Author's Note: Welcome to the first (official) chapter, everyone!! This one is pretty long, which should hopefully make up for the prologue, a short chapter. This one will basically reveal the main quest (but still leave a few questions unanswered) and also reveal the story behind where the Wise One came from. Hopefully it doesn't sound too off-the-wall.

Keep reviewing! The only way I can make my story better is by reading all of your reviews. I can guarantee I won't get mad, no matter how destructive/constructive your review is. As long as there's one person out there who enjoys my work, I'll keep writing. Cheers!


Isaac slumbered. It was the first time in months that he was able to sleep in a bed without fear. During their quest, every night he laid his head down to rest, a different thought manifested itself. One day he would think of Saturos and Menardi. Who was he, a mere 17-year-old Adept, to decide they deserved to die? How could he live with himself when, as ruthless as they were, the pair only wanted to save their homeland from disappearing into oblivion? On other days, he became afraid of his mission. How could a mere 17-year-old Adept possible embark on a quest to save the entire world, with millions populating its surface? Some nights, he even felt hatred for the Wise One creeping up his soul.

And, although Isaac was deeply distressed by it, he began to hate Felix. What did Felix hope to accomplish, abandoning his friends to do what he felt 'necessary', and essentially labeling Isaac and Garet's lives meaningless? Did Felix think he was the only one 'worthy' enough to risk his life for Vale, and Weyard? Soon, however, Isaac understood; Felix was no different than himself, in the fact that he didn't want to involve anyone in his quest whom he felt would be endangered unnecessarily. This led to more confusion for Isaac, however, as he found this ideal to be slightly arrogant, considering Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia had already overcome the same adversity as Felix's group. Several times, Isaac almost shared these feelings with his party members, but decided against it, concluding that their mission didn't need any more complications.

And so, Isaac slept on, no longer perturbed by any worries or fears. He began to dream, peacefully. He was walking on a bridge, surrounded by all his djinn. Isaac looked down, and saw white. There was no sky, no surrounding environment: just him, his djinn, the bridge…and white blankness. Isaac was slightly bemused, but still at ease. It was as if, deep down, he knew the exact reason why he was there.

He walked energetically for some unknown time (it could have been, minutes, hours, days, years, centuries..). Finally, a brown wooden door appeared almost instantly before him. He placed his hand on the brass doorknob, twisted, and, not stopping for a moment to question anything that was happening, pulled.

The door opened to reveal an expansive, grassy field. He looked up to see the sky, a calming blue, with milky white clouds slowly moving across it. The sun (The sun? Isaac thought, perplexed) was brilliant, and the air around him was very warm, almost to an uncomfortable degree. He looked around again and realized his djinn had disappeared.

Isaac's eyes returned to the field. There was a single large tree on top of a grassy hill, with what seemed to be a table with two chairs at each end underneath it. He paused for a moment and walked toward it, the sun glaring at him. As he got closer, he saw a man a sitting in one of the chairs. He appeared to be somewhat older than Isaac, with a white linen shirt and some loose green pants that blew with the wind. His hair, a smooth tan, was in a ponytail. He was staring off into the field, thinking so deeply Isaac could practically read his thoughts in his furrowed brow. As Isaac drew nearer, the man turned to face him.

"Isaac," he said, as if he was a proud father acknowledging his son. "Sit", he said as he motioned to the seat across from him.

Isaac sat down. He waited uncomfortably for the man to speak, as he was beaming at him. After a minute, Isaac decided to open his mouth.

"So…what is all this?"

The man slapped the table heartily, making Isaac jump. "Why, my dear Isaac, you can consider this your victory interview!"

Isaac stared at the man, clueless, so he elaborated. "Well, don't you remember the mission I entrusted to you? Almost a year ago?"

Isaac continued to look clueless, and the man smiled. "Of course. You can't recognize me." He stood up from the table. "Perhaps this will allow you to understand."

The man opened his mouth and spoke: "Isaac, you must complete this quest." Only, it wasn't his voice. The voice he used sounded ethereal, above understanding. The voice sounded like it could control Alchemy itself. It was complex, as if 1000 people were speaking at once, and ignited a feeling of awe in Isaac's soul. The pool of psynergy within him was excited by this voice, and even the tree above them seemed to shudder. Isaac had only heard one voice like this in his life, and it was unmistakable where it came from. However, the voice wasn't the main reason he realized who the man was. The words he spoke were the words that motivated him for months; they were the words he recalled whenever he struggled to prevent (or help) the lighthouses being lit.

