1:00am-2:00am
Alex waits patiently on the cool Imilian shore.
He wears the pale blue flowing robes of the Mercury Clan's obleikova.
His long hair is pulled back into a low ponytail with a silver clasp shaped like the symbol of Mercury.
He breathes in the slightly salty north wind.
...he smiles.
"Hello, Mia."
Mia—who's standing behind Alex with outstretched hands ready to scare him to attention—frowns. "How do you always know when I'm here?" she demands, putting her hands on her hips.
"How could I not?" Alex responds, gathering Mia into his arms. "It would be a sin to be ignorant of a divine presence like yourself."
Mia giggles and snuggles against him. "Flattery will only get you so far," she says.
"Perhaps, but it's gotten me far enough." Alex kisses the top of Mia's head. "You're a little late."
"I'm well aware of that," Mia retorts. "You owe me, Alex. I very nearly got caught by Vlaria Nastasya while trying to get out here."
"That old hag? Well, anyway, it's not my fault if you don't have the same talent for secrecy that I do."
Mia tugs on Alex's hair. "Are we going to go to that place or not?"
"Of course." Alex kisses Mia's cheek before releasing her. "Let's go. We can borrow my family boat."
O-O-O
The ocean laps gently against the small wooden craft.
Bright beams of a full moon sparkle on the rippled surface.
Mia's arm is draped over the side of the boat, her delicate fingers trailing in the water as Alex rows. "So," she says, "just where are we going?"
"It's a small island not too far from here, but it's far enough to escape common notice. I'm not entirely sure of what it is—I happened upon it one day while trying to catch supper for Grandma and Grandpa. I checked the scrolls in the sanctum's open archives to see if they said anything about such a place, but I didn't find anything." A pause. "So...I looked elsewhere."
Mia sits up suddenly in horror, rocking the boat. "Not the forbidden scrolls!"
Alex gives her an innocent glance. "Where else would I be looking, if not in the open archives?"
"You know we're not supposed to go in there unless a superior gives us permission," she says, glaring at him.
Alex doesn't even blink. "I know. That's why I told Vlare Tonias that you'd sent me there to look up the properties of the Ten Condemned Elixirs, in order that I may better understand what my job would be as a Clan healer. Remember, you have obleika status."
Mia gapes at him.
Alex's face is blank, but his eyes glitter with mischief.
Mia sits back and sighs. "I haven't any idea what to do with you, Alexos."
"What's this? Lapsing into my birth name?" He laughs. "I'm offended. Should I just call you obleika from now on, both in and out of the sanctum?"
Mia doesn't respond to this. "Did you have any luck with those other scrolls?" she asks, a certain annoyance to her voice.
"A little bit. There was a legend that Hermes Trismegistus lived on an unnamed island near here for 100 years to meditate on the significance of the water element. Once he was finished with his meditation, he remained there for another 20 years to write a series of treatises and works on the alchemical power and properties of water, like the Aqua Vitae and Aqua Regis and such."
"I've heard about those. But they've never been found, have they?"
"No. The only evidence, if you can call it that, of their existence is the word of historians and other alchemists."
"Is that all you found out?"
"Well, apparently the island's also the place where Hermes figured out the formula for the healing water that used to flow from the lighthouse. There aren't any hard and clear facts, though."
"That's strange..." Mia murmurs. "Why doesn't anyone know about this place if has so much significance?"
"Who's to say that no one knows?"
Mia crosses her arms. "What are you implying?" she asks, glaring at him again.
"Nothing at all. I'm merely suggesting a possibility."
The rest of the ride passes under a tense silence.
O-O-O
Alex carefully brings the boat to a stop on the shore of the mysterious island.
He lays the oars in the boat, and then helps Mia to her feet.
The two set out northward.
They reach an entrance carved out of a large rock.
"This way," Alex says. "Watch out—the doorway's a little low." He holds out a hand.
Mia ducks and takes it.
Together, they journey into the darkness.
Side-by-side.
A perfect pair.
For now.
"Are you sure this is okay?" Mia asks, clutching Alex's fingers. "We don't have a torch."
"We won't need one," Alex replies.
And he's right.
Soon, a warm glow appears at the end of their path.
They step out.
They're in a small, square-shaped cave, with a low ceiling.
The sandy floor, previously undisturbed, easily accepts their footprints.
Small alchemical flames burn eternally at regular intervals on the walls on either side of them.
Mia looks around. "Nice place to meditate for a century," she remarks.
