The Dream Shifter

Chapter 171

The light faded away along with the box leaving only two identical objects behind as proof. Yuki leaned down to pick them up handing them over to Fumiko and Yori. In his hand, a matching set of simple stunned earrings with a green gem set on the metal. "Here you go one for each of you."

Yori hesitated feeling like part of some joke on Yuki's behalf to get back at him for making him do something he did not want to do. "That's an earring."

"Yes, it is! Pretty clever hiding it in an earring huh? You can wear it and it'll translate sounds going in your ear and no one will ever think anything of it!"

It seemed that Yuki failed to grasp his problem. Yori's eyelids lowered a little not impressed the way Yuki appeared about the accomplishment. "I'm guy! We don't wear earrings!"

"Some do!" Yuki cheerfully replied.

Fumiko stepped in taking the two earrings from Yuki hoping to cut off further arguments. She examined them trying to find the back clasp, but saw they came with none. "Uh, Yuki… I think you made a mistake. You can't put these on. There's no place to put them through a piercing."

"They're special like that! I didn't really know if you had piercings and figuring for Yori I thought it'd be easier if they were made without. You just touch the back to your ear and it'll stick until you take it back off."

"That's pretty forward thinking…" She checked the earring out once again before pulling back her hair to place it on her left ear. Once she put it in place she cautiously backed away and checked to make sure it remained. "You're right!" Fumiko handed the other one over to Yori insisting he take it. "It's only for a little while. None of us will say anything!"

A begrudged groan of disapproval came from Yori before he took the earring and quickly attached it. He tried not to think much about the fact of its presence, but part of his mind did not let him forget. Yori caught a smirk from Seiji who found the situation very amusing. Rather than giving him further time to revel Yori marched off to the door checking on the hallway before exiting. Fumiko swiftly followed behind him to stick together.

Dusk had set in fully with it waning into evening quickly. The last couple of stops they made filled up most of their bags that Eudokia carried as well as some of the ones Yumi carried. They brought nearly all of packs from the group with them. Everyone would be carrying some of the food. The only concern ended being out far it may last with the size of their group.

Yumi calmed down settling into a mindful awareness of her body and surroundings. It eased her stress making the time pass by smoothly. She continued to watch Eudokia to answer the main reason she went along with her shopping. Part of it certainly had her interests in keeping the group dynamics smoothed out, a taxing job she never intended to pick up. The other half of her motives lied in a deeper personal nature.

Ever since the ship the actions that Yumi found herself take worried her. She began to piece things together and knew that she always got a tightening feeling in her chest whenever she saw Eudokia with Yuki. She kept her feelings within, but the sight of them made that swell. Yumi did not want to admit it she realized. 'It's jealousy isn't it? What I'm feeling towards Ayumi…Eudokia…'

Just the thought of it made her hands shake uncontrollably for Yumi. She tried to keep it from showing by tightening at her sides for support. 'She can be open around him and let her guard down. She's so protected of herself, yet with Yuki…' The more Yumi thought about them the larger the problem grew in her head. It feed on her own fears quickly blowing up out of her control. '…why…she's so rude and cold to everyone, but the way he looks at her…'

Yumi shook her head a little trying to focus back on reality. She had let her mind go wild. The way she became absorbed and consumed by it scared her. The weight felt too much to bear. Each emotion seemed easy making it difficult to resist. Yet Eudokia's back jerked the uncertainties back into her. 'Is it because they are the same and I'm not like them…powerless? It's not fair!'

Yuki fell further out of reach of her with each moment. She saw Eudokia opposite of her looking as arrogantly confident in her position. Yuki stood between them drifting slowly towards Eudokia. She did not want to see another moment of it. 'Yuki!' The breaking point came for Yumi as she struggled to keep herself in control. 'I…' It felt like Yumi could see Eudokia almost laughing at her helplessness. She was going to steal Yuki away. She mocked Yumi knowing how insignificant of a challenge she gave. It made Yumi burn again with the same feeling she had before, but it felt stronger.

Yumi raised her head back up to face down with Eudokia, concentrating on haggling with the shop keeper. Determination and resolved surfaced her Yumi's eyes drawing down focused. 'I'm not going to lose to you! I'm not helpless! I'll show you and everyone my strength! I'll show Yuki!'

