It had taken Tinesi longer than she had expected to track down Lyra. She had returned to Sobi to inquire which direction she had traveled and they could only point in a general direction. Any trace of mana that might have lingered would have dissipated by now.
Forced to make her way between the various settlements, Tinesi had to sacrifice day after day running into dead ends. When she arrived at Peaceful Lilly, there were remnants of a funeral pyre. A large one at that. Evidence of an attack on the village was clear.
A rough-looking elf approached her, his hand resting on a sword hilt.
“Whatever you are looking for, mis, you won’t find it here. I recommend you move on.”
When she raised her eyebrow, he huffed in irritation. Hand gripping the sword. Tinesi took a moment to hone her senses on Lyra's signature and smiled at the heavy scent thick in the air.
She must have massacred whoever attacked the village.
Lacing her words with compulsion, she said, “I have no need to linger here. I’m searching for an acquaintance. Where did the elf who saved you recently go?”
He had made it clear she should leave, so it would be harder for him to resist the compulsion if he knew her intentions and the elf didn’t disappoint.
“She went that way,” he said as he pointed off into the forest. “We were grateful for all she did. Unfortunately, the family who took her in did not fare well in the attack. Bandits assaulted Aurora, killing her husband and child in the attack. She turned her grief toward Lyra. I had to ask her to leave.”
Tinesi could see how it may have played out. Curious, she asked, “Did you know Lyra witnessed her husband and child die to a magical beast and was powerless to stop it?”
Seeing his guilt answered her suspicions. “Lyra would have understood more than anyone what that mother was going through, and in her rage, used that knowledge as a weapon,” Tinesi said, her words clipped as she stepped closer to the elf.
Head bowed, he huffed and said, “Yes. I’m not proud of what we did. It was best for everyone that she left. I promised her I would look after the village properly.”
Shrugging, Tinesi began walking in the direction he had pointed, and said, “You better. Lyra was one of the most accomplished magic fighters ever trained in this region and you pushed her away,” not sure why she made the claim as she had said it.
Back on the trail, Tinesi continued her search, knowing she was a few days behind her quarry. Her investigation led to the remains of a tree that a strong fireball had blasted apart. How the fire hadn’t spread to the surrounding forest piqued Tinesi’s interest.
Another day of chasing brought her to a random clearing, the sun shining down on a sweat-covered Lyra. Mana flowing all around her in the deadly dance she wove. Surprisingly, the fox with the flame tail watching nearby shocked her the most. Tinesi couldn’t believe it. A nature spirit. Pure elemental mana given sentience.
There were a few old records claiming a few of their ancestors tried to replicate the necklace worn by the hero of the second and third Dark War. In those failed attempts, they created a magical amulet that absorbed mana.
If the conditions were just right, an elemental spirit would be born. When they realized what it could do, they spent decades trying to replicate it, only succeeding at summoning a spirit a few more times.
To think Lyra had a relic millennia old around her neck this entire time. She must have had a distant family who had come from her organization and had left, still holding on to one of the surviving artifacts.
The flame fox spirit in question noticed her presence and ran up to its master, yipping and rubbing Lyra’s leg. Tinesi could feel the hostility being directed toward her. Tinesi walked forward, her hands out in plain sight, and said, "Fancy meeting you out here."
“We both know you're following me, so save us both the trouble and convince me why I shouldn’t kill you?”
This would be an uphill battle changing this woman’s mind, but it’s not like I can refuse. I received an order and I'm going to execute it.
“With pleasure. As I told you previously, I hunt magical beasts, and the evil mages related to them. After our encounter during the blood moon and the attack at your home, you became a potential link to those I hunt.”
Lyra's hostility cooled off into frustration and annoyance as the words dripped off her tongue. “You still haven’t given up this foolish notion that my brother-in-law is responsible for my family's death? There is no proof of this. The idea is ridiculous and insulting.”
Tinesi lowered herself to the ground, finding a comfortable position, and said, “What you fail to grasp, Lyra, is that the people I work for have been hunting those who submit to their darkest desires and twist magic into abominations for generations. The elf I hunt is a master of the dark art, and when he finds those he can convert, he forces them to sacrifice someone close to them to prove their worth.”
Hands sifting through her hair, Lyra growled out, “That doesn’t mean he was responsible just because he visited the night before the attack. Moreover, you keep talking about the dark art. Most people aren’t very knowledgeable in the subject. I only know what I do because of the stories my father and his mother shared, along with my personal clashes with their kind.”
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Tinesi needed to guide the conversation in the right direction, so she said, “That’s true. Someone from your family probably had ties to my organization. That would explain how they learned about the past, which most have forgotten. Truth be told, it wouldn’t be the first time that occurred.”
Still walking back and forth in irritation, Lyra said, “What's so special about who you work for that makes you think my family ever helped people like you?”
Debating if she should or could disclose this, Tinesi made the call, knowing it was for the greater good and said, “Your spirit fox, a flame nature elemental, is the byproduct of an artifact my people crafted thousands of years ago. There are only a handful left in existence and now there is one less.”
Lyra joined Tinesi on the ground. The spirit fox jumped on her lap and curled up. With a deep calming breath, Lyra said, “Let’s set aside Ruven for the moment and get down to the main point. Why decide to recruit me now? What's changed?”
Careful not to mishandle it, Tinesi took out the package and gently unwrapped it on the ground. Careful not to touch it directly, she displayed it.
