Warden's Path

by Heath Pfaff

  “I’ve only been here for maybe a few hours.” I told him, turning around, my face no doubt a tapestry of confusion that echoed my inner distress.

  “No, you’ve been here for the last three days. Korva showed up not long after you were supposed to arrive and said that you’d taken off down a hall while she was investigating a room. Everyone thought you were dead.” He replied, his eyes scanning down the hall as well, though not as seriously as mine did. “What happened?”

  I opened my mouth to answer, but then shut it again. I couldn’t explain what had happened. I didn't know, and now I wasn’t sure how much of it was real and how much of it was some confusing knot of delusion that had settled in my mind. It didn’t feel like I’d been out there for three days. I wasn’t hungry or thirsty, and I wasn’t tired beyond what I should be.

  “I don’t know. I was with Korva and then the door slammed shut between us. After that I tried to make my way here, but the halls weren’t in the right places.” I gave a helpless shrug. “I just kept trying to get here, and then I was attacked by a . . .” I wasn’t supposed to know about the ghouls. “By a golem and some kind of monster.” I finished lamely.

  Gaveech’s look of concern was evident as he nodded. The other Warden seemed less interested, but then we didn’t know each other at all. There was something of a bond between people once they’d cleared the water test together. After all of our training, and all we’d survived, there couldn’t help but be a bond forged by suffering together. I wasn’t sure we were friends, but we at least thought fondly of one another. At least, I did of them, and it seemed Gaveech held me in esteem as well.

  “With everything I’ve seen and heard over the last few weeks, I’m no longer willing to doubt any story someone comes back with. Are you alright?” He asked, his milky eyes glancing over me, looking for signs of physical damage, though I thought he meant more than that. I realized that some of the people who came back after being missing did so with part of their mind broken. It was what being out there amidst the madness did to you.

  “I think so.” I answered quietly. “I should get inside and check in. Korva will want to know I’m alive, and I’d like to know what’s going on.”

  Gaveech’s expression seemed to relax a little as he nodded. “Yes, though you won’t find out too much. We don’t know much. Everyone is confused. Even the King. He has been here for a week now, talking with the Wardens. Things are chaotic and unorganized. There is talk of retrieving Everburn to deal with this.”

  I froze up inside for just a moment. “The King is here?” I asked, shocked by that. I stepped forward a little, closer to Gaveech. The door to Forge was open, and as I came a bit closer I could see that the entire yard was full of tents and people walking about and attending to seemingly mundane business. It was like a temporary town. There were more Wardens there then I had ever seen in one place, but normal people too. It also looked like there were students amongst them. Far off to one side I could see a large tent and there were even more Wardens around that. Somewhere in the mess of tents and people the King was there as well.

  Gaveech nodded. “Yes, he even talked to all of us individually. The Wardens, that is.” Gaveech smiled. “He thanked us for our service and promised us that we would get through this. He is incredible, Lillin. I mean, they teach you about the Iron Will at the school, but I didn't know I would be able to feel it just by hearing him speak. He radiates Will like a fire does heat.”

  I tried not to let my expression sour. The King was at the root of the problem that I had with the Wardens and our school in Black Mark. The school was his toy, his murder grounds. I had no desire to actually interact with the man, at least not until I could face him on equal footing. Though, to hear Gaveech talk, there was no way I could ever face him on equal footing.

  “Thanks, Gaveech.” I said, giving him a short bow. “I’m going to head inside. Do you know where I can find Korva?”

  “Yeah, she’ll be in the Warden camp. It’s the one just around the edges of the King’s tent.” He pointed. “You should be able to ask around for her once you’re in the area.”

  “Thanks again.” I said, and then I started off into the Forge. It no longer looked like the training ground I was accustomed to seeing. The tents all over the place and the people moving about their general business made it look like some kind of mobile city. I set my thoughts to going over what Gaveech had told me.

  The King was here. He was talking about retrieving Everburn. That, from what I knew of it, was a very bad idea. Everburn was incredibly dangerous. That was why it had been sealed away in the first place. Whatever was happening here, it wouldn’t help us to bring even more danger in upon ourselves. I needed to see Korva, and then I needed to talk to Arthos. He had to know as well as I did that the stupid artifact he’d brought back with him was the root of our trouble. We needed to get rid of the thing if it wasn’t too late already.

  I strode towards the area of the camp that was home to the Wardens wondering who I would encounter first, or if I would recognize anyone at all. To my distinct displeasure it turned out to be one of the last people I would have wanted to see. Before he even spoke my ire was up.

  “The rumors are saying you died, Deady. Pitty.” Kavack's voice held no less acid than it had when we were both students together. There was a distinct difference now, though. I turned on him. He was bigger than he had been, more muscular, his back stiffer with confidence. His knuckles were scarred and scabbed. He’d been fighting, though that wasn’t really a surprise.

  “I’m a Warden. I’d recommend you address me, and all others of my station, as a superior.” I told him, keeping my voice calm and cool despite the fire welling up inside of me.

