Hours later after the engagement right at the heart of the Wyld
The steps were heard by none as someone approached to a glistening river as the late spring sun hangs high in the sky. The trees around him has gotten more sparse and more farther apart especially around the river.
The sound, the slight disturbance on the grass and muffled the deep breaths were the only indications that were noticeable as there was no form were around to made them.
Until now.
When the cybernetics that made him invisible to the world had been deactivated, showing an even more bloodied form than it was before and now hooded back. He stepped on to the ankle-deep waters and took his bloodied sword from his back then placing then stabbing beneath the rocky waters of the river and sat down.
Then slowly with the work of Alchemy the blood that was stained everywhere are traversing down to the waters as the waters slowly traverses upwards to meet the bloodied cloth like a tendril beneath the attire from the end of his legs to the hood he wears over his head and from the end of the planted sword then up to his hand and sighed, with his breathing still in deep breaths.
It wasn't an amusement park at all but a whole circus that distracted almost all of the bears in that clan, with songs and performances in all. And they are still enjoying at the edges of their home, drinking and eating, treats like honey beverages and varying differences of bread and fruits. There were no meat in sight when he passed by quietly around them.
What an odd choice of lifestyles for the bears to choose for that, If they were more lazy he would have mistaken them as Panda's. Not that he haven't seen one in my own eyes yet.
It was incredibly too complacent in their comforting life like that, that they have let that much people sneak in to cause such a ruckus, even if... Right, shamans.
He placed his finger and his thumb on right where his chin would be and hummed at that thought. An almost quiet hum that was drowned out by the flowing river going down to somewhere.
It was very likely that all of them might as well be going out on there own just to kill him and likely going against someone's wishes at least for there sakes. Or maybe one of the leaders are joining against one another and the prophesies were too concerning to ignore.
"Hmm." Caused that much problems just by walking to there home? If it acted the same to everything he visits, everyone in this land may band up to find and kill him. That would be a major hassle to do that specifically.
And even if that there were few that knew him, that many that managed to be with Life manifested might have control over the stones he sought for a requirement he needs.
He'll cross that road sooner or later as he roams around place to place gradually. And now its time to pick another place to roam.
The blood had finally seeped completely down to the river, now clean from from the gore and smell that comes with it, and the waters that was around him traverses down with it. Now leaving the attire nice and dry like when he first met Ghor.
Gazing to what seems to be north-east from here. A snowing mountain in the distance that wont be too far for him wont be a bad place to scout out any potential noteworthy locations he can travel too, maybe even signs of civilization if he wants to be daring.
This robes wouldn't be enough but that wouldn't be a problem for long I'm sure of it.
And with a sudden movement he was off, no longer using the cloak to hide himself anymore.
Sana rushed upwards to the stair wells to the sages home hoping that they would be alright even after whatever happened right outside and all the questions need to be answered for what had happened.
Many mysteries have happened that day, too many coincidences to let it be and she can't just let it go.
The hired men have completely ran out of the area, even when she have tried anything to stop them from doing so with magic but every time someone else used magic of their own to cover for them and there tracks. And she was the only one can effectively
She was all alone to out magic it and have too few reserves of such a thing. She brought a few friends of hers that weren't too much into the tricks and theatrics of the circus, That faint premonitions from the winds of the Wyld that lead to where she last saw Stultus concerned her that something have happened in that meeting but not too concerned as from how the Wyld made that not so serious of a call of warning for A peculiar Soothsayer like herself.
She had listened and learned from her most of her years of dedication to the Wyld, just so she could bring prosperity and peace to everyone she loves and far beyond from her little respite of home, the inner reaches of kingdom and the king himself. The poor, poor and once great king.
So why would the Wyld give such little concern as something was an assassination of a guest like this? And where are the shamans at that time? They weren't together with them from the edge of the clan to enjoy festivities. They said that they would to keep guard and warn anyone that would do something as problematic as this?
Why did Stultus killed one them?
When she reached the stairs, incredibly exhausted from both physical and magical, she was glad to see what little left of the leaders that were present from this outright odd and sudden meeting like this. But she saw all of them looked so sullen as they look down, unlike from the chief shaman and the best druid constant bickers or the sage constant sleepiness.
She gradually approached them with concern on her mind, with claws clacking on the stone ground and with staffs in hand. Then called out to them in hopes to snap out of their rare brooding.
"Hello?" That did the trick as they shook off from there musings and finally noticed the lone soothsayer, they looked in relief at that sight.
The druid spoke first. "You could have not come in a more perfect time than this Sana." spoke in a smooth tone and relief that she came here.
