“ENGARDE!” Yells a valiant soldier, armoured completely in the highest quality Silver money could buy. His sword pointed at his adversary across the pristine ballroom floor.
He runs at the enemy, lifting his blade above his head and slamming it down at his opponent.
The man before him, another knight, quickly swerves last second, the blade crashing into the expensive floor.
This man wears armour of his own, silver but covered with sapphire gems across its surface. Unlike the provoker, he bears no helmet. His curly white hair and dashing looks displayed to all observers, which happen to be the entire gathering of nobility and rich visitors. They circle the two men and watch keenly as the fight begins. A classical orchestra gears in the background, playing a piece of heavy and fast-paced music.
The pretty man smirks as he dodges the strike. His skin is composed of a mix of black and white, an unusual outsider to these people.
He draws his own sword from its sheath, a blade matching his armour; silver with a massive sapphire gem attached to its hilt.
The attacking knight regains his composure and swings at him again, yelling “Fight me head-on like a true Knight!”
The sapphire knight lifts his blade, parrying the blow expertly, the smirk still confidently displayed on his lips. “Very well challenger.”
He swings back. “You will get nothing but my best!”
The sapphire blade finds itself on the offensive, clashing with the silver blade of the challenger time after time, each moment gaining ground on the challenger. The sapphire knight strikes with unrivalled speed, only using one hand to attack and outpace his opponent. The challenger staggers back at every clash, quickly overwhelmed until…
The Sapphire knight grips his blade with both hands and swings close at the hilt of the opponents blade, with overwhelming force, knocking it out of his hands as the blade flies into the air, landing in front of the spectators.
Immediately, the challenger collapses to his knees, stunned. “Y-you..I- I’ve been bested… so easily…” His head sinks in shame.
The defendant reaches out his hand to him. “It was a good display soldier. Take defeat in stride”
The crowd cheers for the Sapphire Knight as he helps his opponent rise to his feet.
The Orchestral sounds die down as metallic tapping can be heard across the room, to which the crowd responds by also silencing themselves.
Then, the tapping is replaced by a single pair of hands clapping in congratulation at the display. The noblemen move out of the way to reveal an elegant, young and skinny man, dressed in royal attire, approaching the scene, clapping the entire time.
“Marvellous. I have not seen one of your strength and speed in a long time noble knight”
The two-skinned knight kneels in front of the man as he notices the princely crown atop his head. “Your Grace, I owe you great thanks for the invitation”
“Hardly,” he says as he reaches him, gesturing him to stand.
The two men stay at eye level, with the princely young man chuckling. “A Gem-Knight is always welcome in Abkbir”
“Ah, so you know of my order?” The knight says surprised.
“Of course” He glances at the silent crowd, then claps twice, his hands in the air. Quickly everyone returns to their own conversations and interests.
“I’ve heard so much about your order. I take a personal interest. You’ve also made the news in this province. Word of your quest has reached even here.”
“Incredible. I'm honoured to have such an audience”
“We here in the commonwealth love spreading the word and newcomers”
“May I ask, who I have the pleasure of conversing with currently?” The knight says sheepishly with a smile.
“My apologies! You stand before Major Nigel of Abkbir”
“Major? In Crown and gold?”
“Yes,” The Major chuckles, “Abkbir is a large city and a rich one. Here in the commonwealth, there is no shame in displaying or playing the part of a prince if one wishes.”
“A form of status I presume?”
“In a way, yes.”
“Impressive display I must say.”
“As someone from the Far South East, that is high praise. I thank you, sapphire Knight.”
“I must ask, what do I owe this invitation to?”
“Right. Well I heard of something that might interest you, it concerns your quest”
The knight instinctively perks up, clearly interested. The major once again chuckles at the knight's blatant expressions.
“There is also something in it for me. But first, please, tell me your name. No matter how I tried, it seemed no one knows you by anything but your title.”
“... yes… very well. My name is Owin, Owin of Sumah, the chosen Sapphire of the Gem Knight order, after my father's disappearance. Acclaimed for the last 4 years.”
“A full introduction. Im honored. Don't like sharing your name?” Nigel asks, picking up on Owin's hesitation.
“It's a touchy subject”
“Then I'll be sure to keep it to myself.” He flicks his hand in the air, signalling for drinks.
A servant arrives handing both of them expensive goblets of wine. Nigel finishes his drink in a single swig, whilst Owin looks down at his drink anxiously.
“Not a drinker either?”
“I prefer to stick to the code of Angharra.” He responds sheepishly.
“Goddess of Spring, birth, wisdom, fertility, and all that, right? Are you a follower?”
“No no, just a fan. Personally, I'm not devoted”
“Personally I'm a fan of Goddess Sune”
Owin isn't surprised at the Majors preference. The Goddess of beauty, love, and passion fits well with young wealthy men.
