Destroy and Rebuild
Chapter Thirty Seven: Transience
Disclaimer: I don't own Radiata Stories or any of the characters in the game; they are the property of the brilliant minds at Square Enix.
Authors Note(s): Words in '…' indicate a thought. Words in "…" indicate spoken words. The first thing to note is that this story is a sequel. The characterization and storyline contained here are based on the characters and events that occur in my first story, Sever All Ties. Everything that happens in this story will make a lot more sense if you have read that one, so I recommend reading the first story before reading the sequel. With that in mind, the story picks up where Sever All Ties left off, and tells what happens after Aphelion is defeated and Jack and Ridley return to Radiata. I hope you enjoy.
Although he had not been seriously wounded in the fight with Cepheid the day before, Nocturne was pleased to have been left off of the team going to face the Water Dragon. He was not as young as he used to be, and his body took longer to recover than it had in the past. Kain was examining his injuries to make sure that healing with magic would help his recovery, which had something to do with using his strength for recovery. The end result was that the wounds he had sustained were being poked and prodded, and the Void Warrior silently gritted his teeth against the stinging pain in his body. When the examination appeared to be complete, he spoke.
"Everything looking all right, then, High Priest," he asked, anxious for what would come next. Kain was silent for another moment, writing in a small book.
"I will be able to heal you, yes," was the reply, though he seemed distracted. "None of your injuries are particularly severe, though the number of cuts on your arms and legs is somewhat alarming."
"Yeah, well, the dragon meant business," Nocturne replied gruffly.
"I don't doubt," the High Priest responded. "It will make the healing more difficult, but there should be no issue with you facing the challenge tomorrow."
"Really looking forward to that," the Void Warrior's tone was sarcastic, which drew a surprised look from Kain. "Forgive me for not being excited about risking my life on these challenges. I'll give my all when I'm asked to fight, but that doesn't mean I have to want to."
"A rather pragmatic sentiment, but I suppose that's fair," Kain said after a brief pause. He put his hands on Nocturne's head. "This is going to feel jarring and probably a little disorienting."
"I'll be all right," Nocturne said, feeling a strange sense of calm. An instant later, he felt a shock of pain as his wounds were rapidly healed. His vision blurred and he suddenly felt both nausea and fatigue. It was over almost immediately, but the feeling persisted after the healing was complete.
"The after-effects should be minor since your injuries were so superficial," the High Priest said as Nocturne first sat down and then stretched out onto his back. "You'll need to spend the rest of the day recovering, but there's no reason you shouldn't be able to fight tomorrow."
"I feel awful, but at least it worked," he answered, closing his eyes and taking slow, deep breaths while marveling at the healing of his injuries.
"It is effective," Kain agreed. When Nocturne opened his eyes, he saw that the High Priest had not left and had instead seated himself beside the bed.
"I'm pretty confident I'll be all right from here, unless there's some side effect you didn't mention," Nocturne said curtly, gritting his teeth at the lingering pain from Kain's healing.
"No more side effects," the High Priest said. Before the Void Warrior could ask him to leave, he continued. "But I am curious about something: What do you think of this system that the Gods have put in place? Maintaining the cosmic order is a necessity, but doing so goes against the natures we were created with."
"That's a question for someone a lot smarter than I am, High Priest," closing his eyes again, he let several moments pass in silence as he coped with the lingering effects of his healing. His head was still spinning, and he hoped the older man would leave. When he saw that Kain had not left, he gritted his teeth and began to offer his perspective. "We give tests to new recruits at Void, to get a sense for their skills and temperament and to decide who they should work with. Combat and stealth, sure, but also things like math and puzzles, a wide range of just generally see what they're good at."
"Yes, we do something similar at the Olacion Order," Kain said
"Well, we make sure to include an impossible test," Nocturne added quickly. The sooner he finished the explanation, the sooner he could be left in peace. "It might be a puzzle or equation that can't be solved, an infiltration that's really a trap, or something else. The point is, they're not supposed to pass the test, we're supposed to observe their attempt to see how good it is, and how they handle failing."
"I see, so the question is how the Gods evaluate our efforts, even if we inevitably fail? But, in contrast to your example, where a person's assignment is different based on their performance, the consequence for humanity's failing is the same no matter how long it takes to reach that point or how we did prior to that. What could they hope to learn from watching us get to that point," the example had elicited more questions, which was the opposite of what he wanted.
