Chapter XVIII
Troubled Waters
Isaac woke alone to sunshine and birds in the guest room of the Kalay Palace, and he knew at once that he had overslept. He groaned and drew himself up, quickly getting dressed and downing the breakfast that had been left by his bed.
Out in the hall he found the others talking and waiting for him.
"Sorry, guys. I had a late night... couldn't get to sleep."
Mia gave him a knowing look; she looked a bit tired herself.
"I guess we're heading right off?" Garet asked.
"Yes," Isaac answered. "We can't afford to let Felix and them get any farther ahead."
Garet nodded. "Never any time to kick our feet up and relax."
"I'm sorry," Isaac said. "I hate this too. But we can't forget what's at stake here."
He looked to Ivan. The younger boy gave a reassuring smile, but there was a carefully hidden pain in his eyes. It could not be easy; to be leaving so soon after getting home...
"I will inform Lady Layana," Ivan said. "I'm sure she'll want to say a quick goodbye to us."
A short time later, they were outside, making their way down the stairs that led back into town, Lady Layana sombrely walking at Ivan's side.
"I wish there was something we could do about Master Hammet," Ivan said heavily. "I feel so guilty to run off and leave this burden on you..."
"We can handle it," Layana answered. "We're not resourceless here. And I'm Hammet won't be hurt; Dodonpa knows that if he were returned harmed or worse, Lunpa would not survive the fallout. Try to put it out of your mind; you have other things to worry about."
"Yes," Ivan admitted. They'd had variations of this conversation several times already. It clearly was tearing Ivan's heart in two to leave while Hammet was imprisoned, but there was no way they could spare the time to hike back north to Lunpa, and even if they could, what could they do? They had no way of sneaking Hammet out, and trying to free him by force would only endanger his life.
"I have a parting gift for you," Layana said, reaching into her pocket and produced a folded and sealed slip of paper. "Ivan mentioned your travels would take you next to Tolbi. The only way to get there at present is by ship, over the Karagol Sea, and with Colosso about to start, it will be costly. I've prepared this letter for the captain of any ship you can find. It instructs them to guarantee five seats, and to bill it to the Kalay's crown."
"Thank you, Lady Layana," Isaac said, taking the letter from her. "We're in your debt."
They reached the bottom of the steps, and it was time to say their final farewells.
"Hey," Ivan asked the others in a small voice. "Can we... have a moment?"
"Of course," Isaac said. They stepped away to give Ivan and his mother space.
Isaac found himself thinking of his own home and mother. They were so close to Vale right now; only a few days march away. How had Dora taken his sudden departure? The realization that the Mars Star was gone from the sanctum... Had she understood the choice he'd made?
Ultimately, he would not know until the quest was over and he returned to Vale. If he took the time now to travel there to check on her, they would never catch up with Saturos' group, and it would all be for nothing.
Isaac distracted himself by examining the envelope Layana had given them. Aside from the regal wax seal keeping it closed, it was plain and unaddressed.
Layana had said the note guaranteed them five seats, not four.
The conversation about what to do with Feizhi had been one he'd been avoiding; the group had still not come to a unanimous decision about whether she should come along or not. They had tentatively planned to discuss it somewhere in town after saying their goodbyes to Layana, but now...
Isaac glanced at the violet-haired girl. She saw him look, and quickly cast her eyes away, her cheeks red.
Overall, Feizhi seemed happy with them. She and Mia got along well, Ivan had taken some time to go over the basics of Jupiter Psynergy with her, and Garet did not seem to mind her presence. That left Isaac alone as the sole voice of dissent.
Feizhi looked almost guilty when she caught his gaze... but was it guilt of being perceived as a burden, or of lying? Isaac hated that he alone was the one expressing doubt at her prophecies, especially after she had made it clear how much she idolised him. It wasn't that he didn't believe her powers; she'd proven that by knowing who he was when they met, and by knowing of Hsu being in danger. The issue was her infatuation with him, and very clear desire to be near...
Isaac's conversation with Mia the night before kept replaying in his memory.
He could tell her to leave. It would be easy; easier than the anxiety of having to worry that he was leading this girl to her death. A moment of cruelty, and she would go home and live her life and not throw it away over a stupid crush. The others would not approve of him being that way, but they would understand the necessity of it. The mission was far more important than the feelings of one girl. They understood that; they had sacrificed too much already to not.
The mission was the most important thing, because there would be nothing else if he failed. If he needed to get his hands dirty for the sake of it...
Isaac stopped.
No, he couldn't let himself think like this. He couldn't let himself become like Felix: hurting those close to him in the pragmatic pursuit of some greater goal.
"Feizhi," he said to her, "Have you ever travelled by boat before?"
She looked to him, a bit surprised. "Um... I have, a few times."
"Well I haven't, so I'll need your help. I've heard the swaying can make one sick to the stomach."
The violet-haired girl smiled, visibly relieved.
Perhaps he was making a mistake, but seeing that smile made him feel less burdened after all.
The Tolbi Docks were a few miles south of the city. The Adepts passed many others on their way there, some warriors with arms and armour, and others commoners who spoke excitedly about Colosso.
Isaac found himself wishing that they could have been passing through at a different part of the year. Their travel was slowed by the mass of people around. Tolbi would be packed to the brim, and supplies and board would be expensive. Even with Lady Layana covering their fare on the ship, this would be sure to deplete their funds.
The Karagol Sea, an expanse of glimmering blue, drew closer on the horizon. It stretched as far as the eye could see in each direction but the one behind them. Isaac was stunned; he'd been told it would take no longer than two days to cross it, but at the sight of it, he was having trouble believing that.
"Amazing," Garet said, the first to give voice to thoughts, as always. "So this is the ocean. Just like Kraden used to talk about."
Isaac nodded, thinking back fondly.
They had seen the sea from afar back at Mercury Lighthouse, but things had been too hurried and tense to appreciate it at the time. Now, they were right before the waves, and actually had a moment to enjoy the sight.
