All they needed to do was to ride a boat down the river to Xian, said Kraden. "What could go wrong?" he said. Well, everything could go wrong if your ferrymen were crooks.
Felix already had a bad feeling about the plan when they first arrived to the riverbank; the two small boats only had room for four passengers each, meaning that they had to be separated. The ferrymen also looked highly suspect. Felix didn't want to be a person who judged people on their looks, but he honestly couldn't bring himself to trust the two ferrymen. They were tall and big and clad in thick wools and furs, and their faces were almost completely concealed by their hats and scarves. They demanded payment up front and their eyes seemed to light up when Solomon handed them a small pouch full of coins. Felix even caught them eying at the women and grinning for themselves.
He'd told Kraden about his worries, even telling the scholar that he couldn't swim, but Kraden had laughed him off, saying there was nothing to worry about. The old man took a seat in the first boat and Menardi followed, sitting down next to him. The scholar silently gave her a look and then ordered Solomon to board the same vessel.
Felix squabbled with his sister for several minutes before ending up on the same boat with Jenna, Alex and Jeremy, despite attempts to put her in Menardi's boat.
"Are you crazy?" said Jenna. "There's bad blood between us."
Menardi placed a palm against her forehead, shaking her head as Kraden chuckled.
"We're dumb kids to her," Felix replied. "She'll protect you if you need it. Who's going to protect you now—Alex, Jeremy, or me?"
Alex merely covered his smile with a hand, but Jeremy seemed less amused. Still, they both stayed silent as the boats finally set out on the river.
If the water wasn't frozen downstream, the journey would take about ten days. Save for the cold, Felix really didn't have any complaints. He was sleeping and eating well. He didn't even need to walk or keep watch at night. He was with good company and his paranoia about the water and the ferrymen vanished after the first night. On the third evening, they even camped at the riverbank and let the ferrymen rest properly.
When Menardi was in charge, the food was always hard bread—sometimes, there would be a fish or some root vegetables, but most of the time it was dry bread and water. Now they suddenly were having hot stew, cooked fish, white bread and even wine. Felix couldn't remember how long it'd been since he ate and slept well. That night on the riverbank, Jenna offered him a cup of warm milk with honey. The sweet flavour made Felix realize how much he missed his grandparents. He wondered how his grandfather was doing with the beekeeping and he missed his grandmother's scones too.
Jenna smiled and talked to him throughout the entire trip. She told him about their grandfather and grandmother; how they missed Felix and the rest of the family. They kept pestering Jenna about finding someone to spend the rest of her life with, saying they were old and that she was old enough for marriage.
She told him about Isaac, Garet and Kay; Aunt Dora fell ill and needed to be taken care of, so she and Isaac moved in with Garet's family for a period. Isaac grew close with Kay and Aaron during that time; they treated him as if he was part of the family and Jenna often saw him tending to Kay's garden. Garet became sort of a hero in the storm after bringing Isaac and Jenna back to the village. He became a templar, but he never let go of his love for poetry and music. Isaac tried the entrance exam twice—he felt that joining the temple could bring him closer to his father and Felix. His failure broke his heart because all he wanted was for them to be proud of him.
She told him of Stefan and Peter, whose father died in the storm. They both stopped fooling around and trained hard. They both became templars although Stefan was the one who proved worthy of inheriting the smithy.
She told him of Harald and the priests. She told him of Aunt Magda and Uncle Hans; of Grandpa Erik and Grandma Camilla; of Ellen, Lina, Lorenz and all of their friends. Jenna told him about everyone in the village; she'd held back for months but now she'd finally allowed herself to be Felix's sister again. Even though Felix felt guilty for dragging his sister into his dangerous mission, he couldn't help but feel happiness too.
On the fourth night, it was cold and snowing and Felix folded his cloak over his head as a hood. That night, Jenna tucked him in with her blanket, bitterly saying she wouldn't let him starve or freeze again. Felix remembered the months he skipped every second meal to feed his rations to his sister. Realizing why Jenna was needlessly fixated on his appearance, he brushed the stray strands of hair under his hood.
"Jenna, you don't owe me anything," said Felix.
"You took care of me when I needed it," his sister replied. "You took care of Alex and Saturos when they needed it. You took care of a lot of people you didn't even know when we travelled with the refugees. Felix, you're too good for this. I would've taken your place if I was an Earth Adept, but I'm not so the least I can do is taking care of you."
They kept travelling downstream on the boats for a week without hindrance. But on the eighth night, Felix fell asleep early after having supper in the boat. He was first to wake up when the ferryman screamed. A swarm of giant bats attacked the vessel in the middle of the night and the ferryman abandoned the boat in horror. Jeremy tried to fight them off with his sword while Felix wrapped his cloak around Jenna's head to protect her. Standing up, he drew upon his Psynergy and cast a spell.
A sharp pain suddenly exploded in his head and a wave of nausea stole away his ability to balance on two feet. He saw bright fire in front of him and water splash against the boat. He heard Alex and Jenna screaming at each other. Felix clutched the sides of his head as the pain grew worse. He wobbled and shook his head. He tried to heal himself but the spell backfired and punctured his skull with even more pain. Unable to think straight, he threw himself off the boat.
KA-PLOSH!
Dark water splashed against his ears and a swirl of bubbles shone briefly as he sank towards the bottom of the river. His headache was lifting, so at least something good came out of this mistake, he figured.
He blinked and looked back towards the surface, his hair sweeping around him as he sank. Then, he felt an arm coil around his chest and glimpsed a faint warm light shining behind him.
"Felix…" He heard a male voice speak his name softly and with affection.
Alex? Jeremy? No, they never talked like that.
Feeling that the person was dragging him down, Felix waved his arms in attempt to break free. He twisted and turned. Bubbles escaped his lips as he tried to cry for help, but all he got was cold water flushing down his throat.
"Don't be scared," said the river-nymph. "I'm here for you."
