Me: AHHHH Sorry you guys for the lack of updates! Life caught up to me, whacked me with a baseball bat, then left me in the dust. Then when I finally have time... OH NOES what's that in the sky!? It's WRITER'S BLOCK! -smash-
Breeze: Neato your first writer's block moment! Must've been fun
Me: It was NOT. Anyway, here's something for you guys...
--
Chapter 5- Troubles in Imil
The door opens and a rush of icy cold air fills the room. In comes a hooded figure whose coat and dress is decorated with various patterns of blue and lavender and is holding a shining, white staff tipped with an ankh. The figure removes the hood, revealing blue silky hair neatly tied in a ponytail and matching blue eyes. She closes the door behind herself to prevent any further heat from escaping. She walks down the center aisle of the sanctum, the benches on both sides filled with people suffering from bad burns, broken limbs, and other injuries with their families. Those in even the greatest of pain smile at the sight of her.
At the foot of the sanctum's altar lay a teenage boy. Kneeling at his side was a younger girl of about age twelve, with amber hair in pigtails. She was concentrating and reciting a silent prayer, both hands glowing blue, over a bleeding gash in the boy's side. She stopped to catch her breath and the glow faded away.
"Oh no… I can't stop the bleeding." She said, closing her eyes in defeat. Feeling a gloved hand on her shoulder she turned to see the blue-haired girl with eyes as serene as the ocean. "Mia!"
"Don't worry, Megan, I'll handle it." She reassured her, kneeling down beside her. Raising her staff over the boy's wound, she whispers a prayer. A magnificent blue light exudes from the ankh tip and the wound closes up immediately. Megan was in awe of how powerful her healing ability was. Mia turned to Megan with a benevolent smile. "Alright, now we need to wrap it up so it doesn't open again." The girl nods and runs to retrieve some bandages.
The boy opens his eyes and looks at Mia. "Thank you…" he says weakly.
"Now, now, we have to get your injuries dressed. Megan?"
"Yes, Mia?" she returns to the boy's side with a basket of medicated bandages.
"Do you know where Justin is?"
"He went into the forest to retrieve more herbs." She replies, beginning to wrap the boy's wound.
"Ah, I see…" Mia turns and scans the sanctum of people to see if any require assistance. Nope, they all seem fine… for the time being. She sighs, walks to the right of the altar and enters a room emanating blue light. In the center of the room, lay a man of about middle age. Surrounding him, forming a triangle, were three small, blue creatures. Each had glowing yellow eyes and a pink tail with a crab-like claw at the end. The three shone like beacons, enveloping the entire room in brilliant cerulean. One of them turns as Mia approaches.
"Oh! You've returned!" it said.
"Got the Hermes water?" another asked. Mia took a vial out of her pouch. It was filled with clear blue water.
"Yes, but I'm still unsure it will work…" The man looked fine on the surface, but the same cannot be said for his internal condition. She approached the man and poured the water in several places over his body. The liquid glowed for a moment before seeping into him. "If it does, it will help speed up his recovery. I'm sorry that you Djinn have to stay here and keep him alive."
"Hey, we're Mercury Djinn! Water is life. It's what we do!" Mia was so lucky to have such great Djinn companions. They served her well on her journey. The ones who stayed, Fizz, Tonic, and Dew, made excellent healers when Mia and her apprentices were busy. This troubled time has left the three Mercury adepts out of Psynergy on more than one occasion.
"Mia, you're looking worn. Go rest." Dew suggested in a timid voice. The other two nodded in agreement.
"Even so, I cannot rest for long. Someone may need my assistance at any moment" Fizz hopped to turn her body towards Mia.
"True, but you need to take care of yourself. You can't help others if you end up not being able to help yourself!" Mia nods and turns to leave the room. The three Djinn, still glowing turn back to the person they're keeping alive and sigh.
"Mia's been so miserable of late," noted Fizz.
"I would be, too! You release alchemy, come to Imil for a nice visit, only to find things going horribly wrong!" Tonic said angrily. Dew looked down at the man.
"I wonder how much longer this is going to take. This… is horrendously boring!" She lamented. Tonic closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Yes… yes it is, but alas, without our constant psynergy, there's no doubt he'd die. So let's just hope the water works fast."
"Let's just hope it works at all," Fizz added. The three then sighed in unison.
--
Mia enters her quarters and closes the door behind her. She leans back on the door, exhausted. Frustration welling up in her, she turns to hit the door with her fist. The noise echoes throughout her room.
