Chapter 27: A Game of Risk

Quest for the Gems: Day 2

Location: Somewhere in the Grassland Wilderness.

Time: 2:22 PM

From such a high altitude, it was almost impossible to see anything through the dense mist below. The tips of several pine trees were all that could be spotted in any direction, and the only thing that could be used to gain a bearing was a single tall mountain in the distance.

The wind was cold, but bearable, and there were no signs of rain currently falling from the darkened sky, although that was not the case several minutes ago. But every so often, a strong gust would cause a loss in balance, and the view would shake for a brief moment before becoming stable once more. Overall, it seemed as though not much could be gained when it came to tracking during such conditions.

Down.

Almost instantly, the view shifted towards the earth below, and the cold mist soon opened the way to the forest that hid underneath it.

Even at such a high speed, maneuvering through the dense woods felt just as simple as taking a gentle stroll through it. Branches protruded from the trees left and right, and yet none of them ever seemed to make contact. Almost everything else seemed crystal clear as well, from the water drops on the leaves, to the small lines of ants marching to get out of the cold and into their colonies. Suddenly, sharp claws covered most of the view forward, and a small mouse was caught between them.

More trees covered the way forward, but it was nothing a few quick turns couldn't maneuver around. Left, right, left, left, and a quick pass underneath a large trunk was all it took before Huntress came into view, meditating on a rock in the middle of the woods. Just like everything else, landing on her shoulder proved relatively easy.

As Gaile began to feast on the mouse he had caught, Huntress opened her eyes, only to let out a sigh after remembering there was really no point in doing so. All she got was a hands-on experience of a bird enjoying its meal, no matter which direction she turned her head.

"At least you can follow orders well enough," she said as the falcon finished eating. "Maybe this could still work out."

Once Huntress had gotten a decent grip on seeing through another set of eyes, Weimar deemed that she was ready to travel through at least some of the safer regions. She hated thinking back to her first few attempts at walking. Nearly everything in front of her was a hazard for tripping, and she would have fallen over completely if her grandfather had not been there to help. It was like a baby learning to walk all over again; she felt nothing but shame.

But as always, Weimar had several things to point regarding this new adapting process.

"It's not just eyes you share," he had said. "You also share minds. Both can feel what the other is feeling; understand what the other is thinking. In order to properly work as a single unit, both must reach a sincere bond of trust in order to communicate. Only then can you say Gaile is not just there to help you see, but to help you function as the person you once were. But that will only come to pass if you help him as well. One mind, one body."

Although skeptical at first, Huntress was starting to understand what her grandfather was talking about. Every time a thought came to her mind as to what Gaile should do, the bird immediately followed the command. And the same could be said for the other way around, as he warned her of incoming hazards during her travels. While she could not hear a voice, she could still feel what he was trying to get her to understand. An odd experience, to be sure, but one that she would have to get used to as time went on.

However, she begrudgingly had to admit that fighting was beyond her, even though it had only been a few days since starting.

Something as simple as shooting her bow proved difficult. Since her sight was now slightly more upward than before, her aim was off, and she would mostly end up missing her mark. As frustrating as it was, she couldn't help but laugh at the irony: a woman known as Huntress Wizard, unable to hunt. If it wasn't for her stubbornness, the first few tries would have been enough to make her break her bow in half. But she refused.

Since the day that she rescued Finn from prison in Wizard City, Huntress couldn't help but feel something…ominous was afoot. It was difficult to explain but, deep inside, she felt that training to master her combat skills again was crucial. More so if she hoped to get payback for her stolen eyes.

Somewhat satisfied with the day's results, Huntress stood and began to make her way through the wilderness.

As she walked, the weather began to clear, making it easier to see what was in front of her while moving. By this point, hopping over small stumps and rocks was simple, so long as her pace was steady. Gaile still had the urge to look other ways every so often, which still made it difficult sometimes.

Forward.

A simple word, but one that made the falcon turn his head in the right direction. Even if a certain bond had to be reached between them, Huntress failed to imagine how she would begin to do so without putting herself at risk. One way or another, the day will come when the two must work as a single mind during an intense battle.

