Golden Sun: Wings of Anemos

Chapter 1 – Catastrophe

- \/\/ -

Children ran through the streets, screaming their gleeful cries. Ivan found himself among them, running along the cobbled roads barefoot as they weaved in and out of the adults. The sun shone brightly overhead, not a cloud in sight to threaten their games with rain.

They left the roads, running onto the grass, and Ivan felt the cool, refreshing grass brush at his soles as he ran after the others. He held his arms out as he jumped off a hill, trying to soar through the air, but even crashing back to the ground did nothing to dampen his spirit. He simply brushed the dirt from his knees and chased the boy in front of him.

On a bench nearby sat a man and a woman, both with their hands in their laps. As Ivan ran past them, he noticed that their faces bore expressions of solemn sadness. Had they lost someone close to them? He thought if they just got up and ran with him, they would feel better, but he moved on, saying nothing.

When he looked forward again, he noticed that he had fallen behind, the others not realizing he had slowed. He shouted for them, speeding up again, but they did not hear him. As they ran back into the street, a shadow suddenly fell across him and he ran headlong into a woman. He backed up to apologize, but when he looked up, he saw tears in her eyes.

She did not respond to his questioning, simply staring at him with a despairing expression and shaking her head softly. When she stepped aside, Ivan could not see his friends anywhere. They had completely vanished. He spun in a circle, now noticing that he could not see anybody at all. The street that had been full only moments ago now lay empty.

A shadow fell across him again. He looked up and found a black sky, the afternoon sun completely obscured by storm clouds. He needed to get home, he realized. His mother would be worried about him.

He shook his head. His mother was dead. He could not even remember what she looked like. Looking down at his hands, he realized he was no longer barefoot, nor a child, but once again a young man, almost an adult.

A thunderclap returned his attention to the sky, a nameless horror settling into his stomach. Something terrible was waiting behind those clouds, though he had no idea what. A flash of lightning struck a nearby building, transforming the roof into an inferno that quickly spread to other buildings and scorched the ground.

Bolts of lightning began to rain down around Ivan, destroying whatever they touched, but he paid no attention to them. His attention was still focused on the sky and the unspeakable object of dread behind it. He wanted nothing more to run, but his legs refused to obey.

When the clouds parted and he opened his mouth to scream, nothing but a hoarse rasp came out, forcing him to stand there and watch as the moon crashed down onto the town.

- \/\/ -

Garet breathed in slowly, exhaling in the same manner. He needed control here; this particular opponent demanded it. He could not afford to blast away recklessly, or swing at full strength. Precision was of the utmost importance right now.

Stepping forward, he punched his hand forward, a burst of flame launching from his open palm. It flew true towards his opponent's feet, but the other person jumped to the side and began running forward at him. Garet stood his ground, launching carefully calculated strikes at his attacker. Neither of them wielded a weapon; neither needed one. The destructive flames each commanded rendered a weapon meaningless.

Halting the approach temporarily, his adversary whipped out return shots in a pair of sidearm throws, forcing Garet to shunt them aside with burning fists. His opponent took the opportunity to close the distance and the two met in a clash of flames. They traded blow after blow, fire streaking from their strikes and narrowly missing each combatant.

Slowly Garet moved back, step by step, retreating from the fierce attacks. He knew he could not keep up a defense forever, so as he stepped back, he spun into a crouch, swinging his leg across the ground. His foe, however, saw the strike coming and hopped over the sweep, landing with his hand pointed like a spear at Garet's throat.

Garet smiled. "That was good. Your reflexes are getting better, too."

His opponent smiled, pulling his hand back. "Really? You mean it, Garet?"

Laughing, Garet stood up and ruffled the boy's hair. "Someday, I'll have to live with the shame of being beaten by my little brother. I think I've got some time left, though."

The boy jumped into the air, whooping. "Did you hear that, Isaac? Soon I'll be able to beat anyone, even Garet!"

Isaac returned the grin. "Tell you what, Aaron. I'll make it easier for you. In the next few days, I'll show you exactly how to beat him."

Aaron snorted. "No way. You only won last year 'cause Garet wasn't in it. This year, there's gonna be a new Colosso champion." He gasped as hands grabbed him around the waist, pulling him into the air and depositing him on Garet's shoulders.

"Come on, shorty, let's go find some food. Coming, Isaac?"

The blond shook his head. "No, I ate only a couple hours ago."

"So? I did too. Eating makes the body grow!" Garet thumped his chest as if to prove his point, then looked up at Aaron and whispered loudly, "That's why he won't be able to win. He doesn't eat enough."

Aaron giggled and waved. "Bye Isaac!"

Isaac waved back. "Keep an eye on your brother. Don't let him get into trouble."

"He's ten. How much trouble can he get into?"

"Garet, I was talking to Aaron."

Grumbling under his breath at Isaac's grin, Garet turned around and began walking down the hill, listening to Aaron ramble about how cool Mars Psynergy was. Garet only half listened as they walked, his mind on the coming competition.

The week of Trials had just ended, both Isaac and Garet barely even making the cut. Isaac had been able to bypass the qualification rounds last time, due to Babi's complete disregard for his own competition, but Iodem made no such exceptions. Garet had not expected him to. Babi had entered Isaac for his own purposes, and the strange power he wielded caught the other combatants by surprise. If they wanted to win this tournament this year, they would need to prove themselves truly worthy.

The Trials had been fierce, though. Anyone was eligible to join, but only the top seven were selected for Colosso. Garet had spent the past week performing various physical and mental tests, proving himself a valid warrior. Isaac had been lucky to skip them before – Psynergy helped very little.

But his skills had grown, that much was obvious. This year, Isaac had made it through the Trials with no more help from Psynergy than anyone else. It surprised Garet that his friend made it, though; Colosso attracted the fiercest, the bravest, the sturdiest warriors in Weyard. Isaac was a good fighter, to be sure, and a great friend and leader, but Garet never thought him as one of the world's greatest.

Then again, he had never thought the same about himself, either, but he had made it as well. Fighting was his passion, to be sure, but to think that he might be the greatest in the world...

He shook his head. An ego would only cloud his mind now and bring mistakes. He could start thinking about that title once Colosso was over. At the moment, more important things needed to be dealt with.

"So, what kind of food do you want to get?" Garet asked.

A soft hum drifted down to his ears as his brother thought carefully, before being punctuated by a gasp. "Oh! Fried dough!"

Garet groaned. "Aaron, you've had fried dough every day since Colosso started. Eating that much of it isn't good for you."

"But you can only get it during festivals! We almost never have it back home! Please, Garet?"

He heard the slight whimper worm its way into the question and groaned again. "You twist my arm. Fine, we'll get some fried dough."

"Whoo-hoo!"

Stalls covered the center of town, selling everything from food to weapons branded with the official crest of Colosso. Garet eyed these with disdain; their quality made them nothing more than souvenirs, novelties fit for nothing more than display. They were made hastily, with cheap materials, designed to turn as large a profit as possible.

