Chapter 3

  Liniva

  The first rule of adventuring is to be wary of monsters. In order to prevent travelers and towns from being overwhelmed, it was important to take measures against the proliferation of the profane. After the chaotic battle against the Revenant, Sebastian gathered what food he could find amidst the wreckage of the cart to feed Michael. Then he burned the corpses of the bandits.

  “Most Zori reproduce by eating, so we can’t take the time to bury anyone in the wilderness.” Sebastian explained, enjoying his captive audience.

  “And what’s a Zori?” Another sigh from the exasperated blond man, “Sorry.”

  “It’s alright. Until your memory comes back, you need to know the basics.” Sebastian put out the flames of his impromptu cremation when ashes were all that remained. “It’s useful to go over the basics from time to time anyways.”

  Michael gulped down another helping of the flatbread rations that Sebastian had found in a crate. “Shouldn’t we be going after the Revenant?” They glanced over to where Yan had started finding tracks while the others rested.

  “While it’s true I have never encountered, or heard of, a spirit so malevolent, I feel that we just need to report it. Once the Myrrh royal army is aware of it they will be able to deal with it better than we can.”

  “Myrrh, that’s the name of the Kingdom we’re in right?” Sebastian nodded. Michael took another few bites and gulped down some water. “I should do something about it myself though, I’m responsible for it.”

  Sebastian shrugged and shook his head. “Either way, it's a good idea to stick together until we can report our findings. Always best to team up in the wilderness, it's one of the most important rules for adventuring.”

  Yan approached with a scowl and crossed her arms, “Won’t matter what we report if they don’t know where to look. I’ll track where the bandit went, but I don't want to go to any towns.”

  “There’s no way to avoid going to town forever. In fact, that’s probably why you were starving and kidnapped in the first place.” Sebastian chuckled, and Yan punched him in the arm. She pouted, but didn't have a retort. “Regardless, you’re right. We should stick together and track where the Revenant went until we are near a town, then report it so the royal army can get involved.”

  “Don’t know much about this royal army, but if you say so.” Yan sat down on a barrel and swiped a ration from the crate.

  “My my, are you telling me that I am stuck traveling with an amnesiac and an uneducated country girl?” A piece of flatbread bounced off Sebastian’s head.

  “I’m not uneducated. I just learned different things than you, old man.” Sebastian just chuckled and started going through the rest of the debris while the younger folk ate.

  Now that the fighting was over and Michael had gotten a chance to relax, he felt uneasy. The suns were starting to get lower in the sky, just a few more hours of daylight, and he’d spent all day walking through the forest. How much did he know, and how much had he forgotten? Amnesia, it was a term that Sebastian had explained to him. A loss of memory, not uncommon for adventurers. Something about that scared him, what if he never remembered anything?

  Michael looked around the area. Yan wasn’t looking at him, focused on eating, and there had been no one coming along the road. Just how far in the middle of nowhere were they? He could see enormous silver barked pine trees, a huge cliff in the distance beyond them, and the most tremendous mountain he could imagine in the distance. None of it looked familiar, he knew what they were because Sebastian had explained it.

  This was Eterna Forest, where gigantic silver pine trees grew hundreds of feet into the air. That was the Great Sky Mountain, the tallest mountain in the world. These names, the Kingdom of Myrrh and the world of Iagorothi. None of them were familiar. Did he belong here? That was a bad thought, he could just make himself belong.

  “Here Michael.” Something hit Michael before he turned to see what it was. He pulled the cloth into his lap to find a shirt, as well as pants and a pack. Sebastian walked over and used a spell to make a sheet hang in the air. “Get yourself changed. It’s not polite to flash your chest in front of a lady.”

  “Har har.” Yan rolled her eyes, but snuck one last look at Michael before he acquiesced and stepped behind the curtain. A couple minutes later he emerged in the new garb, wearing a green shirt and black pants that Sebastian had recovered amidst the wreckage.

  “Here, have a look.” Sebastian handed over a hand mirror, and Michael was able to see what he looked like for the first time since he’d awoken in the clearing.

  White hair in an untidy mop clumped into several spikes over his head. He had the same wolven ears that Yan did, in his white coloration. Marring his cheeks were symmetrical black scars, diagonal marks that stretched from his neck to beneath his eyes as if he’d been slashed. His eyes were violet, but lacked the black center than the others had, no pupils at all. “So this is what I look like.”

  “Notice anything peculiar?” Sebastian asked.

  “Uhh, my hair is white... but I’m not old? Am I old?”

