After their encounter with the massive serpent, Morven led the trio deeper into the woods before traveling a little ways south. The tall primordial trees gave way to a much more colossal mountain range. High up above, near the peaks of the mountains were large storm clouds accompanied by distant sounds of thunder. Not long after the first sight of the mountain, the group found their way to a large vertical shaft that cut through the mountain range. The path itself was narrow and rocky, and appeared to go on for quite a while before opening up once more. Atark was afraid that the pathway would collapse upon itself, but her fears were relieved once it opened up to a massive valley, with the mountain range stretching around it, creating a large ring that was only interrupted by a large opening which revealed the great ocean.
“When I left the Court, I wanted to come out to places where the Seal was weaker.” Morven explained as they looked down into the valley. “This was one of those places. The people here gave me a kind welcome, they were also discontent with Buldren’s rule. And so I decided to make it my home in hiding.”
“Amazing.” Atark looked out at the sight as another rumble of thunder echoed down from the mountain peaks. Now that they were inside the valley, Atark noticed that the storms covered the entire ring of mountains but did not drift further down. “Amazing, have you ever seen anything like that?”
“No, in fact it’s one of the reasons I came here.” Morven shrugged as he began to navigate his way down the ridge. “I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with the magic here.”
Mensra looked out over towards the ocean. “You said that there were others living here, what are they like?”
“They live right over there.” Morven pointed to a lake that formed in the center of the valley. “It’s a small village but more and more folks have begun to show up over time. Some are like you, Mensra, looking for answers, others are more like me, trying to find a place to be safe. We’ve all made an agreement that we would fight to change things for the better, for that reason we call ourselves the Meta.”
“That’s all well and good, but do you really think that the Court will just let this to just exist?” Mensra eased himself down, trying his best not to slip.
Morven laughed. “I doubt he would if he could reach this place. The only way in is through those thin pathways or the opening to the ocean. But I wouldn’t count on that for long. Palador will be relentless when he finds this place, just you wait.”
Mensra lost his footing and fell backwards, Atark grabbed him before he slid further. “Thank you Atark.” He said as he composed himself.
“You ok?” She asked.
“Yes, yes. I’m quite fine now.” He replied. “Thank you for that though, I think I’ve been traveling for too long now.”
Devanir, who had remained silent in awe throughout this whole time, finally spoke up, ignoring Mensra and Atark’s struggle to keep their balance. “This place is perfect! Even when Palador finds this place, he’ll never be able to get in!”
The group reached the base of the valley and Mensra stumbled his way to flat ground before replying, “If they’re desperate enough they’ll still find a way to get in here. That or they’ll surround us to deprive us of food.”
“Perhaps.” Devanir looked across the ridge, with a look of curiosity that was mirrored in Atark’s face. “If they come then we can count on the storm to buy us enough time to respond.”
Atark took note of what he said, perhaps she should talk to Mensra about some of her ideas, he seemed to be the kind of person who could think through these things.
Their journey came to end as they ventured through light forests that finally led to a small port settlement. A large ship was docked a little ways out with smaller boats moving back and forth, loading and unloading supplies. The town itself was nothing more than ten or so wooden houses, though Atark noticed that there were many tents set up all around the place. The people who lived there were not just Celestials, in fact it looked like the majority of those there were the Children of the Celestials. Beings of wildly different shapes that were created by the Celestials for a variety of reasons. While the Celestials could take on a variety of different forms depending on their choice, their children were all generally of one set form each. But even then, they all had a great degree in variance. Some looked as if they were the same as any other Celestial while others would have slight changes to them, but others looked completely different, if they even had a physical form. But even so, they were all seen to be the same as the other Celestials, except that they were often the youngest and most mischievous.
One of these children approached the group of four. Though to name him a child would be much of a misnomer, for he had long since grew out of his younger days. This one appeared like most other Celestials except for the fact that he appeared to be ethereal in his presence. Where primordials had a certain shine to their skin, this one’s whole physical presence seemed to be made of this shine.
“Good morning Morven.” He spoke with a voice that seemed to flow across the air. “Did you find more folks in trouble out there?”
“In fact I did,” Morven replied. “These three had encountered that massive serpent in the woods. It’s becoming more aggressive as that golden liquid overtakes it. I’m afraid it might be an infection of some sort. Everyone, this is Havre, the village elder here and the one who gave me a home when I first came here.”
“Welcome to our humble home.” Havre gave a slight bow. “If you’re going to live here, I ask that you do whatever you can to contribute. Do any of you know any skills that can help us survive? Medicine? Magic? Perhaps you know how to create things?”
