The Green-Glow Gems [quaggan]

[SkyBlade]

It was when he saw Ignacio nearly falling into the chasm that Xhad realised he ought to have been much more attentive and should have spent more time on crafting a plan... or at least a clearer warning before his pulsating energy urged him to make his next move would have sufficed better the situation. He would have been ready to bring Ignacio back with a gentle blow of wind, had there been a need.

The eyes of Alvaro soon chilled Xhad as it was certain his strategical mind came up with a solution.
The plan was, indeed, one of success and he could not help but smile while sensing the taste of possible glory as he saw Ignacio reaching the head of the monster. His refusal to end the stab was another proof of his determination and of the strength he had poured into that one strike. Even though he was finally shaken off, it did not matter. Xhad took care of his landing, and the beast finally returned into the chasm. A very abrupt and suspicious move, indeed.
The clouds began to return to normal, the uplifting weather's return cheering Xhad's soul.

"Hmmm..." he began, embracing his thoughtfulness - which was dressed in a quiet tone - yet again. "The serpent was not, indeed, vanquished. But perhaps it did not have to be. Just think for a second." he turned to Alvaro, as he knew he would have been the perfect man to talk to about a situation like this, as he clearly was the most objective, rational and down to earth.
"The habits of this creature... it was hesitant when trying to attack; slaying could not have been its scope... the attacks were scarce, as if he tried to... keep us alive - for a certain purpose. It did seem rather curious and willing to see what we would come up with. And the way it left us the moment that firm blow was executed... it was as if the beast waited for our actions, trying to test us!"

Xhad stepped to the very edge of the chasm, kneeling down, watching very carefully the pit for a while. The mist was back, the river was still, no sound came from there. He nearly entered yet another state of trance as he was reflecting on the possible return of the foe. He managed to come back to the physical world with a jerky eye-widening and a sudden twitch, though.

"Even if it will return, peradventure we should take advantage of the time we still have, however risky this may sound... or is there anything else to do, commander?" he turned to Alvaro with a light smile.

After listening to the leader, Xhad rose, giving out a quiet sigh. He walked up to Ignacio, taking the courage to reveal his whole face by getting rid of the hood for a while, as, he felt, what followed should be more personal.
He knew not everything he tried worked and sometimes he even complicated things, and it was clear this would not ameliorate his relationship with the soldier.

"Ignacio, I feel the need - though I know words are but superficial means of communication that may easily be altered - to apologise for the hastiness and inconsiderate actions of mine... I think I owe them to you as well, commander. The cloud idea was more effective in my mind, and it seems I ought to have been more thoughtful about certain decisions. Likewise, you managed to come up with a swift solution, a deed worthy of a leader, and that is what matters in the end."

He stood for a second silently, looking at the direction of the opposite side.
"I think there ought to be a fast solution to cross this chasm, though... I do not think I am able enough to create a bridge out of energy this long, but perhaps a few small hurricanes could propel us to the other side. Worry not, I may enter in a superficial trance where I can feel the speed and moves of the winds, so that I shall know precisely when to toss thee into the next one, without unnecessary adjournment. I shall also try to create a slower hurricane... well, as slow as one can be, while it still retaining the power to throw us forward. That way, you will - most likely - keep your midday meal inside of your stomach." he silently chuckled to himself, trying to cheer the atmosphere up after such a serious encounter. "So... what do you think?"

It surely seemed a peculiar and audacious plan, even to him to a certain extent, and he imagined how the squad could have received it.

"Just let me demonstrate it... it would be something like this." he said, trying to break the awkwardness. He quickly conjured a row of three hurricanes above the abyss, and looked for a larger stone. There were only little rocks here and there, and the nearest boulder was at quite a distance. He sent a wave of wind, raised it up and flung it into the first hurricane. The stone spinned for but half a second maybe, and as Xhad felt the time was ripe and the stone was in the angle facing the other hurricane, he instantly snapped his finger, stopping the first one. The boulder was hurled forwards, and in the blink of an eye, the second wind-swirl was stopped as well, letting the stone further progress. The same was done with the third, until the rock safely landed on the grassy ground of the other side.

"Do not worry... even if - by chance - you will fall, though I highly doubt this, I shall bring you back to this side or - if closer to it - push you to the opposite."

[quaggan]

 Alvaro nodded at Xhad's assessment of the serpent. It was no ordinary beast, and its behaviour was unusual as well. Perhaps a spirit testing those who would seek the treasure. Still, he remembered that while the creature moved very quick in combat, it rose from the chasm rather slowly. Maybe it was adrenaline or some other fighting spirit his cousin was studying.

"Our new friend is right" he spoke. "We can't do much else but move forward. You've seen how fast and big this serpent was - if it wanted to attack us again, I don't think us being on the ground would help. I think we should press on."

But they should tend to the wounded first. He didn't even need to shout orders - Tristan was already working on binding Hector's injury. Eladio looked shaken, but functioning. "Did you get hurt?" Alvaro called.

"Damn thing broke my sword arm" the boy grumbled.

That would be a problem. Even an experienced soldier would struggle with his dominant arm out of commission, and Eladio wasn't one. Alvaro looked back at Hector. Tristan caught his eye and shook his head. They were already two men down - and this was just the beginning.

"Quinto" he called. "When Tristan is done, take Hector and Eladio to the cave where we made camp last night. No complaining!" The forest was full of valiant beasts that would hinder their passage, and sending two injured men alone would be sending them to their deaths. They weren't meant to fight anyway, but hopefully Quinto's presence would help them get out of fights.

Their expressions weren't pleased, but they didn't question his judgement. Hector muttered something about his breath, but seemed to resign himself to obedience - he was too experienced to disobey his commander, and too old to argue that he could still fight. Quinto didn't appear to be too happy with being assigned the mission of looking after the wounded, but held his tongue. And while Eladio was new and therefore most likely to dispute given orders, his injury was most severe and his body most in need of rest.

