The Green-Glow Gems [quaggan]

[SkyBlade]

Since their numbers had been diminished considerably, there was a sense of unity that Xhad felt floating in the air. He felt grateful to have met a squad with people rather diverse, masters of steel and iron. Beside being part of a team and joining forces against anything that could come their way, loneliness ceased to haunt Xhad's journeys as well. And it seems he was fortunate enough to have had the piece of his story received in a rather positive manner and was glad to be of help to the soldiers.

"I know not whether it is my great-grandmother or father which is somehow a spectre... it could be any of my relatives." he said calmly.

As the discussion progressed, Xhad was approaching the last pieces of the bird, as was Tristan.
He laughed when he heard Ignacio's reaction to auras, looking around to check if the others were as confused about this notion as the soldier was.

"Umm... nevermind. The aura," he began, this time pronouncing the word rather slowly and more clearly. "hath to do with the energy that escorts each one of us and which mayeth betray different moods of an individual."

"And speaking of energy..." he said, looking at Alvaro. "Commander, I am willing not to know if this is a secret too deep and personal, yet there was something that caught my attention from the very first time we met. The symbol in my palm mayeth warn me if magic is around, and I would not have thought it would glow right here, in Adela, the land of fierce warriors rather than arcane-close mages..." he explained, revealing the eye tattoo on his left hand.

"Though there was something rather ominous about this mystical force, as if an occasional eerie yet subtle matter were scattered in the air... thou art, peradventure, the possessor of an exotic artifact? Of a dangerous weapon stolen from a necromancer from which thou hadst to protect thy land?" he asked, though strongly presuming that was not the case. There was something gloomy, something "black" that seemed to be linked to Alvaro and not to an object he carried.

[quaggan]

 Tristan frowned, also unfamiliar with the word. He picked up a stick from the ground and handed it to Xhad, indicating the soft soil for him to write on. Ignacio scooted over to read it. "So it's some sort of... people energy that you can sense? Can you do it at range? You'd be an impressive scout!"

He would probably have given more suggestions, but the stranger spoke up again, and what bizarre words he uttered. Even Ignacio didn't comment on the irony of showing such respect to a possible personal matter, but raising it in the company of others. Alvaro wouldn't have minded either way - he had no secrets to hide, especially not from his men. The problem was far simpler: he had no idea what Xhad was talking about.

"Not that I know of" he admitted. Most of the time, he wouldn't even pay attention to strange people chatting about weird magic things, or trying to get some of his gear - he was not an easy mark for charlatans - but Xhad has proven himself. He's been very helpful, his eccentricity nonwithstanding, and the probability of him trying to trick them went lower with every hour.

"Do you want to take a look at my gear?" he asked. He's already made the decision to trust him on that matter, and it could be a problem - if something was wrong, it could affect their mission. If Xhad could help with it, Alvaro owed it to him to make it possible.

A sudden thought intruded into his mind, bringing to mind a more charged possibility. What if it wasn't some kind of artifact that Xhad read in his... aura? What if it was the curse weighing upon him? He knew better than to hope for a quick solution, and yet he couldn't help but listen with greater alertness, his mind sharp and eager to commit the words to memory.

[SkyBlade]

His thoughts warned him of a possible indiscreetness. Maybe he was in luck, thus Xhad not having to - yet again - apologise for another thing he hadn't thought through, Alvaro perhaps being close enough to his soldiers so as not to mind revealing certain secrets.

It obviously became less ambiguous with each discussion how they all came from different worlds and this matter whispered Xhad about how he should make an effort to occasionally jump out of his style, so as to boost comprehensiveness...

"I am sure ye are well prepared for journeys like this, though it is not exactly... the physical side of reality I meant." he began. If he continued to speak like this, he would be too vague and indirect; if he tried using colloquial words, he would not recognise himself.
He even began doubting the sensitiveness of continuing the discussion.

"I just... had the feelin' there somethin' gross following ya that's gonna bring havoc into thy life!" he exclaimed, though both his words and body freezing in regret for a second. It was, first of all, the now too direct speech and then the way he mixed his failed attempt to speak like most do with his usual, two-centuries old words. This all added up to an eventual facepalm.

