Chapter 14: Felix
Making a run for it wasn't exactly an option at this point. As soon as the man finished off the guards, he was already advancing towards them.
"This is stupid, I'm not going to be afraid of someone," Cecil said stonily.
Before anyone could stop her, she leaped from behind the bushes and as soon as she touched ground, it burst into flames causing a shout of surprise from her.
"Bastard, come and fight me fair and square."
He was closer now and Leona could make out his features. There was no point in hiding now so they rest of the group simply stood where they'd been squatting. Whoever the man was, he was very obviously an elf. His ears were long and paper thin. His dark violet hair was done up in a short, high ponytail, his skin was mocha colored, but his crimson eyes were the most startling trait of all. He had a slender build and was quite tall. Obviously, he hadn't actually gotten to the prison he was probably headed for because the clothes he wore were long and elaborate, a robe appropriate for one that used magic. His features were sharp and eagle-like. The grin he now wore on his face suited him well—it seemed like something he did often and it wasn't one of a friendly nature.
"Darling, do you really want that? I can kill you right where you stand if you plan on getting in my way."
His voice was deep perhaps in the same vein as her father. It was odd coming from one that appeared so slender.
"You don't scare me—
"Wait," Leona said stepping out now and coming to stand side-by-side with Cecil. "We don't want to cause you any trouble and we don't want to fight. We need your help for something very important—that's all."
The grin hadn't left his face and he still held his hand up, prepared to strike them down at a moment's notice. "You need my help specifically?"
"You're an elf and you obviously know a thing or two about magic—that's what we need."
"I see. And what exactly do you need done so badly?"
"A barrier blocks our way into a place we need to go into, a magical one. We just need someone to dispel it."
"My child, if something is blocked perhaps it is that way for a reason."
Cecil crossed her arms with a huff. "Will you help or will you not? Or can you?" she asked with a frown.
Leona looked at the other incredulously. She was a glutton for punishment and at the expense of all those around her.
"I will assist you, but what exactly will you compensate me with?"
"I have money," Leona said to the man, "However much you want—
"I don't need money."
"Then what?" Leona pressed. She just hoped it was within their power to attain it.
The man let his hand that had been up fall to the side. "Sustenance. Food, water and the like. Don't look at me like that—it's quite draining to create the kind of explosion that could stop an entire secure caravan, then those guards, then the silly girl. They haven't exactly been feeding me well. Surely a group of well-intentioned youths going on some important or unimportant journey would have thought to bring food with them."
"I knew it! You were bluffing," Cecil said angrily. "I could have wiped the floor with you."
"Could have, but then where would we be," he said with a smugness that must have surely irked Cecil.
It was the middle of the day, but soon they were setting up camp, at least part of it so that they could cook something for the elf they had forgotten to ask the name of. Leona was largely at ease. He was no threat to them as of now. Though she might have been frightened before, there was more of them than him and she too knew magic enough to protect herself and others.
He spoke little unless spoken to and Leona had no interest in conversing with him so he was quiet perhaps awkwardly so. Cecil would give him a death glare every chance she got, but the elf was unperturbed. He did, however, comment on how wonderful it was to finally be eating "real" food.
He fell asleep eventually against the tree he had been sitting in front of. Cecil immediately wanted to wake him and drag him along, but there was a vote and she lost. It would be better that he was well-rested especially since they had such a long way to go before they got back to the Triet Ruins. It would be rude to force someone to do that while they were so obviously exhausted.
The fact that the stranger would sleep in their presence meant that he must have trusted them to some extent. That or there was nothing of value to steal from him in the first place. It was probably the latter. He didn't wake as quickly as Leona had thought. In fact, they wasted the rest of the day waiting for him and by then it was too dark to travel. They'd already lost a day. A slight setback, but a necessary one. Who knew one could sleep for so long?
"I forgot to ask you," Leona said to the yawning elf after the sun was down. "What is your name?"
"Felix," he replied simply.
"Just Felix?" Leona asked.
"Just Felix," he confirmed, "Unless everyone feels like giving out their surnames."
"Aren't you going to ask for my name?"
"It's Leona."
Leona wondered if the other was clairvoyant. "How—
"Everyone's said their name at least once by now. All one had to do was listen. Leona, Cecil, Cathe, Zeph, and Eros."
