Chapter Three-Union and Letters

-"Take the road less traveled."

-Imil-

When Mia first received the letter from Vale, she hadn't thought much of what it may contain, assuming that it was merely just a casual correspondence from her friends checking up on her. Her shock became clear when she broke the seal on the envelope and slipped the paper out for a read. The cleric certainly hadn't expected to find a plea for assistance and suspicions of approaching danger written by Sheba of all people, who was not known to ask others for help except in the most dire of situations. It described in detail the concerning events taking place in Kalay and Tolbi that made the girl believe that the Wind Adept must have scouted this out on her own, despite the danger. The letter also asked her to head to Vale as soon as possible.

Breathing hard and trying to get her thoughts in order, Mia folded the note back up and clenched the piece of paper tightly in her hand while she took a moment to calm her racing mind, the material of the note tearing slightly in her unconsciously strong grip. Slipping the letter into one of the folds of her ivory white dress, the cleric rose to her feet and exited her cozy little house swiftly, eddies of snow rising around her footsteps as her movements kicked the icy substance into the circling breeze around her. Heels sinking with a light crunch into the snow-covered path, she made her way to the Sanctuary in utter silence, watching the dark-tinted windows carefully in case one of the slumbering townsfolk woke suddenly in the night to question her.

Cold days and nights were normal for her, but the freezing temperatures had given her chills when she'd returned home, having grown used to the warmer air in the south. Mia adjusted well enough though, returning to the home of her youth, and the shining Lighthouse that stood beautifully over Imil as a testament to what had transpired.

Even though at the time she was heartbroken by the fact that she had failed to protect the ancient building from outsiders, in the end, the fact that the beacon was fired became a blessing for Weyard instead of a curse. But the priestess was the last to believe it, having been raised to defend the Lighthouse against invaders for so long, and still hesitated. The lonely house in Contigo changed everything.

Mia recalled so clearly the faces of those that they had chased as the truth was revealed in the settlement of Hesperia, and the tense ferocity exchanged between the two Earth Adepts. Isaac had come expecting a fight, and the cleric honestly had to agree, especially after the standoff atop the Venus Lighthouse. However, in that village the true nature of the pursued was revealed. Jenna had been worried and slightly panicked, glancing back and forth between Isaac and her elder brother with the anxiety of one expecting a battle. Sheba's face was defiant and balled her fists, prepared to defend her allies, lacking hesitation since she hardly even knew Isaac anyway. On the other hand, Felix's gaze reminded Mia of a cornered wolf; desperate and fierce enough to strike at anything that threatened him.

Only Kraden and the newcomer, Piers, had the control and even temperament to bring calm to the gathered Adepts.

The young cleric sighed as she stepped into the Sanctuary built into the stone wall within Imil, the air warming instantly as she was greeting by the flickering candles arranged intricately around the priest, who greeted her with a respectful dip of his head. Not long ago, Mia would have been the one to show such courtesy. Things had changed so much since then.

"Lady Mia, it is very late for a prayer, or should I say too early?" He said it softly, a light chuckle giving away the humor in his tone. So the young women merely smiled and stepped forward quickly, a smile on her delicate face.

"Sir, I sincerely apologize for calling at this late hour, but I have something urgent I must attend to." The formalities of her words were so easily said, especially as they had been taught so long ago. "I…received a letter from my companions in Vale. I humbly beg your understanding, but I must return to them." Mia abruptly dropped her head, not completely eager to look straight into his eyes.

But her gaze was brought back to him in an instant when the elder laughed slightly again, hands crossed loosely across his chest in mock anger. "Priestess, you know me better than that. Please, trouble your kind heart no more and return to those that call for you. As an agent of good, you must go where you are needed, right Mia?" His eyes were filled with naught but understanding and patience as the Water Adept relaxed her posture, which had unconsciously become tense.

Had combat become that much of a second nature that she reacted in such a way without even thinking about it?

"Yes! I'll set out for Vale at once! T-thank you, sir-"The young woman nodded excitedly and made for the door, but was stopped by the man's hand on her shoulder. Turning uncertainly, Mia swiveled to see the priest holding an outstretched bag towards her expectantly. "What's…?"

"For the journey," He answered quietly, "I had a feeling for quite some time that you would embark into the world once more. So don't thank me, child. I am merely doing what I feel is right." Nodding in happiness as Mia gently took the sack from his hands, the old man hobbled back to the inner sanctum with a single glance over his shoulder.

Pausing for a moment, wondering whether it was truly right to leave in such a way, but the elder's words had convinced her. "This is right…the right thing to do."

