Chapter 11 - The Elvin Hermit Called Paje
The ruins looked gloomy against the colorful horizon behind it, and it made everyone feel unsettled about entering them. Nevertheless, they had to find the hermit that lived there, because he was the only one who knew of any port cities on Grans Island. They approached the remains of a large drawbridge, which lay in a dried moat. When they had reached it, they started over it with great caution, for it looked old and unstable. They went over one at a time, and when they had all safely crossed over, they crept quietly toward a large archway, that was crumbling with age. The area was quiet and seemingly peaceful, and though there seemed to be very little danger about the ruins, the group stayed alert and aware of any sudden movements. The place was totally destroyed, and charred remains of trees, homes, and shops lye quiet and uninhabited.
Orin could see that, to his left, was a destroyed castle, with nothing but a foot high stone wall still intact in the front of the castle. A large statue stood outside, but it was crumbling and black from fire, and missing large chunks of stone from its face and limbs. Vegetation had begun to grow from the cracks in the cracked stone pavement, and vines crept up the walls of almost every bit of remaining building and home.
"Lets go." said Orin, as the rest of the group stood in awe of the large, destroyed remains of a once great kingdom.
They followed him, still looking around curiously at what was left of the area, and they past along many destroyed homes, when finally, they reached a large, collapsed wall at the edge of the city. It was the least destroyed thing they could see, and it seemed like the only place one could live in the deserted place. Orin knocked on a large door that seemed to be the entrance to a watch tower that traveled along the wall, and they stood waiting for someone to answer.
"This doesn't feel right." said Orin. "This is the only place someone could actually make into a home."
"Maybe he's dead." said Duran casually as he examined an old, cracked sword on the ground.
"Thanks for being so positive, buddy." said Keith sarcastically. "I guess that means you can go home then."
Duran snorted at Keith, and continued to examine the discarded weapon.
"Aren't you both suppose to be best friends?" asked Vahn, who snickered at their attitudes.
They both murmured something under their breath, and continued what they were doing.
"Were could he be?" questioned Ikara, who was trying to change the subject.
"If he went anywhere, we can just wait for him inside." said Duran, who walked over and pushed open the door.
"Hey!" yelled Ikara. "That an invasion of someone's privacy!"
"Ah, lay off." replied Duran from inside. "He won't even know we were here."
As Duran said this, a loud crash came from inside, and Duran popped back out very quickly.
"Oops…" he said, his face red with embarrassment.
"Your such a klutz!" cried Ikara, as she ran inside to see what he'd broken.
Ikara fixed the broken vase with a bit of magic, and the troop decided they would make themselves at home in the basement, which they believed was the Hermit's home. It looked like it was once a jail, since some large iron rods still jutted from the ground, though some had been broken off. It was dim inside, and only a few torches lined the wall of the basement, and all that sat inside the room were a bed, table, and two stools. They sat comfortably against the wall of the room, and those that were tired slowly drifted off to sleep as they waited for the hermit to return, though they were all doubtful that he would be coming back soon. Orin sat on the stairs that led into the basement, eagerly waiting for the hermit.
"Get some rest, Orin." said Vahn, who was sitting awake against the cold stone wall. "Once the hermit gets here, we'll listen to his story and leave as quickly as possible. It would be better for you to get some rest before we have to leave."
"I don't intend on running off after we find where the nearest port is." said Orin. "We can stay here tonight."
"Oh." said Vahn quietly. "I thought you would want to leave in a hurry."
"We can't find either of our fathers if we're exhausted, now can we?" said Orin, as he looked behind him up the stairs.
"You're right." agreed Vahn.
An hour had passed, and they had all fallen asleep, including Orin. He began to dream of a large creature, who stood in front of him, its eyes red and angry. It growled loudly at him, and in and instant, he let out a yell of fear, and grabbed at his sword in its scabbard. It wasn't there, and as he tried to find it nervously, the creature charged at him, at stood face to face with him. The creature screeched and howled, and Orin yelled in horror, as it lifted its razor sharp claws into the air, and brought them down across his chest.
"Bleed for me, so I may have the pleasure of tasting your fear of death…" growled the beast, as it lifted its bloody claws to deliver another blow.