"Like I said, those are issues for someone a lot smarter than I am," the Void Warrior repeated, still hoping that the High Priest would leave to ponder his questions elsewhere.
"What was your impossible test when you joined Void," Kain persisted, ignoring the attempt to end the conversation.
"Who said there was only one," asked Nocturne. He paused before continuing; the dizziness was beginning to pass. "I was one of Theater Vancoor's highest ranking officers when I changed allegiances and joined Void, they didn't exactly take it easy on me. There were more impossible tests than possible ones."
"I see. And how did you react," it was clear that the High Priest was looking for some sort of parallel.
"I made some minor adjustments from challenge to challenge, but I didn't change all that much. I knew what my strengths were, and so I stuck to them," the nausea was fading as well, leaving him feeling tired.
"Even in the face of failure," Kain looked somewhat surprised.
"To abandon your strengths requires a pretty clear and viable alternative," Nocturne shrugged. "I stuck with what I thought had the best chance to work, not because it was working, but because I didn't have a clear idea of what would work better. Of course, I also had a pretty good idea of what they were doing."
"I see," the High Priest's face was unreadable. When he spoke again, he seemed to have recognized Nocturne's fatigue. "Sorry for rambling, these issues have been on my mind and I have been unable to to come up with a satisfactory conclusion."
"Don't worry about it," the Void Warrior said dismissively, though he was grateful the realization had finally occurred.
"Well, I'll leave you to rest and recover. Please let me know if you need anything." Kain smiled as he left.
Upon hearing the older man close the door, Nocturne closed his eyes and returned to resting. The Gods had provided accommodations much better than those he was used to at Void. His eyes had grown heavy from the healing and the start of his recovery, and he would need all of the rest he could get if he was to attempt an individual challenge the following morning. Although he did not want to think about the next challenge, pushing it out of his head would only lead worse thoughts to replace it. Iris had been on his mind since her death, but dwelling on her would cause him to lose his focus. Still, her eyes awaited every time he closed his, and there did not seem to be anything he could do to change that. Doing his best to stifle these thoughts, he waited as sleep slowly overtook him. His final thought before drifting to sleep was of her.
Aleks collapsed to his knees as he was returned to the crumbling remains of Na'Rhy, struggling to maintain his composure. The Knight Captain was covered in sweat, and felt sick to his stomach. He had no idea how much time had elapsed since he began his challenge with Kelvin, but it felt like a lifetime. Wave after wave, images had assaulted his senses, each worse than the last. More than just seeing the attacks, he could hear the screams, feel the heat of the fires, and smell the blood. Just thinking about these experiences caused him to empty his stomach onto the paving stones.
The dragon had shown him more than just elves and humans killing each other, he had seen dwarves massacre goblins, orcs destroy human villages, even green goblins killing black goblins. As a knight, he had seen violence before, but what stunned him was the way that it was carried out. He had never killed anywhere but on the battlefield, so massacres and cold-blooded killings were not things he was used to seeing. He did not want to imagine the kind of person who would be used to seeing those things. What startled him was that the emotions were always the same, no matter the context. The anger and frustration of the aggressors were often apparent, though in other cases they were cold and calculated, but the victims of all the attacks died stunned and frightened. The images were burned into his mind.
From his education as a child through his time with the Radiata Knights, Aleks had always thought that relations between humans and all non-humans were the same. While the races were obviously different from one another in some ways, he thought that they all worked together and were all against humans. Instead, he had seen them fight viciously against each other over their disagreements. Worse, he had watched as humans committed acts of cruelty that were just as bad as those of the non-humans. As the dragon had predicted, he had found it incredibly difficult to keep from drawing his sword and intervening, regardless of whether the victims were human or non-human. He still had yet to see the dragon, only hearing her voice. Before he had even recovered, she spoke again.
"Having a hard time, it seems," Kelvin's voice remained neutral as she commented on his progress throughout the challenge. "I guess blood orcs do get rather violent, and elves are pretty fragile. Maybe something a little slower for the next one."
"How many more are there," the Knight Captain felt exhausted, and did not relish the idea of the challenge continuing. Images from the scenes he had observed were waiting every time he closed his eyes.
