Gareth and th Lost Island

by Patrick Mallard

  Chapter 24

  Tralnis looked at his son in concern. After Gareth’s battle with the pirates, he had slipped into a deep coma. That had been over a week ago. Everything Tralnis tried to help his son return to the land of the living failed to have any effect whatsoever. At least Gareth had managed to translate the tablet from the jungle ruins before they fought the pirates. When the young man did eventually wake up (and Tralnis refused to believe he would do otherwise,) Gareth would find them well on their way to find the fourth tablet.

  Muttering in a language Tralnis only heard when Gareth was having nightmares brought the Dwarf to the only occupied bed in the sickbay. Tralnis gently shook Gareth’s shoulder, and was relieved beyond words when his patient’s eyes opened.

  “Gods, my mouth tastes horrible. Did I go and get far too drunk for my own good again?” Gareth asked weakly.

  Tralnis chuckled, letting a week’s worth of tension drain out of him. “No lad, what you’re tasting was my last attempt at using an elixir to get you to wake up. That was two days ago,” he answered. Gareth had a very confused look on his face. “What is the last thing you remember?” Tralnis inquired.

  Gareth closed his eyes and tried to get his memory working again. When things fell back into place, Gareth lunged out of bed, and emptied the contents of his stomach into a bucket Tralnis had placed nearby for just such an occurrence. When he finished, he gratefully took the cup of water Tralnis offered and rinsed his mouth out.

  “I’ll take that as you remember the fight at the pirate camp,” Tralnis remarked dryly. “Now before you start berating yourself for what happened back there, I would like to point out the men you killed were trying to sell young Teesh into a children’s brothel. As you well know, we Dwarves have a huge soft spot for orphans. For what it’s worth, I think you let those arseholes off easy,” he stated, trying to head off Gareth’s guilt.

  “Thanks for helping put things in the right perspective,” Gareth said softly. After a moment he frowned in thought. “You said you gave me the elixir two days ago. How long have I been out?” he asked.

  “Eight days, and let me tell you that you had me stumped as to why,” Tralnis replied. “In medical school, we were taught about the healing comas Wizards can slip into when they become magically exhausted. You had all of the symptoms of being magically exhausted, but we both know you haven’t even the smallest spark of magic in you. You can’t exhaust something you never had to begin with,” he explained. Tralnis put on a silk lined glove, and picked up a large white crystal from a nearby table. The silk lining was used to insulate the crystal from Tralnis’ magical signature to ensure an accurate reading. After running the crystal up and down Gareth’s body, Tralnis pronounced, “Nothing, no magical readings at all. Just like normal.”

  “I have magic,” Gareth almost whispered.

  “What?” Tralnis asked, thinking he had misheard Gareth.

  “I do have magic. I can feel it replenishing as we speak,” Gareth replied. Every time he used the Void Rod, Gareth became more in tune with his unique brand of magic. A magic, which for some reason, couldn’t be detected by any normal means.

  Tralnis shrugged his shoulders. “That would explain the coma and the whole flaming eyes thing,” he admitted.

  “The what?!” Gareth asked, not sure he wanted to know.

  “Um… I think I’ll let Henry explain that one,” Tralnis said, evading the question.

  The door to the sickbay swung open and Teesh poked her head in. “Any change in Gareth?” she asked, barely hoping there would be a different answer from the last fifty times she had asked.

  “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Tralnis replied with a huge smile.

  Gareth barely managed to see a blur of motion before he was tackled in a tight hug from Teesh. After a minute, Teesh backed off, and lightly kicked Gareth in the shin. “Owe! What did I do to deserve that?” he asked.

  “You scared the hells out of me!” Teesh replied, putting her tiny hands on her hips.

  Gareth looked away, and the cloud of guilt settled over his face again. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry you had to see what I did…” he started say, apologizing to her.

  “Not that dummy! That stuff with the staff was awesome. You scared me when you wouldn’t wake up. Izzy even tried to kiss you to get you to wake up. You know… like in the old stories where the princess finds the prince in a magical sleep,” Teesh corrected him.

