Zack and I awoken at dawn and silently go about preparing for the day.
As I grab a few items off my bed, I look over at Zack who is fiddling with his gun. That guy sure gives his dischargers a lot of attention…

"Morning."

He glances up and nods.
"I'm heading down. Meet me there when you're ready."

"Sure."

Zack shoulders his pack and leaves.
This is probably the quitest morning I had here so far. A nice diversion, from time to time.
I pack up the last of my things and follow Zack downstairs where I find him waiting alone.

"Where are Leanna and Amelia?"

He shrugs.
"Still getting ready I guess."

"Hm, okay."

That's unusual. Leanna is generally the first one up.

We wait a couple more minutes before the girls finally show up, carrying the pango with them.
Amelia smiles widely at the pango who grins back. Those two seem to be in a good mood! Leanna, on the other hand, looks... exhausted?

"Good morning."

Leanna smiles.
"Morning."

"Poi!"
The pango wobbles in Amelia's arms as she nods her greeting.

"We should move on so we don't lose any daylight."
You can go overboard with your pragmatism, you know Zack?

He looks over to Amelia who runmages through her bag. Eventually, she pulls out a map. I glance at the carefully detailed mountains and rivers.
Nothing goes over a good old fashioned expedition! … I suddendly miss Talos. He was usually the only one who shared my enthusiasm.

"We will proceed eastward, through the forests adjacent to Bazada. From there, we will travel northbound towards the Sinoa Mountains."
Amelia's finger scrolls across the different locations.
"Assuming there are no divergences in course, we should arrive in Embermyst by mid-day. Any inquiries?"

Amelia folds the map and glances at the rest of us. We all look at each other.

"Then let us begin our journey."

She leads the way out of the inn and through the streets of Bazada.
Even this early in the morning, the marketplace is still bustling with people.
Carefully traversing the streets and alleys, the crowd begins to thin as we reach the city boarders. Amelia consults her map, then continues out of the city.

Without the high cover of the stalls, I blink at the clear blue sky. In the distance, I can see the dark leafy cover of trees. That must be where we're going.
Once we reach the forest, I'm suprised by how much shade the leaves provide.
The branches are strong and the leaves are thick, exposing pockets of sunshine.
Amelia keeps the map on-hand as there are no trails. Aside from a few other stragglers exploring the woods, I can hear the scurry of woodland animals.
With so much cover and so few people, this would be the perfect opportunity for an ambush.
However, I can sense no hostility near us. I also guess there is no reason for scum to hide in a forest devoid of people, and we don't even carry any cargo.
Well, paranoia is part of the job of a Sith, I guess.

The deeper we travel into the woods, the thicker the canopy of leaves become, nearly blocking out all the sunlight.
All the other people have long gone, and even the rustle of bushes have become quiet.

"Poi…"
The pango nestles even deeper in Amelia's arms.

Leanna shivers and wraps her arms around herself in a hug.

"You okay?"

She seems startled and drops her arms, trying to act normal.
"I'm fine."

"You know, I was told that when a girl uses those two words together it means she is not fine."
My dear friend Oberon, the latest Barsen'thor, told me once, as one of our conversations went a bit… off track.

Leanna blinks, then let's out a small laugh.
"It's nothing, really… It's just that the woods are getting darker and darker and there's a lot more shadows…"

"Are you afraid of the dark?"

Leanna shakes her head.
"Nothing like that!"

She continues in a much softer voice.
"But really, you don't have to be concerned. It's nothing."

I'm still not convinced but I'll trust her.
"Okay..."

The forest continues to block out even more light.
Soon it becomes so dark we can barely see what's in front of us. Luckily, I see as clearly through the Force as I do with my own eyes.

Zack speaks up.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

Amelia pulls a torch out of her bag in response. She touches her fingers to the tip of the torch and her bracelet glows.
Then the torch erupts into flames.

"Indeed. There is no need for alarm. The darkness merely indicates we are about to enter the Forest of Sorrows."

"Forest of Sorrows?!"

I'm suprised by Leanna's outburst. Her face is deathly pale.

"Do we have to go through here? There must be an alternate route!"

Amelia shakes her head.
"Embermyst can only be accessed through these woods."

Leanna groans.
"I had a feeling you'd say that…"

So this is what was bothering her.

"What's up with the Forest of Sorrows? Is it really as bad as it's name implies?"

"It is rumored that those who venture into the Forest of Sorrows never come out."

Let's play along.
"They never come out?"

She nods.
"The reason people are unable to escape is because they hear the voices of the loved ones they have lost. They fruitlessly search for their loved ones, losing their way, chasing the wailing of the spectrals-"

"No! Amelia, stop! We can travel through this stupid place if we have to, but no more of this story stuff that isn't true, and can't be true, so it's not true!"

Although Leanna tries to put on a brave front, her voice grows shriller the longer she talks.
I guess now would not be a good time to confirm the existance of ghosts… 'living' inside me. Well, I've sealed them, since I didn't want them to take control over my body a second time, but still.
"Er, right."

Amelia nods.
"Then let us continue."

I turn to Zack.
"Do you think all that stuff about the Forest of Sorrows is possible?"

He pulls his fist to his chin.
"It doesn't matter if I think it's possible because it's the truth."

"Zack! Stop!"

As Leanna turns away, Zack cracks a fleeting smile before resuming his stony stare.
I have the feeling he just said that to make Leanna even more uncomfortable…

The trees have now lost their cozy feel completely and look thick, old and withered.
The eerie silence is deafening and each crunch of leaves beneath our feet reminds me of the death and decay of Ziost. Here it really looks awfully similar to that once bustling planet after Valkorion was done with it.
I feel that the dark side is naturally strong here. Seems like that's the reason for this uncomfortable feeling.
I also keep seing flashes of beady eyes peering amid the branches. The squawk of some black birds pierces the silence keeping me on edge.
Instinctively, I pick up the pace, as does everyone else.

Leanan grows increasingly agritated.
"Are you sure we're going the right way? I swear I've seen that-"

A cold gust of wind extinguishes the torch!

"Kyaaaa!"

I hear the cutest shriek ever as Leanna latches onto my arm and pulls it close to her chest. Her eyes are squeezed shut and she buries her face against me. I feel some heat flushing to my cheeks since I am not used to such close proximity.
The light returns as Amelia relights the torch.

Leanna peeps an eye open and glances down at my arm...
And where it rests on her chest…
Her cheeks burn as hot as the torch and she quickly drops my arm. Hmm, I wasn't complaining.
"Sorry, I..."
She trails off as her blush deepens. I bet her nerves from the forest and the awkwardness of grabbing my arm is making her flustered.
She might be more comfortable holding onto me, but that's an equally awkward suggestion.

I close the distance between us and link arms with her again. I also project a soothing aura for Leanna while I'm at it.
Although suprised, she doesn't stop me. Instead, she blushes again.

Amelia watches us and cocks her head to the side.
"Are you afraid?"

That question was directed at me.
"Huh?"

"You are mimicking Leanna's instinctive reach for your arm. Does that mean you too are feeling afraid?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, especially in a place like this. Everyone fears something."
While I'm not afraid of ghosts or the dark, this place does wake some unpleasant memories of Ziost and Oricon. I still shiver when I think about the Dread Masters, even though I defeated them... After I freed them in the first place…

Amelia nods.
"Your rationale is valid."

Leanna squeezes my arm a little tighter and smiles. If cuteness could kill, Leanna would be my undoing.
"Thanks."

I nod with a warm smile.
"Anytime."

Zack waits impatiently a few paces ahead of us.
"Can we move on?"

"Affirmitive."

We all hurry to catch up with Zack and continue through the forest.

No wonder people get lost. This place is quite large.
Leanna tightens her grip on my arm whenever there's a noise. A black bird flies by and she hides her face in my shoulder.
I can feel the warmth rush to my cheeks, again, and I'm grateful for the darkness. This is so out of character for Leanna. I never would have guessed that she get's spooked by ghosts.

Gradually, the darkness fades away as the trees are illuminated by an ethereal glow.
As the blue and green light chases away the shadows, my mood begins to lift.
The trees still look ancient, but full of wisdom and secrets instead of bad omens. Indeed, the Force here is in harmony again, and it reminds me of Odessen.

