A/N: Hello again all! Welcome back to another exciting chapter of Golden Sun! Okay, I actually have a few notices I need to inform ye all of, but I shall save it all for the end of the chapter. For now, I'll just say, this is the beginning of the end. The final stretch of the journey is really beginning. Also, I must point out even though this is one of my 'travelling chapters', the focus is a lot more on some of the character interaction this time for reasons you'll see as you read. I suppose you could call it a 'character interaction chapter'? I dunno, subcategorisation (not a real word) of chapters isn't all that important to me, so just enjoy what you read, I say. Also Lighthouseshippers rejoice! Felix and Sheba, woot! I have to say, I love that pairing, and if you don't well too bad coz I'm the author and this is my fic so there. Anyway, enjoys!
Disclaimer: Master of Reality does not own any cheese. Oh dang, that wasn't what I was supposed to say…
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
A RECKONING APPROACHING
The Suhulla Desert was a harsh environment where only the hardiest of desert life forms survived. Dry, hot and, most of all, windswept. Eternally windswept. Harsh, high speed winds tore at the landscape always, carrying a never-ending sandstorm over the entire desert. The harsh sand and the harsh wind wore away most of the natural features of the desert; it bit at all things and could even tear at a man's skin.
But this weather was unnatural, Sheba knew. The winds should not be so undying, something was driving them on. Sheba knew this, and it wasn't just because she was familiar with this desert – to an extent – she could feel it. The same way she could feel the nature and energy of the wind, using the same power that allowed her to control wind with the power of her mind, summon lightning and read minds. The power of the wind was deliberately and consciously acting aggressively for some reason, with that same power that she possessed that had earned her the title "Child of the Gods". There was also that whole tale that she'd come to Lalivero as a baby by falling from the sky on the night of a full moon, but even she wasn't sure weather or not to believe that.
And now, she was 'escorted' back to her hometown of Lalivero by a half a dozen Tolbi soldiers – straight from one place where she was a prisoner in all but name, to another – this harsh wind and sand assaulted her and her 'bodyguards'. Fortunately, a silk veil that she wore kept the sand out of her nose and mouth, and if she squeezed her eyelids together, it wasn't so bad either. The clothing she wore kept most of her body safe from the wind and sand, only her hands and neck were exposed.
And the wind is normally my friend… she thought ruefully.
The clothing she wore was an expensive purple, green and gold robe from the best Kalay had to offer, brought by Faran. The guards had full body steel armour which, while keeping out the sand, must have been exceedingly uncomfortable in this hot environment. Their slouched frames, sweaty faces and continual grunts of complaint made that all too obvious.
She'd read their minds before, but found nothing of any importance. They were just men doing their job, and had nothing personal against her, but she had to get away from them all the same. It was the only way to fulfil the vision of the future she'd had in her dream some nights ago. She saw that a master of the earth would come to rescue her, and she would find love with him. Then, she would leave her old life behind her and fulfil her destiny. Go on a quest to save the world. And find out who she was, where she came from. As much as she loved her adoptive father, Faran, she wanted to be free, to find out where she really came from, who her parents really were and what her mysterious powers were.
These were the thoughts passing through Sheba of Lalivero's mind when it finally happened.
The officer of the group was saying something about the sandstorms making it very hard to tell where they were going, when he stopped, squinting his eyes and peering ahead. Sheba held up a hand to shield her eyes as she looked at the same spot. Up ahead was a group, a familiar group that Sheba had seen before in her dreams.
A group of six. Before them was a powerful whirlwind whirling a thick cloud of sand. She saw the one with the long blue hair raise his hands, and attain a blue aura about his body.
"Who are those people?" one of the guards asked aloud. "And what are they doing out here!" Droplets of water appeared in the air above the whirlwind, created from the blue haired man's power, and fell in a thick rain onto the dust storm.
"Where's that rain coming from?" one of the guards exclaimed in shock. "The skies are clear!" Abruptly, the whirlwind just suddenly decided to stop, and the sand settled down somewhat. It revealed a giant lizard like monsters with red scales and a large, leathery frill about its neck. It resonated with that same power that Sheba felt in the wind.
"What the…? I'd heard people say that there were monsters in the Suhulla, but I didn't think that they were serious!"
The water continued falling, and the monster screeched in pain, apparently the water had an acidic affect upon its skin. The man in blue continued holding out his hands, and channelling his power, commanding the rain to fall. The lizard rolled around in the sand that was now muddy, screeching wildly until it at last gave up and died. The man put down his hands, let the rain stop and his blue aura faded.
"Did you see that?" a guard to Sheba's left asked the officer. "It looked as though that person made the rain appear!"
"Don't talk such nonsense!" the officer retorted sharply, but with an underlying tone of doubt. "It was just your imagination!" All their attention was soon diverted from the group, however, as another whirlwind appeared off to their side, and moved towards them. Sheba then found herself being rudely moved back against a nearby cliff by one of the younger guards.
