Felix dragged his feet behind him as he followed the rest of the party on the snowy road. His hands were tucked under his cloak and his brow was covered by the furry brim of his winter cap. As he passed the last trees of the thick woods, he squinted at the sight of the sun peeking behind the steep mountains in the afternoon.

This was Alpine Crossing—the forking road leading to Lamakan Desert and the mining township of Altin. Iron and supplies were regularly transported here, so the place was a common raiding spot for brigands. Even Xianese authority had trouble keeping the raiders away off the road—gods help the unprepared merchants who carried expensive goods in their wagons.

Menardi spearheaded the way into the mountain pass, her new glaive resting on her shoulder as she turned and looked out for ambushes. She still wore a shawl tied around her head to hide her pointed ears. Her new red cloak had a hood sewn in, but she didn't wear it up since it limited her vision.

Kraden rode behind her at a steady pace on his horse, stopping occasionally to check his map. He was having a one way conversation with Jenna. Among many things, Kraden spoke about his king and that Jenna and Felix would be delighted to see Tolbi if they thought Xian was spectacular. He said there was a grand fighting tournament they wouldn't want to miss and that his king approved of magic unlike a majority of the world. He then mentioned about how he longed for a bath and massage after travelling almost nonstop for the last week—even though he'd been on a horse for the entire trip.

"Ah-haha…" said Kraden. "I guess I'm not as springy as I used to be anymore."

Felix sighed. Before leaving Xian, Kraden had promised Jeremy and Solomon would bring Alex to meet up with them later, but they were almost at the desert now and Kraden still refused to tell when they would meet up with their friend, and whenever Felix or Jenna brought it up he'd laugh it off as if they were children worrying for meaningless things.

That day, Jenna and Alex went out to fool around in town again. Around noon, Jenna had come back to the school alone, crying and screaming that bounty hunters were trying to kill Alex. It turned out the Imilian Watch had followed them all the way from the north and now they were hot on Alex's trails.

Felix had begged for help, and Menardi had refused lend a hand. The northlander was furious that they couldn't do something as simple as keeping a low profile. Jenna turned to Kraden for help, and the old man simply gave her a grandfatherly smile while telling her to take a bath and then come out and have dinner.

"Dinner?" said Jenna. She grabbed Kraden's long wide sleeve. "How can you think about food when Alex is being chased through the streets like an animal? We have to help him!"

"And help him I will," replied Kraden with a calming gesture. He then looked to his bodyguards and told them to go to the administrators of the city and iron out the situation nicely. "There, Jenna," he then continued, petting Jenna's shoulder. "All done. Now get inside, take a bath and change out of those sweaty clothes so you don't catch a cold."

Jenna had stared at Kraden's expression for almost a full minute afterwards, but she ultimately gave out a defeated sigh and stomped back indoors. They had no other choice than to trust Kraden. Jeremy and Solomon did leave the school that evening and they still haven't come back, so Kraden didn't seem to be lying. With a small shred of hope of seeing their friend again, Felix and Jenna had turned into docile children who nodded and agreed in every matter. For what could they do? They didn't know where Alex went and they didn't know anyone in Xian.

Now, it's been almost a week and Felix wondered if he hadn't overestimated Kraden and his attendants' abilities.

"Don't use my family to threaten me, witch!" said Jenna suddenly, pulling Felix spirit back to present time with her sharp tone. She hadn't used that insult for a while and Felix wondered for what reason she was fighting with Menardi.

"I don't even trust you to begin with!" snapped Jenna. "If you can just leave Alex and Saturos behind then what will you do with me and Felix once the Venus Lighthouse is lit?"

"I am bound by my vow to protect you, ingrate," replied Menardi. She still led the way and didn't even bother to look back to Jenna.

The sister stopped in her tracks and stared after the northlander, closing her hands to fists and before Felix could stop her she was yelling at the top of her lungs:

"I never asked for your protection!"

Menardi cringed and then finally turned around.

"Then release me," she replied evenly.

