So, uh, enjoy this chapter. I'm sorry it took so long. If you guys happen to see any errors whatsoever, let me know so I can edit them and all.
Dropping In
Chapter 6
The squad of Adepts descended down the stairs to reach another area within Goma Cave. More lit torches were mounted on the cavern walls to provide the minimal amount of light to keep the paths seeable by the many travelers or adventurers that traversed this particular path. They stepped carefully and kept their hands hovering over their weapons, in case any of the monsters tried anything. It wasn't long until the path split up, one headed forward and the other, heading eastward. To their left was an abyss, which probably led to a deeper portion of the cave, should one likely survive what seemed to be a long drop. They all kept their distance from that. There was also a suspicious looking log, just like the one from the entrance into the cave, sitting on top
"So," Garet started once they stopped at a reasonable spot, "which way do we go from here?" Three pairs of eyes went from the Fire Adept to their de facto leader, who was humming in thought.
"Hmm, why not keep heading forward?" Isaac suggested, thumbing the way, "What do you guys think?"
"Well, I don't mind which way we go to be honest," his best friend replied. Both Valeans turned to Matthew, who was observing the cave as subtly as possible. In actuality, he wasn't and they could see it as clear as day. Garet cleared his throat to grab the second Earth Adept's attention. "What about you, Matt?"
"Oh, uh, it doesn't matter to me," he said, fumbling a bit with his response. Isaac hummed silently again before turning to their newest member of the group, who was also in thought too.
"Ivan?"
"We should split up."
"Huh? 'Split up'?" Garet interjected before Isaac could, "Why should we do that?" The Wind Adept ambled up from his thoughts and gave his attention to his fellow Adepts to explain himself.
"I mean, if we split up here, we could traverse the cave a little faster. I understand it isn't safe to do that, but we could make better progress through the cave if we have teams of two. One team heads north and the second team heads east. If we find anything, we can meet up back here."
"That's not a bad idea," the others turned to Isaac as he spoke, "What do you propose we split our two teams into?" He already had a good idea of what they could entail but wanted to hear it from Ivan himself. Matthew, however, was on alert. Oh no, this wasn't good. They were splitting up! Not only that, they were breaking apart the only protection Matthew had against Ivan, which were Isaac and Garet's presence. Those two alone, unknowingly, helped keep the Wind Adept from pursuing the truth.
'Please let me be on the team with Garet…' he wished silently to himself. He loved his father very much, no doubt about that, but if he could get away from said overbearing, mother-henning father and eavesdropping, mind reading Ivan for even a short time, then he was good to go! He could build up some kind of immunity from the whole past experience in the meantime. Plus, Garet wouldn't ask really weird questions, so he would be safe. Yes, that's it!
"Well, we have two healers, right? Isaac and Matthew," the aforementioned latter perked up, attentive and fearing the worst, "Garet, since you and Isaac are better acquainted with each other as friends, it seems redundant to separate the two of you. So, you can be the first team while Matthew and I be the second team."
At this revelation, Matthew instantly paled. Gods, not Ivan!
For Isaac, while he understood this decision, he was a little saddened by the fact he wasn't paired with his brother. There was some sibling bonding he wanted to have with Matthew. Alone time between them, even for a short while, would have helped tremendously. Nevertheless, he accepted this without hesitation having heard the reasoning behind the decision.
"That's acceptable. Does anyone have objections to Ivan's proposal?" Isaac started, glancing to his friend to brother, expecting them to accept as well or voice their declination. Garet simply nodded his head in acceptance, not at all objecting when he could travel with his best bud again. There was a momentary pause before Matthew took his chance; he slightly raised his hand. Curiously, Isaac turned to him, a brow raised. "Yes, Matthew?"
"Uh, well," he lowered his arm, "I was thinking, maybe it would be a good idea for Garet and me to pair up together?" When three identical clueless expressions met him, he sighed a little and continued, "I mean…um…" Cripes! How was he supposed to get himself out of this? He actually didn't have any reason as why he should object the team decisions; just rashly charged ahead with his abrupt idea to making a diversion.
Well, he did have a real reason or two, but they were ones he couldn't speak of nor should they be privy to knowing. It's not like he could just say, 'I think I should go with Garet because I don't want you two to figure out I'm Isaac's son from a future timeline. Oh, make that thirty years in the future.' Like hell they would accept that! Not only would that be an insane, ludicrous idea, but it would cause far more problems than already necessary. He didn't need to open that can of worms so soon. Come on, come on! Think of something passable to say…
"I mean," Matthew restarted after clearing his throat, grasping onto a solution he thought of, "to say is that I haven't, uh, finished my training that I started this morning, remember?" To this, he got a rather evil eye from Isaac at the mentioning of that particular situation, "So I thought it would be helpful if I got some more tips from Garet. I know I should stick to supporting you guys, but I figured that, hey, what if I get cornered by enemies and such?" It was a weak argument. Even he knew his best friend, Tyrell, wouldn't have bought something so flimsy. So it was no surprise that he was met with another round of flabbergasted expressions. Well, Garet was, Ivan and Isaac didn't appear to believe it too much given their incredulous looks.
