Now one would think that when your family hears one of their children was blessed by a God, it might surprise them or delight them. Maybe they would be in so much shock they wouldn’t know what to say. But what when Callahan and Ava heard Estal was blessed, their reaction was worry. Luckily, they had gotten a heads up due to Ava’s familiar who had been following Zerine like it had been every time she left the compound.
“This is…problematic. She will need to work on aura masking to hide that blessing,” Ava thought to Callahan.
Both were on opposite sides of the city from one another. Ava was at home with Varino, working on her training that they could do outside of the dimensional space. Callahan was in his office at the Naval headquarters. Ava had connected to him immediately after her familiar had told her about the God just popping up at the temple.
“Yes, that and we will have to figure out what or if Estel got an ability and start her working on that. She’s only eight though,” Callahan thought, his worry coming accords.
Ava sighed, “Eight was the same age as you. And just like you, I know she can handle both the attention and responsibility.”
“Yeah, I’ll help with her getting used to the blessing, too. Falkor said this era has already started out more eventful than most. The fact that the God of magic hasn’t blessed someone in eight eras makes me worried about what this era will bring. And I’m starting to believe that Liliana’s fate reading about Zerine was more of a warning of what is coming more than Zerine’s own fate,” Callahan thought, his worry turning into full-blown anxiety.
Ava had to admit Callahan had a point. With all the tensions rising on other continents, sightings of iridesium-rank mages, and now the movement of gods, things were certainly leading to something big. The only reason why Liliana’s fate reading would have picked up on that was if…
Ava stiffened sparks of electricity whirled around her.
The only reason is that Zerine might be in the middle of it, all of it. In every potential life, she ends up facing something that leads to her death. And this one would be no different. Liliana had spoken of a war…not good, she thought to herself.
“Cal, I think you may be right. Whatever is coming, I think may affect far more than just Zerine’s fate,” Ava thought to him.
“Hey Varino, I’m going to my office. Can you work in the dining hall with Bernard’s puzzle box?” Ava said. She wanted to write her thoughts down before she got distracted. Varino tilted her head at Ava, but nodded and skipped ahead of her.
“Weeell, shit, I was hoping you would say I was absolutely crazy.” Ava rolled her eyes as Callahan went on. “I will come home early so I can start early with Estel on that aura masking and help with the blessing,” Callahan thought as she sat in their study.
“Good, see you in a bit, then. I will need to talk to Gary to add some more security options that came to mind.”
“I agree, but explain to him why or he will think we are going overboard.”
“He already thinks we were crazy, so what harm could this do?” Ava quipped, needing a little relief from the worry bubbling through her. The last thing she got from Callahan was his amusement before his connected faded.
Ava went to leave her study when a figure appeared in a blink. She immediately got ready for a fight, but relaxed when she recognized who it was.
“Ah, Grandfather, you said you would warn me if you were going to just pop in,” Ava said, relaxing out of her fighting stance. She folder her arms giving her grandfather a disapproving look.
“Right, I kinda forgot when I heard the news! I had to visit,” Tristan Trevel said, giving Ava a sheepish smile.
Tristan was a tall, slender man with hair similar to Ava's, to the extent it was tied in a short ponytail, mirroring hers. He stroked his dark blue beard, which was one of his tells that he was embarrassed. That or he was trying to come up with more excuses for not letting Ava know he would pay a visit.
Ava sighed, “I thought you were supposed to keep parity with the other iridesium-rankers.”
Tristan scoffed, “I’ve barely moved in four years and the others have made it clear that interfering with the renewal will be met with swift annihilation,” Tristan said, then smiled brightly. “The God of magic reappearing has made quite the splash in our community and amongst the gods, too. With his…what level or type of blessing did he give little Estel?”
“I don’t have a blessing so I can’t sense those things, and neither can my familiar,” Ava said, shrugging.
Tristan did an exaggerated sigh, throwing his head back as his whole body slumped for a moment.
“You know, for someone over three hundred years old, you sure act like your Estel’s age,” Ava said dryly.
“Then I guess I will have to stick around till Cal spills the beans,” Tristan said, ignoring her comment. Then, after a brief pause, he snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot. Zerine was there, right? Did she happen to get blessed, too? The Goddess of knowledge was there from what I heard.”
“Zerine still doesn’t have her crest, so obviously not. You don’t pay attention to your granddaughter, do you?” Ava’s gaze narrowed. “Like you said, you would, as part of our tradition. Remember, you promised.”
“I do remember. And she isn’t my granddaughter, and she might as well be invisible with that flickering presence of hers,” Tristan said shrugging.
Lightning arched around Ava as her anger flared for a moment before she got it under control.
“You do realize you have to get a handle on those flare-ups before you reach my rank, or you could casually destroy a mountain by accident. Although,” Tristan looked thoughtfully at Ava, “I guess you could do that now, so you have gotten better. That’s good.”
“I do not want to argue before my daughters come back with a wild story of two gods visiting Estel,” Ava said through gritted teeth as lightning arched up and down the strands of her hair.
