Here's Chapter 5. I also realized the Warriors of Vale are in their 40's not 30's. Lolwhoops. I'll go fix it sometime when I can. Anyway, enjoy and my deepest apologies for not updating this fic.
Dropping In
Chapter 5
Arriving in two and half days time to the Goma Cave, the three Adepts sighed in absolute relief of seeing the cave's entrance. It was well past the afternoon, with the sun going down and setting over the horizon, no thanks to the random encounters of Bats and Mushrooms. The light's rays dazzled in their orange-red mirth, decorating the canvas of the sky in their radiance. The scenery here captured Matthew's attention as soon as they entered the area. The cliffside filled with the green of grass, a lush, rushing waterfall with the water gently flowing into a river below and the multicolored leaves upon the dozens of trees were on fashionable display. With the sun's brilliance in the background and the early stars twinkling in the early evening sky, it was magnificent, almost surreal.
'Wow,' he thought, pale-blue eyes scanning the grandeur as far as his gaze could go, 'This place is pretty picturesque.' Birds flew over into the trees, most likely to sleep in their nests, he assumed whilst observing. It almost felt like nothing ever happened at all, yet that was untrue.
"This place looks awfully nice," Garet commented, grinning as he echoed Matthew's actions. "Like, almost out of a picture book back at home."
"I agree." Isaac chimed in next, also taking in the sights. It didn't last long as he added, "It would be best if we started through the cave in the morning," he motioned up to the upwards climb they'd have to partake in that led to the entrance, "We should get some sleep now and continue then. Going into caves at night isn't a good idea." Garet and Matthew nodded together; it was a sound and reasonable plan.
"Good. Let's find a place to camp."
It didn't take the trio to find a spot; it was beneath a canopy of multicolored trees, next to a tree with red leaves and beside the ladder that led up to the cave. Stumps of trees that were cut down were present around their claimed campsite. Although currently blocked by a pillar, Matthew spotted the telltale signs of the aforementioned ladder behind it. They set their packs down, stretched and took on small jobs for getting their camp going. Isaac went ahead to get water from the river they had bypassed while Garet dug into the ground to make a campfire using his Psynergy after acquiring wood. That left Matthew with the task of something he partially dreaded-cooking.
'Well,' he thought as he took out a skillet from Isaac's pack as well as bread and cheese, 'At least I can make a mean toasted cheese sandwich that's filling. If I have to eat Dad's horrifying egg-and-fish salad one more time, I'm going to gag.' The younger Venus Adept set about his task, cutting into the loaf of bread for the right amount of slices as well as the cheese.
"I'm back and with more wood!" Garet exclaimed moments later as he trodded back, carrying the aforesaid wood under his arms. Matthew inclined his head towards his direction while keeping the skillet and ingredients added in the perphiral of his eye. "Mm, that smells good. What is it?"
"A toasted sandwich, with cheese," Matthew replied.
"Sounds tasty!"
"And simple."
"Right. All that flashy dinner stuff... I guess we don't have time for all that anymore," Garet's wide smile slackened a little at the mention. His russet eyes fixed on Isaac's brother, watching as he carefully turned the bread slice with the melted cheese between it on its side. His mouth began to water when he inhaled more of its luscious aroma. Gods, he couldn't wait to sink his teeth into one or two.
"It's almost done," Matthew said as he spotted Garet's drooling, mirth dancing in his eyes. "Garet? Could you check up on Isaac? He's been gone a while and I'm getting a bit worried." The Fire Adept blinked out of his trance of staring at the sandwich-in-the-making and nodded. Isaac had been gone for a little while and it usually didn't take long to draw out water from a river. Sheesh, what was he doing, going for an evening dip?
Just as Garet was approaching the river where he believed his friend to be, he spotted said friend sitting beside the water's edge. The bucket next to him was filled with water though Isaac was concentrating on it almost as if he were having a stare down contest. The spiky-haired Mars Adept rolled his eyes at his friend's actions; as if he'd win a staring contest with water. He was about to take a step forward when the rings of Psynergy that all Adepts could see enveloped Isaac. The aforementioned pushed one of his arms out towards the bucket, silently commanding the earthly elements around him. Huh? Was there a monster nearby?! Garet brandished his Long Sword and hid behind the nearest tree, his russet-colored eyes narrowed as he tried to pinpoint the culprit.
"Garet?" He heard Isaac call him. "Is that you?"
Once the slight shock of being found out passed over, Garet replied back. "...Yeah, it's me," the red-haired teen said, stepping out from behind his chosen tree, sheathing his sword back. "How'd you know it was me there?"
Isaac didn't respond at first, still in concentration as he pushed his Psynergy into the water for some reason. "I sensed you coming, when you were walking by." He provided quietly. "I don't know how, though." His best friend tilted his head a little once he finished crossing the mild distance between them.
"Could it be a new Psynergy skill?"
Isaac shrugged noncommittally. "It could be. I'll have to look into it later. I just knew you were coming."
Garet took a spot next to his friend, watching him concentrate. From a distant observation, the Fire Adept didn't know exactly what Isaac was doing. However, now that he was up close, he could see that his childhood friend was drawing out the dirt minerals from within the water to purify it, in a way. Having clean, pristine water to drink from was important—perhaps that's why it was taking him a while to return to the campsite. Remembering Matthew's concerns earlier, Garet decided to voice them. "Matt's worried about you. I don't think he knows that you do this on more than one occasion."
"I see," Isaac said as he manipulated as much of the dirt particles he spotted out of the water-filled bucket. "I'll join you two in a minute. I want to make sure we can fill our canteens with enough water to last us until we reach the next town."
"Noted," the muscled teen responded, then let out a small sigh. "Something's bothering you, Isaac." Garet looked up at the sky, seeing the twinkling stars in its dark yet orange-red canvas, still bathing in the luminesence of the setting sun's rays. "Like, a few days ago, when we were in Vault? I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the box Isaac, but I've known you since we were little brats." He paused here, just as Isaac did, both staring at one another. One's gaze was set upon curiosity and the other with firm resolution.
