Scene Six: A Brave New World
...Of Act Two: Guardianship
In the eyes of Ryoku Dragontalen, we are in
Harohto Capital City, in the world of Harohto.
It is dawn
On November 7th, 2017.
"Thank you all for what you have done for us."
I smiled to the small crowd around us. The governor of Harohto's Capital, Thorne, stood before us at Mosten's side, who remained in his soot-stricken armor, helm tucked under his arm. Some of the other soldiers remained, but many had gone home to their families. Some, I knew, went to where they buried their families, bringing their departed souls the good news of the raider defeat. Alex, Leif, and Oliver joined us as well, the latter seated on the steps to the garden in city hall. It was an enclosed space, well away from prying eyes, and would be our departure point.
The battle continued long after ours was finished. We joined the effort in defending the walls against what remained of the raider force. Given the state of the camp, they had nothing to return home to. At the sight of their camp up in flames, many had fled off into the woods to fight another day. The army apprehended or killed the rest. Mosten told me that the prisoners wouldn't be treated harshly. After all, we knew many of the raiders were simply starved or orphaned citizens. They would be given jail time depending on their behaviour, provided with commodities and food until they were ready for release. In the meantime, Mosten planned for them to help with the fields and gathering food until winter truly set in.
"We could not have done it without your help." Will stepped forward to shake hands with Mosten, and their eyes met solidly for a moment. I felt they were quite alike in all I'd seen of Mosten during our mission – and I was coming to know Will quite well.
"The same can be said for you, friends," Mosten told us earnestly. "We assimilated the raider effort last night. Thanks to your efforts, we torched their camp. Of our reports, a scamp few hundred may have escaped into the woods, and they'll return to us before long. Our people can live in peace."
"For a time, at least," Thorne agreed gravely. "We yet must deal with the prisoners. I imagine many will cooperate, but the rest will expend our dwindling resources. We have but a few weeks left to bring in our harvest before the snow. Still," he added, and a bit of a smile overcame him, "it has been a long time since our kingdom has seen something so kind and true from a Defender. I would be ignorant to not commend your valiant gift to our city: her freedom."
It took me a moment to realize he was referring to the city as a woman. Was that a real medieval notion? Cities were the last thing that should be applied a gender, I thought. It was an entity: a strong, bold, and humble one held together by great people. Still, I smiled all the same, because a Defender might sound insane to comment on their ways.
"I hope your reward money serves you well on your journey," Thorne went on. "Gold is of unending service to a new Defender, but recognition and fame may be even more so. Harohto will remember your services for an era, at least. Once our fine city catches up, should you ever return, we would gladly offer you a hand – nay, a thousand hands! – should you require it."
"Um, thank you," I said hesitantly. "Are you sure this money would not better serve your city? You said how hard the winter will be..."
Sira nudged me. "Don't you dare give up our gold!"
Thorne chuckled. "No, my young friend. This is not just government money. It has been pooled together by the soldiers who can finally let their families rest in peace, and some from the families who lost their fathers, sons, husbands, and all else in the war. We have allotted a large chunk, too, for those children without fathers; for the wives without husbands; for the damages to our fine city. I assure you, this money is yours to take."
"Do not look a gift horse in the mouth, friend," Alex warned, nudging me. "You have a huge goal ahead of you, no doubt. And... This will, no doubt, assist in the well-being of my dear friend."
Alex, Leif, and Oliver all turned toward Will, who stood at my side. Will went to speak, but Oliver raised a hand. "You need not explain. For all you have done for us, I could never let you leave in ill spirits. You have found your calling, my friend, and I would only ever wish you the best."
Will frowned. "What about Lancet?"
"Let us deal with him," Alex declared, putting his hands on his hips gallantly. "We have a tidy sum as payment, so he cannot say we simply came here to smell the flowers. And if he says anything about you, or you—" he pointed at me "—I swear I'll stick his lance where the sun don't shine!"
Oliver, Leif, and Will all turned on Alex. Sira doubled over in laughter, and Lusari hid her giggling behind her hand.