"Poi!"

The pango squirms wildly in Amelia's arm. He wriggles free and hops around in glee.
As he hops around, he opens his mouth wide, but looses his balance and blinks as he falls on his head.

"Poi?"

After a few more confused seconds, he shakes himself and tries again.
The Force is strong here.

"We have made it through the Forest of Sorrows."

You think so?

Leanna sighs in relief.
"Finally."

She blushes as she lets go of me.

"So Embermyst is close?"
Zack states more than he asks.

"The natural concentration of crystal energy would indicate we are on the correct path."

So the crystals really are a manifestation of the Force.

"What do you mean 'on the correct path'? Haven't you travelled here before?"
Leanna sounds alarmed.

Amelia shakes her head.
"No, this is my first journey-"

"You mean you had us travel through the Forest of Sorrows without knowing for sure that it would lead us to Embermyst?"

"That is correct."

Leanna gapes at Amelia.

To be fair, Amelia said she knew the location of Embermyst, not that she already was there.

"Well, we did make it through. And if we do reach Embermyst, then she would have delivered on her promise."
Zack seems to get it as well.

He nods at Amelia who looks curiously at him. While deep in thought, it looks like she's reworking a previous analysis of him. Then she nods back.

Leanna opens her mouth to argue back, but stops.
"I suppose it doesn't matter now that we're almost there."
She still sounds a little grumpy, though.

"On that conclusion, let us continue."

We trail behind Amelia, the pango blissfully hopping along, as she navigates us out of the rest of the forest.

Embermyst lies just beyond the edge of the forest, and soon we approach the heavy gates of the city.
Two tanned men with leather armour and carved wooden staves inlaid with rough crystals stand guard.
Their staves are crossed, and the light seems to shimemr as it catches the negative space between the stoves.
Is that some kind of magic?

One of the guards speaks up.
"Please state your business."

"As students of the Mage Academy, we seek an audience with Elder Issim."

They look us over and I hold their gaze confidently. Their blank eyes seem to burrow deep into my soul. I wonder what they see there.
They close their eyes and the red crystals inlaid in their staves glow. The translucent glimmers increase.
After a few minutes, they reopen their eyes and remain silent.

I glance at Leanna who looks back at me. I whisper.
"Are they going to let us in?"

She shakes her head uncertainly.

Zack crosses his arms but otherwise doesn't seem bothered by the situation. Amelia stands confidently and waits patiently.
I guess things are going according to her plan?

Just when I'm about to speak up again, a figure steps out from behind the gates.
He's an old, squirrely man with a set of glasses which slip down his hooked nose. He wears a faded and wrinkled open robe.

"Elder Issim."
Amelia states.

"Yes? Who is it?"
He has a hoarse, yet friendly voice.

"I am Amelia Estelle from the Mage Academy, and these are my associates."

"The Mage Academy, you say?"

He adjusts the glasses and peers at Amelia.
"Yes... yes… "

One by one he peers at the rest of us. He barely glances at Zack but looks at Leanna with interest when he recognises her guild emblem.
Finally, his gaze lingers on me, almost as if he's trying to place me but can't.

"Well, come on in then. No point in standing around."

The guards break away as he beckons us in and the translucent shimmers disappear.
After we pass through the gates, I look back right before the gates close and see the guards resume their original position.
Elder Issim shuffles along the dirt path and leads us through the quaint village. The villagers tend to wear plain, loose fitting tunics.
Aside from the guards, most people don't carry weapons, although many of them do wear simple bracelets embedded with crystals.
We soon arrive at a strangely architectually stable clay hut. As we enter, I covertly touch the walls.
It reminds me of unglazed ceramic tiles.
We settle down on wide cushions on the floor.

"How were you able to find this place?"

"Through you."

"Eh?"
Amelia's reply suprised the Elder.

She pulls out a worn tome. Where has she been keeping that this whole time?! Heh, I guess she has her methods. I mean, nobody would guess that I carry two whole sets of robes with me.

"My old research! I thought I'd lost this…"

As Elder Issim carefully turns the pages of the tome, Amelia clears her throat.

Leanna speaks up.
"We were told you can help us."

"By whom?"

"Professor Exavier."

Elder Issim lets out a loud laugh.
"Exavier is a professor now? Good for him."
His voice grows somber again.
"I've been out of touch with Havengarde and Illumia for many years. I'm not sure how I can help."

Leanna fills him on all that's happened so far, beginning with the spiked energy readings and ending with Professor Exavier's advice.
She keeps the story simple and straight to the point-carefully eleminating the fact that I'm not from this world.
Elder Issim listens thoughtfully, but grows more excited the longer Leanna talks.

"The temporal rifts! It's been so long since I really researched them. I'm afraid I've been rather distracted. Still, someone is here to discuss these theories and I'm more than happy to talk about them."

He claps his hands excitedly.
"Where should we start?"

As I'm about to answer, a deep rumble beneath the earth stops me. I know that kind of sound, and it's not a good sign. I'm reminded of Makeb.
Just going to be sure.
"What was that?"

"Hm? Oh, just the volcano. Nothing to worry about."

If the volcano were to erupt, I'd hold the magma back. No big deal.

"There's no need to look so concerned. The volcano will not erupt. This is the first sign of activity it has shown in thousands of years."

"Isn't that concerning?"

"Perhaps if it were any other volcano, but this particular volcano is the domain of the fire elemental who protects us all."

Fire elemental? Maybe that is the strong presence I feel in this area.

"This fire elemental of which you speak, are you referencing the ancients?"

"Precisely."

Zack crosses his arms.
"The ancients are only a story."

Heh, every story, every rumor, still contains a grain of truth. I wonder, though…
"Who are the anicents?"

"They are the elements of Esaria. The magic which we have learned to manipulate are the gifts left behind from the ancients."

"That's how the legend goes…"
Leanna doesn't sound too convinced of Amelia's explanation.

"You are mistaken. They are not a legend."

Leanna looks uncertain while Zack scowls.
"You still believe in those stories?"

"I believe in the research, and Elder Issim has accumulated plenty of it."

"Then where have the elementals been all this time?"

We all return our focus to the elder.

"Er, I suppose I do have a few theories on that as well… But the elementals are a lot trickier than temporal rifts.
The story of the ancients is so old, it predates our understanding of crystals and spheres. That's why most societies have forgotten about them and brushed them off as a legend.
The people in this village, though, have not forgotten. When I arrived, I was purely focused on finding the fire temple for research purposes.
But the longer I stayed, the more my focus strayed from the temporal rifts to the ancients themselves.
If you believe that the cause of those random energy spikes are the result of temporal rifts, perhaps that is the link to the return of the elementals to Esaria."

"So what does that mean exactly?"
I need more details.

He shakes his head.
"It's hard to say. We don't know why they left in the first place. My guess is that something was keeping them occupied in the spirit world. Perhaps whatever that is was set free by the rifts."

Amelia hangs onto Elder Issim's every word. Leanna absentmindeldy fiddles with her manipulator deep in thought. Only Zack seems skeptical of this conversation.
While this sounds really intruiging it also seems like something that can't be solved in a few hours. We need to get back on track. How can I go back to my world?
"To get back to the original topic on hand..."

Elder Issim nods.
"The temporal rifts, yes."

"How would one go about creating a rift?"

"Ah, well, that'll be difficult. You'll need an incredible amount of energy- more than any one human can create. The only places with that much concentration of energy is in the temples of the elementals."

That must be the reason I feel this strong signature in the Force. It's true nature still eludes me- it's too far away, but I can feel it. Those temples, though…
"You said that there was one in the village."

"Yes, the fire temple is here in Embermyst."

"Great!"

This is really good. I've found a way back. And if I really master the power to create a temporal rift… the power to bend spacetime to my will, basically… I already am a god, but then I'd also be omnipotent!

"To be more precise, it's on the outskirts of the village, built on the side of the volcano, but it's not a far walk."

Huh. The fire temple in a volcano near a mystic village called Embermyst. Figures. You tellin' me that the wind temple is on floating rocks or something? Anyway, close is good.

