Chapter XX

Brothers

Jenna walked beside her brother and Kraden in a tense silence, down the long highway road that lead from Tolbi into the region of Gondowan. Saturos and Menardi lead the way some distance ahead, while Alex had vanished the night before, not being at the library entrance where he said he would wait for her.

The night before had been a long one, and Jenna was exhausted, having managed to get nearly no sleep after the revelations before.

After returning to their room at the inn, the three sat down and had a long talk about what had occurred.

"Kraden," Jenna asked, "how long have you known about this?"

The sage considered. "Not long. A week or two perhaps?"

"I asked him to keep the secret," Felix said. "If you want to blame someone, then blame me."

"I'm not... blaming anybody," Jenna insisted. "I just... I don't know how to feel about this."

Felix frowned, his expression dark. "Truth be told, neither do I. Life and death... these are not the sort of forces that mortals should interfere with. Kraden told me as much."

Kraden nodded.

"Then why do it?" Jenna asked. "I mean, if they're dead... they're dead. I grieved for them, and I've moved on. Why not just let it be?"

Felix gave her a piercing look. "Can you say that with complete honesty? That you've moved on?"

The nightmare from earlier filled her mind; the image of her father, mother, and Felix's bodies mangled and bloody in Vale's town square...

Jenna had to look away. No, if she was still having nightmares about it, then she had not moved on.

That was answer enough for Felix. "I don't know what to expect from this. There's still so much about Alchemy we don't know, and I'm hoping to uncover more as we continue on to the other lighthouses. Since it's so uncertain, I'm trying to treat it as something that will probably not work. But if there's even a slim chance it can, well I have to try."

"'Trying to'?" Jenna repeated. "I know you. You wouldn't be so determined about this if you weren't hopeful that it would work."

Felix smirked. "I guess you got me there."

"The procedure itself working isn't what I'm worried about," Kraden said. "There's enough information in Tolbi's library to tell me that these experiments in reanimating people produced... something. It might work out fine, or you might create some kind of aberration."

"I understand the risks, Kraden," Felix answered. "And I'm willing to take them."

Jenna folded her hands in her lap.

She couldn't deny that there was a part of her that wanted her parents alive again more than anything. But using Alchemy to undo death? It went against everything that Vale's teachings had warned them about.

Despite the circumstances, Jenna had felt a strange sense of peace that night. Sitting in that room with only Felix and Kraden with her, with no more secrets or resentment between them, it had felt almost like being back home.

She took a glance at the two people walking beside her. After everything that had happened, they were still Felix and Kraden, her brother and her dear teacher. All their lives had changed in such phenomenal ways, but they were still the same people at heart, just trying to do what they thought was right in their individual ways.

In a way, it had been easier when she had hated her brother and thought him only a traitor to Vale. It was so much simpler to believe he had been somehow corrupted and made evil by the Proxians; the reality was so much more complicated.

She looked up, at the massive river that dominated the landscape, the other side of which could only faintly be seen. Once they crossed the bridge ahead, they would be in Gondowan, and Venus Lighthouse would be only a few days march away.

The only issue was that the bridge was raised. As Kraden had explained earlier, travel to Gondowan was restricted during Colosso.

Jenna glanced at her brother, seeing his gaze was fixed on the two hooded Proxians ahead of them.

"I didn't make my choice out of convenience," Felix told her. "Kraden and my theory about the world withering without Alchemy came later. I was prepared to undo the seal just to bring our parents back. I want you to understand that."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I was ready to doom the world to chaos and war to bring back two people," he said. "It's... a selfish choice. Perhaps the most selfish thing a person could do. And if you hate me for it, I understand. But I want to have no more secrets from you."

"I don't hate you," Jenna said. "I... don't think I could, especially now that I know why you're doing this."

"I made the same choice," Kraden added. "For different reasons, sure. But the truth is, we don't know what's going to happen when the seal is completely undone. The ancients sealed it for a reason. We could be cursing everyone in Weyard to a horrible fate."

Jenna thought about that. "You know more about Alchemy than anyone in this group. And you're willing to risk it. I don't think that you expect it will turn out that way."

"No," Kraden said. "But even if the return itself does not devastate the world in some way, only a fool would think that Alchemy's power will not be an enticing prospect to those who lust for power."

"Like our two travel companions in the other room?"

Felix's eyes narrowed, and he glanced at the door.

"Not every Proxian wants what they want," Felix said. "But those two... Even if Prox was restored to a powerful empire again, they would not be satisfied. They're at war with the entire world."

"Halt, travellers!" said the armed guard once they were within earshot. "State your business."

"We need to cross," Saturos answered.

"Unfortunately, the bridge is raised until midnight tonight, at the official conclusion of Colosso," said the guard, having clearly said this many times before. "In the meantime, you are more than welcome to rest in our barracks. We have beds, food, warm water-"

"We don't have time to wait around," Menardi cut in. "We need to cross now."

The guard was smirking. He had no idea the danger he was in. "I'm sorry, but Lord Babi's orders are not negotiable. You will have to wait like everyone else. Unless you'd like to try your chances swimming?"

Jenna felt Saturos' Psynergy swell. She'd felt it before: the massive well of Psynergy that made the Proxians such fearsome warriors. It was like the very air around them was hot and heavy.

And yet...

Jenna blinked. Something was different.

Her attention was caught by the sound of Felix easing his sword from his sheath.

"Felix," she urged.

"I'm not going to watch him kill innocent people," Felix said through his teeth. "We had a deal..."

"I'll give you one last chance," Saturos said slowly. "Lower the bridge and let us through."

"Excuse me!"

Saturos turned his head in surprise, letting go of the Psynergy he was holding. Kraden was scurrying over.

"Hi," Kraden said to the guard. "It's been a long time since I've been in these parts, so apologies if you don't know me. My name's Kraden; I work for Lord Babi."

Saturos scowled. "Kraden, what are you-?"

"It's okay," Kraden interrupted. "Thank you for doing your job, but I can handle it now."

The guard thought for a moment. "Yeah, Kraden. I think I remember hearing about you. You were sent to some village somewhere to study something, right? What are you doing back in Tolbi?"

