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Golden Sun(Zero and I)

Star Pupil

Star Pupil

Old soul
Joined
Apr 30, 2011
Location
Valhalla
The air was thick with grief and confusion as the town of Knox scavenged the pile of rubble and ruin for anything they could take with them. The strange eruption of Mount Aleph had all but destroyed everything in the village. There was no salvaging anything and rebuilding would take a very long time. They knew of the town at the foot of the mountain, called Vale. Perhaps they could seek refuge there.

Lucia had nearly died trying to escape the falling rocks caused by the eruption. Some were not so lucky. She had lost a few good friends, and she felt awful. She could feel the tears stinging at her eyes. But now was no time to cry. With everything so unstable, it was time to leave and find a safer place. She tied up her bag after her and her mother and father went through their house which was halfway buried under fallen rock.

She limped out into the clearing where she saw people already beginning the trek down the mountain. They had just got done finishing clearing the path down. It would be hard for Lucia, because she had hurt her leg. She was using a crutch right now to help her walk. She ran her fingers through her dirty blonde hair and sighed. She needed to gather her strength and leave her home behind. As her mother and father joined her, she exchanged sad glances with them.

"Lucia...we're going to get going now. Are you going to travel with us? Or will you wait for your friend? We don't mind as long as you aren't alone. You're hurt." Lucia's father said to her. She shook her head.

"I'm going to wait here. Go on ahead."
 
Cesare shouldered his rucksack, containing the few possessions he managed to recover. He checked in with a friend of his, making sure that he found his surviving relatives before going his own way, looking for other familiar faces among the survivors that were making their way down the path. He had been lucky in a certain way, having been outside of the village gathering fire wood to prepare for the coming winter. Had he been home, he would have likely suffered the same fate as his parents, buried under the burning remains of their home. It was something that the young man tried not to think about, as while he wasn't the only one to lose someone important, he felt guilty for surviving and not being able to do anything to prevent what had happened.

"Is that, Lucia?" The young man said to himself, shading his blue eyes from the sun as he looked to see a young woman able to support herself thanks to a set of crutches. "Lucia! You made it out? That's good! " Cesare approached the young woman, his demeanor as cheerful as he could manage, black hair tossed about as much as their village. "Where are your parents, don't tell me they..." He couldn't bring himself to finish his statement, his own parents coming to mind. The young man rubbed his face with his sleeve, soaking up the first hints of tears as he observed the clearing.

Knox was really being abandoned by its people, many of whom have family ties here that stretch for several generations.
 
Lucia was about to start looking for Cesare herself before she heard him call out to her. She smiled at him and then tried her best to hug him while she held herself steady and off her bad leg. "My parents are fine...they are up ahead. I wanted to make sure that you were okay...I saw that your house was crushed and..." Lucia trailed off and felt tears come to her eyes. She felt so bad for him ever since she had heard his parents had been crushed along with his house. Her parents had been lucky, and she even luckier.

She held her head as it began to throb. When she had been trapped under rubble, a strange gem had hit her right in her forehead and ever since she had been suffering the same headache. She had heard others complain about this as well, but not very many. Lucia had even found remnants of the type of stone that had hit her. It was the first time she had seen anything like it, and her father worked in the mines. He constantly found different types of rock or stone.

"Cesare...I'm so sorry..." She said as her tears ran down her cheeks. She didn't know what else she could say. Nothing would take away the pain of loss except time.
 
"I-It's okay Lucia. There are people worse off than me. Man, our poor town. I wonder if those guys down in Vale are doing okay?" Cesare changed the subject, as while the loss of his parents was an open wound, he was worried about what the eruption of the mountain would mean for the surrounding area. Vale was close by, but there were other towns that might have suffered the same fate as Knox. Even he had been struck by a weird rock of some sort. Nearly knocked him out too, but instead he had a lingering headache.

He gripped his temples and rubbed vigorously. "Ah, my ears are still ringing from the blast..." He groaned, secretly thankful for the pain, as it prevented him from focusing too much on his own personal loss. "Anyway, I'm glad you and your folks are okay. Where are you going from here? Vault? Bilibin?" He asked the young woman, holding her close. They had been friends for years, so being this close wasn't unnatural, but was bittersweet considering the circumstances.

"I was thinking about heading to Xian, eventually. I have something I should deliver to a friend of the family." He motioned to his rucksack, as his parents were artisans. He had picked through the remains of their workshop and found a few choice pieces. "That, and a few other deliveries will help me stay warm and fed, at least for a little while." He didn't want to impose on Lucia's family, as while he wouldn't turn down charity, it wouldn't feel right to accept it from people in the same situation.
 
"My parents are thinking of heading over to Vale and staying there. We have family there. But I don't want to...that isn't our home.." Lucia let Cesare go, instead taking his hand so they could walk down the mountain path so they wouldn't get left behind like everyone else. She thought about his words, the plans he had already made. She didn't want to be separated from him, but Xian was also very far. If she had to choose between traveling to Xian with him or going to Vale with her parents, she would choose traveling with him. Seeing all of Gondowan and then choosing where she wanted her new home to be, instead of having it decided for her was what she wanted to do. She loved Knox and she knew that Vale would not be any replacement for it.

She was silent after that, focusing on moving her crutches so that she could keep up with everyone else. She had to eventually let go of his hand so he could move freely.She then decided what she wanted to do. What she needed to do. "Let me go with you, Cesare. If Knox is gone, and I have to live somewhere else, I want to pick a better place that I like. If I go with you, I can go to all sorts of places and choose from there." The moment she stopped talking, her crutch for her bad leg slipped from her grasp and she felt her full weight on her injury. She cried out and fell to one knee, holding the injured one as it kept throbbing. She looked at it and sighed, wishing that the pain would go away. Sure enough, the pain slowly began to fade, and she saw particles of light circling it, and it glowed for just a moment before going back to normal.

Cesare and any who had been struck by those strange gems would have been able to see her power, including herself. She just stared at her leg and put a little weight on it. It didn't hurt anymore. "What..what did I do?" She asked as she stood up and looked at her hands.
 
Seeing the difficulty that Lucia was having moving about made Cesare regret what he had said. She wasn't in any condition to travel very far, and it wasn't like he could carry her to the nearest town, not without someone on the lookout for monsters and bandits. "You know, maybe visiting Vale isn't such a bad idea. I can pick up a few supplies at the very least, after that, then we can think about where to go." Lucia had fallen down in pain, with Cesare able to catch her crutch, but slow to come to her aid. "Sorry, I guess I'm still a little beat up from--what is that?" His eyes went wide as he saw strange points of light encircling the young woman's injury. Moments later, she stood up and seemed to be fine to walk without any assistance.

"I don't know what that was. It's like something out of those old stories my mother used to tell me as a kid." He looked around, and saw that only some of the refugees saw what they had seen. Most briefly expressed surprise before returning to care for themselves and their loved ones. One person, a young woman that was likely the tallest girl in the village came rushing over.