Mensra spoke first, “My name is Mensra, I can always cook for you.”
“Good, we can always use more folks to help with that.” Havre smiled.
“I can help defend this place from the Eterna!” Devanir responded enthusiastically.
Havre looked unamused, but he remained polite. “I suppose we may have to worry about such things soon. Yes, that should be a priority for us.” He turned expectedly to Atark.
Atark looked out over the mountain ridge. “I want to understand the storm that’s above your mountain. Not just to use it to defend you from the Eterna, but because I’ve never seen anything like that before.” She then quickly added, “Oh, my name is Atark.”
Havre looked to Morven and seemed to be a little amused with the idea. “Morven was also thinking about a similar project, but he wasn’t able to reach it. Weren’t you Morven?”
“Well…” Morven trailed off. “It wasn’t exactly a successful trip.”
“If you want to know where to start, I suggest you start on the southernmost ridge. There’s an old path that should help you get close to the top, but be careful when you reach the top. The mountain quickly becomes dangerous and the storm becomes much more powerful.”
Morven stepped forth and held up his hand, “Before you try and try to go up the mountain, there’s some other folks here that I would like to introduce you to.”
Atark looked to Mensra who just shrugged before turning back to Morven, “Alright, let’s go.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be long.” He pointed to the docked ship. “It’s just that our captain would have my head if I didn’t introduce everyone to her. Farewell Havre.”
“Have a nice day Morven.” He replied before turning to Mensra. “Once you finish your introductions come and find me, I’m certain I’ll have work you can help me with.”
Mensra nodded before he caught up with the rest. As he caught up, he began to ask questions as the rumble of thunder was still present off in the distance. “How did you all wind up here together?”
“Several were already here,” Morven answered. “A few of us did something to anger the Court and it forced us to get as far away as possible. Others though…” He kept his eyes on that ship. “They just like causing trouble.”
Almost on cue, a black bird flew in front of them, attempted to pull a wild maneuver, only to stumble and crash to the ground. “Hey!” It cawed. A quick flash of light surrounded it to reveal a young woman. “If it isn’t Atark! Why didn’t you tell me that you were here!”
“Verna?” Atark guessed. “What are you doing here?”
“Causing trouble like our glorious leader said.” Morven frowned at this description and would have likely responded with his own wit, except for the fact that Verna moved the conversation along faster. “We’ve finished unloading the ship, Vindus will be back later tonight, her contact said that she found something important to talk about.”
Morven’s discomfort vanished with the good news, besides he would get the drop on Verna one day. “Did she say what it was about?”
“She mentioned a pair of Eterna who were tasked with studying magic like you did, only this time it was legal.” Atark noticed that Morven’s expression turned to annoyance at Verna’s words. She knew that he wouldn’t take this news well, he was still bitter about his ejection from the Court, though he would never admit it.
“Now this I would like to hear about.” Morven huffed. “Anyway, Captain this is Mensra, Devanir, and you seem to have already met Atark. They’re here to help us, at least that’s what it sounds like, right?”
Devanir gave a slight bow. “Of course, my lord.”
Verna couldn’t help but give a slight laugh. “Well then, it’s a pleasure to meet you two, and it’s nice to see you again Atark, any luck with your sister?”
“None, not even a lead.” Atark replied.
“Hm.” Verna folded her arms and scratched her chin. “Why don’t you come and speak with Vindus sometime, she’s my first mate and partner in crime. She’s been spying on the Eterna while we go on raids, so she may have heard something about it.”
Atark nodded, Verna always had a way when it came to making new friends. “I’ll be sure to meet with you two as soon as possible. Thank you.”
“We’d love to have you along.” She gave a quick salute to Morven. “Congratulations on your new title ‘my lord’, see you!” She jumped into the air and shifted back into a crow before flying off. It was impossible to distinguish her caws from laughter.
“Don’t start calling me that!” Morven shouted for the first time since Atark met him. “Anyway, that’s Verna, she’s a good fighter and currently our only captain, possibly the most important person here.”
“This is a rather complex operation you have here Morven.” Mensra noted. “Are you planning on taking on Buldren?”
He sighed, clearly having been asked this question in the past. “At the very least, we’re going to keep ourselves safe. Though, that’s something I wanted to ask you about. Verna’s going to try and fight the Court till the end of time, but I have my own doubts.”
Mensra chuckled. “Clearly.”
“Personally, I would like to avoid a fight.” Morven explained. “It would be best if we could find some way to talk this out.”
