ROLEPLAY

Date? 2618 - ...

Fort Beacon

I had given up hope of writing a word in this journal again.
Where to start? Tiredness makes me lose the notion of time, and the notion of the things that surround us. I'll try to pick up where I left off. Azazor is still immersed in his thoughts.

The light. We saw this glow, in the distance, in the deep darkness. At first very vague, like a reflection on the sky or the Canopy. We followed it, forgetting to seek other marks.
Darkness. Compared to this hole, the Sorched Corridor is a walk in the park, minus the kitins. The almost permanent haze that reigns here makes orientation on stars almost impossible. After we had seen this glow, we walked for several more days, as well as part of the nights when the mist cleared, because during the day we lost this precious landmark. I can't say how many days.

Azazor didn't say anything. He looked at me with his increasingly mad eyes, and walked. I discreetly kept my axe at reach, and slept with only one eye open. He was making good progress, the bloody bodoc, but his mind seemed elsewhere. Probably the lack of food. But the light in the distance revived the hope in us, even in him. Even if he didn't say anything.

When the glow became more distinct, we suddenly reached the bottom of a cliff. We climbed up, the path was relatively well laid out, easier to follow than I had expected. Our poor mektoub even managed to follow us, I can't explain how. Later, when it realized that we had arrived, he collapsed. He must have felt our relief. I hope he'll get over it. A beast like that is irreplaceable. At this point, if it collapsed, it would do something to me to eat it. A pang of emotion. No, I wouldn't be able to.

And so, we arrived. How to describe the place? As we got closer, I realized that the village was not right on the edge of the cliff, as I had imagined. The glow, which remained high above our heads, still seemed to be coming out of the Canopy. We continued on, and arrived at what I might call the village itself. It is as though encircled in a huge stump, but without any root. Like a gigantic tree. The light glows strangely inside. It must be a powerful magic, one I had never seen before.

Then a Tryker approached us. Unarmed, he nevertheless seemed on his guard. Relatively massive, he was dressed in a kind of armor I had never seen before.
"We are from the New Lands," I said on impulse. Azazor was remaining silent, behind me.
The Tryker raised an eyebrow, surprised, "From the New Lands?"
His accent was different from what I had heard so far. He motioned to two homins I had not seen yet. These came out of the shadows and approached us, weapons in hand, though not threatening.
"Marauders?" asked one of them, a Zorai with a weathered mask.
I repeated, "New Lands. Not Marauders."
I sensed they didn't believe me, but what was left of my discernment took over.
"We had to make a detour," I said. "And we came back here."
The Zorai approached our mektoub, watched it for a moment, then turned his eyes back to us.
"It sure look like it" he said, before nodding to the Tryker.
Azazor then walked up to one of the guards and looked at him with half-rolled back eyes.
"The Eyes... the Beast... they can get in here?"

I can't imagine what a shocked face I must have displayed when I heard Azazor's voice, he who hadn't said a word for days, even for weeks... The homins had a guffaw, and got softer.

The Tryker finally approached and spoke again: "We don't see many travelers around here. Usually the ones who come from where you come from look a little more... well... You look too armed to me for mere travelers, and too harmless for Marauders." He smiled.
I nodded, not knowing what else to do. Then he went on, looking at Azazor who just stood rooted to the spot:
"He's the armed wing? All that's left of your troops? Or, are there other homins?"
I shook my head, to let him know that there were indeed only two of us. In an almost facetious tone, unless it was that strange accent, He said something like:
"What, did an armadaï eat your crystal?"
Seeing that our reaction was only a confused look, He added:
"Okay. So if you both are still alive, we'll call that luck. Are you staying the night then going home to mom?"

They watched us for a while longer, then the Zorai and his sidekick walked away. I thought I heard them laugh, one of them saying something like, "Definitely not Marauders, they'd have gotten mad by now. New Lands softies... that'll make a change for us."
They laughed at us, and whatever. A laugh. The last few days, I would have given my soul for a laugh.

The Tryker beckoned us to follow him. We passed through thick walls. It seems to me that Azazor asked again about the eyes, about the beast. The Tryker explained that the village was a safe place. I tried to devote my full attention to observing our surroundings, despite my tiredness. He led us to a small room, not far from the entrance. I cannot define what the walls are made of. One side of this room looks like a gigantic piece of bark. On the other side the wall seems to be a tangle of vines and dried mud. Some beds are installed. Beds! I almost cried when I realized that I had not slept in a real bed for almost a year already.

Then someone brought us food and water. Another brought something for our mektoub to drink, then took it away, probably to a stable. It is in as bad a way as we are, I hope he will make it through the night. I brought all our bags, including the mektoub pack, to what will serve as our dormitory. Azazor swallowed what he was served, then lay down, without saying a single word to me. He probably fell asleep quickly.
The homins did not speak to us much more. They observe us, a little strangely, but without animosity. The place is calm, silent, except for the whistling of the wind which brings us the reminiscences of distant and strange howls.
When the Tryker came back, I made him understand that I wanted to talk. He looked at Azazor and me. Then he told us to rest, with a touch of benevolence in his voice. We'll talk tomorrow. I told him our names, and he told us his: Kickan. Mac'opin Kickan.

Now I only have the strength to finish writing these lines. I will ask him for the date tomorrow. I'm falling asleep and for the first time in weeks I know I'll manage to sleep.