Zeal!
Ch 14
Moaning, Eä sat up rubbing her sore temples. Her surroundings hazed for few moments, then made themselves concrete. The results made her start and shakily force herself up from under the small tree. She was back home. Granted, there was something very odd about it; maybe it was the odd shade of blue everything had seemed to have taken since she had last remembered seeing them, or that all of the people who had been playing about her were frozen in mid air, but she was indeed home. Looking down at her feet, she saw the ball that had started this whole little dream of hers. It MUST have been a dream... She bent to pick it up, but it wouldn't budge from its spot. After a few minutes of fruitless straining, she gave up and searched the vicinity for anything familiar. Her clothes were back, her sketchbook was at her feet, and Cyrus was a few feet away, his tail flicking back and forth almost challenging her to move. A familiar voice cut in from behind as she knelt to embrace her unhappy cat, filling her eyes with tears.
"It's about time you woke up. I've been waiting here for hours..."
She spun about to find her assumption correct, and ran to Cyrus to be enveloped in his arms. Crying on his shoulder, she tried fragmenting her words together to form a coherent question to ask him amidst her puzzlement and confused emotions.
"Cyrus... I thought you were... I... How did I- we get here? Are you alright? Am I just hallucinating this, or are you really here? You seem fine, and yet I saw... I thought I saw... and Glenn said..." He smiled and gave her chin a gentle pinch.
"I've come to say goodbye, my lady. I'm afraid I'm not coming back, but I was permitted to call on you while you were asleep to say my farewells. I must go, my love, but I just wanted to say that I loved you and I'm sorry for not listening to you. You told the truth, and you tried to save my life, and for that I am grateful. I will never forget you, my lady of the other world, and I will watch over you forever. Take heed though... There are occasional gems in the worst of our enemies, and those who we think are our friends can destroy us. Remember that, Love, and you'll do fine." He faded away in a wisp of smoke, leaving only the fog that was beginning to envelope the park behind. "I'll always love you... Now... and forever... Good Bye. . . ."
"Cyrus! Don't leave me here all alone! I don't ever want to be alone..." She sniffed and went to her knees to hold her cat close.
-I'll always be here for you, Eä. Now that you'll be able to understand me more often, we'll be able to talk and I'll be able to point out all your mistakes. You've blundered often enough, you're just lucky that the Gods of this realm have no control over your life, coming from another dimensional plane and all. If they did, you'd be cold and six feet under the earth by now. The first thing I'm going to do as your new and official guide to this life is wake you up. You've been asleep for almost a week, and I'm tired of your thrashing. You've thrown me off the bed one too many times. WAKE UP!- Grabbing a finger in his mouth, the little feline bit down hard, making her yelp in pain and the blue park disappear once again.
She sucked in her breath and threw off the cat that was chewing on her fingers rather hard. Pulling them out of his reach, she noticed that her grumpy cat wasn't the only one on her bed. Underneath her bandaged right arm laid a small purple kitten with dark purple spots about his body. Purring when he saw she was awake, he got up and rubbed himself against her hand gently, mewing quietly. She smiled and caressed him behind the ears, while getting a quick glance about the room. She was in a bed by a large window in which all that could be seen was the cloudless blue sky. A large bookcase was near the bed, as well as a table with a chair, and a small dresser with a mirror was set against a wall. Other than that, the room was empty.
The kitten, tired of caresses, jumped off the bed, but remained fairly high in the air, as he had jumped onto something or someone who was trying to conceal himself. An "Ooof!" was heard, and a pair of small hands shooed the cat off the boy's head. Rising so that his eyes were level with the covers, the young boy's inquisitive and sharp eyes met her own. They held the pose for a few seconds, the boy in somewhat of alarm in being caught in the room, and she lying there, examining the little blue-haired boy who stared back. This could only be...
"Heya kid. What are you doing, trying to hide under the bed? I'm sure it's awfully cramped under there." Shooting up to stand straight, the boy stuck his nose in the air and sniffed.
"HOW DARE YOU! Do you have any idea who I AM? You cannot speak to the heir of the royal throne of Zeal that way! I am Prince Janus, descendent of King Daedelus and Idris Zeal! You must bow before your betters, peasant!" He glared at her, daring her to say something back, which she decided to do because of his snooty remark.
