trees are sad and vengeful for what those people of Bilibin have done to their friends and especially what they have done to Tret. With their last breath, they are grieving their fate… Isaac, if you concentrate deeply, you can hear what they are saying.'
I took a deep breath and focused. Still, I could only hear whispering, nothing else.
"This place is like it's in the middle of autumn, but it's early summer!" Garet said, breaking my concentration.
Ivan nodded, "It's really sad… All these trees are dying."
I took another deep breath and toned their voices out.
'Isaac? Try channelling a little Psynergy to a tree.'
I concentrated on summoning a little Psynergy in my hand. A very faint, golden glow appeared. I directed the energy to a passing tree.
Suddenly, I heard the words the tree was whispering…
'Humans…humans…. Why? Why did you do this to Tret? Our guardian… our life force… We die… we die because of you…'
The voice faded as we got farther away from it. Did you…?
Flint nodded, 'We both heard it. This is too horrible… Isaac, try talking to them now. Ask them if we can save Tret.'
What?! Talk to them? How?
'Speak to them like you're speaking to me. But first, you need to channel more Psynergy this time.'
I concentrated a little harder. A faint glow appeared and I directed it towards another passing tree. I slowed down a little.
Can you hear me, tree?
A harsh whisper answered me. 'Human. Begone. Leave me be. I want to die in peace.'
Wait! I… I want to ask if you could be so kind to tell me how I can save your guardian, Tret.
'Ha ha ha ha! A human wants to save our guardian?! Fool. What is done cannot be reversed. Your kind has lead us to our fate!'
How can you say something like that?! Your king… your guardian is dying and you suggest no aid?
'Don't make me laugh, child. There is nothing, nothing you can do to save our king. A human cannot undo what a human has already started.'
Not all humans are the same. We all make mistakes. But we all can also fix them.
'You are the only human that has spoken to me and yet, you are only a child. Foolish boy, this mistake cannot be fixed, as you say. Your kind has brought those wretched axes to our kin. What do you expect us to feel for you? We all hold hatred and vengeance. Now, begone! Your kind is unwanted on these lands.'
No. I will not leave until you tell me what I can do to save your king. I'm trying to help you and all your friends! Don't tell me that there is nothing I can do, please!
'Stubborn child.'
Please! I promise you and your kind that I will save Tret. Please. Help me.
'…Boy, what is your name?'
Huh? It's Isaac…
'Isaac… If all humans were like you, we would never live with fear. If only…'
What are you saying?
'…The Tret you see will not be the Tret you seek. The kind side of Tret lies within. Awaken Tret's kind side…. That is all I can say.'
…Thank you. I promise I'll save him. I promise.
"Hey Isaac, why are you standing all the way back there?" Garet yelled.
I didn't realized I stopped. I scratched my head nervously. "Uh, nothing. Thought I heard something…" I lied. Well, partially lied. I did hear a tree talk after all.
I wasn't sure if I should tell him that I could talk to trees. I should practise it more first so I could get used to it. I'll tell him later. He'll probably think I'm crazy again.
"What did you hear?" he asked when I caught up to him.
I shrugged. "I think it was only a bee… Garet, behind you!"
Two huge bees, both the same size as a sparrow, were heading straight for him! He won't get out of the way in time!
Without thinking about it, I shoved Garet out of the way. I tried to get down as quickly as possible but one of the bees struck my left arm with their enormous stingers. And it was the most painful thing I have ever felt…In an instant, my whole arm went numb. It was completely useless.
I drew out my sword with my one good arm. Garet got up and drew out his. Ivan was already prepared, he raised his stick, err, staff, ready to defend any attack.
The two bees zoomed around us, looking for an opening to attack, possibly. They were fast, it was hard to keep both eyes on both of them. One of them went straight for Ivan and the second soon followed.
Ivan saw this and waved his staff, err stick, I mean staff, in the air. "Whirlwind!" he cried. I felt powerful gusts of wind, that picked up the fallen leaves, blow towards the bees. They were caught in the cyclone of leaves and became disoriented that they fell to the ground. Right then, my body started to numb. My legs went out from under me that I fell on my hands and knees.
"Isaac! What's wrong?" Garet said with concern.
I couldn't move. My whole body was numb. I tried to speak, but my mouth wouldn't move. I felt nothing… I didn't even know if I was breathing…
"Isaac! Come on! Say something! What's wrong?!" Garet cried.
The only sound I could make was a whimper.
"Ivan! Something's wrong with Isaac!" Garet called out with fear.
