Novel Rekindle [Current Chapter: Chapter 15 - The Monster and the Ghost]

Discussion in 'Community Fictions' started by Osamaru, May 6, 2017.

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  1. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Ya, its more to set the scene for the other side, So its not just "whelp, here's a random carriage attack, go at it."
    I was thinking of having it from His perspective straight from the start, but there would have been a few issues with that, and I wanted there to be a strong connection between the characters.
     
  2. Goldsaif

    Goldsaif sect patriarch for the sect of primordial lurkers

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    first chapter
    But years of neglect
    and drug abuse had
    wiped most of that
    away. Humping in
    contempt, Mark
    smirked slightly
    before speaking to
    his reflection

    it should be
    But years of neglect
    and drug abuse had
    wiped most of that
    away. Humphing in
    contempt, Mark
    smirked slightly
    before speaking to
    his reflection

    you for got the h in h umphing and it became humping

    Also second chapter when the girl is caught by the forst goblin and toy were describing it you wrote hits head instead of its head
     
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  3. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Thanks for the finds. if you catch any more, don't hesitate to point them out, I know I miss things alot.
     
  4. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    made a few more minor changes to chapter 2's grammer and flow (mostly after the ambush).
     
  5. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 3: As the sparks fly upward
    As the scream sounded through the night, Mark was jolted awake, his eyes growing wide in surprise. Body slightly stiff from his awkward position, he quickly jogged to the cave entrance, straining his ears as he looked out into the dark night. While the sound was far and faint, he could make out the sound of a commotion down the river.

    Standing there, he squinted his eyes trying adjusting them to the darkness. After a moment, Mark began to dash down the faint pathway next to the stream. He may have been a junkie and alcoholic, but he was an ex-cop as well, the least he could do was to check what was going on. If his luck was good, the other party might even know a way back to town.

    Of course, being this far out in the woods, there was always the off chance that whatever was happening was not something he should see. In that case, he would just hide and pretend like he was never there; the bosses of the local underground had been trying to find him for over a year now, he’d not be noticed by some low-level mooks.

    With practiced steps, he ran closer and closer to the sounds of fighting, furrowing his brow in confusion as he could make out the sound of clashing metal, like someone slamming metal pipes together. As he drew near he could make out a tall bulky man fighting a group of short fellows near a stone bridge, swinging rods at each other. Before he could be noticed, Mark ducked into the shadow of the nearby trees and slowly approached for a better look.

    [….the hell?]

    Peering out of the shadows, Mark could see a young man standing on the bridge in the moonlight, his size magnified by the heavy looking metal armor he wore. With a grunt, the young man swung the long rod; or sword rather, at one of the cloaked short fellows surrounding him. The short fellow gave a startled, high pitched scream and fell to the ground. Watching in confusion, Mark wondered to himself whether he’d wandered into a movie set or some re-enactment or another. Either way, it was the strangest thing he’d seen in a long time.

    As he watched the battle from the shadows, Mark’s eyes were drawn by another loud scream. While it sounded younger than the first, Mark recognized the emotions it carried; it was not a scream of terror or pain but a primordial yell filled with rage, welling up from deep within the soul. It was a sound that Mark was intimate with.

    Looking a little ways away, Mark could make out the outline of an old canvas topped wagon, sitting by the roadside. It was a simple design and could have fit neatly into any old western movie. But what drew his eyes, was what stood on top of it. There, in the shadow of the night, stood a short fellow, though a little taller than the ones fighting the man on the bridge. In his outstretched hand, he held the hair of a child, no older than six or seven years old.

    Jumping down from the carriage, the clouds in the sky parted slightly, illuminating the short fellow's figure. At the sight, Mark’s blood ran cold. There in the moonlight stood the ugliest creature he’d ever seen. Dark green skin covered long, thin bony limbs that made it look like an oversized spider monkey. Its small head was topped with a thin patch of white hair and huge pointed ears. Its mouth was long and slim, exposing thin needle like teeth as it grinned at the girl in its hand. The girl screamed and flailed at the thing, causing its large black eyes to squint in amusement. Mark could do nothing but stare at the creature in shock, mind blank, unable to process what he was looking at.

    It was not till the young girl spat in the things face that Mark snapped back to reality. With growing fear and cold sweat dripping down his back, he watched as the creature’s face went cold and he placed the little girl on the ground. With a fierce left hook, the little girl was sent flying across the road, landing hard before tumbling to a halt just shy of his hiding spot.

    As the thing started to slowly approach the girl, Mark’s heart began to beat faster. He did not know where these monsters had come from, but he had to run before they noticed him too. He may not have cared if he died or not, but that did not mean he wanted to die with a sword through his gut. As he quickly stood to move away, his unconsciously looked at the little girl lying on the ground and froze.

    The look in her eyes and the creature neared pierced his heart like a dagger. It was a dead eyed stare filled with remorse and hopelessness that did not fit the face of one so young, but there was still a spark left, screaming for life. As he stood there watching, his mind could not help but go back to all those years ago, when he’d seen those same eyes on another youth. With the crack of bones, Mark closed his trembling hands into a tight fist, before cursing himself in his mind at the foolish action he was about to take,

    {{SON OF A B****!!!!}}

    Then he charged out of the Shadows at a full sprint towards the slowly approaching creature. Rushing at full speed, Mark used his momentum to deliver a full power forward thrust kick towards the creature’s chest. The creature, noticing him immediately, crossed its arms to block the kick, taking the impact and flew several meters before tumbling to a stop.

    As Mark slid to a stop, his eyes caught the girls and he could see a small glint of confusion and surprise before she lowered her head and closed them. Letting out a sigh of relief as he saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest, he looked towards the creature again and opened his mouth in shock. While the creature stood up and screamed in rage at Mark’s intervention, it appears otherwise unharmed. Thinking about the kick itself, Mark felt confused; not only did the impact feel light, as though he were kicking something a quarter of the size, there was a strange bounce to the hit, like he’d struck a rubber wall.

    Not letting the thought cloud his mind, Mark took a shoulder wide forward stance, his right-hand square against his chest, his left extended outward along his center line. He’d studied Kajukenbo while in the Army for several years, and enjoyed it enough that he continued his practice even after leaving the service. He did not know how effective it would be against this Thing, but if it was good enough to keep him safe from the street thugs, then it was worth a shot.

    Eyes filled with Anger, the thing raised an eyebrow at Mark’s stance, but a thin grin began to spread across its mouth as it saw he was unarmed. Mark’s breath began to grow ragged and shaky and the thing slowly approached; eyes full of mocking confidence. When it neared to about a meter and a half away, Mark, still shaking slightly, gave a loud Kiai and shifted his stance forward, striking the creature in the chest heavily with his right fist.

    Again, the creature was blown backward several feet, as Mark stared in shock. Just like with the kick, however, the thing simply rolled a few times and stood up, otherwise unharmed. Again, the blow had felt light, like the creature weighed far less than it appeared. Rage filling its eyes, it charged at Mark, mouth filled with needle like teeth gaping wide. As it approached, Mark moved to strike with his left hand, aiming a reserve hammer fist at its head. However, the creature stopped mid rush and pivoted on its heels, ducking and using the momentum to send a crescent kick into Mark’s unguarded flank.

    With a surprised grunt, Mark took several steps back and adjusted his stance. Unlike the wildly swinging grunts fighting the armored man on the bridge, it was obvious from its movements that this one was much more skilled. It's smile widening to a mocking grin, the creature took its own strange stance and waved Mark forward, taunting him.

    Furrowing his brow, Mark moved forward with the creature moving in the same moment. Over the next few minutes, they would exchange blow after blow, Mark relying on his heavy and powerful blows to disrupt the creature’s movements, and the creature using its agile and long limbs to slip through Mark’s guard. After several moments, the two separated, both breathing heavy, soaked in sweat. However, Mark realized that while he was covered in bruise and cuts, the creature itself seemed only tired. Barring a few cuts on the face, it seemed otherwise unhindered.

    A slow fear began to creep into Mark’s heart as the creature let out a low chuckle at his pitiable condition. As Mark started to strongly consider retreat, a voice sounded out from nearby,

    [The Sword! You have to cut them!] <Hero>

    Taking a quick glance at the young man on the Bridge, Mark saw that there were only 3-4 of the Creatures left as the young man in armor called out to him in haste. Eyes turning back to the creature in front of him, Mark took a quick glance at the blade strapped to its waist. Hope growing in his Heart, Mark moved forward once again to meet the creature, the thing apparently unaware of the young man’s warning.

    After another brief exchange of blows, Mark saw his chance and took a sliding step to the side. Pretending to miss a blow aimed at the creature’s chest, he quickly grabbed onto the blade’s grip, smoothly freeing it from the sheath and flowing around to its back. With a rage filled cry, Mark swung down with all his strength.

    The creature, eyes wide with surprise, moved to dodge the rusty blade. As the sword made contact, Mark felt the distinct give of flesh and bone, before hearing a high pitched scream. Looking back, Mark saw the creature fall to the ground rolling in pain, as it held onto the stub of the severed arm.

    Breathing heavily, Mark approached the creature slowly, a fire burning in his eyes as he looked into the creature’s own, full of fear. Suddenly, there was the crack of wood and the twang of a bow from behind. Mark barely dodged the arrow as it flew past and embedded itself into a nearby tree. Quickly turning around, Mark saw another creature, its face half shrouded in a gray hood, standing in the shadows of the tree behind him. The Creature slowly lowered the bow it held, before giving him a mocking look with its eyes and disappearing into the shadows.

    A Light bulb going off in his head, Mark quickly turned around to look at the first Creature, only to see it running at full speed towards the opposite roadside. As it reached the trees, it leaped upwards, grabbing onto low hanging branches with its good arm and pulled itself up. With nimble movements that belittled its injury, the creature began to climb higher. Turning around to give Mark a hate filled, full toothed evil grin, it quickly disappeared into the treetops.

    As Mark stood watching, a shrill whistle sounded through the night. The few remaining creatures still fighting the armored man raised their head and quickly broke off their engagement, running swiftly into the Forest and up the nearby trees, just as the first had, then disappeared.

    The young armored man stood in shock for a moment, before collapsing to his knees, his sword the only thing keeping him upright. After a moment, he looked up at Mark with strange eyes as they both stood there breathing heavily. Then giving a bloody toothed grin, he began to laugh. Mark stood there and looked over at the strange man and raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. Dropping the bloody sword, Mark turned around and walked over to the young girl, still lying on the ground. Watching the slow rise and fall of her chest, a frown began to form on his face.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
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  6. Goldsaif

    Goldsaif sect patriarch for the sect of primordial lurkers

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    hands
    into a thigh fist,
    before cursing at
    himself in his mind as
    the foolish action he
    was about to take

    I think it should be

    hands
    into a tight fist,
    before cursing at
    himself in his mind as
    the foolish action he
    was about to take

    you wrote thigh instead of tight and in the fight scene you also wrote reserve fist instead of reverse fist

    (also could you post this on royal road its good)

    (also I recommend an app called jotterpad its use full for warring down moments of inspiration when your away from a computer or little things you think you might forget)
     
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  7. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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  8. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    For those not yet watching the General Discussion (please leave comments and suggestions there), The prologue and Chapter 1 have been Proofread and Edited. Tell me what you think!
     
  9. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 4: Answers birthing Questions

    [Author's Notes: Mark finally meets the one who brought him here! This is more of a World building chapter than an Action one like last time, I'm also trying to correct my excessive use of passive tense. so forgive me if I ramble on. But Chapters this focused will be rare, so forgive me. Please remember to leave your comments and suggestions in the General Discussion thread!.

    ~~~ Several Hours after the Ambush ~~~

    Mark sat in the shallow cave, poking the small fire with a stick to stir the flames. His eyes swept the area, landing on the figure of a small girl sleeping on a thin cloth bundle. Her chest raggedly rose up and down as her face contorted in fear, unseen nightmares tormenting her dreams. Mark could only stare helplessly, lost in thought before the sound of footsteps drew his attention. A young man, stripped of the armor he had been wearing just hours before, walked into the light of the fire from the nearby entrance, a dirty shovel in his hand.

    The young man leaned the shovel up against the wall and spoke to Mark in a hushed voice, careful not to wake the sleeping girl.

    “It’s done. I can’t say it is respectable, but at least we will not have to worry about their bodies being eaten by some stray beast.”

    The young man sat down heavily some distance away from the fire, his body sagging as if released from some immense pressure. A moment of silence passed before the young man asked Mark in a solemn voice, looking towards the young girl.

    “How is she?”

    Mark did not speak immediately. He simply looked into the flames with a contemplating look. He spoke after a moment, his voice low and without feeling,

    “It’s infected. Whatever it is, it’s spreading fast. Might not last the night”

    The young man’s eyes grew wide with anger and he quickly stood up before speaking in a half whisper half shout.

    “What the hell is your problem!? Are we going to just do nothing?! You're speaking like it’s none of your concern, but why did you bother saving us if you are just going to let her die?!”

    The Hero was not sure what to think when he’s first met the strangely dressed man on the roadside. On one hand, his sudden and inexplicable appearance and strange fighting style sent a red flag off in the Hero’s mind. On the other, he had put his life on the line for complete strangers. The Hero was left with a strange mixed feeling of gratitude, suspicion, and frustration.

    Mark looked up at the young man and spoke in the same half shout half whisper, the fire reflecting in his eyes.

    “And what do you expect me to do!?”

    The Hero opened his mouth as in rebuttal, but before he could Mark looked back at the fire and spoke, this time in a cold soft tone,

    “We’ve already gone through the carriage, there's nothing left we can use. And if you're right, the nearest town is still a day’s ride away.”

    The Hero felt as if a cold wind blew through his mind. He slowly closed his mouth and leaned against the cool stone wall. He slowly sank to the floor as his legs lost the power to support him, before laying his head silently on his knees as his body began to shake faintly in the firelight.

    Mark stood up with a grunt after several minutes of silence before reaching down to grab his discarded coat. The young Hero did not even bother to look up at Mark as he passed by and walked into the cool night. Mark stood there at the boundary of the campfire and the darkness of the night, looking up into the night sky. While the stars and constellations he was familiar with, winked back down at him, something else drew his focus.

    Instead of the bright and shining Moon hanging in the night sky, there were three distinct chunks of rock spanning half the sky from the east to the west, and dozens of smaller less visible fragments floating between them. It was as if someone what taken a bat to a crystal globe and left the piece in the sky. Mark was not as shocked as the first time he’d seen the sight several hours ago, he briefly questioned if this was really a dream or not. Or a pill induced nightmare at the very least.

    He finally lowered his gaze after several moments and began to walk down the dimly lit pathway. Mark arrived at the stone bridge a few moments later, taking only a moment to scan the area for danger before walking towards the opposite side of the road. He shifted around the dense bushes for a few moments, before a bright yellow flower caught his eye in the ‘moonlight’.

    He bent down to inspect the flower before giving a slight nod and swiftly began to extract the plant, roots and all. Mark was years out of practice, yet he was sure he remembered that Pot Marigold could be processed into a basic tincture. The equipment pulled from the carriage was basic, but at the very least it might buy some time.

    Mark slowly brushing the dirt off of the plant, careful not to damage it. He looked down at the small flower, deep in thought when a familiar sound suddenly came from his pocket. Mark slowly pulled the old phone from his pocket and flipped it open with shaking hands. A bright LED display flashed a two-word message at him as the phone continued to ring. Unknown Number.

    Mark could only stare at the phone in shock and confusion before an unfamiliar voice called out from behind him,

    “Are you going to answer that?”

    Mark made a sudden tuck and roll motion to his left, grabbing a large rock as he did so. With a practiced throw, he sent the stone flying towards the unseen voice. Mark corrected his roll and entered a combat ready stance as he heard the sound of a heavy impact, stone on flesh. His eyes went wide in shock and his mouth hung open, however, when he looked in the direction of the toss. Leaning up against a nearby tree stood a calm man in clean and casual looking clothes, his outstretched hand gripping the large stone. The stranger held to his head a new model smartphone, glowing bright in the dim nightlight.

    As he pulled the smartphone away, he pressed a button and the ringing of Mark’s phone stopped. The stranger then pushed himself away from the tree and put the smartphone way, before beginning to leisurely toss stone in the air. He spoke in a soft voice though it was strangely clear to Mark’s ears even from that distance.

    “You always had a knack for the Curveball, Mark. It’s good to see you’ve not lost your touch”.

    Mark raised his eyebrow in confusion at the stranger’s overly familiar tone. He did not lower his guard as he spoke to the Stranger in a questioning tone,

    “Do I know you?”

    The Stranger looked at Mark with a strange look in his eyes, then spoke in a small voice,

    “No. but I know you, Sergeant Floyd. Sergeant Mark Floyd, 3rd Battalion, 338th Regiment, 157th Infantry Brigade. Second son of Debra and Samuel Floyd. 31 this October”

    The Stranger spoke as if reading off a list, watching Mark’s jaw fall open. The stranger paused for a moment before speaking again, a mysterious smile forming.

    “5’11, 182lb. Favorite color is dark green and favorite drink is mint tea in scotch. Should I go on?”

    Mark’s mouth slowly closed as he stared daggers at the stranger in front of him. His voice trembled slightly as he tried to speak out in a threatening manner,

    “Who the hell are you?! Did Max send you after me? I told him before that I’m not going to work for him, I don’t care how much he’s paying”.

    The stranger tossed the stone away and looked at Mark with a smirk before speaking is a serious tone,

    “I’m not with the Black Dogs, Mark. They can’t reach you here anyway”

    As the Stranger spoke, he pointed up towards the sky. Mark’s eyes followed the motion and his eyes landed on the strange splintered moon. Mark felt his blood go cold and his body shiver as he watched the shards drift slowly through the sky. The Strangers clothes and phone, coupled with him seeming to know Mark, had made Mark forget for a moment that he wherever he was, it wasn't the world he knew. Mark forcefully quelled his shaking body before lowering his gaze and asking in a quiet voice.

    “Who are you?”

    The Stranger looked back at Mark as a large grin forming on his face, as if he had been waiting for that question all along. He paused for a moment before answering in a calm but questioning tone, as if not fully sure how to word it himself,

    “A Watcher? A Guide? A Messenger? What you chose to call me is not important. What is, is that I have a request for you, Sergeant. One last Mission.”

    Mark raised an eyebrow at the Stranger’s words. Who did he think he was trying to play himself off as? God?

    “I’ve been called that, yes. But as I said, that is not important at the moment.”

    Mark’s eyes widened in surprise at the Stranger’s answer to his unspoken question. Mark felt his body stiffen as he took several steps back and tightened his guard. The Stranger gave a light chuckle before speaking again in a light tone.

    “As I said, should you choose to accept it, I have one last mission for you, Sergeant. Ha, I've always wanted to use that line.”

    Mark squinted his eyes in suspicion, choosing to ignore the Stranger’s choice in words before he answered in a cold voice,

    “I Refuse, I stopped following Orders a long time ago. I’m not some puppet dancing on your strings just so you can keep your hands clean. I don’t care who you are, do your dirty work yourself.”

    The stranger hung his head and gave a sigh of resignation before lifting his head and spoke in a calm voice,

    “You’re no fun. In all seriousness Mark, you misunderstand. I say ‘mission’ however I do not really require you to ‘do’ anything. Your simple presence is enough.”

    Mark tilted his head in confusion as the Stranger spoke on

    “The mission that I have for you, is simply to be yourself. To live in this world as you. Move as you wish, do what you feel needs doing. Learn. Grow. Become better than you were yesterday, aim for more than you will be tomorrow. And frankly speaking Mark, you are already ‘here’. There is no going back, no refusing even if you wanted it.”

    Mark asked the stranger in a low voice even more confused than a few moments ago,

    “And where IS ‘here’ exactly?”

    The stranger looked sadly up into the sky his eyes focusing on the shattered moon slowly floating by. He thought for a moment before speaking,


    “A Shadow? A Choice? A Possibility made Reality. This world is but one of infinite other like it, each the result of choices and outcomes, Cause and Effect. A collection of ‘What could have been’ sleeping in the shadow of ‘what is’.”

    The Stranger looked back down at Mark with a gentle but tired smile before continuing,

    “But do not misunderstand. This world is just as ‘real’ as your home; its people laugh and live, they bleed and cry just as any others. The only difference is that this world is ‘sterile’. It no longer has the ability to birth new worlds. It simply exists, sleeping alongside its sisters”

    Mark did not think himself a stupid man by any means, yet as the Stranger spoke Mark’s heart began to beat rapidly and his head hurt. Mark did not fully understand what was said, but the implications of the Stranger’s words felt like a blow to his psyche. Mark spoke with a trembling voice, his hands dropping powerlessly to his side.

    “W-what does this have to do with me? Why drag me all the way here if you don’t even need me to do anything?”

    The stranger spoke in a low voice as eyes began to fill with a deep sorrow,

    “This World is dying Mark. It is no longer making choices, no longer growing or moving forward. It has grown cold and still, apathetic and content. With Apathy comes Stagnation and with Stagnation comes Rot. If a branch is sick, it must be pruned from the whole before the entire vine is infected. If a limb is festering and the rot cannot be removed, then it is better for the limb to be cut off than for the body as a whole to die.

    The Flame could burn away the Rot, but this World has lost its Flame. Its Passion has dwindled into smoldering embers and ashes. But as long as even a single ember remains, hope is not lost. As long as there is one spark left, no matter how flickering and frail it may be, the Flame can be rekindled!”

    The Stranger, as he spoke, became more passionate and joyful, moving from a somber tone to one filled with hope, spreading his arms out in excitement.

    “THAT is why I called you here Mark THAT is all I ask. Be a spark! An Ember to rekindle a smoldering Flame!”

