Pride

"I just don't understand Una," Felix said. He was in The Brawl Bar in the ADC. It was a dank wooden 'restaurant' that served experimental soft drinks. It was a big enough for tables, chairs and a bar, as well as a wrestling ring in the center. Two no-names were currently going at it there. The game had very little rules, but gwenens often came there to settle disputes.

Felix sat across from Una at a small table.

"I can take care of myself, and snakes for organs and shapeshifting pies can't really exist, and if they did I would just treat them like all things I don't understand, careful tedious study," Felix picked up a mug and sipped his mix of root beer and lemonade.

"I don't think shapeshifting pies exist either. I think he was just trying to spook you or something," Una said. She had a game plan diagram in front of her that she was adding to with doodles, as well as a glass of cola.

"I wish he'd just trust that I'm safe in the wilderness. That place is practically my whole life," Felix said.

"But he didn't say he was talking about how the wilderness is now, he was talking about a change. He was warning you that something new is coming to the tower and that you should prepare. It's not something you'd be used to," Una said.

"I see new stuff all the time, it's not going to be that different. I can adjust," Felix said. He was a little more stern, or maybe that was just his reaction to his own drink.

"Oh really? Can you adjust to mind altering smoke if your mind is altered?" Una asked.

"I thought we agreed that Error was talking scary nonsense," Felix said. With a gulp he finished his drink. A four year old waiter dashed over, grabbed the finished drink and chucked the glass into the ring.

"Myeah, but what if it isn't?" Una looked up from her system.

"YOW!" A wrestling gwenen said as she stepped on broken glass.

"... But it's so ridiculous," Felix looked to the action briefly.

"I'm just saying. He could've just said nothing to you. It has to have some sort of meaning," Una said.

"I guess, but I'm still going back," Felix said.

"At least go with something to defend yourself," Una said.

"I already do," Felix said.

"I mean something that you can actually use," Una said, "You never mentioned your knife or spook bomb when you got tackled by that dragon."

"...They're usually in my bag," Felix admitted.

"Oh dear... Felix!" Una facepalmed.

"I don't have anything to carry them in except my bag!" Felix put his arms out.

"You need better weapons if you want to continue hanging out outside," Una said. She stood up.

"What? You want me to use a baseball bat? They're way too heavy. I mostly stay out of the way of trouble, it'll weigh me down most of the time," Felix said.

"We'll find something," Una said. She walked out of the bar and into the main halls that connected everything in the ADC. Felix followed her.

"Where are we going?" Felix asked.

"To find you a weapon. There's gotta be someone with something they don't need," Una said.

In the hall was a herd of pogo stick jumpers. They were attempting to wall jump, as the highly pressured pogos could leap up to ten feet.

"Oh hey Una!" Tito said. He landed on his pogo and leapt off it, dismounting. He had a dark blue helmet on, and the rest of the group were well protected too, "You wanna go pogoing with us?"

"I would actually... but not right now. You know where we can get weapons? You make games, where do you get all of those hitting sticks from?" Una asked. Felix watched the conversation.

"Oh, I'm friends with a guy who's a knight. They make their own weapons in order to work for the king. Y'know, so they can make sure his laws are followed and people are beaten up," Tito said.

"Oh that's perfect!" Una said.

"Yeah, uh, just head to the king's place. Er actually, you know what, I'll come with. I have an obligation there too. Might as well get it over with," Tito said.

"Ok cool, we'll all go together," Una said.

"Yeah.." Felix gave a friendly thumbs up.

***

The castle wasn't really a castle but a series of chambers that started at a dead end in the main ADC halls. The grand entrance had steps walking up to it. Apparently the structure used to be a museum with artifacts of gwenen history, but the destructive nature of the children who surrounded it left it an unidentified mess.

In the hall in front of the entrance, knights were sitting around, while a few others were standing and alert.

Tito walked on past the knights and into the chambers as a tall knight approached Una and Felix.

"Hey! Una!" The knight said when she got to thwm. She was a 17 year old long eared calico gwenen with a bushy tail like Felix's. Her ears stuck out of her open face helmet. All sorts of plastic items and thick linens were structurally wrapped around her body to create an armor of sorts. She held with her an aluminum bat. She was a foot taller than the both of them.

"Hey Sam!" Una said. She looked up at Sam and Felix did the same.

"I'm supposed to say this because you're not a knight but, what are you doing here? and also, can't wait for the boat race," Sam said. She leaned on her bat.

"Really? I didn't think anybody was interested," Una said.

"Well before, yeah, but the rules have changed in the past couple of years," Sam said.

"True, true," Una said.

