The Fallen One

by Lexy Wolfe

  Nolyn crossed his arms, smirking. "Aughas Oberlain is your nephew, is he not? Are you sure you are able to manage another apprentice adequately, or did you just take him out of pity since I did not choose him myself?"

  The air grew heavy around Draustus as he curled his hands into fists. The mage beside him grabbed his shoulder, hissing at him in warning before he flung a spell at Nolyn. Seconds later, Ellis appeared with Zoe by his side. The ominous feel hanging in the air abruptly vanished as the approaching pair paused briefly. Ellis glanced upwards towards Valerian in the shadows and nodded with a half-smile. The girl's smile beamed and she dashed over to the Unsvet Guardian, grabbing his hand with both of hers and pulling him out.

  "Come sit with me!" she said in a low voice.

  Drawn out of his fascinated observation of the interaction between Nolyn and Draustus by the goddess's youthful mortal servant, Valerian was nonplused. "You honor me, Honorable Voice of the Oracle Stone, but I am just here to observe. I do not wish to intrude." The Guardian blinked several times when the curls of metallic gold and copper seemed to intensify and the girl looked up with much older eyes.

  "It would please Me if My sister's representative would take the place of honor by My Voice's side, Unsvet Guardian Valerian. I want all to know that the Timeless One is welcomed by Me among My lands and children." Zoe's voice, bearing a dual quality to it as the goddess spoke through her, brooked no argument. Valerian nodded mutely, letting Zoe happily pull him along to a plush couch residing across from the half-circle, facing the thirteen members of the Edai Tredecima.

  Ellis rose, tapping the ancient bronze bell with a hammer. Within a heartbeat, there was silence as even those above stopped whatever they were doing, looking down from the many balconies above. "As the spring equinox approaches, all of Forenta prepares to welcome the season of warmth, growth and renewal. Before we begin this seasonal congress of the Edai Tredecima and hear how the twelve realms have endured this past winter, I would like to welcome officially Unsvet Guardian Valerian to our lands."

  Ellis smiled knowingly, glancing at some among the Edai who shifted with sudden discomfort, averting their eyes while fussing with their robes or changing positions. "He has brought us word that our very own Illaini Magus Ash Avarian successfully returned the Dusvet Guardian to Fortress. Also, both Illaini have accepted the invitation to learn more of the Timeless One's lore. Until both Illaini Magus Ash and Illaini Magus Terrence return to our lands, it will be even more important for each of us to make the greater effort to fulfill our duties to the great mother in protecting those beholden to Her and to us. The Unsvet Guardian will make himself available to instruct any who seek assistance during the Illaini Magi's absence and should he be unavailable to help immediately."

  "I think it is so exciting that Ash and Terrence get to go learn at the Timeless One's knee," Zoe whispered. "I cannot wait until they come home so they can tell me all about it since I will never get to go myself." Valerian blinked as he looked down at the girl's profile, thoughtful.

  "The Illaini Magi's duty is to Forenta," an older, pinch-faced woman stated, casting a hostile look towards Valerian. "Whatever means they got the Dusvet Guardian back to his territory, they should use it again to return to us."

  Ever protective of his spirit brother Ash, Nolyn snapped, "Edai Magus Mayven Jesselir, the Illaini Magi's duty is to the Edai of the Knowing One. That includes learning all that can be learned. It is an honor if the Timeless One Herself believes they are both fit candidates. Besides, it is not solely the responsibility of the Illaini Magi to protect Forenta's children."

  "They are the only ones capable of dealing with those scourges that encroach on our settlements," a young woman at the end of the half circle stated crossly. "You cannot expect us to face these... things without the blessings of the Knowing One!"

  "I can expect us to make the attempt because it is our duty to protect those who cannot be protected, Master Eptina Dyndrai," Nolyn shot back. "Or have you forgotten the Edai you have sworn to serve?" The woman flushed at the rebuke, glaring at him as she crossed her arms, at a loss for words.

  Ellis tapped the bell, failing to conceal his amusement at the bickering. "Unsvet Guardian Valerian has graciously offered to assist us by teaching techniques that would allow us to contain some of the more threatening darklings until Fortress can send more assistance. However. He is," Ellis stated, fixing each Edai Magus with a hard look, "but one man. Long lived does not directly correlate to instant travel."

