Chapter 10: The Footfalls of a Ghost
Not much had changed.
Vale was still a quiet little mountain town, set all in green grasses and trees. Sol Sanctum perched atop Mount Aleph, tucked away at the very back of the village. The people were still extremely shy when it came to outsiders; many of the adults had forbidden their children from speaking to the visitors. Felix understood this: the people of Vale believed that there were no Adepts outside of their own town.
How very wrong they were, he thought, watching everything outside of the inn's window. He had been to Prox, the native land of the Mars element; he had seen an old man use the power of Jupiter in Atteka.
How very naive the people of Vale were. They understood so little about the outside world. Vale was like its own little realm, enclosed by mountains, with a secret that must not be revealed. The villagers could not understand that others might have their abilities as well, and so they shunned all outsiders. Felix could see the foolishness in it now.
They had arrived in Vale yesterday morning. Alex had wandered off, saying he would dwell somewhere else, while Saturos had secured a room at the inn for the remaining three. They had taken the first day to scour throughout Vale for information, though they had received little. Saturos and Menardi had steered clear of both the Sanctum and the mayor's house, recalling the events that had conspired three years ago.
Three years, Felix reflected. It had been exactly three years since the horrid night that had changed everything.
He was wearing the mask Kiana had given him. He wanted his true identity to remain that of a ghost while he was here. No one needed to know that he was still alive, not to mention with such strange-looking visitors. The Valeans who had met them at the gate had immediately been unnerved by the appearance of the two Proxians and the masked man.
Not that Felix could blame them. Many people would have reacted in the same way. Saturos believed that the general distrust of Proxians was part of the Northern curse.
Still, Felix kept hope in his heart, thanks to the Great Healer they had met in Contigo all those months ago.
His appearance had changed even more over the months. His hair was even longer now than it had been when leaving Prox; it curled into thick bangs that hung over his face, and he tamed the rest in a ponytail that hung to the middle of his back. Despite his loathing of its kind, he had twined a green-brown scarf around his neck. He wore a green tunic and long breeches, with brown boots and a heavy cape hanging over one shoulder. At the shop yesterday, he had acquired a new sword to replace his beaten machete, along with a shield and some herbs and elixirs, just in case. His sword was strapped to his belt, while his other newly-acquired possessions rested on his unmade bed as he gazed out the window.
He hadn't realized how much he had missed Vale.
Saturos and Menardi were gone, looking for more information on the Sanctum. Felix had recommended talking to Old Man Kraden, his former Psynergy teacher, but couldn't remember where he lived. They had left anyway, deciding that they'd ask someone else for directions.
So Felix had been left alone.
"No one even came to say hello," he muttered, pushing back some of his hair with one hand. "Back before the storm, we used to run to visitors because we got so few of them. We wanted to see what people from outside Vale were like." He shook his head, pressing the fingers of his right hand to the glass that separated him from the rest of the world.
"How things have changed."
A sound from the staircase penetrated the fog of thought he was wandering through, and he turned around to see three teenagers standing in the entrance to the room, looking around.
The first of the three, apparently the leader, was a tall blonde boy with deep blue eyes. His hair was spiky and untamed, falling freely around his face and over his eyes. He was thin and long-limbed, wearing a blue tunic with a yellow scarf wrapped messily around his neck. A wooden machete was strapped to his back.
Felix didn't recognize him.
The second boy was even taller, with thick red hair that jutted into the air above his head in thick spikes. His eyes were a red-brown, and he wore a dark tunic with his machete at his side. He was built along more muscular lines than the blonde, but the two appeared to be equal in strength.
Felix didn't recognize him either.
He did, however, feel his heart begin to race when he saw the third person in the group.
She was about average height, with long auburn hair pulled into a ponytail. Her eyes were a cinnamon color, with hints of violet in them. She wore a pink dress and carried a wooden staff, using it like a walking stick.
He didn't dare say her name for fear she would hear him, but his mind was screaming it in deafening tones.
Jenna.
The blonde approached him, Jenna and the other boy following him. "Um, excuse me, sir, but we were wondering if you're one of the visitors."
Felix wondered how many pieces of advice these three must have ignored to want to come visit him. He hated to scare them away, but he had no choice. If they became involved . . .
