A Long Journey Home, A spark is lit
#2 of A long journey home
Alrighty the second chapter of AbleArcher's request. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, comments are appreciated and requested.
Continued from 'The rorthward road'...
Lucas sat on a low stone wall, his rifle laid beside him, leaning upright against the stones. The further into the village Lucas had gone, the stranger things seemed to have become. From the looks of things, people had left in the middle of their everyday tasks. A pair of buckets on a shoulder harness lay a few steps from the well, as if the person carrying them had suddenly just dropped them. In the smithy's forge, Lucas found two now shapeless pieces of metal that looked to have simply been left in the coals. Everywhere were similar sights, which told him one thing. Whatever had happened to his village had happened very quickly, without any warning that it was coming. But what had troubled him most was not that everyone seemed to have left in a hurry. What bothered him most was what he had found inside the houses.
When he had passed the house where Olivia and her family had lived, he couldn't help but go into it, hoping to find some sign of his sweetheart. It looked as if some...thing had been living in the house, but not all that recently. He couldn't quite say what had been living there, since it had used the bed like a human would, but the muddy tracks on the floor were not even close to human foot prints, looking more akin to the tracks of an animal, though he had never seen anything like them before. Curious, he had searched more houses only to find the scene repeated in almost all of them. Always, it seemed like animals had moved into the houses, since the tracks inside were all hooves and paws, and yet, there were signs of what seemed to be human habitation there as well.
And then, Lucas had found his family's house, or what was left of it. Lucas's father had been a jeweler by trade, and their house had been one of the nicer ones in the village, almost at the heart of the town. But it wasn't nice any more. It alone of all the buildings was in ruins. The back wall of the house still stood, the stones blackened as if with fire, but there wasn't even a sign of the roof, and he was now seated on what little remained of the front wall. It looked as though the entire building had been smashed by a giant.
Only once before had Lucas ever seen such destruction, and that had been in Constantine, just after it had been retaken. A powder magazine near the walls had been hit by a cannon shell, and the resulting explosion had blasted the whole building apart, leaving little to mark what once had been there. But that explosion had also ripped apart the buildings around it and Lucas's home was the only one destroyed here. Lucas stared down at his muddy boots and fought back against the sorrow that threatened to close in on him. More horrible by far than the destruction of his family's home was what he had found inside. Tucked away on the shattered remains of a bed in what was his parent's room, there had been a skeleton, long ago picked clean and he had known at once that it had belonged to his mother.
Shaking his head to clear the sorrow from it, Lucas looked around once more. There was nothing and no one for him here. He might as well get going. Standing up and picking up his rifle once more, Lucas started to walk away from the sad remains of his home, wondering what he was going to do now. The only skills he had besides those of a soldier were in hunting and fishing, hardly valuable skills in the cities where most people had gathered these days. Shaking his head once more, Lucas looked down at the ground before him and suddenly stopped, his depression fading, replaced by a wary instinct. Something was glittering in the grass, reflecting the weak sunlight that was now peeking bravely through the clouds.
Lucas knelt, reaching out and brushing aside the grass to get a better view of whatever it was. Cocking his head to the side in confusion, Lucas picked up the glittering object and looked at it. It was an irregular shard of transparent crystal, green like the grass it had been lying in, and to the untrained eye, it might have looked like a piece of colored glass, but Lucas knew better. It was a chip of spellstone, and, looking around in the sunlight, the young rifleman saw that there were literally thousands of tiny chips scattered around him. Some even glittered within the ruined walls of his home. The only times that chips like these were formed were when spell crystals shattered, releasing whatever magic was contained within it. But for this many chips to have been formed, it would have had to have been a crystal the like of which Lucas had never even imagined existed, likely larger than he was. But why would anyone bring such a thing to so remote a village?
Lucas suddenly stood back up, turning around quickly, bringing his rifle up to his shoulder. All day long, he had been hearing phantom sounds around him, things that had probably been the result of his mind trying to fill in the unnatural silence that had seemed to settle over the village. But this was different. The sound had been unmistakable. He had definitely heard a footstep. Lucas held perfectly still, the rifle butt hard into his shoulder, listening for the sound to come again. When he had been out scouting with a small team of other rifleman in the distant mountains, just after he had earned his Chosen Man stripes, he had found a rare instinct in himself; the ability to know instinctually when there was someone nearby, even if he couldn't see them. On many occasions, it had let him and his men escape from Kindrin waiting in ambush for them. This feeling was no different.