"I apologise for the confusion," Kraden said, smiling. Leaning closer to the guard, he whispered, "I had to return for an urgent mission. I cannot spare the details, but I need to get to Lalivero urgently.'

"These people here," Kraden continued, indicating the Proxians, "are my bodyguards. The kids behind me are my apprentices."

"A secret mission, huh?" the guard mused. "I haven't heard anything about it. Shouldn't a messenger bird have been sent?"

Kraden nodded. "Indeed, I was told one would be sent ahead of my arrival. I'm confused as to why you didn't get it?"

"They do get lost sometimes. Or things are lost in communication."

"Yes, most likely."

"Alright, we'll get that bridge down for you in a bit. Best of luck to you, Kraden."

"Thank you, good sir," Kraden said. "I will put in a good word for you when I return to Lord Babi after my mission."

The guard disappeared inside, and they waited. Before long, the gears of the bridge mechanisms were turning, and the thicked carved logs that made up the bridge were gradually lowered.

After a long time waiting, the two lowering ends of the bridge connected. Not waiting for any further instruction, the two Proxians started across, with the others following close behind.

"That was foolish, old man," Saturos said, once they were away from the guard's barrack. "Perhaps your wits have finally left you."

"My wits got us through without the need for violence," Kraden retorted. "Were you about to kill all the soldiers here and then operate the bridge yourself?"

"You just gave up our identities to them," Saturos said. "This will surely make it back to Tolbi, to your friend Lord Babi."

"By the time it does, we'll be done at Venus Lighthouse and on our way to the next."

"We had better be," Saturos told him with a tone of finality.

Saturos and Menardi quickened their pace, their way of saying that there was nothing more they wanted to say to them.

Jenna looked uncomfortably to her brother. Felix had relaxed somewhat, but his eyes were still firm on the Proxians.

"Kyle was pulling me out of the river," Felix told her. "We were both badly hurt, but he was still doing what he could to save me. The current was weaker downstream, so he was able to get us both out of the water and onto the muddy banks at the edge."

Jenna listened quietly, as did Kraden, the sage having not heard this from him either.

"I was barely conscious," Felix continued, his voice low. "It was so dark, and the rain was pouring over us. I couldn't see. I just heard Kyle arguing with someone. And then, moments later I heard him... being killed."

Jenna bowed her head. Her heart ached for Isaac; all the pain from nearly four years ago suddenly so vivid again, as if it had just happened.

"They tossed his body back in the river, like a bad fish. And then I heard arguments. More voices. Talk of lighthouses, Psynergy, traps within the sanctum; things I didn't understand at the time. Kyle's killer grabbed me and dragged me away. I passed out at some point, and when I woke I was on a wagon being tended to by Menardi's sister Karst."

"They needed someone from Vale for their second attempt at Sol Sanctum," Kraden said. "And a Venus Adept for the lighthouse."

Felix nodded. "I guess they didn't want to leave witnesses, but after they saw Kyle trying to protect me, they understood the value of a hostage."

"The one who killed Kyle," Jenna asked, "was it Saturos?"

"I don't know," Felix answered heavily, his gaze drifting to the door, where the Proxians were sleeping, only two walls away. "He never spoke of that night to me. But as far as I'm concerned, they're all responsible for what happened."

Isaac slept that night in his own private chamber, under sheets of silk and on the softest pillows he had ever felt. Despite the weight on his thoughts, made no better by the tearful parting with Feizhi, the extravagant comfort and fatigue of the day won quickly, and he slept well.

He was woken in the morning by a servant girl, who had brought a tray of breakfast.

"Lord Babi awaits you in his study," she told him. "When you are ready, please make your way down the hall and up the stairs. If you need direction, any of the staff or guards can direct you."

She left, and drew himself up, stretching and blinking away the morning grogginess.

He looked around at the room he was in, and the fine food he had been served, and he wondered if anyone who had come to Tolbi to see Colosso had been kicked out of this room so he could have it.

"Best not keep Lord Babi waiting," he muttered.

He quickly downed his food, got dressed, and left.

Mia and Ivan were already waiting in the halls. Garet, who seemed to have slept in, took longer to emerge.

"Sorry, guys," he said, straightening his hair into its usual brush-shaped spikes.

"Alright," Isaac said. "Let's go see what the big mystery is."

Babi waited in his study, in a leather chair, with large bookcases and a regal crackling fireplace behind him. At his side was someone new, a dark-haired man with a trimmed beard and fine official-looking clothes.

"Welcome," Babi said, with a satisfied smile. "I hope the accommodations were to your liking?"

"They were, uh," Isaac searched for the words, "very nice, yeah."

"Excellent. Please, sit. We have much to discuss, and little time."

As the Adepts found chairs, Babi looked over them, frowning.

"It seems we're one short. Where has the other young lady gone?"

"Something urgent suddenly came up," Ivan offered. "She had to leave for another town to deal with it."

"Ah, that is too bad." Babi held out his hand, indicating the bearded man who was still standing beside him. "This is my first minister, Iodem. He is a trusted advisor to me; he is already aware of everything that we discussed before."

"Well met," Iodem said to them. "I must thank you again, for saving Lord Babi's life. All of Tolbi owes you a great debt."

"We would have helped anyone in a situation like that," Isaac said.

"Do not be so modest, my friend," Babi said, grinning. "After all, it was only possible thanks to your extraordinary gifts."

"Our Psynergy," said Garet.

"Indeed. Psynergy." Babi took a drink from a glass at his side, and then sat back in his chair. "I have not seen it's like in many years. Not since I came across the city of Lemuria. This Psynergy... it was something all Lemurians possessed, so when I met you, I thought you were travellers from there."

"Where is this Lemuria?" Mia asked.

"It is an island, at the centre of the Eastern Sea," Babi told them. "I came across it by chance, during a sea voyage with my friend Lunpa."

"Your friend Lunpa?" Ivan repeated. "The founder of the village?"

"Yes. I told you I was old, didn't I?" Babi let out an amused chuckle. "Unfortunately, circumstances saw to it that I was not able to stay long. I returned to Tolbi with a Lemurian ship, and my now-exhausted supply of their life-extending draught."

"If you know where Lemuria is," asked Garet, "why can't you go back?"

