Argggh! I'm using my grandparents' computer, but get this: they don't have a floppy drive, a CD burner, or Microsoft Word! I'm typing this using WordPad... (which doesn't have a spell checker, so excuse my mistakes). And they have dial-up internet access... I miss broadband...
Felix: Great, I'm stuck in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere (Massachusetts), with a crazy author who's having Word withdrawal...
--Reader Responses--
Inferno-Hero: Yes, Fire Adepts can be reasonable (I mean, the Proxans were the only ones who took action to save the world!) and yes, (sigh) Fire Adepts are definitely reckless. Well, as you can see, I get to use my grandparents' laptop, but it's not exactly the best one in the world... Pretty good guesses, but I'm not going to tell you if you're right or not, because that would ruin the whole story!
ice-phoenix-chan: Well, I've tried writing stories on paper, but it's so hard when you can't go back and rewrite a section without scribbling all over the paper and making everything utterly illegible. About my relatives... It's been...interesting so far! (Still one and a half weeks to go...)
Mornie: Thanks! I've been trying to keep everyone in character, which is one of the hardest but most interesting thing about doing an alternate universe story. The rivalry will build in upcoming chapters, don't worry (or do worry, if you want to).
--End of Response Section--
Disclaimer: Avari does not own Golden Sun or its characters.
Chapter Three
Thunderclouds Gather / Plans
Gods, why are we all such fools? Though many hide it well, human arrogance and prideful foolishness is exposed in the end. The day the Jupiter Adept arrived here was the beginning of the end in Prox. It revealed that we, too, are human, and are subject to the limitations of the inherent human nature.
The girl came to our gates a week ago—only a week? It seems an age since she collapsed at our gates. She was only about sixteen or so, but she seemed older. Maybe all Jupiter Adepts are like this—self-assured and confident—because of the knowledge they were granted by the gods that no one else can possibly understand.
I don't know why she came; she only told the guards that she had to see the chieftain of Prox. Normally, no one who did not have the power of Mars would be allowed into Prox, but Puelle was informed of her presence, and he let her enter.
Steven and the others wanted to turn her out immediately when they found out that she was a Jupiter Adept; they have insisted from the beginning that we of the Mars Clan should not degrade ourselves by conversing with those of the other elements. Not that anyone here in Prox has ever disagreed with that statement until now. We alone are destined to reunite the people of Weyard under our rule. We and no one else. Working with the other kingdoms will only assure our downfall.
I did feel a bit sorry for her, her small body shivering in the bitter cold of the Proxan winter. But though I am not one of the radicals, even I did not want to allow her inside. The other clans are not to be trusted; the massacre of 385 proves that much. Since that day we have held a grudge against the Jupiterians.
But Puelle has always been independent. He let her in, despite our objections and spoke with her—she would not rest until she had a private talk with him.
He came out from their meeting looking as if he had seen a ghost. I have never been one to deny what is in front of my eyes—Puelle looked as if someone had told him the end of the world was coming. Immediately afterwards, he would not speak to anyone, but stayed cooped up in his room. Then he summoned a group of Proxan Adepts—including the youths Saturos and Menardi, who many consider scandalously young, too young to be speaking with the chief. No one else was included.
Steven and his group have never agreed with Puelle. But up until that day, they had kept their protests verbal…
Two days ago, they strangled the Jupiter Adept and threw her body outside the gates for the wolves to gnaw upon.
And no one stopped them. Puelle was not in sight, or Steven would not have dared. But no one in a crowd of twenty Proxans made a move to stop them as they murdered her in the center of Prox. Maybe they were too terrified to move—as I was. I dislike the Jupiter Adepts, but what point is there in senseless killing?
Or maybe they did not care.
Whatever happened in the square that day, it will be the downfall of Prox. We are falling apart, unable to maintain the semblance of harmony that we have kept for over five hundred years.
This will be the end of us, Mars. We'll meet with you very soon, in the void beyond, where we go when our life-force has expired.
Wait for us.
—From the records of Siena Maril, record-keeper of Prox from 580 to 586 A.S.; entry dated 583 A.S
Isaac felt himself floating through an empty void.
Where am I?
He tried to speak, but no sound emerged from his mouth. He didn't seem to be able to move, either.
Am I dead?
A flash of memory returned to him: the wolves, maddened and hungry, attacking him.
I probably am dead, he realized.
He knew he should be sad, or regretful. Uzume's mission would fail without him, and the Venus Clan would be overwhelmed by the other kingdoms.
