[Mkguild] Patrol II

[Jack Moore]

AN: Shorter section today. Going to my brothers college graduation so not a
lot of time to edit.

To My Friend in the North
After almost a month in Metamor I was ready for one thing: to go back home.
In hindsight I wonder why. I must confess to romanticizing Metamor, but I
also remember my life in Isenport.
This story is not easy for me. Actually it is the most difficult of the few
letters I have written thus far. Of the letters still to come it will
remain one of my worst moments. Yet I must push on.
To counteract this (or possibly to increase my own misery) I've decided to
tell a second story with this one. This second story will be just as
difficult; it will be called from the foggy mists of the past.  I will take
us to my childhood..
Why do people forget how precious life is? I ask this sincerely, why do we
treat lives like game pieces to be taken? Life is Eli's greatest gift, yet
so many people waste it in pointless conflicts.
I wasted my life during those early days in Metamor. Too many days on
pointless drivel I can never take back. That's why I have to tell this
story. I learned twice how precious life is. I pray many never need to be
reminded.
Now I ramble. May Eli forgive me and bless this venture.


March 31st, 707
I woke up lying on my side. I had tried lying on my stomach but it made me
sick. Lying on my back was impossible thanks to my new tail. My neck made
sleeping on my side uncomfortable but at least bearable. Now I was sleeping
three hours a night.
'What fresh hell does Nemo have for me today? Not more fighting with random
Followers I hope.' My ribs ached from hours against my stone slab bed. We
can still afford someone to take me home. 'Guards, mercenaries, this place
must have someone I can buy.'
In truth I didn't believe it. Not on any level because there was no getting
out of here. This place was a trap that had ensnared me. Like a wild
animal, my only way out of here was to gnaw my own leg off or be released.
Except their was no one to release me, and no way to cut off my leg. I had
to either adjust or wither away inside of the room.
I choose to wither. The easiest thing in the world to do is nothing.  It's
just letting go of hope.
A small squeak and the scratch of tiny feet interrupted my moping. I
glanced up to see my rat climbing up my body. His whiskers twitched as he
sniffed at my oversized shirt.
"Hey there." I smiled. "I was thinking of just staying in here all day,
maybe for the rest of my life. What do you think?" My rat cocked his head.
"I can't really do that can I?" He rubbed his nose against my shirt. "You
would say that." I sighed.
"I'd rather just rot in here until I die honestly." I shifted onto my other
side, sending the little rat scurrying. "Or until this whole place burns to
the ground. No...I don't want that." Even in my despair I didn't want to
hurt anyone.  I rubbed my eyes, trying to clear my head. The rat returned
to his place lying on my hip. "There are good people here, even really good
looking ones." I grinned when I thought of that Aaryn girl.
"But I don't want to be one of them." I could feel the spines in my jaw
moving with my words. "I want to go home. Nemo wants to be here! Damn Nemo
let himself be cursed! I don't want this." 'Nemo has the money too.'
"Maybe that's a reason to get a job." I mumbled. "Money. I can hire my way
out of here, that's something. How hard can it be? Muffin's father made a
fortune in wine, just find something people need and sell it to people."
If it was that simple everyone would have done it. Admittedly when you're
young it does seem that simple. Just reach out and pluck success from the
trees.


While I was sitting there wondering about my life, Nemo was lying on his
bed, rubbing his stomach. Daylight had called him from his dream, and
brought him back to the world of Metamor.
"Did I have a window here when I first came?" Nemo mumbled. "This place
possesses an ineffable transcendental quality. The buildings change as
those in it change. It is amazing." He sat up and rubbed his thickening
hair.
"Okay, if I'm getting younger, would that make my hair thicker? I am
getting younger though...I think..." Except Nemo didn't know what to think.
He was chaning, yet it didn't make sense. The hair on the sides of his head
had turned black but had now changed further.
It was soft, almost silky. It didn't feel like his hair had when he was
younger. Nemo rolled off the bed still rubbing his head. "Gotta worry about
this later. Just got to be here for James. Besides, my changes won't all
come at once."
Nemo knew this because he had watched James. James alone had shown him how
this curse worked. It hit you slowly and steadily, changed you gradually.
Nemo had no reason to worry about it hitting him all at once surely.
'You don't know that. It's still a curse, so don't assume anything.' Nemo
picked up Qual, against the corner of the wall. His glaive had for years
felt warm in his hand. It flowed in combat and he flowed with it.
But of late something was off about Qual. An undefinable change occurred
that made it feel...wrong in his hands. Nemo spun the blade around.
'You are my runic glaive, what have I done wrong?' Nemo frowned. His
fingers traced the wood where it met the blade. There was no real
transition, just suddenly it ceased to be wood and became metal.
"What has changed between us?" Nemo asked. "You've begun to live up to your
name." He placed his glaive back against the wall, leaving to get some
breakfast.
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