Chapter Four
Alex ran as fast as he could, his mind all but gone. He was driven by the need to reach Vault first, to reach Ivan first, to claim the Jupiter Djinn for himself…
He did not eat, he did not sleep. He kept running across the plains, his body screaming, but he would not stop. His crazed pursuit pushed him to the brink of his abilities, but finally…he arrived in Vault.
The village was in a state of peace. It had in fact expanded since the events that had troubled it not so long ago. It had prospered in the short time, and all was well.
Alex leaned against a wall, gasping for breath. Looking hurt was part of his plan. It would make the villagers pity him, which would be their final mistake.
"Hello there?" came a voice. Alex looked up and saw a middle-aged man grinning warmly at him. "I take it you're not from around here."
Alex looked down at the ground. "No," he said. "I've traveled far…"
"What brings you to our humble village of Vault?" asked the man.
"I wanted to see Ivan," Alex said with a false innocence. "I've heard he's quite the hero with that whole raising of the Golden Sun business that went on not too long ago. I want to meet him and congratulate him."
The man frowned. "Sorry, but Ivan is not in town at the moment," he said.
"Really?" Alex questioned. "Where could he have gone? I do so wish to meet him."
"He decided to drop by Vale to visit some friends of his," said the man. "He was going to be there for a few days."
Alex was livid. He had just left Vale! He had been running so quickly and mindlessly that he did not look for any other travelers within the area. Surely Isaac, Garet and Jenna were on the road already, and they would undoubtedly meet up with Ivan as they walked.
I need to get there first, thought Alex. Isaac is too much of a threat; for some reason I could not kill him.
"When did Ivan leave?" asked Alex.
"Just half an hour ago," the man replied. "He couldn't have gotten very far. Maybe you can meet up with him."
"I'll try," said Alex with a wicked grin. He bade farewell and ran off down the path, on the hunt for Ivan.
My prey will not evade me, thought Alex. He cannot have gotten far. I can still reach him before Isaac and the others…
He stopped. His wild running had made up a large amount of time. There in the distance walked a young figure, scarcely fifteen of age, and he knew it had to be Ivan. There is no one with him, thought Alex. Perfect. There is still time.
"IVAN!" he cried aloud.
Ivan stopped. "What noise was that?" he asked as he turned in its direction. There he saw Alex in the distance, but could only make out his silhouette, for the sun was behind him and he was so far away. "Who are you?" he called, cupping his hands at his mouth.
Alex stepped forward, drawing nearer. "I am someone you should recognize, Ivan," he said. "You and your gang of ruffians."
Ivan soon realized that it was Alex who came toward him. "Is that…Alex?" he asked. "But…no, the mountain swallowed you! That is what the Wise One said!"
"The Wise One's wisdom is fleeting," said Alex. "I spent six weeks beneath the earth, but now I have broken free. I did want to kill Isaac, but I've decided to unleash Alchemy within myself first. And to do that, I'll be needing your Jupiter Djinn."
"You can't have them!" cried Ivan. "You are wicked! You thirst for power! That is what Mia told me!"
That name…Alex paused. Mia…the girl he had grown up with…in his hometown of Imil. That fellow Mercury Adept…he had almost forgotten his past with her. But as the knots of the past began to unravel, he remembered it all too well…
"I've already killed one of you," Alex said coldly as he drew his sword. "I killed Felix with this very blade…spilt his blood upon its edge…and I claimed his power."
Ivan's jaw dropped. "Felix is…dead?" he asked weakly.
"You have no need to worry," said Alex flatly. "For you shall be joining him shortly!"
Ivan turned and started to run away, but Alex put out his hand and cast Glacier, raising a wall of ice that blocked the Wind Adept's path. Ivan saw he had no choice, and he drew his staff.
"There is nowhere to go," stated Alex. "There is nowhere but death for you now!"
He ran forward as quickly as he could. Ivan planted his staff into the ground and cast Shine Plasma, unleashing bolts of blue lightning from the heavens. As Alex ran forward, he sidestepped two bolts and knocked another one away with his sword. Ivan was shocked at his ability and cast Cyclone, unleashing a twister upon his foe. Alex ran right through, unfazed.
Alex stopped a foot in front of Ivan for a split second, then swung down his blade. Ivan nimbly leaped out of the way and swatted Alex on the back with his staff. The Mercury Adept, completely unaffected, grabbed the staff with his free hand. "Let go!" cried Ivan.
Alex yanked the staff from Ivan's grasp and swatted him in the face with it. Ivan tumbled to the ground, and his foe stepped forward, sword in one hand, staff in another. He walked toward Ivan slowly, a reckless expression on his face. "Give me your Djinn, or I shall force them out of you!"
"You can't!" Ivan cried. He tried to get up, but his knees gave out.
