Chapter 3: Roadside Rescue
Mia awoke to the sight of another unfamiliar room, a common theme in her recent travels. A ray of golden sunlight peaked through the drapes near the windows, resting on her face, causing the cerulean haired girl to squint in its bright light.
It's early dawn, she surmised basing her assumption on the partial outline of the sun visible through the rest of the drapery. Turning over to avoid the light in her eyes, Mia made out the familiar shapes of Ivan and Garet still sleeping on their bedrolls nearby. A smile crept onto her face as she recognized her companions and she slowly raised her hands to wipe the sleep from her eyes.
Glancing down, Mia also noticed Isaac was mysteriously absent this morning, apparently already awake and active. That boy pushes himself too far sometimes, Mia thought with a hint of concern for her blonde friend. Sighing quietly, she lay back down on her side, looking over at Isaac's bedroll and speculating what could have him up so early in the morning after such a long trek through the mines the day before.
I doubt he's still worried about his leadership ability...He seemed a lot better yesterday and wasn't taking the earthquake incident too badly either… "I suppose he could just be making breakfast or something," Mia whispered out loud to herself, softly enough not to wake the sleeping adepts nearby.
At the word "breakfast" there was a rustling noise and Mia sat up quickly to determine the source, alert and ready for monsters or intruders as she would be if they were camping out on the side of the road. She relaxed her guard quickly soon after as Garet was facing the other direction, having rolled over in his sleep. Mia unconsciously shivered at the uncanny ability of Garet to react to the slightest thought or mention of food, even while unconscious.
The room Mia sat in was small, but not cramped, decorated simply, as she expected of the temple based on her experience with some of the buildings used by members of the Mercury clan back in Imil. When it comes down to it, this Lama Temple can be halfway across the continent but still feels familiar to me because of my heritage, she considered.
It was kind of them to lend a room and let us stay here for the night, Mia thought as she got up out of her bedroll, quietly making her way over to the door to leave, attempting to not wake the adepts still sleeping.
I might as well find Isaac and offer to help make breakfast, Mia decided, leaving her staff laying against the wall as she slid open the door to their room and stopped outside. The hallway looked much like the other rooms of the temple, simple and well kept. There was no creaking noise when Mia stepped out onto the hard wooden floor, a testament to the craftsmanship that went into the temple's construction.
Unsure of where to go, Mia picked the left path and started down the hallway, rounding the bend at the first corner and seeing an archway ahead leading to the main room of the temple. Stepping through the archway, Mia glanced around the room and her gaze stopped on the purple haired woman sitting in the middle of it with her eyes closed.
Recognizing her as Master Hama, the leader of the temple and the one who arranged for their overnight stay after arriving from the mines, Mia stopped, hesitant to enter and interrupt Hama's morning meditation. Mia stood there frozen in place for ten seconds, debating trying to sneak past quietly or going back the other direction, before Master Hama broke the silence.
"Mia right?" she asked, opening her eyes and looking over at the cerulean haired girl in the archway after sensing her presence. Hama smiled and beckoned Mia over. "No need to be shy, you aren't disturbing me in the least," she said to ease Mia's tension.
Like a bind spell being lifted, Mia moved again and walked over to where Hama was sitting. "Good morning Master Hama," Mia greeted the temple leader with a respectful bow.
Hama waved a quick hand. "No need for formal pleasantries with me," she said with an inviting smile. "Come. Sit and let me know what has you up at the crack of dawn as well," Hama said, indicating a cushion on the floor next to her.
Mia accepted the invitation and sat down on the cushion before speaking again. "We still must thank you for lending us a place to stay the night," she expressed, showing her gratitude to Master Hama for the assistance. "As you could probably tell, we could really use the rest."
A smile crept onto Master Hama's face at Mia's words. "Indeed, you did need the respite and it was easy to accommodate because I had the feeling we would soon be having guests, so don't worry about it."
Mia bowed her head again in appreciation. "Plus…" Master Hama started to say. "You four also offered assistance to Feizhi and I in looking for Hsu today as well... so housing you the night is the least we could do for you in return."
That's true, Mia thought back to their encounter with Feizhi and Hama upon walking up to the entrance of the Lama Temple.
"I know Feizhi acted quite frantic both times she ran into you, back in Xian as well as here," Hama stated, addressing the topic she assumed Mia would broach next. "She is usually more calm and reserved than this, so don't judge her too harshly for the emotional behavior."
Mia shook her head. "No, it's quite all right." she replied. "It is her friend she saw in danger right? 'Hsu' was his name?"
"Yes. Hsu is one of Feizhi's fellow students that often travels between here and Xian in his studies. They're been close friends for a long time after growing up together," Hama explained.
An image of Isaac and Garet standing next to the fiery girl Jenna from the Mercury Lighthouse popped into Mia's mind briefly before she shook her head to clear the thought of the three growing up with each other.
Hama sighed. "Feizhi has her heart in the right place, but sometimes rushes things like this. Hsu is a good student and he has often camped along the road on the way back to Xian. If the Silk Road is indeed blocked as you say, it's not unlikely that it would take him longer to find another path around the blockage. I wouldn't say I'm too worried about his safety just yet since Hsu knows what he's doing out there. It is likely just the blockage of the main road that Feizhi saw."
Mia nodded her understanding of the situation. "Even so...I understand how she must feel," Mia stated, earning a curious look from Hama. "If it were Isaac, Garet, or Ivan in trouble….or if I felt they were somehow in trouble...I would probably act the same way," she admitted.