    The stranger paused for a moment as if to calm himself, he lowered his arms and spoke again in a low sad tone,

    “Or else I will have no other choice but to sever this withering branch, and cast it away.”

    Mark massaged his aching head then spoke to the Stranger in a dull, uninterested tone,

    “I Refuse.”

    The Stranger simply smiled gently and spoke,

    “As I said Mark, it’s not something you can really refuse. All I ask that you go about your way. The very act of you being who you were made to be, is all that is needed”.

    Mark’s eyes flared as he threw an arm out in anger, he spoke in a voice near shouting,

    “And What if I don’t want to! What’s stopping me from gallivanting off into the woods, never to be seen again?!”

    The Stranger laughed lighting and shook his head before speaking,

    “You misunderstand Mark. It is not the Ember’s will to light the kindling that it lands on. It Nature. No matter where you go. No matter what you do, your very presence will bring change.”

    Mark’s mouth closed tight at the Stranger’s words, eyes still full of defiance and reluctance.

    The Stranger’s face suddenly lighted and he clapped, causing Mark to jump slightly. The Stranger spoke again, this time his voice taking on a light and friendly tone,

    “Well, enough of the heavy stuff! Let’s move on to business! I have a gift for you Mark! Think of it as a reward for saving little Merry. Simply say ‘System Menu’.”

    Mark started at the stranger with a confused look, slightly off put by the sudden change in tone as he asked in questioning tone,

    “System Menu?”

    Mark jumped suddenly in surprise as a small gray window popped up in the corner of his eye.

    [What the F---!!!]

    Before Mark could finish his words, his mouth slammed forcibly shut. The stranger looked at Mark with warning eyes as he spoke,

    “Language Mark. Anyway, I understand that coming to a new world may be confusing and overwhelming at first. More so when the culture, history and common sense differ greatly from what you are used to. So to help you in your travels, I whipped up a little gift for you. For now, let’s call it ‘The System’ [Patent pending].

    Think of it as a “New World Wizard”, designed to fill in the gaps of information that you would otherwise be missing. It’s not perfect; it won’t provide information that you would otherwise not be able to access, such as someone's bank pin, a history of which there is no longer any record, or certain private personal information, but other than that as long as it is something that you would have had the ability to learn, then the System will cut out the grunt work for you.

    BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!! I’ve decided to throw in a few extra functions I thought might be fun. If you look at the Menu in front of you, you will see several buttons.”

    _____________
    │EXAMINE
    │--------------------
    │STATUS
    │--------------------
    │INVENTORY
    │---------------------
    │INDEX
    │---------------------

    Mark could only stare in shock and a doubting eyebrow at the nostalgic menu floating in his vision. Mark gave the Stranger a look that questioned if the man in front of him was really sane, then asked,

    “Seriously?”

    The Stranger simply smiled back with a wide-tooth grin and shrugged his shoulders before speaking,

    “Why not? I heard it's hip with the Kids nowadays, so I thought I would give it a go. I have to say, it turned out better than I thought. Now, the Main menu here is simply for organizational purposes, simply think about which one you wish to access and it will open. You can bring up any individual menu by simply speaking its name as well, though do so later, we don't have much time left.

    The Examine option is the main function of the System I had mentioned earlier. Simply focus on the target and select examine in your mind, and it will bring up the requested info.”

    Mark smirked at the Strangers words, he focused his gaze on Stranger and stealthily selected the option, only for a mechanical voice to sound in his head,

    “WARNING, HOST DOES NOT HAVE PROPER AUTHORIZATION TO PERFORM THIS FUNCTION”

    The Stranger gave a deep bellied laugh as he wiped a tear from his eye, before pulling a dull rusty sword from the Air and tossed it to Mark,

    “Better luck next time. Here, try this instead. I recommend keeping it around, think of it as a good luck charm”.

    Mark squinted his eyes suspicion as he skillfully caught the blade by the handle. He raised a questioning brow as he recognized the dull rusty blade he’d used against the creature, the Forest Goblin, as the young man from before had called it. Focusing on the Sword, Mark’s eyes widened in shock at the screen that popped up from the blade.

    _________________
    Legend
    Quality: ???
    Origin: ???
    Status: Damaged
    Quarks: ???
    Index Entry: This old rusty blade has seen more and been farther than you will ever hope to. It has traveled the world, being passed down age through age. It has been wielded by great and mighty Heroes and common peasant soldiers. It has been used to slay dragons and skin pigs. Its very essence is a Legend, a physical manifestation of History. Just don’t nick yourself, you don’t want to know what those stains are.
    _________________

    Mark once more looked up at the stranger, a queer look in his eyes, questioning the man’s sanity, before shaking his head and tying its sheath to his belt. Mark knew next to nothing about wielding a sword like this, but it was obviously not normal. It would not hurt to keep it around for now.

    The Stranger looked at Mark with a laugh and spoke,

    “Time’s almost up, but I have one more ‘gift’ for you”

    The stranger pointed to the Carriage nearby and crooked his finger as if to beckon something. With a shake, the bottom of the driver seat came loose, and a small compartment was exposed. Mark, curious, approached the carriage with slow steps. Inside was a small wooden box, a large book, a folded letter, and a small satchel. Mark opened the small Box only to find what he assumed was a rudimentary first aid kit; inside were several small brown glass bottles and thin gauze like cloth. He opened a secondary draw to find several neatly organized bundles of herbs and a long blue stalk of a plant he’d never seen before.

    Mark lifted the strange stalk into the air, amazed at how fresh it appeared to be despite obviously being harvested long ago. He found the most striking feature of the herb to be its several small but transparent berries crowning its top. The skin of the berries was filled with light blue liquid that glowed slightly in the moonlight. Though they appeared fragile at first glance, their skin was thick and rubbery refusing to burst even when Mark gave them a good squeeze between his fingers.

    Mark, engrossed in the strange plant, jumped slightly as the Stranger called from behind, his voice filled with a sadness.

    “The Box was Merry’s Mother, Martha’s Apothecary kit. She loved to experiment and cultivate new herbs and understand how they worked. Take it to Alexander, he should be able to use what is there for Merry. The Book was meant to be a gift from her Father, Thomas. I’d ask that you hand it and the letter to her once she’s recovered. The gold in the satchel, you can keep. It was intended to be used as emergency funds in case something happened, but it will be only a small fraction of Merry’s…inheritance. Thomas would have wanted you to have it, as a way of saying Thanks for stepping in when you did. For now, Mark, remember my words well. The world may be cold and dark, but as long as there is even a single person still willing to move forward, one flame left burning, the dark will never overcome that Light.”

    Mark, a frown forming on his lips as he turned to face the Stranger, only to find the road empty. He gave a sigh of resignation before grabbing the parcels and walking back towards the shadowed pathway by the stream.

    Mark arrived at the small cave several minutes later, pausing for a moment as he let his eyes adjust to the light. Alexander, the young man who he had rescued alongside Merry, looked up at Mark with dull eyes, and spoke, his voice listless and dry,

    “What? Did you forget something?”

    Mark looked down at the young man with questioning eyes, before looking over at the fire. He noticed that the flames had barely dwindled compared to when he had first left the cave, despite spending what felt like the whole night on the roadside. He raised an eyebrow before lightly tossing the small apothecary kit to Alex, not bothering to say anything as he walked over to the fire and lead against the cold stone wall, his mind weary from the encounter.

    Alex raised a questioning eye, before turning his attention to the small box. His hands began to shake as he peered at its contents, eyes growing in shock as he yelled towards Mark, forgetting to even adjust his volume,

    “God’s Tear?! Where in the hell did you even…No, no, now’s not the times”

    Alex quickly stood and rushed over to Merry’s side. He kneeled down beside the girl, hands trembling slightly as he removed her bandages. Alex gagged a little as a stagnate rotting smell filled the air. He looked down at the poor girl, his heart twisting in pain as he looked at her condition. When the Forest Goblin had struck her the left socket had caved in, crushing the eye and leaving a massive gaping wound for the festering rot to invade. Even now he could see the poison spreading outward from the wound.

    Alex worked quickly as he did his best to clean out as much of the pus and rotting flesh as he could; God’s Tear was powerful even in its raw form, but he didn't have the equipment to properly process it. The more he could physically do, the greater the girl's chances. Mark watched on in silence, no visible emotion on his face.

    Alex was satisfied with his work after a short time, then finally lifted out the blue stalked plant from the box. He cut off the berry cluster with a small pair of scissors before wrapping them in a piece of the thin gauze like cloth, then muttering a short prayer, he squeezed with all his strength.

    Alex’s hands shook for a moment before there was the sound of a soft pop and the cloth gave slightly. Mark watched at a light blue liquid slowly seeped from the end of the cloth and began to fall drip by drip towards the girl’s wound. As the drops fell they seemed to ignite in the air, forming a bright blue flame which landed on the girl’s face. As each small flame landed, the surrounding flesh ignited in a similar bright blue fire.

    Mark stared in wonder as Merry seems unharmed by this strange flame. To the contrary, where ever the flame touched, the rot and pus seemed to burn away into nothing, leaving clean, raw flesh in its wake. Alex heaved a sigh of relief as he watched the flames move slowly under the girl’s skin, eating away even at the hidden rot in her veins. This strain of God’s Tear must have been extremely potent for it to be so powerful even unprocessed; his heart grew icy at the thought how much it must have cost. Alex saw that after a few moments, the blue flames began to die out, leaving only a slight afterglow under her skin. Merry’s breath began to calm and soften as even that glow began to fade, her pained face slowly loosing into a relaxed deep sleep.

    Alex gave a deep laugh as he fell backward onto the ground that slowly turned into tears of relief. He pulled himself together after a moment and began to work once more. He knew that the biggest danger was over, but the girl still had a major injury. He felt relieved, however, that the remaining common herbs in the apothecary’s kit where enough to concoct a few useful salves he knew of.

    Alex worked feverishly preparing and dressing the girl’s wound, before finally finishing shortly before Dawn. He stood on shaking legs as he finished his work, pinching them as he attempted to return the blood flow. He looked over to the opposing wall as he did so and saw Mark sitting there in the same position when he had started. Mark’s eyes were blood shot and there were noticeable dark bags under his eyes, but as Alex walked over to his sleeping bag, he did not miss the gentle smile that rested on Mark’s face as he stared at the sleeping little girl.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
    thrynki likes this.
  10. Goldsaif

    Goldsaif sect patriarch for the sect of primordial lurkers

    Joined:
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    Link
    More so when the
    culture, history and
    common sense very
    greatly from what you
    are used to. So to
    help you in your
    travels, I whipped up
    a little gift for you.
    For now, let’s call it
    ‘The System’ [Patent
    pending].

    these is a word missing

    More so when the
    culture, history and
    common sense differ very
    greatly from what you
    are used to. So to
    help you in your
    travels, I whipped up
    a little gift for you.
    For now, let’s call it
    ‘The System’ [Patent
    pending].
     
  11. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

    Joined:
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    Chapter 5: A Bug in the System

    (Author's Note: Sorry for the Long absence, I've been doing a lot of work at school, and doing some foundation and World building for this Novel. So far, I am really liking where it is going. A little bit of the Information is touched in this Chapter, so tell me what you think!
    Now that I got alot of the Info down on paper, I can speed up on releases; I have the next 4-5 chapters outlined, its just a matter of putting them down.)
    EDIT: Apparently the first round of Edits did not save, so I am going through it and re-proofreading it and making changes as I come across them. Forgive me if you read this early and its a little rough.

    Mark squinted as the soft light of morning streamed through the cave entrance. He leaned his head up against the cold cave wall and slowly closed his eyes and gave a heavy sigh. His eyes suddenly opened at the sound of the young girl not far away quietly whimpering in her sleep. He stood with stiff movements and slowly walked to her side, frowning slightly as he watched Merry toss in her sleep. Mark slowly bent down and sat on his haunches, his eyes softening slightly as he reached out to gently pat the small girl’s head.

    As he did so, Merry’s hand shot out as quick as lightning, her small delicate fingers latching onto Mark’s rough weathered right hand. Mark was shocked to find that despite the fiery fever that raged in her head, the young girl’s hands were as cold as death.

    His eyes showed a struggle as he debated whether to pull the young girl off or not, but as he watched Merry begin to shiver and groan in her sleep, his frown deepened. Mark gave a resigned sigh and gave the young girl’s hand a gentle squeeze, before slowly sitting down beside her.

    A few moments passed before Merry stopped her shivering and shortly after, her cries stopped as well, her breathing easing into a soft gentle rhythm. Mark reached over and laid his free hand on the girl’s forehead; His lips turned up slightly as he felt the fever loosen its grip slightly.

    His right hand still trapped in the girl’s grip he looked over his shoulder towards Alex, only to find the young man passed out on his bedding; He’d just spent most of the night treating Merry’s wounds it was not surprising to be so tired. Mark figured he'd have to stand watch then.

    Mark shook his head slightly in resignation, before turning his thoughts inward and towards the meeting with the Stranger just a few short hours ago. He had to admit, he did not understand most of what the Stranger had said, but from what he had he knew that he did not like it.

    He’d spent all his life following the orders of others; a soldier did not think, he only went where he was sent and did what he was told. And despite all of his struggles to change that fate the only thing that resulted was being thrown away, tossed out like a broken tool.

    Mark’s back bent forward as though a heavy weight pressed on his shoulder and his thoughts grew darker. As he brooded on his predicament, there was a sudden chime in his head, and a mechanical voice spoke in neutral voice,

    SYSTEM TUTORIAL PROGRAM INITIATED, WOULD HOST LIKE TO CONTINUE?

    Mark sat in silent shock for a moment before straightening his back and staring at the simple YES/NO window that had popped into his vision. He’d been so overwhelmed with the young girl’s condition that he’d forgotten about the Stranger’s other “Gift”. While he was reluctant to use anything that man gave him, Mark was not stupid; He recognized that his greatest weakness at the moment was a lack of knowledge.

    He knew that if he wasn’t going to just hide out in this cave for the rest of his life He needed to understand where he was. Mark stared at the options in deep contemplation, before ultimately selecting YES.

    CONFIRMED, ASSIGNING SYSTEM ASSISTANT TO HOST. PLEASE STAND BY.

    As the cold mechanical voice sounded in his head, the small Window flashed once before disappearing. Mark watched in amazement as the morning sunlight began to swirl around the cave, slowly condensing into a small pool In front of him, like water being drawn into a drain. The small pool of light flickered for a moment, before finally stabilizing into a ball of pure light, the size of a Tennis ball.

    Mark stretched out his free hand and gently poked the little ball of Light, feeling a soft give like it was made of cotton. It quivered slightly like gelatin before returning to its original shape and gave a high pitched hum as if in aggravation. Mark gave a small smirk as he reached out and again poked the little ball of light with his free hand, shoving it a little farther away this time.

    The little ball of Light flew a few feet away, before stopping in midair and reversing its direction, before quickly flying in Marks direction. It stopped slightly before his face and quivered angrily as if it was trying to tell Mark something. Mark’s smirk only grew larger as he reached up once more. The ball of Light, seeing Mark’s action, backed away hastily. It stopped a few feet out of his reach and began to quiver and hum even louder, before beginning to fly around the cave as if looking for something.

    The little ball of Light suddenly stopped near a patch of hanging vines in the front of the Cave. It gave a reluctant hum before it dashed into the vines. The Vines began to shake and stir for a moment before something flew out of it at high speeds, followed shortly by the small ball of Light. The small ball of light quickly dashed towards the flying creature, like a Hawk hunting its prey; the two’s extremely high speeds and quick turns prevented Mark from catching a glimpse of the creature's form.

    The ball of light slowly began to catch up with the flying creature before finally striking it, sending it crashing into the ground nearby. Mark, having watched the entire confrontation in silence, was able to make out the shape of the flying creature. There laying near the back wall was a massive beetle.

    Mark could only stare at the creature in shock; it was huge, slightly bigger than the Titan Beetles on Earth but its shape and bulk were closer to that of a Rhinoceros Beetle. Its Shell was a vibrant dark green and it glistened in the morning light in a way that would put any gem to shame. The most striking feature of the beetle, however, was the huge “horn” on its head; easily 4-5 inch long, Mark could tell from a glance that it was hard as iron and insanely sharp, like a small dagger growing from the beetle’s head.

    Mark found himself breaking out in cold sweat as he thought about that “horn” and the speed at which the Beetle had been flying. He did not know what this thing was, but he instantly knew that it was dangerous. Very dangerous. Mark watched as the beetle gave a slight jerk and righted itself, standing on its thin legs and turning around in circles as if looking for something.

    The Beetle’s tiny eyes fell on Mark and it gave an aggravated clicking sound as though to vent its frustrations. Mark’s eyes went wide as he saw the jewel like shell raise up and the beetle spread its wings, its thorax raising in the air as it wings began to beat and the beetle readied itself to charge.

    The beetle never got the chance, however; the moment before it launched itself at Mark, the small ball of Light slammed into the beetle, sending it tumbling a few feet away. Mark raised an eyebrow as he watched the small ball of Light and the strange beetle roll around on the ground, the beetle desperately trying to separate itself while the ball of Light slowly began to surround it. The little ball of Light wrapped around the beetle like an amoeba devouring its prey and beetle’s struggle began to weaken, before finally ceasing altogether.

    The ball of light finally enveloped the beetle entirely and began to pulse slowly up and down, as if breathing. With each rise and fall, the ball of light seemed to shrink tighter and tighter around the beetle’s form, before dissolving into its body entirely. After a moment, all that was left was the motionless body of the beetle.

    Mark watched on with bated breath, when suddenly the small beetle gave a jerk, its body twitching several times. Mark looked around in a panic, searching for anything he could use as a shield or weapon when a tiny high pitched yawn reached his ears.

    Mark’s eyes went wide in shock as he looked over and saw something strange. Where the beetle should have been, now stood a small “person”, only slightly bigger than the Beetle, pushing itself up from its knees. The small person looked around the cave in a daze, its eye’s slightly dreary as though just waking from a dream, before landing on Mark. The small person stared in silence at Mark for a moment before its eyes went wide in anger and it jumped into the air, the large green shell on its back opening wide as the thin wings gave a light hum. The small person flew towards Mark face at a speed he could barely follow, though even if he could Mark was in such shock that he had not even reacted.

    “You! You, You, YOU! Where do you think you get off poking this Young Lady?!”

    As the small person spoke, it thrust out its small hand and poked Mark in nose several times, each time moving slightly closer. This close, Mark could finally the small person’s face. He could only stare in silence as he looked at the small person in front of his eyes; although her face was bright red in anger and her cheeks were puffed out with air, he could still make out the profile of a young girl, no more than 11-12 years old.

    Her face was striking but not overly so, more cute than beautiful. Her snow white skin stood in stark contrast to her long black hair that reached slightly past her shoulders. Her eyes, though round in anger at the moment, where a vibrant emerald. On her body, she wore a jet black set of leather Armor like one might see in a medieval reenactment; the chest, arms, legs and other places plated on top with a bright green metallic substance that glistened in the light.

    Though currently raised as thin transparent wings beat rapidly in flight, her back was covered in a huge Green shell, apparently made of the same stuff as the plating on her Armor. Strapped to one side of the shell, was a long Naginata tipped with the Beetle’s Horn. Though to Mark, this blade would have been nothing more than a Fruit Knife, he could not help but shiver as it gave off a cold light in the morning sun.

    The tiny Girl, frustrated at Mark’s inattention, dropped her arms to her side before huffing and bending forward to stare him in the eye, her own still cold with anger as she spoke,

    “Well?!”

    Mark, blinking in surprise, shook his head as if to dispel an illusion. He looked back at the tiny girl flying in front of his nose, the shock and fear in his eyes replaced by confusion. He tilted his head and lifted his free hand out as if to poke her and spoke with a low voice,

    “What are you?”

    Mark felt a sting from his finger as a sudden flash of light swept past him, before he yelped and quickly pulled his finger back. He looked down at his finger but saw no visible wound until a thin line of red slowly formed. The tiny flying girl looked at Mark with cold eyes before speaking in a neutral tone,

    “I told you. Do not think you can touch me, Human”.

    Mark could feel his blood run cold as he looked at the tiny Naginata she held in her Hands. She was fast. Stupidly fast. Mark had specialized in hand-to-hand combat while in the military, and while he would not go so far as to say he was the best, he had absolute confidence in his eyes. Yet he’d barely been able to see her movement, otherwise, he’d have lost the finger entirely. Mark had no doubt in his mind that the blade would have passed through his bone like it was air, the blade was that sharp.

    The tiny flying girl placed her weapon back on her shell, before crossing her arms and looking down nose at Mark, before sneering in a proud voice,

    “But since you ask Human, This Young Lady will tell you! Rejoice, for you stand in the presence of The Great Manifestation of Nature! The Queen of Earth and Wind! Master of the Land! The Great Magi Spirit, Tsutsuji!”

    Mark stared in silence at the young girl who called herself Tsutsuji, as a light wind blew through the cave entrance, kicking up a bit of dust, before grabbing his stomach then bending over and letting out a light laugh, not being able to hold it in any longer.

    “Hahahahhahahaha”

    The tiny girl, Tsutsuji, looked down at Mark in a rage, her face growing redder in a combination of embarrassment and anger, as she yelled in a high pitched voice,

    “What? Why are you laughing at this Great One?! Do you not know who I am! You should be in Reverence! REVERENCE!”

    Mark barely managed to calm himself down, as he looked up at Tsutsuji with a slight smile. He did not know who or what a Magi Spirit was, but Tsutsuji was the name of a flower from Earth. A Subspecies of the Azalea which meant temperance and fragility in the language of flowers, the Tsutsuji also held the meaning of patient and modesty. Maybe who ever had named the little girl has wished that she would grow into these same Virtues. Or maybe they just had a taste for irony. Mark did not care either way, but he had to admit, the little girl did not seem as nearly as threatening as she had just a moment ago. He looked up at Tsutsuji with a slight smirk before speaking in a questioning voice,

    “Ok little bug Tsutsuji, where did you come from? Why are you here now?”

