Chapter 13: Gerot
Jeff set a hard pace to keep up with, but he was doing it on purpose. They needed to warm up their bodies if they could and needed to get someplace warm. It was killing two birds with one arrow.
Nick, Jaeger, and Kyle had never been outside of the light of the tower in their lives and the trek through this area was taking its toll on them. Jaeger and Nick were pale and it looked like they were both about to pass out from the cold, exhaustion, and the strange sickness that had overcome them. Kyle was in better shape and he was trailing just behind Jeff as the other two lagged behind them in silence.
Jeff remembered how Gyshal had always been cold and wet because of how close it had been to the Sphere's Edge, the name given to the impenetrable wall of water at the edge of the island. Gyshal had been just barely far enough past the tip of the far western mountains to still get the light from the Tower of Owen, but it had been so far away that very little heat reached them and crops and plants died without sources of heat or magic. One of the many reasons Jeff had eventually been sent back to the orphanage he had come from, against his and his adopted families' desires, was because Gyshal was 'no place to raise a child' in this bleak time.
Jeff snorted angrily as he picked up the pace. When he was old enough, he'd already decided he'd go back and live with them on his own terms, and he would like to see anyone, or anything, try to stop him.
Jaeger felt like she was about to throw up. Jeff was walking way too fast and she still felt nauseous from everything that had happened in the past hour or two, but it was Kyle that broke first and bent down and grabbed his knees to steady himself while he took in deep breaths.
"Jeff," Kyle said as he fought to breath in air and talk at the same time. "Hold up......you're leaving us...behind."
Jeff stopped and looked back at them and Jaeger took the opportunity to sit down, Nick followed her lead as he plopped down and crossed his legs. Jeff shook his head as he sat down as well.
"We haven't even been walking for seven minutes. The pace ain't that bad is it?" Jeff asked.
"It's killing me," Kyle said, his breaths becoming less heavy. "And I can't even imagine what Nick and Jaeger are going through, lugging around that armor as sick as they are."
Kyle seemed to realize that Jaeger and Nick had probably heard him and he turned towards them, but Jaeger averted her eyes trying to make it look like she hadn't heard a thing.
As it was Jaeger hadn't even thought about how heavy the armor should have been and how it should have slowed her down. It didn't weigh any differently than her clothes had weighed.
Jaeger glanced down at her armor for a few moments and then looked around at everyone else to make sure they weren't looking. Kyle and Jeff were resting and looking out towards the valley they had to cross, but Nick was trying to rub two sticks together probably in the hopes of starting a fire.
Nobody was looking, but she decided it would be best to remove her boot for this test. She reached down grabbed the boot and tugged and was not very surprised that when her boot left her body it turned back into her old shoe. Jaeger wasn't sure what was going on, but perhaps the Darkness was simply transforming her clothes into something more useful. Or perhaps it didn't actually transform and simply made it look like it was transformed.
"Good idea!" Nick's high pitch voice rang out, scaring Jaeger and making her drop her shoe and grab for the dagger at her side. But there was no danger and Nick was just looking at Jaeger's boot.
"What's a good idea?" Jaeger asked as she started to put the shoe back on, and watched it turn back into a boot. Instead of answering Nick reached for his red cape and shirt which turned back into the blue shirt after he removed it. He then placed it on top of the sticks and started rubbing faster. "What are you doing Nick?" Jaeger asked, though she already felt she knew the answer.
"I'm using my shirt as kindling!" Nick explained as he sat on the ground with his upper body exposed and attempting to set his shirt aflame.
"No Nick," Jaeger said as she reached over and pulled his shirt out from between the sticks. "You need this."
"For what?" Nick asked, honestly confused about what the problem was.
"It's to keep you warm," Jaeger explained as she opened it and went to put it on over his head.
"A fire will keep me warmer," Nick countered as he lifted his arms and let her throw it over his head. He finished putting the shirt back on, despite how sulky he looked while he did.
Jaeger watched as his shirt transformed again and then she shook her head in resignation. How could they go to Ur and meet with Ashley and the other children dressed like this? How could they ever hide how abnormal they had become when no matter what they wore, what disguise they might put on, they would always look like a Red Mage and a Dark Knight?
