24 The Queens Journey, pt. 5 (1/2)
”Hurry up!” Theresa yelled in the distance.
”Yeah, yeah, on my way.” Jin replied.
The group had made a brief stop. Jin took the opportunity to lay down a small, green circlet composed of leaves collected from the few patches of grass nearby.
It was a ritual he had read about once that the old elves would perform for their dead. Although he didn't understand the point, it comforted him to do something, anything, for those who had fallen yesterday.
With a sigh, he stood. The sun graced his skin, covering him in a pleasant warmth. Alright. Time to get a move on. He thought.
The enlisted got back on the cart and proceeded down the dirt road.
They were in the middle of the Diamond Plains.
Immediately, Jin had noticed why the territory was called that when he saw that the dirt began taking a silver, almost chrome color.
”It's the rocks, dear.” Theresa said beside him. ”It looks like dirt, but the land here is actually composed of a lot of small rocks.”
”This is incredible.” Jin admitted. He looked around, trying to gauge everyone else's reactions. Mariana and Ker'Tallen both shared his astonishment, with the little girl staring out, completely wide-eyed. Decena, however, didn't even look up from her lap.
”What's wrong with you?” Jin immediately regretted how callous his statement came out, but this had been the redhead's expression for a while. He was curious.
Decena looked up, raising an eyebrow. Hiding a small wince when she heard herself addressed.
”I'm fine.”
”Yes, clearly. Can you not see her relaxed nature shining through?” Theresa chuckled. Decena looked away, clicking her tongue.
”Of course, I'm getting sleepy just looking at her.” Ker'Tallen said from beside the redhead.
”Alright, knock it off.” Decena hissed, before taking a deep breath. ”Back there, at the bridge, I failed.”
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone took a collective gulp.
”That monster was right in front of me, and I couldn't do anything to stop it.”
”None of us could have.” Theresa added.
”Bullshit.” Decena replied. ”Those deaths are on me.”
There was a brief silence, until Theresa sighed and leaned back, stretching her legs.
”Well, if that keeps you going...” She muttered. Decena didn't respond.
The cart then pulled into a slow stop, causing the group to simultaneously prop their heads up.
Jin could hear something that sounded like talking, followed by what had to be music of some kind.
Sitting nearest to the outside, he leaned to his left to see what was happening.
Ahead, a crowd of people were sat down on the chrome-colored dirt. Only, they all looked like different variations of Ricca, from Daysinn.
Terreth, that's what they were called, right? He asked himself, remembering that Ricca belonged to one of the three magical races.
Each one of them shared some similar features.
Glittering wings on their backs, attached to small torsos that looked like they belonged to elvish children rather than regular people, and of course, their monochromatic eyes.
Though, some eyes glowed in different colors, and where they all looked small, some had large horns on their heads. Others had red scales running across their arms.
There were about thirty of them.
Jin recognized that they were surrounded by a basic camp setup; tents, an unlit fireplace, clothes hanging on props made from branches, etc.
To the back were a few of them holding large instruments with strings gliding from the top to the bottom, and one terreth passing their fingers along, creating an extremely pleasant sound.
He realized that they fit the description to a word he had learned in one of his books.
Nomads.
After everyone hopped out of their carts, Olyneces, who by this point was basically acting as an unofficial spokesperson for the queen, spoke up.
”We'll be staying for a moment. The queen plans to exchange information with the terreth chief.”
”Ugh.” Decena turned and quickly returned to the cart.
Jin turned back and watched in awe as the terreth maneuvered throughout the land, collecting nearby herbs, trading pelts and so on.
”An impressive society are they not?” Ker'Tallen spoke up.
”Have you ever seen them before today?” Jin asked.
”Of course not. Slave remember?” Ker'Tallen smiled at him. ”But I heard one of my many patrons talk about them once.”
”They also, happen to have a ton of interesting merchandise for me to purchase.” Theresa said with a sly smile, as she pulled out a few gold coins.
”Where will you even put it?” Ker'Tallen asked.
”Worry not, I won't be buying anything too large.” And with that, she began walking towards their camp with not a shred of humility on her face.
Jin was about to turn and walk back to the cart, when he heard someone raise their voice. He recognized them.
Moving up, he saw Eliara yelling at one of the terreth.
”This is the queen, she is asking for your assistance and you're turning her away!?” She yelled out.
”Eliara, please.” Her mother, who was standing next to her, beckoned. ”If the chief says he has no resources to spare, then that is all there is to this conversation.”
”This is why our enemies don't respect us!” Eliara yelled out before returning to her cart and slamming the side door closed.
Jin stood behind the pair dumbfounded, until the queen spoke again.
”She'll learn with time. Putting that aside, would it bother you, Timmet, if my men and women were to recuperate here?” The terreth in front of her, who held one long horn in the middle of his forehead and grey wings on his back, was about to say something when Cerena continued, ”of course, we'll pay for services rendered.”