  Valerian inclined his head as all eyes turned to him for several moments. Some were neutral, some were decidedly hostile. As Ellis turned back to the others and requested news from the realms, Zoe shifted to lean against Valerian. The Vodani man reflexively put his arm around the girl as she nestled close. "Are you all right, Voice Zoe?"

  Zoe closed her eyes with a sigh, turning her face against him. "Is the Timeless One as sad as the Knowing One?" she whispered.

  "I don't know." The unexpected question brought a pause to the Unsvet Guardian. "Why is the Knowing One sad?"

  Zoe looked up at him. "Wouldn't you be sad if you were all alone and many of the children you love have forgotten or turned away from you?"

  The man closed his eyes and looked away, tightening his arm around her. "Yes, I suppose I would be. But She isn't alone. She has her divine servants." When Zoe shook her head, he frowned. "All gods have divine servants."

  "In the past, yes. It is not as it had been. Where My brother's servants were too harsh and distant to their mortal charges, Mine were too lenient and close. Far too close," the Knowing One whispered. "And all of Us have paid a dear price for Our arrogance and pride. But none have paid as much as Our mortal children, and they do not even realize how much they suffer in their extremes."

  "I don't understand, Knowing One," Valerian replied as he tightened his arm around the girl. A sense of protectiveness for this slight girl bearing the burden of being a god's mortal servant quelled his uneasiness hugging her. "There does not seem to be any excessive suffering among the mortals that I have seen."

  "The deviations have been subtle, seen only once much time has passed, and perhaps too late to alter the course of change. My brother's children have slowly lost their individuality where Mine have lost their community." She looked up at him. "They have been driven against their natures and such a thing tortures over time. But how can you know you suffer when you have not known differently and cannot remember what life had once been like?"

  "Change happens, Knowing One. Mortals adapt. We always have since the beginning." Valerian watched the various members of the Edai Tredecima, taking note of mannerisms and what was unsaid, his attention narrowing on the woman Eptina. "What was is gone. What is now is what we are."

  "Is it? I could always hear my mortal children, even if they forgot how to hear Me. Our arrogance has cost Us everything." Valerian looked down sharply, but Zoe had fallen asleep.

  An older woman approached from behind the couch, draping a blanket over the girl, offering a smile to Valerian. "Poor girl. She tries so hard to stay awake for the whole congress of the Edai Tredecima so the great mother can hear. But she tires so easily when the goddess enters her."

  Tucking the blanket around Zoe, Valerian said in a low voice to the woman, "Make no mistake. The Knowing One does not require Voice Zoe to hear Her children; She requires Zoe to speak directly to mortals. The gods always hear Their children when They choose to listen. Your great mother is not ignorant to what happens within Her domain. Nor is the Timeless One." The woman's smile faded as she paled, swallowing nervously before bowing and hurrying away. The Unsvet hugged the girl, turning his attention back to the discussion.

  Chapter 15

  Once the general topics were covered, the meeting had moved on to each realm's Edai Magus reporting on the status of their area. Ellis had to prod a great deal to get any details from any of the Edai Magi but Nolyn. The displeasure on Ellis's expression spoke to the volumes he did not voice. The final
part was allowing any person to ask the Edai Tredecima's assistance, whether it was for mundane disputes or other queries.

  Having awoken from her nap, Zoe remained curled against Valerian, watching. "Are they always so reticent in sharing information?" he asked in a low voice.

  Zoe nodded slightly. "There is much that remains unspoken. She knows much of what they think they are hiding from Her as much as what they hide from one another." Sighing heavily, she hugged the Unsvet. "And I cannot speak of it, either. Some of it is because She does not know, because there is no entity, no matter how great, that knows all. But… the Great Mother says that Her children have always learned best when they have learned for themselves. That is the reason for the divine laws that restrict how much or even simply how knowledge is to be given. But it takes so long for them to learn anything because they don't know to look! Or they are too lazy to look because the answer is obliquely given."

  Valerian smiled, his voice filled with quiet reassurance. "I imagine it must be especially troublesome for Her, being the goddess of knowledge and not telling them everything there is to know." He kissed the top of her head after she nodded vigorously in agreement. "She can guide them towards answers, though."

