"Okay first of all, what is the full story about Grigori? Everyone hears about the cycle of the dragon as a kid, but I didn't really pay attention and I definitely didn't think it was real. I thought it was one of those fables to teach you a lesson, like 'be good or the dragon will get you when he comes'. Even after he attacked, I didn't think about it being related, but now I'm wondering," said Ceileigh. "I never heard of pawns or the Arisen before though."
"Different dragons descend on us and can only be defeated by the Arisen, who holds the lives of the entire nation in their hands. I do not know what compels the beast. He comes from a place similar to the rift, though none know exactly where," Barnaby told her. "How the Arisen is chosen is also a mystery."
"Okay, so how long ago did he last appear? Is the Arisen before me around to get advice from or has it been too long?" Ceileigh asked.
"Sometimes thousands of years pass, and sometimes much fewer," said Barnaby. "Cycle times vary in different realms as well. In this realm, Gransys' cycle ended a few hundred years ago. That is why the story is still relatively fresh in the minds of your people."
Ceileigh sighed. "I was hoping they were still around to join me and help me raise a pawn army."
"Forgive me, but only one Arisen at a time can take on the dragon. Also, you can only contract with two pawns at any given time. Not counting your main pawn of course, who will stay with you always."
"What?! Four of us against the biggest creature I've ever seen?" Ceileigh half shouted.
"It is the way," Barnaby said calmly. "There is nothing to be done about it. Do not worry, however. You have been made Arisen for a reason. You have the willpower and drive to make yourself ready for the task."
Ceileigh shook her head. This was only supposed to be my starter group! "Okay, here's another question that's been bugging me. When I went into the rift, I had a vision of Rita healing a man. Somehow I knew he was also an Arisen. Ever since, I've been wondering if there was more than one Arisen. From what you told me, I thought maybe he was the last one from Gransys. Yet you say there can only be one…active, I guess, Arisen at a time, and he was still fighting out in the field. So now I'm guessing he's from one of these other 'realms' you're talking about? Another reality?"
"You are correct, Arisen. Many worlds exist side by side, connected only by the rift and places like it. Humans cannot cross from world to world, but those such as pawns and monsters can. All pawns, even your companion, can travel between this world and the rift, and to other worlds beyond."
Ceileigh took a minute to process this. "So whenever I release pawns from their contracts, they go to different realities and find other Arisen to help?"
"Many do, yes. Some stay a while, doing minor tasks for whoever will hire them, or they go back to the rift and wait there. Pawns need not be released to visit other realms, however. Many times they travel while sleeping."
"Wait - so the pawns that are with me right now leave, what, an empty shell in bed every night?" She glanced back at the three of them. They were standing together, Rita and Alvin studying their surroundings in silent curiosity while Leandor watched her and Barnaby with that ever-serious look on his face.
"Not quite. Pawns are not…whole, like humans. Our beings are fragmented. These fragments are spread throughout different worlds, supporting multiple physical forms of each pawn. Several fragments will gather into a body that is contracted. When they are released, only a few fragments remain, changing location as needed until that body is contracted again. The body you see, along with some consciousness, is with you while they're contracted to you. Your companion is bound to you, so most of his consciousness is always with you. Less of his fragments come and go, but most of them are still out there."
Ceileigh sat back. "That is - it's just - amazing. And sounds crazy," she said. She was astounded by everything she'd heard.
"One thing is clear," she continued, getting up. "We need a lot more training before we face Grigori. I mean I already knew that, but if only four of us will be facing him, each of us need to be practically unstoppable! Besides, we can't keep scraping by out in the field. I'm surprised we've lasted this long - or that I have at least." The pawns seemed to have an innate fighting ability, no matter what their experience. They came equipped with a foundation Ceileigh was still working on.
"If you wish, there are training grounds near the castle. The Enlistment Corps and other soldiers use it regularly. I am sure the Arisen would be welcome," Barnaby told her.
I wouldn't be so sure, Ceileigh thought, picturing Mercedes driving her away on sight. She thanked Barnaby and they agreed she could come to him with questions any time. She was halfway out the door before she remembered what he'd said about the Everfall. Even though she was in kind of a daze from all she'd learned, she stopped short and asked, "What was that problem you mentioned? Is it something I can help with?"
