The Adventures Of Ivory Arrow & Jackson Bale

Chapter II

Today is a new day for Ivory and I. We caught wind that a big collector of natural artifacts whom is looking for hunters to find this doohicky that grows seeds into full grown trees or flowers in an instant, we had to check em' out. The information led us to a very old, vintage looking mansion on a hill in central Ireland. For some reason, Ivory seems very excited to be where we are, even though she's not fond of rude and/or rich people, that normally is one in the same. The man we're looking for goes by the name of Oggy Julian, we heard rumors that he doesn't like to talk to people for long periods of time so we'll have to make this short, which is going to be difficult since we need information on what we're looking for and what it does and where is the best place to look so we'd have some reference.
We slowly opened the two front doors to the mansion. I was nervous of what we were going to find.
"Ivory Arrow!" A man, I assume was Oggy, belted out a laugh from on top of his red carpeted grand staircase. Oggy was a jolly looking big bellied old man. He had grey sideburns and hardly any hair on his head beside three grey strands sticking up from the middle of his crown.
"Well, Well, if it isn't Ogalthorpe Julian. My, where has your time gone?" He chuckled at her remark. I was confused, I heard he was a mean old man who only spoke business. Then, when he stopped talking to Ivory for a second, he noticed me and slightly glared as he eyed me from toe to head.
"Uncle Ogalthorpe, this is my best friend Jackson. Jackson, this is my mother's brother Uncle Ogalthorpe." I bowed my head to him, he smiled slightly but quickly shifted his attention back to Ivory.
"So my little Arrow, what have you been up to? Why have you visited me? Not that I don't love to see my favorite niece." She smiled. Again, I was confused, does he know of Ivory's work or any of that.
"We came to talk about that artifact you're looking for," Oggy's smile faltered. After a second for his mind to mull it over. Then he started to lead us down his knight lined halls and into a room filled with paintings from the 1900s and statues of the Greek muses.
"This is my study, I have many things in here. But to complete it all, I need a certain jewel. Its a brown gem in a gold case. This gem has the power to grow any plant onto its prime age in a blink of an eye. And keep a flower at full bloom even if it's out of water for even a month or two. This is the ultimate collectors item, I need it. Why do you ask about it Arrow?" Ivory smiled slightly and avoided the question.
"So, where do you suppose would be the first place you think of, would have this crystal?" Oggy scratched his sideburns for a moment then thought a bit more,
"I think, it could be in the forrest of StoneHaven. It has the best growth of plants that anybody has heard of, and animals steer clear."
"Why? Why would animals be afraid to venture near it?" I asked nobody in particular,
"Because, this gem grows plants for protection and company. It is said, it communicates with the plants. But it attacks when provoked. So, if anyone were to come close to it, it would, could severely hurt them in more ways than I know, so Jackson you plan on venturing to find the gem?" Oggy chuckled, I awkwardly chuckled just to be polite. Looking at the clock, Oggy jumped, making us jump, "Oh, I'm very sorry Little Arrow, but I have a meeting in two minutes, and they're not very nice people, I don't want you around them. I would ask that you'd to stay longer but,"
"It's alright Uncle Ogalthorpe," Ivory smiled, "We were just about to leave anyway. We've places to be." With that, Ivory and I were on our way to StoneHaven forrest for that hostile jewel.
"Stay close Jackson," Ivory commanded, she was getting pushy. Which meant she was either angry with me or feels threatened I or she may be injured. And I didn't do anything to get her angry, I don't think. "We have a lot of ground to cover before the sun goes completely down." Somehow, we got four men following us, carrying supplies that we didn't intend to take from our jeep with us, but they brought it,
"Who are they anyway?" I finally asked Ivory, she looked back on the men. They looked down the cliff we're climbing and covered each other's eyes. She rolled her head from side to side and looked back to me,
"They are men my Uncle pushed to come with us. I don't know why, he didn't know where we were going, right?" She scratched her head in thought, then proceeded up the cliff. We reached the top, but lost two of our guys, uh, Rico and, Payah. I think. We dusted off our cloths and looked up to a twenty foot tall gateway made entirely of wood and leaves. "I think it built itself a temple." Ivory said, sounding like she didn't believe it.