"Umm... nevermind. I-I might be wrong about the matter, but I simply felt magic around thee. A rather unpleasant manifestation of it, perhaps. That is fascinating - for someone like me, at least - considering the place we are currently in."

If Alvaro would understand yet hesitate, Xhad would try ending the discussion, as he might have been unfortunate enough to have gone too far. If he wouldn't, well... Xhad would probably have his confusions dissipated and his curiosity satisfied.

[quaggan]

 Xhad didn't respond immediately, looking thoughtful - as much as Alvaro could read his expressions. The commander didn't really mind - important matters required a lot of thought and attention. And they weren't pressed for time.

But it looked like not everyone shared his patience, especially the chatty Ignacio. "You have some cursed item?" he exclaimed. "Is it this distinction you received last month? I told you jealousy can motivate some people to move against you! Personally, I blame Valentin - his wife is a renowned witch, she must be responsible for it!"

"I don't think so" Alvaro countered. "Do you honestly think that she somehow got her hands on an army order? And if Valentin wanted me out of the way, why not curse me directly? And I do not bring the distinctions I received on our missions - I definitely did not bring it now."

It was enough to shut Ignacio up, at least for a while. And Xhad was a faster thinker, speaking up before the soldier could. His words were always a bit dense, but this time they were also surprisingly... vague? What was he trying to say? And the sudden change of vocabulary didn't help to get his point across.

At least Ignacio was amused. He grinned, holding back a chuckle. "I never thought I'd hear words like these from your mouth! You, my friend, are just full of surprises!"

Alvaro was more concerned with what his words implied than the choice of these words. "Something that would bring havoc into my life?" he asked. That didn't sound like the curse he was aware of - while sudden death could indeed cause havoc, the matter was simple enough that if one could see magic, surely they could see what it did.

"Do you think it could affect our mission?" he asked.

[SkyBlade]

"No, no, Ignacio has a point!" he finally explained. "'Curse' is a much better word!"
Alvaro did not look as uneasy about approaching a discussion like that as Xhad expected, though.

"No, I don't think the mission would be affected..."

Along the journey, this strangeness that Xhad was feeling around the commander could not be properly studied. But in a calm environment like this were he could focus more, things gradually became clearer about Alvaro's curse. What was rather unknown to Xhad was the exact history of it, but the essence was largely figured out. All he needed was to confirm it...

"Well, perchance it won't exactly bring havoc or destruction into your life, since there shall be none, but to your life. You see, what signs tell me is how this... unholy thing is what shall eventually bring you to the graveyard, sir." he explained with a little tension in his voice, then looking a little downwards for a while in sadness.

A person that knows the precise day they will die... how awful is that? Hm, did he perhaps know how he would die, too? That would make the matter even more dreadful!

[quaggan]

 "Well, if the mission shouldn't be affected, we shouldn't be worried" Alvaro ruled. He was almost certain that Xhad was referring to his curse - which was out of their control now. There was no use wasting words on it right now.

Ignacio was done thinking, which was never a good sign. "Well, if it's not Valentin, then perhaps you've touched something strange recently?" he probed. "Xhad, help me out there - how do people usually get cursed?"

"We can discuss it later" Alvaro decided. "It doesn't seem to be of immediate danger, therefore it's not relevant to our assignment. We should focus on the objective at hand."

Ignacio frowned. "I never thought you're the type to put short-term missions above long-term whatever, Commander."

That was the worst time possible for Ignacio's perceptive side to rear its annoying head. Well, maybe not the worst possible, but it certainly was bad. Still, Alvaro pressed on. "I don't see how we can do anything about what you call long-term. We still have our mission to accomplish, and time's wasting. We need to get sleep - and decide who's going to keep watch."

"Ugh" the soldier groaned, casting a glance around their companions. "With just four of us, the math isn't looking good."

Thanks be to the spirits for his prone to distractions nature. Alvaro chanced a glance at Tristan - the medic wasn't as easy to divert, but he wasn't willing to break his silence. Good enough.

Ignacio's mind was already on the matter of the watch. "Say, you don't happen to know some sort of a spell that could keep watch for us instead?" he asked, turning to Xhad.

[SkyBlade]

Something he had touched recently? Perhaps, yet being a commander, one heavily envied for that matter, could have also been the core reason behind Alvaro's curse instead.

