Chapter 4
A Brief Rest
"Hey, Lyon!" Ephraim yelled two mornings later as he almost literally bounced into the small temple, Eirika walking gracefully in behind him. Wind chimes clanged against each other as the blue haired teenager brushed past them, producing a gentle rhythm of noise. "Oh, hello, Ephraim, Eirika." Lyon said, stretching, opening his eyes, and smiling at the twins. He was lying on a stone bench in a warm patch of sunlight, and had apparently been sleeping before the twins had woken him. He swung his legs over the side so that they could sit next to him. "Whatcha doing out here?" Ephraim said, looking around delightedly at all the sparkly silver wind instruments. "Hiding from Knoll. I literally had to sneak out of bed this morning. I was rather surprised to find he hadn't tied me to it!" He said, laughing. "That's why you didn't see me yesterday… He made me stay in bed all day. From the way he was talking, I got the impression he wanted to keep me in there for the rest of the week, as well. So I decided to escape. How was your lesson with Father MacGregor?" He asked, interested. Being such a bright and responsible student, the bishop had already taught him the entire curriculum for exceptional students that were eighteen, much less sixteen. So now, the clergyman only gave Lyon vague subjects that would be useful to know or interesting to him, and then allowed Lyon to explore for himself and only report back occasionally. Ephraim groaned. "Horrendous. But I did get one useful thing out of it… He told me you were studying the Sacred Stone of Grado, that you want to learn how to use its energy. How do you intend to use the Sacred Stone, Lyon? Do you really think you can tap into its power?"
Eirika giggled. Her brother sounded so mature, using all those big words. "Why are you asking, Ephraim? Are you really interested, or do you just want to make the city girls think you're smart?" She teased, and Lyon laughed. Ephraim made a grumpy face, but then gave up and grinned. "Well, maybe… But I also want to know what my friend is up too!" Lyon put his hands behind his head and watched a fat bumblebee buzz through the air, which was heavy with the scent of flowers. "Mm… My research isn't complete yet, but there's no mistaking the power the Sacred Stones contain. And the Stone of Grado seems especially responsive to my dark magic. I suppose it's because it contains both sacred and demonic properties." Eirika, who was sitting in the middle of the bench, turned quizzically towards him. "Lyon… You and Knoll use all four types of magic instead of just the elder magics, don't you? And what's the difference between dark magic and evil magic, again?" Lyon chuckled, then humbly replied "Yes, me and Knoll do use all the different forms of magic. But that means little… Most advanced mages dabble in other areas of the arcane, rather than only using the one they are the most skilled with…"
"But Knoll and you are exceptionally and equally skilled in all of them, aren't you? You're so modest, Lyon…"
Lyon blushed and turned away as Ephraim started munching on a dandelion. Eirika gave him a funny look, and he shrugged. "I'm hungry, and rabbits eat them, don't they?"
"Yes, and considering you have the mental capacity of a bunny, that does seem to make sense…"
"H-hey!! Are you calling me stupid?!"
"Of course not, brother." Eirika giggled.
"Oh… that's good."
Lyon smiled as the twins argued. It was all in good fun, of course. And even Ephraim had a serious side when it was needed… And no matter what, they were his friends, and with that, he was content. He started speaking again after watching an emerald green hummingbird with a bright scarlet throat sip at the bowls of sugar water left out to attract the mythically luck-bringing birds to the shrine. "As for the difference between dark and evil magic… That's an easy question to answer, although It'll take a while to explain. Dark, or elder, magic is feared because it is rooted in knowledge-things brought to light, ironically… while light and holy magic is based on faith, usually in God, but sometimes in other things as well… the more obscure aspects of human life. People fear dark magic because they believe it is delving into things humans should not know… But in this new age, that belief is starting to die out. Some people no longer are afraid of it because they ask 'why would God have made sentient creatures intelligent enough to discover this knowledge if He did not want them to know it?' But then again… Maybe that's because he wants us to choose for ourselves what is right and what is wrong. I believe, like many people now do, that the latter is true, but that makes the use of dark magic no different than living one's daily life-a choice between good and evil. So most people, like me, think He would want us to use much of the knowledge there is to be learned, and guide us to safety if we came to close to unveiling a secret too powerful for our mortal minds… Sorry, I'm getting off topic, aren't I? But that is the reason most people associate dark magic with evil… however, evil magic is quite different from elder magic." Eirika was listening intently. Although not a mage herself, she could understand what Lyon was saying, and the concept intrigued her. Ephraim, thoroughly bored, decided not even the affection of the local girls was worth paying attention to this speech. Instead, he relaxed, closed his eyes, and listened to the hum of the myriad small insects populating this part of Magvel.
