Signs Of Truth
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The hollow darkness shrouding the forest hummed with an eerie symphony that grew all the more prominent the deeper we ventured, like cornered rats we were now racing through the overgrown maze searching for any semblance of respite. The trees here were enormous, and had almost no branches on the way up, but they fanned out like parasols at their peak which only seemed to strengthen the swaying shadows now stretching across the landscape.
Sticking to the treetops had apparently given us some leverage over our frantic foes, that monster was going to have a much harder time plowing its way through all this rooted timber.
Even though it was dark right now, I had no problem perceiving my surroundings, that was never something I struggled with but Vreena on the other hand was having a much harder time. Her pace had slowed considerably, and she now had to periodically stop to assess which direction we were going to head in. On top of her growing fatigue, bleeding and ever-growing angst, she was also having trouble discerning the layout of our environment. This would have all been much easier under less turbulent circumstances but right now all we could do was stay silent and follow her lead.
Using my fire magic to create a torch was a tempting idea, but that would lead to nothing more than our doom, as I wrestled with the ideas now popping up in my mind Vreena abruptly came to a halt on the high-rise branch of the large tree ahead of us.
“Haaah....Haah.....damn it.....” She fell to her knees, clutching her chest with one hand and using the other to brace against the century old tree bark.
“Are you okay!?” Emma rushed to her side the moment we landed next to her; she was obviously trying to provide some sort of aid but alas, her visibility wasn’t much better.
“I can’t believe....I’ve been reduced to such a pathetic state....how careless of me.” Mustering a dry laugh, the woman forced her body upright with renewed conviction.
“We’ll be out of here soon alright? I know this is taking a while, but I can’t seem to get a good lock on Olvier’s mana. I know he’s around here somewhere but I'm having a hard time pinning his location down. Liam....can you sense your father?” She didn’t even turn to face me with that question, either because her visibility was strained right now or because she already knew the answer.
“No...I can’t sense his mana...” I answered shamefully.
“I see....well, it doesn’t look like we have a lot of options here. The most we can do is just keep moving, even if Oliver’s already gone back to town the second he hears about what’s going on he'll come rushing right back.” The gravity of our current situation was certainly starting to weigh on Vreena’s shoulders, but she was still putting up a bold front to stave off our concern.
“Now then, let’s get going, shall we?” She jovially announced.
“U-um....” Before we were able to resume the grim journey, Emma’s shaky voice had commanded our attention. “Emma.....what’s wrong?” Vreena asked between ragged breaths.
“I’m sorry about all of this.... You two are suffering so much because of me. I really don’t know what ‘rune’ they’re talking about, but it doesn’t look like they plan on giving up without getting what they came for.” Her pent-up emotions were slowly spilling out with every word, almost as if to mimic the murky state of the dark clouds now giving way to the moon’s splendor.
“Emma it’s not your-”
“I hate this.....” Vreena’s attempt at consolation was immediately blown away by the girl’s rather morbid choice of words. The faint traces of moonlight peeking through the treetops illuminated her solemn visage now lined with tears, it was almost as if her true feelings were finally being laid bare. Her gaze slowly dropped to the thick wooden branch now serving as our foothold, sparkling droplets glided of her face as she clutched the frilly ends of her dress with trembling hands.
“This situation....it’s all because of me, I’m the one they’re after. I’m the one that's putting you through all this Liam...”
She paused for a moment, just long enough to allow the passing winds to flutter the strands of her chestnut brown hair and reveal the true depth of emotions now being conveyed by her eyes. The two azure irises that once sparkled like the precious gems were covered in a transparent fluid that dulled their brilliance with each passing second, the bright sparkle they once carried was now reduced to a dim glow that equated to nothing less than despair.
However, her regretful glare wasn’t being directed at me, it was instead meant for the woman at my side. I could clearly see it before, but now that the faint traces of moonlight were slipping through the dense veil of darkness, the facade she’d been trying so hard to maintain was immediately shattered.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
The robe covering her body ought to have been white, but right now two prominent crimson stains were corrupting the uniformity of her outfit. The point of origin seemed to be her left shoulder and the right side of her stomach, blood was soaking through the thin fabric of her outfit and staining our well-aged foothold with its crimson brilliance.
That same crimson color was now dying the hem of Emma’s dress, the exact same spot that her hand was now clutching. That must have been the reason behind her emotional turmoil, she immediately saw through the old woman’s facade the moment she got Vreena’s blood on her hands.
