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The Crystal-Eyed Scholar
The Crystal-Eyed Scholar: The Beginnings (Part 2 of 2)

The Crystal-Eyed Scholar: The Beginnings (Part 2 of 2)

After days of being out on the road, returning to civilization was almost refreshing. However, Vertilver was not as typical of a city as Ardentia was. Far from it, actually. Vertilver was shaped around a large hill in the center, with a wide valley extending around it. Hundreds upon hundreds of homes could be seen across the grassy areas, caravans moving to and fro from multiple buildings. In short, it lacked a sense of refinement, as if it were a piece of metal just emerging from an oven. As Iribshar and Korvan, not to mention her companion Orbarin, rode through the growing city, Irbishar could sense an overwhelming feeling of newfound opportunity here. And in such a short span of time from his last visit, he could hardly notice a similarity.

“The Trading Guild must really be dedicated to expanding this...this empire they’re so determined to have.” Irbishar thought. “It’s almost a bit frightening. They could raise an army out of this...”

“We need to finish the job, take this pile of firewood to the trading hub.” Korvan said blankly, keeping her eyes on the city all around them. “We’ll be leaving you at the Capital. Their leader will want to hear about the trip, considering he leads the Guild as well.”

Irbishar stood up, attempting to quickly brush himself off. “Mmm, hopefully he has a washroom. I’m not exactly in pristine form for political discussion. Speaking of, I’ve never met the man before. I know of his reputation as a powerful negotiator, though.”

Korvan suddenly grew quiet. She sat down at the other end of the wagon, pressing her fingers into the cotton.

“Dalverus Imperigo...to call him ‘powerful’ is an understatement. He is a beast of a man, but not in a scummy, thieving way. He holds himself like a proper gentleman, and yet...he speaks with the confidence of a mountain. I’d not mention this near him, of course. He holds his honor as one of his finest possessions, and hurting it is asking for trouble. But he...he seems reasonable enough. And considering how much power he holds over the future of international trades...I’d not wish to disrespect him anyways.”

She stood and gave Iribishar a hard slap on the back. “But you are a disarming enough man! Nothing to worry about at all! Plus, you have the word of High King Whist behind you. I doubt they’d not even try to lay a hand upon you!”

With another slap on the back, Korvan went back to the front, leaving Irbishar alone once more. He looked out as they began to rise above the city, going up the spiraling hill to the City Center...and despite everything, he couldn’t help but worry about what he would be dealing with in this strange city.

Korvan and Orbarin waved Irbishar goodbye, as they left him near the doorstep of the large City Center building, a luxurious place that seemed to be made of marble, or some other fancy material. There were two staircases leading up to a landing that beared the symbol of Vertilver, the Eagle with the gold coin in his eye.

“What a complete waste of design. I suppose a little pride in your work doesn’t help”

More than anything, Irbishar noticed how...official this place seemed. It felt like the centerpoint of a government rather than just for a city. Something about that worried him. Regardless, he ignored those feelings as he stepped through the main doors, entering the main lobby.

What he saw almost made the outside look modest by comparison. The lobby was fitted with three golden statues, two of which were of wolves, and the latter was clearly the man he was coming to see. It was hard to see distinct features from the shine of the lights all around them. As he entered, a frumpy man with a large pink suit approached. He wore a tall striped hat, as well as a light brown stringed moustache. Immediately, the words of the thief graced his brain again. He had mentioned this man.

“I assume that you are Mr. Irbishar Halrun, Chief Scholar of High King Whist?”

At least he’s classy

“That would indeed be me. And who do I have the honor of speaking to right now?”

“I am Augustus Horlylver, Assistant President of the Vertilvil District and the Guild. I shall be taking you to Mr. Imperigo’s office shortly. But first, I will take you to your room. We have much to discuss, and...I believe you might want to be cleaned up a bit. Mr. Imperigo is a bit...uptight about these things.”

He turned on one heel and began swiftly walking to one of the staircases in the back, to which Iribishar quickly followed. Even at his full walking speed, Augustus seemed to be even faster with such little effort, surprising for someone of his large build. After a few moments of walking down a lovely carpeted hallway, with golden-tinted lanterns all along the walls, he gestured to a solid wooden door on the right.

“I shall come to collect you in half an hour, on the spot. I’d try to not delay.”

With a small tip of his hat, the man bounded off again, leaving Irbishar on his own.