"Well, that depen--" Xhad began, trying to answer Ignacio, but Alvaro's statement made him refrain from trying to continue the explanation.
Was Alvaro perhaps searching for a topic to switch? He either was incredibly focused and dedicated to the task, or was uncomfortable with the curse being spoken about... or both.

"A-all right. I think not we can magically do anything about this 'long-term' issue, either. And it seems not to have to do with our task, indeed. It is just that I've found this a curious matter."

"Worry not, Ignacio, we may only be four, but we all have certainly faced worse situations!" he exclaimed with confidence, yet it was quite clear he did have a trace of doubt, too. However well-prepared or attentive they were, one could never known for sure about the animals lurking in the woods.

"Well, likely not something that solves the issue entirely, but..." he tried to calm Ignacio down, conjuring a spinning wind around the glade which acted as a barrier.
"The good part is how the little guardian storm around us won't be a noisy, sleep-disturber." he smiled.

"Oh, and even if it won't protect us from every single beast, it shall warn us about them and might give us an edge in a potential battle. Perchance I should be the first one on the watch. I occasionally still feel like running around, thereby I shall mind not less rest."
His words were not the product of lies, but he wanted to study his mantras and recently-found runes as well before getting sleep, so that seemed like a good opportunity.

[quaggan]

 Ignacio grinned, slapping Xhad on the back. "I knew we could count on you!" He's completely forgotten the conversation - that was quite a relief. As well meaning as he was, the soldier had quite a big mouth.

Alvaro rose and examined the whirling wind. The air fed the flame, but its effect was temporary - Xhad must have noticed and changed the spell. That spoke of impressive proficiency. It was just one of many signs that should have been enough, but the commander hasn't earned his rank by just trusting in people to do their job. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, as the old saying went.

"I'm going to test this spell" he began. "While I have no reason to doubt your ability, there may be some creatures here in the woods you're not familiar with, and therefore could not incorporate into your guard."

Ignacio groaned. "Don't you need sleep?"

"Not sleep eternal, thank you" Alvaro responded and began testing.

[SkyBlade]

"Please, go ahead! Soothly an attentive decision!" he responded to Alvaro's statement. Xhad appreciated the vigilance of the soldier, and decided to follow his example. He grabbed a thick, heavy stick from the ground and flung it towards the gusts. The piece of wood swiftly circled the camp to eventually escape the whirlwind and smack Xhad on his forehead. He was satisfied with a silent "ouch" and a brief rub with his fingers, before giving out a laugh.

"Well, peradventure I ought to leave the task to you."

When everybody eventually went to sleep, Xhad used half of his being to murmur his mantras a few times, read a little, and the other half to pay attention to the surroundings. No! He was not going to be trapped yet again in his thoughts! Just a few more minutes and he would focus entirely to guard the place.

Aside from the grasshoppers' constant chatter, few sounds intruded the place. Everything was still. When his time was up, Xhad went to sleep and let Tristan continue his job. His energy tent was by no means solid, but enough to ensure shelter for the night. Its almost thorough transparency also made it possible to witness the stars, an opportunity truly appreciable to the part-spirit.

The morning eventually arrived, bringing the usual yawns and stretchings to Xhad before coming out of his tent. The soldiers were nowhere to find. Not even their blanket was present. Maybe they were out for some food before restarting their journey?

"Err, Alvaro?" he shouted, exploring the glade, his pace getting faster as seconds passed. After the vain echoes of each soldier's name died out, Xhad started considering to simply wait...

But then he saw it. Just a few steps outside of the opening there was an odd gleaming. It did not take him long to find out it was the materialisation of dread: all the money would have satisfied even the greediest of minds, for it seemed like an entire lake of silver coins that was lying before him. He froze, not sure whether to run, scream, or simply give in to the dizziness clouding his vision to eventually faint.

A tallish man came with the most relaxed attitude, whistling. As he filled his bag with the hellish metal, he turned to the part-human.

"What's the matter, lad? You seem like you're going to throw up... need a little water, maybe? How long have you slept anyway? It's 28 a.m. already and you look way too drowsy!" the man spoke with a genuine positivity, one even Xhad could have envied, had he not been preoccupied by something else.

