Chapter VII

For weeks, Quill Tyrus had been pondering his suspicions over and over in his mind, trying to come to a conclusive decision on how to approach them. He didn’t want to start sowing distrust in Tali so close to what might be the end of their conflict with the Citadel, but at the same time, he simply could not shake the feeling that she was keeping something from him. Uma vehemently supported an investigation into her visions, arguing that she had no right to conceal their futures from any of them, but Leiolai and Barron were firm in their own stances that Tali had never done them wrong before and that they needed to trust in Rei’s Voice if they wanted to continue succeeding the way they had back in Hiriech and Stellareid. After all, Tali Firrik’s foresight was the sole reason they were able to pull off such dangerous, and arguably foolish, assaults on the Great Cities. Now, as the moment came for yet another operation of that magnitude, there was never a better time to get behind her and do as she requested. Quill was to be sent north to Harunhein in the near future, so that was what he would do.

The problem is that it’s keeping me up at night. I keep seeing in vivid detail that expression on her face when she received her vision from touching me. She looked stunned, as if whatever she had witnessed was far from the victorious sights she’s usually gotten in regards to Kosah-Rei attacks. And she recovered swiftly, like she wanted to make sure I didn’t get even a glimpse of her inner feelings.

Quill clenched his jaw with frustration, mainly caused by the fact that her reaction was so quick that he was still uncertain he had even seen it. He may simply be working himself up over something that never happened.

However, as much as I trust Lady Firrik, I don’t think I’ll be able to fight with a clear head should this anxiety stay with me. I may damage our relationship, and perhaps even cause her to lose trust in me, but I have to ask her. I don’t have a choice in the matter anymore…

He sighed, sparing a sidelong glance at Uma, who was walking beside him and whistling a tune as they made their way up the spiral staircase that would take them to the Voice’s quarters on the sixth level of the fortress. They weren’t sure exactly where she would be since she didn’t really follow any sort of routine, which left them with only the option to hope she was lounging in her room, but with any luck, they’d be able to meet with her and finally ease the doubts that had been gnawing at Quill.

Well, at least I’ll have Miyon with me. He tends to dominate every conversation he’s in, so perhaps he can do most of the talking while I watch her expressions closely. Observing her face is going to be crucial given how good she is at hiding her emotions.

“Remember, Miyon,” Quill muttered softly as they reached the sixth level and began walking down the dimly lit corridor. “Don’t come off too strongly. I don’t want Lady Firrik thinking we’ve lost our faith in her. This has to be phrased in such a way that it won’t offend her, got it?”

The magicless doctor grinned wryly as he glanced at Quill through the corner of his eye. “You say that like you expect me to immediately start screaming at her and accusing her of evil deeds. I would never want to insult a woman who has done as much for me as she has, but this is a conversation we probably should have had years ago. Faith and trust are important aspects of a cohesive team, but they should be built on actions, not on mere words. Yes, her visions have proven themselves beyond useful in the past, but that doesn’t mean a day won’t come when the Kosah-Rei are destined to lose. I merely want to know what she would do under such circumstances, and I do believe I have the right to ask this of her.”

As always, Uma began rambling, but Quill supposed he made some points that were good enough, so he shut his mouth and continued walking. They had opted not to tell any of the others, for Leiolai and Barron would be furious with them, and they would almost certainly take it easier than Vesh would. In fact, if Vesh ever caught wind that they had begun to question Tali’s honesty, he may very well attempt to have them removed, one way or the other. That man was by far her most loyal follower, and if Tali ordered him to shove a knife up his own neck, he would do it without question. In some ways, it was unsettling, for Uma was right about the dangers of blind faith.

So here’s to hoping Lady Firrik doesn’t sell us out to them, he internally commented as he and Uma arrived at the door to her quarters.

The latter did not hesitate to knock, and before either could even begin to wonder if she were there, the sound of the latch unlocking reached their ears. Tali then pulled the door open ever so slightly before a warm and loving smile spread across her youthful features upon realizing who was there.

“Good afternoon, Quill, Uma!” she greeted cheerfully. “How can I help you? It’s not everyday the two of you pop by for a visit! Do you need to come in?”

Instantly, Quill’s guilt tripled at the genuine joy in her eyes and the innocent way she spoke to them, like she truly did consider them important parts of her life. He desperately wanted to turn around and abandon their plan right then and there, but Uma was not nearly as nervous, for he responded quickly and with purpose.

“May we? There was something Tyrus and I wished to talk to you about, if you have a moment to spare, My Lady?”