"I just can't wait to see what you make of it. You always surprise me in Sport," Sam smiled.

"Thank you! It takes a lot of time but I really enjoy it," Una said.

"Your time in it really shows," Sam looked to Felix.

"What about you? What's up bub? How's your art holding up?" Sam asked.

"It's.. coming along," Felix said. He fidgeted with his fingers.

"I feel like I haven't seen you in forever. You should share some of your designs with the king. Maybe he'll let you make a mural in the castle," Sam said.

"Yeah. I'll get one to him sometime," Felix said. He had no intention of getting a mural in the castle. It was a great honor for most people, but that wasn't what Felix's artistic goals were. He just wanted to draw funky animals.

Sam turned back to look at Una.

"So, you were here for something?" She seemed to lighten up when focusing on Una again. Felix felt like leaving, but he was supposed to be here wasn't he? He certainly wasn't a part of the conversation, but he didn't really know what to say. Una and Sam were already having a flowing conversation without him. Maybe it wasn't his place to speak when the conversation was mostly about the two of them.

"Oh yes, Felix needs a weapon. There's uh... There's been some stalkers following him around and we were hoping we could find something fitting for him," Una said. Sam sighed. She picked up her bat and held it over her shoulder.

"Ehh I don't know. We really aren't supposed to give weapons to people who aren't knights. We don't want them to fall into the wrong hands," Sam said.

Far off behind her a knight hit another knight with a bat causing them to fall over. It made a huge clang and a bunch of giggles but Sam didn't flinch.

"Aw come on, please? For me? I'm an athlete, there's gotta be some type of exception," Una begged.

"Maybe for you, but not for him," Sam pointed to Felix with a claw.

"Mmn, how about this: You give me a weapon, but we all know it's for Felix. But we pretend that we're giving it to me," Una said.

Sam smiled.

"...I can get with that," She said, "Come on." She began walking to the stairs and through the doors into the museum castle. The ceilings were very large and the halls were grand and detailed. There was carpet there, and it was burned in certain areas.

Oil lamps and controlled torches made up for smashed in lights. The whole structure had a darker orange glow that fought with the white light of the electrical ones still working. It was like walking in a series of caves close to the surface, and in the cracks sunlight shone down.

Two young knights ran up to the visitors. Olive, a black gwenen with a narrow head and short ears, and Nate, a white gwenen with brown patches, koala ears and a round head. Nate was eight years old while Olive was eleven.

"Omg!" Olive said.

"Omg!" Nate said.

"Omg!" Olive said.

"Omg! Nate said. They were both shaking their hands close to their bodies in anticipation.

"Una! I'm such a fan! You'r-" Olive started.

"You're pogoing skills are really something so, so-" Nate continued.

"Beyond gwenen!" Olive said.

"-Rad! Ah, yours was better," Nate said.

"Aw Thanks!" Una began to blush.

Felix rolled his eyes so she couldn't see. He turned away from the conversation and looked to the museum castle he was in. On the wall in front of him was a large mural lit up with torches. It was a grand, tall, artwork of a bird sitting on the top branch of a barren tree.

He walked up close and stood in awe of it.

"Mysterious, isn't it?" A gwenen who had silently walked up to Felix said. It was Tito.

"How so?" Felix asked him.

"Supposedly this is an owl bird sitting on a tree in the winter. I'm not even sure what all that means," Tito said.

"Well... winter is when it gets cold for a couple of months, and trees are made of wood, and an owl is something that can fly," Felix said.

Tito chuckled.

"How do you know all that Felix?" He asked, smiling.

"I just.. do.." Felix squeaked.

"Ah...I wish you'd open up more. You'd be surprised by how many people might want to get to know you. Maybe we can test your athleticism together and see what you're made of."

"Maybe.." Felix mumbled.

Una walked over to them.

"Oh hey Tito," Una said.

"Hey Una," Tito waved to her. Una looked to Felix.

"They're ready to check out weapons with us," Una said.

"Oh, cool. I'm ready," Felix said. He followed her as she walked down a hall. Leading them was Sam and the two geeks Olive and Nate. The geeks were more relaxed, but as of now they wouldn't stop smiling.

They walked into a smaller room with bins filled with bats, and walls lined with custom bows and knives. At a table near the entrance, a young shopkeeper was playing with a lit candle's wax.

"Hey..." He said, paying more attention to the candle than the visitors. Felix also started to look more at the candle.

Next to it on the table was an open matchbox. Felix picked it up, took a match out, and struck it into lighting. He then picked up the candle with his other hand. The shopkeeper looked confused.

