The day was beautiful, the wind blowing calmly from the south. The sun was
shining warmly down on the surface of the earth below. There was hardly a
cloud in the sky, and the air was crisp and clean. The winds blew softly
through her hair, as she sat in an open field outside her hometown.
The girl's name was Mia; she was the young healer of the small village of Imil. She was a Mercury Adept, and a very skilled one, too. The young girl's face was flawless; aqua eyes and hair, and a charming smile all lent to her unworldly beauty. She was but seventeen, yet she was far wiser than even the eldest of men. To the villagers of Imil, the young healer always seemed to exude an aura of tranquility and peace, causing many to be attracted to her.
Her past had been relatively uneventful, as she was simply born and raised in a small and hardly known town within the borders of the great nation of Angara. Her nature was always friendly and dependable; she was always there when someone needed her. Though she was friendly, she was quite shy by nature. Though she didn't speak to many people that weren't her closest friends often, her voice was beautiful and melodious; a voice one would expect from an angel.
Mia stood slowly from her position on the hill, and let the warm south wind blow through her hair again; Imil could get very cold and snowy in the winter, but it was very pleasant in the other seasons. She smiled, but then she remembered her business outside of town; she needed to gather herbs for her stockpile back home. She turned her back to her small hometown and walked southward, into the light summer breeze. After walking about half a mile, she came across an old set of ruins.
The ruins were large, as if an ancient temple once stood on the grounds. There were still fallen columns and crumbling walls, but the ruins were deemed safe by Imil's mayor. No one much visited them, for the ruins held no treasure of any sort, but Mia enjoyed studying them. It seemed no matter how many times she went back, it was like they were hiding something from her. Every time she discovered something new, and yet she seemed to know the ruins top to bottom, like the back of her hand. As she stepped into what was probably the main chamber of the temple in its day, she stood marveling at a work of art. This piece's meaning had always escaped the Mercury Adept, and she studied it every time she came by the ruins.
The art piece was a stone etching in the floor of the temple; it somehow remained undamaged throughout the decay of the temple. The etching depicted a strong and handsome winged warrior, holding a long sword in one hand, and cradling a small dove in the other. The warrior's hair was spiked out uncontrollably, and his eyes were deep and soulful. Behind him lay a split landscape. On the right side of the warrior, where he held his sword, the land was desolate and bare wasteland, where no life dwelled. On the left side, where the warrior had a dove in his flat hand was a picturesque and beautiful landscape with trees and fresh water. No matter how many times Mia studied this etching, she could never discern its meaning. It could've been possible that the ancients had worshipped this angel as a bringer of life and death. Or perhaps it was a portrait of an olden hero who saved the lands from becoming bare and desolate. For whatever the reason, she couldn't figure it out. Mia sat puzzling more moments, before she heard the pattering of bare feet against the stone floors.
She stood, assuming that the noises were merely from rats or mice. She sighed as she glanced once more at the carving over her shoulder. Her head turned as she heard the noises again; but this time, they sounded more of a clacking noise rather than patting. She was unarmed, so if this newcomer was a threat, she'd have to rely completely on her Psynergy to get her out of this tight spot. Carefully, she inched over to a semi-crumbled wall and peered over it. . . in to the empty skull of a Skeleton Warrior.
She gasped, leaping backwards. The skeleton climbed over the wall, and raised its rusted broadsword high. Mia shivered as she continued her backward retreat, but the skeleton was unwilling to stop following her menacingly. Finally, she invoked an Ice spell against the skeleton, shattering its bones and causing the rusted sword to clatter to the ground and snap in two. She sighed in relief as she turned to leave. As she turned, she noticed that she was blocked in by two more skeletons, who began to laugh maniacally at her. Knowing she had no other choice, she summoned a Tundra attack on the two of them, shattering their chattering skulls into pieces. She walked toward the exit, but she slowed to a halt when the area around her suddenly turned dark. She spun around again, only to notice the Grim Reaper standing on a wall several meters away, brandishing his scythe with a bloodthirsty intent.
"It's your time, Mia." It hissed at her.
"No way." She replied back, blasting it with an Ice attack. The Reaper simply shook off the ice crystals that had formed on his black cloak and hovered down to the floor where she stood, trembling.
"Don't resist; you'll make this easier for the both of us." Death said, coming closer to her while raising his blade. "It'll be over in a second." Mia's back was already against a wall, giving her nowhere to run. Where could you run from Death, anyway? Mia shut her eyes and began to pray to Mercury for help.
"It's over." Death said, raising his scythe to bring it down on the defenseless Adept. Mia's eyes opened slowly, seeing the reaper at the apex of his swing, and then suddenly a flash of golden light blinded her eyes. The sound of clashing metal was heard; Mia opened her eyes to see Death's scythe blocked by a long sword.
"If you want to get to her, you must destroy me first." A voice stated. Mia turned her head to see the angel from the etching come to life before her very eyes. He had caught the scythe blade with his sword and his wings flapped lightly. Feathers fell to the ground around her form the wings of the angel. The sword of the angel gave off a golden luminous glow, and Mia could feel the power of righteousness it gave off.
