Healing Mishap
By LanzaQ

Klaus pointed at the angry red glowing runes etched above the door. “whom ever enters this portal without permission cannot leave without permission.” Klaus read aloud. “So until I say you can go, you are kind of stuck.”

---

Erin and Etoile looked around their surroundings. “Stupid.” Etoile said putting her hand above her eyes. “I know that the arctic is often times referred to as the 'Desert Tundra.' however, where we are at right now is anything but tundra.”

“I-I don't understand, normally this only happens when I teleport with Khaos nearby.”

Etoile just smiled and remarked with sarcastic niceties. “It couldn't be me. Its not like I am any relation to Sodia at all.”

“Oh.” Erin said rolling up his sleeve and attempting to use his tattoo to teleport again.

---

“Well Verris, how does it feel to have a sword hanging at your hip?” Raleigh asked picking up a small chunk of snow and giving it a good toss into the distance. “I mean, can you really even wield a sword?”

Verris just glared at Raleigh. “I can wield a sword just fine. I just...never took the time to learn.”

“Right.” Raleigh said walking over to Ash who was swinging her newly repaired sword. “Ash. When did you get the sword fixed? I thought that those traps back in the Sodian temple really worked one over on it.”

Ash shrugged. “Back in town.” Was all she had to say before fishing out a small bag and quickly tossed it to Arric who was listening in on the one-sided conversation. “Got these too.”

Arric caught the bag and looked inside and his face lit up like a child who was just given their favorite candy. “Ash, Why did you buy me potions? Its not my birthday.”

Ash just smiled evilly. “You owe me.”

---

“You certainly know how to test a woman's patience don't you...” Etoile said as she sunk deeper into the jungle quicksand.

“Its not my fault!” Erin exclaimed tossing rope over a nearby tree branch. “I blame you.”

“You dare blame me!? Etoile DeArra, the Goddes of true beauty on the face of this world!?”Etoile said with a huff. “If I had the ability I would be kicking you somewhere it would hurt...ALOT.”

“I will just have do this correctly.” Erin said hoisting himself out of the quicksand. He scraped off as much mud as he could and rolled up his sleeve.

“Aren't you going to help a beautiful lady out of a bad predicament?” Etoile asked putting on her best puppy eyes.

“Coming from the goddess who just a little bit ago was threatening me with physical ha-” was all Erin was able to say before Etoile started screaming.

---

“It's getting dark.” Cael pointed out. “I think now would be a good time to set up camp.” He quickly shrugged off his backpack and set about clearing a space for a tent. It didn't take long and everyone had followed suit and shrugged off their backpacks and helped set up two tents.

Everyone had settled into the tents and began preparing for the night. Arric, Verris, Raleigh and Cael all stood in the large tent. When Everyone except Cael had changed into their night clothes the atmosphere in the tent became unbearable.

“Okay. We all need to talk together as a group, Verris, start a campfire. Raleigh, go get the girls from their tent.” Arric said shoving Verris and Raleigh outside forcefully. “Cael, as much as you'd like to deny it. You can't stay in this tent.”

“Yes I can,” Cael said putting his hands on his hips. “It's my tent.” He glared angrily up at Arric and fought to throw his long hair over his rounded shoulders. “If I can't use the tent I purchased then I could go back into Arcia, buy a new tent and sleep alone.” he huffed angrily.

“You know that isn't what I mean.” Arric said.

Verris threw back the tent flap interrupting their conversation. “ Fire is ready and Ash and Kate are waiting.”

---

“You really are something special aren't you.” Etoile said scraping mud off into the snow “ Three tries.” she glared angrily. “it took you THREE tries to teleport to the right spot.”

“It wasn't my fault.” Erin shot back.

“We are lucky we didn't end up in a rock.” Etoile said scraping off more mud

A man suddenly appeared out of the falling snow, a smile on his face and an arctic wolf fur robe on. “Welcome. I am Burgh Klaus.”

---

“It's not fair.” Cael said rubbing tears off his face. “That is my tent, and...and...” Cael began to cry and everything after that became indecipherable. Ash quickly reached over and embraced him. She didn't say anything just sat there hugging Cael.

Cael suddenly jumped out of her arms and was furious. He didn't say anything he just glared at Kate, Verris, Raleigh, and Arric. “If my body bothers you, I will go into town tomorrow and buy a tent, a single person tent for me and only me.”

“Cael, they are doing this for you.” Kate said. “It is my fault in the first place.” she added. “Cael, look over yourself.” she quickly fished out a large mirror out of her bag, and handed it to Cael.

Cael took a look over himself. Long blond hair, bright pink eyes, round shoulders, delicate fingers, and the most recent addition, a chest. Small, but not ignorable. “Fine. If that is how you,” he looked over at Raleigh, Verris and Arric. “feel, I will sleep in the same tent as Kate and Ash.”

