That was new. I was looking up at a mass of crystal. It looked like one of the stone giants, but those marked the edge of the shield and I was sure I was not near it. Remembering the last thing that had happened I grabbed for the key around my neck in a panic. It was still there, or it was there again. I wasn't sure which. One thing I did learn though was that sitting up in a panic while under a slab of stone is not a good idea.
I was sure my head hurt before but that almost knocked me out again. Carefully this time, I stood up. It was a stone giant that I had somehow ended up under. The thing was on one knee, spear butt planted in the ground, it's bent leg was what I had hit my head on. The things where five stories tall when standing. Bent like that it was still three. Legend has it that the brothers struck a deal with the crystal city to summon the giants. The giants kept the shadow out while the brothers gave their lives to form the shield. To try and make a place for their families to live in peace. As far as I knew there were no stories about the giants actually moving since that time.
Oh, there are tales of the things having facial expressions, of them watching people. There are stories of the shield behaving oddly at the same time the giants seemed to move, but they always stopped back in the same place. Most of those stories had to be people's imagination. Looking closer I got the feeling that this was the same giant that I normally saluted on the way through the shield. So I saluted it again. Before turning to look at everything else.
The ground was turned up, large stones at odd angles. Plants uprooted and mud everywhere. I would have said a large battle had been fought on this spot. Ravon, Markus, Harken, Cryon and two other elves stood in a group talking not that far from the giant. They looked like they were covered in mud from head to toe. The prince was not there but as I looked farther away at what clearly was a regrouping of the other camp, I noticed there weren't very many elves at all.
Mostly the other group were wizards, but even they seemed disproportionately Islee. I was starving, and not just thirsty but actually starving. I could have sworn the giant snorted, but it didn't shift or move. I sighed at it and leaned against it's leg, watching the far group.
"Oh, so you're finally awake. I was beginning to wonder if you would miss the next fun installment of the civil war."
"Must be interesting to watch a war where no one can kill anyone else."
"At least the butcher's bill is low then, mostly soil and plants." Ravon looked up at the face of the giant. It was looking at the ground one fist in the soil the other holding the spear perfectly straight in the air. "Considering the monsters running around that is a relief. I never really believed that the golems could move."
"I never thought I would be fighting against the tower."
"You aren't, still. The civil war is more between the wizards and you just got caught in the middle of it."
"The start would say otherwise. I don't remember anything after the dragon's eyes changed."
Ravon smiled, "Common side effect, or so the counsel legends say. At least until you can link with one of the crystals. Doubt you will be able to do that for 100 years or more."
"That is what she said."
Ravon frowned at me but it was hard to tell though the mud. "I wouldn't know, cannot understand her."
"Not an uncommon problem." I noticed the lines in the other group. They had started yelling at each other again. I could hear them if I listened but I didn't really feel like listening to what they could be arguing about. "Anything to eat?"
Ravon tossed me a bag. It was a little mud covered but I opened it. Inside were carrots, apples and granola bars with nuts. It took self control not to just dump the whole thing in my mouth. I took a few things and handed the bag back. It was good but it wasn't going to satisfy me. I would still need to hunt but I doubted I could just sneak away. "You recovered faster than I thought you would."
"It is hard to sleep with all the yelling." I was sure the giant snorted again. With a frown I turned and looked up at him.
"Those things are scary."
"They are part of the army." I said that like it should explain something and Ravon nodded like it did.
"That explains the state of the army and the state of the field."
"Sorry if I worried you."
Ravon shrugged, "Doubt it will be the last time. How long until you need to leave?"
"I can hear your heart beating." Ravon looked confused, "I can hear their hearts beating," I waved at the group gathered farther away. "It is not a good sign of my self control."
I turned to look at the woman who was approaching from behind the giant. Being hungry was a bad thing. She raised her hands as she approached. She was wearing a robe with the twisted black and red of shadow hunter. There was also a twist of white in the black and red, so she was a master hunter. I didn't see any yellow on her robe. I didn't reach for my magic, not yet. The thirst would make my demonic magic too hard to control and I did not really know enough to be effective with normal magic alone. "I am not here to attack you."
