The soldiers walked up to camp, their commander between them on a stretcher. They'd thrown a cloak over him, though his feet dragged on the ground behind him. A few people watched and murmured as they passed, but they continued, soon walking to the medical tent.
The doctor inside finished tying a bandage about one man's arm, then sent him out, looking over at them as they walked in."...And just when I thought I might have a rest day. Fine, fine, set him on the table." He ordered.
They did so. One of the soldiers shuddered."He's in rough shape...Havn't checked, buthe might be dead already."
The doctor walked over and removed the cloak, nose scrunching up at the smell of burned flesh, watching as a few wisps of smoke rose into the air."...I sincerely hope so, and not just for my sake." He replied. He checked his eyes, waving a hand before his eyes."Hello? You hear me? Move something if you can, doesn't matter what."
Paricht remained still, and the doctor sighed."...Pupils unresponsive. Seems this gentleman's passed on." He moved to replace the cloak, when Paricht suddenly sprang to life.
He howled and grabbed one of the nearby soldiers' arms."Burned! I'm burned, it burns, I'm burned! Help me!" He exclaimed, skin crackling as he moved.
The doctor blinked."Sir? Sir, calm down, we can help, let the man go, alright? Just let go, an-" He blinked, eyes widening.
The soldier broke free and checked his arm. He saw a black handprint, though from there, it began to spread slowly over the rest of his arm and up his neck. He tried to wipe it away, but to no avail. The blackness spread over his face, and he fell to the side, his unaffected parts twitching erratically as he howled in agony.
Paricht continued his tantrum, falling from the bed and blackening the grass beneath them."Burned burned burned! Help!" He demanded.
The doctor stepped back."He's gone mad!" He looked at the surviving soldier."Set up a perimeter! No one in or out, and someone inform the grandmaster!" His duty done, he quickly rushed out of the tent.
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Gem sat near Shira, smiling a bit. She knew she would have to escape soon, but in the meantime, she was pleased to have someone to practice her signs with. There were plenty of people who could understand them, of course. Most of her signs were based upon military signals, after all, and she'd grown up among soldiers. However, there was something oddly satisfying about seeing the signs in response, a skill few soldiers had.
Shira smiled."Tell me more about the Nay-rav-shuns." She said, then quickly added, "Please?"
Gem smiled."Getting closer." She replied."And let's see...Ah! This might surprise you! How do you think they hunted?"
She frowned."...Didn't you say they had those big spears? Didn't they use those?" She asked, head tilted.
Gem nodded."Right, but not for hunting. Nrevac blood, if you didn't know, is poison. Not enough to kill, but enough to paralyze for a while. So, when they came across a predator, they'd let it attack and take a bite out of them. The spears were just to block any attacks to the neck or head that wouldn't heal, and usually a quick attack to the head to finish them off."
Her eyes widened."They...." She scrunched up her face."Why though!? They could have just attacked first, couldn't they?"
She nodded."Could have. But Nrevacians were peaceful, they didn't like to harm things unnecessarily. But, they needed to eat, and they couldn't grow anything in their caves. So, they tried to give the cave creatures the most peaceful death they could."
She blinked."Wooow...that's cool!"
Gem smiled and nodded."Mhm...I learned this from your father, you know. Why haven't you asked him about it? He seems pretty knowledgeable about this stuff."
She sighed."...He doesn't like to talk about it with me...don't know why." She replied, shrugging.
Gem smiled and ruffled the girl's hair, then gave a few slow signs."Well, don't worry. I'll see what I can coax out of him, and..."
She stopped mid-sign, earning a frown from Shira.
...Was she starting to enjoy it here? She couldn't be, could she? She was still a prisoner here, surrounded by people she knew would die soon, people she might help kill herself once she was back with her master, but...
She couldn't deny that she was getting attached to Shira, of course, a girl who signed expertly, far beyond her nearly five years of age, and who was so curious about the world around her. Similarly, though he was arrogant, she knew that Pynax was a good father to Shira, saw the way he'd parented and guided her gently. She didn't want him to die.
A sudden pain grew in her chest. Here she was in an enemy camp, thinking of reasons not to kill an enemy. Did that make her a traitor? She'd done nothing, and yet....There were kind people here. She didn't want them to die, and surely Guiltare wouldn't either. She thought back to the battles she'd fought, the people she'd killed. She'd thought about that a lot recently.
She'd battled the Swordsman, and she hated him, hated him for his attacks upon her, upon Salaxir's family. And yet, she'd felt what he'd lost, met the ghosts of his past, and learned his story. And with that, her hatred was mixed with pity.
She thought back to the man she'd slain in the conflict with the Northmen, the man whose ring she had taken. What sort of person had he been? Would she have felt the same had she spoken with him? What of the others she'd slain over the years? How many like Pynax had she killed? How many orphaned Shiras had she created?
Shira frowned a bit, touching her face."Are you okay?"
Gem blinked, realizing tears had started to form in her eyes. She hurriedly wiped them away."Yeah...just fine, sorry." She smiled reassuringly. "Just got a little panicked over nothing, that's all."