"Yes, one would think that a simple task," Babi said. "Though it was no challenge to chart the location, getting back to the island turned out to be a miracle I could not duplicate. Over the years, I have sent many vessels to Lemuria, and each one has been destroyed by the treacherous currents and rocks that surround it."

Babi's expression changed slightly. "I must have more draught. To the people of Lemuria, it is their water; it flows from their fountains and rivers. They have lived for centuries. The oldest of them have perhaps even seen the Lost Age of man. Whatever power has blessed them, they have no desire to share it; they hide within their walls while the rest of the world withers and dies."

"Everything Lord Babi has built, has been for this," Iodem said. "The Laliverans build a tower for him, so that it can light the dark seas around Lemuria. The Lemurian ship he left in is docked there. All he needs is... a champion."

"And that is you, Isaac," Babi said.

Isaac frowned. Deep down, he had known it was leading to this. He had felt an uneasy guilt ever since rescuing Babi in the first place, and now he understood why.

"Why me?" he asked.

"Yeah, why Isaac?" said Garet.

"I think it was no coincidence that you appeared when you did," Babi said. "I have searched for Adepts for a century, and spent fortunes in that pursuit. I funded the study of Alchemy here, and when I learned of Mt. Aleph I sent my brightest there to study it."

"Kraden, yeah," Garet said. "He was our teacher in Vale."

Babi nodded. "His letters ceased some time ago. Was he ever able to gain entry to Sol Sanctum?"

"Yes, he uh..." Isaac stopped himself. Babi didn't need to know about all that. "It's a very long story. One we don't have time for today."

Babi nodded understandingly.

"Iodem mentioned a ship at Lalivero?" Isaac asked.

"Yes, the very one I left Lemuria in," Babi answered. "A special vessel: it is far more durable than any that I have in my harbour. But it is not controlled with oars but by Psynergy. Thus..."

"You needed someone like us who could use it," he concluded.

"Indeed," Babi said, smiling politely. "I understand that I am asking a great deal of you. You already helped me once, what right have I to request that you do it again? But saving me in Altmiller Cave was only a temporary stay of fate. I want to live forever, and to have that I will grant any request you ask."

Isaac considered. "Anything?"

"Name your price."

The others' eyes were wide, looking to Isaac to decide.

A part of him wanted to tell Babi to forget it, and turn around and leave. And yet, what Babi was offering could make the difference between them failing the quest, and chasing Saturos across the sea, or stopping him here and now, and returning to Vale with Jenna and the stars. And they didn't even need to go out of their way for it, as Venus Lighthouse was right on the path to Lalivero.

It was too good a chance to pass.

"Aside from the ship," Isaac said carefully, "We need funds for our journey."

"Of course," Babi said, with no hesitation. "Iodem?"

"I will write up the order at once, my lord," Iodem said. "We can have it ready by the end of the day."

"Excellent," said Babi, turning his attention back to Isaac. "Anything else?"

Isaac thought about it. "You have people stationed all around Northern Gondowan, right?"

Babi nodded.

"We're in pursuit of some people," Isaac said. "It's a long story, as I mentioned, but they stole something from our village, and kidnapped our friend."

"Interesting." Babi's eyes narrowed. "You've chased them all the way here?"

"Yeah. They're on their way to Lalivero now. If you could... I guess send word to your men about them, have them keep an watch for them. It would slow them down, and make it difficult to get around."

"If they are enemies to you," Babi said. "then they are enemies to all of Tolbi. Tell us what we need to know about them."

Iodem quickly fetched a quill and parchment, and Isaac described the appearances of Saturos, Menardi, and Alex in turn.

He hesitated, and then added Felix to the list.

"They kidnapped a friend of ours," Isaac said. "A girl named Jenna. And... Kraden as well."

"These villains have Kraden captive?" Iodem asked. "To what end?"

He's not much of a captive any more. But... I guess they don't need to know about that.

"They knew he was someone we cared for," Isaac said. "Someone we would want to get back."

"And so we shall," Iodem declared. "I will have copies of this sent out on a dozen ravens at once. Within a fortnight, their faces will be on wanted posters in every city we have men stationed at."

"They're dangerous," Isaac cautioned.

"Tolbi is dangerous," Iodem answered. "What can four men do against the might of a military empire?"

Isaac considered that he might have made a mistake. If Tolbi's soldiers did locate the thieves, and tried to arrest them, they would stand no chance against the Proxian's Psynergy. But it was too late to take it back now.

"Is there anything else you require?" Babi asked.

"One last thing," Isaac said. "The girl from Lalivero that you have here..."

"Sheba?" Babi said. "What of her?"

"I would like to see her freed and returned to her people."

Babi didn't immediately answer, sitting forward in his chair and swirling the wine in his glass. "And why is that? How will her release help you in your quest?"

"It won't," Isaac said bluntly. "I just feel sorry for her and would like her to go back home, where she belongs."

Iodem frowned, looking to his lord. When Babi did not immediately answer, he said, "Sheba was only brought here because the Laliverans refused to continue work on the tower. The construction unearthed underground ruins, and their being a less... civilized culture, they feared it was some sort of omen."

Mia asked, "But why her in particular?"

"They revere her," Iodem said. "I don't know why. But she is an important figure to them, and taking her from them was enough to restart work on the tower."

"You said you would grant any request I had," Isaac reminded Babi. "This is what I want."

"Then it will be done," Babi said plainly.

"My lord? But what of the construction?"

"The Laliverans have learned their lesson now, wouldn't you say?" Babi said. "I was already considering returning her anyway. Have an escort of soldiers prepared for the journey; she can leave immediately."

"Very well, my lord." Iodem began to write on a fresh piece of parchment.

"Have you any other requests, Isaac? The Colosso finals will begin shortly, and as I already missed the trials, I would like to prepare."

Isaac felt dirty, and wished for nothing more than to be done with this business and move on.

"No," he said. "Nothing else."

Babi smiled. "Then perhaps I might ask one of you? Nothing too much I hope. As the finals are about to begin, and you are my champion, I would like to see you compete."

Garet all but jumped from his seat. "Us? Colosso?!"

"I don't know," Isaac said. "We didn't clear the trials. That doesn't seem fair to the others."

