Isaac liked to picture himself as wise and mighty. Garet however, saw nothing other than a desperate fool.
They left the village on horseback and with supplies, but Isaac lost everything within the first two days. He could shout all he wanted about being a mighty Adept and that common lowlifes were no match for him. That still didn't change the fact that three nameless thieves tricked him and then ran off with almost all of their possessions.
Look at the idiot. His bright blue attire was in disarray and his long scarf hung over his shoulder like a poor man's cape. His ridiculous armour was covered with mud and he looked like a cripple limping with his backpack and tools. Garet couldn't even tell what Isaac was supposed to look like. He looked too stupid for a pilgrim, too overdressed for a hunter, and way too inconspicuous for a bandit. Why would he even dress like that unless he wanted to attract thieves?
They encountered three bards on the first evening and were invited to camp with them. The strangers warned them about brigands, saying that this was a popular trading route usually plagued by thieves. It's several days to the next town, they said. It was unsafe to camp alone, they said.
So the Adepts heeded the advice and joined the musicians in the camp. At night, Garet kept first watch with one of the strangers. His name was Bernard, and he strung a soft tune on his lute and offered Garet ale. Not trusting the bard's artificial smile, Garet declined the offer. He also made sure Isaac took over watch when he needed sleep.
He thought he could rely on Isaac, but what did the idiot do? He let his guard down and a few drinks later, the bards had stolen their horses and ridden off with their supplies. The thieves would've taken off with their weapons and money too if Garet didn't wake up in time. He took up the chase, but of course he couldn't outrun a horse. Afterwards, he dragged his feet back to the camp with his clothes muddied and his hair full of twigs, only to find Isaac still drunk out of mind and asleep.
Next morning, Garet tried convincing his friend to go back to the village, reasoning they couldn't travel without supplies, but Isaac refused.
"I'm not going back to Vale after just one day!" said the Earth Adept.
"Then what are you going to do?" Garet asked, spreading his arms and giving Isaac an incredulous stare. "We don't have any food!"
"We still have our money! We can buy more!"
"From whom? We're in the middle of the woods!"
Isaac took a deep breath, giving Garet an indignant look. After a moment, he raised his gloved hands.
"I've got these," said Isaac with an angry stare. "I'd rather die than crawl back to Vale empty-handed! You can leave now if you want. I never asked for your help."
If Garet hadn't promised his family to look after Isaac, he would've left long ago. He was the reason Isaac was still alive, yet this moron had the nerve to say he didn't ask for Garet's help! Those thieves would've murdered Isaac in his sleep and thrown his body in a ditch to rot if Garet didn't wake up and alerted them! He was so ungrateful. If Garet hadn't promised Isaac's mother he'd make sure her son didn't end up in trouble, he would've left Isaac for his own devices without a second thought!
Hah, of course not. Of course he wouldn't leave. Isaac was his friend through and through, and this wasn't just Isaac's quest—it was Garet's too. Isaac could tell the whole world this was his quest and his quest alone, but Garet had volunteered too, knowing well he wasn't blameless in Felix and Jenna's abduction.
So he followed Isaac southwards, trekking through the forest and following the Valian River instead of sticking to the road. Isaac reasoned this was the best way to avoid highwaymen. He was probably right, but Garet wasn't sure if this really was the best plan—if they'd stayed on the road, they could've run into people willing to help them too.
For the next four days, they lived on mushrooms, berries and fish. That wasn't too bad, but they had to walk long distances every day and sleep in the open at night in rainy August too! At this rate, they'd die of sickness and exhaustion before even finding a single trace of Felix and Jenna. At dawn of the fifth day, Garet was nearing his breaking point. He contemplated knocking Isaac out and dragging him back to Vale, but then they reached a stone bridge and were finally out of the woods.
Seeing a farmer and his daughter crossing the bridge by carriage, Garet praised the Saints and thanked the gods. He hurried over to ask where the farmers were heading. The strangers looked at him with judging eyes, upon which Garet brushed back his tousled hair and politely introduced himself as a templar of Vale. The farmer's daughter hesitantly looked at him and then whispered something to her dad.
"We're on our way to Vault," said the farmer after a while. "You… need a ride, I guess?"
"Yes!" Garet instantly replied. "Yes,please," he then added in embarrassment.
Perhaps they pitied him for being a lost traveller. Perhaps they saw the sincerity in his eyes. Despite that Garet looked more like a dirty bandit than a man of the temple, the farmer gave him a curt smile and a nod, gesturing towards the back of the carriage.
"Thank you!" said Garet and quickly climbed aboard. Isaac followed, but he didn't speak a single word for the entire journey.
A stone wall embraced the town of Vault and about a dozen people were lined up outside of the gate awaiting entry in the middle of the day. There were merchants, farmers, and probably many weary travellers looking for refuge for the night.
Vault. Garet had been here before. Seven years ago, the crops failed miserably in the south, and the priests of Vale decided to send supplies to aid the people in need. Ten year old Garet had never been outside of the village before. He wanted to see the world and snuck aboard the supply carriage, tagging along on the journey. Back then, Vault was just a little bit more than a gathering place for merchants and farmhands to exchange goods. From the looks of it, it seemed like the town had become permanent residence for a lot of people. This stone wall; it showed that the city could defend itself. It was a sign that it no longer was the farming village that regularly had to give into brigands' extortions.
Hopping off the farmer's carriage, Garet thanked the warm-hearted people for bringing him here before joining the line in wait for entrance to the town. The guards seemed to stop every single person at the gate. Some people who dressed rather poorly were refused entry, which made Garet worry about himself a little.
Isaac smirked and commented on how security here was far better than it was in Vale. He said the templars let Felix and the scumbags in despite that they carried heavy weapons and looked like barbarians. Garet decided to ignore his friend, being too tired for pointless arguing. He looked at his own attire and combed out the dried leaves from his hair. When it was finally their turn to enter, a youthful guard with a tuft of black hair on his chin demanded their names and occupations.
"We're travellers," said Isaac in a stoic voice. "We're just here to buy supplies."
Another guard with a round face and short brown hair circled the Adepts. He poked Isaac's rucksack with his spear.
"What do you have in here?" asked the guard.
"Clothing, pots, scissors, knife, logging axe, fishing tools, sharpening stone, extra boots…" replied Isaac, looking annoyed as he listed the stuff in his bag.
The younger guard cast a look at Garet's sword.
"That's yours?"
Garet nodded, but he couldn't explain he was a templar before Isaac yelped:
"Hands off!"
"What did you do now?" said Garet, groaning as he looked back towards his friend.
Isaac was refusing to let the guards have a look at his stuff. Garet growled impatiently, excusing himself. He yanked the bags away from his friend and threw them on the ground at the guards' feet. After that, he dragged Isaac aside to talk some sense into him.
"Seriously?" said Garet. "You're going to start a fight over the pots and pans in your bags? Do you even have anything valuable in there?"
"It's not about the stuff," said Isaac with a frown. "It's about principle. They need a reason to-"
"You want to enter the town or not?" Garet hissed impatiently at his friend. "They don't have to let us in, you know?"
