The Auric Insignia (7 page)

A scar that even the blind can see

Walking where he did, he felt small, like a child walking through a great hall filled with treasures, each new surpassing the one before. He saw slim silvery trees that shot like arrows from ground, their reflecting leaves giving its smooth bark an almost glowing aspect. Plants that looked like ivy dipped in blood, climbed its way up trees with dark trunks with white stripes, ending in a crown comprised of black leaves. Beyond that was the green backdrop that seemed to consist of every tone of green there was, like a whole rainbow to itself. He walked by thorny brambles that almost appeared to move and entwine its surroundings to the beat of a pulse unheard, a heartbeat of the forest.

     Roarke had no idea where they were headed, if they were going straight or if their path was twisting and turning. His diminutive guide offered no conversation let alone answers, and only stopped to see if Roarke was still following and immediately resumed its march when it saw that that was the case. Roarke followed loyally, not knowing what lay before him as the forest managed to be both massive and awe inspiring but at the same time, close up and forever labyrinthian. Suddenly, having been previously hidden from view by vegetation, Korri’s familiar shape materialized. Roarke’s temporary travel companion abandoned its earlier modest pace and set off towards its matriarch. Korri picked up the critter and proceeded to offer it a big nut, for services rendered. Seemingly overjoyed, the critter settled on Korri’s shoulder as Roarke finally caught up with them.

     - Hi.

     - Hello.

     - So what now?

     - We wish to speak with you.

     - Who’s we?

     - Members of the Kappian decree.

     She jerked her head towards a faint path that continued behind her.

     - .. And hopefully you will get those answers I promised you.

     - Okay.

     They continued walking for a short while before entering a small clearing, lit by glowing mushrooms that grew in the opening. Knotted, golden trunks lined the open area, shimmering fruit hanging from the branches, sparkling when the light caught the right angle.

     - Idu trees....

     Korri reacted to his newfound knowledge with some surprise.

     - Someone’s learning.

     - Well I met some “brothers” of yours, of the the nicer variety.

     - They come in every flavor.

     Inside the clearing were several Kappas waiting for them, some sitting in trees whilst others stood in huddles, waiting. As Roarke came within view however, activity stopped as all eyes fixed on the one human standing amongst them. Roarke suddenly felt highly self aware as he felt his every movement observed, analyzed and judged. Roarke recognized Ama from their earlier skirmish, now standing uneasy in this nature’s council chambers. His eyes met Roarke’s and seemed to want to remind him of the promise that had been uttered when last they met. Viewing him in a different light, cast by the information he had received from Marel, Ama struck Roarke more as a sad character rather than like a mindless brute. Vaya was also there and met his arrival with a kind face, lessening the awkwardness of the situation. As they reached the middle of the clearing, Korri disengaged from Roarke to join Vaya where she was sitting on a large rock, covered in lichen, colored sky light blue.

     - We welcome you, Roarke, once again, to the trees of Braida.

     The raspy voice came from a Kappa that Roarke had not noticed until it spoke. A small figure came walking out, separating himself from where he had stood, next to Ama. Hunched over, the insect-like Kappa moved slowly, chitin covered joints shimmering bright green, dark compound eyes making it difficult for Roarke to judge the Kappa’s intentions or mood.

     - I am Plista, Kappa of Dead-nettle leaf beetles, specific I know. Please, sit if you wish.

     Sectioned legs folded below his rotund body as he made himself comfortable, with Roarke following suit.

     - You will have to forgive the somewhat stale atmosphere, it is not every day we have a human here.

     - So I’ve heard....

     - So Roarke, we have been told you were promised some answers.

     As typical when one was put on the spot, Roarke came up blank as regards to questions.

     - I..yeah.

     Sensing Roarke’s predicament, the beetle man continued.

     - Korri says you do not know anything, as far as Kappas are concerned, that is. I personally, am inclined to trust her judgment whilst others amongst us have their doubts, as is their right of course.

     Roarke looked towards where Ama was standing and was met with a vigilant gaze filled with distrust.

     - As we could never truly tell one way or another, I say we assume it to be true and go from there.

     He looked around, waiting for any objections but no came.

     - Very well, let us start at the beginning. We are Kappas, tasked with keeping the balance.

     - Korri said something about that. Champions of some sort.

     - Champions, teachers, leaders, many words with the same spirit behind them. We are tasked with upholding the balance of the world, ensuring its survival. A balance seemingly indestructible but in truth, as frail and as delicate as the petals of a flower in spring.

     - Why? Who gave you this task?

     - Good question, tasked by whom indeed, or by what, for that matter. The truth however, is not quite so simple as that, it rarely is. The truth is, we do not know, we have not been asked to take on this burden, this task, but instead we have stepped up and accepted the role that our lives gave us. If there if something greater than you or I behind it, I will let that go unsaid for the fear that I might just spout theories.

     Plista saw the scepticism on Roarke’s face.

     - Make no mistake, nature is not a bottomless well, and even though you may not see it here, nature is crumbling.

     - I’m not quite sure I understand.

     - A long time ago, harmony existed, the likes of which you see pale remnants of around you, here in Braida. Kappas of every species, striving for the same goal, but it would not last, for one Kappa wanted more, the Kappa of humans, Gota, wanted more.

     Ama’s words from before returned to Roarke, he had accused Roarke of serving someone called Gota. At the time Roarke had not thought much of it, the severity of the situation taking precedence.

     - With all due respect, humans have no one leader, and we do just fine without one.

     - Typical human, pride clouds your mind and the world suffers for it.

