Act Ten: Leonora's Tale | The Tenacious Heart

Baron!? That was the kingdom overrun by monsters? Cecil…Rosa…Prince Ceodore…were they hurt in the attack, or…?

Palom looked away, crossing his arms over his chest. Leonora stared at him curiously, wondering what had vexed him. Of what little she knew of her trainer, she had certainly not expected him to show any kind of interest in affairs outside the immediate orbit of Planet Palom.

"Have the Epopts tried making contact…?" he asked softly. Leonora looked away, lowering her eyes to the floor.

"I was trying not to listen in on the conversation…it sounded grave, whatever it was. There are simply things I am not entitled to know about if I am not among their ranks, and I have to respect that."

Palom sighed, shaking his head. He begrudgingly realized that for now, he needed to focus on the task at hand – perhaps after Leonora became an Epopt, he could get some information out of her about Baron. He found it hard to believe that a few monster hordes could defeat the paladin Cecil and white mage Rosa – but maybe there was more to the story. That seemed to be the theme of the day, after all.

The taste left in his mouth from his visit with the Epopts had him highly suspicious of the Troian kingdom as a whole. The very existence of a Tower of Trials, and the way the Epopts had reacted when Palom had questioned why Leonora wasn't training in white magic – they simply hadn't seemed as surprised about Palom being tapped to train her than he felt they should have been. And if the situation in Baron was "grave", why had the Epopts not sent aid? The unknowns were driving him mad – it was all just inexplicable enough that he couldn't yet put the pieces of the puzzle together on his own.

Trying to push all of the distractions from his mind, Palom turned to face his charge. "Well, let's get to changing that, shall we? If you don't make it to the top of this tower, you're never going to become an Epopt."

Leonora nodded, her eyes still adjusting to the darkness of the chamber they had entered. "Y-yes…"

Palom took a better look at their surroundings. They were in a nearly-empty room, save for a few unlit torches hanging from the walls, and piles of wood resting at their feet. Around the corner, he could see a hallway twisting away from them, leading into an even deeper darkness. "Ready to start with your training?"

Leonora smiled hesitantly. "C-Certainly! Please, tell me what I need to do."

Palom stretched his arms behind his head, eyeing the firewood and the empty torches. "Let's begin with the basics. That would be Fire. You know what Fire is?"

She blinked. "What is it?"

Palom face-palmed. And when do I write this girl off as a lost cause? "…It's a fire attack."

"Er, yes. Of course," Leonora laughed softly. But Palom tuned away, shaking his head as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"...That's it."

Leonora gasped, bringing her hands to her face. "Wait...wh-what? That's it?"

Palom glared over his shoulder. "Come on, Leonora. I thought they said you had talent. The first thing you need with magic is the ability to project an image of the magic in question. That's part of the idea behind spell transcription, too. Clear your mind and create an image of pure fire. Then project it onto reality!" Palom raised his left hand, snapping his fingers. The three torches in front of them burst to life with golden-red flame, and Leonora clapped her hands together.

"Wow! That's amazing!"

Palom rolled his eyes. This was like talking to a five year-old. "Now you do it." He took one of the logs, drop kicking it toward Leonora. "Here's what you'll be practicing on. Now, go on!"

Leonora nodded, slowly closing her eyes as she folded her hands together. She began to mutter out loud, much to Palom's irritation. "O-o-okay! F... Fi... Fire... Scorching red flames, burning brightly... The searing fire of a furnace..."

She parted her hands, and a delicate, trembling flame burst above the log, but faded away to nothingness before it could even hit the wood. Leonora opened one eye, and sighed despondently.

"You couldn't set a piece of paper on fire with that," Palom frowned.

"...Yes, sir. I'll try my best."

She tried again, closing her eyes once more and muttering under her breath. Just as her hands started to feel so hot that she could barely stand the searing pain bubbling beneath her flesh, she thrust them forward, and a much larger flame erupted in mid-air, briefly lighting the entire chamber. It fell upon the log, catching fire for a few moments before burning out.

"Okay, that's enough!" Palom barked, and Leonora opened her eyes. He gave her a curt nod. "Okay, not bad. Now let's see how well you do in a real battle."

Leonora gulped. "A real battle!?"

"Training has no meaning if you can't do it in real life situations, right? Can you maintain your composure and visualize that image with a monster staring you down? That's the key."

Leonora looked away, tapping her finger on her cheek. "Maintain your composure...Contain your mainposure…Irk..."

Palom groaned. "You've lost it already, haven't you?"

"N-no!" Leonora cried, her face blushing embarrassedly. "I can do it!"

Palom took point, gesturing toward the walls of the hallway they were coming up upon. "Well, until we have such an opportunity, I want you to light every single torch on this floor." Leonora nodded, her smile returning.

"Yes, sir!"

As they walked, Leonora diligently lit each torch that they passed, although some took her several tries to get it right. Palom continued walking, expecting her to catch up on her own. As he turned the final corner in the twisted hallway, he was shocked to find a little red monster sitting on the floor in front of a stairwell, gazing up into nothingness.

It was a tiny thing – standing up, it would only reach Palom's knees – but Palom knew from his own training that the ferocity contained in their petite forms when provoked was unmatched by most other creatures. Resembling a child-like, sunburned human boy, the monster was called a Guardian – it wore a simple pair of red slacks and a red vest, along with a red stocking cap. Its dim black eyes shone with light when it was casting a spell, and its mouth, normally pressed shut since it would cast its magic telepathically, would only open to reveal rows of jagged, sharp teeth if it felt desperate enough to launch itself onto its enemy. You never wanted a battle with a Guardian to get to that point – you were better off running away if you didn't have a backup plan.

A Fire Guardian… Palom thought, quickly glancing behind him to see how Leonora was progressing with the torches. Several were still left unlit, and he could see she was trying not to get frustrated with the one she was currently failing to ignite. Her brows were knit together, and her lips were curled into a pout that was somewhat cute in the half-darkness. He looked back toward the monster, who still had not noticed them.

