by Lexy Wolfe
"What are you talking about?" Eptina demanded. "The Dyndrai have no quarrel with the Avarians! You are starting a civil war that has no basis, Father."
Kerburn frowned at his daughter. "You think my quarrel is with the Avarians, stupid girl? It is with the Edai Tredecima! When Ysai abandoned the goddess, she was supposed to grant the Dyndrai a more prominent place in the hierarchy." He spat to the side. "Instead, time after time, she chose those who were weak and close to death to hold our place on the council. I had hopes you would see the truth, Daughter, but no. You are naïve enough to believe the council has our best interests as their goal. Everyone on the Edai Tredecima have forever been chasing after Avarian's legacy, but the goddess has ever protected those twits."
"The Avarians do have the people's best interests in mind!" Eptina retorted. Even the Desanti held their position as more archers around them became visible.
"What does that idiot think he is doing?" Nolyn grated out between clenched teeth, his hand over the wound. He looked to the side at no one, listening. "Keep him talking, Eptina," he said in a low voice, looking up to meet her eyes briefly.
"What good would that do?" she asked him. She pressed her lips together when Nolyn could only utter a pained sound as he cringed. Looking up at the older Dyndrai, she demanded, "How can you be fool enough to start a war with our goddess Herself?"
"She stopped being 'our' goddess when She abandoned us! When She took away the Trisari who brought us greater power. Without them, our standing diminished among the weaker peoples who could not wield magic." He waved a hand towards Endarian as the Trisari's wings fanned out in anger. "You can still redeem yourself, Daughter. Join your family as we ascend to dominance in the hierarchy! You have brought us a Trisari."
Endarian's rage twisted his handsome features into a terrible visage. "It is depraved mortals like you that prove it was a mistake for my brothers and sisters to have given you anything." The Trisari grimaced, grabbing his throat as a band of energy formed around it, choking him.
"You'll learn to obey your new masters, slave," Kerburn stated. "With you, we will be greater than the gods themselves!" He smirked at Eptina. "I can see in your eyes, you have made your choice, Daughter. Very well. Archers! Fire!"
The riders all raised their arms in a vain attempt to block the rain of arrows. A shower of arrows happened, but it was not from Kerburn's archers. Without time to make a sound of warning, surprise, or pain, the archers toppled out of the trees. If they might have lived from the deadly shafts, the fall to the ground ended that possibility.
A trail of fire darted through the trees, weaving in and out. A second volley of arrows met the screams from hidden mages set alight by the phoenix. Cries of pain subsided to whimpers. Kerburn looked around wide-eyed in shock and rage, shouting orders incoherently. He went silent when his eyes fell on a solitary figure that approached. From behind Kerburn, a bear of a man emerged from his concealment, his sword drawn and a bestial rage fixed on the traitorous mage. Ursin grabbed the other man, his blade resting against his throat.
The smaller approaching man in subdued mage robes put a hand up. "Ursin Farover, release him. He will be dealt with."
The dark look did not leave Ursin's face, but he sheathed his sword as he released the mage, crossing his arms as he glowered. "As you wish, Avarian. Still would feel better gutting him myself."
"Se'edai Magus!" Kerburn turned, the two mages on either side of him faltering in uncertainty. "What are you doing here?"
"Apparently, ensuring that you do not destroy Forenta's future," Ellis stated in grave tones. He put his hands on his hips, his demeanor less angry than disappointed. "Kerburn, I always knew Draustus was an idiot. He was already set to lose his seat at the next congress of the Edai Tredecima." He shook his head dismally. "Imagine my disappointment you chose to exceed his wildest dreams of ineptitude while your own daughter has proven to be a sterling example of what it means to serve our great mother." He looked up into the branches as archers in black uniforms etched in forest green appeared beside the wounded mages. "Secure the prisoners, Captain Dani! They will meet their judgment before the Voice of Forenta."
"Yes, Se'edai Magus!" the woman called, shouting orders to the others.
Kerburn smirked. "Do you think I am going to allow you to ruin decades of work just because you have some over-glorified title? You have no right to judge me!"
Ellis ignored Kerburn, looking to the other two mages. "You have a choice, children of House Dyndrai. Face judgment and punishment on your own terms, or join him in his."