"Sorry, but Lord Babi ordered us to keep you safe," he told her. "It's more than my head's worth if you get hurt." The soldiers the lined up in front of her defensively and within the whirlwind, Sheba saw that another lizard, much like the one the man in blue had just killed, was within it, creating the whirlwind's power.
"Okay, boys! Remember your training!" the officer shouted. "Kill that monster!"
They won't get a chance.
The whirlwind's speed picked up to a phenomenal rate, and lifted up the Tolbi soldiers off the ground, twirling them up in the air, sucking them up higher and higher and they were literally blown across the sky, carried along on gusts of wind.
The swirling vortex of air headed towards her next.
"No!" Sheba held up her hands, willing the wind to move with the power of her mind. She felt the power move through her and she commanded the whirlwind to stop. It began to slow, slowly easing until it stopped altogether and the sand fell back down to reveal the monster within.
Sheba let her hands fall back down by her sides, her power dissipating, and she suddenly felt very tired and drained. The lizard's scaly hand shot out, and sharp claws dug into the side of her face, throwing her aside like a rag doll. She crashed into a rock and fell to the ground roughly. Sharp pain stabbed at her cheek, warm blood trickling down her face and tears sprang into her eyes. She saw through the blur the monster approach to finish her off.
There was a feel of power from behind it and then suddenly a stone spire was jutting out point first out of the monster's chest. A second later, and a warrior with a sword leapt up and decapitated it, spraying its vile ichor out. Sheba shifted herself and sat up, wiping away her tears as she did so. The man had long brown hair tied back, and wore a green cloak. He sheathed his sword at his side and approached.
Sheba wanted to speak out, but found that she was lost for words. It's him! The man from her vision! He knelt in front of her, and gently laid a hand upon her brow. A blue aura appeared about him, and she felt warmth flow into her. The pain subsided and then vanished. He took away his hand as his blue aura vanished. Gingerly, she reached up to her cheek and found it completely healed. Very bloody, but healed.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently. She nodded, then after a moments thought, reach out and hugged him tightly, gratefully.
"Thank you," she managed to whisper into his ear. He hugged her back, then let go as his companions approached them. She could feel within all but one of them the same power that she herself had within herself.
Why is that? I always thought that I was unique…
One of them, a tall powerfully built man with blue hair and armour, different to the rainmaker's own, strode up to Felix and stared down at him reprimandingly. From his body language, Sheba guessed intuitively that this man was the leader of the group, a man who took control of the situation and wouldn't tolerate it any other way.
"Felix, what were you thinking?" he demanded loudly. "You could have been killed! You do not go into battle unless I say so, you aren't ready for it. Is that understood?"
Felix looked down at the ground, and nodded glumly.
"I said, is that understood!"
"Yes, Saturos," her rescuer, Felix, said in a hurt tone of voice. The man, Saturos, nodded as if he expected no less.
"Felix, please, you know we need you to get into Venus Lighthouse," a woman in a red dress with blonde hair said. "What would we do it you'd been killed?"
"I'm sorry, Menardi." Felix still looked down at the ground. Saturos waved his hand dismissively.
"Well, it doesn't matter now," he said, then looked to Sheba. "So, who do we have here?"
"Don't talk about her like she's not there!" a girl about Sheba's age with a red ponytail said to Saturos. "It's extremely rude!" Saturos didn't so much as look at her. The blonde haired woman, Menardi, did, however.
"Be quiet, girl!" she snapped, glaring down at the girl with a look on her face that would have made most people shirk and look away. Not this girl, though. She stared right back defiantly, both of them with fire in their eyes.
"Well, Felix?"
"My name is Sheba," she said, suddenly finding her tongue again. "I'm from Lalivero, and was heading back there."
"I see…" Saturos mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"You mean the Sheba?" a new voice asked excitedly. An old man in a dusty brown robe approached. "The one Lord Babi kidnapped?"
"Um… yes…" she replied uncertainly.
"So you're the 'Child of the Gods'" Saturos said. Sheba nodded.
"And I notice that you're an Adept, too," the blue haired man who had summoned the rain said in a calm tone. "And from what I just saw, of the wind element."
"What are you…?" Sheba started. None of this made any sense. What was an 'Adept' and how did they know wind was her element? Were they all 'Adepts', too? Why were they trying to get into Venus Lighthouse, and why did they need Felix to do that? So many things that didn't make sense. But she knew Felix had rescued her, and she was sure that he was the one she would find love in.
"Saturos, I do believe we should take this girl with us," 'rainmaker' said nonchalantly.
"That's what I was going to suggest!" Felix suddenly declared eagerly. "We could take her with us! She needs our held, and…" Saturos silenced him with an upraised hand.
"We'll talk about this later," he decided. "Come one, let's get out of here before anymore of those wind monsters find us." He walked off, followed by Menardi and 'rainmaker'. Felix remained by her side, and the red-haired girl and the old man waited for him.
"Would you like to come with us?" he asked softly. She nodded, following him with the others.