"Check this out," Felix said. He blew out the candle, and then swiftly put the lit match up to the developing smoke. The smoke seemed to ignite and a flame rushed down to the candle's wick, igniting the candle again. Felix gave the candle back to the shopkeeper and shook the match out.

"Huh.." the shopkeeper said. He examined the candle trying to discover a trick.

"Felix!" Una called. She was standing at a back wall looking in a bin of bats with all the other gwenens. Felix walked over.

Sam picked an aluminum bat from the bin and showed it to Una and Felix.

"I always really liked the feel of these ones. Really light, hit really hard, they just can't take as much as an iron or steel. Way better than wood though," Sam said.

"Hear that Felix? What do you say about an aluminum bat?" Una asked.

"Mnn... I don't think it's really something that could help me..." Felix said. He felt everyone's eyes on him.

"Oh.. you want a different kind of bat then? I mean, the rest are heavier. You said you wanted something light and this is it. Unless you want a bow?" Una said.

"I'm, I don't know if I'm good at using a bow," Felix said.

"I can teach you. I've got time," Una said.

"..Alright..." Felix walked over to a bow on the wall and brought it down to look at, "Uhm.."

Una walked up behind him and moved his arms around so he was holding it correctly.

"Hold it out, and pull the string back to your chin," She said.

"Una's teaching!" Olive squeaked to Nate.

"I know!" Nate squeaked to Olive.

"It's ok," Una whispered to Felix so no one else would hear, "I'm guessing these aren't what you're looking for."

"Yeah," Felix said.

"You still wanna try the bow? Or?.." Una suggested, still quiet.

"Maybe, but I want to keep searching.." Felix said.

"I hear you," Una said. She let Felix go as he relaxed his stance.

Sam was talking to the geeks.

"Eh, I'm not really a bow person," Sam said, "I don't have the eyesight for such a thing."

Una looked to the shopkeeper.

"Felix and I were wondering if you had any other types of weapons?" She asked the shopkeeper.

He looked up from the candle.

"We have slings," The shopkeeper said.

Una looked to Felix. Felix made a face.

"I'd rather have a bow than a sling," he told Una.

"Er, I guess you could ask the guy who makes all the special weapons. He's kinda like a mad scientist. Maybe he has something you might want, but otherwise this is all that exists." The shopkeeper said.

Felix and Una looked to one another.

***

A lone steel door against the ADC's many main halls.

Felix and Una stood lone in front of it. The area was dead quiet.

"This looks about right," Una said. She whipped out a key given to her by the shopkeeper, "Let's see if that's true."

Felix looked around to see if anybody was watching.

"I hope someone told the scientist we were coming," He said, "Most people don't get the opportunity to lock up chambers, and when they do, it usually means keep out."

"The knights have a key, we're using it the same way they do, what's the surprise?" Una asked.

"Grm.." Felix grunted.

"You want to go back outside or what?!" Una barked.

Felix stayed silent.

Una opened the door and walked in. Felix followed her.

Inside the door's chamber Felix and Una stood waiting. The room was tall and small, and filled with unfinished mechanical constructs on tables and shelves. Another door in the back of the room was blocked by a table.

The door with the table in front of it began to open. The door pushed the table, grinding its feet against the floor.

"Oh?" The gwenen behind the door perked up at the visitors,"Hello.." He honked. As he finally pushed his way past the table he could be seen fully, and stood in the center of the room.

He had a square head with droopy ears like a rabbit. His nose was more pronounced, and a dark brown went up the bridge and covered the top of his head. His coat was mostly brown with white spots and a belly. His tail had a shorthaired with long tuft at the end. He was fourteen.

Una spoke up.

"Are you Maxwell? We were wondering if you had any new weapons. You make weapons right?" She asked. Felix stood a little aways. He looked at all of the strange pieces. Some looked like art, while others didn't seem to have any purpose at all.

"Um.. maybe.. How did you get in here?" Maxwell asked.

"Key from the knights. Felix needed something to help him defend himself. A gang's after him." Una partially lied.

"Oh.. I don't really have any weapons," Maxwell looked up to a high shelf, and quickly darted his eyes back to her.

Una followed his gaze.

"Is there something up there?" She leapt up to the edge of the shelf and held herself there like it was a basketball rim.

"No! There's nothing," Maxwell's ears went down.

Una gave him a look and pulled a six shot revolver from the shelf.

"What about this?" Una asked him.

"It's not yours!" Maxwell growled. He took a step back.

"Alright alright, geez," Una put it down and swung off the shelf.

"Leave!!" Maxwell shouted.

Una gave a look of shock before deciding to go.

