Okay! I'm back and ready for another chapter. I'm determined to finish this story. No, you don't understand. I've NEVER finished a story in my life. Fanfiction or otherwise. That sounds pretty sad when I say it like that, but its true. I always run out of inspiration or time, and then I hit writers block. Yet I am DETERMINED to finish this story. I'm pretty much using this as an outlet for any emotion I may feel. If I'm mad, I write. If I'm happy, I write. It's a way to lose yourself.
Anyhow, enough of the self centered bullshit. Let's hurry up and get started.
Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun. If I did, then I would make Camelot make me a sandwich. But since the table in front of me is quite sandwich…less…I realize that Camelot in fact owns me. *rushes to go make Camelot a sandwich*
"First things first," Isaac spoke up, not long after they left Bilibin behind. Ivan and Garet rushed to catch up with him, since Isaac was walking faster than them. They looked at him expectantly.
"We're going to head straight east until we hit the river so we can refill our canteens," Isaac began. Garet glanced at him in confusion, his free hand reaching up to his hair and scratching his scalp absentmindedly.
"Why? We just got some water from Verne. Do we really need to refill?" Garet asked curiously.
"That's easy to explain. When we reach the river, we can drink all we want, as well as get a decent bath. Then we can refill back to the top and get going, following the river the whole way. Right Isaac?" Ivan explained, looking to Isaac for confirmation.
"Exactly. You're pretty sharp, Ivan," Isaac commented, smiling at his friend. Ivan laughed a little in embarrassment, scratching the back of his head.
"Wait a freaking second! When I make a good call, you ignore me. When Ivan makes a good call, it's 'you're pretty sharp, Ivan!' What's up with that?" Garet snapped, though it was more in sarcastic humor than in actual anger.
"You have yet to make a good call," Isaac quipped, causing Ivan to laugh from next to him.
"Hey, that's not true!" Garet protested. Isaac began to strut obnoxiously, which only served to aggravate Garet more.
"Forge says otherwise," Isaac replied, referring to the incident where Forge had proceeded to annoy the hell out of Garet while he and Ivan had watched.
"Come on, man! Did you really have to bring that up?" the redhead muttered. Isaac just chuckled and kept walking.
The group lapsed into silence after that. Isaac looked up at the heavens and realized that the weather hadn't changed since yesterday, and it didn't appear to have rained last night.
"Huh. I think it might rain before long," Isaac observed. Unlike before, there was nowhere nearby to take shelter, so there was no choice but to bear it if it did happen.
"Aw, don't say that," Garet responded instantly. He let out a long groan as he too looked at the sky.
"I actually happen to like storms," Ivan commented. Isaac and Garet gave him wry looks at this. "What?"
"You would like storms, Mr. I'm-going-to-shoot-lightning-at-your-face," Garet remarked. Ivan raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous nickname.
"That was quite a mouthful there, Garet. Did you practice it in the mirror last night?" Ivan replied calmly. Isaac gazed at the teen with a new respect, as he had totally not expected Ivan to come up with a comeback like that. Garet opened and closed his mouth like a fish, and then he laughed.
"Wow, totally didn't see that coming from you," Garet commented. "Isaac, I think you have competition."
"Less like competition and more like an ally," Isaac joked, patting Ivan on the shoulder fondly.
"Oh no, I'm doomed," Garet responded sarcastically. With that, the three friends shared a good laugh and continued on their way.
It was only about an hour and a half before the group reached the river. At this point, the river made a sharp U-turn and began flowing east, rather than west.
"All right! Set your stuff down here," Isaac declared when they finally reached the riverbed. Here, the current was slow and the river was wide. This made it perfect for bathing purposes.
"Oh good! I'm really looking forward to the bath!" Garet cried, throwing his bag down on the ground. He immediately began to remove his leather breastplate. Ivan eyed the water warily, setting his own bag down next to Garet's.
"I don't know, it IS winter. I bet its freezing beyond belief," Ivan commented. Isaac set down his considerably heavier bag, letting out a sigh. He had accounted for the fact that the water would be cold, but he believed that he was hardy enough to deal with it.
"Being cold is better than being filthy," Isaac reminded him. With that, Isaac lowered his shield to the ground and removed his battle-axe from his side.
"That's true…but I'm not looking forward to this at all," Ivan fussed. Garet, who was now shirtless, draped an arm around Ivan, who looked none too happy about it.
"Don't worry. I'll make it warmer just by my being in it," Garet assured him, a giant grin on his face. Isaac, who had just removed his leather breastplate, snorted with laughter.
"More like you'll scare away the fish," Isaac quipped. While Garet was busy being indignant, Ivan managed to worm out of Garet's clutches and retreat to a nearby bush, where he began to remove his own clothing.
Garet hopped behind a bush so he could remove his lower garments, which Isaac was grateful for. For obvious reasons.
Isaac shivered as he removed his shirt and the cold air impacted with his unprotected skin. This was probably a bad idea in hindsight, but there was no going back now. All of the grime of travel was beginning to build up on him, and he hated it.
"It's freezing out here!" Ivan complained from behind his bush. The response was a scoff from Garet.
"Look at this! Only real men can handle extreme cold! Allow me to demonstrate!" Garet boasted. With that, the now nude redhead, slipped into the water. Isaac watched, wondering just how much Garet was going to complain once he came up for air.
When Garet's head bobbed to the surface, he was grinning. He held up his arms.
"See, look! The water's warm!" he told them happily. Isaac blinked. He had not been expecting that. He couldn't even see goose bumps on the teen's skin.
"That's bullshit. That is total bullshit," Isaac called back, removing his own lower garments.
"I'm going to regret this. I really am," Ivan squeaked from behind his bush. Isaac turned the other way out of respect for the teen's privacy as he dashed out from behind his bush and jumped into the water. It wasn't long before Ivan poked his head above the surface of the water with a completely bewildered look on his face.
"What is it, Ivan?" Isaac called, wondering why Ivan wasn't complaining about the water.
"It's…it's very warm….and comfortable," Ivan answered slowly, as if he couldn't believe it himself. Isaac blinked.
"No freaking way," Isaac challenged. Garet looked extremely proud of himself.