Meanwhile, Ignacio was faced with yet another challenge to overcome: Xhad being far too polite than he deserved. The soldier coughed and looked to Alvaro.

"Well, Ignacio, I can't say I have high hopes for your political career if you can't even deal with a single person asking you to behave" the commander sighed theatrically.

"Hey!" the soldier called, sounding insulted. "I- well, uh... no harm done, so we can put it behind us. I hope."

Hector sighed, shaking his head. "Commander, if I were you, I would demand payment from Ignacio's family for mothering him."

With those problems solved, all that remained was to find their way across. Alvaro listened to Xhad's proposition, leaning against his spear. It sounded strange and risky, but it was also the only method they could really use. It was too far for them to try getting a rope across - Hector was the only one who could even hope to make such a shot, and he was injured.

"That's-" Ignacio bit his complaint back, remembering that he was supposed to have put his problems behind him. "I mean, have you done it before? Would it work?"

[SkyBlade]

Saddening it was to see two men already down, yet a thin ray of light pierced the negativity around seeing Tristan's instant attempts to help. He did not even need orders...
Hearing how Eladio actually broke his arm was another hard hit, though. If only Xhad could have come up with the shield idea faster!... it was only futile regrets, however.

The worst part was when Xhadaronn learnt how Eladio - the one rather adorable - and Hector - the wielder of the experience specific to a lifelong soldier - had to abandon the mission. It had a rather negative impact on him, even though he had only met them not long ago. He was wise enough, though, to refrain from complaining or speak any words he would know even before uttering that are vain and fatuous - this was a serious matter and one even demanding objectivity! He just hoped they would be all right... but they are soldiers! They must have survived things far worse than that... well, Eladio assuredly would survive thing far worse than that.

"Safe journey, friends! I shall miss the old stories, together with witnessing the reality and perspective of a freshest soldier's mind!" he said, waving slowly while smiling warmly.

Ignacio was clearly not pleased with the presence of Xhad, but you cannot expect everyone to be fond of you, he thought. Xhad would naturally try not to push or force his relationships with others, but preserve his normal reactions. Having someone being mean to him would not be a reason to be mean back - his logic whispered.
He decided to leave the hate and spite the way it was though refusing to let it impact him, yet keep his usual manner of treating others, regardless of how others treat him. Wherefore, Xhad was pleased to just listen with his calm and neutral look to the words of the soldier.

"Well, I have tried it before, even though it was not a thousand times. It worked perfectly back then, thus I could imagine it not failing this time either..." he responded. Then, without hesitation, did a swift gesture with his arm and spawned a new set of hurricanes.

"Who knoweth... maybe ye will, in the end, enjoy it." he smiled.

"Well then... who ought to be the first?"

Xhadaronn waited for Alvaro to run towards the first swirl, contributing to the speed of the jump with a blow of wind.

Yes!

He landed right into the first hurricane.

There was no time for cheering, though: it was human beings he had to carry on this occasion, not a rock! As the best moment arrived, the first hurricane dissipated. Alvaro reached the second swirl which, in a split second, scattered, letting him to fall into the final hurricane which in turn cast him to the chasm's end.

One down, two to go!

After Ignacio and Tristan could feel once again the firmness and safety of the soil, all Xhad had to do was repeat the process, this time with himself.
Devoid of suspicions and looking forward to enjoy the winds, he quickly conjured a new row.

"Woaah!" he exclaimed as he reached the earth, followed by a laughter.

"See? It was not a plan so nefarious, after all!" he said, putting the hood, which fell while above the chasm, back on his head. Xhad was aware that something like this must have been quite a shock for them, therefore a rather joking tone could be heard in his words. "Or, well... at least we are on the other side now."

"I--it ought to be better if we waited a little before moving on..." he said, this time serious, seeing the dizziness of the soldiers.

[quaggan]

 That was... quite an experience.

As soon as he recovered enough of his senses to get up and look around, he turned his attention to his fellow soldiers. Most of them were snuggling tenderly to the ground, muttering a variety of curses, prayers and rants about how they would rather stay on this side of the chasm rather than take the hurricane road again.

As unpleasant as being tossed by the whirlwind was, Alvaro was glad to have had this option open to begin with. Had spirits not set the wind-calling eccentric upon their path, they would have to waste time searching for another way across, or perhaps even leave with nothing. One uncomfortable ride was worth its cost - if that was what they had to do to continue their mission, he would be willing to let the gusts toss him around all day.

The other soldiers were still dizzy, so the commander walked up to Xhad, who didn't look as shaken as the rest. Perhaps he was more used to this way of transportation. "Good job" he commented. He knew as much about magic as he did about the weather of Yoreiqi isles, so he couldn't judge if the feat the stranger just performed was exceptionally difficult or noteworthy - but it helped, and that was all that mattered.

He noticed that Xhad looked a bit down, ever since the injured group left. Did he feel guilty about not being able to protect them? They lived, and the other soldiers managed to avoid sharing their fate, thanks to the wind armour he provided. Technically, the stranger wasn't one of the soldiers under Alvaro's command, but he was still an ally - temporary though he may be - and any drop in his morale was of concern to the Adelan.

[SkyBlade]

"Err... who knoweth? Perchance we shall find a different road for returning once we finish the quest." Xhad said, genuinely hoping that was the case, seeing and hearing the reaction of the soldiers.

"Thank you. Glad to be of help." he responded. "Hey, Eladio, what does the map tell us about-- oh, wait..." he stopped, looking around.

"Umm... who owns the map now? All that I know is that our next destination is a sort of unstable bridge with some very vaguely described creatures guarding it."

[quaggan]

 Tristan wordlessly handed Alvaro the map he got from Eladio, giving up any responsibility of reading it. Apparently he fulfilled his speaking quota for the day and had no intention of going above it. The commander unfolded it, frowning. He wasn't illiterate, not by any means, but the recruit scribbled some notes on it for his personal use, and his handwriting was far from legible.

