Disclaimer: Did I already mention that I don't own Golden Sun or anything else associated with it? I think I did.
Chapter III
- Desire's Resonance -
Two days later, Adrian anxiously awaited for the first signs of dawn. He had hardly slept the previous night out of pure anticipation for the next morning and thought to himself that he would be paying for it later that day as they embarked on their long journey to Lalivero. Michael was awake as well, and for some reason was taking a keen interest into staring at the ceiling.
He was jealous that his brother was going on a mission to Lemuria and he wasn't, but at his age, jealousy could not take that strong of a foothold in his mind, so, he thought of other things.
"You know you are going to have to cross the Karagol Sea to reach Gondowan passage, right?" Michael remarked.
"Yes," Adrian answered. "And the Suhalla Desert after that."
"Wow," Michael said in a trance. "I wish I was candihapped."
"It's handicapped, and I am not!" said Adrian immediately taking offense.
"Whatever you say," Michael shrugged. "Oh and before I forget!" Michael leapt out of bed to retrieve a large roll of blank parchment from his closet. "This is for you."
Adrian accepted the paper. It was unusually cold. "Uh, thank you Michael, but don't you know that I have several other rolls already?"
"Yes I do, but I doubt you have this kind," Michael said full of pride.
"Well, what kind is it?" Adrian asked him, curiosity making his mind itch terribly.
"Just watch." Michael unrolled the paper a little bit and flattened it on his bed. The paper seemed very thick to Adrian, and he would soon found out why. Letters started appearing out of nowhere, first there was a H, then an E, followed by two L's, and lastly an O.
"How..." Adrian said with his mouth nearly hanging to the floor.
"It's known as Venus parchment to us adepts, but to everyone else, it's just some thick expensive paper. It cost me a whole silver dubloon!"
"Okay, what is it?" Adrian asked never being more confused in his life.
"Well, from what Uncle Felix tells me," Michael began, "it's made of Tundarian Pine bark. It's a common tree found in Tundaria!"
"Yeah Michael, I picked that up too."
Michael ignored the comment. "You see, the Tundarian Pine is the only tree in all of Weyard whose branches stay alive even when severed from the mother tree. Uncle Felix calls it an...uh...adaptation! Because the winds of Tundaria are extraordinarily strong during the winter season, the Tundarian Pines clustered throughout the continent are always completely torn down. But instead of all the trees dying, spring arrives and the broken branches and stumps buried deep beneath the snow begin to take root and grow at an accelerated pace until winter arrives. Then the whole process starts all over again! Don't you understand how the Venus parchment works now Adrian?"
"Uh, are you giving me a parchment that will grow into bigger parchment in the spring?" Adrian said sarcastically, otherwise having not a clue.
"I'm disappointed in you Adrian," Michael said in a melancholy voice. "I expected you of all people to understand the simple physics of alchemy seen here."
"Alchemy?" Adrian said thoroughly surprised. "What does alchemy have to do with this parchment?"
"Everything," Michael answered. "Define alchemy, would you please Adrian?"
Adrian looked directly in his brothers dark green eyes covered by his shaggy brown hair expecting some sort of mischief to come about from his answer. "The manipulation of the elements," He slowly quoted from a book he had recently read.
"Exactly, now apply that definition to what you have just learned about the Venus parchment."
Now Adrian was frustrated. Usually in exercises such as these of where his brother tried to outwit him were foiled by Adrian's ability to assess and analyze quickly. But now that his mind was tired from the lack of sleep, Michael would soon get to have the satisfaction of him begging for the wisdom he could not acquire for himself.
"I give up Michael, how does it work," Adrian said grumpily.
"It's so simple though!"
"Apparently not, now get on with it!" Adrian raised his voice and Michael could tell he could play with his prey no longer.
"Okay, okay, I'll tell you," Michael nervously laughed but immediately stopped when he saw his brother's blue-eyed glare. "Well for starters, look at Uncle Felix. He's an earth adept and a gardener at that. When he wants a plant to grow faster, he uses his psynergy to tap into the elemental make-up of the desired plant to spur its growth . The only reason he can do this is because all things that sprout from the ground have the elements of earth in them, and he is a corresponding adept. Therefore, because of the earth-earth relationship Uncle Felix and the plants share, he has the power to manipulate them at will."
Adrian examined the parchment a little more closely. The writing area was perfectly smooth, but when he felt the back, he could feel a thick, and fine cut layer of tree bark.