"At least one more," her words frustrated him. "The next one won't be so violent, I promise."
"Forgive my skepticism," Aleks willed himself to stand, determined not to falter.
"Think what you want," the dragon said wryly. "Whenever you're ready, just walk through the door at the far end of the courtyard."
Groaning, he collected his thoughts before getting to his feet and trudging toward the gate. His whole body seemed to be as weighed down as his mind, but he knew that there was no time to waste. The door the dragon spoke of was on the end of the courtyard that led into the castle, a place she had not yet directed him to go. Stubbornly keeping his head up and shoulders back, Aleks tried to avoid showing any weakness or fatigue. Despite his posture, the heavy door did not budge the first time he pulled on it, so he grabbed the handle with both hands and was able to open it on the second attempt. The inside was pitch black, as had been the case each time Kelvin transported him to see what she wanted him to see.
When the Knight Captain could see again, he was standing in a spacious castle chamber. Pillars of grey stone ran up to the vaulted ceiling, and bright rays of light poured through the windows. Rich tapestries hung on the walls, and a grand fireplace covered much of the back wall. A great dais sat at the end of the room; it was an audience chamber, much like the one in Radiata Castle, and currently in use. Guards, scribes, and advisers were all standing around the man seated on the dais, whose grey hair and wrinkles were a testament to many years in his position. A simple crown of gold rested on his head and his clothes, while appropriate, were far from gaudy. The King was focused on the two men standing before them. Walking closer, Aleks listened intently to their conversation.
"Things cannot stay the way that they are any longer," the grey-haired man on the right was well-dressed, spoke clearly, and projected confidence, but he bowed his head deferentially as he did. A nobleman, certainly, perhaps a minister of some kind. He was experienced at his job. "Your Majesty, we have struggled to maintain day-to-day operations, but shortages of food, water, and medicine have begun to have a very real impact on the people."
"I fear that, as we go on, we will lose control over the people," the second man, noticeably younger than his colleague, did not seem as calm. "Panic and agitation will continue to rise unless we convince them that there is an end in sight; that we have a plan."
"If you have such a plan, I would welcome it," the King's voice was commanding, but sounded tired. "I struggle to think of an option that remains open to us."
"I know this is not an option Your Majesty has been willing to consider, but perhaps the Lady Sonia might be willing to help us," the initial speaker commented. This led the royal figure to shake his head.
"Absolutely not. We can get ourselves out of this mess without relying on her. There is a way out of this, we just need to find it. If we need to open up the rest of the emergency stores to maintain calm, then so be it. I know that we are running out of time, but we cannot give in to disorder now," the frustration was apparent in his tone. The speakers were clearly being dismissed, and bowed their heads as they walked away to make room for the next report to be delivered.
"What is this place," Aleks asked as he walked toward the chamber's exit. "Where are we? When are we?"
"This is only the recent past from where we were in Na'Rhy. This is Bedera, the human capital," Kelvin replied. He looked around at the castle chamber, noting the relative similarities to Radiata Castle. "King Ahndell was receiving his morning brief on the state of affairs within the city's walls. King Nohmet of the elves is laying siege to the city."
"A siege? Interesting tactic, though they are resource intensive and one-dimensional," Aleks was mulling this over. "How large is the besieging force? Does the King have any soldiers stationed outside the city?"
"I am impressed by your military mind, Captain Sterling," Kelvin chuckled as she spoke, and seemed to be mocking him by including his title. "Already trying to figure out how to counterattack, even though you cannot do anything. To answer your question, there is no human army outside of the capital."
"Poor planning," Aleks commented, shaking his head. "The Radiata Knights are always careful not to concentrate all of their forces at Radiata Castle, for this very reason."
"King Nohmet recently became more aggressive with his policies toward humans," Kelvin's tone was somber. "It has always been the case that human nature is the biggest threat to the cosmic order, but coexistence in this era had been possible. After all, when channeled appropriately, the strength and ambition of humans are good for the world. However, King Nohmet was all too aware of your...volatile natures. After receiving the magical sword, the Falvern, he decided that trying to constantly balance the actions of humans was no longer desirable, and mobilized his army. After driving King Ahndell's forces into Bedera, he laid siege to the city. That was 10 months ago."