"These past days, you've been really concerned about something, and I'll bet it has something to do with Matt, huh?"
He must have hit the nail on it since Isaac didn't immediately respond. Instead, he had a faraway look settled on his face, and cast his eyes downward. Staring into the bucket, it almost appeared he was expecting answers to appear through its reflection for him. After a moment's pass, the Venus Adept sighed. "I am... concerned, you're right. I'm concerned about Ivan, about our quest to stop those fiends and retreive the Elemental Stars back... But most importantly, it's him." Isaac ran a hand through his spiky locks in a tired fashion. "Garet, I don't know why, but I have this unspecified determination to protect him."
His best friend nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's the feeling you get when you're around siblings, older or younger. You have this urge to throw yourselves over them and shield them from any hurt, harm and danger. No matter what it is," he answered truthfully, recalling several moments he had done for Kay and Aaron. "I think you're trying to get used to that feeling, now that you have a, kinda squirt of a brother now." Isaac narrowed his eyes at his friend, who raised his hands in defense. "Hey! Don't get mad at me. He is younger than you, by like what? A year or a few months or something?"
The blond let up on his moderate glare and shrugged. "Just about, yes. But, I suppose you're right. Maybe... Maybe I'm adjusting to it." Though, the truth of it was, that the urge was strong. Stronger than what he was originally describing. He wouldn't know what it was yet, but the sudden notion was due in fact of their relations towards one another. Again, he wouldn't know until much later.
"Yeah. And, for Ivan? We all hope he's all right. Kid's crazy going to Lunpa by himself but... He just had to do it because he felt it was right." Garet offered his explanation or his version of trying to cheer up his friend. He was no good at this but he wasn't going to let Isaac mope about later. "And our quest... Well, we just have to do our best, like you said when we first left Vale, remember?"
Isaac inclined his head in agreement, recalling the memory easily.
"So... You okay now?"
"Yes. Thank-you, Garet."
The red-head smirked. "Not a problem. Glad I could help."
Before Isaac could say anything else, a rustling sound echoed close by, causing both teens to stand up abruptly in place. They remained still as they listened closely, wondering what could have made the noise. Quickly, they unsheathed their swords, getting into a fighting stance to strike out first before whatever it was did. Was it a monster? Seeing as how they were out in the open, it wouldn't be such a farfetched idea. As the pair prepared themselves for a fight, the rustling eventually subsided and light footsteps replaced the sound. Isaac gasped slightly as he lowered his defensive stance.
"Isaac? What is it?"
Instead of answering Garet, Isaac waited until whoever it was came out in the open. When they did, it was revealed to be none other than...
"Ivan?"
-x-x-x-
"All done," Matthew said proudly as he finished the last toasted cheese sandwich on a plate. He made nine instead of three since everyone would eat more than necessary. Growing boys and all that, as his mother would say when he and Tyrell ate more than they could chew. The sudden in-thought mention of his best friend made the younger Venus Adept frown. That's right—Tyrell and his friends were in his future while he was stuck here for who knew how long. When would he ever get back, he wasn't sure. Well, he was getting help in the latter department, thanks to a helpful source. But still. 'I hope they're all right.' Matthew said to himself, his thoughts trailing to his two best friends from childhood, then to the ones he made along the way on the journey. He hoped they were all right as well.
'I'm pretty sure they are. But still... I haven't the foggiest idea how I wound up here.' He ran a hand through his hair, sighing, 'I hope he knows what he's doing.'
Suddenly interrupting his thoughts was a suspicious, rustling sound! Matthew instinctively went for his short sword, automatically turning to the source's direction without even blinking. As the rustling got louder, the grip on his weapon's hilt tightened. Wait for it—wait for it...!
Bursting out were a few monsters: a Big Mushroom and an Amaze! Matthew rolled his eyes; these guys were jokers, honestly. Still, he'd rather deal with them now than later. His father and Garet were much too tired to fight, or would be when they returned. Knowing they weren't around, Isaac's future son decided to go "all out" on these fools, except using Psynergy. That'd alert the other two no doubt. With a burst of speed, Matthew launched himself wordlessly at the Big Mushroom first, slashing down on the creature before it had a chance to do anything. Not like it would—the human it was up against was leagues ahead. The Amaze attempted to go for him while he was recovering though it swiped at air. It noticed its target was gone when a blade outlined in a yellow-ish aura cut through it from the right. No chance, indeed. Both monsters dispersed, leaving battle spoils for the taking.
'I was kind of hoping for a challenge... But oh well. Shouldn't haven't hoped too much.' the younger Earth Adept mused before sighing once again. He sheathed his sword and headed for his spot again when he noticed more movement from the corner of his left eye. He was reaching for his sword again when the familiar presences of Isaac and Garet were entering his range. Oh, it was them. About time, really. "There you guys are. You're kind of late," Matthew lowered his hand from grabbing the hilt of his weapon, relaxing when the pair of teenagers came into view. Isaac was carrying a bucket full of what Matthew presumed to be water.
"Sorry, we got held up! And we have unexpected company!" Garet apologized then beamed. Isaac's brother tilted his head a little as the fiery-haired Adept thumbed behind him. Stepping into view was... Ivan!? Wait, huh? That was unexpected—Garet was right!
"Ivan?"
"Hello Matthew, it's good to see you again as well," the small mage replied with a small hint of a smile on his face. He must have worn a rather confused expression on his face since the blond from Kalay continued. "I just arrived. I... couldn't get into Lunpa, so... I decided to turn back and follow the direction you three had taken. I was hoping I could catch up and join you on your journey." Oh, that explains it. Matthew nodded and smiled himself. Well, this is definitely where Karis' dad finally joined his and Tyrell's dads on their journey. The Sun Saga, so far, was staying true to its words.
