...
-CLICK!-
Alright. Hey there, everyone~. It's just me today. By which I mean, Kris... but uh.. Obviously you knew that from the sound of my voice. Hah! Uhm...
Okay, so the story for why I'm alone today is mostly 'cause Noelle and Ralsie-... Well, actually, EVERYONE is still working on their group project for the end of the six weeks. I still can't believe I got the jump on even NOELLE of all people with that, but I guess I had an edge. I wanted my part in it to be over as soon as possible.
Now, you may be wondering. 'What exactly did I get that was so easy to complete in so small a time-span?' Well, you'll be let down to know that it was actually the hardest part. I had to take care of gathering the examples and materials. That might sound easy, but not in this case. There were multiple times where I thought the examples wouldn't be around anymore. I can't tell you more than that. Trust me. It's important that I don't tell you that until later. Hopefully, not TOO much later, but not in this part...
I guess.. in that sense, I should've just not mentioned it at all... uh... Sorry about that~! Eheh! Uhm...
... Sheesh, after all of the recording session I shared with the guys, finally being alone just feels... hollow. I didn't realize how lonely I was those first few times. Hiegh...
Well, anyways, last time, Berdly told you guys aaaall about what was going on back home. And this time, I'm going to share with you guys something important from my experiences in Autumn Vale... ... ...
Eugh... Man, that just sounds awkward... Honestly, this entire thing sort of sounds awkward.
... Okay. So, this is going into the part regardless so that maybe you guys can get a chuckle out of it. But I'll be right back after I get myself in the right mindset. Regardless, I'm just gonna jump into it upon my return.
Talk to you all in a bit~.
-CLICK!-
... ... ...
-CLICK!-
...
Autumn Vale. It could've been morning or it could've been night. Regardless, you couldn't tell me there was a difference or even such a concept in the Dark World.
We were in a narrower part of the perpetually autumn forest, which was littered with those oversized, crisp and fragile leaves. Several uneven paths shot out at our left direction, but none of them mattered right then... because...
-CLANG!-
We were under attack!
My oddly leaking sword had just swat a monster's axe away from me while I jumped back and side-stepped a few times over crunching leaves and grass, trying to get a solid read on our opponents.
Yes. Our.
Me and Shorn were still together while she fought another off in close quarters beyond my own enemy. Though, she fought much more aggressively, using a summoned white dagger with a black outline in each hand as she imbalanced her opponent with her swift winding strikes, kicks and even threw her daggers when she knew she couldn't get close.
I even occasionally saw her resort to a type of burst wind magic to blow her opponent around even further or direct them into her blades. I could tell it was wind by how the leaves around them suddenly blew about in sudden moments when she'd flick her wrist.
... All the while, I was currently playing defense. Of course, I call it defense, but...
A-anyway, both were the same species and they fought like rabid animals. She wasn't very hard pressed, but I was out of my comfort zone.
They were a form of person-scale, but reptilian bear-lizard hybrid. At this awkward, knuckle-dragging, hunched-forward posture, they looked and acted like they were out of their minds, attacking viciously with their crude axes, fists, paws or even their lizard tails. Their jade scales were more like bristles sticking up from all over and scraped like them, too. I found out the hard way when one threw a punch and grazed me when I just barely dodged across a forearm... The face was every bit bear with the shape and nose. Even the bodies of the creatures were bulky. The legs even seemed to be stumpy enough. But that is where the similarities ended. Their necks were three times too long and just as thick as an actual bear's, still. They had ears, but they existed stiff and unmoving, like hardened shells with holes. Each and every tooth was sharp and wider than average. The arms on these things were like snakes' bodies. They had thick, but noodly forms and were longer than average, reaching their knees with their massive hands. The tail on each was long, thick and bladed at the end like incredibly long claws that almost seemed to form a third hand. That could have been the case, too.
They didn't wear anything. Their eyes... it was like looking into a jack-o-lantern. The pupils and irises were shaped and behaved like active sparks of energy without ever really glowing. They were just "bright" in color. Much like the fire from before. No true form at all, just this unnatural fury. And the rest of the eye was black. It was hard to see where they began and ended on the face, thanks to that.
Funny. Thinking about it, they could have looked a little like the unholy offspring of Godzilla and ol' Smokey.
But it wasn't funny to fight the freaks.
My opponent wasted no time on breaks or fatigue. It lumbered toward me with reckless abandon, groaning like a crocodile and swiping madly with it's awful axe. I dove to my right in a roll under it's fast-passing swing. Afterwards, I lunged forward and into a second roll when it's second arm's fist came swinging down upon me only to crash with a heavy -BOMPH!- upon the ground, flinging orange and yellow leaves everywhere from the abrupt breeze!
Ending my roll and spinning around onto my feet, I stood and readied my weapon, but gasped wide-eyed when I saw that gnarly tail risen above me!
I had to react.
I readied my sword as the tail swung down, then brought my blade up in a swift arcing strike, slicing into the beast's tail while it roared in incredible pain!
I grit my teeth and winced, but it was too late to take back my action as blade slipped through scale and flesh alike, slicing what would have hit me clean off. The beast stumbled forward, holding it's severed limb's stump- which was "glowing" white with what appeared to be "flakes" of white falling away. All the while, the severed limb -thump!-'d heavy behind me. And before more than a few seconds passed, it quickly faded into the same "flakes," before those flakes turned to nothing but dust...
The sight of what I had done... horrified me... I ended up lowering my weapon and turning my head away in deep shame. It doesn't matter how many fights I've been in. This carnage I unwittingly let happen? ... Even if the creature was a savage It went against everything I was.
"BRIGHT ONE! IT COMES!" Shorn's shout snapped me out of my regret with a gasp! I turned my attention back to the fight upon the creature's next groan. An angry one, at that! And just as I did, I caught sight of the savage spinning around for a back-arm slam! I quickly jumped back with a grunt, but I found out very quickly that this was a mere feint.
Quicker than it had been moving before- most likely because it was berserk after losing it's limb- it whiffed the air with it's axe-wielding arm before rapidly thrusting it's balled, bare fist forward! Gasping through a wide-eyed expression, the only thing I could think to do was transform my sword into it's shield form for the impact!
-TCHANG!-
With freakish strength, the fist slammed into my shield hard enough to cause it to slam me right back in the chest, forcing a cough out of my mouth as I was struck down and into the ground by the same blow's force, even bouncing a little! Finally, my body settled to the ground while I, in my heavily disoriented state, groaned and squirmed, all the while trying to catch my breath.
The one blow had knocked the sense right out of me and I ended up forgetting where I was and what was going on while I felt me face with a hand.
When another groan came from my enemy, all I did was stupidly groan right back in question and stare up with my significantly unfocused vision to see what was going on in double. I could see the "two" creatures slowly moving to "merge" into "one another" while staring at me as if "they" were taunting me with all of "their" odd tilts of the head in the exact same directions. Then, just as "they" finished merging, the "merged" creature raised it's axe hand up high.
Only then did I gasp sharply with wide eyes while the color drained from my face! Quickly as I could and at the same some as it swung down on me, I rolled on my side and sprung off of my shield arm out of the way! I could feel the blade of the axe graze my arm's elbow and grind off of the edge of my shield before it planted itself into the firmament that had been below my back before!
-SHNK!-
Spinning up from my arm, I flipped back onto my feet while it was taking it's ax out of the ground. I still needed a plan of attack that didn't end with me standing over it's corpse. Of course, I had no idea that would be impossible in more ways than one.
