Now I learned of the bravery and will of iron of the Cristea, as they made a New Home of this fertile land. Of the sickness that almost destroyed them in First Year, to the founding of Journey's End.
It sounded like they were flourishing in recent times until the arrival of Avalon, who stole their freedom, and their joy, and killed so many to make sure they were obeyed.
As we talked after last meal, we learned that the black pitch they spoke of was tar, as one man produced a chunk of cooled tar for us to look at. It seems the Avalonians can somehow refine tar into a fuel for their metal abominations.
We have but one tar pit in Sparo, near the Great Desert by New World Keep. It bubbles up to the surface heated by thermal vents. New World supplies the best burning torches in all the realms as they dip them in that tar, so they burn long and well and are easy to ignite.
As odd as it sounds, it is one of the biggest exports from their realm. Though I fear that they may suffer soon, as more and more, the Keeps and villages of the Lower Ten are moving toward all electric lights.
The children kept peeking at me from behind their chairs and their parents. I felt up to some mischief, so I spread my hands wide and sent two future versions of myself off into Journey's End. Those gathered around gasping at the display only saw what would look to them like ghosts explode from me and dash up the stairs before they were lost into the future.
I could hear the echoing resonance of myself giggling in my head as my doppelgangers ran through the rooms, allowing our power to rekindle the dying sparks in their lamps. I wiggled my eyebrows at the littlest boy as the lights started brightening in a wave up the staircase. The little one squealed in delight and started clapping his hands. The other children went dashing up the stairs to look into the brighter rooms.
I turned, and my huge grin turned into a sheepish smile when I saw my redheaded warrior cocking an expectant eyebrow at me and nudge her eyes. Most of the adults looked on in stunned amazement, while some looked frightened. I turned to a smug and satisfied looking Elaine and a thoughtful looking Corrine as she examined her people's reactions to my magik. I shrugged at her as my cheeks heated. “Sorry?”
This caught her off guard for a second, then she started laughing. Then others joined in. She waved her hand around like a showman at Carnival. “The power of the touched.” This got excited murmuring and whispering in hushed tones to circulate through those gathered.
I looked an apology at my very patient wife, then turned to Elaineia. “Elaine, may I see your blade?”
She hesitated and then looked to her mother, who just inclined her head. It took some effort and some more of the dried out leather flaked away from the scabbard, but she pulled the ill-maintained curved blade free. I could taste the high carbon content of the steel. It was a trick of the People, to add carbon to their metals to strengthen them, a trick us Altii learned centuries later.
I held the blade on my palms with reverence. This was as much a piece of history as Hera on my hip. Hera was the bronze parrying blade of Lord Cedrick, the founder of Solomon. But this blade, it was much more delicate and much older.
I pulled my magic to me, trying to separate it from the magik of the People. And I used a Techromancer skill I seldom used since it had almost gotten me thrown in the stockades as a serf. I sought out the corrosion, rust, and ravages of time that had taken such a toll on the blade, and I bade them roll back. Someone gasped as I strained.
If I could just do one thing right this night, I wished for it to be this. I was so intent on restoring the blade to its former glory that I failed to notice my magik of the spirit rushing forth to bolster my Technomancy. I growled when it was being stubborn, and I pushed harder. I heard Celeste's voice so very far away saying, “Laney, enough. It takes many sessions for our most powerful Techromancers to strip back the decay of an item.”
I pushed harder as the blade began to gleam brighter and brighter. I smiled at the intricate etchings that were now visible along its length. I was saddened at some nicks in the blade that couldn't be restored. If the material is lost, then it can't be reconstituted. But perhaps they could sharpen the nicks out of it if they didn't remove too much of the material.
That person gasped again, and I realized it was me. I had been on the low end of the power spectrum before my two magics mixed, and now I am fairly average. This was too much for me to do after using so much energy playing with the children with my future selves.
