Eternal Beasts

These Broken Remains

It was a village. Rather, a town as they were counted in this medieval place, with several houses of stone, peat, wood, and straw, a two-story inn, a stable with a forge and a farrier's shop, and a handful of merchant stalls and shops scattered amongst them.

At least they had been, before an enemy force put the lot of it to the torch. Now only Jared's newfound knowledge of this place via the book allowed him to recognize the buildings' purposes from their skeletal remains. And the darkling forces had been thorough; not a single building was untouched by fire. Nor did any of the inhabitants of this place survive the assault.

To be sure of that last observation, Jared made a careful search of the seared and battered town. And in doing so, discovered several places where the locals tried to set up defensive positions in an attempt to hold the darklings at bay. Yet no cholim or torith bodies were on the ground, while the positions were liberally garnished with the dead nysim that attempted to defend their homes. Either the darklings suffered no casualties, or they carried away their dead. Either way, the stocky nysim that were common in this part of the plains, were unsuccessful, liberally watering the ground with their blood.

His face a mask of determination, Jared searched several of the body piles for survivors to no avail. In doing so, he noticed a handful of them wearing boiled leather shirts with constable badges on them. Not that being slightly more skilled than a common citizen had helped. They were just as dead as everybody else.

After searching the last pile, Jared slowly came to his feet to brush the muck off his hands as he once again let his eyes roam over the smoldering ruins. He had no idea what this place had been called, or where it was located on the map that moved across his mind's eye. He could only hope it was nowhere close to the farm he had carried Diedre to seemingly forever ago.

- I see you've tasted battle, - the book's quiet voice without warning spoke into his mind. Instead of being surprised, however, Jared let a sigh slip out his nostrils before turning his voice inward.

- If you call cutting down four clueless cholim and slaughtering their escort battle, I suppose, - he replied. - A product of the premature awakening, no doubt. -

- Curiously astute. It would appear a winter spent alone in a shack in the wilderness has prepared you better than training and trials could have, - the book dryly noted.

- Don't forget completely insane for half of it, - Jared pointed out.

- Well, I did try to get you to stop that healer, - the book retorted. - So don't blame me for the loss of your mind. Which, it appears at least, you've rediscovered. -

- Not until I spent months as a feral beast, eating bugs and drinking my own piss, - Jared grated. - Was that supposed to be part of my fate, book? -

The book didn't answer for a moment, making the tall human think it was put off by how he was challenging it. Jared could feel the muscles in his jaw ripple as a sharp flare of anger and frustration rushed through him. Yeah, he didn't give a shit if that annoyed the book. He needed an answer, like now.

- Well, book? I asked you a fuckin' question! Was that part of the show? Or just good fuckin' luck?? -

- No need to curse, boy, - the book tartly replied. - You know damn well it wasn't your fate to suffer so. -

- Then seriously, what the actual fuck?! -

- Do they not have civility in your world, boy? - the book snapped. - Keep cursing at me and you'll find silence instead of answers! -

Jared growled under his breath and fought the impulse to kick the burnt barricade in front of him. Which, of course, would just make the book's point for it.