"So, if it's not any trouble..."
"Of course not! We'd love to have you on board! Right, Isaac?" Garet stared in his friend's direction. The aforementioned set the bucket of water down, knowing everyone's attention was on him. Isaac bashfully rubbed the back of his head and nodded.
"Yes, I—" That's as far Isaac got as Garet whooped in cheer, drowning out his voice.
"Whoo! That's awesome! Well, now you're with us, Ivan! That's great—four of us now have a chance against Felix and them!" the red-haired teen's face physically shifted when he mentioned their brown-haired friend... Well former friend. Matthew didn't understand why Garet loathed and jaundiced his uncle so much. Other than their misguided journey this was slowly turning out to be. After all, it was in the Sun Saga Volume 3 that Isaac and Felix's parties combined and joined together. "Anyway, looks like dinner's ready! I'm starving!" Tyrell's future father said, snapping Matthew back into immediate focus.
"Yeah, I made plenty, just in case. Good thing I did or I'd have to use the skillet again," Isaac's brother laughed a little. Ivan found himself a spot next to Garet while the plate of sandwiches were passed around for everyone to take. While the three blonds only had two each, Garet had taken the last three for himself, which was fine with them—he was much larger than they were and having leftovers normally wasn't a good idea. Only in situations where it was called for did they keep them. When dinner and tales shared over the campfire were over, they went over tent sharing. They set up Sacred Feathers around their campsite to ward off monster attacks although for safe measures, they still called for night shifts like usual. The brothers would continue sharing the tent while Garet shared his with Ivan. A very simple plan that was swiftly put into motion. Matthew volunteered for the first watch; having seen the clear exhaustion on Ivan's face as well as the other two, it was safe to say he was more capable of handling the first shift than they were.
Just as Isaac's mother henning was about to start up, Garet quelled it by ushering his friend into his tent, much to Isaac's chagrin. Matt couldn't help but snicker at that. He settled in his sitting place as earlier, watching the campfire and the others getting ready to sleep. Ivan was the last to head in. The purple-eyed boy waited for Garet to enter the tent and settle in before he glanced at Matthew. The aforementioned stared back although now a little bit apprehensive. Did Ivan remember from the other day? That strange feeling? Whatever he picked up on and was going to interrogate him? After all, his reappearance, whether destined or not, was totally coincidental. Maybe this was karma kicking him in the rear for all his lies. 'It was that or tell them the truth... And at that point, I couldn't risk it.' He reminded himself. He was in the unknown, after all, and didn't know whether or not if his actions would have any terrible consequences to follow. So, despite his lies, he was being cautious.
Matthew was internally panicking but on the outside, his face hardly reflected his inner turmoil. But, he was hoping Ivan hadn't analyzed the oddity of their strange interaction those few days ago and decided to investigate. The future son of Isaac was still wondering what exactly Ivan had seen in those brief moments of his Mind Read psynergy. Did he see anything significant about his own life? His struggles? The image of Karis? The image of an older version of him that Matthew was accustomed to seeing? The older blond of the pair was tense and dithered at best. He was just waiting for Ivan's shrewd perceptiveness to shine through and tear into him like a butcher knife. The air was thick with tension that it seemed hard to breathe correctly.
"...I thought what I had seen was odd when I used Mind Read on you that day," Ivan started as he finally allowed himself to blink. Matthew followed suit, albeit not in the same fashion as his best friend's father. He also released the breath he hadn't known he was keeping in. Wait what? Suddenly, the heavily tense atmosphere returned tenfold and the hair on Matthew's neck rose ever so slightly. His pale-blue eyes widened with dread. 'He figured it out, didn't he?' The older boy wouldn't have put it past him. Ivan was an intelligent man in his time; no doubt his younger incarnation can hold onto the title with ease.
"I apologize for that time, Matthew," the fourteen year old continued, oblivious to Matthew's inner turmoil. There was a light pause, which didn't help the latter's nerves at all. "That's all I wanted to tell you. Good night." The boy said with a bow before heading for the tent he and Garet were to share. Wait. The future Adept blinked in bewilderment as he stared in Ivan's direction but not at the kid himself. Karis' future father didn't interrogate him at all? Not even ask what had happened? Only apologized? Okay, that seemed a little bit odd. 'Okay, okay, calm down Matt. You're not completely out of the woods yet but it's a start. It's just Ivan.' Another part of his mind kicked him hard for that. "It's just Ivan" yeah right! The older teen collected himself quickly and replied back.
"It's all right... Good night, Ivan."
The younger boy nodded in visible relief before disappearing behind the tent's flap. A few shuffles within could be heard for a couple moments before it stopped altogether. Matthew allowed himself a moment of reprieve before sighing heavily. It was already into day four or five and it was already becoming taxing. He had this ominous feeling Karis' father was going to figure him out before his own father did. Maybe the shrewdness of Ivan's character rubbed of on Isaac a little more than necessary. Whatever it was, Matthew knew he had to tread carefully around the Wind Adept. He had gotten lucky this time but who's to say he could count on such luck the next time? With those thoughts on mind, Matthew remained ever so diligent to remain awake the entire night. He didn't bother trying to wake the others up when it was their turn. 'Uncle, whatever you're doing, I hope you get it done fast.'
-x-x-x-
The next morning came sluggishly in Matthew's opinion but he didn't complain any further than that. The camp's fire had gone out by early sunrise and he opted to keep it out. When their Sacred Feather barrier petered out, he opted to utilize his immense Psynergy capabilities to ward off the monsters. Since most monsters were in tune with anything Alchemy related, such as Psynergy, they could "size" up their opponents based upon said opponent's strength in their elements. If the person had little to no capability of handling their element (or, for non-Adepts, didn't have an element) they would be preyed upon. However, for those efficient in their Psynergy, they were regarded with higher esteem. In a nutshell, weaker monsters wouldn't go anywhere near them so long as Matthew was expelling his abundance of Psynergy like a thick fog around himself and the campsite.
