Monthly Short Story for March: The Emerald Staff 2 (Patreon)

Hello Commissioned Pioneers! :D As promised as always, in accordance with the results of last month's poll, I present to you the Bonus Story of the Month! There were a total of four choices once again, with a majority voting for Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School Side Story 15.

As promised last time, this is the second installment that completes the current storyline for The Emerald Staff! Whether or not we’ll return to this will depend on how the bonus stories line up with the main story, and whether or not I might want to explore the staff’s history a bit further! 

We see exactly what happens during Articord’s confrontation with the Queen in this one, and we also see its aftermath as well! Quite a few major character building moments are had here, as well as a big allusion to the origin of Articord’s Emerald Staff we now see in class! 

This chapter was honestly really fun to write, as we get to explore deeper into Articord’s character, as well as the backstory behind her staff! There’s also quite a few tie-ins with main lore stuff in this part, which will be touched upon later in the series too! I always love dropping details and lore in these bonus stories, as I feel like they help to flesh out the world and context for stuff down the line! :D

Let's jump right into it then! :D I'd like to proudly present, Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School's fifteenth side story! :D

The Emerald Staff 2

The Kingdom of Xyloph, The Royal Town of Timberton, Her Majesty the Queen’s Summer Palace. Inner Sanctum.

Articord the Adventurer

“It begged for its life?” I parrotted the tyrant’s words back to her. Not so much in dismissiveness, as it was in disbelief. “This outlander? With the power of nature itself cradled within its hands?” I clarified, once more trying to pierce through whatever veil of lies may lie between the truth and her narrative. 

“Indeed.” She nodded, confident in her assertions. “Your suspicions are understandable, bookkeeper. And in fact, I applaud your critique of what would otherwise be a logical fallacy worthy of scrutiny. In fact, under typical circumstances, the roles would’ve most certainly been reversed; I would’ve more than likely been crushed under its heel like a bug against the boot of a giant. However, these weren’t typical circumstances. For when we arrived to find the outlander, they were already mortally wounded, and barely clinging on to whatever life force they had. In short, the outlander begged for its life… because it wished for us to aid it.” 

That revelation changed things, and not merely in the realm of its veracity, but in the very fabric of the history I thought I knew. This uprooted everything I had heard of that night, from state-approved versions of the story, to the most outlandish of tall tales spoken under hushed breaths in long far-off taverns. 

This shifted the narrative of history almost entirely, and in a way that I could’ve never anticipated. 

“So it was already on death’s door.” I surmised. “Weakened, and probably incapable or barely even lucid enough to use the scepter?” 

“Correct.” The tyrant responded, this time, thankfully succinctly. “It was alive just long enough for us to extract the barebones of the information we needed from it, and it was dead quickly after we realized the threat it posed.” 

“So you killed it.” I spat out bluntly. “A being, an outlander as it may be, requesting aid, pleading for mercy; receiving nothing but cruelty and brutality in return.” I paused, before shifting my gaze to one of disgust. “You murdered a dying being, out of a desire for that scepter’s power.” I reasoned in no uncertain terms. 

“No.” The tyrant replied bluntly. However, instead of going on a long convoluted spiel denying her part in the killing blow… she actually went on to acknowledge my claims without even a hint of remorse. “I killed it for fear over what that power may do to our Kingdom. As a bookkeeper, you of all people should know the importance of reserving trust only to facts with which you can independently verify. The information I was presented on that day, came from the mouth of an unknown actor with unverifiable claims originating from beyond the veil of our very reality. Providing it aid and nursing it back to health, would’ve been an intolerable threat. Moreover, this could’ve been the herald of an invasion for all we knew.”

“And yet that invasion never came.” I shot back. 

“Perhaps. Or perhaps it hasn’t arrived yet.” She argued. “But that is beside the point. The outlander is long dead, and I merely wished to elaborate on the circumstances of that day to better provide context for what it is I wish to address. The point I wish to make is this, bookkeeper — the origins of the scepter are near mythological in nature, which makes its powers beyond just what mortal eyes are privy to.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“It means that the physical power it possesses is only one aspect of its capabilities. It means that the observable power of the scepter is but a small fraction of what it is truly capable of. This was something I learned decades after its use, as I tried to study its other capabilities as hinted by its former user — its potential to open the gates to other realities. However, instead of opening any physical gate, it instead opened my mind to the endless visions of other realms, other realities, other worlds.” 

