The trip was almost over as they arrived at Owl Ford; Elis, Paco, Alisa, and Jin were talking about what they were going to do when they reach the city but for Tricia she kept silent the entire time looking outside the carriage. She could still imagine the way she had by instinct of survival grabbing the gem and the knife, the moment she held the gem all the fear suddenly left, the gem she held affected her as a powerful surge came over her which turned the fear and helplessness into cold determination to end her kidnapper. When she ended his life she snapped out of the trance she was horrified and ran away, since then she couldn’t get a hold of herself.

She couldn’t sleep properly, it was when she’d gotten tired of staying awake of being haunted that night that she had gotten rest. She still didn’t tell anyone of what happened even to Alisa because she didn’t her to worry about a stranger kidnapping her and can hardly keep a lie, telling Elis and Jin is not something she would do mainly because she isn’t comfortable with both of them, and then there was Paco. He could keep a lie and was always helpful to her since the day she befriended him for the first time when he had no friends, maybe I could tell him he could keep a secret but would he view as his friend or a murderer.

Union’s Rising was just about near the capital city of Anglox viewable from the distance of Owl Ford. Elis’ parents decided to let them tour around Owl Ford before they reach the city. Owl’s Perch has been an old university dating back from the Age of Plight. Elis’ parents stopped their carriages and told them to tour around the old existing university. Most of the travel left directly to Union’s Rising they assured Paco, Alisa, and Jin that they can hire another carriage in this town to accommodate them.

They would return to a local tavern near the front gate of university. Alisa left on her own accord while Jin and Elis went their own way with Rachel following them, Elis’ brother and parents were left at the tavern as they discussed something about their business conduct in Union’s Rising. Leaving Paco which was about stood still and didn’t follow the rest of them. She approached his old friend knowing that what she might say will change his view of her, Tricia started by asking him why didn’t enter the university to which he replied that he wasn’t interested. She asked in a down-spirited way if she could tell him something in private, Paco with the face of concern agreed and asked what’s it all about but Tricia told him that once no one can hear she’ll tell him.

On the field (outsiders are allowed but not too many) within the university where it’s far away from listening ears of the students of the university or other people. Tricia was hesitant at first yet she finally spoke. Low-spirited, a beating heart yet something is not whole inside, and the scarred trauma of her character was all to describe was she felt during that night as she told her old friend what happened, she relived the night in her dreams but it became even more intense as she told very thing that happened, described the indescribable fear she felt, and how she told him that she killed her kidapper.

Utterly broken down she was feeling her very mind twirling around her clouding her of the intense sorrow and haunting that she has.

“I wasn’t myself when I stabbed him” said she telling him how she took hold of the gem and knife to how her mind went blank when she felt the surge of the gem. Sounding like a lunatic she realized she was lost at the moment and looked at his friend who was shocked, gazed, and unable to respond to her. A tear began to drop from her eyes but she was refusing to burst out into crying. Her old friend didn’t respond just remaining silent. Paco about to say something but noticed a few students that was staring at them, they weren’t there before but the two mustn’t of noticed people were staring and rather than to continue talking she left off quickly leaving her friend to follow her.

She was spiraling down in her mind as she continued walking aimlessly looking behind she didn’t see her friend there either because she had somehow how lost him or he had abandoned him. Tears still from her eyes were dripping down her cheeks that attracted a few people to look at her for a brief moment of pity. Suppressing the river of emotions was all she could do.

Eventually she sat nearby on a bench thinking that she would sit here and wait out to snap herself back into composure. She waited and contemplated “Young lady are you doing well?” a said a voice that got her attention. It was the man whom her friends and she took of being a danger, Johnathan Douglas. Tricia got up stepping back away from the man stating “Leave me” she said trembling as she began to walk away but John did not as he blocked her from moving saying “Allow me to explain-” he cut off by Tricia stating that “Stay away from me” she said angrily as she walked pass him. The Averigan man did not give up and blocked her again “Please miss allow me to explain what happened, and I can shed light on your problem that may help you”

“Why should I trust you? Isn’t because of you that I was kidnapped” she spouted with intense hate because of what is now.