"Mind your tongue," Oliver warned, "and your language! Have you been rolling with the pigs while your friends fought for this city? I should return you to Lancet as a new leather coat! I could explain that you are the only one of us whose body I came across, stuffed in the backside of a bear in the woods!"
"He has a point, though," Leif agreed, throwing his arm over the taller Alex's shoulder to bring him down to his level. "Lancet has his reasons to stay in the village, and that might be all he cares about. The only thing he cares about more is showing you up, Will. He might even be happy you have left us. It means less challenge to his position!"
"More importantly," Alex spoke from the crook of Leif's shoulder, "we support your cause, brother." Leif let him go, and he rose to his full height, smiling at me. "You found a rare person among a rare sort of people. I have no doubt that you are about to do great things!"
Will grinned at me, clasping my arm. "I agree. We have a long way to go." He looked his friends down earnestly, meeting their eyes. "Thank you all. Oliver. Leif. Alex. You all have done more for me than I could ever ask for from fellow soldiers."
Leif scowled at him. "Hey, you helped me out back in the village the whole time! I could not have fetched the medicine for that poor girl or tracked her down in the woods without your expertise! Your wisdom is certainly far beyond your years – even as a spirit."
"And ploughing Lindsor's fields?" Alex chimed in. "Helping out old Kimball? Can you imagine what a stuffy experience Bytold would have been without you?"
"It would not be the same upon return," Oliver added, sighing. "I do hope Commander Lancet meets whatever goal it is that Lord General Brom assigned him, and soon. Without your bravado, Will, we might actually get caught helping the people. Can you believe those words just came out of my mouth?"
Mosten and Thorne exchanged furtive glances. "Perhaps we could chip in," Thorne suggested. "A small platoon of soldiers could escort you to Bytold. Sniff out any trouble, and perhaps set this Lancet back in line."
Alex and Leif turned to Mosten hopefully. "Could you...?"
Mosten sighed. "Unfortunately, the city needs me right now. If you remain for a while, I'd happily visit in the spring. My wife and I could use a good voyage once the coming snow would abate."
Leif scowled. "I hope we are not here over winter!"
Alex nodded heavily. "I would sooner take up Oliver's offer about a bear rump, or whatever that business was."
Will chuckled heartily. "I will miss the lot of you. Syaoto is one of our destinations, so perhaps our paths will cross again soon."
"I hope so," Alex agreed. "Ryoku, when we meet up, you must tell me of all the wonderful places you see! As a Defender, you must get to see many of them! I have been to some on missions like this, but..."
"We could wind up anywhere," Will said. "It is a disquieting unknown, considering how many prospective worlds out there we may face."
Those words fell upon us like a wave, and I felt certain trepidation behind them. Even Harohto had turned into a winding mess. What else could possibly await?
Thorne nodded sadly. "He is strong-willed, as are all of you. You have displayed that to me in full. I'm sure you will all grow strong and, in time, face the darkness that presents your bounty."
My brow narrowed. The dark kingdom that issued my bounty, and the likely captor of my charge, Chris Olestine. Orden.
"Have you heard anything about them?" Will asked. "Perhaps some word has reached Harohto of them? Anything we might not know?"
Thorne shrugged cordially. "Not as far as I have heard. Orden is quite far from here. There appears to be some minor unrest in the royalty of Jerule, and Brooklyn is as chaotic as ever. That is about the height of news I have. All we know of Orden is the common knowledge of their swordplay. They say their emperors and soldiers alike are trained to wield a sword before learning how to eat with manners." He shuddered, as though the thought repulsed him. "They are savages who live for battle. No offense, milady."
Sira grunted. "None taken."
Alex was looking at Lusari, who tried to hide her face away from him. "Lusari, are you going with them?"
Shyly, the girl nodded. "They need me as a method of travel, and I have no other place to go. Besides..." she smiled up at Will and I. "I think I might like traveling with them."
"Have you sworn a Guardianship vow?" Mosten asked curiously.
"N-No," she replied, her glance turning nervous. "I, um, well..."
Mosten laughed, waving her off. "That isn't a prerequisite, don't worry," he assured her. "You don't have anywhere else to go in the city. No legal guardians or parental figures?"