"Then that's where we need to go."
Leanna concludes.

She pushes herself to her feet and the rest of us do the same. As Elder Issim rises, his face falls.

"Leaving so soon? I was hoping we'd have a longer chance to chat. I have so many questions about Illumia and the academy. As you can imagine, one does not get a lot of news of the outside world here."

"Perhaps on our return."
I really do enjoy his company. He is a wise man who knows plenty of things I could learn. In turn I could widen his horizon a little as well.

"Ah! Yes, of course. Well, you best be on your way, then."

"Elder Issim, it was truly an honor to meet you."
Amelia bows slightly.

Her cheeks flush as Elder Issim grins. She must really respect him as well. In that moment, I realise just how small and dainty she looks. I sometimes forget how young she is compared to the rest of us. Her mind is way more mature than her body is, though.

We all say our goodbyes and then exit the hut.

Once outside, we scan the horizon, trying to orient ourselves towards the volcano. Well, the others do. I can sense the temple, and the direction in where it is.

"Excuse me."

I whirl around around and come face to face with a woman wearing just enough fabric to cover her essentials and nothing more.
Her long brown hair is tied up in a ponytail, which falls down her neck and frames her very ample chest.

Before I have the chance to speak, Zack asks the question on everyone's mind.
"Who are you?"

Zack steps in front of Amelia who frowns and steps away. I guess he's taking this bodyguarding business really seriously.
Leanna holds herself stiffly, ready to move if necessary.
I cross my arms. If she tries anything funny, I have limitless options to make her wish she didn't. Though the fact I didn't notice her even when she was basically right behind me is concerning.

The woman salutes.
"Kara Noir, treasure hunter extraordinaire!"

Zack narrows his eyes.
"What do you want with us?"

"Well, I couldn't help but overhear that you're interested in the fire temple."

"How did you hear us when we were inside?"
Excellent question Leanna.

She taps her nose knowingly.
"I have very sensitive hearing."

"I fail to understand how our interests are of relevance to you."
Fire temple, home of the ancients. Treasure hunter. The dots aren't that hard to connect. I expected more of you and your sharp mind, Amelia.
However, before I can speak up, this woman answers. It seems like I'm not meant to say something in this conversation.

"I was just getting to that. You see, I've come to offer an extension of friendship."

Both Leanna and Zack raise an eyebrow.

"Or at least an extension of mutual benefit."

She probably already was in there and stumbled upon something magic which stopped her from proceeding or something. Doesn't hurt to be sure, though.
"Okay..."

"It's true that the villagers maintain the fire temple, but from what I've discovered, they are unaware of the temple's secret passage. If you're interest in the energy of the temple, I can guarantee that's where you'll find it."

"If the villagers don't know about the secret passage, how did you find it?"
Leanna sounds still cautious, but also curious.

"It's all part of the treasure hunting gig. You have to be looking for it to find it."
True enough. That's the same with archeology. You won't find something if you don't look for it.

Kara winks and gives us a thumbs up.
"The best part is that I've already disarmed or made note of most of the traps in there."

I sigh.
"Of course there are traps in that temple..."
I've yet to see a temple without traps.

Amelia seems to have misunderstood me. I guess my sigh made the 'of course' barely audible.
"The temples are a sanctuary for the elementals, but any place that is easily accessible is sure to attract all types. There where measures set in place to protect the spirit from those who would wish to harm it."

"Like I said, I've disarmed most of the traps but not all. There is one magical barrier at the end of the tunnel which I have not yet been able to pass. I don't have magic, but you do."
She gestures to Leanna and Amelia.
Heh. Nailed it.

"If you can magic that barrier away, then that's at least one step closer to finding your energy."

Zack crosses his arms and glares at Kara.
"How does that benefit you?"

Oh, c'mon guys, really? Fire temple, treasure hunter, it's as obvious as Leanna's beauty. … Sigh…

She grins.
"All I'm interested in are the artifacts and relics. From the sounds of it, you guys are more interested in something else. Hence, mutually beneficial! So, what do you think?"

I look at the rest of my group. Worldessly, we huddle closer together and whisper.
I don't know if I trust her. She's friendly, sure, but she seems… strange. … It could be that I've never had to deal with a kind of person like her. You don't see many cheerful personalities in wars, after all. But ultimately…
"Who cares if she joins or not? She's not interested in the elemental or the energy. If she doesn't come with us she'll just go after we've broken the barrier."

"Hm, you do have a point."
Leanna agrees.

"I must concede that I am impressed by her resourcefulness. It is plainly evident that she is not a native to Embermyst, which means she somehow discerned the location on her own."

"That's a really good point."
Now that I think of it, I'm impressed.

Leanna looks thoughtful.
"As a treasure hunter, her tracking skills could come in handy in the future."

We all stare at Zack. He shrugs.
"Do what you want."

"That sounds like a yes to me."

Zack doesn't respond. He just fixes his steely gaze on me.

"So does this mean we're agreed on joining up with Kara?"

Leanna concludes and we all nod.

"Poi!"

The pango sits in the middle of our circle and blinks happily.

"Where do you even go when you're hiding?"
Can he use some kind of advanced Force stealth or something? I want to know!

"Poi poi."

I fluently understand Basic, Shyriiwook, Huttese, Dosh and even Geonosian, among others. Only my Mando'a is broken. One day I'll be fluent in pois, too.

"Let's go tell Kara."

We turn around and Kara stands right behind Leanna, her face only inches away. Leanna lets out a startled gasp.
Why can't I feel her presence?! What's up with that!? I especially learned this ability to not get suprised like that.

Kara rubs her hands excitedly.
"Alright, this will be fun!"

"Wait, we didn't give you our answer yet."
Leanna, she has 'very sensitive hearing'. I think she knows.

Kara plays along, either way.
"Oh, sorry."
She steps back and gestures for Leanna to continue. Leanna speaks awkwardly. I guess she feels a little silly saying what Kara somehow already knows.

"Um, well, we decided to take you up on your offer."

Kara nods.
"Excellent! Since we're going to be working together, first things first. You all know my name, but I don't know yours."

"I'm Leanna."

"Mage-Knight, from the guild?"

She nods.

"I am Amelia Estelle, a Mage-Caster from the Mage Academy."

Kara blinks.
"A student to become a Mage-Caster? But you look just like a teenager!"

Amelia cocks her head to the side.
"It is natural that my physical appearance would represent my age."

She looks at Amelia with respect.
"That is pretty impressive.
Who's next?"

She looks at Zack.

He crosses his arms.
"Zack."

She chuckles.
"Very clearly a mercenary."

I know, right?
"And I'm Xerath."

Her green eyes study me, and altough she's very clearly examining me, I don't feel uncomfortable under her stare.

"Now that that's out of the way-"

"Poi poi!"

Kara steps back and views the pango by my feet.
"You have a pango! How cute!"

She reaches down and pets him on the head. He beams at her touch.
"And what's your name?"

"Poi!"

She glances at the rest of us but none of us make a move to answer.
"Oh, is he not part of your group?"

"He is! Sort of."
That is strangely accurate, Leanna.

"And you haven't named him yet?"

Leanna shuffles uncomfortably. Zack and I remain unchanged while Amelia frowns.
"A pango is a wild creature."

Kara straightens and pats Amelia on the head, much to her dismay.
"If you say so. Okay, are we ready to get going?"

We murmur our assent and then Kara leads us out of the city.

As we walk, another ominous rumble sends butterflies to my stomach. One planet falling apart under my feet was enough, thank you very much.
I glance at the others wo seem unfazed. I guess it's just me.
Pushing my insecurities down, I silently follow the group towards the temple.
Just as Elder Issim noted, the temple is a short walk out of the village on a well worn dirt path.
The road is mostly empty with only one or two travelers coming back towards the village.

The temple is an open structure with a roaring fire in a grand hall.
High collumns with flames carved into them hold up the building. Adorning the stone walls are beautiful tiled mosaics.
There's one wall with some strange symbols scratched on them. They're very faded, and I have to squint to make them out.
From what I can make out, four symbols surround a darkness in a square, with a line of fire enclosing the parameter, trapping the darkness in the center.
Hmm, looks like a prophecy...
"Huh, I wonder what that is."