Felix helplessly sank to the bottom of the river as the creature comforted him. His lungs burned for air, but he couldn't bring himself to fight for his freedom anymore—spellbound by the nymph's voice and touch. When it nuzzled against the back of his neck, Felix turned around to face his captor:
Faintly lit by warm comforting light, Felix saw short hair shining like gold, dark-blue eyes under thick eyebrows, and a long nose above slightly parted pale lips. Felix gasped and more bubbles exited his mouth. He didn't know what came over him, but with newfound strength he shook himself free and closed his arms around Isaac's torso. He kicked wildly, flailing in the water.
"Felix… I'm so sorry."
What was Isaac doing? They were drowning! They had to get back to the surface! And why in the world was Felix trying to save Isaac when he didn't even know how to swim?
"Felix…"
Isaac, swim! You're an amazing swimmer, Isaac, please swim!
"I can't… It's useless…"
Felix couldn't believe his ears. He couldn't believe that Isaac of all people would say such hopeless things. Isaac never gave up when others did. Isaac fought to the very end and even beyond that. Felix grasped Isaac's shoulders and shook him in frustration. He tried calling out to his friend, but the only sound he could make was a strangled "Blub-urb."
Then, he noticed Isaac's broken lips and the bruises and cuts on his face. He cupped Isaac's jaw, and then looked down, seeing his clothes were old tattered rags and his body was missing an entire arm. He was covered with bruises, cuts and stab-wounds, his skin was pale like a corpse and his body was cold like death…
No.
"Felix…" Isaac whispered again, pleading with his eyes.
"No!" Felix cried out, gasping and panting in shock and disbelief. "Isaac!" He cried again, wrapping his arms around his friend's shoulders. His feet touched the bottom of the river once more as he pressed his face against Isaac's swirling hair.
"I said I'd do anything for you, you know?" said Isaac weakly, slipping his arm around Felix's back. "I said I'd die for you—"
"Shut up!" said Felix, sniffling as his words came out in short gasps. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"
"You're fine…" he then said reassuringly. "You're moving and talking. I can fix you. Let's get out of here. I'll fix you."
"I can't leave this place," replied Isaac sadly.
"You can! Please, try!"
"Don't lie… You know I can't."
Felix's tears shone in the water before vanishing in tiny glimmers of light.
"Cold… It's so cold here." Isaac whimpered and weakly stroked Felix's back with his fingertips. His voice was small, quivering and frail… "I'm so cold… please, don't leave me."
Felix sniffled and held onto his friend. This felt so familiar.
"Felix…" He then suddenly heard a female voice echo in the distance. "Felix, please. Oh please, wake up."
"He's not breathing…" said another voice—male. "…quickly, make way."
"Please, please, wake up, Felix... Please, don't die!"
Felix blinked and looked around, his hair moving like seaweed in the water.
"They are calling you…" said Isaac; poor Isaac seemed to have heard Jenna and Alex's voices too and he gave Felix a worried look.
"Isaac—"
He didn't want to leave Isaac here. He didn't want to leave his little brother here all alone. Isaac hated to be alone. He was always so afraid of being left behind. And now, Felix had to leave him… again.
"I'm so sorry," said Felix. "I'm so sorry you got so hurt because of me. I'm so sorry, Isaac. If I could go back in time, I'd take it back. I wish I could go back, and do everything differently."
Isaac stayed silent.
"I have to go. I know you need me, but I can't stay. Not yet. But once I'm done, I'll come back. I promise."
Isaac said nothing, his cold hand sliding off Felix's back as he let go. This all seemed so familiar.
"I-I understand," said Isaac, his voice quivering. He folded his arm back and put it on Felix's shoulder and then extended it, slowly pushing Felix away until he was at an arm's reach.
"Isaac… no… please, don't hate me…" said Felix, longingly gazing back at his friend.
Isaac smiled bitterly and lifted his hand. Sparks of light gathered and condensed into a sword of light, lying down across his palm.
"A gift," said Isaac, looking away. "I could never be as strong as you. I couldn't be the templar you wanted by your side. And now I can't be anything. Take my power and do what you need to do, Felix."
"You don't even know what I have to do, Isaac."
"I believe in you… my brother."
"Isaac…"
"Please," said Isaac, pleading with his eyes. "It'll be like a part of me is always with you…"
"Alex, do you even know what you're doing? He's going to DIE! You have to HEAL him!"
"That's not how it works, Jenna! Hf… K-keep the fires up! Hf, you have to trust me."
"You know what, Felix?" said Isaac, lowering his head and looking away. "All that talk about glory and fame… I don't even want it. I just wanted it so I could be worthy to be at your side. It was always 'Felix and that boy' or 'Felix and Kyle's son'. I just want it to be 'Felix and Isaac'…"
A breathy sob escaped Felix's lips. He slid his palms under the light sword, lifted it from Isaac's hand and then clamped his fingers tightly around it, not caring whether it would cut him or not. As he did so, Isaac's expression froze in a strange smile. His face glowed and then disintegrated; as did the sword in Felix's hands.
"Isaac!" said Felix. "Isaac, wait!"
A blinding light shone from his hands and swallowed the world.
In the next moment, Felix felt a crushing force pushing down on his chest repeatedly. He coughed and opened his eyes.
"Felix!"
It was night. He saw fire everywhere and his chest hurt. The bitter cold chilled him to the bone and his wet clothing was making it all worse. He squinted and coughed, seeing a strangely dressed man sitting over him.
"Uuugh…" Felix whimpered as the stranger started fidgeting at his clothes. He yelped when the man slipped his hands under his shirt. His fist flew at the man's face and when the stranger cried out, Felix recognized his friend.
"Felix, don't move!" said Alex. "Your ribs are broken!"
Despite the pain, Felix pushed himself up with his hands and looked around. He sat on a patch of fresh grass and wildflowers, and five bonfires burned around him in a circle. Jenna stood with her eyes closed casting the spell, while Jeremy guarded her.
Felix chattered teeth and focused his mind, willing his Psynergy forth, but as he did a sharp pain stung his head and another painful headache took hold.
"Felix?" said Jenna.
He clamped his hands over his head, angrily slapping the side of his skull. It hurt so much. It hurt as if someone had taken several drills to his head. He fell back on the ground, grinding himself against the cold. It hurt so much. It felt as if his head was about to explode.
"Felix!" Alex yelled in desperation.
