Chapter Two
"Isaac! ISAAC! Wake up!" The troubled voice of Piers snapped Isaac out of his restful sleep. It was the first night in a long time that he had actually slept for more than four hours.
Isaac groggily turned over in his bed, rubbing his pale blue eyes. He looked up at Piers, who had a completely fretted look on his face. "What is it, Piers?"
"Kraden! Kraden has to see us! He found something! Isaac, this changes EVERYTHING!" There was a hint of excitement in the usually calm Piers' voice.
"Alright, alright. I'm getting up. Leave the room while I get dressed." Isaac sad, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He was dressed in only a baggy pair of pants, and the frigid autumn air did not feel cool on his bare skin once he came out from underneath the covers.
"The others are getting up too. We'll meet at Kraden's house, and be quick!" Piers exclaimed, then turned and headed down the stairs and out of Isaac's house. He was glad that Piers' loud voice hadn't awoken his mother, who he could hear sleeping soundly in the room below his.
Isaac clambered out of bed and stumbled over to his small wooden closet in the far right corner. Pulling it open, he withdrew his usual outfit, and his armor. Quickly putting it on, he finished by fastening his belt around his waist with the hilt of his sword. He hadn't worn his armor in awhile, and for a second he stood there, trying to remember why exactly he had chosen to put it on that very moment. There was an aching feeling inside of him that was calling out for him to put it on, so he decided that was what had made him do it. He ran his fingers through his hair, then ran down the stairs.
There had been a light frost during the night. The leaves beneath his feet crunched ever louder than before, sounding like he was walking on chips. He saw Ivan, who surprising was also clad in his mage's armor, not too far ahead. Jogging slightly, he caught up to with his friend.
Ivan turned his head, smiling through chattering teeth. "Morning, Isaac. Any idea what this is all about?"
Isaac shook his head. "Piers just came and woke me up. All he sad was that Kraden found something."
"Geez, that guy can really get around sometimes. He woke me up too; he must have gotten the others. Jenna and Felix are up ahead over there, but they couldn't hear me when I called to them." Ivan said in return to Isaac's statement. "Let's just hurry up and get there, it's starting to drive me insane."
For the next few moments they walked in silence, trotting along the path that led to Kraden's book-stuffed house. Soon they were standing in front of the heaving oak door. Isaac lifted his hand to knock on the door, but he didn't get a chance to even knock once before the door swung open.
They were greeted by Kraden's smiling face. "Come in! Come in! Wait 'till you see what I've found! Just WAIT!" Kraden gestured them in with a sweep of his cloaked arm. Isaac stepped inside, followed by Ivan.
Sitting next to the fire was Garet, who was resting in an armchair. He looked slightly pained to be sitting upright, but Isaac knew that by his stubbornness, he would not miss what Kraden had to tell them. Jenna was sitting in a wooden chair a little to the right of Garet, and next to the corner. Propped up in the corner and looking grim was her younger brother, Felix. His dark brown hair was hanging down across his eyes so that Isaac could not see his face. His arms were crossed, giving Isaac a slight feeling that he didn't fully want to be here. Mia was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Garet, and he could tell that Garet was fully enjoying this. Piers was pacing back and forth in front of one of Kraden's many bookshelves. Sheba was sitting, trying to look proper, trying to hold her tiredness, at the table in another wooden chair. Ivan moved across the room and also sat at the table, scooting slightly closer to the burning fire. Isaac took a few steps inside and stayed near the door, not taking a seat.
Kraden moved himself so that he now stood in the center of the room, his face bright red with the excitement of what he had to tell them. "Alright, alright, now listen up! You all know of the elements that associated themselves with each star, right? Mars to fire, Venus to earth, Jupiter to lightning, and Mercury to water, correct?"
Each of them gave Kraden an assuring nod, though they were each thinking how could Kraden even ask them that after what they had been through.
Acknowledging each and every nod, Kraden continued. "The Four Lighthouses, when lit, gave absolutely no reaction. That is, in fact, because," He paused for a moment, as if to build the suspense for them, "There are more lighthouses!" He stopped there, waiting for that to sink in.