It groaned again, it's maw falling wide open as it reeled it's axe back and I went on guard.
-Jnk, Tnk, Chk, Shk!-
It was suddenly struck from the right several times over by easily recognizable White daggers with black outlines, much to my startled gasping and backing away! They now stuck out of it, deeply embedded in it's shoulder, kidney area, ribs and thigh as it groaned and swiped wildly in pain around it with both arms! None of it's frenzied attacks came close to me.
I turned my head and stared at the one who threw them. Shorn was staring back at me, her face still obscured by the wooden mask she wore. There was no telling what she truly thought behind that mask... Her hands flexed their fingers outward as new daggers materialized. She then grabbed them. "If you would fight, you must strike. If you will not, they will."
I shook my head and sighed... Then turned my eyes back to the flailing beast digging out daggers from it's side, while slowly calming enough to step towards me. After the shield in my hand flashed and morphed back into a sword, I readied it into an upright position and waited, eyes narrowed and head tilted low.
As it stepped toward me and swung it's heavy claws at me from the side, I ducked the blow with a spinning crouch while leaves were further flung about from our combine forces and swung my sword around for the momentum, then I aimed for it's head... with the blunt end.
-GILT!-
With an uneven grunt/groan, it fell over with a -Thud!- and sprawled the forest's floor, sending move leaves into the air that then slowly floated down over it's knocked-out body. It's eyes were closed...
I stood over the fallen monster with a frown, sword lowered at my side. "I'm sorry..."
"Apologies are unnecessary in situations of survival."
My head snapped up and my eyes met with Shorn's... mask. She walked with purpose towards me. "Were it not for my intervention, your premonition would have come to pass. Albeit, differently." She stopped on the other end of the fallen monster and told me this, head tilting down. "There are monsters in these woods whom are beyond sentience. They think not, want only for combat and are never satiated by less than their enemy's death... These Bizan are one such race of what we call "The Demented". And sadly, there are no peaceful solutions in dealing with them and their kin."
I bowed my head... Then turned it back up to the kytsater. "I will not kill anyone I could have spared. If this is what I have to do to stop this kind of monster, I will continue to do exactly this. So, call it naive. I don't care."
She turned her head back up and paused while her tail and tentacles swayed a little. "... It is naive. And you will soon come to realize many monsters such as these are near impossible to use such a method upon. And not merely monsters... There are other creatures in the Vale beyond us."
... I turned my attention to the area behind her... it was still there, but it looked like it may have somehow been the worse off of the two. It was not missing limbs, but there were countless cuts showing white all over it...
"We must continue upon our path," She said as she crossed my field of vision and began walking toward one of the branching paths. It was the west-most path...
... I looked at her with a confused and cocked brow... She went on about survival, but still hadn't killed her own opponent... I just followed after her, not sure I could make heads or tails of her character. It was her forest's rules, yet she seemed like she almost wanted to break them...
... But hang on. I guess part of that wasn't very clear. Shorn mentioned that I had a premonition, yeah? Well, that's all I could convince her it was...
In truth, this was the second time I had been here...
It was pretty fortunate that I had found a silver glint when I had, but it still meant that I had lost an hour of progress and had to retread the same exact path behind the kytsater a second time. ... Well, I say lost, but actually... I hadn't. I was the only one who remembered us doing this twice...
... To explain, I had DIED. Yet, here I was alive again... If I hadn't "SAVED" my progress back at that glint I found, who knows how far back I would have been set in time.
This was still new to me, as this had been the very first time this had ever happened. But I'll spare you the pretense.
Every time I die, I am sent right back to the very last instance I was in contact with one of those Silver Glints. And this isn't just something that affects me. Everything rewinds. Nothing is exempt... This wouldn't be the last time it happened, either. There seems to be no limit upon how many times it can happen. As such, it makes me the perfect scout. And technically a suckier version of a fortune teller... I had to experience my fortunes. Every pain and surprise-to-shock.
For example... this first time, I was walking into this same clearing with Shorn. We both hear the crocodile groan from behind mixed with lumbering steps, but just as I was turning around, the ax was already being brought down. So I got the most unpleasant view one can ever get of an axe. The far-too-up-close view. And then, an incredible, indescribable pain tore through my head before red overtook my vision for a split second... then black...
...
Then, I was spoken to by a voice that was both here and not here. Everywhere, but nowhere.
"... It would seem you have reached an end..."
I could help but "Huh?" in response out of shaky confusion.
The voice came again. "It is your first time... When so ever you are struck down, you will always end up here."
... The realization hit me like a two ton truck when they mentioned being ' struck down." "... I'M DEAD...?!"
"Indeed." It was the one word response.
"... S-so that's it! I'm just dead! I'm just gone! What abo-"
"Calm yourself. This does no-"
"CALM?! I-I'm DEAD! How am I supposed to be CALM?! I-I-"
"Because you have a choice to make."
"H-huh...? Wh-what like, Heaven or Hell?"
"Nothing like that, no. Not unless you relate one option or the other to the ones I shall present to you."
"... We-well... What do I have to lose at this point. I'm dead... ... ... Wh-what are.. the options...?"
"Whether or not you wish to continue."
"... W...What?"
"You have died. This is just the fact as it stands. However, you hold within you a certain... something... which allows you the chance to change that sad, cruel fate. In the current circumstances, it is immutable. Thus can you use this special something to 'return'. Return to life... But first... tell me... Have you seen..." Suddenly, a flash of light revealed a very familiar thing to me. A silver glint, standing and gently radiating. "... this before?"
Obviously... "Y-...Yeah. I have. I've touched them plenty of times. Every time I do, I'm told I've 'SAVED' or something."
"Brilliant. Then, you have had the sense to use them. Thus is this a much more fruitful process. You may return to the very point in time and space from which you last 'SAVED'. Everything shall 'return' with you. all shall be reset to that moment in time to be as it was in that instance down to the last blade of grass and number of beats your heart has made at that time in your life. And you shall remember all that has happened... But it shall ONLY be you. None other. This may seem rather lonely, but rest assured the feeling shall fade as long as you have used this experience to survive what was to end you."
... I didn't really completely get it at the time, but I did understand enough to ask, "So... I-I can essentially revive myself? I-I can change things so I didn't die?"
"Precisely. You can even use this power to save those beyond yourself. No matter what might threaten you in the future, no matter what might befall yourself or your friends, you have true power which allows you to SAVE yourself and your friends... no matter the fate... However..."
"... Oh, here it comes..."
"There are cases in which this power is limited... Should you have SAVED after a friend of yours has died... then that is it. You cannot use this power to rewind far enough to save the individual. Their fate shall be forever sealed. And there will be naught you can do to change it..."
"... That's... I-I mean, it sounds like a big drawback. B-but all I have to do is make sure that never happens, right? ... Easier said than done right now, though... Great..."
"I am sorry, but nothing is perfect. This power already holds incredible capabilities... You have doubtlessly realized one thing which would cause me to state as much."
"... ... ... I'm basically immortal... That's what you mean, huh?"
"That is correct. No matter what time may pass or how much might change, should you merely will it... you could live forever... But it would be limited to the natural space of time in which you are capable of existing. Beyond that, it would take a yet different power... There are circumstances which would deprive you of this power... However, at present, no such circumstances exist."
"... ... ..." It was all a lot to take in. And I didn't know whether I liked the sound of that or felt anxiety in the idea... There were also those unmentioned circumstances to take into account... "What are these circumstances, regardless? I don't want to be caught with my pants down."