But all he could feel was relief, the unmistakable feeling that a heavy burden had lifted from his shoulders. He was free from the endless battles that raged over Weyard, he was free from—
"Warrior!" A gentle voice interrupted his thoughts.
Isaac tried to ignore the voice, to think only of the peace, the calm...
"Warrior, you must come back!"
Back to where? He hadn't gone anywhere; he was right here.
"Why do you fight our healing? Why do you resist us?"
Resist? I'm not resisting anything…
"Warrior," the soft voice said, despairing, "I cannot heal you myself. If you wish to return to life, you must will it. Please."
Wait a minute. What did the voice mean, return to life? Was he really dead, then?
A flood of guilt swept over Isaac. He had so much to do before death. He wasn't ready to die!
With a sudden determination, Isaac reached up towards the voice and the pinprick of light that shone above...
He opened his eyes slowly. Standing above him, looking down, was an angel. A blue-haired angel, with a worried frown on her compassionate face.
"You're awake," she said. Her voice was quiet, but there was no mistaking the sound of evident relief. She smiled at him, a slow, sweet smile.
"Who...who are you?" Isaac stuttered.
"I'm Mia, of the Mercury Clan. You are in the town of Imil."
"I'm Isaac. I—" With a sudden shock of horror, Isaac realized that he was in Imil. This girl was one of the Mercury Adepts he had to befriend, in the hopes that they would side with the Venus Clan against Jupiter, Venus's mortal enemy. But for the Mercurians not to suspect him, Isaac wouldn't be able to reveal his true intentions, or his background. "I'm from...Vale," he ended lamely. He hoped she wouldn't question him too closely; he had only been to Vale once.
Mia met his eyes, then looked away. "We—Alex and I—were able to heal your wounds easily, but you stayed unconscious for such a long time. We...we nearly lost you." She blinked a few times, not meeting his eyes. "But seeing as you're awake now, I think it would be okay for you to get up, as long as you feel okay." Still not looking at him, she picked up a pile of clothes that were stacked neatly on the floor. "You can wear these," she said. "Your other clothes were nearly rags when you got here."
Isaac nodded, realizing, with a twinge of embarrassment, that he was wrapped in only a sheet.
After Mia closed the door behind her, he got out of bed, preparing to wince as he stretched his sore muscles. But he felt nothing; no aches, bruises, or old wounds bothered him. He was still a bit disoriented—understandable, if he had been knocked out for as long as Mia hinted he had—but other than that, he felt great.
Wondering what he would find in Imil, he dressed quickly. The clothes were a bit big for him, but he buckled the belt tightly around the waist of the tunic. Grabbing his sword, which was lying on the floor by his bed, he sheathed it and left the room.
He found Mia standing outside the small house, talking with a tall man. A few flakes of snow blew around in the wind, pale against the dark clouds. It seemed to be only mid-afternoon, but the foreboding storm clouds cast a dim shadow over the snowbound town.
As Isaac approached, Mia turned around and smiled at him. "Isaac, this is Alex. Alex, Isaac."
The man—Alex—turned around. He, like Mia, had blue hair and eyes. Isaac wondered if all Mercury Adepts looked like this. Alex grinned at Isaac, his eyes lighting up.
"Are you feeling better, Isaac? You had some bad wounds when you were brought in."
Isaac nodded his thanks. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to you and Mia. I'm grateful that you spent the time and effort to heal a stranger."
"It's our duty," Mia said. "I would never forgive myself if I left anyone to die. Even—" She broke off, flushing slightly.
Alex looked at her strangely, then commented, "It's not often that we see any traveling warriors around here. Where did you say you were from?"
Isaac tried not to blink in his nervousness. "Vale."
"Where are you heading, Isaac?" Mia had a very beautiful voice, Isaac noticed, even through his panic.
"Well, I'm just a wanderer, really, a nomad." He chuckled, warming to his story. "I go wherever I feel like going."
Mia's eyes sparkled. "It must be wonderful, having so much freedom. Do you ever get tired of it?"
"Well," said Isaac, trying to create a realistic response, "it has its ups and downs. Those wolves were one of the downs."
Mia and Alex both laughed.
"So, are you going to stay here long, Isaac?"
Isaac felt a fluttery feeling in his chest as Mia spoke. But despite this strange new emotion, he had his story planned out. "Well, actually, I came here to offer my services. I'm a healer, you see, and I heard that Imil is in need of healers."
