All right, it's time for another chapter. It's been forever since the last one. And by forever I mean a few weeks. Which is the longest I plan to go without a chapter. No more yearlong waits between chapters. Which I'm still crying myself to sleep about. Well, not really, but you get the point.

Yes, this needs a whole new paragraph. The freaking Word program for Mac hates me with a passion. Every time I make a fragment sentence, it gets onto me. But I make those fragment sentences on purpose! For example, if Garet is trying to say that something makes sense, he's going to say, "Makes sense." Which Word considers a fragment. Screw that! That's what people say! They don't say, "I believe that what you just said makes sense." Screw you, Word. Screw you. And screw you is not a fragment. And neither is that! Or that! AAAH!

Ok I'm done ranting. Ok is totally a word, Word. Stop correcting me. That's not a fragment! Screw my life! Okay, I'm really really done this time. No, I'm not deleting the repeated word!

Let's just take a deep breath. In…out…okay I'm good. Now, time for the next chapter. Now I have to go through the whole arc with Tret. The tree. With the awesomeness quote about trees. I can't wait to quote that quote.

On a random note, two of those sentences in the last paragraph were considered fragments. SCREW YOU WORD!

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun. If I did, then everything would have happened exactly like I'm writing it. With Isaac talking and everything. That's not a fragment! AAAH!


"Up! Up! Get up!" Garet practically screamed in Isaac's face. The blonde opened his eyes instantly, his hand moving to his axe, which was beside him.

"What's the matter? Are we in danger?" Isaac demanded, his sharp eyes glancing over the clearing, but seeing nothing.

"Nope! But look at this! It's so cool!" Garet responded eagerly. Isaac blinked, looking to where Garet was pointing. Sitting next to him was the form of the Mars Djinni that Garet had obtained in the cave. Garet was scratching it behind the ears, and it seemed to be…purring?

Isaac stared incredulously between Forge and Garet's happy face. The blonde restrained himself from punching his friend in the face.

"So you woke me up to tell me that you've domesticated that creature? And that's it?" Isaac yelled at his friend, who looked utterly confused.

"Well, that and it's almost dawn. We've got at least half a day's journey before we reach Bilibin," Garet replied. Isaac sighed, realizing that his words were somewhat sensible.

"Yeah, all right. Try not to be so obnoxious next time. I thought we were under attack," Isaac warned him, walking towards Ivan's tent. The last member of the group stuck his head out of the tent flap, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"You two are so loud," Ivan commented, crawling out of the tent. Isaac pretended to look offended.

"Loud? Me? I think you're talking about Garet over there," Isaac proclaimed, making an innocent face. Garet spluttered over from his position on the ground, where he was petting his Djinni.

"Hey! You're louder than I am, Isaac!" the redhead retorted. Forge slipped out of his grip at that moment and sat on his shoulder. Garet looked up at it and tried to grab it, but it leapt to his head and chittered at him. Garet wrinkled his brow in concentration and tried to seize it without looking, but the Djinni leapt onto his hand and on to his leg, causing Garet to collapse to the ground in an attempt to grab it again.

Isaac and Ivan watched as a comical scene unfolded. Garet was intent on capturing Forge, who was intent on frustrating him. There even seemed to be an amused glint in the Djinni's eyes as it easily avoided him. The two tumbled over each other as Garet frantically tried to grasp it while it weaved through every gap in his body, such as through the crook in his arm or once between his legs.

Forge finally stood on the ground, chittering tantalizingly at Garet, who growled.

"I gotcha!" Garet yelled, diving at it with his arms outstretched. The Djinni waited until the last second to hop upwards. Garet hit the ground hard and remained still, winded. Forge hopped on his head and sat down, looking incredibly triumphant before it burst back into orbs of light and went back inside of the redhead.

"That entire scene negates your entire argument," Isaac quipped, causing Ivan to laugh. Garet regained his breath and stood up again, looking indignant.

"No it doesn't! It means nothing! Hey, don't ignore me!" Garet cried as Isaac and Ivan began packing up camp.

"Shut up and help us pack," Isaac returned. Garet muttered incoherently under his breath and did so.


They set out a few minutes later, having fully packed and eaten. It wasn't that far to Bilibin, but they had to make good time in order to catch up with their quarry.

Clouds rolled in not too long after they departed, blocking the light of the sun and covering the grassy landscape in a blanket of gloom. The wind blew in from the north, bringing in the frigid air from the icy lands to the north. Garet again resorted to warming them with his psynergy, although it was much weaker due to his injuries.

It looked like it might rain, so the group quickened their pace in an attempt to reach Bilibin before it did.

It was a short journey, and it wasn't long before the town loomed before them. It was a stark contrast to Vale and Vault, as this one was not housed within a natural valley created by ridges. It was instead tucked next to a single cliff that rose far above the village top, protecting it from potential floods from the river to the northeast. Surrounding it was a line of sharpened timbers that were lashed together by wooden beams and nails. It was a crude, but effective wall that would help in case of attack.

"Why isn't the entrance guarded?" Ivan whispered to Isaac. The blonde looked ahead and sure enough, there was not a single guard in front of the entrance.

"That's a good question. I guess we'll find out. Come on," Isaac replied. The three walked towards the entrance, which consisted of a wooden arch connecting the gap in the wall.

"Hello? People?" Garet called, as they walked inside. There was no answer from the village, which was oddly quiet.

Just inside the entrance, there was a large tree that towered over them. Isaac glanced at it askance, wondering what a tree was doing inside the village, instead of outside.

"Odd place for a tree," Ivan commented, giving voice to Isaac's thoughts. Glancing at it further, Isaac began to make a horrible comparison. There were many roots connecting the tree to the ground. However, two of them, spreading out to either side, were the largest. The trunk traveled upwards, curving inwards near the middle, before branching out into three. Two of them acted like the roots, stretching out to either side. The other went straight up, where it culminated in a bough of leaves. It looked oddly like…

"This tree is creeping me out," Isaac finally said. "It looks just like a man, and…let's just move on."

