Dear Mithos,
First, ask Martel if you actually address another male as 'Dear' when you write them a letter. It just seems off to me. Anyway, I'm afraid that I cannot write much today, I do have to wake up early tomorrow for training. Just wanted to thank you for my early birthday gif. I love it, and I'm sure it will come in handy (pun intended). See you at Lake Umacy.
Lloyd
Chapter I
Today is a dream
When Lloyd Irving finally woke up - after being doused with a bucket of cold well water and a few morning Dwarven Vows - he knew that the day was just going to go down hill from there. Never mind the bright blue sky and warm sunshine outside his bedroom window; today was Monday. Mondays meant the start of the five days in a row he would have to sit in a classroom for hours on end. Lloyd, like many children, did not care much for school, not when there were all sorts of fun stuff he could do outside.
He yawned and considered going back to sleep, drenched and all, until a pair of large green paws padded over to his bed. Canine teeth grabbed hold of the pillow, and tugged, at it playfully. The teen frowned, and tried to wrestle his pillow free.
"Lloyd!" the owner of that bucket of water that had splashed him earlier, called from downstairs. "If ya want yer breakfast, ya better be gettin' down here now!"
Lloyd groaned in dismay and released the pillow, ending the little tug-a-war game in the green canine's victory, to fumble about his room as he dressed. The teen really hoped that he could get a few hours of sleep during the Professor Sage's early lecture. He always had the best naps during class; but as a result, received the lowest quiz scores and the most lectures followed by long hours that he would be forced to clean the chalk boards after school.
"Boy!" the voice boomed again.
Knowing his dad's patience was wearing thin whenever he revered to his adoptive son as 'boy,' he scrambled around, purposely leaving behind his book bag in exchange for his weapons – a pair of wooden swords - before dashing out of his room and down the stairs.
Someone, of course, beat him by having four legs. Lloyd frowned to see the same green trouble maker pull back from his plate, munching away. His dad chuckled at the sight of his crest fallen face.
"Looks like Noishe beat ya to the bacon, Lloyd,"
"Dammit Noishe!"
"Whine?"
"Lloyd, watch yer mouth."
"I'm sorry," he mumbled before shooting the culprit a dirty look. He winced upon seeing the time on the carved wooden clock on wall and hastily grabbed the remains of breakfast of slightly warm scrambled eggs with a slice of toast wrapped around them - and rushed out the door.
"See ya later, dad!"
The Dwarf blacksmith only shook his head as he stared at the open door his son forgot to close.
"Have a good day."
His spirits automatically lifted when he arrived at the village gates of Iselia and waved in a friendly manner at the guards who greeted him. They smiled in return, also appearing relieved that his pet wasn't trying to follow him to school again. Lloyd didn't know why, but his dog just made the villagers uncomfortable. Noishe was just a dog - even though he was green, the size of a horse, and smart enough to help Lloyd with some of his homework (and not by eating it) – but still, just a dog.
Making his way to the school house, he exchanged greetings with the villagers and even did a few small jobs like getting a kitten down from a tree (Lloyd was really good at climbing trees) and made it just before the bells started to ring. Not only was he early, Professor Sage wasn't even in the room yet. Maybe today wouldn't be so bad after all.
"Morning, Genis!"
He zeroed in on a lone boy dressed in blue and who was years younger than everyone else, sitting up front and plopped into the desk behind him. No one other than him, and their friend Collette sat close to the boy. Another reason why, Lloyd thought the villagers were weird, was that they seemed to be intimidated by non-Desian half-elves.
It took a couple of nudges though to get that silver head boy to turn and look in his direction. Genis Sage, the Professor's little brother and Lloyd's best friend, smiled sheepishly at him and reluctantly closed the book he had been so engrossed by.
"Morning, Lloyd," Genis greeted as he turned his body halfway in his seat to face him, "did you just get in?"
"Yeah, and why are you studying?" Lloyd's expression turned sour for a moment, "wait, we don't have a test or anything like one today, do we?"
The other boy laughed in amusement as Lloyd looked like he wanted to bolt. Normally, he would probably tell Lloyd they had a huge test that covered all their subjects, and watch the older boy go into a panic attack. But today, Genis took pity on his best friend who was looking around frantically at the maps and charts on the wall as if he could memorize everything in just a couple of minutes.
"Not that I know of," he answered finally. "Sis said she was going to go over the World Regeneration again. I just wanted to get ahead a little."