"Well, your highness, I didn't think a crown prince was supposed to be sneaking about and trying to hide under a lady's bed. Nor did I think it was considered polite to speak to your elders that way. Even a prince must be civil to his subjects, or there would be a revolt. However..." She propped herself up painfully and carefully to speak to him eye to eye. "I am grateful for your help in healing me. I am in your debt for this, and I must thank your parents for their aid. Would you lead me to them so that I might thank them?" The little boy shook his head.
"Schala and the gurus said you aren't supposed to move around a lot, and that no one can disturb you." She smiled a moment, deciding to see what he really wanted.
"Then how is it, young prince, that you came in here despite the orders of your older sister and your teachers? Surely not to chat with me." He grinned mischievously, and all traces of his vanity seemed to have vanished.
"I came to play with your cat..." She smiled, and gave Cyrus a scratch.
"I don't see why you'd wish to visit him. He's just a sour old tom. "
-I resent that. And to think, I get to take all your insults with you understanding my responses now. Oh well, at least I'll be able to talk to you and order you around.-
Janus tilted his head to one side. "What do you mean? He's not that old. The other one is too grouchy to play with, and he scratches a lot." Now it was her turn to be confused.
"But, I thought- isn't he- Alfador isn't my cat!" Janus' face widened, almost as if in fear. He grabbed her hand, making her flinch slightly, and looked imploringly into her eyes.
"Please don't tell my parents that! They hate cats! The only reason these two are with you now is because the golden one wouldn't let them get you out of his sight. Please say he's your cat, I don't want him thrown into the caves again, he might get eaten by the beasts! Please." She looked at him, utterly confused. When she didn't respond immediately, his eyes grew into wide puppy dog eyes.
"Please? You won't have to call me your highness!" Though she was still confused, she nodded, and the happy expression returned to his face. He smiled, and turned to the kitten to offer a feather.
Watching the two play for a few moments, a sudden fission ran down her spine as she recognized some of his movements from the older version she had met. Surely this sweet little kid couldn't be the real Janus, the one who would be thrown into a warp hole to become the Magus and later kill- That line of thinking made her tear up, and the boy glanced up worried as she wiped away some of the falling droplets.
"What's the matter Miss-miss...? I don't even know your name!" Smiling as much as she could, she wiped away what she could.
"Dinn. Areä Dinn. Eä for short. Nothing's wrong, I'm just tired. And you just reminded me of... never mind." Janus gave her a puzzled look.
"Are you crying because Magus killed Cyrus?" She gaped in amazement, stammering to try to speak.
"How did you... How do you know of Cyrus and the Magus? Have you already honed your power of prophecy? Or did you read my mind?"
"I don't have much magic yet, but Daddy said I'll get some when I'm older. The Cyrus guy sounds like he was really nice, and the Magus guy sounds mean and icky. You talked about them in your sleep, and I just listened while I played with Alfador. How'd you come up with that for the kitty? Did you know I called him that? Do you mind if I call him Alf?" She shook her head, feeling slightly better, though not happy. Cyrus was gone, she was in Zeal, and her cat was talking to her. Nothing else would startle her for the rest of her life.
"I didn't name him that, I just... knew you called him that. Call him whatever you want, he's not mine, Cyrus is." Janus tilted his head in confusion.
"I thought you said that Cyrus died..?" She pointed to the cat on her bed.
"This is Cyrus, my cat. He was named after Cyrus the knight, but that was even before I had met the real Cyrus. It's too confusing to explain right now though, so I'll have to tell you later." The two watched the kitten rumple the sheets of the bed and destroy the feather for several more minutes. They both turned to look at the door as it opened, and a blue-haired girl a little younger than Eä stuck her head in. Seeing Janus, she scowled and gave him an angry look. Janus backed up and held onto Alfador protectively, and the girl looked up and smiled when she saw that Eä was awake. Stepping into the room fully, the girl gave a small bow in apology.
"I'm sorry, Janus knows he's not supposed to be in here... I hope he didn't disturb you. He's supposed to be studying right now, and we were looking for him. Janus! Go to the gurus, they want to talk to you." Janus stayed where he was.
