[Skell]
"You're 'more or less' a Templar?" My gaze tightened. "How does that make sense?"
Matter of fact, where's his clunky armor, stiff shoulders, and perma-frown?
He bit off a chunk of meat. "Well, if you're talking about what will happen, I'm a Templar. If you mean this very second, then I'm just an applicant. After I sign up, that is."
I knew it! No way this guy's part of the Templars. But… sign up? Is he joking?
"That means you're journeying to the capital!" Oliver sat beside him. "Skell and I are traveling there too!"
"Really?" Niles stopped chewing.
"Yeah, we are," I interjected, "but I have a couple questions."
Niles laughed. "You strike me as a curious fella, Purple. We're a good match then, since I'm an open book. Fire away."
"Actually," Oliver yawned, "I don't think we should stay here and talk. I'm already getting sleepy again, and if we rest here…"
"The escort might change his mind and come back?" I finished. "Guess that is a possibility. Probably best we find somewhere far away to make camp, then."
Oliver nodded, before his eyes lit up. "Oh, I have an idea: what if we all traveled together? I reckon it would be a lot safer with you around, Niles - plus Skell and I love company!"
We do? Our last "company" wasn't exactly a treasured companion.
Then again, Niles is nothing like the escort. He wants to be a Templar, though. That's a risky traveling partner. But I know how to act natural; if a Paladin couldn't see through me, the same should go for a guy who isn't even in the Order. I shouldn't forget what Niles did for us either - he can keep us safe.
…And he did call my food delicious.
With my internal debate decided, I smiled at the other end of the kindling. "Oliver's right. You could always join us. If you want, I mean."
Niles pointed to the meatless bone. "If you're cooking up more meals like this then I'm tagging along even if we're journeying into the Abyss! Besides, I was getting tired of having no one to chat with."
"Well," Oliver said, "now you have both of us!"
I couldn't help but notice something as they grinned. The escort, and Niles. Could we have found a more polar opposite to swap with?
—————————————————————————————————
I appreciated the sun. No, really.
Crazy as it sounded, I appreciated the warmth it infused into my cold bones. I appreciated dawn telling me a new day had come. Most of all, I appreciated seeing past my nose.
At night, whatever scraps of light the moon could muster just wasn't enough - even with the Ring's help. Darkness was everywhere. And in the distance, you couldn't always tell if what you saw was human, monster, or a butt-ugly tree.
That problem didn't exist in the Sun-touched Prairie.
Over a rocky creek we walked, supported by a bridge of aged stone. Thanks to the prairie's scattered trees, I could see far in every direction. And in every direction stretched the same rolling hills and dips as before, glazed in gilded grass. Except now, in the midst of nightfall, the grass glowed. Luminescence swept across the landscape in a gold deeper than any jewelry. There, shadows were extinct.
Breathtaking terrain. But it wouldn't distract me. "Back at camp, Niles, you said you were signing up to be a Templar?"
"Mhmm," he strolled at Oliver's other side, chin high.
"But that's crazy," I replied. "You're telling me all someone has to do to join the Templars - the esteemed undead slayers - is sign a few papers? Anyone could be a Templar then. I could be a Templar."
"You have it all wrong, Skell," Oliver corrected. "You don't apply to become a Templar. You apply for the chance to prove yourself."
"What?" I asked. "Like some kinda test?"
"Yep, the Sacred Ordeals are a test," joked the swordsman. "The same way a dragon's a reptile."
Oliver tapped my arm. "He's right. Once you apply, you're not in for something ordinary. Remember the day we first met? In Grandpa's house?"
"Of course I do," I said. "I'd never forget it."
Helps that it wasn't even two weeks ago.
I ran through my memory alongside my words. "You told me what happened between Ansel and Velora, and- hold on, you said Velora tried to be a Templar, didn't you? Like Amara. But she didn't make the cut."
The hunter nodded. "That's because she failed the Sacred Ordeals."
I recalled the wrathful woman, effortlessly impaling me with her dual blades. "But Velora was terrifying. You're saying even she couldn't take these Ordeals on?"
"She was one of the lucky ones," Oliver looked down, over the bridge's edge. "Amara says some folks die trying them."
"They're that bad?" I got chills. "Niles, you know about this?"
"Hm?" he gazed into the distance, clearly off in his own world. "Oh, yeah, I know. But I've already decided I'll be a Templar. So what's the point in stressing about what comes between now and then?"
I looked at him, confused.
His eyes caught mine. "My bad," he laughed. "Hearing that come out of my mouth, I probably sounded pretty full of myself, huh?"