“So a window into other worlds, like in the story books.” I spoke sarcastically, despite the growing, gnawing feeling of doubt over my own skepticism. 

“That is correct.” The Queen answered without hesitation. “And what I saw through those wall-less doorways, and frameless windows, proved to me that this was the greatest aspect of the scepter’s power. It proved to me that the physical power offered by the scepter was merely an afterthought when compared to this aspect of its capabilities. Moreover, it is what I saw through the use of the scepter that prompted me to forever change the trajectory of my reign.” 

More and more these revelations began to send shivers down my spine, and with every passing word, more thoughts, theories, and hypotheses began forming within my overactive imagination. 

Was the scepter itself corrupting the Queen? Did the ghost of the outlander now inhabit it, or perhaps the Queen herself? Perhaps… just perhaps… these visions, these glimpses into other worlds, truly did change her reign through their misguided sights?

There was only one way to find out. 

“What did you see?” I inquired.  

“It started at first like streams of water trickling down a window, I saw it… wisps and echoes of another world, another place, another time, another… empire. I saw the rise, the prosperity, the decay, the rot, and the eventual collapse. I saw as each and every person who tried to stem the tide fell like waves against the mighty dams of our forebears. I saw, as civilization after civilization was ripped to shreds due to one or another’s supposed solution to this inevitability. I saw, as the forces of civilized order, fell apart at the seams to the power of entropy. I saw worlds burn, bookkeeper. I saw entire planets ripped asunder.”

“I don’t understand.” I admitted, backing up further and further the more the Queen went deeper into her rants, her scepter glowing brighter and brighter as she did so, as if the two phenomena were somehow linked.

“I saw the collapse of so many others, through every possible means, from neglect to subterfuge, to war and strife, from within and without. I’ve seen battles waged amongst the stars as if they were waged across the seas.” She replied coldly. “I’ve lived a thousand lives, through the visions of the scepter. And I’ve been transported, to a thousand worlds, without once leaving the confines of my palace.”

“So that one year in isolation where you demanded complete privacy. That was-”

“-my year of discovery, yes.” The Queen completed my sentence for me, in a way that made my blood run cold. “This is why I have charted this very particular course for my reign. This is why I did the things I did. And this is why I am doing what it is I’m doing now.” She continued cryptically, causing me to back up even further, prompting the Queen to double down, now taking careful and measured steps towards me. 

“You of all people have to see it bookkeeper. The lives you hold in your hands, the stories within stories that you keep within your walls. Do you not see how I have done everything I possibly can to keep you and your family safe? The path I’ve charted is one that I am trying to carve out of the same inevitability all others face. Because every single nation on this planet is going to collapse sooner than you might realize, bookkeeper. We… we cannot suffer the same fate. The system which we have built will not last, but I am attempting to chart another path which may potentially lead to another system.” 

“Queen-”

“Just call me Artlania.” The tyrant cut me off before I could continue.

“Artlania… I… I… to be quite frank, you sound like you’ve completely lost it.” I muttered out plain and simple.

“It is impossible to maintain any degree of normalcy when you’ve seen and been inundated with the truth, Articord.” 

I felt as if the rug had suddenly been pulled right out from underneath me, as my mind refused to register what I’d so clearly just heard. “Wait, how did you know- wait.” A pit grew in my stomach as I struggled to form words, and I felt as if an otherworldly coldness was now nipping at the edges of my very being. “You couldn’t have.” I continued with an exasperated breath. “It’s literally only been less than a day since I even came up with that name. The only other people who know of it are those within my adventuring party.” 

“I told you, Articord. I can see beyond the veil. Beyond what the eyes of the mortal are privy to. This does not make me a god however, I am still as mortal as you or any other timberborn. But I am burdened with this responsibility of changing the future which still remains as clear as the morning dew.”

“Supposing… supposing I do attempt to bite, to accept your claims as true. What exactly is going to befall our Kingdom? What exactly are you trying to prevent? An invasion? From this… Nexus? Or from the grand library or whichever clandestine group this outlander hails from?”