"Wait" he realized. "This isn't the map we were given. It's not military issue."

Ignacio nodded, as if it was obvious. "Eladio's a good replacement for Valerio and his tendency to lose equipment to games of chance."

"Are you saying Eladio bet the map given to us by our lord, for this mission only, and lost?"

"Oh, quite the opposite. I've been to... well, I can't tell you where, so let's just call it a gambling den" Ignacio explained. "Trust me, I'd know if Eladio was there. I don't know how he lost our map, but hey, he acquired a replacement for us, so no harm done?"

Alvaro handed the map off. Unlike Ignacio, he did think that soldiers gambling their equipment away did no harm, but if the eloquent warrior could read it, he wouldn't lower the morale by playing the part of a rule-abiding grump.

For once, Ignacio had nothing to say. He carefully examined the map, his expression turning sour with every scribble he failed to decipher. Tristan rolled his eyes, folding his arms. Alvaro was about to take it back, when the soldier offered the map to Xhad. "What about you?" he asked. "You're a traveler... explorer... person who wanders into dangerous places in seach for adventure and shiny things!"

[SkyBlade]

"A most enigmatic one..." Xhad thought to himself, as he yet again saw how silently Tristan payed attention to Alvaro's orders, almost never uttering a single word.

"Well, it is good to know a little about this teammate of yours which, unfortunately, had to be replaced!"

Xhad waited curiously for Alvaro's and then Ignacio's comments. Notwithstanding it might have become a frustrating matter, losing the map did not exactly worry Xhad. Though certainly more confusing, the quest could not have been impossible it.
He did not even know a map could be made of their whole journey in the first place, he just tried to follow the indications of what he had found and what he could find.

"Well, I suppose I may try... I hope time is an enemy not of thy journey, for there are times like this where we could get stuck, especially if instructions become scarce." he said to the team, seeing Ignacio handing the map to him.

His expression changed from frowning to eye-widening to calm, studious looks for about half a minute.

"I... think I may have a vague idea about the beginning, but the rest is clouded to me. I ought not to make assumptions about what I know not for sure. Thus, all I can say is that nearby we should reach a place called 'The Glade of Wraiths'. Strangely, it is not even a glade, but a large number of statues lost in the greenness of the forest, said to represent certain spirits... commander, I hope you or ye will find out the rest." he said, handing the map back to Alvaro.

"North is a too general direction, but if the map is impossible to decipher we ought to stick to what we soothly know about the course of our path..."

[quaggan]

 Ignacio laughed at Xhad's comment. "Now this is an attitude I wish more people shared! It was definitely fun finding this about Eladio - although I wish I could know more, his tells..."

"Focus" Alvaro commanded. Perhaps he should have sent Ignacio with the wounded - Hector seemed to be immune to being talked to death, and maybe could even match the other soldier word for word.

At least Xhad could keep his mind on the task. Three capable Adelan soldiers, and a foreigner was putting them to shame. Alvaro approached and looked at the map, trying to match the wizard's words to the parchment.

He frowned at Xhad's words - he really didn't want to disturb the spirits. Especially since now they were down a few men and probably couldn't fight. Not to mention that there still could be more trials ahead, and they should conserve their strength.

"Can you scout ahead for those spirits?" Ignacio asked. "If you can sense through air currents-"

"That's assuming a spirit can be felt through air" Alvaro countered. "I don't think this would work. But we should go."

[SkyBlade]

"Yes, he is right, we ought not to go astray!" he responded to Alvaro's words.

"Indeed... though I presume I ought to be able to see the spirits, maybe contact them if necessary... but I am not Adelan, I might rather ruin things. If we are lucky we shall be able to round the place and shall need not to meet these spirits." he responded both to Ignacio and the leader.

He joined the now marching squad, a wave of joy and serenity hitting him when they reentered the woods. Minutes passed and the only events occurring were the potential enjoyment of the place and the tension that was in the air, as one could never know what would lurk under the umbrella of the trees.

"So, Tristan! How old art thou, in fact? Has it been a long time since you've joined the military?" he asked, walking next to him. He was quite curious about the silent fellow, his shy attitude being obvious. He wouldn't push if not appropriate, but an attempt to know him better could not hurt.

Yet another while passed and dark silhouettes began to emerge amidst the trees, yet still not distinguishable. A very soft and faint tribal drumming could be heard in the distance.

"I-I think that is it... 'The Glade of Wraiths'." he began. "Vegetation seems to be more copious around the statues and maybe it would be best to force ourselves and take one of those paths, rather than pushing through the statues." he suggested. They looked quite strange, or at least to a non-Adelan, perhaps... but strange to Xhad often meant interesting, and he could not help but study them from that distance. It surely was an exotic site and his sensitiveness to magic did its job.

He began going to the left, trying to avoid the plants as much as it was possible when stepping - but the problem was, it was not possible. He sometimes needed a blade or a gentle blow of wind or a simple push with his hand or leg.
He wanted to try the route, and it looked not that bad after all, just a little less pleasant because of the unfree steps and occasional spiky bushes. As he got fairly distanced form the "Glade" he was more relieved, for the plan seemed to work.

After about maybe a minute or so, though, Xhad felt a tickling in his palm - his tattoo glowing a little brighter - and a light shiver.
"This blow of wind came not from me!" he said, upon realising how sudden and odd was the nature of the breeze.

It was as if a new presence was just a few bushes away. Maybe it was partially hiding. Maybe it did not want to show itself yet. Maybe it was a superior entity, not even Xhad's spectre sight being able to spot it, and he was partly a spirit! Who knew for sure? What was certain is that the presence was rather milder and not revealed entirely.
Yet this feeling of a certain someone being about, beside the soldiers, was strong and constant, and Xhad usually listened to his senses.

