We wake up the next morning and continue our travels.

After my last burst of magic, I've tried to replicate that feeling of casting. Although I'm finally seeing improvement, I can't cast as well as I hope.
The result of my casting is a just a weak tendril of magic… But at least it's something!
Leanna's spirits have lifted too, and she continues my training with renewed enthusiasm.

Two days pass before we the trees become denser as we reach the woods.

We must be on the right track.
At first, the walk is easy as the trees line a well worn path, but the deeper into the forest we traverse, the more careful we become of our steps as the wild undergrowth tangles our legs.
It reminds me of the jungle of Yavin IV.
The pango wobbles unsteadily over the roots and debris on the ground, then hops onto my shoulder.
"Poi poi."

The canopy overhead thickens, blocking out much of the sunlight. Leanna glances uneasily around her.
Noticing Leanna, Zack glances around too and becomes grave.
"I think we've stumbled into the Forest of Grieving."

Leanna balks.
"Grieving?!"

The pango looks concerned.
"Poi poi?"

Zack nods.

Kara looks curiously at Zack then watches Leanna gaze suspiciously around her. She seems to put two and two together and grins mischievously.
"Isn't that the one with all the trapped souls?"

Leanna's eyes widen and her voice trembles.
"Trapped souls?"

I raise an eyebrow.
"Leanna, you literally met a ghost, yet you still get spooked by those stories? Besides, they're just teasing you."

Leanna blinks.
"What?"

Realisation dawns on her.
"Yes... Yes, you're right. But, just because your ancestor was so nice, doesn't mean all ghosts have to be."

"I mean, that's true, but..."

"See?"

I sigh.
"And even if there were trapped souls or evil ghosts here, they would not harm you. I would not allow it."

Leanna seems calmed down.

Zack tries to push it.
"But this is real. I mean, Kara, you've heard of it, right?"

Kara nods.
"Yup, the souls get trapped because-"

Leanna puts her hands over her ears.
"La la la! I don't want to hear this!"

On one hand, I am enamored by this childish side of her, but on the other hand I wonder why she is so obviously scared of this topic. She is mortified, and I do not know how I can help her...

Amelia puts her hands on her hips.
"Evidently, Zack, you were misinformed as there is no such place as the Forest of Grieving."

"Um, no, there definitely is a Forest of Grieving. Right, Kara?"

"Absolutely."

"If that is true, it is certainly not here."

Leanna pouts adorably, her face bright red.
"You guys are the worst!"

She rushes closer to Amelia and pointedly ignores Zack and Kara, who pretend to hide their amusement.

The pango shoots the two of them dirty looks.
"Poi poi!"

"That's right, pango."

Leanna scoops him into her arms and hugs him into her chest. The pango doesn't protest. I wouldn't either.

Amelia suprisingly turns to me.
"You just mentioned that Leanna met the ghost of your ancestor. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is."

She taps her chin in thought.
"But when? We are traveling through the wilderness since almost a week now."

"Back in Hearthpoint. We've met on the balcony of your house by chance. I couldn't sleep and me talking with my ancestor appearently woke Leanna."

"Ah, I see. Would it be possible to meet him, as well? I am quite curious to meet a ghost."

Kara chimes in.
"A ghost? For real?"

I turn to Leanna.
"Are you alright with that, Leanna?"

She looks suprised.
"Huh? Why do you ask me?"

"You know... I'm just trying to be considerate."

Her confusion melts into a smile.
"Oh, that's what you meant. Yeah, I'm okay, I mean what I said."

"Alright then."

I close my eyes for a moment and call for Aloysius.

This time, it doesn't take long for his blue glowing spectral form to materialise.

They are speechless, aside from Leanna.

He speaks up.
"Ah, son of my sons, you have called for me."

"Indeed I have, Aloysius. I hope I didn't bother you."

"Nay, you never bother me. So, what can I do for you? I assume it has something to do with your company."

I nod.
"You assumed correctly. These are people I've met on my travels to return to our Galaxy, Amelia Astelle, Kara Noire, and Zack Spade."

I point to each of them, as they are still too stunned to do something else beside a small nod.

"I see."

He turns around to the three.
"My name is Aloysius Kallig. I once was a powerful Dark Lord of the Sith, until I was killed in a cowardly ambush laid by my best friend. Now, I am only a guidance to my descendant here. And I am happy to see that he has found such wonderful friends in a world that is not his own."