The light in Mia's eyes dimmed. "You heard correctly. With all the battles going on, there's more healing to be done than we can manage. It seems that nearly every day, some of the Mercurian warriors are brought here."
Alex added, "We were sent here to be a healing base for the Mercurian forces, but we need more strength than the four of us that are here currently. We had five healers when we first came here, but one had to return to Lemuria after he was injured severely in an accident with the Jupiterian forces. We've asked King Hydros for more Adepts, but there are none to spare: all of them are involved in a campaign against Venus."
Isaac felt his stomach clench at the mention of his clan, but he kept his features emotionless.
How in the world am I supposed to convince them that Venus needs their peace? They're just healers, miles away from their capital… What made Uzume think that they will be able to influence their king?
"Well," said Alex, a broad smile on his face, "we'll take all the help we can get. You ready for some work, Isaac?"
Isaac struggled with his conflicting emotions. He did need to have some excuse to befriend the Mercurians, but…healing his enemies?
Isaac had been raised by compassionate parents. They had told him numerous times—before their deaths four years ago—that each human on the face of Weyard—no matter what kingdom they lived in—was equal. Isaac took a deep breath. They are humans, too, just like the soldiers of Venus. They deserve life just as much as any other. There is no reason that I should shrink from helping them.
A weight off his chest, Isaac smiled, feeling happy for the first time in several weeks of traveling and worry.
"You bet!"
A dense mist swirled around a desolate shore. The fog lined the border between the water and the land, enclosing the beach in a white blanket.
The waves lapped gently at the bare feet of a girl. She lay on the shore, sand encrusted on her skirt and dark red hair. The waves washed higher, splashing the girl's face. With a sputter, she awoke.
Jenna groaned and opened her eyes, squinting to see in the dim light. Slowly, she sat up and looked around.
She was on a sandy shore. The beauty of the quiet beach—what she could see of it, because a thick fog obscured her vision—was marred by the half-hulk of a ship that lay stranded on the beach. Shards of wood were scattered across the sand. Jenna flinched, realizing that these boards were all that remained of the beautiful ship that had left Tolbi only a few days before.
Jenna got to her feet, brushing sand off of her damp skirt. Walking slowly so as not to aggravate her aching head, Jenna approached the ruin.
Apprehensively, she began to walk around the ship, wondering where everyone else had gone.
She had only circled halfway around the stranded wreck when she found one sailor. Jenna shrieked, almost tripping over the limp body. She ran in the other direction, only to stumble over the captain's corpse. His body lay half in the water, his bloated arms swaying gently in a morbid semblance of life.
Trying not to throw up, Jenna edged away from the wreckage, then broke into a run. She dashed up the beach, not knowing where she was going, just trying to get as far away from the carnage as possible.
With a thump, she collided into a man who had been walking down the beach. The young man caught her as she fell, exhausted, to the sand.
His bright gold eyes took in the scene: the now sobbing girl, the wreck, the dead sailors. "Shock," he muttered. Brushing long blue hair out of his eyes, he murmured some words under his breath. His hand glowed blue, and Jenna's eyes closed, her breath slowing.
Hoisting the girl's limp body in his arms, the man cast one sad look at the ruined ship, then began to trudge up the beach.
Jenna awoke abruptly. She lay on a soft mattress under a patterned quilt. Above her, wooden beams criss-crossed the ceiling, reminding Jenna of a ship's cabin.
"Where am I?" she whispered to herself. She only remembered waking up on the shore…and the dead crew...
"In Lemuria," answered a voice. Jenna started. She looked to her side to see a young man, who seemed to be about nineteen or so. He was quite tall and muscular, with strange bright gold eyes. His long blue hair was tied back in a ponytail, and a patterned headband was wrapped around his forehead.
Jenna stared at him. The only blue-haired people she had ever heard of were Water Adepts, but...
In Lemuria...
"But that's impossible," muttered Jenna. "Lemuria's in the middle of the Eastern Sea..."
"Your ship encountered that storm in the western region of the Eastern Sea yesterday evening," said a new voice, a harsh one. "With no one in control of the Black Orb, you were swept off course and washed into Lemuria. Your ship actually made it through the Sea of Time, as few other ships have done, though at the expense of many lives."
Jenna turned her attention to the end of the bed, where a stately man stood, his blue-gray hair swept back carefully, a crown on his head.
"Oh no," she whispered. "You're not... You can't be..."
"I am King Hydros of Lemuria," the royal-looking man said, straightening unconsciously, "ruler of the Mercury Kingdom. And you are?"