Nigel takes Owins Goblet and takes the liberty to finish it himself.
“So…” Owin pipes up, “about my quest-”
“Yes of course! Listen closely. East of here, south of Korka on the Dniester River, there is a dark and infested swamp. It once used to be a magical waterfall but it has become a haven of darkness.”
“Is it harming the locals?”
“Sort of. It is polluting the river with some sort of magic we have yet to understand. But for me, there is a bigger issue. My family used to own a shack there, long long ago. I think there is an important relic there which I would like to retrieve. Anytime I send a knight, they either fail to return, or they return in failure and some sort of magical amnesia and nausea”
Owins eyes slim with a determined look. “Don't worry sir, I’ll be sure to retrieve whatever may be left there and I will cleanse the river.”
A little taken aback, Nigel rebuts “We don't know if the river even can be cleansed. It's not a big problem, most of the area has become vacant but-”
“Have faith in me! I promise I will!” Owin shouts all of a sudden. He turns and starts marching off immediately with unbridled confidence.
“Hold on! Don’t you want to know what it has to do with your quest?”
Owin stops, then turns back around, embarrassed to have forgotten. “Right…”
Nigel chuckles at the knight's determination. “You are as good-willed as they say, Gem-Knight. The waterfall used to have a secret passage behind it. Inside was an even older statue, likely carved by our predecessors. If we are to believe the folk tales, it is an ancient instrument of knowledge. You might find some information about your father there.”
Owin bows, “Thank you, truly. Any leads are a great help”
“I hope you find something useful to you.”
The men exchange thankful glances and Owin once again, sets off confidently.
Owin is wandering the stone-paved path to the next city. He glances around to see if anyone else is around. When the path appears to be vacant, he pulls a small box out of his backpack. Opening the box, there are a few small paper cards inside with different images. He pulls out the card at the bottom. On it there is a depiction of a stunning woman in a gorgeous white dress fit for a princess. She has wonderful, long, white hair and hold a bouquet of different colored roses. There is a certain white shimmer to the image. Along the top of the card, there is a line of unreadable text in some kind of language Owin doesn't understand.
He stares at the image, lost in thought with longing eyes. His walk slows to a snail's pace.
For 15 minutes he dreams on, until he is brought back to his senses when his sword begins to shake in its sheath. Quickly, he puts the card away and shuffles the box into his bag, and pulls out his blade. It shakes in his palm. He takes a deep breath and then lightly taps on the big sapphire on it hilt. The sword calms down and an Image is projected on the gem.
“FINALLY!”
A voice screams from the Gem. A face is shown, that of a girl. Her striking brown hair is tied in a tight bun and matched with a dark blue headband strapped on her forehead.
“Do you know how LONG I’ve been projecting?!” She snaps at him loudly.
“I’m sorry I'm sorry! I was busy!”
“As IF, where are you right now?!”
“I just left Abkbir, I’m heading to Korka”
“Korka? Why Korka?”
“The Major of Abkbir said there might be a lead for me in a swampy area just south of there.”
“Wait, are you on foot right now?” She says, trying to glance at an angle through the Gem to get a better look.
“Yeah?...” Owin responds quietly, sensing he’s done something wrong.
“You idiot! Do you know how far away Korka is?!”
“Um…”
“Do you even know in which direction to go?!”
“I was thinking of askin at the next-”
“Two hundred kilometres! TWO HUNDRED! That's at least a 6-day trip for normal people without luggage!”
“Well- Im tougher than most people”
“And dumber!”
“Why do you know so much about these places anyway?! Aren’t you still back at home? That like, basically on another continent”
“Lazuli has a lot of maps. Also, I’m very concerned about your well-being”
“... that's very sweet of you”
“Which I wouldn't have to be if you weren't so STUPID!”
“.... not so sweet”
The girl sighs in defeat as her words seem to have no effect on the calm and confident knight.
“How are you and Lazuli doing?”
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
“Fine.. Although the order is having some trouble with the new administration again”
“The goblins?”
“You’d think but no, actually they employed some humans to govern the area and they are being THE MOST annoying thing to have ever touched this place.”
“Ironic”
“I don't blame the Goblins and Orcs for kicking most of the humans out of here”
“Well, I hope they don't try coming over here. The people here in the West are pretty nice”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself so far.”
“Anything else you wanted Lapis?”
“Just checking up on you. Please, try to at least hitchhike on your way.”
“I donno. The infrastructure here is incredible. They have paved roads OUTSIDE of the cities. Ones without holes!”
“Hm. Snazzy. I thought the East was supposed to be the place of riches.”
