Josec, Buern and Harry walked along the path leading to the port town of Wusihen. For a while now, they had not encountered any of Innovain's forces and they were happy. They talked excitedly about Buern's new Psychorage.
"Even Josec's Silver Phoenix Psychorage was no match for the Red Dragon but you beat it easily" Harry praised Buern.
"Hey hey, the guy who's not able to psychorage yet shouldn't be dissing other people's Psychorages, don't you think?" Josec teased Harry.
"Say that one more time and you won't live to see the sunset!" Harry threatened.
"Touchy touchy, looks like I tweaked a nerve, I must be quite close to the truth" Josec added more fuel to the fire of Harry's flaming anger.
"You stole my quip and you dare to use it on me?! Do you have some kind of death wish?!" Harry roared angrily.
"You're right though. I did feel kinda weaker when I psychoraged" Josec admitted.
Buern suddenly stopped walking as she recalled Marina's words.
"Josec's sacrifice meant that he would never be complete as a Jo-lan fighter thus he didn't inherit the gift of joki plus he lost half of his true Psychorage."
Josec and Harry noticed the serious look on Buern's face.
"Is there something wrong Buern?" Josec asked.
Buern seemed confused. She didn't know whether to tell Josec why his Psychorage seemed weak or not but she knew that if she told him the truth about his Psychorage, she would also have to tell him the truth about her heritage and she didn't want Josec to hate her. So she decided to keep it a secret and ensure that Josec would never find out.
"Buern, are you feeling alright? You're beginning to look kinda pale" Josec asked worriedly.
"I'm fine Josec. Let's keep going. I think Wusihen is quite close" Buern said.
Josec was not convinced by Buern's words but he decided to let it go. The three friends walked on and on and soon, they found themselves on a forest path. The forest seemed strange to Josec. First of all, many of the trees had been cut and secondly, it was as silent as a graveyard. There was not a single sound from the forest. Neither the chirping of birds nor the sound of any wildlife could be heard.
"It's so sad" Josec said as he suddenly stopped walking.
"What's wrong Jo?" Harry questioned him.
"I don't know why but it feels as if the forest is…crying" Josec said.
"Well that's weird" Harry said.
"I know but it seems to me as if the forest is suffering from an injury" Josec said.
"Double weird" Harry commented.
"I hope you're not just saying that to try and scare us" Buern said seriously.
"My limbs have been severed
My life has been drained
Oh terrible humans
Why cause me this pain?"
A whispery voice sounded in Josec's ears.
"Did you guys just hear that?" Josec asked Buern and Harry.
"Now you're freaking us out" Buern said.
"I thought I just heard a very sorrowful song" Josec said with a concerned look on his face.
Buern and Harry looked concerned.
"I know for a fact that hearing voices is definitely not a good sign" Buern said worriedly.
"I may have just imagined it. Let's keep walking" Josec said with a pretend smile and the friends continued their journey.
When they were finally out of the forest, they saw the sea stretching out far ahead. They could also see a huge town in the distance.
"I think I see the Port Town Of Wusihen!" Buern pointed.
"It's much bigger than I imagined!" Josec exclaimed as they drew closer to the town.
"Nah, it's not so great. It's just big, that's all" Harry scoffed.
The Town was indeed big. As they drew closer, it seemed to stretch so far that it completely eclipsed the sea from their view. The Town was made up of many huge wooden buildings that were beautifully designed. Most of the buildings were painted either white or sea blue. From the distance the three companions stood from the town, they could also see that it was rich in plant life. There were many ornamental trees and avenues within the town and there also seemed to be a park but the friends couldn't see so much as they drew closer as the huge block wall surrounding the town obstructed their view.
"Whoa! This town is even bigger than Gate!" Harry exclaimed.
"Far bigger than Gate!" Buern added.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance to the town. Two sentries stood in front of the huge gates.
"What is your mission here?" one of them asked.
"We've come to board a ship to the continent of Avalon" Buern stated.
"A ship eh? You kids, on your own?" the sentry asked.
"We're on our own and we're not some helpless kids so stop sounding so contemptuous!" Harry growled angrily as he glared menacingly at the sentries.
"Calm down Harry" Josec advised.
"You kids are really spirited. As a favour, I'll give you a fair warning. In Wusihen, the forest, the earth and the sea are not very kind so it will be in your best interest to turn one hundred and eighty degrees and head back to wherever it is you came from" the sentry advised.
"I'll take his advice if I were you" the other sentry said.
"The only way we're going is through this entrance and to the harbour!" Harry declared.
"I thought you'd say that. Fine, we won't stop you…however, it's your funeral" the first sentry said as they parted to allow Josec, Harry and Buern through.
The three companions entered the village with Harry fuming while they walked.
"Can you believe the nerve of those guys?! They actually tried to scare us! I wonder why anyone bothers to board a ship from this port town!" Harry growled angrily.
"That's because it's the only port with ships capable of sailing to other continents. Jeez, you haven't been paying any attention in Geography class have you, you clueless idiot" Buern muttered coldly.
"Vane! You again?! I should have known better! Once a dragon, always a dragon!" Harry accused.
"Hey guys, now is not the time to…?!" Josec suddenly gasped.
His heart suddenly skipped a beat and began to race very fast. His lungs felt like they were being crushed and shivers were running throughout his whole body. He was gasping for air. Buern and Harry looked concerned.
"Josec! Are you alright?!" Harry asked.
Josec looked around.
This feeling was familiar to him. He had experienced it ten years ago on the night his father was killed.