"Come on Felix!" She hissed on her way out.

"Bye.. Maxwell," Felix timidly waved.

"Bye Felix," Maxwell said, although he wasn't angry at Felix.

Out in the hall Una was pacing.

"Well that sucked," she said. Her arms were crossed.

"You can't just walk into a guy's space and demand stuff," Felix said.

"I wasn't being demanding, it's... It just doesn't make sense why he needs it. You're in danger, he should've handed it over," Una said.

".mmfn," Felix grunted to himself.

"What? It's a big deal Felix! Don't you know what that was!? That was a gun! The ultimate weapon, something you really could use more than any of these guys," Una said.

"I know a gun would be really good, but we can't just take it from people. That's what I'm trying to say," Felix said.

"I wasn't trying to take it!" Una said.

"Ok, but you were being pushy," Felix said.

"Pushy?" Una asked.

"Jumping around, not stopping when he obviously didn't want us there," Felix said. Una quieted.

".. Well most people expect me to be like that. It was a clever play. I saw his eye movement and figured out that he was lying to us," Una said.

"He had a reason to lie. He didn't want us to have it. He didn't trust us," Felix said.

"And why should people not trust me? Everyone at the castle trusts me just fine," Una said.

"Just because those guys at the castle let you do whatever you want doesn't mean it's gonna be like that everywhere," Felix said.

"Oh?! Oh ok! What is that supposed to mean?" Una asked.

Felix turned away. He didn't want to say.

"Felix I'm talking to you!" Una said.

"I.. I feel like you think you're more important than other people. Do you think you being a popular athlete makes you better than other people?" Felix asked. He said it in a genuine way. Una thought for a moment.

"...I do a lot of work being an athlete. Doesn't that mean I deserve more things?" Una said.

"But you don't know how much work other people do in their hobbies. Being an athlete isn't everything. You don't know how lucky they are, if their work is paying off. You simply can't assume everyone is below you just because people admire you."

"So I can't enjoy being an athlete then!? Because I can't know about everyone's problems? I wo-"

"YES! You can't act like that because nobody's above or below. You can either act like a pushy popular athlete or maybe you can join the rest of us in remembering that we're all just people," Felix said.

"You didn't let me finish. Not everyone works the way I do-" Una said.

"I already went over this," Felix stopped her, "You worked hard, I get it, we all get it, that's why people admire you. But you have to understand that you've been lucky. You've got a strong able body, athletic skill, the will to power through, the brain to pull it off.

I'm sure those fans back at the castle would love to be in your shoes with a body like yours. And what? You're going to walk all over them just because you think they weren't working hard enough to get where you are? I'm not saying your work doesn't mean anything, but treat people with the same respect you expect from other people. Because yeah, you don't know how hard they worked, and how much harder it might be for them..m yeah." Felix finished.

Una looked at the floor. She began to walk away without saying anything. Felix watched. After she was far enough away the door behind Felix opened a crack. It was Maxwell.

"Wow..." He said.

"Maxwell?" Felix noticed him and turned to face him.

"I hope she comes back. You don't wanna lose a friend like that," Maxwell said.

"Do you think it was too much?" Felix sighed.

"... No, It's just up to her what she does now. If she doesn't come back, I guess it's her loss. Well yours too. You're a nobody without her," Maxwell said.

"Hey! I'm my own person too," Felix said, more hurt than angry.

"Mn yeah, but you're more lucky with her than with nobody. Nobody knows you Felix. You're just a popular athlete's friend who mysteriously vanishes most of the day. We have our theories. Some say you're a very sleepy person. You know what I think? I think you found a way out of here," Maxwell said.

Felix tried not to make a face but he fell into a guilty silence, "I won't tell, but it's not like anybody will care. Why leave a place full of hedonistic wonders for the mysterious and dangerous outside world? I will ask you this. Are you mysterious and dangerous Felix?" Maxwell asked, Felix gripped his collar, "Well, now you are."

Maxwell in the crack of the door held his arm out. In his hand was the six shot revolver, and a holster.

"... I.. why are you giving this to me?" Felix asked.

"Why would a supposedly sleepy person need a weapon?" Maxwell asked, "Una said before that you needed protection. If my theory is true, it's for the outside world, not for a gang. I wouldn't let this technology get into the hands of the anarchists or the kingdom. The outside world is the only place where such a deadly weapon should be used, not the petty bar fights that go on in here. People barely know you, but they at least understand that you're not the type to go hog wild. If you do go around playing grim reaper, or give this to anyone else, I might have to kill you and remind you that we're all normal people. Don't make my choice your deathwish," Maxwell closed the door, and locked it.