Author's notes: Thank you all for the reviews... I knew a little threat would
bring them.... And I DON'T do mpregs... you'll see later. Now... though I've
attempted to avoid it, seems I've come up with an idea for not only a
sequel but many prequels... Don't ya just hate it? Well, this chapter will be
long and provide many things. We'll discover the origin of GFs, who Mercale
is and how she is alive, the purpose of the curse and what course it shall
take for our heroes. And that is only the beginning, so just read. I won't
add the next chapter till I have at least two reviews. Also the story of
Mercale is not done well here. Going to make a prequel explaining it. Also,
I have actually completed writing the story! I've started on the sequel
which will be entitled Reyning Down. So reviews equal faster updates.
Faster updates means faster completion, means new fic.
Blah: blinks Right
Firefly-Dreams: hugs Yes, Squall and Seifer are VERY distantly related.
Silver-nex: I don't do Mpregs Silv.... I've got something else in mind...very soon. And turns out my story has a very sad ending.
Chapter 16: A Curse for Odin
"So... Mercale... You have lived here alone for over 5000 years?"
"Yes, excluding visits from others with the curse that wrongly bares my name. Sometimes, I could damn Griever for what he has done," She told us, handing Seifer and myself new goblets, these with a warm chocolate drink.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked.
"The Curse bears my name, but it is not my fault, nor can I rid you of it..."
"WHAT?!" Both Seifer and I demand as one.
"Allow me to tell you my tale."
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"So... let me get this straight," I said after she'd told her story, which had taken a full day. "Your father, Tiran Mercale, a legendary weapon smith had no son, so you were taught his trade. You fell in love with the prince Drewel, or Drew, Loire. You bore him a son, a direct ancestor to myself. He went off to war to fight the sorceress of the time. He never came back. You raised you son, Rey, to the age of 12, taught him your trade then went to find your prince."
"Yes..." she said sadly, I could tell she still mourned the loss of him.
""You didn't find him alone, but you found Griever and Tiamat. They told you that he was the sorceress's knight. So you took your weapons and killed the sorceress Raelle. But this destroyed Drew as well."
"I guess the next part is confusing," Crysil admitted, "I prayed day and night to mighty Hyne. He answered my prayer through griever and Tiamat. They brought Drew back as Odin. They declared that he'd need help in the future, called him a Guardian Force. So they made me immortal and alone, my weapons being spread to my descendants. Amongst them others would come, some females being sorceresses, some men being their knights, others being the heroes, still others just plain. These that were strong and knew GFs, they would become Guardian Forces and aide others in the future. If they failed, they'd become monsters, if they succeeded, after they had a child or death came they'd become Guardian Forces. So you are here. In the past, others of the Guardian blood lead the chosen here, and thus you've come to me to suffer a fate that is caused by love."
Silence reigned for a while, no one speaking as Seifer and I absorbed the data. We were going to be Guardian Forces, like it or not. Yet that meant we'd be together through eternity, did it not? Or would we be held separate, never able to touch one could say Shiva and Ifrit could not?
"May you should go and talk to each other about this. Or maybe sleep. You'll need a lot of rest," Mercale Suddenly suggested.
"What? Are you trying to get us out of here?" Seifer questioned.
"Honestly? You know about Ellone and her powers?"
"Of course we know her and her power... Why?" I asked suspiciously.
"I was going to use it... She knows of me. She's going to show you... Show you the past, my past," Mercale said as a familiar tiredness came over me. Seifer and I stumble over to a cot and sit, leaning close to each other.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Crysil!" The laughing voice of my ill father called out from the front room.
Did my father truly believe I'd jump when he called? In one hand I gripped the heavy iron hammer and tossed it aside, the other leather-clad hand thrust the red hot metal of my current work into a bucket of cool water. Quickly I stripped of my gloves, ignoring the dirtiness of my hands. Noting how my hair was falling free of its ties, I rebound it before heading out. That's right, when my dad says jump, I say how high?