Tali nodded then stepped aside for them. “Of course! I’m meeting Rotana in an hour, but I’m more than free until then! So please, make yourself at home! In fact, I just made a batch of cookies, so why don’t I go get those for you?!”

“That would be an honor, thank you,” Uma replied with a bow before he and Quill followed the young woman inside.

Given that Ankalla belonged to Tali, she was living in the residence of the previous Lords that inhabited the solitary fortress, which meant that her lodgings were far more spacious and comfortable than the small single bedroom that Quill and the others were given. The door opened into a massive living space that had a kitchen, a bunch of velvet chairs surrounding a beautiful brick hearth, and multiple firelit chandeliers hanging above them. From what he knew, there was a staircase down an adjacent hallway that led to a second level consisting of her bedroom, as well as other rooms that probably housed most of her belongings. As she had said, the room had a strong scent of oatmeal cookies, causing his stomach to rumble with anticipation as he and Uma went to sit in two of the chairs.

They waited patiently as the Voice of Rei worked in the kitchen, and given how long she was taking, he imagined she may have been brewing some tea for them as well. His foot began tapping as a dull feeling of nausea bubbled up in his throat. He was about to accuse her of lying to him, and there she was, being her usual hospitable and sweet self. A few glances at Uma proved that her behavior wasn’t influencing him in the slightest, rather he seemed quite at ease despite what they were there to do. The magicless doctor was reclining against the seat and admiring the landscape paintings adorning the walls before, finally, Tali arrived with a tea kettle and some cups that she swiftly filled before hurrying back to retrieve a plate of her cookies she soon set beside the kettle. She was beaming with pride as she took her own seat across the coffee table from them before crossing her legs and folding her hands atop her lap.

“Let me know what you think!” she told them excitedly. “I’ve been practicing my baking for the last few months and I think I’ve gotten pretty good at it, if I do say so myself!”

Uma, who had already taken a rather large bite of a cookie before she’d spoken, gulped it down and smiled reassuringly. “Lady Firrik, these are beyond fantastic. I wasn’t made aware that you took up cooking, but as is expected of you, you’re a natural!”

Tali’s expression lit up with joy at his response. “Thanks, Uma! Yeah, I was keeping it to myself until I was a little more confident, so I’m glad you stopped by! I guess I should give some to others, too, then…” She paused, as if to ponder something, before turning towards Quill and adding, “What about you? Are they good?”

Having already grabbed one for himself, Quill tried the cookie and, as it turned out, Uma wasn’t merely buttering her up or exaggerating. They were shockingly delicious for someone who was so new to it, and since there was no reason not to be honest, he smiled back at her and replied,

“They’re very good. Thank you, Lady Firrik.”

“Perfect! You’re welcome!” she chirped with a clap of her hands. “In that case, onto business! You guys came here with a purpose, so what do you need from me?”

Quill knew it really should be him to start this discussion, but watching Tali gush about baking only served to remind him just how young she was. When she first recruited him, she wasn’t even of age, and though she was twenty-two now and behaved with a lot more maturity, every once in a while, he was forced to realize that at heart, she was still a normal young woman and not just the all-seeing, all-knowing prophet that they had been working for all this time. It was because of these thoughts that Quill’s voice caught in his throat, allowing Uma to take the reins of the conversation right away.

“Listen, Lady Firrik, I do want to preface this with an undeniable truth,” he said. “I trust you. I think everything you’ve ever done has been for the greater good, and I will follow you to the ends of the earth if that is what is required of me. I do not want anything Tyrus and I are about to ask to appear as if we have lost that trust in you, rather it is simply for the sake of discussion. Okay?”

Tali frowned, her eyes rapidly shifting between the two men. “O-okay, but…well, I don’t like the sound of that. Have I done something?”’

“No,” Quill hurriedly assured her. “Not at all, it’s just… This has been on my mind a lot recently, and for some reason, I can’t quite get it out of my head, so I wanted to ask you directly. It’s because I trust you that I feel I can do this…” He took a deep breath, and as if sensing his nervousness and guilt, Tali leaned forward and smiled reassuringly before prompting him to go on. “What would you do if you saw a vision of our deaths, or of a Kosah-Rei loss?”

Her eyes went wide, almost assuredly not expecting such a question, before her smile turned uncertain. “W-well… That’s definitely an interesting thing to ask, and while I can’t say I’ve never thought about it, I also can’t give you a straight answer. What brought this on?”

“With the end of all this in sight, I guess I’ve been getting in my head more. It feels too easy, you know?” He laughed awkwardly as he lied about the real reasons for this discussion. “I mean, it’s not like we haven’t struggled to do this, but we’ve won every significant battle we’ve fought despite the might of the Empire. I can believe that we’d take Harunhein since the situation is stacked in our favor more than it’s ever been, but…are we really just going to take over Erika itself?”

