They fought, as usual. They met every evening just as the sun set behind the Sol Sanctum. No one else knew about it, it was their own secret game.

It was a pretty even match so far, but it was going to end soon. Felix and Isaac were tiring, sweat dripping of their bodies and their hands worn and scratched from holding their swords. Swordplay was strictly forbidden to children and civilians, and they were surprised that they hadn't yet been discovered. In a way, the added risk of discovery made it all the more fun for the two of them, and they were both proud and amused that they could fool the older people.

Isaac looked tired, but Felix knew he was ready for an attack and would be able to counter attack it as well. But he could also tell that he wanted to finish the match. It was getting pretty dark and it looked like it might rain. But they couldn't just drop their swords and call it a day. No way jose could they leave a match undecided. It was boring that way. No, not boring, thought Felix, wrong. There was only one occasion when they'd agreed on a draw, and never again.

Felix tightened his grip on the sword and winced as the rusty handle scratched him again. They'd been using the same swords for quite a while, and Felix thought that it was just about time to steal some new weapons from the armory. Maybe and axe this time, or a lance just to get the feel of a new weapon. Although in his opinion, nothing, nothing could come close to the feel of a sword. Swift, powerful and deadly, he knew that this was his chosen weapon and nothing was going to stop him from mastering it. His dream was to be a Swordmaster.

Felix was just getting ready to attack when Isaac suddenly put down his sword and held his hands up in surrender. Felix was surprised- their matches were generally decided by who dropped dead first- but he grinned and raised his fist in victory.

'You're more exhausted than I am.' Isaac told him as he sat down on a dry patch of soil.

'I am,' said Felix, 'but I didn't want to be the first.'

'Neither did I, but you were more determined,' said Isaac, closing his eyes, resting, 'but we are even now, 28-28.'

Felix cut up an apple and gave the larger half to Isaac. He bit into his own half and sat down next him. There was silence as the two boys ate and rested.

'We should go,' said Isaac when they'd both finished eating. 'Your mom thinks we're playing with Jenna, and she won't be happy to find us late.'

Isaac's mother died a long time ago of sickness. Being a child at that time, no one ever told Isaac the truth, but he figured it out anyway in the end. Although Isaac's father was still very much alive, Felix couldn't help feeling sorry for Isaac. Fathers weren't mothers because mothers were mothers. But Felix never verbalized his feelings to Isaac because he knew that Isaac absolutely hated it. It was one of the few things in the world that could make his peaceful friend angry. Isaac once said that it disturbed him that everyone was still treating him like a motherless child.

'Felix? We should really go. It's going to rain hard.'

Felix looked up and realized that Isaac had been standing over him for quite a while. 'Yeah, let's go. Wanna eat dinner with us?' he asked. Isaac shook his head.

'Father said he'd be home early to cook dinner,' he said.

'I'll see you tomorrow then,' said Felix. Isaac nodded and waved at him as he left.

-

Felix noticed how fast the night seemed to come these days. He wondered if winter was coming earlier than expected, and he made a mental note to tell Dad about it. He looked up at the night sky. No moon tonight, but all the stars lit up the sky brightly, as if to make up for the absence of the moon. He wondered if all his other friends had noticed. He didn't know how long he stood there simply staring at the beautiful sky when he heard the soft crunch of boots behind him.

'Beautiful, isn't it? Moonless nights mean good luck,' whispered Jenna. Felix turned to his little sister and smiled. She's always been able to appear next to him without a sound, it was one of her little known talents that only he and their close friends knew about.

'C'mon, Jen. Let's go tell the others to go stargazing with us,' he whispered.

'No, I don't want to,' said Jenna, taking Felix' arm in hers, 'I bet they see this from their windows anyway. Besides, this is so pretty and I want just you to be with me now.'

Felix closed his eyes and was amazed at the peacefulness he felt. He'd never realized how quiet it could be until now.

Suddenly they heard a loud blast coming from the north. Jenna screamed and Felix held her protectively in his arms. They heard several other screams and Jenna started to sob. Suddenly the wind picked up and there was lightning shooting down over the night sky, like vengeful, angry tears across a peaceful face. Felix felt the wind wiping fast on his face and he was afraid to move lest the wind rip him to shreds.

'Mom!' gasped Felix, 'Let's go home, Jenna! Mom and Dad will be there!' Jenna nodded, but didn't move. Felix heard a voice call out to him, but he couldn't tell the direction from which it came from. Suddenly he felt his parents' arms around him and Jenna and he let out a cry of relief. Of course his parents had gone out to find them despite the danger. He took comfort in this thought as his parents somehow led them home, which turned out to be not far away.

'Felix!' Jenna exclaimed when they were safe, 'Our friends! We have to find out if they're okay! We're safe now, but what about them? I just left Garet and Peter not long ago…what if they haven't made it home? Felix, we gotta go!'

'Oh Jen, everything's gonna be alright…' He could hear the wind howling and the deafening sound of thunder, his eardrums threatening to burst. 'Jenna, Jenna, everything's gonna be okay …just wait for awhile, Jen, it'll stop…c'mon, everyone's gonna call ya a chicken if you get scared at a little noise, right? C'mon, everything's okay, we're safe…nothing's gonna happen to us or anyone else….everything's fine!'

BOOM!

It was then when it started to rain.

-

It was a small boat, but it looked sturdy and reliable. It didn't rock as he lowered himself and his pack into it. He tested the waters with his oars and thankfully, the waters were calm tonight. He tried not to think of the ocean, the wide vicious ocean that lay ahead. He knew that the ocean was so vast that you could not see land for miles…he shuddered. 'Fool' he whispered to himself. 'Here you are, on in the middle of escaping, and you think about what could go wrong NOW?' Many things could go wrong. He knew the risks, and decided to take them. No point in backing out now, Alexandra and Leon are never going to let him hear the end of it. 'I'm going to go through with this for my pride if nothing else,' he chuckled. Anyway, it's not like he could chicken out now, not with the small pouch in his pack- just a little something to make sure he won't be forgotten…

He left, and this time he did not look back.