The journey across the Harsha forest has been monotonous for the small party, the most eventful parts being when Kinfol gave the prisoner his daily meals. Talj spent most of his days recuperating or thinking about the following trial. His thoughts dancing in his head to a chaotic orchestra. He felt like he was hooked by the legs, and slowly dragged into the pit of a volcano, the heat whipping his skin harsher every minute.
His thoughts were not very helpful either. Most his nights were filled with dreams of his past at The Spear, mixing together with the present. He would see Xara eaten by The Devourer, see himself running from the battle in tears only to find Kinfol's dead body screaming that he betrayed everyone, find himself on Enyo's shore but the boat was on fire and its crew -morphing into people he knew- accused him of abandoning them.
His rest was rest only in name.
On the morning of the third day after their departure, the door of his compartment violently swung open. Salzeka met him on the other end, no trace of his usual smile or cheerfulness visible on his face.
"End of the trip. Out."
As Talj adjusted to the daylight, his sight got naturally drawn to the most impressive building he has ever seen.
"The Tower..." He whispered.
Rolmea was not as big as Aquabjorg, but it felt more alive and busier than the capital and its constructions served a more economical and social purpose. Large banks, grand guildhalls, factories, weighing houses... The entire city resembled a gigantic facility that served multiple functions.
And in its center, standing tall and proud was The Tower. The headquarters of The Dali where their most important operations were planned and where they stored their most confidential secrets and data. A single piece of parchment or a glimpse of whatever surreptitious ventures hidden by the enormous building's walls would probably be worth oceans of gold.
"Move!" Salzeka's voice reminded Talj of where he was. The blacksmith had spent so much time gawking at the impressiveness of Rolmea he had stopped in his tracks. The streets were filled with many Dali soldiers on patrol and people who, judging by their important looks and seemingly expensive clothing, were highly consequential in the hierarchy of the continent.
Despite his many expeditions, Talj always avoided Rolmea. The city labeled as the Economical Capital of Ylbunish had too many intelligent people. Eyes that he feared may recognize him or uncover his old secrets.
That and the overload of business and industrial cacophony of this place was not to his liking.
As he followed his two abductors silently, Talj gazed all around him, gathering as much information about his surroundings in case he needed a quick escape or if the meeting with The Council revealed to have an ill outcome for him.
As they approached the tall structure. Salzeka took out a black bag from his tunic and turned towards Talj.
"Nothing personal. That's just protocol."
Talj nodded, hiding his nervousness best he could.
As he felt the fabric wrap around his face, Talj sensed something getting attached to his handcuffs. His arms moved upward on their own, making him understanding they put some sort of cable on his cuffs to guide him. As he stepped in from the warmth of the sun into the fresh air of The Tower, Talj's hearing was overloaded with sounds of hastened steps, shouted orders, papers being flipped... The sounds of dozens of conversations seem to reach him from every direction but he could barely pick up their content.
He felt a set of double doors open in front of him without hearing the two generals stop to open them. As he stepped into what he assumed to be a corridor, the chaotic hustle of the previous room died as soon as the doors closed again.
A spell to block unnecessary noises between rooms? Talj asked himself. And doors that open and clothes upon will? It seems they had the budget to accommodate themselves as comfortably as they could.
After a few turns in a quiet disturbed by occasional echoes of footsteps and whispered conversations. Another set of doors opened and this time they stopped in their tracks.
Talj's vision suddenly restored itself to show him standing in front of a large portal. The bag that was blinding him now in Kinfol's arms, he could admire the corridor he was in. The walls seemed smooth and blue, carefully carved into the cobblestone. Torches hung from both sides of the large hallway, illuminating the beautiful tapestries decorating some parts of the walls.
"The feats of the Dali throughout the centuries." Commented Kinfol, seeing her prisoner's awe. "The most glorious of our achievements get immortalized into a work of art and hung here."
"A place of great symbology I presume."
Kinfol nodded:
"Fitting for where this corridor leads us."
At that moment, the portal suddenly yawned awake, revealing the content of the room behind it:
Nothing.
"Oh woaw." Talj said without much wonder in his voice. "Very impressive emptiness indeed."
Salzeka laughed at his remark.