"Thank you for saving me," she said again. She clung to his arm, suddenly afraid to be away from him.
"That's okay." It was done, but she had a feeling that there was more to come, that this was just the beginning.
XXX
The town of Suhulla, like its desert namesake, was a sandy, windswept place. The buildings were all made from a sand coloured stone and showed signs of erosion around the edges. The townspeople were forever sweeping it away from their doorstops the way people of Imil had to sweep away snow. Everyone in the street wore shawls about their heads that exposed the eyes, keeping out most of the sand. Most people seemed to keep indoors where it was less harsh, exiting only when needed. Unlike other cities they'd visited, there were few vendors out on the street. Here and there they saw pairs of Tolbi soldiers on patrol.
Iodem briskly led the four Adepts through the streets towards an Inn he highly recommended.
"Well, at least money won't be a problem," Isaac mused, fingering the bulging leather sack of gold coins at his side. "We've got plenty of that, now." Lord Babi's reward for his Colosso win was very generous indeed.
"Oh, we won't have to pay anything here," Iodem said with some pride. "We have an… agreement with the Innkeeper."
"Hmm, well that's good, I guess." Isaac let his hand fall away from the coin purse.
"What sort of an agreement is that?" Ivan inquired.
"Oh, nothing important." Iodem waved his hand dismissively. "Here we are." They stopped in front of a large unassuming, two storey building, very old by its look and level of erosion. It was marked as an Inn only by an aged, fading sign hanging above the door. Iodem opened the door and they entered.
Inside, a round, middle aged woman in a greasy apron greeted them from behind a wooded counter.
"Good evening lady and gentleman, how may I help you?" Her voice was old, but cheery.
"Rooms for the night, please." Iodem pulled a sooth piece of paper from his pack, and slid it across the counter. The Innkeeper looked at it closely, then her eyes widened slightly but her composure otherwise remained.
"Ah, a Tolbi official." She nodded to herself, and slid the document back. "Of course, sir, I'll send the bill to Tolbi." A look of suddenly remembering something passed across her face. "Ah, that's right, there's something I have to tell you." She leaned in closer. "You know how they sent Sheba back to Lalivero?" Iodem nodded, he did. "Well, the soldiers escorting her through the desert south of here… they were, well…" She hesitated and paused, searching for the words, perhaps.
"Well, come on!" Iodem urged her. "Out with it!"
"I suppose the only way to put it is… they were brought back."
"Brought back!" Iodem repeated incredulously. "What do you mean? By whom?"
"Well… the desert spirits," she said in a tone that suggested it should be obvious. "The soldiers angered the desert spirits, so they were brought back here by the winds. That's what they get for manhandling the 'Child of the Gods', I suppose."
"Where are these men?" Iodem demanded in a tone of authority. "I must speak with them immediately!"
"They are recovering in a room down the hall," she replied meekly. "I'll take you to see them."
XXX
The room the Tolbi soldiers were resting in was dark. The curtains were shut, but the innkeeper lit a candle as they entered. Six beds were lined up neatly along the walls, three on either side of the room, spaced apart by even intervals. Each of the beds had a large, muscle bound soldier lying in it, with their armour neatly piled on the floor by the side. They all had bandages wrapped around them in various places, and all but two were sleeping, or unconscious, Isaac couldn't tell.
Only the Earth Adept and Iodem followed the innkeeper lady into the room, the others had gone into their rooms. Isaac found himself thinking that it might have been a good idea to bring Mia along, but then decided that there would be time to heal the men later on.
Iodem knelt beside one of the conscious men, and Isaac stood just beside him. The innkeeper respectfully withdrew from the room.
"Soldier, do you hear me?" Iodem asked softly. The man looked at him, and recognition bloomed across his face. He seemed somehow relieved.
"Iodem… sir… good to see you…" he spoke slowly, as though it was an effort, then managed a weak smile.
"Tell me, what happened in the desert? What happened to Sheba?" the beaten soldier lost his smile.
"We were… attacked," he said, the pain of he memories evident on his face. "We saw a bunch of strange people in the desert… one of them seemed to be able to stop the wind by summoning rain… I know it sounds crazy, but you gotta believe me!" His voice had found new strength, and so had his body, for he sat up now to continue. "Those winds are created by these weird wind lizard type monsters. One of them attacked us, and… blew us away…" He paused for a moment, trying to remember the details. "I'm not sure exactly what happened next… we were sort of, I don't know… flying, and when we came to, or at least once I had, we were all laying just outside the town walls, all beaten up like this." He shook his head in disbelief. "I know it sounds impossible, but that's what happened!" He tensed up in irritation.
"Easy there, soldier," Iodem said soothingly, motioning for the man to rest. "What's your name?"
"Ilyas."
"Well, Ilyas, you did your job as best you could. I've heard of these monsters and don't blame you for getting beaten. Now, tell me, what happened to Sheba?"