It's true that Guardians are good target practice for novice black mages – one weakness, and they can be easily subdued by an expert if things get out of control. But how would a regular Epopt who only knew white magic fight it? I doubt this little guy wandered into the tower on its own…

Leonora's breathy gasp blew against his ear, and he nearly screamed in shock, catching his breath just in time.

"What's that!?" Leonora whispered. Behind her, the remainder of the torches were burning triumphantly.

Palom cocked his head. He knew that if he scared Leonora too much, she would never agree to what he was going to propose next. Yet, he had to keep her on her toes – coddling would get her nowhere, even with her below-grade confidence level. He didn't want to make the same mistake with her that so many others had made with him – didn't want to give her the impression that the sun could shine out of her arse with a snap of her fingers. He installed a false assurance in his tone that made him want to roll his own eyes – but he had to make it seem like this was no big deal. "A Guardian. A Fire Guardian, to be precise. Here, you try fighting this one by yourself."

Leonora raised her hands to her face, but all he could see were swaths of silky fabric quivering. "B-by myself!?"

"Yeah, by yourself. Now, go on!" He grabbed her arm, tossing her forward.

Leonora took a few hesitant steps, and the Guardian glanced up at her, tilting his head. Palom could tell that so far, it wasn't registering Leonora as any kind of a threat, which was a good thing. Maybe in terms of Guardians, it was a little on the slow side? Leonora gulped, glancing back at Palom.

"Should I keep my eyes open, or closed?"

"Would you really stop to ask that during a battle?" Palom shook his head. "Do you know any white magic?"

"Y-Yes, of course…I am an Epopt candidate, after all…"

"Then do what you would normally do casting a white magic spell…only remember to think of fire!" He watched the Guardian, who had climbed to its feet – and its black eyes were beginning to sparkle. "And, er…maybe hurry it up if you don't want to be fried to a crisp."

Leonora gasped, whirling around and clenching her eyes shut as she thrust out her rod. "F-Fire!"

A torrent of flame encircled the Guardian, the crackling of the dancing light drowning out the monster's cries as it decomposed into a tiny pile of gray, glittering ashes. Leonora opened her eyes, and started to excitedly jump up and down, her eyes alit with happiness.

"I...I did it!"

Palom felt his lips twitch into a small smile as he watched her from behind, but kept his voice firm. "It's not something to be that excited about...That's just one of the building blocks you can eventually upgrade into higher-level magic."

Leonora spun around to face him, her face flushed. "H-higher-level magic?"

"Fira, and then Firaga. The more powerful the spell, the more you'll need to concentrate your energy."

Leonora nodded eagerly. "Of course! Just like Cura, Curaga and Curaja, right? I-I'll try to upgrade Fire, too!"

Palom shrugged. "Of course, most people give up at this point…"

But Leonora, ignoring his lecture, had already bolted up the stairs to the next level. Palom watched her go, pressing his fingers to his lips. These trials aren't appropriate for an Epopt…this tower is a training ground for black magic. The first floor would have been a labyrinth of darkness if you didn't know how to light the torches, and the Guardian would easily be able to take you by surprise. How could any white magic-wielding Epopt possibly make it to the top on her own? Even Porom would have had a hard time. Palom started to approach the stairwell when a piercing scream rang out from above. He felt his heart leap into his throat, his pulse quickening.

Leonora…!

Palom broke into a run, taking the stairs two at a time, and found himself in a new chamber with the same twisting halls as the last. But this time, instead of random piles of wood or unlit torches, he found Leonora's flickering shadow retreating from around a corner, her rod raised in front of her face as she clumsily stumbled backwards. A horde of skeletons was clamoring after her, each holding a chipped blade that shone in the lit sconces hanging from above.

"Leonora!" Palom cried. "The undead are weak against fire – stand your ground!"

"Ahhh!" Leonora sniffled. "I can't concentrate…They ambushed me!"

"You HAVE to!" Palom demanded, but even as he said it, he raised his left hand in preparation to strike.

"F-F-FIRE!" Leonora gasped, and swung her rod in a sweeping semi-circle. As flames began to spew out of the ruby orb atop her weapon, she also smashed one of the skeletons in the head, knocking it to the floor as the rest of its body ignited. The horde disappeared in another ashy heap, and Leonora covered her mouth with her sleeve, waving away the smoke and dust with her rod.

"Ugh…can't breathe…!"

"Easy now," Palom jogged over to Leonora, patting her back as she coughed. "Are you OK?" She nodded, her eyes red and watering from what Palom hoped was just the fumes from her spell. He dropped his hand from her back, which suddenly felt slick with sweat.

"Were you told there would be monsters like that?" Palom asked, and Leonora quickly shook her head.

"No…not at all. You heard same as I – that we merely needed to reach the top of the tower…"

Palom clenched his jaw as he spotted a pot at the end of the hall from where Leonora had fled from. In the barren, no-frills hall, it stood out like a flashing neon sign.

This is getting more and more problematic…

He grabbed Leonora's wrist, tugging her down the hall toward the pot as she gasped for air.

"Wh-what's that?" Leonora asked as he released her. The pot itself was nothing valuable – just an ancient clay piece that had not been treated kindly over the years – it was covered in cracks that had been hastily sealed with liquid gold or quicksilver, and was long-overdue for a fresh layer of glaze. But inside, there was a brightly-colored, sparkling blue liquid – and Palom cupped his hands within it, scooping some out and holding it to Leonora's pale face.

"Take a look."

Leonora leaned in, giving the liquid a careful sniff and gazing up at Palom. "It smells…rather revitalizing. Like someone just waved smelling salts under my nose."

Palom brought his hands to his lips, swallowing the liquid down. Leonora reached into the pot, mimicking him. She shuddered as it hit her mouth, but finished it all and exhaled deeply.

"Ugh! What is it? It tastes disgusting – but now I feel much better…?" Her eyes had become bright again, and her breathing slow and even.