Isaac surly turned away and the watchmen finished going through his stuff. They didn't even put it back into the bags and Isaac grudgingly had to gather it from the ground himself.
"What are your connections to the temples?" asked the brown-haired guard.
"I'm a templar," replied Garet. He raised his sword to show the scabbard and the hilt.
"A what?"
"Strictly speaking, I'm a warrior monk. I bring a message from the Valian Order."
The guards looked Garet up and down and then gave Isaac the same treatment. They whispered among themselves and pointed at the Adepts. In one moment, they seemed amused, laughing at Isaac's stupid get-up, and in the next they put on straight faces to ask more questions.
"So you are a monk," said the watchman with the black beard. "What about you then?" He pointed at Isaac. "Are you a bard? Street performer?"He then turned back to Garet."Any proof that you didn't jump a poor priest on the road and robbed him of his equipment?"
"I'm an apprentice priest," said Isaac lowly, annunciating his words as he fought the urge to do something violent. "I can first break your nose and then heal it if you need proof."
Garet tackled his friend and slapped him on the head. He slung an arm around Isaac's shoulders, laughing and apologizing for his friend's behaviour.
"We've been robbed," said Garet, flashing a stupid apologetic grin. "He's stingy because we barely had any sleep. Please, we don't want any trouble. Please."
The guards laughed and then finally waved them through the gate. The Adepts hurried into town and when the guards were finally out of earshot, Garet let out a sigh of relief. He then elbowed his friend on the side and spoke with a laugh:
"You're an apprentice priest? Who took you in? I didn't hear from anyone in the brotherhood taking you under his wing."
"You think I'm not good enough to pass as an apprentice priest?" said Isaac, completely missing the joke.
Garet raised his hands defensively with a frown. He then suggested they go find the authorities and ask for help with the quest.
"Your dad and the templars delivered supplies to Vault when the crops failed years ago," said Garet. "If you tell them you're Captain Kyle's son, I'm sure they'll help us out."
Isaac winced at the mention of his father's name. He didn't seem to like the idea for some reason.
As they walked down the main street, Garet lifted his head and looked around, surprised that the town had expanded so much in a few years. Seven years ago, Vault wasn't much different from Vale. Now it had probably surpassed its northern neighbour in both population and development. What used to be an open marketplace had become a town plaza surrounded by many large timber-framed houses. A bell tower was in construction in the middle of the square, and the streets were crowded with busy citizens. The militia and mercenaries were gone, replaced with an organized watch. Garet counted the guards in view out of curiosity.
One, two, three, four, five, six watchmen. It was a bit odd to see so many guards patrolling the streets among the farmers who'd set up shop here. Was crime really that much of a problem in the free cities?
"What are you doing?" said Isaac, standing a few paces further down the road and staring back at Garet with an annoyed look. "We don't have time for loitering."
"Right, right," replied Garet, looking around the streets again. Everything had changed—where did the mayor live now? "I'm trying to find someone to ask for directions."
Isaac threw his hands up in the air and rolled his eyes. After that, he rudely grabbed a random person off the streets and asked them where he could find the temple. The citizen jerked his arm away from Isaac, giving him a stare. He then pointed down the streets leading to the western side of the town, not even saying a word before leaving.
The temple was located at the outskirts of town. It was a simple dwelling made of wood—much simpler than the other buildings the Adepts had seen so far. The chapel and the ward were in the same room and it was all run by a lone priest. His long face was framed with dark brown curls and a full beard, and he introduced himself as Laurentius.
"Laresus?"
"You can call me Lars," said the priest, laughing after hearing the Adepts' mangling the pronunciation of his proper name.
Garet respectfully presented a writ from Harald to the priest. Lars looked at the parchment and raised an eyebrow. He took the scroll, broke the seal and read the first sentences, and then he rolled it up again.
"You should give this to the mayor," said Lars as he returned the writ to Garet. "I have no power here. No wait, give it to the councilmen."
"Councilmen? What about the mayor?" asked Garet.
"Mayor Greg has been busy lately. I don't think he's been in office for three days."
"Oh."
Right. It was easy to forget that the temples of Weyard were all run differently. The Order of Vale held absolute power in the village of Adepts. The men of the temple wrote and enforced the law and commanded the village's defences. They were responsible for education and the most powerful Adepts in Vale were either priests or templars.
Lars on the other hand wasn't much more than a pious person who took care of the sick. He didn't even have a seat in the town's council. He obviously had the blood of Adepts, but his Psynergy was incredibly weak. The temperature of an Adept's energy revealed their elemental alignment; Fire and Wind were warm elements while Earth and Water were cold. Garet's couldn't even feel Lars's flow of Psynergy when he healed the annoying insect bites on his face. He wondered how well the priest did when people came in with serious injuries or dire illnesses, but refrained from asking.
Afterwards, Lars directed them to the townhall near the plaza, and the Adepts hurried there in hopes of finding someone to aid them in their quest. It was long past midday when they arrived and they hadn't bought supplies or found a place to sleep yet. Even so, they had to wait half an hour outside the townhall until a scribe arrived to let them in. Garet explained he had an important message to the mayor. He pushed Harald's writ into the scribe's hands, begging him to bring it to someone who could assist them in catching the temple robbers and rescuing Jenna and Felix.
"Hah-ha…" The scribe chuckled softly, shaking his head and placing a hand on his forehead as he returned the writ to Garet after reading it. "I could try, but we're dealing with a bad case of thievery and abduction ourselves. Mayor Greg's focusing the resources on finding his youngest son, and the councilmen are trying to work out the rest of the town's problems after the huge cleanout days ago. I'll announce the bounty, but that's all I can do, I'm afraid."
Hearing that, Isaac turned around and began leaving. Garet followed, but after a while he asked Isaac what his plan was since he seemed so sure of what to do next.
"I'm going to the tavern," said Isaac with a tired voice.
"A tavern?" Garet questioned his friend. "Why? We should find the councilmen and convince them to help us!"
"Do whatever you want," said Isaac with a snort. "I'll go check for rumours and maybe find someone who actually will help."
"Well, what do you think I'm doing?" asked Garet, gesturing towards the townhall. "I'm trying to get the authorities to help us!"
"They don't care," said Isaac evenly, turning away. He was about to leave when Garet grabbed his shoulder.
"Would you listen?" said Garet.
"No, you listen!" Isaac whirled around and yelled at his friend. "I'm done clowning around—"
"Good!" Garet yelled back, finally fed up with his friend's inability to cooperate. "Because I'm tired of you acting like you're raised by animals! Where are your manners?"
"Gone!" Isaac responded. "If no one's wants to help us then I'll just have to find Jenna on my own! I'll pay a mercenary!"
"You don't even know if Felix and the thieves were here! What if they skipped town? If you just want to play hero, go back to the temple and waitinstead. Aren't you done embarrassing yourself for today?"
Isaac flinched and stared at Garet for a moment, his cornflower eyes narrowing as he spoke.
"Fine," said the friend finally, breathing out the word as he tempered his rage. "I'll go find a place for us to sleep, then. Meet up at the temple later."
