Well, hullo thar. My name is The Lion of the West and this is my first fanfic. This is actually the start of something bigger, much bigger. I thank you in advance for taking your time out to read this and I hope you like it. Oh and I don't have anything in my user profile yet, but will get around to it eventually (not that anyone really cares). I take payment in the form of comments, compliments, and criticism. Enjoy!
Book 1 of Golden Sun
The Broken Seal
The Prelude:
On That Night, Three Years Ago
Arcs of gold and blue flashed before young Isaac's eyes. He heard the soft pitter-patter of rain or at least he thought he heard it. Everything was shifty and unfocused to Isaac. A blur of a man who seemed to be the embodiment of the colour blue stood before Isaac. He held what looked like swords in both of his hands and was going to strike him. Isaac brought his hand up and with some unknown combat prowess, parried the two blades away from him with a sword of his own; a sword he didn't know he had a moment ago. The blades came around again and this time Isaac was too slow, one blade sliced his chest and the other stabbed him through the stomach. His mind told him that he was hurt and that it was bad, but Isaac felt no pain.
A flash of blue blinded Isaac's eyes. When his vision readjusted, Isaac became aware that he was lying down and people were standing around him. He couldn't tell who they were or why they were all staring at him, but it seemed to him that they were very sad and a few of them were crying uncontrollably. Another flash, this time white, flew across his eyes, illuminating his dream. Isaac then noticed that he was lying next to someone and although he couldn't figure out who it might be, he knew that it was someone he knew.
Isaac began to he hear someone calling him. "Isaac".
At first he thought it was the people standing around him for that is where the call seemed to emanate from. But then the source came from elsewhere, beyond where he was. "Isaac". He heard the call again and again. The voice of the call was soft and beseeching. Isaac knew then that it was time to wake up.
And so he did.
"Isaac? Are you awake?" He was, but he had not yet opened his eyes. He recognized the voice as his mother's. "Isaac, dear, you must wake up. Something terrible is happening."
What? Something terrible happening? It took Isaac's sleepy mind a moment to comprehend. A wild flicker of lightning created a strobe-effect in Isaac's room and for the first time, the roar of thunder was heard. That jolted Isaac fully awake and he sat up in bed.
"What is it, mom?" Isaac's voice grogged.
"The Mt. Aleph Boulder is going to fall." She responded. Isaac's eyes widened. "Come on, Isaac. We have to go---now!" Isaac jumped out of bed and began hastily putting on his clothes. The lightning and thunder started up fiercely now and rain was pelting his window. "Hurry Isaac we must head to the plaza. It's the safest place from the Boulder." Isaac shoved his feet into his boots and his mother tossed him his green cloak and his sheathed machete. Isaac looked at her quizzically. "It's pouring outside if you can't tell and there may be fiends about. All this wind and rain will drive them from their burrows and they may attack out of fear and frustration. You can never be too careful."
Isaac slung his machete over his cloak and then followed his mother through the upstairs hall and down the stairs. The wind moaned through tiny niches in his house. Lightning lit up the dim corridor for brief seconds and the thunder that immediately followed it rattled the house fiercely. This was a bad storm.
Isaac and his mother emerged from the stair corridor into the front room of the house. As they walked to the front door, it flew open. Isaac's father dashed in and with him a mess of wind and rain. He pushed the door shut against the howling wind and then shook off some of the water from his drenched cloak. He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. He looked worried and alive with urgency. He seemed out of breathe.
"Dora, I see you got Isaac up; and just in time too. The Mt. Aleph Boulder has been loosened from a landslide; it will fall any moment now. Come, you must hurry to the plaza."
He slid on his hood and Isaac and Dora did as well. Isaac's father grasped the door's handle and looked back at his wife and son. They nodded to him signifying they were ready and he nodded back. He opened the door only slightly before the wind slammed it against the wall. Isaac and Dora bustled out into the storm. While Isaac's father fought with the wind to pull the door shut, he and his mother looked up the mountain.
At the summit, thick, dark thunderclouds swirled maniacally like a witch's stew. Lightning shot forth constantly from the maelstrom lighting up the stormy night, arcing and weaving everywhere. Some bolts forked, others fanned out and retracted, and some even struck the mountain and random places in the forest. And in this electric blue light they saw it, the Mt. Aleph Boulder, more than half way down the mountain side. A massive rock that used to jut out from the side of Mt. Aleph, it could be seen from miles away and at sunset it created an odd silhouette that if anyone were to look upon it from afar, would know they were looking at the lonely mountain. But no longer; now it was lying amidst smaller boulders, mud and debris on the side of Mt. Aleph having moved from its place higher up. To Isaac, it seemed to be bearing down on him and indeed on Vale. The only thing halting its progress down the face of the mountain was a handful of Adepts risking their lives to keep it in place with the use of Psynergy so that the rest of the town would have a chance to evacuate to the plaza.
