Chapter 1: Departure
By: IsaacGaretMia
A dark haired boy stood at the gates of his hometown, a statue surveying the land before him. The dark clouds were gathering above him, the rain splattering down to earth. Thunder could be heard as lightning flashed in the distance. A perfect dreary day for a journey. The boy unclipped a scabbard at his waist, shifting it to his left shoulder. He wanted to be ready for the worst. Where could the others be?
Isaac finished packing his small bag, clipping his Gaia blade to his back, and looked around the room one last time. He grabbed the Cloak ball from his dresser and raced down the stairs. Felix had told him to be prepared, and so he would be. He raced out of the house, not even bothering to comment on the clouds overhead. There was no point in obsessing over things you couldn't change. He arrived at the village gate first, besides Felix. He received naught but a nod in greeting. They stood at the gate, waiting for the others. Apparently, more than a storm was brewing.
Jenna left the house right after Felix, clipping the Burst Brooch to her clothes and racing out of the house to the square. She held her Masamune at her waist, ready for battle. Felix had confided only in her what was going on: Lemuria was about to mobilize for the first time in centuries, and it wasn't going to be a good sign. The senate had finally reached a decision, sending out its powerful military to unlight the lighthouses Jenna and the others had worked so hard to light. She raced down to the town square, arriving just as Isaac had stood next to Felix. They stood there, waiting for the slow and clumsy Garet to arrive. Figures he'd be last.
Garet raced down the steps to the village square, cursing his bulky equipment. The Stealth Armor and Darksword were heavy, and his Cleric's Ring did naught to negate the weight. He finally arrived at the gate, cursing his equipment. Finally, they could begin. They were to travel to Vault first, and then decide what to do from there. Garet sighed, and decided to take off his mail and stow it. It was just going to slow him down more.
Felix led the group at a breakneck pace, urging them on to get to Vault as fast as possible. They had to warn the others as fast as they could. The forest passed by as a blur as they ran, puddles splashing at their feet. Any Vermin that crossed their path received a nice sword to the face for their trouble. They reached Vault in less than an hour, at their pace. Felix decided to inform everyone of what was going on.
"Alright group, let's huddle up. I have something to tell you all."
They all gathered around him, too tired to question him further. They knew all too well that he would release information as he deemed necessary.
"As Jenna already knows, Lemuria's army is mobilizing. Piers had just barely gotten word to us about this, so we're off to protect the lighthouses. We're not sure which one they'll attack first, so we're splitting up to protect each lighthouse based on our element. Garet and Jenna will guard Mars Lighthouse, Isaac and I will guard Venus. Mia will have to fend for herself on top of Mercury, which is the most likely candidate for de-lighting. Sheba and Ivan are going to protect Jupiter, and Ivan has already been informed of this due to Hama. However, Sheba is stuck in Lalivero, which is why we're about to do what we're going to do. Jenna, Garet, you will head through Goma Range, and then head to Imil. You're going to tell Mia what I just told you, and then wait there for a ship. We, are going to head to Lalivero, and tell Sheba what's going on. Piers will pick her up, and they will fly north to Mercury. They'll pick you guys up, and drop you off in Prox. Then, he will drop Sheba off at Jupiter, before heading back to Mercury. We just have to hope that Mercury isn't the first target. If Piers is too late, Mercury is lost. Let's move people!"
Isaac and Felix raced off at that last sentence, travelling lightly as they had the farther distance to go. They headed south, passing Kalay without incident. They then took the northern route through the Kalay Docks, not wishing to waste time heading by boat. They rounded the sea quickly, hoping Garet and Jenna were alright. They raced past Tolbi, heading south to the bridge.
"Oh, come ON!" Felix screamed as he saw that the bridge was up, with noone manning the controls at the other side.
"Relax, Felix. CATCH!"
A ghostly hand dropped upon the controls, lifting a lever that lowered the bridge. Felix calmed down, and they raced off to the desert. He smiled at Isaac, knowing that this would be the easiest place to cross. They reached the desert in another hour, and Isaac was wondering how they would get past without a Mercury Adept. Felix suddenly grabbed onto Isaac as they reached the desert, shouting:
"Sand!"
