Defying Destiny

by Andrew Rowe

  “Meaning I should spend a few extra weeks so that you can have access to this place longer without having to request it for your own personal use.”

  “Precisely.” Taer’vys paused. “But for your own benefit as well, of course.”

  Well, at least he’s honest about his goals. Or some of them, anyway.

  “I don’t think I have that long. This is a somewhat time sensitive matter.”

  “Unfortunate, but I suppose we must all do what we can with the time we’re given.”

  Jonan raised an eyebrow at that. “Is that supposed to be as foreboding as it sounds?”

  Taer’vys just smiled. “You never know.”

  “Ugh. Fine. Be like that.” Jonan sighed. “Unrelated question. One of my compatriots, Silk, is supposed to be in the city.” He had to calculate his next words carefully — even if he hadn’t been drinking tea that was doused with a truth-forcing poison, he trusted that Taer’vys seemed like the type to be able to evaluate obvious lies. “Have you heard anything about her whereabouts or recent activities?”

  Taer’vys raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t she another one of Aayara’s agents? I’d trust that you’d know more about her than I do.”

  “Things are...complicated when you work for Aayara. She plays a lot of games. One of her favorites is ‘deprive my own agents of information and see how they handle it’. I have other ways of reaching out to Silk, but simply asking someone who might know is often the easiest route.”

  “Is this the sort of ‘game’ that ends poorly for uninvited participants?”

  Jonan smiled. “Ah. I don’t think a simple request like this would involve you too heavily. This is more of a time saving measure on my part.”

  “I note you didn’t answer my question.”

  Jonan smiled. “Correct.”

  Taer’vys leaned back. “I want in.”

  Jonan blinked. “You...excuse me?”

  “The game. I’m not looking to avoid whatever Aayara is playing. I want an introduction.”

  After a moment of consideration, Jonan responded with, “I can make some arrangements...if what you provide is sufficiently useful.”

  “Excellent. I’ll have something for you within a week. Unless you need something sooner?”

  Jonan hesitated, then shook his head. “No. A week is fine.” He trusted that he could keep Velas from running off and doing something foolish for that long, but not much longer. “That reminds me. Did you set up the meeting that I requested?”

  Taer’vys nodded. “My adjutant, Mairead Caelan, will accompany you to a meeting place for the Disciples of the First in three days. She’ll provide you — or rather, your new identity — with an introduction. From there, you’ll need to establish yourself with the local branch.”

  “What did you end up going with?”

  “Thornguard working for Velthryn’s division. You’re here to meet with the Shrouded One and report...something. You can come up with the details. You’ve been to Velthryn more frequently.”

  Jonan grunted. “What Thornguard Division?”

  “Blackstones.” He watched Jonan as he said it, clearly evaluating his reaction.

  Jonan sighed. “Really? You’re making me an assassin?”

  “You looked like the type with some experience with wet work. I figured you could manage it if you need to.” Taer’vys’ tone was as soft and even as always, but his eyes showed a hint of amusement.

  “You know they’re going to want me to...ugh, fine.” He rubbed at his temples. “I’ll make it work.”

  “I’ll be interested to hear the results.” Taer’vys set his book down. “You will be reporting back to me on your findings, won’t you?”

  Jonan shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  Taer’vys eyes narrowed for just a moment. “I suppose we will.” Then he went back to reading his book.

  ***

  Three days came and went.

  Jonan sent some important messages to some of the mirrors he’d left behind in Velthryn. The first was to a private residence, the second was to a Thornguard base.

  Need you to get out of town quickly and quietly. Stay gone until I contact you again. Can’t explain the details right now. It’s going to be a little messy for a while, sorry. Will update soon.

  Scour,

  Going to need you to do some clean up and information control. Details will be sent shortly. High priority work related to Symphony. Will need a report as soon as it is completed.

  -Scribe

  After each of those brief notes, he sent a list of instructions.

  This is going to cost me some favors, but it’s a necessary precaution. I hope they can get things done soon. For now, more reading.

  His studies continued throughout that time, focusing on the unusual “historical” records that the Disciples of the First used, but with some time dedicated to his own personal studies as well.

  He was simply too curious about the items in the crystalline cases not to give them a look at least.

  There were a total of eight compartments, but only four of them currently appeared to be occupied.

  With a moment of concentration, Jonan’s vision changed, and he realized there was a fifth occupied case — the item inside and identification card were simply both invisible.

  Every single compartment had runes carved into the sides, making them dominion marked items in their own right.

  Jonan examined the contents of each box.

  The first contained what looked like a simple metal rod.

  Xixian Artifact Remnant

  This scepter was found heavily guarded within a Xixian Vault, but with no indication of its purpose. It radiates tremendously potent chaos sorcery. It is believed to potentially be one portion of Cessius, the Staff of Dissonance, an artifact once wielded by the Xixian emperor.

  Currently under research to authenticate its abilities, activation methods, dangers, and potential relationship with Cessius.

  Jonan pondered that for a moment.

