Disclaimer: In case you hadn't guessed, I don't own Golden Sun. If you
hadn't guessed, you're an idiot.
*********************************************************************
The next morning, Mia was woken by Isaac's gentle shake. His expression showed a kind of deep sorrow, although he seemed far more at peace with the world than he had of late - lacking the bitterness which had in ways been the core of his being. Mia blinked her beautiful blue eyes, taking a moment to wake up fully.
"She is here." Isaac's eyes had gone distant, and she sensed probing psyenergy emanating from him.
"Wha.who..oh, your assassin friend." She realised who he must mean. Isaac's eyes focused again as his psyenergy dissipated.
"She waits atop mercury lighthouse. If nothing is done, she will strike at Imil with the power she can wield there. I know that she has twisted the healing spells of mercury clan to make ones that cause plague and disease. So she must be stopped." Mia's eyes flashed at the thought of the ancient spells of her clan being perverted so.
"No-one else in the town could do all that much against a truly powerful adept. I suppose that makes it up to us." She wanted to get her hands on the one who had killed all her old friends.
Isaac's resolute expression faltered. "No, Mia..." Independent and capable, this achieved no more than annoying her.
"You plan to confront a mercury adept atop *mercury lighthouse* and you won't take any help you can get? Don't be stupid."
"I..you're all I've got left. I couldn't..handle..." She softened as she saw his genuine concern.
"Look, I'm a mercury adept too. I'll be resistant to her attacks." Mia held up her hand as Isaac began another complaint. "I know that works both ways, but I can still heal and support you. Just taking hits would be of use." She did not intend to be left behind.
"I should try to stop you," his shoulders sagged "but I just can't bring myself to." He looked so defeated just standing there that she walked over to him and hugged him. After a moment he returned her embrace.
"Hope." She said again.
They both began getting ready for the imminent battle. Isaac picked up his enchanted sword and armour from beside the bed where he had stayed while injured (Mia stayed in the spare room in the loft) and readied his collection of small enchanted items and healing potions. Mia's old equipment was kept in a magically warded chest in a corner of the house. She had rarely had cause to use it in recent times, but kept in practice with the magical sceptre she used as a weapon. She also donned robes imbued with a number of protective sorceries, which also boasted many pockets for her supply of minor curative magical items.
The lighthouse was only an hour's walk from Imil - they told no-one where they were going. Since Megan and Justin's tragic drowning years earlier Mia seemed to have no really close friends in Imil. Mia opened the enchanted portal with her ply spell, and the two entered mercury lighthouse. The monsters were long gone, but it was an eerie journey through the halls and corridors of mercury lighthouse.
When the pair finally came up the magical lift to the lighthouse aerie they found the one they had come for sitting casually on the steps. Mia did not know what she had expected, but Isaac's description of her evil deeds she had had some half-formed notion of some monstrous visage. Amarre was very tall and dressed like a soldier in heavy chainmail and carried a hand-and-a-half sword, useable with either one hand or two, in a sheath slung across her back. Her face was striking, attractive in its way if not beautiful with shoulder-length dark brown hair bearing only the faintest traces of grey swept well out of the way of her face. Her age was impossible to guess at from her weathered face; she seemed old as the hills but Mia suspected she was of a not dissimilar age to her and Isaac. Amarre stood and faced them as they approached, and from only a few metres away Mia caught a glimpse of her eyes - cold as stone and utterly mad. Only there did Mia catch a glimpse of the total hatred Isaac had described.
Amarre did not waste time with words, stepping straight into the attack with a swirling blizzard of ice that drove both Isaac and Mia back several steps. Mia retaliated with a hail of icy needles and Isaac with a spire of stone, and battle was joined. Given that all three were massively powerful adepts with the power to heal themselves, the battle was going to go on for a while - and so it did. Waves of sorcery flared back and forth, wearing down all three combatants. Powerful though she was, Mia soon realised that Isaac and Amarre were both mightier than she. She suspected that the two were in fact very evenly matched under normal circumstances, but atop mercury lighthouse Amarre just kept rolling out waves of ice and jets of water to smash into them, disregarding all but the mightiest of Mia's assaults. Isaac's repertoire had expanded considerably since she had last fought alongside him, though, and between them they often seemed to be pushing the assassin back. Her power was constantly recharged by the lighthouse beacon, though, making it nigh-on impossible to wear her down.
