A Record of Ash & Ruin: The Grieving Lands

Book 2: Chapter 33: A Lesson to be Learned

In the world of sleep, tossing and turning in the night, darkness descends upon me like a heavy weight. The visions that besiege me are those of a gathering storm, an unyielding force that churns the ocean's depths. Terror consumes me, gripping my heart with a vice-like intensity.

The labyrinth of dreams and dust offers no respite, no escape from the shadows of the future that haunt me. They pursue me relentlessly, and I cannot shake them off. Each twist and turn of the maze brings me closer to the realization that there is no way out.

As I stumble to a halt, gasping for air, the shadows loom before me, threatening to engulf me in their icy grip. The fear that has gripped me so tightly threatens to overwhelm me entirely. I am but a leaf in a storm, tossed and turned by forces beyond my control.

With a trembling hand, I brace myself to face what lies ahead. There is no escaping the inevitable, no avoiding the storm that is about to break upon me. For a moment the hand that grips me lightens—could the portents be a gift from the River? A fleeting glimpse of what is to come?

Fear courses through my veins anew, and yet this time I embrace the shadows, ready to meet my destiny. For with the fear comes yet another emotion—excitement. An escape from my gilded prison.

- From the diary of Lady Aelayah of House Salahaem.

It was the first time I had seen someone, other than myself, be given a spell. There was a solemn air after Kidu's rumbling exclamation that seemed to permeate through the room. Elwin looked thoughtful, and Kidu seemed wistful, perhaps thinking of an old memory. Larynda looked the picture of joy as the light of the magic's acceptance slowly faded. I didn't personally need water spells anyway, and at least this way, my companions and I wouldn't have to worry about drinking water.

We were generally in good spirits after finishing a few more cups of tea and exchanging pleasantries and information. I was a bit hesitant to give out details about myself to these strangers, so I let my companions do most of the talking.

Ankhset and her spawn were Water Mages of the Children of Tides, which lowered my estimation of them considerably. With this in mind, I briefly entertained the idea of slowly killing her during our journey. A few Drain spells cast here and there could whittle away at her health, making it look like natural causes. However, I ultimately decided against it, since the train still needed her, and there was no sure way to know if she could detect the use of my magic. Throughout the exchange, I tried to gauge whether or not she had felt my Entropic Aura. The voices had told me that it would be problematic if she had.

The evening finally drew to a close. Before leaving the wagon, the half-elven child was made to promise that she would visit Ankhset’s wagon every other day in the evenings to study the path of water.

Once we put a little distance between us and Ankhset’s family, I decided to use Identify on the small girl, eager to see if the magic had wrought any changes upon her.

Larynda - Chaos Water Mage (Human lvl.9) Health 73/74 Stamina 17/26

Mana 11/20

What in blazes? The girl has risen a whole four levels! Was that the effect of taking in a single scroll? It couldn't be... Learning Identify didn't give me anywhere near that level of a boost, I thought to myself. After pondering for a moment, I realized that the likely source of her newfound levels must have been from the single engagement where she slaughtered, almost wholesale, a group of men and horses.

It made sense, and I was relieved to see that learning water magic had not removed the 'Chaos' tag from her class description. Chaos magic was useful after all, and I made a mental note to talk to her about it at a later date, before the hag got her claws fully into her and dissuaded the girl from using her intrinsic powers.

I also planned to tell Kidu to push her a little harder in her physical training. At least now, with the increase in her level, she wouldn't fall over from an errant breeze. After all, it is said that a sound soul resides within a sound healthy body and mind, or something like that.

As we walked Larynda back to the wagon that she shared with our newest companion, Cordelia, my mind raced.

This time, the lady knight was dressed in the local fashion, wearing a light red deel with bright yellow trim that flared out from the sleeves. She sat among the women of the Ravens around a small open fire, sipping tea from a thick ceramic cup and wearing an infectious smile. Among their number was Catalina, the mother I had healed the night before, who blushed like a maiden at her first dance as we neared. Larynda rushed to greet Cordelia and excitedly told her the news in an incomprehensible babbling stream of words.