Orin opened his mouth, but not a sound spilled forth, and in an instant, the claws met his terrified face, and he awoke.
Sweat was dripping from his chin, and his face still covered in a look of terror. He looked at his chest, which was perfectly fine, but he felt as though his dream were real. He lye back on the steps, and let out a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes again, but quickly opened them as footsteps approached from the top of the wall, and the came closer and closer to the stairs. Orin stood up quickly, and turned toward the stairs, waiting for the person to come down. He was sure the Hermit was coming, but backed away from the stairs, just in case he was wrong. The footsteps grew louder, as the person walked down the stairs, and into the dim basement. Orin could hardly see the person coming down, but he knew it was a man. A short man with pointed ears and a large beard and mustache. His cloths were a bit ragged and his face was dirty, but he looked like a very nice man, and he slowly walked toward Orin.
"Gaaar…" mumbled the man, as he crept slowly toward Orin.
"Huh? Are…are you the hermit who lives here?" asked Orin, as he backed away from the man.
The man crackled a vile laugh, and took a dagger from his belt. Orin backed away, puzzled at why the man, who he thought was the hermit, was acting so strange.
"Keith, Duran!" cried Orin. "Wake up!"
They all stirred slightly in their sleep, but didn't wake up at Orin's command. Orin saw that they wouldn't awaken, so he drew his sword and held it tightly.
"I won't like to kill you, but you don't leave me any choice!" yelled Orin, as the hermit continued to walk toward him.
Orin walked backward, tripped over a stool, and landed on his back. Before he could rise, the hermit, jumped in the air, and came flying down on Orin, his eyes white and ghostly. The hermit landed hard on Orin's chest, and knocked the wind out of him, but he still managed to grab the hermit's wrist before he could be stabbed. Orin's sword flew out of reach, but Orin didn't even try to reach for it. He hooked the hermit in the face, and knocked the old man off him, and to the ground. Orin jumped up and kicked the hermit in the wrist, knocking away his weapon.
"Don't move!" yelled Orin, as he picked up his own weapon, and held it to the hermit's neck.
The hermit laughed, and then stopped suddenly, as a large black cloud of mist began to spill from his open mouth. The hermit fell unconscious, and the mist grouped into a large black sphere, and charged into Orin. He gasped as the spirit forced itself into his body, and his eyes began to lose their color, and become white and eerie. Then, suddenly, the spirit stopped, and shot backward out of Orin's body, and exploded as it hit the stone wall of the dank basement. Orin fell onto the hermit's body, and he too became unconscious.
Orin awoke to see his friends and the hermit looking over him, their faces full of worry and a bit of sadness, but they smiled when his eyes had opened.
"Orin!" cried Ikara, as a wide smile grew on her face.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Keith, as he pulled Orin off the cold tile floor. "We thought we'd lost you."
Orin's legs wobbled a bit when he stood, but regained his bearings and stood tall.
"How did you end up like that?" asked Keith. "When the hermit found you, he said you we're just lying unconscious on his floor."
Orin turned to the hermit, and to his surprise, he looked like a normal person, and a kind one at that.
"You gave us quiet a scare there, young fellow." said the hermit as he walked toward Orin.
"You…you're possessed!" cried Orin, as he stumbled backward into Keith.
"Hey! What are you talking about, Orin!?" yelled Keith, as he tried to hold up Orin. "He isn't possessed."
Orin looked at the hermit fearfully, and tried to back up more, but Keith push Orin away.
"Are you alright? Did you hit your head or something?" asked Duran as he walked over to Orin.
"I think I have some explaining to do then." said the hermit, as he looked around at them all. "I truly was possessed by some sort of devil."
Orin's eyes widened, and he calmed down a bit as the hermit spoke.
"I don't remember much, but I do know I had gone outside a few nights ago, and met up with a strange character." said the hermit, as he sat down on a stool.
Everyone sat down on the ground beside him to listen, but Orin, who still felt uneasy about the hermit, stood against the wall to listen.