"If that impresses you, wait until you're inside, kid."
As he let himself be led inside, Kinfol removed the cable attached to his handcuffs and explained:
"This is the only way into the Council Room."
Talj didn't wish to question her, but the circular room didn't seem to hold anything but the torches on the walls.
"How exactly are we going there if-"
"Wait for it." Kinfol said, a very thin amused smile on her lips.
Suddenly, the ground below them shook in a small roar. Dust slipped between the cracks of a circular line appearing around them.
Before Talj could start asking, the central area of the ground detached itself from the floor and slowly started rising up.
"Hold tight to your pants." Salzeka laughed.
Incredible! Talj mused in his mind. A platform powered by a permanent and powerful levitation spell that can be triggered just by will. I probably missed the aura of the trigger command Kinfol may have used to activate it due to my handcuffs. This place's infrastructure seems to be empowered by convoluted chains of magic and spells that are woven around each other with great precision!
The rising platform started gaining speed, but Talj managed to remain steady until the ascent's end.
"Impressive." Commended Kinfol. "Very few manage to stand still when they first step on the Ascension Room. Let alone even stay on their feet."
Talj didn't answer the praise. The place they arrived too was a smaller and shorter circular room. On the sides, a spiraling staircase adorned the walls before ending on an obscure doorway.
"Wait here." Kinfol's expression became serious before she took the stairs and disappeared into the door's frame, followed closely by Salzeka.
After staying in loneliness for a minute, the door squeaked again and a Dali soldier covered by a full set of armor stepped out of it, holding a piece of parchment sealed with a ribbon. Talj eyed him until he slowly went down all the stairs and got to his level.
"They await." Was all he said, standing like a statue who had just been carved.
Talj squinted, his brain slowly understanding it was his time to climb the spiraling steps. Nodding very slowly, he went up in an ominous circle until he met the door. The platform that lifted him has now descended with the soldier that told him to get in the room, leaving a chasm in the middle of the ground.
Doesn't seem dangerous at all.
Talj took a deep breath and pushed the red door into The Council Room. As his feet dragged him reluctantly into the new territory, he found himself facing a wall that seemed to twist. He realized he was inside a ring-shaped room once more, and that the door seemed to face parallelly with the walls. Turning himself, Talj skin seemed to tingle under the gaze of the potentially four strongest people of Ylbunish.
The Dali generals of The Five Lands looked at him attentively.
"Take a seat." Kinfol addressed him.
Talj quickly swept the area with his eyes. The room's walls were adorned with rich windows that gave way to a balcony surrounding the chamber.
So this is really the important guests section of The Tower.
Around him, sets of tools and parchments filled the room. Piece of papers and statuettes on shelfs, bizarre artefacts that Talj hasn't seen in his life, scrying communication mirrors...
The four generals sat in a semi-circle oppositely to an empty chair, the door leading to the balcony behind them. Talj guessed that was to block the only potential way out since the platform seemed to be inaccessible.
What? They expect me to jump off the roof?
As the young man approached the table, his eyes squinted briefly at the sight before him. In the center of the table was a map. A map of the continent. As he admired the representation of The Five lands, three details caught his attention: Firstly, small figurines of boats and soldiers moved at random intervals on the map; as if it was a giant chessboard hosting a match. Second, around the chart was a ring where runes and symbols were displayed. Some of them lit up in a bright white while others stayed dormant in a restful black.
But what really drew Talj's eyes was the banners. On top each capital of the five countries of Ylbunish were decorated with their respective banners. However, Talj noticed that, while the sigil on the flag was accurate, he noticed that for the Ramol and Jibal kingdoms, the banner poles were black while for the Enyo, Jaleed and Akhdar kingdoms the poles were white. Considering the map and its component were most likely conjured and patterned with magic, this color duality seemed too deliberate to Talj to shrug it as an artistic choice.
