Magvel 07
Ephraim knew he had felt something the instant he picked up the Sacred Stone from the vault in Renais Castle. As if the blast of energy wasn't obvious enough, Ephraim had felt something more. Something crawled inside him, into his very soul. His thinking had been intact, but his ability to act had been waning. It was when they reached Grado Keep that he had completely lost control, if only for a brief period. But that lapse was all it took to destroy the last Sacred Stone, crushing their last remaining hope of defeating the Demon King. And now Ephraim's body was being used as a vessel for the Demon King's soul. Just like Lyon had been one year ago.
Now here he was, staggering into the Black Temple with uneven steps. He had control of his body at the moment, but he knew that it was only due to the Demon King's "generosity."
Still, he could not summon the will to leave the temple. Even if he could, returning to Eirika and the others would only put them in danger. Everything was up to them now...but what could they do without the Sacred Stone? All he could hope for was that Saleh and Ewan's research had been fruitful. But even that was a very dull silver lining in the cloud...if it even existed.
"I can taste your despair, Prince Ephraim. And oh, it is delicious."
Ephraim's face soured as he heard the Demon King's booming voice in his mind, taunting him.
Demon King...I'm going to kill you. That's what Ephraim had said last year, and he wanted to say it now, to do it now. But how could he when the Demon King was within his own body?
"Oh, come, Ephraim, you should understand by now. That which is eternal cannot die. Surely you'd realize that, although you've destroyed my body, I still live, as long as I have a vessel for my soul."
"Well," Ephraim growled, "we'll just make sure that you have no vessel."
"Will you now?" the Demon King's taunt continued. "You do realize that you would have to die...and that still wouldn't stop me. Besides, can Eirika truly bring herself to kill her own dear brother?"
"Don't underestimate her. She'll do what needs to be done, even if it means killing me."
Even if she couldn't, Ephraim was sure that the others could. Gerik in particular. As a mercenary, Gerik was accustomed to crossing blades with former allies.
"We shall see..." Ephraim could hear the Demon King's sadistic mirth. "Either way, I'll be sure to enjoy it. Twin siblings, bonded since birth. One of you dying at the hands of the other. I'm sure it will be a marvelous sight."
Ephraim's heartbeat accelerated. He clenched his fists so hard that, if not for his gloves, his fingernails would have drawn blood from his palms.
Suddenly, an energy cloud burst from Ephraim's body. He felt the painful, but brief bloat, like a balloon popping after being overinflated. The energy cloud stopped just a few feet in front of him, taking the shape of Formortiis, the monstrous body of the Demon King. Tendrils of energy remained connected to Ephraim's limbs like strings on a marionette. Ephraim's eyes widened in disbelief. Never did he imagine that he would gaze upon the beast again, even if it was just a ghost.
"If it's any consolation, I won't keep your body forever. Strong though it may be, I prefer someone more...magically inclined."
Ephraim paused as his thought about his magic wielding comrades. Saleh and Ewan. Myrrh also briefly crossed his mind, but was her power considered magical?
"That's right..." the Demon King continued, reading the prince's thoughts. "That sage who was with you would make a suitable candidate. Or perhaps..." A pause for effect. "Perhaps even the dragon girl herself. She may have the guise of a human child, but her dragon body should be able to handle a large portion of my true power."
No...not Myrrh. Ephraim had vowed to protect her before, and he was not about to let her down. Not in this manner.
His heart pounded within his chest again, and then he snapped. Acting more on impulse than anything, he charged at the Formortiis ghost, intent on tearing it apart. Unfortunately, that was easier said that done, as Ephraim only flew right through the monster's chest, crashing roughly several feet behind him. Ephraim pushed his upper body from the floor, glancing down at the tendrils on his arms, connecting him to the Demon King. Like a puppet on strings, the Demon King could take control of him at will. Such thoughts were enough to terrify even this bold prince.
The Demon King continued to taunt him. "Somehow I expected more from you, Prince Ephraim. You always were the fighter, the warrior." While it gave the Demon King pleasure all the same, he would have enjoyed taking control of a human, despite his struggles.
"Prince Lyon hardly rejected me at all. A pitiful crown prince, he was. A prince of frailty, nothing more. And now look at you, reduced to that same frailty. It's almost disappointing."