"This man wore sky blue robes and brandished a magical cane. He approached me in the dead of night, when I heard some commotion from the field outside the ruins." continued the hermit, as he focused on his listeners. "This man," said the hermit, "he was so powerful, that just a wave of his cane forced me to the ground, and these strange orbs that surrounded him began to attack me. I struggled, but they engulfed me, and I can't remember much that happened afterwards."
"Father…" whispered Vahn, as he looked at the ground.
"I woke up when all of you did, and this boy was lying on me." finished the hermit. "Wait a minute, how'd you all get in here?"
"Uh…" started Keith, "We were waiting for you."
"And for what?" asked the hermit curiously.
"Well…" said Duran.
"We need to know were we can find a boat." said Orin, as he walked over toward them. "Someone told me you knew this area well enough to tell us were we could find one."
"And I do." said the hermit. "But I'm not sure I can trust you…You see, you did break into my house you know…"
"Trust us!?" yelled Orin. "I can't even be sure if your still possessed by that spirit or not!"
"Calm down, boy!" bellowed the hermit. "You can stay here until nightfall, and if I feel you're trustworthy, I'll tell you what you want to know."
"Fine." agreed Orin.
Even though Orin felt a bit uneasy, he could recall that the spirit had expelled itself from the hermit's body that morning, but he still was unsure. It was dark in the room, and he could have been seeing things, but he started to push this out of his mind. He knew he could trust the hermit, but he was a bit agitated from his lack of sleep.
"Anyway." said the hermit. "My name is Paje the elf. I was once a villager of Yeel, but I left soon after my 26th birthday. I was a hunter, until the devils began to appear, and ate and scared off all the game. When I tried to return to Yeel, devils blocked the way. I came to Galam and I've lived here ever since."
"So, then you know of the Shining Force?" asked Orin, who had lost all suspicion of the hermit being possessed.
"I do. They were imprisoned in this very room." said Paje, as he lifted his pipe from the table and lit it. "Galam and Granseal were at war during that time, and I was actually a soldier of Galam when I was imprisoned here. They helped me escape."
"So, you were the soldier Slade talked about! You and he were in the same cell together!" exclaimed Orin.
He was surprised to actually meet someone who had seen the entire Shining Force firsthand.
"That I was." said Paje, a smile appearing on his face as he reminisced about those many years ago. "That was before this beautiful place became just piles of stone and rubble."
"What happened here, Paje." asked Ikara curiously.
"Well, after the Devil King had taken the body of King Galam, the Shining Force had no other choice but to seal both Galam and Zeon at once. Because Galam had no heirs, the castle went into a state of chaos and anarchy. The one that Galam said would take the throne after his death, General Lemon, sacrificed himself to seal Galam and Zeon, and therefore, left no ruler." said Paje, as he stopped to take a breath. "Granseal sent a man named Astral to try and calm the city, but his words only quieted us for so long. Astral thought it best to appoint Galam's advisor to be king, but that didn't work so well. This new ruler held us under tight tyranny for over a decade, but finally, the people rebelled."
Orin and the rest of them looked at Paje, and concentrated on his story, which was of great interest to them. Orin had wondered for a time about the history of this place, and his questions were slowly being answered.
"We took back the kingdom, but now that the ruler, named Ignatius Lloyd, had been killed, we had no one to take our lead. We were a pitiful city of idiots. We couldn't even take control of our own lives in the way we wanted. The kingdom was run by over 20 different people over a span of two years, when finally, we collapsed and the villagers went ramped throughout the kingdom. Our city was reduced to dust, and this is all that remains 12 years later." said Paje, whose face was red from his eagerness to tell his story, and because of his loss of breath.
"Wow…" murmured Orin. "This city could have prospered even more than ever after Galam had left, but I guess the opportunity was wasted."
"Yes, it was." said Paje, as he puffed from his pipe. "As I said, we were foolish and acted like animals. We couldn't think on our own."
It was late in the noon by now, and the sun was soon beginning to set over Arc Valley and all of Grans Island. Paje told other stories about how he hunted as a boy and how he had learned to live in such an abandoned place. Keith and Duran had both fallen asleep, since their listening skills were poor and so were their attention spans, but the rest of them listened eagerly to the old man's stories with great enthusiasm.
