Shattered Moonstone

It did not take long for the local night guards to arrive only to be quickly intercepted by Hans who quickly commissioned every guard capable of fire magic to come to the street and begin attempting to defrost the warehouse district. Alexa for her part was slowly searching the now frozen street for her discarded staff which she had lost sight of during her spell, her mother giving her a disappointed look as she stated the two of them will speak later about improper use of “siege” magic inside of a city as she motioned for Alastair and Hecatolite to follow her into the now open warehouse.

               Sitting stunned just inside was a man wearing what seemed to be priest robes, Hecatolite let out a growl when she spotted him causing the man to cower away.

               “Leave him Hecatolite,” Taaffeite said as Alastair held his daughter towards the man much like one would hold an angry dog, the large man laughing as the priest shrank away from the tiny girl. Taaffeite rolled her eyes as she stepped between the two, snatching Hecatolite from Alastair’s arms. “Father Joshua has been kind enough to agree to testify against the church for our protection.” She said glaring back at him.

               “Protection? From what?” Hecatolite asked as her mother brought her to an empty seat and sat her down.

               “That’s all for another time. Before that we need to talk, Hecatolite.” Taaffeite sighed as she sat in a chair beside her.

               “Why do I have the feeling I am not going to like this?” Hecatolite asked as she watched Alastair pick the priest up and drag him to the waiting guards outside. “Am I in trouble? Is it the eye?”

               “No, you’re not in trouble.” Taaffeite shuttered as she attempted to forget the sight of her daughter eating human flesh. “Is Amethyst awake right now?” She reached out and wiped blood from her daughter's face with her sleeve.

               “No, she fell asleep when I came out, I need to wake her back up. I don't want her to spend a lot of time sleeping.” Hecatolite said as she looked around the dark building.

               They sat in a clearing, three chairs sitting two facing the third as if they had been used in an interrogation. The building itself was relatively empty, a few boxes scattered about as if it had been emptied in a hurry. Sitting in what would be the center of the large building was a giant ornate cart, even at a glance one could see the sun like carvings distinguishing it as a cart of the church of valor.

               “Is that the cart the sis-con sent us here for?”

               “It is. But before that.” Taaffeite paused, taking a deep breath. “Hecatolite, it was clearly a mistake to treat you as a child. And the simple truth is we are not sure what you are.” Her words became quiet as she looked back at the open door, Alastair appearing in it and closing it behind himself as he entered. “It is very possible that you aren’t a child of this world, but one summoned here much like the heroes you just fought were.”

               “What I am?” Hecatolite repeated cocking her head to the side. “I am me, Hecatolite.”

               Taaffeite laughed as she shook her head. “But before you were Hecatolite?”

               “Then I was Me, that’s what I called myself in the void.” Hecatolite’s face scrunched up as she thought. “I was Me for a long time… I think forever maybe. But I have a bunch of Me parts I think… the whites are also apparently Me, so I guess I could have been someone before Me… it’s all really hazy before the void.” Her head hurt as she tried to recall memories from before the void, the slight whisper of uncountable voices seemed to fill her mind as a chorus of names flooded her before they all went silent again. They watched as the young woman  , her eyes seeming to gloss over for a moment before she shook her head banishing the thoughts. “No, I am Hecatolite.”

               Alastair sat next to his wife, his enormous frame causing the wooden chair to creak as he sat.

               “Hecatolite… your father and I want you to know that nothing will change from here on out. You are our child, and we will continue to treat you the same as we have…” her words were cut short by a gasp coming from the girl.

               “Are… are you getting a divorce?” Hecatolite gasped, “Amethyst will be crushed! And who gets the house? Can we pick who we live with?”

               “A what!” Taaffeite exclaimed as Alastair chucked.

               “Why didn’t you tell me?” He laughed, causing Taaffeite to slap him. “You are going about this wrong dear, you need to explain it clearly.”

               Taaffeite let out a long sigh as she rubbed the bridge of her nose before continuing, “Fine, Hecatolite, I want to know what you wish to do?”

               “What I wish to do?” Hecatolite leaned her head to the side, almost falling from the chair as she did. “I don’t know. I want to wake Amethyst up, then we need to get stronger.” She righted herself and balled her hands into fist. “A lot stronger, that sword guy almost got me. I mean who just lunges at someone while they are talking, he got his turn to monolog and mine was going to be so much cooler.”