"... I cannot tell you in exactness... However, this power is directly possible through a strong... trait... If I were to tell you what it is, it is very possible that this trait could be weakened. A risk, I assure you. You could lose the power all together..."
My thoughts on that? Wow. How uselessly cryptic... However, one thing hadn't changed. "... This... doesn't really matter. If you're tell me I can go back to the world of the living and still find my friends, close the fountain and whatever else needs doing, then I'm not about to pass on that. I NEED to go back. So, if you can do it, send me back."
"Then I take it your answer is to continue... Very well." The dark began to brighten as my conversation buddy told me, "Then, I wish you the best of luck."
"... Oh! W-wait, but who are-" My words never got the chance to finish.
After that moment, I felt the rush of every second and minute of my last hour fly through me and around me in reverse like a drowning torrent! It was so quick that the next thing I knew, I was blinking my eyes wide and gasping for the deepest breath I could get! My hand was outstretched over the Silver Glint and I was feeling my face with the other in the very same spot I knew I had been struck.
"What is the matter with you?" ... Shorn had been the one to ask...
... I took a moment to just gape at the mouth and blink, looking around at the familiar autumn forest around me and the familiar kytsater... I was at a loss for words and am pretty sure I had a complex expression on my face. I could only think back on that entire conversation... 'All of that really happened... Right?'
"Bright one. Is there something the matter?" The outcast kytsater's voice made me realize where I was in that moment... And so I took a deep breath... and told her everything...
She took it as Foresight and I didn't argue the facts. I was still struggling against it myself. Had it been all a fever dream? ... Obviously not, seeing as this happening led to us WINNING the fight that took my life.
...
Anyway, back to the more recent past relevant to the tread...
Back to the after-battle and the short discussion on who's way was right, we chose between the several paths in the narrow clearing and ended up taking the West-most passage through the trees. She acted as leader because only she knew where we were going at this point.
The entire time I was walking behind her, one of two things was on my mind at the time. 'Geeze. What a tail. She's never gonna freeze to death.' That was the first one... The other was first thought, then vocalized while I narrowed my brows softly, putting my sword away into my pocket. "You talk about surviving no matter what... but you didn't kill your opponent, either."
... She remained silent, but after a moment, she picked up the pace, obviously trying to make me focus on the brisk walk instead.
But I didn't let up. Keeping pace, I went on again. "Out of the two of us, you shouldn't be talking about killing creatures in this forest because of it's ways. Yet, I was the less willing to kill instead. Hadn't you said YOU would warn ME about breaking rules?"
She picked up the pace again, stubbornly refusing to talk to me.
At this point, I was in a near jog, but I still wanted an answer. "If you didn't have to follow the rules of the forest, would you have killed them or spared them?"
She abruptly stopped and snapped around to face me as I came grinding to a halt inches away from her masked face... I could actually see those rainbow eyes of her's, we were so close, but they didn't have any effect on me. I came to realize, it was because they weren't uncovered...
Regardless, they looked sharp with irritation...
Yet they relaxed as she turned back around and began to walk again. And, of course, I followed along. Though, I did so more cautiously. "'Kill only that which is of your necessity'... This too is a decree of The Vale. Through it, we are allowed to defend ourselves and kill, should our needs call for it and we find ourselves incapable of sparing our opposition. But make no mistake. Your pacifism is not welcomed here. Were we to follow such a way of life, we would starve..." I could see her head tilt down while her ears ever so slightly moved outward like they would splay. "... And yet, The Shepard blatantly strikes down those who do not submit. And thus, his ways are no better... I am no mindless killer... And yet, you remind me of the Lacat more than your distanced human brethren."
That statement struck me by surprise, my brows raising as I nearly stopped on the spot. It was synonymous with someone playing a soft, medium note on the piano: you almost missed it until you swear you heard something. I walked up from behind and got on side of her, looking at her with a slight inquisitive narrow. "I-I know I should probably ask what Lacats are, but... you speak as if you've met more humans than just me."
"That is because I have."
My brows went up again... Then, I just asked the plain question. "There are humans in the Dark World? I-I thought the only peoples that lived here were monster kinds..."
She turned her head to look at me, but I couldn't read her expression beyond the mask... Either way, she refocused her attention forward as she spoke. "... Indeed, there are. However, they do not live here. The humans I have seen and chanced meetings with were mere passers-by. And arrogant... Rarely does a human possess the virtues you do." She then turned her head back to me in a hurry to tell me, "And before you chance a question upon the matter, no. I do not know where these humans make their dwelling." Turning her head back forward, she then claimed, "They have never held my interests and my kind have never held their's. I rather dislike them, at that. They enjoy their taboos."
... I frowned a little, wondering if perhaps humans of the Dark World were just arrogant or terrible... And then I recalled that I was the only human that I ever knew. It could have been that all humans were equally terrible... That didn't make sense, though. I mean, it didn't sound right. All of one race could not be all terrible and I couldn't be the singular outlier. That was just impossible.
... Shaking my head, I decided that this didn't matter. It wasn't the reason I was here and likely would never be, as I remember thinking. I just wanted to find Noelle... and the others...
...
Eventually, the two of us found ourselves walking over a stone path, my boots and Shorn's paws tapping and claws scratching over the solid surface. This had us walking up to a sort of grotto having grown over a building. It was no small building, either.
The gigantic trees around said building grew over the ruinous 15 foot tall stone arch of the entrance that seemed to have sunken to one side. Of course, I say trees, but maybe those trees were massive vines. Their color was a dark brown instead of brownish-black, but they weren't the only weird thing. The earth itself standing about the grotto almost seemed to be trying to take the large building into it's earthy "jaws" from both flank sides. I couldn't actually make out any other parts of the structure beyond the collapsed roof, of which would have been dome shaped. Regardless, all around that, the trees and earth were perfectly normal- other than the trees being gigantic as always. The wall that made was so tightly packed together that they made this grotto the only practical way forward, but we weren't exactly limited to going through the place. It would just be a little out of our way to try for side paths. And then there WERE the other paths we hadn't taken.
Regardless, the ruined building- for as much of it as I could see- seemed to possess the same architectural style as every other ruin in the forest...
And that made me curious. Though, as I turned to ask, I witnessed Shorn already walking forward toward the entrance. Obviously, she wasn't...
I hummed upon seeing a spark or something out of the corner on my left eye. Turning to see what it was, I quickly identified it. A Silver Glint. Best to keep up with the thing that savede me last time. So, I went walking over to it with purpose and outstretched my hand...
That same prompt came up. And it dawns on me that I've never told you all what's on that prompt.
The prmpt itself was a black box with white outlining it, Big and bold. There was my name, a number that was supposed to stand for time- minutes more precisely. I have no idea when it started keeping track. But it had reached 1898.5 or something. I know it wasn't about 2000. My previous and current number of G's was counted as well. 254 G. That's only one number, because it won't have changed. Nothing here was in possession of G's. And there was something else. SAVE and Cancel as ... choices, I guess... in two smaller boxes of the same sort.
"Bright One," called Shorn as my head snapped over to her with a soft inhale. She had come back out of the building to check on me. I'll bet she saw nothing like everyone else and me just stretching my hand out. Regardless, in my surprise, I had touched the "SAVE" option.
-BI-DLING!-
I oh'd and snapped my attention back to the prompt. The name was the same. My time had changed. It was now 1984.3. G's stayed the same, obviously. And the options had faded to be replaced by a simple word. in white. SAVED.
When the prompt suddenly disappeared to show the glint again, I turned back to Shorn, only to watch her fold her arms. "How often do you intend to do this?"