"Why didn't you ever return to Yeel?" questioned Ikara.
"When you move to an area so big and active, Yeel doesn't seem interesting. Even when the city has been burned to the ground, it still seems more interesting than a quiet and peaceful village. Besides, I was able to become more in tune with myself and nature by staying here alone." said Paje, as he added more tobacco to his pipe.
"Don't you get lonely?" asked Vahn, as he moved in closer to Paje.
"Loneliness is not a problem for me." replied Paje. "Once I go outside and go for a walk, I feel as if I've been refreshed. Nature is my company. Well, now, it's getting a bit late. I trust in all of you for listening so well to this old man. I will tell you what you need to know."
"That's alright Paje." said Orin cheerfully. "If it's okay with you, I think it best that we spend the night here. We are very sleepy and, as you can see, it would be unfair to awaken my already sleeping comrades."
"Point well taken, my boy. You may rest here for the night." said Paje, as he grinned happily at his guests. "There are a few cots under my bed. They should suit you comfortably."
"Thank you." said Ikara, as she reached under the old bed and pulled out several dusty cots.
Everyone laid down to sleep, except for Paje, who put out all except one torch that hung on the wall. Paje sat on his bed, and continued to smoke his pipe, while Orin stared at the damp, cracked ceiling of the hermit's home. Orin heard the rustling of sheets as Paje covered himself, and blew out the candle on his bedpost.
'I've probably got so far to go,' thought Orin. 'I don't even know where I'm going next.'
Orin thought for only a few minutes, before sleep had overcome him. It was not a deep sleep, for Orin was much too stressed and worried lately. Instead, he drifted off uneasily. Because of this, he began to dream again, but as his mind had done before, it began to put on a slideshow of unimaginably horrific scenes. He tossed in his sleep as a terrified soldier was slain by two Centaur Knights, and his flesh was torn into pieces and flung in all directions. Another image popped into his mind, as sweat began to drip from his forehead. A man silhouetted against flames walked toward Orin, as he stood watching the blaze overcome a large city. Numerous houses were engulfed by the raging fire, and people screamed loudly, as they, too, were eaten by the ruthless flames. The man was close to Orin now, yet he did not flee from his hellish surroundings. He looked at Orin, but his face couldn't be seen. His eyes, though, his eyes were blank and lifeless as they peered coldly into Orin's. Orin's own eyes widened, and he backed off, away from the approaching figure, and gasped as his father's face became visible from under the darkness of his own shadow. His face was not as it had been in Granseal tower, but instead, his blank stare was accompanied by an open, bloodstained mouth. Bowie's long, jagged teeth gleamed as the reflecting blaze hit them, and his smooth, tranquil voice was replaced by a crackling mumble.
"What do think of Grans now?" said a voice the grumbled from the red sky. "Can you see how much they enjoy Bowie's rule?"
The charred body of a man flew out of a nearby house, and crashed into dust at Orin's feet, as the voice cackled loudly, his voice a booming roar of malice.
"This isn't real!" cried Orin, as he fell backward at the sight of the man's remains. "My father…is not like this! He loves his people!"
"Bowie loves many things, but he still has a strong desire to battle." hissed the voice, as Bowie growled, his face dripping with blood. "It seems Bowie also loves the smell of burning flesh!"
The voice laughed loudly, as it echoed all around Orin, who was now standing again. Orin had tears dripping slowly off his chin, yet his expression was angry, and from an invisible scabbard, he drew his sword.
"Ha! What a fool!" said the bellowing voice, as an inhuman Bowie too drew his sword. "He is the master of all swordplay. He'll kill you before you move!"
Though voice was evil and frightening, Orin knew full well that his father was not the creature that stood before him. He whipped his sword around in his hand, and charged Bowie. Bowie screeched loudly as Orin ran, and disappeared from sight when Orin reached him. When he turned, there stood Bowie, his sword raised above his head, about to bring it down into Orin. Orin gasped, and tried to bring up his sword to block the blow, but as he did, Bowie disappeared.
"GAH!" roared Orin, as he raised his empty hands toward Paje's dark ceiling.