"Correct," Leona said incredulously.
"Looks like we have ourselves a regular spy," Zeph said jokingly.
"Maybe I am," he replied mysteriously.
"You're not," Cecil said with a frown. "You're a criminal who just broke out of his transport to jail."
"Thanks for putting everything in perspective, young lady," Felix said back.
Eros stood up then. "We've just wasted a day because of you. I hope you really know how to take care of that barrier when we get there."
"You kept your end of the bargain and I'll keep mine," Felix replied. "It's a fairly simple task."
He'd yet to give them any reason to believe that he didn't know how to do what they were asking and Leona didn't think there'd be a good reason for him to lie about such things. But there was one question that lied unspoken and she was almost certain Cecil would have asked it already. Everyone was already settling down to weather the night, but Leona was wide awake.
"Are you going to tell us why you were on your way to prison," Leona finally asked.
"I would rather not go into detail about it."
"Are you innocent? Was it some misunderstanding?"
Then the man laughed startling her—it was loud and a bit raucous. She was sure he must have woken everyone. "Not by a long-shot, child, but I had no desire to be punished for my transgressions and I had the means of escape."
Felix was so blunt that it caused her to lose track of what she was going to say and all she could do was stare. Was this someone they really wanted to travel with? Who knew what he did wrong? He could have been responsible for someone's death and he had no remorse.
"It's too late to be rid of me. I made a deal and I plan to keep it. Besides, I have nothing better to do and no place in mind to go."
"What about your home?"
"That is no longer an option."
"You were exiled from your hometown?"
"In a sense," he said with the beginnings of a grin. "I'm sure if you keep drilling me with questions, you'll eventually get the full story, but doesn't that sound quite tiring? Rest assured, you'll get what you so desperately need and you'll soon forget that you ever met me in the first place."
"I doubt that—forgetting about you. I think if you've escaped, they'll be a lot more people talking about you."
"You would think, but I have my ways—in other words, the right people have already been paid off. There'll be no more mention of the strange elf who escaped prison."
Her eyes widened at this. Did he belong in prison? Wasn't she now aiding a criminal? She could have chosen anyone to dispel the barrier, but somehow she'd chosen just the wrong person for the job and she didn't think there was a way out of the perceived mess she'd created.
This night she could not sleep, partially because they'd not done much that day, but mostly because she did not feel comfortable around the stranger. What if he was planning their demise at this very moment? They'd seen him, knew he existed. Perhaps they were now expendable and Felix was simply playing along until the perfect moment presented itself. But they could defend themselves quite well, Leona had to remind herself. Even if the elf had proven his proficiency in magic, that did not mean that he was capable of taking them all at once.
As soon as the dawn came, they were traveling and Felix had no qualms about it. They had a long way to go and Leona simply wanted to be there already. If only she had a Rheaird.
/
While in the beginning, a quietness had settled upon the traveling group. Felix made himself near invisible as Leona could find nothing to say to him and any questions that were asked were deflected. Soon the atmosphere returned to its usual carefree tone. Even so, Leona made sure to know where he was at all times, but he seemed to pay her no mind. In fact, he seemed in his own world.
In the end, she decided that it was pointless to figure out anything about the man. They only needed him for one task and they would be rid of him. Everything else was in excess of. Lucas was the main focus here and Felix was a means to an end.
They arrived at the ruins. Once there, Felix wordlessly made his way to the entrance. He must have seen the invisible barrier already just like she had. His hand pressed against it, fingers long and slender.
"How imperative is it that you go into this particular place?" Felix asked.
"Don't you even think about going back on your word," Cecil said with crossed arms.
"It was a simple question," Felix replied not bothering to look at her. "This magic feels very familiar. I hope it was not created by who I think."
"Should we be worried?" Leona asked the man.
"I would be. Are you absolutely certain that you must enter?"
"What are you not telling us?" Cecil asked.
"Answering questions with questions won't get you anywhere, young lady. Besides, I'm sure you haven't told me everything as well. We're all mutually keeping things from one another. Meanwhile, you're just assuredly marching to your deaths."
"There's no way around it—we have to go in there," Leona said, "Our reasons are our own."
