Chapter 3:

Upon hearing the door break down and Garet's voice, the man turned. "Oh that's a relief," Garet sighed when he saw it was not Alex. The stranger looked much like the power hungry Adept; having the same pretty, almost feminine features and long blue hair of all male Mercury Adepts Garet had met; but it most definitely was not him.

His relief didn't last too long however when he saw the stranger was bearing upon Garet and the still unconscious Jenna with something resembling hatred on his sylvan features. "Proxians," he hissed.

Garet jumped, "Proxians, where!"

The man laughed; a low deep laugh that was odd because it didn't look like such a man should laugh that way, "Don't think you can pull that one off Mars Adept. I'm no fool and I can see you for what you are."

The redhead scrambled back, "Yeah, we both may be Mars Adepts, but we're certainly not Proxians!"

"You expect me to believe a lie like that?" snarled the man, "Glacier!"

Garet tried to roll out of the way, but as he had forgotten about Jenna still clinging to his back, he only managed to fall flat on his face, just by luck avoiding the attack.

"What's your problem!" bellowed Garet, he shoved Jenna off his back and rose to his feet. He clutched his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white, "Heat Wave!"

A solid pillar of fire barreled from the end of Garet's blade and into the Adept's chest. "Ha, try to heal that!" he taunted.

To his shock, the man was still standing when the smoke cleared. With a smirk, he crossed the distance to Garet in a few short strides, "Calypso!" he thundered.

There was a flash of blue and purple and Garet was flung backward through the doorway and into the hall. Moaning, he rose unsteadily to his feet, "Inferno," he mumbled. Damn it, why am so slow?

There was a storm of fire that enveloped the room in flames, with horror Garet remembered that Jenna was still in there. "Oh shi-"

"Shine Plasma!" cried a voice.

"What the-" from the now flaming, crackling room came a barrage of lightning bolts that pierced Garet's body, sending white hot flashes of pain throughout his limbs.

"Shine Plasma," gasped Garet when the attack ceased, "But I thought this guy was a Mercury Adept, not Jupiter!"

A figure suddenly appeared over the now kneeling Garet. It was the strange man, "I'm both you fool," he sneered.

Garet gaped, "But that's….that's…"

"Impossible? I'm afraid not Proxian." The Adept grabbed Garet by the hair and dragged him to his feet with a surprising strength, "How I'll enjoy killing you."

Garet was down, but not out. The man may have been able to best him in psynergy, but swordsmanship was another matter; and Garet still had his weapon. With an animalistic cry, he plunged his blade deep into the man's stomach. A pool of dark blood rippled across the man's clothing and over Garet's hands and sword.

The mysterious Adept let out a strangled gasp, and let go of his strong grip on Garet. He stumbled backward, holding onto the end of the hilt. With a shudder, he pulled the weapon from his abdomen and threw it across the room.

Garet stared in shock; the man shouldn't be able to stand; let alone pull the sword from his body!

"Pure ply!" ordered the man in barely more than a whisper. A glowing blue light filled the entire hallway and still flaming room, the gaping hole in the man's body disappeared; only the blood on the man's tunic and dark red stains on Garet's palms any sign there had even been a wound.

"How'd you do that?" demanded Garet, "You should be dead!"

"Should I, Fire Adept?"

Garet nodded, his face set, "You should, but don't worry; you'll be dead in a short while."

With a smirk the man teleported so that he now stood behind the young warrior, "Brash words from someone who's at such a distinct disadvantage."

With a snarl, Garet turned, then realized what he meant. "Saturos," he whispered, eyes wide.

At the beginning of their quest, when first they had met Mia and traveled to the top of the Mercury Lighthouse, they had been able to defeat the Fire Adept Saturos only because of the draining effect being in the Lighthouse of an opposite element had had on him. Now it seemed Garet was suffering similarly. And if this man is also part Mercury Adept, he'll get an extra boost from the Lighthouse.

