Lemuria…

 

After five goes each in the Lemuria Fountain, Gale had quadrupled what money he had, while Blaze had earned a Psynergy enhancer called a Burst Brooch.  By that point, Rain’s young friend Rio had joined them, and the pair had urged the two foreigners out of sight before the rest of the lazy population came outside.  Now the quartet was relaxing in a grassy clearing right behind the Senate building.

Gale was teaching Rio a game that involved kicking a round ball around, and Rain was attempting to tame the red bush that constituted Blaze’s hair.  This was accomplished with several complaints of pain on the warrior’s part and several accusations of being a baby on the little girl’s.  When she finished, his hair lay neatly against his scalp in several rows of braids.

The young man fingered his new hairstyle gingerly and sighed, then eyed the child’s pair of ponytails before deciding that it could have been much worse.  “So, when can we go out?” he asked her.

“When Daddy says it’s all right,” the girl replied.  “We have to—”

“Quiet!” Gale snapped without warning.  Startled, the other three turned to look at the Jupiter Adept.  He stood still, eyes closed and hands upraised, his face oddly blank.  Blaze had seen this before – Gale was listening to voices on the wind again.

 

“Any sign of the girl?”

“No.  She vanished in the docks.”

“What about the other two foreigners?  The dark man and the boy?”

“Nobody’s seen them since they left the dock; the prisoner says he let them wander.”

“Conservato won’t like that.”

“Forget Conservato – the Admiral is going to flip his lid.”

“… you know… I think that we’re about due for a break.”

“…yeah.  Let’s go.  Now.”

 

 

Gale opened his eyes, snarling as though he were in his wolf form. 

“Gale, what is it?” Blaze asked softly.

“We’re in trouble,” the werewolf replied.  “The Lemurians are looking for Rose – and us.  I think Alex has been arrested.  The man I overheard said that someone called Conservato was not gonna like it that they couldn’t find us, then his partner said that some admiral was going to flip.”

Rain’s eyes went wide.  “Oh, no,” the girl whispered.  “He couldn’t have!?”

The Garohan and the Kibomban spun to face the children.  “Couldn’t have what?” Blaze demanded.

Rio looked as startled as his friend.  “He’s been threatening to jail foreigners caught in the city for months,” he answered.  “Admiral Piers – Rain’s dad – told him that went against every law we have and that if he tried it, he’d take it all the way to King Hydros –”

“Which won’t help us in the long run,” Blaze interrupted, wishing he had his spear.  “We’ve got to find Rose.”

“You can’t,” Rain told him.  “The minute they see you, they’ll arrest you too.  Rio, you look for their friend.  I’ll take them to our secret place.”

Rio nodded and dashed off as Rain led the foreigners away.

 

-§­§­§­§­§­

 

Kolima…

 

By the time Sheba and Menardi had wrapped up their argument, Saturos and Mia had agreed to merge parties, calculated the fastest route to Vale, figured out what they’d need in the way of provisions to get them to Vault, and sent Jacob out to purchase the extra supplies.  At last the sounds of debate died down, and a triumphant Sheba led Menardi to the other two, announcing, “Mia, we’re coming with them.”

Menardi, well aware of how Saturos had gotten Felix in their party years ago, eyed the pair suspiciously and added dryly, “But you already decided that, didn’t you, Saturos?”

Mia smiled sheepishly at the stunned Jupiter Adept.  “I’m sorry, Sheba, but it looked like you were enjoying yourself.  I didn’t have the heart to interrupt.”

“In addition, Menardi,” Saturos added, putting a hand on Mia’s shoulder, “we need them to keep Isaac and Garet from attacking.”

Menardi noticed Mia’s slight blush and glared at the offending hand.  Saturos moved it as she grumbled, “I though that was what Felix was for.”

“Well, normally, it is,” Mia answered, her blush fading away, “but there’s a problem with that strategy – he’s taken Garet and is chasing after Alex.”

Saturos raised an eyebrow at her.  “What do they want with Alex?”

“It was Garet’s idea,” Sheba answered.  “Apparently Alex had been hiding out in the rebuilt Vale, since a local girl gave him shelter.  They didn’t realise Alex lived until she vanished.  We’re not sure if she’s been kidnapped or if she’s gone with him willingly.”

The Proxians exchanged a glance.  “If the girl is a brunette Venus Adept named Rose, she’s with him willingly,” Menardi said.  “Jacob spotted them when we were in Tolbi.  She’s been helping him recruit.”

Mia looked at Sheba, who nodded and closed her eyes.  The next instant, the Jupiter Adept began to glow with Psynergetic light.

 

-§­§­§­§­§­

 

Sea of Time…

 

The faint glow, visible only to Felix, Garet, and the man running the ship, died down as a troubled-looking Ivan opened his eyes.  “I am never going to hear the end of this,” he muttered before turning his piercing violet gaze on Garet.  The Mars Adept was not going to like this turn of events at all.

 

-§­§­§­§­§­

Vale…

 

Isaac opened his eyes, rubbing his temples as he considered what he’d just learned from Sheba.  So, Rose had left Vale willingly… and he wasn’t sure if this was good news or bad news.  Well, whatever it was, it had cost him a bad migraine – he’d be paying the Apothecary a visit before delivering this update to Jenna and the mayor.

 

-§­§­§­§­§­

 

Lemuria…

 

Rose took full advantage of her head start on the Lemurians, using it to make good her escape.  With every step, she mentally thanked Isaac for pushing her and the other young Adepts in Vale to make use of their Psynergy and showing them how to use it for combat.  Without his training, she would have been caught by now.

She was still several yards ahead of her pursuers when she made it to the docking cavern.  With a rakehell grin, she threw herself into the crowd of merchants, using their diversity in appearance to hide herself as she made her way to the ship they had arrived in.

Hold on, Alex…

 

Piers was talking to the ship’s captain when a young girl pushed past him, leapt up to the stern of the ship and dove into the water.  “What the hell!?” the foreigner yelped.

Right in the heels of that cry came a young voice yelling, “Admiral!  Admiral!”

Piers nodded to the captain and ran off the ship, locating Rio amidst the crowd.  “Rio, what’s going on?” he demanded of the boy.

“It’s bad,” Rio gasped, and explained about the group of foreigners he and Rain had been shepherding around, and what Conservato had ordered.

“The hell he has!” Piers snarled.  Hauling Rio up under one of his muscular arms, Piers leaped atop a stack of crates.  He set Rio down, then called out, “Merchants of Kalay, Tolbi, and Vault!  For your own safety you must board your vessel now.  Your goods are safe, but you are not!  Board ship and await further instructions from me!”

That done, he turned to Rio.  “Go to Rain and the other two.  I’ll see to the girl who jumped, then I’m going to have words with Conservato.  Go home when night falls.”  He helped Rio down, slipped to a less-busy portion of the dock, stripped to his trousers, and dove into the water.  It hadn’t been too hard to figure out that his daughter’s “secret place” was Ancient Lemuria – the ruins of a city that lay under the present Lemuria.  It also wasn’t too hard to figure out that someone had told the girl of the water route to the ruins.  Unfortunately, it was a long swim for someone unused to water.  The girl would need his help.