“No. No, they have no interest in us. We possess no means of travel between the veils of reality, and thus we do not even register as a concern to their machinations. No, what I am afraid of is the cyclical nature of things. You of all people should know, Articord, that we are not the first civilization.”

“Yes, the Tallowborn came before us, and before them, the Stoneborn. But only the Copperborn were truly lost to history, for theirs was a collection of kingdoms too reliant on the passageway of the Copper Isles. One single storm managed to completely reshape the isles as a result, and their trade networks subsequently collapsed, sending them into oblivion, leading to us. I don’t see how-”

“That’s one of the catalysts, Articord — nature.” ‘Artlania’ interrupted. “For nature is a force of entropy, pushing everything we built and all the systems we make into chaos. Imagine an incident even more powerful than the Copper Isles destruction, arising from both the earth and the stars. Imagine, if you will, forces of nature beyond our control and beyond even the gods’ control, destroying us without us even knowing until it was too late. That is but one of the many things that await us, leading eventually to our demise.”

“So how do you propose we stop something that extreme, Artlania? What? Are you just going to conjure up something to pierce the heavens to stop this looming threat from above? Or are you going to drill beneath the earth to prevent something from stirring from deep beneath? How does cutting us off from the rest of the world help us anyways? How does ripping power from your peers prevent anything but peace?”

“Self sufficiency.” Artlania responded bluntly. 

“What?”

“We’re too integrated in this… precarious web of politics, Articord. If we remove ourselves and learn to live by our own hands once more, we may avoid the collapse of this growing international sentiment towards chaotic mismanagement. If the apocalypse does come, it will ensure that we will be able to survive without the others dragging us down, and without a reliance on what others may no longer be able to, or are unwilling to provide.” 

I couldn’t help but to stop and think, realizing that there was at least some credence to the Queen’s reasoning. 

Still.

That only mattered if this vague apocalypse was even coming.

It could still very well be a figment of madness.

“And what of the conclaves and councils you’ve dismissed?”

“They were in the way of my plans, and for a society to run efficiently in times of crisis, a strong sovereign must be capable of overriding the voices of the dissenting masses.” She spoke plainly and simply. Which caused my blood to boil.

It was then that I realized something.

My eyes casting over to her scepter which for all intents and purposes remained only a stone’s throw away from my own reach.

If I distracted her just enough, maybe I could reach for it… 

So I decided to take a different approach.

An approach my uncle would have approved of.

Blatant deception. 

“You know what, Artlania… I recall more than one tale within my family’s collection that follows similar story beats.” I began, my tone indicating I was ‘warming up’ to the idea. As I inched myself closer, against my better judgment, towards the tyrant-Queen.

“The Aterberry tales?” Artlania responded confidently, once more sending shivers down my spine as she more or less picked out the exact anthology I was alluding to in my head. 

“Y-yes.” I responded nervously. “The tale of the three kings to be specific.” 

“And how they bickered and fought until the world around them eroded to dust.” The Queen concluded. “I’m assuming you’re starting to see eye to eye with me then, hmm?” 

“Yes.” I nodded. “If your… prescience is to be believed, and there is indeed some validity to these prophecies, then there might perhaps be some credence to the futures you foresee; perhaps I should listen to you.”

It was around that time that the Queen let out a series of sharp, almost dismissive chuckles. Her eyes narrowed into predatory slits that caused my fur to stand on end. “It is very much unbecoming of you to resort to blatant deception, Articord.” The Queen managed out with a self-satisfying sneer. “Even without prescience, it’s very obvious when you resort to such lesser tactics.” She tutted, rubbing the head of the emerald scepter as she did so. “I understand, however, your reluctance to listen. I further understand your hatred of my continued existence as a result of my actions. It is perhaps prudent then, that we address these circumstances in a more straightforward manner.” The queen eventually took several large steps away from me, before conjuring what appeared to be a large wooden crate in front of us. “The reason why I brought you in for this chat, and the reason why I haven’t yet decided to be rid of your friends, is because I foresee a great future ahead of you Articord. A future which I have a pivotal role in catalyzing, but one in which I do not foresee myself participating in.” She paused, gesturing towards the crate, as if toying with my curiosities in an attempt to get me to bite once more.

