When they return to the dorms, Elra is waiting, “I did a Sending to Arden, but he never replied. So, I did a Sending to another priest I know there, but they did not reply. I did the same to you, too; I assume you didn’t hear me since you didn’t reply?” Kara shakes her head. Elra says, “Then we have a problem. Something is blocking magical communication. I don’t know how widespread it is.” Kara says, “That’s probably why I haven’t heard from Sasha or anyone. She’s going to be livid.”
Elra says, “I’ve dispatched three Sisters toward Cragcall, three to Chillight, and three to Fey Hollow. They will try to Send to people they know in other locations. I told them to try when they are ten miles out, if that doesn’t work, at the end of the day and to repeat every day until they get to the cities they are headed for.” Kara asks, “What if they still can’t.” Elra answers, “They will return here. Then we’ll know the problem is much bigger if I don’t hear from any of them within a week. They will continue to where I sent them to ask for help figuring out the problem.” Kara shakes her head, “Night Talon can’t have that much power at his disposal.” Elra grimaces, “I would hope not.”
Kara’s memories flash back nearly eighteen years. She tells Elra, “A long time ago, I was at The Temple of the Dawn Bringer when I was with the White Claws. We were just beginning to learn about The Cult of the Dragon Queen. We were taking some downtime in Everwind. The Chain Breakers found me there. I should say we found each other. They were looking for a slaver named Patience, and so was I. We joined up and went after Patience and her gang. She had an artifact on her called The Silencer of Worlds. It could do just this. It could also allow the wielder to listen in on Sendings, Scying, and any other form of magical communication. They could also stop magical communication or allow communication with whomever they wanted. It’s unstable until the ritual is complete. This same thing was happening then. The Chain Breakers took it to Nexus and locked it away in the Vault.” Elra asks, “You think it’s out of the Vault?” Kara says, “I heard that Nexus took the peak off a mountain south of here. The Vault could have been destroyed. Gods above.” Elra says, “You’re not looking so good.” Kara starts to feel sick, saying, “The horrors locked in that Vault were locked there for a reason.”
Elra says, “That is not good news. To make matters worse, we have no easy way to warn anyone. Well, crap. Come with me.” Aran asks, “Where are we going?” Elra says, “If we can’t talk with magic, we do it the old-fashioned way. We write letters. I’ll transcribe anything any of you can remember about these things. Then, I’ll send out riders to the surrounding cities. It’ll take a while. Ava says to Kara, “You were the Quartermaster. Did you keep an inventory of the Vault?” Kara shakes her head, “No, I didn’t like to go down there. That was more for Anya and Rowan. I vaguely remember some things, like the Silencer of Worlds, because I was involved in taking it.
Persi’s story about Anya.” Aran says, “That’s bad, that’s really bad. The Soul Forge.” Sister Maen says, “The Soul what?” Sylnoa says, “It consumes and destroys the souls of everyone that dies on a world. It turned Anya's father into some undead god. Sorry, I saw Persi's thoughts when he told that story. Once the ritual begins, it will absorb the souls of everything who dies. It will use the souls as fuel and will burn them, destroying them and removing them from the universe. It can use those souls to forge potions, drafts, and elixirs. But feed it certain souls, and it goes into some sort of god mode. It will create a potion that will transform the drinker into a god. That's what happened to Anya. Her soul was used to turn him into a god. Then she was left in that thing.”
They follow Elra to her office. She picks up some Sisters along the way, telling them to grab some scrolls for transcription. She also yells at some others to prepare to travel. In her office, the Sisters write everything Kara told her and what she can remember about other artifacts. When they finish, she tells the waiting Sisters to try to catch up to the ones already out and deliver the messages to Arden, Tes Blackflower, and Ayelith Silviris.
Once that is complete, Elra looks at Aran, “Not much more we can do now other than wait. Well, come on. I don’t want to hear any screaming if Trident tramples or gores you.” Aran runs into his dorm to get his armor on, and Lines and Ava go to help him. Kara asks, “Mind if we all watch this.” Elra shakes her head, “Not at all. Come on. Maybe I can talk you into giving me cracks at that marrowfang stalker and nightmare. I need other things to think about besides World Silencers, Soul Forges, and Veleris knows what else.” Kara nods, “Deal.” Shae pulls out Kara’s Girdle of Trials and helps her don it.
