Chapter 3: Homecoming
Don't own it, can't own it...but one glorious day, I shall conquer the world and take it as mine own. Heehee. Your day is coming, Squaresoft...just you wait...
The Skyway that led to Enhasa was cold and elegant. And the trip there was as instantaneous as ever, with the weightless feeling that accompanied being turned to energy for a moment.
His breath was taken away when they disembarked, the difference in air temperature and quality completely changed. Zeal was still beautiful, and Enhasa, the city of dreams, was just a minor facet of the entire jewel. He could see Zeal Palace in the far distance, breathtaking and pearlescent in the light of the sun. It was midmorning, judging by the position the sun was in the sky.
Magus felt his hand trying to stray towards Schala's, which was tantalizingly close, drifting by her waist. He refrained, although it almost hurt to do so.
"We have one more Skyway trip back to the bound continent before we reach the main island," Schala said suddenly. She was trying to make conversation. Magus was clumsy at it. He hadn't really had to actually talk with anyone in years.
"Yes, my lady," he said, staring intently at her as she walked. Schala looked back, as if she could feel his scrutiny, and was blushing slightly when she saw the intensity of his eyes glittering in the depths of his hood. Her head went back to looking forward, and down. And she stumbled in her anxiety.
Magus caught her quickly, before she managed to go down. His hands were gentle, and he noticed he was holding her shoulder and hand. She did as well, and he let go of her slowly, relishing the feeling. "Are you okay, my lady?" he asked, wanting nothing more than to fully embrace her.
"I am fine, thank you," she said, almost whispering, not making eye contact.
"Do you wish to proceed, or do you want to take a break?" Magus asked, conscientous of her, and remembering that she had probably been walking all morning.
"We can keep going," is how she answered, hurriedly walking towards the Skyway awkwardly. Or as awkwardly as she could manage, while still being graceful. Magus smiled to himself, and followed at a respectful distance. Still close enough to catch her if she decided to trip again, which he wouldn't really mind.
Of course, life wasn't quite that perfect. The rest of the trip was uneventful in that regard. Schala was trying to make small conversation with him still after the second Skyway. No one spoke much when travelling through the blizzard.
Eventually, the reached the main island of Zeal, and it was on the edge of a forest that they exited the Skyway. And Magus remembered taking walks there with Schala. He had loved the forest as a child. There had been no one there to shun him, and he could be alone with Schala. It had been his one respite, besides his room. Even libraries weren't safe for him.
When Magus had been Janus, he had either been shunned, or teased. He didn't play well with others. Schala was waiting for him, though, not saying anything, yet. He shook his head, banishing the memories for now. He was forming the end of his plan.
The walk was quiet and peaceful. Enjoyable. "What brought you to Zeal, anyways?" Schala asked suddenly, breaking the silence. It sounded as if it had taken everything she had to ask him.
"I am here to learn," Magus responded, gently, trying not to make Schala feel any more awkward than she did already. Apparently it didn't work. She blushed as he spoke.
"Learn what?" she asked, anyways, curiousity overcoming any doubts she had.
"Everything and anything," he said, laughing. "Knowledge is power, my lady." And that quieted her down for a while, processing what he had said. They were on the path to the palace already, when she finally decided to speak again.
"Power?" and it was a sudden burst, this question.
"Hmm?" was his surprised noise. He wasn't sure what she was asking him. He looked at her.
"What type of power?" she asked again, clarifying sheepish in her not clarifying.
"Power to do anything one desires, of course," he said, not truly lying to her, just not explaining the entire purpose.
"Why do you need power to do that? You seem powerful enough already?" Schala said, shaking her head.
"Power is more than strength of body, but also of the mind,"he elaborated for her. "Knowledge is the base for being successful in one's endeavors."
"Oh," was the response to his explanation. Schala looked thoughtful now. "I thought you just wanted power of force."
"There is a place for that as well, as everything has it's place in life," he continued. And he realized he had almost been lecturing her. But he had been speaking more freely than he had in his entire life. Magus stopped talking. He couldn't lose his resolve now. But it was so hard with Schala this close.
"Thank you, Magus," Schala said, less shy now. And then they were at the palace. "You may call me Schala if you like."
"If that is your desire, my lady Schala," Magus said very quietly, looking at his sister seriously. She quialed under the intensity of his scrutiny.
"It is," she said, hesitantly, eyes large.
"Then I shall see you again, Schala," he murmured, and he took her hand and kissed it. She fled. And he smiled. He could tell she enjoyed his company, but he wasn't sure if he would see her again anytime soon.
Magus frowned. It might be better for his plan if he didn't see her so often. After all, he had to learn all that he couldn't as a child, and then make himself indelible. He sighed. There was much to do.
He entered the palace, and surveyed his surroundings. The palace was almost like a city in itself. Huge, with libraries within it as well.
The people of Zeal, the enlightened, coveted knowledge above all. But power as well. Power and knowledge is what had led them to the life they now enjoyed. Magus needed to find a place to stay, and remember, as well.
He wandered around, not really aimlessly, until he found a nu. They were always helpful, if you could manage to keep them awake long enough.
He poked at it with a finger, and it woke up startled, as most nu's seemed to be perpetually.
"Are there any spare rooms for me to stay in?" he asked it, once it had finished waking up, after trying to go back to sleep again, and he had it's attention.
"A room? Why do you need a room?" it asked him.
"I am new to Zeal, and having a place to stay would be welcome," he answered, knowing he would get nowhere with a nu without explaining things.
"All rooms, guest quarters and permanent, are located at the east end of the palace. Ask there," mumbled the nu, and then it became incoherent, babbling in it's sleep. Magus sighed. But at least he had gotten what he needed out of it first.
He headed towards the eastern part of the castle. And he saw another nu, sleeping at it's post. He readied himself mentally for the frustration that usually followed. Walking up, he poked it firmly, but not violently. And it started, and finally, after thrashing a bit, looked at him.
"I was wondering if there were any free guest rooms available?" he asked it. The nu squinted at him, started to answer, then twitched. Magus raised his eyebrows, unsure of what was going on.
"Scratch my back, please," begged the nu, surprising him.
"Could you answer my question first?" he asked, suddenly unsure of himself for the first time in a while. He had forgotten this part about nu's.
Meanwhile, the nu had shook it's head violently, and was doing a little dance. Magus sighed, and realized it would be useless to ask it anything until he scratched it's back. So he moved behind it's mass, and started to scratch, and noticed that when he scratched a certain area, it made happier noises than when he scratched other areas of it's back. Finally the nu pulled away, and Magus moved back in front of it, staring at it's utterly contented look.
Finally, after realizing it would go back to sleep if he didn't get it's attention again, he asked again. "The rooms?"
The nu, looking surprised again, looked at him, and finally answered after a minute. "Straight down the hall, up two flights of stairs, and third room from the end to the left." And it went back to sleep, exhausted from the effort of answering him.
Magus refrained from wanting to kick it. It wouldn't help him any. So he followed the directions, and found the uninhabited room, which had a beautiful view of the island and the sun keep. He collapsed on the bed after going through everything, and checking it all. Paranoia had served him well in the past, so a little caution shouldn't hurt now.
He was tired after the trek, still in pain from the battle he had lost. From being nearly frozen to death on the continent below. From walking all morning even though he hurt. Mentally exhausted from being home. And soon enough, he fell asleep, healing his damage through rest. And he slept well for the very first time in a long, long time.
a/n: Thank you for the review. I am glad you like it. Hope you don't mind the introductions. More will happen, just gotta get the setting right.