I tried to stop, but now the blade was acting like a thirsty wraith, devouring my magic and I couldn't cut it off. I started to panic, but then Celeste's hand was on my shoulder, and I could feel her strength and her belief in me, and I tore my magic from the blade. I watched as the bright mists swirling around it settled then sank into the blade. I swallowed as the blade glowed ever so slightly and tasted of my blended magic, it wasn't dissipating.
Mother Luna, what had I done? Magik of the spirit is all intent, and I was intent on the blade returning to its new state, and that it served its owner well. Had I somehow charmed the blade?
I stuttered out as I offered the almost new looking blade back to Elaine, “I-I'm sorry. I'm not very good with my magics. I... here.”
She was staring at the blade in wonder and then she grasped the hilt, and a white mist exploded from her hand and blade. I could feel the power humming in it, realizing it tasted like when a Techno-Knight powered their blade.
Celeste asked as Elaine took a couple test swipes of the blade through the air, leaving a ghosting blur where the steel cut through the air, “What did you do Laney?” She watched the display with amazement.
I shrugged. “I really don't know. I just wanted so badly for the blade to be restored, and that it would serve its owner well.”
Corrine moved forward and prompted her daughter, “Elaine?”
The girl looked as if she didn't wish to surrender the blade and when she handed it to Corrine, the mist extinguished. I could still feel and taste the power waiting, like a cougar waiting to pounce. She furrowed her brow and handed it back.
The moment Elaine touched it, the misty wisps of power exploded from it again. Celeste smirked, and I gave a toothy smile as I realized what had happened. I said almost apologetically to Corrine, “The power will only serve the blade's owner.”
Angelus offered, “But Corrine is Mother.”
I explained, feeling sheepish again, “But Corrine is not the blade's owner. When Elaineia strapped it to her hip, she became a Femeie de Sabie, and the blade hers. When she passes the blade on, I'm sure the new owner will be able to access the power I accidentally infused it with.”
Corrine looked at her daughter who was just looking at the blade in wonder. “I shall call Racine's blade the Sabie Acasa, the Home Sword.” Then she went to sheath it and looked at me hopefully, “Can you do the same for the scabbard?”
I shook my head sadly. “Not even if I was not exhausted like this. It has lost so much material. We can only roll back time on what is available, and cannot replace what is lost.”
She nodded and sighed heavily, looking at the blade almost like a lover as she carefully sheathed her.
I looked around, and everyone was just silently watching us. Angelus clapped his hands twice. “Let the celebration continue.”
With that, the singing and laughing continued. Celeste even got me up to dance to the lute at one point. I loved letting her lead me around as long as she kept holding me tight like that. I could live in her arms.
As the families started saying their goodnights after helping clean up and retired to their rooms, Corrine and her husband, Angelus, shared all they knew about the Avalonians. The strange men had come from the north. It took weeks to begin to understand, a few Cristea learning English, and the men from Avalon seemed to complain about the heat a lot, though the temperatures were very similar to Sparo here.
At first, the visitors from the north were friendly, preaching friendship and peace as the Cristea showed them around New Home. Once th
ey saw their mines and crops, they seemed impressed, then when they saw the black pitch, they became overly excited.
They spoke of returning to Avalon, then bringing back a peace envoy. They returned with giant metal machines and men with those guns of theirs that they believed could kill a man with their magic. They blockaded the roads and corralled the people in both villages and forced them to work extracting the black pitch and taking half all ore and food produced.
They senselessly killed ten men just to show what would happen if the Gypsies didn't cooperate. Corrine's mother, Mother Janice, died leading the farmers and miners against the Avalonians. Hundreds were slaughtered, over a hundred in the first hour of battle.
Mother Janice died killing the only Avalonian to have been lost in the battle. Running the man through with the rusted and pitted blade of Mother Racina. One of those magic guns almost tore her apart with so many strikes.