"Fine," said Alex. He put out the staff and cast Djinnfest. Ivan's Djinn went to standby, appearing before him, clinging on Ivan's body. Alex put out his hand, and the Djinn crawled onto his arm, becoming parasite-like, joining the Venus Djinn he already possessed.
"Stop right there!" cried a voice. Alex looked up and saw Isaac, Garet and Jenna on the horizon.
"You're just in time," said Alex.
"IVAN!" Isaac cried. "Get away from him, Alex!"
"Is Ivan…?" Jenna asked, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.
Alex finished taking the last Jupiter Djinn. "Thanks to your little friend here, I now have the power of earth, wind, and the sea! And all I need now is to claim your Mars Djinn and my power will be complete!"
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Garet yelled, hurling a hand axe at Alex. The Mercury Adept swatted it away with his sword and ran toward the boy. Garet cast Heat Wave, trying to knock Alex back, but he ran right through the Psynergy and struck Garet across the head with his staff.
"Get away from him!" Jenna cried, casting Fume. The fiery dragon rose up and came down upon Alex. Alex raised his arm and created a geyser from his Psynergy that washed away the flame. He then ran at Jenna. Isaac cast Ragnarok, unleashing the flaming sword upon the wicked Adept, striking the ground in front of him. Alex was tossed through the air and landed on his back.
Isaac turned to Jenna. "Get Ivan to safety!" he said. "Garet, we're going to take down Alex once and for all!"
Jenna nodded and ran for Ivan's limp body. Garet and Isaac stood side by side, axe and sword drawn.
Alex twirled his blade and staff. "I have more Psynergy than you could imagine!" he said. He raised his arm into the air and let out a loud cry. He unleashed Shine Plasma, hailing blue thunder upon his foes. Garet and Isaac ran around frantically, barely dodging each bolt. Alex then thrust out his sword and cast Prism, unleashing a hail of giant ice spheres upon the Venus and Mars Adepts. Again, they struggled to dodge each blow. Eventually both were struck, and they sank to the ground.
Alex stepped forward. "With Djinn comes great power," he said. "THE POWER TO SUMMON THIS! I CALL UPON CHARON!"
The great warrior thrust his arms into the air, calling upon the power of eight Venus and two Jupiter Djinn. The Djinn swarmed his body as the gates of hell swung open. From beyond emerged the cloaked lord of the abyss, the boatman of the River Styx. As the great being stepped forth, it wrought death and destruction all around it.
Jenna knelt down beside Ivan. She used her healing magic, and soon Ivan was healed back to his full health, yet very weakened due to his loss of Djinn.
"Jenna?" Ivan asked. "We…we need to get out of here! Alex is back!"
Charon lumbered toward Garet and Isaac. "Isaac!" Jenna shouted. "Ivan's okay! He's just fine!"
Alex turned to face Jenna. "You!" he said. "You have some Djinn I wish to possess…HAND THEM OVER NOW!"
Jenna clutched his staff tightly. "Never!" she protested. "I won't let you fulfill your wicked plans!"
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Isaac screamed at the top of his lungs. He started running toward Jenna, but Charon swung his great scythe and slashed Isaac across the chest, bringing him to his knees, falling flat out, blood pooling beneath him.
"ISAAC!" Garet cried. He was filled with a rage he had never felt before; he wanted to kill very badly.
"Charon, take out the other one!" Alex commanded. "I will be stripping this little girl of her power soon, just like I did her brother!"
Jenna became consumed with rage. "YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" she shrieked. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
Charon swung his mighty scythe and took out Garet's knees. Garet fell flat on the ground, and Charon stomped on his back, causing the fallen Adept to spit blood. Charon then faded, his purpose finished.
Ivan stood up beside Jenna. "Get back, Alex…" he said.
"You are weaponless and without Djinn," said Alex. "You are worthless to me now. Here, take back your weak staff!" He hurled the staff as hard as he could like a javelin, striking Ivan in the chest. Ivan cried out and fell to the ground.
"Ivan!" Jenna cried. She stared into Alex's cold eyes, seeing no emotion but rage. "You killed my brother…you monster…you had no reason to do it. You did it out of cold blood, you wretch!"
"He attacked me first," said Alex. "He got in my way, so I killed him. And upon the very blade I spilt his blood, I shall kill you. However, if you hand your Djinn to me…I will let you live."
"Never," Jenna said. "I would rather die than allow you to fulfill your reckless ambition! Mia said that you were once a good person! What happened to you?"
Alex stopped again. Mia…that name would haunt him forever…
"Enough!" said Alex. "The time has come!" He ran at Jenna as quickly as he could, sword at the ready. Jenna shut her eyes and summoned her power within, unleashing Dragon Fume, and the fiery serpent of death struck Alex head on. Alex was sent flying back, slamming into a rock.
That girl cannot have that much power! thought Alex. How did she do that? With my power she should be nothing to me!
"Wondering how I did that?" asked Jenna. "You would understand too…if you had lost a loved one."