"Okay," Adrian realized partially. "Somehow you manipulated the bark to protrude letters through the parchment."
"Yes! That's it! I used my psynergy to command the elemental presence of the earth in the bark to pierce the paper and form letters!" Michael was ecstatic that his brother finally realized the genius of his gift. Adrian didn't seem to think it was all that great though.
"Why couldn't I make the same thing with the trees we have in New Vale? Why go all the way to Tundaria?"
"Because," Michael said seeming to be a little annoyed, "the Tundarian Pine is the only tree in the world that can live in shreds!"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Adrian said seeming to be even more annoyed than his brother.
"Because," Michael repeated "Once any normal tree dies, so do the elements that once resided there. If the elemental presence in an object is exhausted or not present, there is no way that alchemy can manipulate it. But with the Tundarian Pine, the elements are never absent because every single part of the tree is always living. Now do you understand?"
Adrian would be lying if he said no. He never knew that alchemy could be used like that and if all adepts could control their corresponding element in such a manner, what was the limit?
"This is a dangerous art," he informed his brother. "And you are telling me that I could go out right now and make the nearest tree do back flips?"
"That's the thing," Michael sighed. "There are significant boundaries to this power. It took me months to write my first word with the Venus parchment and it seriously drains your psynergy. Even Uncle Felix tried the parchment and he compared the psynergy drain to that of after a fierce battle. He even tried to manipulate a tree in a similar fashion of what you suggested, but he said that he didn't have enough psynergy to accomplish anything."
"Then why in the world would I want to use it!" Adrian exclaimed.
"It has distinct advantages," Michael said.
"Like..."
"Think about it Adrian! Once you became an accomplished enough user of the parchment, whatever you think will be recorded! Whenever you want to write about something that you don't know how to describe in words, through the Venus parchment you can transfer your thoughts with psynergy and actually get results! Adrian, I guess its time for you to see my motives in giving you this, that is if you haven't figured it out already."
Adrian had a rough idea.
"Since I can't go on this quest, I would like you to keep some sort of journal you can share with me once you get back. It has been both of our dreams to leave New Vale and escape out into the open world, and now you have that freedom. I however may never get a chance to see what you are going to see, and just for you to describe your adventure to me, would be...enough."
"What are you talking about Michael?" Adrian asked him. "You know fully well that once we are old enough we can go anywhere we want!"
"Maybe," Michael said in a sullen tone. "But I may never get to see Lemuria."
"Nonsense. When we are old enough Lemuria will be the first place we set sail for," Adrian assured his brother. Michael gave a small smile, but he still didn't seem completely assured.
"Nevertheless," Adrian sighed, "I will try to learn how to write with the Venus parchment so I can keep a journal of all I see. After all, you did spend a whole silver dubloon."
Michael's doubt immediately lifted from his eyes and instead transformed into a fantastic glow of the sincerest gratitude. "You're the best Adrian! This means a lot to me considering you hate using psynergy and all."
Adrian winced. He had forgotten the strenuous concentration described by his brother required to make the parchment work. But, he could not back down from the promise he had just made, so he would just have to try.
The two boys laid there until they could hear the first signs of life downstairs. They could hear the clanking of dishes being withdrawn from the cupboards and being set on the hardwood table. The cows were mooing in the barn, mostly likely from their father milking them, and to their utmost glee, they could smell an aroma of sausage and bacon tickling their nostrils all the way from downstairs. All they needed were three words and they would be downstairs in an instant.
"Come on," Michael whined. "Call us down already!"
"Patience Michael" Adrian said coolly. "You know what comes from being to hasty."
"Don't even think about starting on one of your guilt-trip lectures on me Adrian because I am hungry, and I am armed." Michael then playfully pulled out a wooden sword from under his bed that he had once made at age six and pointed it at his brother.
"Do you dare challenge me?" Adrian played along pulling out a similar sword.
"Only a fool would pass up such an opportunity," Michael taunted.
But just about as Michael was about to plunge, Jenna was calling downstairs.
"Michael, Adrian, breakfast!"
The boys dropped their swords and raced down the stairs at full speed to be greeted by a table jam-packed with their favorite breakfast delights.
"I hope you two are hungry!" Jenna told her children. They nodded and waited patiently for their father to sit down before they indulged themselves.
As the family ate in silence for half an hour or so there was a knock on the door. Jenna got up and opened it to reveal Felix completely dressed in traveling apparel, a breastplate sure to be hidden under his robes, and finally his sword and shield mounted on his back.
