Adventure Log 4-

Well, been a minute, hasn’t it? To say a lot’s happened would be an understatement… I’m apparently some kinda hero now. Don’t exactly feel like it, tho.

Turns out, magic is hard. I’ve got all these new powers and stuff, but very little idea as to how exactly I’m supposed to use it. Well, not exactly… I have this feeling, deep inside, that just kinda… comes out. Hard and fast. Right now the best I’ve got is this big burst of wind, which kinda just throws me around a bit. I’m working on it.

As for my swordsmanship, hohoho that’s fun! A lot like magic, I’ve just got this innate feeling now, so I can do all kinds of fancy maneuvers with this little thing! I got this sword called Windbreaker from the rat god (long story.) It’s certainly unconventional-there’s only one edge, and it’s really curvy-but I’m making it work! The most I can cut up for now is trees and bushes for now though. But hey, this thing makes quite the hefty lawn mower!

Elizabeth’s fine, if a bit… spooky. She doesn’t sleep, eat, or drink, though she does look pretty jealous every time I do. She just keeps watch, not like there’s much out here anyways.

She says she’s afraid that Demon guy’ll come back. Guess I am, too. Still, something tells me he’s long gone… but I know that we haven’t seen the last of him. And though I’ve got some cool new moves, I know I don’t stand a chance. I’m not even sure I ever will. I’m faster than him, sure, but I don’t like how confidently he swings those swords.

I guess that’ll be all for now, whew, quite a hefty one lol. I’ll probably just take a nap here, hard to keep traveling when the mud keeps making your boots all squishy.

The screen flickers off, the ball closes, and he slips it into his bag. Looking up at the cloud-stained sky, soaking the ground with sharp and cold tears, he lean back against the tree bark and closes his eyes, swallowing down his third meal of jerky this week. Three days… Not much has happened. He’s not surprised, he certainly learned his lesson from his trip into the mountains that adventure isn’t always nonstop hardcore action. For now, he’s content to nap to the sound of shattered raindrops and let his spirit drift away.

Speaking of spirits, out in the midst of the mud soaked road, Elizabeth stands unwavering against the onslaught of falling water. Looking up, she watches it pass directly into her eyes, and yet she does not blink. She’s long learned it won’t harm her. This whole spirit thing has been nothing but a learning experience, mostly in just how it feels to be truly nobody. Looking back down, she runs her hand along the invisible chain, somehow able to hear its clinks and clanks as it keeps her prisoner. A chain, steadfast and unbreaking, yet it feels so vulnerable in its present state. It’s all that’s keeping her spirit from drifting off into some unknown abyss.

She makes her way to the tree, sliding down its slick bark until she’s right by her brother. She closes her eyes, dreaming she can dream, and waits for him to awaken.

Adventure Log 6-

I’ve been practicing that floating trick, but so far it ain’t going so well. It’s still practically impossible to keep my wind under control, much less enough to keep my sword suspended. Still, it is cool to watch it just blast into the air lmao. I’ll keep at it, just hopefully I’ll figure it out before I cross into the rest of Oracle. Who knows what’s out there.

I got it! Kinda… I didn’t really figure out any of the tricks I was actually trying to do, but I certainly learned how to run for my life! I was testing out throwing and catching my sword in midair without breaking my wrists…

I’ll take it from here.

It had taken some time, but Will had come to realize that the reason for his sudden uncontrollable bursts of wind were due to him putting his entire body into the cast. He realized that when he was using magic, whatever energy controls the actual cast was being channeled through his entire body. He also learned how to control that.

So, ever since, he had been practicing casting short bursts of wind from different, smaller parts of his body. His fingers, his elbows, the tip of his nose, his hip, anywhere he felt he could channel this magical energy, he could cast some magic.

It just so happened that, while strolling down the road and practicing catching his sword in midair, he was startled by the sight of a man pulling along what looked to be a large, wooden cart filled to the brim with cabbages. The man looked exhausted and sunburnt, but once he caught sight of the slowly approaching boy, his face suddenly brightened. “Well met, youngin! What’s a kid like you doing out here all alone like this, eh?” he called cheerily.

