Disclaimer: Don't own Golden Sun. Nope.
Chapter II
- Plans of Departure -
Adrian awoke to the sound of Grandma Dora's chickens squawking about the yard next door. After being woken up in the middle of the night by Michael to listen in to his parents conversation, Adrian was not as fully refreshed as he had hoped to be. He rolled to his left to see the other bed beside him empty, then all of a sudden he felt a sharp shove at his back and then an instant later he found himself flat on the floor. Michael had been recently making it a habit to experiment with his psynergy on Adrian, almost daily using his mind to push him off the bed when he wasn't looking. Adrian heard a barrel of laughter coming from behind the other side of the bed as Michael popped up almost in tears. Adrian thought about shouting at his brother, but then resisted after realizing that the fall hadn't hurt that much.
"Adrian, Michael, breakfast!" Jenna shouted from downstairs. Michael darted from the room closely followed by Adrian. Isaac was already at the table eating with a ravenous hunger probably caused by the lack of sleep from the previous night. The children saw blankets next to the fireplace on the floor, probably belonging to their father, and giggled nervously as they caught their father's gaze.
"Good morning Father!" the children cried in unison as their father gave them an exhausted smile and bid them good morning. Michael was fathoming whether or not he should ask Isaac how he slept last night, then thought the better of it. Jenna handed the children eggs and toast while Isaac got up to get them some milk from the barn.
"Thank you Mother," the two said automatically after making a vow the previous night that they would not get on their mother's bad side this week in fear of being sent outside to sleep, or something along those lines. Jenna nodded and told them to be finished and ready to go before she returned from her room getting dressed. The children in turn nodded and began to eat their eggs vigorously, later stuffing their toast in their pockets so that they would have plenty of time to get ready and be back down before their mother came out.
"Where do you think Mother and Father will be going?" Michael asked Adrian as they headed up the stairs towards their room. "To Imil and Contigo perhaps? That's where Father said they would be able to confirm their suspicions about the lighthouses."
"Imil and Contigo are in totally opposite directions of New Vale," Adrian resolved, "and from the way Father makes it sound, time is an asset we are beginning to lose control of. The journey to Contigo alone is ten days by foot to Lalivero harbor, ten days by ship to the Atteka inlet, and two additional days to reach the village. Double that to get back to New Vale. Then take account of the journey to Imil which takes another ten days through the mountains and back, this all adds up to almost three months. By that time the lighthouses' sphere of influence will have already expanded considerably and we will only have merely attained confirmations of what's really happening!"
Adrian finished almost out of breath from what he thought to be a brilliant observation but lost any pride he had gained when he saw Michael wasn't paying any attention. Michael turned his face to his brother after hearing the unbroken silence and immediately gave his counterstrike towards Adrian's genius.
"All they have to do Adrian, is split up and report back to New Vale with their findings," Michael said boringly.
"Oh no!" said Adrian aghast at his brother's ignorance. "Adepts must never travel the world alone without a party of at least one healer and one warrior. You know the stories of all the horrible monsters out there! Father could easily take on every one of them but if he was to get hurt, and he was alone, he'd be done for. Same with Mother, for she is mostly a healer, and not a fierce warrior. No matter how well she could heal herself against her enemies, eventually her psynergy would run out and she would no longer be able to resist; she'd be done for as well."
"This is almost true Adrian," retorted Michael, "but you fail to realize the ability of our parents. They are two of the eight adepts sworn to protect all of Weyard from the threats of alchemy. Each and every one of them, healer or warrior can fend for themselves. And if you didn't know already, earth adepts have some healing power . Father could take on Dullahan himself if he wanted too."
Adrian could hear an inkling of uncertainty in his brother's voice when he said those words. Naomi had told them numerous stories about the frightening power of the Anemos Sanctum guardian, Dullahan.
"Still," said Adrian attempting to keep at least some of the ground he had lost, "Mother would be vulnerable."