Hama smiled again at the Mercury adept next to her. "You have a kind personality," she complimented Mia. "I can imagine that's part of why you're such a good fit for your traveling companions," Hama added.
Mia accepted her words with another nod of acknowledgement. "It turns out I fit in better than I expected at first," Mia joked with a smile, remembering their travels shortly after the Mercury Lighthouse.
Hama cracked a smile and a small laugh at Mia's words. "I think you fit in even better than you think," Hama added, cryptically avoiding any specifics.
It was Mia's turn to raise an eyebrow as she replied. "Oh? What is that supposed to mean…?"
Hama shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, it's just something that I believe based on what I can see," she explained.
"So….that means….?" Mia asked in reply. "Is there something you know about my future?"
Hama's face contorted into a slight frown. "It's hard to say...sometimes I see things about the future, not always clear, and not always right, but the general feelings about it are usually pretty accurate."
"So that means you do know about the future as well as the lives of the people around you?" Mia asked incredulously, trying to make herself believe that such a power could exist.
Hama's smiled completely disappeared and her thoughtful frown took over and she pondered her next words carefully.
"It's definitely possible...but it's often bits and pieces with no context. It's rare to ever get the full picture of the future...and everything needs to be put into context," the temple's master explained.
"Is it not a good thing to know the future?" Mia asked, sensing the change in mood.
Hama sat there for a few moments again before replying, trying to find the right words to explain her thoughts. "I find that destiny is generally unchangeable even for those of us that can sometimes glimpse it." Hama replied with a sad smile. "While the ability to see snapshots of the future can be a powerful tool, sometimes some things are better off remaining unknown." She paused for a moment again. "This power given by the elements can often bring pain to those with it depending on what we see…"
Mia sat in silence for a few seconds. "I guess I never considered it that way...but you're right."
Hama smiled again briefly. "Sometimes I'm glad that Jupiter adepts like Ivan don't all have this power, since it frees them of the burdens imposed by knowing too much, or knowing information they never wanted to know."
Hama glanced over at the Mercury Adept next to her. "Let me ask you a question Mia. If you could know how you die, would you want to know?"
Mia pondered the question as Hama watched her reaction. "I...I don't think I would," Mia finally replied.
Hama nodded. "I expected as much. There's a beauty to not knowing and living your life without that thought in your head. Some adepts with this power don't have that luxury though…I fear the day when Feizhi sees too much and pray that it just never happens to her."
That's...heavy, Mia thought, mulling over Master Hama's words. I can only imagine what that would do to you, knowing some specific day is coming that is your last…
Looking over at Hama's sad smile, Mia wondered just how much the purple haired adept had seen of the future. The way she speaks and her views on that power...she must have seen more than she wanted to. I wonder...has Hama seen her own death? Is that why her view of that power is so negatively skewed? Either that or maybe she knows something about a pupil and that's why she is afraid for Feizhi….
"You're wondering what makes me see these visions in a negative light aren't you?" Hama asked Mia, already knowing the answer. "I've seen my own death. Knowing about the lives of others can be a burden, but having your own end looming over your life is something not many people can handle and still stay sane. Some would spend their entire lives...waste everything around them and never be truly happy as they attempt to avoid a fate they cannot." Hama indicated the room around her and the temple as a whole with a wave of her arm. "Me…? I simply choose to accept and live my life in the best way I can."
Mia nodded to indicate that was what she was wondering, surprised at Hama's keen ability to pick up on her thoughts. It's almost like Ivan's mind reading…
Hama smiled and placed a hand on Mia's shoulder to indicate sincerity. "Don't worry, I'm not reading your mind Mia." She glanced away at one of the archways down the hall for a few seconds before continuing. "I don't need the ability to read minds in order to understand what people are thinking. You will find that Jupiter adepts are either quite empathetic or completely withdrawn depending on how they handle their powers. I like to consider myself the empathetic kind...similar to Feizhi and Ivan"
Hama let her explanation sink in before continuing. "Though not all Jupiter adepts have the ability to read minds like your friend Ivan, we are generally good at understanding thoughts and emotions of others better than most people and we all handle it in different ways."
Mia nodded in reply, accepting the answer to her unspoken question. Despite Ivan's carefree personality, he does often have a good grasp on the mood of the group and how we are all feeling. Despite everything Hama saying making sense, something still bugged Mia about the conversation. "You keep using Ivan as an example when speaking about your Jupiter powers and it seems like you know a lot about him already," Mia observed, voicing her thoughts.
Hama paused before her reply this time, clearly not having expected Mia's statement. "He is...a fellow Jupiter Adept," Hama said hesitantly. "Because of that kinship I know more about him than I would about a Mars adept or a Mercury adept such as yourself."
Mia noticed something seemed to be bothering Hama for a few seconds after her answer, however as quickly as she noticed it, Hama recomposed herself and gave the cerulean haired girl a smile. "Ah...but enough of this depressing talk about Jupiter powers," Hama said. "You came out here looking for someone else did you not?" she added with a knowing smile at Mia.
Mia smiled, flustered by the sudden change of topic, not denying that was the case but also not trying to be rude to the graciousness of her host. "Ah...I...you're not wrong," the cerulean haired girl stated politically. Understanding how that sounded, Mia quickly added to her reply. "That is...that's not to mean that I didn't want to talk to you of course," she said, increasingly embarrassed by how poorly the conversation was going.
