In light of Brand's newfound physical strength, the battlefield fell eerily silent for a brief handful of moments. Olberic's grip on his blade grew tighter as he watched the god carefully. He could tell that Brand was reaching the end of his energy. The magical hits he had sustained earlier had already started to take their toll on him, and it was just a matter of time before he started to completely crumble under the weight of the damage he had sustained. Olberic could tell that they just had to deal a bit more damage before the battle would be won.
Of course, accomplishing that was bound to be much easier said than done. Brand's melee abilities were impressive as could be, and Olberic somehow doubted that their previous tricks of distracting the god were going to work out as well as they had previously. They were going to have to come up with something new, but that wasn't going to be easy as long as Cyrus, their main tactician, was out of commission for the next few minutes while Alfyn healed his wounds. Olberic was going to have to take command himself, and he could only hope that they were able to find a way around Brand's defenses.
Brand held one hand out to the side, and he began to create a sword of stone from the small fragments of rock that had been left scattered throughout the arena. Because his blade had been stolen, he was being forced to improvise, and this was the best he was going to be able to do, at least for the time being. He wasn't going to be letting them win quite so easily, and he was making sure they knew it.
Tressa pointed her spear in Brand's direction, and the wind around the travelers began to kick up before rushing towards him. It slammed into the man in an onslaught attack, and Brand stumbled backwards, though it didn't seem as if he had actually been hurt by the strike at all. If it had injured him, he was doing an impressive job of hiding it. He rolled out of the way when Tressa attempted to hit him with the wind once again, though for a brief flicker of a moment, his balance had been disturbed.
Hägen was more than happy to take advantage of this, slamming into Brand quickly before the god had the chance to regain his sense of stability. Brand let out a small groan of surprise, not that the attack had done much damage. Still, it wasn't power that had fueled the strike; it was strategy. H'aanit had been the one to command Hägen to attack, and she took advantage of the benefit she had been granted to charge her axe with electricity before dashing in Brand's direction.
The god attempted to throw up his sword to stop her from hitting him with the blade, but he was unable to fend her off completely. Instead, H'aanit managed to kick Brand's hand away, causing him to fumble with the blade for a brief moment. She struck as soon as the opportunity presented itself, and Brand was left to roar in pain at the sudden onslaught of pain rushing through his body.
Therion was quick to follow up on what H'aanit was doing, and he charged his knife with fire magic before rushing up behind the god. He wasn't able to strike deeply, but he was more than fully capable of getting in a single attack. Luckily for him, that was all it took to leave Brand struggling to find his footing once again, stumbling for a few moments before he forced himself to his feet.
Therion pulled his dagger out and attempted to duck out of the way of Brand's next punch. He was able to keep from being hit head on, albeit only barely, but the shockwave disturbed his balance. Therion's eyes went wide with the preparation of being hit once again, but he never felt the blow. Instead, a blast of wind knocked him out of Brand's danger zone, and Therion rolled before rising into a crouch. He glanced over and saw that Tressa had been the one responsible for blocking the wind that saved him. She nodded in his direction, and he returned the favor.
Olberic noticed that Brand had been left shocked and caught off guard by Therion's sudden act of evasion, so he took the opportunity for what it was and started to dash in the god's direction. He swung the earthen blade he had stolen from Brand in a wide arc before the two began to clash once again. Still, the raw strength of Brand's weapon gave Olberic the burst of power he needed in order to push back until Brand had no choice but to stumble away. Olberic was silently impressed with just how strong the sword was, and he knew that it was a perfect match for its owner.
Brand was left shaken for a blink of a moment after Olberic managed to shove him away, and the warrior took that chance to use the sword to his advantage. He turned the blade around so he was holding it by the sharpened obsidian steel before sweeping it beneath Brand's legs, stealing the man's feet from beneath him before he had the chance to respond.
A moment later, Brand fell inelegantly to the ground below, his earthen sword immediately sliding away from him. Tressa was more than happy to pick it up, though she set it down once again a few moments later when she realized how heavy it was. Cyrus and Alfyn began to emerge from behind the wall of ice that they had been using as a makeshift barricade, and they glanced around the battlefield carefully. They had finished their other duties at the perfect time.
Olberic pointed the earthen sword down at Brand, and the god smiled. "I yield." With that, he rose to his feet, and Olberic was more than happy to pull the blade away. He was on the verge of offering the weapon back to the god, but Brand shook his head. "Thou shouldst keep it. Considere it a sign of victory." The smile on his face told Olberic that the god of earth was not to be deterred, and he hesitated before nodding and looking down at the weapon carefully.