"Technically the Karagol Sea is not a true ocean, since it's landlocked," Ivan explained. "It's more like a really big lake. But it's close enough to the real thing."
Ivan had rejoined them a short time after stepping away to say his goodbyes, his eyes red but dry, and his face resolute. He hadn't said a word about Lady Layana, and none of them had asked.
"Well I hope to get to see the real thing up-close some day," Garet said enthusiastically.
Isaac didn't.
If they failed to stop Saturos at Venus Lighthouse, they would have to take to the seas for the remaining two. Jupiter Lighthouse was on the continent of Atteka, to the west, and Mars Lighthouse was supposedly very far north, even farther than Imil.
While they could get to Gondowan by taking a quick boat over the Karagol Sea, the others were very far away and would require many months of sailing. They would need their own ship, for sure. And he was sure Saturos already had one ready, no doubt the one they'd come from Prox on. As boats required full crews to man the oars, he wondered how on Weyard they had made the journey. Did they have a full crew of Proxians just waiting around on the boat, or did they have some way of sailing with Psynergy unknown to the rest of the world?
Either way, it would give Saturos a lead. Even if they managed to find their own ship only days after the lighthouse, the others would still have precious time on them that they could not spare.
The group made their way over to one of the less-busy vendor booths. After waiting in line for a good while, they stepped up to the counter where a very bored girl waited with a paper log and pen.
"How many?" she asked.
"Uh, five," Isaac said. Before she could write anything down, he added, "We have this letter from Kalay..."
She blinked as he pulled the letter from his breast pocket and handed it to her. If the royal seal surprised her, she gave no indication. After breaking the seal, she read the papers within quickly, and then nodded.
"Very well," she said. "I'll still need your information for the log. The seal looks legitimate, but a lot of people have been showing up with counterfeits, so we need to have you on record when we bill the crown."
They spent the next several minutes answering her questions, in turn giving her their names, where they were from, what business they had in Tolbi (everyone was there for Colosso, including them). Isaac considered that Felix's group must have done this as well, but he'd gain nothing by asking; they had no doubt used false names.
"Last thing is I need you all to sign these," she said, handing a stack of papers to them. They had Personal Liability written across the top.
"What are these for?" Ivan asked.
"Monster sightings have been on the rise," the girl responded. "There have even been reports of some climbing on deck. These forms indicate that you're aware of the risk by sailing with us, and if you get injured or killed by one, we aren't accountable."
"Ah, of course," Ivan said, not sounding surprised at all.
They all signed and returned the forms.
"You'll be on the Nereid," she said finally. "It's that one over there. I've signed off on your letter. Give it to the captain and you're good to go."
They thanked her and made their way over to the ship she'd indicated, as the next customer stepped up to take their place.
"Monsters?" Feizhi asked.
"Somebody might have gotten hurt," Ivan explained. "The company probably just wants to cover their butts. They don't want to have to pay for a bunch of people's trips to the sanctum."
Isaac looked around him at the massive crowd. "It doesn't seem to be hurting their business."
"I can't imagine it would be very dangerous with all these warriors going to Colosso around," Ivan said. "But even if the monster attacks were that serious, knowing what I know about trade, there's no chance they'd pass on all the gold to be made here."
"Speaking of warriors," Garet said, "look there!"
He was pointing to a pair of men standing before a gangplank. One was smaller and leaner, with blue hair. And the other was huge, standing a head above everyone else, with red hair.
Isaac and Ivan exchanged glances. They knew this man; he was the one who had sat with them at the inn in Bilibin, who had told them about Kolima and Tret's curse.
As they drew near, they could overhear the smaller, blue-haired man reassuring his friend.
"It'll be fine, really," he said. "It's just a day or two. You can tough that out for Colosso, right?"
The burly man muttered something that sounded vaguely like disagreement.
As Isaac and his companions reached the gangplank, the Venus Adept checked the side of the ship. It had the name Nereid across its side.
"Ouranos," said the blue-haired man, noticing their arrival, "some people need to get by."
The large man - Ouranos it would seem - looked up and muttered a quick, "'scuse me," before doing a double take. "Wait, I know you! From Bilibin!"
Mia and Feizhi, who had not been there, were confused, but Garet and Ivan were overjoyed to have found a familiar face. Isaac remembered the guilt Ivan had felt at that inn, and he could imagine he was relieved to see the man was alive and well.
They made their introductions, as they hadn't had the chance before; Ouranos was indeed the name of the red-haired man. The smaller of the two was named Sean. Isaac and friends introduced themselves in turn.
"You're going to Colosso, right?" Garet said. "I think you mentioned it before."
"Indeed," Ouranos said with a wide grin; his previous apprehension forgotten. "Sean and I have been training for years for this!"
"Though we are running a bit behind," Sean added more quietly. "Someone had to go off on a quest only weeks before the event."
Ouranos continued as if he hadn't heard. "With my strength and Sean's speed, we'll be sure to win our way through the tournament! Why, we'll end up facing one another in the final, and then we'll know once and for all which of us is stronger."
Garet had a wistful look. "That sounds amazing. I wish I could be there."
"You aren't competing?" Sean asked with a curious look. "Why else would you be going to Tolbi now? Are you just going as a spectator?"
"We have business elsewhere in Gondowan." Isaac answered. "We're just passing through."
"I see," Sean said. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I just assumed you also planned to compete. You have the look of warriors to you."
Isaac wondered if they really did. They were armed, sure, but anyone who travelled these days needed to be. He'd trained for three years with Garet, but he hadn't expected that to be of any practical use when real fights arrived.
"What ended up happening in Kolima?" Ivan asked Ouranos.
The large warrior's eyes grew wide. "Ah, that was something. I got turned into a tree, same as the others who went there. We were stuck like that for days... maybe weeks; it's hard to say. But eventually we went back to normal. Someone must have broken the curse."
