Golden Sun : Book 1
Chapter 1: So it begins…
I can't believe we're doing this. Garet thought as he and Isaac walked down the path leading away from the only town he had ever lived in. Does Isaac really think that two seventeen year old boys are supposed to save the world? Garet looked over at his friend strolling next to him. They had been walking for an hour now, and neither of them had spoken a word since leaving Vale. Although, I guess it is kind of hard to argue with a floating rock with an eye.
He glanced at his friend then sighed deeply, adjusting the heavy pack on his back. Isaac took a glimpse at him without tuning his head, but stayed silent. Garet simply rolled his eyes. Fine don't say anything. It's not like anything major has happened. Not like one of our oldest friends has been kidnapped, and the other has betrayed his entire culture just because some freaks saved his life. Not like the fate of Weyard rests upon our shoulders. No! Everything's just fine!
So they kept walking in silence with no particular destination. First thing they had to do was to get out of this valley. There were forests and mountains to their right, forests and mountains to their left, Vale behind them, and the entire world in front of them. After another hour Garet was fed up with this. "Ahem" Garet cleared his throat, "Sooo…" he shifted the weight of his pack again. "Us saving the world, huh?"
"Yep" Isaac said without turning his head.
"Uh…any idea on how we're supposed to do that?" Garet asked, trying to start some kind of a conversation.
"You heard the floating stone-eye thing," Isaac replied nonchalant, "Don't let the elemental lighthouses get lit."
They lapsed back into silence for awhile. "Except we don't know where they are." Garet said finally.
"We got a map." Isaac stated flatly, patting the rolled up parchment that was tucked into his belt. It was the only map in all of Vale, given to the town long ago by a traveling merchant.
"Ya, and the only things marked on it are Vale and Vault. That's not going to help us any!" Garet was starting to get annoyed by his attitude.
Isaac finally turned his head to look at his friend "Garet, settle down we just-"
"Settle down?" Garet echoed incredulously, "Settle down!" Garet repeated raising his voice now, "What?! Am I supposed to be completely blasé about it like you are?" This stopped Isaac in his tracks. "Seriously, man," he said to Isaac's back, "Do you get what's going on? Don't you understand how important this is?" How can he not care? I know ever since his dad died he's been quiet and hasn't really shown his emotions that much, but this is ridiculous! "Don't you care!?" Garet walked up and grabbed Isaac's arm-
And was shocked when he saw the emotion on Isaac's face. Garet pulled back his hand immediately and just stood there. "Garet…" Isaac began with a carefully controlled voice, "…of course I care. Our best friend's life is at stake; I'm doing all can to not think about it." He put his hand on Garet's shoulder, "Look, if all we do is focus on the seriousness of this quest, we're going to be overwhelmed in a matter of days. We need to kick back and relax, just a little bit, or we're going to lose it." He let his hand drop from Garet's shoulder and started walking again. "We just gotta lighten up a little, y'know, joke around some to keep all this from getting to our heads."
After continuing in silence for awhile, Garet finally said, "I'm sorry, man." he clasped his friend's shoulder, "I-I know you care."
"Don't worry about it." Isaac reassured him, "Besides I know your just worried about Jenna." Isaac put emphasis on her name and gave Garet a friendly punch in the ribs.
"Hey!" Garet said grinning, "I could say the same thing about you!" He gave Isaac an equally 'friendly' shove.
"Ah, whatever," Isaac said waving his friend away, grinning almost as wide.
* * *
It had been an hour since nightfall and yet they were still trudging along. "Isaac…" Garet said tiredly, "I think it's time we call it a night."
For the first time in hours Isaac stopped walking. He stared off into the distance as if to look at the party they were following. "Alright" he said finally.
As soon as the word left his mouth Garet let the heavy pack he was carrying drop to the ground. Garet soon followed. "Hey!" Isaac shouted, "What are you doing?"
"What's it look like?" Garet replied, not moving a muscle, "Sleeping."
"C'mon, Garet," Isaac pleaded giving him a light kick in the side, "We have to set up camp if we're going to stay here."
"Fine," Garet said standing back up, "But I carried that tent all day," he pointed to the heavy pack on the ground, "you're setting it up."