Ilyas's eyes widened as though he'd only just realised something. "Sheba! That's right! We pushed her out of harm's way! But she never got thrown back like the rest of us! She could till be out there!" He groaned in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Iodem, but we've failed Lord Babi."
"You did your best, that's enough," Iodem replied. "Did you get a good look at that group you say made the rain?" Ilyas nodded.
"We only say them from a distance, but it was enough."
"Tell me, did they look like…" and Iodem described them in detail, word for word exactly the same description that Isaac had given him.
"Yes, that's them!" Ilyas said in surprise. "But, how did you know?" Iodem ignored him, briefly, and instead looked to Isaac, silent understanding between them. Saturos and Menardi.
"Thank you, Ilyas, that's all we need to know." Ilyas smiled in relief, and laid back to rest. The two of them quietly left the room, and softly shut the door behind them.
"So, we know we're right behind them at least," Iodem said.
"I think, if they saw her, they might kidnap Sheba," Isaac said. Iodem looked at him quizzically. "You see, to get into each Lighthouse, they need an Adept of that element. They don't have any Jupiter Adepts, and from what you've told me, I think Sheba is one, so…" Isaac noticed the look of complete incomprehension on Iodem's face and realised that nothing he was saying made any sense to the man. "Put simply, they need Sheba for their plans to succeed."
Iodem nodded, this time understanding. "So, we have three hostages to deal with now?"
"Looks like it."
"The Laliverans will never forgive us if they find out about this," he sighed. "Come on, let's get some rest. Crossing the Suhulla Desert tomorrow won't be easy."
XXX
After hours of a hard, long, sandy trek, Felix and the others finally stopped to rest in a cave as night set in over the Suhulla Desert. A cook fire crackled in the centre of the cave, a pot of stew sitting above the flames. Alex was the one cooking tonight's meal, and surprisingly enough he was actually one of the best of the group. Saturos and Menardi sat next to one another on one side, but they weren't relaxing. For some reason, they seemed tense, and they wouldn't say why to anyone.
Probably just feeling nervous, this close to Venus Lighthouse, Felix surmised.
While Alex was busy with making dinner, oblivious to all around him – or at least pretending to be – Kraden was busy looking through a notebook of his filled with notes regarding the Lighthouse. Jenna and Sheba sat next to one another, with Felix nearby. The two girls had spoken a bit with one another, and seemed to be getting on with one another, but they still weren't quite more than friendly acquaintances.
Felix moved closer to their new Wind Adept to speak with her and Jenna suddenly found an interest in talking with Kraden, even if he did only reply in a distracted fashion.
You be the one to speak with her, Saturos had said to him earlier. You be the one to explain everything to her, and ask her if she want to be prisoner or companion. You saved her, so she's your responsibility. Probably just as well the Earth Adept got the job, for Saturos and Menardi had no people skills whatsoever. Alex did, but they were off-set by the fact that he was always so emotionally detached. So Felix was stuck with the job.
"So, how are you?" he asked casually, trying to start conversation.
"I'm fine," she answered in a soft voice.
"The trek wasn't too hard?"
"No, it was okay." There was a brief pause as Felix tried to work out what to say next, wanting desperately to make a good impression.
"Why did you save me?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"Well, what else was I going to do? I would have done the same for anyone." But that wasn't quite all. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he knew there was something different about her. Something that made his heart flutter and he simply had to save her.
"Well, thank you, anyway."
"Haven't you thanked me enough, yet?" Felix joked. Sheba smiled abashedly, and looked down to the ground as a blush crept into her cheeks.
"Sorry, but I really am grateful." She sidled up a bit closer. "You saved my life, Felix… and I won't soon forget that." Another pause.
"So, tell me about yourself," Felix said. He found himself liking this pretty – in his opinion, anyway – young lady and wanted to get to know her a bit better. "What was it like living in Lalivero?" He seemed to have hit a bad point, for she frowned and looked away.
"I hated it," she said sullenly. "I never got to have any fun." Felix was about to say he was sorry and that she didn't have to talk about it if she didn't want to, but she went on. "Everyone idolised me, worshipped me as the Child of the Gods, but I wasn't and I knew it." Her purple eyes locked onto his brown ones. "I'm just an Adept, just like you." Felix had explained the basics of Psynergy to her on their walk across the desert, and he nodded with a smile. "They told me that I fell from the sky as a baby, though I don't know if it's true."
"I agree, how could a baby have survived a fall like that?" Felix felt pleased when she smiled at that.
"You see? It doesn't make any sense!" Her smile faded, however, as she went on. "I never got to do anything for myself, or go out and play. I never had any real friends, I spent my entire life being pampered; I was practically a prisoner." Her purple eyes looked at him with pleading in them. "Please, don't take me back to Lalivero! I know everyone wants me there, and my father, Faran, cares about me, but… I want to go with you, Felix. I want to be free! I have to go with you."
"Well, uh… that's good," Felix stumbled in reply. Because Saturos needed her for Jupiter Lighthouse, and he couldn't let her go. "But why?" She looked to the ground, blushing slightly.