The only reason why the monsters attacked him yesterday evening was due to him holding back. If he exuded his true abilities, they wouldn't have bothered trying to attack nor coming anywhere nearby. Of course, logic called out and it would have made him an instant magnet to suspicion and questions about his strength. If anything, Matthew didn't want to be in the center of attention.
The Adept from the future sighed softly as he pushed some busy strands of his untamed hair from his face. Today, they would venture through the Goma Cave, which was conveniently or inconveniently—depending on how it was looked at—being blocked by an obstacle. He had taken a chance stroll earlier and had seen the nusiance; there was a tangle of strong foliage covering a large log far too large to move physically. Said log was also blocking the way to jump over successfully to reach the entrance. However, with Psynergy, it would be a piece of cake. With the foliage covering the log, it would be impossible to move; it was lodged in place. Uprooting it wouldn't be a problem... But he knew that particular obstacle all too well.
Karis had to remove several of those entangled weeds when they were traveling all over Weyard with her Whirlwind Psynergy. No doubt Ivan's own ability would be needed there. Total bummer, but oh well. There wasn't anything he could about that.
When he returned to the campsite, he returned to his spot, admiring the early moments of sunrise. It took its leisure time for the ball of energy to ascend into the dark blue canvas, melting the stars behind it as the white blooms of clouds turned visible. The brilliant sun's rays glossed over the canopy of multicolored trees in the Goma Cave's entrance, eventually leveling over the large mountain tops and polishing the campgrounds with its golden luster. A soothing morning breeze captured the leaves of the trees, a pleasant scent wafting through the small, wooded area in which they borrowed for their resting place. The nature around gave him a slight peace of mind; an earnest reason to simply let his guard down. His long scarf and wild locks of his hair moved alongside the wind's rhythm, albeit not as strongly as the breeze was tender. It barely drew in the fallen leaves on the dirt and grassy surface below, although said leaves did encapsulate within the morning air, whirling about in a mystical dance only known to them.
'If only this peace could last,' Matt thought as he closed his eyes to listen to nature work, 'But it can't if the lighthouses don't get lit. It's funny... Dad, Garet, Ivan and eventually Mia will be working against that idea... But those villains. What were their names again? I know they're from Prox. They were the ones that stole the Elemental Stars from Sol Sanctum and tried to three years ago that led to Mom's and Uncle's parents and Grandfather being hit by that boulder.' He scratched his head as he continued to think. There were some things he knew, just by having asked his mother when young and from the popular Sun Saga texts as well. However, some of that information that he had learned about wasn't in them. He realized that.
'Dad said he received a tremendous amount of Mars power from the Golden Sun when the Mars Lighthouse beacon was lit... And he was unwillingly the recipient of it... But, how did he get it? Was it because he carried the Mars Star without a Mythril Bag?' Matthew tilted his head as he randomly drew circles in the dirt below his feet. 'Maybe that's it. And if it is...' He turned his head to their shared tent with sadness in his eyes, 'Then Dad's received it already, hadn't he? The effects probably haven't started yet but when the beacon is lit...' His thoughts trailed off. His old man was a strong individual but he didn't like it. Isaac—of his time—had said the power connected him ever closer to Mt. Aleph, where old Vale had been when the mountain erupted and the Golden Sun descended upon the Sol Sanctum. It was almost binding in a way. That's why he watched the ruins like he did. He dedicated his life to it.
And, the reason he, Tyrell and Karis were being trained was to be molded into warriors like them, if ever a time rose that something came up from those ruins. They'd be prepared for it.
Shaking his head, Matthew thought to drop the topic. If there was a way he could prevent the power from entering his father, then he'd try to find it. He's already here in this time, and according to him, the timelines had branched off the moment he arrived and intertwined himself with his past parents' lives. Not like it was his fault! They literally found him and he had no way out! 'There's no need to complain about it. I'm here. I could probably change some stuff... But how bad would that be if I did? There's always a consequence for every choice made. Maybe I shouldn't. Hm, but what if the changes might be too drastic? Well, looking at it from a Rief, logical standpoint.' What if he could though? Maybe not outright change it himself but perhaps nudge them in the direction they should go into? Perhaps in time he could? After all, nobody told him he couldn't. But, perhaps he shouldn't. Like he thought earlier, there could be consequences—no, that's a lie. There was always a consequence—possibly far too drastic if he made a difference.
Boy, this was confusing! Best not to think about it anymore. 'I'll just continue on with what he told me to do. Just stay with Dad and watch him. If they figure it out too soon then what would the Wise One do?' Imagining the Dim Dragon cut out from the Training Grounds as a full-sized monstrosity and probably many lighthouses too early when his parents weren't in any shape to confront it was the idea his brain conjured. It troubled him gravely—he didn't know what the Doom Dragon was created from but it pained his parents and Uncle Felix very much when he'd asked once upon a time. He couldn't imagine them fighting that beast too soon. He just hoped they wouldn't have to fight anything like that.
Much, much later on, Matthew would come to understand that he would be terribly wrong and kick himself for that.
As the future Earth Adept continued having a staring contest with the ground and losing, he was unaware a tent flap had been pushed aside to allow the occupant to exit. Said occupant was none other than Garet, which was a bit of a surprise. The Fire Adept stretched and yawned, eventually capturing Matthew's attention. "Wow, I feel like I slept like a rock, and that's usually Isaac's thing," he muttered. His brown eyes were adjusting to the picturesque scenery around him; the sunlight's golden hues finding the reason to assist his vision to adapt. When the flame-haired teen noticed the duplicate of his best friend sitting in the same spot as yesterday, he had to hold back his astonishment.
"Matt? Is that you? What are you doing up so early?"