"So this is what you want me to see," Aleks walked outside, wincing at the heat of the bright summer sun overhead. Much like Radiata, Bedera had a town near the castle, all ringed by a large defensive wall.
"That's right," the Water Dragon said simply. "Not all cruelty is so direct and brutal as you have seen. I thought you would appreciate this."
"Not the word I would use," the Knight Captain knew enough to steel himself for what he expected to see when he reached the town.
The beds that humans chose to sleep in never felt right to Gil. They were too soft and too high off the floor, and he could never get comfortable. Although the elf preferred to sleep on the floor, he had been deposited in the bed that was in his room after returning from the fight with Lord Cepheid, and had not possessed the energy to move himself. Some of his injuries were worse than those from the fight with the Earth Dragon, but none were life-threatening and he was more worried about his state of exhaustion than anything. The discomfort from the cuts and bruises was nothing compared to the drained feeling that heavy reliance on magic had left him with. Even after almost a full day of rest, he still did not feel as though he would be of any use in a battle, which worried him as the fight against Lord Parsec loomed.
The Jinn, his prize for completing the Wind Dragon's challenge, leaned against the wall in the corner. A short sword with more magical power than he could ever hope to have commanded on his own, the weapon was undoubtedly responsible for their victory over Lord Cepheid. Without it, the elf could not imagine how they would have succeeded. Although the injuries sustained by his teammates had been relatively minor, it was because he had used so much of his own power drawing their opponent's attention and attacks. He was still thinking about these things when Elwen walked into the room. The Guild Leader silently seated herself across from him. Several moments passed, and she seemed to be waiting for him to speak.
"Good morning," the greeting was more formal than usual, but something about her visit made him uncomfortable.
"Good morning, Gil," she repeated his salutation, though her voice was neutral. "How are you feeling today?"
"Still fatigued, but I'll be all right," he answered. "The fight with Lord Cepheid took a lot out of me, but it's nothing I can't handle."
"You will have plenty of time to rest," Elwen stated. "I don't intend to use you for the fight against Lord Parsec. Your wind magic would strengthen his flames, rather than extinguishing them. I do anticipate we will need you for the fifth fight, though."
"So, I have another day and a half of rest," Gil asked. The decision to leave him out made sense, and he was grateful to have the extra time. Although it was true that his wind magic would not be as effective against Lord Parsec, she almost certainly knew he would need the rest if he was to be able to fight at the level they needed him to.
"What did Lord Cepheid ask of you in your challenge," the Guild Leader abruptly changed the subject.
"He brought up the subject of disagreements and conflicts in a world without the cosmic order," Gil began, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. "Without the dragons, the same risk exists that we will create imbalance but there will be nothing to stop us from destroying the world, and he asked what I would do to stop that from happening. I got to read an account of the events leading to the last Changeover."
"What do you mean," Elwen sounded somewhat surprised.
"It was more of a timeline than anything, but it contained descriptions of the major events leading the dragons to the conclusion that the Changeover must occur," the elf explained. "It was almost 3,000 years ago."
"Tell me about that," Elwen requested. This made Gil smile.
"It sounded rather familiar, really," he began. "Human growth and expansion brought them into conflict with the other races, especially with the elves. Elves were the dominant race, and they both resented and felt threatened by the humans. Coexistence between all the races became difficult, because some wanted to challenge the humans, while others wanted to work with them."
"None of that is surprising," she seemed to be processing the information. "Was there anything else?"
"Nohmet, the king of the elves, became more hard-headed and aggressive toward humans after he was given the Falvern. His brother, who had married a human, tried to forge more cooperation between the races," Gil continued, bringing up the important point that had led him to clear the challenge. "I concluded that the dragons should have either acted sooner, to stop the influence of the Falvern, or waited longer to see if the brother was successful."
"How did the Wind Dragon react to that," the tone of her voice changed slightly, though he was unsure what to make of it.
"He said the dragons concluded that they acted at the appropriate time," the elf paused a moment and shrugged his shoulders. "They couldn't know what the elf king would do with the sword, but they were confident that the efforts to create cooperation would not succeed."
"Did he say how much time passed, between deciding that the world could not be saved and the Changeover occurring," Elwen's questions were not surprising, but he was feeling fatigued and struggled to recall the answer.