He could not be sure, but decided to stop and do what he thought would be best to do.
"If ye are a higher entity, then ye must know we have come not with malevolent and nefarious intentions! I personally am not part of your people, so I trust that your benevolence may bloom into understanding towards any fatuous mistake I might make..." - Arrgh! It was probably not the best idea saying you're not the follower of a spirit, but he hoped it could excuse certain idiotical things if they happened...

"The last scope we pursue is the wrath, unrest and disturbance of ye and, as you may see, we have decided to follow a different path, for to try to avoid being the murderers of your rest! I hope ye may accept our sudden intrusion as but an unfortunate and unforeseen incident, and not as a deliberate act of brutality." he continued, then folded his hands for a deep bow.
The state he was in, trying to contact a spirit, was rather bizarre and what he saw and heard was still the real world, yet it looked as if... the colours around where somehow shifting between brighter and darker shades. The sounds were also clearer. Not louder, but just clearer.

As he finished, he could suddenly feel yet another gentle blow and the sudden hooting of an owl. Was that a coincidence?

Unlikely. Owls are creatures of the night and the appearance under those circumstances was rather suspicious. Xhad took it as a peaceful sign; something told him it probably was...

"I think this ought to be a yes!" he said, turning to Alvaro with a smile, returning from his trance. He could then breath easily again, and went on the annoying path on which plants had overgrown.

"Curious I am of our next destination. The map is still a mystery, isn't it?" he continued, looking at the Adelans.

[quaggan]

 They were walking in a comfortable silence. With Hector away and Ignacio blissfully quiet, Alvaro could focus on the sounds of the forest, and keep his vigilance. With their numbers reduced, they should be even more careful - and they definitely shouldn't disturb the spirits. Perhaps the best solution would be to take a long way around.

Xhad was verbally poking Tristan. He would probably either get polite silence in return, depending on how insistent he was. Alvaro was tempted to turn around and see if the silent soldier just counted the number off on his fingers, but he would rather not leave the attention duty to Ignacio. Unless the spirits liked to assume forms of beautiful women, it was unlikely that he would have noticed.

Something was happening. The movement wasn't ferocious enough to be animal or erratic enough to be wind. And the sound was rhythmic and regular enough to be a deliberate movement rather than an accident. Xhad's words soon confirmed his suspicions. Alvaro didn't bark at him to keep quiet - his observations were useful, and he probably was capable of filling the role of a scout quite well.

Quietly, they continued forward. To his surprise, Xhad was the first to encounter any sort of spirits. Alvaro quashed the feeling of jealousy - it wasn't exactly rational, and attention of a spirit could only cause them trouble. There was no point of playing the jilted lover, or being uncomfortable about the spirits having chosen a foreigner to contact, so he wouldn't.

He gestured at Ignacio and Tristan to be ready to draw their weapons. He wouldn't just charge in blindly, but he wanted them to be prepared for a fight. Fortunately, as surprising as it was, no fight came. The spirits just wanted to be left to... whatever was going on. But perhaps he shouldn't be so shocked - it was arrogant to think that the spirits of the wood had nothing better to do than engage with humans who passed by.

"Good work" he commented. He couldn't tell if Xhad's words were responsible for calming the spirit, or if it was too absorbed in whatever it was to attack them anyway, but it was important to keep everyone's morale up and make it known that their contributions were valued - even if he lacked knowledge to properly identify the nature of this contribution.

"I wish it weren't" Ignacio groaned, responding to Xhad's question about the map. "What about this rhymed riddle that brought you here? Any directions hidden in the iambic pentagram or something?"

[SkyBlade]

With the luck of a surprising escape from the spirits, they were left to think of their precise way forwards.
"Hmm... it told of the challenges, rather than the coordinates themselves. North is the sole direction I know for sure, but--" he stopped, hearing the seemingly distant murmur of a river.

He dashed forwards and very soon could spot the source of the sounds. This time, it was not the chasm that was the problem. The small pit in which the river was running was just about two or three metres deep. It was the rushing force of the water and the ancient-looking wooden bridge that seemed to be the obstacles.

"The bridge of illusions... where eyes may see wood, there might be hollow--of course!" he exclaimed.

He quickly took a stone and threw it on the bridge. Nothing happened. It stayed there, sustained by the wood. He repeated the action. Yet again, nothing happened. A few seconds only had to pass, though, and the second rock fell together with a now broken slab. This broken section of the wood soon regenerated. Xhad threw another stone on the very same slab, but this time, it sustained it.

"Unforeseeable, of course. Anytime a fragment of the bridge breaks, it reappears... yet one can know not whether it is going to be a strong or weak section..." he sat there then, contemplating for a few seconds.

"Though a very wide river, it is not as great as the serpent's chasm. Perchance a layer of energy overlapping the bridge might ensure safety; though the only condition might be that we do not step on it at once, but individually. And these little creatures around? Well, we have kept avoiding annoying forest-bugs all day in these woods, thus..." he said, referring to the small yet incredibly numerous insects that were flying around the bridge. The strange thing about them was how these creatures were burning constantly, yet the life in them was untouched by the devastating flames. They were organised in a swarm, but were flying around smoothly and silently.

Not expecting anything worse than a few ant-like bites, Xhad relaxedly stepped on the bridge after he had generated the green energy layer.

Of course, it was rather a shock seeing how the angry fire around the insects was much more pronounced and ferocious when so close. Xhad started running forwards when things did not seem as simple as he had thought, trying to avoid the burns by frantically moving his hands around. His clothes already had small holes in them and little persistent flames on his cloak were starting to be present.

He instinctively created yet another wind shield around himself while dashing backwards, but the wind obviously was feeding the bugs' fire, increasing their power subsequently. Thus, it took them a short period of time to heavily damage and deteriorate the wind-sphere.