He gestures his paw on the other side of the cluttered table with and a map on it. "Sit, we have much to tell you first before you ask your questions. Time is of the essence"
She hesitantly Followed his words, she approached the table and sat down, placing the staff behind from her.
Before she can say anything, the shaman to the right that leaned in to the table as he looked at her spoke. "The prophesy has changed chosen one, leaving us all in the dark with nothing but a hero from afar."
Hero!?
"Wait, you mean Stultus?" Sana had gasp from that. The many who dabbled to see the future had said the selection of heroes would start in 5 winters at least.
"And you know what that means, chosen one." The sage that have been keeping a steady gaze to her, spoke last from the trio of makeshift leaders.
"But isn't this too soon to relieve the king from his throne? No one can stand against or even thought of going against the king himself. So why now?" Sana had asked to the elders before adding one more that she almost missed from the little out burst.
"Wait. Hold on, who is Stultus really?" The both semi-leaders looked to the sage himself with emotions she can't quite tell.
The sage lets out a long sigh after moments of hesitation. "Those questions would be answered after we say our piece of our word soothsayer. The current events leave us of little choice. I'm sure your aware of what happened in outside but. That is just the start of something worse."
The fabled staff that has been passed down in generations have been placed further away from him to the table and pushed it towards her. "Its time that I pass this down to you, Sana. Take it and go far from here before others from our midst take it from you as I am too weak and tired to keep it from the others for long."
She looked at the Wyld staff that was presented to her. All of those spent, youthful years has come down to this. To become a priestess of the Wyld, a staff that was made to battle against the infested Rot that has been slowly plaguing this lands for many winters.
"Sage." Slowly she took it from the table and felt her blessed magic coursing through to the wand. The Wyld stone glowed in hummed in power in response.
Sana removed from her gaze of the staff to face the sage has been tiredly looking at her. "But its all too soon, if the king finds out-"
"You wont be contesting for the kings throne, at least your not planning to and I doubt anyone else will be. Just stay away from here for a time in a guise of an urge of a call of adventure and keep the staff safe just as the fabled staff keeps you safe too." The sage cuts her off with an exhausted voice.
Sana has gotten more worried and her voice shows as clear as the day outside. "Safe? Sage Birger, whats going on."
The bear in question took his mug and tried to drink it but later realized it was empty and sighed at that before he placed it on the ground. "We have... A major discord among our clan, that had been festering ever since the start of this bountiful season. The dreams we all experienced have given the more older members of our clan more assertive in their decisions that I didn't even know about and still don't know even after this day."
Sana has beginning to grasp the severity of this divide between the leaders of the clan. "The other sages and the shamans. Are they...?"
The sage rubbed his temple as he closed his eyes. "I don't know for sure but, there were enough that they made this day happened the way it is. I hope you understand of how severe this day is Sana."
She looked back at the staff in her paws, she knew why the sage had given her the staff. She called a chosen one for a reason, a prophesy that have been told by many others for a long time, a prophesy that would entail the end of the long lived king that had ruled all of Armello but today is not your normal day.
"The prophesy. Is it truly gone?" Sana had muttered the words but was heard by everyone.
The chief shaman spoke again. "The king would still fall no matter what happens, prophesy or not. Everyone alike aren't blind to this except maybe the kings guard but I doubt it would change their allegiance to the king. But whatever what happens after it have been clear."
Sana looked at the chieftain as he gave a pregnant pause around the room while the other members stayed quiet.
"Even if the sage said he believed the priest's words, it doesn't change the fact that many believes he-
"-Brings destruction when he will inevitably takes the THRONE!" A loud noise was made when hooves slammed the rat's table where papers, books and ink lay around.
There were only two people in a confined underground room that was lit with multiple candles and a single torch that was beside to a wooden door with an iron handle behind.
"I know, I know. But the amount of armellian gold spent from that mission have taken a little toll on us and that doesn't mention of how severe repercussions if we were ever get caught we were the ones who launched that 'probing,' speaking of that. You didn't told me how well this proclaimed priest of death did so?"
The sitting rat clan agent had finished his say to the unmasked buck with clear anger dissipating from his features as he focuses the events from before as he slowly sat down in return with ears flicking as he did so.
"Almost a third were cut down and all of the sharpshooters have turned useless when he used magic to make all of their crossbows disappear with a swipe of a clawless paw in more than a minute when the volley of bolts began."
The rat agent whistled at that but the herbivore buck continued. "There's more." And the smaller agent oh'd in question.
