Chapter XIII
Shared Burdens
Despite Isaac's insistence that they waste little time in leaving Imil, both to pursue Felix's group, as well as to get back to Kolima Forest in time to save Tret, they all agreed that they needed at least a single day to rest after the events at the lighthouse. They followed Mia back to the town, where she invited them to come to her house, so they could rest and discuss what happened.
"We wouldn't want to impose," Isaac said out of courtesy.
"Please, I insist," she said. "There's a lot we need to discuss."
He couldn't deny that, he figured. He'd dragged her into their business with the thieves, and now he owed her an explanation. After having her whole life shattered because of his actions, he could at least give her that much.
No, not his fault, he reminded himself. He couldn't continue to let himself grapple with this dilemma. He needed to set aside his guilt over the events at Sol Sanctum, and focus on what he could do next. Or else he would fail to stop the thieves at the next three lighthouses as well.
Once inside Mia's house, they removed their snow-covered boots and cloaks, and set them by the door.
"I apologise for the state of the place," Mia said. "I wasn't expecting to have company."
The house was spotless. Everything was neatly arranged and clean, with no a speck of dust or a single stray item to be found.
After going to the fireplace and starting up a small flame, Mia offered to make tea for everyone. They graciously accepted, and sat down in front of the flickering fire, exhausted.
The trip back from the lighthouse had taken care of any extra energy the Hermes' Water had given them back. While their injuries were gone, the physical and mental fatigue was there. Isaac didn't hold Garet and Ivan's insistence on resting for the night against them.
His thoughts on the Hermes' Water, Isaac removed the vial he'd filled from his pocket and looked it over. Under the flickering orange light, the fluid seemed to glow.
A genuine miracle, left over from the Lost Age of Alchemy.
"We'll make it back in time," Ivan said, picking up on Isaac's thoughts. "Laurel said that Tret could hold on for a few weeks, at least. We've still got time."
"I know," Isaac said. "But still, I can't help but worry for them. If something should happen to us, and we can't make it back…?"
"We will," Ivan said firmly.
"Don't torture yourself over this, man," Garet said. "We're leaving in the morning. If you don't relax now, you'll be exhausted all day and you'll slow us down."
"You're pretty insightful when you want to be, Garet," Isaac said. "Why can't you be this way all the time?"
"Just covering your slack."
He stuffed the vial away, not wanting his friends to think he was dwelling on it.
A moment later, Mia emerged from her kitchen, four glass cups and a tea pot in hand.
The tea was warm and tasted great, and Isaac found himself relaxing in spite of his worries.
"So earlier, when we first bumped into each other," Mia said, "you said you had come from a town at the foot of Mt. Aleph. Are you healers from the sanctum there?"
"We're not healers, but yeah, that's where we're from," Isaac answered. "Well, except for Ivan. He's from a city called Kalay. Our home is called Vale."
"Vale, yes. That's what you called it before." Mia frowned in confusion. "You say you're not healers, but you can still use Psynergy. I don't understand…"
Ivan stepped in. "Mia, I'm guessing the only Adepts in Imil have only ever been Mercury Adepts? Water, ice and healing powers?"
She nodded.
"Well, there are four different kinds of Adepts. I'm a Jupiter Adept, Isaac is a Venus Adept, and Garet is a Mars Adept. Our abilities differ, being based on different elements."
"Everyone in Vale is an Adept to some degree," Isaac said. "But not all of us can use healing Psynergies. I have some minor skills in healing, and so does Jenna, our friend from the aerie. But Garet and Ivan have no healing abilities at all."
"Not yet, anyway," Garet said.
"Like you could ever be a healer," Isaac answered. "Healers need to be gentle, precise, and disciplined. You know, all those things that you're the opposite of?"
Garet rolled his eyes, and Mia gave a little chuckle at their banter.
"This is all so interesting," she said. "I never knew there were different kinds of Psynergy."
"I only found out that myself not too long ago," Ivan said. "I could see where your confusion lay."
"My father always told Alex and I that the healers of Mt. Aleph were a clan much like ours, and that they guarded a dangerous force the same as we did," Mia said, casting her eyes down. "I'm guessing that those people who lit the lighthouse beacon did something similar at your home, and that's what brought you here?"
"Pretty much, yeah," Garet said.
"And that friend of yours they abducted…" Mia continued. "They need something from you that you cannot give them, and that's why they're holding her?"