"You no doubt know to cover your heart beat if you were."
The woman grimaced, "There are a couple books that stated such, seeing as how you are the only, almost true half breed anyone has met in almost 10,000 years, I don't know how much they could be relied on."
Ravon stepped so that she could see the woman better, "Why aren't you over there? Doesn't sound like anyone has made up their mind yet."
"Their arguments make little sense. We have orders."
"What does that mean to you? I don't see any brown, or a key."
The woman managed to stand a little straighter, "That doesn't mean I don't respect the city. I just have no reason to leave."
"Then why are you talking to me?"
"Because you still spend a few days in the city and you will need a better trainer."
"What makes you think I am willing to learn what a shadow hunter might have to teach me? Master or not." I turned to look back at the crowd of wizards. They didn't seem to be getting anywhere on their discussion.
"Because we are the best at fighting demons, and Demons like to fight everything but they fight other demons more than anything else."
"Sounds like it would be hard on the species."
"From what we can read of the journals, it was supposed to." I looked over my shoulder at the woman. "Does that surprise you?"
"Not really." I ran my tongue over the tops of my teeth. This was starting to get bad. My fangs were still long. "Demons are dangerous."
"Everything is dangerous." I had only lost control once. It was before I got my key and I had been stubborn about it as I was when I had found out. I had been very lucky. When a half-breed loses their mind they kill things.
Explaining what had happened to the horses had been hard. I already knew I didn't want what I was to be common knowledge. Of course it seemed like it might be too late for that now. "Right, anyone know where the commander for my unit is? The sun is up and I would really like to get the unit cohesion part down so we can start a mission. Or to be dismissed so I can go hunting. I am thinking hunting is more pressing but what do I know. I am only me after all."
The wizard shook her head and looked in the same direction as I was looking. "It isn't like they are going to make up their minds anytime soon anyway."
"So what I should forget about chain of command and do what I want anyway. That will go over very well."
Ravon shrugged, "It can be justified after. The whole town saw what happened. Last I checked the Guardians don't fight for shadow spawn."
I looked over at Ravon, "I might not have a choice, if commander Ass doesn't show soon. Any idea why I don't want to kill you?"
"Probably because I already surrendered. You would be better off asking a scholar though. You should go hunting before you lose control."
"Oh, and am I in control now? My free will seems to be lacking by more than what I had intended to give up."
"From what I saw I don't think you were granted as much free will to begin with." Harken and Cryon had walked up to stand behind Ravon.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better, Harken?"
Harken frowned and then sat down in the mud. He was already covered in mud the same as anyone without magical ability. Commander Ass picked that moment to walk out from the Islee camp. I checked to make sure my wings were tucked in as he didn't slow or seem to notice the field as he practically charged Ravon. Shaking the letter from earlier in her face. "What the hell is this? The Elves have no right!"
I moved before any of the elves could. I wondered what the Ass had seen in my eyes as he fell back on his ass instead of running head long into me. The wizard didn't even try to catch the man and he made quite a splash which apparently made him realize that something was wrong. I tried not to smile at the man as he did a double take of the world around him. He stared at the golem like it would vanish and return to were it should be if he just didn't believe hard enough. I got an evil thought, but hey it solved my problem, "Just sit there and gape for two more seconds if you are ok with me going hunting."
The fact that I had spoken didn't get through the man's shock fast enough. I gave him a slow count of three seconds then nodded and headed toward the shield. It was not technically breaking the rules to ask that way, but then again I had learned not technically breaking the rules from the masters at this point. Ravon shook her head at the man but didn't say anything before I had moved out of range. Whatever was going on between those two they could have a couple hours to figure it out themselves.
Hunting was easy for me. It was far from fair, demons clearly didn't evolve like the rest of the world. I have too much control over all the pieces that make up my form. It took me less than an hour to get enough blood to start feeling like myself again. I was still careful not to kill any of the animals and I spread the pain across the food web. I could almost swear the wind had sighed at me after the first two animals had run away.