               “Hecatolite.” Taaffeite said, drawing her attention back.

               “ O yea. After that, I think we will travel some. The pretty elf said we can find a master alchemist in Ecrein, then we can make a body for me. then…. I don’t know after that. Probably come back here and do whatever people do when they aren’t two people in one body… maybe make enchantments for people, like lights that never go out or maybe rings that hopefully don’t explode.”

               Taaffeite wore a frown as she looked at her husband then back to her daughter. “Hecatolite, what if you didn’t have to wait to get a body.” Her voice was stern causing Hecatolite to raise an eyebrow.

               “We have to get an alchemist to make one. I mean, is there one in the city?”

               Taaffeite sighed, “the thing inside of that cart could very well help you Hecatolite, but it will be dangerous.” She clenched her fist, “but I…” she looked back to Alastair who scowled as he looked back, he knew if Hecatolite agreed to what she was about to say they would be no better than the people they are struggling against. Even with that in mind, and her husband disappointment, she herself couldn't help but at least offer it to the young woman, “there was another way for you an Amethyst to split, with that in mind I found you a suitable body”

               “No.” Hecatolite cut her off causing her to pause in shock for a moment. “Amethyst already said she doesn’t want to do it that way, she would be very sad if we went behind her back and did it anyway.” Hecatolite smiled weakly as she looked at them, “besides how dangerous could it be, we just beat up three heroes, what monster is more dangerous than that?”

               “Those “heroes” were children.” Alastair stated bluntly. “They were untrained and uncoordinated. I wouldn’t use them as a gauge for what is and is not dangerous Hecatolite.” He said his expression softened as he looked at her. “But I agree with Amethyst, that one life should not be cut short if it doesn’t need to be.”

               “The woman is a criminal; this would simply be punishment for her crimes.” Taaffeite scowled before calming herself.

               “This divorce is going to be  messy.” Hecatolite commented as she looked at the cart with newfound interest. “What's in the cart that has you so scared?” She hopped from her chair and started to make her way towards the cart only to get picked up by Alastair again. “I’m going to make a body that can’t just be scooped up.” She felt him laugh as he placed her on his lap. “Then again, being carried isn’t too bad.” She sighed.

               “Hecatolite,” he started as he petted her head, “the choice is yours to make, if you wish to continue as you have then this is likely the best way. We just wanted to remind you that there are other options.” He placed her on the floor before standing himself. “Wait a moment while I get the guards, just in case.”

               A moment later Hecatolite stood at the back of the ornate cart flanked by her parents along with 15 guards in a semicircle behind them. Hans stood next to a kneeling Joshua who had his hands clasped in prayer as Alexa stood on his other side with her staff in hand.

               “This seems like overkill, what exactly is in this thing?” She asked as her father grabbed the lock holding it shut. He didn’t say anything as smoke rose from his body, Taaffeite readied her sword.

               She looked around at the guards who all seemed to look back with confused looks, well at least I am not the only one who is out of the loop. She thought as her eyes landed on the priest, her soul sight activating as he looked back at her with fearful eyes.

               His soul sat, a solid green humanoid only about the size of his own body, the green shifting slightly as if it were liquid. The color reminded her of the green swirls in Alexa’s soul, yet as the man prayed, she could see a faint golden light coming from the center of his chest, as she looked at it she could clearly make out a faint gold dot that seemed to hang just above the man’s heart. The man's soul didn't feel evil, in fact it felt smart to her, yet she also felt she couldn't trust him. When she looked at the golden dot she felt disgusted, the same sticky vile feeling from the aether she found in the relics seemed to radiate from it. 

               I wonder if that is a blessing? Seems small? She thought as she looked at her sister’s soul.

               Alexa’s soul was mostly unchanged, aside from a silver circlet that sat on its head.

               That’s weird! She has the same crown Siofra had? When did she get that? Does she know her? Why did she get a gift and I didn't? Hecatolite pondered remembering the elven woman. Her thoughts soon flooded with thoughts of the elven woman, the sound of her musical laugh rang in her mind as the image of the scantily clad elf played in her mind. Maybe I did get a gift.