  “No, you just have white wolf Feral heritage.” Yan said, “Must be from further west, closer to the Great Sky Mountain. I’m from the east, hence the brown wolf.” Her ears wiggled.

  Sebastian rubbed his chin as he examined the man. “Nothing else stands out?”

  “Not really.”

  Another sigh preceded an explanation. “You have no pupils, your eyes are violet, and you bear black scars. All of these things are unusual, and having all three is downright bizarre.”

  “What do they mean?”

  “Well, scars shouldn’t stay black for one. I don’t know the particulars, but I imagine that’s important. As for your eyes, violet is a very rare color. I don’t think anyone of Valon or Feral heritage can get it, so it means you have already been significantly warped by some kind of magical effect.” Michael blinked and realized he didn’t know half of what Sebastian had said. “And having no pupils means that you are empty eyed.”

  “Ooh, that’s scary.” Yan said, “I thought empty eyes were blank, I didn’t realize it just meant no pupils though.”

  “See, even Yan knows what that is.” Another piece of flatbread was flung at Sebastian, but did not get a reaction. “But it’s a pretty widespread bad omen. There will be people afraid of you just because of that.”

  “I don’t see what the big deal is, just ghost stories.” Yan shrugged and started packing her pouch with extra rations.

  “And while some people might react like Yan, many others will be far more unpleasant. That’s the trouble with superstition.”

  Michael listened and nodded throughout the talk, then asked the same question. “Okay, but what does that mean? Changed by magic, or empty eyed. That doesn’t tell me anything.”

  “I’m afraid that’s all there is to it. You are different, and some people won’t like that. I’m sure many will be like myself or Yan and either not care or know enough to ignore superstition, but others will be afraid of you.” Sebastian rubbed his chin again as he examined the man, “And you didn’t know any of that. How intriguing.”

  “Yeah, I get it.” Michael put the mirror away, “I don’t know anything because I’m amnesia.”

  “An amnesiac.”

  “Right. So, what are we gonna do about it?”

  Sebastian stopped himself from sighing and took a breath. After all those years of study, he was being asked to teach. “Okay, pull up a seat. It’s time for class.” Michael sat down and Yan scooted closer to listen in. “Since we are out in the wilderness and may need to fight for our lives, again, I think it’s time to start with combat. That means Vibes, Surges, Spells, Techniques, and Zori. Get ready to learn, because our lives may depend on it.”

  The following day came all too early. After a night of lessons, camping, training, and salvaging what they could, Michael felt like sleep didn’t last long enough. After stuffing their packs with supplies they took as many of the shiny coins called gil, the currency of Iagorothi, as they could find. Sebastian had them dispose of the excess food and set the rest of the supplies by the roadside before they all set out as a group to track the Revenant.

  Yan proved to be an effective tracker, picking out footprints from a hasty retreat until they’d come to a more well trodden road. While Michael and Sebastian flailed to try and help out, another important detail was discovered.

  Littered along the path of the Revenant’s retreat were oblong clumps of bark, things called Nodules. Sebastian explained that they gathered up and stored excess mana, growing on the bottom of tree branches to help regulate the tree. They could be seen on any given tree, twisted knots that hang like fruit. Yan discovered several along the path that appeared to be crushed as if squeezed by hand. “Was it squeezing these for some reason?”

  “I have read that Spirits can strengthen themselves by taking in mana. I never really considered trying to take mana from Nodules though.”

  “Well it left us a trail to follow anyways, we’re heading southeast.” Yan continued the journey along the larger road as it continued through the Eterna Forest. The trees all around were tall enough to be the horizon, with the occasional gap or glade to break up the scenery.

  More nodules were found scattered in trenches along the side of the road as they proceeded, even after hours had passed. Michael’s concern that they had delayed too long faded into the background as the trail persisted, until they came upon a commotion in the distance. A crowd of people were stopped along the road. Michael and Yan looked at the scene with interest, though Sebastian glanced over at Michael. This would be his first encounter with people, and bore investigation.

  A group of travelers with a wagon were stopped on the roadside, gossiping about something out of sight. As Michael and the others approached, so too did another group from the other direction. “What’s the commotion here!” The shout from the lead soldier made the gossiping group flinch and go silent.

  One of the gossipers spoke just as Michael and the others arrived to see the scene. “We found everything like this, didn’t touch nuthin ma’am.” In a ditch on the side of the road was the corpse of the third bandit, emaciated and amidst a pile of fallen nodules. Michael covered his mouth as his stomach churned, but the scene didn’t bother the others as much. The soldiers looked over the scene, and those gathered, with steady serious looks.

