Whew, I'm back with this story, and with chapter two to boot. One review, which is better than none!

Marina Ka-Fai: Glad you like it so far! I hope you will enjoy this as much as I enjoyed plotting the idea. xD

I don't own Tales of Symphonia or Golden Sun. But I am glad Motoi Sakuraba composed both games music pieces though.

Enjoy chapter two!

-x-x-x-

Tales of Alchemy

Chapter 2: Bonding Friendships and Secrets

-x-x-x-

"We're approximately two and half days from reaching Lunpa." Isaac says the next morning of their fourth day of traveling as he opens up his map after breakfast is served. Kratos had done so as well, his eyes scanning the map until he found the town's name in which the blond-haired swordsman pointed out. "It's the next town after Vault, but I'd rather not go there…" The auburn glances from the map to Isaac, an eyebrow raised questionably.

"Is there something wrong with Lunpa?" Lloyd wonders, eating into his scrambled eggs. Matthew, who is sitting by the brunet, nibbles on his honeyed toast quietly.

"It's somewhere I'd rather not let you or Matthew go near, that's one thing, and the other is that is basically a village of thieves." Isaac replies, looking directly at Lloyd. "The place is heavily guarded, for one. They still won't let others inside the village, especially since a group of travelers broke into the palace to rescue a merchant of Kalay, Hammet."

"Oh. Who were they?" Lloyd asked next, his large brown eyes still upon the older Adept. Isaac merely smiled.

"From what I've heard, they were a group of Adepts."

"Adepts, huh? Hey, you and Matthew said that last time, but you both never told us about what exactly they are!" The dual swordsboy clued in. Kratos looked from the map to his son then to the two blonds. Matthew drew on a blank expression while Isaac sighed and crossed his arms lightly. From what the auburn could gather from that, the topic of Adepts was a sensitive one.

"Lloyd, I believe such a topic is a sensitive matter. Don't rush it upon them." Kratos advised.

"Oh… S-sorry."

"No, it's quite fine." The older blond replied. "Adepts are skilled users of Psynergy, which is manipulation of the four elements; fire, water, earth and wind. They are also represented by a spiritual being; Fire Adepts are represented by a dragon, Water Adepts are represented by a fish, Earth Adepts are represented by a human along a tree and the Wind Adepts are represented by a bird." Absorbing the information, the seraph closed his eyes, pondering. I see, so this mana here is called Psynergy. The energy surrounding us, and these Adepts can manipulate it possibly as we can manipulate mana into magic. There is that connection. Kratos thought, his gaze upon his fellow father. Red eyes met with pale-blue ones and Kratos had the strangest feeling Isaac was boring a hole through his four-thousand year old soul.

"Adepts are like magicians then, right?" Lloyd questioned after. "Like, they can use magic?"

Isaac turned to him, smiling. "Yeah, in a way, though nobody else can see their magic; only other Adepts or those descendant of Adepts can. It's called 'invisible magic' to those who cannot see it, but see it done through the naked eye." Matthew finished his toast, stretching slightly before getting up and walking away. "Matthew, we're going to leave in a few minutes, so not too far." Isaac called over to him. The younger spiky-blond nodded quietly, stepping over a small bush. Lloyd shot up from where he was sitting, putting his plate down and grabbing his twin swords. He began after the other boy though before he got five steps away, Kratos' voice called after him, hesitant a little but hid it.

"Lloyd, not too far." was the man's instruction.

"Eh, I won't." the boy waved at him before disappearing behind the same bush as the blond-haired toddler.

When they were gone, Kratos gave Isaac a familiar glance that only fathers knew. "I take it you're very protective of Lloyd, which is why you were hesitating to let him go with Matthew." The blond said, observing. Kratos kept his gaze upon Isaac, noting how well this man's perception was. Apparently, the wall of ice he created was melting every second, allowing one thing or another to slip under his angelic radar emotionally.

"I've observed, you are very careful of Matthew, Isaac. However, you allow him to wander free, knowing he is in danger every second?" Kratos asked, his eyes hardening upon the blond.

"He's in training." Isaac replied. "I'm teaching him about survival, and the only way to teach him is by showing him how it's done rather than talking about it behind a desk. I'm aware of the dangers that surround him. All too aware, if I may add. Matthew's protection is my top priority, and I know when something will happen. I can sense it. Call it parental instinct if you like." The older smiled lightly. "You have it too, Kratos."

"Of course." The seraph wasn't going to deny that. "In any case, are we avoiding Lunpa altogether?"

"Yeah, I figured it be safer that way for the boys. Let's get camp packed up."

