A/N: Well, I finally got to a proper chapter where something actually happens! Well, almost… it sort of ends before the end of the sanctum, because it was getting to damn long. Anyhoo, to the reviewers.
Favri the Fisher: Glad you liked it better without the games dialougue. That's only being used as a guide from here on out. (mainly so I don't do something stupid like miss an important point which I would otherwise). Pleased you liked that I added in some stuff of my own, there is going to be a lot more of that, just to give the story more life and interest and stuff.
GoldenSunGeek: Thanks for reading them both! All stories should be rich in detail, I believe, it always makes things better. You wanted to write your own novelisation? Cool! You should still do it if you can, I'd read it! For some reason, I just like the idea of GS in novel format, hence this! Sorry, there'll be no mudshipping, strictly Isaac/Jenna, although, if it pleases you, I do have a few little ideas in store for Isaac and Mia later on which may satisfy the Mudshipper in you, while hopefully not offending the Isaac/Jenna fans. What is it? An affair? Change of heart? Ah, my friend, I cannot say, you shall just have to see… PS: Note chapter name! Was originally boring old "Sol Sanctum"!
Adajfsas (or whatever it was): Blame spellcheck. Lousy stinkin' piece of crap. Had to do it all on my own!
Stormhammer: Yeah, just couldn't put in that stupid roof scene. Way too lame. Besides, who the hell cares about that, or wants to read about it? No one is my bet. Hopefully my taste in humour is better than the game the whole time (not too hard!) Yeah, I knw this was a filler chapter, but sometimes you just have to have 'em. I'm glad you like all the descriptions and personalities, I do work hard to try and make them good and believable! Ha, pressure indeed, we'll see if I can indeed live up to your expectations.
K Rool: Oh yeah? 100 bucks says I do! I don't give up that easily! The challenge is on! (everyone remember that! )
Disclaimer: I went to the Camelot compound the other day, and told them I was interested in purchasing the rights to Golden Sun. The security guard laughed in my face, then told me to piss of or he'd release the hounds. Jerk. So, looks like you're relying on them to make GS3.
When I updated this, there were a some reviews that I missed out on replying for in Chapter one. I did read them, but they were submitted they same day as I uploaded, so that's why they weren't replied to. Seeing as they didn't review again, I guess they're no longer reading, so won't bother to reply.
By the way, me and Cyan Light have partnered up to create a history of Weyard, The Chronicles of Wyeard. Sorry, shameless plug! It'll get good, especially for Chapter 2! Meanwhile, read his novel also, also! More plugs!
Anyway, I had to slightly edit Sol Sanctum. Did anyone ever think it was just a little bit TOO easy to get in? Just waltz up when the guy's not looking, open the door, and solve a puzzle that's so easy, it's a wonder Sat and Men didn't get it first time. Oh yeah, and those stupid eye puzzles (removed from story for sheer lack of interest). So, I tried to make it a little more interesting. The doors locked (why would they just leave it open?) and inside it's a bit of a maze. I could have done more, but I'm sure no one cares about reading stupid little puzzles (boring!) so it still does seem quick and easy to get in, but that's more because I don't think anyone wants to read pointless stuff than because I can't be bothered. Well, read on.
CHAPTER TWO
THE SECRETS OF SOL SANCTUM
They passed through the village quickly, careful not to meet with anyone they knew so as to avoid notice and made their way north to where the entrance to Sol Sanctum in Mount Aleph was. To get to the entrance, they had to climb a short path that started right next to the Elders sanctum. That path was the only access point that they had.
They came up to entrance of Vale Sanctum, where the Elders held their meetings. From the outside it looked just like a large stone door in the side of a rocky wall. Isaac had never actually been in there but imagined that it must be very impressive. Just to the left of it were the stairs that led up to the path that wound up the mountain and into Sol Sanctum.
"This is dangerous," breathed Isaac "If the Elders find out about this, they'll kill us!"
He looked around to make sure that no-one actually was watching. But all around them the immediate area was empty. Everyone was elsewhere, presumably to avoid the strangers. What fortunate luck.
"Hey, don't worry Isaac." Garet replied overconfidently "They're not going to find out, we'll make sure of it."
They came to the foot of the stairs and Isaac looked up the path. The path twisted around the trees, so he couldn't see very far. They began climbing the stairs with Kraden up ahead of them.There were a few trees along the side of the path as they walked up to it and one of the Elders just happened to come out from behind one.
Isaac groaned. He should have known that one of them would be keeping watch on the entrance.
He was dressed as usual in his white robe with a blue cloak, which is what symbolized him as an Elder. This was one of the younger ones, his short curly hair still brown, with hardly any grey and a healthy brown beard. He only looked to be in his mid forties. The Elders were powerful Adepts who were always very kind-hearted and older than most other villagers. Although the Elders were the most powerful Adepts in Vale, and the Great Elder the most powerful, Isaac, Jenna and Garet were told that they would eventually dwarf them with their abilities some day.
"Where do you think your going? You aren't thinking of climbing up Mount Aleph on this path, are you?" The Elder spoke to them in a deep, yet kind voice. He made it clear that if they were, there would be trouble. But it was then that he noticed Kraden and he smiled. The Elders all knew Kraden and trusted him, so they knew that if he was with these kids there wouldn't be any trouble.
"Oh no, Elder," Kraden said to him in a friendly voice "we were just passing through, we weren't even thinking of going anywhere near Sol Sanctum. Just hiking up Mount Aleph, on the far side"
"Well that's good," he said smiling at Kraden "You take good care of these kids now." And with that he walked of out of sight.
"We'd better hurry," Jenna suggested, "I don't think that he'll be gone long."
"True," Isaac agreed, "The Elders have kept a tight watch on the entrance to Sol Sanctum since that storm three years ago..." He trailed off, not wanting to finish.
The group took a good look around, to make sure of their loneliness and continued on their way up the trail, taking care not to be seen by anyone. Once they had gotten this far, there wouldn't be anyway to lie about why they were up here. The trail was a bit long and winding, but after a few minutes of some quiet walking, they arrived at the entrance to Sol Sanctum.
The area was surrounded by a thick grove of trees, so there was no risk of them being seen here unless by someone who was also going to the Sanctum. But that wouldn't happen, as the Elders never let anyone up here and they themselves almost never came up here except on rare special occasions, which everyone would have certainly known about in advance. Isaac didn't think any Elder had in fact been in Sol Sanctum at all during his life time. Which was why Saturos and Menardi would have probably found it easy to get in, once they got this far.
Isaac looked at the mountainside in front of him. Carved into the paved ground was a giant seal with the emblem of Sol emblazoned upon it, a blazing sun within a circle. Ahead, two staircases led to a giant stone door, flanked by several pillars carved into the mountainside. Isaac could feel the air around him tingling with anticipation, as though he had just entered some sort of holy place.
Except of course he had. Sol Sanctum. Deep inside Mount Aleph, which was the resting place of the power of Alchemy, where it was sealed away. Where the source of all Psynergy came from. And inside Sol Sanctum, which Vale was sworn to protect, was the hidden secret that the people of Vale were meant to defend. Except of course, nobody really knew what exactly it was.