Isaac grabbed his backpack and opened it up, searching through its contents. Eventually, he found the mythril bag, and opened it up, showing Mia the object it contained.
As soon as the Mars Star was out in the open, its energy made itself known. They could all feel the weight of its power, as though gravity had grown slightly heavier. The flames dancing in the fireplace seemed to grow stronger, casting the room in a brighter light.
The red orb flickered in the fire's light, reflected in Mia's wide, awed eyes.
"This is the Mars Star," Isaac told her. "There are four of them. It's sibling was just used by Saturos to light the Mercury beacon. These are what they stole from Sol Sanctum, the hidden shrine within Mt. Aleph. They are what the people of Vale were tasked with protecting, and what Garet and I were sent to recover."
He closed the mythril bag, and the atmosphere of the room returned to normal.
"The Mars Star was the only one they weren't able to take," Isaac continued. "So they kidnapped Jenna, hoping that I would trade it for her."
But now that they knew he wouldn't, what did that mean for Jenna? What guarantee was there that she would be safe? Especially now that Kraden was on their side. Jenna no longer had any allies with her…
But that wasn't true, though. Kraden may have chosen to go along with their plan to light the lighthouses, but that didn't mean he was now some moustache-twirling villain. He was still the same grumpy, bumbling sage they had grown up with.
And Felix, despite all he had done to hurt her, still clearly cared for her. He had stood before Menardi when she had threatened Jenna. They still needed Felix for Venus Lighthouse, and knew that he wouldn't help them if they did anything to his sister.
No, Jenna would be fine. That, at least, he could be sure of.
"So, if they were to light all four lighthouses," Mia asked, "what would happen then?"
"Alchemy would be returned to the world," Isaac said.
"And what is that?"
"We don't know exactly," he said. "But thousands of years ago Alchemy caused a lot of chaos and destruction, and it was sealed away to prevent the world from annihilating itself. According to Kraden, with the wonders of Alchemy, people could transform lead into gold, craft ships that sailed through the skies, extend human life forever, and who knows what else. Ambitious men used it to wage wars with the goal of conquering the whole world, bringing death to thousands."
"Stories I was told as a child," Mia said in a quiet voice. "I never would have believed such things were actually possible…"
"Neither would I," Isaac said. "Until the day we entered Sol Sanctum and we found the Elemental Stars. After those people stole the stars and abducted our friends, Garet and I were trapped inside the collapsed sanctum. Some kind of… being appeared and saved us. A floating boulder with an eye. It spoke to us in our minds, and it told us what would happen if we failed to stop the thieves."
Mia was silent, leaning back in her seat as she took this in. Isaac looked to his other companions. Garet was absorbed in thought, his mind no doubt on that day, and the encounter with the Wise One. Ivan met Isaac's gaze, a strange look in his eyes. Ivan had not been there, but he had seen the event second-hand through their thoughts one day when a mere explanation had not been enough.
"You were chosen by the gods themselves," Mia said finally. "The fate of the world rests in your hands. Legends will be told of you."
"Ugh, I hope not," Garet said. "Never wanted to be a celebrity."
"The gods could have picked someone better," Isaac sighed. "I have no idea what I'm doing. I never left my quiet little home until the day my whole life changed, and suddenly the fate of the world was up to me. I wasn't prepared for this, and when it came down to stopping them, I failed. They lit Mercury Lighthouse's beacon, and I'll never be able to undo that."
"That failure is mine alone," Mia said heavily. "I was the lighthouse's guardian, the only one left to protect it. But I grew complacent in my simple life, too occupied with healing the townsfolk to be properly prepared when the lighthouse was threatened. I should have known Alex's departure was not some simple soul-searching quest. I should have anticipated his betrayal."
Mia set down her cup of tea, barely touched. "This divine charge to stop Alchemy's return is as much mine as it is yours. You must allow me to accompany you."
And there it was. Isaac had thought of asking her earlier to come with them, but had decided it would be too much to ask of her so soon after what had happened. And as they were not staying in Imil any longer than overnight, he had given up on the idea. But for her to suddenly ask…
"Are you sure about that, Mia?" he asked. "What about the people of Imil? Won't they need you here?"
"As a healer? Not anymore. With the Hermes' Water flowing again, injury and disease will no longer be an issue in Imil."