The ruins looked gloomy against the colorful horizon behind it, and it made everyone feel unsettled about entering them. Nevertheless, they had to find the hermit that lived there, because he was the only one who knew of any port cities on Grans Island. They approached the remains of a large drawbridge, which lay in a dried moat. When they had reached it, they started over it with great caution, for it looked old and unstable. They went over one at a time, and when they had all safely crossed over, they crept quietly toward a large archway, that was crumbling with age. The area was quiet and seemingly peaceful, and though there seemed to be very little danger about the ruins, the group stayed alert and aware of any sudden movements. The place was totally destroyed, and charred remains of trees, homes, and shops lye quiet and uninhabited.
Orin could see that, to his left, was a destroyed castle, with nothing but a foot high stone wall still intact in the front of the castle. A large statue stood outside, but it was crumbling and black from fire, and missing large chunks of stone from its face and limbs. Vegetation had begun to grow from the cracks in the cracked stone pavement, and vines crept up the walls of almost every bit of remaining building and home.
"Lets go." said Orin, as the rest of the group stood in awe of the large, destroyed remains of a once great kingdom.
They followed him, still looking around curiously at what was left of the area, and they past along many destroyed homes, when finally, they reached a large, collapsed wall at the edge of the city. It was the least destroyed thing they could see, and it seemed like the only place one could live in the deserted place. Orin knocked on a large door that seemed to be the entrance to a watch tower that traveled along the wall, and they stood waiting for someone to answer.
"This doesn't feel right." said Orin. "This is the only place someone could actually make into a home."
"Maybe he's dead." said Duran casually as he examined an old, cracked sword on the ground.
"Thanks for being so positive, buddy." said Keith sarcastically. "I guess that means you can go home then."
Duran snorted at Keith, and continued to examine the discarded weapon.
"Aren't you both suppose to be best friends?" asked Vahn, who snickered at their attitudes.
They both murmured something under their breath, and continued what they were doing.
"Were could he be?" questioned Ikara, who was trying to change the subject.
"If he went anywhere, we can just wait for him inside." said Duran, who walked over and pushed open the door.
"Hey!" yelled Ikara. "That an invasion of someone's privacy!"
"Ah, lay off." replied Duran from inside. "He won't even know we were here."
As Duran said this, a loud crash came from inside, and Duran popped back out very quickly.
"Oops…" he said, his face red with embarrassment.
"Your such a klutz!" cried Ikara, as she ran inside to see what he'd broken.
Ikara fixed the broken vase with a bit of magic, and the troop decided they would make themselves at home in the basement, which they believed was the Hermit's home. It looked like it was once a jail, since some large iron rods still jutted from the ground, though some had been broken off. It was dim inside, and only a few torches lined the wall of the basement, and all that sat inside the room were a bed, table, and two stools. They sat comfortably against the wall of the room, and those that were tired slowly drifted off to sleep as they waited for the hermit to return, though they were all doubtful that he would be coming back soon. Orin sat on the stairs that led into the basement, eagerly waiting for the hermit.
"Get some rest, Orin." said Vahn, who was sitting awake against the cold stone wall. "Once the hermit gets here, we'll listen to his story and leave as quickly as possible. It would be better for you to get some rest before we have to leave."
"I don't intend on running off after we find where the nearest port is." said Orin. "We can stay here tonight."
"Oh." said Vahn quietly. "I thought you would want to leave in a hurry."
"We can't find either of our fathers if we're exhausted, now can we?" said Orin, as he looked behind him up the stairs.
"You're right." agreed Vahn.
An hour had passed, and they had all fallen asleep, including Orin. He began to dream of a large creature, who stood in front of him, its eyes red and angry. It growled loudly at him, and in and instant, he let out a yell of fear, and grabbed at his sword in its scabbard. It wasn't there, and as he tried to find it nervously, the creature charged at him, at stood face to face with him. The creature screeched and howled, and Orin yelled in horror, as it lifted its razor sharp claws into the air, and brought them down across his chest.
"Bleed for me, so I may have the pleasure of tasting your fear of death…" growled the beast, as it lifted its bloody claws to deliver another blow.
