TURN THIRTY-EIGHT: TIME HOLDS THE ANSWERS
I get back to work
Jack WeaslyNot wanting to cause more trouble down in the mines, you decide to head back to work and help your two comrades in collecting the precious ore and moving it up to the surface area. This monotonous task is very familiar to you, having been done for several years now, the product of an unfortunate orphanage that you have been thrown into. Still, there might be hope of change soon. All you need to do is play your cards quietly and allow the situation to develop slowly. Maybe you'll find a way to retrieve some explosives and stage an escape. The problem, however, lies within what you will do after you escape. Where are you to go and what are you to do? Who's to say that the Empire will not find you after your escape and bring you back to the deepest parts of the mines?
With these questions in your mind, you continue to work for several hours more. The drone of the movement and small explosions within the mines draws down as the day grows longer and longer. You're almost near the end of your work day, and soon the buses will be here to transport you and some of the other kids to an "orphanage," if you could even call it that.
Lirian, Medium of Sword and Shadow
"Haha, hello again. What information do you have for me today?"
I get up and check myself, seeing if I'm still injured while I'm here.
"Anything you can tell me about that Artemis guy and the Shadows?"
If i'm not injured, then I go over to the nearby woods and get to practicing shadowstepping, attempting to make myself more reliable and faster at it, especially over short distances, such that I can use it in combat in between individual blows. to attack from the sides and rear of my opponant, or to evade attacks that I wouldn't otherwise be able to.
If I am injured, then I inspect the injury and ((assuming that unlike if I said this in ER, I won't be at risk of self-amputation)) perform first aid to treat it. After i've treated my injuries, I'll then attempt to learn how to shadowstep through and to smaller shadows, and especially how to step through my own shadow. Moving slowly the entire time to me kind to my injuries.
LirianYou call out to the world around you, hoping that the lost girl who serves as your otherworldly mentor shows up once again. You don't have to wait long before you hear her voice again.
"Oh, it's you again. I didn't think you would show up tonight; you're later than usual." You turn your head and try to find her, spotting her sitting up on a sturdy tree branch within the forest. She doesn't stay there long, however. In a split second, her image vaporizes and reappears in the meadow in front of you, with no effort at all involved in the process. Considering the nature of this place, you would expect that by now.
"So, what was the hold-up? Didya knock yourself out on a tree branch?" You ignore her question and observe the forest, noticing that now wouldn't be a bad time to start practicing your shadow-step abilities again. As far as you can tell, you don't seem to be injured while you're in this world, which is a plus. She gestures with her hands at the ground and allows two folding chairs to materialize out of thin air. Inviting you to take a seat, she asks you to explain what happened tonight. However, you instead reply with a question, asking if she knows anything about Artemis and the Shadows that you fought.
"WHAT?!" She immediately stands out of her chair, looking at you with a shocked, wide-eyed stare. The sky above you ripples with waves of darkness, as if someone knocked the sun out of place.
"Nononononononononononono! Him?! But... how? If you saw him, then who did I see earlier? It's... not possible! There can't be two of him at one time, let alone ONE of him! What the hell is going on?" A cold wind chills the air in the forest, with the leaves rustling and giving you a sense of dread. It doesn't help that Danielle is freaking out right now, pacing around and asking questions that you don't know the answer to.
Instead of dealing with her emotional overflow right now, you decide that it might be better to get some practice in with shadow-stepping and let her deal with this on her own.
Eleri
The subtle nuances of the day vanished along the apparent rays of the sun as Eleri took this time to enjoy nature's fine beauty -- the sunset. It was a shimmering view of orange, pink, red, and darkening gray, with the colors reflecting off the murky horizon. She took a deep breath of the sea-side air, and felt the ocean breeze caress her as she stretched to knead the pains away. Her toes tapped the warm sand beneath her, and she dug the tiniest of depressions with them as she played around with miniscule effort: she was happy today, despite all that had happened. She was safe.
