Chapter 41 Winds of change...

Chapter 41

 

Winds of change

 

"Well, isn't this a predicament." Meria sighed to herself as she walked down one deserted corridor after another. All of them were practically identical, old and empty. She'd been trying for the past hour to find a way outside. As far as she could tell, all the corridors looped back to the throne room.

After the fifth return trip to the throne room, Meria decided to take a break. She sighed as she sat down on the top step across from the skeletal king. Glancing outside she watched as a small cloud floated past the window.

Rubbing her face she sighed in frustration as she laid back onto the floor. She studied the ceiling as she pondered what to do next. It was a fairly interesting design, in Meria's opinion, of a coiled, golden dragon.

Meria stretched her arms above her head, arching her back. The warmth from the sun shining through the windows caused her to drift to sleep.

 

"Any more bright ideas?" Selene asked scornfully.

"A few," Calhan replied, "just give me a minute."

Gerad sighed, when Calhan had bright ideas it usually meant pain for him. Leaning against the wall next to the door he watched Calhan work out his next theory. The late hour was starting to take its toll on them all, but they only had a few precious hours to figure a way to get to Moon Isle before it was past Lon Lon Ranch.

Calhan had discovered from his readings of the wall inscriptions that the only time anyone other than the Wind Sage could get to Moon Isle was when it was directly over Lon Lon Ranch. Stifling a yawn Gerad calculated the hour to be roughly two in the morning.

Selene stood a few feet from Calhan with her arms crossed watching him mix more potions together. She had stubbornly refused to take a break while he was working, even after Malon had asked them multiple times to rest. Gerad was proud of his sister; her loyalty was rivaled by none, as was her stubbornness.

“Ok,” Calhan clapped his hands together jarring Gerad out of his thoughts, “if this doesn’t work, then…well, we’ll see.”

Gerad stood up straight off the wall and walked over to stand next to Selene. Calhan straightened up and held his hands over the little bottle of goop he had concocted. As his hands started to glow Gerad and Selene took a couple of steps back. A low hum started echoing around the circular room getting higher in pitch with each passing second.

The pitch became unbearable causing Gerad and Selene to cover their ears. Still the sound penetrated their hands bringing Gerad to his knees.

“Calhan!” Gerad tried to cry over the noise.

Calhan either didn’t hear him or just ignored his cry as he kept his hands poised above the bottle. The goop within the bottle was glowing orange and starting to bubble out. Selene fell to her knees next to Gerad, tears streaming down her face.

Gerad shut his eyes from the intensity of the glow and the pain from the humming. There was an explosion blowing all three of them against the walls. Gerad’s ears rang in the sudden silence and he tried to blink away the after images from his eyes.

Once his eyesight returned Gerad looked to see if his sister and Calhan were alright. Selene was rubbing her head but seemed to be alright. Getting up Gerad went to Calhan’s crumpled form.

“Calhan?!” Gerad cried as he rolled him over, “You alright?”

“Oh, my head.” Calhan groaned as he sat up. Gerad stifled a laugh at Calhan’s appearance.

Calhan looked at him confused, “What is it?”

“Your eyebrows are gone.” Gerad said trying to keep a straight face.

“WHAT!?” Calhan screeched touching his face where his eyebrows should have been, “Oh for goddesses’ sake!”

He got up from the floor and stomped to the middle of the room where the bottle was now a smoking puddle. Gerad followed him stopping a few feet away as Calhan poked the ground around the puddle with his boot.

Calhan sighed in frustration, “Great. That didn’t work either.”

“Is there anything else we can try?” Selene asked, “Our time is almost up.”

Gerad looked up at the ceiling seeing the isle floating above their heads in his mind, so close yet so far away. He sighed as he rubbed his face there was nothing he could do no matter how much he wanted. Selene kept glancing from Gerad to Calhan wishing for either of them to come up with something because she was completely at a loss.

“Do you trust me?” Calhan asked Gerad suddenly.

Gerad looked at him sharply taken aback by the question. Calhan waited patiently staring Gerad straight in the eyes waiting for an answer.

Taking a deep breath Gerad replied, “Yes.”

Selene watched as Calhan smirked, “Good.”

Calhan grabbed Gerad’s arm, there was a bright flash of light and the next thing Selene knew, they were both gone.

 

Meria’s eyes shot open as something tugged at her hair. She rolled over onto her stomach and came face to snout with a baby dragon, a baby dragon that was currently sampling her auburn hair. She blinked in confusion as it sat back on it haunches and cocked its tiny reptilian head to the side.

“Meerlp?” The dragon said cocking its head to the other side.

“Uh,” Meria said confused, “meerlp to you too.”