Amelia peers over, then glances at the carving.
"Those symbols represent each of the magical elements."

She points to each one.
"There is: fire, water, earth and wind."

Then she points to the center.
"And that is shadow."

"Well, it seems like a prophecy to me..."

She looks at me intrigued.
"Would you elaborate your thought?"

"Well-"

I notice that Kara, Zack and Leanna have already moved on.

"Actually, let's catch up with the others before they leave us behind."

Amelia looks like she wants to protest but I already hustle to catch up, so she follows.
"Don't look like that. We can always talk later."

She seems to relax slightly and gives me a small nod.

Besides us, the only other people in the temple are the monks who care for it.
They're dressed in woven red robes in the same open and loose style as the villagers of Embermyst.
Quietly, they shuffle back and forth, sweeping the floor or relighting any of the smaller fires which have burned down.

"Poi…"

The pango looks around in wonder and reverence. At the sight of the giant flame, he squeaks and hops up on me, claiming his spot on my shoulder. Heh, his behaviour reminds me somewhat of kowakian monkey-lizards, just less annoying and more adorable.

Kara bows briefly before the large flame then leads us to the back of the chamber and stops in front of an empty wall.

"We're here!"

Zack sighs.

Kara might be a little... out there, but I don't get the impression that she's stupid. On the contrary, her sharp emerald eyes tell of a keen mind, belied by her... unique behaviour. There must be more to this wall than first meets the eye.

"Is there a mechanism hidden somewhere that triggers a doorway?"

Kara's eyes glitter.
"Bingo!"

With her gaze fixed on us, Kara pushes on a brick and a segment of the wall pushes in and swings open.
She waves at the opening with a flourish.
"Ta-da!"

I'm curious.
"How did you know which brick to push in?"

"It usually depends, but in this case there is one brick that sticks out slightly more than the others. If you aren't looking for it, you won't see it."

She heads through the opening and pushes the wall closed behind us.
Then she leads us down a winding stone stairway which ends at the beginning of a narrow passage.
We file in behind her as she carefully picks her way down the hall.
It's a very plain stone hallway with wall sconces lighting the way.
This reminds me of my many expeditions through the ancient tombs or Korriban. Good times…
Oh, right, placing a mark. When expeditate, always place a mark at the beginning. Phase Walk is really useful.

I look down at my feet and notice a brick with an 'X' marked on it.
I bet those are the marks Kara spoke of earlier. I want to find out what kind of traps are here, but I don't want to look stupid... Sigh, decisions, decisions…
In the end I decide to avoid triggering any traps and step around the brick.
The deeper we walk the more 'X's I notice. There sure are a lot of traps here…

Zack pauses in front of a corridor where the walls are covered in 'X's.
"Why are there so many X's on this wall?"

Kara looks down the same passageway.
"Oh, it's a two-part trap."

She points to a stone on the ground with the same 'X' marking.
"Basically, if you step on the ground stone, it triggers thick bars to shoot out from all the X's in the wall and block the path."

"That doesn't sound too bad."
One telekinetic wave should do the trick.

"Only if you know how to limbo. The bars have something keeping them hot and will burn you if you toutch it."

"Okay, that sounds worse."

"And you were able to cross that?"

Kara winks at Zack.
"I am very limber."

I expected Zack to brush off her comment like he brushed off every other girl, but he actually looks... impressed?

Amelia looks between Zack and Kara.
"Based on the dilation of Zack's pupils, it appears that Kara's flexibility is attractive to him."

Zack is taken aback whilst I supress a snort.
"I was just thinking that it is a useful skillset to have."

Kara has a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Useful skillset to have? In what context?"

Yeah, I wonder.

Zack frowns.
"For scouting and navigating. You've done a thorough job mapping this place out and marking the traps."

Good save, mate.

Leanna looks amused.
"Zack, was that a compliment?"

He glares at Leanna.
"No, an observation."

Kara smiles playfully.
"Then thank you for the observation."

Zack falls into silence before turning away. I think that's the most I've ever heard him talk in a 30 second span.
Now that I think about it, his behaviour reminds me not only of a certain mandalorian, but also of my best friend since Korriban. A'den Taurus, the Eternal Wrath. He's also quite broody and doesn't talk much, and he get's easily flustered by his wife, Vette. …Well, Kara also shares some similarities with Vette…

We continue through the tunnels.
Eventually, she stops in front of another well of fire in the middle of the hall.
"The barrier is here."

She gestures at the swirling metallic wall behind the well. The way that it glitters as it wisps and curls almost looks like a fire.
Leanna and Amelia step closer and inch their hands in front of them before gingerly touching the barrier.

"It's suprisingly solid for something that looks so gaseous. Maybe there's some wind magic interwoven with whatever other magic is here."

The pango hops forward with stars in his eyes.
"Poooii…"

He dashes straight for the barrier!

"Pango, wait!"
Kara calls out.

I stretch out my arm and race after him. This barrier is incredibly strong, I can't fathom what could happen...
"Pango, no!"

Instead of running into a wall, the pango passes straight through and out of sight.

Leanna gasps and rushes to the wall.
"Pango?! Oh no! What if something happens to him?"

I take a deep breath before I step over and put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down.
"He's a scrappy and resourceful pango. I'm sure he'll be okay."

"I suppose so..."

Leanna bites her lip and stares anxiously at the barrier.
"Pango…"

"Poi?"
A blue head pops out of the barrier.

"What?"
I'm confused.

He hops the rest of the way out.
"Poi poi!"

Leanna scoops him up in a hug.
"Pango! You're back safe!"

"Poi!"

After a second, the pango wiggles out of her arms and rushes back over to me. Leanna pouts cutely, then refocuses on the barrier.
Amelia places both of her hands back on the barrier while Leanna holds out her manipulator.

"Whatever is beyond this wall hosts a plethora of energy."

Leanna nods.
"My manipulator confirms that. No wonder the pango ran in there."

Zack continues to hang back and observe, but Kara steps closer to the barrier.
"But how did he even pass through?"

Leanna shrugs. Amelia continues studying the wall, moving her hands up and down.
"I do not recognize this magic."

She frowns, deeply disturbed.

"Is there anything you can do to break it?"
Kara seems… impatiant. I don't hold it against her, though, as I am quite curious myself.

"Let's see."

Leanna and Amelia both put their hands on the barrier, their manipulators glowing.
They each transmit pulses of magic which disperse across the surface in a shimmering wave.
I think they're most probably trying to create stress fractures to crack the wall. Either that or they try to match the barriers wavelength, like you could do with shields.
After a few tries, Leanna sighs in frustration, then steps back.

"Amelia, stand back."

She wordlessly obeys.

Leanna gathers energy at her gauntlet then strikes the barrier with an empowered strike.
Suddenly, golden lettering forms on the barrier.
Absolve your world to enter mine.

"Hmm, a riddle. Any ideas?"
I somehow doubt whe shall really leave our bodies behind and enter as ghosts, spirits or whatever. Thus we probably are required to leave something of personal value behind. Only if we take it at face value, of course.

No one answers. Amelia steps forward and focuses on the wall of flickering flame.
"If I am interpreting this message correctly, we must part with our most precious possession -our 'world'- and throw it in the fire."

Great minds think alike.

Leanna nods thoughtfully.
"Kind of like we're freeing ourselves."

Kara's face drains of colour and she clutches at her pack.
"Are you sure?"

""Yes.""

Amelia glances towards me. She probably didn't expect me to come to the same conclusion.

We stand around awkwardly until Leanna clears her throat.
"If that's what we need to do, then it seems easy enough. I'll go first."

"We're doing this for me. I should be the one to go first."
As much as I want to see what Leanna would part with, who knows what awaits on the other side?

Leanna blinks, but I step up to the fire before she can object.

Hmm, what do I choose?
I think the answer is quite obvious.
I fish in my pockets and grab my lightsaber.
This small weapon is a part of me, empowers me. As I hold it gently in my hands again and gaze over it, I remember when I forged it with the help of Satele and Marr. This weapon is the embodiement of my beliefs. Not to mention the trouble I went through to get my hands on that colour crystal. Black and dark blue is quite rare. The thought of parting with it makes my chest hurt.
Reluctantly, I toss it into the fire and watch the flames lap it up.