"Thank you, honored one, for healing me," began Catalina demurely, looking away when our eyes met. My magic had done wonders for her, and she now looked to be the very picture of health.

"Think nothing of it, dear lady," I replied courteously, offering my best smile. The women of the small group looked at each other knowingly, and I felt a little flustered. I turned my attention to Cordelia and informed her of the recent events.

Once Larynda had finished venting off her exuberance, we sat down on small chairs that some old women put out for us. I decided to update Cordelia on the latest happenings, as I planned for her to take part in Larynda’s training. Best she knows what it was she was dealing with. She, in turn, told me of the little things, of how she had spent her time with the people of the caravan. Unimportant things that I only gave half-an-ear to. I slipped into giving automatic responses and occasionally repeating the last thing she said, to humor her. It was one of the skills I had picked up in the old world when dealing with women, and it worked equally well here.

Kidu would occasionally make a comment or ask a pointed question about the Ravens, to which Cordelia was surprisingly able to answer with ease. The answers to these questions I paid full attention to, as Kidu, uncivilized and savage as he was, could be surprisingly insightful at times. I learned that the Ravens, like the people of North, put great stock in honor and trust. This made sense for a people who’s very livelihood relied on trade. However, they took this to the extreme, in my opinion at least. For example, they placed great weight on honoring and collecting debt. So much so that a male child among the traveling people could not truly call himself independent unless he paid his family back in full, through labor or by coin, the cost of raising him.

However, girls had intrinsic value, as they bore the greater inherent responsibility when propagating and carrying the next generation to term. Their bride price, or dowry, was their value when they came of age. Treating the fairer sex like so much cattle or brood mares to be bought and traded was, in my opinion, the mark of a primitive and underdeveloped culture.

Could they not see that all human life had intrinsic and equal value, regardless of race, sex, and so forth? Thinking on it more, I saw that, at the very least, the beings of this world had a possible excuse for their barbaric customs. Their behavioral patterns, culture, and histories, were probably set by the “system” of this world. Their way of life and very existence, were nothing more than the predetermined result of a collection of ones and zeros.

However, the people of my old world, who did not ascribe to the line of thinking that all human life was equal, had no such excuse. They were all just as savage and backward as the people I had encountered in these lands. For what of the handicapped, the weak, the flawed, and the vulnerable? Do their lives hold no value? And by what right would we assign value to each individual? Once you start believing that one group of people is more valuable than another, the logical progression is the eradication of those deemed 'lesser.' History is awash with instances of such dehumanization, the narratives written in the blood and tears of humankind.

Throughout this long exchange, I could not help but notice that Elwin had slipped off somewhere.

“...so as you can see, I will entrust Larynda to your care. I see the girl has taken quite a liking to you,” I finished flatly, resisting an urge to ruffle Larynda’s mop of hair as she sidled up next to me.

“Yay! I get to learn how to use a sword an’ all!” the small child exuded, drawing a beatific smile from Cordelia.

"It will be as you command, Your Holiness. I mean, Gil," Cordelia replied, flustered at using a less-formal tone. "Come now, Lynda, tomorrow is a long day, and it's well past your bedtime!" she commanded, dragging the little girl by the arm into the wagon.

The other women smiled at this, curtsying to me like a brood of hens before retiring to attend to their evening business. As they were about to leave, I stopped them, taking off my robe and asking if it could be mended. Catalina volunteered to handle the task herself, refusing payment and insisting that it was the least she could do.

Just as I finished wishing them a good evening, Elwin appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. An insouciant grin was his only greeting as he took a place by my side. The man truly was slippery as an eel. With my business settled, we returned to our own wagon.

*

The next few days were spent at rest. Laes had decided to wait for Gelgor’s caravan to catch up, deciding it would be best to travel together for mutual protection. My companions and I felt it to be a wise decision, and all were glad to have a little respite from near-constant travel.

