ROLEPLAY

A bright light glared at him, surrounding him in prismatic brilliance. He peaked past the flashing colors that enclosed around him like a tube and stars peaked back at him.

That voice... he swore he's heard it before. He suddenly noticed his own arm rise as his hand stretched out in front of himself. Although he has seen this he doesn't feel any of it, as if he isn't in control at all. He reaches out forward to the blinding light ahead of him.

The light intensifies as his hand begins to burn. Oh, now he feels something? He turns his hand towards himself, and sees weird glowing symbols etched on his palm. Before he can investigate further, the light up ahead flares to the point where his eyes can no longer withstand. He shuts them and screams.

His eyes open to Tarrg staring over him. One of the frahar tribesfolk of the Fraiders.

"Nightmare," Sygmus mentioned as he rose to a sitting position, "again." He has gotten used to the dirt floor but the addition of his own sweat has made it quite uncomfortable.

He of course was met with grunts. The Fraiders aren't particularly known to confine with. Charming as they are, Syg thought with a grin. He suddenly felt a nudge at the back of his head and turned to see his mektoub mount, whimpering with concern.

With a pat, Sygmus said, "It's alright, Ysqtoub. I keep having this damned dream. Doesn't make sense."

"Speak to Korrkor" grunted Tarrg. "He give you-"

"Yeah I know, I already have. He gave me some remedy to sleep better. Didn't really work though." Sygmus replied as he stood up stretching. Tarrg stared at the big Zorai. Syg immediately apologized to the frahar for interrupting. Sensitive lot sometimes.

Syg began gathering his gear from the hollowed out skull the Fraiders have "given" to him after they welcomed the outsider into their tribe. While he rummaged through his digging gear, his hand seared with pain. He dropped what he was holding and took off his glove to see glowing symbols etched on his palm. That... from my dream?

He couldn't read the language but the symbols did look familiar. A flashback to his time as part of the Second Circle within the Zoraii government came over him.

"Ysqtoub, stay here. I must have this looked at immediately!", Syg proclaimed. As he began the rite of teleportation. Saying that name always brought mixed feelings of joy and sorrow for his lost friend, Ysquanir.

Sygmus landed in Zora among his people busying themselves back and forth as always.

[PLEASE WAIT]

The others moved around in a buzz. Always in the way! He almost dropped all the scrolls in his arms as he bumped into a messenger speeding by. Important business, important business coming through! Mind that temper Rosigia, he said to himself. You are a respectable Cuivaldo; a Kami adept and researcher for the Second Circle. A bit more dignity should-

"Hold," the Zoraii guard in front of the City Hall said as she stepped in front of Rosigia walking up the steps.

-How dare she!? Watch the temper Rosigia, dammit.

"What is going on, might I ask? I have important busin-" Rosigia began to say.

"A meeting that you library folk need not worry about. At the present moment the Hall is restricted to you", the guard proclaimed, as if reading off a script.

Rosigia shuffled the maps and other scrolls he was burdened by in an attempt to raise a hand in protest. Wait... was that? His attention turned to the crowd swarming down the stairs.

"Fine. I will be back." Rosigia replied without looking at the smug expression that sprawled across the Zoraii guard's face. He practically ran down the stairs and zipped straight towards a familiar face.

"I heard of your return for some time, so you have finally visited?" Rosigia asked as he came upon Sygmus.

"Cuivaldo. It has been a long time." Syg replied. He didn't seem his normal sarcastic, comedic self. So he has changed after all these years? "I was heading to your home actually."

The two walked up the hill. Syg would not respond to Rosigia's questions or react to his quick frustration. They finally entered Ros's apartment, where he threw the scrolls he was holding in a fit.

"So not only have you been back for some time, but you have even aligned yourself with a Zorai guild again. Yet we don't see you once?" Rosigia couldn't hide his frustration once more. "You turned your back on the Circle, brother, on the entire Theocracy itself."

"Listen. I need a favor." Sygmus wasn't even paying attention was he? "I need you to translate something."

"Are you serious? Snap out of it Sygma! I will not do anything for you now." That finally got a reaction out of Syg. Using his old name probably caused the pause. Rosigia continued without missing a beat, "You don't return to us after all this time... and you smell of... is that frahar? How could-"

Rosigia finally shut up once Syg removed the wrapping around his hand. A glowing pulse emitted from his palm. The light was fading rapidly. Ros hastily scrambled with his scrolls and began etching the symbols on Sygmus's hand.

"So?" Sygmus asked, cringing in pain. The light finally faded and all that was left was his blue skin.

"Always were impatient." Rosigia smirked as he began the translation process to another page. The two were good friends, and even after all this time he knew he could forgive him. Once he finished the translating process they both stared at the results.

"H...heresy", Rosigia whispered. He turned to Sygmus who immediately put his hands up in a surrendering motion as he backed away.

"I don't know why..." Syg was clearly nervous. "What does that mean?"

"Get out." Ros took the translation and the original etching and tossed them in the cooking fire by the wall. "For now I will ignore this due to our history... but you must leave now."

"Sorry..." was all Sygmus could mutter as he nodded and left. Rosigia stared at the fire as it erased all the evidence. He felt confused, conflicted and, yet again, frustrated. He was happy to see his old friend at first. Now he damned and cursed him.