"Lucia! Cesare! You're alright!" She wrapped the pair in her great arms, lifting them off of their feet slightly as tears welled up in her eyes. "Thank goodness! I thought, I thought..." She sniffed, releasing them as she wiped her face.

"G-Good to see you too, Alice." Cesare took in a deep breath, happy to see another friend of theirs' was alive and well. Alice was almost a head taller than Cesare, who was around six feet himself, and kept her chestnut brown hair swept around her neck and shoulders, oftentimes loosely tied back. She was the daughter of a local smith who had moved to Knox four years ago from Tolbi, seeking the rare metals and materials found in other parts of Angara. She was adept with a blade, having worked with her parents to balance tools and weapons with a care and precision that attracted a unique clientele. Cesare saw that her clothes were blackened and dirty, some of it rubbing off on himself and Lucia.

"What happened to you? Fall into the coal mine or something?" Cesare managed to tease the young woman, much as he had when she first came to the village. It was a sign that he was slowly getting back to normal, while Alice simply bellowed with laughter.

"Close! I was working in the shop when this terrible noise came crashing down from the mountain. Rock flew through our roof, such as it is, and crashed right into the coal bins. It's all dust now, and all over me too. Still getting it out of my ears..." She tilted her head and tapped her hand against one side, as if that would help in getting rid of the dust. "Anyway, I saw that light of yours, Lucia. Since when could you work magic?" Alice seemed quite sincere, though Cesare was skeptical.

"What? You'd think we'd have known by now if Lucia could use magic--what am I even saying?" He clicked his teeth as a young couple called to the group from a distance.

"You kids hungry? We've got some of this season's harvest packed away, and we can't carry it all into town to sell." It was Robert and Joanna, the resident newlyweds of the village. Robert's family had maintained an orchard, while Joanna was considered to be a master brewer and restauranteur. Alice and Cesare nodded their heads, offering puppy dog eyes to the couple. "Well, catch!" The man closed a string to a small sack and whirled the bag in their direction.

"I've got it!" Cesare called, moving to intercept the bag, only to find it snagged in mid air and slowly drawn into his hands. The couple looked surprised, with Joanna laughing.

"Oh? You as well Cesare? Well, honey, it looks like we're not the only ones who have been blessed with a gift." She waved to the trio as they, leading a horse-drawn cart loaded with apples, their belongings, and a few townsfolk who couldn't move around easily. "We're heading down to Vale to get these people some help, but after that we're moving on." The woman spoke, while her husband fussed with the horse and the harness that lashed it to the cart.

"She's right. We're not sure just where we'll be going, but you guys are welcome to come along, magic or not." Robert beamed a smile to the three as they passed them up. Alice turned to her friends and rubbed the back of her neck.

"You know, something pelted me in the back of the neck, and I've been felling a little weird ever since. Think it has anything to do with what we've been seeing?" She adjusted the straps on the bag she was carrying, chock full of swords, axes, and other implements. She was even carrying a bow and a quiver, though Cesare couldn't recall if she could use one of those or not. "Anyway, what are you guys going to do? My folks are heading to Vale, but I don't want to go there." Alice looked to one side, her expression changed. "Not everyone there is a bad person, but they don't really deal with outsiders very well. I've been there a few times with my family on business, and its never been a fun visit."

"Well, how about Vault?" Cesare suggested to the group. "Lucia can move freely, you've got weapons, and I have food." He held up the sack of apples, dangling them in front of the pair. "I say we get ahead of the group, get a room in Vault, and figure out our next move from there. Plus, I want to know more about this...power that we have." He looked to the young women, thinking that if they didn't want to go to Vale, they could stick together for a little while on the road at least.
 
Lucia was stunned as she continued to put weight on her leg as if she were expecting it to suddenly hurt again, but it never did. Before she could try and think about what just happened, she heard a familiar voice call out to them and turned up to see Alice running towards them. "Oh Alice, don't..." She began, though it was too late. she was already in the arms of the woman along with Cesare. Lucia was only 5'5" so she was easily picked up off her feet. She loved Alice but she was so animated and hyper it was sometimes tiring dealing with her, though she was glad she was alive and well. The coal on her made the back of her throat itch and she coughed a bit. Once she finally let them go Lucia caught her breath and then took off the splint on her leg since she somehow made herself feel better. She was sure the bone had been broken. At least she didn't have to travel with a bad leg anymore.

She watched the two as they spoke, and when she asked Lucia about doing magic, Lucia laughed. There was no such thing as magic. Though there had always been strange tales of people who could do amazing things with their mind circulating because Vale was known for that. Lucia had never seen that before though. She slowly nodded when Cesare told Alice that they would have known if she could use magic by now. Still, she wanted to see if she could do it again. Though there was nothing she could practice on now that her own injuries were healed. Her head even felt better. She recalled that Cesare's ears were ringing and she wondered if she could make him feel better.

Before she could suggest her idea, she heard the newly weds call out to them offering food. As they threw the sack over to the group, she watched Cesare go after it, and just when he was about to miss it, she saw his hands glow and a ghostly hand grab it, and bring it to his grasp. "Whaaa...?" Lucia started as Joanna laughed. From what she was saying, Lucia and Cesare were not alone in their odd powers. If that was the truth, then she was more than happy to travel with them along with Cesare and Alice. Hearing Alice complain about being struck very much like them further convinced her that Alice was suffering the same affliction as them that gave them strange powers.

"We have to go through Vale regardless. The other paths down the mountain were destroyed...However, we can continue further." Lucia eyed the bow and arrow Alice had. She wasn't very good with swords, but she had practiced archery for fun. She had heard of monsters being in these mountains, but because they were in a large group they must have been steering clear of them for now. "I'm going to tell my parents when we catch up to them. They think I'm going to Vale with them but...I want to know about my powers too. Especially if they are permanent.."
 
Cesare scratched the back of his head, as their little adventuring party, if they could be called as such, was coming together. "Well, I'm sure the people of Vale won't turn us away. Though, I'm more worried about what your parents might say." He was on good terms with both Lucia and Alice's parents, and while Alice was the newest to the village of Knox, they got along pretty well. He normally would tease her about her height, as her reaction was always entertaining--before she put him in a headlock or strangle hold.

"Ah, not a problem for me. I'm not to wild about passing through Vale, but I could always go back to Tolbi. It would be nice to see what the city is like now, not to mention the tournaments and festivals." Alice seemed to be excited about the whole prospect of traveling together, while Cesare's reservations weighed heavily on his mind. After all, he didn't have much of a choice but to strike out on his own.

"Lucia has a point, as we should definitely learn as much about our powers as we can. Who knows what we'll run into once we're in a small group?" The young man broached the subject of monsters that lurked in the mountains, as well as the rest of the world, to say nothing of bandits and thieves. Alice grinned, placing a hand on the young man's head and forcing him to bow his head.

"You're supposed to protect your maiden fair, right?" She tousled his hair, looking to Lucia and winking. "How else is she supposed to see the world if a guy like you can't even protect what he loves, hmm?" Alice started laughing, releasing the young man who was completely flushed in the face. Partially from hearing his friend say such embarrassing things, and also from where his eyes were lining up on both of the young women.