"Hm, I see." His eyes settled on her and she began to feel a bit uncomfortable. "A woman made this barrier. A cruel, heartless woman who would use innocent children to do her dirty work if the ends justified the means—at least in her eyes. No doubt, you were told to come here and she made it seem as if it you had no other choice but to follow her instructions."
The hairs on the back of her neck were beginning to stand. "Her, she, who is this woman?" Leona asked mystified.
"No sense in telling such trivial information. She uses a multitude of names to a multitude of people. She would not use the same one when dealing with you or with the next person."
"And you're sure that this woman made that barrier? But why…"
"I'm…mostly sure. I'm just very familiar with the kind of magic she uses. It's unlikely anyone else would bother with something so complex. Precious few in the world could manage it."
"So what you're saying is," Eros said speaking up, "This barrier may have nothing to do with that person you spoke of and you could just be pulling our leg."
"Are you willing to take such an unnecessary chance, boy?" Felix replied without skipping a beat. "I would be wary of an individual who could conjure such a barrier. One that cannot be undone by brute force. This," he said pressing his hand against the invisible wall once more, "should serve as a warning and you should heed it."
"Um…mister," Cathe said drawing the elf's attention, "I know something really bad could be lurking just on the other side of the entrance, but no matter what—we have to go save our friend. Trick or not, we can't abandon him. We've come too far. If he's in there, then he needs our help now more than ever."
Felix's sharp eyes seemed to soften a little. "So it is a friend—a very close one it seems." Then he sighed. "Then there's nothing I can say that would convince you to turn back."
Leona was going to admonish the girl for revealing to the stranger their true intentions, but it was then that Felix turned to the barrier without further ado. Before her very eyes, the barrier faded away into nothingness. He made it seem so easy yet it had been impossible for any of them. When it was done, he crossed his arms.
"You're free to enter."
Cecil was the one who took the first step and then the rest of them followed. It was Leona who noticed that Felix was not doing the same.
"Are you not coming?" Leona asked to the elf.
He shook his head. "I've kept my word. I shall go no further. Do watch your back, child."
"This is the last I'll see of you?"
"For your sake, I hope it is."
"Then safe journeys, sir."
"Thank you—whatever it's worth."
Leona had to run to catch back up with her friends and immediately they were thrown headlong into a battle. Metallic fire elemental creatures attacked from almost all sides. One flew with wings, another resembled a spherical object levitating in the air and the last was one that walked on two legs that reminded Leona somewhat of a magnet. The walking creature seemed at first the most formidable and Cecil set her sword upon this one. But the spherical object took all of them by surprise as it sent out its first dizzying attack. They were pushed back a ways and then Leona set about that one with her light magic. Magic seemed to affect it more than physical swords or arrows. The twins double teamed the flying creature and took it down quickly. Then they assisted Leona. In the end, the large metallic creature was taken down by their combined efforts at the last minute when everyone's energy was beginning to run dry. Cathe had already been firing arrows at it nonstop. Leona firmly believed that were it not so, they probably would have been defeated right then and there.
Needless to say, that one battle took a lot out of them and for a moment Leona wondered if they should go further. There would only be more of the same and perhaps even worse. Were they really prepared to journey through the ruins? But that was a silly question in itself—Leona could never hope to convince the others to abandon what they'd worked so hard to get to. She wondered if she could even convince herself to do the same.
"One battle down, more to go," Cecil said standing up straight again. "I came here to get my brother and I will do it. But…," she said turning around to face the group, "If anyone of you feel as if it is too dangerous or if this is beyond you, leave now."
There was silence for a little while and then finally Zeph spoke up.
"We would never even consider it. You talk tough now, but what could you possibly do on your own without our help? The way I see it, it would be suicide if anyone decided to leave. You saw what just happened. We need everyone's strength."
Cecil frowned at this. "So be it. Let's go before we get ambushed by even more unwanted creatures."
Cecil might have been ready to go, but not everyone else, Leona noted. Were it not for the ring that she had so graciously been given on her birthday, she knew she'd already be feeling the strain from using so much magic at once. One by one, Leona watched as the others gathered their strength, Cathe being the last. Leona waited behind for the girl and then followed the ragtag group down the hall they'd stepped into.
