Silika & Jace by @domitius_tan

When I woke up tucked into some blankets the next day, the group was already up and dismantling the camp. They were much quicker than with the caravan. In a matter of minutes, the tents were no more and the resulting bundles were strapped to the two horses.

Seeing as I was small enough, they grabbed me half-awake and sat me atop the bundles on the horses before setting out.

I had a fleeting thought about not having had breakfast yet, but I felt too dazed to even bring it up.

Their travelling pace was very different from the caravan. They didn’t bother sticking to roads or even flat stretches of land and happily climbed over hills and rubbles. At first, I thought it was because we were lost, but eventually, I spied the tattooed man eyeing a map of what I assumed to be the region.

I was kind of curious as to why they were travelling like this, but seeing as everyone was busy finding proper footing on the uneven rocky terrain, I couldn’t exactly ask them about it, but it wasn’t long before my question answered itself.

As I had come to expect from the region, it was still doted by many ruined buildings dotting the landscape, but as opposed to the road the caravan had followed, it appeared that my new travelling companions were heading straight for the biggest one they could spot from a distance.

Curiously though, they didn’t go right in. 

Instead, they stopped some distance away and let the black robbed man, whom I took to calling Pearl for his pearly white head, approach the structure by himself. He lifted up the copper ball and sent it flying into the air. 

The ball then flew toward the building and disappeared between its walls. 

Confused I looked toward the leatherbound lady whom I had taken to calling Squirrel. After getting her attention I pointed toward Pearl curiously. 

She looked toward him as well before making an understanding nod and indicating that I would have to wait.

I went back to staring at him he looked focused. His hands were moving around slightly, as though looking for something right in front of him.

Eventually, the copper ball returned to him. Seemingly satisfied, Pearl returned to the others and told them something. 

Nodding in agreement, the twins took some ropes from the horses and followed by the woman with the bandage around her face, headed toward a collapsed wall, disappearing in the shade of the remaining ceiling. Meanwhile, the tattooed man and half-bald one took out leather pouches from the horses’ packs and went after them.

While all this was going on, Squirrel took me by the hand and approached Pearl who was now resting and taking long gulps from his canteen.

She said a few words to him before leaving me with him and taking off to help the others.

Despite the events of last night, I was no longer nervous around Pearl. Somehow I could justify in my head why he had done what he did… While not actually understanding at all.

-So, you were curious about what I was doing?-

I nodded and let out an affirmatory grunt.

He smiled and closed his canteen, before pointing in the general direction of the structure’s remains.

-I was scouting for danger.-

He signed.

Scouting? 

I had come across that word often in the secret language book. Although I’m not sure exactly what it means, it seemed to mean something like looking around… But how would Pearl do that with a ball?

-Are you perhaps curious how I did?-

[Uh..Uh.]

I let out some approving noises while nodding enthusiastically.

-Well it’s a bit complicated, so interrupt me if anything sounds too confusing.-

He signed as he took a seat on the ground, placing the copper sphere on his lap.

I imitated him and sat across from him.

He picked up the sphere and held it across from him for a moment. When I did nothing he shook it again as if to tell me to take it. I looked at the copper sphere. The first time I had seen this thing, it was covered in the blood of the recently killed monster. It was a strange thing to think about. I had never seen anyone or anything die before yesterday, so I felt a mix of fascination and disgust for the object that had caused it. Despite the impulse to do otherwise, I still took it in my hands, albeit slightly reluctantly.

Somehow, it was surprisingly light. I had expected it to be very heavy, yet I could easily hold it with one hand. 

As I did before, I noticed some script covering the sphere, but it was completely indecipherable. While I held it in my hand, Pearl placed his palm on top of it and, through some kind blessing, it opened up like a flower. I couldn’t really see what was inside right away, or more accurately, whatever was inside made it hard for my eyes to focus on it. 

It felt as though my very pupils were being sucked into it, but after rubbing my eyes a few times I was able to focus enough to notice a single dried-up flower. I couldn’t tell what it looked like exactly though. I tried to focus on it longer, but as it made my eyes increasingly itchy, it was getting harder to focus on it. Pearl eventually closed back the copper ball and placed it back on his lap.