Felix rolled around on the ground. He didn't even know if he could breathe or see. The headache was getting worse and hitting his head was no use at all. When Alex grabbed him he couldn't stop shaking his head, screaming and flailing like a madman.
A bright blue light suddenly caught his attention and snapping his eyes open he saw the ghastly shadow of Alex's fingers on his face. His headache finally stilled and he could breathe again, but now a different kind of discomfort took hold—numbness. As Alex kept using his spell, Felix lost his perception of the world. The last thing he remembered before slipping back into the darkness was hearing Jeremy screaming for help…
He awoke in a simple bed inside a building he'd never visited before. The walls were mostly empty and painted in a shade of white; the only thing Felix saw on them was a scroll written in strange glyphs. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and carefully freed himself from Jenna's embrace. Closing the duvet around his sister, he looked over to the table were the burnt out oil lamp rested in front of Alex's sleeping form. The friend was clad in a greyish and white robe, sitting at the table and resting his head on his arms as a pillow. A ray of sunlight shone on his head through the casement—it looked like dawn.
Looking aside, Felix found his clothes folded up on the nightstand. He took the red cloak and draped it over Alex's shoulders and then stepped over to the casement, opening it slightly. It was indeed sunrise. He could hear a crow caw in the trees as the morning light cast the winter landscape in shades of blue. Pressing a hand over his head, Felix sank down to the armchair next to the window.
Where was he? And what happened last night?
He had so many questions... He looked to his sleeping sister and his dear friend. At least everyone seemed to be safe.
A faint light then suddenly shone above his head and a golden wisp appeared in front of him. Felix gasped and leaned back against the chair, grasping at the armrests, but a child-like voice spoke and reassured:
"Hey, don't be afraid, Master! I'm just your humble servant!"
"Uh-huh…" Felix said with a slight gasp and a nod, staring at the ball of light. This light… it seemed familiar.
"I've followed you for a long time, Master," said the wisp. "Eeeeeee! Ever since I first saw you in Vault, I knew you were an Adept! I'm so glad we have a pact now."
A pact?
Felix squinted, slowly sitting upright in the chair.
"You're a Djinni…"
"Yes, yes!" The wisp squealed. It flashed and then condensed to a small little brown creature with dark blue eyes. It was the size of a chick or sparrow, and it floated in the air without the aid of wings. Felix curiously reached out towards the little creature and the small familiar happily seated on the back of his hand—it weighted nothing at all.
Felix smiled faintly. He hadn't expected the Djinn to be so friendly… The artists who drew the pictures in the old Psynergy manuscripts weren't very accurate with their depictions, portraying them as grotesque monsters with claws and fangs. Still, he knew that the Elemental Spirits could change their form. Suddenly, he realized what this Djinni's golden light was.
"Isaac?" He whispered tentatively, gently caressing the creature with his other hand. "Is it you?"
"Eh?" chirped the Djinni in surprise. It then burst out in gleeful laughter. "Eeh-heeh-heeheeheehee! No, I am not your beloved brother reborn, silly! Although, I do like the name."
Felix averted his eyes.
"Aaw, don't be sad Master. If it makes you feel any better, it was all a dream."
Dream? It was all a dream? Isaac wasn't dead?
Felix let out a deep sigh of relief, leaning back against the chair. Thank the Saints it was all a dream. The Djinni flew a circle around his head, drawing a yellow tail of light in the air.
"There, there, Master…" it said, landing on Felix's shoulder. "Now when that's been taken care of, let's talk business, shall we?"
"Huh?"
"We have a pact, Master. When you touched the sword, you accepted me as your companion."
Felix paled.
"You tricked me!" He hissed at the creature, anger flaring in his eyes as he slammed his palms against the armrests.
"Snnrrrk…" Jenna snored and turned around in bed.
Alex stirred and the healer woke up, slowly lifting his head from the table and rubbing the back of his neck. He groaned and looked to the bed and then towards the door. Wobbling to his feet, he lazily scratched himself under the arm. But then he turned around, faced Felix, and a smile of joy and relief spread from the corner of his lips to rest of his face.
"Y-you're awake…" said Alex. "Felix, thank the heavens you're awake! You've slept for two days straight."
Felix watched the Djinni circle around in flight. He sat still as Alex touched his forehead with a soft hand.
"How do you feel?" asked the friend. "You don't look so well."
"Uh… I'm fine," replied Felix meekly. He took a deep breath. Couldn't Alex see the Djinni?
Felix lowered his face to his hand, shaking his head.
"I-I'm just confused," he said. He then looked at Alex's robes. "Wh-where are we?" he then asked. "And what are you wearing? What do you mean I slept for two days?"
"We're in the Fuchin Monastery. The robes, I borrowed them from the monks. I put you to sleep with a spell… but you didn't wake up even after it had worn off." Alex sighed and looked to the bed. "Jenna was about to kill me."
Felix groaned and rubbed his forehead.
"Fuchin Monastery… Never heard of it, but it sounds Xianese enough…"
"We're not in Xian. The monastery is located north east of the city in the mountains."
Felix scratched the back of his head.
"How… did we end up here? Where's Menardi?"
"I'm afraid we got separated from the others," said Alex, stepping back to the table. "I didn't see Menardi and Kraden's vessel at all when we were attacked by the monsters." He rolled out a map on the table.
"This is the location of the monastery," he said, placing his index finger on a mark on the map. "We came this way." He traced the lower segment of the Koliman River, stopping at a location where the river bifurcated. "We should have been here…" Alex tapped on the west stream, which clearly bordered Xian. "But we're here." He ran his finger along the east stream and traced it to the monastery.
"How?" asked Felix.
"I don't know. Maybe this was part of Kraden's great plan."
"Eeheehee… the ferrymen separated you," said the Djinni.
"The old man is an enigma," said Alex, muttering for himself. "I can't gauge him…"
"They were crooks, as you've suspected, Master…" said the Djinni, talking over Alex's voice.
"We can only hope Menardi survived…"
"He signed to his companion where the river split, when you all were asleep…"
"The monks didn't find anyone else at the shore."
"They planned to rob you clean and to take your sister for themselves…"
"Jeremy has been searching for them ever since the monks rescued us."