With a sigh through my nose, I shrugged passively. "As often as I see the... opportunity... It helped last time, didn't it?"
She shook her head and scoffed. "We wouldn't have need of such a thing, were you only a swifter sort, Bright One." Without waiting for my rebuttal, she once again turned and entered the building, her paw steps tapping against the stones.
... With the roll of my eyes and the shake of my head, I let out a sigh and trudged onward while remarking, "I do have a name, y'know."
... The inside of the grotto was as bad or worse than the outside. The building within was practically held together with the forest molds and tiny tree roots. Grey looked more green and brown. The collapsed roof laid in our path. I was right about the shape. No piece was flat, but that made it a pain to get over... for me. I had to find my way around them or climb over what I considered possible. The cracked and worn-out floor wasn't exactly even, either, so walking was an awkward, sometimes leaning and/or stumble-worthy experience.
As I climbed over a particularly large piece of debris, Shorn just hopped onto and over each piece in her way. I grunt in surprise and disbelief. They weren't exactly small, you know. Think two feet wide and many feet long... I sighed through a groan of annoyance and continued to climb around the debris. "Okay, I get it. I'm super slow. But I don't have that kind of leg strength, okay?"
As she was already on the other side of the main pile, waiting for me, she shook her head. Turning around to face my direction, she told me, "That is part of the reason why I find it hard to see you as one of the Delta Warriors." ... She tilted her head low. "And yet..." She never followed up. Instead, her head shot straight while her ears twitched.
Finally, after what felt like forever, I came dropping down from the last piece of debris in the pile with the clacks from my boots and a grunt. Walking over to join up with her again, I told her, "Alright. I'm here." ... Cocking my brow at her still silence and seemingly endless stare, I tilted my head. "Hello?"
She finally moved, her hands summoning daggers again. "Take out a weapon. Now," she told me.
My brows went up with my wider eyes. I suddenly found myself reaching into my pocket and drawing my inked steel sword. In that moment, we both turned turned back to back on one another, just as all-too-familiar figures dropped down around us.
... Kytsaters. Not too many, but they outnumbered us 2-to 6. They were wearing leather, bone and iron, exactly like what Noelle, Ralsei and Susie had already run into. Every one of them bore a weapon just like Shorn's: a weapon made of white magic with black outlines. 2 Spears, 1 pair of daggers, 1 sword and 2 axes. And all of them wore masks, some made of bones.
"A trap," said Shorn.
"Obviously," I retorted.
As the Kytsaters stood there, eye holes trained on us and weapons at the ready, we began to move in a tight turning motion, keeping our backs to one another.
They all looked ready to get to work on us. Some flourishing their blades while others sharpened them together. Whatever the case, if any of them were as strong or fast as Shorn, I would be in trouble.
... I chanced looking up on a bare feeling, before looking down again, only to double take and gasp at what I saw above! I hastily raised my sword on it's blunt side as something came whizzing toward us!
-Clang!-
I was just in time to deflect an arrow off course, the arrow spinning away and to the floor, tumbling before rolling along the uneven stones till it came to rest... A REAL arrow, at that. Not magically made.
Shorn had shot a backward glance at me. I narrowed my eyes up at the one who'd shot at us in the first place.
They had their REAL bow made of that same dark wood the trees here were and their arrows' bodies seemed the same. They didn't have any arrow drawn. The quiver was slung across their shoulder. When the bow lowered to their side, I got a better look at them.
They were kytsater with a bone mask wearing what looked like ring mail under leather padded armor encasing their whole top half. and cutting off at the leather-strips skirt. The kytsater appeared to be a slim but fit man.
They had tight gloves on, but their drawing hand's glove exposed their fingers. Not that it mattered. The fingers were all wrapped in bandages.
The horns on him were as long as the ears and thin. The ears themselves almost looked like sideways horns. And the shape of the mask was not very refined from the skull it was made out of. It was raw. Regardless, there were four eye holes. The normal two and the other two diamond-shaped ones that in the middle of the forehead and the nose bridge. The skull itself was almost the shape of a Bull Terrier's face. Their mouth was just visible at the bottom where the teeth lined.
The tail was almost not visible from my angle, but it appeared comparatively slim- but then all of the kysaters there seemed to have slimmer tails than Shorn had. The tentacles were wrapping their tail in spirals like a screw's.
And while I was no admirer, I'll at least say this... He looked impressive and intimidating.
"You coward..." I turned my head to look at Shorn, who had been the one to say that. Her tone was clearly hostile. "You would sit upon a perch and fight us from on high while your comrades fight in the front?"
It didn't seem to affect him... Instead, he made a half-caring gesture at Shorn and asked, "I don't need lectures from a traitor. If I am a coward, you are naught but filth... And you..." He turned his attention upon me. I could feel myself tense. "As much as your very existence may endanger us, I'm willing to allow you to leave this place alive... if you swear to leave this forest. You're the only Bright One that truly matters. Without you, we can fulfill our cause in peace."
I rolled my eyes through a scoff, then question. "And what cause would that happen to be? The one where you destroy BOTH our worlds for a new one you won't EVER LIVE TO SEE?! You all have thought that part through, haven't you?"
And that little outburst seemed to shake him a little, but not for the reason you think. Every Kytsater around us was now looking a lot more uncertain about this "cause." Or maybe... they hadn't been told.
The archer growled in irritation, then he barked, "Bark at our dream all you like! You know nothing! We shall not perish with the old worlds as long as we follow our Shepard! He alone can lead us to the new dawn, not pets of The Vale!"
I shook my head at the insult and lowered my weapon, gesturing out with my arms. "Oh yeah? How's that? Does he have some spell that'll keep you all from getting dusted when the "earth cracks with terror?" Has he ever demonstrated that sort of power? Or maybe you know precisely where to take shelter?! Both worlds would be ending to make a "whole new one!" And anyone on EITHER world would be KILLED in the destruction! That's how the end of the world works! Nowhere will be safe!"
... Now that those thoughts were out in the open, the kytsaters on the ground all looked at one another as if they were asking in silence if anyone knew about this.
And looking around at that, I was almost feeling a sense of hope... until I looked back up at the archer, who seemed undisturbed. "You truly believe we would be fool enough to follow our doom?" From the way his fellow men looked up at him expectantly, I honestly could have said "yes." But he went on. "Perhaps a human such as yourself- a Bright One, no less- would not understand, but the Promised Land could still welcome you, too. All shall be welcomed as long as they have lived well and honestly with pride in their hearts. Though our current forms may indeed fall victim, our faith in our leader and RED EYE shall see us to our true home in this Promised Land. And for that to happen, you must not be allowed to close the Black Geyser."
That seemed to resolve some conflict among the six men surrounding us by the way they all focused their attentions back on the two of us. They seemed more sure, much to my alarm. I took my sword back in both hands.
Shorn, for her part, turned her attention back to the men in front of her. "And so you would all trade your lives chasing a fantasy..." There was sadness in her tone... I really did feel bad for her, but there wasn't time for that.
I realized they weren't going to listen to reason now. No matter what I said, they would have decided the archer was right. Logic dictates that you're going to trust the people you know first before you trust a total stranger, unless something they tell you is undeniable. And they had to be receptive to the idea. Otherwise, it was a worthless attempt. To put it simply, 'you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped.'
Well... Let's get this out of the way...
I promised that I would tell you the unbiased truth and I will... But this was only my first attempt at fighting them off... It wasn't very fruitful.