"Woah!!" Xhad reached the end of the bridge - where the others were - with a jump, landing on the earth with a sliding movement, while quickly hurling a wave of air towards the burning creatures in an attempt to push them back. They were, indeed, pressed towards the bridge but with their fire temporarily fiercer.

Xhad then quickly sent a swift breeze towards the river and used it to throw some water on himself, extinguishing the fire on his cloak. With a warm zephyr, he managed to also dry them.

He then took a moment to breath normally, then got up and closed his eyes. With every heavy breath he took, the holes on his clothes were shrinking. Eventually, both his elk-skin clothing and cloak returned to normal.

"Very well... peradventure they are not as harmless and mild as I thought." he said, after a chuckle.

"Adelans, eh? Perhaps ye would do better against troubles like this. What I could - yet again - do, is to boost the protection of thy shields with a coating of wind, or something of that sort... I know not for sure."

[quaggan]

 Alvaro smothered a curse when Xhad just sprinted forward with no regard for caution or any danger that might be ahead. As useful as his unique skill set might be, there was always this additional annoyance of dealing with civilians outside his command. "Watch out!" Ignacio called, jogging after him. "Do you want something to ambush you again?"

The commander hurried after them, only to have his fears proven wrong. Rather than immediately stepping onto the bridge that would probably either give way under his weight, the stranger took the precaution of actually testing it first. Was he suspicious of traps? Such a small rock was not suitable for weight testing, but perhaps could set off something prepared to hinder their progress.

"Ugh" Ignacio sighed, staring at the unreliable bridge. "I'm starting to hate this assignment. Can we just go back and tell the lord to send his wizard sister instead?"

"Tristan, take out your rope" Alvaro commanded. The medic nodded and began to rummage through his backpack. The commander was about to explain his idea when Xhad suggested an energy bridge. That would be more useful, so he just shook his head. The other soldier slowly started to pack without a word.

"Want to go first, glorious leader?" Ignacio suggested. "I mean, you're the heaviest one out of us."

"And if I fall to my death, you take over command. I see where you're going with it."

The soldier shamelessly shrugged. "Just as I planned."

Tristan tapped him on the shoulder, pointing at the chasm. Xhad was already putting his plan into motion, carefully making his way across on what looked like glowing light. Ignacio crossed his arms, clenching his jaw rather than ask if he was about to betray them and deactivate the bridge as soon as he was on the other side, but he probably thought better.

"Watch out!" he suddenly shouted. Alvaro's hand went to his spear as he squinted to see what was it that caught Ignacio's attention. He couldn't see it, not yet, but the sudden change in Xhad's movements told him all he needed to know. His initial disregard for the creatures' presence meant that they didn't appear to be threatening. Of course, that was deceiving - he didn't have to wait long for the whole situation to go completely awry. The wind magic once again couldn't save him - it only made it worse.

The threat was now large enough for him to see, even in broad daylight. They looked like a literal take on the word 'firefly', burning brighter with every gust that fanned the flame. The Adelan soldiers drew their weapons, but there was a shade of uncertainty in their movement. Clearly, they weren't trained to fight enemies so small and agile.

Alvaro wasn't going to let it stop them. "Tristan, your cloak!" he called, reaching for the canteen hanging from his belt. As the medic tore his cape off, the commander threw the water onto it. The soldier tossed the wet fabric onto the advancing firebugs, stalling them for long enough for Xhad to repel them.

"Nice water trick" Ignacio commented, seeing the stranger use some of the river to get the bugs to leave him alone. "Think you can make a wave to drown those annoyances?"

"Maradona's answer, Ignacio" Alvaro reminded him. It was a rule of common sense: if he could have done that, he would have done so without the need of external input.

"Well, what are we going to do then?" the soldier sighed. "We're fighters, not bug catchers. And we don't have enough people to make a shield wall."

"I don't think Xhad's bridge could take the weight of a full squad anyway" Alvaro pointed out.

[SkyBlade]

"M-maybe a rope would suit our situation better and grant us insurance, but we need not forget about escaping the glow of these flies, first of all..." he stated, remembering Tristan unpacking before he dashed for the bridge. "I highly doubt an attempt to cross this river even far away from this bridge, where the bugs are present not, would not end in us being chased, anyway."

"And possibly the knots of mistrust could loosen if, this time, we switched roles and I let the job of crossing to ye." he continued, looking at Ignacio with half a smile. He tried his best to avoid people believe reproof was in his voice and rather make his statement in the form of a friendly nudge towards trust.

"As for Maradona's answer..." he began, looking down to the water hurrying ferociously. "I see thou knowest me not fully. Thoughts are my home, though the desire for action may toss me into the murky shadows of recklessness."

He then turned to Ignacio. "I shan't possess the mastery and accuracy of a mind taught in the art of hydrokinesis, but perchance currents will pacify our small friends, indeed." having told this, he raised a wave of water with the pulling force of the gusts, mixed with the aid of his minor, amateur telekinesis abilities.

He tried to cast it towards the ablaze insects and managed to create a tunnel-like hollow within the swarm, as the bright glow of some bugs turned into the dullest shades of black and grey, eventually the creatures collapsing onto the bridge.

The rest of the insects sharply made a quick movement, at first glance letting one to believe they would charge. Instead, all they did was fly away into the direction of the river with formidable velocity, nobody knowing exactly whither - an act quite familiar to Xhad.

"Huh!..." he exclaimed in a relieved but bewildered manner. "Does this remind you of another creature's deeds? Perhaps this was just another trial... if one were precise enough or managed to harm these annoyances in any way, passing would be granted. I'd say all we need to do is to finally cross the noisy and clamorous snake..." he assessed, referring to the river.

Albeit it seemed odd for one to use a trial of fire in the midst of a region traveled by water, perhaps the lack of magic use in Adela was the logic on which things relied...

[quaggan]

 Tristan's expression was thoughtful. Alvaro wondered whether he'd go over his word limit for the day, or decide to keep silent and leave his thoughts unvoiced. It was a bit troublesome, with Ignacio's wild fantasies and Xhad's... eccentricity, they really needed some grounding influence - and Tristan was the only one remaining.