"Good morning Jenna! What a beautiful day for a trek through Angara!" Felix said joyously as he embraced his sister.
"Good morning Felix," Jenna said a little less enthusiastically. "Someone seems a little to happy for a man about to go on a mission which could very likely end up getting us all killed."
"Greetings Felix!" Isaac said as he got up from the table to shake hands with his brother-in-law. Isaac examined him and noticed all the heavy armor and weaponry he was wearing. Most noticeable was the Sol Blade on his back which weighed at least fifteen pounds all in itself.
"Felix!" Isaac cried in disbelief. "You aren't going to take all that with you, are you? There is at least fifty mounted on yourself!"
"Actually there is only forty, but not to worry Isaac, I have trained long and hard these many years in carrying heavy loads across great distances. I can actually carry twenty pounds more so this short journey to Lalivero harbor should be quite relaxing."
"Well, whatever you say," Isaac said secretly wishing he had the strength and endurance to carry all his favorite weapons and armor around as easily as his brother-in-law could.
"All packed and ready to go my young scholar?" Felix asked as Adrian stuck half an omelet in his mouth. He was about to answer but fortunately he caught his mother's disapproving glance. So he chewed and swallowed the omelet first which took at least thirty seconds before he began to speak.
"Yes Uncle Felix. So, whenever you all are ready, tell me and I will go get dressed into my traveling clothes."
"Excellent!" Felix jubilantly exclaimed. "How about you go get dressed now and we'll leave right when you're finished!"
"Yes sir!" Adrian replied and he immediately ran upstairs. Michael watched in a slowly developing disgust for his brother's enthusiasm. Once again the seeds of jealously could of easily formed a fiery contempt for Adrian, but his love and devotion to his family remained dominant in his judgment.
"Michael," Felix called, "after you wash and put away your dishes, can you please join me outside?"
Michael wasn't expecting this at all so he had to ask his uncle to repeat the question. Once he did and Michael agreed, he cleared his plate and washed his dishes much faster than he had ever done before in his life. After he was finished, he found his uncle looking at the mountains to the west. The sun had been in the sky for at least an hour now but its splash of color had not yet completely erased itself from the mountain tops. Brilliant oranges danced around the purple slopes of the west as the sky took the reflection of both their colors intertwined.
"You wanted me Uncle Felix?" Michael asked.
"Oh...yes," he said regaining his composure after looking absently into the great sea above him. "I have a task for you."
Michael's face lighted up. "What kind of task?"
"The kind that takes dedication and discipline," Felix said in an important fashion.
Michael's excitement was building tremendously. "Do you want me to protect New Vale's gates from monster attacks?"
Felix laughed softly, but shook his head.
"Or maybe hide away a few yards behind you guys on your journey to Lalivero harbor just in case you need extra protection!"
No again.
"What do you want me to do then?" Michael asked very puzzled.
"Well, If it wouldn't be any trouble," Felix began, "I really would appreciate it if you would keep an eye on the djinn."
Michael's face was stripped from any of the accumulated suspense and excitement that was present and was immediately replaced with a look of utmost disappointment. Felix saw the transformation and kicked himself for thinking that Michael would fall for such a sugar-coated hoax of an assignment.
"Forgive me Michael," Felix said apologetically. "I guess that wasn't what you were expecting."
Michael shook his head.
"Still," Felix added putting his arm around his nephew's shoulder, "I still need you to take care of that djinn. You are the only one I trust that I know will protect it at all costs."
Michael sighed and looked into Felix's deep brown eyes, and as if he was not listening to a word his uncle was saying, he uttered the dominant thought raging within his mind.
"I want to go Uncle Felix, I really, really want to go."
Felix's fear that Michael was angry with him for trying to fool him into taking pride in babysitting the djinn had disappeared, so instead he could clearly focus on the present matter at hand.
"Michael," Felix consoled him, "your place is here right now in New Vale. It is imperative that we look out for your safety and it is the adepts of this town alone that can insure that. We must protect you to the best of our ability so that when your time comes, you can leave and embark on your own journey."
"Bringing Adrian along on a journey across two continents and an entire sea infested with monsters, pirates and who knows what else doesn't sound very safe to me," Michael dismally said.
Felix sighed as he paused to think about how he would phrase his next thoughts in order to help his nephew understand that his parents weren't favoring Adrian over him.