Time ran low for Yori and Fumiko in their efforts to gain useful information (useful being the important factor). All that they managed to discover ended up being everyday conversation and secrets that made them wish they had not heard them to begin with. Hiding around the inn presented them with a start and they thought they did not need to venture further, but nothing came to them.

Their failure in the inn brought them outside, a bigger risk for them. For Yori, it just meant he had to come back with something that made the risk worthwhile. He did not know what he looked for, but knew that he would know when it happened. The insistence on playing safe from Fumiko kept him from doing anything too reckless, however he continued to push his limits. He needed to know.

Fumiko tapped Yori on his shoulder from their hiding place in the shadows of the inn and neighboring home. "Come on, Yori. We should be going back. If we get back after Eudokia and your sister they'll know something happened."

"In a moment, I know I'm close! I can feel it." He honestly did not understand it himself, but his gut told him to stay. An inner voice seemed to speak softly to him encouraging his actions knowing that it meant a pay off. Yori gave it no concentrated thought. He just followed it as instincts.

"Yori!"

He noticed another two men passing by the street. "Quiet!" A hopeful lean pressed his hearing as much as possible to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"The crops don't seem to be growing so well this season."

"You noticed too, huh?"

"I'm getting concerned that the yield might not be good enough if this continues."

"The yield'll be the least of our concerns. Besides, I doubt it's a coincidence that the crops are poor this year."

"When are they going to announce the new King? We're running out of time!"

"It's been centuries since a new King went this long unannounced."

"And we're going to be the first to suffer!"

"It'll be like after King Theseus died! So many people died and so much land was lost!"

"Our homes will be destroyed!"

The two men passed out of hearing range for Yori, but it had him spinning questions in his head. 'What was all of that about?! People died and land…just because the King died? What significance does the King of Atlantis play with the people? Is this…what's got Eudokia upset? What's going to happen?!'

The two men passed out of hearing range for Yori, but it had him spinning questions in his head. 'What was all of that about?! People died and land…just because the King died? What significance does the King of Atlantis play with the people? Is this…what's got Eudokia upset? What's going to happen?!' Yori leaned back against the building in the shadow suddenly feeling even more confused about their situation than before. It made him wish that he had not heard it just so that more questions did not get asked. The new questions drove his mind to seek answers.

Eudokia's words whispered to Yori in his mind. 'The King holds a very important position for us besides governing. The King maintains Atlantis and allows for the continued survival of his people.'

'Yes, I do. This is my home and only I understand it. You forced your way to come with us. I didn't ask you. So I'm not obligated to give you anything!'

'Only she understands,' thought Yori over her words. His mind continued to press for meaning in everything. The understanding that became lost in the unknown and strange world of Atlantis. They traveled out to a foreign land not knowing anything. Trouble followed Yuki everywhere with Atlantis at the center. Yori never lied to himself that solving the matter would be simple. He suspected that Yuki sat on some naïve heroic sense of duty built up from an odd combination of confidence and loss. Yet things never truly ended up simple or easily resolved.

A history laid deep within Atlantis with its layers of tradition. Something guided all of the actions. Yori saw it driving Eudokia forward out of desperation. 'She understands better than the rest… She knows the meaning of what I heard!'

'When are they going to announce the new King? We're running out of time!'

'It's been centuries since a new King went this long unannounced.'

'We're going to be the first to suffer!'

'It'll be like after King Theseus died! So many people died and so much land was lost!'

'Our homes will be destroyed!'

Yori slammed his hand to his face struggling with questions that tormented him. The circles sent him around seeking out answers that never came. 'What is it? What isn't she telling us yet? Is it something she fears? Is she afraid like these villagers are of being destroyed? Is it because of those wanting control or is it because there is no King?'

Fumiko felt only more confused by the words of the villagers. She thought with the answers from Eudokia she started to understand Atlantis better, yet the way it sounded they thought their world stood on the edge of destruction. More mysteries and uncertainties filled her heart. However, Fumiko focused herself realizing that they drifted too long. "We're out of time, Yori. We should be heading back now." Nothing reached his deep thought appearing almost soulless. She grabbed a hold of his shoulder shaking back to reality. "Yori, it's time to leave!"

