Felix of Vale (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
venusadept_2) wrote2012-10-17 08:35 am
venusadept_2) wrote2012-10-17 08:35 am
Entry tags:
Venus Lighthouse: Part 2
Felix felt, from time to time, as if the Lighthouse were helping him get up. He never encountered any monsters on the ascent, and more than once a path was open that, he was sure, should have required Psynergy to get to. He didn't worry about it very much; he wanted to get to the top, and if the Lighthouse wanted to help, so much the better.
At length he reached the Aerie. Saturos and Menardi had already arrived, as he expected. From his current position at the top of one of the elevators, he couldn't see them, but he could hear their voices.
"At long last, the time has come to light Venus Lighthouse's beacon," gloated Menardi.
Saturos seemed calmer as he said, "With the second beacon lit, only two will remain."
As Felix started toward the Aerie proper, he could hear Menardi's response. "No. Lighting Jupiter is virtually the same as lighting Mars."
"That is true. Jupiter is really all that remains," agreed Saturos.
"That's right. Your dreams are within your grasp now," said Felix as he came up the staircase. He wasn't sure he agreed, but deliberately antagonizing the Proxians more than he had to didn't seem wise.
Both of them turned around, startled. Saturos spoke first, scowling. "Why are you still here, Felix?"
"I thought I ordered you on ahead to the ship," added Menardi, nodding.
"I have sent the others ahead," Felix began, expecting to be interrupted.
Sure enough, Saturos promptly asked, "Then why did you come back?"
"Because I have another promise to keep." Felix hadn't intended to be this confrontational, but he was determined to go through with whatever was necessary.
"Another promise?" asked Menardi, puzzled. After only a moment, she realized, "Ah, you must mean to Sheba."
"Yes, Sheba," acknowledged Felix. "Why haven't you released her yet?" The others looked at each other, and he continued, "You said you would free her once we got into Venus Lighthouse."
"That's what brought you here?" asked Menardi with an indulgent smile.
Annoyed, Felix nodded. "You promised not to involve anyone else," he reminded them.
Saturos looked over at the girl in question and mused, "Sheba is... special."
"Of course," Felix sighed. "Because she is a special Adept?" The Proxians flinched, and he nodded. "You learned something from the first two Lighthouses," he probed.
"And what would that be?" asked Menardi, one eyebrow cocked.
"In order to even enter, you needed an Adept from the Lighthouse's clan. And at the moment, we have Adepts of Fire, Earth, and Water... but no Wind," Felix explained.
"That does seem to be the case," agreed Saturos cautiously.
"So we need Sheba to get into Jupiter Lighthouse?"
Menardi nodded. "Indeed. We cannot even enter without some Wind Adept." She left the implication hanging: we have this one; better to keep her than to try to recruit another later.
"Well, then. I suppose I can understand why you can't simply set her free," said Felix grudgingly.
Saturos smiled. "It sounds like you have learned something, too. If that was all, it would be best for you to go."
Felix considered for a moment. "No," he finally said. "I can't leave Sheba behind. I'll take her to the ship." He started toward her.
"What are you talking about, Felix?" asked Menardi, plainly confused.
"Do you know what will happen when you light this beacon?" asked Felix, challenge in his tone. "I don't want to leave Sheba this close when we find out." From what he had seen of the Mars Adepts' reaction to the first Lighthouse, and what he knew of the power of Earth, he didn't think leaving a fragile Wind Adept like Sheba close would be a good idea.
A spark appeared in Saturos' eyes; not quite Psynergy, but he was clearly serious. "We said we would protect Sheba, Felix. Don't you trust us?"
"That's... not what I'm saying. It's simply better to be safe." If he could get Saturos to see Sheba - and Felix himself - as difficult-to-replace assets...
"She's staying here, Felix," said Menardi with finality.
"Why? Don't you trust me?" said Felix. He immediately knew it had been the wrong thing to say.
Steam hissed through Menardi's teeth. After a moment, she calmed herself enough to say, "You, Felix? Or your hormones?" Noticing Felix's shocked expression, she went on. "Don't think we haven't noticed how you act around her."
Saturos nodded. "You are compromised. Go back to the ship, and we will follow - with Sheba - once the beacon is lit."
Felix glared at both of them, one hand drifting toward his sword. Saturos, sounding astonished, asked, "Are you ready to do this? Even if it means fighting us?"
"I believe he is," said Menardi with a smirk. "He would not have defied us if he lacked the will to fight."
"If it means protecting Sheba from harm, then I must," said Felix, feeling the Lighthouse - even dormant - supporting his Psynergy.
Saturos touched his own sword, apparently to warn Felix. "You have seen what we can do. You know you can't stop us."
"How could you protect Sheba if you can't even protect yourself?" asked Menardi, fingering her scythe. Unlike Saturos, she seemed to relish the prospect of a fight; where he was trying to get Felix to reconsider, she sounded like she wanted him to be demoralized and uncertain - an easier opponent.