"I… can't say."
"That's okay," Felix said, not wanting to push her. "We kind of needed you, anyway, because… well, it's actually kind of a long story, really."
"That's okay, it doesn't matter," she said, waving her had dismissively "I want to know about you, Felix. Tell me about yourself."
"Me? You want to know about me?" He felt kind of pleased that she wanted to know about him "Well, that is kind of a long story, too." And deeply connected to why they needed her. "Hmm… where do I start?" Then he realised what a stupid question that was. There was only one place to start. "I guess my story really begins just a bit over three years ago now, back in my hometown, Vale. This really big storm had hit, and…" And so he told his story into the night, all the highs and lows, twists and turns. As he talked, she listened with rapt attention, looking at him with beautiful purple eyes, moving so she was sitting up right next to him, hips and legs slightly touching. By the end of it, Felix was sure that he was in love with Sheba.
XXX
Night was now fully settled over the Suhulla, a full moon in a starry sky blotted out by the ever present sand clouds churned up by an unnatural, constant wind. Unlike in the Lamakan Desert, it got cold here at night and Felix wrapped his green cloak tightly around his body, trying to keep out the windy, twilight cold. The monsters of this region, much like the wind, never went to sleep, so Saturos had ordered him to stay up and keep a watch just in case anything threatened them. Everyone was asleep in the cave behind him, while Felix sat just inside the mouth, lazily leaning up against a wall while looking outside. Nothing to see out there though, except dark sand clouds.
He glanced to Sheba, to make sure that she was still alright, even though he knew she would be. She had listened to his story with such interest, the way he wished his sister would. Although, he had noticed that, even though she had been pretending to ignore him, she had seemed to be listening with half an ear.
Felix looked back outside. Venus Lighthouse was not too far away now, and he would serve his part in the quest. But Saturos would still want him around, even though he wasn't needed for success, despite whatever Alex might have hinted at when they had their occasional chats. But what did they still need Jenna for? Kraden, he could understand. The Alchemy Sage had listened at length to Saturos and Alex explain their reasons for releasing Alchemy, even if Jenna wouldn't, and he had come to understand and accept the concept. Felix thought that he might even be half convinced, might even willingly join the quest once he had seen the proof of it. The old man simply refused to support them at all until he had seen the proof.
But Jenna, why did they still keep her? It was obvious that Isaac wouldn't hand over the Mars Star for her, he was that stuck with Vale's teachings, so what good was she as a hostage? Felix hated to keep her against her will like this, and now there was no reason to do so. She hated being here, and would never support them, she had made that perfectly clear, so why not release her? Saturos had explained that, if she were to be released, she would be potentially a great threat if she joined with Isaac's party. She wasn't very powerful yet, like Felix, but had great potential within, again like Felix.
Still, if she knew certain truths, truths which Felix had left out of his tale to Sheba for the sake of brevity, surely she would change her mind? But she would never listen; he had tried before and failed. Still, she had been listening in on his talk to Sheba…
As though his thought about her had been a signal, there was a stirring from within the cave, and Felix's sister stood up, walked towards Felix and sat down beside him. She was still in her usual red dress – dirty from travel – and clutched about herself a dark brown blanket to keep out the cold. Her auburn blaze of hair hung down loose about her shoulders.
"Can't sleep?" He spoke softly, so as not to wake the others. Could it be she was really ready to talk with him again? Felix sure hoped so. He had been trying to explain his story to her for a long time now, but she had thus far refused to listen. And yet, Felix had noticed she had been paying attention when he'd been telling it to Sheba.
"I've been thinking," she said after a moment's thought. For once, her voice wasn't angry when she spoke to him. She sounded oddly calm and reserved. "I was listening to you talking with Sheba earlier."
Felix nodded. "I noticed."
"I've never actually heard your side of the story; I guess I haven't actually really given you a chance." She hesitated, tightened her blanket about herself. "I'm… I'm sorry, Felix. Sorry I didn't give you a fair chance, sorry I wouldn't listen. You seem to have had it pretty though."
"I lived," Felix said with a shrug.
"I never really understood," she went on. "I just thought you were a traitor, someone who wanted power, but… but you really did have your reasons. I'm still not sure why Weyard really needs Alchemy released…" Felix had deliberately not gone into any details on that subject with Sheba for the sake of brevity. "… but I guess that their really is a good reason for you, isn't there?"
Felix nodded. "Didn't Alex explain it to you and Kraden once?"
"Yeah, he did, once." She managed a weak smile. "I guess I really wasn't paying much attention, though. And I refused to remember any of it; anyway, it went against everything Vale's elders ever taught us." She shrugged slightly and then frowned. "I don't like Alex much, he's a jerk and I don't trust him."
"He's not so bad," Felix replied. "He's a bit distant and cold, but… even though it might not look like it, he's loyal and trustworthy, he's proven it in the past." Although, Felix probably wouldn't have staked his life on it.
"It doesn't matter," she said, shrugging the subject off. "Anyway, I'm sorry… do you forgive me?"