Will froze.

He had had a week full of constant danger and excitement. He was chased down by a maddened old lady, fought a wallcrawler to the death, launched himself from a collapsing floating boat, been stalked by the manifestation of his worst fears, and been hunted through the forest by a psychopath with red eyes and a habit of talking to themself. But, out of all of these encounters, nothing scared him more than social interaction.

Elizabeth noticed this, of course. All of the normals tells of an uncomfortable situation were there, most notably his clenched, trembling right fist. This is important because that also happened to be the hand that was holding the deadly weapon. “Will, just keep walking, he’ll leave you alone, I’m sure.” He silently nods and tucks on forward.

He follows the road, despite every desire to veer off and run into the distance. He doesn’t want to appear rude. So he walks onwards, Will on the left and the stranger on the right. He looks directly ahead, refusing to even acknowledge the presence of the other man. Wait, isn’t that rude- never mind, just keep walking. Maybe a bit faster, try and outpace him. So, Will walks a bit faster.

So does the man. So, he walks a bit faster.

So does the man. Alright, a bit slower.

So does the man.

“So, you all alone?”

No answer. His heart pounds.

“It’s awfully hot out here, not good for a kid like you, especially with that cloak.”

No answer. He feels a cold sweat coat his body.

“Mighty strange blade you got there. Must be expensive.”

No answer. His hand twitches again.

“I’m just out here delivering for-”

Before the man could finish his sentence, there was a thundering whoosh as the entire right side of Will’s body expelled a torrent of wind, sending the man and his cart flying. Shards of shattered wood filled the air alongside a cartful of cabbages, making a loud splat as they burst across the street. As for the man, he lay on his back, staring into the sky with shock. He sat up, looked around, and tried to comprehend what just happened. The remains of his cart lay on its side in the ditch, while his cargo littered the ground nearby. Meanwhile Will just stood frozen, unable to grasp what he just did or how, while the man slowly struggled to understand the situation.

A cold hand rested above Will’s shoulder, alongside a hurried whisper, You might wanna get out of here. Like, now.” And so he does. He twisted his body back towards the road and bolted.

The man, finally realizing just who was responsible for this gross waste, suddenly wasn’t as cheery as before. “What the hell- AY BOY! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE-” the man shouted as he struggled to his feet, before setting off after Will. And he was fast. Years of carrying that cart across this road toned his legs beyond belief, as well as giving him insane stamina. Some random, skinny brat that just blew up an entire year’s work of effort was not going to outrun him. And so he was catching up.

Will glanced over his shoulder, seeing the enraged man kicking up dust behind him, and flashed back to the forest. Ms. Lingham, the Demon. His heart froze over. The only thing that terrifies him more than having to talk to another living mortal is talking to an angry other living mortal.

This triggered something in him.

Time slowed, his heart settled, and the world turned white. Out of nowhere, an unnatural peace fell over him. The magical energy, once volatile and unpredictable, seemed to obey his every whim in that moment. It surged through his entire body. But, instead of overtaking him and lashing out in an uncontrollable spiral, it curled around him, behind him, and pushed him forward. His legs hit the earth, left, then hit it again. Faster and faster. His blood pumped, the world returned into view, and he ran. He ran like he never had before.

He had no idea how long it lasted, but it was a blur of nonstop running. He didn’t think about where he was going, when he was gonna stop, or how much longer his body could keep up. It was nothing but pure energy and exhilaration. It was the best thing he’s ever felt in his life.

When he finally stopped, when his magic had run low and his body was falling at the hinges, he collapsed to the grass without another thought. Just ahead of him, his sister's body drops from the air and hits the round without a sound. The two lie there, both desperately seeking breath, before looking up from the dirt and into each other’s eyes.