Finally there came a lull in the sorcerous storm that had raged around the lighthouse aerie for over half an hour as both sides tried to regather their energies for another assault. With a shocking suddenness in the still atmosphere Amarre's hand moved and a dagger flew through the air to strike Mia's throat before the blue-haired adept could begin to react. Both Isaac and Amarre had near-superhuman speed and reactions, but Mia - skilled though she was - simply could not handle movement that fast. It would have been impossible through the conflagration of sorcery before, but now it was child's play for the assassin to bury a dagger in Mia's throat. She was a powerful healer, but the dagger's aim was perfect and there were some things that could not be changed. Her last sight was of Isaac's horrified face as the world faded away.
Seeing Isaac watch his companion die, Amarre believed that finishing him would not be much harder. Worn and grey, old before his time, the venus adept looked like he had no spirit or fight left in him. Then his head snapped up to face her suddenly, and the smile on his face - along with the total insanity in his eyes - drove even the formidable assassin back a pace. Isaac's face then assumed a predatory cast and he drew his sword, striking at her with lightning speed. Amarre only just got her own blade out in time to parry, and he was pushing her back across the aerie towards the precipice and the long drop below.
This was impossible! They had exchanged blows briefly when he had interrupted her assassination, and she knew that they were very evenly matched - yet he was striking with impossible strength and speed, far beyond anything she could ever hope to match. Then she realised what empowered him - she had, right then and there in front of him, destroyed the last thing he cared for in the whole world and now he was almost beyond the world, beyond the rules of nature - and there was not a force in the whole world that could save her. She was doomed. No-one would ever say that she gave up or tried to flee though. Amarre fought to the last - she had never given quarter and never expected it. She made not a sound as Isaac's blade finally slipped through her guard and went through her chainmail with casual ease to rip her chest open, nor as the second stroke cleanly severed her head.
Even as the assassin's body collapsed to the ground, Isaac turned away and clinically checked over Mia's body, confirming that there was no hope. He removed his enchanted armour, dropped his old gaia blade casually to the floor, went to the edge of the lighthouse and jumped. Isaac never made a sound either.
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Heh. That was cheerful. Please everyone review and tell me what you think.
*********************************************************************
The next morning, Mia was woken by Isaac's gentle shake. His expression showed a kind of deep sorrow, although he seemed far more at peace with the world than he had of late - lacking the bitterness which had in ways been the core of his being. Mia blinked her beautiful blue eyes, taking a moment to wake up fully.
"She is here." Isaac's eyes had gone distant, and she sensed probing psyenergy emanating from him.
"Wha.who..oh, your assassin friend." She realised who he must mean. Isaac's eyes focused again as his psyenergy dissipated.
"She waits atop mercury lighthouse. If nothing is done, she will strike at Imil with the power she can wield there. I know that she has twisted the healing spells of mercury clan to make ones that cause plague and disease. So she must be stopped." Mia's eyes flashed at the thought of the ancient spells of her clan being perverted so.
"No-one else in the town could do all that much against a truly powerful adept. I suppose that makes it up to us." She wanted to get her hands on the one who had killed all her old friends.
Isaac's resolute expression faltered. "No, Mia..." Independent and capable, this achieved no more than annoying her.
"You plan to confront a mercury adept atop *mercury lighthouse* and you won't take any help you can get? Don't be stupid."
"I..you're all I've got left. I couldn't..handle..." She softened as she saw his genuine concern.
"Look, I'm a mercury adept too. I'll be resistant to her attacks." Mia held up her hand as Isaac began another complaint. "I know that works both ways, but I can still heal and support you. Just taking hits would be of use." She did not intend to be left behind.
"I should try to stop you," his shoulders sagged "but I just can't bring myself to." He looked so defeated just standing there that she walked over to him and hugged him. After a moment he returned her embrace.
"Hope." She said again.
They both began getting ready for the imminent battle. Isaac picked up his enchanted sword and armour from beside the bed where he had stayed while injured (Mia stayed in the spare room in the loft) and readied his collection of small enchanted items and healing potions. Mia's old equipment was kept in a magically warded chest in a corner of the house. She had rarely had cause to use it in recent times, but kept in practice with the magical sceptre she used as a weapon. She also donned robes imbued with a number of protective sorceries, which also boasted many pockets for her supply of minor curative magical items.