"And you want to go with Garet…for training tips?" Isaac parroted a summarization of what he heard, dubious of the reasoning behind it. "Is that what you mean?"
"Well…" Matthew knew he should stop digging himself deeper into the ditch at this point. It was too bad he didn't have anyone to grab the metaphorical shovel away from him. "…yes." Ivan and his future father shared quizzical looks with another and with Garet as well, who was staring at Matthew just as curiously.
"That doesn't make any sense, Matthew."
The time traveler frowned, "But…" However, Isaac simply shook his head, forcing Matthew's argument to die on his tongue.
"I think we should stick to the assigned teams. It actually fits. Garet is much stronger than I am and I can aptly heal both of us. Also, between us working together as we both know each other's fighting styles well, we can cover one another very easily," Isaac started, summing up his earlier thoughts, "You and Ivan can work around each other's styles as you go. Plus, I trust your fighting skills." Wait, what? "I know that you've been itching for the front lines for a while, Matt. I'm not blind. That stunt you pulled earlier with those monsters is one reason. I know you can handle yourself, even though I'm still worried about you. But, I can trust you to defend yourself and Ivan. I know you're a fighter."
Hearing this, Matthew was stunned to silence.
Is he finally recognizing that Matthew did not belong on the sidelines as a supporting role? The youngest Earth Adept blinked, wondering if he was imagining this, but lo and behold, he wasn't! So, there was some reasoning behind Isaac's acceptance of the team choices; he was trusting Matthew to the front lines, a role he had been serving since he first started his own journey. Of course, none of them knew that, but the point was still there.
'I think I get it. Dad's point makes sense. Ivan is a mage type, and Wind Adepts are naturally weaker in terms of defensive power. That's something usually dedicated for warrior types like myself and Tyrell,' he thought, thinking back when he and his friends started their journey for the Roc Feather. He and Tyrell would defend and block the enemies from getting closer to Karis while she cast her Psynergy. While they all trained equally, Karis' Psynergy tended to damage their monster foes better than Tyrell's or Matthew's Psynergy could. 'Garet and Dad know how to fight around each other because they've practically lived together since childhood. Whereas Ivan and I are "new" to this and I am physically stronger than Ivan at this point. Dad knows I can defend myself well and he's acknowledging that. So… My new role for now is to defend Ivan as he supports me this time.' That had to be it. There couldn't be any mistaking it.
'Dad's still looking out for me, even if he doesn't realize it.' The future Adept smiled a little; perhaps going along with the team decisions was the better choice. Not only that, it would help him in the long run to avoid other stupid decisions in the near future. Well, he hoped so.
"Wait, I thought you didn't want Matt to go out and fight though?" Garet asked, wondering where this was coming from. Just mere days ago and ever since they found out about their relationship, his best friend had been keeping a hawk-like eye on his brother, growing old with worry whenever he made his disappearing acts. Now, all of a sudden, he doesn't want him to support and heal? What had changed his mind?
"We're splitting up," it wasn't Isaac's voice that they heard next but rather, Ivan's, "It's natural and common sense to have one fighter and one healer." The response wasn't condescending in any way; more like stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I—I knew that," the Fire Adept admitted bashfully, "I mean like, Isaac didn't want Matt to fight at all at first! I'm just curious as why there's a change all of a sudden."
"It's quite simple, Garet," the aforementioned Valean began, his eyes on his longtime friend, "I've noticed something that I should have a while back." As Garet still looked questionably at Isaac, the latter turned to the other two Adepts, "I trust the two of you together. Will you head south from here? Garet and I will take the northern path ahead."
Ivan nodded, "We will, and thank you, Isaac. We'll see the two of you later."
"All right. Be careful."
"We will…Isaac," Matthew replied, nearly slipping up on his name again, "You two better be in one piece when we meet up, too."
Snapping out of his quizzical confusion prior, the Fire Adept rounded on his friend's brother instantly once overhearing this. "Of course we will! Besides, it's not like we're going to be separated forever!" One could easily hear the "duh" tone he was using. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road!"
With agreeable nods, the squad of four departed from the fork in the path, two to a team.