"…r-right!" Yori turned his face back up to follow Fumiko through the back keeping out of sight. 'I'll find the answers. I'll figure out what she hasn't told us yet!'

The inn stood only a building away from them, but it seemed to become even further away. Out in front on the main street Eudokia and Yumi hauled in everything they purchased. A significant haul for them considering how loaded down both appeared. It cut them off from the entrance of the inn. Yori and Fumiko stared at each other calculating their situation and risks of anything they attempted.

Yori looked back down the inn seeing their only option to preventing being caught. He grabbed Fumiko's hand guiding her along not thinking about a response. Behind the inn he came to stop under a raised window. "Hey! Someone by the window?"

Fumiko tilted her head up realizing that they stood next to their room in the small inn. They had no glass for any of the windows or shutters, just simple wooden frames. In such warm weather it hardly seemed important. "Yuki? Saki? Are you there?"

Moments passed for them in tension with no words. The height the window made it impossible for them to know if anyone stood around it. However to their surprise, Haruo leaned out of the window looking down at the two of them. He realized what they needed and offered a hand out to them. Fumiko went first at Yori's insistence and then him afterward.

Inside the room, Yuki and Saki joined them at the wall a little taken back by their entrance. Saki checked on Fumiko to see that she was not hurt. "What happened? Did you learn anything?"

Fumiko and Yori glanced over at each other in silence pondering their response. Neither had the chance for an answer as Eudokia opened the door. She searched around the room with her eyes to check on everyone. The gathering by the window and uneasy almost guilty looking expressions on Yuki and Saki made her suspicious.

Eudokia placed a couple of the packs casually on the table near the door and the rest on the bed as she approached the wall. She fixed Yuki with a thick stare not wanting any excuses. "Is there something wrong?"

Yuki shifted an uncertain glance at Yori before working up a pleasant expression. "Nothing at all! They're just really tired from all of the walking today." He knew how she would react if she learned of what they did. He hoped that she believed him and did not press further. The pierce gaze of her eyes unnerved him breaking down his mask.

A calculating moment from Eudokia lengthened the tensions between them. Not a single word made the air thick around everyone. The others in the room watched keeping to themselves with uninterested faces. "Then you better help with the unpacking," she declared pointing to Yumi flailing about with the weight of half of their load.

Saki and Yuki wasted no time rushing over to help relieve Yumi, bravely struggling to keep together. The moment they effortlessly pulled the packs from her arms Yumi collapsed to the ground as though they had been the only thing holding her together. "I thought my arms were going to fall off!" Yumi cradled her arms against her stomach working on getting feeling back in them.

Everyone's packs laid about the room with some of the supplies overflowing from the tops. Yuki looked over at Ayumi a little concerned that she bought too much. "You sure you didn't go overboard? Do we have the money for all of this?"

"Of course," she replied sharply, "All of this is necessary to limit the number of stops we make."

"And this?" he asked, pulling out a tunic from a pack on the bed. Underneath there were several more of varying muted colors. "Shopping for clothes?"

She did not like the accusatory expression that Yuki gave her. "Your cloths stand out here! It'll be easier to fit without my powers if you wear Atlantean clothes."

"I guess so…they're kind of bland though…"

"They don't need to stand out! Do you want to be caught?!"

"…no…" Yuki pulled himself away from Ayumi not wanting to be in her line of fire any longer. He caught the sight of food and remembered his own hunger. "Hey food! Who's hungry?" The mention of food gave everyone energy throwing the room into chaos.

They argued and fought over which to eat and to save, even Eudokia managed little against them. Once food finally settled in them they calmed down and scattered. Hunger had been the only thing to keep most of them awake. So they started falling asleep around the room without much thought to location. Haruo laid out against the wall turned away from the group. Seiji took his place at the door seated up with his arms crossed and head hanging a little low. Chiharu disappeared unable to be found by anyone, though no one tried to find her. Saki sprawled out in the middle of the floor with little thought in mind to any surroundings. Yori and Yumi reclined in the corner next to each other. While, Fumiko rested at the foot of the bed, still managing to make it seem small stretched out fully. Left to the packs, Yuki leaned against the wall partly supported by the table.