Mia packed her essentials the very moment she reentered her home, being very cautious not to wake the children sleeping nearby, and placed her gifts from the kindly priest in a thickly patched satchel over her shoulder. Dried meats and fruits went into a leather pouch on her hip for easy access, and the girl reminded herself that to ration might be necessary if she got the amount wrong. Mia tried to ignore just how quickly she slipped back into the attitude of practicality she'd developed on the journey, but it wasn't easy. Shaking her head swiftly, the Adept hefted her pack up and drew a white-furred coat around her ivory dress and made her way to the graceful handle of the door.

And, after taking one last furtive glance at the silence of her home, Mia slipped out into the night.

She made her way through the town clutching the coat close against her neck to protect her skin from the howling eternal winter of Imil under the pale glow of the Mercury beacon, hurrying to the edge of the sleepy village for a ride. At first she considered paying for a mule to take on the trip out but swiftly changed her mind upon witnessing the little caravan preparing for a journey out.

"Excuse me, are you heading southwest?" She wasted no time in finding the driver, who gave her a curious stare before replying.

"Yes, headin' on out to Vault b'fore the road takes me south. What'cha askin' for missy?" Luckily for the priestess, he had a clear accent that told her the man wasn't familiar with the north at all. Just a trader then, it seemed.

"I know this is last minute and rushed…but would you mind giving me a ride to Vault with your caravan? I'll pay my way as well…" Mia took a second to scoop a handful of coins from her pocket to offer to the man as compensation, who let her place the money in his outstretched hand with a puzzled stare. To her relief, his mouth curved into a hearty smile and the warmly gloved hand clenched slowly around her offering.

He jerked a thumb at the back of the wagon with a detached gesture, "Well, no time's like the present, right missy? I'd be a fool to turn 'way payin' customers y'know!" The driver made an impatient nod with his head and the priestess hurried and leapt rather ungracefully into the rear opening of the wagon next to a heaping pile of labeled crates and sacks. Sitting up next to a burlap bag nearly overflowing with bunches of grapes; Mia drew the furred cloth tighter around her shoulders and stared out over the whirling snow dancing on the rising wind. Her mind, now granted the chance to reflect on her new quest, felt the horror of war finally begin to take root in her youthful heart. People were going to die and that truth terrified her.

And so, the young woman prized a slice of salted pork from the ration belt on her hip and chewed it steadily to distract her roiling thoughts, one hand resting atop a nearby crate as though it were a crudely hewn armrest. Trying to at least give the small impression of being calm, she cast her face towards the tarp-like ceiling of the wagon, thoughts going further still, into the heavens beyond.

"Please Mercury, watch over me…" Mia whispered in a near-silent prayer with hands clasped tightly.

{-+-}

-Southern Contigo-

When the courier arrived breathless and exhausted on Hama's doorstep in Contigo, she paused in unease as the man brought a letter from his pocket and offered it tiredly to the uncomfortable Wind Adept. She had hesitated before allowing herself to grasp the coarse envelope as a dark feeling washed over her from what was written within, barely even the delivery man's thanks and departure as she paid him habitually. Something was terribly wrong and for a few seconds, the woman was tempted to hurl the accursed letter into the fireplace, an instinct and divining power inside her screaming that the contents would only bring misfortune.

But common sense and the notice that the sender was one of Ivan's friends stilled her hand, deciding that caution was the better thing to rely on in a situation like this. And, conveniently, her little brother chose just that moment to come barreling down the stairs of the house and almost stumbled as he reached the door where she patiently waited. "S-Hama, did another letter come from Vale?"

At first she contemplated saying no before the logical part of her brain had overridden it and handed him the note hesitantly, which was an attitude not missed by the younger boy. Ivan had always possessed a sharp eye for details and observation. Hama shook her head softly and watched him open the envelope with a practiced flip of his wrist as he broke the seal on the front, slipping the paper from its sheath. The sister didn't bother to move from his side, preferring instead to wait nearby while his eyes scanned over the words with growing anxiety, especially as the increasingly shocked expressions began to appear on his young face. When he finished reading, Ivan breathed slowly in an effort to get his composure back to him and wordlessly handed his sister the letter from Vale.

It was along the same lines that Hama had feared; though her visions were not always specific enough to determine their meaning. A cry for help and two distant nations on the verge of all-out catastrophe, and a desperate call for a former companion were contained within those words. And suddenly, things appeared very clear to her thanks to this warning from Vale. It was one of the many moments of clarity that brought great value and strength to her soul, as well as terror for the future they contained.

Could it be? That perhaps the accursed day was approaching as well?

"Hama…what am I supposed to do now?" The elder Adept brought her attention back to her brother, whose hand shook slightly as he pressed the palm against the wall to steady it. "I…I want to help them…my friends. But, I don't want to simply leave you here…"

Hama's eyes closed slowly and suppressed once again the familial love that demanded to have him stay here with her. She had done the same not once, but twice before. Had put aside her personal emotions for the sake of the world and helped to guide Ivan and his companions on the quest to save the world, and never once allowed herself the chance to be selfish. Now it seemed that in order to protect that life again, Hama would have to put aside her personal desires once more. This danger was far greater than both of them and needed to be dealt with.