A smile lit up the man's features, "You seem to have realized your predicament. So tell me, what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to defeat you!" Roaring his anger, Garet charged at the Mercury Adept…who, unfortunately teleported out of the way, sending Garet sprawling into the flames.

With a yelp of pain, he rolled out; trying to beat out the fire clinging to his clothing.

"Water Bind," said the man simply.

Sprouting from seemingly nowhere came several large watery tentacles that pulsed with a purple light. They reached towards Garet, who groaned and tried to get away, but the lighthouse was affecting him too strongly, and he could barely crawl, let alone stand and run. They wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides and wrapping his legs in ropes of water that felt like cold steel. He was wrenched upward by the strange psynergy; his toes barely brushing against the stone ground.

"Why are you doing this?" he managed spit out.

The man ignored him, instead casting Douse on the flames. Miraculously, Jenna had suffered no more injuries; though her skirt looked slightly singed. With deliberate slowness, the man walked towards the pipe he had been trying to move when Garet had first entered. With a groan he pushed against it; this time it moved. Water flooded out, heading down a grate that Garet knew would eventually lead to the tunnel where Mia and Isaac were presumably still traveling. He watched in increasing horror as the deluge of water poured from the pipe.

"Mia…Isaac!" he moaned.

Now the man faced him with a smirk, "That should take care of your friends."

Valiantly Garet struggled against his bonds, "Let….me….go!" he screamed; his eyes bulging.

For the first time the man drew a weapon; a long silvery. jewel encrusted knife. Gracefully he waltzed back over to Garet; pressing the dagger up against his prisoner's throat. Leaning over so that his long blue hair made a curtain to the outside world, he whispered in Garet's ear, "Before I kill you Proxian, know this and take comfort: I'll let your friend over there survive so that she can spread the word to your fellow barbarians that I, Ara, last emperor of Poseidon walk the Earth again; and that if they surrender now my retribution for their sins will not be harsh when I summon…."

"You're a bloody loon," Garet sneered, cutting the man off.

The man, Ara was it? Didn't look provoked in the slightest. Instead, he merely answered, "I had the feeling you'd say something like that."

Wincing, Garet prepared himself for the deathblow. It never came.

"Tempest!" shouted two voices at once.

It was Ara's turn to fly backward now, he slammed into the rocky wall on the far side of the room; sending mortar flying everywhere. Garet whooped with joy; in the doorway stood four very angry Adepts.

The Water/Wind Adept seemed to realize he was now heavily outnumbered. Mockingly he bowed to Garet, "Until we meet again."

There was a flash, and he was gone. The spell that bound Garet disappeared, and he fell to the floor with a THUD!

"Garet!" Ivan rushed toward his friend, "Garet! Are you alright?"

Utilizing Ivan, Garet rose to his feet, "I'll be fine…but you need to get Jenna to the spring, and," Garet gasped, suddenly remembering where all the water was heading. With a shout of, "I'm coming Mia, I'm coming Isaac!" he rushed from the tiny, burnt hallway.

"What was that all about?" asked Sheba, looking perturbed.

"Apparently Mia and Isaac are in some kind…of…trouble…" Felix's voice trailed off as he noticed his sister's unconscious form just past the doorframe leading into the room, "Jenna!"

Felix ran towards her and cradled his younger sibling in his arms; searching her face for any sign of life. With a grateful, heartfelt sigh, he saw that she was breathing. Picking her up he faced the others, "C'mon, we need to get her to the spring!"

It was the second time in half as many minutes that someone raced out the door and down the main hall; Felix heading in the opposite direction as Garet. Piers and Sheba followed Felix at a run, though he had too much of a head start and too much incentive to run for either to catch up.

"Coming Ivan?" yelled Sheba over her shoulder.

He shook his head decisively, "No, I'm going to go see if Garet needs me."

Sheba shrugged, "You do that!"