  "If they would ask," Zoe lamented. "But She is waiting for them to seek Her out again. I am not sure why. Not many people seem to think they can ask, and that just perpetuates the problems."

  "It is a vicious cycle. She cannot answer directly, so they do not feel She has answered at all. Then they stop asking at all, when She might have been able to answer more directly." Valerian shrugged one shoulder. "I am sure it is not much different for any of the other gods. Most do not turn to the Timeless One except when they are nearing their end of days and pray to Her for more time. But that is not something She can grant without extraordinary reason."

  "Like for Master Ellis," Zoe murmured. "Except he didn't ask for more time. Not directly. The great mother heard his prayers to Her about how badly he felt that he was too old to watch over Master Ash or the others of Forenta. So the Timeless One granted the Knowing One a boon and made Master Ellis young again." Zoe shifted to sit up a little more, though still leaned against Valerian's side. "He did his best when the darkling had ruled through Ysai Oberlain."

  Valerian rubbed her shoulder in reassurance. "Your great mother did nothing against this darkling?"

  "She fostered Master Ash when he was a boy and taught him Herself. Guided those that She could. But Ysai was subtle. It is as if she knew that the Knowing One is blind without her divine servants to serve as her eyes, her hands and her voice. By the time She knew, few reached out to Her, and those few could not hear her whispers or were ignored."

  "Surely the goddess could have been more… overt in Her actions?" Valerian asked in puzzlement.

  "People had a choice what to do, and that kept Ysai in check because not all followed her demands, and more overt methods would have cast suspicion on her." The pair went silent as, after a few minutes of silence with no one approaching them, the proceedings shifted to formally ending the meeting. "That part never takes long," Zoe stated as she sat up, pushing the blanket off her shoulder. "Not many people feel confident enough to come here. Fewer still find the courage to step onto the half circle before the Edai Tredecima."

  "A shame more from outside of the academy do not come simply to observe. It is rather fascinating."

  Zoe looked at him in surprise. "You were not bored? I thought you were a Vodani."

  A small smile touched Valerian's lips. "I am an Unsvet Guardian. We belong to all nations and to none." Zoe put her hands on her hips, giving him a scolding look until he chuckled. "Well, yes, I agree that while the concept is ideal, reality is what it is." He shrugged one shoulder. "My grandfather was a Forentan mage. I suppose there was always some part of me fascinated with that part of my heritage. And more tolerant of it than other Guardians. Though it can be rather maddening, all the innuendo and double speak that Forentan high society seems to adore." Zoe giggled behind her hands, her eyes sparkling with mirth at the plainspoken observation.

  As the meeting concluded, Nolyn started to walk towards Zoe and Valerian when Eptina intercepted him. After a few quiet words, Nolyn nodded, his expression filled with resigned reluctance and walked to the private hall of the Edai Magi. Ellis looked over at the departing pair thoughtfully as he joined Zoe and Valerian.

  "Unsvet Guardian Valerian, would you and Voice Zoe do me the honor of joining me for a light repast while we await Edai Magus Nolyn Lirai to emerge from his meeting with Edai Magus Eptina Dyndrai?" Ellis asked, as life returned to normal through the academy.

  Zoe's eyes lit up. "We are still going to Naveene's Rest for dinner like you promised?" At the Se'edai's nod, the girl squealed happily and clapped her hands. "I cannot wait! The city is always decorated so prettily this time of year! They are flowers everywhere! Let me go put my pretty dress on first." Before anyone could say anything, she scampered off.

  "Though I know the honor of being accepted to serve the gods, I cannot help but feel sorry for Zoe. She is like a little songbird kept in a gilded cage," Valerian observed quietly to Ellis. "Longing to be free, unable to fly."

  Ellis closed his eyes with a sigh. "It is difficult keeping her from feeling imprisoned. Unfortunately, Forenta is not as safe a place as I would prefer to allow her to leave the academy alone. Most do not understand that her bond to our great mother does not give Zoe access to all knowledge or abilities. She is still very much a student and in need of instruction in the mage arts. I tutor her personally when I can, but the demands on my time limit me. And she cannot be separated too far from the Oracle Stone for very long."

