You know that windmill in Abessa...?
Well, here's a story that is highly inspired by my trip to the top of it...
Thanks for reading and please note that english isn't my native language, so please forgive me my mistakes - but feel free to show them to me :)
Also I have to say that I play Elex on german. I try my best to get Falks way-of-speaking right and in-character, but I just don't know how he talks in english.


"I surmise that this is some sort of shrine by the people of yesterday. They probably used it to pray to their God of Wind who would bless them with electricity in return," Falk explained enthusiastic.

"Really?" Jax frowned.

"I can't know for sure. But I'm pretty positive. Let's look around maybe we'll find evidence for my hypothesis." And with these words Falk already wandered off towards that strange, large thing.

Well to Jax it looked like a giant, strange, white windmill. But he couldn't see anything related to crop, not even an entrance, nothing. Just a high, solid pillar with gigantic, old wind wheels on top of it. Jax had no idea what that thing could've been used for. So, whatever, Falk could just be right.

But there was something... strange.

"Do you see that?" Jax asked and pointed at a few ridiculously fragile wooden platforms on the side of the windmill-thing. "What are these for?" He turned to Falk. His companion seemed deep in thought – he did that index-finger-to-chin-thing and hmm'ed.

"Well these are old stairs. They aren't whole anymore, as we can see, but I guess they were used to get to the top of the shrine and offer the Old God some odds and ends."

To Jax these stairs didn't match the rest of the architecture of that building but well, what ever strange theory about the old world would make Falk happy.

"Hmm... so there's a chance that old stuff is up there, right? Maybe really nice, old tech? Weapons?" Jax said and suddenly Falk turned around with shining eyes.

"I agree, there must treasure up there!"

"But-"

"It will be an interesting adventure to get on top of it." Full of that kind of enthusiasm Falk specially showed when exploring buildings of the old world, he grabbed Jax' hand and pulled him with him.

"Dammit Falk, would you please hold on for a second!" Jax wrenched his hand out of Falk's grab and held him by his shoulders – with both hands, to make sure he wouldn't run off. "I really appreciate your enthusiasm when it comes to... exploring. But these things? They don't look like they would hold you."

Falk blinked. He gave Jax' words a thought. Blinked again and tilted his head a bit.

"What do you mean? I can use my jetpack just as well as you."

Jax sighed. "No. Look at those wooden platforms. They barley hold. See? That one is even losing one of it's planks as we speak. Falk... did it cross your mind that you're maybe heavier than me? Heavier than the average human...?"

Falk was quiet for a few seconds.

"Are you insulting my weight?" he asked and looked down at himself, wondering if he got fat.

"Nooo! Dammit, Falk, you're made of metal and not bones and squishy flesh. You saw cleric war machines. Doesn't it strike you that you, I don't know, have a similar skeleton...?"

"Oh" Falk said and dropped his gaze. "You're right. I forgot."

"Forgot what?"

"That I'm not human." He shrugged but then smirked a strange, sad smile. "Odd, don't you think? That I would forget something important like that for a second over my enjoyment of our discovery."

"I-" Jax started but he didn't really know what to say. Empathy sure wasn't his strength. Of course he tried, sometimes at least, but he still had a long way to go. Thankfully Falk was usually as bad as he was when it came to emotions, so the sudden sadness of his companion struck him as odd. Specially because Falk never made the impression to be unhappy with himself being a machine.

Jax cleared his throat.

"I... will go up there and tell you what I've seen and I promise I'll bring any loot to you."

Falk nodded. "I guess there will be an interesting view from the top of this shrine."

Ah dammit. Falk loved unusual landscapes and fascinating views, like he would call them.

Finally Falk sighed lightly and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll wait here."

Jax'd imagined jetpacking his way up there far easier than it actually was. There was so much wind! Why was there so much wind?! Navigating was a real struggle and the wood platforms seemed smaller to Jax than they looked from below, which actually was strange, cause they'd already looked so small from down there. He knew that the energy of his jetpack wasn't enough to get to the top in one hop, he had to claim platform after platform and wait for the recharge. And if he would miss one, he would fall down, without any energy left to save him from ending up as a bloody pancake.

"This is how I'm going to die," he mumbled, pressing his back against the solid of the pillar while he waited for his jetpack to recharge. "This is stupid and this is how I'm going to die. Kallax would probably laugh about this if he had any humor to begin with."

