Bloodsword: War of the Leaf

A Glimpse Forward

For a long time Tev floated in a warm, soft darkness, all ills, pains and memories gone.  It was in this place his fractured and tortured mind began to heal.  As he felt it become whole once again, the darkness began to retreat.  Slowly at first but with increasing speed, filling the warm space through which he floated with golden light that seeped through him like liquid honey on fresh bread.

Smiling, he took a deep breath of the sun-scented air.  And Tev found himself sitting on the pinnacle of a high peak and gazing down onto a battle where two vast armies filled his vision from horizon to horizon as they struggled in mighty battle.  The dust being thrown into the air by the combat was enough to darken the face of a golden sun hanging fat and hot in a cloudless sky.

In the same instant that he became aware of the two armies, their titanic struggle and his rather precarious perch, Tev also became aware of a familiar presence beside him.

"Welcome to the future, Tev Bloodsword."  The Oracle of the S'ia whispered as it hung in mid-air, swaying slightly in a breeze that rose up from the battlefield.  The breeze carried with it shouts of fury and war, the scent of death and fear, and the moans and struggles of the dying.

"My thanks, Oracle."  Tev answered in a soft voice, not looking over at the floating apparition.  He wasn't really surprised at the Oracle's presence.

"What am I looking at?"

"Do you not recognize this struggle?"  The Oracle asked with a measure of surprise in its voice.  "Does not this titanic struggle fill your mind with remembrance?"

"I've just recently regained possession of my mind, Oracle."  Tev answered flatly, looking over at the ancient  being.  "My memories still hesitate to show themselves in the light of my reason."  Despite his cool words, however, the human suddenly realized as he turned his attention back to it, which battle was being fought at the foot of the mountain currently serving as his perch.

"Maker burn me."  He husked after a moment's hesitation, an icy chill sweeping through him.  "The War of the Leaf!"

"Indeed."  The Oracle whispered dryly and not without a little satisfaction at Tev finally recognizing what he was looking at.  "The War of the Leaf.  Observe how it has devoured all before it, consuming every living thing with its blood lust."

Peering more closely at the struggling armies, Tev quickly identified both Solavar and Mardish soldiers as they strove against each other.  As his eyes fell on individual soldiers swinging swords or stabbing with spears at each other, he found himself considering how strange it was that he could see such detail from this height.  The two armies should've been shapeless masses that pushed against each other like two shuddering behemoths.

But Tev quickly pushed the thought aside at what his eyes, with their magical, eagle-like ability to detect even the smallest detail, saw next.

"Humans."  He breathed, his chest suddenly tight.  "And Ajanti, Kensarthi, Dolomin, and the other Freeholder races."  Tev looked over at the Oracle, eyes wide.  "By the Seventh, they're all fighting!"

"Yes."  The Oracle flatly confirmed, not turning away from the battle as it unfolded before them.  "The War of the Leaf will consume all.  Not just those that begin it.  Each race will be asked to take sides.  And whether they answer or not, they will be dragged in.  Until the whole of Quelaezaun becomes polarized, transformed into two opposing camps of war."  The Oracle paused and only then did the empty hood turn to face a stunned Tev.

"The Lesser Races will be the first to perish.  And of these, your young race is the least."  The apparition softly whispered, its words making Tev's heart ache.  "By the time these two armies meet in the final battle of the T'sar, every man, woman and child of your race will have been slain.  Even if there are survivors of this great battle, and there will be one, they would have nothing to return to.  The Light that is the Human Race will be forever extinguished."