In cosmic symphony, I'm enveloped, the universe's secrets unfurl,
Whispers of galaxies and dreams, unfathomable mysteries in every swirl.
- Thoubose
ROMAN
The fear still gripped Roman relentlessly as his horse trotted down the dirt road. The past two hours felt unreal, a perpetual nightmare he struggled to awaken from. Tears flowed more slowly now, tracing paths through the blood that stained his face. The horrid images of his daughter's final moments haunted him—the trauma she must have endured, even worse than the revulsions he had seen with a career on the battlefield. The image of her lifeless form remained etched in his mind, an indelible mark.
A mother’s sacrifice to protect her child—such a tragic scene, one he never imagined he would witness. But here, he was a witness to his daughter’s tragic story, now unable to detach from the playback. And then the aftermath he was now living, the loss of his precious daughter’s short life and a city filled with death. He wasn’t there to shield her or save his people. To seize those crucial moments he might have had if he had just been a little later getting ready, or if he could have forced more people to flee. The relentless cycle of “what if’s” tormented him regardless.
At least with the time he had been gone, it had to have been a quick death, the thought of only barely finding solace in that of all things was sickening him. The only thing keeping him sane, keeping him moving; was the little face with that gummy unknowing smile looking back at him as his blood-soaked tears made their way onto the little ones’ forehead from time to time. That, and vengeance. But commanders don’t get to where they have gotten by being hasty with vengeance. It will come, like a hailstorm on a glass house.
“Curse those bone fools…” he finally got the courage to say out loud, alone. His voice rough and shaky. It had been the first time he had spoken since he first got out of the city, outside sobbing incoherent things. His mind was finally starting to clear a bit, his resolve slowly gaining. “What are we going to do now Theodore” he looked at Theo, not for answers, more as a sounding board to keep himself from curling up into a ball of grief. As Roman gathered his wits, something about the event began not sitting right. The mind clearing more and more, while paranoia started to grip his heart in the same intervals.
That guy, saying they would just wait to pick him up at the bottom of the sea and there was an ambush party at the first crossroads. They must have more people looking for you if they went to such lengths. By now they could have established more groups to watch the roads, especially knowing how the Valarian land is a large peninsula that leads directly into Caesar. They could tighten a perimeter easily to find whatever they are looking for.
Roman looked up in panic. “We should get off the road little buddy, we are going to be coming across another crossroads in a few kilometers at the least. People might be looking for us, and not the good kind of people.” He pondered aloud as he weighed his options. “Where could we go, and how can we disappear from trace. No doubt they are looking for babies as the first party was instructed.” Roman jumped off the horse he got from Tad and sent it back towards where they came with a pat on its rear, making up his mind without hesitation. “It’s probably best we leave the road for now and it will be easier to sneak around without you, big guy. I’m sorry friend. May the trail lead you to someone in need, and not to our enemy.” He voiced hesitantly as the steed left his sight.
Roman made his way towards the tree line and vanished as he activated a passive natural cloaking spell from the essence in his gem. “I might be aided by essence to be soundless, but your screams aren’t, please help me out little buddy.” Roman pleaded, not for understanding, but in hope. Theo seemed to nod in understanding, Roman brushing off the absurdity as he continued.
Roman treaded in silence for a few hours, his thoughts echoing relentlessly while paranoia began to coil around him. Each unexpected environmental creak, a spectral remnant in his mind of his muted steps hitting something potentially unworldly. The constant intrusions morphed into a haunting specter, and every gentle breeze twisted into malevolent tricks, adding an unsettling layer to the night. It took all his resolve to not hinder at the constant guiles. He paused when he came upon a river snaked between two smaller ridges, a forest that looked to be void of life on one side of the river. “This should be all his trickery, here we go Theo, we are getting somewhere now. I know a scout; he lives on the mountain, and I think he would be perfect to help us lay low for a bit. Who knows, maybe he will even help us a bit more while at it!” Theo looked up at him without a clue, smiling wide.
“Depends… you tripped me wards a long while back Roman. Took only a few seconds to realize who yous were. Yous know the Imperial uniform, pretty good cloakin – all much more than a simple rune can do.”
