Chapter 2
As they Continued through the desert they reached a sheer cliff made of stone, it was extremely smooth with clouds resting on the top of it. Bree stood looking at the clouds from a short distance while Chrine walked up and pressed his hand onto the cliff face.
"It's way too smooth to climb up. Maybe we're going the wrong way?"
"No. This is the right way, I can feel it, something's up there, something we need."
"Well, we can't go over it, we can't go through it, so we have to go around. Which way feels closer? Left or right?" Bree closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened her eyes after coming to a decision.
"Right. We go right."
"Sounds fine to me." Chrine said continuing right side by side with Bree. The walk was getting long, Chrine's feet were starting to hurt, the sand was soft but they had been walking for at least three hours by now.
"Hey Bree I noticed something." Chrine broke the silence, he was good at that.
"What did you notice?"
"Your cape. It's been a darker color since that crab hit you." Bree stopped and pulled her cape to her left side to look at it, comparing it to Chrine's.
"You're right, I wonder what it means." Chrine moved behind Bree to investigate further.
"The star on your back! It's gone!" Chrine gasped.
"What!? Where did it go!?"
"I don't know, it was right here!" He pressed his finger on Bree's back where the star was. Near her shoulders her cape started brightening, but it stopped only leaving a short section not darkened as Bree lurched forward.
"Hey! I'm ticklish! Don't do that!"
"You're cape started lighting back up, a little bit isn't dark now."
"What!? Oh my gosh, you're right."
"Should I keep doing it?" Chrine asked hesitantly. Bree deliberated for a moment. Having a darkened cape is probably bad, this would probably be better for her in the long run to just bite the bullet.
"Okay, but don't mess with me! Got it!?" Chrine nodded as he placed his finger back on Bree's spine, she flinched but held still, there was a minute of awkward silence as Chrine restored her cape.
"There we go, back to normal, the star's back too!" Bree stood up wordlessly and just kept walking, she was extremely embarrassed. Chrine just shrugged and followed. The walk continued for another half hour before they saw a stone staircase, leading to nothing but in front of it was a part in the clouds, leading to a structure in the distance. Something bright was on the top of the stairs.
"That's it! That's what we're looking for!" Bree pointed at the structure.
"That's good, one quick question: how do we get there?" All of the excitement and joy drained from her face.
"I have no idea how."
"Well let's check out this staircase, maybe there's an answer there." They looped around the side of the staircase and sitting at the base was Ozfonzo, sitting on the lower steps, twiddling his thumbs.
"There you two are, took you long enough."
"What are you doing here!?" Bree snapped.
"I'm here to help actually, can't have the next generation thrown to the krill." Ozfonzo leaned back but he was stopped on some kind of teal and black barrier.
"What is that?" Chrine pointed at the barrier
"The reason I'm here. This is a Spirit gate, a long time ago you could only pass these by befriending the spirits of our ancestors but we were made different, a whole new type of whatever we are, we aren't here for the spirits so we can't even see them, but with these-" He pulled out a few yellow and white candles "-You can trick them and go through them, but I'll only give you one. Do not try to fix the Engine. It's not your purpose, it's mine. So you two go try to build a settlement or something, you should only need this one to get to the next realm, that's probably the safest spot." Ozfonzo instructed. He gave them one of the candles before he sat down and the pillar of light from before appeared again over Ozfonzo.
"Wait!" Chrine shouted, the beam disappeared and Ozfonzo turned to look at him. "I have a few questions, how did you fly back there? And are any of us related to each other? Me and Bree were born on the same day, are we twins or?"
"Oh you poor things don't know how to fly? None of us are related though, there are enough differences between us, it's easy to tell once you know what to look for. But flight lessons, okay. Basically you need to take a deep breath and as you exhale just flap your cape and you should be good." Chrine took a deep breath in, held it for about a second and grabbed the sides of his cape, and lifted them up. "No, not like that, just move them on it's own." Ozfonzo stopped him.
"What do you mean on it's own? It's a cape not part of me."
"No, it is part of you, here let me show you." Ozfonzo grabbed on the end of his cape. "Feel that?"
"Yes actually, how do you move your cape?"
"How do you move your arms?" Ozfonzo let go of Chrine. "You just do." Ozfonzo said before he sat back down and the beam of light shone down on him again taking him away to some unknown place.
"That guy's a jerk. What if it's our purpose to fix the engine too! He doesn't know!"
"Well, let's get that thing up there." Chrine placed the candle in front of the spirit gate. "Would you do the honors of lighting it?"