He straightened up from his semi-slouch, his shoulders rising as he clenched his fists. "Do you have some business with me?" he asked in a soft, deadly tone.
The blonde drew back, his pale face marred with confusion. "No, I suppose not," he muttered.
Felix shook his head almost invisibly. "Then I suggest you stop wasting my time." To emphasize the fact that he wished for them to leave, Felix slid his hand to his sword and gripped its hilt in a slow, deliberate motion.
He winced when he heard Jenna speak as she pulled on the blonde's arm. "Isaac, let's go. Kraden's waiting for us, and this guy obviously isn't much of one for visitors."
He almost died under the resentful glare she gave him. A different part of his mind registered the name she said, and he looked again at the blonde.
Isaac. That thin, softspoken blonde was Isaac. How could he have missed it? That could only mean that the other boy was Garet, and he had no idea how he had missed that, either.
Had it really been so long that he couldn't recognize old friends?
And now he wondered just why in Venus' name he was doing this.
The logical side of his mind, which also conveniently lacked a good amount of emotion, reminded him that he had to detach himself from Vale. He was dead here. He had to remember that.
But seeing Jenna made it hurt to remember his own death.
Garet, meanwhile, was frowning and cracking his knuckles. "Look, mister, what you said to Isaac just now wasn't very nice! I suggest you offer an apology, or I might have to beat it out of you!"
Isaac rubbed his forehead with one hand, looking exasperated. "Garet, stop," he sighed. "He's a visitor to Vale. You're supposed to be polite to him."
"Some kind of polite he's been!" Garet replied. "Did you know his group hasn't even come to see my grandfather yet?" Garet's grandfather was the mayor. "Not to mention the way he was talking to you, Isaac!"
"Do you have business with me or not?" Felix asked, his voice growing deadlier by the minute.
Forgive me, Jenna. You would never understand.
"Yeah, we have business with you!" Garet said. "We have business with you outside!"
Felix shook his head again and chuckled as he turned to face the window again. "You claim you have business with me. However, that is too bad, as I have none with you. Now begone. I wish to be alone with my thoughts." That was a lie; though he did wish to be alone, by no means did he wish for his thoughts to remain as well. There were far too many of them at the moment, all of them raging uncontrollably and striving for priority among the others, bit-by-bit tearing away at his sanity.
Isaac took a couple of steps back, pulling Garet along with him. "It was, um, nice to meet you. Let's go meet Kraden, guys."
When Felix turned around again, they had gone.
He reached up, carefully untying the straps of his mask. He let it fall to the floor, where it made a loud clatter as it landed.
He raised his gloved hands and ran them through his thick brown hair. "By the Gods," he whispered, "what have I done?"
It was a half-hour before Saturos and Menardi came back to the room.
"Let's get moving," Saturos said, picking his sword up from the bed. "They're going to the Sanctum as we speak."
Felix looked up, then bent over and picked up his mask. Tying it back around his head, he asked, "Who's going?"
"Some children and the Kraden you spoke of," Menardi said, tying her scythe on her back.
Felix's eyes widened under his mask. "Was there a blonde, a red-headed boy, and an auburn-haired girl?"
Saturos narrowed his eyes. "Yes. Why do you ask? Do you know them?"
"The girl--she's my--" Why was it so hard to say? Why wouldn't the words just come out of his mouth as easily as they had years ago? "She--she's my sister." The words seemed to cut his throat like so many knives. "The boys used to be my friends, Isaac and Garet."
Menardi's eyes widened. "Oh, Felix, they're your . . . oh, by the Gods . . . "
"I'm all right," Felix assured. "It just--after not seeing her for so long--she's grown up, and I haven't been there to watch."
"It must hurt," Saturos said. "I can't begin to imagine how it feels, Felix."
"They came to see me while you were gone. Wanted to meet the visitors, I suppose," Felix said. He didn't have to smile; the mask hid all emotion that might taint his face. "I was a bit rude to them, I'm afraid. But I'm dead here, and perhaps I should stay dead. I don't want them getting involved in this ordeal."
"They're going to have to be," Saturos said grimly, "because they're the ones we're following to the Sanctum. Get your equipment, Felix."