As the Earth Adept turned around and began slowly stepping away, Garet rubbed his forehead and sighed. He then went back to the townhall and asked the scribe where he could find any of the councilmen. He said he needed to talk to them personally, because the temple robbers were really, really dangerous and needed to be apprehended as soon as possible. Hearing that, the scribe furrowed his brow and named a few of the councilmen that might lend Garet an ear, wishing him good luck.
Garet spent the rest of the day searching for the councilmen, running from one side of town to the other, but he couldn't get hold of any of them. Against the scribe's advice, he resorted to seeking out the mayor himself. He thought himself lucky to catch the mayor returning home from his errands, but Mayor Greg didn't want to deal with visitors. When his wife mentioned that little Frederick still was missing, he went ballistic and began yelling about the watchmen's incompetence. His behaviour reminded Garet of how frightening Captain Kyle was when Isaac dragged Felix out to the woods and ended up lost for two days.
When Garet finally dragged his feet back to the temple, it was evening. He was hungry and tired and he hoped Isaac didn't do anything stupid while he was gone. When Lars told him Isaac hadn't returned at all, Garet couldn't believe his ears.
"Oh, for heaven's sake." He groaned and smacked his forehead with an open hand. "Lars, how many taverns are there in town? Which is the most popular one?"
"Yngve's tavern is the place to go."
"Thanks."
He made his way across town and back to the plaza, ending up at "The Jolly Huntsman", whose owner was a man named Yngve. The place seemed to be in the perfect spot for business—in the middle of town and on the most crowded street.
Garet entered the dark tavern searching for Isaac with keen eyes. The bard played his lute and sang his songs in the dim lamplight while the barmaids were busy serving the patrons. It wasn't hard to find Isaac with his outrageous getup. He stood in front of the bar holding two flagons. Garet's eyes flashed and he strode across the common room and grabbed his friend's shoulder, almost making Isaac spill the beverages.
"The hell are you doing?" Garet hissed at his friend. "I was running all across town trying to find the councilmen while you're here drinking!" He looked down at the flagons and then saw that it wasn't alcohol. "Uh… milk?"
Isaac snorted and narrowed his eyes.
"Let me guess," said the Earth Adept, "you didn't get any help."
Garet cast a look around the room. There were all kinds of people in the tavern, but none he'd consider trustworthy.
"Well, what about you? Where's your shady mercenary? I bet you just found conartists trying to get your money." He poked Isaac's elaborate cuirass. "You don't exactly look inconspicuous with that getup, you know that?"
Isaac took a step back, glaring at Garet. Without saying a word, he pointed his beak of a nose towards a table in the corner of the common room. A stranger sat there, eating what looked like pea soup. He was just a boy, probably just eleven or twelve years old. He was fair-haired, but his complexion was darker than the average north Angaran's. His clothes were exquisite, made of velvet and silk and dyed in bright green and purples. That boy had to be a young noble! He looked out of place in a tavern full of sweaty travellers and ill-mannered men. Suddenly, Isaac seemed like the conartist in this scenario.
But then Garet saw it—the strong aura of Psynergy irradiating from the boy as he maintained a spell in silence. He was an Adept!
Isaac smiled triumphantly and then approached the little nobleman with sweeping strides.
Garet hesitantly stepped aside and took a seat at the table in front of Isaac and the boy. A barmaid approached him and asked what he wanted for a meal. To brush her off, he asked for the same thing the little nobleman was having. Garet couldn't take his eyes off the boy's face. He'd never seen a person outside Vale with Psynergy who wasn't a priest. Moreover, this kid obviously knew what he was doing. He maintained his spell even as he turned his head to look up towards Isaac, never losing concentration—a feat that indicated he was a young master.
Isaac drew out a chair and seated next to the boy, offering him one of the flagons of milk. The young Adept furrowed his brow, silently questioning Isaac's presence.
"So you're Ivan, right?" said Isaac with his fakest smile. "I heard you've got strange powers. Could you show me some of that?"
Garet cringed. Good job, Isaac, he thought. That's a way to start a conversation—make people uncomfortable by telling them you know their secrets. Didn't the idiot know that "sorcery" was outlawed in most societies?
"I'm not a fortune-teller," said the young Adept, clearly offended.
"You look a bit too young to be here alone," said Isaac. "How old are you?"
"That is not your concern," was the reply.
"Where are your parents?"
"Why don't you mind your own business?" The boy dropped his spoon and glared at the Earth Adept in irritation, surprising Isaac with his callous tone and the edge of his voice.
"I don't have time for this," said the little nobleman dryly. "I saw you stalking me earlier. You probably know I'm King Hammet's most trusted servant. I'm meeting my master's client here in a minute. Go bother someone else."
A servant? No way. A servant wouldn't wear that kind of clothes or have a gold ring on his finger. And why would the Merchant King of Kalay send a ten year old servant boy to a place like this alone to meet with his clients?
"I…" said Isaac, sounding intimidated by the young Adept's words. "I just wanted to—"
"If I interpret the situation correctly,you came here to beg me for help," said Ivan with a slight chuckle. "You're a peasant down on your luck and a foreigner in these lands."
Isaac lowered his head, looking extremely uncomfortable as he lifted his flagon of milk and drank nervously. He sat quietly for a moment, but then used Psynergy to pull Ivan's plate of food to his hand.
Garet held his breath and quickly cast a look around the tavern. The barmaid returned to his table, placing down his food and a flagon of ale, giving him a wink. He replied with a smile and a nod before turning his attention back to Isaac. It seemed like no one had noticed his show of power, but Ivan must have seen the plate soar past his nose—What would he do?
The boy sat with his spoon in hand, staring at the table in silence. His eyebrows twitched. He seemed irritated and he probably was—he was an Adept too. Something like this couldn't possibly impress him.
"That is quite a secret to share with a complete stranger," said Ivan finally.
Isaac slowly put the plate back on the table and then gave the boy a firm nod.
"You have my attention," said the little nobleman, gently putting his spoon down. Moments ago, he confidently responded to Isaac with snide remarks. Now, he quietly played with the golden ring on the index finger of his left hand. Isaac didn't know how to continue with the conversation either so both Adepts sat there in silence. Ivan never stopped casting Psynergy though, which made Garet wonder what spell that really was—the child wasn't levitating stuff or making unnatural things happen.
"Yes," Ivan finally spoke. "I do have strange powers. So, Isaac, what more did the innkeeper tell you about me?"
Wait, how did he know Isaac's name? Garet didn't hear his friend introduce himself to the boy.
"He said you were a lord's favourite servant," said Isaac. "He said you could easily come in contact with the mayor. Yeah, he also said you had strange powers."
How the hell did he know Isaac's name? Did Isaac converse with him earlier? Garet couldn't let this detail slide.
"I lost my village's treasure," said Isaac, giving Ivan a sad look. "It was stolen by thieves... I can't go home until I recover the temple's relics."
Suddenly, Ivan stopped turning his ring.
"On top of that, they kidnapped my friend," Isaac continued. "She means a lot to me, and I don't even know what things they might be doing to her."
"That's… unfortunate," said Ivan, sounding less guarded now. "I'm in a similar situation. My fa—I mean, I lost my master's prized possession, and that's why I'm stuck in this town too."
