Chapter II

“And that’s about it!” Tali Firrik chirped as she gazed at the other four Kosah-Rei cultists all sitting around the rectangular table. “Speaker Martov is going to stay the night before returning to Hellistoir in the morning, upon which she will finalize our alliance with King Amund. Then, in six months' time, we will converge our forces on the Great City of Harunhein.”

As the Voice spoke, wrapping up her debriefing in regards to the meeting with Sarillia Martov, Uma Miyon couldn’t help but smile to himself, for he was more than pleased that they would finally be making another significant move against the Citadel—one that may even spell the beginning of the end for the Ijirian elite. An agonizing amount of time had passed since Stellareid, and while he knew that nobody within their ranks would question the decisions of Tali since that would be no different from questioning the Goddess, Rei, herself, Uma was highly cognizant of the uneasiness that had been permeating the halls of Ankalla over the last year. Even aside from the leaders, Uma could tell that the many high ranking priests and pastors that used this fortress as a base of their operations in the north were starting to wonder why nothing had happened. Many believed Stellareid was going to be the opening act of a more aggressive and wide-spread war with the Citadel, but just like with Hiriech, the Kosah-Rei faded into the darkness yet again.

I know Lady Firrik kept insisting that we would wait for Rei’s permission to attack, but even I was starting to wonder what was keeping us. The Ijirians were left licking their wounds after we attacked Stellareid, and while they were vulnerable, we did nothing to take advantage of it. I know Rei warned us against acting rashly, but still… Uma smirked to himself. Well, nevertheless, the past is the past, and now, we are finally returning to the stage!

With the allegiance of King Amund Halcrow and the Trovians, unraveling Ijiria would become far easier than it ever had been, leaving those gathered in that room all highly anticipating the months to come. Uma’s eyes shifted from the Voice of Rei sitting at the head of the table to the other three that were present. Barron Kristoff wasn’t the most expressive of individuals, but having known him now for around eight years now, Uma could see a glint in his brown eyes that made it clear how pleased he was to get another shot at the Ijirians. Leiolai Sartella, sitting across from Barron and Uma, was the most obvious in her joy, a smug grin turning her boyish face as she gazed back at Tali. Beside her was Quill Tyrus, but to Uma’s surprise, the man didn’t seem terribly happy about the news, his gaunt face tensed and his pointed jaw clenched.

I wonder what his problem is? This should be cause for celebration, yet he appears like he was just told his favorite snack was discontinued from the grocery store.

However, not wanting to bother himself with Quill’s unusual reaction, Uma turned back towards Tali and said, “Well, I hate to ask, but am I required to spend time in a dungeon again, because I think it should be someone else’s turn this time. Not that I wouldn’t do it if Rei ordered it, but I do feel more was asked of me in Stellareid than of the rest of you.”

Tali giggled as if he had told a joke and then shook her head. “Don’t worry, Uma, we’re not gonna let them capture you again. As far as infiltrating Harunhein is concerned, it should actually be the simplest of our operations. The cooperation of Trovia will make it so that marking important figures in the city will be easier than before, and so long as we use Leio’s magic to blend in, I think we can mark enough people to pave the way for Amund’s forces to handle the rest. In fact…” She paused, her finger going to her lip as she looked to the ceiling in thought. “I might even opt against sending all six of us. Perhaps…just Quill and Rotana?”

“Wait, what?” Leiolai cut in with a frown. “Why? I mean, this is an important attack, so shouldn’t we all be present just to be as safe as we can?”

Quill snorted. “No, I see what she means. Harunhein isn’t the end goal this time, it’s Erika. You intend to start the infiltration of the capital at the same time, don’t you? Send me and Vesh north while the four of you go to Erika. Am I correct?”

