by Lakshman, V.
“Who’s to say what normal is?” Ash replied. “Certainly none of this!”
Silbane ignored the two, watching the firstmark closely, seeing how the Way flowed around and through him. He should have noticed it earlier, but it had just never occurred to him to look. Though Kisan and he had shared thoughts, he had not realized the significance of the firstmark’s family name, not the same way in which he’d noticed Yetteje’s burgeoning Talent. He felt his age then, cursing himself for letting details slip by. He pursed his lips and then interrupted the bickering between Kisan and Ash and said, “Enough. We can have a family history lesson later, but right now we need to decide what we’re going to do.”
Ash’s eyes turned hard when he answered, “I’ve already made my decision. I must return with Niall. If Lilyth can get me to Avalyon, then that’s where I’m going.”
Orion spoke then, “We will follow the princess, but,” he looked at Silbane, “having you and Kisan join us will increase our chances of surviving immeasurably.”
Silbane considered this, then looked at Thoth. “Keeper, Lore Father Giridian shared his thoughts with us. You said the dragonkind can be trusted.”
Thoth nodded. “Insofar as you recognize that they will interpret their role very narrowly. They exist to safeguard the Way, and will combat anything they perceive as threats to it.”
The master took this in, but knew if there had been orders to kill Arek, neither Giridian nor Kisan would have shared that. It would have made executing the order harder and Kisan was always the tactician. So he changed his tact and spoke directly to Kisan using mindspeak: I think we accept Lilyth’s offer to send us to Avalyon.
What? she replied. It’s too dangerous, and if Arek is killed—
You let the gleam of your blade show too quickly. Have patience and listen.
Surprisingly, she was silent and Silbane continued, Accepting Lilyth’s offer gets us out of here. That opens many more options, including opening a new gate to Bara’cor.
Now it was Kisan’s turn to consider, and her silence told him she was doing exactly that. Finally she asked, How do we open a gate?
At least she was listening, he thought. She had deduced the obvious weakness in his plan. Opening gates was Old Lore, something neither he nor Kisan had much knowledge of. He looked at the group, still pretending to consider Thoth’s last words as he said to Kisan, We don’t. I mindread Duncan. He’s here to save his family, of that I’m certain. We rescue him and Niall, and he will get us out of here. Trust me.
He risked a glance at her, but she did not look convinced. So he waited, and to buy time he asked Thoth, “Do you think recovering Brianna’s tools is possible, Keeper?”
“I’m sure Lilyth will agree,” Thoth said. “However, they will be useless until we can remove the magehunter collar, and none in Arcadia can do that.”
Silbane was quiet, his mind deep in thought. Then he said, “I know who can.” He turned to Brianna and said with a smile, “Better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them.”
“Does that mean you’ve made a decision?” asked Thoth, looking at the masters.
Silbane looked at Kisan, who simply nodded. Then he turned back to the Keeper and said, “It seems Avalyon is our only choice. Let’s get our children…” And to Ash: “all of them, and go home.”
The group nodded, some uncertainly, but at least their purpose was aligned. Silbane looked at each, knowing he could not press for more. So instead he looked at Kisan and said, “How about you and I purge some of these memories we’ve been holding onto. I don’t think we’re going to find another time to try.”
Kisan winced, then nodded, “Fine.”
Together they walked a short distance away and sat down, with their eyes closed. The rest of the group fanned out, each thinking about what new hurdles fate would bring their way.
Brianna’s Tomb
Skill is not revealed by striking hard or often,
but by striking true.
- Kensei Tsao, The Lens of Blades
Time passed while Yetteje sat silently, clearly thinking about her father. Arek’s mind was working through the fact that he’d actually seen Ben’thor Tir when the double doors opened and the group, led by Thoth, were escorted back in. He looked at Lilyth in surprise, and her only response was to raise a single finger and say, “Wait.”
They neared the dais and his master stepped forward and said, “We will accompany Arek to rescue Niall and the red mage, but have a request.”
“Ask whatever you will.”