All around were gray, cracking bricks. The place seemed ready to fall apart, but then it wouldn't be a ruin if it were any other way. They came upon two other battles all of which took equal amount of effort before reaching what Leona considered was the central area. The came upon a grand room of strange brick elevating platforms. They had no idea how to continue. In fact, they traversed the small area which they could reach multiple times before discovering this fact.
Cecil, impatient as ever, began striking at the seemingly crackling brick hoping upon hope that she could somehow knock it down—an impossible endeavor, Leona knew immediately. Though the place seemed to be falling apart, the structures around had proved nothing if not durable. After five minutes of her incessant hacking, she hadn't even made a dent and Eros threatened to toss her down into the hot lava if she continued.
"Wait," Cathe said looking towards an alcove, "Don't you remember this from those stories Mom and Dad told us?"
"I was hardly paying attention," Cecil said, "It was far too long and drawn out."
"You mean stories about 'the journey'?" Eros asked.
"I think we've all at some point heard about it," Leona said, "But Mom didn't exactly go into details about the actual places they visited. I just know that they've been here before."
"They needed the magical sorcerer's ring," Cathe said excitedly, "Dad told me about it. Without it, they probably would not have made it very far."
"You wouldn't happen to know where that is," Leona asked.
Cathe shook her head. "I never asked, but it was really important."
"There's no such thing as a sorcerer's ring," Cecil said with steadfast certainty, "Can't you tell when people are pulling your leg? You know they embellished things when they told us that story, but, of course, you'd be the one to believe all of it."
"Well, I've never heard of that ring," Leona said thoughtfully.
"Nor I," Zeph said, "But then, Mom wasn't so much concerned about small details. There could very well be a ring."
"But it's real! Why would Dad even talk about it if it wasn't?" Cathe said.
"Real or not," Leona said sensing the other's frustration, "Do you know how it was used here."
"They zapped the torches with it and they caught on fire. Then the platforms moved."
Cecil rolled her eyes at this.
"Wait…are you saying we just need to light these torches?" Leona asked.
Cathe nodded but then stopped, "But the magical ring has to do it else it won't work."
"Is that what he said?" Leona inquired.
"No…but it's obvious. I can read between the lines. I mean, why have a magical ring if it isn't actually necessary?"
"They ever tried to light the torches by conventional means?" Leona asked
"Well…"
"Alright, enough questions. Who has a match?" Cecil said with growing impatience.
"Wait, how exactly are we going to reach these torches? That's probably why they used that ring because of that very obvious gap between the floor and the actual torch," Zeph said.
"You believe me about the ring then?" Cathe said with a smile. She clasped her hands together with delight.
"Of course," he said with a smile of his own.
"We're getting off track. Now we have to figure out how to actually reach the torches. Zeph has a valid point," Leona said walking towards the first one.
"Easy," Eros said confidently, "Use your magic."
"You mean my light elemental magic?" Leona reminded the other.
"Oh, so does your light magic has no substance? You make lightning rain from the skies—I think you can light a simple torch."
"It's worth a try," Leona said giving in.
With a flick of her wrist, she sent a brief spurt of energy towards the torch; it sprung to life immediately. In that same instant, a platform near them rose up. Leona had never seen the like and her companions were equally as fascinated.
"That was…a good thing, right?" Eros asked uncertainly to no one in particular.
It was Cathe who answered. "Yep, it's just like what Dad said about this place. Now we have to try the other entrances to this room—there's two others—to see how we can get further. Then there's this portal—
"Wait a minute, we're still talking realistically, right?" Leona questioned Cathe.
She nodded vigorously, "Yep. There's a portal and it takes you to the room where the Summon Spirit that your mom tamed is."
"Should be an empty room there then," Eros said thoughtfully.
"Not empty," Leona said shaking her head, "Where we should find Lucas."
"How in the world would he have gotten here without lighting these torches?" Zeph asked aloud.
"Who knows," Cecil said with a shrug. "The magic lady could have just teleported him there. If I wanted to isolate someone, I'd definitely put them in some abandoned ruin in a room that's pretty difficult to get to, surrounded by vicious monsters."
"Good to know that you've spent actual time thinking about what to do with a kidnapped person. Where would we be without you?" Eros said.
"I can't tell if you're joking or if you really want to fight me."
"Alright, everyone before this escalates. We're going to keep lighting these torches as soon as I see one and if the story is real, we shall find a portal," Leona said in calming tones.