“Yup, exactly!” Tali stated with a sly wink. “Like I said, Trovia’s cooperation allows us more leeway with this one. You and Rotana should be more than enough so long as King Amund and the Speakers are present. Join up with them, and I don’t think the city stands a chance. Meanwhile, Leiolai helps us to get inside Erika and we can start marking people from within the capital. Perhaps we kidnap and replace some Citadel employees…? No, they’d sense for your magic. Security’s too tight these days. Ah well,” she continued with a wave of her hand. “We’ve got time to figure it out, and given how late it is, I think we’ll adjourn this meeting now! Thank you for coming and good night!”

In her typical bubbly demeanor, Tali waved goodbye, got up from her seat, and went to skip from the small meeting room, but before she’d opened the door, Quill called out to her.

“Lady Firrik, one last thing.” The man narrowed his eyes as he watched the Voice glance back at him with an innocent smile. “You didn’t mention anything about a vision. You did see something about Harunhein, right? Or even Erika? That’s why we’re doing this now as opposed to any other day over these last few years?”

Tali tilted her head to the side and laughed. “Of course I did, Quill! I’m still in the process of unraveling it though, so I may attempt to gather more information from you guys in the next few days! That being said, I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I wasn’t confident we’d be better off afterwards! This is the right move. Trust the Goddess.”

“I do trust the Goddess,” Quill grunted. “I just…”

“You just…what?”

The man let out a huff and turned away, grumbling, “Nothing… I’m getting in my head, don’t worry about it. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, so just give the orders, and I’m there.”

“Always reliable, aren’t you? Thank you, thank you!”

Then she was gone, skipping through the doorway and turning out of sight, leaving Uma, Barron, Quill, and Leiolai gazing after her. The magicless doctor smirked, always amused by the contrast between Tali’s childlike personality and the atrocities committed in her name and by her command. She was a strange person, and to this day, there was a lot about her that Uma still didn’t know, but it simply wasn’t his place to pry into her business. He would be locked within the erased realm right that very second if Tali Firrik hadn’t swooped down and scooped him into her arms, which was something he would never allow himself to forget.

“Alright, out with it,” Leiolai snapped, her sharp tone pulling Uma out of his mind. “Quill, what’s your problem? It should have been obvious that if Tali didn’t mention her visions then she was still trying to decipher their meaning. You know she doesn't like to give us information that isn’t as concrete as it can be, and it’s unlike you to question her. So explain your issue.”

Quill scoffed, pushing himself to his feet as he glared down at the changeling. “Shut up, Sartella. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

“Oh I seriously doubt it’s nothing,” Uma interrupted with a chuckle. “You seemed so terribly upset when she was telling us about Harunhein. Combined with Leio’s point, I also can’t help wondering what’s going on in your head. Are you getting cold feet now that the fall of Erika is on the horizon, hmm?”

“I’m not getting cold feet!” he snarled, slamming his palm down onto the table in a sudden fit of anger that startled Uma. Seeming to realize that this uncharacteristic outburst only further proved their suspicions, Quill balled his fingers into a fist and let out a low growl of a sigh. “Look… I know she’s never led us astray, but have any of you ever wondered whether or not Firrik would tell us about visions that don’t predict success?”

Leiolai cocked a suspicious eyebrow. “What? What do you mean?”

“I… Well…?” Plopping back down into his seat, Quill once again seemed to debate whether to continue on this line of thought. “Say Harunhein is a failure. Say Firrik laid a hand on one of us and saw a vision of our death, or of a battle that the Kosah-Rei lost. Do you think she would tell us? Or do you think she’d allow us to be ignorant right up until the moment of our demise?”

“Obviously, she’d…” Leiolai almost appeared as if she began her response on instinct, then trailed off when she fully processed the meaning of Quill’s question. “I mean, I don’t know… Her visions are set in stone, they can’t be changed, so…if she didn’t see any value in telling us, I guess I could see her sparing us from the stress of knowing our death is coming. But I think I’d prefer it that way. If she can’t change it then what good is it to know?”

“Do you have a reason to believe she’s doing this?” Barron inquired, reaching up to scratch at his white mutton-chop mustache, to which Quill just shrugged.