  Sebastian spoke in a low voice to Yan and Michael, “You think the Revenant just died, or found a different host?”

  “The road is too worn to see any tracks.” Yan was scrutinizing the ditch while channeling energy into her eyes, a technique to enhance vision. It had made Michael a bit dizzy when he tried it. “I don’t see any signs of anyone leaving the ditch, it might have changed bodies and dumped the old one.”

  Two of the soldiers were ordered to start cleaning up the mess, while the lead soldier looked around again at the two groups. The wagon group was also talking amongst themselves. “That’s enough chattering, you should all be moving along now!” The soldier emphasized her point by slamming the butt of her spear on the road. She took a longer look at Michael in particular, narrowing her eyes.

  “Pardon me ma’am,” Sebastian stepped forth to address the soldier, “We need to make a report concerning this dead man. He was possessed by an evil spirit you see-”

  “You need to make your report in town. Liniva is just a few miles further.”

  “But we have reason to believe-”

  “I’m just highway patrol, I won’t be able to turn in any additional reports myself.” The soldier snapped, “Go to the military outpost in Liniva and report there. I’ve got my hands full with my duties.” She turned and gave a whistle before continuing along the road with one other soldier. Two of the patrolmen busied themselves with disposing of the body, to prevent it from being consumed by wayward Zori.

  Sebastian watched the soldier depart for several extra moments, “That’s annoying. She could have listened. Still, I suppose it's not really her job.” He frowned, taking a few extra moments to scrutinize the female soldiers' backside.

  Yan approached the other travelers as they got their wagon ready to move out again. “Did you guys pass anyone else heading that way?” She indicated the path they were heading, where the town of Liniva would be in sight soon.

  “Sure did. Two others in fact. A skinny guy in a cloak, and a guy wearing a big red mantle around his shoulders.” Yan thanked them for the information and rejoined the others as they continued along the road.

  “It’s not much to go on.” She stretched as they started walking again.

  “But, either of those people could be the Revenant. Worth knowing.” Sebastian gave Yan an appreciating look, until she glared at him, then focused on the road ahead. “We’d best make haste.”

  Michael followed along with the others, but his thoughts returned to the scene they had passed. During it all he hadn’t spoken a word, but that soldier had given him a long look. “Do you think she looked at me like that because of my eyes?” The others looked at him, “A bad omen, like you said?”

  “That could be the case.” Sebastian considered things for a moment, then dug through his pack. Each of them had gathered several things from the former belongings of the bandits. Sebastian withdrew a simple brown square of canvas. “Here, we can fashion you a simple hood out of this. It should provide enough shade to obscure your eyes and face for the most part.”

  The offered disguise was accepted, though Michael frowned at the idea of hiding. He draped the cloth and fastened it with some offered leather string. It was hot, and the summer heat didn’t improve matters.

  “Allow me.” Yan adjusted the tie so the hood fit a little better, and could be pulled down while they were still on the road. “How’s that?”

  “Better.”

  The road wove around crests and banks, following a river that ran through the forest. As the trees became further apart and more of the sky opened up to their view, the three came upon a view of their destination. Surrounded by trees on one side and foothills on the other was an enormous wall with stone foundations with wood woven together like a vast living net. It was a breathtaking view, impressive even for the most seasoned of the travelers. Liniva, one of two cities in the Eterna Forest with authority to fell and process eterna trees.

  “Walls are the primary defense against Zori, in Myrrh anyways. You’d be hard pressed to find a town, or even a hamlet, without one.” Sebastian was growing to enjoy explaining things they came across. It would be missed when they parted ways.

  “Well here we are.” Yan frowned as they drew closer to the city. “Do you think the Revenant is inside? How are we going to find it?”

  “We don’t need to. I’m going to report the issue to the military and they can send an expert to track and deal with the problem.” The words made Michael perk up and look over with a serious expression.

  “I won’t stop until I deal with the Revenant myself.”

  “Even if you don’t have to?”

  “I have to.” Michael continued without another word.

  The wall of Liniva was incredible, unlike anything Michael had ever seen. He had no memories of any other buildings, but that didn’t matter. He gawked up at the wall as they approached, stopping to take in the details of the woven wood. How did they get it to grow together into a seamless living fortification? He would have kept gawking too, if Yan didn’t drag him through the gates by the arm.