Isaac & Garet
Once Ivan and Matthew's pair left for the southern path, rounding around a corner behind a cavern wall, the childhood friends departed for their own path. They walked steadily side-by-side, keeping their hands ready to swipe for their swords at any sign of danger. It was quite silent between them for a moment and when his haste died down, Garet decided he had enough confusion for one day. "So, what was that back there about, Isaac?" To his friend's puzzled look, he continued, "I mean, you literally letting Matthew go back there. That you trusted him to protect himself and Ivan and stuff." There was a small pause before Garet resumed, "No offense, but that seemed very unlike you. So far, you've never let him out of your sight, at least not intentionally…"
Isaac stared at his friend for a while longer, not as perplexed as before, and eventually turning away to look ahead. "…I see," he murmured, "It's been bothering you, huh?"
A brow of Garet's rose. "Hmm? What do you mean?"
"Just exactly what I said. What I did back there bothered you, right?" Garet nodded in confirmation and Isaac pressed forward, "You're not alone. It bothered me, too. In fact, it still bothers me." He sighed, rubbed his forehead a bit and let his arm fall down to the side again, "Don't get me wrong, I meant every word I said to Matthew. I've noticed how he fidgets when we were in the middle of a battle when we were traveling here. I've seen the signs that he was like we were, a fighter for the front lines and not someone to be kept on the sidelines for too long."
"And even during the fight with those thieves?"
"That was when I recognized he was a far better healer than I was, especially when he healed my wound. That had been my decision to place him on the sidelines so he could heal us while we protected him," Isaac supplied, "I didn't get a chance to see him fight then because I was too occupied fighting off the thieves."
"So was I, for that matter."
"Mm-hmm. We all were. We've both seen how good he is with his Psynergy. He's helped with attack Psynergy, his mastery over the Growth Psynergy being a prime example. Then when he came to our aid earlier with that Ghost. Even though I was angry at him for abandoning his post, I saw his strength, minimally as it was." There was another beat, Isaac turned his head to glance at Garet, "I realized it then. Whoever trained him to become a fighter had turned my brother into a warrior."
"Yeah," Garet agreed, "Kind of like a combat healer, if you ask me. So, huh, that's why, then? Why not earlier?" As they walked around a corner for themselves, Isaac found slight interest in the floor for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts.
"I…don't really know why, Garet. I guess I—I just wanted to protect him." That's all he could answer his friend with, quite unsure about it for himself. Normally, Isaac was certain of everything else: what he wanted to be in life when he was younger teenager, who he loved, who he wanted to marry someday, and quite frankly, what direction he wanted his life to roll on towards after their mission was completed. But, ever since Matthew had appeared and inserted himself into his life, a lot of things have changed and have been different. His goals, mainly the same, were altered a little. All because of one person.
And the real reason why he hadn't done so earlier? To be honest, he himself couldn't exactly grasp it. Yes, he wanted to keep Matthew safe for that in and of itself was an absolute. However, that feeling he felt last night, why he felt so attached and worried for Matthew's well-being, was exceedingly great. Garet had told him it was because of the bond between siblings, that siblings would do anything to protect their own kin from harm. This was the work of a familial bond. That's why he was so concerned for his brother. But something about it felt stranger than that. Like, it went beyond just a sibling bond. Much further than he could ever anticipate.
It was like—it was like that type of bond he had with his parents. Dora and Kyle, as a younger boy, were all he had before he met and befriended Garet, Jenna and Felix. They were his life, his role models to look up to. And they were two people he cherished with all his heart and soul. He trusted them to protect him and likewise, he wanted to do the same. In a way, it was like that with Matthew. That kind of bond. It didn't make any sense as to why he felt this way towards his brother.
'Could it be because he is the last link I have left of my father before he was taken from me?' Isaac thought, mulling over his train of feelings insofar, 'Or, is it because I can feel my father through him?' None of those reasons resonated with him, so he dismissed them. 'No, they have to be something else. But, just what could it be?' And why, why did it hammer itself so much into him? Why did this strange sensation in his chest seize up his heart, holding it tightly whenever he addressed the other teenager? It was certainly strange.
"I think I get it," Garet said, having mulled over his own thoughts, too, "It's that bond of yours, huh?"
"Yeah, it is." A puzzling thing, too. "Does this ever happen often? Like you feel more of it?"
"More of it? Like, how?"
"I'm not quite sure how to describe it. But, to me, when I'm near Matthew or talking to him or anything for that matter, it's like that sibling bond, but stronger. Like, it feels like I'm with my parents," he paused for a second, "Is that—Is this a normal way to feel this kind of way about siblings, Garet?"
The aforementioned stared at his best friend, troubled by his explanation. He's never felt anything like that for his siblings. He knows he's not their father and certainly not their mother in a way. But, perhaps, this was different. Could it be because of Kyle's untimely death three years ago? When Kyle was presumed killed by the storm and enormous boulder that descended upon Vale, a trap triggered from the Sol Sanctum, Isaac and Dora had been devastated—likewise with Jenna and losing her immediate family. His friends had been hit the hardest of that terrible incident. Jenna had to be sent to her aunt and uncle, who lived further down the village. For his best friend and his mother, they had suffered together. Isaac had taken Kyle's mantle for their household; from fixing the roof to their home to cutting wood for firewood to fishing—everything Kyle did Isaac had taken that role and burdened for himself as soon as he could.