  Tralnis gently pulled Teesh away from Gareth. “Lass, I think we should give Gareth a chance to freshen up and take care of some things. He hasn’t used the loo in over a week,” he pointed out. Gareth realized he was right, and hurried to the sickbay’s water closet. Tralnis leaned close to Teesh’s ear, and whispered, “I can think of two other people who would really like to know Gareth is feeling better.” Teesh’s face lit up, and she dashed out the room to go talk with Henry and Izzy.

  Tralnis spent the next hour running Gareth through every test he could think of. Gareth did draw the line at having a large, magic sensing crystal shoved up somewhere it wasn’t meant to go. The doctor’s arguments was that perhaps a reading closer to Gareth’s core would give them some insight into his new found magic. Tempting as the answers might be, Gareth still said no.

  Scratching his beard in confusion as he looked over the test results a second time, Tralnis announced, “Well, considering you just came out of a coma, you’re remarkably healthy. I don’t see any reason why you should have to stay in sickbay.” As an afterthought he added, “However, at the first sign of you being light headed, or purple flames spewing out of your eye sockets, I want you back in here.” Tralnis raised his hand to stop Gareth from speaking. “Like I said, you’ll have to talk with Henry about that. He was there and saw it firsthand,” he stated.

  Gareth hurried out of the sickbay, and up onto deck. The sun was sinking below the western horizon, and the larger of the moons was just beginning to rise in the east. Without thinking about it, he wandered to the bow of the ship. When he got there, a soul healing laugh escaped his lips. A bench had been installed between the side rails with a hand lettered sign that read, “Gareth’s Brooding Spot.”

  “I figured if you were going to keep coming up here, you might as well have the spot reserved,” Izzy said from behind him. Gareth turned around, and stared for a moment, stunned by what he saw. Izzy had forgone her usual works clothes, and was dressed in a white blouse that flowed when she moved, and a multicolored peasant’s skirt. The red of the evening’s sunset matched perfectly with her flaming, red hair. The seemingly perpetual oil smudge next to her nose contrasted well with her pale skin and light dusting of freckles. Gareth was fairly certain he had never seen anyone as beautiful as Izzy looked right then.

  For her part, Izzy was drinking in the sight of Gareth up and healthy again. He was wearing just his tight, white shirt and regular gray trousers. His suspender straps hung at his sides. While she admired how he looked in his formal University Arcanum uniform, she really liked how he looked in more casual clothes as well. Izzy was also enjoying the looks Gareth was giving her. He wasn’t leering at her like she was a piece of meat the way some of her ex-boyfriends had done. Instead, he was gazing at her like he had stumbled across a rare and beautiful painting, and was trying to memorize every gorgeous detail.

  Izzy held out her hand, and Gareth took it in his. “You haven’t eaten in over a week. You must be starving. Henry prepared a late dinner for us,” she said, and led him to a small table set up on the starboard side of the ship. The small round table had a crisp white table cloth with a crystal vase in the center. The vase held a single, pink, jungle flower. Having been taught etiquette from an early age by Tralnis, Gareth hurried over, and pulled Izzy’s chair out for her. “Why thank you, Professor,” she said playfully.

  “My pleasure, my lady,” Gareth replied as he sat down. Henry appeared seconds later, holding two glasses and a metal carafe. Without a word, he put a glass in front of the two diners, and poured some light
yellow liquid into each.

  Izzy held up her glass, and looked at the light yellow liquid. “What is it?” she asked curiously.

  “One of Henry’s specialties, sour fruit juice mixed with just a bit of sugar. It’s my favorite drink outside of tea,” Gareth replied.

  Trusting her friends, Izzy took a small sip, and then a much larger one as her eyes widened in surprise. “That’s really good! What do you two call it?” she inquired.

  Gareth timed his reply just right, and caused Izzy to spew the tart drink out in a laugh as he said, “Fruity Chim Piss, but I’m sure we’ll come up with a better name someday.” Izzy used her napkin to wipe her mouth, and then playfully threw it in Gareth’s face.

  Henry hurried off, and then returned with two plates of Gareth’s favorite entre, freshly caught fish over baked tubers. He placed the first plate in front of Izzy, and then turned slightly to put the second one in front of Gareth. After they finished off the main course, the Chim chef returned one last time with shaved ice in a mint sauce, just the thing to freshen one’s breath after a flavorful meal. As he put the shaved ice in front of Gareth, Henry shifted his body to block Izzy’s line of sight. He gave his friend a hand gesture meant to indicate hopes for good luck. When the desert was finished, Henry whisked away the empty dishes, and left the two of them alone.