"Agreed," Garet responded immediately. The group passed the man-like tree and walked to the rest of the village. It was now that they finally saw some people.

There were people of all ages and genders moving around the city, yet the area was as still quiet as a tomb. There was the odd shuffling as people would bump into one another, but there was very little talking going on. The overcast weather only added to the gloomy atmosphere.

"What's going on?" Ivan whispered. "It's like they are all afraid of something."

Isaac shuddered involuntarily, not wanting to imagine what these people could possibly be scared of.

"Leave it for now. We need to heal our injuries." Isaac ordered. Ivan and Garet nodded in agreement and began following him again. Isaac walked up to the nearest individual, who happened to be a young woman, perhaps their age.

"Excuse me, miss," Isaac spoke up. The woman visibly jumped, startled by the sudden sound. She looked frightened out of her mind by the unfamiliar voice. The girl whirled around until she finally saw Isaac. Her cheeks flushed a light red as she tried to compose herself.

"Can…can I help you, outsider?" she stammered. Behind Isaac, Ivan elbowed Garet, who had been busy checking her out.

"Yes please. My friends and I are looking for the Sanctum so we can be healed. Can you direct us?" Isaac asked politely. The girl nodded slowly, and then turned and pointed a door that was built into the cliffside. Isaac went to thank her, but she was already scurrying off.

"I don't do well in such an environment. Somebody crack a joke before I have a heart attack," Garet finally said. Isaac chuckled at his words before turning and walking in the direction of the Sanctum.

"I've never been this far beyond Vault before, but I didn't expect anything like this," Ivan whispered. Isaac agreed. Then again, Garet and Isaac had never even left Vale before this journey.

Climbing the stairs that led to the Sanctum, Isaac wondered what the Great Healer here would be like. Aldric, the Great Healer back in Vale, had been the wisest man in the village, aside from the mayor himself.

Isaac knocked on the door of the Sanctum, and then he quieted Garet and Ivan, who had been whispering to one another behind him. The door opened to reveal an old man in his fifties at least. His hair was gray and long, cascading down his back. He was dressed in a royal purple and red robe reminiscent of Aldric's back in Vale. The headgear he was wearing was nearly identical to Aldric's, which proved his status as Great Healer.

"Come in, travelers. I have been expecting you," the Great Healer greeted them, his old face cracking into a smile. He motioned the three inside. Isaac followed him inside, along with Garet and Ivan.

"What do you mean? I don't think I've ever met you before," Ivan answered, while Isaac was looking around the room.

"I don't believe we've met either," the Great Healer replied, laughing. "However, I've heard of you from the Wise One, guardian of the secrets of Alchemy."

All eyes turned on him the instant he emitted the name of the god from Mt. Aleph. It made sense, since the job of the Great Healer was to communicate with the gods.

"The Wise One? The giant rock thing from the volcano?" Garet exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"It talked to you?" Isaac inquired. The Great Healer nodded in confirmation. He continued walking to the back of the room, where there were several beds set up for extensive care.

"Please, lie down. I'll explain all to you while I treat any injuries you may have," he insisted. Isaac hesitated for a moment, before he decided that he might as well. The bites on his body weren't going to get any better on their own, after all.

Relaxing into the bed, Isaac let out a contented sigh. It had been forever since the last time he'd slept in an actual bed and not the hard ground.

"This was totally worth the monsters," Garet commented, flopping down on the bed. Ivan said nothing, watching the Healer intently from the bed.

"My name is Verne, the Great Healer of this town, and conduit to the realm of the gods," the man announced. "The Wise One contacted me a day after the eruption of Mt. Aleph, and explained to me the crisis that faces the world."

Verne walked over to Isaac first, his hands outstretched. The telltale glow of psynergy began to flow from his hands, which Isaac had not been expecting. He had expected an advanced ointment distilled from herbs, not actual psynergy.

"You have psynergy!" Ivan exclaimed, watching as Isaac's wounds began aging rapidly right before his eyes. Skin and muscle began to reform from the burned bites that had been left by the burning skulls.

"Indeed I do. However, it is nothing like yours. All I have learned to do is utilize what little innate power I have to heal others." Verne admitted. "If I had strength, there would be nothing to stop me from defeating the two you seek myself."

"Saturos and Menardi! Have you seen them?" Garet demanded. Verne nodded grimly.

"They passed through here recently, though I was not told where they were going. The Wise One only told me to care for you once you arrived." He explained.

"Well, you have our thanks for that," Isaac replied gratefully, flexing his healed shoulder. Verne moved on to Garet, turning his healing light onto the redhead.

"I have a question, Verne," Ivan piped up. The old man turned his gaze onto the teen expectantly. "What is everyone so afraid of out in the village?"

Garet and Isaac looked expectantly at Verne, awaiting an answer to the question they also wanted answered. Verne's expression turned grim.

"The curse of the Sacred Tree," the Great Healer responded. When the three looked confused, he continued. "That tree in the village entrance wasn't always a tree. An outsider came here, already beginning to transform. His last words were that he had offended the Sacred Tree."

A silence fell across the room. Isaac had been able to see the man-like qualities of a tree, and it was even worse now that its nature had been confirmed.

"A man into a tree? What kind of creature can do something like that?" Garet exclaimed. Verne finished healing him and moved on to Ivan.

"I do not know any more than that. You would have to speak to the lord and mayor of this village, Lord McCoy, to learn more." The Great Healer replied.

"Absolutely not," Isaac asserted suddenly. Garet and Ivan looked at him in shock.

"What? You're not going to help that man? Ivan exclaimed. Isaac shook his head.

"We don't have time to go running off on some other quest when we have a much larger matter on our hands." Isaac ruled. It was a hard decision to make, but he just couldn't waste any more time running off on silly quests.

"That's pretty cold, Isaac," Garet chided him. Isaac knew he was right, but there just wasn't anything he could do about it.

