The Chain that Binds

    True to Flick’s prediction, Corvane woke Sean up at the crack of dawn.

    “Your first lesson as King is as follows.” the raven said, pulling aside the inn curtains with his beak to let the morning light into the room. “The King wakes with the cock’s crow. Indolence and laziness are the province of princes.”

    Sean looked up at his advisor, his eyes still bleary with sleep. “Even after an extremely rough day?”

    Corvane clucked his tongue. “Especially then. The King must, at all times, be an example of stalwart fortitude to his subjects.”

    Sean got up and moved over to the stack of neatly folded clothes at the foot of his bed. Between his attendance at the feast last night and this morning, someone had provided a new set of attire. He gave thanks to his anonymous benefactor and began dressing.

    He was sore all over. The wounds he’d received on his adventure had almost healed by the end of the previous night, but apparently the Ladies’ blessing didn’t extend to the results of natural fatigue.

    Remembering yesterday’s events, he winced at the empty bed across from him. “How are Flick’s burns?”

    “Troubling her slightly,” the raven replied, “but much like your own, they are already healing. The shapeshifter is made up of sterner stuff than one might imagine.”

    “Thank God,” Sean said with a sigh of relief. His pendant pulsed ice cold against his chest. Sean let out a hiss of pain as he reflexively yanked it away. He looked between the charm and the blackened, frostbitten imprint on his skin in shock.

    “Another lesson learned.” Corvane remarked drily. “You are the Pale Ladies’, or the Pale Trinity’s if you prefer, chosen. All beneficial occurrences – real or imagined – should be attributed to your patrons, while any displeasure should be directed elsewhere.”

    Sean didn’t know how to answer, so he changed the subject. “Alright, advisor, what’s on the agenda?”

    Corvane moved to stand next to a small roll of parchment. “I took the liberty of writing the day’s events down for you, Successor. Please review it so that we can carry on.”

    Sean finished putting his boots on and walked over to the desk, picking up the parchment and scanning through it. “Did you write this?” He asked. “How?”

    “I have my ways.” Corvane replied. Sean thought he caught just a hint of humor in his advisor’s voice. “You’ll notice the first item of business is to unlock the powers of the Chain. Now that you have a kingdom, albeit a terribly small one, you can benefit from the Ladies’ boon.”

    “Alright, what do I do?”

    “Concentrate on the pendant. You may also close your eyes if it helps, but I would suggest not getting into the habit. It is unnecessary and will alert others to your inattention.”

    Sean did as he was instructed, the piece of worked metal still cool in his hand. He kept his eyes fixed on a middle distance, slowly allowing the world around him to move out of focus.

    He could feel the Chain resting against the back of his neck. A tingle of energy made its way from the hump of his shoulders, trickling up his spine and into the space behind his eyes. It was an electric feeling, almost as if the individual neural pathways in his brain were being stripped out, cleaned, and replaced.

    “Breathe, Successor.” Corvane instructed. “The Chain is acclimating to you, and you to it. It is assessing how best to give you what you need.”

    Sean took in a lungful of air, doing his best to remain focused on the Chain and not on the sensations of his body. As he let the breath out, the prickling discomfort was replaced by something different.

    Information. A deluge of it.

    Bits of trivia washed past faster than he could grasp them. His fingers played the notes to the weaver’s favorite song on an invisible harp, while at the same time the figures in the miller’s ledgers flashed through his mind. He heard the various calls of Colm’s horn overlapping in his ears. Thousands of shards of data buried themselves in Sean’s brain with more coming every second.

    He swallowed, the room swimming around him. “This is…a lot.”

    “Keep breathing, lad.” Corvane said, his voice gentle. “The Chain cannot hurt you, but you can hurt yourself if you are not mindful of your limitations. Do not let it feed you everything at once, focus on a specific question.”

    “Alright, I know we’re calling a council after this to get a better understanding of the challenges facing the town and the world beyond. I need to know who exactly we need to call for.”

    As he spoke the storm of data subsided, coalescing into a sense of centrality. He had an innate understanding of the web of relationships in Greenbough, with him sitting at the center. Working out from there, he found a few residents who were more connected to their fellows than others.

    “Alma, Liam, the town gossip, Nancy, the midwife…” He rattled off a few more names, taking note of their names and positions in the town landscape. When he was done, he let the pendant go to flop against his chest.

    “I think I need a break.”

    “It will become easier with more practice. I expect you to do so at every available opportunity until you can access the Chain’s wisdom without your eyes glazing over like a half-wit.”

    Sean rubbed the back of his head, “That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”

    “I will simply say that any subject watching your last display would question the dignity of the crown.” Corvane answered. “Now, let’s go over your list. I have a question, a recommendation, and a warning. First, why did you choose Alma to attend and not Colm?”

    “Colm holds a position of respect in the community that no one else does.” Sean answered. “But that presents a problem when it comes to the meeting. I want an honest discussion about what could be improved on. The other villagers might feel uncomfortable addressing things like that in front of their de facto mayor.”

    “Would not such concerns apply to Alma as his wife?”

    Sean shook his head. “I got the sense that if Colm is the village’s head, then Alma’s its heart. If anything, the others might be more willing to come forward with concerns knowing that she’ll badger him into fixing them.”

    “This is, of course, assuming they will not be recalcitrant in front of their new king.”

    “I don’t think that will be an issue, but if it is then hopefully the goodwill I earned in the bog will help smooth things out.”

    Corvane grunted. “Acceptable reasoning, if a touch optimistic. On to my suggestion then. During my time above Greenbough, I noticed a travelling merchant selling his wares. I believe you should invite him to the council.”

    “Would he be sworn to me? He’s not actually a resident.”

    “He was at the feast when the Goddesses descended and was among those who took the oath. He may be an outsider to the villagers, but he will have knowledge they do not.”

    “I didn’t even think about that.” Sean said, rubbing his eyes. He was a bit embarrassed at the fact. It seemed obvious in hindsight that focusing on local connections would only get him local news. “I’ll ask Colm to find him for me. What about your warning?”

    “As you might now have guessed, you are the Chain’s greatest limitation. It is a deep well of information on your realm, but it cannot answer questions you do not think to ask.”

    The raven shuffled from side to side on the desk. “It is also not infallible. Magic and malice can hide things from its sight, and those are often the issues of greatest import. Trust your eyes and your heart first, and the Chain second.”

    Sean nodded. “You seem to know a lot about the Chain, Corvane. Did you get all of this from the Ladies?”

    “You are not the only king to have chosen the favor of the Goddess Mig over that of her sisters.” Corvane replied. “Now come, there is much to do and little time to do it.”