  Izzy walked across the deck, and leaned up against the port side railing to watch the second moon start to rise. “Gareth, what do you plan on doing after we find this lost island of yours? I know you want to prove the others at the University were wrong about you, but what about after that? Do you plan on teaching at some other university?” she asked.

  Gareth leaned his back on the railing next to Izzy so he could look at her face. “I really haven’t thought about it,” he admitted. He looked inward for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders. “I enjoy teaching, but I’m learning there’s so much more out here than what I can find in a classroom,” Gareth stated. “Why do you ask?” he inquired.

  “I’ve been thinking about how useful it would be to have a linguist of your talents on board full time. Negotiating with species in their own language will give us a leg up on our competition,” Izzy replied. “Besides, if you stay, there’s a much better chance we’ll get to keep our new doctor and unbelievable chef. Seriously, I’m afraid if Henry leaves, Pilot and Sheldon will go with him just so they don’t have to go without his cooking,” she half joked.

  “Is that all?” Gareth asked in a whisper, hoping there was a more personal reason for her wanting him to stay.

  Izzy turned to her left so she could look Gareth directly in the eyes. “Gareth, like I said before, I fancy you. I’ve never met anyone like you, and find myself thinking about you all the time,” she admitted.

  Not being able to resist, Gareth asked teasingly, “Sooo… was that why you tried the ‘Sleeping Handsome’ trick?”

  Izzy quickly turned away again as her cheeks blushed a red close in color to her hair. “Teesh! That little… little…” she stammered, not finding the right word to convey what she was feeling.

  “Little sister,” Gareth offered softly. A cold breeze blew in over the ocean, causing Izzy to shiver slightly. Gareth started to offer his jacket, and then remembered he wasn’t wearing it. Not thinking of any other way to keep her warm, he shifted to stand behind her, and wrapped his arms around her to share his body heat. Izzy sighed contentedly, and leaned her head back against his shoulder.

  Izzy smiled as she realized Gareth had hit it spot on in regards to Teesh. She had always wanted a little sister, and now fate had finally seen fit to give her one. One who was just as sassy as Izzy had been at her age. “Yeah, little sister. Lizard Breath is going to have a field day with that,” she muttered. “Just so you know, it came down to either me or Henry, and I won the coin toss,” she told him.

  “Thank the universe! I hate getting hair in my mouth,” Gareth joked.

  Izzy turned around in Gareth’s arms, and wrapped hers around his neck. With an exaggerated look to either side, she asked in a whisper, “Any sign of Tralnis?”

  Gareth shook his head, his purple eyes twinkling with excitement. “I don’t see the good doctor anywhere,” he replied.

  “Good!” Izzy said suddenly, and pressed her lips against his. They both closed their eyes to focus on the intense, wonderful sensations in their lips. With their eyes closed, they both missed the purple glow that started at where their lips met, and swept over their entire bodies before fading away. When Gareth parted his lips slightly, Izzy slipped her tongue into his mouth. Eventually, the slow dance of their entwined tongues ended, and they broke the kiss. “Wow! That’s a lot better when you’re conscious,” she said breathlessly. “You know, that sounded much better in my head,” she admitted.

  Instead of teasing her, Gareth closed the distance again to kiss Izzy. “We should probably try several more times so we can validate your theory,” he whispered.

  “No argument from me, Professor!” Izzy answered, and kissed him again with even more passion.

  Elizabeth clenched her good hand in frustration when she saw her little sister kissing that embodiment of chaos known as Professor Mintel. She loved Izzy, and the last thing she wanted was for her baby sister to get her heart broken again. Deciding to interrupt the new couple, she started to walk towards them. Elizabeth only got one step before she found the ship surgeon’s arm barring her way.

  “Leave them be, Captain. They’re both adults,” Tralnis suggested.

  “She might be an adult, but she’s still my little sister!” Elizabeth countered.