"Awww, but Schala, I don't care about magic! I want to play with the kitten. Pleeeeeeeeeeeease? " She shook her head, pointing to the door, and Janus sadly put the kitten back down on the bed. As he shuffled away, Eä sat up even more, despite the pins and needles that shot up her arm.
"Wait, Prince Janus! Why don't you take Alfador with you? He could use some exercise, and I won't be able to give it to him. Could you look after him until I can?" He spun around, wide eyed, and glanced up at his sister. She nodded, and said,
"What do you say, Janus?" Running over to the bed, Janus scooped up the little purple fuzz ball.
"Thank you Miss Dinn!" He jumped up and gave her a tight hug, making her wince but smile.
"Gently Now! You're welcome, but please, just call me Eä! I don't like it when people call me Miss Dinn, it makes me sound like I'm old." He grinned, then ran out the door, the kitten purring all the way after him. Schala smiled after the two, then closed the door. Sitting down in the chair next to the bed, she glanced over Eä.
"You're feeling better, I hope? I am, by the way, princess Schala, but you can just call me Schala. We were worried about you, you had dark magic covering you, and that's not good for someone of your type. You- do- have magic, correct? Or are you an Earthbounder?"
"Why? Are Earthbounders so hated? I thought you and the gurus didn't mind them..."
"Oh no! I'm not biased at all. It's just that with your odd clothes, your odd entrance, the fact that none of the other Earthbounders knew you and the colour of your hair makes us think that you're not a Zealan. But there are no other countries, so we wanted to know from whence you came." Sitting up again, Ea allowed Cyrus to resettle himself in her lap.
"Well... My clothes are odd, even for me. I was sent to this place by a dark wizard, and I don't know anyone else here. But I don't know what would be so odd about my hair..." Schala looked muddled.
"So where you come from, it is normal for everyone to have green hair?"
"No, of course no- wait a minute, what? GREEN HAIR?" Dumping her disgruntled cat on the bed, Eä slid out of the covers and ran over to the mirror to examine her features. Schala, alarmed at the sudden outburst, walked over with her.
"It was brown when we first found you in the caves, but as soon as we got you into the palace, it turned green. We figured that you'd just put a coloring spell on it to turn it brown." Eä continued to stare dejectedly at her reflection, twisting a forest green lock in her fingers.
"Green... At least it wasn't pink, I guess. But why? My hair... Great, Now, not only am I ' mystic freak', I'm a 'mystic freak with green hair'! When will this horrible nightmare ever end...?. WHY DO ALL THE BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO ME? . . . Huh? Oh sorry." Blushing, she saw that Schala was giving her an odd look, and decided to change the subject quickly.. Schala smiled then, however, and shook her head.
"You don't have to worry about a thing. Most Earthbounders who are affected by magic act this way at first, but then they grow used to their new powers. If you feel up to it, I could take you to a recovery spring and then you'd feel if not totally whole at least a bit more comfortable. Do you want to go?" She stood up, and Eä did so as well, but somewhat more wobbly. The princess stopped at the door, however, blushing.
"You might want to get dressed first.." Looking down, Ea saw that she was in little more than a shift, and she nodded, taking the clothes the girl pointed to and dressing quickly as her back was turned. She walked over to the princess, who smiled and opened the door, leading her out into a large hallway. Across the way was what seemed to be a large library, and to the left of that was a large doorway that led out onto a breezeway. The princess led her across this, slowing as Eä paused to look at the view. Coming beside her, the princess smiled.
"Believe it or not, you'll get used to it eventually. But this is one of my favorite views. Don't you love how it sparkles n the sunlight?" Eä nodded, dumbfounded.
As far as the eye could see, large puffy clouds blanketed the horizon like new fallen snow. In front of the castle were several levels of floating rock, each with sparkling white buildings that seemed to make up a single complex manor. But what caught Eä's eye was the series of gardens that spread out across the main continent, flowering and filling the air with sweet fragrances and pollen. She sneezed once, and caught a glimpse of how high up they really were. Wobbling back, she had her eyes shut tight and a green tinge in her skin. Schala looked at her, worried.
"Miss Ea? Are you all right? Do you want to return to your room?" Eä shook her head, and said weakly,
"I'm afraid I don't do heights very well. I don't mind scenic views, but a straight down drop can make me weak in the knees. If you' be so kind as to lead on, I'd be immensely grateful." Schala nodded, and quickly lead her through the other doorway, where they ended up on a balcony over a great room bustling with people below. Large windows that went from floor to ceiling lit the chamber with sunlight, and rows of tables where people sat eating were arranged to look out the large panes out to the scenic views below them.