He heard Garet come up beside him and watched his gaze travel across the sanctum's entrance.
"Wow," was all he could say, clearly impressed and awe inspired.
Isaac said nothing, merely observed the grand entrance to the sacred temple of Sol Sanctum.
"This is amazing," Jenna said, awestruck. She took a few steps closer to the door. "Well, let's go have a look inside!"
"I agree," Kraden said, hastening forward. Isaac and Garet hurried to follow in their wake, up the smooth stone steps. They were all eager to see inside the forbidden relic of Vale's past, an insight into the Lost Age. But they had to stop when they found the door wouldn't budge.
"It's locked." Garet muttered, as he pushed harder.
"Well, of course it would be." Kraden stated simply as he joined them. "Do you think they would leave the entrance of something so important unlocked, just so that anyone could come in?"
"Well, yeah, that's a good point, Kraden." Isaac murmured in reply.
"So then, how exactly do we get in?" Jenna questioned, "If you think that those two strangers really did come in here, then there must be a way to unlock it."
"Of course. I just don't know how to." was the scholar's reply.
"What, so you mean we came all this way, and we can't even get in!?" Garet exclaimed.
"So how are we meant to prove Saturos and Menardi were even in here, if we can't even get in there?" Jenna asked, "Kraden, you idiot! This was just a big waste of time!"
"Now, now, young Jenna. Calm down. I didn't lead you up here on some wild goose chase." The Alchemy Sage chuckled, "If those two were able to figure it out, then I'm sure we could, too. We just have to look at things objectively."
"Uh, okay then…" Garet started slowly, "So what do we do?"
"I can't really help you here, children." Kraden sighed, "I'm just a simple old man, not an Adept. I can only hope your training has been enough to help you figure it out." He gazed at the door slowly, carefully, as though he intended to probe its secret's with his 'glasses' aided gaze. "Isaac, you're the Earth Adept here. Perhaps you might be able to see something in the puzzle."
Isaac looked carefully at heavy, stone door ahead of him. Being an Earth Adept, he had a sort of 'affinity' for his element; he could feel and sense it with his mind. And right now, he could feel that there was no way he could force those doors open without physically breaking them apart.
"Well?" Jenna asked impatiently, "What do you see? Have you found a way in?" Isaac wished she wouldn't rush him like that.
"No, this isn't very easy." He replied, "But, I can sort of pick up a Psynergy flow, like through a conduit of some sort…" He looked carefully at the door, his gaze trailing the 'Psynergy flow' down and along the floor, "and it seems to originate from…" He looked to where the flow began, "there." He pointed to a large stone statue behind them that he had somehow failed to notice when he first arrived.
"Hey, I can feel it too!" Garet exclaimed, "Now that you point it out."
"Yes, I shouldn't imagine it would be too terribly important which element an Adept was." Kraden voiced, "Just as long as whomever wants to enter is an Adept, that's all that matters."
The three Adepts and Kraden walked back to the stone statue. It was a very simple, perfectly spherical stone ball, held atop a short stone pillar. Isaac could sense that it was carved out of the earth as one whole object part of the ground beneath it, yet it had been so cunningly crafted, it looked as though you could remove the stone orb simply by lifting it off.
"I feel it to." Jenna murmured, "It's almost like there is a pulsing flow of Psynergy from within that orb."
"Yes, I felt this might be true." Kraden murmured, "So, somehow, one of you three must figure out how to use this to make the door unlocked."
"I'll try that!" Garet declared, before standing right next to the orb and placing his hands on it, focusing on it with his mind, his body glowing lightly with Psynergy. He seemed to be concentrating very hard, more so than he was usually seen doing. After a short while, however, he gave up, and threw his hands up in the air in defeat.
"This is stupid! I don't get it! How are you meant to try and make it open the door?"
"You're an idiot, Garet!" Jenna teased, "Let me do it! Girls are always smarter than boys, anyway."
"Are not!"
"Are too! It's a fact!"
"Sshh! You don't want us to be heard now, do you?" Kraden warned.
Jenna assumed the same pose that Garet had, placing her hands on the stone silently, and said nothing in return. Her body too shone softly with the glow of Psynergy as she focused on the Psynergy flow within the orb.
Isaac couldn't help but notice her figure from where he stood. In the past three years, she had grown to become quite a beautiful woman. Her auburn blaze of hair complemented her pretty face, and strong, feminine figure.
You shouldn't be thinking that way about her, you idiot! He thought to himself, She's your friend! Get a grip!
True, they had become fairly close over the past three years, as they comforted one another from their loss, but they weren't like that with one another!
"Forget it! I'm just as confused as Garet here!" she sighed reluctantly, breaking Isaac out of his inner thoughts.
"I told you that you couldn't do it!" Garet smirked.
"You never said that!" She retorted.
"Well, I still knew that you couldn't!"
"Isaac, do you think you might be able to figure it out?" Kraden inquired, looking to the puzzling stone orb.
"Yeah, you're an Earth Adept, so you'd probably have some advantage." Garet suggested.
Isaac stood by the stone, and focused all his attention on it. He could feel the Psynergy from within it, pulsing, yet somewhat constrictively not allowing him access to it.
"Kraden, do you know anything about this?" Isaac inquired. The scholar stroked his grey beard for a moment, and pondered the situation.
"Well, I do recall vaguely some article on Sol Sanctum that entrance to the building could only be permitted to one whose intentions were pure of heart, if they could unlock the door… I don't rightly recall the details properly, but it did go something along those lines."
Isaac again focused on the stone before him, focusing the Psynergy from within himself, and melding his mind with the power within the stone.
For a moment, it almost seemed as though the power within it were going through him, testing his soul, then with a feeling of almost acceptance, the power was his to control. Now knowing quite precisely what it was that he did, he forced the flow to allow them access to Sol Sanctum. Behind him, he heard a grinding stone noise of something shifting within the door.
"Hey, I think he did it!" Garet exclaimed, making for the door.
"This is a sacred relic of our past, children," Kraden reminded his pupils in a wizened, experienced voice as Garet pushed open the heavy stone door, "I trust you will treat it as such."
"Well, that wasn't so hard after all." Garet said.
"I knew you'd be able to do it!" Jenna congratulated Isaac with a cute smile, almost causing him to blush.
"Quiet, we don't want anyone to hear us!" Kraden warned them as they entered.
They saw a long, dark corridor stretch off into the darkness. They took a few steps inside and had a look around. The walls were plain, blue stone, with unlit torches spread evenly along the walls.
Garet's body glowed briefly for a second as he summoned his Psynergy, and formed a small flame within his hand, lighting one of the torches along the wall. Suddenly all the torches in the hallway lit up by themselves, leaving Garet a bit stunned.
"Ok… that was a bit weird," he said, still looking at the torches "but still fairly useful I suppose."
"This place was built long ago, during the Lost Age." Kraden reminded his pupils, "There are bound to be a few things in here that we don't comprehend. Just be careful, and don't do anything rash, especially you, Garet."
"Hey, I was just giving us some light!" The Fire Adept replied innocently.
