Chapter 4: A Desolate Crossing
The heat hit Mia in palpable waves, an assault that stopped just short of burning her skin as she slowly shuffled through the thick desert sands with Isaac, Ivan, and Garet. I understand now why Feizhi called this place evil, Mia thought, keeping her breaths as shallow as they could be. It's like the opposite of some of the worst winters ever in Imil. There you would limit breathing to only what was necessary to avoid freezing your lungs… Mia took in another short breath and expelled the air quickly again as her chest burned. Here the air is so hot that we have to do the same thing in order to avoid the intense heat. My lungs are on fire, my lips are on fire, my mouth is on fire…
The group of adepts kept their talking to a minimum in order to avoid any more unnecessary exposure to the heat as they trudged along in search of an oasis or cave system in which to cool down. Though the landscape was dotted with pools of water, Mia could see why the power of Reveal was invaluable in finding them. The shimmering reflection of the extreme heat on the distant sand looked like water and was easy to mistake for an oasis among the arid environment.
The air here was still and unmoving, providing no perception of relief from the insane temperatures. Mia could feel the harsh grains of sand piercing through extra protective layers of cloth around her feet and roasting them with blisters, almost wishing they had attempted to cross the desert at night when it would be slightly cooler.
The problem with that idea was the monsters. In the daytime most of the denizens of the desert were hidden in cooler places out of the way of the heat, and would come out at night to feed and live. While the desert would certainly be easier to cross at night when the heat was somewhat lessened, the adepts would not have any ability to see effectively enough to fight monsters at the same time while navigating and successfully traversing the Lamakan Desert. Doing so was basically a death sentence, though crossing in the daytime wasn't turning out to be much better.
After being in the desert for more than 10 minutes, Mia had no idea how any living thing could willingly call this place home. It was easy for anyone to start feeling delirious walking through the forsaken place and dehydration was a very real fear as sweat evaporated right off the bodies of the traveling adepts. No wonder the silk trade has completely collapsed, Mia thought. There's no way any trade caravan could ever get through here in the state of the desert now…
Mia was glad that the monster encounters so far had been few and far between. Isaac had already learned the hard way about attempting to use his sword in the intense heat and had burned his hand rather badly when touching the metal part of the hilt in their first encounter. Mia had healed it up for him, but there was no relief from the superheated air and she could tell it was painful for the blonde boy.
Isaac clenched his burned hand together in an attempt to make a fist, and grimaced at the pain as he continued to walk forward with the rest of the group. Mia just wished there was something more she could do for him, but knew her healing magic would be ineffective at healing the burn any further, especially given the insane surrounding temperature.
Despite the agonizing pain, Isaac continued to flex his hand, knowing that the range of motion and ability to use his sword arm effectively could still be a matter of life and death in the hostile desert. Mia's mind turned to her skills in healing and herbalism from back in Imil, welcoming the distraction as she considered how best to heal Isaac's hand. Psynergy could work wonders, but it also had limitations on what even it could accomplish.
If I was able to combine an herb with sap of the Mercida tree that would certainly help… Mia considered, thinking back to her days learning about local plant life and the properties of flora and fauna growing in the region with medicinal uses. I know I don't have any though… Mia knew, never even considering the possibility that Mercida sap would be necessary for her journey. It didn't help that the tree was as rare as trees come and that Mercida sap was one of the best kept secrets of the Mercury Clan due to the impressive restorative effects attracting the attention of greed hungry merchants who would seek to profit from it.
Too bad we don't have more of the water from the Mercury Lighthouse… Mia mused, remembering how easily a single large flask of it was able to heal an entire forest by returning the Holy Tree to health. She was certain that the water, now flowing freely from the lighthouse, would have an effect on the singed flesh and mend it back as if nothing ever happened. The water is so potent...and it was able to heal those who were sick back home as well, Mia continued thinking, straying from her original idea on how to relieve Isaac's pain.
Something clicked in Mia's mind and she almost stumbled in her surprise, catching her balance and preventing herself from falling at the last moment. Thankfully, the others were too engrossed in their own ways to ignore the heat that they didn't notice her near mishap.
Mia's shocked mind returned to the revelation she created. What if...the reason Mercida trees had healing properties was due to their proximity to the Mercury Lighthouse and the waters that had been locked away for ages?
The theory was bold and Mia knew it. She probably wouldn't have even believed it herself had she not seen the restorative powers of the Water of Hermes firsthand. After all, Mercida trees are so rare because they only grow next to the lighthouse… Mia thought, putting the pieces of the puzzle in place. It made sense to Mia based on her knowledge of plant life and the idea that the trees could have been feeding off the dormant Water of Hermes and providing its power to the village in a diluted form. Despite the plausibility of the idea, she still couldn't help it as a seed of doubt entered her mind.
Why would lighting the lighthouse give us better access to healing waters though? Mia wondered, not for the first time questioning the idea of a benefit as consequence for the disaster of the beacon being lit. That line of thinking inevitably leads down a dark path, the Mercury adept knew. That path would throw all her teachings on the elemental lighthouse and the reason for their entire quest into jeopardy and so she abandoned the thought as she had before, refocusing her mind on the task at hand.
If I don't have access to the Mercida trees, then what could I use as a replacement…? Though her studies on medicine encompassed treatments found in other parts of Weyard, Mia had mainly focused on local remedies that were readily available for practical reasons. After all, she hadn't been planning on a trip that would potentially span continents. The relentless heat clouded her memory as she attempted to recall what she had learned of arid environments and the vast differences between them and her seaside home.
