Bloodline

Practice - part 32

Zircon wakes up to the sound of rustling in the grass. He doesnt move a muscle as he barely opens his eyes, looking around at whatever he can see around him. Rose is in his tent, looking around everything until she holds a tiny box. "You know, maybe you could wake me up before you go through my stuff." He says, Rose turning to look at him as he sits up in his cot. "Did the rustling grass wake you up again?" "Yup, it seems like that is your weakness whenever you try to sneak around me." He grabs the small box from her hands, Rose sitting on the grass as he puts on most of his things. "So you were telling me about how you all got out of the forest and encountered someone you said was named Opal?" He looks at her for a second, then grabs his mask, showing it to her. "This used to be his, if you want me to explain my life story to fully understand who Opal was then I'll have to do it later, but just know that we confronted him, and we fought him, but in the process he tried to kill Damian with one last throw of a knife, but our friend Osred died blocking it. He wouldn't have died either if I was able to focus more on him rather than listen to his constant nagging on how his life was "better" than mine, I hated that asshole my whole life and I am glad he died."

Rose stays silent, listening to every word he says as he finally finishes putting on his gear. "A few days later we reached this camp before we put up the fort walls and there was another commanding officer. He was also a dick too, never agreeing with any plan Damian had come up with. We eventually cleared another of the enemy forts nearby and now after a lot of encounters and events, I found a vial of Valkyrie blood that the king somehow converted into a sort of enhancer for his army, but I stole one from an officer we killed and now I have these powers." He snaps his fingers, a trail of smoke being left behind.

She looks at the smoke trail, holding his hand. "What powers does this give you, can you control fire? Summon smoke? I've only seen a few of these enhancers but never in action." He looks at her for a second, before his hand becomes smoke, her hand falling through it as he stands up. "I can create and control smoke whenever I want, I may even be able to make makeshift weapons from smoke if I try to concentrate enough, but it's up for debate, I'm not even sure what the limits to my powers are right now." Rose stands and they walk out of the tent, Zircon going to one of the camp watchmen. "Any reports of movement?" "No sir, even the enemy fort falls silent at the moment, not sure what this means." The soldier replied, Zircon walking away towards the forest. Rose follows until Tesath appears coming from the forest. "Oh, Zircon, I finally found you." "What is it Tess? Anything you need?" He asks, Tesath pointing to Rose. "I was wondering if you knew where she went, but seeing as you two are together, possibly getting to know each other, we'll all be able to come up with a plan of action now that Damian urgently asked for more reinforcements, with another battalion of troops nearby also coming by to assist." He smiles as she finishes, Rose looking at Tesath curiously.

"That's great news, if you dont mind Tesath, I'm going to go out and practice using my powers, we were just talking about them and I'm now wondering what are the limits to me using them." She looks at him, confused. "Are you wanting me to come watch? Do you need me to tell Damian about this?" "I was about to say, you could come if you'd like, but I was going to ask if it was possible to let Damian know that Rose is ready to fight for us, and is up to speed on everything that's happened to now." Rose looks at Zircon, "I cant come watch you?" He thinks as he shrugs, "You can if you want to as well, I'm just going to do a few things I think I'll be able to try though." Tesath nods, walking towards the camp. After some walking, Zircon and Rose come up to a clearing, Zircon looking up to the sky. "This reminds me of the clearing I was in when we were in that forest...Its strange seeing and being in a magic forest when now it's a normal forest with me having magic." He turns into his smokey form and begins summoning some smoke, using it in many ways such as making figures that fight, making walls and buildings using just the smoke, and other abilities with his powers. After some time, Tesath comes by, and soon Damian as well, them all watching as Zircon tries using his smoke to do all sorts of things like travel one a smoke cloud in the air, fighting a smokey figure with a dagger made of smoke, and all sorts of other things.

Time passes, and the sun begins to set, Zircon is panting as he sits next to everyone, them all talking about his newfound abilities. "That smoke clone was an amazing trick on its own, but knowing it could fight? That can be an amazing and terrifying tool in combat." Damian says, Rose grabbing his canteen and offering it to Zircon. "I dont know, those smoke chains were pretty cool, making a gas a very durable solid and into the shape of something was amazing." Zircon shrugs, "Its like I told you before Damian, you'll never get better at something if you dont practice, now I'll be able to do even more than just make coffee if I work my smoke right." Damian laughs, and they eventually start heading back to the camp, Zircon smiling more as they continue talking as they walk back.