Welcome to the first chapter in this five-part series exploring the interactions between the two characters who happen to be my favourites of the series. When playing through The Lost Age, I couldn't help but notice that Alex spoke to Jenna in a different manner than to the rest and Jenna seemed to hold quite a lot of anger towards him. I always wondered about the conversations we don't see in-game and I do like the dynamic between these two a lot. This is NOT romance. It also doesn't follow the exact order of the series and each chapter can be read as a standalone if you choose to. Feedback in the form of reviews, follows, favourites, chocolate, warm hugs, etc. is always appreciated. Enjoy.

Idejima

The sooner this infernal hunk of useless, floating land came to a stop, the better. That was all the irate Mars Adept had thought about since her ever-considerate elderly mentor had decided to take the opportunity to fall asleep on a soft patch of grass. The journey so far had been physically demanding, so the rational part of Jenna's brain couldn't blame Kraden for resting while there was chance. The rest of it was cursing him for leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The weather wasn't helping with her mood. It was early evening but, as it was summer, it was still light. The threat of rain hung in the air and it was so damn hot. Jenna had already abandoned her armour, rolled up the long sleeves on her shirt and shoved her hair into a messy bun but nothing was helping. The humidity caused strands of hair to cling to her face and she felt uncomfortable and restless. Several hours had passed since the peninsula had violently torn from the continent of Gondowan, separating the travelling party of Adepts and providing the primary cause of Jenna's worry. She had last seen her brother, Felix, heading back towards the top of the lighthouse situated near the Gondowan coast and the rest of their party was already at the aerie. A flash of light confirmed that they'd been successful in lighting the Venus Lighthouse, but the sudden earthquake that followed it instilled fear into her heart. She could care less about the two citizens of Prox, Saturos and Menardi, but she had no way of knowing if her brother was ok and she was also worried about Sheba. The tiny Jupiter Adept had been welcome company for Jenna and the two had become fast friends not long after Sheba had been taken. And then, her childhood friends might not have come out unharmed, either. Her stomach lurched at the thought of losing Isaac and Garet after everything that had happened. She thought she had lost them once and her elation at finding out they'd survived the explosion at Sol Sanctum meant she was now fearful something would happen to them. Especially if they'd ended up fighting the Proxans.

Even if everyone was ok, how on Weyard would they get back to Gondowan now? Two lighthouses remained to be lit so the party had to reunite somehow. Although, Jenna thought with a sinking heart, Saturos and Menardi could easily continue on without those stuck on Idejima. Saturos and Menardi were also Mars Adepts so would be able to access the Mars Lighthouse with no trouble. And, assuming Sheba was fine, she'd be able to open the Jupiter Lighthouse for the Proxans. They had possession of the remaining Stars so she couldn't actually think of a reason they'd come back for them. Kraden had proven useful to them throughout their journey so far thanks to his vast knowledge of alchemy and the lighthouses but wasn't necessary for the rest of it. Which left only one person. He had technically already served his purpose at the Mercury Lighthouse, yet, Jenna couldn't help but feel that, even if the others didn't find them, he would catch up to them somehow. Alex seemed to have an ulterior motive that she couldn't decipher and was all too eager to light the lighthouses.

Jenna shifted slightly on the log she was sitting on and saw him standing a short walk away. Mercifully, most of his back was towards her and he was staring out at the ocean. Infuriatingly, even in the cloying humidity, he looked as cool and collected as ever, not a hair out of place. It was as if the heat had decided to leave him alone and she idly wondered whether his Psynergy was playing a part in keeping it at bay. She briefly wondered whether she should ask him to help her cool down, but she quickly quashed that thought. That would involve talking to him. His mere presence was enough to make her feel uncomfortable so striking up a conversation, particularly when asking for help, was a horrifying prospect.

She suspected that he didn't go out of his way to make her feel that way. Rather, he had always been polite and pleasant enough, if not a little smug. Jenna would go as far as to say he enjoyed her company, though she didn't know if "enjoyed" was the right word. He'd chatted to her frequently, particularly at the start of their journey when Kraden was busy with the Proxans and she was rejecting Felix's attempted apologies and explanations. Whether it was because he felt sorry for her or was looking for a form of companionship himself, she wasn't sure. Probably the former, she thought. Regardless, the two couldn't have been more different. Jenna, with her fiery tongue, determination to fight against everything her captors had wanted, at least initially, and generally dishevelled appearance. And Alex, with his smooth words, calm aura and permanently clean, perfected appearance. She silently acknowledged his good looks, not that she would ever tell a soul that she had noticed that aspect of him. He was the voice of reason in the group and he was so good at it that she couldn't help but be a little envious. Jenna was loud and unsubtle and, regardless whether they were talking or just sat close to each other, she couldn't help but feel nothing more than inadequate next to him.

