I still don't own Golden Sun 2! And, I can't find my copy of it either! NO SUE!
Chapter Seven
Training Day
Karst wiped the remains of the last demon from her scythe using the unadorned edge of her gray cloak, continuing down the red stone halls of the Lighthouse. She hated this place, pausing to touch the glass-like tiles along the walls, and looking down the stairwell to a room she never wanted to visit again. This place was where she had nearly killed him, and had in turn almost lost her own life.
But, it was filled to bursting with demons, and she was still angry enough to make a serious dent in the local population.
Karst paused as a Minos Warrior came stomping from around a corner, a large axe in one hand which seemed large enough to crush the skulls of three men at once. It scanned the area with its beady eyes for a moment, taking far too long before they rested on her, and recognized her as a threat. Breathing hard through it's bull-like snout, it's centaur like back legs lowered it slightly, the brown fur leading down to it's large hooves stained and wet on the left side, meaning the beast was already injured, good, it should have the adrenalin to stay alive then. Karst raised her scythe ready; perhaps something large would help her mood. She'd always liked a good training match anyways.
--Flashback--
"Karst. Karst, get up. Come on, up." I rolled over onto my other side in bed, mumbling under my breath into the warm sheets as I pulled the thick wool up around my chin. I heard Menardi sigh, and her foot-steps leading out the bedroom door and down the hall. I relaxed into the soft covers of the bed again, only to wake up a bit more as my sister returned.
"Get, up, now. Or else." She said curtly, although really it was the same resolve she'd had the past two times she'd come in.
"Or else what?" I asked, my speech smothered by the pillow I was face down in. Burrowing down a bit deeper yet again, I wasn't really paying attention.
"Or else you'll regret it." She replied. I ignored her of course, not caring to think on the threat. But, she was right; I really did regret it as a bucket-full of ice-water was dumped on my head. I shot up-right in the bed, coughing and spluttering as I wiped my sopping red hair from my face.
"What on Weyard was that for!" I shouted at her, still wipping streaks of water from my eyes but not missing the large grin spread across her face.
"I told you," She laughed, looking at me in a taunting manner, "You would get up or regret not doing so when I asked you." I just glared at her and climbed out of the, now very wet, bed.
"Come on," She urged, pushing me to the dresser with my cloths. It finally clued into me that she was dressed and looked ready to get going somewhere; her boots clicked across the hard wooden floor while she placed one gloved hand on her hip, her gray woolen pants and black sweater were similar to the ones I yanked out as she pressured me. "Get dressed, you can eat later, I wanna show you something and I don't know how long we have." She turned and strode out the door as I began pulling my cloths on, leaving my nightwear on the floor so I could pick it up later or something. I was used to this sort of thing anyways; Menardi always got up at outrageously early times.
After I was dressed and washed, I came out and found her all ready with her cloak on, waiting for me. Doing what she said and not moving towards the kitchen to find something to tide me over, Menardi smirked and tossed me a warm role as I tugged on my boots, that large grin still firmly in place as she fiddled with some of her long golden hair where it was tied back behind her head, no head-band and mask to protect her cheeks obviously.
"What are you so happy about?" I asked her as she pulled open the door; a flurry of snow greeting us as I reached for my cloak and quickly fastened it around my shoulders. I followed her out into the light winds; the storm that had blown up a week ago when we'd gone to the Rift only now fading over the tundra as we made our way through the village. It was indeed early, given that it was still a bit dark out, but regardless there were people about their business, huddled in cloaks while one or two had a flame following them or leading the way.
"I'm just imagining your face, that's all." Menardi replied; I glared at the back of her head. She turned around and met that glare with that same, damn, smile. "Don't worry; this surprise you ought to like." She said as we walked towards the Elder's house, I spotted two figures sitting on a snow-bank near it, probably watching something going no within the large yard in front of the Elder's house.
As we came closer, I was able to make them out to be Saturos and Agatio. My sister's companion motioned for us to be quiet as we came up; Agatio had a huge grin as I took a place beside him, getting down on my stomach while propped up on my elbows in the snow.