The Kytsaters converged upon us with their weapons as Shorn took hold of me around the waist, much to my dismay, and jumped the both of us out from in the middle of their attacks!
We both soared high into the air, clearing the "roof" top as the archer took aim with an arrow drawn. I had been the only one to see it, much to my panic, so I quickly pulled my hands up to morph my sword into a shield, eyes wide as the arrow was let fly from the man's bow! The shield flashed into my hands just in the knick of time to block the arrow as it's tip -tang-'d against the metal body, deflected away. I could feel the vibrations run through my arms.
In a moment's time, we both dropped from the ascent and landed on opposite side of the roof from the Archer, dropping my stomach in the process as I grunt from the disorienting experience, still hanging in Shorn's grasp. There was no way I could fight like that. My stomach was doing flips while Shorn gave me a shake. "Stand on your feet! We must fight!"
It didn't matter how much she implored me. I wasn't used to the rising and falling she naturally was from jumping like she did. That little bit had messed me up and made me FUBAR for what we had to do, nausea and spinning included.
In fact... That was it. The second I heard her gasp, I yanked my head up to look and... Well, the last thing I saw was hard to make up in the heat of the moment...
I saw him- the lead kytsater with his bow held level and the forest behind him. There was something grey before him shaped weird. I heard a swift whistling grow louder. I FELT a quick and horrendously painful impact from something stabbing into my forehead...
... I doubt I have to spell it out but... I had been headshot. It was instant death...
... ... ...
... ... ...
"... It seems you have met an end..."
It was that voice again... meaning I was, again, dead...
"Ugh... Great. You again... Then, I'm dead... again..."
"... You could stop here, if you wish to... But... Do you, instead, wish to continue?"
"Of course I do! Send me back. Even if my friends don't need me, I'm the only one that can close the fountain. I need to be there!"
"... Very well. Then let us pick up from when you last 'checked in'... Shall we?"
At hyper speed, the most recent events rewound, though there was less to bare witness to this time. The rewind went by like a flicker of light.
I gasped back to life, eyes and mouth wide at a familiar scene. I was right outside the grotto again, a moment that played out not but a few minutes ago. My arm was stretched out toward the silver glint again, as well...
"What! What happened?" My arm instinctively shot back from the glint as my head snapped Shorn's way, the kytsater storming toward me. She stopped mere feet away. "Another vision?"
... I nodded and sighed, holding my head. It seemed like this was going to become a trend. Regardless, I turned to her and took my hand off of my face, a straight, if not sweaty expression covering it. "Yeah. another 'vision.' And another time in which I died."
She bowed her head for a moment... before she raised it again to face me once more. "What happens now? Your first vision predicted accurately what would occur... I am willing to believe this too shall be accurate."
I nodded, then gestured to the grotto with a thumb. "Your people happened. They have an ambush lined up for us if we go inside here..." I ended up frowning at the ground. "I... I-I tried to talk sense into them and make them see that the KN-... RED EYE... is lying to them. Told them that they'd die if they went on like this, trying to bring about their Promised Land... But all their archer leader had to do was claim they only needed to be brave and live honestly to reach the promised land when the worlds go... It was total bunk, but they just BELIEVED it!"
... That seemed to cause Shorn to dip her head low again, saddened... "... So... My people are truly willing to die for a fantasy..."
I turned my eyes on her mask. "You said something along those lines then, too... Anyhow, You tried to jump me to safety atop the grotto, but I couldn't and still wouldn't be able to handle the act... At least not the way you went about attempting it." Her head lifts back up as she stares at me through her mask's holes, listening. "We humans aren't built for that, weak as that sounds. I'm sure it can be trained into us, but I don't have that training... Anyways, the jump disorientates me, leaving me unable to move. Then, the leader, having already been on top of the grotto in the first place, aims an arrow at my face and lets it fly. Instant, painful death..."
... I tilt my head at her and let one question fly out of my mouth without much thought. "This might be stupid to ask, but... Why couldn't you just jump again? If you have to guess, I mean."
Her head turns to the side while she grasps at her elbows. "... I am sure the act is not as easy with potentially double my weight, though that would not stop my trying. It would be more to do with my passenger or how I made the jump. I obviously sound to have been unaware of your weakness to my kind's natural travel method. Though, these are supposals..." ... Her head turns back to me while she adjusts her posture. "Perhaps... I was panicked. I've not claimed to be perfect. Moreover, I have not had to look after more than myself for quite some time, now... ... ..." I could hear her sigh in a.. strangely somber way...
My face took on my confusion of that. Guess I was pretty perceptive of her tells when all I had to go on were sounds, ears and body language.
I think she spotted that I was aware of her slip, then, and shook her head. "... You humans are quite the troublesome creatues. Not very strong and clumsy besides. And yet, you are possessed of the unique power to seal fountains and- apparently- predict the future."
That struck me wrong. You can guess why.
So, I didn't hide my disappointment. I gave an obvious shrug and shook my head with a less-than-hidden roll of my eyes. "Oh, come on."
Her head tilted at me with her arms falling to her sides as she hummed.
... With an irritated shrug, I narrowed my eyes. "... Forget it. We don't have time to argue. Is there a way around fighting these guys or are we locked into doing that?"
She appeared to stare for a moment... Then, she answered. "I find it unlikely they do not already know we're here. Thus, we must fight."
Closing my eyes and tapping a foot with some soft metal play from my armor, I considered that and tried to come up with a way to defeat them without killing being an option... I peeked an eye at her and said, "So, keep your voice down just in case... You constantly tell me I'm weak in comparison to you, but also just said you guys aren't perfect. Now would be a good time to tell me what weaknesses Kytsaters in specific have."
The kytsater turned her head again while she felt beneath her mask. "..." Then, she looked me dead in the eyes. "Should I share this with you, I trust you not to exploit it with me."
My shoulders gave a shrug. "I don't see any reason why I would... even if you have been pretty abrasive."
Shorn groaned and shook her head as she seemed to quirk her ears. "... I act as any would when their home is at risk and they've not the choice but to trust in stranger elements..."
I shook my head and leaned an arm on my hip. "Understandable, but you're not the only one doing that right now. I don't know you. I don't even know your Vale. In fact, I don't even know if she exists beyond you speaking for her. I also don't know this forest, it's inhabitants or the other things that might be here. But you should already be aware of these things. You can read my mind, can't you?"
She shook her head and folded her arms. "Regardless of these pale matters, very well... You shall have your answer. For we haven't the time to spare."
Pale, she said... Ignoring her obvious shot at my points, I ended up nodding and I waiting for her to answer me... But instead, she gestured with a finger to come closer, much to my exasperated sigh. I trudged over and turned her an ear.
She leaned in and spoke very softly... When she got to her point and I understood the weakness, my eyes widened a little and my brows stood up. I pulled away and thought about what she said with a thoughtful narrow... Then, I folded my arms while closing my eyes. I kept my voice low. "I guess it's not always good to have your kind of abilities. That's a pretty large weakness. I can definitely do something with that..."
Not really sure why, but she groaned at my words as she took hold of my shoulder in a firm grasp. I turned my eyes back up to her as she spoke. "You are to share this with none else. It is a dangerous thing to exploit. And very effective..."
All I could do was nod, sweating. "Alright... Thanks for sharing this, though. I know a few things I can do. But, it might be trial and error. As well, it might be a good idea to stay back, if you're afraid you might be affected."
The Kytsater shook her head and huffed. "Nay. I am not so weak as to fear this."
