Where there's light...
Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun or any of the characters, I just like the games.
Alright, I don't know if anyone read part one before two before I post this, but if you did not, stop reading after I finish my little note and leave the chapter alone for a while to build any suspense that you may have. Then read; it'll be much more fun that way. So, let's conclude the battle...
Chapter Eleven: The Cursed One
"I've always known...there was something within me...
Since that day, so long ago, five, six years?
When I fell in the river, saved by those two bandits, my close shave with death.
They told me I was not breathing, my pulse gone, they thought I was already dead, but I remembered everything. Floating in the river, face down with my lungs half-filled with water, I remembered it all.
When they saw me cough it all up, breath again, they said that my eyes were glazed white, like a blind man. Then, I could not see.
I feel my blood leaking out. I should be dead now, and I think I am.
But I still see..."
'We've lost' Ivan thought to himself, terrified. All his companions were dead, soulless, or soon to be dead. There was no hope to be found, only horror as he stared into the red eyes of the Lich.
"Now you die!"
The Lich raised its sword in the air, and began to strike straight down, intending to cleave Ivan in two. He stood his ground and shut his eyes, waiting for the end.
Instead, a loud roar echoed through the halls.
Ivan opened his eyes to see Lich's arm from the elbow down cut off, the beast looking blankly at his missing limb. "What!" it bellowed, swinging its head madly from side to side to find its assailant.
Finally, its eyes rested on a form crouched on the ground, wild brown hair waving and bear chested.
It was Felix.
Quite unmistakably, it was. His clothes and armor were gone, a bloody, ragged hole lay in his gut. Besides this, there was one thing truly different about him.
His eyes. They were glazed over with white, like a blind man. He seemed blind too, not really looking at anyone. He was snuffling, like a wild beast, as if scenting out his target.
Sol Blade was clutched in his right hand, the blade normally requiring both his hands to carry, let alone swing. With a battle cry like the howl of a wolf, he dashed to the Lich and sliced off its other arm.
"Child of Hoenir! You'll pay for your insolence!" Lich roared in fury. It opened its mouth and fired a dark ball of energy at Felix, who nimbly dodged and ran in for another attack.
"Damned pest!" Lich kicked Felix in the stomach were his wound was. He howled in pain and flew several feet before quickly landing on his hand and feet in a crouch, breathing raggedly.
Ivan was forgotten during this melee, and took the opportunity to start summoning a wind spell. 'I'll figure it out later, but now Felix needs help,' he thought. He chanted as quietly as he could as psynergy swirled around him.
"Fool! Die now!" Lich fired several more bolts of energy in rapid succession, Felix leaping out of the way and putting in hits where he could.
"Hey, Lichy-boy!"
Lich whirled around to face Ivan, who sneered triumphantly at the skeleton monster.
"Go see your brothers in Hell."
And with that Ivan cast his Hurricane psynergy, his most powerful spell. The rush of purifying wind his the demon hard, pulling its weakened bones apart. The Lich had just enough time to let out an unearthly scream before turning to dust.
The Lich was finally defeated.
Almost instantly the Mars Star began to purify, the dark whisps leaving the gem. The cracks healed, and the decayed sand on the floor lost its foul odor.
Ivan collapsed on one knee, breathing heavily and sweating madly. He looked up to see Felix prowling around, growling ferally. After a short time his growls slowed and quieted before he passed out flat on his back.
Ivan crawled to him to check that he wasn't dead. To his surprise the gash in his gut had clotted, and was free of sand or dirt of any kind. It seemed he was healing astoundingly quickly.
The last thing Ivan himself saw before passing out too was a ghostly image of Sheba returning to her body.
"Yo, Ivan!"
"Ivan, wake up!"
"HEY" someone yelled out and slapped the poor boy on the face.
"Garet! Stop that!" an annoyed female voice berated.
"He's been sleeping for days! Why won't he wake up?"
"Nnnnnnggghhh..." Ivan groaned, clutching his eyes tight before blinking them open.
"Ha! He's awake!" Garet said triumphantly.
"How you doin'?" Jenna asked softly.
Ivan took a while to respond. "Tired. But alive." He suddenly recalled something and sat bolt up in bed. "Where's Felix? And Sheba? Everyone? Where...?"
