(A/N: Okay, so this wasn't really soon, but it's up! Before I say anymore, I'm going to the reviews:
Nintendo Gamer: whew okay, as long as you're okay w/ the gender assumption. Like they say, when you assume, you make an 'ass' out of 'u' and 'me.' drum set
Bob'N'Cat: Sorry, I know it takes a while in between posts. I'm trying to improve, but I only seem to manage once a month ... but this is one of my favorite pieces to write in (even if I can never get it published) so I try to write well. If the reads like it, then I am happy and I write!
Master of Reality: lmao, no. I'm in great health. It's the whole, "writers-going-into-Starbucks-drinking-coffee-and-crying-while-screaming-"I am not worthy to write!"-and-such that slows my writing process. We're all familiar with it: Write a page, look at it, crumple it up and start over as everyone around is screaming, "No! That was really good!" but since you thought it wasn't . . . ; anyway, you get the picture.
Phoenix20043:
Xanda: ::blushblush:: Thank you. I'm glad people out there actually like my stuff.
Vyctori: I actually want to thank you for pointing out the "faze" and things like that! It's kind like when you're walking down the street and one of the buttons on your blouse is undone or your zipper's down; you want someone to tell you! So thank you!
I'd been wondering about Colosso's spelling, but I seem to have misplaced my game! ::scream of agravation:: I try to keep as close to the game as possible . . . which is difficult to do when I misplaced it. I actually started spelling it, thinking I had it in the spellcheck, but when I saw I didn't, I just shrugged and hoped someone would correct me!
... hmm, no asterisks are showing up? Well, this one I've tried a series of dashes, so we'll see how that works. I'm going to have to check later on and find out what happened . . .
My whole facination with Kraden actually rubbed off on me from a friend of mine. Kraden was his favorite character, though I wasn't sure why, so I tried to write it with the care that he had for Kraden! Well, at least I have that confession of my chest...
Sora: ::lol:: Sora, have I ever told you how much I love to read your reviews? You make me laugh! I'm trying to be more faithful in writing in here, but I've got a million other things, too. Maybe I'll just start posting on . . .
Mori'quessir: Wow, now that is one of the neatest nicknames I have seen in a long time. Nice review and very to the point.
WhitterZ: Wow, you printed off 14 and 15? ... I guess I won't charge you with copyright infringement. j/k! (Note: as if I could.) Gotta LOVE the fangirlism!!
::end of reviews::
Okay, so I took my time with this one. This is one of those things I've been waiting to write for a while, cause I thought it was a really cool idea. Also, run and tell all the avid (not rabid) Sheba fangirls, because this is the chapter I finally get to introduce Sheba into!! (confession: yes, I am a slight Sheba fangirl...) Anyway, we get a little background on Sheba, and see some interesting things going on in both sides. Also, Colosso will be basically the same, but a little more real, I think... hope. It won't be as cute as it was in the game. After all, this is a PG13 fic. You need to remember, the object of Colosso is to kill the other opponent so you can win, and that is exactly what is going to happen. No big men in purple armor this time around. Sorry, Camelot, but some things need to change. I'll definitely want some feedback on this. Enjoy! )
(A/A/N (additional author's note): ladies and gentlemen, this is the beginning of the end. This is starting point where you will begin to see the way the group deteriorates into what Isaac and the others encounter at the Venus Lighthouse. I do intend to use ALL of the original dialogue during the lighthouse scenes, and because of that, I hope that in these few chapters before that point, I can show what happened to get them from where they are now, to what they are there. ::end::)
Part 18: Tension
"Let go of her!"
"Step back, Old Man--"
"You can't do this!"
"Jacques, Raeol! Hold him back!"
"No! You can't do th--!"
The taller of the guards shoved the blonde-haired man back violently. He fell into the desert dust, causing a brief cloud to rise as his wife rushed to him. "Faran, stop!" she pleaded.
"Let her go!" he shout, scrambling from the ground. The moment he was on his feet, he charged the nearest of the Tolbi guards, only to come face to face with the jagged edge of a scimitar. He stopped short, the blade pressed beneath his chin, hot next to the growing lump in his throat.
"That is enough from you, Master Faran," the man growled.
"Give her back," Faran stammered, but was cut short as the guard began to laugh.
"You are in no position to make orders, Master Faran," he said. "A deal is a deal, and you aren't fulfilling your end." He turned to the guards, motioned for them to leave. He slid the knife back into the holster, following them toward the outskirts.
"Faran," he wife murmured warily. "Don't . . ."
He shook his head. "I will not let my people be over run by this animals," he hissed, rushing to follow the Tolbian guards. "Sir, my men are working as quickly as they can," he told him firmly, following along behind the man, just out of reach of the struggling girl. He grabbed the soldier's arm, stopping the entire caravan. "I already told Lord Babi, he needs to send me more men."
The guard look at Faran cooly, pulling away roughly. "Then I suppose until they arrive, yours will have to work harder, besides--"
"They are nearly dying from the workload as it is!" Faran gasped.
"But they are not yet dead!" the guard roared furiously, stepping forward. He lowered his voice to hardly a whisper. "Master Faran, my Lord Babi demands a lighthouse and a lighthouse he shall have. He tipped his chin up. Consider this merely a 'small degree of motivation.'"
"Motivation?!" Faran argued. "The child has nothing to do with this--"
"She will be returned in due time," the man said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Faran asked. "Ten years? Twenty? Once this monstrosity of Lord Babi's is completed, he'll simply kill the rest of us if he continues in his current pattern of--" Faran stopped short as the blade was drawn, pressed close to his neck. He heard his wife let out a short scream.
The guard stared at him maliciously. "You will hold your tongue, Master Faran," he purred. "It seems to me that Gondowanians are the most ungrateful beings in the world. We have given you supplies, provided food and shelter for many of your workers and their families. Lord Babi even purchased the land in advance--"
"For only half the promised price!" Faran snapped.
"Nevertheless!" the guard shouted over him. "You have done nothing to help in this endeavor--"
"Those ruins are sacred!" Faran bellowed. "I told Lord Babi he could build anywhere but there--"
"You were simply cheating us out of the best grounds," the guard snapped.