"Is saving my life not trial enough?" Babi said, with a wry smile. "I have only this chance to see those amazing gifts of yours in action. And if you are to win... Iodem, will you show them the prize?"

The minister went to the far end of the room, where a sheathed longsword was sitting on display at a wooden desk. He returned, holding it half-unsheathed before them for inspection. The blade was sharp, and where it caught the light it reflected green; the hilt was ornate, functional but adorned with the shape of a tree trunk, and decorative leaves.

"Our scholars found it within Venus Lighthouse," Iodem told them. "It seems to have been constructed with some sort of lost art, for it has not rusted or dulled in the years it was there. We gave it the name, 'Gaia Blade'."

Just looking at it, Isaac could tell it had some Psynergetic power within. He had never seen anything like it.

"Isaac!" Garet all but hissed in his ear. "It's Colosso!"

"I guess we have to stay here until it's over anyway," Isaac said. "Alright, fine. Let's give it a shot."

The four Adepts followed a guard through the lavish halls of Babi's palace. The arena, which was connected to the palace, was only a few minutes away.

They spoke just quietly enough that the guard leading them would not overhear.

"The way he talked, it was like Isaac was the only one in the room," said Ivan.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Mia asked. "Allying with somebody like him... it doesn't sit well with me."

"I know," Isaac answered. "I'm not happy with it. But if his help can make the difference in the quest, I'm willing to risk it."

"Risk it..." Mia repeated thoughtfully. "Do you think he'll betray us somehow?"

"He depends on us," Ivan pointed out. "He's lived so long and done so much, the only thing he fears now is death itself."

Isaac nodded. "And so it's up to us to keep him from dying."

"Death is a natural part of life," Mia said. "My father's training as a healer taught me so. We do everything we can to ease suffering, and help prevent an early death if possible, but when one's time is up, we must accept that and let go. It is unnatural to try to deny it."

"Tell that to him," Isaac said.

Ivan hesitated. "You understand Isaac, if we do bring more draught for Babi, he will surely continue the growth of Tolbi. Other lands will end up at war with him, and they will likely fall. Half of Gondowan is already under his rule; in time, that could become the whole of it, and then Angara as well. Kalay could end up no different than Suhalla, and Lalivero. Vault, Bilibin, even Vale..."

"I know," Isaac said. "Trust me, it's all I've been able to think about."

"Our quest to stop the beacons from being lit," said Mia, "isn't that exactly the kind of thing we're trying to prevent?"

"If Alchemy returns, it won't matter if Babi lives or not," Isaac answered. "The world will be filled with people like him, just like it was in the Lost Age of man. Right now, that's what I'm concerned with. If we can stop the thieves at Venus Lighthouse, well... we'll figure out what to do then."

Were Isaac a less honourable man, he could make his promises to Babi, take the gold and the ship, and simply never return. But he'd given his word that he would do his best to reach Lemuria, and he could never live with himself if he went back on an oath. Even to someone like Babi.

"Right now, I'm just excited to fight in Colosso," Garet said, having been quietly distracted until then. "We can worry about all that other stuff later."

Mia smiled. "For once, I think Garet has a point."

"What do you mean, 'for once'?"

They arrived at a stone chamber, somewhere below the city; some sort of waiting room, where Colosso's participants would prepare for their matches, resting and recovering for the battles ahead. A number of gladiators waited at benches nearby, turning their heads as the Adepts entered.

Their guide brought them to the centre of the chamber, where an attendant with a stack of parchments waited.

"Mister Isaac, yes?" he said. "Minister Iodem has informed that you will be fighting as Lord Babi's champion. The finals will begin shortly. Shall I go over the rules with you?"

"Wait," Garet said. "What about us?"

"As the minister instructed, you three will be given front row seats before the arena."

Ivan and Mia shrugged. Neither of them had particularly wanted to fight anyway. Garet, however, was devastated.

"That can't be right!" he insisted. "I thought we were all going to participate!"

"I apologize for the misunderstanding," the attendant said, "but I was given clear instructions. Only Mister Isaac shall fight. I could not change it now even if I had the authority, as the brackets have already been drawn up."

Garet's face fell. Without a word, he turned and walked away.

"Garet," Isaac said, going to follow. "I'm sorry..."

"Let him go," Mia said, stopping him with a gentle hand on his shoulder. "He needs his space right now."

"Poor guy," Ivan said. "He was so excited for it..."

Isaac was torn. He wanted to go after Garet, but his friend had already vanished behind the corner.

"Your match is up first, mister Isaac," said the attendant. "Shall I explain the rules?"

"Are you still going to compete?" asked Ivan.

He turned back, and nodded.

Perhaps Garet had wanted this more, but Isaac was not just going along on the whims of others. He wanted this too, after it had been suggested by Babi he had been full of thoughts of prior fights in his journey, particularly the duel with Saturos atop Mercury Lighthouse.

Venus Lighthouse was not far, and if he was to face Saturos again there...

"I'm ready," Isaac said.

Ivan and Mia were led away to the audience, where their front-row seats were waiting, while Isaac was quickly explained the rules of Colosso. The finals of the tournament would be three rounds, where random pairs of competitors would make their way through an obstacle course.

As per the rules, Isaac had left behind his armour and sword, wearing only his cotton clothes and give a small military-grade sword of bronze to fight with. Scattered throughout the field were better tools for the battle: armour, weapons, potions, and gear like smoke bombs that could provide an advantage in the match. Whichever of the two competitors was quicker would have their pick of these armaments, which would give one an advantage in battle, and once both had reached the arena in the heart of the coliseum, they would fight until one fell or surrendered. After the match, they would keep whatever they had found for the next round.

Isaac considered this. It would seem that having the best equipment would provide a huge advantage, but he wondered how much that actually mattered; rushing through the obstacle course seemed a quick way to exhaust his stamina. Better to go carefully, he decided, and save his strength for the actual match. It wasn't much of a strategy, but it was as much as he could manage with so little time to prepare.

Isaac was led out into the arena, where the cheering of the crowd was deafening. The sunlight was blinding as he emerged, and after he blinked and could see clearly, he saw the thousands of people stacked in rows and rows of seats. He suddenly felt a sense of anxiety, feeling so many eyes upon him. If he were to fail here; the shame would follow him forever.