She thought as a heat started to rise in her body, only to be snapped back to reality by the sound of the lock being ripped from the back of the cart.

               She shook her head as she looked back to watch Alastair pull the doors of the cart open revealing a small dark interior. Laying strapped to the sides of the cart were two clear bodies wrapped in white cloth, but aside from that the cart was empty.

               “Unless they put the MacGuffin inside one of the bodies, I think I owe a earless elf a strongly worded letter.” Hecatolite said as she stood on her tiptoes to look over the edge of the cart.

               Both her parents looked back at the priest as Hecatolite continued to inspect the inside of the cart. Something seemed off, the cart was clearly sealed and magical in nature yet.

               Didn’t they say they had a preservation spell on it… why does it smell like that. She thought, taking a deep breath trying to recognize the odd smell coming from the cart. It’s not rotten.

               She closed her eyes and sniffed the air only for a memory to surface in her mind, her head rocking as it did.

               She was standing in the middle of a large forest, her mind focused as she took a deep breath as if searching for something. She moved her head back and forth, sniffing the air trying to pick out a particular scent from the pin smell of the forest. As she was about to move, she finally picked up the smell, darting into the trees following the scent that grew before she found herself standing over what looked like a six-legged deer, its side tore open as it weakly attempted to run from her. She took another long breath allowing the scent of iron to fill her nose as she grinned.

               “Blood.” She whispered as she steadied herself. “Why does it smell so strongly?” She said looking back into the cart, contemplating momentarily climbing in. Though as she thought about it the area seemed to shrink as if the darkness were closing in from the walls making her reconsider.

               “Blood?” Alastair questioned turning around and sniffing the air. “I don’t smell any blood?”

               “What kind of monster are you?” The priest finally whimpered as he looked at the small girl, her body seemed to shiver at his words as she snapped.

               Joshua was sure he would be executed when the Lapidary’s burst into the warehouse. His only hope was to tell them everything, and that's exactly what he did. Just as he was feeling safe, they let that “thing” into the building. Every time he looked at the strange pale girl his heart was gripped with fear as a feeling of impending doom seemed to settle into every fiber of his being. Earlier when she looked at him, her eyes flashed completely black for a moment causing his blood to run cold. He was sure that this was a monster masquerading as a little girl at that moment, only to have his assumptions solidified when she smelled blood through the enchantments but clearly couldn't see though the illusion itself.

               “I am not a monster!” She yelled, stepping towards him only to be stopped by Taaffeite who gently pulled the girl back to the cart.

               “It’s an illusion made to cover what they don’t want seen.” She said as she placed a hand on the cart her hand shimmering as she recited a spell. “A strong one at that” She clicked her tongue looking at the unchanged sight. “You will have to go in to see.”

               At her words Alastair hoisted himself into the cart, the whole cart rocking as the weight of the man settled into the back. The large cart now suddenly seemed small with him standing hunched in the doorway.

               He looked back and held out a hand for his daughter, “come on, I will be right here with you.” He said as she swallowed hard.

               She was still for a moment before Taaffeite nudged her, “would it help if we lit it up?” She asked quietly, remembering her daughter had developed a very acute fear of small dark spaces.

               Hecatolite nodded, causing Alastair to smile as he snapped his fingers, a flame appearing in his hand as he held the other to her.

               She tentatively allowed herself to be pulled into the cart, being placed in front of her father who held a flaming hand out before them.

               “Now once you two are inside the illusions range you should be able to see it.” Taaffeite said as the two stepped forward in tandem.

The crowd watched the two steps into the cart, as they did the two of them simply vanished, the cart just as empty as it was before they entered.

               “Mom, what is in there?” Alexa asked after a moment, looking at all the preparations her parents took.

               Taaffeite shook her head, her eyes still locked on the doorway. As she went to speak, an unmistakable force exploded from the cart followed by the sound of splintering wood as a small figure blasted out the open doorway the illusion flickering as the bottom of the cart exploded from the force.

               Hans, caught off guard, was unable to react as the figure slammed into the priest sitting beside him with blinding speed, sending the man sliding across the floor. The quiet room suddenly filled with the gagging sound of a man being strangled.