"Maybe," said Michael skeptically, but he knew that his mother was just as powerful an adept as his father was, but he also knew Father would never let Mother make any one of those journeys by herself. Eventually, they dropped the subject and put on their traveling clothes and mounted their small swords upon their backs. They heard the front door open and assumed that Father had returned from the barn with their milk. The children rushed downstairs mere moments before their mother came out to see them both smiling and ready to go with a mouthful of fresh milk dripping down their chins.
"Everybody ready?" Jenna asked.
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New Vale was a paradise when the spring season re-conquered the winter's foothold of the earth. It seemed to Adrian that the world was an entirely different battlefield from what his parents made it out to be, the seasons constantly at warfare striving to show off their brilliance for all of Weyard to see; the spring always emerging most gloriously in its own designated time. Adrian once tried to describe this to his brother but immediately understood by Michael's far off glances that he could care less.
The two brothers were only twelve years of age, but according to their parents, their demeanors did not match their intelligence. Adrian was a dreamer, a master of his own mind. His mother had commented on numerous occasions of how Ivan of Contigo had told her that Adrian's mind worked like that of a wind adept, although he clearly had the elemental gifts of the earth. "It is a rare gift," Ivan would say, "to be the master of one's own mind and not the slave of its beckoning desire."
Still, Adrian had always had trouble developing his psynergy, unlike his brother who picked up new abilities all the time faster than Naomi could conjure up a whirlwind. They were given lessons daily by their parents, but moving objects with their mind seemed to be all his parents were interested in teaching them. Michael had mastered this ability his first year of learning and had begun taking additional lessons from Uncle Felix on weekends. Adrian was fully able to move any given object with his mind at will, but he always found himself so absorbed in his task that he had no idea what was happening outside his efforts. This scared Adrian greatly and time after time again he would immediately cease his concentration to once again return to reality, in turn losing his elemental link with the target. He tried to explain this phenomenon to his parents, but they could not give him an explanation. They just told him that he would have to try harder. And so it came to be that Adrian hated learning the skills of an adept and therefore had trouble developing his abilities. Michael moved on and Adrian was left at home moving small rocks to and fro around the yard. Isaac and Jenna feared for their son's mysterious disability.
"I've sensed Adrian's mind at work," Jenna would tell Isaac. "Whatever he sets his mind to, he would always accomplish it. Why can't psynergy work the same way for him?"
Isaac never had a response to his wife's question. "He will see the Great Healer one day", he would always resolve with her, but this never came to pass.
The spring breeze blew sweetly on the party's faces as they followed the long road through New Vale to Felix's cabin. Adrian and Michael were happily munching their toast from breakfast as their parents walked ahead of them deep in conversation.
The town was made up of all the refugees of Vale who had been forced from their homes by the destruction of Mt. Aleph. After the elemental activity near Vale had died down, the ex-residents gathered all the rubble from their village and began to rebuild a little south of where their old town used to be. The process promised to be difficult and costly. Not even the town elders could predict how long it would take to rebuild the town to minimal efficiency. The rubble had been so scattered and so damaged that the people of Vale had to resort to building stone huts to satisfy their habitual needs until further possibilities could be pursued. When all hope of making the town reflect some of Vale's original splendor seemed to disappear, the unthinkable happened. Craftsmen from Tolbi had made their way all the way from Gondowan to Angara bringing workers, supplies, and food. Master Hammet from Kalay came with horses, cattle, and chickens to lay the foundations for the resident's soon to be farm economy. The people of Xian in East Angara brought exotic flowers, fruits and vegetable to reinforce the contributions Kalay had made and shortly after some workers from Vault arrived, Collosso warriors from all over Weyard came to assist in the construction of New Vale. With the people's hope and spirits rekindled, they saw how no further benevolence could be possible, but then the dancers from the far eastern island of Izumo arrived to provide entertainment for the nightly feasts and festivities.