Ouranos did not sound as if the experience had left him with any lasting trauma. Instead it just sounded as if it was another exciting story to tell.
"I'd like to hear about it some time," Ivan said, a light smile on his face.
"Of course!" Ouranos grinned. And then his expression faltered. "But for now, uh..."
He looked back at the ship with apprehension, and as his eyes lowered to the churning waves at the edge of the dock, his frown grew.
"I must conquer another foe," he muttered darkly.
The Adepts looked to Sean for an explanation.
"Ouranos is..." he said, trying to find the words, "not fond of the ocean."
Ouranos just shook his head. "I didn't know when we set out that we would need to cross water."
Isaac couldn't help but be surprised. This hulk of a man, who had so fearlessly ventured into Kolima, and was so confident of his chances at Colosso, was afraid of sailing?
"Will you be able to make the trip?" Mia asked in concern.
"He will," Sean answered for him. "He was just taking time to psyche himself up to it when you all arrived."
"What is it about the ocean that's so scary?" Garet asked, baffled.
"You can fight a man," Ouranos said, pulling his eyes away from the water. "But the sea? Nobody knows what lurks under there. And once you're pulled in, there's nothing you can do. No warrior can fight when he's trapped under water, no air to breathe and nowhere to go, being dragged down by some slimy beast..."
The warrior shuddered.
Isaac looked again at the waves before him, feeling a chill of his own now. He hadn't considered it much before, but now...
Ivan's talk about the monster attacks did not reassure him any more.
Jenna decided, with absolute and final certainty, that she never wanted to sail again.
The voyage across the Karagol Sea had been short, only taking a day and a half, but it had still been much too long for her tastes. The rocking boat had left her stomach a churning mess.
The moment she stepped off the dock, and her feet touched solid ground, she let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding.
"Thank the gods," she breathed.
Felix stood at her side, with Alex lingering nearby. As for the Proxians...
Jenna glanced behind her, where Saturos and Menardi sulked like a pair of spectres. The Proxians had kept quiet, their hooded cloaks drawn about them for the entirety of the voyage. They hadn't had the ship to themselves; in fact, it was the first time since setting out that they had been around so many people. And with Colosso only days away, the ship had been booked to capacity. Much as they would have preferred a less beaten path, there was no other way they could cross the Karagol without a detour that would have added weeks to their journey. And after the close call at Alpine Crossing, Saturos was not about to let Isaac's group beat them to Venus Lighthouse.
Kraden was a bit farther ahead, a renewed energy of giddy excitement to him. He'd been looking forward to returning to Tolbi. Though Saturos had made it clear we was not meeting with Lord Babi, he was still very eager to be back home for the first time in many years. And as the remainder of the travel to Venus Lighthouse would consist of passing through more deserts and rough terrain, they could not skip over the town as they had with others before it. Truth be told, they needed the rest anyway.
The Alchemy sage and Felix had been having hushed conversations ever since they'd left Mercury Lighthouse. Kraden's change of mind, and his new commitment to their goal, had ignited some sort of curiosity in Felix. But when Jenna had confronted him about it, he dodged the question.
"We're just talking about Alchemy," Felix had told her. "I studied it a lot in Prox. It's something we're both interested in."
Jenna didn't believe that. Felix had never shown that kind of interest back when they had studied under Kraden in Vale. None of them had. Alchemy was dry, boring, and as far as they knew then, useless; the seal meant that no amount of study mattered since it was ultimately all theoretical.
She also had not missed the way the two of them had grown quiet every time she drew near. Especially during the trip on the boat, when they had all been packed together with dozens of others in a claustrophobic lodge. Jenna was no fool; they were keeping something from her.
Despite her and Kraden's shared joy at the crowded docks, Saturos urged them out quickly, eager to get away from all the people. They soon found themselves on the highway, where other travellers were making their way to Tolbi. Though it was less crowded than the docks, there were still many others around.
Jenna looked to her brother, finding him wearing a thoughtful frown. Sometimes he got in these moods, lost somewhere in his own head, and did not want to speak. Whatever it was this time, he didn't even seem to notice her searching glance.
Very well, then.
Jenna moved away from Felix, and walked beside Kraden, who was still leading their procession.
"Hey," she said, with some difficulty.
"Ah, Jenna..." Kraden answered, clearly surprised she was speaking to him. Even though her relationship with Felix had improved somewhat, Jenna had been clinging to her grudge against Kraden since Mercury Lighthouse.
"I'm sorry," Jenna said to him. "I've been really difficult with you. You don't deserve it."
Kraden's eyes softened. "Jenna, there is no need for that. I know this has been hard for you. I don't blame you for having the reaction you have."
She nodded, not sure what to say.
"I... am not proud of myself," Kraden said. "Things at the lighthouse did not go the way I would have liked. I would much rather see you back with Isaac right now. You've suffered enough."
They continued to walk in silence for some time.
"I understand why," Jenna said. "I know you're still the same Kraden I've always known, ever since I was a kid. It was hard to remember that, I guess."
Kraden nodded in understanding.
"I've been talking with Felix again," she continued. "He's told me about what happened to him over in Prox and all that. I know he didn't choose to leave me alone; of course he wouldn't have. I'm tired of being angry all the time. I just want us all to be friends again."
Kraden smiled warmly through his bushy beard. "Of course."
She smiled back, and they exchanged a rather awkward half-hug. Saturos would be angry if they stopped walking.
"So... Felix told you... everything?" Kraden asked her.
Everything? Jenna nodded, hoping it was true.
"Ah, that's a relief," Kraden said. "Having to keep secrets is not something I enjoy. Especially from you. But I understand why he was so hesitant."
Jenna continued walking, trying hard not to show the brewing mix of feelings in her gut. Secrets? Was there something else Felix had not told her? Or was Kraden just talking about their theory about the world dying without Alchemy?
No, that couldn't be it. Why would Felix keep that a secret at all?