"Wise One…," Isaac said quietly.

The man smiled. "Not quite," he said in his normal voice. "But close enough. There are many things you deserve to know, Isaac, so I believe I'll begin by explaining who I am."

Isaac sat, a million questions trying to force their way through his mouth, but he held them back.

"It's true that my identity could be considered 'The Wise One', although that would only be part accurate. You see, Isaac," said the man as he sat down and leaned in, with his arms resting on the table, "the Wise One is merely the result of a melding of 294 Adept's psynergies and souls, along with a considerable amount of pure alchemy being used as glue."

Isaac's jaw dropped slightly, and he was about to bombard the man with questions, but the man held up his hand. "Be at ease. The story I'm about to tell you should explain everything…" He paused and took a sip of water from a glass Isaac hadn't noticed before. "As well as reveal the mission you must embark upon next," he added, his voice dropping from its cheery tone to a much more dire one.

Isaac narrowed his eyes at the stranger, but allowed him to continue.

"As I'm sure you've already learned at some point in your quest, there were once two tribes on Weyard, the Anemos and the Shamans." Isaac nodded, and the man continued. "The tribes fought bitterly. The Anemos were small in number, but immensely powerful Adepts. The Shaman's weren't as in-tune with psynergy, but made up for it with numbers and the ability to smith very unique and powerful weapons. In fact, they were the first tribe to forge steel." The man shuddered. "It was one of--no, the deadliest, bloodiest war in Weyard's history. I was alive during that time…," the man said solemnly, and Isaac suppressed a gasp of surprise as he continued. "When I was 16, I was selected to join the war. For 2 years, I served as a medic and record keeper, while I underwent intermediate weapon and combat training. Then, on the eve of my 18th birthday, I entered the frontline for the first time…"

The man leaned back in his seat, his eyes looking at a place far away.

"It was the worst day of my life. I was in one of the larger squadrons, a squadron that would be sent to the middle of the fight later in the battle. It was the army's policy to try and keep the young, new soldiers alive for as long as possible," he explained. "I…I remember walking through the chaos, spells and arrows being fired around me, men crying as their lives faded. I didn't know what to do. It was like watching the world end and not knowing how to stop it." The man paused again, obviously moved by his memories. Isaac waited patiently until he continued once more. "Then, completely by surprised, I was hit with a Wind Slash from behind. Seeing as it was my first instance being struck by psynergy, the pain was enormous," said the man as he smiled dryly. "However, my fear of dying on that field, in that hellish place, was far greater than my pain. So…I kicked the Adept who struck me in the crotch, and ran him through the stomach." Isaac tried to keep his expression blank, but the man was able to see through it. "Cowardice, I know," he said, laughing humorlessly. "I was terrorized that day, Isaac…looking back now, I see that war is by far the most dangerous plague to our society."

"The very next day, I deserted the army and fled home. My wounds were still grievous, and I had far from recovered. I collapsed near a lake, where I was found by a hermit. Ironically, the hermit was one of the Anemos, and his deep seated hatred for war led him to leaving his tribe, and living near a small lake on Atteka. It was with him where I first learned of the lighthouses, and the terrible, yet wondrous powers that lay within." He took another sip of water. "I began to study Jupiter psynergy, and after 2 years my ability was able to rival that of any Anemos Adept…a marvelous feat, no doubt. After my ability reached its apex, I was informed in detail of his plan to save…the whole of Weyard."

The man took another sip, as if he was casually talking about his prediction for next year's Colosso. Isaac tensed up, as he could feel in his soul the story he was hearing was one of the most important stories to ever be told.

The man continued: "The hermit, Aremos, and I, Aremis…"the man looked up, sensing Isaac's intrigued gaze. "Those names are words of the ancient Anemian language," he explained. "The language was lost hundreds of years before the war, in the dawn of man's creation. Aremos and Aremis are the names of two legendary Anemos warriors, who fought off invasion for 150 years."

Aremis paused for a moment, regaining his train of thought, and continued once again. "The hermit had spent 20 years constructing four orbs with the power to contain all the power of each of the lighthouses. It took an unimaginable about of time, effort and psynergy. He would spend a week straight without food, water, or sleep, condensing all his psynergy into a stone from Mt. Aleph. Then, he would need to rest for a month. And he continued this process until he had 4 identical stones, one for each of the elements. These stones came to be known as the-"

"The Elemental Stars," Isaac finished calmly.

