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Memories	By : Asirainis Category: +A through F > Dragon Quest/ Dragon Warrior Views: 1615 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Quest VIII, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Memories
Chapter Twenty Seven: Orkutsk and Marik
Once everyone was up, and had their breakfast, Marta came over to them with a smile. The group went outside where Trode went to the shelter near the house. Marta turned to the group before she grabbed a white bag from her belt. "If you meet with a man called Marek in Orkutsk, please give this to him. He will know what to do with that. He is probably working with herbs like I am. I would be grateful if you could give him that bag."
Yangus took the bag with a smile – handing it over to Airlia, "Sure, no problem!"
Marta's smile grew, "Spasibo! Thank you." She turned towards the house as Trode came out with Medea. Once Marta was nearly inside, the group waved to her as they departed.
They followed the path along to the bend and bared north as Marta instructed. Before long, they came up to the village they were told about. It looked like an enclosed town to keep the people warm from the storms that persisted in the area. However, just before the town was a beautiful arch made of pure ice! As they walked, they all quietly marveled at how warm the nook grass kept them as they made their way to Orkutsk. Trode was excited that he could wait outside of town and that since Medea, too, had some of the grass, she would be able to stay warm. Airlia turned to Trode, "I've tried to insulate the food for Medea as much as I could, I just wish I could do more to help her."
He nodded with a grateful smile on his face, "My dear, you do more than anyone else aside from Draco. You have my thanks." She nodded as they went inside the door leading to the town, only to find it went down into the ground!
They looked at one another in surprise as they went down the stairs. They saw the main level they came out to have a giant set of stairs leading down further with a guard who had a drunken man lying in front of them. The building that surrounded them, making up the entire compound was red brick, and green stone posts for support in the corners of the room. Looking around, they weren't sure where to even start to look for either Marek or word about Leopold. Alistair looked at Airlia as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Once we find Marek, you will tell us about this most recent nightmare, right?"
She gazed into concerned auburn orbs as she nodded in agreement. "Yes. It's with regards to Leopold… and Marta." He frowned, knowing it was likely another dream like she had back before they had met, or the one she had at the mystical spring.
Draco caught the talk as he frowned and came closer to the brunette. He had felt that unmistakable pull long ago to her, but like Airlia had said to Medea, it just wasn't the same as how he felt for the princess. He was still silently stewing over how Charmless treated Medea, even though he hadn't known she was a princess. They walked over to the guard as Jessica asked, "Do you know where we can find Marek?"
He looked at them as he shook his head, "I'm not sure, but he may be in his room down below. Please go ahead when you are fully down the stairs, go right and follow that path straight back, to an intersection. Turn right again, then at the next intersection all the way down, turn right once more and his room is there. He rents from the mayor of town because he is a special herbalist who has helped our town many times over." He moved away from the entrance to the stairs and allowed the group to go downstairs, as he turned back to the drunkard who lay on the ground.
They quickly descended the stairs as they looked about the brick tunnel. Somehow, even though it didn't look insulated, the town was much warmer than it was outside the walls. Following the guard's description, they followed the path all the way down to the intersection and turned right, then right once more at the end of the tunnel. A heavy set shorter man stood nearby pondering on if to go in.
Airlia looked at him as Angelo asked him, "Are you alright sir?"
He shook his head, "I was pondering going to ask Marek something, but I dunno… I don't want to disturb him since it's not really important."
Angelo nodded as he shrugged. "You should never question something if you need to go to the herbalist; they are there to help you." The man turned away in embarrassment as they went down to the door. Alistair knocked on the door only to have no reply.
He turned to Draco, "Should we just go in?"
Draco nodded, "Yes, I think so."
They went inside to find no one was around except for a door leading to an inner chamber. Angelo went to it, and opened the door to poke his head inside. After a few seconds he pulled his head back from the inner room and shut the door. He turned to the others, "Draco, no one's there. If Airlia's right and Marta is the descendant of the sage bloodline, then Leopold could be after Marek." Airlia frowned when he said that.
It just didn't mesh with her dreams. "We should find Marek and quickly at any rate. Leopold could be after him and then Marta if the bloodline is too muddy to discern who the actual descendant is."
The group quickly left his room as the man who had been waiting outside the doctor's room came up to them. "Marek's not there is he…"
Draco shook his head as he spoke, "No, he wasn't. Where would he be other than here?"