Talj took his seat and faced the four people in front of him, reading their expressions with scrutiny. Kinfol's dark blue hair descended in waves neatly on her back, in contrast with the tired and slightly stern look she had. Salzeka's expression was easy-going as his posture, he seemed completely relaxed and bored, as if he was about to take part in a mere casual conversation where he could act freely and naturally. Talj recognized Jokra from one of her visits to Enyo during a festival, when Kinfol had asked him to make her a new weapon. The Jaleed general loved her gift to enough extent for her to thank the blacksmith personally. Even in these dire times, she seemed as buoyant as how Talj remembered her, smiling happily at him while offering a comforting expression. The last one, who Talj assumed to be Indri; a young green eyed man with tanned skin and very few hair on his skull, looked at him nonchalantly. His face was as neutral as could be, showing no hint of any emotions or thoughts good or bad.
He's somehow more unreadable than Kinfol. He doesn't even look serious... He's just... There.
Talj realized that they've all been sitting in silence for a minute, gauging each other like wrestlers trying to determine how strong their opponents are.
I have something they need, and they have something I need. Let's make sure they understand it's a mutually beneficial meeting more than a trial.
"So..." He began. "Are we waiting for coffee or is someone running late?"
Kinfol frowned, Salzeka snorted and Jokra's eyes opened wide in amusement. Only Indri remained impassable at the witty question. The Ramol general asked:
"Talj Horsh, do you know why you were summoned here?"
"Well I heard that you needed information about The Darkness and considering I used to be part of an ancient secret order that fought them for centuries I may have something in the store you'd find interesting. Oh and there's also some talk about me causing a war that'd destroy the word but we're still unsure if we believe it."
"Talj, now is not the time for arrogance." Kinfolk warned him.
"Oh, my apologies." Talj feigned a sorry face. "I have no idea if I will live to see tomorrow after you're done with me here so I thought that I'd be myself and act carefree for the day."
This time, the rebuke landed for everyone as . Talj knew the Dali Generals were following orders they didn't wish to as they probably come from The Darkness bribing their kings, but their oaths didn't leave room for a choice. Playing on their guilt of potentially killing a young innocent man may be a dirty trick, but Talj had to use all weapons in his arsenal if he wanted to live through this day.
"Talj listen-"
"No you listen." Talj cut Kinfol again with a stern calm. "I get that you need me and are under orders to kill me or lock me up or I don't know. But I agreed to come willingly, and I almost died on the way. And regardless, I spent half my short life in the shadows making your jobs easier. You want me to cooperate? I will, for the sake of the greater good. But excuse my vanity when I say I won't cooperate if you're not going to give me the answers I deserve."
The ensuing silence was filled with palpable uncertainty. As the generals looked at one another, Talj took a quick look at the map again. His thoughts were still on the black and white banners on board.
"The prisoner makes a valid point." Indri said finally. "I suggest we hear what he can share with us and then we will respond to his questions according to the quality of the information he relays on us."
I suppose I can't hope for any more than that as of now.
Talj sighed and replied:
"Alright. That's fair enough."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the outskirts of the Harsha forest, half a day north from Rolmea, a woman eyed the city from afar. Next to her was a sleeping reptilian creature with wings; a drakon -A breed that resembled dragons but smaller.
Suddenly, the characteristic sound of a teleportation spell buzzed behind her. Oleem, her spy, bowed her head in respect.
"My lady." Oleem greeted her master, but the woman didn't even turn in her direction as she asked:
"You're early. Too early."
Oleem flinched. Her master already expected bad news, and it was never good to bring her bad news.
"My lady, the boy has probably reached The Tower by now. They are-"
"I know. The High Lord is on his way to him."
Oleem started to panic. The only piece of information she had hoped would appease her master was already in her knowledge.
"Is there more?" The impatient voice of the woman still not granting her subordinate a glance made Oleem shiver.
"Yes... It's Sentri."
"What did that buffoon do now?"
"He got murdered."
A very long and unsettling stillness settled between the two. When the noiselessness became too heavy for Oleem she went on:
"We don't know the culprit."
"Oh."
"The Dali neither don't know who did it, they still believe he was one of theirs."
"Oh."
"And... All I could gather is that the killer fled into the woods."
Oleem expected another 'Oh.' from her master, however this time the answer came a bit late, and it came in the form of a sudden kick aimed at her stomach. Oleem gasped as her back met aggressively with the trunk of a nearby tree.