“Well I don't know about the rest of the nations, but the commonwealth here has been an absolute treat so far.”
Lapis falls silent, staring at her fellow Gem Knight.
“Do you know when you’ll be coming back?” She asks with a soft tone for a change.
“When I find Dad”
“Owin…” Lapis’ voice falls into a soft quiver. Owin looks into her eyes. He knows that none of the other Knights believe in his quest. The chance that his father is alive is less than improbable. Of the other Knights, only Lapis and Obsidian ever had faith in his success, yet now that he’s actually begun and gone for 2 months without results, Lapis is apparently losing that faith.
“Please Lapis. Don’t give up on me. You’re the only one I have left”
“... I’ll never give up on you… but-”
“I will find him Lapis. I owe it not only to myself but the Order.” Owin says without a shred of doubt or worry. His eyes radiate the prowess and confidence of someone who doesn't know better but to keep going no matter the cause.
“Good luck Owin” Lapis says before the projection fades.
Nialuc wanders the dirt paths wherever he can, but is often forced to venture through untamed wilderness. He tries his best to avoid other people on the roads, though it's generally not a problem since not many live outside of the settlements or farms and most of the time it's too dangerous to walk too far out. Usually the routes just lead to nowhere or sway radically in the most inconvenient directions where one might see old debris of what once was. Not many have since bothered to pave the way between civilised places.
The Lancer never stops or rests. Every hour of every day and night are spent on moving forward, following his abnormally efficient internal compass. He has no need for food, water, or even sleep when he is set on a goal. Moreover, the danger of wandering alone has no bearing to him. The wild beasts and monsters of the forests, nearby lurking caves or pits don't dare approach him.
He trudges on, the only thoughts that come to mind are those of Tabris, his family and the impending feeling of terror. His stomach turns at the thought of what's to come. Normally he isn’t scared of anything, even death. Death has little meaning to him now, or it did until he came across Emba. It really was a beautiful city in his opinion. Not because of its physical appearance or economic value, but because of the communities.
Isolation is common here. Every city is almost entirely independent from each other. There are maps, painted with the borders of every nation and what they hold and control. Yet to the majority, it's simply just ink spilled on parchment. The only things that cities share are language and faith in some god. Nations are nothing but arbitrary ideas where people think they can impose rules no one agreed to. Race is a much larger and scarier power.
All that, to say that Emba is different.
Emba accepted Nialuc where no other city would.
Emba has a diverse citizenship of different races and cultures, where others indulge in the humans and elves as the ‘superiors’.
Emba is the one place that offered Nialuc shelter in his time of need.
He stops walking for a moment. A pain shivers through his back. His legs shake unwillingly. The feeling of dread getting stronger.
Tabris.
His wife Ester.
Little boy Mitah and baby girl Alexi.
They’re such pure and innocent children, the Lancer thinks. He begins to imagine them to dull out the sudden anxiety. He remembers when he held Mitah for the first time when he was 2 years old. Hard to imagine that was 10 years ago. Alexi was born a year before Nialuc had to leave for the second time. She’s 3 years old now.
He enjoyed taking Mitah out foresting and hunting. Mitah has a habit of calling him an old man whenever he tries to give him advice. The more he thinks about them, the more he regrets not saying goodbye. He can already feel Esters hand striking him across the face when he comes back, then giving him a loving hug and taking him out for a drink to the city.
Nialuc quickens his pace and takes his spear into his hands, gripping it tightly to reassure himself.
Luckily he doesn't need to still himself for long before he hears the sounds of rushing water nearby. The vegetation is dense. Weeds, overgrown bushes and shrubbery impede the small gaps between thick tree trunks. Nialuc leaps into the air, swinging from the tree tops across their branches with his free hand. He almost swings off the last one before the river before him but stops himself. Looking to the left, he sees the waterfall, yet something is off about it. The water doesn't spurt as it normally would when it hits the rocks below.
It moves like a thick dense substance, something akin to honey. But it flows incredibly quickly, almost twice as fast as any regular river.
Nialuc, following instinct, jumps down onto the side of the flowing water. Getting a better look, it seems to be a lighter shade of blue than what would be expected. Indulging in his curiosity, he picks up a broken off branch, slowly lowering the tip into the water.
As the wood grazes the stream, its tip is sliced off in an instant.
He pulls the stick out and observes the wood. It's been cut off with such speed that it left the now stumped tip incredibly smooth. Burying his theory, he chucks the stick into the river. It's immediately shredded into pieces and disappears from sight.
Nialuc can’t help but be thankful for resisting the temptation to jump in himself.
The Lancer takes his time walking upstream towards the waterfall, watching his step while contemplating both how Tabris was correct about it being a dangerous place and less importantly how this super cutting water isn't digging downwards into the ground or destroying the sidebanks.