He knew now that whoever it was had been the source of the feeling of being watched that had been his constant companion since the river. After a few moments, the sound came again and Lucas spun around, looking towards the mouth of the nearby alley. With his fingers poised to pull the hammer of his rifle back, Lucas stalked forward slowly, pausing just short of the opening. The young soldier took a deep breath and turned the corner, sighting down the barrel of his rifle, leaning into the weapon to cushion the blow from the weapon's recoil.
A short distance down the alley, a pair of bright green eyes were peeking over the edge of a pile of stones, the rest of the body hidden by shadows. Lucas sighted on them out of instinct and called out, just loud enough for whoever it was to hear him.
"Who are you?" He called, and the eyes instantly ducked out of sight, only to reappear around the edge of the rock pile, peering at him in curiosity. "Show yourself!!" Whatever Lucas had been expecting, what came out of the shadows blew it right out of the water.
It wasn't human, but nor was it exactly an animal either, though it walked on all fours like one. It looked sort of like a mixture of the two, and, as it paused, one paw off the ground as if uncertain, the steadily increasing sunlight shone upon it, allowing Lucas to begin to discern more details. It seemed to have human like hands on its front legs, rather than paws, though its hind legs were exactly like those of animal. It had a tail that was long and somewhat fluffy, and facial features not unlike those of a ferret, though more subdued than you would expect in a human sized ferret. And yet, for all the animalistic features, it had long sandy blonde hair on its head, much like a human's, though it was very unkempt. And, as he looked closer, he was a little embarrassed to note that, in addition to being nude, it had a pair of human like breasts upon its chest. Whatever it was, it was definitely a female. It also had a fine coat of light almond tan fur, with a darker patch of rust color upon its face, looking almost like a mask. More rust patches covered its hands and hindpaws, as well as the tip of its tail, and when it turned to look behind it, scanning for threats, Lucas saw that it also had a long patch of the same color down its back.
Something about the fur pattern triggered something in Lucas' mind, as if he recognized it from somewhere and he lowered the rifle a little, cocking his head as he considered the strange creature before him. Something about the way it looked, strange though it was, was disarming, almost like he had seen something like it before, though he couldn't imagine where. And then, as it turned back towards him, he caught a glint of metal around its neck, almost hidden by its fur. Peering closer, he suddenly froze, his aim faltering completely. Around the creature's neck, on a frayed cord of battered leather, was a silver medallion, an intricate knot, as delicate as sunlight.
Possibilities flitted through the rifleman's mind in a rapid stream of images, jumbling together in their excitement and haste to be the first to be considered, each more absurd than the last. And yet, as he lowered the rifle from his shoulder, things started to make sense to him. All the animals in the village were gone, and no bones were left of them, which meant they hadn't been killed. And the houses looked like animals had been living in them, animals that acted like humans. And, here was some odd hybrid between ferret and human, wearing the necklace he had left with Olivia. And then, exactly where he had seen the fur pattern before popped into his head like a flame kindling in darkness. Olivia had kept a pet ferret with that exact pattern, and she had rarely been without the creature, often carrying it in a pocket of her dress.
"Olivia?" He whispered, looking in shock at the odd creature before him. The being froze in place, looking at him in confusion, and then a different look blossomed on its face, a look he didn't recognize on its animalistic face. Then, without warning, the creature moved. In an instant, Lucas was on his back, pinned to the hard ground by the creature's pounce, his rifle sliding out of his hands above his head. He had the brief image of the creature's sharp teeth as it opened its mouth and he knew he had made a mistake lowering the rifle. It's ironic_,_ Lucas thought, he had survived the war only to die in his home town, killed by some insane beast. But his soldier's instincts refused to give in to that fate, not without a fight anyway. One hand had already closed on the handle of the sword bayonet at his side by the time his surprised mind suddenly realized he should have been in great pain by now. But the sensations running through him were not painful. They were the opposite in fact. Looking down at his chest, he checked his hand before it could draw the long bayonet.
Far from trying to bite him, or even hurt him at all, the creature was pressing itself close to him, affectionately rubbing its head under his chin, licking his neck, and when he raised his head, his face too. The sensation was surprisingly pleasurable, and if the creature had not been so odd looking, he might have actually not wanted it to stop. And, then, as he breathed in the creature's scent, he knew somehow that his guess had been right. Beneath the earthy scent of a wild animal, the faint scent of lilies lingered on its fur, a very rare breed of lily that only grew in this mountain valley. That had been Olivia's favorite scent, and, as odd as it sounded, he knew that this creature was his girlfriend. On instinct, Lucas' hands started stroking the creature's fur, an action the ferret girl seemed to like, for she pressed against him a little harder when he did it, almost purring.