Garet didn't think it would have hit his friend this hard. The slight nagging sometimes, the usual tone he took when they were first adventuring out, how he took easy command over said journey without hesitation. He realized that perhaps his friend had to undergo a mental growth spurt to adjust to the loss and firmly plant himself into the role he shouldn't become until he reached adulthood. All this time, he had been trying to fill a role he wasn't suited for and a void in his heart that he couldn't mend. While Jenna eventually reunited with a once thought dead brother, albeit on different terms, Isaac didn't recover anything from that day.
But he had gained something else.
So, no, it wasn't normal to feel that kind of paternal bond with siblings, at least in Garet's eyes, but perhaps, it was normal for Isaac. It was something to fill that void he's likely held onto for so long, he could only theorize.
"Hmm, I can't say for sure, Isaac. I've never felt that way about Kay and Aaron before. It could be something only you feel for Matthew."
Isaac looked away again, facing forward once more. "I see…" Noticing the slight deadpan tone his friend uttered, Garet clasped a hand on his shoulder, startling Isaac in the process. He gave his moping friend a huge grin.
"Hey! Just because I said I didn't know doesn't mean you have to be down in the dumpster like that!" The red head admonished, "It probably just means you're more attached to the kid than me or Ivan are. And quite frankly, I think it's a good thing!" Unsure but absorbing his companion's words nonetheless, the Earth Adept locked gazes with him.
"You think so?" He had to be sure…
"Positive!" Garet replied with a beaming smile, "Honestly, it seems like you need the guy around in order to breathe!" The larger teen was elbowed playfully for the slight joke and he responded in kind, seeing a light smile on his friend's face. "There we go, there's that smile I was looking for. No more frowning for you, Mr. de facto Leader!"
Isaac gave a two finger salute his friend, "Aye, aye, Captain."
"Hah!" The taller of the two snickered, "So! Feeling any better?"
"Yeah, I do actually. Thanks Garet. I'm glad I have you as my friend. You know exactly what to say when I'm down."
"It's really no problem, Isaac. I'm glad to help! What kind of friend would I be if I let my best friend mope about all the time?" He sent a thumbs-up to his pal. "Hey, you think I should open up my own store someday? I should make a business out of these kinds of things. Like some kind of therapy to help people with their indecisions or feelings! Or advice-giving. 'Garet's Awesome Pick-Me-Ups' or 'Garet's Fabulous Advice Store' would be the name of it, or something like that," as emphasis, he spread his arms out as if introducing something grand, "What do you think?"
Quirking a brow at that, Isaac couldn't help but grin, shaking his head, "What do I think? To be honest…I think that you could pull it off someday. You seem to have a natural talent for giving advice, like a counselor-"
"Yeah? With my best friend backing me up on that, I think I have a chance!"
"-But you have to do something about that temper of yours, Garet. You can't go yelling at your patients with a head on fire."
The Fire Adept looked at his friend, slightly pouted then playfully punched Isaac in the arm, "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" The latter only rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Well, what do you think? What else could it be?"
"Hmph! I think you're being a jerk."
"Well, that's too bad because I think I'm not."
The pair sent knowing looks towards another and eventually broke out in barely contained snickers with their in-joke, enjoying the other's company. It felt good to get out of his funk and so far only Garet had that mysterious ability to do that when they were alone. So far, it's worked throughout the several days since they began this destiny of theirs, this journey. It'd been one roller coaster after another, with the discovery of his half-brother to Ivan's missing master. Isaac felt there would be way more surprises down the road, given everything that's happened so far. He still wished for simpler times, especially back when the four of them had been younger: him, Garet, Jenna and Felix.
Speaking of, the image of the man that Felix had become over the last three years haunted him since they had last seen him disappear with those villains from Sol Sanctum. It had almost been like a dream; he never imagined that his friend would be alive, but now at some kind of mercy of the people responsible for saving him.
'Felix, I don't know what those monsters did to you. You were never the type to simply follow someone else on a whim or follow anyone for that matter. What's happened to you? What could they possibly be holding you accountable for? Why are they forcing you to do this? No matter what, I'll get to the bottom of this and save you from them.'
"Hey, Isaac, look at that!" Garet's voice popped up, breaking him from his trail of thoughts. Perking his head up, Isaac adjusted his vision towards Garet, who was pointing ahead. Turning towards it, he saw what his friend did: a post standing upright in some kind of mud, surrounded by two, tall ledges. In the corner of this new section, there was a rather tall, burly man, dressed simply in a tan shirt, red vest, green slacks and boots. He had a weird haircut and beard. But, what was odd was that he had his fists clenched and tried to punch some small, red sprite-looking creature but it evaded him swiftly.