Luckily, Hama knew what the girl was trying to say and found it amusing, laughing as Mia tried to compose herself again. Deciding to help her out, Hama stood up and turned to leave. "It was time for me to prepare for our trip today anyway," she stated simply, moving away from Mia and giving the Mercury adept a chance to continue on her mission to find Isaac.
Mia gave a bow of respect to Hama's retreating figure that was met with, "No need for such formality my dear," from the Jupiter adept.
She never even looked this way to know I bowed in the first place… Mia mused, almost frustrated over the awareness displayed by Hama and her ability to read people like a book. As the temple's master disappeared down one of the halls, her soft footsteps echoing away off the walls; Mia looked toward the entrance of the temple and decided that if anything, Isaac must have gone outside.
Leaving Hama behind for the time being, Mia opened the front door of the temple and stepped outside into the early dawn. Fresh, cool mountain air assaulted her senses as she paused in the entryway, just admiring the beauty around her. The deep green hills surrounding the temple rose sharply into the sky, ending in tapered peaks capped with brilliant white snow off in the distance.
The serenity of the place amazed Mia, making it easy to forget the dreary town of Altin only a day before. It really is the perfect place for a temple like this, Mia mused, taking in deep breaths of the pristine air, untainted by smoke or other contaminants from large towns or cities dotting the landscape.
Though the architectural style of the temple and its surrounding area was reminiscent of Xian, the surroundings differed slightly due to the inability of cherry trees to grow in the higher altitude. It was a simpler place, dotted with pine trees and plant life that could survive in the thinner air, though the landscape was still filled with color from the patches of wildflowers growing in the region.
Mia walked across the inlaid stones on the ground near the entrance and down the steps leading up to the temple, passing by some of the temple disciples going about their morning routine. With a quick nod of acknowledgement to the temple's residents, Mia began to scan her surroundings for any sign of Isaac, bringing her hand up to her eyes to shade them from the piercing gaze of the rising sun as it glared through the cracks between distant mountain peaks.
The path away from the temple winded downward, further into the hidden valley headed in the direction Mia and her friends would need to go after finishing up their business with Hama and Feizhi by providing assistance looking for the boy named Hsu.
Mia smiled to herself at the thought. She was glad to know that despite everything going on around them and the importance of their quest, Isaac always found time to help those in need. It was a quality that not many people possessed and Mia knew it was something that made following the blonde boy on their quest feel like the natural thing to do, both for herself and Ivan and Garet.
Smiling at the thought, Mia remembered when she first saw that quality on full display shortly after joining the three boys and leaving Imil to head for the town of Kiloma. The holy tree of the nearby forest had cursed the people in the region, somehow turning them into trees and although they were able to break the curse by curing the dying tree with pure water from the fully lit Mercury Lighthouse, it was the river crossing incident where Mia first knew she would fit in with the group of boys.
One of the people who was turned into a tree had been knocked over and was dangerously close to being swept away by the swift currents. Isaac couldn't just leave them trapped helplessly that way and enlisted the rest of the group to assist in moving the boxes from the Bilibin barricade (originally set up to prevent the spread of the curse past the town of Kiloma) and hold them in place so Isaac could jump across the river and using his psynergy to pull the tree to shore safely.
Risking his own life for a total stranger without hesitation came naturally to Isaac, a trait that Mia both admired and feared. It might be the death of him some day, she thought, shaking her head slightly in amusement, knowing that Isaac would be Isaac. They had found out later when staying in the reopened town of Kiloma that the people they helped had been frozen in place as trees from the curse and were blocking the path with Saturos and Menardi made their way through in a rush to the next lighthouse after the "tree" Isaac saved stopped by town to thank them for their help.
Apparently Saturous' group had pushed them out of the way with no regard for their safety in order to unblock the path and proceed forward on their quest, and even now Mia could feel the anger rise inside her at Alex's involvement with them and his callous disregard for others, standing by and watching it happen without any intervention.
Yanking her mind back to the present, Mia allowed her fury to dissipate as she reminded herself that the new Alex was no longer the one she once knew from the Mercury Clan and tried to disassociate herself from her emotions at his betrayal. While not entirely successful, she did manage to maintain her calm and collected demeanor as disappointment remained buried in her heart.
Pushing that disappointment away was always a struggle for Mia, but she distracted herself from it by once again paying attention to her surroundings as she looked for Isaac. He would not have wandered far, Mia knew, understanding his tendency to wander off short distances from camp so as not to disturb the others when practicing his psynergy or swordsmanship. It wouldn't be the first time she ran into him training at the crack of dawn.
Instead of training as she was expecting, Mia's eyes met a different sight when she finally located the blonde boy sitting atop one of the many grassy hills dotting the landscape. A light breeze caused cerulean locks to fall in her face, causing Mia to brush them aside as she took in the scene before her. Isaac was sitting and staring off into the distance at slightly more than a ninety degree angle from Mia, the grasses nearby waving gently in the wind.
Next to him was the violet haired girl Feizhi, standing tall at the top of the hill overlooking the winding road down the the valley below. She turned her head sideways and down to look at Isaac as Mia watched her mouth a few words and point off in the distance to which Isaac replied and leaned backward with the support of his arms. Mia felt a pang of unease run through her, disappearing as quickly as it came, but shaking her slightly all the same as she looked on at the picture perfect scene in front of her.