"As you wish, angel." Death stated, leaping back from the newfound opponent. The angel quickly dashed into an attack against the dark spirit and slashed horizontally. Death blocked his strike with the shaft of his weapon and he tried to strike him back. The angel simply dodged left and came low at the spirit, striking the him at the waist. Death shattered in half, but the angel aimed his palm at the spirit and a blast of golden energy finished the job. The spirit was gone completely, and he sheathed his sword quietly. The angel's head turned slowly back to Mia.
"Are you hurt, Mia?"
"No. . . and how do you know who I am?"
"I just know, Mia. Do not fear me; though I may be somewhat intimidating, I mean you no ire."
"I understand. . ." She said, approaching the angel cautiously. The angel turned fully around to face her, and she approached to arms' distance. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"I can't tell you, Mia."
"You can't, or you won't?"
"Sharp as a tack, aren't you? I can't. I can tell you this, however: I will always be here for you, Mia. Remember that. I'm sorry I can't stay any longer, but I must go now. Farewell." Before the angel turned, he took Mia's hand in his and kissed the top of it. He smiled warmly, and with one mighty flap of his wings, darted off into the sky.
************************************
"Mia! Wake up!" A voice exclaimed, jostling the Mercury Adept from her dream. Mia yawned quietly as she looked into the eyes of her best friend.
"Sheba, what is it?" She asked, sitting up straight.
"We have to go out past the ruins to search for those herbs you needed, remember?"
"Oh yes. . . sorry." Mia sighed. "I'll be with you in a few minutes, Sheba."
"Okay, take your time." Sheba smiled, leaving the room. Mia yawned lightly again as she put her forehead in her left hand. This was the sixth night in a row she had this dream; what could it mean? Was it an omen? Or a premonition? It couldn't have been either; she was a Mercury Adept, not a Jupiter Adept like Sheba. If anyone should be having premonitions, it should be her! She sighed, setting her thoughts aside for the moment. She had to focus on what she was supposed to do at the moment: Get the herbs she needed for the sanctum. Mia stood and quickly got into her white robes and placed her hair band in. She was out the door in five minutes, and she quickly greeted Sheba, who was waiting for her outside of her house. They began walking to the outskirts of Imil so they could venture out in search of their herbs.
"Is something wrong, Mia? You look a little pale."
"I just had a strange dream, Sheba."
"Strange as in bad, or strange as in floating livestock and endless staircases?"
"Neither. It was good at first, then it got scary, then it got good again."
"So your dream was essentially a novel, Mia?"
"You could put it that way. It just didn't make sense; strangest of all was the fact that I've had the same dream every night for days now."
Sheba's face paled slightly. "Are you sure it's not a premonition, Mia? Whenever I get them, the same thing always happens to me."
"No, Sheba. I'm not a seer like you. Besides, since when do Mercury Adepts get visions anyway?"
"Well, there was that one time. . ." Sheba replied.
"Sheba, I told you not to bring that up again." Mia stated, a little upset. "Besides. . . the dream wouldn't make any sense as a premonition. It wasn't realistic."
"Maybe it was symbolic."
"Just drop it, Sheba. It's probably just a phase."
"If you say so, Mia. The ruins aren't far off now, so keep your eyes open for the herbs we require."
"I know, Sheba." She smiled. They slowed their walk as they reached the ruined temple. "If we split up we might be able to find them faster."
"Right. I'll take the northern part of the ruins, you take the south. Hopefully we can get back to Imil a little after noon. We'll meet back here in an hour, okay?"
"Yes. See you soon, Sheba." Mia replied, waving goodbye as she split up. She entered the very familiar ruins; the makeup of the ruins in her dreams were exactly the same as in real life, lending her an even more uneasy feeling about her dream. Her instincts ordering her, she moved carefully into the main hall of the temple, where the reaper had threatened her. She knelt down to examine the floor of the chamber, and saw. . . a smooth stone floor. No etching was there at all. It was funny; in the dream it looked and even felt real. She sighed, standing up. It looked like she was no closer now to solving the mystery than she had been during her sleep. Now that she had cooled her instincts off with a much needed dose of reality, she turned her mind back to the matters at hand. She left the main chamber and began searching most of the grounds, finding nothing but weeds and other herbs that weren't needed at the moment.
As she reached the southern most portion of the ruins, she sighed. There was no sign of any of the herbs she needed; Mia only hoped Sheba was having better luck in the north. After finally searching the last building thoroughly, she sighed, having no good luck at all. The final place to search were the southern fields, but nothing grew out there except for weeds and grass. Nonetheless, the herbs were badly needed to cure high fevers, and with a possible epidemic brewing, Mia needed to be prepared. So, the white-clad Mercury Adept walked out to the grassy fields just south of the ruins. The field was large and overgrown, and would take considerable time to sift through thoroughly, but she decided to do what she came out to do.
She searched for minutes, seeing nothing. The only sounds she could hear were the sounds of the grass blades rustling between steps and with the warm summer breeze. Mia shook her head, figuring she was wasting her time. She turned and began walking back to the ruins, listening to the soft rustle of grass beneath her feet. Abruptly, the rustle stopped for a moment, and then returned in the next step. Confused, Mia looked back into the tall reeds. She brushed aside the reeds, and she found a body, lying face down in the grass. Mia immediately gasped loudly, and she barely contained a scream. Her next inclination was to check if the person was even still alive. She pressed her fingers to the person's neck, and discovered a relatively strong pulse. He was definitely alive. Mia pushed the person from his back onto his front, and she gasped again at the discovery.
