Chapter 10: Downtime

No, I'm not dead, nor have I forgotten this blog.  I've just gone through a little bit of literary hell, with every free moment of my time being stolen by sickness, fatigue, depression, and travel for the last forty days.  Despite that, I've managed to finish revisions on Chapter 10, which I will post below.  Chapter 10 is another transition chapter which I have some issues with, because I think it drags more than chapter 9.  Still, there are some very important character bits here, including the introduction of a new character, so I couldn't really trim it down too much. 

I'm also debating on whether or not I should continue with this blog, in all honesty.  I started this in the hopes that I might be able to get some feedback, positive or negative, on my work and try to gauge it's popularity.  But I am not an advertiser, I am not someone who knows how to get out there, and I am not a self promoter, so the turn out has been rather small and silent.  As such...I'm wondering if I should continue posting chapters.  I'll continue my work on my book regardless, because I genuinely love what I do, I love writing, even if it can drag at places.  But between this, my video game blog, and regular life...trying to keep up the blog is a pain, especially if I'm going to have to deal with long gaps like this.  It's been over 40 days since my last post, after all.  Anyway, I'll give it some more thought and will probably keep on until the end of the next arc, which will be over after Chapter 13.  The book may get done, but it seems unlikely that it will be here that it finds fans.

With that depressing bit of news out of the way, on to Chapter 10.

Chapter 10: Downtime

            The girls hurried through the hallway which led from the outside into Acacia, with Vincent taking a more leisurely pace behind them.  When they stepped into the bright, sunlit land, Mina shielded her eyes and glanced up at the sky.        "Is it just me or did it suddenly get brighter?"

            "No, it's definitely lighter.  But it's not even noon yet.  How-" Celine started to say.

            "A glamour," Vincent said, noiselessly appearing behind the three of them.  "Aeon wove it into the air around Acacia when he was assembling the island."

            "Glamour?" Celine scratched her head.

            "It's an illusion, like the one we saw the lich use to conceal this place," Daryl said, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips.  "It allows the creator to alter the way the world is perceived by others.  The weather and lighting can literally be whatever the creator wishes...I imagine that's why there were dancing lights all around after dark."

            "Very astute of you," Vincent nodded in Daryl's direction.

            "I have to know my stuff," Daryl said, keeping her distance from Vincent, "If I want to join the clergy when I'm older."

            The teythen shrugged and stopped at the edge of the forest.  "You are well on your way then," he said, "Now, where would you like to go?  Who would you like to visit?"

            "Ummm..." Mina stammered, glancing from Gadius's giant hollow tree jutting out of the forest to a huge metal spire in the distance.

            "I have some business with Yuka," Daryl quickly replied, "I want to run some ideas by her regarding some of the machines she showed us yesterday."

            "Easy enough.  And you two?"

            "I didn't really get to see Yuka's home yesterday, so-" Mina started

            "We're sticking together today," Celine snorted, a scowl crossing her face.

            Vincent's gentle smile never wavered for a moment.  He gave them a sagacious nod and silently led them through the forest. 

            On the way to the metal spire, they passed through a large clearing surrounding Gadius's hollow tree.  Much of the earth in the clearing had been tilled.  A bare-chested Gadius carefully tossed seeds into the empty patches of dirt before holding up his hands and twirling his fingers around in the air.  Water gathered around his finger tips and when he had gathered enough, he held up his palm and it sprayed into the air like a fountain before falling over the garden.  The water ran down Gadius's chiseled body and he seemed to glisten in the bright sunlight.  Mina and Daryl stood transfixed, their mouths hanging slightly ajar at the sight.

            "What are you two looking at?" Celine muttered, nudging Mina and Daryl.  "He's just watering his plants."

            "Oh!  Right...right..." Daryl quickly wiped her mouth on her sleeve.

            "Ughhh," Mina groaned, rubbing her eyes.  "Why do the jela-vey have to be so pretty?"

            "Haha, no need to feel embarrassed," Vincent let out a hearty laugh, "Everyone has that reaction at first.  When the sun hits Gadius, all the girls swoon.  Human and apocra both."

            "Ehhh, he's alright," Celine shrugged.

            "All but one, it would seem," Vincent snickered.

            "Vincent!" Gadius raised his hand and waved at the four of them.  "Are you here to watch the little girl's training?"

            Mina's heart skipped a beat and she took a step back.  "T-training?"

            Slapping his forehead, Vincent let out a long sigh.  "Oh dear..."

            A clatter came from the hollow tree and Deminos staggered out carrying a basket of dung in each hand.  His auburn hair was plastered to his face with sweat, which ran down his bare chest in great rivulets.  Dropping the baskets down next to Gadius, he collapsed on the ground, his scrawny chest rapidly inflating and deflating with each haggard breath he took.

            "Hey!" Mina called, running over to him.  Save for a light set of burlap pants and the bandages which mummified his right arm, he was naked.  "Are you ok?" she reached out to touch his right arm and Deminos jerked aside, panting and wheezing.

            "Don't...touch...me..." he groaned, gripping his right arm.

            "I was just-" Mina started to say.

            "I don't need your pit-agh!" Deminos glowered at her until Gadius batted him on the back of his head.  "Damned vey!  What did you do that for?!"

            "If you've got time to be flippant and rude, you've got time for your training, little girl," Gadius sneered.  "While I fertilize my crops, you're going to get started on your push ups and sit ups."

            "Like hell I will!  I should be binding Goetians to my will, not...not...gardening!" Deminos spat.

            Gadius buffeted him again and got between him and Mina.  "Aeon put me in charge of your advanced training.  Now, do as I say, little girl."

            "Dammit, stop calling me that!" Deminos yelled.

            Mina felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Celine standing behind her, shaking her head.  "Come on...we've got better things to be doing."

            "Uhhh...yeah, I guess," Mina stammered, turning away from Gadius and Deminos.  She and Celine rejoined Vincent and Daryl at the edge of the clearing and they headed back into the forest.

            "I hope you will not take his rudeness personally," Vincent sighed.  "Deminos is...sensitive about his right arm."

            "Oh.  I...I didn't know," Mina replied.

            Narrowing her eyes at Vincent, Daryl said, "You seem to know everything that goes on here."

