Dual Wielding

Trace it Wyn. The source of my voice. You can follow the bond back to me.

Eia’s voice was clear in Wyn’s head even if he couldn’t see her. He couldn’t see anything actually–his eyes were closed. He wasn’t sure if that made any sense, considering he was trying to see something, but she’d claimed it might help.

Wyn tapped the bond between them gently, trying to focus on the sensation. He could feel the connection, he could even touch it with his mind, but he couldn’t see it. Eia described it as a thin line of spirit fire between them, but no matter what he tried, it remained invisible. It didn’t make any sense–spirit fire was visible when it manifested outside his body, so why was this was any different?

You’re getting distracted, Eia chided him. Where am I?

Wyn thought carefully before pointing. Behind me to the left. He opened his eyes and looked. His finger was pointing off into empty space.

“Nope,” Eia’s voice came from his right. “Wrong again. You might as well be randomly guessing.”

That’s because I am randomly guessing. Wyn sighed. He let himself fall backwards, landing against the leather lip of the saddle. He gazed out across the sea towards the bright blue sky as the grass drifted by slowly. Even knowing the dangers that lurked below, it was a calming view, and the air was quiet except for the rustling of the grass as they moved.

Eia frowned, flitting in front of his face before landing in his lap. “Well just keep trying Wyn, you’ll get the hang of it soon enough.”

“Soon enough huh?”

A week had passed on the back of the veldstrider, and with too little space to do real training, Wyn had gotten creative. Eia assured him there was more he could do with his blessing, and Iillia had all but guaranteed it. He just didn’t understand what. His spirit companion insisted that the first step was to perceive the bond itself, something he couldn’t do yet. Thus, he’d come up with a simple game in which Eia would fly around his head, and he’d have to point in her direction, but he’d been unable to garner any real success.

Across the saddle, Corrin was meditating, circulating mana through his body, making him stronger and faster than before. From what Wyn understood, channeling was like using a muscle, and with every day that passed, Corrin only became stronger with it. Meanwhile, Wyn’s spirit fire had gotten no stronger than the day he’d first discovered it. If anything, he felt it had gotten weaker, as though it had been stronger in the short period after he’d awakened it.

That’s not fair. He thought. You learned how to speak with Eia through the bond, and you learned more about them from Phyrus.

No matter how much he told himself that though, there was nothing tangible to show for it, and silent communication was a party trick when compared to being twice as fast and hitting twice as hard.

Your bond is different. Stronger somehow, he reminded himself. His testing with Eia found that as far as he knew, there was no practical limit to the distance of their bond, and Eia had said that their bond could not exist without spirit fire. If there was a tether of spirit fire between the two of them forming their bond, then it stood to reason that there was a tether of something that formed Phyrus’s. What was that thing? Mana? Something else?

Whatever it was, spirit fire seemed better somehow. Wyn pulled his wooden sword over from his pack, igniting it with purple flames. Ven’s head turned and his eyes widened as he saw for the first time, but he didn’t say anything.

He could ignite the sword, and if he had another one in his off hand, he could’ve ignited it as well.

The flames licked eagerly up the length of the blade, and if he focused, he could make them burn… hotter? Unless he used the sword or some other wooden object though, he couldn’t manifest the flames outside his body. No, that wasn’t quite right. When he’d first awakened the blessing he was able to do it twice, first in the shelter, and then again when he tried to heal Elder Terris. And technically it manifested outside his body when it burned monsters.

Monsters, spirits, mana, spirit fire. They were all connected in ways he didn’t understand. He set the sword down on the saddle, focusing on it. It stayed lit, wreathed in the lavender fire. Perhaps there was a connection to his sword similar to his bond with Eia. There must be for it to remain lit. If he stopped maintaining the link though, the fire would die, so it was different.

They were sitting low on the grass, so the surface was only a few feet below the saddle. As he thought, Wyn ran his hand across the top absentmindedly, keeping his focus on the sword. The blades were solid, much stronger than normal grass, and were able to provide actual resistance against his hand, though they still gave way and bent as the strider moved.

Eia, is there a bond between me and the sword? Like between you and I? He asked.

He felt a feeling like curiosity come through their bond. There is. It’s weaker though. The sword is not alive, and it does not have a soul of its own to bear the other end of the bond.

The sword’s fire vanished as Wyn’s head snapped back to her. That was important. The way she described it made it sound like the tether was far more literal than he’d imagined. A soul?

Of course, where else do you think your blessing would reside? Eia giggled.