Orin opened his mouth, but not a sound spilled forth, and in an instant, the claws met his terrified face, and he awoke.
Sweat was dripping from his chin, and his face still covered in a look of terror. He looked at his chest, which was perfectly fine, but he felt as though his dream were real. He lye back on the steps, and let out a sigh of relief. He closed his eyes again, but quickly opened them as footsteps approached from the top of the wall, and the came closer and closer to the stairs. Orin stood up quickly, and turned toward the stairs, waiting for the person to come down. He was sure the Hermit was coming, but backed away from the stairs, just in case he was wrong. The footsteps grew louder, as the person walked down the stairs, and into the dim basement. Orin could hardly see the person coming down, but he knew it was a man. A short man with pointed ears and a large beard and mustache. His cloths were a bit ragged and his face was dirty, but he looked like a very nice man, and he slowly walked toward Orin.
"Gaaar…" mumbled the man, as he crept slowly toward Orin.
"Huh? Are…are you the hermit who lives here?" asked Orin, as he backed away from the man.
The man crackled a vile laugh, and took a dagger from his belt. Orin backed away, puzzled at why the man, who he thought was the hermit, was acting so strange.
"Keith, Duran!" cried Orin. "Wake up!"
They all stirred slightly in their sleep, but didn't wake up at Orin's command. Orin saw that they wouldn't awaken, so he drew his sword and held it tightly.
"I won't like to kill you, but you don't leave me any choice!" yelled Orin, as the hermit continued to walk toward him.
Orin walked backward, tripped over a stool, and landed on his back. Before he could rise, the hermit, jumped in the air, and came flying down on Orin, his eyes white and ghostly. The hermit landed hard on Orin's chest, and knocked the wind out of him, but he still managed to grab the hermit's wrist before he could be stabbed. Orin's sword flew out of reach, but Orin didn't even try to reach for it. He hooked the hermit in the face, and knocked the old man off him, and to the ground. Orin jumped up and kicked the hermit in the wrist, knocking away his weapon.
"Don't move!" yelled Orin, as he picked up his own weapon, and held it to the hermit's neck.
The hermit laughed, and then stopped suddenly, as a large black cloud of mist began to spill from his open mouth. The hermit fell unconscious, and the mist grouped into a large black sphere, and charged into Orin. He gasped as the spirit forced itself into his body, and his eyes began to lose their color, and become white and eerie. Then, suddenly, the spirit stopped, and shot backward out of Orin's body, and exploded as it hit the stone wall of the dank basement. Orin fell onto the hermit's body, and he too became unconscious.
Orin awoke to see his friends and the hermit looking over him, their faces full of worry and a bit of sadness, but they smiled when his eyes had opened.
"Orin!" cried Ikara, as a wide smile grew on her face.
"Hey, you alright?" asked Keith, as he pulled Orin off the cold tile floor. "We thought we'd lost you."
Orin's legs wobbled a bit when he stood, but regained his bearings and stood tall.
"How did you end up like that?" asked Keith. "When the hermit found you, he said you we're just lying unconscious on his floor."
Orin turned to the hermit, and to his surprise, he looked like a normal person, and a kind one at that.
"You gave us quiet a scare there, young fellow." said the hermit as he walked toward Orin.
"You…you're possessed!" cried Orin, as he stumbled backward into Keith.
"Hey! What are you talking about, Orin!?" yelled Keith, as he tried to hold up Orin. "He isn't possessed."
Orin looked at the hermit fearfully, and tried to back up more, but Keith push Orin away.
"Are you alright? Did you hit your head or something?" asked Duran as he walked over to Orin.
"I think I have some explaining to do then." said the hermit, as he looked around at them all. "I truly was possessed by some sort of devil."
Orin's eyes widened, and he calmed down a bit as the hermit spoke.
"I don't remember much, but I do know I had gone outside a few nights ago, and met up with a strange character." said the hermit, as he sat down on a stool.
Everyone sat down on the ground beside him to listen, but Orin, who still felt uneasy about the hermit, stood against the wall to listen.