"Easier said than done," was all she could think.

Once the ground became flat enough to where a keen lookout was unnecessary, Huntress reached for the necklace that hung over her chest, getting a good look at it through Gaile's eyes.

It was a small vial, no more than a few inches big. A cork was tightly secured its opening, keeping the bubbling pink substance within from pouring out. Every time she shook it, it glowed vibrantly for a few short seconds. Something so small and simple, and yet it was the most important item she currently had in her possession.

"Keep it safe at all times," Weimar warned as he handed it to her a few days prior. "But also keep it somewhere relatively easy to reach. The substance inside this vial requires materials that may no longer exist in the wild. This might be the only batch I will ever be able to make for you."

"What does it do?" Huntress asked as she took the vial in her hands.

"It's a very special tonic that, upon drinking, will restore sight to your own eyes. But only for one day's time. Use it only when absolutely necessary, during a time when Gaile is not enough to get you through a deadly scenario. It may just save your life. But, if you manage to master sensing the world through your falcon, you will never need drink it."

She felt like the vial was just there to mock her. The key to being able to see normally again in the palm of her hand, reduced to just some temporary resort.

Sighing, she let the vial hang from her neck once more. Weimar had been nice enough to place some protective runes on it, so at least she didn't have to worry about it breaking from a fall. That being said, she also planned to defend it at any cost.

As the edge of the woods came within sight, so did Huntress' home, still hanging perilously from the cliffs overlooking her hunting grounds. Dangerous as it seemed however, she hardly minded it. She placed spells around the homestead to ensure it did not fall to woods below. The river that gently flowed down towards the cliffside was a bit rougher than usual due to the rain, but it was nothing mayor to be concerned about. Rather than head on in, Huntress decided to remain outside for a while longer and sit at the edge of the cliff, looking over the land as the sun started to shine over everything once again.

With a quick whistle, Gaile moved along her shoulder until he was standing on her forearm, where she could move him freely and point him in any direction without moving her body. For this instance, she decided to point him towards her face, half expecting to see his face directly. But in reality, Gaile only served as a live mirror, and she saw herself instead.

It was still jarring for Huntress to see her eyes looking different than how they did before, but she greatly preferred it over the complete black nature of them during her trance following the Witch of Tears incident. She never quite saw the results herself, but based on what Weimar had described, it made getting adjusted to a new set a bit easier.

"What are your thoughts on all of this?" she asked the falcon. "Do you feel the same way as me? Do you find it annoying having to be stuck beside a complete stranger for most of the day, wandering around as they try to adjust to a new way of life like some child?"

Huntress expected no response, of course. Though she half expected to get some semblance of understanding regarding Gaile's feelings. Instead, there was nothing. The bird remained still, keeping his eyes fixed on her solemn expression.

"I figured," she said. "You probably don't care. You still get to fly around wherever you please without consequence, and hunt as much prey as you want when we travel." She turned her eyes way, not wanting to be staring at herself for her next words. "I don't plan on being modest; I hate you. I hate having to rely on you. These woods were my playground, and I could hunt in them as much as I pleased. Now…now I've been reduced to nothing but some sort of handicap."

Once again, there was nothing. Weimar said that the two of them would be able to feel what the other was feeling, but all she felt complete silence. Maybe he fully understood what she was trying to say. Or maybe, as she said, he just didn't care, because he might have felt the same way about her. After all, he was practically a servant now.

A sudden gust of wind lightly shook Gaile, making his vision become rather distorted, and so hers as well. It was a slight annoyance at first, but the more it happened, the more she got used to it. The only thing to be done was wait. What neither of them were prepared for, however, was that they would see someone standing behind them as soon as their vision cleared.

Huntress had seen several people of the Fire Kingdom during her years. But never, in any occasion, did she run into any that were missing a face and standing right behind her.

Gaile, noticing the immediate threat, lifted himself up in the air with his wings. As Huntress turned herself and summoned an arrow with a swift motion, he landed on her shoulder once more, giving her the opportunity to see the impending threat. Strangely enough, there was no one to shoot at.