"This feeling! It can only come from an intense killer intent! But who is generating such an intense hatred?" Josec thought as he looked around for signs of a suspicious character but everyone on the streets looked carefree. Soon, the feeling passed and Josec decided to ignore it.
"Josec? Is there a problem? What is wrong with you? Are you alright?" Buern asked frantically.
"No, nothing is wrong, just ignore me. I must have imagined it and I felt quite nauseous" Josec told a half truth.
"You've been imagining a lot of things lately" Buern said seriously. "Let's head to the port and buy tickets for the journey to Avalon" Buern suggested.
"You guys go ahead. I want to learn a few things about this town" Josec said.
"But you're not even familiar with this town. If we separate like this, how will we find one another?" Buern asked worriedly.
"Don't worry, I'll find you guys" Josec assured them.
"How?" Buern asked.
"Yeah, how? Have you forgotten how big this town is?!" Harry yelled angrily.
"Easy, I'll just ask if anyone has seen a ridiculous guy with a nasty temper" Josec teased Harry.
"Ha! Like that, it will be easy to find us even if we were on the moon!" Buern said with a sarcastic look on her face.
"Hey! You guys are mocking me aren't you?!" Harry roared.
"He finally gets it" Buern said with a sly grin.
"Josec, when we find you…I'm gonna pay you back with compound interest!" Harry growled.
"Yeah yeah, get going already before all the tickets are sold out" Josec said with a mocking laugh.
When Buern and Harry were out of sight, Josec assumed a serious look.
"Now to solve the mystery surrounding this town" he said as he walked along the streets of the town, questioning the townspeople.
After questioning about thirty people, he began to get suspicious. All he had learnt from the townspeople was that for almost two years, the town had been plagued by many unexplained natural disasters that resulted in people disappearing. Recently, the disasters were becoming more and more frequent. However, no one was willing to explain the possible causes of the disasters. It was almost as though they were intentionally concealing a terrible secret. Josec walked around the town, lost in deep thought when suddenly, a terrible earthquake rocked the town. Josec and many others fell to the ground from the impact of the earthquake. Josec stared at the ground curiously and without realizing it, his eyes turned silvery. He could see into the ground and what he saw terrified him. A very huge creature looking somewhat like a mole was breaking the foundations of the town with Jo-lan abilities. On top of that, it seemed to have caught many human hostages and imprisoned them underground within a wide network of underground caves and tunnels. Josec shut his eyes tightly and shook his head. When he opened them, he could see normally now.
"What was that just now? Was it my imagination acting up again? First that voice, the killer intent and now this, it can't be a simple coincidence. Something terrible is definitely afoot in this town" Josec thought to himself.
For a while, it seemed as though the tremors were reducing in magnitude when all of a sudden, an even terrible earthquake rocked the town. Buildings began to collapse and huge cracks appeared in the ground. Many of the townspeople were being swallowed up by the cracks. Josec had to psychorage to protect the rest of the townspeople from the collapsing buildings.
**** **** **** **** **** ****
Meanwhile, Buern and Harry who had arrived at the port were experiencing the same thing. In fact, their situation was even worse since the sea had formed a colossal wave which towered over the town, ready to drown it at any moment.
"This is bad! Buern, your Psychorage is a water creature right? I'm sure it can help" Harry suggested.
"MARINA! HELP US!" Buern called loudly.
Moments later, the waves came together to form Marina in her mermaid form.
"Marina, can you please calm the waves?" Buern requested.
"Buern! Leave this town immediately with Josec and Harry!" Marina warned.
In fact, it sounded more like a threat.
"Why is that Marina?" Buern asked.
Marina shut her eyes.
"That is because we are going to destroy this town" Marina said.
"Destroy?!" Buern exclaimed in shock.
"What do you mean by 'we'?!" Harry roared.
"I Marina, the Psychorage of the Oceans, have decided to destroy the Port Town Of Wusihen with Gyata, the Psychorage of the Forest and Tokorewu, the Psychorage of the Earth!" Marina declared.
"But why?" Buern asked.
"Because…this town offends us! The people of this town have declared war against nature!" Marina said angrily.
"What have they done?" Buern asked.
"I want you to verify that for yourselves so that you can see just how much our anger is justified. For your sakes, we will hold back our attack until sunset tomorrow. If by that time, you have not left this town, I don't want to imagine what will happen to you" Marina warned.
"Wait a minute! Are you saying that you'll destroy this town with Buern in it?!" Harry exclaimed in disbelief.
"Though it will pain me to do so, if you have not left this town by sunset tomorrow, I will destroy this town with you in it!" Marina declared.
"WHAAAAT?! SINCE WHEN DO PSYCHORAGES ATTACK THEIR SUMMONERS?!" Harry exclaimed in disbelief.
"Our bond is sacred Buern. It is something no Psychorage wishes to break. Neither do we take our bond with humans lightly. Once a Psychorage betrays that bond, it can no longer exist within the realm of man. I do not wish to hurt you…however….my duty as a Psychorage is first to my element and then, to you Buern. That is even stronger than our bond and for that…I'll go as far as to forcefully break our bond in order to protect the waters. I hope you understand" Marina said sorrowfully.
"I understand" Buern said sadly.
"It will pain me even more to break my promise to your mother. My promise to protect you" Marina said in an emotional, wavering voice.
"I don't want you to suffer because of that so I promise to find a better way of resolving this problem before sunset tomorrow, Marina" Buern said with a determined smile.
