"It's dimming?" I asked myself as I started to push my way out of the gravel. Staggering to the top of it before harshly coughing as I finally let the dusty air get to me. Although there was still great power nearby, it had tuned down. Yet, with the dark of night all about, I had to check.
Just rushing ahead would've been a mistake if the airship had decided to lay a trap. So I slowly made my way up the mountain. Taking advantage of the stone it had upheaved on its fly-by to get up higher until I reached the lowered peak. A cautious glint in my eyes as I looked down at the sight before me.
A camp had been made and a small, but still dangerous army had been deployed to fill it. The airship was still there too, so perhaps it was their onboard compliment? It had to have been. No other vehicles had come since I had gone into hiding beneath the gravel.
"The airship must be quite lightly manned right now." I commented as I brought a knee up so I could rest my face on it. Though, I never went any further with that vocalised thought. And, instead, I got up and turned back towards the gravel. They had taken the bait, they thought I was hiding in the caves...
So I dropped down again and quickly built up my magic while they were unprepared. I shot into the sky and went high above the earth so I was with freedom once again. From which, I carried on going in what must've been the right way. I had carefully remembered the route I had taken.
Although, the skills I used to do so were not intended to be used like this. It was meant for keeping an idea of where I had gone in a battle. So that the Ordoar-Imdvarace's jagged way of fighting did not disorient me. But, it had a new use here, and it was possibly the best way to use it.
Home, that is where I was going, I was finally going home!
There was one issue, however, I was running low on magic. I needed to find a place to rest. Somewhere to just take shelter. Preferably a place that wasn't a dust pit either...
Just a place to take my breath, there would be no lingering as I have been for the past few years. At first light I would depart and head on out. But the question of where was still an issue. At least, until I saw the glimpses of what appeared to be a town!
"Perfect..." I let out tiredly as I dropped down slowly. Shaking briefly in the air before a dull thud marked my landing. Then, with some uncertainty, I looked down at my sword. I couldn't just walk in with it, I would be handed over if the heretics came looking!
But I also couldn't abandon it, I needed it...
"That'll do." I soon, however, commented as I spotted a nice spot to just lodge the sword. I wouldn't move up to it, but I could throw the sword there. And with a splash and bang, it disappeared from my sight. Right through the waterfall that fed into the town's centre.
"Who goes there?" called a sentry as I slowly approached the open gates of the town. A peculiar sight in and of itself.
"Just someone in need of a wash." I answer as I step into the light of his torch as he waved its flaming head in my direction.
"My word, you are quite filthy and destitute." the sentry remarked as he stepped aside and let me in with seemingly no issue.
"This is fine?" I found myself asking even as my instincts cautioned me.
"Yeah, go clean yourself up already." he said with a bemused smile as he shook my head. And, not one to waste the opportunity his careless attitude presented, I moved into the town centre. It was quite alive as well, though I quickly became the target of comments due to all this dust.
"And I thought the kids had it bad." some young woman commented before she carried on frolicking with her friends. And when I saw it, I marched straight for it. And I plunged my head right into the depths of a fountain before I dragged my head out.
Sighing in relief as I felt the cold water drip from my face. Yet, once I stopped enjoying the water. I spotted something I wanted to avoid. I saw a small group of them...
Soldiers of the Seven-Peaks Union...
"Great." I remark in annoyance as I cautiously watch them. And I quickly made my way elsewhere before I looked up at the waterfall. A crowd had gathered and must've heard my sword implanting itself into the stone.
But, upon getting closer, I instead found a performance underway. Unlike me, everyone here was careless and full of joy. They were at peace while I hid in the dark like a criminal. This humiliation was just one I had to bear, though.
There was nothing I could do when the enemy was so close to me. And perhaps I should leave this town. If there was an enemy garrison here, then I was not welcome here. Yet, at the same time, there was nowhere that I could go.
I had exhausted myself for the moment running from that airship. Travelling all this way from Suhurlodst had left me lacking. So, I sighed and kept on walking. Hoping to find someplace that I could just sneak into and stay for the night.
Thankfully, there was at least an easily accessible stable that I could step into. No one noticed but the animals, but they did not seem to care. In fact, one of them even came over to me to sit by my side. And I shook my head at it before I took advantage of its woolly coat.
"Don't hold this against me." I told the creature as I put my head against its side. And although I was not cold, I appreciated the warmth that I felt from it. Though, with so much on my mind, I struggled to even close my eyes. And instead, I stared upwards at the moon that was out this night.
It was such a simple thing to look at, a single glowing orb amidst a pitch-black background. Flanked by a couple more of its siblings as they passed through their orbits. If I went higher, the view wouldn't be the same. But I would still see the dominant moon of whatever time of year it was.
But there was more to these mysterious, lonely decorations beyond our world. They were the prisons made for each of the fourteen heads of the moon-beast. Our word for betrayer, 'jhrmaro' came from the greatest of them. Jhrarda the Mighty.
