Golden Sun: The New Age Chapter 2

"Garret!!!!" Jenna said, a huge smile on her face, as she threw her arms around the taller boy's neck.

"How are you Jenna," he said, while putting a foot back to stop him from falling over.

"I'm wonderful!" she said triumphantly. "You're here, Sheba's on her way, and so is Mia and Ivan, and I saw Isaac's name on the combatants list. It's going to be so great!"

Garret raised an eyebrow. "Isaac's coming? Are you sure?"

"Well… I suppose another person name Isaac could be coming instead. But I'm pretty sure it's our Isaac."

"That's going to be great then. It'll be nice to spar with Isaac again."

"Yeah."

"So where's Felix?"

"Pfft!" she said following Garret to his assigned bed. "He's on in somewhere else land."

"He's not here?"

"No he's here. Physically anyway. I'm not so sure where his mind is. Hopefully when the fights start up he'll snap out of it."

"Yeah…"

Garret stopped at his bed, slung his bag down on the floor, and brandished his sword. "I can't wait to start fighting. Watching Isaac two years ago was entertaining but… I just want more."

"I heard he did pretty good," Jenna said sitting on the bed next to Garrets. "Of course when he competed they had that racing part of the Colosso. They took it out last year though and decided just to have a regular tournament type battle."

"Really. That's what I heard but I wasn't sure. Man time passes when you're doing other things."

"At that it does."

-His brown hair fell in his eyes as he walked into the tavern. His hair had grown quite a bit in two years and he had learned to just leave it be, not worrying anymore about it and no longer even tying it up behind his head.

The bar was quite smelly, and smoke hung stagnant in the air. If he hadn't been used to places like these he probably would've started to cough but alas he had inhaled his fair share of the foul odor. He made his way to the bar, pushing past several men who had obviously had a bit too much to drink, and called for the bartender. "I'll have some ale."

"I bet you will," the barkeep said gruffly, "Do you have any money to pay for it?"

"Don't worry about money old man just get me the damn drink."

The keep walked away grumbling about the "old man" comment. As he left Felix sat back and scanned the room. The man he was looking for was tall, with black hair, and yellow teeth, or so he'd been told. A small build, but a large stature. If a man like that were in Tolbi, he'd be in here.

"Here's your drink, now where's your money."

Felix looked at the man and haphazardly tossed him a silver coin. The man turned again, ever grumbling. And then Felix spotted his prey. His bounty. The black haired man. He was sitting around a table with four other men, all looking greasy and slimy. Felix smiled and took a long gulp of the ale.

"Barkeep," he called.

The man turned his head. "What in hell more could you want, boy?"

"That man over there," Felix said pointing, "You wouldn't happen to know his name would you?"

"Oh old Tanis? Tanis comes here every year a week before the Colosso. Almost a regular it's been so many years."

"Tanis," Felix said thoughtfully. "Sounds right."

"Why do you want to know?"

"He's got a fairly large bounty on his head, Ol' Tanis. Two counts of murder, and four of grand theft."

"Hmm," the barkeep said impressed. "I suppose your going to cash in on that bounty?"

"Yep," Felix replied.

With that the brown haired man stood up and walked over to Tanis's table. "You Tanis?" he asked.

The black haired man lifted his head. "Who wants to know."

"That's good enough for me," Felix said.

The four other men were to slow to protect their acquaintance from a punch to the face, and as soon as they had gathered their wits Felix already had his sword out and pointed at the closest of the men's chest. "That's close enough good sir."

The man snarled in a feral way and grabbed a dagger from under his tunic. Felix rolled his eyes, and pushed the blade of his weapon into the man's chest. Blood sprayed as the blade tore in and ripped out. The man's face distorted and he collapsed to the ground.

Another of Tanis's friends now appearing more to be Tanis's bodyguards lunged at Felix from across the table. Felix moved quickly and kicked the edge of the table tipping it at an angle that caught the man in the gut. He grunted and rolled off the edge just in time to get a boot to the face. The other two had knives out and were looking harshly at the brown haired youth.

"Look, my business is with Tanis, not you men. If you come in closer you will die. Just like your buddy."

The warning just seemed to egg them on and the two came forward. Felix's blade danced in the air smacking both daggers away and cutting into the soft tissue of one of the men's throats. Blood sprayed into the air and he dropped to the ground eyes wide trying to stop the spray with his hands.

The second man stopped in his tracks as he watched his partner fall to the floor. Felix not wanting to take any chances smashed the hilt of his weapon into the bridge of the man's nose, sending him like his compatriots to the ground.

Felix turned back to the man with the black hair who was holding his nose from the punch. "You're wanted dead or alive Tanis. It's your choice."

"Damnb you!" he said, his voice changed a bit from his broken nose.

"Whatever you say," Felix replied raising his blade into the air for the death stroke.

"Noab! Noab! I givb ub!"

"Fine." Felix sheathed his sword and yanked the man to his feet. "If you put up any resistance I'm gonna cut you down where you stand."

"Okay"

Felix led the man out of the tavern.

-Garret was standing outside of the palace leaning against a pillar when he first caught sight of the beauty that was now Sheba. "Sheba?" he asked.

She smiled a bright smile. "Garret!" She ran up to the red haired youth and gave him a huge hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"Yeah, I've been hearing that a lot." He held her away for a moment and she pushed her hood back so he could get a better look at her. Her blonde hair had grown and hung in ringlets around her face. Her lips were a shiny pink color and her eyes shone with warmth he hadn't seen since she had left. "Well you've grown beautiful."

She blushed. "You don't look to bad yourself. Did you lay off the donuts?"

"Hah! Actually I've been trying hard to stay in shape. Less of this more of that. You know how it is."

"Not really. Is Felix here yet?" she asked excitedly.

"Heh. He's here. In Tolbi I mean. I don't know where he went off to but he left about an hour ago."

"Thanks Garret." She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna go ditch this stuff. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Okay."

Garret watched her run inside the palace and listened expectantly for the squeal as Jenna met her half way. He smiled. Where was Isaac? He needed to be here. And so did Mia, and Ivan, and Piers. Four of eight…

The Colosso was in two days. Hopefully they would arrive in time.

-The wagon rolled along the road, and Isaac sat in the back dressed in the honorary robes of the Xian samurai. The years of training and finally he was one of the few. It hadn't been hard to gain the favor of Master Feizhi. He had been impressed enough by his actions in saving Hama and just by asking had been allowed into the training.

He liked the feel of his kimono. And the sword that had been rewarded to him was now his favorite weapon.

"So Isaac, how do you think you'll do?"

"What?" he replied.

"You know. In the Colosso."

"Oh… I don't know. I hope for the best though."

"You've won the competition once already."

"Yeah. That's true. But my friends will be there. And who knows how much they're skills have increased."

"Well, if anything you're prepared."

"Yeah. I hope."

"Doubt is never your friend, Isaac."

"Yes Master Feizhi."

AN. What's next… Felix in prison… Mia and Ivan's appearance… and the beginning of the Colosso!!! Keep reading.