"Soon we should be approaching the city of Riverlane." Roger absentmindedly said.
That was good, it meant they would soon be picking up more passengers. Hopefully one of those would break the unending silence that filled the carriage.
Ojero and Orpham were twins and didn't have much to talk about between themselves, while Roger was in a very poor mood due to not eating in a while. Every time he spoke, which was frequent, it seemed to be more insulting than the last. And the less said about Jason, the better.
Ojero didn't know how the large man hoped to get through four years at the Academy with his crippling social anxiety. It was definitely going to cause him an endless amount of problems.
As if to prove him a liar, Jason chose that moment to speak.
"It means we are near the Womb of a Ravager."
Noticing the sudden attention of the three, he turned slightly red before continuing.
"It's a broken mountain not too far from here. The entire center of it is carved out like a huge egg once sat in the middle. All the miners talk about it during work sometimes. They say a Ravager was born in the mountain, only to break out and devastate the land a long time ago."
Not receiving a response, Jason grew quiet again.
"That's very interesting Jason, thanks for sharing that." Orpham awkwardly said, unsure how to fill the void.
"Rekira." Roger plainly stated, not taking his eyes off the fields of green outside the window.
"Rekira?" Ojero echoed."
"That's the name of the Ravager that was born here."
Jason seemed just as shocked as everyone else to hear Roger say that.
"None of the miners ever knew the Beast's name."
Roger scoffed at that.
"Of course not. No one ever values history enough to remember details like that."
Ojero just stared at him incredulously.
'Out of everyone here, Roger seems like the least likely person to value historical knowledge!'
That wasn't exactly true, Roger was probably the smartest person there, at least when it came to getting their way and surviving. Still, Ojero did not associate the short thief with great historical acumen.
"She was allegedly beautiful. Rekira was one of the most human Ravagers, and the world didn't know she was a Ravager for many years. She seemed content to pass as human, even marrying a low noble in this very valley."
Rogers's eyes grew uncharacteristically soft when talking about the Beast.
"She disproved many theories about Beasts, like that they are all mindless, or that all Ravagers want destruction constantly. However, that came later."
His tone grew cold and unforgiving.
"The man she married betrayed her. After they were married only a few months, he sold her to slavers moving South. They took her in the middle of the night and managed to get her as far as the mountains before anyone noticed. By then it was too late. Her hate was so great, that she unleashed her full power that had been locked away for years. The resulting surge was so great, it caused an explosion, hollowing out the mountain she was being carried across."
Roger clutched his fist as if to emphasize.
"For decades, she rampaged around the valley, her former humanity gone. Replaced by anger and resentment. She killed her husband, her city, her people. There was no stopping her until an Arch Magos got involved. They say when he struck her down, the world could feel her sadness for just a moment. Most found themselves crying for no reason, those closest to her body sobbed uncontrollably for hours. They had to destroy her body for the effect to end."
The air was tense when Roger finished.
Ojero couldn't help but reflect on the powerful story and the deeper implications it had.
As much as he hated the Beasts, and the worst among them, the Ravagers, he found himself sympathizing with Rekira.
She just wanted to be loved, to feel that the people around her valued her. She wanted a loving husband in a good city, a life anyone would want.
And she was betrayed by the very person she trusted most, to the point her sadness infected her soul. A sadness that could spread just through her existence.
Even more than that, Ojero noticed that her body only affected people when she died. As if Rekira was keeping her sadness to just herself until her body failed her. Almost as if she knew that the wider world didn't deserve to share her burden, but couldn't stop herself from destroying what was directly near her.
It felt tragic and entirely unnecessary. If her husband had simply valued his oaths and cherished her, and not done the awful act of selling her into slavery, no one would have died. This entire valley could have never experienced her wrath, and the civilization she ended could still exist.
They might even have read about her in dusty books detailing the long lineages of the various noble houses.
'How easily the course of history can be changed…'
"I hate him," Orpham said, breaking the quiet contemplation every found themselves in.
Jason quickly echoed his statement.
"His greed cost the lives of thousands, maybe even millions. He embodied everything a Beast is, a mindless bastard that only seeks his own benefit."
Growing even more fervent, venom filled Orpham's voice.
"If he was here, I would strike him down myself to exact vengeance for Rekira. Not for the violent monster she was, but for the humanity she tried to emulate. A humanity we should all try and emulate."
Jason drew everyone's attention by slamming his palm into the wood. His entire body seemed faintly metallic as if he was turning into a shimmering statue.
"That man ain't no real man. He may not have made Rekira a Ravager, but he sure as hell released that part of her into the world!"
The gentle giant said, anger in his tone before he noticed what he said and blushed.
"Pardon my language, but the murderer deserves it for what he did."
"Don't be ashamed of righteous fury, Jason. It's what fuels heroes." Orpham said with zeal, the glow of his eyes increasing.
Roger was strangely silent throughout the exchange, his gaze fixed on the window.
'I wonder why that story mattered so much to him?'
It was odd for Roger to recall such a specific story, but even odder for him to remain silent afterward.
No snide remarks, no clever quips—none of his usual lighthearted jabs at their bravado.
"Hey, Roger, where did you hear that story anyway?" he asked, prying a little.
The dark-haired boy didn't respond immediately, his eyes distant and soulful.
"I don't know. I just remember someone very important to me whispering it in my ear as I slept." He eventually said.
There was a longing in his voice that cut Ojero deeply. It was the kind of longing he didn't know how to sympathize with or share.
It felt heavy, an impossible burden for someone so young.
'I wonder if it has to do with him coming to live in Guestinore in the first place?'
Hoping to steer the mood in a better direction, Ojero focused his attention on Jason.
"So Jason, I think that's the first time we've seen you use your ability. It looked pretty cool."
Hearing his compliment, Jason responded shyly.
"I didn't even know I activated it, it came naturally. I just felt angry and it came to me without me focusing. I should probably try and control it better."
The giant scratched the back of his head, causing more coal dust to fall out of it. By now, the black dust covered the bench and his clothes in equal proportions.
Some had even begun to fall on Rogers's clothes, which was usually quickly brushed off.
Not this time though, Roger still being stuck in solemn remembrance.
"Well, I think you will have a very strong defensive tool in your arsenal once you master it."
Jason seemed a little confused before responding.
"I don't know what arsenal means."
Ojero tilted his head a little at that.
'Well, he is from an industrial and mining town.'
"It's like your available options to use. Like how Orpham has both his strength and his endless energy as tools he can use." He explained, hoping to share his knowledge.
Jason nodded thankfully.
"Thanks, I hope it helps me once I go off to the war. I promised my Ma and Pa I wouldn't get hurt in all the fighting so I could return and help them out in the mine."
That caused Orpham to laugh.
"The mine? With a legendary gem, you'll be able to earn enough money fighting Beasts to move your entire town to luxury estates in the Capital!"
Jason's eyes widened.
"Soldiers make that much?"
He seemed in disbelief at the prospect.
"Normal ones don't, but an Academy graduate with a legendary gem will be guaranteed a high-ranking spot in the officer corps. They will probably put you in the vanguard to withstand the first few waves of Beasts while the Mages weaken them at range. Then you get pulled off the front for a bit to go home and rest up before being called back for the next fight."
Orpham nodded knowingly with a smile.
"It's a good way to make money if you don't mind stomping a few Beasts into dust every few days."
That seemed to excite the giant, leading him to smile.
Even his teeth were showing, a mix of pearly white and coal dust.
'That stuff really does get everywhere doesn't it?'