With the light from the torches glowing, the group found themselves in a long hallway carved of blue stone. The torches lit up the hallway in an eerie, flickering, red light as they proceeded deeper into the Sanctum. Shadows danced across Isaac's face as he looked around. It was an area pulsing with mystery and excitement.
"So this is Sol Sanctum?" Jenna mused, staring around the place.
"Well, this is just the hallway that leads deeper into the sanctum, I think." Kraden suggested walking in.
He shut the door behind them and had a look around.
"Alright then, the only way to go is straight ahead!" He declared, walking ahead down the corridor and leaving the other behind him following. "We'll see in here whether those two strangers were telling the truth!"
Suddenly, noises could be heard from further down the hallway, disturbing the ancient silence.
"Kraden, what was that?" Jenna asked from the scholar ahead of her.
"Well, it's possible there are some wild animals in here." Kraden told them, "Nobody has been in here for years, so some creatures may have made their home in here. I'm sure they won't be too dangerous... I hope."
Dangerous animals possibly inhabiting Sol Sanctum? And Isaac had been worried about walking into one of those booby traps that Saturos and Menardi had allegedly set off!
"Hey, Isaac!" Jenna called, looking at Isaac with a smirk. "Maybe you'd better take the front and lead us."
Isaac smiled at her humour. "Well, if you need a great warrior to lead you, then you came to the right guy." He teased back.
"Hey, you seem to be forgetting the almighty Garet here!" the burly Mars Adept interjected from behind.
"Now, now." Kraden interrupted them, "Quiet please, this is an ancient, sacred place, try not to disturb it."
They continued quietly walking; none of them wanting to disturb the absolute silence, only the sound of their footsteps were to be heard.
While Kraden walked ahead, Isaac was following him trying to look around at the same time. He had expected something extremely impressive to greet him the minute he opened the door.
Oh well he though to himself all the interesting stuff must be up ahead.
The hallway certainly looked fairly basic. It was exactly the same the whole way through, blue stone all around arranged perfectly with torches placed evenly along the walls.
They eventually came to a fork in the corridor, both paths going at perfect right angles to the one they had come down. Kraden suggested they take the left path and they agreed.
So they continued following him, hoping he knew where he was going, as he took many twists and turns around the corridors until none of them knew the way back.
Occasionally as they walked through, they would enter a small room with four pillars spread evenly through it. In these rooms there were always four options of four different pathways to take. Here either Kraden usually suggested the way to go next, going only on his gut instinct. After a while Isaac began to get lost and he hoped they'd be able to find their way back.
"What did you mean before about saying you hoped the animals weren't dangerous?" Isaac asked suddenly, disturbing the tranquil silence as his voice echoed down the corridor. "Surely nothing dangerous would make its home in here?"
"Ah well, this goes in with my theory about natural living things, and Psynergy." The Alchemy Sage began, beginning one of his long lectures he had obviously intended to tell them some time. "Humans are all capable of wielding Psynergy if the ability is within them at birth. This makes them Adepts. Such as here in Vale, where the power of Mount Aleph radiates out to infuse itself inside the people. In the Lost Age, with Alchemy upon the world, everyone was born with this ability, the elemental ability usually being determined by the parents, although some theories suggest that the proximity to one of the four elemental lighthouses may also made a difference. Theoretically, any living being should be capable of wielding this power. But only humans ever do. I do not know why. Since the sealing away of Alchemy, which marked the end of the Lost Age, mankind lost this ability, until only the people of Vale continued to wild it, because of the power of nearby Mount Aleph.
"Although there is some reason to believe that occasionally, although rarely, other Adepts are born out in the world with these abilities naturally, for reasons unknown. My point is, humans only need the conditions to be right to theoretically become Adepts, and wield Psynergy of one of the four elements. However, animals never get this ability in the same conditions. But there is some possibility hinted at in old books which suggest that animals can be infused with this ability forcefully, with the power of Psynergy Stones. These are stones of, I assume, some sort of solidified Psynergy material. When it comes into contact with animals, and even humans, both Adepts and non-Adepts, that power is transferred into their living being. In Adepts, such as yourselves, this is supposed to refill their Psynergy supply, which I understand is drained as you use it, replenishing only slowly and with much rest. The effect on non-Adept humans is unknown, although I suspect it may change them into Adepts of the elements they would have been born, had the conditions been right.
"But animals, the power is not meant for them, it doesn't work right and the Psynergy works in them spasmodically, dangerously. These full effects are unknown, as no proper experiments have ever been done. This is mainly because, of course, no Psynergy Stones are available out in the outside world, apart from that large, powerful structure in Vale's plaza.
"Psynergy Stones can only form inside Mount Aleph, probably because it is the resting place of the ancient power of Alchemy, source of Psynergy. And the only way to access such things is to enter Sol Sanctum."
"Uh, Kraden," Garet interrupted, "What exactly does this have to do with the potentially dangerous animals in Sol Sanctum?"
"Ah, yes, I forget myself." The old scholar replied, snapping out of his dream state, "I get caught up in explaining all this."
If Isaac had known he would get such a lengthy explanation to his question, he would have just remained silent.
"Well, anyway, if some animals have made a home inside Sol Sanctum, then maybe they have inadvertedly absorbed some of the power of the Psynergy that resonates in here making them dangerous. Their bodies could repel Psynergy to some degree, making them strong, even to Adepts. They could be troublesome if we run into them, and they decide to defend their territory."
"So that's it." Isaac murmured. A lot to learn in one day. Isaac decided not to ask anymore, he wanted to focus on Sol Sanctum, not learn anymore about Alchemy.
"Do you think that's what Saturos and Menardi came in here for?" Jenna asked quizzically, "For Psynergy Stones?"
The old Alchemy Sage shook his head doubtfully. "I don't think so. If they did, they'd probably go for the one in the village plaza. That is easier to get, and not exactly protected. But even if they wanted more, and came in here, I still don't think somehow, that they are after Psynergy stones, useful though they'd be. Sol Sanctum was built to protect something more valuable than that, I believe. The Elders defend something more dangerous than that."
"Well then, what is it that could be in here?" Isaac asked, "If it's not Psynergy stones they want to steal, then what else is there that we need to keep safe in here?"
"I cannot be entirely too sure..." Kraden replied trailing off, and he said no more on the subject. His tone of voice made Isaac suspect that Kraden may have had an idea, but as he said nothing more on the matter, Isaac decided not to ask. Aside from the fact that Kraden was probably as sure as Isaac might be, he didn't want another overly long winded explanation.
They continued exploring the large, deep, silent passageways of Sol Sanctum for a while longer, though they still found no sign of what those thieves might be after. Apparently, Kraden was looking for a room that the two had described as the heart of Sol Sanctum, and if he found it, he'd know that they were telling the truth about being in here.
Eventually Kraden decided he should started teaching them what he had planned to originally for their hike up Mount Aleph.
"Seeing as this is going to be a long walk, I suppose I should at least teach you a bit of today's lesson regarding Alchemy." Kraden told them breaking the silence, "You should probably know what it is exactly that we're dealing with."
Isaac figured he may as well listen to the old man lecture them than brood on what Saturos and Menardi were after.
