Finding What's Important
Chapter 3: Meeting Seiji
There was a long silence following what I had told Tori, Gavin, and the cleric.
"Sora… you're a necromancer? But… a necromancer is evil! Sora, you're not evil…" Tori cried. I went silent.
"But I am… you both saw what happened to me in the sauna. You know! You know what I am." I yelled. Tears sprung into my eyes.
"Wait, wait… Sora, tell us more about it, please." said the cleric. I sniffed.
"… alright. But first, let's get out of this tunnel." I muttered. I tried standing, but my legs felt like jello, and I simply fell over again. I cursed myself for being this weak. I felt arms wrapping around my back and legs, carrying me, and when I looked back I saw it was the cleric.
"My name's Seiji." he said, smiling. I blushed about fifty shades of red, looking down at myself.
Tori pulled out three return to nearest town scrolls, and, ripping the scrolls apart, we disappeared back into the safety of Sleepywood in a flash of white light. The zombie mushrooms hopping around squeaked confusedly, but continued doing whatever that zombie mushrooms did without a second thought.
Arriving at our destination, and paying to get into the sauna, Seiji set me down on the bed and I propped myself up onto a small pile of pillows. They all sat around the bed, waiting for me to tell my story. I sighed and took in a few breaths. And then I began.
"Tori, the day you found me with the bleeding arm… I had a dream of an empty set of armor killing me. The same time it slashed my arm, it appeared on my arm in reality. I don't know how, but it did." I said shakily.
"Then, after you guys took me to the hospital, I had another dream. A dream about a woman named Lady Arianna. She told me everything, how I am a necromancer. She also told me to tell you about it, and that you would understand. I guess she was right." I gave a thin smile.
"But, she also told me that there is another, another person with the same type of power like me, except it's a boy and he has the power of light. He's an illumancer." I continued.
"And you know what?" I asked. Everyone nodded, urging me to go on.
"I think Seiji is the illumancer." I whispered.
There was another silence. Then…
"Me? An illumancer?" Seiji said in surprise.
"You're the only illumancer right now… and I'm the only necromancer. We are special people, tied together by the chains of fate." I said softly, as if reciting from a poem.
"Our life links are connected with one another. And that means… if I die… you die, too. If I feel pain, you feel it too. The same happens with you and me…"
Seiji was quiet.
"I think we should speak to Master Grendal about this." Gavin declared. I nodded, and waited for Seiji's answer. He nodded as well, rather absent-mindedly, too. With everyone agreeing, I got off the bed and took the Ellinia return scroll offered to me by Tori. I poked at Seiji, but he didn't move. I poked him again, but with the same result.
Well, I'll just have to do this my way then. I thought to myself, then stifled a snort of laughter. Holding the scroll in one hand, I wrapped my arms around Seiji. He looked up, alarmed. At the other side of him, I ripped the scroll in two, and we both disappeared in a sparkle of green light.
Mr. Sweatbottom at the far end looked at the empty spot where Seiji and I used to be.
"Lovebirds," he muttered to himself, then turned back to attending to other people in the sauna.
When we appeared in Ellinia, it took a while for me to realize my arms were still around Seiji. I squeaked and let go, blushing furiously. He blushed as well, and I started thinking,
He's adorable when he blushes. This time, though, I did not mentally reprimand myself for thinking that because… well, it was true.
We had been dropped off near the Ellinian potion shop, and close by we heard Gavin and Tori shouting at us to get a move on. Walking side by side, Seiji and I complied.
Our little group was slowly making its way up to the top, where Master Grendal's magical library resided. Trying not to fall, we jumped across small areas where there was no platform, and climbed up ropes and ladders.
Looking up and seeing a marvelous accommodation embedded into a great tree was when I knew we had reached Grendal's library.
Entering the library, we saw that it was full to the top with books. It was quiet but many young magician scholars were reading things necessary for their second job advancement. Judging by what they were wearing, I deducted that most were one or two levels away from their advancement.
"Um guys?" asked Tori.
"Yeah, sis?" I replied.
"Where should we start looking for Mr. Grendal?" she said, confused. Instinctively, we both turned to Seiji and Gavin, hoping they would be able to answer. To our dismay, their only response was to scratch their heads and shrug.
Looking around, my eye caught a door entitled, "Master Grendal's Study". I looked at the doorknob on it, and saw it was turned one odd way, signaling it was locked. I poked the shoulder of Seiji, and asked if we should enter from there. He nodded, face brightening, but also suggested that we knock first.
I went up to the door and knocked quietly. I heard the sounds of coughing, then an old-sounded voice came from the other end.
"C-coming!" it wheezed. I heard slow footsteps coming towards the door, and what seemed to be a hollow third step, but I knew it was a cane to help balance whoever was coming at the door. When the person opened the door, we greeted Master Grendal politely and asked if we could come in. His eyes scrutinized all of us, then finished off with a knowing look.
"Ah, come in, children. I have been expecting you." he coughed. His long, gray beard was trailing almost to the floor, and he was dressed in clean, white robes. I watched him hobble over to a cushioned chair and sit down. The rest of us sat down on wooden chairs, Seiji and I looking around Grendal's study. The whole of the room had a huge bookshelf at the end of it, filled to the brim with thick books, and it was illuminated by large candles and small candles strewn about everywhere.
"I do believe you two are the special ones, am I right?" Grendal evaluated. Seiji and I nodded silently. He gave an old wizened smile, and straightened up a little in his seat.