It was the angel in her dream; alive, and a person. He looked exactly the same, except without the wings and unearthly aura. The would-be angel was unconscious, though he was breathing lightly. His wounds were minor, he looked more scratched up with cuts then any life-threatening wounds. Mia was left but with two choices that depended on each other. Should she find Sheba and have her here too, or should she try to heal him first? She stopped to think for a moment, but as she saw the face of the downed angel, she knew Sheba shouldn't be here in case what she found was a real angel. She sat beside him, and placed her palms on his chest. The slender hands of the Mercury Adept began to glow, and so did the body of the fallen angel.
***********************************
Darkness, pure, perfect, impenetrable. This was all that Isaac saw before his eyes. He couldn't remember what happened after the battle with the Storm Lizard. The last thing he remembered was being sucked into the winds of the Tornado and being thrown around like a bean bag. While he was being thrown around, he could feel his right arm lose grip of his sword and he could feel the arm break. Now it was dark, and he felt no pain. Suddenly, a blue light appeared before him, breaking through the previously impervious darkness in his eyes. White sunlight began to penetrate as well, and he found the lids of his eyes slowly drift open.
"Are you okay?" A soft and familiar voice asked. The voice was calm, but obviously concerned. When Isaac's blurred vision cleared, he looked into the sparkling eyes of the angel in his dream.
"It's. . . you. . ." Isaac stated, still somewhat dizzy from passing out.
"Beg your pardon?" The angel replied. Isaac slowly sat forward and turned his head to the angel. The figure was exactly as he had dreamed her, save for the wings. Her face, her voice, everything. . . exactly the same. While inspecting his savior, the back of Isaac's head began to throb painfully. His hand shot to the back of his head and he winced in aggravation. "Are you hurt?" She asked, worriedly.
"I'm. . . okay." Isaac replied, rubbing his head. The quick pain in the back of his head began to subside, and he looked back at the girl who revived him.
Mia stared directly back at the mysterious person. His eyes were cool and serene, as though he really had fallen from heaven. The two confused Adepts continued to study each other for several more moments, before Mia finally broke her silence. "What's your name?" She said, very softly.
The figure paused a moment before replying. "Isaac. My name is Isaac. What's your name?" Isaac replied, equally as quiet.
"Mia." She replied, still barely audible. The two were silent for several moments more. Neither of them could form the words they needed to say; they were both still in shock from seeing each other in real life. "Who. . ., I mean, how did you get here?"
"Where am I?" Isaac asked, nearly at the same time. "I'm sorry. . . what did you say?"
"How did you get here?"
"Well, the last thing I can recall was being sucked into a tornado from a Storm Lizard; I guess it blew me here from Vault." Mia instantly jumped.
"Vault? Are you joking?"
"No."
"Vault's two hundred miles away!"
"What?! Where am I now?"
"You are only a couple miles south of the town of Imil."
"Imil? I've scarcely heard of the town."
"It's more of a village than a town. . . but I'm amazed how far out you were flung. . . so, are you some kind of warrior?"
"A Paladin in training, actually. Are you a healer, by any chance?"
"Yes, but how did you know?"
"My arm broke while I was in the tornado." Isaac stated, moving his right appendage. "It's fine now. Thank you."
"You're welcome. . ." Mia replied. "Isaac. . . where do you come from?"
"Vale."
"Vale? Just Vale?"
"Did you expect some place else?"
"No, I'm sorry." She replied softly. "It's just that. . ." She halted there.
"What?" Isaac asked, quietly.
"It's that. . . I've seen you. . ." A sudden rustling in the grass around them stopped her speech. "What was that?!"
Isaac leapt to his feet and looked around. The sounds came from a small pack of wolves who decided that Isaac and Mia would be their next meals. "Mia, did you find my sword anywhere?"
"No. . ." She replied, getting to her feet, back to back against Isaac. "What do we do? We're surrounded. . ."
"I'll distract them while you make a run for it."
"What? But you're unarmed! You can't possibly survive against four wolves without a weapon!"
"I wouldn't be much of a Paladin if I couldn't fight without a weapon, Mia. I'll buy you some time, and I want you to run as fast as you can. Trust me."
"Okay. . ." She sighed. "Be careful."