    Tsutsuji’s face went another shade darker as a vein started to throb on her head. She suddenly drew her Naginata again and began to swing it wildly at Mark’s face. Mark was able to easily dodge each swing with a grin; though Tsutsuji was blindingly fast, her small size coupled with her blind rage causing her to drop all pretense of technique, made it as dangerous as if she were swinging a twig. Tsutsuji in her rage, billowed out as she swung again and again

    “B-bug!? Bug! Whose fault do you think it is that I am stuck in this Vessel! If you had let me be, I could have taken my time, but NoOoOoO! You just had to go and touch this Young Lady with your grubby fingers!”

    Mark simply gave a chuckle as he dodged each swing. Mark’s eyes suddenly flashed as Tsutsuji began to tire, then with a quick hand he grabbed at her feet and pull her down a few inches. Tsutsuji caught off guard, gave a squeal and stopped swinging as she was pulled down. Mark took the opening and plucked small Naginata from her hands, hanging the young girl upside down by her feet. Mark raised the tiny girl to eye level while spinning the small Naginata around his fingers like a knife, and gave her a mocking grin. Tsutsuji could only flail her arms and wings helplessly as she dangled by her feet, then with tears welling up in her eyes, she spoke in a soft pleading voice.

    “S-stop! Give it back, give it back now! Where do you get off attacking this Young Lady like this!?”

    Mark simply looked down and spoke in a haughty voice,

    “Now, what makes you think someone in your position should be making demands? Besides, I distinctly remember you attacking me first.”

    Mark’s grin widened as Tsutsuji’s face blush and she turned her head away as if to say ‘I don’t know what you are talking about’. Mark leaned closer to the girl’s face, their noses almost touching as he spoke in a flat serious voice, the grin wiped from his face,

    “I’ll ask you one more time. Who are you, and where did you come from”.

    Tsutsuji gulped down as the tiny Naginata in Mark’s hand stopped spinning and pointed straight at the young girl’s throat.

    ________________________________________

    A short while later, Mark sat with his legs and arms crossed as he stared down at the tiny girl in front of him. Tsutsuji sat there in a practiced seiza position silently looking at the ground, not wanting to meet Mark’s eyes. Mark could not help but close his eyes and gently rub his temples. According to the girl, she was a “Spirit of the Magi”, a fundamental force of Nature in this world. In simple terms, she was a “Will” born from the collective intentions of the Magi. Specifically, she was a subspecies of Magi Spirit call a “Guide”. Guides acted as the voice of the Magi, directing and instructing other beings on the Magi’s will.

    Guide’s duties varied from Guide to Guide, but each was critical to the natural flow and order the world. Mark could not help but feel that if the other Guides were similar to the one in front of him, then this world’s average blood pressure must be very high.

    Tsutsuji’s presently assigned duty was to act as Mark's instructor and assistant in the System tutorial, answering any questions and concerns that he may have. Mark let out a low moan thinking about the whole thing and began to genuinely regret selecting YES, as he nursed his growing headache.

    Mark opened one eye as he looked down at the little Guide as she mumbled something under her breath, eyes still on the ground. He sighed heavily as he spoke to her in an impatient voice,

    “What? What is it, speak up and stop mumbling.”

    Tsutsuji looked up at Mark, though her eyes almost at tears as she looked away, unwilling to meet his eye, she spoke in a slightly louder voice,

    “I-I have a message for y-you”

    Quickly reaching into the space between her back and shell, she pulled out a ‘large’ white marble cube flecked with gold, about half the size of her head. She placed the cube on the ground, and it gave a slight shake before quickly breaking down into a fine glistening sand. The sand mixed with the surrounding stone and dirt as though it had a mind of its own, quickly forming into the shape of a person, roughly the size of Tsutsuji.

    The Earthen person suddenly moved on its own, reaching out to tap the Air, as if fiddling with something that Mark could not see, then it spoke in a loud voice. Mark frowned deeply as he listened; the voice was instantly recognizable as the voice of the Stranger.

    [“Hello? This thing working? Blasted contraption, why did I ever program these things in. Mark if you are seeing this message, then the Tutorial program has been activated and you’ve made contact with Tsutsuji. First off, let me apologize for her behavior. She can be a little fireball, so be careful not get burned”.]

    Tsutsuji’s eyes went wide and her face turned cherry red as the earthen stranger spoke, and she called out small squeak,

    “H-hey!”

    The Earthen Stranger continued on with a wide grin.

    [“First off, I wanted to explain a little about The System, what its purpose is, and the nature of this World. As you are already aware, this is not your World. Or rather, it is better to say this is what your World COULD have been. One pivoting point of this World is the existence called Magi. When the world was still young, it was very similar to your own. However, a long time ago a certain event led to the destruction of the Lesser King, what you call the “Moon”.

    The Moon’s function in nature was not just to light up the Night sky, it played an important role in the natural order of the World. Its influence moved Land and Sea, called the Tides and the Wind. Its pull even affected the growth and direction that Life would take over the Eons. With its destruction and the splitting of the Skyshards, while the moon’s influence was not erased, it was greatly weakened. A Great Stone can support a Great burden, but when that Stone is broken into gravel, then that support is no longer stable.

    With the weakening of the Moon’s influence, the World was thrown into chaos and destruction. There was a need to replace that lost influence, to bring Order back from Chaos. Thus, the Magi were born. The Magi, in terms you would understand, are something similar to Organic Nanobots; microscopic bio-machines designed to “mimic” the influence and power that was lost. Alone, a single Magi cannot do much, but just as the trillions of cells make up your body, the countless Magi scattered through the World have the power to influence and reshape reality.

    Thus, they have become a cornerstone of the World, bringing order and become a fundamental law of Nature. You might ask yourself, ‘Ok, so what? What does that have to do with me?’ Well, it is first necessary to understand how the Magi work before you can understand the System. I am sure by now, you’ve noticed your new Ink? Yes?”….]

    Mark’s eyes went wide at the Earthen Stranger’s words, and he quickly patted his chest and pulled on the top of his Shirt, looking down at the strange markings over his Heart. Mark’s furrowed his eyebrows as he lowered his arms and looked back at the Earthen Stranger. The Earthen Stranger simply continued on,

    […..“That Is call a ‘Sigil’. While not quite the same, you could liken it to a 'Genetic Super Computer'. Every intelligent, sentient organism in this World is born with a ‘Sigil’. They are an indispensable part of life. And most importantly, the Sigil authorizes one to give 'Commands' to the Magi. These 'commands' take many forms. Abilities, Mutations….Magic. They are all a result of the Magi’s power to shape the world. Of course, there are limitation and stipulations involved, we can’t have people simply changing the nature of the World on a whim.

    First off, Magi require 'Power' to perform their functions. Magi in nature, draw their energy collectively, and because they are 'maintaining' the status quo, the energy required is minimal. If a Sigil gives a 'Command' to the Magi, however, it must first provide the energy needed. And the farther this command deviated from the established natural order, the greater the demand.
    This energy takes the form of the Host’s Metabolic Power (MP), literally the chemical energy stored in your body. The greater the amount of energy stored, the greater the changes that can be made.

    Secondly, the 'Commands' that can be given are pre-constructed; whether it be through a 'Skill' or a 'Spell', The Magi will only follow preset 'programs' recorded in the Sigil. Don’t be discouraged though, there are as many different programs in existence as there are stars in the Sky. It’s simply a matter of discovering them. This is simply to prevent those who do not know better from tinkering in matters they cannot understand, think of it as a fail-safe.

    Now, the System is a very ‘Special’ program that I’ve created just for you and others like you, to help you *coughandthereaderscough* better assimilate to this new world. If anything, you can think of the System as this world’s very own ‘Internet’; it is a program that Links together every Sigil and Magi into one huge interconnected network. This allows you to pull out information that you would otherwise not even know you don’t know. By the way, it is also the reason you are able to communicate with the people of this World, your Sigil automatically translates the words spoken in your head and sends the meaning of the words you speak through the System and to the other parties Sigil, translating for them as well.

    That being said, however, the System is not almighty. Just like the Internet of Earth does not have everything, certain information will not be available to you. Specifically, anything that is not in the ‘database’, the collective Sigil information storage, as well as personal information that the Person is not willing to provide, such as their bank pin or body measurements. Though if this information is publicly open or something that can be inferred, you may get lucky. Certain Skills may also allow you to catch a glimpse at this personal information, however, these are an exception to the rule.

    Lastly, I wanted to talk about your own Sigil. As a human of Earth, you were not born with a Sigil, so think of this one as another gift. The name of your Sigil is 'Survivor'. While it is not unique, it is still very special. It embodies my desire for you to grow and survive in this new world, to bring change and stir things up. In its most basic form, you can think of it as a 'healing factor'; any damage that you take will cause your body to rapidly recover and at the same time become stronger than it was before.
    There are other functions and secrets to it as well, but where would the fun be if I told you all that from the get-go? For now, you simply need to do what you wish and go where your feet take you. Be warned though, while you are now much harder to kill than you were before, you are not immortal; losing a limb or two is fine, but serious damage will still debilitate you for some time, and any attack that could kill you instantly will not be recoverable. Survivor also follows the laws of the Magi, if you run out of energy you will be no harder to kill than any other normal man.
    Remember Mark, I’ll be watching you. Make things interesting for me, if you can”]

    With a smile and a wave of the hand, the Earthen Stranger collapsed back into a pile of sand. Mark looked down at the pile and sighed deeply, his mind going over the information again and again. Tsutsuji gave a sigh herself, as she stood and brushed off the dust on her legs, then with a quiet voice, still not willing to look Mark in the eye, she said,

    “W-well now that, that is over, do you have questions or…..”

    Before Tsutsuji could finish her words, however, the little pile of sand sprang back to form, and the Earthen Stranger spoke again.

    [“Oh! That reminds me! I have one more thing to mention. I am afraid that I’m going to have to put Tsutsuji on probation for a little while. She’s been warned before to curve her temper. I’d like to ask Mark to watch after her for a bit until other arrangements can be made. Take care of her well, and sorry for the trouble!”]

    The two stared in shock at the Earthen Stranger, as he simply held his palms together and made a slight bow to Mark, before snapping his fingers. Tsutsuji gave a small squeak as a tiny grain of light flew out of her chest and towards Mark, passing through his clothes and hitting the Sigil on his chest. Mark’s eyes widened in surprise as he felt the Sigil grow slightly warm and pulse with light under his clothes. He was suddenly aware of some form of link between Himself and the tiny Guide girl; while it could not be called reading her mind exactly, it was as if he was infinitely aware of her, able to perceive her intentions and her emotions; her confusion and anger and fear and doubt all wrapped in one.

    Tsutsuji as well seemed to become aware of the connection, and as she stared at Mark with wide eyes, she turned to the Earthen Stranger and pleaded as tears began to well up,

    “Wait! Please, Master No! Anyone but Him!”

    Mark spoke at the same time,

    “Wait a moment, I never agreed to th…”

    The Earthen Stranger started to quiver as he hastily spoke,

    [“Whoops, went over time. Sorry, this is just a Recording, I can’t answer you. Well, have a good day!!”]

    Before collapsing again into a pile of sand. Tsutsuji, in shock, fell to her knees, both palms on the cold stone ground as she gave out a loud cry,

    “Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

    Mark too cursed out at the pile of sand,

    “Wait, don’t just pretend like you are a recording! Come back here you Son of a ------!”

    Mark’s mouth slammed shut of its own volition before he could utter the last word, leaving the only sounds in the cave the flowing of the small stream, the snoring of the two who’s slept through the commotion and gentle sobbing of a tiny girl as she lay in a puddle of tears.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  12. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Interlude 1: Ways of the World - Part 1

    [Author’s Notes: WARRING, INFO DUMP AHEAD. The Following Interlude is Mark going through the system Tutorial and some World building. While you can skip it and not miss any real Story, I highly recommend reading it so that other information makes more scenes later on.
    In the Future while not all Interludes will be so, I will try and put any large Info Dump like this into Interludes. They will not be necessary to understand the story, but they will make some things make more scene, as well as introduce common terminology used in later chapters.]


    Mark poked around the remains of the dead fire in front of him, trying to find a few still living embers he could use to relight the fire pit and start breakfast. He gave a tired sigh after a moment of fruitless poking, before standing and stretching out his arms. Looking around for anything that he could use to start a fire with, Mark’s eyes landed on the small figure of Tsutsuji as she huddled in a ball not far from where Merry slept. She had stopped sobbing a while ago but she has refused to answer him, or even lift her head, since.

    Mark smirked as a lightbulb went off in his head. He looked down at the tiny Guide and spoke in a questioning manner,

    “Hey, Bug. That Crazy Guy mentioned ‘Magic’ right? Do you know how to use it? Light the fire and we’ll get started on Breakfast”.

    Tsutsuji looked up at Mark’s words her face red as she yelled out in a high voice,

    “I am not a Bug! And you will be respectful when you speak of Master! Refer to him as Lord, or Lord Elaos! Besides that, of course, I know magic…”

    She gave a humph as she turned her eyes away and lifted her nose, answering again in a mocking voice,

    “…..and who do you think I am? I am not your servant!”

    Mark gave a light chuckle and shrugged his shoulders as if he did not care, and said

    “Well fine then. Tell me how to do it and I’ll do it myself”

    Tsutsuji looked up at Mark for a moment before bursting into laughter,

    “Hahahahaha, and how are you going to do that? You don’t even have the Fire Magic skill!”

    Mark simply looked down at the tiny girl and lifted an eyebrow, before asking,

    “Skill?”

    Tsutsuji went silent, then suddenly burst into an even greater fit of laughter than before, holding her stomach as she rolled along the cave floor.

    “Bwahahahhm You do- You don’t even know what a S-Skill is?! Hahahhaha, I can’t st-. Help. Dying. Bwahahahahha”

    Mark could feel his head start to ache as his mouth would not stop twitching. He gave a sudden flick of his wrist, as a thin metallic object flashed in the light, slamming into the ground next to the tiny girl. Tsutsuji bumped into the object as she was rolling around, then with cold sweat on her face, she looked up at the form of her Naginata embedded deeply into the hard stone floor. Mark spoke out in the next moment using a cold, annoyed voice.

    “And whose fault is that little Ms. Guide? You forget I am not from around here, so how about you start doing your Job?”

    Tsutsuji instantly quieted and scrambled into a sitting position, her face flushed with embarrassment and fear. She avoided eye contact with Mark as she looked at the embedded Naginata, then spoke in a low trembling voice.

    “Y-ya, let’s do that. I-initiating Guided tutorial system, WS-t001: Basics.”

    As Tsutsuji spoke, a familiar Window popped into existence in Mark’s eyes,
    _____________
    │EXAMINE
    │--------------------
    │STATUS
    │--------------------
    │INVENTORY
    │---------------------
    │INDEX
    │---------------------


    Tsutsuji gestured to the screen in an attempted professional manner.

    “This is the ‘Main Menu’ of the System. While not all functions are available at the moment, the Four you see are the ‘default’ settings. In the basic lesson, we will go over the function of each. First, we will start with the ‘Examine’ function. Examine is a function that System Users can use to pull up information stored in the ‘Collective Index’, the data storage space of the Sigils and Magi. The Collective Index is the total sum of all the data collected by the Sigils over the eons, and the Examine function lets you tap into a small part of that information.
    Now, give it a try. Simply focus on a target and select Examine in your mind”.

    Mark followed the instructions and focused on a small rock nearby. As he did so, a small window popped into existence near it.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Small Shale Rock
    Description
    : A common mineral found near rivers and streams. Processed Shale is one of the major exports of the Greater Southern Planes.
    Market Price: 1w/oz
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark stared at the little window in interest and started to examine other objects around him.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Star Moss
    Description
    : A bright yellow moss that can be found growing in dark environments that have access to star and moonlight, such as cave entrances or Tree hollows. On nights of a new moon, Star Moss will glow brightly. Some theorize that this light is used to attract flying insects, which it traps with a sticky substance. It then uses this prey to supplement the lost Moonlight.
    Market Price: 10w/oz
    --------------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------------
    Rockhound Merchant Bag
    Description
    : High-Quality leather backpack made from Rockhound leather. It’s strong, elastic and durable nature makes it one of the best on the Market, able to store and transport nearly anything.
    Market Price: 10,000w
    --------------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------------
    ~~~~~~~~~~<Status>~~~~~~~~~~~
    Name: Guide No.77239 <Tsutsuji>
    Race: Magi Spirit <Guide>
    Birthplace: Grandeur
    Age: NO!
    Bio: “I am not a Bug!”
    --------------------------------------------------
    Mark could not help but raise an eyebrow at the last one. Tsutsuji looked up at Mark and stuck her tongue out before answering his unasked question,

    “As you can see, even other people are not exempt from Examine’s power. However, the information that is available for viewing is limited to what that person is consciously willing to divulge. Keep in mind, however, while only System Users are able to directly use the Examine function there ARE Items that can mimic its effects in the world, such as the famous ‘Mirror of Truth’. Some skills may be able to gather more information, but the people who use such a method are rarely ‘pleasant’. As well as this, information that is no longer available, for whatever reason, will not be able to be brought up. If there is no record of an event or the Item has never been recorded by a Sigil then examine will be of no use past basic information.

    While we are on the topic try using Examine on yourself. Alternately, you can select the ‘status’ option in the main menu.”

    Mark followed the instructions and attempted to focus on himself before using Examine. He furrowed his brow as he looked at the large screen that popped into existence.

    ┌~~~~~~~~~~<Status>~~~~~~~~~~~
    Name: Mark Floyd
    Race: Human
    Age: 30
    Active Sigil: Survivor

    Sigil Level: 2
    HP: 312/350 (Status: slight internal injuries, sleep deprivation).
    MP: 30/50

    STR: 15
    END
    : 40 (30 + 10)
    WILL: 10
    DEX: 22 (20 +2)

    ACTIVE SKILLS: [Survivor’s Will (lvl 2)]

    PASSIVE SKILLS: [Healing Factor (lvl 2)] – [Military Survival (lvl 10 ~MAX~)] – [Kajukenbo (2nd degree)] – [MCMAP (1st degree)] – [Footwork (lvl 4)] – [Thrown Weapons (lvl 6)] – [Long Weapons (lvl 6)] – [Swordmenship (lvl 1)]

    UNIQUE SKILLS: [Ember] – [From the Ashes]
    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    As Mark stared at the Window in shock, Tsutsuji continued on with her explanation.

    “The screen that you see is your personal ‘Status’. In essence, it is a digital representation of your body created from the information gathered by your Sigil. The numbers you see are simply benchmarks by the way. They are only used as rough outline about a person’s physical condition. Assuming that you beat someone, simply because you have higher Stats, is a good way to get yourself kill.

    Your Sigil level is an important number to pay attention to. Not only does the Sigil level indicate how well you have adapted to its use, but the level of ‘Authorization’ you have when giving commands to the Magi. Thus the higher your level, the more varied and more powerful the Skills you will have access to. By the way, the average level for a normal adult male your age is 6-8, with most Soldiers pressing level 10. It’s safe to say that you quite lacking, hehehehe.

    As well as increase the skills you have available, Sigils will help to supplement the body by boosting related parameters. Someone who’s Sigil is based on production may find an increase to their DEX or someone with a combat Sigil may find their STR or WILL be increased. This effect will strengthen as the Sigil’s level increases.

    Next, comes skills. You can see that they are broken down into 3 sections. First is the Active skills. Active skills are ‘Programs’ installed into your Sigil that allows you to perform actions that would normally be far above the limitations of reality. These include Magic, ‘Qi’ abilities or special Functions of your Sigil. Keep in mind that in order to activate an Active skill you have both the ‘knowledge’ and the ‘energy’. If you have the energy but not the ‘knowledge’, then the energy used will greatly increase and power will greatly decrease. If you have the ‘knowledge’ but not the energy, you will burn your life force to make up the deficit.

    Passive skills are a bit different. They take two forms. Trained and Mutation. Trained skills are skills that you acquire through your own hard work. Once your effort is recognized by your Sigil, you will acquire the corresponding passive skill. The benefit of this skill is that the Sigil will assist you during related activities, automatically correcting your small mistakes and nuances as your proficiency increases.

    Mutations, on the other hand, are different. Mutations are the result of your Internal Magi changing your body on a fundamental level as the result of some form of stimuli. Mutations mostly come from your Sigil itself; as your Sigil’s level grows it will automatically trigger these mutations to better adapt your body to the new found power. Examples of this is someone with a Warrior Sigil whose muscles become denser and compact, allowing for strength far exceeding the limits of a human. Or an Archer Sigil changing someone’s eyes to be able to see miles away. Though rare, Mutations can also come from outside stimuli, such as a Treasures or Inheritance.

    Lastly, we have unique skills. These are a skill that is encoded into your very Soul. Not everyone has a unique skill, and no two unique skills are the same. Most people are born with their unique skill, however, some can be passed down to an Inheritor, either through will or blood, and others can be granted by a higher power. But no matter their source, every unique skill is mysterious and powerful. “

    Mark had sat through the entire Lecture in silent contemplation, staring at the open screen. Tsutsuji lifted her nose up with a boastful smile as if to say ‘praise my brilliant knowledge’, but after a moment of silence looked at Mark with puffed up cheeks,

    “Well?!”

    Ignoring the little Guide’s outburst, Mark spoke in a low voice,

    “Most of it I can make out, but there are a few things I do not know about. What is [Survivor’s Will]? And the unique skills are too vague, I can’t make them out….”

