(A/N: Hey, so this is a remake of my original, which was really bad, not that this one is any better, but, as this is the beginning, please try to power through it, I'm aware of how boring a slow the beginning is, and I'm sure everyone is sick of reliving these moments, but these moments have to be relived. I hated writing it as much as you will reading it, but hopefully it'll get better. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy.)
Prologue; The Storm
The wind whipped around the houses, tearing the thatching from roofs, ripping trees from their roots, and pulling rocks from the mountainside. Lightning forked through the sky, causing fires, only to be quenched by the torrent of rain. The roaring booms of thunder, deafening and terrible. Rivers and streams swelled, swallowing the landscape and flooding many homes.
Higher up on the mountainside, on the second floor of a modest house, Isaac woke with a start, a terrible tremor tearing through the floorboards. Dishes and ornaments crashed to the floor with another roar of thunder, and a quick streak of lighting blasting through the window.
Dizzily, he peered around the room quickly swinging his feet off his bed. His hand searched blindly for his breeches, his head whipping around the room in confusion. Pulling his breeches up, a woman burst into the room, a candle in one hand, a rather small cloak in the other.
"Mother!" Isaac cried as she approached, thrusting the cloak in his direction. Slipping a cotton shirt over his shoulders, Isaac grabbed the cloak, and quickly fastened it on to his shoulders.
"Quickly Isaac, your father is waiting." Without any word of explanation they hurried down the stairs and onto the main floor of the house.
Isaac noticed that house had taken much more damage then he had first realized. Water had flooded the house, ankle deep, the windows were shattered, chairs overturned, whole cabinets toppled to the floor. The table still stood, though it had been strewn about, as if someone had been a hurry, and just flung the obstacle aside. On the table, a single candle had fallen to its side, the wick still burning.
Observing this, only then did Isaac notice how pale his mothers face was. Before he could inquire, the door burst open, and a man rushed through the door.
"Kyle!" His mother called. The man held the door open, clearly struggling with the wind.
"Dora, Isaac!" He cried. "Hasten! The boulder can fall at any moment!" Isaac's mother, Dora, nodded her agreement, and Kyle rushed outside, the wind swinging the door shut behind him, blowing out the single candle.
Outside, Isaac struggled to keep his cloak on, the wind tearing every which way, rain whipping in his face. Kyle led the trio to a small outcropping of stone, covering little of the storm, but enough to shout over the wind.
"Dora, take Isaac to the plaza!" He cried. Concern pierced Dora's face, her eyes wide.
"Aren't you coming?" She pleaded. Kyles gaze was towards the west, across the river, his blue gray eyes searching. It struck Isaac as odd that his father was only dressed in his breeches and an unevenly buttoned shirt, though a cloak served little purpose.
"No, I need to help evacuate the other villagers. We don't know when disaster strike, and I have to see to our neighbors." Kyle responded. Dora nodded.
"Then I'm coming with you." Kyle began to retort, but she cut him off. "Isaac is old enough to make it on his own, it's just a little south." Kyle nodded in obedience.
Dora turned to Isaac, placing both hands on his shoulders. Her golden curls were wet and matted to her face, her face pale and grim, but her emerald eyes were reassuring. She looked Isaac in the eye, the same color as his fathers, and nodded. He understood.
Without another word, Kyle and Dora left, running northwest to help their friends. They were good people. Friends first, themselves second. He respected and cherished them, and envied their courage, and it was with those thoughts that he ran north towards his friends, and not south to safety.
Isaac found Garet just outside his house, dragging a crude chest, struggling every inch, and wasting precious time. Even at fourteen, Garet's muscles were thick, his dark red hair matted to his face, his arms working furiously to pull his belongings. Garet turned at Isaac's approach, and he ceased his struggle, smiled and waved him over.
"Isaac! Good timing, quick give me a hand." He went back to tugging on the chest. Isaac sighed. Ignorance is bliss.
"Garet, what the hell are you doing?" Isaac asked. Garet was ignorant to a fault, but never truly meant any harm.
"Whaddya think I'm doing, you skull? I'm saving my stuff!" His tone wasn't condescending, just matter of fact. Isaac pulled him away from the chest.
"Garet, the boulder is falling, we have to get out of here! Forget the stuff and lets get out of here!" Garet didn't put up much of a fight, but he did halt Isaac from turning south.
"Hey, if it's dangerous we should go get Felix and Jenna!" Isaac nodded his agreement.
"That's the direction mom and dad went, but they might have gotten distracted, we should go check." Garet smiled. Even though it was a storm, it was always nice to have an adventure. Boys will be boys.