"Morning Garet," the other teen replied, a light smile on his face, "I wasn't really up early. I stayed awake all night watching the stars." And the campsite, he added mentally. Apparently it went through the larger teen's head and his surprise turned into seriousness.
"You stayed up all night long for the first watch?" He asked incredulously, being met with a nod, "That's crazy. You went twenty-four hours without sleep! Even I know that's not healthy, man."
Matthew sighed and turned his away from Garet. "I know." At least he had the audacity to feel guilty.
"Then why didn't you wake me up? My shift was after yours! You know Isaac's going to have a cow when he finds out."
The younger Venus Adept slightly chuckled under his breath. "Well, it's a good thing I don't hear any 'moo's' around yet, huh?" Perhaps it was a bad time to crack a joke, but well... He didn't think he'd get scolded by Garet. His weren't as bad as Isaac's but boy they could still do some emotional damage. Matthew didn't want to feel so guilty—he simply didn't want them to wake up. They had to be well rested. Sure, they had gone through this journey once in his lifetime. He still worried for them. Matthew wanted them to be stronger and how could they when their sleep was taken from them? ...Maybe he was mother henning instead of Isaac. Or, he secretly inherited that from his father. Gosh dangit! Now there'd be two mother hens in this group!
Garet sighed in exasperation. "As funny as that would have been, I'm really serious, Matt. You have to get sleep yourself, you know. If not for yourself then at least for us? You're our only capable healer." Oh right, he was. Potent Cure came in handy quite often in their multitude of skirmishes while traveling to this very location. He gave up trying to fight the losing battle with Tyrell's future father and shrugged.
"All right, I'll sleep next time. I was just trying to help you guys."
The Fire Adept relaxed from his tense stance and offered a smile. He was glad his best friend's brother understood the gravity of the situation. "Now that's better. Well, if you promise to sleep next time, I won't tell Isaac about this—"
"Tell me about what?"
Matthew's eyes widened when Garet squealed and jumped into the air at least five feet high before spinning around to face his not-yet-father. Isaac was standing there, gloves off but staring at his best friend. Ivan was just exiting the tent he shared with Garet when the conversation rolled on. "Ooohhh, I-Isaac! Eheh, you scared me!" Matt mentally agreed with his father's friend here; Isaac had popped out of virtually nowhere even though they both knew he had been inside the tent. The older blond gave Garet his usual stare down look of 'explain now' that no one could win against. Garet immediately relented. "I was saying, 'I won't tell Isaac about this.' I meant about Matthew's early rising and training! Yeah, you see, I woke up and he was sparring by himself! Didn't want him to wear himself out, you know?"
'Really Uncle Garet? That was the best you could do?' Matt thought then added, 'Well, he's better at lying than me. I don't know how I scraped through with Dad that time... He's usually good at reading people. Like Ivan—uh oh.' What if Isaac didn't really believe him that he was allegedly his brother? 'But those emotions he displayed. Those weren't fake. It was genuine. Ugh, why am I so paranoid?' The answer to that hit him harder than a crashing wave. The future teen already knew the answer. Just admitting it was...
"So, we're good?" Garet's voice interrupted his thoughts. Matthew's head shot up and glanced around, noting that none of the observers noticed his deep-in-thought moment. That was good.
"I suppose," Isaac said, crossing his arms and looking towards the sky. "Well, let's get breakfast going, pack up and start on traversing the cave. The earlier we start the better it'll be." Everyone found that logical, like yesterday—minus Ivan—and began moving to get things done. As Isaac was about to reach the bucket from yesterday, Matthew's hand grasped it instead. The two shared a look; one was puzzled while the other smiled. "Matt?"
"Let me this time. Just keep Garet from burning anything," the other Venus Adept nudged his head behind Isaac. The latter turned his head to see his best friend grabbing the skillet and some food ingredients that he likely didn't see what he grabbed. Isaac's face turned a light shade of green in future illness of whatever was on Garet's menu. Last time it was atrocious—they had legitimately banned him from cooking unless supervised.
"I best stop him," Isaac noted and began to do just that.
"Yeah, please do. Oh and Isaac?" The other waited patiently, 'No more egg-and-fish salad.' Was what Matthew wanted to say but rather suggested, "How about something like egg sandwiches?" The older Adept pondered the idea for a moment before nodding in satisfaction.
"Sounds like a good idea, Matt. Thanks."
"Anytime." Matthew said as he turned to leave for the stream. When he was out of earshot, he shuddered mentally and grumbled, "Seriously, anytime."
-x-x-x-
When breakfast was over, the camp was packed up and the four were ready to go within an hour and half's time. Isaac naturally took the lead, with Garet behind him, Ivan behind Garet and Matthew resting the furthest back as an out-of-time observer. The three before Matt were unaware the tall pillar that was blocking the ladder leading up had been moved. The latter had mentally patted himself on that back for that one. Though, there had been a second one towards the rightward path that he hadn't seen before, now blocking the way forward, since the cliffs were far too steep to climb up manually. Isaac took charge and easily cast the Move Psynergy on the pillar, psychically pulling it forward using his mind's will to drop it down the ditch before them. After that was settled, the path ahead was clear as day.
When they reached the obstacle that Matt had seen earlier that morning, they easily concluded the trouble and Ivan took over from there. The boy channeled his Wind Psynergy with ease, commanding the morning breeze to his will and covered the tangling menace around the log. The miniature tornado of Psynergy clipped the foliage with its blades of wind essence effortlessly, making their hold on the large log disappear. Once the cluster of vegetation was cleared, all that remained was the upright log that seemed adamant on staying put. Isaac and Garet shared some words before turning to Matthew.
"Okay, Matt!" Garet beamed, "Show us your Move!"
"Huh?" The aforesaid teen blinked, completely taken aback at the sudden redirection of attention on him. Also, he hadn't heard what Garet just asked him to do since he wasn't paying much attention. The scenic leafage around the area was captivating after all.
