Chapter 17: The Unexpected Visitor
"Well, well, look at what these freezing winds blew to my door. God, you look like shit Ghil."
"Thanks for the greeting Urbinus," says the Elder dryly.
"No problem old man," says the enormous man standing before Ghilwood Llewelyn. "What's it been, twenty-five years or something?"
"Something like that." The Elder leans heavily on his walking stick, thanking the gods that he has finally made it to his destination.
Urbinus looks around behind the Elder as if searching for something.
"Where's your ride? Chocobo…airship?"
The Elder shakes his head. Urbinus stares at Ghilwood for a moment, and starts to laugh heartily.
"You're telling me you walked here…from Mysidia? You're full of it Ghil! Haha! And so, to what do I owe the pleasure of this reunion eh?"
"I need you old friend."
"Gosh, I wish more women would say that to me," Urbinus scratches at the thick, wiry beard growing across his chin, a smug expression washes over his face. "Look I know we're close friends and all but I can't really help you there Ghil. Hey, there's this sexy little brunette who works in the tavern in the town up north, nice big breasts, great curves. She's into older men too—give you a nice ride eh? Senior citizens discount?"
"You never stop do you?"
"Hey I haven't stopped ever since you met me, why stop now?" Urbinus smiles through the gray forest surrounding his mouth. Standing at an even seven feet in height and weighing in at about two hundred and eighty pounds, Urbinus Stalinsworth is a mountain of a man. His hot red cheeks shine of sweat and toil, his thinning gray hair speaks of his age. He wears a pair of black rubber gloves and a leather apron of the same color, which amazingly fits around his great girth.
In one hand, Urbinus holds what looks to be a very old and tired hammer, worn from many years of strenuous use. The wood of the handle is splintered in many places, while the head, which looks big enough to kill a dragon with one blow to the head, is dented in numerous places.
The other hand stretches out towards Ghilwood in greeting, to that the Elder takes warmly into his own hand. Ghilwood observes their handshake, taking notice that his scrawny limb is totally eclipsed by the ogre-like hand of Urbinus who, at the moment, doesn't realize the amount of pain shooting through the Elder's hand until he hears one of Ghilwood's knuckles crack.
"Whoa, sorry there Ghil. I may be getting up in age, but my grips never failed me eh?"
"That's fine Urbinus, it's quite alright." The Elder massages his aching hand with the other. The pain wasn't really bothering him as much as the ice like winds flowing through and around his body.
"What the hell are you doing just standing out here old man, it's freezing cold even for a big body like me. Why don't you come in and have a seat." Urbinus pulls the Elder into his abode without hesitation and closes the door behind him.
"Thank you Urbinus," Ghilwood helps himself to a seat next to the fireplace set in the eastern wall. "And who are you calling old man? You're not so young yourself you know."
"Ghil, as long as you're a few years older than I, you're an old man to me." Urbinus jokingly slaps the Elders back and lets out another jovial laugh, and then finds a seat across from Ghilwood.
The Elder looks around at his surroundings—a cluttered, wooden worktable, more tools than he's ever seen in one room, bits and pieces of coal and ore, splintered shards of wood, metal shavings, nails and bolts littered everywhere, dirty clothes sprayed carelessly on the floor—
"I know what you're thinking Ghil," Urbinus follows the Elder's eyes around his home. "I'm living the high life baby."
"Uh, that's exactly what I was thinking old friend." The Elder gives Urbinus a wry smile.
"What more could a guy like me ask for eh? I got lots of space for my work, a house of solitude that overlooks the ocean; I got my tools, and most important—I can be as messy as I wanna be eh?"
"Whatever happened to, uh, what was her name now?"
"Dreselle?" Urbinus says, answering the Elder more than questioning.
"Yes, that was it."
"Nah, she passed away over twenty years ago." He says gravely.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Urbinus."
Urbinus waves a gigantic hand in compliance.
"Nothing that could have been done, nothing to be sorry for. We had a wonderful time of it while it lasted though." Urbinus looks into the fireplace and smiles, as if he can see Dreselle's face in it looking back at him, giggling innocently.
