Choice

by Gary Stringer

  For a moment, Eilidh was going to object, but she stopped to consider his words and in spite of herself, she concluded that he did have a point.

  With a slow exhale, she sat down beside the multicoloured Kismet. With a rueful smile, Eilidh commented, “Y'know, I always thought you made sense in a strange sort of way.”

  “Do you really think so?” Kismet preened. “You might make even more sense if you told me why you left us -left me.”

  Kismet dismissed it with a wave. “Oh, I was just cramping your style.”

  “And now?” Eilidh prompted.

  “Maybe your style needed cramping a bit. Make sure you don't start compromising yourself with any theatrics.”

  “Worried I might start cramping your style, Kismet?”

  “Egad! Certainly not! My style is me. Your style is you.” “Maybe so,” Eilidh allowed, “but it's reasonable to expect events to change me, surely? A lot has happened while you've been `dead` you know. Besides, it seems to me you've changed a bit, too.” She cut off any reply, rushing headlong in voicing her thoughts. “Oh, you've still got the clothes and the orange silk and the turn of phrase, but it's not quite the same. It seems just a little more...I don't know...forced? Acted? A little more direct, darker perhaps?”

  “The whole world's darker, O Esteemed Leader. Maybe I'm just a reflection of that.”

  “Interesting,” Eilidh remarked. That meant something, she was sure of it. She didn't know what, or why it was important, but it did and it was. But the puzzle that was Kismet could wait. She had a quest to move forward. The others had had long enough to sort everything out by now, but not long enough to get cosy and relax.

  Standing up, she said, “Well, since you're obviously not going to give me a straight answer to my question, I have no way to force you and no right to try. So unless you've got any more cryptic advice for me...?

  “Advice? I say, dear girl, I would never be so presumptuous!”

  “OK, in that case I'd better get back to it.”

  Eilidh got as far as the door and was just about to reach for the handle, when Kismet called out. Somehow this wasn't altogether unexpected and she didn't bother to turn around. “...Although,” Kismet said, as if continuing his previous sentence uninterrupted, “you might want to consider what kind of leader you are. You've tried acting like a warrior, throwing stuff around to get attention, and then you tried to be an Enforcer like your Master Gamaliel. You know Catalysts used to be magicologists, so why not try being more of magicological project leader instead? Just a thought.”

  Finally, Eilidh did turn around, but Kismet was gone.

  Correction, she thought to herself, he could be anywhere or anything in this room. He just doesn't want to be found.

  “Alright, Kismet,” Eilidh said to the room. “You play your games. You just keep on being you, and I'll get back tobeing me.”

  Chapter 7

  When Eilidh stepped through the door, back into the hallway, she paused to consider Kismet’s words. A magicological approach. Yes, that made sense. How would a magicologist approach this problem? She pondered.

  Her contemplation was interrupted by a familiar female voice.

  “You look troubled, can I help?” She asked. It was Princess Mystaya. The Catalyst hadn't seen much of her since the rescue, other than in an official capacity at the reading of the dreadful war report. The princess had today rejected her favoured lavender gown for a shorter, simpler dress of pale green, together with her omnipresent accessory: a sword. Formal or not, she looked every inch the regal Daughter of the Crown. Mystaya's captor had turned out to have a connection with Niltsiar - an agent no less. Or at least, he was until his kidnap of the princess had brought about Niltsiar's retribution for pursuing a personal vendetta. A capital crime by Niltsiar's law.

  Moreover, if they hadn't undertaken the rescue mission, they would never have got into the city of Avidon and seen the Life Eddy they called the Great Fountain of Light. It was strange how these things worked out sometimes. Eilidh firmly rejected the notion of fate, however, believing instead that everything that happened in the world was the result of people's free choices. Like this Du y Kharia business. As far as Eilidh was concerned, she was no pawn of prophecy, no plaything of the gods. She was a rational, thinking, human woman living her life according to her own will and her own free choices.