Heading west, they passed the village sanctuary, and made their way carefully across the wet wooden bridge. Most of this went with ease, Garet slipping once, but catching himself at the last second. Both boys chuckled and bit, Garet mostly in embarrassment. His smile vanished as his gaze turned northward. Isaac followed it, and a cold gripped at his heart.
Just across the river, at the foot of the mountain path, their stood the elders, and village adepts in deep concentration, hands thrust forward, energy spewing forth from their fingertips, and just beyond them, not three feet away, was a massive boulder, edging closer and closer towards the adepts. Eyes wide, the boys looked at each other, fear gripping at them. In the distance, they could see an adept waving at them, shouting something inaudible over the storm, but the gist was clear. Run.
Without another word, Isaac and Garet ran south as fast as their feet could take them. Fear gripped at their bones, chilling them more than any amount of rain or storm could ever do. Disaster was nigh. Their only hope was to make it to plaza. But if the boulder did fall, Jenna and Felix's house were in the line of disaster. They had to be warned.
They saw the Psynergy lamps long before they reached Felix and Jenna's. There house was built right next to the river, a small fishing dock reaching out across the water. Some of it had already collapsed into the river, and they could barely make out a figure clinging to one of the support posts.
"Felix!" A shrill cry pierced the wind, and the boys immediately recognized it as Jenna, and rushed. As they rounded the house, they witnessed the situation.
Kyle and Dora were there, as well as Felix and Jenna's parents. Dora stood anxiously, perched over the now flooded river. Jenna's mother was clinging to her daughter, Jenna struggling wildly to break free, her red rimmed eyes focused on the center of the river, wet red hair whipping around her face wildly. And there, in the middle of the rushing water, clinging desperately to the foundation post was Felix, his long brown hair pressed to his face, wave after tremendous wave thrashing him wildly in the water.
Kyle was kneeling at the edge of the river, desperately throwing a length of rope towards the boy, Felix's father clutching at the other end, prepared to pull his son in. Kyle spat and cursed.
"The damn thing won't reach him in this storm!" He turned to Felix's father. "Charles, do you have any power left?" Felix's father shook his head, clearly drained and exhausted.
"How about you Anne?" Kyle asked the mother.
"No, I'm drained from helping the others." Kyle spat again. Then his eyes fell on the boys.
"Isaac, Garet, what are you doing here?" Kyle didn't sound upset or angry, merely surprised. Dora, Anne, and Jenna all turned towards them, similar expressions on their faces.
"Sorry, father, but we thought we could come help." Isaac replied, and Garet nodded along. Kyle gave a humorless chuckle.
"You boys have an impeccable sense of timing, but even with the two of you, you wouldn't have enough Psynergy to pull him in." Kyle shook his head. "But you boys can still be of help. Run quick to the plaza, and search for an adept to help, and be quick!" Kyle shooed them, and turned back to the river, tossing the rope once again.
As they were about to leave, Jenna spoke.
"Please, Isaac! Save my brother!" Her eyes were pleading, begging for her brothers safety. Isaac nodded his head.
"I promise I'll save him, Jenna." A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but distress took her again as she looked out to the river. It broke Isaac's heart. Garet tugged sharply at Isaac sleeve, and the two ran as fast as they could to the plaza.
Isaac pushed fiercely through the crowd of refugees, searching for an energized adept, but everyone around him was pale and exhausted, clutching at loved ones, in attempts to ease the fear from them. None of these people were in any state to help, and Isaac cursed at his luck.
Breaking through another crowd close to the center of the plaza, Garet noticed his grandfather, the mayor, and shouted for him. The mayor hurried over and embraced Garet in an amorous hug, then let go and smacked him roughly on the head with his cane.
"What in the name of Sol is wrong with you boy?" The mayor berated. "You've had your whole family in a panic, you did!" Garet clutched at his head in pain, and before any more time could be wasted, Isaac cut in.
"I apologize, mister mayor, but we were forced to take a detour, sir." Isaac said bowing his head quickly.
"Now there's a boy with good manner's, and humility as well." The mayor turned his gaze back to Garet. "You'd do well to learn from this one, boy." Garet scowled, and continued to lick his wound.
"Sorry to interrupt, mister mayor sir, but we have a problem." Isaac said. The mayors look turned to questioning. "Felix has fallen into the river, and we need an adept to help save him, we're in a hurry." Mayor turned and shouted at a man standing next to a pond, who rushed over at his call.
"Boys, this is Elias, he's just filled up. Take him quick and save the boy, then all of you hurry back here. The elder's have made sure to divert the boulders fall away from the plaza, but anywhere else is unsafe. Now go!" The mayor ushered the three of them through the crowd, and they were off back towards the river.
They returned quickly to the river, rushing across the bridge to the other side, closest to Felix. Isaac called out, and the others waved in reply, urging them to hurry, and just as they reached the riverbank, it happened.
