“Yes, I think that might be true,” said Marek. “If Cain or his demons are following us, they will go after Jak first.”
“Well, if that’s your decision, Jak, then I’m going with you.” Karlona put her hands on her hips. “You’ll need a bodyguard, and I’m the best you’ve got.”
“I can agree to that,” Jak said. Not that she could have stopped her mother from doing something she set her mind to. “I think overall it should be a small company though, if we’re hiking the mountain. We won’t have much in the way of provisions.”
Skellig gave a curt nod. “I agree. A large force wouldn’t help much against someone like Cain anyway, and we need as many people with the main group as possible. Especially with you gone,” she looked at Jak.
“You can’t count on me to save you every time,” Jak said with a wink. Skellig rolled her eyes. Jak had saved her life once before, and saved all of their lives when she had decimated an army of several thousand demons at once.
Yes, perhaps it would be good for the group to live without her for a while, get a chance to build on their own, without the help of their most powerful weapon. Besides, she would still be helping them if she managed to draw Cain off, or if she found a second Pillar of Eternity.
“I want to go with you,” said Seph. Jak turned to where he stood next to her.
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” she said.
“I know I don’t have any brands or significant combat skills. But I think this is something that I need to do. If it means finding a Pillar of Eternity then I want to help in any way I can. You might need me for what I know about them, what the Book of Illadar teaches.”
Jak leveled her gaze at Seph. Was that the real reason why Seph wanted to come, or did it have something to do with her, with the fact that they were becoming something more than friends? Well, she did like the idea of having him with her. Just them and a handful of others, not having to worry about the crowds of humans and Fae. But no, Seph would be more of a hindrance than a help. It was a harsh truth, but accurate all the same.
“No, I’m sorry,” she shook her head.
“But…”
“We can’t risk it. Perhaps if you had a brand, even a simple one like Hungerless, we could make an exception.”
Seph closed his mouth, opened it, then closed it again. Yes, he knew that trying to argue the fact would not change Jak’s mind. Relics, but she hated doing that to him.
“Can I assume that’s a yes, then?” Marek broke the awkward silence.
“Yes, I suppose it is,” said Jak. “But don’t think that I trust you yet. That still remains to be seen. But if what you say is true, and there really is a Pillar of Eternity on this Mt. Knot, then I think that will be sufficient.”
He nodded. “It’s there. You can keep me restrained if you want, I won’t mind.” He raised his arms to indicate the cords that held his hands together.
“I don’t think that will be…” Jak began.
“We’ll see,” Karlona cut in. “Jak is not the one you have to convince.”
“When we get there, you’ll see,” said Marek. “Thank you for being willing.”
He said it with such sincerity that Jak truly believed him. He wanted to help, that much was clear to her.
Yet, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling of discomfort in the back of her mind. Everything about Marek appeared, at least on the surface, like the friend she had known for so many years. But he was changed, different somehow. She just wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Jak shook off the thought and faced Skellig. “You’ll make sure the wagons are prepared to carry the Water Fae?”
Skellig nodded, “We’ll get started right away.”
“Good,” Jak met Marek’s eyes. Those warm, inviting eyes. Yes, this was Marek. Changed perhaps, and miraculously alive, but still the young man she had known. “Then we’ll leave tomorrow morning.”
4
Jak slept that night for the first time in nearly a week, after spending the majority of the evening giving out a few last-minute brands. She didn’t need as much sleep as she used to, thanks to a Sleeplessness brand that she gave herself a month or two prior.
After a brief meal in the morning, they were ready to depart. Skellig had already expertly arranged for most of them to begin traveling down the left path, the one that led deeper into the mountains towards this valley they hoped to find.
Jak, Marek, and Karlona, on the other hand, prepared for a long personal journey. While Jak didn’t need much food or sleep, the others did. Marek had the brand of Telekinesis that Gabriel had given him in what seemed like a lifetime ago. And Karlona had her own gifts, but Fae could not receive brands like Hungerless. And Jak was not about to give Marek any extra brands. So they packed as much food and water as they could, along with extra clothes and warm blankets. They had no pack animal, so Jak took as much of it in her pack as she could. Once again, her brand of Strength came in handy. She wasn’t sure how she had managed before giving herself all those other brands.
As one final preparation, she found herself looking for Gabriel. He was getting ready near the river, folding his makeshift bed and placing it on a nearby wagon. When he saw her coming, he smiled and heaved his pack onto the wagon with a groan. “Whew, these old bones are not what they once were. I think I can still feel every pebble I slept on last night.”
“You know, I could give you a few extra brands, Gabriel.” said Jak. “It wouldn’t be a problem.”
Gabriel let his mouth hang open in thought. “I don’t think so, Jak. Not that I don’t trust you. It’s just, for now, I think it would be rather an odd adjustment for me. Call it an old man’s stubborn attachment to the status quo.”
“Well, along those lines, I wanted to get your help with something before we leave.”
Gabriel nodded, “I had a feeling you might come to me eventually. Not that you really need my help, not anymore.”
“What do you mean?”
“You want to make sure your branding techniques are accurate, yes? You want to give yourself more brands.”