"What?"

"Release me from my oath. Then see how much I care if you throw yourself to the wolves afterwards."

"I—don't—need—your—protection!"

"You hear that, Felix? I did not break any promises. Your sister refuses to let me protect her."

Jenna folded her arms over her chest and turned her head away in defiance, saying Menardi was as self-righteous as she was cold.

As the northlander turned away and continued to walk, Kraden laughed softly and said Jenna was old enough to make her own decisions. Felix said nothing; Menardi knew he'd rebel if something happened to Jenna. Whether she planned to send her back to Vale or keep protecting her "out of the goodness of her heart", he didn't know, but he knew that Menardi wouldn't risk the mission over senseless pride.

"Ah Jenna!" said Kraden suddenly with an overexcited smile and tone, "look at that!" The old man pointed at a building at the side of the road. "Did you not say you were tired earlier? Let us rest and have dinner at that roadside inn."

Menardi said nothing and picked up her pace, stepping over to the building in sweeping strides. Kraden looked back to Felix and asked whether Menardi always had been this prickly.

"I don't know her that well," said Felix.

"Did you not spend three years in the northlands?"

"I was in a coma for most of that time."

Felix ended the conversation and began heading towards the inn. He could hear Jenna's quick steps behind him and soon she was at his side. She wore thick wools and furs right now, the bags were full of summer clothing.

Under normal circumstances, Lamakan was a cold desert—frigid in winter—but according to Kraden's news sources, the desert had changed since the eruption of Mount Aleph. Like Mogall Prairie and Kolima Forest, Lamakan had become a domain for cursed wildlife and demons and the order of the seasons no longer applied to the desert. Instead of relentless cold, they'd be facing scalding heat and illusions. Kraden said he would've wanted to avoid the desert road, but their next destination was the city Kalay and looping back through the cursed woods of Mogall and Kolima was out of question.

Menardi was a master Fire Adept and capable of many things. She probably already had a plan for dealing with the heat and the illusions, but Felix still worried—Menardi was one person. Powerful as she might be, she couldn't be everywhere at the same time.

"Jenna," said Felix, looking to his sister, "have you thought about learning advanced Psynergy from Menardi?"

Jenna snorted and readjusted the straps of her backpack.

"As if she'd teach me," she replied.

"Have you asked?"

"No."

"Then how do you know she'd refuse?"

"She hates me—are you blind?"

Jenna picked up her pace and moved ahead and Felix sighed. As they entered the inn, familiar faces greeted them from the first table in the common room.

Solomon and Jeremy were eating steamed buns as Menardi approached the table.

"Where's the owner of the place?" she asked, staring down at Kraden's guards.

Felix cast a wide look around in the room; he couldn't see another person here either. As Jenna took a step towards the table, she stepped on something that sounded like broken glass. Looking down, Felix noticed the wooden splinters and broken ceramic on the floor as if the innkeeper hadn't properly cleaned up after an accident. There were also some dark smears on the ground that resembled dried blood.

Solomon stuffed the rest of his bread piece in his mouth, chewed, took a sip from his cup and then swallowed his food. He pointed back behind him with his thumb. Jeremy nodded and his brother then rose from the table and exited the inn. Felix followed Solomon with his look and watched him head out of the door to greet his Master Kraden and take care of the horse.

"Jeremiah," said Menardi with a sullen look.

"Hm?" replied Kraden's assistant with his mouth full of food.

"What happened here? Where are the owner and his staff?"

"Oh, we drove him and his companions away," Jeremy then replied. He reached for another steamed bun but it flew from the plate like a snowball and towards Menardi who caught it with a swift downward gesture.

"Explain," said Menardi, raising the white bread above her shoulder with the first three digits of her left hand.

"They were thieves in disguise," said Jeremy. He tried to take another bun from the plate but it flew out of his reach and right into Menardi's palm.

"They were preying on unsuspecting merchants on the road," said Jeremy and shrugged his shoulders. "The usual drug-your-food-and-murder-you-in-your-sleep-scheme."