  “You’ll never be better than I am.” Kavack answered, a cocky grin sliding into place. “You can pretend you’re special all you want, but I know . . .” My will had been surging through me, waking up in a terrible, fiery way, but it wasn’t me who silenced him.

  Kavack hit the ground like he’d been crushed by a hand from the sky. He let out a gasping shriek as he hit hard, and I felt the roar of Will around me as he was pinned forcefully in place.

  “Students have been expelled for less than the way I just heard you talk to Warden Lillin.” The voice that spoke was cold and impassive. I recognized it, though. I turned a bit and saw Kine standing not far behind me. Kine was an inquisitor of Will, the same one who had questioned me when I’d first passed the water test. I hadn’t really seen him since then. “As we are now there isn’t time to go through the proceedings necessary to have you expelled, but believe me, your teachers will hear of this.” Kine flicked his hand in the air and Kavack went tumbling back across the ground. I felt the surge of his Will. It was strong, but the real trick was the intricate way he used the power he had. It was incredibly precise, aimed and fired like an arrow from the bow of well trained archer.

  I watched as Kavack picked himself up, shooting me a venomous look before he turned and began to limp away. All of this time later and he still held his grudge against me. Kine’s voice pulled me from my observation.

  “We did think you were dead, or at least missing indefinitely. It’s uncommon for anyone to come back from void.” Kine said, his tone more casual. “Are you still sane?” Well, that wasn’t exactly a polite question.

  I offered a shrug in reply. I was a little bitter that I hadn’t been allowed to deal with Kavack on my own, but perhaps it was for the best. Lashing out at him in anger would have been a bit immature. It might have felt delightful, but the power difference between the two of us was such that it would have been too easy. Power could become incredibly easy to abuse.

  “I’m no worse than I was when I first finished my training, but I suppose it is up to others to decide whether or not my sanity is still in place.” I added to my initial shrug. “I wasn’t aware that I was gone for days, so I suppose that doesn’t bode well. It felt like maybe an hour to me.”

  Kine was nodding. “And have you be
en speaking in tongues anymore?” I could feel his interest rising at this, and for a moment I couldn’t recall what he was talking about. Then it came back to me. When he’d interviewed me he’d pushed too hard and he’d woken something in my mind, some weird locked away part that had spoken to him in a language I hadn’t known. I’d done my best to put it entirely from my thoughts, but there it was again.

  I frowned and shook my head. “No, I haven’t. I think I’d prefer not to.”

  “That is a shame. I tried to petition the council to allow me to study that strange slip further, but they really just wanted you gone, off on your training. They didn’t even care that we’d touched on something very special there. Do you remember what you said?” And before I could answer he went on. “. . . teotic fisva nu antowen miak. Tiam vit nu covek tranian ruthova.” The words rang in my head like the sound of a bell chiming, though they seemed a bit off, his inflections wrong. It was a strange thought to have since I had no idea what he was saying.

  He smiled. He looked almost excited. “It took me a long, long time to find anyone who could figure out what that meant, and even then, even with references, and a giant library of books, they weren’t certain. What you said, Lillin, was ‘This shell is our instrument. Her purpose is ours and you will not interfere.’ I wonder what that might mean.” His voice was almost reverent.

  A chill passed through me. Those were strange words, and I wasn’t happy not to understand why I’d spoken them, or how. “What do they mean?” I asked, aware that I sounded a little lost in that moment.

  “I don’t know!” He sounded excited. “I really want to find out, but I don’t know, and right now no one is interested in finding out. If you ever want to learn more, though, you can come see me again on your own time. We can explore what I found.”

  He seemed honestly curious and not hostile, but the thought of hearing anymore of that language coming from me scared me. “I’ll keep that in mind, but there is still much that needs to be done. Do you know where I can find Korva?” I asked, trying to push the conversation on to different territory. I’d had enough unsettling experiences for the day.

  He nodded and pointed to a tent not far from where we were. “She’s on her rest period. She didn't take losing you well.”

  “Thank you.” I answered with a quick bow, but then I was off in a rush. I didn't really want to talk to Kine anymore than I had to. There were so many things to consider, so many problems all around us. I would have to try and deal with one thing at a time. First, Korva. I wanted her to know I was alright.

  I went to the tent Kine had indicated and found the front flap open. Korva was inside working at a desk, probably writing reports of some kind. I cleared my throat. “Korva.”

  Her head snapped up and around quickly. “Lillin?” She was frozen in shock for a moment, and then she stood up and rushed over to me, reaching out to give my shoulder a firm squeeze as though to assure herself I was really there. “By the Blackened, Lillin, you’re alive!” I could see the relief clearly on her features. She let out a sigh and shook her head. “After you vanished I thought you were gone for good. I searched for you for a time, but there was no trace of you at all. One minute we were talking, and then you just vanished.”