“I’m not sure…” he muttered. “Maybe I’m just being paranoid, or maybe she really did let something slip, but around a month ago, not long after King Amund first suggested this meeting with Martov, Firrik placed a hand on my arm and then went distant. You know, the usual behavior when she’s seeing the future. I waited, and when she returned to the present, for a split second, she looked…shocked. It was brief, and even now, I question whether I imagined it, but…” Quill folded his hands together as if to stop them from shaking. “She assured me all was well and on that very day, she accepted Amund’s request to meet. It’s quite possible she was simply surprised by something that happens in Harunhein, but…”

Uma nodded to himself, understanding Quill’s fear. “You think she may have seen your death—that something happens to you in Harunhein?”

“I do, yes,” Quill confirmed. “And I know I shouldn’t be entertaining this, but it’s hard not to…”

Leiolai shook her head. “Okay, but actually think for a minute. Setting aside the matter of Tali’s vision, of the six of us, you are by far the hardest to kill, Quill. You should have died a hundred times over in Stellareid, but you’re still standing here because you’re nearly unbeatable. How could you possibly die in Harunhein?”

“Unless, of course, you have a weak spot you’ve failed to tell us about?” Uma swiftly suggested, beyond curious to see how Quill would react to such a suggestion. After all, the magicless doctor had always suspected that this indestructible warrior may be hiding a means to take him down, and while Quill’s expression did not confirm anything, Uma still trusted his hunch.

“No, there’s no damn weak spot, but my durability is fueled by my mana,” he replied. “That’s why I can’t really use basic magic. My entire supply is dedicated to my survival, and while that keeps me safe from assholes like Rennigan Glaus, should King Markreas or another Iiji be present in the north, they could certainly wear me down enough to finish me off. And if Firrik has seen the presence of somebody like King Markreas at this battle, I’d want to know…”

Uma twisted his lips in consideration, for he hadn’t ever pondered such a dilemma as Quill was now facing, but he supposed he wouldn’t put it past Tali to decide to keep one of their deaths a secret. If she witnessed Quill meeting his end and she believed it couldn’t be changed, then she would see no reason in riling up a fighter she may still need to serve a purpose. He understood that perspective, but at the same time, he couldn’t agree with it.

“I think…” Uma began, “that I’d want a chance to outwit fate.”

Leiolai glanced at him with confusion. “What?”

“You heard me, Leio, I’d want to fight fate itself!” Jumping to his feet, Uma stretched his arms up into the air and licked his lips. “Lady Firrik has always believed her visions cannot be changed, but have we ever actually made an effort to change them? Have we ever seen something and then decided to oppose it? Say she did witness Quill dying in Harunhein, well why send him north? Have him go south to Krato where the location of his death is impossible to reach? What then? Would fate somehow teleport him to Harunhein? I’d certainly be curious to know.”

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Barron frowned at Uma’s confidence. “Yes, but Miyon, those visions are the word of the Goddess. Trying to fight them would be like trying to fight Rei herself.”

“So you would just roll over and die then?” he shot back.

He nodded firmly. “I would. If Rei has decided my time has come to enter her utopia, then I would do as asked and give my life where she requires it be given. I think Lady Firrik would be of a similar mind. I think she would accept that Rei has made her decision and would consider it a blessing for us to die at her behest.”

“So you wouldn’t be even a tiny bit upset if Lady Firrik sent you to Harunhein knowing full well you’d never come back?” Uma spat. “And you, Tyrus? If the Great City of the North is to be your deathbed, would you want to be sent right into the reaper’s lap, or would you want to keep your life and go literally anywhere else?!”

Quill’s features contorted into the most conflicted expression Uma had ever seen on the man. “I…? No, I think I’d prefer to try and fight it. After all, perhaps Rei isn’t telling us this is where we should die, as opposed to warning us of an impending death. I mean, why would the Goddess request me to depart the mortal realm on the eve of Kosah-Rei victory? Should I not be helping take the Citadel? Would my abilities not be the most suited of us all, save Keskivaara, to defeat a Master of Ijiria? It wouldn’t make sense to be anything but a warning!”