Isaac looked dejected.
"Tell me where you come from," said the boy.
"Vale," replied Isaac.
"Vale," repeated Ivan with a slight smile. "I see. You're a refugee."
Isaac looked at the little nobleman in confusion.
"Everyone knows about the eruption," said the boy. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Heh. No, the village's safe." Isaac lowered his voice and then whispered: "We Adepts can handle ourselves."
"Adepts?"
"Sorcerers, wizards—whatever people call us nowadays."
"You're telling me there are more of you—I mean, of us, in Vale?"
"Of course. Don't you know everyone in Vale is an Adept?"
Ivan slowly looked away.
"No," he whispered. "No, I did not know that."
Isaac smiled gently and lifted his hand, reaching out towards the boy, but Ivan quickly bounced away before Isaac could touch his shoulder and stared at him with a judging look.
"Sorry…" said Isaac.
After that awkward moment, Ivan cleared his throat and led the conversation on to other subjects. They talked for what felt like hours. Garet finished his meal while watching Isaac trying his hardest to befriend the young Adept.
Isaac empathized on the things he and Ivan had in common. His hands moved all the time and he repeatedly tried to reach out to the boy physically. He couldn't stop saying Ivan's name. He sounded pathetic and desperate, as if he was willing to offer all of himself for Ivan's smile:
My father had high expectations too, Ivan. I didn't live up to his expectations either, Ivan. Yes, Ivan, I had trouble fitting in too. I feel lost in this town too, Ivan. No, Ivan, I don't think you're a freak. Ivan, if you're a freak, then I am a freak too…
Despite Isaac's theatrics, Ivan took the bait. He smiled when Isaac told him things about Vale and he laughed at all of Isaac's bad jokes. He began staring at Isaac's face, mesmerized. Finally, he reached out to Isaac, putting his hand on the Earth Adept's forearm. And that simple touch changed everything.
Suddenly, Isaac stopped babbling. His eyes grew wide, his stupid grin instantly disappeared, and he stood up rigidly. As Ivan let go of his arm in confusion, Isaac searched the room with his gaze, as if he'd just heard someone plotting his death.
"What is it?" asked the little nobleman, and his voice sounded a lot gentler now—worried even. In fact, he finally started sounding like a child.
Isaac gasped for breath. He looked back at the boy, swallowing and tugging at his scarf to loosen the knot.
"N-no," said Isaac with an uncomfortable smile. He began stammering. "I-It's was just my imagination. I thought I heard… N-no… I—"
Isaac cast a look towards Garet on the other table, begging for advice. Garet had no idea what was going on and simply shrugged with a confused expression.
"I-I need to go!" said Isaac. "It was nice meeting you, Ivan. Good luck finding your treasure."
He turned around to leave, but Ivan suddenly grabbed his wrist and Isaac froze as if he had just been possessed again. Finally, Ivan ceased that spell he'd rigorously maintained during the entire conversation. The boy then gently tugged Isaac's arm, telling him to calm down and sit. And Isaac obeyed, just like that.
Garet pressed his palms against the table in alarm. Something was horribly wrong. His worry increased when Isaac put his hands against the sides of his face like a frightened child and mumbled about needing to be exorcised. The boy looped his arms around Isaac's torso, gently asking him to tell him what was wrong.
"Voices…" whispered Isaac. "I heard a hundred voices in my head. I-I need to see a priest, a healer, a—"
"No, Isaac," Ivan spoke softly. "It's all right… You're not crazy. It's just me…"
"Y-you?"
"Yes, me." The boy affectionately stroked Isaac's upper arms. The fact that Ivan was suddenly being sweet only raised Garet's suspicion.
He left a silver coin for the food on his table and then strode over to Isaac, grabbing the Earth Adept's arm and pulling him away from the strange child.
"What spell did you cast on him?" said Garet, quietly enough to not alert anyone else in the tavern. He shot the boy a glare.
Ivan's innocently concerned expression faded, and just for half a second he donned that stern face with the cold stare again. He looked just like a wilful child whose toy had been taken away from him. Did his eyes actually have that strange violet colour? Or did they only look this way in this dimly lit environment?
"I know you did something to him," said Garet, staring the boy down, but upon seeing Isaac's confounded expression he decided not to linger here. "Isaac, let's go back to the temple."
The other Adept nodded silently with a blank face. He followed when Garet pulled him up from his seat, but Ivan grabbed Isaac's other hand.
"Don't go," said the boy, pleading. His expression changed from anger to sadness so quickly that Garet didn't know what to think about him. "Isaac, please hear me out!"
"Isaac, no." Garet shook his head, giving his friend s serious look. Something was wrong with Ivan—there was something extremely creepy about this child.
"Isaac, please," said Ivan desperately. His theatrics didn't affect Garet, but Isaac was moved and looked back.
"Isaac!" Garet yanked at Isaac's arm, telling him to leave, but the friend didn't budge.
Ivan dropped to his knees.
"This is the bards in the woods all over again!" said Garet. His gaze darted back and forth around the room. This could be a trap. He cursed inwardly as some of the other patrons began giving him odd looks. Were they Ivan's accomplices waiting for a sign to strike or just strangers curious about what was going on?
Ivan pathetically moved over to Isaac on his knees. He grabbed the end of Isaac's tunic and pressed his cheek against the side of his thigh. He whispered something and after that, all was lost.
With a shudder, Isaac pulled himself free from Garet's hold. He squatted to Ivan's level and took the child in his arms.
"Don't cry, Ivan," Isaac shushed the younger Adept, once again enthralled. "I'll listen… I'll listen."
Ivan shook his head. His hands flew up to cover his face and his shoulders scrunched up and quivered. He snivelled and pointed up towards Garet with an apprehensive expression; his violet eyes filled with tears.
"He's my friend," said Isaac, stroking the sides of Ivan's arms comfortingly. "He's an Adept too, don't be scared. Tell us what's wrong. We'll listen."
And Ivan quietly explained. He said he'd been lying. He wasn't Hammet's servant—he was his adoptive son—he assumed a false identity for his own safety.
Of course, thought Garet. The ring, the silk and the premium colours were dead give-aways.
"The lost artefact is true though…" Ivan whimpered, closing his small hands around Isaac's dark-blue tunic. "Father was so angry. He said he'll disown me if I can't get it back. I… I'm so lonely. I'm so scared. Everyone thinks I'm a freak. You… you're the only one who cares, Isaac. You're the only one who can help."
Isaac gently stroked the sides of the child's arms again. He then promised he'll help Ivan look for Hammet's treasure so that the boy could go home.
"No!" said Garet. When he realized he was drawing attention with the level of his voice, he quickly squatted to Isaac and Ivan's level and whispered: "Isaac, don't you see how wrong this entire situation is?"
He reminded his friend of Ivan's apathy earlier and that his sudden trust is too questionable. He also asked how Isaac could trust someone who openly admitted he'd just lied to him.
Ivan lowered his head towards Isaac's chest, his shoulders quivering. He looked like a frightened child, but Garet couldn't forget the way he'd glowered at him with those eerie violet eyes earlier.
