The two stared at each other, unsure of what to do. A moment that felt like an eon had passed before Felix asked "Well what was that? You're the expert!" Isaac wasn't sure what he was getting at. "I'm no more skilled at identifying earthquakes than you, Felix." "Not earthquakes, Alchemy!" Felix retorted indignantly. "What makes you so sure that it's Alchemy?" Isaac asked, just as the answer came to him. The only time Isaac had ever felt a quake like that was when he was little, when Saturos' raiding party had disturbed Sol Sanctum.
"It came from Aleph Basin." Felix said, breaking Isaac out of his reminiscence. "Perhaps we should start there." "All right," Isaac agreed. "But we can't cover the whole basin by ourselves. We'll have to get the rest of the gang together." Felix nodded. "Agreed. Did Jenna go with Kraden on this one?" Isaac thought for a moment. "No Kraden left alone on this one." He had forgotten about Kraden, if he was up in the Basin he could be in trouble or hurt or… "Good." Felix once again snapped Isaac back to attention. "I'll get Jenna from the shop. You go to the Fortress and get Mia. We'll meet at Garet's and explain everything to them. That Felix… he always had a plan. "Isaac! Are you paying attention? I swear your mind has become just as lofty as Kraden's ever since you started hanging out with him." "Yes Felix, I'll go get Mia." He said as he stood up, unfazed by Felix's outburst. "Good." Felix then turned and walked out of the doorway. Isaac slowly climbed the stairs. "I just hope he has a plan for what we'll do once we're all together."
Outside it was a bright clear day. Everything looked and felt perfectly normal. Were it not for their years of apprehension about Alchemy, Isaac and Felix might've brushed off the quake, but they knew better. Isaac continued on to the Fortress alone as Felix left for town. The trail to the Fortress was not well worn. It was a place most tended to avoid. Rumors circulated among travelers about its being haunted, for there were always small blasts, squeals, crashes and all sorts of calamity coming from it. But even walking on what appeared to be a patch of grass more than a trail, Isaac found it hard to miss. Its towering steel walls stood in sharp contrast to the wooden houses with thatched roofs in town. As he approached Isaac noticed that the walls were dented outward in places from years of abuse by the Djinn. Isaac knocked at the door. (He had once learned the hard way that this was the appropriate action, even though Mia welcomed visitors.)
He received no answer other than the usual calamity from inside. He would've waited, but he knew that this was urgent so he opened the door. As Isaac shoved against the door, lightning bolts glanced off the opposite side as it hit an airborne Blitz. A handful of Djinn on the floor looked at Isaac as though they might attack, but they recognized him and went about their business. Blitz fluttered around Isaac's head demanding an apology. "Who do you think you are busting in like this Isaac? I could've been really hurt!" "I know Mia told you not to fly near the door!" Joked Isaac. "Well you don't have to be such a snot about it!" Blitz soon lost interest and flew off. The carefree chaos of the Fortress lightened Isaac's mood, but he suddenly remembered the task at hand.
Isaac called for Mia and strode across the room; various Djinn jumping on top of his boots, swinging on his cape, asking him questions and the like. He stopped at the large sign-out board on the wall. There were 72 tiles on it, each representing a Djinni that slid into slots on either the "In" or "Out" side. They had taken Felix's students two weeks to make. "Mia always ran this place like a library." Isaac thought. And she had to, keeping any semblance of order required Mia's full attention. Isaac knew that she had to be here. She never left without someone to replace her. He checked in the four adjoining rooms, again, divided by element. Isaac had to admire Mia's efforts to cater to the desires of her charge. A sandbox in the Venus room, a swimming pool in the Mercury room, an expansive aviary for Jupiter, and, "is that a pot of molten lead?" The next room held a large pewter vat over a fire. Isaac couldn't help investigating. He walked into the room and looked into the pot. It was indeed filled with liquid metal. Isaac gazed at his reflection in the shimmering surface. The visage that stare beck at him was disturbed by Scorch coming up for air. Its eyes brightened when it looked up. "Hi Isaac!" it squealed before diving back under. Isaac grinned. He could see how Mia could take all the insanity. These little guys were just what you needed to brighten your day.
"You know you shouldn't disturb them while they're bathing" Mia had appeared in the doorway behind Isaac. "If Fury is in there he'll fry you!" Isaac turned to face her. "Thanks for the advice." Mia tried to calm the injured Venus Djinni in her hands. "Echo, I told you not to bother Serac. He's got a temper and likes to be left alone." She turned back to Isaac. "Whatever it is, it will have to wait." Isaac understood. There was no way to pry her away when a Djinni needed her. "No real harm done though, just don't let in happen again, you hear me?" Echo nodded. She cast a quick ply and gave Echo one last check before sending it on its way.
"Can you come with me for a minute?" Isaac asked. Mia looked almost afraid of the prospect. "Oh Isaac," she sighed. "You know I can't just leave. I have to-" Isaac interrupted her. He knew that she was about to launch into a long list of things that she had to do today. "Mia, it's important." Mia thought for a moment. She knew that Isaac was serious. He wasn't the type to jerk people around. "Okay, what is it?" She asked. "I can't talk now. It'll be easier to explain when we're all together." Now she knew something was up. If Isaac needed all five of them for something, it had to be big… and probably dangerous. Mia finally looked up and said "I'll see what I can do."
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Ok, not action packed exactly, but we're making progress. Yes it'll be a couple chapters before anything really cool happens, but I need some breathing room to develop my characterizations. If you have anything to say right now, say it! At this point I'll even accept "0.0 yays U! Great fic1!11!1 :)" Anyway, 'till next time...