Amdirlain’s PoV - Culerzic

After setting some delicate wards in place on the approach to the whirlpool’s Gate, they’d moved onto the second location, a broken tower perched on a hillside. The debris within the tower showed minimal signs of use; there had been no one present in days. From the impressions Amdirlain could draw, it was simply the demons’ version of a dead drop.

Amdirlain straightened from the debris she’d been checking, having found nothing useful for tracking their target. “How many places that Brel checked were dead ends like this?”

At her question, Torm looked up from checking for traces across the chamber. “He could check hundreds of places to find a few to rescue. The work is still worthwhile for those few we rescue, even if those rescues are few compared to the numbers we check.”

“All the false leads stack the odds in favour of the Abyss for something to go wrong. If I improve Clairsentience, I might ‌isolate which ones are worthwhile, otherwise we’re working nearly blind. The odds of me now running into something I can’t handle are low, but it only takes once. Decision time, check the town or avoid it? What’s your vote?” asked Amdirlain.

“I’m not happy with Caltzan; I asked for more information while we checked here. It's not only dretches trained in that region but also far stronger demons. They’ve even seen balors, among others, trained as commanders there,” advised Torm. “Gaining attention won’t be good since neither of us has enough experience blending in, and half-breeds stick out.”

“It's a catch-22. He doesn’t have enough information to understand my situation, and I don’t trust him enough to give him that information. Let's head back. I think I’ll discuss approaches with some experts,” conceded Amdirlain. “Let Caltzan know I’ll have to pass on investigating this time—I need to learn how to blend in before I do something that risky.”

Once she heard the music of Caltzan’s response, Amdirlain teleported them away. She didn’t take them directly to the base but through a series of hops to stretch their trail and hopefully make it impossible to trace. They arrived in the spellcasting chamber where they’d stacked crates of material delivered by Isa.

“Did he have any word on Brel?”

“He won’t be returning ‌soon,” started Torm, and Amdirlain sighed in relief. “His Liege was equally concerned so arrangements are being made for a replacement. Until we have a full group again, he’s restricting operations to resource gathering and acquisitions at Munais’ market. Since Munais now has so much coin, he’s sent Oitrix for a break.”

“I’ll practise stretching towards the advanced versions of Clairvoyance and Psychometry. In the meantime, I can work on a few other things.”

Amdirlain smiled and motioned to a crate marked with the symbol for alchemical silver. “I had so much fun getting that stuff years ago. Now, thanks to Jaixar, I’ve got boxes of it available.”

“Her operations in Duskstone have expanded a bit in the last seven years. Erwarth and the others still supply materials for her crafting. Since she has the materials available, a senior Alchemist apprentice she took on is using processing the silver as their base purification practice,” explained Torm. “You know how strange it is for celestials to be dealing with mortals on matters of trade?”

The laughter his question provoked had Torm shaking his head in bemusement. Once she calmed down, she fixed him with a wide grin. “Want to help me make a circle?”

At her question, Torm looked at her curiously. “Seems like I’d more get in the way, but I’ll help if I can. What did you have planned?”

“You can help me double-check marked runes before I carve them out. I need to establish a barrier to block the energies from the other side of any Gate. Not sure if I can combine it, but I also want to establish a barrier to lessen what they can feel from our side. Ebusuku messaged me that a certain young lady wanted to speak to me, and I need to spend some time speaking with Erwarth.”

“Sure. What else can I do to help you keep Gail safe?” asked Torm.

Amdirlain stopped with her hands resting atop the first crate she needed. “You’re not arguing?”

“Too many others have been doing that; I’m sure you’ve got a reason. Would you mind sharing?” asked Torm as he hefted the next crate.

“Gail complained that my song teased at a memory, and she wanted to meet me. Though I won’t open the Gate for her to say hello unless Roher or Isa are happy with the protections I put in place,” explained Amdirlain. Lifting her crate, she headed towards the main hall.

“A familiar frustration for you?” asked Torm.

Amdirlain’s nod jerked with suppressed annoyance. “Absolutely. I’ve had so many memories tease me only to vanish away. Seeing me likely won’t help her, but I want to see her and hear her song myself. Have you studied magical circles yet?”

“Not as yet. I’ve been more interested in combat and utility magics,” Torm admitted and followed. “What chamber will you set it in?”

“For what I have in mind, Erwarth will need to come through, so I plan on using the meeting hall since it's the biggest circular room we have presently.”

“Talking through the Gate won’t be enough?” enquired Torm.