I didn't say it. But my shock had nothing to do with that.
How can he - how can anyone know death might be creeping around the corner and just… choose not to care?
Even now, I was still a little rattled from our battle with the dryad. The escort, too. All our close calls. Every night I laid awake - not that I had much choice - and relived the times I thought my existence would end. I fought to never let it show. But the memories were haunting.
…Why do I get the impression he'd dust all that off and take it in stride?
"While we're bouncing around questions," Niles tightened his headband, "I've got one of my own. No offense, mate, but everybody and their ma has heard about the Sacred Ordeals. Even my podunk village a ways away. Why don't you?"
I swept my thoughts aside, quickly reaching for a lie.
"Well, Skell ain't from around here." Oliver had me covered, before a sudden smile crossed his face. "Wait, you lived in a village too?"
The swordsman extended proud arms. "Raised and born!"
Nice job changing the subject Oliver! Er, assuming that was intentional. "But if you both live in faraway villages, how do you know about all this Templar business?"
Niles pointed toward the horizon. "We heard it from the best source there is: the Templars themselves. Every year the Templar Order sends their people to every corner of Lumerit, to the big cities and little villages. Anywhere they can find people, they spread their message, what they fight for, blah blah blah." He clapped gloved fingers together like a blabbering mouth.
"They even visited Sienna Village a few times," Oliver added. "That's how Amara heard about them."
Hm. And I thought my luck was already in the toilet. Had I strolled into Sienna while the Templars were recruiting… I couldn't help but let a morbid laugh slip.
"What's got you so tickled?" asked Niles.
"Just thinking about the Templars," I said. "And by extension, our destination. By now, I figure less than a day stands between us and Selem."
My eyes moved to the hunter. Between Oliver and Amara.
Then the swordsman. Between Niles and the Sacred Ordeals.
And finally into the golden pasture beyond them. And between me and resurrection.
"I can't believe it's finally so close," Oliver said. His eyes dropped, noticing we reached the end of the stone bridge. "Guys, do you think this is far enough from our old camp?"
"Easily," Niles stopped. "The big guy is probably on his way back home anyway, kicking himself for not taking my trade."
"And if not," I added, "he sure as heck won't find us. Not in this endless prairie. That, and he obviously isn't as good a tracker as you, Oliver."
Oliver made a pleased laugh. "Thanks, Skell. Well, what do you guys say we pick a spot to rest?"
"Finally!" Niles bobbed his head. "Was hoping we'd get some shuteye tonight!"
—————————————————————————————————
…But can I try it here? Now? Oliver acted like his stomachache was pretty bad; he's probably gonna be 'answering nature's call' for awhile. I should have time.
From my seat under the tree shade, I studied its shadow: reaching far into the inert golden grass. Still, I don't even know if it'll work. And Niles is gonna think I'm a lunatic if I start blathering nonsense for no reason.
I opened my mouth to sigh - before something hard thumped the top of my head.
"Ow!" I said reflexively, although it didn't actually land hard enough to hurt my skull. The fallen object rolled in a circle by my leg. "A nut?"
"Oops! Sorry about that!" yelled a voice from above.
My gaze rose to Niles. He laid across a thick white branch a good dozen feet overhead. "I was playing catch. But on catch number three-hundred and fifty-five I totally mucked it up!"
He kept track of all those catches?
"No worries," I brushed fingers through my hair. "But you've been sitting up there fidgeting for a long time. Bored?"
"Yeahhh…" he let a hand hover in the air.
"Well, I'm right here. If you want to… I don't know, pass the time?"
"Thought about it. But I got the feeling you were thinking on something. Wanted to leave you be."
"No, no," I shook my head - not that he was looking at me. "I don't mind. You said you've been traveling awhile, had no one to talk to. Let's talk."
"All right, then," his arm dropped, dangling over the branch. "Tell me about yourself. And I don't mean some 'long walks and watching sunsets' crap. Something real."
"Why ask about me? I'm not particularly interesting."
"Everyone's interesting, in their own way. Besides, Purple, I've only known you and Freckles for a half-day. You can't just travel with mates and only know their names."
Not that you use them.
"True. Well, where should I start?"
"Got a lover?"
"Wh-what?" I glanced up with too much force, knocking my head against the tree.
Ouch… That one hurt my skull.
"A girlfriend," Niles repeated. "Or a boyfriend, wife, hubby, or a steamy paramour on the side? Or all of the above?"
"I… n-no. To each one," I shook my head for three different reasons.
Skell, why are you so wound up? He's just talking relationships. Normal stuff.