"What took so long? You coulda missed it!" Agatio said in a quick whisper, his quiet tone not hiding his excitement. I blinked a few times at him, for once, my hulking friend seemed to know what I was, or wasn't, aware of. He pointed just over the rise, "Those guys are showing that kid Felix how to use his Psynergy, it's so cool to watch!" He exclaimed, Saturos clipping him in the back of the head, with a closed fist which grazed him slightly.
"Yes, but if you don't shut up he won't be able to do anything." The older man hissed, "He's just like all kids, if he knows we're watching he's gonna fall flat on his face. So shut it, Agatio!" I saw Menardi on the other side of Saturos; she looked over at me and placed a finger over her lips, also smiling but with a bit more warmth to it than either of the two boys. There was a quick bark of laughter from in front of the Elder's home, and I settled down a bit more, creeping close to try and see.
"You almost got it that time, don't give up now." I heard, hoping I wasn't about to give myself away. "Just like this, feel the ground beneath you, I know it's harder here with the snow, but you'll get it, don't worry." There was a slight flare of Psynergy a ways from us; I perked up as I felt it. I was still new to my own Psynergy, so it was a bit of a shock to feel. Slowly, and quietly, I peeked over the snow.
In the slush and ice in front of the Elder's home, there were an assortment of wooden boxes, large rocks, and a few house-hold items such as kettles and brooms. The two men from Vale and Felix stood in the middle near all the odds and ends they'd dragged out. The man with lighter hair raised one hand towards a large crate beside him.
"Like this." He said, I blinked as blue rings seemed to fade in and out of my vision, I knew that to Saturos and Menardi the rings must be clear, but I couldn't quite make them out against the snow. The world's colors seemed to change suddenly: I was used to this happening. What I wasn't used to was the crate next to him taking on a weird glow… or moving. Once the energy faded, the man lowered his hand and looked back at the boy who had been watching closely,
"Now, you give it another go, remember, get in touch with the stone beneath you." His father instructed, "You're a Venus Adept, the world will always try to help you and keep you safe." I tiled my head to one side, listening to the advice he was giving, ignoring Agatio, who was practically bouncing up and down in the snow as he watched.
The boy, Felix, I kept forgetting to use his name, closed his eyes, there was a small cup on the crate in front of him. Something light for him to move I guess; just like there was always that small stick to light when the others were being tutored. After a few moments I noticed his face becoming a bit screwed up as he concentrated. Agatio smirked,
"How hard can it be to—" He was cut off abruptly as Saturos thawped him again.
"Very hard." The warrior hissed, "Now shut up, he can tap that power, which is far more than either of you." I blinked and looked over at him,
"We can tap it." I argued in a hushed voice; Saturos gave a small, rather mocking chuckle; to quiet for them to hear us.
"I meant without hurting some one." He replied smugly. I just stuck my tongue out at him. I looked back out over the small training field, only to find that Felix was down on his back with the two older Adepts leaning over him. I cursed under my breath, great, I'd gotten dunked and forced out of bed, and now I'd missed him fainting; what a wonderful day this was turning out to be.
My breath caught in my throat as I felt a stronger surge of power from the three of them, one of the adults glowing with Psynergy as golden sparks fluttered down to where Felix lay unmoving. I felt my mouth fall open as Felix sat up slowly in the snow, running one hand back through his shaggy hair, as if a moment earlier he hadn't been flat on his back.
He must have mumbled something to low for me to hear, because the two other adepts chuckled softly, his father bending down a bit and clasping his shoulder before Felix started pushing himself to his feet again.
"Well then, why don't we try a few? Not here, it's to close to the house and we might damage it," His father said, Agatio and I glanced at each other; try a few what?
I turned this over and over in my mind, not able to come up with a sufficient answer. So I didn't see one of the men walk back up and into the house, and emerge a few minutes later with the Elder, both speaking quietly. Nor did I see the Elder perk up slightly, and then look straight at the snow drift that hid the four of us, or how he pointed at it with a smile on his face. And I defiantly did not see him walk over to where the boy stood and point at us.