"You might not have a choice, young man," Verne finally said, interrupting their deliberation. Isaac's gaze shot to him, daring the old man to challenge his decision.

"What do you mean by that?" Isaac demanded. Verne sighed, pulling out a map of Weyard, similar to Isaac's. However, it was much more complete than their own. He laid the map out on a flat surface, showing them.

"We are here, in Bilibin. There are two different paths that the two you seek could have taken. The first is north to Imil, which is usually too cold to traverse safely this time of year. The second is east to Kolima, which is warmer and makes the most obvious course for them to take. However, the sacred tree the outsider spoke of originated in Kolima, so Lord McCoy has set up a barricade to prevent passerby." Verne explained. Isaac looked at the map, noticing that it was also incomplete. They couldn't see much farther than the town of Kolima, which was at the eastern border of the map. Imil was at the northern end of the map.

"Imil? I've heard of that place. I agree, they would have to be mad to head to Imil around this time of year, Mars Adepts or not." Ivan agreed. "Isaac, we may need to do something about this curse after all if we want to pursue them to Kolima."

Isaac glared at the map, not wanting to get involved in this, but he saw the sense in their words.

"This McCoy guy, what's he like?" Garet asked Verne, who sighed in response. Isaac looked at the old man, wondering what had caused such a response.

"Lord McCoy is a good ruler, but he has his flaws. He is frightened greatly because of the curse, and the townsfolk always get worried when their leader is scared," Verne replied. "As for how he is personally, he is a good man who married the wrong woman. This whole ordeal began when his wife expressed her desire to live in a palace of her own, with her own servants."

"Uh oh," Garet spoke up. "I can see where this is going."

"Indeed, young man. Lord McCoy loves his wife far more than she deserves, so he immediately sent messengers to Kolima, the town of lumberjacks. I assume they took their axes to the wrong trees, and the man at the entrance of Bilibin is the result. " Verne continued, proving to Isaac just how much he could talk. Of course, the teen found this all informative. He wanted to know what he was getting into before he agreed to anything.

"So what you are saying is that this "sacred tree" is an entity that struck out in revenge?" Ivan asked. Verne nodded solemnly.

"Lord McCoy believes that this whole thing is his fault, and fears that the curse may eventually reach Bilibin. His wife is less than understanding, and it is a common sight to find her yelling at her husband, or seeking my advice on how to make him continue construction of her palace." Verne explained. "My replies weren't what she was looking for, so she is less than happy with me."

"She sounds like a real piece of work," Garet commented. Isaac concurred with that.

"I understand now," Isaac finally said, gaining their attention. "I assume that the barricade was put up after Saturos and Menardi passed through, so we'll need to get permission from Lord McCoy to pass through. We'll deal with the curse if we need to, but our main objective is rescuing Jenna and Kraden."

"All right! Let's do it!" Garet exclaimed, happy that Isaac had finally decided to do something.

Now finished healing, Verne stepped back and sat down on a fresh bed, visibly tired. It seems he was right when he said that his stores of psynergy were nothing like their own. Then again, Isaac thought, none of them were able to heal to that extent. Isaac knew how, but he had never been as good at it as he had been at earthquakes and rock manipulation.

"Verne, where is McCoy's palace?" Isaac asked, his tone now very business-like. He was ready to get moving now that his stamina was all back.

"It's hard to miss. Just walk outside and look north. It's the largest structure in town," Verne answered. "I wish you both luck. Part of me tells me that your journey will be an arduous one."


The three thanked Verne profusely for his help, and then they departed the sanctum and re-entered the village. The day was coming to a close, so activity in the village began slowing down. Though it was interesting to note that activity hadn't been that great to begin with.

"Shouldn't we have stayed back there for the night? It's getting rather late," Ivan asked, glancing over at Isaac. The teen looked up at the sun, trying to discern how much time was left in the day.

"We've got some time. We'll head back to Verne's once we speak with this McCoy guy," Isaac replied.

"This Wise One guy is pretty nice. Getting us free lodging and all," Garet mused aloud, completely changing the subject. Isaac agreed, though he was focusing more on what to say to the leader of the village.

Verne was right about the size of the Lord's palace. It towered over the rest of the village, looking totally out of place compared to the other houses. Garet looked up at the structure and scoffed in derision.

"Tch. How vain can you get?" the redhead asked with an edge in his voice. "Why should a guy like this get to live in such luxury when everyone else lives in tiny one room houses?"

"You've got a point," Isaac admitted as they walked through the near empty village. Ivan was uncommonly silent after this comment, which Isaac picked up on.

"Ivan? What's the matter?" the teen asked his friend, who was looking somewhat guilty.

"Well…I was raised in such a palace myself…" Ivan confessed. Garet stopped and turned around, looking at the teen.

"What? Was this Hammet guy that rich?" the redhead asked curiously. Ivan raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know? I'm pretty sure he's the most successful businessman in the world!" Ivan bragged. Garet ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment.

"Yeah, we lived under a rock," he joked. Isaac reached forward and prodded Garet on the shoulder, prompting him to keep moving.

"Except it fell," Isaac said coldly, causing Garet to go silent. Isaac was of course referring to the Mt. Aleph Boulder, which served as a reminder about what they were fighting to defend. Ivan followed the two, looking completely confused.

The group finally reached the palace grounds. Isaac took a moment to look around. The palace itself was fairly simple in construction. It was rectangular in shape, with a round turret at each corner. It looked to be made primarily of brick on the outside, though Isaac was sure that the foundation was constructed of copious amounts of wood.

"Isaac, what's going on over there?" Ivan asked, pointing towards the leftmost side of the grounds. Isaac looked to see a raised area of the cliff, with stairs built into the side. It was a large cliff, easily half as large as the palace before them. Atop it was a large group of villagers. They were hard at work, hammering and sawing at wooden beams.

"That must be the palace that Lady McCoy wanted built," Garet observed. Isaac nodded. That did seem to be the case. The villagers would grab logs from a meager timber pile and would first strip them of bark and branches using saws, and then they would straighten and refine them until they were ready to be used in construction. The villagers seemed to be working hard.