The burning humiliation of waking up with her head in his lap hadn't quite left her yet. Not long after they had parted ways outside of the Venus Lighthouse, Jenna had been overwhelmed by three workmen on the way to Idejima. Her Psynergy hadn't finished them off and she was drained quickly from the effort. The last thing she had heard before she fell unconscious was Kraden's voice shouting out to her. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by his face, which was far too close for her liking, and a worried Kraden pacing next to them. She knew he'd been healing her but the embarrassment about her weak Psynergy combined with the physical contact was too much and she jumped to her feet quickly, startling them both. Kraden was thanking Alex over and over in sheer relief and Jenna was touched by his worry, but kept insisting she was fine through burning cheeks. They parted ways again so Alex could keep the Tolbi soldiers busy and, as they passed the spot where she'd fallen, saw no sign of the workmen. Jenna could only assume Alex had finished them off when he came to check on them and shuddered at the thought. Though she'd never actually seen him fight apart from the brief Psynergy display outside the lighthouse, she could only imagine how powerful he probably was. Or maybe he'd smooth-talked them away. At any rate, Kraden had been reluctant to talk about it.

Her musings came to an abrupt halt when she saw a pair of piercing blue eyes staring back at her. Damn.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

"Hardly," she spluttered, her heart sinking when she felt her face grow warm. She pretended to drop her ring so she had an excuse to duck and hide her face briefly. She couldn't help but notice that he was standing much closer and wondered how she'd missed him walking towards her. Maybe he'd warped to catch her off guard. He had a… unique sense of humour in any case.

He perched on the end of the log she was sat on and eyed Kraden, who was now snoring softly. He had wrapped himself in his cloak despite the heat, glasses balanced on his forehead, and looked almost adorable. "At least someone's comfortable."

Jenna couldn't help but feel it was a jibe about her unkempt appearance and bristled. "Well, we can't all experience humidity and come out looking like models," she grumbled. A chuckle from her left confirmed her suspicions.

"Worry not, my dear Jenna, you look wonderful as always." That endearment again. It was beginning to grate her nerves, but she didn't respond. "So, what's eating you up inside?"

It was as if he'd said the ocean was blue. Jenna looked at him and suppressed a harsh laugh. "What's eating me up? Well, where should I begin?"

"It could be worse, considering."

"Considering what?!" For Kraden's sake, she tried not to let her voice run away and wake him up. "There was an earthquake. We don't know what happened at the top of the lighthouse. We don't know if they're ok. I don't know if my brother is hurt or even alive. Whether there was a fight. If anyone survived. We're on a floating island!"

"True. But the Venus Lighthouse is lit. The world is one step closer to being saved. All things considered, shouldn't this be the true priority?"

He was right, but she would never tell him that. She doubted he was happy about the world, though. Somehow, he didn't seem selfless enough to care about such things.

"That's all well and good but, as you've apparently forgotten, they're the ones with the Stars, the correct Adepts, the key to the ship and they're not stuck on a floating island."

"The Stars will survive whatever befalls them. It would be a pretty poor method of saving the world if they were so easily destructible." He shifted into a more comfortable position which told Jenna that he would be keeping her company for a bit. Great. "We'd only be missing a Jupiter Adept, a fact that could be rectified along the way. A ship? We can find a port and purchase one if necessary. As for the floating island, we're bound to hit something soon." He smiled at her. "We'll be fine."

Jenna gnawed at her thumbnail. "And if we end up hitting an empty continent?"

His smile widened. It unsettled her. "Jenna, where is your optimism? Must your cup always be half-empty?"

How could he be so content in a situation like this? Another reason he infuriated her: nothing seemed to faze him. Perhaps that was why he was happy to travel with Saturos and Menardi. The pair, though reasonable towards their hostages during the journey, scared her to death. Alex, on the other hand, looked positively delighted in their company.

"And if they're dead?" She couldn't prevent the strain from entering her voice. "My brother was on that aerie when the beacon went off. What if he didn't survive?"

"You're worried about him." He was certainly good at stating the blindingly obvious.

"He's my brother. It's not like you had family standing on the top of that thing." Jenna realised what she'd said as soon as she'd said it and winced. Of course, Mia. She mumbled an apology but, if the remark had hurt, he didn't show it.

"Apology accepted."

There was a brief period of silence in which the weather finally gave way and the rain started. It was more of a fine mist, really, but it was still unwelcome. It didn't provide any relief from the heat that was making Jenna more uncomfortable by the minute. She shifted and suddenly realised how quiet it had been. The drizzle made a slight noise as it hit nearby trees but, until the rain had started, it had been eerily silent on the peninsula. How fitting, she thought dryly. Not a sign of life. It felt as though they were floating to their impending doom. As off-putting as talking to Alex was, Jenna decided it was the better option.