While I was thinking about what they might have meant, I heard Saturos bite off a sharp curse that I quickly tucked away for future use. I looked over at him surprised just before the drift some how moved on top of us. I let out a small shriek as my vision filled with white, and I struggled around in the icy snow. After the world quit moving around me, I heard Agatio shout something, and Menardi a small yelp. Saturos just continued to curse.
There was a faint sound of laughter as I pushed myself up, I spat out some of the snow that had gotten in my mouth as I wiped the frost from my eyes, looking around to try and make sense of what had happened. I spotted Agatio a few feet from me, his head and the upper half of his body buried in the snow, he was currently kicking wildly trying to get free, shouting into the snow but I couldn't make out a word of it. After a moment or two of the world still spinning, I pulled myself up out of the snow and grabbed one of his ankles trying to yank him out.
"You have excellent control with small earth-quakes for one your age." I heard a bit more laughter at the Elder's comment. I glanced over my shoulder to see Felix biting his lower lip, his dark eyes quite large as he watched me yanking on Agatio. I took that as I sign he hadn't known we were there. Unfortunately for me, since I took the time to look at him, I also got a boot in the stomach as Agatio refused to stop kicking.
I landed back on the snow hard, glaring daggers at my friend's prone form in the ice. Glancing around, I tried to find my sister or Saturos, but oddly I couldn't see them. The man without the mustache smiled as he walked over to the fallen drift,
"So it was only the two of you out to watch this little exercise?" He asked, smiling warmly, I felt like sticking my tongue out at him, but the idea of what Menardi would do to me kept it behind my teeth.
I didn't reply as I looked around again, maybe the two of them had seen it coming and gotten out of the way? I wasn't sure. A large mound of snow next to us suddenly began hissing, small jets of steam escaping, before the whole pile burst to pieces. Revealing Menardi's frosted form, she looked like she'd been tossed into a neat seated position, or had moved around that way, or something… the snow seemed half ice around her waist though, for the moment keeping her legs in place.
"No," She said, brushing herself off absently, "I brought Karst, she's been wondering about you Venus-adepts for the past week or so." The darker-haired man cocked an eye-brow as he and Felix came forward, Felix's father moving over to offer her a hand, something I hadn't expected Menardi to accept, but she did anyways. As I got up, Felix came over and helped me grab Agatio again and yank him out of the snow.
"Sorry," He muttered as Agatio stopped kicking and finally let us help him out of his icy prison. I laughed a bit as he got up and stumbled around drunkenly before falling over, then glancing back at Felix,
"Are you saying, you did that?" I asked him sarcastically, he bit his lip and darkened slightly, shaking his head sheepishly.
"I can't really control it yet." He explained, "I only meant to send a small tremor at the drift, but it got away from me and shattered it." He tried to smile a bit, looking embarrassed as he did so before looking away. "My dad says I'm good at tapping that power, I just have no control."
"You'll gain control as you practice." The other man said, I'd forgotten he was still standing there. We glanced at him as he eyed Agatio. "Is your friend alright?" He questioned,
"He's fine." Menardi answered I saw her glance around as she brushed the snow from her woolen pants. "Where did Saturos go?" She asked no body in particular. Felix's father shrugged, and then gave a yelp. The snow beneath his boots cracked and Saturos pushed himself up, grunting with the effort of getting the other man off his back.
"I'm right here." He grunted, forcing his shoulders out of the snow so that he was on his knees, I saw his eyes narrow as they landed on Felix. "That was you, wasn't it?" He asked in a dangerous tone. I glanced to my right and saw Felix back up a bit as Saturos' eye twitched. "When I get my hands on you runt, I swear I'll—!" I laughed as Saturos was cut off by his mother's foot coming down on his head, driving the lower part of his face into the snow.
"You'll do absolutely nothing." She said. Her faded green shawl wrapped around her shoulders as she lifted her booted foot back up to hear his reply. Saturos just grumbled under his breath, and she smiled as she heard him, stepping off of him as she did so. Looking around at the others, I noticed the red haired woman standing a ways off as well.
