Nigenai Megumi: Unlikely Goddess

Author’s Notes- Aha! The chapters lengthen! *smiles* Well, in any event, this would be, without a doubt, my longest chapter so far. So proud! And it’s actually good! -^^-

-Tifmonk (tifmonk@chichiri.com)

 

Chapter Three:

What a Vacation.

 

          Marium woke up in a strange room, on an unfamiliar bed, with alien faces staring down at her. Two of them were male, and one was... well, she couldn't tell. It looked like a kid, though.

          "Who are you people?? Are you with those horrible creatures??" her voice was shaking with paranoia. The first man shook his head.

          "We can't be. Evil isn't allowed in this forest. Didn't you know that?"

          Marium replied in earnest, "No. I'm... kind of new here."

          "New here? Are you from Highroads? Or maybe Junction Meet?" he asked again. The other man looked a little familiar. He was completely silent and had a strange expression on his face, like he was scanning her, but she couldn't tell because his eyes were shaded completely by his bangs. She blushed a little and turned away.

          "I'm from Fresno. I've never heard of Highroads or Junction Meet." she admitted, frowning. "And... I came from a Temple, not too far away."

          "Temple? Oh, you mean the Temple of the Six Elemental Dragons Yin. It's the goddess Yin's temple. She must be outraged at the desecration of the sacred place."

          "Yes, well... I still don't know how I got here. One minute I'm asleep in my front room with my two best friends... omigod. Tasae and Sachi... they're still in that temple place!" Marium jumped up, and fell down immediately. The three people blinked at the action and the man that had been talking helped her up.

          "I'm sorry, miss. You are in no shape to go looking for your friends. Especially in Jinju territory." he said. "I'm Jonah, Master Weapon smith of this country."

          "What exactly is this country?? Monsters are running around eating my friends and tearing up holy buildings like that temple, you wouldn't see that back on my world!"

          "Your world?" the little person repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

          "On my world. You know, Earth? Well, anyways, it doesn't matter. I just need to find out why I'm here and.."

          "Wait a minute! What's your name?" Jonah asked her.

          "Me? Oh, my name's Marium Tomo."

          "Hm... you're just like the legends say.." he stated, poking and prodding her. She turned red and jumped away.

          "Quit that! Weirdo! What d'you mean 'legends'?! I'm just a normal teenager! And this must be a nightmare! Little squirrel kids, friend-eating monsters, silent men in huge cloaks, and perverted weapon makers! What is wrong with me?! Why can't I have regular dreams!?" Marium exclaimed, rocking her head in her hands.

          "I'm not a squirrel! And I'm not a kid!" the squirrel-like, gender confused child screamed, angrily. The quiet man in the white cloak's eyes widened under his thick bangs, then hooded again.

          "Really? Then what are you?" she teased, snickering. It glared at her.

          "I'll show you! Girls shouldn't make fun of powerful mages!" it shrieked, jumping up and down. She rolled her eyes and caught him by his cape.

          "You're just a runt. What can you do?? Oh, never mind. I've got bigger things to worry about then a ticked off midget." she let go of his cape and he dropped to the ground with a thud.

          "She can't be the High Priestess Yin! She's almost as evil as those Jinjus!!!!" the small mage exclaimed, making the tall cloaked man glance at him. "You agree, don't you, Altaire?"

          Altaire, obviously the cloaked man, didn't show any signs of agreement or disagreement. This made the little man-squirrel even more furious.

          "You never talk! Why don't you say something!!"

          Marium looked at the young man. He didn't seem much older than her, maybe by a few years. "Leave him alone, squirt. He's mute."

          "What?! I'm not a squirt! Jonah tell her to stop calling me that! It's not my fault I'm short!" he cried. Jonah grinned.

          "You agree with her then? You just said you were short, Cadillac." Jonah inquired, making Cadillac a shade redder.