Mia knew what she was looking for, but could not quite recall the name of it. The image of a root appeared in her mind and she wondered if it was even possible for the plant to grow in a desert like this that snuffs out all life. Casius root…. That was the name that finally came to Mia's mind. It would be nowhere near as effective as the Mercida sap, but it would work well with the herbs Mia had on hand to soothe burns.
Mia resolved to keep an eye out for the small thorny plant the roots came from as they continued through the desert, pleased by the fact that even though she was so far from home, she could still rely on her expertise in herbalism to pull through.
The sands beneath Mia's feet were silky smooth, almost like a beach, but without any water in sight. The plants would not grow here, Mia knew, feeling the burning hot sand sink down under each footfall. Rocky cliff-like ledges lined the side of the sandy areas casting small shadows in the midday sun. It would be in these shadows or around an oasis that Mia might be able to find her plants, out of the direct sunlight where it was cooler or near a more plentiful water source. After all, I can barely stand this heat for a few minutes at best. A plant could never survive in this part of the desert with the sand and no way to avoid the hellish heat.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the shifting of sand in front of the group as a quadrupedal lizard with violet scales burrowed up from below where it was resting before being disturbed by the adept's movements. Garet stepped back from the monster, as he was in the lead, and held out an arm to stop the rest of the adepts from moving any closer while the creature shook off the sand on its scales.
The dark purplish hue was lined with black along the edges of the scales, the discoloration more noticeable on top of the creature, where the heated sand would lay above the resting lizard. Those scales must be extremely hard or thick in order to protect it from the kind of heat found in this desert, Mia thought. The blackened discoloration bothered Mia, but she had no time to dwell on it since the lizard was upon them.
The creature hissed in what almost seemed like pain, but then attacked, running at Garet because he was the closest. Garet dodged out of the way, hindered by the softness of the sand, but deft enough to avoid the incoming bite. The lizard was about half the height of Garet and just as long, boasting a short, powerful tail.
Enraged by its close miss with Garet, the creature made a quick lunge at Ivan, who quickly dodged out of the way and began to call upon his psynergy to retaliate. Mia saw Isaac reach for his blade, hand hovering close to the sword he used in his first encounter in the desert and she drew in a breath to call out to Isaac and warn him to be careful.
Before she could, Isaac's hand stopped of its own accord, quivering slightly above the pommel of the sword before he made a fist and withdrew it from the vicinity of the hot metal blade. Mia breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing she was holding her breath at the thought of another burn.
Garet knew his psynergy would not be as effective against the creature due to the intense heat it endured on a daily basis, but sent a trail of flame blasting into the lizard anyway, distracting it from the rest of the group as they all prepared for battle.
Ivan cast a ray of lightning at the lizard, stunning it to prevent retaliation, but took a back seat in the fight to conserve his psynergy for finding oases to cool down in the desert. Mia called upon her psynergy as well and could feel the familiar power rushing from herself into her outstretched hand as she visualized spears of ice piercing their foe.
Releasing the pent up energy, Mia let her spell fly past the two boys on the front line and directly into the face of the lizard, shattering the ice upon impact and causing the lizard to writhe in pain. Shards of ice melted in the intense heat, flying through the air as the water droplets that formed evaporated into steam upon contact with the scales of the lizard.
Just how hot are those scales anyway? Mia asked herself incredulously. She didn't have the luxury of stopping to think about it though as the lizard swung its tail at Isaac and Garet.
"Watch out!" Mia called out to them, feeling the cost of her warning in her chest as the scorching air entered her lungs, causing an unpleasant burning sensation. Nothing was damaged, but it was painful to breathe for the next few seconds as her body tried to regulate the air temperature in her lungs.
The warning proved useful however and Isaac managed to jump over the tail's trajectory before using his psynergy to make a stone spire rise from the sands to block the swing and protect Garet from the attack. The stone cracked upon impact, a chunk of rock falling off of it and landing in the sand with a dull thud.
Recognizing the power behind the tail, both boys had a newfound respect for the creature's combat prowess and acted notably more defensive as they evaluated a new angle of attack. Outside of the desert, a single giant lizard like this would be no threat and would be easily dispatched by the group of four, however sands slowed their movement and the heat clouded their minds as the adepts faced off with the monster making it more difficult to continue the fight as the battle went on.
Attrition was not a card they could afford to play deep in the desert, especially with Ivan out of the picture, needing to save his powers to help keep the group safe from the heat.
Isaac and Garet gave each other a glance, nodding in agreement about what to do as they split up and spread out to give the lizard more to keep track of. Mia noticed the nonverbal communication between the two friends, born of their longstanding relationship with each other. I wonder if I will reach that point one day… Mia thought, calling upon her psynergy again. The Mercury power flowed through her once more and she could feel the rush of energy concentrate in her hand with wisps of cerulean light emanating slowly from her palm.
Raising her hand towards the lizard, Mia focused her energy and summoned a torrent of ice to bombard the creature, having a similar effect as her ice spears earlier. A light cracking sound could be heard and Mia saw the abused scales on the back of the lizard with fractures in them, causing pain for the lizard every time it moved.
Isaac took full advantage of the opening Mia created and used his psynergy to make another spire under the lizard, opening a gash on its softer underbelly and knocking it to the side. Garet approached the injured monster and shot a torrent of fire into it, walking slowly as the flames licked at the creature, more effective now that the lizard had been injured and less protected by the hard scaly exterior.
There was a hissing noise from within the flames and an audible gurgle before Garet let up on the attack and inspected his handiwork. The lizard was dead, cracked scales blackened further by the inferno it was subjected to. Letting the psynergetic energy dissipate, the three adepts spared only a quick look at the corpse to ensure it was safe to continue on, with Ivan bringing up the rear.