Kerburn laughed cruelly. "Do you think you have any sway here? My family will stand by me because I demand unquestioning obedi— Hey! Where do you idiots think you are going?" he demanded when the two mages traded looks, then slid down from the root. Without a word, they approached Eptina with their wrists crossed over their chests and heads bowed in submission.
"What are we doing?" The woman looked at Kerburn with a bitter look. "Making sure the Dyndrai family survives."
"After everything I have done for you? You are going—!" Kerburn began blustering.
Eptina snapped, "Shut up, Father. And I use the honorific loosely. I realize now you have been no father to anyone. You just used us all as pawns in your own treasonous bid for power." She looked towards Endarian, holding her hand towards him as she concentrated. He gasped as the energy bond around his neck burst like a soap bubble and vanished. "No one will be a slave to your insanity."
Kerburn turned to Ellis, defiance in every aspect. "Do you think that I am going to accept the judgment of those I do not recognize the authority of?"
Ellis looked sad as he shook his head. "No, Kerburn. Your judgment is reserved for the one you offended most." Lowering himself to one knee, he put his hands together in prayer. Head still bowed, he reached out to touch his fingers to the ground. "Mother."
The ground rumbled ominously all around them. Tendrils of roots the size of a man's arm wrapped around Kerburn's ankles. As he shouted and tried to pull himself free, the ground erupted as a massive worm burst from the earth. With a baleful hiss, it coiled around Kerburn, then disappeared underground. All those staring in shock looked away from all that remained of the traitorous mage: his feet and the part of his legs still trapped by the roots.
Ursin leaned down to help Ellis to his feet. "Least your grandnephew came by his stubbornness honestly," the woodsman grumbled as he kept a discrete hand at the proud man elbow to keep him on his feet. Ellis looked sideways at Ursin, a familiar smirk on his features.
"Nolyn!" Star cried as she dropped off her drizzen and ran to the man when he slipped off his horse. She turned him over, distraught. "Tobias! Tobias, hurry!"
The journeyman healer was on the ground beside them at once. He closed his eyes, one hand around the wound, the other on the arrow shaft. Focusing on extracting the arrow without causing more harm, he pulled it free, the silver, barbed arrowhead stained red. Handing the shaft off to Marcus, Tobias focused on healing the man, a bright glow of white under his hands.
Marcus held the arrow up, a quizzical look on his face. Aughas sighed and nodded. "Yes, that is tainted silver, too."
Nolyn relaxed the moment Tobias removed the arrow, opening his eyes to look up at Star with a weak smile, reaching up with his good hand to touch her cheek. "I am not going anywhere, my heart," he assured. "I promise you that." Regaining his strength with the arrow gone, Nolyn squinted up at Ellis and Ursin as the two approached. Each offered a hand to help Nolyn to his feet once Tobias completed his work. "Not that I am not extremely grateful you arrived when you had, but what the hell are you doing out here?"
Ursin grunted. "When you didn't show up in Quoesia, I went to Master Bethal Lirai to warn him of the suspicions of treason by House Dyndrai. Then I got word to the Se'edai." He pointed up to the phoenix that circled above the original group. "We were on our way when that thing appeared. Demanding critter. Absoultely refused to take no for an answer. Lucky we were close, too, else we
'd have been dead tired, possibly dead-dead right now otherwise."
Nolyn blinked, then laughed aloud as the bird alighted on his horse's saddle. "Thanks, featherduster. I owe you one." The bird turned around primly and flipped his tail at the Verusian Edai Magus. "Okay, a few more than just one." The bird chirped, then hopped atop Nolyn's head, starting to preen the man's hair. He sighed, unable to keep from smiling when Star clapped her hands over her mouth to muffle her giggles. "Oh, to be so loved," Nolyn said dryly.
"Come," Ellis stated with a relieved smile. "The Edai Tredecima has a great deal of business to be attended to before the Dusvet Guardian's students return come spring." He held a piece of paper out to Nolyn in answer to the man's shocked look. "Arrived by arrowhawk the other day from Dusvet Guardian Murlen na'Zhekali, Master Bard of Vodanya." He smiled at the uniform, utterly shocked expressions of every member of Nolyn's party. Ellis clapped his hands. "Come, come! We are burning daylight! There is a much better place to set up camp near the main road."