"Still, to just up and leave your home like this…"
"It will not be forever," Mia said with a small smile. "Once our mission is complete, I will return. And no, I'm not happy with the idea of leaving, but the world is far more important than my personal feelings. And if I can be of even the slightest bit of help in stopping these people, it will have been worth it."
"I guess I can't argue with that," Isaac said. "Garet, Ivan, what do you guys think…" He turned to address them, but when he looked they were not sitting on the couch beside him.
He sat up and looked around the small house, eventually spotting them standing at the door, putting their boots and cloaks back on. "Where are you two going?"
"Just something to take care of real quick," Garet said. "Be right back."
He winked as they stepped out the door.
Confused and more than a bit irritated, Isaac turned back to Mia. "Sorry, I'm really not sure what that was about."
Mia shrugged. "You don't have any objections to me coming along?"
"No, I don't have complaints," Isaac assured her. "I just want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. This is a dangerous mission. In addition to those people from the lighthouse, there's bandits and monsters to deal with. We were nearly killed by a mauler on our way here earlier today."
"All the more reason to have a healer along."
"And travelling isn't easy. You have to sleep on the ground most nights, after walking all day. You have to travel over mountains, or through dark caves. Sometimes is rains, and you have to walk through mud that reaches past your ankles…"
Mia just smiled. "Isaac, I've lived my whole life in a place where it snows all year round. I can handle the elements."
"You'll be spending all day - every day - in the company of three boys. When you want to bathe, you'll have to do it in a river, with the three of us a stone's throw away. When we rent rooms at inns, you'll have to share one with us, as we won't have the funds to get three. You'll have to wash your clothes in the same bundles as ours…"
This time, she hesitated, her cheeks a bit red. "Well… I can manage. I trust you to be gentleman enough to give me my privacy when I need it. Ivan as well. Garet…"
"I'll keep an eye on Garet... make sure he doesn't do anything."
"Thank you for that," she said with a smile.
A few minutes later, Isaac went with Mia back to Imil's sanctum, where her two young apprentices where waiting. The moment she opened the heavy sanctum doors, the apprentices ran up to her, confused and frightened by the sudden blue light that had appeared atop the lighthouse.
With a calm and patient smile, Mia did her best to explain things to them. She told them that a group of thieves had come from the south, with the goal of lighting the lighthouses, and though she had joined with Isaac's group to stop them, they had failed. She made no mention of Alex's involvement.
"...and now," Mia concluded, visibly hesitating, "I need to go with Isaac and his friends, to stop these people from lighting the other beacons."
Megan and Justin's eyes grew wide in shock, and for a moment it looked as though they were about to cry. But then their expressions hardened, and they nodded.
"I see," Justin said. "It's your responsibility, right? Your duties don't end at guarding Mercury Lighthouse. You have the whole world to protect."
"That's right," Mia said.
"Is there any way we can help?" Megan asked.
"Of course there is," Mia said gently. "I'll need you to watch over Imil while I'm away. The Hermes' Water flows once more, so Imil will no longer be threatened by illness or injury. But the townspeople will still need the guidance and gentle hands of a healer, and I cannot stay to provide them. So I'll be relying on the two of you."
"Of course, Mia!" Justin exclaimed. "We'll make sure nothing happens while you're gone. I promise."
Mia smiled. "I know I've taught you both very well. Follow my teachings, and you'll do fine."
"We won't let you down!" Megan promised.
"Thank you," said Mia, "and farewell."
There were no tears shed at the parting, but as Isaac went with Mia back out into the stark cold of Imil's streets, he saw the light shining at the corners of her eyes.
"Are you alight?"
She nodded slowly. "It is hard to say goodbye. Even after hardening my heart and reminding myself the importance of the task ahead, I still find myself aching to stay. Imil is my home; the only one I've ever known. I... I don't want to leave."
"I know exactly how you feel," Isaac said, his thoughts back at his own home. How was his mother getting by without him? It had been several months now; did she still miss him as much as he missed her?
Of course she did. He could never doubt how close he was to her heart.
"Was it hard to leave your home?" Mia asked him as they walked.
"Very," he answered. "Circumstances were complicated. I wasn't able to say goodbye to my mother. Garet and I had to leave quietly in the night."
"I'm sorry to hear that... I'm sure she misses you greatly."
"I have to succeed in this mission," Isaac said, resolute. "For her sake as much as everyone else's. The entire world is at risk. I cannot return to her until it's safe."
Mia stared at him for a moment, and then smiled. "You're very noble, Isaac. I know I'll be in good company on this journey."
