A Fantasy Story Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Everyone Has Their Limits

            I felt the tension in this room weigh heavier and heavier the longer we stared at each other trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Minutes felt like hours as time went on and I started to feel exhausted from everything I’ve been through without rest or food. Suddenly I started to hear echoed whispers in the room, too faint to hear clearly but just loud enough to make out a few word.

“I don’t know… Person… Attack… Save her… Hope she’s OK… This guy… Nothing brash… Weak, I don’t… I can… Aurora” was what I heard someone say, however I didn’t anyone talking.

“What’s going on? What do I do now?” I began to question myself hoping that the answer would come to me soon.

            Just when I was about to try my hand at saying something to these people, we all heard the voice of a very familiar guy coming from behind me. I quickly turned around and saw Ace running towards me holding clothing that he had got for me to wear, like he promised.

“Ace! What are you doing here?” Everyone seemed to say in harmony sparking even more confusion.

“Wait! You guys know Ace?” Van asked Aurora and her protectors.

“Hold on! How do you know Ace?” the guy asked Van.

“Ace! Who is this man?” the lady in black said.

“Woah! Does this mean that you work with Aurora Ace?” Van asked Ace.

“I can explain, just let me explain” Ace said out of breath.

“You better explain quickly or else I’ll be forced to do something about him” The guy said again holding a halberd to Van.

“Wait, hold on! I’m not here to fight anyone. I’m just here to- Woah! Watch out!”

            Aurora was swaying back and forth before falling forward towards the hard floor head first. The male protector turned to see what was going but was moving too slow to do anything to catch her from falling. Aurora didn’t give me a choice and forced me to take action in front of everybody. Everybody was in awe as they watched me flash over and pick her up before her head hit the ground. The two protectors tried to rush over and stop me but where two weak from standing watch over Aurora. The next thing they knew Van and Ace where the only ones left standing in the room while the other three collapsed from exhaustion.

“Well Ace, I think it’s time we get these three out of here now”

“Probably for the best”

“We’ll have to carry them all the way back out of here. You know that right?”

“That won’t be necessary. There’s a levitation stone in here that will take us straight up to the temple” Ace said walking over to the back of the room where he activated a leaver on a statue for the levitation stone, a disk big enough for all of us to ride.

            Ace and Van got everyone on the disk and slowly elevated up. They stood in silence and listened to the low hum of the magika that radiated from the levitation stone as they go closer to the top level. Van carried Aurora with the guy on his back and Ace carried the lady in black because Van was still scared of her “aura”. It is true that I was beginning to see more things that I couldn’t before such as aura and the pitch black aura emanating from that lady was intimidating.

            All of the sudden my vision started to get blurry and my legs begun to shiver underneath me. I never felt like this before in my life but I knew that it wouldn’t be long before I pass out from pushing my body to its limits. Instead of giving up and dropping to my knees I convinced myself to keep going for just a little bit longer so I can get Aurora and her protectors to a safe location. Suddenly I got a surge of terrifying emotions shoot from my spine to my brain which reminded me about the last time I rode a levitation stone.

“Ace! Where will we end up when we get up there? Cause this is a bad scene to look at” I asked with tired heavy breaths.

“Right in the center of the temple on the main floor”

“Right where everyone can see us eh? That’s just my luck”

            The stone floor opened up and allowed our hero Van and his new friend to emerge from the depths of the trials and showed the entire village that their summoner had made it successfully. However it was to their surprise that they saw the summoner and two over her protectors being carried out by a stranger they didn’t quite recognize. Truly was a strange sight to look upon for everyone as I finally reached my max limit all I could do was ask one last question.

“Who here can help them?” Van asked as he slowly lowered to his one knee.