“What a strange man...” Irbishar muttered to himself, “I can’t even get a read on him...”

Shrugging his shoulders, he opened the sturdy wooden door, revealing a quaint little room with a fine mahogany bed, a well furnished desk in the corner, and more importantly, a washroom to the side. He spent no time stripping off his clothes and cloak, hopping into the tub and cleaning himself down to the bone. The water was heated artificially through a heating process he didn’t quite understand. He allowed himself to relax in it, the stress of the trip and of his inevitable meeting with Dalverus flowing away from him. The moment was fleeting, however, as he knew he needed to be prepared.

He found an outfit waiting for him in the closet near the bed, dark blue fancy long sleeved dress wear with a pair of cufflinks near the arms. Of course, he kept his cloak on over it, a light blue silk affair that bore the mark of Ardentia, an open book over the Shovernpoint Mountains, upon the sleeves. With his outfit on, he glanced into the mirror beside the door, and he realized one issue: his hair was parted over part of his face.

This was normally intentional, of course. Despite his reputation, many folks were generally unnerved by the mark he wore upon his left eye, not to mention the scarring all around it. They thought him a freak, as if he weren’t even human. He could recount quite a number of bullies who attempted to take it off of him when he was young, though this often failed due to the inherent magical nature of the artifact. Even so, it worried him to have to sport it with Dalverus. But he would understand, based off of his reputation, wouldn’t he?

Cutting off his reverie was a sudden knock at the door. It was Augustus, now bearing a somewhat more subdued pink suit. His cold eyes looked Iribishar up and down, as if appraising him.

“Mr. Imperigo is ready to see you now. You shall discuss your trip in his office, and then shall join him for dinner in the lounge. Is that understood?”

“I absolutely understand. Lead the way, my good man.”

Augustus made a small noise, one he couldn’t quite distinguish as either a sneer or a small pip of acceptance, but it bothered him regardless. The man swiftly turned and sped off towards the other hall, Iribishar once again struggling to keep up with his speed. They went up another flight of stairs, before entering a hallway different than the ones before it. The lanterns on the wall were all dimmed, and they barely illuminated the set of paintings on each wall. Stranger than this, however, several of the paintings had tears in them, like talons of a large bird. He attempted to ignore the fear beginning to linger in his chest.

“D..did he have an animal in here or something? What are these marks?”

“Mr. Imperigo likes to see a variety of rare creatures, but can’t head to the Southern Zoos often because of his work. So he often brings such creatures in here. But he’s a strong man, he can handle anything, no matter how threatening.”

He spoke of this as if he had given the same speech many times. His entire trip felt as that so far. He couldn’t quite shake what Korvan had suggested in the wagon earlier that day, that the entire affair was set up from the start.

“But that wouldn’t make sense. Why would a prosperous businessman need to get his own shipment ruined?” He strained his brain as Augustus opened the door, revealing a room almost as large as the lobby. And here it was that Irbishar laid eyes upon Dalverus Imperigo for the first time.

The rumors weren’t untrue regarding his appearance. The man that stood before him was massive. His large frame was hindered by his seemingly baggy clothes, a long shirt held up by a pair of suspenders that seemed like they were created for someone twice his size. His eyes were a fine hazel brown, and his face was mostly clear of facial hair, aside from a crescent of stubble that went from ear to ear around his chin. He gave a quick look of Irbishar as he entered, his face devoid of all emotion. Irbishar quickly gave a cordial bow.

“I am proud to be in your grace, your majesty.”

Dalverus gave a small nod of understanding.

“It’s good to see your rough trip hasn’t affected your chivalry, Chief Scholar. I must apologize again for that incident. The bandits have gotten rather out of hand in recent months. More and more of these attacks, my shipments being taken or destroyed by bandits...even as you were on your own voyage, another one of my wagons was being attacked, and they weren’t so lucky. You can see why this would be such a large issue.”

“As someone who grew up in the smaller towns in your district, I can say with confidence that I do. Our survival depended upon the trade caravans making their way to our lands.”

“I see! So you lived in one of the more northern towns.”

“Havenbrook, to be specific. My mother owns the restaurant in town, and my father trains the children in basic swordplay.”

“Admirable pursuits to have. I can respect those who work to help the betterment of their fellow man. It builds character, to come from so little to where one is now.”

