| Phase 9 � Bledavik, Bledavik.� � Kris . . .� � Bledavik, Bledavik.� � Cut it out, Kris!� � Bledavik, Bledavik.� � Damn it, Kris! If you don�t knock it off I�m gonna knock your head off!� � Touchy touchy,� I answered. � I wasn�t being that loud.� � Yeah? Well I could hear you easily enough!� � Both of you stop,� Fei ordered. � I�m sick of hearing you argue.� We entered Bledavik and were quickly attacked with questions from an excited woman who showed us a nearby hotel we could stay at. Upon entering the indicated hotel, we were set upon by yet another woman. She recognized Bart right away and that really bothered me. However, she did nothing more than briefly mention his cousin Margie and tell us to go to her room after checking in. Once she was gone, Bart turned to me. � Don�t like her, do you?� � I don�t like how she recognized you so quickly and just blurted your name right there.� � Nah, it�s okay,� he assured me. � She�s a sister from Nisan who came to check on Margie.� � I don�t remember her.� � She�s new. Don�t worry, she won�t hurt us.� � You sure?� He smiled. � Yeah, I�m sure. Calm down.� I shadowed him all the way to the sister�s room and remained partially behind him. She questioned Fei�s, Citan�s, and my presence and I found myself growling at her. Bart reached back as he introduced us and held my hand, brushing his thumb across the back of it to soothe me. It worked and I was soon leaning against his arm, nearly asleep. � Is she all right?� � Huh?� Bart looked at me and laughed. � Oh, she�s fine. Just tired.� Since when could he read me so well? Once the conversation was over, I was drug outside. We did some investigation and found the well key, then headed in the direction of the castle so Fei could participate in the martial arts tournament set for Aveh�s founding and stir up the guards so they�d watch the fights and not their posts. But at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the castle, Bart grabbed my wrist and stopped. � Kris and I can�t go up there.� Fei didn�t understand. � Why not Kris?� � She got into some trouble once,� was the short explanation. � They�ll identify her right off.� � Okay. We�ll go on without you then.� So I stayed behind with Bart. He drew me close and gently wrapped his arms around me. � Didn�t get much sleep last night, did you?� I shook my head. � �Bout an hour�s worth.� � Why?� � Because I just couldn�t sleep.� � Is that the real reason?� � Yes.� The desert sun wasn�t helping me any. It was making me sleepier and Bart�s familiar embrace actually caused me to fall asleep briefly. It was broken by Fei�s announcement that everything had been taken care of. From there we returned to the hotel and spoke with the sister again to keep her up-to-date. Retiring to our rented room, we realized our problem right away. There was only one bed. I didn�t give a rat�s ass one way or the other, so I curled up in a corner and settled in for the night. Bart, Fei, and Citan argued amongst themselves about who would get the bed for at least three minutes before falling silent. Suspicious, I opened my eyes and lifted my head to see them watching me expectantly. I held up a hand. � Don�t involve me. I don�t care which one of you gets it.� � Kris,� Fei replied, � you are the answer.� I frowned, then said offhandedly, � I like my corner here just fine and if anyone tries to make me sleep in that bed, I�ll make them black and blue.� None were willing to take me up on the offer. Eventually, they decided to let it go and they all slept on the floor. And this time, I slept well. In the morning we regrouped in the sister�s room and Fei and Citan departed for the tournament. Bart and I waited until the fights had begun, then went out to the grate beside the hotel and unlocked it. He pulled it open and jumped in. There was a splash and then a moment later he called me down. I sat on the edge and watched the sun reflect off the water inside. I knew it was going to be chilly, but I hadn�t been at all prepared for the frigidness of it. I yelped as it soaked through my clothes and got a mouthful of water as a reward. I kicked for the surface and gasped in a breath. � Geez, it�s cold!� Bart reached out and steadied me as I wiped the water from my eyes. � No kidding.� He waited a moment, then said, � You ready?� I nodded and ducked under the water and followed as he went against the current. Since it was too dark to see, I kept my eyes shut and used my other senses to tell me everything instead. Near the surface and to my right I heard a dull plish and then felt the water rushing by my ear faster than the rest of it. Bart was there. As the current sped itself up I rose to the surface for a breath and then dove again, Bart holding on to the belt loops of my jean-like windbreaker pants. I towed him along the bottom of the waterway where the current was much slower until I couldn�t hold my breath any longer and then came up (comparatively, Bart was in no danger whatsoever of drowning because of his larger lungs). � Kris, stop,� he said once when we were under a grate. I kicked slowly to keep my place and rolled onto my back. � What?� He was quiet a moment. � Your teeth are chattering.� I listened and was surprised to find that they were. � So?� There was a rustle and then his coat settled on my shoulders. I put it on and looked at him as he came into the light. � And your lips are blue. Here. Put your arms around my neck.� � Bart, I�ll just slow you down. Go ahead without me. I�ll catch up.� � Kris, you�re going to freeze to death in here if I leave you. Your muscles�ll lock up and you won�t be able to swim. Now put your arms around my neck.� I barely managed to do so, which astonished me more than discovering that my teeth were chattering. Bart was right; I was freezing to death. � Okay, hang on.