Bayacrux Chapter 7

Tereya awoke in an underground chamber. A few larger firefly-like creatures stuck to the walls of her earthy bedroom. It smelled disctintly of clay, and the sheets had the texture of a burlap bag.
"So you're awake". Tereys turned her head towards the door. There was a tall man with blue hair there. He had long bangs over his left eye.
"Where am I?", Tereya asked. She put her hand on the back of her head, feeling for the knot of her headband, but she touched skin instead. A red sore, and deep, throbbing pain.
"You're in my domain". Another man, shorter than Fre, appeared at the door. He was wearing jeans and a forest green sweater, with spiky black hair. "But don't worry, I don't bite. Much"
Tereya took a sip from the glass of water by her bed. It tasted like it was full of minerals.
"There was something I had to do. Something important". Besides that and her name, she didn't remember much. Just a sharp pain in the back of the skull and neck...
"For now, just rest", Fre said softly, walking towards her. Ilex chuckled.
"No, this was important", Tereya said, standing up. Her vision was suddenly filled with grey specks as she flopped back down on the bed. After her vision had cleared, she tried again, this time standing up more slowly and leaning against the wall.
"Do you know anyone named MM? I have a message for them"
"MM is in the other room", Ilex said, pointing across the hall.
"Okay, thanks", Tereya said, walking out the door, still leaning on the wall.


*****

Staring at his bloodstained hands, Shed noticed that there were a few scars that weren't there before. Not a few, a lot. It's funny how much a few days of adventure can do to you, Shed thought.
"So", Julie asked. "What now?"
Shed's voice was shaky, but there was strength there. "We have to find the other Prism Wyrm, Orpheus, so he can claim his rightful title. Otherwise, who knows what could happen"
"First, shouldn't we find everyone else?", Ladi interrupted.
"I guess", Shed said. "But this is important"
Quietly looking at the ground, Ladi remarked, "So you would sacrefice your friends lives for the lives of people you don't know?"
"I'm not sure", Shed said. "We've already gotten ourselves into quite a rut here. Long ago, the world was falling apart. The torpedo gave us a second chance, but we seem to be wrecking it again". Realizing he was rambling, Shed sent Vemekross on his way and turned toward Pyre's monster.
"Well, I guess you're free to go now"
The monster nodded, walking out of the cave.
Shed followed, looking up at the sky. It was full of clouds, but they seemed darker, more sinister. The air was cool.
Then he looked down.
The earth was turning brown and firm when he stepped on it. Small sprouts were growing all around him, and ferns and moss were covering the white and spongy ground.
PP and Ladi ran out and looked at the surrounding brown earth. It seemed to be expanding, covering everything in sight.

*****

Still weak from her posession, Tereya stumbled over to MM's room.
"Almmst there", she encouraged herself. "Just a little bit closer"
Then something snapped.
It didn't make a sound, but the distict feeling of a tight muscle being ripped apart. Stumbling to the ground, Tereya put her hand over her heart. It was beating so loud that anyone in the hallway should have been able to hear it, but she was alone. Ilex and Fre had gone back to their rooms. Her temperature seemed so hot, like she was burning up. "Help", she croaked.
MM rushed out, apparently able to hear her pleas for help. Putting one hand on her forehead and one on the inside of her wrist, she shook her head, dragging Tereya into her room.

"This isn't normal", she remarked. "I can't think of any reason for this to happen, other than your encounter with the Kidrell"
Tereya smiled. "Will I be okay?", she whispered.
"Yeah, ths should calm down soon"
"Tereya!", Fre called, running into the room. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine", she said. "Thanks for caring, but I need to be alone for a little bit"
"Oh. Okay", Fre left, sounding dissapointed.
"So, what is it that would make you brush him off like that? He cared for you while you were unconcious, you know", Mm said. Tereya blushed slightly, the opened her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by MM.
"Feminine problems? Boy, I hate needing to tell some one in public why I'm so mad, or have to go to the bathroom every five minutes, or-"
"Excuse me", Tereya said, louder. "I have a message for you. Take my headband"
MM unknotted Tereya's black headband, examing the sores while she was looking at the back of her head anyways. Taking the ends of the headband that had been tied in her fingers, MM opened them up to reveal the hollow space inside. Shaking out the headband, a piece of paper fell out.
"See, we always get the job done", Tereya smiled. "Mind if I ask what it is? This'll stay between us"
"Divorce papers", MM said with a sarcastic tone in her voice. Taking another piece of paper out of her pocket, she taped the two together. Tereya looked over he shoulder.
"It's a map. Apparently it's supposed to lead to a treasure or something. I'm not sure, but whatever it is, it's finished but I can't make heads or tails of it" The map appeared to be one of the Octogon, with standard division boundaries. But it was somewhat larger, and at the middle there was a rather detailed symbol inside a circle. Stretching out to the middle of every territory, there were lines leading to other symbols, which while more simple, all seemed to be somewhere in the main symbol in the center. These symbols were all connected by lines, and on the back of the map, there was what looked like a series of tunnels.
"Tereya", a voice said, knocking on the door. "Can I come in?"
"Fine", she said. MM put the map away.

*****

"I knew something bad was going to happen", Shed said. "Look at what's happening!"
"It seems that the Earth element is taking over the Air area after the Prism Wyrm died", Julie said.
"This is kind of scary"
"What was your promise to Pyre about, anyways?"
"I was once a gang leader in the city of Darkness. Pyre was a member, but I kicked him out. He begged for forgiveness, and I made that deal with him in haste"
Julie and Ladi paused, trying to imagine Shed as a gang leader in the crime-filled city of Ganzai.
"Anyways, let's go and find everyone. We'll need all the help we can get"

*****

After feeding Tereya her third spoonful of medicine (which was really just water, sugar, and purple dye), Fre was stopped by MM.
"We should let her rest now".
Fre left the room, but he still looked determined to help. Phizz entered afterwards. Having a keen eye for other people's belongings, Phizz spotted the map in MM's pocket.
"Hey, what's that?" He scratched his head, touching his wavy brown hair.
MM took it out of her pocket. Staring at it, she scratched her head also. "Something seems different".
Tereya looked over at the map. "Yeah, the symbol in the Air circle is missing"
"I know those maps", Phizz said. "I found a few of them when I was a pickpocket in Kurichaa. They're called Dissapearing Maps, and they're painted from a certain point out with trick ink, so that they disappear a little at a time"
"I guess", MM said. "It just seems so weird, though"
And at those words the same symbol that had been Air disappeared from the center circle.