And that wasn't even counting how they would react when they found out about how they were the Dark Warriors.
"Guys, I see a light!" Kyle shouted suddenly as he got to his feet. Jaeger turned and saw that a very faint light could be seen in the distance. She couldn't tell at this distance but it seemed like a man was holding the light source.
Already Kyle had started to sprint towards the man followed by Jeff, who was yelling for Kyle to slow down and that it could be a monster. Jaeger got to her feet, but as she did she also wanted to run the other way. What was she going to do?
"C'mon! Maybe that guy has a fire or a blanket or something!" Nick said as he tugged on Jaeger's arm and forced her to rush towards the figure as well.
"Hey!" Kyle yelled as he tried to get the man or woman's attention out in the darkness. The light shinning in this dark valley had given Kyle his second wind and he used it to scream and run towards the figure.
After his initial burst of energy he soon tired out however and was forced to grab his knees and take deep breaths again, the cold air stinging his lungs with each breath.
"You slime-brained idgit!" Jeff shouted and suddenly Kyle felt a sharp pain to the back of his head. "That thing could be a monster! Like Firt!"
Kyle stiffened as he considered the idea. Firt had been a guardian monster of the Light...why couldn't other monsters use the Light as well?
"Hello?" An elderly voice could barely be heard from the distance as it was rushing forward to meet them.
"Oh swell," Jeff said as he reached for his pocketknife that wasn't there anymore, but that didn't stop Kyle from hiding behind him. Jeff, even weaponless, had fought monsters before. Kyle, on the other hand, had used all of his bravery when he had stabbed Firt in the foot earlier. He never wanted to have to do something like that ever again.
When Nick ran past them dragging Jaeger along however, Jeff chased after them telling them to stop. Kyle watched after them silently for a few moments and then groaned and chased after Jeff reluctantly. He was not about to be left here all alone.
Jaeger heard Jeff's cries to stop and she pulled free of Nick making Nick stop of his own accord, but at this point the man was in sight. It was an elderly man who did not appear to be well fed, who was carrying a crystal of light in front of him that looked a lot like Ashley's. He had a bushy gray moustache and he was balding in the front center of his head. He was wearing a woolen shirt and pants that were probably keeping him much warmer than their own clothing. Jeff came to a stop next to Nick and Jaeger and after studying the man he waited beside them patiently with Kyle soon hiding behind all three of them.
As the elderly man got closer he slowed down and raised his light crystal higher into the air, and he inspected all of them in turn.
"Are any of your names Jeff or Jaeger?" The old man asked to Jaeger's surprise, and after a quick glance at Jeff she could tell she wasn't the only one.
"Ma name is Jeff," Jeff said slowly, choosing to drawl his words apparently. "But who are ya and how do you know ma name?"
"My name is Gerot," the man said introducing himself, and then he lowered the crystal as he seemed to be searching for a way to answer the last question. "And I was sent by the Crystal of the Wind to bring you to the town of Ur, where the other children from your orphanage are," he said finally.
"The Crystal?" Jaeger asked in surprise, and it was echoed by the others, except for Nick who once again tried to correct Gerot on the Crystals 'proper' name before Jeff put a hand in front of his mouth.
"I know, I admit it sounds insane," Gerot said as he looked between Jaeger and the rest of them. "But then again, so are four orphans trudging through a lightless wasteland like this, according to my son who went search for you when the first group of orphans arrived out of thin air and insisted someone search. I didn't come out myself till your caretaker, Ashley?" Jaeger nodded and Gerot continued his confusing rant, "Yes I didn't come here till her crystal spoke to me and told me you would need a guide to my village."
Jaeger smiled. The Crystal hadn't abandoned them completely. Even when it couldn't help them directly it could still send help for them when they needed it. Jaeger felt as if some of the weight that she had been forced to carry recently had been lifted off of her and it wasn't as heavy anymore.
"But can you tell me why you kids were sent out here and not into our town, and why you're wearing those costumes?" Gerot asked and Jaeger froze. This was the moment she had feared. Should she lie and say that she was wearing a costume? That would work for the best.
"What costumes?" Nick asked as he glanced down at his transformed clothes. "You mean this? We got this when the Stupid Rock turned us into the Dark Warriors."