"This is the place where the mages and guards rest. They eat, drink, practice and celebrate here. It's a wonderful place to be if you just want to hear a good story or two, or just meet people who don't care if you're the king or a chambermaid. I come here often." Eä didn't recall this room from the game at all, but then again, her room in the Guardian castle wasn't in the game either. Guards in royal blue and orange lounged about talking to people she presumed to be mages at the tables, eating and drinking while merrily exchanging news. There was also a ring of onlookers as several younger men fenced and threw magic at each other, trying to see who was more adept with their skill. Schala motioned her past though, and they passed the stairs leading down to the merriment below and went through another high arched doorway to another long hallway. when they came to another breezeway entry, Schala, led her to the right where a stairway detoured the open views. "So you won't feel so sick." Schala took her down several flights of stairs and through parts of the palace that she said were the nobles' rooms. They stepped onto a glowing platform, and Eä's stomach felt like it was on a roller coaster. Opening her eyes again, they were in a completely different room. They followed the dark blue carpet out,and Eä smiled as she saw what appeared to be the front hall. Now THIS she remembered!
They had come out from the lower right corner of the lowest level in the room, and they made their way over to where a woman was sitting beside a glowing fountain. Giving Eä a goblet to catch some of the water, Schala chatted to the woman who was selling various magical items while Eä was busy gulping down the cool water.
When she returned the goblet to the woman, Schala returned to her side. "If you're still feeling up to it, I believe my mother wishes to speak with you." Eä shivered involuntarily .
"I'd be.. honored to meet your mother, your majesty." The princess shook her head.
"Like you, I prefer only my first name with no formalities. The problem is that no one except Father seems to understand that.. Oh well. Follow me, and I'll take you to-"
"Schala!" The young prince came racing down the stairs towards his sister with rapid speed, making her falter a few steps as he wrapped his arms around her knees. Alfador mewed a welcome as well as the princess looked down at her brother in irritation.
"Janus! I though I told you to go to the gurus for-"
"They decided to skip my lessons for today since I told them Eä was awake! They want to talk to her a lot!" turning to Eä, he grinned. "Can you stay forever so I don't have to go to my lessons again? That would be great!" Schala peeled the little barnacle off of her leg, making him go over and cling to Eä.
"No Janus, you WILL learn some magic by the time you're six, so that when your magic does come you'll be prepared! But, where are the gurus? Did you run away from them again?" The prince beamed with an impish smile, and a few moments later they understood why. Coming from another portion of the palace that wasn't in the game, three older men came out, looking very grumpy indeed. They had reason as well; they were all covered in a fine white powder, and the tallest's hat was smoking from a smoldering tip. They scowled as the prince maneuvered himself out of view, and the man of medium height stormed up to Eä's side. Alfador stood in the way protectively as the old man began to holler.
"Boy! You may be the prince of Zeal, but you do NOT treat your teachers like playmates! The lab is filthy thanks to you, your books have all been burned up, and my nu is in shock! Now what do you have to say for yourself?"
"You're a cranky old geezer. I'm the Prince of Zeal, I can do what I want." Sticking his tongue out and pulling down an eyelid, the little brat blew a raspberry to the three powdered men. Gaspar, the one with the most amount of damage, reached down to box the insolent boy's ears, but his hand was stayed by the short and squat man's hand. Grinning like an idiot and fixing his sunglasses, the youngest and the one who could only be Melchoir , bowed deeply before Eä.
"Gaspar, you daft fool! It isn't polite to reach down to a lady's legs without first being properly introduced! I, my dear girl, am Melchoir, the guru of life and head weapons master of the palace. I am here to serve you." Taking her hand gently, he kissed it and once more grinned sheepishly. A cough and a pat on the back made him redden and straighten.
"And my two stuffy colleagues, Gaspar, the guru of time and also the crankiest man in the land; and Belthasar, the guru of wisdom and a man who will go on and on for ages about the grandeur of the ancient history of Zeal when he's really just reliving his childhood. And, if I might be so bold, who are you? Not an ordinary cave girl we've here, gentlemen, but a true gem!" He adjusted his glasses, and the three looked on impatiently, Gaspar still glaring at the boy.
