Schala was beginning to wake up. She was dizzy and confused.
"Ah! The young lass is waking up, Jakob!" Johan called. Jakob came walking down the stairs from the attic of the cabin and sat down by Schala again.
"I'm sorry... did you say Janus? And... the Prophet?" Schala said in near disbelief.
Jakob nodded, "Yes Miss."
"Please, call me Schala."
"As you wish. He was a dark and mysterious man. A built his own cabin, over there, by the forest," Jakob pointed out the window to a cabin bordering the tree line, "He's lived here for quite awhile now. He was always at the commons for meetings and such, but he often stayed to himself. When he built his cabin he turned down each offer of help. He was always seemingly able to see the soon future, though. That's why he was called the Prophet."
The Prophet, Schala thought, that cruel man. But wait, it almost made sense. Schala never had quite seen his face. He did show caring for her and her only, however. He spared Crono and his friends. He had tried to help her when the Mammon Machine became too powerful, awakening Lavos.
Jakob continued, "He was cruel, occasionally. He never helped anyone, nor wanted help from anyone else. He killed one young man in the commons, explaining that 'he was a filthy urchin dedicated to making other's lives as miserable as his own.' After that, most people let him be."
Is that was what was to become of her brother, Janus? To become a cruel, cold hearted man?
"Is he here? What has happened to him?"
"We don't know... he disappeared several weeks ago. His disappearances are quite common. He said he visited a shrine, a private shrine, he built long ago, dedicated to a girl named Schala. I suppose the Schala he meant is you. The poor man... he spent his entire time here searching the land for you."
A tear came to Schala's eye. Her poor brother... he'd spent such a long time searching for her, and when she finally arrived he wasn't here. A blanket of guilt swept across Schala's body.
"I'd advise, Schala," Jakob said in his caring voice, "that you rest up and get plenty to eat. Once you've regained your health I can show you around the small town we've managed to build, and, you can visit the Prophet's cabin."
Schala was forced to agree. She was in no position to be on her own.
"Oh yes, Schala, we have a small guest room downstairs. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you like." Jakob said, giving Schala a warm smile.
These two men were so nice to her over the past few days, she noted, always trying to help her in the best way possible. So caring. Schala felt at home.
Jakob went to the small market in Sha'quela and bought Schala new clothes to replace her tattered and worn purple robe. Jakob returned to the cabin with several new items for Schala. A baggy white pair of pants, a loose fitting white shirt and jacket, a pair of white shoes, and a pendant made of a rare jade stone.
Schala liked the clothes, they fit well, and felt very comfortable.
"What is the pendant for, Jakob?"
"I thought it looked nice and figured you'd like it." Jakob replied, kind of shyly. Schala smiled and hugged him.
"Thank you Jakob, the pendant is very beautiful," she paused to slip the pendant around her neck, "and thank you, for everything else you've done. You don't know how much I'm grateful for everything you've given me."
"You're welcome Schala. Say, you look up to it... would you like to take a walk around the town? There's not much, but you could get familiar with the locals."
"I'd love to. Thank you Jakob."
TO BE CONTINUED