The creature squeaked and then did something that both Isaac and Garet easily sensed and saw but the man didn't: it conjured Psynergy and shot the small fireball at the man, who yelped and jumped away. Taking advantage of the situation, the red sprite twirled in the air and quickly fled, going to higher ground. Both Adepts' eyes went wide at what they had witnessed. What in the world was that?!
The man spotted the two teenagers, his eyes meeting theirs. Curious about what just transpired, the two headed towards him.
"Hey, you okay?" Garet immediately rounded on the man as soon as they rushed to his aid. Said man panted and sat down to catch his breath.
"Yeah, I'm all right," he replied, rubbing his wrists and arms, then murmured to himself, "That was weird. Never felt anything like that before. The critter just did something weird to me and set me on fire somehow!" He shook his head, then eyed the teens, "Did you see something strange fly over there, though?" He asked, nudging his head in the direction he believed he saw that creature head off to.
"We did. We don't know what it was," Isaac replied.
"Me neither. I thought it was some kind of monster. I tried to fight it earlier, but, well, it fled. Then, I left and came back and it was there again. I tried to do the same thing, but it ran off. This time, well, I guess it got mad at me and did something strange. Makes me wonder if that critter likes this place." The pair of Adepts really wanted to tell him what had truly happened, but they knew the rules regarding Psynergy and the non-Adepts: it was a rule established in Vale they couldn't very well break, even outside of the village's jurisdiction.
Isaac drummed his fingers against his thigh as he rose to his feet, "Hmm. We should probably check it out."
"You sure? For all we know, it could be some kind of dangerous monster," Garet said, concerned.
"You kids needn't worry about that critter. It's kind of harmless and it doesn't like to fight." When he had their attention, he pressed on, "From what I observed of it so far, it just likes to hang around out here, at least recently. Doesn't hurt anyone, well, until you try and hurt it." The pair exchanged glances with another briefly before the Fire Adept launched into questionnaire mode.
"Oh. When do you think it started taking up residence here, sir?"
"Hmm? Oh, I don't really know. I would guess about a week or something ago. I was near the village Vault the day this massive earthquake hit. I left from there quickly because I was worried about my family back in Kolima," The man paused a bit, "Imagine my surprise when that feller appeared out of nowhere, almost like magic."
If only this guy really knew what the extent of that "magic" was and that magic in and of itself didn't exist. Although, they'd agree that, to a degree, Psynergy acted similarly to what fairytales depicted magic to be like.
"I explored and traveled through this cave several times and nothing like that critter's ever made its nest here. I'd say it appeared right when that earthquake hit. Probably woke the thing up from some long sleep or something." Both teenagers glanced towards one another, already knowing the cause of such. Both of their thoughts drifted back to the djinni who had joined them, called Flint. Could this potentially be another one of them?
"That's quite a tale," Isaac finally said, "Like I said, we'll check it out. We have friends who went on up ahead and this information may come in handy. Will you be all right by yourself, sir?"
"I'll be all right here. I just need to rest up a little bit before heading off. You kids be careful now."
"We will. You just take it easy from here, okay?" Garet added, "If it gets bad, you just find your way out in a hurry." The man gave the two a grateful and appreciative glance before nodding.
"Will do."
Garet rose to his feet too and the pair set off towards the direction they had seen Ivan and Matthew take. However, before they got any further, Isaac stopped midway. "Hold on a second, Garet."
Skidding to a light halt, the aforementioned turned to face his friend, "What's up?"
Isaac thumbed to the post they had bypassed previously to speak with the man before. "This. Doesn't this seem awfully suspicious that it's placed here by chance?"
"Oh, yeah! I hadn't really thought about it to be honest. It does seem kind of fishy. You're thinking it could be some kind of puzzle like in Sol Sanctum?"
"Yeah. Or, maybe it plays a small part in the larger puzzle."
"We could push it to wherever it should go to," Garet suggested, grinned and then stood a few paces in front of the post, ready to activate his Psynergy. "All right, I'm raring to go! Just tell me where I should push it, Isaac." Just as he summoned up his power to concentrate on the Move Psynergy, Isaac was quick to disrupt it.
"No, Garet. Stop!"
Abruptly dropping his concentration of manipulating the Psynergy, the teenager by name turned to his friend, wondering why the sudden disruption. "What's wrong now?"
"You can't use your Psynergy here."
"Well, why not?" To answer Garet's question, Isaac nudged his head in the direction of the man they had spoken to. He was quite some distance away, but he was also alert. He'd been watching the two since they had stopped going and began talking around the post. At first, Garet was confused as to why until his memory caught up with. "Oh… right. Almost forgot. So, guess it's the old fashioned way. Shouldn't be that hard!"