"We mages are just regular people when we run out of mana," Palom explained. "Medicines that can restore our mana – like Ethers – are critical if we're going to be constantly casting spells. Otherwise, you have to rest your body to recharge your magical batteries, for lack of a better description. You can think of mana as the physical manifestation of your spiritual energy, a counterpart to the normal energy your body needs to function that you get from eating and sleeping. If you deplete your mana and you keep attempting to cast magic, you'll take energy away from your body. And if you keep doing that…" Palom dragged his finger across his throat, and Leonora blanched.

"I-I understand. I'll be careful about that! So, this is Ether?"

"This is an Elixir, actually," Palom frowned. "It's supposed to restore both your physical and spiritual energy. It's really expensive to buy – so to find a giant pot of it just waiting for us…" He raised his eyebrows. "…It's a little too much of a coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

"What do you mean?" Leonora blinked.

"The Fire Guardian…and now these monsters…I think they were all planted here for the Epopt candidates to fight."

"That's…impossible. There must be some sort of mistake," Leonora laughed nervously. "I'm certainly not saying I'm better than anyone else, but…I doubt any of my counterparts could possibly fight these horrible…things. It's like setting us up to f-fail."

Palom raised his eyebrows, and Leonora's smile faltered. Wordlessly, they continued down the hall until they reached the new stairway – and waiting for them was another Guardian – the same breed they had encountered on the floor below. It was laying on its stomach, kicking its legs back and forth as it stared at the ceiling.

"How convenient. One Guardian per floor," Palom smirked. "But you know what that means. You're up."

"M-me!?" Leonora gulped.

"Well, I'm not the one in training here, am I?"

"N-no, but..."

Palom pointed toward the Guardian. "Good luck, kid."

Leonora sighed and stepped forward, brandishing her rod once more. The Guardian glanced up at her curiously, and Leonora whispered softly.

"Blazing heat…sweat pours down my face…the sun glares in my eyes…"

Hurry it up…! Palom thought. The Guardian was starting to bare its fangs – whatever this one had picked up from Leonora's aura, it didn't like one bit.

It can sense the same power she harbors deep within that I felt when I first saw her eyes, Palom frowned. But she has no clue, does she?

"Fire!" Leonora cried with the most confidence Palom had heard yet, and the Guardian burst into flames, its cries muting as it crumbled into dust. She grinned, pumping her fist into the air. "I-I did it, Lord Palom!" She glanced back at him, her smile fading when she saw the cross look in his eyes. "I-I mean, Palom!"

Palom shrugged. This is just the beginning, dear. "That was passable…at best."

Leonora huffed and rested her hands on her hips. "Black magic is certainly harder to learn than white magic."

Palom started to climb the now-clear stairwell, not exactly excited about what they might find on the next level of the tower. "It's not a matter of difficulty. Most people are just better suited towards one or the other. That's why you get called a Sage if you've mastered both black and white magic." He paused mid-step, and Leonora nearly smacked into him – she had quietly drifted behind him as he had begun his ascent. Whirling around, he grasped her shoulders, and she squeaked in protest.

"Wait a minute! That isn't what you're training to become, is it!?"

Leonora gasped, looking up at him. "What? Oh...of course not! Never in my wildest dreams!" She looked away, biting her lip. "I just wanted to become an Epopt…I had no idea any of this would be involved…" She let out a trembling sigh, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "But I'm not going to give up. I'm sure with you as my teacher, I'll make it to the top of the tower."

Palom released her shoulders, turning away. He could feel a rush of heat running up the back of his neck, and for a moment, he felt ashamed that he had even questioned her.

And so what if she had wanted to become a sage? What was it to him? If he thought about it too long, he didn't like the answer that whispered to him from deep within his heart of hearts. She has the potential, does she not? So few people do…

Palom let out a snort. "...That's what I thought. Let's continue."

Leonora reached up, touching her hand to where Palom had been gripping her shoulder. She could still feel the imprint of his fingers on her skin through the sleeve of her robe.

As they progressed upward through the tower, Palom decided it was time to move on to a new spell – Blizzard. They ran into another gang of monsters – this time, a pack of Red Mousse. They were members of the Flan family, which meant they were glistening, sticky blobs of slime impervious to most weapons. Given the chance, they were known to suffocate their enemies if they managed to knock them over, but were otherwise easily dispatched with a low level magic spell.

Slaying all of the Red Mousse except one so that they couldn't gang up on the two of them, Palom then proceeded to cast Stop, and froze the creature in place. He turned to Leonora, who was watching with unabashed deference.

"A b-blizzard spell is ice magic?" Leonora twirled her rod anxiously.

"Right, but don't think about ice when you cast it. Think about the feeling of cold itself." He nodded toward the stopped Red Mousse. "Practice on this."

She nodded, closing her eyes. "The cold itself? Mmm... Cold air... Cold... Cold... Cold!" Her voice raised with each exclamation, and she wrapped her arms around herself, hopping like a child who had just fallen into a snow pile and had gotten a cold surprise in their knickers.

Palom grimaced. "You got the idea...even if you are scaring me a little."

"Cold... Cold..." Leonora scrunched her face up in thought, and thrust out her hands. "Blizzard!"

A whirlwind of snow flakes and ice crystals swirled around the Red Mousse, drenching it in ice and shattering it into diamond dust before their eyes. Leonora squealed, and Palom gave a nod of approval.

"There. You're starting to get it."

"I...I think so…!" Leonora breathed, gazing down at her hands.

"But that is one seriously creepy face you're making…"

They crossed the third and fourth floors of the tower, encountering yet more monsters that Palom continued to assist in slaying. It seemed that the higher they got, the stronger the monsters became – even he couldn't bring himself to make Leonora try to take all of them on by herself. As much as he hated to admit it, he was barely managing to keep up on his own – and that pot of healing Elixir seemed so far away now. But when they reached the end of the fourth floor's pathway, Palom was not surprised to see that yet another Guardian was waiting for them – this time, instead of being head-to-toe in red, it was dressed in blue and had pale white skin. Leonora tilted her head and turned to face Palom.

"Um, you'd like me to handle this one too, right?"

"Of course. Now, just keep that creepy face of yours going, and you'll be done in no time."