"You guys eat the remains from Zerx acidy spit stuff?" Sygmus asked Rrak with obvious disgust. A few of the Fraiders were surrounding this stuff from a recently killed zerx.

"Fruit. Zerx spit fruit it eat before." Rrak simply stated as he continued to gorge.

"But then it's already been consumed..." Sygmus's arms folded in front of him.

"Zerx saliva special. Saliva conserves fruit for storage. Fruit still good. Once you learn to resist acid" Korrkor grinned, pleased with himself for knowing more than the homin yet again.

Sygmus continued to learn new things and clearly the Fraiders still enjoyed proving their superior knowledge in certain things. It was a fun distraction for Syg, who had so much zipping through his mind from these past events. Korrkor gave him room to sit next to him so Syg did. He started picking through the acid with them.

He used the water gathered from Fairhaven to clean off the bits of fruits he scavenged and began feeding them to his mektoub nearby.

"I'm not hungry," he answered the stares he was given from the frahars. One of the elite guards roared up ahead. Syg looked up without much concern when he saw a homin on a mektoub in the distance. The only other homin he knew associated with this tribe was a matis that goes by Fishgod. This was no Matis approaching the camp.

As the homin got closer, the Elite Guard grew more alert and weary. Sygmus grabbed his sword leaning on his hollowed skull and walked out of the camp. "Stand back a moment," he grunted back towards the Fraiders.

The homin on his mount stopped short out of range from the tribe and some of the zerx that roamed near the camp. Syg jogged past the Zerx. dodging them with practiced ease.

"What are you doing here?" He half-grunted as he apporached the other Zorai. He shook off the frahar dialect he found himself using often these days.

"You are so different, now. I almost didn't believe it." Gioi Qai-Zhan stared at Sygmus as he dismounted before him.

"Master Qai-Zhan, how far you have travelled from Jen-Lai." Sygmus ignored Gioi's comment.

Gioi stood tall before Syg. His robes flowing in the hot winds. Clearly the scholar has rarely stepped outside the jungles to the West.

"Syg, I remember when you were one of my scholars. You were rough around the edges but dedicated and loyal you always were. Now I find you here," Gioi glanced past Syg towards the Fraider's camp "I can't begin to imagine what path you have fallen into. You seem to be living with no guidance."

"Enough. I have my reasons, master Qai-Zhan. Now, I can guess the only reason you are here, in secret I bet, is because of Rosigia." Sygmus couldn't hide the annoyance in his voice.

Qai-Zhan sighed deeply. "Can you blame him? Can you blame me for being here now?"

"I am not blaming anyone. I just want this over with. No I can't explain what happened. No, I won't go become a tool for your research. No, I won't re-join the Order of Magnetism Scholars."

Gioi stared at the sword gripped in Syg's hands. "I am no threat to you, Syg. I've never been. And what has happened.. it may even be a blessing. We will never know if you don't let us-"

Sygmus raised the sword to Gioi's throat. "I am sorry, Master. I know very well the danger. Not only for me but for anyone else I involve."

Gioi's eyes never left the blade. "Have you been carving?"

Syg glanced down quickly at his own blade, thinking Gioi could only be trying to disarm him, but indeed he saw a carving on his own blade.

"That's not what Rosigia said was on your hand," Gioi stated. He then began to read aloud, "2...18..9?"

A flash of light blinded Sygmus as he fell to a knee. He shut his eyes as his mind was flooded with images of symbols and numbers. He screamed out in agony. Gioi Qai-Zhan went to reach for the crouched Zorai but he saw the Fraider guards charging and yelling. Gioi quickly mounted and looked back at Sygmus who now crawled on the floor in a daze.

"Sygma, you must come see us soon. This is not good and I want to help." He sped off before the Fraiders could close in on him.

Dense and rich of magnetism is the best way to describe this city Sygmus is traversing through. Many of the structures seem familiar to Zora but on a much grander scale.

As he moved deeper he realized how large this city was compared to Zora. Miles and miles of temples and buildings spread before Syg. He thought the buzzing of people in Zora was harrowing enough but here everyone was a blur zipping past him.

Another huge difference he noticed was the wall. A great wall wrapped around this ancient city, encasing the Zoraï people in. He had the urge to run up to the wall to touch and exam it but he wasn't in control of his body.

He kept trudging along the main street until he came upon a large tent and before him stood a Karavan. How odd?

Her armor was a bit more complicated than he was used to and a lot more clean. She opened a chest with many picks and handed Sygmus one. He looked back and noticed a line of other Zoraï waiting for him to move on. What is this?

As Syg stepped back he noticed something odd. Why did I just notice this? None of the Zoraï here were wearing masks! A loud bell noise reverberated throughout the city. Sygmus dropped his pick and placed his hands over his ears, noticing that he without mask as well.

The Karavan before him began moving in a frantic manner; she grabbed some bizarre weapon from behind the tent. He was pushed aside and fell to the ground as the Karavan ran past him.

Screaming.

"WAKE," yelled Tarrg. "Attack!"

Sygmus stirred from the dirt floor, shook off his dream, and glanced up to see a horde of tyrancha attacking the tribe border again. He stood, grabbed his amps from his mount Ysqtoub's pack and began casting. Every spell he concentrated on pushed the memory of his dream away.