"So, to put it bluntly." Her master said with a cold voice. "Not only do I have to be the one reminding you of how far we got in our mission, but you also cannot do anything right, can you?"
When did she even move? I didn't see her strike at all!
"Or was the instructions 'Keep a low profile' far too hard for you idiots? You both had the simplest tasks of your entire unit: Kill Telemes, make sure the target arrived at The Tower, and plant the devices in the building."
"I'm sorry, my lady! Please, allow me to make up for it! I'll enter The Tower and plant-"
"Oh? So you mean to tell me you haven't finished your mission before reporting?" Her master finally looked back at her.
Oleem gulped. She had committed yet another blunder.
"I'll do it! You have my word I'll-"
"There's no need." Oleem watched her master with fearful eyes as she approached her. Oleem tried to get up, but fear and pain paralyzed her.
"If indeed you don't know who killed Sentri then your mere presence compromises us." Her master's hand rested on Oleem's head. "You were of great service to The Darkness, Oleem. Be proud of that."
"My lady..?"
But Oleem's superior turned away and, with snapping her fingers to wake her pet up, didn't even watch as her spy got eaten by the hungry beast; the spy's screams muffled by the drakon's crunches.
When they were done, the woman called out her pet:
"Come on, Vaelon. Someone has to get the job done."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright, let's start from the beginning." Talj started. "What do you know about The Primordium?"
Seeing the generals' dumbfounded looks, he raised his hand and went on:
"Okay, don't answer that. So, very long ago, before Ylbunish had its place in the ocean, our ancestors lived in The Primordium. A realm with a great abundance of magical energy. Mystical energy flowed everywhere. It reshaped the ecosystem into powerful fauna and flora. Some humans who lived there adapted and formed the Primordial People. They were more... Unified, in lack of a better terms, with magic. That's what made them more adamant at respecting Great Oaths, creating powerful spells easily and so on. Are you following so far?"
"Yes, considering that's merely the content of many historical books." Kinfol answered.
"What is the point of bringing The Primordium, though?" Inquired Indri.
"I'm glad you asked." Talj answered before stretching his arms to appease his wrist's unease. "As Kin just said, I've just repeated what historical books tell us. But what those books don't know is that The Primordium has... Resulted in the shaping of Ylbunish."
Taking a moment to look for his words, Talj continued to his audience:
"The Spear didn't know why, or if it did this knowledge is long forgotten but The Primordium seemed to be a never stopping generator that produced magic. And that magic manifested: Stronger monsters, harsher weather, diseases... The Primordial People, as I mentioned before, could adapt but the rest of the humans like us..."
Talj sighed, remembering his first time hearing this tale from the mouth of his mentor.
I sure don't have Nyr's story telling skills.
"Many died. Dozens of thousands of deaths happened due to that phenomenon... But not for long! For unknown reasons again, The Primordium... Mutated, and in the most unpredictable way."
"Sorry to interrupt kid but when are we getting to the part where you tell us how to kick The Darkness's arse." Salzeka broke in on the prisoner's monologue.
"Shhh!" Jokra hushed him with a giddy smile. "This is getting interesting!"
Ignoring them, Talj went on:
"We don't know if The Primordium felt like its people needed a way out or if it was just overloaded with magic, but it... Detached a piece of itself, and divided that piece into three fragments to lighten up the magical excess within it: A realm of positive energy to represent order and harmony, a realm of negative energy to represent destruction and laxity, and a realm that links between them and brings order between them. Oh and they're also known modernly as: The Light, The Darkness and Ylbunish, which in the Primordium Tongue is short for Ylbug Anish; which means The Realm In Between."
Talj stopped in his speech, giving time for The Dali Generals to process all he had said.
"So you're telling us the origin of both Ylbunish and The Darkness come from The Primordium?" Indri asked, his frown examining Talj.
"Fascinating." Kinfol commented. "So our whole world exists as some sort of leakage of the Primordium extent of magic?"