They sold by the dozen, though, a fact which would not have bothered him as much if the buyers did not walk around swinging them blindly. Flimsy and brittle though they might be, they still carried a decent edge. He wondered idly how many people had already been injured by them.

The food, however, more than made up for it. In true festival fashion, grilled meat was never out of sight, and Garet's stomach was never out of an appetite for it. He put Aaron back down as he got him his dough, then stopped at the next stall and got some bear-on-a-stick. Their food in hand, the two began to walk the stalls.

"We should find something nice to bring back for mom and dad," Garet said, eying some of the silk Xian dresses.

"Why didn't they come?" Aaron asked. "Didn't they want to see you win?"

Garet smiled. "I'm sure they did, Aaron, but mom and dad are getting older. They can't run around the world as easily as you and I can. Remember how long we had to travel to reach Kalay? Now, if Piers had been here with his ship, they probably would have come."

"Where is Piers? I liked him. He was cool."

"He's busy in the Great Eastern Sea. He's got some...problems he needs to work out at home." Garet had not even been able to inform Piers of their participation in Colosso. None of them had seen or heard from the man in months. The only indications of his safety were the occasional reports of his ship being spotted in ports. A winged ship drew a lot of attention.

"What about Ivan? I thought you said he'd be here."

Garet laughed. "What, want someone your size around again?" Aaron punched him in the arm with his free hand, making Garet laugh louder. "Ivan should be showing up today. He had to finish some work in Kalay, but he promised he'd be here for the start of the Finals."

Aaron wrinkled his nose. "He's a little weird. Why would you want to work instead of come to a festival?"

"Hey, it's not nice to call people weird. Especially you, weirdo." He tore a chunk of bear off the stick, chewing thoughtfully. "Ivan just takes his work very seriously."

"Sorry. I guess that's a good thing."

Garet did not respond. His mind had drifted to someone else who should be there, even though he knew she had not come. Aaron almost seemed to pick the thought straight from his head, pointing at a flower stall. "Do you think we should get some for Kay?"

Smiling for his brother, Garet looked down. "I don't think the flowers will last long enough to make it back to her, but I'm sure you can bring back stories for her, instead."

Aaron made a face. "We bring those back anyway, though."

"Keep your eyes open, then," Garet said. "Maybe you...we'll find something she'll like."

The boy nodded vigorously as they walked on, Garet trying hard to not look at the flower stalls. Instead, a flash of familiar-looking dark blue hair caught his eye. He tapped Aaron on the shoulder, motioning in the direction of the man. When he turned around, Garet's hunch was confirmed. "Sean!"

The man with the blue hair turned around, a confused look on his face. "You...I know you, but I'm not sure from where."

"Garet Williams. Last year, we met crossing the Karagol on our way to Colosso. Remember? The Kraken?" Garet made a few flailing arm gestures in a poor imitation of tentacles.

Realization washed over Sean's face. "That's right, you were there too! I try not to think about that beast, especially when I'm on a boat. How have things been for you?"

Garet thought about that for a moment. "Well, I've...kept busy for most of the year. How about you?"

"Pretty uneventful," Sean admitted. "Ouranos and I took a short vacation after missing Colosso, then went back to training. It paid off, too. Fourth ranked this year!"

Garet's jaw dropped. "What,? But I haven't seen you at all this week!"

Shrugging, Sean said, "Not too odd. There was an enormous turnout this year." He paused. "Wait. Did you enter?"

Before Garet could respond, Aaron jumped in. "He placed fifth!"

"Congratulations," Sean said, clapping Garet on the shoulder. "I always had you pegged as a great warrior. What about your friend? The champion from last year...Isaac?"

Garet grinned. "He placed seventh. Returning champion, barely making it in. I had to enter to show him how it's really done. What about Ouranos? I haven't seen him, either."

"Not this year," he said, sighing. "He injured himself on the first day and dropped out. Bad luck on his part." Sean looked down at Aaron, smiling. "What about this guy? Was he our top placer?"

"Oh! This is my brother, Aaron," Garet said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "He really wanted to come see Colosso this year. Aaron, this is Sean, a friend I met last year. He helped us beat up some sea monsters."

Aaron's eyes lit up. "Oh, wow, that's so cool! Garet told me about that! Were you the one who beat the Kraken?"

Sean shook his head. "No, that was someone with your brother. Or maybe it was your brother."

Garet also shook his head. "Nope, that glory belongs to Ivan."

"...Wait, the small one?"

Holding back a chuckle, Garet nodded. "Yep, him. Turns out Krakens aren't very fond of lightning."

Sean nodded slowly. "That's right, you guys were able to use Psynergy... Well, this year, your advantage is much smaller." Holding his hand at his side, he suddenly curled his fingers into a fist and pulled his arm up, ripping up a chunk of the ground.

Garet grinned. "Glad to see it's spreading to everyone, now."

Laughing, Sean said, "Are you kidding? Psynergy is the entire reason so many people showed up to Colosso this year. The story of the young man who conquered Colosso with a strange and unknown power spread like wildfire. After this release of Alchemy, people understand, and want to see more. They've come from all continents in the hopes of seeing more Psynergy."

"I'll be glad to deliver, then," Garet said, spinning flames around his fingers.

"Of course, what they really want is to learn how to use their own," Sean added. "There's not many people who are experienced in its use. There's some monks over in the east, but other than that, it seems to just be small groups of people."

Garet nodded. "It used to be very localized. Not anymore, though."

Sean grinned. "And a good thing, too."

"Agreed," Garet said. "The more people who can use Psynergy, the less who will be afraid of it."

"So what are you doing right now?" Sean asked, motioning to the empty stick in Garet's hand. "I see you've finished eating."

"Probably heading back to my friends," the redhead said. "Why don't you come by? You could probably convince Isaac to teach you some Venus Psynergy, although you might have to wait until Colosso's over. He's getting awfully competitive about it."

Sean's eyes lit up. "Sure! I'd like to stop by my inn first and grab Ouranos, though. Where are you staying? We can just meet you there."

"Sounds good. We're up in the Tolbi Palace. I'll let the guards know we're expecting you."

"You're staying in the palace?"

Garet grinned. "We've got connections to Tolbi's lord. See you later tonight," he said, waving, then taking hold of Aaron's hand.

The small boy looked over his shoulder as they walked away, then turned forward as Sean walked out of sight. "He's really cool. Hey, Garet, tell me the Kraken story again!"

Groaning, Garet said, "Aaron, I've told you that one a bazillion times."

"Yeah, but I really like it. Please?"

"Ugh, stop that! Fine!"

- \/\/ -

Ivan breathed a sigh of relief as the ship slowly drifted into the Tolbi docks, carefully moving forward through the calm harbor to pull alongside the pier. He stood on the main deck, leaning on the railing, eager to get off. The Karagol had been rough this week, and Ivan had gotten too used to the stability of flying. He'd spent the majority of the trip either in his rack or on the railing, unable to keep much down. Never had he thought the sight of land would bring such relief to him, especially after the previous year.