  They say the Heartlance might be a part of Cessius, too. If this thing is another component, maybe they could be combined somehow...

  He shook his head. He could look into getting it as a gift for Velas later, if he decided he wanted to risk looting this entire place at some point. At the moment, that was an unnecessary risk.

  The next was a black-bladed dagger with a crossguard that looked like a stylized blue rose.

  The Wilting Flower

  This dagger is believed to originate from the world of Rendalir. It is one of the most complex dominion marked items known, possessing travel, ruin, shade, knowledge, spirit, and deception sorcery. It appears to shift to different locations inside its box when unattended. Our agents have reported disturbing feelings while carrying and studying the object, as well as unusual desires to remove it from its container.

  Observe with extreme caution.

  Jonan re-read the description, then decided he would absolutely not be opening that case.

  The last thing I need is a potentially sapient dagger from another planet to worry about.

  He shook his head, then turned toward the next case.

  The third was a simple silver ring with a large red crystal.

  Hartigan’s Star Replica

  This replica of Hartigan’s Star was forged by the Blackstone Assassin as a “gift” for Symphony. As a reproduction of Hartigan’s Star, it possesses deadly flame sorcery abilities. It can also be utilized to enhance the abilities of an existing flame sorcerer. The command word for activation is “Ignition”.

  At Symphony’s request, the library is currently attempting to discern if the ring had hidden enchantments intended to be traps for the wearer.

  Jonan snorted at the second line. That definitely seemed like the type of gift Jacinth would give Aayara, and he would be shocked if it didn’t have some kind of deadly tricks built into it.

  The fourth was a blue hat with a white feather.

  The Hat of Tricks

 
; This hat appears to be linked to an extra dimensional space that can be used to store and retrieve items, similar to the legendary Jaden Box. One can simply reach inside the hat and concentrate to attempt to pull out a stored object, or place a new object inside the hat to store it. When storing an object, one must think of a word that corresponds to that object in order to store it for later.

  There does not appear to be a function that tells the user what objects are already inside, nor have we found a function for emptying it out entirely. As such, we have been asked to research what objects the hat already contains. Dozens of objects have already been found inside.

  We currently have no indication of what the hat’s maximum capacity may be, if any.

  Do not attempt to wear the Hat of Tricks.

  And finally, the invisible item. It was an amulet containing a single, heart-shaped crystal. The note read:

  Amulet of the Unfaltering Spirit

  Once one of Vaelien’s personal possessions, this amulet was said to strengthen the connection between the wearer’s body, essence, and spirit, bolstering all three. It provides near immunity to offensive death and spirit sorcery, as well as resistance to other effects which interfere with the wearer’s essence.

  This object is stored for research by vae’kes Saffron. No unauthorized research is permitted.

  Jonan considered each, then made a choice that he knew would come with significant risks.

  “Can we open these safely?” Jonan asked.

  “Sure. I’ve got the code phrases. You can study them while you’re in here, but you can’t take them across the line.” He gestured to the line in the floor. “You’d need specific permission for that, and given what you seem to be here for, I don’t think either one of us is getting it.”

  Jonan nodded. “That won’t be a problem.”

  After getting that explanation, Jonan dove into reading a bit in the journal entries about each item. From there, he had Taer’vys open the cases for the ones he wanted to look at in more detail, inspected the runes on each item, and took some of his own notes.

  “I heard you’d done some research on dominion marks. Going to try to make copies of those items?” Taer’vys asked.

  Jonan smiled. “Not exactly.”

  Working without letting Taer’vys know what he was doing would be tricky, but he wasn’t going to squander a rare opportunity.

  The void shield on the library will make anything I do in here virtually undetectable, hopefully even to someone like the Shrouded One. I need to make every moment in here count.

  And so, while Taer’vys was distracted with his own books, Jonan did some subtle work. His arms and eyes burned in the aftermath, but that was a cost he was glad to pay.

  Beyond examining the items in the case, he spent some time simply reading a few of the more obscure books he wouldn’t ordinarily have access to. There was no reason not to study time sorcery while he had a chance, after all.

  It would take much more than a few days of practice to learn to utilize it, but he had a foundation in the theory behind it now, and a smattering of knowledge about other obscure sorcerous disciplines the restricted section had offered.

  I can see why Taer’vys likes this place so much. I’m going to miss it.

  On the fourth day, he received instructions — and paperwork — for his latest persona, as well as a meeting point for his new contact.

  At least a Blackstone doesn’t have to wear full armor, he considered, but I look ridiculous.

  Jonan was dressed in black utilitarian clothes, with a longsword on his left hip and a pouch containing a mask and supplies on his right. This wasn’t an unusual outfit by Selyr’s standards. It was quite similar to what Taer’vys had worn when they’d first met, in fact, although Jonan was missing the chain armor beneath the blacks...and, admittedly, he was also lacking Taer’vys’ muscular physique.

  It wasn’t that Jonan was out of shape, exactly. Being out of shape implied he’d ever been in shape in the first place.

  Regardless, the outfit served its purpose.