"Say we're successful," she chimed, pulling Alex out of his thoughts. "We light the remaining beacons, save the world, blah-blah. What then?"

He looked mildly surprised. "Why would we not be successful? But, to answer your question, continue exploring? 'See the world,' as so many people advocate doing? Go home?" He leaned forward so his forearms were resting on his knees and tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. "As I was made aware, Vale is rather strict in regards to letting people leave. Now that you're out of there, you could do whatever you wanted."

"Because it was my choice to leave," she muttered, earning another chuckle.

"Think of it as a gift," said Alex, which caused a scoff from the girl. "A ship, some money for food and a bed, some good company, perhaps. There're a vast amount of places to see in the world. People to meet." Jenna raised her eyebrows at this. Alex didn't really seem like a people-person. She certainly couldn't picture him at a large gathering. "You wouldn't be interested?"

To be honest, Jenna hadn't particularly considered it before. She was only seventeen and had been forcefully removed from her home town, which had been comfortable and secure. Though, since the "deaths" of Felix and her parents, she hadn't viewed it in quite the same warm light as she had prior to that incident. Thank goodness for Isaac and Garet. Her stomach lurched again at the thought of her friends. If it hadn't been for them, she would've been completely lost. Isaac's father was also thought to have passed away that terrible night, so he understood and knew exactly how to comfort her. She didn't know how he'd been able to. He'd been battling with his own grief but still looked after her. His selflessness astounded her and she wished she'd been able to help him as much as he had helped her.

She considered the journey thus far and shook her head. "Travelling is overrated."

"You would return home, then?" Why was he so interested? He was gazing at her. She smirked.

"Why? Want to come with me?"

That earned a raise of eyebrows and a smile and for once, he didn't respond straight away with a perfectly concocted answer. Jenna was pleased she'd managed to catch him off guard, for the first time. Now he knew how it felt.

"As pleasant as Vale is, I'd have to decline."

"What would you do, then?" An innocent question but she knew he'd either dodge it with clever wordplay or avoid it altogether.

"Go back to Imil, of course. I'm sure they'd welcome me with open arms, traitor that I am." Yep, about what she expected. The mention of his hometown stirred something in her mind and she frowned.

"Why are you here, Alex? I don't understand why you're still here. The Mercury Lighthouse is lit, so you've played your part, so to speak. You don't trust the others to finish the job?" Jenna stared at him, trying to read his reaction.

"When his part is played, does an actor leave the theatre?" He looked away, out toward the beach. "No. He remains close by, no longer centre stage but still important. After all, he must receive his praise at the end."

Jenna snorted loudly. "You're doing this for something as shallow as praise? Most of the world probably won't realise we've saved it. I doubt they'll even recognise you."

A simple statement, but Jenna immediately knew she'd hit upon something. She missed any visible reaction from him but the air suddenly felt different. It had shifted and the humidity abated suddenly, leaving her with a cold feeling. He wasn't looking at her but something about him looked different, his posture or his expression, she couldn't quite tell. Whatever it was, though, caused a sudden feeling of dread in her stomach and she wished she could take back her words. Was he really doing this for the recognition? Or was it something else, something worse? She suspected the latter and she was completely lost for words as her throat constricted.

He finally spoke. "They will."

And then he looked at her. Jenna immediately wished he hadn't. There was an intensity in his eyes that was unlike any other she had seen before. She willed herself to look away and break the connection but found she couldn't. She was frozen to the spot and suddenly wished for the humidity that had been bothersome earlier. It was too cold. She found she had to manually control her breathing and the air felt heavy and cumbersome. She knew he would notice but couldn't do anything else.

He terrified her.

A sudden noise from Kraden interrupted them and the connection was broken. The heat returned in a heartbeat and it was too warm too quickly. Kraden opened his eyes and gazed up at them, smiling. "Well! That was a very welcome rest." He had apparently missed the conversation, which Jenna was thankful for. "Do you think there's any food around here? Maybe some berries, or…"

Oblivious, warm Kraden. Thank the deities he'd ended up on Idejima with them. He would never know it, but he was her saviour. She'd never felt so happy to hear the scholar's voice. Without a word, Alex stood and walked toward the beach and Jenna visibly relaxed, though Kraden missed the exhale of the breath she'd been holding in. Feeling lightheaded, Jenna pushed herself off the log and lay next to Kraden in the damp grass. She briefly wondered whether to tell him about what had just occurred, but Kraden would probably have thought she was making a meal out of nothing. She shuddered. He had no idea.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and let it back out with a sigh.

"Oh, Kraden… How long will this island continue to drift?"