The Beginning After the End: Book 7: Divergence

by TurtleMe

  I sat alone in silence for a moment before getting up from my seat. Reaching into my robe, I pulled out several gold coins, which I left on the table, then flew off the balcony.

  My mind muddled with emotions, I made my way to a ledge of rock high up in the mountain adjacent to the fortress from where I could look down on the Wall. I let the sharp winds bite into my skin, enduring the discomfort as punishment for my foolish anger toward my parents.

  I did all I could to avoid rethinking the conversation. I wanted to shoot down a few corrupted beasts as an outlet for my feelings, but the night was quiet. Enhancing my vision with mana, I started counting the torches along the Wall and the number of archers and mages stationed atop it. I pretended not to notice a pair of soldiers behind a wooden pillbox spending their night a bit more passionately. Obviously they had not expected anyone to be looking down from above the Wall.

  After I ran out of things to count, I peered out into the darkness on the other wide of the Wall, trying to sense any prowling mana beasts. I didn’t find any mana beasts, but I did sense someone approaching me from below.

  “There… you… are,” a voice drifted up from below a few minutes later. A hand shot up into view, grabbing hold of the ledge I was sitting on.

  I pulled Jasmine up by her arm. The adventurer leaned back against the mountain cliff and took time to catch her breath before speaking again. “You should have some respect for those who can’t fly.”

  I knew Jasmine was trying her best to be lighthearted. I smiled. “Sorry about that. How did you find me, anyway?”

  Jasmine straightened her posture and looked at me with one brow raised. “Don’t underestimate your mentor.”

  “I never have,” I said, chuckling.

  The two of us sat in silence for a while. A cloud blew in on the gusting wind, blacking out the stars above.

  “How long have you been at the Wall?” she asked, shivering.

  I wrapped us both in a layer of fire-imbued mana to keep the cold at bay. “Just a few hours before you all arrived.”

  “Thank you,” she muttered. Then, not meeting my eye, she asked, “Did you get the chance to meet my father?”

  “I walked in on their meeting,” I answered. “Have you seen him?”

  Jasmine shook her head. “Not once, despite the many trips back and forth.” Frowning, she glanced at me. “Looks like we both have family problems now.”

  “Seems like it.”

  Another moment of silence passed before she spoke again.

  “I won’t pry into what happened at the inn. I just… you need to know that your parents do care about you and Ellie. Whenever your father meets anyone new, he always tells them about how his son is a Lance, how proud he is… it’s kind of annoying, actually.”

  I smiled despite myself. “I know that they care.”

  “Rey—and especially Alice—they both feel a lot of guilt. No matter how much we told them otherwise, the fact that they weren’t there to help us when Adam died made them feel like it was their fault.”

  Jasmine continued speaking when I didn’t reply. “You know what happened with your mother before she had you. She was traumatized after Lensa, and for a while, she could hardly bring herself to use her magic for anything more than a scrape or bruise.”

  “I know,” I said, flicking a stone with mana and sending it arcing out into the darkness. “Which is why I thought they would stay at the castle until the war was over, not throw themselves into the middle of the battle by traipsing back and forth through dangerous lands, fending off attacks and… and—”

  Jasmine put a hand on my arm. “I’m not sure if this makes sense, but I think what they’re doing now to contribute to this war is as much for themselves as it is for you and Ellie. They’re trying to overcome their past mistakes and their fears so they can become better parents for the both of you.”

  “I know I was being selfish, too,” I admitted. “I think all three of us need some time to adjust.”

  “Just don’t let your relationship with your parents become like me and my family,” she said tersely. “I’m sure there was a time when we could’ve reconciled, but I chose to keep running, and my father’s pride kept him from reaching out, from apologizing…”

  I turned to Jasmine, who was sitting down on the cold stone and hugging her knees. She didn’t look like she had aged a single day since I had first met her—except her eyes, which held a deep wisdom at odds with her youthful appearance. “Thanks, Jasmine.”

