Story The Answer

[Tangerine]

The Answer

"Ya've heard o' 'im, haven't ya?" He didn't stop his hands from peeling spuds. "Tha' one down in the dungeons."

"Him who?" Hermes didnt dare look up. If he did, he was sure to get clobbered by the cook.

"Tha' old Druid, emperor's last teacher." The teacher, imprisoned in the dungeons? He kept his hands busy, thinking of the day before last. He took a meal down there for the wizened old man. Blind, smelly, and very, very old. He grunted, hoping to hear more without looking up. "He was a-ravin' this morn. Wouldn't stop talkin' bout it."

It. So it was this story again, about the it. Grados old beloved national treasure, spirited away by the Demon Kings servants. There was no other explanation. But that was years ago, years and years before even Hermes grandfather was born. And he told him the story about the Fire Emblem, it was only proper. People still remembered it faintly, about the hero Grado sealing the soul of the Demon King in the stone.

They had to. Because the monsters ravaged the edges of the cities and towns still.

"Do ya think he's right 'bout it?" He stopped, raising his eyes just a little. "Dat it ain't no more."

"Who knows." The people had rallied together, each nation gave soldiers to an order called the Magvellian Alliance, and they fought to keep the monsters away. His father was out fighting now, same with his mother. They'd be out for a few years still. "It's been s'long. Stories are just for kids, y'kna."

"He says he knows how'a get peace." Hermes went back to peeling.

"He's just raving senile things. Poor 'im."

[line-break]

As Hermes descended into the dungeons, he shivered as the chill cut him to the bone. He didn't like it. His boots stepping on stones set older than him, in dirty pools of water and droppings of creatures. He didn't know what lined the walls and he didn't think he wanted to know. It was never clean down here, Gus never did his work.

He said it didn't need to be clean for no one. No one was down here. Except for the emperors teacher, Galalilei.

He hurried to the cell, the torches throwing enough light for him to find his way. There wasn't even a guard in front of his cell, and there weren't any chains. Chains were for the dangerous ones, his father had said. But what could a blind man do to anyone? He had to be down here for something, but what?

Just as he turned the corner, a cry startled him and he dropped a roll of stale bread. Cursing, he left the morsel where it fell. Rats feasted better on those than on the old man, he didn't deserve that.

"You the boy?" The wail was ghostly, but Hermes would not show fear. Fear was a trick, to stop and delay people from doing their work. He was not afraid. "Erick, you've come! Come to reason, have you!"

A shuffle of robes, he could see the rich cloths hanging off the thin mans frame through the bars. He grit his teeth, keeping his mouth a stern line as he reached for the keys on his belt.

"It is what we need, the Fire Emblem--everything was created by it, do you know? Do you know! The power--the Demon King stole it. Stolen it from the dragon-kind, he is the last. The last of them, of them all!" The rasping voice, strong in conviction and weak in volume. It brought another shiver down his spine as he opened the door. Thank the gods he couldn't get up from off the ground, but could feed himself as a young child was able to do. "He is not gone, his body may be destroyed, but he is not gone. You need the stone Erick, the Fire Emblem--get it back. Get. It back. Get it back get it back get it back."

The old man worked himself into a frenzy. And still Hermes stayed aloof. It was Emperor Erick's merciful decision to let him live, he didn't do anything deserving death. And the ravings would stop. They always stopped, he was sure of it, after he was gone.

He set the soup down, shoving a spoon in a gnarled hand and left. Locking up behind him.

[line-break]

"Can there be peace?"

The weeks wore on, and Hermes still did not hear from his parents. It was the first he'd spoken to the old man, since bringing him meals.

The laughter that answered him did not sound promising.

"There is peace now. Do you hear anything Erick? Do you hear it?" He stood, muttering to himself about senile old men. He nearly fell when those bony hands grasped his foot. But Hermes didn't yell--what could the old man do other than grab at him? "That is what the Demon King brings, he brings peace to us. There is no greater peace than in death! Everything, all things die and he brings it to us, wrapped up as gifts. His servants bear his will and, and Erick we receive them with weapons swinging and magic flung. How can you do that, to such a generous master?"

He wrest his leg out of the grip and left.