"Anyway, enough about me," Urbinus leans towards the small oak table standing between them, picks up a pitcher of water and pours the Elder a drink. "How's the holy life been treating ya?"
Urbinus always questioned Ghilwood about his choice of joining the church. Urbinus never thought he'd see the day when his best friend would choose a life of religion. The two friends had made a deal when they were younger, to see the world together and live through some of their own carefree adventures. The Elder was twenty-two at the time, and Urbinus was just eighteen.
Of course that was before Ghilwood was married and had a child, that was before his parents were killed in an unfortunate accident, and it was before the War at Bengis Ridge, and that in itself was an adventure all its own. For most people, it would be easy to see why the Elder had chosen a life of religion, to help others and to ease people's pains through words and prayer, but for Urbinus, after knowing Ghilwood for so long, in a way he felt that his best friend had given up their friendship for this new life.
Urbinus could never have been a man of the church, or so he says. His advice on life would be for everyone to 'get a life,' and that wouldn't have worked too well with the other religious figures. He never had the patience to deal with everyone else's problems except his own, and he wanted a life of adventure, a life of freedom. He eventually did live such a life on his own, but he always thought it would have been even greater, if his life long friend were with him every step of the way—Urbinus the warrior and Ghilwood the archer, what a pair!
"There is something not right in the world my friend." Says the Elder as Urbinus pours himself a glass of water.
"I'll say! Do you know how much a pair of gloves like these cost me? I mean I know my hands are big, but this guy who makes them for me specially, he charges me almost five times the amount of a regular pair! But I have to get it from him because he's the only one in the area who can do it, that lithe little bastard."
"Something very grave…" The Elder stares into the fireplace as if in a trance, not really hearing anything Urbinus has said. "Something very evil."
Urbinus catches on to the Elder's vibes and takes on a more serious tone.
"Okay, I'm listening Ghil."
The Elder picks up his black pouch and pulls from within it the rock from Mt. Ordeals, and places it onto the table between them.
Urbinus looks at the rock for a few moments, looks to his friend, and then looks back to the rock.
"That's uh…that's a nice rock you got there Ghil. If this is a present, I gotta tell ya, I got plenty sitting outside in the back. They just gather moss and stuff and they make lousy pets. I don't even use them to decorate my house." Urbinus pokes at it with his index finger. "I guess if you walked all the way here from Mysidia for this…
"…Is it gonna blow up half the world or something? Because if it is, I think you should take it back to where you got it from, which is away from me."
"It's not the rock itself, it's what's inside."
"Ah, I see. Like a hard candy shell with a soft gooey center eh?"
"Something like that."
"Alright, I'll bite. You want me to open this thing up?"
The Elder nods and with that, Urbinus heads towards his worktable, taking in hand a chisel and a slightly smaller hammer than the one he was holding before.
After taking a few seconds to size up the rock, Urbinus sets the chisel against the stone and gives it one good strike with his hammer, creating a very pronounced crack through the middle of it. He then starts to chisel away slowly and more lightly around the crack, breaking off bits and pieces of stone, letting them fall freely to the table.
Urbinus stops for a moment as a soft green glow of light begins to emanate from the small cracks. He looks towards Ghilwood tentatively.
"This thing's not really going to blow up is it?"
"No my friend."
Urbinus releases a small sigh of relief and continues his work, chiseling away, breaking off more and more pieces of rock, spraying the small pebbles across the table. The green glow grows stronger with every hit, with every crack. The Elder looks on with grave eyes. A few seconds later, and the stone is now half of what it once was, looking like a hard, gray peach with a glowing green pit in the middle.
Urbinus sets his tools down on the table and sits back in his chair. He stares at the stone, marveling at the green orb in its center.
"It looks metallic."
"It is." Replies the Elder.
Urbinus reaches forward, then nervously draws his hand back.
"It's safe to pick it up."
Urbinus arches a hairy brow toward the Elder, then reaches out again and slowly picks the green orb out of its stone casing. The orb is warm to the touch, sending soothing waves of heat coursing through his arm. Urbinus can feel his whole body relaxing, as if he were sitting in a warm bath or lounging in a hot spring. The green ball is big enough to fit comfortably within Urbinus' enormous hand.