"I told you! I'd make it warmer, just by being in it! Fire Adepts are the best!" he bragged. Isaac was speechless. Garet was warming the water with his psynergy?
"That's a grievous misuse of your psynergy, Garet," Isaac scolded, slipping into the warm water himself. He let out a contented sigh as the water caressed his whole body. However, he was taken by surprise as Garet splashed him.
"Stop complaining, or I'll let you freeze," Garet teased. Isaac spluttered, spitting out water. His now wet hair fell over his eyes, obscuring his vision. He glared at his friend, who was grinning from ear to ear. Isaac stared intently at the riverbed, and then jerked his gaze back to Garet. The grinning teen yelped as mud tore itself from the shore and slammed into him with enough force to knock him into the water.
"Now who's misusing psynergy?" Garet shouted in mock anger as he surfaced, his face covered in mud. In retaliation for the earth-based attack, Garet leapt onto his friend and began to wrestle with him like they used to do back in Vale.
"Oh it's on, fire boy!" Isaac declared, rising to the challenge. Ivan scratched the back of his head and laughed heartily as he watched the spectacle before him.
It didn't last long before Garet declared himself the winner by pinning both of Isaac's arms behind his back. It wasn't that surprising, seeing as Garet was twice his size.
"Ha! I win," Garet boasted. Isaac grinned suddenly, and then Garet yelped as he was tugged underwater.
"No you don't. You're standing on the ground. As long as that fact is true, I will always win!" Isaac countered. Garet broke the surface, spitting out water.
"That was dirty!" he protested. Isaac reached underwater and pulled up some mud from the river bottom.
"Literally," Isaac commented, and then they both shared a laugh over the awful joke.
"You know, you two should probably try to get clean now," Ivan commented from his position a good three feet away from the two. He was rubbing his skin with a large pebble in order to get all of the grime off so that it could be swept away by the river.
"Crap, he's right!" Garet exclaimed, and then he dived underwater to search for a similar pebble. Isaac just smiled and let out a sigh as he glanced at his two friends. It hadn't been very long since they started journeying together, but he wouldn't trade them for the world.
"So, we're headed south now?" Garet asked, looking over the map, turning it every which way to try and get his bearings.
"More like southeast," Isaac corrected him. Garet sighed and gave the map to Ivan.
"You look at it. I can't figure it out," the redhead grumbled. Ivan chuckled and easily fixed the map so that it was right side up again.
After their bath, the three had dressed back up in their armor again and set off, feeling significantly cleaner than usual.
"I wonder if the guards at the barricade will try to stop us?" Ivan wondered aloud. Garet scoffed.
"Doesn't matter if they do. I'll burn the damn thing down if they try," he responded, cracking his knuckles. Isaac chuckled.
"Yeah, and bring the forest down with you. Imagine how happy this "Sacred Tree" thing would be then," he joked. Garet paled as he remembered what the tree could do.
"Yeah, I don't wanna be a tree," he commented. After that, the group went silent again, saving their energy for walking rather than speaking.
The rain poured down as night fell, soaking the trio. Their spirits fell with the rain. The wind and rain was freezing. Ivan did his best to redirect the wind around them, but he couldn't do much without expending a huge amount of psynergy, which he wanted to avoid in case he needed it later.
The rain drove them to shelter against a rocky cliffside. The cliff was a part of a large hill that was on one side of the road. A tree grew on its summit. The roots spread out so wide, that they trailed off the cliff and buried themselves into the ground on the bottom. It made a very convenient shelter from the wind and rain.
"Would you look at that? I don't blame this tree guy for freaking out. Trees are useful!" Garet commented as he set his back against the cliffside. His bag was next to him on the ground, which was dry thanks to the roots hanging overhead.
"Indeed. We are quite fortunate to have this tree here," Ivan concurred as he began gathering loose wood and brush. "Garet, can you help me light this?"
"Huh? No problem," Garet answered, and then he lit the campfire with a snap of his fingers. Isaac began laying out the bedrolls, which were made of a soft fabric knitted by his own mother for the trip.
"What's for dinner?" Ivan asked, looking at Isaac for a decision. The blonde sighed as he finished with the bedrolls. He began rummaging through his pack until he found the traveling rations that he kept wrapped up.
"Bread and cheese, or dried meat. Your choice," Isaac replied with mock cheerfulness. Garet let out a loud sigh.
"I hate travel food!" he complained loudly. Isaac shrugged and passed some bread and cheese to Ivan, who took it gratefully.
"It's better than no food," Ivan admonished him. Garet grumbled anyway and took the food from Isaac when it was offered to him.
Isaac took a bite of his bread and gazed out into the darkness, watching the rain fall. He was reminded of that day, three years ago, in a storm not unlike this one.
A lightning flash lit up the surrounding landscape, followed by a loud thunderclap. In Isaac's mind, all he could see was the condescending faces of his mortal enemies, Saturos and Menardi. He slammed his fist against a tree root angrily.
"Something wrong, Isaac?" Ivan asked, walking over to the teen. Isaac sighed, not looking at him.
"Not really. I just want to catch up with Saturos and Menardi already," he confessed. Ivan nodded, understanding.
"I understand how you must feel. I know what happened all of those years ago," Ivan consoled, resting a hand on Isaac's shoulder. The teen cringed, but relaxed when he didn't feel the intruding presence of Ivan's mind-reading technique.
"Yeah, I forgot you read my mind back in Vault," Isaac responded. Ivan chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head.
"It was a good thing I did! I wouldn't want to leave you guys to struggle on your own," Ivan protested. Isaac chuckled a little to show that he didn't mind at all.
"So who's taking first watch?" Garet called from behind them. Isaac turned around with a grin on his face.
"I get last watch!" he called, causing Garet to curse.
"Second!" Ivan added in a second afterwards. Garet sighed, resigning himself to taking first watch.
"Dammit! I'm tired!" Garet complained, moving to sit on a large rock near the edge of the camp.
"Deal with it. Don't fall asleep on watch or we're all dead," Isaac murmured as he laid down on his bedroll.
"Yeah, let's get some sleep, Isaac," Ivan whispered as he got comfortable on the soft fabric.