Isaac withdrew back a few feet in the shock of what Kraden said. His face drained of the color it had. More lighthouses? After what they had DONE? All of them nearly getting killed, Garet nearly lost to them?
And the one horrible thing that he himself had done, that still took a toll on him?
He suddenly had a horrible, vivid memory of that day. The day that Garet was nearly lost. They had been standing at the very top of the Mars lighthouse, him, Garet, Mia, and Ivan, turned against Felix, Jenna, Sheba and Piers to stop them from throwing the Mars Star into the lighthouse. It was the most difficult fight of his life, besides the fact that they were fighting friend against friend. He kept fighting himself to turn on Garet, Garet who had taken over the leadership role that one day. The one day that Mia, Ivan and Garet could find nothing wrong with Garet's decisions. They didn't know what had happened, they didn't.
"Isaac? Are you alright? Would you like me to continue?" Kraden's words snapped Isaac out of the memory. Sucking in some air, he nodded. He looked around the room, flicking from each of the other's completely bewildered faces.
"Alright then, hear me out now. There was in fact, a time when there were more Adepts. In my research, I found that there are traces that those races do still exist; though their numbers are so few that they would be nearly impossible to find. But it is, in fact, that there are more Lighthouses that are aligned with the other adepts. That means that there are more elements, and I think that there is a Lighthouse for each and every planet, save our own."
"That means that besides Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, there are the Saturn, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune. I've been working on each element that is aligned with these planets, but so far, I've found very little. Since we now know that all the lighthouses must be lit, we must, as soon as possible, begin our travels. I have found some traces of the Saturn Adepts near Tolbi, and a cave north west of there. So, what do you have to say? Are we going to follow this?"
Isaac knew that the question was directed to him. He felt their eyes all turn to look at him, but he couldn't focus. He was feeling a pain that was familiar to him, but had not been there long and he wished would go away. He then felt himself begin to fall back, though he felt no sense that he would hit anything. He saw Jenna's mouth say his name, but he could not hear it. They were all moving to him, but he could barely register it.
The pain overwhelmed him, and all went black.
"Isaac! ISAAC! Wake up!" The troubled voice of Piers snapped Isaac out of his restful sleep. It was the first night in a long time that he had actually slept for more than four hours.
Isaac groggily turned over in his bed, rubbing his pale blue eyes. He looked up at Piers, who had a completely fretted look on his face. "What is it, Piers?"
"Kraden! Kraden has to see us! He found something! Isaac, this changes EVERYTHING!" There was a hint of excitement in the usually calm Piers' voice.
"Alright, alright. I'm getting up. Leave the room while I get dressed." Isaac sad, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. He was dressed in only a baggy pair of pants, and the frigid autumn air did not feel cool on his bare skin once he came out from underneath the covers.
"The others are getting up too. We'll meet at Kraden's house, and be quick!" Piers exclaimed, then turned and headed down the stairs and out of Isaac's house. He was glad that Piers' loud voice hadn't awoken his mother, who he could hear sleeping soundly in the room below his.
Isaac clambered out of bed and stumbled over to his small wooden closet in the far right corner. Pulling it open, he withdrew his usual outfit, and his armor. Quickly putting it on, he finished by fastening his belt around his waist with the hilt of his sword. He hadn't worn his armor in awhile, and for a second he stood there, trying to remember why exactly he had chosen to put it on that very moment. There was an aching feeling inside of him that was calling out for him to put it on, so he decided that was what had made him do it. He ran his fingers through his hair, then ran down the stairs.
There had been a light frost during the night. The leaves beneath his feet crunched ever louder than before, sounding like he was walking on chips. He saw Ivan, who surprising was also clad in his mage's armor, not too far ahead. Jogging slightly, he caught up to with his friend.
Ivan turned his head, smiling through chattering teeth. "Morning, Isaac. Any idea what this is all about?"
Isaac shook his head. "Piers just came and woke me up. All he sad was that Kraden found something."
"Geez, that guy can really get around sometimes. He woke me up too; he must have gotten the others. Jenna and Felix are up ahead over there, but they couldn't hear me when I called to them." Ivan said in return to Isaac's statement. "Let's just hurry up and get there, it's starting to drive me insane."