Felix managed a soft laugh. "Are you kidding? You're my sister, of course I do!"
Jenna smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
"I'm glad all that's out of the way… I was sick of fighting with you all the time."
"Me, too." They were silent for a moment, neither knowing quite what to say. "You like her, don't you?"
"Who?"
Jenna gave him a look that seemed to say, 'You know what I'm talking about.' "That girl you were talking to… Sheba." Felix looked away in embarrassment at the mention of her name. "You do! Don't even try to deny it, it's written all over your face!"
"I… well… she's nice…" Felix stammered.
"And she likes you, too, any fool can see it!" she poked him teasingly. "It's called women's intuition! I'll bet even Menardi noticed."
"I wouldn't bet on it," Felix replied defensively. "I mean, Menardi isn't exactly very ladylike."
Jenna laughed at this, softly, trying not to wake the others. "I know what you mean, she's such a tomboy! She tries to act like Saturos in every way! I'm surprised she doesn't cut her hair short, and where breeches instead of a dress." Felix smiled. His sister had it right. Her smile faded, however, and she glanced at the ground, biting her lower lip in deep thought. "Felix… there's something I've been wanting to ask you. When you were talking to Sheba… when you spoke of our parents… you didn't tell her about how they're, you know…" A tear glistened in her eye, and Felix realised she hadn't quite gotten over it. Felix hadn't explained his parent's fate to Sheba, not for the sake of brevity, but for the sake of Jenna's feelings. The time had come to set things straight. He'd put this off for far too long.
"Jenna, about our parents…" he started, speaking slowly. "The truth is… they're not really dead. Their alive." Her head snapped around to look at him, in disbelief, eyes and mouth wide open in shock.
"Are you… are they… really?" She sounded pleading, as though almost expecting him to shatter her fragile hope. Felix nodded reassuringly.
"It's true. They are." She stared at the rocky ground by her feet, a gob smacked expression on her face.
"But… I saw them die…" she hesitated and then sounded a single question. "How?"
"When Saturos and Menardi rescued me from that river," Felix patiently explained, "they rescued the two of them as well, then took us to their hometown." Felix sighed, trying to think of how to say it. "They knew that they needed an Earth Adept like me for their quest and explained the situation to me. Mum and Dad didn't believe them, or approve of my choices…" He suddenly realised that this was going to be a long explanation. "Well, long story short, if I help them release Alchemy, then they'll set our parents free."
"So their hostages!" she asked in disbelief, a fire beginning to burn in her eyes.
"Well, to be blunt…"
"So all this time, you've actually been doing this to save our parents?"
"Well… yes." There was, of course, the whole Alchemy thing as per Saturos's explanation, but he let it be for now. He'd explain it to her another day.
"That's so… noble of you, Felix," she said, with a hint of respect in her voice. "I can't believe this…" Her eyes darted to Saturos and Menardi. "If they weren't so powerful…"
"I would never hurt either of them," Felix cut in. "They're… you don't understand my relationship with them. I would never fight them."
"Then why don't you run away and break them out yourself?" she asked, looking at him seriously.
"Not an option," Felix replied curtly. "It's a long story. The question is: Jenna, are you willing to help me release Alchemy?"
She was silent for a moment as she considered the question, eyes looking at the ground while her fingers toyed with a lock of her red hair. No noise was heard apart from the howling of the eternal wind outside.
"A family again…" she whispered to herself. "Just like the good old days… before the storm." She let go of her hair, and looked directly into Felix's brown eyes with her matching pair. "If we unleash Alchemy… we can get our parents back?" Felix nodded. "But… but what the Elders of Vale taught us about it… how dangerous that power can be for evil, the destruction it could cause… is it really worth it?
"I think it is." Felix took a deep breath as he looked to the ground. Idly, he scribbled with a stick in the sand at his feet, thinking about how he was going to put this. Go too far into Saturos's true theory on the relationship between Alchemy and Weyard, and she would surely disbelieve him, thereby ruining all his work in rebuilding their relationship. The teachings of Vale were clearly still too deeply imbedded within her. He had to tell her just enough so that she would join him and help reunite their family, just like it just to be.
"We don't know for sure that Alchemy would destroy the world. The Elders tell us that if Alchemy were ever released, great wars would wipe out mankind, like at the end of the Lost Age. But really, that's only if humanity lets itself use Alchemy for evil. It all depends on what we choose. We can work hard to prevent anything like that from ever happening again."
Jenna chewed her lower lip in thought. It was a habit she'd had since being a child, and Felix felt a wave of homesickness to see that she still had it. "But… the Elders of Vale… they said that Alchemy would always be used for war. Is it really right to risk it just for our parents?"
Felix sighed, trying to think of another way to put it. "Well… we don't know that for certain. At any rate, the power of Alchemy has other uses, not just war. Remember how Kraden said that, at the time, the Lost Age was called the Golden Age? That's because Weyard was in an era of prosperity, everyone lived well. Not like today, where the world is impoverished, and divided against itself. Wouldn't you like to see the Golden Age restored, and live in it with our parents?"