"Okay. Will you be all right doing that by yourself or need a hand?"
"Nah, I'm good!" the taller teen declared, stretching once before placing his hands on the post, getting into position to push it, "Just tell me where you need it! I'll handle this part."
Seeing logic in that, Isaac nodded. "Hmm, all right then…" He paused as his eyes made an invisible path along the mud where a particular spot a few paces away seemed like the perfect choice to place it. "Follow my lead. I'll help direct you on where to go next."
Matthew & Ivan
The two traversed down the southern path, being careful about making the jump over ledge. There was a large expanse of water that they had to cross, but thankfully the jump itself wasn't too far nor did they encounter any monsters. Once that was taken care of, they headed down another stairway, bypassing two more lit torches. After they descended and made their way through the next part, the pair were mostly in companionable silence. Well, Ivan believed it to be but Matthew didn't. Not so much, considering the consequences of letting his mental guard down near Ivan would be grave.
'What I would give for Uncle Garet's company right about now,' the future Adept thought, making sure they weren't being picked up on by the younger Wind Adept beside him. 'I really shouldn't be afraid of Ivan right now. He's a friend, an ally, one of my closest friend's father. And yet…' The trepidation of being around the younger teenager was grating on him. He wanted to be free around Ivan like he was with Isaac and Garet. Okay, not as free as it sounded, but he was much looser around them. Karis' future father, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Who knows if he was intent on trying to read him further?
As Matthew was silently lamenting about his predicament, Ivan was having other thoughts.
'Nothing I can think of about that time makes sense to me,' he thought, casually taking glances at Matthew when the older boy wasn't looking, 'I know I apologized to him about it, but it's still bothering me. It was faint, but I felt it. I saw something in his mind. Something that I still can't wholly grasp. Asking about it might make him reluctant to speak of it, or he would write it off as nothing and continue on.' Ivan sighed to himself. He had taken all of last night to ponder the meaning of what he'd seen to no avail. There was no clues hinting towards it nor had he seen anything within it to give him said hints or clues. It was truly baffling—just what had it all meant? 'I won't give up on it. I'll eventually figure it out someday. But perhaps, there is one thing I can start with…' Ivan's gaze shifted to Matthew again as he observed the older teen carefully.
It was remarkable how much he truly resembled his brother. They could practically be twins and none would be the wiser. It was only for a short time but Ivan's recognized how Isaac carried himself when walking and Matthew, unconsciously or not, was doing similar. The way they held their sword's hilt was also similar, especially when fighting. He was not privy to the two Earth Adepts' history so he could only guess they learned the same fighting style while growing up together. Still, something about the youngest of the two Earth Adepts tipped him off as something strange. He wasn't sure what it was, but it tickled his fancy. Then again, Matthew seemed quite anxious, jittery even.
Though he couldn't read his fellow Adept's mind due to his promise of asking permission beforehand, Ivan could tell it was due to his presence that made Matthew unsettled. The older boy was trying to hide it and he did it well so far, but the fact was there. He was scared of him, just like those people in Vault. After learning what his powers really were, he knew that he was different and not because of choice. The way Matthew acted now resembled what others had done to him; shunned him, walked a different direction when they saw him coming, ignored him, or became highly uncomfortable around his presence. To have someone he trusted, no less a fellow Adept in having strange powers that no one else could understand, exemplify these actions that he disliked so much was extremely hurtful.
"Matthew, if I'm making you uncomfortable, please say so," Ivan started to say, looking away when the other turned towards him in surprise, "Just, don't hide it."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Ivan?"
There was a moment of pause before the aforementioned spoke up again, "You're afraid to be around me. I can tell just by your actions." There was evident hurt in his tone, which made Matthew guilty but also bewildered.
Where had this accusation come from? Had—had he deliberately done that? Sure, he was being wary around Ivan so the boy couldn't read his mind but he wasn't afraid of him. "Ivan… I'm—I'm not afraid of you," Matthew replied, also frowning. The younger boy stopped walking, making Matthew stop as well, and turned towards him.
"Then what else could it be?" He asked, "You appear so anxious towards me, so it could only mean one thing."
"But I'm not. I'm really not. If I seem that way, I'm sorry. It was unintended."
Ivan's eyes slightly narrowed but then he sighed, "Before you three came to help me, people were doing just that. Avoiding me, calling me weird, being uncomfortable in my presence. It was like I was invading their private space or they didn't like me. I admit that I had unintentionally invaded in their thoughts many times before I was told what my powers were. But, the fact they had still avoided me and didn't want to be around me… it really bothered me. A lot. I knew these powers would make me different and they had. Meeting the three of you had changed that. I felt accepted finally. That isn't to say Master Hammet and Lady Layana, his wife, haven't accepted me for who I am. It's just…" another sad-sounding sigh escaped him, "It's just that I thought being here with you three was somewhere I needed to be. That I could also be accepted fully into a group of people just like me."