Roman turned to face Gerald lowering his hood. The clever smile that had been on his old friend’s face turned to horror as he noticed the caked blood. His pail blue eyes grew wide in absolute terror.
“Yous hurt boy?” He paused looking at Theo. “What’s this here? A babe? The babe ok? Yous ok? You got a baby? What’s goin on here boy? Spill some beans!”
“My word, one at a time Gerald. Not hurt, but there is a guy who painted my apartment… I would say it was a pretty lousy paint job in the end.” A smile forced itself from Roman’s lips, until he grimaced slightly at the thought of the other person’s blood in his now rubble of an apartment, although it was probably under the sea by now.
Gerald catching his grimace, placed a firm but gentle hand on Roman’s shoulder after adequately checking him and Theo over. “Acolytes, me boy! Let’s get inside, come! Yous can tell me all about this, it’s safe. No one within dozens of kilometers, rest assured, wards be me specialty.”
“Yeah, I thought I was having hallucinations back there while Theo seemed unbothered happily smiling away.”
“Sorry bout that. Wonder why the baby wasn’t affected? I would think it would be most terrifying.”
Once inside, Roman relayed the events of the past few hours to Gerald, who listened patiently and offered condolences when it was hard for Roman to continue at times. It took some time for him to fully relay the story, but Gerald was a good listener when all was said and done.
…
“Yous say he never needs to eat, that’s fascinatin.” Gerald stared at the infant, trying to piece together the puzzle of Roman’s day.
“Yeah, the issue is he never sleeps, just keeps growing. It’s bizarre. We were at our wit’s end trying to manage him round the clock. I’m not sure what my daughter got into—maybe there’s some blessing for being the destined blood king to a nation backed by an acolyte. But Vlad is a big guy, and he eats a lot, so he should have the same blessing, right? It doesn’t make sense why Theo doesn’t need any form of sustenance. Maybe the line develops a taste for food, but this little guy hates it in every aspect. It’s one of the few things he screams about.”
“Hmmm, it’s hard to say. Yous say he’s been growin? Could be some kinda rare gene where he sucks in essence.”
“Maybe?”
“Yous think that is why them men in black are tryin to get him. Them milky stones gonna take his powers or some type of voodoo for themselves, or for weapons?” Gerald asked incredulously.
“Just as new to this as you are Ger.” Roman quipped.
“Not really, four hours ago was prunin’ me peach trees before spring hits!” Gerald grabbed some wood to add to the dwindling fire the men were sitting in front of.
“Alright, I see your point. Not about the peach trees, but you know just about everything I know on this now. We have to figure something out.” The light in Roman’s eyes starting to dwindle from the snuffed-out impact the day had made on his life.
“Don’t mind yous both staying as long as yous need, it should be safe here. Yous think them men are really goin to keep lookin even with the water like you said it was? Oh wow, this could be the king right? If Vlad and his boy died in the after floodin!”
“I don’t want to think about that right now and I definitely don’t want to just wait here in case some brotherhood is hunting us. If we wait too long, we might find ourselves boxed in from all sides. We need to get one step ahead, since we are already three steps behind. I need to understand the extent of this, but I am not sure how exposed I am and if these people even know to look for me. I think I need to ask you for a favor my friend” Roman looked sincerely at Gerald in a way he knew Gerald understood what was needed.
“Where yous think be best?” It was all Gerald needed to say to put a warm smile back on Roman’s face and brighten his eyes.
“Euort, maybe Bendville if you don’t see anything right away.” Roman walked over and pointed to the two sections on the map Gerald had hanging on a wall in his cabin. He traced the lines of the roads with his fingers and then made various gestures as he noted distances. “Our friends might be close bye if you want to see if they have any details.” He noted the keep in the adjacent county.
“Say no more, yous know who the best is.” Gerald winked. “Time is of the essence, since it is dark and that’s a bit of distance.” Gerald finished his drink and began gathering up some necessities for his foray. “Get some rest, oh right… well nothing is off limits. The backroom has nothing but art on the walls if you need an empty place for the little guy to play while you sleep. It’s my art so, don’t worry if he gets to it.” Taking an extra moment to hug one of his dearest friends and tussle Theo’s black, lightly silver accented hair, Gerald then walked out the door and disappeared without saying another word.