Larynda spent this time with Ankhset and her burly children, studying the ways of water during the day, and in the evenings Kidu threw her into a relentless training routine. He was a harsh and exacting teacher, giving only minimal praise and acknowledgment, but punishing repeated mistakes of footwork or position with merciless strikes that would leave the girl near tears.

To her credit, she shed no tears in front of us. It also afforded me the opportunity to practice my Heal and Drain spell combination. Unlike the old Beastmaster Abas Yar, the young girl was positively brimming with delicious life force and Mana, which allowed me to get back most of my own Mana.

One afternoon, the boy Dumuzi returned my mended garments, bowing low as he did so. I was alone at the time, seeing to the maintenance of my armor, and my companions were busy with various things around the camp. Looking closer at the boy's features, I realized that I had seen him before at Catalina’s side. He had been the son who had been clutching at his mother’s hand.

“How is your mother, Catalina?” I probed as offhandedly as I could, wishing to confirm the truth of the memory.

Smiling at me, the young lad replied, “She is well, Honored One. I thank you for saving her.” He paused for a moment, his expression growing a little dark, “She is my only family now.”

"You'll forgive me if this is a sensitive subject, but your father?" I inquired.

"He crossed the Shallow River, defending my mother and me from the attack, Honored One," he shared, his voice trembling slightly from suppressed emotion.

Taken aback, I responded awkwardly, "I am sorry for your loss." In the back of my mind, I wondered if his mother might appreciate some comfort later. “If there is anything I can do, do not hesitate to ask,” I added casually.

“Apologies again, Honored One. This one is foolish for troubling you with his own matters. You have already given us so much. You and the child sage Larynda have already given me my vengeance…now there is…” He could not finish the last as he started bawling his eyes out.

That was the final straw, as all of my pent-up irritation and negative emotions needed a vent. The swiftness of my hand surprised even me as my backhanded slap connected with his face, silencing his pathetic mewling and knocking him to the ground.

"Cease your womanly weeping," I snarled, looking down disdainfully at his crumpled figure.

He stared up at me, a mix of shock and pain warring with his anger. And fear. Fear of me.

"Your father surely did not spawn such a weak child. You dishonor his memory. I shall overlook this deplorable display. Existence is rife with adversity and loss. To expose vulnerability is to beckon that which would be your downfall. Tell me, are you weak, child?" I inquired in the measured tone of a teacher.

He sniffed for a moment before gaining control. "No, Honored One. Please forgive me for disappointing you," he stammered, prostrating himself on the ground, dreading further provocation of my fury.

I knelt down beside the young innocent boy and laid a gloved hand on his head, causing him to reflexively wince. I cast Drain on his unresisting form and energy filled me, delicious, like sweet nectar.

Take more, the voices insisted. It would be so easy. With an effort of will and great regret, I stopped the spell. I paused for a moment as a few images from the boy’s life filled my mind.

Days filled with taking care of the giant Ruar, the stern smile of a proud father, and the gentleness of a young mother. Forcing these memories out of my mind, I cast Heal on the boy to restore some of the damage I had inflicted. Now energy flowed from me to the boy causing the evidence of my violence to disappear from his face.

I raised him to his feet and looked him firmly in the eye. Now I could see that the fear in his eyes had changed to an altogether different emotion. Something I found much more tolerable. Respect.

Once he had gone, I heard a snarky comment from behind me in Elwin’s voice.

“Well, I guess that’s one form of tough love,” the voice said.

I refused to give Elwin the satisfaction of seeing me surprised and firmly resisted the urge to turn around.

“Better that he learns of the true nature of the world now. This land is an unforgiving place. I would be doing the boy no favors, and a hard truth is worth a thousand soft lies…” I muttered a little irritably.

“Not saying what you did was bad, Gil. Perhaps, you’re looking to fill in his father’s shoes? Either way, he’s probably got to grow up fast now. Dark Lady knows, I could have done with more of a slap when I was younger,” added the voice in an infuriatingly knowing tone.

I turned around, taking in the Rogue, looking him firmly in the eye, noticing that they still had a hollowness to them.“You know, it is never too late,” I smiled back darkly, and wondered if a similar method of instilling respect would work with Elwin.