"Let me tell you something Michael, something that you have probably already heard millions of times. You see, your father was assigned a quest fourteen years ago which entailed that he prevent the elemental lighthouses from being lit. However, after meeting up with my party at the Jupiter Lighthouse and learning of the Weyard situation in its entirety, he decided to turn his allegiances to the more humanitarian of the two causes, that being to ignite the remaining beacon and prevent the world from eroding destruction. This was no light decision your father made Michael, because once he committed himself to the releasing of alchemy, he would also have to commit himself to the task of preventing its misuse. This is the promise your father made when he joined me and my party and through that promise alone that was sealed with the lighting of the final lighthouse is where your father's loyalties will always reside. So, forever will his quest be in maintaining peace in the world of alchemy.
"This is his quest Michael, his quest. I want you to consider this word and listen carefully to what next I have to say. A quest is a journey with a purpose where one dedicates their life, their strength, and their passion all for the sake of its completion. Your father is a prime example of this word at its best light. Now Michael I want to remind you of a quest Isaac and your mother undertook twelve years ago, it being none other than that of parenthood. You might think being a parent isn't a quest, but when you think of the actuality of it, it really is. For instance, apply our definition of a quest to parenthood. Parenthood is a journey with a purpose where two people dedicate their lives, their strength, and their passion all for the sake of its completion. The two sound very similar, no? Michael, your parents undertook the journey of raising you and your brother with the purpose of training you in the ways of goodness and virtue. They do this with all their strength, love, and passion and will continue to raise and influence you with these things until the day they die. So have we established that parenthood is a quest? Good. Now if you would take notice of the last part of our definition, "all for the sake of its completion". Parenthood is basically a similar quest to that of Isaac's current one for it will take him all his natural life to accomplish. In other words, parents strive all their lives for the completion of their parenting just as your father dedicates his life to the cause of attaining peace. This is where we get into the roles Jenna and Isaac have as your parents. Don't worry Michael, I'm just about done. Your father and mother are under the servitude of the universal right of parenthood to protect you with all that they are made of. So when something comes up, like your brothers handicap, they are under obligation from the purest love of their hearts to insure his safety. The best way, Michael to accomplish this is to bring him to the Lemurian healers. Yes the journey will be dangerous, but without the ability to use psynergy in the world today, Adrian would be at even greater risk than even that of a combined attack by all the pirates of the Great Eastern Sea. As for you, the safest precaution your parents can make is to leave you here under the wing of an entire town of adepts. You and your brother's safety and well-being are the primary aspects in their quest of parenthood Michael, a quest in which they will never detract from. Now after all this said, do you now understand why we can not take you with us?"
Felix finished his speech and was delighted to still find Michael paying full attention.
"Kind of...," Michael said a little sheepishly.
Felix paused and sighed yet again. "One day you will fully understand Michael. One day..."
The two gazed at the final moments of the Angaran sunset before Michael nodded at his uncle in attempt to without words communicate that he understood enough, and then turned to go back inside the house. Once he entered, Jenna who was listening by the window, came to Felix's side.
She embraced her brother and layed her head on his massive shoulders.
"Eavesdropping?" Felix jokingly asked her. "You're worse than the kids."
"I remember a time," Jenna contemplated after a light laugh, "when you were a rather soft-spoken individual. And since when did an old bachelor like yourself learn the fundamentals of parenting?"
Felix chuckled and twirled Jenna around in the air. "Ever since my tomboy sister got married, I guess," he smirked. "I figured that if she could find somebody to settle down with, then anybody could. That was the sign that told me I better pay attention to what you and Isaac were doing so that when my time comes, I'd be way ahead of the game."
Jenna opened her mouth wide in surprise and began to laugh. "What is that supposed to mean?" she said as she began to repeatedly pound him in the stomach.
"Nothing!" Felix pleaded as finally Jenna pushed him off the porch onto the soft grass below. The two laughed themselves to tears as they wrestled all across the front yard, constantly pinning one another only to be ultimately counter-pinned yet again.
Isaac, Adrian, and Michael watched in fascination through the front window.
"Such children!" Adrian remarked.
"Yeah," Michael agreed.
"Should I go tell them that the fertilizer still hasn't completely settled in the front yard yet?" Isaac asked them.
"Ewww," the two boys giggled in unison as Isaac bellowed in laughter as well.
Morale was high for the party and any jealousy or bitterness Michael had once felt towards his brother had now seemingly dispersed. The dawn of this journey seemed to promise smooth sailing for the future, or so Isaac thought.
But then his optimism came face to face with his better judgment.
If only it could be that easy...