Chapter 8 – Somniel Tour
"Queen Lumera!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Mother!"
The group wasted no time, rushing over to her side. Lumera, for her part, slowly rose to a sitting position, looking pained as she fought to keep herself from falling again. A flash of light set-off next to her, from which the form of Emblem Sigurd materialized again. He looked a bit troubled, looking down at her.
"Lumera, you-" Sigurd began.
"L-later," she suddenly said through gritted teeth.
Sigurd frowned, but then nodded in compliance. The group arrived shortly after, and Framme and Ivy wasted no time using their staffs. Lumera winced slightly, but then relaxed as the magic did its work.
"Mother, here," Alear said, offering a hand.
Lumera wordlessly took it, and she slowly stood back up.
"Are you alright?" He then asked, concerned.
"I'm alright, Alear," Lumera smiled. "Nothing it couldn't be patched up with healing staves."
She then turned towards Framme and Ivy.
"You have my thanks."
"You don't need to thank us, Queen Lumera. It was us who injured you to begin with!" Framme exclaimed, looking rattled.
"Y-yeah! Even if it was a training exercise," Clanne was equally shaken.
"An exercise which you excelled enough at," Lumera said. "After all, you bested Sigurd and me."
"But it was the Divine One who did it," Framme pointed out.
"Nevertheless, without your help, he could not have found the opening to strike me down. Seeing you work together throughout the trial, it makes me glad to see how quickly you are improving as a team," Lumera beamed at them.
"We are truly thankful for such praise, Your Majesty," Vander placed a hand over his chest and bowed.
"Though it still wasn't an easy feat," Alear frowned. "I could feel it. Your power while Engaged… it was vastly superior to mine."
"That's because of the bond that she and Sigurd share," Marth replied.
"She did called him an old friend," Ivy said.
"That is correct," Sigurd nodded. "Even with my thousand years of slumber, our bond, forged throughout the war against Sombron, has endured the passage of time we were apart."
"A bond between Emblem and wielder, once forged, can hardly ever be broken," Marth added.
"I see," Alear nodded in understanding, before glancing to Marth. "But then, what about us?"
"Unfortunately, with your memory loss our own bond is currently strained," Marth replied. "If you were to regain your memories, it would restore itself back to how it used to be. In the meantime, however, it will have to regain its strength anew."
Alear couldn't help but feel a bit dejected upon hearing that.
"Worry not, my child." Lumera was quick to say. "One way or another, your bond with Marth will shine as brightly as it once did. As will ours. Now then-"
She turned around, towards where her sword remained lying on the ground. Walking over, she picked it up, before coming back to the group.
"Alear, I would like you to have this," she said, presenting the sword forward.
"Eh? Your sword?" Alear was confused at the gesture.
"Yes," Lumera nodded. "Consider it a gift, from your victory today."
Alear took the sword, before proceeding to inspect it closely.
"It's called Libération," Lumera explained. "An ancient blade that only us Divine Dragons can use. It served me well during the war, and I hope it will do the same to you."
"I see," Alear turned back to her and nodded. "Thank you. I'll prove myself worthy of the blade, I promise."
He then glanced down, to his already occupied scabbard, and frowned. Looking back to Lumera, it was only dawning on him that she did not have one of her own.
"Um…"
"You won't be needing a sheath," Lumera said. "The sword, as others of its kind, is special. It is attuned to our essence and can become part of it, able to be drawn out when needed."
"Oh, that sounds handy," Clanne said.
"To do so, just focus," Lumera explained. "Let your essence reach out and pull the sword in."
"Reach out…" Alear hummed and focused his gaze on the sword.
For a second, nothing happened. Then suddenly, the sword was enveloped in a flash of light, before disappearing. As this happened, Lumera and Sigurd exchanged brief glances, and even Marth narrowed his gaze. Still, everyone else looked in awe at the display.
"You did it, Divine One," Vander said in amazement.
"Amazing! Wish I could put away my staff like that," Framme said.
"Oh," even Alear himself was astonished at the result.
He then looked down at himself, as if trying to sense the sword now within him
"The reverse is done in the same way," Lumera continued. "You only need to focus within yourself, and will the sword out."