Isaac didn't reply. He laid on his back, staring up at the roof of roots overhead. He let the drumming of the rain lull him to sleep, trusting Garet to keep them safe.
"Isaac? Come on, wake up. It's your turn to stand watch," Ivan whispered, shaking the sleeping teen lightly. Isaac stirred, opening his eyes slowly. The first thing he saw was Ivan's tired face looking down at him.
"All right. You get some sleep, Ivan," Isaac mumbled, hoisting himself to his feet.
Ivan nodded and went to his bedroll. Isaac sighed and picked up his axe, which was sitting next to his bedroll so that he could reach it easily in case of an attack.
The teen went to the rock where Garet had been sitting when he took first watch and sat on it, setting the axe on his lap. Grabbing a small rock from the ground, Isaac began to sharpen the blade, though it didn't really need it. He just needed something to do.
Rain still fell in a steady drizzle, though it was not as hard as it was last night. He couldn't see any lightning, so it would be safe to travel today.
"Still pretty dark out," Isaac whispered to himself, gazing into the darkness. The only light was from the campfire, which Garet and Ivan had obviously kept burning throughout the night.
"That it is, Isaac. The nights are much longer now that it is winter," Flint spoke up suddenly, surprising Isaac.
"You're awake, Flint?" he asked curiously. He didn't know much of Flint's sleep schedule. All he knew is that he slept a lot, waking only when a Djinni was nearby or in combat.
"Yep! I'm always awake at night, when the rest of you are asleep," Flint replied. Isaac blinked.
"Huh. I didn't know that. So you are nocturnal?" he pressed.
"Not really. I like to sleep a lot, but as per your request, I don't sleep when you do so that you don't share my dreams," Flint reminded. Isaac shuddered as he remembered the horrible dream he had back in Vault.
"Thanks for that. I don't share your…hearty appetite," Isaac joked lightly. Flint chuckled as well, which sounded rather weird coming from a Djinni.
"Though being awake at night is interesting. Your friend Garet talks in his sleep," Flint informed him. Isaac groaned softly, resting his face in his hand.
"I'm not sure I want to know," he commented.
"You really don't. Suffice to say, he really likes women," Flint explained. Isaac sighed, though he was not all that surprised.
"That's Garet for you. He really needs to control that part of himself," he remarked.
"Like you do?" Flint asked. Isaac remained silent for a bit before answering the Djinni's question.
"It's not that I don't appreciate women. I just don't need any other girl than…than Jenna," Isaac confessed. He went ahead and confided in the Djinni since it was a part of his mind and would find out anyway if it really wanted.
"I see. So that is why you want to stop Saturos and Menardi so badly?" Flint replied, his tone understanding. Isaac nodded.
"I want to stop them from destroying our world, but I can't hate them for being misguided. I just hate them for daring to lay a hand on her," Isaac growled, sharpening his axe with an furious intensity.
"I can understand that. It's sort of like my attachment to Mist," Flint compared. Isaac, shocked, sputtered.
"Wait a minute! You Djinni have relationships?" Isaac exclaimed. Flint scoffed indignantly.
"Of course! We aren't just super powerful beings who like elements, you know. We are living creatures as well, and therefore have the capacity to feel higher level emotions, just like you," Flint explained. Isaac was surprised, and he found himself looking upon Djinn in a whole new light.
"So I guess I shouldn't refer to you as an 'it' then. 'He' it is," Isaac responded apologetically. "So tell me about Mist. What is she like?"
"Ah, I could spend the rest of today telling you about her wonder and beauty, and I wouldn't even come close to scratching the surface," Flint said dreamily. Isaac chuckled a little.
"Humor me, would you?" Isaac pressed.
"She is one of the Enlightened, just like me. She is one of the strongest Mercury Djinn I know," Flint began. Isaac listened with interest, since he didn't know all that much about Djinn.
"She is incredibly strong, able to draw upon the power of the Adept using her and adding her own strength to it. She has a mesmerizing gaze that can put you right to sleep if you let her. She and I spent a lot of time together before Alchemy was sealed. It has been a long time since then, but I remember how she could get me to do anything just by smiling at me," Flint went on.
"Sounds like Jenna and I," Isaac commented, referring to how she would smile and he would be unable to oppose her at all.
"I remember when…Isaac!" Flint began, but then cut off. Isaac's head jerked up, surprised.
"What is it?" Isaac asked urgently, grabbing the hilt of his axe.
"There is a zombie nearby. It has seen your campfire and is coming to investigate," Flint warned. Isaac stood up instantly, grabbing his shield off of his back and slipping his left arm into the strap. It wasn't long before he could hear the telltale shuffling walk of the zombie.
"Can I count on your help?" Isaac asked grimly, gripping his battleaxe firmly in his right hand.
"Of course. Use me as you see fit. I'll let you know the best time to use me," Flint responded. Isaac grinned and ran out into the rain, intending to hit the zombie before it could disturb the others.
When he saw the zombie, Isaac was surprised by its girth. It was huge, perhaps larger than even Garet in size. It had huge muscles whose width was larger than Isaac's head. Its teeth were chipped and broken, yet still had razor edges honed from tearing human flesh.
"What the hell? Why is it so large?" Isaac commented, stopping just out of its line of sight.
"Good question. I conjecture that it may have mutated upon contact with a psynergy stone, but that's only a guess," Flint guessed. Just then, the zombie spotted Isaac's form and let out a roar, which was surprising considering how decrepit its vocal cords should have been. It charged at him, its claws outstretched and eager to rend his flesh.
"I don't think so!" Isaac snapped, thrusting his right hand forward and focusing. The ground at the zombie's feet began to roil and shake, knocking it right off of its feet and sending it flying forward. Isaac sidestepped it as it flew. At the same time, he brought his right foot back and pivoted, turning to face the zombie. He brought his axe down on its back as it flew past, leaving a deep gash in its skin.
"I'm not done!" Isaac growled. Using both hands, Isaac ripped several spires of rock out of the ground and hurled them at the zombie, impaling it in several places as it tried to rise. Surprisingly, this didn't seem to slow the zombie down, as it rose to its feet and charged back at Isaac.