            "It is my job to know," Vincent said with a hint of pride in his voice.  "I am Aeon's retainer and I speak with his voice.  It is my duty to look after this place, both when he is here and when he is not." 

            As he spoke, they exited the forest and stopped in front of a large tower made of stone and iron with a giant crystalline flower blooming from the top.  The ground underneath their feet shook and a column of flame burst out of the side of the tower as an explosion rattled the iron which held it together.  The door at the bottom was flung open and a plume of black smoke billowed out, with Yuka following after it, coughing, sputtering, and covered in soot.

            "Normally, though, being in charge just means I am here to clean up after the others," Vincent sighed, grabbing Yuka and pushing her behind him.  He held up his hand at the oncoming smoke and it curved around him and the four girls.

            "Yuka!" Daryl and Mina exclaimed, when the neeg broke into a fresh fit of coughs.

Taking his eyes off the smoke, Vincent knelt down next to Yuka and helped her sit up.  Whipping out a velvet handkerchief, he wiped the soot from Yuka's face.  “What happened?" Vincent murmured, the air bubble surrounding them holding strong even without his full attention.

            “Damned idjit!” Yuka howled, rubbing her eyes and spreading more soot over her face.  “Why would anyone put explosive powder in a set of wings?  Thrust he calls it…yah right!”

“Can we help with anything?” Mina said, pulling Yuka back to her feet.

“Sure can,” Yuka replied.  She darted back inside the tower as a fresh wave of smoke poured out, returning seconds later carrying several long poles with long feathers bound together at the ends of them.  “Use these ta get the fan away the smoke!”

Waving the poles about, the four girls tried to waft the smoke out of the clearing and into the air.  While they were doing this, Vincent stood by the door into the tower.  The teythen raised his hands and used his telekinesis to guide the smoke out of the tower.  After a few minutes of fanning, the black haze had been dispersed, though a pungent aroma remained.  Wrinkling his nose, Vincent folded his hands behind his back and headed into the spire.  Mina, Celine, Daryl, and Yuka dropped their fans by the door and followed Vincent inside.  Suddenly, an irritating cacophony of grinding gears filled the tower.  A stairway above them shuddered and almost started to move, but sputtered a few times before eventually stopping.

Above them, enraged cursing could be heard.  “Yuka!  Whatcha doin, ya idjit girl!  Tha damned escalator’s broken!” Merkel snarled, panting for breath as he hobbled down the stairs on his stubby green legs.  His hair was streaked back and his body was the color of charcoal, but apart from the coat of soot he wore, the neeg seemed none the worse for wear.

“It’s because of all the smoke, ya moron!  It’s clogged up Raschid’s vents, so we don’t have any steam ta move the stairs!”  Yuka yelled back.

            "Well fix it!  Tha's yar job, so stop gawkin and get ta work!”  Merkel griped before hobbling back upstairs.  “Tha last batch ah fuel may'ah been a failure, but ah’ve got a few surprises for tha second test,” he snorted aloud, slowly climbing out of sight.

            "Merkel!" Vincent barked, floating up the stairs after him.  "You and I need to have a little chat about your...experiments," he growled.

            "Should we follow him?" Celine mumbled, as the sounds of Vincent and Merkel's voices quickly receded.

            "Nah...this is just how things go, around here," Yuka grunted, stepping over to a basin of dirty water.  Splashing it on her face and arms, she wiped as much of the soot off her green skin as she could.  "So, whatcha doin back here?"

            "I came to see Aeon, but-" Mina started.

            "Right, right, he's out," Yuka snorted, pouring a little of the water on her braided ponytail before wringing it out.  "Why'dja come here though?  This place ain't exactly safe," she added, heading into a nearby doorway and grabbing a box full of tools.  Dropping the box down next to the three girls, Yuka squatted in front of a panel, wrapped her braid around the top of her head and shoved a tiny net around it.

            "I wanted to show you these!" Daryl said, quickly pulling out her sketches and thrusting them in front of Yuka.

            The neeg looked over the sketches in one hand while unscrewing the panel in front of her with her free hand.  "Huh...the legion of Metron," she mumbled, flipping through the sketches, "Lookin at em side by side, they seem ta resemble neeg machinery."

            "You think there's a connection?  I might someday need to make a contract with the Metronians, so I thought-"

            "Hard ta say," Yuka said, reaching around in her tool box without looking away from the open panel.  A vent in front of her was completely black and occasionally let out a sputter of smoke while several pipes were coated with soot.  "They seem ta work like...dammit, where's that brush?!"

            "Is this what you wanted?" Mina said, pulling a stiff bristled brush out from under a pile of strange looking tools.

            "Ah, thanks!" Yuka flashed Mina a quick smile before scrubbing the soot off of the vent.  "Anyway, like I was sayin, from what I've seen, Metronians work kinda like this here steam valve," Yuka said, pulling a dirty rag out of the tool box and wiping along the inside of the pipes.  "Metronians work one way.  They do what they're supposed ta unless there's a break down and they can't cope.  Like, if this valve gets too much dust or soot in it, it can't pump the steam which keeps the machines on Acacia working.  Likewise, if you gum up a Metronian's gears or rust the metal, it'll either stop working or it'll try too hard and break.  Course, neeg can't do magic, so I dunno for sure.  This is just my take on the matter."

            Daryl smirked at Celine while Yuka began prying the soot out of the vents.  "So much for having my head stuck up my ass, eh, vagabond?"

            "Tcch, whatever, princess," Celine spat

            "Celi..." Mina sighed.

            "Well, little miss attitude hasn't improved much since yesterday," Yuka grunted, wiping her dirty hands on her even dirtier work apron before screwing the panel back into place.  "But she might be right.  Like I said, I'm a machinist, not a conjurer."

            Lowering her eyes for a moment, Celine bit her lip.  "Look, I didn't mean-"

            "I know ya didn," Yuka cut her off and began putting up the tools strewn around on the floor.  "Ya came here for Daryl and Mina, but ya ain't exactly cozy with my kind.  S'alright.  I understand."

            A sigh escaped Celine's lips.  "Ain't cozy is putting it mildly."

            After putting up her tools and removing her hair net, Yuka glanced back at the three girls and sighed.  "Sorry bout your ears.  Musta hurt."

