(A/N: Yay! My surgery has gone wonderfully! I don't know for sure yet that it is a permanent success, (I will find out later this week) but the surgeon said it was the ideal operation, and everything went perfectly. My platlette count was up to 52,000 by the following morning, and I went home that afternoon. ^_^ So far, so good!
A little warning, they put me on some HEAVY-DUTY pain meds, namely Lortab. Hmmmm... High doses of Lortab and fan fiction in the same room mixed together into one item... It might be a little scary, but I dunno. We'll see how it goes... *grins evilly*
Now to respond to the readers!
First, thank you all for the good wishes on the surgery! Prayers and wishes always work! ^_~
Also, about Menardi and Agatio... :
No offence, Agatio, but I'm really hoping you lose out on your end of the bargain. ^_^ I'd sympathize with him for losing the woman he loved, but I'd rather see Menardi with Saturos (obviously).
~Vyctori
The only thing I dun like about this fic is that you're hooking up Menardi and Agatio... (those two? Ew...)
~Feral Claw
Etcetera and so forth. Allow me to assure you, Agatio will lose out. Saturos and Menardi are just too perfect for each other! *Yay Prox-shipping!* But you'll have to be patient. I don't know when THEY will figure out they're perfect for each other.... tee hee!
Well, we shall continue on with the story, and I'll finally get to a good battle sequence! You have to admit, the whole Isaac and Garet VS Saturos and Menardi? You get your @$$ whooped in the game anyway, so it only made sense for them to get knocked out before even getting a swing at our beloved Proxinians! But who do you ask fights who? **gets a very evil glow in her innocent dark-blue eyes** You shall see, my friends! MWHAHAHAHAhackcoughwheeze...
........ Okay, maybe I should wait until those stitches recover to do any evil laughter. *pulls out record from "Phantom of the Opera" and fast forwards to a part where Michael Crawford does the evil Phantom laugh. ^___^* That should work for now.
Enjoy!!!
Part Five
Alex
Saturos pushed the last of their things into the cargo hold of the Proxinian ship. Taken after a Lemurian design from when their two people used to trade in what was called the Golden Age eons ago, the ship ran off of psynergy. It was the same ship Saturos and Menardi had taken when they'd gone to Vale almost two years ago. He closed the cargo hold, the supplies and personal belongings barely able to fit. On the deck above him, he could hear the footsteps of his two companions. He walked up the stairs and onto the deck, immediately greeted by his student.
"Are we ready to go, now?" Felix asked. Saturos chuckled, walking past the boy toward the back of the ship. Even after two years, the boy had not lost his excitement.
Felix was now practically a man of seventeen. He'd grown quickly in these two years, and was just under Saturos's height. He took to the Proxinian's teachings like a merchild to water. He believed- just as strongly as Saturos and Menardi- that Alchemy, or the lack thereof, was killing Weyard. This had ruined the relations with his parents, Saturos had seen. After one visit two months after beginning his training, Felix returned, his face stained with tears, vowing he'd never visit them again.
Charles and Anne refuse to speak to Saturos, not that he blamed them. He was after all a wedge in their family now, teaching their son exactly the opposite of what they would. However, it made him glad to know someone outside of Prox believed them.
Felix was a good student, almost like a sponge, soaking up everything he could. It never seemed to be enough, everything that they taught him. He always wanted to know more. He was learning Alchemy at an amazing pace, and Saturos had Agatio visit and train Felix for months in the art of hand-to-hand combat. Agatio seemed surprised that Saturos would ask him, thought he wasn't sure why. Agatio had always been the strongest of their clan, physically speaking. But, it was said, when it came to cunning and Alchemy, Saturos was at the top, surpassing even Puelle and the Elder. Menardi had told him as soon as she heard this, Saturos wondering if she was trying to flatter him, or somehow cheer him up. He did wonder if such a thing had actually been said, but he never asked anyone if they thought so.
Felix had followed Saturos to the rear of the ship, Saturos checking to make sure everything was in proper order. When he began toward the front of the ship, Felix raced at his heels, the sword at his side clicking in its sheath as he ran. "Are we ready now?" he asked again, his voice making him seem even younger than he'd been when they arrived.
"Calm yourself, Felix," Saturos laughed, hurrying to the front of the ship, looking over the edge to assure himself of their position, then at the horizon to see their destined path. He stepped back, moving toward the middle of the ship, Felix following him like a puppy about to wet himself.
"Now?" he pleaded, following Saturos closely.
Saturos looked around the deck, suddenly concerned. "Where's Menardi?"
"Over here!"
Saturos turned to find Menardi leaning against the ship's steering mechanism, smiling broadly. "All clear, Commander?" she asked.
"All clear," he replied, returning the smile. "Felix and I will take up the anchor."
"Now?" Felix said excitedly as his master turned to him.
Saturos patted the boy's shoulder, smiling at his excitement. "Yes, Felix... Now."
Felix ran ahead to where the anchor was laid, Saturos walking at a steady pace, in no particular rush.
"You seem anxious today," Saturos said to Felix, who was already working the crank to lift the anchor.
"I have my reasons," Felix grunted as he turned the crank over, Saturos joining him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"FELIX?!"
The two jumped at the sound of the roar, letting go of the crank and dropping the anchor back into the sea.
Felix winced, shutting his eyes tightly. "That's what I mean."
Saturos looked over at the land where Charles stood on the dock, looking over the ship angrily, bellowing again, "FELIX! GET DOWN HERE!"
Felix began working the crank again, Saturos, still turned to the dock, noticing this.
"What are you doing?" Saturos asked him, not helping him raise the anchor.
"Ignoring him," Felix murmured to himself, not even looking toward the dock.
"When was the last time you two talked?" Saturos asked curiously.
Felix grunted as he pulled the heavy anchor out of the water, it suddenly heavier. "Not since they tried to visit me on my sixteenth birthday," he said casually. "Mom started crying when she found out I'd learned the "move" psynergy, and Dad called me a traitor to Vale and said I was going to destroy the world. He'd probably push me into the water if I go down there and try to talk to him..."
"You at least owe him a conversation, Felix," Saturos murmured quietly. "It's been more than a year since you-"
"I don't owe him anything, Saturos," Felix snapped, struggling to lock the crank and hold the anchor in place, a difficult task for only two hands to do on their own. "He'll just tell me not to go, call me a traitor again. I don't have to put up with tha-"
Saturos reached out with his foot, giving the lever of the crank a sharp kick, Felix releasing it in shock, the anchor falling back into the water with a crash. Felix turned to his master in shock. "What was that for?"
"Felix," Saturos sighed quietly. "You know that I lost my family as a child. You should be glad that you still have one."
"Some family," Felix muttered, reaching for the lever again, Saturos kicking the boy's fingers, causing him to instantly recoil, shaking his stinging fingers.
"At least you have one," Saturos snapped. "I would do anything to have the little family both you and Menardi have, even if they despise you. Felix..." Saturos waited until the boy was looking at him to speak. "Even if you don't want to, he is your father, and you should speak with him."
"We have nothing to discuss!" Felix shouted back, rubbing his fingers gently.
"You have everything to discuss," Saturos argued quietly. "Felix, somewhere beneath all the screaming and threatening, he is your father... your blood... And he cares for you..."
Felix stared at the ground, not answering Saturos for a long while. Finally, he looked up, trying not to grin. "I suppose you'll just keep smashing my fingers until I talk to him?"
"You learn quickly," Saturos chuckled as Felix began toward the edge of the boat, uncoiling a rope that was there, throwing it over. The ramp had already been taken down, so the rope was his only choice. Saturos watched as Felix began to climb down, seeing Menardi walking towards him slowly.
"What's this all about?" she asked Saturos.