She slowly sat up not taking her eyes off the little guy. It was long with a golden serpent like body, giant emerald eyes stared at her above a snout filled with needle like teeth. Auburn colored feathers framed its jaw and ran down its back.

The dragon suddenly merlped again and started advancing on Meria who scrambled backwards. She rolled down the steps and back up to her feet. The dragon stopped and sat back on its haunches again waiting, curling its long tail around its feet. Meria waited for the dragon to do something but it just sat there, waiting.

“Ok,” Meria said slowly, “now what?” The dragon waddled forward on its hind legs a little and stopped.

Meria glared at the dragon and took a step to the left. The dragon shifted to continue staring at her full on. She took two steps to the right and the dragon turned again to face her. She took a step back and it waddled forward again.

“What do you want?” Meria asked it as it waddled another step.

The dragon sniffed the air in answer and Meria realized it was staring at her right pocket. She cautiously dug in her pocket and pulled out a piece of jerky. The dragon began to drool as Meria held up the jerky piece.

“You want this?” Meria asked. The dragon’s tail began to wag as it waited for Meria to give it the jerky. Cautiously Meria tossed the jerky piece to the dragon which bounced back onto its tail to catch the piece in its mouth.  She watched as the dragon chewed happily on the piece of jerky, making soft trills of joy.

“So,” Meria said caustiously, “you got a name little…uh…guy?”

“Meerlp!” The dragon cooed licking its chops as it sat up and waddled forward, its tail twitched back and forth like a cat’s.

“Well, I hardly think Meerlp is a good name.” Meria mused, “How about, Bastion?”

The dragon looked at her like she was an idiot causing Meria to laugh, “Ok, ok. Guess not. How about Goldy?”

The dragon shook its head, “Meerlp!”

“Oh, so you can understand me?” Meria asked, “Then why don’t you tell me your name.”

The dragon rolled its eyes at her and puffed out a little flame in annoyance, “Meerlp!”

“Ok, fine,” Meria said raising her hands in submission, “your name is Meerlp, I get it.”

Meerlp smiled a very toothy grin and flapped its tiny wings in happiness. Meria giggled as she squatted down to pet him. As she scratched him behind the ear he started to purr. It was an odd kind of purr, something like a groan mixed with grinding rocks.

“Alright Meerlp,” Meria said standing back up, “Do you know any way out of here?”

Meerlp’s ears pricked forward in sudden alertness. Meria stared in confusion as he arched his back and hissed at her. With a sinking feeling Meria realized he was hissing at something behind her. She swallowed hard as she turned slowly to see what it was that had scared him.

Meria wasn’t sure what this monster was; it looked like a cross between a hawk and a snake. It arched over the back of the king’s throne wings spread and fangs barred. Meria slowly backed away as the thing hissed at them moving closer. It tensed and Meria tensed as well waiting.

The moment it lunged at them Meria dodged rolling to the side scooping up Meerlp in the process. She came up out of the roll running full tilt down one of the corridors. She heard the thing screech behind her but kept running. Meerlp hissed over her shoulder at the creature as it gave chase after them.

“This is not the time for that Meerlp!” Meria cried as she burst through the doors at the end of the corridor and immediately rolled.

The monster flew over the two of them and crashed into a wall. Meria scrambled to her feet as it struggled to right itself.

“What the hell is that?!” Meria cried to no one in particular.

“Meerlp!” was all he had to offer.

“Gee,” Meria scoffed, “thanks.”

Meria found herself back in the throne room with the monster right on her heels. An idea struck her and she ran straight for one of the windows. She timed it just right, swerving just in time to keep from colliding with the window. The monster on the other hand smashed straight through it skidding a few feet onto the garden lawn outside.

She followed the monster outside onto the lawn and smirked as she felt the wind on her face. Gathering her Sage energy she faced the monster with renewed hope. Meerlp clung to her shoulder still hissing at the monster as it flexed its wings.

Electricity began to build around Meria, streaking across the ground zapping at the monster. It cried in frustration as it struck out at her but collided with a wall of wind. It struck at her again and again but to no avail. Meria continued to hit it with lightning strikes, the clouds around them began to form dark thunderheads.

As her Sage energy escalated so did the frequency of the lightning strikes. Finally as the monster hissed at her in rage a giant bolt of lightning came streaking down from the black clouds above them. Meria and Meerlp were blown backwards from the blast.

Coughing Meria sat up and peered through the rain at the crater caused by the bolt. Slightly shaky Meria climbed through the broken window to get out of the heavy rain. Meerlp slid off her shoulder and shook himself dry as she sat down on the first step.

“Well,” Meria mused to herself, “that could have been worse.”