"H-Hey! I know that! Who do you think I am? Huh!" Cesare touched a hand to his heart as he shouted, attracting the attention of some of the other residents of Knox, some of whom shook their heads, others laughing along with them. The young man realized that he was digging himself into a hole, and changed his tack. "Anyway, Lucia's the best out of all of us with a bow. So if anything, we'll be relying upon her for hunting and keeping things at a distance in case we need to fight." Alice was still laughing, attempting to stifle it while gripping her sides.

"Oh wow! I didn't know you were so gallant Cesare! Maybe you should find a lord to serve and become a knight!" Alice continued to tease the young man as he walked ahead of the two young women, seeing that she wasn't going to let up on him. Once he was out of earshot, Alice leaned in close to Lucia, still giggling to herself. "Sorry, but he just seemed so down that I couldn't help but to tease him a bit. I hope you'll forgive me..." She snorted, covering her mouth, a mix of embarrassment and amusement playing in her eyes.

Though Cesare had moved ahead of the women, he soon encountered a scene that many of the townsfolk were not happy to see. Fallen trees and what appeared to be larger boulders blocked their path to Vale. While this would normally be an easy problem to solve, the terrain was not accommodating, and going around would only be possible for the most able-bodied of people. Furthermore, there was shouting from either side of the road.

"We're trying to clear the road, but you may have to go around. We're a little short handed in our village as well with the eruption and all." A voice called from the other side of the rocks while the stones shifted ever so slightly.

"Going around isn't going to work, we have a number of injured her, not to mention wagons and carts that can't make that trip." A woman responded, waving her hand to calm down the other nearby villagers.

"Then leave your carts! Better than sticking around and waiting for the monsters to get you after sunset!" Another voice from the other side called, strange points of light visible over the barrier of debris to those who had been struck by the stones.

"There they are! You see! I wasn't making it up!" Someone from Knox called, their arm in a makeshift sling. Others had much the same reaction until the woman held up her hands.

"Everyone! Please calm down! We'll talk about this later." She returned her attention to the group on the other side. "I can't ask my people to leave their goods behind. Not to mention, some of our wounded are unable to move at all in their current state."

"That voice? You're Johnathan's daughter, Senne was it?" One of the men spoke from the other side, grunting as the points of light soared rapidly from the other side, the largest boulder barely budging.

"Oh, you must have known him when he was the mayor. Yes, that's me, and for now I'm leading the evacuation." She was a woman in her mid-thirties, deep raven hair, and several months into her first pregnancy. "If you're having trouble, perhaps we can coordinate our efforts..." She said as the group on the other side went silent.

"If any of you can see what we're doing, I want you to come forward and give this largest boulder a push." A few moments went by, as a thin ribbon of light looped around the boulder and drawing itself taut. Many of the villagers were confused, and others stricken with fear, recoiling away from the obstruction. Joanna, one of the newlyweds, had gone forward and pressed her hands against the boulder, arching her back and bracing her legs. Soon, Robert and Cesare had joined in, with no progress.

"It's not working." Robert growled, placing his shoulder against the large rock, his boots beginning to dig into the wet earth, sliding slowly backward.

"You have to focus! Imagine that you are pushing with your mind." Another voice spoke, with a few hushes from the Vale side of the rubble. Alice had stepped forward by this point, motioning for Lucia to come along. She loomed over the three present and placed her hands on the rough surface of the boulder. She was the first to manifest a ghostly hand that pushed against the boulder, forcing it it budge an inch. Little by little, the others managed the same feat, the boulder sliding at a crawl. Robert fell out of the line of people, exhausted from the effort, coughing and gasping for air.

"That's it! Keep going!" The voice was clearer now, the deep, raspy voice of an older man. Cesare dropped to one knee next, followed by Joanna. Senne rested a hand on either of their shoulders and placed a single hand on the boulder, adding her strength as another hand constructed from glimmering light appeared.
 
There was a reason why Alice had exhausted Lucia just from being around, and she was about to demonstrate that reason. She blushed and looked away as the two bickered back and forth. As the conversation went on and on, she got even more embarrassed. This was not the first time Alice had made fun of them this way. Her and Cesare were incredibly close, because they had known each other for so long. That and Cesare had a tendency to always be there for her, helping her out of trouble. The last time that he did, she had gotten herself lost in a mine for nearly an entire day. But he found her first before any of the villagers, while she was crying and exhausted from being in there all day. Not to mention the vermin weren't exactly friendly. She had heard how determined and worried he had been when all the while she was lost, even going so far as to separate himself from the search group despite the creatures that lurked in the darkness. However, with the help of the light emitting from his torch, the vermin did not come near.

Ever since, Lucia did have a bit of a crush on Cesare. That is what made Alice's teasing so tormenting to her. Hearing her fellow villagers laugh at Alice and Cesare's banter just made it worse. Surely they had overheard the taller girls initial teasing. Ugh, this was just making Lucia want to sleep. When her skill with a bow was brought up, Lucia wondered if she could really use her skills to help protect the others. She had a very good eye, that much was true. Though she had never used archery to fight off anything before.

Her thoughts were cut off when Alice came to her and explained why she had teased Cesare the way she did. At first her expression was unforgiving, the lids of her eyes half closed in the way that signaled how fed up she was. Then it slowly changed from annoyed to understanding, and she gave Alice a warm smile. Cesare did need to get back to some sense of normalcy after everything that happened. Though was it truly best to pretend like everything was okay when the loss was great for everyone?

She looked up ahead and saw everyone standing outside a pile of boulders that were blocking the road. She quickly jogged up ahead, seeing an eerie light creeping through the cracks of the rock. Joining her parents, she listened to the exchange of words going on between Senne and the people on the other side of the debris. And then she heard them ask those who could see what they were doing to help. She could see it, so she started to walk forward. Before she did, though, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Lucia, why are you walking without your brace and crutches? Your leg was hurt pretty badly...you can't help them." Lucia turned and saw her mother and father staring at her with a concerned look on their faces. They were worried about their little girl.

"Mom...Dad...I can help them. I...can't explain things right now, but I can help them. My leg is fine now, and after I help them I'm going to help the rest of the injured people in the village if I can..." With that, Lucia joined Alice and the others who were gathering at the rocks. She then watched Alice summon what seemed like a large hand made from the same light she had used to heal her leg and move the rocks that way. Lucia followed suite, since she had performed the feat before she could do it again.

The others were getting worn out, and so was Lucia. But she couldn't stop. Suddenly, she saw someone from the corner of her eye approach the debris next to her. He was tall, and had long, silver hair. She knew exactly who he was as soon. "Fang...you too?" She asked the man wrapped up in a long dark cloak. Alice and her family may have been the newest members of the village, but Fang was a complete outsider who rarely ever socialized with anyone. No one had trusted him, in fact they had rarely seen him unless he needed to purchase food. He lived just on the outside of town, and had turned a cave into a place he could live.

Lucia had been there once. Just because she felt like he needed a friend. He had been nice to her, but not once did he ever make the effort to talk about himself. He was definitely a strange guy, though even he needed to find another home after that disaster. Did he get strange powers too?