"Charles wants to speak with Felix," he replied, looking over the edge and nodding to the man below, Felix still climbing down. Charles gave him a bitter glare, then looked to his son.
"So that's what that horrible bellowing like a dying cow was," Menardi commented wryly, turning away from the sight, folding her arms across her chest indignantly.
"Menardi," Saturos quietly admonished, though he couldn't hide the tiny grin on his face.
Menardi turned to Saturos, shaking her head. "I know exactly what Felix is going through, Saturos. I haven't spoken to my mother for years now, and I prefer to keep it that way."
"You don't really mean that," Saturos sighed quietly.
Menardi's jaw went slack. "Oh, don't I?"
"Melima is your kin, Menardi," Saturos murmured. "You must feel something for her..."
Menardi's face softened a little. "Of course I do, Saturos... But as far as my mother is concerned, I died two years ago at Sol Sanctum along with all the other men there."
"She doesn't really feel that way," Saturos said softly.
"Perhaps," Menardi murmured. "But that's all she ever lets me see anymore."
Menardi turned and started toward the front of the ship, Saturos watching her, shaking his head slowly. The only good family contact Menardi had anymore was Karst. Karst had been taken into training by the Elder just after Saturos had taken Felix as his student. Since they all lived in the same quarters, Felix and Karst practically trained together for the last two years. However it was complicated trying to teach a Fire Adept and an Earth Adept at the same time. Many times the two children would go to their different lessons for the day, but they had still grown to be close friends.
Karst was the only positive family influence now for Menardi. Too much of nothing had passed between Melima and Menardi for what was once there to ever be fully recovered. He pitied Menardi that her mother refused to understand what they were doing. She would better understand the tension that was going on between Felix and his family, but Saturos did not want to see Felix grow bitter toward his kin as Menardi had. He glance again in the direction of Charles, seeing Felix, feet now on the ground, walking toward his father.
"Iris be with you, Felix," he sighed, walking toward the crank of the anchor and starting to raise it.
* * *
Felix walked toward his father, trying to look confident. His father stared back at him, his once warm-honey eyes now filled with darkness. Felix wished he could return things to the way they once were, where his father was his closest friend, but he had learned too much about Weyard that his father refused to see.
Unfortunately, he was the only one of his family that had been able to go to Gaia Falls. He had been helping Saturos take measurements for the last year, and he could see that everything he'd been teaching him was true. Saturos and Menardi had even taken him to Mar Lighthouse and shown him the things there; runes on the wall speaking of the Golden Age and the reasoning of the ancient sages for binding Alchemy all those eons ago. He couldn't go back to believing the teachings of Vale. Not after all that he'd seen.
"So," Charles said, his voice full of sarcasm. "My son finally comes to visit."
"What do you want, Dad?" Felix snapped. "We're about to leave, so if this is just another argument, a threat to disown me, then you can turn right around and go home."
"Where exactly do you think you're going, Felix?" Charles said, his voice filled with anger though he spoke softly. "Are you finally betraying us?"
"If you're asking if we're going to Sol Sanctum, then, no," Felix replied. "We haven't finished studying the lighthouses. Last month we went to Contigo to study Jupiter Lighthouse just North of there, but we couldn't find any of the Anemos, so we were shut out. Before that, we went to Venus Lighthouse, learned a little there. We've got piles of studies on Mars Lighthouse, so we don't need to go there. All that's left is going to Imil and studying Mercury Lighthouse there-"
"Ah, yes," Charles sneered. "Entering the lighthouses... Another violation in the Gods' eyes."
Felix scoffed. "I haven't been struck down by lightning yet, have I?" he snapped angrily.
"You watch your tone, Felix!" Charles snapped. "I won't tolerate blasphemy in my presence! You are still a child-"
"Am I?" Felix angrily replied. "I'm not the one who's refusing to see what is clearly in front of them!"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Weyard is dying, Dad!" Felix sighed, frustration wracking his whole body. "You, Mom, and Kyle refuse to see it... I'm trying to do something about it."
"You're going to end up killing us all," Charles murmured darkly.
"If we don't do this we'll die anyway!" Felix said, his voice turning into more of a plead. "Dad, please! You've got to believe us!"
"I can't, Felix," Charles sighed, slowly shaking his head. "The Wise One-"
"Would you just stop it with this "Wise One" stuff!" Felix exploded. "Have you ever seen him? No. Has he ever spoken to you? No. Has he ever spoken to the Elders even?"
"We have records!" Charles bellowed.
"So do they!" Felix shouted. "More than Vale ever had! And they let everyone read them! They let people go to the lighthouse, rather than shutting them out! They tell their people everything! They don't just pretend that there's nothing going on, they tell people! And when have the Elder's ever done that for us? When did Vale ever explain what Sol Sanctum was or let us see it?"
Charles looked at Felix for a long while, his mouth open, but no words coming out. Felix nodded slowly, backing away from his father. "You see? You know I'm right... I'm going with Saturos and Menardi no matter what you say..."
"Felix..." Charles quietly murmured. "Please don't do this."
"I'm sorry, Dad," Felix replied softly. "I can't deny what I believe."
"Neither can I, Son," Charles sighed.
Felix shrugged. "Then there's nothing either of us can do..."
Felix reached the rope hanging over the edge, taking hold of it. He turned once more to his father, sighing deeply. "Dad?" he called softly. "I won't destroy the world..."
"I hope not, Felix," Charles murmured.
Felix tried to give his father a smile, but couldn't really manage it. He turned around, beginning to climb back into the ship.
* * *
(A/N: Yay! We finally get to Alex and Mia! ^_^ Here goes my interpretation of Alex.)
Alex felt his strength fall from him, every last ounce of energy gone. The hand in his own began to grow cold.
"No!" he growled to himself, struggling to heal the elderly man. Tears jumped to his eyes. It couldn't end like this...
"It is too late for me," the man weakly breathed. "It is... too late..."
"No!" Alex whispered, shaking his head violently. "Mia... can't you-"
"I'm completely drained, Alex," the young girl murmured, tears running silently down her cheeks. "I tried..."
Alex cursed out of anger, pressing a fist to his forehead and shutting his eyes, allowing the tears to stream from them. They couldn't lose him now... not after all these years.
"It is my time, Alexim," the old man whispered, using Alex's full name. Alex felt the chilly hand grasp his own tightly. "It must be done now."
"No!" Alex shouted, lowering the fist from his head and looking at the old man, tears blurring his vision. He swallowed hard, his throat too tight to speak. He managed to squeak out, "I'm... not ready yet..."
"Yes you are," the old man wheezed. "You both are."
"Please don't leave us now," Mia pleaded, pulling up a chair to sit on the other side of the bed. "You have so much left to teach us..."
"There is nothing left that you don't already know," the man smiled up at Mia.
Alex shook his head slowly. It couldn't be like this. Winter had hit Imil harder than ever this year, and the sickness had taken to nearly all of its inhabitants. Alex and Mia had worked hard with this man to heal the sick in their little town. After all, they were the last three Mercury Adepts in Imil. Alex would never have imagined that this could happen. Not so soon. Not to him...
His own grandfather, Alexim, for whom he was named, the guardian of Mercury Lighthouse now lay on his death bed, and Alex could do nothing. They had tried potions, teas, salves, and the healing power of Mercury, yet nothing had helped. Now Alex felt weaker than ever, both from being drained of his energy and being forced to watch his grandfather die.
Mia was taking the blow just as hard as he. Somehow, she had the blood of the Mercury Clan in her, but the two were not blood related. She had been given to Alexim at a young age, and trained alongside Alex and taught in the ways of the Mercury Clan. In a way, Alexim had been her grandfather as well.