Some in the crowd cheered his name, but most cheered for his opponent, Azart, who waited at the starting line, drawn in chalk on the ground.

"So you are the special warrior picked by Lord Babi himself? This must be a joke! I'll never lose to someone who did not even clear the trials!"

Isaac ignored him, instead examining the crowd. He saw a theatre box at the middle of the arena, where Babi was watching, with Iodem at his side.

He wants to see my Psynergy. That's the only reason he entered me in this.

"Take your positions," instructed the attendant. "The match will begin at the sound of the bell."

Sorry to disappoint you. I'm doing this to test my skills as a warrior, not as an Adept.

The bell was struck, and they were off.

Even with his plan to conserve his energy for the battle, Isaac quickly found he had no difficulty outpacing his opponent. Azart fell behind, so quickly that Isaac wondering if he had planned the same strategy as his own. The courses themselves were no challenge; he pushed aside rocks that stood in his way, connected a pipe that opened a platform, and timed running across a wooden bridge that opened and closed. At the last section, where he needed to roll across a log to reach the other side of a pool, he nearly lost his balance, but he made it over.

As he reached the arena, he caught sight of Ivan and Mia's faces, grinning and cheering him on. It would seem Garet had not come back.

He put that thought aside, so he could focus on the battle. There were two items in the dirt to use, a steel shield and a set of chain-mail gloves. He took the shield, leaving the other for his opponent.

Isaac then waited for his opponent. Azart took a long time, struggling with the puzzles which he had just seen Isaac clear. After falling into the pool on his first attempt at the log-rolling section, and having to start it over, he finally scrambled up onto the field.

"What was that about the trials, again?" Isaac taunted him.

Azart said nothing, taking the mail gloves on the ground. Isaac waited patiently as he pulled them on, and when he was ready, he drew his sword. A second bell rang, signalling the start of the fight.

The battle was over in moments. Azart certainly had some training, and he might have given Isaac some trouble if they had fought right after his departure from Vale. But after having faced so many monsters, and escaped more life-or-death battles than he could count, a middle-grade gladiator was no challenge. Azart made a few swings of his blade, but the shield Isaac had picked up meant they were no threat; one counterstrike followed and then his opponent's blade was beyond his reach in the sand.

With Isaac's sword against his throat, Azart had no choice but to yield. Nevertheless, the crowd cheered.

In the theatre box, Babi frowned.

Isaac returned to the waiting room. Other matches followed, as the other gladiators went out in pairs, with one returning and one not. A few returned with blood on their weapons, and Isaac wondered if he had done Azart a favour or a dishonour by not fighting him to the death.

The others who waited spoke in hushed tones, casting dirty glances at Isaac. He overheard a few mentions of "trial" and "Babi". He said nothing, doing his best to relax and mental centre himself in preparation for the next match.

His thoughts returned to Garet. He would have to do something to make it up to him, once this was over. He didn't know where they would find the time, as right after Colosso they would be making a beeline for Venus Lighthouse, but he swore he would do something.

The second set of matches began, and before long, Isaac's name was called. He followed, along with another warrior named Satrage.

"You are Isaac?" the man asked. When Isaac nodded, he continued, "I am Satrage. I see that you were also meditating in preparation for the battle. That is good; we are equally balanced."

Isaac noticed Satrage had the same equipment Isaac had picked up. Indeed, if Isaac kept his Psynergy out of the ring, it would be a fair fight.

This time, they were taken to a different part of the massive coliseum, where a new set of obstacles waited. The puzzles were more complex this time, including a short maze, and a wall to climb.

Since the equipment had made such a difference the first time, Isaac decided he would go slow and get each chest along the way.

The bell sounded, and they were off.

Isaac made his way through the obstacles, Satrage kept pace, like his reflection. They reached each puzzle, and each chest, with only a few seconds' lead that they interchanged again and again.

At the rock wall, Isaac's pace fell; Satrage was nearly halfway up before Isaac had even started. He grabbed the rough protrusions and began to climb, making it only his own height off the ground when he heard a cry of surprise and saw Satrage fall and land in the dirt below.

"Whoa!" Isaac exclaimed. "Are you alright?"

Satrage was clearly not alright; he hissed and grimaced as he rose, clearly favoring one leg. It would seem he had twisted his ankle on the landing.

"The match goes on!" he insisted.

Isaac felt bad, but he continued on. He arrived at the heart of the arena first, taking the armour that waited.

Eventually, Satrage hobbled up, and took the weaker armour.

The match was just as one-sided as the last. Satrage was unable to move quickly, or much at all, so he stalled as much as he could and fought defensively. He tossed his smoke bomb to hold Isaac off, but with his ankle, he could not capitalize on the opportunity. Once Isaac closed in and fought directly, it was not long before Satrage had to pull back; he cried out and collapsed, no longer able to stand.

It was over.

Isaac looked to his friends in the audience; Mia was wincing.

Back in the waiting room, Isaac wondered if he'd made a mistake entering Colosso; if this was what so many people had travelled so far, and paid so much gold to see, he feared he was robbing them of a good show.

There had been four remaining gladiators. With Satrage eliminated, there were only two others waiting with Isaac. They left, and after what sounded to the crowd to be an exciting battle, only one returned.

The two left waited in silence until the attendant came and called them up.

Isaac's final opponent, Navampa, had evidently gathered all the available equipment on the battlefield, for he was wearing full-body plate mail, including a helmet. Isaac waited for another exchange, but the man said nothing; he didn't even look at him.

The obstacle course waiting was the longest yet. Despite the anti-climactic fights before, Isaac was beginning to feel the fatigue of running these gauntlets. Still, he was determined to do this.

"I hope this time that I get a good match," Isaac said, as he and his opponent got into position at the starting line.

Navampa glanced at him, then after a moment nodded.

The bell rang, and they ran. Navampa quickly outpaced Isaac, in spite of the heavy armour he was wearing.

The Adept made the decision to ignore the chests this time and go right for the arena, saving his strength for the battle. He already had the short sword, shield, and some leather plate armour, which was enough for him. And Navampa was already armed to the teeth, so it would not make a difference either way; he could tire himself out getting the gear.

