Felix and Isaac's entire parties were sitting at a table in the lounge of the Inn. Karst had paid the innkeeper in advance to let them rent the lounge, and there were no questions asked. Agatio and Karst seemed quite friendly to their guests.
"So, would you like something to drink?" Karst asked.
"Sure, what do you have to offer us?" Jenna asked.
"Grape juice." Karst answered.
Agatio went to get the "grape juice." He also made sure to lock the door of the lounge. Thankfully, the room was designed in such a way that our heroes could not see the door from the table.
After doing this, Agatio handed out the potions.
"Since when was grape juice black?" Ivan thought.
Since Isaac and Felix were busy chatting with Karst and Agatio, the two Proxians did not notice when Ivan read Sheba's mind and Sheba read Ivan's.
"Here, this way we can speak to each other, without any chance of eavesdropping." Sheba thought.
"Sweet." Ivan thought.
"So, don't you feel suspicious? I've never seen black grape juice before." Sheba thought.
That moment, Karst suddenly spoke: "It's gourmet grape juice, Isaac. Drink up, you'll like it. Trust me..."
Sheba and Ivan froze.
"I hope she can't sense what we're thinking." Ivan thought.
"I doubt it, considering that she isn't touching either one of us." Sheba thought.
"We'll have to get rid of these." Ivan thought.
"Here, I used to do this to Faran when he'd give me something nasty to drink. Hold your cup under the table, and cast a small whirlwind in the cup. It should force the liquid to be vaporized and blown away by the whirlwind. This should allow us to make it look like we drank it. Since Karst is too busy chatting with Isaac and making sure that he drinks it, she'll ignore us. After all, we're the least threatening. All we can do is read minds. If she really wanted to hurt the others, she'd have to take out Isaac, Felix, Jenna, Piers, and Mia. Garet, you, and me are the three that she can afford to ignore. But, we'd better hurry." Sheba thought.
"Alright, let's do it." Ivan thought.
The two quickly cleared out their mugs. Meanwhile, the other six gulped down their potions.
Almost immediately, Isaac, Felix, Piers, Garet, Mia, and Jenna looked like they were in a trance.
Karst noticed that Ivan and Sheba weren't in a trance yet, and it started to worry her a little. "How did you two think of it?" She asked them.
"It was nice... But can we get to the restroom?" Ivan asked.
"Sure, why would I stop you? It's out the door, on your right." Karst told them.
Agatio quickly unlocked the door for them.
Ivan and Sheba calmly walked out the door, but Ivan's left hand darted to the Kikuchimonji. Sheba grabbed her Atropos Rod. Ivan picked up his Lachesis' Rule from the coat-rack while Sheba had her Rising Mace attached to her sash.
Ivan made sure that they left the building before talking to her.
"Sheba, we've got to get out of the city. There's no telling what Karst might do."
"But Ivan, what about the others?..."
"... They're lost. There's nothing we can do. All we can do is stay alive and gather as many friends as we can from Vale, Imil, Lemuria, Lavierno, Contigo, or, if necessary, Prox. If we are able to collect an army of adepts to combat Karst and Agatio, we might be able to save our friends." Ivan replied.
Sheba began to weep. "It's so horrible... They were tricked, and we couldn't help them at all..."
"We aren't hopeless, Sheba, and as long as we are alive, neither are they. What we can do is stay together and get help. That should be our priority. Let's go." Ivan spoke. He and Sheba ran as fast as they could to Altin.
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Saturos and Menardi slowly walked out of Vault.
"Menardi? Do you sense that vast amount of psyenergy to the west?"
"Yes, Saturos. What do you think it means?"
"It means that there is an adept of great power there... I don't sense any Mercury psyenergy, and it can't be Mars... Wait, it's Jupiter! You feel it, right? It's Jupiter! I felt that same sensation when I fought that whelp Ivan... Come, Menardi, let's go investigate!"
The two adepts saw a large Chinese temple in front of them. "I see a sign that says: 'Lama Temple.'" Saturos read the sign.
"Well, if it's a temple, then these monks are very likely not to attack us. Let's go check it out." Menardi nodded. The two of them entered the temple.
Master Hama emerged from her shrine and saw Saturos and Menardi stepped cautiously towards her. "That's the adept of great power, Menardi!" Saturos gasped.
Hama nodded and smiled at them: "Saturos and Menardi, fine warriors of Prox, I anticipated your arrival."
"How... How could you? I've never seen such strong Jupiter psyenergy." Menardi stammered.
Hama beamed: "I suppose that, in Prox, you were not exposed to the Jupiter clan of Anemos. A few of us settled in Contigo when the city of Anemos rose into the sky. My younger brother, Ivan, is also a member of our people."
"Ivan is Contigan? Hmn, but his powers are not as great as yours, er..." Saturos didn't know her name.