"Don't worry about me." Isaac smiled, stepping forward to challenge his lupine opponents. The wolves growled lowly at Isaac, whose arm was now pointed at them. A sudden tremor shook the ground beneath the hounds, and Mia took off at a dead run for the ruins. The dogs quickly regained their footing and they each leapt at Isaac. The first hound went for a direct pounce, but Isaac leapt from the hound's trajectory. The second went for several biting attacks, which the Venus Adept danced-dodged from. The third one made a leap tackle for Isaac and was promptly kicked away by a bruising roundhouse, sending the dog sprawling onto the ground with a broken neck. The fourth paced around, searching for an avenue of attack, and he tried to get behind Isaac. Isaac switched his fighting stance back to defense, and glanced at each one of his opponents, tracking their movements with deadly precision. Anticipating the second wolf's move, Isaac dodged right and quickly sent his fist flying to the point where he had been a second before, catching the wolf in the rib cage, sending it barreling into the fourth hound. The first dog, seeing the chance, leapt in from behind to attack. Isaac caught the creature's move and back- flipped over the creature's head and delivered another kick into the creature's hindquarters. The hound yelped as it flew several feet forward before catching its own fall. The dog whirled around and faced Isaac, as mad as ever. The second and fourth hounds were now back up as well, and they leapt at Isaac together. Isaac dodged to the right and gave a punishing high kick to the second of the dogs, snapping his spinal cord. The Venus Adept swiftly reacted to the first hound's leap by 'catching' it, falling to the ground and kicking it over him. The dog flew forward, before smashing its head on a large rock. The final hound dashed in at Isaac during this time, and the Venus Adept leapt to his feet and kicked the wolf in the face. The creature howled in pain, and it went for one final shot of glory. Isaac's decisive blow lay straight between the eyes of the creature, knocking it out on the spot.
"Wow." Mia's voice sounded. "You did it!"
"It was nothing." Isaac said, dropping his fighter stance. "But you didn't run far enough away." Isaac glanced over to Mia, who was less than a hundred yards away.
"I. . . was worried." She stated, approaching him. "I thought you might need my help."
Isaac smiled. "I appreciate your concern for my safety, Mia. It's not everyday you see someone willing to risk their lives for someone else."
"You're one to talk." She replied. Her aqua eyes became fixed on the Venus Adept, who, although still stood upright and rigid, was noticeably fatigued. "You look exhausted, Isaac."
"I'm fine." He stated.
"Well, why don't we go meet up with a friend of mine and we can go back to Imil for some rest?"
"Very well, then. Let's go." Isaac stated, walking toward the Mercury Adept. Mia nodded, and she began to walk side by side with the Venus Adept. "So, what is Imil like, Mia?"
"It's a small town; there's really not much there. With you being from Vale, Imil will be little more than a small hovel."
"I don't know about that. . . It is not my duty to pass judgment, you know."
"As a Paladin, I can understand that. . ."
"Well, like I said, I'm still a Paladin in training. I'm not really a Paladin yet."
"Whatever the case is, Isaac, you'll find Imil probably too small to enjoy for very long."
"Are there any cities nearby?"
"The closest city is Bilbin, and that's about fifty miles to the south of here. Though you will find all of your basic necessities here in Imil, though." Mia replied, as they approached the ruins.
"Say, what are these ruins of, Mia?"
"I'm not sure. We think that the ruins were a temple of some kind; perhaps to the very element of Mercury itself. I can't really say for hard fact, Isaac."
"I was just curious. . ." He trailed off.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. . . It's like I've been here before or something."
"In a dream?" Mia said, before she could contain her curiosity.
"No." Isaac turned. A dream? Did she somehow know about his dreams? The ruins, although they weren't part of his dream, did feel somewhat familiar. How was it possible that Mia could accurately guess something like that? Was it mere coincidence? He couldn't tell.
"We're coming up to the center of the ruins, so we'll likely see my friend soon." Mia stated. No sooner had she finished her statement was when she heard a voice call out to her.
"Mia! You're late!" Sheba shouted, running up to her. "Where were yo. . ." She trailed off, noticing Isaac. "Who are you?"
"My name is Isaac. It's a pleasure to meet you, um. . ."
"Sheba." She stated. "Mia, were did this guy come from?"
"Would you believe I found him laying unconscious down in the grassy fields?"
"Only if it was you talking, Mia." Sheba sighed. "Well, I found our herbs." She said, holding up a small bag. "Now, what are you doing here, Isaac?"
"He was thrown here by a Storm Lizard's tornado."
"From where?"
"Vault, believe it or not."
"What?! You're joking, Mia, right?!" Sheba exclaimed. Mia shook her head lightly. "So you're from Vault?!"
"Vale, actually." Isaac stated. "I was on assignment in Vault when I got sucked into that wretched windstorm. The next thing I knew was that I was being revived by Mia here."
"So, who are you working for, Isaac?"
"I am a squire to Lord Felix, leader of the Paladins of Sol. I am a Paladin in training."
"Where's your weapon?" Sheba asked, pointing to the empty scabbard on his back. "Not much of a warrior without a weapon, are you?"
"You'd be surprised, Sheba." Mia sighed, rolling her eyes at her friend's questioning nature. "Isaac here is an Adept too, so he is quite formidable without a weapon."
"Well, it is getting late, and we should be going. Let's go home." Sheba stated.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but could you two kindly point me to the town inn when we get there?" Isaac asked.
"Inn? No, Isaac. You're not staying at an inn. We have a guest room in our house. Please, stay with us." Mia stated.
"I wouldn't want to impose. . ." Isaac stated. "Besides, quartering troops is against your rights."
"Well, that's only without the homeowner's consent, Isaac. If Sheba doesn't have any objection. . ." Mia trailed off. Sheba glanced at her friend and turned her eyes to study the young squire.
"I have no problem. He seems like a honorable man, so why not? Come stay with us, then." Sheba stated.
"Really, I can't. . ."
"You can and you will, Isaac." Sheba stated.
"Please, Isaac? It's not like you're doing anything wrong."