Shira smiled, then looked as Pynax walked in, grim faced."Shira. Come with me." He ordered.
She frowned for a moment until he repeated it with signs, and she asked "Why?"
He sighed."...It's Parry, he's...in rough shape."
Shira quickly rushed out, and Gem scoffed."That asshole? Serves him right."
Pynax glanced over, his grey eyes flashing slightly."...That asshole happens to be my brother-in-law. Shira's uncle." He replied, stepping outside as Gem blinked in surprise."I got a guard out here for you. Please don't kill him."
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"Uncawl Parry!" Shira rushed into the tent and hugged Paricht, wincing slightly as she heard his flesh crunch.
Paricht just smiled, ignoring the pain."Ah, well hey there. How's it going?"
Shira frowned."...Yew're haw'ert." She pointed out.
Paricht blinked and checked himself, then made a few basic signs, fingers stiff."Why, so I am. Hadn't noticed."
Shira giggled quietly despite herself and hugged him again."...Yew'll b'awlright, won'chu?"
Paricht sighed, glancing over as Pynax walked in, his always-wide eyes locked on him. He smiled and carefully pushed her away."For you, i'll try, 'kay?"
Shira smiled."Good...You get better-"
Paricht covered her hands."Ah, ah, ah. you know my policy, no signs for me. Say it with that beautiful voice of yours."
Shira blinked, then nodded."Geyt bettah sooon, Uncawl Parry." She said slowly, the irregular cadence of her voice making her sound shaky. Or, perhaps it was just her sorrow.
Paricht smiled."Beautiful. Now get, I gotta rest up." He replied.
Pynax nodded to Shira."Back to the house, i'm testing your Nations when I get back, so study up." He instructed, then walked over to Paricht's side.
Paricht watched Shira walk out and sighed."...Thanks for bringing her to visit...Appreciate it."
Pynax crossed his arms."...Hmph. Girl needs to say goodbye to her uncle, if nothing else."
Paricht sighed."...Do you ever wonder what people would say? If you had a chance to speak with them one more time?"
Pynax's silver eyes darkened slightly."...All the time."
Paricht sighed."...Mari'd probably just do the same thing she always did and try to convince me to stop fighting, don't you think?"
Pynax shrugged."Maybe. Never know...." He looked off at the door."...Looks a lot like her, doesn't she?"
The wounded man smiled."Almost scary...apart from the eyes she got from you...or your mother, I suppose it would be." He replied.
Pynax nodded a bit."...I suppose I should say this again, but uh...I'm sorry."
Paricht snorted."...There's no need. You Cavies-" He corrected himself at a glare from Pynax."-Nrevacians...Always ended up pairing up young, didn't you? Suppose I can't blame you for falling in with my sister. Fifteen was younger than I would have preferred she, well....But, you're a good father. Far too young, but good nonetheless."
Pynax sighed a bit."...Nineteen's not too young." He replied.
"It is when the child's nearly five." He countered, sighing."...Just a difference of culture, maybe."
They were both silent for a while, until Paricht spoke again."I'm going to die, aren't I?"
Pynax nodded."Well, your burns are pretty bad, and, uh...you freaked out the doctors earlier with your little outburst, none of them will come near you."
He sighed."Fitting...Even so, I..." He wiped at his eyes."...I don't have any right to it, being around death as much as I have, living as mercilessly as I have, but...I'm scared of dying, i'll..." He began to breath frantically."I...I don't want to-"
Pynax quickly stopped him before he had another outburst. He put a hand on Paricht's shoulder, and the panic left his face. He sighed."...Thank you. I keep forgetting you can take fear away, not just induce it."
Pynax sighed."...Don't get the wrong idea, Parry. You're a good uncle, but a pretty shit person." He stated."Quite frankly, whether I let you go scared or not, you're still in for a terrible time. No afterlife might be better for you, because with the life you've led, you're in for a lot more fire. What little calm you have now isn't what you deserve, but again, you've been good to my daughter, so you get it anyways. Don't go thinking we're pals."
Paricht sighed."Yeah...yeah, that's about right...Well, can't ask you to stick around for hours making sure I don't panic over it, can I?"
In response, Pynax placed a dagger on his chest."Nope." He replied.
He sighed and took it."When she's older...Try to dumb down what I did for Shira, 'kay?"
Pynax sighed."Planning on doing it anyways. For her sake, not yours."
Paricht raised the blade to his throat."...Thanks all the same." He slashed the dagger across his throat, staying calm thanks to the magic of Pynax. He stared at the ceiling, a gurgle rising in his throat, until his eyes glazed over in death.
Pynax nodded and walked out, patting the guard on the shoulder."Go tell the Grandmaster Paricht is dead. Be quick about it." He ordered, sighing as the man dashed off, a look of worry on his face.
Though, he couldn't really blame him. So many of the supposedly invincible Incarnate had been slain recently. He'd have been more surprised if the man hadn't felt any panic whatsoever.
He'd even be surprised if he himself was free of that feeling.