  “You better be thankful. My jaw is sore from all this talking.”

  Despite her words, we kept talking. We exchanged war stories like a couple of grizzled old veterans. I told her a little about my time with the asuras and recounted the true story of how I’d defeated the Vritra retainer, Jagrette, and she shared the exploits of the Twin Horns. The highlight of the night was Jasmine’s disbelieving expression when I told her that Sylvie had a human form now, but I wasn’t entirely sure that she really believed me. Either way, we enjoyed each other’s company well through the night.

  “I should get back now,” Jasmine said as the first moments of the sunrise cast a halo around the mountains.

  “Do you need a lift down?”

  She shook her head. “Going down is the easy part.”

  “Thank you,” I said, smiling. “For everything.”

  She just nodded and patted my head.

  I watched her hop down the side of the mountain, a gale of wind surrounding her and softening each landing, until she was out of sight.

  201

  Allocation

  The castle appeared overhead, standing out against the solid gray sky. Rain had yet to form within the thick clouds, but moisture still clung to my skin and soaked into my clothes, and I could feel the dense water mana surrounding me as I neared the flying structure’s base.

  Soldiers on flying mounts guarded the floating fortress, and several encircled me as I approached.

  “General Arthur!” they shouted, saluting in unison before guiding me to the landing dock.

  I nodded tersely at the squad before touching down. My eyes turned unconsciously back toward the Wall, though it was far too far away to see, then the gates rolled shut.

  The dock workers, who were in charge of keeping the dock functioning and properly warded against potential attack, stopped what they were doing and immediately scrambled to salute me.

  “Proceed with what you were doing,” I stated, motioning them away.

  I continued walking, thin wisps of steam rising from my wet clothes, until I spotted two familiar girls. I broke into a smile at the sight of them.

  Ellie stood tall, her chestnut eyes glowing with confidence. Her ash-brown hair, which flowed down just past her shoulders, was a sore reminder of our father.

  Standing next to my sister was another girl. She looked a bit younger than Ellie, but her glimmering yellow eyes radiated a sense of maturity. A curtain of pale, wheat blonde hair draped over her slender figure, which was shrouded in a black dress that shined like fine obsidian. Matching her attire were two jagged horns that jutted out from the side of her small head.

  Ellie waved before trotting happily toward me with Sylvie in tow. My bond took hesitant steps, but her movements had become much more fluid in the few days we’d been apart.

  “Welcome back,” my sister said. “Seeing as how your entire body is drenched, let’s just pretend like we hugged.”

  “No way, I want the real thing,” I said deviously before pulling my sister into my arms.

  “Gah! I just bathed!” she protested, struggling to escape my grasp.

  After soaking my sister to a satisfying degree, I let her go, turned to my bond, and tousled her hair, which felt almost sharp to the touch. “I see that my fearsome dragon is growing up to be a healthy young girl.”

  Despite my joking tone, Sylvie’s large eyes narrowed and she regarded me with concern.

  We’ll talk about it later, I sent to her, certain she felt my lingering
distress.

  My bond forced an awkward smile and patted my arm. “Welcome back.”

  “It’s good to be back,” I said to both of them.

  “So, how was your mission? I want to hear all about it,” my sister asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement.

  As Ellie improved her skills in magic and archery, I could tell she yearned more and more to be out on the field and to prove herself.

  “I’ll tell you all about it later,” I promised. “But first, I need to report to the Council.”

  After conjuring a wave of heat to dry myself off, the three of us left the crowded room, which had become uncomfortably silent due to my presence.

  “I broke into light red stage while you were gone,” my sister declared proudly as we walked through the castle halls. “That—and my daily training regimen with Boo—probably makes me a pretty competent conjurer for my age. Even Commander Virion complimented me on my skills, saying that I might be able to skip the mandatory training for the soldiers.”

  Every time my sister brought up her enthusiasm in joining the ranks of the army, I felt immediately inclined to stop her. This time, though, I gave her a friendly smile and nodded—the most supportive response I could give.