When he tried to sidestep again, the zombie surprised him by grabbing his shoulder as it passed and throwing him across the field and onto the road. Isaac cried out in pain as he hit the ground and rolled a short distance before he felt the brick of the road on his back.
"Don't be careless, Isaac. Never assume that a monster is too stupid to adapt to your movements," Flint advised him. Isaac winced and rose to his feet.
"Thanks Flint, I'll remember that," Isaac groaned as he inspected his shoulder. There was a small cut in it, but nothing serious.
"Here it comes!" Flint warned. Isaac turned and saw the zombie rushing out at him, its claws outstretched.
"Rock wall!" Isaac shouted, his hands thrusting forward. Several slabs of stone erupted from the ground and impeded the zombie's progress. That wasn't the end of it though. By concentrating, Isaac shattered the slabs into smaller rocks and then directed them at the zombie.
Isaac watched in satisfaction as the rocks collided with it and pinned it to the ground.
"Now, Isaac!" Flint shouted. Isaac nodded and brought his axe down to his right, calling upon Flint's power. His axe blades wavered and then reformed into pure yellow energy, which shined brightly in the night.
The zombie struggled underneath the rocks but was unable to move in time before Isaac brought his Djinni-empowered axe down upon its neck, slicing its head clean off.
"Good one, Isaac!" Flint praised him. Isaac wiped the rain out of his face and sighed, sheathing his axe at his side.
"So much for a peaceful watch," Isaac muttered, walking back to the camp, where the others slumbered peacefully.
Isaac sat back down on the rock and sighed, laying back so that he could catch his breath. He had used a significant amount of psynergy in that fight, so he needed to rest up for a bit.
"You used a lot of psynergy, Isaac. You need to sleep," Flint informed him. Isaac shook his head.
"I can't sleep. I need to watch," he replied, although he would much rather sleep. He was surprised as Flint flowed out of his body and coalesced on the rock next to him.
"I'll watch for you. Now get some sleep," Flint offered, gazing up at Isaac with its beady eyes.
"You can do that?" Isaac asked. Flint hopped once.
"Of course! My own personal supply of psynergy can last me at least an hour. And I'm sure the sun will rise soon," Flint answered. Isaac sighed and thanked the Djinni before heading back to his bedroll. He stretched out and shut his eyes, allowing sleep to take over his mind once more.
Isaac was woken when the Djinni merged with his mind once again. He opened his eyes to see the first light of dawn peeking over the horizon.
"I'm going to sleep now, all right? I wish you luck," Flint told Isaac before going silent. The teen nodded and moved over to Garet and Ivan, who were slumbering peacefully.
"Come on guys, time to move!" Isaac yelled. Ivan was the first to wake, and he immediately began to pack up his stuff. Isaac then walked over to Garet and yelled wordlessly in his ear.
"Ah! Kay, I'll buy you a new flower garden! Wait wha? Isaac?" Garet mumbled senselessly as he woke. Isaac sat down and began laughing at his words. Garet was dreaming about his sister. What a nightmare!
"Time to go. Come on!" Isaac repeated. Garet sighed and began to help pack up the camp.
"Hey Isaac?" Ivan said as he rolled up his bedroll. Isaac looked over at the teen, who looked rather flustered.
"What is it, Ivan?" Isaac asked curiously. The teen looked rather queasy, which was odd considering he just woke up.
"Is it normal for an Adept to share dreams with their Djinni?" Ivan asked rather nervously. Isaac sighed and patted the teen on the shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, but the answer is yes. How bad was it? Were you eating a frog like I was?" Isaac told him. Ivan shook his head.
"No, I dreamt I was the wind. I mean, I wasn't flying, I WAS the wind," Ivan explained. Isaac looked at him jealously.
"No fair! How come you get to be the wind, and I have to eat frogs?" Isaac demanded. Ivan chuckled.
"I haven't had any dreams yet," Garet muttered, almost as if he wanted to share a dream with his Djinni.
"Trust me. That's a good thing," Isaac assured him, though the redhead was not convinced.
Isaac put out the fire next by covering it in rocks, and then put on his bag, now ready to move. Ivan and Garet were ready soon after that, and they moved out into the open air.
"Aw, it's still raining," Garet complained. Isaac felt the light rain pelt his face, but it wasn't as bad as it had been yesterday.
"It's not too bad," Ivan objected as the wind blew his hair out of his face. Isaac agreed with that.
"Come on. We've got some ground to cover before we reach the barricade," he told them as they returned to the road. Garet was about to reply when he noticed the motionless body of the giant zombie.
"Wow, that's one hell of a zombie. Which one of you took it out?" Garet observed, gazing at it in awe before stepping over it.
"I did. There was only one of them, so I didn't bother waking you," Isaac answered.
With that, the group resumed their journey towards the village of Kolima.
The path soon narrowed as the river swerved towards them, forcing them to walk closer to the southern part of the Goma Range, which they were following. Isaac had expected something like this, as the pass would have to be narrow indeed for Lord McCoy to have set up an effective barricade.
However, the proximity to the mountains came with its own set of problems. Monsters such as large birds, zombies, and rats would descend from the rocky slopes to harass them frequently. The birds, which were a new enemy for them, were much easier to combat than would be expected, as Ivan was quite a good shot with his lightning bolts.
The rain finally stopped completely as the path narrowed further, and the clouds peeled away to let the sun shine down on them, though it did little to lift the temperature.
The barricade finally came into sight as the road took a sharp turn to the north.
"That's the barricade? It doesn't look like much," Garet commented as they approached the structure in question. Isaac looked ahead and took in the barricade's features himself.
The path was so narrow between the river and the cliffs, Isaac was sure that five people would be able to stand shoulder to shoulder and would have no room to move. It was nothing more than a jumbled pile of boxes and wooden slats that were nailed together, with a door haphazardly placed in the middle of it.
"It looks like a kid threw some boxes down," Ivan observed. Isaac laughed at the comparison. It didn't seem like Lord McCoy had much wood to work with, seeing as everything had been thrown together like this.