"After the Demon King was defeated, the monsters that had flocked to him dissipated, but didn't disappear completely. A few brave souls then tracked down the creatures known as gorgons and mogalls, hoping to learn more about the unique form of sorcery they used. And they discovered that it was indeed a wicked form of magic, rooted in the demonic language. It was so corrupt, in fact, that all it could do was cause pain. If you used a demonic fire spell, for example, it would produce heat only so long as that heat was hurting someone. If you tried to use it in a non-harmful way, such as to warm yourself with a campfire or light a dark area, the magic would destroy itself rather than be beneficial to you. Water summoned to drown foes would be deadly, but if you conjured it for drinking? It would evaporate instantly. Dark magic, on the other hand, can be used to help people rather than only being an offensive weapon. Flux, for example, usually forces the particles in the air to slam at high speeds into an opponent. But if the mage who cast the spell wants too, they can instead use it to effortlessly move heavy objects, allowing houses to be built in record time, or a sinking passenger ship to be lifted to dry land. Another example is nosferatu. Nosferatu usually drains a foe's energy into whoever performed the spell. However, monks, nuns, clerics, and priests have long been using it for a different reason-to transfer energy from several healthy, willing donors to the sick or injured. All that happens to the contributor is that they feel tired for the next day or so… but despite how small the sacrifice on the donor's part, it may save the patient's life. Such uses for the elder magics are proof that-like the other three magics-dark magic is a gift from God, not the Devil."
He smiled at Eirika, and she smiled back. "What would you use the Stone's power for? I probably already know… To aid others, right?"
"Yup. If I can just press my studies a little harder... Well, I think I might be able to use it to heal my father's illness. If that works, there's no telling how many other people I can help as well."
"Lyon… Do you think this is wise? The power contained within the Stones is divine, beyond our understanding... My father tells me that they possess a power not to be trifled with lightly." Lyon sighed.
"Uh-huh... Father Macgregor is also against it. He wants me to wait until I'm older before I try experimenting with the Sacred Stone… That's why they still won't give me direct access to the Stone of Grado. For the time being, I've made do with the radiant energies surrounding it. They're nothing compared to the raw power of the stone itself, but... If I can show Father MacGregor some real progress, perhaps one day... But I… I don't want to wait. What if people die, people that could have been saved if I was allowed to research the Stone's magic more closely now, rather than later? And just because we are unable to understand their strength…There are many things in this world we do not understand. Love, for example. Can anyone truly comprehend why someone would value another being's safety more than their own life? No, such a thing baffles the mortal mind… But even though it is an enigma, so much would be lost if we didn't partake of it…Do you understand, Eirika? That is why I think we should use the Stone's power…" Eirika nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. Everything Lyon was saying made a lot of sense… "Using the Sacred Stone to study ways to use its magic for the good of mankind... And then directing the Stone's power with your own magic…" Ephraim mused, trying to sum up the gist of this intellectual conversation, which had finally pierced his lethargy. Lyon looked through the southern part of the open-sided wind temple, watching the merrily sparkling azure sea, which was only several hundred yards from where they were. The city was slightly to the left and south of the sanctuary, and the loud calls of merchants hawking their wares could be heard even from here.
"Ephraim, Eirika… What do you two think? Using the divine power of the Sacred Stones in this way... You don't think it's a very good idea, do you?" Ephraim and Eirika both vigorously shook their heads.
"I think it sounds like the right thing to do, but...It's just that I know nothing at all of magic. I would that there were some way I could help you, but I simply can't. But, Lyon, I've seen how hard you've worked to help others. I know how much you want the power to make others happy. I know these things, and because I know you, I trust your intentions." Ephraim replied, a serious look on his normally comical face. Lyon looked shyly at the ground.
"Ephraim..."
"If you hope to use the power of the Sacred Stone for good, I trust you can. I'm behind you all the way." Ephraim said, reaching over his sister and clapping his hand on Lyon's thin shoulder. Eirika lowered her head and smiled up at Lyon, who weakly grinned back.