            My vision was starting to darken as I looked upon the crowd of people that started to gather around us, trying to figure out what I was doing. I could barely feel my legs and my arms kept getting shooting pains that made it difficult to hold Aurora. Someone came to aid the man on my shoulders while Ace took the scary lady away somewhere I didn’t know. Finally I saw two people carefully take Aurora from my arms and I knew that my job here was done. In my confused and exhausted state I tried to get back up and walk out the doors of the blue temple so I could go somewhere else. Ever since I got to Dynasty I had always finished off the day by either going to another location for another adventure or getting into a fight where I would then get knocked unconscious, but this time around I completed everything and there wasn’t anything else to do. Right before I could make it outside I felt a hand grab my shoulder which stopped me from leaving.

“Wait! Don’t go now. Please stay” The voice behind me said.

            And finally, at the entrance of the blue temple, I fell for the first time. Why did I have to fall now? What am I supposed to do now? What is going to happen to me now? Van asked himself in his slumber.

            Now then, time passes on and Van’s body is transported to a different location for scientific study. Scientist poke and prod his unconscious body to figure out what makes him tick.

“That’s not funny! I don’t know where I am or who’s doing what to my body, for all I know what you say is what’s happening to me. Throw me a flippin bone here”

            Oh alright, never let me have any fun you know that right? Anyways we now find our passed out hero lying in a bed, completely safe from any sort of scientific experiments. Gradually Van begins to gain consciousness again but is still too tired to do anything but listen to the voices inside the room.

“Come on and give me a break already. I couldn’t just have left him floating out there” I heard Ace say.

“No but you didn’t have to bring him to the temple and have him interfere with Aurora’s praying” Said a lady in a low and unimpressed tone.

“I didn’t have anything to do with that! He did it all on his own will, and I bet Peter had something to do with it too”

“You know Peter was always worried about Aurora, ever since she was little he had been there like a father to her. Why didn’t he just send you down instead of this guy? You’re actually a protector for Aurora”

“I don’t know. I was training with the boys for the Z-G tournament. Maybe he felt that he couldn’t?”

“And why didn’t you come to see yourself? Where you so busy that you couldn’t come down and check yourself? Forgive me if I was happy for a day so I can go outside and eat!”

“I said I was sorry! How many more times must I apologize before I’m forgiven?”

“When you starve in a chamber for three days with nothing but venture rations to hold you over”

“You’re cold Merry, very cold”

“Where did he come from anyways? Strange clothing, incredible strong and was able to enter the trials. Only protectors are allowed to enter and I didn’t see another summoner hanging around here and I doubt that he’s a summoner the way he took down that guardian without even summoning an Aeon. So who is he Ace?”

“I know that his name is Van and that he’s from somewhere called Corn-ache. But look at him Merry. I can tell that this person is worth being friends with”

“You said that with so many times I can’t believe you anymore. You said that with that old guy who robbed your shack, the other kid who tried to sleep with half the village and then went home crying when I put him his place. We’re still hurting from that solider that was lost and needed to get back home”

“How was I supposed to know that she would bring an army to raid our village?”

“That’s just it Ace! You don’t know. And when you learn to be a little more careful with your little friendships with everyone then maybe I’ll consider you’d make a good decision. But until then, I won’t. Now I’m going to see how Aurora and Dominick are doing. You can join me if you decide that seeing you friends is more important than taking care of another disappointment” I heard Merry say before walking out of the shack.

            Ace stood there reflecting on what she said to him and feeling sad about what he has all done. Van feels strength return to his body and is able to sit up in bed.

“Ace, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get you in trouble, I just wanted to help out the best I could”

“It’s alright. It’s not your fault that she’s mad at me. It’s my fault” Ace said wiping tears away from his eyes.

“But still, I feel bad that she’s upset with you. You’re my friend too and I don’t think that you should take all the blame for this. I was the one who took action, all you did was help me out of the ocean”

“Nah you don’t have to do that, I’m the one who keeps messing up and its time I face the music. I’m the one who keeps messing up”

“No! Not this time! It might seem like you have to take this guilt all on your own, but this time you don’t. I won’t let you handle this all on your own when you’re not the only one to blame. I’m not like those other people you’ve helped before, I will not betray you on purpose, that’s not how I roll” Van said angrily to Ace, standing up from the bed with his body covered on bandages.

