Disclaimer: I don't own Fable or Fable: The Lost Chapters
"Are you okay?"
Sabre lay back with Rebecca lying on top of him. Sweat rolled down his back into the scratches on his back and burned slightly. Ten months later and Sabre still imagined what would have happened if he or Avatar had taken the Sword of Aeons into their own hands and claimed the power. He could feel his hair being stroked by Rebecca and he could feel her naked skin against his. He couldn't see her though. He only remembered seeing Avatar holding the Sword of Aeons and looking down at it longingly. He had only told Rebecca about it, he had told her that he took a moment to tell Avatar to rid himself of it. And in that moment, he too had looked at it with the hunger of greed. The hunger for power. Then he came to his senses and told Avatar to cast it into the vortex. After that, Sabre never wanted to be recognized again. He knew what he felt when he looked at the sword was what Jack of Blades and Maleficus the Destroyer had felt when they first felt power. They felt hunger for more and strived to gain it.
"I'm fine." Sabre answered looking up at her. "Just a Balverine's scratch."
He rolled over and laid her on the bed smiling. She glared at him for the comment but her hands felt over the scratches on his back and she giggled.
"Sorry." She muttered.
Sabre ignored it and kissed her lovingly. He held her close knowing that she was the only one capable of protecting him.
"He was a distraction to Jack." Avatar told the Guildmaster.
They had had this argument several times now. The Guildmaster was adamant in his judgment about Sabre. He might have changed his mind had he known about the part Sabre played in the defeat of Jack of Blades.
"And he is therefore still held guilty by the Guild of murder of a hero. He must be executed for his crime!" a vein appeared in the Guildmaster's temple.
"You're the only one who feels that way." Avatar persisted. "I've spoke with Briar Rose, she is perfectly all right with him being here still alive."
"No, Avatar. It's you and Briar that find him innocent. Thunder feels the same way."
"Thunder is headstrong and arrogant."
"I don't care! Even if I didn't have the majority of the Guild on my side, I am the Guildmaster and the leader of this Guild. You will follow my orders as long as you are a part of this Guild!"
Avatar cracked his jaw and growled his response. "I won't kill him."
The Guildmaster glared back and said "Then Thunder will. Or Briar Rose will. I don't care who kills him. He must be killed though."
Avatar shoved past the short old man and towards the Cullis Gate.
"Avatar! There are those who agree with me."
Avatar turned as he stepped into the light of the gate. "Yes, the wicked and malevolent."
He disappeared to his destination of Knothole Glade. When he appeared, the chief greeted him heartily and shook his hand.
"Well hello to you Avatar. What can I do you for?" the chief said jolting Avatar's entire arm.
"I was just coming by. I need to know where Sabre lives."
The chief gave a quizzical look but shrugged. "He lives in that house right over there."
Avatar followed the outstretched finger to a smaller house with two stories and the windows shut. "Thanks."
"I should warn you though." The chief took hold of Avatar's arm. "Things have been a bit…unsettling in there recently?"
"They've been arguing? What about?" Avatar said with concern.
The chief chuckled and shook his head. "Not arguing. I'll just leave it at they've been quite loud."
It took a moment to sink in but Avatar then remembered what Sabre's nature was and his age. Savageness and youth. The combination would leave Sabre very easily aroused especially by someone like Rebecca. Avatar smiled and nodded the chief off. He approached the house and was about to push it open when it swung open and Sabre stood there with only a pair of pants on.
"Yes?" Sabre asked.
Avatar saw beads of perspiration from Sabre's forehead and laughed. "Busy as of late?"
Sabre wiped his forehead and smirked. "I, uh…uh, yeah. Um."
Sabre came up with nothing to say and just moved aside allowing Avatar in. He sat down and looked up at Sabre.
"The Guild is stressing more and more that I should take retribution for you killing Maleficus. The Guildmaster insists…"
"They Guildmaster?" Sabre scoffed. "You all follow a contemptuous old bastard without any real idea on how to lead people. He teaches you according to tradition and he tries to think for you."
"He's not contemptuous. And he's not a bastard. He's just…"
"An idiot?" Sabre offered.
Avatar frowned at him. He couldn't help feeling the same way but he was still part of the Guild.
"You're far too quick to offer your opinion on those you've never even met." Avatar scorned him.
"I was right about you and Maleficus, wasn't I?"
"Yes. But we were transparent."
"Well, so is the Guildmaster."
There was just no reasoning with him.
"Briar Rose and I are the only ones who refuse to do anything against you. There are other heroes though, like Thunder, who are quite willing to kill you. All they need is an order."
"So if I'm so wanted. Why is it that nobody has come to Knothole Glade to kill me yet?"
Avatar sighed and stood back up. "Nobody knows you're here."
"What? You're joking. It's not like I've tried to hide it." Sabre pulled up on his pants as they were falling down.
Rebecca came down the stairs with sheets up around her and surveyed the scene. "Hello, Avatar."
Avatar had only met Rebecca once. After Sabre had recovered from the fight with Jack of Blades, Avatar stopped by and made himself known to her. She came beside Sabre and held the sheets out to envelop him inside with her.
"Guild news I presume?" she asked annoyed.
"I'm sorry to bring it up so often but I've grown rather fond of Sabre and I'd rather not see him dead because he did something that was right. The people of Knothole Glade all seem to be grateful for you, so they're not going to report where you are. And I'm not about to say anything."
"We're very grateful for that." Rebecca chimed in. "Any help we can get is appreciated."
"Have you somewhere to go?" Sabre asked. "Or do you think you've got some time?"
"Why do you ask?" Avatar was at the door.