"This man wore sky blue robes and brandished a magical cane. He approached me in the dead of night, when I heard some commotion from the field outside the ruins." continued the hermit, as he focused on his listeners. "This man," said the hermit, "he was so powerful, that just a wave of his cane forced me to the ground, and these strange orbs that surrounded him began to attack me. I struggled, but they engulfed me, and I can't remember much that happened afterwards."
"Father…" whispered Vahn, as he looked at the ground.
"I woke up when all of you did, and this boy was lying on me." finished the hermit. "Wait a minute, how'd you all get in here?"
"Uh…" started Keith, "We were waiting for you."
"And for what?" asked the hermit curiously.
"Well…" said Duran.
"We need to know were we can find a boat." said Orin, as he walked over toward them. "Someone told me you knew this area well enough to tell us were we could find one."
"And I do." said the hermit. "But I'm not sure I can trust you…You see, you did break into my house you know…"
"Trust us!?" yelled Orin. "I can't even be sure if your still possessed by that spirit or not!"
"Calm down, boy!" bellowed the hermit. "You can stay here until nightfall, and if I feel you're trustworthy, I'll tell you what you want to know."
"Fine." agreed Orin.
Even though Orin felt a bit uneasy, he could recall that the spirit had expelled itself from the hermit's body that morning, but he still was unsure. It was dark in the room, and he could have been seeing things, but he started to push this out of his mind. He knew he could trust the hermit, but he was a bit agitated from his lack of sleep.
"Anyway." said the hermit. "My name is Paje the elf. I was once a villager of Yeel, but I left soon after my 26th birthday. I was a hunter, until the devils began to appear, and ate and scared off all the game. When I tried to return to Yeel, devils blocked the way. I came to Galam and I've lived here ever since."
"So, then you know of the Shining Force?" asked Orin, who had lost all suspicion of the hermit being possessed.
"I do. They were imprisoned in this very room." said Paje, as he lifted his pipe from the table and lit it. "Galam and Granseal were at war during that time, and I was actually a soldier of Galam when I was imprisoned here. They helped me escape."
"So, you were the soldier Slade talked about! You and he were in the same cell together!" exclaimed Orin.
He was surprised to actually meet someone who had seen the entire Shining Force firsthand.
"That I was." said Paje, a smile appearing on his face as he reminisced about those many years ago. "That was before this beautiful place became just piles of stone and rubble."
"What happened here, Paje." asked Ikara curiously.
"Well, after the Devil King had taken the body of King Galam, the Shining Force had no other choice but to seal both Galam and Zeon at once. Because Galam had no heirs, the castle went into a state of chaos and anarchy. The one that Galam said would take the throne after his death, General Lemon, sacrificed himself to seal Galam and Zeon, and therefore, left no ruler." said Paje, as he stopped to take a breath. "Granseal sent a man named Astral to try and calm the city, but his words only quieted us for so long. Astral thought it best to appoint Galam's advisor to be king, but that didn't work so well. This new ruler held us under tight tyranny for over a decade, but finally, the people rebelled."
Orin and the rest of them looked at Paje, and concentrated on his story, which was of great interest to them. Orin had wondered for a time about the history of this place, and his questions were slowly being answered.
"We took back the kingdom, but now that the ruler, named Ignatius Lloyd, had been killed, we had no one to take our lead. We were a pitiful city of idiots. We couldn't even take control of our own lives in the way we wanted. The kingdom was run by over 20 different people over a span of two years, when finally, we collapsed and the villagers went ramped throughout the kingdom. Our city was reduced to dust, and this is all that remains 12 years later." said Paje, whose face was red from his eagerness to tell his story, and because of his loss of breath.
"Wow…" murmured Orin. "This city could have prospered even more than ever after Galam had left, but I guess the opportunity was wasted."
"Yes, it was." said Paje, as he puffed from his pipe. "As I said, we were foolish and acted like animals. We couldn't think on our own."
It was late in the noon by now, and the sun was soon beginning to set over Arc Valley and all of Grans Island. Paje told other stories about how he hunted as a boy and how he had learned to live in such an abandoned place. Keith and Duran had both fallen asleep, since their listening skills were poor and so were their attention spans, but the rest of them listened eagerly to the old man's stories with great enthusiasm.