Lusari shook her head. "No family left. It was just me, my mother and father."
"Hmm," Thorne murmured. "Normally I would not suggest such a thing, but these circumstances are a little unusual. I feel that your friends have taken better care of you than any foster parent might. Still, if it is your wish to return at any time, I hope your newfound friends would escort you. In that event, you could come to me, and I would see to your comfortable return to the city."
He looked to Will as he spoke, who nodded solemnly. "If you decided to return, I would guide you myself. Ryoku, you would likely do the same."
"Of course," I agreed vigorously. Lusari beamed at me, and I returned the smile. "I hope you feel welcome with us. I mean, you're not just a method of travel, either. You saved me back there."
She wiggled her brow. "I think you did all the saving, Ryoku Dragontalen."
"You have to stick around long enough to see my world!" Alex butted in, grinning at Lusari. "You think this old place is beautiful? We can stroll through the Old Forest together, picking daisies from the ferns and chasing foxes! Why, I know a perfect viewpoint of the sunset from atop Clamber's Plateau..."
Leif twisted Alex's ear, causing him to cry out. "Come on, Alex! You said the same stuff about Caryl back in Bytold! You want me to tell her who you lust after now?"
Alex pulled away, stumbling over his own feet, and Oliver steadied him. "Leif! You are the worst! Heed not his toxic words, Lusari!"
She only giggled in response. Alex took off after Leif, chasing him in circles around the garden. Lusari watched, amused, next to Leif. In the lapse of conversation, I turned to Will. A thought had occurred to me.
"Will, you said you're a spirit, right? So you used to be in my world?"
His expression, just bemused by Alex, faded a little. "Yes. I thought you might ask about that sooner than later." He turned his attention to me. "About a hundred years ago, I would say. I died in your world when I was fourteen. A fire took my family home, killing myself, my mother, and brother. "
Hearing about his death made a strange chill run down my spine. "You died at fourteen? But..."
Will smiled easily. "Yes, I look older. Spirits are able to fluctuate their appearance in age by a certain degree, which helps when we associate with spirit-born who are unsure of our origins. It includes the ability to appear older than you were before passing. Spirits will often appear at the age they died, or else an age they attribute a strong emotion with. An old man might appear as a young child, for instance, because that was when they felt happiest. In other cases, a child grows older. Many children want to grow up, right?"
I nodded slowly, trying to make sense of that. "So you appeared older? You seemed to know a lot about the world at the time you were alive."
"Yes," Will agreed. "I fought in the first World War of your world. At the time, doing so at my age was somewhat expected, although I did lie on a few extra years. I learned many valuable things in that war, but I lived through it." He trailed off for a moment, watching Alex as he ran around after Leif. The young soldier had donned a cloak over his head, and I felt he might be impersonating the Keeper. "Of course, the army was not my first life. It is only the freshest memory that prevails. As, I am sure, your current life is not your first. It is only what prevails in your mind."
I put up my hands. "Wait," I stopped him. "Reincarnation, you mean? So you've lived other lives?"
Will nodded. "It is not the case for all spirits, and this world was not always the same. Many spirits eventually reappear in your world as newborns. I suppose it happens after death as well. My memory is... a little foggy on the specifics. I imagine that is for a reason."
I took this new information in. Could this relate to what Will and Sira were saying back at the inn, just before swearing their Guardianship vows? Did this involve a past life of mine somehow?
"Give it time," Will commented, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Surely we will all understand where you came from before long."
I looked up at him, about to ask what he meant by that, but Sira approached, her hands shoved in her pockets. "You were gonna ask me, too, weren't you?" she asked. "I died a few years older than I am now. I haven't come into your world since the middle ages, I guess. And you probably haven't heard of my home." She grinned. "Not yet."
I looked at her, surprised. She dismissed all of her spiritual past as a mere fact, though with little detail. Those details likely hid the pain behind her wretched smile, the ghosts burning away in her eyes. One day, I thought, I would find out just what it was.