Once I stepped into the front room, I saw why my father was so excited. HE was there. The Prince... My Prince... My father, gray haired and smiling, was discussing the finer point of this sword and dagger set I'd mad for the prince. The silver of the weapon complimented his brown eyes and dark brown hair.
"Good day m'lord," I said with a bow.
"well Crysil, seems you've outdone yourself this time," the young prince said, a heavily tanned hand dropping a heavy sack of gold coins on the counter, much more than we'd asked for payment. Though he politely gathered up the weapons and formally thanked us, our eye contact never broke.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
It was not like her... but she did this for me. Lilac scent at her neck, darker brown hair soft and spread over the white silk of our bed sheets. How surprised father and mother had been when I married Crysil Mercale... The whole country was in shock, a Prince marrying a not so common female weapon smith... I guess you could call her a black smith, but all she ever made was weapons. Slowly I trailed my fingers along the soft pale skin of her arms, stopping before I reached the callused hands. Even now she refused to give up her trade, and was even teaching Rey her trade. She made him many beautiful toys, and gave gifs to my parents, but she was still faithful to her true skills.
How it pains me to leave her and my dear Rey behind. Damn the sorceress and damn father for sending me to the front lines. How can I leave her? There...she is stirring, those uniquely colored eyes boring into me. I must tell her now...
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"When is father coming back?" the dark haired Rey asked me after shoving the red hot gold pike head into the cool water.
I peer at my son through the steam created. Twelve years since my dear Drew departed. Very soon Rey would take a wife, the throne and pass on what I've taught him. Yet I would not be there for these things. While Rey worked hard, I was polishing my greatest curved sword. I'd leave to find him. Grieve had some in my sleep. Soon I'd meet him and find my Drewel.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
Bloody he lays here in my arms, slowly dying. Both Griever and Tiamat tried to console me, try to get me to understand. How can I? I'm having a hard enough time with these tears.
"He can live again," Griever's words reached me.
"I don't care the price. Bring him to life!"
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Why did you guys never tell me about the headaches this thing Ellone does can cause?" Seifer demanded.
"Can't you take the pain?" I teased.
"So that is what it was like for you Mercale?" Seifer asked, "I could feel in those memories that he really loved you..." He hesitated before adding, "I'm sorry."
"Thank you Seifer, I know it wasn't your fault you killed Odin. But already I sense Gilgamesh will take better care of you. Come... I'll show you what you shall look like before you go."
Blah: blinks Right
Firefly-Dreams: hugs Yes, Squall and Seifer are VERY distantly related.
Silver-nex: I don't do Mpregs Silv.... I've got something else in mind...very soon. And turns out my story has a very sad ending.
Chapter 16: A Curse for Odin
"So... Mercale... You have lived here alone for over 5000 years?"
"Yes, excluding visits from others with the curse that wrongly bares my name. Sometimes, I could damn Griever for what he has done," She told us, handing Seifer and myself new goblets, these with a warm chocolate drink.
"What do you mean?" Seifer asked.
"The Curse bears my name, but it is not my fault, nor can I rid you of it..."
"WHAT?!" Both Seifer and I demand as one.
"Allow me to tell you my tale."
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"So... let me get this straight," I said after she'd told her story, which had taken a full day. "Your father, Tiran Mercale, a legendary weapon smith had no son, so you were taught his trade. You fell in love with the prince Drewel, or Drew, Loire. You bore him a son, a direct ancestor to myself. He went off to war to fight the sorceress of the time. He never came back. You raised you son, Rey, to the age of 12, taught him your trade then went to find your prince."
"Yes..." she said sadly, I could tell she still mourned the loss of him.
""You didn't find him alone, but you found Griever and Tiamat. They told you that he was the sorceress's knight. So you took your weapons and killed the sorceress Raelle. But this destroyed Drew as well."