"I don't believe so," Gil was still thinking. "I know he said that there was resistance from both humans and non-humans, but the book only contained details leading up to the decision that the Changeover was necessary, but nothing after."
"I see," Elwen sighed lightly before continuing. "So, there was no account of anything that happened after that?"
"No, the dragon said those were in another record," he remembered that part of the conversation vividly. "His words made me imagine a large collection of books, documenting all of history. The concept was interesting to me."
"That does sound interesting," the Guild Leader nodded her head before returning to her question. "No details on the Changeover or its timeline, though? Anything that could be helpful to us?"
"Sorry, but no," Gil was more direct with his answer. Another small sigh escaped her lips, barely perceptible even to his elven ears.
"Okay," she stood up abruptly. "Thank you for taking the time to talk to me, I assume you want to make the most of your recovery time. Can I bring you anything?"
"No, I'll be all right, I just need to rest," the elf said simply. Before she could turn to leave, he spoke again. "How much do you know about the Falvern, Guild Leader? Jack's current symptoms, and the description that Lord Cepheid provided, make me worry that it may be more trouble than it is worth."
"I know what its power is capable of doing," her words were delivered in a neutral tone, but sounded ominous nonetheless. "I also know enough that I should be able to help Jack control it. Believe me when I say that if he is not capable of using it, I will not let him risk causing more harm."
"All right, thank you," Gil wanted a better answer, but knew that it may not exist.
Elwen nodded her head once more before leaving the room. After she closed the door, he laid his head back on the pillow. The elf was going to need all of the time available to recover his energy, and tried to keep his mind from the things that he and Elwen had discussed, or from the previous challenge. With his mind still racing, he closed his eyes, slowed his breathing, and tried to will himself to fall asleep.
Walking through the streets of Bedera was difficult for Aleks. A professional soldier, he thought of fighting against other soldiers as the way to settle conflicts. Instead, the elves were using the siege to hurt civilians. All around the city, deteriorating conditions were evident in people who were malnourished and struggling to survive. The summer heat exacerbated the shortage of water, and made conditions unsanitary for nearly all. Everywhere the Knight Captain looked, he saw people whose eyes and faces seemed to have been drained of hope. Shaking his head, he spoke to the Water Dragon.
"This is awful," the heat was affecting Aleks as well. "These innocent people are being made to suffer."
"Innocent," Kelvin repeated the word. "Innocent of what, exactly?"
"Of anything," he said simply. "They are not soldiers, they shouldn't be targeted by the elves' offensive."
"Your assumption is that guilt or responsibility are the result of active, conscious decisions or choices," the dragon stated. "In King Nohmet's eyes, all humans are guilty simply because they exist. Your natures and ambitions are dangerous, and will lead you to destroy the world. That means all humans, not just the ones who have actively done something that harms the elves directly."
"Punishment based on potential harm is unjust," Aleks did not find her answer satisfying.
"Ah, but he would not call it potential harm," Kelvin replied. "Even if it only happens a little bit at a time, his view is that humans make things perpetually worse, not better."
"But, that assumes everyone has the same impact on the cosmic order," the Knight Captain countered. "In reality, some will do good things, and others bad. Some will have a big effect, some small. This is true of both humans and non-humans."
"Very wise, and well said," the dragon's praise sounded genuine, which surprised him. "I did not say that King Nohmet made the right decision, but that is how he thinks. Shall we continue our tour of the city?"
Shaking his head to indicate his unwillingness, Aleks complied and turned to walk down a side street. He tried to ignore the rotting smell that seemed to have saturated the city itself, but covered his nose and mouth in the hope of getting any relief. The city was in a strange state of limbo, not quite put together, but it had not yet fallen apart. Although it still seemed to be functioning in an orderly manner, the shortages and deteriorating conditions were contributing to the sense of despair that he saw etched on the faces of men and women everywhere.
While thinking about this, he heard an argument coming from within a shop and went to investigate. Stepping inside, he took in the situation quickly: the shopkeeper was arguing with a small group of patrons over the increasing price of food items. The vegetables were small and did not look healthy, and it was clear from the empty storage bins that there was a shortage, but the customers were frustrated by the price increase. It was a heated exchange of words, and several of the customers looked like they might become hostile. Before things could escalate any further, two men armed with swords and wearing light armor entered the shop. The argument ceased immediately.
"What's the issue here," the taller of the guardsmen asked.