"Are you worried about our ability to continue?" he guessed. It wasn't hard to figure out - their numbers were decreased, and so far, the guardians of the gems were quite a challenge to overcome. The wind serpent could have easily destroyed them all, and the bugs were something they weren't equipped to fight, either.

Tristan nods and folds his arms. Of course, Ignacio doesn't miss this chance to comment. "What? We can't give up now! We've come so far!"

"Are you familiar with sunk cost fallacy, Ignacio?" Alvaro asks. A bit of a rhetorical question - the other soldier has always been very proud of his education and lorded it over the rest at every opportunity. Perhaps it was for the best that Tristan rarely spoke - they would never get anything done if those two got into dick measuring trivia contests.

Ignacio folded his arms, taking on a defensive stance. "I am familiar enough to recognize that it doesn't apply! What's gotten into you- sir. I thought you'd be the one pushing us forward, insisting that we cannot turn back. Do you really want to tell our lord that we just dropped the mission after the first two trials?"

"Your inner politician is showing, Ignacio" Alvaro warned him. He looked back at Tristan, who was putting on his best 'I'm not going to be your tie-breaker' expression. They really needed Hector.

But he was right. They couldn't stop now. Reflexively, he looked up at the sky, just to search for more threats that could be coming. It was something their trainers actually had to point out to them - people were not used to looking up, and it was a possible avenue for enemies to exploit.

He didn't see anything out of ordinary, just a few birds - and the darkening tinge to the sky. "We should make camp for the night" he decided. "Going forward when it's dark would be suicide."

At least Ignacio didn't argue with that. He nodded and went over to poke Xhad. "Do you think you can use your winds to scout ahead, find a good place to stay for the night?"

[SkyBlade]

Though possessing such a serious personality, it was the second time Xhad could see Alvaro being hesitant about the mission. The quest was unquestionably challenging, but why would he loose confidence like that?

He was the leader of the soldiers though, and the last thing Xhad wanted was to jabber and insist about not having to retreat: maybe he would fall into yet another trap of his carelessness, not realising the situation's true gravity.

Nevertheless, his desire for perseveration triumphed, and seeing Ignacio worrying about the same matter seemed not to cause that much trouble anyway.

"I must agree with Ignacio, sir... our journey has been rather tiring! However, I cannot let weariness and beasts of any sort get into our way. I am delighted to remind thee of having in a day overcome already half of our quest." he began watching the sky too, checking for anything that could add to Alvaro's pile of worry. Luckily, there was nothing against peacefulness this time.

The shadow of the night was close, and so he added:

"Indeed. But if I were to guess I would say thou may be in need of rest. Thou shall see the contrast between the glow of fire and the blackening of night; and thus shall remember hope. Perchance a discussion with us will bring the joyous atmosphere back, together with the sleep amidst the songs of crickets..."

Then, turning to Ignacio, he affirmed with confidence:

"Soothly that is possible!" he then proceeded to look at Tristan. "Though, as ye have said, I presume the rope would be a safer crossing."

He then waited for him to execute the initial plan that Alvaro had told him of when they had first arrived to the river spot. In an instant, he rushed to the other side, hoping to overcome the night in speed, and also that he would not make his allies wait too long.

Even so, he needed to be attentive! Xhad did not forget, therefore, to weave a coat of thoughts this time and return to seriousness. Now he was completely solitary; every corner of the forest seemed to grow darker and more perilous.

He needed a place relatively safe - as safe as the forest could be -, but not too far away... they would not have time for that!

Really another clearing in the woods would have been the best location... a place like that could have been the only spot to ignite some woods anyway. And if they were lucky, this fire could have also kept forest beasts away.

It took him maybe a quarter of an hour at max to find a place like that among the density of the trees.
The opening was still, and though it couldn't exactly banish the skepticism and worry of a vigilant soldier, it may have provided the comfort needed after a stressful day.

Returning was a lot quicker. He could finally put vigilance and excessive attention aside, and put the energy that still remained in him at use!
All he had to care for now was not to get lost, but that ought not to have been such a difficult task. Wherefore, he managed to return in about five minutes...

He accelerated even more when he saw and heard the river.

Xhad genuinely hoped the anxiety in the air was not fueled by dark thoughts in the meantime; or at least that the three managed to calm each other down as much as possible if needed, until they could finally forget about fights and get some sleep.

"Fantastic! I have discovered a glade perfect for campfire! If we hurry a little bit we ought to arrive there before the daughter of crepuscule! Peradventure ten minutes away, it was really the closest opening I was able to find..." he exclaimed these words with so much confidence and energy that they made it clear he could barely wait to begin moving again - even though he had just recovered his breath.

"Let us keep going - we shall find things to discuss even without Hector's stories..." he smiled. "Oooh, and I nearly forgot! What should we eat? But, more importantly, who should be the chef?"

He could not help but continue with: "And I think not we ought to worry too much about firewood. Moderate quantity will be enough; I shall fuel the rage of the flames - ye have just seen me capable of that!" he declared before a jaunty laugh.

[quaggan]

 "Off he goes" Ignacio commented.

Alvaro stared in the distance after Xhad's form, calculating. "We will give him... twenty minutes."

"What will we do if he doesn't come back then?" Ignacio asked.

"You'll see" Alvaro shrugged. Unlike the other soldier, he had full confidence that it wouldn't happen - back when he was peering at the map, he noticed a few interesting places that could turn out to be good camping sites. It shouldn't take Xhad too much time to find and choose some.

Tristan was going through the supplies. He was probably trying to calculate how long could they keep going. Rather than have every team member carry different gear, he asked the quartermaster to divide their equipment into smaller sections so that each soldier would have his small part of the whole. This way, even if one fell or had to stay behind, they wouldn't have to waste any time dividing the supplies.