“Hmm… Yes, I see,” Tali murmured almost to herself. “Uma? Are you feeling similarly?”

The magicless doctor nodded firmly. “I am, yes.”

“Right… Well, I should remind you of one thing first before we allow this conversation to progress. My visions are, without question, unchangeable.” Tali’s eyes turned distant, her earlier excitement all but vanished as it was replaced with a sad longing, as if she were gazing into a past that she was hesitant to share. “My visions started taking place when I was four-years-old, and in all the many sights I’ve seen, not a single one has ever happened any differently. Even the most minute details could not be altered. And that’s not to say I’ve never tried to change it. There have been visions in my past that I was desperate to avoid, but even after taking so many precautions, I could not do it. It happened exactly as I foresaw.” She reached forward and picked up her tea, taking a sip as if trying to buy herself time to think. “It’s just not possible to change the future.”

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“Yes, but…I find that hard to believe,” Uma stated rather boldly. “I mean, what if you were given a vision of somebody’s death in…say, Krato. Would you not then send them north, far away from where they could feasibly be killed? That would do it, would it not?”

But Tali was already shaking her head. “It is my belief that I am never shown parts of the future that I can change. Sometimes, I see a death, but I don’t know when or where it will happen. Sure, maybe I see them die in Krato, but if I don’t realize it’s Krato, or if it happens far enough into the future that I can’t micromanage the person’s actions, then they’ll wind up there one way or another. Other times, it’s far too close to the initial vision to do anything about it. For all the help Time Magic has given me, it also leaves me powerless should it show something I don’t want to happen. Unfortunately, that’s something I came to terms with a long time ago.”

“So then I wish to pull us back to the initial question,” Uma prompted. “If you saw my death in Harunhein, would you tell me? Or would you send me there knowing I won’t make it out of the city alive?”

Tali narrowed her eyes as she stared back at Uma, as if becoming suspicious of him. Meanwhile, Quill watched her expression so closely that he was confident he would be able to make out even the most subtle of twitches. Uma was being very blunt, but his bluntness meant that if Tali did see a vision of Quill’s death, then it would have a chance of showing in her face. Unfortunately, she did not reveal anything that might indicate Uma had hit the nail on the head as she shrugged and gave her answer.

“You probably won’t be satisfied with this response, but no, I would not tell you. Perhaps telling you is what kills you, or maybe not telling you is what kills you. I can never say, but I would rather stand on the sidelines and be an observer than have any hand in pushing you towards your end.”

“But what if I want to know,” Uma pressed. “You may have decided fighting fate is inevitable, but I think I’d like a chance to try. It’s better than just resigning myself to death, right?”

Tali suddenly looked pained, as if his words bit harder than Quill had expected them to. “It’s not that simple, Uma. It really isn't. Look, I know it’s hypothetical, but you’re not going to die any time soon, so don’t worry about it. If I ever see your fate in a vision, I’ll take your wishes into consideration, but—”

“Lady Firrik, with all due respect, this is not something I wish to compromise on.” Interrupting her to the shock of both of them, the magicless doctor pushed the issue even harder. “Please, I’m not trying to be rude here, and I more than apologize for any disrespect I have directed towards you, but I wish to be in control—or as in control as I possibly can be! Even if I have no chance in hell of surviving my predicted death, I must try. Can you swear to the Goddess Rei that you will give me that chance!”

“M-Miyon, that’s enough!” Quill cut in. “You can’t talk to her like that!”

Uma scoffed, shooting him an irritated glance as he practically spat, “Hey, just because you’re willing to lay down and accept the future doesn’t mean I am! You hear me?! Lady Firrik, I—”

` “I had a little sister once.”

As Uma aggressively turned away from Quill and back to Tali, the Voice of Rei spoke over him with a comment that threw the both of them off. Uma went silent, and Quill questioned whether he had heard her correctly. She had never shared even a glimpse into her life before meeting them, so even that one mere sentence was enough to stun them into obedient listeners.

“She was a sweet girl,” Tali went on with a nostalgic tone in her voice. “I loved her more than I’ve ever loved anyone. Serri, her name was… She was just a year younger than me, so I really didn’t know a world without her in it. Her laugh could wipe away even the strongest tears, and her smile was heavenly. She was so…innocent. She believed the world was a just place, full of good, honorable people… I did, too, once upon a time… But when I was nine years old, I went to give her a hug and saw the most horrific vision I’ve ever witnessed… Serri lay dead in an alleyway, her stomach torn open and her eyes blank and lifeless. I could not see how she was killed, and because she appeared a little older, I did not know when she would die. The alley also told me little of where she would be killed. I knew what would happen and nothing else.”