Leonora screwed her face back up, and Palom had to pinch himself to keep from laughing – he didn't want her to think he was starting to go soft. She stepped forward, and before the Ice Guardian could register her appearance, she had cast Blizzard and obliterated it with one hit – it wasn't the most powerful Blizzard spell that had ever been cast, but it did the trick. She spun around, clapping her hands.

"I...I did it!"

"Are you seriously trying here?" Palom frowned, and Leonora stopped dancing about, lowering her hands and biting down on her lip. For a few moments, she had truly looked radiant with happiness and seemed excited about her mission – but his words had handily decimated any trace of euphoria.

"I'm sorry..."

Palom rubbed the back of his head. That came out a little rougher than I intended… "I'm not looking for an apology or anything…"

But what exactly am I looking for? For her to struggle more? Why am I here if she can do this on her own, after all?

Leonora shuffled to Palom's side, delicately resting her hands over his. "I'll try even harder from now on! So...so teach me more, Palom! Please!"

Palom eyed her hands warily, but didn't pull away. "Can I ask you a question, then?"

"Y-yes, what is it?"

"An Epopt shouldn't need to know black magic for her job. So why are you so set on learning this stuff?"

Leonora frowned, her eyes drifting up toward the stairwell that would take them to the fifth floor. "I, er... want to further my mind and spirit."

Oh really? Palom smirked, keeping his eyes locked onto hers. He could tell by the way she had started to twitch that he was making her uncomfortable – and one thing Leonora definitely did not have a talent for was lying. He thought it was funny that she and his twin had the same tells – they couldn't bear to look someone in the eye if they were even slightly wavering from the truth. For him, telling a lie was as easy as describing the weather outside his window – he could even convince himself of his own falsehoods. "Troia's a peaceful nation. Its Epopts aren't supposed to be fighting battles. But there's something weird going on in this land... you know?"

Leonora still wouldn't look at him – he leaned in, clutching her fingers and hissing in her ear.

"This ringing a bell for you at all?"

Leonora closed her eyes, letting her fingers go limp in his. After a few moments that were so rife with tension, a monster could have waltzed right up to them and elicited nary a reaction – Palom dropped her hand, and she immediately clutched it to her chest.

"Don't want to talk about it, I see," Palom said quietly. With that, he turned and started marching up the stairs. Leonora followed him silently, and when they reached the new floor, they found themselves once more completely submerged in darkness – but this time, there were no torches on the wall to be lit, or firewood lying about. Palom slowly felt his way over to the walls, and his palms pressed against something cold and flat – it felt like a sheet of metal.

"I think there are windows here," Palom frowned, "But they're being covered by something." Leonora started to approach him, but let out a cry, falling to the floor in a heap of fabric.

"O-Ouch! I tripped…"

"On what?" Palom asked dryly, not lifting his fingers from their spot on the wall. She rolled onto her side, rubbing the throbbing top of her foot with one hand and feeling around blindly with the other. Her hand brushed over a metal box, no bigger than a few inches wide. Leaning in closer, she could see snaking wires emerging from within, and as her fingers traced over them, she realized they were running toward Palom.

"It's some kind of mechanical device," Leonora blinked. "There are wires that are going in your direction." Palom dragged the toe of his boot along the floor and found that she was right – a set of wires was indeed there, and they appeared to be crawling up the wall toward the window.

Of course, Palom thought. There is no doubt now – this was definitely meant for someone who knows black magic.

Leonora pulled herself up, reaching to adjust her miter, which had nearly fallen off from her tumble. "So...next up is Thunder, right?"

Palom raised his eyebrows. Maybe she was starting to think like a black mage after all? "Yeah. Let's get started. In your mind, I want you to think of the most terrible storm you have ever been in. How fiercely did your house shake when the thunder rolled through? What color was the lightning as it illuminated the night sky? When the rain crashed against your window, what did it sound like?"

Leonora closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Thunder... Rain Clouds... Lightning!" The air around her had started to become heavy with humidity, and she could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck standing up from the tingling static electricity that had embraced her form. Slamming her rod down to the floor, there was a loud crash from above, and when her eyes snapped back open, Palom could see a ghostly light pouring from them, like twin lanterns.

"Thunder!" Leonora called, and a shower of lightning shot down from above, colliding with the device at her feet and causing it to pop from the floor, sparks erupting. The metal under Palom's fingers began to slide away, and he quickly jerked his hand back, watching as the plate on the wall rolled away and revealed a full-length window, golden-red dying sunlight pouring in and illuminating the rest of the chamber. Other metal shutters down the hall followed suit, the banging as they flew open echoing in the distance. It was revealed that the chamber floor was filled with snaking wires, all of them now quietly humming with electricity.

"You're certainly getting into the swing of things now," Palom said, and Leonora beamed.

"Thank you very much!"

"Don't get too confident. This is usually the point where people let their egos sink them."

Leonora nodded – their awkward moment in the chamber below forgotten in the excitement of learning a new spell. "Er, yes. I understand!"

Palom took the lead, and they exited the fifth floor and made their way to the next stairwell unscathed. As soon as they crossed the threshold to the sixth floor, a wild crackling could be heard in the air – like someone had severed all of the wires below and let them flail about. The air was so dry and alit with static that Palom felt a painful shock run up his arm when his hand brushed against Leonora's robe.

Leonora pressed her lips together. "Is that…a Thunder Guardian, perhaps?"

"Feels like several," Palom frowned. "Taking them all on at once is going to be harder than anything you've fought so far."

"I won't let my ego get the best of me!" Leonora smiled. "We're close…I can feel it. I simply cannot give up now."

"Don't tell me. Show me," Palom turned away and continued forward, Leonora scampering after him to keep up with his long strides. Sure enough, at the end of the spiraling hallway, a group of three Thunder Guardians were brawling in golden yellow clothes – the spells they had been casting on each other had been charging the air around them with the intense electrical pressure they had felt.

Leonora's eyes followed each Guardian as they threw themselves on top of each other, sinking their fangs into various limbs and flying into walls as they shot each other with Thunder spells. Palom stood a few feet away, wondering what she was going to do. If it were his choice, he would fry them all with a single Thundaga spell and call it a day – they wouldn't have had time to even blink. But obviously, that was an impossibility with Leonora at the helm.