"I cannot believe this!" She grumbles, walking over to her bed to lay down. She closes her eyes and begins to rub her temples, in hopes to relieve some stress. Fizz was right, she was exhausted. She rarely had time to eat or sleep between treating the townspeople and running to Mercury lighthouse to restock on its healing waters. Originally, she had come to Imil for a quiet visit, but ended up with more on her hands than she could barely handle…
Staring at the ceiling, images of her companions begin to pop into her head. How she missed them these past couple months. The images swirled in her head, the heroic Isaac, the quiet Felix, the mysterious Piers, but most of all, Garet. She smiled as she remembered the times she spent with him. He was always so determined, loyal, and had somewhat of a one track mind, but that didn't matter, his heart was always in the right place.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Come in!" Her door opens and a boy with blonde hair and a pair of glasses peeks through. He wore robes similar to Megan and Mia, but had thick pants instead of a skirt. He looked to be about thirteen. "Oh, Justin! You've finished collecting herbs?"
"Oh, yes. But I came across something else." He fully entered her room, and in his arms was a block of ice. Out of curiosity, Mia rose from her bed and walked over to him for a closer look. She focused hard on the block and could see a tinge of purple in it. "I found it half buried in the snow…" He rubbed his sleeve over it and it removed the snow to make its contents clearer. "Megan said it was some sort of ugly parrot!" he chuckled.
With the stray snow gone, the interior was completely visible. Mia gasped as she noticed that the purple object inside had two wings, and a long feather crest on its head.
"I know what this!" She quickly grabbed the block of ice and closed her eyes. Justin watched as the ice slowly melted away. The purple creature, drenched in water, shook itself dry and looked around frantically.
"Ah! What? Mia? Where am I? Is this Kaylay?" The two Mercury Adepts looked out the window, where Mercury lighthouse, in all its glory, shined like a star.
"Uhh, sorry, little parrot, but you're waaaaay off!" He pointed out.
"I am not a parrot!" the creature hopped around in Mia's hand until it was facing her, "Tell him, Mia! I'm an all powerful Jupiter Djinni!" Mia was about to open her mouth until Justin blurted out.
"Mia, you know this… erm… Jupiter Djinni?"
"Unfortunately, yes. This obnoxious creature is Breeze." Obnoxious? Breeze wasn't obnoxious, or so he thought. She smiled faintly. "He and many other of his kind gave us the power to complete our journey. Without them, we'd have surely failed." The Djinni nods at her statement.
"Yup yup!" he said, full of pride.
"That's hard to believe…" Justin mumbled.
"Huh, what was that?"
"Oh nothing! So, he's just like Fizz, Tonic and Dew?" he asked, picturing the blue elementals in his head. Mia nods.
"Yes, except Breeze here is of the air element." She then looked up and made a face signifying that she had just remembered something. She put the Djinni down, and excuses herself from her room. Breeze flaps his wings and flies after her. They both enter the next room, where the Mercury Djinn were keeping the man stable. "How is he doing?" Mia asked them.
"He's improving! I think he no longer needs us for now," Tonic answered. He turned around, and saw Breeze hovering at Mia's side. "Well what do ya know! It's Breeze!"
"What's up my blue brethren!" Breeze greeted, landing right in front of them. The other two Mercury Djinn hop over to him.
"Hello Breeze," Dew greeted in her usual quiet voice.
"Been annoying anybody lately?" Fizz teased.
"No, not today anyway…"
Mia approaches the still unconscious man, who's now breathing normally and kneels to the ground. "I'll tend to him now. You three can go rest and catch up with Breeze."
"Alright. Mia, try to relax when you're done?" Mia tends to the man as if she did not hear Fizz's suggestion. The four elementals exit the room and enter Mia's quarters.
"Wow, Mia seems down. What's come over here?" Breeze inquires with a solemn tone. The three Mercury Djinn look at each other, then at Breeze.
"Well, we'll show you." The four go back out and pass Mia into the main area of the sanctum. Once they've fully entered, Breeze was absolutely shocked at what he saw. The mass of people with horrible injuries, and the young Megan running to and fro making sure each of the inhabitants were comfortable. The very room itself seemed to overflow with hopelessness and fear.
"Woah, what happened here? There are so many people hurt…" Breeze never expected to come into a room like this after the four beacons were lit. He started to rock a little, the air stagnant with sadness and despair. Tonic hops beside Breeze and pats Breeze on the back with his clawed tail attempting to comfort him.
"You see, this is what happened…"
--
Breeze: Heeeey... what? That's it? That wasn't anything!
Me: well... I said I had writer's block...-cough- I was planning on making it longer, but at the pace I was going at, I thought I should give ya'll something so you wouldn't think I died or something. Enjoy...
Breeze: I see...