  Inside the city was an even more spectacular sight. Streets surrounded by buildings leading to plazas filled with stalls. People moving about and doing work or going about their days, even so close to the city’s edge. The other end of town was well within sight, but to Michael it was a massive and wondrous world of untold mystery. Sebastian and Yan did not seem as impressed.

  “A small town, but should have enough of a market to get some real supplies.” Sebastian looked around and spotted the road he wanted to take. “I’m going straight to the military outpost to make my report. Yan, could I trouble you to get supplies for all of us, and bring Michael with you?”

  “Give me your share of the gil we got, and I will.” Yan held out her hand for Sebastian’s coin purse. It was a well known rule of adventuring to be ready for anything, which meant supply runs the moment a town was reached. Sebastian handed over the money, and Yan headed off with Michael in tow.

  With the younger folk out of the way, it was time to get to business. Michael was still looking around at everything like a child as they walked away. So he still had amnesia then. Sebastian shook his head and refocused, heading along the flow of the streets with practiced ease.

  Liniva was not a very big town, it appeared to have little in the way of adventuring activity. Rural areas were simple to navigate for a native of Myrrh. After all his time abroad, Sebastian had ended up in his home Kingdom after all.

  The layout of Liniva followed a simple ideology, with walls and fortifications surrounding the marketplaces and residential areas. Sebastian moved along the roads just inside the walls and soon found a military outpost, just as expected. Myrrh had some form of military presence in all of the bigger towns, and Liniva was big enough to meet that metric. Sebastian entered the building, and began his wait.

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  Simple complaints came to the guards throughout the day, from noisy neighbors to gossip that mattered to no one. After listening to multiple reports about teenagers loitering about and spirits in the forest, as well as few actual reports about Zori sightings, Sebastian’s turn arrived.

  Hands placed on the counter between them, Sebastian looked at the two guards manning the reports desk. “I have something to report that needs to be directed to the Mystic Grove. There is a dangerous spirit on the loose, which has been possessing people and causing havoc.”

  One of the guards was eating a sandwich and grunted, while the other shook his head. “Spirits are not dangerous, just a bit odd.”

  “This is no ordinary spirit. It has already killed several people. We need to alert the capital at once and get some Myrrhmidons out here!” Sebastian could think of a few Myrrhmidons, the most elite warriors of Myrrh, that could deal with this. “We should summon the Wall of Myrrh.”

  The sandwich eating guard chuckled while the other one spoke again, “Sir, we are not going to waste the military's time on some spirit in the forest. I can dispatch a Slayer or two, but nothing more.”

  “It’s not some spirit in the forest, it left and came this way.” Sebastian curled his hands into fists, “It’s already possessed and killed people!”

  “And who is possessed now, where is this evil spirit?” The guard was noting things down, but did not appear to appreciate the gravity of the situation.

  “I don’t know. We were tracking it, and it was leaving behind nodules, consuming mana. It’s probably one of the people that got to town from the west road.” Sebastian was having more difficulty believing his own words. There were black shadows and blue flames...”

  The guard took a deep breath and tried not to look too condescending, “Do not eat the mushrooms in the forest, sir.”

  The other guard laughed, “Flames and shadows he says, a spirit.” He laughed more, sending spittle and sandwich in all directions.

  Sebastian slammed his fist on the table, and the guards straightened to glower. “This is serious! I-” He exhaled, memories of a past in military doctrines resurfacing. He didn’t want to get involved with that again, “Listen. This Revenant we saw is dangerous. Just contact the military, have them send someone.”

  “Sir, you need to leave now.” The guards glared and there was silence further in the building.

  “Ridiculous!” Sebastian frowned, but a few more uniformed guards stepped into the room from other halls and their message was clear. Sebastian whirled around and stormed out, grumbling at being stonewalled. The military was supposed to be there to help, but if they could not be reached what did he do?

  After the door closed the guard with the sandwich began noting everything down. The first one looked over, “What are you doing?”

  “Have to report everything, you know the rules.” He scrawled out the exact wording. “We’ll file this through tomorrow morning. It’s probably nothing, but if Kris found out we were slacking while she was away...” He trailed off and the other guard grimaced.

  “Nothing ever happens around here anyways.” The first guard said after a minute, “I’m gonna take a nap.”

  Marketplaces of stalls and stores were a common sight throughout Myrrh and the other nations of Alymbai. Whether in tiny hamlets or sprawling cities, people needed to come together to trade their goods and get what they needed. Bustling with people looking to trade, share stories, form parties, or play games; the marketplace could be seen as the center of most settlements.