"You're scaring him," hissed Isaac.
"No,he is scaring me!" said Garet. "Don't you think it's fishy he knows your name? You never even mentioned your name once!"
Isaac tucked Ivan's small frame away in his embrace.
"I introduced myself," said Isaac, but his wavering look betrayed the lie.
"No, you didn't," Garet shot back. "His spell did something to your head. We need to leave. Now."
Isaac froze at the mention of a spell. He then slowly averted his eyes, finally thinking rationally again. Slowly, he began releasing Ivan, but he couldn't bring himself to let go completely without intervention. When Garet pulled Isaac up from the floor, the boy finally whispered:
"Yes. You got me, Garet. Yes, you're right; I know your names and much more about you."
As Ivan stood up, his aura of Psynergy glowed again. Garet pulled Isaac behind him. He scanned the tavern for enemies. This had to be some sort of set up.
"No, I came here alone, Garet," said Ivan, sounding dejected. "It's not a trap."
Garet winced. He didn't like his name in Ivan's mouth, especially when he didn't know from where he got it.
"I have my ways," whispered Ivan ruefully.
Garet's eyes narrowed as he studied the boy's expression and his hand wandered towards the hilt of his sword. He couldn't gauge this kid's intentions; Ivan sounded so sad and heartbroken that it made Garet feel like a bully, but his words were poison.
"Look… I won't burden you for nothing. I'll pay you for your troubles; handsomely."
"W-we're not mercenaries," said Garet.
"I'm on good terms with Mayor Greg," offered Ivan. "You need help getting the authorities' attention, right? If you help me recover my lost heirloom, I'll convince the mayor to lend you a hand, I promise."
Garet tapped Isaac's shoulder and pointed towards the exit. This time, Isaac nodded and turned away from the boy without a second thought. Just then, Ivan reached out and grabbed their wrists.
A hundred voices suddenly invaded Garet's mind; whispers, laughs, threats, shouting, flirting, cheerful singing; all kinds of voices saying all sorts of things. He couldn't make out what was going on. The sounds were too close to his ears and his head had never felt so heavy before. Desperately, he swiped his hand, pulling himself free from Ivan's grip and out of the sea of voices. The singing minstrel and the nearby patrons were a calming serenade to his ears after that horrible experience.
Garet looked towards Isaac. Ivan was holding his hand still, and judging from the Earth Adept's frightened expression, Isaac was still being subjected to the torture. But before Garet could do anything about it, Ivan stopped using Psynergy. The friend staggered back, shaking in fear and searching for something to lean against and it ended up being Ivan.
"I have this power to hear people's thoughts," Ivan whispered, gently hugging Isaac's arm. He sounded sweet and affectionate, but Garet only found his behaviour disturbing. "I call it Mindread," said Ivan. "It's quite useful, you see. This is how I figured out your names."
Garet held his breath. Yes, there were certain Adepts that could read minds. They were called "telepaths" and they were usually spies and agents.
"I didn't know my powers could be shared with a touch," Ivan continued with a faint smile that looked more creepy than reassuring. "This has never happened before. I suppose it only works between sorcerers."
"Does my power frighten you?" he then asked, looking at Isaac's unresponsive face. Isaac rigidly pulled away from the boy, which seemed to surprise the young aristocrat.
"If it bothers you, I can promise I won't use my powers on you again," said Ivan. He tried reaching out for Isaac again but the Earth Adept slapped his hand away. This seemed to upset the boy as his hands fell to his sides and balled up to fists.
"You're sorcerers too…" said Ivan bitterly, "but you won't understand how it is to be me. You live among your kind, but I, I am nothing without my father… A little kindness goes a long way."
Garet held his breath. He wasn't normally intimidated by children, but Ivan was definitely not a person to be trifled with. Again, the boy used Psynergy to read their minds.
"Sorry," said Garet, trying his best not to offend the little nobleman, "we have our own problems to take care of. Besides, you're a telepath and have connections. What can lowly peasants like us do that the authorities can't do better?"
"Only you know I am a 'little nobleman'," whispered Ivan as he stopped using Mindread. "To everyone else, I am just a valet. I'm not supposed to reveal my identity, but I trust you because you're Adepts. Yes, I can find information with ease, but Mindread cannot act as evidence to force an arrest. They won't arrest someone just because I say something is true. I wouldn't come here looking for sellswords if I didn't have to."
"We're not sellswords," said Garet as it became obvious that Ivan wanted to rope them into something illegal. Besides, if the authorities won't help Ivan, how was he supposed to convince them to help Garet and Isaac? This entire deal reeked of nonsense.
"How much do you want?" asked Ivan with a huff. "Does fifty silver sound good?"
"We're not mercenaries," repeated Isaac, suddenly staring at the boy with disgust. He then turned around and began leaving and Garet followed him closely behind; none of them wanted anything to do with this child.
"Name your price," said the telepath evenly. "Everyone has a price."
Isaac flinched for a moment and then and replied:
"Two hundred."
"Deal."
"Isaac!" called Garet, but the Earth Adept grabbed Ivan's wrist and pulled him towards the exit of the tavern.
"If he wants to pay a fortune, I won't be ashamed to take advantage of it," said Isaac.
"I thought so," said the telepath with a bitter smile, sounding more disappointed than content. "Everyone has a price—even 'Adepts'."
Isaac led the boy out of the tavern, but as soon they were outside, he grabbed Ivan's high collar and dragged him around the corner of the street and into an alley, shoving the boy up against the wall.
"Listen," said Isaac, speaking in a low voice as he menacingly leant over the boy. "I don't know what you're trying, but if you don't want me to give away your little secret, forget we met today."
Garet cast a look towards the open street. People walked past every second, but no one seemed to notice what was going on here. It was either that or they didn't care. If this happened in Vale, Isaac would've been dragged out and punished already.
"Enough," said Garet, tapping Isaac's shoulder, "let's leave."
Isaac nodded, but when he turned away from Ivan, the boy suddenly shoved Isaac up against the wall. The telepath was small, but he wasn't less aggressive than Isaac:
"I'm not a spy!" hissed Ivan. "How can I prove that to you?"
Isaac glared back at the boy, stepping away from the wall and rubbing his elbows.
"You've got nothing of value for me to steal," said Ivan unflinchingly, shoving Isaac against the wall again. It seemed a bit weird that he had the Earth Adept cornered and was threatening him, but still had to look up to meet Isaac's gaze. "How can you call me a spy when you sought me out and tried manipulating me into helping you first?"
"Let's just say I was stupid," replied Isaac. He then pushed Ivan away, sending him stumbling backwards. "And don't push me again," he warned, pointing at the boy meaningfully. "I'm giving you a chance to walk away now. I can overpower a nasty kid easily—and the fact that you're an Adept won't matter."
Ivan clenched his fists. He drew a deep breath, staring at Isaac for almost half a minute without saying anything. When he finally spun around and ran away, Garet couldn't help wondering if the little nobleman wouldn't make them pay for this later.
"Was that necessary?" asked Garet, gesturing towards the open street. "He looked like the vindictive kind… what if he tries getting back at us?"