"I'm sorry Ivan…but you must help them." The boy's head shot up abruptly to meet gazes with her as he appeared to deliberate their words, searching her face for an answer before she spoke again. But the ever wise Adept did not grant him the opportunity. "And I am going to accompany you as well."

Outright surprise replaced the boy's quiet thoughtfulness then, "S-sister? Are you sure…about that? There's going to be lots of fighting and I-I don't want anything to happen to you." So he was worried about her? Such a kind-hearted boy Ivan was. But there really was no need to worry, for as long her vision was true, then there was still plenty of hope to defend lives.

"Ivan, I'll be fine, I promise. I won't be getting involved in any battles unless it's absolutely necessary. I just don't have that kind of experience," She explained slowly, placing a single comforting hand upon the Wind Adept's fragile shoulder. Sometimes, it baffled the mind that this small boy had toppled opponents well over twice his size on a regular basis, despite having been two years younger than he was now. Not much of his appearance had changed even, with the exception of the typical teenage growth spurt and a somewhat more mature and angled face, altering here and there in subtle ways that made his Contigan blood appear more prominent. Still thin as a stick though and becoming more lanky by the day, but Hama believed that his friends still retained the greater height.

But judging by his now-obvious, if cautious, determination to continue, Hama could see that he had chosen to move forward. She had grown so accustomed to reading people by thought or facial features that words were hardly necessary to understand someone's meaning. But with more intimate reactions, words became more and more common. It was clear that the boy was undergoing some dilemma at the moment as he grappled with the idea of bringing her with him on this potentially disastrous quest, until those violet eyes met Hama's again with renewed strength.

"Sister…alright, then we should get going immediately for Vale. I'll call in some favors from the sailors at the docks and we can use the boat Isaac left here last time," Ivan launched into action quickly and proceeded to run up the stairs to pack any essentials for the trip. The older Adept drove into motion as well and returned to her chambers to bring anything needed for traveling to Vale, trying make certain nothing was forgotten as her thoughts were focused elsewhere. Once they took the boat, the route would take them near northern Gondowan…unless she had the sailors map out a course avoiding that area by moving upriver through the continent's tributaries. With the aid of the wind, speed would not be an issue. Hama just hoped that they could arrive before the worst happened.

"The clock is ticking," She said, snapping shut the travel case with a loud click and slinging it over her shoulder. "Let's just pray we can beat it."

{-+-}

-Vale-

"The Stone of Sages?"

Sheba's tone spoke of confusion and disbelief as she looked into the face of the dark-haired swordsman beside her, whose attitude was devoid of any trace of a joke. His days were definitely filled with more interesting happenings than she had imagined, as now Felix was effectively chasing what most people considered to be nothing but a legend. What in the world was his plan now?

"You seem skeptical, and I don't blame you." Felix measured his words carefully, thinking on how to continue, the gears in his head moving ever faster as the young man dove back into his discoveries. "The stone we speak of is an object thought to be formed from the light of purest Alchemy, or at least, that's what the legends tell us." He ran his hand swiftly though his hair again, a slightly nervous habit the earth-wielding swordsman wasn't even aware that he had, eyes averted from the wind user as he continued to explain. "But the scholar told me that what we're looking for can actually be produced given time and energy… The Stone is…our chance to stabilize that destructive force. We can cure the Wise One's worries, along with our own."

There was that fire once again.

Sheba would have gasped if she hadn't ever seen the sight before. In her admittedly short time she'd known and traveled with Felix in comparison to his childhood friends, the girl had come to recognize and memorize that fire of determination in his gaze. It brought a new life to his dark eyes. For so long, he had been devoid of that spark, robbed of his driving goal and desire. Someone with Felix's past would not have survived the journey without such a strong will and need to succeed …A will allowing him to defy both friend and foe on the ragged path to victory.

The first time she had witnessed that spark was atop the Venus Lighthouse, when the Earth Adept buried his relief for his friends' safety and crushed their fragile hopes that he would simply back down and return home, transforming his calm voice into a ferocious snarl in the process.

If the thought of this Stone was enough bring back his fire, if only for a short time, then that alone was solid proof of how important the subject was to him. "So, you already figured it out, huh?" Sheba asked with the attitude of one devoid of surprise, knowing she was speaking to someone who never allowed himself to give up and fail. Felix would always be the most stubborn person she knew.

"I wouldn't say that…it's a bit complicated to explain." There was a soft little rumble of a laugh from the older Adept who shook his head slowly, causing his hair to whirl in a sudden breeze, "Let's just say we're working on it."