Nightfall comes, and Eleri's mind wanders again. The setting sun lead to the basic idea of warmth. She had to prepare a fire for the boy, much less for herself given her own natural protection. She had wondered why she didn't spent the fifth or sixth day providing that, if in case of a storm or cold front: the ruins provided ample protection for a suitable fire, and considering the clay materials of many of the dilapidated houses, many of them could serve as a rudimentary, yet efficient and probably even insulated warmth-room. Eleri was reminded of another story she had come across in her youth, of how protagonists improvise and utilize their creativity in times of troubles; she was an awfully creative person, as said by one of the humans of long ago, sometimes coming up with ingenious ideas never thought of before--Eleri wondered if these strokes of creativity would occur just yet.
Considering her initial gatherings after securing her physiological needs- As for supplies, you have a bucket, a couple of long branches, and a bowl of fruit that you've stored in a house nearby. It's not much, but it's certainly a good start, despite your new arrival on the island.
-Eleri wondered if she could create a basic set of equipment for use, given that she now had a guest to tend to (or at least prepare him off for a journey to the local village). She needed a tool, something sharp like a knife but with more utility to it.
...
She needed a knife.
Take the night off to rest and watch over the boy--look over what I have, able, and ponder upon which areas I managed to explore that would be very suitable for fashioning a crude knife to work with, as well as possible areas of forage and interest: the main objective once the morning came was to bring the boy to (or as near to) civilization as possible, and she needed aid in doing so.
> If possible, try to find materials which I could use before the night becomes too dark to see in for the plan ahead.
> First, though, ensure the boy is sleeping soundly, with comfort and probably something soft to rest upon, as well as a source of warmth! (ie A small fire)
> Ensure the area he is sleeping in is free from harmful insects (ie Move him to my sleeping quarters)
> Examine the boy thoroughly.
> . . .!!!
Oh goodness, I almost forgot! That...slime!
> Look over that blacking slime--use rocks or such to act as an improvised bowl for it and...experiment with it. Discern its physical attributes!
EleriAs the night falls, you know that you will have to search for more resources to sustain your camp. You don't expect to be in anyone's company but your own, which should make the tasks at hand easier, as you only have to account for yourself soon. Your time within the forest has given you a vague understanding of the surrounding area. The area around the little ghost town is somewhat hilly and has an abundance of trees, which may or may not work to your advantage. At the very least, it will be quite easy to obtain some kindling for fire, but you are not sure if you can find some tools for starting a fire easily. Food won't be too much of a problem if you remain mobile, as the fruits on this island seem to be safe enough from what you already know.
Before the day grows too long, you begin exploring the region surrounding your camp, looking for tools to help you in your endeavors and for some new food sources. Like expected, you find some thin, dry branches that are perfect for starting a fire. It doesn't take you long before you find a good pile of the branches, and you take them back to the houses and store them with your other supplies. The rest of your search doesn't yield anything out of the ordinary, unfortunately. You fail to find any stones or pieces of metal sharp enough to be fit for a knife, and, creating a knife right now would take far too much time for the approaching night. It would be best to save your energy and explore tomorrow, possibly after you leave the boy at the town.
The best you manage to bring along with you before the darkness of the night blankets you is a clump of spider web silk from under one of the larger trees in the forest, and a couple of heavier branches that you may be able to use for wood later on. You head back to your shelter and leave these materials alongside the kindling, food, and other branches that you've already collected.
There's not much you can do at this time of the night to find something comfortable for him to lie down on while he sleeps. The best you are able to put together is a bed of leaves that will act as a pillow for him. Hopefully, it will suffice for now, until he is able to wake up in the morning and you are able to bring him to a more comfortable place. You prepare this pillow in your own shelter and carefully lift him over to the building which you reside in. This will allow you to watch over him and your own supplies, a twofold benefit.
You look over him and find that he seems to be improving ever-so-slowly. His breathing is still shaky and he murmurs in his sleep, however. You can sense that he has some kind of fear about him, or at the very least, his sleep is troublesome. You hope that you've done as best as you can in helping him to heal, allowing him to be happy despite his pain. The low light makes it hard to see, but you trust that he is fine, for now.
