Chapter Two: The Repaired Castle
The kingdom of Reibart, only half a day's ship ride away, was quite different than when she and Fam had left it. When they had left by Lyle's request, the castle was a shambles, annihilated as a result of the mad mage-priest Rugudorull.
Lyle had fixed it up - to say the least.
Spires and silk; even the drawbridge had been cleaned up, it seemed. The stones of memory were around, but more bunched, a stain from the days of Rugudorull but less conspicuous - a graveyard of memories, reflected Ihrie with a smile, having the usual urge to meet her mentor again.
Startled of her thoughts by a soft nudge accompanied by a grin from Fam, she whistled appreciatively at the castle. "He really did go all out," she smiled. "I wonder what it's like inside..."
A squeak said that her friend was thinking the same.
The inside was not particularly different - it was the kind of toned-down elegance Lyle had always shown. Ihrie was tempted, for the first time in her memory, to actually call a castle handsome. It seemed like the castle had become Lyle's counterpart.
His throne room was no different - there were guards, but upon recognizing the two explorers, Lyle had dismissed them. Scarcely different than before, one thing did stand out - a twinkling light was his eyes, eerily close to the Spirits themselves. Fam squeaked, noticing and blushing just as quickly.
Lyle picked it up, giving merely a soft chuckle.
"So... how is it?" he asked in his Reybartan accent.
"The castle, or ourselves?"
Another laugh.
"You come first, you know."
Fam's blush increased, equal with her smile.
"I've missed you."
"Me too," came Fam's sheepish reply.
The two had a bit to catch up, Ihrie knew, friends or more - she headed to a nearby window, to lean and ponder. And get the usual yawn out... upon leaning, her eyes grew wide, the yawn coming out in a quick burst. It would be a while before her energy deterioted that much again.
"It's them. What're they doing here?"
Stepping into the castle courtyard were Rasha and Miguel.
And behind them, for whatever reason, Galuff and Gil.
Ihrie's head promptly dropped on the window frame, moaning softly. It took Fam a full minute to wander over, so intent was she talking with Lyle.
"You okay?"
Weakly, her friend tilted a finger down to the courtyard, moans still ensuing. Lyle walked over, chuckling lightly in the Famishly naive way he could. "It's them?"
"How'd you guess?" asked Ihrie, picking herself up gradually.
"It's not like you to act defeatist. There's only a few people I know that get you to do that," with a motion to the new arrivals.
"Isn't it the truth," muttered Ihrie irritably.
The kingdom of Reibart, only half a day's ship ride away, was quite different than when she and Fam had left it. When they had left by Lyle's request, the castle was a shambles, annihilated as a result of the mad mage-priest Rugudorull.
Lyle had fixed it up - to say the least.
Spires and silk; even the drawbridge had been cleaned up, it seemed. The stones of memory were around, but more bunched, a stain from the days of Rugudorull but less conspicuous - a graveyard of memories, reflected Ihrie with a smile, having the usual urge to meet her mentor again.
Startled of her thoughts by a soft nudge accompanied by a grin from Fam, she whistled appreciatively at the castle. "He really did go all out," she smiled. "I wonder what it's like inside..."
A squeak said that her friend was thinking the same.
The inside was not particularly different - it was the kind of toned-down elegance Lyle had always shown. Ihrie was tempted, for the first time in her memory, to actually call a castle handsome. It seemed like the castle had become Lyle's counterpart.
His throne room was no different - there were guards, but upon recognizing the two explorers, Lyle had dismissed them. Scarcely different than before, one thing did stand out - a twinkling light was his eyes, eerily close to the Spirits themselves. Fam squeaked, noticing and blushing just as quickly.
Lyle picked it up, giving merely a soft chuckle.
"So... how is it?" he asked in his Reybartan accent.
"The castle, or ourselves?"
Another laugh.
"You come first, you know."
Fam's blush increased, equal with her smile.
"I've missed you."
"Me too," came Fam's sheepish reply.
The two had a bit to catch up, Ihrie knew, friends or more - she headed to a nearby window, to lean and ponder. And get the usual yawn out... upon leaning, her eyes grew wide, the yawn coming out in a quick burst. It would be a while before her energy deterioted that much again.
"It's them. What're they doing here?"
Stepping into the castle courtyard were Rasha and Miguel.
And behind them, for whatever reason, Galuff and Gil.
Ihrie's head promptly dropped on the window frame, moaning softly. It took Fam a full minute to wander over, so intent was she talking with Lyle.
"You okay?"
Weakly, her friend tilted a finger down to the courtyard, moans still ensuing. Lyle walked over, chuckling lightly in the Famishly naive way he could. "It's them?"
"How'd you guess?" asked Ihrie, picking herself up gradually.
"It's not like you to act defeatist. There's only a few people I know that get you to do that," with a motion to the new arrivals.
"Isn't it the truth," muttered Ihrie irritably.