            Celine's eyes widened and the blood drained from her face.  "So you knew?!" Celine yelled, brushing past Mina and grabbing Yuka by her apron.  The neeg didn't resist.  "You knew I'd been branded...that I'd been enslaved by your people!"

            "Celi!" Mina tugged on her friend's arm.  "Calm down.  She didn't mean-"

            Without even batting an eye, Yuka grabbed Celine's hand and twisted her arm around her back, forcing the tan skinned girl's face against the stone floor.  "Yeah, I knew," Yuka said, holding Celine in place.  "What of it?"

            "Yuka...?!" Mina balled her hands into fists and headed towards Yuka, "What are you doing?!  Get off- "she started to say, but Daryl caught her along the way and held her back, shaking her head.

            "I worked in a foundry from the day I was born," Yuka said.  "As soon as I was old enough ta  crawl, I was hauling iron and coal from dawn till dusk, till my feet bled and my body refused to move.  My parents were smiths, but if ya don't work...ya don't eat.  Even kids."

            "You had it easy!" Celine grunted, struggling under the neeg's weight, " I was in the furnaces!  Shoveling coal, underground, with nothing but the heat, the stench, and a hundred hopeless faces as company.  Don't you dare talk like you understand!"

            "I do, though," Yuka said, rolling Celine over and extending a hand, "Ya ain't the only one who was treated like a slave.  Anyway, it probably ain't worth much, but I'm sorry about what happened to ya.  I wouldn't wish that kinda life on anyone."

            Mina and Daryl looked down at Celine, who was gaping at Yuka's extended hand.  Slowly, the tan skinned girl took it and Yuka pulled her to her feet.  Patting her on the shoulder, she smiled and butted Celine in the head.

            "Agh!" Celine grunted, grabbing her forehead.  "What was that for?!"

            "Didn't wantcha thinkin I'd gone soft," Yuka laughed, and patted Celine on the shoulder.  "No hard feelins eh?"

            Celine smiled back at her and elbowed the neeg in the stomach so hard that Yuka fell to one knee.  "No hard feelings," Celine smirked and held out her hand.  "Now we're even."

            "Ummm...what just happened?" Mina went slack in Daryl's arms and raised an eyebrow at the pair.

            "It's the ancient mating ritual of the vagabonds," Daryl snorted, "Now they are married."

            "HEY!" Yuka and Celine yelled, color rising to their cheeks.

            Shaking her head, Mina chuckled and said, "Only you two could get in a fight and end up as friends."

            "I dunno..." Celine grabbed Mina's head and rubbed her fist into the fourteen year old girl's scalp, eliciting a slew of squeals, "I seem to recall making most of my friends that way.  Right, princess?" she winked at Daryl, who turned away and held up her nose.

            "Well now that that's settled, I'm gonna take some lunch down to Dem.  Trainin with Gadius has probably damn near killed him," Yuka said, pulling her blackened apron off.  Mina blushed at the sight of Yuka's naked, soot stained, green chest before she changed into a sleeveless white shirt.  "Vincent and uncle Merkel'll be arguin for a bit yet, so ya're welcome to come with me, if ya want."

            "I wanted to talk with Nerise after this, actually," Daryl mumbled.

            "It can wait.  Besides, isn't her valley on the way there?" Celine said, nodding in Yuka's direction.

            "I think so..." Daryl said.

            "Can I get a tour of the tower later?" Mina tugged on Yuka's arm.  "I only saw it from really high up and wanna see all the cool stuff you have in here."

            "Sure.  I mean, ya've gotta come back at some point, right?  I'll give ya a tour when ya do," Yuka smirked and patted Mina's head.  Yuka gathered up a large basket covered in a spotless white cloth and headed outside with the other three girls in tow.

            As they entered the forest, Mina quickened her pace so that she was next to Yuka, who had much longer legs than her.  "Hey, Yuka...I know this might not be okay to ask, so just say if it's not...but if you worked in a foundry as a kid, how'd you end up here?"

            "Aeon and Uncle Merkel found me after I was abandoned," Yuka scratched the back of her head, "They brought me here and I've been living in Acacia ever since."

            "Wh-what?" Mina stammered.

            "What do you mean, 'abandoned?'" Daryl added.

            "Well, when the mine we was workin emptied out, the neeg workin the foundry packed up and left.  I was only four years old and really sick at the time.  If my parents stayed behind, they'd lose their spot in the community and we'd all be penniless.  So, my parents left me.  Oh, they promised to come back, but they never did.  I survived for near two weeks on what rations they left me before Aeon found me, sick, starvin, and close to death."

            Mina's eyes widened.  "Oh...oh, I'm...I'm sorry, I-"

            "Eh?  Whatcha gettin all uptight about?" Yuka shrugged, "Ain't no big thing.  I was just a dumb kid when Aeon found me.  Said I was waitin for my parents.  Suddenly, he came back with my 'uncle' Merkel, that my parents had sent to look after me.  From then on, I been livin and workin here."

            The three girls stopped while Yuka kept on walking.  Yuka turned and looked back when she realized they weren't following her.  "Oi!  What's wrong?!"

            "Y-your parents abandoned you!" Celine snapped.  "Doesn't that bother you?!"

            "It used ta...but I was just a kid, remember," Yuka said, backtracking to the three girls.  "I remember lots of things from the foundry, but warm hugs and reassurances ain't among em.  Not like here. Here, I got a real family."

            Glancing from Daryl and Celine back to Yuka, Mina smiled and said, "It's the best thing in the world, isn't it?"

            "Got that right," Yuka smirked, starting through the forest again with the girls following after her.

            "Must have been quite the experience, growing up  here," Celine muttered.  "It's crazy enough with just me, Kano, and Mina.  I can't even imagine living here."

            "Hehe, it was a wild time," Yuka chuckled, "But everybody here really looked out for me.  Dakon and Echidna love kids and they showered me with affection.  Uncle Merkel, despite bein a royal idjit, taught me a lot about machines.  Vincent helped train me to fight, but was also the big brother I never had.  And Gadius...well, he takes some getting used ta."

            "What do you mean?" Daryl mumbled blushing slightly, "I'd think it would be...quite nice, living with someone like him."

            "Aye, ya'd think.  He's an honorable gentleman deep down...the problem is, it's hidden under a womanizing horn dog.  Had ta get used to him courting a different beauty every night," Yuka smirked.  "Neri took some time too.  Sweetest girl in the world, for sure.  But she never grows older.  And can be damn scary if her friends are in danger."