Lloyd rolled his eyes. As if Genis wasn't already ahead of the whole class already. Many of the children and adults thought the Sage-siblings were highly intelligent because they were half-elves. Lloyd knew better of course, both Raine and Genis were smart because they spent most of their time reading books. Lloyd lost count of how many times he would be trapped in the village's small library; not to read, but to help Genis carry heavy books that the younger boy would finish that night. Lloyd didn't mind, he knew it was Genis' dream to become a scholar, and most likely would become one someday.
"Anyway, sounds perfect, I can get a good two hour nap."
Genis only shook his head, eagerly turning his attention back to the text he had abandoned for only a few minutes.
It wasn't long before the rest of the children, including the Professor, entered before the second bell. Genis and Lloyd's other close childhood friend, Collette Brunnel skipped by (not before tripping over her own feet) and sat down in the desk next to Lloyd's. She chirped a 'Good Morning' to both of them, before roll call.
Sure enough, after roll did Genis' sister announce the special lecture that was about the World Regeneration. Both Genius and Collette perked up, while Lloyd laid his head down on the desk behind an open history book and closed his eyes. He hoped the lecture would last until lunch.
Lloyd usually dreamed of traveling the world with Genis and Collette, in a boat that he would make with his own two hands. It was a dream he's had ever since he decided to follow in his adopted father's footsteps in becoming a carpenter and blacksmith. However, as the years went by and he became more confident in his skills as an apprentice; Lloyd knew his dream may not come true.
Genis would probably be the one to go with him, maybe even before enrolling at the Academy in Palmacosta. It was Collette who probably wouldn't be a part of his dream. She was after all, the Chosen of Mana. Her dream and duty was to regenerate the world that was in recline. Such a heavy burden to bear for such frail shoulders, it all seemed unfair to Lloyd. But if it was what she wanted, to become angel, he would support her. That's what you could do for the people you cared for.
"You worry for your friends, even when you're dreaming," a melodious voice spoke over his thoughts. "You haven't changed at all."
"Huh?" Lloyd whirled around and felt the world underneath him tilt for a moment. It was only when he recovered his bearings did he notice his surroundings. The landscape, although beautiful, was much different than what he usually dreamed about.
He stood facing a lake that shimmered with the sun reflecting off its surface. The water was surrounded by forest which was vastly different from woods in Iselia. The trees just looked different in their size and shape. Some had a variety of colorful birds Lloyd has never seen before, perched in their branches.
Finally, he half turned in the direction of that voice, only to stare at a young woman he had also never seen before, step into the clearing. If she was bothered by his gaping, she made no comment. Instead, the young woman smiled warmly at him and moved closer to admire the view.
"I haven't been here in ages, but it doesn't look like it's changed," she spoke softly, reaching up to push a long lock of emerald colored hair over a pointed-tip ear. "But after all, it is just a dream. It probably looks nowhere near how we remember it."
She's a half-elf! Lloyd realized quickly and was amazed. Other than the Sage siblings, he didn't know of any other half-elves living in Iselia. She certainly didn't look like a Desian.
The woman giggled all of a sudden and met his gaze. "I hope I don't."
'Wait', Lloyd thought as he stared at her dumbfounded, 'is she reading my thoughts? I didn't know half-elves could do that!'
"Silly," she laughed again. "We're in your dream."
Luckily he managed to find his voice.
"My dream? But who…?"
"LLOYD IRVING, WAKE UP!"
Groggily, Lloyd manage to crack open his eyes and raised his head above he book just see the Professor hurl an all to familiar black projectile at him. Barely missing Genis' temple by an inch; the chalkboard eraser hit his forehead with an explosion of dust. He found himself in a coughing fit as his face and most of his hair was now covered in a thin layer of chalk. Great, first it was frigid cold well water, and now chalkboard dust. Today was just not the day for sleeping.
"I'm awake. I'm awake," he mumbled while holding back a yawn.
Genis' sister pointed out the door and told Lloyd to go wash his face. However, not before threatening to use laundry pins to keep his eye lids open the next time she caught him napping. Lloyd made a mental note to try and get his dad to brew him up some of that strong coffee to drink before class next time.
He went outside the school house, ignored the curious glances from some villagers passing by, as he began to pull up a bucket of water from the well out back. Hastily he took off the red gloves he wear with his outfit (a craftsman had to protect his hands after all) followed by his matching jacket. He set them aside, to avoid getting them wet.