It still baffled me, even after having spent time amongst converts how it came to be. Jhrarda and his siblings were evil, they killed Ihtuntar, God of the Sun! The sky was dark and empty at night because of them! So I just couldn't see how people rallied to his name.
We were the defenders of a just order, we Valkinvar. The soldiers we commanded under the banner of the Theocracy were good! We stood for the survival of the true faith to our saviours. The divine powers that saved our world from the vicious Fourteen-Headed Beast.
We fought to ensure their legacy survived. I thought to honour a god I was formerly to be betrothed to. What do these heretics fight for, exactly? They can argue what they want but it changed nothing.
They fought for an evil god.
No matter what happened all that time ago when the Emerald Awakening happened. At that ancient siege where, supposedly, their founder rode down the mountain. All the wind magic in the world at his back. They had given up on those who protected them for those that would destroy them.
But I was a soldier, not a philosopher. I would never be able to figure out how someone's mind could fall so far. Yet, it was because I was a soldier that I could defend what was right. The world would not suffer from such heresy so long as I did my part.
To preserve the faith of all the gods. From most ancient Thurnmourer to those who only lived on now as a memory, like the Betrayed Sun, Ihtuntar. I fought for them as much as I did anyone else in my country. And although I would never speak to them or know them truly, I owed them as much.
"Braaaaah." the animal I was on suddenly let out as it dropped its head down.
"I suppose it is time I actually slept, isn't it?" I asked it as I let my eyes close for a moment before they slowly opened up again. I was exhausted and drained, yes, but I could not sleep. My mind was restless and disturbed. I knew it was dangerous to stay here.
But what was I supposed to do? I couldn't run any longer right now. Unless... I took something to do the running for me?
And so, I slowly moved back to my feet and stared at the animals. Maybe one of them had a saddle already on them? But which one could reliably cross a vast distance? I was again, a soldier.
All I knew of animals was what it was like to face them or use them. Ryphergok heavy cavalry that smashed all lines effortlessly. The lighter, springier jupurse who once reigned supreme for all riders. I only knew them as tools of war.
"What about you?" I questioned a rather large creature as I approached it. Running a hand along it as I walked by it before I stepped back. It was a large beast of burden, but it was unlikely to be fast. However, it had stayed hooked up to the carriage it likely came here with.
My touch, however, went on to wake the creature up and it craned its neck towards me. A long tongue then popped out of its circular mouth and it prodded at my face. And, not appreciating that, I smacked its tongue away before I looked into the carriage. Its weak locks and handles not mattering much to someone as strong as me.
And I nodded as I looked inside, it seemed comfortable enough and no one would think much of it. Because even though it was weak to me, it was all armoured. This was intended for potentially rough travel out there beyond the settlement. It was, however, completely emptied of supplies.
A mild annoyance really, but I would have liked to have something to eat or drink. It was not a requirement, though. So I nodded to myself and closed the carriage up. Sneaking ahead to check the main gate to the stable area before I turned back to it.
"How about it, then, shall we?" I asked the beast of burden as it slowly moved forward as its neck rumbled with a powerful call. Yet, before I could carry on, I found myself glancing up towards where I had placed my sword. I would need to retrieve it. But how?
I could just call it back to me and just make a run for it with the animal. I could delay my calling until we were far enough away? Or, I could go up there and retrieve it. It seemed to be a simple enough, quiet enough path.
But I did not know if I had the time to do so. Perhaps it was even smarter of me to just abandon my weapon. It was just a sword after all. I was not honour-bound to care for it.
Yet it was all I had left at this point. It was the last thing I still had that reminded me of my true calling. My armour was gone and had long since been abandoned. And I was never honoured with colours of my own back when my service to the Theocracy was a sure thing.
The practicality of having my blade at my side was also a thing to consider. I would have nothing if I just stole this carriage. And, ironically, despite the position I had found myself in at Suhurlodst. I was inept at casting spells, really.
At least on the level they were expected to show.
I was a soldier whose magic was built around my sword. The way I was taught to move. It was to either thrust the blade right through them or to bring the hooked tip right back on them. I forced them to comply with my choice of sudden direction.
I could fight hand-to-hand, sure, but that was a fools move when I lacked armour. Something any witches I would encounter would have. Not only that, numbers and an arsenal of spells too! I needed a way to fight if I was to make it back.
So, I shook my head before I nodded once to reaffirm my chosen choice. And I turned to the waterfall. Raising my arm before me yet doing nothing. I needed to be sure that this was the right choice to make here, right now.
Disturbing the waterfall with such a powerful disruption. The garrison here would most certainly notice it this time if they missed it before. And when they figured out what it was causing it... The airship would come to their aid.
"Unless..." I remark as I turn my head slightly to listen in on the festivities. There wasn't anything grand going on, but it was clear it was just one of those nights. A night when people just went out to enjoy themselves. I saw them all the time at Suhurlodst but declined all offers.