"He wanted to wait until I wasn't upset any more," Jenna said, resisting the urge to turn back and look at her brother. "He didn't know how I'd take it."
Kraden nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. While I can't say I agree, I see why he was so hesitant. It would have been easy to misunderstand the circumstances."
Jenna said nothing, hoping Kraden would continue talking. Her tender exchange with him only moments ago was forgotten, and the voice in the back of her head that had screamed at her not to trust anyone was clawing back to the surface.
"I know it's difficult now, but this will all work out," Kraden insisted, smiling to her. "We'll clear up these misunderstandings. You'll be back in Vale some day with Felix, your parents, Isaac, and everyone."
She managed a smile, but her blood was ice.
Her... parents?
The voyage was far from a pleasant one.
True to the clerk's warnings, monsters appeared. They leapt from the waves and scaled the sides of the ship, and once on the deck they attacked the first person they could reach.
The sailors were forced to rush under decks, while the mercenaries the company had hired dealt with them. But the beasts were so many that soon the bald first mate barged into the passenger quarters, and shouted:
"If any of ya have ambitions of fighting at Colosso, get yer ass on the deck now!"
Isaac and his companions exchanged glances before quickly gathering their weapons and rushing out.
The sun had not yet set, but the clouds obscuring the sky were so thick that it could have been midnight. A few others were already out there, including Sean and Ouranos, who were pummelling fish-faced men with their bare fists.
"A storm is brewing," said Ivan, raising his curved blade. "Be careful."
They charged into battle. As the deck was swarming with beasts, they had their pick of what and where to fight. Ivan and Garet ended up back-to-back, facing down a pair of fish-men creatures, while Mia swung her mace at something that resembled a large squid, to little effect.
Feizhi, despite having no weapon, was perhaps the most effective one there: she moved swiftly, dodging attacks with twists and turns as if she were dancing, and then counting with deadly effective strikes. She struck one of the fish-men with a chop in the back of its head and it collapsed. A kick from her sent one of the squids flying into the ship's mast; at the impact it exploded into inky black juice.
Isaac had thought her helpless after seeing her stuck in that antlion's pit; now he knew just how wrong that had been. Still, he had little time to appreciate it, as he had sea creatures of his own to deal with.
Rain began to fall.
The battle continued on for some time, with the Adepts and the others fighting off waves of monsters that were just as quickly replaced with more. There seemed to be no end to them.
"Ivan!" said Garet, his panting breaths visible in the cold. "How long was the trip to Tolbi supposed to take again?!"
"About a day and a half! Two if the current fights us!"
"Great, just another day or so of this, then!" Garet brought down his broadsword, cleaving a squid in half.
Lightning struck, and suddenly, the monsters froze.
The fighters could not help but stop too, in confusion.
And then, just as quickly as they'd come, the monsters fled, scurrying to the nearest side of the ship and throwing themselves overboard.
"Y-yeah, that's right!" Garet called. "You better keep running!"
"What happened?" asked Feizhi. "Why do they flee?"
"Either the thunder spooked them," said Mia, "or..."
With a loud crash, the water near the ship was broken by a tentacle nearly as thick as tree trunk.
"...something bigger is here." Mia finished.
"You know what they say," Garet said with a nervous grin. "'There's always a bigger f-'"
His last word turned into a shouted expletive as the tentacle struck the side of the ship, the impact knocking them all off their feet.
Another tentacle emerged from the waves.
"Oh no," said Ivan. "This is reminding me a lot of that time in the forest...!"
Another tentacle came flying at the ship, but Garet was already back on his feet; he swung his broadsword and sliced the incoming flesh. His blade drew a nasty cut, and the unseen creature recoiled in pain.
Isaac climbed to his feet, using his sword, which was stuck in the wood at his feet, for balance. Scanning the ship's deck, he spotted the others: Sean and Ouranos were fine, but several of the other warriors were already dead.
More will die if I don't get them out of here, he thought.
"Everyone without a sharp weapon, get below decks!" he shouted.
At his urging, a few went there. Sean, who was close enough to speak, said to him, "We can help you!"
"The only chance we have is if we hurt that thing enough that it runs away to lick its wounds!" Isaac shouted. "You'll only get in our way up here!"
"How can we cower down there while you risk yourself?"
"Not cowering! Think about it. If the ship starts to sink, there are families that will need help."
Sean frowned, before grabbing Ouranos by the arm. "Do your best to keep that from happening!"
Before long, it was Isaac and his companions remaining.
"Don't even say it!" Feizhi said to him. "I might not have a weapon, but I'm an Adept, too!"
Though he did consider it for a second, Isaac nodded to her.
The surface of the water rolled, and the beast's face emerged. It was covered in wet, pinkish flesh, with two tentacles and a number of smaller limbs in the water. At it's face were two slitted eyes and a bird-like beak. It considered the bleeding slash Garet had left in it's arm, it's eyes narrowing as it looked back at them.
"This must be the kraken," said Ivan. "There are local legends about it, but one has never been seen in-"
"Another time, Ivan," Isaac interrupted.
"I think it knows we did that," Mia pointed out.
"Great," Garet said. "Another monster intelligent enough to hate us."
The kraken roared and brought its two tentacles down on the deck of the ship. The Adepts rushed to the side and grabbed the railing and each other, to keep from falling over into the water as the ship rocked. The deck tilted so much, Isaac feared it would capsize.
"We need to do this quickly!" He shouted as the boat tilted back and forth and stabilized. "The ship can't take much of this! One hole and we'll all be swimming!"
The others nodded, their faces wet from the rain and the waves striking at them.
"Ivan, use lightning to try and blind it," Isaac instructed. "Garet, you and I will move in and attack directly to keep those tentacles busy. Girls, back us up."
Not his best strategy, perhaps, but it was all he could think of in the heat of the moment.