"I guess the next part is confusing," Crysil admitted, "I prayed day and night to mighty Hyne. He answered my prayer through griever and Tiamat. They brought Drew back as Odin. They declared that he'd need help in the future, called him a Guardian Force. So they made me immortal and alone, my weapons being spread to my descendants. Amongst them others would come, some females being sorceresses, some men being their knights, others being the heroes, still others just plain. These that were strong and knew GFs, they would become Guardian Forces and aide others in the future. If they failed, they'd become monsters, if they succeeded, after they had a child or death came they'd become Guardian Forces. So you are here. In the past, others of the Guardian blood lead the chosen here, and thus you've come to me to suffer a fate that is caused by love."
Silence reigned for a while, no one speaking as Seifer and I absorbed the data. We were going to be Guardian Forces, like it or not. Yet that meant we'd be together through eternity, did it not? Or would we be held separate, never able to touch one could say Shiva and Ifrit could not?
"May you should go and talk to each other about this. Or maybe sleep. You'll need a lot of rest," Mercale Suddenly suggested.
"What? Are you trying to get us out of here?" Seifer questioned.
"Honestly? You know about Ellone and her powers?"
"Of course we know her and her power... Why?" I asked suspiciously.
"I was going to use it... She knows of me. She's going to show you... Show you the past, my past," Mercale said as a familiar tiredness came over me. Seifer and I stumble over to a cot and sit, leaning close to each other.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Crysil!" The laughing voice of my ill father called out from the front room.
Did my father truly believe I'd jump when he called? In one hand I gripped the heavy iron hammer and tossed it aside, the other leather-clad hand thrust the red hot metal of my current work into a bucket of cool water. Quickly I stripped of my gloves, ignoring the dirtiness of my hands. Noting how my hair was falling free of its ties, I rebound it before heading out. That's right, when my dad says jump, I say how high?
Once I stepped into the front room, I saw why my father was so excited. HE was there. The Prince... My Prince... My father, gray haired and smiling, was discussing the finer point of this sword and dagger set I'd mad for the prince. The silver of the weapon complimented his brown eyes and dark brown hair.
"Good day m'lord," I said with a bow.
"well Crysil, seems you've outdone yourself this time," the young prince said, a heavily tanned hand dropping a heavy sack of gold coins on the counter, much more than we'd asked for payment. Though he politely gathered up the weapons and formally thanked us, our eye contact never broke.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
It was not like her... but she did this for me. Lilac scent at her neck, darker brown hair soft and spread over the white silk of our bed sheets. How surprised father and mother had been when I married Crysil Mercale... The whole country was in shock, a Prince marrying a not so common female weapon smith... I guess you could call her a black smith, but all she ever made was weapons. Slowly I trailed my fingers along the soft pale skin of her arms, stopping before I reached the callused hands. Even now she refused to give up her trade, and was even teaching Rey her trade. She made him many beautiful toys, and gave gifs to my parents, but she was still faithful to her true skills.
How it pains me to leave her and my dear Rey behind. Damn the sorceress and damn father for sending me to the front lines. How can I leave her? There...she is stirring, those uniquely colored eyes boring into me. I must tell her now...
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"When is father coming back?" the dark haired Rey asked me after shoving the red hot gold pike head into the cool water.
I peer at my son through the steam created. Twelve years since my dear Drew departed. Very soon Rey would take a wife, the throne and pass on what I've taught him. Yet I would not be there for these things. While Rey worked hard, I was polishing my greatest curved sword. I'd leave to find him. Grieve had some in my sleep. Soon I'd meet him and find my Drewel.
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
Bloody he lays here in my arms, slowly dying. Both Griever and Tiamat tried to console me, try to get me to understand. How can I? I'm having a hard enough time with these tears.
"He can live again," Griever's words reached me.
"I don't care the price. Bring him to life!"
{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}
"Why did you guys never tell me about the headaches this thing Ellone does can cause?" Seifer demanded.
"Can't you take the pain?" I teased.
"So that is what it was like for you Mercale?" Seifer asked, "I could feel in those memories that he really loved you..." He hesitated before adding, "I'm sorry."
"Thank you Seifer, I know it wasn't your fault you killed Odin. But already I sense Gilgamesh will take better care of you. Come... I'll show you what you shall look like before you go."