In your own corner, you begin to drift off, needing some sleep yourself. Before you begin your slumber, however, you snap awake and remember that you still need to check on the strange, slimy goop. You move over to the rock that you think you placed it on and look for the slime.
...It's just.. gone! You feel over the surface of the rock, but there is no trace of the material left! Not even a stain or a piece of it resides. You search on nearby rocks, but find nothing of the black substance.
You wonder where it could have gone. As far as you know, it can't move on its own, and you don't think that any creature would want such a material. It leaves you puzzled, but you move back to your shelter and sit down, watching over the boy again and listening to the ambient sounds of the night. The waves soothe your ears, leaving you hopeful for the morning.
Tomorrow will be better, you assure yourself. Tomorrow will make more sense. You'll find out what this means soon.
"Well, today's the day. The day that I return home. Not quite the best weather but-no. I'm not backing out now. If I don't go now I don't know when I'll leave, and I've been out here far too long as it is."
Jonathan looks up at the sky. That said, if this journey would go a lot smoother if this were to clear up by nightfall.
"Well then, off I go..."
I know that towns are often built next to rivers or streams, so that's a good place to start. Do I know of any rivers or streams? If so, travel downriver alongside the nearest one. If not travel downhill (or downslope), that should lead me to a river or stream. If I come across any nuts add them to my bag, or eat them if there is not room. Eat fruits or berries that I come across too. Not enoungh to hinder traveling of course, but enough to delay hunger and conserve supplies.
Jonathan EridisThe journey ahead will be both frightening and exciting at the same time. You're not sure what you will do when you find your parents, but you hope that they will accept you with loving arms once again. At the very least, your time spent in the forest has shaped you. You've become accustomed to nature's intricate ways, listening to the hum of the environment and the drawing of the day as insects and animals go about their ways. Although you're still not sure whether or not you are truly ready for the trip, you can wait no longer.
The water source in your area has been supplemented by a spring of water, which eliminates the need for a stream nearby. Unfortunately, this means that you do not know of any rivers in the surrounding area. You know that streams follow the curvature of the land and, naturally, flow downwards. Accordingly, you begin your trek to the west, where the land slopes downward and the area becomes hilly.
It is almost two hours before you find anything close to a stream of water. You've consumed some of your food supply, but you still are in great shape overall. Cresting over a hill, you confirm the sound of rushing water and find a river that courses down through a valley and snakes down into the horizon. With the dense trees and the tough vegetation, you'll have to stay close to the river in order to continue following it, or else you might risk losing the river entirely. Without further ado, you follow the course of the river and continue on your way.
The vegetation here is and green and plentiful, with the afternoon sun poking in through holes in the forest's roof of leaves and tree branches. The rushing water calms you as you make your way down the hilly slopes, and the sound of birds flying overhead gives you comfort. You estimate that it is nearing midday now, the sun slowly traveling across the light-blue sky.
Your first leg of the journey is underway, and so far, you seem to be doing pretty well.
Release control over the destroyed golem, and have all the intact golems return to me. Then, release control over all golems but the creators, and have many more golems be constructed.
RuneThat destroyed golem is of no more use to you now. Maybe you'll be able to repair it later, but for now there is no use in continuing to maintain a mental link with something that is inoperable. Instead, you call all of the golems under your control to meet back down in the tunnels, where you will order more golems to be constructed. It takes about four or five minutes, but soon you have all of the golems down in your little tunnels once again. You switch control to the Creator Golems and have them begin working on gathering the clay for the golems, along with preparing basic molds for the new golems.
((I'm having them create the basic forms of the golems so that I don't misinterpret anything and accidentally make too many of a certain type of golem. Is there a specific order that you have for the golems to be created, or will any type of golem do?))
The Creators continue to stockpile clay and mold the clay into anthropomorphic designs, ready to be fitted into larger or smaller golems if needed. All you have to do is assert which types of golems need to be created at the moment, and the Creators will get working on it soon.
Eight golem molds ready.
Warren Drake
Climb down and try to seem non-threatening and non-inquisitive. Friendly, even.