Ivan quickly came to my side and touched my forehead. I could see a purple aura surround him. He was reading my mind.
"It's the bee's venom. It's paralyzing him." Ivan said. I saw him take out a small, brown bottle. "An elixir should cure him." With that, he took the cap off, tilted my head up, and poured the foul -smelling, brown liquid into my mouth.
In the name of Sol! The concoction tasted foul! It was disgusting! Far more worse than mom's all-purpose medicine formula.
I wanted to gag but my body was still numb. After a few seconds, I felt a tingling sensation in my arms and legs. Feeling was slowly coming back to my body. When all feeling was returned, I stuck out my tongue. "EWWW! What on earth is that stuff?! YUCK! YUCK! YUCK!" I gagged.
Ivan laughed. "It's an elixir. It heals severe numbness, dizziness, and drowsiness. You should've brought some with you, they're quite handy."
"Ugh! The taste is still in my mouth!" I drank all the water in my water bottle, rinsing my mouth, trying to get rid of the awful taste. But that didn't work.
"Don't worry about it, Isaac. The taste will go away soon. How's your arm?" Ivan asked as he giggled.
My arm was swollen and sore. Nothing I can't heal. "Just swollen. I can heal it."
"Whew, I was worried there a minute ago. Don't scare me like that again!" Garet said.
I smirked, "You don't have to worry about me, you know. Whenever we're in battle, always worry about yourself first."
"Hey, you didn't." he said.
I shrugged, "I acted without thinking. So I couldn't help it."
"Well, don't act before you think. You could get yourself killed," he said with concern.
I nodded. "I'll try not to. By the way, what happened to those bees?"
"I finished them off…" Ivan said timidly.
"I see…" I said. "Why do you think they're that big? Normal bees are never that big."
Garet shrugged. "Maybe it's because of Tret. That sparkly stuff of his might've affected them somehow."
"Maybe…" I said. I placed a hand over my wound, and closed my eyes. I concentrated on healing myself; summoning Psynergy from my body, into my body. It's strange how Psynergy works. I felt a warmness emanating from my hand. The pain disappeared and my arm was back to normal; no huge bee sting.
"You can heal?" Ivan asked in awe. "Amazing! I've never seen a healing spell being performed."
"Yup, I can heal. But only small wounds. Not major ones. Someday I can, maybe." I said. I felt a little ashamed of myself. Garet already knows lots of different Psynergy spells, while I only know how to heal and move objects. The one thing I'm trying to master was to make an earthquake. But every time I try, I can't seem to summon enough energy.
Why is that? I'll have to ask Flint later on.
So we continued on, following the clearings in the forest. I knew where we were heading, we were heading towards the largest, most tallest tree in the forest, Tret. We all could see his trunk, but not the top because we were getting quite close.
"Look, up ahead." Flint whispered. Before us stood the second tallest tree, must be Laurel. Her beautiful feminine face showed weariness. I approached her…
Her eyes fluttered open. "Who are you?" she asked weakly. Then her eyes widened, "Oh! You are the ones who resisted Tret's glamour?"
I nodded.
She smiled, "I sense a great warmth within you…" Her smile faded as she said, "If you came to rescue Tret, then you are already too late."
I looked over at Tret, he didn't look too good…
"Soon, Tret will die, and we shall wither away without him." she continued. "Leave now, before this forest is destroyed." She then closed her eyes.
"I'm not giving up now." I said to her, but she didn't respond.
I walked over to Tret. His eyes were closed, he didn't look alive at all. "Tret?" I said softly.
No response from him, but the same booming voice from before spoke, "Hroom! He will not speak to you, child!"
It sounded like it came from within Tret…
"I control all of Tret's realm!" the voice faded away.
Ivan gently touched Tret and started to mind read him. "He's still alive, but… I sense something else inside of him. Could it be the wrathful side of Tret?" Ivan wondered.
"It must be…" I said. "The voice that spoke to us… it came from within Tret. The kind Tret must be inside!"
If the tree that I spoke to was right, then we must somehow find a way inside of Tret. But how?
"We might be able to climb inside on those vines," Ivan pointed to the dangling vines hanging from Tret's branches.
I looked up and saw a large hole in the trunk. I nodded, "Let's hurry!"
I grabbed the vines and climbed. The vines weren't very green. They, too, were withering. Inside Tret was dark. It smelled of ancient wood.
I felt a certain comfort being inside of here. I wonder if I could speak to Tret?