"I have a few questions for you," Ophilia said carefully, breaking through the silence by some stroke of a miracle despite the slight waver to her voice. "I-If you don't mind my asking, that is."
Brand glanced over at her, noticing the Illumination Staff was still pressed between her fingers. He smiled kindly before nodding. "Go ahead."
Ophilia swallowed dryly before looking over to the weapon of earth found in Olberic's hands. "Are there really other types of magic that have yet to be discovered?" she questioned, though the answer seemed clear as could be as long as she was willing to examine the battlefield. The rocky ground had been almost shredded by the fight, and the stone sword at Tressa's feet acted as further proof that this was very real, much more so than any of them could have imagined.
Brand nodded. "Twelve elements of magic can be founden in this land. Mortals are aware of six... But there aren others waiting to be discovered," he replied. Olberic remembered what Cyrus had said earlier in the battle about his research into other types of magic, and he found himself wondering just what the scholar could have possibly found even before they ventured into this shrine. "As long as thou continueth thy path to meeten with the other gods, thou will learn the truth behinde the magic that has been lost to time."
"Can you teach us how to use earth magic?" Tressa asked as she slid the Tempest Spear back in its resting position. She looked up at Brand with all the admiration in the world shining in her young eyes.
Brand nodded once again. "Before thou leaveth this place, I shalle granten thee the strength to use my power," he explained. "Usen this strength in tandem with the Sword of Stone to rescue this world from the darkness that hangeth above its head. I believe in you, as do the rest of the gods."
Light started to flicker from the air, and Olberic immediately felt different in a way that he struggled to describe. The sensation was not entirely unfamiliar when compared to the blessings of the previous gods, but something about it still felt different. If he had to guess, he would have said that it was because of the power of earth magic that was now rushing through his body. It would take a while for them to all get used to the new strength they had been given, but Olberic knew they would get there eventually.
From there, the light started to expand, and when Olberic next came back to reality, he realized that they were standing in the shrine once more. He pulled his hand away from the stone carving that had allowed them to enter the battlefield plane to begin with, and his fingers drifted to the blade at his hip. The Sword of Stone had replaced his previous weapon, and the old blade was sitting on the floor in front of his feet. He leaned down to pick it up before handing it to Tressa, who appraised the weapon before sliding it in Therion's direction. The thief was more than happy to accept it, and he was quick to swap it out with his other much weaker sword.
"Well, I suppose that finishes our business here," Ophilia remarked. "We should get going to Stonegard. The sooner we can settle down there, the better off we're going to be." She glanced around the rest of the group for any signs of an objection, but when nobody protested her suggestion, she nodded to herself and started to walk towards the door, everyone else following carefully in her footsteps.
Olberic took up the rear of the group, and he found himself desperate to use the Sword of Stone in combat outside of the battle against Brand. It was going to take him some time to get used to the sensation of a new weapon in his hands, but he knew that he was going to have to adapt to it sooner rather than later. After all, the Sword of Stone was much stronger than any weapon he had ever seen before, and he had encountered his fair share of incredibly powerful blades. In fact, the Sword of Stone seemed to eclipse even the other godly weapons in terms of raw physical strength. The others were all slightly skewed towards magical power, but the Sword of Stone was the opposite on top of giving him full access to the control of earth.
It was still strange for him to think that there were other elements of magic that had not been uncovered previously. He hadn't ever been knowledgeable when it came to magaic prior to meeting the other travelers, but he had come to accept that there were six elements up until that fight against Brand. He could tell that earth magic was going to come much simpler to him than any other element had previously, and he could only hope that he was able to master it sooner rather than later. After all, he could tell that he was going to need all the strength the sword and its earthen power were going to be able to offer him, especially if the two powers were working together.
When Olberic stepped out into the sunshine once again, he raised one hand to block out the light from his eyes. Behind him, the entrance to the shrine started to slide shut, and he heard the doors close with a small groan of the earth. Olberic took a careful breath before looking to the other travelers. Tressa was the one with the map, so she would be the person leading them to Stonegard from there.
The rest of the journey ultimately passed in silence, though Olberic could tell what was on everyone's mind. Cyrus was trying to learn more about the magical powers that had been locked away from humans up to that point, murmuring to himself so softly that nobody could fully understand his words. He hadn't found any answers yet, but Olberic knew it was just a matter of time before Cyrus figured out what was happening. After all, if there was anyone who would be able to uncover the truth behind the magic of the past, it would be Cyrus.