"The price of grain has more than doubled in the last month," one of the customers said, still talking in a clipped tone because of his frustration. "We can't feed our families at these prices."
"My prices are no higher than anyone else's in the city," the shopkeeper fired back.
"That doesn't make them fair," another customer said. "People are starving, and you have food, yet you just keep raising prices."
"That's my right, the supply is limited," this answer did endear him to the angry customers. He turned to the guardsmen as he continued. "Prices are going up on everything across the city, and I have to take care of my family as well. If they aren't going to buy anything, I want you to make them leave."
"There's nothing we can do here," the second guard explained to the people in the shop. He seemed uncomfortable with the order, but unsure of what else to do. "He is allowed to set prices, and it is his shop. The issue of pricing for necessities is something to bring up at your next local council meeting, but we cannot do anything for you here and now. If you do not intend to buy anything, then it's time to go."
"Just throw us out, since that's your job," the first man spoke again. "I bet there's no shortage of food in the guards' barracks, is there?"
"Everyone has been affected," the reply was terse, and the guard seemed uninterested in defending himself to the disgruntled group. The man's hand unconsciously drifted toward the sword on his belt. "The weekly local council meetings are the place to address concerns about pricing, but there is nothing we have the authority to do here and now. So, unless any of you intend to purchase something, it's time to leave."
"My family is starving," another man spoke, seemingly emboldened by the words of the others. "You can't just send us away with nothing."
The group gave no indication that it would leave, and the argument grew more heated, as all three parties shouted at each other. Aleks was preparing to leave when one of the men grew frustrated enough to strike the store owner. A moment later, the aggressor lunged for the door, but was intercepted by one of the guards, who grabbed him. While they scuffled, the other patrons tried to separate them and the second guard tried to push them back. Making a show of reaching for his weapon, he appeared to be hoping that the threat would cause them to relent. Instead, one of the men charged forward in an attempt to disarm him. Forbidden from intervening, Aleks could only watch the melee that unfolded.
The sound of a blade piercing flesh halted the chaos abruptly. The second guard had stabbed the man who attacked him, though he seemed so stunned by the action that it looked like it could have been accidental Fear seemed to have gripped the patrons and guards alike as the wounded man on the floor gasped for breath. One of the men was holding the dying man's head, urging him not to die, but the sword had pierced his lung and Aleks knew he did not have long to live. He walked out of the shop as they tried to stop the bleeding and keep the man alive, unwilling to watch the futile effort.
It was only after stepping outside that a realization, and a great sense of frustration, came over him. At the meeting in the castle, the King had authorized his ministers to dispense their emergency food stores. The fight inside the store, and the man's death, had been completely unnecessary. If they had just left, they would have found relief in the form of the food from the castle. He could still hear the men inside trying to keep the injured man alive, and began to walk quickly away from the building, hoping for some way to clear his thoughts. While he was thinking about this, the Knight Captain spotted steps leading up to the battlement and turned toward them.
"Where are you going," asked Kelvin. He thought she would know.
"I want to see the non-human army," Aleks did not even break stride as he reached the steps and started his ascent.
"They are irrelevant," the dragon said flatly.
"To you, maybe, but not to me," he continued walking without revealing his desire to not be in the city anymore.
The scene that met his eyes when he reached the top was impressive to Aleks as a soldier. Looking out from the top of the wall, he saw that the army had fully encircled the city. Legions of soldiers were there, not just elves, but dwarves, orcs, and goblins as well. They were encamped a half-mile from the city, far enough away that they were not immediately threatening, but near enough that they could be. Although he could not see any siege weapons to assault the city, the power of the elves' magic could almost certainly give them that capability if they wanted it. Sentries were visible around the edges of the camps, ready to alert the rest of the forces if necessary, but they were far from ready to mount an immediate offensive. It was set up to be a protracted siege, and they appeared willing to simply wear down the humans.
"They're just waiting patiently. Even if the city doesn't destroy itself from within, they can basically just charge in whenever they like," Aleks mused, surveying their position. Images of the massacres that the dragon had already shown him began to creep up, and he quickly forced them down. Suddenly, he had a realization. "That's why you brought me here, isn't it? To see how bad things have gotten under the siege, and then to see the non-humans attack."