Amelia is the first of them to speak up.
"It is an honour to meet you, Lord Kallig."

"Please, you may call me Aloysius, if you like. History has long since forgotten my name, I am no longer a Lord of the Sith."

"Hey, that's not true! Many people still know you."

He actually snorts.
"Yes, scholars that know me as the most dangerous foe of Tulak Hord. Not as the loyal friend I really was."

I chuckle melancholic.
"I guess we were quite similar in that regard. You with Tulak and I with Zash."

He chuckles as well.
"It seems like it, yes."

I turn to the still stunned group.
"Is there anything you want to ask?"

Amelia wants to raise her hand, but stops midway and asks directly.
"How do you know that we are 'such wonderful friends', as you worded it?"

"Xerath and I are bound. I am only able to keep this form thanks to his power. This bond also allows me to feel his emotions when I'm near him, even read his mind, if he allows it."

Kara opens her mouth to say something.

But Aloysius is faster.
"So yes, I know what Xerath thinks and feels about you, and no, I'm not going to tell you."

Kara glances sideways.
"Bummer."

She perks up immediately, though.
"But I actually have another question left."

"Well, go on."

"How is it like to be dead?"

He pauses, then puts his hand to his chin.
"Well, I never really gave much thought to that. I simply was. But if I have to describe it... no hunger, no thirst, no need for sleep or other functions of a living body. A limited sense of touch..."

"You can feel?!"

He nods.
"Indirectly. My form is pure Force energy. As such I can feel through the Force whatever I 'touch'."

Amelia speaks again.
"Fascinating."

I slowly but surely start to feel the drain his manifestation takes on me, and he feels it as well.

"If that would be all for now, I have to rest. It takes quite an effort to maintain this form."

Zack nods.
"Of course. It was nice meeting you."

Aloysius returns it.
"Likewise. And please continue to look after my Xerath. He is like a son to me."

Leanna smiles warmly.
"Don't worry, we will."

His gaze lingers on Leanna for a moment, and with a final nod he disappears.

After a moment of silence Zack speaks up.
"Well, that was something. I think I start to believe you when you call yourself a god."

I smirk playfully.
"Only now? Well, better late then never I suppose."

Zack snorts, but doesn't say anything else.

We conntinue to walk in silence. As we venture further within the forest, the air feels thick and heavy.
The canopy thins out but the trees themselves have knotted and thick bark, making them seem very old.
They brighten with an ethereal blue-green luminescence.
The Force is strong and in balance here, although inclined to the Light side. Feels a bit like Tython, when I was there, once. Also familiar to Odessen as well.
I sigh at the familiarity.
"Ahh, do you feel that?"

"Poooiii…"
Breathing out in wonder, the pango squirms in Leanna's grasp and hops out before exploring the forest.

She is also the next to speak.
"This place is loaded with magical energy."

"Yeah, that's why it's glowing. I assume there are natural crystal formations nearby?"

Amelia perks up, seemingly suprised.
"Yes, that is correct. The natural formation of crystals is what gives it its colouration."

I take my time admiring the natural beauty of the place. This feels so familiar… In a good way.

Peeking out from behind a tree is a small pink pango. My pango hops over to her and when she realises she's been spotted, she hops out into view and tilts her head curiously.
"Poi?"

"Poi poi!"

The pink pango looks over at Leanna and gives her a wide grin. Leanna gasps as it hops closer to her.
"Poi!"

"How cute!"

She reaches out towards the pink pango, who hops into her arms.

"Oh! She likes me!"
Leanna squels excitedly and hugs her close.
She's not the only one, though.

"Poi?"
Another pango peeks out from behind a bush and hops over to Leanna. Her grin grows even wider.
She opens her arms and the pango hops in, much to Leanna's delight.

"Another pango!"

"Poi!"

"Poi?"

"Poi poi!"

"W-What?"

Even more pangos pop out from behind the trees and bushes and begin to surround Leanna, who watches them with joy.
"So many pangos!"

She reaches out to all of them and they each openly receive her affection. I feel my heart skip a beat as it melts from the most lovely view I ever had the fortune to see.

"Poi!"

"Poi!"