"Now, you all know that Mount Aleph is our most sacred peak, home to Sol Sanctum, the resting place of Alchemy. Hundreds of years ago, Alchemy was free upon this realm, and its power made everyone an Adept of one of the four elements. The people used it to create great civilizations. The sanctums were built during this Golden Age, and the four Clans grew powerful with the aid of the four elemental lighthouses."
"The elemental lighthouses?" Jenna questioned him. They all vaguely knew about the legends of the four lighthouses, but none had yet been taught any specific facts by the Elders.
"Yes. Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus. One for each element, of Water, Wind, Fire and Earth. These lighthouses contained all the power of that element. Those who dwelled at the foot of the lighthouses became skilled Adepts in that particular element. They formed clans, and protected the lighthouses against all evil. Many great things were constructed by their working together to use their Psynergy abilities to create things that are now only dreamed of."
"The old Clans of the Lost Age." Isaac stated, "They've all died out now, haven't they."
"In all the known world, yes." Kraden stated, a little annoyed at being interrupted. He continued, "Unfortunately, Alchemy was too great a power for some. A few tried to use Alchemy's gifts to become rich, wage war, and gain dominion over the entire world. This was the great Alchemy War, also known as the War of Alchemy. The four Clans, as well as all the great civilizations of the time, including Atteka, Hesperia, Lemuria and Ankhol, all tried to destroy each other in their quest for dominion over all."
"Terrible tales of this time still exist today, giving us just a glimpse of what happened during those final days of the Golden Age of man, which is now known as the Lost Age. I suppose I should explain something about each of these four Clans, based on what I do know."
"The Venus Clan, the Earth Adepts, were strong, disciplined warriors and great leaders. They forged many powerful weapons, and built great, strong fortifications."
Isaac smiled at the positive description of his Psynergy element that the old Alchemy Sage gave.
"They created great earthquakes, made enormous holes in the ground to destroy their opponents and used their powerful weapons to annihilate them in hand-to-hand combat. They were also proficient healers, though none could surpass the Mercury Clan."
"The Mercury Clan, the element of water, although famous for being able to heal almost anything short of death, were still excellent warriors and were able to constantly win over their enemies by blasting them with water and freezing them with ice. They were able to constantly best the Mars Clan, the greatest warriors of that age, in combat due to their elemental advantage and ability to heal all those who were injured almost instantly."
"The Mars Clan, powerfully wielding fire, almost always triumphed over foes in combat due to their shear ferocity and power in flames."
Garet and Jenna, both fire Adepts, smiled at this.
"All though it has often been said, with some degree of truth no doubt, that they were too hot-headed and battle anxious to be able to outsmart their enemies."
That wiped off both Garet and Jenna's smile, though neither said anything, to engrossed in what Kraden was telling them.
"This is a stark contrast to the Jupiter Clan, the Adepts of the Wind. They were smart and clever. During the peaceful golden years, they produced some of the greatest philosophers and thinkers ever. They could even foresee some major events it's told. Wielding great tornadoes and mighty bolts of lightning, they trounced their arch enemies, the Venus Clan. This was mostly due to their Elemental advantage."
Isaac frowned at this. How could such pathetic fighters beat warriors of his element? It didn't seem right. But he listened on anyway.
"These Clans and Kingdoms tore the land apart with their massive attacks during the war, destroying entire cities and armies in a single blow. Thousands of people were being slaughtered and nations destroyed in this war for power over all. The world was crumbling into nothing. Something had to be done, or else everything would be destroyed and civilisation would cease to exist.
"A few brave Adepts decided the only way to save the world from strife would be to seal Alchemy away. It was indeed an incredibly radical idea, nothing that anyone had ever thought of, though certainly most opposed. This quest in itself was indeed one of courage and adventure, though almost nothing of it is known today."
"So these Adepts travelled to the four elemental lighthouses. After penetrating the defences of the lighthouse, they absorbed its power into one of the four Elemental Stars that held the full power of the beacons of those lighthouses. After the four Adepts, with the help of their friends and allies, had absorbed the power of all four lighthouses, they destroyed the Stone of Sages, the source of all Alchemy. A writer of the time is quoted to have said, 'the Golden Sun has faded!', perhaps referring to the loss of such magnificent power, although I can't be sure that is what they were referring to with 'Golden Sun'. At any rate, the seal on Alchemy was in place. Anyone who held an Elemental Star held the complete source of Psynergetic power over that element. These ancient orbs of power were sealed away, hidden and have remained lost even to this day."
"So the key to the power of Alchemy is contained within the Elemental Stars?" Isaac asked, wanting to reaffirm what the old man had said. "And their power can destroy the seal on Alchemy? Unleash it on Weyard once more?"
"Correct," Kraden replied, "If this were to come to pass, the threat of Alchemy would once again be unleashed upon Weyard. Great wars would return and powerful warriors would attempt dominion over all of Weyard with its power." He thought for a moment. "But then, if it was released, and someone obtained the Stone of Sages when it reformed, well... because the only Adepts remaining alive are in Vale, and they aren't really warriors, that one wielder of pure ultimate Alchemic might would be unstoppable. The world would fall to it's knees before them. Even in the Lost Age, the might of all four Clans couldn't have stopped someone wielding the very Stone of Sages itself! They would have eventually been destroyed. The Stone of Sages would give immortality, eternal life and unlimited power! Nothing could oppose them! Fortunately that couldn't possibly happen... one would have to find the four Elemental Stars first, then use their power from within them to relight the four Lighthouses, no mean feat!"
Kraden paused for a moment and nobody said anything as they continued walking. The three Adept pupils thought about what Kraden had told them, trying to comprehend the enormous power that was safely sealed away. They didn't pay to much attention to the scenery around them as they thought about Kraden's story. They were supposed to be looking for signs that those thieves had been really been in here, or at least Kraden was, since he knew properly what it was they were looking for. But they still hadn't seen anything that triggered the old Sages' memory. Isaac stopped thinking about Kraden's story and started looking around the Sanctum. The silence was getting to him, only the sounds of their footsteps were to be heard.
They walked through the silent corridors, forgetting all about the possibilities of the creatures that had made their home in the Sanctum. While no-one was paying attention, a large bat suddenly came at them from the darkness. It shrieked in as much surprise at seeing them as they had of seeing it. It flew at them quickly, accidentally striking Jenna in her forehead. Straight away Garet singed it with a small fireball, the first Psynergy ability he had ever learned. It wasn't very powerful, Garet still only just learning how to use his fire abilities, but it killed the creature nonetheless.
"I say!" Kraden exclaimed, turning suddenly to see the commotion "Good work there, Garet!"
"Are you alright, Jenna?" Isaac asked, his voice full of concern.
Jenna gingerly reached up to touch her forehead and looked at the small patch of blood on her hand.
"I'm fine." She insisted, "Just a little surprised, that's all."
"Let me help you." Isaac pleaded anyway. He placed his hand on her head, and a soft glow came from his body as his Psynergy formed his Venus healing ability. It was one of the first Psynergy spells he had learned, and he only knew a few, the only healing ability he knew. It wasn't strong or powerful, but it worked. His power knitted her skin together, fusing together the earthen element that made her body.