Jak smiled, “is it that obvious?”
“Look, brands are extraordinary gifts. We still don’t fully understand their origin, but I know most people would jump at the chance to gain extra abilities like yours. I don’t think it’s any surprise that you include yourself in that number. You’ve already proven you have extraordinary abilities.”
“Sometimes I feel a bit selfish by giving myself so many.” Jak admitted, kicking at a pebble with her boot.
“And the fact that you feel that way is proof that you deserve what you have, that you aren’t a...I don't’ know, a power-hungry tyrant.” He winked at her.
Jak laughed. “Well, you’re right. Before we leave I need every advantage I can get. I just wanted to test the brands first so you can confirm that I’m doing it correctly.”
“Indeed, and which brands do you want to give yourself?”
“Toughness, Sightseeing, and Grace.”
“Hm, well Toughness should be no problem. I’ve seen you perform it on others, so you’ll be fine there. Sightseeing shouldn’t be a problem either. Grace, however, is difficult to check if you got it right. Inanimate objects do not have any observable reactions when branded with Grace, even if you get it wrong.”
Jak nodded. This wasn’t news to her. “That’s why it’s one of the last brands that you learn, right?”
“Right, and the only true way to know if you got it right is to test it on a living thing. We usually have mice or some other kind of creature to start with. It’s the only brand where we use animals to test if it works. Well, that and…”
“That and Blood-burning,” Jak finished.
Gabriel’s face hardened. “Yes, I assume you’re not looking to give yourself that one?”
Jak shook her head. “I don’t see why I would need it.”
“You didn’t mention the Void brand,” he added.
Jak paused. “W
hat would that do exactly?”
“Unclear, since no one has ever possessed it with more than one brand. It could be that it would grant you the ability to negate the brands of others. Or…”
“Or it could render all of my brands useless,” Jak finished. “Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll risk it.”
“Very well, in any case, let’s see what you’ve got on these three?” He turned to the sack he had just loaded onto the wagon, rummaged around, and pulled out a small crystalline flask. “I use this for collecting samples of unknown substances I find while traveling. But it also works well for testing Sightseeing. You see, if you perform it incorrectly, Sightseeing will cloud up the glass, so you can no longer see through it.”
Jak accepted the glass from Gabriel. “Go on,” Gabriel prompted when she didn’t do anything at first.
Jak closed her eyes and focused. She had performed the Sightseer brand before, but never on a living being. She could envision the brand perfectly, but there was also something to be said about the attitude one had when branding. But she’d studied this for months. She knew what she was doing. She felt the Gifter power surge within her, and she opened her eyes just a little to see the black brand lines forming on the glass. So far so good.
When the brand finally settled into the glass, both she and Gabriel held their breaths to see what happened. The glass remained perfectly clear.
“Well, I think that settles it,” Gabriel took the glass and examined it closely. “Yes, this looks good. I can’t see any problem with the design. If only all of my students could pick this up so quickly.”
Jak blushed. “I’ve been practicing in my head since I was a little girl.”
“And it appears to be paying off. Now, about that Grace brand.”
Jak turned all her attention to Gabriel.
“I’m not sure if we’ll find a suitable animal around here for you to test. But we can start by branding a rock, and I can tell you if there’s anything wrong with the brand itself.”
Jak nodded and stooped to pick up a stone about the size of her fist. Then once more she concentrated, imbuing the stone with the necessary brand lines. Grace required a feeling of fluidity, of adaptability. She did her best to envision that as she worked, picturing Naem when he would fight, the way he dodged any attacks as if he had rehearsed the battle beforehand, like it was a dance.
She had avoided giving herself Grace before now, in part because of Naem. Even the smallest reminder of his prior betrayal had been enough to put her on edge. But most of that was behind her now. Naem had proven himself to be on their side, and even now was putting himself at risk to get more Fae and their sympathizers out of Skyecliff.
But now was not a time to let the past interrupt the future. If she was to be the hero everyone wanted her to be, she would need every skill, every advantage. And that included Grace.
When she finished, Gabriel took the stone and stared intently at the markings. “This looks correct to me, I see no blemishes that would affect the results. But again, it’s impossible to tell without a live subject. I would not recommend using this one on yourself until you do.”
Jak licked her lips, “What happens if I get it wrong?”
“Well, Grace doesn’t often kill when one gets it wrong, unless the brand is way off, which yours isn’t. Most likely, you will go mad. You will become a demon.”
Jak swallowed. “Perhaps I’ll wait to find a rabbit or something. Try it out on that first.”
“That would be my recommendation. For the other two, I think you have nothing to fear.”
Jak nodded. “Very well.”
A hand on her shoulder caused her to turn. It was her mother, Karlona, her Shadow Elf visage almost seeming to glow with darkness, if such a thing were possible. “Your friend and I are ready to go when you are,” she said.
“I’ll be along in a moment,” Jak said.
Her mother gave Jak’s shoulder a squeeze, exchanged a short nod with Gabriel, then retreated back the way she had come.
“Be careful out there,” said Gabriel, watching Karlona go. “It’s a dangerous business.”
