The group is about 9 days out from Ghanil and three days since driving Zrithrak out of Rask. Ethelred is in the back of the wagon studying, Rask is riding his horse, and Gustav and Alexis are leading the cart horses.
“About what we talked on yesterday,” Alexis says. “Can you make another grove, wherever we stop next? Could Ca’armine help?”
Alexis keeps walking with Gustav, waiting for his friend to answer in his own time.
The group is about 10 days out from Ghanil and two days since driving Zrithrak out of Rask. Ethelred is in the back of the wagon studying, Rask is riding his horse, and Gustav and Alexis are leading the cart horses.
“Have you heard anything from the grove up north?” Alexis asks
“It’s been months since we were up there and you were pretty worried about it dying of the flame.”
Alexis keeps walking with Gustav, waiting for his friend to answer in his own time.
The group is almost back to E’armos from the First Gate. The group has traveled through the Howling Wastes, but has made it out of them. Alexis is walking beside Ca’armine.
“You know,” Alexis said, eyes on the horizon, “I keep thinking about the Gate. About what we walked away from.” He hooked a thumb toward the north-west without looking. “They knew Bandesingh’s name there. They knew his allies. We tracked the weapons being made to there. That wasn’t nothing; we had a trail, and we left it cooling.”
He glanced sideways. “You’ve said Raiden wanted you to turn back. Maybe. Or maybe… it wasn’t about turning at all. Maybe it was about where to put our eyes. We were looking one way, but the truth was sitting right there in front of us. Or maybe going to the First Gate wasn’t the most direct way to get to Bandesingh, but perhaps it could have been the quickest way, that Raiden knew-if asked, to disrupt his working, or to topple the Hand.” Alexis shrugs at his thought that will never be known and was never tested.
“And Drennos. You said he taunted you. Maybe he did. But it sticks with me—reminds me of that beggar in Sutheron. ‘You may have killed the snake, but the wolf still hunts, the spider weaves, the king behind the throne is coming.’” Alexis pauses to gather his thoughts. “Whatever that poor beggar was trying to say, Rask certainly took it as some sort of curse or threat. But sometimes messages come in ugly wrappers. Perhaps Raiden was working through Drennos.”
Alexis kicks a stone forward, watched it skitter. “And those visions—the ruins of Raiden’s long-gone armies? They don’t have to be warnings. That could have been a clue or an omen of both weal and woe. When his armies fell, they almost certainly left something behind. Power. Tools. Maybe even a key to tearing the Hand apart or to stop Bandy’s evil master plan.”
“So maybe the Gate was a pit.” Alexis nods his head towards Ethelred, to emphasize ‘pit.’ “Fine. And we climbed out. And we carried things with us when we did. Maybe doom wasn’t the only story written for us there.”
Alexis keeps walking beside Ca’armine. Letting the words hang between them as the group moves closer and closer to E’armos.
One afternoon on break from scrolls Red approaches Alexis. Red is peering out across the plains scanning all around with his spy glass as if looking for something.
“Alexis…. I am worried a bit. I know you and Rask wanted horses. But…. I am concerned. The how we got those horses… the death.. the stealing.
Let me back up… The Westlands is known for two things. Slaves being stolen. And Horses.
The horses we have just seem like horses to me. But I am guessing that Westlanders would see them differently. I bet that when we get to Ghanil someone will recognize these horses… at least where they are from.
Worst would be if word of the killing had reached Ghanil. Then the stealing and the murder
it could be messy”
During all of this Red continues to scan the horizon looking for something
The group has started moving away from the tower of Ilceros’ spymaster. They have already crossed the bridge, but the traveling has barely started. The group is going slowly due to the slow speed of the wagon, especially over the broken ground.
Alexis falls into step beside Ca’armine, tone easy but deliberate.
“Priest,” he says with a half-smile. “That move you pulled with Zrithak—what was that? Looked like you and Rask had it rehearsed. The way the soul flowed from the body to the blade… clean, seamless. Almost too smooth to be an accident.”