"If I attack one, the other two might come after me," Leonora sighed warily. "I'm not fast enough to take the others down right after the first."

"True," Palom nodded. She's starting to at least think strategically...

Leonora's knuckles were turning white from how tightly she was clenching her rod. Palom could hear the delicate silver rings that were hanging from the ruby orb jingling against each other – her hands were shaking again. "…Perhaps I can strike them all at once with a Thunder spell. It must be similar to casting a Cure spell on all of your allies, correct?"

"It is similar. Your spell will be weakened by having multiple targets, though – you have to focus even more of your energy."

"Okay!" Leonora nodded, and stepped forward. "I-I'll concentrate as hard as I possibly can!" The three Guardians snapped to attention when she spoke up – six eyeballs glared at the petite menace that had materialized before them. Deep growls rose from their throats, and sparks ignited from their lifeless ebony eyes.

"Watch yourself!" Palom cried.

But it was too late – before he had finished his warning, the three Guardians simultaneously cast a barrage of Thunder spells. Leonora closed her eyes, raising a hand in the air as her body became enveloped in a shimmering rainbow aura that the lightning bounced off of – and then came crashing back down upon the perpetrators.

A Reflect spell! Palom was taken aback. She's that advanced as a white mage…?

She opened her eyes as the Guardians were assaulted with their own attacks, howling in protest as they fell to the floor in a frenzied heap. Grasping her rod with two hands, Leonora raised it high in the air as she cast a Thunder spell of her own, the bolt drawn into her rod and igniting the ruby orb atop it as she swung it down and released the magic upon the Guardians. In a flash of light, they exploded into dust that rained upon the two mages, and the battle was over.

Leonora flicked away the sweat that was pouring down her forehead, tilting her chin in relief as a nervous giggle escaped her lips. "...I did it!"

Palom could only stare at the back her head, rendered speechless. So…this is the kind of power you can wield when you have control over both white and black magic…

Leonora turned toward him, her smile so luminescent that it could have lit every floor in the tower. Palom tried to wipe the stupid look off his face, and forced his features to fall into their default look of indifference. Even so, Leonora remained aglow with joy.

He cleared his throat. "Well, you've now officially mastered the basics of black magic. But don't think that's the end of it. You've only just made it to the starting line."

"Y-yes, Palom!" Leonora exclaimed. He tapped his finger against his forearm, shaking his head.

"Black magic is all about knowing the properties of things. Their weaknesses and strengths. Which magic works best against what type of target – you need to have that knowledge drilled into you to be effective with your new spells. The most powerful form of any element will do nothing if you are using it against a monster that is invulnerable."

Leonora nodded. "Y-yes...it's all a matter of training, I suppose."

Palom clicked his tongue against the roof his mouth. "That's right, and if you don't have a natural talent for it, you'll just have to work that much harder."

She pushed her hair away from her face – her eyes were as intense and determined as ever as they pierced into Palom. "Understood…" Palom gestured for her to move forward, and she turned and disappeared up the stairs, with him following closely behind.

Unlike the previous floors of the tower, the seventh level was a singular chamber, with no hallways and no signs of any monsters or traps. A cathedral-style ceiling rose high above them with finely polished oak rafters, and sunlight drifted through rows of stained-glass windows, resulting in an explosion of rainbow colors on the floor that illuminated Leonora's robes as she crossed down the aisle way, draped in creamy woven silk carpets. Standing before them was a broad gray marble plinth shaped like a tombstone. A sparkling emerald was inlaid at the top, with a short paragraph of words etched in the stone beneath it. Palom looked to the left and the right, and crossed his arms.

"This looks like the top floor. There's nowhere else to go…"

Leonora smiled, clasping her hands together. "Y-yes, it is!" She ran to the plinth, pressing her palms against it like a child staring into the window of a toy store and reading the inscription silently. Palom snuck up behind her, and let out a bark of laughter.

"Let's see here..."The Monastic Seal is the very words etched on this plinth..." Now that's really stupid. So simply getting here is good enough?"

He was so amused by his observation that he didn't notice Leonora's shoulders twitch beneath him.

"If that's all you need to do to be a Troian Epopt, then you have to wonder what kind of..."

Leonora lowered her head, screwing her eyes shut as her fingers curled against the plinth. Her ponytail slid over her shoulder, gently rustling against her silken robes. "Stop it! Please!" Her plea had started out as a choked whisper, but the word "please" had escalated to a raspy, threatening wail.

Palom blinked, taking a step back. Leonora pressed her forehead against the plinth, and he watched as a single tear escaped between her lashes and slid down her cheek.

"You can say whatever you want to about me. I don't care! But when it comes to the Epopts... I won't just stand here and let you insult them right in front of my face!" She took a deep breath, lifting her head and turning to face Palom. He swallowed nervously, his stomach flipping like he was back on the sea, being tossed about in that horrible storm that had driven them off course. Her cheeks were stained the same pink as the sunset outside, and her eyes were glistening as more tears fell. She took a step toward him, but he couldn't bring himself to move – or look away. If another slap was coming, then so be it.

"Leonora..."

But instead of raising her hand to strike, she brought it to her lips, which had become stained with her tears. "I love how gentle and kind everyone in Troia has been me since I returned. Maybe it doesn't seem like much to some magical prodigy like you, but…!"

Palom shook his head. "Ah, sorry...I wasn't trying to make fun of them..."

Leonora turned away, her eyes searching the stained-glass windows as she blinked away her tears. "I had lived in Troia when I was child – we sought asylum there after our village had been overrun with monsters thanks to the war – and the Epopts granted us permission to stay. But after the war ended, my parents both wanted to start over somewhere quiet and remote, like our village had been before it was wiped off the map. We moved away, but I never forgot how in awe I was of the Troian Epopts and how they had saved us when we had had nowhere else to go. I felt a spark come alive inside of me that I had never felt before – it was the birth of my dream."