Isaac could see that the landslide had not in fact stopped. As it rained, the halted landslide was building up more debris and mud. Isaac realized that the Adepts would not be able to hold the boulder much longer. He drew his attention away from up the mountain and saw his parents talking to each other in raised voices so they could hear each other over the loud storm.
"No Kyle, I want to help you," Dora said. "Isaac knows his way to the plaza. He'll be alright. It's you I'm worried about and I think you'll need my help. What if some one is hurt? What if lots of people are in trouble? There may still be townspeople in need of help and evacuation."
"Dora, I'm not going to let you risk your life. And Isaac might need your help." At that moment, two people came running up the path to Isaac's house. One was big with wide shoulders and one was about a foot shorter. Both had there hoods drawn and their cloaks looked drenched. They carried lanterns that jostled back and forth in there hands as they ran.
"Kyle, Dora, I came over to make sure you guys were OK. It looks as though you are, so why haven't you left for the plaza yet?" Isaac recognized the man's voice as Garet's father. Isaac then saw Garet peering at him from behind the lantern light. They smiled at each other with raised eyebrows and rolled their eyes at the storm. They then looked at their parents who were trying to speak to each other over the storm.
"Well, they were about to leave," Kyle motioned at Isaac and Dora. "But Dora wants to help evacuate the rest of the townspeople and to be honest, I think we could use the help, but Isaac…" he trailed off.
"I see the dilemma. Well, how about Garet and Isaac go on ahead and the three of us can go help the rest of the townspeople? How about it, boys?" Garet's father turned to them. Do you think you'll be alright by yourselves?"
"Of course we will, Dad," Garet answered.
"We can take care of ourselves," Isaac agreed.
"Alright then, let's be off." The five of them walked hastily down the path and into the forest. When they reached a three-way intersection, they split.
"Be careful, Isaac," Dora said. "Look out for each other, okay? We'll see you soon." Dora hugged her son and then the three parents went north up the path leaving the two boys alone in the dark forest.
"Let's get to it then," Isaac said. "The faster we move, the faster we can be in front of a fire warming our toes, and the faster this storm will be over."
"I agree," said Garet. "But, you have to admit, this is kinda' exciting."
"Yeah, a little." They looked up at the mountain and could just see through the trees, the Mt. Aleph Boulder inching its way toward the Adepts.
"I hope everyone will be okay," Garet said.
"Me too. Let's go."
Isaac and Garet started off sprinting down the path trying not to slip, but that proved impossible. So, they slowed to a speedy walk, avoiding, when they could, puddles and slick rocks in the path. After five minutes their clothes were drenched to their skin and offered no warmth at all. They were sheltered somewhat from the wind; it blew the tops of the trees swaying them violently to and fro. Leaves were ripped from branches and branches were ripped from trees. Debris was gathering on the path making it more difficult to maneuver. They didn't think it possible, but the thunder and lightning was getting worse every second. Constant bursts of lightning would illuminate the forest for brief moments making everything appear as if it were day and then the thunder would boom and crackle all around them. That made the boys move faster despite the risk of slipping. After twenty minutes they stopped by a tall tree to catch a breather.
"Still think this fun?" Isaac asked smiling.
"Are you kidding? I'm havin' the time of my life!" Garet exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm. They looked down the path to see what obstacles still lay before them and they saw someone franticly running up it. "Who is that?"
"D'know." They watched the cloaked figure come to them. The person came to a stumbling halt and was out of breath. They then noticed it was Jenna.
"Isaac, Garet, I'm so glad I found you." Jenna stumbled toward Isaac and he caught her before she could fall. She took a second to breathe. She was sobbing.
"What, what's wrong?" Isaac asked. Jenna looked up into Isaac's eyes.
"It- it's my brother, he fell into the river!" Tears filled her eyes as she said it.
"Felix!" the boys exclaimed.
"What happened?" Garet asked.
"I need to find someone who can use Psynergy," Jenna explained. "Is there no one with you?"