"Yes. When the humans realized what The Primordium produced, they fled to the three new continents and found a much more hospitable environment. Then, under the agreed on leadership of Torm The Lightbringer, they formed new societies, new cultures. Each continent reflected a major aspect of magic. The Light was overflowing with Pure magic. The mystic arts tamed and weaved through intense discipline in the most harmonious way. It doesn't have branches like the magic we know, and so it left too little room for creativity and spell crafting but it can be far more powerful if controlled correctly. Even we use glimpses of Pure magic in our daily lives: When sensing the magic signature of someone's spells, when you use your magic to enhance your body without spells, when I store items in my pocket realm. Those are all examples of Pure magic being used.
"Then there's The Darkness, abundant in dark magic. A form of magic that was... too chaotic. Dark magic is the opposite of Pure magic. It opens doors to a great deal of fields and spells -And I do emphasize a great deal. Reading minds can be used through psychic enhancement spells for example, but with Dark magic you can poke inside someone's memories and change them. The problem is... Its corruption. Of course we all are grown ups in this room and we all heard the mantra 'power corrupts', but this sort of power gives a more literal sense to the term. A spell's effects come from the user's will. If Dark Magic is about corroding the nature of the target then…"
"One must corrode their own soul and mind to perform such spells." Concluded Kinfol.
"Bingo!" Confirmed Talj. "And lastly Ylbunish, the magic within it is like a balanced, a more structured and tamed way of the excessive freedom that Dark Magic offers while giving a more complex magical arsenal than Pure Magic. It's basically a point of understanding between them."
"Pure Magic twisted, and Dark Magic purified... Truly fascinating." Indri commented.
"Wait, so our magic is a mix of dark and pure?" Asked Salzeka.
"Yes, in a way. But don't see it like that. If I mix blue and red dye, do I consider the purple dye to obtain a color that functions like both? No."
Seeing their puzzled faces he continued:
"We know five branches of magic, all represented by the five kingdoms of Ylbunish. The kingdom of Enyo, kingdoms of Elemental Magic. Akhdar, representing Summoning Magic. Ramol for conjuring, Jibal for manipulation and lastly Jaleed for Amplification Magic. Most mages don't have much affinity for more than one or two. This nuance is what separates us from Pure magic, which is too tame and doesn't have branches, and Dark magic which, on the contrary, is too anarchic and its broad spectrum of spells makes it chaotic. Am I clear so far?"
Upon seeing their nods, Talj sighed and muttered:
"I suppose I can't ask for a glass of water."
To the young smith's surprise, Jokra took a bottle from under the table and passed it to him.
"Oh... Thanks!" Talj helped himself after catching the bottle.
"Okay, let's continue." The boy went on. "Now onto the actual subject: The Darkness. When Torm was helping the inhabitation of The Light and Ylbunish, his old friend, Koronus, suggested he'd go live in The Darkness, seduced by the freedom in usage of magic the realm had to offer. Torm advised against as, as we said, if used recklessly can corrupt the person. Koronus, however, insisted that he'd be fine and being a Primordial One, he'd probably resist or be immune to the corruptive power of The Darkness. So Torm trusted him... And the results were pretty catastrophic."
"What happened?" Kinfol asked.
"Nothing except that tiny bit of discord everyone calls... The Collapse." Talj awkwardly tried to smile but in vain. All generals looked at him in horror.
The Collapse was a war that had happened over seven thousand years ago. A war that involved both The Darkness, The Light and Ylbunish. That war was so destructive some say it reshaped Ylbunish entirely.
"Koronus's mind... Went astray. He believed as a Primordial One, he should rule over humans, be it in The Light or Ylbunish -Especially The Light since apparently it was a beautiful realm. He claimed that he was better and stronger than us so he should be our sovereign... You know, the classic fairy tale villain thinking it deserves absolute control since he just can. And so, Koronus entered Ylbunish and from there started spreading havoc and claiming lands by force before attempting sieges on The Light. Torm, when he heard about it, tried to stop him, but upon seeing what his friend had become he had no choice but to fight back, thus he formed an order of elite mages and powerful warriors from all realms, including The Primordium. That order my friends, is none other than The Spear."
Letting his words sink, Talj took another mouthful of water.
"So The Spear was founded by Torm The Lightbringer!?" Kinfol almost choked on her own words.
"And it included Primordial People as its first members!?" Joker exclaimed.
