After reading through all the documents Dalen was shocked to see how much detail Jaliete had stuffed into every page. Dalen concentrated mainly on the two problems first elders, Alansu, and Jak.
Jak Tinlan
Knight Breaker 98
Age: 42
Description: Brown hair, Green eyes, 6’2”.
Surface Emotions: Greed, Pride.
Deeper Emotions: Seeks higher strength, wants higher level of authority within the order. Despises the followers of the pantheon.
Relations(
Positive: Alansu, Oskar
Negative: Volan, Kadan, Patellia
)
Alansu Menbray
Mind Mage 99
Age: 27
Description: Blond hair, Blue eyes, 5’6”.
Surface Emotions: Arrogance, Disgust.
Deeper Emotions: Blocked due to class.
Relations(
Positive: Jak, Oskar
Negative: Volan, Kadan
)
There was also some general history for each of them that Dalen hated after only a few sentences but when he was done reading everything he was left feeling a little intimidated. Jaliete’s skills apparently allowed her to read the surface thoughts of people and assuming these documents were current she could do so from a distance. Even with that aside her information-gathering skills were impressive, to say the least.
What level even was she? He hadn’t been able to use Identify on her at first due to the level disparity but he probably could now. After fighting the Dhinir followers he was now level fifty so he could identify over one hundred plus whatever his skills benefited him.
Melisia looked up from her own document, “We should meet with Elder Jaliete now. She will be on her way to meet with Elder Volan now.”
The three of them all left the tent and found that the usual camp had sprung up all around them and people from both Jaliete’s and Volan’s cells were intermingling. Dalen was surprised to see a significant amount of trade happening. Herbs, leathers, meats, and wine were handed around freely between the two groups but once a few of Jaliete’s people spotted Dalen walking, all eyes began to fall on him.
“Gods not now…Wait!… Damn it how could I forget. I need to speak with Eliza!” Dalen said, turning to Melisia.
“I don’t think she-” A voice yelled across the camp making Melisia pause.
“Dalen! Is it true!”
It was Eliza and she was moving between the gathering group of people who had probably all been expecting this since they first arrived. Eliza’s face was pale but new life had appeared in her eyes compared to the day they left The Fractured Path. Dalen immediately felt guilty for not seeking her out as soon as he had the chance.
The crowd parted to let her through and she stopped just a few feet away from him,” Please Dalen. Is it true, did you see my son?!”
Dalen didn’t need to fake the grin that fell upon his face this time as he placed both his hands on her shoulders, “ I should have spoken with you immediately but yes. Both Ander and Nyx are alive. They are both traveling with Kal right now. Where exactly I don’t know but I can say for certain that they all live and that Ander was sitting on Kal’s shoulders-” Dalen didn’t get a chance to finish as Eliza wrapped him up in a hug and lifted him off the ground.
He managed to keep most of the air in his chest as she squeezed. Apparently, Eliza put more points in strength than the average battle mage. The gathered people broke into applause as they heard word of brother and sister’s survival. Even a few Dalen didn’t recognize looked pleased.
Eliza had her eyes closed and had buried her face into his chest but then in a flash of realization she dropped him as her face reddened and she wiped away happy tears, “Oh! Sorry Lord Prophet but thank you. Will you speak with us again tonight?”
Dalen smiled and actually felt it this time, “Of course. I can go over everything I saw with you all later. I haven’t had much time for my usual brewing but if anyone can bring their own please do!”
This time the applause was absolutely ridiculous and Dalen was taken aback by the sheer passion behind the eyes of the people around him. Volan’s people certainly took notice and when Dalen’s gaze passed over the elder’s camp he spotted the old man peering at him from within his tent.
Leo chuckled, “Come on Lord Prophet. We have a meeting to attend.”
Stolen story; please report.
Dalen wasn’t sure how he felt about expanding his usual crowd but if it helped Kal he would put up with it. Jaliete stepped out of her own tent as they arrived and the four of them went to meet with Volan.
Unlike Jaliete, Volan didn’t have guards on watch at the entrance to his tent and when he stood inside Dalen was surprised to find that the tent was just a normal tent. There was no strange spatial expansion like Jaliete’s and Melisia’s had to an extent. Neither was there any kind of temperature control.
Volan was sitting cross-legged on the ground reading a book called Remedies of the Spirit which as they entered he snapped it closed and smiled up at them, “Ah, good. Your people have settled in, I hope.”
Jaliete nodded, “Yes. They are excited for what is to come, how have you been, Volan? You look well.”
“Oh. I am well enough. I have a few years in me yet,” Volan chuckled, “Let’s get down to the business at hand. Where is Elendria? I saw her snooping around early. I assume it was her doing that you arrived as early as you did?”
With no warning, Elendria appeared out of nowhere as usual and plopped herself down next to Volan, ”I am here, boy. You are looking awfully thin since the last time I saw you.”
Volan chuckled again, “You old crone. I’ll outlive you yet,” He shook his head the smile staying strong on his face, ”It is good to see you both but please, let us get to the matter at hand.”
Dalen was surprised by the group's familiarity with each other but he didn’t comment on it.