He lifted up a single hand, not bothering to touch the rock, and a large fist was made. It then rocketed into the pile, hitting the rubble with significant force, enough to crumble the smaller rocks completely. This loosened the boulder, and then he once again summoned another hand, grabbing the large boulder and pulling it effortlessly to the side now that it wasn't quite as wedged in there. Lucia and the other villagers watched in shock as he did that without even touching. There was now enough space for the villagers to squeeze through.

Fang then went ahead, moving passed the people who had been on the other side without a word. "Wait! Fang!" Lucia began, though he did not stop. He seemed different...there was no way he had just discovered this odd power. He knew how to use it, and he was strong. The other villagers of Knox began to murmur and speculate on what had just happened. They seemed confused, as they couldn't see what had just occurred.
 
Senne moved quickly to the aid of the other villagers. "Everyone! Let's get moving, we'll have plenty to discuss once we're in Vale." She tried her best to stamp out any rumors from spreading, as she wanted to spare Lucia and the others from hearing anyone speak ill of the mysterious Fang. The other villagers, from both Knox and Vale, were left dumbstruck by the man's display of power.

"Never knew he could do that." Cesare crossed his arms as he watched the man walk ahead of the rest. He had never been particularly close to Fang, though that could be said of most anyone in town. The man kept himself apart from everyone else, though it didn't stop people from talking about him. Some thought he was in exile, a criminal or perhaps someone who had gotten caught on the wrong side of a political coup. Others speculated that he was just a hermit, determined to live an ascetic lifestyle. Either way, few trusted the man, though some worried about his well-being. Cesare often dropped off fire wood near his cave, even in the dead of winter. His mother sometimes sent him off with a bundle of fresh vegetables from their garden, or even an extra portion from their meals, wondering if he was eating right.

"What? Are we jealous all of a sudden?" Alice stepped through the opening, waving to the men and women on the other side.

"Of course I am! I can't do anything like that..." The young man called after his friend, nodding to the villagers from Vale in passing. He had spoken to Fang on a few rare occasions, and while he wasn't rude, he always had the feeling that he would have rather been left alone. He and Alice assisted the others with traversing the path, and soon the entire party had arrived in Vale. Their village seemed to be in better shape than Knox, though there were a few signs of the eruption here and there. However, the adults from both villages wasted no time in discussing particular terms. Cesare couldn't get a clear view of the discussion, and with so many people speaking at once, it was difficult to pin down what was being said by whom. If anything, this was another reason to get on the road as soon as it was feasible.

"I can't believe they are already bickering about the particulars." The young man approached Lucia, hands in his pockets as looked over to the group that had gathered. He noted that Alice was nowhere to be found, likely talking to her parents, or getting into trouble elsewhere. She had a good eye for quality goods, so it wouldn't surprise him if the young woman was obtaining additional supplies for their journey. "Anyway, what Fang did back there was pretty crazy. I'd like to ask him to teach it to me, though knowing him he's likely long gone by now." He looked around the village, noting that the layout was pretty similar to Knox, though they didn't have access to a fast moving river like Vale.

"I wonder how many people are going to stay here? There's room for expansion, but with the way they're going at it, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to put down roots."
 
Getting to Vale had been a breeze from there, however, once they had gotten there it was a whole other story. No doubt the people of Vale were a bit uneasy with the idea of expansion on their lands. Of course, everyone was on edge because of what had happened, and Lucia remembered, a few years ago the people of Knox were blamed for a monstrous boulder falling down the mountain by Vale, taking away a few lives. That was the main reason why there was so much tension between the groups, because neither side forgot. Lucia sighed, seeing her parents among those trying to reason or negotiate since they actually wanted to stay.

"Just let us stay here for a while until we are able to start rebuilding Knox. Once we know it's safe, we will start gathering materials and able bodied people and work as fast as possible so we are no longer imposing on your land." Lucia heard her father say to an older man who seemed to be the mayor of the town. He was the architect of Knox, and was in charge of building new structures for the town including new mines.

When Cesare approached her, she listened to him while scanning the crowd of people for Fang. He was right, that man was long gone by now. "I have the feeling that we'll be seeing him again...and if we do he might have some answers on this..physic power that we have. Though," Lucia paused and brought her eyes back on the scene before them. "The people of Vale might have some answers for us right now...if we wait around long enough, we might be able to talk to someone who knows about this..." Lucia took his hands and closed her eyes. The ground beneath him began to shine with that odd light again, and it circled him and went into his body. If he had any ailments, such as a headache or fatigue, he would have felt much better now.

"Hey! That's your daughter, right? Elliot?" One of the women in the group ask, causing a few to turn their heads to Lucia. Elliot nodded.

"Yes, she is. Though I don't know what that has to do with the subject at hand, Dora." When Elliot answered, the woman waved her over. Lucia grimaced, not wanting to be apart of any politics right now, but she came.

"We have heard that a few of your villagers have gotten..gifts. Your daughter is one of them, I just saw her use it on her friend. I sent my son Isaac out yesterday, with the mayors son, Garet. You remember them, right?" She asked him, placing a hand on Lucia's head. Elliot nodded, not knowing where this is going. "Those two have gifts, just like Lucia. In fact, all of us do, but...we have to stay here and take care of the village. So we sent them away, to retrieve two of our own that were kidnapped by strange outsiders. We are all worried...but if you send your daughter and a few more of your...gifted folk to aid our Isaac and Garet, we can come to a mutual understanding here..."

"Are you suggesting that I give away my daughter for you all to help us?" Elliot asked, his voice shaking as if he was trying to keep himself calm. Dora shook her head.

"We won't make her do it, but I trust her to find and help my son and Garet get back Kraden and Jenna...just help us help you." She answered, looking from him to Senna. "She will be fine with one or two others with her. Just as long as they are adepts...with powers like hers." Elliot was confused as to what she meant by powers. He looked into his daughters eyes with question.

"It's true, father. I healed my leg earlier. I don't know how, but I did. And Alice, Cesare...Fang..and the others that helped move the rocks...we all have those powers. And if it means helping out our people, then I don't mind going to help those two." Lucia told him nervously.

"It's called Psynergy. You are now adepts. The people of Vale are all adepts...we can go into detail later but...we will aid those who choose to stay behind here to rebuild Knox if you agree to those terms...We did not want to send those two out alone, but...we had little choice." Elliot just grimaced and looked to Senne.

"What do you think of all this. Who will help my daughter?"
 
"I just hope that Fang remembers us if we meet again on the road." Cesare wasn't exactly afraid of Fang, as he had never done anything to suggest that he sought to harm others. On the contrary, it seemed like the man wanted as little to do with people as possible. He would have made a case had Lucia not gone ahead and took his hands, applying her new found powers to him. He felt many of the cuts and scrapes that were hidden by his clothing cool off, the swelling all but gone. His ears also stopping ringing, and he felt strangely, refreshed.