"Hee hee! Buern actually has a mother?" Harry teased but Buern silenced him with an instant K.O!
**** **** **** **** **** ****
Meanwhile, Josec had created a protective barrier of wide range over a vast majority of the people in the town. Even he had no idea of how he did it but he was glad that nobody else got hurt. Suddenly, he heard a firm feminine voice,
"TOKOREWU! WITHDRAW!" the voice ordered.
The tremors ceased almost immediately. Josec was relieved. The barrier he had cast vanished soon afterwards and he reverted to his human form. He panted heavily and collapsed from exhaustion. The people began to gather around him. Loud cheering broke the air. Josec stared at the people cheering him. He wanted to tell them that they didn't need to, that it wasn't over yet but he felt too weak to even speak, then he blacked out.
Many hours passed with Josec remaining unconscious. He had been taken in by a peasant woman who worked in a bakery. Buern and Harry had found the woman after a long search. The woman took them into her house. It was a very humble dwelling place, quite like Josec's home in Ferus Village and it was very close to the entrance of the town.
Buern and Harry asked to see Josec but the woman informed them that he was resting.
"Is he resting or is he unconscious?" Harry asked.
"He is exhausted. That boy protected everyone with a powerful shield I never thought a human could create" the woman said.
"Please let us see him. We won't disturb him" Buern pleaded.
Eventually, the woman had no choice but to lead them to the room where Josec was resting. Then she left to attend to other matters. Buern and Harry saw him lying peacefully on the bed.
Harry was fuming and Buern was confused as to whether to be angry or worried.
"Why does he have to be so reckless?" she said with a concerned smile.
"Well that's Josec for you" Harry said.
"Sometimes I wish he'd be more concerned about himself for once" Buern said.
Josec began to stir, then he opened his eyes.
"Josec" Buern called softly.
Josec struggled to sit up.
"No! Don't exert yourself. Lie back down and rest!" Buern ordered.
"I can't. I must help the hostages…unnh!" Josec grunted in pain as he stood up but his legs felt wobbly.
"You can't do much in your present condition" Harry advised.
"You just had to rub it in didn't you?" Josec glared at Harry.
"Yep! And I'm enjoying every moment of your uselessness" Harry said with a smirk.
"Just you wait till I recover jerk face" Josec grumbled.
"We'll see about that jelly legs" Harry added more fuel.
Buern knocked him.
"Cut it out already! Josec needs to rest!" Buern scolded him.
"Wait a minute, where are we?" Josec asked worriedly.
"IF YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS SO RECKLESS YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO REPEAT THAT QUESTION SO OFTEN!" Buern scolded Josec.
Josec winced. The woman walked in and saw Josec standing. "I thought you kids promised not to disturb him!" she scolded Buern and Harry.
"They didn't. I just woke up on my own" Josec defended his friends.
The woman smiled.
"You're a really nice kid" she said.
"Thanks" Josec replied.
**** **** **** **** **** ****
It was already late in the evening so the woman served them dinner and asked them to stay for the night. The three friends agreed. The woman was glad to have them in her house. As Josec was eating, he glanced around the room and his eyes fell on a picture. It was a family picture of the woman, a man, a young boy and a girl.
"Are those your children?" Josec asked curiously.
The woman remained silent as tears began to flow down her eyes.
"My husband and my children" she said.
"Where are they?" Josec asked.
"My husband disappeared about two years ago, my son, a year later and my daughter just the previous week" the woman informed them.
"That's horrible" Buern said sadly.
"Tell us, has this village offended in any way, the Psychorages of water…" Harry was asking when Josec interrupted him.
"As well as the Psychorages of the Earth and Forest?" Josec asked.
"Forest and Earth? Do you mean Gyata and Tokorewu?" Buern asked.
"Is that what the Psychorages are called?" Josec asked.
Buern informed Josec of Marina's intentions.
"Well I'm not surprised considering the fact that I heard a voice in the forest earlier singing in a sorrowful voice;
"My limbs have been severed
My life has been drained
Oh terrible humans
Why cause me this pain?"
Josec repeated the words the forest had spoken. The woman gasped in surprise.
"I thought you were joking but I now believe you. What I can't understand is why we couldn't hear the voice as well" Buern said seriously.
"Oh God be praised! Josec, are you in any way the Crimson Phoenix Of Jo-lan?" the woman asked, much to the surprise of everyone.
"Me? No I'm not a phoenix. I'm a human. Besides, my Psychorage isn't the Crimson Phoenix. It's a Silver Phoenix and it's element is lightning, not fire" Josec informed the woman.
"Hmm, that's funny. My husband was a Jo-lan know-it-all and he always said that in the entire world, there was only one creature that had the form of a bird, yet with the power of a dragon and more. That Psychorage, according to him would one day unite nature in one final stand against the great force of darkness that seeks to destroy all of life. That Psychorage is the Crimson Phoenix of Jo-lan and my husband believed that it would return one day as 'The True Phoenix'. I always thought of him as a nonsense talker but now, I believe" the woman said.
Buern bit her lower lip.
"It's my fault Josec can't use his true Psychorage" Buern thought with a guilty conscience.
"Can you help me? I'm sure my family will be at peace once the curse on this village is broken" the woman wept.
"We will help you but first of all, we need to know why the Psychorages hate this town?" Josec inquired.
The woman looked nervous.
"I can't help you with that. I think you should see the mayor if you want to know the entire truth. I could be killed for revealing the truth" the woman said.