"All right." Isaac sighed, realizing he couldn't alter the mindset these girls had entered. "Lead the way, you two."
The girl's name was Mia; she was the young healer of the small village of Imil. She was a Mercury Adept, and a very skilled one, too. The young girl's face was flawless; aqua eyes and hair, and a charming smile all lent to her unworldly beauty. She was but seventeen, yet she was far wiser than even the eldest of men. To the villagers of Imil, the young healer always seemed to exude an aura of tranquility and peace, causing many to be attracted to her.
Her past had been relatively uneventful, as she was simply born and raised in a small and hardly known town within the borders of the great nation of Angara. Her nature was always friendly and dependable; she was always there when someone needed her. Though she was friendly, she was quite shy by nature. Though she didn't speak to many people that weren't her closest friends often, her voice was beautiful and melodious; a voice one would expect from an angel.
Mia stood slowly from her position on the hill, and let the warm south wind blow through her hair again; Imil could get very cold and snowy in the winter, but it was very pleasant in the other seasons. She smiled, but then she remembered her business outside of town; she needed to gather herbs for her stockpile back home. She turned her back to her small hometown and walked southward, into the light summer breeze. After walking about half a mile, she came across an old set of ruins.
The ruins were large, as if an ancient temple once stood on the grounds. There were still fallen columns and crumbling walls, but the ruins were deemed safe by Imil's mayor. No one much visited them, for the ruins held no treasure of any sort, but Mia enjoyed studying them. It seemed no matter how many times she went back, it was like they were hiding something from her. Every time she discovered something new, and yet she seemed to know the ruins top to bottom, like the back of her hand. As she stepped into what was probably the main chamber of the temple in its day, she stood marveling at a work of art. This piece's meaning had always escaped the Mercury Adept, and she studied it every time she came by the ruins.
The art piece was a stone etching in the floor of the temple; it somehow remained undamaged throughout the decay of the temple. The etching depicted a strong and handsome winged warrior, holding a long sword in one hand, and cradling a small dove in the other. The warrior's hair was spiked out uncontrollably, and his eyes were deep and soulful. Behind him lay a split landscape. On the right side of the warrior, where he held his sword, the land was desolate and bare wasteland, where no life dwelled. On the left side, where the warrior had a dove in his flat hand was a picturesque and beautiful landscape with trees and fresh water. No matter how many times Mia studied this etching, she could never discern its meaning. It could've been possible that the ancients had worshipped this angel as a bringer of life and death. Or perhaps it was a portrait of an olden hero who saved the lands from becoming bare and desolate. For whatever the reason, she couldn't figure it out. Mia sat puzzling more moments, before she heard the pattering of bare feet against the stone floors.
She stood, assuming that the noises were merely from rats or mice. She sighed as she glanced once more at the carving over her shoulder. Her head turned as she heard the noises again; but this time, they sounded more of a clacking noise rather than patting. She was unarmed, so if this newcomer was a threat, she'd have to rely completely on her Psynergy to get her out of this tight spot. Carefully, she inched over to a semi-crumbled wall and peered over it. . . in to the empty skull of a Skeleton Warrior.
She gasped, leaping backwards. The skeleton climbed over the wall, and raised its rusted broadsword high. Mia shivered as she continued her backward retreat, but the skeleton was unwilling to stop following her menacingly. Finally, she invoked an Ice spell against the skeleton, shattering its bones and causing the rusted sword to clatter to the ground and snap in two. She sighed in relief as she turned to leave. As she turned, she noticed that she was blocked in by two more skeletons, who began to laugh maniacally at her. Knowing she had no other choice, she summoned a Tundra attack on the two of them, shattering their chattering skulls into pieces. She walked toward the exit, but she slowed to a halt when the area around her suddenly turned dark. She spun around again, only to notice the Grim Reaper standing on a wall several meters away, brandishing his scythe with a bloodthirsty intent.
"It's your time, Mia." It hissed at her.
"No way." She replied back, blasting it with an Ice attack. The Reaper simply shook off the ice crystals that had formed on his black cloak and hovered down to the floor where she stood, trembling.
"Don't resist; you'll make this easier for the both of us." Death said, coming closer to her while raising his blade. "It'll be over in a second." Mia's back was already against a wall, giving her nowhere to run. Where could you run from Death, anyway? Mia shut her eyes and began to pray to Mercury for help.
"It's over." Death said, raising his scythe to bring it down on the defenseless Adept. Mia's eyes opened slowly, seeing the reaper at the apex of his swing, and then suddenly a flash of golden light blinded her eyes. The sound of clashing metal was heard; Mia opened her eyes to see Death's scythe blocked by a long sword.
"If you want to get to her, you must destroy me first." A voice stated. Mia turned her head to see the angel from the etching come to life before her very eyes. He had caught the scythe blade with his sword and his wings flapped lightly. Feathers fell to the ground around her form the wings of the angel. The sword of the angel gave off a golden luminous glow, and Mia could feel the power of righteousness it gave off.
"As you wish, angel." Death stated, leaping back from the newfound opponent. The angel quickly dashed into an attack against the dark spirit and slashed horizontally. Death blocked his strike with the shaft of his weapon and he tried to strike him back. The angel simply dodged left and came low at the spirit, striking the him at the waist. Death shattered in half, but the angel aimed his palm at the spirit and a blast of golden energy finished the job. The spirit was gone completely, and he sheathed his sword quietly. The angel's head turned slowly back to Mia.