After the wear of battle Mia could feel exhaustion begin to haunt her from expending too much energy in the desert wasteland under the merciless rays of the sun. Her only comfort was the sensation of Jupiter psynergy firing behind her as Ivan searched for a suitable place to rest and cool down a bit with his Reveal power. The heat was becoming unbearable to be in but none of the adepts voiced a complaint, knowing that talking would only make it worse.
The distortion of light from the intense heat created a shimmering effect on the horizon as Mia looked around, getting desperate for a cave system or oasis as she tread carefully with the rest of the group in an attempt to avoid any more monster encounters.
The feeling of her dry tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth was an unpleasant reminder for Mia of how quickly they could get dehydrated out in the desert. They had only been out in the heat again for half an hour since their last rest at a cave system a while back, but even so, the progress through the desert was gruelingly slow and it felt more like hours from the adept's perspectives.
I really can't stand this anymore… Mia thought, echoing the feelings of her other companions, though she didn't know it. I just want to be out of here and take a nice long nap…
Mia's eyes drooped as she slowly blinked, keeping her eyes closed for a few seconds while walking forward, feeling a wave of weariness wash over her. She closed her eyes again, keeping them shut and cut off from the harsh sunlight glaring down at her.
Before she knew it Mia was jerked from her stupor by a firm grip on her arm. Becoming aware of her surroundings again, the Mercury adept noticed she was off balance and had almost fallen if it wasn't for the support of Isaac next to her. Mia steadied herself with his help and noted the concern in Isaac's blue eyes.
"Thanks," Mia said with quiet gratitude, knowing that she would have had a much worse awakening if she fell on the scorching sand.
Isaac gave her a kind smile, though Mia could still see the lines of worry on his face as he replied with,"Of Course." Mia was fully awake again and Isaac withdrew his hand from her arm, allowing the girl to stand on her own, but still watching for any sign of collapse. "Are you all right?" Isaac asked her simply.
Isaac didn't get his answer because Ivan suddenly spoke, eagerness in his voice. "I found an oasis," the younger blonde boy stated, delighted at the prospect of getting out of the infernal heat. That statement was enough to catch the attention of all the adepts, who looked around, unable to distinguish mirages from reality to determine the location of the oasis.
"By all means, lead on then," Garet told Ivan, tired of the desert even with his Mars powers suppressing some of the suffering for him. The Jupiter adept released his hold on his psynergy and began walking in another direction towards the oasis he saw nearby.
Mia trudged dutifully along with the rest of the group, relying on Ivan's senses to lead them to the resting place. As they approached, Mia could begin to make out the pool of water with a small amount of greenery at its edges. This time it wasn't a mirage, and the energy level of the group peaked back up, knowing they would have a brief respite.
It was still hot out, but the temperature was no longer oppressive as the adepts made it to the shoreline of the medium sized pool of water. Exhausted, Ivan let himself collapse to the ground next to the oasis, reaching out a hand to cup some of the water and splash it across his face.
Mia found that she could breath normally here without the heat burning up her lungs, and gulped down full breaths as if she had been deprived of oxygen her entire life. The other adepts were doing the same, tension built up from the trek dissipating along with the heat.
Isaac refilled his canteen from the pool and did the same for everyone else in turn, handing it back to each adept and telling them to drink up and stay hydrated. Mia gave the blonde boy a nod of thanks as she accepted the water back from Isaac. Her parched lips and tongue were grateful for the offering as she gulped down the water, noting that while it was warm, it was not too hot like everything else in the desert seemed to be.
Looking over at the blonde boy next to her, Mia held out her hand. "Your canteen please," she stated simply, waiting for Isaac's response. Confused, but trusting, the Venus adept slowly held out his canteen for Mia to take, curious what she wanted with it.
Mia gave him a smile and grabbed it, holding it in both hands and calling upon her psynergy. Mia could feel the water inside the canteen as she closed her eyes, delicately manipulating her power to modify it and bend the liquid to her will. Though nothing had visibly changed, Mia handed the canteen back to Isaac with another smile and told him to drink up, eager to see his reaction.
Shooting Mia another wary look, Isaac raised the canteen to his lips and gave it a sip before nearly dropping the drink in surprise. "It's cold!" Isaac exclaimed as if Mia had just invented some amazing new thing he had never seen before.
The cerulean haired girl laughed at the blonde boy's astonishment, finding enjoyment in the small opportunities they had for bonding. Mia repeated the process with Garet and Ivan, taking each canteen in turn and cooling the water down as both boys waited eagerly for the taste of something cool amid the arid desert.
"It's so much more refreshing this way," Ivan stated with a smile, and Garet nodded his approval.
"You're the best Mia!" Garet added, holding up his canteen in thanks with a wide grin on his face.
All three boys were clearly enjoying the unexpected treat, and Mia performed the same process on her own water, affording herself the small luxury as well. Perhaps it was not the best use of my psynergy, Mia considered as she sipped on the cool water with the rest of her friends. Seeing their smiling faces like that was worth it though...plus it helps keep their morale up, Mia rationalized, the grin of a familiar Venus adept showing up in her mind. The minor feat used more of her psynergetic energy than she had anticipated, but when looking at her content and more relaxed companions, Mia couldn't help but to be happy with her choice.
The water was cool and refreshing and the adepts enjoyed it to the very last drop. The boys wanted to cool down in the pool of water briefly before moving on through the desert, and Isaac had already dipped his burned hand under the water for some form of relief from the heat as he sat at the water's edge. He was trying to make it look casual, but Mia recognized that he really needed to mute the pain.