“Exactly!” Uma vehemently agreed, only for Leiolai to cut in with a disapproving tone.

“You two are getting riled up over an assumption, you know that? We don’t even know whether Tali actually saw Quill’s death or not.” She snorted. “Don’t tell me you’re going to ignore years upon years of trust based on a brief expression Quill isn’t even sure he interpreted correctly?”

“No, Leio, this is not about trust,” Uma corrected. “If Lady Firrik is hiding something then I believe she thinks she’s doing the right thing. She would be misguided, so all I need to do is clear up her perspective.”

“Bold of you to claim Rei’s Voice is misguided,” Barron hissed, to which Uma dismissively brushed his anger aside.

“Lady Firrik is amazing, but she’s still human. She can misinterpret. She can make mistakes. And it is our job as her loyal followers to help correct her path. Yes, I agree that Tyrus may have seen things that were not there, but where’s the harm in investigating a little bit?” Uma then ignored Leiolai and Barron’s frustration with him to instead focus solely on the uncomfortable Quill, who was clearly regretting bringing this matter up in the first place. “I shall help you, dear friend of mine! Let us test the waters of fate and see what it is we can do to fight it…should that be the necessary course of action, at least!”

***

It was a warm evening for the northern territories, with a slight breeze blowing through the mountains and delicately brushing across the traveling woman’s black cloak. She absently reached up and pulled the cowl back down over her eyes despite knowing it was nothing but a mere cautious habit, for there wasn’t a soul in that empire that would have been able to see her face while her distortion spell was activated nor would anybody sense her perfectly concealed mana signature. She may as well have been one of the fabled ghosts of long-dead travelers said to haunt the trails and passes of the northern mountains. In fact, she was one of, if not the only, person in Ijiria that could conceal their presence as effectively as this, which was the sole reason she was the one sent to scout out the most recent report on the ever-elusive cult of the Kosah-Rei. She had her doubts, of course, for there had been dozens upon dozens of false sightings over the last half-decade since they attacked Hiriech, but King Markreas believed that this was one claim they couldn’t just overlook.

“It would make sense, after all,” he had told them. “Should they be capable of erecting powerful enough illusion charms, then this fortress would be the perfect place for them to operate out of given its location so far from any main roads or towns. We’d be fools to not at least investigate.”

Recalling the words of her King and longtime friend, Koroha Rhitta gave a long sigh as she came to a stop just before an overlook that provided her with a perfect view of the abandoned fortress of Ankalla. Its black spires rose silently into the night, its windows were dark and lifeless, and there wasn’t a soul in sight. Anybody just passing through would see it for what she believed it to be: the forgotten castle of a long dead lord. However, the tip they received told them that the fortress was designed to look like that, so Koroha closed her brown eyes and reached out towards Ankalla with her senses, hoping to seek out the illusion magic that was allegedly there. Her brow furrowed, for while there was certainly mana in the air, it was thin and hard to focus on. Nevertheless, the fact that there was any signature at all told her that there was something going on in this castle, whether it be Kosah-Rei or another thing entirely.

“But Your Majesty, isn’t it possible that this is a trap meant to lure one of us out?” Nakoma had asked Markreas back at the Masters meeting. “I mean, this tip was anonymous, so for all we know, the person who told us is working with the cult and is trying to set up yet another situation where they can get the jump on us. Is it really worth taking this risk?!”

Koroha agreed with the Master of Fire, but at the same time, she could not deny the validity of Markreas’s response.

“Yes, I do think it’s worth taking the risk. How many years has it been now since these cultists attacked us? And in that time, how many of their leaders have we apprehended or killed or even erased? None! Maybe this tip is meant to lure us out, but if we continue hiding in the Citadel shaking in our boots then the Kosah-Rei will only continue to ravage the countryside and sooner or later, they will do something on Stellareid’s level again! We must act!”