Epilogue
Nolyn looked up to the balconies above, all filled with faces as every one crowded to watch the gathering of the Edai Tredecima, a feeling of dread filling him. He felt a hand rest on his arm and closed his eyes. "You will do fine," Eptina told him in a low voice. "No one will ever be able to cast doubt on whether you deserve to hold first chair on the Edai Tredecima after today." He looked at her. "You should not doubt, either."
"I just hate these massive gatherings," he grumbled. "I am not a people person!"
Eptina chuckled. "Yet you work so hard for their benefit." She shook her head. "Just remember, Edai Magus Nolyn Lirai of Verusia. I will always be there to help you manage the people, if you will help me manage everything else." She held her hand out to him.
Nolyn smiled and accepted her hand, covering it with his other one. "Thank you, Edai Magus Eptina Dyndrai of Estania." He sighed as he looked at the main chamber. "Nor am I looking forward to standing for half the day. I have no clue why Zoe said the goddess demanded our chairs be removed."
"I am sure we will discover the reasons soon enough." She sighed. "I am just very grateful that the trials for the Dyndrai family will not be public. It will make it less difficult to try to repair the damage Father had done over the years." She turned a lopsided smile towards him. "I know it is not official yet, but congratulations on Estania being transitioned into the Lirai's care. It will likely take the rest of my life to restore the Dyndrai to a family that can be respected."
He smirked a little. "Don't expect my family to suddenly go all 'highborn' and start worrying about court propriety above all else. That isn't how the Lirai work."
"If you are an example of how Lirai work, I think we could all stand to try to imitate you more than trying to convince you to imitate us." She laughed at his muttering for the compliment. Both straightened as Ellis and Zoe emerged from the door behind the circle instead of the hall the rest of them awaited in.
As the eleven remaining Edai Magi began to file out, Zoe ran from where she stood and blocked them, her arms held out wide. "The Great Mother says She never meant for the hierarchy of the Twelve Realms to be used as it has been used. No realm's chair belongs to any family, and no individual is 'destined' to hold the title of Edai if they have not earned it. The only realm that has a specific chair is Verusia. It will remain First Chair because it is the capital of all Forenta." She grabbed Nolyn's hand, and pointed. He smiled a little, offering her a deep, respectful bow, obediently going to his place by Ellis.
"What is she up to?" Nolyn whispered to Ellis.
The Se'edai Magus shrugged. "All she would tell me is the great mother intends to fix things." He nodded towards the girl, drawing Nolyn's attention back to her. Neither could repress a smirk of self-satisfaction when she sent the single remaining Edai Magus from the Oberlain family to the lowest spot on the half circle. They took note of the reactions of the members of the council as she sent them to the lowest positions on the half circle.
Zoe bounced to a stop in front of Eptina, looking up at her with a smile, rocking to and fro on her feet with her hands clasped behind her back. "Hi, Master Eptina!"
Eptina arched an eyebrow, but offered a respectful bow to the girl. "Good day, honored Voice of the Oracle Stone Zoe."
"How are you?" the girl continued, her eyes twinkling as a quiet murmur of laughter rippled through those watching from above.
"I am well, Honored Voice—"
"Oh, just call me Zoe, okay?" She wagged a finger up at the audience. "That doesn't mean everyone can! Unless I say it's okay!" The quiet voices of amused assent echoed off the chamber walls. "Good! Now. Guess what, Master Eptina!" Before the woman could reply, Zoe took her hand and pulled her towards the circle. "You are going to be second chair!"
The woman stumbled in shock, staring. "…Second? I am… second chair?"
"Yup! You deserve it! And so does Estania!" Standing on her tiptoes to whisper to the mage, Zoe said, "And Nolyn trusts you. That is all the reason the Knowing One needed, but She knows what you had said and done. She wants you to know She has faith in you."
Eptina blinked, barely noticing the tears rolling down her cheeks. "The great mother believes in… me?" Zoe nodded with a bright smile, holding her arms out wide to the woman.
Eptina hesitated. "Oh, propriety be damned," she muttered and hugged Zoe tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.
"There is a lot of work ahead," the Knowing One said, Zoe's voice echoing with duality as the goddess spoke. "I have as much expectation as faith in you as well."