"It's that bad huh? That mayor is already on my list of suspects" Harry said.
"We'll do that first thing in the morning" Josec pretended to ignore Harry.
The woman showed them to the guest room. Buern, Harry and Josec conversed about the weirdness of the entire day once they were in their beds.
"What could possibly be so terrible that the Psychorages wish to annihilate the entire village?" Josec asked.
"We'll find out tomorrow. For now, goodnight" Buern said.
"Goodnight Buern. Sweet dreams. You too Harry" Josec said happily.
"I don't really care much for sweet dreams. I prefer nightmares. That way, I get to chase Innovain and my dad around with a diabolic cutlass. MWAHAHAHAHA!!!" Harry laughed evilly.
Josec and Buern burst into laughter.
"Hey Josec, Harry, do you think we'll always be together like this?" Buern asked.
"I don't see why not" Josec said.
"Besides, to be honest, this journey is the greatest fun I've had in ages. I can't believe we're actually going up against Innovain" Harry said.
"And Souryu, don't forget that. He is the main threat" Buern said.
"But you know, time can change a lot of things. Even a person's heart" Josec said.
"Then Josec, let time change everything but promise me that you won't let your heart be changed" Buern pleaded.
"I promise, I won't ever change. But you and Harry must promise not to change too" Josec said.
"I promise that for as long as I live, I will let my heart remain unchanged" Buern said.
"The only change I intend to have is to become stronger and cooler than I already am. I'm never going to turn into a jerk. That is a promise" Harry promised.
"There is no need to promise that, you're already a jerk" Buern and Josec said in unison.
Then they all burst into laughter.
"With this, I can rest easy" Buern said as she shut her eyes.
The following day arrived soon enough and the three companions prepared themselves to meet the mayor of Wusihen. Soon, they were walking on the road that led to the Mayor's mansion. As expected, the mayor's mansion was the largest in Wusihen. It was almost as large as Innovain's castle.
Josec frowned.
"I think I'm beginning to see why Gyata is so angry with this town" Josec said.
Harry and Buern agreed with him. The guards at the Mayor's gate walked to them.
"The mayor has been expecting you" they said.
"Really?" Josec asked.
"This way" the guards said as they led the three friends into the mayor's mansion.
The courtyard was filled with many ornamental plants. The path to the mayor's mansion was made of expensive red bricks and at the centre of the courtyard, just in front of the mansion was a fountain.
"Wow, this is one impressive dwelling place" Harry admired the place.
"It is truly beautiful" Buern said.
The guards led the companions into the hall of the mansion. There, they were asked to wait. After a few minutes, a man came down the stairs clothed in rich leather garments. He wore a golden belt. He looked very healthy and a bit bulky. Josec looked around the hall and noticed that it was decorated with animal skins, heads and horns and the bones of rare fishes. Josec frowned.
"Wow, you're really rich aren't you?" Harry said, pretending to be excited.
"Do you like my collection?" the mayor asked.
"You must be a highly skilled hunter. How many animals have you killed to gain all this?" Josec asked trying to remain calm but without much success.
"I'll say about a thousand since this village was founded but that's only me. I'm proud to say that all the men in this village are skilled hunters, great fishermen, great miners or great woodsmen. Some are even all in one but among hunters, I'm the record holder for bringing in the most kills" the mayor bragged.
Josec wanted to punch him for the simple fact that the foolish mayor did not even seem to realize the implication of his words. He was so angry that his fists were trembling. He took in a deep breath to calm himself.
"We'd like a tour of this town. We come from a very small village and we'd like to know what makes this town so great" Buern said.
The mayor examined their faces carefully and smiled.
"Of course, I'll instruct my guards to give you a tour right away" the mayor said.
Then he called two of his guards and whispered something to them. Then the guards escorted Josec, Harry and Buern out of the mansion. First, they were taken to the harbour.
"As you might already know, most of Wusihen's wealth comes from trade with the other continents" one of the guards said.
"And what exactly do you trade?" Josec asked.
"Fruits, wood and fish" the other guard said.
Josec was not convinced that they were telling the truth so he asked to see some of the things that were on the ships but the soldiers informed him that access to the ships was restricted.
"I wonder why" Josec asked suspiciously.
"Well if we let every stranger who comes into this city take a look at the contents of the ships, we would be robbed very often" one guard joked.
His words raised Josec's suspicions.
"So how much does each ship carry?" Harry asked.
"About five hundred tonnes each. I can't be sure about the figures" the first guard said.
"I see. So when will the ships be leaving?" Buern asked.
"Tomorrow morning" the other guard said.
"That will be if Wusihen survives to see midnight" Josec muttered.
"Did you say something?" the guards asked.
"Nah, I've been wondering if we could see the mines and the storehouses" Josec said.
The guards eyed him suspiciously.
"We can give you a tour of the mines but the storehouses are out of bounds" the first guard said.
Josec noticed how cautious the guards were becoming so he asked no more questions.
"We'd love to see the mines" Buern saved the situation.
So the guards began to lead them towards the mines. They walked out of Wusihen's main gate and through the forest. As they walked on, Josec began to hear the whispery voice again. The only difference was that it seemed more distressed than it was before.
"You may have severed my limbs
O terrible humans
But the life I have
You will lose forever
You may have drained my life
You ruthless beings
But tomorrow is a day you'll never see!"
Josec was struck by fear from hearing those words. He bit his lower lip.
"Buern, Harry, I think I'll take a look in the forest. You guys try to find out what the mayor has hidden in the ships and storehouses. Please be quick, we don't have much time" he whispered to Buern and Harry.