Eros looked away first and soon Cecil was marching ahead. The puzzle was fairly simple to recognize especially when they separated into two groups to see what changes were happening to the rooms as Leona lit the torches. Almost half an hour later, they were all together walking to the very center of the room where a glowing circular contraption sat on the ground. Cecil went in first and then the others afterwards.
They'd all be hoping to come upon Lucas at this point, but as soon as they were all standing there, the room began to rumble. A bright light shined on the floor, intensified, and then a large creature began to materialize right before their eyes.
"What kind of magic is this," Cecil said as she whipped out her sword.
A loud roar rang through the entire room. A lion that appeared to be on fire charged at them, giving them no time to react and they were knocked backwards.
"Swords out!" Cecil shouted.
She didn't have to say it twice. The twins and Cecil tried their blades against the protective hide of the lion. It was surprisingly nimble turning on its heel on a dime and swiping at the nearby assailants. Leona couldn't help but think that their hits were doing little damage. They needed something more. Cecil cried out when a claw caught her and ripped across her skin. Even she couldn't hide her devastation. Blood was pouring now and she was hardly able to lift her sword. The twins were too caught up in evading the creature to help but Cathe took no time at all coming to her aid.
Leona knew she had to pull out all the stops. She closed her eyes so that she could regain her concentration and calm herself. Slowly she began to gather her energy. She could feel it now, the energy within her reverberating off her very skin begging to be unleashed.
"Solar Rain!" Leona shouted.
A bright ball of energy descended upon the creature in sheets and her companions retreated so that her magic could do its work. The ground itself was devastated, but the creature wasn't nearly as affected by the attack as she had wanted. It stumbled back a bit, but it was back on its feet as spry as ever, charging towards all of them.
Leona fell to her knees in sudden dizziness.
"Here," Cathe said giving her an orange gel.
"Thanks…but I don't know how much longer we can keep this up."
"As long as it takes," Cecil said. She'd recovered from her grievous injury. "We're well supplied. Now on your feet. We need more of that. Our physical attacks can hardly hold a candle to your magic."
"I swear, my blade is going to crumble into a million pieces if I keep hacking at that titanium," Eros commented.
They were back at it again. Cathe passing out gels to any who needed it, Cecil and the twins attacking the creature incessantly while distracting it away from Leona, and finally Leona herself spewing out a total of five Solar Rains each time tiring her out. After the fifth time, Leona was loathing to cast yet another even as she Cathe gave her another orange gel. She waited as a result watching the others attack until it finally fell down.
They were too tired to celebrate. All they wanted to do was catch their breaths. None of them noticed the absence of Lucas, at least not yet.
"All of you are here, just as I imagined."
Leona knew that voice instinctively: Clarion. She looked around but could not find her until she revealed herself.
"Clarion, what are you doing here?" Leona asked.
"You mean this is the woman who told you where Lucas is?" Zeph asked.
All she could do was nod.
"Well, he's not here," Eros continued where Zeph left off.
"Oh, it's so good of you to notice—less for me to explain."
Clarion seemed to step out of the shadows. The room itself wasn't exactly well lit.
"You found him already, then?" Leona asked.
Clarion smiled at her, but it was not one of reassurance. Why did she seem so different now? Why was she feeling a different vibe from her? It was as if she was a different person. She lifted up a single hand and pointed her index finger towards something behind her. Leona turned hoping to see Lucas, but instead it was Cathe and a millisecond later there was a flash of light and she was falling backwards. It happened so quickly that Leona could scarcely react.
"You miscreant!" Cecil yelled all at once.
One moment she was running towards her and then the next she was colliding with the ground.
Leona had no idea what she should do. She couldn't run, she couldn't attack. She looked to the twins and they were in the same dilemma as her.
"What is the meaning of this!?" Leona cried out desperately. This was not at all how she saw any of this going.
"I will eliminate all opposition," she said calmly.
"Opposition? But…aren't we…?"
"I don't see the point in explaining myself seeing as in a few moments you'll no longer matter. This the end for you, child. Others have lived shorter lives."
Her index finger was pointed at her now.
"No!" Zeph shouted and he was running towards her at break neck speed.