One of the few to have survived that bloody battle had carried her broken body and the blade back to Aratreya. She was buried in the field of heroes the next day. That is when Corrine stepped up as Mother. She preached patience. And that they would send a Greva to Old Home to try to get the other families to come to their aid since the Cristea had no magiks of their own anymore to battle the Wizards of the Before.
Every six months, for five years, they had tried to sneak a Greva out of New Home, through the Gateway, but it is guarded and patrolled. They thought none had ever made it out to the Ribbon of Life... the river beyond the Gateway.
My Lady asked about the encampment by the pits, and personnel counts, and patrol routes and schedule, but they didn't have much information.
Celeste moved to a window at the main doors and peeked up at the night sky then said, “It's past midnight. That should be enough time for him.” Then she cryptically said to the air with a bit of dramatic flair, “If only we had an Avalonian here to question politely...”
Then I chuckled when we all turned our eyes upward at a sound at the top of the stairs. I just caught sight of Alexandru as he silently slid out a window up there.
Corrine, Angelus, and their children all looked alarmed, and I laid a reassuring hand on Corrine's arm. “It's ok, that's just Alexandru. He always around somewhere.” I should have known Celeste was just giving him time to get back to camp then come looking for us. He takes his job as our Garda Personala very seriously.
There was no doubt in my mind that one of the men at the checkpoints was about to come down with an unfortunate case of death, and his partner was going to become an unwilling guest here soon.
Chapter 14 – Questions
It was less than ten minutes later that Celeste, who hadn't moved from the window nor even spoke a word as all her senses were trained on the town square, started moving and opened the door.
Alexandru strode through the door, dragging an unconscious man in the odd armor of Avalon by the collar. He unceremoniously dropped him to the floor once the door was closed again. The big Mountain Gypsy man gave her a toothy grin. “The man was tired, so I suggested he take a nap before we asked him a few questions... my Sora.”
Celeste chuckled as I shook my head at the man. It was sobering to know that this jovial man who joked, and sang, and drank, and flirted with every woman he came across was also such an efficient assassin. I had no delusions that he could have just as easily and silently have taken out all six men in the darkness of night, without raising the alarm.
It was hard to reconcile that this man we loved as a brother was just as accomplished in the arts of war as my lovely wife. I just saw him as Dru, and chose to ignore that other side of him, as it was necessary to protect those who could not protect themselves.
The frown on my face from the path my thoughts had been traveling upon, changed into a smile as I saw him hesitate when he caught sight of Elaine. I have never seen the man hesitate around a woman in all the years I have known him. He inclined his head slightly at her, and my smile broadened when her ears and cheeks reddened as she looked away.
I glanced around as Celeste grabbed the unconscious man's collar and dragged him to a chair and deposited him there. Corrine's family all looked uncomfortable with what we were doing. I understood. They had lived countless generations in peace, and violence was such a foreign concept to them, and I could see where this would be unsettling since it was unsettling to me as well... and I 'was' violence whether I accepted the fact or not.
I was silently glad that Corrine had taken her young son up to bed before this nasty business began. It was nothing for a child to witness. I snapped my eyes to the banister above and saw some eyes in the shadows. I whipped two fingers back and forth and made a “ffft ffft” sound like I have witnessed countless times in the Lupei camp whenever the adults wanted the always watching children to disperse.
With a giggle, two older children dashed from the shadows into different doors. I shook my head at the mischief makers. I didn't wish their innocence lost witnessing this. Though I wondered how much of their innocence was left after being under siege and enslaved for five years. My blood chilled realizing that this is all the youngest children in the village had ever known. My resolve hardened at that thought as I felt equally hard and unsavory emotions aimed at Avalon, snap into focus.
Celeste gave me that look she got when she was protecting me from this part of her, she looked at me and where the children had vanished and whispered, “You need rest after expending so much energy. Why don't you get some sleep while we question this man, I'll wake you for your shift at watch.”
