Tale of Four

Standing in a ring around a burning fire, men and women of the Krystal Clan linked arms and spun each other around, matching the tempo of the musicians who played flutes and drums. Those who couldn’t play instruments and didn’t dance, but wished to add to it, stood outside the innermost circle of dancers,clapping and making sounds in beat with the music, laughing when they missed the timing.

"Here." Randolf and Elva looked up, seeing the Clan leader approach, his outfit different to the previous one, thicker in layers but less ornate, the bedwear for them. Turning back to the dancers and others who took part in the festivities, they wore different outfits as well, but unlike the leader, who dressed to sleep, their outfits were far more lavish than their usual ones, sewn with more and finer patterns, the furs from rarer creatures of strange colours. Even the masks were different. Although they wore them on the lower half of their face, revealing only their eyes, each had a different pattern compared to the previous all-black ones.

Looking down at the brown drink, the two took a small drink and grimaced a little at the heavy, earthy taste, but said nothing, not wishing to be rude. "Forgive me, I never travelled with your Clan before, but is this how you end every night?" The clan leader chuckled, pulling down his mask to eat the small pouch of nuts and dried fruit he had.

"It’s a celebration for dealing with the mimic." Looking across the camp, the clan leaders saw Alice, crouched down, fascinated with the mimic as she dissected it, making notes every few seconds before continuing the work. "I may dislike Magi, but one thing they are not is wasteful." Laughing to himself, the clan leader paused and realised soemthing. "Forgive me, Perus. Head of the Krystal Clan"

"Randolf."

"Elva."

Sharing a nod, the three silently sat watching as the dance changed, the woman leaving only the men alone. With the change, the music grew livelier but much more intense, becoming a dance of footwork, the men kicking out in tune with the music while spinning and moving around the fire.

"Tell me," Perus spoke after enjoying the dance for a few minutes, throwing a handful of nuts into his mouth. "Why are you delivering the girl? I understand Lord Raven is involved, but it doesn’t make much sense. She’s a Magi."

"It is what we have been trying to understand," Elva said with distaste, watching the dance, moving her head side to side in tune with the music. "There must be a reason behind it. Lord Raven wouldn’t demand a normal Magi to be brought to him, but I can’t understand."

"No one has ever understood the Ravens. Neither my father nor his understood them. It’s even believed by our young that Lord Raven is immortal and that whenever a new one appears, it is just him changing bodies." Getting a laugh from the two, Perus shook his head. "Although it is soemthing I have always wondered. According to my father, the last Lord Raven vanished, and the new one appeared. Even now, no one knows if Lord Raven has a child to succeed."

"There are many secrets they keep from us. Many are for the good of the land, but some are personal, I am sure." Randolf said, taking a sip of the drink, slowly enjoying the taste. "Matters of his family are things that can be kept close to his heart. We all know he has too much of a burden already." Getting a nod of agreement from the two. Perus chucked another bunch of nuts and fruit into his mouth before closing the bag and reaching over to grab a cup of the same drink the two drank.

"Forgive me if I am being rude, Perus, but your clan’s eyes. They are quite lovely. Is there a reason for them?" Perus smiled, showing no offence, instead running a finger under his right eye and lovingly stroking it.

"The story is that my ancestor had purple crystals for eyes. Whether that is true or not, I do not know, but all his descendants after him carried that trait, no matter how diluted the blood gets. It is also why we don’t allow outsiders to join us, unless it is via marriage or childbirth. It’s the mark we can trust. Kin is kin, and all with purple eyes are accepted." There was slight regret in his voice as he swirled the drink before downing its contents in one gulp. "For a clan leader, however, we must marry within the clan. There are numerous families in our clan, and we can only choose from three of them. In a way you understand, those three families plus my own are considered the nobles of our clan the same way your Lords are. When I was young, I hated the rule, and as do my children now, but it is the way things are."

"Is there a reason?" Randolf asked, leaving Perus silent for a moment.

"So we can emulate the founder. Whilst we never lose the purple in our eyes, no matter how diluted the blood gets, it does dim, as you have seen in others. Strong purple eyes are the mark of safety and leadership. A burden for the clan head to not marry for love but for the clan. Although I, as my children, grew up with the children of those three families so they could form bonds with them, I came to love my wife, even if she wasn’t my first love. Other clans, I’m not sure, however."

"It’s not too different from us, then." Perus raised an eyebrow. "We have arranged marriages in the settlements, albeit it’s rare and most do marry who they wish, but for some it’s different, mainly widows. A man and woman who lost their spouse usually marry one another, not for any reason bar the need for more children and the stability it brings to any preexisting children from their previous marriage."

"You people are strange." Perus said with a light chuckle, "How can you choose to live behind the walls? It’s so stuffy inside of them. When I must enter, I hate it. I feel trapped."

"And many, myself included, don’t understand how you live outside Perus. My work keeps me beyond the walls for weeks soemtimes months at a time, but I can never relax until I’m back home. I’m sure Elva agrees." The woman gave a nod, finishing her drink, her eyes fixed on the dancers. After a moment of thought, she put her cup down and got up, joining me, happily accepted by the dancers. "Forgive her; she hates talking to people."

"I understand. Those touched by the Shattered Men are always changed by it." Randolf laughed and shook his head.

"No, she just hates talking in general unless it’s me. She was like that before her injury." Sharing a smile, Randolf reached into the small bag by his side and pulled out a clay bottle. Taking Perus’s cup, he poured him a drink and one for himself. "Try it." Taking a sip, Perus instantly coughed, hitting his chest as the burning sensation overwhelmed him.

Laughing, Randolf took his own sip, easily swallowing it. "Usually I wouldn’t drink this stuff when travelling, as it gets you drunk, but if we are camping with you tonight, it is fine to let myself relax at least once." Perus shook his head and poured some of the brown liquid into the drink given to him to dilute it, finally able to withstand the burning.

The two stood in silence once again, enjoying the dance, swaying to the music. Looking at him, Perus followed his gaze and smiled. "Is she your wife?" For a moment, Randolf didn’t speak, simply watching. Taking a sip of his drink, he sighed.

"Not any more. After the injury, she didn’t wish to have children. Although we know that the curse of the Shattered Men doesn’t transfer to children, she was terrified it could. She doesn’t realise it herself, but her injury has changed her more deeply than she knows. I hold no hard feelings, however, and we still care deeply for one another. In the end, I remarried, a widow of a man I used to work with. My wife, however, there is no love; it’s more of a friendship with children."

Persu burst into laughter and sighed, "I have heard many similar relationships like your own." Taking a drink, Perus looked to Elva as she smiled, struggling to keep up with the dance, having to learn the moves on the go. "A shame for you, my friend."

"It’s fine. Our relationship never really changed. It just became less intimate." Wishing to move on from the conversation, Randolf continued, "Will you lot be returning to your lands after tonight?"

"Perhaps. I will talk with my people, and find out what they wish to do. We do not know the cycles of this land too well this far west, so it is likely."

"I see. A shame."