Of Mystical Gates
Chapter 5
Melville's Best Friend
The moonlight toyed with the tips of leaves before spilling around the forest floor, illuminating the wood. Silence filled the air, and blanketed the Dorna Empire with serenity. The night was beautiful in its simplicity, and the Dorna princess sat and watched the moonlight fall upon a gentle stream. The crystal around her neck shimmered in the darkness...a sign someone was coming. She hid herself; relieved she'd had to wait for them no longer.
"But....Shouldn't we tell them we're leaving? It seems awfully rude to just leave after they've been so hospitable!" Quatre pleaded.
"We can't afford to have a member of their clan die at our hands." Trowa whispered. Quatre glanced downward, silently admitting defeat....If Trowa felt the same way as Heero, there was no need to argue any further; he wouldn't win. Silence followed the warriors safely out of the realm, and crept up on them as they neared the edge of the empire. Heero made no sign of remorse when they had finally passed the borders of the kingdom. A smug smile crossed the features of Duo-- the only trace of emotion in the group. He knew what Heero had on his mind; the leader would never admit it, however.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Quatre was the first to notice some other presence. However, he felt the essence he noted was some magic the Dorna had given the heroes in order to heal. Assuming it was one of his brothers, he let the notion slide. Duo noticed it next. His ears never betrayed him; there was definitely something following them. He remained alert, but tacit. Whatever was following them didn't seem that big. He assumed it was just an animal.
Trowa saw it. It flew through the canopy in the blink of an eye, but he saw it. Stopping the group, he raised his bow towards the tree. Heero glared at the spot at which Trowa pointed, Duo smiled, his azure eyes gleaming, and Quatre waited with anticipation. The men were shocked when a figure boisterously jumped out of a tree...from nowhere near where the arrow had been aimed.
Trowa quickly swung around, and once again aimed his weapon at the individual that had been following them.
"YOU?!?!?!?!" Duo screamed, sweat-dropping. Heero grimaced.
In front of them stood the one entity that had haunted Heero's thoughts since the moment he regained consciences-- the Dorna girl. Her features were still covered, and all they could stare at were her beautiful crystal eyes. The entire forest seemed to radiate from them. Heero walked up to her, and forcefully grabbed a section of her cloak, lifting her upward. Her gaze didn't waver.
"What are you doing here? Leave."
He flung her away, shoving her in the direction of the empire. She stared at him, refusing to move. He motioned with his hands, telling her to go, since she didn't seem to comprehend. Still, she stayed. His eyes were aflame as he watched her. She was as calm as water itself.
"Heero, you can't send her back alone. She might get hurt." Quatre whispered, staring at the girl's eyes, a sly secret hidden beneath his youthful features. Heero glared at Quatre as if to say there was no way he was going to allow her to stay. His eyes wavered for an instant, then he turned to continue the journey. The others did the same. Quatre, however, lagged behind, and flew over to the girl.
"I beg your pardon, my Lady, but I must confess to you that I know you're not merely a humble servant of the Dorna Empire."
She smiled at him, and he could see it in her eyes.
"Oh? And what am I, little pixie?"
"Your Highness, you are the heir to the throne. You are Queen Relena."
"We best get going." She said, walking to catch up with the rest of the train. She smiled as she walked, and allowed herself to be overcome by the beauty around her. (1)
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Ominous clouds engulfed the sky, blocking the one source of light the team had. The sun was extinguished beneath the walls of the horizon, and started to leak. Beads of shimmering silver fell upon them as they made their way through the forest, and Heero led them through the tricks of the wood until his eyes rested upon a cave. This would serve as the perfect shelter; they would rest here. He motioned to where he was leading them. They each nodded. The girl watched his less-than-graceful movements as he made the gestures. Smirking, she followed him into the abyss of the cave. Once inside, the barriers of silence were broken.
"Whew. What a relief. My ears were drowning!" Duo exclaimed, while pouring out the water from his ears. He looked at Heero. "We gonna' stay here all night?"
"Until the rain stops. I suggest we rest," his monotone voice replied. The girl once again found her gaze fixed upon him. Everything she had seen this creature say or do held little or no emotion....Even the way he gestured them to follow him was crude in its way. She sat on a rock, and took off her cloak.