GERALD
Euort was the first village outside Caesar, a major crossroad benefactor. If there was anywhere to find out what was going on, it would be the best place to start. Caesar was located on the tip of a peninsula, such made this really the only road in and out, unless these bandits were traveling through forest unknown to them at a much slower pace than horses could travel. He was confident that they would be using horses as outsiders to cover the larger distances quickly, so they should be sticking to the roads.
As Gerald got to the outskirts of the town through the forest trails he was accustomed, he noticed some out of place figures slunk into the shadows of the crossroad that lead to the entrance of the town. “What we have here, Gerry?” Gerald whispered to himself as he peered through the foliage, years of being a nature loving hermit in the woods created some hard to break habits.
Searching through his set of runic tablets, more or less a bunch of runes embossed on various types of stones of all shapes, fastened to a ring for ease of flipping. He found his green rune of cat ears and activated it, then finding his purple enhanced sight rune – rune of true site, activated that as well. As he did so, his hearing became amplified supernaturally, now able to hear a kilometer away and his sight was enhanced to a similar distance, depending on how he focused it. Focus and range also determined the amount of power the effect needed to leach from the stored runes while active.
Looking past the two now clearly visible black clad men each adorning Skull logos on their left breast and on the backside of their cloaks, he could see the faint glint of a campfire deep in the woods behind the men. “Ah, found me a camp it seems? Better get a proper vantage.” Gerald, switching nature runes, took to climbing the nearest tree; Silently stalking towards a better vantage of the camp and its’ inhabitants through the canopy with the dexterity of a monkey, his runes built for stealth and dissuasion.
…
“I am livid we haven’t gotten any word back!” a guttural tone filled Gerald’s enhanced ears as he winced to turn down his runic sense mentally, upon swapping back to the cat ears rune, still a fair distance from the campfire for his subtle rune activation to remain undetected by most Gemini, a talent he often practiced in his youth.
“My whole platoon hasn’t reported back yet, a score of my better men.” A Valarian man with jet black greasy dreadlocks sitting next to the campfire said to his blond, large statured comrade whose face was out of Gerald’s site. The man with dreadlocks emerged from the shadows, his face catching the flickering firelight. Three scars, resembling a savage slash of a beast, marred his visage, leaving his left eye with a milky white iris and pupil. His entire face bore tattoos, etched in a crude, poke-and-stick style, forming an intricate tribal skull. A sinister depiction of a witch doctor adorned with skull and bones, interwoven with ominous crossing stitch designs. As the firelight caught his appearance, his voice echoed in the clearing with a cautious undertone, “What did you have them get into?”
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“Why did yous have to say voodoo Gerry?” He muttered to himself as he inched closer for a clearer view of the men at the campfire. The tension hung thick in the air as the man with face etched tattoos confronted the assumed leader. The air seemed to vibrate with an ominous energy.
“There is no way we wouldn’t have heard from them by now, Ranjoon. They must have been compromised, which means something went wrong. I had all the contingencies thought through.” The man growled, his voice a harsh, deep grunge of a tone. His fist clenched, pounding his bench rhythmically, as if brute force could help unravel the mystery. “I underestimated something. The bastard’s grandfather, maybe?” He muttered to himself, the words carrying an unsettling weight. “The timing was just all off.”
A man swiftly rode into camp on horseback, looking scared to report any news at the current hour, but reluctantly gave the message. “Sir the swell still hasn’t fully receded yet from what our scouts say. We have had the divers down there and boats looking as close as they can get. There is no sign of the infant. Ace squad was mostly recovered, but not alive. And.” He paused worried about the final bit of news before continuing quickly. “A contingency was slaughtered at the Caesar outskirt crossroads. One pebble seemingly being the only thing needed to down every one of the men.”
The campfire blazed ten meters in height as a booming voice yelled in what seemed like agony. When he finished yelling, there was a pause. “Fine!” He shewed the man on the horse away who hastily retreated back down the path he traveled from, needing no further reason to stay around the raging leader. “Ozouf is going to make an example out of our order if we don’t clean this up! We might have promised too much. It was supposed to be child’s play!”