            "What about Deminos?" Mina asked.  "He seems...a bit..."

            "High strung?" Yuka raised an eyebrow.  "Hope the idjit didn offend ya.  He's a good guy, but has some self esteem issues.  That's why I like lendin him a hand when I can."

            "I noticed that you didn't mention the lich in that rundown," Daryl said, meeting Mina's eyes and immediately lowering her own.

            "Aeon?" Yuka shrugged, "Haah, he's like a jolly old grandpa.  Always tryin to keep me on the straight and narrow.  He might seem grouchy or scary, but he's got more heart than anyone I know.  He never raised his voice ta me or hit me.  An if I ever made somethin, he'd pay attention, even if Uncle Merkel wouldn't.  He cares about everyone here.  Ain't hard to see why Kinana sticks with him," Yuka said as the trees parted and they entered the clearing which held Gadius's home and garden.

            Deminos was lying in a heap at the edge of the garden.  His body was drenched in sweat to such a degree that even his pants seemed soaked through.  Furiously, his chest puffed in and out with each breath of air, but he seemed incapable of moving.  Gadius was next to him with two earthenware pitchers.  As the four girls approached, he gingerly lifted Deminos's head and slowly poured water down his throat, careful to give the teen some time to breathe and swallow.  When the first pitcher was empty, he took the second, stood over Deminos, and dumped it on his head.

            "AGH!" Deminos sat bolt upright, panting hard and sputtering water on all around him.

            "Rise and shine, little girl," Gadius sneered.  "You're lunch is here.  After you've rested, we'll continue where we left off."  Deminos's blank stare slowly hardened into a scowl, which didn't phase Gadius in the least.

            "Oi!  Ya don't hafta be so rough with him," Yuka snapped, laying her basket down and stared Gadius down.  "At this rate, ya'll kill him before he toughens up!"

            "You shouldn't baby him so much, Yuka," Gadius said, his expression softening somewhat.  "I never give the little girl anything he can't handle."

            "You...bastard..." Deminos sputtered, still struggling for breath.

            Shrugging, Gadius turned to leave.  "I've been called far worse, Deminos.  Anyway, Aeon charged me with making you stronger for the next phase of your training.  You don't have to like me.  You just have to keep working."

            "Are you leaving?" Daryl called, unable to hide her dismay.

            "I've got a lady waiting for me inside," Gadius smirked, pulling the door of his home open.  "Twould be rude to make her wait any longer."

            When he had disappeared from sight, Yuka shook her head and sighed.  "Damned jackass..." she shrugged and plopped down on the grass next to Deminos, who still looked somewhat bewildered by his impromptu bath.  "Hey...Dem.  You alright?"

            "Yuka?" Deminos croaked, wiping hair and sweat out of his eyes.  "That you?" he almost fell backwards, but Celine rushed in and caught him.

            "Woah!  Easy there!  Let me give you a hand" Celine lifted up Deminos's right arm and put it across her shoulder. 

            Deminos gave Celine a blank stare, but when his eyes fixed on his bandaged arm, he let out a shriek and clambered away from her, clutching the damp bandages.  "I told you not to touch me!"

            "Hey!" Celine glowered at the scrawny young man.

            "I feel the same way when she tries to touch me," Daryl snickered, "Even so...we're not going to hurt you."

            Lowering his eyes, Deminos removed his hand from the bandages.  "Yeah, I know...but..."

            "Forget it," Mina said, taking a seat in between Deminos and Celine.  "Let's just have lunch.  You look hungry."

            Eyeing the three girls with some degree of suspicion, Deminos scooted closer to Yuka as she unfolded the cloth from her basket in front of the five of them.  Pulling out biscuits, ten round, purple pastries, and a large covered bowl of aurox meat, onions, and carrots served over brownish noodles, Yuka handed everyone a set of forks and knives along with clay plates piled high with the noodle dish.  Even after serving all of them, there was enough food for seconds.

            Save for Deminos's voracious munching, an uncomfortable silence fell over the group.  When he had finished his portion, he let out a large belch and held out his plate for more, which Yuka filled immediately.  Sitting his food down in front of him, Deminos rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh.

            "I...I'm sorry," he mumbled.  "There, I said it!  Now...would you all quit acting so...so..."

            "Pissed off?" Celine snorted.

            "Sure...why not..." Deminos grunted.

            "I'm a little surprised ya're not a bit more cordial, Dem," Yuka said, slurping on her own noodles.  "We're all girls and pretty close ta ya in age.  Most boys at the Goetia academy would trade their left foot for this opportunity."

            "Yuka?!"  Deminos stammered, his cheeks turning a rosy shade of pink.  "I...w-well..."

            "Maybe we're so beautiful he's been left speechless," Celine winked at the conjurer who glanced down at his feet.  A chorus of giggles escaped their throats.  Putting her arm around the embarrassed conjurer, Yuka gave him a sisterly squeeze and smirked.

            "C'mon, relax.  We're just messin with ya."

            Deminos glared daggers at her for a moment before a tiny smile crossed his lips and he shook his head.  "You'll be the death of me, Yuka."

            "That's my job, Dem," Yuka punched him lightly in the arm and held up the food.  "Now eat.  If you wanna survive, you'll need yar strength."

            "Thanks," Deminos's smile widened and he tucked into the food.    "So, what are you three doing back?" he muttered through a mouthful of meat and noodles.  "I thought things were all squared away with you and Aeon."

            "There were some...issues," Mina said, fidgeting uncomfortably.  "I need to see Aeon again, but he's not here."

            "So, we're giving Mina the grand tour, since she missed out yesterday," Celine said.

            "Besides, I had some questions for Nerise and Yuka," Daryl added.

            "Questions?" Deminos raised an eyebrow. 

            A tiny shower of sparks fell on Yuka's pastry as she absentmindedly flicked her two flint rings together.  "Shoulda come ta Dem, Daryl.  He's the resident conjurer here.  Knows more about the legion of Metron than me, that's for sure."

            "I know, but-"

            "Whatever," Deminos shrugged, "Not like you're the first person to have no faith in me."

            "I didn't mean it like that," Daryl wrinkled her nose.