“No, I need her to train me well enough to fool a member of the Sisterhood that I’m allowed within their halls,” explained Amdirlain. “I’m sure that will need more than just conversations.”

Her announcement had Torm freeze, and Amdirlain turned back to face him. Even though she could hear the conflict of understanding warring with his desire to protect her, she waited for him to speak.

“What are you planning to do?” asked Torm, his still conflicted emotions not leaking into his calm tone.

“Nothing soon, and it will probably take centuries to get all the pieces in place.”

“I’m glad it won’t be soon after you’re released. Still, would you share your end goal for such training?” enquired Torm. “I won’t argue, and while I might not need to be in the loop, I’d like to know.”

“Destroying Balnérith.”

Torm set the crate down in the middle of the hallway and perched atop it, scrubbing his face while he considered his words. “Have you considered the possibility that you’re insane?”

The blunt question tickled gales of laughter from Amdirlain, and Torm waited her out, not looking the least bit amused. “Sometimes. It would be much easier if I was, but unfortunately, I don’t have that excuse.”

“Can you tell me why without giving away the secrets you won’t talk about?”

“She corrupted the Anar and, in doing so, brought about the downfall of both the Anar and the Lómë,” replied Amdirlain. “She might have even been behind the design of the thorns. Sometimes all it takes is an idea shared to set something in motion. Orhêthurin had rejected the King, and I think he wasn’t the sort to take that lightly.”

“How could she have done that without them hearing her song?”

“It’s rude to listen to others that closely, and the Anar customs made them hide-bound. She slowly and carefully twisted them; there weren't dramatic changes. Balnérith was once a Solar in service to a Goddess of pride, duty and leadership in an older reality. No idea how strong she is, so yes, I won’t be rushing to fight her.”

“Seems you’ve learnt a lot from your memories,” admitted Torm.

“Bits and pieces added together. It was a process that took her billions of years, and if their downfall was her end goal, why bother keeping the Lómë imprisoned? I’m betting she’s got more planned, and whatever her end goal is, I need to stop it,” declared Amdirlain. “Also, I need to undo what she did.”

“Why you?”

“Orhêthurin was the first choice for Anar Queen, and she declined it. Not once, but repeatedly, and she ‌kept herself on the edge of their society to ensure others would disregard her strength.”

“So?”

“She turned her back on responsibility because she was afraid. I need to fix what got broken because of that, not for her, or them, but for myself,” explained Amdirlain.

Torm shifted minutely and took in Amdirlain’s intensity. “That’s all it took to forget her. Just stay away?”

“She did more than that, but that was a big part of the issue, her isolation from them because of that fear. Over enough years, the most recent accomplishments of others just seemed more impressive,” explained Amdirlain, and she continued before Torm could offer his next question.

“She was afraid of having power and so didn’t take on the responsibility she should have, and eventually, it all went to shit. Not immediately, I’m talking billions upon billions of years.”

“Maybe she simply saw her responsibility differently to you. You have the outcome, but only parts of her memories. There were millions of Anar, incredibly long-lived beings that should have been able to see corruption set in, so I wouldn’t lay it all on her shoulders,” suggested Torm. “Even if it was all true, why are you responsible for something she did?”

“It’s how I am. I know I ‌can restore things, and I won’t be able to stand myself if I don’t try my hardest,” replied Amdirlain, and she snapped her fingers. “Eight million Anar should have seen what was coming and didn’t, but Ori felt power corrupts and didn’t put in any effort to head it off.”

When Torm went to interrupt, Amdirlain held up her hands.

“Let’s leave that aside for the moment. We could turn that argument around for weeks, and we’ve got a century to discuss relative responsibility,” said Amdirlain, and she fessed up with a deep sigh. “Also, I can’t clarify why I feel this way without sharing those secrets I want to keep aside for now. So, what’s got your emotions twisted the most?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Alright, I’ll admit the thought of you being near the Sisterhood makes me sick,” Torm huffed, the restrained tension in his hands sending cracks along the crate’s edge. “The thought of you clashing with an entity like Balnérith scares me. There is no justice in you being held in this place or being made to fix anyone’s mistake. But I’ll trust your judgement that you need to deal with her. Please let me know if there is any way I can help along the way.”

“At present, clashing with her scares me as well, but I’m not planning to confront her ‌soon. It could be thousands of years, or I could figure out how to snuff her out from a distance and never fight her,” offered Amdirlain.

“I vote for the second option. Could Orhêthurin have done that?”

“Before she became crippled with the vines and other events? I’d say easily,” admitted Amdirlain

“Well then, you’ll need to do lots of training in True Song,” observed Torm with forced cheerfulness.