With a frustrated growl, Ephraim slammed both of his fists into the ground. "No...I can't die like this. Lyon would never forgive me if I did..."
But he was no fool. He was never one to pick fights he couldn't win. He needed his sister now more than ever.
"Enough talk," the Demon King said. "We must prepare for your sister's arrival...and her demise."
The Demon King's ghostly shape distorted back into a cloud and flew back into Ephraim's body.
"You-!" Ephraim cringed, clutching his chest tightly, almost as if to rip off his chestplate, or even his heart. But after a moment, his body relaxed, and he stood up with an expressionless face, under the control of the Demon King once again.
After escaping from Grado Keep, Eirika and the part fled to Serafew to regroup. Thankfully, the town was abandoned now, so the group took shelter at the inn. They employed the same strategy as before to avoid drawing attention – dimming the lights and keeping quiet.
Immediately after stepping into the building, Eirika started up the stairs to one of the bedrooms.
"Eirika..." Tana muttered softly, concerned for her friend.
"We should let her be for now," Gerik said. "She has a lot on her mind right now."
He then began to look around. "Now let's see if there's anything to eat around here. I'm starving!"
"Me too!" Ewan agreed.
Saleh only watched as the group began to search the cupboards for food. He shook his head, quietly sighing at Gerik's laid-back attitude in a situation like this. But he did have a point. If they were going to win this battle, they would need rest and nourishment.
Then Saleh watched Eirika as she retreated into one of the bedrooms. Gerik was right; she did have a lot on her mind. She needed time to think things through. But she could also use some guiding words, or at least a listening ear. With that thought, Saleh quietly went upstairs, quietly knocking on the door.
There was a brief silence before he heard Eirika's voice call softly, "Come in..."
Silently, Saleh opened the door and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. Eirika was sitting on the bed, her hair hanging in front of her face. Even with her face hidden, Saleh could almost feel her pain. Though he could not understand the full extent of her pain, having no siblings of his own.
Saleh approached the bed slowly, setting the lanturn on the small table beside it, and then sat on the bed next to Eirika. "Are you all right?"
Eirika sighed. "Oh...I've been better. I don't believe this..." Another sigh as she tried to keep herself together enough to talk. As much as she wanted to be alone and weep, she knew she needed to vent. "Last year, when Lyon was corrupted by the Demon King...I was devastated. I felt so helpless...I couldn't save him. And now my brother...the same thing is happening to him. Why...?"
Saleh listened, taking in her words, pondering what to say. He didn't want to give her a false hope that everything would be all right. They could do what they could, but would it be enough?
"I'm sorry..." he whispered, leaving it at that, in case Eirika had anything else to add.
Eirika continued, "L'Arachel had told me...that only one person has been able to overcome the Demon King's possession."
Saleh's eyes widened slightly. "Saint Latona, the founder of Rausten."
Eirika glanced at him, surprised. "You know?"
"Of course. We of Caer Pelyn have preserved Magvel's legends for centuries."
If Eirika were in better spirits, she would have laughed slightly. Of course. It was Caer Pelyn that kept the true tales of the Sacred Stones, and the Great Dragon that seemed to have been erased from the legend as she had heard it. So it was no surprise that Saleh would have known about the other stories surrounding the Demon King.
"But if we know that..." Eirika went on, "I have to believe that there's some way to save Ephraim...some way to free him from the Demon King's control."
"It may very well be possible," Saleh agreed. "Prince Lyon was...insecure. His intentions were good, but his methods were dangerous. He was an easy victim for the Demon King. However, Prince Ephraim is different. He is tenacious, fighting against overwhelming odds. I have no doubt that he is fighting the Demon King even as we speak."
Eirika stared ahead, feeling a shimmer of hope in her heart. "Indeed...and so we must help him. My brother and I have been together throughout our lives...even before we were born, we were together. I won't let the Demon King come between us! I won't lose my brother like this!"
She stopped, burying her head into her hands with another sigh.
Saleh gave her another moment of silence. Eirika shared some of her brother's tenacity. She was overwhelmed and exhausted, more so than the rest of the group. She needed the rest more than anyone.
"We'll rest here for the night," Saleh told her. "We'll start out for Darkling Woods at dawn. There is food downstairs, so you should eat when you're ready. We'll need to be in our best condition if we're going to win this battle."
"Master Saleh..." Eirika whispered, barely audible.
