Chapter 32
There was an odd tension hanging in the room. No one moved in the slightest. Just a few hours earlier this room had been perfectly calm and peaceful. Something had changed.
"Thaddaeus...what exactly has transpired here?" Lux asked with a sympathetic look on his face, and placing a calming hand on Fira's shoulder.
Thaddaeus was bound up with rope in a corner of the room. He looked terrified, but he couldn't speak on account of the seal she had placed over his mouth. Lux left him here a few hours ago so that Fira would have company. Instead, he came through the door to see her threatening the young lad with a fiery fist. To make matters worse, she had somehow acquired enough rope to wrap him up quite thoroughly.
"Lux, you should not dirty yourself by listening to his lies," she started. "You will never guess the things he has been claiming. This little whelp was pretending to be a friend of yours. I saw through his act and apprehended him immediately!" She finished with a look of pride. Afterward, she turned back to Thaddaeus and regained her stern expression, "Now, disclose to us the name of the one who sent you here, worm!" Her flame grew more intense.
"I see," Lux said. "I am quite certain Thaddaeus has absolutely no information as to how this has happened. I am sorry, Fira, but he is our friend in reality. He has proven as much. He was the one to help Ignis save you from our enemy. I left him here to watch over you."
Fira responded with a look of shock, "This one? For a moment, I thought you were attempting to get a laugh out of me. Well, I apologize, young Thayden." She somehow managed her apology without seeming the least bit remorseful.
Moving over to a slightly less frightened, yet more angry Thaddaeus, Fira burned the ropes off him and helped him to his feet. She patted him on the back as if all was forgiven between the two of them.
Thaddaeus jumped to his feet, his face conveying his anger clearly. He moved his mouth rapidly, yet no words were vocalized. It appeared as though she had made the young warrior so angry that he had no idea which threat he wanted to make.
Fira smiled and gave him a half bow, then she quickly turned her attention to her friends. She made her way around to see each one of them. She beamed with excitement. She laughed constantly, seemingly out of the sheer relief of simply seeing their faces again. She hugged and talked with them, but she was most excited to see Ignis. It was as if their relationship picked up where it had stopped all those years ago. It became obvious to everyone that they were still closer than even the best of friends.
As the excitement began to wind down, Fira turned to see Thaddaeus still standing near the corner with his arms crossed. "Hey Thicket," she called over to him, "Do not trouble yourself with the past. I forgive you. You should come join the conversation. Also, you should not be too hard on yourself. There are many people who do not possess the capability of protecting themselves...," she paused, "Though, I suppose most of them are children."
The anger of young Thaddaeus boiled over as if he were a volcano, "That's it! I've had enough of this! I challenge you to a game of Spice and Rush! Then we will see who can hold their ground!"
The entire group seemed to respond with the same awed expression. All of them except Fira, who just responded with a look of confusion. "What is this 'Spice and Rush' then? Show me how to play and I will gladly defeat you."
"That's right," Solis said, "She has never played before. We made up the game when we began our Iura." He laughed giddily, "Oh Fira, you will enjoy this game more than anyone. We will leave it up to the Judge to provide you with the instructions." He motioned to Telu as if she were royalty.
Telu was the most passive member of the small group so she rarely participated in the games. That led to her being named "Judge" during the early stages of the game. She was even more peaceful than most of the villagers living in Vellstone. She was certainly an odd choice for a warrior since fighting was something she would avoid at all costs if given the chance. However, in Vellstone, the Primis are born with their roles and gifts already instilled in them. Telu was born as a warrior and she had never despised that role regardless of her distaste for violence. Instead, she understood the importance of who she was as a warrior and chose to function in that role in her own unique way.
The Judge smiled, "We must locate an arena fitting for such a contest. Let us proceed to the appropriate venue."
In his rage, Thaddaeus could barely comprehend her words. Then he realized they were going to leave the small room so he charged out front to lead the way. He quickly realized that he didn't know how to get out of the room. He looked around for a door only to hear Lux call out from behind him.
"Are you prepared for descent, Thaddaeus?"
He turned around to see the others standing in front of a massive hole in the wall. He saw them step outside on what appeared to be a giant leaf. Lux was standing by the open door looking at Thaddaeus. The young lad's face grew ashen as he realized what was happening.
Lux laughed, "Ah yes, you do not remember ascending with the Folium. We were moving at too great a speed. Perhaps you ought to look out at the landscape before stepping onto the Folium so the shock will not be overwhelming."
Thaddaeus shook his head in disbelief as he walked toward the opening in the wall, "I can't believe you're still underestima-," his voice trailed off. He stopped before he had even reached the edge of the room. Suddenly, the vision that met his eyes informed him of his location. He could see the entirety of the city, the land around it, and even grand landmarks of which he had previously been unaware. The natural wonder of mountains, rivers, and even a waterfall struck him like a bolt of lightning. As he looked down toward the ground, he understood just how high up he was. This room slept at the top of a tower which made up the corner of the castle he had seen earlier. It was the castle that Lux referred to as "The House of the First".
Thaddaeus had trouble standing upright. The splendor of the view unraveling itself before him was almost too much to bear. He felt very uneasy on his own two feet. Contemplating the steps it would take for him to walk out of the building and stand on nothing but a floating leaf made him feel faint. As his face grew even more pale, Lux reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him onto the "leaf" with everyone else.
"It is quite alright, Thaddaeus," Lux informed him as his hands and arms glowed a dark blue. "The Folium will not fail us. They were put in place by the ones who held the ancient energy. You can trust them more surely than the buildings they travel."
As he finished his statement, the Folium responded to his energy and lowered the group toward the surface of the ground.