by Jamie Murray
Johanna watched as the dust rained down on the yard, and then looked at Louisa and Baloric. Louisa cautiously lowered the shield and then turned back to Baloric.
"Are you okay?" she asked as Johanna ran over as well and asked the same question.
"Yeah, for the most part," Baloric said, putting a hand across his chest as Johanna circled him to check for injuries. "Maybe some bruises."
"And some scratches from the wood splintering," Johanna said, lightly touching his back, causing him to wince and recoil.
"Can you heal yourself?" Louisa asked.
"No," said Baloric.
"No?" Louisa and Johanna repeated.
Baloric clenched his teeth. He was also confused as to why he couldn't. "I need plants," Baloric said, gesturing his head towards the dead garden.
"Can't you make it grow?" Johanna questioned.
"Not like this," Louisa said. "I'll go get some. You just take it easy."
Baloric shook his head as Louisa disappeared down the road and Johanna led him to the inn since he found it difficult to walk on his own. They walked around the damage; the destroyed fence, the hole in the ground and the decimated flower garden. When they got inside, she and immediately took him to the chair behind the desk, making sure he was comfortable. He leaned forward and removed his shirt as she began to delicately take the small shards of the fence out of his back.
He twitched as she pulled out one of the larger pieces. "That was strange," she said quietly.
"What was?" Baloric asked.
"You couldn't use your abilities without the help of living things," Johanna said. "It hasn't been like that in years."
"The Forces," Baloric mused, ignoring Johanna. "Usually they avoid me. This one seemed to come right to me."
"It wasn't that strong," Johanna remarked. "And it wasn't that smart, I suppose."
"No, I think it was pretty smart," Baloric said. "I don't think I was its ultimate target. I think it was looking for Jameson."
"Do you think they already know he's back?" Johanna asked hesitantly.
"It's a possibility," Baloric said.
She tried to be as gentle as possible. Within a few minutes, Louisa returned with a large bouquet and placed it on the desk. "They heard and felt the battle," Louisa said. "Then I told them this was for you, and they gave it to me for free. You're quite popular."
"I think he's most people's hero," Johanna agreed.
"I do what I can," Baloric said, looking slightly embarrassed as he reached out for the plants. He gave a heavy sigh as the plants wilted and died, the energy they once had flowing into him, filling the broken skin and healing the bruises.
"Even though you can do this, I think you still need rest before you continue with Jameson," Louisa advised. "You used all of the energy you gathered before to fight the Forces."
"I think I'll be fine," Baloric said.
"I'm worried about you though," said Louisa. "You're at a limit, but you won't see it."
"Louisa's right!" Johanna agreed. "I think it's important you rest."
"It's important we finish with Jameson's memories," Baloric said, standing up and dropping the torn and bloody shirt in the trash. "I believe that Forces came for him. If the Forces are aware of the stones returning, then no doubt Devin is too. We have no time to take extra rests."
"What if more Forces come?" asked Johanna.
"Cyrus will be here soon," Baloric said, walking past them and going to the stairs. "He can protect the two of you if I can't."
"How do you know he can?" Louisa demanded. "You haven't seen him in six years!"
"I can sense it," Baloric answered. "And so can you. The three of us are linked and you know his skills have vastly improved as he's gotten older. We could start to tell before he even left."
Johanna and Louisa still looked reluctant to follow him.
"I'm going to do this whether you two are there or not," Baloric said adamantly. "But it would be easier on my body if you were there. So if you're really worried about me, then you'll come along to support me. But it's your choice."
He turned his back to them and hurried up the stairs, disappearing into his room, probably to retrieve some clean clothes. Johanna and Louisa looked at each other and silently agreed to Baloric's reasoning, trusting him to make the decision that was best for everyone. By the time he left his own room, Louisa and Johanna were already waiting next to Jameson.
He didn't say anything to them, but he almost smiled as he knelt down. They sat on either side of him and allowed him to concentrate.
13. How To Be of Some Use
Chapter 13
Johanna hurried down the stairs, skipping every other step and leaping as far as she could to the first floor. She heard the knock at the door, and it had awakened Baloric from his trance, and she was quickly instructed to answer it because there were very important guests.
She reached the door and pulled it open, gasping in surprise and delight as she immediately recognized the man who stood before her.
"Felix Cyrus!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a hug. "It's been so long! You've gotten so tall! You look great!"
Cyrus didn't say anything and, instead, waited for her to let go of him. She waited for him to return such comments, but his face only held confusion and he finally said, "Sorry?"