    Tsutsuji simply looked at Mark in shock, as If questioning if he was serious, before speaking,

    “What are you talking about? Didn’t we just go over how to use Examine? Just focus on the skill and select the command. Good grief, maybe you ARE sleep deprived.”

    Mark raised his brow in wonder at the simple answer. Maybe this System was more useful than he had first given it credit. Mark turned his focus back to the Status window, ignoring the tiny girl’s complaints as he focused on a few elements and used Examine.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Survivor’s Will
    Skill Type
    : Active, Sigil
    Cost: Variable
    Description: the basic Active skill of the Survivor Sigil allows the user to quickly, but only temporally adapt their body to a great degree, in order to overcome an obstacle. A Host who finds themselves underwater may grow Gills. Or if they are surrounded by Fire, their skill will harden and thicken to become fireproof.
    Survivor’s Will is not foolproof, however; the longer and more complex the change to the user’s body, the more energy will be consumed. Lower level Hosts may even find that they are not able to adapt quick enough, or that their Change is not adequate. Hosts are advised to use Survivor’s Will sparingly and with great discretion, or the dangers could far outweigh the benefits.
    --------------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------------
    Healing Factor
    Skill Type
    : Passive, Sigil Mutation
    Description: Your body’s ability to heal and react to damage has greatly increased thanks to the influence of the Survivor Sigil. Even if you were to lose a limb, it will grow back given enough time and energy. However, the RATE at which recovery takes place is based on your Sigil level.
    Level Effect: Level 2 – Host is able to recover from small lacerations and minor blunt force trauma in a few hours. Heavy and internal damage will take 1-3 days to recover. Lost Limbs will regrow in a Month.
    --------------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------------
    Ember
    Skill Type
    : Unique Skill, Blessing
    Description:??? ??? ??????? ????? ????
    “The Ember does not choose to light the Flames. It is its Nature”.
    --------------------------------------------------

    --------------------------------------------------
    From the Ashes
    Skill Type
    : Unique Skill, Passive Mutation
    Description: The blood of the Survivor courses through your veins. When injuries heal, your body will grow stronger in proportion to the severity. Your body will automatically adapt over time to hostile environments and Stimuli.
    “What doesn’t kill you, only makes you Stronger”.
    Current Adaptations:
    - Microbial resistance (lvl 1): Your body has become resistant to the microbes of another world. Slightly increases resistance to infection and contamination.
    - Rough Living (lvl 4): Your rough life style has made you able to sleep and recover nearly anywhere. The earth is your bed and the sky your blanket
    - Presence Detection (lvl 2): Your senses have been slightly sharpened, allow you to detect the presence of others from a short distance away.
    - Chemical Resistance (lvl 5 [MAX]): Someone has tinkered with your body in a way that it will automatically expel any harmful substance.
    “Just in case – a Friend”
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark could not help but feel a little giddy as he looked at the information provided. The Healing Factor had been mentioned by the stranger, the man Tsutsuji named Elaos. While Survivor’s Will was….interesting, the Skill “Ember” was still a mystery, though he could roughly guess where it came from. From the Ashes, however, drew his attention the most. Not only was the effect insane, it seemed to be broken down into several sub-skills. He did not have anything to compare it to, so he was not sure if this was the norm for a Unique Skill, but Mark could see why Tsutsuji had called them “mysterious and powerful”.

    Tsutsuji herself had gone into shock when she’d seen the description and had yet to have the presence of mind to close her gaping mouth. Mark took advantage of her silence and asked,

    “So what now?"

    Tsutsuji was silent for a moment, before closing her mouth and shaking her head, then spoke in a slightly less enthusiastic voice,

    “The next Option is the Inventory. Like the others, simply select it from the Menu, or bring it to mind.”

    Mark gave a simple nod then opened the Option. His Status Window closed, only to be replaced by a nostalgic Character Screen from the only RPG he’d played when he was a kid. The bulk of the Window was taken up by a 3D panning image of himself. To either side of the image were several “slots”, marked by obvious symbols. To the left, a helm, chest, legs, gloves, and boots. To the right, 2 rings, a necklace, and 2 earrings. At the bottom was 3 slots, one marked with a Sword, one with a Shield, and box with a swirl in it.

    It was a Classic setup you could find in any cookie cutter RPG in the past 20 years, and Mark was slightly annoyed by this fact. He was not quite sure what he was expecting, but he had the urge to yell at someone “do your job properly!” Other than then the gloves and helm, the left side slots were occupied by his current clothes, and the Weapon slot showed the old rusty sword, Legend. Everything else was empty.

    The lower half of the Screen was grayed out, and when Mark focused on it, a cold mechanical voice sounded in his Head,

    NO SPATIAL STONES DETECTED, INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IS CURRENTLY DISABLED

    Tsutsuji spoke again as if to answer the voice,

    “In order to use all of the functions of the Inventory, you need to carry a ‘Spatial Stone’. Think of them as an item box in web novels, or a Bag in an RPG. They are not rare in this world, and many people will choose to make them into items and jewelry, or even sow them into clothes. However, they are far more expensive than other methods, so most people will just bring a good bag or chest to carry their belongings.”

    Mark chose to ignore why she knew those terms, and instead looked down at the little girl

    “Ok, fine. Where do I get a Spatial Stone?”
    “You buy them”
    “…….”
    “………..”
    “……………”
    “………..*sweat*”

    A few moments later, a small round pitch black marble fell from the under Tsutsuji’s shell as Mark dangled her helplessly by the feet. Mark reached down and picked up the marble and looked at it carefully. It was a strange thing, blacker than black. It almost reminded Mark of a black hole, sucking in all the light around it. Tsutsuji looked up at Mark with filled eyes and cried out in indignation,

    “Thief! Tyrant! Bandit! Who taught you to steal from sweet little girls!?”

    Tsutsuji gave a shriek as Mark suddenly let go of her feet and she fell head first towards the ground, only just managing to extend her wings and right herself before hitting, before collapsing on the ground with a frustrated scream.

    The Character screen’s bottom half lit up as Mark held onto the spatial stone. The bottom screen appeared to be an open chest when several items laying inside. He found that he could sort and shift these items around by moving them with his finger. In all, the Stone seemed to contain several bundles of herbs, a full camping set, and a brown Leather Armor set similar to Tsutsuji’s, minus the plating. Mark played around with it for a bit, before attempting to drag the leather gloves up to the Glove slots, only to find that he could not move them past the top of the Chest. He furrowed his brow in frustration, before turning back to Tsutsuji and asking.

    “Hey. How do I remove the items?”

    Tsutsuji in response, simply lay where she was and gave a humph before turning her head away,

    “I have nothing to say to someone who steals from children!”
    “Really? Was it yours? I’m sure you would have made great use out of a male armor, 100 times your size. Yes?”

    Tsutsuji feel cold sweat on the back of her neck at Mark’s response, but not losing a beat, she sat up and spoke slightly faster than normal,

    “I don’t know what you are talking about. Anyway, equipment can be equipped by focuses on the item and saying ‘Equip’. You can remove them and equip them directly, but the Inventory system will make automatic size and build adjustments when using it. It’s also faster. Don’t worry about other people seeing it, there is a type of Equipment magic that is fairly popular, so as long as you do not open your mouth, people will not find it so strange.
    As for removing items, simply ‘pull’ the item from the window, and it will be extracted from the spatial stone. Same for putting items in, just touch them to the screen and they will be automatically stored.”

    Mark nodded in understanding and organized the item box. Focusing on the armor, Mark quickly equipped each piece. He was slightly surprised when the dim light covered his body and his old dirty clothes were replaced by a snug set of rugged leather armor. Just as Tsutsuji said, the System had automatically adjusted the armor to fit him perfectly; he could not find a single place that was ill fitted or uncomfortable, he even felt he’d be able to sleep in he needed to.

    He next tried taking out several of the supplies stored in the inventory. Mark played around with this for a while, before storing everything back, as well as the money purse, some Star Moss scrapings and a few odd and ends found around the cave.

    As he was finishing up, Mark’s attention was drawn to movement across the cave. He watched as Alex gave a yawn and stretched himself out, slowly pushing himself up and standing in the morning light. Alex began to slowly put away his bedding, still dreary eyed when he caught sight of Mark. Alex froze instantly, his mouth gaping wide at Mark’s appearance. Specifically, he was looking at Mark’s new armor.

    Tsutsuji, seeing the young man awake for the first time, opened her shell and quickly flew over to Mark, landing on his shoulder. Her eye’s glaring suspiciously at Alex, she bent down and whispered into Mark’s ear,

    “Hey, who’s that?”
    “Alex”
    “Alex?”
    “Alex”

    After the banter, Tsutsuji stood straight and crossed her arms, nodding to herself as if confirming something. Alex, on the other hand, still stood in shock at the two, his eyes darting back and forth between Mark and the tiny girl on his shoulder. His mouth was opened wide as strange grunting sounds came out, like he was struggling to say something, but could not put it to words, and his hand rose trembling, pointing at the two. Alex’s eyes suddenly rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground.

    Mark could only give a deep sigh as he held his shaking head. Tsutsuji on the other hand fell to her back and burst into rolling laughter.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  13. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 6: Things that were Lost…



    Mark sat near the small fire, stirring a small iron pot filled with oatmeal and small chunks of dried fruit. He had never heard of these fruits before, but Examine insured him that they were edible. Tsutsuji hovered over the edge of the pot staring intently into its contents, a greedy grin spreading over her face. After several attempts on her part to steal a taste when she thought Mark was not looking, Tsutsuji was flicked away, giving a small cry as she tumbled through the air,


    “Hey!”
    “It’s not ready. Go play with some of the cave beetles”
    “I’m not a Bug!”


    Tears fell from Tsutsuji’s eyes as she raced to the far wall and began to sulk, repeatedly mumbling something Mark could not quite hear. Mark simply continued stirring the porridge, careful not to let it burn. As the mellow smell of the porridge began to fill the small cave he heard a small rustle behind him. He looked over to see Alex finally waking. Alex gave a long yawn as he stretched himself out and stood. Seeing Mark near the small fire, he drowsily walked over, speaking softly as he did so.


    “Yo, I have the strangest dream, there was this little Bug and you were…..”
    “I said I am not a Bug!”


    Alex stopped mid-sentence as his eye’s landed on the small figure of Tsutsuji crouching in a corner of cave. Her tear marked face was a bright red as she turned her head to yell at Alex, a dark and gloomy air surrounding her. Alex’s eyes bulged as his heart began to pound, then yelled in panic,


    “P-pixie! Quickly, kill it!”


    The cloud of sleep lifted from Alex’s mind and with a practiced hand he drew his sword. Mark moved at the same time, standing and striking down on Alex’s sword hand with the wooden ladle, still covered in hot porridge. Alex gave a sharp yelp and dropped his sword, giving Mark a confused look before raising his hand and blowing on his slightly burnt wrist. Tsutsuji quickly stood from her corner and flew over to Alex, stopping just short of his nose before yelling at him, a vein bulging on her head,


    “And I am not a Pixie either! I swear, do Human’s no longer know how to show any respect or reverence? I am a Guide. A GUIDE. G.U.I.D.E!”
    “A-a Guide?”
    “Yes, a Guide. Do you not know what that means?!”
    “You mean, you’re a-a spirit?!"
    “YES! Finally! Do get it now?”
    “Y-yes? No, I mean why is there a Magi Spirit here? Why do you look like a-“
    “DON’T YOU DARE SAY IT!”


    Mark raised an eyebrow at the two’s banter before went back to stirring the Porridge. As he watched the two go back and forth, Mark wondered to himself what the “Pixie” Alex had mentioned before was. A small window suddenly popped into his vision, as if to answer his ponderings,

    --------------------------------------------------
    Pixie
    Index Entry
    : Also called “Fallen One”, “Corrupted Spirit”, and “Devil Wisp”. While the name and shape vary between cultures, they all refer to the same creature. Pixies are Malignants birthed when a Magi Spirit is corrupted by miasma. While Magi Spirits are naturally able to cleanse miasma, if the Spirit is weakened or exposed to huge amounts, a Pixie may be born.
    Pixies can take many forms, depending on their vessel when they were a Spirit, but every one of them is extremely dangerous and are considered to be at minimal a C-ranked threat.
    Adventurers are advised to take caution and report any Pixie sightings to the authorities.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sudden answer. He had not realized that the system could be used like this, as well. It would come in handy later. It took a moment to read through the information before he focused on another unknown word. The first window closed and a second opened in his vision.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Malignant
    Index Entry
    : Lifeforms infected by miasma. Miasma is a poison released when dead Magi are unable to be recycled back into the system. This poison can “change” the Magi in an area, causes them to become destructive and virulent. If the internal Magi of a Lifeform is corrupted, they will begin to change the host, destroying their mind and mutating them into a dangerous Malignant. Like a virus, Malignants only goal is to “spread” their sickness. To this end, they will attack any uninfected life forms without warning and without regard to their own safety.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark furrowed his brow at the screen in front of him, as a deep frown crossed his face. He did not understand fully what these things were, but he did recognize that they were dangerous. Where those things in the forest Malignants? Mark shook his head in response to his own question; no, the system said that Malignants where mindless but those ‘Forest Goblins’ were obviously intelligent, if not too bright.

    Whatever they were, Mark knew he did not want to meet either again though. He finally finished the porridge after a few moments and looked up at the two figures of Tsutsuji and Alex, still going back and forth before saying with a grin,


    “Tsutsuji, are you sure you are not a Pixie? Stop picking on Alex and get ready to eat. Food’s done.”


    Tsutsuji’s head snapped to the side as she gave Mark a fiery look but she still hovered over quickly to receive her share, eagerness replacing the rage as she stared at the hot porridge. Alex, still in shock, ambled over with glazed eyes and sat down across from Mark. Tsutsuji began to hum to herself as Mark passed her a small dish filled with porridge.

    Mark had found the small bowl in the supplies stored in the Spatial Stone, along with a few other items that had most likely been prepared for Tsutsuji by her Master. Despite it still being a relatively large dish for her size she was still asking for seconds by the time Mark has filled Alex’s and his own bowl.

    Tsutsuji gave a satisfied sigh after her third bowl and fell to her back. She lay there for a moment, before springing to the air and began to fly, slow and low, to the bedding near where Merry lay, speaking in a cheerful voice,


    “Well, that was nice. I’m going to take a Nap.”
    “Hey! Don’t just leave your mess for others!”


    Mark cried out to the retreating Tsutsuji, but she simply floated away, humming as though she had not heard him. Mark gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. Alex, who had been mindlessly eating like a robot, gave a slight jump and stared at Mark as if he was seeing him for the first time. He spoke in a confused voice, though coming out of a daze,


    “W-wait, this is not right. Someone explain what is going on here! Mark, why is there a Spirit here? Why is she just sitting down and eating with us like it’s normal?!”
    “Why? What’s wrong with it?”
    “What’s wrong with it?! What’s not wrong? This is a Spirit we are talking about, a Magi Spirit; a manifestation of Nature and you are talking about her like she’s some Stray that wandered in during the night!?”
    “See! HE gets it!” came a small voice from across the cave.


    Mark simply shrugged his shoulders as though he did not understand and said in a calm voice, scooping more porridge into his bowl.


    “Well, you’re not wrong, in a way. As for why she’s here, I’m not sure how m-“
    “MARK!”


    Tsutsuji interrupted Mark suddenly, shouting in a panicked voice from across the room. Both Men quickly stood and looked her way, weapons half drawn.

    There in the dim light of the cave, they could see Tsutsuji keening near Merry’s head as she lay on the bedding, the young girl’s good eye slowly blinking as she stared at the three.
    ___________________________________________
    ~~~ 2 hours later ~~~

    Mark scooped some of the still warm porridge into a small bowl, before thinning it out a bit with the prepared water. Careful not to spill any, he slowly walked over to the wall where Merry sat and placed the bowl in front of the silent girl before walking away. Merry had panicked when she had first woken up, though her injuries prevented her from moving much.

    Alex was still nursing the mark on his hand from when he had rushed over foolishly to check on her. Surrounded by strangers and the fear from last night still fresh in her mind, the little girl had lashed out, biting hard enough to draw blood before he managed to escape.

    Slowly, the memories of the prior night seemed to come back to her as her eyes went wide and she began to frantically look around the cave as if searching for something. She seemed not to find what she was looking for, however, as tears quickly weld up in her eyes and she began to wail; the sound of a deep grief unbefitting of such a small girl filled the cave. Merry had cried for close to 20 minutes before seeming to run out of energy and falling asleep once more.

    When she awoke an hour later, her eyes were dead and cold, glazed over with a look Mark knew all too well. Alex hesitated for a moment, the memory of a child’s sharp teeth still fresh in his mind, then moving slowly towards her, he carefully propping the small girl up before checking her wounds and changing her bandages. Merry had simply sat there in silence, not seeming to have the energy to resist, her eyes staring into nothing.

    And there she had sat since. Tsutsuji had sat on the girl’s shoulder since she’d woken the second time gently stroking the small girl’s hair as she whispered words of comfort into her ear, worry and sadness marring the tiny Guide's face. Yet even that did not seem to invoke a response in the little girl.

    Mark sat down next to Alex with a sigh, both staring at the two girls across from them, deep in thought. Alex spoke after a moment of silence, his voice low


    “So. What now?”
    “Still too weak to be moved. She’ll need 1-2 more days to be up and walking. That’s if she wants to”
    “No, I mean where do we go from here? I remember helping take care of my sister, but that was a few years ago….”
    “What do you mean ‘where’? You said the girl’s parents were headed to Whitewood. We bring her there and leave her with the authorities. I’m sure someone there can find any family or friends.”
    “So you are just going to abandon her?! With what she’s been through, we can’t ju-“
    “Do we have any other choice?! I’m no nurturer, and what about you; don’t you have some journey or another? You gonna lug around some kid you barely know?!”


    Mark countered in a loud whisper tinged with anger, but Alex could see in his eyes sparks of frustration and something else. Mark cooled down after a moment, then looking back to find Tsutsuji staring at him frowning at his volume, he spoke in a cold resolved voice,


    “We’ve done what we can for her. What she needs now are support and stability, and that’s not something we can give her….”


    Alex opened his mouth to give a rebuttal but went silent, unable to refute Mark’s words. His own journey was far too dangerous; there is no way he would force a young girl not even old enough for her baptism, to follow after him. As for Mark, he was even less involved than he was, just a stranger passing by. It would not be unreasonable to say Mark had already done more than most people would have, to ask anything else would unfair.

    Yet Alex couldn’t help but look at the small girl across from him; eyes that should be bright and smiling with the light of youth, were instead clouded and dead to the world. Alex could feel his hands begin to tremble in grief and rage. It was his fault. If he’d paid more attention. If he’d insisted on continuing. If he’d not been tied down. If….

    If only he’d….been stronger.

    He spoke after a moment, his voice trembling slightly, but his eyes burning with a strong desire,


    “I-I’ll think of something”


    Mark simply glanced at the young man out of the corner of his eye, before giving a sound between a laugh and humph and standing up. He gave Alex a pat on the shoulder and walked towards the back of the cave. He spoke, not bothering to turn back around.


    “Don’t try and be a hero, Kid. You’ll only get yourself hurt. I’m going to sleep, wake me for night-watch.”
    ___________________________________________________________________

    ~~~ Later that Night ~~~

    Mark shot up from his bedding gasping for breath. His eyes were wide in fear and his body was soaked in sweat. He slowly covered face with both his hand, massaging his eyes and temples as he tried to calm his racing heart.


    “Bad Dream?”


    A voice sounded from near the cave entrance. Mark looked over to see Alex sitting on a large rock near the cave entrance, the dim moonlight barely outlining his figure. Mark didn’t answer and simply stood from his bedding and stretched out, before walking over to the dead ashes of the nearby firepit. Alex called out again,


    “It’s still a bit before its time to switch. Get some more rest.”


    Mark, still ignoring the young man started to work on getting the fire pit lit again. He’d only had breakfast and some scraps earlier in the day and planned on making a light meal. Alex simply sighed and slid off the rock, giving a light yawn as he walked towards his own bedding. As Alex prepared to lay down, Mark asked in a quiet voice,


    “How is she?”


    Alex looked first over his shoulder at Mark, then turned his eyes to Merry, now sleeping soundlessly on her side. Tsutsuji lay nearby in an unladylike position as she snored softly. Near the young girl lay a cold untouched bowl of porridge. He frowned slightly before turning back to his bed,


    “Tsutsuji tried. But she just sat there all night before falling asleep.”


    Mark gave a sigh before putting the small pot on top of the now burning small fire. Alex turned back around and said in a tired voice,


    “Wake me up early and I’ll make breakfast while you rest. We’ll start to get the Carriage ready for travel in the afternoon.”


    Before laying down on his bedding. Mark simply gave a grunt as a reply, before turning his attention back to the small pot of stew that was slowing taking form.

    As time passed, the thin stew began to boil; the stock, dried meat and small amount of vegetables rolling around in the pot. The smell of stew slowly filling the cave. Tasting it every few minutes and making adjustments accordingly, the stew was finally finished.

    Mark scooped a few ladles full into a bowl and brought it close to his nose, giving a satisfied smile as he deeply inhaled the aroma. Mark raised an eyebrow as he heard a slight growling sound from across the cave. He looked over his shoulder and saw the outline of a small girl in the firelight. Merry simply sat there on her bedding, not looking at anything in particular. She did not even seem to notice when her stomach gave another low rumble.

    Mark looked over at the girl in silence for a moment, before letting out a sigh and grabbing another small bowl. Pouring a small amount of broth into the bowl, he gave it a light swirl to cool it before standing and walking over to where the young girl sat.

    He sat the small bowl down in front of her without saying a word before turning around and walking back to the firepit. Merry slowly looked down at the bowl of broth before returning her gaze back to nothing, not bothering to even reach for it.