Felix checked to make sure that his sword was properly fastened to his belt, then picked up his shield. Stuffing the herbs into a pouch on his belt, he asked, "You won't hurt them, will you?"
Saturos shook his head. "After all this time, Felix, you should know better than to believe that we would hurt innocents."
"Especially not Jenna," Felix said.
"Especially not Jenna," Menardi echoed.
"Promise that you won't get them involved," Felix said, holding out one of his hands.
Saturos nodded, shaking Felix's hand as he did so. "I promise. Let's hurry now, or we'll never manage to catch up with them."
With that, the three left the inn and headed up toward Mount Aleph. A rather bored monk was walking from one side of the village Sanctum to the other, looking around and yawning. As soon as he was out of sight in the shadows, Saturos and Menardi dashed past, Felix close behind.
The inside of Sol Sanctum was all blue stone floors and brick hallways, with torches glowing every few feet. The group rushed through the corridors into another room, the walls lined with statues of priests holding swords. The floors had changed to white-and-violet marble, and there was one statue pushed to the side, revealing a doorway.
"Just as I'd hoped!" Saturos whispered. "The old man took my counsel!"
Continuing through the door, they leapt over a small pool and went through another door. Winding pathways of marble led them to a room plunged in faded darkness, a small light glowing on the wall while a portrait of the moon radiated pale light.
Menardi's eyes lit up. "After all this time," she whispered. "They must have disabled the trap, Saturos! They've already activated the portal!"
"Shh," Saturos commanded. "Listen."
Faint voices emerged from the light on the wall. "Here it is, Kraden! We've got the second Elemental Star!" That was unmistakably Garet.
"Good, good!" the voice of an elderly man replied. "Now go fetch the others!"
"We must go," Saturos said. "Felix, you remain here for a bit. You'll know when to come in if we need you."
"But where is Alex?" Menardi said.
"Who cares? Let's just go," Saturos replied. "We'll see you when we return, Felix. We'll call you if we need you." He and Menardi touched the light and vanished.
Felix continued to listen to the events occurring on the other end of the portal
Jenna gasped and cried, "What are you doing here?"
"Quiet, girl, we don't want your companions to know you're here."
"I-I can't b-b-believe you f-followed us," Kraden stuttered.
"Believe it," Menardi said.
Garet's voice again. "We've got the Jupiter Star now, Kraden!" Silence followed, and then there was a "Kraden!" from Garet, and a "Jenna!" from Isaac.
"It looks like they've spotted us," Saturos grumbled.
"And here I thought we'd be safe until they'd gotten the Elemental Stars," Menardi sighed.
"What do you mean to do with the Elemental Stars?" Kraden demanded, though his voice shook. "Are you trying to steal them!"
"Master Kraden, are you calling us thieves?" Saturos asked, sounding taken aback.
"As I recall, you stole our information on how to get in here," Menardi added.
Jenna was next. "What will you do with us once you've gotten the Elemental Stars?"
"I'm sure they'll do us in once they no longer need us!" Kraden exclaimed.
Felix touched the light, and almost instantly found himself drifting down onto a blue crystal pillar which stood in a waveless sea. Pale lights drifted through the dark air, and the crystal was smooth but firm under his feet. "No," he said firmly. "You shall not be hurt." Then, turning to Saturos and Menardi, "That was our agreement, was it not?"
"They'll be safe," Menardi said. "We just need the Elemental Stars in exchange for their safety."
Felix winced but nodded, and Saturos called, "Will you accept our terms?" This was directed to Isaac and Garet, who stood across the room, near a statue of a goddess.
Isaac hesitantly nodded, and Kraden broke in, "No, Isaac! You must not give them the Stars!" Turning to his captors, he demanded, "We have no guarantee that we'll be safe once you have the Stars! How do you expect us to trust you without proof that you will keep your promise?"
Saturos and Menardi exchanged glances before Menardi spoke. "A guarantee, is it? I have only one." Turning to Felix, she said, "It seems that you will need to remove your mask."
It felt like cold water was being poured into his empty body. His soul seemed to freeze. "But . . . that means . . ."