She reached up and felt that her wound had fully healed, leaving no trace. She smiled for a moment; satisfied her hurt had been healed.
"Thanks for that." She replied.
"Hey, that's alright, don't mention it!" Isaac replied, coyly smiling.
"We better be more careful as we go further in here." Kraden muttered, "There may be other creatures that have made their home in this abandoned Sanctum over the years."
After some more silent walking, they came across more monster inhabitants. Three rat like creatures, only larger and more dangerous looking, encountered them, squeaking at them in defiance. The three monsters rushed at them, but Isaac knocked them over with the power of his Psynergy, by causing an earth tremor beneath their feet and making them trip up, using a sizeable amount of his Psynergy.
Jenna whacked the one nearest to her with her wooden staff, causing all three to back of and Garet then made a flare of flames rise up from the ground, singing their furry coats. But it failed to really penetrate their defences, their bodies seemed to ward of the full power of Psynergy. Without warning, one of them lunged at Isaac, biting his leg before he kicked it off. In a fury, Jenna unleashed a blast of fire from her upraised wooden staff, completely incinerating them.
"Ho, ho, that got 'em!" Kraden cheered excitedly. He was enjoying this excitement?
"Remind me never to test your temper!" Isaac joked.
Jenna stamped her foot angrily. "Well, those stupid things deserved it. They have no right to make their homes in here!"
"Well, let's keep on moving!" Kraden suggested, and they all complied silently, after Isaac used up the last of his dwindling Psynergy supply to heal his leg.
They continued walking until they got to a very large room.
Several statues lined the walls, and the walls were carved into elaborate designs. Even the floor had changed from cold stone to smooth marble tiling. Isaac could feel the excitement growing in him. Was this the heart of Sol Sanctum?
The three Adepts halted at the entrance, but Kraden wandered into the centre of the impressive room, looking around slowly, taking in his surroundings. They were silent for moment until Garet broke the silence.
"What are you looking for, Kraden?" he asked, noting the old mans silence, "This is the most impressive room in the entire Sanctum that we've seen. Is it the one those two described to you?"
Kraden continued looking around, slightly puzzled. He thought for a while before saying "Hmm…those two mentioned something about a hidden passage leading deeper into the Sanctum."
"So they did come in here!" Jenna exclaimed.
"Well, we don't know that for sure until we actually see this hidden passage." Kraden replied slowly, paying more attention to the room's design than Jenna.
"But this would be the heart of Sol Sanctum, right?" Garet asked, "I mean, look at it!"
"He's got a point." Isaac noted, "It's made much more elegantly. It's clearly meant to impress. This must be it." Kraden, however, said nothing. Suddenly, a new thought occurred to Isaac. If this was the heart of the sanctum, then what if it was trapped?
"Kraden, we shouldn't stay too long in here…" he began softly, voice full of caution, "What if there are traps in here?"
"We didn't even think of that!" Jenna exclaimed in realization, "We could have been killed!"
"Kraden, are you sure you're being careful enough here?" Garet moaned worriedly, "I don't want to be accidentally killed in here, or something."
"You can relax, children, there is nothing to worry about in here." The scholar replied. "This isn't the room they described. And, if I remember correctly, only the inner sanctum was actually trapped to prevent outsiders from entering, so we're quite safe in here." The three of them all let out a sigh of relief.
"In fact, I do believe this room is nothing more than a decoy."
"A decoy?" Isaac echoed.
"Yes, there is nothing here to suggest it is a room of any importance at all." The Alchemy Sage gestured around, "Although you may not know it, Sol Sanctum was built long ago in honour of the ancient sun god; Sol. Sol is in fact, in the ancient language, the literal translation of 'sun', through the ages, its pronunciation was altered to its current sound."
"Kraden, you're getting off-track again." Jenna reminded him.
"Ah, yes, indeed. My apologies. This Sanctum was built long ago during the Lost Age as a temple to honour the sun god Sol, and its counter-part, Luna, the moon god. Anyway, as you can see, there is nothing here to reflect the sun."
Isaac only now looked around and noticed that. There was in fact nothing here to honour anything at all.
"Hey, you're right. This room does seem kinda pointless, now that I think about it." Garet realised.
Isaac thought about things for a moment. "Kraden, you said that those two, Saturos and Menardi, mentioned a hidden passage in here somewhere."
Kraden nodded in affirmation. "Yes, I did. If there is a hidden passage, then maybe it leads to the actual inner sanctum, where those thieves actually were."
A secret passage? Isaac could feel a sense of curiosity grow in him as to what that might be, and what might be hidden in this inner sanctum. But then, there was probably a reason the passage was hidden. And that trap that Saturos and Menard had tripped three years ago... cautious doubt grew inside him. But the others seemed not to have felt such thoughts.
Garet took a stride forward, saying, "Well, if there is a secret passage, let's find it! That'll prove that they were in here!"
Everyone but Isaac agreed with his suggestion.
"Wait," Isaac's voice came from behind them, "Are you sure that's such a good idea? Uncovering the secret parts of the Sanctum?"
"Well, I still believe we need to find further proof that Saturos and Menardi have been in here." Kraden relied, "If we did find that passage, it would surely add a lot of weighting to our argument."
"Besides, I want to see what is in the secret passage!" Garet added.
"Come on, Isaac." Jenna pleaded, "We're only going to have a look!" How could he argue with her?
"Well, what if we set off a trap?" Isaac argued. He knew precisely what the trap did, and he didn't want to be responsible for a repeat of that storm from three years ago.
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that…" Garet admitted.
"We won't actually be entering." Kraden argued, "We'll just be having a look in to see if their description matches the actual inner sanctum. I'm sure we'll be quite safe if we don't actually enter."
"Well… I suppose you know what you're talking about…" Isaac sighed. He was just as excited at seeing the secrets as the others, but he couldn't help but feel a little cautious.
"Well, let's look around for this secret passage, then!" Jenna suggested.
With that, the group spread out through the room, investigating the room for anything that could have been the secret passage that Saturos and Menardi had mentioned.
Isaac noticed that Jenna was walking along one wall, feeling for any cracks in the rock. There were many statues lining the walls. Curious, Isaac investigated one of the statues, looking for anything that could have been a secret switch, but found nothing. A thought occurred to him.
The statues were large enough to have hidden a door big enough for a person to walk through. They appeared too heavy to be moved with normal strength. Isaac guessed that Psynergy would be the key.
"Hey, I think I've got an idea!" Isaac called out. The others in the room looked to him.
"The statues! There might be something hidden behind one of them!"
"Great idea, Isaac!" Kraden congratulated him.
"But how are we going to move them?" Jenna asked, "They look a little heavy."
"Leave that to me!" Garet boasted, "I'm the master of moving heavy objects!"
Garet immediately chose a statue at random and focused his Psynergy on it, his arm stretched out and hand open, as he used his mind to move it. When he moved it aside, it was just a brick wall.
"Keep searching!" Jenna called out, before running to one of the statues on the other end of the room.
Isaac looked to one of the right hand corner statues, and focused on that. He focused his mind, drawing on the power of Psynergy, and with the power of his mind emanating from his raised hand, moved the statue away on invisible flows of force.