"Show us your Move!" The flame-haired Valean repeated himself, his beaming smile still plastered on.
'Show my Move? What in the world is he—Oh! The Move Psynergy! Duh!' Matthew scolded himself mentally before moving forward. There was another ditch, although this led to lower ground, on the surface level they were just at not long ago, and it seemed like a ways down. It wouldn't do to stumble down it without meaning. Turning his focus back to the pillar in the way, Matthew concluded he'd have to use it twice in succession to completely move it. 'I perfected this when I was twelve. I've got this, no problem.' With a confident smile, the future teen raised his right hand, clasping his left hand over his right's wrist out of personal habit and began concentrating his energy forward.
The telltale signs of the Psynergy rings enveloped him like an endless series of halos. They transformed from white to yellow, signifying the Psynergy use as Venus element. With it gathered, Matthew mentally pushed the pillar, with the world around him changed into an inversion of colors. The tall post moved right along with his mental image on the outside, casually being pushed aside for access. The teen smiled in satisfaction at a simple job well done—however, the moment was interrupted when the Move Psynergy suddenly became something akin to the Crush Psynergy his pirate companion Eoleo was known for. The "hand" that was likened to the hand of the caster changed into a mighty fist and then pounded the stanchion to, literal, dust. Matthew's eyes widened in stupefied disbelief.
Once that was done, the "hand" dissolved into the Psynergetic essence before the world around Matthew became clear and "normal" again. He and the others stared dumbfounded at the odd occurrence for quite a while before Isaac cleared his throat to get attention on him. "Well, that's... interesting." He said, though was clearly amazed by the demonstration.
"Dude! 'Interesting' is putting it softly. That never happens when we do it!" Garet immediately rounded on his best friend. Thankfully before the two could go into an argument—erm, a very rushed discussion—about the event, Ivan decided to pipe in.
"Perhaps we should be going? The way is cleared after all." The Wind mage suggested. Matthew silently thanked him for pulling the pair of Valeans out of their sudden bickering. He didn't want them to talk about what he just did; he already knew that. It was so bizarre! That never happened before, if echoing Garet's own words could be attributed to him as well.
"All right, all right. But seriously, that's wicked," the red-haired teen said after before crossing the ledge. Isaac cast his brother a look, nothing bad in any way, just simply curious, before hopping the ledge to the other side once Ivan went. Matthew followed suit, although was trying to figure out why his abilities would suddenly go out of whack. 'No, thinking about it now will only get me distracted. I've to focus on ahead. I'll be able to figure it out later.' Isaac's son decided and followed the other three into the cavern's entrance.
-x-x-x-
As expected, the cave was moderately dark, although there were torches lit around at various intersections and places on the walls. That was thankfully pleasant. "Stick together, okay?" Isaac said, with everyone nodded, making sure their weapons were in reach. The path seemed very simple so far; the floor was paved in earthly tones of jade green and pale pavement, and the walls were dark brown and scaly. Five or so minutes of walking a straight path, they encountered another lit torch posted upon a wall where a stream of steady, cavern water was trailing ahead. A well endowed boulder was positioned in the water, possibly constructed to act as a passing way to the other side. The water didn't look so deep from far away but as they neared, they realized it was, in fact, pretty far down. Best not to get wet!
One at a time, they crossed over, careful with their timing and any other obstacle in their way. Once they were over, there were two paths to take; one leading northward and another path southward. Apparently, the plan to stay together would have to—
"Let's go southward," Garet inferred, thumbing the way. When he was greeted with questionable looks, he scratched his head and chuckled a little. "Well, you know? Sometimes the south path takes up back to the north?" It was a weak argument, but nobody else was complaining or offering anything.
"Well, I suppose then," Isaac nodded, "Okay then, we'll go south like you suggested. Since it's your idea, you lead the way, Garet." The older blond gently pushed his friend before him and smiled. The red-haired teen flushed in light embarrassment before heading down the southern path. He was followed by his childhood friend, said childhood friend's near twin brother and Ivan. Of course, it wasn't as simple as they thought—monsters suddenly appeared! It was a Skeleton and a Ghosts!
"Whoa! Where'd they come from!?" Garet all but yelled, hurrying to draw his sword. Isaac followed suit and Ivan whipped out his staff. As planned, Matthew stayed in the rear to offer support only. He had spooked his father and Garet a few times on the way to the Goma Cave entrance with his 'disappearing' acts when a monster fight began. In other words, they didn't want him to fight too much, also known as 'shielding him from danger' in Isaac's mother hen tendencies. Although it bothered him a bit to be put in the back since he was more of a front lines fighter, it was better this way. They could get fighting experience and he wouldn't have to lift a finger until absolutely necessary. Plus, it'd keep him from 'faking' his strength.
Though, Matthew knew it would only be a matter of time until he participated in a fight again.
"Talk later, fight now!" Isaac called out. The Skeleton, despite its bony appearance, was fast on its feet. It raised its sword and rushed for Isaac. It glowed for a split second before charging head on for the Valean; this was Bone Charge! Isaac attempted to blocked and most of it he did—or so he thought. The attack swept him backwards and the bony apparition was upon him with its empty sockets for eyes seemingly leering down at him.
"Isaac!" Garet yelled in worry. His friend was being mauled by a Skeleton monster and he had to do something! Just as he thought of something on the fly and rushed to his friend's aid, the Ghost thought otherwise and attempted to intercept him! Not for long, though, as Ivan's Whirlwind cast Psynergy halted and then blew the oddly cloaked spirit back.
"No you don't," the Wind Adept murmured, standing in the way between Garet and the Ghost. The fiend leered its yellow eyes at the small boy but he hardly flinched at its menacing glare. As it floated across and tried to strike, Ivan backed up and sent another Whirlwind at it, blowing it away with difficulty as it partially evaded this time. When his wind subsided, the ghost was gone! 'Darn it! Where did it go?' Ivan thought, trying to put focus into his powers to sense the cretin. The purple-eyed blond searched, spreading out his senses until something foreign entered them. 'That has to be it!' He concentrated, the halos of Psynergy rings enveloping him swiftly as he willed the power to come forth quickly.
