Wings of Anemos

by HyrulianJedi

Generations ago, the Kings of Anemos took their people and fled the world, becoming little more than a myth. When myths come alive, however, Weyard's most recent heroes find themselves struggling to balance their own issues in this new world against the future of Weyard itself, learning the price some must pay to be heroes.

9. Secrets

Golden Sun: Wings of Anemos

Chapter 9 – Secrets

- \/\/ -

At the peak of the mountain, Ivan stood waiting. Wind whipped at hair that did not exist. The sun shone on skin that did not exist. A scene played out for eyes that did not exist. He knew his only role was to watch what would unfold, powerless to act.

In moments, Alex climbed onto the peak, standing triumphantly in the light of the morning sun. Ivan clenched the fists that did not exist, furious that they had been manipulated by the man, yet unsure of how any of them could have stopped him. He had simply placed them on a course they would willingly follow, then waited patiently for the end of the road.

The dream had come before. Ivan never knew if the events he saw actually occurred, or if his imagination had simply created a reasonable show for him. As he watched, the lights of the four beacons grew bright, showering the world with Alchemy once more. Their energies washed over Weyard, converging at the center point above Mount Aleph and forming a light far more radiant than any Ivan had ever seen, or ever would see.

The brilliance of the dawning sun shone upon the peak as Alex stood in the center, vanishing into the light. Ivan could feel the power of Weyard itself swirling around him, entering the world through its chosen gateway.

This time, though, the light did not simply fade. It did not vanish and leave an empty peak, save a boy that did not exist. Instead the light converged, drawing itself into a central point that grew brighter and brighter, becoming a newborn star.

As the light slowly dimmed around the new epicenter, the source revealed itself to be a sword that never fully lost its radiance, gently glowing at all times. Holding it above his head was not Alex any more, but Felix, his face set in its typical expression of grim determination.

Felix swung the blade down and Weyard itself trembled, the elements singing for him in a beautiful symphony. Ivan trembled as Felix strode by, sheathing the blade as he went, though the glorious incandescence continued to shine through the scabbard.

The man vanished over the edge, leaving hope behind in his wake, the one thing that did exist in the boy.

- \/\/ -

Sheba burst into the main cabin of the Kailani, skidding around the corner as she turned to run the ship lengthwise. She ignored the questions hurled at her as the deck heaved again, dashing past the others and grabbing hold of the door handle as she flew by. Anchoring herself on it, she jerked herself to a stop and spun around. The door pulled open, greeting her with a thick sheet of rain as she leapt forward through it.

She crashed into the rail opposite the door, leaned over the side, and promptly vomited all over the wing below her. She grimaced slightly, spit, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, watching the rain wash it off. As she looked up, waiting to see if she would need to vomit again, the rain pounded against her face, feeling incredibly soothing. Wind howled around her, snapping her loose clothing around.

After a few moments, she felt her nausea subsiding, so she turned around and walked back into the cabin. Felix and Hama sat at the table inside, while Garet sat against the wall, sharpening his weapons. All three sets of eyes were on her now. Glancing down, Sheba found her thin, warm-weather clothing soaked through completely, water dripping off and forming into a small puddle on the floor beneath her. "Can we get into the air now please?" she asked weakly, glancing back up at the others.

Felix nodded. "I was just thinking about doing it anyway. This storm got far worse than I expected, and very quickly."

Sheba felt his Psynergy ripple, then course through the boat around her, resonating with the Hover Jade kept down below. The synchronized ripple passed out to the wings, unfurling them, and though Sheba could not see them, she knew they would be gently glowing with all the colors of the rainbow on the undersides now, catching the latent Psynergy from Weyard itself.

The ship heaved again, and with it, her stomach. She groaned, clutching at it, and Felix said, "Sorry, almost there."

As the wings gathered the Psynergy, building it, she suddenly felt the rocking of the boat cease entirely – they were airborne. She breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes and leaning back against the door as the ship began to rise into the air.

"Come on," she heard Felix say, and opened her eyes again to find him standing in front of her. "You shouldn't hang around in wet clothes. You could get pneumonia."

She felt herself turn pink before saying, "It's still warm, though."

"Not warm enough. Go change."

Walking past him before she could turn any redder, she noticed Garet smirking at her from his spot against the wall. She stuck her tongue out at him, then continued on, walking the familiar path back to her room.

As she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, she glanced around her. Though all of her clothing and items she had gathered on their journey had been brought back to Lalivero, leaving the small cabin bare, it still emanated a certain comfort. Though not home, it felt like it.

Her bed sat on the far side, low to the ground and running the width of the room, though that said little of it. A pair of drawers were installed into the solid wood frame, secured shut by a small metal latch. On the walls to her side were a pair of footlockers on the floor, a clothesline strung up above them. The mirror she had fastened to the wall still hung there, thankfully unbroken by Piers' new crew members.

She set about pulling out a fresh set of clothes from her bed drawers before peeling off the wet ones, tossing them up on the clothesline. She threw her new clothes on, then jumped onto her bed, relishing the feeling of dry clothes.

When the knock came on her door, Sheba jerked suddenly. Had she fallen asleep? She must have, she realized; she remembered lying down on her side, facing the door, but now only the ceiling greeted her. "Come in," she called out, swinging her legs around to sit on the side of her bed.

The door opened and Felix stepped inside, ducking underneath her hanging clothes. "Are you feeling better?"

She nodded. "It's been a while since I've had to deal with it."

Felix shrugged. "You never had the greatest tolerance for it, anyway, especially not with seas as rough as these." He glanced around her room. "A lot emptier than it used to be."

"I didn't get the chance to pack much," she said defensively, looking around also. Her eyes and Felix's fell back on the hanging clothes at the same time, being the only thing present in the room, and she suddenly realized her underclothes were still hanging, as well. "Hey let's go for a walk!" she said quickly, jumping up and pushing him back out of the room, nearly catching his head on the clothesline as she went.

She pulled the door shut as Felix regained his balance. "Sheba, what-"

"I, um, think walking around will help me feel better," she said, fingering the hem of her shirt.

Felix frowned, then glanced towards the stairs. "Well, let's head back upstairs, then. I don't like the idea of flying blind through this storm with no one there."

Sheba cocked her head as they made their way back upstairs. "Where did Garet and Hama go?"

"To sleep," Felix said. "Hama took the mid watch, and Garet took the remainder of the night."

"Oh," Sheba said quietly, looking down. "Sorry. I didn't mean to dump my watch on you."

Felix waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. You're not feeling well right now, so I don't want you keeping yourself awake."

Sheba felt herself turning pink again and became thankful Felix was in front of her. She followed him in silence, patting down her hair with her fingers; it had gone astray while drying on her pillow, more confirmation that sleep had indeed claimed her. "How long was I asleep?" she asked.