"It's not dissimilar to how you called forth my rapier," Marth added.
"I see," Alear glanced back up and nodded. "I understand."
"Now then, after everything that has happened today, I'm sure we all deserve some rest," Lumera then announced. "There's still some time before supper, so you're free until then."
"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty," Vander gave a small bow.
Lumera then turned to Alear.
"Is there something you would like to do, Alear?" She asked.
Alear hummed, going pensive.
"Well, I'm still curious about the Somniel. We left it not long after I woke up, so I couldn't see much."
"Oh, so you would like it to see the rest of it?" Lumera asked.
Alear nodded. Now it was Lumera who went pensive.
"A stroll around the Somniel…" she mused.
She then smiled and nodded, before clasping her hands together.
"That sounds lovely! Yes, I will show you around the Somniel, Alear."
She then turned to Ivy.
"You're welcome to join us, if you wish," she told her.
"Eh? Me?" Ivy was taken aback. "Would that be okay?"
I thought she would want time for just the two of them, she thought.
Despite the princess' doubt, Lumera simply nodded.
"It's fine. You also wanted to visit the Somniel, did you not? What better time than now?"
Ivy had to admit that was true. Even if the Divine One was no longer there, it did not diminished her desire to visit. Likewise, the opportunity was right there, so why not take it.
"Very well. If you are fine with it, then how can I refuse?" She answered.
"Excellent," Lumera said. "Once I send word to have your bedchambers prepared for the night, we can depart."
"Oh, there's no need to do that, Queen Lumera," Clanne said.
"Yeah, leave that to us!" Framme said. "We'll have them ready by the time you return."
"I'll be sure to supervise them," Vander said.
"Very well, I'll leave it in your hands," Lumera nodded.
"Come on, Clanne, let's go!" Framme exclaimed.
With that, they both rushed over where Ivy's belongings had been left at. Picking the bags up, they were then quick to leave the garden, doing so through the fountain area.
"I'll be making a detour to the stables first," Vander then announced, before turning towards Ivy. "I can bring your wyvern as well, Your Highness, if that's alright."
"Please, go ahead," Ivy nodded.
The old steward then bowed, before directing both horse and wyvern out of the garden as well. With that, only the royals and Emblems remained.
"Let's be on our way as well," Lumera said.
She then joined her hands, and began to concentrate. Energy began to swirl around them, accompanied by blue flames-like apparitions, though they did not burn or even felt hot. Then, with a flash of light, they were gone.
The first thing Ivy saw when the light faded was that they now stood in what looked to be a large plaza or courtyard. It was circular in shape; with the center slightly elevated from the rest by a few steps, where another vortex of swirling energy and blue flames lied atop, this one seemingly a more permanent fixture. Beyond it was a large manor-like structure, built not too dissimilar in style as Lythos castle.
"Welcome, to the Somniel," Lumera announced.
Ivy stared in awe. Once more, what was once thought of a dream was made reality. Here she was, standing on the holy Somniel. The first Elusian to do so in centuries. It certainly made her think.
Had things been different, would this have been just another visit?
She also felt a strange energy. It permeated all around her, that it was almost overwhelming. Yet, at the same time, it felt soothing, friendly even. It was as if the Somniel itself welcomed her presence. Next to her, Alear was equally amazed, though the reason differed.
"So it's true," he said. "We can really just warp here."
"Ah, did the stewards already told you?" Lumera asked.
"Yes," Alear nodded. "That only a Divine Dragon can access the Somniel, as well bring others to it."
"That's correct," Lumera said. "Even within Lythos, the Somniel is special, and that's just but one example of it. As a result, there's probably no safer place in Elyos than here."
"I see. So that's why I was placed here for my slumber," Alear realized.
"It had to be a big boon during the war," Ivy said.
"Indeed it was," Lumera said. "The only safe haven we had from the Fell Dragon."
"Even at the height of his power, Sombron could never breach the barrier protecting the Somniel," Sigurd said.
"Perhaps if he had managed to gather all Emblems, it could've been a different story," Marth added. "However, whether that would've been his use of our power, it's hard to tell."