Ophilia was clearly wondering about it as well, and she seemed much more focused than she had been previously. In fact, everyone seemed to be doing much better. Olberic could only imagine that this was because they had managed to get away from Goldshore where they could still feel Vanessa's influence. Her actions still hung heavily over all their heads, but they were slowly but surely stepping away from her. Stonegard was a fresh start for all of them, and if all went according to plan, then it would be the next step to them never having to think about Vanessa again.
The grounds of the Highlands left Olberic wondering just how powerful the magic of earth could possibly be, and he watched the gray rocks sprawl around him silently. He had never imagined that a human would be capable of manipulating stone in such a way, but he knew that Brand had been honest when he said that he was going to bestow the travelers with such strength. As soon as Olberic put his mind to it, he would be able to figure out what he was meant to be doing with the earth. Of course, he didn't have that chance yet, so all he could do was wait.
When Stonegard appeared over the horizon, Tressa started walking a bit faster, and everyone else was quick to increase their speed to catch up to her. Olberic was the last to arrive at the town despite this, but once he was within Stonegard's limits, he found himself letting out a heavy sigh as he glanced around the area.
The first thing he noticed was just how much larger Stonegard was compared to Cobbleston. It wasn't as if Olberic was any stranger to larger towns; after all, Hornburg had been one of the largest civilizations on Orsterra, and he had lived there for two and a half decades before he was forced to flee. Still, after all his years spent in Cobbleston, it was strange to see a Highlands town that was so expansive across the gray stones of the Highlands.
Even if Stonegard was larger than Cobbleston though, it wasn't quite as large as Hornburg had been. Stonegard was bustling, but it was slower than Hornburg had been, like everyone was infected with a quiet sense of sleepiness that they struggled to fully articulate. The town almost moved in slow motion, and Olberic had to wonder if it was a trick on his mind or if everything truly was more relaxed than it had been back in Goldshore. Either way, he knew that he couldn't get distracted by that; they had a mission to take care of, and it would be best if their search for information about Z'aanta started as soon as possible. He had been missing for long enough, and this was the best lead they had when it came to finding him.
"We should probably start by finding the inn so we can drop off all our stuff," Alfyn pointed out. He still didn't seem to be entirely focused on the present after what had happened in Goldshore, but he was doing a better job than he had been previously of keeping himself grounded. He gestured for everyone to follow him as he started to walk through the city streets, asking who he could about details regarding the inn.
Olberic didn't bother to listen to what Alfyn was saying in full. Instead, he simply pressed his eyes shut, and as the wind blew around him, he wondered where all the time had gone. He wasn't sure why Stonegard reminded him so much of Hornburg. Stonegard had taken the position Hornburg had previously filled of being the largest city within the Highlands, but the two settlements weren't all that much alike. Despite this though, Olberic's mind refused to stop reminding him of everything that had happened since he was last home. So much had changed in the last ten years, and it felt like everything was just continuing to change no matter how hard he tried to fight it.
Not that long ago, he had been in Cobbleston living the life of a hedge knight. He defended the people from anything they needed protection from, and it was a simple life. He didn't know what he was supposed to be doing with his life, but it was enough to keep him alive for a little while longer, and that had been enough for him at the time. Everything had changed so quickly when bandits arrived in the town, and from there, it was like the pieces all fell into place for him to travel with the rest of the group.
Olberic would have been lying if he said that all of his problems had been solved by now. That couldn't have been further from the truth. Traveling with the others in the party was nice, and he certainly enjoyed it, but he had no idea if this was what he was meant to be doing. There had been a time when he was sure that defending Hornburg was all that he would ever do with his life, and he had been satisfied with the security. That was when times were simple, back before Erhardt had stabbed him in the back before claiming the life of the man they had once both sworn to protect. These days, it seemed like nothing was simple.
Olberic knew that they were going to be arriving in Victors' Hollow eventually. The tournament was fast approaching-something he had heard from Alfyn while they were back in Noblecourt-and it wouldn't be much longer before he faced off against the one who might be able to point him in the right direction to find Erhardt. The entire group was getting closer to Victors' Hollow too, and it was just a matter of time before they were faced with everything that would reveal the truth behind Olberic's purpose.