“Hold on Van. You shouldn’t move around too much”

“I’ll be fine, don’t you worry. Now I got some apologizing to do and I would like to do it with some help. Will you help me?” Van said holding Ace’s shoulder.

“OK. I’ll help you. And I’ll start with these” Ace went over to a dresser where he had set out some clothing for Van.

            There was a white button up shirt with no sleeves and a logo on the back. Along with the shirt Ace had boots, socks, and baggy brown pants that were far too big. After putting everything, that Ace had to offer, on Van realized that something happened to his body. He had under gone a major physical change and was no longer as heavy as he once been back on earth. Muscle mass and definition started to form on his stomach and arms, which made him feel even more confident than before and fueled up with energy. So once again Van mixed and matched his very own outfit and took the button up shirt, socks and boots from Ace and kept his shorts because they still fit half decent.

“Alright Ace, no turning back. Let’s go see Merry and them so I can properly apologize to them” I said grabbing his arm and storming out the front door.

            Luckily Ace grabbed me before I feel out of his tree house some fifteen feet above the ground.

“Woah! This is a tree house!” Van said looking over the side of the balcony.

“I know it is. That’s why we should take the levitation stone down, yeah?”

             After we properly arrived to the village, Ace showed me that Aurora and the others were staying inside the summoners room located inside the blue temple. We marched through the front door and headed straight to the room where I carefully opened the door and looked upon Merry standing in the middle of the room, Aurora who was resting in bed and Dominick who was sitting next to Aurora’s bed. Merry looked at me angrily however proved to be ineffective against me as I walked straight towards her only to stop and bow as a knight would three or so feet before her.

“I’ve come here to apologize for my actions. I only had the best intentions of the summoners safety in mind and did not mean to cause you to worry. And I’ll do whatever I can to ensure you that I mean you no harm” Van said apologetically with his head bowed to Merry.

            I didn’t move and waited for their response, whether it would be joyous or punishment that awaited me I didn’t move. Finally I heard a sigh from Merry, almost like a sigh of relief masked as disappointment.

“Apology accepted, but from now on leave Aurora and us alone. We don’t need anyone following us trying to do us favors. Understood?”

“Yes, I understand” I said a little disheartened.

“Good, now leave us be so we can let Aurora rest and gain her strength back. As for you Ace, Thank you”

            Ace and I left the room and they closed the door behind us. We walked out into the village and took a seat on the stairs just outside the temple.

“So what will you guys do now?” I asked Ace looking for ideas.

“We’ll wait for Aurora to get her strength back and when she feels up to it then we’ll head out to the next temple so she can pray for the second level. I just hope it’s soon”

“Why’s that?”

“If we leave soon enough then me and my team can all take the same boat for the Z-G tournament in Auron Flux”

“Auron Flux eh?”

“Yeah, it’s one of the biggest cities in Dynasty. Oh hey! That reminds me; what are you going to do?”

“Uh… I don’t know, I don’t know where to go really or how to get back home. Plus it doesn’t help that I got separated from the only people that probably could have helped me out the most”

“Well then why don’t you come with us to Auron Flux? I bet there somebody there that will recognize you, if not then there’s bound to be something you can do to find a way back, yeah?”

“Yeah! That might just work. Alright, I’ll do it” Van said with excitement as his next adventure was being laid out in front of him.

            What will happen I wonder? There’s so much I have to consider now. Do I try to make a better mends with Aurora’s team, or will I set out alone to the next adventure that will take me closer to home. And what about being a chosen? Will I have to stay here in Dynasty for a little bit longer and figure out what I will have to do in order to save it? Here I thought figuring out what I want to do after high school was going to be the most difficult question I’d have to answer.