Jealousy...? Mia wondered if she diagnosed the sudden feeling correctly, thinking back to Hama and her explanation about the empathetic nature of Jupiter adepts making it easier for them to read emotion. Ivan would probably know better than I would, she thought dismissing the strange event quickly in favor of uncertainty about what she should do for the second time that morning. I doubt there's any need for that to be a private conversation...but I don't really want to interrupt them either.
As Mia waited in limbo attempting to come to a decision on what to do, the choice was made easy for her when she felt a gentle slap of a hand on her back as Garet passed by from behind, silently encouraging her to follow him while simultaneously saying good morning in a wordless fashion. "No need to be shy," the Mars adept said with an amused smile as he moved past her and started climbing up the small hill.
"But...Garet...I-" Mia tried to articulate her thought process surprised by the redhead boy's sudden arrival and boldness.
Isaac must have noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye, because he turned and stood up to face the newcomer as Feizhi took note of his arrival as well. "Hey Garet!" Isaac called out to the approaching adept even as his gaze moved past his bulky friend and settled on the Mercury adept behind Garet.
A smile graced Isaac's features as he noticed Mia's presence and Mia could feel his gaze linger on her as he waved, deciding she was too far to really hear his words. Mia's embarrassment kicked up again at the unexpected situation, but she returned the smile and followed Garet's path up the hill until she reached where both boys and Feizhi were standing waiting for her.
Feizhi greeted both of them verbally as well with a semi-formal bow, somewhat unsure if she should be casual around the group or not, which Mia and Garet replied to in kind. "Morning Garet," Isaac said nonchalantly, attempting to establish a casual mood among the four adepts to make Feizhi more comfortable in their presence. "I see you brought Mia along with you this morning too," he added with another smile in the cerulean haired girl's direction.
Garet laughed at the joke and put a hand on Mia's shoulder as she stood next to him. "Indeed I did," the Mars adept said, playing along with his friend. For Mia it was the perfect cover and she laughed along with the other two in an attempt to hide her moment of indecision from the pair that didn't already know.
Garet removed his hand and gave Mia a wink out of the corner of his eye as if to say I have your back. Mia just shook her head with mock disappointment at Garet and looked away as the Mars adept dropped his hand.
There was a hint of a smile on Feizhi's face as she watched the exchange between the friends, enjoying the casual nature of their interaction. Isaac drew her into the conversation as well by explaining what the two had been talking about previously. "Feizhi was just telling me about our path ahead," Isaac said, indicating the road heading into the valley and across the the other side.
Mia looked out at the winding road with Garet, following the path to the south with her eyes as it disappeared into the distance down in the valley. "If you go far enough on that trail it links up with Lamakan Desert," Feizhi said helpfully. "Unfortunately...that desert is really not a place you want to be right now. It was known before as a hot and dry desert but ever since the psynergy stones began to appear that place has become unbearable...evil…"
Garet eyed her with a skeptical look at first, not entirely trusting the superstitious explanation, but his expression hardened as he considered what they've already been through.
Mia's mind was in the same place, checking off all the unnatural occurrences since the elemental stars had been taken from Mt. Alph back by Isaac's homeland. A cursed forest and town, an evil forest with mutated wildlife, a mine where the dead rise to attack the living… It was certainly already a crazy world they lived in these days.
"Great. An evil desert...just what I always wanted," Garet complained, slowly scratching his head with his hand as he sighed with exasperation.
"Apparently nobody has found a way to successfully cross it since that day," Isaac added, finishing the story for the two newcomers.
"I'm assuming our route forward is directly through that desert isn't it?" Mia asked, knowing full well what the answer would be since they were even discussing it in the first place. Isaac nodded to confirm her fears and she couldn't help but to marvel at their bad luck.
"Another first for us then I guess," Garet stated humorlessly. "Someone should really start keeping track of the records we're setting on this journey you know."
Isaac gave a half smile at his friend's determination to complete the quest and the assumption that they'd find a way through somehow.
"Well there is some good news in regards to that," Feizhi said, glancing over at the rising sun to determine the time as she spoke. "Master Hama has theorized a way to make it through, but we haven't had any way to really test it yet due to the inherent dangers of the desert coupled with the heat."
Isaac already heard the theory so he watched the reactions of Mia and Garet as they perked up at the idea of a chance to make it through.
Feizhi seemed somewhat flustered at the sudden extra attention and glanced over at Isaac for reassurance, composing herself as the blonde boy gave her a nod of encouragement.
"Well...Master Hama can explain it better… but basically the main reason the desert is impassible is the heat right now. Keeping cool is the only way to make it through and there are oases in the desert that can help you do that...however it's almost impossible to find them so the real trick is finding an oasis when you need it." Feizhi paused and noticed she still held the attention of the two adepts who were carefully considering her words as she spoke.
"Master Hama knows another Jupiter ability that she's been trying to teach me that's designed to help find hidden things. She believes that spell is the trick to telling the difference between a mirage and an oasis in order to cross the desert and she mentioned that your friend Ivan might be able to learn it." Feizhi shifted nervously before speaking again. "I'm not too good at it myself, but Master Hama believes in Ivan's ability for some reason and thinks he might have better luck with it...I think she was planning to discuss it with him during our trip to search for Hsu today…"
Mia looked thoughtful as she mulled over the Jupiter adept's words. More references of Mater Hama's confidence in Ivan's ability...there has to be something more to it...either a premonition...or something she knows that we don't… Mia noticed, filing the observation away in the back of her mind for another time.
