Talas was silent for a bit in the wake of hearing the others speak, his expression pensive. Ariela had lost memory, and Eythil had... whatever was wrong with him... and who knew what losses tomorrow might bring? But it was better to walk the road with a caravan than alone. Just sensible, that. And less lonely.
Talas smiled abruptly, crookedly. He shot a wry look at Garridan and said sotto voce, "--also we both know the curiosity would eat me alive if I did go back home."
He picked up one of the little teardrop crystals. His kapenia scarf, much smoldered and singed and bloodied from everything, had its little hidden blades inside; he bared one of those to the light and nicked the edge of his thumb, carefully. The little drop changed to dark red and Talas let out an exhale.
"Do we say the words now, do you think, or wait for the lord and ladies to come back in?"
Eythil winces slightly as the blade Ariela had cut into his hand but he clenches his hand around the small gem.
As Teral introduces Mr Prickles, Eythil gave a joyfully amused look at the porcupines expression before it bit Teral's hand. He stared a moment before nodding in apparent understanding.
Finally, he looked over to Talas as he asked his question, then at the words still shimmering in the air. Frowning in thought for a moment, Eythil turned his head to regard the direction their hosts had gone. After a brief consideration, revelation sparked in his eyes and he turned back, pointing the way they had left.
"Retroactive formality."
Then he pointed to the glowing sphere above the table. "Record."
Last he looked back to the shimmering word hanging in the air. "And... say the words." He held out the now blood red gym in his hand. After a moment of staring, dawning realization struck him as it became apparent he didn't understand what was written in front of him. He frowned and then expectantly looked back at the others.
Placing her other hand on Eythil's shoulder, Ariela holds her own gem into the sphere as she begins to reciter the words, slowly so that he could follow her example.
Garridan nodded to Talas and he removed a dagger from his belt. The sharp blade easily sliced the meat of his thumb and he winced slightly at the pain. He quickly grabbed one of the crystals and held it to the flowing blood. He watched in awe as the strange gem seemed to absorb his blood. "Fascinating..."
Vance leaned forward and picked a crystal up off the table. He held it in front of his face and stared into it.
"They said they would give us time to talk. Perhaps we should wait for them to return before we continue any farther in this process."
Grabbing a dagger from his side he then glides it along his palm, letting the crystal fall upon the wound he makes a fist letting the crystal soak up his blood.
Eythil slowly began speaking the words, following along after Ariela. He was sure to say them clearly and with intent.
"I am a Warden of the Crossroads.
I am a Keeper of the Gates.
My ties are broken. My titles renounced.
I forswear all allegiances save this one.
I will not Return."
As he spoke the words he gained more confidence in what was being said. He did not want to go back to the Abyss, he did not care for the sound of whatever ties they had on him. He didn't know what much of what he was saying truly meant, but he knew he wanted to be able to make his own choices and help others to make theirs. If this was a place to make that happen, then he would join it of his own volition.
"I am a Citizen of the City of Arch."
Talas nodded a little at the fairly-quiet-until-now Vance. "I'll wait as well. I... should be clear to our hosts, I think, after what I said earlier."
He takes a deep breath, pressing the cloth of his scarf to his finger, and staring up at the room's ceiling.
"....something my mother once said to me... 'Once you set forth on a journey, you must have the courage to follow the road where it leads'."
He frowns a little, then glances to Ariela. "I'm sorry you can't remember yours. Perhaps it will come back to you."
Cassandra, the blind bartender came up the stairs and stopped. She didn't really scan the room, but she tilted her head a bit, then kept moving, putting new mugs and glasses in front of everyone's chair.
"I'm not going to ask what's going on. Just being in the room is giving me more information that I'm probably supposed to have, so I'll just talk instead."
"I get the impression that most of you don't know much about this place. New recruits, in over your heads, feeling overwhelmed?"
"That feeling never goes away."
"All these big shots you've been talking to? They all feel that way. It's the nature of this place."
"Once you're done here, ask to see the wall."
She put down her last cup.
"If you can handle that, wrap your head around it and really think about what it means, you'll start to really get what this city's about and why it is the way it is."
"Then you'll start to understand why it's important, and why you are too."
"Good luck."
Then she was gone, back down the stairs again.