'Isaac! Don't!' Flint warned. He must've read my thoughts. 'If you do, then the evil side of Tret will know you're here!' He warned.
Doesn't he know already? I mean, we are inside of him.
'I don't think he's aware of us. If he was, then he would have screamed or threatened us to get out.'
"Hey look, there's a hole in the centre," Ivan pointed out.
Yeah, there was a hole, right in the centre of this level. There was something down there… I could feel an evil force seeping out of the hole…
"Should we jump in?" Ivan asked.
I nodded, "Yeah. The evil Tret must be down there. I can feel something evil from within…"
Garet rubbed his chin, "You're freaking me out. I don't feel anything."
I looked over at him and he cocked a brow at me. "You don't feel anything?"
He shook his head, "Uh, no… Am I suppose to?"
"Hmph. Ivan, do you sense anything?" I asked him.
Ivan shrugged. "Not really…" he said quietly.
'Odd,' Flint mind spoke, 'I feel it too. How can they not sense it?'
How should I know? Should we go in?
'Yes, but be careful. You'll never know what might be down there.'
"Whatever," I said out loud. "Let's go down. Be on your guard everyone."
I was first to jump. I fell a few meters down and landed hard on my feet on the floor below. A strong musty smell of old wood wafted over me. It was a little dark, I could still see clearly. Garet and Ivan landed beside me with a thud. The evil feeling was very strong here.
Up ahead of me was another face of Tret. Was this the gentle side of Tret?
We approached him cautiously. "Hroom!" Tret cried out, scaring me half to death. "You! You hoped to find my kindly self?" he growled. "Fools! You should never have come here, now you shall never leave!"
"What do you mean?!" Garet yelled at him.
Tret gave him a cold stare, "Your powers protected you in the forest, but you are in the heart of my power!"
That made nervous.
"Here, you shall all become trees, and you will wither and die with the rest of us!" he roared.
I felt a powerful surge of evil energy surround Tret as his face floated out of the wall. The energy formed icy blue flames around him. He was now a giant, floating head.
I felt so much evil energy…
We all drew out our weapons, prepared for battle. Tret smirked, "Pathetic humans, feel my wrath! Dark vines of hatred! Strangle them!"
There was movement underneath my feet. Suddenly, black, thick vines shot out the ground and swung at us. One wrapped around my left leg, but I managed to hack it off as soon as another tangled my right arm, which was my sword arm. I grabbed my sword with my left and hacked at the vine. More vines came and wrapped around my whole body, preventing me from moving. They tightened and tightened until it got to a point were it got painful.
"Agh! I can't move!" I cried in panic.
"Hold on!" I heard Garet cry out. "Ivan!"
I heard Ivan yelp in pain as I saw him trip and fall to the ground. The vines quickly wrapped around him, holding him down.
"That's it!" I heard Garet say, "It's time for my all-time solution! Fire!"
I felt immense heat coming from Garet's direction as he powered up a 'Fire' spell. Flaming balls of fire burst from Garet's hand and disintegrated the vines upon impact. It cut the connection of the vines that held both Ivan and I down. I was free!
Tret roared in rage, "How dare you!"
"Isaac! Use me in battle!" Flint called out on my shoulder.
I nodded, "Alright, lets go, Flint!"
I charged head on towards Tret. In the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of yellow, then I felt my sword flow with energy. My sword was now a golden blade!
"Hurry and attack him before my energy disappears!" Flint cried. I rushed through the whipping vines in my way. Tret noticed me advancing. "Fool! Thorns of vengeance! Tear them to shreds!" he summoned. Thicker, black vines, covered in thorns came up this time, blocking my way. I sliced through them with my golden blade, real easily. It was like cutting through butter. Tret saw this and tried to summon again, but I swung and struck him right before the golden glow of my sword vanished. Tret roared in pain as he was blown to the side.
I grinned. Tret scowled at me. "Die!" he roared. He took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, blowing chunks of stone out of his mouth! There was no way I could avoid it!
"Quick! Use me!" Granite yelled in haste.
"Granite!" I called. She glowed the same yellow as Flint. Suddenly I felt a strong aura in front of me. The chunks of rock collided into an invisible barrier in front of me. I felt the impact of the rocks, but no pain.
I smirked at my two Djinn. "You guys sure are handy." I said.
They nodded. "Now Isaac, our energy is still floating around. Gather it and summon!"
Tret roared in rage again. "How can this be?! Die! Die!"