In twelve months time, New Vale was finally complete. The town reflected the genius of all the different towns that contributed to its construction and even somehow kept the aura of Vale's original style included. Irrigation systems were immediately made, farms were fully functional, and most importantly, homes were built that supplied shelter for all the families that had once been practically homeless. When the people of Tolbi, Izumo, Vault, Xian, and Kalay were about to depart, it was discovered that this great project had been organized by none other then Iodem of Tolbi. Iodem had come with his fellow Tolbians but had not said a word about his hand in the project, not wanting to draw attention. The people of Weyard praised Tolbi for his humility and kindness and during the last few days before the Great Departure, a statue was constructed in the new town square honoring him as the leading founder of New Vale. On the statue would be carved every single person's name that helped contribute in those twelve months. It would be a monument that would be visited and revisited for the rest of time, but leaving its legacy instilled in the hearts of all for much, much longer. The elders of New Vale often referred to this time as a "Golden age in an era of darkness." The people of Weyard had united to accomplish a great project out of pure benevolence to assist a people in need. There were whispers among the adepts of Weyard that even though the danger of alchemy was looming ahead, there just maybe, would be a hope for humanity to conquer it.
There is a grand history here, Adrian thought as he walked with his family along the main road now passing through town square. A history definitely worth fighting for and preserving for the future. His father had said this countless times.
At that moment Adrian wanted to pull out his sword and challenge all the forces of evil that ever were at work attempting to forge chaos in a world trying so hard to maintain peace. He then better understood the great responsibility his parents had on their shoulders, them and the other six adepts whom were dedicating their lives for the sake of preventing war.
The gentle wind blew against Adrian's long black hair as he focused all around him on the exotic flowers and plants that decorated the garden of every home they passed. When homes could no longer be seen, wildflowers flooded into view covering all that the eye could see. Uncle Felix's cabin was just over the next hill. As Jenna and Isaac disappeared ahead of them, Michael and Adrian remained on top turning around to see the town of New Vale as a whole.
Michael saw his brother's blue-eyed gaze and said, "It is pretty amazing, I guess."
Adrian turned to look at him but Michael was already running down the hill. He smiled and soon the demon of his inner-child could lay still no longer. Adrian ran down the hill as fast as he could, arms in the air half-expecting the wind to lift him off his feet.
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Felix's cabin was located in a small valley between the hill Adrian and Michael had just crossed, and the same hill Felix had crossed thirteen years ago that allowed the viewer to see all of Vale, or in Felix's case, all that was left after the formation of the Stone of the Sages. He lived a quiet life, occasionally visiting his parents back in the heart of New Vale, but never staying for long. He was thirty-one years of age now and the years of inactivity had made him restless, but he did not let this interfere with his constant training. Felix had become an elemental master of the earth and quite often could be seen unearthing rocks the size of houses out from under his land that were interfering with his gardening. Felix had taken a fondness to gardening ever since he found out that it took a lot of time out of your day to maintain. So he made sure that he had numerous ivies, bushes, trees, and flowers of every sort imaginable to fill his never-ending void of time. By the time Adrian reached the bottom of the hill, Felix was already ushering Isaac and Jenna inside and waving to him and Michael.
"Well if it isn't my gallant squire and young scholar!" welcomed Felix as he lifted the two boys in the air with each hand.
"Uncle Felix!" the boys exclaimed.
"Can I play with your sword?" asked Michael hoping this time would be different.
"Is the djinn awake?" asked Adrian almost simultaneously, ultimately making both their questions just an inaudible conjunction of words, but Felix already expecting these questions was able to make them out.
"Like I've said before Michael, you wouldn't be able to wield that sword even if your life depended on it."
"But I could use my psynergy to help me lift it!" Michael pleaded. "I've been practicing with this big log at home! Please Uncle Felix, just give me one chance!"
"It requires immense concentration to lift a sword such as mine with psynergy yet alone use it at the same time. If you were to lose your concentration, which is inevitable at times, you could seriously injure yourself. Your parents would never approve, and besides, a weapon is not a play thing," Felix concluded.
Michael understood his request had been firmly denied so he went inside to join his parents.
"The djinn?" Adrian asked again.
