Chapter 26: Foreboding Stones

Quest for the Gems: Day 2

Location: The Desert of Doom

Time: 11:15 AM

Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are, well, you know that I'm around
I kiss 'em and I love 'em cause to me they're all the same
I hug 'em and I squeeze 'em they don't even know my name

They call me the wanderer
Yeah, the wanderer
I roam around, around, around, around…

While the upbeat song coming from Ice King's little radio did very little to help against the endless heat, it was at least jolly enough to keep the group's spirits up. That was another thing Finn could say the ice wizard was good for.

Trekking through the Desert of Doom while the day was at its mid-point was definitely no easy feat. Aside from Blayze, who was getting all of the energy necessary to continue while standing out in the open, Finn, Jake, and Ice King had to succumb to the constant heat. Even though the wizard could easily keep himself cold using his powers, constantly carrying around the large backpack that he was so hesitant to drop was making things difficult, even for him.

As soon as morning arrived, they set out to find their destination after a quick breakfast. Blayze was the only one who didn't eat anything, instead standing on top of a nearby hill where the sun shone upon him directly. He had his eyes closed the entire time, and when the human went to get him, he could hear the lightest humming coming from the elemental, indicating that he had been meditating the entire time. Once they set off, it took them several hours to reach their destination, but once they got to it, all they found was more sand and rock.

It would not be a Desert of Doom if part of it wasn't filled with sharp rocks, Finn figured. He had made doubly sure that the map Jake had stretched into his hand was leading him in the right direction, using one of his own paper maps and a compass, and there was no doubt in his mind that they were in the correct spot. However, either they were missing something completely, or the map was no longer trustworthy.

Everything around them was a maze. Rock formations twisted in such ways that made it nearly impossible to see what awaited beyond a corner. Every so often, they would take some time to rest underneath one that blocked the sunlight and cast a cool shadow, but it always made them uneasy. It was if they had walked into the maw of a large beast. Meanwhile, Jake had been the most uneased out of the group. Several vultures had been flying overhead ever since they arrived in the desert, and the dog would often look up to see if they were still there. The few times in which Finn was near him, he could a low whimper when it turned out that they were still in the sky.

Finn had to admit he was somewhat nervous as well, but for completely different reasons. Aside from the fear that they were currently on a wild goose chase, there was also the possibility of being attacked by the many dangerous inhabitants of the wasteland. And a fight is something that he wanted to avoid if possible. Unfortunately, the fact came to him after the group had already made a lot of noise communicating with each other from a distance, so making Ice king stop the music would probably make little difference. But Jake's nose would be enough to help identify threats; they were the heroes of Ooo, after all, and the human refused to be intimidated by a few lowly bandits.

After finishing another round of searching, the four of them gathered underneath another rock, taking some time to cool themselves (save for Blayze) before continuing on. Ice King turned off his radio in the meantime.

"Man, this is taking forever," Jake whined, drinking some water. "Are we sure we're in the right place?"

Finn drank some water as well before responding. "Unless you got some detail of the map wrong when you were drawing it on your hand, this should be the place."

"Not to sound like I'm doubtful, but we haven't really found anything that could remotely resemble what we're looking for," Blayze said. "In fact, what are we even looking for? I know there's supposed to be some kind of gem, but where? In a temple, a cave, just up for grabs in an altar somewhere? Everything around here looks almost exactly the same. Nothing but stones, sand, bones, and even more sand."

"I have to agree with Matchstick," Ice King said. "I'm completely lost."

Blayze groaned. "I thought we agreed, no codenames."

Ice King gestured to Finn and Jake. "You don't hear Fleshy and Slobber complaining."

"Simon…"

The wizard raised his hand before Finn could continue. "That's Snow Cone to you, Fleshy."

"This place is dead," Blayze said, gesturing to everything around them. "And even if someone could hear us, I highly doubt they would care about our names."

"Okay, okay, that's enough," Finn said, standing between the two before their bickering went any further. "It's too early to be arguing about this useless math. Let's think about this. Now, if you wanted to make sure no one could find your precious treasure in a place like this, where would you-"

The human suddenly stopped when Jake suddenly placed his hand over his mouth. Before any question could be asked, the canine shushed all of them.

"Do you hear that?" Jake asked.

Upon allowing Finn to speak again, everyone focused their hearing. Try as they might however, the only sound was the eventually cawing from the vultures still flying overhead.

"I don't hear anything, man," Finn said.

"Me neither," Blayze followed.

"Oh, I knew this would happen," Ice King said. "The heat's already getting to him; he's going mad." The wizard prepared to shoot ice from his hands. "We're gonna have to freeze him till later. He's a threat."