"Indeed. Even to this day why he wanted to use the Emblems' power remains a mystery," Lumera frowned.
"Even in Elusia, the ulterior motivations of the Fell Dragon have been the subject of debate for centuries," Ivy said. "If he ever told anyone, they took the secret to the grave."
Would Veyle know? She then wondered.
If anyone could give an answer, short of Sombron himself, it was probably her.
"It must've have been something big, or very important to him, if he wanted to use the Emblems that badly," Alear mused.
"Regardless of what it is, he will no doubt resort to extreme measures once more, so he must be stopped," Lumera said. "The death and destruction he subjected Elyos… it must not happen again."
She then shook her head.
"But enough about Sombron. We are here to enjoy ourselves. So let's be on our way. There's a lot to cover for just one afternoon."
With that, they began to walk, leaving the plaza through one of the openings, away from the main building. Thus, for the next couple of hours they strolled about as Lumera explained about, with the Emblems also pitching in for the place has seemingly changed little in the past thousand years. As it were, there were a couple highlights, starting with-
"A well?" Alear looked, stunned.
Indeed, by the side of the main building and behind the stables, in an enclosed grassy area, circled by a hedge and trees, was a well. It was on a circular stone platform at the very center.
"But, we are high in the sky," he continued. "How…?"
"I had read about it, but it always puzzled me," Ivy was equally astonished. "Is there really groundwater here?"
Not that 'ground' water sounded proper when, as pointed out, they were high in the air. For her part, seeing their confused faces made Lumera give a small giggle.
"Yes, it is an unusual sight, isn't it?" She said, amused. "But yes, the Somniel indeed has a water reservoir, right below us."
"How?" Alear could only ask. "Don't tell me it's actually brought all the way up here, Mother."
"Oh, it's nothing of the sort," Lumera shook her head. "While some supplies do have to be sent up here, water isn't one of them. Instead, it comes from the clouds."
"The clouds?"
"Yes, the Somniel draws in the passing clouds, which are then condensed back to liquid form," Marth explained.
"That's amazing," Alear said, impressed. "The Somniel can do that?"
"If we Divine Dragons will it," Lumera replied.
"Would not that limit the amount of rainfall that Lythos receives?" Ivy pointed out.
"It does," Lumera admitted. "However, since for the past thousand years only the stewards have been the Somniel's permanent residents, then it's not often the reservoir needs to be refilled."
"That's a relief," Alear said.
Lumera then turned, putting her back to the well.
"Let's continue, shall we."
With that, they were on the move again. Soon they were descending by one of the edges, with only a wall separating them from the open expanse. A cave entrance eventually became visible, leading to a grotto. Inside was a lake.
"So that's the reservoir," Alear stared at the water, amazed.
The grotto did not look like it stretched back to the main area of the Somniel, but that did not discard the possibility the water extended further through underwater tunnels, or that the back wall simply did not reached the bottom.
Just then, a sudden cry was heard. A whine, not dissimilar to a dog's.
"Ah, good, he's here," Lumera exclaimed, suddenly mirthful.
She was quick to walk further in, making the rest follow. They reached an alcove on the wall, which housed a single stone pedestal. Standing atop was a creature.
"Huh? What is this animal?" Alear asked.
"It's some kind of... dog?" Ivy frowned, unable to recognize what it was.
Its body was small and roundish in frame, with a head that seemed a bit oversized in proportion and a tail that split into three; or perhaps it was actually three separate tails. The creature's fur was mostly white, but it was blue instead at the paws, the top of the head, and the tails. A red scarf was tied around its neck. It looked like a vague cross between dog and cat at first glance, but it was clear it was neither. Or at least, of any recognizable breed. Lumera moved closer and began to stroke the creature's head.
"You wanted to meet Alear, didn't you?" she spoke to it. "Isn't it nice that he has finally awoken?"
The creature let out a happy whine.
"Well, now this isn't something you see every day," Sigurd said, amused.
"Indeed," Marth agreed, also sporting a smile.
Alear and Ivy, however, were at a loss for words.
"Uh, Mother?" Alear called out.
Lumera finally stopped her petting and turned to face them.