A sharp cold shot through Quill’s body, his mind suddenly flashing to something he had tried not to think about for a long time. But as Tali began a predictable tale that he already suspected he knew the ending of, he was forced to internally acknowledge how similar it was to his own life, and without thinking, his hand rose to grip the small locket he always kept around his neck.

Mirro…

Quill swallowed back the pain that was forming in his gut as he exchanged an uncertain glance with Uma beside him. Even he appeared unsure of what to say or do, but in the end, both of them remained silent and allowed the story to progress.

“I panicked,” Tali went on. “Before that, my visions were never life-changing. They’d be simple glimpses into what was to come, and though I successfully predicted things, I think most people around me thought I just got lucky a lot. So, when I tried to protect Serri, I only made things worse. I tried to convince my parents to confine her to the house, to never let her leave until I was certain the danger had passed, but my father didn’t believe me, especially because I couldn’t tell him how long to confine her. He thought I’d gone mad, that I was mistaking dreams of mine for reality. Serri also began to resent me, because when my father refused, I tried to convince her to listen, but of course, she didn’t want to be stuck inside all day. The only person who took me seriously was my uncle, but he had rarely been regarded as a normal person by the others, so his belief in me did little to change anything. The more I begged and pleaded and cried, the more they believed I was insane.”

Tali let out a trembling breath. “It was two years later that the vision came true. She had gone out to the market with my mother and at some point, Serri was lured away by some thugs. They must have realized she was from a pretty rich family, so they brought her somewhere she wouldn’t be seen, mugged her, killed her, did goddess-knows what else, then ran off. They were luckily hunted down and executed later, but that was all the justice we got.”

“I-I’m…sorry,” Uma managed to say.

But Tali shook her head. “Don’t be, Uma. It’s just, my life was destroyed in my desperate attempts to change the future. Even when Serri died, my family refused to acknowledge that I was correct. It was like they were in denial, not wanting to accept that had they just listened to me, then their youngest daughter could have been saved. Serri hated and resented me in the last years of her life, my parents were convinced I was a lunatic, and to get me out of their lives, they shipped me off to Ankalla. The reason I’m telling you this is so that you know why I don’t want to ever try and fight fate again. I was going to lose her anyway, and my attempts to fight it only ruined my life more than her death would have. So I’m sorry, but if I ever see anything like that, I will not reveal it.”

“I-I…” the magicless doctor stuttered once again. “I know you’re not insane though. That would never happen with me.”

Tali laughed weakly. “Maybe I wouldn’t be punished for fighting the visions in the same way as with Serri, but I don’t believe I’d be spared. I’m shown the future, and I’m expected to allow that future to pass. That is the curse that comes with this blessing.”

“Y-yes, well…” It was clear that Uma really wanted to keep arguing, but in the face of the most vulnerable Tali had ever been with any of them, it was clear to Quill that the other man couldn’t bring himself to keep pushing. “Thank you for sharing that, Lady Firrik. I’ll keep it in mind…”

“Of course…”

Quill bit his tongue, keeping the words he wished to say locked within him. He received no insight into whether Tali had seen his death in Harunhein, but he now knew that if she did, then she would not only keep it from him, but she would allow it to unfold by sending him north anyway. He was horribly put off by that thought, but like Uma, he couldn’t very well press the issue with Tali in such a distraught state, so against his better judgment, he kept his mouth shut, excused himself with Uma, then left in the quarters wholly torn on what exactly he was supposed to do.

***

Rotana Vesh was standing in the eighth floor common room, gazing through the wide floor-to-ceiling window that gave him a magnificent view of the barren countryside surrounding Ankalla. He and Tali were scheduled for a meeting in a few moments, but since he had gotten there a tad early, he opted to submerge himself within his mind and take in the amazing events that were on the horizon. Harunhein’s status as an Ijirian city was soon to be destroyed, and with a war between Ijiria and Trovia brought onto this world, the Kosah-Rei would have the opening they so desired. The neck of the Empire would be ripe for them to cut, and his dreams of being the one to cut it would finally be fulfilled.

