Chapter 4: The Grimoire

Jace

We finally arrived in the Kingdom of Amity. I know where I want to go, but I have no clue how I'm supposed to get there. To be fair, the last time I visited Dr. Collagen was not only alone but also a complete accident. I kind of remember the rough location, but even attempting to being to think of a route to get to such a remote place is giving me a headache. I mean, I know Yore is literally an island off the coast of the mainland which very few vessels frequent, but literally no one has ever intentionally gone to that undead apothecary to seek treatment. How am I supposed to get to a place with no roads leading to it, surrounded by cliffs and mountains, and too high up to even breathe properly? The sane answer would be to simply not try, but that isn't an option right now. I have to see the doctor if I want to have even a small chance of finding the person or creature behind this. There's got to be a connection between the seemingly sudden change in the Wanderers' behaviors and recollections and the reason I have yet to fall under the same symptoms. Although I still don't know a motive or any names, I'm probably getting close to having a rough idea of what's going on...I hope. After getting off the ship as Quartz to unload her belongings and rent a hotel room using her money and name, I snuck back on the ship into my pitch black cabin and left as myself with my luggage--and a certain someone stuffed into one of my suitcases. Well, now it's finally time for me to deal with the crew and captain who so graciously brought Quartz, illegal slaves, and myself to Unnatrulus in the only way I know how.

First, I asked the harbormaster to confirm my suspicions and, as I suspected, the harbormaster said he'd look into the issue and then proceeded to not move a muscle for the following ten minutes. Exasperated, I headed back to the ship and waited until nightfall. As I anticipated, that's exactly what the traffickers and the harbormaster were eagerly awaiting. About five minutes after the sky went dark, the traffickers made their move and began unloading their "merchandise". For the first time since the death of James, the darkness of Unnatrulus will be forced to recall that what lurks in the night can be more dangerous than the light.

I saw the harbormaster talking with the captain as the crew of the Clotilda unloaded their "merchandise" into a warehouse in Greenside and I prepared for my assault. I have to make sure all of the slaves will be out of harm's way while making sure none of the crew, the captain, or the harbormaster escape my wrath. I'm sorry James, but I'll be using the knowledge you left me with sooner than I'd like to. If Alex, North, Hazel, and Quartz were on my side like old times, I would've never needed to resort to such measures, but I'm simply not suited to group combat like you were, James. 

Jace: "The third characteristic of the truly human: solidarity. To be human..."

Captain: "Hey Mulligan, I thought you said the coast was clear!"

Jace: "...is to be in relationship with other people; our decisions affect others..."

Harbormaster: "Paul, I swear I checked the port for any loiterers. This guy must be troublesome, so we should have the crew deal with em' so we stay outta danger!"

Jace: "...and thus those who only make "individual" decisions may not be considered truly human. The only fair retribution for those..."

Sailor: "Ey bosses, stop arguin' and decide on somethin' before that shady lookin' guy finishes whatever creepy poem he's readin'! I gotta bad feelin' about whatever it is that the guy's doin'."

Jace: "...who desecrate this characteristic of humanity is for their humanity to be revoked. May punishment befall the limbs which selfishly harm,..."

Harbormaster: "Damnit Mulligan, he's right! We don't have time to be arguing about who's doing what! Can't you feel it too? The magical energy that guy's creating is insane; any ordinary sorcerer wouldn't have enough stamina to make that much magical energy in one go."

Sailor: "The heck's wrong with ya?! Quit yappin' and start attackin'!"

After the sailor urges the crew to act, drawing his scimitar, he rushes towards Jace. Before the sailor can swing his sword, however, he sees his wrists and scimitar fall away behind him as he continues forward for a few more paces before being hit by the shock of his lack of arms. That is when the sailor fully registered what he had just heard Jace say: "...any arms which have hit for the sake of oneself and oneself alone shall henceforth not be considered human." Then, half in a daze, the sailor realized with maddening fear that Jace had yet to finish his sermon: "Any legs which have walked away from a problem for the sake of oneself and oneself alone shall henceforth not be considered human." As the sailor's legs fell to the ground and his torso fell backwards, he saw a sight no human should ever have to behold: all of his fellow crewmates, his captain, and the harbormaster were in the same state as he. Legs and arms and blood covered the docks and the stench fresh blood was the only thing anyone could smell despite being right next to the ocean whose scent usually pervaded the entire shore, even if only slightly at times. Jace, wrapping up the passage from James's journal, finishes the preaching: "But most of all, any tongue which has deceived or otherwise harmed others with words for oneself and oneself alone shall henceforth not be considered human."

Philia

Wh-wh-what just happened...? Some strange, shadowy figure came outta nowhere a-and then th-the bad guys all...they all...they died? It's s-so scary. I'm so afraid. Where did the shadow go? I only looked away f-for a moment...please don't hurt me. I'll do whatever you ask, j-just don't hurt me...please...

Quartz

I am sure he already knows that these manacles will not be able to restrain me for much longer. Afterall, I am the Grand Sorceress Quartz, the Fifth Wanderer--no one of lesser talent or ability would be able to restrain my magic conversion for long. I found that, in order to get around these maddening manacles, all I have to do is convert a sand grain's worth of stamina into magical energy at a time for the conversion to slip through the weave of the enchantment impressed upon the manacles. I estimate that I will have accumulated enough magical energy to break these bindings in roughly a week's time.

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