Re-focusing on the actual discussion at hand, Mia picked through the theory Feizhi presented. Garet seemed to be in heavy thought as well, considering the feasibility of the plan assuming Ivan would be able to learn how to use the reveal ability.
"The logic is all sound assuming the ability will work to determine mirage from reality," Mia stated, looking over at Isaac who nodded to indicate he had reached the same conclusion.
Garet considered it a bit longer, a serious look on his face as he looked to each adept in turn before resting his gaze on Feizhi. "You say this is something you think will work in theory, but that you haven't actually tested it…" Garet addressed. He glanced out toward the entrance to the desert on the other side of the valley as if he could inspect what was out there. "What are the dangers you spoke of that prevented you from testing it?" Garet asked the Jupiter adept.
Feizhi frowned at the question, knowing the answer was unlikely to please the redhead. "There are tribes of orcs and rat men that call that inhospitable place home and have become more aggressive since the psynergy rain," she explained, once again referring to the event triggered by the removal of the elemental stars from their sacred resting place.
She shrugged helplessly. "There are other monsters living in that area as well that have always been a hazard for caravans passing through. It's seems they've only become worse as of late as well. We aren't warriors such as yourselves so it would not be wise of us to venture into that desert in its present state to test the idea."
Garet seemed satisfied by the answer, though the mention of more monsters to fight did not make any of the three adepts particularly thrilled about the prospect of crossing the desert.
This one single event has had such a huge impact across all of Weyard… Mia thought, once again hearing about changes to the environment since the Sol Sanctum event. The elements are out of balance and all these changes happened because the elemental stars were stolen...that's it…
I would hate to know how devastating the changes to the world would be if the lighthouses were actually all lit… Mia shuddered at the notion.
"We live in dangerous times," Isaac commented echoing the thoughts of everyone standing in silence on the hill.
Nobody spoke as they left each other to their own thoughts on the matter, the sun fully visible above the mountain line in the distance indicating how much time had passed while the group had been discussing the desert.
The danger comment seemed to remind Feizhi of her friend Hsu and she dropped the more polite and dignified manner she had been conducting herself in as she focused solely in on that point. "Hama should be ready to go by now…" the violet haired girl stated impatiently, displaying signs of unease despite Hama's attempts to calm the girl the night before.
It struck Mia that this was the first time she had seen Feizhi relatively calm since meeting her back in the town of Xian before their journey to Altin. She was so frantic before and we only met her fleetingly up until now...she's like a whole different person after Hama calmed her down.
It was still quite evident that the girl was antsy about Hsu and Mia wasn't the only one who picked up on it. "Perhaps we should go find Ivan and Master Hama?" Isaac suggested helpfully, implying they should get on the road as planned to backtrack where the boulders blocked the road to begin looking for the missing boy.
Feizhi nodded, once again looking toward the sun with an expression of worry, thinking about how her friend could still be out there needing help. She sighed and glanced back toward the other three adepts standing with her. "I know I worry too much sometimes and that Master Hama is right about Hsu being safe...I just can't shake this feeling that he needs help though…"
Isaac placed a comforting hand on Feizhi's shoulder. "Not to worry," the blond boy said. "We will find your friend and make sure he's safe," Isaac promised with a nod toward the temple.
Taking that as the cue to head back, Mia and Garet turned and headed back the way they came earlier to grab Ivan and Hama.
…..
As it turned out, Ivan and Hama had spent the morning on learning the power to reveal using psynergy while the other adepts had been outside for the sunrise.
"Remember...it's not a power to show you things that are hidden, but rather the ability to see things as they actually are," Mia heard Hama lecturing Ivan about the uses of his newfound power as the group hiked slowly along the dusty mountain roads towards the blocked off mountain pass.
It was among the boulders and landslide that Hama suspected they would find Hsu if the boy needed their help, but her Jupiter powers could tell he was safe from actual harm for the time being. That knowledge seemed to ease Feizhi's state of mind, her concern for Hsu a fleeting memory of a time she was less certain about his fate. The violet haired girl now walked alongside Isaac and Garet, making small talk with the two boys as they moved forward, struggling slightly to keep up with their longer strides as they walked
Occasional bursts of psynergy passed by Mia's senses as Ivan continued to practice using Reveal under Hama's watchful eye. The undertones of Jupiter energy were there but the spell itself had very little in the way of visual indicators to tell that the psynergy was cast. Jupiter abilities seem more...subtle than the other elements, Mia thought as she kept an eye on Ivan's attempts.
The terrain around them became more rocky with each passing step, feeling like the group was headed back to the mines from the day before. An unconscious shiver ran through Mia as she remembered their unholy depths with reanimated miners doomed to spend eternity wandering the underground passages, a soulless shell of their former selves.
This world has seen a lot of suffering recently, Mia mused, thinking back to the other events of their journey so far, yet still feeling the inexorable pull of the evil desert that still lay ahead. What would it be like to traverse through such a place? The Mogall forest...it felt...wrong. It was off putting somehow… She was unable to find the proper words to express herself. This desert could be the same way. Somehow, something will make the place feel different than it should. What did all these places feel like before the elements were thrown into disarray? Mia found herself wondering.
The gentle weight of a hand on her shoulder stopped the dark line of thinking the Mercury adept was heading down. Startled and surprised after forgetting her surroundings, Mia glanced over to see the concerned face of Isaac looking at her, reading her expression.