"Was that your power? I was fine, you should save it for those of us who really need it." He looked away, as while he was happy to not worry about his aches and pains anymore, he also didn't want to see Lucia over-exert herself. She was definitely the one out of the three who felt the most compassion for others. Soon, the conversation shifted to what Lucia had done, and while Cesare understood the situation of the people of Vale, it was hard not to see what they were suggesting as a form of blackmail. Sensing the young man's anger, Alice hung an arm over his shoulder.

"Don't go mouthing off. Lucia can handle herself." She reminded the young man, as while she didn't like the situation either, this was a decision that Lucia should make without others getting in the way. As Elliot looked to Senne, the woman was at a disadvantage, looking to the people of both towns, her eyes settling on Alice and Cesare.

"That's not a decision that is mine to make. I don't like the idea of sending one of our children out into the world, but I'm sure it was hard for you to make the same decision." She looked to Dora and back to Elliot. "I say that if that's what Lucia wishes to do, respect her decision. If not, we can seek aid elsewhere." The people of Knox began to speak among themselves, with Cesare looking to Alice, slipping out of her grip.

"I'll go with Lucia. There's no place for me here anyway." He approached the group, hand raised just above his head.

"Cesare, there's always a place for you with us..." She made to reach out to the young man, having heard what happened to his family. "Thanks, but I was planning on striking out on my own before long anyway." He justified his actions, looking to Dora and Lucia. "Plus, if I can learn to harness Psynergy, maybe I can make a difference next time something like this happens." He looked to his hands, noting that they were no longer scraped and bruised. "This time, for sure..." He whispered so only Lucia and Dora could hear him, while Alice scrambled through teh crowd.

"You two aren't leaving me behind! Some one has to make sure your weapons are sharp, and to make sure Cesare doesn't get handsy." The young man gasped, astonished she would say something like that at a serious conclave.

"Your timing is really bad, but I'd feel better with you around." Cesare mentioned, seeing the bright, cheerful faces of her parents in the crowd.

"You tell'em honey! That's a daughter of mine." Her father spoke in that strange accent of his, while her mother tried to shush him and keep him from causing a ruckus.
 
Lucia heard Cesare volunteer to go with her, and she couldn't help but smile. She wasn't completely sure he'd want to go since he had already planned on his destination before they even left. Though even more unexpected, Alice had also volunteered. Well, they were leaving the village anyway. She shouldn't have been taken aback. Though something clicked in the back of her mind when she realized what Alice meant when she said she'd keep Cesare from being handsy. Her face went bright red and she sighed heavily. Well, at least she'd be with her friends assuming her father and mother would let her go.

The two looked at each other and then their little girl and sighed. "Is this really something you want Lucia?" Elliot asked her, and she nodded. He then sighed and looked to Dora. "My daughter and her friends will aid Garet and Issac by their own choice then." Dora gave them all a smile and then looked at the mayor, who just nodded in agreement.

"I find Dora's arrangement fair. We will offer you all shelter and permission to build temporary homes on our lands until you can rebuild your own village. We will also assist you in the efforts. As for those three, they are only permitted to come back after their task has been completed...Otherwise this deal would be null and void. I am sure that with their help, we will get Jenna and Kraden back soon." As he spoke, Dora had started walking towards what looked like a storehouse and disappeared inside.

Lucia hugged her mom and dad and smiled. "I'll be alright with Alice and Cesare. I don't know when we'll be back, but we better leave now so we can catch up to them. They're a day or so ahead of us, huh? Is that alright with you guys?" Lucia asked her new party members. Dora then came back out with a small sack.

"Here. It's not much but it should get you by until you get to Vault...I believe that's where they went. The bridge is out that leads to the southern region, so...they wouldn't have had any other place to go." Dora explained as Lucia went through the bag, seeing herbs, antidotes, and a couple of coins at the bottom of the bag. It wasn't much, but it was something.
 
Cesare looked around at the faces of the adults. They were all concerned, scared for themselves as well as what sorts of fates they could meet once they left the safety of the village. When Lucia addressed him and Alice, his attention was focused on the young woman in front of him. "That's fine with me. So long as we're together, there's nothing to worry about." He said, looking back to Elliot and Alice. He didn't want to spoil the moment by bringing up the harsh realities of their situation. If they were ambushed or if they were cornered by a powerful monster, they would have have to make tough decisions, all within a split second. He steeled his resolve, hoping that if that time every came, he could make the sacrifice without any hesitation.

"Vault sounds like the most logical place to go, as there aren't any well-traveled roads leading north or west." Cesare mentioned, as Alice checked her equipment, handing the young man a sword and a scabbard.

"You'll need this for sure then. Don't worry, the first one is on the house." She had managed to off-load most of her equipment in town, and had picked up an extra rucksack for Lucia as a replacement for what she was currently using. Cesare fastened the scabbard to a loop harness on his belt and looked around at the assembled townsfolk one last time. It reminded him of the time that they were searching for Lucia in the mines just outside of Knox. She had gotten lost, and though it was dangerous to head off alone, he wanted to be the first one to reach her. Everyone had been upset with him for leaving the group, and rightfully so. It was a stupid thing to do, as he could have been attacked by vermin or walked into a pitfall, making everyone work harder to find two people instead of one.

This time it wouldn't be as easy. A torch wasn't going to keep them safe from monsters, and there wouldn't be any adults watching their backs. They would be on their own, searching for a pair of kids around their age, caught up in some kidnapping plot and who knew what else.

"Shall we set off? We need as much day light as we can get if we're going to reach Vault by night fall." The young man was doubtful they would even reach the town before the sun set, but like all situations, it was better to keep traveling than to set up camp on the side of the road. He was more concerned with thieves and bandits than monsters. Monsters only wanted to keep you out of their territory, or they wanted you for a snack. Dealing with people, that was infinitely more dangerous.
 
Lucia nodded at Cesare, knowing he was right about leaving as soon as possible so they could travel as long as possible before night. Though she wasn't expecting to leave so soon to see the world, she didn't mind. Though she didn't give any thought to the dangers that they would face. She had never really been out on her own, and she had little knowledge of how bad the monsters had gotten after the explosion. "Well, we'll be going now."

Right before they had left, Dora had them recover what little Psynergy they hadn't recovered, and they left, following the trail towards Vault. It wasn't long before they had run into monsters, and while they were a little unorthodox while they faced these creatures, they still were victorious working together. Lucia was practicing using her newly found powers to heal on her friends and herself if they got injured during battle. The farther they walked the more Lucia began to realize that this would be their lives for a little while. It wasn't going to be easy from this day forward, so she would have to get stronger to keep herself and her friends alive.

"The sun is setting soon..." Lucia said as she looked up at the sky. "Though I think I can see Vault from here.."

"That's Vault. You might as well keep going." She heard a quiet voice from behind her and then turned around, seeing Fang behind them. He had seemingly come from thin air as she hadn't heard anyone behind them for quite some time. Unbeknownst to the group, Fang had not left Vale before they did, but after. He had been to Sol Sanctum to confirm that the elemental stars indeed been taken. He knew who was responsible for it too. He had to catch up to him before it was too late.

