Echoes of One's Liberation

Morning, next day.

Max wakes up, later than in previous days. His body leaves sign of being unrested with a weight of fatigue, yet fully aware that forcing himself to sleep again would be useless. Despite the dream, he tries not to think too much. As it could overwhelm his weakened mind. His mouth is dry as desert and the bones are followed by a wave of a chill shiver. Max puts in his armor and steps into the corridor, then knocking on Nadia's door - it opens.

"Thank you, for yesterday... Is there a way I can repay you?"

"It's nothing" As she replies with a gentle, yet sleepy voice. "We were together on a mission, I'd feel foolish if you felt bad after a success. You don't owe me anything."

Max notices on the shelf inside her room a worn out leather gloves, aswell as he recalls a constant reappering of a green colors in her garment.

"All right... then... I won't bother you any longer right now"

He turns to leave, then begins to think

"I know she doesn't want anything, but I'll buy her a new gloves"

"Killer... killer..."

He could still hear the haunting echoes of words from his nightmare. Max tries not to show that he's affected by that, but the face reveals that something is weighthing on his soul. As he leaves and reaches a washbin to splash his face with a water, he sees a glipmse of his own reflection in water, than it has morphed into a someone's else face. Max instinctevly looked away. 

"Hey. Here's a calming potion for your mind"

As Thomas surprises him out of nowhere, Max takes the potion and gulps instantly, it tastes like the old apothecary syrups.

"Thank you"

As he answers to Thomas, then falls silent, his body, face, body language speak that he's not eager to have conversation with others. Thomas notices it, so he waved to him and went to the woods.

Max washes his face again and sets out to the council hall to claim  the coins and a tournament permit. As he make a first step - a sudden weird feeling kicks in. His body is tingling and he could notice that voices of his nightmares got quieter, but didn't fade away. He's surprised that a potion could work so subtly, then reminds himself that he can't judge a new world by the view of how things worked on Earth.

A short while later, Council Hall.

No sessions are being held today, although Mira awaits inside for someone. The moment she noticed Max, she rises and approaches. Then hands him a pouch of coins and the scroll with a visible stample on it - proof that he can enter the tournament.

"Thank you", as he says and without hesitation steps outside and almost bumps straigth into Roland. Max meets his eyes for a short moment, then averts his gaze to the ground. Feeling a sense of shame. Roland call after him:

"Don't look down. You have no reason to. No one is without a fear, only fools lack it. A true worth lies with those whom conquer their fears."

Max hearing this raises his head to take a look at Roland's face. Roland leans closer, his expression unusually intense, Max can't quite read such emotion through Roland's face, then Roland says with even colder tone than he ever did:

"If dark times ever come, seek answers in the shadows of ruins. Truth always hides beneath the rubble of lies."

He turns and walks off along to his direction in his casual slow pace.

Max stands confused, thinks if that's some kind of a riddle. Although he knows that it is an important information. Meanwhile, he decides to visit the blacksmith, it would come in handy to sharpen the blade of his axe.

At Saban's forge.

Saban glances at him with a hint of melancholy and with some sadness in them. Although a small light of inspiration beams in his eyes.

"You know..." as he begins, with little hesitant tone, "I've been wondering for a while now. I want you, to take this sword of mine." 

He lifts a blade laying on a workbench, it looks like a common european sword, but in it's pommel is a material which is in clear green color, looking like some sort of a crystal.

"Wear it well. It served me once, but I no longer need it. A sword without a master is like a fish out of water."

Max's eyes widen in astonishment as he accepts the gift and responds:

"Are you sure? Shouldn't you give this to Roland instead of me?"

"No..." he silences, searching for words and continues "He... isn't fond of swords. It would be a shame for this to gather dust."

Max bows deeply in gratitude, then sits in front of a wooden construct with a circular grindstone in it and proceeds to sharpen his axe, then the sword.

After that, he still doesn't feel alright to do some training, so Max decided to take a stroll around the village.