"Ah, right, let me introduce you. Everyone, this is Sommie," she gestured towards the creature.
"Sommie?" Alear frowned.
The creature, or Sommie, whined as if in affirmation.
"That's how I called him, long ago," Lumera said. "You can say it's a childhood friend of mine."
"Wait, childhood friend? So this Sommie is also long-lived?" Ivy asked, surprised.
"That's right," Lumera nodded. "But even I don't know for how he has been alive. He just showed up one day, here at the Somniel. It's possible he may have been here since time immemorial. We always believed he could be a guardian spirit of sorts to the Somniel."
This left them all stunned, though the Emblems recovered faster. Sigurd hummed, before turning to Marth.
"Marth," Sigurd began. "Do you think that-?"
"Yes," Marth nodded. "This Sommie must've been the presence we always felt back then, but couldn't identify what it was."
"You didn't know about him?" Ivy asked, surprised.
"I'm afraid when the war began, Sommie began showing up less and less," Lumera said. "By the time we summoned the Emblems, he had stopped appearing altogether. I long thought I would never see him again, until recently. Vander informed me he had suddenly appeared. I don't know what caused him to finally come back, but perhaps he sensed Alear's impending awakening."
She then smiled and nodded.
"Yes, that must be it. Right, Sommie?"
Another happy whine came from Sommie.
"I see," Alear said, before smiling. "Well, I do hope I won't have to compete now for your attention, Mother."
This elicited a few chuckles from the Emblems, and even Ivy couldn't help but join in with a subdued one.
"Oh, Alear, that's not something you'll ever have to concern yourself about," Lumera said, though she too was amused nonetheless. "You're always going to be more important to me."
It was sudden, but for a brief second her smile seemed to falter.
"In any case, I'm sure you two will get along just fine, just as we did," she quickly continued. "Now then, let's continue."
Suddenly, Sommie made a bark-like sound before jumping off the pedestal. It walked slightly towards the other exit of the grotto before turning around. Waggling its tails, Sommie glanced back at them expectedly.
"It seems he wants to come with us," Sigurd noted.
"Well, the more the merrier," Lumera nodded. "Lead the way, Sommie!"
Sommie barked happily, before turning again and running off. The group promptly followed, out of the grotto and back towards the main area of the Somniel. Eventually the trek led them back to the plaza, from which they finally went into the main building. They were greeted with a large room that was a combination of a dining hall and a lounge. Ivy was stunned at the sight.
"This place… it must've been quite bustling once," she commented.
A mere glance could already tell the room could house dozens, if not close to a hundred, people at a time.
"It used to be, yes," Lumera said, her voice a bit wistful. "People from all corners of Elyos, be them dragon or human; all would gather here at the Somniel. A place to make contact easier and strengthen the ties between us. The Somniel was outfitted with many facilities for such purpose."
"I guess that explains the large pool we saw earlier," Alear mused.
"It's a shame the war had to bring that to an end," Sigurd said.
"Indeed. I wish we could've seen it with our own eyes," Marth said.
Ivy hummed, pensive.
A time when Elusia could stand alongside the rest of Elyos, she thought. Yes, to have been there… it must've been a sight to behold.
"I'm afraid using the Somniel as Alear's resting place did prevent from resuming the practice," Lumera said, dejected. "But even so, I'm afraid on my lonesome it would have been a logistical impossibility."
"Still, it would be nice if it could continue," Alear said. "Once the Fell Dragon is dealt with, we can find a way to make it possible again. Bring Elyos back closer with each other once more. All of us; even Elusia."
This made Ivy glance at him, surprised.
"You would that for us?" She asked. "Despite that we rejected you for the Fell Dragon?"
"Yes," Alear nodded. "I can't claim to know what drove Elusia to his side, but I'm sure it's still not too late to reach out to them. You are here, after all."
He's right, Ivy thought. Perhaps it is indeed time to bring change to Elusia. No matter how difficult it could be. I know I can do it, with the Divine One watching over me.
"Very well," she placed a hand over her heart. "If we are still worthy of salvation, then I pledge to do all I can do to make it a reality."
Lumera smiled as she watched the scene unfold.