Ivan ran off to help his friends.

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Mia and Isaac had been walking along in a uncomfortable silence. Inwardly, Isaac was cursing himself. I never should've brought it up, he thought angrily. Why am such an idiot?

Suddenly Mia stopped and grabbed Isaac by the back of his tunic; making him gag as the collar bit into his windpipe. "Isaac," she hissed, "Do you hear anything?"

He stopped to listen, far off he heard the sound of rushing water. "Yeah," he answered, "Must be the Hermes Spring."

Mia looked uncertain, "I'm not so sure; we shouldn't be close enough to hear it this loudly."

Isaac shrugged, "Yeah maybe…."

Mia didn't reply, so Isaac just shrugged again and continued walking. The sound was getting louder. His feet squished unpleasantly trough the mud. Wait a minute…mud? The dirt floor had been dry just a minute ago.

Mia had noticed it too, "Isaac, this isn't good!"

"I'd figured as much," he retorted dryly, "How much farther till we see the stairs? I'd like to get there before this water gets any higher."

Mia frowned, "As soon as we make it past the upcoming curve, the staircase should be in sight."

Isaac grabbed her hand and started running, "Let's go."

Mia pulled her hand from his and quickly made up the short distance between them, "Calm down Isaac! You're overreacting….."

She stopped; they had rounded the bend and there, pouring from an open grate was thousands of gallons of water.

"This isn't good…." muttered her companion.

"Frost!" Mia shouted; reacting to the situation before she could fully comprehend its direness. A pale blue light soared forward and seemed to latch onto the water pouring from the grate. Within moments Mia had stopped most of the water from coming through with a huge shield of ice.

"Get up the stairs Isaac!' she shrieked, her voice cracking. It was taking all her scant, remaining strength to hold up the shield. The thin red line of adrenaline and fear the only reason she had been able to use her psynergy in the first place.

Isaac splashed towards the stone steps, then stopped when he realized Mia wasn't following him. He turned to face her, "Mia c'mon!"

The blue eyed Adept clenched her teeth and shook her head, "No Isaac! I have to concentrate on keeping up this barrier, or we'll both be swept away!"

He refused to budge, "No Mia! It doesn't matter what happens to me, but I'm not about to let you die!"

"Isaac!" she screamed in frustration. There was no way her strength was going to last much longer, and she had to make sure Isaac got out of the way in time.

She thrust one hand, now glowing a brilliant, vibrant blue, forward to keep up the barrier; behind which had pooled a large wall of water. With the other hand she pointed at Isaac and shouted, "Ice horn!"

A huge spike of ice materialized out of nowhere and shot straight at Isaac. His only choice was to dodge it by running up the stairs.

"Isaac, Mia!" it was Garet with Ivan close behind him. Ivan quickly assessed the situation and grabbed hold of Isaac's cloak so he couldn't jump back down. Breathing a sigh of relief, Mia allowed the shield to fail. It won't be so bad, dying, she thought as the freezing waters swirled towards her, at least I know now my friends are safe.

Ivan may have had the forethought to keep Isaac from leaping in, but he hadn't taken similar precautions with Garet. Hurt, terrified for Mia, weakened, electrocuted, and still smarting from his defeat, Garet wasted no time and took the leap of faith; landing in the angry waters with a loud splash.

"Garet!" yelled Ivan and Isaac at the same time, rushing forward; horrified.

Isaac fell to his ground as Garet disappeared beneath a large wave; his brain totally numb, "They're gone…they're both gone..."

Or were they?

As Mia's vision grayed, she felt someone grab her hand with their own. It was a large, callused hand and Mia immediately knew whose it was. Her body bucked with shock. He wouldn't! There's no way Garet would be so stupid!

Fortunately for Mia, Garet was that stupid; he also happened to be a strong swimmer even in the condition such as he was now. Positive that he had a good hold on Mia's hand, he kicked his legs and fought against the current. With a gasp, he broke the surface, pulling Mia up after him."Isaac, Ivan," he called, "Over here!"