The shimmering suit of a warrior greeted the weary young men. It seemed to rejuvenate them. The brightness caught all of their attention, and the girl blushed, and tried to place the cloak back on her shoulders.
"What a piece of work. I'll bet Heero's sword couldn't even cut through that." Duo whistled.
"Hn."
"That's very beautiful. I assume it's standard Dorna armor." Trowa stated.
"Sure. It's standard Dorna armor. I'm sure all the men have their stomachs showing as well," Duo laughed, "However, I'm not complaining." His gaze rested on her figure. She gave him an annoyed look, and tried to cover herself more quickly.
Quatre smiled. Whispering to her in her own tongue, he commented. "Lady Relena, you don't have to put it back on. They like to look at it."
She nodded her understanding, and still scowled from the drooling Duo.
"You might want to take that mask thing off, though, Dorna. You could catch cold with that wet thing on your face." Duo commented.
The girl stared at him, and placed the cloak around her shoulders, ignoring what he said.
His nose wrinkled. "She must not be able to understand. Poor lass. Dorna are supposed to be the most intelligent creatures in the world, yet she can only speak one language." He looked at Quatre. "Kind of disappointing, isn't it man?"
Quatre merely nodded, a hint of crimson crossed the arch of his nose.
"How did you find out?" she addressed Quatre. The room grew silent when she spoke. Heero watched her speak so fluently to the pixie. She had such a wonderful tone to her voice.......
Quatre sweat-dropped. "I just over heard you is all. I heard you talk to your mother."
The girl laughed. The sound brought an even brighter light to the room, and filled the cave with a new presence. Heero couldn't help but be somewhat enamored of this girl who had kept herself hidden from his view. She was an enigma.
"I guess I should have been more careful!" she stated jovially. Quatre joined her in laughter.
"Duo, can you start a fire?" Trowa inquired.
"Can do."
When the girl stopped laughing, she watched the elf intently.
"Spirit of fire, lend me your power. Spirit, surrender yourself to my whim." Burning bits of light danced around the room, and struck a few dry fragments of wood Heero had gathered. Soon they were alight, and the room now had an earthly glow.
Shadows danced around the cave walls, allowing the members to see how deep it went.
"Hey, no way! This used to belong to my people!" Duo proclaimed.
"Really?" Quatre cried, excited to learn a bit about Duo's history. He flew over to where Duo was standing, and listened.
"A long time ago....Before the humans had been cruel, the world lived in harmony."
The girl listened silently, noting all he said, mentally recording it all. Besides Duo's voice, the crackling of the fire was the only noise.
"We lived with many other creatures in this place, Dorna included. It was somewhere everyone could go. Segregation wasn't even a word back then...Nor hatred. My people made huge works of art, that I assume are still here....Way down there!" he shouted, and pointed down the cave, his echo bouncing off the walls.
"But then, the war started...And we were branded traitors. My people were forced out of the caverns by goblins and the like. We moved to the forest, where we still live to this day."
"Duo. It must feel..." Quatre didn't have time to finish. A huge bolt of lightning shot from the sky, and landed right above the cave. The heroes heard a tremble, and soon realized the rocks above the cave entrance had been hit. They fell within seconds, and the threatened to crush the girl, who was sitting next to the entrance. Too stunned to react, she waited for the blow. She was quite taken aback when she met Heero's steady gaze. He had rescued her from the debris. He gently let her down, and turned to the males, assessing the situation. (2)
I don't believe this. Not only did he save my life, but also he did it faster than any of my people could have. I've never before heard of a Wildoor...or any creature for that matter with such incredible power....That speed.....Incredible.
She stood in awe as they decided what to do.
"If we follow this path, we should come out right above Asitura." Duo said, brushing dust off his clothes.
"That's right next to the where we are headed, is it not?" questioned Trowa.
"Yeah. This path should be easy." Heero answered.
"Have we encountered a bit of luck?" Trowa smiled.
"Quatre! Tell them this is the wrong way. We should find another way!" the girl commanded. Quatre obliged, and Heero turned to look at her.
"You're in my way. If you can't even defend yourself, you're of no use to this quest. Therefore, you are not suited to offer comments" he spat, commanding Quatre to translate.
