Chapter 3 - Bowie, Leader of the Shining Force
Time had flown by, because by the time the teacher and his students returned to Granseal, the horizon was a bright yellow and orange on one side, and purple and black on the other. Orin was still thinking about his exciting battle with the devil, and couldn't wait to tell his parents of the experience. Gyan brought them both back to the school house, which was brightly lit inside by a mix of the light from the glowing horizon, and because of the many candles lit throughout the room. Gyan gave them their graded tests and dismissed them. They left the school house, both laughing happily and discussing their techniques.
"That was great!" exclaimed Orin, with a hint of laughter in his voice, "I wish all our tests were that exciting!"
"Yes, that was a great experience, but I was scared half to death of that Gizmo." said Ikara as she imitated the Gizmos attack of forming itself into a giant hand.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Ikara." said Orin as he waved goodbye to her.
"Yup." she replied, "and, hey, maybe Sir Gyan will let us watch Keith and Duran take their physical tests!"
"I hope so!!" exclaimed Orin, who was now yelling because Ikara was so far away.
They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. The village was quiet now, and most of the villagers had the windows lit with candles, and were settling down for dinner. Orin rushed home, still catching waves from soldiers on guard. He got into the castle panting lightly, and looked around. The hall was totally empty except for a soldier standing guard, and another who was lighting the candles on a chandelier.
Orin walked through the throne room, and past the minister, a stocky, bald man, who was wearing green, and in his 80s. He said hello to Orin in a raspy voice, and continued organizing some scrolls and parchment. Orin entered the kitchen, which smelled of ham and chicken. His parents were already in the dining room, drinking tea and just being served dinner. The king was happy to see Orin, as was his mother, who both said hello and asked him how his day had gone.
"Great!" he replied right away.
"Oh?" asked the king, who instantly became interested in his son's tone and expression of happiness, "and what made this day such a wonder to you?"
"Well, Ikara and I were given a physical test by Sir Gyan," Orin explained, "and we both passed, almost acing it.
The king smiled happily and looked to his wife. She was smiling as well, and both listened further to Orin's story. When Orin was done, they were both surprised to hear such news from their child.
"That's wonderful Orin," said queen Elis, as she looked to her husband, "right Bowie?"
"Yes, it is wonderful." answered Bowie, as he sipped his tea.
Orin's eyes suddenly widened, and he remembered what Sarah had told him. He looked at his father, but wasn't sure if he should ask about his past as an average villager, and how he came to be the king of Granseal. His parents began talking amongst themselves of Orin's accomplishment, but Orin drowned it out with the thoughts in his mind. Finally, he decided to ask Bowie of his past.
"Dad…?" said Orin shyly, as he looked up from his dinner plate.
"Yes?" replied his father, who was having a conversation with Elis over a village conflict.
"What were you like when you were young?" he blurted suddenly, "You know, when you lived in the village…"
Orin looked at his father intently, waiting for a response, when finally, his father spoke.
"Well…I was much like you when I was young." said Bowie, hesitating after every sentence, "I went to school with my classmates, and had friends, and played outside, and trained with one of those."
He pointed to the sword in Orin's case. Orin looked at his father, waiting for more answers. Bowie suspected this, and continued.
"I always dreamed of living as you do know, in a castle." said Bowie, who was now standing and walking around the table, "I was, one day, asked by the king of this very castle, to go on a short journey to a nearby city, in search of a man named Hawel. I traveled their with some friends of mine, and reach that city, but had no luck in finding Hawel, so, I asked his apprentice to lead me to his home in the northern mountains. He did so, but we were devastated when we found Hawel's body, drenched in blood. He had been killed by Galam soldiers."
Elis listened to Bowie's story, which had never been actually told to her either. Orin's eyes fixated on his father as he walked calmly around the dining room table, talking of his adventures to places like Tristan and Pacalon. Bowie's story went on for hours, but not one name was revealed, and even Bowie himself did mention certain parts of his story, including the fact that the band of men he led was the famed Shining Force. Orin's head was overflowing with information, and he was so happy to know of what his father had accomplished, and would have been even more proud of his father if he had known his father killed the legendary Devil King, or that the God and Goddess located in the town chapel aided him in his quest.
When Bowie finished, Orin had nothing to say. He sat in awe of what his father had done with his youth, and how he used his own blade to destroy devils around the world. Bowie looked at Orin when he was finished, and waited for his response to his life up to this point.
"I…I… don't really know what to say…." said Orin as he began to put his jaw back into place. "You did things for all these people…" Orin's eyes blinked for the first time in hours, and with it, a tear sprung fourth down his cheek.
He was so happy with the story he was told. Proud to be the son of such a man as this, who must have had the most courage in the world to take on such forces and conflicts.
"What else happened to you, dad?" said Orin excitedly.
"Heh.." chuckled Bowie, "That is a story for another time, maybe when you have grown more. Now it is time for us to go to sleep."
"You're right," sighed Orin, who remembered how utterly tired he was, "another time."
He repeated these words as he climbed the tower stair to his room. Another day would come tomorrow, and that is when he would go to school again, as he would do for several more years, until he was old enough to be his father's elite guard, and protect him from any devils that might attack. Orin dreamed of this while he slept, and many things happened in his dream, but none were close to the route his life would take in a few hours.