The chorus of 'poi's increase as even more emerge, and soon even Leanna is overwhelmed by the sheer number of pangos.

Zack stands as close to the edge of the trees as possible and as far away from the pangos as possible.
His hands hover protectively over his dischargers as he eyes the pangos suspiciously.

Amelia moves from pango to pango, seemingly studying the variations.

Kara joins in and plays with the pangos closest to her.

As even more pangos filter out into the clearing, Leanna's eyes fill with tears.
"Too… many… pangos…"

"Oh no… Leanna, are you okay?"

Her smile is still as wide as ever as she kneels on the ground, holding as many pangos as she can in her arms, but the tears continue to flow.
She speaks between sobs.
"I… can't… hug them all!"

Kara comes over and puts a comforting arm around her.
"It's okay, just hug as many as you can."

Leanna sniffles and nods.

My pango looks up at me with a wondering gaze.
I look down at him and smile.
"Don't worry, you're the only pango I need."

He beams and hops into my arms, then nuzzles me affectionately.
I return the smile.

From among the pangos emerges a pango larger than the others. He has a twist of leaves which he wears around his head and as he passes, all the other pangos seem to settle down in reverence.
He pauses in front of Leanna.
"Poi?"

Leanna blinks.

"Poi poi poi, poi!"
That was a long string of poi's!

I step in front of Leanna and adress the pango with a formal bow.
"We come in peace, your majesty."

The obvious pango king just looks at me curiously, but the glimmer in his eyes tells me he understood my acknowledgement of his authority.
My pango steps up to the larger pango and speaks in a series of pois.
"Poi poi, poi poi poi?"

The larger pango seems suprised, then nods.
"Poi! Poi poi."

"Poi poi! Poi, poi poi poi?"

"Poi."
He turns around and hops deeper into the forest.

My pango faces us.
"Poi poi!"

He tilts his head to indicate the forest, then follows the pango king.

"I think we should follow him."

Zack shrugs, but Leanna nods.
"Yeah, I think so too. At the very least, we can't leave him."

Zack crosses his arms.
"What if he's leading us to danger?"

I raise an eyebrow.
"I thought you finally believed me, Zack. There is no danger with me around."

Amelia perks up.
"Furthermore, it would seem that the other pangos respect the larger pango. He may be the equivalent of a king or other authority figure, as Xerath seem to know as well. If he wished us harm, we would already know."

Kara chimes in.
"Besides, the most 'harm' a pango can do is cuddle us!"

I get them back on track.
"We better get a move on before we lose them."

We follow the pangos further into the forest. Some of the other pangos tag along, popping in and out of the trees.
I've never seen so many pangos in one place before. But judging by the concentration of Force energy here, it's no suprise.

Eventually, we stop before a crumbling stone structure.

"Poi!"

"Poi?"

The pango leader nods.
"Poi poi poi."

"Poooooi! Poi poi poi poi!"

"Poi."

"Poi poi."

Amelia speaks up.
"It would seem the pangos have escorted us to the temple we seek."

I glance at my little friend.
"Although I have a guess, how did they know?"

"More then likely, our pango friend inquired as to the reason for the migration of so many pangos in one area. He must have been curious about their source of energy, which just happens to be the earth temple."

I nod.
"Yeah, I thought along those lines as well."

I continue with a smile.
"Great minds think alike."

Amelia fidgets, trying to hide the light shade of pink on her cheeks.

I look back at the temple. It clearly hasn't been touched in a long time and half of it is falling apart.

"Watch your step when we go in there. It might be unsafe."

Kara seems more excited than anything, though.
"Only one way to find out!"

She marches towards the temple.

Leanna perks up.
"But what about the pangos? Won't they be upset?"

She has a point…
"Especially considering we intent to absorb the energy."

Amelia chimes in.
"The temples were built over areas of naturally high concentrations of energy, so the temples continuously amass energy at an accelerated rate.
Therefore, the amount which we will absorb will be replenished fast enough to not adversely affect the pango's ecosystem."

"Why don't people live near these pockets of continuous energy?"

"The only energy we are able to manipulate is extracted from crystals. This form of energy, which resides in the air, cannot be manipulated or absorbed by humans."
Amelia pauses.
"Humans of Terra, that is. In contrast, pangos are able to absorb all forms of energy, including airborne."