"My Lady..." Quatre started to calm her. Her eyes were aflame.
"Don't." she brushed off the look coming from Heero, and bowed respectfully. It caught him off-guard, but he quickly turned around and told Duo to lead the way.
Duo lit a small torch for each of the travelers, and led the way down the musty caverns.
"You know, there may be some good art still down here. I might be able to show you how skilled my people are."
"Silence, Elf. We needn't hear all your babble" Heero muttered.
"Well, excuse me for being proud of my heritage" Duo muttered, and kept leading them further into the labyrinth.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
They had gone a way before she began to feel more than uncomfortable. Sweat formed on her brow at an incredible rate, and she watched every shadow for signs of movement. Heero caught her strange behavior, but thought nothing of it. She continued to grow worse. She had visibly paled within the next hour. Sign of fever ran through her body.
"Lady Relena, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just watch everything. Grow eyes in the back of your head."
Quatre nodded, sure that she knew something he didn't. Heero once more noted her condition, and told the train to halt. They would rest here for the night. Her eyes widened, and her breathing became shallower. Falling to the floor, she cried out.
"Queen Relena! What's wrong?" Quatre was at her side in an instant.
"Goblins...dwarves...They're here..."
"What?" a look of panic crossed the pixie's features, as he continued to stare at her.
"Turn and fight! Now!" she screamed.
Quatre turned around to meet the gaze of the other warriors. Behind Duo, he saw small figures approaching their camp at increasing speed. His eyes squinted, trying to see the beasts more clearly. His comrades twirled around in time to prepare for battle. Trowa quickly grabbed his arrows, and killed many of the advancing creatures. They kept coming. Heero and Duo tried to fight them off with swords, but they still managed to come in numbers that the heroes couldn't possibly withstand. Quatre flew into the air, muttering some spell, and many of the goblins disintegrated upon touching him. His eyes were huge, and light shot through them. Duo reared his sword back and killed one near Heero. The two fighters were now back-to-back, trying to ward off the goblins.
"I thought they hated light! There's light in here...So why don't they die?!" Heero screamed as he killed two with one blow. He dodged an attack from one, and, as it fell, stabbed it in the back.
Duo was busy slaying them left and right as well.
"I have no idea...They should be dead by now" he murmured, continuing his battle. They heard Trowa shout from some high point within the cave. They looked up to watch him. His bow gleamed a blue hue, and suddenly seemed as if it were on fire.
"Take this magic, beasts!" he yelled, and fired an arrow that was alight with his blue flames.
Many of the beasts fell down. Quatre continued his chanting, but was flying about the room, running into the goblins, and killing them by disintegration. Heero threw his sword into the air, calling on some power to aid him, and it fell back into his grip a flaming blue like Trowa's weapon. Duo did the same. The goblins attacked with more severity, and tried to use their numbers to defeat the creatures from above, but to no avail. They were being swept away by the immense power of the weapons. Light flooded the room, and the travelers found they didn't even need to get close to slay the goblins. The energy and power of the weapons dealt a horrifying blow. The soldiers made no sound as they killed, and the only noises that resonated form the cave were the sounds of the dying. A stench rose from the corpses, and filled the nostrils of the warriors. They continued to fight.
The girl was trying her best not to die. She barely had the strength to stand; yet she had her sword out, killing as many of the goblins as the rest of them. Her crystal, which had been eerily bright, faded with the loss of her strength, and she felt it increasingly difficult to stand. She wouldn't let herself fall in front of him. (3) She was not a burden. She screamed it out in panted breaths as she slashed through the skull of an enemy. She looked over her shoulder to see that Heero was about to be wounded from a goblin sneaking up from behind. The others were busy killing the remaining few demons. Heero had just destroyed the enemy in front of him, and turned in time to see one leap for him, teeth dripping gooey saliva over its black face. Heero had no time to retaliate, so he just stood there. Out of nowhere, the girl sliced the monster in two. The gruesome creature landed on the floor with a thud, and Heero watched its blood cover the cave. His eyes rose to meet hers. Her cheeks were flushed, and she panted a bit before her eyes fogged over, and she fell.
He caught her before she hit the stone floor, and felt her forehead. She was burning with fever. The fact that she'd not only been able to save her life, but his as well was beyond unbelievable.