"Uh, thanks." Isaac looked away awkwardly, trying not to blush.
"Heeeey!"
Garet and Ivan approached them on the snow-covered road. There was something visibly different about them, Isaac noticed, but it wasn't until they were next to him that he realised what it was.
"You guys bought new weapons?" he asked.
"Yup," Garet answered with his trademark grin. In addition to his large battleaxe, Garet now had a sword sheathed at his belt. Ivan also carried a new sword, though his was a shorter light blade.
"What was wrong with the ones you already have?"
"Well..." Ivan started, scratching the back of his head and looking uncomfortable. "It's just that there were so many close calls lately. You've been taking the majority of the risk in our fights, and you've nearly been injured several times. Just today there were three close calls; the mauler, the lizard-man, and Saturos especially. You keep putting yourself at the front lines, and having Garet and I provide support.
"Well we talked about it some and we decided to try changing up our battle strategy. Garet's axe is slow, so he'll have a quicker sword for when he needs it, and I'll start training in this katana. I don't think I'll ever be strong enough to take enemies on the front line like you guys do, but this way I won't be entirely useless when Psynergy isn't a viable option - like it was with Saturos."
"You guys don't have to put yourself in danger for my sake-"
"No, Isaac," Garet said, his expression unusually serious. "Ivan's right. That plan you came up with to take out Saturos worked, but the risk was too high. You could have easily died taking a hit like that on purpose."
"Even before that stunt, you were the only one of us able to keep up with him," Ivan said. "The battle would have been a lot easier and safer if we could all fight him, rather than the three of us supporting you. Training and growing stronger will only do so much against an enemy like Saturos. We need to fight smart."
"This is a team effort," Garet said. "We need to work together. You can't take on every risk, every responsibility. We'll walk strongest if we're all holding one another up."
Isaac had no immediate answer, silenced under the intense stare Garet was giving him. It was a look Garet rarely wore, the face he adopted when all the jokes and laughs were gone and he was entirely serious about the subject at hand.
He'd had that look once, three years ago, when the two of them had spoken of what they could do for Jenna, to help her get through the devastating experience she had just suffered. He had made no humour then, and he ended up keeping every promise he made, both to Isaac and to Jenna. It had been that day that they had decided to practice Psynergy, in the hopes that they could use those skills to prevent another tragedy from taking place.
He had just as much investment in this quest as Isaac did. As did Ivan and Mia. They were all willing to risk their lives, and to do whatever needed done, to save the world.
Isaac turned to Mia and saw she was grinning in amusement.
"Yes, I've definitely picked the right travel companions," she said. "Now, shall we go?"
Once again, Jenna found herself being driven forward like a dog, as Menardi led them away from Mercury Lighthouse and Imil, putting as much distance behind them as they could.
She lost track of time, the hours blurring together as they half-ran through the thick snowy woods, but it was sometime late at night or early in the morning when Menardi finally announced they could make camp.
Jenna recognised the spot as the same clearing they had used the day before, which told her they had completed an entire day's journey in one night.
As she fell to her knees in the snow and let out a very tired sigh, Jenna's thoughts drifted back to Mercury Lighthouse.
And Isaac.
He and Garet had come after her, and were willing to fight her captors to save her. Of course, saving the world was part of it too, but they were still clearly worried for her, and she found that strangely comforting.
Yet that comfort was tempered by worry. The uncertainty of what would happen up there was an unpleasant thought, and she did not enjoy admitting to herself what the most likely outcome was.
She had to believe that Isaac and Garet would make it. Saturos was a very dangerous enemy, but she could sense how strong her friends had grown, even in their short time apart. With both of them working together, along with that new boy and Alex's cousin, maybe there was a chance they could make it...
Still, it wasn't just Saturos they had to deal with. Alex was probably still hanging around, and while Jenna didn't know what kind of combat abilities he had, she doubted he would just watch silently of the battle went in Isaac's group's favour.
The atmosphere of the camp was different. While Alex's absence was nothing unusual, Saturos' was. It was a strange sight to see Menardi, rather than sitting quietly by the fire having secret discussions with her partner, instead pacing back and forth and casting anxious glances on the horizon. It would seem the woman was capable of feeling something other than anger and hate after all.