“I don’t see what Falkor sees in Zerine at all. I see a dedicated individual that could amount to something someday, but won’t, so why bother caring? But don’t worry, our deal still stands. I will tell you if she is ready or not. But I’m not actively watching her, just some recordings of her training that I watch when I’m bored from watching the civil war in Esteron. Which, by the way, it’s a bloody mess.”
“It's a civil war so of course it is. And you know what, I’m looking forward to the day that Zerine will prove all of you who write her off to be incredibly wrong. I think I will take that bet after all.” Tristan raised an eyebrow. “And I will join the side of the ancestor,” Ava said.
Tristan grinned, “I will let the others know. But for Zerine,” he said her name like it pained him to say it just to annoy her, “that would require her breaking fate and you may be over a hundred now, but you haven’t seen a fraction of what the others in the family have, nor those in my community. She won’t be able to do it. Fate is such a tangle mess around her that a majority can’t see a damn thing, but we all can feel the ticking clock. Also, even the gods who can see more believe she won’t live. I checked when she turned fourteen, by the way.”
“The ancestor-”
“The ancestor has been wrong plenty of times before. Why do you think the empire fell apart millenniums ago? Once fate is broken, a person will have to keep breaking it to forge their own path. Do you believe Zerine could keep doing that? Because there have been plenty who tried and failed the first time, not making it to the second, third, or hundredth.”
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Ava flinched, but said nothing. He wasn’t wrong. Hoping for Zerine to somehow break her own fate was ludicrous. She had hoped if Zerine accepted becoming a priestess that her fate would change, but Falkor checked, and that path still led to her demise. In the end, Ava and Callahan would have to accept that either Zerine shattered her own fate and kept doing so, or she died. It didn’t mean they would treat Zerine like a begging dog, ignoring her existence, like Tristan and some others did.
“Keep pushing her. It won’t change a thing. But will at least be good for those that study magic to see that a crestless can do so much more than many believed. A decent legacy, not worthy of the Trevel name, however. I will let the others know you're in on the bet. Oh, Liliana is in on the bet too and on my side. I will be back when you cool off and when Estel is back,” Tristan said before vanishing.
Lightning arched in a tight ball around Ava. Her and grandfather had gotten along before she had adopted Zerine, which he had argued to put her in an orphanage. If they just avoided any conversation about Zerine, they got along, but bring her up and it would end just like this. The only difference this time was he had brought up Zerine, probably wondering if the gods said something to her because of her connection to Estel or Varino.
Tristan was fond of the spirit and her antics, but Zerine seemed more like a disappointment or failure to him and the rest of the family that knew of her origins. Those that didn’t know Zerine was adopted, saw her as an unfortunate child with an even more unfortunate fate.
Ava took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. The lightning faded after several more long breaths.
Put on that smile that Estel would expect. Don’t let the worry show and forget what might come to pass. Falkor says it best. Fate can go fuck off, she thought.
***
Zerine could tell something was off with Ava. She didn’t really need her instincts telling her which they were, that something weighed down her mother. Ava’s smile seemed forced, but relaxed and turned real as Estel excitedly spoke about her visit with the gods.
There was an excited chime as Varino flew into the room on a cloud, brandishing a large cube contraption above her head. She flew to Zerine, chiming and whistling quickly.
“Bernard gave you a puzzle toy that helps with magic control!?” Zerine said incredulously.
Varino nodded excitedly, causing her drifting hair to fly into her face.
“Will it work for me?” Zerine wondered. Ideas of what she could learn to help with alchemy and ambient magic control already flying through her mind.
Varino’s warbling whistle made Zerine’s mind freeze up.
“Mom, will Bernard’s puzzle box work for me?” Zerine asked in a lull of conversation, redirecting her question to someone who would know.
Ava looked at them. When she frowned, looking at the box Varino held up, Zerine already knew the answer and her excitement died.
“Sorry, no, but now I have your attention. Did the gods say anything to you? Estel told me you were allowed to hear everything?” Ava wondered.
“They told me I was allowed to listen to make sure Estel left nothing important out,” Zerine said, not sure why she lied. All she knew was that something inside her told her not to say anything about what the Goddess had said.
Ava nodded, “I figured it was something like that, but had to ask. If you ever get visited by some immortals, please tell me and your father and that goes for you two,” Ava said, her gaze lasering in on Naro and Shara.
Naro and Shara had been talking in hushed tones to one another and both jumped, making Zerine wonder what they had been talking about.
“R-right,” Naro agreed hastily as Shara nodded, her cat-like tail swishing quickly behind her.
Varino and Zerine nodded when Ava looked towards them. Zerine felt bad, but it wasn’t like the Goddess said anything Ava didn’t already know or guess. Well, except probably for that last part. But Zerine had a strange feeling that whatever would happen to her was in the future, hopefully far in the future. Very, very far.
She didn’t need more nightmares on top of the ones she had been having about the attack. Yes, Zerine had begun to remember what had happened during the attack. Over the past month, her nightmares had started out with excruciating pain and then they change to something worse. Her nightmares were now filled with a figure dropping from the ceiling or sky cloaked in darkness. They would then cast a spell that removed a limb or two.