  Meanwhile, Sylvie walked silently beside me, her concentration still on the action of walking bipedally. I could feel mana practically bursting out of her small form as she used magic like a crutch until she had full control over her body.

  Still, Sylvie’s acclimation to her human form had vastly improved since the last time I had seen her, which had been just a few days earlier. I could tell she was pushing herself so she could join me on missions as soon as possible.

  “You know, Princess Kathyln has been really helpful too. She’s been sparring with me and helping me out with some of the intricacies of mana manipulation,” my sister chattered on, skipping ahead, then walking backward to face me as she talked.

  “Oh, really? You know I can always help out with teaching you magic when I’m free,” I replied. “I was an official professor at Xyrus Academy, after all.”

  “For, like, a semester,” my sister responded with a smirk.

  I waved her snide comment away. “A professor is a professor.”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I feel like learning from you will just discourage me.”

  “What?” I blurted, surprised. “Why would you be discouraged?”

  “I know we’re five years apart, but we still share the same blood,” she answered, turning around so her back was to me as she walked properly. “Seeing as how you’re already a white core mage on top of being a quadra-elemental, I’d just start comparing myself to you if you tried to teach me magic.”

  My sister’s words hit hard, but it was her tone of subdued acceptance that hurt the most, and I found myself staring at Sylvie in hopes that she had a way to solve the mess I had just created.

  My bond raised a brow at me before walking up to match pace with my sister.

  Sylvie patted Ellie on the shoulder. “It’s okay. Your brother’s talent is considered an anomaly even amongst asuras. Don’t compare yourself to a freak like him.”

  “Freak is a bit much, isn’t it?” I asked, scratching the back of my neck.

  My sister looked back over her shoulder with a smirk. “No no, I think ‘freak’ describes you perfectly in this regard.”

  We reached the meeting room, having parted ways with my sister. I wanted some more time to talk with my bond—about the changes in her body now that the seal had been broken, but also about obligations that had to be fulfilled.

  As we approached, the guards standing on either side of the entrance clicked their heels together and saluted before letting us in.

  Sitting directly in view of the entrance was Virion, who turned eagerly in our direction. His face lit up as he rose from his seat. “Arthur, you’ve finally arrived!”

  “Commander,” I said. Sylvie opted for a slight dip of her head.

  “Sit,” he motioned, his eyes sweeping the room, a grin on his weathered face.

  I turned to see what he was looking at: The rest of the Council was seated at the table, along with one familiar face I hadn’t expected.

  Twiddling his beard—and looking bored out of his mind—was the dwarf Buhndemog Lonuid, my former magic teacher.

  “Ho, if it isn’t the young Lance,” he said flatly.

  “I see the meetings have taken a toll on you,” I replied with a grin that mirrored Virion’s.

  “Never has my ass been so sore since the days I got whipped by my mother as a child,” he groaned, stretching his stout body.

  I let out a laugh and turned my attention to the rest of the Council.

  “Councilmen,” I greeted with a respectful nod. “Councilwomen.”

  “General Arthur,” Priscilla Glayder replied. “You’ve come at a good time.”

  “Yes,” Blaine agreed. “We were awaiting your return to continue discussing your report.”

  “Arthur!” Alduin Eralith exclaimed, his expression warm. “Take a seat, you two.”

  “Welcome back,” Merial Eralith chimed in with a warm smile, a sense of gratefulness in her voice.

  “Thank you,” I replied. I walked past the former king and queen of Elenoir, taking a seat next to Buhnd. Sylvie sat beside me, her feet dangling from the too-large chair.

  Virion returned to his own seat and rolled up the transmission scroll. “Seeing as the rest of the Lances are out on missions, we’ll proceed with the meeting, but before we say anything, I’d like General Arthur to give a full debrief on what happened at the border of the Elshire Forest.”