"No!" Faran insisted. "Sir, my men are afraid of that land! It is guarded by the power of the Gods--"
"Stop with these foolish superstitions," the guard sneered. "Tell your men if they want their beloved little desert princess back, they'd better forget their dying gods and fear the real power of this continent. Lord Babi is a little less merciful than Iris, I fear."
The guard shoved the sword back into the scabbard on his belt, motioning to the men with two finger to where the rest of the caravan awaited them. Faran lunged forward, held back by one of his own men, screaming out for the child. She twisted violently in the guards arms, but the two men held her fast. She kicked and screamed like a wild animal, finally landing a blow to one of the men's shin , then biting at the other's hand.
She dashed toward Faran, throwing her hand at him as he reached for her, brushing his fingertips only a moment until two strong hands grabbed her tightly, squeezing all the air out of her body. She couldn't breathe. The world became black. All she knew was the smell of dust and the screaming of Faran . . .
Sheba awoke with a gasp. She frantically felt around her room, the satin sheets of the bed, a down comforter wrapped around her slight figure. She jumped out of the bed, staring at it fearfully. She slowly regained sanity, glanced around the silent room, a stone prisoner in the eastern tower of Babi's palace.
She looked at the vanity propped against one wall, then at the ornate wardrobe filled to the brim with fine clothing. She glanced down at the silken nightgown she wore, all lace and frills as the imperial girls wore. A slight breeze ruffled the short blonde hair at her neck. She turned to the open window behind her. Moonlight illuminated the sheer curtains so they fluttered about like blind ghosts in the empty room.
Sheba sat in the window well. The night here was cool and humid, and the nightdress kept her warm. She looked down where a frilly white bow was tied at her neck. She reached up and tore it off, tossing it down below where several guard's torches sparkled and twitched in the breeze. She hated this, the stone towers, the silk and lace, the fragrant oils doused on her after a bath.
She missed her brothers. She missed the sweltering heat of a summer's day in Lalivero. She missed sharing a room with her entire family, wearing the shredded, oversized tunic rather than a frilled robe.
She reached up and grazed her hands over the boyish cut of her sand-colored hair, mussing up the style and letting it fall flat against her head, bodiless. She hated this entire place. Hated all of Tolbi. Truth be told, she had only seen the inside of the palace. Lord Babi wouldn't let her wander anywhere else. After all, she was, as he had once put it, 'his leverage.'
She looked down to where several men stood guard. She'd tried seven times to escape down the wall of the tower, dressed in the white and violet desert clothing she'd worn back home. Each time they'd caught her, but this last time, she had made it too far. She'd nearly reached the Gondowan Passage itself. Lord Babi had put several guards down below her window since that night. She would even get in trouble for dangling her feet out the window, like she used to back home.
Sometimes she would stand on the edge of the window. She'd put her hands out as though she were flying. The evening breeze would have a hint of desert to them. She would look down. The ground seemed so welcoming at times like that. A single step and a momentary flying . . .
Then she'd remember Faran. Then she'd step down.
The door to her room opened, dropping in a thin shaft of light. She bit her tongue to stop the tears welling up in her eyes, though that only seemed to make them water more. She quickly sniffled as the nurse came over to her.
"Is everything alright, dear?"
Sheba nodded, her jade-green eyes, turned from the woman. (A/N: I know, there's a lot of controversy over Sheba's eye-color. In the game, they are purple, but on the official art, they're always green. I think green would go better personally, but anyone who has an issue . . . deal.)
The nurse put a reassuring hand on Sheba's shoulder, but it didn't help any. "I'm going to go get you a glass of warm milk. Alright, dear?"
Sheba said nothing, so the nurse took it as a yes. She left, closing the door behind her, leaving a Sheba alone in the dark to hug her pillow and muffle her sobs.
----
Saturos paused on the dock, taking in the surroundings of the swelling crowd in the bay outside of Tolbi. He looked back Where Alex was standing further down on the pier, looking back east where they had come from. Saturos slowly sauntered up the dock again, stopping only once he stood by Alex.
He stared at the same point Alex seemed to be watching until finally asking, "What is it?"
"We were fortunate to cross when we did," Alex murmured.
Saturos frowned. "What do you mean?"
Alex looked above them, took in a deep breath. "Something is stirring beneath this sea . . ." He looked back at Saturos. "There will be a storm soon."
Saturos looked around, no sign of darkening clouds, no scent of rain. He glanced at the sea water. "It looks calm now."
Alex smiled knowingly, starting away. "Give it an hour or so." Saturos glanced once more at the sky, then followed Alex to where the others were waiting for them.
"A man told me the walk to Tolbi isn't far," Menardi said to Saturos as he and Alex approached. "They've got men with horsedrawn carts, but I think we've packed lightly enough that we can survive walking just a little more."
"That depends," Kraden said with a worried smile. "How far is a little more?"
Menardi motioned with her head. "He said we wouldn't really see it until we came up over the hill."
"Then let's not waste time here stopping," Saturos said, reaffirming his grip on his pack.
Alex chuckled. "Don't worry. I think it might be a while before Isaac and his friends will manage a ride to Tolbi."
----
"It is almost time for the festival."
Sheba didn't even look to Iodem. She'd grown bored with this place, it's stone walls and grass. She toyed with the gold fringe on a violet drape on a window overlooking Tolbi. "Am I going home today?"
Iodem took in a deep breath. "Don't you want to stay for the festiv--"
"I want to go home," Sheba said firmly, not looking from the window.
Iodem sighed, trying to control himself. "Child, it isn't safe to travel during these times. Why, bandits of every kind are perched in wait for the merchants coming this week . . ." He looked at her to see if she believe him. As typical of the odd girl, her face was unreadable.
"How long is the Colosso?" she asked quietly.
Iodem shrugged. "It depends on how well our warriors fight. The festival revolves around the warrior's abilities."
Sheba let out a slight snort. "And you think us barbaric."
Iodem flushed slightly. The girl had picked up a rather annoying habit of taking her comments to the edge. She knew they would not harm her. If she wasn't returned to Faran in top condition, it could mean the very end of the project. He chuckled dryly, laughing the snide remark off.
Sheba turned to him, her back to the sky, feet dangling from the seat. "When do we leave?"
Iodem sighed. "I told you, child, I do not know."