They’re all a bunch of arrogant bastards who think themselves untouchable. The Iijis and the Masters, safe atop their big white tower as they look down upon us all, don’t realize how vulnerable they are even after we slaughtered Viiro Noctis and Acostav Luz in the heart of Stellareid. They’ve lost two of their most powerful, and even Acostav’s original heir met his end and forced them into making a desperate break in tradition as they appointed the eraser Master of Light. Yet they still believe they aren’t going to crumble. I wish I could be as naive as them, but my mind is not as simple as theirs.

Vesh chuckled to himself, his thoughts briefly flashing back to his time as Aquesen’s Captain of the Guard. The thought that he ever sought to protect somebody like Lord Malloway made him sick to his stomach, but he had long since moved past that role and become the face of a movement that was certain to go down in history. The death of the Ijirian Empire was coming, and soon, more deserving individuals who followed the teachings of Rei’s Ko-Hahn would be the ones pulling the strings.

If only I didn’t have to wait so long, he internally remarked just before he heard the sound of the door opening behind him.

Glancing over his broad shoulder, the man watched as Tali entered the room, surprisingly carrying a bottle of wine with her, as well as a couple of glasses. Vesh frowned, but upon noticing what he was looking at, the young woman gave a wry smile and said,

“I think I have a feeling what this meeting is about, so I thought it appropriate to break out some aged wine to celebrate.”

Tali laughed, though further confusing Vesh, it seemed a bit forced, and as he looked a little bit closer at her face, he noticed the very subtle remnants of tears streaking down her cheeks. He was immediately concerned for her, especially given that she had always been like a daughter to him, but he also knew that she hated people prying into her business. If whatever had caused her to cry before coming here was something he needed to know, then she would tell him. If she kept quiet, he would simply have to forget about it, protective instincts or not.

“Perfect, thank you,” he replied as the two of them walked over to the seats where, a handful of weeks earlier, they had met with Sarillia Martov. “I must say, I was in a celebratory mood, so this is a mighty fine surprise.”

Tali grinned, placing the glasses down in front of them before popping the cork from the bottle and beginning to pour the deep red liquid. Once she had finished her task, the two old friends picked up their respective glasses then raised them in a toast.

“To victory,” the Voice said, to which Vesh echoed her sentiment.

“To victory.”

They both took a gentle sip of the aged alcohol, savoring the contents, before Tali let out a satisfied sigh and got right to the point.

“So, was I right to assume we’ve heard from King Amund, or have I utterly embarrassed myself by celebrating prematurely?”

Vesh shook his head reassuringly. “No, as always, your prediction was spot on. King Amund is ready and willing to fight the Ijirian Empire and claim Harunhein so long as we can subjugate Erika. If the conflict is brief, he’s confident his forces can hold out against Ijiria, so he insists that we’d need to be ready to attack Erika the second Harunhein falls. Therefore, I’m thinking we’d send Leiolai, and perhaps Barron, straight to the capital even before we make our move in the north. It’s imperative that we have our teeth sunk into Erika as soon as we can, though I do fear the heavy precautions that city has taken against biological magic. If she’s exposed without our knowledge, then the Kosah-Rei is in a march directly into the lap of death.”

Tali gave a soft murmur to acknowledge his words as she furrowed her brow and pondered what he said. “Well, it’s good that things are moving smoothly. I have faith that Leiolai can handle herself in Erika, so we’ll operate as if we know she’ll survive and, in the meantime, I’ll continue to attempt visions from her. At the very least, I know you and Quill will survive the Battle of Harunhein, so the two of you can go all out.”

Vesh felt a surge of amusement in his chest, for every time Tali assured him of his survival, he felt on top of the world. To know that one cannot die enables them to have the confidence to do things they may not do otherwise. There was no concept of risk, so in the heat of battle, they might as well be invincible. Vesh, especially, had been told that he was present in the far-off future where Ilirianna joined them, so not only would he survive past Harunhein, but until they shook hands in Noctalus, he would be unkillable.

“Good,” he said with a smug chuckle. “Then everything is in order. Quill and I will depart by the end of the month and head to Harunhein where we’ll make contact with Speaker Martov to start setting up the board for our next major game.” Bringing the rim of the glass back to his lips for another sip, Vesh let his thoughts momentarily wander. “We really have come a long way since that day in the courtyard, haven't we? Who would have thought we’d be sitting here like this in under a mere decade?”

“Yes, it's quite amazing, isn’t it?”

Tali’s eyes went distant as well, as if she had been swept up in a memory like he had, so he decided to let her ponder it as he turned his head back towards the window he had been staring through moments ago. Stellareid had been so long ago, resulting in an antsiness sweeping through him in the recent days—one that was about to be remedied by the next great battle of the modern era.

Oh, blessings be upon us, my Goddess, Rei. This is going to be fun.