"I am showing you what you need to see," was Kelvin's answer. This seemed to confirm Aleks' suspicions.
"How much longer is this going to take," his voice reflected the irritation he felt at his helplessness. He did not want to see any more of the kind of violence he had already witnessed. "Keeping me here to use up our time, without any actual challenge for me to overcome, is hardly fair."
"Worry not, human, I am being fair to you," the dragon said dismissively. "Time passes differently here, so there is no danger of taking too long."
"So, what should I expect to see," Aleks asked, noting that the sun was beginning to set.
"This night will become infamous," Kelvin said ominously. "It is referred to as the Night the World Shook, and you will get to see why."
Natalie was growing impatient with the individual component of the third challenge, and sensed that the others were as well. Unlike Lady Ridley's individual challenge, in which they could watch her face the Earth Dragon's labyrinth, they were not allowed to see what was happening to Sir Aleks. Instead, they had been deposited in a room that was similar to the shared room from where they were staying, and left to wait with no instructions. She did not have a good sense of the time Aleks had been gone, but she guessed it had been about three hours. The time felt like it dragged on, because it had been passed in almost complete silence. Both she and Lady Ridley had taken a few opportunities to stretch and stay ready to enter the battle with the Water Dragon, but this did little to break up the monotony. Finally, she decided to break the silence.
"It's hard to be patient, isn't it," the General smiled lightly as her companions turned to look at her. "I wonder if Sir Aleks will make us wait as long as you did, Lady Ridley."
"He will take as long as he needs," Ridley's tone was level, not sharing in the lightheartedness. She was seated on the floor, back leaning on the wall opposite of Natalie. "We don't know what Aleks is going through, but my challenge was excruciating."
"Of course," she nodded at this comment. After several more minutes of silence, she spoke again. "I wonder if he'll do a better job than he did with…"
"I'm sorry, Lady Natalie, but I'm not interested in talking right now," Ridley's words were polite, but the tone she used made them sting.
"The General just wants to make conversation as a way to calm her nerves," Lord Zane, standing to her right, addressed Ridley in a calm tone before turning to Natalie. "And Ridley does not find conversation relaxing in these situations. I would be happy to chat with you, General."
"I...uh...thank you, Lord Zane," his frankness had surprised her. She took a moment to collect her thoughts, trying to think of something to talk about with the light elf. "The night of the ball, you talked about a painting that you were fond of in Radiata Castle."
"Ah, so I did," the elf said after pausing to think. "King Jiorus was gracious enough to show me a collection of paintings in a private gallery at the Castle. I think that there is some difference in the aesthetics that we prefer, but I enjoyed some of the collection. For instance, I am largely uninterested in portraits where the subjects pose. What I appreciated was the collection of landscapes and views of nature. Elven paintings often feature similar subject matter, though there were some that were beautiful enough to rival ours."
"The Royal Gallery is quite beautiful," Natalie smiled as she recalled her first visit there. "I share your love of the landscapes, but I appreciate the portraits. It is nice to be able to look back and see previous monarchs, generals, and nobles. Seeing the great men and women who came before us serves as a reminder of their deeds, and encourages me to be the best I can, so that I may have a positive legacy as well."
"I think that is a major difference between us," Lord Zane seemed to be considering her words as he spoke. "Elves have no great concern for history and legacies, because of our immortality. We do not die of old age, and our souls may be reborn if we are killed. As a result, our art tends to focus on the transience of natural beauty."
"I can see what you mean about not worrying about legacies," Natalie acknowledged his point. "But pictures, memories, and legacies are all that humans can hope to leave behind."
"Of course," the elf sounded as if he understood. "There was a time when your way of thinking would have baffled me, but I understand. It is simply different from the elven aesthetic."
"What do you mean when you say that," the General asked. "You said that your art focuses on transience."
"Is the sunset beautiful," he asked in response. Across the room, Lady Ridley suddenly seemed interested in listening to the conversation.
"Of course," Natalie answered immediately. She loved watching the sunset.
"I agree. The sun sets every day, and it is beautiful no matter where you watch it from," Lord Zane's words made her smile. "But, if you watched the sun set in the same place both today and tomorrow, would be able to say which was more beautiful?"
"I don't know," the question gave her pause. She could tell he had some point to make, but could not figure out what it was. "I would probably just say that both were beautiful."