"A few hours," Felix said. "Kraden's timepiece says it's been about six, but I can't see much outside to verify."

"Six hours?" she asked, her voice rising in surprise.

He nodded. "That's why I came to check on you, since we hadn't heard anything. You're feeling better now, right?"

"Well...yeah..."

"Then it was sleep well spent," he said, stepping into the main cabin and holding the door open for her.

Sheba shook her head. "I just...feel like a bit of a jerk, just going off and sleeping like that."

"I told you, it's fine. You were sick. You can make it up by making dinner tomorrow night, if you want."

She raised an eyebrow. "That seems like a terrible idea. Just saying."

Felix sat down at the table, smiling. "You can't avoid learning to cook forever, Sheba. Even Garet learned, something I never thought I'd see."

"I suppose. I just don't want to kill you all," she said, sitting down opposite him.

"I think we'll live," Felix said dryly. "We've survived some terrible food before."

Sheba giggled. "Like in Kimbobo."

Felix made a face. "That's exactly where I was thinking of, actually. Roasted spiders are my idea of a victory, not a feast."

The smile stayed on her face as she glanced around the cabin. It had changed little since their travels. Piers still kept the great bookshelf in one corner, bolted to the wall. The shelves even had small pieces of wood that slid into place to hold the books in. It never ceased to amaze Sheba how much ingenuity had been shown in the design of the boat. It seemed like every problem involved with life on an ocean had been thought of.

Beside the bookshelf hung a great map of Weyard, a beautifully painted and intricately detailed piece of art. Piers had it commissioned in Kalay on their way back to Lalivero, using all of the individual maps they had acquired or made for reference. Ivan had been able to get it for him at a great price, having known the painter for some time.

On the front wall of the cabin, between the two windows, hung Kraden's pride and joy, a great metal timepiece he had found in Loho. A metal pointer hung on a circular face, pointing to the time of day. It had made one full rotation every day since they'd gotten it, and as far as any of them could tell, it had not lost any accuracy. It helped out immensely during periods when they sky could not be seen, such as now. Felix still didn't trust it, though, something which amused Sheba to no end.

"Did you have something you wanted to talk about, Sheba?"

She looked back to Felix, feeling her stomach flip. "Um, what do you mean?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Well, you said you wanted to walk around, but as soon as we got here, you sat down and haven't moved since."

Her face began growing hot again and she kicked herself for letting it happen so easily. "Well...I just..."

Felix said nothing as she trailed off, simply staring at her with his usual neutral expression. Would dismissing the subject do any good? He would drop it, she knew. He had done it before whenever she got flustered. But should she even bother?

She wanted to say nothing, to simply brush the question off. Fear filled her heart at the very thought of answering him truthfully, because the topic she wanted to avoid so desperately constantly dwelled in her mind. She wiped her hands on her shorts, only to feel them grow sweaty again in seconds. If Felix could not hear the pounding of her heart, then he would have to be deaf.

The words began to push their way through her chest, ripping their way through the fear as it grew, threatening to burst her heart if she made no decision. They paused at her mouth, waiting for her command; though they might have come unbidden this far, they still needed her permission to pass. It would take only a small movement, just the opening of her mouth, and they would spill forth.

She took a breath.

"Felix, I-"

A reverberating crack ripped through the cabin as light flooded the windows, snapping like a whip. Sheba yelped and tried to jump backwards, but only succeeded in toppling over the chair. She and the chair fell together, her head smashing into the floor before she bounced off the chair's back.

The bright lights flashing across her vision suddenly vanished to reveal Felix, crouched over her. "Are you alright?"

Sheba slowly sat up, helped by Felix, rubbing her head with her free hand and trying to alleviate the hammering inside. "Yeah, I'm fine. It just, um, surprised me."

Felix righted her chair, gently pushed her down onto it, then looked at her, holding up a finger in front of her eyes. "Follow my finger with your eyes only."

She nodded, then followed his instruction as he moved it to the sides, up and down, then sharply changed direction. Once satisfied, he dropped it and nodded. "What was that for?" she asked.

"Making sure you didn't have a head injury. You hit the floor fairly hard." He crossed his arms and frowned. "Sheba, lightning never surprises you."

Looking down, she shook her head and said, "I don't know, I guess I just wasn't paying attention."

"Sheba."

Slowly the girl looked up again, meeting Felix's stern gaze. His face was set, as if turned to stone, and she felt that his eyes might simply drill through her. She found herself slightly frightened and unconsciously shrank back in her chair.

Felix apparently realized this and his expression softened. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder gently, and crouched slightly to bring his face level with hers. "Sheba, there are some things that you don't need to tell me for me to know. This is not one of them. I want to help you with whatever it is, but if you don't tell me, I can't."

Sheba opened her mouth, then closed it again. She couldn't tell Felix the truth. Not all of it, at least. If he had already been concerned about her when she had simply been seasick, then how would he take this? She wouldn't allow him to do any more for her. Better for him to not hear about all of it. "It's...ever since the attack, I've been...jumpy around lightning."

Understanding washed over Felix's face. "Because you were hurt by it."

She nodded. "At the time, I thought I was fine because, well, I could control it. When I redirected a bolt straight from the clouds, it hurt so much. I couldn't see, couldn't hear, and couldn't feel anything except pain all through my body. But it worked. I thought everything would be okay...until the beacon hit me full on." She shrugged. "And then I woke up a day later. You know that part."

"But why did it even surprise you?" Felix asked. "You can normally feel them building up, even if you're not paying attention."

Sheba shrugged again, forcing herself to maintain her gaze on him. "I'm not sure. I don't like thinking about it much, and I'm still a little out of it. Maybe that's why."

Felix frowned. "You should try keeping your senses open more. It will probably help you get used to the lightning again, as..." His brow furrowed in concentration suddenly, then his eyes widened. Wordlessly he grabbed Sheba and threw himself to the floor, pulling her on top of him. His boot kicked the chair away just as something collided with the ship, sending the remaining chairs tumbling. The table, bolted to the floor, stood strong.

"What was that?" Sheba asked nervously. She could still hear the horrendous sound of teeth cracking open a bone ringing in her ears. The similar sound brought terrible images to her mind of what the boat looked like at the moment.

"A...a stalagmite," Felix said slowly, not moving. "In the ocean. In fact, there's hundreds of them."

Sheba could feel the ship slowing to a halt on Felix's command. For some reason, even while airborne, the ship's direction was still controlled by the tiller outside; Psynergy did nothing. She always felt that a stupid decision on the part of whoever designed the boat – the Anemoi, she now knew.

After a few seconds, she realized that she was still laying on top of Felix. Pushing herself up, she held out a hand to help him to his feet, as well. "Where are we?"

