27.

The human could not recall how long he stood watching the crystal, but he did know that for some odd reason it felt right. It felt right that he was standing here, in this place at this time.

It was then that a young female's voice sounded in his mind, [i] "Do not worry Ostel, I am okay."[/i] The gentle song-like voice said, it's sweet and innocent tone sending shivers up his spine. As if feeling his own shiver, a soothing warmth washed over his body and suddenly Ostel felt as if his form was lighter than an autmun breeze sailing across a golden colored wheat field.

For a brief moment he resisted the urge and asked aloud, "Who are you?"

A short, high-pitched giggle was his answer before the sweet voice answered, [i]"Silly! You should know my name. It's Hikari."[/i]

Before he could process another question in his mind, Ostel's vision blurred, and soon he beheld himself actually flying across the fields. At first he felt afraid and feared that he was going mad. As if sensing his fear, the same warming presence of Hikari seemed to manifest itself through two small but strong hands underneath his arms. His uneasiness soon melted away, and Ostel let himself soared though the autmun colored skies.

A boyish smile soon became etched across his face as Ostel yelled, "I can't believe it! I'm Flying! This is amazing! I always wanted to fly!" For what seemed like the first time in his life, all the woes and burdens he carried with him fell away. He held his hands out and spun himself in the air, shouting a cry of joy as the very winds sped him across the beautiful countryside.

The angelic voice of Hikari spoke again as if jokingly teasing an old friend, [i]"You need to have fun more often Ostel! You get way too worked up."[/i] Her tone to Ostel seemed almost too light-hearted for someone of reality, but soon his mind was distracted as the fields of golden wheat gave way to another landscape as they flew towards the setting sun. The open landscape narrowed and dropped off, with the fields giving way to a more rocky landsacpe with a few scattered trees.

They pair soon came to a cliffside overlooking the ocean, with the setting sun's rays permeating over a small cirlce of land. The circle was a small field of green that was coated with thick patches of wild yellow sunflowers. In the center sat a large hollowed out log, with oddly sturdy branches on the side that made it perfect for sitting.

As Ostel was set down a few footsteps away from the log, the spirit around him shifted and formed into the girl he saw in the crystal. She wore a one-piece emerald colored summer dress made of silk with sandals donning her petite feet. Thus before Ostel stood sat Hikari, the previous Sage of Light who patted a spot next to her on the log. Her small form belied her presence though, as Ostel felt as if her power was still here and strongest at this spot.

Knowing that he was safe, Ostel finally let his guard down and accepted her invitation. He sat down beside the small figure and stared out at the sun as it began to descend into the sea. The clouds were painted in a varied of colors, making it seem like more of a picture to Ostel rather than actually a scene playing before his eyes.

The bastard felt at peace here, so much so that he had to ask, "Is this place real?" It seemed as if the sun's rays were blessing the land with an untouched and untainted power

Hikari's spirit giggled back, "Of course it is! It's like, my favorite spot in all the world." She said swinging one of her legs back and forth out of what seemed to be an old habit.

The Grimward then looked around to see if he could see anything that could tell him where he was, but to no avail. For nothing he saw jarred his memory, "Where are we?" he wondered aloud. 

Then Hikari scoffed a bit, prehaps getting annoyed with his questions, "Do you not know your own continent? We are on Lucerna! You should know your own homeland when you see it." She said looking him with a bit of pride.

In response to her pride all Ostel did was shrug his broad shoulders and say, "Sorry, I did not get out very much from the Grimward estate. You know, being a bastard and all." Being a former Sage he figured Hikari more than likely knew of his past.

As if to confirm his assumption, the curly blonde haired girl eased her glare and stared back out to the sun in silence for a few seconds as if lost in thought. She finally said in a serious tone that seemed very unbecoming of her, "You are going to have to protect them you know?" 

Ostel turned his gaze from the sun and meet her unusual golden eyes, "What do you mean?"

The former Sage of Light extended both her hands outward and answered, "All of this! You know, Lucerna, humanity."

At that Ostel should of smiled and agreed, but truthfully he could not fathom himself doing so. Instead he sighed and folded his arms across his chest, closing his eyes and tilting his head downward. He then said something he never thought he would say aloud, "What if I do not want to. What if I think they do not deserve my protection?"