"Sure, I guess." Bree reached into her chest and pulled out her red candle. It looked just like Chrine's. She used the flame of it to light the one that Chrine placed down and the wick and wax burnt away quickly as a small hole in the barrier appeared.
"So I guess we just go through there? What if it's not working?"
"Chrine, come on, it's clearly open." Bree walked through with no resistance or difficulty.
"Hey I just wanted to make sure." Chrine followed suit, the hole in the barrier remained. "Should we close it? I don't think it's safe to just leave it like this."
"Or what? A crab is going to walk up stairs to nowhere?"
"Why are you in such a bad mood all of a sudden?" Bree stayed silent for a moment and then sighed.
"It's Ozfonzo… He's just so mean about the Engine, I bet he doesn't even know how to fix it." She said smugly.
"To be fair, do we know how?"
"Shut up." Bree used a more friendly tone and Chrine wasn't feeling rebellious. As they walked to the top of the stairs they found what was making the bright shining, it was a silhouette of a child made of light.
"Uh… Hello?" Bree asked. She got no response, it simply stared back at her. "Are you okay?" Again she got no response. "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She put her hand on it's shoulder to shake it but as she touched it it's form disappeared and all that remained was the blue star of a Winged Light, it swirled around Bree until it flew into her. The warm feeling returned to her. "It's happening again." She was consumed by light; it covered her body and strengthened her. A second star appeared lower on her spine. She clenched her fist. "Definitely stronger now."
"That's great! I guess we just have to fly over there now." Chrine nervously stepped up to the edge of the stairs. He took a deep breath, held it for about a second and leaned forward off the edge, eyes closed. He exhaled and opened his eyes and he saw the ground below him, he was flying. "Hahaha! This is awesome!" Chrine was soaring over towards the part in the clouds.
"Wait for me!" Bree shouted back, taking a running leap off and with a quick and deliberate breath she started flying as well. Chrine's upward momentum was ending however, while his descent was still slowed and he'd made a safe landing he was going down, he pulled back and with a short slide landed on the top of the cliff. It didn't take long for Bree to join him.
"It's a long way up to whatever is up there, lets just get started a-"
"Wait! Your cape!" Bree interrupted. Chrine looked back to see his cape had darkened, and the star was gone.
"Ah! How did this happen!? Was it a hidden crab or something!?"
"Stop yelling and let me just." She put her hand on his shoulder, with a whole hand pressed against him, his cape restored much faster than just the tip of a finger.
"There, now you can stop panicking." The clouds moved like waves in an odd, pulsing manner, Bree's instincts were telling her something about the clouds, what exactly she couldn't tell, but they were going to help somehow. She walked over and put her hand into one, immediately wind swept up from under her. "Woah!" She was caught off guard. The clouds were already resting in a ramp shape leading to the structure. "I think we can ride the clouds up!" Chrine took no time to walk over to the clouds, opening up his arms and leaning forward like he did when he first flew. The blast of air upwards caused him to flip twice before he started soaring again.
"C'mon! Lets race to see who can get there first!" Chrine very unfairly had a large head start. He headed straight for the building in the distance Bree wasted no time trying to catch up, they were moving at the about the same speed but Bree used her cape to push a bit more air behind her to speed up slightly, it wasn't enough Chrine landed first at the building, they could see now that it was some kind of temple "Ha! I won!"
"Only because you cheated!" The temple's large stone doors started to open with rumbling gently shaking the ground.
"Do we keep fighting about this or do we check that out?" Chrine was trying to change the subject.
"Keep fighting!? I haven't even started! You can't just do that! That was so unfair."
"I'm sorry… I was just excited. Let's just go." Chrine started walking inside, Bree scoffed and followed him inside. It lead to a large antechamber. Gemstone encrusted stone double doors were at the other side closed and in front of the doors stood Ozfronzo.
"Congratulations on getting this far, but I can't let you get any father."
"You said you wanted us to build a settlement in the next realm! How do we get there besides here!?" Bree snapped at Ozfonzo, fire in her eyes.
"I do, but I'm a stickler for tradition, and when warriors enter this room it's tradition to have a contest, a duel. Only the victor may continue to the Elder's chamber. I need to speak with him as much as you do. But since you two are still learning, I'll let you both take me on at the same time, if you two can beat me, you get to go through."
"Do you think we can beat him?" Chrine asked Bree.