Amdirlain's laughter was brittle, and she quickly bit it off. “My goodness, that sounds like part of my plan.”

Turning back towards the meeting hall, Amdirlain got moving but sent a Message to Erwarth.

“Any suggestion for a concealment circle? I’d like to keep celestial energies disguised so you or the others can come to visit. I need some experienced teachers in a few areas, and Gail wants to say 'Hi', so I need a circle to disguise a visitor's presence and restrain abyssal energy away from a Gate.”

Erwarth's response came back almost instantly. “There are some texts among your collection that might do the trick. I’ll check the list and see if you need any others, then get Isa to bring you the instructions. My first thought: don’t ‌combine them; separate circles will make things easier.”

“Erwarth has some research to do,” Amdirlain said, over her shoulder to Torm. “Looks like we've got time for some lessons in magical circles. Might need to practise and refresh my memory, feel like being the guinea pig?.”

“That’s so not comforting,” grumbled Torm.

“I’ll carve a new version of this hall at the far end of the complex. This chamber is on the junction of this floor. While I’m sure it doesn’t matter presently, or perhaps even in the future, I can tell now that it will end up being a mental itch,” explained Amdirlain.

“Doesn’t take long to carve another. Since you ‌have an exercise planned to duplicate this place via True Song, perhaps best not to include annoying aspects,” agreed Torm.

Neither instructions nor the work was quick to turn around, and it was nine days before Amdirlain finished carving the delicate rune work. The buffer to block out the abyssal energy required a set of five nested circles, the boundary of each a coiling lacework of runes.

It wouldn’t have taken so long if Erwarth had simply provided the pattern. Instead, she’d turned it into a lesson in finesse and insisted Amdirlain engrave them by hand. Scrying across planes didn’t leave a trace, so Erwarth watched and provided feedback through multiple attempts.

Amdirlain smiled when the Gate opened and picked out the parts in its casting where the magic focused on her. The chamber Ebusuku was standing in, Amdirlain recognised from her description of the summoning chamber in Moradin’s Temple within Duskstone.

The circle restrained the power from both sides, preventing each from affecting the other. Yet Ebusuku's song seemed a distant conduit to a greater whole, further afield.

“Interesting use for a greater summoning circle,” offered Amdirlain.

The knowing smirk from Ebusuku set Amdirlain wondering before she replied smugly. “I told you I was sure there was an option to keep Gail safe.”

“I wouldn’t have felt right not taking precautions on this side as well. Is that body an avatar?”

“At the divine rank ‌your Mantle applied, it only takes minutes to form one, and it's easier on mortals to use them than arriving in person.”

“Multiple bodies an option?”

“Yes,” laughed Ebusuku.

Amdirlain cleared her throat at Ebusuku's enthusiasm and the sultry chords that rang out. “Wow, bet Farhad loves that. So when does Gail get a sibling then?”

Ebusuku raised her eyebrows but didn’t ease up on the glare. “Isa told you she’s been teasing?”

“Indeed,” Amdirlain replied, and looking to change topics, motioned to the runes on the walls around Ebusuku. “If that is Duskstone’s Hall, could you thank Jaixar for all the alchemical silver she prepared?” asked Amdirlain.

“I will,” acknowledged Ebusuku with an amused nod. “The containments seem fine to True Sight; how do they sound to you?”

“Everything to me is currently in tune. Do you want to catch up first to ensure they’re going to hold or set Gail loose on me?”

“I’m sure we can trust Moradin’s High Crafter to have done a proper job. Anyway, I’d best set Gail loose on you so Farhad can take her home; she’s a slippery youngster with finding trouble,” said Ebusuku, and the door to the summoning chamber opened.

A young Elf bounced through the door at Ebusuku's statement, her cheeky music amused from eavesdropping on their conversation. Though she had a teenager's awkward, gangly appearance, her movements were a well-balanced flow. Her hair was mostly midnight black but had a solid crimson streak through her right side. To make it stand out more, she’d braided the streak in a fashion that dangled it down across her right shoulder. Amdirlain took in the delicate features she’d combined with blue-eyes and a mint-dusted mahogany skin tone.

Before Ebusuku could say anything, Gail changed course and moved to her mother’s side, well back from the circle.

“I’m not sure the circles do anything for the song, but I can hear a wall of energy being restrained on the Abyss side. That Plane’s music is awful, Auntie Amdirlain; how do you stand it?”

“Control, control, and, oh, more control,” replied Amdirlain, and she laughed at the reproving eye-roll Gail gave her. “Though more seriously, beneath the corruption, there is the raw wild song of creation, which is ‌less disturbing.”