"Do the four of you want to come as well?" The man with the lighter hair asked. I glanced at him as Agatio found his feet again and stood up.
"Come where?" He asked in reply. I looked over at Menardi for an answer, but she just shrugged.
"Like Felix said; he can tap that power, but his control is lacking." His father said lightly, smiling some as I noticed them beginning to walk away, and followed. Agatio, waited momentarily for Saturos to dig himself out of the snow before joining us.
"So why can't he just keep training here?" I asked the Elder, "It's where the soldiers and hunters do, right outside your house, sir; why can't he just stay there?" The Elder smiled slightly,
"Why not ask him yourself?" he Replied, Felix's shoulders seemed to tense from where he was walking a ways in front of me, next to the other man who I think was called 'Kyle'. My temper flared slightly as I realized he'd been listening. Agatio didn't notice though as he came charging up and stopped right in front of the other boy, making him pause as well lest he keep going and walk through someone almost twice his size.
"Why can't you practice in front of the house like everyone else?" He asked bluntly, seriously, Agatio and I may be the same age, but he's completely tactless most of the time… "That's what you were doing a minute ago with those boxes." I stopped as I came near them; I stood next to Agatio so I could look into the boy's face. I bit back a smile as his face darkened considerably, he let everything he felt show on his face, frankly, I thought it was funny to watch.
"You-you saw that?" He stuttered, his face going darker still as Agatio grinned and we both nodded. He groaned slightly, "It was filled with water, it's harder when there's another Element involved, it didn't seem to bother me as much when I sent the tremor at the snow drift but... I can move large rocks if it's warm out and everything, I doubt it gets as warm as here Vale though." He said, looking away. The three of us turned and followed after everyone else.
"You haven't answered the question you know," I commented, he hadn't, he'd just covered up for fainting. Felix blinked and looked at me for a moment, either he hadn't noticed that or had been hoping we weren't paying attention.
"Under the house is solid rock, if I tried summoning earthquakes as I am, there's a good chance I could crack it, or demolish the whole house. It was a risk attacking the snow drift." He explained calmly, "It's safer if I'm away from any buildings like that, even though the stone there does help." I felt my eye-brows creeping up as he mentioned summoning earthquakes, a power I had never thought of, but which seemed normal to him.
"It was the same back in Vale as well, there was a large field a ways from the village where every one practiced their Psynergy. There were pillars and logs for people to practice, as well as areas where there was always wood for Fire-Adepts to gain control." I noticed how he spoke fondly of that place, his village as well. I couldn't blame him really; I mean, that was where he'd grown up, made sense that he'd miss it.
It made me feel guilty about him and his family having to remain here. That of course made me angry. It was my village that was threatening to fall off the edge of the world, and it was his village that seemed intent on things remaining that way. If they wanted to go home so badly, then the four of them had to open their eyes and admit that their people were making a mistake. With those thoughts in mind, I was able to trounce those sentimental feelings.
After we'd made our way out just past the village the ten of us stopped in a small, snow covered meadow. We weren't to far from the village boundaries; only a minute or two, but it was far enough to be safe apparently.
"This looks like as good a place as any." Felix's father said, looking around as if judging the area. "Nothing for you to knock down; but there isn't anything wrong with us building something." I noticed Saturos and Menardi glancing over at where Agatio and I stood, like a pair of hawks spotting a wounded rabbit.
"Nn—" I found myself cut off by Menardi, my protest only half-formed while Agatio hadn't seemed to have clued in yet.
"Let these two. Hauling snow around would be good exercise." She volunteered, her voice making it seem like an idle suggestion even though it was an order. I glared at her darkly, but Saturos just smirked before nodding in agreement, Agatio still looked lost.
"Yeah, you two start training soon, in a few weeks actually. You'll have to do this anyways for your own practice, better get used to it. Come on, get started." He ordered, biting his lip to keep that smile from becoming a full grin as I moved as if I head lead in my boots, Agatio finally realizing what was going on and pouting ever so slightly.