Down on the pier he watched as several workers lined up along the edge, waiting for the mooring lines. Ivan quickly checked his sides to make sure he was out of the sailors' ways, then resumed his observations. Most of the passengers had returned to their cabins, packing their things, but Ivan had everything in the bag on his back. He was used to traveling light.

Looking out over the docks, he saw several other ships already moored. He had barely made the trip, this ship being the last one. The Colosso Finals started tomorrow, so most people had already shown up, but Ivan simply could not find the time to leave earlier. Too many storerooms to get organized, too many sales to add up, too many items to fit into the budget, too many meetings to schedule... Hammet had to order him to take a vacation.

Ivan smiled at the memory. Ordering was not the right word. Hammet had all of Ivan's notebooks stolen and hidden somewhere, bringing his work to a complete standstill, before he could convince the boy that he deserved some time off. Ivan had still disagreed, arguing that the work needed to get done, but without his books, he had no way to do any of it. Looking back, though, he mentally thanked Hammet for being so forceful. Even with his constant vomiting since he left Kalay, he found the reprise from his mental stress refreshing. And now he would get to spend the next week with Isaac and Garet, too!

A long, sharp whistle pierced his thoughts, going on for an annoyingly long time. He suspected boatswains practiced their whistle blasts for no reason other than to make them as aggravating as possible. This one was welcome, though, as it accompanied the dropping of the gangplank. Thankful that the ship only carried about a hundred passengers, Ivan reveled in the blessedly short line. He disliked deep water as much as anyone else, but he could never understand why people felt the need to cautiously inch their way down the gangplank, as if the whole thing would collapse with a heavy footfall.

Once on the dock, he began picking his way through the people, searching through the crowd. He was not sure if anyone would meet him here, but he knew how to get to Tolbi in any event. He decided to look around for a few minutes, then if he could not find anyone, he would-

His thoughts were cut short once again by a pair of arms that wrapped themselves around his chest, trapping his arms at his sides. Instantly his hair stood up on end, a soft humming filling the air around him.

"Ivan, wait! It's me!"

The boy's hair flattened again, the growing charge vanishing. "Jenna? Don't surprise me like that!"

The burgundy-haired girl spun him around, a sheepish expression on her face. "Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to react like that. Paranoid much?"

"I told you it would happen. You just didn't listen." Ivan looked around Jenna as he returned the hug, finding Felix standing behind her, shaking his head. "Did you have a good trip, Ivan?"

Ivan shrugged as Jenna let him go. "Eh...it was better than last year. No Kraken attacks."

Felix snorted. "Good. I don't think we need another story for Garet to tell every other day."

Leaning forward, Jenna suddenly made a disgusted face. "You and boats still don't get along, I see. Or smell, whatever. Didn't the trip last year give you at least some resistance to seasickness?"

He frowned. "Jenna, I spent most of the trip last year lying in my rack, being tended to by Mia after the Kraken poisoned me, waiting for the ship to limp into the docks. Most of that time I was unconscious."

"...Oh. That sucks."

Despite himself, Ivan grinned at her form of apology. "Don't worry, I don't need cheering up. I feel perfectly fine now."

"In that case, let's get going," Felix said. "Do you have everything?"

Ivan nodded, tapping his bag. "Didn't bring much."

"Kraden even got us a carriage for the trip," Jenna said. "Traveling is so much nicer when you don't have to walk."

Sure enough, as they left the docks, a carriage waited for them by the road, two horses grazing contentedly on the grass as the driver waited patiently in his seat. When he saw them approaching, he quickly jumped out and opened the doors for them. "Are we set to leave, sir?"

"Yes," Felix said as Jenna and Ivan stepped inside. "Straight back to the palace, please." The man bowed and closed the door behind Felix, then stepped back up to his seat and grabbed the reins.

Ivan looked out the window as the carriage rattled and began to move, watching the docks slowly shrink. The carriage bounced softly as it rolled off the cobblestones and onto the dirt road, and the gentle shaking made Ivan drowsy. His eyelids began to droop as he looked out the window, his vision blurring over.

"Ivan?"

His eyes snapped back open and he looked over at Jenna. "Yes?"

The girl's eyebrows were furrowed thoughtfully. "I asked if you were okay."

"Oh, sorry. I'm fine," he said, rubbing his eyes. "I've had a little trouble sleeping the past few nights, that's all."

"Too sick?"

He shrugged. "Partially. I've been having weird dreams for a couple nights, and they keep waking me up."

Felix looked over at him sharply. "Dreams? What kind?"

Ivan shrugged again. "I keep seeing the moon falling. It doesn't make much sense."

The wary look did not leave Felix's face. "Do you think they might be visions of the future?"

"I hope not," Ivan said, shivering. "At least, not in the literal sense. I think they're supposed to symbolize something, but I don't understand them, or even know if its supposed to be the future."

Felix tapped his fingers on his leg thoughtfully. "What if they are literal? Could the moon actually fall like that?"

"I don't know. It hasn't gotten any bigger since I started having them, though. And even if it did, what could we do about it? Something that catastrophic couldn't be stopped."

"That's crap," Jenna said. "I'm sure we could find a way."

Ivan opened his mouth to disagree, but Felix raised a hand. "We can ask Kraden about it when we get back, see if any of his scholars have noticed anything. He has to have a few astronomers in Tolbi somewhere we can ask. I think Ivan's right, though. They probably mean something else. Have you spoken to Hama about them?"

Shaking his head, Ivan said, "They only started a couple nights ago, and I haven't talked to Hama in several months. She's back in Contigo right now."

Felix nodded. "Then there's no sense worrying about them. Their meaning, if there is one, will be clear eventually."

Ivan agreed, but said nothing. He disliked talking about his dreams much, even if these new dreams saved him from his more typical nighttime visitor. The terrifying dread these dreams evoked died off quickly in the waking world, even if the eerie sensation cast shadows that stretched far into the day. Dwelling on the dreams, however important they might be, was not something he wanted to do.

Instead he asked about Isaac and Garet. Jenna immediately launched into a rant, describing their entire stay in Tolbi so far. She depicted the Colosso Trials in particular detail, including where and what they had eaten each day. "Oh, you should have seen it, Ivan! It was fantastic!"

He smiled. "At least I'll get to see the main event. It starts tomorrow, right?"

"Yep, first thing in the morning. We've already got seats right near the center, so we'll be right there to cheer them on."

Ivan thought about that for a second. "What if they face each other in the first round? I don't know who I would want to win."

Shrugging, Jenna said, "Then we cheer for both, duh. Nothing wrong with that."

As Ivan opened his mouth to respond, the carriage suddenly halted. Jenna looked at him, a puzzled look on his face, so he stuck his head out the open window. In the road ahead of them lay a woman, face-down in the dirt. He threw open the door and jumped out, the driver also getting down, but before he could take another step, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Wait," Felix said quietly, looking around.

