Chapter Eight:

Just a Larva of a Woman...

 

          Marium was sitting on the bank of a small river watching the sparkling, silver fish swim about. The moonlight made her reflection pale and shadowy in the water. "It's all my fault... I'm so full of self-pity and love for my friends.. that everyone else is oblivious. It's true.."

          The bushes behind her rustled and Marium quickly jerked around, wrapping Altaire's cloak around her tightly. "Who is it? Who's there?!"

          'Marium, it's just me.' Altaire stepped out of the bushes, eyes hooded as always by his bangs. Marium quickly wiped her eyes and glared at him through her wet eyelashes.

          "I thought I told you I needed to be alone."

          Altaire gazed at her, sympathetically. 'Aren't you always alone, though? I thought you might want to talk about what happened earlier.' He sat down next to her and looked at the fish playing in the water. 'They're beautiful, aren't they? And so content to just live their lives not knowing the truth, not wanting anything more than to swim mindlessly around in their own ignorance..'

          Marium shrugged, mechanically in response to Altaire's babbling. The only words that she heard were in her mind. The memory of what the goddess Yin had said during the last few minutes she was possessing Marium's body. 'I will not be revived until this larva of a woman learns... life's lesson... then, maybe, we will both get our wishes granted.'

          'What? What are you talking about, Marium?' Altaire glanced up at her with worry in his eyes. 'Oh, aren't those the words you said while in that trance?'

          "It wasn't me, Altaire. I thought you knew that. That was the goddess Yin." Marium muttered, emptily. "She spoke about me like I wasn't worthy. I'm not, I don't really want to be."

          'What do you mean?'

          The cold, icy water froze the blood in Marium's fingers as she stirred her hand around in the river. "I mean," she started, quietly, "I don't think I want to revive the goddess."

          'It's your duty, Mari-'

          "It is not my duty." she snapped, eyes bright. "My duty is to find these sorcerers that are summoning those creatures... and stop them! If I can't bring Sachi and Tasae back to life.. then I'll avenge their deaths. And the deaths of all those poor, innocent people."

          'Marium. You can't mean that.' Altaire said, as he noticed the frustration in her eyes. Her body was tense, and her hands were white from making fists. 'Oh, Marium, I'm sorry that you had to become involved in this, but please, don't make excuses anymore. We both know what our duty is. The prophesy predicted what will happen, and there is nothing we can do to stop it.'

          "Altaire." Marium said, offhandedly. "In my world, we like to know that we can choose our own destiny. I will not live as some doll in a puppet show."

          They were silent, then Marium started to tremble. She huddled inside the cloak she was wearing, and pulled her knees up to her chest protectively. 'Your choice, Marium? Would you really want the added responsibility of having to choose what you must do next? That if you take a wrong turn, you may destroy what balance there was before?'

          A devilish smile played on Marium's lips. "What about you, Altaire? You sound absolutely pertrified of having to decide your own fate. Why's that? Are you more comfortable with having to act as some god's Sunday suit? Well?"

          Altaire frowned at her. She began to stand up, but stopped when he grabbed her hand and held on. 'You.. are right. I am happier with what am I now, than I could have ever been if I had the choice. We have been blessed by the gods, Marium, to be with each other. That is our purpose, don't you understand?'

          She shook her head. "I don't, Altaire. I don't understand. Everyone's destined to love someone, it isn't anything special."

          'This is different. This is more than love. Can't you feel it, Marium?'

          Marium closed her eyes and laid her forehead on her hands, hopelessly. "I don't know, I can't tell. Honestly, I've never felt anything like this before, so I wouldn't know."

          Altaire grasped her shoulders delicately and forced her to look at him. 'Neither have I, until now. I'm not afraid of it, you shouldn't be either. Once you let it in, you won't have to understand it. It will always be there.'

          She nodded, once, then dropped her eyes to the ground.

          'Don't look like that, Marium. I know you're enraged because of what Yin said earlier, but we will revive the gods. It will just take time, that's all.'

          "Time without my friends."

          'Time with us. With me and Cadillac and Jonah. We're trying our hardest to let you know that you DO have friends here to protect as well. Especially Cadillac. He's been searching for ways to make up for his first impression.'

          "Really..? The little squirt isn't all that bad, I learned that before, but he's a strange guy." Marium stated, smiling at the thought of the small squirrel boy running around casting his spells. "How old is he, anyway?"

          'Cadillac? Oh, well, he's older than Jonah, I know that. Much older than Jonah... but I think everyone here on Pallas has lost count of his years during the fight.'

          Suddenly, a burst of wind knocked Marium into the river. Altaire jumped up, surprised, as the currents swept Marium off her feet and began to pull her down the stream. "!! Altaire! Something isn't right! I can't move, the current's too strong!"

          'A moment ago, the lake was calm!' Altaire ran along the river bank to keep up with the progress of the river. There was an eerie noise, and a colossal, night blue, water dragon emerged from behind Marium in the reservoir. 'MARIUM! Get out of the water!!'