Felix shook his head. "I'm not sure. I'm going to head outside and look."

He stopped by the door long enough to grab one of the large raincoats and throw it around himself, then stepped outside into the rain. Sheba moved to one of the small windows, watching him move up the right side of the boat, then down the left, looking over the side. Once he finished, he moved to the tiller and spun it, then began moving the boat again.

"What the hell's going on?"

Sheba glanced back to find Garet running into the cabin, Hama entering a few seconds later. "We hit some rock. Felix is checking everything out right now," she added, turning back to the window.

"He's figured something out," she heard Hama say. "We're moving down."

Sheba paused in her thoughts and reached out mentally, feeling the flow of Psynergy around her. Sure enough, Felix was dispelling the gathered energy in the wings, bringing them back to the surface. A shiver ran up her spine as she realized what would happen if they dropped a broken boat into the ocean, but before she could even leave the window to speak to Felix, she felt the ship shake again, though gentler this time.

"Dammit, now what is it?" Garet asked.

"I think..." Sheba suddenly realized why Felix would have dropped them. "...I think we found land."

As she watched, Felix walked around the boat in reverse, checking the sides, then returned to the cabin. "Alright. Slight change in plans. We're waiting here until the storm passes."

"Sheba said we hit a rock?" Hama asked, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded. "I was flying us low, not really expecting anything out here. Apparently, though, this island is surrounded by giant stone spires jutting up from the shallows. We, well, hit one. I want to take a look at the hull and see what kind of damage we have, and I also don't want to fly in this storm anymore, so we're staying here until it clears."

Garet sighed, saying, "Great. Should have figured the plan was too smooth."

"Luckily, we have a flying ship," Felix said, looking at Garet. "Our propulsion and flight are unaffected, so at worst, we wind up having to fly the rest of the way. We should be able to get repairs done in Apojii." He turned from him to Hama. "We won't need a watch tonight. I'll sleep in here in the off-chance someone shows up, but I don't expect it. Go ahead and get some sleep. We're going to need significantly more energy to fly this entire trip."

He looked at Sheba next, who nodded. "I'll stay here with you."

Felix shook his head, though. "I'm going to sleep as well, Sheba. You should see if you can get some more."

She opened her mouth to protest, then stopped. He was right, after all. Instead, she simply nodded and watched as he set a chair against the door, to fall should someone come in. Once he finished, she followed Garet and Hama back to their rooms.

As she closed her door once more, she wondered if he could tell she was hiding something from him. Could that have been the real reason he sent her away, masked by his usual rationality?

She shook her head. Felix would not have done that, even if he did suspect something. He had a cruel side, to be sure, but he only bared it to enemies. He simply didn't have any use for her at the moment.

Sheba leaned against her door, a humorless chuckle escaping her lips. Who could blame him? After all, when a Jupiter Adept could no longer so much as sense lightning, her own element, what use could she be?

- \/\/ -

The wind, rain, and thunder blew fiercely for the remainder of the night, but as dawn broke, so did the storm. Felix woke from his slumber to the peaceful silence of the main cabin, free of the ceaseless pattering on the roof that he had fallen asleep to.

He sat up on the floor, throwing his blanket aside as he stretched, feeling the soreness in his limbs burn as they begin their therapy. The thought briefly crossed his mind of getting a cot in the cabin, for situations like this, but pushed it aside; he would want to run it by Piers first, and he doubted they would find a cot here anyway.

As he stood up, he heard quiet voices from the other end of the cabin, around the wall that separated the two halves. Curious, he rolled up his blanket and grabbed his pillow, placing them on the bench against the forward bulkhead, then grabbed the chair from the door and returned it to the table on his way across the cabin.

On the other side he found Sheba and Garet, both leaning over a steaming pot in the makeshift kitchen Piers had created. He had pulled up some of the floorboards in order to install a large stone fire pit there, giving them access to hot meals while at sea. It had taken a long time to convince him to allow it, and many stern lectures to Jenna about never leaving a fire there untended, but he finally agreed. The first few weeks had been nervewracking for the sailor, knowingly allowing a fire to be used on a wooden ship, but he eventually became comfortable with the idea.

"Here, you don't want a lot of pepper," Garet said, handing the bottle of the spice to Sheba. Beneath the pot, a small fire was burning, easily controlled by the Mars Adept. Judging from the sack off to the side on the floor, he guessed they were potatoes. "A small amount goes a long way. Too much, and the only thing you'll taste is the pepper."

The girl held up the glass bottle, then peered into the pot. Both she and Garet had donned aprons, stained with the use and experimentation of people bored at sea. "How do I know how much is too much, though?"

"In general, if you're not sure, add a very small amount," Garet said, motioning a very short tip of the bottle with his hand. "You can always add more, but whatever you've added is there for good. There's no way to get it back."

She frowned. "Couldn't you just add more potatoes, to spread out the extra pepper?"

Garet looked at the pot thoughtfully for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose that would work also, but then you just wind up with more food. Also, you might not always have all the ingredients you need to do something like that. A lot of things require very specific amounts. Messing it up can ruin the food. Like cake."

Sheba giggled. "You sound like you know that from experience."

"It was terrible," the man said. "It was for Ivan's birthday, too. The poor guy tried to push his way through it without saying anything, but after I took a bite, I set it on fire." He wagged his finger at Sheba. "Another lesson in there: always taste your food before giving it to someone. Preferably while making it."

Nodding, Sheba slowly held out the pepper, gently tapping it on the side to drop some into the pot. It took a few taps before any actually fell, but once it did, she quickly withdrew the bottle, looking at Garet fearfully. "Is that too much?"

He peered into the pot, then shook his head. "It looks alright. Maybe short a bit, but we can check it after we stir it up some. Careful not to burn yourself, now."

Sheba grabbed the wooden spoon he held out to her and lowered it into the pot, stirring up the concoction inside. As she mixed, she glanced up and saw Felix leaning against the wall. "Wah!" she shouted, jumping and letting the spoon clatter against the rim of the pot. "Felix! When did you get there?"

He smiled. "A couple minutes ago. I just didn't want to interrupt the lesson."

"Don't do that!" she said, stomping her foot. "Do you know how creepy that is? Make some noise or something when you walk in!"

"You looked so focused, I doubt you would have noticed, anyway." He stepped forward, craning his neck to peer into the pot. "What're you making?"

Sheba lunged forward, covering the pot with her arms. "No! You're not allowed to look before its done!"

He raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. "If you say so. I'll go take a look at the hull, then, and see what we're dealing with."

Garet nodded. "It should be another, oh, twenty minutes, so no rush."

"Alright." Felix turned around to leave, then stopped again. "Has Hama woken up yet?"

"Hama has."