“Just get on with it then. How the heck do I fit into your grander strategy of civilization-saving?” I shot back, trying my best to ignore the big elephant in the room that my curiosities did urge me to dig into.

“You are the assured path towards the survival of our kind.” She stated bluntly, her voice terse, and her entire demeanor shifting towards one of severity.

“What? Like a sacrifice or something?” I managed out through a shaky breath. “Is… is this what this is about? You needed someone who was pure of heart, or someone who has specific knowledge, or-”

“Your short-sightedness worries me sometimes, bookkeeper.” The tyrant interjected, letting out a sharp sigh in the process. “No, I am not here to sacrifice you, nor to use you in any manner that may be against your will. I am simply here to offer you a gift, a path towards salvation.” She paused, pointing at the box with her scepter. “Now open that box.” 

Silence quickly overtook the room following that order. My eyes gazing across towards the Queen and the scepter she now held so agonizingly close in front of me. 

The crate separated us by a good few footfalls, and from there, I was barely a few paces away from the Queen proper.

Moreover, if I only reached my arm, if I moved quick enough… there was a chance I could just about grab it…

The seconds began passing by like entire minutes, as my eyes darted back and forth from the crate and towards the scepter.

My hands twitched.

My body flinched. 

And in that moment, perhaps fueled by the boldness of my uncle’s spirit, I inched my hand towards the crate—

—before shifting my entire trajectory toward that of the scepter now only inches away from me.

The whole world turned into one big blur at that moment, as I felt a massive surge of energy coursing through my entire core.

I tried to yank back, tried to move my arm, my hands, anything, but I found every single muscle in my body seizing, clenching, unable to do anything but to flex uncontrollably. 

It was as if the power of the scepter was entering through every fiber of my very being.

And it was also at that moment that the whole world began changing, shifting, almost as if I’d realized that the room I’d entered had somehow been sealed off from the rest of the world, and that only now did it finally reconnect with it. 

I didn’t know how else to describe it.

But it felt as if the room that had formerly been colder, darker, and drearier than the rest of the palace, suddenly snapped back into place.

“Yes.” The Queen spoke. “Tenacity.” She continued, her words seemingly strained as it looked almost like she was suffering through the same muscle-cinching energy-surge I was going through. “You. Will. Do.” 

I wanted to kick, to scream, to yank back as I felt no signs of that foul energy halting its unrelenting assault. My body however, was entirely unresponsive. 

At which point, a thought entered my head, and a strong desire to call upon my allies rose up to the forefront of my mind.

Talorin, Rodza, Ingkla… anyone… please… help me!

“Try. Harder.” The Queen spoke, as if egging me on.

To which I did, out of spite, as I tried but failed to pull the scepter closer towards me. 

“Don’t pull. Try. Harder.” She continued, her tone practically seething with mania by this point. My heart raced, as the hope of the rest of the group finding their way into the Queen’s chambers grew stronger and stronger by the second until finally…

THWACK!

The doors to the room swung open.

The whole world seemed to slow down even further at that point, as whatever orders were given within the group felt distant and muffled, and for what felt like much longer than a few seconds, I heard the Queen’s voice once more.

This time, in my own head.

Good. 

Those were the final words uttered by the Queen… before I felt her grip loosen, and the power that was holding me taut suddenly dissipated. 

I fell back first on the floor following that. The grip that I had once held over the scepter likewise loosened, prompting the symbol of absolute power to simply roll away unceremoniously. 

“Articord?! Are you alright?” I heard Talorin’s voice echoing across the massive chasm of a room, the adventurer sprinting straight towards me, flanked to his right by the group’s rogue, and watched over by Ingkla who stayed behind to keep watch over the room; her crossbow poised to strike at any unsuspecting target at a moment’s notice.

“I…” I managed out with a haggard breath. “I’m… I’m okay… I think.” I was barely keeping it together at this point, as the raw and unbridled panic of the situation continued to course through my veins. 

I looked around, and saw the final, and rather anticlimactic fate of the Queen, as she lay there, limp, lying face-first against the crate which she conjured up not a moment ago.

“Let’s get out of here before whatever reinforcements arrive.” Talorin urged, tugging at my arm, before turning towards the floor where the scepter had been just a moment ago. “Wait, the scepter, wasn’t it just in your hands a moment ago?”

