Standard disclaimers apply. Thanks for reading!
*****
Who would have thought going through a desert could be so complicated? Mint thought to herself in annoyance as she trudged with the caravans in the vast emptiness of the desert.
Rue, Mira and Klaus offered her a camel ride to rest her legs but she refused, as seeing Prima and Elena doing quite well in the weather. Also, it was a blow in her pride if she doesn't keep up the pace.
Klaus managed to organize a caravan which was heading for the desert city as soon as they made to port. Anxious to get there as soon as possible, it became imperative that they should cover as many miles as they could make before sunrise, where the sun itself was unbearable.
Mint had figured that after three years of adventuring, it would prepare her for this kind of strenuous activity. She was wrong as she found out later that her body was taking the shock from ocean traveling to desert marching, making her tired more often. Also the fact that her last adventure revolves in a nice, shady forest, a cool lake and a town nearby for rest and supplies. It never prepared her for this. Rue, however, was taking the whole thing well, considering that this is the first time he traveled in a desert, she asked how he did it a few days ago.
"I don't know. I don't sweat as much as a normal person does, anyway." Typical Rue manner: short, obvious and never did answer the question. He also didn't seem to mind the heat. Interesting enough, so does Prima, who never shows any sign of weariness, even when his sister was beginning to tire after an hour and so. Maybe it was because of their bodies, since both of them were moving creations from powerful magicians and were conditioned for long travel if the need arises to do their "duty". Something Rue never believed in. From what she gathered, Rue told her that Doll Master/Ruecian took him 300 years before he tried to revive Valen. Not a mean feat considering that he must have literally spent his life for his goal. Mint knew Doll Master since she was very young, but she never did liked him very much. Quite different from Rue. She didn't like him at first but she grudgingly agreed that he wasn't so bad. Rue and Doll Master's personalities were as different as day and night, but also with many similarities. For one thing; they had good friends. The foul-mouthed Trap-Master, the shape shifting Mode Master and the freaky telepath/telekinetic Psycho Master; who with their dedicated loyalty showed her that Doll Master had another side entirely.
But lately, soon after they boarded the boat, Mint had an uneasy feeling she shouldn't have brought Rue along in the adventure. And no, she wasn't worried about him trying to get a bigger share. The guy was practically a saint. He'd work for free if asked to save the world from a power hungry demon if he had his way.
No, it has something to do with Rue, Doll Master, and how their minds worked. And the adventure for the [relic]. Her gut feeling was trying to warn her about something. But against what? Valen was defeated, he's not going back anytime soon in her lifetime, that's for sure. It would probably be another abandoned atelier, with a less powerful [relic], what else could go wrong?
But despite her logic, the unnamed fear remained.
Agh! Why the hell should I care about Rue?! He can take care of himself!! I'm not his baby-sitter! I'm just thinking too much! Mint stomped off in annoyance, thinking the heat is finally getting to her.
"Care about whom?" Prima inquired. Mint didn't realize that the little boy/doll was nearby and she just talked out loud about her thoughts. In embarrassment she put Prima in a headlock. "And why are you sneaking up on me, you little brat?" she demanded.
Prima tried to get away but with no avail. Now he remembered why he shouldn't tease Mint so much. "I'm not sneaking behind you! I didn't hear anything!" he half-lied. "Mom and Dad want me to tell you that we'll stop in an oasis for a while to drink!"
"I'm sure!!!" Mint shouted back. Still not letting him go, but not hard enough to choke him. She was a bit glad that Prima was distracting her from these thoughts.
"They're such good friends." Elena said to Rue, the two of them watching Prima and Mint's "wrestling".
Rue nodded. That was true, in a sense. Prima and Mint were obviously a good influence to each other, despite how it looked from the outside. The boy was Mint's brother she never had…or wanted, Rue bit back a smile, knowing Mint would kick him in the face if he even dared to voice it out. He didn't hear what Mint said from their distance. But whatever Prima said, it had obviously distressed her more than necessary.
"Hey, you guys, we're almost at the oasis! Hurry up!" Mira called at the four children.
"Coming, mom!" Elena tugged at Rue's arm. "Let's go, Polly."
