Okay, I don't know why, but I just HAD to work on this fic! Well, I'm
sure you're all not complaining. Are you happy now, Midnight? Once
again, this chapter is kind of short, but I rather liked it. ::shrugs::
Maybe I'm just weird. Well, whatever, ENJOY!
Chapter 13
Sheba could have cried with relief. She had been raised in the desert,
the rolling sand dunes and stones of the Suhalla were her home, but the
Lamakan desert had been unbearable, even for her. Seeing the edge of the
seemingly endless expanse of sand turn to sagebrush with the promise of
forests in the distance nearly made her break down.
But she didn't. The two Mars Adepts didn't look like they would hold
with such nonsense. Being killed for shedding tears wasn't something she
wanted to happen soon.
"We'll be in Xian soon," Menardi said. She seemed to have taken the role
of leader in the group. Her companion, Saturos, seemed more content bark
out a few orders and then sit back and watch. She was finding herself
hating the Mars Adept. "You had best all make yourselves presentable,
Feh will be most displeased to have an audience with the likes of you."
Sheba looked down at her own clothing, a white and lavender tunic over
light mail, in turn over the thinnest of cotton shirts. All of it was
torn, soaked with sweat, and dirty beyond compare. Her companions were
little better off, Picard's blue and white version of her own attire,
Isaac's General uniform, and Garet's simple tunic, vest and breeches were
in varying states of wear. Feizhi's pale blue gown was a lost cause
completely.
"Come," Saturos growled, setting out at a breakneck pace, leaving
everyone else to struggle to keep up.
"What does she mean we'll be in Xian soon?" Feizhi whispered. "It's a
good few days walk from here."
Menardi's pointed ears caught ever word, despite Feizhi's attempt to
soften her words. "Hsu will be bringing a carriage, very soon, I should
expect. These are the last few miles that you'll have to walk."
Somehow, despite everything she had been through, the words didn't seem
very reassuring to Sheba.
****
"I-Isaac's father?" Mia stared at the man before her. It was a moment
before she regained her senses. "But, Isaac's father is dead! He told me
that himself!"
"There are some things that Isaac doesn't know," Kyle said slowly.
"So, you just abandoned him here?" Mia's voice became high-pitched, and
slightly shrill. "You just abandoned him here because you didn't want to
take care of him?! He grew up, thinking his parents were dead, and you
were alive this whole time-"
"Please, miss," Kyle cut her off. "You don't know the whole story. Who
are you?"
"My name is Mia," she replied. "And if you think-"
"Miss Mia, please listen to me," Kyle said softly. "I did not abandon my
son here. Of that you can be assured."
"How can we know that?" Alex was still carrying the training staff he had
picked up. "How can we even know that you are who you say? You've given
us no proof. We don't have any reason to believe you."
Kyle chuckled. "You're right, I have no proof, but I would like you to
listen to what I say. May I have all of your names."
"I'm Alex," the Mercury Adept replied. "This is Felix, Jenna, and Ivan."
He motioned to each with the staff.
"Yes, Alex, you are most undoubtedly right," the older man admitted.
"What do you wish to tell us?" Felix asked.
Kyle looked up to the leafy canopy that served as a roof for the porch.
"You are all Adepts, so I have no need to explain Psynergy or Alchemy to
you. But tell me, do you know of the four Lighthouses, and the Elemental
Stars?"
"I think Aunt Hama said something about them once," Ivan volunteered
hesitantly. "She said that the Elemental Stars would light the four
Lighthouses, bringing Alchemy back into the land, which could bring the
destruction of the Earth."
"Yes, precisely," Kyle nodded. "But I don't believe that she told you
everything.
"Yes, the Lighthouses contain all of the powers of Alchemy. Centuries
ago, the four gods decreed it. Sol and Luna agreed. But the seal was
never completed. There was a great war, between Venus and Mars. Mercury
tried to stand by Venus, but her heart was torn between the two. Jupiter
refused to take sides, he lost his life protecting the seals. But they
were still damaged. Mars and Venus died, leaving only Mercury. With the
last of her powers, she broke up the demi-gods, and they protected the
seals.
"But not all of the power was contained. What leaked out created the
Adepts. We are the ones that protect the lighthouses, we are the ones
who lend our powers to that of Mercury, so that the demi-gods will be
forever trapped."
They sat in silence for several moments.
"I was gone. I had to leave, someone had tampered with the Venus
Lighthouse. I thought that Dora and Isaac would be fine, but I was
wrong," a bitterness that hadn't been there before crept into Kyle's
voice. "When I returned, it was to find my dear wife in her grave, and
my son had disappeared."