Felix turned towards the door to the lower decks, finding Hama standing in it, fully dressed and with a frown on her face. "Good morning," he said with a nod.

She returned it. "Good morning. If you don't mind, Felix, I'd like to come with you."

"That's fine," Felix said with a shrug. "Did you want to see something in particular?"

"I hope not," she said. "Last night I had a dream. There's danger on this island."

The quiet mutterings from Garet and Sheba about the food fell silent, the crackling of the flames now filling the cabin. Felix recalled the last time he had heard about a dream of impending danger – on his way to Tolbi with Ivan. "Are you positive? There was a storm last night, so if you saw it in your dream..."

She shook her head. "Dream symbols are often specific to the person. I know lightning represents danger to my brother, but not to me. No, what I saw was clearly a vision of danger. We must be careful."

"Then let's go," Felix said. "If there's danger here, I want to leave as soon as possible." He looked back at Garet and Sheba. "If we're not back in fifteen minutes, get into the air, then check the island. Do not open that door until the ship is airborne. Do you understand?"

Garet frowned, but nodded. "If we made all this food only for something to eat you two, I'll find a way to bring you back to life so I can beat the crap out of you. Got it?"

Felix smiled and nodded also. Hama crossed the cabin towards him, and together they walked to the door. When Felix opened it, the sudden rush of sunlight burned his eyes. Squinting and raising a hand to shield them, he stepped onto the deck and paused, letting his eyes adjust.

"What a contrast to yesterday," Hama muttered.

Felix merely grunted in response, feeling the same way. Once he could see again, he walked to the edge and threw down the rope ladder. He mentally grabbed the metal hook on the bottom, sliding it into its eyelet to secure it in place, then started down with Hama following. After they had both landed on the beach, he unhooked and repelled the hook back up with a wave of his hand, sending the ladder with it.

Satisfied with his precaution, he and Hama began to walk the length of the ship, looking at the hull. As they crossed to the port side, Felix immediately groaned.

Piers was going to kill him.

He cleared the white sand away to get a better look, but his initial glance had been enough. An enormous gash ran almost the entire length of the hull, though thankfully, the second layer of the hull remained intact. The bright sunlight let him see clearly into the void, where several support beams had been shattered. Luckily, the remainder still held the two hulls apart – without the layer of air, the ship would not even float.

He was even able to pick out the point where the hardwood turned into the stone chamber that controlled the ship's propulsion, the real reason for the double hull. A standard wooden hull could not keep such a structure afloat, but from what Piers had said, a stone container was required for the alchemy tool that the ship used. It also doubled as far more durable protection for the complex tool in situations like these, for which Felix was grateful.

"Felix..."

Tearing his eyes away from the hull, he glanced back at Hama, who was not even looking at the great wound. Instead, he followed her gaze further inland where he saw a small plateau, ringed by sharp cliffs. The small beach died off on either side of the plateau, leaving the water to crash against the rocks.

But the plateau itself held no interest to Felix. His eyes, like Hama's, were drawn to an opening in the cliffs facing them, like the mouth of a statue, permanently fixed open. The two shared a brief, silent glance, then walked across the sand to the cave opening. Felix peered into the mouth, but the darkness veiled all, save one thing.

"Stairs," he said softly, tapping the first with his foot. "This is man-made."

"Made by man, perhaps, but who uses it now?" Hama wondered.

Felix frowned, gazing down into the darkness. "The danger you saw, Hama...was it significant?"

"Difficult to say," she said, shaking her head. "I only saw danger, not death, which leads me to believe we are capable of overcoming whatever threat is posed...or perhaps simply capable of fleeing."

Tapping his foot against the sand, Felix weighed his options. If they turned and left, he suspected whatever danger awaited them would be left behind. However, if his suspicions about the cave were correct... "Back to the boat," he said finally. "At the very least, we need to check in with the others."

They found Garet and Sheba just setting out the food when they arrived. The girl quickly ushered them into their seats, serving up a hot bowl of mashed potatoes, mixed with small pieces of jerky, garlic, and cheese.

Much to Felix's surprise, he found the meal rather good, though he suspected Sheba had been more of Garet's puppet than his pupil. He left that part out when he told her, however. He doubted he would have gotten such a radiant smile with that comment.

Once they had finished, he set aside his bowl and folded his hands. "We found a cave on the beach, with stairs leading down into it."

"Stairs?" Garet asked. "Here? There's nothing around!"

"Not anymore," Felix said. "All those spires around us? They were caused by shifts in Weyard's land. Around here, the land beneath the water collided, shattering the island and forcing pieces of it upwards in sharp bursts. This is all that's left."

"What's in the cave?" Sheba asked.

Felix shook his head. "I'm not sure. I can't see anything. However, I suspect it might be one of the mines we're looking for."

Garet snorted. "That would be convenient. Didn't Hama say she saw danger here, though?"

"I believe the danger can be overcome, provided we are cautious," Hama said. "My dream was clear, but lacked the signs that accompany mortal danger."

Felix nodded. "I'd like to take Hama to investigate for a short bit and see what we-"

"We're going with you," Sheba said calmly.

"-can find. What?"

"You heard her," Garet said, leaning back in his chair. "Come on, Felix, you think we're just going to let you guys walk in there without us? We came to find that Myrtle, too."

Sheba suddenly giggled. "You've got that frown on your face again. The one that you get when trying to think of a reason to tell us no."

Felix consciously neutralized his face, then said, "You're still injured, Garet, and I'd rather we had people here in case-"

"Oh, hang it, Felix," Garet said. "I've got awesome recovery time, I'm fine now. And even if you tell us no, we're just going to follow you in. You can't exactly lock us in here. Or me in anywhere, for that matter." He leaned forward, placing his hands on the table and staring Felix in the eyes. "So what'll it be?"

Fifteen minutes later all four Adepts stood outside the cave's entrance, staring down the narrow opening. Felix gingerly placed a hand on the cave wall, trying to feel out the shape. "It winds down, then opens up into a larger cavern. I can't really feel anything after that."

Garet held up a hand, a bright glow enveloping it and casting a steady light onto the staircase. "Then let's go find out." Without waiting for a response, he turned and started down the stairs. Hama looked up at Felix, shrugged, and followed after him.

Felix shook his head, sighing. "Don't be mad at him," Sheba said quietly, poking him. "He just wants to get out of here, too. Hama's scaring him a bit with her visions."

"I'd save your sympathy for her; she's the one who sees them," Felix murmured, then gestured for Sheba to go next. "Let's not fall behind."

The stairs began at a slow decline, but quickly became steep, threatening to turn any misstep into a deadly tumble. Garet began dropping flames ahead of them, dousing his light and bracing himself against the walls with both hands. In that aspect they were lucky, Felix supposed, since the stairwell would not have even fit Sheba and Ivan side-by-side.