            "Dem, if ya try and throw a pity party here, I really will slug ya," Yuka snorted.  "Have a bit more faith in yourself.  And in others."

            "Tcch...easy to say, Yuka," Deminos sighed and pushed his food aside.  "Cept for you, no one here treats like anything besides a piece of-agh!" Deminos grimaced as Yuka gave him a hard punch to his arm.  "Dammit!  What was that for?!"

            "I warned ya," Yuka spat.  "Sides, that ain't true.  Everybody here looks out for ya.  Even these three ain't mad at ya for being such a jerk," the neeg pointed at Mina and the others.  "I mean, they came down ta see ya, right?"

            "Sorry about before if I...offended you," Mina quickly added, bowing her head.  "I-"

            "No...no, it's my fault," Deminos sighed and squeezed his right arm.  "Sorry."

            "Heh, so he does have manners," Celine snorted.  "In any case, let's try and get along, okay?" she held out her hand.

            Tentatively, Deminos reached out and shook it with his left hand.  "Sure...I guess."

            They went back to eating for a few minutes until everything but the purple pastries were gone.  "Mmmm, Nerise makes the best cakes," Daryl smacked her lips.  "I only had them once, but...ohhhh," she moaned.

            "One of the few perks of being one of Aeon's vassals," Deminos smirked and bit into his own pastry.

            "Did Aeon and the others adopt you like they did Yuka?" Mina mumbled through a mouthful of the sweet purple treat.  "Or did you come here on your own?"

            Deminos's shoulder's slumped and he let out a sigh.  "Here we go..." Yuka grunted, earning her a glare from Deminos.

            "No...I only came her about four years ago," Deminos said, turning his eyes back to Mina.  "I was a charity case from the Goetia academy."

            "By charity case, you mean he took you in after you were kicked out?" Celine raised an eyebrow at Deminos.

            Gripping his right arm, Deminos shook his head.  "Not...exactly.  There was an...incident there.  I couldn't stay...so, Aeon offered to continue my tutelage here."

            "Seems he did a good job too," Daryl nodded to herself, "You were using some powerful magic back in the forest."

            "Tcch," Deminos snorted, "You don't know anything.  Summoning Goetians of that class is easy.  What I really want is to bind one of the Goetian nobles to my will.  Maybe then people will look at me without scorn in their ey-agh!" Yuka gave Deminos a hard punch to the arm and he let out a gasp of pain.  "Again?!"

            "Stop doing that an I won't have ta slug ya," Yuka grunted.

            Deminos gritted his teeth and scowled at Yuka.  Before he could say anything, however, a large shadow fell over the group.  "Excuse me." Looking up, Mina and the others saw Echidna towering over them.  However, the normally blue scales which adorned her skin seemed to have sickly yellowish green hue to them.  She held one hand over her mouth and another to her stomach.  "Is...Is Gadius in?"

            "He's got company, I think," Yuka jutted her thumb in the direction of the hollow tree.

            "Miss Echidna..." Mina murmured, putting her hand on Echidna's tail, "You look sick.  Is everything-"

            "I'll be fine," Echidna quickly cut her off and stroked Mina's head with one of her two free hands.  "This is just a regular part of being an omnara."

            "Huh?  What do you mean?" Celine mumbled.  "What's wrong?"

            Before Echidna could reply, the door to Gadius's home creaked open and the bare chested vey escorted a creature that had the torso of a young woman but large black wings for arms and lanky legs resembling those of a cockatrice.  Her mouth full of razor sharp teeth was twisted into a smile and she nuzzled Gadius's cheek with her own.  Waving to him with her wing, she leaped from the porch of Gadius's home and flew into the air.

            Gadius waved her off before pulling out a long, spindly pipe and lighting it with a flame from his finger.  He breathed out a long plume of smoke and strolled over to Echidna.  Placing his hand to her stomach, he nodded briefly to himself and quickly extinguished his pipe.  "You're with child again," he said nonchalantly.

            "What?!" Mina, Celine, and Daryl exclaimed in unison.

            "I thought so," Echidna nodded, "I've been wanting to eat pickled pumpkin and raw roc meat all morning," she held her hand to her mouth and swallowed hard.  "Ugh...this one is giving me a dry throat and fever as well as morning sickness.  Can you..."

            "Sure.  I'll just add a little frost wart and shumoon with your usual medicine."

            "With a little honey?" Echidna gave Gadius a pleading look.

            "Haha, sure," Gadius chuckled, knocking some ashes out of his pipe before heading back to his tree.  "Don't want you gagging on your medicine after all."

            "Any idea what it'll be this time?" Yuka asked.

            "Something warm blooded, I imagine," Echidna smiled, rubbing her stomach thoughtfully.  "Though, I can never be sure what type of apocra will be born till they're ready to come out."

            "You mean...you don't just have normal children?" Daryl scratched her cheek.

            "No, I can give birth to any number of different apocra," Echidna said, "Because omnara were the first apocra.  We are the mothers of our race."

            "Wooooowwwww..." Mina whispered, gazing deeply at the omnara's stomach.  Though it did not look any different from when they had first met, Echidna held it gingerly, as if it were a treasure.  "Miss Echidna...umm...can I feel?"

            "Haha, sure.  Be careful though.  This one's hot," Echidna replied, removing her hands.

            Placing her palm on Echidna's stomach, Mina began to sweat as waves of heat poured off it.  However the heat was not so much that it burned her hand.  It was gentle and caressing, like a beam of sunlight on a winter morning.  "It feels nice," she stammered, blushing deeply.

            "Tcch," Deminos snorted, "Where's Dakon?  I doubt he'd be happy you came to visit on your own."

            "He left for the mountains this morning," Echidna said, ignoring Deminos's bluntness.  "He went to train the couatls he tamed last month."  A small sigh escaped her lips.  "Even after all this time, I feel lonely when he's gone."

            "I could always keep you company," Gadius said, appearing behind Echidna out of nowhere.

            "I doubt Dakon would approve," Echidna shook her head.  "Even after all we've been through, old grudges-"

            Bowing his head, Gadius gave her a curt nod, "Understandable.  I don't blame him."  He dropped a flagon of orangish yellow fluid into one of her hands as well as a smaller vial full of a fluid with a more purplish tint.  "Arha paid me a visit today.  She told me her sister Senna has been dealing with similar sickness and cravings, so I prepared a little for her as well.  I believe you may have another clutch of grand children soon," Gadius brightened and smiled at Echidna.