The man spoke, his deep voice filled with concern, "He would be likely at the Herb Grotto, which is to the north of us. However, be careful, there have been a lot of wolves around. I'm concerned that he may be hurt or worse…"
Draco nodded, "We'll go find him. Thanks!"
They hurried back around the path, going back to where they had first come down to get closer to the entrance to the town. The guard had managed to help move the man fully as he saw the group. "You're going back out there?"
Alistair nodded, "Yes, we're worried about Marek who may be at the Herb Grotto."
He nodded as he pointed to a bag of items. "I never even saw him leave, but if he isn't in his room, then that's where he likely is and has been for some time. With everything that's been going on, we've put together some items to help insulate you from the cold as well as to help you walk on ice. May they protect you on your travels to find and help him."
Alistair smiled as he said, "Thanks!" He looked in there to see better capes as the group quickly exchanged their capes to find one extra.
The guard smiled, "I figured the small man on the wagon might be one of you, so I threw in an extra one for him too."
Airlia grinned at him, "You have ours and his thanks." He nodded as they quickly left the town.
She went to Trode, "Here's a better cloak to keep you insulated. We have to head north to where Marek may be. Word has it there's been a large group of wolves running around, terrorizing the area. He might be in trouble."
Trode frowned as he took the cloak. "Then let's go there and help him."
He replaced the cloak she had first given him and felt warmer for it as he gave her a small smile. "The cloak is wonderful, you have my thanks Airlia." She gave him a small smile as they trekked north, not seeing any wolves around.
She looked at Trode, "I've left many herbs and antidotes in the bag just behind you Trode. While we're in the cave, please, use those to help monsters if they need it and are helping to protect you until we get back."
He nodded, "I will my dear. All of you be safe in the cave!"
She turned to the others and nodded. "Let's take out those items they put in the bag to help us walk on the ice." Draco nodded as he fished into the bag and pulled out six pairs of grips to attach to their shoes. It was rough, made from metal and cloth to tie to their shoes, giving them traction on the slippery ice.
Once they were ready, Airlia looked at Trode. "Take these wings too, if things get bad, warp somewhere away from here, like Ascantha, since you're always welcomed there." Trode nodded as he reluctantly gripped the item bag. The group went into the large cave opening, to see that it was made of stone and ice as the temperature dropped going into the cave. They found the cave to be empty except for the wind at their back. They went down the platform as Trode with Princess
Medea waited behind just inside the cave for protection from the wolves. As they rounded the corner, they saw two paths, one bearing to the left and one to the right. Yangus smelled the air, "Somefin's off to the left, I'll grab it an' be right back guv, guv'ness."
Airlia shook her head, "We should stick together in case the wolves are around." He shrugged as they followed him off to the left where a small chest was located near the edge of the room. He opened it to find a map as he handed it to Airlia.
She looked at the map, "It doesn't seem to be too bad, but we need to be careful."
They went back to the main room they were in before as she told them, "Looks like we have to go right, but continue straight to come into a larger room." Angelo nodded as he led them through the freezing cave. Once they went through the side tunnel into the larger room, they saw why they needed the ice grips as they walked over the ice in the center of the large room.
Going underneath the overpass weaving through the hanging icicles of the ground above them, they went towards the corner of the cave as Airlia pointed out the stairs to go up. "According to the map, we have to go up to be able to go down to the next floor." They nodded as they went up the stairs to find the pathway encrusted in ice. Walking slowly, they followed the path along; bearing left at the intersection and came to the ledge surrounding the way down. They followed the stairs down, then down the stairs leading to the next floor.
When they arrived on the next floor, the air started to chill as Jessica said, "I hope Marek is okay. If it's this cold on the second floor, then what should we expect further down?" Airlia nodded, the dress was mildly insulating, and the nook kept them warm, but if he didn't have nook…
They looked at the next map as Airlia looked at the following floor map, "According to this, if we want to get here, to the section that leads to the fourth floor, we have to take the far steps. Let's hurry!" She didn't like all of the ice ahead as they went from the small room at the bottom of the stairs to the open room with the giant bolder between them. Just ahead of that room going west was more ice as they followed it, turning south at the intersection. They quickly found themselves in another open room that was littered with torches all along the giant space, where along the back was a small frozen well of water. Sticking close to the wall, they quickly found the stairs that led down into a smaller circular room with more stairs leading down to the next floor.