"Felix, what are you doing?" Jenna asked as she also got out.

Ivan understood, though. He took a few steps forward cautiously, then stopped, staring straight ahead. He inhaled deeply as he concentrated on the prone form of the woman, blocking out everything else. The color slowly leaked out of the world, leaving everything varying shades of gray, but the woman retained her color. In fact, her colors were so vibrant that they practically glowed against the bleak surroundings, encircling her in an aura.

He stepped back. His eyes left the ground and swept up around them, noting the thick bushes alongside the road. Focusing on them, now, the same vibrant aura glowed straight through them, highlighting the outline of a crouched man. Ivan moved his gaze through more bushes, finding several other men hidden in them.

Satisfied, he closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. When he opened them, the world had returned to its normal coloring. Felix was looking at him expectantly, so he nodded. Felix returned the nod, his hand moving to the sword that rarely left his side, but Ivan shook his head instead.

"We know you're there," he called out, ignoring Felix's frown. "You should just give yourselves up. We don't want trouble."

Silence rang for a few seconds before one of the men emerged from a bush. As he did, the others stood and walked out, all of them with weapons in their hands. The woman picked herself up off the ground as well, revealing a small dagger that had been concealed in her hand. The man who had shown himself first said, "Smart kids. Most people just stop to help the injured lady, but you were more concerned about your own skins. You'll live long."

The words stung Ivan as a double-edged sword. Not only did he realize that Felix had saved him from falling into their trap like a naïve fool, the man's words rang true. Even before he had seen the woman's vibrancy, proving her health, he had already discarded the thoughts of helping her, merely using his power as a verification.

"However," the man continued, "we've got you outnumbered about three-to-one, I'd say. I wouldn't want to hurt three rich kids and their butler unless I needed to, after all."

Again, Ivan's response was cut short, this time by his burgundy-haired friend shouldering past him to stand in front, placing her hands on her hips. Ivan saw that she carried no weapon, but he knew she did not need one. None of them did, not against these ruffians. "Listen," she said, raising her voice. "You're all going to get out of our way, or I'm going to roast you. Got it?"

Several of them laughed, the woman in particular. "She thinks we'll be a little scared of fire. Girl, you might think you're some hotshot with Psynergy where you come from, but out here in the wild, Psynergy is more powerful than any you've seen!"

Felix snorted. "You people are idiots. Jenna, deal with them, or else I will."

She cast a quick glance at her brother nervously, then nodded, smiling as she said, "Don't worry, I can handle them."

The man in the center shrugged. "If this is how you want it..." He waved his hand and two others stepped forward, pulling flames together into their hands. They swirled briefly, then flew out as a pair of small fireballs.

Jenna raised first an eyebrow, then a hand, as if to catch the flames. Instead of crashing into her hand, though, they simply stretched out and began swirling around it, wreathing her hand in fire. She looked up at the bandits, grinning madly as the flames began growing. "I'd throw a great fire-themed pun your way right now, but I'm drawing a blank, so instead you get this."

The fire suddenly erupted from where it had been encircling her hand, streaming into the air and snaking around her entire body, whipping her hair all around. As the streak of flame lengthened, she suddenly flicked her hand forward and the flames scattered and condensed in front of her, then erupted once more, flowing forward in one continuous river of fire. It landed on the ground and began to weave itself amongst the bandits, sliding between some, around others, and even between the legs of the two who had originally attacked.

As several of the bandits stumbled away from the flames, the fire coursed back around to their front, suddenly flaring up into the air. It rose into a column, bending forward slightly, and at a silent command from Jenna, two great sheets of flame rose from the sides, curving into the shape of a cobra's hood. The fire completed its transformation as the mouth of the image of the snake opened, sparks spraying to the ground in a roaring hiss.

The Psynergy had the intended effect: the bandits scrambled backwards, tripping over themselves and each other as they tried to put as much distance between them and the Psynergetic projection. Jenna watched them go before gathering the flames together and dispersing them all at once.

She turned back around, satisfied, meeting both a smile and a frown. "What, Felix?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Should I have just killed them instead? Should I have left their charred bodies here as a warning to all other potential bandits?"

His face remained expressionless, a skill Ivan had realized Felix knew as well as he did. "Let's get back in the carriage."

Jenna watched him climb inside, fuming. Ivan opened his mouth to try and calm her down, but she stepped past him and followed Felix inside. The boy sighed. She wanted to make this difficult.

As he climbed inside, he heard her ask, "Are you just going to ignore me? You obviously didn't approve of what I did, so let's hear it."

Felix looked out the window as the carriage began rolling again. "They might have been frightened by you, Jenna, but do you really think that will stop them from robbing others?"

Crossing her arms, Jenna said, "Maybe not. I might not have fixed the problems, but did I make them worse?"

"You might have," Felix said, looking back at her. "You instilled a fear in them, awoken them to the possibility that their victims might be more capable than them with Psynergy. Now they might just skip over the warning and kill people outright. Even the most skilled Adept can't use Psynergy if he's dead."

Jenna frowned, and Ivan could clearly see it had not occurred to her. Granted, it had not even occurred to him; Felix had a gift for seeing possible consequences much more clearly than the rest of them. "Then what should I have done, then?" she asked. "Don't you dare say I should have killed them all, Felix. Don't you even think about it."

Felix shook his head. "You shouldn't have just frightened them off. You should have driven it home for them to stop, to never do it again."

"And how should I have done that?" Jenna said, her voice rising. "Told them I would hunt them down if they did it again? Do you think they would have believed I was capable of it?"

Something clicked in Ivan's head and the answer to Felix's riddle fell into place. "No," he said softly. "They wouldn't have."

Jenna smiled humorlessly. "See? Ivan ag-"

"Not you, at least," he continued, cutting her off. "But they would have believed it of me. I was the one who could tell the woman was fine, that they were hiding in the bushes. Jupiter Psynergy isn't well-known. If I'd made the threat, they probably would have believed my apparent clairvoyance would actually let me follow up on it."

Felix nodded. "It's not about truth, it's about what people believe. You moved fire and scared them because you were much better at it, but Ivan saw through their lies and found the truth. That scared them because they didn't know how he did it. Remember how much any Psynergy used to frighten non-Adepts? You used that fear of the unknown on visitors to Vale when you were younger."

Jenna turned slightly pink. "That was just a kid's game, though."

"Children's games often teach important lessons that you won't consciously recognize until you're older."

Ivan looked down. "This is my fault. I should have...I don't know, I should have done something, instead of just stand there."

Felix shook his head again. "No, you can't blame yourself for not seeing an opportunity like that. I didn't even realize it until they were running, and I was furious as myself for it. I was the one who told Jenna to deal with it, though. The fault is mine."

"Oh, stop playing the blame game," Jenna said. "What's done is done, and there's no changing it."

