Golden Sun: The Sands of Time

Chapter 17: Pledges

It was already nighttime when Ivan and Sheba started back to the infirmary.

The hallway was blessedly devoid of people as Ivan descended from the tower, hand-in-hand with Sheba. He smiled, inwardly and physically at the same time.

"Sheba…" She looked up.

"Yes, Ivan?"

"Thank you."

Sheba tilted her head, perplexed. "For what?"

Ivan smiled, eyes far away, recalling the fateful day, over a year ago, when he had first laid eyes on her. "For being you."

A second later, he winced as he felt Sheba punch his arm lightly. "Doofus." Sheba smirked.

They were silent for a few more minutes until they journeyed arrived back at the medical ward. Ivan was about to open his mouth to tell Sheba something when, just then, there was a soft knock on the door, and Mia stepped in. "Oh, Ivan! You're awake!"

Ivan grinned. "Yeah. Guess I'm up."

"Hold still a minute." Walking over, she placed a hand on Ivan's temple, and a bluish glow surrounded both of them. As the effects of the psynergy dissipated, she opened her eyes, a wry smile on her face. "You're still going to need lots of rest before you're fully healed of your wounds, Ivan."

Ivan made a slightly dissatisfied noise and flopped down onto the bed. "My shoulder does feel a little sore…" He allowed.

"Good." Mia laughed. "Admitting your weakness is the first sign of changing. I'll check on you tomorrow, then." And with that, she left the room, silently closing the door behind her.

Sheba waited until Mia had left the room before turning to her fellow Jupiter adept. "You didn't tell her?" She asked teasingly. Ivan rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"Sheba, I'm still slightly in shock about this whole thing myself. Forgive me if I don't feel like announcing it to the whole world just yet."

Suddenly serious, he stood and walked over to her until he was standing right in front of Sheba, eye to eye.

And in the gloom of the sparsely lit area, he took her hands in his own. "Sheba, I want you to know… that I will stay by you. No matter what happens. No matter the consequences. I can't imagine life without you, Sheba. And I don't want to find out."

Sheba bowed her head, silent. Eventually, she began to speak as well. "Ivan… you've done so much for me already. I won't leave you either. For anything." She looked up into his eyes, feeling a strange tightness in her throat.

Ivan held her gaze. He loved her so much. He felt… light-headed. The wave of emotion rushing through him… Finally, he opened his mouth, and began to speak.

"I pledge myself to you, Sheba."

"I pledge myself to you, Ivan." She replied.

And in the darkness, Ivan's heart swelled with joy.

"So… king over a huge desert. Doesn't sound too appeal- ow!" Garet rubbed his sore shin from where Isaac had accidentally on-purpose kicked him.

Davion sighed. Isaac noted, somewhere in the back of his mind, that Davion had been sighing ever since they had been called to his chamber. He also noted that Davion had been staring out the window, at the city before him.

"Am I truly fit to lead them?" He questioned. "Am I truly fit to be a king? I could not stop my men from being decimated."

Isaac sighed and walked over. Placing a hand on Davion's shoulder, he hesitated a moment before speaking. "Look… Davion. I know that you're worried about your people. I know that you don't think you're fit to bear a weight as heavy as your father's mantle. But if you do not take up the throne, if you show them your doubt, then everything your father built up will be lost. You don't want that."

Davion snorted irritably. "Yes, Isaac. I am well aware that I must take up my father's place. I am also well aware that the people believe in me. What I am lacking, however, is my belief in myself." With yet another sigh, he began pacing the length of the hall. "Since young, I have been in the shadow of my father. I have always felt… diminutive in his presence. This has, unfortunately, carried on till now. Add that to the fact that I have very little experience in the way of leadership decisions, and…" He spread his arms in a gesture of helplessness. "What am I supposed to do?"

Just then, Felix entered the room. "Davion? There's a messenger from one of the northern towns."

"A shadow?" Davion questioned as he turned to face the messenger. The grim-faced elf nodded.

"Scouts have reported a strange shadow creeping throughout the area. When we sent a scouting party after them, they returned, completely terrified and delirious. More recent reports have led us to believe it's heading in the general direction of this city."

Davion sighed. It looked like his time wasn't going to be a bundle of roses for anyone involved. "Send out men to scout the area. Don't let anyone past the gates unless the say-so is given. And send men to search the individual houses." Davion was unhappily aware that there were over two thousand homesteads in Anthis alone. And he wasn't counting the castle itself, in which many refuges whose homes had been destroyed had been temporarily housed in that area. Gesturing, he indicated that the soldiers should leave now.

Felix stepped up. "You're going to have them search each and every individual house? That'll take forever."

"Tell me." Davion muttered. "Tell me."

Picard hurried through the streets, the clear light of Luna reflecting off the alabaster walkway.. Most of the guards around the area seemed worried for some reason. As he swerved through the crowd, he heard pits and pieces of a strange… object that had the entire city abuzz.

"… They shot arrows…"

" Passed right through!"

"Heading this way…"

"I'm worried…"

Picard cursed. He knew enough about morale and courage to realize that the elves, although victorious, were still on shaky feet. And if this new… foe came to challenge them? Picard shook his head. Not good. Not good at all.

Just then, he spotted what he was looking for. Hurrying up the steps, he circumvented the outer wall until he was standing in front of a huge pair of double doors. Opening it, he stepped inside.

Climbing the ladder that led to his ship's interior, he emerged a few seconds later, black orb in tow. There was something he wanted to try out, and now was as good a time as any.