Then I steel my resolve and slowly step forward.
As I cross through, I feel the tingle of energy and hear the crackle of electricity.
There's a bright light blinding my vision, and I have a flashback of my crossing to Terra.
My foot lands on solid ground. I passed through the barrier unharmed!
Gradually, my eyes adjust to the dim light, and I see I'm in a cozy room.
In the middle of the room is an absolutely adorable medium large feline of some sorts, who swishes its tail as it observes me. Beside it is a woman with flaming red hair, long, pointed ears and a slightly red hue to her skin, I cannot describe with any word less than beautiful. Her delicate hand rests atop the feline's head.

As I look her over, her gaze lands on me.

"...Who are you?"
I can feel her presence in the Force. It's extremely strong, yet feels like it's just a part of her. Like Valkorion as the Sith Emperor.

The woman blinks at me, then smiles.
For a second, I think I see the flames lighting the room flicker and a warmth permeates my body. It's pleasent, like an embrace.
Although she holds my gaze, she doesn't speak.

"How did you get in here?"
I have an idea…

Again, she remains silent, but takes a step closer.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Huh?"

I peek behind the woman and see Zack standing with an eyebrow raised and his arms crossed.
The rest of my companions pause in their inspection of the room and stare at me. Kara stands beside an altar while Amelia and Leanna are both kneeling beside the feline.
The feline accepts their attention, rhythmically swishing its tail, but otherwise makes no move to respond. Instead, it fixes its attention on me.
I haven't even noticed them enter, strange.
Even now when I know that they are here, I can barely feel their presence.
It is possible that the strong presence of the woman and the entire room are drowning out the others.

"Are you talking to the fox?"

"No…"

Apparently, they can see the feline, or fox, but not the woman. So I deduce that she is a Force projection or Force ghost or something along those lines. That would explain why her presence feels like just a fraction. And either she chooses to be only be seen by me or only I can see her because I'm way stronger in the Force.

I fall silent as I contemplate my thoughts and the group casts me worried glances.

"Who exactly are you seeing?"
Leanna sounds curious, yet also a bit cautious.

"There's a woman dressed in red, with flaming red hair standing right here beside the fox."

Leanna looks towards the fox but her eyes glaze right over the woman.
She furrows her brows, concerned.

"Okay..."
Her voice is gentle, like she doesn't want to spook me. I have to admit that it irritates me, slightly.

"So none of you guys can see her?"
I voiced it like a question, albeit it is more like a statement.
The group collectively shakes their heads.

"Figured. I'm not sure why you guys can't see her, but I promise you, she is there."

"Poooii…"
The pango hops out from behind my legs. He first examines the woman with partial interest, then he stares in wonder at the fox.

"Poi?"
The fox cocks its head to the side and observes the pango. The pango perks up and cautiously bounces forward.
He pauses right before the fox. The fox's nose wiggles as it sniffs at the pango. Then it swishes its tail and the pango squels before running back behind my legs.

"Poi poi!"
He sounds scared. I wonder why.
More important, though.

"You see her too?"

"Poi."
His voice is a firm confirmation.

The woman giggles at the pango and gently pats his head. He shivers happily at her touch. Then she straightens up and takes a step closer.
Her feet don't touch the ground and her skirt floats ethereally behind her.
Altough my instinct tells me to back away, I stand firm, curious to her intention.

"Hmm?"
I raise an eyebrow at her.

"What's going on?"
Leanna asks.

"She's getting closer. A lot closer, actually."

She pauses once she draws near and touches her palm to my forehead.
A pulse of warmth flows through me before she retracts her hand.
I feel invigorated with restored strenght. And the more stronger I feel, the more translucent the woman becomes. She is transferring her power to me, thus her projection fades. Soon, she disappears.
The pango looks at me with renewed interest… it reminds me of that same look he gave me when we first met…
He licks his lips.

"Don't even think about it!"

"Poi…"
The pango pouts and lets out a sad sigh.

Kara waves a hand in front of my face.
"Hey, are you okay? You kind of zoned out there for a second."

"I think I'm fine."
More than fine, actually.

"What happened?"

"I'm not too sure…"

I am about to continue to share my thoughts, but Leanna speaks up before I can.
"Where is the woman now?"

"Actually, she's gone."

Amelia reacts to my words by playing with her bracelets.
She holds her manipulator up to me.
"Curious. I may have a theory."

"What is it?"
I'd like to know if she's on the same track I am.

"All the energy which had accumulated here has now gathered within you."

I nod.
"As I was just about to say…"
I glance at Leanna, who looks apologetic at me.
"I think that this woman transferred the energy into me."

Leanna looks intrigued.
"How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure. I felt it after she touched me."

Leanna's eyes widen.

"I wouldn't phrase it like that."

What do you mean, Zack?
…Oh.
"Not in a weird way! She just touched my forehead and suddenly I felt a rush of energy."

Amelia stares hard at me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I am merely anticipating the imminent reaction."

"Reaction to what?"

"The high concentration of energy you just absorbed. The human body was not meant to process such large quantities of energy. At least, that has certainly been the trend with someone from Terra."

Amelia's gaze bores into me as she emphases the word 'Terra'. Then she looks back down to her manipulator.
I supress a smile to the best of my abilities, which means the ghost of a smile still forms on my lips, because I knew Amelia will find out sooner or later. It's just a matter of hours now before she brings it up. Probably after we exit the temple.

"Altough, two minutes have passed and there seems to be no sign of an adverse reaction."
Wait, why does she sound so disappointed?

Suddenly, Kara squeals as she gingerly picks a rusty coin out of the remains of a leather satchel.
"This is a genuine Vestan coin!"

Zack glances at the coin and folds his arms, clearly unimpressed.
"How much can a rusty, outdated coin be worth?"

Kara cocks her arm on her hips.
"About a few hundred gold pieces."

Zack's demeanor instantly changes.
"You don't say."

Kara smoothly pockets the satchel as Zack covertly searches the room.

As Kara finishes her inspection of the room, Leanna looks around.
"Well, since we found what we came for, we should head back."

Kara nods and leads the way out. As we leave the room, we notice the fire which had previously glowed in front of the barrier is now gone but all of our items are still intact.
I never felt the conection to my lightsaber waver, but I can't hide my relief to find it unharmed.
"Hey, nothing was burned in here!"

"Curious… Then it can be assumed that the purpose of the trial was not to destroy our possessions but to test our willingness to sacrifice."
I nod approvingly.

Kara happily scoops out her coin purse.
"I'm not complaining."

Leanna smiles in relief as she reaches in and quickly collects what looks like a ring attached to a thin chain.

"Let's keep going."
Suprising to hear that from Kara, I was under the impression she likes this place.

I pick up my lightsaber.
"Actually, I have something to check out first. You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you at the entrance."

Everyone looks suprised at me.
Kara asks concerned.
"Are you sure you'll find the way?"

I placed a mark for my phase walk right after I entered the secret passage, so...
"Yes. You don't have to worry about me, I just need a few minutes."

My tone brooks no room for opposition.
"...If you say so."

The rest of the group snatch up their items and continue back out of the corridor.

I gaze at my lightsaber again as I wait until they are far enough ahead. It is simple in form, copper in colour and engraved with blue markings.
I ignite my lightsaber and it activates with a satisfying sound. Its black blade emits a dark blue light.
It hums gently as it illuminates the hall. I take some swings with it to get used to it's completely different center of mass compared to my vibro sword.
I practice a set of moves of the technique Leanna tought me, and I'm suprised at how well it combines into my style.

After a few more sets I decide that I've played around enough for now and deactivate my lightsaber. The blade retracts with its distinctive sound and I put it back in my pocket again.
I search for the presence of my group, or dare I say friends. This time, without that much external energy to interfere with my senses, I notice that they just reached the grand hall again.
I focus on the mark I left by the secret door and return there instantly.
After a few more steps I pop out of the same wall in which we entered. Just as before, the main ceremonial hall is empty, aside from my group.
I make my appearance known as I clear my throat.
Leanna turns around instantly as I was basically behind her.