Of course, Wyn knew souls were real. It was common knowledge. Soul oaths bound spirits, and Azoth had said that Corrin’s channeling technique was imprinted on his soul. But he had confirmation now. His power was the same. And not only did it interact with his own soul, but the bond was a direct connection of his with others.

If he imagined it like a tether, then his bond with the sword was a weak one–he needed to hold the bond directly against the blade with his will, or it would fail. But from what she had said, a soul was something that allowed a bond to stick, or perhaps it was a hook around which the tether could be tied. Even if all the tension was released, and it was left to hang, it would still connect the both of them. Thus, even when he slept, it remained.

Then the forming of a bond was the tying of those knots–hanging the string between his soul and another. That was how his blessing worked with others, but then, there was one part left he didn’t understand.

Eia, why does spirit fire burn monsters and not spirit beasts?

Monsters are impure, like any sickness or poison. Why wouldn’t it burn them?

Impure. It was a strong word, one that left him with more questions. What makes them impure? And supposing they are, then why shouldn’t I be able to use the flames on sick people to heal them. Why do they only affect monsters?

I don’t know, she admitted sheepishly. My mother might, but I don’t. But you can’t just touch monsters and kill them. You need a weapon to ignite right? It has to be related to that.

Not a helpful answer then. He clicked his tongue. Whoops, he’d sent some of that frustration through the bond, and he felt bad when he felt hints of dejection come back through.

Sorry. He said, projecting his sincerity.

It’s okay. I think… I think you could learn to use your powers on people as well. But you need to learn how to form a bond with them first, and it’s much more complex when another soul is involved. That’s why it is easy for you to form a temporary bond with your sword, but not another person.

One last question. Eia, do monsters have souls?

Hesitation. Anxiety. They have something similar.

What does that mean?

I don’t know why or how. But they are unique, and disgusting. If I had to describe it, I would say it is more like they have pieces of a soul within them. Fragments, nothing more.

Wyn looked into his body, into the place where the spirit flame resided. Even when he wasn’t stoking it, the embers remained, smoldering in his core as they had since he was a child. While he could cause the flames to rise higher, he couldn’t put them out. Until he’d awoken that night though, he hadn’t been able to see them as he could now. Perhaps something similar prevented him from seeing the bond itself.

There was far too much he didn’t know. Iillia had told him to go to The Spirit Tree–he’d get answers there. But the conversation had convinced him, there were things he could learn now. If he could learn to see the bond itself, a new world would open up to him. He was sure of it. To keep people safe, Wyn needed power, and he’d need to work much harder to get it.

Wyn sat back up, crossing his legs and closing his eyes.

Okay Eia. Let’s keep going.

***

A few days later, the scenery remained mostly unchanged. The sea was all but endless, and though karsts and enormous trees broke the monotony of the surface at times, Ven seemed to be steering clear of them, so when Wyn opened his eyes from his game with Eia, he was a bit surprised to see one of the towering stone pillars only a few hundred yards away.

He stood up and walked over to their captain–a bit shakily as he was still getting used to the movement of the strider. “Excuse me sir, could I ask why we’re approaching the spire?”

Ven pointed towards the top, a long, lit reed hanging out of his mouth trailing a bit of smoke. “What do you see up there, checo?”

Wyn squinted. Above the spire was a thin red ribbon that blew a good twenty feet due to the wind; he traced it back to a small structure with a pointed roof atop the rock. It was hard to make out any details, but it seemed to be the size of an outhouse, or perhaps a wagon.

He said as much to Ven, who nodded. “It is a perch.”

“For the messenger hawks?” Kei said. She’d crawled over to hear better.

“Messenger hawks?” Wyn asked.

“You country bumpkins really don’t have anything do you?”

“It has not spread past Precipice yet,” Ven shook his head.

Kei sighed, looking at Wyn. “East of the sea… well and on it I suppose, messenger hawks are used to carry letters across distance. But, they can only fly so far before they need to rest. You’ll find perches like these all over the continent.”

“This is true,” Ven nodded. “But they are especially common here–perches I mean. Because they are not only used by the hawks, but by us as well.”

Kei seemed as confused as Wyn, so he continued. “Messenger hawks are useful, but they are not as helpful when delivering to veldstriders. Thus, captains will leave messages in the perches for others to read. I am stopping to check for any important news.”

“Ah I see. Is there anything you need me to do?” Wyn asked.

“I would request that both of you accompany me. Perches are usually safe, but if we were attacked, it would not be the first time.”

“Pirates?” Corrin asked. He’d walked over at some point as well.

“Sometimes. Or razorbeaks, or grass apes. The worst case would be a crag beast, that won’t happen though.”