          Marium turned, frightenly, and met the giant's glassy, controlled blue eyes with her own. "!! Oh..."

          The High Priestess of Yin collapsed before she could scream, and the dragon caught her with one of its feet. Altaire stood on the bank, glaring at the water dragon. 'FIRE WALL!'

          The familar wall of fire caught the corner of Marium's eye, and she grew panicky. This wall was huge, and would not only scorch the azure dragon, but burn her to a crisp in the process. "Altaire!!"

          He realized what his mistake had been, and tried to cancel the elemental spell, but it wasn't retractable. "MARIUM!!!"

          The massive dragon roared in anger, and the clouds in the night sky poured down their wrath. They drentched the wall of flames instantly, and the water dragon's eyes turned to meet Altaire's in hostility. The reptile’s were tinged with concern for the girl it held in its grasp. Its talons held Marium lightly, afraid that she might break in its powerful hands.

          A massive voice vibrated in Altaire and Marium's chests. "Priestess of Yin, you have very peculiar friends."

          "Wha-?? You can talk! And... you're a dragon!!!" Marium wailed, shakily. The blue creature seemed to smile as it delicately placed Marium on the ground next to Altaire. They looked like little mice compared to the humongous reptilian creature.

          "Priestess of Yin, I am one of the six legendary elemental dragons of Yin. I am here to protect and guide you with my powers." it stated, bowing its head down to the ground to acknowledge the Priestess.

          "What's your name?" she asked the scale covered creature, eyes full of wonder. It laughed at her.

          "You may call me whatever you see fit. Names do not mean much to mythical creatures."

          'Blue..' her mind whispered, and she grinned. It fit the beautiful dragon perfectly. "Blue."

          The dragon nodded its massive head and stretched its wet wings out. Marium and Altaire watched in wonderment as Blue turned into an azure mist and circled the Prietess. "You don't have any armor for my crystal to be placed on..."

          Marium looked down at herself. She was wearing the same thing she'd worn the day she arrived on Pallas, Altaire's cloak must've come off while she was in the river. Her sword was tucked neatly in its huge scabbard, and her shoes and socks were sopping wet. "No, I didn't have any armor when I came here, and Jonah hasn't made me any yet."

          "Well." the misty voice spoke. "Let's get to work, then. As your first dragon, it will be my responsibility to look after you until the others appear. To start with, I will make you some armor with my magic, but it will take hours, and much of my strength to do so. If we combine our strength, then it will take less time.. but still, the night will be over by the time we're through."

          Altaire nodded. "Accept my strength, as well."

          Marium stared at him, but then looked away and smiled at Blue. "What do we do?"

          "Lay down, and get comfortable, it will take awhile." Blue stated, and the two sat down on the damp bank of the river to wait.

 

          It was dawn by the time Marium woke. Standing over her was Cadillac and Jonah, eyes big with surprise. "Maybe we should've come looking for them sooner."

          Marium looked around and saw that she was inside Altaire's cloak, laying close to him. Her head was resting on the base of his neck and his chest, and her face was half-hidden behind the cloak's upturned collar. "Hiya, Jonah, Cadillac. Whatcha staring at..?"

          Altaire's eyes blinked open, even though no one could see them, and he jumped up, carrying the bewildered Priestess away as he ran. Cadillac started after them, but Jonah chuckled and laid an open hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Let them be. They're confused, when they're ready for training, they'll come back to the Temple. Let's wait there."

 

          In the woods nearby, Altaire stopped, panting, and set Marium down on the ground. She tried to step back, but ended up getting tangled up and pulled Altaire to the ground as they fell. "EEK!"

          The trees were silent, and suddenly, Altaire and Marium started to laugh. 'You're inside my shirt, Marium.'

          "Oh geez! I must've thought it was a blanket or something!" she blushed and squirmed into the cloak. She wriggled out of his shirt, and got stuck there. "Mmph!"

          Altaire laughed and gently lifted her out of the cloak. She reached out and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. As Marium gazed into his eyes, still tangled in the circle of his arms, she slowly leaned toward him, instinctively. His breathing slowed as his lips inched closer to hers.

          A light breeze ruffled through Marium's hair, and brought her back to her senses. She realized that their lips were less than a centimeter away, and she blushed furiously. Quickly, she turned her face to the right, meaning to stop him before he could go any further. But his eyes were shut, and he didn't see her move.

          Altaire's lips brushed Marium's cheek in a delicate, loving caress that made her ears turn red from embarrassment. The Priest immediately regained himself, and let her go from his embrace.

          "T-They're probably waiting for us."

          "Yes." he spoke, quietly. Inside he was cursing himself for his indiscreet actions. Marium felt his trouble deep amist her own foolhardy emotions, and smiled feebly. She placed her hand on his cloak where his shoulder should've been.

          "Priestesses shouldn't have these feelings for a man." was all she said, and then, with a regretful nod, started back in the direction of the Temple of Six Dragons.

          'Neither should priests.'

 

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