A thunderous roar broke out above the waterfall, stones crumbling down to land, splashing in the river. Looking up, Isaac saw everything in a slow dream. Above him was the boulder, terrible in all its glory, falling from the sky. He saw Anne push Jenna far out of the way, screaming and rushing towards Charles. He saw Kyle drop the rope and rushed to Dora, only to throw her as far away as he could, then turn to shout at Isaac. And just as the boulder crashed into the house and river, he felt something push him into Garet, sending them both sprawling to the ground, dazed and confused. And with a rush of noise and crashing, it was over just as soon as it begun.
Dazed, stunned, and confused Isaac crawled to his feet and stumbled supporting himself on a nearby rock. He surveyed the area, and what he saw chilled him to his soul.
Destruction covered the river bank. Felix and Jenna's house was nothing more than crushed timber. The river bank itself was mutilated, a giant gouge rapidly filling with water. Not far from him, Elias lay unconscious, his legs sprawled out in awkward angles. Garet, who had fallen right next to him, was dazed, but seemed unharmed for the most part. Dora was now coming to her feet, trembling with every move, Jenna, following suit, and then Kyle was-
He was gone. So was Charles and Anne, as well as Felix. They just disappeared, nowhere to be found. Dora gasped, and Jenna shrieked "They're gone!" over and over again, panic turning to hysteria. Dora went to comfort her, but she was still in shock, and her efforts were half hearted.
Still dazed and dealing with the shock, Isaac slowly made his way to the bridge. His fingers were numb, his legs were trembling, his mind swirling. Panic surged on him, and he fell to his knees, staring at his trembling fingers.
He's gone, was all he could think. His farther, his mentor, his kind, loving, courageous and generous dad was gone, and he didn't know how to cope. He began to sob. It wasn't until Garet slapped him, did he realize Garet had been shaking him.
"Isaac! Pull yourself together man!" Dumbly, Isaac turned his face to Garet, looking into his eyes. Garet's bright brown eyes were full of urgency. "Are you listening to me? We might be able to get help, but we have to hurry!" Yes, of course, he could still save them, he had promised Jenna after all.
Numbly getting to his feet, and with Garet's help, they hurried towards the plaza.
"It's alright Isaac, we'll get help, we'll save them." Garet continued to reassure him, telling him that it was okay, they were alive, just washed up. Isaac was barely listening, still numb with shock, his mind wandering elsewhere, until Garet grabbed him by the arm roughly and motioned for silence.
At first Isaac was confused, until he heard it. There were voices just beyond the trees.
"...two of us survived." He heard a male voice speak. What was he saying?
"There was no way to anticipate such a fury from the Sanctum." A female spoke. Their voices were oddly accented, and gave no emotion. It was oddly unsettling in light of recent events.
"The thought of us being spared seems miraculous." The male spoke again. They were moving closer, and Isaac could just make them out. His eyes widened in shock.
It wasn't that they wore abnormal clothes, clearly foreign that shocked him, or their weapons or even their tone of voice, but their physical features.
The man, if indeed he was a man, had pale blueish scales covering the whole of his body, the female with a pale red. Their finger nails were long and sharp, their teeth serrated. But the scariest thing, and the feature that would haunt him for years to come were the eyes. Pupils, ruby red, and piercing. It sent chills down the spine.
The woman turned northward, and put her hands on her hips. "Just another demonstration of the power of Alchemy." Isaac mouthed the last word to himself. Had she said Alchemy? Only those in the Vale knew of Alchemy. How could these strangers know?
The male shook his head, his silver blue hair, glinting even in the downpour.
"Regardless of its power, next time, we shall not fail." He began walking towards the boys. Isaac and Garet began edging backwards, away from these mysterious people, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention.
"Of course, next time we shall-" The woman stopped, her words caught in her mouth, as Garet stumbled over a fallen branch, making all sorts of noise. The strangers weapons were out in an instant, the man drawing a gleaming sword, ringing with cold steel. The woman grabbed a pole from her back, and it unfolded itself several times to make a very large, and very menacing, scythe, red gleaming on its edges.
"Who goes there?" The man called, already in a defensive stance, the woman approaching in a much more aggressive way. As she eyed the two boys, she relaxed visibly and chuckled.
"It's just a couple of children, no doubt listening to things they shouldn't." The man walked up to inspect.
"Hmm, I suppose you were eavesdropping?" The man asked. Isaac dumbly tried to find the words to deny them, but panic took him, and he stumbled backwards.
"You must forget every word you've heard." The woman said, folding her scythe into a compact device. The man did not sheath his blade, but made no move to strike.
"Fear not, young ones, we will help you forget!" And in a quick movement, the man rushed forward, and Isaac stumbled once more, panicking, fearing for his life, then black.