Both of them moved their heads from side to side in sync, trying to locate whoever it was that they had spotted. The longer they looked, the more Huntress wondered if she was just seeing things.

'No,' she thought. 'Gaile reacted as well. That couldn't have been a vision…could it? I've never seen a fire elemental like that before.'

After realizing that they were truly alone, Huntress made her arrow disappear. Gaile, who had his wings up in case he needed to fly, put them down again with a steady motion.

'I guess falcons see weird stuff all the time? I swear…'

"You care for him…"

The soothing voice she heard coming from her right startled Huntress, and she was met with the faceless fiery figure once more. She summoned yet another arrow.

"Who-"

Before the wizard could finish her question, the specter raised her arm, and she felt a finger being placed on her forehead. Just as suddenly as it happened, a bright flash of light blinded her and Gaile, prompting the feathered animal to raise its wings in order to protect their sight.

Not even several seconds passed, and the flash was gone, along with the mysterious woman who caused the phenomenon. Huntress still had her arrow ready, more than willing to shoot the moment she spotted the one responsible again. And yet no matter how much her and Gaile looked around, they were met with two problems: the woman had completely vanished, and they were no longer in the same location as before.

The two now found themselves surrounded by dense wilderness once again. Yet unlike her hunting grounds, Huntress did not fully recognize any of the terrain.

"What just happened?" she wondered out loud. "How…did we just get teleported?!"

During her time among wizards, Huntress knew that teleportation was not impossible. But she had never witnessed it being done so suddenly, and so cleanly.

Taking a moment to calm down and collect her thoughts, she tried her hardest to make sure that these woods were unknown to her. Most of her hunts spanned over most of the wilderness in Ooo, so chances were high that she had gone through the location at least once or twice.

The first thing she noticed was that the air around her was more humid. Rather than leaves, most tress had vines hanging from their branches and all the way down their trunks. It was also louder in terms of the sounds the many animals made, and the air was filled with countless small insects, as well as more along the nooks and crannies along the floor.

"Hm, it definitely feels familiar," she said. "Maybe…Oh no…"

Just as soon as her realization came, several loud chants from the dense flora surrounding her confirmed it was already to late to run. Nearly a dozen bows were being pointed at her from every direction, along with several spears. The and women who threatened her with such weapons were all bare, save from some clothing items that covered their waists and chests, and some were also decorated with bones. Their skin was covered in all manner of tribal symbols, mainly purple and yellow. The skin itself varied from person to person, from teal, to purple, to light blue, and their hair also featured these vibrant colors.

"Great," mumbled Huntress. "This is the last thing I need."

From the brush, another woman stepped forth, carrying a spear in one hand. Her weapon seemed much sharper and deadlier than the rest, and her head was lined with a crown fashioned from a skull. Once both women were within arm's reach, Huntress spoke first.

"Jungle Princess. Been a while, hasn't it?'

The monarch of the woods did not seem happy in the slightest. Even though Huntress could have easily dodged it, she stood still while receiving a firm slap across her cheek. She tried to play it off by smiling and rubbing her now red cheek.

"I've missed you too," she mused.

"Do you remember what I told you the last time we spoke?" JP asked.

Huntress turned her head to the side, even though Gaile allowed her to keep her sight on the princess. "I believe it was something along the lines of: If you ever set foot in these woods again, you'll regret it."

"And I still hold to those words. Why are you here?!"

"A better question," Huntress countered. "What are you doing all the way out here instead of being in your tribe?"

"We were on a hunting expedition," she replied. "Along the way, we heard some kind of explosion and decided to investigate. How the gods must despise me for making me come across you of all people."

"For the record, I wasn't planning on being here today. Someone, I don't know who, transported me here all of a sudden. If you can just point me in the right direction, I'll be on my way."

Jungle Princess chuckled. "I was too merciful on the day I banished you from my kingdom. But, be it by your will or not, you are here again. And now that I have been reminded of your actions, I think proper justice in order this time around."

With a single shout in her native language, two of the spear men behind Huntress walked forward and grabbed her from behind. Gaile tried to peck at one of them, but he was wiped off with a single strike and sent to the floor. Huntress felt some of that pain, and now she was seeing everything as if she were an ant on the floor. Without being able to fight properly, trying to resist would only end badly, and the last thing she wanted was to waste her tonic here.