This oddly pleasant situation lasted a few moments longer before the girl suddenly perked up, looking towards a building across the street. She instantly hopped off of Lucas, crouching down as if frightened or angry, her teeth bared, hissing. Knowing that it was better to trust her than not, Lucas rose into a crouch quickly, turning to face the same direction, sweeping his rifle up into firing position with a practiced motion, yanking the hammer back with a loud click. For a few moments, he didn't see anything, but then, a shape resolved itself out of the shadows next to the building. It was more or less man shaped, though stooped and moving slowly, as if great age or weariness lay upon it. But when it came into view, the ferret girl quickly ran over and crouched in Lucas's shadow, apparently hiding behind the only safe cover around.
"Hold your fire Lucas." The creature said, holding up a feathered hand. "I am not an enemy."
"Olivia doesn't seem to think so." Lucas replied, his aim not wavering. "Who are you?"
"I am the man who was once your teacher." The creature said, wavering a little on its feet, obviously exhausted. Lucas' eyes narrowed, trying to associate the apparition before him with his former teacher. And there was indeed something about him, perhaps the way the old creature was standing, leaning on the smooth wood of a short walking stick, that was familiar. And, what was more, while the creature seemed again to be a hybrid between human and animal, in this case an owl, it was wearing the familiar robe and wearing the distinctive golden spectacles that his teacher used to wear.
"Lucien?" Lucas asked, lowering the rifle from his shoulder slightly as the creature nodded, but still aiming the barrel at his visitor. "How can I know you are who you say you are?"
"I know what I look like youngster, but I promise you I am Lucien." The old man said, "You were born right here in the village, in the ruined house on the corner. I taught you all your life and you were one of my most unruly students. When you were twelve, you once turned your hair purple by overturning an experiment I was running in my study." Lucas had to smile as the memory came back to him. It had taken him a full year to get rid of the color, and he had learned to stay away from the alchemist's concoctions since then. "And I wouldn't put too much faith in Olivia's actions. She isn't quite herself." When Lucien said this, he gestured to the ferret girl that was now peeking over one of Lucas' shoulders, her ears folded flat on her head. Lucas glanced at the girl and then nodded slowly; lowering his rifle and easing the hammer back down onto the pan so it didn't spark. "Come. We have much to discuss."
***
About an hour after meeting Lucien once again, Lucas was finally settled beside a roaring fire, the heat delightful after the damp rain. The young rifleman was staring out the nearest window, looking down at the tree line beside the tower of stone. Down below, in the bushes, a pair of bright green eyes were staring back up at him longingly. Lucien had led him out of the abandoned village and up the nearby ridge to his tower. The tower had originally been a medieval watch tower where a small garrison had been posted to warn the valley of dangers. It had been abandoned for hundreds of years when Lucien had come to the area. The alchemist had rebuilt the tower, expanding it until it was more like a house than a simple outpost, and he had lived there for longer than anyone could remember.
And though Olivia had seemed to want to have nothing to do with Lucien, the ferret girl had followed them from a distance the whole way, as if she didn't want to lose sight of Lucas. And now, she sat below the tower, beneath a towering pine tree, looking up mournfully, waiting, it seemed, for Lucas to come back out. A moment later, Lucas came out of his thoughts with a jerk, the smell of hot food making his stomach rumble. Lucas looked back at his companion to find his old teacher holding a steaming bowl out to him, the scent of its contents making him shiver.
"I hope you don't mind stew." The owl-man said, "I haven't had time to make anything more."
"Thanks Lucien." Lucas said, accepting the food with a grateful smile. "I haven't had a hot meal in weeks."
The old teacher smiled in return and settled himself across the fire, closing his eyes in weariness. The pair sat in silence for a few minutes more, only the sound of the crackling fire disturbing the quiet brought on by the misty rain outside. And then, as Lucas chewed a chunk of meat, savoring the flavor of the wild grown herbs in the broth, he returned to staring out the window. Down below, he could still make out the shape of Olivia's altered form as she sat beneath the pine tree, sheltering from the rain, still staring up at him, her mournful expression filling his mind.
"What happened here Lucien?" Lucas asked, looking back at his teacher, who was leaning back, staring into the fire, seeming to be dozing. At Lucas's words, he shook his head and looked at his visitor once more.