“You should know that well, your majesty. Your reputation precedes you, as far as your rise from nothing to something grand. What were your parents like?”

Dalverus grew silent for a moment.

“I didn’t actually know my parents. They died when I was still a baby. If not for a wealth of luck and a group of curious monsters, I’d not have survived past my infancy.”

“Monsters? Of what breed, what kind?”

“I can’t say that I remember them...I’ve worked to forget some of those hardships, but I remember them as tall beings. Strong, too. Raised under them, I learned how to survive. It wasn’t until later that I became educated in language. But from that, I’ve risen to this point...to a point where we’re set to create a trading empire with the rest of the world.”

“So these bandit attacks are a bad thing?”

“Indeed they are. But I’m working to find ways to better guard my goods, should I expand. Hiring bodyguards like the ones you traveled with will be a good first step, especially for the southern countries in which those pirates run rampant...I’ll be able to deal with them personally, should I have to.”

“It seems like you have quite the high ambitions, your majesty. I hope that they fold out in the way you intend.”

Dalverus gave a smile. “That’s actually what I wish to discuss with you. My plans are clearly good for the land, in the end, but I’ll need the backing of a more powerful figure. This is why I hoped you would stay for a day, so I can show you through the whole plan, and to ask that you consider telling this to High King Whist. His world will allow me a bit more leeway with the leaders of the other countries.”

“I’d be happy to consider the matter, your majesty.”

“Excellent! Now, would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner?”

The two walked from the room, both men keeping their arms behind their backs as they walked and talked. Despite the pleasant conversations that they were having, the feeling of falseness that lingered off of Dalverus wouldn’t leave Irbishar’s mind. But he knew better than to confront the man outright. He’d have to simply ignore his growing doubts about the man who seemingly had it all.

After a terrific dinner of steak and potatoes, Irbishar retreated to his room, and laid upon his bed. Even in the darkened room, whenever he glanced at the wall closest to him, it glowed faintly from his left eye. For a moment, he placed a single finger on the copper trinket fused onto his face, and tried to remember what it was like to see normally. But all that came to him was the different shades of red, each and every time he looked out of that eye. It angered him, more than it had to.

His anger was offset suddenly by a knock at the door.

He paced over to the heavy wooden door, pulling his family dagger out from the holster it was in. He leaned against the door as intensely as he could.

“Who’s calling upon me this late?”

“A miss Korvan asked to be let in. She said she knew you.”

Irbishar sighed, his hand against his forehead.

“I suppose she does. Send her in.”

After a few minutes, she entered in the room. Unlike how she looked in the wagon, Korvan actually appeared as someone of noble stature. Her raven hair was tied in a bun, her armor and vest were replaced with a fine purple dress, with a small bundle of fur around her neck and arms. Irbishar gave a casual nod of respect.

“I’d like to know why you’ve bothered coming here.”

She snickered. “Ah, don’t be so rude. I’m just here to see if I was right after all. Heard you were in Imperigo’s graces the entire night. What did you think of the guy?”

He rested his finger on his chin. “He carries himself as if he was always in power. As if he were never on the streets, struggling for food. He talks like a true gentleman, and seemingly holds everyone else to that similar standard.”

“I’ve heard that one before. Most of the time, it ain’t true. Ain’t you even remotely curious about what he does in his lone times?”

“For someone dressed as you are, you sure speak like someone from the back country.”

Korvan looked rightfully insulted. She immediately followed her base instinct, and slapped him. Or she would have, if not for Irbishar stopping her before she even began her swing. She looked at him, and noticed he wasn’t even looking at her.

“How did you...?”

He tapped his left eye. “Strange piece, this is. I can tell myself that it’s awful because everything is an odd shade of red and black, but something about it is special, it is. I can see when others can’t, I can see some things even when I’m not looking...amongst other details.”

She looked at his eye for a moment. “You know, it doesn’t look half bad. Don’t get why you like covering it all the damn time.”

“Childhood woes, I’m afraid. Now, in serious answer to your question, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about our host...but I don’t have a chance to snoop around, not with him and Augustus lying about...”

She slapped him on the back again. “Say no more, Scholar. I overheard on my way in here that he goes out for walks around this time. I also know that Augustus takes to bed earlier than one would think, so he shouldn’t be a problem. Just...be quick about it. Use those frilly footsteps for something useful.”