For several minutes they continued their slow and steady descent, the air growing cool around them. Glancing back, the opening to the cave seemed to give no more light than the full moon, surrounded by the black of night. Felix shook his head and turned forward again. Vigilance.

"Hey, it's opening up," Garet called.

Felix shook his head, then realized no one could see him. "The cavern is further down. The path will narrow again."

Garet cursed quietly, though his voice echoed up clearly. Despite his words, though, Felix still felt a small sliver of comfort at the open area. Even though he knew himself more than capable of going straight to the surface through all this rock, he still found the tight passage disquieting.

Hama had paused, examining a series of pillars placed in the space, possibly to support the roof. "These are old," she said. "Old, but sturdy, and well-made."

Felix stepped over to them and looked them up and down. With no wind or water to wear them down, the simple carvings had survived in near-perfect form. "Not well-made enough, apparently," he said, gesturing at a shattered pillar in the corner. He glanced around, finding the passage down. "Hundreds of years will do that, though. Let's keep going."

The remaining descent took another ten minutes, during which Sheba's foot slipped. Her sharp cry instantly caused Garet to brace himself against the wall, ready to support both Sheba and Hama's weight, but Felix's hand snatched out first, grabbing her upper arm and allowing her to find her feet once more.

When they stepped into the open cavern at last, Felix's initial description spared them no amazement. Garet raised his hand high, flaring his light brightly, but still the opposite wall could not be seen, nor the chamber's ceiling. Water filled a good portion of the cavern, flowing slowly from some source to their right, before draining down further into the earth to their left. More pillars had been constructed here, stretching far up into the shadows above their heads.

A small scratching reached Felix's ears as Garet illuminated their surroundings. His hand dropped to the hilt of his sword as he spun to the left, stepping out to cover the others. Before he could draw his blade, though, he spotted the source of the noise – an oversized, lumpy, misshapen bug, scuttling away from them. Glancing around, he saw others similarly fleeing them, their black eyes glancing back briefly.

"They dislike the light," Hama said softly. "They've forgotten what light is, and it hurts them. Dim your glow, Garet."

He glanced back at her warily. "I doubt bugs are the only things who don't like light," he said, but the aura shrunk nonetheless.

"It's beautiful," Sheba whispered, glancing around. "Listen. The only thing you can hear now is the gentle flow of the water."

They all stood in silence for a moment, and to Felix's surprise, Sheba was right. With the sound of the bugs gone, nothing else could be heard. Even his Psynergy turned up nothing but the scuttling of distant bugs. If anything awaited them in the darkness, it awaited them with a patient silence.

"Well, are we going?" Garet asked after a minute. "Caves aren't really anything new to us, y'know."

Sheba scoffed in irritation. "You're unbelievable Garet."

He shrugged. "I am who I am."

"He's right, though," Felix said. "We should keep moving."

"That would be a sound plan," Hama said, then gestured around them with a sweep of her hand, "if it weren't for that."

Felix followed her gaze and saw her meaning: the stairs had deposited them on a small rise of land, but the only things surrounding them were rock walls and water. No paths continued them further into the cave. He walked as far as he could, standing upon the water's edge and looked around.

They could continue, he realized. By shifting the stone and raising walkways, they could advance further and explore deeper, even without a Mercury Adept to move the water. But at what cost? Their movement would be restricted, with little hope of fighting their way back out of the water should they be attacked. Danger lurked on that path.

"She's right," he said finally. "We've come as far as we can. I don't want to push any further."

Sheba groaned. "So much for finding some Myrtle quickly." She turned back to the stairs with Garet, following him. Hama cast another glance around the cave, then turned back also.

Felix sighed, both in relief and disappointment. He turned his head up towards the black ceiling and muttered, "Keep your secrets, then." He closed his eyes and dropped his head down, shaking it briefly.

"Felix, are you coming or not?"

He snorted, opening his eyes at Sheba's voice. "Yes, I'm..." His words trailed off as he stared at the ground below him, noticing the unusual settling of dirt in a series of circles. How had they all missed this?

"Felix?"

Hama now, walking back towards him. With his foot he brushed aside some dirt, revealing smooth, white stone beneath it. Another brush revealed lines carved into the stone, showing the patterns that the dirt had hinted towards. A wave of his hand sent the dirt flying from the pattern, exposing the stone completely.

A rune of teleportation.

"No way..." Garet whispered, stepping to the edge of the circular engraving. "All the way out here?"

"If that's not a sign to follow, then I'm a dirge," Sheba said in an equally awed voice.

"Is that wise?" Hama asked. "If we use it, then we'll be stuck wherever it leads until the sickness subsides."

Felix shook his head. "Runes bypass everything. I believe the sickness comes from the act of guiding the teleportation, but the runes do that for us. If we don't like where we wind up, we can turn around and leave a moment later."

He turned and stepped off to the side, beckoning the others in. They all linked hands in a circle around the center, then paused as Felix turned to Sheba.

The girl looked up at him, hesitation in her expression. "Are you sure?"

Felix glanced at Garet, who nodded, then at Hama, who paused briefly, but nodded nonetheless. He turned back to Sheba and nodded as well.

Sheba took a deep breath. "Okay. Here we go."

Closing her eyes, Psynergy pulsed from the girl and the rune responded, a soft purple light pouring from the carved lines. As it grew brighter, Felix felt his body grow lighter and lighter, until finally, it vanished entirely.

- \/\/ -

Another door stood in front of them.

"You've got to be kidding me," Garet said, dropping his head in frustration. "This is the fifth door in this damn mine shaft. How many more can there possibly be?"

Felix held his hand to the wall, staring at the door. "None, actually. This is it. The passage opens beyond this door and ends."

"Good," Garet said, raising his hand-turned-torch high and grabbing the handle with the other. "Then let's go in, look around, and get out."

The others nodded, so he threw open the door, glancing into the chamber. The light created a path through the frame of the door which Garet followed, stepping inside. The chamber was far smaller than the cavern they had encountered before, not even large enough to escape Garet's light; he could see the walls on both sides, curving around in a circular shape. His light fell upon a pair of unlit stone torches, built into the floor, so he threw flames at them, igniting both lamps.

The fresh light illuminated another pair of torches, as well as a set of stairs beyond them, but before Garet could ignite those as well, a stirring from above the stairs caught his eye. Something in the shadows shifted and Garet stopped, his hand slowly moving towards his sword. As he watched, two dull points of light appeared, reflections of the firelight. Eyes, he realized.

In the next moment, the shadows leapt at him. He threw himself aside, feeling a cool rush of air as the creature passed, the flapping of wings reaching his ears. When he stood up again, he realized both torches had been extinguished, plunging them back into darkness.

"Garet! Are you all right?" Felix called.