Indri however, didn't seem to truly believe the prisoner's words:
"That's quite the unexpected claim... Do you have a way to prove your tale?"
"Hmm... I assume that if The Spear's old headquarters that got attacked seven years ago still has its library intact then I can provide documents. Oh wait, I just remembered it's not intact because The Spear's headquarters were attacked seven years ago." Talj retorted sarcastically.
Uncaring with the annoyed and amused glares he received, Talj went on:
"Since you all already know how bad The Collapse was, I'll spare you the chain of events that lead to the relevant part of the story: How it ended. After many battles, Koronus ended up tired from his constant fights and the corruption in his mind weighed more on him. After many years of hardships, Koronus finally admitted defeat and offered his life to spare his kingdom and his people. Torm, albeit reluctant, accepted the truce offer and hacked off the head of his friend, before sealing the rest of Koronus's people into The Darkness as a punishment. However before dying, Koronus muttered strange words. He spoke of something called The War of The End. He said that that war would bring the destruction of both The Darkness and The Light, and that Ylbunish would be crushed. Everyone shrugged it as the craziness of a corrupted man about to die. But then... A few years after that... The rifts happened. I think you know what I mean."
Seeing everyone nod, Talj took a moment to rest. The rifts are random but dangerous apparitions where The Darkness manage to slightly break the seal that was placed upon their continent and break into Ylbunish. They mostly open in places with great magical abundance so many outposts were built by The Dali in those locations.
"And to end my tale." Talj said while leaning on the table. "From what I know, the remaining troops of The Darkness look for revenge. They consider their fate unfair and they want to exert revenge. Some of them were born in The Darkness and spent all their lives subjected to a punishment for a crime their ancestors committed centuries ago..."
"Can't we break them free?" Jokra asked before adding as the whole room looked at her in disbelief "I mean those who were born and have to stay there all their lives. Isn't it unfair?"
"Unfair or not, they're corrupted, and therefore they're dangerous." Talj answered with a gloomy face. "I tried to reason with some of them once... See if I could save them from their unjust fate... It almost cost lives."
Talj looked at them:
"Believe me, The Spear spent centuries studying them. I know it's not fair but... They never let room for mercy." Talj sighed before concluding: "And now, their goal is to enter The Light with an army to make them 'pay the toll'. I have no idea what they mean, but my mentor suggested they may want to corrupt The Light to make them feel the same pain and anguish that they felt for seven thousand years."
Talj allowed himself to rest on his chair and offered a smile.
"Now, General Indri, how much quality do you give the information I relayed on you."
"Hold on! Question!" Salzeka raised a hand. "All this history blabbering is very interesting and all, but how does it help in beating The Darkness?"
Kinfol answered in a slowly growing voice, as if she was piecing together a puzzle in her mind:
"Because now... We know their objective! We know how they'll move! Portals into The Light were closed centuries ago but we know where they are! And we know that's where they're after!"
Indri, catching up to her words, joined her:
"And considering how portals from The Darkness have become completely unpredictable... Oh... I can see a pattern, they've all opened around the Lake That Defies Death."
"Which used to be a known location of a portal that would lead to The Light." Finished Talj.
"Couldn't you have simply said The Darkness wants to get to The Light and we have to stop them?" Salzeka asked again.
"No. The portals mentioned are directly linked to The Primordium, and their attacks throughout the centuries have been coordinated and reached towards activating them. The specifics are a bit too complex but picture this: The Primordium leaks the excess of energy it has onto The Light, The Darkness and Ylbunish, like a giant lake giving way to three waterfalls, each pouring into a ravine while also spreading rivers. The ravines are connected with rivers. In order to control the waterflow between each..."
"One must control the movement and the amount of water in each den." Kinfol understood. "Which means, they'll corrupt our own continent's flow of magic... To activate the portals to The Light. If we follow our research into the links between all our realms, and if we study the very few artefacts we have from The Primordial Times, we may find a way to fight back and block The Darkness completely! We have to send word to our physicians!"
"Excuse me sir!" Jokra raised her arms as if she was a student inside of a class. "I think we can all agree that what you said so far is detailed enough to be sure it wasn't just made up on the spot but I still don't get this: If The Darkness wants to get to The Light why not open portals from their realms to The Light directly?"
