User blog:DaWalkinWaffle/Thorns: Part III

The first parts are always the hardest. Too much exposition. :P

Eventually, Rose won the argument with Ayrus. During that time, Jack had started digging through his stuff, looking for something. Ayrus finally stormed off and Rose sat down.

"Why is he so insistent that I not fight?" she asked. Jack shrugged.

"Don't know but you should be careful. Now, I need to go bring these swords and armor over to the army. Was nice talkin to you." Jack said. He left the wagon. Rose was about to leave herself when she noticed a slight glow at the back of the wagon. Curious, she went over to the glow and found an odd stone. It was covered in some kind of runes and seemed to be shifting with the light. Cautiously, she grabbed it. Almost immediately, she stumbled and the world flashed around her. Then she was somewhere else.

She wasn't precisely herself, although she was aware of who she was but she didn't have control of her body. Was this even her body? No, it wasn't. The body she was currently inhabited in was a man in dark clothing. The scene was blurred so she couldn't make out any details and there was no color.

Where am I? she wondered. The man she was in talked to a woman at a desk. She pointed him down a hall. The man walked down the hall to a doorway at the end. There was a girl. They talked briefly and she handed a sword to the man and ran off. The man looked after her for a moment then entered the room. Inside, was a boy in a bed. She couldn't make out any details but he seemed young. The man poked the boy. They talked briefly and played cards. The boy won. The man pulled out a sword, unlike any she had ever seen. It seemed to have two separate blades on one hilt. He tapped the boy's forehead and he dissolved, leaving only a lock of hair in his place. The scene faded, leaving her somewhere else.

It was a battlefield. Bodies where everywhere. In the center of the carnage, were two groups of four warriors. This time, she was entirely a spectator, watching over them. Again, there was no color and the details were blurred. Four of them seemed ancient, more animalistic, more natural and unrefined. The other four were refined and younger by comparison. Two of them had swords and one had a spear. The last one had a strange stick. Of the other group, three seemed to be unarmed but the last one had a spear. The younger ones seemed weakened, at their mercy. As one, the ancient ones shouted something and one by one the younger ones collapsed. The last one standing at them snarled something. A figure exploded into existence between them and Rose saw the younger one fall before the scene faded again.

All was black. She was a spectator again, a spectator who could see nothing. There were two voices.

"Where will you go?"

"Wherever I am needed."

"And if you are needed here?"

"Then I trust you will handle it. We are running out of time and I need to find them."

"I cannot train her alone. It is not my destiny."

"Then begin the training. Then bring her to me."

"It would be suicide. He will find her. You need to come to us."

"I have more important things to do."

"More important than this?"

"It's the same as "this", as you say it."

"It will be difficult."

"You'll have to improvise then."

"That's all I seem to do nowadays."

"Just fit in. You'll need a name...how about..."

The voices faded.

The scene changed. She was in a castle, drifting though it. At the end of the corridor was a light. She wanted to get to the light. Something was holding her back. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She drew Tuhnar and stuck out reflexively, automatically falling into the drills Jack had her doing. She lashed out blindly, only to discover her blade parried and disarmed quickly. The castle faded and she found herself facing an amused Jack. He raised and eyebrow. She blushed.

"Sorry. I was just curious." she said. Jack shrugged.

"Curiosity isn't bad as long as you can control it." he said. He grabbed the stone and put it in a box.

"What was that?" she asked.

"A memory stone. Specially enchanted to store memories exactly as they were in real life. The human mind warps things over time."

"What were the memories of?"

"Some important...historical events. I found them interesting."

"And-"

"Enough talk. They're almost here. I'll be fighting. You need to stay near me at all times. Don't search for engagements, just watch what I do and pay attention to your surrounding. Normally I wouldn't have a student's first field exercise be a real battle but now we don't have a real choice." He put on a leather vest and steel gauntlets. He grabbed a sword. He handed her some armor and a helmet. "Wear these. Keep Tuhnar on guard at all times."

She nodded. She didn't particularly want to wear common soldier's armor but she didn't have any other choice. They walked out to the plains in front of their camp. Many soldiers were there already. Jack took his place with Rose beside him. She could barely see the God Army in the distance.

"Watch you sides and your front. Don't get tunnel vision and watch only who or what is in front of you. A skilled soldier would beat a warrior one on one. A smart soldier would wait for an opportunity. You need to be both to survive a battle." Jack said.

"How do you know this soldier stuff? You're a blacksmith." she asked. Jack smiled at her.

"I wasn't a blacksmith for all my life." She got not further explanation. She returned her attention to the approaching army.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.