She gave more thought, still chewing her lower lip. Then, with closed eyes, shook her head in sorry defiance. "I'm sorry, Felix, but I can't do it. As the Elders taught us, with Alchemy, temptation leads to the path of destruction." Felix sighed in defeat. This wasn't the way he'd hoped it would be. "But… to get mum and dad back… maybe I will." Felix felt his hopes rising. Really? "I know I shouldn't, but… I want to see them again… I miss them…" A tear rolled down her cheek, as she recalled that tragic night. Felix wrapped a comforting arm around her.
"But there's always the problem about Isaac possessing the Mars Star…" Felix muttered under his breath, more to himself than Jenna. His sister, however, heard him and looked up with surprised remembrance on her face, sniffing away the last of her tears.
"That's right! Isaac took it with him from Sol Sanctum! How are we going to get it back from him?"
Felix swallowed a lump in his throat. This was the hard part, and Felix really didn't want to have to tell her. "We would have to defeat him." His voice was hard and resolute. It softened, though, as he saw a look of horror cross Jenna's face. "Not kill him, though, we won't have to hill him. Just incapacitate him, so we can get the Star." His sister's face showed clear reluctance. "I don't want to do it, either, but it's the only way!"
"Can't we just talk to him, though?" she protested. "He'd listen to me!"
"I'm not so sure," Felix said in a decisive tone. "He might care about you, but from what I remember, he always took his duties very seriously. He was very loyal. I don't think he'd ever betray his quest." And he thinks he's doing it to save the world.
"You know, I think you might be right," she replied in a near whisper. "I know him; he could never do that, no matter what. And he's got a personal vendetta against Saturos. He would never work with him for any reason. But… I couldn't betray him like that; I could never force myself to fight him. I… I care about him too much. He was there for me after the accident when no-one else was."
Felix suddenly realised, that in the years he'd been gone, Jenna had developed a crush on Isaac, maybe even loved him. And it wouldn't have surprised him in the least that the feeling was mutual. And Felix approved, even if he was reluctant to admit it. Felix remembered what a great boy Isaac had been when they were growing up together, and felt that he was a good choice. If ever Jenna was to find someone, then Felix was glad that it was Isaac. And yet, ironically, he was now his enemy. And Felix was forcing Jenna to decide between her parents and Isaac.
"I'm sorry, Jenna. I don't mean to force you to make tough choices, but…"
"No, its okay, Felix. I understand." She shivered and tightened her blanket about herself. "But… I don't know." She stood up. Felix moved to follow her, but she motioned with her hand for him to stop. "No, I need some time to myself to think. I need to sleep this over.
The Earth Adept nodded. "I understand." Felix himself had spent many nights agonising and deliberating over his own choices to join Saturos, so he had an idea of what his sister was experiencing.
Jenna moved softly back to her spot in the cave, and sat down. Felix kept a wary eye on both her and the outside. Eventually she lay back down and soon Felix heard her breathing softly as she slept.
I've sure got a lot on my plate right now. Isaac, Sheba, Jenna, the Lighthouse… Why can't anything in life ever be easy?
Felix sat there for some time, looking out at the twilight sandstorm and thinking about everything. He regularly cast glances at Jenna, grateful that at last they had finally connected and might even be able to work together.
Just as often he looked to Sheba, the beautiful Laliveran Wind Adept, her purple eyes closed contently, blonde hair spread about her head. And he recalled the words she'd spoken, softly so that only he'd heard, about what awaited them. Prophetic words, regarding a vision she'd had.
A reckoning is approaching, she had said. Whichever way it goes, this part of the quest shall end at Venus Lighthouse, and the next part will begin. A reckoning with Isaac is coming. As for me…And then she'd clammed up, and had refused to say more. Felix was very nervously concerned by this. It could only mean a showdown with his former friends. If Isaac won, then everything for Felix was lost; his parents, the fate of the world, probably even Jenna and Sheba. But, if Saturos won, then two of Felix's former friends would be dead. As much as he told himself he could bear it, he had to; the quest was all that mattered; he knew he was lying. He couldn't live with the guilt. It was as Alex had said, he was too sentimental, his ties weren't severed clean.
I can't help my feelings, he thought ruefully, leaning his head against the rocky cave wall, as he longed for sleep and then sighed wearily. Why can't anything in life ever be easy?
XXX
Isaac's party, together with Iodem, travelled for two days through the merciless Suhulla Desert, eternally sandy, windswept plains under a burning hot sun. They were all forced to cover their faces with protective cloth, in order to breathe easily. Isaac tied his yellow scarf around his mouth. Mia wore a blue silk kerchief and Garet and Ivan both used Suhullan veils that Iodem provided for the trip. The heat, they were able to handle, they had suffered worse in the Lamakan Desert and Iodem was used to it. The wind, however, was violent and unbearable, even for Ivan, Wind Adept though he was.