"You heard the voice again didn't you?" Buern asked.
Josec nodded.
"And honestly, I didn't like its words" Josec said as he stopped walking.
"You guys go ahead without me. I need to check something out in the forest" Josec said aloud with a pretence chuckle.
"Just be careful boy" the guards warned.
Josec waved and ran into the forest.
**** **** **** **** **** ****
Josec walked for a while and finally found footprints.
"These are human footprints" Josec said as curiosity began to fill him.
He followed the footprints deep into the heart of the forest.
"Gyata! Can you hear me?! I need to speak with you!" Josec called loudly, yet respectfully.
Soon he reached a clearing. In front of him stood a very huge tree. He tried to see how tall it was but it was so tall that it seemed to stretch into the clouds.
"Whoa! What kind of tree is this?!" Josec exclaimed in shock.
"Yggdrasil!" a feminine voice answered him.
"Huh? Who said that?!" Josec asked as he looked around.
He saw a young girl of about ten years of age staring at him. She was a brunette with purple eyes and petite.
"Hi, my name is Fleur" the girl greeted him.
"I'm Josec. What are you doing here?" Josec asked.
"I'm an eternal sentinel…just kidding, but I wish I were one. My wish is to protect Yggdrasil forever!" the girl said excitedly.
"I also wish to protect Yggdrasil!" Josec exclaimed.
"Wow! You're just like me!" the girl laughed.
"Um…by the way…what's Yggdrasil?" Josec asked with a nervous laugh.
"Hey hey mister. You just said you wish to protect Yggdrasil yet you don't know what Yggdrasil is?" Fleur asked Josec.
"Haha! My wish is to protect every living being, human, animal, even Psychorage!" Josec declared.
Fleur smiled.
"No wonder he likes you so much. He just can't stop talking about you. He keeps saying, 'The emissary of peace is coming. The saviour of the world has been born.' Jeez! I seldom understand his words" Fleur said with a laugh.
"He?" Josec inquired.
"Yggdrasil" Fleur said.
"Wait a minute. Is this tree by any chance Yggdrasil?" Josec wondered.
"You finally figured it out huh?" Fleur said.
"Nice to meet you Yggdrasil…" Josec said as his expression suddenly became a sad one.
"Is something wrong mister?" Fleur asked.
"I've been hearing Yggdrasil's voice lately and he seems very sad. I want to help the Psychorages and the people of Wusihen but I just don't know how to do it without taking sides" Josec said.
Almost immediately after he had said this, Yggdrasil began to glow bright green and its form slowly changed. It began to shrink and its glow became golden and fiery. Josec shielded his eyes but Fleur just stared at the transformation. When the light disappeared, Josec opened his eyes to look at Yggdrasil but there was no Yggdrasil. In the place where Yggdrasil once stood, there now stood a mighty lion. It gave such a terrifying roar that for a moment, Josec felt afraid.
"A-A-A-Are y-y-you Gyata, the Psychorage of the forest?" Josec asked nervously.
"That I am, young Master Fenix" Gyata said.
"You know who I am?" Josec asked.
"Yes I do. Yet I do not think you have the strength to stop Marina and Tokorewu" Gyata said.
"Are you trying to say that you will not join them in destroying Wusihen?" Josec asked.
"I will fight to preserve the forest but I have cast aside the thought of destroying Wusihen and it's all thanks to young Fleur. In the few days I've known her, she has proven to me that not all humans have destructive intentions" Gyata said.
"Wait a minute! Fleur, are you the daughter of a certain baker in Wusihen?" Josec asked as sudden realization hit him.
"I am" Fleur said.
"Your mother is really worried about you" Josec said caringly.
"I am worried for her too. Gyata has promised to save my family but he might not be strong enough to stop Marina and Tokorewu" Fleur said.
"Why is that?" Josec asked.
"It's not just me. Marina and Tokorewu too are being weakened by the humans' continuous efforts to plunder the forest, the earth and the seas" Gyata informed Josec.
"What exactly do they do?" Josec wondered.
"You can't bother with that now. You will have to rescue the hostages Tokorewu has taken and you can't do that without the 'Eye of the Heart'" Gyata said.
"What is the eye of the heart and how can it help me?" Josec asked.
"I believe you have already experienced it. It is one of the phoenix's many gifts. It is the ability to see with your heart instead of using just your eyes" Gyata informed Josec.
"Can you teach me?" Josec requested.
"I'll try but I'm not sure you can master it before sunset for it is already noon" Gyata said.
**** **** **** **** **** ****
Meanwhile, Harry and Buern had completed their tour.
"The mines looked fine though I must admit that the land was pretty much degraded. Do you think the secret of Wusihen lies in the ships?" Buern asked.
"Do I think? I know so!" Harry declared.
They were hiding behind some crates at the docks.
"Harry, are you sure we should be doing this?" Buern asked.
"You heard Josec. We've got to check the ships and storehouses" Harry said.
"I'm not used to doing stuff like this. It feels like espionage" Buern complained.
"Says the daughter of the evil warlord. You always were Miss High-and-Mighty. I learnt stuff like this from my dad. First we create a diversion. A v-e-e-e-r-y loud diversion" Harry said with a mischievous smile.
"But how?" Buern asked.
"Just leave it to the master. Jo-lan art! Blades Of Wind!" Harry called in a sharp whisper as he made sweeping motions with his hands.