Kara summons Chomasuke and Fearless at the training ground, while Elra summons Trident. Sisters and Wandering Mountain gather. Aran is almost vibrating with excitement. Kara asks, “Do you want to try Chomasuke and Fearless too?” He stands there, staring, unable to speak. Kara turns to Chomasuke and asks in Celestial, “Would you be kind enough to give a few people rides today? You can have fun, just don’t hurt them.” She looks around and sees the looks of many people who want to try. She asks Fearless the same question in Infernal. He nods to her. Some Sisters bring their dire bears for Wandering Mountain to try. Elra tells Trident to take it easy as Aran climbs up. When he’s seated and seems securely in the saddle, Trident charges off with Aran whooping and yelling. Trident slams through a wooden barrier and, after about a minute, allows Aran to guide him. Elra looks at Kara, “The boy has a talent. Trident would have thrown most people off by now or had them screaming in terror.” Kara looks at Elra, “Speaking of terror, let’s see how you do.”
Kara asks Chomasuke to take Elra for a ride. Chomasuke seems to smile as Elra locks herself into the saddle. Chomasuke walks around Kara. Elra says, “The stride is,,,, ooooh fuuuuuucckkkk.” As Chomasuke launches, jumping over the Sisters and two bears. She hits the ground, turning ninety degrees, and runs full speed with Elra holding on for life, but with a smile that seems to go from ear to ear. She charges straight for Trident head-on and leaps. Aran lays back on Trident's saddle and reaches up. Chomasuke licks his hand as she passes over, clearing Aran by a few feet. Lands then executes a series of twists, turns, and jumps before allowing Elra to guide her. Everyone there spends the morning taking turns with Chomasuke, Fearless, Trident, and the dire bears. Even Kara gives them a try, and she rides Trident and the dire bears as if she were born, too. Chomasuke, Fearless, and Trident seem to have as much fun as the people, especially when they receive treats after each ride. Seeing Aran’s talent, she shows him some advanced techniques. Even after his dream ride, he seems to synch up with Fearless more than any other mount. She swears that Fearless is enjoying his time with Aran more than she has seen him with anyone else.
In the late afternoon, Elra tells Kara, “Normally, I would never consider this, but you’ve given me so much. First, you trust me with the knowledge of who you are. That alone is gift enough for me to offer you anything you could ask for. Then you gift me with your journal. I can never repay you for that.” Kara smiles at her and starts to tell Elra to think nothing of it, but Elra continues, “Don’t tell me to think nothing of it. Three of my Sisters died. Normally, I would keep their bears for new Sisters coming in, but I’m not. Those bears are yours. All of you will have to introduce yourselves to them. I have a druid Sister that will help you. Stop shaking your head. They are your bears now. I mean it.” Kara says, “We’re headed to Port Summereach to catch a ship.” Elra smiles at her, “Then make it a big ship and take plenty of meat and oats. You don’t want them eating the crew. You’ll need room for four of them.” Kara looks a little confused, “Four. You said three.” Elra says, “My daughter will be riding her own.” Kara rolls her eyes and hugs Elra. Elra looks up at the sun, “I’m sure my Sisters I sent out this morning have passed the first check-in. If they’re not back by this evening, we can assume they met the messengers and are on their way.”
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Sasha sits in the Portal Control Room, waiting for Anya. She looks at the guard, “She said she’s meeting me here, correct? You didn’t mistake something she said?” The guard gulps, “No, Your Highness. Her exact words were, “Go get Sasha and have her meet me in the Portal Control Room.” The door opens as he finishes the statement, and Anya walks in. Sasha stands, “I’ve been waiting for a half hour, Anya.” Anya stops and looks at her, “I waited for someone to come for me for ten thousand years, your point?” Sasha sighs, “Get on with it; what did you want me to meet you here for? Did you find something? Please tell me you did?” Anya smiles and pulls a vial from her robes, “This is what I was looking for.” She hands it to Sasha. Sasha sees two tiny grains of silvery sand, “This is what?” Anya says, “The locals call it Aetherium.” She holds her hand out for the vial, and Sasha hands it back. Anya uncorks it and turns it upside down over the table. The two grains fall, and when they strike the table, there is a very faint pulse of light from the runes, and then the grains vanish. Sasha looks at Anya, full of hope. Anya shakes her head, “Don’t get too hopeful yet. Those two grains were all I could refine from all the delivered fish. I want to go to Mosshore and look for the source. It’s either in the lake or in the rivers that feed the lake.”