"Your sister… your beautiful sister."
"YOU BE QUIET!" said Felix, slamming his palms on the table with all his might.
"Eeheehehee… as you command, Master."
Felix heard Jenna wake up on the bed and Alex stared at him with a shocked expression.
"Oh, Alex… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout—no, that wasn't even directed to you! I…" He gripped Alex's shoulders and shook him, locking his gaze with the healer's blue eyes. "I don't know what came over me—"
Alex calmly placed his hands on Felix's shoulders. He said they should head out and eat.
"You're famished," said the friend with a smile. "A little confusion is natural. Let's talk later, after breakfast."
They headed out to the dining hall after changing. The monks were already eating. Alex smiled and waved to the ones who bothered lifting their head to greet them. One of the monks gestured to the bowls on the table and told them to eat when the food was still warm.
Alex bowed and pressed his palms together in gratitude. He took three bowls and filled them with rice from the pot, waving to Felix and Jenna to come and eat, treating this place as his own home. There were dishes of cabbage and root-vegetables on the table. Everyone, including Alex and Jenna, ate with a pair of narrow wooden sticks. Seeing the Earth Adept's apprehension, one of the monks fetched a spoon for him. Jenna picked cabbages from the plates and placed them on top of Felix's rice with a smile. As they ate in silence, some of the monks began talking among themselves about a certain "Nyunpa":
"He hasn't eaten for days… He's really committed to the task."
"He is foolish; he is going to waste away for nothing."
"Hey, he's our eldest. Our master didn't leave the monastery in his hands for no reason. You saw the signs too."
"Coincidences."
"How many coincidences? A rain of broken stars, a blue light shines in the north, a forest grows over a night! These are all omens of disaster matching the legends of destruction as described in the old manuscripts!"
Felix said nothing, but he could see Alex shovel rice into his mouth in attempt to hide his contempt. Curious, Felix gently nudged his friend on the arm, quietly asking what manuscripts the monks were referring to.
"The manuscripts of Saint Contigo," replied Alex flatly, "fourth edition."
"You!" said a young monk, looking at Felix. "You look smart. What do you say? Isn't it noble of Brother Nyunpa to try saving the world by becoming enlightened?"
Felix shrugged his shoulders in response, saying he didn't even know what that meant.
"To achieve enlightenment, one fasts to cleanse the body and mind," said an older monk. "Freed from worldly concerns, one can focus the mind's powers."
"How's that supposed to save the world?" asked Felix.
"It is nothing but an act of egoism," said Alex. It sound as if he was muttering for himself and Felix happened to overhear.
The monks glared at Felix's friend.
"How does one care about Weyard's fate when they are freed from worldly concerns?" asked the healer. He was talking while eating, something that Alex usually didn't do. "Your teachings are flawed." He then looked to Jenna and Felix. "What the worlds needs are heroes with the actual courage and resolve to go out and do something about the dying world; not pretenders and self-proclaimed saints."
"How dare you!" said the youngest monk, but the brotherhood around the table stopped him from outright decking Alex. The old monks shook their heads. Most of them left the table and the one who stayed said:
"Well, one may have many different opinions in this world, but… I wish you could understand our beliefs."
Alex smiled indifferently and finished his food. He then rose from the table and headed out of the dining hall. The disagreeing monk dropped his eating sticks and hurried after him as if he'd finally found someone sharing his thoughts on the matter. He didn't seem to have spent a long time in the monastery. It was either that, or he was here for the wrong reason.
Felix looked away and continued to eat, sloppily picking up more vegetables from the plates with his spoon, not caring whether anyone was staring or not. He was hungry and pride couldn't fill an empty stomach.
A golden light then flashed on top of his head and his Djinni manifested as a small familiar on the table in front of his bowl of food. Felix narrowed his eyes. He asked the Djinni what it wanted through thought, continuing to eat as if he'd seen nothing.
"We still need to discuss something!" said the Djinni, squealing in delight. "You have a little dilemma that needs to be tended to."
We already have a pact, replied Felix, lifting his cup of water and drinking. He probably looked like a glutton the way he ate.
"Aaw, Master!" said the Djinni. "Don't treat me this way… I saved your life out there! Had I not intervened, that spell you tried to cast would've surely driven you insane."
Felix didn't understand what it was trying to say, and once again he contemptuously asked what the Djinni wanted—a medal or a title?
"No need, Master. But do consider some better protection before walking into another ambush, eeheehee."
Very funny.
"Not funny! Did you not realize you could not use Psynergy ever since your sister bludgeoned you on the head? In fact, had your healer friend not tended to you right after the mercenaries dragged you back to the inn, you would've died, Master. You're lucky that blow only disrupted the flow of your Psynergy!"
Felix stared into his empty bowl. So that's where the terrible headaches came from—his Psynergy was blocked. He worriedly looked back at the Djinni.
"If you do not use Psynergy and keep a calm mind, I'm sure you'll make a full recovery within a year," said the Djinni. "But… I can unlock your power immediately if you would permit it. However, that requires cooperation from you."
Did he have to sign away his soul?
"Soul? I'm an Elemental, not a devil. I need magic to sustain my life and you, Master, is a source. It lies in my interest to take care of you! Allow me to lend you my strength; that is all I want."
Felix now understood why the Djinn looked for powerful hosts… But why him?
"You have great potential and a special gift, Master."
Healing hands?
"Eeheehee… May—be!"
Felix paused for moment of thought. It sounded too good to be true, but he didn't exactly have much of a choice; he needed his Psynergy for the Venus Lighthouse. Ultimately, he asked what he needed to do for the Djinni to unlock his powers.
"Close your eyes and do not worry. If it tickles, just stay calm."
He took a deep breath and lowered his bowl on the table, closing his eyes and then waiting. A moment later he suddenly felt something rise within him and he snapped his eyes open. He was full of energy—every muscle in his body seemed to twitch and he felt hot and cold at the same time. He gripped his spoon. He was shaking and sweating. He could feel the immense power coursing through his body but he was too afraid to move.