� He continued on, me being a dead weight the whole way. I made up for it by straightening myself out to be as hydrodynamic as possible and by not wiggling too much. In just a few minutes we reached a large metal door. � This is it,� Bart told me as it settled on the bottom. � I�m going to dive under it, okay?� � Okay.� When it was half way up, he told me to hold my breath and then dove, sliding under the door and up toward the lit surface. I let go so I could finally get my limbs to work again and he turned to look at me, blinking against the cold water. I waved him off and forced my stiff arms and legs into motion. He saw what I was doing--or trying to do--and ascended beside me, just in case my body gave out on me. And it did, once. But I got started once more and reached the surface on my own. The old man running the spring yelled at us and told us to get out of the water before we caught our deaths. Bart climbed out and helped me up. Since I�d scraped together enough armor grub fat to waterproof my vest, pants, and boots, they were still dry. My green silk shirt and the dress-type cobalt blue shirt, however, were not so lucky. Bart�s jacket was dry; that was waterproof too. I gave it back to him and put my finger over his lips to stop any protests. � The castle�ll be warm enough,� I explained as I squeezed my hair out. � I�ll be dry in a few minutes.� So he put the jacket back on and shivered violently as a chill suddenly ran through him. We went to the ladder and snuck up into the bailey, fighting our way around the castle. Entering one room, he noticed a chest in the far corner and drug me over to see what it was. � O~oh!� he exclaimed, pulling out a new whip. � Check this!� I took it and examined it for possible weaknesses. Finding none, I handed it back. � Looks good.� He growled suggestively and I smothered my laughter in my hand. � Maybe later,� I promised jokingly. After further snooping, we found Margie�s room and took out the guard. Bart had me look in just in case and I let him know it was okay by flinging the door wide open and entering. � Hey Margie,� I called casually. � Kris!� she squealed. Looking to the door, she saw Bart. � Bart!� � Come on, Margie,� he urged. � Hurry up and get over here before we�re caught!� She grabbed a weird pink stuffed animal and joined us. We were just about ready to escape when the door opened and two people entered. One was a woman with blue hair and the other was . . . � Kris?� I slammed myself backwards into the wall and tried vainly to blend in with it. But he�d already seen me and betrayal flashed in his eyes. � You left too! You abandoned me just like they did!� I fought them, but the tears would not be held back. � I didn�t do it on purpose!� I sobbed, my sight now blurring horribly thanks to the rivers running over my cheeks. � I didn�t mean to leave! It wasn�t my fault!� He pointed his sword at me threateningly. � I will get you back for this . . . this . . . this treachery! I can�t get them, but I can get you!� � It wasn�t my fault!� I insisted, though I couldn�t exactly say what wasn�t my fault. � I didn�t mean to leave! I was forced to!� � No more excuses!� he spat. � Tell me about the Fatima Jasper! You know where the other half is, I know you do!� That was true, but I�d be damned if I told him. Bart took serious offense at my abruptly collapsed condition. He had never been able to make me cry, but this Gebler officer had just looked at me and I�d cried like a baby. � Hey! Back off!� That started it. Fei finished it. I was treated to a confusing memory of a red-haired being and a woman who looked like me taking down Gears with their bare hands. From there another fight was started. Margie ended it this time, calling up an army of rats as distraction. Bart ran over and grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet. � Come on!� I pulled myself together and dashed into the elevator with the others. I stood in one corner, gasping and trying to gather my scattered thoughts. No one bothered me, which I appreciated a lot. � Where does this elevator go?� Bart asked. � I don�t know,� Fei replied. � Where does it go?� � That�s what I�m asking you!� Bart snapped. � This wasn�t here before!� We exited into a docking bay just as a huge line of Gebler troops left the airship there and pursued us. Fei noticed a door and ran for it, calling the rest of us after him. I tripped once, but managed to keep my feet. Bart, who had brought up the rear to make sure neither Margie nor I were left behind, lengthened his stride to catch mine. � Stay with me, Kris,� he pleaded gently. � Don�t fade out on me now.� In the hallway beyond the door, we ran smack into a Gebler officer. � Elly?!� Fei cried, surprised. � Fei?!� she responded, equally surprised. � Y . . . You�re the intruders?� � Well . . .� � No time!� Bart hissed as the door opened. � They�re coming!� � In here!� We followed her into her room and waited for the troops to pass. � Why are you helping us?� I asked, none too nicely. � I owed Fei,� she said simply. � Though I don�t owe you; maybe I should turn you in.� � Do it and I�ll tear you limb from limb!� I snarled. � Elly! Kris!� We turned to Fei and demanded irritably, � What?� � Quit fighting! You�ll have everyone after us if you don�t! Now Elly, can you help us get out of here?� She nodded and snuck us out to a small Gear bay. She handed Fei a slip of paper. � This code will start any standard Gear.� She turned to me. � Who are you again?� � Kris,� I told her. � Fei�s sister.� She blinked. � I didn�t know Fei had a sister.� � Nobody does,� I grumbled, climbing into the Gear after Margie and Bart. Fei spoke with Elly for a moment and then joined us, starting the Gear up and getting us out of that damn Gebler area. And once on the Yggdrasil, I retreated to my room and let seventeen years of frustration loose to haunt me. <--Phase 8 Phase 10--> |