When he moved it, it revealed a whole new room!
"Isaac's found it!" Kraden called out to Garet and Jenna, who were all the way on the other side of the room. They ran back and came through the door, where Isaac and Kraden were already standing.
The room was a perfect square and in the middle was a pattern of the sun on 4 large even tiles making a perfect square in the very centre of the room. At each corner of the sun symbol stood four statues of angels holding crystal balls and all staring intently at the centre of the sun.
"Clearly this is the mark of the sun, the emblem of Sol." Kraden called out excitedly, "This means that this must be the heart of Sol Sanctum. This is it! We've found it!" It's just as I imagined it would look like… which means that those two really were telling the truth!"
"So if this is the place they described, then…" Jenna began.
"They really were thieves!" Garet interrupted. "They came to rob the Sanctum! We've proved it!"
"We better go back and tell the Elders!" Jenna exclaimed.
Jenna and Garet quickly ran for the entrance before Isaac called out for them to stop. The both looked and noticed that Kraden hadn't moved, he was still staring into the centre of the room.
"Kraden, what're you doing?" Garet asked, "Don't you want to tell everyone what happened?"
"But… we're so close to the secrets of the Sanctum." he spoke softly to himself.
"Secrets? What secrets?" Jenna demanded.
"We've come all the way to the heart of Sol Sanctum." He said turning to them "To turn our backs on it and leave… we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to discover just what it is that is really in here. If we go now, will never find out what it was that those two wanted so badly. "
"So? Is it really okay for us to know?" Isaac asked curiously, "We found what we're looking for, should we really be snooping any further?"
"But it is only here in Sol Sanctum that we can discover the origins of Alchemy," He explained to them "As an Alchemy Sage, I couldn't possibly turn down the possibility to learn more about it. Just imagine what lost knowledge is here! It would be a waste not to…" He paused for a moment, to look at them, pleadingly, "well, what do you think? Shall we go a little further? Just for a quick look." He asked them, almost like a child begging to satisfy his curiosity.
"I don't know..." Isaac murmured, "If this is the room that those two described, then isn't that proof enough? What if that trap they triggered is in here?"
The thought horrified him. That trap had, according to Saturos and Menardi, unleashed that storm that had taken his father, Jenna's family.
"But there are such wonders waiting within that we will never get to see again!" Kraden virtually begged, "We won't touch anything! And the more evidence we have, the stronger our case against Saturos and Menardi!"
"If you put it that way we don't have much choice." Jenna shrugged, "I want to look further inside. We'll be careful. We won't trigger any traps."
"I'm with Kraden." Garet said quite openly "I want to look inside a bit further."
"Well... alright, I don't really have much choice then, do I?" Isaac sighed in defeat, "But please, don't touch anything. It is too dangerous." He stopped short of telling them about his memories of Saturos and Menardi's conversation that night three years ago. At least if he followed them, he might prevent anyone from rushing into anything dangerous.
"Really? Excellent, then it's decided; let's go just a bit further then." Kraden declared, brimming with joy and eager curiosity, before turning and sprinting down to the other side of the room where there was another doorway that Isaac had somehow missed before.
On the other side of it was another room just like the one they were in before, except this one had a picture of a crescent moon in the centre instead.
"Now this is interesting…" Kraden mused to himself aloud, "There's a symbol of the moon in the centre… this is clearly the emblem of Luna, the moon god. Or was it goddess? Never mind, doesn't matter. This must obviously symbolize night. But why? Why Luna? In Sol Sanctum? A temple honouring the sun? Very puzzling…"
Isaac looked around carefully. There didn't seem to be anything here that could possibly be a trap. He walked around the room the room studying it carefully. There seemed to be some sort of inscriptions carved into the pillars.
"Hmm. I'm going to have to study these inscriptions for a bit." Kraden informed them, "I simply must see what I can learn from here." He kneeled right down next to one of the pillars, eagerly reading its unrecognisable inscriptions. "Hmm… let's see. This must translate as, here lies the Golden Power of the Sun… The Wise One's Stone… could that refer to…? There's more… the four keys… intruders… incur Sol's wrath…" He shifted his body, so as to read on the other side of the pillar. " 'Dulce et decorem est, pro patria mori'… hmm… is that not… but wait here it says 'Han del heron to'raken Caelestis, Doriender Sol Corishev, Callandor Aginoorin Exilbane, Asha'man Lucid, Melenkurion Skyweir.' If I'm not mistaken, that must say, 'here the hero received…"
"Kraden, is there anything actually useful there?" Jenna interrupted.
"Yeah, like what's actually in this Sanctum, or what traps we can expect?" Garet added.
"Well… nothing on traps, though I doubt the ancient were so foolish as to mention such things. But it does seem to hint at the power, as well as touching greatly on the history of this place. And a warning to those who might try to seize the power here. A warning against Alchemy."
"A warning? You mean like a mention of a trap?" Isaac questioned.
"Well, no. It seems to imply a trap… 'Sol's wrath', but it doesn't actually state anything. Only that, those who cannot change day into night and night into day will not receive the the power of the heavens… or was that stars? Such translating is always difficult. I must keep reading." He returned his spectacled gaze to the pillar's inscription, breathing translations under his breath softly.
The others looked around. This was obviously going to be a bit boring. There was nothing else around the room anywhere, apart from some stairs in the wall on the other side of the room that seemed to lead up.
"Kraden, these two rooms are empty…" Isaac pointed out, "are you sure they came here to steal anything?"
"Hmm… perhaps we should have a look further…" Kraden said slowly, not looking away from the inscriptions, "There may be something else up ahead."
"Alright, let's go have a look!" Garet exclaimed, moving for the stairs.
"Wait for me, I want to look too!" Jenna called out, following.
"Wait, don't do anything stupid!" Isaac told them, rushing to make sure he caught up with them and stop them from accidentally hurting themselves. If Jenna was harmed because of his carelessness, he knew that he'd never forgive himself. Or Garet for that matter.
Kraden was already too engrossed in the writings on the wall to notice anything else; he would probably be there for ages.
Isaac figured if they could find proof of the trap that those two had sprung, then that would definitely be all they needed. These rooms were probably useless. Upstairs must be where the secrets were hidden.
The stairs spiralled up, higher and deeper into the mountain and opened up in a room that Isaac was sure was directly above the previous room.
They were in a large chamber that seemed similar its twin below. It was the same size, had the same features, and was exactly the same except the symbol of Luna here this time had a small pool of water going around it. As he looked around, he noticed that the statues were also further away than in the previous room and where the statues should have been there was something that looked like switches, or buttons of some sort.
"Hey, maybe this is where the stuff those two want is." Garet said aloud, looking around.
"We should try and find it." Jenna suggested.
"Be careful, this is probably where those traps are, be on your guard." Isaac warned. He still felt thought they should go back, but now he also felt an urge to investigate further.
"Hey, I think I have an idea." Garet told them. He walked up to one of the statues.
"These statues seem to be out of place. Maybe if we put them back on these things in the ground, something might happen."
"That's a good idea! Let's try that!" Jenna agreed, forgetting Isaac's warning about traps, "maybe, then we'll see what it was those thieves were looking for."