  Eilidh attempted a clumsy curtsey. “Greetings, Your Highness.” Mystaya put her hands on her hips and admonished her. “Stop that at once!” She commanded. “We're not in my father's court. It's just you and me in one of this castle's nameless passageways. Please, it's just Mystaya. You didn't bother with my title when we were frantically trying to escape the Marina Fells Mine or clinging desperately to the back of that sea serpent, trying not to turn the same colour as my dress.”

  “That was just practical,” Eilidh pointed out. “We were all kind of busy at the time.”

  “And are you less busy now? Because I can tell you I'm certainly not.”

  “No, me neither,” Eilidh agreed.

  “Well then, that settles it: we're both just far too busy to waste time with formal titles when we're not on official business.”

  “Thank you, I'm honoured.”

  “Don’t be honoured. Be a friend.”

  Eilidh smiled and tried to relax. “Of course, I'm sorry, Mystaya.”

  “Ah, now that's better.” “I'm sorry?” “No, not the apology,” Mystaya teased her facetiously, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “The other bit, when you called me `Mystaya`. Eilidh, have you any idea how rarely I hear my own name spoken? Other than my Father, it's always, `Your Highness` or `Lavender Rose` or `the princess`.”

  “Well then, I'll make a point of using as often as grammar permits in future, princess.”

  Mystaya raised a questioning eyebrow and offered a crooked smile.

  Eilidh rolled her eyes, realising her mistake. “Sorry Mystaya,” she made a point of stressing the name. “I'm not usually this thick - I've just got a lot on my mind.”

  “Of course you have,” Mystaya understood. “Struggling to find clues to help you further your quest?”

  “No, actually,” Eilidh answered. “I seem to have nothing else but clues and hints and snippets of cryptic advice. Now I have to figure out how it all fits together.”

  “Which is why you looked so troubled.”

  Eilidh nodded. “That's what I look like when my brain is spinning.”

  “And I've distracted you,” the princess realised. “I'm sorry. I'll leave you to it-”

  Eilidh jumped forward andheld her back. “Mystaya, wait! Please. I wasn't hinting at that at all. You know how socially inept I am. It can lead to misunderstandings.” “Misunderstandings?” Mystaya shrugged. “We all have those, Eilidh. If you want my opinion, your social skills are not as bad as you think they are. I think half your problem is you think you're socially inept, so you expect to get something wrong. Then when you get even the smallest misunderstanding as a result, you take that as proof positive that you're socially inept and the cycle is complete. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy and it really can't do your self-image much good. Just relax, be yourself and if somebody gets you wrong, don't let them run off - stop them and put them straight. Like you just did with me. If your social skills are really so bad, how come your team has grown so much since you started? Why do they stay?”

  “I've been wondering that myself how to make them stay with me.”

  “Well the key to that is to make them want to stay with you.”

  “And how do I do that?”

  Mystaya shrugged. “Whatever you've been doing so far seems to be working, so why change?”

  Eilidh laughed. “You haven't been talking to Kismet, have you?”

  “No, why?” Her eyes widened. “He's come back!”

  Eilidh nodded.

  “See, I told you he couldn't be dead.”

  “Oh yes, he's very much alive and he told me much the same thing about being myself.
” “Yes,” Mystaya concurred. “Underneath all that rubbish he spouts, he actually makes a lot of sense. So where is he?”

  Eilidh shrugged. “He was here, but he's gone again.”

  Mystaya nodded. “He does that. He'll appear again when he wants to and not before. You know what he's like.”

  “Yes,” the Catalyst agreed, ruefully. “Anyway, at the risk of causing another misunderstanding, this time I really do need toget back to work.”

  “Yes, so do I, you're quite right. Are you sure there's nothing I can do?”

  “No, thank you. I don't-” she paused. “Hang on; yes there might be something, actually.”

  “Yes? Anything you need -just name it.”

  “I need a map of Mythallen.”

  “Easily done. What sort of map?”

  “Geographical might be better than political, but it doesn't really matter so long as you don't need it back afterwards. I need to add certain notes to it. Can't really say more.” “No problem, I understand the need to keep things to yourself. I'm well used to that. My father has plenty of copies of continental maps that are used for anything from trade routes to battle plans. I'll have one sent to the study room you're using, shall I?”

  “That would be very helpful.”

  “Good. I'll see you later, then, Eilidh.”

  Eilidh let her walk away a bit before calling out, “Yes, see you later, Your Highness - sorry Mystaya.”

  The princess turned to admonish her friend's forgetfulness, but Eilidh got in first. “That was a joke!”

  “Timing needs work,” the princess recommended.

  “Oh.” Eilidh looked slightly crestfallen until Mystaya grinned and said,

  “Only kidding! See ya!” Eilidh walked away, shaking her head in disbelief. Here she was: an unimportant asocial Catalyst, in a castle constructed without the use of magic, socialising with the young princess of the most important city in Mythallen.

  Somehow, the world had turned upside down and inside out.

  * * * * * When Eilidh re-entered Rochelle's study room, everyone ceased their conversations and fell silent. Everywhere was neat and tidy once more, the desk and the books laid out neatly upon it were apparently none the worse for wear. Rochelle was sitting at the desk as before, while the others all stood around it.

  “Are we ready to continue?” Eilidh asked, and received the general consensus that they were. “Good. Now listen, I’m sorry I was a bit heavy handed before. Of course, I still want all of you to give me your input. We're a diverse group, which is in our favour because we each bring something unique to the table. If we can all just avoid getting too distracted by other things and put our heads together, I firmly believe we have it within us to figure out how to fit all those piecestogether. OK?”

  Everyone assented to that. Even Bunny was contrite. “I suppose I started the distraction. I do tend to get a bit carried away by the moment at times.” Eilidh gave her an encouraging smile. “You were just being you and I've recently been r eminded how important that is. You made some good points and that dialogue is important. I've got no problem with picking at an idea, see if any holes develop. Even Kismet, as annoying as he can be sometimes, there's more to the nonsense he spouts than just nonsense. Still, between you and me and these four walls, I'm relieved he's gone again for now.”

  There came a knock at the door and one of the palace's servants delivered the map Eilidh had requested. He asked Eilidh if there was anything else, but she just said, “Thank you, no,” and dismissed him.

  “So what now,” Bunny asked boldly, “group hug?”

  “Don’t push your luck or I'll push this map somewhere geographically unpleasant,” the Catalyst threatened.

  “Sounds like fun,” Bunny considered. Eilidh didn't follow through with her threat, however. Instead, she unrolled it on the desk and Rochelle helpfully put a book at each end to hold it open in place. Floating a charcoal stick from the desk, the gnome marked with an asterisk the locations of the two Life Eddies she knew of. The one at Avidon, she identified with the symbol for Shadow, based on the observation that the bridge out of Avidon had been a construct of illusion magic. The other Life Eddy, she gave the symbol for Spirit.

  “That's two down with six to find," said Eilidh. "Now I need you all to think - have you ever seen a Life Eddy elsewhere? Or even heard about one. At this point, I'll take second hand information if I have to.”

  They discussed it amongst themselves for a while, until Lady Tanya Nightingale spoke up. “Eilidh, I think we've got something.”

  “Go on,” Eilidh encouraged, pleased that the others grew quiet, not competing for attention. “Well, before I was assigned my own Scout Unit, I trained with our Dragon Cavalry for a while and I was privileged enough to go on a number of manoeuvres with the Lady Consort who we now know to be the Elder Dragon of Air. She took me flying in her home, the Aurora Forest and that's when I saw perhaps the most spectacularly beautiful sight of my life.”

  “The Aurora Forest!” Toli exclaimed. “I used to go there with my family every summer when I was little!”

  “You did?” Eilidh wondered. “Yes, and Tanya’s right, it was really beautiful. The unique combination of sun, rain and magic in that region gives rise to the most spectacular double, triple and even quadruple rainbows for most of the year!”

  Eilidh nodded. “Hence the name.” She hadn’t been there, of course, but she’d read about it.

  “Well the last time I was there, the name was even more apt,” Tanya told them.

  “Thou didst see one of these Life Eddies, then?” Lady Hannah asked.

  “What I saw was a blazing whirlwind of colour,” she answered, “and that does seem to fit with what our magical friends have told us.”

