Chapter Four

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Chapter Four

"Wake up."

He didn’t want to.

"Jonathan, wake up," Zeal shook him now as she whispered into is ear.

Jonathan moaned and tried to push her away. He felt so tired, why was she trying to wake him up?

"Well I guess you’re not dead."

Dead. Why would he be dead? He could recognize Zeal’s voice, a low voice, very stern and yet... a sadness. There was always a sadness to Zeal. Was it because of Reya? Of Maida? Maybe it was because of Serra... or maybe it was all three of them. Her family, dead or lost. But he wasn’t dead or lost.

He could remember a bright light, and Zeal walking towards it, her eyes blank... lifeless. She was going to die, he could knew it. They had been in a field, they had been cold and wet... His head, his head felt as though someone were pouding on his skull from the inside and squeezing his brain. Now he felt warm and dry, he didn’t feel any pain at all. He opened his eyes.

"What did you do?"

Jonathan looked at Zeal confused for a second. They were in a small wooden room, the place looked old and unclean, but there was a fire in the corner and the bed he was lying on seemed to have clean sheets. Zeal was sitting on his bed, she was wearing a plain brown dress, he could see her clothes hanging on a chair by the fire, his as well. She looked down at him, blue eyes piercing into his, her face was very serious, her hair down... For the first time Jonathan couldn’t help but think to himself that she was beautiful. But there were more important things on his mind.

"I’m naked."

"Your clothes were wet," Zeal stated plainly. "What did you do?"

Jonathan rubbed his eyes. "Where are we?"

"A village. What did you do?"

"What are you talking about?" Jonathan looked at her with nothing but confussion on his face.

"That light... that... creature." Zeal could think of no other word to call it by. "You killed it."

"I did?"

"Yes, and you nearly killed me." She was becoming angry.

"I... I don’t know... I remember trying to stop you, and then my head," he winced as the meer memory of it gave him a headache. "Then I woke up here."

"You killed it, and enarly killed me... Apparently with your mind."

"That’s ludicriss, I have neither the power nor the means to do that."

"Oh? So it just killed itself did it?"

"Maybe you did it! You do have magic you know."

"Had it been me, the creature, you and me would have all been engulphed like... that building!" Zeal was of course talking about the Serrian base that had been engulphed by the portal in the other dimension. "We’d no longer be in existence... But you," she stood up and began to pace back and forth. "You did something with your mind."

"No Oracle has the power to kill with their minds."

Zeal stopped pacing. "What about the Oracle we fought in the other dimension?"

"That's different. Something happened to him-"

"Something happened to you."

"I don't think-"

"Oh shut up."

Jonathan shut his mouth.

She sat back down on his bed. "Listen. You did that, I know you did. You were in my mind Jonathan. And you were in that thing’s mind as well, only you killed it, and just gave me a bit of a headache."

"Sorry."

"Don’t appologize, you did save my life... though you probably could just have easily killed me."

"I doubt I would have-"

"It’s reasonable to argue that you can’t even control this power."

"I don’t even have this power. I’d know."

Zeal looked at him long and hard. "You have this power, or had it for those few moments back there."

"You’re not going to admit that you might be wrong... are you?"

"Of course not."

"Right, figured as much."

"If you can’t already tell, this has unerved me a bit. Not even with the Crystal could someone just look at you and you’d die."

Jonathan wanted to point out that with the Crystal the person would still die, and the user would not then experience a teerible migrain resulting in them passing out... but he figured that it would be fruitless to do so. After all, if one could kill with just their mind, and had complete control over those powers... It was a frightening prospect.

"So... what if I do have these powers?" He wasn’t conviced yet.

"I don’t know... but I rather you didn’t use them... or try to use them."

"Right, right."

"Good. Now get out of the bed, I’m tired and it’s almost morning."

"... Could I have my clothes first?"

Zeal smiled, only adding to her hidden beauty. "Don’t worry Jonathan, you’re much too young for my taste."

She could just hear him mumbling something under his breath about not being young at all as she fetched his clothing. His outfit was simple enough. To her it looked like two grey jackets, one with sleeves and one without. The sleevless one was thiner, made of finner fabric and looked like a lot of care had been put into making it. It was worn under the jacket with sleeves, which had some white on it as well. She knew Oracles, had dealt with them far too many times, and she knew that all Oracles wore the same thing.

"You should get new clothing," she threw the mostly dry clothes at him.

Jonathan grabbed the clothes and quickly put on the sleeveless tunic, doing the buttons up with as much grace as he could muster while still being under the covers. "I happen to like my clothing very much."

"Yes, you Oracles can make lovely dresses. Don’t you think you might want to dress like a Camrien if we’re going to be travelling through Camsirtch? Might be less suspiscious."

"Might be," Jonathan stood up and put on his jacket, leaving it undone in the warm room though.

"I think-"

The door was thrown open with a loud bang. Zeal had her sword in hand before Jonathan even noticed that someone had entered the room. Not just someone though, five mean swarmed into the room with bows held up. Scragly looking men, most had beards, all had weathered faces. They didn’t wear armour, but instead fur.

"Fignal javre elbhner! Qbabg zbir!" One of the men yelled in a husky voice.

"What?!" Jonathan yelled, more confused than anything else.

"They’re speaking Ratyvfu."

"That’s not a word Zeal."

"No, it’s a language you idiot."

"Fuhg hec!" The man yelled once more.

"I don’t know what you’re saying!!" Jonathan yelled at the man.

Zeal was almost sure that she could kill them, but she wasn’t sure if they’d manage to kill Jonathan before she could kill them. She was also a little worried that Jonathan might panic and do... whatever he had done the night before."Junt elbh jnag?" She whispered softly. ‘What you want?’

"You can speak Ratawhatever?"

"No, but I’ve learned a couple of words trading."

"King wants words," the man said with some difficulty.

"Well we’re busy!"

"Calm down Jonathan. We’re in no danger."

"Do you not see the pointy sticks of death!?!"

"I said, calm down," her voice was quiet, and Jonathan could tell that she wanted to yell at him. He could tell that she was angry, and the thought of her showing this anger made him stop talking. "We’re in no danger. They’re scared of us." She slowly got down on one knee and put her sword down, and then stood back up, her arms harmlessly in the air.

"Do they give inn rooms to everyone they plan on attacking?" Jonathan asked, but mostly to himself.

"Ab unez," Zeal said motioning to her sword. ‘No harm.’

"Ab unez," the man repeated carefully. "You come."

Jonathan looked towards Zeal, pleading with his eyes for her to just attack them. She didn’t knew if they were in danger or not, these people could be very paranoid and very willing to kill them once they stepped outside. Maybe they just wanted to avoid a mess in their room... even though the room wasn’t what he’d call slean.

"Laref," Zeal nodded.

"Laref means yes?"

"Yes. Button up you’re coat, we’re going for a walk."

(Ah yes, me and my obssesion with languages. It just makes sense people! Different country, different language. Fear not, I don't use it often, just often enough you don't forget it. Also, it's not jiberish, I spent quite some time figuring it out! Sorry about the lack of editing.)