“Less disturbing?” asked Gail sceptically, before she wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t exactly instil me with comfort given the murky tones in the rest.”

“I can’t focus solely on it, but perhaps in time,” admitted Amdirlain. “I only got the advice about ten days ago, and it took me a bit to find a layer of its song that had the right potential for my purpose. Do you hear anything from me?”

“No,” huffed Gail in a teenager’s frustrated tone. “Will you do your trick with Universal Life that let Auntie Isa hear your song?”

“That might be a little risky. I’ve got this circle trying to keep abyssal energies from you, not to stop others hearing me.”

“Okay, no risking it then,” said Gail. “But you could send messages regularly to mother or me. It may jog something loose.”

“I’ve not heard your name from yourself,” reminded Amdirlain.

“Gailneth! Since you needed me to say it aloud, I would have thought you’d hear it properly in my song,” huffed Gail, the twitch of her lips giving away the teasing beside her careful tone. “I know it had to do with a story Gideon told me, but all I recalled is the first bit. After that, he’s just floating there, sending the forge’s light everywhere in a massive rainbow. I know he kept speaking, but all I recall are the lights playing shadow puppets.”

“Who is this Gideon?” asked Ebusuku.

“Information I haven’t yet shared,” admitted Amdirlain. “They’re an aspect of the Concept of knowledge.”

Gail nodded and shot Amdirlain a quick grin. “He called Orhêthurin his mother when I was in the forge. Does that mean the aspect of knowledge is my adopted step-cousin or something?”

“I don’t think you can quite stretch your adoptions that far, Gail,” replied Ebusuku. “Not everyone you like has to be related.”

“But if I lead with auntie, uncle, or cousin, it sounds friendlier,” insisted Gail cheerfully.

“What was the first thing you recall?” asked Amdirlain.

“He began telling me the history of a harp Orhêthurin made for the Lómë,” explained Gail. “He’d gotten through describing it when the words and the images from my memory got disconnected.”

“Can you remember if he had a reason to tell you about it?”

“Nah, I remember him sharing bits and pieces of the Anar history and customs. Most details slip through my fingers, even if I try to follow the memory’s song, but this one seemed especially important.”

Ebusuku rolled her eyes in frustration. “You’re not even three, Gail; it can wait. After all, anything to do with them has waited over half a million years.”

“Well, I hope I remember more details before I pick classes at ten,” observed Gail.

“Wait until you’re a hundred, then pick them,” countered Ebusuku, pinning the smiling gremlin in place with a stern look.

“Maybe at twelve, I’m growing fast,” argued Gail and, used to her mother’s looks, she barely wilted. “Can we agree on fifteen if I’m done growing by then?”

When Ebusuku didn’t budge, Gail put her hands on her hips and huffed in response. “Stop with the grumpy eyes, or I’ll walk out of here as a boy. Then you can explain what happened to the daughter you brought with you.”

Gail's exaggerated description drew a snort of amusement from Ebusuku, but the stern look eased off. “Patience. Extra training might help expand the options you get.”

Gail shrugged and offered a cheeky smile. “Healers have patients. I already have a half-dozen options, and someone can teach me the affinities to snatch up Wizard; magic's music is lovely. All that said, I think it’ll be right as soon as my body says not to push it taller.”

“Really? What ones do you like out of the vision so far?”

“It's a short garden path with room for it to grow. Along its course, the royal Class stands behind Glinnel, but maybe I’ll take both. Plus, a few types are suitable for information gathering; being curious has benefits. I’ve got a sneaky Spy Class, which was amusingly presented in the vision.”

“When did you get offered Spy?” asked Ebusuku curiously.

“A while back, I think it was a reward for information gathering on two merry adults while hoping to hear a sibling’s song start,” teased Gail, the cheeky smile she gave displaying her dimples to full advantage. “Amdirlain’s right; you could let an avatar get pregnant.”

“I never said that,” countered Amdirlain, holding back laughter from the merry notes that shimmered through Gail. “I think you’ve still got the energy of a toddler. You’re just able to pour it into a wider range of mischief.”

"I’ll admit you didn’t say it, so my apologies,” Gail offered and gave a broad shrug. “However, there was already so much implied with your comment about how papa would love mother having multiple bodies.”

Gail stopped suddenly and started giggling with a wide-eyed expression that had Ebusuku’s gaze narrowing.

“What?” asked Ebusuku when the giggling continued.

“Imagine papa explaining to Judge Po that he died from keeping you entertained,” stated Gail. “I think his bureaucratic head would explode.”