Matthew was quiet when Ivan started talking again, his expression changing as the brief story was told. Had this always plagued his mind? The guilt was eating him up on the inside and taking shape to expand.
"…I'm sorry, Ivan," the older teen started, "I didn't mean to upset you."
"I understand. I'm sorry I was so affront with you about this. But, could it be because of that strange connection we had a few days ago?"
Soon as he mentioned that, Matthew fought his body to not freeze up. That was generally one reason he was likely jittery around Ivan. No matter what, he couldn't let the other boy read his mind and find out the full truth. The truth about his being from the future, of being Isaac's son, of all the lies he had to concoct so far in order to save himself and his future from potentially eradicating on itself, but found out that it never would be completely erased.
Even knowing that tidbit of information, he still continued to keep up with his little lies that he'd already started. How much longer until he would break and finally snap? How much longer until he was caught in his web of dishonest deceits? Until they stopped believing him? Until his father…
Matthew shook his head. No; no matter what, they couldn't know the truth. He had already started on this path, despite how deceptive it was, and how much it killed him on the inside. If only he could stop and start being truthful…but he couldn't. He wanted to, oh so badly. But who's to say telling them the truth now would help anything? Who's to say it really wouldn't affect his future in some other way? He was displaced—he didn't belong here. He didn't fit into the story at all. He was just another frivolous piece to the giant jigsaw puzzle. He didn't matter in the long run since he was going to find a way back. And yet—and yet…
He sighed. There was no time to think about that. He had to be careful and if he had to continue to conceal the truth then so be it. He couldn't afford to take risky chances. He hadn't during his own journey and he was certain he wouldn't do it here, either.
As much as he believed and trusted his source of information—he wanted to be absolutely sure it was the truth for himself. Matthew looked to Ivan, who was still waiting for a reply. It couldn't hurt to utilize half of a truth.
"Yeah, that's one reason. It unnerved me more than I'd like to admit," he said, being honest about that. It had spooked him and he'd nervous around Ivan ever since. He hated feeling like that. The man he had some to know in his own future was trustworthy, a great ally and friend to not only his parents but to him as well. This younger incarnation of him should be no different. He wanted to be friends with Ivan, not become afraid of him. He had to work this out. "I don't like being afraid of you. I don't want to be. Do you think you can forgive me and we can start over as friends?" 'And so I can put this behind me?' Matthew added the last tidbit to himself.
The younger Adept blinked and then gave a genuine smile and nod.
"I would very much like that. I forgive you, Matthew. And I hope you can forgive me as well. I promise to not read your mind or anything like that without your explicit permission."
Matthew could accept that. Ivan was a curious lad and as an adult, that curiosity sparked many of his inventions, including the Soarwing. But one thing was certain; he was a loyal person, one that you could entrust all your secrets to and wouldn't have to worry about anyone finding out from him. Ivan also lived up to his self-imposed promises, too. Finding comfort in that knowledge and knowing the boy would unintentionally adopt his adult counterpart's ways, Matthew knew he could visibly relax to a large degree around him. Already, he could tell a weight was lifted off his shoulders.
"Thank you, Ivan. I appreciate it. And don't worry, you're forgiven, too." The Earth Adept reached out a hand and held it towards him, hoping he would take the handshake offer to finalize their agreements and confessions, "Friends?"
Ivan did not disappoint. "Friends."
The deal was made.
Now that was off their chests, they needed to continue and get back on track. The tense silence between them had evaporated into one of companionable, easily bridged silence. There, the budding trust they had given each other was building itself up again, having restarted its metaphorical construction process once more.
The two were just about approaching another body of water when they felt it—something was entering their Psynergy sensory range. Matthew sensed it a few seconds before Ivan had but the two of them quickly prepared themselves for an upcoming battle. Appearing before them was a Bat and a strange skull-looking creature that he would later come to know as a Will Head.
"Wonderful," the future Adept muttered but unsheathed his sword as Ivan quickly got his staff out, and no sooner when they had did the bat charge at them! Both avoided by ducking to the opposite side, the creature flying by them in its flying lunge.
"Get the bat, I'll handle the skull thing!" Matthew called out as he went for the other monster. It was a floating human skull tinted in a green hue, wrapped in a dense, visible blue aura. He had no idea what it was; it looked strangely similar to that blue, flame looking creature he, Karis, his father and Garet had fought in the Tanglewood, called Willowisp. This looked nothing like them. 'But, I shouldn't underestimate them, even if I am stronger than it,' he thought.