He turned to Mia, haunted shadows in the back of his eyes. "Please, you
must help me. I need to find my son."
****
The cool interior of the carriage was pure bliss after the heat of the
desert. Isaac sighed, leaning back against the plush cushions, wondering
how after everything Saturos and Menardi could even stand to be on top of
the carriage, out in the heat and the sun.
"We'll be there soon, won't we?" Garet asked quietly. "There's no
turning back."
"No, there isn't," Isaac shook his head, fingering the band of gold
around his wrist. "There never will be."
Garet closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his chin in his cupped
palms.
"Do you regret leaving?" Isaac asked.
"Yes," Garet didn't open his eyes. "And no. I told you, there are
things I need to figure out. I know Mia won't understand, I don't expect
her to ever understand. She's a Mercury Adept, her life centers on being
able to heal."
He sighed, and wouldn't say any more.
"I think I know what you're saying," Picard cut through the silence after
a moment. "And I think Mia might understand someday, too. She's not as
sure of herself as you seem to think."
Garet opened his eyes, and gave the Lemurian a long, measuring look.
After a moment, he nodded. "Maybe you're right."
****
"You're still leaving?"
Mia turned to face Alex with a weak smile. The other Mercury Adept was
leaning against the frame of the doorway to her room, his arms folded and
a disapproving scowl on his face. "There's nothing here for me."
"Even after what Kyle said?" Alex asked. "Mia, he's all the reason we
need to go charging out after Isaac and Garet. Don't you want to see
them again?"
"Alex." Mia sighed. "Alex, I want very much to see both of them again,
more than you will ever know. But I can't."
"Why not?" Alex asked, coming all the way into the room.
"Kyle's story only hardened my resolve," Mia turned back to her bags. "I
can't see either of them again. Ever."
Alex placed his hands on her slender shoulders. "You're not making
sense, Mia. Why can't you ever see either of them again?"
"It's difficult to explain, Alex," she gave him a sad smile. "Just let
me do this. This is something I need to do."
"But I don't understand."
Mia gave him another sad smile.
****
See, wasn't that fun? Mia's leaving! AAAAGH! And no, it's not just
because I want to get rid of her, she comes back! I promise!
Eventually...but I do have a plan!
Well, I do hope you enjoyed that, even *I* don't know when the next
update is going to be...considering I don't even know how long this fic
is going to be...
sure you're all not complaining. Are you happy now, Midnight? Once
again, this chapter is kind of short, but I rather liked it. ::shrugs::
Maybe I'm just weird. Well, whatever, ENJOY!
Chapter 13
Sheba could have cried with relief. She had been raised in the desert,
the rolling sand dunes and stones of the Suhalla were her home, but the
Lamakan desert had been unbearable, even for her. Seeing the edge of the
seemingly endless expanse of sand turn to sagebrush with the promise of
forests in the distance nearly made her break down.
But she didn't. The two Mars Adepts didn't look like they would hold
with such nonsense. Being killed for shedding tears wasn't something she
wanted to happen soon.
"We'll be in Xian soon," Menardi said. She seemed to have taken the role
of leader in the group. Her companion, Saturos, seemed more content bark
out a few orders and then sit back and watch. She was finding herself
hating the Mars Adept. "You had best all make yourselves presentable,
Feh will be most displeased to have an audience with the likes of you."
Sheba looked down at her own clothing, a white and lavender tunic over
light mail, in turn over the thinnest of cotton shirts. All of it was
torn, soaked with sweat, and dirty beyond compare. Her companions were
little better off, Picard's blue and white version of her own attire,
Isaac's General uniform, and Garet's simple tunic, vest and breeches were
in varying states of wear. Feizhi's pale blue gown was a lost cause
completely.
"Come," Saturos growled, setting out at a breakneck pace, leaving
everyone else to struggle to keep up.
"What does she mean we'll be in Xian soon?" Feizhi whispered. "It's a
good few days walk from here."
Menardi's pointed ears caught ever word, despite Feizhi's attempt to
soften her words. "Hsu will be bringing a carriage, very soon, I should
expect. These are the last few miles that you'll have to walk."
Somehow, despite everything she had been through, the words didn't seem
very reassuring to Sheba.
****
"I-Isaac's father?" Mia stared at the man before her. It was a moment
before she regained her senses. "But, Isaac's father is dead! He told me
that himself!"
"There are some things that Isaac doesn't know," Kyle said slowly.
"So, you just abandoned him here?" Mia's voice became high-pitched, and
slightly shrill. "You just abandoned him here because you didn't want to
take care of him?! He grew up, thinking his parents were dead, and you
were alive this whole time-"
"Please, miss," Kyle cut her off. "You don't know the whole story. Who
are you?"