"Do you not recognize me?" Johanna said, looking partially offended and partially amused.
"No, I'm sorry," he said.
"It's me!" she said enthusiastically. "Jo! Remember?
Cyrus's eyes immediately lit up. "Oh!" he said. "Johanna! I remember you!" He took her into another hug. "I didn't recognize you because you're all grown up!"
"We're the same age!" Johanna said, pulling him in the door.
"But you were so much littler than me," Cyrus pointed out. "You seemed younger."
"That's true," said Johanna. "So how come it took so long to come back? I was worried about you all these years."
"It's hard to explain," Cyrus said. "Princess Erestina had many things she wanted to accomplish and she couldn't do it alone. I had to help her. But I felt something strange a few days ago and, when I told her, she insisted we find out what it was."
"Why did you come here?" Johanna asked.
"Because I had a feeling," Cyrus answered.
"Where's Tina, anyways?" Johanna questioned.
"She's outside," Cyrus replied. "She's a little shy about coming in here. Maybe shy is not the word. Maybe she feels like it has been so long and, with the circumstances of how we left, she thinks it will be strange to ask for help."
"Of course not," said Johanna. "I'm glad you're both back and I'm sure Louisa and Baloric will be too."
"Are they both here?" Cyrus asked, looked around vaguely.
"Yes," said Johanna. "And you'll never guess who else is here."
"Who?"
"Well, you know that strange feeling you got a few days ago? Louisa and Baloric felt it too. Turns out…it was Jameson."
"Jameson?" came a soft voice in the doorway. Cyrus turned around and Johanna looked past him to see the young princess standing outside the frame. She had her hands folded in front of her white dress and her blonde hair was pulled loosely back into an elegant bun. When she spoke, her lip quivered slightly, and she reached out for Cyrus's arm, as if for support.
"Is that true?" Cyrus asked Johanna.
"Yes," said Johanna. "He got here just this morning."
"Can I see him?" Erestina asked immediately.
Just then, Louisa appeared on the balcony. "So Daigh was right!" she exclaimed. "Felix has come back! And Princess Erestina, too."
"Louisa," said Cyrus, looking up as Louisa made her way to the staircase. "You still are as beautiful as the day we left."
"Flattering me isn't going to make me forget how you abandoned us six years ago," Louisa said as she descended. "But it is true." She came up to him and gave him a hug, then gave one to Erestina as well. "It's felt like so mu
ch longer. You two have grown up into adults since the last time I saw you."
"Time does it to us all," Cyrus remarked.
"Johanna told us that Jameson is here," Erestina whispered. "Truly?"
Louisa looked as though she was considering whether or not she wanted to answer. Finally, she began to slowly nod her head, almost unsure if she should have released the information so quickly.
"He's here," she said conclusively.
"How is it possible?" Cyrus asked. "We all saw him die."
"We saw him disappear," Louisa corrected.
"So you think he went somewhere?" Erestina tried.
"Or was taken somewhere," Louisa said. "He doesn't have any memory at all. Baloric is trying to restore it, but we keep getting interrupted for one reason or another."
"The Forces were here earlier," Johanna added. "Baloric thinks Devin and the Forces already know Jameson is back."
"How could he know?" asked Erestina.
"Maybe it was Devin who sent him away in the first place," Cyrus suggested.
"Regardless," Louisa waved her arm. "Baloric is insisting he's almost finished with reviving Jameson's memory, and once he does that, we can start celebrating."
"Are you sure it's him?" said Erestina tentatively.
"Yes," said Louisa. "The resemblance is dead on and he has the stones. Most of all, he was in the room beneath Market City when he woke up."
"This is a miracle," Cyrus said. "At last we have some good news."
Erestina cleared her throat and then meekly asked, "Can I see him?"
"He's sleeping right now," Louisa said. "But you can talk to him all you'd like when he wakes up."
"Is Baloric working on his memory right now?" Cyrus questioned.
"No," Louisa replied.
"Why not?" Cyrus said.
"He's taking a few minutes to rest," Louisa said. "The process is taxing on his body. Besides, he needs my life energy in order to make his magic stronger."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Erestina asked.
"Not really," Louisa shrugged.
"Is there anything we can do?" Cyrus said.
"No, there's nothing," Johanna sighed. "Don't even bother asking."
"Nothing?" Cyrus said to Louisa.
"I'm sorry, but there really is nothing you can do," Louisa said honestly. "It's just a two person thing."
"Can we see Jameson while Baloric is resting?" Erestina said.