-This is a ianis flower, also known as Solomon’s rose. It’s what kinsmanns call a ‘catalyst’. Similar to the black stone you kins of scorn use. It allows me to focus the blessing of Solomon and freely manipulate this copper sphere like so.-

Without any movement from the man, the copper ball started floating in the air and doing spinning motions.

-I don’t know how familiar you are with Solomon and his teachings, but he isn’t simply the god of death, he is also the god of absence, or in other words, the void. Emptiness. So, through his blessing, I can create minute instances of emptiness in the air allowing me to move the catalyst freely.-

He let the ball fall back on his lap and held it up.

-The catalyst is encased in this receptacle. I’m not versed in enchantments, but skilled Solomon kins are able to imprint the material with the Solomon’s Rose properties and from there on, they can move as one object.-

He placed back the sphere on his legs.

Although his explanation was interesting to mull over, I was still confused as to how he could use to 'look around'...

-Even if I can't see your face, I can guess you're wondering about!-

He let out what I assumed to be a dry laugh.

-The scouting thing, well it's really pretty simple… Well simple if you’re familiar with the laws of Solomon's blessing. It allows me to create voids in the air, but not in solid or living things. With practice, I learned how to use this to visualize the area around the sphere and figure out if there's anything interesting… Or dangerous.-

He explained.

I found the information very interesting. A catalyst for blessing wasn't limited to itself... In other words, it means that I could use the black stone for more than just knocking down walls… If I got the right receptacle. I wonder what type of receptacles exist for the ferrous stone in the first place? It was hard to imagine.

-Ah in case you were curious, although I can’t create voids in solid or living things, I can still throw it at things. Think of it like sipping on a cup of water. When you suck the air it makes the water fly into your mouth. The blessing is a bit like the same process, but much stronger.-

He concluded.

After a couple of minutes, the rest of the group returned with now neatly wrapped bundles. I was curious about what they had wrapped in them, but I didn't have the opportunity to ask before I was picked up and placed back on top of one of the horses.

As we departed once more, I started feeling my belly rumble uncomfortably. We STILL hadn't had breakfast and I was growing irritated as I watched the sun rise high up in the sky.

We stopped at a few more ruins on the way, but from Pearl's expression after scouting, it seems they had nothing worth notice.

Eventually, we reached a small town. My hopes of finally getting breakfast raised when we started heading toward a building which turned out to be an inn. 

I could feel myself salivating as I caught a whiff of something cooking. 

A man approached from the counter and from his disposition, I guessed he must have been the owner. Pear and Squirrel immediately started talking to him while sometime pointing in my direction.

I was trying my best to wait patiently while they discussed something with the burly red-bearded man, when Pearl turned to me.

-Could you write your name for us?-

I nodded and Pearl produced charcoal and a piece of paper. I walked to a table and took a seat on the stool. 

As luck would have it, my name was one of the few things I could confidently write down on paper.

I slowly traced the curves, lines and strokes before handing them the piece of paper with Śĺk ᐊshbȑk written as neatly as my unsteady hands had allow.

Squirrel took the paper and examined it before handing it to the innkeeper. He looked at my scribbles before shaking his head. 

They started talking again and I hopped off my seat. 

I waited patiently for a few more seconds but my stomach rumbled again when I caught a whiff of something sweet in the air.

Following my nose, I walked away from the discussion since I wasn’t needed anyway. I headed toward the counter beyond which a woman was standing in front of what I guessed must have been a boiling cauldron. Just about to pull on the skirt of the kind-looking woman to ask for some of whatever she was cooking, Squirrel caught me by the hand before and pulled me back to the group.

-Don’t bother people, Silika.-

Pearl said with a scowl before returning to his conversation with the owner.

I felt annoyed. 

Who was he to tell me who to bother and not to bother? 

When I was hungry at the caravan, I normally just tugged on the aunties sleeves and they gave me food, why was it that this nice lady wouldn’t?

I wanted to kick him in the chin, but I repressed the urge and only lightly stomped my foot in frustration. 

I tried to pull on his shirt to get his attention, but he dismissed me.

-Sorry, not now, we have to prepare.-

Prepare? Prepare for what?