"Unfortunately," sighed Felix "you just missed him. He woke up for a couple hours just yesterday but then went right back to sleep." Adrian was disappointed but he had learned over the years not to let his setbacks interfere with his hopes for the future.
"Maybe next time then," said Adrian as he walked inside the cabin with Felix to meet the others.
Felix's cabin was small but he somehow managed to fill it with everything he needed. Old swords, armor, and shields covered the walls always left Michael drooling. Near the kitchen was Felix's old work desk which was always hidden under an endless sea of notes sufficiently occupying Adrian for hours. Adrian and Michael made their usual stop to Felix's room so they could gaze upon the treasures of his old quest. Michael made his way to the closet where Felix's sword resided in and slowly opened the double doors. There lay the Sol Blade on a golden altar a few feet inside. The blade was lined with untarnishable silver and the handle seemingly to Michael had the color of the sun itself, so brilliantly golden that he always had to turn away after looking at it too long. Adrian warned Michael to keep his wits about him and then made his way to the back of the room beside Felix's bed where a small creature slept silently on a large white pillow. The earth djinn's small protruding chest slowly moved up and down as Adrian watched it in fascination. Felix entered with his hands behind his back and sat beside him on the bed.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with that thing," Felix said staring at the snoring creature inquisitively. "Ever since the rest of the djinn left, all he ever does now is sleep. I can't even take him anywhere anymore. He's useless."
"Have you not yet figured out a reason why all the djinn left?" Adrian asked him.
"Not really," Felix shrugged. "All I know is that right before the Great Departure, they all got really antsy as if they were nervous about something. And when the time came for everyone to leave, they all just simply left right along with the crowd; except for this one."
"There must be more to these things Uncle Felix," Adrian said still disappointed about his missed encounter with the djinn's awakening. "And why have you had your hands behind your back this entire time?"
"Well, Adrian," Felix answered him pulling out his hands into open view, "it just so happens that I have something that might fulfill your curiosity. This is an excerpt from the book Kraden wrote concerning his research on alchemy. I want you to have it, it's about djinn."
Adrian beaming, took the parchment and read the title: The Elemental Djinn: A Modern History.
"Thank you so much Uncle Felix! I will start reading right away!" Adrian exclaimed as his eyes immediately began to scan the paper.
"That's what I was hoping," Felix said. "Your parents and I have some very important matters to discuss and I will need your full cooperation in keeping yourself and your brother from eavesdropping."
Michael appeared from the closet and apparently had heard the beginning of the conversation. "But we already know what's going on Uncle Felix," he said. "We know that Mother and Father have to go to Imil and Contigo. What is there to keep from me and Adrian?"
"Yes, your father did tell me you overheard him and your mother last night when you two were supposed to be in bed," Felix chuckled. "The plot may seem simple and concrete to you, but the details of our quest are most complex. You do not know what is implied with our duties and the reality of its danger. We keep many things from you for good reasons and we wish for this to remain. So I ask you two now, will you please stay in this room until we tell you otherwise? Can you do this?"
The two boys nodded in agreement.
"Oh, did I mention if we do catch you eavesdropping again, I will insist that your mother make you two sleep outside for an entire week," Felix joked in a deep gruff voice. "That is an appropriate punishment, no?"
The children screamed and attempted to tackle Felix so he could not relay this idea to their mother. After a couple minutes of fierce wrestling, Felix had managed to thwart his nephews' feeble efforts and then promised he wouldn't tell Jenna if they stayed true to their word. Felix then left the room laughing and closed the door behind him.
"I almost was able to lift him up off the ground that time!" said Michael out of breath and obviously fully out of psynergy. "Maybe if you would of helped me Adrian, we could of done it."
"You know I don't use psynergy very well," sighed Adrian as he laid down flat on the bed. "I wouldn't of been much help."
"What are you kidding?" Michael said giving his brother a puzzled look. "You can use psynergy just as well as I can if you wanted to."
"I've told you before Michael, when I use psynergy I can't see beyond what I'm doing. It scares me and it would scare you too."
