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The Lost Age of Men
Chapter 8
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"We found her spirit wandering in the remains of your village," Paul explained.
"I…didn't think dead people could do that," Lydia stammered.
"Well, sometimes when a spirit has unfinished business here in Weyard, it assumes a visible form. At least, visible to us Jupiter Adepts. They cannot wander far from their bodies, though. When we came across the ruins of the village, we found her and asked her for help because she was obviously still here for a reason. She agreed and took all of the power of Mercury into her body. Then we entrapped her in this orb."
"Does she know that she's trapped in there?"
"Probably not. Alchemy is very powerful, and since her spirit is containing a very concentrated amount, it has probably consumed her consciousness."
Lydia nodded. All of this information seemed very overwhelming for her. She stared into the star. It was certainly very beautiful. It was hard to imagine that something this small could contain so much power. "So, what now?" she asked.
"Well, we will finish building the Lighthouse. We're building on the remains of a healing spring that was fed by Mercury. Since it dried up, we built the foundations around it. The lighthouse itself is very complex. To get to the top, one must pass through traps and puzzles, because obviously we wouldn't want people walking up there all the time. The building itself is very powerful. There is an moving platform at the top that can bring those at the top of the lighthouse to the base."
"Wow. But what's all this got to do with me? I mean, you guys did kidnap me."
"We have a special mission for you once the lighthouse is finished. For now, don't worry about it. Relax and enjoy the spring weather."
"This is spring??" Lydia shivered. Paul smiled and chuckled. "Yup, this is about as warm as it gets around here. We are quite far north of where you live."
Paul led her to a bonfire area, where smells of cooking meat rose to her senses and made her stomach growl. "You should eat. I'm sure you haven't eaten much in a day or so. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to attend to…" He wandered off in the direction they came from. Lydia looked around at the unfamiliar faces. They looked friendly enough, so she went searching for the source of the delicious smells.
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"I don't see why this is necessary…" grumbled Agar. Hamar finished tying a rope to Agar's hands with a leash attached to it. "Well, we can't have you running off on us," replied Hamar calmly. "We need you to lead us to this man's daughter. It's very important that he finds her. I'd say your life depends on it." He smiled and dropped the long leash rope into Sam's hands. "Hold on to him, will you?" Sam looked at the rope in his hands blankly, then looked up at Agar, who scowled at him. He grinned sheepishly, and followed quickly behind as the grouchy Proxian stomped off into the woods. Jake and Hamar came up behind them.
After marching for a while, Agar stopped and looked around him. Sam glanced at him and asked, "What's wrong?"
Agar frowned even more than he had been. "I don't know where we are." Sam put his hand to his forehead. "Oh, Iris…" Hamar stared at Agar for a few seconds, then reached out his hand a little and closed his eyes. He seemed to glow a bit. Then he opened them, pulled out a knife, and cut the ropes on Agar. "You're free to go, if you please."
"Woah, woah, hold on a sec!" Jake exclaimed. "What'd you just do?"
"I read his mind. It's nothing to get excited about."
"Isn't it bad manners to read another Adept's mind without permission?" asked Sam.
"You probably heard that in Lemuria. Bunch of silly ninnies" Hamar replied. Jake sniggered at Sam's slight scowl.
Hamar turned to leave and ran right into Agar. "What? I said you could go. I know where we need to go."
Agar shook his head. "I need to return there, and it is not safe to roam the woods alone. I will travel with you. Although, when we get there, don't expect any welcome receptions. My people will not be happy to see you." Hamar smirked. "Oh, I wouldn't be as presumptuous to think that…" Hamar flicked his cape behind him and walked off into the woods. The rest hurried after him.
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