Isaac checked his coin pouch. At first he seemed unaffected by the statement, but after a moment he gasped and began staring straight forward with empty eyes.
"Uh, Isaac?"
"I'm a moron," Isaac hastily whispered and his gaze began to wander. "I-I'm an idiot."
"Well, everyone makes mistakes," said Garet. "The important thing is that you realize—"
"No, I'll fix this," responded Isaac hastily. He shoved his coin pouch into Garet's hands and before the Fire Adept could even ask what was going on, Isaac spun around and ran away. "Meet up at the north gate. If I'm not there by sunset, leave without me!"
"Wait—what? Where are you going?" Garet took up the chase and hurried out of the alley but Isaac had already vanished without a trace.
Garet ran down the streets, calling Isaac's name. He wrenched his hands. He kicked the ground in frustration. How could they possibly get the Elemental Stars back if Isaac kept running off and causing trouble?
Garet couldn't do much about Isaac's reckless tendencies, but he wasn't going to wait around while Isaac was elsewhere making a fool of himself. He was heading back to the townhall when a short middle-aged man with a long nose and a cane greeted him as a Valian templar.
"Do I know you? Sir?" said Garet.
"Forgive me, I'm Jonas, councilman," said the man. "I couldn't help noticing your uniform. You're one of the templars of Vale, aren't you? How's Captain Kyle?"
Jonas? Yes, Garet had met this person before. Seven years ago he was just a poor craftsman waiting in line when the templars handed out baskets of food to the starving townsfolk. Someone had punched him and tried stealing his rations. Isaac's father stopped the assailant and Garet had personally led him to the back of the carriage to get treatment for the broken nose. He'd thanked the Valians while still clutching his basket, saying he had a starving daughter at home.
"Captain Kyle died on duty three years ago in the storm," said Garet.
"Ah, shame…" replied Jonas with a sigh. "Such is the life of a hero. I would've wanted to thank him myself and buy him a drink this time. If it hadn't been for those bread-baskets years ago… Ah, you Valians saved a lot of people that day…"
Jonas then proceeded to ask how things were in Vale, mentioning the eruption of Mount Aleph.
"The village is safe," said Garet. "The… the Saints protect us."
"Faith is strong in the north, I see," Jonas commented with a smile. He then withdrew a small glass vial from his belt pouch. It was filled with some kind of grainy powder that shimmered in a pale violet tint.
"This fell from the skies after the eruption," said Jonas. "We evacuated for safety, but when we returned to clean up, most of this… dust had vanished without a trace. Do you know anything about this?"
Garet took the vial and looked at the dust. Could this have come from Aleph? Wasn't the entire mountain encased with a magic barrier? Realizing that even the Wise One and the Saints weren't all-powerful, Garet felt guiltier about his involvement with Sol Sanctum. What impact could the eruption have on the rest of the world? He then looked towards the northern skies and wondered if the village was truly safe after all.
"This is dust of Psynergy crystals," said Garet, although he wasn't even sure if Jonas understood what he meant. "In short, our healers use whole crystals for their invigorating properties. Dust is useless though."
He then took the chance to explain that he'd been sent by Harald to hunt down thieves, showing Jonas the high priest's writ. The councilman opened the scroll and read it, quietly nodding in understanding.
"Well then," said Jonas, "It seems like we should visit the barracks. See if we can find any records of the lowlifes who stole your temple's relics."
"And kidnapped my friends," Garet added quietly.
"Your friends?"
"Yes, two of my friends were kidnapped during the raid. I guess Harald didn't write that down, huh?"
"He didn't, but this information might prove useful," said Jonas. "It's easier to find people than lost trinkets."
They headed back to the plaza since the barracks were located north of the town hall. It was a fairly large building made of wood and stone and a few guards were assembling outside. It seemed like something unfortunate had happened in town again.
"Has the mayor returned?" asked Jonas.
"He has, but Frederick's still missing," replied one of the guards.
"Nevermind then," sighed Jonas. He led the way into the guard captain's office and grabbed a heavy tome from the shelf. Dropping it on the desk, he began flipping through the pages.
Garet peeked over Jonas's shoulder.
There were notes on farmers fighting over a sack of spilt grain from last week. Two merchants from Bilibin had fought outside the north gate and disrupted the queue. The Merchant King's caravan had passed through. A drunkard was arrested. A man got ran over by a carriage. An arsonist was kicked out of town. Fights. More fights. Merchant King's caravan left.
Garet shook his head. Unless the thieves had caused trouble in town, they wouldn't be on the records.
"Could they have fenced their goods?" said Jonas.
True, if these thieves just came to Vale for riches, they would fence the Elemental Stars. Why didn't he think of this at the beginning?
"There's a certain broker in town who usually doesn't ask questions about the goods he receives…" Jonas then told him. "Let's pay him a visit."
The broker's name was Trevor and he ran his shop in one of the less populated areas in the west. Garet wondered if the tradesman chose this location deliberately since the area seemed underdeveloped compared to the rest of the city. But then, what did he know about business?
Jonas stepped up to the last building at the street, opening the door and entering. Garet followed him in. The broker was a middle-aged man with brown curls, grey eyes and a long face. He was writing with his quill in an open book and lowered his glasses when the doorbell rang. Trevor gave Jonas a nod and put the quill away, entwining his fingers on the counter as he curtly asked:
"What brings the councilman to my humble dwelling today?"
"Investigation, old friend," replied Jonas. "Anything suspicious turning up lately?"
Trevor cleared his throat with a slight cough.
"Looking for anything specific?"
Jonas cast a look towards Garet.
"Go on. Tell him what you're looking for."
"Oh! Uh… There were some jewels stolen from my village—"
Before he could finish, Trevor dove under the counter and retrieved a tray full of labelled jewellery; rings, armlets, necklaces, earrings… Of course, this wasn't what Garet was looking for. He was about to say this was another detour, but then he saw a silvery armlet that looked familiar. It was formed like a twisted band of grass, crude and not particularly pleasing to the eye. He took the tin armlet and looked on the inside to check for a signature of sorts. Yep, this was Kay's handiwork.
"This was Jenna's," said Garet, speaking to Jonas. "This belonged to the girl who was kidnapped from Vale. My sister made this for her."
Trevor looked at the armlet.
"That one? A snooty girl and a boy sold that to me." The broker picked out a few other armlets and rings from the bunch. "This, this, this, and this too."
Garet didn't recognize the other jewellery. It didn't seem like anything Jenna would wear, the armlets were broad and clunky for her and the rings seemed too big for her fingers. Were the thieves using Jenna to fence their goods?
"Tell us what you know about this girl and boy," said Jonas.
"Girl; red hair, dark eyes, pink dress. Boy; dark hair, dark eyes, green cloak," replied Trevor and shrugged. "Both equally dirty. Seemed like a pair of runaway lovers. The girl seemed to just want quick money. Didn't even haggle."
"Can you describe the boy a bit more?" asked Garet.
"This tall perhaps…" Trevor raised his hand to illustrate. "Dark long hair. Tattered cloak. I think she called him… Fel… Felix."