The Will Head growled and charged Matthew with a lunging attack, the latter rolled out of its warpath. He gathered his Psynergy together and readied the spell to cast with his sword as a medium. "Cutting Edge!" He cast and sent the hardened waves of Mercury Psynergy power at the Will Head. It turned to meet the attack but instead, it went down. Matthew narrowed his eyes when it didn't disperse like usual monsters. In fact, it got back up and leered at its assailant despite its lack of eyes. Not unusual for this kind of scenario to happen, but he was mildly surprised. One hit usually took monsters down. Why, now all of a sudden, was this any different?
He soon got his answer.
The Will Head summoned up its energy and flames emerged from its singular form, which were soon converged around Matthew to strike! Gritting his teeth, the Adept swerved out of the way while summoning more Psynergy to his call. Binding the natural earth affinity to his will, Matthew slid against the ground and allowed the earth to rip apart for his new spell, "Briar!" he called, unleashing the Psynergy to manipulate and erupt. Thorns covered in red roses sprouted and struck the Will Head, then coiled around it and trapped it within. The creature screeched then dispersed.
Once again, Matthew was shocked, this time more than before. This was the second time his Psynergy had gone crazy. First with the Move Psynergy and now this! He had thought it was just a mistake on his part, but now he was sure it wasn't him. Something—something was definitely wrong here. The spell he intended to use was Briar—what happened was the spell Nettle instead! The Earth Adept slowly sheathed his sword and looked down at his hands before grasping them shut. What…what was going on? 'Why is this happening to me?' he thought. Quickly, he shook his head. No, he had to focus.
"Whirlwind!" Ivan's voice cut through Matthew's thoughts and he turned towards the other side of the battle. Right, he had nearly forgotten about the bat monster that he left Ivan to deal with. 'I'll have time to worry about my problem later, I need to stick around to help Ivan,' he added, hurrying towards the mage.
The bat was moving around quickly and had managed to avoid the Psynergy attack. It hissed and flapped about then summoned up Psynergy of its own and unleashed a retaliation attack: rings of orange waves were heading right for Ivan, the Sonic Wave! Gripping his staff, the young Adept stepped back to try and concentrate on a counterattack or way to repel the energy but panicked at the last moment. He closed his eyes and braced for the attack to hit him. The blast struck and knocked the boy off his feet, pushing him away! Rather than colliding with the ground, his back had hit something else—another body!
"Don't worry, I got you," Matthew's voice said. Ivan opened his eyes and saw that he was caught by the other teenager who was helping him stand. "You alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine," he replied with a relieved sigh, "Thank you."
Before Matthew could respond, more orange rings of energy were being sent their way by the bat, and they were coming quite quickly! Both hurried out of the way again, watching the Psynergy hit the ground where they had been, causing some damage. Good thing they had moved! "Ivan, try to get it with a wind Psynergy spell. I'll distract it," the older Adept quickly suggested as he rushed out towards the bat. Ivan only nodded, watching Matthew rush out and began concentrating once more, this time undisturbed. With the bat focusing on trying to hit Matthew with its lunging attacks and easily failing due to his superior agility and evasive maneuvers, Ivan was able to give his spell the necessary attention and power.
"Matthew, watch out," Ivan called out as his mind stretched out, fueling the power to manipulate the Psynergy around him to construct the spell, "Ray!" A purplish-blue bolt of energy materialized and zapped the bat where it was charging for his friend again, striking it out of the air! It screeched and fell down, hitting the ground with small sparks coming off its body. It soon dispersed just like the Will Head had earlier.
It was silent for a while, the rush of battle finally leaving them.
"Well, that's over," the older teen said and turned to Ivan, casting a quick Cure spell on him to heal his minor injuries. It was a rather awkward moment, there usually was one after battles, "Shall we get going? There looks to be a lot of ground to cover for us."
Ivan put his staff back where he had it usually strapped to his back, underneath his cloak. "Yes. Thank you for helping." As they started back on the path through the cave, Matthew gently patted the wind mage's shoulders and walked alongside him.
"You're welcome, Ivan." He replied then frowned to himself, 'I have to get to the bottom of my Psynergy acting strangely. There's no way it's me or my control over my natural element.' Matthew thought once more, mulling back over them again. That was twice that his Venus-aligned Psynergy techniques had went astray. Thankfully the Cure spell he used not long ago hadn't gone awry, but…the other two.
Something—something was wrong with him. But just what exactly was it? What was going on? What was wrong with him?
I was hoping this was going to be longer than 8k since you guys deserve longer. I don't even know if my original readers are still waiting for this update or not, but again, I'm truly sorry it took so long. I hope it doesn't take me this long for the next string of chapters.
More questions, not enough answers and Matthew's guilt is a little more introduced. Don't worry, I plan to take it further for more drama.
Review if you want to. (: