An Unlikely Alliance

Maybe we should come back and take another look… – Satine thought.

She was in the lead, and purposefully slowed her horse down to give herself more time to think, to come up with any solution that would help her find Katnir. Up to that point she hadn’t even realized that she felt bad at the thought of losing him.

It’s so strange… I’ve spent my whole life hating spellcasters for what Einhart and his men were doing. They even killed Lynette and four other battlesisters. It was just a never ending spree of destruction, and then came one wizard willing to lay his life defending innocents.

She remembered what mother Mina had told her about the time to kill and the time to heal. Was Katnir supposed to be the ointment on the wounds inflicted by Einhart and his guerillas?

No… What am I even thinking? I don’t even know what he actually wants.

Suddenly, she saw a man standing in the middle of the tract, his hand raised in a welcoming gesture. He had black hair and wore a black coat. His face bore sharp, almost avian features. The sisters stopped their horses.

“Well met, battlesisters!” – he cried. – “Are you looking for my friend?”

“You’re that other sorcerer!” – Sonia couldn’t contain her shock.

“In the flesh” – the man bowed with impeccable manners.

Satine was on high alert, her hand on the sword’s handle. She was unsure what to expect from Katnir’s companion now that he was gone.

Will he blame us for his fate? – she thought. – Whatever the case, we’re safe with our catharite. If he resorts to violence, the five of us will hold on.

“We’ve been to the village of Coine, looking for the trail of Katnir or the renegade sorcerers, but found nothing.”

“Same as I” – the man replied. – “But, not willing to surrender all hope so easily, I’m asking you to join me in another attempt to track him down. What say you?”

The sisters looked at each other in confusion. Finally, Sonia broke the silence:

“Was it you who carried me and Katria from the burning village?”

A little smirk flashed on the man’s face.

“Aye, you are correct, my lady. I hope I didn’t scare you back there. I do realize that form may be a little hideous.”

Satine was thunderstruck as she also realized something.

“You were that raven we saw on the rope bridge!”

The sorcerer bowed with an innocent smile.

“Well spotted, I must say. I am, in fact, a man of many shapes.”

“You’re a bold one to speak about your sorcery openly” – Taevine cut in.

“I have nothing to fear of you” – his tone became more serious. – “And you have nothing to fear of me. Your conflict with Einhart is of no interest to me, I only care about finding Katnir and continuing our journey.”

Satine seized the occasion to ask about the question that had been bothering her for a while.

“What is your purpose here in Rainhoven?”

The man took his time to respond. It was clear he didn’t feel comfortable with disclosing their goal.

“Since one of you was fighting side by side with Katnir, I believe our differences have been reconciled. Am I to consider the sentiment mutual?”

The decurioness looked at her sisters, seeking in their eyes an approval for the truce. Katria gave her a nod, always a peacemaker. Taevine’s face was inscrutable. Liesë seemed on edge, not entirely convinced about allying themselves with a spellcaster. Sonia didn’t even try to hide her grin.

Maybe it is time to heal.

“The feeling is mutual, spellcaster.”

“Splendid. Oh, and before I forget, you may call me Reiny.”

The sisters shared their names as well, though Taevine seemed reluctant at first. Then Satine reiterated her question and Reiny replied:

“We’re looking for a way to send Katnir home.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you just travel there?”

“One does not simply travel to the far side of the Adar-Karer Isles. Even the gnomish korabs cannot cross the Chasm or circumnavigate it over either of the poles. The only way is to teleport there, or so I’ve heard from Katnir.”

Unexpectedly, Liesë made her way forward, visibly excited.

“You have been on the Stone Cloud Archipelago?”

“I haven’t. Katnir had, long before we met. He tried getting home that way, hence I’m speaking from his experience that the endeavor is hopeless.”

“He’s quite a globetrotter then, the western frontier of the Archipelago is over two thousand leagues from here.”

Satine did not understand what they were talking about. Her geographical knowledge did not extend that far away from the borders of Rainhoven.

“Oh yes, he has travelled most of the Northern Continent and even some lands beyond.”

“All of that searching for the tomb of Halandir?”

A cold shiver ran down Satine’s spine when she realized Liesë had betrayed how much they knew, or at least how much they surmised. When she glared at Liesë, she too realized this with an expression of shame. Even though they had agreed on a truce, she thought it unwise to share too much so soon.

“He wasn’t searching for the tomb at first. He wanted to reconstruct his destroyed khorii crystal, but when that didn’t work, he decided to use Halandir’s crystals instead.”

“So he also has khorii crystals?”

“Aye.”

“By any chance, is the destroyed crystal the one responsible for his connection to the Spirit Plane?”

“I wouldn’t know that, but it was purple, if that helps.”

“So it is the one connecting him to the Spirit Realm.”

Suddenly, Taevine cut in:

“I hate to disturb your lovely chat, but the sun will soon set and we’re no closer to finding what we’re looking for.”

“She’s right, Liesë” – Satine agreed. – “We should be looking for Katnir.”

“That I can help you with. Follow me, please, and keep your eyes peeled for the tracks on the ground.”

Having said that, Reiny fluttered his coattails which turned into a pair of black wings. He shrunk in size, morphed into a raven, and immediately took off. The sisters stood there, flabbergasted, for a few seconds, watching him fly away towards the village.

I couldn’t ever get used to that – Satine thought.

***

“You would give the crystals to me?” – Katnir couldn’t hide the disbelief in his voice.

“Yes. I want you to take them once I purge the realm.”

“Why?”

“Because I believe it would be fitting for the story of Halandir to repeat itself, now that the entire legacy of arcane in Rainhoven is in such dire straits.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Einhart made an inviting gesture towards the window. When Katnir came closer, he could see the entire site from the high ground. Below, the woods were littered with ancient ruins and moss-clad monoliths. He saw the camp and a handful of ant-sized sorcerers attending it. He saw the Well of Dreams, surrounded by a ring of stones, and Shinn meditating on the dolmen.

He looked further, at the silver serpentine of Myrna, reflecting off the bright sun. Beyond the river, a lush forest covered the hills like a soft carpet. Gazing further west, he saw a faint glare of limed walls of houses. It was the town of Inelin.

Even though the mountain was not that tall, his sight reached even further, over the hills, over the countless villages and towns bursting with life, he saw the capital city and the Royal Palace. He saw all the riches of the realm, the strong spirit of its people and its utter desolation of magic. He saw the magical grimoires, rotting, long forgotten and untouched by the fires of witch hunts. He saw the holy groves of dryads and pixies, hidden from the sight of men deep in the uncharted wealds. He saw the arcane spark in the hearts of many; the gift of magic, withering away, unnurtured out of fear of persecution.

So there is a greater waste than me… - he thought.

“You have witnessed the eradication of unimaginable knowledge and skill from this realm... I entreat you to help me restore it.”

“How? And what do you mean by repeating the story of Halandir?”

“This settlement is thousands of years old” – Einhart spoke. – “Time has long forgotten its name and the people who built it. It represents what the magic used to be. A superstition, a gift bestowed upon few, a gift which even fewer utilized to its full potential. Miracle workers, druids and witch doctors, that was the closest to a proper user of magic that this land had seen. The wonders of that age of yore were discovered rather than built. Such was the case with the Well of Dreams or the Seeing Hill that we’re standing on right now.”

“How come the magic flourished here before it was so utterly crushed?”

“It was Halandir who taught the people how to properly wield magic. He raised it to the rank of science. Thanks to him people finally understood it, and from a superstition it became a tool. Those who came after him perfected it further, but none made a breakthrough like his. He enabled the unthinkable. Severed limbs could be fused back, unimaginable wonders of architecture could be erected, some spellcasters even managed to shatter the bounds of death. Now we’re heading back towards herbal infusions, huts of mud, and unanswered prayers.”

“And you want me to do the same? To use the crystals to end the dark age and restore magic’s role in society?”

“So you understand.”

“But why don't you want to do it yourself?”

“War is the only thing I’ve known my entire life. I’m not fit to be a herald of prosperity. I’ve seen things you cannot fathom. Castle walls melted by fireballs, towering beasts of war conjured from dimensions beyond human comprehension, living men squeezed telekinetically to a bloody mess the size of an apple. I don’t wish to carry those moments into the new world. The fresh age calls for fresh blood, untainted by the spectres of the past.”

“You don’t see a place for yourself in that future?”

Einhart leaned from the window, gazing far into the horizon.

“I have no need for a future.”

A single tear flashed in his eye and disappeared into the bandage.

“I’m doing this for those who will come after.”

Suddenly, someone barged into the room.

“Lord Einhart, we’re under attack!”