Airlia looked at the map as they came down into the small room at the bottom of the stairs. "Okay, according to this, we should be able to go along the back of the room and down to the next stairs leading to the bottom floor. Since we haven't seen Marek, he must be down there!" Jessica nodded as she led the way, past the open larger room into the giant room.
She turned to the group behind her, "Guys, I have a feeling that we should go up there and check the pathway ahead, before we waste our energy going to the stairs. There's been a lot of ice forming."
Angelo nodded, "That's a sound idea. We need to make sure it's not impassable in that direction." Draco nodded in agreement as they went right at the entrance to the main room, and moved around the fallen rocks as the group struggled to not trip on the fallen rocks in the areas. When they got past the fallen stone, they found the slope leading up to the top of the platform. One quick look told them that there was fallen ice that blocked their way around on either side of the other platform.
Draco sighed, "That's not good you guys. We've got to figure out how to get across." Angelo nodded as he looked up to see the icicles hanging there, wide and sturdy. He pulled out his bow and aimed it at the first one, breaking it off, causing it to fall between the two ledges.
Airlia grinned at Angelo as she and Alistair brought out their bows. "Perfect idea!" Alistair exclaimed before he shot the next arrow, which skimmed the side of the two remaining icicles, cracking them slightly. Airlia shot her arrow next and only broke the middle one furthering the completion of the path. Angelo took aim and let go of the next arrow and the remaining icicle came tumbling down, completing the mock bridge.
They quickly and carefully went across the broken ice, collecting their arrows as they came out onto the last platform as Alistair spoke, "That was really bad you guys. Let's hope Marek isn't trapped down there because of something like this." They hurried down the stairs into the last floor as they could hear someone calling for help from somewhere within the cave.
Airlia looked at the map and spoke firmly, "It has to be Marek calling for help. We haven't heard the voice before now, so it has to be on this floor. Let's find him you guys!" They looked at the map and weren't sure where he could be, but Airlia pointed the small side cavern off to the west of them.
Yangus nodded, "Sure seems like 'e could be there. Let's go 'ere an' see if we can make a bridge." They nodded as they proceeded around the curvy tunnel and when they came to the intersection, they went left, curling around the path, staying with the high road so to speak, as they walked carefully on the icy path, around the protruding iced over stalagmite. Once they were around it, they saw no direct way up the other side, bridge or otherwise.
Yangus saw the icicles hanging from above and pointed to them, "Oy, guv! There's more of these!" Alistair and Angelo made quick work of them, creating a bridge across as Airlia smiled at Yangus in gratitude.
Once they crossed, they quickly went down the stairs to hear the voice calling out again, louder this time. Draco called out, "Marek, is that you?"
The voice responded pained but relieved that help was nearby. "Hello? Is anybody there? Help me… I am too cold… I cannot move… Help…"
Airlia looked at the others in concern as she gripped the bag Marta had given them tightly in her right hand. "Yes, we're coming to help you!" She looked at the scene before them as they rounded the corner. Huge icicles trapped a man behind them with no foreseeable way through it. She pointed to the other entrance, hopefully to the man trapped. As they quickly rounded the stone stalagmite that had merged with a stalactite, they found their path to him cut short by a serious drop down. Looking up, Draco pointed to a huge icicle between them as the trio of archers made short work of it, bringing it down into a bridge.
Hurrying across, they found the man, shivering in his blue fur-lined hat, boots and jacket. They weren't sure if his pants were fur lined, but given the man's attire, it was a safe wager. His face was pale and his lips were starting to turn blue as he spoke, "I am Marek, the herb doctor of Orkutsk. I was gathering herbs here in this cave when suddenly some wolves attacked me. I panicked and ran deep inside. Then I got trapped by the falling icicles and could not get out. I, I am so cold… I have to find a way to warm up… What is that bag you have!? Did you get it from an old babushka called Marta?"
Airlia shook her head, "I'm honestly not sure what's in the bag… However, Marta did send it with us to give you."
Angelo had not thought it was possible that the man could flush any further but he did as herbalist spoke… "So she asked you to bring it to me? Can you open the bag for me?" Airlia nodded as she opened the small white bag to find a type of red grass or even herb in it.
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Memories