Kraden hadn't said a word, withdrawn into guilty silence. Every time he met Jenna's gaze by chance, she glared daggers at him. She was still trying to process how he could have possibly sided with their captors after all they'd done, just so he could see more ruins. How Alchemy's return, and by extension the end of the world, was preferable to being rescued. It genuinely baffled her, but her curiosity took a back seat to her anger towards him, and her worry for Isaac.
As for Felix, well, her brother was about the same as always. Within moments of their making camp, his sleeping bag was out and he was asleep. He never wasted rest time, a skill he seemed to have picked up during his time in Prox. As a child he had been the exact opposite, always tossing and turning in the bunk above her own bed.
Thus, things at the camp were quiet and tense. Nobody spoke a word, as Jenna had no one she wished to speak to. She had no words for Kraden after what he'd done, Menardi wasn't a good conversation partner even when she was in a good mood, and she had no desire to patch things up with her brother, and she didn't think she ever could.
It wasn't too long before Kraden was snoring quietly. Jenna couldn't sleep with how things were. Not when she didn't know if it would be Saturos or Isaac that came marching through the woods to their camp later.
But apparently that wasn't completely true, because Jenna woke some time later to strong rays of morning sunlight on her face.
The first thing she heard was a familiar hum of hushed conversation, and she darted up out of her sleeping bag, and saw Saturos seated at the fireside beside Menardi, their backs to her.
"No..." she breathed. It couldn't be. Isaac couldn't have lost. He couldn't be...
Automatically, she pulled herself up out of the sleeping bag and started towards the Proxians.
"I wouldn't," said a voice behind her. "They're having as tender a moment as two warriors like they could. They wouldn't appreciate an interruption."
"I see you made it back, too," Jenna muttered dryly.
"Don't sound to relieved, my dear," Alex chuckled. He was seated under a tree a few paces from where she'd been sleeping. "It's good to know that even when you're as worried as you are, that attitude we all love never fades."
"Isaac and Garet, are they-?!"
"Your friends are alive."
She glanced at Saturos, and then at Alex. "You're not lying to me, are you? If you are, I swear I'll-"
"What could I gain from that? Your trust? Much as I'd love to have it, I wouldn't try to earn it through lies."
She hesitated, frowning.
"I've never lied to you, Jenna. They are unbecoming. I may not answer every question I'm asked, but the ones I do are always the truth."
Jenna looked back to Saturos again. She couldn't see him well, but he didn't appear injured in any way. "What happened there, then?"
"Your friends and Saturos had a rather intense battle. At the beginning I think Saturos was going easy on them. Perhaps he was trying to scare them off. But he underestimated the reach of Mercury's power, and by the end he was struggling to hold them off. I stepped in before they could finish him off, and we got away."
Jenna smirked. "'Mercury's power', huh?"
"Yes, the lighthouse's beacon was weakening him-"
"Oh, not that," she said. "I just realised something."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Your cousin was there, too," Jenna said. "That's why you stayed behind and watched everything from afar. You couldn't let them kill Saturos, but you didn't want your cousin to die, either. You had to stop the fight before someone died no matter who won."
Alex frowned and did not answer, but the diverting of his eyes said enough.
"Saturos wasn't counting on making it back, was he?" Jenna asked. "That's why he left the Stars with Felix; why he sent us ahead while he stayed behind to buy us time. For all that boasting about how superior he was, and how Isaac had no chance, he knew there was a chance he could die. Even though he'll never admit it, he knew Isaac's group was a real threat."
"He was prepared to sacrifice himself for the mission," Alex answered. "Your brother and I have the most to gain from succeeding in this mission, but they have so much to lose."
"What are you talking about? What do they have to lose?"
"That's their personal information, it's not mine to share."
Jenna frowned. "What about my brother, then? What is it that he has to gain, if he wasn't just foolishly roped into this?"
Alex smiled. "I think that's the sort of thing you'd rather hear from him. You should ask him about it. You'll have plenty of time while I'm away."
"You're going off on your own again?"
"Indeed," Alex answered, rising up to his feet. "Now that I've rested enough I should get moving."
"Going to go keep and eye on your cousin?"
Alex turned back and gave her one last look. "No, actually. I'm going to go keep an eye on Isaac."
And then he disappeared before her.
Kolima Forest looked to be on the edge of life when they made it back. It was hard to say just how much time they would have had left - possibly another week, possibly a few days, or perhaps just hours - but it was clear it was not very much longer.