“I will say again that I am deeply sorry but allow me to explain what had happened to you during that night when you…ended my old friend”

“Don’t remind of that!” she snapped violently

“I will but you must allow me to explain on what you experience, and let it be as you never saw it in the first place. You might never be same person as you once before but if you allow to shed some insight you may find it a bit easier to live on your life”

“How can I trust you? What if some of your so called ‘old friends’ are nearby, what then”

“If they are nearby they would have killed me already, again I say to tell you how sorry I am to have experience something unnatural and horrific on that night. I am to fix your problems by explaining it”

Of course Tricia was hesitant to just accept it but she was so consumed by swelling pain she experience that she would look for answer to at least lessen it, but the thought came to her of the danger that she was only being tricked by the man and meant her harm, in her deep self she didn’t want to be in harm’s way again. This time she felt something cloud her judgement, the intense breakdown of the attack back home and now the recent night of how she cold heartedly murdered a man has brought her the depths of depression.

“The least I can for an apology for scarring your life is an explanation”

Tricia nodded as she followed the Averigan man to a great tree located near Owl’s Perch, the students and teachers of the university called it the ‘Tree of A es’. John began saying “I’ll ask first: How bad was it after the night?”

“It was like I wasn’t the same person anymore! When I held that gem that your friend used I felt a surge feeling my fears into something else, something dark”

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“The gem which gave you the courage and strength used to kill the man whom I considered a friend once, is something that can potentially change one’s mind or body. I hoped that it only harmed you mentally?”

“Can it be undone?” she pleaded.

“When one uses, I can I say this that kind of power it changes someone. The fear you felt had suddenly you in that moment changed you, I’ll be straight that you may never be your former self ever again as it brought something deep inside you to change. You only have to accept it,”

“Why can’t you use something like the gem to remove this trauma?” she asked with her voice rising.

“I don’t know. I just don’t know.”

“You’re telling that you and your companions have a gem that can give someone strength yet doesn’t have anything to help a person with a traumatic experience?!”

“I don’t know! I don’t interfere with that type of business!”

“Who was that man? And why did he want to hunt you down? At least answer because I cannot easily live with myself!” she demanded

“I cannot” he replied catching a glance at her, it was that point that the Averigan man realized something yet chose not tell her. What was the Averigan man hiding? She wondered, it was clear enough this man was a traitor who clearly devastated his companions by betraying them in a foreign land and fleeing from that land only to be hunted down by his companion.

“I’ll never be the same as I once before?” she sadly asked to confirm if it there was all any way possible to undo the trauma.

“Yes you’ll have to live with it”

Sounds of someone running was heard coming in their direction, the Averigan man looked at the direction which the noise came only to be tackled and pinned down on the ground. Tricia was surprised to see Paco had down this, he was pinning him to the ground as the Averigan man struggled to get him off.

“Did he harm you?” He asked assuring of her safety.

“He didn’t just get him up” she said sadly thinking of how she could go on. Paco got up but was cautious of the Averigan as he slowly got up. Her friend ready to throw a punch but touched his shoulder with her hand to signal for him to calm down. Yet in her deep mind there was a voice calling out to signal for his friend that he did harm and wanted him to be hurt badly.

“I will give you an advice to at least help you live with the trauma. If by any means you hear or feel, something in your head calling out to possess you to do something that isn’t fine with you or your morality, you must do everything to resist it else it consumes you entirely and you’ll be an entirely different person.”

She didn’t reply at all instead turned around to leave. “It’s the least I could give to help” the Averigan man said yet she didn’t care as walked away with her friend companying her. The Averigan man too left, continuing to run away from his past. Tricia remained silent but in her mind she was screaming of torment. She will keep the advice of what the man said because it was clear what he said, that something deep in her mind was calling out to do sinister acts. One of it was murdering the attackers during the chaos of the bonfire and stabbing her kidnapper again the throat.

She didn’t say a word to her word as he tried to cheer her up, in her head she was trying to comprehend and try to live with the fact deep down inside her there something gnawing at the back of her head that might change her to harm’s way. Paco had tried making short comments and questions to get her to talk but she never responded, he suggested to go to the tavern, sit and wait for everyone to get to the city. She only nodded in agreement to it.