Garet and Ivan had already waded into the pool of water and Ivan ducked down under the water before emerging soaking wet. The water line only reached up to Garet's waist, but it was perfect for the adepts to sit down in to let the water come up to their shoulders. Mia's attention was less on the pool however as she started to examine some of the plant life that was eking out an existence on the edge of the oasis among the vast desert, her mind back on the burn Isaac sustained and what she could do to relieve the pain from it.
Mia heard a splash and turned toward the sound to see a sputtering Isaac emerge from the pool of water, thoroughly soaked. "Come join us!" Garet urged Mia as well, extending her a courtesy he did not offer Isaac before pulling the blonde boy into the pool. Ivan's laughter and Isaac's irritated look at Garet made Mia giggle at the scene in front of her, glad to see the group looking refreshed and re-energized even though they were still in the middle of the desert.
The boys smiled at her laughter, however she declined the offer for the moment in order to finish her search through the plants nearby for the root that was on her mind earlier. "I'll join you in a couple minutes," she promised the Mars adept, before kneeling down near some of the plants on the near side of the pool.
Mia searched among the greenery for the telltale signs of the Casius plant she wanted the roots from, brushing her hands over the leaves of other small ferns and shrubs, looking for one with two prongs on each side to identify it. As she shuffled around on her hunt, the boys were busy relaxing in the pool of water, letting the relative cool of the liquid soothe their bodies and ease their minds. Glancing over at them since the background conversation seemed to have ended, Mia saw Garet and Ivan leaning back with their heads on the sandbank and bodies still submerged in water.
Isaac was attempting to do the same thing on the other side of the pool, but he didn't seem as relaxed as the other two and he kept his eyes open, looking up at the bright blue sky above. Mia broke her gaze away from him and back to the plants again as she finally found what she was looking for. The pronged leaves looked back at her, resting gently in her hand as Mia double checked to make sure it was indeed a Casius plant.
Happy that she had found it, Mia carefully extracted the plant from the ground, taking extra precautions not to damage the roots of the plant or get pricked by its thorns. Gingerly holding it in one hand, the Mercury adept took her prize and grabbed her pack before walking over to where Isaac was resting quietly in the pool of water.
The blonde boy turned his head to look at Mia as she approached, noting the random plant in her hand, but not making much of it. "Hey Mia," he greeted her quietly with a quick glance of his eyes toward where Ivan and Garet were resting to ensure he was not disturbing them. Isaac's smile momentarily distracted Mia, but after a slightly awkward pause, she replied in kind. "H-Hi Isaac," she stumbled over the word in embarrassment, hastily recovering from zoning out for a moment.
Isaac just laughed. "Is the heat getting to you too?" He asked the cerulean haired girl as she sat down right on the edge of the water next to him, misattributing the reason for her loss of concentration.
"Yes, it does make it hard to focus out here," Mia replied, using the excuse to bury any other reasons for her lapse in judgment. Opening her pack, Mia pulled out a mortar and pestle along with some herbs she had purchased back in Altin. Though it didn't get a whole lot of use, it occasionally came in handy to have traditional forms of medicine available to the group of adepts, just as it would be for Isaac now.
Isaac's curiosity perked up and he couldn't refrain from asking any longer. "I'm assuming that plant was something you needed to make some sort of medication?" he asked Mia, prompting her to explain what it was.
Mia separated the roots from the leaves of the Casius plant and started grinding the roots in with some of her herbs as she spoke. "Yes, it's something I can use to make a paste to relieve burns," she stated, knowing Isaac would figure out its use almost immediately.
The blonde boy's reaction gave it away as she saw his arm shift beneath the water, indicating his knowledge that she was referring to his hand. Pulling the hand out of the water and raising it above his head with droplets of water dripping down and back into the pool, Isaac inspected his hand with a shake of his head. "You've already healed my hand with your psynergy though," he replied. "You did a great job of it and it feels much better."
Mia just sighed, reaching out to grab his hand with her own, gingerly touching the angry looking burn marks on his hand. Even at the light touch, Isaac's irritated skin cried out in pain and he involuntarily jerked his hand back from hers.
"See what I mean?" Mia asked. "You should really be less stubborn about these things," Mia admonished Isaac.
"You didn't have to do it like that," Isaac complained, but admitted he could have not hidden the pain from the rest of the group.
"That was the best way to make you believe it," Mia retorted, silencing Isaac because the blonde boy knew she was right.
Continuing her work on the herbs, Mia and Isaac both sat in silence for a few moments before Isaac broke it again. "Thanks Mia," he said in a kinder tone, appreciative of her efforts and the fact she had noticed the pain of the burn.
Finishing crushing up the herbs, Mia just shook her head with a glance at the boy. "You're welcome," she replied, holding out her hand as an indication for Isaac to give her his. Dutifully obeying the unspoken command, Isaac extended his arm to Mia and allowed the Mercury adept to hold it gently, this time avoiding the burn marks. "Just keep still while I put this on," she instructed, knowing that any contact with the site of the injury would cause some pain, but also knowing that relief would soon follow. Putting her hand in the paste she had created, Mia scooped a small amount out and gently touched her fingers to Isaac's hand to apply it.
She felt his wrist tense up as he grit his teeth, however true to her instruction, he did not move his hand or jerk it away. Rubbing the paste gently across the burned areas, Mia could feel the conflict of Isaac's muscles as they relaxed from the cooling power of her medicine, but flexed again as she moved to each new patch of burned skin.
Isaac had closed his eyes to let her do her thing and Mia kept focused until she put enough of the paste on. Removing her fingers, Mia lightened her grip on Isaac's hand and let the blonde boy move it again as he opened his eyes to look.