"Oh come on, you're still holding a grudge to that?" the wizard asked. "I said I was sorry countless times! I didn't know-"

"A simple sorry does not excuse your actions!" JP responded violently. "We will go back to the Motherwoods, and there, we shall decide what fate awaits you."

With another command, the tribesmen brought forth a medium-sized cage. Though meant to hold any prey they caught, they used to jail Huntress for the trip ahead.

Once the group started moving, Gaile finally got the strength to stand back up. The captured wizard had no choice but to see herself be taken away from his eyes, before suddenly being taken through the trees as her falcon flew upward.

After breaking through the countless leaves, Huntress could now see the direction in which she was being taken. A tree, more gargantuan that all the others, stood on the horizon.

The constant dripping of water coming from the edge of the cell was enough to drive anyone insane, and Flint was getting closer to that point with every passing second.

He had woken up surrounded by the dark, sturdy walls built to house the strongest of prisoners. The only other object in the cell was a metal plate with several pieces of coal within to keep him fed. Any little amount of light he got at any time was the dim orange hue coming from the torches on the walls. Judging by the fact that there were never any other voices being heard, he was the only one currently being held in such a place.

For the few days that Flint had been locked up, the only interaction he ever got was with the cloaked man that brought him more coal. He tried to get some semblance of information from the older man every time he came, but to no avail. No words were ever returned, and after many failed attempts, Flint decided not to pry anymore.

And still the dripping persisted. The past days had to have been constantly rainy for so much water to continue pouring. Had it not been for his people's weakness to the substance, Flint would've done something. But as long as the Blackbell Knights were concerned, any problem that did not affect them was not worth fixing, and that meant not caring for possible hazards involving their prisoners.

In order to pass the time, Flint could only keep looking back to the moment he was captured. To think that a fire elemental could somehow read his thoughts…It was unheard of. Then again, so was Candice's ability to bend more elements besides fire.

'Who…no, what are they?' he constantly wondered.

His head jerked when the sound of a door opening echoed through the hall. At first, he thought it was the cloaked man coming to bring him more coal. To his surprise, when the dim light of another fire elemental pierced through the bars, he was met with the face of a young woman.

At first glance, one would think she was out of her element in this dark environment. She didn't bare the look of a warrior; she didn't even wear any sort of armor. All she had was a red cloak with the hood down to reveal her chin-length hair. She also didn't seem like she wanted to be there. A sense of unease covered her gentle face. But what caught Flint's attention the most were her purple eyes, which very closely resembled Rigel's.

"Who are you," he asked, standing up and walking closer to the bars. He then noticed that, while she was clearly not the same man as before, she still brought coal with her.

"I came to bring this," she said, handing Flint his food. "And…to meet you, I suppose. I never got the chance to do so before-"

"You evaded my question," Flint interrupted. "I didn't ask what your business was. I asked who you were."

The girl seemed rather nervous, but bowed her head respectfully. "My name is Robbyn. I'm Rigel's twin sister."

Flint leaned on the bars. "The weird mind reader? And the one responsible for me being here?"

Robbyn seemed hesitant to look him in the eye. "Yes."

"Can you do that too?"

"No. Only he can. He was born that way. Candice uses him to prove if a soldier is truly dedicated to joining the Blackbell Knights or not." She finally looked at Flint, and appeared saddened. "I'm sorry if he acted rude. He's seen…a lot. Many of the soldiers here have suffered through so much, and my brother has experienced that same pain. He may act like he has no emotions, but he does care for his comrades, and me."

Flint looked at a single piece of coal in his hand, and then ate it, prompting his body to suddenly flash with new energy.

"Well, I'm Flint," he said. "So, if not mind reading, do you have some special power of your own?"

Robbyn put her hands together. "No. At least not-"

"She's a genius."

From the shadows of the hall, Candice's figure peered its way into the light. Robbyn stood straight in welcoming her leader, but Flint only showed disdain in his face.

"You won't find a more brilliant alchemist in all of Ooo," she said, placing her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "And she's a tremendous tactician."