"I do not believe we have met other spirits yet, either," Will said, though he was giving Sira a lasting look about her own history. "Lusari is spirit-born. Alex. Leif. Oliver. They would age in our company. Our forms may change a little, but Sira and I will never age. You would only age in your world, unaffected by any odd flow of time in ours. Still, time can affect you in certain ways. Your hair may grow out. Your features may sharpen. They could grow quite different from what you entertain in your homeland."
"You could put on some muscle!" Sira squeezed my arm painfully, and I winced away.
The thought, however, was interesting. "So I could look older here than at home?"
Will nodded, watching Alex and Leif chasing each other still. Lusari watched, giggling, and drew her hair back across her shoulder. At that moment, despite her silvery hair, fair skin, and snow-colored eyes, she looked remarkably... human. Contrary to my first ideas about a spiritual realm, she lived here, growing up by the day and living just as anyone else in my world. The same went for Alex, rushing around with his cloak drawn over his head, and Leif, who fought back laughter as he vaulted over a vat in the garden. Oliver and Thorne looked on, ready to intervene if they broke something. Oliver was older than the others, but he still looked like a youth next to the portly Thorne, who leaned on the stairway and twirled his black moustache.
In an odd, startling contrast, I turned back to Will and Sira. Will stood with one hand resting on the hilt of his gladius, the other relaxed at his side, and a relaxed smile on his lips. His tousled brown hair shimmered in the wintry sunlight; his sapphire eyes shone with life. Sira stood next to me, arms crossed, a faint scowl on her face as she watched the others running around. Her scarlet hair reflected the light like the center of an open flame, and her eyes shone no less. There was something perfect about the two of them, like they passed the test of time and now challenged the world as its equals. As spirits, they accentuated the world in such a way that they naturally seemed to draw my gaze. It was odd, and wondrous. I never imagined finding anything like this.
Alex and Leif grew tired. Leif sat down on the stairs, and Alex strolled over to us, hands in his pockets. Lusari sat down with Leif, and the two engaged in some kind of conversation.
"Bytold will be so boring," Alex moaned. "No raiders. No ancient Keeper of the woods. What is a Syaoto soldier to do?"
Will chuckled. "Indeed. A Syaoto soldier should be very happy that their place of residence is safe."
"You make a villain of me!" Alex proclaimed, raising his hands in an open gesture. "The news of the raider defeat is splendid for the people!" His shoulders sagged, and he sighed. "For me, however, it means returning to sleepy old Bytold, where I must tell Lancet that the son of the hero is gone. He shall have my head, whether for that or for the pike—"
Oliver cut him off with a warning noise. Will only laughed. I didn't miss that title Alex gave him – an odd one, for a spirit. Will approached Alex, standing before him for a moment. Despite having the same home, the two looked quite different. Alex's hair was sandy and unorthodox, his arms ganglier, a bit more of a bend to his posture. With one hand, Will removed the steel cap upon his head. Quite gently, like a crown, he placed it on Alex's head.
"I should have my doubts about less action where you are concerned," Will told him. "In that case, you may find my cap to serve you better than the standard issue."
Oliver gave Will an awestruck look, while Alex touched the hat with a single finger like it was made of gold. I couldn't imagine the importance behind this gesture, but it seemed great. Did it have to do with Alex calling him a hero's son?
With that, Will turned to me, smiling. "Should we be on our way?"
Sira stretched and yawned next to me. The antics of the last day left us sleepless, eager to meet the next world. Either that or the social interaction bored Sira to tears. "Might be best. You know how easy I get bored of this place, and we've been here way too long. Where do you think is next?"
Will shrugged broadly. "There are many worlds nearby." Lusari approached us, pulling out her staff. "What is there? Brooklyn, Lysvid, Jerule... any of them would be a fair chance."
"Be wary in Jerule," Thorne told us. "As I mentioned, matters seem to be turning sour there."
Oliver input with a sour expression. "And I do not need to lecture you on Lysvid. That is a dangerous and hostile place."
"Where does that leave us? Brooklyn?" Sira curled her lip. "Never liked that place. They put more money into acting and theatres than their army."
Thorne smiled, and looked around him to the other soldiers. "Lusari is preparing her spell. We should hurry along, lest we get dragged into their spell."