"Wow…" was his first reaction as the soothing ointment took effect and he could feel the pain substantially subside. "That's actually amazing," Isaac added, looking at his hand where it was noticeably less red than before.
Mia could feel the blush rising to her cheeks, not entirely sure if it was due to the actual compliment on her work itself or because of the one who uttered it. She smiled, happy to know she was able to make the boy more comfortable and help his pain subside. "I'm glad it worked well on you," Mia stated, satisfied with her work and trying to keep an even tone of voice.
"It did more than just work," Isaac answered, refusing to let Mia sell herself short. "It feels great now...almost like I could wield my sword again," he said making a fist as if gripping his blade.
"Don't you dare," Mia said strictly, adopting a serious tone and pointing the pestle at him as she washed off the tools before packing them away. "Let it heal a bit more before doing that."
Isaac laughed, waving his hands in front of him in defense. "Don't worry! Don't worry. I won't do anything with it yet, especially if you're telling me not to." Satisfied with the answer, Mia let it go and sighed, finally allowing herself to relax. Isaac eyed his friend as she leaned back in the sunlight and closed her eyes. "Come cool off Mia," Isaac said after a moment, indicating the clear water of the oasis when she looked back over at him.
I'm wearing robes though so it would be kind of awkward, Mia thought as she dipped a foot into the water to test the temperature out of curiosity. Her foot felt more relaxed as she sat there, the tantalizing shimmer of the water's surface beckoning her into the pool. Giving into the temptation, Mia gave up and bunched up her robes with her hand, slipping into the water's sweet relief next to Isaac.
"Ah...this does feel nice," Mia commented for Isaac's benefit as she sat there cooling off and letting the stress of the desert crossing flow out of her. She was wearing a lighter version of her typical robes due to the heat and the cloth tried to float around freely in the water, but Mia kept one of her hands on it to keep the garment under control.
Submerged up to her shoulders, Mia glanced toward Isaac to see the boy looking at his hand again, glad to have the pain lessened and near full use of it back again. A surge of pride welled up in Mia as she looked on. Though the feeling was atypical of her, Mia couldn't help admiring her own handiwork and the sense of amazement she had inspired in the Venus adept. "You're still inspecting your hand," she pointed out with a smile.
Isaac shrugged, self consciously dropping the hand and letting it into the pool of water, out of direct sight. "It feels so much better now than after you healed it with psynergy. I guess I'm just surprised how much better it is even though you already healed it," Isaac explained his thoughts on the matter.
Mia smiled. "Well, psynergy does have its limitations," she commented. "Psynergetic healing is akin to a miracle. I can cast spells that close wounds, heal gashes, curse poisons, and repair any injuries we come across…" she trailed off and paused for a minute, looking down at her free hand as she gathered a minute amount of psynergy in it as if to test her powers.
"To non-adepts these powers are miracles. They regard it...and us...with awe or sometimes even fear because of them. These people have lived and continue to live without the power of psynergy in their lives so they create their own miracles, not out of psynergy...but out of tradition and knowledge. They understand our powers are great...but knowledge goes a long way too." Mia checked to make sure she still had Isaac's attention since she realized the build up to her point was a little long winded.
To his credit, Isaac seemed genuinely interested in what she was saying and had raised his hand again to look at the previously burned area of his skin. "I think I get it," the blonde boy said. "You're saying that despite how amazing our powers are, they aren't the only thing out there that is…'miraculous' as you put it."
Mia smiled and nodded, glad to know she had not bored the poor boy to death. "Exactly. Psynergy is way more effective than traditional medicine for almost everything...but traditional medicine can still be useful, such as in the case of a burn like this," Mia explained to Isaac. "My powers can heal the tissue, but the lasting pain is not easily relieved via the use of psynergy. Fortunately for you, I happened to know of an alternative that I learned about in my studies back home."
Isaac plunged his hand back into the water, losing interest in inspecting his skin. "I can't deny that the paste you made was extremely effective at lessening the pain," he admitted. "I was surprised...I guess I never really considered the possibility of traditional medicine doing something psynergy could not."
Mia let that statement stand for a few moments and let herself enjoy the respite at the oasis, knowing they would have to get moving again soon. "It's because of your upbringing I think," Mia decided to say, continuing her conversation with Isaac. "I believe you mentioned that your home of Vale is a town of adepts where everyone can use psynergy right?"
Isaac nodded. "Each person has a varying proficiency level when it comes to psynergy, but yes...everyone in Vale is technically an adapt and has some ability to control their powers."
"That explains it then…" Mia said trailing off before continuing the thought. "You grew up with psynergy...everyone around you could use it and so they probably did most of the time."
Isaac's mind came up with a scene of himself using psynergy to fix a roof, even though it could have been done by hand. A smile crept onto his face as he remembered Garet losing his balance and poking a hole in the roof by stepping in the wrong place. Holding back his laughter at the memory, Isaac admitted that the town as a whole did use psynergy in lots of places where it wasn't strictly needed.
Mia looked thoughtful. If that's the case for mundane tasks it would stand to reason that their healers would specialize in using psynergy for healing as well. "I would bet that since your town used psynergy for all aspects of their lives, they got used to it and your healers didn't even consider alternatives to it."
Isaac frowned, but looked thoughtful, not having considered the possibility of a larger scope of knowledge they had never been exposed to. Mia's words made sense to him though and the more he considered it, the more he figured she might be right.
"It's so very different back in Imil with the Mercury Clan…" Mia said, seemingly distracted by her thoughts as she trailed off. Isaac regarded his friend with curiosity since she had never really spoken much about where she came from, only that it was the duty of her and her clan to protect the lighthouse.