"They gave me this magical weapon and told me to recruit you for the mission for this one-of-a-kind artifact that's impossible to find elsewhere."
Quick on the uptake, Lyra asked, “What’s the ketch?”
Grinning, Tinesi replied, "The creators gave it its own internal source of power during its creation. The problem is, that it’s incomplete. It requires a willing soul to let go of their mortality and become one with the blade after a process of attuning to its magical signature. In essence, you would transform into a sentient weapon. The first ever in existence.”
“And you want me to do what in exchange for all this?”
“Hunt down the elf who's terrorizing all these villages and threatening the lives of all you know. After the transformation, you will become immortal. A weapon that can choose who wields it and fights injustice long after everyone you know has died.”
Curiosity etched in her voice, Lyra said, “Let’s say I agree with this crazy idea. What is so special about the weapon beyond its need to absorb my soul, and could I test it out first?”
“Excellent question,” said Tinesi, perking up at the shift in the negotiations. “It can transform into any weapon you could conceive of. It has two runes etched into it that allow magic to manipulate the metal and wood. As to your request, I am afraid that would be impossible. Whoever touches the weapon directly next is bound to it. The bonding process would begin immediately. Hence, the need for the cloth wrapping.”
Face and posture calm, Lyra looked Tinesi in the eye and asked, “Besides my potential tie to the dark mage and the hints of my family involvement with your organization, what made you look at me and think, this elf would let a magical artifact absorb their soul turning them immortal. Trapped and forced to bring death and misery for an eternity?”
Unblinking, Tinesi said, “You lost the will to live, but are too stubborn to die, so you found a noble reason that has a higher chance of killing you. Now you have the excuse your pride demands. This is your opportunity to make a real difference. What you lack is focus. A guiding hand pointing in the right direction.”
Back on her feet, Tinesi picked up the artifact by the cloth and held it out toward Lyra, already regretting what she was about to do. Drawing her full power behind the compulsion, she said, “I know you want this. Stop looking for trouble and take the fight directly to the source. The darkness that plagues our land.”
The fire fox spirit yipped. Jumping out of Lyra’s lap, it wagged its tail, causing flames to fly off and dissipate. Lyra shook her head as if trying to break out of a haze, then glared at Tinesi.
“I don’t know what kind of mind meddling you tried to do on me but cut it out. I can decide if I’m going to do this or not. Your argument is convincing on its own. I’m tired of wandering around aimlessly, and this dark cloud following my thoughts has been drowning me in despair.”
The fox rubbed up against Lyra’s leg, then began pawing at her. Relenting to the spirit elemental’s demands, she picked it up and stroked its fur.
The fox defeated her last trump card, leaving her with nothing else. Tinesi had to hope her efforts were enough, despite her blunder after the fox thwarted her mind manipulation.
“I'll do it.”
Stunned at the abruptness, Tinesi stood there speechless. Grasping at her thoughts, she asked, “You will?”
Annoyance clipping her words, Lyra said, “What? Do you not want me anymore? Am I unworthy of sacrificing myself?”
Rushing to assure the elf, Tinesi shook her head and said, “No, I’m just surprised. I have my reservations regarding this new type of magic, but I have my orders.”
Mana began swelling around Lyra, a spell being formed at her fingertips. The wind began spiraling under the artifact in Tinesi’s hands, lifting it. It floated over to Lyra, who reached out and grasped the hilt. A surge in mana erupted from the weapon on contact. It mingled with the mana radiating off Lyra. The magical link was swift and final.
“I guess there’s no going back now,” Lyra said in a resigned tone.
Tinesi laughed at the absurdity of the moment and said, “I suppose not.”
Prancing around Lyra, the fox spirit left wisps of flames in the air that danced in place before being absorbed back into the natural balance of the forest. Tinesi watched in awe of the elemental. Its carefree attitude balanced with the fierce loyalty to its master, which left a foul taste of envy in her mouth.
Tinesi, report. I detected a surge of energy near your location.
Yes, sir. I located Lyra, and she agreed to our terms and claimed the magical weapon. There have been unexpected developments, though.
Explain.
I have discovered there may be links between our organization and Lyra's family. She was hiding one of our lost relics this entire time. A new elemental spirit has been born.
Understood. Make sure she gets close to the family member we suspect is a dark mage.
At once, sir.
Attention back on Lyra, who had the weapon close to her face inspecting the runes etched on its surface, Tinesi said, “Now that you have joined the fight, your first assignment is to join the Rangers if your brother-in-law asks. We need to find out if he is a dark mage or not. Hunting down magical beasts helps our cause, so it will be a valuable experience either way.”
Lyra shook her head as she sighed in exasperation and said, “If this ends your baseless claims against him, I will do it. I doubt I will learn much from the Rangers. Their tactics and beliefs feel outdated and stale. They are capable fighters who help, so I can’t be too harsh with them, but my father never did like them.”
Amused that she shared a similar view to Lyra, Tinesi moved up and began pointing out the three runes and how to manipulate them to alter the shape of the weapon. She didn’t know how much time Lyra had before the artifact absorbed her. For better or worse, she had made her decision and could only stay by Lyra's side until the end.
Tinesi hated to admit it, but she grew to respect Lyra. Her moral compass would not let her abandon or betray anyone she respected. A list smaller than the number of fingers on one hand.