“What does the banished king have to do with this? That was a lot of fire essence, no mere attuned rune caster.” Gerald thought, as his mind flooded with self-conceived conspiracy theories. “This guy is important, and if he has a gem, this organization ain’t no slouch.”
“What did we promise?” Ranjoon’s voice quivered softly. “Skullpin?” The sound was difficult to hear, as the voodoo man flinched, fearful of asking too much in this Gemini’s presence after the outburst. “What were my men supposed to do? I gave you full autonomy, don’t doubt my full-fledged faith, but I...” Ranjoon paused, nervously looking down trailing off.
“The baby acolyte for one hundred kilos of mithril, an unbound peridot of decent size and power to do what we want, and the Skulls to head the trade network in the new world.” A smugness entering Skullpin’s tone. “Soon our order will be compensated for the vast underground network we established for the Norrænn’s while they have been banished.”
“There’s a lot to process there, boss. I know you have been away for some time, but there’s a baby Acolyte? I think you need to explain a bit more so I can be on the same page. I lost my best men today.” Ranjoon looked away not wanting to overstep.
“I just got back Ranjoon, from the island. Firstly, you need to know how difficult it used to be to get on that thing and secondly, you need to have some faith.”
“What do you mean ‘used to be’”.
“Navigating the banished island is no longer the formidable challenge it once was. It’s where I was when we orchestrated the banner call — the very island that holds a profound connection to the roots of our organization. Reconnecting with the homeland has been our paramount goal, the driving force behind all of our relentless efforts. Our forefathers suffered great losses because of the banishment. But, in the hidden corners and shadows, we clung to hope. It’s the main message we have been pushing since the split.”
“I know all that.”
“Stop interrupting!” the voodoo man hunched at the comment. “Today, I proudly hold the position of Erik's second-in-command. During my time on the island, I successfully reclaimed my family's title, helping our clan mark a poignant reunion with our long-lost homeland.” He let the thought sit before continuing. “Despite the years that passed since my grandfather collaborated with Erik, the bonds of trust, particularly at the familial level, proved resilient. This was especially true considering the historical connection, as the skulls were once the exclusive network they used during their campaign. Rekindling those ties required time and effort, hence my prolonged absence. This journey was beyond your knowledge as my apprentice, but I ended up being there at the most opportune time. And oh what an opportune time it was!” he paused, a snide expression on his face.
“You keep tempting me to interrupt you, I swear!”
“Oh, Stop your grumbling! I am not! Only our inner circle was privy to my expedition until the need arose to share the details with a broader circle. Traversing forbidden Acolyte lands held significant risks, and, as a principle, the fewer who were informed, the better. These matters are not suitable for correspondence via letters when we operate at the ut most secrecy.”
“Well, can I know now, all the details? You dragged me all the way out here, calling my banner which you are lucky we even still recognize and follow with the Skulls being disbanded unofficially when the split happened, then with you vanishing for so long. We have made an overabundance of riches from this underground network we established, alone, without needing them. The men question why we are mobilizing and have every right to.” He cleared his throat to cover the lack of confidence in his tone, changing angles. “Those that were lost were good men. It’s extremely difficult to keep Norrænn’s on this continent in groups that large, without raising suspicion. That was most my lot. Losing just one of those blood thirsty brutes is a setback in power, but eight.” An eager plead in Ranjoon’s voice.
“FINE! Let me just start from the beginning, but don’t cut me off with questions! I see that not much has changed. I swear you are like a toddler with your why, why, why’s.” Skullpin warned harshly, before continuing. “Erik Ozouf found a way to kill the Acolytes, not only that, but a way to trap them powerless, with these runes.” Skullpin paused to open a bag secured to his hip full of black rocks with the same rune and color to what Roman had described. “He inscribed these with a new type of gem and gave me a bunch for what we need to do. I hoped to see if your team was able to test them out effectively, but we will have to try the remaining out in the future. I will need to train the men how to use them. Anyway, his plan worked, and he killed two of the Acolytes, Flo and Ventum. I was there when he got Flo and I landed the final blow on Ventum.”
“Wait, you killed an Acolyte!”