I stopped by my cave before going back to the city. I used a little magic to make a mirror and check that I looked like an Islee. Funny that I did not think of that as checking to see if I looked like myself. With a sigh I fell from the cliff. I didn't bother to spread my wings as I touched softly to the ground. I walked up to the shield and held my breath as I stepped through.
I turned to look up at the face of the crystal golem. I had appeared between the boot and knee of the golem that had moved during my missing time. "As much as I like the shorter walk to the city, you should probably go back to your spot. I think it strains the shield to not have you in position."
I don't know what I was expecting. I was not expecting the crystal giant to nod and stand up anyway. I covered my head and ducked out of instinct as the thing walked back to where I normally enter the shield. People clamored out of the things way as it walked but I got the impression that it was being very careful where it stepped.
There were more people around than when I had left. It almost seemed like the city was having an impromptu picnic day, in the mud. The movement of the crystal golem got everyone's attention. Everyone but the ass and Ravon's anyway they were clearly too wrapped up in their debate to notice anything wrong with the world. Apparently an hour had not been enough time.
I walked towards the couple. I tried not to roll my eyes as I felt an alarming number of shields spring up around the wizards in the crowd. My key cooled as I walked. The rest of my unit was behind the ass but they weren't agreeing with him. They just didn't feel strongly enough to risk their careers by agreeing with the elves. And yet the rest of the people seemed to only just now notice that an islee and an elf were about to punch each other.
"What is it to you, knife ear? And why should I care? A unit cannot have two commanders."
"Last I checked I out-rank you. Since I didn't get my whole unit killed in an unauthorized raid." Ah so that was the vet commanders crime. It was surprising he was still in the army at all.
The ass lost his words and struck at Ravon. Ravon had her sword out to block the hit from the asses weapon but I stepped between them both. Neither weapon should be affected by magic. That is what we are taught. Crystal weapons could enhance magic abilities as well as physical abilities which is why it is important you mastered the use of the weapon before you used one. The two ranks below crystal where supposed to be immune to magical interference. The raven was immune to magic itself while the dragon could offer some protection to the user as well as the weapon itself. Which explained the surprised looks on the faces of the two commanders when their weapons stopped dead before touching me.
A gasp ran through the crowd that was watching me. I did roll my eyes as Ravon sighed and sheathed her sword. The ass wasn't as smart, "How the hell? Never-mind, move." He pointed with his weapon.
"I can definitely see why they think you are expendable."
The ass swung his weapon at my head. I saw what he was doing. He had decided that it was my fault he was in this position in the first place. So he was going to do what the elders didn't have the guts to do directly and kill me. The problem with coming to that conclusion was it admitted that I was alive and did not qualify that I did anything for the shadow army. I didn't even flinch as the asses blade stopped right next to my skin.
The ass dropped the weapon crying out in pain as his arm turned white hot. He tucked the arm back into his chest. You can break your oath with enough will power. If you are willing to fight through the pain. Which is part of why no one can break their oath on accident. Which is also how you stop weapons that you cannot use magic against. I looked over at Ravon who was frowning at the islee that was holding his arm. "Do we have a mission, then?"
"You would trust him at your back?" Ravon was surprised enough to answer in elven.
I shrugged and responded in the same, "At least I know this one knows where to put the knife, Comparatively over all he is better than the last one I was assigned."
Ravon frowned at me. She had managed to get clean of the mud in the last hour. "Harken seems more capable than that to me."
"Harken was never assigned as my unit commander."
"What the hell, spawn, you even talk like them now." The ass was living up to his name.
I sighed and looked over at him. "If you had actually had the time to read the report that was no doubt sent to you and marked urgent, you would know I am capable of speaking any known language after only hearing a few sentences. Elven and Isleen both share a common root." I decided to keep the rest of that thought to myself. Since most people who know one can learn the other in about two weeks I am sure it would take this man two years. "Now let me point something out to you." I turned and looked at all the people who were watching this exchange before looking back at the ass. "There are currently too many non-elders who are curious on what has caused this commotion. If you want to stay in command of whatever mission you were assigned this morning, I would start the mission. But that is just me, what do I know?"