But would it really be that simple? He had been waiting for ten years now, trying to find something that made sense amid the fog that had come to coat his mind inside out, and yet, he never seemed to get any closer to the truth than he had been previously. There was always something that stopped him, and there was no easy way for him to push through it and find the truth he had been looking for. Traveling with the other members of the group made it easier for him to survive his stifling lack of purpose, but it still felt like he was missing out on so much. Would he ever be able to return to the way he had been before? Would he ever find a reason to swing his blade after everything had been stolen from beneath his feet?
If there was one thing Olberic could say for sure, it was that he certainly preferred traveling with the rest of the group to being alone. It was taking some getting used to, yes, but he was happy to have others around him that he could count on. He was still hesitant to talk to them about personal matters, but he knew that when he was ready to start sharing how he felt, they would all be more than happy to listen. They had supported themselves and each other through good times and bad, and if there was anyone Olberic would be able to rely on no matter what, he knew that it was them. Still, that did little to lessen the hole that seemed to be steadily tearing apart the inside of his body, and he could only hope that the darkness he didn't even fully understand was slow enough to not find victory until he could determine his purpose.
Olberic only came back to reality when he felt a small tap on his shoulder. He looked down to see Primrose looking up at him with those eyes that struck him to the very core. She understood him much better than she was willing to admit, and he really wished that she didn't see the truth of his demeanor. Of course he didn't want to confess to the fact that she knew the truth he was running from each and every day. She was searching for her own purpose too, and she could see the look in his eyes that told her it would be a while before he was able to find solid ground to stand on.
"Alfyn found the inn and managed to get us a discount," Primrose told him, though the words were distant and echoed in Olberic's mind. He didn't exactly hear what she was saying, and it took a moment for her words to catch up with him. She seemed to be able to see it as well, and when she smiled, the motion was quietly remorseful and bitter. They both had no idea what they were doing with their lives, but they had found some lingering traces of purpose in the other members of the group. It wasn't much yet, but they would reach that point eventually. Olberic had no idea how they were going to hold on long enough to find the answers they were looking for, but he knew they would figure it out soon enough. All they had to do was be patient.
Luckily for Olberic, patience was his specialty, and he nodded at Primrose as soon as he was able to force himself to understand what she was saying. "Thank you," he said, though he wasn't entirely sure what he was thanking her for.
Primrose seemed to understand though, and she hummed to herself with a nod before starting to walk after the other members of the group. Olberic took up the rear of the party, his hand drifting absentmindedly to the blade at his hip. The Sword of Stone had a different feel to it when compared to every other blade he had ever used before, but something about it was welcome. If he was thinking about the gift Brand had provided him, then he couldn't wonder what the hell his purpose in life was supposed to be. It was a distraction as well as a weapon, and heaven knew Olberic could use both as long as he was on this path.
The process of filing into the inn both passed in the blink of an eye and was all too slow for Olberic, not that he could particularly say why. Time seemed to be an afterthought then more than ever, and he wondered why he was suddenly unable to keep track of the minutes going by after he had spent so many years overly aware of how much the world was changing around him. The easiest way to put it was that he had changed whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not. This was the manifestation of his evolution, and he had no choice but to admit it given the circumstances.
As usual, Olberic found himself sharing a room with Cyrus, though Olberic had to admit that he was impressed when he heard just how low the price was for the inn room. He had been sure that the inn would charge much more for the four rooms, and yet, they had managed to get away with paying a shockingly low amount. Olberic supposed that the reason he was wondering about that was because he knew what inn prices were in Hornburg, and they had been much higher back in the day. It wasn't as if he had much of a reason to stay in an inn while he was living there, but he had heard more than enough from the visitors that came in from outside of the city-state to speak with the king.
Oh, how the mighty fell.
Olberic sat down on his bed and began to unpack his things, not that he was particularly thinking about what was happening. He could feel Cyrus' eyes on him, and he knew that the scholar was wondering what he was struggling with in the silence. Unfortunately, Olberic wasn't in much of a mood to talk or admit to the truth, so the room remained quiet aside from the gentle shuffling of the two men.
He shouldn't have been so bothered by this place. Stonegard wasn't Hornburg, and it never would be. Stonegard had never tried to be like Hornburg either. He should have been able to ignore the similarities and continue going about his life, but instead, he felt like he couldn't help comparing the city around him to everything that he had known before his world crumbled to pieces. It didn't make much sense, but it wasn't as if Olberic made much sense as a whole these days. That ship had more than sailed ages upon ages ago.