Master Silbane looked at Arek and then the demon-queen and said, “The dwarven woman has instruments she needs and,” he looked at Arek, “her collar needs to be removed.”
Lilyth looked at his master, then her eyes came to rest on Arek himself. She said softly, “I will have the tomb brought here—” two guards left immediately at that—“but the rest is beyond my power. I cannot remove the highlord’s torc.”
Arek watched in confusion as his master looked at him. “Do you think I can?” he asked.
“Most certainly. I ask you to free her.”
Arek’s caution reasserted itself, and where before he would not have questioned Master Silbane’s request, here he knew every action he took might mean his life. He trusted Silbane, but something had begun to change, a belief that he was no longer just an apprentice had taken tenuous hold. He thought of himself as an adept—that was true ever since the blackfire—but thinking of himself that way and having others recognize it were two very different things. It was difficult for him to not fall into the same relationship as before, yet time and circumstance had given him some modicum of objectivity. Furthermore, Master Silbane had been duped by Rai’stahn, proving he was not infallible. Instead of agreeing, he looked at his master and asked, “Why?”
Silbane seemed taken aback by that, then he said, “Because I asked you.”
Arek shook his head. “I’m sorry… I’m not able to agree, Master. These dwarves almost killed us at Bara’cor. I’m not sure why I kept her alive, but you’ve taught me to never squander an asset. Letting her go is not tactically viable.” He turned to Kisan and asked, “Correct?”
His sudden question to Kisan seemed to startle her as she snapped out of whatever she’d been thinking. Her eyes narrowed and she said, “Be happy we’re asking, apprentice.”
Her emphasis on the last word seemed intended to try to intimidate him, but Arek now had command of his emotions. He’d seen Yetteje’s plight, understood the offer Lilyth made, and realized that she was not in a position to demand. Part of him wished he could summon Piter and watch the expression on her face, but now was not the time to reveal the extent to which he’d prepared. No one except he, and perhaps his master, cared for his life.
So instead of rising to her jibe, he said, “Has ‘because I said so’ become a suitably tactical response?” He looked at her without blinking, and felt a small bit of pride when she acquiesced by shaking her head and stepping back.
He turned his attention back to his master and said, “You realize that she might just phase through the rock below and leave. That would mean we’d lose whatever she knows, which I think is important.”
“Nevertheless, I ask you to trust me.”
Arek considered this, and also the fact that his master may not know what he had surmised about the meaning behind Kisan’s presence. It was clear Silbane trusted her, but Arek did not. There could only be one reason for her being here, and it did not bode well for either himself or his master. So he did what Silbane had taught him. When you can’t dodge, deflect… and when you can’t deflect, pierce.
He turned, facing Kisan, and demanded, “What are your orders concerning me?”
His directness had the desired effect, as Kisan’s face blanched and she looked at Silbane. Then she said, “What?”
Arek stepped a little closer to Lilyth and said, “You heard me. What are your orders? I would know before releasing Brianna and creating another
set of variables to deal with.”
“Silbane, you can’t—”
Lilyth interrupted Kisan and said, “You’ll address my son.” Though she had not moved, a deadly stillness permeated the air. It fell upon them like a reminder that any misspoken word could end in immediate violence, and for the first time the look on Kisan’s face reflected caution instead of disdain.
Silbane held up a hand, “A moment, please.” He turned then and faced Kisan, who reluctantly broke eye contact with Lilyth and looked down. Arek watched as his master waited, then asked, “Giridian ordered you to kill Arek?”
Slowly, Kisan raised her eyes and met Silbane’s own. Then she said, “What do you think?”
Arek stepped forward but his master held up a hand forestalling him, still facing Kisan, and asked, “Would you have?”
Kisan’s eyes flicked over to Arek, then back to Silbane. A small quiver passed through her as she took a deep breath, then she shook her head, “I don’t know. I think of the unfairness to Piter.” She looked down again, one trembling hand coming up to cover her mouth.