Robbyn seemed to blush. "Supreme General, you're too kind."

"Am I? How many battles have we won because of your strategies? And how many men got to see another day because of your healing? I lost count."

Candice looked to Flint, who turned his gaze away in response. The hooded woman turned back to Robbyn.

"Go on now, little bird. I have some business to discuss with his man."

The young alchemist bowed her head and went on her way. Flint watched as the silhouette of her red cloak faded down the hall until it was fully gone, then turned his gaze to Candice.

"I suppose I should be honored by your presence?" he asked mockingly.

"Not at all," she replied. "Like I said, I'm here to talk business. Mainly, the business of getting you out of this wretched cell."

"How so?"

"By accepting my offer to join us. But join us without attempting anything you'll regret."

Flint scoffed. "Seriously?"

"Of course! We may have had a slight hiccup, but that doesn't change the fact that your experience would be useful here, Flint. We are heading on an expedition soon to complete a very crucial job, and I would like you to be a part of it."

She leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart.

"I'm not asking for any vows from you. Just like with every other member of the Blackbell Knights, all souls present in this fortress are here because they want to be. Rigel, Sadr, Igneous, Robbyn; every single one of them ready to stand and fight for the good of the land. And the spread of that good begins when we go on our march to wipe each kingdom of lawless gangs and thieves. We are soldiers of honor; we don't kill civilians, no matter how much we may be paid. The world is changing, Flint. And soon, everyone in Ooo will finally know our name."

The two of them remained quiet for a short while, with Flint pondering each word.

"If your intentions are to bring justice to the land," he began, "I can't really say I don't commend it; even though I've never really liked mercenaries. But…I still don't understand why you need me to be among your men. As powerful as your organization may seem, I am still loyal to my sister, and to the Fire Kingdom."

Candice let out a chuckle. "So am I, Flint. As all fire elementals should be. But you are a person who yearns for battle. And believe me…there's a massive one approaching over the horizon. One that, if possible, I would like to keep from happening. However, if it does come to pass, everyone must be willing to take up arms in this great game of risk and death."

She looked down at her hands, her amber eyes now showing a hint of sorrow.

"I've…been witness to war for far too long. I will tell you everything you need to know. But, if you won't listen to a woman hiding behind a mask, then perhaps…seeing each other face-to-face will be more than enough for you to hear my words."

The fiery woman slowly raised her hands and lowered her hood and mask.

Had it not been for the bars in front of Flint to keep him standing, his sudden loss of balance at the sight before him would've sent him tumbling to the ground.

"No…" he said in a whisper. "You…you can't be…"

Note: I thought about making both of these instances two separate chapters, but figured that they would be too short on their own, and all of you deserve more after so much time. So here we are, a chapter featuring Huntress and Flint, after me being caught up in months of work and inconveniences. But now let's get to what everyone is talking about lately: the series finale.

Gotta say, it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. Mainly because I thought there would be a lot more stuff going on with the Gum War, and almost all the villains from the show coming together to fight in it. But overall, I did enjoy what we were given, very much. And yes, Finn was never confirmed to have ended up with someone by the end, but personally, I kinda like that. I always enjoy when a series leaves the future of certain characters up to the fans. When it's acceptable, that is. I know Bubbline was practically necessary to confirm, seeing as how it was the most popular paring (which was great). Poor Simon though…

Overall, I loved all of it, and I'm sad to see it go. But better to end great than become mediocre over time, as is sadly the case with some other shows. Here's hoping I can start updating regularly again soon. Next chapter will be told from Jake's perspective, so that should be pretty fun. But for now, you guys let me know your own thoughts regarding this long-awaited finale.

Side Note: I'm still working on Sentinels as well. Several new ideas have forced me to rework certain events I already had planned without contradicting anything I've already written, and I haven't exactly finished.

-Fiery Crusader: I will try my best to remain inspired, and I wish the same for you.

-Anonymous: I'm glad I was able to capture the essence of the show.

-Ooobserver: Threats will just keep piling up, whether of not our heroes are prepared to deal with them.

Next Chapter: Desperate Times