Lloyd found Matthew by his lonesome, swinging his sword as if practicing on it against an imaginary monster. The toddler's expression was crunched up in frustration as if he were trying to recall a spell but couldn't. The red-clad swordsboy smiled a little as he silently watched Matthew attempt to use another spell and his sword at the same, remembering how frustrating his own self-training was before Kratos came into the picture. Before the brunet could step forward to approach Matthew, both toddlers froze when they sensed something in their own way; Lloyd with his strengthened hearing and Matthew with his Psynergy. They turned at the same time in the direction they felt the presence and held different expressions when their eyes landed on it.

It was a tall man, in the distance, wearing black armor, helmet over his head, a red feather protruding from it, and he held a crossbow. Lloyd narrowed his eyes at the strange soldier, he couldn't exactly tell, and Matthew was panicking. The blond boy turned heels and instantly bumped into Lloyd, knocking both down in the frenzy. "Ow!" both boys groaned, falling on their bottoms simultaneously. They rubbed their heads and looked up, noticing each other.

"L-Lloyd?" Matthew uttered.

"Matthew… Why are you panicking?" Lloyd asked, both helping each other to stand up. The blond feverishly turned back to the strange armored man, who was now gone, and back to Lloyd, taking his hand and hurrying back to the campsite's direction. He said nothing for a few seconds so Lloyd did what he normally does; badger.

"Matt. What's going on? Why aren't you saying anything?"

The spiky-haired boy paused momentarily, his pale-blue eyes looking straight into Lloyd's. "I… I saw a bad man." He breathed out, worriedly. "Th-they were the ones who… who hurt my mommy." Lloyd flinched visibly and instantly felt some wave of nostalgia brush over him. Bad men that hurt Matthew's mother sounded awfully close to Desians hurting his mother. "I have to tell my Daddy and really fast too! He tells me that I tell him if I see the bad men again."

"Okay. Let's go then." Lloyd agreed, but couldn't help but wonder who that 'bad man' Matthew told him about, and what he had seen with his own eyes. It wasn't long for the toddlers to rush through the bushes to find their fathers had cleaned and packed up their campsite area. Both met with concerned expressions when the boys rushed towards them. "Lloyd…" Kratos spoke up first, his voice containing absolute concern. Isaac examined their faces and when he saw the look in his own son's eyes, he already knew what happened. His own face recoiled into a twisted expression of anger and fear.

Damn… They're already here… He hissed silently to himself. "We need to leave this area." Isaac told them, urgency in his voice. Before Lloyd could question, the older blond narrowed his eyes at both of them. "Now." The kids nodded in obedience, grabbing their things and followed Isaac out of the wooded area, avoiding the direction Matthew had taken earlier. Kratos and Lloyd exchanged glances at one another, mentioning along the lines of 'we'll talk later'. Whatever was bothering Isaac, perhaps he would tell them when he calmed down. They noticed his iron grip on his sword—and the fact he was walking ahead quite quickly with Matthew's hand grasped with his other. Something wasn't right here…

-x-x-x-

Elsewhere…

-x-x-x-

"High Empyror!" A man cried as he ran down steel-made halls. He had short brown hair, a thin goatee of a beard, wearing a simplified, black Hanfu robes and a Zhuzi Jin-like hat, and green eyes. He kept running until he found the room he was trying to find in his panic. He opened the double doors leading into the chamber, still out of breath, and hurried to throne that sat in the room. His presence didn't go unnoticed.

"What?" a deep voice replied, almost in a half-snarl. It was clear this person was irritated. The voice itself belonged to a man, a little younger than the robed male that burst through the doors earlier. Tapping against the throne in which he sat in was a thin finger within a slender, white glove. "What is so important that you must waste my time, servant?"

The former shuddered at the tone his majesty was using, however claimed some of his composure. "S-sire. I have received a report from the soldiers who were leading an investigation down on Weyard." A glare was sent his way, forcing him to continue. "I-it's about the Golden Sun's vessel, s-sire…" This surely snapped the latter male's attention; an expression of shock and anger erupted from his face as he drew in a scowl.

"Where?" He asked. A moment of silence stretched between them. The servant's heartbeat accelerated as he gathered his thoughts as quickly as he could to formulate an answer suitable to his lord. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. "Where is that damned vessel at?!" The High Empyror roared. The servant cringed and flinched at his lord's volume, quivering in his very presence.

"Sir… The vessel had been seen leaving the village of Vault some days ago. The investigation team followed him and reported he was near the forest of Lunpa. He was with a child that appears to be his son…"

The royal halted the man's explanation. "Wait. The vessel has a son?" He questioned, eyes narrowing on the servant.

"Y-yes he does, sir…"

"Is there any information on this child?"

"No, sir, not much was detailed on the boy by discovery. The only information we were able to pull up was the fact he and the vessel shared similar traits. Their Psynergy matches, however the son seems to be in possession of a stronger force than the vessel himself." The servant reported, trying to keep his fear out of his voice. "Th-that was all we managed to gather." After relaying this information, he noticed his majesty's rather pleased expression and sighed in relief.

