Cedric and Adrian's first encounter with Borne took the form of smell rather than sight. Before the town was even a speck on the distant horizon, a sickly, fevered sweetness greeted them first, which grew more potent as they approached.

Most vestiges of grass and greenery had bled away from their surroundings now. This region was a desert of mountainous hills, with all vitality and life leeched away to leave bare bones and dust behind. A fitting realm for the dead, Cedric thought.

Borne was a small, nondescript settlement planted at the base of a particularly large hill, but its haunting silence and unnatural scent conveyed something more sinister. The first form of life they encountered as they led Nightwind into town was a single, shriveled chicken missing most of its feathers. It pecked aimlessly as it crossed their path, its exposed flesh sore-ridden and oozing.

"Fresh meat tonight?" Adrian said, eyeing the pitiful animal.

"Aye, when we find some," was Cedric's reply.

They didn't encounter a human presence until they'd cleared the first set of houses. A thin boy no older than thirteen was leading his mother by the hand, the latter's eyes bound with a tattered strip of cloth. In his other hand was a basket carrying a lump of mold-spotted cheese and a few dried peaches. His eyes were grim and hard, too mature for his youthful exterior.

"Well met," Adrian called to the boy as Cedric remained cloaked beneath the black diamond's aura.

The boy neatly sidestepped a rotten rat carcass besieged by flies. Then his gaze affixed to Nightwind, and his furrowed brow loosened. He wet his lips. "What'd you want?"

His mother raised her head at the noise, and Cedric saw the boy's fingers tighten around hers.

"We--I'm looking for someone in town."

"Then you'll have an easy go of it. Most everyone's gone."

"What happened here?"

The boy scoffed, but an undercurrent of raw anguish layered his voice. "Drought, disease, the Blight--take your pick." He looked away. "Once Lord Breshin left with all his whores and carriages in tow, that was the end of it. Those with the means to travel followed suit."

Cedric nudged Adrian to continue.

"Have you heard of Candra, by chance? Did she also follow in your Enforcer's footsteps?"

"What's she worth to you?"

"We have supplies," Adrian offered. He reached into the saddlebags, but the boy shook his head.

He pointed at Nightwind with his basket-laden hand.

"You want our horse?" Adrian asked incredulously.

"No, its services. Ours dropped dead a few days ago. There's an abandoned wagon in the town square that still works, and we've got a harness that'll fit."

"Where would we take you?"

"The capital, same as Lord Breshin and the rest."

"We could do it," Cedric muttered.

"Could we?" Adrian hissed. He visibly resisted turning to Cedric. "Could you cloak yourself over the entire journey? Unless you trust these two with your life…"

"Who're you talking to?" the boy demanded. "Do we have a deal?"

Adrian huffed. "All right. When it is time for us--me to leave, I'll escort you and your mother to the capital. How long can you wait?"

The mother spoke for the first time. "We've managed to scrounge up enough to last us the journey, plus five additional days. We would have set out on foot as a last resort, but we'd stand a far better chance with you."

The true gravity of the situation hit Cedric with a pang. So dire were their circumstances that they had no choice but to beseech a stranger.

This time, Adrian did sneak a glance at him. Cedric nodded.

"You have my word," Adrian said. "Now, Candra… she's still here?"

"Aye," said the mother. "Plenty have tried to convince her otherwise, but she's the stubborn sort. I'd wager that Candra will soon become Borne's last living soul."

"I'll show you to her," the boy offered. "After I take mum home."

*

Candra's house stood on the outskirts of Borne, a shabby little dwelling of wood, stone, and faded tile. A distinct impression of life emanated from within, a stark contrast to the cold, eerie stillness of the rest of Borne.

"What do you know of Candra?" Adrian asked their guide.

The boy, whose name was Gideon, shrugged. "She's a tailor. Mends clothes and the like. My mate Darius threw peach pits at her once. She almost pulled off his ear for that." His brow jumped. "You didn't come all this way for a tailor, did you?"

"I'll take things from here," Adrian said. "You can head back to your mother, now."

Gideon didn't move. He clearly did not want to part ways with his salvation. Perhaps if he lost sight of Adrian and Nightwind, they'd simply vanish into the ether along with the last of his hope.

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Adrian sighed, unbuckled one of Nightwind's saddlebags, and handed it to Gideon. The boy staggered a little beneath its weight.

"Take only what you need. I'll be back for it," he warned.

Visibly reassured, the boy nodded. "Watch your back," he said. "Some men came to town a few days ago, combing through the houses and taking what they fancied. Settled in Lord Breshin's old home."

"What kind of men?"

"The kind that mum and I have gladly avoided." He glanced at Nightwind. "Keep a firm hold of him."

"We will."

Gideon started on the road back home.

Once the boy was safely out of sight, Cedric released the cloaking aura with a sigh of relief. Adrian had raised a good point; holding the illusion in place for long periods of time invariably sapped at his energy. He would likely need Candra's help to keep it on for the entirety of the journey to the capital.

Five days, more or less. Five days to master the black diamond.

"If they empty out the saddlebag, I'll kill you," Adrian said.

Cedric suppressed a snort, but not the fond look he gave him. "They wouldn't gamble our goodwill like that," he said. "At least you didn't hand them Nightwind as assurance."

"I'm not entirely daft, you know." He patted the stallion's glossy neck. "I'll stay here, make sure those unsavory men don't snatch him from under us."

"And if you get knifed?"

"Then I'll have died for a worthy cause." Upon Cedric's double take, Adrian laughed. "We'd outrun them. At worst, you find us once night falls." He bobbed his chin. "Now go on."

Cedric hesitantly approached the door and knocked. For several seconds, there was no response. Then…

"For the last time, Lawrence, bugger off. I don't give a toss about your fancy spacious cart, I'm not leaving!"