"There is no other way," Saturos said, shaking his head slowly. "You must be our guarantee. They demanded one, after all. And under the circumstances, we have no choice. Felix," he sighed, "remove your mask."
Jenna's eyes became very wide. "F-Felix?" she said, her voice just above a whisper. "This can't be--he can't be--"
"Wasn't Felix the name of your brother?" Kraden asked. "That mischievous little lad who was my student before the accident?"
"Yes, but three years ago . . . the storm . . . my brother, he . . ." Jenna stammered. Her eyes were very large, and she was staring at Felix as she trembled with disbelief. "It has to be a lie," she whispered. "It has to be."
"I'll do it," Felix said. She sounded so torn; even if he didn't reveal himself, she would never be the same. "I'll . . . remove my mask."
Yes, he decided. It was finally time for the ghost to return to life, no matter how much it wanted to remain dead.
Sometimes, it was necessary for the dead to rise from the grave, if only to walk the world once more.
If only to give hope to those who had always been alive.
He turned around and untied his mask, tying it to his belt before turning back to face everyone. Jenna let out a shriek, bringing her hands to her face.
"I-It's not possible," she whispered, her voice shaking worse than an earthquake.
"Is he . . . ?" Kraden asked. Jenna looked down.
Felix swallowed, trying to find his voice. "I know I've caused you much grief, Jenna." Was that him speaking in that thick, horrid voice? "It was a miracle that I survived that day."
"We are the ones who saved him," Saturos interjected, a certain tone in his voice begging her to understand.
"I've been traveling with them since," Felix explained. "I've experienced a lot." More than you would ever comprehend, he added mentally.
"But why?" Jenna's voice was louder, but no less shaky. "Why did you leave me all alone . . ." She shook her head, letting her hair fly out in an auburn arc. "My own brother!" she cried. "I thought you were dead!" She turned away, her shoulders shaking, as she began to cry.
Saturos shook his head. "I hate to interrupt, but there is no time for this now. We need the Elemental Stars as soon as possible."
Menardi turned to face Isaac and Garet. "Felix would never allow us to harm you, his sister, or Kraden. So hand the Stars over!"
The two exchanged a short conversation, after which Garet took three Mythril bags in his hands and started toward the center platform.
In a rush of blue light, Alex appeared before him.
"Will you permit me to relieve you of those Elemental Stars?" Alex asked, holding out his hands.
"You're late, Alex!" Saturos called, looking both relieved and upset at the younger man's sudden appearance. "Alex is another of our companions. You may give the Stars to him."
After a bit of grumbling, Garet did so. Alex smiled and began to float back to the group, the three silver bags in his arms.
"Wait!" Garet said. "What about Kraden and Jenna?"
Alex shook his head, looking down at the red-headed boy. "Didn't you understand Saturos' request? We want you to bring us the Mars Star as well."
"But you promised," Garet protested feebly. "You said you'd let them go."
Saturos shook his head. "We need all the Elemental Stars."
Garet's head sank, and he retreated to where Isaac stood as Alex floated over to them.
"Ah, here we are," Alex said, handing the stars to Saturos. "Now all we have to do is wait."
So they waited. Isaac shot Felix a dirty look as he passed on his way to the Mars Star, but Felix looked away and said nothing as his childhood friends passed.
"My brother is alive," Jenna was whispering, "but . . . why didn't he come back sooner?"
Felix knew it hurt her, but it hurt him as well. So, instead of speaking to anyone, he just watched as Isaac and Garet made their way to the Mars Star.
Isaac picked it up and slipped it into a Mythril bag, but suddenly clutched the goddess statue for support when the ground began to shake.
Menardi began looking wildly around the chamber. "What went wrong? What happened?"
"No! Not again!" Saturos cried, his eyes wide.
There was a flash of light, and the water evaporated instantly to reveal a sea of molten lava lurking below. Felix pulled Jenna close to him, trying to protect her and keep her from falling.
Alex gritted his teeth and glanced around. "Without the energy of the Elemental Stars, this chamber is collapsing!" he hissed.
Kraden looked about the chamber, but, unlike Saturos and Menardi, his eyes were full of awe, not worry. "Is this the retribution of the Gods the villagers mentioned? No! This must be Alchemy's might!"