"Fang! How long have you been following us?" Lucia asked the man as he walked passed her.

"Since you left. Listen. I know you three are on a mission but...you should just stay in Vault, alright? Those four that you are trying to help from Vale are into something deeper than you know. I don't want to see you three get mixed up in any of it...it's dangerous." He warned them before looking into Lucia's eyes.
 
The eruption of Mt. Aleph must have stirred the monsters in the area into a frenzy, as they were brazen enough to attack travelers even on the main roads. When forced to fight, Cesare agreed to lead the charge, disrupting enemy ranks and creating openings for Lucia. Alice, being the most skilled at arms, acted as a sentry, taking out threats with clean, precise cuts from her axe. The more that they fought, Cesare was getting a sensation that the wind was at his back, strange as that sounded. He suffered a few injuries, thanks mostly to errors in judgement and the unique brand of fatigue that set in when fighting for one's life.

"I think we made good time, considering." The young man held his shoulder and wheeled his arm around, good as new after on of Lucia's treatments. Alice wiped her brow and took a deep breath. She was trying not to show it, but even she was worn out from the day's travel.

"You're right, I wouldn't want to set up camp out here, it's way too open to hide from monsters...or thieves." Alice turned around before Lucia had said anything, weapon at the ready, while Cesare placed a hand on the hilt of his blade. Seeing that it was Fang gave them both mixed feelings. On one hand, it could have been much worse than a familiar face. The other side of that was they had been caught off guard. It was more disturbing considering that he had been tracking them this entire time, proving that he was a skilled tracker at the very least. As much as he hated to admit it, Cesare would have liked to pick up a few tips from Fang on the art of wilderness survival.

"Thanks for your concern, Fang." Cesare took a step forward, assuming a neutral posture, and motioning for Alice to do the same. "However, if you know something about all of this, perhaps you could share that information?" He had a few different thoughts on his mind, none of them particularly good. Who was he to tell them what to do, even if he was concerned? Not to mention, his mastery of Psynergy was heads above what they could manage. Alice draped her arms over the handle of her axe, looking askance at both Fang and Cesare.

"Maybe we can take the manly-man stuff somewhere that has food and doesn't have monsters? I could really go for a warm cider too, and I'm sure that Vault has an inn that can provide us a place to talk." She didn't want Cesare's mouth to get them all into trouble, as while she knew of Fang, he was not someone that she associated with, or particularly trusted for that matter.
 
Lucia could see that Cesare was a little annoyed with Fang, probably because he was speaking to them all as if they were children. Fang was young himself, at least he looked young, about in his mid twenties. He obviously knew something that they didn't. She was about to put in her thoughts when Alice suggested that they talk more at the inn in Vault. Fang's intense gaze was still on Lucia, but then he broke it and looked at Alice. "I will not be stopping in Vault, but I will at least escort you all. Once the sun sets, the monsters will only get worse." The man went ahead of them, and Lucia looked at the others and shrugged. She wasn't sure what Fang wanted, but they had little choice. An escort would be nice, especially since they were all tired.

"Well, they never did tell us who kidnapped Jenna and Kraden. I assume they are dangerous folk..." Lucia said as they followed the man, though she had noticed that monsters were keeping their distance from them now. Why? Was it because Fang was with them? Could they sense how strong he was?

"They are," Fang began, not turning back to look at her. "They are extremely dangerous, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. I don't know that is right now..what they are after, but I have a bad feeling about all this. I must confront them, and when I do, I will get the hostages back. That way Vale will continue to help Knox." Lucia jogged up front to join his side. Maybe out of the three she was the most trusting, but she didn't like that Fang had decided to take it upon himself to do the mission they said they would do.

"I hope you have a clearer explanation on this. We can't just turn this mission over to you not knowing why we can't go! Besides..I already feel stronger just from today...By the time we find them I'm sure we will be better. You are more than welcome to join us, Fang, you don't have to do this by yourself..." Lucia told him, though he didn't look at her. For a moment there was silence. Then he sighed.

"One of them...might be a long lost friend of mine. If it is, then I have to hurry. I don't have time to rest." He looked ahead for a little while, debating on how much he should tell them. "The reason why I came to Knox was so that if anything like this ever happened, I'd be able to react quickly, but...I had to spend a while unearthing a precious keepsake of mine so now I'm behind. My friend has an impossible dream, and I know he has found people to manipulate in order to help realize this dream. I have to stop him...I have to stop Alex."
 
"Do we look like we need an escort?" Alice protested, with Cesare panting, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Yes. We do." He hated to admit it, but an escort would make things much easier. He was sure that he would be sore in the morning, though it was the sort of thing that they would have to get used to if they were going to seek out Issac and the others. "I don't really know anything about the people who were kidnapped, but I can understand that the people of Vale must be desperate to see them returned if they were so willing to send children after these dangerous people, there own and now us." Cesare noticed that the monsters were keeping their distance, or at the very least were not being as obvious about tracking their movements. Was Fang really so strong that monsters knew to avoid him?

A crazy thought, but awesome if true.

"Unfortunately, Fang has a point." Cesare spoke up, much to the consternation of Alice, who was the sort who thought she could take on the world. "Even if we become acclimated to our powers and can wield Psynergy effectively, we're playing catch up against people that someone as strong as Fang thinks are dangerous." He looked to the man as that walked to the next town. "I don't like being left out of the loop, but I believe you when you say that these people are dangerous. That's why we need to prepare, we can't always rely on other people to take care of things for us." He wondered what it was that Fang knew that made him so wary of those people, not to mention the artifact that he said he was seeking out.

Alice stopped in her tracks, shocked by something that Fang had glossed over.

"What do you mean you came to Knox 'in case something like this happened'? You knew? Are those people responsible for the eruption? It didn't seem natural, Mount Aleph is supposed to be inert from what I've heard." Alice caught up to the group, though Cesare had push back with all of his strength to prevent Alice from doing something rash.

"I don't care if Lucia trusts you, but if you know something, we have the right to know. That was our town that was wiped off of the map! If the kidnapping has anything to do with this, then we can't just walk away!" Alice struggled against Cesare, tossing him aside and hefting her axe, holding the great weapon in one hand.

"Alice! That's enough!" Cesare drew his sword, interposing himself between Lucia, Fang, and Alice. "Just let it go already! You need to stay cool." He adjusted his footing, unsure of what his friend was going to do next. "Listen to me. Calm. Down." Alice screwed up her face in anger, looking to the axe blade and thrusting it into the ground.

"Cesare, your parents are--" She began, but stopped when their eyes met. "Sorry, that was too far." Cesare didn't respond for several moments, sheathing his sword and turning away from Alice.

"Don't worry about it..." He said, walking back towards Lucia and Fang. "Nothing will bring them back, so even if these kidnappers are responsible, what good does it do to hate them?" It was something that he was slowly coming to terms with, and he wasn't sure that he believed it. "Still..." He said, looking toward Vault as the torch and candle light of the town grew more visible as the sun set.