"Ah, there you are!"

"How were you so fast? We barely arrived here and you weren't behind us."

Valid question, Kara.
"I too know my way around temples."

She looks at me with an intrigued gleam in her eyes.
"You sure seem to."

"Shall we get going, then?"
I nod towards the exit.

We wave goodbye to the couple of monks sweeping the entryway, then begin the walk back to the village.

I approach Amelia as there are some things I'd like to discuss with her.
"So, that theory that you mentioned in the temple about the woman... what was it?"

Amelia glances at me.
"Given the location and the circumstances previously described by Elder Issim, my estimation is that the unknown woman you encountered was a projected image of the fire elemental. Of course, as I could not observe her myself, I cannot be certain."

That would most certainly deck out with what I've felt.
"Do you think that's why she wouldn't talk back? Also, why wouldn't she show up in person?"

"The amount of energy needed to sustain just an appearance of the elemental would have drained the temple completely. There would have been no energy left for her to give to you."

"That is probably why she disappeared right after."

"The depletion of the energy in the temple would have meant she'd no longer be sustained in this world."

Amelia looks thoughtful.
"Altough, it is quite unusual that she would have you absorb the energy to begin with."

"Hmm…Maybe it has something to do with that carving in the temple..."

"The one you think is a prophecy?"

"Exactly. The way I interpret it is along those lines: A dark force will rise, so powerful that it needs all four other elements combined to stop it. It may be a long shot, but maybe the elemental chose me to carry this energy to fight in the battle against this powerful force."

"That is an interesting interpretation. I will keep it in mind."

"Thank you."

Amelia looks thoughtful.
"Still, it is quite perplexing that she would only reveal herself to you."

"It's not just me. The pango saw her too. Altough he focused more on the fox thing."

"The Guardian."

"Hmm? You mean like a guardian of the temple?"

"Precisely. Each temple has its own Guardian who protects it."

"I see. So he didn't attack us because we solved the trial with the fire?"

Amelia nods approvingly, albeit deep in thought.

"Are you still trying to figure out why no one else could see the Elemental?"

She nods again.

"Any theories?"

"As of now, I do not have one, but perhaps after some further research..."
Her voice trails off as she falls back in deep thought.

I leave her to her own thoughts and fall in step with Kara.

"So, who exactly were the Vestans?"

"They were the original tribe of Embermyst and the initial keepers of the fire temple."

"Did they build the temple?"

Kara shrugs.
"It depends on who you ask. Some experts believe they did, others think the temple was already there when the Vestans came about."

"Interesting…"

Now I'm curious.
"How did you get into treasure hunting?"

She pauses just a little too long before flashing me her usual cheerful grin.
"I just sort of fell into it, honestly. Treasure hunting naturally fit into my nomadic lifestyle."

"Where did you learn all the history to even identify the relics?"

"You'd be suprised how much you pick up along the way… especially after you realise what a lucrative business this can be."

Oh, I can confirm. Even though I learned much of the old lords through books Zash borrowed me, I picked up quite a lot along the way.

"So you're mostly in it for the money?"

Couldn't blame her. I was in it mostly for the power as well, even though archeology quickly became a fun and interesting topic for me.

"I didn't say that. I'll admit that at first I was just in it for the money, but the more I learned about the ancient people of Esaria, the more invested I became in the history of each relic I found.
I started to find myself daydreaming about who might have used the items I found. What kind of person where they? Did they cherish this item or was it just another part of their ever-growing collection of stuff?"

My lips curve upward into a smirk.
"Hmm, who would've known that we share such an uncommong interest?"

Kara looks at me strangely.
"Are you a treasure hunter too?"

"I'd consider myself more of an archeologist, but I guess I hunted for the treasures. Figuratively. Sadly, I don't know much of the history of Esaria. Maybe you can teach me a bit when we have some time."

"I'd be glad to."
She shoots me a beaming grin, and if it wouldn't be obvious enough, I can feel the genuine happiness radiating off of it.
I have the feeling she doesn't have too many people to talk about this topic deeply, and freely. Like Talos.

Talos… I supress a snort as I recall our first meeting. Everyone of his colleagues thought he had a screw loose. Then I came along and shared his interest. Those simple minded fools expressions were priceless, when Talos and I had a heated debate about the old lords and their views.

Kara, Zack and Amelia lead the way back to Embermyst while I lag behind.
The pango sits on my head.
I miss the guys back home, I have to admit. After everything we've been through together…
However, I also grow fond of my little group here. Even Kara, although I just met her. Sigh, there are some though choices ahead of me.

Leanna notices my absence and falls into step with me, pulling me out of my thoughts.
She pats the pango who ignores her, still too focused on the energy around me. Leanna pouts adorably, then shakes away the pango's disregardence of her and focuses her attention on me.
"Something on your mind?"

I chuckle dryly.
"You could say that."
I heave a sigh.
"It's just, I miss my friends back home."

Leanna looks at me dejectedly.
"I understand. If there's anything I can do-"

I cut her off but keep my voice low so the others don't hear me.
"Actually, now that I've collected the energy of the temple, that means I can try to create a temporal rift and go back, right?"

Kara stops, then whirls around to face us. Zack and Amelia stop with her.
"Pardon me, you were speaking very softly and it was a little hard to hear, but it sounded like you just said you need to open a temporal rift to go back home. But that can't be right, can it?"

I mentally facepalm. I already forgot Kara's hearing. Does this woman have some sort of super sonic hearing or something?
I glance at Leanna who looks alarmed.

"Well...about that…"
I don't really know how I should explain this, thus I falter a bit finding the right words.

Kara's smile falters at my hesitance, but Amelia looks excited.
"I knew it! My hypothesis is correct!"

I smirk approvingly at Amelia. She was bound to figure it out on her own sooner or later.
Leanna seems confused, however.
"Hypothesis? What hypothesis?"

"My hypothesis is that he is from a parallel world."

Leanna's eyes grow wide and she forces a panicked smile.
"I think all this parallel world and temporal rift talk has been getting to you. I mean, Elder Issim said it's impossible-"

"He has already admittet it."

What? Leanna and I were careful not to say anything. She has me intruiged.
"When?"

"The day of our acquaintance."

I search my memories and can't recall bringing that up around Amelia.

"You sought out Professor Exavier's guidance and after he imparted his advice, you and Leanna had a brief discussion in which you mentioned that what he had suggested was exactly what happened to you. Thus began my hypothesis that you arrived from a parallel world."

Leanna looks at me, unsure how to react.

I smile proudly at Amelia, resisting the urge to pat her head.
"I knew you would figure it out eventually. You're right, I'm not from Terra."

"Not from Terra, huh?"
Zack looks me up and down and nods to himself.
"That's a lot better than the alternative."

"What is the alternative?"

"That you might be… 'unique'."

"Zack!"
Leanna looks at him sharply.

He shrugs.
"He didn't even know what a discharger was. At least if he's from another world that explains these things."

Kara looks skeptical.
"How did he get here?"

"There have been unexplaibably high concentrations of energy popping up throughout Esaria and he happened to show up at one of those areas. We went to the Mage Academy to get some answers and that's how we came up with the possibility that the high energy readings were temporal rifts and somehow he had traveled through one. Why or how those rifts were even opened we still don't know…"

I finish Leanna's explanation
"But if they're the only way for me to get back home, then I have to try open one."

Kara shrugs.
"Let's just make sure you attempt to open one far away from where I'm standing."

"That might be tricky considering no one knows how to open one. We may need to talk to Elder Issim."
Leanna has a point. Plus, I promised to visit him again.

"That won't be necessary. I know how to do so already."

We all stare at her.
Amelia clearly doesn't get enough credit. But still...

"...How do you know that?"

"The directions are located in Elder Issim's old research notes, which I had gathered from the Academy. The spell itself is a simple conjuration which even an amateur could do."

"An amateur can open a temporal rift? Then why isn't everyone doing it?"
I know that the Sith and Jedi would kill for this knowledge...

"The impossibility of the spell comes from the fact that the human body cannot manipulate the amount of energy needed for it."
She pauses, then points to me.
"He may be an exception."

I fold my arms behind my back as their gazes fall on me.

"Given that you have absorbed energy directly from the temple, which should also be an impossibility, I must assume that there is something within you which can possess the high amount of magic without suffering consequences.
Perhaps it is a skill which you acquired from your world."

I raise my hand to my chin as I think about my time on Belsavis.
"You may be on to something…"

I let my statement sink in as all my companions attention falls on me again.
This guys… we've achieved so much together already, and I trust them. They deserve to know who I truly am. What I truly am.

"As I mentioned to Leanna and Amelia already, I am a sorcerer, and quite a powerful one at that. I do not understand your usage of magic, yet, but I do understand it's source. And on my rise to power..."
I trail off as I contemplate for the right words to say.
"Let's just say I found a way to hold a large amount of energy in my body."

Kara and Zack look sceptikal at me.
"You sure don't look like a mage, sorcerer or whatever."

"Yeah, Leanna decided I'd need to wear different clothes."

"Everyone was staring at you and you drew too much attention!"
Leanna tries to explain my otherwise questionable remark as she blushes slightly.

I shrug.
"You were the only one bothered by it."

Before Leanna and I can discuss the matter of my clothing further Amelia speaks up.
"Out of scientific interest, on what level of power are you?"

I raise an eyebrow at her.
"Would you believe me if I said 'godlike'?"

Leanna and Kara's eyes open wide and their mouths hang open.
Zack just crosses his arms.
"Are you delusional or something?"

Amelia blinks.
"I would have my doubts. After all, we have no proof of any ability of yours as of yet."

I smirk at her. Her levelheadedness is admirable.
"True. Well, I cannot give you a demonstration why I consider myself a god, as that would be way too dangerous, but I can demonstrate some of my more basic powers."

I point towards a large rock nearby the path and they turn to look at it.
I hold my right index and middle finger out while I curl the others together and raise the boulder.
They look between me and the boulder as I let it levitate left and right before I put it down on the same spot again.

Leanna asks perplexed.
"That… that wasn't wind magic, was it?"

I shake my head.
"No. The result may be similar, but the way to achieve it differs greatly. This was a basic telikinesis."

Amelia speaks up next.
"That is impressive, but nothing that warrants calling yourself a god."

"True again. As I said, this is one of the most basic of basics. This one is one of my more destructive abilities."

I raise my right hand skyward and shoot a Lightning Flash. The purple lightning strikes down on the boulder, pulverizing it.

Their mouths hang open at the destructive display.

"As you see I am not delusional. I have accumulated a strenght to rightfully consider me godlike."

"W-Why haven't you told us sooner, showed us sooner?"
Leanna looks a little pale. Her expression is hurting me.

"How should I have done that? 'Hello, I am Darth Xerath 'Imperius' Kallig, god of another world.' I doubted that would've worked."

"If your power is so dangerous, why did you tell us this now?"

I look Amelia straight in the eyes.
"Because I trust you."

I turn my head to look Leanna, Zack and Kara in the eyes.
"All of you. You've been nothing but helpful and supportive towards me, so I felt you deserved to know the truth."

They were rendered speechless, even Zack and Amelia.

"Xerath…"
Leanna spoke softly and had an expression on her face I couldn't quite figure out.

I take a deep breath and continue. I don't want them to view me different because of this.
"No matter how powerful I am, I am still me, the same person you've known so far."

"Are you know? Who knows if you haven't acted on your behaviour before as well?"

I turn to Kara, and I can't keep the look of hurt flashing on my face.
"You are the only ones who truly know me. With you, I was just Xerath Kallig, a young man. I didn't need to be a Dark Lord, the Eternal Emperor, no force of pure destruction. I could just be me."

Kara viewed me remorsefully.

"'Force of pure destruction'? What do you mean by that?"

Woah, Zack said something again.
"Well, you see, in my world, there's a war going on, basically between the Light side and the Dark side. It's on a scale you can't even imagine, and they kill each other just because of their beliefs. You could compare it to your war against VOID, and I've been trapped in this war since my birth, in one way or another. So as I became powerful, I had to use my powers against others."

Everyone of my group had different reactions.
Kara and Leanna gasped and had their hands over their mouths.
Zack hanged his head down.

Amelia looked at me apolegetic, yet curious.
"When your world is that bad, why do you want to go back?"

I regard her with a sad smile.
"To bring peace. My world has known nothing but conflict and war for millenia. I achieved too much to stop now. Too many people depend on me. I simply cannot turn my back on them, even if my time here in your world has been nothing but a blessing."

Amelia nodded sympathetically.
"I understand."

I suddendly am tackled and just barely manage to keep my footing.
I look down as two slender arms wrap around me tightly.
Leanna sobs into my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry for what you've been through. We'll help you get back to your world, you can count on us!"

The shock of my powers and the sad state of my home must've been too much for her to hold in.
I smile with utmost gratitude and pat her head.
"Thank you, Leanna. For everything. I know you will."

She raises her head and looks at me teary eyed and with red cheeks. I think my heart just skipped a beat, she's too cute!
I cup her cheek with my hand and wipe away a tear with my thumb, all the whilst my own cheeks feel ablaze.
"I've never failed before, and I do not intent to start that now."

She nods and breaks her embrace.

"On that note, maybe I should open up a rift now."

Amelia grins with excitement.
"I concur with that suggestion."

"That may be best now that you have the magic."
Leanna's voice is normal again, seems like she calmed down again.

Zack shrugs and Kara takes a look at our open surroundings.
"Maybe we should first look for a spot with a bit more cover. We don't want to be opening up rifts on an open pathway."

Leanna nods.
"Good point."

"There was some tree cover towards the west."

We mumble our affirmations and follow Zack to the trees.
We settle into the groove of trees. Both Leanna and Amelia stand on either side of me.
Zack selects a tree far enough away to not be affected by any stray magic, but close enough to get a good view of what's going on.
Kara, on the other hand, hangs back towards the outskirts of the trees.

Zack looks back at her, an amused smile on his lips.
"You'll miss the show from back there. You sure you don't want to come any closer?"

Kara's voice is distant.
"Yup."

There's a bit of movement as she takes another step behind a tree.
I guess this whole magic portal business makes her nervous. It's understandable since she's not accustomed to magic like Leanna or Amelia.

Amelia studies the notes, then nods to herself and snaps the book shut.
"The casting is quite simple. It is the same technique as any other cast."

Leanna looks at me.
"Are you ready?"

I nod determined.

Amelia glances at my stance, then frowns.
"Your stance is incorrect. Straighten your spine."

Hmm, I naturally slouch a little when using force abilities, guess this is a bit different then. I lenghten my spine and stand as straight as I can.

"Now you are too tense. Keep yourself relaxed but do not slump."

I mentally sigh. Scratch that, I think I actually sighed.
I release some tension in my back, and stand naturally straight, just the way I normally stand.

She's about to speak again, but Leanna gently pulls Amelia to the side.
"Okay, I think he gets it."

She steps in front of me and gives me an encouraging smile.
"Your stance is fine. Just remember to raise your arms in front of you."

I do as she says and raise my arms like I was about to throw some Force Lightning. Leanna nods.

"Now, the actual casting part is going to sound tricky. You'll need to focus your mind on the spell you want to cast."

Sounds like channeling any other Force ability.
"So, I should just think about temporal rifts?"

She nods again.
"Yes, but you need to connect that thought with the magic energy."

"Uh..."

"Clear your mind of every thought."

I close my eyes and push away all of my doubts and confusion and focus on Leanna's voice.

"Now think about the rift you want to create."

I imagine tearing a hole in the fabric of reality. I don't actually know what a rift would look like or feel like. All I remember is the bright light...
Should I focus on that light?

"At the same time, sense for the magic within you."

I try to sense for any kind of magic, but nothing seems out of the ordinary.
"How do I know where the magic is?"

"It will feel like a tendril of willing warmth. When you find it, reach out for it and grab hold. The magic is eager to be used and will latch on."

This is quite abstract, but I know I can do it. I just have to focus!
I start to meditade, slowing down my breathing, and turn within. As my breathing becomes slow and steady, I open up my senses for any indication of another presence.