Talas barked a soft laugh at the bartender's words. "If it's meant to reassure me when you say that the big shots also feel over their heads... it really doesn't," he said with a rueful smile.
"As for this wall... I'm not certain my system can handle any more mind-boggling shocks today. Still."
He had never touched his first glass of elderberry wine; he lifted it now, gazing wistfully into its depths, then took a sip. He eyed the floating globe over the table, but could think of no question he might want to ask the city's supposed archive.
The Oracle came back into the room a few moments later, followed by the others.
Once taking their seats, the Oracle spoke.
"It looks like a few of you have made your decisions."
"Yes." Ariela says handing over her now crimson crystal.
"Hang onto it. You aren't quite done with it yet." Darian said, getting comfortable.
"Is there any among you who have chosen against becoming a citizen? Or any who are yet undecided?" the Oracle asked.
Talas opened his hand to display his own reddened crystal.
"I am ready. What I said earlier, about duress... I realize you've saved our lives, and I don't wish to be ungrateful. It's only that it's been a very trying day or so. But am willing to.... swear myself to your city."
Teral grinned at Talas. "You'd have a hard time finding a more tiring one, that's certain. But any day you've been to the Abyss and gotten out again, I think you can call that a good day! "
He stood, leaning across the table to slap the other's shoulder. "Welcome to the city, my friend."
He went to stand by the Oracle and Darian, looking around at everyone else expectantly and twirling his own blooded crystal back and forth in his fingers.
Garridan nodded to the others. "I am ready to swear my oath." He internalized what the blind woman had said, but was not ready to speak out loud about it just yet. He waited to see what the next step was with the ceremony.
Vance returned Garridans nod. "I too, am ready."
Watching everyone else Eythil began to unconsciously bite his lower lip. He glanced at the glowing sphere then back to the Oracle and Darian. Then he looked down at the now darkened crystal in his hand and let out a short sigh.
"Formality." he said quietly under his breath.
"Hold the crystal to your blood as you say the words. Do not swear falsely. The blood will tell." Darian said, sounding more serious now than anything he had said before.
And so the oath was taken.
The recruits were now citizens. Still untested and and untrained, they did not yet realize the full extent of what they had undertaken, nor did they realize the amount of faith the city representatives had placed in them.
A word written in draconic carved themselves in the crystals. Each one of them watched as their name scratched forth. Then a small portrait, as though carefully etched in by a master jeweler.
When it was finished the gem had a faint glow that lit the ruby from within.
The angel smiled at them, proud and joyous.
"Welcome to Arch."
The Oracle sipped his glass. "Resume official record."
"Our citizens were rescued from the Abyss, in keeping with the Accords. The records have been reviewed. The Abyss' involvement in the mission has been found to be entirely accidental and unavoidable. Response times and procedures were followed and found to be satisfactory."
"A review of the plane will be conducted by Tower personnel. Until that time, PMX-0020, the Forest of Dread is Locked."
"All details relating to this mission other than time spent in the Abyss itself, and any material relating to that time, is now classified as Public."
"Just keep the Abyss stuff to yourselves if anyone asks." Darian said to the recruits.
"This concludes the official proceedings. End record." the Oracle finished.
The glowing orb chimed once and then winked out of existence.
Darian stood. "How about we get all of you settled into the place you're going to call home for the next while?"
"As of now, you are all Apprentices." the Headmaster said loudly. "This is your assessment test."
A good night's rest had been just what the new Citizens of Arch needed.
It felt like morning, but the slow brightening and dimming of the ambient light never really reached full darkness here so the concept of "morning" was a bit subjective.
They stood in a practice yard constructed mostly of a pale gold clay. It was slightly warm beneath their feat, but not enough to be uncomfortable. Metal stakes had been driven into the ground to mark off a rectangular area. At one end was a white flag. At the other was black.
All the Apprentices had been given uniforms of simple white. They were durable and comfortable trousers and tunics, as well as hats, boots or gloves for those who wanted them. They had been told the uniforms were mandatory to mark them as Apprentices, but that the headmaster was not particularly concerned with uniform appearances. They were not a military. Individual touches and alterations, within reason, were encouraged.