"That must be terrible, seeing nice creatures turn into, well, those like that. I'm sorry. Has it been like this for long?"
Be all supportive and whatnot.
Warren DrakeYou're intrigued by this turn of events and not really surprised. After all, weirder things have transpired in the timespan of twenty-four hours, including turning in to an anole, mysterious fog and shadowy creatures spitting taunts, and a talking lizard with a gang of dinosaurs and what sounds like a long lisp.
At this point, you really hope that this is just some screwy nightmare and that you can either get an answer in the next few hours or wake up back on Atis in your comfortable, one-story home in the village. That would be absolute bliss compared to what you've been through so far.
You climb down the tree and approach the girl with a friendly walk. Hopefully, none of your words will make her break down any further, but you're not so hopeful at this point.
"That must be terrible, seeing nice creatures turn into, well,
those like that. I'm sorry. Has it been like this for long?" You offer your words of comfort, asking a question at the same time.
"Well... n-not really," she answers between sniffles.
"One night, they just started coming and coming, with bigger animals and more of them. I'm not scared of them, just afraid for them.. I don't want to see them.. d-die." She wipes some of her tears away with her sleeve and looks up to you. She seems so childlike to you, but her height and her physical traits seem to betray that notion.
This is going to be tough to deal with.
Eh Ah
"My thoughts, ma'am, would be..."
Eh Ah does a quick mental rundown of his current thoughts.
... that your father did not seem to understand the core principle of creating an empire or being a lasting force in the world, and that his idea of perfection is woefully lacking in any consideration of actual reality. I apologize if this seems unfairly harsh of the man, but that is how his stance comes off to me, not as an artist, but as a human being and occasional thinker. Empires do not stand and have never stood on the strength of their military, at least not for very long on a global scale. Rather, they stand on their culture. Culture is the basis of assimilation and proper control of the public, and this is how it has always been. To believe otherwise reveals an oversight perhaps understandable in a military strategist, but completely unacceptable in an emperor, or an empress, for that matter.
The Theyin Empire, if Your Majesty forgives me for saying so, currently stands as an example of the archetypal evil empire sometimes seen in history. It is based on constant expansion because it needs expansion to function, otherwise the Theyin way of life, currently immoral and indefensible in even the eyes of its officers, such as Pirmai Anna Kether, who ma'am may remember from not very long ago, would run out of steam within the year, and the entirety of the state would collapse. Meanwhile, its model of expansion without culture is basically the raiding of the world, which is all but plain to any outside observers. Against it stands a coalition of rebelling states, as it has galvanized opposition with its constant hunger for their lands and people's lives. The Empire is like a plague of death and destruction bearing down on the rest of the world, or at least so it would appear. I am not condemning the image of perfection Your Majesty's father envisioned, mind you, as a clockwork life of emotionless efficiency is, if perhaps not ideal in the minds of some of the populace, nevertheless a possible path toward ultimate progress. And, as the simple way one Mr. Apollo Devicus has managed to grab power seemingly without any effort whatsoever demonstrates, the Empire hungers for success, and cannot sustain itself without perfect conquest of all around it. The populace are openly traitorous toward their momentarily absent Empress, and the military largely seek only the next source of plunder.
I am getting at the sad reality that this sort of lifestyle is not very sustainable, Your Majesty, as it lacks any culture beyond gratification of base impulse, and the vision of perfection your father had in mind does not seem to have ever been communicated to his subjects in an effective way. Even if it is not, it looks like a base pretext rather than a proper dream. And it all can be traced to two things - a rather distasteful set of internal affairs, where even the people of the heartland are apparently viciously oppressed if what Pirmai Kether says is correct, and the lack of integrity in the populace. The Empire has overexpanded significantly to the point where the only thing tying one end of it and the other together may be fear of violent reprisal. The seeming lack of internal prosperity does not help, either. My thoughts are that the Empire, if it even is capable of such a thing, should not expand further. Or perhaps even cut loose many of its conquered territories for good measure. Then vertical rather than horizontal growth should be ensured - perhaps freeing the slaves and allowing the military to plunder the estates of the noblemen who resist, as it is truly evident that the upper classes have shown their true colors with recent events. And from this purge, perhaps a workable economy can be built.