"I see. But why?"

Amelia blinks.
"What do you mean with 'why'?"

"Why are you not able to manipulate the airborne energy? It is the same source that makes the crystals. What makes pangos different to humans in that regard?"

"We... do not know that yet. That is still subject to research, but progress is slow since animal experiments are outlawed."

"Oh, I see. Right, you lack the technology to scan life forms for their DNA, I suppose."

"'DNA'?"

I wave off.
"A topic for another time. Either way, it sounds like the pangos will be fine."

Leanna nods, and we follow Kara. The pangos make no move to stop us, but continue to watch us curiously.

Kara calls out to us.
"Come on!"

We approach the temples entrance.
Just to be on the safe side, I place a Phase Mark and grant each of my party a Static Barrier.

Leanna lightly yelps in suprise.
"Huh?! What is this?"

I smile sheepishly.
"Ups, may should've warned you beforehand. I gave you Static Barriers. They are basically shields that protect you from harm."

She smiles.
"Oh, thanks!"

We continue into the temple.
The temple structure- at least what remains of it- reminds me of the one from the fire temple.
It's built with an open front and I can see where the altars may have stood in the past. Now it's just weathered stone.
The columns are holding up, but I watch them precariously, untrusting of their stability.
Vibrant green moss camouflages the grey stones. I have to admit, the view is quite impressive.

Kara takes the lead and steps carefully on the stones, obviously testing for traps.
I move to help.

"It's okay, I've got this."

I smirk.
"I wouldn't be a good archeologist if I'd let you do all the work.

"Alright then, if you say so."

The rest hangs back and lets us explore without distraction.
Leanna holds onto the pango who seems eager to explore with Kara and me.

After circling through the temple, we returns to the others, perplexed.
"Based on the design of the fire temple, I figured the earth temple would have more traps. Or even just one trap, but I found zero."

I nod.
"Yeah, me neither."

Zack speaks up.
"Then we should definitely be on our guard."

Kara's voice is disapproving.
"Are you doubting my abilities?"

Zack is alarmed.
"No, I just meant-"

Kara giggles.
"I know, I know. I'm just teasing."

Zack grumbles and crosses his arms.

Amelia steps up to the temple and starts to have a careful look around.
The rest of us slowly filter in too. The pango hops out of Leanna's arms and bounces excitedly into the temple.

Amy fidgets with her manipulator, much to the curiosity of Leanna.
"What are you checking?"

"I am searching for any anomalies in these magical readings. The barrier from the last temple resonated a unique signature. If such a thing were to exist here as well, it is highly likely to lead us to the Earth Elemental."

Kara shakes her head in wonder.
"I still can't believe the Elementals are real..."

Zack chimes in.
"I wouldn't jump so fast to that conclusion."

"Seriously? Did you forget about our journey to the fire temple?"

"I didn't, but I don't remember me or the rest of you seeing the Fire Elemental… except him."
Zack gives me a pointed look.

Before I can even open my mouth, Leanna speaks up.
"He wouldn't have a reason to lie about it."

Amelia chimes in.
"Exposure to large quantities of mogical energy can potentially cause hallucinations. There have been documented cases of such events transpiring."

I snicker.
"That weren't hallucinations, I'm sure."

Amelia raises a brow.
"What would it have been instead?"

"Visions. Of the future, the past, sometimes the present. I had my fair share of visions. And as such, I can discern the difference between a vision and reality. And what I saw was definitely real. Furthermore, doesn't her transferring the energy to me count as proof?"

"Your absorbation of magic and the existence of Elementals is not a causal reaction."

I somehow feel betrayed.
"…I thought you'd be the one most likely to believe me."

"I do give credence to your anectode in which you believe to have seen the Fire Elemental. However, mroe evidence is required to that anecdote into a fact."

I nod in understanding while she continues to attentively monitor her manipulator.

"Hmm, there appears to be a strange pattern regarding energy distribution-"

A sudden rumble from above breaks our attention. The rocks shift precariously, then crack and crashing down on me!

"Look out!"
Leanna tackles us both out of the way just as the rock smashes down, leaving a heavy split in the stones on the ground.

I land hard, but my Static Barrier absorbs the force.