Lloyd steeled his nerves, as he kneeled down, cupped his bare hands together before quickly submerging them in the bucket. A shiver ran down his spine as he brought them up, to splash the cold water onto his face, and repeated the action until he could no longer see chalk on himself in his own reflection. He couldn't help but be entranced by the now murky water was so different compared the crystal blue lake in his dream.
"Hey, Lloyd!"
The said boy, turned and smiled as Collette approached him with a dry towel in her hands. She returned his smile as he accepted her offer, using it to dry his face and hair. Instead of going back inside for the lecture, she plopped down on a patch of grass beside him.
"Lloyd?"
"Hmm?"
"What would you like for your birthday?"
He blinked at her in confusion as he began to put his jacket back on. "That's my line, isn't it? Besides, my birthday is a month off."
Collette only shrugged her shoulders as she continued to smile, while playing with the short blade of grass under her fingers. "I know. It's just that I want to give you something really special… something that will make you remember me."
The last part, Lloyd barely heard but noticed as his friend had stopped smiling and kept her sky blue eyes downcast. He didn't understand what she meant, did she really believe that by going on a journey that her friends and family would forget her?
"You dummy," he spoke softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. There was no malice in the insult, just the opposite. "What I'd want for my birthday… is to have all of my friends together, just like how it is now."
Collette smiled, but it was nowhere near as bright as it was minutes ago. He didn't understand why this was upsetting her, but decided not to press any further. The last thing he ever wanted was to make her cry. She nodded in understanding, brushing sun-kissed blonde bangs from her face.
Lloyd stared as the simple motion brought him back to the day dream that lead him there. TheChosen's blue (not sapphire) eyes stared at him in confusion.
"Lloyd?"
He broke quickly from his day dream, and hastily pulled on his gloves.
"Sorry, my head was in the clouds again." It was a phrase Raine would often use to describe his short attention span. Collette giggled, and it was a sound that Lloyd found soothing to his ears.
"There you guys are!"
They turned their heads to see Genis walking up, looking slightly annoyed that the two were just sitting around and missing the important lecture going on inside.
"Sis told me to come get you both," said the younger Sage. "She's getting to part of Mithos the Hero, so hurry up!"
"Okay. Come on, Lloyd!"
Collette stood up, smoothing out her white tunic before heading back into the school house. Lloyd followed, and almost had his foot inside the door when he saw his best friend snicker and turned back to face him. The brunet tensed, he knew that look. As much as he loved the Sage siblings – they could be quite sadistic without even realizing it.
"Oops, almost forgot," he said innocently, "Raine said you had to bring two full buckets of water inside."
Lloyd groaned, and headed back to the well.
He really should have stayed in bed.
"Am I dreaming again?" he wondered looking at the blue lake once more. Lloyd stepped forward and automatically knew something was different in his second visit. For starters, the lake surface didn't look as calm as it did before. It was as if there was a sudden downpour of rain he couldn't see or hear, causing ripples to form, too many to count.
Lloyd stood transfixed, watching the hundreds of circles collide with each other that he didn't even hear someone approach him from behind.
"It has started."
From the corner of his eye, he saw her, the woman from before. She wasn't smiles and laughter this time. The expression on her face was a somber one, and his heart couldn't help but ache for some reason. Why, why did this woman – this stranger – remind him of Collette?
"What has?" he finally turned to ask; only to gape and stare right passed her.
In the background behind the forest, was the tallest structure, Lloyd had ever seen or knew that it existed. No, he knew of one. He did pay some attention to Raine's history lectures even though he and his dad never attended masses that had worshipped the Goddess from those ancient stories.
A white tower stood in the distance, it went up straight into the sky, and the top was obscured by clouds that it looked as if it could have gone on forever: The Tower of Salvation. According to all the tales he's heard, no one has seen it for many generations. It would only be revealed when the Chosen of Mana would leave for the journey of Regeneration.
'Collete, is this, what you've been waiting for?'
Despite the awe frozen on the teenager's face, his companion continued to stare only at the ripples of the lake before them. He only managed to snap out of his shock, when she placed her hands upon his shoulders. Sapphire eyes pleaded something from him, and before he could question her, she pushed him into the lake.
"Please…"
As he fell backwards, he barely heard her finish before he went under.
Wake up.
"LLOYD IRVING, DID YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP!"
The heavy buckets of water fell from his limp grip as Lloyd's came wide awake. Automatically, his toes curled in his boots in attempt of gripping the solid ground to keep from falling forwards. He also braced the back wall, and quickly came to the realization that he had fallen asleep standing up again.