  A man rang a bell and cried out with local news, vendors shouted to passersby about their goods, and folk sat at tables around board games. Everywhere Michael turned, something new and dazzling piqued his endless interest. Yan huffed and put his hood back up, it had fallen with all his rubbernecking. “Be careful, you remember what Sebastian said, right?”

  “Yeah.” Michael pulled the hood down more to fit snug around his hair and ears. He didn’t understand what Sebastian had meant by superstition, but if his eyes were a problem he wasn’t about to draw attention to them.

  “Come on, we have to get a bunch of supplies.” Yan grabbed Michael by the wrist and dragged him through the crowded streets. It was a bit forceful, but Michael was excited to see where they would go.

  The outer streets of the market were too focused on knick knacks and trinkets that they didn’t need. Yan managed to navigate towards the inner areas ripe with grocers and general supplies stalls. Here they would be able to find useful foods and items at a decent enough price. Michael watched Yan barter with small coins without seeming to understand what was happening. When she noticed his blank stare Yan handed him a package. “Just wait on a bench and hold onto the supplies.”

  “Alright.” Michael followed her pointed finger and walked over to have a seat on the empty bench she’d pointed out. This worked out well, since there were so many people out and about. He could sit and watch as things carried on all he liked.

  The amount of people around in the marketplace was incredible to Michael. There must have been at least two dozen, so many people in the same area. Of course, Michael couldn’t really remember ever being around people, or anything before waking up in that ashen grove. He didn’t know whether or not that should be a concern, so he decided not to think about it much. There were people doing things, and he wanted to know what they were up to.

  A man standing on a stage was telling a story to people gathered. Children and teens listened in, along with a few others, as he spoke of battles in ages long past. Terrible struggles between mighty armies fighting for dominance over every scrap of land. The tale brushed over the tragedy in favor of amazing feats of strength. A man that lifted a massive boulder, a woman that zipped through the air and split into two, even someone that parried a raging dragon with nothing but a sword. Each tale was more fantastic than the last, weaving images of brave adventurers and warriors.

  “But there was one warrior who stood above the rest, the strongest man in the world. Stronger than the old hero Amadon, mightier than the great slayer Granrend. That’s right, I speak of none other than Maximus. Strongest man in the world, so mighty in fact that the whole world banded together against him for fear of his power.” The storyteller explained, drawing rapt attention from the children sitting nearby. “A man that walked onto a battlefield of ten thousand soldiers and departed as the lone victor. He who swept a raging wave the size of a city apart in a single slash. Powerful enough to rend the earth with just energy, leaving chasms in his wake. Maximus was truly the strongest warrior in history. But...” The man raised a finger, letting the word hang in the air as everyone leaned in closer. “Power is nothing without temperance.”

  “Strongest though he might have been, Maximus was threatening the world with his rampage. If such a man was to continue his conquest, surely all the world would fall beneath his thumb. Thus, it came to pass that an alliance of the greatest nations joined together to stop him. The tricky Jagdep, the magical Athylistia, the just Zasarenok, the mighty Satrica, and of course...” The man spread his hands wide to indicate the world around him, “Myrrh, our beloved Kingdom!” Children cheered, and a few of the adults listening clapped at the patriotic tale. “Never forget children, no matter how strong you can become, the power of people working together can breach any wall. Always remember that, because anything is possible.”

  Clapping and cheering rang out in the stands, and from Michael who had scooted to the edge of his bench to eavesdrop on the saga. Stories of mighty warriors made him bounce with readiness and want to act. Strong enough to rend the earth? What an amazing story.

  “Still good over here?” Yan approached and handed Michael another bag.

  “Yeah! Hey, Yan, listen. There’s this storyteller, and all these big heroes, and strong feats and stuff!” Michael pointed at the stage where the man who told the story was being tipped by various people, bowing and exchanging pleasantries. “It was so cool!”

  Amused at Michael’s sense of wonderment, Yan looked over and gave a small chuckle. “That’s awesome. Want to give him a tip?” She held out some coins for Michael, who grinned and accepted them as he stood up to walk over. “Come back when you’re done, we have to go to the next area.”

  As Michael arrived at the storytelling stage he dropped the coins in the basket beneath the man’s feet. The other listeners had already cleared out, and the teller gave Michael a smile and a nod. “Thanks for the story. Was that all true?”

  “Why yes it was, young man.” The teller said with a wide grin, as he picked up the basket.

  “That part about the guy parrying a dragon even?” Michael bounced on his heels a little.

  “Well, you know how it is.” The man was counting his money, but Michael continued to dance around in excitement.