They melded into the sand, and Isaac marveled at his stupidity. Duh! They headed through the sand, moving slower because of their submersion. They hoped Jenna and Garet were doing as well as they were.
Jenna and Garet stood there, watching Felix and Isaac run off. The nerve of them! She sighed, and grabbed ahold of Garet, pulling him along behind her. They had to get to Goma Range. They ran as fast as they could, with Garet in tow, and reached the Range in an hour. They passed through quickly, and then raced north to get to the next cave. They ran through, not even blinking at the sudden change in temperature. They raced onwards, battling the snow and sleet, and they reached Imil in a few hours time. They ran through the town, looking for the aqua haired Mercury adept, when they bumped into her on accident.
"Mia! Oh, Sol, I'm so happy to see you!"
"Jenna? Garet? What are you two doing here?"
"You're probably not going to believe this. Lemuria has gathered its army, and they're going to attack the lighthouses, we have to protect them!"
"You both came to protect the lighthouse?"
"No, we're here to warn you. Piers is going to pick us up, and take us to Prox. Then he will take Sheba to Jupiter, then race back here. Hopefully, he'll get here before they attack it."
"That's a risky gamble… but I guess it's the best we can do. Let's go!"
They raced down to the water's edge. Mia sat at the shore, and the Mars Adepts sat just behind her. They didn't like the water… it sort of put a damper on their spirits. They waited for a few hours, passing the time wondering what would happen if the lighthouses were unlit, when a ghostly ship came flying through the water. The wings on the boat just made it look more eerie in the frozen waters. It landed a short ways away, and Jenna and Garet waved goodbye to Mia, as they climbed aboard. They could just barely see Mia running towards the lighthouse as they took off again.
"Hey Jenna, Garet. Good to see you guys again!"
"Yeah, you too Sheba. What do you think about the situation?"
"Well, it's good fortune that we have two of each adept at each lighthouse. They'll have a tough time breaching it's walls if they have adepts manning the defenses."
"The lighthouses have defense mechanisms?"
"Don't you remember at Jupiter? When Mia and Garet fell down that hole? Why do you think that hole was there?"
"Um… I assumed it was a trap."
"No, silly! There are several elemental defenses hidden in the lighthouse that can only be activated by adepts. The controls are further down in the hole."
"Oh."
They continued to talk like that, back and forth, until the boat arrived at Prox. They stepped out into the cold again, wondering when Lemuria would show up, and wondering where the defenses were in their own lighthouse.
Earlier, Isaac and Felix had reached their lighthouse, stopping briefly to be recharged by its energies. Then, they raced towards Lalivero to warn Sheba. They ran into town like wolves fleeing fire, and raced towards Faran's house. They pounded on the door, begging someone to open it, when Faran reached the door.
"Ah, Isaac. It's good to see you again. Why have you come back so suddenly?"
"We need to talk to Sheba. It's urgent!"
"Well, okay then. Sheba!"
A blond haired girl reached the door, smiling at the two Venus adepts. They politely asked her to step outside for a second. She obliged, wondering what was going on.
"Sheba, You remember Lemuria, correct?"
"Y-Yes…"
"Remember the Senate? Well, they finally reached a decision. They sent out their military to un-light the lighthouses, and we can't let that happen!"
"Oh… And you want me to protect Jupiter?"
"You're smarter than you look. Which is, of course, genius."
The girl giggled. Just then, a boat arrived at harbor. They raced down, and bade Sheba farewell as she stepped on the boat. When the boat had gone, flying into the storm, they raced out of town. They ran as fast as they could in the rain, reaching the lighthouse again in a matter of hours. They climbed and climbed, reaching the room where the sand fell into an enormous pit, with nothing in the room… Or was there? Felix ran up top, and turned himself into sand again. Deep down into the pit, he reached another room, hidden from the others, where large levers were sticking out of a wall. A mirror to the side of the room showed a view of the front of the lighthouse, as well as the ruins below Lalivero. Isaac called out from the top, seeing Felix reappear deep down.