  “I was right behind you and then a door slammed closed in my face, and after that I couldn’t find you anymore.” It was difficult to put what had happened into words. “I wandered the halls, but they weren’t ordered correctly, and I couldn’t make any headway getting back here.” I didn’t know how to explain the rest of it without sounding crazy, so I left parts of it off. I did mention the golem and the ghoul, though I kept it all vague. “When I finally did manage to make my way here they told me I’d been missing for days, but it only felt like maybe an hour or so.”

  Korva’s expression was still one of relief. “It sounds like those kind of things have been happening a great deal since this started. I’m just happy to see you’re alive. I’ve never lost a trainee under me before, and I rather like you.”

  This made me smile despite myself. “Thank you, I rather like you as well. I hear the King is with us.” I said, deciding to see what more I could learn from Korva.

  She nodded. “Yes, we’ve set up a control center here. It made sense since the Wardens were already established here. Inside the yard things are mostly safe, and not too many strange things happen, but beyond this place it’s all chaos. We were sending out patrols to fight the golems and try to determine where this is all coming from, but despite having been at this for a while now we haven’t learned much of anything. The patrols seem to go alright as long as they’re four or five people in size, but any less than that and people tend not to make it back, or come back changed. We’ve had to restrain a few Wardens who have become unstable. Times are desperate. The King wants to gain access to Everburn, to use the eternal flame to banish the darkness that has fallen here, but there is some resistance from the older Wardens. They are sitting in a meeting over it now.”

  I thought that over for a bit before speaking again. “Where does Arthos stand on things?”

  “I haven’t heard anything about Arthos. If he is here at all I haven’t seen him, but there is another group of Wardens who are forming an opposition to the King. They have threatened to stand down from their positions if he chooses to take up Everburn.” Korva looked a bit uneasy. “The King hasn’t used his Will yet to compel anyone to agree with him, but he is steadfast in what he wants to do. I’m afraid it won’t be long before he expresses his desires as Iron Law, at which point we will all obey him. If we don’t, he . . . “ Her expression turned even more dour. “Well, the King can compel even his own Wardens if it suits him. There is a reason we call it the Iron Will. What he wants, he gets. The fact that he is letting deliberation go on means he hasn’t completely decided what he wants yet. Those who won’t follow him now will when he makes a decision, all threats aside. Speaking out at the moment is just a show of empty bravado.”

  This new information had me worried. Arthos going missing was strange , and this divide between the Wardens was troubling, but I also wasn’t sure that claiming Everburn was a good idea. That was a dangerous path unto itself. I found myself wondering where Ghoul stood on things, but I wasn’t supposed to know him. I couldn’t exactly ask.

  “The older Wardens are resisting using Everburn?” I asked, deciding that this might be the best clarification I could find.

  Korva nodded. “Most of them are siding with the opposition. Some of them remember the last time Everburn was used and they don’t like the idea of exposing our world to that again. Things have been strange here, Lillin. I mean, clearly what is happening is strange, but the Wardens aren’t acting themselves either. I’ve never seen them so divided. No one is certain how to handle this situation, but things are getting dire. We have to make a stand somewhere.”

  “Where do you stand?” I decided I should know.

  She was just a bit hesitant before answering. “I was all for the King’s idea of getting Everburn at first, but the reluctance of the older Warden’s worries me. Some of them, not all, but some of them lived through the first use of Everburn. The fact that they seem unwilling to grasp it again concerns me. Even the King, who believes it is necessary, doesn't seem excited at the prospect. I feel as though I’m not seeing the whole story, either from the opposition or from the King, but in the end, the Will of the King is our Will. We can’t deny what he wants, even if it’s dangerous. We can certainly question what he says, but . . . ” She gave a helpless shrug.

  Her perspective was a nice change from Arthos who seemed to have an unwavering opinion of the King and the Iron Will. At least Korva was willing to question, even if she wouldn’t resist in the end. It was the stubborn acceptance of the King’s Will that was most troubling to me, but perhaps I lacked the proper perspective. I’d never met the King in person. It was hard to imagine someone with a Will so powerful that you could always feel its pressure upon you. Most of the others, I’d
learned, could only feel a direct application of Will anyway, and only when it was directed at them. That made me different, though why I wasn’t certain. I thought it had something to do with the pressure that Ghoul had applied to me, but why was my awakening different than those who awoke at Second? They didn’t have to awaken in a life or death situation either, though I didn’t understand the process they used.

  Thinking of Second made me think of Dreea again, and a wave of sadness passed over me. Some small relief followed shortly after. At least she wasn’t here. She was far away from the dangers of this place, in a controlled environment. She would do well in her training.

  I realized I'd been quiet for perhaps too long. “Sorry,” I offered. “My thoughts are wandering. It has been an eventful day.”

  Korva nodded. I could read some concern on her face, but it seemed fleeting in light of everything else that we were dealing with. “You should report to Shaw. He is in charge of organizing shifts here. Normally I’d keep you with me, but since everyone thinks you’re dead at the moment, it’s better if you get your directions from him. He’ll probably send you back here.”

  “Where can I find Shaw?” I asked not eager to be back out amidst the others. I wanted quiet time to think and figure things out, but it would be difficult to find such time here I realized.