But it was as if time itself slowed. Zeph would not make it in time. Her eyes focused in on the deathly spark of light. She didn't have the presence of mind to close her eyes. She needed to see everything. The spark of light seemed to envelope her entire vision. Had it really been so big? Her heart was racing, she might have died of a heart attack before she was ever hit.
Then the unthinkable happened. The spark of light disappeared from her vision. Clarion grunted with dissatisfaction. Leona was still waiting for her death, but it never came. Zeph had ceased his attempt at saving her and stared in wonderment at the closeness of her perceived death. It could not have been Zeph who had saved her. Then who?
"Arcangela, I should have known. You are quite renowned for your death traps."
It was Felix, standing there as if he had always been, but Leona knew that that couldn't be right. They'd went through the entire dungeon on their own and she'd seen nothing of him. She wondered how he could even be here now. He stepped forth now, closer to her. There was determination there in his expression, something she did not ever think to find there. Something had compelled him to come and she had a feeling that it was all because of that woman.
"I would say it was a pleasant surprise…but we'd both know I'd be lying. Shouldn't you be somewhere rotting in jail?"
"You would like that, wouldn't you?"
"And what do you hope to accomplish here? This is none of your concern. Whether these people live or die will not affect you in any way. Perhaps we should catch up later."
"I cannot allow this."
Clarion's stance changed to that of impatience as she placed a hand upon her waist. "You picked a fine time to grow a conscience…No matter—"
"What do you plan to do? Zap me to death? I have no idea why it is you've taken it upon yourself to end the lives of these children, but it will not happen today. What horrible thing could they have done to deserve such a fate, those who have only yet to live? And you would snatch it away as it were a small thing."
"Felix…You don't understand everything here…" Clarian began.
"Save it!" Felix said with astonishing vehemence.
A light breeze swept through the room brushing past Leona's hair. First she looked towards Felix, but his eyes were now closed. She could hear it now, some strange incantation.
"Arise!" Felix finished.
All at once the breeze turned into a strong one, whipping back her hair, but she was in no danger. A brightness caught her peripherals and she watched as Cecil and then Cathe climbed back to their feet. They were just as surprised as her. They couldn't even begin to explain what had just happened.
"Arcangela, you will focus your attention on me."
"Don't do this, I haven't the time for your antics," Clarion said with clear frustration in her tones.
Leona was looking back at Felix now. His eyes shifted to her now and she felt frozen to the ground. She didn't know what to make of him but he was now moving towards her and she held her breath.
"Leona," he began in a softer tone, "Take your friends and escape this place. Whoever you were searching for was never here to begin with. I fear that person may already be dead if she did not have any more use for him. If that's not the case, then the opposite could be true."
Leona could only stand there staring into his crimson orbs.
"Go!" he ordered her, startling her out of her reverie.
"But…what will you do on your own? Can you really fight her by yourself?"
"The girl is right," Clarion said with a chuckle. "Your healing skills are as impeccable as always and that display was proof, but surely such a move resurrecting two people at once must have put some strain on you. How much strength do you have left to fight me?"
"Thanks for your concern, but I'll manage," he said in darker tones. Then his eyes were back on Leona again. "I won't repeat myself. Don't let this all be for naught."
"Here," Leona said quickly, taking off her Faerie Ring and putting her hand out, "Take this."
He hadn't so much as moved to take it, but looked at her questioningly.
"I'll leave—if you take this. It'll help you, alright. And you need it more than I do. Just be sure to bring it back to me."
She could practically see him deliberating with himself and she watched as his looked turned to that of grudging acceptance.
"If you will finally leave…" he said.
Just for a second, they made skin contact. A feeling of warmth and earthiness washed over her. Blood rushed to her cheeks.
"Now go," he said breaking eye contact, "Keep yourself out of trouble—that goes for your friends as well."
His attentions were on Clarion now.
"You can't expect me to simply allow this," Clarion said.
"I'm not asking politely," Felix said.
Leona heard some other foreign word spoken under his breath and then the ground in front of Clarion's feet became alive with fire and surrounded her. At first it was red, but then it raged blue. This was her cue, Leona knew. She looked over at Cecil and the others and nodded her head. At once they were running towards the portal and they were teleported back to the previous part of the dungeon, then they were running through the maze of platforms avoiding all fights until they made it outside again.