  He looked exactly like the archetype of what one might expect a Blackstone to look like, with a few minor details to prevent it from being an obvious costume. A locket around his neck added some degree of personalization, as well as a well-worn pair of bracers. He’d picked up a sword that looked worn, but well-maintained. His boots contained two daggers, concealed just badly enough that someone might notice them.

  Once he was as ready as he could be, he headed to the designated meeting point. It wasn’t a sketchy tavern or a rooftop like he might have expected for a covert mission. Instead, he knocked on the door of an old blacksmith’s shop.

  “I’m here about the last-minute order,” he said after knocking. The door slid open.

  The woman on the other side was wearing a heavy apron and thick gloves. She had a wide, muscular build that looked suitable for the blacksmithing hammer she was carrying in her left hand. She didn’t bother to set it down. “Mr. Calloway?” She shifted her weight as she asked, casually enough that it didn’t appear too threatening, but Jonan recognized someone who was ready to swing a weapon.

  He nodded. “And Miss...Caelan, was it?”

  The woman relaxed just slightly. “Come in and close the door behind you. I’ll get cleaned up.”

  Jonan stepped in, shutting the door. “I wasn’t aware you did actual work here.”

  The woman snorted. “Taer’vys says that making weapons helps you learn to use them more intuitively. Really, I think he just wants me to pick up his family business.”

  Jonan nodded. “His father was a blacksmith, yes?”

  “Yep. And he was, too, for quite a while. Both before the Thornguard and during a portion of his service.” She set down the hammer, then moved about the shop rapidly, picking up tools and supplies and moving them into cabinets. Jonan waited patiently until she finished, then slipped off the apron and gloves. “You probably already know, but I’m Mairead Caelan, his adjutant.”

  Jonan reached out and clasped her wrist in a traditional greeting. “Vincent Calloway, Blackstone Division.”

  “Right. Sure you are.” Mairead winked at him. “How much have you been briefed on?”

  “Their holy scriptures. Very little about their numbers, organization, leadership structure, specific personnel, resources...”

  “Ugh,” Mairead grunted. “Leaving all the hard work to me, as usual. Fine. I’ll walk you through it. It’s going to have to be quick, though, if we’re going to make it to tonight’s meeting.”

  “Tonight’s meeting?”

  “Listen carefully. And when we’re there, just follow my lead.”

  ***

  After speeding through a bit of explanation about the organization, Mairead led Jonan to an unexpected place to meet with the Disciples of the First.

  Jonan was more than familiar with the structure — the Crescent Thorn was one of the oldest places in the city. It was an eight-story tower of dark green stone with a slight curve to the shape, giving Jonan the impression of a claw. The shape of it always made him nervous; it didn’t look at all structurally sound. Sorcery was likely involved in the construction, but that didn’t make him much less nervous. Sorcery was just as fallible as stone if you hit it in the right place.

  That was not the part that truly made him cautious, though.

  “This is a temple of Vaelien. What are they thinking, using a place like this?”

  “I presume they’re thinking they can get away with whatever they want, given their connections and supposed visions of the future.” Mairead pointed at the top of the tower. “The Shrouded One lives up there, at least supposedly. I’ve never actually seen her.”

  Her? Interesting choice of words, there.

  Jonan paused. “Does that imply she’s someone involved with the Order of Vaelien? A high ranking priest or official?”

  “Don’t know. Haven’t been able to get close enough to her to identify her yet. Only people who get to meet her a
re the ones that are performing tasks to insure the ‘integrity of the future’.”

  “Hm.”

  “Hm?”

  “I can work with that. Let’s go to this meeting first, though.”

  She led him to the temple gates, but rather than bringing him in through the front door, they moved around the side of the building toward the back and then into a garden.

  That garden gave way into an area with high walls of plants, causing Jonan to groan again.

  A hedge maze. Of course there’s a hedge maze.

  “The meeting will be at the center. Stay close to me.”

  Jonan did stay close to her, but not where she expected.

  A simple gesture while she wasn’t looking created an image of Jonan — or rather “Vincent” — a few feet away from his actual location. He then made himself invisible.

  He didn’t expect to be backstabbed here, but precautions were important.

  A few minutes of walking took them to the center of the hedge maze. Jonan tried his best to memorize the route so he could return without Mairead if necessary.

  The center of the maze had a fountain with two statues above it. One represented Vaelien, raising his namesake sword skyward. To his left was a statue of a rethri woman holding a harp. Stories about her identity varied significantly, and Vaelien himself refused to address the topic. Jonan’s personal theory was that she was Vaelien’s queen back when he had been a mortal king, but historical records of that time period were notoriously unreliable.

  He didn’t have much time to think about religious theory. There were five people around the statue, all wearing the most stereotypical cult hooded robes he’d ever seen. Each of them also wore a blank-face mask, but with a slightly different symbol on the forehead of each: A gem, a sword, a flower, a shield, and a musical note.

  That last one was particularly interesting; musical notes were generally used as code by the Orchestra, Aayara’s organization of thieves. The particular note on this mask signified “doctor”.