Chapter 5: Road to the Future

-Trust in thy magic; for it is it that will guide you from darkness to light…

-Mia, the Angel of Mercury

He stared into the campfire of the night, while wiping the demon blood off the Fire Brand. He laid against the tree, Gaia sitting beside him. The fires of the camp created somewhat of a serene glow as if faeries were about. He still wore his bluish green chest plate even under his leaf green tunic. Only the one shoulder armor pad that stuck out from under his forest green cloak revealed his armor. His crimson hair now had brighter strips on the tip of his bangs, each strip very bright, almost golden. His icy blue eyes stared into space as if remembering something. His thoughts drifted to a year ago…

-

"No!" Xavier screamed as he heard the Admiral's words.

"I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do to save her."

Ivan and Sheba stared at Jenna's cold body atop the altar inside the Mercury lighthouse. Her once colorful skin now took on a pale color, almost like the Proxians. Jenna was smiling at her crying son who stood over her, helpless. "Xavier…" she said weakly.

Xavier couldn't look her in the eyes. He felt weak, inferior. He couldn't save her, this man couldn't save her, and even Garet couldn't save her. "Xavier, you need to stay strong for me…do you understand?"

Her hand went up to his face and wiped his tears away. He summoned every bit of strength he had in his body to look her in the eyes as he grasped her hand tightly. "Stay alive, for," her gaze drifted to the Mercury Adept who tried to save her, who was now tearing up himself and trying his hardest not to release them. "for if Piers is alive… then Isaac may be as well."

Piers could not hold back any longer. His tears fell freely from his face at the sight of one of his closest friends dying. He had the power to heal, yet there was no cure in the world that could relinquish the curse that was brought down upon Jenna just a few moments ago by Felix himself. Piers cursed him silently for this.

Sheba buried her face into Ivan's chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Ivan held her tightly while even his tears fell to the ground. None of this would have happened if Felix had ever touched that cursed weapon. It was because of him that Jenna was dying. He cursed him a hundred times in his thoughts and vowed to slay him…and his…..

Roxas….

"Mother….!" Xavier choked out.

"My son," her eyes started drifting.

"Yes, Mother."

"Listen well, for this is the last request I will ask of you. I want you…to find…a way into…Haven…there lies…the end of every…everything that torments all, and…"she grasped Xavier's hand tightly and looked him directly in the eyes with the same fiery strength as ever. "Felix…F-Felix is not…." She stopped speaking, her grip tightening on her only son's.

Both Ivan and Sheba heard Jenna's last thoughts. I have…but two request for you two…protect…him…and…save…Felix.

Jenna….

Ivan! You…you know what has to be…done…relay…to…Xavi….

Those were Jenna's final words before the fire in her crimson eyes drifted away and closed forever…

-

"Xavier!"

His eyes locked onto the approaching figure. It was a man with messy hair who looked no older than twenty, although his eyes showed great age. "Not a guard in sigh- put that damn fire out! Anyway, looks like it is safe to go in now," he said. His face then turned into a face of annoyance. "I cannot believe we're here again."

"You've been here before?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Champa isn't that bad."

"It is when the damn dark army imprisoned everybody, lad! Anyway, the way is cleared. Here's the plan, where to-"

"Wait, Ivan."

"What?"

Xavier motioned around the camp "Somebody's missing."

Ivan looked around and discovered he couldn't find their third companion anywhere.

"Dammit! Xavier, do us both a favor and go find her," Ivan said with frustration.

"Shouldn't we both go?"

"I have to keep an eye on the gate…and because of your fire those demons may come out here. Oh don't give me that look! The way has to be clear, got it?"

Xavier nodded and reluctantly started off.

"Xavier!"

He nearly tripped over a rock before him. "What?"

"Do not forget that way is dangerous. Those black knights may be about."

Xavier nodded and ran off into the darkness of the night. He thought of why the three were traveling together. We are going to Haven, wherever, or whatever, that is, he thought. Again his mind drifted to about three months after…that day…

-

The snow of the Imil field melted under the heat of the Firebrand as Xavier swung the fiery blade around to meet Piers' Soul Brand hard. He then ducked and forced the Gaia Blade around to block Ivan's Swift. Ivan forced Xavier back with a Plasma Bolt, setting him on his heels, and giving Piers an opening to strike. Piers aimed low and casted Frost on the ground below Xavier to disorient him. He caught the maneuver, though, and slammed the Firebrand into the ground and quickly disposed of the ice. While yanking the fiery blade out Xavier took this time to use a Serpent Fume on Piers, who never saw it coming, and knock him into a state of wavering conscious. Ivan hopped over Piers to ambush the busy Xavier…only to meet a Serpent Fume squarely in the face. He fell to the ground and just laid there, staring into the sky. After about a good minute of grunting and yelling, Xavier managed to get the blade out of the ground. He turned in time to see a fully healed Piers and Ivan grinning at him.