"Then all is well. First, I shall begin with the powers you both wield." he said.
"Sora - that is your name, no? - has the power of controlling and creating undead monsters, and sometimes, people. Also, you have the power to bring humans and such back to 'life'."
My heart thumped. Bring a dead person back to life? That meant, that meant I could bring back Laka from her death.
"Unfortunately, only the body of the person is revived, and not the true soul, if the person has been dead for more than one year." Grendal continued.
Damn it! I thought angrily to myself. There was no way I could bring back her body AND soul, because she had been dead for two years.
"As you have seen before, Sora, you also have a demonic form. If you can control the demon form, you may call upon it anytime you wish. Also, according to my memory, if enough anger is built up inside of you, the cage holding the demon within you will be broken."
Like that assassin, I thought bitterly. The thought of him hurting Gavin made me snap. I gave a fleeting look at Gavin.
"Sora, you have many powers in the demon form as well, including hypnotism, telekinesis, invisibility, mind-reading, and the shadows. Although, demon or not, you still control the powers of darkness, and can infuse it into any item you wish." Inside, I was grinning.
Any item I want, eh? Heh…
"Seiji, everything goes the same for you, except for a few things differing from you two. For instance, instead of a demonic form, you have an angelic form."
Angelic indeed, I thought, then blushed deeply. Tori glanced at me from the corner of her eye and giggled.
"And instead of hypnotism, you've got the ability to create life-like illusions. Controlling the powers of light and holiness as well enable you to also infuse it into items. You are endowed with the gift of healing any wounds, be they not causing death after the first blow."
I could almost hear Seiji grin.
"Now, there is always a special effect between you two. When you are together, be it fighting or not, you have the gifts of summoning. I do believe there is a book about summoning, first starting with the weakest monster, and last, the most powerful ones, the God Summonings. But you will need to train hard to master even the simplest of things. And so…" Grendal stood up and limped over to a smaller bookshelf. He skimmed through the first few, then pulled out four slightly thick books. The first, titled "Necromancy" and the second titled "Illumancy". The third was aptly named "Summoning", and the last was entitled "Shadow and Light".
Grendal dropped two books on my lap and the last two on Seiji's. I quickly grabbed hold of them before they slipped off.
Gah, I thought. These things are heavy.
Gavin snorted with brief laughter.
… I would need to kick his ass later.
"Off with you, then!" Grendal said cheerfully, standing, then pushing us all out the door, closing it and locking it after.
"Come back if you have any questions!" Grendal called, his voice slightly muffled through the door. I sweatdropped, along with the others.
Well… that went by rather smoothly.
I crammed the books into my pack as we headed near the exit from the library.
When we got out of Grendal's study, we saw that the library was almost completely empty now, save for a few last people. I looked out one of the green-tinted window and saw it was nighttime.
Stepping out under a clear, starry sky, a cold wind blew against me, causing goose bumps to form on my skin. I shivered, wishing I had brought a cloak to wear.
I felt myself being lifted, and Seiji was carrying me bridal-style. I looked up at him and blushed, feeling as red as a tomato. But he was warm, and I nuzzled into him more, resting against him. Drunk with drowsiness, I could barely hear what Seiji and my sister were speaking about. I did hear Seiji say something about bringing me to his house to rest, but when Tori wanted to come, he said he only had room for one person. I could hear the disappointment in her voice, but said she'd stay with her boyfriend, who also resided in Ellinia. Gavin, by this time, had said his goodbyes and was gone.
Tori was leaving also, and, being the smart sister she was, had sent our parents a note telling them we were staying at a friend's house. As I faded in and out of consciousness, all I could feel and hear was Seiji's heart beating. Beating in tune with mine…
I fell asleep right then and there.
Seiji's POV
Huh… she fell asleep.
She's cute when she's sleeping. I felt heat rise to my cheeks.
Ack… can't think like that… okay well maybe once…
I hurried to my house as quickly as possible, not wanting Sora to wake up. The winds were beginning blowing about more fiercely, and I yanked open the door to the house and closed the door behind me, locking it.
Journeying down a small hallway, I entered my room, which conveniently had two beds. I gently set Sora down on a bed and pulled the covers over her quietly. Her white bandana tied around her head had attracted my attention.
Huh… I wonder why she wears that bandana instead of a normal archer hat.
Well, I would ask her later. Right now, I was feeling as if I would collapse… but first, I needed to get something from her pack.
Exiting the room, I went back down the hallway where I had dropped Sora's pack. I unzipped a pocket and pulled out the two large books.
'Necromancy' and 'Illumancy', I mused. Oh well. I'd look through them with Sora tomorrow.
Placing my books and Sora's books in a little stack by the table on the couch, I rushed back to the room housing Sora.
Still fast asleep… good.
I untied the bandana carefully from her head, and set it on a table nearby her bed. Her short hair flared around her delicately.
I leaned down and softly kissed her on the cheek. I could have sworn there was an impulse to do it, but as long as it happened, I was happy. I saw a bit of blush rise to her pale cheeks, then fade away slowly. There was a sudden roll of thunder, and I looked out the window to see rain spatters on it, casting a pattern from the moonlight onto Sora's face. There was heat rising into my face, and I quickly turned off the light, changed into more comfortable clothes, and climbed into bed. I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.
This happens to be my longest chapter yet, also with introducing a "Seiji's POV" thing. Hah… I hope the people who read this like it. (That means you, Seiji-kun. Don't say anything.)