Crystan: Dawn of War

"In my part of Alarinaust, in the North Forest, the people are contented and when they speak of war it is only of wars past. However," Piesca had just remembered a snatch of conversation she had overheard, "the leadership is uneasy. The Sardites have been more numerous at our borders of late."

Piesca shook her head and inspected the food on her plate.

"My people rarely look beyond their own borders."

She smiled at the Solan, "What is Sol like?"

 

"What is Sol like?"

"I wish I could tell you but I only know it's condition from a year before. When last I was there we had just ended a war with the Cimill but were preparing for an even bigger war. The Solan are training a a crystalmancing army called the Solac-Amar. But it is unfortunate that a peaceful people like your race have to get tied up in this. Believe me, if there is something I can do to stop this I will."

 

A crystalmancing army. As he said it Piesca saw the flash of light at his wrist. Crystals. She looked at him uneasily.

"Believe me, if there is something I can do to stop this I will."

"Thank you," she said softly, returning her gaze to her plate. She felt her face pale which wasn't really an improvement over the earlier blushing, "I appreciate your help."

Mattan's father had a crystal. He said that it had shown him a successful marriage between Mattan and Piesca with many grandchildren for him. If he alone had said it everyone would have nodded and smiled. But add the crystal seeing and everyone had been in awe. The young men of the village gave her wide berth and kept their eyes from her. The young ladies insisted on talking about her impending nuptials, which they had assumed would be her favorite subject. She had fled into the woodland alone many times, wondering how these crystals could be so used to rule her life.

Was what she was now doing a blasphemy?

Piesca shoved some food around on her plate, her appetite gone.

"I...I...excuse me, please," she told the Solan, Chaos, and the Erissi, "I think I'll go out for some air."

She dropped her fork and went out past the wolf who whined and gave her a doggie smile. She rubbed his head and he licked her elbow then she fled.

The cool of the outside air was a relief and the pounding of her heart slowed a little as she stood outside the tavern, watching the slow wheeling of the stars in the night sky.

 

Elryn didn"t have enough time to excuse her from the table but he did see her look at his wrist. I wonder what it is about my crystals that drove her away. He made a mental note not to ask as he didn't want to accidently offend her. He went and sat back down at the original table he was at and took the crystals out of his wrist and put them in his pouch. I just don't know what I did wrong.

 

Ostran had followed the group for some time. Realising that he had been late, he decided to watch them from the shadows, observing their intentions. From the most part, he could see that they were not enemies, and when they finally reached a building, he could not see anymore. It was then that he decided to join them.

Ducking through the door, he spotted the man who the others referred to as Hawk. Walking up to the impressive figure, he bowed his head to show his respect. He then went to the nearby wall and stood against it. Looking at the floor, pretending to ignore all conversation.

However, he would not partake in these discussions. He had no interest in them, except for ones that may contain infomation. Unless they deliberately talked to him, he would remain in his thoughts, the way he preffered it.

He noticed that there were two other Mahri here, both female. One he could see was eccentric, too much so. What was she doing? Did she want to make a mockery out of their species? He decided against confronting her, choosing apathy instead, things were much easier that way. The other Mahri was interesting though, he would keep an eye on her.

He knew little of what was going on and waited for Hawk to continue addressing them all, before he would make any kind of immediate action.

 

The grizzled captain noticed someone enter almost unnoticed, bowing to Hawk and then leaning on a wall at the far end of the room. Hoden could tell he was a Mahri, covered in tree bark colored furs and green gems for eyes. The man seemed as if he wanted to distance himself, but then again, so did he. Lisky enjoyed himself in the bountiful meats they had served, hopping on his hind legs to recieve the food from other group members, so Hoden walked up to the mysterious Mahri.

"Hello there Mahri, what brings you here with us tonight?"

 

Chaos stands and follows Piesca out of the tavern. She stands there, staring at the stars. "Watching the stars is relaxing but I doudt they will answer your questions. Something about that Solan's crystal suprised you. No, suprise isn't the right word for it, it scared you. I know its probably none of my business, but would you please tell me, what it is that is bothering you so much? I'll do my best to help you."

 

Hawk

As Piesca lingered outside the building she saw a woman emerge. And behind her, a few moments later, Hawk appeared. He took only a few steps out and watched the woman as she vanished into the darkness.

He let out a long slow breath. He then remained there for a long time, unmoving, his eyes lost in unknown thoughts. He went to turn back into the tavern, but turned back and began to speak in smooth, perfect Alarin.

"Piesca? I wish to apologize to you for not making myself clear to you. I know you have difficulty with the Common tongue. Also, I must apologize in advance for the road we shall travel." He paused.