---

“Erin, I am going to KILL YOU.” Etoile said as the end of the Crystal-Ice blade of Klaus was leveled at her nose.

Erin who was tied up nearby just laughed nervously. “Well, we certainly have grown together, this was the first time you didn't call me 'stupid', 'idiot', or mentioned how I am nothing more than a mere squishy mortal.”

“Etoile DeArra. Sister to Goddess Sodia, I will be keeping you and your...'Mere squishy mortal' friend under the custody of Arcia.”

Etoile looked at Klaus nonplussed. “How exactly do you propose to keep a Goddess under custody?”

Klaus pointed at the angry red glowing runes etched above the door. “whom ever enters this portal without permission cannot leave without permission.” Klaus read aloud. “So until I say you can go, you are kind of stuck.”

---

Cael had changed into his set of nightclothes with his back turned to Ash and Kate. When he turned around for bed Kate just giggled. “What?”

“I don't think you can continue wearing that.” Kate said.

Ash shrugged and added. “Not cute.”

“Even Ash understands.” Kate said. “You look like a girl, you should dress like one to eliminate unwanted attention in towns we are unfamiliar with.”

“B-But....Ash wears stuff like this in towns.” Cael said looking at his plain grey loose fitting shirt and pants.

“Ash also swings a sword to kill monsters three or four times her size.” Kate said. “What I mean is, you look like a girl, a young girl who looks cultured enough to not be running around wearing pants and swinging a sword.”

“Hey!” Ash exclaimed, looking hurt.

“Sorry, but its the truth.”

Cael just looked slightly unhappy at Kate. “What do you recommend?”

Kate fished around her bag before fishing it out. Instantly Caels slightly unhappy face became very unhappy. “Kate where did you get that?”

“I found it on the ground where you dropped it back in that town before our encounter with Lanzerus.” she said holding up the lavender and sky blue robe. “It looked pretty but it couldn't fit me but it was so pretty... so I kept it.”

“Before we reach the next town I will wear it. However until we get in view of the town I won't even touch it.” Cael said lying down and falling asleep quickly.

---

Lanzerus laughed as he lifted the boots from their supposed final resting place. “The Thousand League Boots, another of the seven artifacts to add to my collection.”

he quickly shoved the boots into his backpack. “That leaves Wicked Spike, Ceon's Mantle, Perfection's Pendant, and the Vision Robe.” he stopped to count. “Wait thats only six.” He quickly fished out the large book out of his backpack and opened it to the well worn pages that listed the artifacts. He scanned for a good five minutes before tossing the book against the nearby frozen ice walls. “Damn it!”

With a quick and simple wave the book that was guiding his search was now nothing more than a pile of burning paper and leather in a crumbling heap against the icy wall. “I will have to resort to different method to achieve my goals.”

---

The Six woke up and broke down camp, Cael ate breakfast with his back turned to Arric, Raleigh and Verris. Ash and Kate watched Cael as he ate quietly. Eventually everyone quickly got up and walked around a bit, the universal sign that everyone was ready to go.

They began the cold and quiet trek towards the next town, Southern Arcia.

Arric walked forward trailing close behind Cael. He quickly grabbed at the young elf's wrist. “You know you can't act like you are the same. Cael things are changing, not only with you but with the entire world around us. Lanzerus is slowly getting closer to rounding up all Eight of the original artifacts. I don't know about you but the twisted world he envisions isn't home to anyone like you or me.”

Cael just continued forward, ignoring him. “I know. However, you, Ash, Verris, Kate, even Raleigh act like these changes can't be fixed.”

Arric quickly covered his face with his free hand and laughed. “I get it you are still mad about having to tent with Kate and Ash.”

“Of course I would still be mad.” Cael said pouting.

---

Etoile screamed as loud as she could breaking several glass items on the shelves and in the cabinets around Klaus' house. “I REFUSE to be kept here any longer! You WILL loosen these ropes and you WILL let me and my mortal friend hunt down my Niece!”

Klaus removed the mufflers that were strapped tightly around his head. “My quite demanding for someone with no way out aren't we?”

Erin, who was rendered semi-deaf from the scream tried to read the lips as best he could to respond as tactfully as possible. “Well...our demands are that you let us go then we wouldn't be demanding for a way out...I think.”

Etoile just sighed. “Pay no attention to the idiot tied up next to me.

“I stopped paying attention when he said 'Well.' “Klaus said before leaving the room to the tune of Etoile screaming something about indignities to a Goddess.

---

Well, that concludes Healing Mishap 12, sorry for the wait, I was away for the weekend with important business.

Comment, please. Point out mistakes or things that you liked don't be shy.