However Navampa evidently had the same idea; he passed the chests scattered across the field, going right to the heart of the battlefield.

Isaac couldn't help but smile. This guy was finally giving him a challenge, after all!

Though Isaac tried his best, he was not able to outpace Navampa, though he managed to keep a close trail. As they reached the sand arena, the gladiator went for the larger claymore, immediately pulling it free and tossing the sheath aside.

Isaac took the second prize, a light blade that, while better than the paltry ones they had been given at the start, was still dwarfed by the massive claymore. As the rules stated that he could only use one weapon, he tossed the bronze short sword away.

With not a moment to catch his breath, the second bell rang and the fight was on.

Navampa didn't even bother with a shield, he closed in, bringing down his claymore in a powerful two-handed swing. Isaac rolled out of his way on the dirt ground, knowing he could block the blows with his shield, but the effort would quickly tire him. The gladiator quickly closed in for a second attack.

Though Navampa was not massively bigger than Isaac, he was still wearing full-body armour. It slowed him down, not much, but enough that Isaac had a speed advantage. Isaac used this to his advantage, dodging several swings and waiting for an opportunity.

Finally, after over-extending his reach just enough, Navampa was momentarily off-balance. Isaac moved in, diverting the course of his claymore safely out of the way, and using his other hand to bring the shield up, bashing Navampa in the face with it.

The helmet he was wearing protected him from a broken nose. Still, the gladiator stepped back, momentarily dizzy.

Isaac was about to move in on the offensive, but he noticed something odd, and he hesitated.

That was enough. Navampa recovered from his momentary dazing and moved back on the offensive.

Something nagged at Isaac. He defending himself carefully, keeping a close eye on Navampa's movements.

They exchanged a few blows, and then Isaac backed away carefully. Navampa watched him warily, standing in a battle-ready stance. His knees were half-bent, as he leaned forward slightly, and held his claymore with both hands at his waist.

"It can't be..." Isaac muttered. "Okay! Time out!"

Navampa turned his head to the side in confusion.

Isaac leaned over, trying to look under the helmet at his opponent's face.

"Garet...? Is that you?"

The person before him said nothing, but he shifted uncomfortably.

"I know it's you, Garet," Isaac insisted. "I've seen you fight enough to know your moves."

"I... know not who this... Garet is," answered Navampa, in Garet's voice.

"Garet, what is going on? What are you doing here?"

"We're fighting," Garet answered, as if that explained everything.

"How did you get here?" Isaac asked him. "What happened to the real Navampa?"

Garet didn't answer, but beneath he turned his helmeted gaze towards the theatre box in the audience. Isaac followed his directed, see Babi watching them with a satisfied smile.

Of course.

"He wants to see Adepts fight," Isaac said, turning back to Garet. "Because I wasn't using my Psynergy, he arranged to have the real Navampa removed and put you in instead."

"That's not it at all," Garet insisted. "I went back and told him how much I wanted to fight in Colosso. He said it was too late to change it and put us both in, but he got the idea to have me replace someone. So he paid the real Navampa what he would have won to drop out, and let me jump in."

"And gave you armour so I wouldn't realize it was you," Isaac said. "At what point did you jump in?"

"Before the first match," Garet said. "I made it to the final round all on my own, Isaac! Just like you!"

At that, Garet pulled the helmet off, shaking his red hair free. He winked at the front row of the crowd, where Ivan and Mia were watching in stunned confusion.

"Well, what happens now?" Isaac asked him.

"The fight is still going," Garet said. He held his gauntleted hand out in front of him, and conjured up a fireball. "These people want a show, so how about we give them one?"

Isaac couldn't help but grin. "I'm not going to hold back."

"I'd never forgive you if you did!"

Isaac went to charge. Garet tossed aside the helmet, and threw the fireball, but Isaac easily blocked it with his shield. Taking grip of his claymore with both hands again, Garet brought the sword down as Isaac reached him.

The Venus Adept easily sidestepped the attack, and went in for a strike at Garet's shoulder. He wasn't worried about hurting him; Mia would surely patch them up after the battle.

Garet's armour absorbed the attack, but the shoulder piece snapped in two as Isaac pulled away. Garet stepped away as Isaac recovered, a chunk of his armour falling on the ground.

"Not bad," Garet said.

"I'm just getting started!" Isaac told him.

As Isaac went to move in, Garet kicked the shoulderpad at Isaac; he barely managed to deflect it out of the way with his sword. Garet followed up with a swing of his claymore; with no time to react, Isaac had to lean back to avoid the heavy blade.

Garet, still having the advantage, kicked Isaac as he tried to regain his balance. Isaac collapsed, the wind knocked out of his lungs, his sword gone from his hand.

Above him, Garet was standing with a satisfied smirk, his claymore over one shoulder.

"Still getting started? How about you get serious?"

Isaac gathered his Psynergy. By the time Garet sensed it, he could do nothing, but brace himself as the earth beneath him exploded in the wake of a pillar of light.

Isaac got back to his feet, forcing breaths. He looked up, just in time to see Garet flying towards him, using blasts of Psynergetic fire to control his trajectory.

"You've got to be kidding-"

Garet collided with him, knocking both Adepts in opposite directions.

After a moment, they both recovered and climbed back to their feet.

Garet lifted both hands in the air, gathering a mass of Psynergy in the shape of a swirling mass of fireballs. Isaac knew what was coming; it was another trick Garet had borrowed from Saturos at Mercury Lighthouse.

Isaac considered using the steel shield he still had, but he knew blocking those fireballs would make it red-hot in moments. He tossed it aside; Psynergy it would be.

As the fireballs came raining down, Isaac conjured up a few layers of stone walls. He prayed that Garet had enough control not to hit anyone in the crowd with them.

While he waited for the onslaught to cease, he gathered the Psynergy for his next attack. As soon as the fireballs died, he stepped out of the protection of his stone shield and unleashed Ragnarok.

But Garet was ready for it. As the ghostly sword came down from above, Garet held his hands together and let out a beam-like burst of Mars Psynergy in its direction.