"Yes?" Saleh responded, just as quietly.
"I...I need to be alone now."
Saleh nodded. "Of course. Rest well."
Picking up the lanturn, he stood and left the room without making a sound. Once she was alone again, Eirika threw her head into her hands, weeping.
The next morning came too quickly. Bright and early, the party, sans Eirika, were in the main lobby, checking their weapons and packing some extra food supplies. Gerik tested his sword and axe for sharpness, and then examined his bow string and arrows. Tana checked her lance, while Saleh and Ewan studied their spell tomes. While they were getting ready, something upstairs seemed to grab their attention.
Eirika stood upstairs, glancing down at the group over the railing. The others watched her silently, like children who had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They all wondered if she was all right, but her face already gave the answer. She looked sad but determined as she began to descend down the stairs, joining the group.
"Is everyone ready?" she asked.
"As we'll ever be," Gerik responded without hesitation. "How about you? You're not exactly having the greatest run of luck."
"I'm ready," Eirika said. "I must be. I have no doubt, we'll free my brother from the Demon King's shackles."
"I'm so glad, Eirika," Tana said. "We'll be with you all the way."
"It'll take several days to reach Darkling Woods," Saleh said. "The quickest route would be to sail from Port Kiris to Rausten."
"Do you think it's safe?" Ewan asked.
"There won't be anyone there who can help us," Myrrh added.
"Well, we'll just have to do it ourselves, won't we?" Gerik said. "Don't worry, I have a little bit of experience with sailing. Mercenary and all that."
"Then that's what we'll do," Eirika decreed. "Let's go."
Darkling Woods hadn't changed much from the previous year. No one had ever visited since then, but everyone imagined it must have been a peaceful, but still unsettling forest since the monsters were gone. The heroes stopped at the edge.
"Well...we're here..." Tana said apprehensively.
Myrrh blinked, her legs shaking. Saleh immediately noticed this.
"Are you all right, Lady Myrrh?"
"I can feel it...the evil energy from the Black Temple," Myrrh said. "The Demon King is there, waiting for us, I'm sure..."
"Isn't it odd that we haven't seen any of those monsters since this whole thing started?" Gerik asked.
"He probably hasn't summoned them yet," Eirika said. "Lyon had used the Dark Stone one year before Grado initially invaded Renais. So it took that whole year for monsters to start appearing."
"But here we are, near the source," Saleh pointed out. "We don't know if anything is in these woods."
"I can fly in and scout ahead," Tana offered. "At least I can find out if there's anything in the forest before we go in."
"That's a good idea," Eirika said. "Very well, Tana, but be careful."
"All right." Tana mounted on her Pegasus and took to the air, flying high over the forest. She peered down, trying to see through the thick branches.
"It's no use, Achaeus; I can't see anything from up here," she said. "We'll have to go in."
Achaeus made a graceful dive through the trees, snapping branches as they went down. He flapped his wings once to steady himself before landing softly on the ground.
"Here we go..." Tana stroked Achaeus' mane as she began to look around. Everything seemed peaceful...at first.
After a moment, she was greeted with the sound of heavy, thudding footsteps. A tall cyclops was coming towards her, carrying a gigantic axe. And then she heard what sounded like the rattling of a snake. She spotted a pair of glowing red eyes from the darkness ahead. A gorgon slithered out through the trees, its fangs bared. Finally, Tana heard a vicious growling sound from behind. She already knew what it was before she even turned to look. It was a Gwyllgi, the three-headed hellhound.
Tana felt the cold chill running down her spine. "Uh-oh... Fly, Achaeus! Go, go, go!"
The Gwyllgi dashed towards her, ready to rip her apart. The Pegasus flapped its wings desperately, flying into the air, just barely avoiding its fangs. Once they were back over the trees, Tana flew back to where her friends were waiting. She slid off the Pegasus, panting as she hunched over.
"Tana!" Eirika cried. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine..." Tana said. "But monsters...the woods are full of them. Those same beasts that we fought last year..."
Saleh let out a soft sigh. "It is as I feared..."
"Yes...the Demon King has summoned his minions once again," Myrrh said.
"But if my brother is at the Black Temple, then we have to reach him," Eirika said.
"Welp..." Gerik drew his sword. "There's only one thing to do."
"Everyone steel yourselves," Saleh warned. "This is where the real battle begins."