"What? No!" exclaimed the dog. "Look, my sense of hearing is way better than all of yours, so just trust me when I say something's off."

"Wait, he's right," said the elemental. "Listen."

Suddenly, everyone else could hear it as well; a low droning sound that grew ever closer with each passing second. Blayze was the first to draw his weapon, not taking any chances. Finn followed immediately after, and Ice King and Jake both raised their arms in preparation to use their magical abilities.

The noise got to a point where it felt like it was right on top of them, over the jagged rocks that kept them hidden in the shade. It was like a high-pitched squeal that continued on and on with no end. None of them saw anything however, and it only made them all the more paranoid. Before Finn was about to suggest a plan of attack, the source of the noise peered around the corner, prompting Ice King to immediately shoot a bolt of ice before they could even see what he had suddenly attacked.

Upon making contact, the ice simply shattered, seemingly doing no damage to whatever the wizard had attacked. The human told everyone to hold position, despite he himself wanting to start attacking just as much as them. This brief moment was enough to let them analyze what was before them; a small disk-like hovering object, with a pink outline that glowed like neon. Its center was polished steel, and the intense sunlight reflected off of it.

Finn was the first to step forward, keeping his sword at the ready.

"Are you friendly?" he asked, uncertain if he should have been expecting an answer.

The hovering disk did nothing for a moment, but then a bright pink light shot from it, startling the group as it was revealed they were being scanned. Finn raised his hand to make sure none of the others behind him did anything rash, even though he could sense their unease along with his own. After a brief moment, the light suddenly disappeared, and the disks began to hum as its glow pulsated, like a heartbeat.

Just as Finn took a single step forward, another bright light came from the flying object before him, blinding the group for a split second. No sooner than their sight came back, each of them immediately felt something lunge right at them and wrap itself near their faces; not too tightly, but just enough so that it would not come off no matter how hard each of them tried to pull it off.

"What just happened?!" Blayze shouted.

The human turned to his companions and realized what the situation was. The disk had split itself into four identical parts, and each of them now had it fused around their necks. Ice King had no luck removing his, the same as Finn, and Blayze could not melt his off no matter how much he increased the intensity of his flames. Jake tried to stretch himself in every single way imaginable, from growing larger than normal, to shrinking himself to the size of an ant. But no matter what the canine tried, the disk around his neck only adapted to the change in size and would not budge in the slightest.

After he got tired, Jake eventually fell to the ground, breathing heavily. "What…are…these things? I hate collars!"

Finn tried once more to pull on the one around his own neck, but there was no way to get a good angle.

"I have no idea," he said, admitting temporary defeat.

Ice King was the only one still trying. "AGH! This thing is wrapped around my beard! It looks stupid!"

Suddenly, another light came from each disk, all converging in between each member of the group. A few seconds later, a shape began to take form within, and Finn could almost immediately recognize the face looking back at him.

"Grand Master Wizard," he said with gritting teeth.

A hologram of GMW now hovered before them, no bigger than Jake during his normal state. His hands were folded together in front of him, and they were hidden underneath his white robe.

"Finn the Human," he began, "I have received your terms regarding your hunt for the gems that power the Cinder Gate, and after some thorough thinking, I have decided to accept them. However, just to be careful, some safety measures had to be taken. The collars wrapped around the neck of you and any other person accompanying you serve as tracking devices. They will remain locked in place until the day comes that we meet to discuss our actions, and I will personally remove them. Or they will be removed automatically should you die; whatever happens first. This is done to ensure that you will not take these gems back to the Fire Kingdom without me being present. I'm sure someone like you can understand. If all goes well, we can end this without any more violence."

The hologram became a bit distorted, but the image became clear almost immediately. The Grand Master continued.

"I have given the order that my men are to no longer pursue you during the duration of this quest. Your collar is equipped with a small switch located in the back of your neck. Once you have gathered all of the gems, just press it, and I will know that it is time to meet. And hopefully when we do, I will have found a way to show you reason."

"You know I never go back on my word," said Finn. "Is this really so necessary?"

The hologram said nothing for a moment. "By the way, this is a pre-recorded message. So I will not be able to hear anything you say. Grand Master Wizard out!"

Suddenly, GMW's image was gone, and the group was let staring at one another.

"Well this is just great," Jake was the first to comment. "It's bad enough we're in a scorching hot wasteland, now we got a crazy wizard tracking us wherever we go!"

"Is it really so surprising?" said Ice King. "That big mop is one of the most paranoid wizards I've ever met. He always ruins the fun."