“Wait, what the hell does that me--”

She had already made her way out the door, quickly descending the stairs into the now darkened lobby. He rubbed his eyes again.

“Well...couldn’t hurt to look, I suppose.”

Slipping his robe back on, he peeked out into the hallway, before pacing down the long hall towards the staircase, ascending to the top floor, and returning to Mr. Imperigo’s study. The room seemed so frightening in the dark, and so he quickly made to light a lantern and lock the door behind him.

Then he got to work.

Without delay, he dug carefully through all of the drawers, looking through files to find anything about his current host. Most of the documents were about trade deals, journals he had wrote about his expedition out to the Glacial Plains (he pocketed this just for safekeeping), and various personal memos

Then he found the locked file

He picked the lock as quickly as he could, despite the fact that his hands were shaking with a high degree of fear. He looked out the window every few moments to spot if Imperigo was coming back. Nothing changed. Opening the drawer, he saw only one item, a leather bound journal covered in notes...and partially dotted with blood. He opened to the first page, marked 30 years before then. He would have been a child.

“The snows are beginning to stop falling. I’ve been holding in frustration the entire winter...they say it’s not safe for me to be playing with the other kids, especially the bullies. I tell the caretakers that I can control it...but they don’t listen.

I’m going to sneak out...I’m going to be a person again.”

The next one was only a week later.

“I have left my home.

Or, my technical home. I wandered into the Plains...I’ve come so far...my anger is finally subsiding...I feel sick. I tried to be with them, last night. We were just going to play a game...and then he appeared...the bully that picked on all of the kids. He pushed my friend down, he punched him again and again, calling him a homeless idiot, that he wasn’t loved, that he was a failure through and through. I tried to stop him normally, but he hit me. And that did it. Angry-Me stepped in. And before I knew it, my fingers...or, my claws, were covered in blood. I couldn’t even recognize his face...I’m not fit to be here. I’m not fit to be here at all.”

Irbishar was suddenly more horrified than he had been. He turned towards the end of the journal, and found a list. A list full of plans for the future.

Consult with High Lord Whist (attempt to not frighten)

Expand Vertilver to become new capital city (remove surrounding small towns, Elmfurrow, Anchortile, Havenbrook, etc)

Slowly bring more Colossians in. Try to find nest, convince fullborn Colossians to rejoin society.

Begin takeover of Capital once army is large enough.

Expand South

As soon as he finished the last word, he heard footsteps accending the stairs in the distance. He threw the journal in his cloak, quickly tossing the rest of the papers back into the drawer. The footsteps got louder. It was too late. Without thinking, he leaped out the window, falling several stories. He could feel the ground approaching, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the impact.

When he opened his eyes, he was back in his room. He sat up quickly, his heart pounding. He looked at his legs, his arms. There wasn’t a break or scratch in sight. He felt inside his cloak, feeling the journal nestled safely inside of it. He fell backwards on his bed.

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“If I weren’t against it so...I’d thank whatever god is out there for not being dead...but how did I get here?”

He realized, remembering the earlier events, that his survival was the last problem that needed solving. More importantly, he had to deal with the biggest issue of all.

Only a handful of feet away, a monster was sleeping.

Dalverus Imperigo was a Colossian

Dalverus was looking out the window in the morning when he heard a knock at the door.

“Is that you, Halrun? I’d been expecting you. Come in! We can discuss the possible deal we’ll make for my company.”

Irbishar entered, a stern expression upon his face. He immediately made to lock the doors again.

“We do indeed have matters to discuss, Mr. Imperigo. Very important matters.”

His face remained still. “What is this about, Mr. Halrun? You have considered my offer?”

“I don’t think you’d care if I said no anyways. You’ll find ways. Just like you’ve done for all of the others, haven’t you?”

His eyes widened with understanding, as he quickly reached to the drawer with the journal. Iribishar laughed, and pulled it out of his coat.

“Now, let me see here...what would my king do with this information? He’d most likely denounce you...I don’t think it would do too well with the other countries, and your blooming trade empire...but we don’t have to get personal, do we?”

Dalverus’s veins popped at the side of his head for the briefest of moments. He snickered, and instantly after, began laughing a hearty booming laugh. He stood up, wiping tears from his eyes.