Palom stared down at his feet, trying to ignore the beginning throes of penitence that were pulsing feverishly in his chest. Leonora still had not bothered to look at him – he idly wondered if the sight of him disgusted her now.

"When I was sixteen, my parents decided that if I were serious about becoming an Epopt, then there was no choice but for me to return to Troia. We packed up everything we had, and made our way back once again…and it was like we had never left. I was accepted as an Epopt trainee, and never once was I treated like an outsider, or ridiculed for my lack of abilities compared to the other girls who had formal white magic training." She arched a brow in Palom's direction, and he felt his face flush.

Leonora…you're so defensive of the Epopts because they changed the course of your life at its darkest. You wonder where you would be without them – if you would had ever found another dream so powerful that it coursed within your very blood. You can't imagine what it must be like to move aimlessly and painfully through each day without purpose – not even feeling like you have control over your own destiny. You are sure it feels worse than death itself, even though you'd have no way of really knowing – it's just what you can feel within your soul. Right?

"Listen..." Palom sighed, shoving his hands into his coat pockets – suddenly they felt so awkward and twitchy that he didn't know what to do with them. "You're probably a lot better off without any natural talent anyway. If you're a prodigy, then all that happens is you get lazy and quit pushing yourself to improve. You've worked hard your entire life…and it shows."

Leonora blinked, looking up at him, her eyes hazy with despondency. "Palom...?"

He shook his head. "I'm just saying, don't let yourself be satisfied with where you are now, okay? Anyway, let's head back. You've got an Epopt post to fill."

Leonora nodded thoughtfully. "...Okay."

"And…" Palom finally looked at her, feeling his throat tighten as his eyes found hers, "…You should care what I – and others – say about you. And not just because you're an Epopt now. It's…" He cut himself off as Leonora stared expectantly. Even half-way across the world, he could hear Porom's shrill voice in his ear berating him for treating Leonora badly, and see the ever-present disappointment in her eyes – she had always been his living, breathing reflection, so he knew whatever he saw in her eyes were not only her sentiments, but his own as well. The thought of his twin simultaneously filled him with resentment and a yearning to be with the one person on this planet who truly understood him, even the things about him he still couldn't bring himself to accept.

But when he looked into Leonora's eyes, strangely serene yet pulsing with sleeping power, he saw absolutely nothing mirrored from his twisted self within – and it was glorious. He ran his fingers through his hair, smiling slightly.

"…It's because if you don't respect yourself, how will you ever expect anyone else to?"

Leonora parted her lips as if to say something, but decided against it and pressed them back together. She glanced back at the plinth a final time, and let out a quiet sigh.

"Shall I Teleport us out of here?" she asked softly. Palom nodded, and she wordlessly took his arm, closing her eyes. They disappeared in a flash of light, and the tower's doors slammed shut behind them as they reappeared at the base of the steps that had previously led them inside.

The pair returned to Troia in silence, the occasional cooing of the chocobo the only noise that rose above the leaves and brush being crushed beneath the bird's feet as it sprinted back through the forest. With his task complete, Palom's mind had started to drift back to Baron's current state – or rather, the lack of knowledge about its current state. He wondered how soon Leonora would be briefed on the situation, and if she would be willing to spill the details. He figured a little bit of information was a fair trade for getting someone up to speed in the basics of black magic, but he doubted she felt that way, based on the silent treatment he was now getting.

I guess I didn't exactly apologize for my remarks about the Epopts, but…I thought I gave her a pretty good pep talk. I just don't get women.

At the castle, the pearly moonlight illuminated their path as Leonora led the way, heading straight for the Epopts' chamber with her head held high and a confidence in her gait that made her seem like an entirely new woman. The guards wordlessly opened the doors for the two of them, and Leonora and Palom stepped inside, interrupting the Epopts' chatter. The seven of them turned to stare at their guests, eyes wide.

"I have returned from the Tower of Trials," Leonora announced, sweeping into a curtsey. Palom stood to the side, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Ah, Leonora. You're back rather soon," the eldest Epopt curtseyed back to her quickly as she spoke. Soon?! Palom thought. It's nearly nightfall. How long were they expecting this to take!? "And the Monastic Seal...?"

"Yes," Leonora raised her right hand, like she was taking an oath. "I touched the tower's stone plinth with this very hand."

The other Epopts murmured among themselves as their de facto leader nodded. "Very good. I knew you had the right sort of potential within yourself."

Leonora turned toward Palom, and much to his surprise, offered a grateful smile. "No...it was all thanks to Palom." The Epopts smiled slightly and nodded to each other behind Leonora's back – like they had expected this outcome all along. Palom raised his eyebrows.

He thought back to his conversation with the Epopts before they had left, and how they had been "surprised" Palom couldn't train Leonora in white magic. It seems that it wasn't just the Elder who had a plan by sending me here...no, the Epopts wanted a black mage all along. But why?!

He smirked, stepping forward with his fingers laced behind his head. The Epopts' secretive reactions had piqued his interest in this little mission once again – he realized that depositing Leonora back at the castle as an officially-sanctioned Epopt wasn't quite the end of the road. He had done what everyone wanted – and now he wanted answers.

"Well, I should say so. If Porom were here instead of me, Leonora would've come back here in a coffin."

"Huh...?" Leonora blinked.

"What do you mean by that, Lord Palom?" another Epopt asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her voice had taken on a low, warning tone that was just subtle enough for Palom to acknowledge and then conveniently ignore.

Palom shook his head, jabbing his finger accusingly toward the lot of them. "Why does the Tower of Trials have monsters and Guardians and all that inside? An Epopt candidate would never survive to reach the plinth without black magic. Did you knowingly send Leonora into a deathtrap?"

The Epopts said nothing in reply. Leonora looked between Palom and her country's leaders, dismay filling her features and draining her pale complexion of what little color she normally carried. He continued his line of questioning, his voice getting recklessly louder with each new word. "Why do the Epopts need black magic? Why does Troia need it, for that matter?"

The eldest Epopt sighed and held up her hand to silence him. "Enough, Lord Palom. We Troians need a way to protect ourselves. It's as simple as that."