"We have sensed a malevolent presence there of late. We would be grateful if you would journey downward and discover its source when you can," he replied. "There is no rush, for now I can feel that it remains far below with no intention of rising. If you would feel more comfortable after more training…"
"Yes, that's a good idea," Ceileigh told him, laughing with relief. "I feel ill-equipped to take on anything else yet. I'll come back to help you as soon as I can." She took one last glance around the main room. There was a notice board there too that she'd have to check out later, and at the end of the room was another riftstone on a pedestal. She hadn't paid attention before but now she could tell all the people in the building or coming and going were pawns.
Just outside the Pawn Guild, Ceileigh was startled by a man's form swirling together out of nowhere inside a circle of oddly shaped blue-gray rocks she hadn't noticed before. The rocks shone brightly as he appeared, then stopped as he walked away. Ceileigh stared at him in shock as he walked calmly by, not even glancing in their direction, as if he did this all the time.
"What on earth is that?" she asked, pointing at the rocks.
"Those are portcrystals, master," Leandor informed her. "One can travel between portcrystal sites by using a ferrystone."
"Well they have stones for everything, don't they? Riftstones, ferrystones, what next? Why wouldn't people come and go out of thin air?" Ceileigh threw up her hands and walked off in the opposite direction.
"Where are we going now, Arisen?" Alvin asked as they trotted after her.
"To find the training ground and do something real to help our situation," she said over her shoulder, not slowing down. Her words were clipped and her voice sounded strained.
Leandor caught up first and matched her pace. "Are you alright, master? Do you need to rest?"
"No," she answered shortly in the same strange tone, turning her head away.
Leandor paused for a minute, then asked, "Are you ill?"
"No! Let's just find the training ground," she said, wiping quickly at her face.
They reentered the city proper through the archway, turned left at Caxton's to briefly enter Fountain Square again, then went straight from there to follow the route Mercedes and her men had taken toward the castle. The cobbled road led past the inn, went through another open doorway in a wall to the left, then curved back on itself, ending in the Noble Quarter. It didn't take long to find the training ground. It was surrounded by a low wooden fence and took up the space between a grand cathedral on the right and the Duke's castle straight ahead. On the left were noblemen's estates and a gate leading back into the Craftsman's Quarter from the opposite side. Ceileigh realized they'd walked in a big circle around that area.
Well-dressed men and women strolled across the lawns and soldiers in their blue, white and red uniforms stood guard at the castle gate. There were only a few soldiers practicing on the training ground at the moment. As they got closer, Ceileigh felt a burst of gratitude to recognize Ser Berne as the instructor. What a relief to see a friendly face right now, she thought, tearing up again. She quickly got herself under control before he noticed anything was wrong. She didn't want to seem weak.
The older man smiled as they approached. "Arisen! How are you faring? What did the Duke have to say?"
"I'm doing okay, thanks. I haven't talked to the Duke, actually."
"Ah, well, surely Mercedes will send for you soon?"
"Perhaps," Ceileigh said with a wry smile, putting her hands on her hips. She didn't want to badmouth Mercedes to her fellow Corpsman, even if she did deserve it.
Berne seemed uncomfortable, as if he guessed what was going on. "Ah, well no doubt you will hear from her soon," he repeated, bobbing his head a little.
Ceileigh smiled genuinely that he would care how she felt. "Yes," she said, going along with the charade. "For now, I was hoping to get some more training in. I was actually hoping you could help me with a regular regimen."
"Of course!" he exclaimed, glad for the change of topic. "What would you like to start with for now?"
They spent the rest of the day exercising and perfecting what techniques they already knew. Ceileigh was already strong and toned from working on a boat for years, but she still needed a lot more muscle to face all these new foes. She was a fast runner and sure-footed, but barely familiar with how to move in a fight. It was like learning choreography for a very extended dance. By the end of the day, she knew it was time to contract new pawns. When Ceileigh told them, all they said was "may we meet again" and ran off immediately.
Ceileigh left the training ground then, looking around in kind of a depression as she walked slowly back toward the inn. Now that she wasn't focused on physical work, her mind went straight back to her plight. After the news she'd received earlier, she didn't even feel like pursuing any of the jobs she'd discovered. She could feel Leandor hovering at her side as she stared around her blankly, but he thankfully remained silent all the way back to the inn.