“My dear boy, let me ask you a question: Where does the money that funds your job, your place of work, every piece of construction that runs through your damned city come from? You can’t expect that you make all of it through tourism? Most of the other countries don’t even know how to read, some of them are having sex with horses! I, my idiotic friend, am the chief financier of not only my own trading empire, but of most of the Everfrost Expanse itself! Removing me from the equation would hurt your ‘king’ more than a few backdoor deals.”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re strong people. We’ll find a way to overcome whatever hurdle you try to put in our way. Your crimes against others will only get worse...especially if you get the rest of your kind involved.”

“Spoken like a true citizen of the Expanse. ‘My kind’, well...that seems rather presumptuous of you. No wonder they’re so damned sick of you humans.”

“You’re just as human as I am. You’re just letting the other half win. Now, I’m sorry for your troubles, but you’re not going to silence me.”

Iribshar turned to the door, just barely flipping the lock when he heard the sound of a wooden desk being grabbed.

“When did I GIVE you permission to leave!?”

Out of the corner of his left eye, he spotted the large mahogany desk being launched in his direction. Only by the skin of his teeth did he manage to avoid the heavy object from shattering his skull. As he looked upwards from his spot on the floor, he saw Dalverus’s hand extended, his arm having grown incredibly bulky and insanely long. His body pulsed with energy.

He held his head in his hands, his fingers becoming jagged claws. His body began to grow larger and larger, his legs suddenly bending in a way that seemed more like a beast than human. His mouth and face extended, his lower jaw stretching out to reveal a pair of fangs. His cold eyes stretched, and in a single blink, replaced with a simple glowing yellow color. His clothing pressed against his arms, the bagginess now making far better sense, as a tail shot from the back of his body, slamming into the wall and pressing against it. Finally, he stopped growing, as he hunched over in the now comparibly small room, his warm breath pressing heavily down upon Irbishar’s body.

“S-so...this is who you really are, Dalverus...t-this is all you are.”

“Don’t give some kind of lecture to me, Child of Knowledge. You think that I wish to remain in human form for so long? That I wish to poison my strength with such a weak body? Not only is your ‘king’ so against our kind, having forced us to leave the cities and hide in caves...I am also not a natural born Collossian...I cannot remain like this forever...but I have more than enough time to slaughter you!”

Before even Irbishar could react, he swiped with his large clawed hands, knocking them back into the solid wooden walls. Irbishar could feel a good splash of blood from the back of his head, his eyesight growing slightly woozy. He struggled to get back on his feet.

“It’s pathetic. Even you, Child of Knowledge, blessed with so much, can’t stop me. But you will go back to your king with a good report...even if I need to torture you long enough to do it. But, you deserve a reward for your failures thus far...”

He picked Irbishar up by the neck, his body limp in his hands.

“Havenbrook...has some debts that I need to collect. Why not just send a few friends to ‘collect’ them? Maybe even burn that damned restaraunt to the ground. I’m sure your folks would like that VERY much...”

He tried to raise his voice to argue, but he was once again tossed into the wall, finally sending him into a deep and troubled sleep. All that was left as he finally slept was the distant laughs of Imperigo, shrinking back to normal all the while...

He was surprised to be alive when he woke up. A light bandage was strewn against his head, and he could feel the damp traces of blood. It wasn’t the only damp thing, of course, as he realized when he tried to look around. The room was entirely dark, aside from a distant torch down the hall from the cell he was in. It was obvious he was in a prison of some kind. The events of earlier in the day came back to him, including Imperigo’s threat.

Right now, several Colossians were heading towards his home. To his parents. And he would be able to kill them without any cost to his reputation. Any survivor would simply claim that it was a rogue attack. More importantly, his attempts at extending a hand to non-human species would go down the drain. Whist would call for another execution.

Everything was going wrong.

In his state of panic, he broght his knees up near his face. He rested one hand upon his eye, gently tracing the outside. He felt like an idiot. What did he think would happen? That he could somehow convince him to not do what he was planning?! Of course he had thought out ways to deal with this. And now, he had just made the situation worse.

His panic attack was luckily interrupted by the sounds of quiet footsteps echoing through the halls. A lone figure could barely be seen through the dark, at least by most people. Irbishar could see the outline of a woman sneaking down the corridor.

“K...Korvan, is that you? How...what the hell are you doing down here?”

Korvan had returned to wearing her bodyguard outfit, her hair slightly more rustled than it had been. She pulled out her lockpick set, already attempting to break him out.