"I guess he was too scared to go back to Kolima Forest for wood?" Isaac conjectured.
"Makes sense. That tree or whatever would have made him into fire wood," Garet added.
The three moved forward until the guards in front of the barricade spotted them. One of them had a small pigeon resting on his hand, which was eating out of his palm.
"That was quick," the non-pigeon-holding guard commented. The other guard looked and saw the three coming.
"No kidding. I expected at least a day's wait," he added. The trio reached them, confused as to what they were referring to.
"Were you expecting us?" Isaac asked curiously, wondering how they could have heard about them so soon.
"Yes sir. Captain Jacellius sent us word of your arrival by way of carrier pigeon," the guard answered. "We're to let you through to Kolima."
"That makes things easy," Garet commented. "Now I don't have to burn down the barricade."
Ivan hissed warningly at Garet and elbowed him, but the guards just laughed.
"We'd appreciate it if you didn't, good sir. This barricade does do some good by keeping the helpless merchants and civilians from getting transformed," the second guard said.
"Speaking of which, be on your guard after you pass through here. There are many transformed people on the other side," the first guard warned. The atmosphere grew somber as he said that.
"Don't worry. We'll save them," Isaac assured them, now fully determined to end the curse, no matter what it took. The guards nodded thankfully. The first guard let the pigeon fly to the top of the barricade so that he could unlock the door for them.
"There you go. Don't cut any trees if you want to live," the guard advised. The three thanked them for their help and passed through the barricade to the other side.
The first thing they saw was trees scattered all over the clearing in no particular pattern. They were all similar to the one outside the entrance to Bilibin.
"These are…people…" Ivan whispered, gazing in horror at them all. Isaac remained silent, his mouth set in a grim line as he walked through the transformed individuals.
"This is horrible," Garet said, resting his hand on one of the trees. Isaac motioned for them to keep moving. He didn't know how safe it was to dwell in a place like this.
As they followed the path to the right, they noticed something rather strange. There were three trees...that seemed to be growing on top of each other. Their leg-like roots would be entwined around the "necks" of the trees beneath them.
"What the hell?" Garet sputtered, looking at the…interesting…spectacle. Ivan walked up to the tree and laid his hand on it.
"What are you doing, Ivan?" Isaac hissed, looking around them warily. Ivan shut his eyes for a second, and then he burst out laughing.
"Ivan? Are you okay there?" Garet asked, wondering if their friend had suddenly gone insane.
"The…the tree…." Ivan managed to get out between laughs. "All it can think about is how heavy the others are on top of it!"
"Wait what? He doesn't care that he's a tree?" Isaac asked incredulously. Ivan motioned for them to come closer. Isaac did so, wondering what he was going to do.
"Take my hand, Isaac," Ivan requested. Isaac did so warily. As he did so, Ivan pressed his free hand onto the tree and shut his eyes, probing the tree with his mind.
"Damn you Nelly! Why the hell are you so heavy? I TOLD you to go on a damn diet BEFORE we left for Bilibin!" came the voice of a middle-aged man in Isaac's mind. He couldn't help but laugh at the sheer senselessness of it all.
"What? Let me hear!" Garet protested. Isaac let go of Ivan's hand and let himself laugh. Ivan then let Garet hear the thoughts of the tree as well, and it wasn't long before the three friends were helplessly laughing.
"That…is the most…oblivious tree…ever!" Garet said, finally managing to compose himself. Isaac managed to stop laughing and he stepped away from the tree.
"Come on, you two. Let's move before another random tree distracts us," Isaac ordered them with a wry grin on his face.
"Agreed," Ivan concurred.
The rest of the day was spent heading due east, trapped between the mountains and the river.
It was boring, if you didn't count the monsters that descending from the mountain. In fact, as the group approached the bride that crossed the river to the north, Garet could be heard stating just that.
"This is boring!" Garet complained loudly as he trudged stolidly along behind Isaac. The teen sighed again. Garet had been complaining the whole time since they left the barricade.
"Garet, this wasn't meant to be a picnic," Isaac snapped back to him, then immediately wished he hadn't. Now Garet would use it as an excuse to keep complaining.
"No, but I would really like a picnic! Doesn't that sound really good?" Garet pressed.
"That does sound really good, actually," Ivan piped up.
"You're not helping, Ivan," Isaac groaned as Garet began strutting triumphantly. Ivan laughed nervously as the three grew closer to the bridge.
"I wonder if anyone at this bridge has seen Saturos or Menardi?" Garet mused.
"If anyone is left," Isaac added grimly. "They might all be trees."
As they reached the bridge, Isaac was proven right. A light covering of trees that were shaped like humans covered the bridge, as well as the banks on either side.
"You were right to overrule me, Garet," Isaac said suddenly as they picked their way through the trees.
"Wait, are you admitting I was right?" Garet gasped overdramatically, a grin on his face.
"Yes. I can't let things stay as they are. These people deserve to be free," Isaac answered seriously, causing the grin to drop from Garet's face.
"I agree. These people had families. They don't deserve to pay for all eternity for the sins of one misguided lord," Ivan concurred.
It was silent for a few somber moments as the depressing atmosphere pressed down on them. The air seemed heavy, as if they could feel the emotions of the trees.
"How much further to Kolima?" Garet asked nervously, trying to break the horrible silence. There was a shuffling sound as Ivan brought out the map and began looking at it.
"Not far. We'll probably be there by nightfall," Ivan answered. Garet sighed, and looked up at the sky. The sun was already past its highest point, since daylight was short during winter.
"Good. That's about an hour maybe," Isaac affirmed.
The trio managed to reach a fork in the path as the day began to grow dark. There was a mountain range to their northeast, but it was surrounded by a large amount of trees. They had finally reached the Kolima forest.
"Look at it all! It's massive!" Garet exclaimed, referring to the forest as a whole. Evidence of woodcutting was present on the fringes of the forest, which cast a shadow over the beauty of the surroundings.
"I can see why it would make sense to gather wood here," Ivan commented. Isaac didn't say anything, as he looked to see which way they should go. To the north, the path stretched on for a while before reaching a gap in the thick forest, which would allow entrance to the inner foliage. To the east was a series of massive trees, with a fence surrounding them. As soon as Isaac saw the fence, he began walking in that direction.