Of course Isaac picked up on it, Mia withheld a sigh, knowing that the blond boy shared her misgivings about the events as of late. Aware of her surroundings once more, she gave Isaac a wordless half smile to indicate she was only lost in thought and that nothing was wrong. The boy accepted her reply and silently dropped his hand from her shoulder as the pair walked together quietly.
Looking down at the ground to hide a genuine smile, Mia thought about the wordless communication and how Isaac always seemed to know what she meant despite the nonverbal nature of their communication. Perhaps that ability isn't only limited to Jupiter adepts after all… Mia thought, in much better spirits with her mind off of the seemingly decaying state of Weyard.
Feeling a gaze, she glanced up and accidentally caught the eye of Feizhi who was still walking alongside Garet as the fire adept spoke to her. The worried look on her face surprised Mia before Feizhi turned away to hide her expression as well. Was that...a hint of jealousy? Mia found herself wondering, trying to place the glint in Feizhi's eye as the girl turned away.
Nobody else seemed to notice the action and Mia found herself wondering if she imagined it in the first place. Isaac tossed another look over at Mia as if sensing the struggle to comprehend in her mind and something clicked. Isaac's attention is focused on me now… Mia realized, a thought dawning on her that seemed crazy, but just realistic enough not to dismiss outright. It would explain why Feizhi seems...disinterested by Garet's conversation, Mia thought as she observed the violet haired addition to their group, slowly building credibility for her theory.
Feihzi was staring straight ahead, determinedly refusing to glance back over at either Isaac or Mia as she walked, instead putting one foot in front of the other as Garet's words rolled past her ear, not holding her attention.
"Feizhi?" Garet asked finally after a moment of silence was the only reply to a question hanging in the air.
The Jupiter adept was startled by her own name and broke from her thoughts as she located the redhead boy next to her with her eyes. "Sorry...yes?" She asked, inquiring what she had missed in her trance.
"Are you all right?" Garet asked cautiously, abandoning his previous question in favor of checking up on the girl.
"I'm sorry for worrying you," Feizhi replied, giving a smile as she opted to lie about he thoughts. "I was just worried about Hsu and was distracted…"
She developed feelings for him, Mia thought simply, feeling the deceit from Feizhi's words distracting Garet from her true thoughts about the blonde haired Venus adept. Mia had of course heard the phrase "Love at first sight" before, but it was almost an incredulous thing to think that Feizhi could have actually fallen for Isaac in such a short time.
Mia's heart rate increased slightly at the thought and a wave of unease and mistrust swept through her as she once again looked over at the violet haired girl, who was avoiding her gaze. Mia's confusion at her own reaction enveloped her thoughts like a storm, smothering out any consideration for her surroundings. The image of Feizhi and Isaac appeared in the dark recesses of her mind and though she was able to push it away, Mia couldn't help but dwell on the answer to her real question: Why is that thought so unsettling to me?
It was not yet destined for her to find out since the group finally reached the boulders blocking the silk road through the mountain pass that had forced Mia and her friends to detour through Altin's mines. If not for the clearly blocked road, the imposing rocks would have looked like they had been in place for centuries, untouched and immovable.
"We're here," Hama said from the back of the group as they approached the rock formations cautiously.
Ivan had stopped practicing his use of reveal and walked up to one one of the massive boulders blocking the way. Running his hand along the rough exterior of the rock, he walked slowly around it, careful not to disturb its resting place despite the mass being too great to displace by hand. "I don't think Lift is going to work here," he commented humorlessly.
Feizhi looked over at Hama, all troubles with Isaac and Mia forgotten for the moment as she refocused on the boy they had come to help. "I feel like Hsu is nearby…" the student told the master, waiting for her confirmation. Hama closed her eyes and stood silently for a moment before confirming she felt the boy's presence nearby.
Wasting no time, Feizhi ran up to the rocks and began trying to peer through cracks to see if there was any way through. "Hsu?!" She called out loudly, echoing off sheer cliff edges next to them on either side where the boulders piled up.
"Hsu?!" She called out again, trying to find some vantage point from where to peer into the rocks. Mia heard movement from beyond the boulders blocking their path, a faint shifting noise and then a voice called out back to them. "Feizhi?" The voice asked surprised, recognizing the tone of the violet haired girl. "Feizhi...is that you?" The voice called out again right after.
"Hsu! Yes it is me, Feizhi," she called back in reply. "What happened? Are you hurt?" the girl asked quickly, visible relief on her face knowing for sure that Hsu was here and able to speak.
Master Hama also stepped forward and raised her voice. "Hsu...are you all right in there?" she asked.
"Master…" Mia heard Hsu reply as he recognized Hama's voice. "Yes I am all right...just somewhat...stuck," the boy answered their questions. Hama seemed content to let the boy explain of his own volition and Feizhi stayed quiet as well, following her master's lead.
"I ah...might have tried to take a shortcut through the blockage instead of going around and trapped myself in here," the boy added sheepishly. "I set up camp for the night and was going to try to find a way out today."
Hama shook her head silently and let Feizhi do the talking for her. "We'll get you out!" Feizhi proclaimed, having no basis on which to deliver her promise. "This was dangerous though! You definitely should have gone around the safe way instead of trying to get through this mess...what if we didn't know to come find you?" she asked.
"Sorry Feizhi...Sorry Master," Hsu said, apologizing for his carelessness. "I would have definitely found some way out...probably. I appreciate you coming to help though," he added, relief just as palpable in his voice as it was in Feizhi's previously.