"And they would be," he acknowledged. "But they would be different. Tomorrow's would not be the same as today's. There may be more clouds, fewer leaves on the trees, any of an endless number of variations, some big and some very small."
"And that is what elves appreciate in art," Natalie asked, trying to connect this insight to their conversation about paintings.
"A particular scene may look beautiful both today and tomorrow, but it will be different tomorrow than it is today," his words hung in the air. "Art is the process of preserving the beauty found in a moment that is distinct from any moment that ever came before, or will ever come after. Since we are able to experience so much more of life, we tend to notice and appreciate these subtleties more than most."
"I never thought about it that way," Natalie was turning the words over and over in her mind. She could see Lady Ridley pondering them as well. "Which painting was your favorite?"
"Perhaps it was due, in part, to the cold weather, but I was most taken by a picture of a frozen lake," the answer came immediately. "The trees on the bank had branches that were almost all bare, their limbs bending in the wind. There was a little bit of snow on the ice and the bank, the sky was light despite the sun not being visible through the clouds. There were no people or animals, just the landscape."
"I don't know that I remember that one," the General was running through all of the paintings she had seen in the Royal Gallery.
"The lake is just as beautiful in the winter when its surface is covered in ice as it is in the spring, after it thaws. The same is true for the trees," Lord Zane's tone was reflective, and several moments of silence passed before he seemed to be aware that they were both staring at him. "I apologize, forgive my musings. What is your favorite picture in the gallery?"
"It is a portrait, I think," Natalie said, trying to think of any painting she liked more than the one that came to her mind first. When no other option presented itself, she continued. "I remember that, after he was promoted, I went to deliver a report to General Dynas while he was posing for his portrait. He had to stand still, but refused to let his work be interrupted, and so asked that reports come to him anyway. The artist chastised him more than once for gesturing while talking to me, and I was afraid the picture would turn out poorly. But, on the day they unveiled the portrait in the gallery, they pulled the cover away and it looked just like him. He was a great leader and friend, and seeing that picture brings back many memories. I like to think that every portrait in the gallery provoked that kind of reaction in someone at some point."
"I'm sure they did," he said with a nod. "And that yours will as well. Have you posed for your portrait yet, General?"
"No, not yet," thinking about that task made her smile. She spared a glance for Lady Ridley, who was also smiling but did not speak. "I guess it's something that I can look forward to."
The conversation stopped there, and each retreated into their own thoughts. Natalie felt more relaxed, and still thinking about the way Lord Zane had described nature and art. His words made her reflect not just on art, but on life, and she had a new appreciation for the light elf. Thinking about General Dynas and his portrait reminded her that she would have her own legacy as a General, and brought the realization that she was in the process of writing it by going to face the challenges. She hoped that her strength, combined with that of her teammates, would make that legacy a positive one.
Vegeta26: It may have taken a little longer than I wanted, but I like how this one turned out. Thanks to everyone who's still reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it. See you next time.
The Flying Frog: Sorry to hear about the computer issues, hope they got resolved. The challenges are more than just tests of strength, which is why the individual parts are more complex. I think that they aren't tailored to the participant, so the challenge would be the same no matter who attempted it, but that the dragons do a good job of understanding who the participants are and what affects them. Hope to hear from you again.
MagatsuIza: There are some darker spots in the story, that's for sure, but I think they balance out nicely and make the brighter parts stand out. Let me know what you think.
Zane Tribal Tyne Alexandros: Ridley and Hap are getting along all right, and Zane isn't dealing with any new thoughts or feelings since the challenges began, just continuing to work through the ones he had. I'm having fun trying to keep Lenneth serious but still make her a little mischievous. As for the wish, I think that wishing to change human nature or the literal way the world is structured (i.e. as it relates to magic) are fundamentally different than just removing the cosmic order. The reason they're facing the challenges is because they don't want the Gods' interference in the way the world operates, and those kind of wishes result in more direct interference, not less. Something worth considering, but please share your thoughts.
Alvin Nobody: The conversation around Elwen's decision-making likely isn't over. As for Aleks, he's struggling quite a bit, but his test won't be resolved until next time. Looking forward to your thoughts.
A.K.U: Thanks for the review, glad to hear that you're enjoying the story. There's definitely more to come, and I hope you'll be back.