A strong gust of wind caused significant damage to one of the ships. All the port guards rushed to the ship. Harry and Buern took the opportunity to sneak into one of the storehouses.
When they entered the storehouse, they could not see anything due to the darkness. Harry groped around for a lantern. He eventually managed to find one.
"How can it be so dark in here?" Buern asked.
"It's because the storehouses don't have any windows. Didn't you notice it from outside? That was pretty damn suspicious if you ask me. Why would they go so far to conceal fruits, wood and fish?" Harry asked as he lit the lantern.
He raised it and the light fell on numerous wooden crates and barrels.
"Now let's see what the mayor has been hiding? It's time to find out the secret behind Wusihen's curse" Harry said as he walked to a wooden crate and opened it.
"Harry, this isn't right. Besides, you know we are strangers in this town" Buern said.
"Well my philosophy is 'better to ask for forgiveness than seek permission'. Besides Buern, what we're doing is worth the risk" Harry said as he peered into the box.
"What's in it?" Buern asked.
"Heh! Buern, I think I know why Marina, Gyata and Tokorewu are so angry" Harry said.
"Why?" Buern asked.
"Come and see" Harry answered.
Buern walked to him and peered into the crate. Inside the crate were knives and all sorts of ornaments and clothes made from the bones and skins of animals.
"These ornaments are made from the shells of rare marine creatures and the knives are made from the horns and tusks of buffaloes, deer, elephants and rhinos" Harry said as he shut the crate.
He opened another crate and found it to contain countless more of the items.
"If two crates contain this much of such items, imagine the number of animals that have been sacrificed to fill all these crates. Wusihen is more of a wildlife graveyard than a town!" Harry declared with a look of horror and disgust in his eyes.
"This is terrible! But I still wonder how they managed to capture so many sea creatures to obtain this much shells and pearls" Buern asked.
Harry walked to one of the barrels and kicked it. He heard the liquid in it splash and move around.
"I wonder what this is. Could it be blood?" Harry joked.
Buern walked to the barrel and crouched beside it. There was a drawing of a skull with two crossbones on it.
"That's never a good sign" Harry said.
"It's got something written on it. 'Danger this barrel contains a concentrated amount of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane. Caution must be taken during transport and handling'" Buern read the piece of writing on the barrel.
"Wait a minute. That sounds familiar. Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, isn't that the acronym for…"
"DDT!!!" Harry and Buern exclaimed in horror.
"Don't tell me they've been fishing with this?!" Buern looked panic-stricken.
"They've probably been poisoning the animals with this too! No wonder the Psychorages wish to destroy the town! Well why don't we just let 'em?!" Harry roared angrily.
"We can't. They probably aren't aware of the harm they are causing" Buern said thoughtfully.
"I DON'T CARE! IF I COULD PSYCHORAGE, I'D HAVE DESTROYED THIS VILLAGE WITH MARINA, GYATA AND TOKOREWU!!!" Harry yelled.
"Well I'm sure they think with the same philosophy you do, 'better to ask for forgiveness than permission.' They certainly didn't ask for permission" Buern teased.
"I always knew that philosophy was flawed so it's good I developed a new one. 'Trash Wusihen now, feel sorry later!' and I really mean it!" Harry said seriously.
"And have you bothered to ask what Josec would think of this new philosophy?" Buern asked.
"He'd probably say 'it's a good thing you can't psychorage yet Harry'" Harry imitated Josec's voice. "Now let's get outta here and find Josec."
"None of you are going anywhere!" a familiar voice said sternly.
"Great! Just when we decided to leave!" Harry muttered angrily as he turned to face the speaker.
They found themselves surrounded by guards.
"Do not move or we'll take you down with extreme prejudice!" the leader of the guards ordered.
"I don't even understand what that means" Harry said with a mocking expression on his face.
"What were you people thinking?! Why would you harm so much wildlife?!" Buern questioned the guards.
"Why else?! For profits of course" the mayor said as he stepped into the storehouse.
"You did such a senseless thing just for money?!" Buern roared.
"Gold is what keeps a town running. Besides, the taxes Lord Innovain has imposed on us are too high for us to pay without resorting to unscrupulous means" the mayor answered.
Buern bit her lip and lowered her eyes.
"Damn it! As usual, dad is to be blamed for all of this" she thought in anguish.
Harry glanced at her.
"Don't worry Vane. We'll find a way to make this right" Harry tried to comfort Buern.
"Escort them to the docks for immediate execution. Don't delude yourselves into thinking that you will leave this town alive after beholding our secret treasures" the mayor declared.
"Secret funeral is more like it" Harry muttered.
When the guards had escorted Harry and Buern to the docks, Harry motioned to Buern for them to initiate an escape.
"Not this time Harry. Look…it is almost sunset" Buern said. Harry stared over the horizon and saw that the sky had turned orange in colour. The sun was beginning to set.
"Well Mayor, if you were foolish enough to defy three spirits of nature…then you must be ready to reap the consequences am I right?" Buern asked with a cunning smile.
"What are you talking about?" the mayor asked disdainfully.
"Do you believe in divine retribution?" Buern asked with a smirk.
"HA! Don't make me laugh! Like I believe in an all-powerful God, spirits and a demon like Souryu! I am my own god!" the mayor mocked Buern.
"Oh really?" Harry urged him on while looking anxiously for the sunset.
"In fact, right now, you can consider me your god since your fates rest within my hands" the foolish mayor bragged.
The sky began to darken threateningly as though foretelling an ill omen.