When he opened his sky blue eyes he found Hikira had somehow quietly gotten off the log, folded her hands behind her dress and leaned down to meet his gaze at eye level, "This is about the elves isn't it?"

With a solemn nod the bastard gave his answer, "Among other reasons, but yes." He expected her to taunt him, and that she would be too young to understand how he felt.

But to her credit, Hikira merely took a deep breath and stood up straight saying in a mild tone that defied her supposed age, "I guess that makes sense. You know the elves were our friends when I was alive. That seems like ages ago though, but yet it seems yesterday too..." She said looking down to the floor and kicking a small loose patch of dirt up with her sandals.

Ostel gave the former Sage a stare, and suddenly he began to wonder just how long she had been watching things develop in Lucerna. From the point of view of her age Ostel could not imagine how it must of saddened her to see the elves and the humans fighting one another, let alone the horrid aftermath.

Breaking his train of thought though, Hikari then turned spun on her heel and said cheerfully, "Well I guess you will just need to free the elves and protect your people! You can do it though!" She exclaimed while giving him a thumbs up.

The new Sage of Light's jaw dropped at the action, until he shoke his head for a second and then gave her a bewildered look, "You have any idea what you are asking of me? That cannot be done, not both." He said shaking his head.

Then Hikari's small figure semed to grow a bit as she stamped her foot down, "NO!" The sky seemed to darken around them and a chill air sent shivers up Ostel's back as she said in a dark tone that seemed alien to the cheerful girl he was just speaking to, "If you do not save your race from themselves, then they will fall into darkness!" For a brief moment, Ostel entertained the possibility of apologizing, and maybe even running from the angered spirit.

But then the wind died down and the light of the setting sun came back to its supposed state, and Hikira seemed to take a deep breath and return to her normal size. She then gave a concerned look and said, " You are their only hope now. They will listen to you, like they listened to me long ago." She said standing seemingly tall and proud.

In a way, the Grimward bastard envied her pride, "What if they do not listen?" he asked plainly with his self-doubt resurfacing.

The answer came as if Hikira was talking to a sibling, or possibly even a mentor to a student, "Bastard or not, you are the Sage of Light now. If they will not listen, then make them listen." She said as if she just passed judgment.

With all that she was asking of him Ostel could not help but feel slightly overwhelmed, "What if I don't care? What if I just go my own way with Snow?"

Hikira only sighed this time and shrugged, "Then the world dies. For with no Light, there is no dawn for anyone on Divus." Again a ominous sea breeze came through the sacred spot on the cliffside.

I response Ostel raised his hands up in defeated before standing himself, "I guess that means I have no choice." He then placed one hand on his hip and looked down to his predecessor with a raised eyebrow, "You know I never asked for this."

The light-hearted giggle returned, "Hey You think I did?" She said with a sarcastic grin.

Hikira's smile was too infectous that Ostel could not help but smile as well, but before he could say anything else the former Sage crossed her hands at her waist, "You had best get back to your friends Ostel. You have to help them."

It was then at that moment Ostel felt himself being gently picked up and being pulled backwards, when he tried to speak, he found that he could not. His vision began to blur again, but in his mind the bastard heard her song-like voice;

[i]Take care of Summer, she will need you before the end, actually they all will. You must be the light that guides them and the world. There can be no Darkness without Light, I'll be watching you. And learn to smile and laugh every now then![/i]

The gray curtain of the world went past him and suddenly Ostel found himself back in the courtyard staring into the bright crystal. Hikira form was still there though, asleep with her arms folded across her childish figure. A profound sadness swept over him as Ostel realized that throughout their entire conversation, he never once considered what it must of been like for her never to have grown older than she had.

Ostel did not know if she would see his gesture, but as he did with Calixta before he gave her the same custom. He brought his sword hand into a fist and slammed it into his shield hand's open embrace before bowing his uppper body forward. He then righted himself up and muttered the age old Grimward saying, "Anon Boo Ta, Hikira. And thank you." With that he felt a slight rustle at his feet.

Snow had been beside him this whole time, and now his white tail was waving happily at his companion's return. Ostel smiled and knelt down, rubbing the white wolf's head playfully, "Hungry?" A sharp bark was his answer, to which the Sage of Light grinned, "Alright boy, we'll eat soon. I promise." After making the promise to his faithful companion, Ostel let out a gruff sigh and held out his hand, feeling both confused, and foolish.