“Y-yeah. I… I think. I…” I looked around, down towards the floor that had nary a shadow or a blindspot upon it, nor any crack or crevice the thing could’ve fallen into. “What? It… it fell out of my hand just a moment ago. What-”

“Talorin, we have to go. I sense an entire platoon’s worth of guards coming down the hall.” The rogue urged, cutting our search just short of the final stretch. 

All eyes were now on the party leader as he looked back and forth, up and down, trying desperately to zero in on exactly where the scepter could’ve gone.

But it was no use.

It’d just… vanished.

“Elders damnit! Damn it all!” He whispered under his breath, before turning to me, and the dead Queen. “I’m sorry this had to be your first outing, but at the very least, this’ll be the hottest trial by fire we’ve ever conducted.” He managed out with a brave face, or at the very least, the best he could manage given the situation. “Right, everyone, move out. We’ll head out through the emergency exit.” 

That last line definitely prompted me to do a double take, as the whole group, me included, sprinted towards a particularly large window at the very end of the chamber. 

“Wait, where’s the emergency exit?” I asked, prompting Talorin to simply point at the window we were fast approaching. “Rule number ten of adventuring, all windows are an emergency exit if we try hard enough.” 

We made our escape to the tune of the CRASH of glass, and the rapid-paced stomping of boots right behind us.

=====

The Kingdom of Xyloph, Homeland of the Timerborn. The King’s Coronation Pub and Tavern. 

2 Months Later 

Articord the Adventurer

We weren’t captured.

Nor did we end up getting hunted down to the last man.

But neither did we end up being lauded as heroes or liberators.

Instead, there was never any word as to our escapades or the circumstances surrounding the break-in of the palace that night. 

Talorin assumed it was convenient and better to simply let sleeping dogs lie, and that went both ways. 

The death of the Queen came as a surprise to many. Indeed, there was a great deal of anxiety that came with the next in line — Prince Alonderia II. 

Many had feared that his reign would’ve been just as brutal as his predecessor. Whilst many more feared that a brash and impulsive personality such as his would’ve very well doubled down on his mother’s legacy.

However, none of those fears came to be. 

As during the coronation ceremony, where most had expected him to wield the emerald-encrusted scepter… he instead emerged with neither scepter nor sword in either of his hands. He’d arrived with nothing but the white gloves signifying peace, and the crown of his grandfather, which had otherwise been scarcely worn by the late Queen. 

A month following that ceremony, the man went on to reverse many of his late mother’s decrees as was possible. A movement to restore the constitution was born as a result, and the man did restore it… or at least most of it. As the powers to the councils were reinstated, but not to the same extent as the conclaves and guilds. 

But the fact that anything had been done at all was a start.

And throughout the ensuing days and weeks, not a peep of that scepter had emerged to the public eye.

The borders which had once stifled trade and commerce were also opening up, which was exactly the reason why Talorin had invited us today, despite us being in our off-season, still licking the wounds from a prior expedition that saw us plunging deep into the unwithered forests.

“A round of Waterborn ale, topshelf, my good sir!” Talorin shouted, garnering several cheers in the process as many more similar orders followed suit; foreign liquor and foodstuffs were some of the first things to flow back through the borders after all. 

“Aye! Waterborn ale! Ah, as much as I love the sweetness that comes with cinnamon and tree-sap mead… ya can’t beat the Waterborn for the strength of their brew!” The bartender grinned wildly, pouring each of us a large pint, and lining his pockets in the process…

Trade was once more booming.

And life was finally returning back to normal.

“Ya ever wonder what became of that scepter, boss?” The group’s rogue whispered quietly, eliciting the sharp glare of Ingkla and a similarly stern glare from myself. 

“Eh. I would be lying if I said I didn’t.” The man shrugged. “But then again, I don’t see why I should be bothering myself with it since the situation seemed to have self-corrected. Whatever happened that night, was perhaps beyond the scope of what mortal minds should know.” He spoke ominously, before turning towards me. “You still hold true to your end of the story, right? That you felt the room moving through space, and that you summoned us by thought alone?”

“Oh come on, boss, we know that’s pure fool’s-honey! It was dumb luck we came across that hallway!” The rogue managed out, clearly peeved by this particular talking point.