But of course, I have not mentioned culture yet. Culture is crucial, but it comes with time, long-term spending and patience. It is on culture and culture alone that one can start building a proper superpower and enact imperialistic domination of the surrounding territory, as a strong culture, amusingly enough, can make people want to join an empire willingly, unlike constant warfare and invasion of surrounding areas. An empire need but be civilized beyond its peers, and virtually all things an empire needs will come much easier to it. Its art will support its ambitions of the future, and its people will be spellbound by the beauty of a dream being slowly realized. That is how the utopia of the future must be started, through slow and careful effort at home rather than hunting for glory in other lands, as even if the Theyin Empire were to conquer the world and destroy all its enemies, it would take it but a few years under the current model by my estimate to tear itself apart and for the entire world to descend into chaos once more.
Naturally, he quickly reconsiders them in the following moments.
"... my thoughts are that warfare is far more inefficient than art, ma'am, time wasted on destruction, antagonizing the world at large and futile conquest when it could be spent trading, ensuring internal security and prosperity, developing economically significant technologies and, of course, establishing a powerful culture, all of which offer more power than military might ever could, and power with a greater lifespan at that. Warfare is for seekers of blood and personal glory, it does no good to the state or the mind. One need but look at the disloyal masses of the Theyin Empire, moved by lust for violent conflict to betray their empress at the first shift of the political wind."
Eh AhShe tilts her head from side to side, thinking over your words. Thankfully, she's not showing any signs of anger against you for suggesting that her Empire's method of bringing "prosperity" to the world is somewhat flawed. She doesn't say anything until your group arrives at the complex that serves as her temporary headquarters, however.
She motions the guards away and you open the front door for her. The two of you move back into the top floor of the building, looking out at the familiar windows of the place. The bay looks eerily calm in the moonlight, despite the events of the past few days. It reminds you that there is something more to this island than the bitter political disputes of the present. Who knows? Maybe this island will see some sort of peace soon.
And, hey, your words might contribute to that same peace.
"Oh, how easy would it be to just peacefully build," she begins, striding to the desk on the other side of the room.
"Although I have not been educated in the ways of peace, it's something that I have already considered. I'm not a total fool. I know what war is and I've experienced it firsthand. I never said I agreed with the practices of my father, despite my parallels to his desires." Your interest is heightened now that you hear her recognition of the disaster of war.
"You see, the power of my rule has been waning. It's been like that ever since my father's reign. My father was not the most sane of men, if I am to be honest. He was lustful, greedy.. mechanical. In some ways, stricken by a madness, he was. Many people were wary of what he was doing, but the Council of Merphois - left hand of the Empire - fully supported my father's actions. I suspect that they, too, were overcome by greed. Yes, there were some dissenters in the Council, but the most ardent supporters of my father were skillful orators. With my father deceased, the Council of Merphois turned to me. Though the person changed, the Council expected me to continue the trend and gain territory for the further development of the Empire.
"In some ways, I am at an impasse. I've struggled to explore other options in the past few months, but you've seen where that has landed me. The Council has probably grown tired of me and selected Apollo, one of their own, to lead the military offensive instead - probably to keep a more watchful eye on me. The position of Empress is failing me, unfortunately. Though I remain a symbol, I am quickly falling out of interest within the political world. Soon, I fear I may be discarded in a coup d'etat, with my own cousin being placed as the new figurehead. His courage and his oratory skills in public may be trouble for the Council soon enough, however.
"Perhaps I'm a relic of a forgotten time. Maybe I have no place in a changing world. But I don't intend to let my visions die out so soon. I do hope for a change of course, but if I am to do so, I need more support on my front. Escaping to the Jaunatne Coalition is no option due to their opposition of my crown also.
"I wonder if I am doomed to be left in the dust of this world, lest I become a puppet of the Council alongside Devicus."
Alex would grab the bar. He would make a large, hysteric swings at the bar. He would attempt to bang on it so the guards will come.