The group is a few days past E’armos and where Ethelred got his new set of scrolls. Ethelred has gotten a good night sleep, and Alexis is talking with him on the road before he’s quite started studying his new scrolls.
“Morning, Red. Collegium petitioner, if we’re being proper about it” Alexis takes on a brief mocking air of formality.
“Hey. Before you crack into those new scrolls, I’d like to hear what you pulled from the first set—and maybe what you think this next batch will reveal.
So tell me—what tools have you found for us? Perhaps a compass to Ezrin? Something to burn out cursed relics? A way to sniff out immortal energies using your lack-of-knowing as a tool?” Alexis leans in, clearly eager to hear what Ethelred is excited about.
While the group travels across the Westlands away from the First Gate, Alexis addresses Gustav across the campfire one night.
“Gus, level with me.
Last time I asked why you’ll take favors from non-human gods but turn your back on the Grand-Matron of humanity. You sidestepped it, pressed the VahnYir bracers into my hands, and paid the price yourself—a brave move, but it felt like cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Since then, you’ve kept refusing the Grand-Matron’s workings, and then turned down a solid tool against Bandesinge and blood magic, and yet you’re fine with the collegium’s spells and Ca’armine’s gifts. I’m not here to put you on trial—I’m here to get this team through the the trials we face in one piece. To do that, I need more than a yes-or-no list. I need your why. If there’s a line you won’t cross, show me where it runs and what it protects. Your compass matters.
Ca’armine takes blessings from the other human gods. I understand that map. Help me read yours.
So talk to me, Gus: why turn down help from allies? What do you trust, what don’t you, and how can I lead so your convictions make us stronger—not weaker?”
Alexis patiently waits for Gustav’s answer. There is no rush on his face or in his body.
The group has been traveling through the Westlands and they’ve started moving away from the coast heading back East. After camp has been set up Alexis sits next to Ca’armine. Alexis engages Ca’armine in polite discussions about the travels of the day and then turns the conversation to other things.
“Well, my taciturn friend, I’ve been meaning to ask you what rumors you might have heard regarding and of humanities lost artifacts. We have already found the mantle crafted, or re-crafted, with his power.”
Alexis looks at Ca’armine, waiting for a reply.
Ethelred on watch hears some of Rask’s utterances, seeming to be open to turning on the group.
A night later while Rask sleeps Ethelred chooses to awaken Alexis and Ca’armine. Taking great pains to make little noise. He signals them each individually to be quite and to move away from the group. The three move out of vocal range, but can still see the sleeping Rask (and Gustav).
Whispering and keeping a solid eye on Rask as he sleeps…
“Gentleman, I am worried about Rask. I have heard disturbing utterances from his own lips last night. He seems to be pondering, relishing?, attacking us.There is something not right with Rask.
If we are to pursue taking the fight to Bandesingh we must all be aligned. We do not know enough about Bandesingh. Bandesingh might be able to effect Rask in a way that would leave his even more vulnerable to the soul that seems trapped with in him.
I have racked my brain for things that I might be able to do to help free Rask, but the magics that posses him are beyond my understanding.
Do we need the skull that was involved in the ‘ritual’ that Rask performed to take the soul into this sword?
Car’armine might you have some healing, or turning that could help?
Alexis what light might your goddess shed onto this situation?
It would seem that combining the powers of Ave and Raiden might prove to be a challenging knowing some of the history of them. But maybe that is an option?”
Red looks between his companions, a clear expression of concern is upon him.
Rask moans in in his sleep…
“No… not Gus…”
“…Ca’armine…”
Sad moans shift to flat mutterings…
“… exis… join the horde… sword…”
“… ‘thelred is the weakest…”
“Two swords… the only real threat…”
“.. ‘us… at a distance…”
And finally, grim determination.
“Break the bow… cut Red down… then the Priests…”