Menardi narrowed her eyes, but Jeremy's expression didn't change. She turned away and silently stepped over to one of the windows, cracked open the casement and then leaned against the wall to start eating the food she'd snatched from under Jeremy's nose.

Kraden brushed off the snow from his clothes and stepped through the doorway. Jeremy hurried to stand up and greet his master, gesturing to the old man to sit. Even though he tried to be discreet about it, Felix saw Jeremy slip Kraden his closed wax tablet, which the old man slipped into the pocket of his winter coat.

"Where's Alex?" asked Jenna finally. "Jerry, Kraden said you'd find Alex for us. So where is he?"

The servant pointed towards the stairs and before he could even confirm the message, Jenna had rushed upstairs calling Alex's name. Kraden let out a faint chuckle as his servant grabbed a clean cup from the table and poured up wine for his master. Menardi simply rolled her eyes and kept eating in silence while Felix excused himself to check on his sister and his friend.

The stairs and floorboards creaked as he made his way upstairs—the building was in desperate need of renovation. Upon noticing the first door in the corridor standing open, he headed in there.

The room and furniture were simple but clean and Alex sat on the bed with his back against the wall and his knees pulled up towards his chest. His arms looped around his bent legs and he stared at the mattress with a vacant expression as Jenna approached him.

"Alex?" said the sister. She sat down on the side of the bed and worriedly tapped the Water Adept's hands.

Alex merely blinked his eyes. Felix couldn't tell whether it was a response or not.

"Alex…" said Felix, slowly approaching the bed as the staircase creaked outside the room.

The friend kept staring at the bed with a hollow look. He was spiritually hurt—that much was clear—but what happened?

"Alex, what's wrong?" whispered Felix. He climbed onto the bed, seated next to his friend and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Tell me what's wrong…"

Alex let out a small puff of air. This was exactly how he was after he found in the ditch again… Felix turned to Jenna who was staring at Alex's vacant expression with tears in her eyes. She reached out and grabbed one of Alex's hands, her tears drawing wet paths on her cheeks as she closed her eyes and let out a sob.

"I'm sorry," she said, digging her fingers into Alex's spindly arm. "Alex, I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't have—"

"Ah, here he is…" said Kraden as he entered the room with Jeremy. "I was worried…"

Jenna shuddered and immediately straightened her back. She let out another half-sob, angrily wiped the tears on her face, and then turned to Jeremy and the old man.

"What did you do to him?" she asked, almost yelling as she glared at Jeremy.

"I didn't do anything," replied the servant. "He's been like this ever since we rescued him from Xian. Possibly trauma after torture."

"Torture?" said Jenna.

Jeremy briefly looked to Kraden, who gave him a nod.

"We were tasked to retrieve him, but…"

Jeremy paused and looked to Kraden again.

"But?" demanded Jenna.

Felix could only stare at Jeremy in shock and disbelief.

"Just tell them what they need to know," said Kraden.

"The night we went to break him out of prison, we found him stumbling out of the administration centre by himself. He was screaming incoherently and flailing his arms like a madman and bleeding from one of his eyes."

Felix tore his gaze away from Jeremy and turned back to Alex. He wiped his hand in the air in front of the friend's face.

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly and he turned his face away. He opened his lips slightly and weakly mouthed something for himself. Felix gently squeezed his friend's shoulder and Alex lowered his face to his knees. Finally, Jenna put her arms around Alex and hugged him. She told him he didn't have to be scared anymore and that he was safe. At first, Alex didn't react, but as Jenna continued to whisper words of comfort, he finally let out a strangled caw and began to miserably laugh and weep at the same time.

Kraden and Jeremy turned away to leave the Adepts alone when Menardi suddenly barged in with her glaive in hand.

"The bandits you geniuses drove away are back, and they brought friends—at least forty men are on their way here! Gather your stuff and hurry out of the backdoor before they arrive."