Amdirlain held back further laughter but didn’t restrain her smile. “You ‌have a point there. You enjoy keeping your mother on her toes, don’t you?”

“It's purely self-defence,” protested Gail, and she batted her eyelids innocently. “Mother’s always closing the loopholes I find playing games. There is one of me and so many minions about the place ready to babysit whenever Elleth needs a break.”

“I need to pay her more for putting up with us,” grumbled Ebusuku, reaching out as if to tweak Gail’s ear.

Gail skipped away and waggled a finger in a huff. “It's my choice not to have my ears tweaked. That tickles.”

Ebusuku raised a finger, and Gail held still to let her tap her nose instead. At the gesture, Amdirlain caught the amused gleam in Gail’s eyes, which made it clear she considered restricting Ebusuku to be a victory.

“Since you can’t hear Amdirlain’s song, what was the alternative you said you had in mind?” enquired Ebusuku.

“Auntie Amdirlain, would you tell me what you remember about True Song crystal from your perspective? Since you made this thing that Gideon was talking about, your context on the crystal might jog something loose.”

“I’ll trade you,” replied Amdirlain.

“For what?”

The light-hearted teasing between Gail and Ebusuku had Amdirlain add some of her own. “Would you tell me about what you like doing and how strict your mother is?”

“Mother’s not strict without good reason. I gave her a scare when I was barely days old after all, turning myself into a tree wouldn’t have been good, " Gail replied. “Now I understand her reason for caution, which is good since I’ve now got World Step.”

Ebusuku and Amdirlain hissed in concern, but Ebusuku got the question out first. “When did that happen?”

“A couple of weeks ago. I’ll wait until I’m older to practise with it,” replied Gail glibly. “According to memory crystals Aunt Isa shared, that didn’t normally happen until an Anar was twenty or older. Obviously, whatever gives it out agrees that ‌I’m growing fast.”

“We’ll discuss that later,” stated Ebusuku.

Gail's relaxed shrug and smile made it clear she wasn’t worried. “I’ll abide by training restrictions. Perhaps we can trade with you relaxing the shape-shifting restrictions.”

“Why?”

“Turning myself into a tree would be dumb, but I want to try out other humanoid forms.”

Amdirlain's snicker brought Gail’s attention back to her. “So, Aunt, what did you want to know?”

“Do you switch genders freely?” asked Amdirlain, curious about how relaxed Gail's song had been when she mentioned the option of turning into a boy earlier.

“A gender doesn’t define me, it's just a body that matches my mood. Sarah says I take being gender fluid to the extreme, but it's my choice,” replied Gail. “You switch between female and monster without blinking an eye. Why should changing into a male be any different for me? Sometimes I’ll go weeks in one gender, and then switch twenty times in the day. The body has a penis, not a fanged maw to rip something apart. Oh, the horror!”

With the back of her hand pressed dramatically against her forehead, Gail's swooning gesture framed her exaggerated eye roll.

Her antics and words held Amdirlain in thoughtful consideration of the times she’d transformed into monstrous entities without a second thought. “Alright, I can see that works for you; I just don’t feel the same way. What’s your first question?”

“What do you hear from True Song crystal? The first thing that comes to mind is?” prompted Gail.

“When I heard the crystal in the grotto, I perceived interlocking energy structures. The two parts, Anar and Lómë, continually transforming their energy from one to another, maintaining the form's crystalline matrix.”

“You hear the parts transform?” exclaimed Gail, “I just thought the song’s parts oscillated in strength, causing it to fade in and out. Seems I need to work on listening better.”

That was a bit of a cat out of the bag. I need to learn more about the Anar and Lómë perceptions.

“I could have told you that, dear,” murmured Ebusuku.

“Thank you, Amdirlain,” offered Gail, deliberately ignoring her mother's remark.

“For what?”

Gail motioned to Ebusuku dramatically and smiled at Amdirlain. “Isa told me who I was, though I don’t remember being Andre. With a different Soul, I know I wouldn’t be the same person at present, and being here was because you yelled at the Titan’s servant about Andre. Mother and papa might have had a child, but it wouldn’t be me, if you know what I mean, and even if I tease them, they’re great parents.”

“I get what you mean, and I’m glad you three are getting on well.”

“Four of us. Papa arranged Elleth to nursemaid me and provide them guidance, but I grew up so fast, she’s more like a big sister now,” corrected Gail.

Amdirlain shot an amused look at Ebusuku, who simply shrugged. “I believe I mentioned she enjoys adopting people. Who was I to say no?”