"Do you know, young Lucas, what happens when a spellstone is broken?" The alchemist asked. Lucas nodded and his teacher continued. "Well, as you can imagine, when the war broke out, the people of Keirnan were prepared to go on without the aid of any outsiders. We practically cut ourselves off entirely from the outside world, and for nearly a year, we lived happily on our own, not troubling anyone and troubled by no one. The whole world might have destroyed itself and we wouldn't have known any different." He paused in his story and Lucas finished off his stew, setting the bowl on the edge of the fire pit, sitting back in his own chair and warming his feet at the fireside.
"And then, one day, a wagon crossed the bridge on the river road. It was being driven by two men we had never seen before, wearing long overcoats, men who spoke with strange accents, obviously not Irnathi. They drove right into the center of town and parked their wagon in the square, beside your mother's home. The two men spent the night in the tavern, and ignored every question about who they were and why they were there, but since they were generous with their money, no one thought much of them. The next morning, just as the village was waking up, the two men uncovered the wagon's load, and at last I suspected why they were there. In the back of the wagon was the largest spellstone I had ever seen, easily twice the size of a man. And then, they did the unthinkable. Before anyone could stop them, the damn fools smashed it." Lucas winced, imagining the devastation that would have caused. Purposely smashing a spell stone, even a small one, was like striking sparks near a powder keg. You were just asking for trouble.
"So that is why..." Lucas said, staring into the fire. The soldier wiped at the bitter tears that had formed in his eyes, and Lucien nodded.
"I am so sorry Lucas, the crystal was so close to your house there was no chance." Lucien confirmed. He paused a moment to allow Lucas to compose himself, then he continued, sounding contemplative. "What the fools thought smashing that stone would accomplish, I will never know. But the magic released swept over the entire valley, all the way to the river and beyond it as well. What it did was to blend every human affected by it with the nearest animal, sealing them together in a single body. For a while, it was utter panic, as people attacked each other in terror, not recognizing them for who they were. Thankfully, no one was killed. And once people recovered their senses, it looked like things would be alright. The two strangers had been killed in the blast, and people went back to their lives, or at least they tried. But then, odd instincts began to surface in everyone, instincts to do things that most would never contemplate doing. It was especially noticeable in those who had been blended with predators. Fights started breaking out, the predators became more and more wild, stalking others in the village. It wasn't long until everyone began to lose parts of themselves, and in less than a month, it was rare to find someone still wearing clothes, or walking on two legs. Not long after, people began to lose the ability to speak, until one by one, the human in them faded, succumbing to animal instinct, and they abandoned their homes for the wild. Now, they don't even recognize their own kin unless they blended with the same sort of animal."
"But Olivia seemed to recognize me." Lucas protested. "And she is still wearing my necklace."
"Sometimes, elements of their former lives seem to come back to them." Lucien explained, nodding. "Sometimes it is a sight, or a sound, or a familiar scent. Some still wear mementos from when they were humans, usually keepsakes that meant the most to them. But that is all they are, a sole surviving element of humanity, lost in the wilderness of animal instinct."
"And what about you?" Lucas asked, making the owl-man smile.
"I was lucky." Lucien replied. "Although the spell still blended me with my owl Artemis, one of the changes made to me because of my alchemical skills somehow protected my mind. I still occasionally feel the pangs of instinct, but I have not succumbed as the others have. And so I have worked, night and day, to find a way to undo what was done. But, alas, my body is failing me at last. I can feel my end coming Lucas, and coming soon. I fear I will not have the strength to finish my task. So, I will need your help."
"What can I do?" Lucas asked, looking at his teacher in surprise. "I am just a soldier. You need another alchemist for that."
"No Lucas, I need you." Lucien said. "I have an idea, a possibility of how to undo the spell, or barring that, at least give people their identities back. For this to even have a chance of working, I need someone who can move quickly all over the valley, someone who won't be harmed by the others. You are the only person from Kiernan who wasn't changed by the spell. You saw what happened when Olivia recognized you. Everyone in the village knew you, and liked you, so you stand the best chance of helping me. Please Lucas." Lucas hesitated to answer. He had been wary of alchemy and of magic in general since that incident five years ago, and even though he had used it out of necessity in the war, those had been single spells, sealed within spell crystals. He hadn't been dealing directly with the art. But then, he looked outside again, and saw the green eyes looking up at the window, and he felt an immense sadness well up in him. Olivia and all his friends, all the people he knew, would be lost if Lucien failed. He couldn't let that happen.
"Alright." He finally said. "What do you need me to do?"