"Are you okay?"
Leanna props herself up on top of me and peers down with a worried look.
"Sorry, I channeled my wind energy into reaching you in time and I even didn't think about softening the landing."

I stare at her.
"You just saved my life, or would have if I hadn't everything under control, and you're apologising over something like that? Besides, the shield I gave all of us earlier softened the blow for me."

Leanna looks a little suprised but then she lets out a smile.

"Are you okay, though?"

"Yeah, thankfully the brunt of my fall was broken by…"
Her voice trails off and her cheeks redden when she's realising she's straddling me. She quickly picks herself up.

Aww, I actually didn't mind us being like that…
I sigh as I push myself to my feet. Leanna's attention is on the mountain of rocks sectioning us off from the rest of the team.

"Hey! Can you guys hear us?"
Kara's voice is muted from the other side of the rock wall.

I answer.
"We're fine. What happened?"

Amelia pipes up.
"The structure collapsed from the instability of the ruins. I would advise caution moving forward."

"Poi poi?"
The pango's voice is very small.

"Pango!"

"Don't worry, he's safe here with us."

Zack chimes in.
"Speaking of moving, how are we going to get these stones moved?"

Leanna speaks up.
"Stand to the side, I'll move them with my magic."

Leanna motions me to move away and I comply. Her gauntlet flickers to life as she channels her wind energy.
At first, the rocks refuse to budge, but Leanna keeps trying. Sweat beads on her face as she concentrates, but even after a few more attempts she's unable to move any of the rocks to break the wall.
We step out of the way and let Leanna do her thing. I can hear Leanna's efforts in channeling magic.
But nothing happens.
There's a pause, then I hear her further attempts at casting.

"I can't seem to move any of the stones…"
The frustration is evident in her voice. It is weird that she can't move any of the stones at all.

I hear some shuffling on the other end and I assume it's Amy using her manipulator to scan.
"Interesting. It appears these are no ordinary stones. They are shielded with magic."

Shielded with magic? Thus by the Force? I think I should refrain from meddling with that wall.
"What does that mean?"

"The magic they are shielded with are dampening any other outside magical efforts."

Leanna speaks up.
"That's not good."

"However, in light of this new information, I am able to adjust the type of reading necessary to override the wall's magic block. By doing so, I am able to plot out the navigation of this temple as the ruins emit energy. Based on our current locale, our paths will converge in a short time if me move further in."

I smile proudly, although Amy can't see it.
"Now that sounds like a plan to me."

Kara agrees.
"Let's get going then!"

Leanna and I look at each other and nod. We start heading in the direction Amy provided.
We stick close together and keep a cautious eye on our surroundings.
Leanna periodically checks her manipulator.

"Looking for something?"

"I'm following Amy's energy signature to make sure we're both going in the same direction. So far, we're still on the right path and should be converging with them soon enough."

"That's good."
Although I don't mind wandering around alone with you.

I put my hands behind my head.
"Hey, I forgot to thank you earlier for saving me. Thank you."

Leanna smiles playfully.
"Even if it wasn't strictly necessary?"

I return her smile and nod.
"Yes, the thought counts."

I turn somber.
"That aside, those rocks interfere not only with magic, but with my powers as well. I... They might've disturbed and breached my defences."

She looks suprised.
"So it was necessary to push you out of the way?"

I smile.
"Let's consider it that way."

She smiles again, this time warmly.
"Alright. Besides, you did the same for me."

"Huh? Oh, yeah…"

"Ravenpass, remember? When we fought the treasurer."

"Yeah, that. But I only pushed you out of the way back then. In hindsight, I probably should have dived out of the way too or blocked it with my barrier instead of, you know, eating the blast full force."

She giggles.
"Moving out of the way would have been a better idea, but it was heroic nonetheless!"

Leanna smirks.
"Besides, you find yourself in trouble so often, saving you has become second nature."

I cross my arms and stare flatly.
"You have no idea what trouble I usually am in. This is childrens play compared."

I relax and smile again.
"And because of that I am really happy and grateful to know that you've got my back."

Leanna giggles and smiles bashfully.
She seems to be in better spirits when we continue traveling.

We turn a corner and find ourselves in a slightly open area. I notice a bit of movement from the corner of my eyes, but when I look over, all I see are the same mossy vines which were covering the entrance of the temple too.
That's strange…

"Hmm, the energy reading here is higher than usual."

