The Beginning After The End

“All I can say with certainty is that Sehz-Clar fell, but Seris escaped,” Caera said. “This knowledge was provided by Lyra of Highblood Dreide before the dragons arrived, and may be weeks out of date.”

“But we can use this to get anywhere, right?” Ellie asked, indicating the heavy chunk of hammered metal that looked vaguely similar to a blacksmith’s anvil.

“Almost anywhere, yes,” Caera confirmed. Her index finger tapped on her lips as she considered the tempus warp, which I had acquired from the Wraiths. “But that only helps us if we know where we’re going.”

“Why not go straight for the throat?” Chul leaned forward on his elbows, his orange eye gleaming with an internal fire. “We can use this to go anywhere, you say? So we could attack Agrona directly.”

“Almost anywhere,” Caera repeated. “Taegrin Caelum is an impenetrable fortress guarded by Vritra magic and technology.”

“My grandfather sent an entire force of asuras to assassinate Agrona, and they failed,” Sylvie added. “We don’t know how or why. Until we do, it’s too risky to face Agrona directly, especially in the seat of his power.”

Silence fell around the table, the only sound was of Boo, who was sitting in one corner grooming himself loudly. A day had passed since our arrival in Vildorial. Caera, Chul, Ellie, Sylvie, Regis, and I sat around a large table with the tempus warp resting between us. We were deep under the Earthborn Institute in a chamber that was shielded against both sound and mana, so even Vajrakor would have a hard time spying on us if he was motivated to do so.

I pointed at Caera, thinking over what she’d said. “But Lyra Dreide might know more. I don’t trust Vajrakor enough to go to him for information, but it makes sense that Lyra’s been keeping an eye on Alacrya. If Seris’s efforts are in any way being made in the public eye, then we might be able to figure out where to start.”

“Vajrakor had considered locking her up as well,” Caera said, a bitter edge creeping into her tone. “He was musing about it one day while pressing me for information, trying to use her continued freedom against me. Apparently he banned her from traveling and threatened to burn the Alacryan encampments—and the Alacryans in them—if she didn’t comply. I know she gave him some information because he then used me to verify it, but I can’t be sure that he wasn’t just attempting to manipulate me further.”

“More Alacryans?” Chul stood up from the table and turned his back on us. “We blend the lines of ally and enemy too much.”

“Careful there, wise one, you’re sounding an awful lot like Vajrakor,” Regis japed.

Chul stared at Regis for a long moment, seeming to roll this thought around, then returned to his seat. “So I am.”

There was a knock at the stone double doors that led into the room, causing Boo to let out a low growl.

Activating Realmheart, I verified the mana signatures of those beyond, then opened them and allowed Gideon and Wren Kain in. Mica was approaching just behind them, and I held the door open for her as well. Wren immediately slumped into a chair that grew up out of the ground for him even as he sat in it, while Gideon found a seat at the table.

Mica leaned against the back wall with a frown carved across her face. She had abandoned the uniform of the Lance in favor of simple dwarven armor and a heavy fur cloak that added to her bulk, disguising her childlike frame. A black gem shone from within her left eye socket.

I stepped out of the room, closing the door behind me to ensure the seal remained intact, and waited for the rest to join us.

Varay was the next to arrive. We exchanged a few polite words, and I let her into the meeting chamber.

My mother looked incredibly nervous when she turned the corner into the hall, but relaxed when she saw me. Pulling me into a hug, she kissed me on the cheek and then looked searchingly into my eyes. “Arthur, what’s this all about? I’m not made for sneaking around.”

I couldn’t help but grin. “You’ve survived being an adventurer, a front-line medic in the war, and my mother.”

She rolled her eyes and swatted me playfully. “That’s true, I suppose. It’s a wonder all my hair hasn’t gone gray and fallen out,” she said, plucking at a length of gray among her auburn locks.

“Before you go in…” I withdrew something from my dimension rune and held it out to her. “I’ve thought about this a lot, and I want you to have this.”

She carefully plucked the milky white stone from my palm, turning it over to look at the many facets. “What is it?”