"Please, call me Hama. My younger brother is still inexperienced. He has not had the time to refine his psyenergy to its fullest extent. That is why you were able to take him down several times, mighty warriors. I understand that the two of you also wished to save Weyward, even if you were forced to sacrifice a few lives in the process. Yet, today, you do not attack me or my monks, which shows that you never enjoyed to inflict suffering after all." Hama nodded.
"Thank you kindly, madam, but is there anything else you foresee in our future?" Saturos asked.
"Funny you should ask, I foresee that you two will have a merry life together." Hama smiled.
Menardi blushed and looked away, while Saturos tried to keep his composure.
"But I see it in your eyes, Master Hama. Something is troubling you." Saturos spoke.
"Yes, well, before you can have a happy life with Menardi, Saturos, you must go through another terrible burden."
"What burden?" Saturos asked in shock.
"You will betray a loved one." Hama looked at them.
"What do you mean?" Menardi gasped.
"Menardi, your younger sister, Karst, has done a terrible deed."
Menardi was stunned: "Please elaborate..."
"You see, Isaac and Felix, the two warriors who saved Weyward, ended up completing your mission for you. Sadly, Isaac defeated and nearly killed you before he realized that your goal was the right one. Agatio and Karst, filled with rage and hate and eagerness to avenge the two of you, attacked Isaac and his friends.
"Soon after, when Felix seemed to not be willing to help her, Karst decided to attack Felix, and, thus, Felix later formed an alliance with Isaac. Felix and Isaac banded together to defeat Agatio and Karst once and for all at Mars Lighthouse, and, after great toils and pains, they succeeded in lighting the beacon. Agatio and Karst were believed to be dead after the fight, but the beacon revived both of them.
"Puelle, your village elder, praised Isaac and Felix for their glorious services, but failed to give Agatio or Karst the recognition that both craved so much. Because of this, Karst refused to return to Prox, rather, she and Agatio fled far from the city and the Lighthouse, pledging to have their revenge on Isaac and Felix.
"Recently, Isaac and Felix decided to go on a vacation, and they made it to the city of Xian, not far from this Temple. At Xian, Agatio and Karst were waiting with a plan to deceive Isaac and Felix and avenge themselves once and for all." Hama reported.
"What kind of revenge are you speaking of?" Menardi asked.
"... Karst has created a mind-control potion." Hama sighed.
"Impossible! She would not...!" Menardi gasped.
"I can hardly believe this. Karst would defy Proxian law and go to such lengths? Indeed, this is chilling news..." Saturos mused aloud.
"Upsetting, I know. She has mind-controlled Isaac, Felix, Mia, Jenna, Garet, and another comrade of theirs named Piers, who is a Lemurian. However, Ivan and Sheba were able to mislead them into thinking that they were affected by the potion, when, in fact, they did not even drink it. The two were able to escape and, as we speak, are making plans to help rescue their comrades." Hama told them.
"So, Isaac has been able to enlist the aid of a Lemurian? That's one more Mercury Adept that could prove to be a threat. So, you tell me that Ivan and Sheba are still their normal selves. I suspect you'd want us to help stop Karst. By all means, we will. But, how are you so sure that Ivan and Sheba will be willing to join forces with us?" Saturos asked.
"Because, Saturos, you and Menardi are not two evil lunatics who want to destroy the world, nor do you mean to selfishly aid Prox. You two are heroes who, knowing full well that there would be those who would stop you, decided that the sacrifice of a few lives to save everyone else was better than watching everyone else die and caring only for one's own family and friends. You cared not for your personal reputation, rather, you cared for the fate of Weyward. You were willing to sacrifice your lives as long as all of us could live on after your deaths. You are selfless warriors of honor. You are both good and noble people, and Ivan and Sheba will see that. They might attack you at first, they might distrust you at first, and they might curse your names and probably even spit on you when they see you, but they will eventually see your true intentions. They will see how honorable and selfless you two are. The good within you is not completely hidden. The two of them are not fools, and I am certain they will see it all. When they do, they will gladly stand by you..." Hama smiled again.
"Master Hama, you can rest assured that we will fight to the death to make sure that Weyward is not threatened once again. If Karst uses this potion too readily, she will have an army of 1,000 in less than an hour. We will have to join forces with Ivan and Sheba as soon as possible. Where are they now?" Menardi asked.
'They are in the city of Altin, not far from here. Hurry, noble warriors. You must save Weyward once again from destruction!" Hama shouted.
"Come, Menardi. Let's go. Weyward needs us again, and we will not fail her!" Saturos grabbed his sword, Menardi twirled her scythe, and both marched away from the Lama Temple.
"May fate shine on both of you." Hama closed her eyes and tried to envision the future once again.
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