Palom shrugged. "What, are you saying your crystal might get swiped again?" The Epopt's lips curled into a tight sneer.

"There is always the possibility of that. We have reports from across the globe about a certain kingdom engaging in suspicious behavior. We decided to be proactive in our defenses this time around."

Palom shook his head. The idea of the crystals being stolen again was so ludicrous in this unprecedented era of peace that he almost had to laugh. "Oh? Which kingdom is that?"

The Epopt said nothing, and Leonora looked at Palom, pleading with her eyes for him to stop. He tilted his head, suddenly picking up on what the Epopt had said: "…This time around".

"You don't mean..."

"Yes. We are speaking of Baron," the Epopt hissed, and Palom gasped.

"What!? You've got to be kidding me!"

The Epopt shook her head. "This is unfortunately the truth, Lord Palom." Leonora lowered her head, and Palom turned on his heel, glaring over his shoulder at the group of women.

"That's ridiculous...Cecil'd never do anything like that!"

Palom bolted out of the chamber, the doors slamming shut behind him. Leonora gasped, calling out after his retreating form.

"Palom...?"

But the doors didn't open again – he was long gone.

Leonora bit her lip, turning toward the Epopts. "Please excuse him. He must be tired from his long journey. It's my fault for giving him a great deal of trouble."

The eldest Epopt sighed. She knew full-well that wasn't the case – but she was not sure if Leonora quite understood the ramifications of what had just been said. She decided she was not the right person to explain to her – she would leave it up to Lord Palom, if he had not already left to do something foolish. The Elder had warned her that he was a bit of a firecracker, but she hadn't expected anything like this. "Leonora. I'm sure you are tired as well. Feel free to go. Take this time to rest your body."

Leonora nodded. She still had so many questions of her own, but she knew now was not the time to ask, and took the offer of rest for what it was – a dismissal. "...Yes. Thank you." She turned and fled the chamber, stopping to speak to the guards stationed outside.

"Did you see Lord Palom?" she asked, and they pointed toward a set of stairs that would take her to the eastern wing of the castle. Leonora thanked them, hurrying up the stairs and nearly running right past Palom, who had not gone very far at all. He was leaning over a balcony, his cheek resting against his hand as he stared up at the twin moons looking above. The sounds of babbling fountain water below and the soft, idle chatter of several guardswomen could be heard in the distance, and Leonora approached cautiously, her soft, feathery voice whispering unnervingly into Palom's ear as her eyes locked onto the moons too, a shudder wracking her form.

"Palom...I'm sorry."

He didn't turn around, but she saw him shift his weight. His body had pressed slightly back into hers, but she didn't step aside. "You don't need to apologize for anything. But, at least tell me how much you knew."

Leonora frowned. "But…I-I knew nothing."

"Oh yeah? Then why did you act so weird in the tower when I asked you why you wanted to learn black magic? No offense, but you're a terrible liar. Your entire body is practically a tell."

Leonora flushed, suddenly very conscious of how close Palom was to her, and took a step back. "I wasn't lying. I just omitted a detail I didn't feel comfortable sharing with you." Palom laughed bitterly.

"Right. I guess the guy dragged into this mess with you has no right to know what is actually going on. Even the Elder kept me in the dark about why he sent me here. I'm just the tool that's the means to an end, right? It doesn't matter how I feel."

Leonora exhaled sharply. How did he always manage to find the sorest part of a wound and stick his finger right in it?

"Since you feel that way, I'll tell you the rest. It was true that I wanted more magical training – and it honestly didn't matter to me whether it was white or black magic. But apparently, one mattered more to the Epopts than the other. When they said they wanted to nominate me to fill the Epopt post because of my talents, they were merely referring to my potential to successfully cast black magic." She closed her eyes, her voice starting to shake as the bile rose in her throat. "That is the only thing that seemingly distinguishes me from the other candidates. Even so, they never told me that I would need black magic to survive the Tower of Trials itself. With the eighth Epopt ill, perhaps they were desperate for me to start training to see if I truly had the capability they were seeking out – so they must have asked the Elder to send you instead of Porom."

Palom frowned. "That was it? You could have just told me that the Epopts wanted you to learn it. I mean, that much was obvious from the first floor of the tower. No one without black magic would have made it to that plinth."

Leonora sniffled. "But you just said it yourself…that you were the tool that was the means to an end, right? That's how I feel as well – it's humiliating! Now I'll never know if I was nominated due to my dedication to the Epopts, or if it was just because they thought I had the potential to wield black magic. When you told me at the top of the tower that it was better not to have natural talent…for the first time, I thought for sure it had been my tireless efforts that had gotten me this far…your words comforted me. But to hear with my own ears that Troia needs black magic to fight a war…now I'm back to not knowing what to think."

Palom draped his forearms over the balcony, folding his hands together. He couldn't believe what he was hearing – for the Epopts to have encouraged Leonora to learn black magic, but keep her in the dark about why she needed it for her future post – it was too cruel. Even though she had kept her head up throughout the Tower of Trials, he could still tell that she had been terrified and confused the entire time. He let out a tired sigh.

"It was wrong of them to not tell you why you needed to learn black magic. Maybe the Epopts do need a way to protect themselves and the crystal. After all, there's no real reason why any nation should not have access to black magic if they have the responsibility of keeping a crystal safe – I can understand that. But I refuse to believe what they said about Baron…or Cecil…"

Leonora blinked. "King Cecil…is a friend of yours?"

Palom shook his head. "Friend isn't really the right word. He…he changed Porom and I's lives. I used to think it was for the worse…after we traveled the world with Cecil, Mysidia suddenly felt so small to me, and Porom started to get more and more serious – like she had grown-up overnight. But it took me a really long time to realize that if it hadn't been for Cecil, I would have never met Sage Tellah, and I would have never started down the path I'm on – or at least, the path I'm trying to get on." He blew his hair out of his eyes, still staring ahead.

"And Cecil is like…the one adult in my life who hasn't let me down yet. My parents are gone. The Elder…well, to keep things polite, I'll just say he and I don't see eye-to-eye on anything. I discovered long ago that my own twin sister doesn't believe in me. And Tellah…he's my hero, but…" Palom looked down at his hands – he hadn't realized they were shaking. "…I know now he was in a really dark way when he died. It's not something we'll ever be able to talk about…I'll never know the truth from his lips about what happened."