"This way, you two. I can see Kolima from here," Isaac called. Garet and Ivan scrambled to catch up with him.
"The city is made out of trees?" Garet asked, nonplussed. Isaac assumed so, as he couldn't see any houses.
"I think so. The trees look large enough to be carved into," he replied. The three walked into the village and looked around. There were man shaped trees all over the town, which were considerably smaller than the houses themselves, which were indeed built into the massive trees. Isaac could see doors and signs carved into the sides of the trees, which had been scraped free of bark for sanitation purposes.
"It's so quiet. It's unnerving," Garet whispered. He was right. Isaac couldn't even hear the chirping of the birds, or even the crickets. There was none of the usual sounds of village life that there should have been.
"Everyone here has been turned into trees. Could this "Sacred Tree" really have done all of this?" Ivan asked in horror as he walked around, resting his hands on the trees he passed.
Isaac walked past a large tree and noticed something. There were sparkling bits of…something lying all over the ground. It seems Ivan had noticed it too, since he was looking all over the place.
"You see it too, Ivan?" Isaac asked, just to confirm.
"Yeah. This sparkling stuff all over the place. What is it?" Ivan mused aloud. Garet moved to touch one, but decided better of it.
"They don't look like psynergy stones," Isaac observed. He too was smart enough not to touch it with his bare skin.
All of a sudden, something changed. Their vision suddenly went red, and Isaac felt a presence similar to Ivan's mind read, only it was much more malevolent and forceful.
"Aah! What's going on?" Garet screamed, his hands going to his head. Ivan fell to his knees, his face red with the effort of keeping the presence out.
"Something…something is attacking my mind!" he shouted, and then he hit the ground. Isaac felt a spike of pain in his head and he yelled out wordlessly. The pain became much more intense in a matter of seconds, and then he hit the ground, no longer able to stand.
"I can't….I can't stand…" Isaac groaned. The pain then left, but their vision remained stained with red. He tried to move, but he couldn't. It wasn't a lack of energy that was stopping him, but a lack of feeling. He couldn't feel his body at all, and trying to flex his muscles in order to move got him nowhere.
"Look! Something is falling from the sky!" Garet pointed out. Isaac was on his stomach, so he could only see a peripheral view of the sky. However, he could see something sparkling falling in a steady shower, and it was heading directly for them.
"Could that be what turned everyone into…we have to get out of here! Now!" Ivan screamed. Isaac panicked and used all of his willpower in an attempt to move his body, but no matter what he did, nothing changed. He couldn't even get his pinky to move.
"I can't move!" Garet called to them.
"This can't be the end! I refuse to die in a place like this!" Isaac shouted. The sparkling rain drew closer and closer, and he shut his eyes, not wanting to watch his friends transform.
"Fear not! I will not allow this!" sounded Flint's voice from inside of Isaac's mind. Isaac watched as Flint streamed out of his body and coalesced next to him. He could also see Forge and Gust flow out of Garet and Ivan, respectively.
"Djinn! On my command!" Flint commanded, gazing at Forge and Gust. They responded with a chitter and a chirp. Just before the sparkling rain hit them, Flint acted.
"Now!" he roared With a burst of psynergy, barriers appeared around Isaac, Garet, and Ivan, colored differently depending on the element of the Djinni controlling it.
Isaac watched in awe as the sparkling rain hit the barrier and was incinerated as the individual droplets hit it.
"My Djinni…it's saving me?" Garet said in awe, gazing at Forge with admiration. Ivan cried out in sheer relief as Gust defended him from a fate worse than death.
"You are my owner and friend. I will not abandon you to live a life as a tree," Flint assured Isaac, who smiled at him gratefully.
When the rain dispersed, so did the paralysis that had kept them from moving. The three rose to their feet and began thanking their Djinni profusely.
"Thank Ramses. I thought I'd never see Jenna again!" Isaac said to Flint, not even realizing his singular mention of Jenna. Garet caught it though, winking at his friend when he wasn't looking.
"Thank you Gust. You really saved me," Ivan said to his Djinni, petting the crest on its head while it chirped happily.
"Uh…I'd say thanks to a deity but Ramses is for Venus Adepts. Flint, what is the deity a Mars Adept should worship?" Garet asked cluelessly as he petted his Djinni.
"Well, you could worship Tiamat, but she is one tough customer, so she might ask for half of your body in response for the honor of worshipping her. So thank Kirin. She is rather lenient. She might only ask you to come riding with her on her flaming wolf," Flint answered with a glint in its eye. Garet blinked.
"Yeah. Thank Kirin I'm not going to worship Tiamat," Garet commented, causing Isaac and Ivan to chuckle.
"That was a close one though. If we hadn't had you Djinn, we would be done for," Isaac stated.
"Watch out! It's happening again!" Ivan screamed, pointing at the sky. Isaac whirled around to see the sparkling rain beginning to fall again. As soon as it reached them, Flint, Gust, and Forge again summoned the barriers of psynergy to block the deadly particles from touching them. This time, something happened after the rain dissipated. There came a voice. It didn't sound like any human voice either. It was deep and guttural, and sounding like the branches of a tree creaking and groaning while forming coherent words at the same time.
"Why? Why won't they turn into trees?" said the voice, which was laced with anger and shock.
"Who the hell was that?" Garet exclaimed, whirling around in surprise. Then a second voice joined the first, though it was much nicer sounding than the other. It was light and feminine, sounding like the rustling of leaves and the flutter of wind through tree boughs.
"Who…are they? What manner of people are these, that are immune to Tret's glamour? Even if they have come to save the people of Kolima, it will not be enough," the voice said.
"That doesn't sound good," Ivan commented. The second voice came again, much louder than before.
"They earned their fate! Kolima took their axes to me…SO I SHALL TAKE MINE TO THEM!" the voice, who was probably Tret, roared.
"Children, listen to me. We are dying. When we are gone, the trees of Kolima forest will wither and die as well," the second voice called, addressing them properly.
"What? That can't happen! Who are you anyway?" Garet replied, looking totally insane as he screamed at the sky.