While supporting her lighter-than-feather-body, he signaled for help. The goblins defeated, every member of the team went to his aid.
"What's wrong with her?" Duo fretted. His usually jovial eyes were filled with remorse.
"It's the goblins," Quatre started, "This type of goblin poisons the air to Dorna. It makes it very hard for them to breathe. Put her down."
Heero did as he was told, and Quatre began to chant some indecipherable words. They watched as the color returned to her cheeks, and her crystal once again lit to a glorious color. She sat up with aid from Quatre.
"We almost had our first fatality, there, Dorna. You should have told us beforehand." Duo stated, the happiness returning to his eyes.
"I'm glad she's okay," Trowa breathed, "Thank you for helping her, Quatre."
When she opened her eyes, she saw only Heero. He was right next in front of her, mere inches away from her face. She blushed, and blinked wildly, sweat-dropping as well. He held his hand out to her, and she tilted her head...She didn't understand his gesture. He touched her cheek with his calloused hand, and lowered his face to hers. The thinness of a hair separated their two faces. She felt his warm breath against her face, and she felt her stomach clench with a series of emotions she'd never felt before now. His eyes bore into her lips....He wanted so badly to give in to the feelings that threatened to tear him apart, but he just whispered to her.
"I was mistaken. Thank you." He could tell she understood when she flushed. He quickly stood up, leaving her melting where he'd left her. (4) She felt a sudden pride in her heart, and stood up to listen to his orders. She eyed Quatre, and nodded her appreciation. He blushed.
"What now?" Quatre asked Heero.
"What else? We continue," he said looking at Duo, "Which way?"
"Towards that cavern....there," Duo pointed, "That should bring us to our destination."
"I see. How long will it be before we reach the surface?" questioned Trowa. He followed the path down which Duo led them. It was horribly rocky. They had trouble keeping their balance. Heero aided the girl, and she felt lightheaded at his touch. When they reached the top, Duo smiled and answered Trowa's question.
"We're here."
They saw the light from the outside, and Quatre flew quickly to get out. He was beyond happy to see the sunlight. The heroes sighed, and walked on, eager to catch up with Quatre. They stopped dead in their tracks when a large creature attacked the poor pixie. Screaming, Quatre flipped backward, and fell on his butt. The horn on his brow glowed a brilliant shade from the few beads of sunlight that entered the room. An axe met Quatre's neck. Heero let go of the girl's waist, and drew his weapon. She narrowed her eyes at the creature that threatened her friend's life.
"Stand down, goblins, or your comrade dies," a harsh voice commanded. The speaker was strangely calm, yet there was danger in the depth of his voice.
"Who are you calling goblins? We're not kin of those twisted creatures!" Duo pouted. At this point, he was clearly upset. Being mistaken for a goblin was hitting way below the belt...even for an enemy.
The creature's voice was apparently confused. "You're not goblins?" He lowered himself a little in order to get a better look at Quatre. Upon seeing a pixie, he took many steps back, now silhouetted by the sun. Quatre saw his face, and jumped back, hiding behind Heero. (5)
"What are you?" Trowa asked.
"Come out of the cave. But I warn you, if you are enemies, you shall perish" the voice stated.
They stepped out of the cave, and beheld the creature in front of them. The girl smiled. She knew what he was. The others weren't so educated.
The creature stood on the legs of a horse, and his golden body illuminated with the light of the sun. He was half of a man...Yet had pointy ears that protruded from the side of his head. They would have considered him a centaur, but he had four hooves instead of two. His black hair fell in cascades upon his shoulders, and shone like the feathers of a raven in the sun. He was quite beautiful, really, and the group found themselves in awe.
"What are you?" Quatre chirped in wonder. He glided over to the beast.
"Quatre, he's a Marteer," the Dorna laughed. Her voice filled the wood with glee. The Marteer looked her direction, and smiled. His look was cold, yet she could tell it was the sweetest expression he could make.
"A Dorna. Well, now, what kind of group is this? A Wildoor, Dorna... a Treeling.... a little Pixie....and...," his eyes narrowed, "an elf."
"Just what's that supposed to mean? I happen to be the king of the elves!" Duo complained, "And I don't even know what YOU are!"