Xhad returned before his time was up, as cheerful as ever. He didn't seem to be even slightly out of breath - probably another benefit of his air magic. He was already chattering amiably about his discovery and the plans for the evening. Alvaro was getting used to his presence, and called his soldiers to set out immediately.

"I'm sure we can fill the silence somehow" Ignacio grinned.

Before he launched into some tale they would all regret hearing, Alvaro jogged up to Xhad who was already eager to lead them to whatever place he found. "Well, I am certain that you can take Hector's place when it comes to stories. As a traveler and an explorer, I'm sure you have a lot of interesting tales to share."

Ignacio walked up to them, eager to answer the question about the food. "Well, we have rations. Tristan's the only one who can make them taste less like shit - not that we'd know otherwise, he never lets anyone else try cooking. But I wouldn't recommend this to my worst enemy... can we try hunting something instead? We lost Hector with his bow, but can you use your winds to pull some bird out of the sky?"

[SkyBlade]

Xhad looked at Tristan while Ignacio was telling him of his cooking skills. He has now luckily found out more about this silent fellow and his interests! As he heard about a request for hunting, Xhadaronn decided to abandon words and let the gust he flung into the sky do the talking.

He felt bad about the unfortunate bird getting smashed into the tree, but nature always whispers the words "Eat or be eaten". That was simply not a lesson Xhad could ignore...

"Hmm... that ought to be just right! I would normally prefer Iguana meat, but this is not the Kishahn jungle, thus..." he said with a grin, while pulling the now dead bird near him and the squad with a wave of wind.

"And as for stories..." he began. "I think I have told you not about my secondary quest to recover a lost scroll..." he then went on telling as concisely as he could about how a strange man had requested his help in translating certain parchments he had found in the region of Fell; they told about the myth of a long lost civilisation of which people now know little.

"The legend essentially telleth about this creator god called 'Sachakay'. His brother was envious of his reign over the world and thus waged war against him. The younger sibling was ultimately overcome. However, the arrows with which Sachakay was attacked left holes in his armour, creating what we now call the "Stars". The brother's great axe struck mightily as well, penetrating the god's protective covering once again, creating what we now call the "Sun". But this immense weapon bashed twice, and thus at that time there were already two blazing bodies in the sky, burning with equal rage, ready to destroy the whole Le'Raana.

The damage of the second blow was neutralised but - though smaller in size - the hole was much deeper, leaving a scar which we now call the "Moon". The hollow representing the Sun and the Stars remained out of Sachakay's will, in order for the fragments of the god that were not eclipsed by the sky to gift all living beings warmth and light - even to this day." he then slowly finished the story telling how he had oddly lost the scrolls while in a visit to the Yoreiqi isles.

"Worry not, nobody is that careless! I have discovered how the parchments are now in the possession of a Yoreiqi elderly. I only have to gather a few more emeralds to purchase the items from him; there is simply no way around it, for he believeth not that the ancient scrolls belong to me..." as he finished, the glade was maybe only a minute or two away from them, darkness approaching even more.

"Well, I think I ought to make my shelter!" and with a few gestures, he conjured a medium-sized tent. "I love to do this; the energy is transparent, wherefore I can still witness the beauty of nature." Xhad then looked around. "And now, let us start our fire!"

[quaggan]

 "Good job!" Ignacio enthused, hurrying to pick up the fallen bird. "I have to say, you make for a good replacement for Hector! You have your stories, you can shoot things... Do you snore? If you do not, then maybe we can ask the commander for a replacement..."

Tristan silently took the bird from him and began to work. Right, now that their numbers were halved, he was the only one here who didn't come from a noble background. While all soldiers learned plenty of survival skills in the army, handling game was not one of those.

"What about the shooting stars?" Ignacio asked, walking up to Xhad. "How do they fit into the story? Are they like... tears in the divine armour that get bigger over time?"

They reached the site Xhad scouted for them. Tristan began to make a fire immediately. If they wanted to cook a bird, it was better to do it before the night fell - the light could then draw unwanted attention. Alvaro has been picking up some of the twigs that made least smoke as they've been walking, to prepare for it.

"We will probably have to take some of the rations anyway" he pointed out. The bird wasn't large enough to feed three grown soldiers and Xhad. And even if they tried to get more, there were no nests in the vicinity. Perhaps they should have thought of it before, but it would even out. Alvaro wasn't a logistics expert, but he was certain.

Ignacio was spreading his cloak on the ground, frowning. "I hate sleeping on the ground. Do you think the trees are strong enough to support my weight? I could make a hammock then."

Tristan didn't even look up from the fire. Alvaro walked up to one tree and tested it. "Probably. Do you want to trade ants and ground-based bugs for whatever crawls on trees?"

"Ugh!" Ignacio groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "Why oh why couldn't I be born in Thanatos?! This way I could win renown by means other than stomping around jungles and sleeping where no one should!"

"I can't comment - I've never been to Thanatos" Alvaro commented. "What about you, Xhad? Have your travels ever taken you to the islands? Can you tell more about how people would win renown there?"

He let the conversation proceed - it was good to have two talkative people around. He let them chat and headed to Tristan, who was currently roasting the bird over the fire. "Are you at the part where you just need to turn it and all hard work is done?" he asked.

The soldier nodded. Alvaro pressed on. "Would you be willing to delegate this simple work to me? I need you to do something."

Tristan considered in silence, turning the dagger he used for the roast. Finally, he handed it back to his commander, frowning. Perhaps taking on the responsibility of putting his work up to the medic's high standards was not such a good idea, but Alvaro pressed on. "I need you to scout around." Because their numbers were reduced, safety was very important.

The soldier nodded and stood up, heading for the forest. Before he disappeared into the greenery, he turned around and raised his hands, seven fingers up, then ten. Seventy - that probably meant Alvaro had to count to seventy, then stop turning the dagger. He started immediately.