"True enough, I suppose," Felix said, leaning back in his seat. "It's easy to say what we should have done after it's all over."

"I guess he was right, then," Ivan said after a few minutes of silence.

"Who?"

"The Wise One. He told us people would try to use Alchemy for selfish purposes."

"We already knew that was the case," Felix said. "Even before the beacons were lit, Babi was scrambling to grab what he could. We were right, as well."

Ivan raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"That we were dedicated to keeping the world safe," Jenna said quietly. "That we would stop people like that, people who would try and put others or the world in danger with Alchemy...no matter who it was."

Felix reached over and gently touched her leg. "Jenna..." She shook off his hand and turned towards the window, falling silent.

Ivan winced inwardly; he should not have brought that up. He did not need to read minds to figure out how Jenna felt about that night. Unfortunately, the damage had been done and it was too late to retract his statement. Ivan mouthed a silent apology at Felix, but the other man just waved his hand slightly, telling him to forget it.

Leaning his head against the side of the carriage, he felt the heavy weight settle over his eyes once more, but this time, no concerned questions woke him back up.

- \/\/ -

When the carriage arrived at the palace, Felix leaned over and shook Ivan lightly. His eyes snapped open and his head jumped up, but the boy quickly calmed down as he fully woke up. Felix looked over at Jenna and found her grabbing her bag from underneath the seat. She had not slept on the road, like him, but simply stared out the window in silence. He did not worry about it; the jubilation of the onset of the Colosso Finals would restore her spirits quickly.

The door opened and Felix climbed down, turning around to help the other two out. He thanked the driver as Ivan looked around. "Wow, Kraden's made some renovations. Is this road new?"

Felix nodded. "He felt it was too barren and isolated. Probably just the way Babi wanted it." He inclined his head as they walked past the guards, who held the doors open for them. "Jenna, would you take Ivan up to his room?"

Ivan stopped and looked back at him. "You're not coming with us?"

Shaking his head, Felix said, "No. Kraden wanted to know when you got in. Everyone else should be in either Garet or Isaac's room. I'll be up in a short while."

Jenna grabbed Ivan's hand and began tugging. "Come on, Isaac and Garet are gonna be so happy you came. Isaac started to wonder, but I kept reassuring him you'd be here..."

Her voice trailed off as they turned the corner. Felix watched down the hallway for a few more seconds, making sure Jenna was actually headed in the direction of the guest rooms, then turned around and headed for Kraden's study.

The old man had done well with the place, Felix had to admit. The last time the Valeans had visited was shortly after the end of their quest, in order to see Kraden home safely. It had been Felix's first visit to a Lord's palace and he had not been impressed. It struck him more as an interconnected series of dungeon cells, with the sole exception of the alchemical lab in the basement.

Now, though, the palace had been redone with much detail. Beautiful tapestries covered many of the walls, brought from various places around the world. Windows had been opened in several of the walls, taking advantage of Tolbi's moderate climate to introduce a breath of fresh air to the palace, literally. It showed in the servants and scholars who lived and worked there, as well. They smiled much more now, and were always cheerful and willing when he needed help with something.

It was not hard for Felix to guess who had initiated the decoration of the basement lab.

Knocking on the study door, he heard a voice younger than expected call out for him to enter. When he stepped inside, he found Iodem at the desk instead. "Oh, good evening Felix. Can I help you with anything?"

"Actually, I was looking for Kraden. Have you seen him?" he asked.

Iodem sighed in response. "He's down in the lab, tinkering with something or other. One of the scholars came up, babbling excitedly, and Kraden immediately rushed off after him. I swear, he's like a child when it comes to Alchemy."

Smiling, Felix said, "Everyone has their passions. It's why the people like him so much, though."

"True," Iodem admitted. "His mind sees uses for Alchemy in everything, and the people love his strange inventions."

Felix nodded to the other man. "Well, thank you, Iodem. I'll let you get back to work." Closing the door behind him, he paused for a moment to remember the way to the lab, then set off.

Kraden inheriting Lordship of Tolbi had been quite the shock to the old man, and had it not been Iodem giving it up to him, he probably would have rejected it. Neither man was well-suited to run Tolbi; Iodem was too closely associated with Babi in the public's eye, who had fallen out of favor in his final years, especially with their southern neighbor of Lalivero. Kraden, while more distant, having had little interaction with the public, had little experience in running a city. His knowledge of Alchemy was second to none, making him well-suited for educating people on their new lifestyles, but more often than not the man simply wanted to experiment with what Felix thought of as his new toys.

Eventually the two had come to the agreement that Iodem would remain Chief Minister to Kraden, while Kraden would serve as a figurehead of sorts. The arrangement worked out surprisingly well, especially once Kraden started presenting his useful findings to the public. His demonstration of the distillation of water from the Karagol, in particular, producing clean, fresh water lit a fire of excitement in the public. Iodem immediately began hiring engineers for the creation and construction of a distillation machine to provide a steady source of drinkable water, even during the typical summer drought.

Since then, Kraden's support as Lord of Tolbi had cemented itself. Kraden had proven himself able to promise progress and then deliver on it, one reason why Felix was unsurprised to find Kraden leaning over a younger scholar's notebook when he arrived in the lab, eagerly pointing and jabbering away.

"This ravine here would be perfect," Felix heard the man saying. "Yes, wound right through here, and we would need very few landscape alterations."

"Planning new roads?" Felix asked, stepping beside him.

Kraden looked up at the sound of his voice and smiled. "Better than roads, Felix: channels. Look here."

He glanced down at the notebook and saw a sketch of some mountainous terrain, water on either side. "What is this?"

"The mountains on the southeastern coast of the Karagol," Kraden explained. "We've been searching for a way to circumvent the Suhalla Desert and get to Lalivero and the Great Eastern Sea. Eventually we decided to try and create a man-made river straight from the Karagol to the ocean."

"How would you do that?" Felix asked.

Kraden's eyes twinkled. "With help from you, and those like you, of course."

Raising an eyebrow, Felix said, "You want to move the land with Venus Psynergy?"

The old man nodded. "Look at Kalay. Hammet's city flourished because he was able to establish easily traveled trade routes along the Silk Road. Before the decline of Alchemy, all the cities on the Great Eastern Sea traded frequently with each other and prospered greatly. I want to enable that once more."

Realization dawned on Felix. "You intend to create more sailing ships."

"At first, yes," Kraden said. "Sailing ships move much faster than rowing ones, which are too slow to effectively trade across the ocean."

Felix thought about that for a moment. "You've already begun research into ships powered by Psynergy, then."

"Exactly." Kraden clapped once, his excitement obviously building. Felix suspected the man missed their discussions, and with a soft pang, he realized that he did as well. "Ships that flow on the natural energy of the world, propelled by only the thoughts of the captain. They are the future!"

"Your research would be made easier with a subject to study," Felix mused. "Have you contacted Piers? I'm sure he would let you study his ship, at least for a time."