  Tralnis stepped forward to put his whole body between Elizabeth and the oblivious couple. “And since I adopted Gareth, he is technically my son. As he grew up, he became the best friend a Dwarf could ever have,” he said. “I know Gareth better than he knows himself. I’ve never seen him look at anybody like he looks at Izzy. You saw what he did when he thought her life was on the line,” he stated.

  “What’s your point, Doctor?” Elizabeth snarled.

  “My point is, I think you should let this play out,” Tralnis suggested. He looked up at Elizabeth’s scarred face, and gave her a genuinely warm smile. “You know, if they eventually end up getting married, that would make you and I family,” he pointed out.

  Elizabeth used her biological hand to smack her forehead. “Oh gods!” she swore in dismay, and hurried off to her cabin.

  Chapter 25

  The passengers and crew of the Glorious Dawn, minus Henry and Sheldon, stood on deck as they sailed over the Roehus capital city on their way to the city’s airship port. Both Henry and Sheldon found the baking sun overhead too intense to handle, and were taking shelter in the relatively cool kitchen. The crew above deck were able to make out the looming shape of the Nexus Volcano on the eastern horizon, even though it was over a 150 miles away.

  That large number had Teesh confused. Gareth had told her that the coordinates found on the jungle tablet pointed to the volcano, and it was where he believed they would find a fourth tablet. “This is dumb, why don’t we just fly to Mt. Nexus? Why are we stopping here?” she complained.

  Gareth started to shift into teacher mode, but Izzy beat him to the explanation. “Magic runs across the surface of Hadronus along what we call Leylines. It’s that magic which lets the Glorious Dawn fly. Mt. Nexus sits right on top of where six different Leylines intersect. There’s so much magic given off there, our magic batteries would explode, and take the whole ship with them,” she explained.

  “Oddly enough, the same thing happens to a Wizard’s head if they get within 50 miles of the place. I’ve seen some photographs taken of a Wizard who thought that wrapping his head in very thin sheets of tin would block out the magic. Obviously it didn’t work, and the results were not pretty,” Tralnis added. Teesh looked from Tralnis to Gareth worriedly.

  “We don’t think it will affect Gareth, since his magic seems to be something very different from the normal kind. Besides, he promi
sed me that at the first sensation of his brains trying to squirt out his nose, we’ll turn back,” Tralnis assured her.

  “Aaa-aaa-chooo!” Gareth sneezed loudly into his hands. He turned his hands to look at his palms, and swore, “Oh gods! It’s happening already!” Teesh ran towards him, and skidded to a stop when he dropped his hands to his sides and gave her a big smile. “Just kidding,” he said playfully. He managed to keep quiet when she kicked him in the shin again.

  Pilot slid the Glorious Dawn into their assigned berth with practiced ease. “The energy from what my people call the Mountain of Change affects more than just magic users. Every so often, storms come from the volcano that change the very fabric of reality in their path. Farms and villages can simply disappear, and be replaced by strange forests in a blink of the eye. It is why my people do not use permanent names for people. Nothing is permanent in the shadow of the Mountain of Change,” he explained to Teesh.

  Changing topics, Pilot turned to look at the Captain. “Captain of the Glorious Dawn, I request permission to take shore leave while you visit the Mountain of Change. I promised both of my fathers and my mother that I would visit if I were in town,” he stated.

  Elizabeth nodded her head in agreement. “Of course, Pilot. I’m sure Henry, Sheldon, and Teesh can manage to keep the ship from burning down while we’re gone,” she said.

  Teesh heard these words and stomped over to glare at Elizabeth. “Wait a minute! Why do I have to stay on the ship? Why can’t I go with you guys? You all know what happened the last time I was left behind!” she demanded.

  Gareth put a hand on Teesh’s shoulder to calm her down. “I’d feel much better knowing you were safe her. Both of the sites we’ve been to have had psychotic skeletons, and the last one had deadly traps,” he told her.

  “Don’t forget about the giant spiders,” Elizabeth reminded him.

  Gareth winced at the memory and just barely managed not to shudder in revulsion. “Thanks, I was actually trying to forget about them,” he replied. Focusing on Teesh again he said, “You won’t have to worry about pirates in Chaos. The Roehus authorities have no tolerance for them. Besides, we’re leaving Mr. Fuzzy Bottom here to protect you,” he said.