Hama inspected the mounds of cracked rock, pressed tightly again each other, marveling at how perfectly the dislodged boulders managed to seal the pass. "We brought some travelers that stopped by the visit the temple to help us get you out as well," Hama explained to Hsu, revealing the presence of Mia and the other adepts.
Mia joined in the hunt with her companions as well, scouring the surrounding rocks for any way to access the area Hsu had somehow made it to. Garet jumped up onto a rock and used his hands to find a groove he could hold onto in order to attempt to climb over the massive pile.
That idiot is going to hurt himself Mia mused, catching the brash action out of the corner of her eye. Impulsiveness showing through, Garet struggled to find purchase for his hand farther up the rock to continue climbing. Walking over to him, Mia reached out her hand and grabbed Garet's shirt, pulling gently with just enough force to get him to let go of the rock and hop back down to the ground safely.
"You're going to injure yourself like that," Mia lectured, preempting Garet's response to her actions. "That's how Hsu got stuck in there in the first place."
Garet shrugged sheepishly, but didn't try to make any rationalization for his behavior. "Where should we be looking?" he asked the group as a whole.
Nobody immediately answered as they were all investigating their own ideas on how to get to the trapped boy. Isaac was walking along the edges of the sheer cliff walls where the rubble met the wall, looking for any indication of a passage that might only be lightly block by cracked and broken rocks and could possibly be cleared out.
Ivan paced slowly back and forth, considering the situation and trying to determine a solution to the predicament. He was normally good at these kinds of puzzles and working out an answer on how to proceed past them, especially after the Mercury lighthouse threw so many thier way.
The problem was that he had no way of knowing if there even was a solution to this one, since it was an occurrence out in the world and not designed as a test inside an elemental lighthouse. The younger boy's gaze was drawn to Isaac inspecting the rubble near the cliff edge and he noticed small crevices in the walls, cracked where the boulders had fallen and shattered the rock on the sides.
The darkened indentations proved to only be a few inches to a few feet deep in most cases upon further inspection of the large cracks in the stone. It appeared they would not be able to make it past any of the boulders by utilizing the cracks in the wall to slip by.
Mia glanced around at her allies, and noticed Ivan inspecting the cracks in the walls before giving up and looking at his surroundings again. She wasn't having any more luck than the younger blonde boy, or anyone for that matter, and their ideas on how to get to Hsu were running out.
Ivan closed his eyes and Mia felt the familiar wave of psynergy emanate from him as he called upon his Jupiter powers. The power of 'reveal' again… Mia recognized the spell Ivan was practicing on the trip up to the boulders with Master Hama. Despite the closed eyes, Ivan seemed to scan the area intently, a strange sight for anyone that didn't understand the way his psynergy worked.
"Here," Ivan called out, catching the attention of everyone else with the single, soft spoken word. Ivan's eyes opened and everyone followed them to the side of the wall near where Hsu was trapped, trying to see what only Ivan did.
Catching on, Hama also used reveal to inspect the area Ivan was walking towards as the other adepts looked on. "It seems you've passed the practical test," she joked with the younger Jupiter adept, a smile on her face knowing that they were another step closer to rescuing her student.
As Ivan reached the side and manually inspected the rocks blocking what he had seen, Ivan explained. "It seems there's a crevice here behind some of this rubble that runs horizontally over to where Hsu is trapped. We should be able to use that to get through to him."
Eager to get Hsu out, Feizhi pushed on the rocks blocking the way into the crevice, attempting to move them manually with no success. "These rocks might still be an issue," she said, clearly trying to find some way past them to no avail.
Ivan held his arm out to stop her and make Feizhi back off of the small boulder in their path saying, "Don't worry, this is where Isaac comes in."
Mia could feel a small grin creeping onto her face as she looked over to Isaac, knowing what Ivan had in mind. Isaac apparently did too because he walked over near the boulder and called upon his psynergy to lift the main obstacle out of the way, slowly raising it above their heads so Ivan could clear out the remaining debris blocking the crevice.
Feizhi watched the rock float above them as she waited for Ivan to finish clearing the entrance. "Thank you Isaac! Thank you Ivan!" she cried out, energetically giving Isaac a quick hug for their successful help and catching the blonde boy off guard.
The stone Isaac was lifting wobbled in the air as Isaac's concentration faltered with the violet haired girl throwing herself at him. Mia's shock was not enough for her to ignore the dangerous situation and she yelled, "Watch out!" prompting Ivan to jump back and Feizhi to disengage herself from Isaac.
Steadying the rock, an embarrassed Isaac glanced quickly in Mia's direction at the outburst before addressing Feizhi. "I...need to concentrate on my psynergy," Isaac gave as an awkward excuse, trying not to think about the Jupiter adept's sudden embrace.
To her credit, Feizhi looked somewhat mortified at her impulsive act, face flushing deep scarlet as she avoided eye contact with everyone while under a withering stare from her master. "I...I'm sorry…" she stuttered, attempting to apologize with a quick bow to Isaac, reverting to her formal nature as best she could.
Ivan shook off the awkward aftermath of the moment and distracted himself by going back to clearing the rest of the rock, joined by Garet who had a shocked expression on his face. Mia stood there just staring at Isaac's stoic expression as the blonde boy tried to hide his reaction, staring more intently than normal on the object of his psynergy.
Ivan cleared the way and squeezed through the crevice and around the remaining debris to reach the other side. Glad for a distraction from the previous events, Feizhi followed quickly after him to go to Hsu and escape the growing awkwardness on the near side of the boulders.