Kraden's face fell. "Unfortunately, I can't seem to get hold of him. I send messages to the towns that he's been moored in, but they always get there late. The man is infuriatingly restless, I swear."

Chuckling, Felix gently slapped his hand onto the scholar's shoulder. "Just think, though. If he wins out and can make his case, you might be able to simply learn from Lemuria."

"If they still even know," Kraden grumbled, then took off his glasses, cleaning them on his shirt. "Oh, Felix. I think I'm getting too old for all this excitement. Too much more, and I'll be nothing more than an angry badger who yells at kids from my rocking chair."

"So you get a nice chair, then," Felix said with a shrug.

Kraden laughed, causing several of the scholars to look over in annoyance. "Ah, it is good to have you back, Felix. Come, let's get out of here. I need time to let my thoughts turn over."

"Ivan's here, now," Felix said as they left the lab. "He mentioned that he's been having some dreams lately. The same one, actually."

"Oh? Are they more prophecies?"

Felix hesitated. "I don't know. He said that in them, the moon crashed into Weyard. Have you heard of anything strange?"

Kraden hummed softly, thinking about the question. "No," he said at last. "Nothing relevant, at least. Rumors of more pirate raiders in the east, whereas the Kimbobo finally seem to have calmed down. The Taklamakan Desert and Mogall Forest are receding slowly."

Nodding, Felix said, "I didn't think it was literal, but I told him I'd check with you."

"I'll have someone take a look at it," Kraden promised. "In the meantime, though, let's relax a bit. It's your first Colosso, so you should be enjoying it."

"Never been a big fan of festivals, Kraden. You know that."

Sighing, the man said, "Yes, I remember you stubbornly refusing to participate in absolutely anything in Izumo. You will be watching the Finals at least, though?"

"Of course," Felix said. "I'm interested to see how well Isaac and Garet do."

Kraden looked over at him slyly. "You don't expect them to win, do you?"

Felix shook his head. "No, I don't. With the ability to use Psynergy comes defense against it, which was the only reason Isaac won last year. They're both good fighters, but these gladiators have been training for longer."

Kraden merely shrugged. "I suppose it all depends on how much you think the difference in physical prowess compares to the difference in Psynergetic prowess."

"Well, what do you think, then?"

The old man shrugged again. "I couldn't say either way. It's part of the reason I'm eagerly awaiting the fights, actually. I'm very interested to find out the answer."

Grinning as they reached Garet's door, Felix said, "The curiosity of the scientific mind knows no rest."

"Neither does the mouth of the young," Kraden shot back.

Both stopped as they opened the door and found Garet holding Ivan in a headlock, the smaller boy squirming fiercely as he tried to escape. He stopped at the sight of Felix and Kraden and meekly asked, "Help?"

- \/\/ -

The smell of roasted pork drifted in through the crack at the bottom of Isaac's door, rising up and casually permeating throughout the room, gradually reaching his nostrils. His nose twitched once, then his eyes fluttered open slowly. Mind lagging the body, he sat up in a sleepy haze, his half-open eyes scanning the dark room.

Stepping out of his bed, he pulled on a shirt and his boots, fumbling with the laces for a short while, then entered the hallway. Turning his head left and right, sniffing at the air, he continued in the direction of the freshly cooked meat, waking up more and more as he walked.

A few more turns found him the dining room, where the smell of potatoes and eggs joined with the more powerful aroma of meat. Across the room, a small blond boy worked at the fire, poking at the meat. Isaac smiled. "They do have cooks here, you know."

The chef jumped, his head snapping around so fast Isaac could swear he heard a crack. "Isaac! Good Gods, you scared me!"

The older blond grinned. "Sorry. Didn't mean to."

Ivan placed a hand on his chest, taking a deep breath. "No, it's not your fault. It's just been so quiet in here."

"Yeah, I noticed the general emptiness of the palace right now," Isaac said, sitting down at the table. "What time is it?"

Ivan gestured toward a window with his cooking fork, where the sky had just begun to fade from black to blue. "Early. Dawn's about an hour off." He turned back and pulled a pot from the fire telekinetically, setting it onto a nearby table.

Frowning, Isaac said, "What are you doing up already?"

Grabbing a knife, Ivan began dicing up the potatoes. "Making breakfast."

"Ivan, the palace has several cooks who do that."

There was a brief pause as the knife continued to chatter away. "...I couldn't sleep."

Isaac nodded. "Karst?"

The knife stopped. "...Yeah." A few seconds later it swept the diced pieces into a bowl, then began the continuous chopping again. "I didn't want to sit in the dark after that."

Isaac could find nothing to say for a few moments. It was partly his fault, after all. "The food smells good. It actually woke me up."

"That's how you know it's good, when it can get you out of bed."

Recognizing Garet's voice, Isaac turned his head and raised an eyebrow as his friend walked in, fully dressed. "What are you trying to say?"

Garet snorted, sitting down across from Isaac. "I'm saying your laziness is even more legendary than you are. I'm lucky if you usually get up before noon. It's a testament to Ivan's cooking, really."

Ivan shrugged, sweeping the last of the potatoes into the bowl and grabbing some spices. "Breakfast isn't very hard, it's usually fairly simple."

"Quit selling yourself short, Ivan," Isaac said. "Cooking always takes skill. Remember when Garet made breakfast?"

That brought a chuckle from Ivan as Garet slammed his fist into the table, then pointed at Isaac. "Hey! I've gotten better! And I didn't have as good control over my Psynergy then!"

"Garet, you tried to roast that meat with a stream of flame," Ivan said with a small smile. "The inside was still completely uncooked."

"With the outside completely blackened, mind you," Isaac added, grinning openly.

The redhead crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "Whatever. I just underestimated how powerful I was, that's all."

"Like that time I asked you to boil the water?" Ivan asked.

"How was I supposed to know you wanted a fire underneath the pot?"

"You blasted the water directly," Ivan said flatly. "What did you expect to happen?"

"The water to magically transform into delicious food," Garet said in the same tone.

Ivan rolled his eyes. "We're lucky Isaac banned you from making anything else without my supervision. I can only imagine how it would have gone. 'Oop! Excuse me, Saturos, but I have a very pressing issue. Can you hold on a minute?'"

Isaac laughed as Garet crossed his arms and mumbled something under his breath.

Ivan stopped his preparations and glanced over his shoulder. "What was that, Garet?" he said slowly.

Garet tapped his fingers on the table before saying, "Nothing."

"I don't think that was it," Ivan said, turning back to the fire. "Don't forget the rules, now."

Tapping his fingers again, Garet said louder, "I told you to shut up."

The cooking fork was thrust into the air. "Victory, Ivan."

"Whatever," Garet said. "I'll get you next time. I'm at my weakest when I'm hungry."

"Well, I wouldn't want to beat you unless you were at your best," Ivan said, turning around with two plates, food stacked on each. He walked over to the table and placed them before his two friends. "And neither should anyone else. Eat up, you'll need your strength."