     - Ama, dear brother, calm yourself. He only speaks what he knows and it is our task to expand upon that. Now where was I? The qualities that made Gota a great leader, curiosity and an intellect with no comparison, would also be the qualities that led to his betrayal. In time those traits grew into greed and lack of heart, only being motivated by his own twisted logic. He believed humans were superior to all others and set in a motion a plan to make his aspirations a reality. You see, what makes a Kappa different from their, for a lack of a better word, normal brethren, is an energy, an extra life force, if you will. Every Kappa has this energy, which fuels their power, extending their lifespan and granting strength. When a Kappa perishes, for whatever reason, that energy is passed on to another member of their respective species, who in turn becomes the new Kappa of their kind.

     Plista waited to see if his words had sunken in before he continued.

     - Gota, with his brilliant mind, found a way to alter this process, manipulate it, in order to claim this life force for himself upon the death of a fellow Kappa. With promises of power, along with his sweet words of persuasion, he gathered a number of followers to his cause.

     A few feet from Roarke, Ama’s expression grew distant as he bowed his head and folded his ears.

     - With the help of the new servants of man, he betrayed the cause he had once sworn to uphold. Before we knew what was transpiring, they had grown too powerful for us to stop them. Having failed our only task, we retreated and tried to rescue what could be saved but much was already lost. Countless of beings were robbed of their leadership, that energy that ran in the bloodline of every race, and with no new Kappas to take their place, our efforts spread thin trying to help those who suddenly stood alone. Do you know what used to lie beyond these mountains?

     Roarke had no idea, for him and for every other human, the world ended with the Horned Mountains, or at least that was what he had thought. He shook his head in order to hear the answer.

     - No? Well I do. A great blossoming land, lakes deeper than the mind can dream, filled with life. Meadows covered with flowers that makes the ones you see here look like faint shadows, and forests, forests that would have dwarfed the small remnants we are currently residing in.

     Roarke had trouble imagining the things he was being told, they struck him as too great, as fairytales.

     - ...Alas our wooden brethren prosper no longer, for they were the first to fall to the betrayal of Gota. If you look around you, you see there are no Kappas for the flora of this earth. Where once there was a Kappa for every tree, bush and flower that had ever grown in this world, only broken spirits and shadows remain.

     Roarke tried to imagine what they had looked like but found the concept too incongruous to grasp and abandoned the effort.

     - Under Gota’s rule, human population exploded, covering every corner of this earth that they could reach. Two bucks will fight for the right to mate, and a fox will hunt and kill a rabbit to survive, but no other race will destroy their surroundings like man will. But perhaps you do not agree, perhaps you remember your home and do not see of what I speak.

     - No offense, but a little bit.

     - Then let me ask you this, have you been to the south, to the so called southern cities?

     - No.

     - Have you been more than fifty miles from your place of birth?

     - No, I haven’t.

     -The area where you live, being so close to Vanalf, the realm where our influence still have some hold, have not been exploited to the same extent as the rest of the lands to the south. Warped by Gota, man sought to better her position through the exploitation of others, and with fire and steel, man has made its mark upon the world, a scar that even the blind can see.

     Roarke felt conflicted, discussing the nature of humans in this manner almost felt like betraying his own kind. Before he could put this concern into words, Plista uncannily honed in on what he was experiencing.

     - Ironically the fate of humans have not  transcended to a higher plane.

     - What do you mean? No animal is above a human, smarter.

     - That may be, but intelligence does not equal worth or importance, and it does not equal happiness. Do you think the hare ponders the meaning of life? No, because it knows and accepts its part within the balance. Do snails become depressed because they feel a lack of direction? No. Only the forsaken, humans, having been unnaturally ripped out of the circle of life, observes it from afar. Your minds pushed to their limit without purpose, growing weary and ignorant in the dark, desperately searching for enlightenment, a grace only Gota could bring. Gota had no ambition and desire to grasp the flailing hand in the dark and pull it out of the fog that clouds it. Gota bred the traits he himself valued, curiosity without limit, turned to insatiable greed, and let it loose upon the world. Instead of the helping hand of a teacher, humanity found the false comfort of a tyrant. When you look at us, you might think that we have human traits, at least to some degree, but in fact, it is you, humans, that have been made to resemble Kappians.

     Roarke didn’t really know what to say, how to react. Listening to what was being said, he heard truth as he had never heard it before. Tales that could have been taken from any children’s book but that somehow rang true in his heart of hearts.

     - So what of Marielle?

     Plista shared a look with Korri, who had been quiet until she now, after a silent deliberation took over the conversation.

     - She was with all certainty sent by Gota to test and observe the extent of our movements and influence.

     - But I’ve known her my whole life! I mean, we have never really been friends but I find it hard to believe she would do something like that.

     - Maybe not, but you heard what Brock said, she had recently traveled to the southern cities. That, together with the fact that the snares were poisoned with Eitr doesn’t speak in her favor.

     Seeing Roarke’s confusion, Korri realized that she had inadvertently broached upon another subject unknown to Roarke.

     - Plista?

     The face of a kind old man shone through the armored face.

     - Eitr, Roarke, is a poison of sort. Poisonous only to Kappas, it is only employed by humans in Gota’s direct service as a way of leveling the playing field, if you will. Eitr is an unnatural substance, an idea from the mind of Gota, brought to life by his most trusted and closest human subjects most like. It works mainly by interrupting our accelerated healing and if left untreated, festers in the body until purged from the system. If allowed to take hold, it will in most cases lead to death in a most unpleasant manner. Since it is a double edged sword for Gota, it is probably treated with great care and probably only handed to the most trusted soldiers in the deceiver’s army. As to this Marielle and her possible motives and recruitment by Gota, we can only guess. Gota’s greatest strength is, and always has been, his mind. He manipulates and lies, twists logic and turn friends into foes, brothers into enemies, that is his power.