As soon as the boat was stabilized, they went to work. The kraken was angry, and its tentacle arms could move with shocking speed. With the slippery ship deck, Isaac struggled to maintain his footing. After blocking another strike from a tentacle, he slipped and was on the ground.
Before he could draw himself up, the tentacle had wrapped around his leg.
Here we go, time to be bait again...
Isaac felt himself lifted into the air, the harsh rain stinging at his face. Glancing down at the deck, he saw Mia tending to a wounded Garet, and Ivan-
A bolt of lightning struck the kraken square between its eyes.
The beast roared and thrashed about, and then a moment later it sank back into the murky depths, either slain or retreating.
Either way, the tentacle around Isaac's leg remained firm.
"Uh-oh," he said.
He tried to grab the railing at the edge of the ship, dropping his sword on the deck in the process, but it was too slippery to get a hold on.
"Guys! Help!"
His desperate cry was silenced as he was pulled down into the cold darkness of the ocean.
On the day before Colosso began, Tolbi was a bustling hub of excitement. Unfortunately, Jenna had little time or mood to appreciate it.
She stood with the others, waiting outside what must have been the twelfth inn they had stopped at; she had lost count. No one spoke, waiting in an uncomfortable silence.
When the hooded and cloaked form of Saturos emerged from inside with an angry slam of the door, Jenna knew at once what had happened.
"Nothing?" asked Menardi.
"No," Saturos growled. "She suggested one down the road. We'll try there next."
They followed him, his silent rage so intense that even the jovial crowd filling the streets parted for him. They had been so used to near-empty inns on the travels, and the privilege of space and privacy that came with that. Now, with each inn that Saturos emerged from, his anger grew visibly hotter.
"What happens if we can't find a room?" Kraden asked.
"I imagine we'll just have to camp outside the city walls," Alex answered. "We saw others doing just that on our way in."
Jenna did not fail to notice the exchanged glance Felix and Kraden shared.
The conversation at the docks replayed in her mind.
My parents...?
No. It can't be.
Kraden must have misspoken.
They arrived at their latest destination: a large, but shabby wooden building that looked one strong storm away from collapse.
After an even longer wait, Saturos finally emerged, still angry.
"I got us rooms," he growled.
"Rooms?" Menardi repeated.
Saturos nodded. "The bastard knew we were desperate, especially when he found out there were six of us. He said all he had left were a pair of rooms, and then he had the audacity to demand what he did. If there weren't so many witnesses I would have..."
He caught himself. Turning to address the others, he said, "Get inside, get cleaned up and rested. We leave at dawn, so be ready."
Inside, they were shown to their rooms. There was a two-person room, which Saturos and Menardi took to no one's surprise. The other room, no doubt for families, was for the rest of them; he handed the key to Alex.
"Saturos," said Felix, before the Proxian could disappear inside his room. "About my business with Kraden..."
Saturos' expression darkened. "I don't think that's still a good idea."
"Why is that?" Felix asked.
Jenna watched silently, a few paces from her brother. Everyone else (save for Alex, who had already gone into the room) had stopped and was waiting.
"Look how busy it is here," Saturos said slowly. "We weren't supposed to be arriving right before Colosso. Not when we originally made these plans. What if someone in town recognizes the old man?"
"I'll deal with it," Felix said firmly.
"Well, I'm not willing to take the chance," Saturos said, turning away to go in his room. "The last thing I need now is Tolbi's city guard after us-"
Felix grabbed Saturos by the arm to stop him.
Jenna's heart skipped a beat.
The Proxian turned back to him, eyes burning. "Take your hand off me, boy."
"This conversation isn't over," Felix said.
Menardi hesitated, looking to Saturos to see what he did first.
"We're going, with or without your permission," Felix continued. "You knew my terms going in to this."
A long moment passed, with everyone holding their breaths.
"Saturos, I promise you," Kraden said hesitantly, "I'll be careful. No one will see me."
Menardi leaned a little closer to Saturos and whispered, "Just let it go."
"Fine," Saturos said, roughly pulling his arm free. "Do not make me regret this."
And just like that it was over. Felix and Kraden turned and made their way down the hall, stopping briefly by Jenna.
"Felix, what the-?"
"It's okay," Felix told her. "We'll be back later tonight. Try to get some rest, okay?"
Before she could ask, they were gone. She wondered if they were leaving so quickly to get away from Saturos, or her?
Turning back to the others, Saturos had already gone inside, with Menardi about to follow.
"Is anyone going to explain anything around here to me?" Jenna asked.
Menardi glared daggers at her. "Go to bed."
She slammed the bedroom door closed.
Isaac was shocked back to the waking world by a strike across the face.
"Gah, wha-?!"
Rain stung at his eyes. He was heavy, soaked through to the bone, and cold. He was shivering within his clothes.
"Oh thank the gods!"
Someone hugged him tight in relief. Were it not for his armour, he was sure it would have crushed his bones.
It was dark, but vision was slowly returning to him. The nauseating rocking of the boat was gone; wherever he was, it was not the ship.
"Wh... where...?"
The person gripping him pulled away. He was greeted by a rain-soaked vision of damp, violet hair.
"I'm sorry," Feizhi said. "You were unconscious so long, I-I was starting to think..."
She wiped at her eyes; if she were crying, it was impossible to tell in the rain.
Isaac tried to sit up, but found himself without the strength. He groaned.
"Please, don't push yourself," Feizhi insisted. "I wish Mia were here..."
"What happened? Where are we?"
"You went overboard. I jumped in to try and save you. I think the monster was dead, because it was sinking straight down. But it wouldn't let you go. And... by the time I got you free and back up..."
"You couldn't find the ship again," Isaac concluded. "Because of the dark and the storm."
Feizhi nodded. "Forgive me."
"I would have drowned if you hadn't jumped in," he told her. "What is there to forgive."
Feizhi bit her lip, hesitating. "I panicked. In my vision, I saw you being dragged down into darkness. The others were busy; only I saw it. I didn't know what else to do. I knew you would die if I did nothing."