  “I'd say it would have to be,” Eilidh ventured. “Granite?” It made sense to seek a second opinion from another Catalyst.

  “Aye, lassie, I dinnae know what else it could be, and of course this gives us further evidence that these nodes move, since Toli didnae see one when she was younger.” “If it was a Life Eddy at the home of this Elder Dragon of Air,” Toli put in, “do you think it's a safe bet that it's connected to the magical Secret of Air? I mean, it's obviously a dragon thing and I don't know much about this whole Penta Drauka stuff or how it relates to the Life magic we know, but I-”

  “It’s a good idea,” Eilidh interrupted, pleased that her friend seemed to be relaxing a bit now that they were talking about magic and in no immediate danger. She made a mental note to try and practise her fledgling social skills with the hobbit. “It’s only an assumption, of course. Dragon magic works differently, so any connection would likely just be due to some random convergence of magic. But it’s worth exploring.”

  “Now here's a thought,” Rochelle began, “Jayne, you've worked closely with Loric before, how much do you know about this Penta Drauka quest of his?” Jayne fidgeted, as she always did in these situations. She much preferred action. Decisions like this made her nervous. Her first loyalty was to Loric and she wasn't sure how much information she should give these people, even if they too were working for him. A misconception she clung to still.

  Rochelle recognised her dilemma and tried approaching the question differently. “We know Loric's already passed the Fire section and since he hasn't made it back here yet, it's safe to say he's getting on equally well with the other parts, yes?”

  The half-orc decided an answer was not being sought - it was one of those...what were they called?...the silver Knight said it earlier - a rhetorical question. That was it. Jayne concentrated hard on following the gnome's reasoning.

  “As the dragon flies, he's probably reached the ocean by now, passed the Air section and well under way with the next segment in the aquatic kingdoms.”

  "Water," Jayne said, nodding.

  “And after Fire, Air and Water, presumably it's Earth.” Jayne agreed that bit was obvious. “Never did figure out what the fifth one was, though, Miss Rochelle,” she offered.


  “Well never mind that,” Eilidh smoothed, endeavouring to maintain Rochelle’s line of thought. “Let’s just focus on the elemental ones.”

  “Okay.”

  “Loric told Bernice and Phaer about a kind of magnetic pull, didn't he, Bunny?” Rochelle continued.

  The sumorityl confirmed it. “He said the magic kind of guides him to the right place for the next test.”

  “So he doesn't need my help,” Jayne concluded, “and all my work is useless cos I never found ‘im in time.” She looked devastated.

  “But it won't be useless if you tell us,” Toli told her, gently. “It'll really help us a lot if you can share what you know and-”

  “If you're helping us,” Eilidh finished, “you're helping Loric.”

  Jayne brightened up considerably at that. “Oh yes, Miss Eilidh! Thank you Miss Eilidh! I help you, I help him!Yes!”

  * * * * * It was no use. No matter how many times Loric `killed` one of these malformed monsters, it simply would not stay dead. He darted around, always on the move to try to avoid the creatures' teeth and claws, while he himself ripped at them. So far, he had managed to escape serious injury, but he knew he couldn't keep this up forever. Pretty soon he was going to need to breathe. It was a reflex action that would, sooner or later, override his attempt to hold his breath. But there was no air down here, only water and when water filled his lungs he would drown. These creatures did not appear to feel any pain when he attacked them, so it seemed unlikely that he would be able to frighten them off. His acid breath weapon might have some effect, but he couldn't risk it, because that would expel air as well. He supposed the time was rapidly approaching when he would be forced to take the risk. A single blast at the creatures and then make a break for it. Throughout the battle, he had been trying to manoeuvre in such a way as to take him gradually in the direction of the `pull` of the Water Elder's lair. He was counting on there being a protective magical dome shield like the one at the entry to the Fire Realm. If there was such a shield, if he could make it there, if it worked in the same way to keep the uninvited out and if there was air in the Water Dragon's lair, then maybe he would survive. That was an awful lot of ifs and he didn't honestly believe he could make it, but he knew he was too far from the surface and he could sink down deeper into the water a lot faster than he could swim up higher.