"Uh… Brother?" said Jenna. She then lowered her voice and asked if he needed to go to the latrine. "Hey… you're sweating," Jenna then worriedly added. "Fe—Philip, what's wrong?"
Felix's mouth flapped soundlessly. When he tried to stand up he involuntarily bounced off the chair and began prancing around the hall in dance.
"It takes a while to get used to," said the Djinni. "But I promise your powers are much stronger now!"
Jeremy was as dutiful as a dutiful servant could be. As soon they decided to leave the monastery he bartered for food, asked for directions, acquired information about the road ahead and even found a guide. If no one knew he was Kraden's servant, one could've mistaken him for being the leader of this group of ragtag Adepts.
Menardi wasn't the kind of person waiting for people to find her. She was a healer, fighter and a commander; if Kraden was with her, they'd probably have safely reached Xian by now. Kraden mentioned an Adept helping him open Venus Lighthouse. If Felix died Menardi could still train that nameless Adept—most "wizards" were weak because they didn't know how to hone their abilities.
For Felix's group, there were two paths to Xian—across the river or through a cursed forest.
Packing up, they left the monastery at noon, following their guide southward. Felix cast a look at the trees with a sigh. Hard rime clung on the branches and it was so cold that his breath froze as soon it left his nose and mouth. Yet, the forest standing ahead of them was lush as if it was eternal summer in the woods.
So this was the cursed Mogall Forest.
"This is as far I can take you," said the monk, stopping on the road. "You can always wait for the river to freeze if you prefer a safer route."
"We can't afford to wait," said Alex dryly. "We need to find our… aunt."
"Thanks for the help," said Felix, pressing his palms together in front of his chest and bowing. "And… thanks for saving our lives."
The monk returned the gesture before leaving them at the entrance to the woods. Jenna asked what dangers lurked inside the forest and Jeremy started relaying rather dubious information about crazy apes and ghosts. Alex stood quiet, his eyes never leaving the sea of tall trees ahead of them.
"Mogall Prairie…" he said in a low voice. "Who could've thought a forest could grow here over one night."
"You've been here before?" asked Jenna.
"Yes…" replied Alex with a weak smile. "I've visited most of Angara; Xian included." He then looked at Jenna and flashed his teeth, returning to his usual cheerful self. "It's a lively city full of wonders. I think you'll like it!"
Jenna shoved her palm into his face.
"Since when did you start paying attention to what I liked?" The sister huffed with a frown, drawing a laugh from Felix too.
As Alex began telling her about the foods and the fireworks of Xian, Felix took a deep breath and approached the forest, leaving the cold and snowy path and stepping into tall grass growing green. The rest of the group followed him shortly.
He let out a relieved sigh, looking up at the tall trees. The forest was temperate and humid and shrouded in mist; mysterious as it was ominous. A massive tree stood in front of them—it seemed at least a few hundred years old. Alex approached it and studied the fungi growing on the trunk.
Suddenly, a wild screech broke the silence and a creature dropped from the branches. It landed on top of the healer and began pummelling his face with shrieking noises.
"Aa-AAH!" cried Alex.
Felix whisked his hand. Piercing shards of flint cut through the air and hit the beast's lower back. Distracted, the angry ape dropped Alex and faced Felix with glowing yellow eyes. A light shone below the Earth Adept's feet and Felix quickly pushed Jenna away from him. Entangling vines shot from the ground and wrapped around Felix, crushing his ribs. He twisted and turned, howling in pain as the vines grew thorns that stabbed into his flesh like knives.
The agony didn't last long as the vines suddenly exploded in a vapour of light and his Psynergy closed the wounds within seconds. Looking back, Jenna stood in front of a swirling vortex of flames with Jeremy aggressively slashing at the creature trapped within with his sword. The animal let out a piercing shriek as it died, and to Felix's horror he heard responding cries all around him.
"Run!" said Felix, desperately looking around for an escape.
"No, stand still!" said Alex, darting over to his side and grasping his arm tightly.
Felix clamped his mouth shut and stared into the woods, seeing more murderous apes shuffling around in the surrounding foliage. Jenna let out a small gasp, but Alex and Jeremy each held one of her wrists. Her fire blazed behind them and it had spread to the massive tree. The flames cast long shadows in front of the Adepts and Felix counted the monsters… there were at least a dozen of them.
"Stay," said Alex lowly, as the few of those angry apes stepped out of the bushes.
They were Adepts, but—as Kraden had deduced—most of the beasts had acquired elemental powers too. These monsters were angry and bloodthirsty and insane enough to fight to the death.
He focused his mind, preparing a spell, and Jeremy raised his bloodstained sword defensively. After what felt like half an eternity, the creatures finally backed away and left the group alone, returning to the deep woods. And after another long moment of waiting, Alex finally released Felix's arm.
"Are you sure you don't want to go back and wait for the river to freeze?" asked Jeremy with a slight quiver in his voice. "I mean, I'm not afraid," he then hurried to add in his defence, "but you don't look so well!"
Alex brushed his dirty blue fringe back behind his ear and wiped his forehead. Turning around he conjured a deluge of water and doused the fires. He might have looked confident earlier, but Felix could tell that he too was having doubts: Their "warband" consisted of two healers, one untrained Adept, and Jeremy.
"We need to press on," Alex then said, sweeping his cloak around his nose and mouth as the smoke grew thick.
He looked to Jenna who shamelessly clung on Jeremy's arm, her eyes wide in terror as she stared back at the smoking remains of the massive tree. Felix gently pried her away from Kraden's servant and led her away to a place where they could breathe properly.
"We're on our own now," said Alex. "We can't keep relying on Menardi to protect us."
The friend then turned to Jenna.
"You wanted to show her up, right?" he asked. "This is your chance. Prove that you can make the journey." He then looked to Felix. "This is only the beginning of what dangers we have to face. Our foes will become stronger the closer we get to releasing Alchemy… Menardi is a mighty sorceress, but she's only one person. She can't always protect us."
Felix painfully closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Prove that you don't need her, Felix," said Alex, grasping the Earth Adept's shoulders. "Only then, will she give you the respect you deserve. You're a prodigy, right? You've been a powerful Adept since birth, correct? Then prove it. Get us through this forest."