They had been taught to protect the Mercury Lighthouse at all costs, though it was not yet their responsibility. Alexim was still the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse. But now...
He wasn't ready. Alex couldn't possibly take on the role of Guardian just yet! A man of twenty-one, and a girl of sixteen... He and Mia could never protect Mercury Lighthouse from being infiltrated! Not like Alexim could have done.
"Alex..."
Alex grasped his grandfather's hand tightly, leaning in close. "I'm here, Grandfather..."
"It's time..." he breathed as his skin of perfect peach faded into a sickening grey.
"Please, Grandfather," Alex murmured, shutting his eyes tightly. "I'm not ready..."
"You must stay with us, Alexim," Mia sobbed, holding tightly to the old man's arm.
Alexim shook his head slowly. "My time is done, Dear Mia," he whispered. "The Gods are calling me homeward."
"Don't say that!" Alex shouted. "You will live! ...you're going to live... You have to..."
Alexim took his hand from Alex's, and moved his arm from Mia. "Help me sit up, my children..."
Alex and Mia quickly put their hands on the old man's back, lifting him into the sitting position. Alexim's clear blue eyes flickered softly between the living and an odd blankness. "I must do this quickly, children... Come, come..." He motioned them near, Alex and Mia kneeling on either side of the elderly's bed.
Alexim reached out his hand, placing it on Alex's head, then took the other, placing it on Mia's head. He sat there a moment, taking in soft, shallow breaths. Then he spoke.
"Alexim II of Imil..." he breathed softly, shutting his eyes. "Mia of Imil... I, Alexim of Imil confer upon you the sacred duty of defending Mercury Lighthouse for time and all eternity. Do you accept this call?"
"I do..." Mia instantly replied, tears in her eyes.
Alex wiped his face with the back of his hand. "I do."
The old man's face creased with wrinkles as a smile crossed his lips. His blue eyes looked back to the sky, and he whispered, "It is done..."
The old man fell backwards onto his bed, his hand falling from Alex's head, his eyes still staring upward and his face still creased with that smile. Silence filled the tiny cabin, then, after a moment of nothingness, Mia's sobs began to fill the cabin walls.
Alex could say nothing, only stare at the limp cold body of his grandfather, tears in his eyes. He felt himself trembling. So this was how it would end; in an empty room filled with cold, sickness, and sobbing. Alex felt his chest give a sudden movement as though to sob, but no sound came out, only the tears silently cascading down his cheeks.
"If I had only been stronger," he whispered to himself. "If only I had been stronger, I could have saved you..." He reached up, his fingers closing the man's eyes. The lump in his throat rose tenfold. He felt as though he couldn't breathe. The pain was extending to every part of his being. No one could contain a pain like this...
Alex took in a sharp breath of air, more tears coming to his eyes as he tried to choke them away. Now he was the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse. No more Alexim to guide him. He was forced to take over the position of Guardian, all because his grandfather was dead...
And he hadn't been strong enough to save him...
* * *
"Imil in sight!"
Felix looked over from his seat on the side of the boat. He stood, walking toward Menardi, tall stones towering all around them. They had taken the Northern Route. It had taken them several days, nearly a week to arrive, but it was faster than taking the Southern Route.
"Is that it?" Felix asked as he stood beside Menardi. A tiny, sleepy looking village rested under the shadow of the tall, sea-green tower at the shore of the ocean; Mercury Lighthouse.
"That's Imil," Menardi beamed, watching their course carefully.
Felix sighed. "I was hoping for someplace warm," he grumbled.
"Yes, well," Menardi chuckled, "we're still in the Northern reaches of Weyard."
"Do you think these people know about Gaia Falls, yet?" Felix asked, stepping forward to get a better look at the distant town.
"No," she murmured, turning the ship to avoid a large rock in the distance. "They have a much greater expanse of water, and they're further south than Prox."
"Right," Felix sighed. "So how many people of the Mercury Clan will we find here?"
"Well, Saturos and I had originally assumed that every village near the lighthouses would be something like Prox; filled to the brim with Adepts and Elders. When we went to Vale and sensed the energies coming from the people there, we thought our hypothesis was right..."
"And then we went to Contigo," Felix sighed deeply, sitting at the front of the ship, holding to the ropes to keep him steady.
"Yes," Menardi muttered darkly. "Contigo." She shook her head slowly, her jaw working in slow circles. "How in the cosmos an entire city is lifted up into the heavens, I'll never know, but the people there kept saying that's what happened. If that's true, that would mean that all the Anemos are gone."
"There have to be a few somewhere," Felix said, staring at the distance. "If not, we can always get another Valean to help us."
"I doubt any of them would, Felix," Menardi sighed. "Remember your parents?"
Felix grew silent, his eyes falling down to look at the sea. He said nothing for a while, Menardi realizing what she'd said.
"Felix, I'm sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have brought that up."
"It's okay," the young man murmured with a light shrug. "I mean, it is the truth, after all."
"We just don't want to force anyone else into this, Felix," Menardi sighed. "Going and snatching some random Valean Wind Adept is out of the question..." She looked over at Felix momentarily. "We've already gone too far in forcing you into this..."
Felix turned instantly, looking at her, his brown eyes full of care. "You didn't force me into this," he said softly, smiling at her. "I chose to help you."
Menardi laughed aloud. "Would you have chosen to help us had Puelle not threatened your parents?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Felix blushed slightly, eyeing the ground. "Well... I suppose in the beginning, it wasn't my choice. But..." He looked again to the horizon, his eyes filled with a courage Menardi had only seen in Saturos. "Now it is my quest as well..." He looked at Menardi. "You and Saturos are my closest friends, and I would give my life for you... We're in this together now."
"Yes," Menardi murmured. "I suppose we are."
Saturos came up from the Captain's Chambers, just finishing the captain's log for the day. "So," he said, standing alongside Menardi. "We're finally here."
"Let's just hope that these Mercury Clan aren't similar to the Anemos, right?" Menardi muttered as she shifted her grip on the wheel.
"Let's hope," Saturos agreed, walking toward where Felix sat. The boy's eyes were focused on the distance, a smile on his face and the wind in his hair. He reminded Saturos of himself when he was a younger man. Felix had taken up many of the Proxinian traditions, hairstyle included. The long hair pulled back was a sign of childhood, the same style Saturos had sported before the Elder appointed he and Menardi Adepts.
Felix even agreed to wait until he had reached the age of manhood to dawn the armor of an adept and wore simple leather armor beneath his clothing. Saturos had argued that he, himself had been made an Adept when he was merely eighteen, but Felix said that he would have to wait until then, if that was the case. Saturos sighed. The boy had so quickly dropped all that he had once believed to aid them in this mission. He had given up everything- family, home, life- to help their cause, and all before his sixteenth birthday.
In a way, Saturos had to admire the boy. Such courage, particularly in humans, was rare. Even outside of the human race, the courage Felix displayed was admirable. However, Saturos would never tell his student that. He didn't want it going to the boy's head.
Felix realized Saturos was looking at him. Giving his master a strange look, he waited to see if Saturos would say anything. "What?" he finally chuckled.
"Nothing," Saturos shrugged, walking to stand beside his student at the edge of the ship. "So are you ready to go ashore?"
"After a week on this ship," Felix laughed, "I am more than ready."
"Good," Saturos laughed along with his student. "Then gather your things. I guess we'll hit the Inn first, as usual."
* * *
Alex stood at Mercury Lighthouse, the waves lashing against the sides of the tower. It was as though they, too, were mourning the loss of their guardian.
Or perhaps weeping over the weakness of their new guardian...