"It will take you so far from everything you know and recognize." Piesca turned to him, but he had already ventured back inside.

Immediately, Hawk's eyes went to Ostran standing against the wall. Hawk approached him and quickly filled him in on what was happening, and what he had said.

This done, he found a table in the opposite corner of the room and sat there, staring into a half-empty mug of ale.

 

Riana

Riana moved gracefully as she walked, her head held high. With no hesitation, she sat down next to Aida, from whom all the others seemed to flee. She looked about her, ensuring that no ears listened too closely.

"You are one of the Seven?" She asked, her voice a whisper.

 

"Watching the stars is relaxing but I doudt they will answer your questions. Something about that Solan's crystal suprised you. No, suprise isn't the right word for it, it scared you. I know its probably none of my business, but would you please tell me, what it is that is bothering you so much? I'll do my best to help you."

Piesca raised her hand to show Chaos a lightening bug that had lit upon it.

"A little star." She said smiling as the insects featherweight feet scuttled over her skin.

Together they watched as the bug raised its delicate wings and took once again to the night sky, flashing its yellow light intermittently as it went.

Just then a woman emerged from the tavern and Hawk came out soon behind her. Piesca averted her gaze to give them privacy and tried to think of how to respond to Chaos. The woman left and the three left in front of the tavern were quiet for several long moments. Piesca was startled to have Hawk approach and address her.

"Piesca? I wish to apologize to you for not making myself clear to you. I know you have difficulty with the Common tongue. Also, I must apologize in advance for the road we shall travel." He paused.

"It will take you so far from everything you know and recognize."

She wanted to ask him questions but he vanished back inside before she could frame the words.

Piesca frowned. This man named Hawk was a mystery and it seemed he was determined to remain that way.

"What do you know about crystal?" Piesca asked Chaos.

 

Chaos thinks about her question for a moment. "Well, I know that they contain power. Each one seems to contain a specific power. Like the two of mine, that hang on my necklace. They were given to me by my tutor when I told him I was leaving for a while. The one lets me create a quick flash of incredible bright light, and the other allows me to heal my woulds. Since you're asking a question like that, I'm guessing that someone in your home village has used a crystal to do something that you didn't want."

Chaos gets closer to Piesca, using his hand to gently move her head up, so that she is looking into his eyes, and asks "Will you please tell me what happened?"

 

After having drank only enough to slack his thirst and eaten enough to quilch his hunger Tooth meet the large Lennira that stood behind the bar "I would retire this evening" he said in slow words. Lennira knew a bit of his language and it seemed that no one else did.

What was the point of sending him to talk peace with people he could barely talk to? A word here, perhaps a sentence there, not enough to fill a conversation, at best he said to the shale the only complete sentence he knew.

The Goddess and Gods must find humor in irony he thought and gratified himself with that conclusion, he would have to better learn the language before he could be of any use.

The Bartender had a lad show him to his room where Tooth spent the rest of the evening cleaning his equipment before finally going to sleep.

 

"You are one of the Seven?" She asked, her voice a whisper.
Aida looked at Raina. Aida panicked in his head, but kept his demeanor somewhat not nervous. How does she know about the seven, Aida thought.
"No, I don't even know what the seven are," Aida said, "Seven beautiful mes, then yes, they are seven of me."
Aida gave a sweet smile.
Oh, god that sounded lame, Aida thought, Hopefully she doesn't sense that I am lying.

 

The fur covered Mahri didn't answer him. Hoden found the lack of formality unsettling. He left the conversation in the air for a moment before deciding to head back to the main group.

He sat down on a wooden stool, and he saw Chaos give a faint lovers hold of the Alarin girl's face, speaking to her in a soothing tone. Hoden smiled, he had not experienced that in a long time, but he would never try to again.

Lisky came up to Hoden and began rubbing his fur against his leg affectionately. Hoden laughed, "It's okay, well find you a good wife someday too." he teased his war mount. "Here, we can drink our sorrows away." Hoden said, putting a wooden bowl filled with red wine on the ground. Lisky slurped the drink, turning the white fur on the tip of his snout a light red. Hoden took a cup of wine for himself, taking it all down in one shot. "Another please" Hoden told the bartender, who brought him another two.

"Two?" Hoden asked. "It's going to be a long night." the bartender replied, "It's on the house." he said with a grin. "Haha, very appreciated my friend" he said, gulping down another mouthfull.

 

Elryn then decided to go and meet the second person in his party. He waited until the bartender left before he went and spoke to Hoden.