“I don’t like your interruptions” Skullpin’s tone sharp. “And of course, I killed an Acolyte” smugness filled the man’s tone. “We used this black stone called Obsidian to do the job. The thing was wicked looking, you should have seen it. It seemed to leach light from the surroundings instead of reflecting it like most polished gems or stones. The material was an odd thing to witness and had a unique property that can reverse aging but didn’t bind to people like gems. Erik let me use it to sacrifice some essence slaves to gain years onto my life, something like that hopefully he can share with more of us once we complete this task.”
“I thought you looked a lot younger.” Ranjoon quickly stated before looking down anticipating an accompanying chastisement.
The man straightened in posture, a smile forming at his lips at the declaration. “Anyways” he continued. “The problem with the whole thing was they reincarnate, he has the Flo one confined, but the Ventum’s life essence got away with help from the wind. We assume. Either way, my task, and subsequently yours now, is to track the little bastard down. A little bastard who also is the heir to the Valarian Kingdom surprisingly, perhaps there is something to that.” he pondered quickly before getting back on task. “Either way, when we return him to Erik, we are going to reclaim our place on top of the new world!” Skullpin grunted in satisfaction.
Gerald froze; his senses assaulted by an unfolding reality he couldn't fathom. Acolytes, revered heroes, being not just targeted but slain! The words echoed in his mind, each syllable a painful revelation. As he grappled with the unbelievable, fragments of recent events, the strange weather, and unprecedented natural occurrences began solidifying the words the man spoke. Anguish and fury welled within him, contemplating the unthinkable act of someone extinguishing the lives of their cherished heroes.
“So, you finally got the gem you needed and the metal, all in one shot?” Ranjoon excitedly questioned his master, interrupting Gerald’s boiling over emotions for the moment.
“You bet I did! The delicate nature of the task required them to paid in advance.”
“Did you bind to it?” the apprentice’s voice was dripping with anticipation.
“You bet I did!”
“Oh man! A double Gemini! I can’t even begin to imagine the raw power of one.” Ranjoon paused. “Does it work like you thought?”
“It seems a bit stubborn, but it eventually does what I need. I just need more time with the beauty. Watch!” a separate bag near the man’s feet opened up and after a few moments and cursing from the Gemini a silver metal oozed out, as if molten, wrapping around the man as he mentally nudged his own gem to push his new to react quicker. The metal settled in a perfect casing around Skullpin’s skin, leaving his armor still exposed.
“And there’s the Mithril too! Oh, my acolytes!” Ranjoon nearly fainting in disbelief, not even noticing the delay as he prodded the metal skin with a dagger, it being harder than any steel he had come across, even in the metals flowing state.
“Now all we have to do is find the bastard and bring him to Erik. It was supposed to be a walk in the park, but things didn’t start well. I won’t blame us, we didn’t get the intel quick enough that he and his elites were starting the tsunami early, idiotic carrier pigeons didn’t make it in time. They were blown off course apparently. Guess there was just too juicy of a reason to kick it off before the original plan. Some kind of military assembly with a large portion of the Valarian troops stationed in the city.”
“What’s with the Tsunami?” Ranjoon questioned.
“It’s the start to the invasion. Erik means to finish what he started, adding those that wronged him most to his hit list. He has been consolidating power, waiting for his moment to strike. He picked the heart of the Valarian kingdom knowing It’s where a majority of the population lives. The Acolytes are gone and now can no longer hold him back. Soon the sea will be blotted out by ships on the horizon.”
“What do you want us to do?” Ranjoon asked.
“We just need to find the baby. We already started with you and your men here. Now we must enact Plan B. We need to message our contacts in all the major peninsula cities and watch all the roads leading in and out of them. We have a good choke point in Bendville, we already fully infiltrated the town and will seize the citizens soon. Outside the town we placed two encampments in the forests, to help with a scout barrier. If it takes too long we will fan out in all directions to the farmsteads, hamlets, and woods from there and march inwards if we need. It’s only a matter of time.” the smugness in Skullpin’s tone made Gerald start to sweat nervously.
“What if they already got past us?” Ranjoon questioned.
“Chances are slim. If the baby escaped with anyone, they wouldn’t have been able to cover such a distance without one of us spotting them along the way. Even if we weren’t here in time, we have been assembling for a few weeks now and have a scout ring in place for alerts.”