            "Are they yours?" Echidna murmured.

            "Possibly...though, most apocra I bed prefer I use protection, so probably not."

            "I...see," Echidna nodded, "I'll be sure to pay Senna a visit soon.  I hope she doesn't mind...once they get to a certain age, it is unseemly to have your mother making calls on you."

            "I don't know about that," Mina mumbled, putting her hand over her heart.

            "No, she's right," Daryl sighed, "Trust me on this one."

            Clapping his hands together, Gadius grabbed Deminos by the elbow and pulled him up.  "Alright!  Break's over, little girl.  Time to get back to work.  Now give me a hundred and fifty squats followed by a lap around the perimeter of Acacia!"

            Deminos groaned, but reluctantly began to perform his exercises.  "I suppose that's our cue to go too, huh?" Celine said, getting to her feet and stretching.

            "Where are you off to?" Echidna asked.

            "I need to ask Nerise some questions about her magic," Daryl said, "Though...I can't seem to remember how to get into the valley."

            "Haha, without a ride, getting in can be quite a climb," Echidna chuckled, "How about I take you down there before I head home?"

            "That's really nice of you, Miss Echidna" Mina said, "But aren't you sick?"

            Flexing one of her arms, Echidna grabbed the muscle that formed and smirked, "Are you kidding?  I'm tougher than that!"  As the girls descended into a fit of giggles, Echidna cupped her hands together and lowered them to the ground.

            "Haha, then it's settled," Celine laughed.  "So, Yuka, you coming?”

Looking from Echidna to the sweaty, struggling form of Deminos, Yuka shook her head.  “Sorry, but I’ve got some things I need ta do here.  Let’s catch up later, kay?” she called.

“Sure.  Maybe we’ll be back tomorrow, too!” Mina called, clambering into Echidna's hands.

"Come on, princess," Celine muttered as she joined Mina's side.  "Let's get going."

"Erm...you sure this is safe?" Daryl stammered, following her two friends with some hesitation.

Before anyone could reply, Echidna raised her hands up to her chest and took off, slithering through the forest with such speed that the three girls were flung against her chest.  Apocra cleared out of her path as Echidna zoomed by.  The world became little more than a green blur for Mina, Celine, and Daryl until Echidna broke out of the forest and onto the grassy plain between the forest and Nerise's valley. 

Heading over to the cliff face, Echidna slithered over the edge.  Daryl covered her eyes, but Mina and Celine watched in awe as Echidna's body seemingly clung to the steep rock walls.  Eventually, the walls leveled out and a large river of brackish, purple-black water appeared in front of them, which Echidna fjorded with ease, though the water raised goosebumps on her skin.  Shaking water from her scales, Echidna slowed to stop near Nerise, who was whipping her tiny scepter around like a baton.

"Aunt Ecchi!" Nerise squealed, running up and hugging the massive omnara with her tiny little arms.

"Haha, it's good to see you too, Neri," Echidna laughed, hugging her back with one of her free arms.

“What brings you here?” Nerise murmured.

 “I’m just chauffeuring a few visitors.”  Lowering her hands, Echidna revealed the three girls to Nerise.

“Dary!  Mina!  Celi!” Nerie called, running over and hugging each of them.  “You’re back!”

“Y-yeah…I was meaning to ask you some ques-” Daryl stammered, holding her head and trying to keep her legs from wobbling.

“Jeez, what’s with this place?” Celine interrupted.  “It looks like a graveyard.”

Looking around them, Mina noticed that the land was mostly barren, apart from some short, tough, brown grass underfoot, though bones and ruined masonry occasionally dotted the ground.  There was very little sunlight due to thick black clouds overhead, but there was an unearthly black glow emanating from the river they had crossed.  Taking a look back at the river, Mina felt goosebumps bloom on her skin and shuddered.  Far ahead of them was a large cave which the black river seemed to flow out of, while far behind her there was a tiny cottage built over the river on stilts.  The black clouds overhead billowed forth from the cottage's chimney.

“It’s home…at least, the earliest home I care to remember,” Nerise scratched her cheek. "Is...is there something wrong with it?"

"No, no...it's very nice, isn't it, vagabond?" Daryl said through clenched teeth.

"A little gloomy, maybe, but I suppose it has it's charms," Celine shrugged.

“So...this is what a necromancer’s home would look like, huh?” Mina mused, glancing all around her.

“Well…hehe, most necromancers like big castles or temples or whatever.  I just wanted a piece of Gollia to take with me,” Nerise giggled.  “So when Aeon formed this place, Granny let me have a piece!”

"Granny?" Celine repeated.

"There you are!" in the distance, the girls saw what looked like a black cloud floating towards them.  However, as it drew closer, they were able to see that it was actually a flock of rodent-like creatures with large leathery wings.  The creatures came together next to Echidna and transformed into Vincent.  "Why did you leave without me?" the teythen frowned at the four girls, and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Yuka invited us to a picnic," Celine shrugged.  "You were still arguing with Merkel, so we figured it'd be fine as long as someone was with us."

"We're sorry if we've upset you.  I...suppose we should have waited," Mina said.

Vincent's scowl slowly melted away and he pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers.  "I told you before that I am Aeon's retainer.  While he is away, this place is my responsibility.  And so long as you are in Acacia, you are my responsibility as well," he sighed.

"Ah, don't be too mad, Vincent," Nerise smirked and hugged the teythen's waist.  "After all, everyone's okay."

"Nerise..." Vincent shook his head and unfastened the little girl's hands from around him.  "I have my duty to think of.  This is not something I can simply overlook.  You three," he pointed to Mina, Celine, and Daryl.  "It is time for you to leave.  I believe the dinner shift starts at your tavern soon, so-"

"But I haven't gotten any of my questions answered!" Daryl piped up and stomped her foot on the ground.  She retreated behind Celine when Vincent narrowed his eyes at her.

"Look, we can be back in like ten minutes," Celine said, putting her hands on her hips, "You're mad, we get it, but we didn't mean any harm.  Just let us visit with Nerise and we'll be on our way."