"What do you think of this Hawk fellow?" he asked.

 

Riana

She saw his nervousness, and the awkward attempt at humor. She merely smiled.

"Don't be frightened." She said. "Your mentor is a friend of mine. Bell. He speaks of you often, says you have great potential for knowledge." She paused, absorbing his reaction.

"He also says that knowledge is masked by immaturity and selfishness." Again she watched him before continuing.

"Aida, we have a very important duty to our people, you and I. The things we will have to do will make you grow up very quickly. I just wanted you to know that, and I look forward to seeing how you meet the challenges." She smiled at him again, then rose and walked away.

 

"What do you think of this Hawk fellow?" a man said to him, a Solan with an odd blue tint to his skin. I guess my eyes aren't all that normal either Hoden said to himself.

"Hello there Solan," Hoden said. "I do think he is an honest man, but i'm only doing this because of what will happen if we don't help him." he finished.

The Solan had harsh ruby eyes, similiar to Hodens own hair, but with a lighter tint. Hoden began to think maybe he had taken a little too much wine, perhaps thats why he was blue. He didn't say anything about it, trying not to seem like an old fool.

"What do you think of Hawk?" Hoden returned the question.

 

The woman rose before Aida had any time to say anything. The woman knew Bell, Aida looked at the table. He watched the wood rings. Who else did Bell know? Why hadn't Bell tell him about the people he knew? And why did Hawk choose him? Bell would have made a better person to save the world then him.
Selfish masks my knowledge, Aida thought, I'm not selfish.
"OH! WHO AM I KIDDING!" Aida said.
Aida covered his mouth, he did it again saying something without thinking and he was going to continue to ramble on. There was no stopping his mouth now, he was going to insult something.
"THIS FOOD TASTE HORRIBLE!" Aida said.
Aida hid underneath a table before anyone could see him. He always split something out that he didn't mean to say. It was all either do to nervousness or him just simply not thinking.
Hopefully, no one would find him underneath the table. Hopefully, no one heard him.
I just want to go home, why did Hawk choose me? Bell would have been so much better for this, Aida said.
Suddenly, Aida found himself crying underneath the table. He hoped no one would find him in such an ugly state.

 

"...I'm guessing that someone in your home village has used a crystal to do something that you didn't want."

Chaos gets closer to Piesca, using his hand to gently move her head up, so that she is looking into his eyes, and asks "Will you please tell me what happened?"

Piesca looked up into Chaos's elegant aquiline features as he coaxed her. She couldn't tell him. Not yet. Instead she asked another question.

"What happens to a person who thwarts a crystal seeing?" she wanted to know, "A prophetic vision? What if there is one about me and I kept it from happening?"

 

"What do you think of Hawk?"

"I'm not sure what to think, but most of his theories have been forseen by the Solan." Elryn noticed how Hoden looked at his skin then gestured to it saying "All Solan are like this."

 

"I'm not sure what to think, but most of his theories have been forseen by the Solan." the Solan said. Hoden listened intently.

"All Solan are like this." the man said, Hoden winced. "Pardon if that seemed like an insult," he didn't know who he was speaking to exactly. "What is your name?" Hoden said, hearing a small thump behind him.

Lisky stumbled woozily into a wooden chair, making it fall on its back. The wine stained wolf then huddled against a corner, falling asleep on his own.

 

Chaos lets out a laugh. "I think I'm beginning to understand. So, there are still charlatans that use the crystals to do con jobs. There does exist a type of fortune telling. If someone does research of the past, they may be able to pick up trends in society and culture that will give them a guess as to what may happen in the future. However, no one can decide the future of individuals." Chaos looks down into her eyes. The golden flecks seem to glow in the star light. "Piesca, you are a free being, one that can do whatever you chose with your life. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

 

"My name is Elryn. You are?"

 

"Piesca, you are a free existence, one that can guide whatever you love with your life. Don't let populace tell you otherwise."

Piesca searched his face for truth. His eyes were steady. Could he be right?

She smiled and pulled away from him, still uncertain but somewhat comforted.

"Thank you," she said with yet another blush, "that does make me feel much better. I should finish my meal, we have a long journey ahead of us."

Giving him the bent knees/bent head posture of respect she returned to the Inn and to her place at the table.

 

"Hoden, Captain and founder of the riders of dogs or something." he said, rubbing his eye, he stumbled on words after the extreme intake of wine. He felt a bit like Lisky at the moment and the Solan, Elryn, seemed to be turning into a giant blob of cyan.

"So Elriyon, what did you do tha- make ol'e Hack recruit ya?" he said, his language was terrible, and his head throbbed.