    The night passed in silence, only broken by the light growls of the young girl’s stomach every few minutes. Mark simply stared out the cave entrance as if he could not hear. After a time, the dwindling light of the fire reflected off of something in the corner of the cave. Mark, catching the glitter out of the corner of his eye, saw something he’d forgotten about. There on a small cargo box sat a large leather bound book, and a small letter sitting on its cover.

    Mark stood silently and walked over to the book, staring down at it for a moment as the words of the one called Elaos echoed in his head,


    “…the book was meant to be a gift from her Father, Thomas. I’d ask that you hand it and the letter to her once she’s recovered….”


    He held the book in his hands and gently brushed away the dust from the old brown leather cover. Though they were foreign to him, he found that he could still make out the meaning of the characters pressed with gold leaf, ‘Journal of the Traveler’; it seemed the System’s translation function even worked for the written language.

    Mark finally seemed to come to some conclusion and turned around, a low growl sounding in his chest. He walked slowly towards the still motionless girl, the items firmly in his hand, before laying them down on her lap and walking away.

    He walked back over to the firepit and pretended to slowly stir the stew, not caring what she did with them, though he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. In the dim firelight, Merry simply looked at the two items on her lap apathetically, though a small spark of curiosity lit in her dull eyes as she tilted her head.

    She slowly reached out her hand and grabbed the small letter attached to the books cover. Mark was not sure if she could read, but he figured there would be no point in delivering it if she could not, so it should have been fine. The small girl slowly unfolded the letter as her eyes fell on the words written on it.

    A few moments passed in silence before a change could be seen. Slowly but surely tears began to leak from the corner of eyes, as her small nose crinkled and her hands began to shake. As the first tears began to fall onto the small letter, Mark could hear a soft sobbing fill the cave. It was still filled with deep grief and sorrow, but it was no longer the loud wailing of despair from before. Merry slowly lowered the tear marked letter and gently stroked the large book in front of her before pulling it into a heavy embrace, her face buried in its leather cover as the dam broke and her body shook with heavy sobs.

    Mark simply sat in silence, watching the cave entrance and gently poking the fire every so often with a stick. After some time, the sobbing stopped. Mark looked over his shoulder stealthily, to see the young girl still sitting there hugging the large book, though her shoulders had stopped shaking. Mark simply gave a sigh and stood from the fire, head out the cave entrance to answer nature’s call.

    Returning a few moment later, Mark looked over to see Merry laying down once more, eyes closed but refusing to let go of the book in her grasp. Mark walked slowly and emotionlessly back to the firepit, returning his eyes to the cave entrance as he kept watch. However, he didn’t miss the small empty bowl laying near the girls bedding.

    As Mark looked out into the dark night, unseen by him; two figures in the cave, one a tiny girl with wings and the other a young man laying across the way, exchanged a small smile.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  14. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 7: A Journey of a Thousand Miles… (Tentative Title)


    Mark yawned as he watched the morning sun slowly peak over the trees outside of the cave entrance. Two days and two nights had passed since Merry had awoken. Today would be the third day, and with the girl’s strength returning enough for her to walk on her own, it would be the day they finally left this small cave. They would have left the day before but a sudden rain had prevented them from transporting the rest of the cargo back to the Carriage.

    They could have simply left it all in the cave, but given the situation Mark, Alex, and Tsutsuji, agreed that it would be best to bring it along and sell off what they could in Whitewood, as Merry’s parents had attended; the resulting funds would be used as traveling funds and other expenses for Merry, where even she ended up. Mark had been hesitant at first but according to Alex, strict laws and regulations in regards to the inheritance of orphans would at least minimize the risk of the small girl becoming a victim.

    Merry herself had steadily improved over that time; though her eyes still seemed dull most of the time and he’d yet to hear her speak, every so often he’d catch a small spark still burning, refusing to give into the hand life had dealt her. Even now as she slowly walked back and forth from one wall to the other, Tsutsuji gently guiding her along the way, she did not seem to mind or even notice the scuffed knees and blood mixed mud on her legs from her falls.

    Mark watched silently out of the corner of his eyes as he packed up the remaining supplies into his Inventory and stood, turning towards Alex who’d just walked in from checking on the carriage, before speaking,

    “That’s the rest of it. How’s the carriage?”

    “There’s some damage, but it should at least make it to Whitewood. I’m more worried about the Horses.”

    They’d found the Horses on the second morning; Alex’s own had been long gone, but thankfully the still attached harnesses had prevented the two horses pulling the carriage from going far. The stress from the attack and then spending a day and night harnessed together in an unknown forest had not left them in great shape, however. Alex had spent most of the following day on the road hoping that they might be able to catch someone heading to Whitewood for assistance, but to no luck. For now, the plan was to take it slow and hope that they either were able to make it or met someone on the way.

    Mark turned to the young girls and spoke as he waited by the exit,

    “It’s time to go.”

    Tsutsuji and Merry turned to look at him, before finishing their lap. Merry bent down and reached towards a large leather book resting on a cloth near the wall. She gently warped the book in the cloth and threw the bundle over her should with a heavy grunt, before moving slowly towards the exit. Merry was short of breath by the time she reached where Mark and Alex stood; either the book was heavier than it looked or the girl was pushing herself. Mark did not care which, but with a sigh, he reached down to pluck the bundle from her shoulder. Merry clung to the bundle with all her strength, however, giving panicked grunts as she struggled to move away from Mark’s grasp.

    Mark furrowed his brow and frowned before releasing his grip and walked out of the cave, heading down the path. Merry gave a light squeak as she stumbled back a few feet after losing the resistance holding her. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath before walking down the path herself. The four walked on towards the carriage with Mark taking the lead; Alex followed a bit farther back stopping to look over his shoulder worriedly every so often, and Tsutsuji hovered close to Merry as she trailed far behind.

    They would stop every so often to allow Merry to catch her breath, and when the walk that should have taken five minutes began to run ten without even hitting the half way point, Alex heard a deep, frustrated grumbling from ahead.

    Mark turned around and walked back towards the small girl, a storm-cloud brewing on his face as he reached down and lifted Merry into his arm, ignoring her cries of protest, before continuing down the path at a brisk pace. Tsutsuji for her part could not help but point and laugh as she watched the man being continually whacked in the head by the small girl with her bundle the whole way.

    They arrived at the carriage a few moments later, Mark a little worse for wear but otherwise silent as he set Merry into her prepare space in the back of the carriage. Merry, not abandoning her assault till Mark was out of range, looked around the familiar carriage with sad, tired eyes before burying her face in her bundle and slowly laying down. Tsutsuji, who has flown after them, immediately flew to the top of the carriage and sat down. Alex was the last to arrive and began preparing the horses as Mark added the last of the Cargo to the back, before jumping into the driver’s box.

    Alex jumped up and sat beside Mark, before nervously grabbing the reins and speaking,

    “Hehe, I-it’s been a few years since I’ve done this. Are you sure you don’t know how to drive?”

    Mark simply raise an eyebrow before leaning back against the seat, folding his arms and closing his eyes. With Tsutsuji taking the first watch, he decided to take this opportunity to get a little rest; lucky the subskill “Rough Living” ensured he could rest properly even on the constantly moving and shaking seat. Thus they set off towards Whitewood.

    ___________________________________

    ~~~ Sunset ~~~

    Alex looked up at the setting sun in the distance, giving a deep sigh he stretched out on top of the large boulder they had parked the carriage against. They’d traveled all day, but between the still wet and muddy roads and the frequent stops to allow the horses to rest, he estimated it would still take 2-3 days before they reached Whitewood. It may have been different if they had met someone on the way, but strangely enough, they had not seen a single other people so far. Even given the distance, the highway was still a major trade route, linking Whitewood to the Great Sea of Trees and the Western Continent. Something was not right, but he wouldn’t be able to find out until they reached the town.

    Looking over at their small camp area, Alex could see Mark stirring a pot of stew as it boiled over the fire. He was starting to question if stew and porridge were the only things the strange man could make. Not that road rations were much better, but he’d began to dream of a good hot meal from an inn the past few night. He feared he’d wake one morning to find he was missing some bedding if they didn’t reach town soon.

    Tsutsuji snored lightly as she hung herself over a tree branch while Merry sat nearby. The young girl had her book open, engrossed in the words as she read by firelight, wiggling around every so often in an attempt to better catch the light. She inched closer to the fire, a small frown forming as she seemed unable to get the perfect angle. A small spark jumped from the fire as she neared a little to close, landing on the open pages and quickly igniting their edges. Merry gave a small squeak in panic but before she could respond, a large rough hand slammed down on the embers, smothering them before they could do much damage.

    Mark looked down at the young girl with a frown and spoke in an apathetic voice,

    “Don’t read in this light, you’ll hurt your eyes. Put the book away and get ready. Food is almost done”

    Merry simply looked up at Mark with a scowl, but quickly averted her eyes and closed the book under Mark’s own unwavering gaze. She held the book close, retreating some ways away, before sitting down on the cool ground. As time passed, she would alternate between looking down at her book in longing and giving Mark a nasty scowl behind his back. She instantly looked away, however, when Marked looked over his shoulder as to check on her. He gave a deep hum of contemplation when he noticed the girl’s behavior, before giving a sigh and turning back to the pot.

    Mark spoke out a few moments later to call them in for dinner. Alex slid from his perch and headed for the campfire. Tsutsuji gave a gasp as she was startled from her sleep, tumbling from the branch she lay on. She gave a squeal as she fell, but managed right herself in the air before she hit the ground. Merry simply frowned as she attempted to pretend she did not hear, though her rumbling stomach won in the end, as she slowly scooted forward. After the meal, Tsutsuji helped Alex change Merry’s bandages while Mark sat nearby looking into empty space, though his eye’s moved back and forth as if searching for something.

    After a few moments, he seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled out a small metal rod from thin air. Mark pulled down a small lever attached to the side and began to wind it around and around. He pressed a small button on the side after a few moments, and a bright beam of light shot out of one of the ends. Mark pressed the button again and the light disappeared. He looked down at the small hand-cracked LED flashlight in thought. It had been one of the few items he had in his jacket pocket when he’d crossed over, along with an outdoor utility knife, a pen, and some spare change.

    When he’d went off on his...excursions, he’d found the small flashlight convenient for whatever dark hole he found himself in. He gave a slight grunt as he stood and walked over to the young girl who was presently giving him an ugly look, as she leaned up against the tree Tsutsuji had been sleeping on. He clicked the flashlight on and simply tossed it at the girl’s feet, before walking away. Alex watched as he stopped near the boulder and leaned up against it, closing his eyes.

    Alex turned around and looked back at Merry as she held the flashlight with curious eyes, blinking quickly as she turned her head away from the blinding beam that she waved past her face. Alex too was curious at the strange object he’d never seen before. He knew a few Artifacts could produce similar lights, but he’d never heard of one so bright or compact. Tsutsuji simply laughed as she watched the little girl fumble around with it, before flying down and plucking it from her hands. She flew over to a nearby hole in the tree and wedged the flashlight’s butt into it. Merry’s surroundings were suddenly bathed in light as she stared up in delight a rare smile forming on her face.

    She quickly grabbed her book and nestled herself under the light, turning the pages to a slightly burnt page, before being lost in her own world. Alex found himself smiling warmly as he watched the sight. The little girl reminded him a lot of his own sister back home; maybe that is why he felt such a burning desire to help her. If it was ever possible, he wished in his heart that the two could meet some day, maybe become friends. As Alex day dreamed of Home and those who he’d left behind, the sunset quietly turned to a dark blue night sky.

    Mark woke from his light sleep by a gentle rustling. Looking up into the night sky, he saw that the First Skyshard had almost reached its zenith and the Third just barely peeking over the Horizon. He looked around the camp to see Tsutsuji once more asleep on her tree limb and Merry sitting under the tree, still lost in the book. Alex sat facing away from the fire, staring out into the darkness as he kept watch.
    <<
    (Author’s Notes: in case you forgot, The Skyshards are the three largest fragments of the shattered Moon, taking up a bit more than a third of the night sky. The Second Skyshard would be about the position of our present Moon in the night sky, with the First appearing before it, and the Third after.)
    >>

    Mark’s attention was drawn to Merry as she fidgeted in her spot, a look of frustration furrowing her small face. Seeming to sense his gaze, she looked up and gave him a frown, before turning back to her book. He looked back up at Mark after a few more minutes of fidgeting, seeming to contemplate something. She paused briefly, then coming to a decision she stood and reached for the Flashlight wedged in the tree. Merry briskly walked over to Mark and lay the book in front of him, not bothering to say anything as she held the light to the page and pointed to a passage.

    Mark raised an eyebrow, before turning his eyes to the page. He suddenly found himself in shock at what he saw. He was not sure what he was expecting, as he’d never bothered to peak at the book’s content, but this was a surprise none the less. Though a relatively large page, it was packed tight with small and neatly organized words. Reading the passage that the little girl had been pointing at, he found it to be a detail explanation about the workings of a complex clockwork device found in some ruins, the small diagram beside it marking each piece.

    Inferring what Merry was requesting, Mark gave a sigh and read the passage out loud, explaining the part where she seemed to have gotten stuck. Merry simply frowned down at the book in thought, before nodding her head and picking it up, quickly returning to her spot beneath the tree. Mark followed the small girl with his eyes, then shook his head and gave a small laugh. He closed his eyes once more and leaned his head up against the cool stone, but it was not 10 minutes later when a small poke roused him from his almost-sleep.

    Opening an eye, Mark saw the figure of the small girl, once more standing beside him as she pointed at another passage. He gave a sigh before looking down at the passage and again read it for the girl before she retreated once more to her tree. This repeated several more times in the next hour before Mark finally gave an aggravated growl and grabbed the girl by the collar before she could retreat. Plopping the girl down beside him, he grumbled out between half closed eyes,

    “Sit.”

    Merry, giving a small sequel in fright, complied, though a few moments later she was tugging on Mark’s sleeve while pointing to yet another passage. Thus Mark sat there as the night waned on, answering the questions the little girl ask. He had to admit, while the Book was written in the form of a personal journal, the Author had a way with words and he found himself silently reading along. Most of it was a record of the Unnamed Author’s experiences as he traveled the world, though it was sprinkled with some pretty advanced terminology and detailed descriptions of such-and-such ruin, or some uncovered Artifact. Mark soon found himself engrossed in the book as he explained to the little girl what a certain word meant or why something was read this or that way.

    Mark eventually stumbled across a passage that instantly drew his eye. He slowly read the Author’s words as he contemplated their meaning;

    In my journeys, I have observed nearly every culture, creed and belief system the world and while I would hesitate in calling myself even fluent in my understanding, a peculiar similarity in all of them have come to my attention. In all of the myths I have come across, there are key points which all of seem to agree upon. While I doubt one could call this the ‘truth’ in its entirety, I have come to the conclusion that each of these accounts is a retelling of the same event, even if with their own bias twist. An event that may lead to the understanding of one of the greatest mysteries of this World. The Origin of the Skyshards, the Sentinel Tower, and the Magi. I advise you to take the following with a grain of salt, however, this may very well be the foundation of our very world.

    In the Beginning, the Lord/High God/King of the gods, formed the ‘people’ (the people here varying from culture to culture) from the clay of the earth, breathing into them the breath of Life. He then set them in the center of the world, commanding them to go and spread far and wide, learn and grow.

    And so the ‘people’ did. They spread outwards from the center of their new world, working the land and creating marvelous things. However, as the years waned on, the oldest of them grew tired and weary of their life. They had seen all there was to see in the world, been to every corner and tasted every fruit.

    Not content with what they had been given, the Elders turned their eyes to the shining Throne of God/Godstone/The Lesser King high in the skies above. Banning the ‘people’ together, the Elders constructed a massive tower in the center of the world. The plan was for them to build all the way to the great celestial body from which their God watched over them, and make their plea directly to their Maker.

    And so the eons passed, till finally, the great Tower was complete and the ‘people’ stepped foot on the Godstone for the first time. Only to find….Nothing. The Great Throne they believed to be the home of their Maker, lay empty and barren. Believing themselves to have been abandoned, the ‘people’ raged with all of their might, and in their anger, the Great Throne shattered.

    With a mighty roaring, the force of the Shattering caused the Tower to crumble underneath them. For 3 days and 3 nights, great Stars and pieces of the Tower rained on the land, bringing destruction and death in their wake. Even when the Falling had ceased, the World was thrown into chaos. Great storms the like of which had never been seen raged across the world. The very land heaved and twisted underneath their feet, before spewing out seas of hot molten rock. The dead festered where they lay, bringing sickness and death to the few survivors.

    When all seemed lost, the Lord/High God/King of the gods felt pity for those small people, shedding a single tear which fell on the land. And with that tear fell also the Divine Lights, the Magi. With their strange power, the Magi quelled the storms and soothed the earth, bringing order back from chaos. And the world…was silent
    ”.

    Mark was silent for a long time, as he thought the words written in the book, and about his own experiences the past few day. He was about to turn the page when the flashlight suddenly began to dim and lose power. It was then that the sound of gentle snoring reached his ears. He looked over to his side to see the young girl fast asleep, her head resting up against his arm.

    Mark gave a sigh before standing slowly, careful not to wake the sleeping girl. He then carried her to the prepared bedding and lay her softly down. Merry gave a small whimper as he did, groping for something in her sleep. Mark lay the large book in her arms as he stood and walked back to the boulder. The last thing he saw before he sat down and closed his eyes, was the young girl clinging tightly to the large book, a small smile on her lips.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  15. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 8: Crossroads (Part 1)

    (Author's Notes: Since someone pointed out a big plot hole in some future content, Mark is 30 now. Sorry about the Mix up, Lets pretend this did not happen.)

    Time passed and as the road improved the group made steady progress along the highway. Despite spending two more nights traveling, they’d yet to see another living soul. Alex frowned to himself as he watched the abandoned highway. They were nearing a major intersection that divided into the north and south; by all accounts, the road should be bustling with caravans and adventures as they went on their way. Alex looked over at Mark; the older man’s eyes were sharp and focused as he kept watch over the surrounding area, it seemed he’d noticed as well. Alex spoke, his voice almost a whisper as he stopped the carriage near the intersection,

    “This isn’t right. What is going on here?”

    Mark looked out into the trees off the side of the road and squinted he eyes are he attempted to see past the dark shadows they cast. He couldn’t see anything, but he felt a chill run down his back as he watched the tree branches sway in the light wind. His instincts were screaming at him to leave, yet he could not tell where the feeling was coming from. Mark looked towards the back of the carriage and made eye contact with Tsutsuji. The little Guide sat cross legged near Merry as the child slept in the back, a contemplating look on her face. He turned back and Alex spoke,

    “Let’s get out of here. The quicker we make it to town, the quicker we can find out what’s going on.”

    Alex nodded before flicking the reins. The carriage shook slightly as it started up again, the quickly started on its way past the intersection and towards Whitewood. Shortly after the carriage passed by, there was movement from either end of the intersection heading towards the north and south. A few moments passed and close to a dozen short figures stepped out from the deep shadows; the cloaks they wore patched with green and brown and covered in branches, leaves, and other such things.

    The tallest of the newcomers was no more than 5’3, and as he walked towards the road leading to Whitewood, the others quickly moved out of the way. He stared after the long gone carriage for a moment, as a wide mouth evil grin slip his face in two, thin needle like teeth visible from under the heavy hood.

    ___________________

    ~~~~ At the Carriage ~~~~

    Mark rubbed his tired eyes; as they got farther from the intersection, he could feel the sense of danger lessening yet he couldn’t help but sigh. Ever since he’d come to this world he could feel his fatigue building up. It did not help that the little girl had made him read with her for the past few nights. He looked back at the peacefully sleeping girl and frowned a little. When he turned his eyes back towards the road, they went wide in shock. As they came around the bend, the distant dark brown and greens of the forest were replaced by rows and rows of large white objects.

    At first glance, Mark was not sure what he was looking at. It appeared as though he’d stepped into a field of rough marble pillars, streaked with dark veins. He could not help but stare, mouth agape when he realized what they were. Trees. Rows of neatly organized trees, roughly 4 meters tall. The branches at their top were crossed and woven together as they stretched towards the sky, reminding Mark of the Dragon’s Blood Trees he’d seen once while on deployment.

    From the branches of several trees, dark, blood red flowers hung down, similar to a Wisteria, swaying gently in the wind.

    “Wow, Pretty.”

    Mark looked down at the sudden voice to find Tsutsuji laying on Merry’s head as the two peaked out of the back. While Tsutsuji’s eyes were sparkling as her mouth hung open, Merry watched in silence; though there was excitement her eyes, there was a shadow of sadness as well. Mark turned back around and nodded his head. He focused his mind on one of the large trees and activated Examine;

    --------------------------------------------------
    Whitewood Tree
    Index Entry
    : The namesake of the Western Trade City, Whitewood, as well as one of its major exports. The Whitewood tree has been cultivated for centuries and is said to have been the result of experiments carried out by the Ancients. Whitewood is extremely durable and almost as hard as steel as well being extremely beautiful, made famous around the world. The slight metallic properties of the wood even allow it to be beaten into shape to some extent, allowing weapons and armor to be ‘forged’ from it. The fruit of this tree is considered a delicacy among the wealthy, and its sap and flowers have extensive use as medicine. All of this results in the price of even a single Whitewood tree being astronomical, and a large portion of the city Whitewood’s wealth is owed to this plant.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark raised an eyebrow as he read through the text. While he hadn’t expected the trees to be normal, he had to admit he was surprised. He was shaken from his thoughts a moment later, as Merry tugged on his sleeve and pointed down the road. Though still some distance away, Mark could make out the figure of people walking around a barrier in the road. He turned to Alex, only to the young man frown. As they neared the barricade, a large rough looking man standing a little over 6 feet walked forward. He was an older man somewhere between his late 40s or early 50s given the streaks of white that marred his short brown beard and cropped hair. The man stopped in the middle of the road and called out to them.