Suddenly, the distant memory of a voice echoed in Isaac's mind.
That switch must have been a trap.
"Wait, I'm not so sure that's..." Isaac started, but he was too late. Garet had slid the statue into its designated spot.
A tremor of Psynergy seemed to erupt, the place began to shake, and suddenly, sounds of thunder could be heard deeper in the Sanctum. They had activated the trap!
Without wasting a second, Isaac shifted the statue of the switch with his Psynergy and abruptly everything ceased, returned to normal.
Isaac helped Jenna up from where she had fallen when the rumbling began. It was then they heard the sound of Kraden's feet running up the stairway.
"Wait, stop! You're about to make a big mistake!" He called out as he reached the room, and then stopped as he realized the tremors had also ceased. He looked to the statues that were apparently the trap.
"This is a most interesting, albeit dangerous, mechanism you've found, Isaac." He wheezed as he looked at the statues that they had just been fooling with.
"Actually, it was Garet who moved it." The Earth Adept replied.
"Well, this is clearly the trap inside Sol Sanctum." Kraden noted.
"Yeah, we get this idea it might be…" Garet replied slowly.
"If you were in the Luna room, you would have understood. Lightning began to form, I was nearly hit." He told them sternly. "But never mind. You've done well. Finding this means you're looking in the right place. But clearly if you move just one statue you'll be caught in the sanctum's trap."
"Well, obviously!" Jenna snapped.
"You know, I think we'd better just leave all this alone." Isaac suggested, "I knew this would be dangerous."
Isaac knew he should have done something to stop them. True, he did want to see just what it was that those two were after, but not at this risk. But Kraden did seem to want to find out, so it must be alright.
"I was reading in the Luna room." the Alchemy Sage began, "It seems that the entrance to the Sanctum's heart is in the Sol room. But it can't be opened unless you unlock the statues door, it says, which is trapped"
"So, this is the way to unlock the door to Sol Sanctum's heart?" Isaac questioned, "Then we've found what we're looking for, why do we need to open it? It's best to leave it all there. Besides, we nearly killed ourselves with this trap, we don't want to set it off again, I don't think."
"But, Isaac, there's a way to disable the trap!" Kraden argued, "If we can figure it out, then maybe we can see this secret of Sol Sanctum for ourselves! Please, Isaac, I'm asking you to help us!"
"Yeah! Let's see what it is those two are after!" Garet agreed.
"I'm with Kraden, we're here now, so we should at least take the opportunity to look around." Jenna added.
"Well... if Kraden says we should do it, then maybe it's not so bad..." Isaac sighed, again letting them get their own way. It wasn't like Saturos and Menardi were going to come in and find them right in the middle of unlocking the Sanctum's mysteries.
"Come on, Isaac; let's see if we can't figure this out ourselves." Jenna encouraged him sweetly.
His teacher had asked them to find out the secret, his best friend wanted to see. And he couldn't very well say no to her, not now.
Not that it would make any difference, anyway He thought to himself.
"Alright, but be careful." he cautioned them, "Garet don't do anything without thinking about it first, please. We'll just have a look."
"Thank you, Isaac!" Jenna smiled at him, making him feel a little excited inside.
"Hey, I knew you'd come around!" Garet grinned proudly at his friend.
"I guess we should have a look at that other room, there." Kraden motioned towards the doorway on the side of the room, "It's just above the Sol Room, I believe."
Through the other door, they saw that it led to another room just like the Sol room beneath it, and like the previous room, had the extra of a small pool of water, but the four statues were still where they should be and the crystal balls they held were shining focused beams of light onto the sun symbol. However at the far end, it had a large statue of an angel holding a large dish, with the surface facing up. Next to it were two more statues like the others, angels holding crystal balls, and facing the statue with the dish.
Isaac looked around. Jenna started having a good look at the statue holding the dish, trying to puzzle out its mystery. Garet wandered around, quickly getting bored.
Why are we even bothering he thought to himself we're already sure that they were here, why go any further? It's the secrets deep in Sol Sanctum that Vale's Elders are sworn to protect.
But already curiosity to see further welled up inside him, quelling any resistance to going further. Beside, Kraden surely knew what he was doing, and they could put everything back as it was, later.
"There isn't anything in here..." Garet complained.
"Do you think that maybe there is a way to disable the trap in here?" Jenna queried.
"Of course!" Kraden insisted, "The inscriptions on the walls cannot be mistaken! We must simply find out how."
"Are you sure you want to try that?" Isaac warned, all too aware of what they nearly unleashed before. "It could be dangerous."
"Hey, so long as we're ready to just move the statues straight off if anything happens, we should be alright!" Garet told him encouragingly. Isaac sighed doubtfully.
"It's dangerous messing around with things like this." He muttered.
"Come on Isaac, don't be so over cautious." Jenna scolded him, making him wince inward. For some reason, he always hated having her disappointed in him. That made it easier for her to make him do what she wanted, although he didn't seem to mind.
"Oh, all right. Just so long as you aren't too rash." He replied. She giggled in amusement, making him smile. That girl had too much control over his heart, he was sure of it.
"From what I've read on Sol Sanctum," Kraden began, "There was something that said 'The Secret of Sol Sanctum may only be unlocked, when the light of Sol shines once more, turning night into day, and yet day into night'. It went something like that, only I think it was supposed to rhyme. Anyway, light must be the key to this puzzle."
"'Light shines once more?'", Garet repeated, "Well, let's see if maybe these switches can give us some!"
Without a moments more of notice, Garet began shifting on of the statues with his Psynergy. Isaac watched with baited breath as the statue shifted along the stone floor, and settled on the switch. Would this unleash the Sanctum's fury? His body tensed, ready to focus his Venus Psynergy and move the statue at a moments notice if need be.
The crystal orb that the statue held began to glow, and a focused beam of light hit the floor in front of the larger statue that held the dish. But nothing else happened.
Isaac sighed a breath of relief. It was okay.
"See? I told you there was nothing to worry about." Garet reassured his friend.
"Alright, so you were right." Isaac admitted, "You can't blame me for being overly cautious."
Jenna nudged him in the ribs.
"Are you gonna let him do all the puzzle solving here?" She asked slyly.
Isaac blushed slightly. Of course he wasn't going to let Garet take all the credit! He would show Jenna!
Raising his arm, Isaac focused his Psynergy and shifted the second stone statue onto the switch. Again the orb lit up and focused on the floor. But this time as the two beams merged, a hole began to appear in the floor in front of them.
"What the heck-?" Garet shot out.
"How did that hole appear in the ground" Jenna asked no one in particular.
"Of course! Now I remember reading something like this!" Kraden exclaimed in merriment, "The joint light of Sol's angels shall… Oh, confound it, I forget how it finishes!"
Isaac put his hand in through just to be sure it was real and he wasn't seeing things. His hand passed right through, it was real alright.
"Hmmm.... but now what?" Isaac mused.
The three Adepts stood in front of the hole with the larger statue opposite them. Isaac noticed Kraden have a closer look at the statue, he couldn't help but notice that the platform dish thing was just the right size for it to fit in.