"Vincent, they've behaved themselves," Echidna whispered behind him, "When I found them, they were chatting with Deminos and Yuka in Gadius's garden."

"Dem?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.  "Hmmm..." stroking his chin, he glanced from Daryl, to Celine, to Mina, who had her head bowed.

"We acted selfishly.  It's only right that you'd be mad.  But we are sorry," she said, gazing into his crimson eyes.  Vincent's eyes began to glow, however Mina stood her ground and did not flinch.

After a few seconds, Vincent sighed and scratched at his white bandana.  "Fine, fine...I know when I'm beaten.  But I'm sticking with you for the rest of this little visit."

"Yay!  Weissy doesn't often get visitors," Nerise giggled.  "Aunt Ecchi, will you come with us?  Weissy often asks about you and your children."

Holding her stomach, Echidna shook her head.  "I...think not, Neri.  That place makes me feel ill...and I recently discovered I am with child again, so-"

"Okay.  I'll tell Weissy hi for you," Nerise smiled at the omnara.

"Forgive me...I must take my leave now," Echidna bowed her head before slithering across the black river once again and up the valley's walls.

"Well, come on," Vincent motioned the three girls to follow him.  "It's not far to Weiss, but stick close to me.  Ask Nerise your questions and then it's back to Gesthal with you."

"Why are you so grumpy these days?" Nerise jogged to catch up to Vincent and jabbed him with her toy scepter.

"I'm not grumpy, Nerise.  It just feels like sometimes I have to be in two places at once...and there's not enough Vincent to spare," the teythen managed a weak smile.

Mina and the others were trailing a little ways behind Nerise and Vincent.  Clearing her throat, Celine called ahead of them, "So, where are we going, anyway?  And who was this Weissy you two were talking about?"

"Weissy's my oldest friend," Nerise smiled back at them and slowed a little bit so she could talk with the three girls.  "But he's really shy so he lives over there," she pointed towards the cave the black river was flowing out of.  "I know you'll love him though!" she squealed, grabbing the girls' arms and pulling them along.  They passed Vincent, who quickened his pace to catch them.

"Okay!  Nerise, we're coming!  You don't have to keep pulling!" Mina mumbled after a solid minute of being dragged behind the energetic little girl.

"Oops!  Sorry," Nerise stuck out her tongue and laughed. 

Vincent caught up with them at the mouth of the cave and before heading inside, Nerise tapped her toy scepter on the ground.  It extended slightly, so that it was roughly her height, and the jewel at the top of it lit up to illuminate the path ahead of them.  Waving her scepter, which was now the length of a quarter staff, in front of her, Nerise led the way into the cave.

"Don't you have questions you need answered?" Vincent's voice behind them made Mina, Celine, and Daryl jump.

"R-right..." Daryl muttered, quickening her pace to put a little distance between her and the teythen.  "Hey...umm...Neri?"

"Uh-huh?" Nerise looked back at her, walking along the darkened path ahead as if she knew it by heart.

"I wanted to ask you a little bit more about void magic."

"Kay!  What do you wanna know?"

"Void magic bends the natural laws of the world, right?" Daryl mumbled.

"Right."

"What about people?" Daryl added, "Can you use Void magic on people or...is it just for changing the way the world works?"

"Why do you even need to know, princess?" Celine raised an eyebrow at her, which was practically invisible in the dim light.

"The more prepared I am, the easier it'll be when I leave to become a priest," Daryl snapped, "I mean, at some point, I'll have to fight against people who use void magic.  So, I need to know what I'm up against.  So, Neri..."

"Yep.  Void magic can be used for all kinds of things with people.  You can use it to curse them, make them weaker, change how their body works, and even meddle with their souls.  After all, the void is a stream of souls...it allows you to meddle with the intangible laws of all things.  Not just laws of the world but how people and plants work too."

A chill ran down Mina's spine and her heart skipped a beat.  "So...void magic could be used to drag a soul out of its body?"

"Uh-huh," Nerise bobbed her head up and down, "Or sift through it, examine memories, even transplant it...though, that's a bit dangerous," she laughed nervously and scratched her cheek.

"Nerise...is there any way to counteract void magic?" Daryl muttered.

"Hmmm?  Well, void magic can cancel itself out...and since holy magic is the opposite of void magic, it can lessen its effects," Nerise shrugged, "Why?"

Daryl stopped in place and sighed.  "Nerise, you don't seem to get it, but...to me, void magic sounds horrible.  It sounds like a weapon.  Curses to weaken bodies...ripping out souls...raising the dead...how can you stand it?"

Vincent narrowed his eyes at Daryl but remained silent.  Nerise, however, merely scratched her head, nonplussed.  "A weapon?  Well, sure it can be used like that...anything can be a weapon, really.  Fire bakes bread, fire burns trees...right?"

Mina flinched for a moment and looked straight at Nerise.  Her face was a mask of confused innocence.  "How...how do you use void magic, Nerise?" she stammered.

"Like this," Nerise smiled and held up her staff.  The jewel at the tip of the staff began to grow brighter and brighter.

"NERISE, STOP IT!!!" Vincent yelled as the light from her scepter became like a miniature sun and illuminated the entire cave.

Mina covered her eyes as the light shone all around them, but after they had adjusted to it, she glanced around the cave.  Towards the back was an underground spring.  It bubbled up to create a large basin of water that would overflow through a small opening near the base of the basin.  This outpour of water created the river.  Sitting in front of the basin, where the river started, was an immense skull made of pitch black bones and with an elongated mouth.  The skull itself was decorated with horns, spikes, and four eye sockets and after the clear water from the basin poured over the skull, it turned black and briny.  Swarming around the source of the river were undead creatures of various sizes and shapes.  Purple skinned, sunken eyed ghouls, zombies, with their rotting flesh barely clinging to their bones, skeletons of a number of different apocra, as well as hulking masses of muscle, blood, and bone, several ethereal creatures, and other horrors that defied description, all drank thirstily of the stream. 

Next to her, Celine also surveyed the river.  Her face was a mix of shock and awe, mirroring Mina's.  However, Daryl trembled uncontrollably at the sight of the monsters which had been lurking in the dark.  Clawing her way behind Mina and Celine, she began to hyperventilate.

"Huh?" Nerise tilted her head to the side and her smile slowly faded.  "Did I do something wrong?" she mumbled.  "I just wanted to show you my friends," she motioned in the direction of the undead.

