Wow, that took longer than I expected. I was hoping to release this nearly three months ago.

My characters new this chapter: Myla, Alym, Xela

I own the specific region in which this chapter takes place, and the basic storyline, as well as the characters mentioned above. All else belongs to Camelot and Nintendo.

Alex is alive, and understandably angry with Isaac and the Wise one.

Golden Sun: A New Dawn

Chapter One: Alex

"Every thing has a counter; Alchemy requires balance always."

-Phing Song, founder of Anemos Philosophy College

It was night. Myla carefully felt her way along the shore of Aleph Lake. This deep in hostile territory, and this far from her home, she dared not show a light. She had not gathered more than half the herbs she needed before she heard a spluttery cry from far out in the lake. Quickly she dropped the herb basket and pushed over one of the partly-hollow trees that the people hereabouts used for boats. Dragging the log to the water, Myla stripped one side of it open with her knife and climbed in, paddling with cupped hands.

She made good time toward the continuing sounds of splashing and finally saw a blue-haired man on the verge of drowning. She swiftly pulled him into the boat and headed back to shore. On the way, he kept muttering about "Mercury... Golden Sun... Can't drown... Alchemy..."

When Myla had dragged the blue man to her house she lit a fire. When she was sure it wouldn't burn out she wrapped the man in blankets, laid him close to the fire, and returned to her herb-gathering.

1

Alex woke quickly and completely, just as he always did. Noticing that he was in an unfamiliar place, he kept still apart from his eyes, which darted around, taking in everything. He quickly ascertained that he was in a square room, about five or six meters on each side, with a single door and no windows. The floor, walls, and ceiling were composed of a dark stone unfamiliar to Alex. He was lying in several blankets – probably linen – near an open oven, in which was a well-built fire. Based on the furnishings, this room was likely the living place of a single person, one who was impeccably neat and self-sufficient.

The Mercury Adept then turned his senses inward. His body was a bit waterlogged – no great problem for a Mercury Adept – and he could feel the beginnings of a cold. Well, that was easily enough taken care of. Reaching inward for the pool of his power, Alex cast Ply. Odd, he thought. That shouldn't have been strenuous... especially now that – Alex's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening.

Into the room crept a very pale woman. Her hair, curling slightly to her shoulder, was pure white and shone metallically. Her sharp face had an artificially calm look, as if she was so used to controlling her expression that it happened automatically. She seemed somehow familiar, but Alex didn't want to dwell on that at the moment.

Closing the door behind her, the woman spoke. "Ah, good, you're awake. I am Myla, the best stellartus in the region. Are you all right?"

"Fine," said Alex. "A... Stellartus?"

"Well, actually, the only stellartus in the region." For some reason, Myla looked embarrassed. Setting down the basket of herbs in her right hand, she walked over to Alex. Next to him she lay the folded clothing she'd had draped over her left arm. "I'll leave you for a moment to get dressed, if you feel fine."

Alex realized at that point that he hadn't introduced himself. "My name is Alex," he told her.

"Alex?" Myla repeated with a distant look in her eyes.

"Alex of Imil, Mercury Adept, discoverer of the secret of Warp, and almost the holder of the Golden Sun," he extrapolated, feeling another surge of anger at the Wise One and Isaac.

Myla's eyes widened with surprise. "Oh! Xela!" she exclaimed, and rushed from the house, again closing the door.

Alex got up and examined the clothing she had left him. It consisted of a white woolen tunic and trousers, very similar to what Myla herself had been wearing. When he put it on himself it seemed to fit better than he would have expected. He sat by the fire and began his Psynergy meditations.

As Alex finished his meditation, Myla returned, brushing feathers from her hands. Without any preamble, she sat on the bed and said, "You were saying some strange things when I fished you out of the lake. What was that about?"

"What kinds of things?" asked Alex, slightly worried about what he might have said.

Myla thought for a moment. "Well, you were talking about Mercury and the Golden Sun, and now that I think of it you used those words when you introduced yourself. What do they mean?"

Alex sighed. He'd hoped that wasn't what she meant. Grudgingly, feeling as if he were compelled to do so, he began to tell the story of his life and the quest for the Golden Sun.

1

He was just finishing his tale with the collapse of Mount Aleph when the door opened. Framed in the doorway was a tall, powerfully built man as dark as Myla was pale.

Myla looked over at him happily. "Alym! Come in!" She paused as he did so, then asked, "Where is she?"

The man, in a very deep voice, said, "She said she'd be a moment. This is he?"

Myla looked momentarily flustered. "Yes, that's him." Turning to include Alex, who had gotten to his feet when the door opened, she continued, "Alex, this is Plutator Alym. Alym, this is Alex. He says he's a Mercury Adept. I think that means an aquamancer."

Alex was again confused. "He's named Alym? But aren't you Myla?"

Myla smiled slightly. "Yes, it was something of a surprise, but we've worked it out."

Alex put aside that line of thought for a moment, as Alym's next comment was directed at him. "What is your goal?" he boomed.

The Mercury Adept was getting tired of being confused. "What do you mean, my goal?" he retorted.

Alym was not put off at all. "What do you desire? If you would do something with your life, you require direction. What is your goal?"

That was something Alex didn't have to think about at all. "The power of the Golden Sun."

Alym, too, had an immediate reply: "What bars you from that goal? Why do you not already have this power?"

Alex's face was grim. "Isaac. And the big rock," he responded. After a moment's consideration, he continued, "Isaac will probably be the easier to deal with."

Alym looked satisfied. At that point the door opened. Alex looked over as a tall red-haired woman came in. "Menardi?" gasped Alex. A second look revealed that it was not Menardi, merely someone with a similar appearance. This woman was slightly shorter, with brilliantly red hair and sharper features.

With a sweeping bow that somehow did not seem ludicrous, Alym introduced her as Xela, "your Bonded."

When Alex didn't immediately grasp the significance of that, Myla seemed to finally realize that he was from somewhere else with different customs. She, along with Alym and occasionally Xela, told him about Drayew; the abilities and limitations of Stellarti and Plutators, the major powers in the world, and the decision of marriage. That last was particularly unusual; in Drayew, children's names were determined by a complex augury process at a local shrine, and the marriage was always to the person whose name was the reverse of the child's own.

At last Alex had the answer of why he had joined Saturos' quest, and why he had been less involved in Karst's portion. At some subconscious level, he had been aware of the existence of Xela, and Menardi looked enough like her that he had immediately trusted her and wanted to help her. It had seemed folly at the time, when he had met her and Saturos near Bilibin; folly to immediately ask to join the quest of someone he'd never met.

With a full understanding of the situation at last, Alex turned to Alym and asked, "What is the plan?"

Hoof, that was difficult. I don't want to try Alex's POV any time soon.

If I knew the story Alex tells Myla, I would have told it. I think it has to do with jealousy and unwillingness to be less powerful than Mia.

No, I'm not going to tell you about Stellarti or Plutators here; that's Avatre's job, around chapter ten or so. All I'll say is that they use a different, weaker type of power than Adepts.