    “Halt! State your names and origin!”

    Alex stopped the carriage some distance away before standing on the seat and pulling a scroll case from under his coat. He held it up so that the large black and gold seal could be seen, before speaking in a loud voice.

    “I am Alexander Lūceō of Grandeur. I am correct in assuming that you are Duchess Whitewood’s men?”

    At Alex’s words, the group behind the large man broke out in the sound of chatter. The Large man raised his hand to silence the commotion before carefully walked towards the carriage, his hand never leaving the hilt of the long sword at his waist. The man gave Mark a suspicious glance as he reached up and took the scroll case. He looked over the seal in detail, before popping the end of the case open and withdrawing a thick parchment.

    He unfurled the parchment and read its contents, his brow furrowing as he did. He finally rolled the parchment up and placed it back into the scroll case. Handing the case back to Alex, the man turned towards the men standing on the road and called out in a loud voice,

    “Move the barricade!”

    Before turning back to Alex and motioning for them to follow. Alex gave a sigh of relief, then taking up the reins, he drove the carriage slowly behind the large Man. As they passed the barricade they arrived in a small military style camp. Several soldiers approached the carriage leading it to the side so that it could go through inspection. At first, the soldiers were surprised when they found the small injured girl resting in the back, but after Alex had explained the events of the last week, their looks of suspicion turned into pity. As for Tsutsuji, while Mark could hear the odd whisper from the surrounding men, he was surprised at how calm they were, given Alex’s initial reaction.

    The group now waited as the camp medic examined Merry in a nearby tent, Tsutsuji remaining with her. As they waited, the Large man who introduced himself as Jonathan, motioned the two men towards the largest tent in the middle of the camp. Entering in, they found contained only a small cot and dresser taking up one corner while most of the floor space was taken up by a large desk in the back and a long table sitting in the middle. Both the desk and the table were filled with paperwork and several soldiers bustled around as they worked.

    Jonathan led them towards the back and motioned for them to sit down, before taking a seat behind it. After a moment of moving papers around, Jonathan had Alex recount the events leading up to this point in detail. Mark, for his part, simply sat quietly with his arms crossed, content to be ignored. Alex proceeded to tell their story, omitting or changing some details in light of Mark’s situation. Jonathan’s frown depend as he listened to the story, as he began to grumble in frustration,

    “Forest Goblins, on the Trade road? Well, at least it is starting to make some sense now.”

    Alex tilted his head and asked in a questioning tone,

    “You already had some information?”

    Jonathan sighed and leaned forward before shaking his head.

    “Some, but not much. Since about ten days ago there have been several reports of attacks by bandits along the route. Any convoys that left the City would be ambushed from the shadows and forced back. The strange thing was, the attackers would never show themselves; normal bandits would approach and demand a toll or goods, no reason to fight if you can intimidate the other side into giving up. But whoever was behind the recent string of attacks would do so without warning, firing bows from the shadows or attacking at night. Those that survived could not give a proper description. Eventually, the mercenaries and adventurers stopped taking the escort jobs and the caravans were stranded.”

    Alex looked down as he leaned back in contemplation. If that was true, then it would explain why they hadn’t seen anyone along the roads. More so if it was happening at the other ends of the highway as well. But something still didn’t sit right with Him. Why were Forest Goblins, a race that should not have any foothold in this area, attacking the trade route? And if they were, then…..

    “...Barring the first attack, why did we not see them again? They had nearly a week to finish the job, but they never did.”

    “That is what I would like to know. What makes this instance different?”

    “Could the first fight have scared them off?”

    “Unlikely. Even given the fact that you managed to kill a good number, an injured man and a random passerby should not have posed much of a challenge if they had gathered reinforcements. It’s possible that their attention was drawn elsewhere and you simply got lucky. Or it may be…”

    “…They’d finished what they were there to do.”

    Mark spoke out for the first time since sitting down. Jonathan gave Mark a silent gaze before nodding his head.

    “Yes. It’s possible that yours was simply the last one before they completed their objective or they had done so in-between then and now. Whatever the case, we’ll not know until we send out a scouting party. As for you lot, you are free to head on to Whitewood as soon as the inspection is done.”

    Jonathan shifted through the papers on his desk as he spoke, before pulling out one and handing it to Alex. Alex looked down to find it was a gate pass for their clearance into the city. At that time, a small voice called from the front of the tent,

    “Hey, we’re back!”

    The three men looked over to see Tsutsuji laying on top of Merry’s head, as the little guide called out, ignoring the glances from the surrounding soldiers. Merry was wearing a clean new dress and bandages; the dirt and grime from the road had been wash clean and her shoulder length chestnut hair was still slightly wet. The little girl seems slightly nervous from the stares of the soldiers, as she clung to the leg of the older female medic who walked beside her, the woman holding Merry’s ever present book in her other arm.

    The Medic gave the watching soldiers a threatening glare as they broke out in a cold sweat and quickly turned back to their work. The three ladies made their way to the back of the tent and met with the waiting men. Jonathan looked at the medic with a gentle smile and asked,

    “Thank you, Sam. I hope she was not much trouble?”

    Samantha looked down at Merry with a smile and patted the side of her head,

    “It was fine, we just had a little girl talk. She’s a very smart young lady.”

    Jonathan looked up at Samantha and gave her a wide grin. The little girl reminded him of their own daughter when she was her age; he could just imagine his Wife and Chief Medical Officer chatting the girl’s ear off. Samantha bent down to look a Merry and handed her the book with a smile. The little girl latched onto the book and quickly moved to a nearby corner, sitting down with Tsutsuji as she opened it up.

    Samantha watched the girl for a moment, before standing and turning back to her Husband with professional eyes. Jonathan met her eyes and asked in a low tone,

    “So, how was she?”

    “Better than I imagine she was before, but she’s still in rough shape. Her bruising has started to lessen and the internal damage was minor for the most part, though her shoulder will still take a few days to heal. I guess we should be grateful for the healing ability of a young body, though it's thanks in part to the fact that she was strong, to begin with. I say all of this, but unfortunately her eye….”

    She slowly turned around to look at Merry reading her book, a sad look crossing the Medic’s face as her voice trailed off. Mark could guess what she wanted to say; He’d seen similar wounds during his time; they never ended on a happy note. Samantha turned back and sighed, speaking in a sad voice,

    “Honestly, I’d want her to stay her for at least another week. She’s fine now, but without adequate rest, there could be complications.”

    “Unfortunately, I can’t allow that. Given the current situation, there is no telling what may happen. It’s best to send her off to town for the time being. We can check up on her later if you wish. I’ll send someone ahead to inform the Duchess of this matter as well as the new Information. Anyway, the inspections should be finished by now. I do hope you forgive the inconvenience, it’s simply regulation.”

    As he finished speaking, Jonathan stood and walked around his desk, gesturing for the group to follow him out. Merry and Tsutsuji, seeing the group move, closed the book and quickly followed. At the tent entrance, Samantha parted from the rest; she first said her goodbyes to the men then bent down and wrapped Merry in a long embrace, before patting Tsutsuji on the head.

    Jonathan leant in and gave her a light peck on the cheek as she passed. The soldiers working on their paper work began to boo and jeer at their commander as he did; the burning glare from Samantha quickly silenced their heckling, though her face had turned a bright red before she exited the tent and headed back towards the medic tents.

    Jonathan watched her go, then turned back to his guests and led them to the Inspection area. By the time they arrived, the inspection team had finished their work and was prepping the Carriage for departure. Seeing Jonathan walk up, a nearby soldier quickly headed in their direction, handing him a clipboard with several pieces of parchment attached. He flipped through the information before stopping on a certain page. Jonathan looked at the page for a long while, muttering to himself in a voice Mark was barely able to make out,

    “So it was there after all. Is there a connection? Or just coincidence?”

    Shaking his head as if to clear a fog, he motioned for the nearby Quartermaster and pointed to a few items on the list, then turned to Alex.

    “Speak to my Quartermaster before you head off. We’re short on supplies since the caravans stopped coming, so we’ll buy what you have at a premium. Just don’t tell me, Boss.”

    He finished with a chuckle before saying his goodbyes, patting Merry gently on the head and heading back to the command tent. Alex walked over to the Quartermaster and began to discuss their trade, while Mark brought Merry to the Carriage, Tsutsuji leisurely hovering after them. Mark lifted the little girl into the back and sat her in her spot. He frowned as the new bandage covering one side of her head caught his eye as it peeked out from under her hair. He did not know if she fully understood what it meant for her yet, but he still could not help but feel his shoulders sag, as if under some immense weight.

    Turning around and leaving the girls to their play, Mark caught sight of Alex as he walked back towards them, a large grin on his face. The Quartermaster had not bought everything, but now only a few small boxes sat inside the carriage. Mark raised an eye at the three bags in Alex’s hands; peering inside, he found each contained a jumble of strange coins. The largest bag contained a large number of small gold coins, slightly larger than a US Nickel, but twice as thick, making Mark’s eyes bulge. As a man who grew up in the era of credit cards and paper bills, He’d rarely seen real gold if it was not in the form of jewelry. He did not know how his modern understanding of gold translated to this world, but he could recognize that this was a huge amount of money.

    Alex discreetly took this bad and stashed it under the Driver’s Box, in the same hidden compartment that had held the Apothecary’s Kit and Merry’s book. The next back was slightly larger than a grapefruit and contained 50/50 split of large and small silver coins; the small silver coins were the same size as the gold coins, while the larger silver was between a US Quarter and US Half Dollar in size, again twice as thick, but the edges had a slight round bulge to then, as if they were cut from the center of a sphere. This bag, Alex split roughly in two and handed one-half to Mark, who followed Alex in tucking it securely away on their person.

    The third bag was a small purse like pouch filled with a mix of large and small strange azure colored coins, the same size and shape as the silver ones. On closer inspection though, he realized that they were in face oxidized bronze coins. This one he again split and handed one-half to Mark. Mark would later learn that it had become customary to split funds among party members when entering a new town, that way if one person happened to be targeted by a pickpocket or the like, then they would not lose everything.

    Mark pulled out one of the smaller coins and activated Examine.

    --------------------------------------------------
    Trade Weight (Large Bronze, 10w)
    Index Entry
    : Standard Currency used by Traders throughout the world. Issued by the Global Trade Initiative. They are double stamped with a complex scale symbol, causing their edges to bulge and round.
    6 standard denominations
    Small bronze -- Large bronze -- Small Silver -- Large Silver -- Small Gold -- Large Gold.
    Non-Standard denominations include high-value bank notes and regional coinage.

    Global trade Initiative was established by allied countries on all 4 Continents to standardize international trade. Trade Weights follow strict regulation and are accepted in most countries.
    Their use has become so prevalent by the common man, many countries have discontinued the stamping of their own coins.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Examining each, in turn, he saw that the value of each coin was as followed,

    1 weight = 1 Small Bronze
    10-W = 1 Large Bronze
    100-W = 1 Small Silver
    1,000-W = 1 Larger Silver

    Using those number, he could infer than the small gold coins were worth 10,000w and the yet to appear Large Gold was 100,000w. While He still did not know what that value implied, Mark felt that his initial assumption was correct.
    Author’s Note: Mark will figure it out later along the way, but for the reader’s sake; 1 small Bronze is valued roughly $0.10 USD, so 1 Large Bronze is $1.00 USD, 1 Small Silver is $10.00 USD etc
    Hiding the bags one more, Mark and Alex began the final preparations for their departure, then headed back on the road to Whitewood.

    ___________________________________________

    Roughly 30 minutes later, the carriage approached the City walls. To Mark’s surprise, what he saw was not the classical rough stone or brick walks one would expect from an Otherworld setting; what met him was dark Grey, almost black slabs that to his surprise, appeared to be made of some kind of Concert. Alex gave a laugh as he saw Mark gawking at the strange sight,

    “Ugly, aren’t they? Not many people know, but Whitewood, before it was Whitewood, was a Grandeur Fortress built to keep Malignant hoards out of the South Continent. Not particularly sure how it’s done, but the walls are made with the Ancient’s technology and have stood longer than the oldest Whitewood tree in the Grove.”

    Mark simply nodded his head as he looked at the massive 15-meter tall walls. The Carriage approached the city gates, and Alex called out to the surprised Gate Guards. Since the traffic had stopped some time ago, and combined with the pass from Jonathan, the gates were quickly opened and Alex drove into the City, Whitewood spreading scenically out in front of them.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  16. GoodOldChap

    GoodOldChap Active Member

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    love the name (rekindle)
     
  17. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 9: Crossroads (Part 2)

    Mark looked up at the huge 20 Meter Main Gate towering as it opened up in front of him. Alex had mentioned, when they first caught sight of the city walls, that the Main Gates at each end of the city was made of several pieces of solid Whitewood. The huge gates had originally been stone and metal, but were replaced close to 150 years ago, and time had yet to leave even a mark on them since. Mark had to admit, the almost black walls contracted with the blindingly white gates made for an awe inspiring sight.

    As they passed through the gates, the sight that caught Mark’s eyes next stole his breath away. The West gate was raised on a small hill and from it, he could see that the city spread out for close to 5-6 miles. While it was not anywhere close to a “large” city in Mark’s eyes, the densely packed building spreading out like a carpet and the bustling sounds of city life made him feel like he’d stepped into a tiny modern day metropolis.

    Mark had to admit to himself, it was beyond his expectations. Especially when it came to the atmosphere of the city; when one thinks of fantasy story, they tend to imagine swords and magic, a Castles and medieval life, but the city in front of Mark seemed more like a part of Victorian Boston had been cut out and plopped down.

    The streets were clean and paved, tall light post lining most of the wide major streets, the buildings were brick and mortar and some as tall as 5 stories, and where ever you looked you could see people going about their way. Near the middle of the city was a small island, roughly a square mile in size, surrounded by a moat a quarter of a mile wide. The moat was bridged by two large bridges on the west and east side and split into two wide canals stretching to the north and south. These canals were themselves spanned by four smaller bridges, two to the north and two to the south. On the Island sat dozens of elegant estates, packed onto the island and surrounding a large fortress sitting in the middle.

    According to Alex, the city was broken into 5 main districts; The Trade district in the South-West, the Entertainment and Worker’s District in the South-East, the Residential District and the Slums in the North-East, the Manufacturing District North-West, and finally the wealthy Upper-Class District taking up the central island.
    [Author’s Note: I’ll have a crude map of Whitewood in this post, to help. Not great at city design, sue me. ROFL]

    Their own destination was the Entertainment District. With that in mind, they cut south through the Trader’s district along the main trade route and towards the southern crossing bridges. The Trader’s district had inns and lodging for traders come from the West, they were far more expensive than those found in the Entertainment district, and as the only money they had on them did not belong to them, they agreed to be as conservative as they could. Jonathan had mentioned that he would send someone to help with Merry’s situation, so they would be staying at an Inn near the North West corner of the District that was recommended by him until.

    Mark took in the sounds and sights of the City as they drove the carriage through the wide streets. He started to notice something strange as they drove on, however; every so often they would pass by a street vendor or store front and be given a quizzical glance, or a passerby would stare up at Mark and Alex with a strange frown as if seeing something they were not expecting.

    Mark gave Alex a nudge in the side as the weird looks continued to increase. The young man simply nodded while keeping his eyes on road, before speaking in a low whisper,

    “Ya, I noticed. Any clue what’s going on?”

    “Not a one…”

    “Are they just surprised to see a merchant wagon, what with the attacks?”

    “No, they should still be getting supplies from the East. This feels different, hostile almost.”

    As they spoke, Mark noticed a young man, no more than 15-16 years old, standing off to the side of the road. The young man wore loose high-quality closes and carried a large stack of paper in his arms. The boy seemed unaware his simple eyeglass frames resting on his nose were slowly slid down his face, his eyes wide in shock as he watched the carriage drive by. Mark looked back at the boy with a raised eyebrow as they passed; the boy quickly shook his head and readjusted his glasses.

    The boy then quickly walked to another similarly dressed youth nearby and began to too hastily discuss something. After a moment, the boy passed off his burden to his companion and dashed through the crowds, towards a large building further down the road. Some distance behind them, Mark could see a crowd gathering, as if following the carriage. Mark could feel his frown deepen as he watched the boy. He turned to Alex and spoke softly,

    “Something’s going on. I don’t know what we’ve done to stir them up, but if it comes to it, we may need to run”.

    Alex nodded his head while Mark turned around to the back and woke the napping Tsutsuji, informing her of the matter. Despite her half closed in sleep eyes and tired scowl, Mark could feel a sharp readiness coming through his link with Tsutsuji. The tiny Guide had developed a deep bond with the little girl over the last week; the bug may get on his nerves for the most part, but Mark knew he could trust Merry with her when push came to shove.

    They drew near to the large building after a few moment, their trailing crowd growing larger as now even random passersby had noticed the strange atmosphere. There was a sudden commotion shortly before passing by the large building; the sound of shouting and muffled arguments before the large sliding doors of the building gave a creak and burst open, torn off their frame as if hit by a huge force.

    Alex was forced to quickly stop the carriage while the surrounding crowd gave a sudden yell and backed away. A large older man walked from the small cloud of wood dust near where the doors had been. The man was even taller than Jonathan; no less than 6’7, he was a huge mass of muscle and fat. His face was contorted in rage, eyes bulging and his face a deep red, in stark contrast to his short gray bread and balding head.

    In his hand held he held a huge war mace. The weapon was just as massive as its owner; Mark would have believed it if someone told him the large man was simply swinging around one of the lamp posts on the side of the street. Though what really made Mark break out into a cold sweat, was that the fact that this man was holding the mace with one hand like it was a common stick.

    Mark’s heart froze in his chest as his eye’s made contact with the large angry man. The large man looked at Mark and Alex, breathing heavily as his gaze flicked back and forth between them and the carriage. Warning signals immediately screamed to life in Mark's brain, but just as he opened his mouth to tell the frozen Alex to run, the large man gave a massive roar that seemed to shake the air. He then raised the huge mace and charged straight at them with a speed that should not have been possible for a man his size.

    Mark was barely out of his seat when he saw the shadow of the huge mace descending on them. Someone in the crowd gave a scream of terror when a small shadow suddenly shot from the back of the Carriage. Tsutsuji appeared in a flash before them, hovering in the air as she extended her hand out as if to catch the descending mace.

    Mark felt his heart leap into his throat as he watched, but in the next moment, his eyes went wide. The instant before the Mace made contact, a thin translucent barrier spread out from Tsutsuji’s palm. It appeared no thicker than a hair, but when the mace made contact, it rebounded with enough force to push the huge man off his feet. The barrier rippled with a rainbow of colors like a soap bubble as it gave a strange wobbling sound, before shattering with the sound of glass.

    As the barrier burst, Mark felt a wave of intense fatigue wash over him, like he’d just ran 10 miles with no rest. He collapsed back into his seat, not even have the energy to support himself anymore as he gasped for breath.

    In the same instant, the large man was thrown to the grown, his mace crashing heavily into the road, leaving a crater of broken pavement as it shook the ground. He simply sat there, eyes wide in amazement and disbelief as he looked at the tiny Guide hovering in the Air. Tsutsuji simply looked down at him, arms crossed as she frowned.

    ______________________________________________

    ~~~ A few moments later ~~~

    Mark watched the strange scene from atop the Driver’s box, still too weak to move much. On the ground near the Carriage, the large man now knelt down, his head as far forward as his large stomach would allow. Alex stood in front of him as he tried to calm down a fuming Tsutsuji flying around the large man. She had been “lecturing” him for the past for moments, the crowd silently gawking, till finally seeming to lose steam she puffed out her cheeks and yelled at the large kneeling man,

    “Seriously, what were you thinking?! Just suddenly attacking people, is this how Whitewood treats its guests?”

    The man answered back in a deep, thundering voice, not even lifting his head,

    “N-no, My Holiness, this was my mistake. They tried to stop me, but I let my anger control me!”

    “Mistake? That is what you are going to tell the Grandeur Investigative Unit when it’s reported you attacked not only a Hero but a Spirit as well? That you just made a mistake?”

    “Wait, Tsutsuji, there is no need to go that far, at least hear him out.”

    Alex quickly interceded, stepping in front of a fuming Tsutsuji. At the mention of Grandeur Investigative Unit, the large man looked up, his face pale as death as his eyes lit up in panic. The crowd surrounding them burst into commotion. Mark raised an eye at the unfamiliar term. Focusing on it in his mind, a small window popped up in his vision,

    --------------------------------------------------
    Grandeur Investigative Unit
    Index Entry
    : Special Unit formed by Grandeur as a countermeasure against Non-malignant threats. The unit is deployed when there claims that may disrupt normal operations such as; Rouge Heroes, Pixie and Devil sightings or obstruction of Hero or Guardian duties.
    The GIU’s influence is enough to quarantine entire Countries and arrest Kings.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Grandeur. There was that term again. He vaguely remembered seeing it Tsutsuji’s status, and Alex had mentioned it as well, but he’d assumed it was just some town somewhere. Once more focused on the unknown word. The first window closed and another replaced it,

    --------------------------------------------------
    Land of Origin, Grandeur of the Tearfall
    Index Entry
    : The largest collection of Wisp Pools in the World. Legend holds that this location is where the Tear of Elaos fell, and Magi were born. Grandeur also refers to the Organization based here. Grandeur has existed for thousands of years in response to the Malignant threat. They are also responsible for the training and deployment of Heroes and Spirits throughout the world. Contrary to popular belief, Grandeur holds only very loose ties to the Grand Church of Elaos, and rarely steps into the global political stage; their entire existence and focus are solely on defending against Malignants and miasma. Though that has not stopped many from growing nervous about the organization’s influence and power, there are very few brave or crazy enough to speak out publicly such concerns.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark furrowed his brow in deep thought. He could begin to see why the people would be terrified at the tiny Guide’s threat. Mark looked once more over at Tsutsuji, inspecting her with new eyes. Though he was not completely convinced that she had the power to carry out her threat, the crowd seemed to think she did.