So that was her vision, then.
After a few minutes of silence, the rain began to ease up. With some difficulty, Isaac managed to pull himself up to a sitting position.
Taking in his surroundings, he saw they were on a patch of grass. In the distance was a beach, beyond which was an expanse of dark waves. In the other direction, further inland, was a series of sharp cliffs.
"This can't be the shore," Isaac muttered. "We were too far out. But there's no islands in the Karagol Sea, so what is this place?"
Feizhi said nothing.
Eventually the rain died down, and the dark clouds broke, giving them some much-needed moonlight. As Isaac was still too weak for it, Feizhi went and gathered some wood for a fire. Not used to the absence of a Mars Adept, it took a while to make a spark and start the fire.
"I'm sure they'll find us," Isaac said, noticing Feizhi's grim silence.
She said nothing, her eyes lost in the fire.
"Your vision, did it show anything beyond you rescuing me?"
"No," she answered. "Even that I didn't know for sure. I just knew if I wasn't there, you would have died."
Isaac frowned. "But I didn't."
"For all the good it does us," Feizhi scoffed. "I could have been more prepared. Now we're going to starve here on this barren island.'
"Or worse," she added, eyeing the darkness in the direction of the cliffs.
"You can't think like that," Isaac told her. "Look, if your vision only showed you that much, then how could you-?"
"It doesn't really matter, does it?" Feizhi interrupted. "I thought I knew what I was doing. I told everyone I was ready; I even lied to those closest to me for it. But all I did was doom the both of us. My father, Master Hama... maybe they were right about me."
"They weren't," Isaac told her firmly. "They were wrong about you. And you know what? So was I."
She looked up at him for the first time since they had washed up on that island.
"I wanted to leave you behind, remember?" Isaac told her. "I had several chances to. I realized I was wrong, and I'm glad I didn't."
"But... the quest-"
"It would have been over long before I met you if I let myself be ruled by my doubts," Isaac told her. "That's how I've made it this far, not because of my Psynergy or weapons, but because I take those moments where I second-guess what I'm doing and I go out and prove myself wrong. Again and again!"
"But... what can we even do now? You're a Venus Adept, and there's an ocean around us..."
An idea struck Isaac, as if a lightbulb had turned on above his head. "That's exactly it, Feizhi. I might be useless here. But you aren't."
He drew himself up to his feet. Though his body protested, still weary and water-logged, he pushed himself until he was standing again.
"You're going to send a message to Ivan," Isaac told her. "A signal, so he knows right where we are. Tell me, how much Psynergy did he show you on the road to Kalay?"
"Almost nothing," Feizhi answered. "We only had a few hours. He... showed me how to conjure a breeze, and even that was so difficult it felt like my head was going to split-"
"Okay. That's fine. I'll talk you through it. You're going to shoot a lightning bolt up into the sky. Even kilometres away, Ivan will see it, and he'll know right away what it is."
"There's... no way I can do that," Feizhi insisted, "I've barely even begun using Psynergy. I saw Ivan making lightning bolts at the ship, there's no way I'm ready for that."
"Why not?" Isaac asked her, grinning. "You can see the future. What's a little lightning bolt compared to that?"
Feizhi was exasperated, like she was speaking to a child that didn't understand her. "Isaac, that's completely different!"
"No, not really," Isaac told her. "Psynergy is Psynergy. At the end of the day, it's all really the same thing; you're just putting it in different shapes. And you already have the hardest part done."
Feizhi frowned, unconvinced.
"Think about it like this: when someone learns an instrument, how long does it take them to learn the notes? It can take weeks, even months, of practice before they learn their first song. But once they know all those notes? Hand them a sheet of music and they can play something new in no time."
"Do you... really think I can do it?"
"I'm no Jupiter Adept, but with Ivan's help, I was able to read minds," Isaac told her. "I have no doubts you can do it."
Though she didn't seem fully convinced, there was a spark of hope in her eyes again. She climbed to her feet, brushing sand off her lap.
"Okay, what do I need to do?"
"Right, close your eyes. Hold your hands in front of you."
As Feizhi did this, Isaac took her hands in his.
"Psynergy comes from the mind," he told her. "You know where the power is, and what you need it to be. The rest is just focus. Clear away all distractions, all doubts. Your goal is all that matters."
He could feel the Psynergy gathering within her. It was faint, uncertain, and not nearly enough for what they needed.
"The power is within you. Gather it, and continue gathering it. Keep going until you think you can't possibly go any farther, and then keep going."
Feizhi's face tightened, visibly strained from the effort. But it was there; her energy was growing.
"You're doing it!" Isaac said. "Almost there, okay? Just a little more."
He could see the conflict in her. She wanted to let it go, to collapse and say it was too much. He knew the feeling; he'd felt it himself so many times during his training.
But he knew she wouldn't.
He gently released her hands. "And when you finally have as much as you can possibly take, release it all at once!"
Feizhi held up her hands and cried out, and a bright flash illuminated the beach, followed by a deafening crack of thunder.
"I did it!" Feizhi cried, looking up at the sky in disbelief. "Gods, I actually did it!"
"It gets easier with practice, I promise." Isaac said.
She turned to him, beaming, and upon realizing how close his face was to hers, she pulled away, her cheeks burning.
The awkwardness was thankfully broken when moments later, there was a second lightning strike in the distance, over the moonlit waves.
"And that would be Ivan's response," said Isaac.
Jenna woke from a nightmare.
She didn't panic, or cry out; she had grown used to waking from nightmares, on the nights when sleep was easy. Tonight she was in a soft and comfortable bed, so in spite of herself, weariness had won.
The images lingered in her mind: another boulder dream. These were far from uncommon, but this one had been particularly bad. In her dream she had been out with her parents and brother in Vale's town square, on a pleasant sunny day, doing their shopping. And then suddenly she was staring at a blood-stained boulder that rolled away from the mangled bodies of her family.