“I saw you getting taken down here. I might not care for you, but I know a good egg when I see one. I suspected that Imperigo had done something to ya.”

“You don’t know the half of it. Dalverus is a Colossian, shockingly enough. And he’s heading to my hometown to burn it to the ground. How long has it been since you saw me?”

“It’s been several hours, I would reckon. They’ve been heading there for a while.”

Irbishar slammed his hand on the wall. “Damn it! They’re probably already there, or at least on the edges of town...how the hell do we stand to catch up to them?”

As Korvan opened the gate, a laugh echoed through the hallway. Irbishar looked upwards in his cell. To his shock and confusion, a human figure was standing on the ceiling. He seemed no more concerned with it than one getting a drink of water. Even through the dark, his face was not able to be seen, considering that he was wearing a mask and a hat.

“Such a fate you seem to stand

A deadly beast, much worse than man

But never fear, for I stand by

Waiting to help those who cry.”

Korvan tossed a pebble in his direction, to which the man avoided by simply leaping back to the ground. The stranger raised his left arm, as his hand suddenly exploded into green flame. Irbishar and Korvan leaped backwards, shocked by this display of power. They could see that his mask was covered with a series of runes.

“I am Quimble Lackie, or Quimble the Quick

Whichever one will help it stick

I have powers beyond compare

Including the ability to teleport...anywhere”

Korvan looked entirely skeptical. “Tele...you mean you can move between places with magic? That’s impossible! Magic’s been gone for generations.”

Quimble nodded at this.

“That is true, they are ancient, no longer made new

But I’ve lived for as long, so I could talk to you.”

“But that’s...Scholar, are you buying this?” Korvan turned to Irbishar, whom had his hand rested on his chin.

“What have we got to lose, really? Do you see a better way that we can make it to Havenbrook before that bastard makes it there? If he can actually teleport people, what do we have to lose?”

He grabbed Quimble’s hand, and with slight hesitation, Korvan grabbed the other. Quimble let out a great burst of laughter.

“Accepted his fate! He has! He Has!

Now let us go kick that monsters ass!”

And with one blink, the three of them landed in the center of Havenbrook. The citizens scattered in the square all fell backwards, amazed and frightened by the sudden appearance of 3 strange figures suddenly materializing in town. Korvan and Iribishar both fell to their knees, the former only feeling sick, the latter throwing up on the grass just outside the square. A woman approached Irbishar from the side.

“Irbi...is that you? Is it really you?”

Irbishar looked up to the woman, recognizing his mother’s face. Her blue eyes were marked with suddenly blooming tears, as she brought him back to his feet, and embraced him. Irbishar was hesitant for a few moments, but he proceded to do the same.

“I’d thought you had forgotten about us, Irbi...Your father thought you’d not come home again..”

“You know as well as anyone that it wouldn’t be true. But I wish I could have returned here on better terms. He...Dalverus, he’s coming.”

Isabella tilted her head. “What...you mean that...”

She turned to Quimble, who was in the process of growing a flower out of his hand, similar to the one resting on the ground currently. He gave her a small nod of understanding.

“I said it once, I worked for Time

His song had told me to stop this crime

Or, at least...I thought....

But maybe he’s gone, or maybe he’s not...”

He suddenly looked more worried than he ever had. He quickly walked to Irbishar, pulling a small pouch out of his pocket, and setting it in his hand.

“I have no time to speak, so let’s be quick

So take this in, and let it stick.

You are in something you don’t quite grasp

An entire network that can’t be clasped

You don’t quite see yet, this is fine

The gem in the bag will get you in line

I wish you good luck, Child of Knowledge

And let it be known, it’s you I acknowledge”

With one last tip of his hat, he snapped his fingers, once again disappearing into a place unknown.

Irbishar opened the bag before his mother could protest, and inside, resting inside a smaller case, was a small blue gemstone. Irbishar inspected it as best he could, despite its miniature size.

“What the hell could he have meant? That this would...who even was that?”

Isabella shook her head.

“I’ve got few answers as well, Irbi. That man had come into the restaurant a few days ago, saying equally vague things. I thought he was just a madman, but...if what you’re saying is true...”

Korvan stepped in. “It is, ma’mm. Dalverus Imperigo is a Colossian. He’s coming with two of his buddies, and they’ll be looking to burn down this place. I’d recommend we begin basic defenses, as they’ll likely be here within the next hour or so.”