"How did you know about this thing Ghil?"
The Elder adjusts his seating while setting his black pouch back down to the floor at the foot of his chair. He then takes in a deep breath in preparation for his story.
"It all started with a dream I had about two months ago. In this dream, I saw death, I saw blood; I saw the heads of friends and loved ones floating in mid-air, pale and lifeless. I heard the sounds of battle, of monsters, of little children crying for their mothers who lay dead in the streets, in their homes, in their castles. I could hear the sounds of chanting, over and over again, grinding into my head. The skies were filled with enormous shadows, winged beasts of great magnitude, of awesome power. They torched the villages; they poisoned the kingdoms and slaughtered the people. The air was dense with smoke and ash, burning splinters of wood exploded like fireworks. And there, in the middle of it all was this one…the shadow of a man, tall and lean. I couldn't make out much more of him except for his smile—that bright, white grin that stood out amongst his blackened form—so horrifying and evil…very evil. He just calmly watched over the madness, enjoying the sights and sounds of devastation and grief…the horror. But it wasn't just him I saw. Behind this sinister being was another shadow—lighter, more translucent—starting to take shape but not yet being whole. It was enormous, about ten times your size Urbinus. I could feel its emotions pulsing through my body, throughout the land, all around me. My heart felt weak and my limbs were motionless. I was nothing more than an observer, watching my brothers' fall like the leaves in autumn.
"For many days after that I have had the same dream, playing out over and over again. I would awake with my bed sheets soaked and my body trembling.
"Then, about a week later, my dreams were different. There was no death in these dreams; any salacious beast or untouchable shadows. I was in a room lined with mirrors on the northern wall. I could see my reflection in them—an old, gray, and withering man. As I was standing in the middle of the room, I looked to my feet and there it was—the stone. It glowed green, like the orb in your hand, and it also had a picture carved into it—a symbol. When I picked up the stone, I was immediately transported to a beautiful countryside, standing in a meadow of tulips and roses, and a magnificent waterfall cascaded down a mountainside not far away. The sun was making its morning ascent into the sky. A cooling breeze swept through my hair—it was a far cry from my previous dream. About twenty yards ahead of me stood a young couple holding hands. Their backs were to me so I couldn't discern if I had known them before. The young man had brown hair, was fairly built, and wore an outfit that looked like a pair of mages robes, but it was like none I'd ever seen before. There was a great power about him, like a fantastic and impregnable aura. He knelt down at what looked to be a single grave, and though I was quite a distance away, I could still hear him say, 'It's over now. You can rest in peace. I'll miss you.'
"That dream lasted about a week and that's when I started preparing for my journey here."
Urbinus was dumbfounded. What could he possibly make of the story his old friend was telling him—the word 'old' standing out with the possibility of age making Ghilwood jump off the sanity wagon and into senile swamp. Urbinus sinks back into his chair, soaking up the information the Elder has laid in front of him before asking questions.
"So what does it all mean?" Urbinus has abandoned all hope of figuring it out on his own.
"My dreams are actually visions—two of them—one good and one bad. There's another war brewing Urbinus, a bigger, bloodier war. The winged beasts in my first dream are positively dragons—a whole fleet of them, all kinds, and all very deadly. The shadow of the man though is something slightly untouchable to me, something a little familiar and very disturbing. I swear I've heard his voice somewhere before; I can sense it through the harsh and maniacal tone, but I dare not mention who I think it is. I feel no good will come of it. What I did feel however was someone made of pure evil, unlike anything this world's ever seen. I only have a hunch as to what the larger, less tangible shadow is in the background and I've left a particular artifact with the other members of my church, which, by now, should have been passed on to the ones who will combat the evil ravaging our planet.
"The second vision is the means to fighting this evil. The stone, or rather the green orb within it, is the first part to the key of victory. The other part, I believe, is the young man in meadow."
"What in the world makes you believe that what you're saying is true? I mean, I'm your friend Ghil, and I support whatever you do or say, but you have to admit that this story of yours is a little off the cliff eh? Beyond the borders of reality or believability I would say."