Jaliete discussed the events of the last month and a half while Volan nodded along taking every word in.
“You know why we are meeting Volan. We believe we have found who we are searching for. You have seen Dalen’s mark and with Elendria’s assistance we may be able to bring him back, ”Jaliete explained.
Volan watched her carefully, “Yes. I trust the mark. The system would not have chosen those words lightly and your encounter with him on The Fractured Path all but confirms it in my heart but I have a concern that I believe is worth voicing before we continue,” his gaze moved between everyone present, “Will seeing about The Bearer’s return hamper him?”
“What!?” Dalen growled, “Are you serious? How could it hamper him? He should be back here where he belongs.”
Volan smiled and nodded patiently, “I understand your misgivings Dalen but it is a valid argument and one that many of the more argumentative elders will ask as well. Jaliete mentioned Kalum Lesta’s apparent growth over such a short time being remarkable. It is my understanding that that very growth is what allowed him to save you all on The Fractured Path, correct?”
Dalen seethed but he had to admit Volan was right so he simply nodded.
“Then the question remains. Should he return now? Is it time for him to return?” Volan said calmly.
“Well yeah!” Dalen said, looking around at the others, “Why should he be forced to remain in the gods forsaken place any longer than he needs to be? And what? Are you willing to leave Nyx and Ander there as well? I know you were listening to us out there.”
Melisia nodded, “I agree. In any case, Kalum should be given a choice. If it turns out he doesn’t want to return then at least we will be able to bring Nyx and Ander home and out of danger.”
“I agree as well but for different reasons. I believe every moment Kalum remains in that place the worse off he will be. He has changed. That place is changing him,” Leo said and Dalen noticed the man pale slightly.
“We would work against fate then?” Volan said, focusing fully on Dalen.
Dalen smirked, “It’s in his class, old man,” Dalen showed him the description of his mark one more time.
Mark of Wrath
Your core has been marked by Kalum Lesta the Slayer of Fate and Exemplar of Defiance. May you overcome your limits and sunder that which binds.
“The way I see it. If Kal is the one you are looking for then why the fuck would we allow the rules of the firmament and the space between to confine him?”
Volan’s patient expression broke into a grin, ”Good! Good! You have guts for one of your level Dalen Kreet. You will need them when you speak with the other first elders,” He raised his hand, ”You have my support and the support of my people.”
“What more can you tell me of Kalum?” Volan said his grin now back on full display.
Dalen chuckled, the old man was a sly one. He probably should have expected that but the man’s cheerful persona had him off balance, “Not a chance. If you wanna hear more about him you’ll have to show up tonight.”
Volan’s eyes sparkled, “Of course, of course. One mustn't question The Prophet.”
“Gods…” Dalen shook his head, ”Just show up with the rest of them and bring booze.”
Dalen glanced around the tent to see almost everyone frowning at him except for Volan and The Crazy Old Bat who was grinning wildly.
“Is everyone fucking insane?”
Jaliete stood and her eyes seemed to pass through the tent wall, “I am glad we are all in agreement but now we should enter The Vault and speak with the other first elders. I sense agitation among them.”
Volan climbed carefully to his feet, “Yes that would be wise. We have some time yet until the remaining few arrive but we may as well get a head start in our preparations. I will send a runner to notify my space-attuned mages.”
As a group, they all left Volan’s mundane tent and made their way through the gathered followers toward The Vault’s entrance. Along the way Dalen received many curious stares and while not quite so many a few death glares. Almost all of them were significantly higher level than him at least in their sixties and seventies, with a few going up to the nineties. It made Dalen glad he had joined up with Jaliete’s cell and not one of these other ones.
The Vault’s entrance was quite simple, just a rectangular cutout on the side of the pyramid. But what was not simple about it was the text engraved over every inch of the structure's surface. Dalen was sure most of it was array runes but he had no experience with the things so ignored them and instead tried reading what was left. It didn’t go well just like the ruins where they found Elendria and the majority of the text outside it was illegible.
The entrance led to a long passage that sloped downward slightly, well that’s what it looked like but while Dalen was trying to glean some insight from the text he glanced back up the passage a few times and noticed they had traveled far further than the relatively short walk should have allowed them too. It stunk of space magic and when he looked at Elendria to ask she was already watching him and nodded with a grin.
“Crazy and Observant! Oh, you are an interesting one…” She whispered.
“Yep, definitely insane…”
When they finally reached the end of the passage a large chamber easily two hundred feet across opened up to them at its center was an almost exact duplicate of the obelisk outside but much smaller to fit into the chamber. All around the obelisk were dozens of followers dressed in the dark gray and red of The Order. Each of them was carefully going over the text covering the obelisk.
It seemed normal enough but as Dalen’s eyes landed on them a deep wrongness filled his heart.
[Iandira Jalna | Conjurer 67 | Human] [Thrall of Alanasu]
Dalen ground his teeth by reflex and he felt Leo and Melisia shuffle uncomfortably next to him but then a feminine voice echoed throughout the chamber.
“Ah, Elder Jaliete, Elder Volan. It is good that you have finally come to speak with us.”