"It's him," Garet whispered for himself. A hesitant smile appeared on his face, and a breathy laughter escaped his lips. "It's them." They were alive. Jenna and Felix were alive. And they were here. In Vault. They might still be here.
"Wh-when did they visit?" he then asked. He couldn't wait to see Jenna and Felix again.
"Yesterday evening," replied Trevor.
Garet's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared and he dropped the cheap armlet on the counter. Yesterday. The thieves probably wouldn't stay in town very long unless they were residents. If they didn't pawn the Elementals Stars off here, they would hurry to the next best city to fence the goods. He had to leave the town and go after them now. He couldn't forget Felix's helpless face and Jenna's desperate cries in Sol Sanctum. He couldn't trust the temple robbers to not hurt Felix or Jenna—not after they stabbed Felix in the chest like it was nothing.
"Ask for these people at the gates," said Jonas, "guard duty has been very strict these days." He borrowed some ink and paper from Trevor, scribbled down a few sentences and then handed the note to Garet.
"Give this to the guards and they will assist you."
Garet took the note and hastily went for the door, almost forgetting to thank Jonas for the help. He stopped, turned back and gave the councilman his words of gratitude, to which Jonas replied:
"Vale sent us aid in times of need, this is the least I can do for you."
By the time Garet arrived at the east gate, the sun was setting. He approached the guards at the gate and gave them the councilman's note. He asked about a pair matching Jenna and Felix's looks, but the watchmen said a lot of people dressed in pink and green and had red and brown hair.
"What about some odd-looking tribesmen with strange markings on their faces?" asked Garet.
The guards burst out in laughter and complimented Garet's imagination.
"I'm serious!" Garet shouted at the guards. He didn't have to take this. Just then, a watchman taking over shift suddenly recognized him and called out:
"Hey, monk!"
It was the young black-bearded guard who'd mocked Isaac at the north gate. Garet rubbed his temples, hoping this fool would have something useful to tell him this time.
"I saw a loony girl this morningat the north gate! She assaulted a priest and tried attacking me too! She fits your description quite well and was dragging this horsefaced lad after her."
Garet stared at the guard, not sure if he was being tricked.
"When did they leave?" he asked, just to be sure.
"This morning. Ah yes, about two hours before you arrived."
"Where did they go?"
"North, I think. The girl was very loud about dragging this boy home when we kicked them out."
North… That's it. Jenna was free. She had outsmarted the thieves. Why else would the guards not mention the strange-looking bandits? Jenna had escaped with Felix. She was heading north, heading home to Vale… That's wonderful! This was great news! He could go home now! He had to tell Isaac about this!
No, wait. That still left him with the search for the Elemental Stars. The thieves skipped town. Where could they have gone? He had to rework his plan. Actually, there was no plan. He volunteered for this quest blindly because his conscience told him he was just as guilty as Isaac was for the theft of the Stars.
Isaac. Where was Isaac? Where did the idiot go? The gate. The north gate!
Garet ran back to the other gate as fast as possible but the Earth Adept wasn't there. Minutes passed, an hour maybe. People came and people left; people entered and exited the gate. Isaac said he'd be here at sunset. It was nightfall now! Garet paced back and forth in front of the wall, trying to figure out what could possibly be so important for Isaac to ditch him like this.
He tried thinking of places where Isaac could have run off too. The town hall? The temple? The tavern? The barracks? After the long detour to all those places, it was dark, and too late to leave town. Garet kicked the ground. Where could Isaac be? Had he caused trouble and been arrested? No, if he was arrested the guards in the barracks would have told him so. What if he was in danger? Impossible. He was an Adept. There was no way ordinary people could jump him. But what if he was tricked?
Garet froze. He remembered the boy who deceived Isaac earlier. That boy was an Adept too. He could read minds. And he was very insisting on pulling Isaac away for a dubious favour. He was potentially a spy too. This wasn't too far-fetched of an idea; Ivan only found interest in Isaac after finding out he was a Valian Adept. Yes, Isaac could be in danger and Garet had to get back to the barracks and report his disappearance.
Suddenly, the sound of someone being harassed by guards caught his attention and he recognized his foolish friend's voice. Turning around, Garet could see Isaac was indeed together with the little nobleman from earlier. They were holding hands and Isaac seemed protective of the boy for some reason. The guards told them to move along; maybe Isaac didn't look as suspicious when he was paired with someone wearing equally bright colours as him. Either way, Isaac had a lot of explaining to do.
Garet stepped up to his friend and angrily grabbed his shoulder. Isaac jerked away, his hand immediately flying towards the hilt of his sword. Garet ignited the air above his fingertips like a torch.
"It's me, you moron!" he told Isaac, gnashing his teeth. "Where have you been? And… him," he then pointed at Ivan with his other hand, "what are you doing here with him?"
Ivan whimpered pathetically, scrunching his shoulders and hid behind Isaac. He was shaking, but Garet was convinced it was all acting again. Wait, what's that large bruise on his cheek? Garet's slowly turned his look to Isaac's face.
Seriously?
"I don't have time for this," stated Isaac, taking Ivan's hand and beginning to lead the boy away. "This is none of your business."
"It's my business if you're sneaking around at night with this child! And what do you think you're doing?" He took a step towards Ivan and grabbed the boy's arm. "Did you really beat up a child?"
"Isaac!" Ivan let out a high pitched cry and tore himself free from Garet, running back to the Earth Adept and throwing his arms around Isaac's torso.
The friend gently pulled the boy away. In the firelight, he too noticed the bruise on Ivan's face and quickly used his Psynergy to heal the wounds. Ivan sniffled, and Isaac ruffled his hair, giving him a tender smile.
"Oh, so you're friends again?" said Garet, gradually raising his voice. "Why the magical change of heart, Isaac? Didn't you want nothing to do with him just a few hours ago?"
"Just stay out of this!" Isaac yelled back.
"Are you going to tell me the same thing after you've been arrested for whatever crime you're about to commit?" asked Garet behind clenched teeth.
"Is that how you think of me?"
"I've known you since we were children! I can tell whenever you're up to no good!" Garet grabbed the knot of Isaac's scarf. He could put up with Isaac's smugness in Vale, but not here—and not now. "You better be honest or I'll clock you on the head and drag you back to Vale. You're not causing any more trouble under my watch."
"I'm going to help Ivan recover his heirloom," said Isaac, quickly jerking his elbow up and breaking free from Garet's grasp. "I know the thieves hid it somewhere in The Golden Goose Inn."
Garet stared back at his friend and slowly took a deep breath.
"And how did you know that?" He yelled at his foolish friend again. "Because this kid told you so?" He pointed at Ivan. "Have you learnt nothing from Sol Sanctum? Let the authorities deal with it! I have information about Jenna and Felix! They left Vault this morning!"
Isaac flinched at the mention of their friends. He looked hesitant for a moment, seemingly rethinking his foolish decision while still clutching Ivan's small hand. But then his gaze suddenly flicked to look over Garet's shoulder and his eyes grew wide. Garet quickly snuffed out his flame and lowered his hand. He was about to turn around but Isaac swept aside, pulling both Garet and Ivan with him to the side of the road.
"What—?"