"I'm Jenna," Jenna said miserably. "I'm from...the Venus Kingdom."
The king raised his eyebrows in shock. "The Venus Kingdom? We noticed the extraordinary color of your hair and decided to check if you were an Adept. We tested your power and, finding that you were a Mars Adept, we assumed you were from Prox."
Jenna flushed, but sat up, sweeping her red hair back proudly. "I am a Fire Adept, but I was born to a family of Venus Adepts. I...was being sent to Prox when the ship was caught in the storm."
The king frowned. "This changes matters. The Mars Clan has never attacked us—"
The young man by his side chuckled. "That's because they knew they would lose."
"—but the Venus Clan... They are not indifferent to us. This could be dangerous for our kingdom. If we sent you back..."
"I promise I won't say anything," cried Jenna earnestly, hope rising in her. She would be able to see her family, her brother, again.
"But we cannot trust a stranger, especially an outsider." The king spat out the last word.
"But Your Majesty, surely we can make her sign an oath never to reveal our secrets..." began the young man.
"Picard, you do not understand these matters of state. She is one of them, one of the Venus Clan, despite the fact that she is a Mars Adept. She would not hesitate to betray our entire clan."
The young man—Picard—sighed. "You're right as always, Your Majesty."
The king smiled knowingly. "The girl Jenna must remain in Lemuria. She must not be allowed to pass the boundaries. Good day, Picard."
Watching the king sweep regally out of the room, Jenna felt the tears well up. Struggling to keep her dignity, she blinked quickly several times. All chances of seeing her brother ever again had been smashed like the ship against the rocks.
"Here." A strong hand lifted her to her feet. Jenna looked up to meet brilliant gold eyes. "I'm sorry that you can't leave, but we are at war. We can't take any chances."
You were prepared to take those chances until Hydros objected, thought Jenna, but she said nothing.
Picard watched her dark brown eyes cloud over with pain as she tried to hold back the flood of grief that was overwhelming her. He wished he could do something for her, but no one could overrule Hydros. Picard saw the reasoning in Hydros's decision, but it was hard to apply the rules of war to an innocent girl who would never see her family again.
"As long as you're here, you might as well see Lemuria," Picard said. He guided her gently out of the house and into the bright sunlight of the Mercurian capital.
"Ivan, you're back!" cried the young girl. Ivan watched emotionlessly as his friend ran down the stairs towards him, her purple braid flying behind her, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Hello, Feizhi." Ivan was in no mood to deal with the spirited Jupiter Adept.
Feizhi stopped short, looking behind Ivan with a puzzled expression on her face. "Ivan, where's Sheba?"
Feeling his rage return, Ivan swept past Feizhi. "Not now. I need to see Hama."
Feizhi watched as the Jupiter Adept ran past her, anger evident in every motion he made.
"Hama?" Ivan knocked softly on the doors to his sister's room.
"Come in, Ivan."
Ivan opened the door to see his sister sitting on her couch, her long purple braid coiled around her head.
"Welcome back, brother." She smiled warmly. Formalities restricted the emotions she could display in public, but she loved her only brother dearly. He was the only remainder of her family; their parents had been dead for over eight years.
"I..." Ivan tried to speak, to report everything that had happened, as he had been trained to do, but he choked. Ignoring all proper protocol, he threw himself into his sister's arms and wrapped his arms around her.
Hama returned his hug, holding her young brother as she had not since he was a toddler.
"I know, Ivan, I know," she murmured soothingly.
Ivan drew back, his violet eyes wide with rising anger.
"You knew? You knew this would happen?"
Hama looked her brother directly in the eyes. "I knew there was a high possibility that either you or Sheba would not come out of there. But I was not sure until you returned just now."
Ivan's eyes blazed. "Well, then you know why I have to go back and rescue her."
Hama sighed. She'd had feelings like this before, but when she had become the ruler of the Jupiter Clan after her parents' deaths, she had put all such emotions behind her. "Ivan, there is no way that you would be able to sneak in and get Sheba away from the Venusians. She will be too well protected, and since last time, security will be even higher. I can't let you get caught, too."
"But Hama!"
The young woman took her brother's hand. "Ivan, I know how you feel. But I don't even need powers of prophecy to know that you would not escape out of the Venusian palace a second time. The risks are too great, and I need you."
"Sheba needs me too!"
"Ivan, you are not thinking! You would only be risking yourself, and I will need you when the Venus troops come for us on the seventeenth."