"Felix, are you alright?"
"Yeah! There's a defense system in here! I'll sit here and man the controls; you head to the top and fight anyone who reaches it!"
"Alright! Be careful!"
"I was born careful, Isaac!"
With that, Isaac was off, racing to the aerie. He wondered who would be first, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, or Mars…
Jenna and Garet ran up the stairs of their lighthouse, reaching the room where they fought the dragon pair. They stopped, wondering what to do.
You there, Disciples of Mars! If ye wish to protect thy element, show me the might of Blaze!
Jenna smiled, knowing she had the power the dragon had referred to. Reaching the pedestal where a flame was burning, she focused intently, whispering:
"Blaze…"
The fire burned brightly, as a jet of flame pelted towards the maw of the dragon.
I am pleased. You may pass.
Jenna ran towards the dragon as it lowered its jaw. She ran inside to find several levers on the side of its mouth. Back toward the dragon's throat, she saw a burning blaze, where the smoke formed pictures of the lighthouse entrance. She smiled, calling out to Garet:
"Garet, Head to the aerie! If anyone tries to take the star, knock 'em out cold!"
"Ok, Jenna. Good luck!"
"You too, Garet. You too." She whispered.
Ivan was waiting for Sheba at the entrance. He ran forward, hugging his friend tightly.
"I knew you'd come, I just knew."
"Do you know what's going on?"
"Only that someone is coming to un-light the beacon."
"Yeah, the Lemurian Senate called the military. They're on their way!"
The pair raced to the lighthouse, reaching the place where Ivan and Isaac had fought Agatio and Karst and lost. Ivan stood on the button, releasing the gate. Sheba hopped down, and she saw a suspicious brick in the wall. She put her hand on it, whispering:
"Reveal…"
She saw, framed in her mind's eye, a button. When she pressed it, the wall melted away, forming a hole wide enough for her to squeeze into. Several levers were framed on the wall in front of her, with a black screen on top. With Reveal, she could see the entire lighthouse, wherever she wanted, framed in the drapes.
"Ivan! Head to the top, and stop ANYONE from taking the star!"
"Ok, Sheba. Good luck!"
"You too Ivan, now GO!"
She smiled, knowing that Ivan would do his best at the top of the aerie. She just hoped that it would be enough.
Mia stood at one of the waterfalls in the lighthouse, knowing that this one was the one. She stood in front of it, whispering:
"Freeze…"
The cold emanating from her hand froze the water completely, stopping it from flowing. With her Crystal Rod, she smashed a small hole for her to worm through. Behind the falls, a small room was there, framed with ice. There was an orb in the center, where she could see the Lighthouse entrance. She could see Piers there too, at the entrance. She shouted at the orb, and somehow he could hear her screaming:
"Piers! Take the aerie, and don't let anyone take the star!"
Piers was startled, but accepted it as another of the lighthouses mysteries. He raced to the top, running through waterfalls, not even bothering to wonder how he knew where to go. The architecture was built a lot like Lemuria was, and as such he raced to the top with no problem. He reached the rainbow, and stopped, wondering what to do. He saw the statue, and ran at it, shouting:
"Ply!"
A faerie appeared, sprinkling the statue with dust. Suddenly, the waterfall seemed to turn around, racing upwards instead of downwards. He rushed at it, allowing it to carry him to the heavens. He raced towards the beacon, and gasped at its beauty. The light from the orb rejuvenated him, reminding him of water's beauty. He stared at it, knowing that he would fight to the death to protect it.
Isaac raced to the beacon, taking a good, long look at the light. He jumped, startled at what he saw. Reflected in the beacon's light, was his companions: Ivan, Garet, and Piers. He saw each of them, ready to protect their beacon. He knew that they could see him too, and he drew his Gaia Blade. Nothing would take this sight away from him. Nothing.