Atark and Mensra both gave Morven a concerned look before Mensra made his response. “Palador is marching an army towards you. He’s moved into several different settlements and fortified each of them. I think you should be ready for a fight.”
Atark could see that there was still doubt in Morven’s mind. “You’ve already done so much for the people here and Mensra is right, the Eterna are going to try and fight you, and they clearly respect you for that. If you are not willing to fight for them, then they will be imprisoned, or worse.” She turned to Devanir, who had become silent. “What do you think, Devanir?”
“I think you’re right.” He nodded solemnly. “Neither Palador or Buldren are going to allow this place to stand. Besides, you may deny it, but you’re building an army here. It would be a shame to put it to waste.”
That last part wasn’t exactly what Atark had in mind, but their words seem to have reached Morven’s mind, despite the discomfort that this brought him. He grappled a bit more with this in his mind before speaking again. “I’ll take this into account. For now, find somewhere to make yourself at home, we can meet with everyone else sooner or later.”
He left, ruminating on this for some time. Devanir went off on his own, eager to plan out this inevitable defense in his mind. Atark and Mensra kept together, after arranging work with Havre, they were given a tent each. Soon, the sun set and they finally had a moment to sit and talk with each other in peace.
Atark sat next to a fire, while Mensra worked hard to prepare a large pot of soup. The distant sound of thunder, still weighing on her mind.
“Mensra, where did you learn about magic?” She absently asked.
“Quite a while ago, before most could actually remember anything.” He explained without missing a beat. “Ever since I awakened, I could feel the way magic moves about me. I think I used this power to learn how to change things around me, and perhaps even myself. Though I’d be lying if I claimed to actually remember much of it. What about you? Ever used magic to do something?”
“Not particularly.” She replied. “Since I spent most of my time traveling, I never had the chance to actually study anything like that.”
“Would you like to learn?”
Atark felt a wave of apprehension come over her. Mensra had demonstrated that his powers were focused on fire, was this really a good idea for someone with little experience? Maybe this wasn’t the best time? She remembered how Mensra was able to create a pillar of flame in the woods. “Uh, are you sure?”
“Ah, don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe when you have a skilled teacher.” He waved over someone towards him. “Stir this every few moments to keep it from burning and you’ll get the first bowl.” Then, as expected, Mensra channeled magic and grabbed a bit of the fire with his hand before kneeling next to Atark with the fire sustained in his hand. “Fire is actually one of the best demonstrations of magic. It’s heat, pattern, and mechanics work in a similar way to the flow of magic, here hold out your hand.”
The heat from it was much cooler than she expected. As she held her hand next to Mensra’s, she watched as the flames danced back and forth.
“Now, in order to hold this fire I have to draw ambient magic into my body which then flows into my hand. This flow ebbs and flows with the beat of my heart, which gives it a distinct beat to it, like a drumbeat. Can you feel it?”
Atark focused, for a moment she could not feel anything but the heat of the flame, but there was one small detail that underlined it, she felt her hand get warmer about once a second and the flames lapped in a much more rhythmic fashion compared to most other fires. For a few seconds she sat there with her mouth opened, mesmerized by the fire and slowly but surely she began to feel a steady beat.
“Is that it?”
“Actually, that’s your own heart.” Mensra held both of his hands up, neither of which held the flame anymore. “You’re holding that fire Atark.”
Atark’s eyes widened in panic and she withdrew her hand, only for the small flame to follow it, it grew a little as it did so and a small trail of sparks flew towards her face. She batted them away with her free hand and held the flame at an arm’s length away. The beating grew faster and the fire’s dance had quickened.
“There you go.” Mensra encouraged, “It’s important to remember that it takes quite some practice to control magic, until then it’s dependent on the beat of your heart. Which could be dangerous if you are scared or active.”
“Ha, ha.” She laughed in an attempt to mask her nervousness. The flame flared a little more. “That’s great, how do I uh… how do I put it out?”
“Ah,” Mensra said matter of factly, “Simple, catch your breath and then flick your hand towards the fire.”
“Ok.” She took a deep breath and sought to compose herself. As she raised her hand, there was a faint trail of sparks and then gave a strong flick of her wrist. The ball of fire expanded and shot out towards the campfire. The one Mensra asked to care for the soup jumped back in fright.
Mensra fell backward in laughter, one of the first times Atark had heard him make a sound louder than his usual calm chuckles or comments.
“What was that?” Atark protested, giving Mensra a light slap on the leg.
