The Light in Darkness

Ch 7. Breakshot

[AN] Finally! New Year, new chapter... which is going to be my least favourite chapter. And a bare minimum of editing is done because I kept hating and scrapping everything. This chapter may especially be subjected to changes later. Do bash me on the head in the comments for every bad sentence. Which is all of them.

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Ruby did not know what she had been expecting when she boldly - or brashly, - volunteered to lead a group of people she barely knew right into Bugeroll. Her parents had constantly voiced concerns for her tendency to act without thinking. Now here she was, sitting inside a dark red tent of some rogue clan as a captive, proving them right within a week of her father's passing.

The tent was filled with strange smell that came from the candles lined up in one corner. The obvious purpose was to provide a light source, but Ruby suspected that the fragrance also acted as an anasthetic to keep the occupants' heads as fuzzy as possible.

Rubbing her temples to stay focused, Ruby tried think of how else things might have gone. Going to Bugeroll was unavoidable, as Balon would have never given away one of his most guarded supplies without her intervention. Perhaps she should have fought harder without surrendering last night, but there was not much she could do with only a cutting knife. Besides, fighting would not have done much good other than getting more scratches.

She peered over at the wizard sitting cross-legged by the corner away from the candles. Eyes closed and hands resting on the knees with palm-side up, Arcturus had been sitting still like that for what felt like forever now. He was as pale as a ghost. Despite his assurance that he was only meditating to recover his strength, Ruby found his complete stillness unnerving and kept stealing glances to make sure the wizard was at least breathing.

Ruby's thoughts wandered from there until she realized she was drifting to sleep again. She violently shook her head and clenched her fists until the nails dug painfully into the palms, glaring at the candles. She was certain there was something in her bag to nullify its effects, but her bag was missing. In fact, most of her possession was. Not just her bag, but her coin purse, her belt pouch and even the tiny cutting knife that was useless in any fight. The one thing that escaped confiscation was a silver amulet hidden safely under her robes. She carefully pulled it out to stare at it, admiring at its detail for the hundredth time.

It was shaped like an owl in attack. Its wings were several times larger than its body, and the tips of its primary feathers were thinly lined in white just as the real one would have. Its right eye was currently just a black empty socket but the left side retained its original blue gemstone, hinting at how its former beauty. Now the lopsided look was more sinister, at times even accusatory. Ruby used to ask her father why he never replaced the eye, considering that he was the one who provided the gemstones in the first place. However, he simply replied it was impossible, and Ruby had to concede after trying multiple times herself. The gemstone kept falling back out no matter what adhesive was used or how well it was cut out. It was almost as if the amulet itself was rejecting them.

"That is an interesting thing you have there."

Ruby jumped. She looked up to see that Arcturus had come out of his meditation and was now watching her intently.

"It's... Dad's," she mumbled. "Was Dad's. He left it for me."

"Can I take a look?"

Ruby hesitated briefly, but she soon lifted the necklace off for inspection. Arcturus took it carefully by the chains, as if wary of touching the amulet itself.

"This is really well made," he said slowly, peering at the empty socket. "There's still some residual magic left even though it's broken. I assume this owl is the mark of whoever made this?"