The Master of Wind shook her head, wishing she didn’t have to be the one to put her life at risk to investigate the tip but also understanding that her control over distortion made her the only one able to safely do it. That was why none of the other Masters accompanied her on her trip north and why she left her apprentice, Triston Mackella, back at their camp an hour's walk south of where she currently stood. Her distortions were perfect, and as such, she could be standing two feet away from Rotana Vesh and he would be none the wiser.

“Proto,” she uttered, sending magic into her feet before launching herself into the air and soaring down towards the quarter-mile stretch of flat rocks and sparse grass that stood between the overlook and the fortress.

Landing with the grace befitting the Master of Wind, Koroha then dispersed all magic except the distortion and began the trek towards the gates. The only thing that could give away her presence was excessive use of magic, so now that she was as close as she was, she knew it was smarter to approach Ankalla normally. As she walked, she pondered her means of entering, for whether the fortress was inhabited or not, it was clear that the gates were shut tightly. After using a second small casting of Proto to hurl herself over the outer wall and into the large courtyard between it and the castle itself, Koroha swiftly identified a handful of Ankalla’s windows that were cracked open, with one on the second floor that would take only a small burst of mana to reach. It was probably her safest bet, so once she had arrived at the base of the black stone wall, she extended her hand towards the window and cast Condite, tying ropes of wind around both her wrist and the windowsill above. Another burst of Proto then launched her into the air, upon which she used the ropes to yank herself towards her destination, perfectly planting her feet against the sill and darting into the corridor.

Instantly, Koroha barely choked back the gasp that threatened to escape her lips as she found herself not in a dark hallway, but one illuminated by the flickering of firelamps that had not been lit seconds before. To her left, she caught sight of movement, her head snapping towards it to find two men walking towards her, talking softly to each other about the food they had for dinner. Not wanting them to bump into her, Koroha placed her back up against the wall and waited for them to round the corner before she turned and began skulking back the way they had come.

Well fuck me, she internally cursed, coming to the foot of a staircase before beginning her ascent to the third floor. I don’t yet have proof these are the Kosah-Rei, but it’s now undeniable that somebody is using Ankalla as a base of sorts. The illusion magic covering this place is ridiculously advanced…

A part of Koroha had truly expected to find nothing but an empty fortress, so she was reeling at the fact that the anonymous tip actually held some validity. She wracked her brain, trying to remember all of the details of that tip, recalling that the letter had been delivered to the barracks of the Korrei-Tarr with no name attached to it and nobody having seen the person who put it there. All that envelope said was to deliver the message to the Masters of Ijiria, and upon reading the letter itself, they found a single piece of information stating that the leaders of the Kosah-Rei were gathered at a northern fortress called Ankalla.

So then, if this person is right, who are they and how did they know? I doubt a random traveler would have simply stumbled upon this, so it’s far more likely that whoever delivered that letter is somebody living among these people. But then why betray them? We’ve interrogated plenty of high-ranking cultists in the past and many of them admitted that they had no idea where Vesh was hiding, so I can only deduce that anybody privy to Ankalla’s location is highly trusted by the Kosah-Rei. If that’s the case, why would somebody Rotana Vesh trusts with his hideout betray him?

Koroha continued to move, keeping her footsteps light and constantly checking around corners to avoid bumping into anybody. It was actually quite rare for her to run into anybody, and when she did, they were dressed in normal clothes that contained nothing to link them to the cult. At the very least, she needed to find evidence that this was the Kosah-Rei, and ideally, she would be able to confirm the presence of at least one leader.