Isabella looked over at Korvan, sizing her up for the briefest of moments.

“Who’s this, Irbi? She a friend of yours? Or is she...”

Iribishar interrupted her. “We don’t have time to talk about this! Also, please, stop calling me Irbi. It’s embarrasing. Where’s Dad right now?”

“He’s just resting on the second floor of the Restaraunt right now. Go see if he can help. I’ll start getting people out of town.”

“And I’ll begin assisting the men on placing basic defensive structures.” Korvan added in.

With their plans set, each of them headed off to their assigned task.

Irbishar slowly walked towards his family restaurant, despite the urgent nature of the situation. He looked at the gemstone again, as if it would suddenly reveal its true purpose with sight...

And that was when it hit him.

Running to a barrel of rainwater, he glanced upon his reflection, and looked straight to his left eye. Marked along the edges of the upper half, several small inserts were there, something Irbishar had never questioned to this point. Delicately taking out the gemstone, he placed it inside one of the inserts, and it suddenly locked itself in. He could feel a newfound surge of energy inside of himself, so intense that it made him close his eyes tightly.

When he opened them, he saw that he was seeing in blue. Not Red

He looked all around him, observing everything around him. He looked like a child in a candy store, as the local hunter walked over to him, confused by his sudden gaze.

“Irbishar, are you alright? You look drunk.”

Irbishar glanced at the man, and saw a most peculiar sight. He saw several marks at various points on his body, like shining lights. One near the neck, one near the stomach, one near both arms, and one right at the forehead. He needed to test if his growing ideas about this power meant.

“Morvoe, stand in your prepared ready position with your sword, as if I were a Vulvern.”

Morvoe looked confused, but he did as such. Instantly, the glowing points changed, moving towards his foreword leg, and his sword hand. He realized, finally, what this meant: He could see openings against his opponents, ways that he could strike in. With this revelation in stride, he gave a hard blink again, and his eye returned to its red state. So that was how he could transition.

He thanked the hunter, and ran to his father’s room as swiftly as he could.

He found his father praying.

Having seen that his family restaurant was entirely evicted, he immediately had navigated to the small chapel that he had gone to on many Days of Worship. His father had never quite accepted Irbishar’s disdain for the religious practices, but he knew well enough to not force it upon him. He rested on his knees in front of the altar, a large being with hundreds of sharp hands, and a singular eye. His only designation was The Creator. Irbishar quietly entered as to not interrupt his prayer. His father’s voice was filled with the tragic inevitability of age, but at that moment, he sounded younger than he had ever heard him before.

“Please, I pray to you...Creator, stand with us. Let us remain strong despite the encroaching threat...despite the bitter winds of war whispering upon the distant peaks...let us see a bounty of beauty return to us once again.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve tossed that one out there. Strange how I remember you using it after my injury...all those years ago.”

The man slowly rose to face his son, his grizzled face showing signs of battle and wear. Even with his weakened figure, he still held himself tall with confidence, a look of pure determination upon his face. This was the man his mother had told stories about. This was Rosmarius Halrun.

“My son, it has been many years. I’ve kept tabs on your work. I do not approve, at least on some things...but it is clear that you’ve made good impressions upon the king. I believe we should get ready. Those monsters will be here any minute.”

He slowly pulled his sword out of his sheath, and confidently walked forward. Irbishar switched his eye again, looking as the man walked past. He felt no greater sense of pride then the eye not detecting any openings upon him.

The town was still.

Those who were not able bodied had left thanks to Isabella’s assistance. Those who were, which were plenty, as the community consisted of farmers, and those Rosmarius had trained over his many years, were currently situated at the southern gates, behind a series of barricades laced with various sharp spikes. It was there that they waited for the approaching forces, waiting for the beings that legend had said could destroy entire cities with enough people.

Finally, the lookout shouted.

“THEY’RE COMING!!”

And with those single words, they spotted the beasts swiftly approching. Irbishar spotted one wearing odd pink clothing. It had to be Augustus, meaning he was a Colossian too. They had a third companion, whom he was unaware of. And leading the charge, and somehow bulkier than all of them, was Dalverus, his eyes enraged to see that their arrival wasn’t truly unexpected. He stopped the three of them from charging, standing several dozen yards from their baracades.

“I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon, Child of Knowledge. I’ll not even ask how you made it here. But you’re not going to change anything. Me and my boys shall slaughter your entire village, burn everything to the ground! How does that sound?”