"Hey!" said Jenna, shoving Alex back a few steps. "You can't just put such a burden on him! Don't you see how scared he is?"
Alex coldly stared back at Felix's sister, his usual tenderness and playfulness completely gone.
"You and I, Jenna, we're both irrelevant," he said, each word clear and sure. "Nothing of importance changes if we die; but Felix is essential for the success of our quest. He has to live." His features then softened and he looked away, adding in a whisper: "Don't you understand?"
Jenna didn't reply, but she directed her gaze to the ground and rubbed the side of her arm.
"All right, all right," said Jeremy, finishing cleaning his sword. "We should leave before more monsters arrive to check out this smoking tree."
He took a box from his pack and put it on the ground, asking Alex to fill the container with water. As Alex conjured up the liquid, Jeremy withdrew a small needle stuck through a piece of wood or similar material. He let it float in the water and it turned around.
"What are you doing?" asked Jenna, picking up a large piece of wood from the ground and testing it against her palm.
"It's a compass," said Alex. "It tells the directions. There are different kinds—"
"We need to head southwest," said Jeremy, pointing into the woods. "That means we should go in that direction."
"Then lets go," said Felix, drawing his dagger from his belt.
The mists grew thicker the deeper into the woods they journeyed. The sky was barely visible above the crowns of tall trees. If he didn't know any better he would've said this forest was at least a hundred years old. It was amazing how it could've sprouted from an open prairie overnight.
Speaking of the night, camping here did not sound appealing at all. They had no tent, no tools and almost no food—the buns and bread from the monastery would be enough for two days if they rationed.
The sounds and the mists in the woods became eerier as darkness fell. It felt like they'd been walking for hours among the same trees and it was completely dark when they finally reached a large body of water. Jenna felt better about the situation when Alex told her they should be out of the forest soon—this lake was along the lower part of the Koliman river and the Mogall Prairie supposedly ended here.
Jeremy's lantern had almost burned out when they finally made a campfire near the water. Everyone was tired and Felix massaged his feet with healing hands while Jenna opened the bags and distributed the food. Alex had cut down a young tree during the journey and was sharpening it to a spear.
"That stick is way too soft for a proper weapon," said Jenna.
Alex shrugged with a smile and said it would still make a good walking stick. He then went to the lake and scooped up water from the river with Jeremy's compass-container. After cleansing it with his Psynergy and drinking, he passed the container around for everyone else to have their fill. Jeremy naturally volunteered to keep watch first, but Alex insisted that he should have company.
"You volunteering?" asked Jenna, lifting an eyebrow.
"Well, I can't trust you to stay awake as tired as you look!" replied Alex with a smile.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I can—!"
"Shh…" Alex stifled Jenna's voice with a hand over her mouth. "You're loud," he said darkly, but then followed up with an amused smile. "You might attract the restless spirits hiding in the mists."
Jenna pushed his hand away with a frown.
"Let me tell you about the battle that went down here ages ago." Alex chuckled, making Jenna roll her eyes. He looked to the others and then cleared his throat, standing.
"So this all happened during the twenty-second year of the War of Alchemy, when the great empire of Alkohl entered the fray and clashed with the troops of a mighty nomad tribe from the Mogall Plains…"
Felix stifled a laugh and Jenna couldn't help but grin and shake her head. Alex could probably make any dumb story seem interesting with that kind of commitment. He had talent for storytelling—shame that he joined the clergy instead of becoming a skald.
Felix tucked his hands under his sleeves, closing his eyes halfway and looking into the warm campfire. Hearing a squeal he looked up to Alex and Jenna briefly, watching the sister play with his friend like a child; laughing and poking her fingers into Alex's side where he apparently was ticklish. After a while they both calmed down and Jenna seated at Felix's side, catching her breath after laughing so hard.
"Hey," said Jenna, nudging Felix on the arm.
"Yes?"
"So, do you think… we can tell Isaac about our quest?" Jenna looked at him with a hopeful smile. "I mean, he'll listen if we just talked to him, right?" All the betrayals and lies were forgotten and her mind seemed to have wandered back to a time when Felix and Isaac still were inseparable friends.
"I… don't know," said Felix, looking away.
"What do you mean you don't know?" Jenna closed her arms around him, resting her head on one of his shoulders and draping her cape across the other. "You think Isaac and Garet will hate you for trying to save the world? You think Isaac will hate you for trying to save his dad? Come on!" Jenna gave him a light push. "I'm the petty one and I forgave you, big brother."
With a sigh, Felix hugged his sister back. He absently looked to Alex, who met his gaze and responded with a sad smile before continuing to sharpen his stick with a knife. It was probably hard for him to watch this—Alex's family cast him out despite hearing his reasons.
Felix looked out to the lake. This suddenly reminded him of camping outside his house with his friends many years ago. Garet would tell them ghost stories that weren't really scary at all and Jenna would get overly physical with everyone around the camp. Isaac often sat silent and was always full of thoughts. Stefan and Kay would sometimes call him names. Sometimes, Felix wondered if Isaac didn't join just to not be left out—he seemed to only be able to relax when he rested in Felix's arms at night.
His mind wandered back to the dream he had when he fell into the river, feeling a twinge in his chest. Yes, it was an illusion conjured up by the Djinni, but it had felt real. All those things the illusion said were things that the real Isaac would say. In fact, most of his lines had been lifted from Felix's memories.
Felix remembered how he snuck out of the village when he was ten years old and too brave for his own good; how Isaac had faithfully followed him into the unknown, and then gotten hurt because Felix couldn't recognize a steep hill when he saw one. He remembered Isaac grabbing him and falling too, breaking several bones in his small frame. Felix's healing hands failed him for the first time and Isaac cried and begged him not to leave him in the rain, saying he was cold and freezing and alone… And Felix left him behind because he couldn't carry his friend back to the village and had to leave him while going back for help. Yet, in the next morning, he smiled when he found Felix sitting at his bedside holding his hand with their fingers entwined. Felix couldn't even ask for forgiveness before Isaac had told him he that understood.
"Hey…" Felix gently lifted and lowered the shoulder his sister rested upon.
"What?" murmured Jenna.