"Hmm… now why would they put this hole here?" Kraden mused, "You know, that dish that the statue of the Goddess is holding looks about the right size to fit in the hole. If I'm not mistaken, this is a statue of Luna, or night."
"So what?" Garet asked, not getting what the scholar had in mind.
"Do you think we should try to put that whole statue in this hole?" Jenna asked.
"We could..." Kraden replied, stroking his grey beard thoughtfully, "It would certainly be the key to disabling the trap. It must be."
"But how would we take it out again?" Isaac questioned, "I mean, I'm still not sure that…"
"Isaac, come on!" Jenna scolded, "Do you want to prove that Saturos and Menardi were in here, or not?" If she talked to him like that, how could her really deny her? He was aware his heart was melting for her whims; he needed to get a grip on himself.
"Let's do this then!" Garet declared, and began pulling the statue towards them with his Psynergy, hand out raised. Isaac watched carefully. They might trigger the trap, but then they might see the very heart of Sol Sanctum, and prove that those thieves had been in here. Then they would become heroes. And his curiosity to see Sol Sanctum's secret was growing steadily.
The large statue slid into place, allowing the angels light to shine on it.
As they light from the angels glowed on it, the dish began to glow with the power of Psynergy. The Luna symbol on the dish began emitting light like daylight. Then they seemed to sense a change of… some sort in the… Psynergy flow of the room was the only accurate way to describe it.
At any rate, the sun symbol room that they were in hadn't changed and neither had the moon symbol room. Isaac had a good look around just to be sure. Nothing was any different. What had that done? Unless, maybe...
"We must have disabled the trap!" Kraden called out excitedly.
"If that the trap has been disabled, we can mess around with that statue puzzle thingy!" Garet chimed in.
"So, what do you think we should we do?" Jenna asked.
"Let's try to light them up like the other two statues!" Garet replied.
"All right, let's get them moving!" Jenna said impatiently and immediately began moving towards the room with the four deadly statues.
"Hey are you sure…" Isaac began, but then stopped short when he realized he was wasting his breath. All he could do was try and help them if something went wrong.
"Wait for me!" Kraden called out, "I simply must see this!"
Garet was the first to start shifting one of them. Isaac watched reluctantly, unsure if this was the best thing to be doing. They had already proven those two had been here by now, surely? And if the trap really was disabled, was that really such a good thing?
When Garet got the statue on there, they could see the crystal ball begin to glow. Once again, light shone out from it and onto one section of the crescent moon symbol. The light seemed to change the tile. That corner of Luna started to change shape. Now, it was different to the other three tiles, but Isaac couldn't yet tell what it was meant to be.
No lightning or rumbling... the trap had been disabled! Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe.
"Quick, let's try and move the other ones." Jenna suggested. The three of them each chose one of the three remaining statues at random, and began shifting them onto the remaining switches. All three of the balls began to glow and focused beams of light targeted the three remaining corners of the Luna symbol. Slowly the stone carvings changed shape and began to form... a picture of the Sun. The Sol symbol!
Isaac look into the previous sun symbol room and seen that there was no longer any light coming from the angels crystal balls, and the sun symbol had changed into a crescent moon symbol. Sol into Luna. Day into Night.
"Well, it looks like we finally solved the puzzle." He said aloud.
"Hmm… Yes, but there's a doorway that's supposedly meant to open. If I remember correctly, this doorway is meant to lead right to the very heart of the Sanctum. This is where the true treasures lie and this treasure is what Vale's Elders are sworn to protect. And that doorway doesn't seem to be anywhere around here."
"So that's it then," Jenna said, "we've got all the proof that we need, let's go back to the village!"
"Wait," interrupted Garet "What about this doorway? We might not be able to find it, but what if those two, Saturos and Menardi, come back and they find it?"
Isaac had to admit that he had a good point.
"I'm sorry," Kraden replied with a shrug, "But we can't do much about that, now we must leave without finding it. Let's just hope those two don't find it before the Elders do and decide what has to be done. Although, I think that it would be unlikely that they do find it. I can't see it anywhere around here."
"So are we going to go back now?" Isaac asked, somewhat anxiously, "There's nothing more to do here. And those two won't be in town very much longer once the Elders have been informed about what we found in here."
"I suppose so," Kraden sighed dejectedly "We'll just have to leave fully exploring this place to the Elders." With that he turned to leave and went down the stairs. As they were walking, Isaac decided to ask Kraden something.
"Hey Kraden," he began, "What exactly could they be hiding down here that is so valuable? Do you have any idea?"
Kraden looked thoughtful for a moment, before replying, "I can't be certain but they must have hidden something very valuable, maybe even the very keys to Alchemy itself." He didn't explain any more, and when asked he just said that they probably wouldn't understand.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs the entered the bottom room with the Luna symbol in it. Except that now it was the Sol symbol.
"Those rooms must have had some affect down here as well!" Kraden cried out. "Let's have a little look around here before we go!" The others agreed, without saying much. This whole day into night thing had sort of lost its novelty and they weren't much interested anymore in the effects of this.
That was until they seen inside the lower sun symbol room. Except of course it was a moon symbol room now. It wasn't the symbol change however that fascinated them. It was the strange portal that now hung in the air above the symbol by the wall. A glowing circular, shimmering ring that shone bright white light, that must have surely been this "doorway" they had wanted to find. It was easily big enough for one of them to fit through it. They all stood in amazed silence.
"This is it!" Kraden breathed after a while "This is the entrance to the very heart of Sol Sanctum and Mount Aleph, to the very heart of Alchemy's power!"
"This is what they wanted to find!" Isaac murmured.
"What could be on the other side?" Jenna questioned no one in particular.
"Let's have a look!" Garet suggested.
"No, we shouldn't." Isaac warned facing his two friends "We don't know what could be on the other side and there are probably more traps. Besides, we found all the proof that we need, the village Elders will be able to decide what to do next. It's probably better to just leave those secrets here." Then Isaac turned to see Kraden standing right at the edge of the portal. He hadn't heard him move there.
"So close," the Alchemy Sage thought aloud "surely it wouldn't hurt just to have a quick look!" And with that he stepped into the portal and disappeared in a flash of brilliant white.
"So much for that 'don't go anywhere we shouldn't' stuff" Garet muttered under his breath.
"Well, we might as well follow him now that he's in there." Jenna suggested.
Jenna took a step towards the portal and vanished, seemingly sucked in to it by bright light. Garet stepped in after her, and vanished. Isaac was the last to enter. Now they were about to see the secret treasure of Sol Sanctum.
As he stepped in, everything turned a white and he felt all funny. For a moment he was completely unaware of anything, his senses could tell him nothing. Then everything went back to normal and he found himself standing on the other side of the portal.
They were in the heart of Sol Sanctum.
A/N: What!? He's gonna end it there?! Sorry, but this whole thing got WAY too long, so I had to cut it in half. That's right, half. If I had the two halves together, it would be twice as long, and you'd fall asleep before finishing. Blame it on Kraden, he talks too much.
Before you go, if anyone is interested is seeing some of my other work, read "good bye" at fictionpress, where I am also called Master of Reality. Sorry, another shameless plug!
Anyway, that's it from me, so review!