"Whatever," Isaac replied reaching down to take their tent out of the pack, "You just go get some firewood."
"And you're carrying that thing tomorrow!" Garet yelled over his shoulder as he stalked off to the nearby woods.
"Fine! Fine!" Isaac called back to him, not looking away from the tent he was putting up.
By the time Garet returned with the firewood, Isaac had finished with the tent. It wasn't large by any means, but they would both fit in it comfortably. "Ok," Isaac stood up and dusted his hands off, satisfied with his work, "everything's set."
Garet threw down the wood he had collected into the fire pit Isaac had dug, then stood there focusing on it. Here we go, Isaac thought rolling his eyes. After staring at it for a few seconds Garet thrust his hand out at the firewood yelling, "HA!" A stream of fire appeared from nowhere as Garet cast Flare. It lit the wood then disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Nice, huh?" he asked looking over at Isaac.
The other shrugged as he sat down in front of the fire, "Eh."
"Hey, you can't do it." Garet said defiantly.
"Well, no, but-"
"See," he said crossing his arms and giving Isaac a smug look, "I win."
Isaac looked over at him and couldn't help but laugh. "Sure, you win."
* * *
Garet turned in his bedroll for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. Dang it, Garet. I can understand if you can't sleep either, but at least lie still! Isaac thought to himself. Of course, he really couldn't blame him. Not only do we have to save the world, but we have to walk all the way there and sleep in a tent. Ah, I guess it could be worse…somehow.
Soon enough though, the exhaustion from hiking for hours straight overtook Isaac, and he drifted into a dream-filled sleep.
* * *
Isaac woke with a start after hearing a crashing sound. "Ow! What the hell?!" he heard Garet scream shortly after. He opened his eyes and was thoroughly confused with what he saw. On his right, where Garet had been when he fell asleep, there was now only the fabric of the tent with an obvious rip in it. Something must have knocked down one of the tents support poles. Isaac reached around, got a grip on his long sword, and crawled out of the half-demolished tent.
Outside the once roaring fire was now just a pile of ash and embers. Isaac turned around to look at the tent he had just exited; or rather the pile of cloth and poles he just exited. Struggling somewhere under that pile was Garet. Then Isaac saw the cause of all this trouble, three vermin had surrounded the tent and were jabbing at it with their miniature pitch-forks. Just what I need, Isaac thought sardonically. Before the vermin even comprehended his presence, he dashed to the nearest one and kicked it as hard as he could. The vermin was heavier than he looked, but Isaac still punted the little rat a good twenty yards. It was then that the other two finally noticed him and charged with pitchforks flailing. He easily sidestepped the first and dispatched it with a swipe of his sword. Despite the adrenaline that was fueling him, Isaac was sluggish after hours of nonstop walking and a near sleepless night. He didn't catch the next attack in time, and he was punished for his mistake with a fork deep in his right calf.
Isaac whirled around but his right leg gave way when he put pressure on it. He fell flat on his face, and when he lifted his head he found himself face to face with an angry vermin. He propped himself up on one elbow, lifted his sword, and-
It was all over in a near-blinding flash of orange flames. Isaac laid there for a few seconds, just staring at the burnt husk that used to be a vermin. Eventually, he sat up and looked over at the fallen tent. Standing there in nothing but his boxers was Garet, his hand still held out in his 'psynergy casting pose'.
Finally Garet put his hand down and looked at Isaac's leg. "Ok," he said "from now on someone is gonna stand guard."
"No argument here," Isaac replied, still gripping his long sword, "Now hold this while I heal myself." Garet walked over and took the sword from him. "You could have killed me with that Flare," Isaac said as he placed his hands on his wound and cast Cure. The flesh of his calf began to mend itself under his touch.
"Hey! I was in perfect control," Garet said crossing his arms defiantly, "besides I'm not the one who got hurt."
Isaac gave him an annoyed look as he stood up and tested out his newly healed leg, "Only 'cause it took you five minutes to find your way out of a tent."
"Look," Garet replied quickly, obviously trying to change the subject, "Lets just try to get back to sleep."
"Good idea." Isaac stated trying not to start another argument.