With a shrug, I sighed and began to walk toward the entrance of the grotto. "Then, let's go. I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say, 'I'm not willing to wait one more second.'"
Nodding in response with a scoff, she remarked, "On this, we agree." Thus, she fell in right behind me..
Walking back into the place in which I had died once was more than I wanted to do, at the moment. The familiar sight of the building's broken down insides was an anxiety. It took a bit more effort than I'm willing to admit not to stop and stare at the fallen pieces of the roof.
And of course, I had to climb over it all again... while Shorn just had to casually hop over slab after slab, ultimately arriving at the far side in seconds... again...
I could only frustratingly go at my own pace, pulling myself over every individual bit of roof, all the while grunting and scraping my armor along the concrete surfaces. Quite a noisy effort, if we're being honest. And when I finally dropped to my feet from the last bit of rubble in my way, there Shorn was, waiting impatiently as she folded her arms.
All I did was shoot a jealous leer here way. "Y'know, you're free to help me over things like that. I don't mind a little nausea if it helps. Also, hang on."
While she was cocking a brow, I wandered forward a little in a storm, then narrowed my eyes above myself. "I know you're there, archer kytsater! I'd call you by name, but I don't know it! Why not come out? I want to talk."
In the small distance, I could just barely hear, "Wh-... how...?!" "How could they have...?!" "... You fool, you were spotte-" "Be silent! ... And besides... ... ..." I could hear the familiar voice of the archer, harshly whispering something I wasn't able to pick up. Turning to Shorn, however, it was obvious by the way her ears perked that she could.
With the flick of her tentacle-wrapped tail, the outcast scoffed. "And so, it appears the Shepard has imparted a valuable lesson indeed to you all. How to cower in the shadows."
There was a very stiff silence that followed her words...
... Then, suddenly six figures- kytsaters- emerged from over the lip of the roof's hole, falling down and landing easily before us with their weapons pointed. The very same group of six on the ground. All with masks on their faces. Though, that time it seemed like they were more on edge. Guess it was something I said.
I narrowed my eyes and said, "Yeah, that's six of you. And your leader is still up there, lining up a shot at my face..."
"And would you expect a warm reception?" The voice came from above. I followed it to the archer that liked to chat a lot. And I know he killed me one time, but aren't archers just like mideival snipers? Giving away your position seems like shooting yourself in the foot...
Sorry, getting off topic.
He still had something else to say. "If it were not apparent, you stand as our sworn enemy for that which only you can do! And you've made it clear how dangerous you are, for I know not how you could possibly have known we were here..."
With a huff, I looked away with a slight smile and mouthed, 'Oh, there isn't enough time in the day.' Shaking my head and looking back up at where he surely was- I couldn't actually see his face or his arrow, I narrowed my eyes and asked, "Why do you believe so firmly that... that it'll all work out in the end? Is it because the Shepard promised to the brave and honest that even if the worlds go, they will survive merely because of the way they lived?" His goons made a single step of advance slowly toward us, but Shorn stepped forward and summoned daggers to her hands and on the air, one for each of them, growling in warning as she got into a threatening stance. It seemed to make them rethink, seeing as they took that same step back.
I heard a scoff that confirmed what I felt, but listened for an opening. "What fool would believe such rubbish? The She-"
"So, that IS a lie." In that moment, I could feel my face tense in anger. "But let me guess. Your men don't know much about any of this and neither do you. You follow your Shepard unquestioningly. In fact, he told you two things. To hunt down the 'Bright Ones' and keep them from shutting up the Black Geyser. The other was to keep faith that the Promised Land would welcome you upon it's revelation or cr-."
-ShhHH- -TYONG!-
What just happened was over before I totally understood it. An arrow had been whistling toward my face, but a quick swipe upwards with a dagger- Shorn's magic dagger- saved me from reliving that specific death.
I blinked a few times before shuddering a bit at the sight of the arrow bouncing away and to the paws of the kytsaters... whom all looked familiarly uncertain.
Shorn turned her head back quickly before returning her attention forward just as fast.. I could almost feel her squinting in that moment. "Bright one," she whispered harsh. "What are you meaning to accomplish?! Enough talk. They will not be swayed!"
Obviously, this wasn't part of the assumed plan. I was meant to use their weakness, I suppose, on them immediately as I saw them... Well, my conscience had me doing otherwise. Or planning to use it in a different way. I had to try and get them to at least start asking questions. Right now, they were mere blind followers... like the King of Spades' then-loyal cronies.
Shaking my head and sweating, I momentarily stared at the floor, before turning my attention to the kytsaters in front of me. They were turmoiled. None of them looked as sure as they once had... Now or never and I had to handle this carefully...
I took a step closer, much to Shorn's alert. "Bright One, hold- this isn't..."
I didn't listen. I stopped only when I was nearly neck at the edge of a spear held by one of the followers and narrowed at him, sweating despite my act. He looked at me and grunt, shaken and I had to assume uncertain, because again. I couldn't see his face beyond his mask. Regardless, I said it plainly. "You all can read minds, right? I haven't told a single lie, have I? And I'll bet that if you looked deep enough, you could see the vision that makes me do what I do right now... I'll just say it: if you follow The Shepard out of blind loyalty and faith, then it won't end well. There is no promised land. Or at the very least, it's not the land your Shepard promised you..."
In a way, I had used their weakness. In a way, I didn't. This wasn't what Shorn told me about. I just figured out another way their mind reading could be exploited. After all... What use is reading the mind of someone who knows you'll just read their mind? You can supply the wrong answers or you can just keep your story doubly straight.
... The kytsater's spear shivered as his fellows, archer not included, lost posture and looked to each other like they needed answers beyond my own. I got through, it seemed... But the guy in front of me wasn't ready to just accept that.
"Fools!" That was the archer, who finally stepped out into the opening of the hole overhead, staring down at me as he so obviously trained an arrow on my face. He had everyone's attention, Shorn's most especially as she moved to push me back behind herself, even when I told her to stop. Regardless, he started talking while I was forced to accept Shorn's decision to put herself in front of me, ready to protect me. "The human has poisoned your minds," the archer claimed, my eyes narrowed at him as I shook my head. "They knew of our mind-reading and thus seek to use it against us! To turn us against one another! All of you! Doubt not our cause! Doubt this human's reasons!"
A few of the kytsaters raised their arms again, but they were not entirely sure about it. Their postures weren't near as tight.
The one who had been pointing a spear at me- his position having moved back a bit from Shorn's out of fear- stared passed her and at me as he asked, "Wh-what are your reasons?! Finding your friends and shutting the Black Geyser?! Stopping RED EYE?! Y-you think this will save us?!"
... I loosened my narrow and nodded. "I do."
He turned his head from me for a second... And then, he turned it right back. "You... Your mind says that's.. true... But... B-but why can't you just find your friends and leave?! What does it matter to you what goes on in our world?! The Black Geyser grants us hope... The Shepard promised us that with it, salvation will come... And then you come an-and... and make us question that hope! ... Why?! Why can't you just leave us and be away?!"
In retrospect, I really didn't even know if that was an option, at that point. I was certain the only way home was by completing this "mission" imposed upon us. So, in light of that logic, there was probably a belief in there that this was our only ticket out... Thank god they never looked for it!
But back to the moment...
... I furrowed. "You already know. The "Geyser" is going to destroy our worlds. I've seen the destruction happening back in my own and if you are really looking into my head like I know you are, you're seeing my memories of it! ..." I closed my eyes momentarily and sighed before opening them again. "I need to find my friends before something terrible happens to them in this place. Then, with their help, I need to shut the Geyser. WE need to stop the prophecy. All of us. Otherwise, we might not have a world- much less a home- to go back to in the first place... I'll bet my life on the same being true for all of you."