We’re screwed.

As they came to rest at the base of the spire, Ven pointed out a spiraling stone staircase that led to the top. He tied his bandana back to hold his hair and gestured for Wyn to first.

Spirit fire spread in Wyn’s core; better safe than sorry.

To his surprise though, the walk to the top was uneventful. The stairs, while not particular well-maintained, seemed sturdy enough, and the slowly spiraled up the side of the pillar. A few lizards clung to the wall, and some birds flew past at one point, shockingly close, but they were not attacked. The only part of note was Kei complaining about her legs after climbing the hundreds of steps.

“This isn’t fair,” she panted. “You two are stronger than normal. Damn freaks.”

Wyn grinned, looking back down the path. “What about Ven then?”

“I am stronger than normal as well of course,” the captain grinned. “If you are freaks, I am a different beast entirely.” He flexed his arms and grinned confidently. Though he wasn’t particularly built, Wyn felt respect at the fact his arms were actually well-toned. The captain did seem in decent shape.

“A bunch of freaks, the whole lot of you,” Kei groaned.

They teased her until they reached the top where the perch awaited them. Up close, Wyn was able to get a much better look. The building–if you could even call it that–was only a yard or two in width, and only around Wyn’s height at its highest point. There was only a small roost area for the birds to rest, taking up the majority of the upper space. The structure was nestled between two smaller trees and some flowers that had sprung up on the side. If it wasn't for the long red ribbon which had been tied to the pole around it, Wyn imagined he would've had a hard time seeing it from below. A few charms hung from the trees, brightly painted wooden tabs that were supposed to grant the protection of the spirits. They were hung up all over the church in Straetum.

The first thing Ven did upon arrival was to pour food from a pouch on his waist into one of the half-empty feed bowls sitting in the roost. Below it was a small stone pedestal with a wooden box atop it. It had a lock, but Ven opened it without a key, so it seemed the lock was only for show.

They all gathered around and looked inside the box to see a few marks–copper and silver, along with other trinkets, a blue candle, a folded note, and a small leather pouch.

“What are these?” Kei asked.

“Leavings from other travelers,” Ven said. “The note would be for me, but you are welcome to take or leave anything here. It is considered good luck.”

“You said you don’t believe in luck though, right?” Wyn asked.

“I don’t believe in bad luck. This is an important distinction.”

“That seems a bit biased.”

Ven shrugged, grabbing the note and starting to read.

“I get first pick!” Corrin reached in and grabbed one of the trinkets, a small wooden carving, and began to look it over in his hand curiously. Kei grabbed the candle, holding it to her nose to smell it, and Wyn grabbed a coin that looked different from the rest. It was a darker gray than the silver coins besides it, and it lacked the hole that veldian marks all shared. Instead of a grass-like design, the solid face was stamped with a five-pointed star with symbols on each point that were too faded to make out.

"Oh wow someone left that behind?" Kei said, peering at the coin in his hand. "Good find."

"What is it?"

"It's an iron crown. It's a coin they used to use back in the days of the five kings. It's not used anymore, so you can't spend it, but that's a real collector's item. Most of them got melted down for their iron when they switched to marks, so they're actually a bit rare."

He turned the coin over in his hand, inspecting it closely. There was more to the design than the star, but the rest was too faded to be discerned. "Huh, neat." He put it in his pocket to hold onto and snickered at Corrin, who seemed crestfallen that Wyn had picked the cooler treasure.

To his left though, Ven read the note with a serious look. Without a word, he folded and put it back into the box before taking the small leather pouch. He deposited a small, smooth stone with a patterned surface in return, and Wyn followed suit, leaving one of his chocolates behind. He didn’t see if the others left anything, but after enjoying the view from the top for a bit longer, they began their descent.

As they walked back down, the world grew a bit darker as a cloud crept in front of the sun. After listening to Kei complaining for a bit longer, they reached the bottom safely, and she let out a sigh of relief as she laid down on the saddle and relaxed her legs.

Despite that, Wyn noticed the serious expression on Ven’s face hadn’t gone away. The usually carefree captain gazed warily at the horizon.

Corrin too had grown quiet, and though he was sitting on the edge, his sword was out and in his lap. His blue eyes searched the sea in front of them, as if he was trying to see into the realm below its surface.

Something was off.

Wyn felt the weight of the question before he asked it. “What was that note about?”

Ven didn’t look back as he spoke, his voice low and tense. “There is danger ahead. I hope you two are as good as Udyr suggested.”

Wyn’s hand drifted to his waist where his sword hung from his belt. “What’s out there?”