"Neri...I think our guests misunderstood what you were trying to say," Vincent grunted, holding the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.

"What is all this?!" Daryl stammered.

"You asked how I use void magic," Nerise said, ambling over to Daryl, who recoiled at her approach.  "Well..." she lowered her eyes and took a step back.  "I use it to give life to my friends.  I've given them a second chance.  Just like what Aeon did to me."

"Wh-what?" Daryl came out from behind Celine a little bit.

"So...this river keeps them alive?" Mina mumbled, looking over at the other creature's drinking from the river.

"Yep," Nerise gave them all a sad smile, "It acts like a lock, keeping the life I gave them from fading away.  Thanks to that skull, my river is full of void energy," she pointed to the skull.

"What is that thing?" Daryl murmured, squinting at the skull.

"It's an eternal reminder...that I am loved,"  Nerise held her hand to her chest and knelt down next to the river.  She began to drink from the water just like the other creatures.

"What are you...isn't that water dangerous?!" Celine ran over to pull Nerise out, but was caught by Vincent, who shook his head and pushed her back a few steps.

"That skull belonged to one of the four great dragons.  Nazon, progenitor of void magic...and my people," Vincent kept his eyes fixed on Nerise.  "It may be toxic to living creatures, but it is life giving to Nerise and her creatures."

Wiping her lips on her robe, Nerise jumped back up and raised her hand into the air.  "Hi everybody!" she waved at the creature's all along the river.  The monsters stopped drinking and waved back at her with countless rotting hands, claws, and paws, all moaning, grunting, or roaring happily.

"This seems like a bit much," Celine whispered to Vincent, "I mean...Yuka and the others are her friends, right?  Why does she need more?"

"It's...complicated," Vincent muttered.

"Sorry about this," Nerise said, tapping her staff on the ground again so that the light decreased in brightness.  "I didn't mean to scare you...I just wanted you to meet Weissy."

"Neri?" a voice boomed around the five of them.  To Mina, it did not feel like she had heard the voice, but rather that it had appeared in the back of her mind.

"Weissy!" Nerise ran up a small incline in front of them.  Vincent led the way through the darkness and the three girls followed after him.  The tiny light given off by Nerise's staff revealed a basin in front of them, which still sparkled with clean water.

"Where'd she go?" Daryl said, squinting her eyes.

The light from Nerise's staff seemed to hang in the air with her floating above the water.  However, looking closely, Mina was able to make out a black silhouette in the water.  Save for a hand held up to its chest, the creature sat cross legged in the basin with one hand in its lap.  To Mina, it looked as if it were meditating.  Two green lights sparkled to life within the head of the spiky silhouette, illuminating the basin.  In front of them, Nerise was cradled in the hand of a creature with black skin that was as smooth and glassy as obsidian.  “I have been waiting,” even without a mouth, the words appeared clearly in Mina's mind and from the shocked looks on Daryl and Celine's faces, they had heard it as well.

"This is Weissy," Nerise said, rubbing her cheek against the creature's glassy black chest.

"Hello, Weiss," Vincent inclined his head at the creature.  "Hope you don't mind the visitors."

"Visitors?" the creatures called Weiss tilted his head and looked out at the girls.  “Are they…friends to you and Aeon, Nerise?”

“Sure are!” Nerise giggled.  “We met them during that big attack!  You should’ve come with us, Weissy!  It would have been good for you to stretch your legs.”

Looking over at her friend, Mina saw Daryl’s mouth fall open and her body begin to tremble uncontrollably.  Shifting positions, Mina had to try and keep Daryl steady, as she was unable to take her eyes off of Weiss. “He’s…eerily beautiful,” Mina mumbled.

"Yeah...like a big black jewel," Celine added.

"H-he's not like other apocra, is he?" Daryl trembled and looked over at Vincent for support.  The teythen's gaze softened and he shook his head.

"Weiss isn't an apocra.  He's a Nihilon.  One of the first children."

“F-first children!?!”  Daryl exclaimed, looking at Weiss and falling to her knees.  "Goddess...one of the first children..."

“What’s she talking about?” Celine muttered.

“The first children…my parents told me stories about them when I was little,” Mina replied, kneeling down to make sure Daryl was alright.  “The goddess Shanadia created them before breathing life into our worlds.  My parents said that because they argued and fought endless, bloody battles with one another, Shanadia created worlds for each of them to keep them separate.  But I thought the Dragons were the first children in Serano."

"They are," Vincent said, a smile forming when he saw Weiss gently pet Nerise with his long black talons.  “Unlike other first children, Nihilons don't have their own world.  They reside in the Void.  I don't know when or how he got here, but Weiss has been around longer than me, or Neri, or even Aeon.”

“I’m glad you have someone your osn age to laugh with,” Weiss's words were soft, but still loud enough for them to hear.  Nerise whispered into his spiky black head.  “Oh?  You’re teaching one of your friends about the Void?  Hmmhmm…how delightful."

“But I could never forget my Weissy!” Nerise giggled, planting a small kiss on his smooth skin. “No matter how many new friends I get, you'll always be my first and my bestest.”  Weiss's eyes widened briefly before returning to their normal size.

“That’s sweet,” Mina murmured, feeling her heart quicken at the sight.

“Y-yeah..." Daryl lowered her eyes and held a trembling hand over her mouth.  "They really seem happy together."

“Neri!  We need to take the girls home.  It's time," Vincent called out to her.

“Kay!” Nerise waved at Vincent and the others before jumping into the water.  “I’ll be back later, Weissy!” she said, while swimming over to her friends.

Vincent unceremoniously scooped Nerise out of the water, and put her on his shoulder.  Glancing down at Daryl, who was struggling to stay on her feet even with Mina's help, the teythen lifted the trembling girl into his arms and headed back the way they came.

 “C’mon, Mina, we should go,” Celine said, tugging on Mina's arm before starting after Vincent, Nerise, and Daryl.

“Umm…right,” Mina mumbled.  As she turned to leave, a voice echoed through the back of her mind.

"I know you three are wary of Nerise.  However, I implore you.  Please, be kind to her.  She has suffered much." Looking back, Mina saw the two green orbs fixed on her in the darkness before she stumbled after Celine and they disappeared from sight.