Outside the door of their room, Ceileigh turned to Leandor. "Do you mind if I have some time to myself for a bit?" she asked tiredly.
Leandor hesitated for a moment. "I will be remiss in my duty if I leave you alone," he said uncertainly.
"Well sometimes people need their space," she said a tad irritably. She felt lost, with no idea how she was going to accomplish the task before her. She was so overwhelmed that she could barely find it in herself to be angry about her situation, though it was simmering below. Dropping her gaze, she slipped through the door and shut it quickly behind her.
Leandor stared at the door for a second, then announced, "I will guard the door." He wasn't sure if she heard him or not. He took up a post to the right of the door with one hand on his sword hilt. Having the Arisen out of his sight made him uneasy, but she had made it clear she didn't want him around and he couldn't defy her.
Inside the room, Ceileigh was kneeling with her arms and head on her bed. She stared at nothing for a while, seeing only the thoughts and anxieties swirling in her head, until a huge weight descended on her and the tears came. At first her expression barely changed while tears ran silently down onto her folded arms and the bed underneath them. Finally her face crumpled and she pressed it hard against the mattress, holding in her sobs so that only sudden gasps punctuated the silence now and then as she caught her breath between them. She was still as stone except for those sharp breaths that jerked her body.
Finally she heard a hesitant knock at the door, followed by Leandor's muffled voice. "Master?"
The anger that was simmering bubbled up. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone!?" she yelled raggedly. "Go away!"
"I must stay," came the muffled response.
"Go away!" she yelled louder, getting even more angry. "Why can't you listen!? Leave me alone and just - stop following me!"
There was another moment of silence, followed by the doorknob rattling. Ceileigh yelped in surprise as the door crashed open, splintering the frame. Leandor caught it before it hit the wall, then walked calmly into the room and sat on the bed. He eyed Ceileigh's red, swollen face and defeated posture. Now that he'd made it in, she seemed resigned. Ceileigh noticed that Leandor looked even more serious than normal - in fact, he almost looked angry, if pawns even could be.
"Arisen, when I said I would stay at your side, I meant it. I do not wish to upset you, but I cannot leave and I do not wish to. It is not easy for me to go against your wishes, so please stop ordering me away," he said gravely.
Ceileigh felt ashamed. "I'm sorry," she said shakily. Leandor bursting in had startled her out of crying but she wiped away the tears that were drying on her face. "I know I'm acting like a child," she croaked, laughing at herself a little. Leandor's expression softened and there might have been a glint of humor in his eyes.
"It's just that, my life has changed so much in a matter of weeks. Not even weeks, plural - it's been under two! Half my village turned their backs on me, I've had to fight for my life against monsters, I've killed a man, I've been shouldered with this 'Arisen' destiny I never asked for…" she trailed off for a minute, shaking her head. "I get told that three - three - other people and I are the only ones allowed to fight Grigori, which, I don't care what Barnaby says, is impossible! And why did I even get chosen for this? Who am I? There's so much more to the world than I ever knew, and I have no idea what I'm doing."
They sat in silence for a minute, Leandor on the bed and Ceileigh still on the floor.
"I know you will succeed," Leandor said confidently.
"How do you know?" Ceileigh asked.
"Because you are the Arisen. Because I sense you have it in you. Because you must," he replied. "And I will do everything I can to help you make it happen." He stood up and offered her his hand.
She took it and rose to her feet. "Thank you," she said, genuinely grateful and feeling a whole new appreciation for her main pawn. "And I promise I won't ever tell you to leave again," she smiled, glancing away in embarrassment. "Friends?" she asked, extending her hand.
"That is unusual, but…it would be an honor," Leandor said with a slight bow of the head.
"You're…supposed to shake on it," Ceileigh said with a smirk. Leandor looked like he had no idea what she was talking about. "Shake my hand!" she laughed.
"Oh! Yes, master," he said, obliging her. "I have seen humans do that, now that you mention it."
Ceileigh laughed again. "Well you've certainly lightened my mood," she chuckled again. "Now let's go chase down some of those job opportunities. It's getting kind of late but hopefully we can set something up for tomorrow before we go to bed."
Author's Note: As usual, please review and let me know what you think! :)