Horizons of the Heart

By Melange
Copyright © 2013 Melange
All Rights Reserved.

Synopsis

Knowing that the cult is on their trail, the group decides to try a time-tested tactic in evading the pursuit. Splitting up, they hope to evade the Sons of Husk long enough to escape the city.

Flashback: Back in the Northern Lands, Kellen tries to balance his own dreams against tradition

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Chapter 6: Drawn Apart

KELLEN

The book looked small in his hands, but despite the size it spoke of great things. The air had that briskness that told anyone with a good head on their shoulders that the winter had only begun to blanket the northern lands. His breath created a puff of mist that soared up towards the nearly cloudless sky, the infinite blue.

“Uncle? Uncle! I caught one!” The eager voice of the young boy brought him back down to earth.

“Truly? Now, the trick is to let it tire itself out,” Kellen joined his nephew by the river. Ice had crept in along the sides, but the middle still ran free. You could still fish. “Careful. Hold it. Don’t pull, just hold it.”

Together they watched how the line jerked several times, and eventually went slack.

“Now, pull it in. That’s it, nice and even.”

“Look uncle! It’s a big one, isn’t it?” The boy held up the twitching salmon with a huge grin on his face.

“Quite the catch, Ravon. Now, remember to clean it the way I showed you, or your mother will scold me,” Kellen smiled, and tussled the boy’s hair.

“Yes, uncle! Wait until they see this!” The boy was already running with his catch, fishing pole forgotten by the river.

As Kellen bent down to retrieve the pole, he caught a glimpse of some of the elders entering the clan longhouse. He had a good idea what they could be conferring about: him. His hands held the book as if it was a fragile bird.

He remembered what they had said when he first broached the subject. That he was abandoning the ways of his people. That he was insulting their traditions. That he was disloyal to the clan.

The spiritual leader of the clan had revealed that Kellen could become one of the greatest shamans of his generation. That with him showing the way, the North would again experience an age of glory and honour. A new era of war.

It was true. Kellen had a knack for hearing the ancestors’ spirits, but he felt his calling showed him something else. The book in his hands was written long ago by other Northmen. The knowledge had since then spread over the world, become part of it. The elders said that this meant it had lost its meaning to the clans, but Kellen disagreed. To him, it meant that the ways had transcended their own culture, and become greater than the creators had originally intended.

Truth lay in words, the book told him. There was power in words. Words formed into symbols allowed a seeker of such knowledge to harness that power, the power of the runes. With the runes, it was possible to understand the entire world.

Knowledge and understanding, he mused. Could there be anything more beautiful?

He brought the fishing pole and the book and headed back to his sister’s house. The rest of the village would be waking up, and salmon sounded like a delicious breakfast.

Jaden’s stomach made another noise. He hadn’t had a chance to eat anything since a very early breakfast, and the smells coming from the taverns along the northbound Archen Way kept reminding him of that.

“Why are we walking our horses, Rena? Wouldn’t it make more sense just to make a run for it?” He asked as they made their way up the street.

“I’m sure Oleander would agree with me when I say that there are times for flight, and there are times for stealth. We’re blending in, Jaden. If they looked up this street, they wouldn’t immediately pick us out.” Mirena glanced from side to side. She felt vulnerable without her armour, but there had been no time to don it. Everything was packed down in the bulging saddlebags.

It was their hope that the Sons of Husk, now trying to follow three tracks instead of one, would split their forces and not succeed in catching any of them. Rhyce had also pointed out that they seemed to rely on the guidance of a single magician to follow the group as well.

“Yeah, I suppose…but it still feels as if I’m standing in a cold spot for some reason.” Jaden squinted up at the bright summer sun. “I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is about to happen.”

“Hopefully, that is just your common sense speaking,” Mirena gently teased. She glanced around just the same.

Jaden walked a little faster to get ahead of his horse, and then fell back on the other side so he was next to Mirena. He held out a gloved hand towards her.

“Lead the way for a little bit, Rena. I’m going to take a peek.”

As soon as he felt her hand close around his own, he released a breath and opened himself up to the magic around him. Colours shifted, and the physical world faded into the backdrop. He could still make out rough structures, but they were indistinct and almost didn’t feel real at all. Mystic sight only showed places magic had touched, after all.

The domed great temple blazed to the inland side, the concentrated faith of hundreds of priests bathing the holy site with magic. The skyspire lit up like a lightning rod, where the airships used to dock during the first empire. These days, there weren’t as many of those old ships around. The age of the old empire had passed.

A bird flew past overhead, briefly illuminated by magic for some reason, before fading back into the grey of the real world.

Threads leapt over the translucent rooftops, signs of the magic web the Arcane Order created long ago to provide the city with protection against dangerous weather. Some of the nicer areas of the city even had sorcerers maintaining street lights after nightfall. It was probably exorbitantly expensive, but provided an amount of safety you wouldn’t find elsewhere.