"Is something the matter?"
The silence was getting to be too much for Cyrus, and Olberic looked up slowly to see the scholar watching him carefully. Olberic hesitated before shaking his head. "Nothing is wrong," he said, though the word tasted like a lie on his tongue despite his attempts to push it all away. Cyrus knew that he was lying through his teeth, and it was just a matter of time before the scholar proved perfectly that he could read Olberic like a book.
Cyrus paused for a long moment, seemingly able to start putting the pieces together. Of course he was able to do something like that. It would have been too good for Olberic if Cyrus was ignorant on the matter. Cyrus may have not been the best with emotions, but he was still incredible when it came to logic puzzles, and what was bothering Olberic seemed to fall into the latter category.
"I never had the chance to visit Hornburg," Cyrus admitted as he sat down on his own bed. "Still, I learned much about it, and I know that it was an immensely impressive city. Anyone would be proud to be from there."
Olberic looked down at his hands, desperate to find a distraction within the creases of his palms. "I got used to Cobbleston," he confessed before he could stop himself from speaking. "I was accustomed to it, and even if it was in the Highlands... The town was much too small to be like Hornburg."
"But since Hornburg has fallen, Stonegard has become the largest city of the Highlands," Cyrus finished for him, and Olberic nodded. Cyrus paused for a moment, no doubt fumbling for the words that would make the situation easier to resolve for both of them. "I'm sorry it all happened this way."
"Me too," Olberic murmured, unsure as to what else could even be said. He had been sorry for his failures every single day for the last ten years, but it was never quite enough for him to keep himself held together. Too much had changed, and he didn't know how he was supposed to return to the way he had been before when he was constantly walking a thin line of danger and breakdown.
"If you need to step away at any point during our mission to collect your thoughts, I would be more than happy to join you," Cyrus assured him. "I have no doubt that H'aanit will understand. I know that being here is difficult for her as well considering the fact that this is the last place anyone saw her master."
Olberic nodded, and he pretended to not see the parallels between himself and H'aanit. They were vague lines, but he was still fully aware that they existed. They had lost the ones they admired so much, and said idols had gone missing in large cities within the Highlands. The difference was that Z'aanta had the chance to be alive, and Olberic was hoping with everything he had that H'aanit's master was still out there somewhere. He wanted to believe for her sake, and he knew that everyone else did too.
He would never admit it out loud, but Olberic wanted Z'aanta to be alive so that he could do something to help the man H'aanit admired so much. He was desperate to succeed as much as he could to make up for his past failures in Hornburg, and coming to Stonegard had only renewed such sensations much to his distaste. He hadn't felt this way so intensely in years, but he couldn't seem to escape it while he was in Stonegard around the other members of the group.
This was where he belonged, but he still barely understood what a home or a sense of belonging was supposed to mean anymore. That ship had sailed years ago, and he had no idea how to find the middle ground between his past and the path he was taking towards the future.
"Do you want to talk?" Cyrus asked after a brief lapse of silence between them. Olberic could feel the scholar's eyes piercing through his body, and the worry that neither one of them understood hung heavily in the air, dense enough that no blade could pull it apart.
For a long time, Olberic didn't respond, instead simply swallowing dryly. "I want to just sit here for a moment," he eventually forced himself to say.
Cyrus nodded and looked up to the ceiling of the inn room. "That's perfectly fine."
It's been a while since we had Olberic focused chapters, huh? I'm very happy with how it turned out though, and I'm looking forward to being able to explore his perspective more. Unfortunately, his chapter two is last out of the eight, so... It'll be a while before I can reach that point. For now, we get to enjoy this small scene though, and I'm going to take it for what it is.
For anyone wondering, the order of chapter twos from here is H'aanit, Ophilia, Cyrus, Tressa, and then Olberic. In other words, it's going to be a while before we get the chance to look at Olberic closely for an extended period, but I'm looking forward to it already.
As for the other part of this chapter-the end of the fight with Brand-magic time! Every god has their own element, so six of them are from the game while the others are made up by yours truly. The extra classes have most of the added elements, so we've just got Brand and Dohter as far as added elements are concerned, at least for a while. Until then though, earth magic is going to be pretty helpful in battle, and it's going to be tons of fun to work with too. I'm thoroughly looking forward to being able to incorporate it into a fight.
Next time around, we're finally going to kick off H'aanit's chapter two! Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital