Nostrum: Tales of Valor

Breach

Emerging from an unfamiliar tunnel, the party coughs and sputters, trying to clear their airways of what smoke their masks could not protect them from. Careful not to tread forward in their struggles, they gain awareness of the surroundings and notice that they've found themselves to be on a cliff face overlooking woodlands and mountain ranges. The peculiar sight's beauty is lost in the violent hacking of the four as they finish spitting up blackened saliva before taking in heavy, deep breaths of fresh air.

"What will become of us?" Asks Lee, who wears a disgusted and sickened look on his face. "What with that vile thing having permeated our bodies."

"Surely the flames would have cleansed you." Hael believes. She hunches forward and continues to breathe heavily, ensuring there is nothing more to come up before she holds herself upright.

"Reminds me... of a recent grave I occupied." Marne laughs to himself as he watches the smoke churn about, leaving the depths of the cave they had freed themselves from. The others do not join in on his amusement.

"Look!" Yuler shouts in a somewhat hushed tone and jutting a finger out towards the horizon.

The others, excluding Hael, turn to face the direction they had been given. In doing so, they watch small red lights slowly fade out over the lands. Each leaves behind nothing more than a crying whisper as their very existence is stripped from them.

"Is it truly over? Have we managed a victory over Dabria's Mildew?"

Hael and Lee express a look of sadness before either speak on the subject.

"While we have certainly ridden this world of Dabria itself," Hael begins, "what we've not done is finished the work of Purebloods."

"Beasts still roam." Adds Lee. "Only the source is gone."

"Not only that, but The Bethel still stands. Only one evil has been destroyed on this night."

"What do we do now then?" Marne pulls himself up and moves to holster his cleaver, only to remember that it too had been lost. Realizing this, he pulls the sword he had acquired back over his head and holsters it at his side. "Surely we've not the numbers to purge the beasts."

"Nor the numbers to crumble a faith." Adds Yuler, who places a thumb against her chin in a thoughtful way. "Or do we?"

The rest of the party looks to her, expecting some elaboration on her sudden realization.

"Marne and I stumbled upon a rebellion. One which was certainly made up of a variety of paths. Nostrum like ourselves, rebellious citizens, Ryoushi-"

"Ryoushi!?" Lee puffs out his chest as the word escaped his lips. "You wish for us to trust those who've wanted nothing more than to watch us fall? May I remind you that we do not carry sigils as they do? It could easily be a death trap."

"I find that unlikely." Yuler plays a vision of the night the strange man assisted her before speaking once more. "This one is different. He assisted me once already in saving the lives of yourself and Hael. I am sure our victory will come as great news to him."

"Perhaps so." Says Marne, remembering that the man also assisted in saving Yuler's life. "I think we should invest in the idea that he'd be willing to help us further."

"It's crazy talk." Assures Lee, who stomps at the ground. "They've turned on us in the past, they could do it again."

"Calm yourself, Lee." Hael rests her hand upon his, then speaks to the group. "I believe it to be worth looking into. Though the Ryoushi are not known to be trustworthy, they are certainly willing to strike a deal."

"How are we to return to the city with what we've done? Our faces will have surely been spread through posters and I see no chance that our wagon will still be stalled for us to resupply."

"Of course." Hael allows herself to fall to the ground, where she rests with her legs folded over one another. "For now, let us not worry about that. We need to rest if we are to continue on in the morning. Lee, Marne, could you acquire us some firewood and perhaps some shelter? Yuler and I must speak for a short while."

The men look to one another with curious thoughts racing, but nod and do as they're told. Once both have vanished into the shadows of the night, Yuler sits across from Hael, who has begun digging a small hole in the soil.

"We may as well ensure that the fire we start now does not spread like our last." She giggles at her own words, now feeling the hands of Yuler having joined her own. "Tell me, what made you decide to save us after all that has gone on?"

"It was the right thing to do."

"Perhaps so. I'm sure you've made Cronn very proud with your efforts."

Yuler's hands stop digging for a moment and she simply peers through the veil that covers Hael's eyes. Then, she looks at the buckle around her waist.

"There is always more that could be done."

"This is true, but I'm sure he thought the same thing before he did what he had to do. Our worth is not defined by how much we could have done, but rather by how much we have done already. No one soul can fix all that is wrong, just as no flower can do so. Do not make things harder on yourself than they need to be. There, that ought to be deep enough." Hael slaps her hands together, breaking away what dirt managed to stick to her fingers and nails.

"May I ask a question of my own?"

"Of course."

"What is it that makes Lee trust you so?"

Hael pauses for a moment, then curls her lips to one side, as if thinking deeply on the subject.

"I couldn't truly say. He simply does."

"Even though you've caused him pain in the past and..."

"'-and our allies?'"

"Yes...."

"As I said, I could not tell you why he puts so much trust into me, but I appreciate him every day for doing so. It's not every day someone like that comes into your life. So... if you believe that you've found someone who is your Lee... perhaps you should hold them just a little closer." Hael smiles in Yuler's direction as if hinting at something without saying it. Yuler, getting the idea, smiles back.

"I'll try."

"Are we alright to join you two?"

Yuler and Hael turn to face the voice of Marne, who carries a large pile of branches in his arms, and who is joined side-by-side with Lee, who carries another large bundle of sticks and drags behind him a large bundle of pine branches, still thick with needles.

"Oughtta be able to make somethin' out of these. Hm?"

"'Oughtta.'" Mocks Hael, still smiling in their direction. "Come, join us. We've made a pit for the fire.

*****

With the campfire burning and two leaning tents made of pines protecting them from the weather, Yuler turns herself about, unable to get comfortable enough to sleep. Listening to the sound of Marne's soft snores, she decides to do as Hael recommended and pulls herself closer to him. To her surprise, she finds his arm swiftly wrapping itself around her, offering a pillow and silence as his snores are cut out.

"Trouble?"

"A little." She offers, not having meant to wake him. "You?"

"Never." Chuckling, he looks at her and they meet eyes for a short time before both look up at the pines. "Do you truly believe that that man will help us?"

"I do." Assures Yuler, watching the pines turn black and bronze as the flames of their fire flicker about. "He's done it several times already, why not one more while the goals have aligned?"

"An understandable thought." Marne turns his head about until it's placed comfortably over his free arm, then sighs. "I hope that you will one day get the dream you spoke of. No matter what or how long it takes to get there."

"I hope the same for you."

With these words, the pair of them continue to watch the flames flicker until Marne drifts back off to sleep, followed shortly by Yuler.

"What of our life back at the cottage?" Whispers Lee, who has become irritable once more. "When will we return to a peaceful way of life?"

"Once all is said and done here." Assures Hael through mumbled words as she tucks her face into her arms in an effort to fall asleep. "Why must we worry about these things at such an hour?"

"We should always worry about these things." Claims Lee, who rests on his back with an arm over his chest. "How much longer before 'all is said and done'?"

"How could I possibly answer a question such as that?"

"I suppose you couldn't." Lee sighs and shuts his eyes. "We can leave it for another night. One which involves a warm bed and woven covers." He sighs again and pulls his coat over himself. "Two things which I never thought I'd have to miss so much."

"The time will come, we just have to get through this. Surely with Dabria having been smothered things will work themselves out. For now, The Bethel must fall. Once we have managed that, I believe a time in which we can return to the cottage will be more predictable."

"Good." Lee shuts his eyes and yawns. "'More predictable'."