"Poor thing," the villagers had said, "Such a tragedy to lose her family at so young an age."
And after that they had resumed their tasks as though nothing had happened.
She honestly didn't know which part of the dream she hated more.
Sitting up in her bed, she looked around the room, and saw she was alone. Though Alex's absence was nothing unusual, it was well past midnight and Felix and Kraden had yet to return from whatever it was they were doing.
Kraden's mention of her parents at the dock lingered in her memory. Doubtless it was the source of her fresh nightmares. But was it a mere slip of the tongue? Was Kraden's memory failing him? He was sharply intelligent, but he was in his seventies...
Her head hurt. She needed a drink of water, and a quick glance over the room showed no pitcher. Little wonder, the staff here was probably stretched thin.
Jenna pulled on something modest and approached the room door. It occurred to her, in that moment, that this would be the perfect chance to make a break for it. She was along, and Tolbi was a large and bustling city, especially now with Colosso happening; it would be easy to hide.
Of course, she opened the door and Alex was waiting for her.
"Evening, my dear," he said. "Having trouble sleeping?"
"Don't call me that," she spat.
Alex sat in a wicker chair by the inn's window, a fourth-floor view that overlooked most of Tolbi; Babi's opulent palace was visible in the distance, as well as the large gladiatorial arena in which Colosso would be held tomorrow.
He turned to her as she emerged, perhaps expecting she would still be wearing her small clothes. If he was disappointed that she wasn't, he gave no indication. "Going somewhere?"
"I'm thirsty," she answered venomously. "I'm going to the kitchen."
"Allow me to accompany you," he said, rising. "I could do with a quick stroll."
"Says the guy who can teleport."
As they descended the stairs, Alex, never one to appreciate comfortable silence, said, "If you're having trouble sleeping, I might be able to help. I know a draught that can grant you a dreamless sleep."
"Why do you care so much?" Jenna asked. "Do I sleep-talk?"
"You don't seem to," said Alex, "at least not to me."
"Thank the gods for that."
They reached the kitchen. Alex waited at the entrance while she began her search.
"You're certainly in a mood tonight, my dear. Is there something on your mind?"
"How much I wish you would shut up," Jenna answered. She found an unused pitcher, possibly even meant for their room and drank right from it.
"I wonder if it has anything to do with your brother and Kraden's secret escapade to the palace library?"
Jenna stopped, setting the pitcher down.
"Palace library?" she repeated. "That's where they went that was so important that Felix and Saturos nearly threw hands over it?"
"Dear me, I've probably said too much already," Alex said in faux-surprise.
Saturos had made no secret over his displeasure at stopping anywhere that one of them could be recognized. They had only reluctantly stopped in Tolbi as it was, but for Kraden to be at the very library where he spent much of his life studying Alchemy? It was no wonder he'd been so against it.
"What are they doing there that's so important?" Jenna asked.
Alex shrugged. "It isn't my business."
"As in you don't know, or you don't want to say?" she demanded.
"Well your brother isn't the most forthcoming person I know," Alex said. "I have my theories, but it's not my place to put such ideas in your head."
Jenna scoffed.
This is pointless, she thought. He'll talk in riddles until the end of time. If I want answers, there's only one place I'm going to get them.
"Come on," she said, starting off.
"Hmm?" For once, Alex looked caught off-guard.
"I'm going to the palace library," Jenna said. "And since you're my watchdog or whatever, you're coming with me."
Alex glanced at the stairs. "I don't know if Saturos would-"
"I wasn't asking," Jenna growled.
The streets of Tolbi during Colosso, even in the dead of night, were busy.
Jenna made her way through a mass of vendors and customers, with Alex following dutifully behind. A few women attempted to proposition Alex, and he politely declined them; Jenna was barely paying attention, her focus on the palace ahead.
The crowd thinned out at they got closer. Though there were guards stationed at the palace entrance, the library wing was in a separate, connected building; it would seem it was accessible to the public.
Near the entrance there were a few old men pouring over dusty tomes under dim candlelight, but the library was otherwise empty.
"They must be further in," said Jenna.
"Indeed," said Alex. "I'll wait here. No doubt you and your brother will have much to discuss, and I wouldn't want to intrude."
Jenna said nothing, leaving him where he was.
She ventured deeper into the dark library, into a maze of shelves and rooms. Eventually, she could see a flickering orange glow of candlelight just around a corner of bookshelf. As she drew nearer, she could make out familiar voices.
"I just don't know about this," Kraden said. "This whole thing is just... I have an uneasy feeling about it. Alchemy is not something to tamper with."
"It will work," Felix insisted, his voice carrying an excited insistence that Jenna had not heard in years. "It adds up. All the pieces are here, the research is consistent from Prox's records to Tolbi's."
"That's not the part that worries me," Kraden answered. "Not the 'if we can', but rather... 'if we should'."
"You knew what you were signing up for in unleashing Alchemy," Felix said. "You made your decision at Mercury Lighthouse. It's already started now. We have to see it through."
"Yes," Kraden agreed reluctantly.
"Whatever consequences await me. For that, and for this... I'm prepared for it."
"And if it doesn't work out the way you hope? If this backfires and you unleash some sort of horror? What will you tell Jenna?"
Felix hesitated. "The truth. But not yet. Not until I know for sure."
"Actually," Jenna said, stepping out from behind the bookcase. "Why don't you just tell me the truth now?"
Kraden gasped, turning around in his chair. Felix was up on his feet, his eyes wide.
"Jenna...!"
She crossed her arms, waiting.
Finally, Felix said, "Jenna, I know how this must look..."
"Yeah?" she asked. "Oh don't bother, I'm sure there's a very noble reason why you chose to lie to me again."
Felix frowned, considering. Kraden looked back and forth between them.
"How much of what you told me about your time in Prox was true?" Jenna demanded. "Is anything you told me true?"