"But I sometimes find myself absorbed using psynergy too," Michael said. "Uncle Felix calls it intense concentration. It's perfectly natural."
"I know what concentration is," said Adrian, "but this is much different. It's like every time I concentrate on an object, everything else goes blurry or even black altogether. It can't be natural Michael, does that ever happen to you?"
"No," Michael agreed after a long pause. "I guess not."
The two boy laid there on the bed for a while, thinking about what Felix had said about their quest having dangers that must be unsaid to them. They didn't like the sound of that at all, especially because their parents were most likely to embark on a mission headed right straight for those dangers.
"I have an idea," said Michael breaking the silence. "How about we read that excerpt from Kraden's book. I am kind of curious about djinn."
Adrian's face lighted up and he immediately fetched the parchment from his clothes. He unfolded the paper and began to read:
The Elemental Djinn: A Modern History
Ever since Isaac and Garet had told me that all the elemental djinn were released by the Wise One right before the Sol Sanctum was about to cave in, I had suspected that djinn had an unknown importance in the role of alchemy. Throughout my travels with Felix, Sheba, Jenna, and Picard, I remember that djinn could usually be found conveniently on slight detours near the paths of our quest. The djinn had powerful effects on the adepts and if a certain djinn was set to its corresponding adept, the effects would be most dramatic. Isaac told me while he was on his quest with Garet, Ivan, and Mia, that he had encountered similar creatures with similar effects. I now assume that the Wise One was responsible for the placement of these creatures. He knew that if Isaac agreed in undertaking the quest to protect the lighthouses, he would need the aid of the elemental djinn to buffer the strength of the fire adepts, Satauros and Menardi, who were in their opposition. This deduction then leads to the question of why Felix's party was able to obtain the djinn if they were also in opposition to Isaac's quest. I only have but one hypothesis.
The Wise One is the sworn protector of all Weyard and I am sure he knew that Gaia Falls was eroding . Following the dark ages of power and the near destruction of humanity, the Wise One knew that when he sealed away alchemy, in time, yes Weyard would erode away without the nourishment of the elements. But to him, the destruction of the world from the exterior was a much better fate than the destruction that would reign from within. But then he saw the first effects of his actions with Prox. He saw that the people there had little time before Gaia Falls would completely swallow the town and their homes. Shortly after Isaac's party had defeated Satauros and Menardi, but had failed to prevent them from igniting the beacon, the Wise One realized the passion and the sacrifice the two fire adepts had made in an effort to save their people, however malevolent their actions may have been along the way. The Wise One then knew he could interfere with the actions of mankind no more. The people of Prox were fighting for survival and Isaac's party were completely unaware. Humanity would have to understand themselves the state of their world and then decide what action to take. He then released the remaining elemental djinn and scattered them across the winding trails of Felix's quest to give him and his party the power to play a hand in the conclusion of Weyard's epic destiny...
"Hmmm," Michael hummed interrupting Adrian from reading the next passage. "I never knew these research books could be this interesting."
"Usually they're not," commented Adrian. "But this one happens to be written by a scholar who happens to be named Kraden."
The boys giggled in agreement and continued reading with the utmost interest.
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Felix, Isaac, and Jenna sat at the table for a long while just drinking tea and eating the dinner Felix had made them for their arrival. Felix knew why his sister and Isaac were here, he just wished that they would get to the point and discuss what they were going to do so he could get out of this cabin and back into the open world.
"We need to go to Imil and Contigo," Isaac finally said.
"This I know," replied Felix relieved that the silence had finally been broken.
"We came here to discuss how we are going to accomplish this," inquired Jenna as she turned her head to make sure Felix's door was closed all the way.
"Its a rather long journey to Contigo and back, almost a month in a half," said Felix.
"Yes, and two weeks to and from Imil," concluded Isaac. "That adds up to almost three months if we all travel together."
"That's too long," sighed Felix.
"If we split up Felix," Jenna stated in a matter-of-fact tone piercing enough to penetrate the hardest steel, "which I think you're implying, we would save four weeks, but we would also be jeopardizing the lone traveler's safety, which I know would be you!"