Eptina stood up, wiped her cheeks and nodded. "Yes, Great Mother. I will not fail You or the people of the Sundered Lands." She took her place on Ellis's other side, offering the man a grateful smile to his welcoming one. Zoe quickly assigned the remaining places, leaving Gallilae and Third Chair empty.
Ellis tapped the bronze bell to bring the audience to silence and the mages to attention. "As you have no doubt all heard, Edai Magus of Gallilae, Master Draustus, had passed away when he left on an expedition to investigate trouble around the Andarian barrier." He paused as the audience erupted in chatter, some only hearing now of the news, others wanting to know if there were any new details of the man's demise.
Valerian, Seeker and Star stood by Zoe's couch across from the Edai Tredecima, waiting for her to sit before they sat out of respect for her position as the voice for her goddess. Seeker made a sound in his throat at Ellis's words. Star elbowed him. "It is not a lie. No need to add more injury to a deeply wounded family to make it impossible for them to redeem themselves. Forenten won't let anything be forgotten and they are slow to forgive."
The Desanti man grumbled a bit. "Still. The lessons his errors could have taught them will be lost. It is foolishness," he began, falling silent when Star hushed him after Ellis tapped the bell to silence everyone else.
"At the behest of the goddess Herself, the circle of Master Draustus is broken. We will give members a month's stipend and that same amount of time to consider and prepare for their futures. Additionally, I and the First and Second chair will assess their past work to be included with any applications to other masters or schools of disciplines they wish to apply to." He paused and looked to Eptina. "Edai Magus Eptina Dyndrai, you have presented a request for Apprentice Aughas Oberlain to be reassigned to you."
"Yes, Se'edai Magus," Eptina replied, her voice carrying clear and strong through the highest level of the chamber, standing with pride as she met his eyes.
Ellis was silent for a time, and it seemed as though the entire upper level was holding its collective breath. "Your request is granted, Edai Magus." Without moving his head, Ellis looked up at the whoops and cheers from above as the other apprentices congratulated the relieved boy. His eyes crinkled in amusement. "Take good care of him. The boy shows promise."
Eptina bowed at the waist, lowering her eyes. "Thank you, Se'edai Magus. I will."
Silence fell on the chamber as the bronze bell's clear tones broke thr
ough the noise of chattering apprentices. "Before we get to Edai Magus Nolyn Lirai's report of his recent expedition to the wilds outside of Andar," Ellis stated, "there is the matter of the empty third chair." He knelt on one knee as Zoe walked up to him. "Great Mother, is there one among us fit to hold this place, so the Edai Tredecima is whole?"
Zoe's response was a sunny smile and headlong run across the room to skid to a stop in front of her couch, looking up at Valerian with a sunny smile. The Unsvet Guardian looked down at her without comprehension as she stood there waiting. It was the swell of sound of shock and surprise that made him realize what she was was doing. "Me? But I am no mage. I am not even Forentan!"
Grabbing his hand, Zoe dragged the Vodani man across the half circle. "The Timeless One and the Knowing One made a bargain, and you know why a Guardian is needed in Gallilae, especially in Andar. There are a lot of things to be fixed, and you are going to help because the Timeless One trusts you, so the Knowing One trusts you will be a good Edai." Her eyes sparkled. "Besides, a Guardian is kinda like a mage, right? That's the conclusion that they are all coming to so it makes sense to them that a Vodani can hold a seat on a mage council. So! May as well just run with it so you can help both the Timeless One and the Knowing One. And didn't you want to learn more about your Forentan grandfather anyway? What better place!"
Looking at Nolyn as he took the place beside him, Valerian said dryly, "I suppose I should be careful about wanting something enough the gods decide to make it happen in grand fashion."
"Disappointed?" Nolyn asked. He looked over towards Star, expression reflecting his affection for the slight Desanti woman. "I know I am not."
"Good gods, no. I'm hardly disappointed." He looked upwards. "Utterly overwhelmed is more accurate."
"We'll help you acclimate and adjust," Eptina stated firmly. "We are, after all, neighbors." Valerian smiled a little. They looked up at the sudden shrieks of fright and shouts of surprise as the phoenix suddenly appeared, spiraling down lazily.