"If we do run into Isaac and Garet, let's do as you want. Let's tell them the truth."
"You sure?" asked the sister.
"You said it yourself; you're the petty one," he replied quietly. "Isaac is the forgiving one, and Garet doesn't hold grudges."
Jenna suddenly clamped her arms around him. Felix gently petted his sister on the head and she loosened her embrace a little.
"Hey!" Jeremy suddenly hissed at the group, standing up and unsheathing his sword. "Did you hear that?"
Alex stood up and gripped his sharpened stick, looking around.
"Hear what?" asked Jenna, but silenced when the sound of a distant howl echoed through the woods.
Felix stood up.
"Wolves?" he asked.
"No..." replied Jeremy. "It's the sound of a horn."
"A horn?" asked Jenna. "So someone else is in the forest? Could it be Kraden and the others?"
"We better hope so," said Alex. "Look out!" He threw his spear into the bushes behind Felix, shattering something with a rattling sound.
Felix spun around, pushing Jenna behind him. The sister shrieked as a skeleton stepped out of the shadows with Alex's javelin sticking out of its ribcage. Felix made a gesture and drew upon his Psynergy. A huge stalactite materialized above the creature and dropped down, shattering its body and then vanishing in a vapour of light. Amazed by how easy it had been for him to cast the spell, Felix was caught off guard by the skull engulfed in green flames flying towards his face. Luckily, Jenna saved him by releasing her own elemental powers, incinerating the monster with a plume of fire.
"Be careful!" said Alex, dousing the flames in the grass and the shrubs. "You'll start a wildfire!"
Felix gasped for breath, seeing blue lights glowing behind the trees further away. Jenna saw them too and desperately looked to the other members of the group.
"Uhm... Felix? Jerry? Alex? Ideaaas?"
There was no time for planning. Another skeleton attacked with a weapon and Jeremy leapt into the fray, punching the blade with his buckler and ripping the skeleton's hand off along with its sword. He decapitated the monster, but it didn't die and continued attacking while its allies emerged from the shadows.
Alex hurled a torrent of water at the incoming foes and washed them back behind the bushes. Seeing a flying skull hovering around Jeremy, Felix shattered it with a piercing shard of flint. He flinched when he realized that he could've killed Jeremy if he'd missed the target. The guard renewed his grip around his weapons as the foes approach him once more. Patches of grass shone at Jeremy's feet and he leapt out of the way, dodging spears and swords of energy rising from the ground. Alex kept knocking the enemies down with water Psynergy, but they kept coming back. His face was contorted in frustration and anger and short pants escaped his lips as he defended the group with rising difficulty—his spells seemed to drain his energy fast.
"You're not doing any damage!" said Jenna. "Drop hailstones on them or something!"
Alex winced and stopped what he was doing. He lifted his arms above his head.
"Rise, hailstorm!" he said in a hoarse gasp. His hands glowed brightly, and spheres of blue light materialized above the monsters. They sheared the air and then came crashing down, but the globs of liquid merely annoyed the foes with the deluge. Alex however, was caught off guard; an ethereal blade surfaced from the ground and impaled him. His eyes grew wide; he arched back, and then dropped to his knees.
"Alex!"
Jenna ran to their friend. Although his body seemed unharmed, Alex's wide eyes twitched in shock and pain and he let out strangled noises as if someone was choking him. When the blade of light vanished, he collapsed in Jenna's arms.
"Argh!" Jeremy was a surprisingly skilled fighter, but he was outnumbered and getting overwhelmed, stumbling as he struggled against foes that refused to die.
"Jeremy, come back!" Felix finally said. "Now!"
The servant parried one last hit with his buckler before retreating to the camp in sweeping stride. Felix focused his energy and stretched out his arms, curling his fingers as if he could grasp the earth. With a tearing gesture he split the earth below the creatures, dropping them into a crevasse. He'd never succeeded in doing something as destructive as this before and it was almost scary how easy it was.
A sharp pain then hit his abdomen and he stumbled back, squeezing his eyes shut as he grasped the offending arrow. Jeremy caught him and swiped his sword in the air, deflecting more incoming arrows and then pushing Felix out of the way.
As he painfully extracted the projectile and healed himself, the skeletons in the crevasse were crawling back up to the surface. To his surprise, a blast of flames suddenly burst through the ranks of enemies, incinerating the undead in the chasm and then vanishing without touching a single leaf in the forest.
Felix spun around to look at Jenna, but she shook her head nervously.
A light glowed beneath his feet and Felix hurried out of the way before the blade of energy could catch him, but he slipped on the mud and fell on his back. A flying skull engulfed in green flames appeared in front of his face, startling him. It would've bitten his nose off if Jeremy hadn't saved him, smashing it with the pommel of his sword.
Looking back towards the enemies, Felix saw fire explode among the foes as a shadow darted back and forth in-between the skeletons. He heard a familiar cry and then a body stumbled back towards the dying campfire, slipping and sliding on the muddy ground and dragging a trail of smoke behind. The stranger's clothes were all singed and tattered, his light-coloured hair was wet, and his eyes were covered with a blindfold.
"Saturos?"
"Hey kid…" said the northlander with a groan, panting and propping himself up with the ferryman's oar in his hands. "Need help? My raft is nearby."
"Where?" asked Alex, standing propped up against Jenna's shoulder.
"Look around the riverbank," said Saturos. "I came here hearing your voice—Aaagh!"
The northlander fell to his knees as he too was impaled by an ethereal blade, but he resisted the spell with a roar and angrily swiped his hand sideways towards the foes; a dozen fireballs were launched through the air, illuminating the area briefly before vanishing.
"You missed from that distance?" exclaimed Jenna.
Felix wiped his hands from left to right, painting a wall of light into existence. As the enemies started hacking away at the barrier he made a circular gesture and bent the wall around the skeleton soldiers, enclosing them tightly in a cylindrical prison.
"Now, Saturos, blow them up!" he called.
"What's their position, commander?"
"Right in front of you!"
"That's not helpful!"
Saturos held out his palm, sending a beam of energy and circling fire blasting through the darkness. It was deflected against Felix's shield and a hit a nearby tree, causing a big branch to explode in fiery embers.
