Chapter 59: The Proof of Her Love

“Wait, so when it rains, everything gets wet?” Indolyn asked, still studying the painting.

“Well, everything that’s outside,” I answered. “Unless it’s under something, like a roof or a tree.”

“A tree?” Splendith asked. “But wouldn't the water fall through the leaves? You said there are gaps between them.”

“Some of it does. But most of the water lands on the leaves first, then drips off the sides. You can stay pretty dry under a big enough tree, at least for a while. Though sometimes the tree makes things worse.” I grinned mischievously.

“How?” Indolyn asked.

“Well, all the water that’s been collecting on the leaves falls at once if they get shaken, and you get soaked.” I laughed. “My brother once got an entire branch’s worth dumped on his head.”

Splendith giggled. “And people just stay outside when this happens?”

“Sometimes. If the rain isn’t too heavy, it’s actually pretty nice.”

“Getting wet is nice?”

“Running and playing in the rain can be a lot of fun.” I looked back at the painting. The clouds were arranged in neat white rows above a river that flowed between equally neat trees. “Besides, you don’t have to stay outside. You can go home if you want.”

Indolyn nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose that makes sense. Though it seems rather inconvenient to have water falling wherever it pleases.”

I liked the rain. I liked the sound it made, the smell of the forest afterward, and the way everything seemed a little greener when the clouds finally passed. Even the mud could be fun, though I’d have to use a cast to clean up afterward.

Through Olive’s eyes, Emma had been quiet for a little while, though she hadn’t let go of my hand. I was beginning to wonder if she was thinking about something important when she finally spoke.

“Do you think people are really going to start using the dungeon?” she asked.

“Definitely. Dad said they would.” I gave her hand a little squeeze. “Though I don’t know how I feel about that. The kingdom spent all that time starving it, and now people are going to use it as a shortcut.”

Emma nodded. “Which means starving it won’t work anymore.”

I nodded. “We’ll have a proper dungeon right next to Tillshade.” I frowned. I’d always known the dungeon was there, but at least the kingdom had kept it from developing. “I wonder how long it’ll take.”

“For?”

“For it to become dangerous.” I looked down at our joined hands as we walked. “I wonder when we’ll get the chance to train in it.”

“Why would you?!” She paused, glancing toward me. “Just don’t get trapped inside. Dungeons are dangerous enough without having to worry about running out of magic.”

“That’s what my sword is for,” I told her. I rested a hand on my sword’s hilt, mirroring myself as Lucarion.

She laughed. “I suppose so, but you shouldn’t be in such a hurry to enter the dungeon. Keeping people underground is exactly what they do to prisoners.”

I shuddered. Spending an entire day without sunlight was bad enough. I couldn’t imagine being locked away for months or years, unable to replenish my magic no matter how much I prayed.

“Which makes me wonder why anyone would willingly challenge a dungeon. I understand using one as a shortcut, but actually going inside to fight monsters and complete trials? Why would anyone do that?”

“Well, some people believe that’s how you increase the number of spells you can cast.”

I turned toward her. “Really?”

Emma nodded. “They believe dungeons and trials are challenges Lumisiel allows us to face. If we overcome them, perhaps she’ll reward us with greater magical abilities.”

“Then why doesn’t everyone go into dungeons or on adventures all the time?”

“Not everyone believes that. The Church teaches that prayer and faithfulness to Lumisiel are the proper way to receive her blessings.” Emma paused before continuing. “But the people who believe in trials ask why Lumisiel would allow dungeons to exist if we weren’t meant to challenge them.”

I considered that. It was a reasonable question, though I wasn’t convinced. Lumisiel allowed plenty of dangerous things to exist. That didn’t mean she expected us to go looking for trouble.

“Maybe they're supposed to teach us something,” I suggested.

“Perhaps. But the Church believes we should seek Lumisiel's favor through devotion, not by deliberately putting ourselves in danger.”

“That sounds more sensible to me.” I was certainly devoted enough. I was the Answer to her problem, after all. I smiled. “Though I wouldn’t complain if Lumisiel decided to give me another cast for all the trouble I’ve already gotten into.”

Emma giggled.

We continued walking, and I glanced toward her again. “Still, if someone told me I could get another spell cast by spending several days fighting monsters, I think I’d rather keep praying.”

“I think I’d prefer that too,” Emma answered, squeezing my hand.

“Good. At least we agree on that.”

She smiled, and we continued the rest of our walk together.

Back in the Void, I continued through the marketplace with Indolyn and Splendith, leaving the painting behind. The passage widened as we walked, opening into another large chamber filled with stalls and people. The walls were painted in different colors, some with elaborate patterns and others with entire scenes stretching across several storefronts. At least these people were trying to make the place look nice.

An imp hurried past carrying a stack of folded fabrics almost twice its height. Farther ahead, two Eclipserans were arguing over how much of a demon’s time a set of decorative panels was worth. The merchant insisted the work had taken considerably longer than the customer claimed it should have. I wasn’t sure how either of them could tell, considering neither appeared to have made the panels themselves.