"But our horses are at the front—"

"Your horse or your life, old man?" asked Menardi. "Felix, move, now!"

Menardi and the Tolbians quickly headed out and downstairs and Felix didn't wait long before he began to urge Jenna and Alex to hurry along as well. He cracked open the window to see whether Menardi was exaggerating or not but it seemed she was understating the numbers as an entire horde of angry men armed with sharpened steel were on the way. Those thieves really wanted their inn back badly.

Yet, Alex refused to move. Even though he was being yelled at and dragged down to the floor by Jenna, he refused to stand up.

"Alex, come on!" said Jenna. "Do you want us to leave you?"

"Leave me," whispered Alex.

Hearing loud bangs and crashes downstairs, Felix grabbed Alex's feet and told Jenna to take his hands. They began carrying him out of the room and down the stairs. Menardi had moved all the furniture to barricade the door and she stood in front of the staircase with her glaive ready for battle. She cast a brief look back towards the young Adepts and her slightly annoyed expression immediately became an enraged scowl.

She let out a shriek, cursing her life and luck and she raised her hands up in the air. Meeting the younger Adepts on the middle of the staircase, she tossed her polearm into Felix's arms and then hauled Alex onto her back and carried him towards the backdoor.

Felix gripped the glaive and stared at it in confusion. When the bandits began to bash on the door, he stumbled down the stairs and hurried to the backdoor as quickly as possible. When outside, he could see Kraden and his assistants already far down on the road, fleeing quicker than anyone else.

Menardi let out a string of profanity when the bandits noticed them and began to pursue. She dropped Alex to the ground and yanked her weapon back from Felix. With a thundering roar and a broad swipe of her glaive she summoned a line of explosions on the ground, sending the first line of enemies off their feet.

Felix went to secure Alex and Jenna to Kraden's guards—Menardi could handle herself. He tried to piggyback Alex the way Menardi did, but it wasn't easy; he never thought someone as frail-looking as Alex could be so heavy! He ran towards the western path, hoping to lose the bandits but as he drew closer he heard the clashing of swords ahead as well. The Tolbians were fighting a smaller group of thieves who'd obviously been positioned here to intercept fleeing victims.

Solomon and Jeremy fought side by side, cutting down the bandits one by one as Kraden hid behind a rock, pointing and shouting at his men.

"Felix!" said Jenna. "Look out!"

She let out a scream and thrust her palms out, trapping the bandit who'd appeared next to Felix in a vortex of flames. As the bandit screamed in panic, Felix's chest constricted and he dropped Alex on the ground.

The company of thieves had scattered around Menardi and the burning bodies at her feet. His vision blurred and his world became a canvas of black and red. Fire. All he saw was fire and the shadows of men and women fighting and falling to the ground.

"Help…" Felix cried out weakly, turning around left and right with unfocused eyes. "Help!"

BAMM!

Felix let out a panicked scream as an explosion from above deafened his ears.

BA-BAMM!

Felix lost his breath as he stared upwards to the mountain wall in wide-eyed shock. The top of that peak crumbled from the fiery blasts above and a mass of rocks and snow began to fall down to the mountain pass. He took a shaky step back but tripped and fell backwards. As he hit the ground, he heard someone calling his name in the distance. Lightning crashed. He heard Isaac's voice shout his name in the thundering rain and the cracking of a branch in the night. And then there was darkness… Darkness and cold.

"Felix!"

He blinked and shuddered, his vision focusing on a worried face. The blue-eyed stranger with messy brown hair shook Felix's shoulders and then slapped his cheek.

"Aah!" Felix drew a quick breath and shoved Alex away in surprise, but regretted his action the second after. "Oh Alex, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—!"

He looked at the pile of rocks, boulders and snow that now blocked the mountain passage in front of him, his gaze tracing the roadblock up towards the peaks—they had both been one step away from being buried alive or worse.

"Jenna..." Felix then whispered, panic rising again as he couldn't find his sister in the area. He stood up on his knees and his eyes then focused on the heap of rocks and snow. "Jenna!"