…Too normal. I realized. You're a cold, dead body - a walking lie. Don't forget. You're better off not even entertaining the idea.
I drew knees to my chest and held them close. "If I ever found myself in a relationship, I'd want to make that woman happy. Warm. The center of my attention. That's not happening the way I am now. Not until I figure some things out."
"Oh. Sorry, sorry, I get that."
"Don't be. You?"
"Nahhh," he took a breath. "I'd like to find a guy half my speed someday. But until then, all I've got is Ma."
"Your mom? What's she like?"
"Like any old ma. Cares about you. Sometimes too much. You know how it is. Actually, what's yours like?"
Saw this coming…
I faked a laugh. "She's something else. Smart. Funny. Strict, about some things. Too loose on others. Well, she was, anyway."
Niles jerked his head quickly, looking down at me. "S-she's…?"
"Yeah…"
Good. That lie should keep him away from any more questions.
And it did. A little too well. Niles turned back to the golden leaves above and quietly watched the sun stream between. The atmosphere changed.
"Hey, I didn't mean to be a downer," I said.
"You're no downer, Purple. The truth's the truth. I just… don't know what to say."
The silence returned. I would've preferred if it didn't.
Should I change the subject? Yeah, yeah, that'd be smart. But to what?
"Want to play a game?" Niles asked suddenly.
I snapped out of my thoughts. "What kind?"
"Ever climbed a tree?"
What? Where's this coming from?
"Whenever I remember bad times," Niles continued, "I move. Well, I'm always moving, but you catch my drift. Gives me something to do; keeps my head out of the stormy clouds."
I looked up and found his grin. "You're saying I should do the same."
His smile widened.
This guy…
I stood up. "Guess it's worth a try. But I know jack about climbing. Be ready to hold the blame when I break my legs."
"That's not the spirit, Purple! Come on, just reach this branch. I'll coach you! First, hug the trunk with your arms and legs - tight as possible. Then just shimmy up."
I listened, gripping the tree. But rising wasn't in the cards. "This is easier said than done, you know?"
"Not too brawny?" he tapped his chin. "Oh yeah - do you know how to use a Shroud? Makes climbing a lot easier for me."
My Shroud? Why didn't I think of that?
Opening the pathways and letting the mana stream through my every bone, I felt empowered. Pushing myself up, then, was barely an issue.
"All right!" Niles cheered from above. "Just keep doing that! Oh, and that gnarl on your right - use that as a foothold."
"How come you know so much about tree-climbing?" I pretended to pant.
"I've climbed them ever since I was able. That's why the scars on my knees look like constellations!"
"O-oh."
It wasn't long 'till I neared Niles. A shortening gap that quickly widened when he leapt and started ascending too.
"What are you up to?" I asked.
He glanced down. "I saw how much fun you were having and wanted to get in on the action!"
"You noticed? I mean, er…"
He laughed. "Don't worry. If you've had your fill, I won't ask you to go any higher."
I reached over, wrapping my arm around the branch Niles rested on earlier. A stupid urge told me look down.
…Yeah. Any further and that fall's gonna sting. But…
I grit teeth and pulled myself higher. Chest pressed against the branch, I hauled myself over and on top.
"Nice!" Niles said from several feet overhead. "You made it!"
I rose to my feet and leapt after him. "Never said I was done!"
His eyes snapped open.
"How high are you planning to go?" I questioned.
"As far as I feel," he looked back to the many stretching branches above, then back to my competitive eyes. "As far as I can!"
"Fine," I climbed, forgetting my fear. I latched onto the bark - not far from Niles. "You'll be meeting me up there, then?"
"That a challenge?" his smirk flipped upside down after our gap started shrinking. "You son of a- you're not getting past me!"
———————————————————————————–—————–
As my head peeked over the uppermost branch, I was greeted by the most exaggerated yawn I'd ever heard.
In the stable center of the tree's crown, where a myriad of thick branches all connected, Niles lied. Literally. He turned on his side, stretching like he'd woken from hibernation. "G' morning. I thought you'd never get up here."
"Shut up," I clambered to my feet, snickering. "I was a half-minute behind at worst."
"You were, you were," he stood, spreading smug arms. "I'll admit, you climbed pretty well for a rookie."
"Helps that I had your advice on the way up. Really, you probably shouldn't give your opponent tips," I shrugged. "Might be what lets them win."
"Didn't help you win this one, mate."
"That's this time. Give me another tree and you might not be so smiley at the top."
"Think so? There's a loooot of trees in the prairie," he swept an arm. "Maybe you'll get lucky and win before we climb them all."
We stood silent for a few moments… before bursting into laughter.