"I feel it too. Stay on your guard."

Leanna nods and goes to draw her sword.
"It's not dormant like everywhere else. I'm scanning active energy here!"

Before I can react, vines shoot up from the stones of the ruins and converge straigt towards Leanna!
She gasps and attempts to swing at the incoming vines, but there are too many of them.
As they entangle her limbs, she loses grip of her sword and it clatters to the ground.
"Ah, what is this?!"

I'm frozen in shock. This reminds me too much of Oricon. Those damned Dread Masters and their cursed tentacles…
The vines attack me as well, but I barely register it as they bounce off harmlessly around my Static Barrier.

Leanna struggles to break free in vain as the vines lift her off the ground.
"Help me down!"

Her call snaps me out of it, but instead of shock I feel anger.
My eyes turn golden.
"Don't you dare touch her!"

I hold my arms in front of me in a cross before pulling them back, unleashing a shockwave that disintegrates all of the vines. All of them. At least in a 50 metre radius.
I stay in that position, panting hard, trying to calm myself down as Leanna softly lands on the ground.
She notices my distressed state and rushes over to me.
"Xerath!"

She stops at my side, puts her hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong?"

Seeing her concerned face and hearing her soothing voice, I manage to calm down somewhat and close my eyes.
When I open them they are back to their normal hazel.
"Sorry. That just awakened some unpleasant memories. And seeing you in that situation... I kind of snapped."

I clench my fist.
Leanna places her hands over it.
"Hey, I'm fine. You saved me, alright?"

Altough her cheeks are still burning red from that emberassing situation, she looks at me softly.
I can't hold it in anymore after that.
I hug her tightly.
"I just... I can't lose you, Leanna. I can't. Not you."

After a moment of shock or suprise she hugs me back reassuringly, one hand stroking the back of my head and the other rubbing my back.
"Shhh, It's alright. I'm here, I'm fine, and I'm not going anywhere."

I clench my eyes shut and hold to her like a lifeline, which she basically is for me, at this point.

It takes quite some time for me to finally calm down completely. How long exactly I do not know.
Leanna also notices me relaxing and loses her hold of me.
She pulls back and smiles kindly, but worriedly.
"Are you feeling better now?"

My cheeks burn as I realise that Leanna saw me in such a distressed state.
I smile but look away whilst scrathing my cheek.
"Yeah, I am. Thank you. And sorry you had to see that."

She puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'm here for you when you want to talk."

I turn my head to face her again and smile with all my current gratitude.
"Thank you. I hope I'll be ready for that rather sooner than later."

"It doesn't matter. You're ready whenever you're ready. You don't have to force yourself."

"Yeah, you're right. Anyhow, I think we left the others waiting long enough, we should get going."

"Are you sure you're ready to move on?"

I smile.
"As ready as I'll ever be. Now come on."

We continue down the path and Leanna is extra cautious and keeps her blade at the ready.
I notice just how far down the path I disintegrated the vines as we have found none.
That may or may not be the reason we make it through without further incidents and we spot our group waiting for us on a converging path.
Kara is the first to speak.
"You guys made it!"

"Poi poi!"
The pango bounces over to me and leaps into my arms.

"Hey buddy."
My voice is still somewhat shaky, and I hug the pango to my chest.

Kara beams and waves us over. She blinks when she gets a better look at us.
"Whoa… Did something happen?"

Leanna clears her throat as a subtle pink tinges her cheeks.
"N-Nothing at all. Isn't that right?"

She looks over to me.

"Yeah, nothing."

Kara looks back and forth between us and then grins.
"Ohhh, I get it. I mean, you two were alone after all..."

Leanna's cheeks flare. And mine don't fare that much better.
"No, it's not what you're thinking!"

Kara winks.
"Right, nothing happened."

Leanna mumbles something incoherent as she pushes past Kara.
"What is it with everyones overly active imagination today?!"

The group looks to me for answers.

"Can we please just get going? I want to leave this place behind me as soon as possible."

"I concur, it would be advisable to not to spend any more time than necessary here."

Zack nods.
"Alright, let's go."

"Poi poi?"

"Don't worry about it."

The pango shrugs as he hops onto my head.

With Leanna leading the way, we continue moving forward.
We continue down the path of the earth temple.