After getting a plate for himself, Ivan held his hands out and began drawing the air from the fireplace, shrinking the fire a considerable amount. Once satisfied with the heat output, he turned and walked back to the table, sitting beside Isaac.

They ate in silence for several minutes before Garet suddenly asked, "Hey, is there more?"

Ivan looked over at his plate in surprise. "Good Gods, you inhaled that!"

"I have a big appetite," Garet said with a shrug. "If there's not, then that's fine."

Shaking his head, Ivan said, "No, no, there's plenty. I knew you'd eat a lot, I just didn't expect you to eat it that fast." He picked up Garet's plate and walked over to the food, turning back around as Kraden walked in. "Good morning, Kraden."

"Good morning, boys," he said, eying the food. "Was this a private meal for our Colosso warriors?"

"Of course not," Ivan said, pulling out another chair. "Please, have a seat and eat. I made more than enough."

Kraden smiled as a plate was sat down in front of him, thanking Ivan. He took a single bite and groaned in pleasure. "Ivan, you have no idea how much I have missed your cooking. You put all my chefs to shame."

The boy's face turned pink as he sat back down. "Please, Kraden, it's nothing special."

"Nonsense," the old man said. "There is always room for you here, should you ever decide to leave Hammet's employ."

By the time Felix and Jenna arrived, Isaac and Garet had finished eating. "Sorry," Isaac said. "We've got to be there by dawn."

Felix raised an eyebrow. "You seem quite confident in your abilities."

A confused look came over Isaac's face, causing Jenna to giggle. "Your clothes, Isaac."

He looked down, suddenly remembering he still wore the pajama bottoms and the shirt he threw on, while Garet was fully dressed, save for his weapon and armor. "Right, forgot about that. I'll be a second, Garet."

Isaac returned several minutes later, this time wearing actual clothes. "Much better," Felix commented. "How on Weyard did you win this thing last year, again?"

Grinning sheepishly, Isaac said, "Same way I'll win it this year."

Garet suddenly let out a cough, one that sounded suspiciously like "luck". By the time Isaac had turned to him, though, he had straightened up with a smile on his face. "Well, oh great champion, shall we leave?"

Ivan giggled this time, quickly clapping his hands over his mouth as everyone looked at him. "What was that?" Felix asked.

"For a minute there, I thought Aaron had gotten up," Garet said. "Then I remembered that he's almost as lazy as Isaac, and I got confused. I could have sworn he was the only ten-year-old boy with us."

"Shut up, Garet," Ivan said, his face reddening. He then pointed at him furiously. "No! That doesn't count!"

"Eat it," Garet said, grinning wildly. "Now we're even."

Isaac rolled his eyes. "Come on, you're the one that said we need to go."

"Wise decision," Kraden said. "If you don't leave now, Colosso will end before these two finish this."

"Good luck, both of you," Jenna said, sitting down with her food. "We'll be there in a little bit."

Isaac and Garet waved to them as they walked out, leaving the palace. The sky had begun to brighten with the coming sun, enough for Isaac to see the clear sky. The morning air was cool and crisp, but he expected it to heat up to a pleasant temperature before the first match. He was not sure which one he would have, but the matches were scheduled to avoid high noon, to prevent too much interference from the midday sun. Even with the climate conditioning most Colosso participants from cooler areas underwent, few could handle the brutal rays of direct sunlight near the equator, even if it was winter.

As they walked, he noticed the streets were already bustling with vendors setting up their stalls, ready for a long day of sales. Most souvenirs had been swapped out for food and drink, recognizing that most people wanted to see the Finals, not go shopping.

Not all of the early risers were vendors, though. People had risen early, eager to get what they wanted before others could buy it all. Those who had not bought reserved seats in the colosseum arrived early in the morning to grab good seats, only to find out they had already been taken by those who had simply camped out the night before.

And of course, there were the children of those parents who neglected to realize that the earlier one sends a child to bed, the earlier that child will rise. Kids ran through the streets in droves, reminding Isaac of the wild gnomes on the roads, skittering about without noticing anyone until they nearly ran into them.

One such boy, his sight focused on his friends well ahead of him, crashed directly into Isaac. The child bounced off his leg and fell to the ground, but when Isaac helped him back up, he gaped. "You're Isaac!"

Grinning, Isaac ruffled the boy's hair. "Yep, that's me. Are you going to be watching today?"

"You bet!" the boy shouted, nearly leaping into the air. "You're my hero! Are you gonna win Colosso again this year?"

Isaac laughed. "Of course I will, just for you."

The boy's grin, already stretching across his entire face, somehow grew even wider. "Oh man, my friends will be so jealous I got to meet you!"

"Well, you'd better go catch up to them, then," Isaac said. "Otherwise they'll leave you behind."

"Oh!" Looking around in surprise, the boy waved at Isaac before taking off. "Bye Isaac! Thanks!"

Isaac waved him off, then looked over at Garet, who had an amused expression on his face. "What?"

Garet shook his head, grinning. "Man, you've even got your own little fan club. I'm surprised they aren't selling yellow scarves here."

Turning slightly red, Isaac's hands unconsciously moved to adjust the scarf that he had not worn. "Actually...they are. I saw some a couple days ago."

Garet burst into laughter, prompting a quick thump on his shoulder. "Sorry, sorry, but I was being sarcastic. I didn't actually think they'd be selling them..."

A silence fell between them, yet neither young man felt the need to break it. They continued on through the waking town as the sun finally peaked over the Karagol in the east, coating the water in a brilliant yellow sheen. The break of dawn was accompanied by a bell ringing through Tolbi twice, then stopping.

The number of people grew as they approached the colosseum, until eventually they were practically pushing their way through the crowd to reach the front gates. After a few of the guards recognized them as gladiators, they began to clear a path for them, ushering them inside quickly.

Once inside, Isaac exhaled deeply. "Wow. What a turnout already."

Garet shrugged. "Sean did say that a lot of people came to see Psynergy." He looked around him, surveying the courtyard. "Well, speak of the devil. He beat us here."

Isaac followed his gaze and found Sean waving at them, so they moved over towards him. "Are you ready for this, Garet?" Sean asked.

"Course I am," he said, grinning.

Sean looked at Isaac, who shrugged, beginning to feel the first traces of nerves creeping down his back. "Once again, I feel...well, small. Everyone here is huge. Even Garet is almost as big as the regular gladiators."

Flexing his enormous muscles, Garet said, "The ultimate combination of mind and matter. My victory is all but secured."

Sean laughed, clapping them both on the shoulders. "You should lend some of that confidence to Isaac. He looks like he needs it."

Isaac smiled, standing up straighter. "No way. I've done it before, I can do it again. I've got the advantage of experience, this year."

Nodding, Sean said, "That's more like it. Good luck, both of you. May you fight with the strength of the colossus."

- \/\/ -

"And here comes our first gladiator into the arena, finishing the course in a fantastic time."