Alex picked up a stone from the floor of the lighthouse, throwing it with all his might into the sea below. So the sea was mocking him? It wasn't as though Alex could have done anything more for his grandfather. He had used up all of his strength trying to keep the spark of life burning inside of the old man, and he had failed. He was blameless in the man's death.
But what if he had been stronger? If only he had been stronger, he could have saved him...
Alex thrust another stone into the water, letting out a grunt of anger, not noticing as Mia walked up the edge of the lighthouse, joining him.
"Alex?" she asked tinily.
Alex turned seeing her standing there. He said nothing, only turned back to the ocean, staring at the waves as they continued to crash against to side of the lighthouse.
Mia sighed, moving a little closer to him, but keeping her distance. "Alex... You can't keep being like this..." Alex said nothing to her, Mia turning her head to try and see his face which he quickly turned away from her. She shook her head. "Alex, it's been nearly a week..."
"Has it?" Alex responded bitterly. "It feels like eternity."
Mia quieted a moment, a little stung by his tone. "Alex, you haven't been yourself," she finally murmured, walking to stand next to him. "You haven't eaten... Haven't slept..."
"Those are my decisions, Mia," Alex sighed, refusing to look at her. "I would ask you not to interfere."
Mia watched Alex for a long while, Alex wondering if he had finally silenced her. But she spoke again. "What do you want me to do, then, Alex?" she asked softly. "Let you sit out here, day by day, only to freeze and starve yourself to death?"
"It's possible," he murmured.
Mia shook her head. "I can't do that, Alex."
"Then can you at least leave me alone to think?" Alex hissed softly, glancing at her for a moment.
Mia took a step backward, shocked at the amount of rage flashing in those clean, sea-colored eyes, stormy and troubled. She pulled the thick, Imilian clothing closer around her as a cold breeze began to blow.
Alex pursed his lips, running a hand through his long, aquamarine hair. "Mia, I..." He swallowed hard, choking down the lump in his throat. "I'm sorry. This last week has been... difficult."
Mia stepped to his side again, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know, Alex... It's been hard for me, too."
Alex sighed, staring at the horizon where the sea met the sky. "If only I had been stronger."
"Don't say that," Mia whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. "We did all that we could."
"If I had been stronger, he would still be here," Alex said quietly, shutting his eyes.
"The sickness hit harder than any of us could imagine," Mia argued. "And he was older. You know how much harder it is to heal the elderly."
"But if we had more power, Mia-"
"We don't know that we could have done anything!" she said, clutching his arm tightly as though strangling something. Alex looked down as the girl buried her head in his shoulder. She was crying... "Even if we had more psynergy, he might not have survived. That happens, Alex. Even the most powerful of healers fail sometimes."
Alex thought on that for a moment...
The most powerful...
"Perhaps we would have been unable to heal him," he murmured thoughtfully. "But..." Alex paused. Dare he share his thoughts with Mia?
He gently patted her head with his free hand, she withdrawing to look up at him. "We'd best be heading back to Imil before we both freeze to death."
"Yes," Mia whispered, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "We had better."
The two walked along the side of the lighthouse, the ledge giving them a magnificent view of the distant horizon and of Imil. Mia was still wiping her eyes when Alex noticed it. He squinted to assure himself he was not seeing things, then asked, "Did we have any record of a trading barge coming in today?"
Mia looked back at him. "There was nothing I could see. Why?"
"There's a ship in the harbor," Alex murmured worriedly. "Unlike any I've ever seen..."
Mia turned looking in the distance, shielding her eyes from the sun as it had begun it's trek toward the west and would set within the next few hours. "Hm..." she said, lowering her hand. "So there is."
"What would anyone be doing in Imil at this time of year?" Alex muttered under his breath. "Don't those fools know the sickness is here right now?"
"It doesn't look like a trading barge, Alex," Mia said. "And it looks like they took the Northern Route."
"Any ship that can sail through that garden of devil-rocks is to be complimented," Alex said, a little surprised to see that it did look as though the ship had come from the north. "Their oarsmen must be incredible."
"It doesn't look like it has any oars, Alex..."
"Is it one of those new-fangled sailing ships?" Alex asked as the two continued walking toward the base of the lighthouse.
"No," Mia answered. "It doesn't have any of those large sheets like the one that passed through here recently."
"Ah..." Alex murmured. "But if it has no oars, and it has no sails, then how did it get here?"
Mia frowned a little at the statement. "That's an excellent question..."
"If that is the best technology these visitors have brought with them, we'll have no worries at all of protecting the lighthouse," Alex chuckled mildly.
"We shouldn't underestimate them, Alex," Mia murmured. "Looks can be deceiving."
Alex sighed deeply, pondering this thought. "True," he finally admitted.
Mia patted him on the back as they reached the bottom of the lighthouse and its entrance. "Don't worry," she smiled. "I'll take the first shift. You go back into town and get some food and rest."
"Thank you kindly, Mia," Alex sighed tiredly. "I'll do that."
* * *
Menardi and Felix looked up as Saturos took his seat at the table in the lower area of the Inn. Other tables were set around them, most of the people there looking as though they were waiting on dinner. Saturos, himself, was getting hungry. A bit of warm food would do them all some good, especially with the news he had to bring back.
"Did you order something?" Saturos asked Menardi.
She nodded. "Quite a while ago, actually," Menardi sighed. "Looks like their pretty full here in Imil."
"But our boat is the only one in the harbor," Felix said softly, the three trying to keep their conversation within their proximity.
"Of course ours is the only boat in the harbor," Saturos muttered darkly, withdrawing a dagger and beginning to whittle down his fingernails.
Menardi cast a curious look toward her friend. "I think someone learned something."
"I was talking to some of the people upstairs," Saturos sighed. "Much friendly here than in Contigo and Vale... No offense, Felix."
"None taken," Felix shrugged, still listening intently to Saturos's words.
Saturos shook his head, his tongue running over the bottom of his teeth as he organized his thoughts. "I overheard some of the people here talking about a sickness of some kind."
"Sickness?" Menardi echoed, then wryly commented, "I thought Mercury was a healing clan."
"Healers here are few," Saturos murmured, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "Apparently, this time every year, this sickness strikes. According to one man I spoke with upstairs, this is the worst year in decades."
"Why is it worse?" Felix asked, confused.
"They've had more sick this year than in any of the last two years combined," Saturos sighed. "They've cleared out any home with one member sick, and stuck all the healthy ones here..." Saturos looked around distastefully. "In the Inn..."
"What do they do with the sick people?" Menardi asked in disgust. "Leave them to die in their empty homes?"
"No," Saturos said quickly, motioning for Menardi to lower her voice. "They put many of the inflicted humans into one home. The few healers they have race from house to house, treating as many as their..." Saturos glanced around quickly, then whispered, "Energy will allow."
"Energy," Felix whispered excitedly. "Do you think they mean psynergy?"
"I'd bet my last gold coin on it," Saturos grinned.
"But..." Menardi murmured, thinking hard. "But you said there are very few healers here... Exactly how many is... few?"
Saturos looked up at Menardi, their eyes locking for a moment. Saturos set the dagger onto the table, looking down at its hilt and tracing the markings with his finger. "Up until last week, there were a total of three."
The conversation halted momentarily as a woman came and asked what they'd like to drink.
"Tea, please," Menardi said shortly.
"I'll have the house ale, please," Saturos said to the waitress.
Felix opened his mouth to say, "Make that two," but Saturos raised a hand in front of Felix's face, looking directly at the woman. "Water, for this one," he said with a grin. The woman hurried away to get the order. Felix glared darkly at his master, who merely shrugged and said, "Not until you're older."
Menardi chuckled lightly at the display, and Felix decided to continue the conversation. "What do you mean, "until last week"?" he asked softly.