"Fine!" he shouted back. "This thing doesn't like fire, I guess. Let's see it put this out!" Spreading his arms, Garet loosed fire freely with his mind, swinging it in wide arcs in every direction but towards the doorway, where it sounded like the others still stood. Great whips of flame slashed through the air before dropping to the ground and continuing to burn, lighting up the chamber once more.

With light returned, Garet scanned around him, slowly stepping backwards to keep his back to the wall. Across the chamber, he saw a shadowed figure dart around his fire, jumping from shadow to shadow, but before he could attack, a rush of air caught him from above. He glanced up just in time to see the beast swoop at him from the air, a mess of yellowed teeth and dark skin. Drawing his blade as he stepped to the side, he swung up at the monster blindly.

He felt his sword bite into flesh, accompanied by a roaring shriek, but then felt something thick and powerful slam into his chest, throwing him to the ground. As the creature took to the air again, he felt a cold breeze move past him, and he saw his flames suddenly die out in the direction it had flown.

The sound of flapping wings carried in the chamber again, followed by the snuffing of his remaining flames. He stood back up, shouting, "I don't think so, bastard!"

"Garet, stop!"

The Mars Adept stilled his Psynergy, recognizing Hama's voice. But...why was she over by the stairs? "What are you doing, Hama?"

He heard a loud crash in the center of the chamber as the beast landed, with Hama's voice following. "It hunts in darkness and will just keep attacking the source of the light."

"So you want to let it fight in its own element?" Felix asked.

"No, I plan on distracting it in mine," she called out. "When I say to, brighten the room and attack it."

In the darkness he heard the creature shuffle along the ground, heading in his direction, but at some obvious movement from Hama, it changed courses and moved for her, instead. Garet felt his heart leap into his throat; what in the hell could Hama possibly have planned? How was she going to distract this thing and live if she couldn't even see her own hands?

"Garet! Come here!"

Sheba's whisper pierced through the darkness, and for one terrifying, silent moment, Garet thought the creature would turn back. In the next, though, he heard a crash from the other side, and used the sound to cover his movement. He fumbled along the wall until his hand landed on someone's clothes – Felix's, he realized after a moment.

"Quiet," the man breathed, then grabbed his hand. "Look."

Garet felt Jupiter enter his mind, as if someone had exhaled on his brain itself, and the cave began to reappear in gray tones. On the opposite side, near the stairs, he could see the creature itself, dimly glowing blue. Its body was thickly muscled, with a pair of wings bunched up along its back as it swung and snapped at the shimmering purple blur before it. The light surrounding Hama made her exact actions difficult to read, but he could clearly see her practically dancing through the monster's strikes from claw, tail, and teeth.

"She's amazing..." Sheba breathed, and Garet could not help but agree. The woman carried no weapon, but still somehow struck back against the creature with enough force to send the massive beast recoiling, only to duck and twist through its counterattack to strike again. What surprised him the most, however, was the complete lack of Psynergy coming from her, passive or active. He could see its potential brimming around her, but it never once pulsed.

"It's an ice dragon," Felix said quietly.

Garet nodded. "A small one, but yeah. That's how it keeps putting out the flames."

"Then here's what we'll do," Felix said. "At Hama's signal, don't use any fire, just create as large a light as possible, then hold it. Sheba, when it goes after Garet, you paralyze it. I'll trap it with spires, then you incinerate it, Garet. Got it?"

Sheba opened her mouth to say something, but a sharp crack drew their attention, sounding nothing like the previous stone impacts. The girl squeaked and the revealing eye faded, but Garet realized he could still see, though now in shades of purple instead of gray. Hama stood at the base of the stairs, bolt after bolt of lightning streaming from her fingers, pushing the dragon into the center of the room once more.

The pulses of light came so frequently that it seemed like a series of pictures. It reminded Garet of a bunch of drawings he had drawn once in the corner of one of Kraden's book, blending them into one continuous movement by flipping through all of them quickly. The dragon's roar pulled him back as he remembered the plan, though he doubted the light he could generate could surpass the pain such bright flashes were causing.

Not willing to adjust it for such a reason, though, he pulled together the warmth from the lingering embers, holding up his hand and converting it to light. The room burst into continuous view as a yellow glow filled it, dawning above Garet's head as Felix and Sheba ran around to the right side. He saw Hama quickly shield her eyes as her attack ceased, but the dragon immediately abandoned her, spinning around.

This time, Garet saw the creature clearly. Black eyes stared at him from above an enormous jaw, large enough to fit his entire head into with ease. A pair of green horns sprouted from the top of the skull, a stark contrast to the deep blue of the rest of the dragon's hide, save for the membrane of the wings. The dragon spread those as it took to flight again, charging him with another furious roar.

Garet stood his ground, holding the light high unflinchingly, waiting on Sheba. Instead of being paralyzed, though, the dragon suddenly spiraled off course, careening into the chamber's left wall. Recognizing the lingering remains of Jupiter Psynergy, Garet dropped his hand as he spun towards Sheba, shouting, "What are you doing? You need to-"

Another roar cut through his words. Too late, he realized, he had let his own body block the light from the dragon, leaving it to focus its simple mind on the most recent threat. He raised his hand again as the creature pushed off the wall, rocketing towards the young girl with enough force to tear through a stone wall.

Garet screamed, pulling together flames to stop it, but he knew already he could never reach the dragon in time, not at that speed. Sheba stepped back, raising her hand to summon another burst of wind, but he knew she would be similarly unable to divert that much momentum.

His eyes caught a brief glimmer of reflected light from the other side of the dragon, his flames only beginning to materialize, but in the next moment, the dragon had changed directions faster than Garet knew possible, instantly turning aside and smashing into the wall about halfway between himself and Sheba. He waited a moment, but the dragon remained suspended on the wall, unmoving.

As he walked out into the middle of the room, raising his glowing hand again, he saw a familiar sword pierced through the dragon's skull, pinning it to the stone. As he watched, a phenomenally high concentration of pure Venus energy began to dissipate from around the sword, originally so thick that he could see the yellow glow with his regular eyes.

Turning around again, he saw Felix standing beside Hama, one hand on an empty scabbard, the other still outstretched. As the tension in the chamber subsided, he dropped his hand and propped himself up with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Garet understood his exhaustion. The pure, concentrated forms of the elements required significant effort to control, especially at such a moment's notice.

As Hama helped support Felix, Garet rounded on Sheba. "What the hell was that?" He saw Felix try and raise a hand to stop him, but figured he might as well get in as much as he could before the man could recover enough energy to speak. "We had a plan for a reason, Sheba! I was counting on you to stick to it, not try and change it without saying anything! I could have been hurt! You could have been killed!"

The girl shrunk back, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry, Garet! I just... I..."

