Delphia, Chapter 2: The Investigation

Enak was in no condition due to his wounds to do much of anything but think, and brood, and worry for his best friend’s daughter Delphia. Cassandra was lost, and Delphia’s father had yet to return after two years. A hulk of a man, he’d heeded the Call of the Guardians of Isen's Peak to the frigid mountains to mount a force to defend Aria from the hordes flooding in from íArathael and threatening all that lived there. They had not heard from him by letter or passerby for nearly a year - but no news in these days did not always mean bad news. The worst would be the return of the family great axe - that would mean he’d fallen in battle or to disease.

While unable to move beyond bed and the small table, Enak essentially took guardianship of Delphia. He had no other choice - it was the natural and right thing to honor Cassandra. But due to Enak’s significant wounds, while his heart was in it, Delphia was essentially left to do as she wished. 

And what she wished was to see her mother’s spirit again. 

In the chaos of the aftermath of the battle, Delphia recovered the bag of the fur covered man holding the magical fruit of the Askra tree. She continued to escape watching eyes and consumed the fruit regularly —- smaller and slower bites at first —- but more and more with each session. She didn’t know it, but it was changing her. She was addicted to it, both physically and what it enabled her to do — occasionally interact with her mother in the Otherworld. Delphia remembered the caution the town Seer had conveyed to all children about the fruit — it was not for child consumption. It was dangerous, could stunt their development, or cause mind sickness. Only trained Seers should dare use the fruit’s powers. It was sacred, and using the fruit immorally could result in the wrath of the ancients. 

It was easy for Delphia to do this without other’s knowledge. She hid the sack amongst some shaded rocks near the clearing where her mother died. The fruit proved very resilient. Enak was in no condition to look for Delphia when she was out of the house. Enak only detected that Delphia’s temperament appeared to improve - so he worried less about her, not realizing it was actually the fruit-imbued power slowly building within her. Enak had also been called upon by the town’s Seer to lead an investigation into the stranger — whose arrival had been determined to be a much worse omen than simply a thief looking to steal the fruits of the sacred trees. 

“Delphia - look here at these mysterious runes”, he whimpered excitedly, showing the many copies of parchment spread across the table. “These were copied from that beast’s broadsword, and these were on his leather armor, and these were tattooed all over his body.”

“The Seer says these runes are not from Aria originally, but their power may still relate to the Flow.” The Seer, old as she may be, had done a thorough post mortem on the stranger. The stranger was not from Isen's Peak and was certainly not a guardian. The heavy furs and leather armor, normally a hindrance in the warm weather of their part of Aria, may actually have been part of an elaborate system to keep the stranger’s skin cold. The furs were not from Kai'eo, nor Vitr'eo, which would have been more typical for Aria. It appeared the stranger had used some form of magic to turn his skin to ice, or some sort of frost armor, in addition to layers of leather and furs. The furs may have been to keep the cold in. 

Likewise, the stranger’s two handed monstrous broadsword had also been imbued with arcane magic in the form of frost and ice. Some of those struck in battle suffered from terrible frost bite, or reported having been feeling like they were frozen stiff after being struck with the sword, even where they should have had protection. Enak’s own wounds had turned black in parts, and where the healers could not return it to normal, the skin that had turned black had to be carved away by healers to prevent further corruption.

The Seer was able to determine from glass fragments that the stranger had consumed at least one, possibly two, potions before the battle. The stranger had definitely drank a time snap potion, hasting his actions and moving faster than any normal frozen man should ever been able. She believed as the potion’s effects had expired and as he tired, that was when he began to slow and Cassandra dealt him the fatal blow. 

As Delphia listened to what had been discovered so far, she only felt bitter about the life for a life trade that her mother had made. Was it worth it? She reflected on the events, playing them again in her mind. Her mind wandered, and she saw it re-enacted, the tired stranger begins to thrust while her mother swings down hard upon his exposed head. She doesn’t quite notice the memory is now a mix of figures both living and spirits -- an almost steam like quality evaporating from those in her memory. 

“Delphia! Delphia!” Enak interrupted her mind wandering. “What are you doing!”

Snapping back - Delphia was confused. “What?”

“Your eyes glowed blue and the parchment began to flutter!”