"You help them, Felix." His mother said, giving him a slight push towards us. Thankfully it didn't take to long to create a reasonable mound of snow, but it did take almost an hour to build twenty. They didn't look like anything, they were just… packed… piles… of… snow… But by the end the three of us were all breathing hard, but if Felix had said he was too tired to train, I probably would have socked him right in the eye.
"Okay," His dad said, still smiling as he seemed almost excited himself, "I think that's enough, now, you don't need us to go over the exercise again, do you, Felix?" He asked. I glanced over and saw Felix shake his head from where he sat with his back against one of the mounds, Agatio and I up against another a ways off. He got to his feet and shook off some of the snow on his back, I saw him kick at the ice beneath him as he turned to face on of the mounds.
At first I didn't know why he was kicking like that, not until his boot reached the rocky soil, and he wedged his foot down so that he was in direct contact with it. Then it made sense, he was trying to get in touch with the world… As weird as that sounded. Again those faint blue rings appeared in my vision, focusing around him as he shut his eyes to concentrate.
"Very good." His father commented, "Now try to hold it, and keep your focus away from any of us. When you're ready, carefully let it go." Felix nodded slightly as he moved his feet apart slightly and I felt my own senses become some what heightened. Earth and Fire are supposed to be aligned similarly afterall. I watched as he raised one arm towards one of the piles we'd built, a ways from where he stood, I gasped slightly as I could have sworn I felt the ground move. I was on my feet in an instant, Agatio right beside me and watching just as intently.
My breath caught in my throat as his eyes snapped open and it was like some one had cast an explosion beneath the ice and snow. I heard him give a startled cry as the meadow shook slightly, him at the center of the tremor as rings of broken snow started to form around him. The faint aura of energy vanished as he was blasted off his feet and back about five yards to where the others stood, his mother giving a start but didn't appear at all frantic to go to him. The ice in the direction he had been facing shattered, carrying small stones into the air as the mound of snow was blasted apart, an ugly tear in the white showing where his power had ripped through the snow and rock beneath it.
"So much for carefully." Felix commented bitterly, his father helping him back onto his feet. Saturos walked over to the broken ground; near the half-way mark between the mound and where Felix had been standing he got down and started pushing away the snow. Agatio went over to where Felix was, my guess to ask some more questions, but I was more interested in what Saturos was doing.
"Are you looking for something?" I asked him, Saturos didn't look up as he removed a broken chunk of snow to reveal the ground beneath it so he could look under. I heard him give a low whistle.
"Wow," He said, honestly impressed by the sounds of it. I blinked and walked over to his other side to see whatever it was. Saturos moved the ice some more so I could see as well. My mouth fell open at the sight.
Under the broken snow there was an ugly crack through the ground. As it was, I could have slid my arm in up to my shoulder and probably just hit the bottom. As if to test my own theory I knelt down and placed my hand to touch the rock. I quickly gave a help and pulled it back out though.
It was hot! Not like a fire or anything; not enough to hurt me, but still. The stone seemed to pulse where Felix's Psynergy had, not really cut through it, but made it move apart. I'd never felt that kind of power before, I was used to the raw strength of Fire, not Stone.
Saturos bent down a ways and placed his hand on it as well, his eyes widened at the heat- again, honestly impressed, as though he hadn't expected this- before he looked over his shoulder,
"Hey, Menardi!" He called, grabbing my sister's attention where she looked to have been speaking with Marci. "You should come and see this!" I watched as she nodded to the Elder's wife and started coming closer, behind her, like I'd thought; Agatio was in the middle of another interrogation.
"What?" Menardi asked in a dry voice, pausing for a moment a ways from us and blinked a few times. I glanced up at her, wondering what had caught her attention like that. "Did he do that?" She questioned, Saturos nodded, and I was confused.
"Do what?" I asked, Saturos gave me a flat look and I puffed up a bit, "I know that!" I exclaimed, gesturing to the rift. Menardi just shook her head though,
"You're not trained yet, you can't feel it. You know how I can tell when you've used Psynergy when you're not supposed to?" She asked, I nodded, fully aware of my sour expression. "It's just like that; only from where I'm standing I can feel the power he used."