  “What’s a dragon anyways?”

  The storyteller paused and arched his eyebrow, looking over at Michael with utter confusion. “How old are you, young man?”

  “Uhh, I dunno.” Michael shrugged.

  “Wait... let me have a look at you.” The storyteller knelt down and scrutinized Michael for a moment, his gaze stopping at his eyes. He let out a harsh gasp and stumbled back, falling onto his rear. “Empty eyes...”

  A pit dropped into Michael’s stomach, and all his excitement fled his body. “I-”

  “G-good day, don’t mind me.” The man stammered, scrambling to his feet. He just about threw himself from the stage and sped away down a side street before Michael could so much as say another word.

  Michael looked at his feet, a pain in his chest that he could not help but clutch at. The change in demeanor was so swift, Michael wasn’t prepared for it. What was it Sebastian said about his eyes, just a superstition? He tugged at his hood, making sure it was on better.

  Soft warmth pressed around Michael’s left arm. “Come on.” Yan said, getting him moving. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  The rest of the shopping trip had been swift and efficient. Yan zipped around, using what little gil they possessed to get as much as she could, while Michael followed along in silence. He didn’t complain about carrying everything, but had withdrawn into silence. Food helped a bit, but not as much as she had hoped.

  After they gathered their things, Yan led Michael to a free bench to have some time to rest. Several parks dotted the town so they found relative solitude with ease.

  Michael was just a strange boy, but he’d saved her life. They weren’t friends, but seeing him moping about didn’t feel good. Yan stretched out and let out an exasperated grumble. “Where is Sebastian? We should be doing something by now.”

  “Yeah, you’re right.” Michael glanced up and seemed to just notice where they were. “Should we try looking for the Revenant?”

  “No, I think it’s better to keep a low profile.” Yan checked the surrounding streets, looking at shadowy corners and alleys. Michael looked around too, though she could be sure it wasn’t for the same things. “What’s on your mind?”

  A man with a big red mass of cloth piled up around his shoulders was walking by. Something about him seemed familiar. Michael could have sworn he’d seen him two or three times before in the market. “Just... thinking.”

  “Well, don’t leave me hanging.” Yan slumped her body down on the table connected to the park bench they sat on. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Lot’s of things. There’s just so much I don’t remember.” The two sat and thought for a few moments, while Yan let herself relax. Michael realized where he had recognized that man, it was one of the ones described by the other travelers. Michael stood up and went over to where he’d turned a corner, but he was gone.

  “See something?”

  “Just, nothing important.” As Michael turned back to face Yan something caught his gaze. A board with several images posted to it, pictures of faces along with names and numbers. Each one started with a large red ‘Wanted’ and described someone. “What’s all this?”

  Yan approached to see what caught Michael’s interest. “Oh, wanted posters. These are people the Kingdom wants to be captured, see?” She pointed a finger at one in particular. ‘Wanted: The Bandit King.’ It listed attacking merchants, organized crime, and kidnapping amongst other things. The picture was of an angry man with lots of intense red fur and a helmet on.

  “Didn’t you call those other guys bandits? Do they serve this Bandit King?”

  “Could be. I’ve heard of him before.”

  “You both seem to be getting along well.” Yan whipped around as Sebastian approached, glaring at him. “Woah, relax.”

  “What took you so long? It doesn’t take an hour to file a report!”

  “Calm down,” Sebastian held out his hands in a placating motion. “The guards didn’t listen, so I had to do a little digging on my own. I have an idea.”

  Michael gave Sebastian an enthusiastic wave, but Yan narrowed her eyes as the man approached. A half wiped pink stain on his cheek made her shake her head and roll her eyes. “Just get to the point.”

  “Heh,” Sebastian noticed the disapproval and wiped his cheek with a pocket cloth. “Well, I figure that our wayward Revenant is a Spirit of some kind, but this town is well known for a strong spiritual connection.” As Sebastian approached the bounty board Yan shoved a full pack into his arms. “So I learned about a Spiritualist that works for the town.”

  “So now we are going to track the Revenant ourselves?”

  “Beats waiting for the military.” Sebastian got his pack on and glanced at the bounty board for a moment. “So, I shall go speak with this spirit specialist.”

  Yan shrugged, and Michael seemed a bit more relaxed. “Well, lead the way.”

  Without further delay, the three packed their belongings and followed Sebastian through town. Liniva was not large by any standard, but the outskirts edging the wall were still a bit out of the way. On a road skirting the path towards the densest portion of the neighboring forest, the party arrived outside an eclectic log cabin. “And here we are. This is the Spiritualist’s hut, if I have been informed correctly. I shall go in and learn what I can.”