He looked down.

Oh Calaan why did he look down.

He saw a miniature Falk waving up to him. Jax waved back, to assure him that everything was alright.

It was not.

He'd never been afraid of heights. He'd flown a Glider. He'd been standing on top of the highest mountains of Xarcor. He used a Jetpack to fly around. Jax, the beast of Xarcor, was not afraid of heights.

Or maybe he was now. In the end fear was an emotion after all.

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself, closing his eyes and concentrating on what was above and not underneath him.

He heard a strange sound. Jax opened his eyes in a slight feel of panic because that noise clearly came from a jetpack. He just saw Falk landing right next to him. He could hear a dangerous crackling from the old wood and pressed his back even harder at the concrete.

"What the-?! Dammit Falk! What are you doing here?!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

"I changed my mind" was the answer. Falk was just standing at the bare edge of the platform; Jax was hardly able to watch this.

"Changed your-?! I told you to wait below!"

"Actually you didn't. I said I'll wait for you but I changed my mind. I want to be up there."

Jax was lost for words. He just stood there, blinking at Falk. There really wasn't enough space for two people on this platform. Even though Jax pressed his back at the pillar and Falk was literally standing with his heels on nothing, both men stood very close to each other.

"Jax," Falk started with an prying tone, "are you afraid of heights?"

"No," Jax lied, "but I actually don't like dying, does that surprise you?" Falk shifted a bit – the platform creaked and Jax held his breath.

"Do me a damn favor and go to the next platform, will ya?" he growled, trying hard not to look down at his feet.

"Okay" Falk just said lightly and then used his jetpack in a way Jax could only dream about. Falk made it look so easy when he was doing it, so damn easy to get to the top of this giant what-ever-it-may-be-windmill-thing. At least it wasn't far anymore, but the last few meters were the hardest. Some platforms were missing and Jax had to fly around the pillar to get to the next one – or try to land on the ones that were moving with the wind wheels but that was just crazy. Falk went first and he assured him that it would work. Jax took a final, deep breath and then went for it. But with the harsh wind and the fact that this time he had to get around and not only up the pillar, it was a close call. And when he reached the top of the windmill, with the last remaining energy of his jetpack, he thought to be safe – but he was wrong. He slipped at the round edges, lost his balance – and fell. The only thought that occurred him was an angry fuck!

In such moments time seemed to slow down. It wasn't new to Jax - he had often faced death. But not like this. Not cause of stupid gravity. Thoughts rushed through his head. Maybe there was a little bit of energy left, something that would safe him from a hard, deadly impact on the ground... but then he felt a hard grip at his wrist. Pain rushed through his hand, his arm, but that sure didn't bother him.

With eyes wide open he was dangling from the top of the windmill. "I'm helping you," Falk said happy and pulled him easily up, with just one hand, like Jax had no weight at all.

Finally and on all four Jax crawled to the middle of the windmill top. He was breathing heavy and was pretty sure that this was cause to fear. "Well this just gone well again" Falk said, watching Jax getting back on his feet.

"I didn't know you're that strong," Jax mumbled, slowly gaining his composure again, "Must be the upgrade?"

Falk nodded. "I agree. It really made me better in many ways. I'm learning so much by traveling with you." He tried a light smile and Jax just though that it suited him. He frowned. Yeah. So he's been on the brink of death and crushed on Falks smile and strength and it was ridiculous. Dammit, Falk.

"Anyway," Jax started and eyed the platform they were standing on, "thanks for... saving my life."

Falks smile got wider. "Of course. That what friends are for, right?"

At least they were right about the treasure. There was some really interesting stuff up there, but not only that... someone had put a chair on top of this giant, white building. Only a stupid poser would do that, Jax thought and immediately sat down in it. Felt good. Like he'd defeated the height and had claimed the highest point in Abessa. And of course the seat came with a gorgeous view.

"This is a fantastic perspective! Truly an interesting and beautiful scenic view, delighting the senses" Falk said with joy. "I think I feel... emotional admiration." He was standing at the rim, letting his gaze wander over the landscapes. One could see the snowy mountains of Xarcor, Dome City and even the fires of Ignadon from here. However Jax eyes were locked on Falk's back.

"Yeah," he said, "It's quite a view."