He made a huge effort to regain his voice, the eventual words being soft and shaky. He slowly pointed towards the coin lake.

"H-how did this get here?..."

"Oh, boy, you've really got a problem!" the man eventually exclaimed, seeing Xhad's lost and perplexed expression. "I think you're, in fact, in need of rest, not an oversleeper."

"N-no... I need to know how on Le'Raana has this gotten here?" he responded with a calm, monotonous tone. Xhad would usually consider this style rude, but he could not help it.

"Oh, come on!" the man patted him on the back. "This is a refiller, just try to remember!"

"A re... what?"

"A refiller... you know, the place where people come to help themselves."
An awkward silence arouse. "The place whence you can take some money?..." he continued, seeing how he's still confused.

"Y-you mean to tell me one can simply come here and take as much silver as they desire?" he asked, making an effort not to look towards the great quantity of metal.

"Something of that sort!"

"But that is... that is, um, I-I mean to say..."

"Come one! What year do you live in, seriously? You kind of resemble those guys BGS I heard about in history class when I was a kid. Ugh, I hate history!"

"BGS?"

"Uuh... Before the Great Shift? You know, the year world-peace was established. I don't even know why you're still walking around with those pointy blades, anyway!" he responded, pointing to Xhad's weapons.
"You know, the economy also suffered huge changes! Now everyone is just so honest and righteous that nobody takes more money than they need, you know, eh?" he patted him again on the back.

"B-but... it can be not all silver! What happened to the gold, to the emerald, to the bron--"

"Ooooh, right... those are all used for typical everyday-life whatever now. Hmm, I have heard about time-machines and all of that, but I didn't think they are already a reality! Well, anyway, got to go; it's been nice chatting with you. But really, do something about your sleeping patterns, it's for your own good, my friend! Maybe that weird translucid tent over there could do the job! Peace!" he began walking away.

"W-wait! Wait! This is insane, sir! I-I too love jokes. You indeed scared me, but--"

"What jokes? This is reality, lad! Hm, people have told me I have a sarcastic tone before, but I didn't think it was this strong!"

"How strange is this forest?!" Xhad shouted in anger. "Just last night I was sitting at the campfire and now the whole world has changed!"

"Well, I guess you've overslept! Bye!"

"Just a second, sir! Have you not seen three soldiers around here by accident? One of them wa--"

"Soldiers?! What are you jabbering about? Everywhere is just peace now! No conflicts. Why on earth would anybody need soldiers?! Anyway, no, I can't help you, bye!" the man's lunatic behaviour became more evident as seconds passed.

The whole world seemed to have changed and Xhad's flurry of questions could not be answered. Were Ignacio's pranks that elaborate? No, not likely...
He began running around, not knowing what to even try to do or believe. Maybe moving would calm him down a little...

He eventually tripped and, as he had instinctively unsheathed his sword, he accidentally scratched the bark of one of the trees as he fell. Quite a deep cut. The tree was glittering too because of the silvery interior.

"No, this is beyond possible..."
It did not matter how illogical things seemed, Xhad could not reason and think properly and thus could not even try to presume it could all have been a trick of the woods.

OOC: Just a quick note, I'm planning to add more stuff to the fear thing in another post before making Xhad realise it's all illusions. I just didn't want to make this one even longer than it already is. Wellp, see you!

[quaggan]

 It was all over.

The northern border was engulfed in flames. The Serenian battle-mages marched on, heralded by an inferno no living creatures could survive in. The soldiers Adela was so proud of burned to death before even reaching their enemy. Even the famed dragon-knights could not get close enough to strike - the weather wizards who fanned the fire made the winds wild and too powerful to fly in. There was no stopping them.

The Thanati ships landed on the beaches in the south, bearing warriors eager for revenge for their ancestors' exile. The spirits that blessed and loved Adela were no match for their shamans, and their flesh shapers turned the proud patriots into terrifying, twisted mockeries, unable to fight or even move, monstrous examples of terror. It was telling that all but the bravest begged to be assigned to the northern front instead - better to die burning than to live a tortured existence like that.