"I agree with Ephraim entirely. You spend every night in the library, studying cures for your father's illness. The power of the Sacred Stones is too powerful to be used for personal gain. But you, Lyon... I think you'll be fine. You're the kindest person I know. " Lyon lifted his head, turning thankfully to his two friends.
"Thanks, both of you. Hearing those words from you… means a lot to me. Actually…and this hasn't been made
public yet… but I've already saved someone using the knowledge I've gleaned so far." Ephraim's mouth fell open in shock. "Really? You have?"
"Uh-huh... A while back, a fire ravaged a house in the city, and a little girl got trapped in the flames. Her burns were terrible… not even healing staves would have been able to cure her injuries. But just a sliver of the Stone's power
restored her life and healed her wounds. I saved that girl's life, Ephraim! Oh, if you could have seen the tears of joy in her mother's eyes!" Eirika's face lit up, delighted by her friend's triumph, and her joy was mirrored by the happiness in Lyon's gentle violet eyes. Ephraim applauded enthusiastically.
"You really did it, huh!? You are special, Lyon! Congratulations!"
"I heard some rumors about that… But you didn't elaborate about any such incident, so I thought it was just a stretch of the truth, that you had healed a badly burnt girl and the city people had turned it into a more exciting local legend. But I never would have guessed that you had done so much more! Good job!!" She beamed at him, her beautiful smile making his heart skip a beat, and he fervently hoped she hadn't noticed the sudden wistful longing shining in his eyes. He felt the insane urge to wrap his arms protectively around her, gently stroke her shimmering sapphire hair and softly whisper to her that he would always be there, and then to kiss her… He quickly looked away again, watching a robin bathe itself in a puddle of muddy rainwater. "Thank you… You've no idea how much you're support and encouragement helps me to succeed. Kili… the girl who got burned… and her family are staying with one of their relatives until their house is rebuilt. I took some money out of the royal treasury to pay for it… But anyway, there's still so much more to be done with the Sacred Stone. I am happy, though. To be honest, I just want to be able to help people. I want to put the ancient magics and the Sacred Stone to use for the common good... That's how I feel."
"Lyon..." Eirika said softly, and she had a sudden overwhelming desire to lean against him, feel his warm breath on her hair, press her lips gently to his… Her cheeks went a fierce scarlet, and she slapped herself on the forehead. Ephraim and Lyon turned towards her, startled by the sudden movement and accompanying loud noise. "Uh… mosquito." She said lamely.
"…And as my research moves forward, I'll be able to do much more, too. We have only the barest understanding of how the dark magic interacts with the Stone, or indeed, even how the Sacred Stone operates. All we really know is, it intensifies a person's strength, be that strength physical or mental, such as my magic… Maybe we can use it not only to heal wounds, but also to stop diseases... What if we can read the future, predict disasters, move mountains!?" Lyon said breathlessly, almost quivering with his excitement.
"Hold on, Lyon! You can't take too much on yourself all at once. What good is helping people if you sacrifice yourself to do it?" Eirika said, concerned. Lyon grinned sheepishly.
"Oh... Yes, of course. Sorry. I got carried away." Ephraim stood up, stretching languidly.
"You have a soft heart, Lyon. I bet you haven't taken any real time off at all. So this is what we're going to do. Today, we're going into the city. And you're going with us, Lyon." He announced, grinning wickedly at his befuddled friend.
"What? But, Ephraim, you've got a history report due." Lyon said as he stood up, Eirika following suit. Ephraim put his hands over his mouth in mock horror.
"Shame, shame on me! How dare I skip that most holiest of holies, writing stuffy reports for that boring old fogy? After all, what could be more precious than work?! We're taking today off. C'mon, let's go" He laughed and grabbed Lyon's arm and started pulling him towards the city, a giggling Eirika taking possession of Lyon's other hand. "Bu-But, Ephraim..." Lyon protested weakly. Eirika patted his arm reassuringly. "It's just one day, and I won't tell anyone. Won't it be fun for the three of us to spend a day in the city?"
"Ephraim, Eirika... Thanks so much. I'm lucky to have the two of you as friends…" Lyon said, a grin slowly materializing into existence on his face.