"It sounds like we're already involved. So really, there's no turning back. We've even been banished from returning to Vale, just to discourage us from having second thoughts." He had his own business to attend to, though it wasn't nearly as important as what Fang and those kids from Vale had gotten themselves involved with. "So, we can work together or work separately, either way, it sounds like we'll be crossing paths again." Cesare addressed Fang, who seemed to have a heavy burden of his own to carry.
 
Had Alice chosen to attack Fang, she wouldn't have gotten very far. However, Cesare stood in her path and convinced her not to. He understood why she was angry, why they were all angry with him for not explaining himself further. However, Fang believed that the more he told them, the more they would want to be involved in something that was none of their concern. He stopped, and then sighed heavily, Lucia by his side as she looked at Alice with worry. Lucia flinched when Alice talked about Cesare's now deceased parents. While Fang understood, Lucia didn't know why she would get so upset at him. Maybe Alice was looking for someone to blame for everything, and it seemed like this was something that wasn't a natural disaster.

"It's true...I did know, or at least predicted this would happen. Though it happened on a day that I did not expect, and I failed to stop it. I failed to be prepared. I could have tailed them sooner, but..." He lifted his hand and placed it on Lucia's head. "This little one was going to be crushed along with the rest of you. I had to stop an entire cliff from coming down just long enough for mostly everyone to escape. I couldn't hold it long enough, though...there were still many casualties...but not as much as their could have been. It took me a long time to recover from that. Believe me if you want to believe me. If you don't, that's fine too. You must have realized by now that I am no stranger to psynergy." He paused for a moment and then continued to walk, removing her hand from Lucia's head.

"I won't be joining you three. I have done my best to save you much trouble and pain. If you won't listen to me, than continue your journey. However. Stay away from Imil. Stay away from the Mercury Lighthouse. The people who did this to your home, and caused the eruption...they did it so they could remove the elemental stars. Those stones..will change the world...for better and for worse." This was the longest Fang had ever spoken to anyone in quite some time. He wasn't sure if it was the earnest trust that Lucia had for him where no one else did, or perhaps maybe he himself needed some emotional support for the burden he carried on his shoulders.

"Fang...even if you're strong, there is only so much you can do alone." Lucia told him as she grabbed the back of his cape. "Come on...we can help. Just trust us. I trust you...I know you are telling the truth..."

"No. I'm sorry, but this is where we part. I must press on...I must get to the lighthouse before Alex does. I told you. I can't rest." They were now just outside of Vault, and he turned north and started walking. They would be safe where he had left them at. Lucia just watched as he walked away, not wanting to leave her friends alone. She wasn't sure what to think of all this. Elemental stars? Stones? What did it all mean? She wondered if the people of Vale knew far more than what they had actually told them before they accepted this quest.
 
"That's pretty messed up..." Alice said, as while she trusted Fang the least, she at least understood that he was wrestling with his own demons, and was concerned for their safety before anything else. "For what its worth, thanks." She said to Fang as he headed north, leaving the three at the gates of the small town. Cesare had said all that he needed to say, though he silently thanked Fang for giving them something to go on should they pursue the matter themselves.

"Let him go Lucia..." The young man said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I think we would only get in his way, especially in our sorry state." He could see why Lucia wanted to help Fang on his quest, as not only did it dove tail with their own, but she was worried about a man that she considered to be her friend. Admittedly, her powers would be very useful for almost anyone going on a journey, especially if they were flying solo. "I feel like Fang was the only one who was truly honest about this whole thing, but honestly, I'm too tired to think any of this through." He looked into the town, seeing a building that resembled the the inn. "It's been a hell of a day..." He stretched, strangely satisfied with what they had accomplished.

"Either way, if we can find Issac and Garet, maybe we can get a lead as to what exactly happened on Mount Aleph." Cesare mentioned, while Alice lingered with Lucia, making sure she was doing alright.

"Indeed. We'll get strong along the way, Cesare!" She called to the young man, who was too weary to offer a comeback. "We'll need to spar in the morning, every morning. Your form is awful..." She shook her head, while the young man simply waved her off and went to book a room at the local inn.
 
When Cesare wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Lucia was brought back to reality. She watched Fang disappear from sight as he went his own way. She had a bad feeling for him. Not about him, but for him. Whatever he wanted to handle, she didn't think he could handle alone even if he was extremely strong. She sighed and then realized how tired she was herself from walking nearly all day. It was hard for her to protest when she wanted to just sleep herself. She stayed silent for a while as they made their way into Vault, but hearing Alice talk about how bad Cesare's form was made her giggle somewhat. He did leave himself open for attacks a lot, not that she could do any better with a sword. Though his strikes were almost always true, and he was strong.

"I don't think I could keep very good form if I had to slice through monsters the way you two do. It's really gross being up close when blood is flying everywhere...glad I can stay back with my arrows. You know, tomorrow morning you two should see if you can find some decent armor or something." Lucia had grown a lot more confident with her archery skills. She almost always hit her target and she was very quick herself. Though she doubted she'd be any help against anything bigger than what they had been fighting. Once they got into the inn finally, she paid for their rooms using the coin she had gathered from their skirmishes. Why these monsters carried coin, she would never know...maybe they got them after attacking poor travelers...

Once they got into their room, there were only two beds. Though Lucia did not want them to fight over which person had to sleep on the floor. "If you guys want, you can take the beds. I can manage with the tent supplies we have...besides, I would just be happy getting a load off my feet without worrying about a monster jumping out of the bushes..." Lucia said as she placed her new back pack down that Alice had given her. She sighed and then started taking off her boots. She knew she would be sore in the morning, but hopefully it didn't take too long for her to get used to the travels. She wondered how Fang could keep going like that, even though he had traveled as far as they did he didn't seem the least bit tired.
 
Cesare was glad that he had decided to accompany Lucia, as while he and Alice had their own ideas about where to go and what to do, they likely wouldn't have made it this far without her skill at archery, or her healing Psynergy for that matter. Plus, her suggestion made sense, as while they had decent weapons, with the things--and coins--they had found from their battles with monsters, they should probably look into better armor as well.

"I was thinking that something easy to move around in would be best, since we'll be doing a lot of traveling from here on out." The young man set down his pack and also removed his boots. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor, I have some things that I want to work on before bed." He said as he removed a small tube from his pack, along with a satchel of various hand tools. "My parents had a number of clients, and I'm sure that they wanted these things delivered, plus, I might have to take up where they left off in order to earn a living." He mentioned, opening one end of the tube and extracting an assembly of gears and other moving parts.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. I'm looking to improve my skiils as a blacksmith, as there will be times when weapons won't always sell." Alice said as she stood up and made to leave the room. "Thanks for letting me have a bed, and...sorry for causing problems back there." She exited the room, likely to wash up before bed, or to scrounge up a late meal from the small dining area that the inn provided. Once they were alone, Cesare exhaled with relief.