And there was nothing Alvaro Narvaes could do to stop it. He was dead, after all - the declarations of war came but a day after his time limit was over. Was it a punishment from the spirits, keeping his ghost here on Le'raana to witness the nation he loved fall? To be helpless as his worst nightmare came true? To linger like that?

The awareness of the horrors slowly transpiring around him was greater than anything he's experienced before. As a commander, he was capable of more than just contributing to the battles with his spear: he could oversee them and make the best use of everything that was going on. The spirits' punishment felt like a natural extension of his senses.


Finally, Ignacio's dream was realized. He would miss his soldier friends, but he would not miss the army! The cold ground, the constant missions away from civilisation, the terribly chafing uniforms... Yes, he was glad to put this part of his life behind him. It has served its purpose, and now he was to receive his reward.

He was to become a noble. Finally, he was about to receive a title, lands, and his entry into the higher reaches of society. He's had his sister procure him a fashionable coat made by one of the most renowned seamstresses, just for this occasion. It looked great on his ceremonial armour.

He knelt in front of the lord, his heart beating fast. It felt as if it was about to burst, edging into being painful. But he kept his breath even and his expression appropriately grave. He was not going to ruin it - the first day of his new life!

The pain was getting worse. It radiated towards his arm, spreading persistently. He was starting to feel dizzy, as if he wasn't getting enough air - was his new cloak too tightly fastened around his neck? He wanted to reach out and loosen the claps slightly, but he found his limbs not responding. The words around him dissolved into echoing, distant mess, as if they were coming from underwater. The floor loomed closer, pushing up like a hand of a great stone spirit. It hit him with an almost inaudible thud, cold and distant. He couldn't move, couldn't do anything. He heard laughter, mocking and painful. No! Not now! Not now, when he was finally about to become a noble!


Hector peeked at the map, frowning. "Looks like the way right is too perilous. We have to go left."

"Thank goodness" Ignacio sighed. "The left road looks shorter - and the faster we get to the barracks, the faster we can eat some proper food! No offence, Tristan, but it's impossible to make army rations taste good."

Tristan took no offence. He was far more concerned about their decision. The left road looked fine, but only looked - he recognized a patch of sunblade grass further down, wide enough that he saw no option but to go through. The blades secreted a fluid so caustic and dangerous that it ate through leather, steel and flesh so quickly that a poet gave it its name, comparing it to the great inferno of the sun.

Was he the only one to recognize it? Hector was such an experienced soldier, surely he was familiar with sunblade. It wasn't exactly a rare plant. And Alvaro always knew what was going on - why wasn't he saying anything? The vanguard was already setting out. Tristan couldn't just stay silent and let them walk into danger!

"Don't go" he blurted out. Without interruption or even looking at the rest of the squad to see if they were listened, he continued, wanting to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. "There is sunblade grass growing further down this road. It's too wide for us to just go around. We can't continue. We should take the right path. It's-"

"Oh wow" Ignacio commented. "What was this Essyrni proverb? 'Be careful what you wish for, lest it comes true'? I did want you to speak up more, but apparently all the words you were holding back wanted it even harder - they just come tumbling out of your lips, and don't seem to stop..."

Alvaro silenced him with a glance. "I've heard about sunblade grass. Can you point it out to me? Is it over there? A little bit to the left? I think I see it. We shouldn't risk it - let's go right."

Disappointed murmurs filled the air, but Tristan was relieved. The other soldiers didn't even try to bother him about warning Alvaro - either they knew better than trying to get him to talk, or they considered a shortcut not worth getting their flesh melted for.

The right path led them towards a rope bridge. Tristan was in the rearguard, so he was the last one in the column. Alvaro and Eladio tested the pathway, before they stepped forwards. After them went Hector, Ignacio, finally Quinto. The medic was about to follow them, when something creaked.

It all happened so fast. Tristan shot forward, but he was too late. The whole bridge collapsed under the soldiers' feet, falling into the chasm. Compared to the blinding speed of what unfolded, the medic felt as if he was slower than a snail. He charged, reaching out to try and catch someone - anyone! - but his hand only caught empty air and he fell.

He stared, horrified, at the floor of the chasm. On the ground lay the twisted bodies of his fellow soldiers - his friends, his comrades. Dead because of him. Dead because he spoke up. It was his words that killed them.