[Mkguild] Round Robin: Cavern Talk

[Indagare]

June 4, 708



Trey woke up and felt sick. His head was throbbing and he wasn’t really
sure where he was. It was somewhere dark and soft and warm from his body
heat. For a moment, he thought he was back in his home inside Metamor Keep,
but then he remembered.

“Huh. The battle must be over. I sure don’t feel the guy moving.” Using his
sensitive whiskers, Trey navigated his way out of the place he was in and
into a large cave. “Now that’s weird. How’d we get into a cave? And where
is the guy?”

A quick glimpse showed Trey the sword the person had been wielding not too
far off. He grew himself half way up, as if to gather for a harvest, and
approached the sword cautiously. He’d heard stories of what happened if you
touched runic weapons.

“Such a pretty sword, but what happened to your owner?”

“That is what I’d like to know,” said Yuèjiàn.

“Oh! You can talk like Whisper is supposed to. That helps. How did we get
here?”

“After my wielder Yuèliàng dispatched the oni, we were assaulted by a
dragon and griffin. I think there were others as well, but the battle was
frenzied and it was all I could do to keep us safe. Yuèliàng used a ritual
to escape, but shortly after we came into this cave he began shrinking into
his clothes.”

Trey looked and saw there was a small lump in the middle of the clothes.
“You killed my friend?” he asked, choking on tears.

“I do not know. The oni was gravely wounded. He may have perished. We did
not have time to linger and see. Indeed, something he said gave us great
concern.”

Trey sat down and wept, turning his eyes from both the sword and the lump.
When he found himself cried out, he looked at the sword. “What did he say?”

“That his clan had never betrayed the Emperor. One of my many qualities is
to know if someone lies to me. He wasn’t lying.”

“Of course he wasn’t! He was here to find information on the Celestial
Sword so he could help you!” Trey said angrily.

“We understand that, now. I thought myself impervious to deception, but now
I see it is only to known deception, not unknown ones.”

“I’m not sure I understand that,” said Trey.

“It is a bit difficult. Where would you say your friends are now?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I could guess, but I couldn’t be sure.”

“You’re very truthful; an excellent quality. But let’s say you did guess
and believed it to be true because it was likely.”

“Oh! Like saying Mael is in the library. She might *not* be there, but…I
see. I’d think I was telling the truth, but I could be wrong and not know
it.”

“Exactly so. I could not detect a lie because you were not knowingly
telling one. So we were also misled. We ought to have done more
intelligence checking when we got here, but we didn’t and so a great stain
is now on us.”

“How long have you been here?”

“As of now, two days. We arrived yesterday, which is when that battle
happened.”

“Wait, you mean I’ve been out almost a full day?!”

“So has my wielder, but given the technique he used, that’s hardly
surprising. If he’d not been wearing spidersilk, you both would have been
dead when the oni hit you.”

“Kasaima. His name was Kasaima,” said Trey angrily.

“Very well, Kasaima, then. We have a type of spider called star spiders
that must have been bred by elves. They eat only plant juices yet produce
silk that is both soft and flexible yet tough as steel.”

“That sounds elvish alright. Well, let me get your wielder out. What was
his name again?”

“Yuèliàng.”

“And yours?”

“Yuèjiàn.”

Trey grew to his full size and reached into the clothes where the lump was.
In his hands was a sleeping baby bunny. His body was covered in soft,
silvery fur, the top of his head had black fuzz, and his muzzle and belly
were white. There was a mark like a full moon in the center of his
forehead. Any hate he had for Yuèliàng died that instant, as he gently
stroked him and brought him closer to Yuèjiàn. “What did he do? He’s not
been here long enough to be Cursed, much less doubly so.”

“The Eclipse Technique. He drew in the energies of this valley as we were
attacked. I did as well.”

“That explains it. Kasaima was Cursed after doing something with magic from
the Valley too. I’ve never heard of the Curse working quite *this* fast,
but I guess if he’s used enough magic it would. Actually…hmmm…” Trey held
the sleeping bunny gently and carefully checked below.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Checking for pronouns. He’s still a he.”

“What?”

“There are three Curses: one age regresses you, one makes you the other
sex, and one turns you into an animal. Normally a person only gets hit with
one, but from what I’ve heard more are possible under the right
circumstances and this definitely counts.”

“Will he remain a baby bunny? Does he need to walk the years again?”

“I’m going to start with: the Curse is weird and does weird stuff
sometimes. The short answer is no. Those who age regress aren’t usually
stuck any more than we animal types are. With practice, he could make his
body both older and more human-like. I don’t know a lot about the age
curse, but I’ve heard it said none who has it can age past being a
teenager. His lifespan should be normal too.”

“What of his mind?”

Trey sighed. “Normally people don’t lose themselves to the Curse. There’ve
been cases where it’s happened, but it’s always been an outside
force–usually one of the so-called ‘gods’. Unless something really bad
happened, he ought to be the same mentally more or less.”

“That’s good to know. Can you get help?”

“Most likely people are looking for us. Aldwin, Rita, and Talo will
probably be wondering where I am–and where you two are.”

“That we expected. Still, we would want to make what amends we can.”

“Hmm. Well, it’s probably best we get Yuèliàng somewhere safe. He’s going
to need food, and I’m not sure what he can eat right now. I can take him
and his stuff, but what about you?”

“I am not sure. I can be wielded by the pure of heart, but I can only bond
with one person at a time. While you can safely touch me, I do not know if
you can get me out of the ground.”

“Well, I don’t *want* to wield you, but Yuèliàng could be unable until he
learns to change, which may be a while. I’m sure you’d rather be with him
than stuck in this cave.”

“I would indeed!”

“Then let me see.” Holding Yuèliàng in his one hand, Trey pulled at Yuèjiàn
and it came out easily. “Well, not as difficult as I expected! Of course
I’m wielding your wielder, so that probably helped.”

“Possibly, but you have a very pure heart too, um…”

“Trey.” Trey carefully arranged and rearranged items until he could carry
them and hold both Yuèliàng and Yuèjiàn with his hands. “Let’s head out.”

Trey left the cave and looked around. By the light, it seemed it was
afternoon. “I wonder where we are.”

“We left the battle from that direction.” Trey felt a tug to his left from
Yuèjiàn.

“As good a place to start as any. At least I know my way to the Keep from
there if we don’t meet with anyone.”

Trey kept in the open as much as he could. He was rewarded with a familiar
voice from above, “Trey! Thank Eli you’re alive!”

Looking up, he saw an albatross circling and then landing. There was
something odd about his wings, though. “Aldwin! You’ve completed your
change!”

“Yep. Rita and half the Keep are looking for you! Kasaima-san was
particularly worried.”

“Kasaima is alive?!”

“Yes, but it was touch and go. Follow me and I’ll lead you to the others.
We still need to find that guy who attacked us.”

“Well, I can spare you that search. He’s right in my hand.” Trey held out
the sleeping form of Yuèliàng. I’ve got his sword too. Meet Yuèjiàn.”

“I uh…”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Aldwin-san,” said Yuèjiàn. “I deeply regret
our first meeting was so violent.”

“Hmm, well, are you ready Trey?”

“Yep. Along the way, why don’t you fill me in on what happened. And, if
it’s not too rude, why your wings look so odd.”

Aldwin laughed. “Oh they’re odd alright. I’ll explain why, and what
happened with Kasaima-san too.” He took off and Trey followed.

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