Splendith kept pointing out interesting stalls as we passed, occasionally slowing to inspect something before remembering she was supposed to be accompanying me. Indolyn seemed content to walk beside us, though she was paying considerably more attention to our surroundings than I was. Flicker followed close behind, his footsteps quiet against the polished stone. I was very glad of his presence; he made me feel even safer than my sword.

“Do you have markets like this on Earth?” Splendith asked, gesturing around us. “I mean, obviously you must have places to exchange goods, but I was wondering if they’re arranged the same way. Do people gather in one place, or do they travel between homes? And are there merchants who specialize in particular goods, or does everyone simply make whatever they need?”

“We have markets,” I answered cautiously. “In Till... where I live, we have a general store, and sometimes merchants come through with things we can’t make ourselves. But most people have their own jobs. We have farmers, carpenters, weavers, blacksmiths, and lots of others.”

“And people really do all those things themselves?” Indolyn asked.

“Of course. Well, sometimes we use beasts, but mostly as mounts or for things they produce. Most of the work is done by us.” I looked toward the imp struggling with its fabrics. It had stopped to adjust the pile before continuing on its way.

Indolyn glanced down at my hands. She had already noticed the calluses earlier, so I wasn’t surprised when her eyes lingered there for a moment.

We passed another stall, this one displaying small painted decorations. Some had patterns I recognized from the murals, while others were entirely unfamiliar. I stopped for a moment to examine one depicting a forest. The trees were arranged in straight lines, their branches spreading outward at almost identical angles. It looked more like someone had planted a garden than a forest, but the colors were pleasant enough.

“Do you have places like this back home?” Splendith asked, following my gaze.

“Forests? Lots of them,” I answered absentmindedly.

I looked up at the painted ceiling. It was a nice blue, but nothing like the real thing. There were no clouds drifting across it, no wind moving through the branches, and no sunlight warming my face. The lamps hanging overhead illuminated everything evenly, without the gradual changes I was used to throughout the day.

“Do the lights ever change?” I asked.

Splendith looked up. “Change?”

“Like, do they get brighter or darker depending on the time?”

“Why would they?” Splendith asked.

“I was just wondering how you know when it’s night here.”

“Night? What’s that?”

They didn’t know what night was? What would it be like living somewhere without nighttime? The halls were always bright, but outside them there was only blackness, a sky without stars.

“Then how do you know when to sleep?” I asked.

“When we’re tired,” Indolyn answered.

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Of course. They had no reason to wait for nighttime if there wasn’t any night. Still, it felt strange imagining a world where everyone simply decided when to sleep without the sun.

“The sun... You don’t...” I whispered. “Where I’m from, the sun rises in the morning and sets in the evening,” I explained. “So most people sleep at night and wake up during the day.”

“The big light in the sky tells you when to sleep?” Splendith asked.

“Your people let the sky tell you what to do?” Indolyn asked.

“Not exactly. It’s just better to be awake when there’s light.”

Indolyn tilted her head. “And the sun is responsible for the light outside?”

“Most of it, yeah.”

“What does ‘sets’ mean?” Splendith asked.

“The sun goes down, and it gets dark. That’s when you can see the stars better.”

Splendith looked delighted. “Oh! So the sky changes its decorations?”

“I guess you could say that.”

We continued walking, but I found myself thinking about her question. The sun was Lumisiel’s light upon our world, the proof of her love. Even the simple pleasure of sitting outside and feeling the warmth against my skin was something I’d always taken for granted.

I remembered the days after the knights arrived in Tillshade, when I wasn’t allowed to leave the village. I’d hated being restricted, especially when I knew the forest was right there, waiting for me. I couldn’t visit Arbolive whenever I wanted, couldn’t wander through the trees, and couldn’t spend my afternoons doing whatever I pleased. It had felt terribly unfair.

But even then, I could go outside. I could sit in the square, walk beneath the open sky, and feel sunlight against my face. Nobody had even considered taking that away from me.

Yet Indolyn and Splendith had never seen it at all.

I glanced toward them. Splendith was explaining something about the painted ceiling, waving her hands as she spoke, while Indolyn listened with a faintly bored expression. Neither seemed bothered by the absence of sunlight. Why would they be? They’d never known anything different.

I wondered what they would think if I could take them to Tillshade for just one afternoon. Would they enjoy walking through the forest? Splendith would spend the entire time asking questions, and Indolyn would likely pretend she wasn’t impressed while secretly examining everything.

I smiled at the thought, but it didn't last.

They couldn’t simply visit Tillshade while the war continued. I knew what would happen if someone like them walked through the village gates, just as I knew what would happen if I did.

“Are you alright?” Indolyn asked.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” I realized I’d been staring and quickly looked away. “I was just thinking.”

“About the sun?”

I nodded.

She followed my gaze toward the ceiling. “You speak of it rather fondly.”

“It’s everything,” I answered. Then, after a moment, I added, “Really nice.”

“I’m sorry,” Indolyn said with a frown, “but you’ll see it again once the war resumes.”

Splendith smiled. “Well, maybe once we win, we’ll be able to see it ourselves, stand under trees getting soaked, and feel the sun’s light.”

“Maybe,” I said.