"Shh!"
Isaac pointed towards the nearby building at the end of the streets where two men passed with a lantern, seemingly walking back and forth for no reason. After a while, they put out their light source and seemingly scurried off somewhere unknown.
"Stay here," said Isaac, looking back at Ivan, but the boy followed Isaac down the street anyway.
Garet growled in frustration, weighing his options of alerting the city's watch or not, but finally decided he couldn't let Isaac out of his sight for a minute. Catching up with the idiot, he found Isaac about to climb up on a ladder leading up the roof of the building.
"You can't be serious," said Garet, grabbing Isaac's foot, but the friend kicked his hand away, being committed to whatever he was about to do.
It was clearly a time to scream and alert the guards, but as Isaac vanished into a hole in the roof, Garet reconsidered. If Isaac got caught breaking into someone's home, they'll probably be stuck here in Vault even longer.
When even Ivan climbed up on the ladder, Garet cursed in resignation and went up there too. He fumbled after the hole for a while before slipping through the straw roof. His boots crashed against the wooden floor with a loud bang! There wasn't much to see here since this was obviously storage space full of crates and barrels. This was a bad idea, but if it was a trap, two Adepts were better than one. He extended his fingers, conjuring a flame to light up the darkness but Isaac's gloved hand suddenly came down on the fire, snuffing it out. The dust in the attic tickled Garet's nose and he heard someone else's footsteps in the room.
"Who's there?" questioned a gruff voice, distinctly male.
A light appeared from the right side of the room behind stacked crates, and men armed with swords cast long shadows on the floor. Ivan gasped and timidly gripped Isaac's arm, hugging it tightly. Even now, Garet couldn't tell if the boy and whoever in here were in cahoots or not.
Garet clutched the grip of his sword and signed with his free hand to Isaac to be careful, but it was useless—Isaac wasn't even looking. The Earth Adept backed into the shadows, holding Ivan close. Garet couldn't see the men's faces clearly in the lamplight, but they didn't look like brigands or highwaymen; they were clean and decently dressed—What if they were the owners of this place?
"Now," said Isaac.
"Wind!" yelled Ivan.
"What—?"
Before the enemies could react, barrels and crates were launched towards their faces. Their lantern smashed against the floor and everything turned dark, save for the faint moonlight from the opening in the roof. Isaac immediately leapt into combat with his sword brandished.
"Lightning, strike!" Ivan yelled, and the ceiling suddenly exploded in a loud ka-boom! Wood and straw burst in flames and Garet shouted at the boy:
"What are you doing?"
The three nameless men engaging Isaac quickly broke away from the fight, backing away as the flames rapidly spread to the rest of the room. In the firelight, Garet recognized the bastards—these were the "bards" from the forest!
Isaac took a step back and lowered his sword. His mouth hung open and he stared straight up towards the fire in terror. Bernard—if that even was his name—tried taking advantage of his moment of weakness, but Garet tackled the brigand before he could run Isaac through with a blade. The friend sunk to his knees on the floor, shaking in fear as the flames continued to spread. The thieves scrambled away, grabbing their bags and trying to find a way out of the inferno.
Garet focused his mind. He used his Psynergy and tried taking control of the fire. The flames flickered and then grew smaller, responding to his commands. But as he choked on the smoke, his spell wavered and the plumes of flame expanded again.
"Ivan!" said Isaac, beginning to cough too. "Get rid of the smoke! Summon a wind!"
"Wind!" called Ivan desperately, but nothing happened.
The wooden beams supporting the roof began collapsing and Ivan screamed in terror. A yellow light flashed from Isaac's hands and a volley of stone arrows soared through the air. What came after that, were the thieves' cries of anguish.
"Garet! Do something!" said Isaac.
Garet focused his mind again and drew upon his Psynergy. He willed the flames smaller, and they obeyed his command once more. Even as it became hard to breathe, he closed his eyes and sustained. His arms felt heavy, and he began feeling dizzy as his Psynergy was being drained, but he didn't stop until the flames were gone. After that strenuous feat, he staggered back and slumped down on the floor, pressing his hands over his mouth. Ivan tried his spell one more time and finally cleared most of the smoke with a gust of wind.
There was commotion downstairs. Garet could hear banging on the floor and finally someone bashed the locked trap-door in. Half a dozen guards came up to the attic and the first thing they found were the thieves lying near the entrance of the door writhing in pain and bleeding from Isaac's nasty spell.
"Thieves!" said one of the crooks, pointing at Isaac. "It's the thieves everyone's been looking for!"
"Save us!" Bernard filled in, grabbing the guard captain's foot. "We found their hide-out and they tried to kill us!"
Garet wanted to interject, but he couldn't stop coughing.
"What? Lies!" yelled Isaac. He stood up, but was promptly apprehended by two guards who forced him down on his knees. "Let me go! They are the thieves!"
"Quiet, you!" said the guards and kicked Isaac on the side, threatening with more violence if he didn't stay put.
Someone called for a healer and the rest of the guards looked around the area. The guard captain then emerged from the back of the attic, carrying an unconscious boy with chestnut hair. The two guards watching over Garet and Isaac recognized the victim:
"Frederick?"
Author's Notes:
Everyone except for the heroes is utterly helpless in the game for gameplay reasons, but how does a world even function with that level of incompetence?
This chapter pretty much introduces the world outside of Vale. All societies have rules and laws that need to be obeyed, and being a dick won't net you a lot of help. When I built the main characters' profiles I listed a lot of attributes like how good they are in a fight and how much experience they have surviving in the wild. One important attribute is something I chose to call "prestige". This is basically their reputation and social standing.
Here in the beginning, Garet, who's a templar of Vale, has higher prestige than Isaac. He will generally find it easier to get people to help him since people tend to trust you if you come from a reputable order and are apparently a pious and righteous man. Isaac is starting off much worse since he is pretty much just a nameless peasant.
"The bards in the woods" is pretty much my way of taking away their stuff. I don't want them to breeze through everything when Felix's team struggles, because they would obviously just catch up to Felix if they did, but I also don't want to give an impression of that the village is sending them off with nothing. This event both serves to take away their stuff and to establish some of Isaac and Garet's character traits.
Some people might think I swapped Garet and Isaac's personalities since Garet is more level-headed and Isaac is being kind of a dick. I'll just say that their in-game counterparts are pretty much one-dimensional cardboard cutouts, and they don't make interesting characters in a story. Let's face it: Isaac is a blank slate and Garet's sole reason of existing is just to make Isaac look good in comparison (depending on player dialogue choices).
I don't want to go overboard explaining every single thing the characters do since I believe readers who'd stuck around this far can figure things out themselves, so I'll just make this short:
All characters have been given extensive backstory and personality traits, and they will without a doubt act differently from their game counterparts. They are different people with their own goals and wishes and personal struggles. And I know I'm repeating myself, but I'm writing people, not archetypes. If you want to see Isaac making all the right choices and being a hero right off the bat and Garet being the unfunny sidekick; sorry, this is not that kind of story.
Consider this… alternative character interpretation.
Sadly, I can't talk about Ivan's characterization without going into spoiler territory.