"Interesting." The High Empyror mused. "I want more information about the child and his very existence, in detail. Leave nothing out."

"Y-yes sir, as you command." The servant bowed. "Also, sire, permission to s-speak again."

"Permission granted. Make it quick."

"By our last report, the vessel and his son have been traveling with other companions. They are simply another man with his son, however, their Psynergy nearly rivals that of the vessel's own. It is, n-needless to say, interesting on our sources—" The man didn't get to finish as the royal stopped him again.

"Are they any relation to Alchemy?"

The servant shook his head. "N-no, sir. Their powers are actually…foreign to Weyard. It's as if they're from, d-dare I say, another world…"

A wicked smile curved upon the Empyror's face. "Hm, very interesting. I don't suppose it's not impossible for such to happen, considering what technology Weyard has to offer." The royal mused again, his eyes narrowed at the servant before him, who was shaken in his fear yet again by the look.

"…sir…?"

"Tell the men to keep watch on the vessel's merry band. Don't lose sight of them, don't engage them in a fight and tell them to not harm the vessel in any way. Make that crystal clear to every damn soldier!"

"Yes sir, r-right away, sire!"

The servant left the chamber, leaving the Empyror to his thoughts. However, he was not alone, and he knew of this. His special guest had stayed in the room, listening to all the information that was given out moments ago. His eyes found that of the figure—his guest's. "From the report, it seems your targets have found and caught up with my own. It's as if fate is on our side." The royal directed to his guest. "It appears you will have your vengeance soon, my friend." Stepping out of the shadows was a tall man, draped in a white suit, with gold trimmings along the edges. His faint blond hair was long and ended towards the center of his back. His complexion was fair, and his green eyes were narrow and slender. They read calmly, but there was no doubt a rage building within them.

"Your men do well to report to you." The blond-haired male said with a smirk. "I'm almost envious…none has yet to betray you."

"We are all apart of the same clan, the same blood." The Empyror began. "We are the Umbra Clan, the Tuaparang, the Dark Adepts. We all have the same goal in mind—to conquer Weyard and destroy those who banished us from Weyard." He paused lightly as his guest absorbed the information. "The Jenei are responsible for our clan going nearly extinct, demise and banishment thousands of centuries ago. We have returned for vengeance, and the only way to attack the Jenei is to eliminate the descendents of the Jenei—the elemental Adepts."

"And, by doing so, you will gain access to this…vessel?"

"Correct. The vessel is only a man who came in contact with the raw power of Alchemy—the Golden Sun—three years ago, while he and his companions were exploring the Sol Sanctum that had been built in honor of the sun. He is the only one that gained majority of the Golden Sun's powers and contains a heavy amount of it that hadn't been used in Weyard's stability."

The blond pondered. "In other words, he harbors this power in his body."

"Exactly." The royal grinned. "If we use him, extract the power from him, we can find the location of the Luna Tower and the Apollo Sanctum. Once we have those, we can activate the Apollo Lens, using it to eliminate every Adept in the world, and begin our worldwide conquest." He frowned as he contemplated the grand idea. "However, if he is with those two you are after, then it may pose a problem to capture him."

"Hm, not at all." The blond replied snidely. "Those inferior beings will simply be destroyed. With your assistance, I can finally take back what is mine." He turned to the High Empyror, his green eyes flashing. "I can ready angels for you to your calling. They will do anything you command them to. Let them be of use to your service as I am."

"You're far too kind, my friend. I will accept your offer. These…angels are very powerful, and those gems you brought with you—what are they, pray tell?"

"They are called Exspheres. Remember, I am from another world where these are easily obtained." The tall blond smirked as he twiddled one in his thumb. "Shall I deliver one to this vessel and his inferior brat of a son? It would increase their power, which would give a signal to us every time they use this…Psynergy of theirs. I can provide materials to be used. You did mention dwarves lived in Weyard, did you not?"

"Quite, my friend. There is a village of dwarves in the Angora region."

"Hm, perfect. I'll be paying a visit to one… If you don't mind."

"Not at all. One thing I do want to know before your leave."

The blond stopped in his tracks, not turning to meet the Empyror's gaze. "What do you call yourself?" As if that question would never come up during their chatting sessions, the tall blond half turned to look the royal in his eyes. A calm smile curved on his features as the words left his mouth.

"Just call me Yggdrasil."

-x-x-x-

"Demon Strike!" Lloyd and Matthew yelled as they struck down a monster together—a Giant Bat. The group had encountered a few monsters during their daily trek, though Isaac claimed they weren't much of a challenge for both boys, however suggested they let the toddlers fight. Kratos nodded, though he knew Lloyd was holding back so Matthew could grow from this experience. Lloyd was not a beginner, let alone a toddler, but due to his appearance, they'd have to make it believable for now. The mystery behind the brunet's sudden age change was to be questioned later. As the Giant Bat fell to its demise, Lloyd sighed. These monsters were just too easy for him and the traveling wasn't getting any better for him. They had been on the road to this Bilibin place for a few days now, and the constant monster battles, fun as they were, tired him.