My eyes widened slightly, and I exhaled a long sigh. “Love, my hands are soiled whether I am here or up there in bed. And someone needs to be here for you.”
I turned to the Cristea present. “You should retire. We will handle this unpleasantness.”
Corrine chuckled, a sour look on her face. “I am Mother here. It is my responsibility to be present.” Then she looked distressed for a second, and she said to her husband, “Angelus, take the girls up, they don't...”
Elaine interrupted sharply, “I'm going nowhere mother. This is our fight, I will not allow others to take the burden from us.” Her hand was on the hilt of Home Sword as if in a reminder of her new standing with the People.
With a mixture of sorrow and pride, Corrine gave her the barest of nods, and Angelus was in motion, his hands on Heather's shoulders, gently guiding her to the stairs. I was glad that one whose heart had been suffering, not knowing her love's fate for over a year now, was not going to be burdened with this.
We all waited for them to disappear into the rooms at the top of that grand spiraling staircase then Dru pulled a pack from his shoulder and tossed it on the great table close to the man. “This is all he had on him.”
I moved over to the table with the rest as Celeste shook everything out of the canvas bag, while Dru explained, “I hid the large fire stick and their searchlight with the body and their gear a hundred yards out in a draw in the forest.”
I shared, “Gun. They call those weapons guns.” Then I looked around. “Won't the other two checkpoints notice they are gone and come looking?” Then I squinted when I got a good look at his face in the lamplight. I reached forward, he had a bloodied lip. “Dru, you're hurt.”
Elaine stiffened and went quickly into motion as he batted my hand away from his face with a grin. “He declined my invitation. I had to convince him of the folly of such a disagreement when I had asked so nicely.” Then he assured me, “I heal fast, Laney.”
I knew he was trying to alleviate my worry, as he had used my name. The stubborn, bullheaded man taunted Celeste and me relentlessly with our Sora titles.
And I knew it to be true. We Lupei have an almost unfair share of the touched in our band, and many are sensitives, with a spark which is too weak to ever allow them to bloom, or ignite. There is speculation that it is because the Lupei have always favored traveling the northlands in the shadow of Father Stone on the border of Wexbury more than the other bands. So it wa
s almost a spiritual reasoning, though the Gypsies didn't worship any deities I was aware of.
And Alexandru was a low level sensitive, that latent spark deep down inside him aided his uncanny aim with his bow, and also afforded him rapid healing. He could heal a serious wound in just days as opposed to weeks it would take a non-sensitive. It made sense as his immediate family was strong in the healing magiks, with Sylvia and now Ingr standing witness to that. So it stood to reason that it would be the direction his abilities leaned as well.
I had no doubt that by morning there would be no evidence of his split and swollen lip. A moment later I couldn't hide my surprise when Elaine showed up beside him with a towel and a bowl of water. She reached and grabbed his hand and dragged him to a chair. “Let me look at that.” It was so surprising because he offered no resistance like he did with me.
I bit back a grin as I watched Elaine gently clean his minor injury, their eyes never leaving each other.
I turned to look at the various things on the table. Celeste slid aside a weapons belt with one of those smaller guns sheathed in it. I reached and pulled the weapon from the leather with two fingers and looked at it like it were a snake poised to strike. Such an impersonal weapon. One that could kill in but an instant from a distance without being able to look into the eyes of your enemy to take the weight of the act you are about to perform on your own soul.
I felt my eyes flare and white mist and amber sparks drizzled from them. I had virtually no energy left inside me after the incident with Home Sword, but I had enough for this. The tube at the end of the... gun... started groaning in protest as it flattened, leaving the metal slinging device useless.
I smiled and placed it back in its sheath as I panted from the exertion of summoning the last of my power. Then I glanced around, and everyone was staring at me, but Celeste had this pleased look on her face. I defended, “What? It is a vile weapon, and nobody should have that kind of indiscriminate killing power.”
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