Within a few more seconds, the room had stopped shaking.
"It's over," Menardi sighed in relief. "But what exactly was it?"
A pale glow began to illuminate the room. Saturos glanced over toward where Isaac and Garet had been and froze. Jenna glanced up as well, and her eyes became very wide. Felix looked as well.
A perfectly round, silver boulder was hovering between the center platform and the one where the Mars Star had been. It had a large blue eye set into the rock, and was seemingly looking around the chamber.
"What is that?" Jenna exclaimed.
"No!" Saturos whispered, his face turning a bony white. "No!"
"Could that be the Wise One, the guardian of the Elemental Stars?" Kraden asked in total awe.
Rocks began to fly through the air, exploding when they came within a certain distance of the Wise One. Felix wrapped his arms around Jenna, feeling a few rocks hammer against his back. He had to protect her.
The Wise One's eye locked upon them for a moment, and the quaking under their feet began again.
"This doesn't look good," Felix called to Saturos. "Perhaps we should escape while we can."
Menardi frowned. "But the Mars Star--"
"I agree with Felix. We're no match for this guardian," Alex said.
"What about Isaac and Garet?" Jenna demanded, breaking free of Felix's arms. "You can't plan to just leave them here!"
Saturos looked back at where the two boys were, hidden behind the goddess statue to protect themselves from the collapsing chamber's debris. Felix saw conflict and sorrow in his eyes as he turned to look at Jenna. "I'm afraid," the Proxian said, "that there's very little chance they'll make it out of this place."
Jenna covered her mouth, and Menardi, eyebrows furrowed over pained eyes, asked, "But surely there's some chance they'll survive?"
Saturos looked again at where the two boys hid. "Anything is possible, I hope," he mused. "So what should we do?"
"Save them!" Jenna cried.
"There's no time for that, I'm afraid," Alex replied. "However, if we bring you with us"--he grabbed Jenna's wrist-- "and they do survive, they'll want you back. And they'll bring us the Mars Star in exchange for you." A wicked smile curved on his cheeks.
"Is that all I am to you?" Jenna demanded, yanking her wrist free of Alex's grip. "A bargaining chip?"
"I can't get her involved," Felix interrupted. "This isn't her problem. I can't let her be hurt."
"You have no choice about her involvement, Felix, unless you want her to die," Saturos said. "You can't want that, but if we leave her, that's what will happen. Her getting hurt is what will happen if she stays! Is that what you really want?"
Felix gritted his teeth and looked at Jenna, praying that she would return his gaze. But she was refusing to look at him, much less acknowledge the difficulty of his decision.
It hurt to see the contempt she held for him and his companions. It hurt more than anything he had ever felt, save Kiana's untimely death.
He looked at Saturos and Menardi, and saw that they, too, were finding the situation difficult. Saturos kept looking back at the Wise One and the platform where Isaac and Garet stood, and Menardi was nervously fidgeting, fixing her hair, dress, and anything else that could possibly be tampered with.
"Well, Felix?" Menardi asked at last. "What do you think?"
Alex glanced at the portal, then took another look at the Wise One, his eyes wide and caught somewhere between wonder and fright. "We can discuss this later. Right now, we must flee!"
Saturos glanced once more toward the Wise One. "It is only too bad that we could not save those boys," he muttered. "I hoped that no more innocents would die."
Menardi bit her lip. "But there's nothing we can do. You said it yourself, Saturos."
"No!" Jenna exclaimed. "Save them!"
"Please," Alex interrupted, "can we go now?"
Felix nodded at last. "All right. Let's go."
Saturos was the first through the portal, followed by Kraden, then Menardi. Jenna took one last look at the Inner Sanctum.
"Isaac! Garet!" she called. "Don't die!"
Felix escorted her through the portal, and a moment later, Alex followed. Felix cast a quick Retreat, and the party scurried down the mountain and out of Vale. Saturos and Menardi dragged Kraden, while Felix carried Jenna and Alex followed closely behind.
Felix hoped Isaac and Garet had survived, but he had other worries now. Like Jenna.
Storms brewed over Vale as the six ran, and they heard the eruption begin as they fled into the woods.