"Ugh." The brunet complained.

"What is it, Lloyd?" his angelic father asked, his voice light.

"These monsters are too easy for me…" Lloyd groaned in his squeaky, child voice. "I have to hold myself back so it won't give me away."

"Ah…" Kratos mused simply.

"I guess this is what you had to do when you were traveling with us." The boy added, sighing.

"…Verily." was Kratos' light response.

The pair of Aurions looked ahead to find Isaac instructing Matthew on something, however, the taller blond's voice was almost hushed. Fortunately for the angels, they could hear what the spiky-blond was telling his son, every word crisp when they tuned their hearing like turning up a radio. "Concentrate on your power, Matthew…" came Isaac's soft, gentle voice.

Matthew closed his eyes as that familiar golden light enveloped him. His little scarf around his neck, as well as his hair, whipped out as if the wind carried through them. The toddler channeled more energy into him, clenched his tiny fists into balls, and forced his arms into the air. He cried, "Gaia!" and the earth rumbled underneath him slightly. It spread out from before his feet, traveling a little ways from him in a straight line, and before the Aurions knew, a large area erupted like a volcano of earth. Kratos studied it while Lloyd gaped in awe.

"Krat—Dad!" Lloyd jumped up in jeer, though hushed so Isaac didn't hear him. "Did you see that? It looked like Grave…! Well almost, but…!"

"I know, Lloyd." Kratos replied, still eyeing the pair of blonds. They had a huge vast amount of mana holed up inside them, they could use these strange powers, and from what Lloyd relayed to him during their journey, Matthew told Lloyd his powers were invisible to other people and was surprised to see that the brunet could see them. He was beginning to piece things together, but had that unsure certainty still in the back of his mind. Just what were those two hiding?

"Good, Matthew, but remember to control it with your mind, not your fists." They heard Isaac again, chuckling almost. The blond toddler nodded, closing his eyes as his father ruffled his hair affectionately. After the light magic training session, the group of four proceeded back to the road. Lloyd, in his curiosity as always, approached the pair of blonds. "Isaac, what were you and Matthew doing earlier? What was that magic he used?" Isaac turned to notice the little brunet walking in pace with him, smiling softly at his piqued interest.

"I was showing Matthew how to control his power, Lloyd. The spell he used was a…condensed version of Gaia." He explained simply.

"Oh," came Lloyd's soft reply. "So, it's like…earth magic?"

Isaac nodded, but knew where this conversation was going. "Yes…" Lloyd stopped abruptly, eyes wide.

"Wait, Isaac. You said Adepts were people who could manipulate the elements!" The boy half-shouted to the man. Isaac and his son stopped moving, facing the small red-clad boy. His father stopped beside him but gave his son a glare that read 'Lloyd, don't push it'. Unfortunately for Kratos, the dual swordsboy ignored it and led on with his suspicion. "If Matthew used that spell, as well as those other spells a few days ago when we were fighting those wolves…And so did you, which would mean you two are both Adepts!" Well done, Lloyd. Matthew gasped and flinched at his new friend's discovery of him and his father, while Isaac kept an emotionless gaze. When the brunet received no answer, he furrowed his eyebrows and frowned. "Well? Am I right or what?"

Isaac shook his head. "You're right, Lloyd." He said simply. "It didn't take you long to figure it out… the both of you, right?"

Kratos and Lloyd exchanged glances but nodded. "Yeah, we have. Kra—my dad was most likely observing you two but I'm not one to stay silent."

"Heh…" Isaac chuckled, closing his eyes. "…Well, now that one secret is out…I suppose that'll have to do." Matthew looked at his father sadly, then to Lloyd and Kratos, fearful. His tiny body was trembling. Lloyd noticed and blinked in confusion. Why was Matthew scared? Did he do something he wasn't supposed to? Again, if he wanted to add.

"…Matt?" The red-wearer boy said quietly.

"…Do…do you hate us, Lloyd?" the blond-haired toddler asked, still afraid. Kratos recognized it as his son did; Matthew's tone of voice held fear, but fear of being rejected.

"No, I-I don't. I just wish you would have told us sooner that you were both Adepts. That explains the magic you can use."

Matthew lowered his head, tears forming in his eyes. "I…I'm sorry, Lloyd, Mr. Kratos. Daddy told me to never reveal who I am in front of…strangers." The tears rolled down his face anyway, even as he tried to force them back. Before the Aurions could question why, Isaac spoke up next. "It's a precaution, is all. We're traveling, and while being an Adept is great, it's actually rejected by most of the world's populace."

