Riveildian tales

The girl who Awaits tomorrow III

 The light of the midday sun made the leaves and grasses of the forest glow green, while the streams that cut across it sparkled blue from the water sprites, and many vibrant fishes that swam along it. Amice recognized this part of the forest as the exact place where she first woke up as Amice. And alas, how could she not? Even though melodious chirps of the morning birds had been replaced by the drones of cicadas, the scenery couldn't be mistaken for anything else. She looked to Oliver beside her,

"What's the bag for Oliver?" She asked eyeing a leather satchel he wore across his chest. Oliver held the strap of the bag with one hand and patted it with the other.

"In here is everything I need to make traps for the giants" He sat on the ground and began emptying the contents of the satchel onto the ground. Amice crouched to get a closer look.

"How are these meant to trap giants?" she asked watching Oliver pull out some Gems, ropes and nails.

"These are for a distraction,..." he held out a hand full glowing azure crystal roughly the size of a small pebble. "These are the main trap." Amice took one to inspect, even though it looked smooth save for its vertices, every part of it gently pricked her skin, as if she held a little cactus.

"What is this?"

"Petrification stones, they can turn anything to stone." Oliver stuffed the rest back into his satchel and took the one Amice held. "Watch." He set the crystal on the ground and got up to his feet. "Be right back, don't touch that." he said pointing at the petrification stone before running off. He returned carrying a large rock with his hand placed at its base, "Stand back." Oliver said as he held the rock above his head. As soon as Amice took a step back, he dropped the rock on the crystals instantly crushing it. Amice noticed a small gust of glowing blue smoke seeping out from the base of the rock for a little while.

"Nothing happened." she said looking at the unchanged rock.

"Well there isn't much you can do to when trying to turn a stone into a stone."

"So how do we know it works?" Oliver held up his index finger with a smile. He then lifted one side of the rock and took something from underneath and handed it to Amice. It was a leaf, and by all means a simple one, except it was now made entirely out of stone. Amice inspected the petrified leaf closely. It was as thin as a leaf would be and just as detailed with thin vines running symmetric patterns across it.

"The effects wear off after seven hours, I'm hoping to get the royal guards to come help me once I turn a giant to stone."

"This is amazing Oliver," Amice said her eyes starlit, "How did you get them, them must be very rare." Oliver began gathering the rest of his equipment back into his satchel, "The mage of my father's party used them capture an orc on their last expenditure." Oliver gave a coy smirk, "When I learned he had a whole chestful of it laying in his house, I knew he would mind a handful going missing during our last visit." Amice knew if there was already a mage in the party, then Oliver's father was most likely one thing.

"Your father is a knight." she asked,

"Only the second-best knight Riveildia would see." Amice couldn't quite recall there every being an honour of 'best knight' in the kingdom.

"Second-best?"

"If you're wondering who the title of 'best knight' is, that would be yours truly," Amice gave Oliver a smile beneath furrowed brows.

"You want to be a knight." Oliver wore a wide grin.

"I'm going to be one, and I'll start my legend by capturing a giant today." Listening to Oliver talk about his lofty goals, Amice couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.