"Well then, if you are a god, you should have no problem stopping the Psychorages on your own" Buern said with a smirk.
Almost immediately after she had said that, the ground began to tremble. The tremors started gently and gradually turned into a violent earthquake.
"What is happening?!" the mayor screamed in terror as his men fell to the ground.
"Buern! Now is our chance! Let's get outta here!" Harry ordered and they escaped.
"Don't let them get away!" the mayor ordered.
His men immediately began to pursue Buern and Harry.
**** **** **** **** **** ****
Meanwhile, in the forest, Josec was trying desperately to master the eye of the heart.
"Don't try to command the eye of the heart to awaken. It is a part of you. Just try to experience it. Let it come naturally. Relax, close off all your other senses and focus on feeling your surroundings with every breath you take" Gyata instructed.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble.
"It has begun! You will have to master the eye on your own after all. We have to stop Marina and Tokorewu! You won't make it there in time on your own. Hop on my back! I'll take you!" Gyata ordered.
"Heh! You say that like it's the easiest thing to do. Have you already forgotten that you are taller than the buildings in Wusihen?" Josec asked with a confident smile.
Gyata grabbed Josec in his paws and tossed Josec unto his back.
"Hold on tight!" Gyata ordered.
"That's easy since your fur is pretty much half my height!" Josec teased and grabbed Gyata's fur tightly.
"Okay, we're off!" Gyata declared as he raced over the forest.
By that time, Harry and Buern were deeply engaged in a battle with the mayor and his men. They punched, kicked and knocked the men unconscious with their Jo-lan abilities. Unfortunately for them though, more of the mayor's men rushed to the scene.
"Shoot! We're surrounded!" Buern muttered angrily.
Harry looked around and smiled.
"What's so funny Bane?!" Buern scolded him.
"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with the letter 'M' and hell she looks pissed off!" Harry laughed.
Buern looked towards the sea and saw Marina charging towards the land seated atop a gigantic tidal wave. She raised her trident and the wave increased in size.
"I warned you so many times Wusihen but you refused to listen! Now prepare to face our wrath!" Marina roared as the wave approached the town.
"MARINA! DON'T DO IT! MARINA STOP!" Buern screamed desperately.
Marina saw her and shook her head slowly.
"I'm sorry Buern. I warned you" Marina said as she pointed the trident forward!
The wave began to collapse on the town.
There was chaos all around Wusihen. The people screamed and tried to hide in shelters. Most of them were too shocked to do anything but stare at the terrifying wave announcing their imminent doom. The worst part of it all was the fact that they knew in their hearts that this disaster was the fruit of the seeds sown by their constant exploitation of nature. They knew they couldn't do anything to avert it and began to pray for mercy. The mayor and his guards were the most stupefied of all the residents of Wusihen.
"What have I done?!" the mayor exclaimed in terror.
"Buern, there is nothing we can do now. It's too late" Harry sighed in defeat.
Buern bit her lip and stared at the approaching wave.
"Josec…if you can hear me…PLEASE STOP MARINA!!!" she screamed at the top of her voice as tears streamed down her face.
Suddenly, a loud shriek broke the silence and the terror of the moment. Buern and Harry looked into the skies and saw a huge silver bird almost like a comet streaking across the sky.
"Josec!" Buern called joyfully.
Josec glided through the skies on currents of wind.
"I'll end all tragedies!" he roared as he charged towards the wave.
"You can't stop me Josec!" Marina roared.
"I WILL STOP YOU! SONIC WAVE!" Josec declared as he opened his beak and shrieked with all his might.
Everyone shielded their ears. Huge waves of sound crashed into Marina's wave and divided it into halves.
"SECRET MOVE OF THE DEFENDER! AEGIS SHIELD!" Josec roared as a huge dome covered the entire town of Wusihen.
"I may not have the Eye Of Heart yet Gyata but I can see clearly with my heart. Thank you" Josec thought silently.
Gyata watched him from a distance and smiled.
"I appreciate your words Josec" he said.
The waves of water flowed over the dome but not a single drop of water fell on Wusihen. The villagers stared in trepidation as the tidal wave passed over the town, causing darkness to temporarily envelope the town. Josec flew to Marina.
"Stop this Marina! You have a kind heart! Don't destroy yourself by becoming like these people" Josec said.
"I will destroy that town! They destroyed nature!" Marina roared.
"Marina, what you have lost can be replaced but…human life cannot be replaced so easily. Marina, if you destroy this town, you will start a war between humans and Psychorages, a war that will never end. Both sides will lose in the end and this world will be filled with regrets. You will not only destroy nature but you'll end all life. Do you really want to put an end to God's creation?" Josec asked in a gentle voice.
Marina looked as though she was struggling with herself.
"Why Josec? Why do you want to save these disgusting humans?! They don't deserve to live and you know it!" Marina said sadly.
Somehow she began to feel that the only way she could destroy the town was if Josec gave her permission to do so. Josec smiled.
"That may be true Marina but I'm just a human and you're just a Psychorage. None of us can create life so it is not in our hands to decide who deserves to live or die. Those guilty shall be punished by their own actions. I assure you that you will be happier if you listen to me and spare them" Josec said.
"Those sea creatures…they were my friends! My family! How can you ask me to spare the people that harmed them for no reason at all! Besides, you've also killed people on your quest, evil people!" Marina argued.
Josec shook his head slowly.
"No Marina, I've never killed anyone. My Jo-lan class doesn't allow me to wield or use lethal force. I haven't, can't and do not intend to ever kill anyone. Not even Innovain" Josec said.