“Maybe telling you to run… wasn’t the best idea…” Elizabeth gasps. The moment Will had really taken off, Elizabeth felt that tightening around her throat from before, and before she knew it she was being dragged through the air by their Chain of LoveTM. Will laughs despite his aching lungs. “Ah haffa feelin’... ya migh’ be a bit too attached ta me…” he laughs, before rolling onto his back and gazing up at the sky. To his shock, the sky had turned a deep violet, and the moons had begun their crossing over the stars. Adrenaline still coursing through his veins, the world spinning and his body too heavy to lift, he fell asleep right there, not a care in the world.

Sooo… I learned a few things yesterday. One of them being “just grow up and leave an uncomfortable situation when you have the chance.” Both of us certainly left that situation worse for wear, and while he certainly could have just taken the hint and left me alone, I could have also just respectfully declined to speak and ran ahead when I had the chance.

On the flipside of things, I have some kinda of super-run! I don’t know how to use it just yet, but that’s still really cool! Oh, also, turns out my sword can just vanish on a whim. At some point when I started running, it just disappeared into dust straight from my hand and I didn’t notice. I’ve somehow figured out how to summon and “sheath” it on a whim, which is really useful since I don’t have a real sheath to put this thing (I originally just wrapped it in my blanket and hung it from my bag).

Y’know, I’m starting to get the feeling Ratra should have told me some of this stuff before sending me off on a super-dangerous mission across an entire continent… too late now, I guess…

---

The next two days were spent either walking, running, using his new wind dash, or just general practice with magic. Elizabeth learned to grip the chain between them any time Will began to outpace her, allowing her to hang behind him without pain. As for Will, it was just rest, eat, travel, sleep, repeat. Thanks to his enhanced stamina, he had no trouble crossing the kingdom in less than a week, and, before he knew it, he was right before the wall.

Few plants grow before the shadow of this great monument, a constant reminder of a war untold, save for a thick clump of trees at the end of the main road, clearly purposefully planted. If Ratra was right, that’s where they need to go.

Will and Elizabeth remain completely silent as they creep through the trees, keeping extra care to not make any sudden movements, the both of them. Just ahead, several voices can be heard, alongside the rattling of metal. Crawling ever closer, the siblings come upon a guard post, directly at the base of the Guardian Wall. Yet, for some reason, the road just ends right there. No gate, no grand archway, nothing. Just flat wall. As Will attempts to think this over, he overhead some of the guards talking to each other.

Lying on the ground is a man in sparse armor and blue robes, his sword carelessly cast aside as he stares up at the sky. In a somewhat worse for wear sentry station is a woman, head in her hand, and eyes looking blankly out into the trees. Another man hangs by his legs from a tree limb. The one on the ground is the first to break the silence. “When d’you think th’ cabbage man’s comin’?” The woman doesn’t move beyond the bobbing of her head when she speaks with her head in her hand. “Dunno,” she says simply. The man from the tree speaks up rather indignantly, “He can stay th’ hell out there for all ah care, the pit in mah stummuch tastes better than all this cabbage slop they keep feedin’ us!”

Will’s heart drops. The cabbage man likely won’t be coming for a while.

But the tree man isn’t finished just yet. Pulling himself up (without use of his hands), he hops from the tree and stares off along the path into the distant kingdom. “We’re knights, fer godssake! Th’ hell they feedin’ us lumpy cow piss for?! All we getto dois stand around and wait fer somethin’ ta happen, when nothin’ ever will. Meanwhile, everyone out there,” he whirls around, angrily waving his finger at the flat wall ahead, “are gettin’ all the action!”

Out of nowhere, a fourth voice suddenly comes from beyond the wall, calm and cool. “Relax, Sam, the action’s not much better out here.” As if she were a part of the wall itself, a woman emerges from within, a gentle smile on her face as she nonchalantly enters the scene as if she were a spirit herself. Sam immediately seems to cool down a bit, scowling at the ground, as if it were the source of the “lumpy cow piss” he’d been forced to consume.