"I can fend for myself Jenna," Felix countered. "And I would be back from Imil in four weeks, if not quicker giving you two a piece of mind about the children."
This was true Jenna thought, for she had almost forgotten the other quest she had committed herself to twelve years ago.
"Oh no," she suddenly realized. "We can't leave the children alone for a month in a half!"
"We have our parents to watch them until Felix gets back," suggested Isaac.
"But we have never left them alone for this long before!" said Jenna beginning to panic.
Felix interrupted Jenna before she could worry any further.
"I will then take your ship to Atteka and you two will go to Imil and return to the children in four weeks time."
"You are not crossing the Great Western Sea by yourself Felix!" Jenna thundered with impressive conviction.
"Jenna...," Isaac began but was quieted by a firm hand signaling him to cease.
"We know that Alex is up to no good and Ivan and Garet are the only ones relatively near that area to protect you if he is planning something." Jenna's rage then unusually subsided and her face showed signs of fear, doubt, and a deep passion Felix was used to seeing lately. "We do not underestimate your powers Felix, but to travel alone right now, is insane."
"I could pick up Garet from Kimbobo and then head to Contigo," said Felix.
Isaac answered him this time. "You know just as well as I do that Garet can't leave until his task is complete. Felix remembered Garet volunteering to settle some intertribal boundary issues between the people of Kimbobo, Naribwe, and the new village of Pavakobo.
"Then we are back to square one," resolved Felix now starting to become frustrated. He hated to say what he was just about to say, but Jenna and Isaac needed to be reasoned with, so he began to speak his mind.
"When the Wise One asked the eight of us to serve as Weyard's principle adept guardians, we knew that if we accepted, we would hold the responsibility to moderate peace if conflict was ever to arise. The happenings of Venus Lighthouse, Lavilero and Suhalla are disturbing and we must confirm whether or not the newborn adept effect is identical near the other lighthouses. We swore an oath, an oath to protect Weyard from the dangers we ourselves brought into existence. It is our power alone that can enable peace or war and it is this expedition that will help us confirm whether or not the new age of adepts has arisen. The children have grown up knowing of your responsibility and you have raised them knowing that you would one day have to leave them. Our mere three month absence will prepare them for what lies ahead."
They heard thunder rolling outside and immediately following, plummeting raindrops could be heard pounding against the cabin roof. Jenna seemed horror-stricken after truly hearing the harsh reality of their responsibility. She then knew that one day, Alex would show his evil face to the world and bring with him an army of destruction threatening to deliver carnage to all who resisted. She and her seven other companions would have to leave their homes and their families to fight him in an attempt to restore peace. This was their oath, this was their bond, and to Jenna as a mother, this was her burden.
"Then it is decided," Isaac firmly said. "Felix will go to Imil, and Jenna and I will go to..."
Isaac stopped mid-sentence and then it dawned on him. How could he not of thought of it before!
"On second thought, we will not go to Contigo," he quickly said with an odd glow flaring in his eyes. "And you Felix will not go to Imil."
"What?" bellowed Felix.
Jenna for some reason was relieved but then again she was rather confused with Isaac's sudden change of mind. "What do you mean Isaac?" she asked.
"We will all go to Lemuria."
Felix frowned and Jenna beamed in understanding.
"Of course!" Jenna shouted.
"Isaac, going there would be quite a gamble," Felix said. "We do not now whether or not Picard has yet mastered the ability."
"But its been a year since we have last seen him and learned what he was trying to develop," Jenna told her brother. "Picard is quite an able adept and I am positive that he could master any Mercury ability given a year's practice."
"Even if we are wrong," Isaac concluded, "we could still borrow the Wind Chaser."