Alex snorts. "That was my reaction, too." He places a hand on the wall. "It's easy to see why this was forgotten from major history. So plain, so ordinary...so empty."
"This...can't be all there is."
"Hmm?"
Mia closes her eyes. "Don't you feel it? The pure power of Mercury pulsing through here?"
"Ah!" Alex smiles. "So I wasn't crazy. Do you suppose it's the remnants of Hermes' alchemical work?"
"No." Mia shakes her head. "The power is alive here. It's fresh. Like...like it's the blood flowing through the heart of this cave. But I can't figure out the source."
"It feels like it's just coming from everywhere at once."
"Yeah."
Silence.
Alex holds an elbow with one hand and rests his chin in his other hand. He paces back and forth.
Mia walks the perimeter of the cave, studying it as much as she can.
Outside, the waters churn softly.
The alchemical flames continue to glow.
"...wait."
Mia's head turns.
Alex has stopped in front of one of the walls.
"What is it?" she asks.
"The sand." He taps the ground beneath him. "It feels slightly thinner and firmer over here."
They look at each other.
Mia rushes over to join Alex in sweeping away at the sand with the tips of their boots.
Beneath it lies...
"A stone plaque," Mia breathes, kneeling.
"In old Imilian...'Milarich'," Alex adds. He crouches to get a better look. "And very badly written Milarich, if I do say so myself."
"Oh, of course you would be the expert on bad handwriting."
Alex grabs Mia's sleeve and tugs her over to kiss her on the nose. "You're too kind to me."
Mia swats at him. "Will you stop doing things like that?" she sputters, blushing.
Alex only smirks before turning his attention back to the plaque. He digs his fingernails into the niches of the rock, trying to scrape out the excess sand from the inscriptions. "I can't make out anything here," he complains. "If Hermes wrote this, then he has a horrible hand. Even if we had his writings, it'd be a wonder if anyone could decipher it."
Mia rolls her eyes. "It's not that bad. You're just blocking most of the firelight." She gently pushes him aside to allow more light to illuminate the ancient letters. "Hmm..."
Alex waits.
"That first line..." Mia rubs her finger over the words. "Chaykov ij vlamintch ij praszhna rhetoskh...that's 'brood of the water's womb.' Then after that...takivskaijar a vaz: 'the birthright is yours.'" She continues to translate. "'No one alone can enter. Retreat within thyself and honor thy blood.'"
Alex nods. "A riddle, eh?"
"Looks like it. Any ideas?"
"'Brood of the water's womb' probably refers to those of the Clan—that's a pretty easy one to guess." Alex tucks a stray piece of hair behind his ear. "Members of the Clan have something to gain here, it seems. How does the rest of it go?"
"'No one alone can enter. Retreat within thyself and honor thy blood.'"
Alex stands up.
He gazes thoughtfully at the worn stone.
Mia glances at him...then at the plaque...then back at him. "One person isn't enough to open the way," she says suddenly. "'No one alone can enter.' And the word that I translated as 'thyself' is vazkhani—that's the formal plural form of 'you' in Milarich. That means he assumes that more than one person will be here."
"Makes enough sense." Alex exhales. "Nicely done. What about the last part?"
Mia shrugs.
Alex presses his back against the wall and slides down to the ground. "Retreat within thyself...and honor thy blood..." he repeats. "Retreat within thyself and honor thy blood..."
His eyes fall upon the carved letters.
A long pause.
"Mia, what's the word he uses for 'blood'? I can't see it well from here."
"Mijroshk."
"Doesn't that also refer to ancestors, or predecessors?"
"Sometimes, depending on the context."
"Then...to 'retreat within ourselves' and 'honor our ancestors'..."
Mia's eyes widen. "Of course! The power of Ply! That's the way to enter whatever Hermes is talking about."
"But where?" Alex gestures. "There doesn't seem to be any particular place for us to channel our power."
"Why not right here? If that doesn't work, then we'll figure something else out."
Alex nods.
He stands up and joins Mia in front of the plaque.
They hold out their hands.
A mystical blue light surrounds them as they summon their powers.
"Ply," they whisper together.
Mia and Alex squint as their powers flare up.
A magical wind swirls around them.
Archaic symbols suddenly light up on the walls, as though illuminated by the Psynergy.
Intricate designs snake across the floor and on the ceiling.
The cave begins to shake violently.
The stone plaque shines brightly before shattering to dust. SHRASH!