"Feeling is one thing Menardi." Saturos said, finally breaking the snow and throwing it off to the side, "This is something else." Menardi glanced down at her eyes went wide as she saw the after-math of the small exercise. "He's not even half-trained yet, Menardi," He said, "Think of what he'll be like with his potential. You know…" I noticed him glancing over at where the others were standing; Felix seemed to be readying himself for another round. "For the Lighthouses…"
"No." Menardi said sharply, cutting him off. "Absolutly not. I don't care how much potential he has. No." She said harshly, I felt my eye-brows creep up again at her tone, she was dead serious about this, but that tone was often reserved for very few things. So I expected Saturos to back down. Instead he just cocked an eye-brow at her, and sat back on his heels.
"Why do you think we're out here right now?" He asked her in a sincere tone of voice, Menardi just blinked.
"What?" Her and I both responded, we were out because Felix was training, why was Saturos smiling like a cat with a full saucer of milk?
"You heard me." He replied, "You were in Vale, Menardi; you know they don't train people very far. Once they're competent with a small quake and moving things around, there's no more for them unless it's getting in touch with nature." He said it all so smugly I could have sworn he was about to start purring.
"Yeah, so? What's your point?" She asked him, "He's learning how to move things and use this, 'Quake', or whatever you called it." Saturos just kept on smiling.
"Come, come now, Menardi." He purred. Yes! He sounded smug enough to say he was purring, and still keeping with that all-knowing voice. "He was just trying to cast an earth-quake over fifty yards. If you asked his father to you'd get nothing."
"What?" I asked, that point certainly didn't seem like something to feel so high and mighty about… "So he's stronger, we got that already Saturos." I said, he looked over at me and just shook his head.
"No, no, that's not what I mean." He said "Those two can cast that far, what I meant was that—"
"They won't." Menardi finished, nodding slightly, her crimson eyes quickly narrowing on him. Saturos held up his hands in a meager form of defense. He didn't seem panicky though…
"It was their idea, not mine. They really were won-over by the Rift it seems." Saturos said, Menardi's glare didn't waver though, and she reached down to grab his ear, earning her a sharp, fleeting cry from Saturos as he cringed and twisted slightly in her grip.
"I don't care how, 'won-over' they are Saturos," She hissed at him, "If I find out you've forced their hand in this in any way, you'll find yourself in a world of pain." Saturos batted her hand away and stood so that he was taller than her. Somehow, I think he changed, it was still Saturos, but it was that side which I never saw, never really wanted to see.
"I dunno if he knows what's going on, Menardi." He said darkly, his crimson eyes narrowing in a dangerous way as he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly, he looked… like a predator… but not in a fun, joking way. It was a manner which made him seem… dangerous? Saturos, dangerous? Never… But Menadri wasn't calling his bluff like she normally would. It was a bluff, right?
"He'll be told sooner or later exactly what's expected of him, by the others from his village, not me. I for one just hope he's up to it." He finished with that, and I blinked again, but didn't say anything this time; some sort of under-standing had formed between them. From the way they were speaking to one another, something I was better off not speaking anyways.
We remained out for a few more hours, Saturos and Menardi seemed to have put that little conversation out of their minds, that frightening -yes, frightening!- look on Saturos's face having vanished. The pair laughing slightly as they 'Suggested' Agatio and I show off what we knew once Felix found his Psynergy completely drained.
Never had I been so humiliated in my entire life! Felix's mother, a woman who, by Proxian standards, has the offensive mind-set of a rock, offered to help me with my casting while Menardi was to busy laughing her ass off to be any help!
Agatio copied Felix's earlier display by fainting when he tried to sum up the strength for a few small fire-balls to melt one of the snow mounds. That other Valian was able to heal him with a straight face though, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why none of them were taking this prime opportunity to laugh like Saturos and Menardi were.