"Jenna!" Felix shouted to his sister in desperation. "Do your worst!"
Jenna gave him a hesitant look.
"Hurry!"
A vortex of flames burst alive inside the barrier and spinning flames incinerated the skeleton troops. The barrier shattered in a rain of golden dust and embers and Felix collapsed to the ground exhaustion. He gasped and looked up, seeing Jenna's uncontrollable flames expand and settle in the grass and leaves.
"I found the raft!" said Jeremy. "This way!"
Felix quickly helped Jenna to pick Alex up from the ground. Following Jeremy, they all boarded Saturos's raft and set out across the lake before more monsters could get to them. As a storm of glowing arrows rained down on the raft, Felix tapped his hands against the wood, enclosing it within a dome of light that deflected the projectiles. At safe distance, Alex quietly healed Jeremy's wounds while everyone else helped paddling to the other side of the lake.
Felix could see the army of undead soldiers search the area and crossing a bridge leading to a small island in the middle of the lake. A huge tree grew there and the shrieking noises told Felix that territory had been trespassed. The demon apes living on that isle attacked the skeletons. Shrieks and roars echoed through the forest and flashes of light shone like lightning bolts in a storm in the misty forest.
When the raft finally reached the other side of the lake, Felix could feel the icy wind of winter beyond the cursed woods. He let out a sigh of relief, getting off the raft and helping his companions up to dry land. The fire on the other side was spreading through the woods. They had lost all their packing and food, but getting out of this mess with everyone's lives intact was good enough for Felix.
"Phew…" Saturos sighed in relief. "They weren't kidding when they said boating in Kolima River was dangerous."
"I thought Menardi kicked you out," said Jenna as Felix retrieved Saturos's forgotten pack from the raft. It had a rather strong smell and opening it, he found that it was full of raw fish.
"I left on my own," said the northlander dryly.
"Why are you following us then?" asked Jenna.
"I'm here to deliver a message. I'll be on my way as soon my task is complete."
"Oh? What so important you chased us all the way from Bilibin just to let us know?"
"Well, it's about… your precious Isaac. He's made some new friends."
Jenna's countenance darkened significantly and her eyes narrowed for a moment, but she snorted and tried not to show too much contempt.
"What about them?" she said.
"You want to hear about his new companions? Hm, should I start with the adorable little Wind Mage or the very beautiful Water Priestess?"
Felix spat out a breathy laugh, although he noticed that Alex for once didn't share his joy in Jenna's torment.
"How do you know they are cute and pretty?" snarled Jenna. "You're blind!"
"Girlie, I've faced them at the lighthouse." Saturos wiggled his head from side to side. "I was also temporarily unblinded while spending a day as a tree in Kolima. Hey, if given the chance, you should try it sometime. Gives you a new kind of respect for nature—"
"You're so full of crap," said Jenna.
"I do not lie! An astounding hero, your dear Isaac is. He wanted to leave all the villagers of Kolima to their wretched fate in pursuit after you. Aren't you happy that he cares so much?"
Jenna's indignant expression twitched and she closed her hands into fists. The uncomfortable expression told Felix that she might even be blushing, although he couldn't say for sure in this light.
"Well, I'm not just here to gossip," continued Saturos, clearing his throat. "Felix?" He fumbled around until his former student grasped his hand and declared his presence. "Good, I'll let you know that your old friends have made pacts with the elemental spirits—the Djinn. I've had my suspicions since the fight at the lighthouse, of course, but I wasn't certain."
Felix's eyes flickered from left to right. What was he supposed to do with this information?
"Your Fire Adept friend—what's his name again?"
"Garet."
"Yes, him. He and the priestess are able to channel the powers of the Ancient Heroes. I don't know what your precious Isaac can do, but it wouldn't surprise me if he'd bargained for the same power. Your friends are powerful enough to break the curse of Kolima, after all."
"So they burned down the evil tree?" asked Jenna, folding her arms over his chest and starting to mutter for herself.
"Woah. I heard they went toe to toe with the evil spirit possessing the Holy Tree," Saturos waved his hands above his head, "cutting through hordes of monsters and then saving the tree king and restoring everyone to human form." He paused for a moment before adding: "Not much confidence in your fiancé, eh?"
"Who the faen told you he's my fiancé?" Jenna yelled at the northlander, beyond furious.
Saturos tilted his head upwards and put a finger against his chin.
"Yes… who told me about your little childhood marriage promise again?"
Jenna's eyes blazed and she glared at Felix. He couldn't respond before the sister kicked him in the shin and made him jump around on one foot.
"What more did you tell these people about me?" screeched Jenna.
"I—"
"That you're sweet, smart, kind of stubborn," said the northlander, counting with his fingers, "a little egoistic from time to time, but—"
"I didn't tell you any of that!" said Felix, clutching his hurt leg.
"Right, it was your dad!" replied Saturos, laughing.
"How close are you with my family?" said Jenna, angrily shoving Felix's mentor back. Saturos staggered but immediately took a steady stance, telling Jenna to show some respect to her elders.
As the Fire Adepts squabbled, Felix turned away with a weary sigh. He glanced around and then noticed that Alex had wandered off. Searching with his eyes, he finally found the Water Adept standing outside the forest in the cold. His hood was pulled over his head and his cloak wrapped about his body; he looked incredibly sombre for being the life of the party.
Author's Notes:
I already cut two scenes from this chapter and it still ended up being so long…
Felix's Djinni is Sap if it wasn't clear enough.
Saturos going rogue is important because I want to establish that he and Menardi are not one unit. They are people—individuals, and they do not necessary have the same opinion. And in this story, they have verydifferent opinions about the quest.
So why are the skeletons so shit that Felix/Saturos/Alex/Jenna can just AoE them? Come on, they are skeletons—of course they are weak. Also, this fight also shows that Felix's own little group has no one who can actually fight in melee since they need an unmagical schmuck like Jeremy to "tank" for them.
The reason Saturos fails at ranged combat is that he can't see his target and has to guess their location based on his remaining senses. He could AoE them the first time because he was in melee combat. And yes, he got turned into a tree because he doesn't have any Djinn.