The first day was tedious walking, often against the strong winds as though the spirits wanted to send them back. They did see several large monsters, large frill necked lizards as big as a house, with brown leathery skin. Having been hit by Psynergy Stones, they now used their power of wind for their own mad desires, forming large tornadoes to pulverise the landscape and any animal that took their notice. Many of them believed them to be the source of the desert's unnatural wind. Garet coined them "Tornado Lizards".
Although they tried to attack the group whenever they encountered them, the Adepts were now simply too powerful. No beast on Weyard could possibly hope to compare with them; they were all obliterated with little effort. After making several good examples on the field of battle – Garet especially – they seemed to learn their lesson and respectfully kept their distance.
The first night, they camped in a large cave against the mountain cliffs, and still the howling wind did not abate, raging all through the night as the cold set in. The next day passed by quickly enough, the Tornado Lizards and other creatures of the desert gave them no trouble. By the time the sun was beginning to set over the Suhulla Mountain Ranges, they were nearing the edge of the desert to what Iodem called the 'Suhulla Gate', a wide mountain pass and valley. Through this gate wound the road to Lalivero and, more importantly, Venus Lighthouse.
As night settled over them once more, they camped just at the foot of the mountain ranges, near the ancient remains of some weathered giant stone statue. Only the head remained above the sand, still recognizable enough to show it had once been of a king of some sort. Possibly a relic of the ancient Venus Clan that had once dwelt here. It might have been a monument to some long forgotten hero from the Lost Age.
As they prepared to sleep for another night, Isaac looked to the mountains they would cross tomorrow morning. Venus Lighthouse lay just on the other side. Iodem said that, if they kept up a good pace, they would make the Lighthouse some time early the next day. Isaac was determined to end things with Saturos and Menardi there once and for all. He vowed to rescue Jenna somehow, no matter what. Saturos had got away at Mercury, but he wouldn't at Venus. No matter what, Isaac wouldn't let him light the beacon. Whatever happened, their next fight would end it all, a final showdown. And he would get Jenna and the Stars back.
I promise you, Saturos, there will be a reckoning at Venus Lighthouse. One way or the other, there will be a reckoning.
A/N: And that's that done. You know, I'm surprised at how quick I was able to write this one. It was just fun and virtually wrote itself if you know what I mean. You know, I didn't actually plan out how things would work out with Felix and co. I just went ahead with a vague idea, and it just worked itself out. I love it when that happens!
Yeah, I know, there wasn't very much with Isaacs group was there? But there was a lot I had to deal with with Felix, so that's why the focus was really on him this chap. Well, that's my reasoning.
As well, I know the last couple of chapters didn't include much in the way of fighting, but those of you action fans who want to see battles, next chapter will make it up for you! Saturos and Menardi begin the kick some butt! Woot! Man, I love those two characters, they're so cool.
Anyway, as I said, the end draws nigh. I've promised for a while to complete this fic, but early on that could easily be just ignored by readers ("oh, he says that now, but when MoR gets on, he'll give up") but now that I'm so close, it doesn't seem so impossible does it? Just a hop, skip and a jump away. If all goes according to plan, then there should be 4 more chapters left, plus an epilogue. Doesn't sound so hard. After all, I've come this far, whats a few more chapters, huh?
So, that leads me to my next notice. Yes, I'm nearing the end when this will be finished. So, many will ask "are you gonna do GS2 now?" For a while I've been answering those questions with "I plan to, but I can't make any solid promises yet." Well, I can make some now. First of all, once this is finished, I plan to take a small break from writing major novels like this. Just a small one. In the mean time, I plan to write a smaller novel regarding the rescue of Hammet from Lunpa. I've had a few requests for that, and have decided that I will do it. It will be shorter, much shorter length chapters, and will appear after book one is complete.
After that, then what, you may ask? At the moment, I'm not sure. I might very well work on my Zelda fic. Come back to GS some time later. A novelisation of the Lost Age is something I'd definitely like to try some day. Or I may do it straight after anyway. But, I must also add, I won't be writing fanfiction for ever. I have my own original epic fantasy series to write, sitting away in my head. It's not ready yet, but when it is… well, I'll be doing that. I only have 2 major projects of fanfiction that I really want to do, GS2 and my Zelda fic. Also finishing up End Game, and any oneshots that come along. But I may leave one of them if I decide I've done fanfiction enough, and it's time to go out into the world and do my own stuff and make money (hopefully!) So, we'll see. In the end, the future isn't certain, and all our plans are like dust in the wind.
Okay, that was longwinded and not very specific. But this is. I should have mentioned this last chap, but my memory being like cheese and all… I no longer have the internet at home. I now have to go to the library and use their comps to access the net. Don't worry, I'll still be updating regularly, so no major loss there, but I won't be on MSN very often, say sorry. Just thought I should let you all know.
Okay then, I'm going to shut up now, because these authors notes are getting ridiculously long. So, in short, let me just say, read, review and adios.
…MoR…