Chapter Four: A Mysterious Frenchman

Despite all the sorrow surrounding the town of Cesium, the stubborn sun still rose. It still rose, giving light to the world when there seemed to be no other. There was ought but ashes, scattered bits and pieces of the architectural genius that had once been Cesium.

Jack was the only one who seemed unshaken by what they (Elba, Niendel, and Jack himself) found. He managed to lead the three of them towards the edge of town.

But Elba was not so ready. She had found a book bag full of her father’s possessions. In between the pages of the bible, she found a piece of paper, and a map.

She wondered what the map was for, but decided there was no way of knowing.

“Elba…” a hoarse whisper reached her ears. “Elba…” A cough, “Please bring me some water…”

Elba ran over to the rubble where she‘d heard the voice, throwing it aside. Screaming for Jack and Niendel to come and help her. The three of them lifted a heavy wooden post, and found Eliac.

Eliac did not look well, she had a nasty cut above her eye that was profusely bleeding bluish-colored blood, and a bruise on her stomach where the post had lain. It was a miracle she’d survived at all.

But Elba noticed where she was. . .

“Eliac,” She said kindly, tipping some water from a canteen they’d salvaged, “How did you end up near your home?”

“I do not know,” Said Eliac’s odd voice, gaining strength at an alarming rate. “Elba, will you do me a favor?” Elba felt she could hardly refuse given Eliac’s condition.

“Of course,” She said, “anything.”

Eliac nodded. “Good girl. If you walk three steps left, you’ll find a bag. Bring that bag to me. Four steps right of that, there’s a chest that has a curse on it that protects it from enemies of my family.”

She paused. “Bring it to me. Underneath that chest, there’s a trap door. Open it, and take what you need. You will notice a bottle, a blue bottle, in that trap door room. Bring it to me. As well as…”

Eliac continued to explain where everything was. Elba followed her instructions. They brought her what she needed.

“Good,” She said, “Well done. Now, open up the bag that you found. There is a green bottle with a label in a foreign tongue. Apply it to the cut above my head and the bruise.”

Elba, her green hands shaking, applied the medical gauze. It smelled horribly. “Step back, Elba, well done.” Elba did as she was told.

“Heal.” Eliac said faintly. Multicolored sparks ran up her injuries, and in moments they were gone. Eliac stood up, traced her finger along where the cut had been.

There was nothing. Inside the trap door, there were weapons. Weapons, money, plants for healing.
Eliac stuffed it all into her bag, the bag never filling.
“So,” She said about an hour later, after she’d cleaned the house of anything useful, “What should we do now?” Elba looked at Jack, who looked at Niendel, who was examining his fingernails.

Eliac thought a moment. “I think we should go after Circe.” Elba opened her mouth and began to protest, but Eliac beat her to it.

“Circe! That little-”

“That little child, who is helpless, who needs our help. She is going to get it.” Elba looked angry, but nodded, green skin glowing slightly in the placid dawn’s first light.

“Fine,” Scowled Elba, “We’ll go.”

“What?” Said Niendel in that annoying wealthy boy accent, “I don’t recall anything about ‘we’ doing anything together.”

“Well,” Jack said thoughtfully, “That weren’t very proper like. For all the manner stuffs you bin learnin’ bout, that seemed mighty stupid to me, you should know how to address a lady.”

Elba stifled a laugh. “Yea, Jack. Your quite right. Would you like to come with us, Jack?” Jack focused his brown eyes on Eliac.

“Sure, ma’am.” He said, “But I’m afraid I won’t be much use.”

Eliac nodded. “Don’t worry,” She said, “I know how to track them.” Elba and Jack exchanged glances, Niendel had sat down on the ground was pouting.

Eliac reached for a powder from a blue pouch at her waist. It was white, and glimmering, shining like a star in the early morning light.

There were there were three pouches at her waist: the blue one she’d taken the dust from, a red one, and a green one.

“Star dust!” Murmured Elba, watching Eliac sprinkle it in a circle around her slowly. Eliac reached for the green pouch, pulling out speckles of black sand and throwing it in the white circle.

She then opened the red pouch, which was full of glistening diamonds. She spread these around her, in the circle of powder.

