“Maybe I can jump it,” thought Feron as he glared at the floating island and the Final Flourish that pierced the dirt there. It looked out of reach, but Feron could not give up hope.

It all started one evening when Rhendon caught traces of an unusually large gremlin population in a Wolver Den. Feron accepted the task of investigating and if need be, put an end to whatever was going on.

Feron was strolling through the den tranquilly, letting miscellaneous thoughts drift through his mind. He was not exactly paying attention to his surroundings, so when he was ambushed by a team of gremlins, it came as quite a surprise.

One particularly large gremlin raised his axe into the air in a blur, and just as swiftly as he raised it, he brought it down on Feron. Feron managed to lash out his Final Flourish just in time to parry the strike, but the impact sent his blade flying. It soared through the air until it landed on the island directly behind him.

Feron drew his Callahan and unleashed a torrent of bullets unto his foes. They all scattered, but Feron was still left with the problem of his lost sword.

Feron really liked that sword. He had to get it back, so he readied himself, and before he could think better of it, he leaped.

He stretched his hands out and reached for the island. He was almost there. It was just a bit further. “I’m going to make it!” thought Feron. His fingertips scratched the earth…

And then he fell.

When he woke, it was dark and dusty. Numerous monitors lied haphazardly around him. The screens emitted faint light, but the brightest light was a beautiful bluish-white somewhere off in the distance. Feron was suddenly aware of a familiar face looming over him.

“Oh hello, Vaelyn,” said Feron. “What brings you here?”

She stared back at him bewilderedly. “What brings me here? Feron this is my post. What I’d like to know is why you just fell from the sky and crashed here at the Core.”

“Oh is that where I am?” asked Feron. “Well, I suppose I owe you an explanation.” So he told Vaelyn the whole story.

“So let me get this straight,” she said pointedly. “You risked your life just for a sword that Spiral HQ can easily fund you?”

“Um…” Feron hesitated. “Sure.”

Vaelyn stared into his eyes. “I just know you are hiding something, and you know I have the means of forcing it out.” She flashed a smile that made the statement all the more terrifying. “But for now, just go.”

So Feron jumped up and hopped into the elevator. Vaelyn frightened him at times. He was surprised she had not been able to open the Core with just a furious glance.

The elevator ascended until he hit the den. He glanced around and almost immediately spotted a young wolver staring at him from across the clearing, a Flourish glinting in its maw.

Feron cautiously crept up to it, whispering things like “I don’t want to hurt you, buddy,” and “All I want is that shiny sword you’ve got there.” As he got closer to it, it began to back away, so Feron lunged.

He missed the blade and fell on his face. He dusted himself off and sprinted toward the wolver. He was nearing it and reached out to grab it. It was almost in reach when it made a sharp turn. Feron realized he was heading for the edge. He tried to stop himself, but he had too much momentum. He scrabbled on the dirt for a second, trying to get some kind of hold. He dangled from the precipice for a moment.

And then he fell.

When Feron woke, he saw Vaelyn watching him unexcitedly. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head.

“Ah, Vaelyn! We meet again, I see,” said Feron.

“I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming, the first time, fine. It has happened before. The second, outright idiotic.” Vaelyn sighed. “Feron, how did you ever become a lieutenant?”

“A little bit of blackmail, a little bit of lying, a lot of trickery. Look! The point is I need that sword.”

“You can have one of mine. See, I have two!” she said as she waved her flourishes in front of Feron.

“No, this one is irreplaceable.”

“Fine, then you had better go before a Tortodrone sits on your precious blade,” Vaelyn said with a facetious smirk.

However, Feron did not find this funny and immediately rushed toward the elevator at this new and horrifying prospect.
-----
Part 2 of Book II coming soon.

So this pattern repeated several more times: Feron would rise to the den. He would fall to the Core due to tripping over a fallen tree- that particular tree became a lumber which Feron later befriended, but that is a different story- a Blast Cube shoving him off of the edge, the same Blast Cube blowing up, and a new class of gremlin which Feron dubbed a gremlin pusher. Then Vaelyn would wake him up – sometimes more violently than others - and the vicious cycle would begin again.

Once, Feron woke, but something was different. The first thing he noticed was that the ground was not cold and solid, but flaky and hot. Extremely hot!

Feron jumped up as the scorched earth singed his face, and there, staring into the distance with eyes as if the world had crushed and he was the only one who had survived to see the cataclysm, was Vanaduke.