"That must be Lady McCoy," Isaac added, pointing. There was a finely dressed woman wearing a copious amount of make-up standing up there and watching the construction. There was an impatient look on her face, and every so often she would yell at a worker that would be taking a little longer on a particular task.

"Let's hurry up and go inside before I go up there and teach her a thing or two," Garet grumbled, obviously not liking what he saw. Isaac nodded and resumed walking, finally reaching the door.

Two men guarded it. They were dressed in iron armor and visored helmets, which the group looked on with jealousy. They were stuck with these travel vests, which didn't work that well in the long run. They were armed with long spears, discouraging anyone with conventional weapons form causing any trouble. Their eyes snapped to Isaac's group the second they moved within their line of sight.

"Halt!" the first guard ordered, crossing his spear in front of the door. The other guard did the same. Isaac, Garet, and Ivan stopped in their tracks, realizing that these two outmatched them in build and weaponry, so causing trouble would not be in their best interest.

"State your business. Now." The second guard demanded, his voice sounding eerie from within his helmet.

"We're here to speak with Lord McCoy," Isaac replied, while Garet and Ivan looked on. The first guard turned his head slightly to look at the other guard, who shook his head.

"The lord isn't seeing anyone. Leave at once," the first guard snapped. Isaac sighed, though he didn't budge at all. Instead, he decided to point something out to the guards.

"All right, so there's a man turned tree in front of the village that scares the crap out of everyone, and the lord isn't seeing anyone? Somehow I find that hard to believe," Isaac shot back. The guards didn't react very well to his words.

"Watch your tone, kid!" the first guard growled, his free hand moving dangerously close to a secondary blade by his side.

"The lord won't see anyone except capable warriors, not kids like you," the other guard added. Isaac grinned. At last they were getting somewhere.

"We're your guys. We're here to deal with the curse for you," Isaac proclaimed boldly. The guards looked at one another and then laughed derisively. Isaac heard Garet growl quietly from behind him and knew that his friend was angry. Garet never liked being laughed at.

"I see. You're pretty confident, kid," the second guard said after his laughter subsided. The other shook his head and gazed at the group.

"Let me lay it to you straight, kid. Lord McCoy has sent a large amount of men down to Kolima already, and none of them have returned. Every single one of them has been trained in the military arts since birth. What can you do that they can't?" the guard explained. Isaac was about to answer when he felt a flare of psynergy erupt from Garet. Isaac looked over to see his friend glaring at the guards.

"You want to know what we can do? I'll show you!" Garet snapped, and then his body caught on fire. The guards gasped and stared in shock as the redhead stepped forward, flames licking up and down his form.

"Garet…" Isaac warned, though it was already too late. These people probably had no clue what psynergy was, which was why he had never used his powers in public.

"I think I'm strong enough to take on every single guard in this palace. Some tree isn't going to stop me," Garet asserted, daring the guards to challenge him.

"All right! Enough!" the first guard finally shouted. Garet grunted and let the flames disappear from his body. "We'll let you pass. Follow me."

"Jace, are you sure?" the second guard asked nervously. The first guard, whose name was obviously Jace, nodded.

"I should hope so. If the tree gives that one trouble, he'll just burn the freaking thing down," Jace reasoned. Withdrawing their spears from the door, the guards opened it and let the group inside.

Jace led the group inside, heading straight down the center hallway. The interior of the palace was constructed mostly with stone, though there were wooden furnishings, such as bookcases, lining the walls.

Isaac noticed several of the people inside the palace, who seemed to be either guards or servants, giving them curious looks. He grew uneasy, and tried to quicken his pace.

"You guys remind me of the large group that passed through here earlier," Jace murmured as they walked. That caught their attention instantly. "I was on guard duty when I saw one of them burn the skin right off a monster."

"That would be Saturos and Menardi," Isaac replied. "Did you, by chance, find out where they were going?"

"In fact, I did. They told me they were heading north," Jace told them. The group looked at him in shock. So the two weren't going to Kolima after all?

"Wait, they were heading to Imil? At this time of year? Are they mad?" Ivan exclaimed. Jace chuckled softly at this.

"I know right? They aren't going anywhere. An avalanche that occurred not long ago cut off communications from Imil. Even with their fancy flame powers, that's still several tons of snow and ice to melt through." Jace explained.

"Then I don't think we should bother to…" Isaac began, determining that Saturos and Menardi were more important than lifting some curse. However, Garet laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry, you're being overruled, Isaac. If they can't go north for a while, I'm sure we can take the time to help these people. Don't you agree, Ivan?" the redhead told him. Ivan nodded grimly, giving an apologetic look towards Isaac.

"Fine. Just don't blame me if the world pays for it," Isaac relented with bad grace.

At the end of the hallway, there was a large wooden door covered in spiraling black patterns that were painted on.

"Sure doesn't spare any expense, does he?" Garet muttered. Jace hissed at him, shutting the redhead up. Isaac watched as the guard knocked on the door.

"Lord McCoy, sir! Captain of the Guard, Jacellius requesting an audience!" Jace barked. Garet looked at Isaac and mouthed the words 'Captain of the Guard?' Isaac was now glad Garet had put on that little display back there. It seems they had won quite the powerful ally.

"For what purpose, Captain?" a voice sounded from within the room. Isaac raised an eyebrow as he heard the voice. This voice, which presumably belonged to Lord McCoy himself, spoke with a heavy accent that Isaac couldn't identify.

"New warriors, sir. They are here about the situation in Kolima," Jace answered promptly. The door opened to reveal a rather…large man dressed in magnificent clothing. He had a round, pudgy face with a balding hairline and a bushy red mustache. In Isaac's opinion, he didn't look all that regal.

"New warriors yeh say? Bring 'em in," Lord McCoy ordered, stepping back. Jace nodded and ushered the three in now that the lord was out of the way. Isaac and the others formed a line in front of the lord's desk. Garet stood on his right, while Isaac stood on his left.