"My, my Ivan! He is quite strong!" Piers said.

Ivan laughed. "You are growing even more, young Xavier. You may just be stronger than we are now. You've trained hard these past few months. Your father and Garet would be proud," he said.

Xavier's eyes went to the Firebrand in an instant. It was a day after his mother had passed on to the second world that Ivan had informed him, Piers, and the girl Mei, who was Xavier's only comfort since Jenna's death, of Garet's death.

They were all in the chief's (in this case, Piers) home when Ivan solemnly stepped in with the Firebrand held reverently in his hands. Piers had already guessed what had happened and his gaze fell to the floor. Xavier, also guessing the outcome, stood there as if he was frozen in his place.

"Xavier," Ivan said while gesturing towards him with the blade. "I would think that Garet would have you keep this."

Everyone that stood in the room waited for a moment for the young Xavier to cry.

That moment never came.

Grasping the hilt of the blade, Xavier looked into Ivan's violet eyes and said, "Ivan, Piers, you have helped me a lot, even though it has only been a day since then. I vow to you never to shed a tear again until," the Firebrand started crackling and Ivan pulled back quickly. Xavier also pulled out Gaia. "We end this, and save Weyward from chaos."

His eyes drifted away from the sword and back to Ivan, who was wiping the cold snow off his cloak. He also noted that Piers wasn't around. The footprints leading back into town revealed as much. Ivan then looked up and said, "I think you're ready now. We leave tomorrow."

"Why so soon?" Xavier asked.

"Better to leave now to get a head start with the Teleport Jewel's power anyway. We also need to get back here quickly so we can get to Lemuria."

Xavier sheathed both swords and started laughing nervously. "Well, see, what had happened was, uh, well you when Piers and I didn't come back from the Mercury Lighthouse for two days a week ago?"

"Yeah…"

"On top of the lighthouse, over the ocean, we sort of ran into some trouble."

"Like…?"

"We tossed the gem into the energy sphere in an attempt to recharge it, and it burst into pieces."

A vein popped out of Ivan's head. "Did you find the pieces?" Ivan growled.

"They uh, were blown by the wind into the ocean."

Second vein, and a whirlwind knocked Xavier off his feet. "Damn, Xavier! I should…" he stopped then thought for a second. "…I see. Well, we'll split up. Sheba and Piers are packing now, so they could probably leave for Lemuria tonight and arrive in three days, maybe a week. You, me, and Mei will set out for various places."

"Like where?" Xavier asked while dusting the snow off him.

"Like Contigo and Champa!"

"Why?"

"Strength and info, lad, strength and info," Ivan replied. "Piers and Sheba will obtain a new sort of ship and a way to get into this Elemental Haven while we acquire extra help," Ivan explained.

"Huh, well…"

"No more questions! We're leaving!" Ivan said as he ran off towards the village, Xavier in tow.

-

Xavier stopped before a rather large tree. Cursing himself for not watching, he looked up the tree and was glad to see the female figure sitting on a branch and looking at Luna. Her appearance was as any warrior Mercury Adept would look. She bore a dark blue sleeveless tunic that stopped underneath her half skirt, which covered fully one leg and only a portion of her left, which bore a chain coating that revealed her womanly shape. Underneath her tunic one could see from the slit below her neckline the navy blue mythril shirt that appears as a normal shirt, but is in fact as strong as any chainmail would be. Her violet blue cloak draped neatly across the branch beside her seemed to enjoy the cool wind flowing through it. Beside the tree sat the telltale lance said to have been wielded by Poseidon himself, the legendary Trident. Xavier always wondered how that weapon got into her hands. It's a secret, Mei would say. Her long hair was not of the normal blue color, but more of a darker violet color. As if hearing Xavier's very thoughts her eyes locked onto his. This was another mystery to the curious dual adept. Her eye color was that of a mystical pale grayish-blue. "Yeah?" she asked.

"Ivan's really gonna kick our asses if we don't-aaugh!"

Upon hearing Xavier's words, the seventeen year old Mei seemed to accomplish landing on Xavier.

"Sorry!" she said while hopping off Xavier.

"Sure, okay," Xavier grunted as he rose up. "Anyway, c'mon, we gotta move or Ivan will have a fit!"

They both ran off towards their ally, each hoping that no soldiers would appear now.

Each ran off to begin this story…