"Why do you think we trained you in the sword and never let you fight, Felix? Because for all your skill, you aren't a fighter."
He doesn't know me, thought Felix, hardly paying attention to Menardi's next threat. But he did notice when she pulled out her scythe and shouted, "Let's see what you can do!"
At length he reached the Aerie. Saturos and Menardi had already arrived, as he expected. From his current position at the top of one of the elevators, he couldn't see them, but he could hear their voices.
"At long last, the time has come to light Venus Lighthouse's beacon," gloated Menardi.
Saturos seemed calmer as he said, "With the second beacon lit, only two will remain."
As Felix started toward the Aerie proper, he could hear Menardi's response. "No. Lighting Jupiter is virtually the same as lighting Mars."
"That is true. Jupiter is really all that remains," agreed Saturos.
"That's right. Your dreams are within your grasp now," said Felix as he came up the staircase. He wasn't sure he agreed, but deliberately antagonizing the Proxians more than he had to didn't seem wise.
Both of them turned around, startled. Saturos spoke first, scowling. "Why are you still here, Felix?"
"I thought I ordered you on ahead to the ship," added Menardi, nodding.
"I have sent the others ahead," Felix began, expecting to be interrupted.
Sure enough, Saturos promptly asked, "Then why did you come back?"
"Because I have another promise to keep." Felix hadn't intended to be this confrontational, but he was determined to go through with whatever was necessary.
"Another promise?" asked Menardi, puzzled. After only a moment, she realized, "Ah, you must mean to Sheba."
"Yes, Sheba," acknowledged Felix. "Why haven't you released her yet?" The others looked at each other, and he continued, "You said you would free her once we got into Venus Lighthouse."
"That's what brought you here?" asked Menardi with an indulgent smile.
Annoyed, Felix nodded. "You promised not to involve anyone else," he reminded them.
Saturos looked over at the girl in question and mused, "Sheba is... special."
"Of course," Felix sighed. "Because she is a special Adept?" The Proxians flinched, and he nodded. "You learned something from the first two Lighthouses," he probed.
"And what would that be?" asked Menardi, one eyebrow cocked.
"In order to even enter, you needed an Adept from the Lighthouse's clan. And at the moment, we have Adepts of Fire, Earth, and Water... but no Wind," Felix explained.
"That does seem to be the case," agreed Saturos cautiously.
"So we need Sheba to get into Jupiter Lighthouse?"
Menardi nodded. "Indeed. We cannot even enter without some Wind Adept." She left the implication hanging: we have this one; better to keep her than to try to recruit another later.
"Well, then. I suppose I can understand why you can't simply set her free," said Felix grudgingly.
Saturos smiled. "It sounds like you have learned something, too. If that was all, it would be best for you to go."
Felix considered for a moment. "No," he finally said. "I can't leave Sheba behind. I'll take her to the ship." He started toward her.
"What are you talking about, Felix?" asked Menardi, plainly confused.
"Do you know what will happen when you light this beacon?" asked Felix, challenge in his tone. "I don't want to leave Sheba this close when we find out." From what he had seen of the Mars Adepts' reaction to the first Lighthouse, and what he knew of the power of Earth, he didn't think leaving a fragile Wind Adept like Sheba close would be a good idea.
A spark appeared in Saturos' eyes; not quite Psynergy, but he was clearly serious. "We said we would protect Sheba, Felix. Don't you trust us?"
"That's... not what I'm saying. It's simply better to be safe." If he could get Saturos to see Sheba - and Felix himself - as difficult-to-replace assets...
"She's staying here, Felix," said Menardi with finality.
"Why? Don't you trust me?" said Felix. He immediately knew it had been the wrong thing to say.
Steam hissed through Menardi's teeth. After a moment, she calmed herself enough to say, "You, Felix? Or your hormones?" Noticing Felix's shocked expression, she went on. "Don't think we haven't noticed how you act around her."
Saturos nodded. "You are compromised. Go back to the ship, and we will follow - with Sheba - once the beacon is lit."
Felix glared at both of them, one hand drifting toward his sword. Saturos, sounding astonished, asked, "Are you ready to do this? Even if it means fighting us?"
"I believe he is," said Menardi with a smirk. "He would not have defied us if he lacked the will to fight."
"If it means protecting Sheba from harm, then I must," said Felix, feeling the Lighthouse - even dormant - supporting his Psynergy.
Saturos touched his own sword, apparently to warn Felix. "You have seen what we can do. You know you can't stop us."
"How could you protect Sheba if you can't even protect yourself?" asked Menardi, fingering her scythe. Unlike Saturos, she seemed to relish the prospect of a fight; where he was trying to get Felix to reconsider, she sounded like she wanted him to be demoralized and uncertain - an easier opponent.
"Why do you think we trained you in the sword and never let you fight, Felix? Because for all your skill, you aren't a fighter."
He doesn't know me, thought Felix, hardly paying attention to Menardi's next threat. But he did notice when she pulled out her scythe and shouted, "Let's see what you can do!"