The whole class was staring at him in disbelief, though Genis and Collette looked at him with pity. At first he didn't understand, until he then remembered why he had been holding two buckets of water during a lecture in the first place. Then he turned his attention towards his teacher.
Raine was twitching with restrained anger, clothespins clutched tightly in one of her hands. He blanched, pressing back against the wall as if they would swallow and spit him out on the other side. He stammered out apologies that fell on deaf half-elven ears, wondering if he should just cut class and make a run for it. However, all thought was stricken from his mind and his and everyone else's attention turned towards the window.
Lightning had flashed on such a clear day, which made even the toughest kid in class jumped in his seat. It was so unnatural, so sudden, that it had made Raine drop the wooden pins and forget about punishing Lloyd altogether. The only person in the classroom not glued in place, was theChosenwho stood up from her seat.
Lloyd saw that she was shaking, staring out the window with a mixture of fear and wonder before she closed her eyes, and willed herself to calm down. When Raine left to speak with the Mayor, ordering them to all stay in the building, the three friends gathered together.
"I have to go."
"What are you talking about, Collete?" Genis asked in disbelief. "You heard what Raine said."
The boys were shocked to see Collete eyeing the door while fidgeting with her hands. Disobeying their teacher's orders and skipping class, was definitely not a Collete-thing. Something was definitely wrong.
"I have to go," she repeated, "I really think I should go to theTempleofMartelnow."
Genis gaped. "A-Are you serious? Do you think that light we saw earlier …? Are you going to receive the oracle now?"
Looking from friend to friend, Lloyd shrugged his shoulders and nodded to himself.
"Then it's decided. Let's go."
"But, Lloyd! We can't! What about Raine?"
"Calm down, Genis. It's just research," he explained and winked at Collette who smiled gratefully in return. The youngest and the most sensible of the group just sighed. If you can't beat them, join them, even if they're idiots.
The lack of guards at back gates of the village, told the children to be cautious as they proceeded to move out. Although few, there were monsters between the village and theMartelTemple. This is why the children were always armed to defend themselves. Lloyd had his swords, Collette her chakrams, and Genis his kendama. Together they've proven to be quite formidable over the years.
As they ran to the temple, Lloyd at the lead, followed by Collete, and Genis to watch their backs – they were lucky not to encounter that many small opponents in their path. It almost seemed as if the monsters had sensed that something was amiss and stayed out of sight.
It wasn't long before the trio made it to their destination, with a not so warm welcome. Lying before the steps leading up the hill to the temple itself, was an old man; battered, bloodied, and barely breathing. He was one of the familiar faces to Lloyd, this priest was a long time friend of Collette's grandmother, and had been nominated long ago to accompany Collette on her pilgrimage.
"Father Sayrune!" Collette cried out as she rushed forward, her two companions on her heals.
She knelt beside the priest and tried to hold back her tears at the sight of his mortall injuries. With a trembling hand, he reached out to grasp hers tightly.
"Chosen," he managed to croak out, making Genis wince as the boy wished his sister was there at the moment. "Desians… Desians have attacked…. You must… escape…"
"Desians?" Lloyd and Genis exclaimed together.
Desians were to blame for most of the bloodshed in Sylvarant. The organization of half-elves hated humans whom they labeled as "inferior beings" and treated them as such. Just a couple miles away from the village was a ranch where humans were treated worse than cattle. But what had happened to the treaty between the Desians and Iselia? Was their home no longer safe?
"Father Sayrune!" Collette couldn't hold back her tears, "Please hold on! Where's grandma?"
The dead couldn't answer any questions, and the priest's hand fell limply from her grasp. Lloyd wished he could have let her grieve; comfort her for the loss and potentially another one if they didn't get to Phaidra in time. He nodded to Genis that they would continue and placed a hand on the sobbing girl's shoulder.
Drying her tears as best she could, Collette nodded in understanding. They gently laid the priest's body to the side of the path and ascended the steps. It was only when they were halfway up did they hear the sounds of battle: steel clashing against steel, arrows whistling through the air, and the cries of death.
Lloyd cringed and unconsciously tightened the grip on his swords. What could they do against those demons that used brute force and magic at their disposal? After all they were just three school kids. Collete was clumsy, Genis was still working on improving his magic, and he had just learned swordsmanship from his dad and some of the guards in the village. Guards who were being slaughtered left and right in the temple above.
'Now isn't the time to doubt yourself,' he thought and eyed the bandages wrapped around his gloved hand. 'I can do this, I just need to…'
Wake up
End chapter 1