Isaac, who had been staring disconsolately at the still frothing water, started up with shock, "You're alive!"

"Not for long if we can't reach them," remarked Ivan; dragging Ivan back to cruel reality.

Sure enough, the two were being swept towards a wall at an alarming speed. That's gonna hurt when we smack into it, thought Garet. He braced himself for impact.

"Halt!"

Suddenly, Garet found that neither he or Mia were moving. The water still shook and roiled around them, but Ivan had had the presence of mind to use the Halt Gem. "Isaac," yelled the Wind Adept, "Now's your chance!"

Isaac nodded and raised his arms, "Carry!" he commanded.

Two large white hands rose from Isaac's own and headed towards his two friends. Copying Isaac's gestures, the two giant hands cupped Mia and Garet in their palms, carrying them towards the top shelf that Ivan and Isaac stood safely on, and dropping them on dry ground.

Mia, who by now had regained her senses, stood up shakily, as did Garet. Both were soaked to the bone, but happy to be alive. With a sob Mia hugged him. "You're such an idiot," she blubbered.

Tentatively Garet patted her on the back, unsure how to handle this strange turn of events. "This isn't quite the thanks I expected," he remarked, "but it'll do fine."

Mia laughed and let go, rubbing the tears off her face. Though it didn't really matter as her face was already dripping from her near death experience. She turned to face Isaac and Ivan, "I'd hug you two as well, but I don't want to get your clothes wet."

Garet grinned, "I can fix that. C'mon out Torch!" Out popped a cheery looking Mars djinn, "Dry Mia and me of?" asked it's owner.

Torch gave a giggle of assent and filled the stairway with warm, dry air. Mia felt the water evaporating from her clothes and hair and skin, "Oh Garet, I need to give you Forge back!"

Garet gave her a confused look then nodded, "Oh yeah, I still have Fizz with me, I had him on standby this whole time and kind of forgot about him."

Mia smiled wanly, "That's okay, and I need to thank you for lending him to me, he's a real life savior."

"Glad he could he be of help."

The two handed back their respective djinn; glad to have a full complement of their own element again. As he watched the two Isaac realized with a sinking feeling that Mia now owed her life three times to Garet. There's no way a she's going to want me now he thought miserably.

Ivan noticed the dejected look on his friend's face and thought back to Sheba's lecture earlier that day. He frowned, realizing why Isaac was so unhappy. There's nothing I can do to make him feel better either. Sheba's right, yet again. This is something they're going to have to work out themselves.

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A/N: Yes, I know, it's a short chapter, but I decided it was enough for now. I mean, plus it had like two pages of action; fairly cheap action mind you, but action none-the-less. But I suppose the real reason I'm not writing more for this part is that what I want to write will transition better, in my opinion, if I start it out as a new chapter instead of a new section. What else? Oh yeah, Ara, the name of my villain, is an actual name. I looked it up in this book of names; apparently it's Arabic for Rainmaker. Also, don't be too upset that I gave him "extra special" powers. I have an explanation for that in chapter four (which should be up by the end of the week.) Oh, BTW expect Alex soon! The evil Mercury Adept shall walk again! (Hmm….how well will too psycho blue haired guys work out…..)

A huge thank you to my reviewers:

Dracobolt (I did have something to distinguish between chapters. Unfortunately, they got blipped out of existence. So I went in and added 0000000s. Thanks for TWO reviews.)

Kodoku (I'm not mad you have a question about whether it's Mudshipping or Valeshipping, it shows you care enough about the story to ask questions. However, while I already have who ends up with who picked out, I'm unwilling to say. I don't want someone to stop reading because they don't like my pairings. No worries though, it all shall become clear in later chapters)

Alyss (Glad you're enjoying my story )

Disclaimer:

Zaurak