"I haven't lied to you Jenna!" Felix said firmly. "I couldn't lie to you!"
Jenna scoffed. "Sure. But you sure did leave some stuff out."
"There's a difference between a lie of omission and something that I don't know the truth of myself yet."
Kraden looked between them again, increasingly confused.
"You won't admit it, even now?" Jenna asked.
"I had to be sure, Jenna! I didn't want to give you false hope! I had to-"
"See I wanted to hear it from you!" Jenna continued, not even listening to him. Emotions she'd been holding back for long were rushing out now, and it was too late to reign it in. "I wanted to believe you would tell me. But I know you won't, because why wouldn't you have just said it from the beginning? There's really no reason why, right?"
Felix was silent now, a conflicted look on his face.
"So when Kraden mentioned our parents at the docks, I tried to tell myself that there was some mistake. That Kraden had forgotten somehow. But I knew I was lying to myself. Because there was no reason you would have chosen not to tell me that our parents are alive!"
Now Kraden looked away, in shame.
Her cheeks were wet with tears, but she didn't care.
"So why, Felix? Tell me why. And don't you dare lie to me again..."
Felix took a moment to consider, and then said, "I'm sorry, Jenna. That's all I can say."
"Forgive me," said Kraden in a quiet voice. "I was a fool. I misspoke and I hurt you again."
She looked between the two of them, waiting for an explanation.
"I wish it were as simple as that," Felix said, finally. "That would make this all so much easier. So much simpler. But it would be too convenient, too perfect. If our parents were just waiting at Prox for us, I couldn't have possibly kept that from you. I would have told at the first chance I had."
"What are you saying...?"
"The truth is that our parents died in that river, Jenna," said Felix. "I saw it with my own eyes."
Whatever hope Jenna had felt buried under that wave of betrayed hurt was gone. Though she hadn't fully believed it, she had known deep down that it was too good to be true.
She looked to Kraden for an explanation, but the sage's head was bowed.
"What I'm doing now," Felix said to her. "I'm doing for you. To give you back what was taken from you. So that we can be a family again."
She looked to him, confused.
And then it occurred to her.
An idea she hadn't considered before. Something so clear, so obvious, it should have been her first thought. And yet, somehow, it wasn't until now, as her gaze drifted down to the scattered books and papers across the table, that she understood.
Lessons from years ago resurfaced in her memory; lectures from Kraden on the powers of Alchemy, the mighty and terrible things it was capable of... He had always said that turning lead into gold, or crafting a source of infinite energy was mighty, but it wasn't that which had driven the ancient peoples to master Alchemy in the first place.
It was the power over death itself.
On the table, right beside Felix's hand, was a diagram of a human body, and a list of every mineral and material that one comprised, down to the exact kilogram.
"I'll bring them back, Jenna," Felix swore. "No matter what it takes."
A/N: Long time no see!
Holy hell this chapter was a bitch. Not only were both storylines here tough to figure out for various reasons, but I actually had to rewrite the whole chapter from (almost) scratch three (3) separate times! I had a version of it done almost two years ago that I completely lost due to a hard drive failure, and then a second version that SOMEHOW was overwritten by my file sync software and turned into an earlier version (this is especially crazy because I'm very anal about making sure I have double, sometimes triple backups of my documents, but it somehow slipped by me). I quite liked the second version, and tried everything I could to restore it, but it was just... lost in the wind. In hindsight, I'm kinda glad for it as I think it made for a better, more complete chapter, for reasons I'll get into below (I also had a fragment of Chapter 19 that was also lost, but it was almost nothing and I can redo it better anyway).
The first few sections were mostly the same across all three versions, so I don't have much to say about them. I did expand a bit upon Ivan and Lady Layana's goodbye, and I think it turned out a lot better.
It doesn't really make sense to revisit Vale in this story's version of things, as the pace of keeping up with Saturos' group is handled more realistically. This means, sadly, that we lose out on the reunion with Dora, which is one of my favourite moments from the first game. But alas.
The fight with the monsters/kraken was a tough one. In my first version of this chapter, the entire segment was skipped, along with the second scene with Isaac and Feizhi. This felt like there was nothing for Isaac's group to do, so in the second version, the boat fight was only very briefly described, as a nightmare Isaac has before waking up on Crossbone Isle. I still felt like this wasn't right, so by the third attempt I just wrote everything. I tried to keep the fight on the shorter side, as the chapter is already lone and I felt the Crossbone Isle scene, as well as the Jenna sections, were more important, but as it's such a memorable boss battle I still wanted to do it some justice, even if it was brief.
Hopefully Garet's comedy isn't too much. It's fun to write, but I worry about it getting over-indulgent sometimes :/
Feizhi's kung-fu was cool to write, brief as it was. The prior versions had Feizhi hanging back during the fight until I realized that was stupid and included her in the most recent one. I wanted to feature it in some way, after re-reading the prior chapters recently and remembering it existed. I also have a plan for a later chapter that should feature it some more :D
The Crossbone Isle section was originally longer, including them washing up on shore together, taking shelter from the storm in the cave dungeon entrance, lore about Deadbeard and the pirates and such, and two failed attempts at making the lightning bolt before Feizhi finally succeeded. When I rewrote it for the third version, I cut most of that out. The easter egg is clear enough from context, and the rest was unnecessary bloat in an already long chapter. The whole section was also darker and more intense, with more focus on Feizhi's doubts about herself, but in rewriting I made it lighter to contrast with the Jenna scene that follows.
Speaking of which...
Well there it is. It took me 3 years to get around to it, but you finally know why Felix hadn't told Jenna about their parents yet. I expect this to be a bit of a controversial change (and it will be one of only two or three major story changes I plan to make). Future chapters will make it more clear as to why I did this, so if the change is upsetting to you, all I ask is that you bear with me and see what I have in store.
Next chapter: A djinni suddenly appears(?!)