"Are you hurt, Mia?"
"No. . . and how do you know who I am?"
"I just know, Mia. Do not fear me; though I may be somewhat intimidating, I mean you no ire."
"I understand. . ." She said, approaching the angel cautiously. The angel turned fully around to face her, and she approached to arms' distance. "Tell me, what is your name?"
"I can't tell you, Mia."
"You can't, or you won't?"
"Sharp as a tack, aren't you? I can't. I can tell you this, however: I will always be here for you, Mia. Remember that. I'm sorry I can't stay any longer, but I must go now. Farewell." Before the angel turned, he took Mia's hand in his and kissed the top of it. He smiled warmly, and with one mighty flap of his wings, darted off into the sky.
************************************
"Mia! Wake up!" A voice exclaimed, jostling the Mercury Adept from her dream. Mia yawned quietly as she looked into the eyes of her best friend.
"Sheba, what is it?" She asked, sitting up straight.
"We have to go out past the ruins to search for those herbs you needed, remember?"
"Oh yes. . . sorry." Mia sighed. "I'll be with you in a few minutes, Sheba."
"Okay, take your time." Sheba smiled, leaving the room. Mia yawned lightly again as she put her forehead in her left hand. This was the sixth night in a row she had this dream; what could it mean? Was it an omen? Or a premonition? It couldn't have been either; she was a Mercury Adept, not a Jupiter Adept like Sheba. If anyone should be having premonitions, it should be her! She sighed, setting her thoughts aside for the moment. She had to focus on what she was supposed to do at the moment: Get the herbs she needed for the sanctum. Mia stood and quickly got into her white robes and placed her hair band in. She was out the door in five minutes, and she quickly greeted Sheba, who was waiting for her outside of her house. They began walking to the outskirts of Imil so they could venture out in search of their herbs.
"Is something wrong, Mia? You look a little pale."
"I just had a strange dream, Sheba."
"Strange as in bad, or strange as in floating livestock and endless staircases?"
"Neither. It was good at first, then it got scary, then it got good again."
"So your dream was essentially a novel, Mia?"
"You could put it that way. It just didn't make sense; strangest of all was the fact that I've had the same dream every night for days now."
Sheba's face paled slightly. "Are you sure it's not a premonition, Mia? Whenever I get them, the same thing always happens to me."
"No, Sheba. I'm not a seer like you. Besides, since when do Mercury Adepts get visions anyway?"
"Well, there was that one time. . ." Sheba replied.
"Sheba, I told you not to bring that up again." Mia stated, a little upset. "Besides. . . the dream wouldn't make any sense as a premonition. It wasn't realistic."
"Maybe it was symbolic."
"Just drop it, Sheba. It's probably just a phase."
"If you say so, Mia. The ruins aren't far off now, so keep your eyes open for the herbs we require."
"I know, Sheba." She smiled. They slowed their walk as they reached the ruined temple. "If we split up we might be able to find them faster."
"Right. I'll take the northern part of the ruins, you take the south. Hopefully we can get back to Imil a little after noon. We'll meet back here in an hour, okay?"
"Yes. See you soon, Sheba." Mia replied, waving goodbye as she split up. She entered the very familiar ruins; the makeup of the ruins in her dreams were exactly the same as in real life, lending her an even more uneasy feeling about her dream. Her instincts ordering her, she moved carefully into the main hall of the temple, where the reaper had threatened her. She knelt down to examine the floor of the chamber, and saw. . . a smooth stone floor. No etching was there at all. It was funny; in the dream it looked and even felt real. She sighed, standing up. It looked like she was no closer now to solving the mystery than she had been during her sleep. Now that she had cooled her instincts off with a much needed dose of reality, she turned her mind back to the matters at hand. She left the main chamber and began searching most of the grounds, finding nothing but weeds and other herbs that weren't needed at the moment.
As she reached the southern most portion of the ruins, she sighed. There was no sign of any of the herbs she needed; Mia only hoped Sheba was having better luck in the north. After finally searching the last building thoroughly, she sighed, having no good luck at all. The final place to search were the southern fields, but nothing grew out there except for weeds and grass. Nonetheless, the herbs were badly needed to cure high fevers, and with a possible epidemic brewing, Mia needed to be prepared. So, the white-clad Mercury Adept walked out to the grassy fields just south of the ruins. The field was large and overgrown, and would take considerable time to sift through thoroughly, but she decided to do what she came out to do.
She searched for minutes, seeing nothing. The only sounds she could hear were the sounds of the grass blades rustling between steps and with the warm summer breeze. Mia shook her head, figuring she was wasting her time. She turned and began walking back to the ruins, listening to the soft rustle of grass beneath her feet. Abruptly, the rustle stopped for a moment, and then returned in the next step. Confused, Mia looked back into the tall reeds. She brushed aside the reeds, and she found a body, lying face down in the grass. Mia immediately gasped loudly, and she barely contained a scream. Her next inclination was to check if the person was even still alive. She pressed her fingers to the person's neck, and discovered a relatively strong pulse. He was definitely alive. Mia pushed the person from his back onto his front, and she gasped again at the discovery.