Saturos licked his lips, and leaned in toward the middle of the table. "I overheard two old men speaking with each other," Saturos said, looking at his partners in turn. "They were worried about the sickness, but it was when they started talking about the lighthouse that my attention was caught."
Felix and Menardi nodded. Proxinian hearing was much more keen than any human hearing. Saturos could have been on the other side of a room and heard everything as clear as day that these old men were saying. Felix had learned this early in his training when he had muttered a complaint smartly behind Saturos's back.
Saturos continued. "They started talking about these three healers; an old man, and two younger ones, a girl and a man. Incidentally, the old man was the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse."
"Well, that would make sense," Felix said with a shrug.
"But an old man, set in his ways, is not going to let us take a pleasure tour of Mercury Lighthouse," Menardi said as the woman from before brought them their drinks. She sipped lightly at her tea, then quickly lowered it to add, "let alone help us light the beacon."
"Oh, don't worry," Saturos drawled, setting down the tall mug, staring at the liquid inside. "Remember how I was telling you the sickness has hit harder this year than any other?"
"Yes," Menardi replied.
"This... Guardian apparently contracted it early last week," Saturos murmured, taking a long sip from the mug. He paused as he lowered it, his face tense. "He died within hours of contracting it."
"You mean the Guardian of the Lighthouse is dead?!" Felix asked, raising his voice.
Saturos stared angrily at the boy, who quickly realized his mistake and concentrated on his glass of water. Saturos shook his head, casting a Menardi a gaze as though to say, "Children!" and continued in his explanation. "The Old Man who was the Guardian of the Lighthouse is dead, Felix, yes," Saturos said in exasperation.
"Then who is the guardian now?" Menardi asked quietly.
Saturos grinned slightly. "These two younger ones... Mia, I believe is the girl's name... I forget what the man's name is though."
Felix watched over the top of his glass as Saturos took another lengthy swig from the mug. "So... do we go after the little girl?"
Saturos held up a finger as he swallowed the liquid, hurrying to explain. "Oh, she's not as young as you're thinking, Felix," he chuckled quickly. "She's only a year younger than you."
"So you think she'll be set in her ways?" Felix dejectedly asked, resting his chin on the table.
"Hard to say," Saturos shrugged. "If there's only two of them here, we better try to keep our reputation spotless."
Felix slowly slid over the side of the table until only his nose and up was visible, both Menardi and Saturos looking at him with raised eyebrows. In Contigo, they had managed to frighten many of the villagers when Felix became frustrated, accidently summoning up a small earthquake. They were forced to leave shortly afterwards.
Menardi turned back to Saturos, leaning forward on her elbows across the table. "Is there anyway to tell these people apart?" she asked. "I mean, any defining traits like our clan?"
"I don't know," Saturos said, looking at Felix who was returning from his earlier retreat. "After all, Felix looks like any other human."
"And you think these two will be the same?" Menardi asked with a sigh.
"Most likely," Saturos replied, examining the, now, empty mug. He set it aside a final time, going into a look of deep thought. "I don't know... Perhaps the healers dress differently..."
"Maybe we'll just happen to see them here..." Felix suggested with a shrug.
Saturos scoffed softly in his throat. "Right, Felix," he laughed. "We're going to see these Water Adepts just wander through the Inn, and just happen to say something like-"
"Rebecca!"
The three turned as a voice came from the bottom of the stairway, one of the women, clearly the owner's wife, turned toward him. The man began toward her, trying to meet her half-way.
He was dressed much differently than the other Imilians, more violets and soft blues. Unlike all the other humans they had seen in Imil, this one had long sea-green hair, the same color of his eyes, off by hardly half a shade.
"Ah, Alex," the woman said, handing him a glass of water. The two were standing a few tables away from the group, Felix struggling to hear what was being said, while Saturos and Menardi hardly had to summon up an effort. "Did you rest well?"
"As well as I could," the man replied, wiping at the corner of one of his sea-colored eyes. "I thought I had better let you know you have another room free for any one else that comes here."
The man began to turn, but the woman followed him, reaching out and touching his arm. "Going to see Mia? Or another sick home, I assume?" she asked.
Menardi looked at Saturos her eyes wide. "Since when was Felix given the gift of foresight?"
"Shh!" Saturos hissed, watching the man carefully.
* * *
Alex turned to Rebecca, finishing the glass of water and returning it to her, murmuring a soft 'thank you.' "Meeting with Mia," he said quietly. "She's been out at the lighthouse since a few hours before sundown. I figure I should relieve her of her shift."
"How is she doing?" Rebecca asked, grabbing his arm yet again.
Alex's jaw tightened, his anxiousness getting to him. He took in a deep breath through his nose, calming a pasting a smile on his face. "Mia has done well, considering our recent loss. She has helped me more than I can say, I might mention."
"Oh, good," Rebecca sighed, patting him on the arm. "You seemed so down after your grandfather's passing... It was so sudden."
"Yes," Alex said flatly. "I try not to think on it often."
"If there was a way to stop it, we would have," Rebecca murmured, Alex twitching nervously as the woman prolonged the conversation. "Alexim was a great loss to our humble village."
"Yes, Rebecca," Alex said hurriedly, trying to push away from her. "Now if you don't mind-"
The woman's hand caught on his bag, spilling the contents all over the ground; a dagger in a sheath, a large collection of old scrolls in ancient writing, and a book to translate.
"Oh!" Rebecca said, taking one of the scrolls and beginning to open it. "What's all this-"
Alex tore the scroll from the woman's hands, hurrying to gather all of them. "Beg your pardon, Rebecca," he said, rushing their discussion. "Things my grandfather left me from his library."
"It looks complicated," Rebecca smiled as Alex finished shoving things into his bag, rising.
"Very," he said curtly. "Now, Ma'am, if I could take my leave of you, I would..." Alex stopped short as he glanced at a table, seeing the three sitting at the table quickly turning away. Had they been listening all along? No, they were too far away to possibly have heard anything. He had said nothing that would attract attention out of the normal. Had they, perhaps, seen the ancient writings he carried? Alex was considerably fluent in the runes, but had brought along the book to assure he did not misinterpret anything. No one other than his grandfather and himself had been educated in the runes, so it would seem no more than a scroll filled with chicken scratches to the average being.
Yet something continued to tug on Alex about those people at the table. He shook it off, holding his bag close to him as he backed away, reaching out for the door handle. "Yes... well," he murmured. "I'd best be going to relieve Mia. She still has her room, I assume?"
"Of course, Alex," Rebecca said. "Now you just take care of yourselves, alright?"
"Naturally," he murmured, still looking toward that table, sea-green eyes narrowed. Then he quickly hurried out into the cool evening, drawing his cloak closer to him, and walked briskly toward the lighthouse.
* * *
Felix looked at Saturos, his brown eyes wide. "I was joking, honestly..."
"Never mind that," Saturos said, watching until the man had passed by the window. He instantly stood, eyes focused on the window, excitement rushing him as he pulled on his cloak. "Come on. We've found our Adepts."
"You don't really mean to go there now?" Menardi asked quickly, pulling the red cloak around her shoulders as Felix stood and wrapped his long, blue cape around his own. "In the middle of the night?
"Didn't you see what he was carrying?" Saturos hissed urgently. "Menardi, that was one of the original manuscripts of the Elder's book! The one that I studied from and taught both of you from! I have it nearly memorized! I would recognize it anywhere!"
"Are you certain?" she whispered as they began toward the doorway, pushing through the crowded room. "I mean, is it really the same?"
They pushed out of the Inn, Saturos glancing ahead of them to make sure the man was far enough ahead not to see them coming. He was nowhere in sight, so Saturos motioned for the two to follow him. "The scrolls will not match the book entirely, no," Saturos said quickly "It's rumored that there is more information on the lighthouses, and another section entirely, detailing on something called the Golden Sun..."