"You what?" he shouted, feeling his anger grow as he approached. "What if Felix had missed? Do you understand what that dragon would have done to you? Why the hell didn't you paralyze it?"

As she backed up against the wall, Garet followed, looming over her. He slammed his fist into the wall above her, needing to hit something, and shouted, "Answer me!"

Sheba looked up at him, tears just beginning to spill from the corners of her eyes. At the same time, he felt a hand settle on his shoulder, pulling him back. "Calm yourself, Garet."

He turned back around to Hama, shrugging her hand off. "Fighting a damned dragon is not the time to change the way we do things. She needs to understand this."

"And you need to understand that shouting like this isn't going to make the situation any better," she said quietly. "She frightened you, which made you angry, and rightfully so, but screaming at her will solve nothing. Take a deep breath."

He did, and when he exhaled, all of the torches on the ground lit.

Garet glanced at them, feeling his anger turn into confusion. "I didn't do that."

We did.

The voice spoke directly into his head, echoing eerily, though he could not place what felt weird about it. "Who's there?" he called out, scanning the room.

Atop the stairs, more torches ignited, revealing an armor-clad figure on the upper level. Covered from head to toe in deep green armor, he could see only a small opening on the helm for the person to see. A sword rested in its scabbard on his hip, one armored hand resting on the pommel.

"Who are you?" Hama asked.

The guardian of wind, the voice replied, sealed here long ago by the Anemoi.

Felix took a deep breath, then stood up straight again. "Why?"

They feared my power.

"What quarrel did you have with the Anemoi?" he asked.

We watched their cities, worked their fields, and built their empire, and in exchange, they spared us from their cleansing. Then they betrayed and slaughtered us like cattle.

Suddenly Garet recognized why the voice sounded so strange. It was as if an entire crowd of people stood beside him, whispering into his ears simultaneously. The voice was actually a hundred, or a thousand, voices, all speaking at once. He shivered. The voices of those killed by the Anemoi.

"We seek the defeat of the Anemoi," Hama said. "Will you assist us?"

No.

"I see," Hama said. "In that case, do you need our assistance in freeing yourself?"

No.

Hama frowned. "Then we shall leave you and hope you find what you seek."

I cannot allow that.

The door suddenly slammed shut behind Garet, flaring up his anger once more. "Hey, what gives? We've got no problem with you!"

You have an Anemian in your midst.

Garet froze, then turned to Sheba as Hama and Felix did the same. The girl remained pressed up against the wall, where Garet had left her, still trying to vanish inside it. "She is Anemian by blood only," Felix said. "She grew up knowing nothing of her ancestors and now seeks ways to stop them."

We died for our heritage, regardless of circumstances. Vengeance will be delivered.

The ring of steel sounded through the chamber as Garet drew his blade. "You'll be delivering shit," he said. "If you want my friend, then try and prove your worth. I'll send you to whatever afterlife you missed out on the first time."

Your defense of the Anemian is treason against humanity, Garet Williams. Prepare yourself.

Garet had a brief moment to wonder how the spirit knew his name before it raised its hand. Psynergy pulsed from the armored man and Garet felt the torches around him flicker briefly, then explode. The four torches loosed flames into the air, swirling around him as they converged.

Garet merely laughed.

He took hold of the flames themselves and mentally shoved, scattering the flaming vortex and surprising himself with how easy it felt. The spirit obviously had significant power to create that much fire, but had weak control over it.

Stepping forward, Garet pulled the flames towards him this time, pouring them in front of him. They flowed like water into a pool before him, condensing and turning into a miniature sun. Once it had become as wide as his chest, he loosed the fireball at the spirit, a trail of flames following it. It connected with the spirit's armor, exploding in a great burst and scattering stray flames all about the chamber. Garet casually reached up and extinguished one as it landed on his shoulder, waiting for the smoke to clear.

When it did, the spirit stepped forward, unharmed. "Impossible," Garet breathed.

Hama stepped beside him, hurling a single bolt of lightning at the spirit, who made no effort to avoid or deflect it. As it slowly descended the stairs, the bolt struck it directly in the chest, fizzling out completely. "As I thought," Hama muttered. "Myrtle."

Garet turned back to the spirit, realization and horror dawning simultaneously as he eyed the deep green armor. Jupiter, though not Anemian, the spirit said. Are you of the beasts?

"I am Quetzalcoatl," Hama said loudly. "Descended from he who spurned the Anemoi."

And yet now you admit their presence. We know not your significance, feathered snake, but your fate is joined with theirs. The spirit raised its hand as it reached the bottom of the stairs and the air around it began to cool. Garet looked on in confusion as water materialized and froze into elongated icicles. Before he could question it, however, the spirit launched them at Hama.

He pulled flames forward to scatter the ice, but before they even sparked, Hama's lightning had already snapped out, shattering them to pieces. By the time the Psynergy reached her, it had been reduced to nothing more than fine sleet.

"I can't read him," the woman said calmly. "He has no Chi flow, and he can use multiple elements."

"Makes sense, I guess," Garet said. "He's dead. I doubt there's even a body in that armor, just a collection of spirits. And since those spirits are from everyone the Anemoi have killed, they can use all kinds of Psynergy." He flexed his hand, raising his sword. "It's weak, though. We can overpower it and take him apart physically."

Garet charged forward as the spirit raised a hand, releasing a stream of lightning, but he felt Hama shift her Psynergy and draw it past him into her own hand, discharging it to the ground. Inside the spirit's defense, Garet grinned as he swung his blade, ready to take the armor apart piece by piece if necessary.

He found himself quite surprised when the spirit's own blade somehow wound up against his, though, the metallic clash still ringing in the still air. The man quickly turned, sliding the blade to the side and attacking from the other side, but the spirit blocked the attack again, moving unnaturally fast.

Garet cursed.

The armored man attacked this time, its blade flashing in the firelight. Garet stepped back, barely keeping up with the speed of the spirit's attacks. He ducked under one swing, feeling the sword graze his hair, and thanked the gods for not being a few inches taller. His foot snapped out, catching the armored leg behind the ankle and sweeping it, knocking the spirit to the ground with a clanging not very different from a dropped pot.

The Mars Adept backed away, moving beside Hama once more. "He's so fast," he muttered. "I can't keep up."

Earth and rock shifted beneath their armored foe, pushing the spirit back to its feet, then rippling towards them. Garet braced his legs, ready to be flung into the air, but a wave of Venus Psynergy rushed through them from behind, halting the spirit's spell.

"Find a way...to stop it...without Psynergy," Felix said from behind them, gasping for air. Garet knew the man was close to unconsciousness, and would be an easy target at that point. They would get no help from him. Nor could Sheba help them, given that the girl's battle experience was limited to Psynergy only.