"…Wait, you mean…You're discriminated against by others just because you can use magic?" Lloyd gaped, his once anger of half-elves being discriminated in Aselia reforming.

"In a way, yes. People just don't trust us. They're afraid of our power and what we can do." Isaac explained with a low sigh. "Not only this, Adepts are rare anyhow. They look like any ordinary people until they use their strange powers—Psynergy—or if another Adept can sense their energy. Until you use your power, whether by accident or to help someone, you are normal until marked." His eyes narrowed upon the ground dangerously. "There are some people who appreciate Adepts, and there are some who want to get rid of Adepts, to wipe them off the face of this world."

"That's awful!" Lloyd voiced his and Kratos' reaction. "They can't do that…!"

"Apparently, they can, Lloyd." Isaac continued, latching onto Matthew as if they would attack him any moment, protectively. "Anti-Adepts have found ways to exploit us which I won't explain because of Matthew being here and I worry for your sanity…"

"I'm—!" Lloyd began but was interrupted by Kratos.

"It's fine, Isaac. We understand the circumstance of why you two had to hide your identity as Adepts. Do not worry. Lloyd and I are not your enemies and we have no intention of pointing you both out as such."

Isaac firmly locked gazes with Kratos, studying his every word he had spoken and his stance. After breaking off the stare, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Similarly to Matthew earlier, a light emitted from him, albeit smaller, as if it was controlled, and traveled under the blond's feet. A sensation entered through Kratos' from below, feeling something enter his mind. It was pure energy, the same he felt when they met, and it was as close to angelic as he could remember it. Lloyd blinked in curiosity, sensing the energy, but not feeling it as his father had. Strangely as the encounter came, Isaac opened his eyes again, staring at the two Aurions. "…You're telling the truth." He spoke quietly.

Lloyd, confused now, responded to this. "Of course we are, Mr. Isaac. Kra—my dad and I wouldn't lie to you."

"…Thank you." The blond said with a light smile, one that wasn't forced or anything. It was genuine. "It's good to know I can trust people other than my friends."

"Um, Mr. Isaac? Are your other friends Adepts, too?" Lloyd wondered, having heard the man's comment.

"Yes Lloyd, they are. However, to avoid detection by enemies, they are, shall we say, hiding."

"Oh."

Despite knowing their true intentions through the use of his Psynergy, Isaac never let Matthew go, keeping the boy as close to him as he could. The teenage-looking father knelt down next his son, using his gloved hands to gently dry the boy's tears in his eyes and from his soft face. "Matthew, it's all right. They aren't angry at us and they are really friends."

"O-okay, Daddy." The toddler squeaked.

Isaac rose to his fuller height, his blond hair shone with the blazing sunlight above them. "We should…go. Our destination is the Goma Cave, which will take us to the Bilibin area. We can rest at the village of Bilibin and restock necessarily there. After that, we head northward to the Bilibin Cave, which will take us to the Imil area." Isaac explained. "We'll have to bundle up, since Imil is cold, as I've said."

"Does it snow there?" Lloyd asked, interest peaking.

"Yes. It snows year-round there." The older Adept replied.

"Oh, cool!" Lloyd turned to Matthew, who was still a little worried but nonetheless relieved. "Matt, have you seen the snow before?"

The boy shook his head. "No…" He responded quietly.

"So, this'll be your first time, huh?" Another nod from the aforementioned boy made the brunet smile widely. "Cool!" Brilliant pun there, Lloyd. Kratos shook his head, sighing a little as a snippet of wind picked up and rustled through his long, auburn locks. His mind was in a trail of thoughts, but he couldn't allow himself to ponder deeply into them, not just yet. One thing was on his mind, however, is when to reveal to these two Adepts that he and Lloyd weren't from this world at all and that they were angels. While that would be a topic for another time down the road, he couldn't imagine what their reaction would be like. Many people in Aselia either trembled in fear or praised them; one or the other when learning of their angelic status.

After taking a moment to calm down all emotions, they resumed their trek towards the Goma Cave, as instructed by Isaac previously. The occasional monsters would pop out, but were quickly felled by the combined power of the fathers and sons. One species of monsters that made Lloyd cringe was the zombies. He grumbled something under his breath about 'not this again' when they encountered them. However, majority of the monsters that sprang up from nowhere like flowers to attack the party were nothing more than Big Mushrooms, Giant Bats, Slimes and Gnome Mages. Kratos and Lloyd wondered if these Gnome Mages were related to the Summon Spirit Gnome back in Aselia.