“You don’t trust Marek?” Jak asked.
“It’s not that I don’t trust him, in fact I think he’s given us no reason not to trust him. And an outlandish story like his is almost too improbable for it to be a lie. But I think a healthy fear of the unknown could be useful in a time like this. And there are a lot of unknowns. Keep on your guard.”
Jak nodded, “I will. What do you think these are for?” With that, she grabbed her right forearm and activated her Gifter brand. The magic flooded through her as she began envisioning Toughness. After the mild pain of the brand lines becoming a part of her, she imagined the next one, Sightseeing. It only took a couple of seconds, but when she finished, there were two new brands on her body.
Jak’s eyes widened. Suddenly she could see every strand of Gabriel’s graying hair, every thread in his cloak. Staring beyond her mentor, she focused on the nearest mountain. Even though its peak was miles above, she could make out a fox trotting through the snow. And what appeared to her before as a sea of pine trees was now made up of individual branches and twigs. When she stared at the sky, she could make out a few stars, even though the sun had already risen. This was incredible!
“I see it’s working,” said Gabriel with a knowing smile. “Perhaps I will have to take a few new brands from you, if that’s the reaction I’ll have each time.”
Jak faced her mentor, blinking as he came into focus. Something about the Sightseer brand made him look closer than he actually was. She would have to get used to that.
“Thank you for all your help, Gabriel,” she said at last. She took two steps backward, preparing to leave.
He acknowledged her with a nod. “Anytime, child. I’m only sorry I can’t help further, but you long surpassed me and my abilities.”
Jak smiled, knowing it was not true. Gabriel had a wisdom and experienced confidence that she lacked, but she appreciated the compliment anyway.
With a final wave, she turned to meet her mother at the fork in the road. The Shadow Elf stood there with Marek, who still had ropes tying his hands together. They might have to take those off. Perhaps when Jak had a chance to talk to him more, see if he was truly a danger. Maybe they could loose his hands during the day at least, and keep them tied at night.
Karlona waved a dark hand at Jak. “I see you gave yourself more brands.” She did not seem surprised.
“I figured we could use every bit of help we can get. I only wish I could give you a brand.”
“We have our own advantages that you can’t get from a brand.” said Karlona. “Though I appreciate that.”
Marek remained quiet. That was good. He could have used the opportunity to ask for an additional brand, but he didn’t.
Speaking of people who didn’t want brands, where was Seph? Jak scanned the crowd behind them. Most were busy loading the wagons, or gathering supplies. Very few looked in their direction, and she couldn’t see Seph anywhere. Had she hurt him when she told him not to come? She hoped that wasn’t the case. She liked being with him, even if it didn’t make sense for a journey like this one. Why wouldn’t he be here to see them off?
An unexpected feeling of loss pulled her good spirits downward. Well fine, if he didn’t want to see her one last time, that was for him to deal with. Perhaps some time alone would help them both get their minds straight.
She turned back to meet Marek’s eyes. Once again she saw that same youthful innocence in those eyes that she recognized from their childhood. But they were touched with a darkness, a maturity that she herself felt. There was longing there as well. She swallowed. Perhaps being in such proximity to Marek wouldn’t be a good idea after all. He had been interested in her, even if she hadn’t thought of him in that way. But that was beside the point. They were journeying with a purpose, and neither of them could let their feelings get in the way.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
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“I am,” he replied.
Jak took one last look around her for Seph, but he was nowhere in sight. So instead she said, “lead the way.”
5
They walked for a long time in silence. Karlona remained alert, on the lookout for trouble. Marek apparently didn’t feel the need to speak. So Jak let the tension hang in the air, choosing not to say anything either. She wished she’d had a chance to say goodbye to Seph. Perhaps he hadn’t intentionally avoided her. Maybe he had just overslept or something. What would he do when he woke and found she was gone? Would he assume she had been avoiding him?
Now and then she glanced up at Mt. Knot, looming in the distance. It was a big mountain, though not as big as Mt. Harafast. Even with her newfound Sightseer brand, she still couldn’t make out the details at the top of its peak. It was far too distant. It would take them some time to get all the way there. Perhaps if she used the Pillar of Eternity? But no, all that would do would be to save time. It wouldn’t reduce the amount of effort to climb all that way. In fact, it would wear her out more if she used the Pillar’s magic, since it had a tendency to physically drain her as she used it.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Karlona came to a sudden halt. She held out one arm, indicating the rest of them should keep still.
“What is it?” Jak whispered. She didn’t hear anything but the wind whistling through the canyon. But she didn’t have whatever instincts her mother had, as a Shadow Elf.
“Someone is near,” her mother replied. With one hand, she slipped an obsidian dagger out of her belt.
“Could it be someone from the camp? Maybe we missed something.” Jak turned to look behind them.
“No, ahead of us, around the bend.”
That was unexpected. Jak brandished the Pillar of Eternity in front of her. She had her spear tied to her back, but hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary. And if it was something dangerous, she could just use the Pillar to freeze time long enough to draw a weapon. Marek watched with mild interest, seemingly unworried.
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