"I've reviewed as much of your recruiters' Experience reports as I could, but I still want to see what all of you can do firsthand." Headmaster Darian said scanning the group.
The Headmaster stood flanked by two others. The first, a stocky human wearing loose pants and shirt in dark red and grey. An interesting weapon consisting of two clubs connected by a length of chain was draped around his neck. The second was Thedra.
"You have all been issued practice weaponry. Also, this training yard is bolstered by a low grade feed from the Positive Energy Plane. While here, your bodies should be able to recover quickly from all but the most grievous of wounds. If you get hurt, you'll still feel it, but you'll be back to normal in a matter of minutes instead of days. In addition, all spells cast in the yard will be altered by a metamagic effect making them non-lethal."
"Each of you will draw a stone from this bag. The color of the stone will determine your teams."
Darian walked down the line holding a bag and letting each Apprentice draw a stone.
"Once you have your color, move to that side of the practice yard."
Garridan looked around the practice yard, very intrigued by the healing properties. He then did as he was bid and drew a stone...
Eythil glanced around the yard at the now somewhat familiar faces he recognized and he waved to Ariela. His gloved hands clenched with anticipation and he adjusted his new clothes slightly as Darian walked down the line toward him. Stamping on the ground with the new boots, he felt slightly more comfortable wearing than regular shoes, he reached into into the bag, retrieving one of the stones.
Having foregone any of the available weapons and used the magic of her sleeves to alter her uniform to include a hood an a simple sash as well as comfortable boots and gloves all in pristine white, Ariela cracks her neck, preparing herself for the training exercise as she reaches in and draws out a stone.
Looking over at Eythil, she gives him a brief smile of kinship.
Talas reaches into the bag and draws a stone...
Talas is wearing his well-made leather armor over his white tunic, and, as a touch of color against the white, his black-and-purple kapenia scarf around his neck. (He'd said to Garridan when they'd come out into the practice yard, "Varisians wearing all white! Can you imagine it?" with a wry grin.) His sword is in its usual place over his back.
Talas, Teral and Vance drew black stones and went to the black side of the field.
Eythil, Garridan and Ariela drew white and went to the white side of the field.
At the far ends of the fields just in front of the color-coded base lines sat lumpy balls of the opposite color, each about the size of an ogre's head.
"The goal," he said "Is to get your enemy's ball to your own baseline. First team to make that happen, wins."
Begin!"
Eythil held the practice spear uncertainly in his hands as he looked down at the black ball on their side of the field and over at the white ball on the opposite side.
He looked to Ariela with a momentarily confused look.
"It's different. The balls aren't the same. If the dark is our enemy's side and the bright is ours, then don't we have the enemy's ball already?"
"Damn it," Talas muttered to the others on his team. "Garridan's lethal at range-- I should know, I've worked with him the last few years. A flat open yard like this with no cover? We'll be sitting ducks for his throwing sticks."
Frowning to himself... Talas reached into his pack, and pulled out a coil of knotted ropee. "Vance... you're fast, yes?"
Ariela sets her sights on the enemy ball. This she knew. This she could handle without having to think. With a briefly uttered koan she shifts her stance, shimmering trigrams appearing surrounding her body n=before flickering into invisibility.
She gives Eythil a resolute look. "Ready?"
"Yes." Eythil said, nodding he began to move forward.
Vance nods. "Generally speaking. Does that mean you have a plan?"
Talas offered a crooked smile and shrug. "I can't say it's going to be a good one, but... maybe."
Garridan followed his teammates over to their end of the field. He nodded at Ariela's suggestion, his intimate knowledge of Talas gained over the years would be helpful in this instance
Eythil halted his advance as the others conversed.
Teral nodded to Talas approvingly, his voice occupied with muttering a quick incantation. He reached out and laid a hand on Vance's shoulder, and the monk was surrounded by a golden glow the size of a giant. Rapidly, the monk himself expanded to fit the glow, and when the spell was completed, Vance stood twice his normal size.
"$#!+"
Eythil visibly blanched at Ariela's curse. It was new to him and was very surprising.
"I don't think I like that." he said to himself.
Garridan rushes forward to a better position on the field and prepares to attack the first opponent that moves into range.
Ariela breaks into a run, a shimmering blue glow playing along her limbs as she races forward.