“Look, we don’t have many options here,” the woman continues. “Unless, of course, you plan on deserting?” That lights him up. Sam manages to bring himself to look the woman in the eyes, his face turning bright red as he fills with a surprise fury. “You know damn well I’d never do such a thing, unlike a cowardly traitor like you! If you think for one second ah’m gunna abandon my country jus’ for some idiotic fantasy of runnin’ away together, you got another thing comin’!” The woman calmly absorbs his tirade, his angry words flowing around her like water. She’s used to his rages, but she knows he’ll never do anything about it. He talks tough, but he’s never been able to act.

“We are the firs’ line of defense, and when Sins come knockin’ down that door we’ll be the first to hold em-” His mad rant is eventually interrupted by a brown and blue blur kicking up dust directly between them. Sam and his indifferent lover react immediately, drawing their swords and charging in the direction of the sudden intrusion, outside.

Soon after they’ve passed through the gate, leaving the other two guards alone, Ground Guy finally speaks up again, “Think we should go help ‘em?”

Sleepy Girl doesn’t answer for a while, still staring dead ahead, but thoughts actually going through her head this time. Finally, she reaches a decision. She pulls her head out of her hand, a red palm print clear on her face, and steps away from her crumbling station. Grabbing Ground Guy by his collar, she drags him up, and pulls him along out of the trees. “Screw this.”

Meanwhile, outside, several other guards are already fanning out in search of the source of the commotion when Sam and his “friend” make it outside. “Shouldn’t you be holding down your station?” the woman demands, but he’s indifferent. “Harry ‘n Silv’ can handle themselves. They may be worthless, but at least they ain’t goin’ nowhere. ‘Sides, that thing came from my side, so it’s just as much my jurisdiction as yours.”

She doesn’t question his logic. Coming upon a man in red, she asks, “What the hell was that thing?” The man turns to her, looking down his crooked nose at the two of them. “Not quite, but at the very least, we were out here concerned for the safety of our kingdom while the two of you were having your little lovers spat, Delia.” A couple spit particles hit her face when he says “spat.” Without another word, Sam and Delia move to join the search, heads down and lips sealed tight.

Meanwhile, Will sits lounging in the pink leaves of a tree not far off from the gate, watching all of the guards scrambling to search for him. He’s grinning from ear to ear as he watches them struggle, while Elizabeth fidgets restlessly in another branch. “This is stupid, you’re stupid, we’re so dead-” Will waves his hand, gesturing at the soldiers below. The man in red speaks up, “That will have to do for now. The moons are rising, shifts must move. If anyone sees one bloody thing out of place, you tell me. For now, rest.” Will looks to his sister, grinning smugly. “What’s th’ greatest folly of mortalkind? They always forget to look up.” Once the guards disperse, heading back to their camp, Will hops from the tree, strolling nonchalantly into the dark forest of pink leaves, while Elizabeth scowls at his back for his recklessness. It’s hard to get mad when it works.

Sam stands at the gate, ready to pass through, when Delia grabs his arm, firmly holding him back. He doesn’t look at her, though she looks pleadingly up at him. “What’s the point, Sam?” she begs. “What’s the point of being the ‘first line of defense’ if you aren’t repaid? You said it yourself, we’re knights, but do you think the people care? Do you think even one of them would be your first line of defense? Or would they strand you out in the middle of nowhere, with hardly any food, any water, any reinforcements, just- anything?! What are you fighting for?!” Tear sting at her eyes as she pulls on his arm. “I hate it here…” she whimpers. “And I know you do too.”

Slowly, she loses her energy, her fingers slipping from around his arm. Without a word, he walks forward, leaving her in the night. She stands there a moment more, the weight of the sky on her heart, before she turns to her tent.

Not much later that night, the flap to her tent opened, and there he stood, a bag in his hand.

---

Despite the pitch back night, Will still manages to find his way up another tree without problem. He’d always loved climbing trees, in a way it was the only thing keeping his sticks-for-arms from just falling off one day. There was something about the height that simultaneously excited and terrified him. Eventually, he finds the branch he wanted, and, leaning back, he stares out onto the horizon. Selene and Luna rise ever higher in the sky, illuminating the world below. A world he never thought he’d see. At last, after 16 years of wishes and dreams, he is here. Outside.

Oracle.