He turned his head around, and the unease inside him crystallised. Thick, purple strands were attached to his back, like parasitic worms feeding off an open wound. How had he not noticed this until now? Jaden had grown too used to ignoring the strange sensations within. Now even his instincts suffered.

“Rena,” he hissed, sweat beading on his face despite feeling chilled to the bone. “They know where we are. They’re following us, not the others. Us.”

Mirena squeezed his hand, and began to walk faster.

“That’s… that’s good. That means Kellen has a free path.” She tried to sound confident.

Jaden allowed his senses to return to normal. Now that he knew what to look for, he could feel the clammy touch of nethermancy clinging to his aura. He could try to unravel the connection, but that would alert their pursuers. It might also cause them to pick another ‘Oleander’ to follow. They had to keep up the façade as long as possible.

The crowd began to ease up a bit as they moved toward a road leading away from the temple district. Many travellers took the opportunity to see the great dome dedicated to the five gods when they visited the golden city. Even during a normal weekday such as this, there would be sermons in several of the halls inside the temple grounds. Mirena probably received her training there, Jaden mused as he let his mind wander for a moment.

As they led their horses around the corner where Archen Way met with the north gate road, they saw several ordinary looking men block their way. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Jaden how another group had closed in behind. He recognised one of the men, the ritual leader from yesterday.

“Curious. You are not who we expected, Mystic, unless there is another layer of surprises waiting for us.” The man’s voice was strangely inflectionless, as if he was reading from a page rather than talking to someone.

“You will dearly regret it, if you try to stop us,” Mirena spoke softly, her hand resting on the pommel of her sword hanging from the saddle.

“Ah, yes, the woman who fights. But consider this: if you attack us here, in the busy midday street, we will be forced to defend ourselves. Collaterally. I’m afraid the consequences for the unknowing bystanders will be tragic, and grisly.” His lips pulled into a poor semblance of a smile. One of his hands began to boil with a sickly purple light, as he slowly raised it in the direction of the people walking by.

Mirena trembled with anger. She wanted nothing more than to lash out and strike down this… this man who threatened innocents. It was her duty as a knight. But her oath as a knight also forbade her from endangering those whom she sought to protect.

Jaden saw her hand drop from the sword, and realised that they had been defeated without a fight. He took one last look around, desperately seeking anything that might give him some hope. The only thing he saw was happy people moving past the gathering, not two strides away. It felt like an entire world away.

“Excellent. Walk with us,” the man commanded, as the other cultists took the reins out of their hands and surrounded them.

They turned around and walked back into the heart of Tier, the north gate disappearing out of sight.

The Inland Street was always busy during the day, and it was no different now. Kellen carefully made his way forward as quickly as he could. It was important to put as much distance as possible between them and the inn, where the cult was likely already searching for them. He tried to think if he had left anything behind that would tip the Sons off about their little scheme.

“Aside from how there are now three trails to follow, instead of just the one,” he muttered.

At least Oleander was still securely tied to her horse. Had he seen her move a little just then, though? She was still fighting the effects of the curse. There was a lot of fight inside that small woman.

Still, a Northman riding down the street with a bound and unconscious Olman girl drew its share of worried glances from people. Kellen did the only thing he could think of: he scowled.

"Are you asleep?" Someone asked her in the darkness.

"I'm not sure. I felt like I was dreaming."

"Funny girl. If we've got your attention now, could you please handle this window?"

How long had she sat in front of this window? Oleander shook her head, trying to clear it. Everything felt strange, as if something was missing. Missing from her, maybe, or from the rest of the world. Maybe both?

They were next to an old building, a house fit for a wealthy merchant or a minor noble. It felt familiar, somehow.

"As soon as you get it open, Jay will hide us with his spirit veil as we make our way to the basement, just like we planned."

Did they plan it like that? Wait, since when could Jay hide people? Wasn't his thing fire magic?

"I thought we agreed you and the rest would distract their guards while Jay and I snuck in and grabbed it?" Oleander was sure that was the plan. Wasn't it?

The knight and the mystic looked at each other. Jay shrugged, and smiled that little smile of his. Had it always looked like he was hiding some sort of sadness?

"What others?" Mirena asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Maybe she feels your might in battle makes you a one knight army?" Jay looked a little happier, almost like himself.

Oleander looked around. Aside from her two friends, they were alone. Where were the others? Where were... Weren't there more? Strong men. She remembered strong men, didn't she?

Her friends kept looking at her, one with amusement, the other with worry. She felt like she had to say something, anything really.

"Yeah, that's it. Just me making a joke. What others are there, right?" It sounded just as empty as she felt.

"Well, alright. The window won't open by itself, though. Please hurry."

Mirena turned away to watch the entrance of the alley. Wasn't that someone else's job? Oleander let her eyes wander around a bit, taking in the dark alley. At the top of the building sat an owl, one of those white and speckled northern owls. It must be very far away from home, she thought. How had it ended up here, in Tier?

"Ollie? Window?"

"What? Oh, yes, of course." She leaned in close to focus on her task.