Mia could hear Ivan and Feizhi's voices carry from beyond the wall of rock as they reached Hsu on the other side. As the three scrambled back through and got safely to the other side, Hsu raised his eyebrow at the floating rock before Isaac lowered it gently to the ground again.
Introductions were made as Hsu met the group of adepts that had come to help Feizhi and Hama get him out of the rockslide area, however Mia found her mind elsewhere as she observed the now awkward behavior between Feizhi and Isaac. The Jupiter adept used Hsu's rescue as an excuse to stay closer to him and at the same time distance herself from Isaac while still throwing quick glances the blond boy's way when she thought nobody was looking.
Isaac seemed to be struggling to interpret Feizhi's actions, though the rest of the group was certain to notice the obvious infatuation she had with him. The wind lightly blew through Mia's hair and she used her hand to brush it out of her eyes as she noticed Isaac slowing his pace and falling back in the group to match his step to hers.
"Hey Mia," he greeted simply, acting more awkwardly than normal, obviously not sure how to handle his current situation. Mia smiled at the fact Isaac had come to walk with her, but took a quick glance over at Feizhi. The Jupiter adept was distracted by Master Hama and Hsu and had not yet noticed Isaac's movement.
"Hey Isaac…" Mia replied back in way of a greeting. Questions were running through Mia's head, but she knew the blonde boy wasn't going to have all the answers. What was that all about? Why did Feizhi…? Shaking her head, she settled on a much simpler question. "Are you all right?" Mia asked, not referring directly to the random hug from Feizhi, but giving Isaac a way to talk about it if he chose to do so.
Isaac gave her a genuine smile, not filled with the embarrassment and awkwardness of the previous moments. "I'm fine," Isaac replied sincerely. "It's just been an interesting day with a few surprises."
Mia knew exactly what the blonde boy was getting at with that statement and said, "The hug…" in an absentminded voice, trailing off slowly. She let out a small gasp and put her hand over her mouth as she shut it, realizing she had accidentally spoken out loud. Oh no! I didn't mean to bring it up but I didn't think before speaking…
Isaac scratched the tip of his nose as he looked away for a few seconds in embarrassment, his face turning pink at the mention of the moment between himself and Feizhi.
Mia wanted to kick herself for bringing it up, but it seemed Isaac didn't mind talking about it because he spoke up shortly. "Yeah...that was...somewhat awkward I guess," Isaac understated, in an attempt to brush it off as less than it turned out to be.
"Yes...I suppose it was a bit...random," Mia replied, trying to find words that matched his and downplay the importance of the hug in her mind.
Isaac looked nervous again, but said, "It's just that I...don't really know her...you know? If it was someone I knew better it would have been less awkward...probably." He laughed. "Jenna always used to hug us all the time and that never really bothered me because I knew her so well...If it was someone I knew better like Jenna or you…" Isaac trailed off, realizing he might have just said something else to make the conversation more embarrassing than it already was.
Mia noticed Isaac's face flush a darker red at his own words, but was too busy hearing the words 'Like You' echoing in her head to make much of it. Her cheeks gained a tinge of pink and she swallowed nervously. "I could see why it would be less awkward that way," Mia replied, her voice wavering slightly as she put all her effort into not reacting in a way that would making things weirder than they already were.
Isaac was flustered trying to clear things up, wishing he could take back the comment. "I didn't...What I mean to say was-"
Mia cut him off quickly to save herself from hearing Isaac's excuse. "Don't worry I understand," she said mustering up a smile at the embarrassed blonde boy. "You just wanted to say that you haven't known her for more than a couple of days...I know that was your point."
Isaac sighed, calming down a bit after Mia demonstrated her understanding of what he was trying to get across with his words. After all it's not like Isaac wanted me to jump into his arms and randomly hug him like that… Mia thought as the image of Feizhi embracing Isaac once again popped into her mind.
There it is again, Mia thought as she walked in silence side by side with Isaac on the road back to the temple. The idea of Feizhi hugging Isaac somehow irked Mia and she was getting frustrated at her inability to comprehend why. The feeling was similar to the one she had the same morning when seeing Isaac talking to Feizhi on the hill at the crack of dawn.
Why do these thoughts bother me? She asked herself inquisitively, having no idea how to handle feelings she had never really felt before. None of this really makes sense! Mia's thoughts cried out as she kicked a pebble on the path in front of her, watching it skip off the side of the road and disappear into the surrounding brush.
Mia wished her thoughts on the matter and the image of the hug could just disappear like the pebble, but she could tell very clearly they were not going to go away so easily. It's silly that such a minor thing has any affect on my mood at all... she thought, berating herself for how her thoughts were stuck on what happened.
Mia drew in a long breath of the fresh mountain air to help calm herself down, at least for the time being on the way back to the temple. Though her frustrations subsided temporarily, the image of the two adepts in an embrace continued to plague her mind on the return trip no matter how much she tried to ignore it and instead think about the upcoming crossing of the Lamakan Desert.
AN: I did end up deviating slightly from the way the games portray some events specifically in regards to how Hsu was trapped and the seriousness of it, however it wouldn't have made sense to follow the game here and have the adepts/Hama/Feizhi unconcerned about Hsu if Feizhi did indeed see him trapped under a boulder unable to move all night. I'll try to keep deviations to a minimum throughout the story, however I will break some parts of the game if it is needed for the story's progression/realism.
As always, I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think =)