“Ah, I’m sorry.” He composed himself. “That happens with everyone who tries to use fire for the first time. Give me a moment.” He caught his breath and suppressed his smaller bursts of laughter. “Fire will burn so long as it has fuel, but if you fuel it with magic, it’s likely to burn for quite a while. So the best way to get rid of it when you’re learning is to throw it away.”
“What, did you do that when you tried for the first time?” She replied.
“No.” He looked at the fire and smiled. “I panicked and almost burnt my eyebrows off.”
“Oh…” She replied as the idea of Mensra without any eyebrows passed through her mind. “And you used it to learn how to sense magic?”
Mensra nodded. “After a while, though it did take a good deal of trial and error.”
“Then you got to the point that you could feel the waves of magic like back in the woods?” She asked.
“Yes, that’s true.”
“How long do you think it would take for me to get to that point?”
Mensra sat back in thought. “Hm…” He thought some more. “Depends on how determined you are?”
“Would you be able to teach me enough to study the storms on the mountain?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” He shrugged. “There are many things that I’d have to teach you, and who’s to say that the mountain would behave like other forms of magic. I’d have to be there to see it myself.”
“Perfect.” She smiled. “Then in that case, would you like to join me in investigating that storm?”
Mensra looked up towards the mountains where bolts of lighting were still stretching across the sky. He turned back to Atark, “Honestly, I was hoping that you would ask. I’m also interested in this old path of Havre’s and I don’t want to be stuck in the position of camp cook forever.”
The next day the two began preparations for their trip up the mountain, while occasionally working with Morven to prepare for the coming danger. Devanir met with other soldiers who had defected from the Eterna and began their own project to fortify the different entrances to the valley. Atark noticed that in spite of Morven’s hesitation, he was actually efficient in leading those around him when an important task came up. It was clear that he had begun to resolve the fact that he would soon have to face the Eterna. Verna would come and go, bringing information back along with raided supplies. Her adventures not only turned up food, but also large quantities of timber, metal, and one time even livestock. While her companion remained in Eterna territory collecting leads and new recruits, this Vindus character intrigued Atark. How long had the Court been infiltrated by those willing to go against their cause?
After a week’s worth of preparation for the trip and practicing identifying magic with Mensra, the two set out down the path. They were told to expect a two day climb to reach the end of the path then another day of traveling through the rough terrain in order to reach the summit. The pair set out early in the morning just before the sun peeked over the horizon. Morven was there to wish them farewell and wished them better fortune than what he had on his first trip up the mountain. They thanked him and quickly made their way forward.
The first two days were generally uneventful for the two primordials. The path was steep yet bearable, and the two could definitely feel the presence of magic as they made their ascent. At night they made camp under one of the many outcroppings they could find to shelter themselves from the storm. This was especially needed at the end of the second day when bolts of lightning would arc across the sky above the. They were afraid that there would be a risk of getting struck by a bolt or that the land would be unstable. But as they looked at the menacing peaks above them, they decided to keep to their task and risk climbing the mountain.
But while their two days away were uneventful, Morven was met with a terrible surprise at the dawn of the second day they were gone. It was just after dawn when he awoke and looked out at the cliffs where the two primordials were surely climbing. As he ate his breakfast and prepared for the day’s work he heard the raspy caw of a familiar black bird.
Verna flew down just in front of him and shifted into her Celestial form. A look of panic in her eyes. “Morven!” She shouted as she transformed, her voice caught in a strange moment of modulation between a crow and a Celestial. “Morven, we’re in trouble!”
Morven stood up from his meal and rushed to her side. “What’s the matter?”
“They have her!” She cried back. “They found Vindus!”
Morven’s jaw dropped. He had only known Vindus from only a few actual meetings, but it didn’t take much for him to know that Verna cared deeply for her. “We’re going to get her back.” He reassured her, “Where is she?”
“That’s the thing.” Verna looked back, tears beginning to form in her eyes. “They’re bringing her here! Morven someone betrayed her and told them where we are.”
Morven’s heart sank and he cursed the ground for not concealing them from lies. “Now’s the time then.” He whispered to himself. “Verna, listen to me, your crew can still fight, yes?”
Verna wiped her tears and took a deep breath. “As we always can.”
“Good, have them gather their weapons and meet me near the western cliffs. That is the closest entrance to that army of theirs. I have to find Devanir and Havre.” He turned and began looking at those around him who had listened in. “Spread the word!” He shouted. “Tell everyone that the Meta must make ready for war!” He looked back to Verna.
Determination had returned to her face. “Let’s bring her home.”