Instead of attacking them with Psynergy again, however, the spirit leapt forward, forcing Garet back into swordplay. Evidently it had realized the considerable advantage it held in the area and intended to use it. Garet moved as quickly as he could, realizing that only a single mistake would spell his death, and that mistake approached with every block, every parry, every dodge. He prided himself on his swordplay, but no defense could last forever.

As he reached the wall, he began to move along it, wondering it he could somehow use it to his advantage. While he thought, however, his foot landed in a puddle of dark blood, courtesy of the dragon still pinned to the stone above him. His footing slipped, dropping him to a knee and dipping his blade. Seeing its opportunity, the spirit lunged.

Before the blade could connect, though, Hama appeared behind the armor, shoving her bare fist into its back. To Garet's surprise, the armored man flew through the air, rattling against the floor. Hama helped Garet return to his feet and smiled at his shocked expression. "He might not have a Chi flow, but I still do."

"Wait, so your Chi still works on him?" he asked.

"Evidently Myrtle has no effect on it," she said in that same, infuriatingly calm tone of voice Alex often used.

Your eastern arts will not deliver you, the spirit said as the rock shifted to lift it to its feet, holding up its empty hand.

Again the flames flickered and Garet sensed Mars energy being gathered. "Oh, like that's going to work," he snorted. As he watched, though, the energy began to gather around the gauntlet, pooling in the form of red light, and Garet's eyes went wide. "Dammit, let's...shit!" He dropped his sword and grabbed Hama with one hand, holding his other out behind him. Flames gathered and exploded in a short-range burst, propelling the two forward as the spirit released a beam of Mars energy. The beam screamed forth with a high-pitched shriek, burning into the opposite wall instead of them.

Garet and Hama rolled across the chamber floor, finally bouncing to a painful stop against the side of one of the torches. Garet stood back up, helping Hama up, who brushed herself off and gave him an amused look. "A very eloquent plan, Garet."

He shrugged, turning back towards the spirit. "Whatever works." His eyes followed the beam of pure Mars energy as it died out, leaving a glowing ring of molten rock on the far wall that began to drip down, as if the spirit had wounded Weyard itself.

Wait.

Oh.

Oh.

"Got a plan, Hama," he said.

"Will it work as well as that last one?"

"I certainly hope so. Distract it for me, will you?" Without waiting for an answer, Garet moved towards the center of the torches, feeling each of them waver and dance. Closing his eyes and reaching out, he pulled everything he could from them, leaving just enough to allow them to continue burning, and thus continue creating more energy for him to gather.

In the end, though, he realized there simply was not enough Mars energy for him to gather. Venus reigned too strongly down here, far from the constant source that Sol provided. He would need to draw the majority from himself, and in doing so, would be lucky if he remained conscious long enough to see his plan work.

Energy began to flow from his very being, the source of power that all Adepts learned to harness Alchemy through, and into his hands.

He drew upon his standard pool, that which he used for instant Psynergy where he had no time to gather energy from his surroundings, and felt nothing but growing power.

He drew upon his reserves pool, that which he maintained ready for sustained fights to either transfer for more immediate use or build for a planned attack, and felt his breathing become labored as his hands grew bright.

He drew upon his emergency pool, that which he had used only once, on Venus Lighthouse, draining his Psynergy to levels that Kraden had cautioned him about the hazards of, and felt his body become numb in a fashion that he imagined Saturos and Menardi had felt immediately prior to their fusion.

He continued to draw from his being, not knowing how far he could possibly go, or even what effects it might have on him. He didn't care. If this failed, they were all dead anyway, so he might as well draw on everything he had in him.

When his vision went gray, he decided he had gathered enough.

Garet forced his pent-up energy through his hands, forcing it to remain in a pure and concentrated form, the form Jenna had discovered and shared. A brilliant white beam cut into his vision as it burst from his palms, shearing through his dimmed vision and accompanied by the roar of one continuous explosion. Dragons aspired to sound like this, Garet thought numbly, keeping his beam focused on the cavern floor. Dragons could roar, he supposed, but an Adept could...could...

What was the word Ivan used?

Oh, right.

Resound.

As his collection of energy emptied, the beam died out, but Garet still found himself standing, his eyes shut against the intense light. He stepped backward, opening his eyes slowly to check on his plan.

A pool of molten rock lay before him, the air above it shimmering with heat. Most importantly, the pool had been created by the effects of Psynergy, not through Psynergy itself. For all intents and purposes, the magma was entirely natural.

He backed away slowly, still surprised he could move. He should have passed out during the discharge. Shaking his head to discard the thoughts, he looked up to where Hama still fought the spirit. "Hama! Here!"

The woman made no acknowledgment to him, and when he looked up, he remembered she could not read the spirit's Chi flow. He did not understand her meaning entirely, but he knew she counted on an enemy's Chi flow to read their movements. Even if she could strike the spirit, she was at the same disadvantage he was.

He had to help her. The realization came with a bitter laugh; how could he possibly help her in this condition? As he lamented the irony, however, he realized he could still concentrate. He could still feel a reserve of Psynergy inside him, keeping him conscious. How the hell had he missed that?

"Felix," he groaned, stumbling forward, and simply pointed towards the pinned dragon. The Valean evidently understood, because the sword suddenly came loose, falling to the ground alongside the massive blue dragon. Garet picked it up as he walked, grabbing his own sword as well a few feet away, then strode towards the spirit.

It saw him approach and turned to position both him and Hama on one side, which Garet expected – it also pushed him closer to the center of the chamber. He swung both swords at the spirit, one at a time, continuing to aim for the weak points and force the spirit to avoid the attacks. It chose to deflect some with its armor, but Garet quickly turned that against the spirit as well and used the opportunities to force it back further.

I see. So such power has corrupted you to walk the same path as they, the spirit said, refusing to glance back at the molten pool.

"If it has," Garet said, holding up both swords, "then I'll walk it all the way to hell. Hama!"

From behind him the Jupiter Adept leapt as Garet swung upwards, pulling the spirit's blade up and free of Hama's path. The woman snapped her foot out in midair, planting it firmly on the dark green breastplate and pushing off. The spirit flew into the air, arced slowly, then fell directly into the center of the magma.

Garet immediately dropped both swords and raised his hands, pulling the molten rock over the spirit as if wrapping it in dough. It made no noise as the magma buried it, though Garet watched the armor warp and collapse together as it became malleable.

The man simply sat down where he was, then fell backwards onto his hands, exhausted. He heard Felix shuffle over and collapse beside him, followed by a small pattering of feet as Sheba knelt next to him. "Garet...I'm so sorry, Garet, this is my fault..."

"Shut up," he said weakly, grinning.

Despite herself, Sheba smiled as well, wiping the corners of her eyes. "Isn't that a point for me?"

"I say we call it even."