"I apologize, I have forgotten that you cannot see me as I am now," the nicer sounding voice whispered. Isaac suddenly felt an intense breeze rush through the town, ruffling their hair causing them to squint.
They watched as scattered leaves lifted off the ground with the breeze and began to collect together in one place. They swirled around one another to form the vague shape of a woman. As they watched, the leaves began attaching to one another. The figure began filling out from the feet up, until a woman made entirely out of leaves stood before them. The facial features filled out next, depressions and mounds appearing in her blank face to form eyes, a nose, and a mouth.
Isaac's mouth fell open in shock. As he took in her features, his cheeks flushed a bright red as he realized that she wasn't wearing any clothing at all. That aside, Isaac had never seen anything like this before. He looked over at Garet, and resisted the urge to smack him after he saw the redhead gazing at a certain area rather intently.
"I…am Laurel, lady of the forest," the voice came again, only this time it originated from the figure in front of them. "I'd like to apologize for everything Tret is doing to everyone."
"So this Tret is the cause of the curse," Isaac mused, already trying to think of a way to fix things.
"It's no use, Laurel! Humans can never be trusted!" Tret boomed. With difficulty, Isaac tried to block out the crazed tree's voice.
"Isn't there anything we can do, Laurel?" Ivan asked of the apparition before them. The woman-like figure sighed, which the group felt as a soft breeze that swept through the village.
"I don't know, young ones. Things have changed too much and too quickly within the past month. Nothing is certain," Laurel confessed, her leafy shoulders slumping with depression. Isaac's mind was working overtime, but the only ideas he could think of were beyond ridiculous. However, there were a few things he needed to know before he could do anything.
"What is Tret like? Was he always this vengeful?" Isaac asked curiously. Laurel shook her head, the leaves that formed her hair flowing around her as she did so.
"Tret was a kind and loving forest king. Thanks to him, the village of Kolima could live in symbiosis with the trees around them. As you can see," Laurel began, but paused a moment to indicate the houses that were build into the trees around them. "the villagers live with the trees as they grow, instead of chopping down young, healthy trees in their prime."
"Tret and I understood that even with this blessing, the villagers still needed wood in order to form furniture and other necessities. Therefore, we allowed the villagers to chop down the trees that had died, so that no life was taken but all were happy," Laurel continued, her mouth curving into a smile as she remembered the times she had spent with the villagers.
"However, things changed when the good people of Bilibin sent people to Kolima, asking for a large shipment of wood. The people of Kolima went to us for help, and we obliged, showing them to an area where the trees had perished of age. That was where things went wrong," Laurel related, the smile dropping from her face, a sad look replacing it. "The villagers from Bilibin were impatient and naïve, as they chose to chop down trees at random, wreaking a path of destruction all the way to Tret and I, where they attempted to kill us too."
"That's horrible," Ivan gasped. He let his head fall into his hands, his eyes widening in disbelief at the unethical actions of Lord McCoy's men.
"Now, Tret is overcome with his anger. Not only did he curse his attackers, but he also cursed the villagers from Kolima who allowed it to happen," Laurel explained. "I don't know what you can do, but if Tret is not shown the error of his ways, then those were cursed will die with us."
"Isaac, we've got to do something!" Garet exclaimed, turning to his friend. Isaac glanced at the redhead, noting the sincere look of desperation on his face.
"All right. Laurel, where are you? I mean, your physical self," Isaac asked. Laurel's eyes widened slowly in surprise.
"You…you want to help us, even though you might not be able to do anything?" she inquired incredulously. Isaac nodded seriously, gazing into her eyes. Laurel's face lit up with joy, and she stepped closer to him.
"Once Isaac makes up his mind, no one is going to change it!" Garet roared triumphantly, striking a pose. Ivan shoved him playfully, causing the redhead to trip and fall. "Oof! Ivan, not cool!"
"Even if the villagers weren't in danger of death, I would still help you. I'm not scum enough to stand by and watch while something like you trees die, when there is still something I can do," Isaac told Laurel. She suddenly lunged forward and embraced Isaac warmly. He tensed up instantly and let out a small grunt in surprise. It wasn't every day that naked women who happened to be spirits of trees ran up and hugged him.
"You are the kindest human I've ever had the pleasure of meeting," Laurel whispered into his ear, and then planted a small, dry kiss on his cheek before her figure dissolved into leaves again.
Isaac blinked as she disappeared from in front of him, the leaves blowing away in the breeze.
"Find me…deep in the forest. Together, we will save Tret and the villagers," Laurel's voice whispered in the air.
The trio stood in silence for a few moments before they turned to one another. Garet was blushing red, while Ivan was looking around the village.
"Is…is it bad that I think a tree is attractive?" Garet asked, his tone sounding a little shy. Isaac and Ivan glanced at him in disbelief.
"No, it's totally fine. Trees can be beautiful," Ivan began, but Isaac spoke up right after him.
"No, what's bad is how you were staring at her boobs the entire time!" Isaac accused. Garet pretended to look innocent while Ivan gave him an incredulous look.
"Really, Garet?" Ivan said wryly. Garet scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Well, in my defense, it's not every day that naked tree nymphs walk up to you and ask you to save them," Garet protested, laughing nervously. "But come on, you have to admit that she had a nice…"
"You know, I can hear you…" Laurel's voice echoed through the village, with a slight hint of amusement in it. All of the color drained out of Garet's face and he fell to his knees and began to grovel.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Garet cried up at the sky. Isaac and Ivan threw their heads back and laughed hard. When Laurel's musical laughter joined in as well, the dark mood of their previous conversation lifting.
After much merriment, in which tears flowed and balance was lost, the group was finally getting ready to set out.
"How do our supplies look, Isaac?" Ivan asked curiously. Isaac let his bag swing down to his side so that he could look inside. He rifled through it until he found his canteen and traveling rations.
"I've got at least a week's worth of food and water in here, if we rationed it," Isaac said grimly.
"Well there's a river that runs right through the forest, so I don't think we have to worry about water," Garet reminded them.
"There are plenty of fruit bearing trees within our forest, young ones," Laurel informed them, her voice reaching them from wherever she was situated. Isaac shut his bag and slung it over his back again, satisfied.