We finally make it to the core of the temple.
The center of the temple is a lot different from the rest of the place. For one, it's not crumbling apart. Birds flitter across the sky and there is lush greenery all around. Sitting in the middle of the garden is a beautiful woman.
Her dress and her hair are the same green as the plants and there's something about her that feels warm, inviting and alive.
The sounds and voices of my friends around me fade away as I'm filled with the tranquility and beauty of nature surrounding me.
She raises her hand, and at her touch, I feel a sense of calm and peace, which is currently quite needed.
Just like at the fire temple, I can feel the revitalising effect of the energy absorption.
The more energy I absorb, the more translucent the Elemental becomes until with a small smile, she disappears.

Slowly, the scenic nature view fades from my senses and I'm pulled back to the crumbling ruins of the temple and the curious faces of my friends.
Amy and Leanna hover by me as the pango looks up at me from the ground.
"Poi?"

"His pupil dilation is returning to normal."

"Are you okay? You completely zoned out there."

I nod.
"I am. Better than okay, actually…"

I'm still feeling dazed as the remnants of tranquility begin to fade.

Leanna's voice is filled with curiosity.
"Did you see the Earth Elemental?"

"I did. This time, though, it felt different. When the energy was channeling into me at the fire temple, I felt a rush of passion and strength. This time, I felt more of a sense of peace and calmness."

"I can confirm you did absorb a substantial quantity of energy. However, your mention of feeling emotions based on the absorbing different elemental energy types is quite fascinating. It is something which has never been reported before given that the humans of Terra cannot absorb energy.
Once your senses have fully returned to normal, I would appreciate discussing in greater detail what exactly you experienced during the actual absorption of energy."

"Sure, we can talk about it. By the way, where are Zack and Kara?"

As if on cue, the two of them appear, each holding bags filled with what I would assume is whatever loot could be found.

"Don't mind us! We just went on an all-you-can-grab treasure buffet!"
Kara grins and opens her pouch to hand something to Amy.
"Here, I found this."

She hands Amelia an ancient tome.
"I figured you might be interested in this sort of thing."

Amy carefully turns the pages of the book with great interest.
"This is written in ancient Gaean script, a language of which I have studied but of which I am not fluent. It will take me some time to translate it using my references, but the content should be most academic!"

She smiles at Kara.
"Thank you."

Kara pats her on the head.
"You're most welcome!"

A rumble above interrupts us. We all tense up and go on high alert, but no rockslide occurs this time.
Zack speaks up.
"It looks like we've got everything we need from here. Let's head out of here before another cave in blocks our exit."

We all agree, and still on high alert, make our way out of the temple as quickly as we can.

We make it out of the temple and back into the forest. The sunlight shimmers through the trees, making me wince and blink.

Leanna let's out a deep, relieved breath.
"We made it."

Amelia speaks up next.
"Now that we have sucessfully made it through the temple, let us not forget our purpose for coming here."

We look at Amelia with curiosity. She gestures to me.
"His energy readings have increased substantially. Perhaps it is now possible for him to open a temporal rift."

I'm a bit suprised.
"You want to try that now?"

A grin spreads across Amelia's face.
"Indeed."

I glance around.
"Hmm… If my supsicions are correct, I doubt it will work, but this place looks barren enough so we may try."

Kara blinks.
"Oh? You're doing that again?"

She shuffles away, and away, and away… until she's behind a tree.

Zack smirks.
"Keeping watch again?"

"You know it!"

Zack creates a bit of distance too, but not as much as Kara. Leanna and Amelia look at me.

"Are you ready?"

Kara's voice is far away.
"Wait!"

She races back, scoops up the pango who gives a little squeek of protest, then sprints back to her tree.
Finally, she gives a thumbs up.
"Okay! Good to go!"

Leanna focuses on me.
"Alright, let's try it. Just do what you did last time, except now you can focus and channel your energy."

Amelia, who is standing beside her, nods.

I close my eyes, and I try to focus on creating a rift. I bring up in my mind the images of what I saw when I entered Terra.
I inhale and exhale slowly as I try to draw in on that peace I felt when I met the Earth Elemental. I remember the scent of wildflowers, the fluttering of birds, and the creaking of trees. It fills me with a soft, gentle calm that spreads throughout the rest of my body.
An odd, tranquil stillness fills my mind.