"What do you mean?" Isaac inquired, trying to piece together the connection between psynergy usage among the people of Vale and the town of Imil.
Mia paused to collect her memories and ensure that she didn't misspeak when explaining to Isaac. "You see...Imil and the Mercury Clan are both very different from the way you've described Vale. We've had adepts and practitioners of psynergy over the years, but for us that is the exception rather than the rule." Mia used her hand to absentmindedly brush the surface of the water, creating miniature waves and ripples as she spoke.
"The majority of the Mercury Clan isn't attuned to psynergy at all actually," Mia admitted as Isaac listened with rapt attention. "Don't get me wrong...they were all wise and knowledgeable people, as well as skilled healers beyond anything I even understand. I learned traditional medicine from them as part of my education and you would be amazed by the solutions they came up to for every kind of injury or illness."
Mia glanced down to where she knew Isaac's healed hand was hiding beneath the water before looking up at his face again. "Psynergy eclipsed a lot of the training I received from them, but I learned it anyway and it's stuck with me because of moments like these where it comes in handy when psynergy cannot."
Isaac mulled over her words, trying to right the perception of the Mercury Clan in his mind from adepts like Mia and Alex to normal villagers spending years learning the healing arts from herbalism. "They are just normal people then?" Isaac asked to confirm Mia's words. The cerulean haired girl nodded in reply and Isaac looked thoughtful. "There's a lot more to learn about this world than I thought," he finally said.
Mia smiled. "If there's one thing I took away from my training, it was that there's always more to learn."
Isaac agreed, thinking about everything they'd come across since starting their journey. "I had a more narrow view of things back in Vale, but traveling has opened my eyes to other ideas and taught me a lot as well." He looked down for a moment with a smile on his face before admitting he had a lot more to learn. "You know...it's taken me this long already to determine the need to learn to fight without the sword. When I burned my hand earlier today I felt lost in battle and was much less effective using only psynergy to fight. You never really realize how much you rely on something until it's gone," Isaac said.
Mia leaned back against the sand, resting her head as she looked up to the sky and contemplated Isaac's words. That's true...We take some things for granted and even though I've practiced traditional medicine, I've never really relied on it as much as my psynergy. I wonder how useful I'd be if I wasn't able to even use psynergy…
"I think...I might have fallen into that same trap," Mia admitted to Isaac, turning her head sideways on the sand to look over at the blonde boy. "I make assumptions and I take things for granted as well. We might not always have everything we're used to in every situation and I suppose we need to be prepared for that."
"I feel like it's an eventuality, just like with my hand today," Isaac explained, also laying back in the sand to match Mia's relaxing pose. "It's not a question of if occurrences like that will happen, but when they will happen...and we need to be as prepared as possible to deal with them."
I can agree with that, Mia thought. Perhaps I should put more effort into maintaining my skills in herbalism while on this journey in case they become needed again… the Mercury adept mused. "I think you're right," Mia finally replied, not wanting to let the silence between the pair linger too long. "Looking at things in that light changes my perspective as well."
Isaac smiled, happy to know that Mia understood where he was coming from. "I think I'm going to spend more time honing my skills with psynergy rather than just my swordsmanship from now on," he resolved, making a fist with his hand above his head as water drops dripped off and back into the pool. He sat up and turned to Mia who was still lying with her head on the sand. "Thanks for the new perspective on things," he said in gratitude for the serious conversation.
Mia smiled back at Isaac. "No problem," she answered casually. "...Though you weren't the only one that's re-evaluating things either," Mia admitted. "I have a lot to learn as well." Her mind flashed back to the fight in the mines where she had almost lost her life due to her ineffective fighting style in melee combat. I should probably learn how to fight with more than just my psynergy. I've honed my spells and healing powers over our journey, but I still rely on Isaac and the others when monsters appear and we need to fight. It wasn't that Mia didn't feel capable of fighting monsters, but she knew she could not stand toe to toe on the front line with Isaac or Garet. Even Ivan has his sword, though he prefers using psynergy as well. I need to have a backup plan like that in addition to psynergy, Mia thought, glancing over to where her staff was propped up against her belongings.
Isaac was consumed by his own thoughts as he sat there, but broke out of them when he stood up and stepped out of the pool of water. Mia looked on as the dripping wet adept scrambled back up onto the sand by the plants she was inspecting earlier. His soaked clothes began to dry out quickly in the heat as the water drops slowly fell from his body before dissipating entirely.
"We should get going again soon," Isaac stated in explanation to Mia before nodding over at the two adepts on the far side of the pool. "I'm going to wake these two up so we can get out of this desert by sunset," he added, looking over at Garet and Ivan.
Mia nodded but didn't really hear what Isaac was saying since she was distracted by looking at him. His wet clothes stuck to his skin due to the water tension and Mia could tell how in shape the blonde boy was, with muscles born of their travels showing through. She couldn't help but to admire the sight.
Mia caught herself staring and blushed, breaking her vision of Isaac, glad he had not noticed her stare. Why do I feel so flustered looking at him like that now? Mia asked herself, confused by her own reaction. It's Isaac...I sleep in the same tent with him and I've seen him like this before… Mia thought back to when Isaac accidentally fell off a log into a pond earlier in their travels, much to the groups amusement. So why now…? Mia asked herself again, trying to diagnose the pang of embarrassment she felt.
Isaac noticed the awkward lack of reply from Mia and looked back at her curiously, wondering what was on her mind. Feeling his gaze, the Mercury adept found her words again, preempting the question he would ask and said, "Oh...yes, we should wake them up to get going again," as she remembered what Isaac was talking about previously.
