Chapter 8 - The Runes'guidance

William wakes up in a dimly lit cave as hundreds of wounded soldiers moan in pain. He sees tribe members of the Hand are now lying beside other wounded of Ingrid's tribe. Noticing the patchwork on him, William figured that William must have passed out due to the blood loss from the Chief's attack. He figures that they won the war but wonders how did they won. The last thing he knew was that he was standing beside his friends then his vision began to darken.

William stood up and began to walk around the cave for the exit. As he carefully navigated his way, he was stunned by this old yet beautiful painting that tells a story of a tribe: a tribe who grew powerful and ambitious that they became a mighty nation, the Zonian.

A story that William is aware of and is still shocked about it. He clenched his fist in anger. Cruel is the fate that brought him to this world. Whenever he is happiest, the Pentalium always finds a way to turn it for the worst. First, Eldric and now his new home within the tribe. William's eyes began to turn red. Inspired by the Zonian's painting, William's conviction has returned, and now with a vengeance motivating him, he will find Pentalium and drive them to extinction. 

As he stared at the painting with his eyes, he noticed the red paint on the wall began to move. William took a step back to look at the picture and saw the whole picture. He doesn't know how his eyes could detect this, but if William excludes all colors except for the red paint, then a map is shown. William doesn't find this layout familiar, but he memorizes it easily.

As William was so preoccupied with his discovery, he didn't detect the Elder approaching him from behind. She tapped him from his shoulder and checked if the wounds had healed. 

William turned around and found the tired old woman in front of him.

"When I was young, my father told stories about how the hunter tribe came here. Our tribe came from a place where food was scarce. They looked far and wide, searching for a place they could call home. One day, the runes provided instructions and guided them to this mountain. The hunters celebrated and began to settle in. As the hunters began to feel at home, they received a grim reading from the runes: it says that the mountain welcomed them, but this cave never be visited by the living. Only the devil seeks it. Since then, the hunters won't enter this cave in fear for their lives."

William nods in silence. After a year of staying with them, he does notice that they are religious people. Though William is not a pagan, those runes' power is something he admires.

"When the Chief arrived and demanded to secure his 'treasure,' I immediately knew he was aiming for the cave." The Elder grabbed William's hand, and she began to lead them out of the cave.

Thinking back on what William saw, he believes that the Chief was looking for the map on this painting.

"I didn't know there was a painting here, but the runes were right. The devil did come to seek the cave." The Elder continue as they carefully move around the wounded. 

"After the battle, I used the runes to ask how we can move from this attack. It returned with ᚦ ᛠ ᚪᚢ. That's when I knew the earth is dying." The Elder and William stopped at the entrance of the cave. From what he saw, William collapsed to his knees: the land below the mountain is barren and dry from the fire the Hand made. A massive flock of ravens darkens the sky as they circle a mountainous pile of dead on the battlefield. The air smells of iron, and rotting flesh made him sick.

"We tried burning and burying the dead, but we can't do it alone. It will take months before we can tend to all of the dead. I think it's time for the hunters to leave this mountain and seek a new home." The Elder's voice began to tremble.

"The bodies are green. How long was I out?" William says as he picks himself up. He slowly got used to the smell.

"Eight days." The Elder says as she points out the raven as they begin to feast on the dead. She turned to William and showed her the runes on her hand where it shows ᛡ ᛥ ᛋ, then she continued, "These runes repeatedly showed themselves to all of us who asked runes where to stay. This is when we understand it: the cave's curse changed to a blessing when the devil or the Chief died. We can now use the cave, but for how long?" With forest burnt, the Elder is right. The hunters won't last here. The hunters grew in numbers, and soon they won't be able to feed themselves. 

Elder then opened up to William. About her plans to pass on the tribe leadership to Ingrid. The Elder is glad that Ingrid was a good leader on the battlefield, but she believes the hunter will survive if they keep up with the change. She admits that the old ways kept them the hunters alive. But the Elder now sees that Ingrid's suggestion to trade was right. If Ingrid had her way, maybe the hunters would have those steel armor and weapons, and fewer of them would die.

Her words of regret weigh heavy on William's consciousness, too, as he slowly thinks of his mistakes. The things he could do if he had trained and well versed with the Sense, maybe

Eldric will be alive today. He found himself breathing heavily, and his grip tightens. "Focus, William." The word of Eldric echoes thru him.

William's heart began to pump with anger. William turned to the Elder and showed her his red eyes. "Eldric was a father to John and me. A year ago, assassins hired by the Petalium killed him before my eyes. His death triggered something in me, and for the first time, I unlocked these red eyes and gave me powers to defend myself."

