Two Worlds Diary: Session 2

                If we do fail this mission, I cannot say it was due to a lack of faith or resources from Freeport. I had planned for months of travel by horse, but the palace arranged for us accommodations onboard the Skyrider. Though I have seen airships before in my life I have never had the luxury of riding one before, and I must admit there is a thrill to it. There is no denying the wonder and awe you feel as you watch miles of familiar land fade away into a mere speck as the ground beneath you zooms by as effortlessly as walking. The adjustment to the speed takes a moment to get used to, and I would be lying if I said I my meals sat well with me the first few nights. Still, an upset stomach is far more preferable to saddle sores in the long run, and the privacy was appreciated.

                Oh yes, the mission. I must remember that I am not writing this diary for just my own sake anymore. Well, after boarding the Skyrider I made it a priority to speak with Geddon regarding the role of leadership within our hodgepodge of personalities. Geddon makes an ideal leader with his knowledge of the Del-Hi, Stormguard, and prior involvement with the military. However even without those traits I cannot deny that he possesses a strong authority to him that makes him natural for the position. He accepted, though I imagine there will be a period of adjustment to his new position. I did make it clear to our new leader that I will be there to offer assistance in whatever manner he might need of me, and in turn I have been appointed second-in-command of the unit. I am honored, but I do not believe myself to be a leader in the same way Geddon is. Suffice to say, I am not the type whose battle prowess will be passed down in legends, so I will make sure no danger comes to Geddon at any cost.

                Afterwards I checked in on Malik who took to the turbulence even worse than I did. I healed his wounds, and Malik’s response was adorable if nothing else. As I thought, the boy is earnest to a fault. I do not think he knows what kind of person I am, but those uncertainties should hopefully erode over time. Malik may be an adult, but he still possesses the winsome charm of a young boy seeing the world for the first time; an innocence that is far too easily forgetting in this world. I should not let that thought connote immaturity in his combat expertise though. Malik’s skill is fierce, direct and a precious asset.

                Following that encounter we arranged for dinner and a meeting over our plan of action. We would take the Skyrider towards Stormguard and investigate for any clues as to how the Del-Hi returned. It is a simple plan, but of the utmost importance for the defense of our kingdoms. For the other nations to take this threat seriously we need indisputable evidence of the Del-Hi’s threat. Without the threat of immediate danger pushing the nations into action Freeport might find itself alone to suffer the same fate as Stormguard.

                Before we adjourned Halim asked if I could deliver a message back to Father Garvil back in Freeport. I invited him into my quarters where I pretended to pen his message before teasing him with some flirting. I have to admit that I do enjoy watching that boy awkwardly squirm at my advances. It is wonderfully cute. However, I do realize the irony in teasing the one person in the party I find myself so vested in protecting. Halim has grown up twisted by his order’s misleading dogma, and I know all too well the horrors of growing up terrified of those who disgustingly call themselves “protectors”. Garvil will receive no word of Halim until I have had the opportunity to teach him of the free will he should possess.

                A few days passed on our journey when a startling discovery forced our airship to a dead stop that nearly threw our lovely thief overboard with its’ abruptness. The discovery was a grim one as the crashed remains of an airship sat beneath us. The worrying fear in all of our minds was that the ship belonged to the scouting party that was deployed before us, and that truth was confirmed after we dispatched a gang of wildmen who were stripping the ship of her parts and supplies. We left what few of the bandits we could alive before rescuing the orders and sole survivor from the wreckage. From what the scout could tell us their ship was attacked apparently out of nowhere, but I investigated the damage to the ship. There is no way an attack that large could have avoid being spotted by the ship’s scanners without some trick behind it. The bad news continued as the bandit’s leader, Devin, explained that the forests near his camp had begun to turn black as of recent.

                We took a risk trying to pull the Skyrider closer to Stormguard, and nearly paid the ultimate price to do so. It was decided that the six of us would make the remainder of the trip on horseback, but the transition was jarring to say the least. An evening aboard the airship would consist of a good meal and a hot bath, but out in the wilderness we ate trail rations as we attempted to tolerate the disturbingly absent ambiance of the night.

The black woods were not a sight I care to remember. Great oaks were now ashen husks that fell at a touch, and there was not a single sign of life for miles in all directions. I cannot fathom an invasion so dominate and absolute—mankind could never be so ruthlessly efficient in its’ elimination of life. There was only one other soul alive in what remained of Stormguard, but it was not at all what we expected.

She was a tall, feline woman dressed in golden armor accented with silver. Her name was Saya, and she explained to us that she is a member of the Vel-Ri. The Vel-Ri come from the same realm as the Del-Hi, but it seems the Del-Hi nearly eradicated their race. Only a portion of their civilization remains, and they make their home beyond the wall towards the north of the continent. For the sake of their privacy I will not divulge how to reach their kingdom, nor will I attempt to do justice to their astounding culture. All I will say is that their culture seems far more advanced than the collective of every other nation on the continent.

We were not welcome among the Vel-Ri, but Saya’s permission kept us from being exiled or worse. Still, not even her words could sway the favor of the king. He found our plight unimportant and chose to ignore our struggles or our possible assistance as his armies prepared to fight the return of the Del-Hi. Admittedly, I can understand his apathy, but the king made mention that Del-Hi could return through gates that exist all throughout the continent. If that is indeed true, then we need his assistance.

Luckily, we will have another opportunity as he was kind enough to permit us to stay an evening in his kingdom and grant us an audience with him the next day. I will need to speak with Saya and find the compelling argument necessary to get our nations the support we need. Without it we may all be ignorantly living in our last few days of safety.