Of course, Saturos also got slapped a few times by his mother after Agatio fainted. And then he got a swift kick from Menardi, when he fell down roaring with laughter when my the beam of energy I'd been trying to figure out fizzed out a few inches from my hands. I supposed it was because they were all parents, and were used to working with children who couldn't even tap the power of their element like we could.
Okay, I had a little bit of trouble tapping that power; I admitted it… to myself. And neither Agatio nor I were all that competent with the, control, part either… as the stubs of a few former trees will tell you… if you're some kind of freak who can read the non-existent minds of a lump of charcoal of course…
But still, the sky was darkening before we were all wiped out and ready for sleep. Marci and the Elder had returned home a few hours earlier, and I was hopping we'd be allowed over for dinner again. Neither Menardi nor I were very, homebody-ish, which probably isn't even a word, but it ruled out fine cuisine…
I was stumbling through the snow as we made our way back. Only the facts that Felix was foreign, Agatio was a numbskull, Saturos would laugh, Menardi would black-mail, and the three adults from Vale would never take me seriously, kept me from being carried all the way to the Elder's home. Once inside though, I was content to sit in that warm chair until I was Menardi's age. Not having the strength to move until I got a good whiff of whatever was in that pot the Elder's wife kept checking.
The meal was finished in relative silence, relative but for the parts where Saturos would start laughing again, thus getting swatted by his mother.
"Well," He said, leaning back in his chair once he'd cleaned his bowl three times, looking a bit foolish with a small bit of cream stuck to his chin, I was just waiting for the Elder's wife to come at him with a napkin really.. "How do you two feel about having to go through that every. Single. Day?" He asked, Agatio perked up at the question,
"It was fun!" He exclaimed, smiling for a moment before beginning to slump again in his seat.
"I wouldn't give up just because it's hard." I said stubbornly, trying to ignore the fact that I was half asleep at the table. Saturos nodded at us, then lifted his glass as he eyed Felix,
"What about you run—Ow! Ow! Ow! I mean, Felix?" He asked; trying to maintain an air of dignity once his mother let go of his ear. I laughed into my mug as she moved to finish clearing the table. Felix mulled over the question a moment, fairing a bit better than Agatio and I since he'd had a bit of time to recover.
"It's better than sitting around the house I suppose." He said after a few moments, I watched as Saturos nodded slightly, and how Menardi's eye seemed to twitch a little bit. I think the conversation drifted back to the training match, none of the comments were directed at the three of us specifically, but then again, the most the three of us seemed focused on was not falling asleep around the other two.
Thankfully, it was Agatio who succumbed first, saving my pride from yet another blow. But of course, bye the end of the night, Saturos still ended up carrying me home.
--End Flashback--
"Well, that wasn't very exciting." Karst commented dryly, cleaning off her scythe once again on the cloak she'd need to wash when she returned home. Her mood was a good deal better, but who wouldn't feel a bit perkier after wiping out a small colony of Wonder Birds and that bloody dancing of theirs? She had a good deal of money to; more than most people in Prox earned in a year unless they were hunters or something.
'Maybe it's time to go home.' She thought, rolling her shoulders as she made her way out of the central chamber, through the lava-room to the entrance. She paused to adjust the strap of her pack, giving out a slight yelp as it brushed against the small wound on her collar-bone. Those birds could put up a fight if they felt like it.
Removing her pack, Karst fiddled around inside until she found the small Vial she'd snagged from that Minos Warrior some hours before. 'Not like I'm going to use it for anything productive.' She told herself stiffly as she cracked the shell of the glassy blue orb with the point of her scythe, and splashed a bit onto the wound. Feeling a bit tired, she drank the rest of the milky substance, the somewhat sweet dew sliding down her throat and offering a cool, shivery sensation to chip away at her weariness.
'That ought to get me back to Prox.' She resolved, doing up her pack again. Karst swung it back over her shoulder, vanishing out the great ruby-like doors and into the waiting storm.
You'd be amazed what listening to Golden Sun music –midis it may be- can do for editing. COM-PLE-TED!