Aremis nodded as he thoughtfully wiped the condensation off of his cool glass of water. "Yes…it took us about a year. We traveled from Atteka, which at that time, was still conjoined to the mainland, to each of the lighthouses, capturing their energy inside each of the Stars. We were careful to seal the Jupiter Lighthouse last, because we knew if we sealed it before we were ready to return, the Anemos' power would greatly diminish. If that happened, the war could've ended before we could get back and explain our deed, due to the Shamans successfully killing them off."

"There are dozens of encounters I could share with you about our quest. However, I believe they would best be shared another day." The man paused and thoughtfully smoothed his ponytail. "Once we returned, Aremos and I discovered something peculiar. The moment we sealed the final lighthouse, Jupiter's, the Anemos and Shamans had reached a truce. The reduction in their strength caused them to realize the futility of their war. The hermit and I were greatly relieved, but both of us knew there was more to be done, as we discussed during our travels. It was apparent to us that this could always happen again, if we didn't take some sort of proactive steps to prevent it. The hermit had a plan, and although I wasn't told of it, I already anticipated it would contain some sort of divine foresight…the same foresight he used to predict that I would collapse near his home a year prior."

Isaac was listening, but in the back of his mind, he felt indifference. He did everything the Wise One instructed him to, and even continued on his quest once he realized he only knew half the story behind Alchemy's effect on the world. All he wanted now…all he wanted now was simple, boring, peace and relaxation. Not another epic quest to 'save the world'. Yet there was another feeling in the back of his mind. Isaac couldn't quite put his finger on it, and before he could complete his self-examination, Aremis spoke again.

"So, the hermit demanded the Anemos Council and the entire clan be summoned before him, so he could deliver his plans. On that day, I was standing next to him. I had already been accepted as an honorary Anemos member for my participation in sealing the lighthouses, and by extension, ending the war. The hermit opened his mouth and said the heaviest words I had ever heard." Aremis paused. Isaac could feel a sort of tension in the air as he finished his statement: "He wanted every single Anemos member to give up their lives for the sake of the world, and unite to form a sort of watchman. He wanted all of us—them—to combine our psynergy and souls into one entity, who would be able to prevent any war that could occur."

"Just imagine, Isaac, if the Wise One came to Vale and demanded that all of you do the same. Give up your lives for the world. Lose all feelings of emotion and love. Lose all thoughts, and all of your senses. Do you think Vale would accept this destiny?"

Isaac considered the question. It was far, far deeper than a simple yes or no. How would Garet, Jenna, Felix, and the others react to such a proposal? Isaac didn't even know if he would be able to accept it.

Aremis interrupted Isaac's thoughts with a shocking statement: "Contrary to what you would think, Isaac, the Anemos were one-hundred percent willing to do this, with only a few, specifically six, dissenting. The clan was on the brink of extinction. There were exactly 300 of us, with most of the strong men killed in the war. It would take years, centuries for the clan to restore its previous glory. And seeing as the clan was so weak, it would be completely open to attacks by other clans and cities, who were greedy for the Anemos' secrets and treasures. The best way for the tribe to preserve its culture and live eternally was to follow through with Aremos' plan."

Isaac interrupted. "How? How could you possibly merge 300 people into one thing? That's contrary to all the laws of Alchemy I learned when I was younger…" Isaac's brain was overloaded. He had learned so much in such a short time, and he wasn't sure if he was even the right person to invest the secrets of Weyard into.

"Well, Isaac," said Aremis patiently, "it's actually simple. As I'm sure you know, when using the teleport spell, your body is broken down into pure psynergy." Isaac nodded, and he continued. "Well, we used a similar strategy. By using the Shaman's Rod, which we exchanged for the Hover Jade during our truce with them, we were able to break all of our bodies down to their simplest form. The Shaman's Rod is one of the two weapons forged in the history of man that has the ability to contain pure Alchemy. It enabled us to perform feats that no Adept could perform normally."

"Incredible," Isaac said softly.

Aremis nodded. "It was a very strange experience. Technically, all of our consciences exist within the stone you call the Wise One. Yet at the same time, we are all the same being."