  I took a sip from the glass of water in front of me as I gathered my thoughts, then launched into a thorough retelling of all that had happened, including my interrogation of the Alacryan mage and everything I learned from him. It took the better part of an hour to get the Council and my bond up-to-date.

  “It seems we’ve been underestimating the Alacryan mages’ abilities,” Virion replied thoughtfully.

  “Underestimating?” Blaine furrowed his brows in confusion. “If anything, learning that those Alacryan bastards are so limited and specialized in their magic makes me think we’ve been overestimating them.”

  “I have to agree with Councilman Blaine on this one,” Alduin added. “I think this is a clear weakness in their fighting tactics.”

  “I don’t think it’s as simple as that,” Buhnd argued, rubbing his beard in thought.

  “On the surface, their specialization might be seen as a weakness,” Virion agreed. “But from what General Arthur found out, their method of awakening and training in magic seems a lot more advanced than ours.”

  “How so?” Merial asked curiously.

  Buhnd spoke up again, a tinge of excitement in his voice. “This is me just speculating at this point, but with the system of marks and crests and whatnot, the mages of Alacrya seem to be hyper-focused on a spell and its alterations and evolutions. That means, while mages of Dicathen focus on various spells of their attributed element, or elements”—he looked at me—“these Alacryan mages spend their lives honing a single spell and building off only that.”

  “What Elder Buhnd says adds up, considering what I’ve seen on the field,” I added. “One of the ‘Strikers’ I battled against only used one spell, but from the cast time to the durability and potency of the magic, I had thought he was around the level of a yellow core. And these specialized mages work in small teams to negate their weaknesses. I’d say that only our veteran mages of light-yellow core or higher could actually exploit these ‘limitations.’”

  “Duels are one thing; on the front line, versatile mages aren’t as useful as specialized soldiers who are damn well good at one thing,” Buhnd concluded grimly.

  “We need to send this information to our captains—as well as the guilds and military academies—so they can develop better ways to fight against these ‘specialized mages,’” Blaine grumbled in frustration.

/>   “I already stopped by the Wall and told the captains there,” I said, looking at Virion.

  “Good. Now let’s discuss plans on how to best deploy our forces,” Virion said heavily. “I had originally hoped to discuss this with Lord Aldir, but since the asuras have ceased contact with us, well—”

  The mention of Aldir and the asuras caused a sharp throb in my chest, and I wanted to share what Agrona had told me right then and there, but I held my tongue.

  This discussion won’t get far if I say it now, I thought.

  ‘You’ll need to tell everyone eventually,’ Sylvie sent back. ‘But maybe once this discussion is over.’

  True to my expectations, the meeting had soon devolved into a full-blown debate as the members of the Council argued with one another about where the soldiers and mages were most needed. The main problem was that there was just too much ground to cover, and the Alacryans had so far kept their goals nearly unreadable. From the battles so far, we knew that that the Alacryans were investing heavily in breaching the Wall, which would allow the corrupted beasts to run wild across Sapin’s easternmost cities.

  The Alacryans had also been able to utilize the dwarven tunnels throughout the Kingdom of Darv to transport their forces from the southern coast all the way to the Darv–Sapin border. From what Buhnd told us, there seemed to be a faction of radical dwarves so discontent with their positions and lives in Dicathen that they actually wanted the Alacryans to take over, expecting they would then be set above the humans and elves in this new social order. Buhnd made it clear that he and his loyalists were taking charge of eradicating this faction and would do so as soon as possible.

  What’s more, there were still Alacryan ships being sighted all along the western shores, which forced coastal cities like Telmore, Etistin, and Maybur to build defenses on not only the eastern side—in case the Wall didn’t hold—but their western borders as well.

  The Council had reasonably concluded that the brunt of the Alacryan assault would target Sapin, but my last two missions proved otherwise. Towns as far north as Ashber, from which the enemy could easily reach the Grand Mountains or several of Elenoir’s most populous cities, had Alacryans hidden within them.