  “Fine. Michael and I will just wait, I guess.” Yan looked around the denser wooded section of the town then led Michael to a bench near a meditation hollow. Sebastian double checked the collar of his jacket, then strode into the office of Liniva’s resident Spiritualist.

  A bell jingled, signifying Sebastian’s entry to the place, a large open office room with a central table. Sebastian took a seat, waiting while looking around. People with skills were not keen on giving away secrets, double true for mages and the like. Sebastian pondered how he might wrestle the information out of the man.

  “I shall be right with you!” called a voice from within.

  Sebastian nodded to himself, taking careful note of the place. The Spiritualist was fastidious. Quite clean. Each shelf was organized and each surface kept free of dust. Before long, a man in shabby robes emerged from the back. “Sorry, sorry,” He said, shuffling some papers onto a shelf and sitting down across from Sebastian with a small impact. So then, it wasn’t he who kept things clean.

  “Greetings, I am Sebastian, a traveler interested in things of a spiritual nature.”

  “Ah yes, greetings. I am Noiva. Liniva’s Spiritualist, and speaker of the forest.” The shabby robed man brushed untidy hair with one hand as he wiggled to be comfortable in his chair.

  “Speaker of the forest? What an envious feat.” Sebastian made a show of fixing his posture. “It is an honor to be in your presence.”

  Noiva shifted again, “It’s really not all that impressive.”

  “But of course it is! There are only two people in the world that can claim to speak on behalf of the Eterna Forest, and you, Noiva, are one of them.” Eterna trees grew nowhere else in all the world, and there were just two towns with permission to log from them. It paid to be well informed.

  “You... You’re not wrong.” Noiva said, nodding a bit. Then he shook his head. “But we’re getting off track. What can I do for you?”

  “Listen, Noiva. I need to know something important.” Sebastian leaned forth and spoke in a hushed tone. Noiva leaned in as well, curiosity plain on his face.

  “What... Is it that you need to know?”

  “It may very well be a matter of life or death, something I take very seriously. I think you are the man to help me.” Noiva’s eyes widened. His breathing paused. Sebastian used the right words, but stopped himself from smirking. “Noiva.” Sebastian continued. “I need to know how to detect if someone is possessed by a malicious spirit. What can you tell me?”

  The spiritualist blinked, then nodded, collecting himself. “Yes, well. That’s not something usual, is it?”

  “No, I don’t expect it to be.” Sebastian said, “Usually I could check a library, but I need an expert.”

  “Right. Well, of course. The possessed person may be acting differently.”

  “And if I don’t know how they acted before? How can I find out if a stranger is possessed? I can’t very well suspect everyone who behaves oddly.”

  “That kind of thing is not something you can just do. Picking a possessed person out of a crowd... Is no ordinary act of perception. There wouldn’t even be any mystic traces to detect.” Noiva said, steeling himself somewhat.

  No mystic traces, that was a problem. Sebastian changed tactics, sitting back a little. “Hmm, not really very useful, is it? I can’t even be sure you aren’t the one possessed.”

  “I beg your pardon?!” Noiva said, taken aback.

  Sebastian spread his hands and shrugged. “Listen, I didn’t know you before this. Maybe the Revenant I am after somehow got to you, even before I arrived.”

  “Preposterous!” Noiva slapped the table and rose to his feet.

  “Then prove it!” Sebastian stood as well, towering over the unkempt man, “Prove you aren’t the one I am after, Noiva.”

  “Now listen here, Sebastian, I won’t stand for this kind of.. Of... outrageous claim!” Noiva spat, puffing out his chest some.

  “Oh? Look around. Your wonderfully clean little office, and yet here you are, robes unkempt, papers strewn wildly as you entered. You aren’t really an expert spiritualist, a speaker of the forest. How could you be?”

  Noiva looked around too, balking. “I have a cleaning service.”

  “Oh really? Why bother? You don’t even keep your notes clean.” Sebastian shook his head. “You couldn’t possibly identify a possessed person, even if they were right in front of you.”

  “Of course I could!” Noiva said, defensive and scowling.

  “Then you can prove you aren’t the Revenant.”

  “Of course.” Noiva flexed energy around his right hand. “My energy is perfectly normal, neither erratic nor disrupted. No Revenant could be so in tune with their host’s Soul!”