The room was of course, luxurious. A plush chair made of green leather and polished wood dominated the back of the room, with a large desk in front of it. Lord McCoy sat down in his chair before he turned his beady eyes on the three. The man only looked for about a second before he sighed. He looked incredulously at Jace.

"Are yeh out of your military mind?" Lord McCoy demanded. Jace remained silent, remaining stalwart despite the negative reaction. "They're but children!"

"I believe that they are highly capable children, sir," Jace responded smartly. Isaac couldn't help but admire the guy's self control. However, Lord McCoy was still not impressed.

"Pah! Because of their overpriced toys? I've sent many a man intae Kolima, and not a one has returned," the lord scoffed. Then he finally turned his attention towards the three. "Yeh expect me tae believe you can save Kolima?"

"Trust me, we are stronger than the average warrior," Isaac boasted. Lord McCoy didn't look convinced.

"Well, I'll grant yeh're a brave lot," the lord admitted. He reached into one of his pockets and removed a key from within. He held it up, letting the polished brass catch the light.

"Yeh need a key tae get past the barricade in the east, but I doubt yeh'll reach Kolima even with it," he said. "Yeh really think yeh can handle it?"

"Yeah! We're not children anymore!" Garet snapped. However, Ivan looked a little nervous. Isaac picked up on that rather easily.

"Ivan, you don't look too enthusiastic," Isaac observed. Garet peeked over at the teen as well.

"I'm just worried is all. Do you really think we stand a chance against a curse that can turn a man into a tree?" Ivan confessed. Isaac sighed. Why was it that the one who agreed to take on the curse in the first place was now having second thoughts, while he was finally ready to do it? It seemed like the tables had turned.

"Of course we do. We've come this far on our own, haven't we?" Isaac answered. Lord McCoy watched the exchange between them with interest.

"Hell yeah! This simple curse gave Saturos and Menardi no trouble on their way through, and if they can take it, we definitely can!" Garet proclaimed confidently.

"Well, it looks like I'm overruled," Ivan commented, running a hand through his short hair.

"At least you all agree on something," Lord McCoy interrupted, bringing attention back to him. The lord made as if to give Isaac the key, but paused in mid motion.

"What troubles you, sir? They seem willing enough," Jace inquired. Lord McCoy sighed, and replaced the key in his pocket.

"Yeh act all confident and tough, but yer naught but wee children! Aye, these are desperate times, but I cannae send such wee lads tae their doom," he finally said. Isaac's hopes fell after hearing this. However, Jace took a step forward.

"If we don't send them, what will happen to Kolima?" Jace demanded. The lord shook his head, his mind made up.

"We cannae give up hope on our other champions," he answered, though that answer satisfied no one."

"But what about us?" Isaac demanded. He was rather stubborn when he'd made up his mind on something, and he had already decided that he was going to deal with the curse.

"I already told yeh. I cannae send yeh intae certain doom," Lord McCoy stubbornly replied.

"What if we said we were going east anyway? Come on, give us the key!" Garet protested.

"Yeh can go once things have settled down." The lord shot back.

"But we can't just sit here and do nothing!" Ivan pleaded. The lord sighed in frustration and gestured to Jace.

"Ach, it's fer yer own good, laddie. I dinnae want tae talk about it anymore. Captain?" Lord McCoy countered. Jace looked apologetically at the three, and walked in front of them.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have to escort you out now," Jace informed them. Disheartened, Isaac turned the other way and let the captain show them the way out.

The group walked in silence as Jace led them back down the hallway towards the exit of the palace. Isaac was already thinking of ways of getting past the barricade forcefully, and he was sure that Garet was too. However, it didn't seem like all hope was lost.

"Your name was Isaac, right?" Jace asked once they were outside the castle. Isaac nodded, not really feeling the need to speak. "Look, I'm sorry you were rejected. I never expected anything like this curse to happen to Bilibin. Can you promise me you won't go to Kolima?"

"Honestly?" Isaac snapped, turning around to face the man. "No. I can't. If your lord won't take that stick out of his ass long enough to help us, we'll force our way through."

"Hell yeah! You go Isaac!" Garet cheered from behind him. Jace was silent for a moment. His gauntleted hand reached up and lifted his visor, revealing the face of a man in his late twenties. A grin crossed his face, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"You're definitely persistent. Tell you what, I think I can even help you along your way. Come with me," Jace replied. Surprised, Isaac and his friends followed the guard along a path that went along the side of the palace.

Several trees and bushes lined the back end of the palace, which rested up against the cliff side. Jace used his spear to push the foliage of a leaning tree out of the way, revealing the entrance to a cave.

"This is the palace treasury. Take enough coins to outfit yourself for the journey. Call it a gift from me," Jace explained. Isaac looked at him in shock.

"You're just going to let us take money from the palace treasury?" Isaac asked.

"Isn't that kind of risky? What if we went overboard and took too much? Not saying that we would or anything, but still." Garet added.

"I trust you guys to get the job done. With your kind of power, I doubt even I could stop you in a fight. Don't worry. I'll pay out of pocket for whatever you take. I have too much money anyway," Jace replied.

"That's awfully nice of you. Thank you," Ivan commented.

"No kidding. Thanks indeed." Isaac added. Jace nodded and ushered them down into the cave.

"There's also a little something I think people like you could use. Take care!" the captain of the guard called down after them. Isaac didn't quite know what he meant by that, but he pressed on anyway.

The cave went down by way of carefully chiseled stairs for a few meters before it would take two sharp right turns and head down again. There were torches on the wall at regular intervals so it was easy to see where they were going.

Before long, they found themselves in a large room. Isaac looked around in awe at the stacks and stacks of coins lining the walls. There were hundreds of thousands of coins here, more than Isaac had ever seen in his life.

"It's a lot smaller than Master Hammet's," Ivan commented. Garet gave him such an exasperated look that Isaac couldn't help but chuckle.