... The warrior looked to his fellow men on the ground. They had already made up their minds to lower their spears and so had Shorn when she dispelled all but her hand daggers and stood straight... He was the odd one out beyond the archer still aiming his arrow at my face. And right now, trust was at an all time low.
... The man before me finally turned his spear down from us and laxed as he stood straight, staring, I'm sure, with intent and, if one was looking, still shaken. "... E-...everything you say... you believe... Be that as it may be, what if you are wrong?"
... I thought about that for a moment... Honestly, that thought never crossed my mind. Ralsei's telling of what was written was what we were going by. But as I just found out not that long ago, there is a version of the prophecy with more to it or that stood more complete/well preserved. Honestly, I didn't know which that could have been, because I had never seen the first. But all of the details that were key remained largely the same... Still, it all goes back to that one detail...
I had never once seen the prophecy either time myself... That bothered me...
... I needed to say something. But not just anything. I needed something all my own. But... I was still so new to things. I hardly had anything figured out. That was just me doing my best with both my then-current knowledge and my two days ging on three of memory. About the only bragging right I had to my name was that my recount of the facts was so picture perfect...
... And then it occurred to me when I was about to just turn my head down. My head jerked up and my brow raised. And I turned up my face back to the spearman. "The prophecy we were told about and the prophecy you know... Is any of what we- both of us- know specifically worded anywhere? Actual words to accompany image." The question moved the man to cock his head. I can only imagine the confusion behind the mask, but he could see the question forming in my mind, as surely as I asked it. "Because the way we, my friends and I, were told never stated who's job it truly was to close the fou- the black geysers. It just ended up that I was the one and went that way when I made contact. It's only after Shorn told me her- and by extension, your previously believed- version of the prophecy that I really got confirmation that it had to be me. Or at least, that it had to be a human. So... was that worded? Or were you shown? How complete is the prophecy, here?"
I could feel the interest of the kytsater tip toward.. at the very least humoring my thought process. Seeing where the rabbit led him, I guess you could say. The way he stared at me and did nothing else was enough to give the impression I got somewhere. His fellows as well.
"Give this human nothing!" Everyone but the man before me stared up at the archer, myself included, who kept his arrow trained on me, but never loosed it. In fact... he was shaking. "They're hunting for a way out! They know they cannot answer with certainty! Do not be led on!"
"Our prophecy is inlaid upon stones many, many centuries- if not more- old..."
I turned my eyes back to my surprise trivia supplier, much as did the archer and his less-than-merry men, I'm sure. And he went on. "Though, I admit. Worded, the prophecy is not. The images, however, do not leave room for much interpretation... All of our people. The Lacati. Even The Wordless. Every peoples native to this land have seen the mural, left before any of us alive today drew breath into our chests. Up until this month, the old tellings were believed..."
"You do forget yourself, Bretzon," spat the archer, drawing the man's head to turn so he could face the archer in a sideways glance. The archer now aimed his arrow at HIM. "We've no need to explain our ways to outsiders- off-worlders! They know naught of our life! The futile struggle! The unforgiving woe!"
... Bretzon shook his head and stated clearly, "I am.. aware. However..." He turned eyes upon me as I looked on... "I-I have many things to consider. My family. My friends... I cannot say what.. way... is best or true for and of the future. I can only judge with my mind, heart and my eyes that which is before myself..."
... The archer, previously seeming immovable, averted his gaze... and instead lowered his bow and arrow, coming to stand straight.
All the while, the man who had him doubting it all went on. "Granson. I know the nature of that which stands before me... They are but a child. And not so much older than my own... And mere moments ago, my spear was trained upon their breast... I-.. I was already unwell with the idea of carrying through. But now, when all has been placed in question- surely you have something that can render up proof of our path's rightfulness...?"
... The archer was silent, but everyone around us was truly debating the point of all this.
... I didn't want to move or emote at all. If I did, somehow, some way, I knew it would ruin everything. This was beyond what I hoped, but I was unbelievably lucky to have made this a possibility... Or maybe, that wasn't it at all. These guys had a conscience. I realized that during our first go around of all this. They were not under anyone's control.
And that meant that I could likely reason with any Kytsaters... But I also recalled this was only made possible because I had information I shouldn't have had. Without it, this would have been an utter lost cause...
I turned to Shorn... who just seemed to be looking at her people with no clear identifying body language... until she slacked her arms and grunt almost silently... Whatever that was, I wasn't gonna be aware of the significance for a while yet. Definitely not after all was said and done, here.
... I decided not to risk commenting on it and merely turned to look back to the archer.
... ... ... He turned his head to me and shook it. "I... cannot side against my brethren... I have my reasons to distrust you. We, all of us, should... Yet, now that you and Bretzon question these things, I cannot simply turn blind my eyes. I have very high respects for my Shepard, human. Remember that, as I do not make this decision easily..."
I was almost unwilling to believe THAT guy of all people came around! And I showed as much with my slackened mouth coming open. Still, I refirmed my lips together and dared to ask, "S-so, you'll let us go?"
He tensely placed the bow around his torso by the string and put his arrow away in the quiver while he answered. "I never said I would merely do nothing." Then, he straightened into a proud stance, thick paw coming to stand upon the lip of the opening as he tilted his head down at me with some menace. "Understand that you shall be watched from here on and judged by your deeds, be they good or bad. All the while, I will search for answers. I must. And when the time comes, we will meet again. Should my findings be favorable and your conduct well enough, you'll have nothing to fear... Though, should I find reason to doubt your claimed motives, be it in the ideas behind your cause or the ways in which you move to meet them... then I will see that my duty is done..."
... I shrugged. "To be honest, that doesn't sound as foreboding to me as you probably want it to sound." And I chanced a smile, nervous as it probably looked. "I'm just glad you and these guys listened."
He huffed as five of his fellow men hopped out of the place and filed out from the open lip by jumping into the trees while he commented. "Then, you are aware this gesture means little to all others. We are seven. Our fellows are many more. For that fact, you would be foolish to think worries end with our departing. This, I true you know."
I furrowed and nodded. "Yeah... I know..."
And all the archer- or well, I guess I should call him Granson- did was huff and... I think he nodded, but that might have been a slight head bob from the huff. Dunno. Then, he turned and bolted into the trees like the rest...
... I was so focused on him, I never bothered counting how many actually left, only to be surprised when Shorn started to address the only remaining straggler. "Bretzon, your name is?" I shook into looking back down to the guy that bought us this out to the situation and wide eyed at him for a split second before settling down.
Instead, I turned to Shorn, who walked over to him as he nodded and answered, "And I yet remember when your name was Ydith. Our greatest hunter..." Looking around, once stopping on me for a moment... and then settling back on her, He adjusted his head forward and spoke softly. "I did not ever know you personally. However, though your name is gone, your words that day, I remember... "If you let outsider views color our own, you never deserved to have them.""
... Shorn turned her head from his and said nothing.
Still, he went on as he turned to leave the same way as the rest. "... I have never agreed with this sentiment more than I do right now. And there are likely others like me... It is impossible for a Shorn to become the Shepard... but I feel you would have made a great and wise one."
That was when he turned to me and caught me alert as he spoke. "Human... Your name is.. Kris. That is right?"
With some nervousness, I nodded as I affirmed, "Y-yeah."