"No, our parents are helping the other villagers evacuate," Isaac said. "But maybe they'll circle around to your house and…"
"It may be too late by then!" She interrupted. She let go of Isaac and started back down the path. The boys decided to go with her.
"To the plaza then?" Isaac asked. Jenna nodded. They ran a bit down the path before Garet asked again what happened.
"Felix and my dad were trying to bring our paddle boat ashore and a powerful gust caused Felix to slip off the dock." She was sobbing again. "The current was much too strong and Felix was swept down river. He managed to grab a rock sticking out of the water near a bend in the river. But he's in the rapids and this storm has really made them deadly. If he loses his grip, he'll…" she couldn't finish her sentence.
"Why can't your parents help him?" Garet asked. "They can use Psynergy, can't they?"
"They're too exhausted to use Psynergy. We need someone who hasn't already burned themselves out. I would have gone straight to the plaza, but Isaac's house was closer and I figured your dad could help, but…"
"Hey don't worry," Isaac said. "If I know my dad, he'll get there in time. But just in case, let's get to the plaza." They passed the path leading to Jenna's house and the lake on their right and kept on going toward the plaza. They could only hope that the storm would ease up while they were getting help. The storm didn't let up at all, however, it only got worse. The trees swayed more violently, the lightning struck more frequently and the thunder and rain became almost deafening.
After what seemed like hours, the three of them finally reached the plaza. The path leveled and opened into a dirt road with small buildings on either side. At the end of the road was the inn's eastern wall and to the left of that was the plaza-centre where the Psynergy stone was. There were people running about, shouting orders and going in and out of buildings, directing other townspeople where to go. Garet spotted his grandfather by the Psynergy stone. He was directing the Adepts who were rejuvenated from the Psynergy stone on where to go. The three teenagers dodged their way in between the other townspeople to the stone.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!" Garet yelled.
"Mr. Mayor! Mr. Mayor!" Isaac and Jenna shouted. The mayor finished what he saying to someone and then turned to see the three of them running at him.
"What is it? What's all the fuss?"
"M-mr. Mayor," Jenna started with a slight sob-stutter. "My brother, h-he's fallen into the river and we need someone with Psynergy to help save him."
"Oh dear, that's not good at all," the mayor said worried. He turned and yelled to the stone. "Samson, are you ready yet?"
"Almost there," one of the men around the stone responded. "Alright, that should be good enough. I'm ready to go again."
"Come here then. Samson, I want you to go with Jenna here and save her brother Felix. He fell into the river. Be quick about it, that boulder is ready to fall and from what I've heard, the river fast becoming deadly."
"Will do sir," Samson said. "Lead the way Jenna." The teenagers and Samson bolted back to the forest path and ran as fast as they could up the wet slope.
The rain was making its way through the trees and making it difficult for them to see clearly. Tiny rivulets were forming along the path and the four of them were constantly slipping and losing their footing. Finally they reached the path that would take them to Jenna's house and the lake. As soon as they turned onto the path, the four of them began to hear the roar of the water falls and the rain pummeling the surface of the lake. A short distance on a wide and somewhat more level path and they came into a clearing that slanted into the lake.
The clearing went alongside the lake on their right. On their left, a line of trees ran along the edge of the clearing. On the farside of the lake at the end of the clearing near the trees was Jenna's house. Beyond Jenna's house, the lake emptied into a wide river that snaked its way through the forest and near to the plaza's eastern side.
As the four of them ran along the shore of the lake, Jenna leading, they looked to the double set of waterfalls to their behind-right across the lake. They saw the Great Healer's chapel-cathedral on the cliff that lay half way up the falls. They looked higher and saw the other cliff that rose high behind the chapel-cathedral. Somewhere up there was the entrance to Sol Sanctum. Above that they saw the Boulder and the growing landslide which was still being halted by the handful of Adepts. They looked higher still and saw the face of Mt. Aleph and then the summit where the clouds swirled and the lightning struck. It seemed to them that the storm's epicenter was actually right over Mt. Aleph.
They looked back to the waterfalls trying to determine how much time they had, if any, before a flood was imminent. The first waterfall was the longer one. It spilled into a big pool that lay close to the lake. The second water fall was much smaller; small enough for someone to jump off the edge of it into the lake. Although at this point, both waterfalls looked like they could barely pour out all the water that was spilling over their edges fast enough. The lake was extremely choppy and had a sickly, dark green colour to it that became electric blue whenever lightning flashed.