"How can you say that?! Innovain killed your father and he is holding your mother hostage if he hasn't killed her already! Don't you love your parents?! Why won't you avenge them?!" Marina burst into tears.
Buern and Harry watched Josec and Marina.
"Marina" Josec called as he partially reverted to his human form, maintaining only his wings.
He approached Marina and wrapped his wings around her to comfort her.
"I do love my parents but none of them wish for vengeance. I want to end the wars without resorting to vengeance. Pain is a part of life, irrespective of whether we are human, animal, plant or Psychorage. It is a reality, whether we choose to accept it or not but…it is how we deal with the pain that defines who we are" Josec said.
Marina stared at Wusihen.
"T-Tokorewu…withdraw" she ordered gently and the earthquakes ceased.
The ground split open and stairs appeared. As the villagers watched, the hostages and all the missing people came out of the hole where they had been held for days, weeks, months, even years. The baker was reunited with her husband and son. Fleur and Gyata watched from a distance.
"He really is the emissary of peace isn't he?" Fleur asked.
"He is. But, I didn't expect this outcome. It is the best possible outcome. Fleur, return to your family" Gyata said kindly.
"But what about you?" Fleur asked.
"Josec has saved my family. It's okay. I'll always be nearby, watching you grow into a beautiful flower. Maybe then, you can become my sentinel" Gyata said.
Fleur hugged Gyata. He had reduced to the size of a normal lion.
"Now go" Gyata said.
Fleur ran into the town and embraced her family.
"You did the right thing Marina" Josec said.
Marina smiled.
"For a while, I forgot what it meant to value life. I would have become like them. Is that why you stopped me Josec?" Marina asked.
By then, Josec was fully human. He stood on the land and Marina rested on a small wave.
Buern looked at Josec.
"Is that why you stopped her Josec?" Buern asked.
"No, I stopped you…so that you wouldn't become like Souryu" Josec said.
Everyone seemed surprised at first. Marina smiled.
"I'm really grateful. You're just like your father. Except…you're kinder" Marina said.
"Hey! Are you trying to say my dad wasn't kind?!" Josec seemed offended.
Marina smiled.
"He was the kindest man I knew" Marina said.
Buern hit Josec playfully on the back.
"Looks like the men in your family are really popular" she teased.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Josec asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Figure that out on your own" Buern said as she stretched. "I'm really tired" she yawned.
The mayor wasn't satisfied with the turn of events.
"Arrest them!" he ordered.
"You're mad if you think we'll follow your orders from now on!" one of his men roared.
"Fine! I'll do it myself!" he roared as he grabbed a dagger and charged towards Josec.
Josec punched him hard in the face. The mayor fell to the ground. Before he could recover, the guards pounced on him.
"Now this, you can do!" he said as he clapped his hands as though he was trying to rid them of dirt.
Everyone laughed. The soldiers arrested the mayor and sent him away to be locked in a cell.
"This really is the best outcome!" Marina said.
"Wait, there is just one more thing we'd like to do" one of the soldiers said.
"What might that be?" Marina asked.
The villagers came out of the storehouses carrying crates. One by one, they emptied the contents of the crates into the sea.
"The spoils of the sea belong in the sea" they said.
Marina felt satisfied. "I can feel it, the ocean is happy" she said with a smile. "I'm glad I listened to you Josec. Buern, I'm sorry for disregarding our bond. It will never happen again" Marina apologized.
"I'm glad to hear that" Buern said.
"Hey kids! You did well. I never expected you kids to save our town and to think we nearly turned you away" one of the sentries Josec and co had met at the entrance to Wusihen said.
"TCH! Serves you right! We deserve a hell of an apology if you ask me!" Harry roared.
"We're sorry. You're really strong. We admit it" the sentries said playfully.
"Don't admit anything. Josec did all the hard work" Buern intentionally tried to provoke Harry.
"Hey Vane! I worked my butt off to create a diversion or have you forgotten?!" Harry roared angrily.
"I know, I'm just teasing you" Buern said.
Josec turned to Buern and Harry.
"So did you get our tickets?" he asked.
"NO! We forgot! How could we forget?!" Harry panicked.
"Don't worry. A ship will be leaving at sunrise tomorrow. We'll be glad to give you a ride to Avalon" one of the soldiers said.
"Thanks a lot!" Josec said gratefully.
"How are you feeling Josec? Psychoraging usually tires you out" Buern asked worriedly.
I'm fine. I think I'm beginning to get used to it. Thanks for asking" Josec said gratefully.
"Hey Josec! Would you like to stay with us for one more night?!" the baker called.
"Yes Josec! It will be great! Please agree!" Fleur insisted.
"He really is popular around girls" Harry sighed jealously.
"Don't let it get to you. I'm sure somewhere out there, there's a wonderful girl waiting for you" Buern tried to cheer Harry up.
"TCH! With my luck, she'll probably be evil! Besides, I don't have time for girls and stuff like that. Right now, I need to concentrate on becoming strong enough to defeat my dad! I don't need a girl in my life" Harry sighed and walked away.
Buern watched him.
"You're like me. You grew up without a mother. It's precisely why you need a girl in your life" Buern thought to herself and smiled.
That night, there was a small celebration in the baker's house to welcome her family back. There was so much excitement as the baker's husband couldn't stop talking of the legendary phoenix of Jo-lan. Josec, Harry and Buern didn't take his words seriously initially but they would later need his help on their journey.