Sheba's eyes fluttered open, as she glanced around the room she was in. The light of dawn filtered in through the window, bathing the entire room in a rosy glow. Stretching slightly, she let out a tiny sigh of contentment as she let her head fall back onto the pillow. Life was good.

Turning her head slightly, she smiled as she saw the bed's other occupant stir slightly. Ivan twisted around unconsciously, murmuring in his sleep. Bending over, she ran her fingers down his cheek. "Wake up, sleepyhead." She laughed.

Ivan stirred a few more seconds before blinking, his eyes squeezing shut the instant sunlight entered his eyes. "Ow." He muttered. "That stings."

Sheba had already climbed out of the bed by that time. Smirking, she offered a helping hand to Ivan, who accepted it gratefully. A second later, he let out a yelp as his foot caught the edge of the tangled bed sheet, and he collapsed to the ground.

"You know, I can't believe we went through the whole mess with the lighthouses calling Garet the clumsy one." Sheba laughed.

"Yeah, yeah." Ivan grumbled as she climbed to his feet.. "Spare me some dignity, will you?"

Sheba waited until Ivan had climbed to his feet, then drew him into a long embrace. "You know, I wonder what the others would say if they realized we've spent the night together."

"Come on! We've got all our clothes on!"

Sheba raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you never know. You know how those rumors always circulate about…"

"And poof! goes any chance of dignity." Ivan chuckled.

Sheba merely smiled before planting another long kiss on Ivan's lips, breathing in his scent. It reminded her of Spring, somehow. Clear and fresh, bursting with life and energy. Separating, she gazed once again into the violet eyes of the one she loved.

"My, you two make quite the couple. How sweet."

Instantly, Sheba and Ivan whirled, to face… a woman?

She sat on one of the wooden chairs, looking for all the world like an old granny taking a slight rest. She wore rough-looking clothes, much like those of the peasants in Lalivero, Sheba noted in the back of her mind. Her hair fell in curls around a wizened face, which held a wry smile, and gray eyes.

It was the eyes, for Sheba, that separated her from any ordinary old woman she had met. They were filled with… malice. Evil. Hatred for all things that lived, and her desire to blot all that from the world. Her chilling smile only served as a reminder to the fact that she was definitely not a kindly old granny.

"Who are you?" Ivan's eyes narrowed as he stared at the woman in front of him. She merely chuckled and stood up, eyes flashing purple for the briefest second before returning to their usual shade of gray.

"Ivan of Kalay and Sheba of Lalivero." She stated, looking at both of them meaningfully. Sheba found herself backing away from the woman. Something about her sheer presence commanded fear, and tension. Ivan, in the meantime, didn't seem so much cowed as shock.

"You… you…" He managed to stammer out. The woman's eye's flashed purple again, and she nodded. "Very apt, boy. I am a Jupiter adept like the both of you. Which may serve to explain just why I decided to enter this room. Like draws to like, after all." And she let a out a harsh cackle.

"What do you want?" Sheba finally managed to ask. The woman bit her lip, as if considering a difficult question. "Let me see…" She hissed. "Either one of you will do nicely. Yes, I want one of you to come with me."

"Like hell we will!" Ivan shot at her, before raising his arm. "Shine Plasma!"

Ivan watched the electrical bolts crackle around him before converging on the strange old woman… and dissipate completely. It merely seemed to have hit a wall of some sort. The strange lady's eyes flashed purple once more, and-

"AAHHHHH!!" Ivan cried out in agony as pain surged through his body. It didn't feel elemental, physical, or, or anything. Just pain… wave upon wave of his nerves frying one by one, again and again.

His eyes… they were burning, turning into white hot stars of fire.

Distantly, he could her Sheba shouting his name, trying to shake him out of it, but… nothing… nothing…

And with the agony, came a wave of emotion. Grief… woe…despair… He felt the rush of emotion, of agony, joining as one to create a whole new level of torment and grief, until he was sure he could not last, until he was sure he would break…

And then… and then… slowly, so slowly… the pain filtered out. It left, leaving him a lump on the floor, unable to move, unable to speak. Unable to even summon up the strength to conceal the pathetic whimpers he never knew he could make.

The woman stepped across the room to stare down at Ivan. "Unlike most of the Jupiter caste, however" She continued. "I prefer to hone my mental skills. After all, why bother to wield the powers of the sky… if you can wield powers of the mind?" Her eyes flashed purple again and Ivan was hurled across the room, to smash against the wall and slide slowly to the ground.

"You must note that this takes years of practice, however." She added. "Piddling youngsters like you can't possibly hope to master these capabilities so soon." As she shifted her gaze to the side, Ivan followed, and saw Sheba rooted to the ground, unable to move. The fury in her eyes, however, spoke volumes.

"Now," She spoke calmly and matter-of-factly, as if she were describing the weather. "I think I'll take the boy along with me. If only for the fact that he proved more entertaining." Her eyes flashed purple for the fifth time, and Ivan felt his eyelids growing heavy. "Sleep now, young one." She laughed. "Sleep and forget."

Ivan knew he had to stay awake, had to fight, and yet… so peaceful… so calm… He was drifting in an ocean of forgetfulness… of tranquility…

The last thing Ivan heard before he fell asleep was the woman addressing Sheba. "I suppose you'll want the boy back. If so, then come to the great northern mountains. The elves will know where it is."

Then the sea of oblivion washed over him, and he knew no more.