Chapter 27
The group of white-haired adventurers fell through the giant portal with Thaddaeus in tow. Lux was stripped of his wolf-form as he passed through the portal so they all dropped to the ground. Everyone but Fira and Thaddaeus had woken up. They were feeling much better after returning through the portal. The spirit energy which permeated every part of this realm quickly rushed into their bodies. Telu immediately resumed her treatment of Thaddaeus' wound, and this time it began to close up rapidly. Soon his gaping wound was no more than a small scar.
"It feels tremendously refreshing to be home once again," Telu said. "Thaddaeus is healed, but I very much doubt he will awaken before the passing of much time. We must transport him to Lignum Vitalis to ensure a full recovery."
Lux nodded as he stood to his feet. Everyone's wounds from the battle had quickly vanished after their arrival. He smiled and walked toward Telu. He softly touched her light blue hair.
"I agree," he said. "It is truly comforting to be home. I have missed this."
He reached for his own hair to see that its color had fully returned as well. His hair had changed to dark blue which matched the signature of his energy. He looked around to see that a similar situation was true for everyone else. They finally felt like they were regaining their strength.
After the pleasant daze of their return had worn off, they cast their eyes toward the path. The portal was located on a dirt path that cut through the middle of a beautiful, green meadow. They could see a familiar forest in front of them, and they knew their destination was just on the other side of it.
***
Thaddaeus regained consciousness bit by bit, and he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he heard was the familiar sound of obnoxious laughter a small distance behind him. He knew exactly who it was, and he could even tell they were playing one of their favorite games. They called it Spice and Rush. It blended elements of strength, balance, and speed together in a one-against-one contest. They said they invented it to help them become better warriors, but Thaddaeus was pretty sure they just wanted to play a game.
He could vaguely hear enough to piece together what the noise was all about. The others had caught Solis trying to cheat. They were accusing him, and he was doing his best to present a defense for his actions. He was clearly failing miserably.
Then, Thaddaeus suddenly became more focused on his surroundings than the voices he was hearing. He was up to his chest in a strange, warm liquid. He sat propped up in what looked like a bath tub, but it was no ordinary bath tub. It was situated down in the floor and it was made only of gold. He looked around and realized that he had no idea where he was. The ceiling and the floor were golden, and it appeared as though the structural columns of this room were trees. These seemed to be ordinary trees, but they were growing from the golden floor and up through the ceiling. One tree was directly beside him, and the leaves occasionally dripped in the pool where he was sitting.
Thaddaeus jumped to his feet as he became too alarmed about this strange place, but he was even more worried about the mysterious pool. When he stood, he realized the liquid was slightly thicker than water as it slowly dripped off him. He was about to call out to the others who he had heard behind him, but he was too slow.
"You are awake!" They called out.
Thaddaeus was able to turn around in time for his life to flash before his eyes. All five of them rushed toward the frightened lad and jumped on top of him. He was crushed under the weight of the five warriors which held him to the bottom of the pool of disgusting liquid. Thaddaeus tried to scream for help, but only air bubbles escaped his mouth. He was sure he was going to die at the hands of these five giggling and cheering traitors. When he was sure he was just moments from the end of his life, someone suddenly pulled him to his feet.
Thaddaeus came up gasping loudly for air. "What on Atlas is the meaning of this?!" He shouted angrily, then he gasped again. "Are you trying to kill me?!"
They stood around him and looked at one another. Their faces turned sad like puppies who had been scolded.
"Sorry, Thaddaeus," they quietly apologized.
"We just grew so excited at your revival," the man who held him up explained.
Thaddaeus looked at him and blinked a few times, "Are you...Ignis? Where did that dark red hair come from?"
Ignis' hair was so dark it almost looked black, but it was more clearly red at the tips of his spikes. Then, Thaddaeus looked around at the rest of them as if he could barely recognize the people in front of him.
After a few moments, he spoke up, "Why is Solis the only one who didn't change? Even Luna has the purple now, but Solis is the same."
"Are you aching for a fight?" Solis questioned. "Look a little closer before running your mouth."
Solis moved toward Thaddaeus in order to get him to revise his statement. Thaddaeus leaned forward and squinted, then, his face lit up with excitement.
"Oh yeah, I see it! Your hair isn't white anymore. It's close, but it's like a super bright yellow now. It's so light I could hardly tell a difference." Solis smiled with this vindication.
"You see," Lux said, "The colorless hair was an effect of losing our spirit energy. It is not a natural state for our people, but we suffer it upon entering your world. We have all fully regained our spirit energy as a result of returning to our home. Essentially, the faded hair represents our weakness so it is a dishonor for us because it is the closest thing to a symbol of our unworthiness. Originally, we were unable to elaborate on these things as it would have certainly been too dangerous for you and for us. However, we now have the opportunity to explain everything about our people to you and answer all of your questions. You have earned at least that much. You valued our people's safety above your own, and you even chose to sacrifice your life for us."
"So that wasn't a bad dream? I thought I dreamed that. I really got stabbed by that massive spear? I just remember running down that weird hall and...Oh yeah! The girl! We were trying to save the girl!" Thaddaeus move his eyes quickly as he tried to find Ignis, then they settled directly in front of him. He grabbed the large warrior's shoulders. "Ignis, where is she? Did you save her?"
Ignis smiled, "We saved her, Thaddaeus. I could not have succeeded if not for your actions. You have my undying gratitude. She is resting for the moment. It will take her a while longer to regain her strength."
Thaddaeus relaxed with that information and sighed with relief. "So that was the goal, huh? You guys had to find and rescue her before you could come back home. That's why we're here?" He looked around in confusion. "So, this is it? It's not really what I imagined. I mean it's nice, but I thought it would be bigger."
Telu laughed, "You are here witnessing the healing effects of Lignum Vitalis. These words, if translated into the common tongue, would carry the sound of 'The tree which brings life'. This room serves a somewhat similar function to your hospitals. My Lux will show you our home."
Lux reached down and helped Thaddaeus out of the pool of the strange liquid where he had been stuck. Lux motioned with his hand for Thaddaeus to walk beside him, and the others followed along behind them. When they reached the edge of the room, Lux waved his hand and a large golden door slid sideways into the rest of the wall. As they walked out of the room, Thaddaeus wasn't sure if what he was seeing could possibly be real. The grandeur and magnificence of the city before him was breathtaking.
"This is Vellstone," Lux said.