The problem is that I’ve never seen any of them with my own eyes. Very few have, so I can only go off the descriptions given by Ilirianna and her former royal team, which is far from enough. Damn it…

A part of her considered trying to reach out and feel for any nearby mana signatures, but she feared that any usage of magic might alert people to her presence, so she withheld the temptation and continued creeping about the corridors, hoping that she’d stumble upon something damning enough to bring back to the Masters. Then, to her utmost joy, exactly what she needed fell right into her lap when she rounded another corner and came to an abrupt stop. Just up ahead was a magical lift, of which the disk had just slid to a stop on her floor. Koroha once again pressed against the wall as she observed the pair step out into the corridor. The smaller of the two was thin, with short brown hair and a boyish face that prevented Koroha from immediately identifying whether they were a man or woman in the dark lighting of that hallway. In contrast, their companion was a large, hulking individual that towered over them, with a white mustache cut into mutton chops and a low rumbling voice.

“I wish he would just control himself,” the man was saying. “He’s far too rash and impulsive, and someday it’s going to get the best of him. If Lady Firrik has chosen to keep something to herself, then that should be the end of the conversation. Her word is gospel. He knows this.”

Lady…Firrik? Then… Koroha grinned, waiting for the pair to pass her by before falling into silent stride behind them, keeping a safe enough distance to both hear them but to lower the chances they heard her. This is it. This is the goldmine of information that I need!

The smaller of the two laughed irritably as they shook their head. “Look, I’m with you, but he does what he wants and that’s how it's always been. If he wants to talk to Tali then he can be my guest. She’s the only one he really listens to anyway, so she’ll shut him up and we can return our attention to where it belongs. We’ve got plenty of time and he’s not even going to be in Harunhein so it doesn’t matter.”

Harunhein?

“It’s not about that,” the man growled. “It’s not that I think he’s going to screw up the operation. For better or for worse, he comes through when we need him to. No… It’s the principle of it all. He and Tyrus would start to doubt her now, after everything she’s done for them? They would question her honor? They would accuse her of dishonesty? Lady Firrik has only ever been merciful and caring, so it infuriates me that they would start to doubt her just because Tyrus got a little paranoid.”

His companion nodded. “Yeah, that’s true… Look, maybe I’ll talk to them again. Miyon’s not going to listen to me, but Tyrus’s a smart guy. If I just speak with him while Miyon’s not there to get in his damn head, then I’m sure I can ease his concerns.”

Koroha’s mind raced as she continued to process the constant information she was receiving from this duo, and as they spoke names like Tali, Miyon, and Tyrus as if they were equals, the Master of Wind recalled the descriptions she had been given and knew without a doubt that she was following Leiolai Sartella and Barron Kristoff.

This is it… This is actually it… Ankalla is the base of the Kosah-Rei… A surge of hope and excitement ran through Koroha, for this was the first time in years that they were given even a sliver of a possibility that they could take the cult down. Last time I felt like this was when Lord Cartigan captured Uma Miyon, but back then, we were dancing in the cult’s hand. Perhaps we’re still doing so now, but that’s not for me to decide…

There was a powerful temptation in her body to extend her hands, cast Perkeri, and decapitate Leiolai and Barron where they stood. She could do it. It would be simple with her distortion activated. Two dangerous leaders, struck down by her hand, but logic and patience urged her to hold back.

She currently held the advantage.

Sure, she could kill these two, but that would alert the others that Ankalla was compromised. It would mean that Vesh, Tali, Uma, and Quill would be forced to flee, thus removing any shot they had at wiping out the cult for good. If they wanted to defeat the Kosah-Rei permanently, then all six of them needed to be killed at once, Keskivaara included should he, too, be within those halls. That was why King Markreas had ordered her, under all circumstances, to only observe. Even he seemed disgruntled by that decision, but all of the Masters agreed that they would be better off with one decisive strike as opposed to a smaller assassination that allowed more dangerous targets, like Quill and Vesh, to escape them yet again.

So I need to hold back and wait. I’ll stalk them for as long as I can. I’ll gather as much intel as I can, and I’ll take it back to the Masters of Ijiria. Then, with the element of surprise finally on our side, we’ll neutralize this cult once and for all…

For everybody who’s died by their hands, I swear the Kosah-Rei’s days are numbered…