A table near the window is where Elis’ family is seated in the center of room. Paco had ordered a sweet drink for both of them called Coa, she took the cup and sipped still remaining silence. Briefly closing her eyes she saw images of her down filled in a room full of people, she looked at them each one them feeling that they wronged her in some way. Then as if she was in charge of some kind of authority of power she ordered them executed. Snapped back her eyes open and took a sip again to ease her, “Just to remind, I’m here when you need help” Paco comfortably told her.

“Thank you” she replied, It’s not making feel better.

An eternity of silence befall again till it was finally the time to end the journey of going to the capital. Tricia had regretted leaving Summit’s Chest’s horrific trauma of the attack to having demons inside of her,I would have picked staying back home rather than having demons inside of me. “Are you feeling well Tricia?” Alisa asked. She nodded to responded, “Are you still feeling bad after this time of the attack back home”. “Yes” she lied, only now I’m much worse. “Here have some biscuits to calm your nerves” she handed Tricia one. Of course none of it calmed her nerves, she still kept tensions her in mind.

“What the hell are you carrying?” Elis asked outside the carriage, Tricia went outside to take a look. It was Paco carrying a large wooden box.

“It’s my travel gifts, got it off from a merchant who’d want to some space for more important things. Says he’s in a hurry” Paco replied as he strapped it on the back of the carriage.

“What’s inside?” Jin asked.

“Some trinkets and items from far off continents”

Jin grinned asking “Have you ever heard of Opio Juice?”

“No”

“Highly sought after plant substance, if the box has it we’ll split the profit”

“If the box does have it, I’m not splitting the profit with you”

“Shame but-” groaned Jin.

“Let’s get in, you’ll have time to argue once we get there” Elis intervened as they got on the carriage and left.

There were supply wagons passing by them as well as going ahead of them, farmland out in the distant, merchants in the road giving orders to his men. They were finally nearing the Pathford district of Union’s Rising. Sighing in relief having to be done with the traveling, even she should find some relief of having not to be worried about being kidnapped again or being involved with the Averigan man. They arrived at the house; two floors yet wide enough to support two families. Each of them settling to their respective rooms, Elis and the boys had quartered themselves to two rooms while Tricia, Alisa, and Rachel in one room.

She laid down by herself, still focusing on the demons she had in her deep mind while Rachel and Alisa went down stairs. Trying to calm herself she reminded herself that everything would go fine as long as she kept her demons under control, yes it would. Hopeful of this thought she got up and left to go down stairs when she had encountered Paco carrying the large wooden box he had gotten from Owl Ford. “What’s the box?” Tricia asked curiously and as trying to bury the demons. “Some old merchant told me, I’m seeing if it’s any worth selling in the city”

“Mind if I take a look?”

“I’ll open this later, I want to eat something down stairs”

“Okay then” she said going down stairs to try and live with her new condition.

The Protector

There must be something here, that will help her, Paco thought.

He did get the large wooden box from a merchant, the Averigan merchant. When Tricia had gone silent he left to give her time for herself, he wondered to himself what could he do to help her? Of course he had to help her, she had befriended him when he had none and he had to return the debt. That’s when he saw the Averigan man quickly gathering his things and leaving, he was talking to someone who seem to a wagon driver, from what he could hear that he was looking for a wagon trip to Bridgestow telling the wagon driver to give him all the supplies he had with him which was just next to him.

The wagon driver agreed taking all of his supplies but leaving the one box left, the driver told him that there was no space in it and the contents inside weren’t that much useful to him so he can just leave it or sell it. The Averigan man looked so frustrated that he just left it by the side of the building and got on the wagon of the driver and left.

Out of desperation to aid her he took the box bringing it with him to Union’s Rising,

Opening it he had somewhat been surprised and happy to find the musket that he had been trying to sell back at Stoke’s Crossing, and other than that it was mostly a journal, notes, and a pendant. Maybe one of these journals or notes could aid her.