Max wanders along the Stone's Edge and after a longer while, arrives to one of the roads and spots from distance Roland. The guard waves at him to come closer. Next to him is a knight on a horse, wearing a white armor decorated with some green materials. When Max closes the distance, the tall warrior dismounts and removes his sugarloaf helmet, revealing long turqoise hairs, his skin was bright and from the sun's reflection it also had some essence of a green tint. Then Max sees that the man has pointed ears, his eyes were bright red. The knight secures his helmet to the saddle and bows toward Max, speaking in a voice which is neither male nor female:

"Greetings, my fellow rival. I am Correnie representative of house Aethelweard. Roland just told me that you and two others will escort me to the city tomorrow. I trust our journey will be pleasant and safe."

Max still filled with his guilt, was confused in mind, but he didn't want to disagree to avoid any confusion with a noble, so he bowed and replies:

"Welcome, Sir Correnie. I am called Max. It is an honor to meet you."

Correnie looked deeper into Max's head and then his eyes glowed with bright blueish color. He places a hand on Max's shoulder and intones something in a weird language:

"Svet-lo-duch-a-rin vz-kre-slan... oslo-bo-deti is-tum ho-mi-nem z he-go umbra." Than he adds "Soon you will feel relief, your dreams will soften and guilt will fade from your heart."

Without another word, Correnie goes towards a building next to the council hall, as that's the location where he will spend today's night.

Max stands in quiet wonder, thinking:

"So there's actually fantasy aspects in this world, a non-human race... and was it a spell? I can recognise the first couple of these words, they sound like altered slavic languages but also there were classical latin words too.... What's the meaning of that at all... Fascinating."

Roland steps closer, reading Max's expression and speaks up:

"You're one lucky man, you've just experienced the Langmann's magic, which Sir Correnie casted on you. But don't be too excited, magic is restricted to aristocracy, aswell as they are not as powerful as one could imagine hearing the legends of the ancients"

"Interesting and what was that about the escort?"

"Ah, sorry about that. It's best for you to travel with Sir Correnie to the city for the tournament. Nadia will come with you too, despite our mission's success, there might still be some dangerous people out there, so an archer will be helpful. Aswell as Thomas will come along, he has been in Aubregulf before. He'll be your guide there." 

As he pauses to take a breath and continues: 

"Also don't tell him, but I've seen him trying make similar moves to yours, so probably seeing you in action will make him very happy. Good luck with the matches, as tomorrow I won't meet with you, I have some duties to do."

"Mhm... Thanks. Also thanks for telling me the information, better late then never."

Roland departs as usually in his slow pace, having all the time a weird expression on his face. While Max still remains in the same spot, still processing all the information and thinking.

"Langmann, Aubregulf... house of Aethelweard... Ancients... That's some new details, but if the town will be as diverse as it used to be on Earth, I don't know if I will keep up with all of this."

Max takes a step to continue his stroll. Then he notices that it is getting darker, he hasn't realised how much time has flown. At this very moment he felt a shiver. Unlike the normal shivers, this one was very warm - like a gentle and subtle massage. Passing through his body. He has also felt a warm temperature in his head, like being underwater. During that time the whispers of nightmare started to fade away, till they vanish completely. Max out of confusion tried to recall the events which made his guilt weigth in his soul, his thougths were forced to avoid it. Like a deity's power restricting him to even attempt to bring back anything from that traumatic scenerio. Magic might not be all powerful, but it's effect shocked him very deeply.

After a small distance, Max notices a building with many tailored garment and recalled that he indeed needs some light and casual clothing. A kindly woman notices him looking and invites him in, showing her products. Max checks the coins from the pouch he received, then buys: a simple bright red tunic, trousers made of fabric in green and red color and a pair of green leather gloves. 

Max returns to his room, still confused. Although a smile plays in his lips, realising how much a single spell helped him. Darkness falls quickly and he lies down in bed. This time, he fall asleep so  quickly and peacefully, that he didn't have any time to shift into his thoughts. His mind and body have already forgotten the fresh trauma.