The lighthouse was only an hour's walk from Imil - they told no-one where they were going. Since Megan and Justin's tragic drowning years earlier Mia seemed to have no really close friends in Imil. Mia opened the enchanted portal with her ply spell, and the two entered mercury lighthouse. The monsters were long gone, but it was an eerie journey through the halls and corridors of mercury lighthouse.
When the pair finally came up the magical lift to the lighthouse aerie they found the one they had come for sitting casually on the steps. Mia did not know what she had expected, but Isaac's description of her evil deeds she had had some half-formed notion of some monstrous visage. Amarre was very tall and dressed like a soldier in heavy chainmail and carried a hand-and-a-half sword, useable with either one hand or two, in a sheath slung across her back. Her face was striking, attractive in its way if not beautiful with shoulder-length dark brown hair bearing only the faintest traces of grey swept well out of the way of her face. Her age was impossible to guess at from her weathered face; she seemed old as the hills but Mia suspected she was of a not dissimilar age to her and Isaac. Amarre stood and faced them as they approached, and from only a few metres away Mia caught a glimpse of her eyes - cold as stone and utterly mad. Only there did Mia catch a glimpse of the total hatred Isaac had described.
Amarre did not waste time with words, stepping straight into the attack with a swirling blizzard of ice that drove both Isaac and Mia back several steps. Mia retaliated with a hail of icy needles and Isaac with a spire of stone, and battle was joined. Given that all three were massively powerful adepts with the power to heal themselves, the battle was going to go on for a while - and so it did. Waves of sorcery flared back and forth, wearing down all three combatants. Powerful though she was, Mia soon realised that Isaac and Amarre were both mightier than she. She suspected that the two were in fact very evenly matched under normal circumstances, but atop mercury lighthouse Amarre just kept rolling out waves of ice and jets of water to smash into them, disregarding all but the mightiest of Mia's assaults. Isaac's repertoire had expanded considerably since she had last fought alongside him, though, and between them they often seemed to be pushing the assassin back. Her power was constantly recharged by the lighthouse beacon, though, making it nigh-on impossible to wear her down.
Finally there came a lull in the sorcerous storm that had raged around the lighthouse aerie for over half an hour as both sides tried to regather their energies for another assault. With a shocking suddenness in the still atmosphere Amarre's hand moved and a dagger flew through the air to strike Mia's throat before the blue-haired adept could begin to react. Both Isaac and Amarre had near-superhuman speed and reactions, but Mia - skilled though she was - simply could not handle movement that fast. It would have been impossible through the conflagration of sorcery before, but now it was child's play for the assassin to bury a dagger in Mia's throat. She was a powerful healer, but the dagger's aim was perfect and there were some things that could not be changed. Her last sight was of Isaac's horrified face as the world faded away.
Seeing Isaac watch his companion die, Amarre believed that finishing him would not be much harder. Worn and grey, old before his time, the venus adept looked like he had no spirit or fight left in him. Then his head snapped up to face her suddenly, and the smile on his face - along with the total insanity in his eyes - drove even the formidable assassin back a pace. Isaac's face then assumed a predatory cast and he drew his sword, striking at her with lightning speed. Amarre only just got her own blade out in time to parry, and he was pushing her back across the aerie towards the precipice and the long drop below.
This was impossible! They had exchanged blows briefly when he had interrupted her assassination, and she knew that they were very evenly matched - yet he was striking with impossible strength and speed, far beyond anything she could ever hope to match. Then she realised what empowered him - she had, right then and there in front of him, destroyed the last thing he cared for in the whole world and now he was almost beyond the world, beyond the rules of nature - and there was not a force in the whole world that could save her. She was doomed. No-one would ever say that she gave up or tried to flee though. Amarre fought to the last - she had never given quarter and never expected it. She made not a sound as Isaac's blade finally slipped through her guard and went through her chainmail with casual ease to rip her chest open, nor as the second stroke cleanly severed her head.
Even as the assassin's body collapsed to the ground, Isaac turned away and clinically checked over Mia's body, confirming that there was no hope. He removed his enchanted armour, dropped his old gaia blade casually to the floor, went to the edge of the lighthouse and jumped. Isaac never made a sound either.
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Heh. That was cheerful. Please everyone review and tell me what you think.