As if to emphasize her words, Mia stood up and stepped onto the shoreline of the pool to get ready to leave again, water rolling off of her as well. Though she was determined not to look back at Isaac, she could feel his gaze on her and became self conscious of how her thinner robe hugged her body, showing off her curves and form a lot more than what she normally wore. Thoroughly embarrassed, Mia clutched her robe, scrunching it up and only further tightening the accents visible to the Venus adept behind her.
Blushing scarlet once again, she risked a glance back at Isaac and caught his gaze just like how she was looking at him earlier. Glancing away as soon as she noticed him, Mia heard Isaac speak up behind her. "Um...I'll get Garet and Ivan…" he said hastily, shifting away from the cerulean haired girl and walking toward the sleeping adepts who had missed the entire exchange.
Mia sat down, her face still red as she watched Isaac walk over to where Ivan and Garet were on the far side. Putting her hands on the sides of her face, Mia felt the heat in her cheeks as her robes began to dry out in the desert air. I'm so embarrassed… Was all she could think about as she stared out across the water. I don't understand why it feels different than before...and I'm upset that I didn't realize how...form fitting...these robes would be when wet. Mia covered her eyes as if it was all just an awkward dream before sliding her hands slowly off her face and looking down at her clothes, willing them to dry out faster in the hot air.
Despite her embarrassment, the Mercury adept kept a close eye on Isaac as he shook the two other boys to wake them from their oasis nap. I'm admiring Isaac's looks now? Mia asked herself. I've never acted like this around him before, so why now? She stood up as she saw the other adepts get out of the pool of water and she inspected her robes. They were still cool against her skin which felt great in the heat around Mia, but the robes were no longer soaked through and the water had mostly evaporated out of them, returning the robes to their normal state. Now that her robe was not hugging her skin so tightly, Mia felt less flustered, though her confusion about her feelings remained.
Now is really not the time to be dwelling on what all this means, Mia decided, looking around at the desolate desert beyond the oasis. Trying to push aside her feelings for the time being, she watched the boys walk back toward her where all their belongings lay. Mia noted that despite Garet and Ivan being in a similar state to Isaac shortly after getting out of the pool, they did not evoke quite the same reaction that she had with the Venus adept.
Yawning and grumbling greeted her as the two adepts that had been asleep just a minute before trudged through the loose sand to grab their packs and weapons. Mia smiled as she watched the familiar reaction to being woken up before they were ready, be it an early morning or an afternoon nap. Isaac just shrugged at Mia as he approached, indicating the two newcomers with his hand as if to say it was hopeless to expect anything else.
Mia had to hold back a laugh, as neither Garet nor Ivan had seen Isaac's silent act, but she gave Isaac a smile for the attempt at humor. "We should get going again then," Isaac finally said as Mia picked up her staff from where it lay in the sand. Brushing sand particles off the fine wood with her hands, Mia cleaned it off to an acceptable degree for the rest of their desert trek. None of the group were happy about continuing their journey, however living out the rest of their lives at the oasis was not exactly an appealing alternative. Mia began walking away from their momentary respite with the rest of the boys in tow. She could feel as the oppressive heat began to return bit by bit, making each step away from the oasis a mental struggle.
I want to go back! Mia's mind screamed out, as the cerulean haired girl did her best to drown it out. Steeling herself against her own thoughts, she pressed on and knew the others had to be doing the same.
Isaac, Ivan, and Garet trudged through the sands with Mia, slowly making their way past rocky outcroppings and large stones, strewn across the desert in a seemingly random pattern. Ivan reached out his hand to touch a stone as they walked past, feeling the rough exterior like sandpaper on his hand.
"Even the wind is dead here," the blonde boy commented to the rest of the group, braving the heat in order to talk to the others. Mia's eyes went to the rock Ivan had touched and she noticed the rough and jagged edges as it lay there, not a hint of wear from the wind that should be smoothing it out. The silence of the place was deadening and only the footfalls of disturbed sand could be heard as the adepts moved through the empty plane. Mia knew what Ivan had meant. Even the wind ceases to blow here. This is a place of nothingness...deserted...devoid of everything.
Those kinds of thoughts depressed her. According to locals it was never like this before. All it took was one change… a handful of stones from a mountain far away being disturbed in order to create a place like this. Glancing around at the still scene they were walking through, Mia felt like she was a visitor in a picture frame, passing by a snapshot frozen in time and space. The rocks here are destined to remain forever, unchanging, untouched by wind or the elements. The Lamakan desert was unsettling for the Mercury adept who had spent her whole life near the sea with the movement of the waves. Nothing here moved, and it felt wrong.
A gentle hand on her shoulder distracted Mia as she turned to see Isaac looking at her, his eyes trying to determine what was on her mind. She gave him a smile of appreciation for being there, surprised by his uncanny ability to read her mood. Sometimes Mia even wondered if Isaac was supposed to be a Jupiter adet at some point, but ended up attuned to the wrong element.
They didn't speak due to the intenseness of the heat, which was at it's peak, but that simple touch meant more to her than words could ever say. To Mia it was reassurance and friendship, the knowledge that she was not alone, not in the middle of the wasteland and not in her thoughts.
Isaac notices it too...we all do probably, Mia knew. I think it affects us all in different ways. We've seen too many things different than the way they should be and there's nothing that we can do to control it. Nothing except the lighthouses anyway…
Conviction. That was the feeling Mia got from Isaac's touch more than any other. She knew that the only way to set things right were to right the wrongs that had been committed in removing the Elemental Stars from their sacred resting places. Though her thoughts sometimes swayed with the lighting of the Mercury Lighthouse and the benefits granted to her people via the Water of Hermes, Mia knew deep down that everything began with the Elemental Stars in the first place.