"It was also a part of our plan to lift our entire main city near Contigo into the sky, to make sure that, in a safer time, it could be returned to earth, our culture completely preserved."

They sat in silence for a moment. Aremis wisely allowed Isaac to soak in all he had learned. It was a lot to digest, and even more to understand. Isaac finally looked up, and Aremis was surprised to see hardness in his eyes and in his voice.

"So, what the hell does this have to do with this second 'quest' that you're forcing me into? At least you have the courtesy to inform me the whole story before you send me trekking all over Weyard," Isaac said strongly.

Aremis remained calm. "I wish to apologize to you for that, Isaac, I—"

Isaac waved him off. "No," he said, more gently, "just tell me. What is it now that's putting us all in danger?"

Aremis took another sip of his water, with a noticeably distressed expression. "You see, Isaac…there were six of the Anemos who objected to our plan. Namely, the Council. They were also our six strongest. They…went up with the city. And I have reason to believe they are preparing to return."

"Huh?" Isaac interjected. How could six people live in a city in the sky for hundred of years? Isaac thought.

Aremis seemed to read his mind, for his response was, "Lemurian Draught. All that time ago, before Babi did it, a very, very large amount of it was stolen. Back then, it wasn't as large a problem, due to Alchemy being widespread, and the Draught being easily obtainable. But now, in retrospect, I know that those six are the ones who stole it."

"But how could you possibly know that they're coming? I mean—aren't they in the sky? Like you said?"

Aremis frowned. "Just one day ago…I heard a message. It was a very strong message; in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if young Ivan heard it as well. It was three simple words, directed towards our city in the sky. 'It has begun'." Aremis said this word with what almost sounded like fear in his voice. 'It has begun', he repeated softly. "Isaac, I know not their intention, but they shall return. If I am to guess correctly, they'll be seeking revenge."

Isaac felt like pulling his hair out. Six Adepts of the strongest tribe in Weyard's history, coming to wreak havoc? It sounded like a challenge even greater than lighting the beacons of the Lighthouses. There was no fear in his heart, but a feeling of apprehension. How would Vale be completed? How would his parents take the news that, right after being united once again, their son would be leaving once more? And how many lives would be taken away?

"Why…me…?" Isaac said softly, not caring who heard him. "Why…"

Aremis' expression turned to one of sympathy. "I'm sorry, Isaac. It is my doing that got you involved in this. I…imbued you with a small percentage of power from the Golden Sun." Isaac looked up, shocked. Aremis nodded. "There is a small percentage of the Mars portion of the Golden Sun within you. However, this won't make you half Mars Adept, half Venus Adept. I continued by converting all of that energy into Venus psynergy. You'll find you're more in-tune with Venus, specifically, the earth. Right now, you're the one who's best equipped to defeat the Anemos Council."

"What does that even mean," Isaac said. "More 'in-tune', what did you do, exactly?"

Aremis waved him off. "Isaac, my power is fading. You will wake up soon, for I can't stay in this dream forever. Just know that it will come in handy." Aremis stood up. "Before I go, I must definitively ask you: will you accept this quest?"

Isaac's first impulse was to say no. He thought of Jenna, Garet, Felix, all of his friends (who would no doubt risk their lives beside him), all of Vale, and rejected the thought of leaving them. Of going once again to save millions he didn't even know.

Yet, there was something in him that stopped him. It was a feeling he had earlier in their conversation. He still didn't know what it was, but before Isaac could think about it, the words forced themselves out of his mouth:

"If it has to be done…I'll be the one to do it."

Aremis smiled a smile full of admiration. "Superb. You must prepare yourself, and, if you decide to bring them, you must prepare your friends. Tomorrow, I will appear to all of you at the bottom of Mt. Aleph. Do not be afraid, Isaac. I will assist you on this quest with all that I can provide. Farewell, for now."

Aremis turned and walked off the hill. He cast a final look at Isaac, and seemed to fade into the environment.

Did the Wise One really have the audacity to put him on another life-threatening quest, after he successfully completed one? He wanted to hate him, but he didn't. He wanted to hide away, to have no responsibility, to stay in Vale, get married, have children, live the normal life, and die there. But there was that feeling again. That feeling of calm. The feeling that forced him to accept and embark on this new adventure. It was now that Isaac realized what it was, as the grassy field and everything around him began to fade away.

He was ready.