"I'll be honest," I collected myself, "this… this wasn't so bad. Days of travel - stopping to sleep and nothing else - it gets monotonous. Like the next day is just a repeat of the last."
"See? I swear by it for a reason." Niles leaned against a rising branch. "And look around."
Surrounding us was a dome of golden leaves, innumerable tiny branches leaping in every direction. Sunlight danced on every leaf, bounding from one to the next. Every so often a hole would appear between where two branches couldn't quite meet. Outside one, both the endless blue sky and the endless gold landscape embraced.
"Sometimes it's good, just to stand above it all," Niles closed his eyes, face serene. "All that upsets you. All that needs to be done."
"Yeah. You're right," I copied him. I couldn't smell the nature or taste the wind. But I could still be in the moment. Death? Love? Family? All pressing thoughts. There, though? In that brief time? I forgot them all.
And for once, I was happy to forget.
I'm still not sure if we stood there for a few seconds, or several minutes. But eventually, I started feeling cheeky. "You know, Niles. This is a beautiful spot. Perfect place to take someone to make a statement. Now don't get me wrong, I'm flattered, but-"
"Cram it, Purple!" Niles' eyes shot open, a playful fire inside them. "Don't make me shove you off this tree!"
To say I found his reply amusing would be an understatement. And speaking of statements of the under variety, a voice cut me off before I could rib him any further.
"Skell!? Niles!?" Oliver called from far below. "Where did you guys go!?"
Shade.
"We need to get down," I panicked. "Oliver's gonna think we abandoned him."
"Yep. About time we got back to the road, anyway." He peered over the edge of the crown. He took a breath, then lowered himself until all I saw was his headband and fingertips. "Handy tip: climbing down's harder than climbing up! Don't fall!"
"What?" I started to sweat. "That's not even a tip!"
———————————————————————————–—————–
"I see, with the sharpest of sight, something gold," Niles said.
Within the expanse of lush golden grass, I threw up my hands. "Everything's gold!"
"Yep. That it is…" the swordsman trailed. "Hmm. Maybe this traveling game has played itself out."
You think? We've only played for the last five hours.
"Say, Freckles. What do you think?" Niles looked past me.
Whistling came from my right. Oliver's whistling, who happily skipped along the grass. For him, I suspected boredom was about as common as fair taxes. That, or I just really underestimated his love of travel.
"I don't know what you guys are talking about," he stopped whistling, "there's enough around to point out for days!"
"That so?" I asked. "Alright then; a challenge: you go for another round. And if I get it right, we figure some other way to waste our time. Oh, and you'll owe me… bragging rights."
Niles scratched under his headband. "That doesn't feel like much of a rewa-"
"Sure!" Oliver nodded. "Okay… okay, got one. First hint: I see, with the sharpest of eyes, something… b-big!?"
My brows wrinkled. "Why'd you say it like-"
That last word never left my throat. Like everything else, it was frozen. Utterly paralyzed.
A universal effect on those seeing Selem for the first time.
The sight before my eyes and the memory of Lumerit's map seemed to meld for a split-second. Nestled inside the Rhal mountain range to our left - where the hills in the distance slowly scaled higher and sharper, and the creatively-named Selem River to our right - so massive it painted a thick blue streak from further south to beyond Lumerit's north-eastern border, was us. Us and the stretch of land presenting the capital.
From a bird's - or map's - eye view, Selem stood proud in the bloated heart of the river. To our eyes, it was a stone wall so broad I was sure I only saw a third of the entire thing. And that was from over a mile away.
Not only wide, but it was tall. The walls around Belza Hill were plain cute in comparison. They must've scaled hundreds of feet high, artistically intricate and formidably impenetrable in equal measure. Only the tallest buildings, towers and walls even further inside peeked over the brim. The ultimate promise of safety from all outside threats.
"Wow…" Oliver's jaw hung like clothes left to dry. "They must have used magic. To make all this."
"Even the world's best mages couldn't build this overnight…" Niles added. "Years. I'd stake my sword on it. And more rounds than we can ever think of."
I couldn't blink. "…They gotta be compensating for something."
We saw more. A grand stone bridge. The beautiful river flowing underneath. And an Abyss' worth of people.
But above it all, the afternoon sun hovered. Its light shined gloriously upon the capital city. The stone's gray seemed more vivid, the waters below glimmered an impossibly deep blue, and even the distant clothes of the citizens and visitors popped like splotches of vibrance.
Little did we know, that was magic, too.
"Well?" Oliver ran down the hill past Niles and I, excitement in his voice. "Will we see the city or not!?"