As the night drew near, the group fell into one more battle; it was against five skeleton creatures. What fun! While Kratos, Isaac and to some extent, Lloyd, had no trouble in defending themselves in battle, Matthew did. He was technically the youngest out of them, and his power wasn't enough to damage one of the skeleton monsters. Lloyd turned to find his friend at the mercy of a skeleton fiend; he wasted no time to summon up his mana and reflect it towards Matthew. "Guardian!" Lloyd shouted as the green, spherical barrier surrounded Matthew, deflecting the monster's attack like a rubber beach ball. It growled in anger, somehow, that its target was unreachable. Matthew scrambled to his feet after this, rushing over towards Lloyd as partial protection.

"Matt, don't worry. We'll beat them together." The brunet said confidently. However, before they could move another inch, Kratos and Isaac had driven their swords through the skeleton that attempted to hurt their children, making the toddlers frown in disappointment.

"Hey! W-we had that one!" Lloyd squeaked angrily.

"We need to move on and find a suitable resting place." Kratos said, half ignoring his son's rage. "It is getting dark and you two need to rest."

"I'm just fine!" Lloyd pouted, the inner toddler in him taking over. "I don't need to sleep."

"Lloyd…" Kratos glared in his direction.

"Kra—I'm fine, Dad!"

"No, you are not." The auburn seraph deduced. "You need to eat and rest, as your body cannot handle extreme pressure and stress, such as traveling, for too long."

"But I—!" The boy tried protesting but the next glare he was getting from Kratos silenced him and made him shudder. Those red eyes were glowering and burning a hole through his soul, much like the man's sword which burned things on contact. "…All right, fine…" He relented, reluctantly. Matthew skimped over to his father, watching him quizzically. The older Adept was examining an area ahead of them, studying it for who knows why. When he gasped suddenly, he smiled, his eyes finding his son's, who shuddered at the random gasp.

"Sorry, Matthew, if I scared you."

The boy nodded his head as an answer.

The man patted his head before summoning up his Psynergy again. He raised his hands until they were within chest level, the flat palms facing up. When he did this, the ground in which he settled his mind-command obeyed, leveling sharply into a block of earth. This caught Lloyd's and Kratos' attention, but they were slightly used to it by now. Isaac made more hand signals, forcing the earth to his command and bidding. It willed and worked its way to shape into whatever the blond wanted it to, and after a few moments, the ground leveled into what appeared to be a small campsite. It sported hardened blocks of raised earth in the place of logs, which surrounded a small caving in the ground that would hold the fire. It was simple and it would prove effective; and even to other travelers who would come by and found this spot.

"Wow!" Lloyd chirped excitedly. "Your magic's cool! I wish I could do that!" Isaac chuckled a little at Lloyd's enthusiasm.

"Impressive," came Kratos' words. It was true though; he was impressed. If they had such a power back in the Journey of Regeneration, it would have come in handy many times they had to set up camp. Sure, it may have consumed a little bit of mana to make, but it would have been worth it every time. "I'll make supper." Isaac told them. "Could Matthew stay here? I need to gather herbs—"

"I will gather them in your stead, Isaac." Kratos volunteered. That caught them all by surprise, but the father Adept nodded in agreement.

"All right, then. Just head this way and you should come across a bush with red and green herbs on it. I need the red ones. Four will suffice." Isaac said, pointing in the direction of aforesaid bush. Kratos nodded and turned to Lloyd. The small boy of brown locks met his gaze and sighed.

"Behave, Lloyd. I will be back." And off the seraph went, his left hand resting upon the hilt of his sword in its sheath. Lloyd shook his head, taking a seat at one of the earthen blocks of the campsite. Matthew followed him, almost like a lost puppy and sat beside his friend. Isaac began rummaging through the packed bag he carried, taking out a large sack of meat—that looked like steak in Lloyd's eyes—and a frying pan, and walked towards the pit where the fire would be. Normally, Kratos used his magic of Fireball to create a fire from nowhere; however, since he was absent, Isaac knew he would need to start it.

"…So, how are we gonna get a fire going if my dad's not here?" Lloyd wondered. "You know, he usually starts it with his magic." The brunet pointed out a good point, but the older blond simply smiled at his small observation.

"No need to worry, Lloyd. I know how to start a fire without actually using fire."

Both boys quizzically exchanged looks with each other before focusing on Isaac again. The Adept summoned up another wave of Psynergy, however instead of his using golden glow, there was a reddish tone to it. The toddlers gasped in awe as Isaac snapped and said "Flare." The energy he assumed reacted to the mind and voice command, rushing towards the focus of his finger-point. It released in an ethereal essence, piling into the pit of earth of the campsite and emerged as a roaring but calming fire. The light of the blaze lit up a circular area, the trees around them being alit of the fire's brilliance.

"Oohh…" the toddlers breathed out, amazed. "I wish it was that convenient all the time." Lloyd said after.

"Heh." Isaac chuckled, placing the pan over the make-shift "stove" over the fire and unwrapped the meat—which was actually steak. The brunet stared at it, mouth watering. The blond noticed the anxious drooling of Lloyd, smiling a little. "Are you really that hungry, Lloyd?"