Sasha says, “We’ll leave at once.” Anya shakes her head, “Just me, maybe a few guards to carry my equipment.” Sasha replies, “Pick your guards, pack your stuff. You leave as soon as you’re ready. I’ll make sure the teleportation circle is ready for you. I’m sending Saturno with you. Don’t say it. She needs to get out and think about other things.” Sasha walks toward the door. Anya asks, “Where are you headed to?” Sasha stops, “I’m not putting all my eggs in one basket. I’m sending an envoy to Timberunn to see if they have any information in their library.”
Sasha walks down to The World’s End Tavern. Ugly is wiping glasses, but she isn’t here for him. She hears Elvish upstairs, playing the lyre and softly singing. Ugly watches Sasha head up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Sasha sees three women lounging, with glasses of wine in their hands, sitting close together. Elvish is sitting across from them, singing to them. He looks at Sasha and keeps singing. Sasha wants him to go as an envoy to Timberunn, so she sits and listens as he serenades the women. Ugly sits a glass of Kara’s favorite mead next to her.
At the song's end, Elvish looks past the women to Sasha, “Unless the most beautiful princess in the land has suddenly decided I’m worthy of her most intimate affections, she must want something else of a lonely bard?”
The women all look around and start to get up. Sasha motions them to sit back down, “No, Elvish, I’m not looking for a good time with you. If I did, it would be your fault Kara kills you when she returns.” Elvish smiles, “Unless I charm her into my bed too.” Sasha laughs, “You never give up. That’s why I’m here. I was hoping you could go to Timberunn and search their libraries for information about this Aetherium that Anya found. She can brief you on it. There should be many new women there, maybe even some men to your liking.” Elvish leans forward and looks at the three women, “I’m assuming I can leave in the morning after I’ve “rested”?” Sasha stands and downs the mead, “Have all the fun you want tonight. I’ll have some guards ready to leave with you after breakfast.” Sasha leaves before he can draw out the conversation. The mead reminds her of Kara and makes being unable to contact her hurt that much more. She stops downstairs and casts Sending, “Kara, please reply to me.” She could say more, but that says everything.
She walks over to Ugly, “I don’t suppose that useless apprentice of mine is anywhere to be found, is she.” Ugly looks over to a corner, “She has been sulking over there for days, glaring at anyone that gets near enough to look at her.” Sasha sits her mug on the counter so Ugly can refill it, and then she walks over to Saturno. She has a bottle of something in her hand. She looks up at Sasha and makes a half-hearted attempt to sit up. Sasha sits down, “Are you going to hide in here under a bottle for the rest of your life.” Saturno leans forward out of the shadow so Sasha can see her scars, horrible burns covering precisely half of her body. One of the abominations sprayed her with liquid fire. No cleric was able to heal the wounds. She screamed in the infirmary for days, especially when the wounds were cleaned. Sasha looks at her without expression, “You’re scarred, but you’re still alive, Saty. I’ve given you time to deal with what happened. Many people didn’t survive the battle or our arrival here.” Saturno gives a half-assed laugh, “I envy them.” Sasha glares at her, “I will give you two choices. Choice one: you go with Anya to Mosshore and assist her in her research.” Saturno says, “Choice two?” Sasha leans forward, her eyes turn as black as coal, her skin darkens, and horns appear on her head, “I make the other half of your body match the burnt half and expel you from Nexus. I tire of this self-pity. Many people here have suffered in many ways and don’t wallow around at the bottom of a bottle.”
Saturno sets the bottle on the table, “I guess it’s off to Whatchamacallit I go.” Sasha returns to her normal appearance, “Saty, if there were something I could do for you, I would. But you either get on with life and live or sit and drink the rest of it away in misery. I’ve seen what it looks like when someone drinks their life away without hope. She found her way out and is the love of my life. I want better for you, and if it takes tough love to get you there, then so be it. Anya will meet you at the portal.” Sasha drinks the mug of mead and takes it to Ugly, “Make sure she makes it out.” Ugly nods. Sasha walks out and heads to the Main Hall. She’s scheduled to hold court this afternoon and perform a wedding ceremony early tomorrow morning.
