Zion: Light of the New Moon, Ch 1.2 Myre
Zion - Light of the New Moon Chapter 1.2
Myre This Isn't a Game
The party has elected with a lesser majority vote of 3 out of 7 characters to keep the little girl with the caravan and have Valda watch her.
Lady Marion called the wagon leaders together during our afternoon break. It was just after my second patrol with Sergeant Keeland and we ended up overhearing the majority of the discussion. He was tying off the mounts while I was preparing some feed for them and the official tone which Lady Marion used carried very well.
"After deliberating our options," she began, calling attention to her immediately, "I have decided that it is unsafe for the girl to be sent back to Myre."
A murmur went through the gathered crowd; many were pleased with the decisions and some were quick to (quietly) voice their objections. The loudest of the dissension was from the girl's father, "No! She's just a girl! She doesn't belong in the Wild Lands. Please, Priestess... send her back home... send her back to safety."
"Are you so eager to see your girl put to death, you stupid human?" Bahrla was beside him in a second.
"It isn't safe to travel the Wild Lands." the father objected, "We have weeks ahead of us, and less than 3 days back to Myre."
"Look around you, you fool." the Wild Lander motioned to the gathering, "With us she has swords, shields, and bodies between her and the creatures that would do her harm. Out there she would have nothing. Once she leaves the protection of the Priestess' magic she will be dead in less than an hour-- that, I can promise."
The girl's father shook his head, "No... the Priestess could send guards with her."
"A waste of resources and of life." Bahrla countered, "They would all be killed and, if you sent enough guards to protect her then you're taking away from the caravan's resources."
"We have to do SOMETHING!" the father lamented.
"You SHOULD have done something." Bahrla corrected, "Your daughter is impertinent, and stowed away on this trip. If she were correctly trained she would have listened and stayed home."
"You obviously have no children." the man stated.
"If I did, they would know how to stay safe." Bahrla countered.
I would have continued listening, but by that time Sergeant Keeland motioned to me and I obediently followed away from the discussion. Miri, believe me when I say this: if something as simple as a little stow away could cause THAT much of an argument I'd hate to see what will happen when something really problematic befalls us. This is the Wild Lands, after all-- there's always something really problematic to face.
Anyway, I followed after the Sergeant and he led me to a spot beyond the general camp. He sat down on the back tailgate of a wagon and motioned next to himself; I hopped up without comment. "As city guards it's our duty to protect the caravan." he stated, his voice holding that official, commanding tone to it.
I nodded, "Yes, sir." I didn't bother clarifying just why I was really with the caravan.
"Lady Marion spoke with me earlier about this girl." he explained.
"Sir?" I've never been very good at playing dumb.
"Leijh..." his voice took on just a hint of a hard edge to it, "Just because your ears don't swivel doesn't mean it's impossible to tell when you're listening in on a conversation." I felt myself wilt a little at the accusation. A paw landed on my shoulder, "Relax." he added, "You're a guard, and paying attention is part of your job. I'm not going to reprimand you for eaves dropping."
"Oh... I wasn't eaves dro--"
"You were listening in, Private." he interrupted my excuses, which worked out just fine because I didn't have the slightest idea how I was going to talk myself out of that one.
"Sir." I noted.
"The Priestess has decided to put Valda Corwin in charge of the girl." he noted.
"The squirrel?" I asked.
"The squirrel." he confirmed.
"The one who got in trouble for running an orphanage without a license?" I pursued.
"Yes... that one." he acknowledged.
"So now she's going to give her a little human girl to be in charge of?" I asked.
"Ironic, isn't it?" I heard his tail beat against the wooden wagon.
"It truly takes a special individual to be a member of the clergy." I offered in as neutral a tone as I could muster. It must not have been very convincing because the Sergeant began laughing almost immediately after. A split second later I ended up joining in.
Later that evening, after the priestess' announcement was made public knowledge the caravan finally got back to business as usual. We traveled until late dusk, using every last bit of daylight to push further toward our end goal. By the end of the day all talk of the stow-away was more old news than anything else. Valda was seen less after taking charge of the girl-- apparently she was finally provided with a task she felt worthy for her and it went a long way toward quieting her down... either that, or she didn't feel right swearing in front of a child.
As camp was being set the laborers made themselves busy pulling the wagons in close. They set the fires, prepared the meals, and placed tents for those who would be keeping watch or sleeping outside of the wagons. During that time, Josh also gathered a good sized audience as he sang prayers of thanks and hymns of faith to Tah'Aveen. Several other priests and a good number of the faithful joined in. Although it wasn't the same as being in the temple it was still nice, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
While dinner was being prepared, stories being told, and songs being sung, I realized that I didn't have the luxury of enjoying it like everyone else; having looked around I saw that Liam was not in attendance. Considering he didn't exactly have anywhere to go but the caravan, that left me feeling I had a good idea of what he was up to. As it turned out, my conclusion was the right one.
I found Liam Mail in the back of a supply wagon; he was almost hidden... almost. Climbing up after him, I saw the fox laying with his back against a barrel protected from view except for the tip of his tail. I didn't bother being quiet-- he wouldn't really notice me at that point anyway. As the rest of his body came into view I was not surprised to see the small metal needle still poking out of his arm; once somebody was that invested in Grace they could never truly escape it.
I stood there for several moments observing him. His entire body was relaxed... mellow... at peace. It was a temporary situation of course-- once the sensations left he would be agitated and aggravated. He would probably lash out when his senses returned to him; it wasn't an uncommon response when a junkie came down from their euphoria... I'd certainly seen it often enough. Once somebody became that invested in Grace they can never truly escape it.
I knelt down and gently rested my hand on the syringe. It was a small one... not the usual amount that he would probably have been used to receiving. Was he trying to wean himself off of it or was he just trying to conserve what he had? Quickly searching through his pockets, I took what I could find... which wasn't much. The evidence pointed toward the latter-- he would probably have been taking more if he wasn't so worried about his limited supply. He was addicted to Grace, mind, body, and soul, and once somebody becomes that invested in Grace they can never truly escape it.
Watching the fox, I slowly added my other hand to the needle and pulled back on the plunger. I watched as the glass phial admitted a small amount of his blood. I pulled the needle free of him and wrapped a clean strap of cloth around his forearm. Grace's lethality did not come from its use, rather, it came from overuse. Unlike most other drugs it was not possible to overdose to death... it was, instead, much more insidious-- death came from trying to quit once the body had become exposed to large amounts; once somebody becomes that invested in Grace can they never truly escape it.
I stared at the thick red fluid in the syringe. It was Liam's blood... the blood of a junkie... the blood of someone high on Grace. It's called Grace because they compare it to the love of the Moon Goddess, you know. Once you've felt it, it's impossible to live without. To exist without being in the light of the Moon Goddess would be no existence at all... to exist without feeling the flowing rapture of Grace entering your body is impossible. I sat down slowly, my back to the barrel opposite Liam. The needle entering my arm didn't hurt... it never did; the expectation is too strong.
It wasn't Grace... not quite. I felt Liam's blood flow through the needle and into my veins but, mixed with it was what I really needed. I felt it take hold of me, even in its diluted form. It gave me hints of the sensations I wanted... tingling, passing memories of what it was I needed... what I HAD TO have. You see... once somebody becomes that invested in Grace they never truly escape it... no matter how much Lord Dalton wants me to.
* * * * *
The Myreneese have elected to keep the little girl with the caravan and put her into the care of Valda Corwin.
Reader contribution is not required at this time unless someone would like to spend a Willpower point to be the focus of 1.3, otherwise it will be a general character development post to provide more background into everyone and how they interact.
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