The two Psynergies collided in the air above the arena, exploding together in a brilliant display of gold and red light.

Isaac took a second to breathe, as particles of Psynergetic energy fell around them like snow. Across the battlefield from him, Garet was similarly worn-out, breathing heavily, sweat matting his red hair.

Isaac thought of the Garet from the outset of their adventure, who knew how to throw fireballs and little else. He'd come so far, and learned so many new tricks; Isaac would need to come up with something new himself if he wanted to win this.

He considered his situation. While Garet had very powerful Psynergy attacks, Isaac knew he had a deeper pool. So if he couldn't overpower Garet...

Isaac used his Psynergy to craft another wall from the earth below them, this time across the length of the arena, and high enough that Garet could not climb it. Then, he cast Ragnarok once more, sending the blade blindly in Garet's direction over the wall.

As expected, Garet cast another heat wave at the sword, destroying it before it could reach him.

Isaac did this again. And again. And again still. He sent a rain of Psynergy blades down on Garet's side of the arena, using his feeling of Garet's Psynergy to aim rather than his sight. Each one, Garet shot out of the sky before it could reach him.

It was like a fireworks show over the arena. Before long, Isaac could not sense where Garet was, his senses absolutely overwhelmed by the flurry of energy before him. He sent three more Ragnarok blades, seeing they were no longer exploding in the air, but rather on the ground.

Got him.

Isaac prepared one more, but rather than unleashing it, he turned his attention back to his stone barrier, crafting an opening in the middle big enough to get through. Then, he ran towards it, feeling the weight of having used so much Psynergy.

Isaac passed through his opening, realizing too late that he hadn't stopped sensing Garet's Psynergy; he had just lose it in the chaos.

Garet was waiting for him, hiding just on the other side of the wall. As soon as Isaac entered his view, he released a heat wave blast that struck Isaac directly.

"Hah! I got you-!" Garet was cut off by the energy sword that struck the ground right before him and exploded.

Both Adepts found themselves on opposite sides of the battlefield once more. By now, the previously clear sand arena was torn to pieces by the force of the battle between them, huge parts of the ground having been uprooted and destroyed, and small fires burned from Garet's attacks.

In the audience, Ivan watched, his hands tightly gripping the Shaman's Rod, while Mia had her hands over her mouth. The crowd watched the battle in a tense silence, having never seen a Colosso like this before.

Isaac struggled to stand, exhausted. His Psynergy pool was almost depleted, his body was aching and sore, and he felt more tired than he could remember.

Across the way from him, Garet was also struggling to get up. He pulled loose the ties of his now-damaged plate armour, allowing it to fall to the ground.

Isaac took a step towards him on shaky legs, and Garet did the same.

And then, both Adepts collapsed to the ground. The fight was over.

The last thing Isaac heard before he slipped unconscious was the roaring sound of the audience screaming in applause.

Isaac dreamt of home.

He ran through the streets of Vale, with Jenna and Felix and Garet, and they had not a care in the world. The two siblings sat at the river and looked for fish, while Isaac and Garet took sticks off the ground and pretended they were heroes from the Lost Age, the warriors who had taken the mission to seal Alchemy and save the world from evil of tyrants.

They play-fought, and Isaac hit Garet in the head, sending the other boy running away in tears. Isaac went back to his parents, thinking they would never be friends again, but Kyle and Dora told him that Garet would forgive him.

The next morning he found Garet in the same place, and they sat in silence for a while, until Isaac mumbled out an apology. Then, they picked their sticks back up and started all over again.

Isaac woke, back in the guest chamber at Babi's Palace. Though he was sore, and still exhausted, he smiled at the memories of better days.

He turned his head, and saw Mia sitting at his side, clearly waiting for him to wake.

"You're up," she said with a start.

"Mhmm," he managed. He yawned, and pulled himself up to a sitting position. "How's Garet?"

"The same as you," Mia answered. "Not hurt, just a little beat-up and tired. Ivan's with him."

"That's good."

"You two are such idiots!" Mia exclaimed, suddenly angry. "I was so worried! I thought you were going to kill each other!"

Isaac shrank back into the covers a bit. "I'm sorry. We didn't mean to worry you. I guess we just... got kinda carried away."

Mia crossed her arms, sitting back in her chair and huffing. "I expected such boyish nonsense from Garet, but I thought you were better than this."

Isaac chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, you just..." Isaac searched for the words. "You reminded me of someone, that's all."

"Well, once you've recovered enough to walk, Babi is waiting to see us," she said. "He was over the moon about the battle, going on and on about how incredible your Psynergy was."

Isaac frowned. He hadn't thought about it at the time, but they had just shown off their Psynergy to thousands of people; while non-Adepts could not see the actual power, the solid after-effects like stones and flames would definitely raise some eyebrows.

Mia must have picked up on what he was thinking about. "Iodem is going to have rumours spread about the event, saying it was all part of the show. Something about new devices they've put in the arena."

Isaac nodded. "Some will believe that."

"Ivan and I talked about it," she said. "Adepts, and Psynergy by extension, are going to keep becoming more common if we fail at the lighthouses. If we don't, well, it'll become a legend eventually."

"In any case, we'll be out of Tolbi soon," Isaac said. "If Garet is doing as well as I am, a night's rest should have us both ready to leave in the morning."

Mia nodded. "If you can manage it, meeting with Babi tonight to collect your prize means we can leave at dawn without any more delays..."

"My prize?" Isaac repeated, blinking. "Wait, how did they decide the match? Did they call it a draw?"

"No," answered Mia. "The judges discussed it and they said that, because you fell two seconds after Garet, they were declaring you the champion."

"Oh no," Isaac said, climbing up out of bed.

"Isaac? Where are you going?"

Despite the soreness and fatigue wracking his body, Isaac made his way out of the room, Mia following close behind, down the hall to the guest chamber that had been set aside for Garet.

Pushing open the door, he saw Garet was already awake, excitedly chatting with Ivan.

"Yeah, and then, did you see the part where I-?" he stopped, seeing Isaac enter.

"Garet, I'm sorry," Isaac said quickly. "Mia just told me the results..."

"What about them?" Garet asked.

"That I won."