"Really…just…really? Try not to flaunt your wealth you know. Might be nice." Garet commented sarcastically. Ivan flushed in embarrassment, mumbling an apology.

"How many coins do we have, Garet?" Isaac asked. Garet took out a large bag from his pack and glanced into it.

"I think around a thousand," the redhead answered after a moment of counting. Isaac did a bit of quick math. If things here cost the same as they did back in Vault, then they wouldn't need that much. However, Isaac decided to play it safe and add in a bit to account for any rise in price. Then, he added just a bit more to give him some breathing room in case money got tight after a while.

"Hm…Garet? Gather up another four thousand coins. Wait…make it five thousand." Isaac ordered. Garet nodded and crouched next to a particularly large pile of coins. Ivan knelt beside him, helping him gather up the coins.

"Mwahaha…money money money…" Garet gloated under his breath as he piled coins into the bag.

"Try not to sound like a total miser, will you?" Isaac joked. Garet ignored him, instead turning to Ivan.

"Ivan, are there enough coins in Hammet's treasury so that you could swim in them?" Garet asked randomly. Ivan blinked, wondering what had brought that on.

"Um…I guess, but I've never really felt the urge," Ivan answered slowly. Garet grinned mischievously.

"That's it. When slash if we ever get to your hometown, we are sooo swimming in his treasury. Just because we can." Garet declared. Isaac couldn't help but facepalm. Only Garet.

When they finally finished gathering up the money, they prepared to leave. However, before they could take a step towards the exit, they heard a loud chirp from the adjoining room. It didn't sound like any bird they'd ever heard. Two things then happened at once.

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Garet yelled at himself. "Isaac, why is my Djinni chittering in my head!"

"Did you hear that, Isaac?" Flint spoke up, waking up from his slumber. Isaac nodded.

"What was that, Flint? A Djinni?" he asked.

"You betcha! Go get it! You can use all the Djinni you can get!" Flint answered. Isaac grinned, walking towards the adjoining room.

"It's a Djinni! Come on, you two." Isaac ordered, waving back at them. Ivan and Garet ran after him, and then the three rushed into the room.

The Djinni was standing in the middle of the room on its feet, which looked like nothing more than spikes. It had a short, squat body that was colored purple, which was being held up by two tiny wings, which were constantly flapping. Like the Mars Djinni, this Djinni had a long crest on its head. It had two beady blue eyes, which fixed on them the second they entered the room.

"Purple…Ivan, this one's for you!" Isaac called. It seems that the different Djinn were color-coded rather obviously. If Venus were yellow and Mars were red, it only made sense that Jupiter and Mercury would be purple and blue, respectively.

"I hope it doesn't attack me," Ivan stammered, stepping closer to the Djinni. It let out another chirp as it spotted his movement. "Nice Djinni…nice Djinni…"

Ivan finally reached it. It never fled from him, which bolstered his confidence a little. The teen knelt down and tried to touch it, but the second his fingers touched its skin, it burst into purple orbs and flowed into him through his mouth, which knocked him over.

"Does it talk? Does it?" Flint asked excitedly from within Isaac's mind. Isaac sighed and walked over to Ivan, extending his hand. Ivan took it gratefully and rose to his feet again.

"Flint wants to know if it talks," Isaac repeated in a bored voice. Ivan paused for a moment, and then shook his head.

"No, it just sort of chirps," Ivan answered ruefully. "I do know its name though. Its called Gust."

"Ah I know him. He's the wannabe. He's pretty strong, but not as strong as the Enlightened." Flint explained. Isaac raised an eyebrow, despite the fact that Flint couldn't see it. Wannabe didn't seem to be an accurate term to describe a Djinni with.

"This is pretty awesome. All of us have a Djinni now!" Garet proclaimed. Isaac let himself smile, knowing that they had gained a little more power, and with it, a better chance of defeating Saturos and Menardi when they at last met one another.


The next thing on the agenda for the three teens was to again check the armor and weapon shop. Ever since their ill-fated journey into Sol Sanctum, Isaac had decided that he wanted to be as prepared as possible for any situation. With that in mind, he knew that there was always a chance the shops could hold something invaluable.

When they walked into the shop, it was immediately obvious that this was a good idea.

"Wow, Isaac! Look at all that stuff!" Garet exclaimed, pointing. The merchants who were tending the counter chuckled as they heard this. Isaac looked and was impressed. Ever since Vale, the group had been wearing the green travel vests, but it had become clear after the incident in Goma Cave that these would no longer suffice. Up on the walls were leather breastplates, gloves, and even a shield that looked like it was made of bronze. There were many more weapons and pieces of armor lining the walls, with price tags hanging off of them.

"This is definitely more advanced than Vault," Ivan commented. Garet grinned and elbowed the teen lightly.

"But not as advanced as Kalay, right?" Garet joked. Ivan, however, missed the intention of the remark.

"Of course! We have a…wait…you were making fun of me, weren't you?" Ivan accused. Garet laughed at this, while Isaac was looking up on the wall.

"Welcome! Larson is my name. Something I can help you with, sir?" the armor merchant asked after he noticed Isaac's interest.

"Yes, actually. We are travelers looking for the best armor and weapons we can get. Do you have any recommendations?" Isaac inquired curiously. Larson beamed, happy that his expertise was being asked. The first thing the merchant did was look over Isaac and his friends, seeing what they were wearing.

"Hm, you have some primitive gear there. You would definitely benefit from a change of wardrobe," Larson began. Isaac didn't mind the insult to his clothing. After all, Larson was still a merchant looking out for himself. "Your travel vests, although I do carry them myself, are inferior for individuals of your size. You should purchase these leather breastplates!"

Larson took down one of the breastplates from the racks and laid it on the table. He began turning it over and pressing down on it to show its durability.

"It's flexible, but strong. In comparison to your travel vests, these breastplates are guaranteed to protect you from glancing blows. They are held together by metal rivets, like you can see here, so there's no worry of having it come apart in the middle of a battle." Larson explained. Isaac looked over the material in approval. The teen looked back at Ivan and Garet.