"My name is Mia," she replied. "And if you think-"
"Miss Mia, please listen to me," Kyle said softly. "I did not abandon my
son here. Of that you can be assured."
"How can we know that?" Alex was still carrying the training staff he had
picked up. "How can we even know that you are who you say? You've given
us no proof. We don't have any reason to believe you."
Kyle chuckled. "You're right, I have no proof, but I would like you to
listen to what I say. May I have all of your names."
"I'm Alex," the Mercury Adept replied. "This is Felix, Jenna, and Ivan."
He motioned to each with the staff.
"Yes, Alex, you are most undoubtedly right," the older man admitted.
"What do you wish to tell us?" Felix asked.
Kyle looked up to the leafy canopy that served as a roof for the porch.
"You are all Adepts, so I have no need to explain Psynergy or Alchemy to
you. But tell me, do you know of the four Lighthouses, and the Elemental
Stars?"
"I think Aunt Hama said something about them once," Ivan volunteered
hesitantly. "She said that the Elemental Stars would light the four
Lighthouses, bringing Alchemy back into the land, which could bring the
destruction of the Earth."
"Yes, precisely," Kyle nodded. "But I don't believe that she told you
everything.
"Yes, the Lighthouses contain all of the powers of Alchemy. Centuries
ago, the four gods decreed it. Sol and Luna agreed. But the seal was
never completed. There was a great war, between Venus and Mars. Mercury
tried to stand by Venus, but her heart was torn between the two. Jupiter
refused to take sides, he lost his life protecting the seals. But they
were still damaged. Mars and Venus died, leaving only Mercury. With the
last of her powers, she broke up the demi-gods, and they protected the
seals.
"But not all of the power was contained. What leaked out created the
Adepts. We are the ones that protect the lighthouses, we are the ones
who lend our powers to that of Mercury, so that the demi-gods will be
forever trapped."
They sat in silence for several moments.
"I was gone. I had to leave, someone had tampered with the Venus
Lighthouse. I thought that Dora and Isaac would be fine, but I was
wrong," a bitterness that hadn't been there before crept into Kyle's
voice. "When I returned, it was to find my dear wife in her grave, and
my son had disappeared."
He turned to Mia, haunted shadows in the back of his eyes. "Please, you
must help me. I need to find my son."
****
The cool interior of the carriage was pure bliss after the heat of the
desert. Isaac sighed, leaning back against the plush cushions, wondering
how after everything Saturos and Menardi could even stand to be on top of
the carriage, out in the heat and the sun.
"We'll be there soon, won't we?" Garet asked quietly. "There's no
turning back."
"No, there isn't," Isaac shook his head, fingering the band of gold
around his wrist. "There never will be."
Garet closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his chin in his cupped
palms.
"Do you regret leaving?" Isaac asked.
"Yes," Garet didn't open his eyes. "And no. I told you, there are
things I need to figure out. I know Mia won't understand, I don't expect
her to ever understand. She's a Mercury Adept, her life centers on being
able to heal."
He sighed, and wouldn't say any more.
"I think I know what you're saying," Picard cut through the silence after
a moment. "And I think Mia might understand someday, too. She's not as
sure of herself as you seem to think."
Garet opened his eyes, and gave the Lemurian a long, measuring look.
After a moment, he nodded. "Maybe you're right."
****
"You're still leaving?"
Mia turned to face Alex with a weak smile. The other Mercury Adept was
leaning against the frame of the doorway to her room, his arms folded and
a disapproving scowl on his face. "There's nothing here for me."
"Even after what Kyle said?" Alex asked. "Mia, he's all the reason we
need to go charging out after Isaac and Garet. Don't you want to see
them again?"
"Alex." Mia sighed. "Alex, I want very much to see both of them again,
more than you will ever know. But I can't."
"Why not?" Alex asked, coming all the way into the room.
"Kyle's story only hardened my resolve," Mia turned back to her bags. "I
can't see either of them again. Ever."
Alex placed his hands on her slender shoulders. "You're not making
sense, Mia. Why can't you ever see either of them again?"
"It's difficult to explain, Alex," she gave him a sad smile. "Just let
me do this. This is something I need to do."
"But I don't understand."
Mia gave him another sad smile.
****
See, wasn't that fun? Mia's leaving! AAAAGH! And no, it's not just
because I want to get rid of her, she comes back! I promise!
Eventually...but I do have a plan!
Well, I do hope you enjoyed that, even *I* don't know when the next
update is going to be...considering I don't even know how long this fic
is going to be...