    As the crowd grew restless, the large man quickly bellowed out,

    “No! Please, the blame is on my head alone! When it was reported strangers had driven Thomas’ carriage into town, I lost myself. I’d thought you’d come to sell it off, or some such thing!”

    Alex’s eyes went wide in shock as the man spoke,

    “You knew Thomas?”

    “Yes, Yes! Thomas was a regular in town; he would often travel between Whitewood and the Western Continent, his prices are always fair and he is a good natured Man, there are many people in the Trade district who know him by face”

    [Well, that would explain the stares.]

    Mark thought as he started to regain some strength. Tsutsuji gave an angry grunt and quickly flew around Alex and stopped In front of the large man’s face, jamming her finger into his large nose,

    “FOOL! And why would Bandits drive their spoils directly into town?”

    “That i-is… I mean… I’m Sorry! As I said, it was my mistake alone, I beg you!”

    The large man’s pale face went beat red, then he slammed his head back to the ground. Alex quickly pulled Tsutsuji away, before placing his arms under the man’s and urging him to stand, speaking in a voice loud enough to be heard throughout the crowd,

    “We understand, we understand, please stand up. There is no reason to take this any further than it has already.”

    The large man quickly stood up, a look of relief flooding his face, as an audible sigh swept the crowd. The large man faced three and gave a deep bow that made it seem it would almost topple over again, before speaking in a much lighter voice,

    “Thank you! Truly. Let me apologize and reintroduce myself. I am Matthew, Merchant current head of the Trader’s Guild. Again, let me thank you for your mercy and kindness.”

    Mark could not help but chuckle a bit in his heart at the man’s reaction. Tsutsuji and Alex’s Good Cop/Bad Cop routine was so spot on he thought he was back home watching a show. As Alex spoke to Matthew, beginning to retell their tale, Mark heard a noise from behind. Turning around, he saw the small figure of a girl huddled up against one of the boxes, shivering. It seemed she had awoken from the commotion. Reaching out his hand to the terrified girl, Mark gently tapped her shoulder. She gave a slight squeal and looked up at him.

    Mark gestured for her to move forward when she met his eyes. Still trembling slightly, the girl crawled forward and leaned out of the Carriage. When she saw the large man talking to Mark, her eyes went wide as she gave a strange sound, as if trying to say something. Matthew noticed the sound and looked their way. He froze for a moment in shock, before given a loud bellow and rushing forward,

    “Merry!”

    The young girl quickly scrambled out of the back onto the driver’s box, and as the man neared, she leaped from it and into his arms, her loud sobs slightly muffled as Matthew held her close to his chest. Matthew simply rocked the crying girl in his arms, speaking in a soft comforting tone as tears fell from down his cheeks,

    “Shuuu, it’s all right now little one. It’s over now.”

    After a moment, Matthew pulled the young girl from his chest and looked down at her condition. His eyes filled with pain as he noticed the bandages and bruises. His next word came out choked as if he was trying to hold back a thousand,

    “Oh, Merry….”

    __________________________________________

    ~~~ About an Hour later, Trader’s Guild Headquarters, Guildmaster’s Office. ~~~

    Mark, Alex, and Matthew sat around a large desk while Tsutsuji and Merry sat quietly reading on a nearby cushioned window seat. Several cups of tea sat untouched on the desk, as Mark and Alex recounted their travel so far; the mentioned the initial ambush and Merry’s recovery over the next few days, followed by their travels and the crossroad, before meeting Jonathan at the Military camp. As Matthew listened, his complexion became darker and placing his head between his hands, he massaged his temples, speaking out in a serious voice,

    “This does not make any sense. There are no Forest Goblin tribes anywhere near the main trade highway. And even if there were, the Kingdom does inspections every two months. If they’d been there before, we’d have known long in advance. If I recalled, the attacks even started shortly after the last inspection. What is going on?”

    Alex looked down at his cooling tea in contemplation and said half to himself,

    “So we have Goblins who should not be there, pointless attacks and an unknown objective that may or may not already be complete. Are they even still in the area? Why go through all of this trouble?”

    “And who’s behind it….”

    Matthew and Alex both looked at Mark with a questioning gaze. Matthew thought for a moment and spoke out half as a question and half as a statement,

    “They are not working alone?”

    “Unlikely. I don’t know much about Forest Goblins, but they don’t seem bright enough to pull off something like this. This was not some random plan out of boredom or desire. It was carefully planned and organized. You’ve already touched on the biggest clue so far. How did they know when the Inspection was over?”

    Alex tilted his head in confusion, before asking,

    “Couldn’t they have simply gone off of previous inspections? Or watched and waited for them to leave?”

    “No…”

    Matthew sat straight up, his face paling as he understood what was being said.

    “….The Inspection time and length is randomized every time, to prevent bandits from abusing the schedule. As well as that, the Inspection is a thorough sweep of the trade route; even if they’d waited, there would have been traces to detect.”

    Alex sat in shocked silence as the weight of the words sank in. Was someone working with the Goblins? Why? Who? Alex shook his head and asked, slightly queasy at the notion,

    “So what, is it someone on the inside? Or an outside influence?”

    Matthew thought for a moment and spoke.

    “It’s possible that the information was leaked from the Inside, but it’s impossible to tell from what level; were they informed of the time and came after? Or were they already here, but ignored by the Inspection team? If so, why? It’s also possible they outside help to conceal themselves; foreign powers destabilizing trade, greedy merchants taking out competitors? Even…Devils.”

    After a moment of dark silence, Matthew stood up and gave a sigh, speaking in a resolved voice,

    “For now, it’s too early to tell; too many questions, not enough answers. I’m going to have to report this to the Duchess. For now, I would like to invite you all to stay in the Headquarter; we have a few rooms that are used for special guests, they are far better than you’ll find at some Inn. Besides…..”

    As his voice trailed off, Matthew glanced over at the small figure of Merry, silently reading in the fading light, his saw voice too low to reach her from across the room,

    “Thomas was….a good man. I’m proud to have called him a close friend. For something like this to happen….”

    Mark could hear the sharp cracking of bones and he looked over and saw blood slowly dripped from the big man’s shaking clenched fist. The large man finished his words in a cold voice, a fire burning brightly in his eyes as he looked over at the little girl.

    “... You don’t have what it take to hide from me…”

    In some unknown place, a dark figure cloaked in shadows, broken out in a cold sweat.
     

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    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  18. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Interlude 2: To my second Love…

    Merry lay on the small bed, unable to make herself sleep. She slowly opened her eyes and glanced around the dim moonlit room. It was a familiar room to her, the same one that her parents had used when they visited Uncle Matthew. She had loved it here in Whitewood; the sights and sounds of the bustling city, the smells of the various food stalls lining the roads, even watching Aunt Caroline and big sister Adrea go about their work. But now, the dark room just seemed cold to her. And lonely. She gently shifted to her side, careful to not wake Tsutsuji who was sleeping on the pillow beside her and stared out the window.

    After a moment of restless silence, she slipped out of bed and walked to the small table sitting near the window, the hard wood floor cold beneath her feet. She grunted a little as she pulled the heavy chair out, her heart pounding as it screeched in protest. She glanced over at Tsutsuji nervously; the tiny guide just scratched herself and slept on, mumbling in her sleep. Merry gave a sigh then sat down at the table, pulling closed the large book that sat on top.

    The little girl stared at the book with warm eyes, gently tracing the words on its cover, before opening it. Instead of turning to the marked page, Merry opened to the front and lifted a small pouch attached to the cover. She carefully drew out a small folded letter, staring at it with sad eyes as the moonlight dimly reflected off of it. She slowly opened the letter, careful not to tear it. The creases on the paper were worn and several parts were smudged from tears, but Merry had read letter enough that she could recite it from her heart. Even still, she held the worn paper as if it was a treasure, and carefully read each word by the dim moonlight,

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    To my Second Love,

    As I write this letter, I am looking over at you gently sleeping in your Mother’s arms and I think to myself what did someone like me ever do to be blessed with the two greatest women in this world? You are only a little thing now, and I must admit, it makes me terrified some times. You must be so ashamed to have such a coward as a Father. Such a fragile thing, I can’t help think that you’ll break or I’ll make you cry. But when I see that pure smile light your face, it’s like all the worries in the world disappear, clouds vanish from the sky and the stars shine just a little brighter than before.

    I wonder, how many years will pass before you see these words? What kind of woman will you become? Will you be as kind and brave as your Mother? Will you stand up tall and be able to lift your head up high? What will you do when you finally step out on your own? What kind of person will the man who steals your heart be? What will my grandchildren look like? When your hair is gray and your back crooked, will you still remember the things this foolish Father taught you?

    So many questions go through my mind every time I look into your eyes. When I think about what life has in store for you, I sometimes find myself overflowing with happiness and expectations. Other time, I’m terrified and weep at the sorrows you will have to endure. But no matter what crosses my mind, I will always remember that you are my Daughter, my second love; you may only be a tiny sapling right now but it will not be long before you grow into a mighty oak, unwavering even in the fiercest gale that life throws at you.

    So, my sweet little girl, I ask only this of you. Live on. Through was ever may come. Live on. In both the good times and dark times, never give up, keep pressing forward and never lose sight of the things that will come after the pain.

    The Night will never last forever, one day the Sun will break over the horizon and a new Day will come. Till then, live on.

    With all the love within me,
    Signed, your foolish Father.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Merry struggled to silence her sobs as her hands shook, a few fresh tears adding themselves to the stains on the letter. After a long moment, Merry finally managed to calm herself down. She took a deep breath and carefully refolded the letter and returned it to the book cover. She closed the book and leaned back in her chair, looking out the nearby window with tears in her eyes. Merry knew that the others only thought of her as a child, that they tried to keep her ignorant, thinking to protect her from the truth.

    She may be young, but she was not stupid. She heard the whispered words and saw the looks of pity from the adults. She was not stupid, while she pretended not to hear, she understood the words they said. Merry’s eyes took on a dark look, a flame burning deep in their depths. As she looked out over the dark cityscape, a thought began to form. They were out there somewhere. Lurking in the shadows. Thinking no one could see them, thinking no one could touch them.

    But they were wrong.

    After a short while, Merry slid off of the chair and gently slipped into bed. She closed her eyes once more; as she slipped away into sleep, the gears began to turn in the back of her mind.
     
    Last edited: Nov 16, 2017
  19. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 10: Crossroads (Part 3)

    Mark awoke to heavy banging on his room door; He jerked up into a sitting position momentarily confused at his location. He looked around the unfamiliar room in a daze as the events of the past day slowly made their way from the depths of his memory. That’s right, they had spent the night at the Trader’s Guild Headquarters as guests of Matthew. The loud banging sounded again, as a feminine voice called out;

    “Sir Mark, are you awake?”

    Mark quickly rose from the bed and approached the door, opening it wide as the person on the other side raised their hand to knock for the third time. The door swung open and Mark looked at the young lady on the other side. He didn’t remember her name, but he recognized the office worker looking lady as one of the secretaries working in the guild. His eyes were still half closed as he asked in a tired voice,

    “Yes? What is it?”

    The Office Lady seemed to have frozen in place, her hand raised and her mouth agape. She stood there for a moment wide eyed as her face and ears quickly turned a deep shade of red. Mark looked down at her quizzically, before following her eyes. It was then he realized he’d yet to get dressed; he was now standing in the doorway wearing nothing but an old pair of boxers. He gave a light chuckle before grabbing the door handle and pulling it shut, speaking out as he did,

    “Sorry, one moment.”

    “Y-yes….”

    Mark opened the door once more after getting dressed; he now wore a pair of dark brown trousers, similar to khakis, and a light gray button up shirt. Matthew had provided them the night before; Mark couldn't identify the fabric used, but it was light and airy with a cottony feel, though softer. The young Office Lady, seeing that Mark was decent, stood straight and tried to present herself in a professional manner, though her face was still red,

    “Ahem, well, yes. I am here to inform you that you have been summoned to the Whitewood Fortress, by order of the Duchess. Mr. Matthew has already gone on ahead and has ordered us to prepare a carriage. Breakfast will be served in the Staff mess hall in ten minutes, after which you will head directly to the Fortress.”

    The young Office Lady delivered her message in a monotone voice before quickly retreating away from the door and walking stiff legged down the hall. Mark watched the lady leave with a smirk before closing his door. Five minutes later, Mark opened the door, this time wearing his jacket and a thin cloak. Alex was just exiting his own room across the hallway, and the two met up with Merry and a still half asleep Tsutsuji at the stairwell.

    The group then proceeded down to the mess hall and ate a light breakfast. While Mark found the meal of small amount of bread, cheese, and ham to be a little light, Alex had a look of ecstasy as he ate, like a man who’d just finished a long fast. Tsutsuji gently moved Merry down the bench as they watched, giving the ravenous man a complex look.

    After everyone had finished their meal, they were quickly ushered into a waiting passenger carriage and made their way to the large central island. Mark looked out of the carriage window as they drove through the streets, taking in the sights of the early morning bustle. He’d never really liked crowded cities like this, but he had to admit, Whitewood had its charm in its own way. After roughly 30 minutes, the carriage crossed over a large ornate bridge, stopping at both ends as their paper work was verified.

    The atmosphere on the central island was completely different than on the other side of the bridge. Instead of tall, tightly packed buildings, the large estates were spaced reasonably far from each other, and while the Trade district was a noisy urban center, the lush greenery and quiet murmur of the well-dressed people as they walked the streets made it feel more like a city park rather than a residential area. The vast number of people walking the streets seemed to be servants, dressing in a similar manner to each other, though a young lady in a light dress escorted by well-groomed young man could be seen every now and again.

    The traffic on the road was far lighter as well, with the majority being elegant passenger carriages like their own; though every now and again, a supply or merchant wagon would stop at one of the large estates. Ten minutes later they approached the massive stone Fortress sitting in the middle of the Island. Made of the same near black concrete material as the walls, its rough lines, and functionalist design stood in stark contrast to the ornate elegance of the estates they had passed. It was obvious from a glance that this building was created with the mindset of functionality first; though some lighter stone and stone trimming here and there spoke of someone’s attempts as easing the Fort’s rough appearance.

    After going through another round of checks at the Fort entrance, the group was ushered into the open courtyard. They left the Carriage to find Matthew waiting close by. He approached them with a large grin, the extra fat on his body slightly wobbling as he picked Merry up in a tight embrace,

    “Welcome! Welcome! I trust that the ride was not too rough? Thank you for taking the time to come here. Let us hurry, the Duchess will be with us shortly.”

    Matthew’s grin widened as he motioned for the group to follow him, taking the small girl’s hand as he did so and led her along. Passing through a set of large double doors that seemed to be a smaller version of the city’s gates, the group entered into the Dark Fortress.

    Contrary to its outward appearance, the Grand Entryway of the Fortress was elegantly decorated in green and white marble; a few small round gardens in the corners and live plants as well as a few small Whitewood trees, combined with the tastefully designed benches and tables around the area, gave the entryway a surreal feel.

    “Ah! Mr. Lūceō, Mr. Floyd. Thank you for paying a visit to me today. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Duchess Grace Whitewood.”

    From the back of the room came a sweet chiming voice. Mark look to see a young woman gracefully descending a gold inlay-ed marble staircase at the back. He couldn't help but stare as he watched the woman approach; she was shockingly beautiful, standing roughly 5ft tall, her skin was white as snow without the slightest blemish, her face vibrant enough to make even a model back on Earth jealous. Her eyes were a deep azure, and her long blond hair shined with a golden light as the sunlight from the entryway skylights hit it. The simple white dress she wore proved to be both elegant and professional while still highlighting the woman’s charms. But what surprised Mark the most, was that this woman introducing herself as the Duchess appeared to be no more than 20 years old.

    Mark realized he’d forgotten to breathe when he felt a small pitch on the side of his leg. He gave a small jump, then looked over to see Merry standing next to him, looking away as if uninterested. Alex seemed to be entranced as well, but shaking his head as if to clear it, he gave a practiced bow and spoke with a slight stutter,

    “T-Thank you. It is an honor to finally meet you. I have heard much about your work. For you to even come greet us in person…”

    “No, no, it is fine. It is always a pleasure to meet Father’s guests.”

    “F-Father?”

    Alex spoke in a confused tone, question marks floating about his head, when Matthew gave out a deep bellied laugh, a wide mischievous grin splitting his face as if he’d played a great joke,

    “Hahaha, Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Matthew Whitewood. Merchant, Trade’s Guild Head, and former Duke of Whitewood. Grace is my Daughter and the acting Duchess.”

    Alex stared at the huge man, mouth agape before his face went pale and he bowed deeply.

    “I’m Sorry for n-not recognizing your grace! I have heard all about your stories Grand War-priest Sir!”

    “Hahaha, calm down boy, calm down. I’ve been retired from the Adventuring game for close to 60 years now, and I’ve not been a Duke in over 20. Besides, I was pretty rude myself during our first meeting, if I recall, Hahahaha.”

    Matthew’s grin turned into an open mouth laugh as he held his sides at the young man’s reaction. Grace Whitewood, however, took on a cold look as she eyed her Father, anger visible on her face,

    “Yes. I heard all about the ‘Incident’ yesterday. What were you thinking Father? Attacking random travelers and in broad daylight no less. Do you understand how much damage control I’ve had to do since then?”

    Matthew gave his Daughter an apologetic look, laughing nervously as cold sweat wet his neck,

    “Yes, sweetie, have I not already apologized? It’s all water under the bridge now. That look of yours is getting more and more like your Mother’s every day…”

    The Duchess narrowed her eyes at her Father before giving a humph and turning her head away. Her eyes fell on a certain young girl as she did so. The Duchess seemed to glide across the floor as she approached, kneeling down and wrapping the young girl in a warm embrace, her eyes almost tearing up. After a moment she separated, holding the young girl by the shoulders as she scanned her up and down. Her voice sounded raw and weary as she spoke in a soft voice,

    “Oh Merry, look at you.”

    The Duchess pulled the young girl in again into a long embrace, before finally standing as she tried to compose herself. Seeming to remember Alex and Mark’s presence, the Duchess blushed a little and coughed into her hand,

    “Well, now if you would follow me. We have a lot to discuss.”

    Alex who had been pretending to be admiring plants gave a small bow and followed after. Mark, for his part, had remained standing at attention through the whole scene, being unfamiliar with this world’s etiquette and customs for such situations. Mark followed in Alex’s footsteps shortly after; Matthew, Merry, and Tsutsuji bringing up the rear.

    _________________

    They followed behind the Duchess for a short while, before arriving in front of a set of double doors. The nearby guards open the doors to reveal a spacious and tastefully decorated personal office space. A large desk similar to the one Jonathan had in his tent made up the center piece of the room. In front of it were a small table and several large soft looking leather couches. A large bronze statue of a dragon stood on one side of the room, a two massive white Axe grasped in its claws. The Axes were easily the size of Merry, and their clean white blades were carved with an elegant pattern of climbing vines and blooming Roses and Whitewood flowers.

    Mark found himself drawn to the weapon’s beautiful design and a small window popped up in his vision,

    --------------------------------------------------
    Judge and Jury

    Quality: Engraved
    Origin: Mythforge Workshop, Whitewood
    Status: Sealed
    Quarks: ???
    Index Entry: Personal weapons of Grace Whitewood. These oversized War-Axes accompanied Grace during her travels as an Adventure in her younger days. The blades are carved from solid Whitewood, and the handle is Black Iron. The blood that splattered the floral design of these blades as she danced on the battlefield, earned Grace the handle of “Blood Rose”.
    --------------------------------------------------

    Mark felt a cold shiver go down his spine as he looked at the window. What could he say? Like Father Like Daughter. Mark made a note in his heart never to cross this seemingly fragile young woman.

    The Duchess walked forward and motioned for the group to sit on the couches surrounding the center table. Matthew and the Duchess sat on one side, Mark and Alex on the other. Merry stood for a moment, looking back and forth, before finally walking over to Mark and crawling into his lap. Mark simply frowned down at the little girl, before lifting her up and placing her on the couch beside him, as the young girl puffed her cheeks. Matthew and the Duchess raised an eye but otherwise said nothing. Tsutsuji simply flew over and gently landed on Mark's shoulder.

    A nearby maid began to lay out a few cups and snacks and the group exchanged pleasantries for a moment, before getting down to business. The Duchess looked at Alex and Mark with serious eyes, before asking,

    “I have heard the reports from both Father and Jonathan, but if you do not mind, I would like to hear it one more time, in your own words. Do not leave anything out, no matter how insignificant it may seem.”

    Mark and Alex exchanged a glance before launching into their story once more, careful to not leave anything out. When it came time for Mark to share his own story, he saw no reason to hide his situation, though on Tsutsuji’s advice he had left out his connection and meeting to Elaos; instead, he had simply awoken in the cave, unsure where he was. Matthew and the Duchess gave Mark an analyzing look as if reevaluating him when the Duchess spoke in a low voice,

    “So, you are claiming to be a ‘Wanderer’?”

    “Wanderer?”

    “That is the term used for people like you, those few who ‘wander’ or slip through the cracks between worlds. They are not unheard of, but they are not as common as being able to randomly meet one on the streets. I’ll be honest, if it wasn’t for the Magi Spirit, I would not even consider you were telling the truth. Though I have never heard of a Guide taking a Wanderer as a Partner.”

