dimensions | original

Farewell To an Old Friend

 Keme sighed, looking over his scribbled notes with a frown on his face. Luma lied on an old blanket on the ground. A cauldron bubbled with something that looked like liquid fire, streaked with gold and blue. Keme had assigned Mark the job of stirring the contents of the bronze cauldron, and Mark did so vigorously. Keme turned to Mark with a saddened expression.

"I'm very sorry, Mark, but I don't think this is safe."

"What?" Mark sounded devastated. "What do you mean?"

"I don't think I have the power to safely heal her without risk that she'll still be stuck with after effects. Well, she's going to have aftershocks no matter what, but I'm talking permanent ones. I don't think my magic aura is strong enough to protect her."

"I don't understand."

"Think of it this way: If someone needs surgery to live, and the surgery fixes the initial problem, it could open up more problems in the same operation if not done perfectly." Keme sighed. "I am only a shapeshifter. I have the ability to change my form, but that doesn't allow me to perform magic spells. It just gives me an aura. The aura is enough to protect her partially, but she would still be heavily affected." Keme hoped he had explained thoroughly enough for him to understand fully.

"So..." Mark looked very frightened. "She... has to go to the twins?"

"They and I are the last that practice this magic."

"But they're so far away! How would we make it with her still in control?"

Keme, in a much more confident voice, answered. "I have some potions in stock. I have a suppressants that will keep her feeling stronger and Phoenix weaker." He stood, walking to a cluttered shelf and grabbed a few vials of the potion.

"Good." Mark stood up and took the bottles, looking determined. "I suppose we should be on our way. Thank you very much Keme. I'm sorry for what has happened between our past. But we are at an agreement now?"

Keme felt frozen. Mark stood in front of him, crimson eyes gleaming a hesitant smile on his face, and his hand extended as though offering to shake. Familiar, dreadful feelings that he hadn't felt in what felt like forever filled him. It took all of Keme's courage to tentatively reach out and take his hand. The handshake was awkward, and Keme felt like his heart was burning it's way out of his chest.

"It was good to see you, Match."

Mark smiled awkwardly. "You do realize you can call me Mark?"

"I know, I know. I understand that's what you go by now." Keme reassured him. "But it doesn't sound right. You will always be Matchitehew to me."

Mark nodded, not correcting him. Keme felt relieved, he had been slightly worried that Mark would be offended.

Keme snapped his fingers and Luma rose into the air. "She will follow you. I do suppose you remember the way out?"

Mark nodded. "Yes. I do."

He began towards the door, then stopped suddenly. "I appreciate your help, Keme. I trust we will keep in touch?"

"If you want to." Keme answered, voice cracking a little as he said farewell to an old friend.

And then he was gone, Luma too.

Keme only sighed, and began to clean up his supplies, cleaning him in the routine he always used.

***

Asha waited nervously. She wondered what could be happening- strangely enough, she hadn't heard anything, which concerned her slightly. The cave tunnels should have carried sound fairly well, but it was so quiet that Asha had the feeling that there was some sort of sound protection spell setup.

Asha was still distracting herself with potential spells used in the mountain cave when Mark returned. Luma still floated in the air, not conscious, and Mark had an oddly determined look on his face. His fiery eyes burned through the air, and he held several small vials with a smooth, honey-like blue liquid inside them.

"What happened?" It was Carressa that spoke.

Mark shook his head. "I will tell you on the way to the twins. But we must leave immediately. I'm sure Keme is very skilled with his potion skills, but I don't want to waste any of Luma's strength and last I checked they are quite far from here."

"The twins?" Ash said in distress. "Mark, we talked about this. We can't, they're cruel and heartless and hate the Vitae."

Mark stared at her desperately. "Luma is dying." It wasn't strictly true, since she was only being slowly possessed by an all-powerful prophet that probably wanted to take over the world, but it had the desired effect. Emersyn nodded worriedly and Asha pressed her lips together nervously. Carressa had an odd look on her face, a combination of guilt and sadness.

Kinglyn just sighed.

"Mark, I understand that you owe a lot to this young mortal, but that is what she is. Mortal. She has freed you, and her purpose has been filled. I hate to say it, but we may need to... er, put her down." He sounded pained, and Mark knew that he couldn't want to see Luma die, but it still angered him.

Mark glared angrily. "You idiot Vitae people. I may have once seen you as a selfish, selfish, brainless organization, but somehow I changed my mind. I suppose you're all on board with it, too?" He met all of their eyes, one by one. The guilty, shifting looks on each of their faces confirmed his suspicions. "So it's true, then. I was right all along. You're going to leave Luma for dead and return to your perfect machinery and imperfect politics. I shouldn't have defended you against Keme. You're all heartless liars."

Mark straightened, looking around. "I will take Luma, and I will pay forward. It will require blood and pain since I no longer have the Vitae's power behind my back. The least you could do is offer safe passage."

Kinglyn opened his mouth as though to object, but Asha cut in. "Mark, the Portacar has a flying motorcycle built in. I can take you."

Mark's eyes softened. "Thank you, Asha." Emersyn looked as though she wanted to come with them, but she didn't speak. Carressa, for once, looked baffled. Her bright eyes looked clouded with doubt.

"One last thing before we leave." Mark added, locking eyes with Kinglyn. "Is the Vitae really worth it if they don't change the things they can? Focusing on the bigger threats isn't going to do anything if you can't do anything about it. Start small, and work your way up." Once upon a time, that had been Mark's hunting philosophy. But he had realized at some point that it could be applied to different points of life.

"Alright, Mark, let's go." Asha extended her hand for support and Mark gratefully took it, the two walking out of the cave and into the light.

A/N: my mom is breathing over my shoulder so I can't write anything for fear that she is odd. also now she's making weird faces at me.