“Sir!” one of the guards from the post yelled in alarm. “Patrol found fresh footprints in the forest, looks like someone took to the trees at the perimeter.”
Gerald shuttered at the beginner mistake, not covering his tracks, or using a rune to not make steps in the soft ground. “Ah Ger, Roman’s situation got me all frazzled, not thinkin like me-self.” he thought, not wanting to make a peep.
“Spy?” Skullpin questioned, turning around, nothing but metal visible under the man’s black cloak.
“How does he breathe?” Gerald thought. “Oops dang it Ger.” The scout quickly fanned through his tablets until he came upon a vibrant purple one set in ivory. “Time to go.” Gerald thought, cutting off his enhanced sight as he mentally felt the connection with the ivory encased rune and activated it. Time slowed to a crawl while he cut off his enhanced eyesight, triggering a stealthy green rune from the deck. The haste rune greatly enhanced the user’s speed in all aspects, while his body faded to an almost incorporeal hue with the other. “Better make this quick.” he mumbled to himself as he watched the essence slowly dim from the haste rune, it’s purple vibrant hue, slowly becoming less vibrant and lit up as the moments passed. Gerald jumped tree limb by tree limb, making the ground in record pace while covering a good distance. Rushing towards the forest farthest from the direction he intended to go, the men’s movement around him were sluggish, with the effecting being as if they were moving through water.
The speed of his enhanced movements when using the haste rune in combination with his stealth rune normally made him invisible, but eerily Ranjoon’s eyes were following Gerald’s movements. His head might not be able to keep up, but he was sure the man’s pupils were following him regardless. Not delaying Gerald deactivated haste, his reactions resuming normal speed as he pointed his index finger laden with a runic ring at the man. A purple pulse radiated from the ring; paralyzing Ranjoon before Gerald reactivated the time disorienting haste rune.
He wished he could have activated those at the same time, to have a speed boost while paralyzing the man but essence users were limited to only being able to channel one effect at a time for each of the essence types. If one could access all five essences, they could only have a single passive or active skill available for each of those five at one time. The haste and paralysis both being Opel abilities, couldn’t stack together unless one was a Gemini. Gemini had the advantage of stacking a number of passive abilities together with active abilities for the gem essence type, an overpowered nightmare when adding the storage and power.
“Well, that might not be good at all” he mumbled to himself and with his last twenty seconds he bolted straight into the woods before ducking behind a tree, looking for his second to last ivory card of haste, then waiting prone behind the tree to see how the men react.
“The guy froze me!” the man groggily came to with the aid of his comrade’s healing rune. “I didn’t think that passive rune would ever come in handy though, scout of some kind ran that way. He’s used a haste rune and I was able to follow him the entire time! Throwing down my mark now, let’s hurry after him.”
Ranjoon activated a rune that created a faint green glowing mark above Gerald’s head before it dissipated into his body.
“Well, that’s not good. Was not expectin that, was not expectin that one bit.” A troubled, cold feeling of fear overcame Gerald. He wasn’t used to being discovered.
Tracking runes can only work if the user of it had physically seen the target within a certain time based on the power in the rune. Gerald usually never was spotted when he escaped like he did. He activated the next haste card, then quickly looked through his deck. Running might be futile, as Gerald was no spring chicken compared to the men in pursuit, but he did have a bag of tricks to pull from. Sadly, he did not know a rune to break tracking, if one existed. Only thing he knew was there was a duration of time the rune had power for or if he were to physically break the rune, which would be hard to do with the swarm of men in that direction.
He pulled out the summon wolf pack rune embedded on a worn looking leather like textured card. With these men already showing their craftiness, he could not risk them tracing a communication back to Roman should they have the capability. He raised his hand to the sky and activated the rune, causing three brilliant flashes of green light to burst out. Two shots to the northeast, one to the southwest.
“Better try to meet the boys halfway, or these men might murder me. Wouldn’t be of much help to an actual Acolyte if I go and get murdered!” Resolve entered his heart as he thought of the Acolyte. “Theo’s an Acolyte!”
With the last remaining time on his rune, he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, before starting to activate his few trick cards one by one to gain as much distance as possible, not daring to glance behind.