As they headed towards the city, Lyon and Eirika couldn't help glancing around nervously, obviously expecting some kind of reproof for their sneaky behavior. Ephraim snorted.
"We're royalty, for God's sake! Who's gonna stop us?!"
"…That would be me." Ephraim made a strangled gurgling noise as Knoll slipped out from behind a nearby oak tree, frowning darkly. He closed the book he'd been reading with an ominous snap. Lyon blanched. So much for escaping a week of bed rest…
"H-hi… c-cousin…"
"Lyon… You're still recovering. You know I can't allow you to work today…" The shaman's straight violet hair, which ended abruptly at his skinny shoulders, whipped about ominously with the force of the residual magic crackling angrily around the mage. For a brief second, it seemed Knoll was going to cast a sleep or paralysis inducing spell on his unfortunate cousin and then haul him back to his room, but then Eirika piped up. "He wasn't going to do any work, Knoll! We just wanted to go for a trip to the city… Please, oh please say you'll let him come with us? It won't be the same without him…"
"Yah! Uh-huh! Totally! What she said!" Ephraim said, rather desperately. "Hmm…" Knoll said, turning around to give the three anxious teenagers the impression that he was deep in thought, but really doing it so that they wouldn't see the grin spreading across his face. "I suppose I can allow it… But I'll have to accompany you to make sure he doesn't over exert himself." He replied, carefully masking the amusement on his face once more as he turned back around.
"Really…? Thank you, cousin!"
"Good man, watchdog!"
"Oh, thank you, Knoll!"
And thus was the journey into the city resumed.
Grado's capital was a pleasant mass of activity, a bustling throng of people scurrying busily over the cracked stone pavement in search of the best deals and the latest gossip and news. Vendors and stalls of all shapes, sizes, and colors crammed the street to bursting point, but gave the very air itself an aura of happiness and prosperity. Despite how hectic and cramped the crowded road was, it also had a strange feeling of serenity. The four friends were seated under the awning of a café, enjoying the cool shade after the sweltering heat of the sun-baked street, and sipping cool glasses of lemonade. Ephraim was almost literally drooling over the new spear he had bought and kept hugging it, despite Eirika's exasperated requests that he act like a sane person and stop having an affair with his weapon. Knoll had likewise treated himself to a new book, 'The Art of Alchemy,' in which he was already on page 137, despite the fact that he'd had it for only an hour and that they'd been walking up until a few minutes ago. Lyon and Eirika had yet to purchase anything, "Oooh, doesn't that tell you how to turn rocks into gold?" Ephraim said, perking up at the idea of free money. Knoll lowered the book and gave him a pitying glance. "Only advanced alchemists can perform such a spell. Alchemy includes much more than that, however. It is the practice of transfiguring various metals into different forms by altering their chemical composition…" Ephraim moaned. "Okay, okay! No more!! Big words hurt my head…" Eirika and Lyon started laughing at this, and a second later Ephraim began guffawing, even though he wasn't quite sure what was so funny.
Then they all settled back to watch the antics of the mob running around on the road, and even Knoll set down his book to watch. An old lady, her lips quivering as if though she was about to cry, tried vainly to get her cat down from a tree, and seeing this, all four companions were about to go help her when a tall man with graying purple hair plucked the feline up and handed it to the elderly woman, smiling kindly. "Oh, that's Duessel." Said Ephraim, then he fished through his pockets, pulled out a rather decrepit looking cookie, and began munching on it. "Oh, and there's Selena and Glen… They all command a different part of Grado's army, because it's so large. Duessel leads the land-based fighting forces, Glen the wyvern and wyrm riders, and Selena the mages.""Wow! Our army at home is so dinky, we only need one commander…" Ephraim said, rather wistfully. Lyon shuddered. "I'm just glad that it hasn't been used for centuries. I hope it never will be. All the soldiers are really friendly, and they keep the peace throughout Grado. It's… horrible… to think of them ever having to go fight for their lives against other humans, who have their own families and loved ones at stake as well… To know that if they fail, they get no second chances, just a bloody and violent death, alone and in agony in the midst of some chaotic battlefield…" He said, a melancholy expression on his face. Eirika shivered at his vivid description of war and subconsciously drew nearer to him. "But, after the Demon King was defeated, people changed… No longer do we have such senseless slaughter, and for that, I am grateful." His three friends all nodded in agreement.