She's still calling me Polly… Rue thought, a sweat drop forming on his head. As he turned, he heard Prima shouting indignantly. "SEE?! I TOLD you!!"
"Oh, shut up!" Mint answered.
Rue took a couple of more steps before he halted. A strange nostalgia seemed to wash against his consciousness. It was the feeling like at the Lake Ruins, but this time it felt oppressive, almost angry and evil. It was a memory he can barely recall.
"Polly?" Elena asked in concern but her voice seemed so far away. Dimly, Rue saw a strange light, making everything around him grow dark. It was a strange sensation, something he never experienced before. He saw the light and the object that was floating before him.
The Dewprism.
"Impossible! It was destroyed!" Rue cried out in dismay.
"Of course not. That is what they all thought." A voice from behind said grimly. Rue tried to turn around to face the speaker and to his shock, found that he cannot move his legs. A shadowy figure came forward, its features shadowed and dark. But Rue could see that its hair is black under the folds of its cloak.
"So I have seen you at last." It replied. Rue shuddered, the voice sounded so lifeless and cold, with no emotion to detect. "Now that I know, I will have your head. You will die by my hand, traitor."
"Who are you?!" Rue shouted. But the Shadow didn't reply. Dimly he heard that it was laughing at him in its shrill voice, mocking him.
"RUE!"
Rue woke up in shock as he looked at the cloudless sky of the desert. He was lying on his back, with everyone else looking at him anxiously. Then he sat up and rubbed his cheek, as the pain was throbbing on his face. He looked around him, dazed.
"I think that was too much." Klaus said with disapproval as the redness in Rue's cheek began to swell.
"Well, what else should I do?" Mint objected. But privately thought that Klaus had a point. Maybe I should have slapped him instead of punching him on the face.
"Admit it, you're just violent." Prima piped in, a bit relieved to see Rue alright that he began to be obnoxious again.
"Oh, stop picking on me, will ya?!"
"What happened?" Rue asked.
"You sort of fainted. Except you were standing up instead of falling down. You looked like a mannequin." Klaus said.
"Yes, you're very unresponsive when Prima called us." Mira said, very concerned. "We knew we had to do something to get you to breathe somehow."
"And so Mint punched you on the face." Elena added, clapping with glee. "And you really toppled! Like a tree! She's very strong!"
"Sheez! You made it sound like I'm a barbarian or something!" Mint said. It was important for Rue to wake up, and that was the only thing she could think of. They shouldn't rub it in like that!
"Thanks, Mint, I appreciate it." Rue said, still rubbing his cheek. "It's really potent."
"Really? I'm flattered." Mint replied sarcastically.
"Really." Rue said very solemnly and sincerely. "You saved my life. Thank you."
For once, Mint hasn't got any witty comeback. Instead she stood up with a huff as she stalked away, "Just be grateful I didn't kick you instead." She called back.
Klaus' family and Rue looked as Mint headed for the oasis.
"I think she's kind of embarrassed." Mira said. "She doesn't take those kinds of compliments seriously."
"That's true." Klaus nodded, trusting his wife's judgment of character.
"Are you sure you can walk now?" Prima asked Rue as he slowly began to stand.
"Yeah. I'm alright." Rue said. His cheek ache, though, and he added a mental list not to make Mint at the opposite side of debate.
"Oh, Polly. What just happened?" Elena asked anxiously.
The shadow grew in his head again, and it took him a while to get rid of it in his mind. Not wanting for Elena to worry he said lightly "The sun's getting to me." Prima looked sharply at him, knowing that Rue had just lied at them, but kept quiet. Elena bought the whole story, though.
"Then I'm glad we're at the oasis! We can all cool off at the shades!" She was saying as she led Rue and Prima to the area. Mira paused as she saw Klaus' worried expression.
"Dear?"
"I'm kind of worried. I was hoping that this trip wouldn't lead into any complications…"
"I have a feeling that that sort of thing comes around with [relic]-hunting." Mira said, trying to put him at ease.
"True," Klaus said wearily as the two of them followed behind. But his nagging worry remained.