“Nimélankalina!” Eliac whispered, and the diamonds lit. Her parents had taught her this, not Warlic, she was glad that he and the other trainers had left and had escaped harm.

The diamonds glowed with a savage blue light, a comfort in hot and pale sun. “Sul,” Eliac said, and a fearsome gale blew. The wind continued to blow as she went onward.

The dust swirled around her with no pattern. Eliac stood perfectly still, and then shouted suddenly, “Eredlyei’men! Show us the way!”

The wind blew harder, and a glowing silver line appeared from nowhere heading east. “How did you…” Niendel began, his eyes narrowing. Jack’s eyes were opened wide.

“Whoooo-e! That was mighty impressive, ma’am..” he bit his lip, and Eliac smiled.

“You have a question?”
Jack nodded eagerly, saying, “Can you fix my teeth?” Eliac sighed, shaking her head.

“Lets see if we can find some horses,” She said, ignoring their expressions of awe. “We’ll need them. I won’t be able to walk far, I’m new at magic and that tired me greatly.” She sat down on the dry ground.

Jack frowned, muttering, “I guess not then.”

Niendel realized his father’s house probably had horses, but he didn’t want to mention it.

‘After all,’ he told himself quietly, ‘they were his horses.’

Circe awoke from her feint about a mile outside of Cesium. She was on the ground in a forest, near a nice warm fire in the early morning. She had a terrible headache.

“Please don’t try to run,” A voice said wearily, “I’ve been through enough as it is.” Circe turned to see a young man sitting in a black cloak to her left.

He had black hair that was beginning to grey and sharp blue eyes that seemed far away with pain. He was young, but looked old, as though he had seen too much in the world.

His skin was dark, from many hours working outside. His muscles were boldly outlined, showing he’d lived through much toil and grown strong. A sword trimmed in gold hung in a limp scabbard at his side.

Oddly, he was clad in solid forest green.

“What… How did I… who are you?” A million questions found their way into her head. The young man smiled a tired smile.

“I am known by many names, but you may call me Nydia.” Even his voice was lined with sorrow, as though every word caused him great pain.

“Are you a bandit?” Asked Circe.

“No,” Said the man. He had a voice that was deeply low, it sounded like the ocean tide beating against rock.

“Erg.. Why are we here? What good am I to you?” She’d no intention of stopping her interrogation, and Nydia seemed to understand this.

Plucking out blades of forest grass and twirling them between his fingers, he replied, “We are here because I have been ordered by my master to protect and train you. You are of little use to me, Kuahin.”

Sharply, Circe said, “What did you call me?”

Nydia raised his hands as a gesture of silence. “Peace, Little one. I called you ‘Kuahin,’ which means ‘dove child’.”

“Oh,” Said Circe. Every calm reply Nydia gave her made her blush for some reason. “I see. Who is your master, then?”

“That,” Said Nydia sternly, “Is a conversation for another time.” A clap of thunder sounded, and it took Circe a moment to realize that in her shock she‘d fallen back onto Nydia.

In order to make amends for the embarrassment of the situation, Nydia laughed.

Niendel stumbled for what seemed the millionth time. “Why did we have to go this way?” He moaned. Oh, how he wished he had told them about the horses.

A clap of thunder sounded, but none of them paid any attention. “Because we couldn’t find any horses, mate,” Said Jack, grinning. In spite of it all, Jack was having a very good morning.

He’d gotten to be a complete fool, rob several houses, and now he was going on an adventure. It all seemed to good to be true. Plus, they’d given him a sword.

Eliac was at the head of their procession, clad in a hooded white cloak that covered her face. She seemed to glow against the green of the forest.

A staff was held in her left hand, made of yew and topped with an emerald. Niendel had found a red cloak trimmed in gold, and wore that without a hood.

He had a dagger, Eliac hadn’t wanted him to hurt himself. Ironically, it was Eliac he stood behind, and he made her look all the more pale.

Elba wore only her black dress, shivering. She hated cloaks, hiding her skin seemed wrong to her. She had a bow slung across her chest with a full quiver of arrows to boot.