"Simple: They can't. We are the realms in between. They must pass through Ylbunish... The portals are linked to us, the people of Ylbunish. We're all connected through the magical energies that flow through the continent. So if they want to control the portals to The Light, they must control us. However, I don't know how they intend to do that, sorry. If my mentor knew, he didn't tell me... I was twelve when he died."
A look of compassion grew on the Generals' faces. They let the young man rest from his tale, deep in focus, before Indri said aloud:
"When we take into consideration all you said. I think I can answer your question."
When Talj faced him, the general went on:
"Not only do I now understand how they intend to make the continent open the portals, but if we study the question of The Roots and their relationship with all the other realms, then we might find a way to counterattack."
Talj raised an eyebrow, asking the general:
"I didn't bring up The Roots, though."
"You know what they are, I presume."
"Yeah, obviously. All the magical flow that courses through us and through the ecosystem I kept talking about has origins. We call them The Roots. It's basically the point of origins of where The Primordium pours its magic. I didn't want to talk about them to avoid needless details but why-"
At that moment, the runes at the table turned bright red, and a figurine on the map rose in the air, hovering above everyone's heads. All except the banners with black and white poles. Under Talj's confused eyes, all four Generals stood up in unison with a sense of alarm that clearly showed.
"What's going on?" He asked.
"You asked why we mentioned The Roots? See for yourself." Kinfol pointed at the map.
Talj kept his eyes on the chart of Ylbunish, not seeing any difference. Right as he was about to ask if he had missed anything, the banner of the Jaleed Kingdom started shaking. And suddenly, a dark ink covered its pole, turning it black just like Akhdar and Jibal's poles.
"No..." Jokra moaned, her eyes filled with terror. "Uncle..."
Indri clenched his fist, putting a hand on her shoulder in an act of comfort. In a violent brusque gesture, Salzeka threw his chair on a window, breaking both in the process, before shouting:
"TO POX WITH IT!"
"Uhm... What exactly is going on?" Talj inquired, half hoping they don't take their anguish on him.
"Talj, do you know the location of The Roots?" Kinfol asked.
"Not exactly. They don't have a location, it's like layers in a cake. Our continent is the icing. It's supporting us but we're not on the same plane to even see them."
"That was exactly what we had thought, except that... The Darkness reached them."
Talj's frown grew furious, unsure if he had heard correctly. Kinfol went on without letting him ask any questions:
"Time is short, so listen: You already know, there are five Roots, one for each nation. The Roots are the source of magic in Ylbunish. As of six months ago, anomalous magical abilities started to show in the Jibal Kingdom. When we investigated the subject, we found out that the magical flow of that kingdom seemed odd, as if sick. And we have reasons to assume that The Darkness put some sort of curse -or corruption if we go in accordance to your tale- into The Roots. Until now, they have succeeded in corrupting the Jibal, Akhdar and today... The Jaleed Kingdom."
So they're trying to control our continent from its literal roots?
"That's... Dangerous."
"Well duh-" Salzeka started before Talj interrupted him.
"No, I mean that's dangerous for them too! Mixing their own realm's magic into the source of our own can be catastrophic. Is there a way to stop them!?"
"We... Were secretly hoping The Spear knew how to, since you've been their enemies for far longer than us."
Well no! They have never done anything this extreme!
Upon seeing the desolated look on everyone's face, Talj's thoughts rushed in his mind:
This is bad. If they can somehow control the magical energy of Ylbunish, then they can control the faun, the flora. Some people may even obey their will forcefully. The Great Oaths all the kings took will have no more effect on the people... How do we prevent that!? Come on Talj think! Nyr always said that if there a problem could become true, then its solution isn't far... But how!? It's not like there's a way I can access all the roots and-
Talj stopped in his inner monologue, pondering this last line of thought. A sudden memory flashed into his eyes.
"The Roots always rely on each other, much like the kingdoms they nourish. If one gets corrupted, the others can ensure its tasks until it is healed... But Torm feared that The Darkness may one day spread all its corruption throughout Ylbunish. Therefore, the brilliant founder of our order crafted a powerful artifice. An artificial root where he would monitor and even sooth the magical flows of our realm."
