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Eternium Chapter 7

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Eternium Chapter 7 A light in the darkness

“Found… what?” Gracia says quietly.

“We found where whatever attacked the village was hiding. The swamps to the north which line the border between us and Nocrem. I'm being assigned to take an assault mech squad and clear the swamp out. I have to go and organize the squad. Sorry I couldn't keep my promise, but orders are orders.” Jamard says as he turns to walk away. There is an emptiness to his voice. Like he's reading a script, no power to his words.

Gracia watches in both shock and confusion as Jamard walks down the street, and around the bend. And just like that, she was alone. She sits there for a couple seconds, staring at the corner. Lost. She looks around the street she is sitting at. Its unfamiliarity causes a shiver to ride up her spine. She's suddenly aware of the time. Darkness will descend on the city soon, and she has nowhere to go. She looks at the money he gave her, she has only enough for a meal or two.

She rises to her feet, and starts running. Around the corner Jamard disappeared beyond.

Two hours later…

huff huff huff huff As night approaches, the cold air begins to sting at her. Her breath forming steam in the cold night air as she continues on her desperate search. She folds her arms around herself, trying to keep warm. Her clothes weren't fit for this. She was completely lost at this point. Everything looked new, none of the shinning lights, bright warm homes, or bold brightly burning letters of before. Soon the sun would fully set along the horizon, and she would be lost completely.

Hopelessness begins to gnaw at her. She had nowhere to sleep, nowhere to go, noone to ask for help. Her feet stop listening to her,  and she slips down against the wall of a building. Tears begin welling up in her eyes. “Why…?” She mutters to herself.

“Excuzus missus, are you ok?” A deep, but kind voice asks.

Gracia looks up to see a large man in uniform, carrying two bags, standing over her.

“It not to safe to be sleepin out here missus. De bad guys like to wunder at night. Do you have a place to sleep?” He says, his concern seeming genuine.

Gracia wipes away her tears quickly. “No… I don't. I don't have anything...” Her voice almost cracks.

The man is touched, and he holds out his hand. “It aint much, but you could sleep at the milimary outspost in the city. Dey never say no to a pretty lady. Follow me.” He says, his friendly tone dispells Gracia's worry. Even though in the back of her mind, she knows this seems suspicious, her desperation for somewhere to be safe crushes it instantly. She grabs ahold of his hand, and he practically yanks her up.

“Oops, sorry missus, a little to strong for me own good. I'm Bargel” The man says.

“Gracia...” She says quietly. Even now that she was standing, he still towered over her. Easily a foot taller if not more. She is unsure if that fact should be relieving or worrying. He was in uniform, so he was most likely military, which meant he was taking her to the military camp. 'Which is where Jamard probably went to… which means…' She shakes her head. 'No… I can't ask that… it wouldn't make sense… there's no way he would say yes…'

“Missus?” Bargel says as he turns around, wondering why she had stopped in her tracks.

Gracia snaps back to reality, and quickly puts on a smile. “Nothing, just thinking to myself. So, whats in the bags?” She says, trying to sound cheerful and appreciative.

“Food, normally we aren't allowed off site unless we have a specific reason, but one a week someone is allowed to do a food run. Jamard says its good for morale, don't want the boys getting sick or something like that.” Bargel says as he starts digging into one of the two bags.

“Jamard?” Gracia asks.

“Our commander, normally the food run is next week, but he said that I could go and buy today, said we had a mission commin and that he wanted our bellies full.” Bargel says.

“Jamard is your commander?” Gracia asks.

“You know im missus?” Bargel says surprised.

“Yes… we met recently actually.” Gracia grumbles to herself.

“Ohhhohoho! Boys gonna wana hear this! Jamards finally back in action! Woooo!” Bargel suddenly perks up even more happily. He starts talking to himself in excitement.

“What?” Gracia mutters.

“Ohh… I'm sorry missus, its just, Jamard hasn't been talking to no ladies ever since his missus died. Even thought its been years.

Gracia's cheeks light up crimson and she stammers out. “Nononono, were not like that! We're just friends, I mean, I only met him a week ago!”

Bargel lets out an uproarious laugh. “Are you so sure, you don't sound all so convinced yourself missus! Hahahaha!” He grips his side with his spare hand. “I'm sorry missus, I'm just kidding. Gelaud always says I tease the missus's to much.

Gracia stumbles on her words, still clearly shaken by Bargels bold statement. “O-ok… just… don't… says crazy things like that… I lost my husband recently, So… please?”

Bargels stops laughing and puts his two bags down. He turns to face Gracia. Swoosh “Forgive me missus! I meant to offences! I'm sorry!” His head drops with enough speed to make a small gust, he bows down as he speaks.

“Its… ok. I have to get used to it either way… I can't let the past rule me, I don't have a choice.” Gracia says as he puts one of her hands gently on Bargels shoulders.

Bargels head shoots up, his grin renewed as if it was never gone. “Thanks missus!” He says as he grabs his bags and gets moving again.

Several minutes pass as the two continue to walk down streets. Conversation remains light, but at no point does silence grip them as they make their way through the ever encroaching night.

“Here we are missus!” Bargel says as he turns a corner.

“Bargel, welcome back! What took you so long!” The guard says. As Gracia turns the corner the guard gives Bargel a glare. “And who is this? I thought hookers weren't allowed on site.”