"Shhh. It's alright. Everyone's alright. Sheba's doing great and so is that brother of mine."
"Kinda weird though. He's been shut up in his room ever since he regained consciousness. Won't talk to anyone." Garet said offhanded. He shrugged before wandering off.
Ivan sighed and collapsed back onto the bed, staring up at the thatched roof ceiling.
'I wonder if it's because of...that...' he thought.
By and by everyone came by to visit. Sheba seemed fine, although shaky and a lot more quiet than she used to be. Everyone figured it was because of her soul rendering, an experience that had probably deeply scarred her for life.
But Felix never showed.
After a few more days Ivan was up and about, and it was decided that they would leave for their final destination in two days.
But something else happened.
It was the evening before their last day when a young man, dressed in sailor's garbs and panting heavily, ran up to Isaac while he was walking to the pub for a quick drink.
"By the gods...'gasp'...are you...Isaac!" the man panted out.
"Er, yes. Why...?"
"It's Master Kraden, sir. The High Priest of Vale sent me two fortnights ago to tell you that he's ill with the water-lung. (Their word for pneumonia). Prayer and medicine are prolonging him, but by now he may have only another two fortnights to live."
"What! By the elements! We have to go to him! Godspeed you, messenger. Take this for two days lodging for your men. We must hurry!" Isaac thrust several dozen gold pieces into the man's hand before rushing to the inn again.
"We have to go! Now! Kraden is dying!" He yelled out to everyone.
They hastily packed their possessions and sailed off, flying when their psynergy would allow. Felix again isolated himself, but contributed power when they needed it. Picard sailed faster than he'd ever done before, yelling orders to the others at regular intervals to keep up the ship's pace. In sixteen days they'd made it to the port of Vault by guiding the boat through the narrow channels. The townsfolk were surprised to see a full vessel stop in a town that's only ships were tiny merchant boats, but agreed to hold the ship until they returned. After another two days they made it to Vault, to be greeted sadly by friends and loved ones.
"Gods, Isaac you're all right!" Dora cried out and sobbed. "I was so worried again, you were gone so long. And Kraden..."
"I know mom, I know." The young man said solemnly. These conversations were quite commonplace for most of the group, but after catching up as best they could they hurried to Kraden's house.
Inside it looked the same as ever. The old professor sat wheezing in his rocking chair, his gray hair thinning even more. He rocked by the crackling fire quietly, dozing off occasionally while wrapped in a thick green checkered balanket.
"Kraden?"
Jenna pushed open the door and the eight walked in, with Sheba closing it behind them. The ailing old man jerked his head up quickly. "Who? What? Oh. My students! You've come to visit, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir." Ivan said quietly. The professor smiled weakly, his wrinkles crinkling up. "And your mission?"
"Nearly done, Kraden. All four elemental demons have been exorcised." Isaac responded. Kraden coughed and leaned back in his chair. "Indeed. Good, only the demon of darkness left, then. You know where he'll appear?"
"At the Ankhol Ruins, you said." Isaac said. Kraden smiled again. "Good, glad you remembered. Be prepared for anything, as he will be a tricky one. Have faith, all of you, have faith..."
After that they sat and talked of other things. The village, past deeds, small talk. After a while Kraden fell asleep quietly, his breathing slow but ragged.
Mia stepped up and put a hand on his forehead. "No fever, but his lungs are filled with fluid. He'll be fine for now, but he is beyond my help." The group nodded in assent and began to walk quietly out. Felix, however, stayed behind the rest, watching the old man sadly. They shut the door to leave him be.
Felix sat a while thinking. He then sighed heavily, got up and began to walk to the door as well before Kraden spoke.
"Your thoughts are clouded, Felix. What is the matter?" He asked.
Felix sighed again and shook his head. "Nothing, sir. Nothing." He reached for the door again.
"Come now, talk to me. What thoughts assail you?" Kraden asked again.
Felix walked back to the alchemist and sat on the wooden floor again. He then said. "Kraden, there is something, wrong with me. I don't know what it is, but ever since that day, when I fell in the river, I've had this, thing inside me. And when we fought the Lich, the Earth demon, it took over me."
Kraden nodded solemnly.
"It was like, this power. Exceeding power and energy. The desire to kill and maim, and I was blind. Before it began, I know I was supposed to be dead, but then I knew that I didn't want to die, and the feeling came."