In the center of the floor, a circular glyph materializes in a brief flash of light before vanishing.
The ground where the glyph was begins to cave in.
"Watch out!" Alex yells, grabbing Mia's arm and pulling her back with him to avoid being caught in the collapse.
As the quaking dissipates, the sand in the middle drains away to reveal a long, spiraling staircase downwards.
Both Alex and Mia stare at the newly uncovered passageway.
They're clinging to each other, trying to catch their breaths.
Mia is the first to speak. "S-shall we?"
Alex hugs her.
They descend the staircase.
Though they're now underground, the air only becomes sweeter and more refreshing the deeper they go.
At the bottom of the stairs is a wooden door with a silver handle.
Alex grabs the handle, turns it, and pushes.
CR-REAK!
He and Mia stand at the threshold of a virtual temple.
The place is spacious and rectangular.
The walls and floor are white marble, with an inherent magical radiance.
Fluted columns of pale cerulean crystal line the walls, the ocean waters rushing through their centers.
The candles attached to the columns burn with a white flame.
Tiny crystal orbs on fine silver chains dangle from the curved ceiling like suspended drops of water.
The same symbols and designs that appeared in the cave are inlaid in polished silver on the walls and across the floor.
On the far end of the room is a marble pedestal topped with a pyramid of twelve scrolls.
"This place..." Mia says in wonder. "It's almost pure Mercury power."
Alex runs up to the pedestal, followed closely by Mia. He snatches the topmost scroll from it, unrolls it...and then laughs. "Look at this!" he exclaims. "Look!"
Mia peers over his shoulder. Her mouth drops. "That's..."
"The one and only original Aqua Regis—'water of the kings'," Alex declares. "It explains how to use the alchemical powers of water in the transmutation of base metal into gold." He rolls up the parchment, hands it to Mia, and takes another one to peruse. "And this is...oh, I've never heard of this one before, the Aqua Naturae...but this looks more like a guide to meditation using water as a metaphor...and then...hmm...these scrolls describe water's relationship with the other three elements..."
"Oh! The Mercurium Trinity!"
"Exactly." Alex picks up a particularly large scroll. "This is amazing...I can't believe this! These are all original Hermetic scripts—and they're all about the water element! Why wouldn't they even be in the forbidden archives back at the sanctum?"
Mia gives him a strange look. "You're assuming that someone's been here before to see this."
"There's no way that a place with such a legend surrounding it would have gone unexplored for so long, especially not with the immense amount of energy flowing through here." An awestruck look crosses Alex's face as he reads through the scroll he's just opened. "By Neptune's crown..."
"Alex?" Mia asks timidly.
He turns to Mia, eyes wide with glee. "This is absolutely incredible! I just can't imagine...do you have any idea what this is?"
Mia shakes her head slowly.
Alex grins. "It's the original scroll detailing the changeability of elemental qualities."
Mia gasps. She drops the scrolls she's holding. "No! That's one of the most forbidden knowledges of the alchemic occult!"
"It's brilliant..." mutters Alex, seemingly heedless of Mia's warnings. "To think that by simply manipulating the qualities of an element—to change the cold wetness of water into the hot dryness of fire—we can control whatever element we choose, and not just water. The possibilities are endless! It looks difficult, but the important thing is that it can be done."
"Alex, we should leave," Mia urges. "This is an archive of knowledge that brought the world to its knees before alchemy was sealed! Things like these are precisely why alchemy was destroying Weyard back then!"
"But you yourself said that one can learn something from any kind of knowledge." Alex's eyes are focused on the parchment. "As your student, I am merely following your teachings."
"What you learn from a knowledge doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the content of the knowledge!"
Alex glances up from his reading.
Mia's biting her lip.
Her hands are clenched.
She looks like she's ready to cry.
Alarmed, Alex gently sets the scroll down. "Mia, what in—? What are you so scared of?"
"You!"
Alex freezes.
Mia gazes at him sadly.
A pause.
Alex looks away.
Mia gulps before going on. "Gods...the look on your face...wh-when you saw all this..." Her voice shakes. "It was just so...so..."
Alex closes his eyes. "Oh, Mia." He brings her close to him once again. "Aren't you amazed by what we've just discovered? This is a sacred haven! And to have found the original scripts of Hermes when they've been thought a mere fairy tale is beyond words!"
"I-it's dangerous," Mia whispers, leaning into him. "It's things like that that nearly destroyed Weyard before the lighthouses were extinguished. Once we figure out the things we can control...we lose control of everything."