"What's gotten into you today, Red? You're all over the place."

"Bad dreams, Jay. Really bad dreams."

Jay didn't push any further, but instead gave her room to work. She got the clasp open in seconds, as if she'd done it before. They crept in through the open window, into a featureless room. It looked abandoned, forgotten. Perhaps as if the owners hadn't even discovered it yet.

Jay crossed his arms, and whispered magic words that made no sense to her. Suddenly, a mist settled around them, flowing through them as if they were a part of it. When she looked down on her hands, she could see through her own fingers. Suddenly, she felt a fear grown inside. Would she fade away as easily as the mist, too?

All her instincts were screaming at her, as they quietly moved through the old house. The magic even silenced the usual noise from Mirena's armour, making her steps as soft as the gentle brush of the wind.

A group of guards, hidden in their great cloaks, stalked down the hallway towards them. The cultists seemed too large, too tall. Their arms reached low, almost to their knees, and were thick with muscles that did not look natural. Oleander wanted to back up, hide, run away, anything except continue towards them. The magic that hid Oleander and her friends truly made them as mist, as the guards just passed right through. As if she wasn't real at all.

Suddenly, one of the guards stopped, and raised his head. She couldn't see his face underneath the hood of the cloak, but it seemed as if he was sniffing the air.

With a growl, the guard turned around towards them. Somehow it had sensed their presence.

"Go, now! You know what to do!" Mirena stepped forward out of Jay's mist, becoming solid and ready to fight. She raised her shield, fully intending to hold all the feral cultists back long enough for her friends to get what they came for.

"Come on!" Jay took her hand and ran towards the stairs leading down. It was so dark. How could it be so dark?

"What if there are more inside the basement room?" She asked in a hushed voice. She felt there might be, must be. She almost remembered it.

"Then we'll deal with it any way we can. But we have to get that thing out of here!"

They burst into the room where the cult performed their rituals in secret, where they kept their treasured items. It was empty, and that felt wrong. As wrong as if someone had told her she would forget her best friends one day.

"Look, do you see them?" Jay pointed towards two pedestals in the centre of the room. "Remember, the magic wards only allow you take one. You'll need to leave the other behind."

Oleander walked closer and the darkness parted enough that she could see the two statuettes, one on each pedestal. One a lady knight, the other an elven magician.

"I can only take one?" Her hand hovered between them.

"Yes. The other will be left behind here, with the cult."

"Which one do I choose?"

"I can't answer that for you, only that you'll need to decide soon."

"But the one I don't pick... what will happen to it?"

"It will remain here. Forever." Jay didn't look at her. He kept watch up the stairs. Maybe he saw something she couldn't see. It was so dark.

Oleander looked from the knight to the elf, and back again. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and reached out. Her fingers closed around a statuette, cold and hard in her hands. When she dared to look, the elven features of the mystic looked back at her.

"You chose to leave the knight behind?" Jay sounded as if he was disappointed.

"No- I- I didn't mean to-"

"You made your choice. We must go. There's a secret door to the top floor behind this panel, here." Jay pushed against the wall, and a section of it moved to the side. A narrow set of stairs led up into the darkness.

"After you, Ollie. Just hurry up."

She clutched the statuette close to her chest and climbed as fast as she dared to.

"Only a little bit further." He said, right behind her.

They moved silently yet quickly through the library. It seemed more vivid than the rooms on the bottom floor. Maybe the owners spent more time here? At the end of a hallway was a window that would let them easily get to the roof. She was sure of that, but didn't remember how she knew about this.

"This way," she whispered. "We can get out here." We can get away.

The window opened easy enough. It was even darker outside, but she knew she could find the handholds to climb to the roof. Her hands knew where to go even if her eyes did not.

"Don't look back, Ollie. Just climb."

"I can't climb while holding the statuette, Jay. Can you hold it while I go up?" She was leaning out of the window, letting her free hand feel around for the handholds.

"No, only you can carry it."

"But I can't climb with it! Can't I put it down for a little while?" She asked the darkness over her shoulder.

"You can let it go."

"I'll just put it here for a moment, then." She carefully lowered the statuette down next to the window. Maybe she could ask Jay to put a string around it once she got to the top?

Across the dark alley, on the top of the opposite building sat a white owl. It almost glowed in the night.

Go. Climb.

Her hands easily found what they needed, and almost without any effort she was at the rooftop.

"Okay. Jay? I'm up." She grabbed a roll of string in her beltpouch and let it down in front of the window. "Tie this around the statuette, and we can get out of here."

It was so dark, she almost couldn't see the window.

"Jay?" He didn't answer her. "Jay!"

She had left him behind again. She had abandoned all her friends. She was all alone, just like before.

The owl hooted, and flew up into the sky. She followed it with her eyes as it passed the moon. For a moment, the darkness seemed to retreat before the light of the moon. It was almost as it was a tear in the cloth of the night, and she could glimpse the day through it.

Did it shine for her?