Alex RamanThere's not much left for you to do. If you don't act soon, you might catch an infection in your wound, or worse. You hate to do it, but you must call for the guards and have them take you to somewhere where you may have your wound tended to.
Have your wound tended to... wait, that's your chance! If the guards escort you out of here and into some sort of hospital, you'll have a better chance of escaping there. All you need to do is make enough noise for the guards to come and you will obtain your opportunity. Unfortunately, the bed is broken, which means you can't reach the bars anymore. However, you could bang on the plastic-glass that forms the front wall.
With your best acting, you scream out and bang on the glass with your hands, trying your hardest to get the attention of at least one of the guards. It's not too long before a guard arrives and sees you, with your leg dripping with blood and the broken bed. He disappears through the doorway and comes back with the other guard about a minute later. The senior guard unlocks the door and pulls back your arms as you peacefully comply with them.
"What in the hell did you do to break the bed?" He grunts and pushes you towards the other guard, who binds you with plastic cuffs made of wiry material.
"Don't even think of trying anything funny, kid. We're taking you to the medical center. One small screw-up and you're done. Got it?" the younger officer says to you. You nod quietly and follow their orders, moving out onto the main avenue and taking in a deep breath.
Maybe you will get a chance to escape after all. Your distraction, at some cost, will pay off.
"Oh, gosh," Cecil says, laughing nervously, "I don't even know where to begin. Um.
"What's happening tonight? Why was my home attacked?
"Why can I hear people's thoughts in my head like a radio broadcast?"
The questions start spilling out of Cecil.
"Will I ever make it home again? To my father?"
The last question leaves his lips, a look of sadness crossing his usually neutral face. He still had some things to resolve at home, and he wanted desperately to make it back, at least some day.
Cecil G. Palmer"What is happening tonight, indeed?" she repeats with a sly smile on her face.
"Tonight is something... out of the ordinary, you see. The physical dimension which you reside in is not the only one. Occasionally, you will find that some nightmares and dreams become... a reality. Something more than just an apparition. When the time is right and the bounds of reality and dreams overlap, this is what happens. It may be frightening, but this is something you will learn to adapt to." She giggles and draws a symbol in the air: a simple circle, with four other circles on the corners of the center one. There is a blue glow that follows her fingertip, and the glow depicts the symbol for a few more seconds before fading away.
"This place is both your home and your destination. Your beginning and your end, your familiar and your stranger. Eventually, you will meet others who have this same ability: the ability to perceive these lines and boundaries. In time, my child. In time.
"As for your home being attacked, well.. it is difficult to ascertain the ambitions of human beings," she explains with another giggle.
"I will let you know that this is the product of human strife, and that this is not the end of it. As for the reason, I may not tell you now. You will have to explore that soon.
"Your ability to hear other people in your head has been with you since you were born. It is like a frequency, Cecil, a frequency that you were not able to perceive until now. Only now is your mind accustomed to that particular frequency of the mind. It might be uncomfortable now, but that will subside soon. It will become natural to you in time, and you will find others with whom you share a common perception. My advice to you is to work with it slowly and purposefully. It won't be long, and then you will be able to harness the power of this place.
"Your father..." She giggles again, to your dismay. Despite her calming aura, you can't help but feel that she is acting like she is a cat and you are the mouse, helpless to her knowledge over you.
"Well, will you make it back home, my child? I cannot answer that for you. You have to answer that yourself. I may only push you gently, but you are your own master. After that? Well, that is your own choice."You feel that her answers have been rather cryptic and unhelpful, but maybe she still means well with her answers. At the very least, she doesn't seem to be hurting you, which is a definite plus. Maybe if you prod a bit harder, you will get some meaningful direction instead of confusing replies.
Author's Note: Well, this update was longer than I planned for it to be. Ah well, I can't help it. Though I must, if I am to save more time and push these updates out more frequently. Like repeated often in this update, "soon and in time."
Thanks and have a wonderful winter,
Artemis.
Author
Topic: Roll To Medium: Awakening [Chapter VI] (Read 145507 times)