“Do you remember that ring Vincent Helsea gave you when I started adventuring?” I asked. “It’s kind of like that, except…well, if you are able to use it, you should be able to check on me or Ellie and see exactly what we’re doing. I thought…I didn’t want you to have to worry. Unless of course you turn it on and find me being ripped apart by angry aetheric monsters,” I added.

My mother’s cheeks paled at my joke, and she pressed the stone back on me. “Maybe it’s best that—”

“Sorry,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Honestly, it’d make me feel a lot better if you kept it. I’ve only been able to use it to see you and Ellie anyway, and if Ellie is with me…”

She sighed and took hold of it with both hands. “Okay, what do I do?”

I’d given this some thought since I used aether to activate it. Although it took time to recharge after each use, it drew in its own aether, so it was only a matter of triggering it. “Just send in a burst of healing magic. When it touches your mind, think about Ellie.”

“Should I…?”

I nodded, and Mom closed her eyes and imbued the relic. I watched as her healing magic interacted with the vivum in the atmosphere, drawing it to the relic, then as the tendrils of aether reached out to her in response.

“Oh,” she said softly. The connection cut off and her eyes blinked open. “I could see her speaking with Chul.” Her eyes jumped to the closed doors. “Inside that room. Oh, thank you.” She pulled me into another hug.

“It takes a few days to be used again, so you won’t be able to watch us every step of the way,” I explained.

“That’s probably a good thing,” she replied, staring down at the stone and turning it over and over in her hands. A small smile played across her face. “I’m not sure I’m strong enough to resist the urge of checking to make sure you’re okay every five seconds, and I have far too much to do for me to lose myself to this artifact.”

Behind her, the final guests entered the hall. She waved at Virion and Bairon, then I let her into the meeting chamber.

Virion put his hands on my shoulders and looked me up and down. The old elf was unchanged physically, but it was clear that the events of the last couple years had drained him of the exuberance and vitality he had once possessed in abundance. “It’s strange. Sometimes, when it’s been awhile since I’ve seen you, I almost expect to find that sixteen-year-old boy waiting for me.” His smile faltered, and he patted my cheek. “Then I see this hair, these eyes, this face, and I wonder if it can really be you.”

“Don’t get sentimental on me, Gramps,” I teased, although my heart wasn’t in it. “There’s…a lot to catch you up on.”

“Brat,” he muttered, and together, we entered the chamber. There was an ominous finality in the way the heavy door closed with a thud.

My gaze tracked across everyone there, all the people I trusted most, even against the manipulative power and authority of Kezess Indrath. “Thank you for coming, everyone. This won’t take long.” I took a moment to introduce everyone for the benefit of those who didn’t know each other.

“I have news, and I have a request,” I said when that was finished. Not intending to make too much of a ceremony over it, I withdrew Silverlight, Aldir’s sword, from my dimension rune and held it up. “This weapon belonged to the pantheon asura, Aldir.”

The reaction was immediate. Varay and Mica exchange a wary look, while Virion stiffened, his jaw clenching.

“Aldir was the asura responsible for the destruction of Elenoir. That crime has now been punished. Aldir will never harm another human, elf, or dwarf, and I carry his weapon as proof.”

Locking eyes with Virion, I maneuvered around the table until I was standing right in front of him. Carefully, I held out the silver rapier with both hands. Fingers trembling, he reached for it.

His flesh passed through the solid metal as if it were a reflection on water. Ripples ran through the silver, and with each undulation the rapier dissolved further until nothing remained but light. Before I could react, the light condensed into a single point, like a silver star, and then flashed across the room.

It swerved past Wren’s face then zipped at Varay, turning aside just before striking her chest. Bairon jerked away as it skimmed the crown of his head, then it shot at Mica.

Finally, so fast even I didn’t have time to intercede, it struck Ellie in her sternum. My sister was rocked backwards, her body slamming into Boo—who had rushed to her side the moment the star had begun zipping around—and his bulk cushioned her.

Mother let out a choked gasp, and the Lances had weapons and spells at the ready, Bairon holding Taci’s red spear out toward my sister as if afraid she might attack.