He nodded. "Bretzon. But I have words for you."
His statement left me even more nervous. I couldn't help the narrow formed on my face. At least he knew I was taking this seriously.
Thus did he go on. "The prophecy I mentioned. It's inlays lie ahead, kept in a temple within the city beyond."
That gave me reason to take in a soft gasp and listen even more intently.
Bretzon kept going. "I believe in fate. I feel your destination lies near, within or passed. And thus, I tell you this... We believe the Ancients moved these walls of rock to preserve their images with a strength or advancement we know naught of. Perhaps they even carved the walls. Any number of explanations, I can think of... The truth of the how and why has been lost. However, the images are even to this day clear. Any and all can understand what is carved with care and detail. However, it is for the one to think upon and come to a conclusion. Whether it fills your heart with certainty or doubt, it is there. You need only find the city's peak and you shall find the temple. Any and all are welcomed to enter the temple and gaze upon the prophecy..."
As he said all of this, he came to the reason as to WHY he was telling me as he set a hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm, but not painful. "... I urge you in informing you of this thing to do so. See it and conclude with your own mind, heart and eyes what is the right of it." And as he left me stewing on that, my head turning to the ground, he let go of me and backed away.
With that, Bretzon, a perhaps faceless footsoldier, hopped out from the roof hole and then pushed on into the trees, vanishing from sight...
His words to me were clear with intent. His words to Shorn and every other Kytsater that day were left fairly muddled in my mind... But I understood one thing from it all. That what he said about there being others like him could be good for us...
Breathing in and sighing my relief, I took a moment to appreciate that we were both still alive and unharmed... Then, I turned to smile at Shorn with a huff. "Seems like words win again. And we learned something good from all this!" ... I blinked my smile away at her silence. "..." I tried a different approach. folding my arms and tapping my foot's steely boot for a moment, I came up with the other question on my head. "Soooo... Ydith, huh? Shorn's not actually your name, then."
All she did was turn her head down from the hole and look at to the ground...
When I was met with further silence, I cocked a brow. "Exactly what the heck does Shorn mean?"
... It was only then that I turned my eyes down and saw that she was balling her fists pretty tightly. Tightly enough to bristle her fur, much to my sweaty realization... "It means "flockless hunter" and should you ever utter my taken name again, it will be at your peril..." ... She took to walking past me and I swear the wind she brushed passed me with was a lot colder than the air otherwise.
And so, I remained frozen for a bit there, knowing very well she meant what she said.
It was only when she told me, "We move. Now." That I snapped out of it and turned to face her... only she wasn't looking at me and I was left to look at her tail and tendrils swaying as she walked away...
... The only thing I could do was frown and follow after her... I should have known better, but like so much else about that place, I didn't understand what the people here did. I didn't know the world they lived in... And I probably never will. Not really.
... I stopped again, eyes narrowing in this... vague feeling...
My heel twisted and I turned around in a hurry,trying to catch a glympse of what felt like someone watching us... but I'd end up seeing nothing and no one other than the fractured ruins...
... I turned away with a bit of hesitation, but ultimately I left with my cold guide. We had wasted a lot of time here. I wanted more than anything to keep the promise...
...
(Mmmh... This is a long recording, but it's not like I have anything better to do...)
... Tell ya what, folks. I'mma take a breather for a few minutes to stretch my legs and.. maybe I'll invite the guys... There won't be any switch out. I'm gonna narrate, still. Oh and... Sorry for the wait.
A-anyways, I'm gonna just get on outta here for a while. I... don't know if these "chapters" will come out on the same day, much less month, but I'll see what I can do.
... I.. don't like mentioning this, but sometimes recording sessions totally bomb. Sometimes it's the folks and sometimes it's my own fault or- well, you all remember the last time something like this happened. But we like to do things in one go. Call it a stigma...
... /Jeeze, I'm bad at just leaving things be.\ Alright. I'm off. Sooooo... Bye! Yeah.
-CLICK!-
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How's
it hangin' out there? It's been a while and I'm uh... xux; I'm aware of that...
O.o Look, I'll be honest. I intended this to be released a HELL of a long time ago... but I've never been very sure of this chapter in par-ti-cu-larrr...~
I drafted this dumb thing out EIGHT. TIMES. And I'm only just kind of... alright with it.
Big reason for that? Originally, the meet with the kytsater assassins was originally planned to be the first true kytsater tribe battle to illustrate how frightening it really is to fight a squad of these dudes. But ultimately, that was a worthless endeavor. It made no sense after Kris died the first go, because their whole thing is being the peacemaker! Then, my plan was to use that weakness aforementioned to create a getaway. You can see the remnants of that plan in there, but I think it's pretty clear that it's a stupid idea to try and run from Kytsaters that can pretty easily catch you. Susie always chooses to do things the hard way and so she gets a pass... aggressively. But not Kris~. So... As fun as it probably woulda been to write that out and even use the Kytsater weakness on them... I elected that Kris, as they are established, just wouldn't. friggin'. do it.
It made ZERO sense.
Now, I could have put in a whole bunch of retries more than what I did, but my point was already made when it happened twice in the same chapter. So, yes. It is very unrealistic that, after the one encounter and chat with the 'saters, Kris just knows what to say... But so is A. the part where they can just begin again and try something different till something sticks and B. me writing bare minimum 6 different retries in a god damn row... No thanks. That's just bloated.
I'm glad to be done with this chapter and over it. Because it hurts to keep rewriting this thing.
It's not PreTTy!
THis IS iT!
I'M NOT DoING IT agAIn!
...
Minor mental break downs aside, someone once told me it's better to ink something down than to continuously stay stuck there ad infinatum while the story stales. So... I HOPE this is good enough. If someone makes a suggestion or spots too glaring an inconsistency, I-I'll figure out the inconsistency, but there's like a 50/50 chance I'll read and heed about the other thing just because of the SUffERinG I've felt writing this part, but who knows. MAybE I'M iNTO thAT sHIt.
*COUGH!* That aside... I'm not making promises anymore, because of what happened last time. So, I hope the next few chapters will go along smoother than the constipation station the latter third of this chapter became. I have faith they will.
I'm going for at least 5 chapters before the year's half-way, but you saw what a broken computer and a pandemic did to that schedule... and what this did, of course, but I'm trying to talk about anything else!
I guess I can close things off by saying this... I've seen bits and chunks of what the REAL Chapter 2 is like... Hah. Wow~. It is HARD to avoid spoilers. Still ain't played it. Please don't go smashing an essay into the keyboard to tell me all about how Noelle, Susie, Kris, Berdly, my mOTHer, your fatheR and Joker from uh.. Da Batman are all a lot different than what I've been writing them to be like here.
Ahaa... i like that.
I'm not insane. This is intended.
I know I'm saying this a LOT, but I feel after so long that I need to reinforce that.
I will not be playing the chapter until I've established enough, either.
Still, my goal there is to give you an alternate take on these guys that you can all enjoy as much or close enough to as much as I can. All in the name of fun~.
... That's all~.
Here's to a hope and prayer that the next chapter won't be finalized some time during easter or some shit! =n= I'll cry...
Good night/day and Happy (belated) New Year! (And whatever else, because there's a lot of significant holidays in December- Seriously, Dec, calm down, my money, help.)
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+EDITORY Query: I've tossed around the idea of dividing this chapter into two, just to see if that would improve readability and reduce my hate for it. So... I'm putting it up to you all! What do you guys think? Seperate this chapter into the two or leave it as is? I'll give it five or six days and check back.
That is all~.