"Once you find the magic, connect your thoughts of the rift with the magic and then channel both the magic and the thoughts through your hands to cast it in the open."

I continue sensing, but I only feel my own connection to the Force, my well-nigh unlimited pool of power. But there has to be something else, so I continue my search.
Sweat beads on my temples as I strain to cast, but nothing happens.
Eventually, my arms grow weary and my focus wavers. I decompress with a sigh.
"It didn't work."

"It's okay, we can try again. People aren't usually able to cast on their first try."

I unconciously raise my hand to my chin.
"There must still be something I'm missing."

"It just takes some getting used to. Plus, you're trying to cast without a manipulator."

"Oh yeah, both you and Amelia use manipulators to cast. Maybe that's why I wasn't able to do it."

"Well, the manipulator's function is to house the energy scource for us to cast with. Technically, because you already have the energy within you, you shouldn't need a manipulator."

"Hmm, I see."

"But this is all theory anyways. It may be easier trying to cast using a crystal, especially for a first-time caster."

Focus is not exactly my problem, but it might help.

Amelia chimes in.
"Regardless, there could be a multitude of factors for why this attempt was not successful. One of which could be as simple as the fact that you still not possess enough energy to open the rift."

"Shouldn't the temple have had enough?"
Although I imagine it takes a tremendous amount of energy to create a rift in the fabric of reality, the temple held a tremendous amount of energy.

"Theoretically, perhaps, but a significant portion of the energy was already being used to sustain the Elemental's image. She was able to transfer what was left of the energy to you, which from my readings was only 20% of the total energy in the temple when we started."

Only one fifth of it's power, hm? And there are, probably, five temples. I have the feeling I know where this is going…

Suddenly, Kara is standing right beside us, as cheerful as ever.
"That sounds like you all still need to explore some more temples!"

I jump at her presence, I have not felt her coming closer again. Even Leanna and Amelia seem suprised to see her so close. Only Zack is unaffected.
"How did you get here so fast?"

She grins at me.
"Am I wrong?"

The pango jumps out of Kara's arms and hops into mine.
"Poi poi!"

I pat him on the head and he wiggles contently, licking the air around me.

Zack closed in as well.
"So it could be that he doesn't know how to cast or that he doesn't have enough energy."

"Sure, but what does that mean for you all in terms of next steps? Are you going to hang out in Embermyst until he learns how to cast?"

"It could take him weeks before he can even cast the simplest of spells…
That is quite the long time to rely on someone else's hospitality."

"Oi, have some faith in me, will ya?"

Leanna and Kara ignore me completely.

"It sounds like it would still be in your best interest to visit at least one more temple just to be sure you have enough energy. You can teach him how to cast on the way so by the time he gets there he'll be ready to go."

Leanna looks thoughtful.
"That does seem better than the alternative."

"Although I do not appreciate being ignored, I came to the same conlusion. Also, something tells me that I'll have to visit all the temples regardless. Anyhow, it's always good to have all our bases covered."

Amelia nods.
"That is the most efficient course of action. If we can mitigate any uncertain factors, then we can pinpoint where the weakness is and adjust accordingly for a successful cast. The research this will provide will be very informative."

Hearing Amelia's affirmation, Zack shrugs.
"Since I'm here to protect Amelia, I go where she goes."

Kara smiles broadly and slings her arms around Zack and Amelia, much to their dismay.
"Great! Then our agreement is still on."

"Hey!"
Zack moves out of Kara's grasp. She smirks.
"Most men would be thrilled to have a pretty woman hug them. Right, Amelia?"

"That is correct. A healthy physique is inherently attractive for potential mates."

Kara lets go and starts to lead the way out of the forest.
"We should spend the night in Embermyst. We can plan our next steps there."

Once we are in agreement, we follow Kara back to Embermyst.
Upon arriving, we head to the inn.

"We can spend the night here. I'll meet you back down in the lobby in a few minutes."

Kara ventures upstairs while we secure two rooms with the innkeeper. As we recieve our keys, Amelia excuses herself.
"I wish to seek an audience with Elder Issim and continue our discussion. I would be remiss to let such an opportunity pass."

"He seems like a good guy, but maybe we keep the fact that I'm not from here a secret."

"Yes, that is something in which we are in agreement."

"Oh, okay."

She nods and moves to leave the inn.

I call out to her again.
"Amelia?"

She stops and turns around to me again, tilting her head.
"Yes?"

"I meant to speak with Elder Issim myself as well, but I fear I am too fatigued to have any meaningful discussion. Would you mind sending him my sincerest apology and regards, as well as this?"

I pull out a stone I picked up on our way back earlier. I infused it with my power and placed a Phase Walk mark on it.

She smiles slightly.
"I don't mind at all. But I am curious why you would give a stone to Elder Issim."

"It's infused with my power. If he concentrates on it while thinking about me, I should be able to answer his call and visit him from time to time. Only if he wants that, of course. Actually, I might should write him a letter to explain that, if you could wait a bit."

Amelia nods and produces a sheet of paper and a pen for me to use.
"I may wait."

I take the utensils from her and sit down on a table.
"Thank you. Just give me three minutes."

Amelia nods again and stands patiently besides me while I write.

Esteemed Elder Issim,

I apologize for not being able to visit you in person this evening as I said I would. As a token of my appreciation of your help towards us, I send you this stone. It may seem like a normal stone, but I infused it with my own energy, as I am a sorcerer from a land far across the great ocean, beyond Esaria, and our usage of magic differs from yours.
When you focus on the stone and think about me, I should be able to answer your call and visit you again. I could also bring other members of our party along, if you so desire. In case you have no interest in this artifact, please give it back to Amelia, so I can neutralize it.
I hope we will get another chance to speak, as I am sure we can learn much from each other.

Yours sincerely,
Xerath Kallig

I smirk, three minutes on the dot.
As I look back up, I notice that Amelia as well as Leanna look over my shoulder and watched me write.
I fold the letter and give it and the pen to Amelia.
"Thank you, Amelia."

She smiles and nods.
"You are welcome."
She then leaves the inn.

I then turn to look at Leanna and smirk.
"Saw something interesting?"

She blushes lightly, likely due to being cought watching me.
"Yes, actually. I'm suprised you have such clean and neat handwriting."

"Well, I trained that as well, actually. Part of me always appearing refined."
I don't dive deeper, but it was acutally part of Zash's teachings, to appear refined and well mannered. A neat handwriting is as much part of that as an exalted manner of speaking.

"Ah, I see."

Now I finally have the time to look around the inn.
The decor of the inn is similar to Elder Issim's hut. Pillows and rugs line the ground as a few people sit cross-legged in frond of the fire. A few tables line the other side of the wall, all of which are empty.
In fact, aside from the couple of people chatting by the fire, this place is very empty.

"I guess they don't see too many visitors here."

"For a city which is supposed to be a secret, that's not suprising. It's more suprising that they even have an inn."

I nod and stiffle a yawn.
We sit at a table as Zack orders us dinner. After a few minutes, Kara returns.
"Where's Amelia?"

"She went to speak with Elder Issim."

She nods.

My eyelids droop and I'm stifling yawns every few minutes. My limbs feel heavy and it's taking quite an effort to just sit upright.
After I let out a wide yawn, Leanna glances over at me.
"Maybe you should go to bed. We're winding down anyway so it'd be a good idea to get some rest."

"That sounds really good right now. I guess absorbing all that energy really takes it out of you, huh?"

Leanna smiles at my joke.
"It would seem so."

Regardless, I am grateful for the excuse to leave. I trot upstairs and fumble with the key before opening the door. Then I fall onto one of the twin cots and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

A/n: To anyone still sticking around, thank you for doing so, and I apologize for the long delay. As you can see, this was the largest chapter this far, with almost 14k words. I also brought in quite a few original moments as well, which took a while until I was satisfied.
A large part was also me being lazy, sorry about that.
I also don't know when the next chapter will be out, since there's currently a lot going on in my life, but it will come eventually.

Anyway, thank you for reading, and you may tell me what you think about it. Or don't, your decision.