"I doubt you would, elf. I am a Marteer." He glanced at the girl. "I am in search of King Heero's party."
"Look no farther. I am he." Heero said, hand still on his weapon.
"This is unbelievable. I'm to join you? Pledge my axe to you? In the company of an elf?" the Marteer spat, "Injustice."
"Hold your tongue, Marteer. You are in royal company" the girl said in his language. He glared at her, and a smile of recognition sparked in his eyes.
"Well. If it isn't our queen. Your majesty, what brings you out here?"
"Wufie, mind you stop. They don't know me."
"In the dark, I see. A cave was the perfect place to bury that secret." (6)
Her eyes narrowed.
"Um, excuse me, but, could you talk our language?" Duo sweat dropped, "And how did she know your tongue?"
"She and I know each other. I was a servant in their realm."
Heero looked at her. "Good. Then you can take her back home."
She looked at him through the corner of her eye, so as not to let him know she understood. She then looked at Wufie, who merely looked as if he'd die of laughter. His eyes danced with mischief. Her eyes told him to back off. He laughed.
"You'll take her?"
"I won't. I am required to aid your party, Heero, not baby-sit."
"That sounds familiar." Duo laughed. The two kept bickering as the rest of them stood there.
"You can aid my party by taking her home."
"I refuse to play a role in that." Wufie sneered, "It's a four-day journey!"
"Then get walking."
"Ungrateful Wildoor!" Wufie grabbed his axe, ready to fight. Heero held his sword steady as he watched the Marteer. The creature was taller than he, standing at least 2 feet higher. Wufie reared back to strike when Quatre intervened.
"You must stop! We have a mission to accomplish! You must stop the meaningless fight!"
Heero was the first to place his weapon back in its holster, though it was after a good 5 minutes. The girl smiled. This was quite amusing.
"We have to find Smeegal. He'll be able to help us." Trowa stated.
"He is resting now. It wouldn't be wise to wake him" Wufie commented, never lifting his gaze from that of the Wildoorian king.
The girl walked on, taking the path to the dragon. The heroes watched her go.
"Dead girl walkin'," Duo said, sweat-dropping.
"That's not funny, Duo" Quatre snapped, following the girl. The rest of the crew was quick to pursue. The stopped short, however, when they saw the dragon.
It was as tall as hundreds of Duo's trees, and was as black as the heart of a human. (7) Darkness itself would have been lost in its scales. Wings rested gently against his back, and a slow flame formed at the corner of his nostrils. They could see his giant teeth peaking through the creature's massive jaws, the glistening weapons were as tall as Wufie. The girl kept walking towards it.
"She is gonna die...."Duo cowered. Not even all the magic in the world could have killed the beast...It was beyond terrifying. They watched her touch the dragon.
"Smeegal, arise," the girl said, "we are in need of your assistance."
The dragon arose with a start, shooting flames that could have set an entire forest on fire had Smeegal not kept his breath in check. The girl continued to stand, eyes focused and intense. The dragon spoke with the intensity of a thousand wizards. A booming bass voice shouted at them, rocky from the searing fire that dwelled in his throat.
"Who goes?" he cried, "Who is foolish enough to place himself in my bed of gold, eh? A human?" He sniffed the air, and opened one eye to see. Upon glancing down, he saw the girl.
"Upon my word!," he chuckled, "And I'll be blessed, too! The queen of the Dorna herself! Of all that is immaculate! Your majesty!" he stood up, and bowed.
The dragon spoke in a tongue they could all understand, and only two of the three soldiers' jaws didn't hit the ground. Heero, Duo, and Trowa were beyond dumbfounded. It only added to Heero's astonishment, when she finally threw off her cloak...
(1) I thought I was being ambiguous. What was she looking at? Heero or the forest? ^_^
(2) Grr....Anyone else catch that? Males my butt.....Grrr......
(3) Tenacious, aren't we?
(4) He's referring to when he told her she was getting in his way.
(5) Nothing really. I just think it's funny....Poor Quatre.....^_^
(6) That was added to my fav. Quotes list. It just seemed particularly grand....Wufie-like, and all around fit the air of the story.
(7) I thought that was pretty cool!.....I feel good about myself. *pats herself on the back*
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. Please review!!!! I worked hard and such.......