"That settles that! Let's get set up for the night!" Garet exclaimed. Isaac and Garet began to move towards a large clearing in the town, but Ivan lagged behind. "Ivan! What's taking you?
"I heard something. It was like a croak or something," Ivan replied. Isaac gave him an annoyed look.
"So, it was a frog. Big deal. Come on," Isaac snapped. Ivan shook his head.
"No, it wasn't like a frog croak. It was…" Ivan began, but then another croak sounded out from behind a large tree house that stood in front of where Ivan was looking.
"Aha! Isaac! Did you hear that?" Flint spoke up, awakening from his sleep. Isaac froze, turning back around to face Ivan.
"I did hear that. Was it a Djinni?" Isaac thought to his Djinni companion. He thought instead of spoke because he didn't want to get the others hoping to soon.
"Yes! Not only is it a Djinni, it's a Venus Djinni, like me!" Flint replied. Isaac grinned and began stomping over to where the croak came from.
"Ivan, you're a genius. You just found me another Djinni," the teen declared. Ivan blinked in surprise, while Garet just looked jealous.
"Aw, I want two Djinn!" Garet complained. Isaac ignored him, walking around the tree to see a fenced in area. The fence wasn't that tall, so he could easily get over it if he tried. On the other side of the fence he could see the Venus Djinni sitting there, hopping around aimlessly. It looked similar to Flint, but there were minor differences. These differences included the shape of its tail, brow, nose, and body.
"Why is it just sitting there? Can't it just hop over the fence?" Garet asked in confusion as he saw it.
"I recognize him, that one is named Granite," Flint commented. "He isn't very bright."
"Right," Isaac replied wryly as he climbed over the fence. Granite turned to face him, croaking in what sounded like surprise. When the teen went over to touch it, the Djinni burst into yellow orbs of light and painlessly entered Isaac's mind through the orifices on his face.
When Isaac settled down, he could sense the presence of two Djinn in his mind. They seemed to be interacting rather humorously.
"Budge over, will you? I got here first, so I get this room!" Flint complained. There was an indignant croak from Granite, followed by another retort from Flint.
"This is MY room! See that doorway? This is MY side! That is YOUR side! My side, your side, my side, your side! GOT IT?" Flint snapped. Isaac's face went from annoyed to dumbfounded, causing Garet to chuckled from the comical look on his face.
"My mind has rooms and doors?" Isaac asked dumbly. Garet laughed out loud, while Ivan only raised an eyebrow.
"So, now that you have two Djinn, does that mean you can summon Ramses?" Garet asked curiously after he had finished laughing at Isaac's expense. Isaac paused, remembering his previous conversation with Flint back in Goma Cave.
"Yeah, I think so. I don't think I will unless I have no other choice though. I don't want to risk losing any of my limbs," Isaac replied, wincing as he recalled the price Flint had said Ramses usually exacted.
"No kidding. Jenna needs you in one piece," Garet joked. Isaac flashed him a withering glare that caused Garet to correct his statement immediately. "Aheh…I mean WE need you in one piece. Yeah, that's what I meant."
"All joking aside, can we get started now?" Ivan asked, annoyed. Isaac spotted the annoyance of his friend and sighed, motioning for them to follow.
"Sounds good. Garet, help Ivan set up the tents while I set up the campfire," Isaac ordered, setting his bag down on the ground. Garet mumbled something about "freaking tents," but did as he was told.
The friends set up camp, preparing to sleep. Isaac was forced to take second watch this time, because Garet made sure to call last watch, and Ivan decided to steal first. Isaac groaned, since second watch was the worst in his opinion.
Resigning himself, Isaac settled down in his tent, falling asleep almost instantly.
All right, I'm done. I was considering walking to Kolima forest, but decided to just cut it off here since I'd already reached my goal of 9000 words and it just wouldn't seem right if I cut the chapter off in the middle of the forest. Therefore, I will be spending the entirety of the next chapter in Kolima forest.
So, to pre-emptively answer questions, yes I changed a few things. I made it so that Flint and the other Djinn saved the group from the falling sparkles that would turn them into trees instead of a random barrier, and then I completely changed the dialogue. It wouldn't make sense if the characters broke the fourth wall like they did in the game. "HERP WE WERE SAVED BY OUR PSYNERGY! DERP IT'S JUST LIKE OUR CRITICAL HITS!" Yeah no.
I also cut out most of Tret's dialogue because it seemed excessive to me, because he was just ranting about humans being evil. I think that after the first two lines of his dialogue, we got the point. He hates us.
Yeah, I changed a few things about the trees. I always thought that it was weird that, hey there's a sacred tree, wow it must be really cool! And then I get there and see a tree with a face carved into it. PFFT! That's nothing! Any old artisan could carve a face in a tree and then have a ventriloquist make it talk to get these guys! So I fleshed it out and explained that Tret and Laurel are the personified souls of the trees themselves. They are sort of like Tree Nymphs, only Tret is male. Basically, they have humanoid forms.
Anyhow, time to move on to the shout-outs. I've only got one this time around, sadly.
kinglumption: this guy is ridiculous. He literally posted a review within an hour after I posted the chapter. How awesome is that? Hang on, let me put your pedestal on a pedestal, and then put you on it. As to address your points, it is difficult to have the party stumble across every Djinni in the world randomly. In Bilibin, I was considering including a scene where Garet would be screwing around on the wall and that's how he'd find the cave, but that seemed too ridiculous. Then in this chapter, I thought it was really stupid how Isaac couldn't just hop the fence in the game rather than go through a monster-infested cave, so I changed that in the story. Next, I didn't give Ivan the Magic Wand or whatever because I didn't want to explain magic weapons and their attacks until later. That and it's a rather lame weapon. Nothing like the Sol Blade. That will be fun. MEGIDDO MUTHAF***ERS! Lastly, I'm totally taking your suggestion concerning Garet's enlightened. That will be hilarious as hell.
He's my only reviewer this time around, which doesn't bother me. At least I had one. I'd like more, but I won't complain. One is enough to keep me going.
Later,
Terran34