"My name is Areä Dinn. It's nice to meet you." Belthasar walked forward again, seeming to be interested. "Areä Dinn, you say? You are named in the ancient tongue? How do you spell that?"
"A-R-E-A (with two dots over the second A), space D-I-N-N. Areä Dinn. Not to be confused with area, as in the area of a square. Eä for short. Most people call me various things because of the umlaut over the "a". It gets irritating after a while." Belthasar nodded consolingly.
"I understand entirely. Many who are named with ancient names are mispronounced. But, did you know that the ancient Zealans, our ancestors, had a language that your name can be literally translated? It goes something like-"
"The name of the ancient Goddess of love and beauty. Helllooooooo, lovely! Where did you- oh, I see! It's our cave girl. Good to see you up. You know, I was the one who carried you up here. My name is-"
"Dalton. I know exactly who you are, actually. And I'd really appreciate it if you never touch me again, thanks." The young man with the almost-Australian accent looked downcast, swishing his hair out of the way in irritation. Eä noticed that he was in a different uniform than before, and that he still had both eyes. But he was old enough to be her father, and she tried not to grimace as he shoved Melchoir out of the way and stooped down before her in a bow. She noticed with a bit of amusement that the others were trying to hold back suppressed hatred as well. And Melchoir was not happy about being pushed aside. Dalton looked up and straightened to tower a foot above her, and held out his arm.
"I was sent to get the Princess, but I'm sure her majesty would like to meet you as well. I will be glad to-"
"Lead the way, and I'm sure she thanks you immensely Dalton. Now then, Miss Dinn, allow me to escort you to the throne room, with Dalton's guidance, of course. Princess, will you take my other arm?" Schala refused Melchoir's offered arm, due to the fact that he had not brushed away all the dust. but Eä accepted it so she wouldn't have to deal with Dalton, who lumbered ahead sulkily.
-Aww, look. The old boy is upset. I think he wanted to walk with you, Eä.- Glaring down at her cat, she walked past him, forcing him to follow behind. Maybe understanding Cyrus wasn't such a great thing after all...
Going up a flight of stairs and past some of the guards and mages on duty, they arrived at a pair of large golden doors elaborately engraved with what looked like the royal seal of Zeal. Dalton opened the doors and bowed, allowing the Prince, Princess, Eä, and the Gurus through. He walked through himself, trying to shut the cats out, but Janus returned to pick up Alfador while Cyrus made a stately entrance by proudly padding in. Dalton glared down at the cat, but Cyrus twitched his tail at him and leapt up to settle himself on Eä's shoulder, surprising her a little. But she was too busy to be very surprised at his sudden perching on her shoulder; she was in awe of the room that simply glowed with light and magic.
Large floor to ceiling windows encircled the domed room, allowing the view of the entire kingdom to be seen from this lofty height. The blue sky was reflected on the dark marble floor, and the purple carpets glowed with the warm light. In the back of the room was an enormous throne wrought in purple silk and velvet and golden furnishings. Atop the enormous throne sat a woman who was busy studying some scrolls, so she didn't see or hear the company come in. Eä examined the woman, not believing her eyes. In front of her was Queen Zeal, the most powerful female wizard this world had ever created. But she wasn't the same half-crazed doll of Lavos that she was in the game, she was a simply dressed woman with her hair tied back in a ponytail. Her clothes were of common cut; the only difference between her outfit and Eä's was the color and the material. Zeal looked up, and dropped the scroll as Janus rushed over.
"Hi Mommy! Look! Eä let me play with Alfador today!" Extending the kitten to his mother, Janus clambered up onto her lap. Zeal smiled, but looked confused.
"Eä? Alfador? Oh, are you the girl we found in the cave? Is your name Eä?" She put her son on the throne and descended from it to come over to meet the new comer.
Eä curtsied as best she could. What was with the Zealans? Janus was a happy little kid, Schala was younger than her, Queen Zeal wasn't mad, the king was still alive somewhere in the kingdom, and Dalton still had two eyes! The only thing that was normal was that Dalton was a jerk. That was the only thing that made Eä at ease, knowing that the egotistical man was still himself. The only possible explanation was that she was early, and that Lavos hadn't taken over things yet... Answering the queen, she replied,
"Yes, your Majesty. Areä Dinn." The queen smiled, looking at the cat on her shoulder a bit cautiously.