          "I'm sorry I called you that, Altaire. That's your name, isn't it?" she asked him, smiling. His eyes were covered by his slightly longer bangs, and he didn't make any motion to answer her question. But she felt his answer within herself. She could understand him. "Good, we're friends than?"

          Altaire's gaze remained steady on her face. She was quite attractive. He was glad she couldn't see his eyes. He knew she was the one from the legends.

          "Girl, you're talking to yourself. Altaire is the High Priest of Yang, but he's silent. Never even spoken one word." Jonah commented, unsure of the Marium's sanity. She smiled at him.

          "He talks to me. Can't you hear him? He's got a beautiful voice, you know." she said, momentarily forgetting her troubles. Altaire's face turned a deep scarlet and he turned away so that she couldn't see.

          "Did you see that, Cad? He's got a thing for her!" Jonah whispered to the little Magi. Cadillac grimaced and shook his head in pity.

          "Then it must be her. The great union preserve us, we are going to die..." he moaned, wrapping his arms around himself. Marium was smiling warmly at Altaire, who made no facial expressions, but she knew he was smiling back at her from the inside.

          "You mean, you'll help me get my friends back? But I saw them die." she said, in what seemed like a one-way conversation to Cadillac and Jonah. "So there's a power that you can get that'll bring them back? You need me to help you get it?... Why me?"

          Cadillac sighed and cracked his tiny fingers. "Let's get to it then. She'll need armor and training. And a weapon. That's your job, Jonah."

          "Leave it to me. After all, it's what I do." he said, proudly, then turned to Marium. "Hm... A weapon that she would be able to handle easily..."

          Cadillac waddled over to Marium and examined her khaki shorts and loose, dark green shirt. She was shattered from her reverent discussion with Altaire and startled to find a little squirrel mage clutching her shirt and looking up it at her bra.

          "What kind of armor is this?" he asked Jonah, quizzically. Marium's eyes widened and she tore away from Cadillac's grip.

          "It isn't armor, you little punk!"

          "Then why is it there? It's useless!" he snapped. "Don't carry more equipment then you need!"

          She blushed. "I need that! It's just like a shirt! And why were you looking up my shirt in the FIRST place, you pervert!"

          Cadillac flushed. "I'm no pervert!"

          "C'mon you two! I can't think with all this yelling! Try to get along long enough for me to finish Marium's weapon." Jonah begged, hustling the two outside. "Okay, teach her magic. That might come in handy."

          "Magic?! Her?? Never!" Cadillac shrieked, clawing at the door to be let back in. "Jonah!!! I'll never forgive you!!"

          "I didn't ask to be forgiven! Just do it, or we won't stand a chance!" he called out to the little man. Cadillac sighed and turned to look at the girl. She was still unstable on her feet, and her legs didn't seem to want to work right.

          "This will never work... Okay, Marium, there are some things you need to know before I teach you how to spell cast..."

          Inside the house, Altaire was watching Jonah work diligently. Actually, all he was doing at the moment was thinking about which weapon he should make for the girl.

          She was an average built girl.. short, but not too much. She should be able to handle an axe well... but axe's were too slow and manly. She was a woman, and a divine one, as well. A priestess. He needed to make a weapon good enough for the High Priestess of Yin.

          He'd made Altaire's weapon. It was a staff made out of the rare, alien material known only as Kethos. There was a phoenix at the top, holding a bright orb filled with energy from the sun. It was perfect... for the High Priest of Yang. But the Priestess was different. She was dramatic... intelligent, quick to act, she needed a weapon that would grow with her... evolve as she did. A weapon to be totally in sync with her.

          "What do you think, Altaire? What weapon should I make for her? I already know I'll use the evolving mineral I used for your staff.. but.." Jonah's voice was troubled, uncertain. "Have any ideas?"

          Altaire's gaze was steady, as it always was. He reached out for a notepad and quill. With a glance at the confused weapon smith, he set to work on a picture of the ultimate weapon for Marium.