"The what?" Felix asked.
"It doesn't matter," Saturos said quickly. "It has nothing to do with our quest."
"Why do you think he's reading it?" Menardi asked, following Saturos's lead closely.
"Who can say?" Saturos commented quickly, spotting the man in the distance as he rounded the corner. "Perhaps this mission won't require a conversion after all... come on!"
And the three hurried into the night, dark as pitch, not quite sure what to expect at the lighthouse, and anxious to find out.
* * *
Alex reached the lighthouse, seeing Mia curled up near the entrance, her eyes shut, still holding her staff tightly in her hands. He smiled slightly at the sight and slid the bag off his shoulder, kicking it into the shadows.
Mia had taken it upon herself to light the torches along the sides of the lighthouse. They offered little light, and long shadows, but their dim glow was nonetheless comforting. Alex remembered being a child and watching his grandfather light the torches at night.
He shook off the thought, not willing to allow himself to fall again into that pit of despair. Moving toward Mia, he reached down, gently rousing her.
"Oooh... Hm?" the girl murmured as she blinked her large blue eyes open. Finally, her eyes registered him. "Alex?" she moaned, slowly waking. "What are you-"
"It's time for a shift," he murmured, helping her to her feet.
Mia blushed. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"It can't be helped," Alex chuckled lightly. "I'll take over until morning."
"Are you sure?" Mia asked as Alex led her to the path leading away from the lighthouse.
"I'm certain," Alex smiled. "I've had all the sleep I need. Please... allow me to watch the lighthouse for a while..."
"If you insist," Mia finally consented, letting out a long yawn.
Alex watched for a while as Mia began down the path, his eyes narrowing darkly as his eyes followed her. "Oh, I do insist, Mia," he murmured to himself. "I do."
* * *
Saturos, Menardi, and Felix all pressed themselves against the darkened side of the lighthouse as the young girl passed them by. They waited until the girl reached the outskirts of the village, Saturos finally motioning for them to follow him.
He carefully stuck his head around the corner, watching for the man, no doubt standing guard in front of the lighthouse entrance. To his surprise, the man was already gone from sight, the door into the lighthouse left open and unguarded.
"What in the name of the elements?" Saturos murmured, stepping forward toward the stairway up to the doorway. Felix and Menardi followed cautiously behind him, looking around warily.
"Where did he go?" Menardi whispered to Saturos who hardly shrugged.
"I don't know..."
Felix looked around them, the sounds of the ocean beating against the other side of the lighthouse echoing in their ears. "He probably went inside," he finally murmured.
"Whether or not he went inside," Saturos began quietly. "He's here, which means we can explore the lighthouse."
"Well, then, we'd better hurry," Menardi said, taking the lead and moving briskly up the stairs toward the doorway.
"Menardi, wait!" Saturos hissed as she entered the lighthouse. He groaned under his breath, Felix smiling slightly.
"Aren't you the one in charge?" he asked, trying to choke down the grin.
Saturos sent him a bitter look. "We'd better follow her, I guess," he sighed, setting his hand on the hilt of his sword, Felix doing the same.
* * *
They caught up with Menardi along one of the corridors, she peering around the corner, motioning for them to keep quiet as they approached.
She looked around the corner again, then turned back to talk with her partners. "I found our missing Water Adept," she whispered almost silently. "He's just around the corner, reading those scrolls. Probably the ones we saw him drop at the Inn."
"What else is he doing?" Saturos asked.
"He was looking at the walls, like he was checking something on the scroll and on the wall," Menardi replied. "You said that the manuscript would have details on the lighthouses that the book wouldn't have... Maybe he's comparing something in the scroll to the lighthouse itself."
"But why?" Felix hissed. "If he's the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse, why would he be trying to unlock its secrets?"
"Who knows?" Menardi whispered as Saturos peered around the corner. "Maybe he's trying to study up to better protect the lighthouse, maybe he's trying to light it without knowing how, I can't say... All I know is that-"
"He's gone," Saturos whispered, walking around the corner. Felix bounded after his master, Menardi turning the corner just after the boy.
"Gone?" Menardi repeated quietly. "What do you mean he's gone?"
Saturos looked around the now empty hallway where Menardi had been glancing down just moments ago. There was not a sign of this Water Adept to be found. Saturos didn't doubt Menardi had seen the man somewhere in this hall, but where the Adept had run off to, Saturos was clueless.
"Look," Felix said in his normal voice, no longer whispering as he stepped to Saturos's side and pointed at the ground. "He left his things."
Saturos followed Felix's finger, seeing the bag lying on the ground in front of him. He dropped to his feet, taking the bag in both hands. After a quick examination, he dropped it giving a sigh of disappointment. "It's empty," he announced to the group, Felix and Menardi groaning.
Menardi looked around, her burgundy colored eyes reflecting the soft, blue surfaces in the lighthouse as she scrutinizingly took it all in. "Well, this is unexpected," she muttered darkly. "Where could he have gone?"
"I didn't hear any footsteps," Saturos murmured as he walked a little down the hall toward a large, pond-like fountain at the end of the hall, two doorways on either side. "No human can move that quietly."
"Well, he couldn't have just disappeared, Saturos," Menardi commented dryly, putting her hands on her hips and staring over at her companion.
Felix, still standing by Menardi, began to look worried. "Maybe we should go," he murmured half to himself. "I've got a bad feeling about all this."
"We're not leaving until we've gotten a chance to talk to this Adept," Saturos replied as he began to walk around the pond. "Or at least see that manuscript."
The only sound was the soft clip of Saturos's boots on the cold marble flooring, Felix and Menardi watching him from the end of the corridor, staying near the corner they had begun at. Felix rubbed his gloved hands together nervously, Saturos peering into the doorway ahead of him, only to turn and walk toward the second one.
"Saturos," he finally whispered. "There's nothing here... Let's go? Please?"
"He has to be here somewhere," Saturos grumbled, peering into the second doorway, seeing nothing. He shook his head, clenching his jaw angrily. How could he have possibly missed this disappearance of this Water Adept? He could still sense his energy around him, yet he could see nothing.
"Saturos," Menardi finally called over, she too sounding a but squeamish. "M-maybe Felix is right... Let's go, okay?"
Saturos turned to look at them, his back to the pond behind him. "Look, you two..." he began in an authoritive tone. "We came here to study the lighthouse. I don't feel we've done that adequately enough yet. Now we are going to stay here and find that Water Adept and ask him a few questions. He has to be here somewhere! People don't just disappear into thin air-"
Saturos felt the blow hit his chest with antagonizing power. The metal breastplate gave way to the power of the attack as he fell backward, sliding across the marble flooring, stopping only as his head hit the wall with a sickening crunch. A soft, distant scream- sounding something like his name- was suddenly muffled and quiet came at a total.
Saturos opened his eyes, only to see spots of red and black popping in and out of his vision as the pain in his chest expanded and spread to his arms, neck and head. He began to recognize the surroundings as one of the rooms he'd peered into, but not entered to keep Felix and Menardi in sight. They were both now gone as Saturos looked around the room, his eyesight beginning to clear, but his surroundings still spinning slightly.
His keen hearing helped him detect the attack before it was executed, but just a little too late. He had moved his head to avoid the full blow, but his shoulder had received it in its place. Ignoring the lancing pain moving in his arm, Saturos quickly turned, one hand moving forward to attempt to strike his attacker, and the second moving for his sword. He managed to hit the attacker in the jaw, his spare hand closing around his sword, but the man recovered more quickly than Saturos thought possible, and had stepped back to strike again.