"I am Queen Idris Zeal, wife of King Daedelus Zeal and mother to Schala and Janus. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." Eä curtsied again, and said,
"Thank you, your majesty, for helping me in a time of need. I am eternally in your debt for the kindness you have shown me." Idris waved it aside.
"Not at all! I'm thrilled to have you here! It's not everyday a new mage shows up with one of the most powerful types of magic! My husband will be very anxious to meet you when he and the captain return from their expedition. Such an odd way to arrive! Did you really come from a transchronological fluxation in the interdimensional time stream?" Trying not to stare too much, Eä tried to answer.
"Um, perhaps, your majesty. What's a transchrono-whatcha-macallit? I came through a gate, if that's what you mean your majesty." Idris laughed and nodded.
"And when exactly are you from? Before the war of the ancients? The discovery of magic? The lifting of the kingdom?" Eä shook her head, and gave a brief summary of where she had just come from without giving specific details, times, or dates.
When she finished, Idris seemed even more curious than before, making Eä doubt if this really was the cold- hearted witch who would one day seal the kingdom's doom. "That is fascinating! So you say you've no idea how to control your magic, but yet you haven't been destroyed by it! You're the first Earthbounder to survive that long without proper guidance of your powers... Still, you need training, if you are to live past your mid twenties. Why don't you study with my son, since he's still studying the basics? And then, as soon as my husband returns, we can figure out what to do from there. I know power when I feel it, and you're practically bursting in the ancient art of Life magic. If you need anything, just tell me or one of the gurus, and you will have it." Eä curtsied again, this time more deeply, knowing the honor that the queen had bestowed upon her.
"Thank you, your majesty. I shall try to live up to your expectations." The queen nodded, getting back on her throne, then motioned the Captain of the Guards up.
"Dalton, take Miss Dinn back to her room. She should rest now, since she's had such a busy morning. Gurus, I need to talk to you about this power source you claim to have found. Did you say it was in the ocean?" The rest of their conversation was drowned out by Dalton's accented voice.
"Well, Miss Dinn? Shall we go?" Trying not to sigh, she nodded and exited the door. Dalton seemed to be considering taking her arm, but decided against it when he saw Cyrus positioning himself for a good swipe.
-Don't even try it , human.-
Going through the twisted corridors once again, Eä followed the man through the labyrinth until they stopped in front of door that was not her own. Stepping back, she tried to think it was a mistake.
"This isn't my room, Captain. I think, actually, it's yours." He shrugged and nodded, grinning stupidly. Eä had just about reached her limits with this swine, and was about to give him a good knuckle sandwich to go when the Prince suddenly came skipping into view, Alfador tagging along at his heels and mewing happily. The boy stopped and stared up at the captain with round blue eyes, pure innocence leaking out of his expression.
"Whatcha doin Dalton? This isn't Eä's room! Do you need something here, and you don't have enough time to take her back? Don't worry then, I can do it. Follow me, Eä!" Skipping away again , the boy made a hasty retreat, Eä close at his heels. Muttering under her breath things that made the boy slow slightly at, she thanked him cordially when he returned her to the proper place. After telling her the ways to get around without going through the breeze ways, the young prince turned solemn.
"Dalton's a big jerk. Lot's of ladies like him, but most are smart enough not to. He doesn't like it when people don't give him what he wants, but he can't do anything to me cause I'm the prince. " Eä looked down at the boy with a new light.
"You're sharp for someone of your age, Janus. How did you know I needed you there though?" The boy shrugged, petting the little kitten gently.
"I dunno. I just sensed it. I could feel that you were in trouble, and I could sense where you were going. So I just followed and helped you out when I got there." She felt a cold breeze at her back at the mention of his senses. So, Magus could sense where she was... The boy looked up, suddenly laughing. "You know what, Eä? I have a feeling we're going to be close!" She smiled, despite the remaining chill in her spine.
"I'm sure we'll become good friends, yes." He shook his head, thoughtful again.
"No... More than that... but much later... MUCH later on in time... Just you watch! I'm never wrong about this kinda thing!"