Ivan turned white. His violet eyes stood out like fires in his pale face as he pulled the papers from his tunic and dumped them on the floor. "You knew. You knew they were planning an ambush. And you sent Sheba and me there anyway."
"Ivan!"
The boy ignored her. He turned and ran, slamming the door behind him.
Hama sighed again. She turned to the window, looking northwest toward the Venus kingdom. Her brother must never know why she sent him and Sheba to the palace in Tolbi.
I did as you told me, Jupiter. Please, give me the strength to help my brother, she begged.
There was no reply.
In the Venusian palace, Felix stood outside the Sheba's door, wishing he didn't have to do this. He got along well enough with Jenna, but other than that, he didn't feel comfortable around girls. Given a choice, he would have avoided Sheba completely, but Uzume had insisted…
"Sheba?" He knocked on the door. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah."
Felix pushed open the door. Sheba was sitting on the edge of her bed, gazing southeast out the window. She seemed to be in a quiet mood, very different from the argumentative streak she had shown yesterday. It was almost as if she was a completely different person.
"Sheba? I need to take you to Lady Uzume."
Sheba had only been settled in for a day, so she had not yet met the ruler of the Venus Clan.
"Why?"
"Because you're going to be staying here, so she wants to meet you."
Sheba turned around, fixing those bright green eyes of hers on him, giving him a glance that seemed to look into his soul.
"That isn't the only reason, is it." She spoke quietly, but with confidence.
"Well...no. She—well, all of the Venus Clan, really—needs your powers to win this war." Felix grimaced inside. He didn't want this war, but he knew Uzume had her reasons.
"You don't really want to be doing this, do you?"
Again, Felix was unnerved by the girl's perception. She wasn't even using Mind Read!
"Felix, after reading minds for nearly fourteen years, human thought gets to be very predictable, and very obvious." She smiled. "Well, seeing as how Lady Uzume requested it, I'll come."
They stood in front of a pair of tall doors. Felix knocked lightly on the varnished wood.
"Lady Uzume? I've brought Sheba," Felix called through the door.
The door opened, revealing the leader of the Venus Clan, a woman in her mid-twenties, with dark brown hair and a wise smile.
"Welcome, Felix."
"My lady, may I present Sheba, of the Jupiter Kingdom?"
Sheba stepped forward, expressionless.
Uzume smiled her thanks at Felix, then trained all of her attention on the young Jupiter Adept.
"I would welcome you to my home, Sheba, but I do not think that you wish to be welcomed."
Sheba looked up, startled: Uzume had the assured attitude and insight of a Jupiter Adept!
Uzume smiled. "I spent my childhood with a young girl named Hama. She taught me many tricks of perception, but no, I am not a Jupiter Adept. I would not be able to rule on the throne of Venus if I were not an Adept of Venus." Her smile faded. "But now, war has torn our clans apart. That is why I need your help, Sheba of Lalivero. If we are to survive this onslaught, we will need your foresight."
Sheba said nothing. She seemed to be staring past Uzume, out the doors that opened onto a balcony. Wondering why Sheba wasn't responding, Felix took matters into his own hands. He nodded formally to Uzume, then said, "We'll be in the library if you need us."
He grabbed Sheba's hand and led her out.
In the past, before the sealing of Alchemy, many of the Venus Clan had been scholars. The large library was filled with their historical records, music, and traditional tales.
Felix led Sheba over to a pair of chairs on the first floor of the library and sat her down, seating himself in the other. Sheba's eyes were still unfocused, staring off into space. Felix thought he saw a glitter of purple in her irises.
"Sheba?"
She flinched slightly and looked up with bright green eyes.
That's funny, thought Felix. I could've sworn her eyes were a different color a minute ago…
Sheba met his eyes. "Why should I help you?"
Felix sighed. "Look, Sheba, the truth is, Uzume doesn't really want to be in this war. She told you herself that she used to be friends with Hama."
Sheba's eyes glowed purple. "But...if she didn't fight, your clan would be totally overpowered by Mercury and Jupiter and Mars, even if you declared yourself to be in a state of peace."
"Stop reading my mind!"
Sheba did not even smile. She seemed even more subdued than she had just been half an hour ago.
"So," continued Felix, "now you know why the Venus Clan has to fight. But now we're trapped: we can't survive without fighting, but once we start fighting, we have to win to stay alive."
"And so you want me to use my powers to help you win this."
"Exactly." Well, according to Uzume, anyway.
Sheba stared at him. "You don't want to fight this war, either."
"Well...no."