Alex sighs. He rests his chin on the top of her head. "You shouldn't worry so much," he says. "I'm just stunned by all this, that's all. Surely you're surprised, too?"
Mia nods into his chest.
"Then you know how I felt when I read those scrolls. It wasn't because I had a sudden urge to destroy the world or anything—it was just pure wonder at the lost knowledge."
"...I guess...th-that makes sense..."
Alex suddenly lowers his head to kiss Mia on the lips.
Startled at first, Mia eventually settles into the caress.
Her arms wrap around his waist.
They remain so for a few precious moments.
Alex breaks the kiss and presses his forehead against hers. "Am I truly such a depraved person that you'd need to be worried about the things I learn?" he asks her quietly.
"N-no." Mia reaches up to put her arms around his neck. "No, not at all. I just...maybe I'm being paranoid."
"I think you're doing your duty as my obleika."
"Was that sarcasm? Because if that was, some discipline is going to be in order during lessons tomorrow."
Alex laughs. "Whatever happened to the way of peace and harmony?" he says, pulling Mia in for an even deeper kiss than before.
"Mmmph!" Once again, Mia's caught by surprise.
But she eases into the flow, returning the kiss.
Alex's hands cup Mia's face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks.
Slowly...his hands slide down to her neck.
Then they slither down her shoulders.
Her arms.
Mia's breath catches in her throat.
She shivers with pleasure and sighs.
Alex smiles.
One arm hooks around Mia's waist.
The other arm reaches up and begins to delicately trace a line down the middle of her back.
Mia stiffens a little.
His hands move to her hips, massaging them.
Mia's blushing furiously now. "Alex...?"
Alex leans over and takes her earlobe into his mouth.
Mia's eyes widen, and she jerks away. "Alex, wh-what are you doing?" she demands, her face bright red.
Alex only quirks an eyebrow. "Was that your bad ear?" he asks.
Mia turns away, hugging herself loosely.
The amusement leaves Alex's face. He takes a step back, hands behind his back. "I'm sorry," he says contritely. "I went too far, didn't I?"
Mia shakes her head, still not looking at him. "N-no, it's not that." She laughs. "Just...this is sort of a w-weird place to do that sort of thing, you know?"
"Mia, if you're bothered by things like that, please just tell me—"
"I told you, it's not that!" Her shoulders heave with a long sigh. "I wanted it, I really did."
Alex blinks. "Then what's wrong?"
A silence.
"...A-Alex...are you aware of the Clan's doctrine on relationships?"
"Not particularly."
"Th-they don't allow...for romance...once you become part of the vlarii..."
"But you're an obleika."
Mia finally faces him again. "To become a vlaria of the Clan is a very possible path for me," she says. "And it is one I've wanted to take ever since I was little."
The implications of her words sink in.
Alex stares at her with something akin to heartbreak.
"Oh, Alex," Mia whispers. "Please don't look at me like that..."
"So that's what it is." He grasps her hands. "Choosing between me and your life path."
Mia sighs. "I don't know what I want anymore." She hugs him again. "Well, that's a lie, I know what I want—I want you. And I want to be a priestess, too. But..."
"You can't have both," Alex finishes for her.
Mia nods sadly.
Alex holds her tightly. "I can't stop you from doing whatever you want," he says. "But I'll support you no matter what decision you make."
"I know." Mia clings to his robes. "I just wish I knew what would be the best choice for me to make..."
"Will you have to decide soon?"
"No, but the training takes a long time."
Alex closes his eyes and buries his face in her hair. "Maybe...it might be best if we simply broke this off now..."
"No!"
Mia's exclamation startles Alex so much that he pulls away from her.
"Alex, no." A tear runs down her face as she looks up at him. "Please d-don't say that. If I have to leave you in the future...then let me enjoy the time I have left with you."
Alex gathers up his sleeve and wipes Mia's cheek with it. "If that is what you choose," he says, "then so be it."
Mia takes his hand and presses it to her face. Her eyes close, and she leans her head into his palm.
"P-perhaps we really should go," Alex murmurs. "It's getting late, and...and I think you need to rest."
"Alex, I love you."
"...I love you too, Mia."
The two pick up the scrolls from the ground and return them to their rightful place on the pedestal.
Then, hand-in-hand, Alex and Mia turn around and exit the sanctuary.
The door closes behind them.
And all is as it was before they came.
Except...
Where there were once twelve scrolls...there are now only ten.