The four Adepts all but ran through the woods, over yellow and brown grass and past withered, leafless trees. It was all but impossible to follow the same path as before, as the forest was now so empty and changed that the path no longer seemed to exist. But the dying forest was so sparse now, without leaves and bushes obstructing the view, that they could see exactly where they needed to go.
The large clearing still bore the wounds from their intense battle with Tret. As did Tret himself. His bark-carved faced was closed, and for a horrifying moment, Isaac thought he was dead already.
"Gods, this is terrible..." Mia said softly.
They wasted no time in running across the battle-torn field.
"Laurel! Laurel!" Ivan shouted to the smaller tree.
She opened her eyes sleepily. "Who...? Ah, the young warriors who saved Tret from his madness... Why would you come back? It won't be long before this forest perishes..."
"We brought the Hermes' Water!" Isaac shouted. "Is Tret still alive? Did we make it in time?"
"The Hermes' Water? But... that hasn't existed in centuries..."
"Forget that!" he shouted desperately. "Can Tret still be saved?"
Laurel looked over to her partner, considering. Then she closed her eyes, and answered sadly, "Pour the water into Tret's roots. If there is any strength left in him - any will to live - he will come back. That is all we can do now."
"Then let's do it!" Garet insisted. "What are we waiting for?"
Isaac ran over to the base of Tret's trunk, and threw his backpack on the ground. He quickly found the glass bottle and ripped out the cork sealing it.
He stood up, emptying the contents of the bottle over one of the large, exposed roots, hoping that was the right way.
Once the bottle was empty, he dropped it and took a few steps back, standing with the others.
Anxiously, they waited.
"How long do you think it will take?" Garet asked.
"I can't say," Mia answered. "For humans, it seems to work immediately. But it could take a lot longer for a tree. He is much bigger than a person. But that's if it's even working at all."
"It has to work," Garet insisted. "It can heal any injury or disease. That's what the legends say, isn't it?"
"It is," said Mia. "But one thing my father always told me is that legends tend to be exaggerated over time. I didn't stay in Imil long enough to see how far the water's powers reached."
"I brought another bottle with me, just in case," Ivan said suddenly. "I'll give him that one, too! If we give him more it might help-"
"HR-HROOOOOM!"
Tret let out a great sound, that shook the earth at the Adept's feet.
"I... I feel STRENGTH flowing back into ME!"
Tret's eyes opened as the ground started to shake more.
And then, before their very eyes, the forest began to change. The grass at their feet turned back to green, and grew thicker and richer. Bushes and flowers sprouted back around the clearing. The withered trees began to sprout leaves again, even as their branches reached back up into the air.
Tret's exposed branches sank back into the earth, and the ground closed up as it absorbed them. The scarred and torn terrain of the clearing evened back out and healed, until there were no longer and signs of the battle remaining.
And as for Tret himself, his leaves grew green again, his bark healed where it had been wounded, and his features woke from slumber and grew as bold as they had been before.
The ground ceased to shake, as everything else settled. Tret let out a long breath, like a cool wind to Isaac's face.
Somewhere in the distance, a bird began to chirp.
That was it, Isaac thought. He's saved.
"Tret?" Laurel asked. "Can you hear me?"
"I can, Laurel."
"How do you feel?"
"Somehow, I am healed of my wounds," Tret said. "Not only that, but I feel stronger than I did before. The forest has revived with me."
"I can feel it, too," Laurel said. "I am free of the weight that was pulling me down. The melancholy and the impending death approaching... they are both gone."
Tret's gaze turned down to the four Adepts below him. "You... I remember you. The ones who fought me when I was mad and freed me from that blind rage."
"They journeyed to the north to save you," Laurel said. "I do not know how, but they revived the healing waters of Mercury Lighthouse and brought some of it back here to save you."
"Even after I attacked you," Tret said regretfully. "Even after putting your lives in risk, you did this for me. There is nothing I could ever do to repay you."
"There is," Isaac said. "Return the people of Kolima back to normal. That is all I ask of you."
"Yes, I had forgotten," Tret said. "They must not suffer a second longer. I will undo the curse at once!"
As before, Tret began to glow with the power of Psynergy, but this time the power was not feeble. It reverberated through Isaac with the strength of the earlier earthquake, sending him stumbling back from the sheer force of the energy.
A few long moments later, the energy faded away.
"There. It is done."
"Everyone is back to normal?"
"Yes. Every man, woman, and child will be back to the way they were before. Even the man who fled to Billibin is human again. The curse is gone."