"I don't think I could have taken Alice in a fight like that. I don't think I've ever seen her get that angry." The young man mentioned, holding a lens up to a particular piece and examining it for defects. "Anyway, I'm sure Fang will be fine Lucia. If what he said is true about trying to save the town like he did, then he can take care of himself. Still, I wish he would have stuck around, I would have liked to learn more about Psynergy from him." He looked to the window of their room, and saw what appeared to be some kind of creature looking inside. He set down his tools and went to take a closer look, crawling on all fours. He must have spooked the creature, as it darted away before he could really get a sense for what it was.

"Did you see that just now?" He asked Lucia, unsure if she was looking out of the window at the same time he was. "There was something at the window, and it didn't look like a bird." Not that birds would be out this late anyway, come to think of it, it had a strange body, small, but plump. "Maybe I'm just seeing things..." He said, realizing that he was very close to the young woman. He always thought that she had grown into a very pretty girl, though he didn't want to give anyone in town the satisfaction of being right about him having feelings for her. He wanted to keep her safe, and more importantly, he wanted to see her free and happy to do what she wanted to do. "Ah, it doesn't matter..." He dismissed the sighting, filing it away in case he saw it again. "How are you holding up?"
 
Lucia was somewhat relieved that Cesare had volunteered to take the floor. Maybe they could take turns in case this ever happened again. She saw him pull out his tools and a cylinder shaped container and immediately got interested getting closer to see what he had. The type of gadgets that he and his family made were always amazing to her, how they could assemble the strangest of things so easily was fascinating. Though as she got closer to him, she heard Alice speak and she looked towards her as she explained that she wanted to improve her skills as a blacksmith. Lucia was a bit jealous...she didn't really have anything she wanted to pursue. Her father was an architect, but she had never been interested in building homes. And her mother just sewed clothes. Marisa learned from her, but even that didn't really seem appealing to her.

Hearing Alice thank and apologize them at the same time, Lucia was about to go after her but she realized she probably needed time alone. To clean up or do whatever. Lucia was the cleanest of the three, though she would probably wash up herself in the morning before they would leave. "Alice is really strong, huh?" Lucia responded to his confession that he would probably lose in a fight against Alice. She didn't really think about it all that much, but the girl was pretty good with that axe of hers. She might as well take up a career as a lumber jack or something after this was all said and done. Though blacksmith was just as good. Smithing was a useful skill, and it dawned on Lucia why Alice was already strong...that hammer she had to use was heavy.

As Cesare assured Lucia that Fang would be okay, her train of thought moved from Alice to the mysterious white haired man again. She didn't want to tell Cesare why she was so worried. Usually when Lucia had a bad feeling people would just tell her how silly she was being. Though most of the time she had been right. She then saw something from the corner of her eye just as Cesare had, and they both went to the window, looking outside of it at the same time. "I definitely saw what you did. How strange..." Lucia's green eyes found Cesare's as she turned toward him, and for a moment their gazes held for a few seconds and her face got a little red.

Though eventually they looked away from each other, and Lucia just sighed with him and sat on the floor by the window. "Man, I'm really really tired. I'm going to sleep like a brick tonight and probably wake up with wobbly legs. Though we gotta keep going. I'm sure if Garet and Isaac have been through here, maybe someone saw the direction they decided to leave. They sure do make good time themselves, but hopefully we will be able to catch up soon."
 
The morning had come, though Cesare was not happy to see it. There was a small plot of land next door to the inn, part of it used to grow the hops and bitters that the family used for their brewing and distilling of ale and spirits. Alice was putting him through his paces, knocking his blade to the side and kicking him with the flat of her heel.

"Your stance is too weak! Anticipate your opponent's movement and counter-attack." She admonished the young man, who kipped up from the ground and turned his blade to sideways, guarding against frontal attacks.

"You say that, but you're really stiff! You can't always take hits and hope that you have enough left in you to finish the fight." He protested, turning his sword over in a flourish and driving the pommel into Alice's solar plexus. It was the sort of thing that didn't hurt so much as take the wind out of you, and Alice's guard weakened as she struggled to stay upright, blocking a strike from the young man just in time.

"Lucia can patch us up." She swept her axe in a deadly arc, forcing Cesare to step back and regroup. "Besides, the entire point is to make sure nothing can get through to her. Archery isn't any good up close." Alice pressed the attack, as Cesare dodged and parried in time with her, gaining advantage and countering with his own series of attacks, locking blades with the young woman again.

"We should try to take as few hits as possible. Having Lucia heal us all of the time isn't going to work." He drew his sword back and supported the upper third of the blade with his free hand, driving it towards his friend like a chisel. She weaved to one side and struck his sword, the force of the blow disarming him. "Using Psynergy still takes a lot out of us, so the less she has to use it, the better." He said, as the young woman leveled her weapon at Cesare.

"I know that, but I'd rather not risk letting something slip through." She said, while Cesare quickly drew a dagger from his belt, knocking the head of the axe aside as he tackled Alice in attempt to bring her down. "What are you doing?!" She said, surprised by his willingness to attack her when he should have been yielding. He had thrown his weapon down--and was going for a throw as he drove her back. "You aren't that strong! I'll show you." She dropped her weapon and closed her fists together, driving them into the middle of his back, and then once more. This was looking less and less like training as Cesare lifted Alice off of her feet and drove her into the ground.

"I've got you." He said, on top of the young woman and confident in his victory as she slugged him across the face. Before he could say anything, a second blow came, stronger than the first.

"You idiot!" Alice screamed, winding up for another shot as the two hit each other at the same time. They lay sprawled in the field, their vision floating as they stumbled to their feet. "Why'd you go and grab me all of a sudden, show off!" She growled, while Cesare nursed his jaw.

"Strong enough to drop you on the ground." He circled the young woman, fists up and looking for an opening. While the pair fought, a small, creature watched with interest from a fence post, it's eyes a solid color of blue, while its body matched the tone of dried earth.
 
Since Lucia did not need practice with her combat style, she had decided to explore around town a little instead and ask around for Isaac and Garet. She knew what they looked like because she had once played with them when her father went to Vale to help them with some architectural matters. The information she got was peculiar. They had been here and helped capture two bandits that had stolen during all the chaos of the eruption. "Aww man...those two already are famous and they can't be any stronger than we are." She mumbled under her breath.

Though, she did hear another name. An Ivan had been with them...and he had some strange power to boot. Probably another adept like them. It was odd how many of these people were popping up. No doubt those glittering stones had something to do with the emerging number. Though it seemed like Vale already had existing adepts before hand...and Fang...he was an adept too and seemed to have been one for a long time.

Once Lucia had a general idea of where they had gone, she made her way back to the inn. To her surprise Alice and Cesare were still sparring, only Cesare had tossed Alice to the ground after receiving two punches to the face. They sure were being rough with each other...

Something caught Lucia's eye though. She tilted her head. It was a small creature, something she had never seen before. Then she remembered seeing something in the window last night. Was it a monster? Didn't look like an animal she had ever seen before. Though it seemed engaged in watching Alice and Cesare fight. She slowly and carefully walked over to it, being careful not to interrupt the others. Stopping just a few feet away, she squatted down so she would seem a little smaller to it and clicked her tongue a bit to get it's attention.

"Hey there, little guy. Are you watching my friends beat each other silly?"
 
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