Gracia's face goes crimson as Bargel attempts to stammer out. “Nonono! Its friend of Jamard! She had nowhere to sleep, so I thought she could sleep here! Honest!”

The guards mouth gives a sly smile. “Alright, If Jamard says so, then I guess I have no choice but to let him through.” As he says it, he presses a button, and the gate opens.

“This way missus, I can show you to Jamards tent. He will want to see you I reckon.” Bargel says, beckoning Gracia forward.

Now with a bit of caution in her step, she follows Bargel into the camp.

In the darkness, it is difficult for Gracia to follow Bargel as he makes his way inbetween temporary tents and more permanent structures. As she is drawn further and further into the compound, her worry begins to escalate. Bargels previously talkative nature is now replaced by a silence as he almost walks faster than she can follow.

“I'm sorry missus.” He says as he comes to a sudden stop.

Something drops in her gut. She quickly realizes that in her rush to keep up with him, she had unwittingly lost track of where the exit was. A horrid feeling rises in her. Somethings not right. She looks over to Bargel, he stands in front of her, not turning to face her.

“Bargel?” She says, her voice unsteady.

He turns to face her. “I forgot where Jamards tent is.” He says, rubbing his forehead as he cranes his head around, gazing over the lines and lines of tents.

“Huh?” It escapes in almost a gasp. The churning feeling in her gut vanishes, and she quickly feels like she had just ran a mile. She was so tense that she had forgotten to breath. She keels over, resting on her knee's. “Don't scare me like that…” She sputters out between breaths.

Bargel's head cocks in confusion. “What's the matter missus?”

She looks up at him. “Nothing, just my imagination.” She stammers out.

Bargel looks around. “I think it was… umm…” He goes silent as he thinks.

Gracia looks around. The entire camp seems to be asleep, not a single light or candle except for the guard posts. Except one. A house, near the back of the camp, its light at the top barely visible through the shades in the window. “Is that it?” She says, pointing at the house.

Bargel looks at the home. “AHHAA! There it is!” He shouts out. He grabs onto Gracia's arm, pulls her onto his shoulders and starts sprinting towards the house.

Knock knock knock “Hello! Commander Jamard! Someone is here to see you!” Bargel's voice booms out.

The shades of the window rise up, and the window opens, and someones head pokes out.

“Bargel… how many times have I told you… just… knock.” A tired looking Jamard mutters out. When he notices Gracia, he freezes in place. His eyes pop open in surprise. “Bargel go back to your tent, I'll take care of this guest.” He says, then dissapears into the house.

Bargel gives Gracia a quick smile, salutes, then walks off.

Gracia stands at the doorway. The chill of the night air finally catching her, her arms shiver as she folds them around herself.

Clink clunk clack

The door slowly creaks open. “Heeeere we go. Ugh. Come on in.” Jamard says, holding the large iron door open.

As Gracia walks past the doorway, she turns to look at the door. 3 Large locks on the top middle and bottom of the door lock it against the wall.

“Sorry about the wait, command put this door in for “security of sensitive intelligence”. Its a pain in the ass to open.” He says as he shoves the door closed. “Come on, I'll take you to the debriefing room.” He says as he relocks the door.

Gracia stands there, waiting for him to finish and lead her. Something is different about him. His tone is much harsher, even if he doesn't intend it to be. He doesn't look at her when he talks.

As he walks past her, he puts his hand on her shoulder.

“How did you find your way here?” Jamard says, his tone borderline threatening.

“Huh?” Gracia mutters, caught of guard by his question.

THUD

Jamard grabs onto her other shoulder, and forcefully slams Gracia against the wall.

“How  did  you  find  your  way  here?” Jamard repeats, much more menacingly.

Gracia looks back at him panickely. He has her pinned against the wall, she can't move. Slowly her mind attempts to understand the situation. “Bargel… he found me and led me here.” She blurts out.

Jamard looks at her, and without another word, starts dragging her with him. He's much stronger than her, and nothing she does can free her from his grip.

SLAM

Jamard throws her to the ground, and at the same time, slams a door behind him.

The ground is hard, solid and cold. The room is empty of except for a table and two chairs.

“Now then, your going to tell me your whole story, from the beginning.” Jamard says as he yanks Gracia up, and sits her on one of the two chairs.

“What's gotten into you?” Gracia says worriedely.

Jamard pauses, covering his face with his hands. “I have received… numerous reports, that… question… the authenticity of your story. I need to know, for certain, that the story you have been telling me is true.”

“Thats… what I wanted to ask you.”
Gracia Darkforge seemed doomed to be born into a feudal world covered in war. After the fall of a mighty empire 300 years ago, kingdoms rise and fall within a single lifetime. These weak and small feudal states fighting over tiny bits of territory, forming alliances and warring constantly just to survive. In this tumultuous land a massive breakthrough is made using a material previously thought inert and worthless because of its difficulty to mine and sickly green glow. Eternium. With new technology brought into existence by this mysterious material her world will be forever changed as society and nations alike must adapt to this material skyrocketing it into a world with industrial era capabilites within a single generation. Gracia is born 40 years after the initial discovery of the technology and the world has been rocked to its very foundations. Duchy's and Kingdoms have been reformed into Empires and Grand Republics, society's very notion of feudalism is becoming vastly obsolete even as those still alive from before eternium still breathe. But in this world full of turmoil, a grave threat awakens, and the world will never be the same again.

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