Finally hearing those words, Isaac let out a heavy, relieved sigh. He felt lighter, with this burden finally off his shoulders.
Though it was only a small victory. Saving the people of Kolima had come at the cost of Mercury Lighthouse being lit, which put Isaac one step closer to failing in the larger, more important burden of saving the entire world.
Looking to his companions, he saw they bore no such thoughts. Garet and Ivan were grinning and exchanging high-fives. Even Mia, who only knew of the curse through what they'd told her on the way there, looked relieved and happy.
Isaac smiled, and reminded himself of the conversation at Imil. These burdens were not just his. They all shared them.
"Will you be staying in Kolima long, young warriors?" Tret asked.
"Unfortunately, no," Isaac replied. "We have business to take care of, far off in Gondowan. We have a long journey ahead of us."
The next lighthouse that Felix and company would be headed for was no doubt Venus Lighthouse, which was located in the northeastern corner of Gondowan, the continent south of Angara. It was the last lighthouse that could be reached without crossing the sea, as the other two lighthouses were found on continents on the other side of the world.
"Well, you will always be welcome here," Tret said. "I will have everyone know your names. Which, err..."
"Oh!" Garet exclaimed. "We never introduced ourselves. I'm Garet, and he's Isaac."
"I am Ivan."
"I'm Mia."
"Isaac, Garet, Ivan, and Mia," Tret repeated. "The heroes who saved Kolima. I will never forget you, and I will ensure my people never do, either. They will tell stories of your deeds."
"I don't really think that's necessary-"
"Before you go, there is something I feel I should say," Laurel interrupted, speaking up suddenly. "As I recovered just now, I sensed a presence at the edge of the woods. A person who was not among those who were cursed."
"That's weird," Ivan said. "Just a traveller, perhaps?"
"Under normal circumstances, yes. There would be no need for suspicion. But travellers have avoided Kolima since the curse started. There are no others, for as far as I can sense. And it seems they has been following the path you have left."
The four companions exchanged glances.
"And they appear to have the same abilities you have."
"Well, there's only a few people that could be," Garet muttered. "Who wants to guess first?"
A/N: Hmm, not much to say here. There's a lot of little stuff in this one foreshadowing future events I don't want to give away, so I can't say too much about them. No major deviations from the story, just different takes on some familiar concepts. There will be some bigger changes in the Lost Age half of the story, but that's still really far off.
One thing I would like to say, a bit of a warning, is that this is where arcs from the game are going to start being skipped, starting with the Fuchin Temple and the Mogall Forest. I'd like to keep the focus of this story on the main storyline of the games as much as possible, and nothing of consequence happens in either of those locations. Fuchin Temple is entirely optional, and the Mogall Forest is just an obstacle dungeon - something to overcome before you get to the next town. Instead, we'll be going right to Xian, where we'll get into the Feizhi/Hama stuff. This is about the halfway point of the Broken Seal half of the story, and last quarter or so is probably going to end up being Lalivero/Sheba/Venus Lighthouse events, so there's only a little time to cover the entire middle or so of the game.
I have one last thing to say regarding the frequency of updates. In past chapters, I've made comment on the time between new chapters, and given reasons as to why they took so long, as well as assurances that updates should speed up in the future. However, they only seem to be slowing down. In all honesty, those assurances were more for the sake of the readers than for me. In truth, this story is a side project of mine, and I really only work on it when I feel like escaping to the Golden Sun world for a little bit. I will finish it (assuming I don't die suddenly or something) as I've promised in the past, but I'm honestly in no real hurry to do so. So if something like six months pass and nothing happens, don't presume the story is dead. It's just taking a nap :) I know these aren't reassuring words for many fanfiction readers, who are so used to seeing stories being left unfinished, but it's all I can offer. But hey, if a story is good, best to take your time and make sure it stays good, right? HyrulianJedi's "Wings of Anemos" (a really great GS fic that you should absolutely go check out) has been going for five years now. If it takes me just as long to finish the novelisation, I'd be okay with it as long as the end result was good.
On a lighter note, a fun little nod to the games was near the end of the chapter, when Tret asks for their names, Garet introduces both himself and Isaac, followed by Ivan saying his name, and Mia saying hers. In the game, Isaac doesn't talk, so it was always necessary for someone else to tell people what his name is. I thought it would be funny if Garet still did that, even in a version of the story where Isaac talks just fine.
Next Chapter: Xian!