Wakfu: Aeri The Eliatrope

Chapter 34: The Curse

The group had been sent flying, on a tiny barrel boat, it flew for a long time until it eventually landed on water, sinking immediately. Our heroes sank with it. Once they awakened, they were on the shore, next to it, a scorching hot desert. They walked for miles without a drop of water. Percedal got so desperate he tried to drink his own sweat off of his cape. Shiro nearly got a heatstroke, his face was all burnt up from the sun light. They were followed, by a small group of fluffy blue creatures, with big blue eyes. Eva questioned why they always got to these predicaments, and came to the conclusion it was because they always help others, instead of staying on task. ;"We're still not even half way to Shinonome's Dofus, and we've already spent this long. At this rate, it'll be months before we're done!" She told Yugo. "What about Aeri and Adamai who are probably worried sick of us?" She asked. Yugo looked to the ground understanding. ;"I.. I understand Eva, from now on we stay on task on getting to the Dofus!" He swore.

Finally, they found an Oasis, which their Shushu map, Skirbble had shown. They began running towards it in great haste. It was a beautiful small spring of water, with something shiny on the bottom of it. Percedal was so happy he leaped straight into it, or he would have, but someone stopped him, sending him flying backwards and onto the ground. It was a man. A warrior with long lance. He wore a golden chest plate, with a hat made of straw, and a gladiator skirt, with arm and leg protectors. ;"My name is Bordegann, and I will not allow anyone to drink from this spring!" He declared. ;"Excuse us sir but we have an urgency to freshen up." Ruel tried, but it didn't work. ;"Why can't we drink from the spring?" Yugo asked. ;"Why? Because..  Because you just can't." He told them. They readied themselves for a fight, when they heard someone. ;"No! Please stop!" They yelled. A woman came to view. She wore mismatched socks with a white dress, and a multicolored scarf. ;"Please it's not his fault, he just.. doesn't know what he's doing." She said, walking towards Bordegann. She offered him different variety of foods, and gave our heroes a bottle of water to drink. ;"Women and Children first." Said Amalia who chugged the water quickly. She then gave it to Eva who gave it to Yugo, and Finally to Ruel, Percedal and Shiro. But there wasn't a drop left. ;"Who are you stranger?" Asked Bordegann from the woman. ;"Alia. My name is Alia." She told him. "I come here every day." She explained. She offered to show the group of heroes to her town which wasn't far away.

The town looked nearly deserted, the wind blew around, carrying desert dust with it. The people who anyone could see looked miserable, and sad. The fluffy blue creatures were everywhere. Once Ruel and Percedal located a fountain theu both ran in and dived halfway into it. Shiro walked behind them, but upon seeing what the fountain statue looked like decided he wasn't as thirsty anymore. Alia offered to give them some food for crossing the desert, which they kindly took. ;"What happened here? It all looks so.. deserted." Yugo said. Alia then began to tell them her story: The spring was cursed. Bordegann was Alia's sweetheart, who led an expedition to a new home, since their old home was destroyed by the Ogrest's Chaos. When they heard nothing from them in months, they had decided to join them, but they only found Bordegann who had lost half of his mind already. He couldn't even tell who Alia was, and the others were no where to be seen. He has attacked them with great power, trying to guard the spring. ;"I do not blame Bordegann, it must be the spring's fault I'm sure of it." Alia said. "The others may say I'm crazy taking care of him day by day, trying to get him to remember me but.. I can't just leave him." She said, crying. Yugo was about to tell her they'd help her when Eva gave him an angry look. ;"I'm sorry Alia, we have an incredibly important task ahead of us.. But we'll be back as soon as we can to help! Right Eva?" He asked. Eva nodded at this.

When they were all set to go, Eva had some doubts about her methods. ;"I don't.. think I can leave them like this." She said crying a bit. ;"Eva?" Shiro asked. ;"I want to help them!" She said. Yugo grabbed her hand, and leaned towards her in agreement. ;"Does anyone else understand what's going on there?" Ruel asked. The others shook their heads. So they decided on a strategy. First, Alia would go and give Bordegann his meal as usual, then they'd incapacitate him and look for clues in the spring. Amalia used her powers to hold him still, while the others looked for runes, altars, anything suspicious. But he soon got out as he got mad, his powers grew. It sent a shock back to Amalia who then lost consciousness. Percedal wanted to fight him, but Evangelyne wouldn't let him, as he wasn't a bad guy, just under a curse. The second plan was even more ridiculous. They faked a wedding. Bordegann and Alia's. It was all going rather smoothly, everyone even dressed up in white to sell the look, but as Bordegann was going with Alia, he forgot who she was, and attacked them again. Then it was Percedal's plan. Using his favorite desert as bait, he took a fishing rod, and placed the hook on the metallic plate where the desert was, reeling it down on Bordegann's level. When he was closed he reeled it back up and down as he jumped trying to get the desert. ;"This is how my master got me out of a well I was sulking in." Percedal said. ;"Are you SURE, this'll work?" Shiroazaad said doubting. ;"Trust me this'll-" he said when there was a bite on the rod. He quickly tried reeling it in, but only got an empty plate back with a bite mark on it. Ruel tried to tell a story to Bordegann to make him fall asleep, but the only problem was EVERYONE did so. He threw a mug at Percedal who loudly yelled: ;"DO NOT TOUCH MY EVA!", waking Bordegann effectively.  Who immediately attacked them.

;"Time to go back to basics." Said Amalia. Her plan was simple: faking an emergency. Alia went to Bordegann, and Amalia began yelling: ;"Oh no! Please help! I'm being robbed!" Bordegann, being a man of justice couldn't take that, and he quickly got outside. Where Percedal and Shiro did a combined attack to create a pressure wave which sent Bordegann into the air, and where Yugo kept him busy with his portals, making him fall from portal to portal. The others then looked through the spring. Ruel saw the shining things at the bottom, taking them out one by one as they kept disappearing as soon as he took them out. One of the blue beings turned into a human. ;"It's one of the towns girls!" Alia said. Eva looked around to see what Ruel was doing. ;"It's the gems at the bottom of the spring, quick take them out!" And they all began collecting them, and one by one the towns people turned back to normal, unfortunately for Yugo one of them was on his head at the time, and he lost control over his portals. Dropping Bordegann, who then began running back to the spring. When he saw what they were doing, he attacked them. Shiro was the first one to attack back, he smacked the lance he held with his dragon arm, as it broke in two, Percedal quickly used another pressure wave attack to keep Bordegann away from the spring. The lance dropped into the water, and down into the bottom which now glowed in red. As a watery snake like being appeared. ;"I remember that creature! We're doomed." Bordegann said. As soon as it dashed towards him, and he was enveloped by the water, he turned into a blue fluffy creature. Shiroazaad blew fire at the watery being, turning it for a moment, to steam. It rose up from the spring, readying itself for an attack. Eva called to Yugo: ;"Yugo! You must hit the spring with all you've got!" And he did as asked. He created a portal, then another on top of it and blasted away, making all or the jewels rise up in the air, turning all of the people back to normal. Bordegann was reunited with Alia, and our heroes could continue their way towards the Dofus of Shinonome.