"Candra? Candra Relictus?" Cedric called.

The utterance of her real name was met by a long, ringing silence.

"My name is Cedric." He took a deep breath. "I'm Rava, the Heir of Darkness. The… new one."

More silence.

The door unlatched and cracked inward on creaking hinges. A single eye, pale blue and far younger than he'd expected, emerged from the gloom of the interior.

Cedric waited as the eye appraised him up, down, and up again. Then, just when he thought he'd finally passed muster, the door slammed shut in his face with a mighty clack.

He blinked in bemusement, then knocked more insistently. "Jana sent me. Do you know that name? Or Alvir, perhaps?"

"Jana?" came the eventual reply. Her voice was very close by. Perhaps she was bracing herself against the door. "What's that crook got to do with you?" A pause. "You're supposed to be imprisoned."

"You answered your own question," he said with a weak chuckle. "Please, Jana said you'd teach me about the black diamond. You may be the only one in the kingdom both willing and able to do so."

When there was no response, Cedric clamped down on a flare of frustration. "The fate of everyone in Iridesca is at stake. You could help prevent another Madness, if that sort of thing matters to you."

He continued to stand stubbornly at the threshold; he'd camp here all night if he had to.

At last, the door opened. Standing behind it was a tall woman no older than Jana, with large, tired eyes and unkempt hair as pale and wispy as corn silk. She stood with a slight stoop in her posture, and the simple maroon dress she wore was faded but neatly patched in several places. A long, puckered scar ran down the left side of her face. Her features had retained some remnants of their former beauty, but they also spoke volumes of what had transpired in the vast chasm between then and now.

Upon proper sight of Candra Relictus, a terribly intimate familiarity swept across Cedric's skin. Gooseflesh pimpled the back of his neck and a sudden warmth bloomed in his cheeks. Then, as quickly as it had come, the feeling faded like a passing breeze.

She stared into Cedric's eyes from her equal height, and huffed in disbelief. "It's really you."

"May we talk inside?" he said, slightly unnerved now.

She chewed her bottom lip. "You've come all this way. Would be a bit rude to refuse, even for me."

Cedric turned to give Adrian a brief, reassuring smile before entering.

*

Candra threw open the shades, releasing a flood of daylight into the cramped interior of her home. An old loom and spinning wheel occupied a large portion of the space while the rest hosted a made-up cot, a small fireplace, a few shelves and cupboards, and a square table with two stools on either side. But as shabby as the furnishings may have been, they were tidy and neatly arranged. Even the contents of the shelves were organized in steady lines.

The sole element out of place was a small vial of clear liquid on the table, corked shut and sealed with wax. Candra placed it in its assigned gap on the shelf before Cedric could get a closer look. She then withdrew a lidded clay pot from her cupboard and set it on the table. Inside were a few hard biscuits dwelling at the bottom.

"I'm afraid I have no tea to offer, as the well water has fouled. Would you take some wine?" When Cedric declined, she sat down on the stool and smoothed her skirts. "Borne is on its death knell, no doubt about that. This whole region is crumbling away like a dusty bone."

Cedric sat down as well, but didn't touch the biscuits. "And yet you stay."

"Aye," she said simply. She took a biscuit and began to nibble at it.

"How do you know Jana?" Cedric asked. "I'd assumed your relationship was friendlier."

Candra snorted. "'Relationship' is a bit strong of a word. She saved me from a band of robbers during the Purge. I was on my own, a young, pampered former Apostle with nothing but a mount and a few saddlebags' worth of whatever coin, jewelry, and silk I could salvage from my household. Many Apostles were similarly accosted upon their departure from Crystallinus, but Jana spared me a grisly end. She killed one robber and sent the rest scurrying."

"Then she demanded the lion's share of my property while blood still dripped from her sword. I couldn't risk refusing, could I?" Candra smiled bitterly. "Before she left me with a few nobilis and a gold ring, she suggested I settle down in Borne. Fairly prosperous, welcoming townsfolk, a just Enforcer. As much as I loathed following my extortionist's advice, I'd truly had no better prospects. So here I've been, mending for marks ever since."

"You haven't seen Jana in seventeen years?" Cedric said.

"I have not, and I'm certainly not party to whatever lunatic scheme she's gotten mixed up in." Candra frowned. "Why is she not with you?"

"Jana's dead." His head pounded just uttering the words. "The Ice Blade murdered her and her husband, Alvir."

"Hmm, then she finally bit off more than she could chew."

"She died for me," he said sharply.

"Then she must have truly changed."

Candra's nonchalance was galling, but Cedric pressed on. "Can you teach me to use my abilities?"

"I can. Every Scholar in Crystallinus knows the lore and history to be passed onto a newly Named Heir, though only the best are ever chosen. And given the urgent nature of your arrival, I'd skip over the history and move straight on to the black diamond itself. I assume you have one on you, otherwise this whole endeavor will be over before it starts."

Cedric retrieved the gemstone from his pocket and set it on the table between them. Candra's eyebrows rose.

"That… is your predecessor's collar gem."

"You recognize it?"

Her long, pale eyelashes flickered. "Only the most exceptional diamonds are forged into the Divine Heir's collars." She picked it up between thumb and forefinger. "How in Eris' name did you get your hands on this?"

"Rhea gave it to me."

Candra's eyebrows rose even higher. "Every question you answer, three more take its place. Nevermind, let's focus on what's important. Today, you will--" She paused at Cedric's expression. "What is it?

"Nothing, but I … I thought you'd want to know why I'm even here to begin with."

"Would you rather waste time catching me up, or would you rather begin your training?"

Cedric hadn't expected such flippant incuriosity, but if it meant saving time…

"Why are you helping me?"

Candra grinned, but it didn't reach her eyes. "What else is there to do in this town?"