Oh, Ivy old friend, if only you could see this, she thought. Perhaps it was fate she was named after you.
It wasn't long before they were on the move again, this time exploring the rest of the building. Soon they were in a room housing pedestals not unlike those of the Ring Vault.
"This is the Ring Chamber," Lumera explained. "During the war, we used this place to keep the rings safe from Sombron when not in use."
The pedestals were, indeed, twelve in total, arrange in a semicircle. There was an additional pedestal at the very center of the chamber as well.
"In light of the circumstances, we cannot leave anything to chance. I'll be moving the rings up here this very night."
"Does that mean we won't be making use of them to fight?" Alear asked.
"Only if we must," Lumera replied. "The war did saw the rings switching hands several times. It would be best to avoid a repeat of that."
"All the better for us," Marth said. "Being under the Fell Dragon's power was-"
Here he closed his eyes, looking pained.
"Not a pleasant experience, to say the least," his eyes opened back up.
"So it happened to you, Marth?" Alear asked, surprised.
The Emblem simply nodded.
"I am thankful I avoided such fate," Sigurd added. "But it was an ever present fear to deal with."
"Which is why we must rescue Lyn as soon as possible," Marth said. "None of us should go through that ever again."
"Agreed," Sigurd nodded.
Hearing that, Ivy couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt.
I should've tried to take the ring with me, she thought.
She shook her head.
It's too late for laments. I can only hope Emblem Lyn can forgive me.
Likely saved for last, the final place they visited was the terrace housing the bed-like altar which, until today, housed the Divine One.
"I know this place is secure," Alear began, glancing all around him. "But it is weird that I slept all this time more or less outside."
"I thought it could help in making you wake up sooner," Lumera replied. "And it is much better than keeping you inside a room for long. At least this way you can still receive sunlight and fresh air."
"Was letting the royal families come here to pray also part of that?"
"Well, part of it, yes," Lumera admitted. "Once the people of Elyos learned of your victory, they had been quick in idolizing you. They were quick to flock Lythos, wishing to see you; pray to you. I knew I could not stop their wishes without repercussions, but at the same time, I wanted to keep you safe as you recovered. So that was the compromised reached."
"A wise decision," Ivy said.
"Between they and the stewards it would be a small enough number of people, but enough that perhaps their voices could reach out to you," Lumera finished.
"But that wasn't the only stimuli, isn't it," Sigurd said as he glanced towards the piano also in the terrace.
"Ah, indeed," Lumera also turned, smiling. "If that wasn't enough, perhaps some music could do the trick."
"Well, Alear did always liked your music, Lumera," Marth smiled.
"I did?" Alear asked, surprised.
"Yes, you always listened intently whenever I played," Lumera turned to him. "Perhaps I can do so again, for old time's sake. Although-"
She glanced towards the sky. It had begun to gain an orange-tint, indicating nightfall wasn't far.
"I'm afraid it will have to be in another time. We must return to the castle."
She then turned back to them, specifically to Ivy.
"I hope you enjoyed this visit to the Somniel."
"Certainly," Ivy nodded. "It was an honor to be here."
Although a part of her regretted she couldn't pray to the Divine One as countless others did, she smiled nonetheless, for she instead got something perhaps even better: To be one of the first to see him finally awake.
Lumera then knelt down before Sommie.
"It was nice seeing you again, but I'm afraid we must take our leave," she told him.
The little creature lowered its head and gave a sad-sounding whine.
"Oh, don't worry," Lumera stroke its fur again. "Now that I know you're back, I'll be sure to come here more often. As will Alear and the others."
Sommie seemed to cheer up by her words, for it a happy bark soon followed. Lumera then stood up.
"Let's head back," she told the others.
Author's Note: The Somniel doesn't have a lot told about it in the game proper. As such, I decided to flesh it out a bit. Of course, it'd be too much to cover, though any further stuff won't be as loaded to a single chapter. Anyway...
Gonna be honest. I don't like the Fell Xenologue. Might be getting way ahead here but I'll say it now: Don't expect it in this story. That well is an ordinary well, and that's that. Well, maybe I could use a thing or two there, but like, actual travel to a different world? Not with the FX story at least, that's for sure.