“I-I couldn’t do anything for my dad, and I was completely helpless when Isaac was poisoned, but there’s something I can do now. There’s a way for the two of you to escape, since you have mana, I'm sure you can pull it off. Leave me and-”
“No! That’s out of the question, we’re not leaving you here.” Vreena countered, her expression hardening on the spot. The startled girl took a step back as if recoiling from her sudden rejection.
Still, she pressed on.
“But I’m the one they're after! They need me alive so if I surrender here then you and Liam can go back and get help.”
Vreena tilted her head towards the drifting sky before taking a deep breath. That was enough to calm both her ragged breathing and frenzied mind, she approached Emma with a remorseful expression and stopped just within reach of the moonlit pillar of light now raining down on her.
“Emma, there’s something you need to know about your birth.” She spoke slowly, allowing the weight of her words to sink in, each syllable measured and deliberate.
Emma’s confused stare was interpreted as her inquisitive reply.
“First, let me tell you a little about runes. The things we call ‘runes’ aren’t from this world, but they have an enormous amount of mana so there are a lot of different ways to use them. One of those methods is in medicine, runes can be used to enhance the effects of potions and so on but.....”
Slowing her montage, she raised a hand to wipe away the stagnant flow of tears gliding off Emma’s cheek. It left a lasting impression on the right side of her face in the form of a crimson smear, yet Vreena simply smiled at the sight before continuing.
“......It’s impossible for a single person to completely absorb the power stored within a rune. They have to be diluted by being grounded into small bits and turned into special elixirs that can counterbalance the excess of foreign mana. It’s said that a person who does this will have their power raised exponentially by leveling up.”
“.....Level up? What does any of that have to do with me? I’m not a mage.” asked Emma, her teary eyes were practically begging Vreena for answers.
“I know, the leveling up part isn’t related to you, but the medicinal effects still apply. The potions that are enhanced by runes are called ‘high potions’ but they aren’t made using an entire rune. Small fragments of the real thing are enough to enhance these potions and that brings me to the differences between an ‘elixir’ and a ‘potion’. Elixirs are concoctions made in the hopes of boosting a mages power, while potions, regardless of their quality are simply magic items with the sole purpose of ‘healing’, so anyone can use them. However, the opposite isn’t true, if a normal person were to consume an elixir, then they would die because their body doesn’t have any mana to counterbalance the diluted essence of the rune.”
I already knew where she was going with this, but the entire forest seemed to have slowed to a complete halt, giving way for Vreena’s words to resonate like a distant echo.
“Emma.....before you were born, your mother, Beatrice was extremely frail. Giving birth to you and your twin brother Isaac was putting a considerable strain on her body and her poor health was starting to affect the two of you as well. The high–potions we fought tooth and nail to get were hardly having any effect and if things continued like that then Lennon would have lost his entire family.”
After hearing that, Emma’s conflicted expression slowly started morphing into disbelief.
“Your father was getting desperate......that’s why Lennon resorted to the unthinkable. He made an elixir and gave it to his wife under the pretense of it being just another high potion.” Vreena delivered the startling revelation in a tone steeped in bitter regret.
Her words had stolen the very breath from Emma’s lungs, she stood there speechless, mouth agape and her eyes recoiling in shock. She had probably forgotten how to even breathe right now.
“It was a gamble, one that was sure to fail if it wasn’t solely for the fact that you and Isaac were twins. Even if Beatrice herself wasn’t a mage, it seems the diluted essence of the rune was yet again watered down after being split between the three of you. Beatrice’s health significantly improved, and Isaac awakened as a mage at the late age of twelve. I can’t say for certain, but a similar fate might be in store for you Emma.”
“.....I had no idea....” she replied, now sounding more confused than ever.
“I’m sorry to drop this on you so suddenly, but now was as good a time as any to come clean about it. That’s why Emma.....”
Extending her arms, Vreena pulled the confused child into her embrace as if to bear the brunt of all her rampant emotions. Overpowering Emma’s sniffles and sobs, she spoke with a tone doused in unwavering resolve.
“It’s my job as the elder to protect both the rune and all the people here in Zale, and you fall into both of those categories. I understand how you feel, I felt the same way when those bastards backstabbed Lennon, so now, I’m going to right my wrong. It’s the least I can do as his friend.”
As I observed the melodramatic scene unfolding in front of me, a single outlier managed to completely bypass my guard.
“~What a touching tale~” That dreaded voice had originated from somewhere I least expected and before I could even react, a shining silver blade had already lodged itself in Vreena’s back.