More thick, black vines with thorns came out of the ground and whipped towards us. Garet let out another streak of flame, destroying most of the vines. But no matter how much damage he does, more kept on coming back. Ivan stayed behind Garet, providing backfire by unleashing Gust's power into battle.
"I summon Jupiter!" Ivan yelled at the top of his lungs. He raised his arms into the air. Glowing, purple energy began to materialize above him, forming a giant Jupiter Djinn. The Djinn shot out powerful bursts of wind Psynergy towards Tret, that destroyed all the vines. Tret was knocked back, but he was still standing. The giant Djinn disappeared into a wisp of light.
"Isaac, it's your turn to summon! Hurry, summon Venus! Gather mine and Granite's energy just like how Ivan did!" Flint yelled.
I nodded and held my arms up. I could feel it… I could feel their energy hanging in the air. I concentrated, ignoring the noisy battle in front of me. Tret was glowing with so much anger, the ground began to tremble. I ignored it. I kept my concentration on the energy that flowed towards me. I felt it get stronger and stronger until I saw it materialize into golden energy.
"I summon Venus!" I cried out. The energy formed into a giant Venus Djinn.
'I will aid thee. Guide me to your target.' I heard it spoke!
There was no time to look amazed, so I said, telepathically, There! Aim for Tret!
Without wasting any time, the Djinn let loose some earth-shattering Psynergy that violently pounded into Tret, then disappeared in a wisp of light.
"Arrrgh!" Tret screamed as he vanished into thin air.
The battle was over. I was worn out… it felt like I had just used Psynergy all day, but I hadn't even used any in battle!
I looked over at Garet and Ivan. They too, were worn out. They both were breathing heavily, as was I.
"Oh…Mmmm…" I heard a soft whimper from where Tret's face was. His face was there again, but he looked a little different than the one before, more kinder, more gentle. "What… what has happened to me?" he asked us.
"You…" I began, but I didn't want to finish it. He looked so innocent…
"Was I… I see… My heart was all but lost in rage." he said softly. He took a shaky breath, "And you defeated the evil within me?"
I nodded. He smiled. "Thank you. I could not leave this world with so much evil in my heart."
Flint and Granite both let out a sob. "Don't say such things, Tret. You're not going anywhere!" Flint cried.
"Flint?" the wise, old tree asked. "It's been awhile. You and Granite both look well. Where are the others?"
Flint was near tears as he answered, "They… they… We got separated when Mt. Aleph erupted. Now we're searching for them with Isaac and his friends."
Tret gave me a sad smile, "Thank you, great warriors. I can leave this world with no regrets."
"Please don't go, Tret!" Granite sobbed. Tears streaked down her little chubby cheeks.
Tret smiled at her, "I'm sorry, Granite. It's almost my time…"
"Wait!" Garet called out. "You can't just die like this! We need your help. You must turn all the people of Kolima that you've turned into trees back to normal."
"I turned the people of Kolima into trees?" Tret asked with shock. "Hroom! I must turn them back before they die with the forest!"
He closed his eyes. I felt a weak flicker of Psynergy pass by. "I can't do it…" Tret said, weakly. He looked exhausted. "My power no longer reaches Kolima…" He took a deep, shaky breath. "People of Kolima… forgive me…" His voice echoed as he faded away.
"Wait!" Garet cried. Then he stamped his foot in frustration. "Argh! What do we do now?"
Everyone looked at me. I looked away. "Let's… Let's get out of here."
"But what about Tret?" Ivan asked. "We must heal him!"
"I know that!" I snapped. "But how? There's nothing I can do… I can't heal a tree."
"You're right…" Ivan said.
We climbed up the leftover vines from the battle and left the inside of Tret. Tret's branches were drooping, and the leaves were nothing but brown. He looked so… dead.
I promised that tree that I would save him and Tret. I promised. I never break a promise and I never will!
I sent out some Psynergy towards Tret as we descended from the hole.
Do you hear me, Tret?
'…Who is-- Isaac?' I heard him respond. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at me.
Tret, please listen to me. You're not going to die. I promise you. Tell me, is there some way I can heal you?
He closed his eyes. 'I'm sorry, child. There is nothing you can do.'
Agh! Why do you have to make this so difficult?! You can't just give up! All these trees… They're your friends. You can' t just let them all die!
'Child, please stop…. I don't want to bear any more pain… My heart is already torn too much… I ask all my kin to forgive me…'
I promised one of the trees… I promised him that I will save you. I'm not breaking that promise.
'Your heart is so kind, my boy. If only I knew you sooner…'
He closed his connection to me. I tried to plead with him, but he ignored me.