This made Timmet pause.
”Well,” he spoke with a fluidity Jin hadn't yet encountered, ”then in that case we would be remiss to turn you away.”
”Perfect. Bonne journee.” Jin heard the queen say. That's the 'Old Tongue'. He thought.
”Bonne journee.” The elf bowed, turned and walked back to his camp. He entered a tent that was far larger than the rest and covered in rare animal pelts.
Cerena began to walk back to her cart, but before she did so, she looked Jin in the eye.
”Leaders do what they can. Even if that falls below what you want, so long as it's above what the rest can.”
With that, she retired to her cart.
Jin stood for a moment, before a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked to his side and saw Ker'Tallen.
”Come over here.” He said. ”The terreth are letting us share the camp with them.”
Jin raised an eyebrow.
”I'm surprised they didn't freak out the moment they saw you.” Ker'Tallen laughed.
”They are neutral. Wasn't always that way though.” Ker'Tallen didn't elaborate, and simply started to walk away.
”How are you so smart?” Jin asked.
”Hm?” Ker'Tallen turned.
”You were a slave. I would expect you to know as much about the world as I do.”
”Different patrons throughout the years, my friend. Most were extremely cruel, but some took the time to teach me things between beatings.” Despite saying such a dark statement, he was smiling. ”Still not worth it, of course.”
They walked towards the cluster of small people, who regarded them with a few smiles and some cautious looks.
The nomads offered the pair a few custom meals, unique to their own culture.
A few of them started teasing Jin, talking about how it was hard to talk to his people since they were so tall.
Something caught his eye though, causing him to look away from the homey camp.
In the far distance were some terreth standing at about ten meters away from each other.
They were sitting down, with their legs crossed and their eyes closed.
They looked different to the rest. They had no wings and black scales ran down their arms.
”Mages. They're meditating.” Jin heard Theresa say. He looked to his right, and saw her scanning a terreth merchant's merchandise, consisting of necklaces, braceletts and other accesories made of weird beast's remains. She didn't even take her eyes off them as she spoke.
”What?”
”Meditating.” She reiterated. ”You close your eyes and you cancel the outside world until all you can feel is the magic around you.” She finally broke her gaze and turned towards him. ”And that is how you increase your total amount of magic.”
Jin snapped his head back in their direction. You can do that!?
”It's how I got where I am today. Of course, there are other... Darker ways of doing this, but that's the simplest and the most practical. Why don't you go try it?”
She encouraged him with a quick nod in their direction.
”I wouldn't be interrupting them?”
”They won't even notice you're there.” Theresa said.
Jin breathed in for a moment and then, he stood to go up to them.
There were a few sheets spread out beside them. Maybe they anticipated that someone would want to join in.
Awkwardly, Jin sat down, crossing his legs and hunching over.
Now what? He asked himself. Right. Cancel the outside world, whatever the fuck that means.
He closed his eyes and breathed in.
Nothing happened. For a few minutes nothing happened.
He was getting uncomfortable. He started shifting in place, shaking his leg. Isn't this kind of ridiculous? He wondered.
Breathing in once more, he tried to entertain himself by imagining the spells he saw Theresa perform, only coming from him instead.
He chuckled at his own arrogance, watching himself throw white flame in his mind.
But just as he was about to stand back up, a strange sensation came over him.
He started to feel something coursing through his veins.
It was alarming. He hadn't felt anything like it. But, as alarming as it was, it was also weirdly euphoric.
He wanted to stop but didn't at the same time.
All of a sudden, he started seeing something.
Despite having his eyes closed, he could see something moving through the air. A blue line of sorts.
The line circled the air a few times before flipping and twirling in place.
As it moved, Jin started to feel his shoulder shaking. Then... A voice?
”...in” It spoke.
Then, louder.
”Jin!”
He snapped his eyes open and saw Ker'Tallen standing in front of him, worry etched on his face.
He looked around, and saw several people, mostly terreth but Theresa and Decena were among them, all looking at him with blatant concern.
”What?” He asked.
”There was... Lightning.” Ker'Tallen said. ”All around you. It was like it were dancing or something.”
What the... He thought. He noticed one of the terreth who had been meditating had opened their eyes and stared at Jin.
”Stormbearer.” He said, simply and solemnly.
”What's that?”
”One with great potential.” The terreth continued. ”A storm is as likely to go in one direction as the other, it does not care who, or what it destroys, if it even does that, as it could pass over a forest or a field of nothing. That is you.” Not once did his voice waver, nor did he sound impressed. He spoke as if this was simple fact.
”Truth be told, I haven't seen this before.” Theresa muttered, squinting her eyes at Jin.
He waved his hand, chuckling the tension away.
”Alright, alright, I get it.” He stood up and started to walk away. ”I'm gonna take a nap.”
Decena's POV