Thoth then said, “The blame falls upon me, for I told Giridian that Arek could not be allowed to enter Arcadia. Yet I have spoken to your Lore Father, and the orders concerning Arek have been lifted.”
Arek spun at that, his mind seething at the betrayal surrounding him. First Rai’stahn, then the King torturing him, now Master Kisan, and finally Thoth. Was everyone trying to kill him?
It was Thoth himself who answered that by saying, “Understand, it has always been so. No null has been allowed to enter Arcadia. Your death here is the only outcome Sovereign wishes to achieve, yet we risk you being here to gain a better outcome.”
“What better outcome?” Arek shot back.
“Life,” said Thoth, “for both our peoples.” He was quiet for a moment, then asked, “You know of the dark nephilim. You have seen them, yes?” Something in Arek’s expression must have conveyed that he had for Thoth continued, “These dark things are not just a by-product of fear and death, they are also Sovereign’s tool, created to destroy Aeris with a touch. Why do you think the Watchers exist at all?” He looked at Orion and Helios, “Born from necessity, for the dark depravities of your world come to life here as nephilim, and worse. Without the ever-present eyes of these stalwart guardians to destroy them at each turn, Arcadia will be overrun and Sovereign will win yet again.” He looked at the rest of the group, “This war has been waged for millennia, but we are few and becoming fewer still through Ascension. We cannot withstand his might indefinitely, and so must break the cycle.” He looked at Lilyth, releasing the floor to her.
“Arek,” Lilyth said softly, “what do you wish to do?”
Arek looked at her, angry and confused. Then he turned back to Silbane and said, “This quest, to close the gate, it was Lore Father Themun’s order to take me?”
Silbane was silent, then he took a breath and nodded, saying, “Until Rai’stahn chose to attack, we were truly meant to investigate. I could not let the dragon hurt you, and thus we were separated. Then it seems Thoth and the new Lore Father Giridian spoke. I surmised,” he looked at Kisan then, “during that conversation someone was ordered to insure you did not survive.” He looked at Thoth, “Clearly, Keeper, you told Giridian that Arek must die, and kept that knowledge from me.”
Thoth looked down and cleared his throat, “As I have said, that order has been lifted.”
“So you say, now, conveniently.” Then Silbane looked at Arek, sincerity shining in his eyes, “We have been searching since we lost you, all of us. Everyone acted with what they knew at the time, but clearly things have changed.” He looked back at Kisan, “What are your intentions now?”
Kisan looked at Arek and said, “I would see you leave here. Give up this quest for the red mage, leave Arcadia now.”
Silbane looked back at Arek, “But if you decide to dare Avalyon, we will come with you. We’ll not abandon you again.” At this, the rest of the group nodded, but Kisan was absolutely still.
Arek took it all in. His master was sincere, of that he was certain. He was less certain of Kisan, but knew being forewarned was forearmed, and she would not catch him by surprise. He could feel his power swell within him at the thought of combat, and knew he could not be so easily dispatched, even by those as deadly as his former teachers. He had plans that would insure the safety of himself and those he loved. He found himself including Yetteje, and was surprised how quickly she’d become central to his thoughts. That she seemed to like him too was almost too good to be true, and he risked a glance at her and smiled. She moved a little closer and smiled back, sending a small flutter of joy through him.
He turned his attention back, hoping no one had noticed, and looked at Brianna. He gestured with a small incline of his head, saying, “Come here.”
The dwarven woman stepped up to the dais, her gaze an equal measure of hopeful and fearful. When her collar was level with his head, she stopped. Arek looked at the metal was a dull copper that seemed to suck in the light when attached to a person, so unlike the bright ring that had bounced down the dais before. It looked dull and lifeless to most, but as Arek watched, he could see the very particles of force that brought its magic to bear. If he stared long enough, he was sure he could unravel the secret of its forging, but that was not important to him now.
He watched, then pulled off a glove. With his now uncovered finger he reached out and touched the collar. The metal at that point blackened and that blackness slowly spread like a stain. Behind him he heard a small gasp, proof Lilyth had not expected this. No matter, he thought, there were many things they would not believe he could do, but he was learning.