Blayze ran his finger over the collar. "If these are made purely with magic, I highly doubt anything will get them off. If we try to cut through them, chances are there's a fail-safe that'll make sure they stay in place. All we can do is deal with them until the journey's over."

Finn hated to admit it, but Blayze was right. GMW got the drop on them.

"Okay," said the human. "Let's just find what it is we came for and move on. Now we have more of a reason to finish as soon as possible."

Everyone else just nodded. Groaning from having to step into the sun again (save for Blayze), the group continued their search for anything suspicious. If the walking was tedious before, now it was even worse with how uncomfortable the collars around their necks were. So, in an attempt to make things easier, Ice King began playing another song. This one was a bit smoother and somber than the last, keeping a steady rhythm before the singing began.

Strangers in the night exchanging glances
Wondering in the night, what were the chances
We'd be sharing love before the night was through

Something in your eyes was so inviting
Something in your smile was so exciting
Something in my heart told me I must have you

Strangers in the night
Two lonely people, we were strangers in the night
Up to the moment when we said our first hello, little did we know
Love was just a glance away, a warm embracing dance away…

Finn hated the fact that the lyrics were making him sad, and for a reason he knew all too well. Nevertheless, he cast aside those feelings and turned to Ice King, showing as much of a blank expression as possible.

"Hey Ice King?" he said, drawing the wizards gaze. "Do you think you could, I don't know, play something a bit livelier?"

Jake could immediately notice the reasoning behind his brother's request, but he made no comment.

"Sure thing," Ice King replied.

As soon as the next song began, Finn felt his sadness melt away almost instantly. This one was catchy and was accompanied by the quick strumming of guitars

An old cowboy went riding out one dark and windy day
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way
When all at once a mighty herd of red eyed cows he saw
A-plowing through the ragged sky and up the cloudy draw…

The search went on for about an extra half and hour, and for a moment, Finn was starting to think the map Jake had and the one he was reading on paper were both completely wrong. That is until he heard the magic dog screaming from a distance.

"Guys! I think I found something!"

Quickly, the other three members of the group went in the direction of the call, finding the yellow canine standing before one of the many other rocks in their vicinity. But there was something different about this particular one; its shape was smoother, resembling more of a large slab instead being made naturally. Even more curious were the markings engraved on its surface, which were rather worn from time, but still clear enough to make out each symbol completely. Finn failed to recognize any of them however.

Once all were standing before the stone, they studied it carefully.

"Could this be it?" Jake wondered.

"Very likely," Blayze replied.

"How so?" asked Finn.

The elemental stepped forward. "These markings…they're part of the ancient fire elemental language."

"Can you read it?"

"I can try."

Blayze narrowed his eyes; his mouth lightly moving as he translated the words in his mind.

"The first part reads…Offer the touch of Olden Kings. I can't quite make out the rest, but from what I can tell, it's probably some sort of protective rune spell. Meaning that smashing through this thing is most likely a no-go."

"That doesn't tell us much," said Finn. "Olden Kings?"

"I don't know," Blayze replied, seeming just as confused as the rest. He ran his hand over the rock's surface. "Maybe it's a metaphor? Or maybe-"

Before he could finish, the elemental was forced to take a step back as the markings on the stone began to glow bright yellow.

Soon after, a small tremor began to shake the ground beneath the group, making them step even farther away from the stone as its structure began to shake violently. As the seconds passed, small cracks began to appear along the stone's surface, making the aforementioned light shine its rays in different directions. When the glowing became too bright, everyone covered their eyes and braced for the worst, until one final large tremor made them fall to the ground from loss of balance.

When the dust began to clear, Finn and the others coughed as they tried to make out their surroundings. As far as they could tell, not much had changed aside from the amount of sand that had been blow into the air. Most of it surrounded the site where the stone had been; it was making it hard to tell if it was still there or if had disintegrated completely.

"What…what just happened…?" Jake asked, able to stand on his two paws again. He turned to face the source of the blast. "Uh, guys…"

Before Jake could finish his sentence, the dust had cleared away enough so that the others knew what he was about to say.

The stone that had been standing before just mere seconds prior was gone, turned to a pile of rubble. In its place, however, hovering in mid-air, was the source of the yellow light they had been exposed to. A shining jewel, perfectly rounded and no bigger than an apple, seemed as if a star was currently within reach of the four adventurers.

Finn was the first to move, despite his brother seeming unsure about messing with the like of such an abnormity. But he human knew just by looking at it that they had found it; one of the jewels needed to open the Cinder Gate.

Slowly, he reached out to grab it in his hand, expecting it to be hot in some way, but it was quite the opposite. The stone's surface was actually cool, and he could grab it without any fear of it damaging his skin.