“So being stuck in those eternally winding halls leading nowhere wasn’t enough to tip you off to the fact that there was something going on? Something beyond mortal comprehension?” Talorin shot back. 

“Again, that night was just all sorts of crazy and bizarre. We probably just ran through the same halls panicking for Articord’s safety. It’s impossible for her to have summoned us, and it’s impossible for there to be moving rooms and hallways. Magic like that is impossible. Whatever happened that night was a mix of newbie mistakes and old-guard overconfidence. And maybe even a lot of clever use of illusory magic by the royal mages. That was all, and that’s that.” The man offered in a way that was refreshingly earnest, as it was annoyingly dismissive. 

“In any case.” I offered with a warm smile, just as the round of ale finally arrived. “If that scepter ever pops up again, we’ll definitely be the first to hunt it down.” 

That comment seemed to elevate the group’s spirits somewhat as we all turned towards one another with wide grins. 

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Talorin nodded in agreement. “Here’s to a long and safe year of adventuring, and many more to come!” 

“Here here!” 

=====

The Kingdom of Xyloph, Homeland of the Timerborn. Cordina Archives’. Family Section. Articord’s Room.  

3 Months Later

Articord the Adventurer

An international adventure was something that I hadn’t expected to participate in so quickly after the borders had officially been reopened.

But it was something the rest of the group immediately jumped at the opportunity for. And it was something that I’d dreamed of for years by this point anyways. 

Returning to my bedroom that had once been my one and only vantage point of reality, was almost bizarre following that months-long outing.

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a breath of fresh air to be back.

I flopped down on the bed almost immediately after I arrived, and after a few minutes of tossing and turning, I began shifting over to my large adventuring pack, realizing that as much as I wanted to rest… there was the matter of unpacking to worry about.

So I got up, scooted over towards the door, and began carrying the heavy thing towards my closet.

That was when everything changed.

As I looked down to see a small box, simple, and unadorned by any distinguishing sigils or engravings.

I knelt down, dropping my bag next to the closet, quickly opening the small latch on the box.

But the moment I did so, and the second I laid my eyes on what was inside, my instincts immediately kicked in.  

The contents within it prompted me to reel back, causing me to fall flat on my butt as I scooted away from it the second I laid eyes on it.

But even several paces away from the closet, I could still make out its eerie, otherworldly glow.

What’s more, I noticed a small note had become dislodged upon opening the box, prompting me to tentatively reach towards it, whilst staying as far away from that object of evil as possible.

Carry the torch, for I could not bear the intensity of its flames. The time will come, when you will come to understand and embrace that which is already written.

It took me no time at all to crumple up that paper and throw it back into the box. Following that, I got up, standing above what was more than likely the most coveted object in the world right now.

Part of me wanted to do something with it, to destroy it, or hand it off to some higher power who could deal with it permanently.

However, there was a problem with that line of thinking.

To say that there hadn’t been massive searches for the thing following its disappearance would’ve been a massive lie. And to say that there were now international efforts in trying to recover it for military gain, would’ve been an understatement. To let it slip from my hands now, would mean the assured capture of it by some rogue actor. Heck, maybe even the King himself had returned to the status quo not because of any benevolent reasoning, but simply because he’d lost the scepter himself. 

Part of me knew that perhaps remaining here, in obscurity, was the one and only best path forward. 

But first, I needed to confirm something.

“Mother?!” I quickly yelled out of my room and down the hall.

“Yes dear?! What is it?!” 

“Did… did you put anything in my room?!”

“No, no one’s been in there since you left two months ago! Why’d you ask?”

“Oh, no reason. Just curious… why the sheets smell so fresh is all!” I offered, trying my best to placate any unwarranted suspicions.

“Everything smells fresh when you’ve been rolling around in the dirt for two months. Now take a bath, or there’ll be no seat for you at dinner!” She threatened in a way only a mother could, which prompted me to exhale out a sigh of relief.

I looked over towards the scepter again, and the box it sat conspicuously within. 

“There’s no way I’m touching you ever again. And there’s no way anyone, not even the King, will lay his hands on you — ever.” I spoke to no one but myself, making a promise that I vowed to keep until my dying breath.