daughter. Softly
spoken, gentle, and well loved by her people. I've known her for
years, and in that time, my affections for her have only grown. In
that time, I've also seen her power grow. She is easily one of the
most talented sorcerers I've ever met. If anyone were to be the
Savior, in a way, it makes sense that it's her.
. . . .
Yet, confusion now sweeps through me. For a few
moments, I was so sure he was talking about Yin. Something in my
gut told me that made sense.
Now I find myself trying to shake free of that sense,
but it's hard.
“I realize it may
take more than my simple words to convince you,” Garl says as he
gently pushes himself up and walks towards the window. There he
pauses with a hand on the glass as he directs his head up towards
the palace on the horizon. It always glistens, regardless of
whether there's any sun to shine upon it. The gold that plates the
pillars and roofs and walls is engraved with so many magical
enchantments that they burn in even the darkest nights. It's the
home of the Royal Family, after all, and they deserve the greatest
protection of the land.
But if what Garl is telling me is true, then they
will require more than gold walls with spells engraved across them.
If the Princess really is the Savior, then nobody will be able to
protect her on the final day. Only she will be able to summon Gaea,
and only she will be able to fight alongside the spirit of the
earth as they protect all of humanity from the Night.
She will have to be trained. As completely as can be.
Far more rigorously than any soldier.
As the enormity of what Garl is suggesting finally
strikes me, all thoughts of Yin drift from my mind.
While she has a great deal of power, and briefly it
made sense to believe she could be the Savior, she is nowhere near
as competent as Princess Mara.
“The Princess has
requested that you help train her,” Garl admits to me.
I can't help but blink rapidly. Me? While my father
ensured I am a competent warrior, I'm not in the Princess'
league.
“She wants you at her
side.”
I nod.
“I realize you may
still have your misgivings. Finding out what you once thought was a
myth is reality is not easy for anyone to deal with. So I give you
leave for the rest of the day to visit the record keepers, and they
will show you the sacred scrolls. Once you have read them, I am
confident you will believe as I do.”
I nod again.
When I woke up this morning, for a brief moment I had
the feeling that my life would be different. I thought, however,
that the reason behind that difference would be a certain
boisterous village girl. I could not have predicted this,
however.
But suddenly
something clicks into place . “That's why
you had me retrieve Castor Barr,” I suddenly say as I lean forward
in my chair excitedly.
The General
nods . “He is one of the finest soldiers
to have served under the Royal Army. He will be an invaluable asset
in training the Princess. And after my discussion with him this
morning, he has agreed to help her.”
“. . . He
has?” I ask carefully.
The last time I saw Castor, he threatened to rip my
throat out and break me if I went anywhere near Yin. I believed, at
that point, he would find any way to break free. But now I hear
he's agreed to train the Princess, and from the General's easy
tone, it doesn't seem as if negotiating with Castor was
difficult.
“Castor Barr is
undoubtedly one of the greatest warriors we have at our disposal,
and we are honored that he has agreed to help,” the General
continues.
I sit there and press my lips closed, swallowing
whatever words threaten to escape.
The man the General is describing is not the man I
sat with on that long and bumpy cart ride.
But it's hardly my place to share those misgivings
with the General. Still, I can’t push away my curiosity
completely.
That's always been the way with me. Despite the fact
I've learnt how to close my emotions off, and push my soul far out
of reach, there is one
spoken, gentle, and well loved by her people. I've known her for
years, and in that time, my affections for her have only grown. In
that time, I've also seen her power grow. She is easily one of the
most talented sorcerers I've ever met. If anyone were to be the
Savior, in a way, it makes sense that it's her.
. . . .
Yet, confusion now sweeps through me. For a few
moments, I was so sure he was talking about Yin. Something in my
gut told me that made sense.
Now I find myself trying to shake free of that sense,
but it's hard.
“I realize it may
take more than my simple words to convince you,” Garl says as he
gently pushes himself up and walks towards the window. There he
pauses with a hand on the glass as he directs his head up towards
the palace on the horizon. It always glistens, regardless of
whether there's any sun to shine upon it. The gold that plates the
pillars and roofs and walls is engraved with so many magical
enchantments that they burn in even the darkest nights. It's the
home of the Royal Family, after all, and they deserve the greatest
protection of the land.
But if what Garl is telling me is true, then they
will require more than gold walls with spells engraved across them.
If the Princess really is the Savior, then nobody will be able to
protect her on the final day. Only she will be able to summon Gaea,
and only she will be able to fight alongside the spirit of the
earth as they protect all of humanity from the Night.
She will have to be trained. As completely as can be.
Far more rigorously than any soldier.
As the enormity of what Garl is suggesting finally
strikes me, all thoughts of Yin drift from my mind.
While she has a great deal of power, and briefly it
made sense to believe she could be the Savior, she is nowhere near
as competent as Princess Mara.
“The Princess has
requested that you help train her,” Garl admits to me.
I can't help but blink rapidly. Me? While my father
ensured I am a competent warrior, I'm not in the Princess'
league.
“She wants you at her
side.”
I nod.
“I realize you may
still have your misgivings. Finding out what you once thought was a
myth is reality is not easy for anyone to deal with. So I give you
leave for the rest of the day to visit the record keepers, and they
will show you the sacred scrolls. Once you have read them, I am
confident you will believe as I do.”
I nod again.
When I woke up this morning, for a brief moment I had
the feeling that my life would be different. I thought, however,
that the reason behind that difference would be a certain
boisterous village girl. I could not have predicted this,
however.
But suddenly
something clicks into place . “That's why
you had me retrieve Castor Barr,” I suddenly say as I lean forward
in my chair excitedly.
The General
nods . “He is one of the finest soldiers
to have served under the Royal Army. He will be an invaluable asset
in training the Princess. And after my discussion with him this
morning, he has agreed to help her.”
“. . . He
has?” I ask carefully.
The last time I saw Castor, he threatened to rip my
throat out and break me if I went anywhere near Yin. I believed, at
that point, he would find any way to break free. But now I hear
he's agreed to train the Princess, and from the General's easy
tone, it doesn't seem as if negotiating with Castor was
difficult.
“Castor Barr is
undoubtedly one of the greatest warriors we have at our disposal,
and we are honored that he has agreed to help,” the General
continues.
I sit there and press my lips closed, swallowing
whatever words threaten to escape.
The man the General is describing is not the man I
sat with on that long and bumpy cart ride.
But it's hardly my place to share those misgivings
with the General. Still, I can’t push away my curiosity
completely.
That's always been the way with me. Despite the fact
I've learnt how to close my emotions off, and push my soul far out
of reach, there is one
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