Everyone looked at the resurrected form of Alex, too stunned to say anything.

　　What?` said Horatio after a moment. You knew that we would use the Phoenix Feather on you?`

　　 Well,` said Alex from where he still sat in the circle of ash, stark naked, I didn`t know for sure, but I trusted that you would. I hoped that you would. That was my plan all along—that the Feather would act as a fail-safe in case I was killed, and that you lot would be around to use it on me should that happen.`

　　 Horatio took this in.

　　 What?!` he said again, unable to contain his outrage. Nobody else said anything.

　　 Don`t look too surprised,` Alex said to him. I recovered the Phoenix Feather from my hiding place for it in a tetrachamber in Balamb quite some time ago, but a design flaw—or maybe it`s a feature?—of it is that is that it requires someone else to use it on you. Ever since you lot caught up to me in the Frozen Waste when I was retrieving the Sword I`ve thought you would make good companions for me on this Quest, to do things like use the Feather on me if I was killed. But if you had known just how horrible and dangerous it was here in the depths of Braxia, and just how likely the chances of your own deaths, I wasn`t sure that you would have come. So once the ex-Braxian teleported us here I charged off into deepest Braxia in the hope that you would come after me, and work out to use the Feather on me if I was killed. I couldn`t tell you about it directly, you see, as that could have potentially revealed its existence to the Braxians, who might have overheard—or in case one or more of you is a traitor.`

　　 Alex finished his explanation and smiled, leaving only loquacious silence filled with the unheard sounds of thirteen minds processing this information.

　　 You&` stammered Horatio. You lied to us! You trickster!`

　　 Alex winked at him and waggled a finger. Now now, let`s not be calling each other names! I never actually lied to you, if you think about it. I only ever told you not to follow me—which made you pursue me all the harder!`This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

　　 Isn`t that basically the same thing?` said Horatio as spokesperson for the group.

　　 I don`t think it is, no.`

　　 That was extremely risky of you!` said Tyler. At least someone else was as outraged about this as Horatio was. What if we hadn`t followed you? What if the thief girl hadn`t found the Feather, and we hadn`t used it on you?`

　　 Good point,` said Alex, then pursed his lips together and nodded. I guess I just had a feeling about you guys. I knew you wouldn`t let me down, in the end.`

　　 But we would have followed you anyway,` said Ceres, frowning. She seemed more hurt than outraged. We would have followed you if you had asked us to come with you. And none if us is a traitor.`

　　 That may be true for you, young lady,` Alex replied. His green eyes ranged quickly over the group, sparkling. But it may not necessarily be true for all of you.`

　　 No matter about that anymore,` jumped in Tyler, what`s important is that there`s still hope! With you alive again, we can still get back the Sword and defeat Brax! We can prevent my future from coming true!`

　　 Indeed,` said Alex. Although, I have no more Phoenix Feathers. That was my last one. So if I, or any of us, die, from here on—that`s it. No coming back. At least until the afterlife&`

　　 There`s a chance we might still have been able to do it even without Alex& Horatio thought. Had nobody remembered that just before they had found the Feather they had been about to attempt to take on the tower by themselves?

　　 Well,` said Ross, what are we standing around here for, then?` He pointed. We need to get into that tower and get back the Sword, and stop Brax from being summoned!`

　　 Everyone nodded at that.

　　 I quite agree,` said Alex. Come on, everyone, let`s finally get to that tower.`

　　 The only problem was that the land between them and the tower was still thick with monsters, a group of which suddenly attacked them.

　　Battle 1