justice

Chapter Seventeen

They heard it before they saw it. The soothing sound of water gurgling over rocks and falling over gaps in the earth. As Just and Nellie got closer, Just started to feel Lemmy buzz at her throat. She tried to mentally ask him what was wrong, but he could not respond.

"Nellie, I think something is up with Lemmy," said Just.

"Maybe he is reacting to the river in a weird way?" suggested Nellie. Just nodded, and reached into her satchel to clutch the berbahaya powder. There was still quite a bit left, so it might be able to help Lemmy. She was about to smear some on him when they heard the voice.

It was a gorgeous voice, rich and deep, and it was singing. It seemed to be coming from the river. Just and Nellie stopped to listen.

"Down by the meadow, floats the idle stream. Into the water, the children scream. Leave your clothes on the banks, to wade and swim. Just remember what happened to poor old Hymn."

Who is Hymn? Wondered Just. She didn't ask Nellie; the two were entranced in the song.

"He was a lad, who swam too deep. A single misstep led to eternal sleep. How his lasse wept so long, to heed the rivers' warning song. Down by the meadow, floats the idle stream. Ran away, the thieves do mean. The fence goes up, the walls come down, to heed the rivers' warning sound."

Ah, so Hymn was a kid who was showing off. Poor guy! Thought Just. She and Nellie took a few steps closer to hear the final verse.

"Down by the meadow, floats the idle stream. Crosses it are wooden beams. Under it are shattered dreams. The rocks all slide, the fish all hide, to heed the rivers' warning tides."

Without realizing it, Nellie and Just had walked to the bank of the river. Just sat down and resisted the urge to dunk her hands in the water.

"Just, why is this river called the River of Tears?" asked Nellie, yawning. Just herself was starting to feel sleepy. Nellie had asked her something...about the river...

"Yeah, I guess I'm up for a quick dip..." she said lazily. Nellie sat up, confused.

"Oh, that sounds delightful," said a new voice. Was it the same voice that had been singing? "Why don't you take a quick SWIM!" Two hands shoved Justs' shoulders. Too stunned to react, Nellie watched as the Spirit of the River pushed Just in facefirst.

"Aaaggghhh!" bubbled Just. The water was moving extremely fast-it had looked so placid! Just spun around in the water to try and see which way was up, but only succeeded in creating more bubbles, making it harder to see. After ten seconds, Just was almost out of air when she saw a tiny glow. Swimming towards it, she swam for her life towards the light.

"What did you do to her!?" yelled Nellie, snapping out of it and launching herself at the Spirit.

"Oh, have some complacency, Nellie." said the Spirit. Waving her hand, a table of ice with snowy seats materialized, and Nellie found herself sitting down with a cup of water in her hand.

"Now, I don't think I have introduced myself yet. My name is Air Nakal, but please call me Nikki. It is a far more ladylike name, wouldn't you say?" Nellie almost nodded, then shook her head and said, "Wait. You're not the spirit Aire, so your...the lesser aire! It was you, thousands of years ago, who tried to capture the Queen of Aires so you could be the Queen instead!"

"Fa ha ha, someones' been paying attention in History and Hierarchy. And yes, that's correct. I'm the lesser aire. But what you don't know is that I was trying to save the Queen of Aires."

Just had finally found the source of the light-a tiny glowing stone at the bottom of the river. Her eyes widening, Just yanked her satchel off her and let it float. It sank down. And so did Just.

"But, m'lady, from whom were you saving her?" asked Nellie.

Nikki sighed, and said, "There was a great band of thieves, led by the bandit Pencuri. They had stolen the Jewel of Aires, and the Queen had taken off after it. And so I drowned Pencuri in an attempt to help the Queen get the stone. But alas..." Nikki trailed off and looked at the dwindling bubbles on the surface of the river.

Just was on the bottom of the river, clutching the rock in one hand and her satchel in the other. Her lungs felt about to burst, but they had enough air in them for a final word.

"The stone was in Pencuris' hand, so it succumbed to the river...as did the Queen, who fell in after tripping on an unstable rock."

"Serang!" gurgled Just. Lemmy shot off her neck and under her shoulders. Pulling as hard as he could, he slowly lifted Just up to the surface.

"Oh my word!" exclaimed Nikki when the bubbles stopped. Nellie stood up and ran to the river to see if she could spot Just. And she did, along with the green-and-red glow of Lemmy hauling her up. With a surprised raise of her eyebrows, Nikki flicked her wrist and raised Just up the rest of the way. As soon as she broke the surface, Nellie grabbed her arms and hauled her onto land.

Then, she rubbed her hands together and thrust them towards her mouth. A small tornado of air shot down her throat. Nellie pulled her arms back and the air came back out. Pushing and pulling her arms, Nellie slowly revived Just, pumping air in and out of her lungs until she coughed. Sitting up, Just coughed up the rest of the water.

"What. Did you do. To me?" said Just, standing up to face Nikki, willing Lemmy into her hand.

"I'm sorry. I mistook you for someone else. I thought you were the mischievous spirit Penyamun, who often takes the form of a girl with long hair and robe. She loves to try and steal my fish. I deeply apologize, Maiden," said Nikki, dropping to one knee and hanging her head.

Just opened her mouth, as if to say something, then closed it. After making Lemmy a necklace again, Just walked forward and helped Nikki up.

"If you wanna help, please provide a safe way for me and my friend to cross your river." Nikki nodded once and lifted her arms up. Waves came from opposite sides of the river and splashed up against each other, then solidifying into a suspended, uneven wall of ice above the river. Nikki took one arm down and waved it in a circle, then took the other arm down. The ice wall tisted on its side and fell in the river, creating an ice bridge.

"Before you go, Maiden, what is it you have in your hand?" asked Nikki tentatively.

Just looked at Nikki and shrugged, then looked down at the glowing blue stone in her hand, and said, "I don't know, actually."

Nellie looked at Nikki, and asked, "Is it the Jewel of Aires?"

Nikki looked at it. "It is. May I have it, Maiden?"

Just looked from the stone to Nellie to Nikki, and nodded. Nikki extended her hand and closed her fist around the jewel.

"Thank you, Maiden. Now, I think one favor deserves another." said Nikki. Nikki waved her arm from side to side, then drove it up. All of the water in Justs' satchel swirled out of her bag and back into the river. Just gasped and smiled.

"Thank you, m'lady." As she and Nellie turned to go, Nikki said, "Farewell, Maiden and Nellie. I will be overjoyed when you return." Nellie and Just looked at eachother and kept walking.

"You WILL be back, Maiden. Just you wait..." whispered Nikki. Smiling, Nikki thrust her arms up to break the ice bridge, and dissolved into the river, sinking down, ready to ambush the next thief who dared to cross her waters.