Leanna's voice is soft.
"Keep going. Visualise your cast."

My brows furrow. I see a dark shape peeling away at the sky.
...And suddenly, a hot surge of energy flashes down my arm.
There's a loud crack followed by a hiss. I open my eyes.
A churning wind pours out of my manipulator and swirls about the dirt and grass. The trees groan and sway.

I try to keep the wind stable, but it's just too strong.
The muscles in my arm strain with effort. The wind whips about Leanna's hair and clothes. My cast is more powerful than before but still unrefined.

Amelia speaks reassuringly.
"You are nervous and panicking. Ease your mind and calm yourself."

Right. Don't panic, I've got this…
My heart lurches. Anxiety coils in my stomach.

Amelia calls out.
"You may stop now."

I do as she says. The wind snarls and then smooths to a gentle breeze. The last bit of it skims through the grass and then vanishes, quick as a butterfly flutter.
My arms dangle at my sides. They feel as if they're being pulled down by heavy weights. I take in deep breaths, my heart still pounding.
One should think I'd be used to this by now, but whilst the sensation of casting this magic is similar to using the Force, it is vastly different at the same time.
I cringe and look up to the two.
"I suppose that didn't go to plan. How did I do?"

Leanna hesitates.
"That was..."

Amelia does not.
"A failure."

"Amelia!"

Leanna seems to find Amelia's lack of tact disturbing…
Amy blinks in suprise.
"Is that not what you were going to say? He was unable to create the rift."

Leanna sighs and crosses her arms.
"He did better then the first try. He actually cast something this time."

Amelia blinks again.
"I see. I suppose there was some improvement."

She taps her chin in thought.
"I believe your magic training should involve bettering your accuracy and honing your focus. At this point, we are still unsure if the inability to create a rift is from the lack of energy or technique."

I nod in thought.
"I suspect it's both. Although your method of casting feels similar to my own, it's also startingly different as well. It wouldn't hurt to improve and practice it."

I sigh. It seems I still have a long way to go. I wouldn't have thought that I'd find a whole new area of research regarding the Force after I basically became a god.

Leanna pulls me out of my musings.
"Hey, where did Zack go?"

Huh?
I look up. Zack isn't anywhere in sight.
"That's… weird."

I glance around.
Deep in the forest, I see a rustle of something black. I squint. Maybe it's Zack's trench coat.
I zero in on it and see Zack and Kara peeking behind the same tree.
"Hey! When did you get all the way back there?"

Zack's voice is faint.
"You couldn't control it. No way was I going to stand there if you went splat. This coat isn't easy to clean."

My jaw gives a little tweak.
"Thanks for your vote of confidence."

I then mumble something under my breath.
"I hold and control enough power to destroy entire galaxies, it takes much more than a little wind to take me down..."

Kara grins and claps her hands. She shouts for us to hear her.
"You put on quite the show! Glad I wasn't there for it though!"

Leanna frowns.
"Okay, okay, it's done now. Can you guys come back?"

Kara skips over. Zack follows with his arms crossed.
Kara speaks up first.
"Soooo… where to next?"

Amelia answers that question.
"According to Elder Issim's notes, Elendale is the closest City located to where the ancient people worshipped the Air Elemental. I believe we will be able to uncover more Information from the library there."

Kara smiles and ruffles Amy's hair.
"Sounds great, Amy!"

Amelia flushes. She coughes and then glances away.
"Let us be on our way."

I rub my hands together.
"Oh boy, a library. I hope we can spend some time there. There is quite much I want to learn about your world."

Leanna smiles.
"I'm sure you'll find some nice books there."

We hike out of the forest and find a new path. Amy leads us North, and we begin traveling on foot for the rest of the day.
My legs start to tire, and by the time the sun begins to disappear, I'm ready to call it a day.
I probably am still feeling the effects from trying to cast earlier, because all this walking is making me even more exhausted than usual.
We keep walking until we find a good campsite. Leanna says that the large open space would be a good place for me to practice my wind magic in the morning.
Amelia sparks a small campfire for us. Zack cooks up another delicious dinner, and by the time I'm done, I can barely keep my eyes open.
The rest of the group is still up and talking, but as soon as I lay my head down, I tumble into a deep and fast sleep.