Saturos took a step back, beginning to draw his blade, but the attacker outstretched his hand, a cool, blue light flying from his fingertips toward Saturos. Saturos payed the glow no heed, until he realized he could no longer move his hand. He looked down only to see his hand and the sword frozen tightly to the sheath, leaving Saturos with one free hand with which to fight.
His red eyes shot up to meet those clean-sea colored of the Water Adept they had followed into the lighthouse. Clearly, thought Saturos, he was not pleased to see them.
The blue-haired man reached up quickly with one hand, wiping away a bit of blood trickling from his lower lip where Saturos had clipped him earlier, then quickly moved to an offensive stance, a blue glow growing around his fingertips. His cool eyes narrowed darkly. "You are not welcome here, Stranger," the Water Adept hissed, his eyes not moving from Saturos's.
Saturos carefully began to raise his free hand in caution, hoping to somehow show the man he met no harm. "You must be the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse, are you not?" he softly ventured, not wanting to bring about the further wrath of this very capable Water Adept.
"Did you not understand what I meant when I said your presence here will not be tolerated?" the Adept growled again. "You have no right to be here."
Saturos stiffened as the light at the Adept's fingertips intensified. He was no doubt prepared to use force to expel Saturos and his companions from the lighthouse, and Saturos was in no mood to attempt to fight a Water Adept who skills seemed to be on par with his own. Such an elemental disadvantage would ruin him in battle, and he understood that all too clearly.
"Let's not be rash," Saturos chuckled nervously, taking a small step backward. "What sort of a threat would someone like I be to come here to the legendary Mercury Lighthouse?"
The Water Adept paused a moment, a look of confusion coming over his face. Saturos smirked challengingly. For all he knew, Saturos was nothing more than a treasure hunter, or a scholar, come to see the beauty of the lighthouse. However, it was clear the Adept suspected him of much more. Did the man dare confront him with the question of his motives?
"I suppose you will tell me your reasons for sneaking into Mercury Lighthouse like a band of common thieves," the man said in a calm, steady tone, his eyes never faltering from Saturos.
Saturos bristled at the Adept's choice of words. "Thieves seems rather a harsh term, don't you think?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "After all, a thief could be defined as one who manipulates those around him for his own devices."
Now it was the Water Adept's turn to blush. He knew of Saturos's reference to his treatment of his fellow guardian; how he had waited for her to return to the village before entering the lighthouse himself. Saturos watched the man with curiosity and amazement as he managed to contain himself, though the rage was building inside of him. The Adept held his tongue until Saturos, realizing he would get no reply from the man, responded to the original question.
He sighed. "First, a minor correction," Saturos said quickly. "We did not 'sneak' into Mercury Lighthouse, we followed you."
"You must have known I needed to be here in order for you to gain access to the lighthouse," the man responded. "You had to deliberately time your entrance."
"That is true," Saturos said, "however, it was you that did not close the path behind you."
"I mistake I will not make in the future," the Water Adept said, his jaw setting firmly.
Saturos couldn't help but smirk. "Ah, yes... the infant guardian. I had forgotten."
Saturos was shocked as two strong strains of water shot from the Adept's hands, one hitting his feet, and the other his free hand. With a sharp movement, the Water Adept had frozen Saturos's feet to the floor and frozen his entire arm. Saturos attempted to call upon the power of fire to free himself of his icy bondage, but to no avail. The Adept's psynergy levels must have been equal to his own. However, he did take some comfort in knowing that his comment had struck a nerve.
The Water Adept's face was calm and composed again but his eyes betrayed his true thoughts. He stared at Saturos intently, slowly reaching to his belt and resting his hand on the hilt of a dagger there. "I am the Guardian of Mercury Lighthouse," he said in a soft, quiet manner. "I am sworn to protect its grounds and the powers held there."
"And do you know of the powers being held here at this lighthouse, Water Adept?" Saturos snapped suddenly, his temper surfacing. "Or should I say do you know of the powers being suppressed here at this lighthouse?"
The Water Adept's face did not change. It was almost like throwing a stone into a pond, yet no ripples showed on the surface; but clearly, some reaction had taken place. The Water Adept took in a slow, steady breath, and his eyes softened slightly. "Are you speaking of the seal placed on Alchemy?" he asked.
Saturos felt his chest swell with excitement. "So," he smiled. "You do understand."
"You must forgive me," the Water Adept said hurriedly, taking his hand from the dagger and falling into a deep bow. "I had thought you were-"
"Perfectly understandable," Saturos said hurriedly, attempting to move from his frozen spot. "But... if you'd please?"
The Water Adept nodded, and after making a quick, fluid motion, the ice melted into water, freeing Saturos of their grasp. Saturos gratefully began to rub the circulation back into his wrists as the Water Adept crossed towards him, taking on of his hands.
"Alexim II of Imil, but you may address me simply as Alex," he said, giving Saturos a short nod.
"Saturos of Prox and the Northern Wilds," he replied, smiling at the Water Adept, glad to no longer have the tension between himself and one of an elemental advantage.
"So you have come to Mercury Lighthouse understanding the powers concealed here?" Alex asked Saturos, his voice level, yet hardly containing his excitement.
Saturos looked around him worriedly. "Not alone, I'm afraid," he murmured, realizing he had lost track of his companions. "There were two others with me." He paled a little, turning to look at Alex. "You didn't..."
Alex looked down the corridor to the doorway Saturos assumed they had entered this room through. The doorway was covered by a thick wall of ice. "No," Alex drawled boredly. "I would've hated to fight more than one person at a time. I would much rather test the strength of one than of many if forced into a battle."
A large chunk of the ice wall fell to the ground as the sharp end of a scythe broke through, causing another many large cracks to appear in the wall. Saturos chuckled as Alex jumped, startled by the sudden noise. "I think you'd better let them through," he grinned. "You wouldn't like Menardi when she's angry."
"I can understand why one would think so..." Alex murmured in awe, moving his hands to melt the ice wall.
A moment later, Menardi and Felix were on the floor, having been pushing against the, now, nonexistent wall. The two looked up seeing Saturos and Alex standing beside each other, Menardi fumbling for her scythe which had spilled to the ground while Felix slid on the wet floor, trying to regain his footing and failing.
Alex looked at Saturos, raising an eyebrow. "These are your companions?" he asked dryly.
The Water Adept jumped as the scythe suddenly appeared under his throat, against his neck, Menardi pressing herself close to the man, whom she found herself disliking more and more with each passing moment.
Saturos reached out, pushing the scythe away from the Water Adept, looking at Menardi with a smile in his eyes. "No need," he whispered, she looking to him and her facial features beginning to soften. "We've already discussed a few things."
Felix slipped again, falling on his stomach, still fumbling for his sword, stuck in the sheath, pausing as this information sunk in. "You mean... we missed the fight?" he asked, sprawled in an awkward position, tugging on his sword.
"I did not wish to fight anyone," Alex said in his own defense.
Menardi looked at the dented breastplate Saturos wore and the bruise beginning to form on the crown of his head. "You could have fooled me," she commented dryly.
"Menardi," Saturos admonished, but Alex had already begun to speak.
"If you'll forgive me, My Lady," the Water Adept said quickly, taking Menardi's hand. "Had I known you were Adepts and scholars my reaction to your arrival would have been considerably different." He pressed his lips momentarily to Menardi's fingertips, her soft white cheeks boasting a terrible blush.
Saturos frowned angrily and cleared his throat loudly. "Yes, well, we can put that behind us now, Alex," he said quickly, stepping between the two and walking toward where Felix still struggled to stand, hardly having made it to one knee.
"Of course, Saturos," Alex said, still looking at Menardi, giving her a slight nod. Menardi only gave him a long look, then turned away, not sure how to interpret such a forward human. She retreated back to Saturos's side, Felix now on his feet with his master's aid. The three turned, facing the Water Adept, he looking back at them with the same curiosity in his eyes.