“I know that’s retorical, Dalverus. Besides, you can’t kill me. You kill me, you lose the backing for your supposed ‘trade empire’. Hell, I can have it go the other way if I want. My suggestion? Turn around, we’ll forget this happened.”

“You’re a poor negotiator. You usually need to be in a place to MAKE demands to demand something. Alright, boys, do what you do best.”

The beasts leaped at the defences at the same time, Dalverus in particular heading after Iribishar. The walls were instantly destroyed, as people began screaming and taking up emergency positions. Irbishar looked at Dalverus in the eyes, goading him to begin the chase again. And he did indeed do so, following the scholar through the town square. He turned to face the charging beast, blinking hard as he did so. Dalverus swung high with his wretched claw, and the light shined directly at the attacking side’s hip, to which Irbishar dove towards and struck with his family dagger. Unlike the rest of his body, the wound actually connected, a small dribble of dark red blood sliding downwards. Dalverus hardly seemed to notice, as he swung low this time, his fingertips dragging into the dirt. The light shined directly on his arms, at the joints, and he dove forward again, slashing at it with sublime accuracy. The beast noticed this one, and staggered slightly, allowing Irbishar to strike two blows to his legs as he tumbled over.

He rose again, however, and looked at Irbishar, his face molding into a somewhat cocky smile. Irbishar retained his own serious expression.

“I see that you’ve obtained a new color for your...item...I had suspected something was off when you came here...I’ve been researching that item, you see...sending that information to interested parties...even if I lose this fight, I’m still winning in the end.”

“Interested parties...what are you talking about?”

“The 12 Tribes, Child of Knowledge. They grow more restless by the day. This land is tainted with the blood of their ancestors. Few would seek to defend you humans, many wish to see you exterminated...a few have already made their way into your borders, one way or another...even I can admit, what we’re doing now isn’t the worst of it...heh”

He regained his footing, and used Iribshar’s state of confusion to suddnely grow larger. He rose to the same size as some of the buildings, and sent Irbishar through a wall, slamming into a hard wooden counter. He could feel his back snapping, or at least parts of it. He held in the scream, knowing his attacker would want nothing more than to hear it. He closed his eyes and waited for his giant foot to smash through.

And it did smash through. Just not in the way expected.

Irbishar heard not his own scream, but one of Dalverus’s. As he peered upwards, he spotted Korvan with her blade deep inside his right eye, attempting to hold onto the flailing beast. Dalverus eventually managed to shake her off, falling backwards into the house beside them. His body returned to normal Colossian size, as he cradled his bleeding eye socket. His howls rang out of him like a dog, and he slowly rose to his feet again.

“I’ve no time for this...GOD DAMN, that BITCH! I’ve gotten what I needed! Boys, let’s leave this place!”

Dalverus quickly bounced away, and Irbishar could hear the other two beasts leaving in similar fashion. He only saw Korvan approaching him as he passed out once more.

When he awoke, he noticed the distinct lack of pain in his spine. He would later find out from his father that Quimble had returned for the briefest of moments, healed his back, and wished him good tidings. He also left a bucket of tiny seals, for no other reason than ‘pure amusement’. He rested in his bed, looking out at the sun slowly making its way across the horizon. He heard a knock at the door.

“Come in! I’m dressed.”

Korvan slid in quietly, standing at the foot of his bed.

“I’ve come...I’ve come to ask for a request, sir.”

“You don’t need to be so formal with me. What is it?”

She bit her lip, the only weak emotion he had seen upon her face.

“Obviously, my actions against Dalverus would most likely mean my termination as a Bodyguard amongst his caravans...but it seems that you are in need of protection.”

“Me?! I can fight for myself, thank you very much!”

“I could point out at least 40 different openings you gave him earlier. You’re lucky he just took the one. You might have a magical eye, ‘Irbi’, but you’re not immortal you know. I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

“Hey, you better not make that a hab--”

She had closed the door before he could even finish his sentence, his fingers grasping at nothing. He laid back down and glanced at the sun again. Maybe...maybe he could use a little help. He knew, deep inside, that something bad was coming. That something would be lurking on the other end of the road. That the battles would only grow more plentiful, take greater lives, make a more destructive world.

He knew, as Dalverus had said, that the ‘12 Tribes’ were coming.

And he would be ready for them.

END

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