"Oh, that?" Garet smiled. "Yeah I heard. Congrats, Mr. Champion."

"Look, I'll have a talk with Babi," Isaac said. "I'm sure if I demand it, he'll change the results, and-"

"But why?"

Isaac stopped in his tracks. "Well... because it's not fair. I shouldn't have won that; it should have been called a draw. In fact, they should have just given it you; you had me on the ropes the whole time."

"Nah," Garet said simply. "Don't worry about it."

"'Don't worry about it'? What happened to you wanting to win Colosso?!"

"I didn't say I wanted to win Colosso, remember? I just wanted to compete in it. And I got to do that. So I'm happy."

Isaac couldn't believe how blasé he was being about this. "Garet, I really only participated out of convenience. You're the one who's dreamed of this since you were a kid. You deserve to be champion."

"Maybe," Garet said, shrugging. "How about this? One day, after all this stuff with the lighthouses and the Elemental Stars and everything is over, we come back and enter again? And we can do it all properly: we'll go through the trials, enter as ourselves and not disguised as someone else. And then we can have our rematch. Sound good?"

Isaac grinned. "Yeah. Sounds great."

He went over to the side of the bed, and the two friends shook on the deal.

Then, to Isaac's surprise, Garet pulled him in for a hug.

Ivan and Mia exchanged glanced, and then broke down in a fit of giggles.

A/N: Greetings all, hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! This one was relatively straight-forward compared to previous chapters, but there's still some fun stuff to discuss:

I flip-flopped on how to do the first scene initially, with Jenna and the others crossing the bridge. My outline had the flashback portions as their own scene, which opened the chapter, and then have the stuff with the bridge later; this would have been after the conversation with Babi, but before the start of Colosso (them talking to Babi and Iodem about Kraden foreshadowing what happens at the bridge). But after moving the Feizhi goodbye scene to the end of the previous chapter, I wanted to have the story starting with the group out of Tolbi, as it was the next day for Isaac's group. I think this worked out really well, as the flashback portions ended up playing thematically into the scenes of the present.

Regarding Kyle... the ambiguity of how he died is a late addition. I have ideas planned for how this will play out, but the original plan was going to be that he was already dead when Felix washed up in the river. I changed it because it gives Felix more reason to resent the Proxians, it gives a better explanation for them abducting Felix but leaving Isaac (they didn't realize they were Venus Adepts until Kyle tried to protect Felix), and most importantly, it gives a good ending for the honourable Kyle we saw all the way back in chapters 1 and 2.

I worried about the conversation with Babi dragging on. I tried to get through it as briskly as possible, but there was a lot of ground to cover even with just the original game's material, without the fic's additions. Having Isaac request Sheba's release, rather than the video game where he just lets her go in a moment of charity, was something I was conflicted about. On one hand, I like it because it is an example of how Babi is capable of both kindness and cruelty in his pursuit to have what he wants. I interpret him as being very popular within Tolbi, as he provides very well for his own, but less so in neighbouring lands, where others have suffered from his actions. On the other hand, making her release something Isaac asks for shows that Isaac has not become entirely selfish in his alliance; an innocent girl being held captive is something Isaac would speak up about, and it always bothered me that this was just glossed over in the game (many players probably didn't even realize you could meet Sheba in Babi's palace on their first playthrough).

As for Colosso, I did not want to spend an overly long time with each round, as the main focus was, of course, the final match. I changed up the rules just a bit, so that the two opponents started at a single side and raced on the same course, that way I could have the gladiators banter a bit before they began (referencing their dialogue a bit, and also foreshadowing the twist in the last match). I skimmed over the actual obstacles for much the same reason, but as they're just repeated puzzles from earlier areas in the game, I don't really mind.

I always felt Colosso should have been utilized in the multiplayer mode, as it's such a cool gameplay concept that's only used once in the game's story (save for the similar Trial Road in the second) and then cannot be replayed again. Having both players racing, perhaps even with a randomized set of obstacle sections, trying to get the better equipment before fighting, could have been a lot of fun. I wonder if this was what it was designed for before it was either cut for time or turned out to not work with GBA hardware. In any case, it's one of my favourite parts of the first game and I was not going to skip over it, in spite of the urgency of catching up with Saturos' party.

In addition to skimming over the puzzles, I also removed the "Lend a hand!" mechanic from the game, as it goes against the theme of Isaac wanting to win fairly to have his friends using their Psynergy to help him cheat. They're still there, cheering him on, though.

The battle-stance that "Navampa" uses which gives away his identity to Isaac is the same one Garet's in on the cover art of the original game: knees half-bent, leaning down, sword held at waist-level (or crotch-level if you prefer).

The final match, with Garet's reveal and the ensuing battle might have been one of the cheesiest things I've ever written, but I was so excited to get to it. I always felt that Isaac entering Colosso alone was a missed opportunity, and the generic gladiators he fights are really unremarkable for opponents in a "tournament arc". So I decided to play into Garet's disappointment from the game at missing his chance, and having them face off in the final round. I suppose I could have just had Babi enter them both in the first place, but I liked that he was playing favourites with Isaac until Garet went and complained to him. It gives Isaac a challenging opponent for the final match and use his full skills without cheating, lets Garet fulfil his dream of fighting in Colosso, lets Babi see an impressive battle between two Adepts at their prime, and lets the audience see a Colosso they will never forget; everybody wins.

The Rocky 1 ending of the battle might be a bit cheap, but at that point it didn't matter who won or lost. Both Adepts had accomplished what they were after, and they were equally matched as warriors. For the sake of canon (and the future arc with the Colosso gladiators), I had Isaac win by only a few seconds, but as far as Isaac is concerned, it was Garet's victory.

The pacing of the story is definitely picking up as we move closer to the conclusion of Book One. A lot of arcs I've built up over the course of these 20 chapters will be paying off soon, and there's a lot of scenes ahead that I've been excited to write for a long time. After Venus Lighthouse, when we move into the Lost Age portion of the story, the pace will most likely slow down to levels similar to the early chapters, before picking back up as we move into the grand finale.

If you enjoyed this chapter, please take a moment to leave a comment in the box below. Even if it's just a quick thanks, I appreciate all reviews I get!

Next chapter: Sheba!