With one hand, Ellie was rubbing at her sternum, appearing more in shock than pain. In her other hand, silver light was flowing into the shape of a long, bent staff.

“Ellie, are you okay?” Mother asked, already channeling a healing spell.

“Y-yeah, just…startled,” she said, still checking herself over to be certain her words were true.

“Oh, put that away,” Wren scolded Bairon, who in turn shot the titan a distrusting glance. “Unless you plan on sparring with the Leywin child and her new weapon.”

I honed in on Wren, who wore an amused and yet still irritated expression. “What?”

“Silverlight has chosen the girl for whatever reason. An asura’s weapon is bonded to them. Sometimes it will allow no other master, other times the dying asura may release it to find a new hand to carry it. A weak bond may be overcome by a strong enough spirit.” As he said this, he indicated the red spear still clutched in Bairon’s fists.

Mica’s focus lingered on the bent staff. “So, what, we’re just handing asuran weapons to children now?”

Mom scowled at Mica but said nothing.

“It doesn’t look like much of a weapon to me,” Chul chimed in, bending closer to inspect the staff.

“It’s a bow,” Ellie answered.

Boo sniffed at it, and I realized Ellie was right. What I’d mistaken for a curved staff was the body of an unstrung bow.

“In this case, Silverlight has always been malleable by nature. She has chosen young Eleanor to wield her, and in doing so taken on the form that will be most useful. You should be proud to have been found worthy by such a weapon,” Wren concluded, his gaze bearing heavily down on my sister.

Ellie’s eyes were wide as full moons and nearly the same color as they reflected the silver gleam of the asuran artifact. This wasn’t exactly what I’d intended, but I couldn’t pretend not to be pleased that she would have such a powerful weapon. “But there is no string.”

“I said Silverlight recognizes you as worthy. As for ready…” Wren shrugged carelessly.

Boo gave a grunt as if to disagree with Silverlight’s judgment before returning to his corner. Sylvie patted his rump consolingly as he went by.

I returned my attention to Virion, as I wasn’t finished with my news yet. His gaze was distant, pointed in the direction of the shimmering bow but not focused on it.

“Are you all right?”

“You’ve provided justice, Arthur, and I thank you for it.” He let out a breathy laugh, but it was almost a sob. “And yet, it feels so shallow.”

My brows creased in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“I know that, for the people of Dicathen to stand united, this needed to be done,” he replied softly, “but perhaps I didn't truly wish for Aldir, who I once respected greatly, to perish. Can one death ever truly make up for millions?”

I wished then that I could tell him the truth of what had happened, but I knew it would only undercut anything that might be gained by Aldir’s sacrifice. “Maybe it’s true that justice can never end in death, or it becomes vengeance instead. In that case, perhaps this can be the true justice your people—our people need.”

I swallowed heavily, nodded, and withdrew another object. Setting the small box on the table, I pushed it toward Virion. He took it delicately, opening the lid as if afraid it might shatter. His heavy brows knit together, the harsh lines of such heavy emotions smoothing into simple curiosity.

“This soil is from Mount Geolus in Epheotus,” I explained. “I’m told it’s capable of growing plants anywhere—even somewhere destroyed by the World Eater technique.”

With one trembling digit, Virion reached for the dirt, but he did not touch it. When he met my eyes again, there was a clear and desperate need written in them. “Truly?

Sylvie shifted in her seat. “It’s difficult to describe to anyone who hasn’t seen Epheotus, but according to asuran history, the soil of Mount Geolus spread life to the entire realm.”

Virion’s face was turned toward the table, and a tear dropped from his nose to splash against the stone. Bairon rested a hand on Virion’s back, looking down helplessly.

When Virion finally looked up, his eyes were red but empty of tears. He had to clear his throat before speaking. “It is this, life rather than death, that might bring hope to the elves, as it has brought hope—for so long a distant and unreachable thing—into my heart. Thank you.”

“Good. Well, then.” I paused, searching for what I was trying to say.