"Of course we can!" Bree took her shield off her back and strapped it to her arm. "And after we beat you we're fixing the damn Engine." Chrine pulled out his spear as Ozfonzo armed himself, Bree and Chrine started circling Ozfonzo as he circled them, their steps slow, deliberate. There was too much space between them for any blow to be struck but no one was advancing. They were all playing it safe, too safe for Bree's liking, she began planning. "The longer I wait the more the anticipation builds, the higher his guard is going to be. So the sooner I go the better but with it being so short since the battle started, his guard is still high, but it's only getting higher. Now is my best bet." She thought. Bree charged at Ozfonzo moving her shield to her left arm as she pulled back her right, covering her face with her shield. The tip of Ozfonzo's spear pierced through the shield but stopped short, moving her shield to the side she threw a haymaker with her right only to hurt her hand on Ozfonzo's shield. He quickly pulled his spear out of Bree's shield and made a swing at her. Bree pushed forward and blocked the swing at the shaft of the spear. Chrine came running in from Ozfonzo's right and executed a running thrust at Ozfonzo but missed, only cutting open the fabric of Ozfonzo's tunic. Ozfonzo lifted his right leg up high and stomped on Chrine's spear. He didn't break it but he threw Chrine off balance. Bree took the chance and slid her shield against the spear across and hit Ozfonzo in the face with it. His cape darkened. He stumbled back a few steps giving Chrine just enough time to regain his balance.
Ozfonzo lunged in with a flurry of thrusts, Chrine and Bree were standing next to each other but quickly split up, Ozfonzo focused Bree, she was able to block the first few hits but a well placed attack hit through the diamond hole in Bree's shield stabbing into her forearm, it hurt but her skin wasn't pierced, her cape darkened. Chrine noticed the second star disappeared from her back, the first was still there. While he was distracted with Bree Chrine focused and used his cape to fly into the air, darkening his own cape in the process.
"HYAH!" Chrine shouted as he went in for a falling stab flying at a 45 degree angle facing down, targeted right at Ozfonzo's back, Chrine could see his cape had two stars on it. His shout gave him away however as Ozfonzo quickly turned around and swung his shield in a parry, bouncing Chrine over him. Chrine landed roughly next to Bree and was knocked prone by the fall. Ozfonzo Readied his spear and plunged it towards Chrine's chest, Bree blocked the hit, the tip of the spear but barely breaking through the shield again. Bree didn't pull back this time, she rushed forward pushing the spear out of Ozfonzo's hand as Chrine got back up. Bree pulled the spear out of her shield and it clattered on the ground. Chrine moved the point of the spear to Ozfonzo's neck and he put his hands up.
"We win." Bree said, breathing heavily. "You're disarmed and we have you stuck."
"I'm just as disarmed as you are Bree, if you can fight with a shield why can't I as well?"
"Because I would stab through your neck." Chrine readjusted his spear.
"You think you have me all figured out don't you?" Ozfonzo reached behind his back and pulled out a teal candle, he pulled out the candle in his chest, flame burning strong, and swung it out, Chrine took a step back to avoid the fire. Ozfonzo planted the teal candle on the ground and quickly lit it with his own. He didn't let go of the candle he planted and placed his candle back in his chest.
"You think some candle will be enough to st-" Bree was interrupted as the flame on the candle reached the wax causing a massive updraft that pinned Bree, Chrine, and Ozfonzo's spear on the ceiling of the antechamber, the only thing keeping Ozfonzo on the ground was candle, he was holding the candle planted firmly on the ground.
"These candles are stronger tools than you think!" Ozfonzo yelled through the strong winds.
"This isn't a solution! The second the wind stops you're right back where you were! You're only delaying it!" Bree was furious. As she berated Ozfonzo Chrine was trying to find a way to throw his spear at the candle but the updraft was just simply too strong. It was a tense waiting game, the candle was burning quickly with some of the melted wax just flying to the ceiling in the updraft. The pair readied themselves for when it ended and the moment it did Bree landed on Ozfonzo, pinning him on the ground.
"Gah! You are far too persistent for your own good! You won't even be able to make it close to the Engine like this!"
"You won't even make it out of this room when I'm done with you!" She slammed her shield against the back of his head and his cape got two shades darker as Ozfonzo passed out. "What is that guy's problem!?" Bree said, standing up.
"I don't know. Let's just leave him here. Something big is through this door."
"Yeah, I can feel it too, let's open this door." They both pressed against the heavy doors and it slowly opened leading simply to a small shrine with a single white candle on a pedestal. It was unlit. As Chrine lit it using his own candle, they were both magically transported somewhere else, leaving Ozfonzo behind on the stone floor, who was going to have a massive headache when he wakes up.