Jenna screamed at the top of her lungs as Isaac stepped up onto the raised platform, pausing for a moment to raise his hands in victory before stooping to pick up the gauntlets on the ground, ignoring the leather gloves. The stands exploded in cheers similar to Jenna's as he slipped them on over his hands.

And to think, she had a perfect seat for the fight. Kraden had done them a great service and reserved them the booth right next to his seat, which sat in the center of the arena. Jenna could practically see the sweat glistening on Isaac's forehead.

"He looks in pretty good condition," Ivan shouted over the din.

Jenna nodded, pulling Aaron off of the stone railing for the third time. "Stop climbing there and just stand on this torch stand! I put it here for a reason, you know!"

The boy grumbled something inaudible and balanced himself on it once more, pouting at Jenna, who simply made a face back, before the sound of Iodem's voice called her attention to the arena once more.

"And here comes our other gladiator, slightly behind, but having grabbed a few more of our hidden surprises on the way!"

The gladiator inclined his head to Isaac, who stood waiting patiently at the other side, then pulled on his gloves and drew his sword. Isaac matched the movement and stood in a ready stance.

"Are you ready?" Iodem asked the crowd. "Colosso Finals, round one, match one! Isaac Chayan versus Buford Temblin! Begin!"

Isaac and Buford immediately stepped forward, their swords flashing against each other as the stands exploded in cheers once more. It quickly became clear to Jenna that Buford had the upper hand in the fight, not only having more strength than Isaac, but also a longer reach and better technique. After only a few seconds, it looked as if the match would be over already, Buford striking what would be a winning blow with his tournament blade.

Instead of meeting with Isaac's chest, though, a stalagmite abruptly rose from the ground between the two, deflecting Buford's blade. The wave of sound peaked again at the sudden appearance of Psynergy, several people trying to start up a chant of Isaac's name.

The young man took advantage of his slight opening and thrust his hand forward. The ground along the arena floor cracked and split, pieces of rock jutting upward around Buford's feet. The other gladiator seemed to have expected the tactic, though, as he began stepping his way through the torn ground slowly, carefully positioning his feet to maintain a strong stance.

Isaac charged back at him regardless, the rocks melding back into the ground where he stepped, but Buford held his ground. Their blades clashed several more times, but this time Buford ended with the surprise. Pushing Isaac back, a new stalagmite suddenly rose behind the younger warrior. He smashed into it rather solidly, causing Jenna to wince.

"Come on Isaac!" she shouted. "Show him how to do it!"

Whether he heard her or not, she could not say, but he seemed to have realized his disadvantage as well. When Buford came forward for another attack, Isaac held up one of his hands to the side. Buford's blade, aimed for Isaac's head, suddenly diverted and crashed into the steel gauntlet. Without bothering to even close his hand around the blade, Isaac dragged it further down and struck with his own.

With his own blade trapped, Buford hopped to the side, dodging Isaac's sword, but refused to let go of his own. A few more swipes met the same fruitless end, before Buford's empty hand suddenly shot out and seized Isaac's wrist. Using his superior strength, Buford forced Isaac back up against the stalagmite, slowly forcing his arm backwards.

It was not until he stepped up onto the arena platform that Jenna noticed the third man, a long cloak covering his entire body, even in this heat. Isaac and Buford noticed him at the same time, their one-sided wrestle for control suddenly halting. The crowd quieted down as everyone suddenly noticed the man, seemingly simultaneously.

"Guards!" Iodem roared, standing up immediately. "Remove this man from the arena at once!"

Jenna heard the sound of familiar laughter from underneath the man's hood as several Tolbi soldiers ran towards him, followed by an even more familiar voice. "Haven't we had this discussion before?"

She had already leaped off the balcony as the man spun to face his attackers, sweeping a hand outward. A fierce gust of wind suddenly tore the soldiers from their feet, hurling them into the walls. She heard Felix and Ivan land behind her as she sprinted for the central platform, the man's hood falling away as he spun.

"Alex!"

A swirl of his fingers turned the sandy arena floor to a thick, viscous mud, causing Jenna's momentum to carry her into the ground with a loud 'plop'. She watched as Ivan rushed past her on one side, his feet barely grazing the soft ground, while Felix sprinted by on the other, the ground re-hardening beneath his feet.

As she pulled herself back up, she watched as the great slab of earth Felix pulled from the ground dissolved into sand as it approached Alex. Ivan's burst of lightning stopped short as the sand reformed into a barrier beside Alex, taking the blow.

"Ah, Felix," Alex said softly. "Pardon me, I'll only be a minute." He pointed his hands at Felix and Ivan, then lowered them swiftly. Instantly Ivan collapsed face-down into the mud, while Felix fell to a knee, struggling to hold himself up.

Jenna looked at them, then at Alex. "Alex! You...!"

His eyes swiveled to her, a smile forming on his face. "I am sorry for this, Jenna, but I need this more than he does." Raising a hand up, the mud around Jenna suddenly swirled up around her, pinning her arms to her side as it froze over and encased her in a cocoon of permafrost.

Alex turned to Isaac and Buford, who had separated, though he ignored Buford as if the man was not present. "Isaac... Please, don't take this personally. You just have something I need."

"What are you-"

His question became a startled oath as his gauntlets suddenly swung behind his back, clamping together. Buford jumped at Alex, his dulled sword ready to at least injure the blue-haired man, but Alex simply held out a hand to him. Buford's shadow leaped from the ground and crashed into the airborne gladiator, picking him up from his path and depositing him on the ground behind the platform.

Horrified, Jenna could do nothing but watch as Alex approached Isaac. As he reached a hand out to him, the hair on the back of her neck pricked up. With no more warning than Alex's appearance in the arena, something exploded in front of her. It destroyed her prison and threw her away, depositing her back in the mud.

As she picked herself back up, her entire front stinging, she found the arena eerily silent. Only after she noticed Alex's mouth moving did she realize the blast had temporarily deadened her sense of hearing. Across the arena, a great, white bolt smashed into the stands, obliterating what it struck and sending stone and people flying from around it.

She raised her face to the sky and found it completely covered in thick, black clouds that swirled restlessly. Born from them were the enormous bolts of lightning, raining down all around them. Jenna lowered her gaze back to the arena floor and found Alex staring up into the sky, a furious expression on his face, his hands weaving back and forth. Isaac had slipped around him and made it to Ivan, while Buford had helped Felix up, Alex's Psynergy apparently dispelled.

Jenna waved them towards her, pointing to one of the ground entrances, when suddenly she remembered Aaron, Kraden, and Iodem. Casting a glance up towards their seats, she found them empty, but undamaged. They had escaped, then. As the others ran past her, she looked one last time into the arena. Alex stood in the center of a maelstrom of minute Psynergetic particles, his eyes closed as the raw elemental energy swirled around him.

A hand grabbed hers and pulled, so she tore her eyes away from the man and ran into the chaos.