Leif balked at that idea. Alex, who had been slowly turning red as a beet with his new cap upon his head, shot his hand to his head in a bold, emotional salute. He held it for several seconds before Oliver and Leif fell in alongside him and mimicked the salute. Will planted his feet firmly and returned the gesture. I tried to follow suit.
"It was good to meet you, Ryoku. Sira. Lusari." Oliver flicked out the salute in a finishing gesture. "Until we meet again."
"Thank you for all your help," Leif told us. "Will, I am on my way to becoming an elite soldier. Guess I would have you beat soon, huh?"
Oliver chuckled. "Maybe in rank."
"And I will be a median soon," Alex told Will firmly, still holding the salute. "With your cap, I will go on. Maybe I will command my own squad one day."
Mosten came to stand with them and saluted in kind. "You will always be welcome here. Ryoku, if you ever deign to learn the ways of the sword... I'd be honored to instruct you on its ways."
I smiled, still holding my awkward salute. "If it's possible."
"May it be in as good terms as this," Will agreed.
"And maybe when Harohto gets more exciting," Sira ventured.
The others laughed, but it was time to go. Alex and Leif rushed ahead to the door leading outside the garden, Alex tugging at Leif's sleeve. Oliver followed, arms folded behind his back and staring up at the early rising sun. Mosten walked alongside his governor. Just as easily as they had all arrived, they were gone.
I sighed, a little sadly, and turned back to Lusari. She held her staff before her, and a greenish glow emanated from it. Green energy hung around her like dust in the air. As she put more energy into it, energy began to etch out around her feet and stretched out across the ground in a wide circle, easily enough to fit at least ten people. It easily encompassed the four of us, though we didn't stand closely together. Symbols started to etch up from the ground in green light, things that seemed to tug at my memory in odd ways. One of the symbols near me looked something like a star intersected with a triangle, and I stared at it until it burned into my eyes. Still, it didn't make any sense to me.
"You'd better be ready," Sira told me firmly. "We could easily land in a hostile world."
I gripped my knife apprehensively. I'd only heard what little they said about the worlds today, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Orden seemed too far away to land in. Syaoto must be, as well.
Lusari seemed to finish preparing her spell, her snowy eyes now opened. Green dust still glinted all around her, gently lifting her silver hair as if in a short breeze. "Are we ready?"
For a moment, I hesitated. I'd made friends in Harohto that I could visit if I returned, and ones who would meet us in Syaoto. What if this was the only place like that? What if every other world was full of darkness and enemies? Of thugs trying to get at Lusari, or Keepers chasing us to the ends of the earth?
As I thought that, though, I looked around at my friends. Will smiled at me bravely. Sira's fingers drummed impatiently on the hilt of Sinistra. Lusari only smiled, appearing a little fatigued by her spell.
I knew, as long as I went with these three, I would never be alone.
I managed a brave smile, and nodded to Lusari. She returned it, and shut her eyes again. With the fluttering of her lashes, the green walls of the spell flared to life, rising up around us like some kind of personal aurora. The symbols around us seemed to rise from the earth and join us like holograms.
Beyond the green aura, Harohto seemed to fade into the background. First went the sky, then the tall buildings around us. I watched darkness swallow the adornments of the garden until it stretched to our very feet, and the grass itself vanished. I expected to lose my footing, but something held me still.
Lusari's head twitched. At the edge of the spell, some sort of black energy rippled through the outer layer of the spell. Every glyph in the circle spun madly, aggravated by the disruption. Two of them turned jet-black.
"What the—?"
Sira's voice seemed to echo through the circle. I tried to reach for my knife, but I couldn't move under grip of the spell. Panic welled up in my chest. Had Orden found us?
Then, across from me, something different crossed into the spell, levelling out the turbulence somehow. A flicker of golden energy licked across the edge of the circle. Two of the glyphs turned emerald-green.
"Lusari, what do you sense?" Will asked uneasily.
Lusari frowned, her eyes shut. "I... I cannot say for sure. I have never world-travelled before. But... um, I feel like somebody latched onto our spell. I think we're being followed."
...End of Act Two.