"Just interested in how I'd do against you in a scrap." Sabre smiled.
Avatar looked at what was still exposed without the sheet and sized Sabre up. The boy couldn't be taller than five feet and ten inches. He was well built with no visible fat. He rarely blinked suggesting that he was very observant and precise. Avatar had seen him in combat before and knew him to be agile and extremely difficult to hit if he wasn't trying to hit you.
"Maybe some other time. I'm visiting my mother's grave. Maybe she can give me some counsel on what I should do with this entire Guild ordeal. I can imagine you two will have your fun without me." He winked at them and walked out the door.
Mother. Avatar fell to his knees in front of his mother's grave. I need your guidance. Please, help me.Avatar fell to his knees in front of his mother's grave.
"Avatar. We need you at the Guild in front of the Boasting Platform. There's something you should see."
Avatar sighed and nodded to himself. For a fleeting moment, he had believed it was his mother speaking. Unfortunately, it was the Guildmaster.
When Avatar arrived, there was a somewhat disturbing image above the Platform. Of course, anyone would think the sight of Scythe disturbing. He was communicating with them through a visual projection. Scythe was a hero whose body had long since died. He was only a shell of his former self. His back skin was only a shallow cover for the bones which they stuck to. One was incapable of seeing his eyes and he had no lips. Anyone only glancing would think he was a charred skeleton.
"These new creatures are called Summoners. I don't know how they got here or who has brought them. You must come to the Northern Wastes immediately."
Scythe disappeared and in his place stepped a massive and terrifying figure. Then the projection was gone and Briar Rose cursed. She and the Guildmaster stood looking at the platform in awe as Avatar stepped away from the door and beside them.
"That didn't look good." The Guildmaster rubbed his hands together nervously. "Scythe contacting us. The Demon Door here in Lookout Point waking up. I think you may need to speak with it, Avatar."
"Yeah, it just told us we were all unworthy. If you, the one who defeated Jack of Blades, can't get through, I don't know who can." Briar Rose laughed. "Well, I'm going to stick to what I do best and hit the books. I'll try and find out what these Summoners are."
She turned away and entered the Guild leaving Avatar and the Guildmaster to ponder the door.
"So what is supposed to be in there?" Avatar asked looking at the door.
"The Fire Heart." The Guildmaster answered. "It's the key to reaching the Northern Wastes."
"And how do I get the Fire Heart?" Avatar said approaching the door.
The Guildmaster said nothing.
"Ah, I see you carry Jack of Blades' mask." The Demon Door startled Avatar. "The prophets told me you would come. You are in fact worthy to enter."
Avatar had no clue what was going on but he decided it didn't matter and waited as the Demon Door opened. The Guildmaster stopped him before he entered.
"No one knows what's beyond that door, Avatar. Be careful."
Avatar nodded and entered the gaping doorway. Inside, he saw a pulsing orb burning high above a platform of squares. Around the platform on all sides of the wall were giant hollow crystals with a man on the inside of each one.
"Finally, you've arrived." One of them said in a high pitched voice.
"We've been trapped for eons in these stupid confinement chambers." Another said in a shockingly low voice.
"But now that the destroyer of Jack of Blades is here, we know that we'll be saved." Another piped up.
Avatar counted six of them in all. He suspected them to be the prophets. So far, they seemed like a bunch of unruly men.
"Listen." One of them directed his attention back to Avatar. "There's a puzzle on that platform. We need you to figure it out in order to release us. When you release us all, you'll get the Fire Heart."
"How do you know I need the Fire Heart?" Avatar asked very confused.
"Because, we're the prophets, now don't interrupt me. If you don't finish the puzzle in time, the Heart will burn you and eventually kill you. But if you turn all of the symbols over onto a moon instead of a sun on accident, one of us will die. You want them all on a sun."
"Yes." Another said excitedly. "And if you kill one of us, you'll never get the Heart."
"Hey, that's not what you said earlier." One of the said accusingly.
"Shut up you imbecile!" he snapped.
Avatar looked at the puzzle. It looked relatively simplistic and ridiculous that this would be the way to get to the Fire Heart. But it was the only way so he stepped onto a square and began the puzzle.
Hook Coast again stood empty. Sabre stood in front of the Cullis Gate shivering but he was more appropriately dressed this time. Avatar had sent word to him to meet him in Hook Coast. After hearing about his experiences in Hook Coast, Rebecca had given some warm clothing to Sabre for him to use. He would be less mobile but at least he wouldn't be as cold. Avatar arrived with Briar Rose holding a giant pulsing orb. Sabre huddle close to it and opened the jacket he was wearing slightly.
"We need to put the Fire Heart up in the lighthouse. From there, it should bring the Ship of the Drowned. And then it's off to the Northern Wastes with you." Briar said kicking some snow off of her boot.
"You're not coming with?" Avatar asked.
"No. I'm not much of a ship girl. I'll be using the Cullis Gate after your Guild Seal activates it. Scythe destroyed his before he got there for fear of Maze getting there."
Through their conversation, Sabre's attention remained fixed on the distant dock. The water there was especially unsettled. Everywhere else it was relatively calm.
Avatar arrived at the top of the lighthouse and placed the Fire Heart in the well there. It hovered slightly and pulsed brighter. When he came out of the lighthouse, he was met with a cry from Sabre. He whirled around to see a bright blue sphere crashing into the Fire Heart.
"It's a Summoner!" Briar yelled. "Quickly, get to the dock before it destroys the Fire Heart!"
Bah! Lame chapter. I don't like it very much. Anyway, I now know what I'm doing for the chapters from here on out. So expect more detail and clarity. I hope you all enjoy it.