The blackness had now encircled the entire torc, and as everyone watched the metal disintegrated, falling like dust at Brianna’s feet. Her tattoos flashed and reconfigured themselves, becoming regular geometric patterns that resembled boxes with lines. Inside some of the boxes he could see strange glyphs, letters he did not recognize, and moving dots.
When he looked at her eyes, however, he saw an emotion plain for anyone to understand: simple joy. He could tell she was fully in control of her body again as her face broke into a hesitant smile. Then she looked at him with tears in her eyes and said, “I’ll not betray you, Arek.”
“Good.” He looked at Kisan then and said, “Anyone who does will find it to be the last thing he ever does.”
Blade of the Morningstar
It is strange, but there truly is
someone in this world for everyone.
- Toorval Singh, Memoirs of a Mercenary
Preparations went quickly, with six Furies bringing back the tomb within which Brianna had awakened. It was a testament to the weight of the large rectangular box that it took six men, each standing at least three times the height of a man from Edyn. Arek watched as the dwarven woman gestured where she wanted the box placed.
It was oblong, about her height in length, and made of a dull gray metal that looked pitted with age. It had faded runes along the side etched in a dark maroon color, reminding Arek for some reason of dried blood. True to Lilyth’s word, the tomb itself was encrusted with mineral growth, broken off in places leaving a salt-like outline where it had once covered the metal.
“That was it,” Ash said from behind him “I saw this when I fell, but it disappeared into the clouds below.”
Lilyth then offered, “My men said Tempest blasted the hole in an effort to escape. Perhaps she inadvertently did something worthy of thanks.”
No one answered, and Brianna took that moment to step forward. She touched one of her tattoos, entats Arek reminded himself, and that symbol lit up on her forearm. A matching symbol appeared on the lid of the tomb, blinking white with its own light. Brianna then touched the tomb, and the entire lid slid sideways to reveal a white interior, also lit with a soft white glow.
There was a man-shaped indentation, no doubt where she had lain. Runes appeared at the top and bottom, most lit in green b
ut some flashing yellow and amber. They indicated something undecipherable to Arek’s cursory glance, but Brianna’s reaction showed they were important. She looked over her shoulder at Arek and said, “Just a moment, it’s calibrating itself.”
Arek understood that, as the masters often spent many careful moments making sure weights and measures were properly calibrated on their scales back home. He knew that very precise measurements were necessary to make real deductions, and could appreciate Brianna’s need for the same, but how the runes glowing on her tomb did this was a mystery.
In a moment, all the symbols turned green. Brianna placed her palm on a panel at the foot of the tomb and it slid open. She reached in and withdrew a belt with a tube and handled instrument sitting in a pouch. Kisan moved forward and snatched the belt away.
“I know what this is,” she said. “It’s a device that fires projectiles. The dwarves that attacked us used these to kill Thera and the lore father.” She held the belt away from Brianna, waiting for direction.
“Is it a weapon?” Arek asked Brianna.
The dwarven woman nodded, her eyes clear and without guile. “Yes. I’m no sword wielder and where we’re going sounds dangerous. I want to be able to defend myself.” To Kisan she added, “I don’t know these dwarves you faced, but I don’t mean anyone harm. I took an oath to never take a life, and to only defend myself in need. If any harm was meant, I would not have been so open about reaching for this with all of you watching.”
Kisan held on to the belt, but her stance became less combative. “You understand that weapons like this were used to kill those we held dear?”
Brianna slowly nodded. “I’m sorry for that, but I’m not a soldier. If you want me to go unarmed, I will.” This last thing she said to Arek, clearly letting him know he was the final arbiter.
Arek thought it over, then said, “Give it to her. If she’d wanted to leave, she would already have done so, and she’s the only person I know for sure is not trying to kill me.” This last was delivered directly to Kisan, a not so subtle reminder that he had not forgotten her duplicity.