Wren had made his way around the table and was whispering in Ellie’s ear. My sister was concentrating very hard on the staff in her hands, but it didn’t seem to be responding. She let out a loud sigh, then hurriedly slapped her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

“There is another reason I’ve asked all of you to be here,” I continued. “As part of my deal with Kezess, he has sent dragons to Dicathen to protect the people from Agrona. Things are never as simple as that, though, when dealing with asura.”

Varay was the first to respond. “You’re worried about the dragons manipulating public support in favor of Kezess instead of our own leaders—such as you.”

I let my response simmer for a moment, not wanting to misspeak considering the potentially dire circumstances. “I’ve never desired to become ruler of Dicathen, not as king or regent or anything else. But if the dragons gain enough sway over the citizens, Kezess will use it against us. The people may not see it now, but there would be very little difference between life under Kezess’s rule than Agrona’s.”

Everyone was nodding along as I spoke. I hadn’t expected any dissent, but I was still glad not to be taken by surprise. “Dicathen needs not only hope, but strength. We need to empower humans, dwarves, and elves alike so that their only choice isn't to bow to whatever higher power they see as the lesser evil. Which is why Wren Kain IV”—I indicated Wren, who was still standing beside Ellie—“is going to be working on my half to ensure we are capable of doing just that. I’m asking that you help him and Gideon in any way they need.”

“Help them how?” Bairon asked, the first words he’d uttered since his arrival.

Sparing them too many extraneous details, I explained some of what Gideon and Wren would be attempting to accomplish, as well as how I expected Kezess to proceed with this new phase of the war. There were several questions, but after a few minutes I started pushing these questions to Wren, hoping to establish some kind of rapport between the groups.

“We’ll do what we can,” Virion said as the conversation began cooling down. “The dragons have hardly acknowledged me, but the elves still see me as their de facto leader for the moment. Those of us who are left.”

Mica leaned away from the wall and strode up to the table. She rested her elbows on it and leaned forward, her steely gaze jumping from me to Wren. “If we’re working to ensure these dragons don’t make slaves of us all, then you know I’m in.”

Varay said nothing, but she didn’t need to.

I stood, and everyone else followed suit. “We’re leaving immediately. If Vajrakor or the others come looking for me, there is no need to hide where I’ve gone. Do your best to maintain good relations with the dragons. Keep their focus on me, don’t bring attention to yourselves if you can avoid it.”

I opened the doors, and Virion strode out first, clutching the box tightly in both hands. He gave me a small nod and a distant smile, an expression that made him look as old as he was.

Bairon followed right behind him. “Don’t take a year this time, eh?”

“Only a couple of months.”

Bairon frowned at my attempted joke. “Farewell, Arthur.”

Behind him, Mica adjusted her cloak and levered her thumbs into her belt. “Just go do what you need to, all right? I’ll take care of things here.”

Varay rested her hand on my arm for just a moment, then followed the other Lances out.

“Don’t die, kid, as that would be incredibly inconvenient,” Gideon grumbled, marching past with barely a look in my direction.

Wren’s chair had disconnected from the ground and was floating along in Gideon’s wake with Wren lounging atop it. Instead of addressing me as he left, he focused on my sister. “Don’t overdo it with that weapon. Just because it has chosen you doesn’t mean it won’t burn you up if you invest too much of yourself in it.”

I bit my tongue, avoiding the impulse to pile on the warnings.

Besides those coming with me, only my mother lingered, her arm around Ellie’s waist, looking increasingly nervous.

Knowing we would need to move quickly, I had already seen to all the necessary preparations for an extended journey, which were safely stored inside my dimension rune.

Wasting no more time, I activated the tempus warp. The artifact gave off a warm glow as it opened an opaque portal next to the table, hanging like an oil spill in the air. “Regis, you go first.” Regis leapt into the portal without hesitation.

Chul didn’t wait for me to send the next person through. Instead, he loudly proclaimed, “Like the spears of war, smoky dog and I will clear the path for our comrades,” then he too was gone. Caera and Sylvie hurried through behind him. When it was Ellie’s turn, Mom gave her a big hug and took a step back. Ellie shot me two thumbs up before skipping into the portal, and Boo trundled in just behind her.