As the four of them ran by the docks, they could tell that the water level had risen considerably. The docks had become mostly submerged and it looked as though the water level would rise even more before this storm was over. They continued on passed Jenna's house and began following the river which flowed parallel to Mt. Aleph's face. The river flowed with incredible speed and ferocity; it's roar alone was intimidating. A swift current had formed in the middle where it was deepest that sucked away any debris that fell into the river. Jenna could only hope that her brother had not lost the strength to hold on to the rock he was clinging to. The river turned left and a bit further down they could see another bend that turned right.
"That's where my brother is," Jenna shouted over the roar of the storm and the river. She pointed to the curve where the real rapids began; the curve in the river was nothing but white water. The four of them couldn't see Felix where they were, but they could see four people, two of them being his parents, standing on the bank of the river holding rope and trying in vain to throw it to Felix. Jenna ran faster and Isaac, Garet and Samson followed her pace.
As they came closer, Isaac realized that the other two people were his parents. Even up close they still couldn't see Felix. Jenna rushed to her parents and frantically asked if Felix was still OK. Samson hastily greeted himself and then asked where Felix was, for he could not see him in the river. Jenna's father pointed to the middle of the river. In the constant flashes of lightning, they all saw Felix gasping for air and still clinging to the rock. He was now nearly submerged by the rising tide and wave after wave crashed into his face. He was too far out from the riverbanks to effectively use Psynergy on him, but there was a jetty of a few large rocks on the bank still above the water leading out halfway to Felix.
"Jhon, Mary, Samson, here's what we're going to do," Kyle started. "Jhon, you and Samson go out onto the furthest rock and bring in Felix. I'll be on the rock behind you, and Mary, you stay on rock behind me. Samson, when you have Felix, hand him to Jhon, then, Jhon, hand him to me. I'll then give him to Mary who'll be closest to shore and they'll get to safety first. All right? Let's do this."
Jhon, Samson, Kyle and Mary clambered onto the rocks in that order and proceeded cautiously as close to Felix as the river would allow. Isaac, Garet, Jenna and Dora watched worryingly from the bank wishing there was more they could do to help. Samson and Jhon made it to the last rock and Samson immediately began focusing his Psynergy. Kyle stayed on the rock behind them and Mary on the rock behind him. Jhon began shouting to Felix to swim toward him as soon as he feels the Psynergy take a hold of him. They couldn't tell if Felix heard him or not, but decided to just get on with the plan.
Samson began to glow white as his focus intensified. He pointed his arms and hands toward Felix and he began to glow too. White rings of energy appeared on Samson and they fluctuated across his body. From his shoulders to his hands, the rings fluctuated with increasing speed. It looked as though Felix was about to jump from his rock when a muffled crashing thud was heard. Everyone heard it and thought it was thunder, but knew it was too low of a sound to have been that. The ground shook nearly throwing everyone off their feet. They feared the worst. And their fears were realized with a gut-wrenching sight: the Mt. Aleph Boulder was tumbling down the mountain side like a bat out of Pluto and heading toward the lake.
"The Boulder!" Garet shouted. "The Boulder is falling!" Kyle looked back at Dora and she looked at him and they knew that it was too late. Kyle smiled at her and they said goodbye to each other with that look. Kyle then looked at his son and Isaac stared at his father. He then also realized the reality of the situation and Isaac froze unable to move or avert his gaze from his father. Kyle then nodded to him and then turned his attention back to Felix. Tears welded up in Isaac's eyes.
Kyle and Mary stepped down to the rock that Jhon and Samson were on. Kyle put his hand on Jhon's shoulder and told him with a look that it was indeed too late. Despite this however, Samson held his focus on Felix and Jhon urged his son to swim. Felix kicked off from his rock and swam as fast and hard as he could. With the help of Samson's Psynergy, Felix reached his father's and Kyle's outstretched hands and he was on the rock embracing his mother and father. At that moment, the Mt. Aleph Boulder bounced off the high cliff to the left of the waterfalls and plunged spinning into the lake.
To Isaac, the next couple seconds seem to last a lifetime. The impact of the Boulder sent a massive blast of water that went in every direction and then a huge wave emanated from the impact. The lake's shore was engulfed in water and Jenna's house was smashed by the wave. Felix and his parents had all huddled on the rock and with their last few seconds looked up at Jenna and smiled sadly. Dora had just enough time to grab Jenna before she could run to her family. The spray from the wave doused the rock and the wave followed shortly after. When it had passed, careening further down the river, they were gone.