"Think I should get three of them?" Isaac asked them. Garet nodded emphatically, but Ivan looked uncomfortable.

"Erm…I'm a bit small in build to wear something that heavy," Ivan admitted. Garet and Isaac looked at him incredulously.

"What? Really?" Isaac asked, not believing that leather could be that heavy. However, Larson intervened.

"Excellent deduction, good sir!" Larson replied, his compliment directed towards Ivan. "One of your build would suffer a penalty in movement, as leather is much heaver than a travel vest. I have just the thing for you."

The three looked as Larson reached below the counter and pulled out what looked like a travel vest, only it was much longer and thicker.

"This is a travel tunic. It is one designed specifically for people like you. While it does not have the added protection of the breastplates, it will be invaluable in a tough fight, while still being light as a feather! On a side note, it is very warm. Invaluable if you plan on heading to Imil…which I sincerely hope you're not." Larson continued, laughing a little at his own joke.

"That sounds good. So far, we'll need two breastplates and one travel tunic. Anything else you recommend?" Isaac asked. Larson nodded.

"The next thing I'd like to draw your attention to these gloves. They are made of leather, which is much stronger than the padded gloves I see you wearing," Larson started, pulling out three sets of leather gloves. "Your gloves are comfortable, but can be sliced apart like butter, and the last thing you want are bloody hands. Weapons tend to slip right out of them. These leather gloves will hold out and even deflect glancing blows."

"I like what I see! What about shields? Do you have any shields?" Garet inquired, looking up on the racks. Larson grinned.

"Indeed I do, good sir. You are going to love this. My shields are made of bronze! Yes, you heard me. I made my shields out of bronze, which is much stronger than the wooden ones you have," Larson replied, taking out a shining bronze shield from underneath the counter.

"Yeah, and less likely to burn," Garet muttered. Isaac chuckled a little at that.

"This is better than any shop we've seen so far. So in total, here's what we'll be buying: two breastplates, a travel tunic, three pairs of leather gloves, and two shields. How much would that cost us?" Isaac summarized, taking the coin bag from Garet, which was a lot heavier than usual. Larson did a bit of quick math in his head and then grinned.

"In total, all of these fine pieces will cost you two thousand, three hundred and forty coins. However, I'd be willing to take all of your old armor off of your hands for half of their original selling price," Larson replied. Isaac expected that much, and was already removing his travel vest.

"How much would our total be then?" Isaac pressed. Larson watched as the group removed all of their old armor, leaving them in their original cotton clothing. He then scanned the pieces, noting the minor damage and scrapes on all of them.

"Hm…I think these could do with a little fixing up. However, I won't let that affect the selling price. In total, this would take your price down to two thousand, two hundred and ten. Sound good?" Larson said with finality. Isaac nodded. They had 6000 coins thanks to the generosity of Captain Jacellius, so this would leave them with still quite a bit of coin. To be precise, they would be left with 3790 coins.

With that, Isaac handed over the necessary amount of coin to the overeager businessman, and received a powerful set of new armor for his person. The first thing Isaac did was don the leather breastplate, which fit him well. He liked the comfortable weight it put on his shoulders, and he felt strong.

Once they were all decked out in strong new gear, Isaac decided to get a better weapon for Ivan.

"Ivan, can you use a sword at all?" Isaac asked curiously, turning to face his friend. Ivan looked a little unsure, but nodded.

"I was trained somewhat during my time in Kalay, but I can't wield anything huge like you do," Ivan replied. Isaac nodded. It seemed that in terms of fighting style, Ivan focused more on his usage of psynergy than actual physical battle. He was physically weak, but mentally strong. That was good to know.

"Hey, Larson! Do you stock any light blades for my friend?" Isaac called, facing the merchant again.

"I wouldn't know. Armor is my specialty. You should ask my brother Charles," Larson replied apologetically. He then turned to face a door that presumably led to the storeroom. "Oi! Charles!"

There was a loud thump form the back room, and then a clattering. A string of colorful curse words followed the loud noise. Larson chuckled after hearing this. The other merchant stumbled out of the storeroom with an irritable look on his face.

"Larson! I told you not to bother me when I'm hanging up weapons! It's dangerous!" Charles yelled at his brother, who looked like he wasn't paying attention.

"Yeah, that's nice and all, but we have customers here looking for some weapons," Larson replied calmly. Charles sighed and looked over the counter to see Isaac and his group, who were waiting patiently.

"What do you need, stranger?" Charles asked rudely, but changed his tone when his brother elbowed him sharply. "What can I get you today?"

"A light blade for my friend, please," Isaac repeated, getting impatient. Charles promptly walked back into the storeroom.

"I'm sorry about my brother. He's a warrior at heart, and the only thing he wants to be doing right now is helping with the situation in Kolima," Larson admitted, giving them both an apologetic look.

"How ironic. That's what we are getting ready to do!" Garet spoke up. Larson snapped his gaze to the redhead in shock, his eyes widening. He opened his mouth once, and then shut it. He appeared to think for a second.

"Then I'm glad you decided to gear up in our equipment to do it," Larson finally replied. Isaac gained some respect for the merchant, since he hadn't commented on how young they were. In fact, that was probably the only thing he could have said without causing offense.

"How diplomatic of him," Ivan whispered to Isaac so that Larson couldn't hear. Isaac nodded in agreement.

"So why am I getting a sword again?" Ivan asked in a louder voice. Isaac sighed, turning back to him.

"You only have that rod Hammet asked you to find. Am I right when I say it's important to you?" Isaac began. Ivan nodded, resting his hand on the staff, which was on his back. "A staff can't block blades and claws without risking damage. A blade can."

"Makes sense," Ivan admitted. Charles chose that moment to walk back into the room with a short, curved blade.