"I'm a man of faith my friend."
"You're gonna pull that 'holy' shit on me eh? Well I'll tell you this whole thing stinks of it if you ask me."
"I wasn't wrong the last time."
Urbinus scratches his head, now totally confused by Ghilwood's ramblings.
"What do you mean, last time?"
"I knew that Cecil Harvey would be the man to save the world from Zeromus. I also knew that in order for him to succeed, he would need the help of the twins—Palom and Porom—who will play another major role in this war."
"Bullshit."
"No, no…I had the same type of visions back then as I do now. Of course I can't see everything. I never knew that Golbez was actually Cecil's brother, nor did I see the divine intervention of Master Fusoya. Sometimes what I see in my visions may or may not come true depending on the decisions made by all the players. I figured Cecil's best friend Kain would be the one to betray him, and in my visions Cecil actually kills Kain while trying to save Rosa who was his girlfriend at the time. But as you may or may not know, Kain is alive and well and is now Captain of the Guards of Baron's military. Yet for the most part it all played out just like I thought it would—just as my dreams predicted. I've never told anyone about this, and the story in itself is pretty long and drawn out."
"Like this story isn't?" Urbinus quips.
"Look at what happened seventeen years ago Urbinus. Look at what transpired. Evil sweeps across our lands in the form of Zeromus, while a lowly dark knight transforms into the paladin that fights evil in the end to save the world. Cecil's change was not a coincidence. For every evil in the world there is a good and vice versa. That's how life is balanced out. The place where Cecil morphed into a paladin, the room atop Mt. Ordeals, is the exact same place where this stone was born. I sent the twins to go and retrieve it for me."
"Did you tell them what it was for or how you knew it was up there in the first place?"
"No. The children always think I'm sending them off to train, to keep them on their toes, and that's just as well. They'll know everything in time."
Urbinus leans as far back in his chair as possible and lets out a very audible sigh—one of extreme burden. He presses a large, sweaty hand to his temple and lets it slide over his balding head. Just moments ago he was working on creating the largest broadsword anyone's ever seen. It's something he's been working on for months, a sort of pet project. Of course given its length and weight, he'd be the only one strong enough to use it, which was the purpose anyway. Though at his age, whether he'd be able to wield it effectively was another thing.
But now Ghilwood Llewelyn has shown up with some cockamamie story about good versus evil, dreams, and some dumb rock. This from a man who he hasn't seen in over two decades, who seemingly abandoned their friendship for the life of prayer and worship and all that other 'holy shit'.
"You know, I thought you just came here to say, 'Hi, I missed you Urbinus,' but no, you gotta lay this payload on me after all these years eh?"
Ghilwood smiles at his old friend, knowing full well that there are really no hard feelings between them.
"I told you I needed you Urbinus. You too have a major role to play in all of this."
"What do you need me to do?" The blacksmith asks with a tired voice.
The Elder reaches into the inside pocket of his tunic, and brings out a folded piece of paper from within. He opens it and holds it up for Urbinus to examine.
"And what is this I'm looking at Ghil?"
"It's a sketch I did. This is the symbol that was carved onto the rock in my dreams."
Urbinus stares at the drawing for a few moments, then looks down at the metal orb sitting in the palm of his hand. Then a realization occurs. He looks back towards the piece of paper and nods in absentminded agreement.
"Do you understand Urbinus?"
"Yeah. Yeah I think I do Ghil."
"When can you get started?"
"As soon as you hand me that piece of paper and I get the coals fired up in the back room."
The Elder hands his friend the paper and Urbinus immediately stands up and heads for a door leading to another room to the north. He halts at the open doorway and turns to look at Ghilwood who nods at him, as if answering a silent question.
"It's going
to take a while."
"You'll do fine Urbinus. I knew I could count on you."
Urbinus looks around at his surroundings in deep wonderment and thought.
"Will we win this time?"
A solemn frown creases the Elder's lips as he slowly shakes his head.
"I don't know my friend. I really do not know."
With that, Urbinus heads to the back room to start work on the green orb.