Each new trial, each new place she ran into that was affected by the events proceeding after the Stars were stolen, further proved the wisdom of their ancestors, never to disturb the balance of the elements. Thinking back to her thoughts on the matter from earlier in the day, Mia saw that it was an issue of her town against the world. The Mercury Lighthouse being lit did provide an undeniable benefit to Imil, and I'm thankful for that...but if you look around in other places and see issues such as the Mogall Forest and this desert...The change is alarming. Maybe Imil is safe from these changes for now, but it seems like more and more places are being affected by these events...and not in a good way.
Mia frowned. It's just so short sighted… That's what really frustrated her about the whole thing. She couldn't understand why Saturos and Menardi thought it was a good idea to light the lighthouses despite the consequences to the world as a whole. Perhaps their hometown would get some unknown benefit from all of this, but it's going to end up destroying the entire world even if it helps them in the short term, and it won't matter anymore after that.
Just thinking about the possibilities and trying to speculate about the motives for someone to be the catalyst for everything that had happened so far was too much for the Mercury adept in her present situation. Though her thoughts on their journey provided a distraction from the heat, it did not eliminate the effects of it that clouded the mind and scrambled her thoughts.
Isaac was walking at her side now and Mia wondered what was on the blonde boy's mind. It's possible that he is thinking about the same thing, Mia mused, not willing to hold a conversation that would burn up her lungs to find out. The rest of the group was of the same opinion, and silence remained their only companion as they walked among the dead landscape.
How much more of this desert is there? Mia found herself thinking. It feels like we've been in here for an eternity. The relief of the water on her robes had long since evaporated, leaving nothing but raw, dry heat in its place. Though the robes she was wearing were lightweight, they were still not ideal for desert attire and Mia found herself wishing she had brought another set of clothes that would have been better suited for more extreme situations such as this one.
She closed her eyes for a moment while walking forward and allowed her other senses to take over. The absence of noise except for the footfalls of her friends still felt off to Mia as she felt the void this place had become. The only comfort was Ivan firing off reveal spells once again as they continued westward, trying to reach the edge of the desert where they would be out of the heat and able to stop and rest.
The ground and surroundings gradually became more rocky and dry than sandy and Mia chose to take that as a good sign that they were headed in the right direction. Though sand was still plentiful beneath her feet, Mia could see the rocky ground below and could feel her feet have more purchase on the solid floor, making it easier to walk through the desert.
"Please let us almost be there," Garet said, breaking the silence by voicing what was on everyone's mind with the way the desert was changing in appearance. The Mars adept got nods of agreement and acknowledgement from his friends who were just as ready to escape the infernal heat.
As the group came up on the massive cliff walls that rose into mountains surrounding the Lamakan Desert, Mia noticed they had hit a dead end with nowhere left to go. Only a cave entrance on one of the walls offered any place to seek refuge and proceed onward. Ivan cast another reveal spell on the cave area out of habit and his reaction got everyone's attention.
"Oh Shi-" Ivan cursed as he threw out an arm to stop the rest of the group. "You aren't going to like this!" he said, staring at the cave in alarm. "There's something alive in there and it's big!"
As he said that, Mia heard an inhuman cry from the cave that sent shivers down her spine. "I think it knows we're here!" Isaac called out, preemptively drawing his psynergetic power to him so he was ready to act at a moment's notice.
Mia also felt something that she hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime; A breeze flowed past her, rustling her hair slightly as it came from the same place as the creature Ivan had discovered. It's cool air! Mia noticed, not even thinking about the monster they were likely about to fight. Well...cool relative to the desert we've been in at least, Mia conceded as a rumbling could be heard coming toward the group from inside the cave.
I wonder if the cooler air means that cave leads to the exit of the desert… Mia thought, though she didn't have time to ponder the idea as a creature emerged from the cave with its sights set on the four adepts.
The monstrosity looked like a combination of different creatures. Giant batlike wings overshadowed a heavy feline body, tipped off at the end with the tail of a scorpion tapered into a lethal point. Razor sharp claws on its feet found purchase among the rocky ground, digging up dirt as it slowly lumbered out of its cave dwelling. The most unsettling part was an eerily human like head surrounding by a pure white mane of a lion. It almost looks human...but there's some sort of...beastial aspect of it, Mia thought.
She was under no illusion that this mythical creature was at all human however, knowing that it possessed an animalistic nature and instincts. Mia thought back to all the myths and lore of the Mercury Clan to see if she could identify just what the creature was and could only match the characteristics up to one creature.
"A Manticore," she breathed, out of respect and fear for what was currently blocking their path. It was a creature out of legend that had not been seen in Weyard since the days of old, likely reawakened by events of Sol Sanctum and the psynergy rain. If what I remember about these creatures is true, this will be a dangerous adversary indeed, Mia thought. An alien feeling psynergetic presence grew stronger as the manticore let out a growl and advanced on the adepts, its claws taking on a reddish hue, bathed in the light of Mars energy.
Mia raised her staff and prepared to defend herself as she realized one crucial fact. This thing can use psynergy...
AN: I was originally going to include the entire desert crossing in one chapter, however this turned out a lot longer than expected with Mia's thoughts on their journey and the impact of the Sol Sanctum event, so I decided to split it up into two parts.
I liked how this turned out and that I can turn it into a two-parter. I have a plan on how to handle the Manticore (especially since this is the first major foe the group faces that can actually use psynergy) and aftermath so you'll just have to stay tuned for the next chapter to find out!
Hope you enjoy and feedback is always appreciated!