[line-break]

"I told you, I've found these notes. Knoll's life's work, and he was a good one. Took lots of notes, just like you did Erick, he took many notes. He discovered the secret of the Fire Emblem, you see. He knew the power that the Dark One had--it could raise the dead from their graves, it could heal people, it delayed the peace he would bring but his power is just. You need to get it Erick, you need it. Grado needs you to find it again. You know the legends, you know them well boy. I taught them to you. The new heroes, that silly L'Arachel had hundreds of songs composed of good winning against the Demon King. They destroyed his body, you know they did Erick, but his soul. The fount of his power Erick! If Grado had its power, can you imagine? If Grado had its power and used it? You would become the greatest emperor of all Erick, the greatest! They made us weak, they said we were vile. Lyon was a rash youth--I've taught you better than that. You could do what he could not. You can be great, Erick. You! And only you..."

To Hermes' surprise, the prisoner wasn't just raving to himself. There was someone else by the cell, as he brought the meal down. He lowered his gaze, and swallowed hard, muttering the proper greetings. He waited. His neck began to hurt when he caught the end of a whisper.

Lifting his head a little, he kept his back straight and stared at the cobbled stones. The emperor watched him lay down the tray of bread, cheese and old meats. He could still feel the emperors eyes as he rounded the corner, walked down the dungeon hall, and reached the surface.

[Apostle Heinrich]

The Emperor was imprisoned, maybe overthrown, potentially by an heir of his, because Magvel has learned not to abuse the power of the Sacred Stones... not to underestimate the lingering powers of the Demon King... Is that the general idea?

Great piece by the way :)

[Balcerzak]

Definitely needed another run through the proofreader, but other than that a pretty nice piece! I really envy your talent for working in accents or slurs, or whatever you call it, into the speech patterns. That's something I fear I'll never get a good handle on.

[slayer-1412]

The Emperor was imprisoned, maybe overthrown, potentially by an heir of his, because Magvel has learned not to abuse the power of the Sacred Stones... not to underestimate the lingering powers of the Demon King... Is that the general idea?

Great piece by the way :)

Actually it's the emperor's old teacher, a Druid. It's mentioned in the first section. It's something akin to that, though...I'm not sure if I'll write a follow-up prequel/sequel/something to it, aha... And thank you!

Definitely needed another run through the proofreader, but other than that a pretty nice piece! I really envy your talent for working in accents or slurs, or whatever you call it, into the speech patterns. That's something I fear I'll never get a good handle on.

Oh yeah. I realized a few hours after sending it in that copy-pasting it directly from Word did not translate well. I fixed up the italics and bolds where they needed to be, for emphasis, and didn't think to edit the rest. It's been a long week.

Thank you for the comment! I really appreciate the comments here. I didn't think my writing was worth much, to be honest ^^

[Apostle Heinrich]

I saw that actually haha, his name is Galalilei, yes. But what I meant is that the slight "plot twist" of your story is that the old Druid was not really talking to Hermes but to Emperor Erick who was locked with him in the cell. My question was, essentially, if it crossed your mind whilst writing, why he would be there. If it would be something close to what I wrote in the previous post. Or did you just thought of it as a smooth ending?

thanks for replying... ^^

[slayer-1412]

@Apostle Heinrich

Ah that. As for the ending, it was the closest I could get to without writing a full-blown short story, since the recommendations for length was less than 1k words, I think? (Though apparently I thought differently from other writers on that end, lol)

I guess I left it vague there, but I meant for Emperor Erick to be outside of the cell, peering in at his old teacher. The thing is, the old Druid isn't dangerous at all. But his spouting nonsense has some uncomfortable matter, particularly his thoughts on "the answer" of Grado's problems. He hasn't done anything "wrong" per say, but the fewer that know about the Demon King's power, the better--which is why he's locked up in a cell. I believe that Erick is reluctant to execute Galalilei for simply knowing that the Demon King isn't destroyed, but on the other hand, he can't let the Druid out of sight--lest someone take him seriously and start an uprising/revolution of sorts.

And no problem! I'm glad you thought my story was worth commenting on. I didn't think I'd get any comments tbh :'D

[Apostle Heinrich]

Oh... that' s nice. I think it wasn't pretty clear the emperor was outside the cell (or maybe I didn't pay the necessary attention, sorry haha). But it's a neat touch and you should definitely think of expanding it, sometime.

It was worth it, indeed. I will be honest, though, I think it needed another run through the proofreader like Balcerzak said, but in no way did this fact take any of its value :)

Nice job, keep at it ^^

[slayer-1412]

I just might expand on it. I had notes written up on the current leaders of the nations before reigning myself back to focus on this simple exchange. Although on that note, I'm not sure where I should publish such a fanfic. Segments of a story posted in a forum seem unorthodox, but not out of the question either.