Kraden nodded again.
"And finally, the demon said I was a 'Child of Hoenir'. What is that? Does it have to do with, that?" Felix finished.
Kraden thought for a long moment before speaking.
"I believe it does, Felix. I've heard of something like that before, in one of my books. If I remember...can you fetch me the tall, brown book with no title on the back?" he asked.
Felix got up and located the book, then handed it to Kraden.
"Hmmm...ah! Here we are! I found it." Kraden read the two pages of text silently and gravely before letting out a deep sigh and setting it down. "The truth Felix, is rather harsh. Are you prepared?" he asked.
"Yes." Felix answered.
Kraden took a breath and began.
"In ancient times, after the sealing of the Evil One but before the sealing of Alchemy, the people lived prosperously and happily for the most part. The four clans intermarried and lived together in generally harmony before the Alchemy Wars that put Alchemy away.
"There were many gods then, beyond the four Elementals. There were gods for happiness and wealth, for war and despair. There was one god, however, called Hoenir. Hoenir was the brother of another war god. Hoenir was also blind and incredibly powerful. He was essentially the god of berserkers, mad warriors who wore nothing but the skin of animals to give them the power of the animal. They lived to fight, and would be possessed by 'blood rages' that sent them into a killing spree, slaughtering friend or foe.
"During this time, it was not uncommon to see mixed clan marriages, like today. There was a strange occurrence, however. Children of Venus and Mars parents sometimes fell into odd comas, and when near death would spark into furious rages, like berserkers. Their eyes would cloud over, and they would be blind, sometimes from birth. These were called 'Hoenir's Brood', or 'Children of Hoenir' because of these characteristics.
"You are one of these hybrids, my son. When your life is in grave danger or you are already on death's threshold, the berserker within you will rise to defend you, sending you into a mad blood rage. You were fortunate enough to not be born blind, but over the years your eyes will eventually mist away and you will lose your sight.
"But I'm afraid that is not all. For every time you enter this berserker rage, your life span is burned away. I'm sorry to say that you are fated to die young, maybe less than twenty years. You will most likely never reach your 40th birthday... I'm sorry."
And with that Kraden finished. Felix stared silently, rolling the information over his mind. He then stood up. "That may be so, but I'll avoid it all I can, live as long as I can. I have no desire to feel that killing urge again, and I thank you. Kraden." Kraden sighed deeply and nodded. Felix walked to the door silently and opened it.
"Good luck." Kraden said as the doomed young man closed the door.
Four days later Kraden died, peacefully in his sleep. A funeral was held, his body disposed of in the old ways by offering it to the four elements. First it was soaked with water, hung for time in the wind, cremated, then finally the ashes were buried in the ground. His will had asked for this rite to be carried out, his few possessions divided among the villagers. To the party he left his mythril bags and the cottage, should any of them need it.
The village mourned for three days as per custom before returning to their lives. Felix called them together in Kraden's hut after the mourning was complete.
"Everyone, I know I have spoken little to you all since Lich was destroyed, and I apologize to you. I have long thought about everything, and have decided that so far we have done everything accordingly and well. Everyone has done their part, and I thank you.
"We should leave soon for Ankhol, no later than in one week. The powers of darkness grow, and Kraden had faith in us to accomplish this. Say your good-bye's and such, then prepare to leave."
The group nodded and went there separate ways, Felix remaining at the cottage to gaze were the wise old man once sat.
"They don't need to know yet. I will tell them, though. Some day, I will."
Then Felix did something he had never done since the accident six years ago; he cried. Long and hard, he cried, for Kraden, his sister, his friends, the world, himself, he cried.
And that was all.
I managed to depress myself quite a bit just writing this. Just a plot hole filling chapter to focus on Felix, my third favorite character. (First is Garet, then Isaac, but he's had plenty of attention with his fiancee' Jenna. ;). Thanks for reading, I expect about four more chapters before the fic is over. Maybe then I'll write some Love Hina stuff... By the way, Hoenir was a real god, although his real name was Hod. (I changed it to Hoenir since it sounded better. He was a God too.)Hod was theNorse god of blind rage and battle. He was blind and he did die young through the treachery of a fellow god who murdered him. Just a little thing to know.