And without that, how will I be able to recognize if the same thing is happening to me now? The Elder, and Porom…I think they hate me too much after everything that has happened to ever help me if things start to go wrong…

Oh, Palom… Leonora felt her lower lip quiver. You are aching terribly inside, aren't you? I guess even a prodigy can have problems magic can't solve. She touched his shoulder, and was surprised to feel his muscles relax under her fingertips. She had no idea what to say – the words just started bubbling out. "Palom, I don't know King Cecil like you do, but…I am absolutely sure he would be happy to hear that you have such faith in him. And you must continue to preserve that faith even in times of doubt such as these. It sounds like he is as important to you as the Epopts are to me."

He continued to stare listlessly ahead, and Leonora wondered if he had even heard her – or maybe she had just spouted nonsense. "A-are you all right? Perhaps you're just tired, Palom. We should probably both get some rest..."

Finally, Palom stood up, and Leonora dropped her hand from his shoulder. "Yeah." He couldn't bring himself to spend the night on that damned ship – there was going to be plenty of that when he had to go back. Leonora gestured for him to follow her, and they left the balcony and climbed up another set of stairs, padding down a long, carpeted hallway.

Leonora pushed a door open, revealing a rather large room with several windows that had curtains drawn shut over all of them, and only a few candles were lit on the wall sconces. A set of beds with stark white sheets was lined up against the back wall, and despite the presence of a large bouquet of flowers, the air had a sterile, sharp antiseptic smell permeating it. It made Palom's nostrils burn as he breathed it in and gave him a headache.

"Here, feel free to use this room as you like," Leonora said, and Palom wrinkled his nose.

"Man, what's that smell?"

Leonora blinked. "Er…This is the castle's infirmary."

Palom looked around. In the corner, he could see a large, locked chest, which he imagined stored all sorts of dreadful medical instruments, and a desk piled with thick, boring-looking books. "Okay, that makes sense then. I guess you want to cure this filthy mouth of mine."

Leonora smiled slightly. "Troia Castle is usually off limits to men, so this was the only room I think would be appropriate. The rules have gotten a bit stricter in the past few years."

Palom shrugged. "No matter – a bed is a bed. You've got to be tired too by now. Get some sleep already."

"...All right." Leonora watched as Palom sat on one of the beds, bouncing around for a few moments before deeming it satisfying and kicking off his boots. He rolled himself into a tangled mess within the sheets and closed his eyes. She pressed her lips together, dithering in the threshold. "Um...I..."

Palom opened his eyes, looking at her. She was twisting a lock of hair around her finger, staring at the floor. Finally, she rested her hand on the door, pushing it back open.

"…Good night."

She slipped away, latching the door shut behind her. Palom closed his eyes again, alarmed by the hammering of his heart that he could hear pulsing within his ear. It was if someone was sitting next to him, banging a drum.

Outside the infirmary, Leonora closed her eyes, leaning against the rough stone wall behind her and turning her head so that her cheek pressed directly into the cool slab. And...thank you, Palom. She stood there for a few moments, trying to banish the fever that had crept beneath her skin.

As Palom drifted to sleep, he tried to shove thoughts about Tellah, the Elder, Porom…and even Leonora out of his head and completely clear his mental slate, but his mind was still racing a million miles a minute and crackling with intrigue about the Epopts' warnings about Baron. He had never been good at meditating – Porom had always been able to so easily fall into a trance when she needed to focus, and could never seem to teach him her secrets. He eventually chalked it up to her brain's default state of having nothing better to do than drift into oblivion, which made him feel slightly better even if it pissed her off when he told her so.

Palom rolled to his other side, simultaneously shivering and trying to find a cool patch in the bed that he hadn't yet imprinted with the searing heat of his body.

There was a time when Baron took away the crystals by force, no doubt about that...Cecil himself took the Water Crystal away from Mysidia, no less. But that was all the work of Golbez, in the end. And now Golbez is gone...he went away with the moon.

…Wait a second!

Palom shot up in bed, his eyes wide as he gasped for air. He had felt like something heavy and cold had been trembling in his arms – but whatever it had been was only a dream, and he had awoken empty-handed. He reached over, roughly tugging at the nearest curtain that was hanging from the window over his bed. The sky was the bright blue with the promise of a new day, and the twin moons still hung stubbornly above – the new one even bigger than it had been last night. Palom was sure that in only a few days, it would eclipse the size of their normal moon – that couldn't be good.

"The moon! That's it!" Palom hissed under his breath, kicking at the sheets he had trapped himself under until they fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. He bent over, hurriedly tugging his boots on and cursing as his fingers shook while trying to lace them.

I can't stay here anymore! I've got to get to Baron – I have no doubt of it now – Cecil is in danger! Palom finally tugged the laces taut and stood up, grabbing his rod from where he had deposited it next to the headboard. He was about to take hold of the door's latch when it flew open, causing him to scream in shock and leap a foot in the air. Standing before him was Leonora, her eyes wide and her chest heaving with labored breath. It was obvious she had gotten dressed in a hurry – her clothes were askew and her miter was already hanging half-way down her head. Locks of hair were hanging loose from her ponytail, like she had slept that way and hadn't bothered brushing it when she woke up.

"Palom...!" she cried, grasping his hands. He blinked, surprised at how his first emotion had been elation for getting to say good-bye to her, rather than annoyance of her getting in his way.

"What is it!?" Palom gasped, and Leonora looked away, biting her lip. He could feel her hands trembling in his, and noticed the dark circles that had overtaken her eyes.

"Ah...I'm sorry if I woke you up. I…You might not believe me about this, but..."

"What is it?" Palom asked again, trying to be gentle, but felt his normal abrasive edge starting to creep back into his tone. Time is of the essence…! If I don't hurry…

Leonora whimpered, finally forcing herself to look back up at him.

"The Crystal of Earth...It's afraid."