Perhaps there was something I could do to make the night rowdier? I guess I could find a pub. It had been a while, but I remembered what Giant's Victory's garrison often did. They gambled and fought and drank between battles or when they were recovering.
And, thinking that, I smiled optimistically. That was something I could do just fine! I had experience with strategy and I was strong. Their games would be nothing to me!
But I was still dirty and filthy...
"AAAAAHHHH! GO DROWN YOURSELF IN THE WATERFALL YOU STUPID GOK!" someone screamed after a loud splash sounded out near me.
"Guess I'll pretend to be thrown into the water." I comment with a shrug as I step out into the light and make my way to the noise. A mixture of laughter and more screaming guided me and when the moment was right. I leapt ahead and splashed down. Slowly pulling myself out with an attempt at an annoyed expression before someone stood before me.
"See, she has no problem with it at all!" a young man cackled as he held out his hand.
"Thank you." I told him as I found myself happy to be cleaned of all that dust.
"Alright, come, let's head inside to dry off!" he cheers along with the rest of his friends as I am suddenly brought along with them. The fact I was not a part of their group seemingly not mattering to them as I found myself inside. A roaring fire soon before me as the sound of music and partying drowned my ears.
Then, after having rested briefly before the warm fire. I walked to an open window and looked out at the waterfall. Playing around with the rune on my arm before I was suddenly involved with the revelry again. And I found myself dragged off towards a board of some kind.
"Here, you have a go seen as you were such a good sport before!" the young man who had offered me his hand encouraged.
"I just throw it?" I asked him as he put a relatively dense dart into my hand.
"Yeah, but try not to aim for that spot up there, I want to win, see." he ultimately suggests as now I believe I had found my perfect distraction.
"Oops." I comment as he suddenly got annoyed.
"Ha! Suck on that, Loser!" one of his friends guffawed as he stared wide-eyed at my precise throw. The establishment had even mostly erupted into cheering as a result.
"Okay, no! No!" the young man complained as his shaky grip failed to do anything to resolve his problem.
"My turn?" I asked as I picked up another dart. Embarrassing him further before I threw it while keeping an eye on him.
"AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN LOOK!" someone roared before alcohol sprayed about the air.
"Okay, okay... I want to see this. Clear the board!"
"Board clear!"
"Alright, name?" a large-bellied man asked as he smiled and scrubbed away at the chalk they had written the prior game with.
"Vapooliar." I answer as I accept an offer for some kind of meaty snack. If they were to solve one of my issues without further theft, then I was happy to play along.
"Alright, so, we have up-and-coming champion Vapooliar versus the increasingly sour Axopp."
"Wrong way around." this Maopp growls as he wipes his mouth and steadies his posture. It seemed that he actually knew what he was doing when he put the effort in. Even if the taint of alcohol ruined his potential at the moment.
Unlike me, though, his friends and some of the others were pointing out this fault. Yet I was content to act like nothing was wrong so he would not do better. I was confident that I could win but I needed a ruckus. I needed something that made a lot of noise.
"ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!" the fat-bellied man roared with a spell of some kind. And, like a trigger, the place erupted into cheering.
"So I just need to do better..." I remark quietly as Axopp looks back at me.
"Can't do better than... One-hundred and eighty..."
"I think," I start to say as I throw one dart without looking, "that I can, in fact," throwing a second one, "do much better."
"No..." he complained as the room went quiet.
"Did I?" I asked everyone as I looked at where the darts had all landed. Right in the same spot he had to carefully watch for.
"ONE-HUNDRED AND EIGHTY!" everyone howled as I was suddenly barraged by pats on the back and other compliments.
"Should've left you in the water..." Axopp moaned as he downed another drink. His actions seemingly suggested he was focusing. But, no, he was getting worse. And despite my naivety with the game, I caught on quickly.
Careful thoughts took place as he took his turn. And it wasn't long before I had managed to score a seemingly perfect round. The roar of the gathered crowd certainly suggested as much. Which, I then exploited as my hand was forced up to the jubilation of everyone about me.
"Thank you." I tell them, but not for what they thought. And, with it all out of the way, I made my way outside. Waving and smiling at them before I went back into the darkness. Seemingly never having been there at all.
And I was soon back at the stables before I quickly rushed around to where I had felt the drop. Then, when I got there, I picked up my briefly hidden blade and turned to the carriage. Briefly glancing at all the spooked animals and the slight mess I had made before I put my sword into the carriage. And with a quick flick of my hand, I broke open the stable gates and guided the hulking animal out.
Hopping up into the appropriate area before I then drove it out of the settlement. The guards at this other gate none the wiser to what I had done. And as they waved, I waved back to them before I leaned back. The light of the town soon disappeared behind me as we went out onto the dark road.
The darkness did not bother me so much as my faith in the animal did. Could I leave it on its own or would I have to travel half-lidded? I suppose it did not matter right now. So I just leaned back against the carriage and closed my eyes so that even a moment's rest would be mine.