So much blood and pain.
Varino knocked Zerine out of her spiraling thoughts, climbing on to her shoulder, burbling like a stream about the magic box and that she was sorry Zerine couldn’t use it.
“It’s fine,” Zerine said.
It’s not fine, I just want to fit in and gods, I want my own magic, she thought.
“Tell me more about these puzzles,” Zerine wondered, wanting to be distracted.
But before Varino could start talking, a man appeared next to her. Zerine cried out, stumbling back, but got in a fighting stance. Varino let out a surprised squeak, while somehow managing to stay on Zerine’s shoulder while holding the puzzle box. Zerine’s heart was racing like she was in a fight. It might have had something to do with her reflecting on the assassin, but she was afraid for a moment till she realized who it was, and her fear turned anxious with cold sweat running down her hack.
“There are my grandchildren,” Tristan Trevel said, grinning broadly, ignoring Zerine’s reaction. In fact, he ignored her completely like he had been since she was ten.
Zerine remembered the family had gone to a celebration held at the Trevel ancestral home. It had been crowded, and someone had pushed her into Tristan. For a moment, Zerine’s instincts screamed that she was about to die. She had looked up to his cold eyes so much like hers and her mother’s, and looked into a stranger’s eyes. For in that moment, there wasn’t an ounce of affection or even recognition. Maybe this was his mask slipping off for a moment, but Zerine couldn’t shake the feeling that he had never cared for her and merely tolerated her existence. Although in the moment that seemed to stretch for minutes, all she could focus on was a power that could easily crush her and was currently contemplating doing so.
When had smiled as she had apologized profusely, it felt fake. His words to her afterwards felt even more fake and her instincts had made it clear to never trust this man. She had been eleven at the time, but it took her till she was thirteen to realize that many family members treated her like she was invisible.
I didn’t need that memory on top of thinking about the nightmares, Zerine thought, trying to and failing to calm her racing heart as her throat tightened, as all of this at once was threatening to overwhelm her.
Varino’s tingling touch on her check made Zerine snap out of her frozen state. Varino whistled with concern. Even Ava was giving Zerine a worried glance.
“I’m fine, Varino,” Zerine said, hoping that if she said it enough, she would be.
After that, she left unnoticed as Tristan talked to the others, like normal.
She didn’t really know where she and Varino were going, but her legs were just taking them somewhere. Soon they had gone through the city gates. Then they were at the beach and her walking turned into a run as she ran to where the dragon’s cave was. Her sight blurred as tears fell, and she didn’t know why.
When she arrived, she found only Terrinixis, who was back to being the size of a massive horse. Zerine ran up, throwing her arms around Terri’s neck, and wept. Terri started a soothing humming that vibrated her scales. Meanwhile, a distressed Varino hugged the side of Zerine’s head. They stayed like that for a time. No words, just their comforting presence was enough.
Zerine stepped, sniffling, but felt better.
“I think a nice flight is in order, don’t you?” Terri thought to Zerine.
“A flight with you sounds wonderful,” Zerine said.
Varino cheered.
***
Valgrath shot a spike, impaling a woman who released a gurgling cry as blood dripped from her lips. He causally swiped his hand beheading the women, enjoying the sight as blood sprayed and the body fell, joining the blood-soaked street littered with corpses. He took a deep breath in, savoring the moment.
A raging battle was going on all around him, spreading throughout the Grande Fleur city. Many of the massive colorful flowers that made up a majority of the city structures were burning. The streets were full of the sounds of spells being cast, the shouts and cries from those fighting, and the shrill sounds that nature spirits made as they tried frantically to protect the plants, they called home. The sounds mixed creating a symphony for Valgrath.
Civil war had finally broken out after several assassins he had hired targeted both major noble factions, which pushed the sides into conflict. They had already been skirting the edge with small duals and riots. It had been all too easy to manipulate commerce, politics, and public opinion to maneuver the sides to be at each other's throats. It also helped that he had spies on both sides that ensured no matter what happened, conflict would erupt.
And by the Great Mother he had missed this. It felt so nice to just go on a rampage. He killed anything and everything in his path as he and his unit made their way to the central fortress.
A child ran across his path, screaming for his parents. Valgrath glanced towards the vampire leader he had recruited, and jerked his head towards the boy, who was stumbling away, still screaming.
Nyel had dark orange eyes and black hair. She wore a full set of dark leather armor that made it difficult to spot that she was covered in blood.
She smiled, “Good point. It’s best to get them young,” she said before vanishing.
She reappeared in front of the screaming boy and, in a smooth motion, picked him up, then placed him into a portable dimensional space that was connected to a pendent she wore under her armor.
“That should be one more to add to our cause in the future,” Nyel said, appearing next to Valgrath, who nodded.
He looked to his left and grinned as he felt several gold-rank mages racing towards them. His unit had been the spearhead to their attack, and it seemed the enemy was finally throwing everything they had at them.
Finally, some worthy blood to spill, Valgrath thought, anticipation for what to come pushing through his veins.