"We have to keep going," Cecil said to the onlooking group. "We can't be sure how long this Clarion woman will be kept occupied."
"Don't you mean, we can't be sure when she'll finish off Felix," Leona said with a frown.
"I only deal in facts," Cecil said, "And from what I've seen from magic users is that they get tired easily. If I were in your shoes, I would have kept that ring. It was a special gift from my brother. Without it, you're much more vulnerable. But we can't cry over spilled milk."
"I'll get it back," Leona said stubbornly.
Then Cecil laughed. "Even if it were possible—you trust complete strangers now? My have you come a long way."
Leona thought she had gotten used to Cecil, but now she was beginning to grate her the wrong way. For some reason, when she so casually spoke ill of Felix, she was ready to wipe the floor with her.
"You'd be dead now were it not for him. I certainly can't resurrect people. And in case you've forgotten, I don't need magic to fight. I do just fine without it."
"Oh, well excuse me if I'm not entirely convinced of your usefulness to this group at this point."
Leona couldn't believe her ears. "I will show you how good my skills are. All you do is swing around some sword like a child having a temper tantrum! I could defeat you with my eyes closed."
"Then prepare to fight!" Cecil said whipping out her sword.
That was when Eros stepped in between them. "Damn it, we don't have time for this. Go have your angry girl fight on your own time."
"Seriously, Eros, that's how you calm everyone down," Zeph said shaking his head.
"Eros, get outta my way—this girl's asking for it," Cecil said angrily.
Leona barely saw it happening until it was over. Cecil's sword sliced through the air intending to maim the one standing in her way and then another split second, she heard the "cling" of metal hitting metal. She hadn't seen Zeph move, but he now stood in front of his brother with his sword drawn holding back Cecil's attack. Then he shoved her away with angered strength.
"How dare you! I know you can be hardheaded sometimes, but this is too far. You would attack someone unprovoked?" Zeph asked.
"Unprovoked? Hardly," Cecil said unfazed by him. "You stand in front of my opponent willingly and you reap the consequences. Unless you're ready to die, you don't do that. You're an idiot, Eros."
"You really are a bloodthirsty bitch, aren't you?" Eros said, his initial shock shaken.
"Call me what you want. That won't change the fact that you were unprepared even while trying to stop a fight. And they call me rash."
"Hah! I find it funny how you can just stand there and judge after trying to attack a defenseless man," Zeph said full of sardonic anger.
"Defenseless man?" Cecil said. Now it was her turn to laugh. "More like little boy. My little brother shows more maturity than that."
Now Eros' sword was out. Leona still wanted to pound Cecil into the ground. Her only annoyance was that now the twins wanted a piece of her too…
"Stop it, stop it! All of you, please!" Cathe said in a high pitched voice that got everyone's attention. "Please," she said dropping to her knees in emotional weakness, "I don't want you guys to fight. I don't want anyone to fight."
Their arguments turned silent when they heard her sobbing. It was Cecil who walked up to her and held out a hand.
"We won't fight, okay?…Just stop crying. It makes me…uneasy," Cecil said with far less haughtiness than usual.
Cathe took her hand and Cecil pulled her up. Soon Cecil had her arms wrapped securely around her younger sister as she continued to sob into her chest. She rubbed her back with uncharacteristic tenderness. All the tension in the air seemed to evaporate at that moment.
"We should go to Izoold," Cecil began after a moment, looking at no one in particular, "It's a small port town—I'm sure our parents wouldn't be there or if they are, they must have moved on by now. It's nearby as well. Shops to replenish our supplies as well. Agreed?"
Eros and then Zeph sheathed their blades and Leona finally released her tightened fists.
"Sounds like a plan," Leona said with a nod.
They were tired anyway and they'd just escaped their imminent deaths. To top it off, they had no idea where Lucas was at the moment and though their dislike of Cecil was quelled for now, it still lurked under the surface and she was likely to stoke those flames again. The only reason now they avoided their parents was because of shame. None wanted to face them empty handed. None wanted to tell them how incredibly asinine their adventure had been. And for Leona, she worried for Felix' life. In the grand scheme of things, she supposed she hadn't known him well enough to elicit such worry, but she was too tired to rationally sort out her feelings. It had nothing to do with the ring, she was sure.