Louisa raised both of her eyebrows at Erestina, and then smiled. "You really just want to see him for yourself, don't you?"
"I do," said Erestina. "More than anything."
Louisa held out her hand for Erestina to take, and she did. Louisa led Erestina up the stairs, leaving Johanna and Cyrus at the bottom to only watch them leave and close the door behind them.
"How are you doing?" Johanna asked Cyrus after a bit of silence. She noticed his eyes were fixated on the door Erestina had disappeared through.
"Is it possible to be doing well in a world like this?" Cyrus said.
"That's awfully pessimistic," Johanna remarked. "Jameson brought the stones back."
"I'm sorry," said Cyrus. "You're right."
"So what have you two been doing?" Johanna said. "You said the princess had lots of things she wanted to do. Like what?"
"She wanted to retrieve an original script of the prophecy," Cyrus replied. "She's convinced something went wrong on that day when we went through the ancient Door, and I agree with her. But even with the original document, I doubt we'd be able to understand it any better than we did ten years ago."
"You never found it, then?" Johanna said with a sigh. "Well, if you ever do, you know Baloric's obsessed with that kind of stuff. He's been analyzing his copy all his life, and his is just the abridged one."
"I know that," Cyrus said. "Princess Erestina was optimistic about retrieving it, but only disappointed when we were unsuccessful."
"Well, now it doesn't matter, does it?" Johanna said. "Jameson's back anyway."
"It does matter," said Cyrus as he looked at his hand. "The wrong person holds the Fighter. I am not in the Prophecy. Walden is."
"Have you learned to control it?"
"Somewhat. It is still too much power for me. I feel as though Walden would have been able to utilize it much more effectively. I was too young when I first took it, and I think that will always have a negative effect on my body and its power."
Cyrus shook his head, resting his hand on the handle of the sword that hung by his side.
"Even now," he continued. "I hold his sword because I still attempt to be like him."
"It a fine and unique sword," Johanna pointed out. "Made by the Cyanyanka nobility."
"A gift given to Walden for saving them."
"Just hanging it up would be a waste of such a great blade."
Cyrus sighed again and then looked over at Johanna who appeared in deep thought.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I don't mean to bring up Walden so much."
"It's all right," Johanna said. "You know, he was my father."
"Was he?" said Cyrus.
"We look similar, don't we?"
"I hardly knew him."
"That's true." Johanna leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "Tina was pretty excited about seeing Jameson, wasn't she?"
"Yes," Cyrus said, looking up at the closed door again. "She has always been so sure he would come back to us."
"So…" Johanna bit her lip slightly, trying to hold back a smile. "Are you two… together?"
"The princess and me?" Cyrus said, his eyes widening. "No, of course not. She is a princess and I'm just a stable boy."
"You've been protecting her on your own!" Johanna said. "Just the two of you, all these years! And you're telling me the two of you never got together?"
Cyrus hissed for her to be quiet. "Please don't say that so loudly," he said, his eyes darting back and forth between Johanna and the door on the balcony. "It is inappropriate for someone like me to even consider ever falling for someone like her, or for her to fall for me."
Johanna continued to smile, fiddling with her clothing and looking at the ground. "All these years, I've imagined you two would come back one day," she said. "And parading about how you've fallen in love and how love is beautiful in these dark times! But now I know you're too afraid to even tell her how you feel."
"How I feel?" said Cyrus. "No, Johanna. You are very mistaken. I see her only as my princess, and as someone I must keep safe."
"Honestly, Felix, what is she the princess of?" Johanna questioned.
"Once we defeat Devin, she will sit on the Ailyth throne again," Cyrus said confidently.
"You seem so sure we'll even defeat him."
"I wasn't always sure," Cyrus said. "But now that Jameson has returned, and the stones along with him, I know it will happen."
"And then will you tell Tina about how you love her?"
"Don't say that! It is not true. Why are you asking me questions like that?"
"Because life is a complicated and confusing loveless world," Johanna answered. "And everyone I know spends all their time wishing they had the courage to tell another they're in love! I only want to see someone happy."
"Are you are one of them?" Cyrus said.
Johanna hesitated and, just as she did, the door upstairs opened, and Louisa and Baloric came out onto the balcony.
"Cyrus," said Baloric. "I didn't think you would come back."
"Princess Erestina requested it, so it had to happen," Cyrus responded.
"Have you learned anything new in your travels?" Baloric asked.
"Hopefully how to be of some use," Cyrus said, his eyes low.
"I guess we'll see eventually," Baloric said, running his hand through his hair. "But I'm a little busy."