Shamad followed the Hyur outside. They stopped by a statue. Shamad waited for the other person the Hyur had promised. He looked at the statue. It was a statue of a seagull. He saw something odd at the base. It was a tiny sword carved into the stone. He heard a throat clear. He looked up and saw a Miqo’te in the uniform of the Ul’dahn guard. She looked down at him with an expression that made his blood freeze. He could sense that whatever she was going to tell him, it wasn’t good. She started speaking and didn’t stop until she was done.
“Shamad of the Conde tribe? I have some very bad news for you. Your family is dead. Your parents and all their siblings were found massacred in the middle of the desert. They had been all killed by decapitation. It doesn’t look like they suffered. Among the bodies, they found something strange. A piece of parchment was found in the middle of the carnage. Inside they found two necklaces and another, smaller, piece of parchment with writing on it. We haven’t been able to decipher it. Maybe you can read it.â€Â
She handed over a package. Inside was a piece of paper and the necklaces. When he touched the necklaces, he gasped. They both had a spell on them. The Conde tribe was such a large tribe that things often got mixed up, so a family spell had been made. Each member cast a unique signature onto their possessions. These two necklaces were his brothers’. He thought they had been killed in Ala Mhigo. What were their necklaces doing there? He unfolded the paper. The writing was haphazard and the language was archaic. It looked like it been written in blood. It said:
Witness,
We have killed your family. We killed your brothers to prevent this catastrophe from coming true. We are going to kill you. You will not find the Nad ma Kal. You must not. It is all according to prophecy. Turn yourself in and we will show mercy. Run and your life will end slowly on the edge of a knife. This is your final and only warning.
The People.
He looked up at the Hyur and Miqo’te. “Please leave me alone. I need some time.†They nodded and left. They mentioned they would be at the Drowning Wench when he was ready. He sank down and sat, back against the statue’s base, his legs splayed out in front of him. He read the letter again. He looked on the back and saw more writing. He read it.
Magic of the Gods, it comes again
An ancient war, it yet starts
Its new master it seeks, who shall use it and die, yet still live on
What shall stand against its coming?
The progeny shall kneel
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Witness stands alone
He searches for the blades
Two paths before him, one to peace and death, one to war and eternal life
Which will he choose? Which will he choose?
What arm shelters? What arm slays?
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Witness bleeds
The blades are revealed
The hunt is now begun. The Peoples’ hounds search and kill
The blood of the Witness waters the desert
The time of pain has come
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Nadma Kal awaits
The seed of the twelve thrive and search
Death shall sow and cities burn, before the Echo comes
Death shall reap and gods mourn, before the Echo Comes
Again the seed gather and kill, before the Echo comes
Now the Echo comes
He started pounding his fists against the statue’s base. He felt his skin split where he cut it earlier and felt blood flow. He didn’t feel it. He stopped as he heard a slight grinding sound from behind him. He looked down. Where the sword had been was a little slot, just big enough for his finger. He reached in and pulled out a ring. It was gold with little swords all around the inside. It had a little ruby chip set on the outside. He slipped it on. The world turned red then went back to normal. He stood up and looked at the statue. The hole was gone and so was the sword. He walked around it, looking for more. He saw a bright spot in the middle of the base. He looked closely. It looked like another sword glowing. It was like looking at the sun through a piece of paper. He looked at the ring, then the light, then the ring, then the light. He had an idea. He placed the ruby part of the ring against the light. He saw the stone melt and reform into a chip of stone about the size of his palm. He pulled off the chip and examined it. It was part of a map! He wrapped up his hands and put the chip into his pocket. He wasn’t ready to face the two messengers. He went back to the Bismark with the intention to get blackout drunk.
“Shamad of the Conde tribe? I have some very bad news for you. Your family is dead. Your parents and all their siblings were found massacred in the middle of the desert. They had been all killed by decapitation. It doesn’t look like they suffered. Among the bodies, they found something strange. A piece of parchment was found in the middle of the carnage. Inside they found two necklaces and another, smaller, piece of parchment with writing on it. We haven’t been able to decipher it. Maybe you can read it.â€Â
She handed over a package. Inside was a piece of paper and the necklaces. When he touched the necklaces, he gasped. They both had a spell on them. The Conde tribe was such a large tribe that things often got mixed up, so a family spell had been made. Each member cast a unique signature onto their possessions. These two necklaces were his brothers’. He thought they had been killed in Ala Mhigo. What were their necklaces doing there? He unfolded the paper. The writing was haphazard and the language was archaic. It looked like it been written in blood. It said:
Witness,
We have killed your family. We killed your brothers to prevent this catastrophe from coming true. We are going to kill you. You will not find the Nad ma Kal. You must not. It is all according to prophecy. Turn yourself in and we will show mercy. Run and your life will end slowly on the edge of a knife. This is your final and only warning.
The People.
He looked up at the Hyur and Miqo’te. “Please leave me alone. I need some time.†They nodded and left. They mentioned they would be at the Drowning Wench when he was ready. He sank down and sat, back against the statue’s base, his legs splayed out in front of him. He read the letter again. He looked on the back and saw more writing. He read it.
Magic of the Gods, it comes again
An ancient war, it yet starts
Its new master it seeks, who shall use it and die, yet still live on
What shall stand against its coming?
The progeny shall kneel
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Witness stands alone
He searches for the blades
Two paths before him, one to peace and death, one to war and eternal life
Which will he choose? Which will he choose?
What arm shelters? What arm slays?
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Witness bleeds
The blades are revealed
The hunt is now begun. The Peoples’ hounds search and kill
The blood of the Witness waters the desert
The time of pain has come
Blood feeds blood.
Blood calls blood.
Blood is, and blood was, and blood shall ever be.
The Nadma Kal awaits
The seed of the twelve thrive and search
Death shall sow and cities burn, before the Echo comes
Death shall reap and gods mourn, before the Echo Comes
Again the seed gather and kill, before the Echo comes
Now the Echo comes
He started pounding his fists against the statue’s base. He felt his skin split where he cut it earlier and felt blood flow. He didn’t feel it. He stopped as he heard a slight grinding sound from behind him. He looked down. Where the sword had been was a little slot, just big enough for his finger. He reached in and pulled out a ring. It was gold with little swords all around the inside. It had a little ruby chip set on the outside. He slipped it on. The world turned red then went back to normal. He stood up and looked at the statue. The hole was gone and so was the sword. He walked around it, looking for more. He saw a bright spot in the middle of the base. He looked closely. It looked like another sword glowing. It was like looking at the sun through a piece of paper. He looked at the ring, then the light, then the ring, then the light. He had an idea. He placed the ruby part of the ring against the light. He saw the stone melt and reform into a chip of stone about the size of his palm. He pulled off the chip and examined it. It was part of a map! He wrapped up his hands and put the chip into his pocket. He wasn’t ready to face the two messengers. He went back to the Bismark with the intention to get blackout drunk.