Chapter 19: Two Faces of Evil



    We rode north, reaching the heart of Darkling Woods. I was watching Myrrh. She seemed the same as usual, but a little friskier: she skipped along through the black-trunked trees, holding onto Saleh's hand, sometimes leaving the ground as she skipped, flapping like a sparrow-dragon-girl. Darkling Woods was an incredibly appropriate name.

    Then, the scouts let us to Mt. Neleras. It is a volcano, riddled with ancient ravines and saturated with pools of lava. We didn't actually climb the mountain, but it rambled up away beside us, shadowing our path from the dying sun.

    The three pegasus knights flew above us as I talked to L'Arachel. "Is there anything that can be done to bring Lyon back?"

    She was silent.

    "Please, Rausten is the centre of lore on Magvel; as their princess, don't you know of something, anything at all?"

    The girl seemed touched by my pleading. "I'm very sorry, Eirika." Her own voice was much softer and less verbose than usual. "There is nothing that can be done."

    "But... It's just so horrible to think of him imprisoned like that. He's such a gentle person..."

    "Only a person of strong will can escape; in all of history, there is only one person who was ever able to throw off the Demon King: St. Latona the sure-hearted shattered his fetters."

    "But..."

    "Once the Demon King takes control of someone's body, it's too late. Their soul is gone. Not even the Sacred Stones themselves can restore a shattered soul..."

    I bent my head, tears forming in my eyes, then raised it and looked blurrily at the three at the head of our formation - Ephraim, Innes, and Seth. Ephraim, at least, was suffering as much as I was, and possibly Seth, also, with concern for us... me...

    "I cannot give up hope," I said to L'Arachel. "I must believe there is something I can do for Lyon... He only wanted to help people. I'm sorry, L'Arachel, but I can't accept your words yet."

    "I understand. Why don't you ride to Rausten and rest?"

    "I cannot leave the company either." A short pause rested between us. "Excuse me. I'm going to speak to my brother."

    "Certainly."

    I rode a little faster until I came up on my brother's left. "Hello, brother."

    He looked at me. "Eirika? Are you all right?" Innes and Seth discreetly dropped back.

    "I'm just worried about Lyon. Do you smell something?"

    Ephraim sniffed experimentally. Lila twisted his head, as if to say, 'you only just noticed it?'

    "You mean that sulphur smell?" I nodded. "Yeah... Look! What's that?"

    Myrrh flapped up beside us. "Ephraim, look out for the gorgon eggs... I don't usually come here - it's dangerous. If you get too close, they hatch and attack you."

    The three scouts came creeping back along the rocks. "Sire, the enemy has retreated into this valley." One indicated a rift just ahead of us, where the canyon we were in narrowed into barely more than a narrow trench.

    "It's a trap!" hissed Ephraim through his teeth. "Everybody, watch out for those eggs!"

    Genarog, carrying Cormag, whizzed up and into a close valley - the sound of skewered gorgons emanated from the canyon we could not see. Artur and Natasha, trusting in their monster slaying light magic, strode quickly into our rift. The pegasus knights soared overhead. I noticed Syrene had a passenger - Innes was riding her pegasus, shooting at distant mogalls. I stabbed my sword into a whitening, hardening, crackling egg and heard an agonized squeal. Why, oh why was I feeling sorry for baby gorgons? They were as pure evil as revenants and gwyllygi!

    We hastened through the maze of gullies. I sometimes dismounted and ducked around corners, hunting on foot for my demonic prey. Twice, I nearly attacked members of our own group - Ross, Lute.

    Abruptly, I heard a horrid cracking noise. I dashed through a hole in the rock, and saw Seth beside Altha, frozen in place, turned to stone. As I ran towards him, a black void formed around him. I plunged straight into it, standing in front of my paladin against the night. I hoped the spell would take me and not him, helpless as he was, vulnerable to death.

    The pain was terrible, a sucking feeling like my very blood was being pulled from my veins to feed the creature on the other end of the curse. I thought about all the wounds Seth had taken for me, and how little I had been able to repay him - well, here was my payment.

    A white aura surrounded us, piercing through my closed eyelids. I opened them, and found I was still alive. Seth's statue quivered and shattered, revealing the knight inside, also alive. L'Arachel, Artur, and Natasha stood around us, and the Sacred Stone, now at my side, was glowing brighter than usual. The pain was gone, and I felt fine, and not a bit faint like I think Seth was expecting. Aureola jogged up to me, nuzzling my neck.

    I caught glimpses of our friends, Colm, Neimi, Joshua, Father Moulder, Gerik's Mercenaries, Garcia and Gilliam, all trotting cautiously through the mazes, and saw the pegasus knights overhead. To know we had so many on our side made me satisfied as to the outcome of this battle, and hopeful as to the end of the Demon King himself.

    We searched and slew until Myrrh, who could tell somehow, said that all the monsters were gone. Ephraim and I stopped to let our horses catch breath, and to calm our hearts. We waited for the rest of the army.

    Then, I heard faintly laboured breathing, followed by the utterance of my name in a wretched, familiar voice. "Eirika... ?"

    "Lyon?" I cried, dismounting and running blindly down the paths.

    "Eirika!" called Ephraim. "It's not safe!"

    "Lyon's back there! I have to help him!" I called back before I rounded a corner and found the prince of Grado, crumpled in a niche.

    "Lyon - it's me."

    He raised his head. Oh, thank heavens, it was Lyon. It was his own face, his own eyes...

    "Eirika... I'm so sorry."

    "No, I should be sorry. I - I hurt you, when the Demon King had control of you."

    He shrugged and stood slowly. "You didn't hurt me too badly. No, I'm the one to be sorry. If I hadn't been so weak, the Demon King wouldn't have taken me, and none of this would have happened... If I could use a Sacred Stone to heal myself as I healed that girl in Serafew years ago..."

    "Oh!" I cried in sudden hope. "I have a Stone with me, Lyon." With trembling hands, I took it out of the soft pouch we - the twins of Renais, of course - kept it in. "I trust you, Lyon," I murmured, as I gave it to him.

    He was silent for a minute, looking into its dazzling light. "Thanks." I reeled in horror. It was the Demon King's voice! I jumped forward, to undo what I had done, to wrest the precious stone away from the monster, but it teleported to an island in the midst of a pool of lava, where I could not follow.

    "Ha, yes, this is the second to last Stone... Silly girl, have you still not figured out that Lyon is dead? He's gone! Eaten! Destroyed! Well... I left a fragment of his consciousness alive, to do my bidding... And... for this favour, I am in your debt! And, as such, I will refrain from attacking you at this time..." It disappeared, leaving nothing but fragments of crystal on a sinking island of half-molten rock.

    I sank to my knees in dispair, staring at the vanishing shards. I felt Ephraim come up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder.

    "I'm sorry, Eirika."

    I began to sob. There was an awful hollowness inside of me. My brother lifted me and hugged me tightly, murmuring, "I'm sorry, Eirika."


Chapter 18: River of Regrets    Contents    Chapter 20: Last Hope