Garet and Ivan were already walking past Laurel, while I was slowly taking step after step away from Tret. I sighed. What can I do to save Tret?
'Young one,' I heard a gentle voice in my head. 'Don't lose faith now.'
I saw Laurel smile weakly, but her eyes remained closed. 'There might be a way to heal Tret. The healing waters of the Mercury Lighthouse would heal him, but the fountains have long since dried up…'
The Mercury Lighthouse? Where is that?
'Near a small village named Imil, up to the northwest of here. Young one, if you solely do want to save Tret, you have my best wishes. Your heart is pure, and your determination is strong. I will always remember you…'
Please wait for me, then. I will come back with the water. I promise, just wait for me.
Her smile widened. I jogged up to Garet and Ivan.
"Come on! Let's hurry to Imil!" I said. I began to run.
"Imil? Why?" Garet asked as he ran behind me.
I grinned. "I know how to save Tret. And also," I said, flatly, "that's where the Mercury Lighthouse will be."
**************************************************************************************
Felix's POV
Ugh. I woke up with a massive headache and a stiff, and painful body. A small fire was built in front of me, emanating a source of heat and light among the darkness. Someone's back was against mine, propping me up in a sitting position. There was a weight on my shoulders, it was Jenna. She had fallen asleep beside me. But I could feel the burning of fever through my clothes. Jenna's sick… She was propped up against someone's back as well.
"You're awake." the person I was lying against, said. It was Alex. "Get some more sleep, you and Jenna both have a high fever."
A fever? I felt chills run through my body and I shuddered. "Where's Saturos and Menardi?" I asked, weakly.
"They're somewhere in the dome, speaking to each other so we can't eavesdrop on them." Alex answered, emotionless. "Go to sleep. Once my strength returns, I'll heal you."
I shifted into a more comfortable position. Alex's warm back, and Jenna's body heat were soothing. I looked down at the top of Jenna's violet hair. It was red in the light of the fire.
The ground we were sitting on was charred earth. Saturos and Menardi must've done this… I could hear slight murmurs coming from somewhere in the darkness.
I rested my head on Jenna's. "Will we make it tomorrow?" I asked with sleep lulling me.
Alex sighed. "Depends. If the blizzard doesn't stop by morning, we'll have to stay here a little longer. You and Jenna are also in no condition to continue."
I groaned. It was silent around us except for the howling wind around blowing around the dome. The dome was the size of a house and as tall as a tree. How thick the walls were, I didn't know, it was hard to see. More chills ran through my body and I shuddered uncontrollably.
"Kraden, move in closer." I heard Alex say. The body Jenna was lying on shifted in closer that I could feel his body heat.
Jenna woke up from the movement. She sat up slowly, confused. I pulled her back down beside. "You should stay close, you have a fever." I whispered to her. Her eyes lighted up when she saw me.
"Felix, are you okay?" she whispered softly. I nodded. "Good. I was really worried about you." She smiled weakly. I smiled back.
"Jenna, you and Felix should rest." said Kraden. He sounded weary.
"I'm thirsty," Jenna moaned.
Kraden chuckled softly. "Too bad there's not much snow left, those two feisty people melted it all away, almost melting the dome."
I felt Alex stiffen. "I had to reform the ice along the bottom. Such drastic actions had cost me my strength." Alex snarled bitterly.
We were all silent after. Alex spoke up, "Here." I sensed him use a little bit of his Psynergy. He reached over his back and opened his hand. There was a small block of ice. I grabbed it and gave it to Jenna. She stuck the whole thing in her mouth.
"It's not poisoned, is it?" she said with a mouthful of ice.
Alex laughed quietly. "My darling, of course it's not. If it was, you'd be dead by now."
Jenna made stuck out her tongue and made a face at Alex's back. I snickered.
"Quit fooling around and get some sleep." he said, "And don't make faces at me."
Jenna froze, "I wasn't making any faces! I was just… shocked at how cold the ice is."
"Hmph." was Alex's respond.
Jenna rested her head on my shoulder and I rested mine on her head. "Do you think we'll make it?" she whispered.
I fingered the necklace Remli had given me. I wanted to see her little smile again, and I know I will.
"You worry too much, Jenna. Of course we'll make it. Of course…" I trailed off as I fell into a deep slumber.
A/N: Ah, I've finally finished. So give me some feedback on this chapter. Thanks again, Snoopy6458, for letting me use your song. You should be proud that Garet's managed to remember! He he he! Bye now!