"So," Saturos began, trying to sound conversational-like. "How much of the functions of the lighthouses have you studied?"
"Meaning?" Alex asked.
"What is your understanding on the seal on Alchemy?" Saturos said a little more clearly.
Alex thought a moment, then began to cross the room, reaching behind one of the large ornate statues and pulling out an armful of scrolls. He returned to the group, displaying them to Saturos who grabbed a few, opening them and examining them with eager haste. "I have studied nearly all that is detailed here," Alex said softly. "They belong to my clan, so you will forgive me if I request that I keep them?"
"Of course," Saturos said, not really paying attention, Menardi helping him as he shuffled through the documents.
"What all have you read?" Menardi asked in shock, skimming over a page. "All of this?"
"All of this," Alex confirmed. "My understanding is there is a seal set on Alchemy and... the Golden Sun..."
Saturos paused, looking up as the man quietly mentioned this additional factor. "What do you know of the Golden Sun?" he asked softly, trying not to display his worry openly in his voice.
Alex looked at Saturos, blinking once, then said, "only what I have read in these scrolls."
"We are not questing after the Golden Sun," Saturos murmured, handing the scrolls back to Alex, shaking his head slowly. "If that is your intent, then I'm afraid I must-"
"No!" Alex said hurriedly, shaking his head. Then a little calmer, "No, I only meant that along with Alchemy it was sealed away, not intended to be returned unless someone claimed it."
Saturos nodded, remembering the story. His book did not detail the Golden Sun, but the power of such a thing sounded so great that it might be the true danger lying in Alchemy. For a moment, he had thought that Alex might be after the Golden Sun itself. If such were true, he could be very dangerous. Anyone foolish enough to seek that sort of power could be dangerous. No, their quest was simply to unleash Alchemy. As long as this Golden Sun was left untouched, Saturos was sure that Alchemy would be safe in their world.
Yet as he looked into Alex's eyes, there seemed to be something more there. He said he did not wish to search for the Golden Sun, and yet...
"I've seen how suppressed our people's power have been," Alex said, bringing Saturos out of his thoughts. "Our being Mia and myself. Every year it becomes harder and harder to heal the people of Imil. Almost as though our power is weakening."
"We think that may be happening," Menardi said softly. "Saturos and I come from the lands of the far northwest. You have heard of Gaia Falls, haven't you?"
"The boundaries of Weyard where time and space end?" Alex asked. "Of course. Some sailors have actually gone out to those areas directly north of Imil and sailed along the edge."
"Our people live practically on the edge of Gaia Falls," Saturos murmured. "It wasn't always this way, but Gaia Falls is eating away at itself, getting closer and closer to our villages."
"And to Mars Lighthouse," Menardi added. "Within a matter of years, maybe less, there may no longer be a Mars Lighthouse. Gaia Falls will have taken that, too."
"What does Gaia Falls have to do with the seal on Alchemy?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Weyard is starved of the elements," Felix said as though it were obvious. "It's eating up itself to make up for it. Just like our bodies do when they are starved."
Alex smiled at Felix. "Impressive knowledge, young one," he smirked. "However, you do not look like you come from the same regions as Saturos and Madame Menardi."
"I came from Vale," Felix said softly, staring at the ground for a moment. "I chose to join them."
"Vale?" Alex said, his voice giving away his excitement. "Then you must have already visited Sol Sanctum!" Saturos and Menardi exchanged grim looks, but Alex had already continued, "You have the Elemental Stars with you! I can take you to the aerie of this lighthouse this very moment, if you like-"
"That is the one thing we have not been able to do," Saturos corrected Alex, wincing.
Alex's face fell instantly. "You do not have the Elemental Stars?"
"Yet," Menardi snapped, a little irritated by the tone in Alex's voice.
"How do you intend to light the lighthouses without the Elemental Stars?" Alex asked, dismayed. "Don't you understand that those are the key to unleashing Alchemy?"
"Of course we know that!" Saturos barked, upset with the haughty nature this Water Adept was presenting. Did he really think he knew more than Saturos did on this matter? "A group of our people went to Vale nearly two years ago. We were unable to get the Elemental Stars from the Sanctum."
"Why?" Alex asked, his tone becoming almost unbearable. "Is it really so difficult a task?"
"You could never understand what happened there," Menardi hissed, her temper running short. "Powers beyond your imagination guard those gems, and the people of Vale refused to cooperate with us in addition!"
"Then you take what you need by force," Alex said in a soft, menacing voice. "If Weyard is dying, let a few fall in order to save the whole of the earth!"
"We are crusaders, Alex," Saturos said, trying to calm both sides of the ordeal. "Not butchers. We do not want to shed blood that needs not be shed."
"I understand that, Saturos," Alex sighed. "But if you hope to accomplish anything, you will need those stones."
"We'll get them," Felix suddenly piped up, stepping forward to Alex. Alex raised a contemptuous eyebrow at Felix.
"You?" he asked.
"We wanted to explore the lighthouses to know what to expect there," Felix said. "We've already studied Mars Lighthouse, Venus Lighthouse, and parts of the Jupiter Lighthouse. If you're not going to help us here, then we're done studying Mercury Lighthouse, so now we're going to go back to Vale and get those stars."
"And this will be your second attempt?" Alex asked, looking at Saturos and Menardi.
"We are well prepared this time," Saturos sighed. "It won't take us long to get the stars and light all the beacons."
"So you are going to begin your journey to Vale now?" Alex asked quietly.
"We'll return, most likely, within six months with the Elemental Stars," Menardi said. "We need to return home to Prox and gather all our supplies and the things we'll need on such a long journey."
"And you expect me to wait here while you go and... attempt to retrieve these stars?" Alex asked, looking at Saturos.
The Proxinian shrugged. "An idea..."
Alex shook his head, a look of thought coming over his face. "No... No, I think it would be best if I were to accompany you."
"You mean assist?" Menardi corrected, her lips pulled into a sour smile.
"If those are the words you wish to use, then, yes," Alex murmured. "Don't you think it would be wisest that way?"
"What do you mean?" Saturos asked.
"Well, you would have more than one type of element in your group," Alex stated simply.
"Felix is aligned with Venus," Menardi said quickly. "We have more than one."
"But Venus and Mars are often on the same plane in Alchemy," Saturos pondered aloud. "It would give us the upper hand to have one of the Mercury Clan traveling with us."
"Also, strength in numbers," Alex added cheerily. "Four strong Adepts could hardly be denied access to the lighthouses, don't you agree?"
"Completely," Saturos sighed.
"Then it is settled," Alex smiled, looking cooly from person to person. "I will accompany you back to your homeland, and then onto Vale."
"But what about your Guardianship?" Saturos asked, his eyes narrowing. "It is your responsibility to protect Mercury Lighthouse. What if something should happen while you are gone?"
"I will simply tell Mia that I have an obligation to go somewhere," Alex said smoothly, waving his hand in dismissal. "I do not need to detail anything. All I will say is that it is urgent, and I shall not return for a long while."
"And she'll listen to just that?" Felix asked, a little doubtful.
Alex looked at him. "Mia trusts me with her life. She would never question anything I do..." He pursed his lips as the four began to walk out of the lighthouse. "Not yet at least," he murmured as an afterthought.
But he quickly abandoned the idea, and the four companions began to rapidly discuss their plans for the morning's departure.
(A/N: All better! Now its done! About time. I'll try to write more soon, but I've got a butt load of work now that school's on. I'll post when I can, but continue to R&R! I think that next time, we'll finally be getting back to Vale! Until next time!!)