  That was enough to go off of. “Ah, it’s a matter of Soul. Excellent. Thank you for your time, Noiva.” Sebastian inclined his head with a smile. His tone returned to normal.

  “What?” Noiva deflated a bit.

  “You’ve been a great help. But I must be off.” Sebastian left the office, leaving Noiva dumbfounded, having given away secrets with such ease. Sebastian stepped outside before he had to pay for the information. The bench had one fewer of the young folk at it. “Where is Michael?”

  “He just ran off.” Yan said, “I was waiting for you. He’s this way.” Yan led the way along the road. “What did you learn?”

  “A possessed person would have erratic and unstable energy, as their Soul would be disrupted.” Sebastian said. “I’ll devise a way to test people.”

  “Energy huh.” Yan said. “Actually, I have an idea.”

  Michael moved through the streets of Liniva at a run, following the man with the large red coat. There was something about the man, something dangerous. The man gave off an air of honed skill, like the edge of a sword. He had showed up again at the outskirts of town. Why was he following Michael? Michael needed to know. Could he be the Revenant? Michael followed the man to a large plaza.

  The center of the plaza was a huge tree trunk wider around than many of the buildings, and there were many people about the place, moving here and there as their days proceeded. Michael looked around with a frown. He had lost the red man. The crowd was too big. He’d escaped. How would he find out now?

  As Michael wondered what to do next, a slim man bumped into his shoulder and walked past. Michael felt a twisted unease, a stinging feeling as they made contact. A familiar, harsh, and unpleasant sensation that burned in his memory. Michael looked at the man, eyes narrowed. “It’s you!”

  The slim man’s eyes narrowed as well, and he smirked. Then fear masked his features, and he cried out, “Get away from me!” The man pushed at Michael, but fell over onto his butt instead.

  Michael blinked in shock, wondering what had just happened. He’d been attacked, so to speak, but the assailant had fallen instead. Many people turned to watch as the man on the ground backed away from Michael, one arm raised in defense. “D-don’t come any closer!” The slim man cried, crawling back away from Michael.

  “What?!” Michael barked, “I won’t let you get away with this!” Michael stepped towards the Revenant. He couldn’t let it destroy anything.

  “Empty eyed freak!” The slim man shouted, cowering. His voice reverberated through the town center, carrying volume and fear, yet lacking any kind of power. They were just words, nothing more, and yet.

  Many eyes turned to Michael’s face, examining him. The black scars on his cheeks could just be from an accident. His brilliant white hair might just be age or heritage. Vivid violet eyes suggested he had been changed by some powerful magic, but those eyes had no pupils... a symbol of fear, destruction, chaos that called back to incarnations of disaster from history.

  “Empty Eyes...” people muttered. “No pupils.” People whispered. “A bad omen. A walking disaster. He’s after that man...”

  The murmurs of the crowd grew more intense as people pushed in to gawk at Michael. Once they saw his lack of pupils, each aspect of him seemed to stand out more. Why were his scars jet black? What evil forces had changed his iris color? Could his white hair be a symbol of emptiness as well? Each question that escaped the lips of the onlookers incited further suspicion.

  The crowd grew around the plaza. So many people gathered that it felt like all of Liniva had gathered. Michael looked around, an icy sensation washing over him. The animosity of the townsfolk, their hatred, made his skin crawl with tension and chills. He felt something stirring in his gut. His right hand twitched. The hair on his neck stood on end. He could feel burning anger fighting past the confusion. Why was this happening?

  “HELP ME!” the slim man shouted, a terrible panic in his voice. Michael looked at the Revenant with his rage. The slim man did not look panicked at all. He seemed arrogant, smirking. Wasn’t it obvious that he wasn’t afraid?

  No one else was looking at the Revenant.

  Sharp pain struck Michael’s cheek as a thrown stone bounced off of him and fell to the ground. Michael snapped towards where the stone came from, his anger flooding out. “Who threw that?!” He roared, instinct putting his hand on his sword.

  The people of the town looked back with shock, anger, and fear. People began shouting at Michael, “Get out of here! Freak!” Someone pushed Michael, more people threw small objects. He was pelted with something cold, then shoved again.

  Michael tried to right himself. He tried to run, but the crowd wouldn’t let him get anywhere. He got knocked to the ground, someone stomped on his hand, and he felt a heavy foot in his stomach.

  “Enough!” The heavy voice that escaped Michael’s lips felt strange. A tense, raw, violent emotion filled him. With a surge of energy, Michael hopped to his feet, drew his sword, and let out a harsh guttural roar!