The Wind Chaser was Picard's Lemurian crafted ship modified with the legendary wings of Contigo which enabled it to fly across land and water. She also boasted the Loho experimental cannon making her the sleekest and most deadly vessel in all of Weyard . The ship had assisted Felix's party traverse considerable distances in very small allotments of time during the end of their quest to ignite Mars Lighthouse. Felix knew the capabilities of the ship and then recognized the genius of Isaac's plan. With the Wind Chaser they could travel to Contigo without having to sail down the Gondowan coast. Basically, if Picard had not mastered the ability of teleportation yet, they could still travel to Contigo and Imil within the same time span it would have taken them even if they didn't take the roughly three week journey to Lemuria.
"The Wind Chaser would be of strategic importance," Felix admitted, "but still, the journey to Lemuria has specific dangers much greater than the previous destinations."
"Felix is right," said Jenna. "We would have to constantly be on the look out for pirates and then there's simply finding Lemuria again."
"Babi Lighthouse should aid us considerably," Isaac reminded them. "And apparently quite a few sailors have found Lemuria since its construction. The danger is not as great as it once was."
Felix seemed deep in thought and then began assessing something that he knew Jenna and Isaac would not be too thrilled about.
"We will head for Lemuria the day after tomorrow," Felix stated, "But, I would like to suggest something that would make our trip a little more worth our while."
"What is it?" Jenna asked him.
"Well," Felix said slowly, "Lemuria is home to some of the most renowned healers in all of Weyard. It may prove to be beneficial if...if we bring Adrian along with us."
"No," Isaac said firmly. "We can take him to see the Great Healer here in New Vale. There is no sense in bringing him on a dangerous voyage such as this."
"While you two have debated whether or not to take Adrian to the Great Healer," Felix said with an on-edge tone, "I have taken the initiative to inform him of your son's condition, and according to him, there is no remedy known to man. The Lemurian healers are as old as time itself and know of many ancient afflictions that may include Adrian's."
"Why didn't you tell us this?" Jenna asked him.
"What was there to tell?" Felix replied.
Isaac seemed to have lost his temper for the first time in ages. "Who gave you permission to ask the Great Healer about Adrian? He is our son Felix, not yours."
"I fear that your pride over your sons has clouded your judgment Isaac," Felix said still fully in control over his frustration with his sister's husband.
"What?" Isaac roared with anger.
"Adrian has a condition that seriously could place him in grave danger in the present world we live in," Felix stated. "Your pride over not wanting to admit your son has a handicap has interfered with your priorities of his well-being."
"Enough!" Isaac shouted in the climax of his fury. "You are treading among thorns Felix! You will not tell me how to raise my own son and claim that I am not concerned with Adrian's safety!"
"Then swallow your pride and let the boy come with us!" Felix reasoned.
"It is you who are not concerned for Adrian's well being!!" Isaac said still fuming. "The Great Eastern Sea is no place for a child in times such as these!"
"In time," Felix countered, "Weyard will be no place for a child at all. Adrian is one of the first of the new generation of adept guardians. He will want to follow in yours and Jenna's footsteps but as long as his affliction remains, he will be in mortal danger from the forces of evil who want nothing more than to sever the new line of guardians."
Jenna gasped. She had neglected to realize that her sons were bound to be the targets of Alex once he had gained enough power and support. She also never thought that Adrian and Michael would one day want to serve as Weyard's guardians. The thought made her cringe.
Isaac slowly began to cool down after hearing Felix's logic and reluctantly let his rage no longer be his master. The three didn't say anything for a long while until Isaac finally spoke up.
"Fine," he reluctantly said scratching his chin. "The boy can come."
"As well as Michael," Jenna added.
"No, Michael will be safer in New Vale," Felix told her. "An entire town of mostly adepts is a guard not even Tolbi's troops could offer, yet alone us."
There was silence once again, this time for much longer than before. The rain was pouring now and all that could be heard was the steady serenade of water outside, the echoing thunder nearby, and Adrian's and Michael's laughter in the next room. Jenna closed her eyes and put her hands over her face. Isaac and Felix could tell she was battling the emotions of a mother who was feeling that she was just about to lose one of her children. Isaac put his arm around his wife and they embraced, Jenna streaming silent tears on his shoulder.