"I've got you now, fiend. Whirlwind!" Ivan shouted, capturing the sneaky foul vermin in his Wind Psynergy trap. It vanished once more when he released his spell. As mentally strong as he was, the energy he pushed through was tuckering him out, leaving Ivan panting just a bit. It disappeared again, and this time, he couldn't detect it anywhere. 'It's around here somewhere,' The small teen thought while browsing for a moment. His eyes landed on Garet and Isaac, with the Skeleton creature over his fellow blond. 'I'll worry about it later. Right now they need my help!' Agreeing with his logic, Ivan began charging for another Whirlwind spell. He would need more focus this time as his target was a little farther than normal.
As for Isaac...
Fear gripped him before it settled into determined to get away from this thing and he tried kicking the thing off him. The Skeleton's rib-cage was barely broken from the force of the kick and it retreated back. Isaac hastily got up just as the thing charged him again; he effectively dodged it this time. However, he was not safe as the skeletal creature caught the Adept by his foot, forcing him back on the ground and dragging him back. Isaac scrambled as fast as he could to collect the necessary Psynergy to cast Spire, hurdling it upon the monster that had him in its grasp. To his horror, it didn't seem to do much damage—was the creature was resistant to his element!? Cursing himself lightly, Isaac tried another last second tactic and swung his sword at the creep! The metal of the blade met the thick hide of the bones with a "thunk!" sound as his only indication it hardly chipped damage. Pale-blue eyes widened in further horror.
"Let go of him, bastard!" Garet roared, slamming his sword onto the backside of the Skeleton. It had his friend in a bind and wasn't planning on letting go! He was about to fix that. Unfortunately, his attack didn't do much damage either—the Skeleton's head turned a perfect three-hundred and sixty degrees to leer it's strangely and eerie red dot of eyes at the teenager. It shrieked as it struck out, stretching its body somehow, to attack Garet! Tyrell's future father yelled out and tried to back up at the last second. Too bad, the creature's sword cut Garet across his arm, shredding the fabric and exposing his skin as well as drawing a long line of blood.
The fiery-haired teen grimaced as he held his sword in both hands. Damn, that was going to seriously leave a mark! Suddenly, Garet felt he was lying on soft grass underneath him and felt relaxed. He blinked and looked down; beneath him was an intricate glyph of sorts with tons of yellow energy sparks spiraling around and entering his body. He blinked once and knew what was happening; healing! It took half a second to realize it was Matthew's doing; man that kid was good. "Thanks Matt!" Garet shouted and began charging his own Psynergy. He had to save his friend!
For Isaac, he took the time to kick out again, this time doing a little more damage to the Skeleton as he pushed it away further than last time. Just as he backed up, the creature shrieked once more and struck at him as well, this time his right leg. Isaac winced but didn't dare to keel over. 'I'll get you this time, creep.' The Valean Earth Adept mumbled darkly, his eyes set in a dangerous glare. The bony corpse fighter wasn't amused in the slightest of its prey escaping and turned to the source of annoyance: Garet! Isaac saw this and leered angrily. Now this thing was going to attack his friend? Not on his watch! "Garet!" Isaac shouted in warning, the spell he had in mind already in pre-set cast motion. He had to act fast if he wanted to give them a fighting chance.
The Fire Adept noticed the creature was advancing towards him and fast! He dropped out of his slight meditative stance and suddenly brought up his sword to block the oncoming attack by the Skeleton to shield himself.
For something that had no skin or muscles, it sure was strong! It was weighing him down and most likely on purpose, too! It let up only to strike again, and again, and again! In repetition, Garet dodged or blocked, although he suffered another cut, this time to left hand. The cretin's sword nicked his gloved hand, but only at the base. Still, it stung as bad as a bee. The thing was about to strike again when Isaac appeared from its left, striking with his sword in an uppercut punch fashion. However, instead of meeting hardened bones, the steel of the blade actually cut through several bone structures. Upon closer inspection, Isaac's blade seemed to glow in a dim, golden light that appeared to be aligned in his natural element.
The Skeleton roared before striking the blond, speed slashing the teen! Isaac narrowly dodged but he didn't make it out unscathed; his right arm suffered just as Garet's did previously. Damn, this didn't look well. But still, together, they could win! Just as the foul creature was to strike again, it was suddenly enveloped in a Whirlwind Psynergy! The two didn't have to turn to know who was responsible—they had the initiative now! The glow around Isaac's sword dimmed as he concentrated on casting the Psynergy forward. Garet was doing likewise, however this time, he wanted to step it up a notch.
"Spire!"
"Fireball!"
The combined attacks of Mars and Venus Psynergy—symbiotic elements—from the two friends were enough to scorch the vermin down to dust! It was gone, finally! They won! The friends smiled and panted from the forced adrenaline rush they received from the battle but... It was somewhat rewarding. Still, it was definitely scary and they'd rather not do that again if they could help it. "Well... Glad that's over." Garet mumbled out. His hand still stung in pain and he was trying to lessen the blood flow; Isaac was doing similar. Ivan panted further as he hurried to their sides, checking them over out of worry.
"Are you two okay?"
"Yes, I'm all right." Isaac replied.
"Yeah, I'm peachy. Because, you know Matt, people here could really use your help right about now!" the red-haired Valean said aloud and accusingly. "Seriously, how long does it take to cast healing Psynergy?!" The tall teenager glared in Isaac's brother's direction... Only to see that Matthew wasn't there. Crud, not again! "Isaac!" Garet yelled, pointing.
"What?"
"Where did Matthew go this time?!"