Instinctively, Feron’s hand went to his Stagger Storm, but there was no use; the Lord of Almire already looked defeated. He merely crouched there, hardly even noticing that Feron had just landed there.

“What’s the matter Vanny?” asked Feron politely.

There was a long silence and not once did either of them move. Then Vanaduke finally replied, “I have been defeated by those bothersome knights of yours so many times… I just cannot take one more bit of it.”

“I wish there were something I could do-“

“It’s like I am not even a threat anymore. They come in laughing like my empire is a party, whip out a few Blitz Needles and beat me to death, smiles on their faces the whole time!” Vanaduke stood up, flustered and began to pace around the room. “Yesterday, a group with full Proto armor came in. And to think that I, the almighty lord of this world, had to grant my precious Almirian Seals to those prancing, self-centered, blood-thirsty brats!”

“I-I am sorry to hear that,” Feron stammered. “Some people just want to see the world burn. I suppose you are one of them, but… I will try to get my men to lie off, but I’m not making any promises.”

But that was apparently enough for Vanaduke. “Really? Thank you so much, Feron. I knew I could depend on you. Now how about a hug?” he said, stretching his arms wide.

“Uh… I’m not really comfortable with hugs from large, fiery lords of the dead,” answered Feron, backing toward the edge of the platform.

“Oh it is no big deal. I-“Vanaduke began, but Feron had already leapt off of the edge.

* * *

Feron woke up in the Core Terminal as usual “You’re late,” said Vaelyn as if watching her comrade fall from above was a normal occurrence now, which it was. “What kept you?”

“I was speaking to Vana,” Feron replied casually.

Surprise and fear spread across Vaelyn’s face. “About?”

“Not really sure. All I heard was ‘blah blah blah’ and then he started crying.”

“Fair enough,” said Vaelyn.

Then Feron was on his way to the blade again.

To Feron’s surprise, the Flourish was there right beside the elevator, perhaps waiting for him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the hilt of the sword and jumped back onto the elevator before he lost it again.

When he arrived at Haven, he sprinted to the Town Square as fast as his feet could carry his beaten and bruised body. He almost fell down the stairs as he rushed to where Kozma made her sales. He skidded to a halt in front of her, panting and aching.

“Oh dear! What happened to you?” said the worried Kozma, glancing at the rugged, dirty Feron.

Feron waited a few moments to catch his breath, and then he presented the sword to her. “Here, you have no idea what I had to do for that.”

“A Flourish?” asked Kozma curiously.

“Not just any Flourish, look closer. It was fashioned with a miracloth on the hilt,” answered Feron, indicating the shining surface.

Kozma gasped. “Is that-“

“Yes, it is. It is the same miracloth that we found on our first Clockworks expedition together. Do you remember how you marveled at its beauty?”

“Yes, I do.” Her eyes sparkled with delight. Then she reached out and wrapped Feron in her arms. She looked into his eyes and said, “Thank you, Feron. This means a lot.”

So they released each other from the embrace. Feron put the blade in Kozma’s hands, and-

He couldn’t let go. No matter how many times he opened his hands, the hilt stuck firmly to his palms. He began to pull and shake it off with no luck. It simply would not budge. He looked up to see Kozma laughing with so much gusto that she held he stomach as if it may burst from joy.

“What’s so funny?” asked Feron, still struggling to tear the Flourish from his grip.

Kozma stopped laughing but kept smiling merrily at him. “It has been bound to you, silly! You cannot just give someone a bound gift. Haven’t you ever wondered why it is so difficult to celebrate birthdays on this world?”

Feron thought for a moment and it made sense to him now. “Then I will go to Vise. He can unbind it as long as I have-“ He stopped abruptly as he reached for his pouch in which he carried his Crystal Energy. It was not there; it had vanished from his belt. “It must have fallen off while I was chasing that wolver…” muttered Feron.

“You’ve been chasing wolvers again? I thought you were out of that habit.” Kozma looked at him skeptically.

“No it’s just…” Feron recognized how odd his story sounded and stopped himself. “Never mind that. I will be back soon.” Then he sprinted back into the Arcade.

He looked to the elevators and shrugged. After all he had been through, he was tired of using elevators; they are unnecessary and aggravating. Plus, he wanted to see Vaelyn again.

And then off the edge he leapt.