The rumbling of said boy's stomach growled in answer for him. "…Yeah." The boy by name added.

"I can see. I'll try to hurry then, so I won't be at the wrath of your stomach's fury."

Lloyd blushed, embarrassed by the man's joking response. Matthew remained quiet but had to admit the joke was pretty funny. He just couldn't laugh, though, at least not now. Ever since they told the Aurion pair of their heritage, of being Adepts, Matthew had been rather unsettled, nervous if you can say about the two. Speaking of their powers to them when he was told to never speak it still baffled his mind. He knew his father sensed goodness and sincerity in their hearts—his father was usually good at debating and deciding on someone's true intentions of their hearts. The young spiky-blond looked at Lloyd from the corner of his eye, watching the brunet yawn and grumble something about being so hungry he could eat a whole cow. The longer Matthew stared at him from the peripheral of his eye, the more he grew onto the red-clad child. Something else sparked his attention that his eyes caught onto.

It was barely visible, possibly debated as invisible to the naked eye, but to one who was trained in the arts of "hidden magic", he could see it. It was fairly light blue in its unseen image. There were hues of light green and silver mixed within it, and whatever it was, it shaped into that of wings. Not only that, it was protruding from Lloyd's back. Lloyd had wings? Matthew stared quizzically and skeptically at them, wondering if he was just seeing things. He rubbed his eyes and tried again; they were still there! That means, he wasn't hallucinating at all. The blond boy shook his head and refocused his eyes so now he was staring at Lloyd instead. Mysteriously, his strange wings encounter was gone as if they hadn't ever been there.

Matthew wanted to speak but he couldn't find his voice.

Lloyd noticed he was being stared at and noticed it was his fellow toddler. Matthew's pale-blue eyes were concentrating on him and in that moment, he randomly flushed. "Matthew? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" The brunet's sudden question made the young Adept jump in his place and fidget unnecessarily with his scarf, looking away.

"H-huh? Uhh…n-no reason."

"…Um, okay then." Lloyd shrugged, thinking it was best to not pry this time. In the meantime, Isaac had been flipping over the steak in his pan with his spatula, minding the fire's temperature and occasionally making sure the meat was cooking thoroughly. He noticed the interaction of the boys, their light conversation and simply went back to focusing on supper. He added a little seasoning to the frying meat in the skillet, humming a random tune as if this were a pleasant day, and to keep his mind off trivial things.

A minute bypasses and the trio hears footsteps approaching them. They all knew who it was so they didn't bother looking up—they being just Isaac. The toddlers glance up from whatever they were doing and saw Kratos stepping forward, that stoic expression upon his face as usual. Matthew turned to Lloyd, a light frown on his face. "Is your dad always so…mean-looking?" He asked in a hushed whisper. Unfortunately for him, Kratos caught wind of it, but paid it no mind, though still wondered; did he look mean? Lloyd quieted down his voice as well, answering. "Yeah. He's always serious and all. Hardly smiles…"

"I'd be scared of him all the time if he was my dad."

"Well, you get used to it after awhile."

Kratos, ignoring the whispering conversation of the children, approached Isaac with a four red herbal leaves in his hand. "It amazes me there were only four left on there." Isaac said, not looking up from the meat but noticed Kratos' approach. The seraph eyed him in a straight manner. Recognizing the lack of response, Isaac continued. "I already knew there would be four on the herb bush before I sent you that way, Kratos." His blue eyes looked up from the cooking meat into the purple-clad swordsman's red eyes, taking the herbs from him. "Thanks."

"It's no trouble." The usually silent man responded, taking a seat upon the unoccupied earthen-made seat across the boys. "I assume this has to do with being an Adept, correct?"

"Indeed it does." Isaac added one herb to the steak he cooked, applying the much needed flavor it needed to make even the sourest taste buds to melt. "Matthew and I, to specify from earlier, are Earth Adepts. We can manipulate the earth around us. This includes materializing such earthen abilities from nowhere. As I said before, this 'magic' is referred to as Psynergy." The Aurions clued in curiously as the Adept continued his speech. "To further dive into it, Psynergy is controlled by the mind and soul interacting with one another as to converse rhythmically in sync. When such is combined, the power to align oneself with an element is evident, and the element in which is in contact will obey the bidding of the person's mind. It's manipulation through the mind, and for that, Psynergy is labeled "psychic energy". People who can use this are therefore called Adepts, as they can use this ability with ease, mastering it without trouble." He looked up to notice his audience was absorbing this information. Matthew, knowing this to some degree, was even listening to his father's miniature 'lecture'.