Time had flown by, because by the time the teacher and his students returned to Granseal, the horizon was a bright yellow and orange on one side, and purple and black on the other. Orin was still thinking about his exciting battle with the devil, and couldn't wait to tell his parents of the experience. Gyan brought them both back to the school house, which was brightly lit inside by a mix of the light from the glowing horizon, and because of the many candles lit throughout the room. Gyan gave them their graded tests and dismissed them. They left the school house, both laughing happily and discussing their techniques.
"That was great!" exclaimed Orin, with a hint of laughter in his voice, "I wish all our tests were that exciting!"
"Yes, that was a great experience, but I was scared half to death of that Gizmo." said Ikara as she imitated the Gizmos attack of forming itself into a giant hand.
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Ikara." said Orin as he waved goodbye to her.
"Yup." she replied, "and, hey, maybe Sir Gyan will let us watch Keith and Duran take their physical tests!"
"I hope so!!" exclaimed Orin, who was now yelling because Ikara was so far away.
They waved goodbye and went their separate ways. The village was quiet now, and most of the villagers had the windows lit with candles, and were settling down for dinner. Orin rushed home, still catching waves from soldiers on guard. He got into the castle panting lightly, and looked around. The hall was totally empty except for a soldier standing guard, and another who was lighting the candles on a chandelier.
Orin walked through the throne room, and past the minister, a stocky, bald man, who was wearing green, and in his 80s. He said hello to Orin in a raspy voice, and continued organizing some scrolls and parchment. Orin entered the kitchen, which smelled of ham and chicken. His parents were already in the dining room, drinking tea and just being served dinner. The king was happy to see Orin, as was his mother, who both said hello and asked him how his day had gone.
"Great!" he replied right away.
"Oh?" asked the king, who instantly became interested in his son's tone and expression of happiness, "and what made this day such a wonder to you?"
"Well, Ikara and I were given a physical test by Sir Gyan," Orin explained, "and we both passed, almost acing it.
The king smiled happily and looked to his wife. She was smiling as well, and both listened further to Orin's story. When Orin was done, they were both surprised to hear such news from their child.
"That's wonderful Orin," said queen Elis, as she looked to her husband, "right Bowie?"
"Yes, it is wonderful." answered Bowie, as he sipped his tea.
Orin's eyes suddenly widened, and he remembered what Sarah had told him. He looked at his father, but wasn't sure if he should ask about his past as an average villager, and how he came to be the king of Granseal. His parents began talking amongst themselves of Orin's accomplishment, but Orin drowned it out with the thoughts in his mind. Finally, he decided to ask Bowie of his past.
"Dad…?" said Orin shyly, as he looked up from his dinner plate.
"Yes?" replied his father, who was having a conversation with Elis over a village conflict.
"What were you like when you were young?" he blurted suddenly, "You know, when you lived in the village…"
Orin looked at his father intently, waiting for a response, when finally, his father spoke.
"Well…I was much like you when I was young." said Bowie, hesitating after every sentence, "I went to school with my classmates, and had friends, and played outside, and trained with one of those."
He pointed to the sword in Orin's case. Orin looked at his father, waiting for more answers. Bowie suspected this, and continued.
"I always dreamed of living as you do know, in a castle." said Bowie, who was now standing and walking around the table, "I was, one day, asked by the king of this very castle, to go on a short journey to a nearby city, in search of a man named Hawel. I traveled their with some friends of mine, and reach that city, but had no luck in finding Hawel, so, I asked his apprentice to lead me to his home in the northern mountains. He did so, but we were devastated when we found Hawel's body, drenched in blood. He had been killed by Galam soldiers."
Elis listened to Bowie's story, which had never been actually told to her either. Orin's eyes fixated on his father as he walked calmly around the dining room table, talking of his adventures to places like Tristan and Pacalon. Bowie's story went on for hours, but not one name was revealed, and even Bowie himself did mention certain parts of his story, including the fact that the band of men he led was the famed Shining Force. Orin's head was overflowing with information, and he was so happy to know of what his father had accomplished, and would have been even more proud of his father if he had known his father killed the legendary Devil King, or that the God and Goddess located in the town chapel aided him in his quest.
When Bowie finished, Orin had nothing to say. He sat in awe of what his father had done with his youth, and how he used his own blade to destroy devils around the world. Bowie looked at Orin when he was finished, and waited for his response to his life up to this point.
"I…I… don't really know what to say…." said Orin as he began to put his jaw back into place. "You did things for all these people…" Orin's eyes blinked for the first time in hours, and with it, a tear sprung fourth down his cheek.
He was so happy with the story he was told. Proud to be the son of such a man as this, who must have had the most courage in the world to take on such forces and conflicts.
"What else happened to you, dad?" said Orin excitedly.
"Heh.." chuckled Bowie, "That is a story for another time, maybe when you have grown more. Now it is time for us to go to sleep."
"You're right," sighed Orin, who remembered how utterly tired he was, "another time."
He repeated these words as he climbed the tower stair to his room. Another day would come tomorrow, and that is when he would go to school again, as he would do for several more years, until he was old enough to be his father's elite guard, and protect him from any devils that might attack. Orin dreamed of this while he slept, and many things happened in his dream, but none were close to the route his life would take in a few hours.