His math was on point. When Alvaro cut the bird into four parts, it was perfectly roasted, without any raw parts inside. He had to use his own knife, as Tristan's was too heated from the fire. Ignacio was lured over by the smell, so the commander set him to cleaning the daggers. The three of them were already finished with their portions when the medic returned.

"Anything I should know about?" Alvaro asked. Tristan shook his head and sat down, picking up his part of the already cold bird. He didn't say a word, but he kept glancing at Xhad. Looked like they were in for a repeat of the situation before the chasm. Should he make a bet with Ignacio?

"Are you okay?" the medic suddenly asked, before anyone else could speak up. His gaze and words were still trained on Xhad. "When I was coming back, I could... see through you."

[SkyBlade]

"Well, I have not exactly heard complaints about me snoring, but I can guarantee anything not!" he said with a chuckle.

"That is truly an interesting question, though I must confess that I could finish not the whole tale before losing the scrolls..."

From time to time, Xhad cast a breeze towards the flames to aid the power of the fire.

"Oh, Thanatos! People there, of course, were very content not to find out I use elemental magic! The islands themselves are worth seeing, yet the constant rain might become annoying. That would be a place not perfect for you to sleep on trees, Ignacio! Creatures like monkeys or lemurs are all around! I have spent much time not, though, for the xenophobia there may not be the most welcoming; I also focused more on mystical sites. Still, I would say the priests, warriors, monks, and the like are the luckiest there!"

He took his cloak off, as the coolness of the night had switched to the warmth of the fireplace. He would only use his cloak as a blanket, if needed.

Alvaro's strength was, of course, mixed with a rather serious behaviour, and Tristan was an enigmatic sort, to say the least. Thus, Xhad was in luck to be with Ignacio for a while, the last of the talkatives.

"Umm... do you think there are any means to contact Hector, Eladio and Quinto? I should be glad to hear from them; peradventure they feel a little better now. I hope they have encountered not a beast of the woods!"

Amongst the words that disappeared between the trees and the gestures that ensured the life of the fire, Xhad occasionally glanced towards Tristan. Alvaro seemed to have a chat with him, but it later turned out to be more. A task: the medic soon disappeared into the darkness.

It was interesting to see that, though food and its preparation were so dear to the silent fellow, he was by no means ruled by stubbornness and pride, not ignoring his commander because of them!

By the time the food was ready, Ignacio clearly signaling this, the medic was back, the leader's words confirming Xhad's presumptions. It was but natural to check for anything suspicious!

Tristan's looks were fixated on him, something he would not have expected. Perhaps the "chef" was ready to slightly push his limits and join the conversation. Maybe it would be just a smalltalk... but no! He seemed to be preoccupied with something.

After taking his first bite, Xhad, along with the others too, most likely, was shocked when he heard Tristan talking! It must have been something big that convinced him to break his seemingly never-ending silence; but he said there was nothing to worry about around...
It seemed a little weird hearing how he suddenly asked about his mood.

"See through you?"

A moment to process was needed, when Xhad's surprise and confusion finally dissipated. His face soon became very calm. Xhad took another bite, while also taking a few glances to see if Ignacio or Alvaro now considered him even weirder than they had before.

"That, my friend, is the manifestation of one of my life's biggest mysteries." he began, after enjoying the bite of meat.

"Ye see, I am not exactly what ye may call 'human'. There is this elderly man, to this day living in La'marri, who may have even surpassed a century of age, whom I greatly and deeply respect. He has taught me many things, except, of course, my precise origins.

All that I know, you understand, is that an unknown part of me belongs not to this world. No, I am not half-demon; I do not even know how much of my blood is spirit's... but that ought to be the explanation of what you have just observed. Thou mayest see through me like thou seest through a 'ghost' or, to give a more casual example, through a dirty window..." he continued, at the end half-smiling.

"And, in the same way, I may see entities which the human eye is normally able not to witness. That, Alvaro, ought to have been the reason one of those spirits in the 'glade' could have heard me. And, to unravel that which is already unraveled, the colour of my eyes is, naturally, another effect of this spectre ancestry of mine..."

He paused. "Naturally, it is easier for me to establish contact with that which is otherworldly and, thus, I would want to say: ye soon ought to do something about your auras! They clearly betray tiredness." he finished, with a soft chuckle.

[quaggan]

 The soldiers listened with rapt attention to Xhad's story. "So you're part spirit?" Ignacio blinked. "Wow. That explains a lot. I always thought that women who claim to have laid with spirits only say it to get out of being accused of cheating... But at least now I have a perfect way to verify their claims: just hold the baby up and check if we can see through it!"

Of course, there were other ramifications than just Ignacio's little idea. Alvaro had to admit, he was feeling better about continuing ahead with Xhad's help. The eccentric has progressed from a 'bizarre, yet capable stranger' to an 'omen of good fortune'. How else were to interpret this? The spirits wouldn't have sent their child if they wanted the squad to fail.

Tristan was silent and gave no indication of his thoughts, but Ignacio made his opinion known - and it appeared he was of the same mind. "Very fortunate! You're like our own good omen!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "So one of your parents is a spirit? Or is it some kind of a further ancestor? We used to have a commander who claimed that his family was descended from the tiger spirit - I always thought that he was just bragging and trying to make up for his lack of... results."

The medic finished his part of the bird and began wrestling with his rations. Now that he got an answer to his question, he had no more reasons to speak up. There was a twinkle of curiosity hidden beneath his usual composure, but he was more than content to leave talking to the talkative.

Animated chatter filled the air, only stopping when Xhad mentioned... that word. Ignacio blinked, unsure of what to say. "Our... ores? Do you mean the metal our weapons and armour are made of? Well, I'm afraid any concerns about their state would have to be brought up with our quartermaster - but I will be sure to let him know that even the child of spirits can tell how... tired his work looks!"