"This is a hunter's blade. Do you want it? It's five hundred and twenty coins," Charles grunted. Isaac nodded, passing over the coins and giving the blade to Ivan. This transaction left them with 3270 coins.

"All right, I think that's everything! Shall we return to the Sanctum?" Garet declared, turning to Isaac. The teen nodded. With that, the group turned around and began to depart the shop.

"Good luck," Larson called after them with a serious look on his face. "Come back alive, you hear me?"

"Will do, Larson," Isaac replied, smiling back at the man.


It was already dark when they left the armor shop. The moon shone clearly down on them, bathing the three in its gentle silver light. The group started walking in the direction of the Sanctum.

Verne welcomed them back into the house without a single objection. He even fed them dinner in addition to promising them use of the house whenever they needed it. It was good to know that the three always had an ally in this man.

Once dinner was over, it was time to sleep. Isaac fully intended for the group to get up at the crack of dawn in order to gain as much ground as possible the next day. It didn't take them long to fall into slumber, as they had done a lot of things that day which had tired them out quite efficiently.


The next morning, Isaac woke everyone up as soon as light began to appear over the horizon. It was a quick matter to get dressed in their new armor and weapons, so it wasn't long before they were ready to head out. They bid Verne goodbye and left the Sanctum, heading for the village exit.

However, they were met with quite the surprise when they reached it.

"What are all those soldiers doing?" Garet asked, pointing at the entrance to the village. Isaac looked and saw a huge amount of soldiers, possibly enough to account for the entire village militia. They were arranged in a dual line formation, forming a corridor through the village gates.

"Good question. I thought they were all too afraid to go near there. You know, because of the…tree…man…thing," Ivan answered.

"I only hope they don't try to stop us," Isaac growled. His hand went to the handle of his battle-axe just in case.

"Captain Jacellius, sir! Here they come!" a soldier's voice called out. Isaac recognized the name of their ally in the militia, and his eyes widened. Were they really…?

"Ten hut!" the captain's voice called out from the top of the village gates. Isaac looked up and could see their friend standing there with his visor up.

"No way…" Garet whispered. At the sound of their captain's voice, every soldier stood up straight, their hands grasping their spears.

"Hai!" the soldiers chorused in response to their captain's order. As soon as Isaac and his friends reached the corridor of soldiers, Jace slammed the butt of his spear on the gate.

"Present arms!" he commanded. With that, the soldiers mirrored his action before holding their long spears diagonally forward before them, crossing with the spears held from the soldiers in the other line. Isaac was looking at a tunnel of soldiers and spears, a formation that he had read about before, but never seen. It was a sign of great respect from the military to a single or group of individuals.

"This is…I don't even know what to say," Ivan gasped. Isaac began to walk through the tunnel of spears, looking around at the soldiers in awe. Their visors were all shut, so he couldn't see their facial expressions.

When the three finally exited the tunnel of soldiers and spears, the captain gave the order for the soldiers to return to standing at attention. Jace turned around and gazed down at Isaac, a calm smile on his face.

"Good luck, my friends. May the Gods be on your side," Jacellius, Captain of the Guard of Bilibin, called down to them. Isaac smiled back at their ally, waving a hand up at him before moving along.

"Do you know what the funny thing is?" Garet finally commented after a moment of silent contemplation of what had just happened. All eyes turned to him expectantly, waiting for his no doubt insightful comment. "The Gods actually are on our side."

Isaac couldn't help but snort with laughter. The group allowed themselves a short moment of merriment, which ended not long after it began. Garet was correct in a sense. Not only was the Wise One contacting others with warnings and orders, the Djinn could call deities from the heavens as well.

Their spirits lifted dramatically, the group set out for Kolima with their heads held high.


So there we go. Yeah, I know on my profile I said that I was going to include the trip to Kolima in this chapter, but I decided that since it had already reached my 9000-word minimum, I should cut it off here.

If you noticed, I included a cleverly hidden little Star Trek reference in there. Well, not so hidden. Those of you that know Star Trek should know Dr. McCoy, right? "Are you out of your Vulcan mind!" I had to put a reference to him in there. I mean, come on. Lord McCoy? I HAD to. End of story.

As for Jace, he actually isn't a character in Golden Sun. Well, he is in a sense, but he is generic and the only words that I took from his original script was the part where he asked them to promise him not to go to Kolima. His character stuck with me, so I decided to give him a larger role. Yeah, I know his letting them into the treasury was a bit of a stretch, but I needed a way to get money, and I decided to explain it by saying, hey, he's the captain of the guard. 5000 coins isn't anything significant for him. The military salute I wanted to add since he trusted in their integrity and their power, and honestly wanted to respect Isaac and his friends for their choice to save Kolima.

Larson and Charles XD You know I'll have to give every shop owner a name, since I hate having huge conversations while referring to them as "the man" or "the woman." Their characters built themselves, since I really didn't plan for them to turn out the way they did.

Anyhow, long author's note is long. I have to put a few people on pedestals. Give me a moment.

kinglumption: Interesting name you have there. I'm glad you took the time to review. It makes me happy to know you enjoyed my earlier chapters, though I myself look back on them and think that they need more work. Of course, the editing will come AFTER I finish the story. Though it may be two years before it is finished. And yeah, you totally called it. I'm SO tempted to add a MiaNereid lemon now. Anyone support me? Anyone? Ha, I don't think I will since I'm still a little awkward about posting lemons. But you still get a pedestal.

zmon: Whoahoho yeah you'll get a TON of chapters. Each town and dungeon is going to get its own chapter. So count that all up and you'll get a minimum. Thanks for your kind words, and to answer your question, I don't know why I chose Ramses as being the replacement for OMG, but it just sort of happened. Maybe it is because Garet has no idea who Kirin is yet. Who knows? I didn't want them to call out to Venus, since he is one of the weakest summons in the game. Just fyi. Also, you get a pedestal.

Yeah. If you review, you get not only a pm answering your questions and comments in detail, you get a detailed shout-out so that everyone can see my thoughts on your review.

Later,

Terran34