"Yeah." Was all I mustered before walking in. In a daze, I saw a throne and a crown sitting on the head of a girl. She seemed much younger then Ivory and I, she head was covered in curly lime green hair to match her similar green eyes. Her skin was brown like tree bark, but smooth and speckled with tan freckles. She stepped down from her throne and walked slowly towards us. The two men behind us backed up three steps with every step she took.
"Who are you?" Ivory stood her ground, but I could tell slight uncertainty in her stance. The green eyed girl chuckled, it sounded like a small child's laugh.
"My name is Gemma. I am what you seek, am I not?" She said, her voice sounded like a chorus of voices. She was memorizing. I took a step closer. Her head shot in my direction, her eyes locked on mine and I couldn't look away. "You would take me by force? If I don't submit. Well, we'll see." A branch came from the coned ceiling and picked her up. Dozens of branches shot towards us from many different directions, I dropped along with Ivory but the two we came in with weren't so agile. They now are stuck on two bloody branches sticking through their chests.
"They did nothing!" Ivory screamed before charging at the gem person. Gemma shot them at Ivory. Her abilities were astounding as she jumped and ducked out of their way. I caught the lifeless bodies of the two who accompanied us and laid them aside. Looking up, Ivory took out her blade from her boot and is holding her own against six or seven vines advancing at her every which way and at top speed. "We are taking you whether you like it or not," She had hot tears running down her face. This is why she was very reluctant to let me join her on her crusades all those years ago.
Ivory has a soft spot for life. If I were to get hurt she would never forgive herself, making me as guilty as all. When we first met, it was December, very cold, and she was battling a colossal cyclops and winning, in a park in my home town. Until I showed up, I was walking casually with headphones on when I saw a large creature charging straight for me out of my peripheral vision. She pushed me out of the way in time, but she was knocked three blocks away. I managed my own, I was a master in Judo and Martial Arts, a skill I obtained after years of bulling. I took him down, fighting my own brain while I was at it. Why and what am I fighting? When the cyclops was out cold, I ran to this girl who saved my life. Her long white hair was spread on the rocks around her. She looked dead. But she stood up like it was no big deal. She had amazing electric blue eyes and instead of being mad for getting in the way, she smiled at me. When I asked if I could join her on her journey she instantly turned me down. I followed her anyway. She knew I was there all along but said nothing, when we made it to my first temple, she reluctantly went in after looking behind her in my direction at the rock I hid behind. I got seriously hurt that day, took six arrows to the chest to save her.
From that day on, she lived by that promise she made. She came up to me after finishing off a monster, I was breathing heavily and everything was blurry, but I could tell she was very upset,
"Why did you save me?!" She demanded an answer, she already called a medical friend of hers to come for me, but was nearly in tears trying to keep it together,
"Because, I wanted to. You are enough to risk my life for." That got her to cry. She brushed away her tears then kneeled next to me, pretending like she was strong in the moment.
"I promise, from this day on. I will live to stand by your side." I shook my head in protest,
"Miss, I'd prefer it better if I could stay by your side." She held out her hand and grabbed mine, her touch sent a shock up my arm, "Deal, oh by the way, my name's Ivory Arrow." I responded,
"I'm Jackson, Jackson Bale." Now she is fighting for them. The men who lost their lives on a journey they didn't even want to go on. I watched as Ivory cracked Gemma's eye. She held up her hands in surrender. Gemma was put in a steel tank so there was nothing she could do to escape. Getting her back to Oggy's was easy after that, and when Oggy saw that Gemma was a girl, no longer a stone, he jumped and put his hand on the glass. Gemma did the same.
"Hello, my name is Oggy Julian. Who are you?" She smiled like a little girl, and answered,
"Gemma. It's nice to meet you Mr. Oggy." Next thing I knew. Oggy let Gemma out and let her rome around. Oggy adopted her later on and she gladly accepted him as her father. Ivory smiled at the sight. I didn't notice before. Gemma was actually half my size, she WAS a little girl, and Oggy and her went into a golden field behind his mansion to play.
"All's well that ends well." Ivory laughed and slung her arm around my shoulders, I smiled to mimic her's. We strolled back to our Jeep to go home.