Hearing Pentalium made the Elder irk in pain. "William, you have encountered this Pentalium before?" He confessed to the Elder that he had met them before. William told her everything he knew about the Pentalium and admitted to the Elder that he didn't know about his Zonian heritage until now. But he is now deadset on one thing that he and the Elder would both want, justice against the Pentalium.

"Elder, I will carry your anger with me. Let me be your agent and instrument of justice. All I ask you is to use the runes and show me where the Pentalium are."

By being pained by Pentalium, the Elder agreed to help William. She began to shake the bag of runes and chant a prayer for William. She yells, "Where is the Pentalium hiding?". She then asks William to grab the runes and throw them to the ground. But all the runes turned up facing the earth. 

She then asked the runes what William should do. William fling another set of runes, and it returned with ᛗ ᛟ ᛏ. "That's weird," he said to the Elder. "those are the same runes that I got when I met Ingrid for the first time. A man will inherit the land of the brave. That's what she told these three meant."

The Elder nodded in approval of her grandaughter's reading and added her interpretation to guide William. "The land of the brave. I think it was referring to the knights gathering for the Tourney. William, is there another event where will the knights go? Or at least a significant event that will happen to the Kingdom?"

His soul began to burn with anger, and he began to pray for the Princess's safety as he realized the upcoming Kingdom's event. "A month from now, campaigning season for the Royal Court will begin."

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A week has passed, and most tribe members have recovered from their wounds and can now walk. The Elder and Ingrid led the hunters to find a new home. Though it is painful for them to leave the mountain, they must forgo and find a new place to stay. And hopefully, a place where there's fruit to eat and animals to hunt.

With the Elder's approval, William and John are free to leave and return to them anytime they want. But for now, William will have to hurry back to the Kingdom, and if the runes are correct, and they always have been, the Pentalium will strike soon!

Ingrida and John were inseparable since they led the charge against the Hand. The hunter even views them as their new leaders once they grow older, but the mission against Pentalium calls John and Ingrid to go on their separate ways. Ingrid has decided to learn as much from her grandmother and lead her people to a new home. Ingrid does know how to reach the Kingdom, so once her tribe settles on a new home, she will let John and William know about their whereabouts.

Before they left the mountain, Ingrid shared a warmful hug with her friends. They understood the task they needed to do and, more importantly, their bond. For a year, a lot of things had changed for them. They thought they would never see each other eye to eye, but they always seemed to get each other back. And as the two boys leave the mountain, they cannot help to feel sad to leave their friends and see their second home destroyed, but now they must hurry before their first home, the Kingdom, is destroyed.

As they journeyed back to the Kingdom, they arrived back at the Shadow Scale's lair and found the pile of tressure it had left. The two decided to carry it all back to the Capital. And amid the tressures, one shiny object caught William's attention - a sword. Despite its age, it was particularly sharp and not maintained for a long time. It got a silver and black design all over, and its weight is just right for William to wield. He doesn't know why but this sword's pristine condition reminds him of the Eldric's shiny armor and shield. 

John notices William's fancy on the blade and encourages him to take it. "It will be a waste to sell such a creation. Name it!"

William took his friend's advice but didn't name it yet but promised he would once he thought of a worthy one to give it.

What left like an eternity of trekking the wilderness, the two finally arrived at Tarwood! Upon arrival, the townsfolk celebrated their appearance as they thought bandits killed them, for they were gone for a year. They were taken back into Tarwood and given back their old sleeping quarters. Tarwood remains the same for the most part, but one thing didn't change: their people's kind hearts and warm smiles.

They immediately readjust themselves to the city lives, but living for a year in the forest did change them. For one, their ears can hear the lightest footsteps moving around in and outside of their rooms. They are even alert in their sleep. John figured that they were accustomed to predators that might attack them when camping in the forest, but it is good as they are always alert.

A day goes by, and after recovering their strength from their journey, the boys agreed to visit the Royal court in the morning and address themselves before the Princess and tell them about what they found about Pentalium. The two were about to turn in for the night, but they both felt feint movement outside their rooms. William Sense's can hear their visitors' weapons swaying from their waist. 

"Two with weapons. And I hear fluttering of robes? Are they Assassins?" William wasted no time! He snuffed his candle and grabbed his sword. 

The doors swung open, and the hooded person entered the room only to find the darkness to greet him. William hid in the dark corner of the room. The figure bent over and began to look for William underneath the bed. And there is a chance! William stealthful creep behind the man and taps the man on his bottom. "Looking for someone?" Willaim says with his red eyes glaring at the intruder.