Talj closed his eyes. He knew exactly where that artefact was located. He may have never seen it, but he had spent twelve years living in the same abode where it was.
An abode he had wished he'd never see again.
I... Have no choice. I'm the only one alive who knows where it is... And yet... How will I even start getting there!? I'm a prisoner inside the most secure facility in the continent!
"How much time do you guys think we have before they corrupt the whole continent?" Talj asked.
"We estimate... three to four months. We may delay it with the information you gave us but if we don't have a solution-"
"I think I have one."
Seeing the surprised and hopeful faces the generals gave him, Talj scolded himself internally.
Wording you idiot! They expect you to spill everything!
"I'm sorry but... I cannot speak of it."
"Excuse me!?" Indir asked.
"I am under a Great Oath myself." Talj chuckled. "The Spear's secret, however dead the order might seem, are still not mine to share. I can neither disclose this information, nor can I let you monitor me if you let me try it."
A sad smile appeared on his face. His expression was of utter defeat, like a man staring at the joke that his life had become:
"Ironic, isn't it? I'm the only man who knows how to prevent the impending doom... And I'm the only man you are tasked to kill." Another dry chuckle escaped his lips. "I believe this is where our opponents say checkmate."
The expressions before him were mixed with guilt, shock, disbelief, suspicion...
"I'm sorry but this just seems like a mildly convenient situation." Indri coldly replied. "You know a way to stop the Darkness but you just so happen to be unable to share it! And now you're trying to what? Guilt trip The Council into setting you free?"
"I believe him." Kinfol simply said.
"Would have been with mister bald here but the kid saved my arse so... I give him the benefit of doubt." Salzeka shrugged.
"Me too! I can't believe he'd agree to follow Kinfol and Salzeka just to try to escape here and now!" Jokra joined, coming back to her cheerful self.
"Okay, good points. But what then? You do realize we can't set him free! He's under a Great Oath? Well so are we!" Indri insisted.
To the utter surprise of everyone, it was Kinfol who replied, and in the most unusual way she could display: A laugh. A sincere and joyful chortle was released from her throat before she said:
"That's true. But as a friend of mine said... The Oaths make no sense anymore. We mustn't be cowards and be shy from taking advantage of that."
Salzeka turned towards her. Incredulity and gratefulness visible on him.
"What? What do you me-"
"Of course, I don't say we can set him free and let him go." Kinfol ignored Indri as she continued. "That'd be far too risky for us, and frankly speaking I don't know if we're even able to do that."
Kinfol looked deep into Talj's eyes. The blacksmith had yet to understand what his friend was getting to.
"But, hypothetically speaking, if Talj was to break free from his handcuffs using the key I may have dropped by his feet."
She has what now!?
Talj discreetly peeked under the table and there it was, a small silver key rested at his feet.
"And, hypothetically again, if you were fast enough to reach the window that Salzeka has most conveniently opened for you... Then I guess there's nothing we can do about it."
"Kinfol! Are you mad!" Indri screamed. "And you, don't think of reaching towards that key! There's no way"
"Talj." Kinfol addressed her friend. "You know I trust you and I believe in you. But if you do escape, I cannot help but be your enemy. The entire continent will be ordered to hunt you down. So I have to ask one time to ensure you know what's at stake: While your intent is of utmost nobility, you do realize that standing alone against an entire continent is an idea only a foolish madman would follow, right?"
"Heh..." Talj snorted, looking at her fondly. He hoped he could convey how thankful he was to her in a simple gaze: "You know me Kin. I'm the king of imbeciles."
Without any warning, Talj dove under the table and reached for the key.
"No!" Indri jumped into place and raised his hands to conjure a spell, but to his surprise, he felt his powers diminishing into a numbness he recognized.
"A magic suppressing artefact!?"
Kinfol smirked:
"Oh sorry, I omitted to mention I switched on the anti-magic artefact before the meeting when I just entered. For safety measures of course."
Indri, dumbfounded by his comrade's wittiness simply sighed as he watched helplessly Talj -who had already escaped the room- leap off the balcony, carrying a single thought:
I guess I did end up jumping from the balcony.