A jagged rock formation allows Nialuc to climb close to the front of the waterfall. He takes a good long look at it, then turns to look at the river from this vantage point.
His mind returns to the danger at hand and how it probably isn't very smart of him to be so open and vulnerable in this life threatening environment. Yet oddly enough his anxiety and worries don't seem to return. This place is unnaturally tranquil. A good spot to meditate, he thinks and crouches down on the rock above the rushing river. A classic calm scene to be sure, waterfalls are always the place for self searching.
Darkness embraces the Lancer when he closes his eyes. Ears perking up to absorb the sounds encompassing him. Running water, birds chirping, leaves rustling in the cool breeze.
The entirety of his focus on sound and sense. Arms and Legs go limp. Then the head and chest. Finally his Back. Once his body is fully limb, not a muscle in his body strained, he feels it all. The sounds of everything. 15 metres away to his right, he hears the heavy breaths of a stressed deer. Another 15 metres further from that is the rapid panting and growling of a wolf who has just lost its target. Nialuc expands his unseen horizons. Now a bell rings in the far distance, the bells of the nearest city 60km away. It's morning time for its populace.
Nialuc limits his view back to what's around him. His sensing gaze falls back onto the deer. He looks inside it, he feels its warmth on his right arm, though its barely even noticeable. Hearing its insides, a simple high pitched note of a lyre is played over and over. Clearly its calm natured but weak, its feeble but fast, observant yet distracted. Pretty standard for normal deer.
Nialuc relaxes, letting his senses roam freely around him. Then, he feels an unnatural heat building in his back. It gets warmer and warmer. Surprised, he tries to concentrate on whatever could be behind him. But there's no sound, just warmth. It rises higher and higher to the point it's starting to burn slightly.
He opens his eyes. The darkness fades and the feeling in his muscles returns. The Lancer stands up and turns around to look at the waterfall behind him. Curious. There must be something there.
Nialuc separates the waterfall's stream by sticking his spear into it. The unbreakable weapon splits the flow, sparks flying off it as the cutting liquid tries to slice it apart. It reveals a hidden cave behind it. He jumps in, trying to avoid cutting himself.
The cave is humid, water dripping from every surface. The Lancers' steps echo down into its depths. Just a minute in and the dark makes nothing visible. Nialuc closes his eyes and focuses on feeling the heat, letting it guide him through the darkness.
It becomes unbearably warm. Reminds him of the feeling of a desert. 4 minutes into his wandering, he begins to concern himself with what else might lurk in the cave. But his senses tell him he’s alone. There’s no living sound, no other warmth or cold.
Reaching the source, he can feel its energy pulsating through the cave in waves like that of the ocean. He opens his eyes, astounded to see a brightly lit chamber. The walls are carved out in a brick pattern, with small silver plates hanging from the ceiling, holding white, untouched looking candles which burn with perpetual blue flames.
In front of him there is a large statue of a head with a giant, tall forehead and blank expression. There are bones scattered across the ground, decayed, probably humanoid ones.
The blue essence mixed with the warmth forms a bright cosy atmosphere which strongly contests the horror aesthetic of the room.
Nialuc doesn't know what to make of it. Some old forgotten hideout for a cult? He questions.
There is a stone tablet strapped to the stone figures forehead with rope. It looks extremely unstable, but by the looks of it, it's probably been here for at least a couple decades. The ability for the rope to hold onto the fragile looking tablet is commendable. Carefully, the Lancer reaches up to gently touch the tablet. When no reaction occurs, he holds onto it and easily cuts the rope with his spear. First he looks around waiting for something to happen or some kind of trap to be sprung, like all those folk stories that the old timers in Emba like to tell. The stories of some old brave adventurer named Indiana.
Nothing happens.
He takes a look at the tablet. It's inscribed with carved text. The language is mostly lost on Nialuc, though he recognized what it is. Some form of gaelic. Frustration quickly follows. Even though his particular background is heavily influenced by this very language and culture, he barely knows any of it. His eyes squint at the text, somehow he thinks this will make him better at reading it. After several minutes of different angles and varying degrees of open and closed eyes, he is only able to make out a couple words.
Projection, Time and Fate. Nialuc scoffs at the apparent fact that he is able to read these complicated words but the simpler ones are lost on him. Deciding that its for the better to just accept the fact and move on, he walks over to cut a length off the rope, just enough to tie some around his waist, then slotting the tablet between it and his body. He reasons that if it managed to hold it up in this cave for decades, then it can do just fine around his waist.
A few minutes of searching later, and the subsequent disappointment at nothing else being found, he walks back outside, spreading the waterfall and jumping out into fresh air, enjoying the natural sunlight.