For the next few moments they walked in silence, trotting along the path that led to Kraden's book-stuffed house. Soon they were standing in front of the heaving oak door. Isaac lifted his hand to knock on the door, but he didn't get a chance to even knock once before the door swung open.
They were greeted by Kraden's smiling face. "Come in! Come in! Wait 'till you see what I've found! Just WAIT!" Kraden gestured them in with a sweep of his cloaked arm. Isaac stepped inside, followed by Ivan.
Sitting next to the fire was Garet, who was resting in an armchair. He looked slightly pained to be sitting upright, but Isaac knew that by his stubbornness, he would not miss what Kraden had to tell them. Jenna was sitting in a wooden chair a little to the right of Garet, and next to the corner. Propped up in the corner and looking grim was her younger brother, Felix. His dark brown hair was hanging down across his eyes so that Isaac could not see his face. His arms were crossed, giving Isaac a slight feeling that he didn't fully want to be here. Mia was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to Garet, and he could tell that Garet was fully enjoying this. Piers was pacing back and forth in front of one of Kraden's many bookshelves. Sheba was sitting, trying to look proper, trying to hold her tiredness, at the table in another wooden chair. Ivan moved across the room and also sat at the table, scooting slightly closer to the burning fire. Isaac took a few steps inside and stayed near the door, not taking a seat.
Kraden moved himself so that he now stood in the center of the room, his face bright red with the excitement of what he had to tell them. "Alright, alright, now listen up! You all know of the elements that associated themselves with each star, right? Mars to fire, Venus to earth, Jupiter to lightning, and Mercury to water, correct?"
Each of them gave Kraden an assuring nod, though they were each thinking how could Kraden even ask them that after what they had been through.
Acknowledging each and every nod, Kraden continued. "The Four Lighthouses, when lit, gave absolutely no reaction. That is, in fact, because," He paused for a moment, as if to build the suspense for them, "There are more lighthouses!" He stopped there, waiting for that to sink in.
Isaac withdrew back a few feet in the shock of what Kraden said. His face drained of the color it had. More lighthouses? After what they had DONE? All of them nearly getting killed, Garet nearly lost to them?
And the one horrible thing that he himself had done, that still took a toll on him?
He suddenly had a horrible, vivid memory of that day. The day that Garet was nearly lost. They had been standing at the very top of the Mars lighthouse, him, Garet, Mia, and Ivan, turned against Felix, Jenna, Sheba and Piers to stop them from throwing the Mars Star into the lighthouse. It was the most difficult fight of his life, besides the fact that they were fighting friend against friend. He kept fighting himself to turn on Garet, Garet who had taken over the leadership role that one day. The one day that Mia, Ivan and Garet could find nothing wrong with Garet's decisions. They didn't know what had happened, they didn't.
"Isaac? Are you alright? Would you like me to continue?" Kraden's words snapped Isaac out of the memory. Sucking in some air, he nodded. He looked around the room, flicking from each of the other's completely bewildered faces.
"Alright then, hear me out now. There was in fact, a time when there were more Adepts. In my research, I found that there are traces that those races do still exist; though their numbers are so few that they would be nearly impossible to find. But it is, in fact, that there are more Lighthouses that are aligned with the other adepts. That means that there are more elements, and I think that there is a Lighthouse for each and every planet, save our own."
"That means that besides Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter, there are the Saturn, Pluto, Uranus and Neptune. I've been working on each element that is aligned with these planets, but so far, I've found very little. Since we now know that all the lighthouses must be lit, we must, as soon as possible, begin our travels. I have found some traces of the Saturn Adepts near Tolbi, and a cave north west of there. So, what do you have to say? Are we going to follow this?"
Isaac knew that the question was directed to him. He felt their eyes all turn to look at him, but he couldn't focus. He was feeling a pain that was familiar to him, but had not been there long and he wished would go away. He then felt himself begin to fall back, though he felt no sense that he would hit anything. He saw Jenna's mouth say his name, but he could not hear it. They were all moving to him, but he could barely register it.
The pain overwhelmed him, and all went black.