It was the angel in her dream; alive, and a person. He looked exactly the same, except without the wings and unearthly aura. The would-be angel was unconscious, though he was breathing lightly. His wounds were minor, he looked more scratched up with cuts then any life-threatening wounds. Mia was left but with two choices that depended on each other. Should she find Sheba and have her here too, or should she try to heal him first? She stopped to think for a moment, but as she saw the face of the downed angel, she knew Sheba shouldn't be here in case what she found was a real angel. She sat beside him, and placed her palms on his chest. The slender hands of the Mercury Adept began to glow, and so did the body of the fallen angel.
***********************************
Darkness, pure, perfect, impenetrable. This was all that Isaac saw before his eyes. He couldn't remember what happened after the battle with the Storm Lizard. The last thing he remembered was being sucked into the winds of the Tornado and being thrown around like a bean bag. While he was being thrown around, he could feel his right arm lose grip of his sword and he could feel the arm break. Now it was dark, and he felt no pain. Suddenly, a blue light appeared before him, breaking through the previously impervious darkness in his eyes. White sunlight began to penetrate as well, and he found the lids of his eyes slowly drift open.
"Are you okay?" A soft and familiar voice asked. The voice was calm, but obviously concerned. When Isaac's blurred vision cleared, he looked into the sparkling eyes of the angel in his dream.
"It's. . . you. . ." Isaac stated, still somewhat dizzy from passing out.
"Beg your pardon?" The angel replied. Isaac slowly sat forward and turned his head to the angel. The figure was exactly as he had dreamed her, save for the wings. Her face, her voice, everything. . . exactly the same. While inspecting his savior, the back of Isaac's head began to throb painfully. His hand shot to the back of his head and he winced in aggravation. "Are you hurt?" She asked, worriedly.
"I'm. . . okay." Isaac replied, rubbing his head. The quick pain in the back of his head began to subside, and he looked back at the girl who revived him.
Mia stared directly back at the mysterious person. His eyes were cool and serene, as though he really had fallen from heaven. The two confused Adepts continued to study each other for several more moments, before Mia finally broke her silence. "What's your name?" She said, very softly.
The figure paused a moment before replying. "Isaac. My name is Isaac. What's your name?" Isaac replied, equally as quiet.
"Mia." She replied, still barely audible. The two were silent for several moments more. Neither of them could form the words they needed to say; they were both still in shock from seeing each other in real life. "Who. . ., I mean, how did you get here?"
"Where am I?" Isaac asked, nearly at the same time. "I'm sorry. . . what did you say?"
"How did you get here?"
"Well, the last thing I can recall was being sucked into a tornado from a Storm Lizard; I guess it blew me here from Vault." Mia instantly jumped.
"Vault? Are you joking?"
"No."
"Vault's two hundred miles away!"
"What?! Where am I now?"
"You are only a couple miles south of the town of Imil."
"Imil? I've scarcely heard of the town."
"It's more of a village than a town. . . but I'm amazed how far out you were flung. . . so, are you some kind of warrior?"
"A Paladin in training, actually. Are you a healer, by any chance?"
"Yes, but how did you know?"
"My arm broke while I was in the tornado." Isaac stated, moving his right appendage. "It's fine now. Thank you."
"You're welcome. . ." Mia replied. "Isaac. . . where do you come from?"
"Vale."
"Vale? Just Vale?"
"Did you expect some place else?"
"No, I'm sorry." She replied softly. "It's just that. . ." She halted there.
"What?" Isaac asked, quietly.
"It's that. . . I've seen you. . ." A sudden rustling in the grass around them stopped her speech. "What was that?!"
Isaac leapt to his feet and looked around. The sounds came from a small pack of wolves who decided that Isaac and Mia would be their next meals. "Mia, did you find my sword anywhere?"
"No. . ." She replied, getting to her feet, back to back against Isaac. "What do we do? We're surrounded. . ."
"I'll distract them while you make a run for it."
"What? But you're unarmed! You can't possibly survive against four wolves without a weapon!"
"I wouldn't be much of a Paladin if I couldn't fight without a weapon, Mia. I'll buy you some time, and I want you to run as fast as you can. Trust me."
"Okay. . ." She sighed. "Be careful."
"Don't worry about me." Isaac smiled, stepping forward to challenge his lupine opponents. The wolves growled lowly at Isaac, whose arm was now pointed at them. A sudden tremor shook the ground beneath the hounds, and Mia took off at a dead run for the ruins. The dogs quickly regained their footing and they each leapt at Isaac. The first hound went for a direct pounce, but Isaac leapt from the hound's trajectory. The second went for several biting attacks, which the Venus Adept danced-dodged from. The third one made a leap tackle for Isaac and was promptly kicked away by a bruising roundhouse, sending the dog sprawling onto the ground with a broken neck. The fourth paced around, searching for an avenue of attack, and he tried to get behind Isaac. Isaac switched his fighting stance back to defense, and glanced at each one of his opponents, tracking their movements with deadly precision. Anticipating the second wolf's move, Isaac dodged right and quickly sent his fist flying to the point where he had been a second before, catching the wolf in the rib cage, sending it barreling into the fourth hound. The first dog, seeing the chance, leapt in from behind to attack. Isaac caught the creature's move and back- flipped over the creature's head and delivered another kick into the creature's hindquarters. The hound yelped as it flew several feet forward before catching its own fall. The dog whirled around and faced Isaac, as mad as ever. The second and fourth hounds were now back up as well, and they leapt at Isaac together. Isaac dodged to the right and gave a punishing high kick to the second of the dogs, snapping his spinal cord. The Venus Adept swiftly reacted to the first hound's leap by 'catching' it, falling to the ground and kicking it over him. The dog flew forward, before smashing its head on a large rock. The final hound dashed in at Isaac during this time, and the Venus Adept leapt to his feet and kicked the wolf in the face. The creature howled in pain, and it went for one final shot of glory. Isaac's decisive blow lay straight between the eyes of the creature, knocking it out on the spot.