"His sword is enchanted, when the moment he steps outside from the heart of the Wyld, me and some of the others have launched a volley at him with a chance to end him right then and there but he lived."
whatever the rat felt, he didn't show it as his voice was devoid of emotion "And he didn't die?"
"He was harmed, I'm sure of it but that was when the first of the spells, Moonbite were the first ones used before he pulled out a one sided foreign sword and blocked the volley of spells. Then he sliced multiple bolts as the sharpshooters shoot gave a volley of there own before he lunged to the lake around the capital."
"A magical sword that defends you from magic huh? Well that fits that's from those two storie-" "There's still more" the rat was cut off from his off paw comment by unmasked shaman.
"The blade gave a red glow and at the end of the fight he swung it to the clustered group of mercenaries and turning the last 3 poor souls turned there entire forms to black before disintegrated from existence." He leaned closer to the rat with a focus that predators could match. "I couldn't even feel their souls leaving to join the blessed Wyld when he did it."
He leaned back after that, giving the rat a headache as he sighed. "Is there any more you wanted to tell me?"
He looked down in sorrow at that but still continued on. "The leader of the bunch declared a duel and lost from that, still alive even. And then... He spotted on my brethren and used foul magic to explode one of ours in a shower of blood before appearing in his place, effectively leaving the battle and escaped."
The rat agent reached out and took a dipped feather in ink. "You lost him?" was what he said before he started writing.
"He disappeared like a squirrel using a spell to hide himself, he was long gone by then just like you said about disappearing like a ghost when he finally decided he leaves the clan." The deer replied in confidence.
He didn't slowed down when he is writing a message to the rat clan members that have been involved, dipping the feather to the ink again before continued on. "He really is a-"
Hero. She finally and silently told to herself with as much willed strength to utter it but there where none were able to listen it but to herself as she looked onwards, far to where that shadowed and disturbingly powerful soul had left quietly and quickly with no one alive be the wiser. With such intense emotions swirled around she have ever felt in her existence, even if she can't tell what those are even if after the longest winter she had ever felt by differentiating the emotions of the living beings around her and herself. This was her first time of tasting individualism after all.
All because of the most peculiar being she didn't know it existed. A being that have embraced death so close but still flourish with life like her own. A soul that stood above the rest, she have done such effort in such little time to touch it but she still could not caress the soul that housed in that bizarre and metallic form.
Even when he got close to the heart, her only heart, she could not caress the soul. Only caressed that smoothed stone but soft like visage through the equally bizarre armor she remembered the denizens around called as such with the manifested tendrils she have willed.
She will never forget it, that visage. It is clear he is in some form aware of her when he rarely shows his life and encased with walls she would never dare to try to breakdown out of manners and hopelessness. But it is alright.
Even if it wouldn't matter in the end, she wanted to kept trying to keep herself whole and the pass time. This curiosity wont be satiated until she reaches that soul. Would it be wrong to think such a way? She doesn't know that answer. Is it important? She had not learned to speak anyone properly to whoever willing to listen.
She might not able to find that peculiar soul again alone but maybe, just maybe she can follow the kind priestess who can listen to her more clearly than the others she have tried and that is not including their questions that she answered.
Its not her fault when they stopped gazing stranger's past midway, they have asked why what it is meant to be has disappeared and she have given an answer and showed a glimpse of what he is. When she first caressed the soul and showed her the sounds of a beautiful chorus of women she could not see, an armored man standing over a scroll, and his actions the marked he world forever. She did a good show by how well they showed there emotions.
She broke out of her musings and raised herself beyond the lush trees of the peaceful home her heart lays deep, feeling the power in the winds growing more and more hectic and looked to a mountain far from here out of boredom. And what she saw pleasantly surprised her.
With the help of the winds she can feel the winds had brushed a figure of nothing on top of a mountain, even the stones nor metal could compare on top of that same figure she have been stalking in the short time she have been aware of herself.
The figure that have been looking down and away from her have noticed her gaze and looked back, directly to where she is. A tingle of feeling energized her, every single time he would notice and silently acknowledge her presence but too few would have bothered him to look at where she truly is. Its felt like she was back from the past again.
He looked away again and with unparalleled strength, jumped off the mountain with height no one can reach with snow and loose rocks disturbed by his launch before plummeting down to the inner lands of Armello. To start a quest long due.
One day, her persistence would bear fruit and reward her the answer she have never thought to have been anticipating this much in such short time. And so she felt more renewed and ready by looking forward to meeting him one more time.
Without her knowing, her emotions have breathed life and forests to the forests and beyond, earning more scorn of the Rot from the center of the united clans in defiance.