Sheba shook her head and went back to the window, staring out. She looked down below at the bright banners and flags that lined the streets like elaborate embroidery on a sea of satin. "Why can't I go to the festival."
"What?" Iodem asked.
Sheba glanced at him. "If it is so important, why can't I attend Colosso?"
Iodem shook his head. "I don't think you would understand it."
Sheba bristled slightly, looking to the window. "I'm not stupid, sir."
"I never said you were," Iodem muttered darkly.
"There's so many people," Sheba murmured, playing with the fringe again. "Are there always this many?"
Iodem crossed to the window, looking out. "Oh, this is only a portion of those coming. More should arrive by tomorrow." He began back across the throne room.
"What's tomorrow?" Sheba asked.
Iodem glanced at her. "The beginning of Colosso."
"And that's when I leave."
"No."
She paused thoughtfully. "Then once it is finished; I will be returned to my people?"
Iodem sighed. "If Lord Babi wishes it."
Sheba looked back down below. "I hope someone wins quickly."
Iodem let out a slight laugh. "Anxious, aren't we?"
"You don't think it's possible?" Sheba asked.
Iodem shrugged. "Possible . . . perhaps. But it has never been done before."
She raised an eyebrow. "But if it is?"
Iodem returned the challenging gaze. "We will see."
Sheba grinned inwardly, looking back down at the swelling streets below.
Iodem shook his head as a young soldier came running into the throne room. "Lord Iodem, sir . . ."
"What is it?" Iodem asked.
"It's Lord Babi," the soldier said hurriedly. "He's gone missing."
----
"No," Saturos muttered as the innkeeper repeated his offer. "We only want one room with four beds."
"But there are six of you," the innkeeper pressed. "We have 'other room with two beds in addition to--"
"I don't want two," Saturos repeated, holding up one finger. "Just--"
"I give you other room for cheap, eh? Say, two thousand--"
Saturos reached over the desk, pulling the man up close. Everyone in the room fell silent. Saturos grit his teeth. "One," he hissed in a deadly tone.
The innkeeper swallowed. "Alright, alright. You want one room, I give you one room. Pushy-pushy people . . ." He reached under the desk, pulling up a key. "Room seven."
"Thank you," Saturos said curtly.
The innkeeper said nothing.
Saturos sighed, walking to the table where the group sat. Alex looked up. "Did you get us a room?"
"Barely," Saturos grumbled. "All anyone here wants to do is bargain with you."
"Well, better to have it than be camping outside again," Jenna said softly, standing and pulling her bag over one shoulder.
"There's a catch," Saturos said reluctantly. "There's only four beds."
"But there's six of us," Felix said.
Alex shrugged. "So two of us sleep on the floor."
"I thought this Inn had larger rooms," Menardi said warily.
Saturos shook his head as they started up the stairs. "It does. Up to twelve people. But all the tour groups have booked them full. Two have arrived already word has it another boat just arrived. I was lucky to get the room I--"
The doors of the inn suddenly burst open, stopping the group cold on the stairs. Soldiers hurried in, rushing to the desk, knocking men and women out of their path. One soldier leaned over the desk to the innkeeper.
Alex leaned to Saturos. "What do you suppose this is all abou--"
Saturos shushed him, watching intently as the two men spoke. The soldier spoke briefly, the innkeeper quickly shaking his head. The soldier looked doubtful, repeated his inquiry. The innkeeper repeated his answer. The soldier nodded, motioned with his head for them to move out.
Felix looked at Menardi. "What was it? What's going on?"
Menardi frowned slightly, looking at Kraden. "It's Lord Babi . . ."
"Gods and goddesses," Kraden murmured, frowning slightly.
"What about him?" Jenna asked.
Menardi and Saturos exchanged brief glances. Saturos sighed. "He's gone missing."
Felix looked from Kraden who had gone a sick sort of pale to Saturos. "Well, maybe we should do something."
Saturos shook his head. "I don't think we can do anything."
"But--"
"Felix," Saturos said dryly. "The guards are trained to handle situations like this. It shouldn't be anything too serious . . ." He looked at the old alchemist. "Right, Kraden . . ."
Kraden reluctantly answered. "The soldiers of Tolbi don't necessarily know . . . everything about Lord Babi . . ."
Menardi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Kraden shook his head. "Nothing . . . I only meant . . ." Kraden smiled sadly and glanced at Felix. "I'm sure the royal guard will be able to handle everything well enough, Felix."
"Besides," Alex said as he started back up the stairs. "We have more important things to think about than some wrinkled dictator."
Kraden made a slight face but kept silent.
They walked all the way up to the top floor, Saturos unlocking the door an letting everyone in. The room was far more lavish than any other of the Inns they had stayed in, the beds made with cotton sheets and feathered down. Art hung on the walls, gilded with golden frames and encrusted with jewels.
"How much was this?" Menardi asked worriedly as Jenna leapt onto a bed.
Saturos shrugged, flushing slightly. "Not too much."
"I wouldn't have any trouble sleeping on the floor," Alex said with a slight grin, nodding downward to Saturos. The floors were covered in a thick wool rug, spread to cover the entire floor of the room.
"See," Jenna beamed at Menardi as Felix sat on the edge of her bed. "This is traveling."
Menardi laughed and put her things down on the bed by the window. Saturos dropped his things on the floor beside her spot. "No, Jenna, this is expensive."
"But is it worth it, Master Saturos?" Kraden asked lightly.
Saturos couldn't help but smile slightly. "I suppose." He looked around the room. "So what are our plans for the festival?"
"I want to see Colosso," Jenna said, looking at Felix. "I've heard so much about it, I'd feel badly if I didn't see it now."
"I wouldn't mind attending," Menardi added as Felix nodded in agreement.
Alex looked at them dryly. "Our money would be better spent on armor and weapons."
The three groaned, Jenna tossing a tasseled pillow at Alex, clipping him in the face.
Saturos shook his head. "I'd have to agree. Colosso will probably be expensive. It would be wiser to use everything we have and buy the best we can . . . Gods know my blade could use a decent sharpening."
Jenna pouted slightly, glaring at Saturos. Saturos shrugged. "Who knows, Jenna. Maybe we'll find you a decent staff." He kicked at the wooden one, resting near the door. The orange and red paint had long been chipping, and pieces were beginning to fall off.
Jenna looked at him carefully. "A metal one?"
"Silver?" he began, bargaining.
Jenna smiled slightly. "Doesn't sound too bad." She paused, looking at Saturos. "You don't think we'll actually have to . . . fight Isaac? And Garet? Do you?"
Saturos looked at Menardi. She took in a deep breath. "I hope not, Jenna . . ."
"But you do understand," Saturos continued, "that if we do . . ." He trailed off.
"Then what?" Jenna asked.
Saturos looked at Felix. He swallowed. "Jenna, we're trying to save people. We can't let anyone . . . even Isaac and his group."
"You do understand, don't you?" Saturos asked.
Jenna said nothing. She managed a tiny nod.
Alex sighed. "We'd best get to bed. We'll all need a good night's sleep to survive a minute at the bazaar."
Saturos smiled slightly, nodded. Everyone started to their self appointed beds, Alex stretching out on the floor, using the pillow Jenna had tossed at him. Saturos nodded at the door as he crossed the room. "I'm going to see if I can't get a blanket," he told Alex. "Would you like me to get you one?"
Alex shook his head. "I'm fine."
Saturos nodded as Kraden turned down the oil lamp to a dim flicker, Menardi doing the same with her own. "I'll be back in a moment."
He left the room, hurrying down several flights of stairs before reaching the final set to the lobby. He started down, hearing the bickering of another customer.
"We just want one room--"
"I told you, boy," the innkeeper snapped. "We're full. Now go bother someone else."
Saturos stopped short, backing up several steps. His pulse skyrocketed at the sight of the young man, the girl, the other boy with the smaller child in his arms; it was them.
"You don't understand," Isaac said, following the manager as he walked to his coin box, lifting it under his arm and wiping the table with the cloth in his other hand. "My friend is sick. He needs some place to stay until the shrine opens again tomorrow--"
The innkeeper slammed the box back down. "I told you, I have nothing!"
"Just one bed!" the blonde haired boy argued intently, the manager flinging the rag back down. "Surely someone will give up their bed for one night--"
"Look," the manager snarled, slamming his hand against the table. He took in a deep breath to regain some composure. "I don't want you bothering my customers."
"I'll give you everything I have," Isaac said hurriedly, pouring out a bag. A few copper and silver coins fell onto the table in front of the innkeeper.
He laughed bitterly. "Don't insult me," he snapped, pushing the coins back.
Garet flushed angrily. "This kid could die, you know!" he shouted as the innkeeper waddled off to his backroom.
"That is your problem, not mine."
Mia hung her head, pressing a hand to Ivan's forehead. She looked at Isaac. "He's getting warmer."
"It's okay, Ivan," Isaac said quietly, running a hand over the boy's unruly hair. "Just hang in a little longer, alright?" He looked at Garet. "I heard some of the townspeople have set up makeshift inns. We could look into that."
"I saw some caves to the north," Mia added quietly, glancing at Ivan. "It might be better just to go straight there than go five more places and hear only no." She looked at Isaac. "Maybe I could find some plants to make something out of."
Isaac nodded reluctantly. "Then let's head that direction. The caves will offer some bit of shelter for us."
"You think you can handle that, Ivan?" Garet asked softly.
Ivan opened his eyes, managing a nod.
Isaac sighed. "Let's go quickly. I don't want him out in this night air more than he needs to be."
Saturos carefully walked down the stairs, watching the group hurry out into the street and down the road, out of his sight. He touched his chest, surprised they hadn't heard his heart beating. He started back up the stairs, his thoughts flying. He walked into the room.
Alex was standing by the window, looking down into the streets. He quickly pulled the curtain shut as Saturos came in. He looked at Alex strangely. "What were you looking at?"
"Looking at?" Alex echoed.
"Before I came in," Saturos murmured. "You were at the window."
Alex smiled innocently, shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about Saturos."
Saturos looked at Alex warily, frowning at he crossed to his spot. A pillow lying on the floor for him.
"I thought you went to get blankets," Alex said softly as he sat back down.
Saturos rolled over, turning his back to Alex. "There weren't any left."
"Too many people downstairs, hm."
Saturos could hear the mischief in Alex's voice. He didn't need to see his face. "Yes," he said quickly. Too quickly. He could almost feel the air as Alex smiled to himself. Something struck Saturos deep inside. He rolled over to face the sleeping Adept across the room. He didn't close his eyes. Somehow, he didn't trust Alex that much.
----
Saturos awoke at sunup, upset with himself for having fallen asleep. He sat up, glancing at the spot Alex had slept in, finding him perched on the windowsill, looking down on the town.
"What are you doing," he asked.
"What?" Alex asked with a start, looking at Saturos.
"You were looking out the window again," Saturos said softly.
Alex's eyes flashed momentarily. "Am I not supposed to?"
"Suppose someone sees you," Saturos said, standing.
"People have seen us all over Tolbi," Alex said, hopping down from the window. "What difference would it make if I'm spotted from a window?"
Saturos didn't answer him. "Were you looking for something?"
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Why?" he asked flatly.
"Did you find it?" Saturos asked.
"Maybe," he replied, walking toward the door.
Saturos stepped in front of him. "Where are you going?"
Alex's jaw set. "Breakfast."
"And after that?"
Alex let out a sudden bitter laugh. "Must I have your blessing to breathe now, too?"
"I'm just concerned, Alex," Saturos said as Alex shouldered his way past him. "Just as I am of every member of our group."
"Then why so much about me?" Alex hissed, glaring at him for a single moment.
Saturos took in a deep breath. "Alex, we're still on the same side, you know that, ri--"
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alex snapped.
"We're fighting for the same cause--"
"That doesn't mean we're on the same team," Alex said flatly. He started down the stairs toward the lobby.
Saturos hurried after him, standing at the top, shouting down. "Trust me, Alex," he called out. "You should rather be with us than against us."
Alex paused on the landing, turning to face his companion. "I'm just as dangerous as you are, Saturos," he said quietly. Saturos watched as he turned his back on him again and continued downstairs. He pressed his back to the wall, letting out a frustrated sigh. A gentle hand touched his shoulder.
"Hey."
He turned, taking Menardi's hand from his shoulder. "You're up early."
"I heard you two talking," she said softly. She eyed the ground. "You sounded upset."
Saturos glanced back down the stairs.
She squeezed his hand. "Is something wrong?"
Saturos sighed. "Just watched him a little more closely, okay?" he murmured.
"What?"
Saturos looked at Menardi. "I don't know if we can trust Alex anymore."
She sighed, putting her head on his shoulder. "We can't afford for our group to fall apart . . . We need to hold it together."
"I'm doing my best," Saturos said softly. "Come on. We need to get an early start."
----
It was still late morning by the time they had hit the marketplace, and the streets were already beginning to crowd full of people and merchants.
"Now, if I remember right, I saw a weapon smith closer to the southern entrance," Saturos said.
"There's another one peddling his wares up north of here near the Colosso arena," Alex said. "He had a much larger variety than the first. I think he's foreign."
"How were the prices?" Saturos asked, starting to the north.
Alex looked at him cooly. "I already compared. They nearly match, but the northern shop's quality is considerably higher."
Saturos sighed. "Then all we'll need is armor."
"He had a few pieces there," Alex shrugged. "But those in the market have a greater variety."
Saturos nodded. "Where was this man?"
"He was outside the gate earlier this morning," Alex said as they neared the massive walls surrounding the arena. "I don't imagine he would have moved."
"Is that him?" Felix asked. He pointed at a slender man shouting out prices in a thick accent.
"Yes, that's him," Alex said with a nod. "I spoke with him earlier, so just sit back and let me do all the talking. Now if I remember correctly he t. . ."
"Isaac . . ."
Saturos looked from Alex, his voice fading into the background noise of the busy market. Saturos looked around to where the sound had come from. He looked around the walls, high- built, pale adobe. He searched until he saw the one he'd heard. The gate was swarmed by fruit sellers, men shouting out prices for fine jewelry that was supposedly charmed to make you stronger or faster. A man with a small monkey on one shoulder had cages full of exotic animals on display, trying to keep any children from poking their fingers through the wooden bars. Saturos frowned to himself, realizing he had fallen away from his companions. He turned back to Alex and the group, supposing he'd just been hearing things.
Alex began to speak with the merchant
"The young Isaac, hand-pic . . ."
Saturos turned again, looking around the area, seeing nothing. Then his eye caught a merchant he hadn't seen before. He was dressed in a bright array of colors, everything he wore trimmed with the finest gold lining. He held small slips of paper above his head so everyone could see him, though he was already standing on a large crate above the crowd. He made bold, flamboyant movements to those around him, shouting with a voice that seemed to drip with honey and ale. sending the masses into a drunken need for his product.
"The strongest men in all of the surrounding areas!" the man boomed. "Nay! The world! And you can view all seven rounds for the low price of two thousand gold! Witness the incredible strength of Calvario and the might of Berton! This is an opportunity not to be missed ladies and gentlemen! And we have front tickets for only--"
"Saturos?"
Saturos snapped from the trance, looking at Menardi. "Hm?"
Menardi looked at him oddly, tried to smile. "You . . . are you alright? It was like you were in some sort of trance?"
Saturos shrugged, secretly slipping his hand into hers. "Just the festival barkers," he said with shrug. "It's what they're payed for, after all."
"I suppose," she said with a slight sigh. "You just looked so odd. Alex had just started to talk when . . ."
"And a late entry!" the man announced with a great wave of his arm. "The youngest to participate in Colosso up to recent year! This boy comes from the small, nearly unheard of town of Vale! A child of hardly seventeen, Isaac has been hand-picked by Lord Babi himself! His first match against--"
"Saturos, are you even listening to me?"
Saturos looked back at Menardi who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, one hand on her hip. Saturos looked from her to the man on the crate selling tickets. "I-I'm sorry, Menardi, I just--"
"I thought you said Colosso was a waste of money," Menardi said flatly.
"That was Alex," Saturos corrected.
She shook her head. "But you agreed, didn't you?"
"Yes, but . . ." Saturos looked at the ticket seller again. "Menardi, I feel that something is going on in there that we need to know about."
Menardi groaned. "Saturos--"
"We don't all need to go," he said, shortly.
Menardi pressed a hand to her forehead as the others began bickering with the weaponsmith. "Alright, let's pretend for one moment that there is something in there we need to know about. What is it?"
"I don't know," Saturos said quietly.
Menardi looked at him intensely. "You're lying to me Saturos. I can tell."
"Menardi," Saturos said, squeezing her hand as she tried to pull away. "Don't, just listen. I need to find something out, but if I tell you what it is, you'd want to come, and Alex would want to stop me."
Menardi frowned, looking at Alex then back at Saturos. "Alex? Why would Alex be--"
"He's dangerous, Menardi," Saturos said quietly, taking her forearms with his hands. "He thinks he can do this without our help, and if he keeps thinking that way, I fear that all of us, you, me, Felix, Jenna, and Kraden, may be in very real danger--"
Menardi looked absolutely horrified. "Saturos, he's our ally! He's our companion--!"
"He was!" Saturos hissed, shaking her once. "I don't know who he is now, but he is not the Alex we began this journey with . . ." He looked at her intensely. "Something inside him has been tainted, Menardi, and I don't dare trust my life with that man anymore."
Menardi took in a deep breath, pursed her lips thoughtfully. "What do you propose?"
Saturos looked at the barker for the tickets. He grabbed for his money-purse. "I'm taking what I'll need. I don't know how long this will go, but I need to be there. Whatever you do, don't tell Alex where I've gone."
"What should I say?" Menardi asked as he handed her the swollen pouch.
Saturos shook his head. "Say I went to examine ship parts. That I thought we might have damaged it going around Gondowan up to the peninsula." Menardi shook her head, but he touched her arm lightly. "It's alright," he murmured. "I'll try not to be long." He touched her cheek and started for the vendor. She stepped back toward the group, Alex turning to her.
"Where's Saturos?" he asked as he held up a mail shirt in front of Felix.
Menardi swallowed, not looking at him as she set the bag on the table. "Looking at ship parts . . ."
----
"How fo you fare, my Lordship?" Iodem asked, taking a blanket out to the old man, perched on the balcony overlooking the Colosseum.
Lord Babi said nothing as he stretched his arms over his head to better allow his servant to lay out the blanket across his lap. "Better," he said flatly, using his palms to smooth out the blanket.
Iodem smiled, looking out over the crowd. "And how does young Isaac fare?"
Lord Babi smiled. "In the last round? Outstanding. This round remains to be seen."
Iodem glanced at the old man. "Is he nervous?"
"Not at all," Babi replied. "Each blow has been as powerful as I sensed it would be . . ." He looked at Iodem. "It is almost as if I have returned to Lemuria, to find talent such as this."
Iodem nodded toward the arena. "So you think he will be of use to us?"
Babi stroked the wispy beard that struggled to grow on his chin. "I don't believe anyone else could handle such a task . . . do you?"
"Excuse me . . ." The young girl wandered out onto the platform hesitantly.
Lord Babi sighed tiredly. "Yes, Sheba?"
"Is the festival over yet?" she asked.
"Not quite," Iodem said softly as Lord Babi turned silently back to the arena.
Sheba sighed, walking out to the edge of the balcony, leaning on the banister. She stared down into the arena where men ran through cleverly designed traps and courses, racing each other in hopes of obtaining weapons or armor. They each entered the arena with nothing but their leggings, running through the obstacles until arriving at the circle at the center. One man stabbed another clean through the center. The judge stepped forward and lifting his bloody hand up, declared him the winner. The loser was quickly carted away, screaming as the physicians attempted to repair the damage.
Sheba frowned, leaning forward to look at one young man, slender and slight, hopping logs across a small pond of water, carefully keeping his balance. "Who is that?"
"That," Lord Babi said, walking to stand next to her. "Is the boy I hand-picked for the festival." He watched Sheba carefully. "Does he impress you?"
"Very much," Sheba said, watching the quick-moving boy with interest. "How old is he?"
"Not much older than you, I'd imagine," Babi said. "He seems to be doing well."
"Has he won yet?" Sheba asked, watching the boy scramble forward for a small shield just moments before the large man holding the Claymore lunged at him.
"Not yet," Babi said. "This is the last."
Sheba looked at Babi. "How long until it ends?"
"It is over when it is over," Lord Babi said levelly, drumming his fingers on the marble banister.
"And then I can return home?" she asked
"You will return home when I say you return home," Lord Babi said. Sheba bristled slightly, but still managed to hold her chin high. She opened her mouth for rebuttal, but he cut her off short with a wave of his hand. "Ack, go bother someone else," he grumbled, turning his back on her. He limped toward his throne as she watched him with sharp green eyes. "Go pack your things or--"
"They are already packed," Sheba said. "We're just waiting for word to leave."
Iodem looked at Babi, raising an eyebrow. Lord Babi said nothing.
Sheba looked at them. "I do leave today, don't I?"
Babi glanced at her, then back to the arena. "Why should it matter if you leave today or you leave tomorrow?"
Sheba looked at him with the same intensity. "Because tomorrow, I could be dead . . ." When Babi said nothing, she quietly added, "my life is my own, isn't it?"
He raised a withering eyebrow. "Is that some sort of threat, desert girl--"
"I came to ask your permission to leave, Lord Babi," she said softly. "Not to be teased or taunted. It's been a year, isn't that long enough?"
Lord Babi's jaw worked in a slow circle. "Girls as young as you are shouldn't talk quite so much as you do, young Sheba."
Sheba smiled slightly. "I fear I am my father's child."
Lord Babi stared at her for a moment. He turned back to the festival silently, taking in a deep breath. "Go."
Sheba's jaw dropped. She looked at him, but he shielded his face from her as though to block out the sun. " Y-you mean . . . I . . . I can leave?"
"I said that, didn't I?" Babi muttered quietly. He motioned with long pale fingers at Iodem. "You, get rid of her. Send the men off . . ." He watched them walk toward the door, muttering, "I don't want to find her here once the festival is done."
----
Saturos watched silently while the crowd around him roared in excitement. His cloak was drawn around him tightly despite the intense heat of the low sun. His hood shadowed his face as he stared down at the young boy of Vale, clothed only in trousers, and a plated leather vest that was far too big for a boy of his size. He rolled to the side, lifting his shield up to block the blow from the massive man holding a sword to match his size. Men and women around him screamed with animal fervor as the fight progressed, jostling Saturos violently with their jumping, but he said not a word.
He'd watched two other rounds, each ending the same; Isaac the victor. Saturos had been watching each one the same as he had this one. He didn't let the bloodmadness take him. He couldn't afford to. This would be the only chance before they would follow them again, and perhaps before their two parties clashed. He watched to see what Isaac would do, to see what he remembered from the battle at the lighthouse. And, more importantly, what he didn't.
The crowd roared again, shaking the stadium with their voices. Saturos leaned forward, holding the crumbling rail for support. The man had landed a blow to Isaac. Saturos watched Isaac stumble backward, his arm bloodying his chest and the sword he held. Isaac swooned slightly, leaning all his weight on a blow the entirely missed it's target. Isaac fell to one knee. Saturos elbowed the crowd behind him, trying to stay in front. "Don't let him get up, you idiot," he hissed to himself. "Strike him now . . ."
Isaac carefully stood, his knees trembling wearily. He wiped the diamonds of water away from his face, smearing red over half of his face. Saturos slammed a fist against the banister. "Damn fool." The man tossed back his dark hair, flicking sweat into dirt. He charged Isaac, lifting his sword over his head.
Saturos watched Isaac carefully, saw his wrist hardly flicker with movement. Saturos leaned dangerously far over the edge, his nails nearly digging into the stone below him as the crowd began screaming, shaking the Colosseum. Unlike Isaac's opponent, Saturos had sensed great power within that twitch. Everything slowed to a crystal precision; the man with the claymore lifted over his head. The blade caught the light, glinting violently. Saturos shielded his eyes. He leaned forward.
He could nearly taste the dust the massive warrior kicked up behind him. His eyes stung with the sweat that dripped into Isaac's right eye, into the wound on his arm. Isaac thrust his sword into the ground, pulled off the shield that looped around his arm and dropped it. He stared at the man before him, arms ready as though to wrestle.
The crowd seemed to swell in noise, then suddenly drift into silence as the boy took a single step backward from his charging foe. At the last moment, like a someone taunting a bull, he side-stepped out of the man's path. Someone pushed Saturos, but Saturos pushed him back, not willing to be moved from his spot. The man had hurled his claymore hard into the dirt, missing his prey, but saw where it had gone to. He pulled the sword out with a mighty jerk, beginning to turn, when Isaac made the motion once more with his hand.
Before he had finished the movement, Saturos saw it; a bright shot of blinding energy focused for a split second in the child's palm, then gone from his sight. The brilliance of the glow mixed for that split second with the flash of the claymore, causing even Saturos to step back and shield his eyes.
Saturos lowered his hand. He stepped forward and looked down at the arena. He took in a sudden breath of shock, staring steadily, despite the silent pushing of those around him. The warrior before Isaac stood in shock, holding his chest where a great stone shaft had pierced him through his chest. He opened his mouth as though to speak, but a thin strip of red rolled over one lip instead. The claymore in his hands fell with a heavy clang, echoing in the suddenly quiet arena. Isaac scrambled backward hurriedly as the warrior stumbled to one knee, then fell forward in exhaustion at his feet. The boy stared at the dead man, lying in a pool on the ground. He stepped away from the body as the physicians hurried on, pulling the man out, leaving a dark trail behind him. Isaac looked up at the silent crowd, all staring at the dueling circle in horror.
Saturos watched the boy's reactions, from fear, to terror, to panic. He watched the boy wipe his black hands on his pants, looking over his spectators. This was not the Isaac Saturos had known from Mercury Lighthouse. This was something else. Somehow, Saturos felt he would not be able to meet Isaac and live to tell anyone of that engagement.
Isaac's eyes rested on the private viewing box, high above him in the prime seat of the house: Lord Babi. The crowd rested in silence, complete and total. The only sound Saturos heard was that of his own breathing.
From silence, out of the old man's box came a slow, steady clapping.
The arena erupted into hysterical cheering as the boy looked up, exhausted and overwhelmed with the mass of people. A sort of relief seemed to flush over Isaac's face as he faced the crowd that was screaming his name over and over. Saturos frowned momentarily, turning his back on the festival, pushing his way through the crowd to the outer rim of the arena.
----
Saturos found the others at the marketplace just as it began to get dark. Felix was the first to spot him. He set down the gauntlets he was examining, starting toward him.
"Saturos," he said with a light smile, brushing his hair away from his face. "Wh . . . where have you been? Menardi said you went to look for something, but we couldn't find you anywh--"
"Where is she?" Saturos asked softly.
Felix frowned. "Over there . . . w-with Jenna, why?"
"We need to leave," Saturos said flatly. "Now."
"Leave?" Felix asked, following close behind Saturos as he hurried toward the girls. "Now? Why?"
"Menardi," Saturos said, stopping just behind her.
"Saturos," Jenna murmured as Menardi set down a helm with a great sigh.
"Saturos," she gasped, stepping toward him. "We were starting to worry. I thought, maybe something had happened, but . . ." She paused, touched his cheek. "Saturos, you're so pale . . . is something wrong?"
"We need to leave," he said quietly.
"What?" Menardi asked, her face wrinkling slightly.
"Why?" Jenna asked.
"I don't have time to explain," Saturos said softly. "I'll tell you on the way--"
"There's not so much rush as that."
Saturos turned to see Alex examining a long crystal mace, covered in blue gems. Saturos bristled at merely the sound of Alex's voice. "You know that there is."
Alex looked at Saturos narrowly. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said off-handedly.
"Saturos," Menardi sighed. "What's going on--?"
"They're here," Saturos said, looking at Alex, who was still examining the mace. "You know it, Alex. You saw them as much as I did."
"Saw who?" asked Kraden, wandering up to the group from the herb seller's booth across the street.
"I don't know what you are talking about--"
"Isaac and his companions!" Saturos exploded. "You saw them last night as did I! I know you did!"
"Saturos," Menardi gasped quietly.
Alex stared at Saturos blankly. "I'm not quite sure what you are trying to accuse me of, Saturos--"
"Nothing," Saturos growled. "Not this time as least."
"Isaac's here?" Jenna asked quietly. "With Garet? A-and the others?"
"That isn't possible," Menardi breathed quietly. "It's too soon, far too soon for them to have--"
"We have been acting under the impression that they are only as powerful as they were when we last faced them," Saturos said quietly.
Felix frowned. "What are you suggesting?"
Saturos swallowed, looking at each of them in turn. He cleared his throat and stared at the ground. "I didn't look at ship parts."
"What?" Kraden murmured quietly.
"You lied to us?" Felix said softly.
"I couldn't have gotten into Colosso otherwise," Saturos insisted, looking at Felix a little harshly form his accusation.
"Colosso?" Alex sneered bitterly. "That's what you were wasting our money on? A bunch of half-dressed men running around, killing each other--?"
Saturos rounded on Alex. "Isaac was there."
The group fell silent.
"Isaac was in Colosso?" Jenna asked quietly, but Felix stepped forward.
"That isn't possible," he snapped. "Felix is just a little younger than I am! He couldn't be competing with--"
"I didn't believe it either," Saturos said quietly. "I didn't think it was possible for him to even enter."
"So, it wasn't him," Menardi said.
Saturos shook his head. "He'd been hand-picked by Lord Babi, last minute."
"But the men who compete in those matched are five times his size!" Alex snapped. "It would be improbable that he could possibly succeed in any sort of tournament--"
"Isaac was the victor," Saturos growled quietly. Alex fell silent.
The group gaped at Saturos in disbelief.
"What?" Menardi murmured. "That isn't possible, he's just a boy--"
"I'm only telling you what I saw," Saturos said curtly.
"How did they catch up to us so quickly?" Kraden asked.
"He's far more skilled then he was when we saw him last," Saturos said quietly. "I watched the last match. I saw him kill his opponent with raw Venus energy."
Alex frowned angrily. "That is an unfair advantage."
"One that we will be able to match," Menardi said with a nod at Saturos.
Saturos looked at her for a moment, then let out a sigh, eyed the ground. "I don't wish to challenge that statement, yet." He sighed, looked to the east. "We can't stay here."
"But," Jenna began quietly. "We've been out all day . . . can't we just rest--?"
"There's no time," Saturos said. "We need to stop at the Inn, gather our things, and head straight for Venus Lighthouse."
"No stops?" Menardi asked, confused.
Saturos nodded. "No stops."
"That's crazy," Alex growled, stepping forward. "There are some dangerous peaks between here and the lighthouse, and if we don't take every precaution--"
"If we don't take every precaution, Isaac will be upon us in no time, and as for me, I would like to avoid battle if at all possible."
"Better we meet them sooner than ill-prepared," Alex snapped back.
Saturos bristled. "Alex, I have made the decision. We leave immediately."
"You're being a fool again, Saturos," Alex said softly. Saturos turned his back on him, starting away, the others beginning to follow him. Alex stepped forward angrily. "Remember, Saturos, rash choices lead to rash consequences."
Saturos turned around. He shouldered past Menardi, striding straight toward Alex, placing both hands on the man's shoulders and shoving hard. "I'm tired of you and these little masked threats you try to hide behind those little jibs of yours--"
"Don't touch me," Alex growled pushing him back.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Saturos growled.
Alex glared at him. "Don't toy with me, Saturos."
"What?" Saturos taunted quietly, pushing his shoulder with one hand, Alex swinging out to slap him away. "You think you are better than me? Better than us?"
"Saturos, stop," Menardi said quietly, pulling at his arm, but he jerked away from her touch.
Alex sneered, raising an eyebrow. "You? Calling me arrogant?"
"Was I not clear enough?" Saturos growled.
"Everyone just calm down," Menardi said, this time touching Alex who shrugged her hand off.
"A little like the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?" Alex purred quietly, his eyes filled with mischief.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Saturos demanded.
"You think we don't notice it?" Alex snapped. "The way you walk around like you are in charge--"
"I am in charge," Saturos growled. "I was sent here to oversee this mission, and I won't be harassed by--"
"No, Saturos," Alex snapped. "You act like you are far above all of us; as though our opinions mean absolutely nothing, because your always right anyway."
"I listen to you plenty!" Saturos said in a high laugh of disdain. "That's all I can do! You never stop talking!"
"You dirty--!"
Menardi attempted to push them apart as Alex lunged at Saturos. "Both of you! Stop it--!" She tried to step between them. Alex swung at Saturos, but somehow the blow landed on Menardi. They both stopped at her soft gasp of pain, pulling away from the fight. Saturos took Menardi close to him, looking at her face. He gently touched her eye as Menardi's surprised breathing began to slow. "Are you alright?" he asked, she hissing as he fingered a tender spot.
"I'm fine," she said, pushing him away. "It was just a little accident--"
"She's bleeding," Felix murmured, as Menardi's face turned to him.
She quickly lifted a hand over her eye, but it was too late. Saturos took her hand, stopping the gesture. He gently touched the spot just below the inner corner of her eye. "Good heavens and sages," he murmured, wiping a bit of blood away, it instantly resurfacing.
Menardi tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. "It's just a little scratch," she stammered, trying to cover her eye, but he held her back.
"Can you see?"
"I can see fine," she growled a little irritably, finally breaking free of him. "It was probably an accident."
Saturos glared at Alex. "An accident meant for me."
"What?" Alex gasped.
"You tried to hit me, didn't you?" Saturos demanded, stepping toward him. "Would you have just plowed through Jenna or Felix the way you did her if one of them had stepped in the way?"
"It was an accident!" Alex screamed furiously.
"Saturos, just stop!" Felix shouted.
Saturos turned, looking at Felix. "What? Do you think he should get away with what he did?"
Felix looked around frantically, but no one answered for him. "It . . . it was just an accident. I mean, he . . . he wasn't trying to kill anyone--"
"One day he's throwing punches, the next, he may be throwing knives," Saturos growled, glaring at Alex coldly.
Alex glared at him. "I'd never knowingly put us in danger, Saturos--"
"You mean, put yourself in danger," Saturos snapped. "It seems rather convenient that you were at Mercury Lighthouse and still came out unscathed."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you watch out for one thing and one thing only, your own interests!"
"I can't help it if you're too clumsy to defend yourself!" Alex snarled.
Saturos flushed angrily. "I bet he figured a way to slow us on purpose."
"What?" Alex gasped.
"You've been trying to lead them to us," Saturos said. "Help that little bitch of yours now that the Mercury Lighthouse is lit."
Alex stepped to Saturos, his jaw clenched tightly. "I should kill you for that."
"Would you like to try?" Saturos growled, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.
Alex tilted his chin up. "Despite what you've said, I actually know the odds. I'm not going to willingly go into a battle I might not win." He shook his head. "I've been giving everything to this project, Saturos. Isn't that enough?"
"No. Everything isn't good enough," Saturos said. "If you aren't giving yourself, then you might as well leave."
"Wasn't it you that tried to remind me that we were on the same side this morning?" Alex growled.
"I know I'm on the same side I began on," Saturos said softly. "Are you?"
Alex felt his jaw clench tight, his anger ready to get the better of him as Saturos turned his back on him. He started toward the inn, the others slowly following. He put his hand on Menardi's shoulder, but she shrugged it off, stepping away from him, but making no move to avoid him when he bridged that gap. Felix stopped short, looked back at Alex as the others faded away. He stepped back. "Are you coming?" he asked softly.
Alex glanced at him. "At least one person hasn't forgotten me." He sighed, starting toward him.
"Saturos hasn't forgotten," Felix said with a slight shrug. "He just . . . gets upset., sometimes."
Alex let out a slight snort. "Forgets . . ." He looked at Felix, lifting his chin high. "Well, someday soon, I'll make an impression too deep for even Saturos to forget."
(A/N: Okay, I know a billion peopel are going to kill me for that ending, but I actually just took a chunk of dialogue out of this chapter that is going to transfer over. hint NO!! Don't listen, Felix! Alex is trying to poison your mind!!! . . . anyway, a lotta tension in this chapter, but this is just the beginning! So if we like the drama, we like the action stuff going on, it will continue all the way to the end, unless I'm told otherwise . . . and if that is the case: please review! Did the Colosso thing work out okay? Are my portrayals believable? How is Sheba turning out so far? Anything we didn't like? PLEASE R&R!!!)