"But you have to! Do you really want to be conquered by the other elemental kingdoms?"
Felix didn't answer.
"Felix, why don't you want to fight?"
He sighed again. "You're too young to understand."
Sheba scowled. She was about to object to that, but he stopped her. "Look, Sheba, if you help us, maybe we'll be able to allow you to return to Lalivero."
The anger in Sheba's eyes faded, replaced by…sadness? She said nothing.
No, you won't. You can't, because you need my powers. You'll always need them. Jupiter, why is this my fate?
Felix was about to say something along the lines of ordering her to help—which was most unlike him, when Sheba closed her eyes. Felix watched as her body went rigid and then glowed violet.
After a minute, she opened her eyes again and spoke, her voice flat and emotionless. "Ivan took the plans about your sneak attack to Hama—Master Hama, I mean. The Jupiterian forces…they're going planning to attack you from behi—"
Felix cut her off. "I'm not surprised. Come on, save the rest for Uzume."
Of course, Sheba hadn't told Felix everything…
She watched her best friend's image in her mind's eye. Ivan, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't come home. I'm sorry I never got to say goodbye.
Tucking the bittersweet memories away, Sheba stood up and followed Felix out of the library.
But...I miss you, too.
The full moon shone brightly in the night sky; the snow had stopped earlier in the night.
A dark figure walked through the silent streets of Prox, stopping every few seconds to check that no one was around. Turning the corner of the inn, she bumped into two others.
"Ouch..."
"Karst?"
"Garet? Agatio?"
"Yup."
"Are you..."
"Yeah, we are..."
The three scurried off into the shadows.
A few minutes later, they emerged in front of a house. Two others were already there.
"Menardi? Saturos?"
"What are you three doing here? You shouldn't…"
"They've got a right," said Saturos.
Menardi sighed. "Fine, but keep it down, Karst. If anyone finds us here, we'll be worse off than Puelle is."
Karst quieted. Menardi looked around cautiously, then edged the front door open. The five Mars Adepts snuck into the house and shut the door behind them.
"Puelle?" The warrior chieftain of Prox was sitting awake in an armchair—no one had wanted to risk moving him all the way upstairs to his bedroom. His bare chest was wrapped in several thick bandages.
"Puelle, are you okay?" Saturos looked concerned. No one had been allowed in Puelle's house since the attempt on his life two days before.
Puelle laughed dryly. "I'm fine, Saturos. The healers stopped the bleeding, but they say it's best if the wound heals naturally. Of course, they're just trying to keep me from recovering for a long time, if not permanently."
"But..." Karst was shocked. "I'll heal you, if they won't. Stubborn southerners," she muttered.
Garet glared at her. "Hey!"
Saturos looked sternly at Menardi's young sister. "I don't want to hear you ever making a distinction like that again. That kind of mental segregation is what got us into this whole mess in the first place."
Menardi placed a comforting hand on Karst's shoulder. "We can't heal him, Karst; they would know we'd been here. This has to be completely secret."
Karst looked down. "But why?"
Puelle cleared his throat. "Karst, the man who stabbed me was not locked up because half the town—the southerners, I'm sorry to say, Garet—agrees with him. Prox is divided; no one group can claim a majority. Therefore, I need you five to go and put my plan into action."
"But someone needs to stay here with you!" Menardi objected.
"I'll be fine. My health will mean nothing if we cannot bring peace to Weyard."
Saturos looked at Karst, Garet, and Agatio. "Aren't they a bit young for this?"
Puelle shook his head as the three friends scowled. "No, Saturos, they are a perfect example of how all of us can live in harmony. You'll need them."
Menardi observed the three eager teens before her. "We accept, Puelle."
"All right. Your first step is to go to Lalivero, capital of the kingdom of Jupiter. Meet with Master Hama, ruler of the Jupiter Clan, and, well...you know the rest."
He met the eyes of Saturos and Menardi. They nodded, sharing a look.
"You need to convince all the clans that peace is needed. If even one clan is not in agreement with the others, our whole plan will fall apart. If you succeed, there is a chance for survival. If you fail, we will only have destroyed ourselves. Go. Weyard is counting on you."
Two hours later, at the docks, five figures boarded a ship—one of the Psynergetic ships that was made by the Lemurians in the times of peace before the sealing of Alchemy. A short while later, the ship left the docks, sailing south.
...That took forever to write... And don't expect an update soon (I'm serious this time!) because we're leaving my grandparents' cabin and driving to Washington D.C., where there are no laptops.
Review!