“Of course.” He replied before the two bolted off in opposite directions.
Within the hour, Morven had pulled Devanir and his band of soldiers together with Havre quickly following along with several volunteers. Soon, Verna had arrived with her crew, though they were accustomed to life on the sea, they had become well versed in fighting those who were defending their raiding targets. In all there were thirty of the Meta that marched out to the areas where they expected to meet resistance. As they approached, Devanir’s warriors took position at the fortifications that they had fabricated over the past week.
Morven and Havre stood upon a hill with a single tree upon it, providing ample shade from the hot sun. Havre’s volunteers spread out, but were much less professional than Devanir’s forces.
Verna flew ahead to scout the various entrances, within the hour she returned.
“One large group, about twenty or so, some are clad in heavy armor and mounted. They are heading here now.” She reported as soon as she landed.
“Did you recognize any of them?” Havre asked.
“Palador was leading the group.” She replied. “I recognized one named Hiporus, he’s some doctor I doubt he’ll cause trouble. And another named Sarin, he’s a scribe who reports to Buldren. The rest I did not recognize.”
“Not what I would call an army.” Devanir responded in confusion.
“It’s a scouting party,” Morven guessed. “They’re here to test our defenses, and to report back to Buldren when the time comes.”
“Morven,” said Verna, “If any of them know where Vindus is, it will be Sarin. We can’t let him leave until he does so.”
“I understand Verna.” He sighed. “Remember that everyone.”
The scouting party came into view and three mounted soldiers rode forward while the rest hung back. One was wearing common clothes while the other two wore the heavy armor Verna warned of. Morven only recognized one of these dazzling figures.
As Palador rode up the hill, Devanir looked for the order to attack, but Morven signaled to hold for now. Palador slowed his mount and the other two stopped just behind him. Morven’s mind wandered back to that night where they broke the seal and how he dragged him out of the tempest of magic.
There was a moment of silence as Palador shot a look of shame upon Morven, who attempted to avoid any eye contact with his old friend. Eventually, Palador spoke, “By the sovereign will of my lord, you will listen to the message I was tasked to deliver to you.”
Morven finally looked up towards his friend. “A shame that Buldren could not send it to us himself.” There was no evident reaction in his face.
“You should know that our lord has no time to deal with traitors.” Palador signaled for the rider without armor to come forth.
He did so and unraveled a scroll of paper. “In accordance with the laws of our holy home. You shall disband your rebellious force and return to the Court for proper trial and punishment. Any attempt on your part or by your allies to resist His servants will be met with swift and violent retribution. Do not put anymore lives at risk than what your past actions have already condemned. The word of Buldren is law, and will be carried by this messenger.” He rolled up the scroll and backed away.
“So what are you going to do, Morven?” Palador asked.
Morven felt all eyes upon him, a terrible shame had overcome him. He was not ashamed of his actions, but more so because he was quickly realizing that Palador would not leave without dismantling all they had worked for. “Palador,” He began, “There was once a time when we were good friends with one another, and I still believe that can be so. But we both know that Buldren lied to us about the Seal. If I come with you that lie will live, and no matter what you say I will ensure that Buldren’s reign will end so that change can finally begin.”
Palador’s contempt turned to disgust. “I see now that you truly do wish destruction upon the world, nothing will end today, even if that hampers your notions of progress. We will return tomorrow morning, I pray your reason returns to you by then.”
He turned to leave, the other two around him withdrawing.
“I don’t like this.” Devanir whispered to Morven. “This lot’s a tricky bunch, they’re up to something, I know it.”
Morven was silent, he watched as the three moved to return to their larger group.
“Are we just gonna sit here and let them leave?” Devanir said a little louder. “They’re gonna come back and in bigger numbers I wager! Come on, we can take them!”
“Wait.” Verna warned. “Sarin stayed with the main group, I don’t want him to be spooked off.”
“Come now, there’s no need for that.” Havre walked up and put his hand on Morven’s shoulder. “You did a good job Morven. Not many have defied the Sovereign and had a day to prepare-”
A sharp whistling sound pierced the air next to Morven. He quickly turned to see an arrow shot into Havre’s upper shoulder. It looked strange, Havre had always looked more like a ghost than a physical presence, and now an arrow had struck him. Havre looked back at Morven, speechless before collapsing to the ground. Morven rushed to check his condition.
“I knew there was trickery about!” Devanir yelled with a terrible rage. “Soldiers, to arms! If the Eterna wish for war, then they will have war eternal! Until they cut us all down!”
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