"Huh? He should be right over—" Isaac looked in the same direction Garet, and now Ivan, were looking, only to see the spot Matthew had been standing in was vacated. "—there..." He finished lamely. His eyes transformed into those of pure murder and Garet gulped.
'I'm going to kill him,' Isaac thought dangerously.
'He's so dead,' the brown-eyed Valean said to himself with a face-palm.
'Hmm,' Ivan thought otherwise.
Before Isaac could shout his brother's name, said teen's voice was heard and shouted "Potent Cure!" Underneath all three of them was the a lit glyph, branching out and sprouting golden energy around them. It was marveling and amazing all at once. It abated Isaac's anger for a brief moment and when the energy settled—and all injuries healed up completely—it returned full force. "Matthew!" Isaac called out. He didn't get a response. What the heck was that boy doing?!
"He's still around here somewhere," Ivan said, hoping to reassure Isaac.
"I know, I can still sense him. Which I don't understand why he won't answer back."
"Calm down, Isaac. He'll pop up. Maybe he saw another monster trying to get us and went to kill it?"
"But this is the fifth time, Garet!"
"Hey, look out!" Matthew's voice shouted again. It was right behind them? The three whipped around to see the Ghost from before, casting a weird, red Psynergy attack! The essence took the form and shape of ghastly ghouls, like the heads of wispy, ironically enough, ghosts! The three braced themselves and began whipping up Psynergy simultaneously to combat the Rumble Psynergy the Ghost used! They didn't get a chance as Matthew, that was behind the Ghost, came up from behind it and stabbed it with his short sword! It croaked out a cry before dispersing into dust just like the Skeleton. But, he was so fast! How'd he get that fast? Maybe he trained a lot?
"Whoa, you're quick," Garet blinked. That was two things more weird about Isaac's brother, not counting his still strangely look alike appearance, either.
"Yeah," Matthew replied then looked to Isaac, whose face went from bewilderment to disappointment in an instant, "Sorry for not responding. Or staying back when you told me to. Ivan hit that Ghost but it used some weird technique to make itself invisible. Well, it is a ghost so not surprising, but still. It fled out of his sensory range, so I went to look for it. Thank goodness, too." He tried to offer a smile but Isaac's face was hellbent on remaining solid. "Yeah, you're mad."
The older Earth Adept sighed heavily. "Look, I know you're trying to help but we really need you to stay back and be our support, okay? If you keep running off without telling anyone, you could be in a serious jam and we wouldn't be able to help you because we wouldn't know where you went," Isaac explained, his pale-blue eyes meeting Matthew's identically matching ones. "I'm serious, Matt! I really want you to stay where I can see you. Or at least one of us can. I know you're capable of defending yourself, but I need you to stay with me."
The silent 'and by my side' went unsaid but Matt knew his future father wanted to say that. But sheesh, being scolded twice in the same day? He must be trying to run a new record.
The younger Earth Adept sighed. "Okay. I won't do it again—"
"You said that last time and look what happened." Isaac pointed out. "You need to seriously commit to your words, Matt, or nobody will take you seriously." They stared at one another for a moment before the elder of the pair looked towards Garet and the younger simply looked away in shame. "The suggestion's still on you, Garet. Keep leading us." The taller teen simply nodded, having nothing to say. Even if he did, he wouldn't say it because whatever familial talks those two had, he had no business interfering in unless specifically asked. Ivan glanced at Matthew for a brief moment, a look of concern passing his features, before following after Garet. Isaac was just turning around to follow when he spoke up again, the pair of blonds walking as they worked to catch up.
"I'm not mad at you, Matt. I'm just... scared I'll lose you. I'm worried for you, understand?" Isaac said, frowning and clenching his fists. He had momentarily thought about Kyle, his father, and losing him that awful day. He didn't want anything like that happening again. "And, this... whole older brother thing is new to me. I don't want to disappoint you... So... you're not mad at me for scolding you, are you?"
Matthew glanced back to him, their equally identical faces having different emotions pasted upon them. No, he couldn't stay mad at Isaac. Scolding was a parental—and sibling—thing to do. And to say? He deserved it. Sure, he was trying to help and it did in the long run, but he still caused concern and worry. That wasn't helping his case for "independence" at all. He'd need to prove himself capable if he wants his father to stop mother henning him the entire time. "I'm not mad, Isaac. I guess I... No, I wasn't thinking. Just trying to be a hero when I cause so much worry. I deserved it. So, don't feel bad, okay? That's- That's my job."
Isaac shook his head. "Feeling bad is reserved for elder siblings. Garet told me so." Matthew cocked an eyebrow up.
"And you believe him?"
"Yeah, I do. He has good advice every now and then and he does have siblings, too. He'd know this better than me!"
Matthew couldn't help but smile. "I know. He does give good advice. Knowledgable... When he wants to be." The two brothers shared a light chuckle before hurrying to catch up with the other two. Matthew vowed to stay in his father's 'good graces' from now on and to stop being so reckless. It'd cost someone's life some day and he didn't want to be responsible nor did he want it to be anyone he knew personally. Their next destination through the cave was the lower levels; what else could be beyond the staircase?
All right guys. They're in the cave now! Also I know in the last chapter I said I Matthew was going to stay in the Cavalier class the whole story; well, now that I think about it, and with another future character I'll be adding in soon, it'd be redundant. So, he'll "change class" when Mia joins them. So, yeah. For now, he's the main healer. The djinn don't play much of a big thing for now until later.
I apologize for any sort of errors and if this chapter was too short. Typing on mobile is hard, lol, but I'm trying my best. I also needed some Garet/Matt family fluff in there. Oh, I hope you guys liked my Super Smash Bros. Captain Falcon reference!
Also, I'm aware "Psynergetic" isn't a word, but eh, I used it in my other fic, The Adept Ranger (Pokemon x-over Golden Sun) so yeah. Whatever, haha.
Like it? Don't like it? Review please!