"Why didn't you ever return to Yeel?" questioned Ikara.
"When you move to an area so big and active, Yeel doesn't seem interesting. Even when the city has been burned to the ground, it still seems more interesting than a quiet and peaceful village. Besides, I was able to become more in tune with myself and nature by staying here alone." said Paje, as he added more tobacco to his pipe.
"Don't you get lonely?" asked Vahn, as he moved in closer to Paje.
"Loneliness is not a problem for me." replied Paje. "Once I go outside and go for a walk, I feel as if I've been refreshed. Nature is my company. Well, now, it's getting a bit late. I trust in all of you for listening so well to this old man. I will tell you what you need to know."
"That's alright Paje." said Orin cheerfully. "If it's okay with you, I think it best that we spend the night here. We are very sleepy and, as you can see, it would be unfair to awaken my already sleeping comrades."
"Point well taken, my boy. You may rest here for the night." said Paje, as he grinned happily at his guests. "There are a few cots under my bed. They should suit you comfortably."
"Thank you." said Ikara, as she reached under the old bed and pulled out several dusty cots.
Everyone laid down to sleep, except for Paje, who put out all except one torch that hung on the wall. Paje sat on his bed, and continued to smoke his pipe, while Orin stared at the damp, cracked ceiling of the hermit's home. Orin heard the rustling of sheets as Paje covered himself, and blew out the candle on his bedpost.
'I've probably got so far to go,' thought Orin. 'I don't even know where I'm going next.'
Orin thought for only a few minutes, before sleep had overcome him. It was not a deep sleep, for Orin was much too stressed and worried lately. Instead, he drifted off uneasily. Because of this, he began to dream again, but as his mind had done before, it began to put on a slideshow of unimaginably horrific scenes. He tossed in his sleep as a terrified soldier was slain by two Centaur Knights, and his flesh was torn into pieces and flung in all directions. Another image popped into his mind, as sweat began to drip from his forehead. A man silhouetted against flames walked toward Orin, as he stood watching the blaze overcome a large city. Numerous houses were engulfed by the raging fire, and people screamed loudly, as they, too, were eaten by the ruthless flames. The man was close to Orin now, yet he did not flee from his hellish surroundings. He looked at Orin, but his face couldn't be seen. His eyes, though, his eyes were blank and lifeless as they peered coldly into Orin's. Orin's own eyes widened, and he backed off, away from the approaching figure, and gasped as his father's face became visible from under the darkness of his own shadow. His face was not as it had been in Granseal tower, but instead, his blank stare was accompanied by an open, bloodstained mouth. Bowie's long, jagged teeth gleamed as the reflecting blaze hit them, and his smooth, tranquil voice was replaced by a crackling mumble.
"What do think of Grans now?" said a voice the grumbled from the red sky. "Can you see how much they enjoy Bowie's rule?"
The charred body of a man flew out of a nearby house, and crashed into dust at Orin's feet, as the voice cackled loudly, his voice a booming roar of malice.
"This isn't real!" cried Orin, as he fell backward at the sight of the man's remains. "My father…is not like this! He loves his people!"
"Bowie loves many things, but he still has a strong desire to battle." hissed the voice, as Bowie growled, his face dripping with blood. "It seems Bowie also loves the smell of burning flesh!"
The voice laughed loudly, as it echoed all around Orin, who was now standing again. Orin had tears dripping slowly off his chin, yet his expression was angry, and from an invisible scabbard, he drew his sword.
"Ha! What a fool!" said the bellowing voice, as an inhuman Bowie too drew his sword. "He is the master of all swordplay. He'll kill you before you move!"
Though voice was evil and frightening, Orin knew full well that his father was not the creature that stood before him. He whipped his sword around in his hand, and charged Bowie. Bowie screeched loudly as Orin ran, and disappeared from sight when Orin reached him. When he turned, there stood Bowie, his sword raised above his head, about to bring it down into Orin. Orin gasped, and tried to bring up his sword to block the blow, but as he did, Bowie disappeared.
"GAH!" roared Orin, as he raised his empty hands toward Paje's dark ceiling.