"This is it," he said, his eyes fixed on the trinket in his hand. "The first jewel."

Figuring it was safe, the rest of the group moved in around the human, looking at the stone for themselves.

"Ooh, shiny," said Ice King.

"Three to go now," Jake added. As the magic dog eyed the yellow, he took notice of a second source of light underneath it. "Finn, your mark!"

Just as Jake said that, Finn noticed that he was in fact holding the jewel with his marked hand. Noticing that it was glowing purple underneath, he quickly dropped the bright object to check what was happening. And just like that, a hologram appeared right in front of Finn's face, being projected from his palm.

It was a map of the Land of Ooo, there was no doubting it. All of the major locations he had come to know over the years were on it: The Candy Kingdom, Fire Kingdom, Grasslands, everything. Three locations in particular were marked, and Finn could only assume they were the next destinations in their journey.

"It's telling us where to go," Finn said.

Jake stepped forward and studied the map. "The Emerald, Mountain, and Jungle Kingdoms. Hm, they ain't exactly close to each other."

"But with your powers, Jake, we can get to each one in just hours," Finn pointed out. "We could be done with this trip in just a few days!"

"Closest from here is the Emerald Kingdom," said Ice King. "I've gone there a few times to try and ask out Emerald Princess, but she really liked playing hard to get." Everyone eyed the wizard judgmentally. "What? Don't worry, I'm over her."

Scoffing, Finn disabled the map, and picked up the jewel to place inside his backpack. Then, a realization made him turn to Blayze.

"Blayze," he said, "why did the runes on the rock react when you touched them?"

The elemental seemed to have been expecting the question, but he appeared confused as well. He looked at his hand.

"I…I don't know. I honestly didn't expect that to happen."

"You keeping secrets, boy?" Ice King asked.

Blayze appeared shocked. "What? No! I legitimately have no clue as to what happened."

"Look, it doesn't matter now," said Jake. "Let's just get out of this place already."

"Agreed," said Finn. "We have some ways to go before the journey's end. The sooner we get the rest of the jewels, the better. Especially since Grand Master Wizard is tracking where we are."

Everyone else nodded, but Blayze still seemed conflicted.

Using his powers, Jake stretched his body underneath the legs of the others and made himself grow large. Once they were all secure, he began to walk.

"You know, I was expecting to run at least a few bandits or something," Ice King said. "But for a place called the Desert of Doom, it's pretty boring."

Everyone else agreed, except for Jake, who suddenly stopped his walking. When Finn leaned forward, he noticed that the dog had one of his ears raised.

"What's wrong?" asked the human, placing a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Jake turned his attention to a nearby rocky ridge, taking a few sniffs of the air, but as far as the others could tell, there was nothing in sight.

"Hm," was Jake's only sound. "Thought I heard something, but it must've been the wind. False alarm. Alright, let's go get those gems!"

As the canine began to walk once more, Finn one more glance behind him, noticing Blayze staring at his hand in deep thought.

Even though the scope's glass was stained, the image was clear enough so that the image that the user was seeing unmistakable. Out of all the times he had heard the description of what to look out for, the sight below definitely fit all of them.

"A human," he said, smiling underneath his spiked mask.

"Human?" said the one sitting next to him, skinny, wearing rags, and excited about the news. "H-human! Didn't the boss say she was looking for one? There he is! Let's get 'em!"

He was bonked on the head with the scope.

"Be quiet!" said the larger man. "They almost saw us once. Don't be giving away our position by shouting. We may be able to hide our stench from the dog, but his hearing's still good."

The skinny one rubbed the place where he was hit. "But why not attack now? They don't know we're here yet!'

"They're out in the open and will see us comin' a mile away. No; for now, we follow at a distance on our mounts, and strike when they're cornered."

He raised his scope again, watching the group currently leaving the area. He smiled once more.

"When we bring back her prize, the boss will praise us with showers of gold."

Note: (Generic excuse about taking too long because of too much work and little inspiration) I should probably remember to update my profile more often with this info…

Songs used in this chapter were "The Wanderer" by Dion, "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra, and "(Ghost) Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash. This is normally Fiery Crusader's thing, but hey, it was fun.

-Guest: That we shall.

-Ooobserver: Only time will give us answers, I suppose.

-Bio team2: Asking the deeper questions, are we?

-Anonymous: She should be ashamed.

-Fiery Crusader: It seems our heroes can only trust themselves at the moment. We shall know who is what eventually.

-Guest: Thanks!

-dnguyen686: That would be quite the twist indeed.

Next Chapter: A Game of Risk