“I can’t say how long we’ll be gone,” I told my mother, putting one arm around her in a quick side-hug.

“Well, at least I’ve got the stone thing,” she said, smiling in a way that I didn’t find entirely convincing.

“The Orb of Long-Ranged Stalking,” I said, suppressing a grin at her expression. “Bye, Mom. And be careful.”

“You too, Arthur.” She gave me one last firm squeeze, then stepped back, standing tall and maintaining her determined expression as she watched me confidently. It was enough to push me on, even though I hated leaving her behind yet again.

Drawing the tempus warp into my dimension rune, I stepped through the portal.

The transition was seamless. I stepped from within the underground chamber in Vildorial and out into bright sunshine. A cool breeze was blowing from the north, bringing with it the smell of ash. Beneath our feet was a smooth, cobbled path. We had arrived in the first of a series of encampments that skirted the border between the Elenoir Wastes and the Beast Glades.

The portal faded out behind me as I took in our surroundings. Simple, square buildings had been erected in rough rows along the path. They were grayish-brown, and I suspected the bricks that formed them had been made out of the ash.

A large number of Alacryans were watching us warily. Most wore simple tunics and breeches, and they were almost all covered in ash from whatever work they’d been doing that morning. I was immediately struck by how normal they looked without their black and red armor or their runic tattoos proudly displayed. They could have been farmers or miners from any village in Sapin.

“We’re looking for Lyra of Highblood Dreide,” I announced, scanning the crowd.

Many of the Alacryans exchanged looks with their neighbors, and a few whispered among themselves, their words too quiet for me to pick up.

A bald man with a thin, patchy beard and a dark smudge across his cheek stuck the shovel he was carrying into the ground. “Lady Lyra will be here soon. She does her rounds every day, making sure things are in order and everyone has what they need.” There was a bitterness in his voice that didn’t seem targeted at Lyra.

“She visits every encampment each day?” I asked, surprised.

“Unlike the person who sent us here to barely survive in this wasteland,” the man said, meeting my eye and spitting on the ground.

“Thoren!” a middle-aged woman scolded, glancing at me fearfully. “Forgive him, Regent. We appreciate what you’ve done for us! But not everyone transitions from the life of a soldier to being a hunter or farmer easily.”

I stepped up to the Alacryan she’d called Thoren, my expression leveled but stern. “I understand your frustration, but I’m certain you can agree with me that this is better than the inside of a prison cell—or the bottom of a shallow grave.” My gaze swept our surroundings, taking in the signs of life and community in the once-desolate land. “The fact that you’ve been so successful in carving out a chance at survival here, under the guidance of the one Alacryan leader who has shown she cares for your wellbeing, tells me I made the right decision.”

The man stared at the ground. “Yes, well, I suppose when you put it like that.” He marched away without another word, his shoulders hunched and shovel held like a spear.

“What’s going on here—Regent Leywin!” a honey-rich voice said. Turning around, I found the once-retainer, Lyra Dreide, striding confidently along the pathway in our direction. Her flame-red hair spilled down over her shoulders, standing out in stark contrast against the plain, rustic clothes she’d adopted. “Ah, and Lady Caera as well. I’ll admit, I feared for you in the clutches of that beast, Vajrakor.”

“Retainer Lyra,” Caera said, giving the other Alacryan a small smile. “We are actually here looking for you.”

The crowd around us broke up, the Alacryans going back to their duties, and Lyra gestured for us to follow her. We walked along between the rows of buildings. Most had planters full of herbs out front, and I saw where two wells had been erected. Everything was geared toward purpose, nothing appeared to be ornamental.

And all of it, everything, was colorless. Even the ground, where no grass grew, was just a darker shade of gray against the lighter cobblestone path. To our right, the horizon grew dark with greenery from the Beast Glades. Rows of raised-bed farming plots broke up the landscape. Dozens of Alacryans were hard at work hauling soil and water, minding crops, and erecting new beds with a combination of physical and magical labor. Beyond them, several mages stood guard facing the Beast Glades.