"Wow." Mia's voice sounded. "You did it!"
"It was nothing." Isaac said, dropping his fighter stance. "But you didn't run far enough away." Isaac glanced over to Mia, who was less than a hundred yards away.
"I. . . was worried." She stated, approaching him. "I thought you might need my help."
Isaac smiled. "I appreciate your concern for my safety, Mia. It's not everyday you see someone willing to risk their lives for someone else."
"You're one to talk." She replied. Her aqua eyes became fixed on the Venus Adept, who, although still stood upright and rigid, was noticeably fatigued. "You look exhausted, Isaac."
"I'm fine." He stated.
"Well, why don't we go meet up with a friend of mine and we can go back to Imil for some rest?"
"Very well, then. Let's go." Isaac stated, walking toward the Mercury Adept. Mia nodded, and she began to walk side by side with the Venus Adept. "So, what is Imil like, Mia?"
"It's a small town; there's really not much there. With you being from Vale, Imil will be little more than a small hovel."
"I don't know about that. . . It is not my duty to pass judgment, you know."
"As a Paladin, I can understand that. . ."
"Well, like I said, I'm still a Paladin in training. I'm not really a Paladin yet."
"Whatever the case is, Isaac, you'll find Imil probably too small to enjoy for very long."
"Are there any cities nearby?"
"The closest city is Bilbin, and that's about fifty miles to the south of here. Though you will find all of your basic necessities here in Imil, though." Mia replied, as they approached the ruins.
"Say, what are these ruins of, Mia?"
"I'm not sure. We think that the ruins were a temple of some kind; perhaps to the very element of Mercury itself. I can't really say for hard fact, Isaac."
"I was just curious. . ." He trailed off.
"Why?"
"I'm not sure. . . It's like I've been here before or something."
"In a dream?" Mia said, before she could contain her curiosity.
"No." Isaac turned. A dream? Did she somehow know about his dreams? The ruins, although they weren't part of his dream, did feel somewhat familiar. How was it possible that Mia could accurately guess something like that? Was it mere coincidence? He couldn't tell.
"We're coming up to the center of the ruins, so we'll likely see my friend soon." Mia stated. No sooner had she finished her statement was when she heard a voice call out to her.
"Mia! You're late!" Sheba shouted, running up to her. "Where were yo. . ." She trailed off, noticing Isaac. "Who are you?"
"My name is Isaac. It's a pleasure to meet you, um. . ."
"Sheba." She stated. "Mia, were did this guy come from?"
"Would you believe I found him laying unconscious down in the grassy fields?"
"Only if it was you talking, Mia." Sheba sighed. "Well, I found our herbs." She said, holding up a small bag. "Now, what are you doing here, Isaac?"
"He was thrown here by a Storm Lizard's tornado."
"From where?"
"Vault, believe it or not."
"What?! You're joking, Mia, right?!" Sheba exclaimed. Mia shook her head lightly. "So you're from Vault?!"
"Vale, actually." Isaac stated. "I was on assignment in Vault when I got sucked into that wretched windstorm. The next thing I knew was that I was being revived by Mia here."
"So, who are you working for, Isaac?"
"I am a squire to Lord Felix, leader of the Paladins of Sol. I am a Paladin in training."
"Where's your weapon?" Sheba asked, pointing to the empty scabbard on his back. "Not much of a warrior without a weapon, are you?"
"You'd be surprised, Sheba." Mia sighed, rolling her eyes at her friend's questioning nature. "Isaac here is an Adept too, so he is quite formidable without a weapon."
"Well, it is getting late, and we should be going. Let's go home." Sheba stated.
"I don't mean to interrupt, but could you two kindly point me to the town inn when we get there?" Isaac asked.
"Inn? No, Isaac. You're not staying at an inn. We have a guest room in our house. Please, stay with us." Mia stated.
"I wouldn't want to impose. . ." Isaac stated. "Besides, quartering troops is against your rights."
"Well, that's only without the homeowner's consent, Isaac. If Sheba doesn't have any objection. . ." Mia trailed off. Sheba glanced at her friend and turned her eyes to study the young squire.
"I have no problem. He seems like a honorable man, so why not? Come stay with us, then." Sheba stated.
"Really, I can't. . ."
"You can and you will, Isaac." Sheba stated.
"Please, Isaac? It's not like you're doing anything wrong."
"All right." Isaac sighed, realizing he couldn't alter the mindset these girls had entered. "Lead the way, you two."