    “See Mark! You should start taking better care of me!”

    Mark, in response to Tsutsuji’s nose in the air boasting, simply lifted his hand and flicked the small guide on the forehead, sending her tumbling off his shoulder and onto Merry’s lap, the spirit giving a small shriek as she fell.

    At the show, the people around them had varying responses. Alex placed his head in his palm and gave an embarrassed sigh, while Matthew when pale as a ghost, and Merry gave a startled jump, before hiding her face in the cover of her book. The Duchess stared in shock for a moment before bringing her hand to her mouth and giving a light chuckle. Tsutsuji stared reproachfully up at Mark before turning her head away with a humph, settling instead for Merry’s lap.

    Alex gave a cough, and spoke, turning their attention to him,

    “That about sums up the whole story. So the question is. What now?”

    The Duchess folded her arms and leaned back into the couch, deep in thought, as Matthew spoke in a low voice,

    “The problem is, we still do not have enough information at the moment. Our agents have been gathering what they can, but whoever was behind this incident knows how to cover their tracks well.”

    The Duchess spoke, furrowing her brow in frustration,

    “I feel like we are still missing some part of the puzzle…”

    She gave a sigh before sitting back up and spoke in a resigned voice,

    “But truthfully, this is our problem. I thank you for your cooperation and information, but these matters are for Whitewood to handle now. For now, there is one more matter that needs resolving…”

    As she spoke, five pairs of eyes landed on the young girl sitting next to Mark, as she hid behind her book. Matthew was the first to speak after a moment of silence,

    “Honestly, I am very grateful for what you two did. Thomas and Martha were dear friends, and Whitewood as a whole owes them a lot. You did more than most people would now these days, if there is anything I can do for you, please say so.”

    “Yes, I agree. I watched her grow up, Merry is like a sister to me. Please if you have any requests, I will do all that is in my power to fulfill it.”

    The Duchess crossed her arms and nodded in agreement with her Father. Alex went beat red as he quickly dismissed their claims,

    “No, No. I simply did my duty given the situation. I don’t need anything as compensation. If anything, Mark played a bigger role than me; if he’d not shown up when he did, I don’t know if I’d even made it out myself.”

    Mark for his part, remained silent as if in thought, neither dismissing nor accepting the offer.

    Matthew and the Duchess grinned at each other before Matthew gave a slight chuckle and spoke,

    “You underrate yourself, young Hero. They were strangers to you, you could have run at any time and abandoned them to their fate. But you chose to stick around. That kind of action is not something to simply dismiss. As for Mark….”

    The group's attention was suddenly drawn to a loud commotion from the office door, as several arguing voices could be heard. Mark suddenly had a bad feeling, when there was a large impact on the doors and they were forcefully thrown open with a loud bang. In the doorway, now stood a thin Woman, her face filled with rage as her hands gripped a huge hammer. Behind her, several guards struggled to restrain her, though their efforts seem to have little effect.

    Her face was a deep red, almost as red as the short blood red hair on her head, and her eyes were filled with a deep anger as they scanned the room. Then her eyes landed on Mark as he sat on the couch. The woman gave a loud bellow as she locked her eyes on him, raising her large hammer high above her head.

    As the hammer descended, Mark couldn't help but think that this felt oddly familiar…

    ______________

    Mark looked down at the kneeling woman in front of him; her face was still red, though out of embracement rather than rage, as she refused to meet his eyes, opting instead to pet the little girl that sat in her lap. He glanced around the room at the group as they took in the scene. The Guards in the background were cleaning up the mess, struggling to lift the large hammer than had been blasted away, even with 2 people. Alex seemed almost numb at this point, simply letting out a tired sigh, while Matthew shook as he held his sides, barely able to contain his laughter. The Duchess who seemed overly calm, sipped her tea, though her red ears betrayed her embarrassment. Tsutsuji rambled on in a rage, venting herself in a nonsensical manner as she scolded the kneeling woman, and Merry simply sat on the Woman’s lap as she petted her, looking slightly confused.

    Matthew took a moment to gather himself, before standing and coughing into his hand, calling the groups attention to himself,

    “Well now, I presume introductions are in order. Mark, Alex, Tsutsuji, let me introduce my youngest Daughter, Selah Whitewood.”

    Another Daughter? Mark reaffirmed his earlier conjecture; Like Father like Daughter. If you could say one thing about the Whitewoods, they were…Interesting. None the less, Selah seemed to be a bit more prideful than her Father, as she simply humphed and turned her head away at her Father’s introduction.

    “Selah, this is Guide Tsutsuji, Alexander Lūceō, and Mark Floyd. They are my guests as well as Merry’s benefactors.”

    Matthew continued, introducing the three of them. Mark looked at the cold woman, slightly shocked at how different she was from her sister. The clothes Selah wore were thick and rough, comprising of a simple trouser and shirt combo, still slightly dirty as she had rushed over from whatever she was doing without bothering to change. She wore a thick leather apron over her clothes, several tools visible in the many pockets lining the outside. She was quite a bit taller than her older sister, standing a little shorter than Mark who was 5’11.

    Her face was exceptionally beautiful, just like her sister’s, though in a different way; If Grace was a still, moonlit pond, then Selah was a wild crackling fire. On her arms and hands were several tiny scars and burn marks. Compared to her sister’s snow white complexion, Selah’s was several magnitudes darker; not quite a full tan, but showing that she spent a good bit of time in the sun. Her blood red hair was cut slightly shorter than Merry’s and in a similar style, though he was not sure who was imitating who. What drew Mark’s attention the most, however, was what peaked out from the short red hair. A pair of slightly pointing ears that would seem to fit in any Tolkien story. Mark was somewhat amazed as he thought to himself,

    [An Elf, really?]

    Mark couldn't help but feel the strangeness in the thought, and be reminded once more, he was not in the world he once knew.

    After a moment of silence, the Duchess gave a sigh and set her tea down, before addressing her younger sister,

    “Selah, what are you doing here?”

    “I-I had heard the Trader’s talking. They said that Uncle Thomas’s carriage had been attacked.”

    “So you thought you would barge in on an official meeting and attack my guests?”

    “No, But…

    “But nothing. I’ve already had to deal with Father’s mess. Is Mother the only one in this family who does not enjoy giving me more work?!”

    As she spoke, the Duchess’ grip on the table steadily increased. Mark could hear Alex swallow nervously as he watched the hard Whitewood table slightly bent inward under the force.

    “Now Grace, it was an honest mistake. Let your sister off for now. What matters now is that Merry is safe.”

    The Duchess gave a resigned sigh and released her grip on the table, gently massaging her temples as she spoke,

    “Yes, I know. Fine, we’ll drop this matter. For now, I feel tired so I am going to take a rest. We will finish up this matter at another time. Mr. Floyd, Mr. Lūceō, your Holiness, I invite you to stay here at the Fortress for the time being. Take some time to relax, or take a look around the city; Whitewood has a lot to offer.”

    Matthew rubbed his chin as he thought about his Daughter’s words, before giving a smile and speaking,

    “Selah, how about you show them around town? Think of it as a way to make up for your actions. You can even visit the Workshop; I am sure Caroline would love to see Merry.”

    “Wha-? No! That’s…“

    “… A great idea. Selah, as the Duchess of Whitewood, I am assigning you to act as a guide for our Guests. Show them what the Whitewood life is all about.”

    At her Sister’s words, Selah could only grumble silently and look down at the ground, before reluctantly agreeing.

    Mark and Alex simply exchanged a look, Mark raising a questioning eye and Alex shrugging his shoulders in resignation.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017
  20. Osamaru

    Osamaru 『Shem's Best Pal ✧ Lexi's Ani ✧ Hamster's Keeper』

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    Chapter 11: Inheritance (Part 1)

    (Author’s Notes: This chapter actually turned out to be quite a bit longer than I thought it would be at first, so I am splitting it into 2 parts. The second part should be up later today.)

    ~~~ Later the same Day ~~~

    Merry hummed lightly as she shifted through the large box in the back of the carriage, pulling out several random objects and laying them off to the side. It had been almost a year since she’d last seen Aunt Caroline, and she could barely contain herself. As she searched the storage box, a small glint caught her eye.

    She reached down and pulled out a short tube about the length her forearm; it was made of a dull gray wood. There was no distinguishing markings or other such things anywhere on its surface; if not for the slight shift in weight as it moved, one might think it was just a wooden rod or stick.

    But Merry recognized what it was. She could still make out the scene of her Father arguing with the stranger as she hid in the back, though the words they said were low and hushed. She reached down after a moment and picked up the rod with a frown, examining its length in detail.

    As she did, a memory popped into her head and she drew the small knife on her belt, then pricked her finger. She took the tiny drop of blood and wiped it on one end of the rod; it gave a small shake, and the opposite end popped open and half of the rod retracted back like a ribcage, giving a series of soft clicks.

    Merry gave a small squeal and nearly dropped the rod as it moved, but managed to maintain her grip. She stared in amazement at the strange thing, wondering how it worked. After a long moment, her eyes fell on the contents of the rod. Laying in the exposed center was an old scroll, tightly rolled. Her heart began to beat in excitement as she reached down to touch the old scroll, but before she did, a voice called out from around the corner of the carriage,


    “Merry, are you finished? We’re almost ready to go.”


    Merry gave a slight jump, before turning her head and gave Selah a nervous look, careful not to let her see the case. Selah looked at the carriage and the items that were strewn about, before giving Merry a frown and speaking in a stern voice,


    “Clean up the mess and gather your things. We leave in five minutes.”


    Merry gave a quick nod and began to shuffle some things around. Selah gave the little girl a suspicious look before turning around and walking away. Merry sighed when she saw the woman leave and pulled out the rod. It gave another series of small clicks as she picked it up and quickly closed itself once more without a visible seam.

    The young girl stared down at the rod for a moment, before placing it in her carry bag and turning back to the large box. After a moment of searching Merry pulled out a small ornate wooden box the size of two of her fists, her eyes sparkling. The young girl quickly stuffed the box into her bag as well, and replaced all of the remaining items into the box, before hopping out of the back of the carriage.

    A few moments later, she rounded the corner to see a small group of people surrounding a passenger carriage. Alex and Matthew were off to the side discussing something, while Mark was loading a few items into the back of the carriage, Tsutsuji napping lightly on his head. Grace was speaking to Selah as they looked over a small map of the city, marking certain areas as they did so. Selah, seeing that Merry had arrived, quickly walked over and picked the small girl up, while the Duchess gave a bright smile and clapped lightly, drawing the rest of the group's attention,


    “Well now! Seeing that everyone is here, let’s get this show on the road. I’ve put together a little route for you all that will highlight all of Whitewood’s charm. I do hope that you come to enjoy your stay here.”


    Mark walked over to the small outdoor table the map lay on and looked it over. According to the route they would take, they would first start off in the manufacturing district, before circling the city in a clockwise manner through the residential, workers, and trade districts, before finally ending the day back at the fortress. Ten minutes later, three adults, a little girl and a still sleeping Guide stuffed themselves into the passenger carriage and headed out.

    As the group moved through the Streets, they sat in awkward silence; Mark leaned back in the padded seat, staring out of the window, bored, while Merry sat quietly on Selah’s lap, the latter humming slowly to herself as she petted the small girl. Alex couldn’t help but feel a little restless in the strange atmosphere and pretended to study the small town map in detail, while Tsutsuji mumbled something softly in her sleep.

    Mark, seeing that it would be a while before they reached their first destination, decided to make up for a little-lost sleep. He didn’t know why, but recently he had become unable to sleep properly, even with his skill. He would often find himself waking in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat or shaking. Other times, he would lay down only to immediately sit back up, a wave of intense nausea washing over him. He had begun to take up small naps in the middle of the day to compensate, but he could feel his fatigue and irritation building. He gently rubbed his temples, trying to ease the slight pressure, before closing his eyes and letting the light rumble of the wheels on the paved road sweep him away.

    An unknown time later, Mark woke up to a gentle nudging. He opened his eyes to see they had stopped at a small building with several over passenger carriages lining the street. Dozens of people of all shapes sizes and colors mingled around. Some were dressed as travelers or adventurers, while others were obviously workers of the district and the various sounds of work and loud yelling filled the air. The building they had stopped at seemed to be some form of relay or parking garage as several people approached the nearby counter and filled out a form of some kind, before an attendant drove the carriages nearby, away.

    Mark stepped out of their own carriage and gave a grunt as he stretched himself out, then looked around the area. Alex was standing nearby with Selah, speaking to a well-dressed attendant, while Merry and Tsutsuji sat on the edge of the carriage door, looking out at the passing crowd. After a moment Alex and Selah returned, as the attendant walked over and sat in the driver’s box. Merry slid down as the attendant drove the carriage, and Selah spoke,


    “We’ll be heading to Mother’s workshop from here. It’s not too far, but we’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”


    It seemed that to cut down on traffic, only supply, transport, and emergency wagons were allowed on the Manufacturing District’s roads. While Mark didn’t mind the walk, Merry frowned; she wanted to see Aunt Caroline, but she never liked the Manufacturing District, it was smelly, loud and hot. She quietly walked over to Mark and reached up, grabbing his large hand as she stared into the crowd nervously. Mark looked down at the small girl and frowned, but said nothing. Selah, seeing this, furrowed her brow and quickly walked over, grabbing onto Merry’s other hand and gave Mark a threatening look as if she’d seen a stranger try and snatch her child. Mark simply raised an eye and shrugged.

    Selah’s face redden and a vein began to throb, but she simply humphed in the end and turned her head away. Tsutsuji gave a light laugh before flying over and laying on Merry’s head. Mark shook his head with a sigh and the group began to walk down the side of the road; Alex following behind, gave an awkward smile, feeling a little left out.

    The group quickly made their way down the road, Selah pointing out to a building every so often and giving the name of some famous company or craftsmen. Mark looked around the district, impressed with what he saw. While it wasn’t comparable to his own world, the technology of this one was a strange mix of old and new.

    On one corner you might see a carpenter steadily shaving down a massive log by hand, while on another you might see a man repairing a metal railing with a blowtorch like device. Over all though, the atmosphere gave Mark the vibe of a civilization on the cusps of a technological revolution. Elaos had said this world was “stagnating”, but as far as Mark could see, it seemed to be progressing along nicely.

    After about 20 minutes of walking, the group approached a large building with a crowd around the entrance. The building itself was a simple design, but it was a good three or four times the size of any others in the surrounding area, and the large sign hanging on top read “Mythforge” is huge glaring letters. Mark could see a steady flow of people coming in and out of the entrance; some carried packages and boxes, a wide smile on their face, others left empty handed.

    Selah quickly led the group through the crowd, ignoring the sounds of protest as those gathered were pushed away, before nodding to the guard standing at the entrance and leading them through. The building, while not overly crowded on the inside, had several dozen people milling about as they looked at the items and merchandise on sale. Several sales clerks walked around the store, approaching the guests as they answered questions or pushed a sale. The atmosphere made Mark feel like he’d walked into a large specialty shop in his old world.

    Though he’d never seen a specialty shop like this. While the vast majority of the displayed goods seemed to be metal or wood tools and traveling equipment, one side of the store was dedicated to things such as armor and weapons as well.

    Saleh led the group through the crowd and to the back of the store, nodding to a few of the employees as they passed. Several even gave Merry a cheerful greeting, though their eyes took on a look of pity as they noticed the bandages wrapped around her limbs and head. The group soon left the bustle of the storefront and passed through a door in the back, entering into a long hallway with several doors on either side. From a distance, a loud, rhythmic sound of metal on metal could be heard. The sound grew louder and louder as they neared the far end of the hallway.

    As they neared, the door opened and two young children walked out, carrying several large bundles and dressed in similar clothes and leather aprons as Selah. The leading one, a boy roughly 12 years old, called out with a smile,


    “Miss Selah! You’re back!”


    The young boy rushed over with his bundle. Though he looked quite young, he was surprisingly tall, only a head shorter than Selah herself. A wide grin spread on his face as he stopped in front of the group, and as the boy looked up at Selah, Alex couldn’t help but imagine a small puppy happy to see his owner return. Selah looked down with a smile and patted the young boy on the head, then said,


    “Yes, Yes. Sorry about running out on you guys like that.”
    “N-no, it’s alright! We can take care of just this small amount.”
    “Speak for yourself!”


    Suddenly, a boot placed itself on the boys behind and shoved him several steps down the hall. Mark looked to see the face of a young girl, a few years older than Merry, peek out from behind the bundle she carried. Her face looked over at the older boy in contempt, her temple throbbing. She suddenly snapped her head up to Selah, giving her an angry look before speaking in a light voice that would be quite pleasant if not filled with irritation,


    “And You! Big Sis Selah, do you have any idea how busy we’ve been with the sale today?”
    “Hehe, I’m Sorry, truly. Something came up.”


    As the young girl scolded her, Selah moved her eyes away nervously and glanced down at Merry. The young girl’s eyes followed her line of sight and she finally noticed Merry standing between Mark and Selah. Her eyes quickly went wide, and the girl gave a shout,


    “Merry!”


    She threw the bundle she carried at the older boy and rushed over, wrapping Merry in a tight hug, eyes on the verge of tears.


    “What happened?! Where’s Aunt and Uncle? Why are….”


    Selah gently pried the young girl away from Merry and patted her on the head, before speaking in a soft voice,


    “I’ll explain everything later. For now, take the supplies and go tell the Head Clerk we’ll be visiting Mother for a short while, so please turn anything away.”


    The young girl gave a short nod before picking up her dropped bundle and began to quickly walk down the hall, glancing back every few steps with a worried look. The boy looked over with sad eyes, before turning around without a word and following the girl. Selah watched the two walk away, before looking down at Merry. The little girl who’d been a little excited and bubbly a few moments before had gone stiff, her eyes cold as she stared at the floor in front of her.

    Mark looked down at her with a frown, before giving a sigh and gently petting her head with his free hand. Merry looked up at the man for a moment with a complicated look, then giving his hand a tight squeeze, she walked forward with determined steps towards the open door. Selah watched on silently, a frown marring her face as she followed after.

    The group walked through the door and into a large room lit by a massive forge and several open skylights. The room was stuffed full of tools, equipment and raw materials waiting to be processed. As they walked into the room, Tsutsuji, who had been riding on Alex’s shoulder in the back, quickly flew into the air and started to buzz around excitement, examining the large weapons and armor that lined one wall. A strange gleam lit her eyes as she flew about, touching each piece feverishly.

    Ignoring the bug’s strange behavior, Mark looked around the room in interest. When his eyes landed on the figure of a person in the back. With a quick downward swing, the person swung the large hammer into the glowing bar in front of them, giving off a loud bang that seemed to make the air around them shake. Then again, they raised the hammer and brought it down with precise movements. The group simply stared at the figure slightly blurred by the light of the forge, seemingly hypnotized by the work, while the figure continued on as if they didn’t even notice the newcomers.

    After a moment, Selah walked over slowly, and spoke in a quiet voice,


    “Mother. We have guests.”


    The Hammering stopped, and the figure looked up at Selah with a quizzical glance, before turning their gaze to the rest of the group. The figure paused for a moment, before glancing down at their work. They quickly picked up the glowing bar with a pair of tongs and quenched it in a nearby barrel, then laid it aside and walked towards them.

    No longer half blinded by the light of the forge, Mark’s eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the figure of the woman in front of him. There standing in an outfit the same as her Daughter, was a short lady no taller than 5 foot, her short blond pixie cut hair slightly dirty with soot. Her eyes were an icy blue, like looking into the heart of a glacier and her arms and body were surprisingly thin considering the work she had been doing.

    Though still red from the heat of the fire and slightly smudged with ash, her face was quite beautiful and Mark could instantly see the resemblance with her older daughter, Grace. Though Mark was slightly startled and confused; both girls had referred to this Woman as “Mother”, but no matter how much Mark tried, he couldn’t see anything but a young woman in her early 20s.

    Caroline’s eyes fell on the others with a dull look, her icy eyes staring are them as if contemplating their worth. She walked slowly over, wiping her dirty hands on a cloth she pulled from her leather apron and stopped in front of them. She stared at each in turn with a thoughtful gaze, though not saying a word.

    Alex was the first to catch her gaze; she looked at him with contempt at first, but as she moved her eyes up and down his body, she finally gave a cold smile and a light nod. Alex simply stood there at attention, nervously shaking as he felt her eyes on him, seeming to see into his Soul. He couldn’t help but give a sigh of relief when her gaze turned too Tsutsuji.

    When Caroline saw the little Guide still excitingly bouncing around the room, her eyes lit up in surprise, before regaining their cold light, though a slight spark could be seen in their depths. She gave a smirk and light chuckle before turning to Mark. As her eyes fell on him, she gave a frown and her brow furrowed as if in deep thought. She looked at him in the eye as he stared back, meeting her gaze without blinking. After a long moment, she broke away without another word and finally turned to look down at Merry, the young girl still clinging to Mark’s hand.

    Caroline knelt down to the girl’s level and looked at her with a blank face, Merry refusing to meet her eyes. After a moment, Caroline reached up and grabbed the little girl's chin, pulling it forward and the girl's eyes swam around.


    “Are you not going to say hello, Runt?”


    Merry simply looked away again, tears on the corner of her eyes. Caroline frowned and gave a sigh, before gently pulling the girl into a deep embrace. Her cold face softened, though only a little, as the little girl wrapped her armed around the woman and shook slightly.

    After a few moments of silence, the two separated, and Caroline stood up, looking slightly annoyed at the tear stain on her shirt. She quickly took off her apron and tossed it to her Daughter, before speaking,


    “I’m going to go clean up. Bring them to my office.”
    “Yes, Mother”


    Selah answered quickly, giving a slight bow as she folded the apron and walked towards the door, motioning for them to follow.
     
    Last edited: Nov 4, 2017