On the other side of the village, the northward horizon simply vanished in a heat haze above rolling gray hills.

“Not exactly a great view, is it?” Lyra mused, following my line of sight. “Still, we’ve done quite well here. There is a certain…peace to it.”

A keening cry suddenly interrupted the rustic silence, and it took me a moment to recognize the sound.

“A baby,” Sylvie said, arriving at that conclusion a moment before I did.

Lyra smiled and brushed the bright hair from her face. “Our first. An Alacryan child born on Dicathian soil. What exactly does that make him, Regent?”

I didn’t know, but Lyra saved me the trouble of struggling for an answer. “Our presence draws a steady supply of edible mana beasts out of the Beast Glades, and we have found several moon oxen that must have been far enough south when…and we’ve managed to start a few crops with seed sent by that Helen Shard woman. Yes, I’d say we’ve done as well as could be hoped, considering.”

Turning south, Lyra led us away from the settlement and toward the edge of the forest that marked where the Elenoir Wastes ended and the Beast Glades began. Clusters of yellow grass grew up here and there, and then a few sparse, living trees among the black remains of many more dead ones. It wasn’t until we approached within a few hundred feet of the denser forests that she stopped beneath the outstretched limbs of a dying tree.

“You’ve brought an entourage,” she said, standing with her hands on her hips. “Eleanor, my apologies for not saying so earlier, but I am glad to see you, of course. And Regis, you too I suppose. But who are these others?”

“I am Chul.” He crossed his arms over his chest and looked down his nose at Lyra. “I cannot say I am pleased to meet an Alacryan, but Arthur considers you an ally, so I must do the same.”

“And this is my bond, Lady Sylvie of Clan Indrath,” I continued.

“Indrath…” Lyra’s eyes widened as she stared at Sylvie. “Oh my, I…” She glanced between us, perhaps the only time I’d ever seen her at a loss for words. “Well, these are strange times. But it is of course a pleasure to meet you, Lady Sylvie.”

“Just Sylvie,” she said. “I’m about as much an Indrath at the moment as Chul.”

Chul snorted, turning away.

Lyra chuckled, relaxing. “So, why are you here?”

“Retainer Lyra, we need to know what’s become of Scythe Seris,” Caera said into the silence that followed.

Lyra bit her lip, frowning. “I’m not surprised you hadn’t heard. I’ll tell you what I can.”

Activating a dimension artifact, she withdrew a large roll of parchment. The ash between us expanded upwards and out, forming a table, and she laid out the parchment to reveal a map of Alacrya. It was covered with notes. A few more pieces of parchment appeared from the dimension artifact, and she set these strategically around the map.

The Legacy, we learned, had torn down the shield around Sehz-Clar and cornered Seris. In typical fashion for her, however, she was ready for Cecilia, broadcasting the confrontation for the entire continent to see.

“But then, and this was a true stroke of genius, her forces attacked the Relictombs and took over the second level, somehow blocking the ascension portals and preventing anyone else from entering,” Lyra explained, her voice rich with awe.

“No,” Caera gasped, her hand covering her mouth. “She had speculated such a thing was possible, but I never thought…”

Lyra held up a scroll that I recognized as an artifact to transmit messages over great distances. “Indeed. My sources are a couple of weeks old, but there has been no news from the Relictombs since she first took them several weeks ago. If I know anything about the High Sovereign, I think it is likely he is simply waiting her out. The second level has no crops or industry. No matter how well prepared she was, she can’t host her rebellion within the Relictombs indefinitely.”

I felt Sylvie’s confusion bubble up through our connection as she tried to get a grasp on everything being said. Regis took the lead in filling in the gaps for her while I focused on Lyra.

“We need to get to Alacrya and verify that nothing has changed,” I told the others. “If she’s still holed up in the Relictombs, I may be the only person who can get to her—a fact that no doubt played a role in her plan.”

“It seems as if Scythe Seris planned on occupying the Relictombs until you arrived to support her, Regent, but that has been months,” Lyra said warily. “She will have undoubtedly planned for potential delays and tangents, but even she has certainly been pushed to the very end of her resources.”

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