An acolyte finds Kara sitting on her bed inside the dorm, with Shae across from her, “Sister Stoutstorm sent me to get you, Dame Cinderblade.” Kara stands, as does Shae, “Did she say for what it concerns.” The acolyte shakes her head, “I apologize, Sister Stoutstorm did not. She only said to bring you to her office.” Kara motions for the acolyte to lead the way and follows with Shae behind her. The acolyte stops outside the door to the office and positions herself. Kara says, “Allow me.” The acolyte looks at Kara nervously. Kara smiles, “It’s okay.” The acolyte steps aside as Kara positions herself; she looks at the door, trying to remember how thick it is, “How strong is this door?” The acolyte looks at Kara, somewhat amused, “Probably three to four inches of solid oak, bound with steel bands.” Kara says, “Then I’ll go easy on it.” She slaps the plank; it shatters on the first blow. She rears back for a second strike when the door suddenly opens, “WHAT, oh.” Kara smiles, “I think I owe you a plank. I made her let me.” Elra says, “It needed to be replaced anyway.” Kara looks at the acolyte, standing there staring with her mouth open; Kara smiles and shrugs.
Elra walks back in and sits down; Kara and Shae sit across from her. A purple earth elementi Sister is seated in the room already. Elra says, “This is Sister Amethyst; she’s a wizard and has been researching ways to keep Night Talon from escaping.” Elra looks at Sister Amethyst; she says, “There are a couple of things we can do, Dame Cinderblade.” Kara says, “Please, just Kara.” Sister Amethyst bows her head, “Kara, we can use an antimagic field, but that has a minimal area and would also cancel anything we are using, or we can use a forbiddance spell. That would stop all magical travel in a large area.” Kara says, “You look like there’s a but.” Sister Amethyst says, “But, it takes several minutes to cast it, it’s expensive to cast, and it only lasts a day. Plus, it would prevent him from teleporting in, which seems his forte when trying to surprise you.” Kara asks, “What is the cost?” Elra says, “A thousand gold worth of powdered diamond. I’ve got two diamonds in the vault.” Kara says, “I think I have two with me. We can use them. Don’t say it. I see it in your eyes. We use mine first if we use this. The next two problems may be more difficult to solve.”
Elra says, “I’ve been thinking about those. Sister Amethyst can find a hidden place to cast the spell and do so just before you go out to lure him. The main problem will be getting him into one of those spots after the fight starts.” Kara says, “Can we counter the spell somehow.” Elra shakes her head, “When he escaped our camp that night, I didn’t see him cast. I must assume he’s using a magic item, so I doubt it.” Kara thinks for a while, “If teleportation magic is screwed up, how is he doing it.” Sister Amethyst says, “I don’t think he is teleporting; I think he’s stepping between dimensions or through shadows. It’s short-range and usually not further than a line of sight. Line of sight teleportation type magic seems to work fine,” Kara says, “Then it’s short range. When he appears, maybe Sisters can spread out. I don’t want them to engage. He’s far too dangerous, and I don’t want any more Sisters getting hurt on my account.” Elra says, “He’s already made it clear; he’s coming after us too. The threat has been made. We were surprised once; we’ll be ready this time.” Kara sighs, “Sister Amethyst, could someone travel with him if they got close enough?” She nods, “That spell’s limit is one willing to go. It doesn’t say the caster has to want you to go. Here’s the catch. I think you will need to grab on to him as soon as he uses the ability.”
Elra says, “No, absolutely not. I forbid it.” Kara glares at Elra, “I’m stopping him one way or another. Sister Amethyst, can we test your theory?” She looks from Sister Stoutstorm to Kara, “Yes.” Elra glares at Sister Amethyst. Kara says, “Let’s do so out of sight.” Elra says, “You can test it…” Shae says, “With Shae.” Elra shakes her head in defeat, “Everyone is out to defy me.” Kara smiles at her, “I think you’ll read that it’s in my nature, and it’s contagious.”