Meerlp’s ears twitched and he hunched his back as he started hissing aggressively again. On the other side of the throne room more of the same monsters slithered into view. Meria jumped to her feet as the flashes of lightning outside gleamed back at her from their eyes.

“Me and my big mouth.” Meria sighed.

 

Gerad groaned as he awoke, he slowly got to his feet rubbing his temples trying to quell the pounding headache. He was once again standing in the odd dimensional space known as the Chamber of Sages, on the Hero pedestal.

“Calhan?” Gerad called out turning to the Lore Sage pedestal, “Calhan!”

Gerad tried to step off the dais but something prevented him from doing so. Calhan lay in a crumpled heap on the Lore Sage dais not moving. Gerad called his name again, this time louder and more urgently.

“Oh,” Calhan groaned, “not so loud.”

Gerad sighed in relief as Calhan got to his feet slowly, “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Wasn’t on purpose.” Calhan retorted as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Now, where were we?”

“All you said was ‘Do you trust me’ then here we were.” Gerad said accusingly, “Why’re we here again and where’s Selene?”

“Selene, I imagine, is still back at Lon Lon Ranch.” Calhan replied tartly, “We are here so I can get you to the Wind Temple.”

“Wish you would have given me more warning.” Gerad sighed crossing his arms, “I’m unarmed if you hadn’t noticed, my sword and shield are back at the ranch.”

“Details.” Calhan mumbled as he waved his right hand in front of him.

Gerad suddenly felt a familiar weight on his back and hip. Glancing down he saw his sword strapped on his belt and his shield across his back.

“Now,” Calhan said in a matter of fact tone, “Stop dawdling and go save Meria.”

There was a bright flash of light and then the sensation of falling. Gerad cried out as the ground rushed up to meet him. Instinctively he pulled on the power of the pendant around his neck, the Wind Sage medallion glowed and his fall slowed.

A glass ceiling came into view as he fell. He pulled his shield from his back and braced himself for impact. His shield hit the glass causing it to shatter. As he fell to the floor something long with wings appeared under him and broke his fall.

He landed on whatever it was and came up sword in hand glancing wildly around the room. He caught sight of Meria who stared at him in disbelief.

“Where did you come from?” Meria asked the little thing next to her cocked its head in confusion as if it wanted to know too.

“Up.” Gerad replied.

“Behind you!” Meria cried and Gerad turned just in time to block a strike from another of the things he had landed on.

The impact of the strike pushed him back to stand in front of Meria, “Heard you needed a hero.”

“Yeah,” Meria replied, “what kept you?”

Gerad slashed at another of the monsters, “Oh you know, had to buff the shield, shine the boots.”

He blocked another strike from a monster, Meria stayed behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he surveyed her condition. She was gripping a wound on her left arm and blood was dripping down her face from a cut on her forehead. The little creature next to her was also roughed up.

“Who’s the friend?” Gerad asked.

“This is Meerlp,” Meria replied, “Meerlp, this is Gerad.”

Meerlp cooed at him in what he guessed was a greeting, “Nice to meet you too, Meerlp.”

“So,” Gerad asked as the monsters backed off a little assessing him, “any ideas on how to get out of this?”

One of the monsters launched itself at them fangs barred. Gerad side stepped it and chopped off its head. He regained his position of guard staring down the other monsters. The monsters slithered back a few paces seemingly waiting.

“What are they doing?” Meria asked.

“Reassessing us.” Gerad guessed, glancing around he tried to find an escape route.

“All the corridors lead back to here.” Meria answered his unspoken question, “That hole is the only way out of this room.”

“Then that’s where we’ll go.” Gerad said and he slowly started backing her up to the broken window.

He kept himself between the group of monsters and the injured Meria. She stepped out the window into the raging storm and waited for Gerad.

“Alright,” Gerad smirked, “Let’s try something new.”

The monsters watched him wearily, snarling at him. Gathering the energy from the Light medallion he shot his hands forward. There was a bright flash of light and the monsters cried in surprise as they were blinded. He jumped out the window and grabbed Meria’s hand as he ran past her.

He glanced over his shoulder as he heard growls of anger behind them. The monsters poured out of the broken window and snarled as they caught sight of them. Gerad picked up the pace as the monsters gave chase.

He skidded to a halt as they came to the edge of the isle. Gerad huffed as he glanced around wildly for an escape but the monsters were closing in on all sides. Taking a deep breath he looked at Meria.

“Do you trust me?” He asked her.

She gripped his hand tighter, “Always.”

He smirked, bolstered by her confidence as he turned back to face the monsters. They slowly inched closer to the trio. Meerlp hissed at the monsters from his perch on Meria’s shoulder. Gerad and Meria tensed as the monsters crept ever closer. Just as one of the monsters lunged at them, they both jumped back off the edge of the isle, grinning.