"Felix!"

A pair of arms wrapped around his neck and pulled his head against a warm chest before he could sink his fingers into the snow. Felix let out a relieved cry and hugged his sister back. They were safe now—all of them.

"Felix!" said Alex, pulling him and Jenna back as something under the snow began to glow. One second later, a pale hand with a fading flame burst out from the pile of snow.

"Menardi!" shouted Felix.

"What?" asked the northlander.

Felix turned around in confusion and found Menardi sitting against the mountain wall. Her robes were singed and stained with blood and she was mending her injuries with Psynergy.

Turning back to the snow-pile, he found that Jenna and Alex had dug the buried person out from the snow. Saturos had seen far better days. If he wasn't already dressed in rags before then he was now—most of his clothing had been burned away and he was covered in soot and snow.

"Hi," he said with an awkward smile and then involuntarily shivered, throwing his arms about himself. "Nice fire there, girl," he then said. "You got me good."

Jenna ignored the fact that the man she's immolated earlier was Saturos and instead questioned why the hell he was here in the first place.

"Didn't you say you'd join a group of performers?" she questioned.

"Performers?" said Menardi. "Seems like the moron joined up with the bandits!"

Saturos struggled to even stand on his knees. As Felix covered him with his cloak, the former mentor shuddered and then replied:

"Br-brigands and me? I was asked to help removing brigands from the road!"

"What brigands are you talking about?" said Menardi.

"The foreign bastards who stole an inn from some law-abiding townspeople!"

Menardi's mouth let out a breathy laugh as she closed her robes.

"Unbelievable," she said, picking up her glaive from the ground and standing up to look down at Saturos. "Kraden's retainers drove bandits off and you decided to help them reclaim their territory? How gullible are you?"

Saturos made a face as Alex began to rub a healing hand over his burns.

"I-I…" he began, but then closed his mouth and shook his head. He wrapped Felix's cloak about himself as soon Alex was done healing and then stood up, searching with his hand for support. "Have it in your way," he muttered, "goodbye."

"Wait! Where are you going?" asked Jenna, grabbing Saturos's arm.

"Away," drawled Saturos, yanking his arm back. "To pillage another village."

"The road is blocked! Why don't you just join back with us again?"

Felix blinked and stared at his sister. Did the sun just rise in the west? Out of all people, Jenna was the person who wanted Saturos back in the group?

"Why?" asked Menardi, raising her voice. "He can't even see!" She shook her head and sighed, placing her free hand on her forehead. "Merciful Contigo… Don't we have enough useless mouths to feed?"

"Who are you calling useless?" said Jenna.

"You and your useless friends!" retorted Menardi, bashing the shaft of her glaive against the ground and causing a melodic ring in the earth. "This alliance with Kraden was only meant for Felix and I, and I would've freed your brother once his part is done! But you had to tag along instead of talking some sense into your precious friends who might still be on our trails!"

Jenna opened and closed her mouth, but then turned her head away with directed her gaze look to the ground.

"Um, about your Isaac…" Alex mumbled, looking to Jenna.

"Alex," continued Menardi, "you pitiful fool, why are you here?"

"Wha—? I—"

"If you understood the severity of our mission, you'd have gone into hiding instead of needlessly bringing us the attentions of your persistent girl!"

Alex lowered his head to his shoulders and Felix put a comforting hand on his back.

"And you, Felix—"

"Hey!" said Jenna. "Are we going to listen to you insulting everyone in the world or find a place to rest? Most of our stuff was in the saddlebags and now we don't have any food because you dropped half of the mountain on the road!"

"You—"

"Menardi," said Kraden. "For once, I agree with Jenna. Alex's Water Psynergy is necessary for crossing the desert, and another Fire Adept could lessen your burden with controlling the heat."

"SEE?"

Author's note:

I didn't really want this extra chapter, but I felt I had to add it if only to illustrate the situation of what happened in Alpine Crossing since the next chapter brings us to Altin with Feizhi.