Jack was the only one enjoying himself, the only one who was accustomed to the autumn cold. They were following the silver line that Eliac had cast.

Eliac had calmly explained that no one else could see the line, so the enemy wouldn’t know they were onto them.

They’d traveled several miles, which seemed very good for one day, but Eliac said that they hadn’t gone far enough to rest.

Some unspoken vow had revered odd Eliac the leader of the group, with Jack in assistant commander. The two worked well together, but Elba and Niendel weren’t getting along at all.

Bumping into Elba and knocking her over, Niendel snarled, “Watch it, cabbage patch!”

“You too, skinny rabbit.” Elba snapped back.

“What did you call me?” Niendel said, whirling to face her. Eliac rolled her eyes, and Jack sighed. A glance between them seemed to say, ‘not again’…

“Oh, that’s right, your nobility. Your heinous robber via taxes, skinny rabbit.” Niendel tackled Elba, the two of them fighting it out without the use of their weapons.

In a moment, strong Jack had picked up both of them by the scruff of the neck. ten-year-old Niendel, and thirteen-year-old Elba looked like puppets in his massive hands. Jack was sixteen, as was Eliac.

Niendel had a bloody nose and a black eye, Elba had a nasty looking finger nail scratch on her bare arm.

“Guess wha’?” Said Jack, “No one cares if your nobility. If ya do tha’ again, I’ll kick your noble butt right to t’ royal chimney sweep club. An’ believe me, it aien’t all that nice.”

“You know,” Said Eliac airily, “I think you should let me handle these things.”

“WHAT?” Roared Jack, “Why are ya botherin’ me with that cheeky nonsense?” Eliac laughed.

“Not you, Jack.” Said Eliac calmly.

Jack blushed. “Oh.”

“I meant Elba and Niendel. If your bothered, you come get me from now on.”

“You’re a mighty fine leader, Lady,” Said Jack. No reply from Eliac made him go on.

Jack grinned sheepishly, saying, “You look mighty purity in this light, ma’am.” Eliac smacked him, Elba and Niendel laughed.

“I should’ a expected tha’, I ‘spose,” He muttered, a fresh red mark on his face. He kept walking, with Eliac close behind. After a moment, the other two followed.

Niendel said, “Good try though, Jack,” grinning, he patted his arm. Sourly, Jack boxed him on the ear.

Circe finished her Tavern supper at Falcon Reach without a compliant. “Thank you, Nydia.” She said quietly.

“I think its time we bought you a wand.”

“A wand?” She inquired, sipping some apple mead.

“Yes, Kuahin, a wand. Or a sword. Something you can learn to defend yourself with. A new cloak wouldn’t hurt either.”

“Why do I need these things, Nydia?” Nydia eyed her with those broken-spirited eyes, staring. She waited, her feet shuffling uncomfortably beneath the table.

“This is a dangerous occupation.” He said. After he’d paid the bill, he brought her to a clothing store.

“Hmm… A green cloak, medium size, a dress the same color.” The desk clerk brought the required items, bowing. The clink of silver coins could be heard as Nydia paid him.

Eyeing a dressing room, he said, “Change.” Circe did as she was told. When she walked out, Nydia said, “Good.” He stormed out without another word, Circe sprinting to keep up.

They next went to a large Inn. Serenity’s Inn, as an aged sign read. “Wait here.” Said Nydia. Again, Circe did as she was told.

Mere moments later, he walked out, holding a sword made of steel. It had been encased in a metal case, and a scabbard. Nydia attached it to Circe’s waist, saying only, “A good fit.”

“Thank you,” Circe said, “But it must’ve been very expensive..” She bit her lip.

“I think you will need to use it.” He said, “Think nothing of it.” He lead her to the end of town. A gloomy old forest was where he stopped next.

“Wait… isn’t this Moritaure?” Seeing his eyebrows shoot up, she amended herself. “Dark Forest?” Nydia sighed.

“What is dark to you, Kuahin? Is it evil, or is it just not known about of?” He reached behind her ear, and pulled out a crimson rose and, taking care that it had no thorns, handed it to her.

“You can trust me, little dove,” He said, “Come.” He walked into the forest without another word.

And--without a word--Circe followed him.