  "I would be honored to accompany her if she wishes to go explore the world beyond the walls of the Magus Academy." Valerian smiled and shrugged. "At least while I am here in Ithesra. You couldn't ask for a better bodyguard than a Guardian of Time."

  "Except perhaps a Githalin Swordanzen or Illaini Magus," Ellis replied, his gratitude tempered with amusement and relief. "I would very much appreciate it, Unsvet Guardian. And I know Zoe and the Knowing One would as well."

  Chapter 16

  Standing at the rail of the ship, Kiya stared into the unchanging distance, her face bare to the world. She looked to the side as the tall Swordanzen joined her. "You need not always hover over me, Seeker il'Anibu. There is no one who would harm me among the Vodani."

  The man's lips twitched in an amused smile. "It is not the foreigners who worry me, and you know it, Su'alin. I have heard the stories they tell of our brother's journey into the outlands and the monster that nearly killed Storm il'Thandar and that defiler. Fine," he grumbled at her irritated expression. "The mage." He turned his gaze down to the slight woman as her eyes returned to the horizon. "What is wrong?"

  "It is so hard," she said so softly, Seeker nearly could not hear her. "Storm il'Thandar fears nothing. She is strong, beautiful, and everything that is best about our people. Me... It is all I can do to conceal my terror from the eyes of others while we are so far from our lands. And on this ship, there is less privacy than among the shared tents of a tribe."

  Seeker looked down at the hilt of his Swordanzen blade, rubbing the image of the shadow jackal on the hilt. "Were you Swordanzen, a training bout would help release the fear, or at least bring fire to your heart to burn it away. But your battle circles have always been across the blade." He smiled wanly. "You always were more comfortable in the spirit world, where I could never follow you or our brother, than the waking world. Have you spiritwalked since we have departed Desantiva's shores?" She shook her head. "You should. I can watch over you, if it would help ease your concerns."

  "I cannot," she confessed softly, looking away in shame. "There are flickers of shadows that I glimpse that... they are strange things. I do not know what they are, and I am afraid. If I spiritwalk here, I will be alone. No one could help me if I needed it."

  The man sighed, putting his arm around Kiya's waist and pulling her clos
e, kissing the top of her head. "If I bore the gift of the Su'alin, I would not hesitate to 'walk by your side, little sister. All I can offer is to protect your physical self as you protect our spirits."

  "I know, and I am grateful to have you here. You and the other three Swordanzen. It was so brave of you to agree to leave Desantiva with me." She leaned into his side, resting her head against his shoulder.

  "And let anyone believe we were afraid to do what a Su'alin challenged her own Alanis to allow her to do?" Seeker snorted softly. "I was so proud of you when you stood up to him, Sister. No one has ever been able to stand strong against his fury. In the face of such bravery, how could we display any less?"

  "I am not brave, Rengi," Kiya hid her face against his chest. "If I was brave, I would have stayed to help Mother face the su'dinnais that had attacked Radisen. I would not have run away to guide him back across the blade so he could find his way back to his body. She died because of my cowardice."

  "Stop it," Seeker scolded sharply, scowling down at her. "No matter what Father claims, what happened to Mother was no fault of yours or Radisen's. In fact, perhaps it was a blessing." He tightened his arm around her waist. "If not for his Su'alin vision being impaired and forcing him from the Path of the Spirit, he may never have found his true calling to become Githalin Swordanzen. Nor would you have fought so hard to excel in his place."

  "My head knows this. My heart still weeps. And my fears distract me. I cannot risk spiritwalking with my mind chasing itself in circles."

  Seeker took her hand. "Then come. Practice knife fighting with me to clear your head and free your mind."

  She balked, uncertain. "I am Su'alin. A spirit warrior, not a warrior like you."

  "Bah. That is Father's talk. You are Su'alin, no better nor worse than any other Desanti. All of us are warriors in our hearts. Also, Father is not here. Do as you wish!" He smiled a little. "This I can do with you. And while we would all die to protect you, I would rather know if, great father forbid, something was there that could take us from you, that you will make your enemy bleed if he so much as thinks about touching you." He cupped her chin and looked into her eyes with a gentle smile. "Understand, my sister?"