Isaac cooked in the second and third steaks, applying seasoning and herbs to them necessarily. "The source of every Adepts power is called Alchemy. The ancestors of Adepts, which were more skilled in manipulating this power, were called the Jenei. Those that could use the power of elements and descendants of this clan of elementals were labeled as the Jenei. Those that worked together with them, despite they couldn't use Psynergy for themselves, were master craftsmen and women. They were called the Exathi, and just as Jenei has descendants, so do the Exathi." Isaac chuckled to himself. "Why I'm telling you this, I'm not too sure, but, perhaps it will help you understand who we are and where we come from…"

"Mr. Isaac?" Lloyd cued in.

"Yes, Lloyd?"

"If you and Matthew are Adepts, how'd you get your power though? I mean, even descendants don't always inherit the ability to…uh…manipulate the elements, right?"

The blond shook his head. "That would seem to be the case, but every descendant of the Jenei will possess the ability to wield Psynergy, even if the blood is diluted over the course of the years. So, for instance, if your one of your parents was capable of using Psynergy and the other wasn't, you, the child would inherit the ability to use Psynergy like the one parent could. The cycle would repeat itself if you were to marry someone who couldn't use Psynergy and also had a kid." For some reason, Isaac felt Lloyd could understand exactly what he meant; after all, the toddler appeared to be a very smart child; almost as smart as an adult…

"Oh." Lloyd replied, seemingly understanding, which Isaac had a feeling he would.

"Matthew's mother and I were Adepts, so he was born as one. Fortunately and unfortunately, he gained the Earth Psynergy as I wield."

"…How is it unfortunate?" Kratos wondered with a skeptical glance to the aforesaid boy, who stayed unnaturally quiet.

"It's only unfortunate he didn't gain his mother's Psynergy instead of mine because…well, I'd like to have some usable fire." Isaac laughed lightly. "But, I'm more fortunate he's like me. It makes training him that much easier. Besides, I don't know much about Fire Psynergy like my wife used." The blond flipped the two steaks in the skillet over, watching them sizzle. He sighed heavily after briefly mentioning his lover, despite he never voiced her name. "Matthew is better at healing than attack Psynergy, like…"

"His mother?" Kratos finished for him.

"…Yes. At times, he can use healing spells she knew, but he doesn't quite know how to grasp at it, yet." Isaac looked in the direction of his son who was twiddling his fingers. He then caught his eyes upon Lloyd, who looked studious for a second, then grumbled something. Isaac could make out 'hungry' and 'can't wait' from the spiky-brunet, chuckling yet again. Lloyd was an amusing boy, and the older Adept wondered if Matthew would turn out like Lloyd if he stayed around him long enough. "Lloyd, it's almost done." He told the hungry child.

"Oh, goody." He mumbled, sighing in relief. Kratos turned to his son, staring at him with his usual serious expression. However, the moment Lloyd found someone boring a hole into his head; he turned and found his father's reddish eyes on him. He flushed as he caught onto something Kratos rarely did. "…You're…smiling!" He gaped at his father and pointed accusingly. Matthew rounded on the auburn swordsman to notice as did Isaac, who was clueless.

"I'm aware." Kratos said as his face returned to its once stoic expression.

Isaac and Matthew quizzically stared at them, the former raising a question. "Is it rare for Kratos to smile, Lloyd?"

The boy looked in the Adept's way and nodded. "Yeah. Dad's kinda always serious and stuff all the time." He admitted, repeating what he told Matthew not long ago.

"Ah, I see. Ha-ha." Isaac laughed again, placing the steaks onto the convenient plates he had. "Lloyd, I'm sure he means well." The two fathers catch a glance with one another before breaking off. Adding with a fork on each plate, Isaac raised two of them for the swordsmen to take them. "Well, supper's ready. I know it's not much, being steak, but we have to conserve a little food until we can restock or if nearby game introduces itself." Lloyd hungrily rose to his feet, taking his plate as Kratos patiently took his. Despite the angel man eating little in his many years of life, this particular moment, he actually felt hungry. The meat prepared looked incredibly delicious, and it wasn't often this happened to him. In fact, Kratos wasn't so sure he ever felt hungry during the journey of regeneration.

Neatly as he presented himself, Kratos cut into the tender steak meat, cutting out a piece and delivered it to sate his appetite like a gentleman.

Lloyd, on the other hand, was grazing his steak as if he hadn't eaten in five days—which was untrue. He moaned in delight, acting the exact opposite of his father's gentleman attitude. Isaac watched them for a few seconds before submitting himself to another round of chortles, handing his son his plate. He had cut the steak meat into chewable sections for the young Adept beforehand. After his boy took his plate quietly, Isaac continued cooking his own share, adding the season and flavor to it as he did the others. It wouldn't be long until he had his own to eat.

I suppose my lessons from Jenna are paying off well. He thought, sighing inwardly. Jenna… I wish you were here.

And, here is chapter 2. We get into something deep. Review and enjoy.