"It's just technical stuff, right? Well, that's fine anyway…I know you're already advancing Psynergy as well," Sheba nodded softly, referring to the wards he developed to protect Vale. Felix told her that the ability wasn't all that complicated in the sense that he was simply viewing his powers in a different way. The wards didn't do anything to the earth they stood on…just allowed him to "watch" the boundaries for intrusion.

It was the perfect sort of ability for Felix and his sealed off mind.

Sheba quickly drew back, silently chastising herself for nearly attempting a second Mind Read as her curiosity was peaked again. Why did this Earth Adept have to make things so hard for her? It was only a matter of time before the urge to invade his personal space became too strong to resist. Unfortunately, her silent deliberation had Felix staring at her with a confusing mix of amusement and fascination, probably interested in how her facial expressions shifted wildly during the mental exchange. So the young girl shook her head in an attempt to throw him off and adopted a light-hearted tone, "Never mind, it's starting to get late out here and I'll be heading to the inn soon. Go see your sister before you head back to the cottage, alright?" Sheba smiled and waited until the Earth Adept gave her a slight nod before continuing. "Good…and hurry! It's been getting colder earlier lately! See ya!"

{-+-}

Felix waited until the girl had turned the corner and disappeared, smirking slightly at her long running habit of rushing through her words without the courtesy of letting other get a word in edgewise, not that he was interested in trying to cut in. But he always appreciated her tried and true honesty and willingness to leave be certain subjects he didn't want touched, despite her curiosity. He couldn't always count on friends like Garet, or even sometimes Isaac to be tactful enough to talk to about problems (though the other Earth Adept did have some important things that only Felix could relate to), and bringing Jenna into the picture was out of the question.

Still though, Sheba was right about one thing: avoiding his sister again would not be a wise idea. Visiting her would be the last thing he'd do before heading back to the cottage though. The young man skirted around the edge of a house as he headed for his destination, using the cover of shadows to reach his parents' and Jenna's home (his as well until he separated from them). Stepping up the door with a hesitation that should not exist, Felix let his knuckles rap against the wooden surface and let his hand fall limply to his side as the sound of footsteps alerted him to the approach of someone on the other side of barrier.

He didn't have a moment to react when the door was flung open and a flash of auburn hair blocked out his line of sight and the weight of a young girl fall into him. "Felix! Where have you been?" His sister didn't give him the opportunity to reply as she pushed him back, her tone a conflicted mixture of annoyance and concern as her brother gave a small grin in response.

They bore only the resemblances that would lead people to believe they were related to each other, but little else. Fiery red hair and eyes conflicted with his deep brown hues and their personalities spiraled in opposing directions as well, leaving only their commonly shared hard-headed nature intact. And while the girl was sharp-tongued around her brother as well, it was toned down somewhat, and even Jenna knew better than to allow him to become truly furious.

"Sparring for a while…when that became irritating, I had a short talk with Sheba," He enlightened her quickly, glossing over the point where he'd lost his temper during the training and brushed himself off wearily, glad to not have let that situation escalate. "I'm…sorry for not visiting you earlier."

"That doesn't matter, idiot! I just want you to hurry up and move back in with us…" She let her sentence drop in a tangent, her volume decreasing rapidly with a glance up the stairs. Their parents must've already retired for the night. So, after glancing around for any onlookers, Felix closed the door gently and led his sister further out so they could talk. But her gaze grew steadily sharper as she noticed the serious look in her sibling's face, "Felix… You're not intending to come back, are you?" He said nothing in reply but the young woman could see the grave expression forming on her older brother's face and stepped back as the lurking shadows of watching townsfolk started to gather at the edges of her vision. Jenna could see the dull frowns on their faces and blatant disappointment, coupled with Felix's ever darkening stare as he avoided meeting their eyes. "No! Don't you dare give up on me!" Jenna instantly yanked her hand back, "If you do…I-I can't forgive you!"

Felix barely even registered the pain across his face as she struck him, far more distracted by the look of anger and sadness in her gaze as the words left her mouth, and didn't even have time to call her before the girl turn on her heel and ran. For a moment, he started after her, before the heated sting of the reddening mark on his cheek stopped him. I've hurt her again… Felix grit his teeth and bit back the regret that suddenly grew in his being, ignoring the villagers stubbornly as pounding feet brought him back to the little shack on the edge of town.

Panting slightly, he let one hand rest against the rough wood surface and calmed slowly. I have to keep going…please just wait a little longer… Pausing until his breath returned in full, Felix gripped the door handle and pushed it open, only for surprise and fierce anger to flash across his face.

His uninvited guest smiled and rolled a shining rapier between his fingers, a paper filled with Felix's research notes in the other hand, eyes rising from the notes to the face of the Earth Adept.

"It's been quite a long time, Felix."