"…But it still gives you mad awesome bragging rights!" Ephraim added with a resigned sigh.
They sat there for a few minutes in blissful relaxation. An old man with only a single tooth haggled over the price of pepper seeds with a fat and rather haughty looking merchant. A giggling young girl plucked up her courage and, at her three happily giggling friend's behests, kissed a rather bemused looking boy on the cheek. His companion sniggered until the smooched boy walloped him over the head with a wooden sword. A mother with her baby tucked firmly into a sling strapped across her back held up a watermelon in either hand, weighing them with a look of concentration on her face. A chubby street performer blew fire while his female companion danced elegantly nearby, singing a lively little tune to her watchers. His other lanky companion juggled five brightly colored red balls, bowing in between throws as he received raucous applause and was rewarded with coins from the onlookers. A young man eagerly explained to anyone who would listen just WHY they needed to buy one of his custom-made shirts. "Their dragon proof! Can't set 'em on fire!" He announced, a grin on his handsome and rather roguish face. "Heck, their so dang good, they even keep DRAGONFLIES away! Honest!!" A dragonfly, glinting like a gem in the sunlight, landed on the shirt the man was holding up. "That's a DAMSELFLY, people, really! No dragonflies here!!" The dragonfly almost looked indignant, an amazing feat for a creature with no brain and a very weirdly shaped head. Eirika stood up suddenly, pointing beyond the man with the amazing dragon-proof shirts. "Oh, look, a jewelry booth!" She said, sliding out of her chair and heading towards it, Lyon tagging along behind. "Joy, joy." Ephraim grumbled, putting his hands behind his back and resting his feet on the table.
The stall was very small, but the jewelry was magnificent. Laid out on racks in front of the owner's watchful eye, they sparkled like small stars. Lyon stood quietly behind Eirika, waiting to see what she would buy. She scanned through the rows of precious metal work, a delighted little noise escaping her lips whenever she saw a particularly exquisite piece, and then she gasped. "Oh, Lyon… Isn't it beautiful?" She asked, holding up a small heart shaped charm dangling at the end of an odd looking silver chain. She handed it to Lyon, who held it up so that it caught the light of the nearly setting sun. It was golden, with a row of small, alternating sapphires and amethysts set around the rim. A single crystal, flawlessly cut in the shape of a pearl so that it had no sides, was set in the middle. "That's really pretty, Eirika. It'll look… really good on you." Of course, anything would look good on someone as beautiful as you… he added silently to himself as he handed the charm back to Eirika. The woman behind the counter nodded knowingly. "May I see it? Thank you. This is one of my favorite pieces. Look, the chain and the charm break apart…" She said, pulling at the necklace, which split into two, with half the heart dangling from each new necklace. "It's supposed to show how our hearts break when we're not with the one we love. Then you can put it back together when you meet up with the object of your affections again. I'm hoping it'll start a new fad… So, Prince, are you and you're enchanting young lovebird going to buy it?" She said, winking mischievously at Lyon, who flushed and stuttered "Uh… w-we're not…" Eirika went a shade of scarlet comparable to that of the tomatoes in the next stall over, and the lady laughed. "I-I think I'm going to buy it, anyway…" Eirika said, rather flustered. The woman nodded. "That'll be five thousand gold, please." Eirika winced, her hand closing around the small amount of money in her pocket. "I… don't have that much. Thank you, though!" Eirika said sadly, setting down the necklace. The lady shrugged her shoulders in an 'Oh well, it can't be helped' kind of way. Eirika turned around and began carefully making her way back towards her brother and Knoll. "That was really pretty, though. Maybe if I save up some money… But no, it'll be gone by then… Lyon?" She paused, looking around, but her companion was nowhere in sight. She turned back around and started heading back towards the small booth, but then she saw him heading towards her. He must have lingered there for another moment, although she didn't know why. "Like the jewelry, Lyon?" Ephraim teased, popping up behind her as Lyon caught up. He grinned. "Of course, especially this pair of pink, heart-shaped earrings, but I figured that you'd want them much more, so I didn't buy them." This joking statement made them all break out laughing as they headed back to Grado keep, as the sun emitted a final blaze of glory before it sunk beneath the calm ocean waters.