GW2 fic, Ch 64-70

[anghraine]

“It’s your decision, my friend. I know you’ll make the right choice.”

I appreciated the faith, but I didn’t trust myself nearly as much. I’d have liked at least some input from the queen’s representative.

But no—Logan had come to observe, and likely to prevent any fights from breaking out—and perhaps because he was my closest ally and friend. I was the queen’s representative.

title: pro patria (64-70/?)
verse: Ascalonian grudgefic
characters/relationships: Althea Fairchild, Agent Ihan; Lionguard Keene, Scholar Josir, Crusader Hiroki, Logan Thackeray, various Divinity's Reach residents; Althea & Ihan, Althea & Logan
stuff that happens: Althea and Ihan track the missing Seraph and discover his connection with a dead pirate seer, and Althea has to decide how to pursue the lead. In the meanwhile, she takes a soothing walk around Divinity's Reach that quickly turns troubling.
chapters: 1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28, 29-35, 36-42, 43-49, 50-56, 57-63

SIXTY-FOUR

1

Kellach was last seen heading northeast from Lychcroft Mere. Accordingly, I went home to prepare for another journey—Mother only sighed—and jumped from Divinity’s Reach to Overlake Haven. Ihan had told me to contact one of the Lionguards there, a man by the name of Keene.

I had actually met him before. During my survey of Giant’s Passage, I’d stopped to add the haven to my map, and held a few conversations with the Lionguards posted there. I didn’t know if he’d remember me or not, but he’d been so twitchy that it stuck in my memory. He hadn’t explained it at the time—just asked if I was there for apples, of all things.

2

Either he did recognize me or he had a good description; as soon as Keene set eyes on me, he drew me aside and muttered,

“Ihan told me you’d be coming. He said to tell you that the bird flew from here to Black Haven. Does that mean anything to you?”

I paused, not entirely relinquishing my innate suspicion.

“How do you know Ihan?”

“We served together in Lion’s Arch a few years ago.” Keene coughed and said, “He … moved on.”

3

Evidently. I never would have imagined Ifan as a Lionguard.

“I stayed on to serve the Commodore,” Keene added.

All the facts were in his favour; Ihan himself had directed me to Keene. I relaxed a little, and asked,

“So you aren’t a member of the …?”

“Nah,” said Keene. “I just help them out from time to time.”

4

“They’re in it for all of us, right?”

True enough, but they weren’t the easiest organization to help. I considered him with considerably greater respect. Now I understood why he was so high-strung, even if I still had no idea why he’d been talking about apples. A hasty excuse, maybe.

“Makes sense to me,” I said. “Thanks—I’ll give your regards to Ihan.”

5

I found Ihan skulking outside of Black Haven, much more unobtrusively than Logan had.

“Hello, Advocate,” he said, voice pitched so low I could barely hear him. “You got here just in time. My contacts have spotted Kellach—and a host of Zhaitan’s minions are following him.”

Just like that?

“You know a lot, Ihan,” I told him. “It’s like you have eyes and ears everywhere.”

6

He didn’t quite smile, but his mouth curved a little. “The Order of Whispers knows a lot more than most people realize. We pay attention to everything. The more information we have, the more we can help.”

I nodded. As with Keene, that made perfect sense.

“The dragons don’t care if you’re Charr, human, or hylek,” he went on, “so we can’t afford to draw imaginary lines between nations.”

7

That did not make perfect sense. Hylek were one thing. The Charr, who had dedicated two hundred years to wiping out my people, were quite another.

“The Order keeps watch,” said Ihan, “so that no matter where Zhaitan’s minions show up—we know about it.”

Of course, I told myself, the Order couldn’t simply blind themselves to what the Charr were doing; just because they played nice didn’t mean they were on their side. They used the Charr like they used us all.

That, I could understand.

SIXTY-FIVE

1

“This one was easy,” Ihan told me. “Kellach is leaving a trail like a forest fire, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to find the spark.”

“True,” I agreed. “So do you think he’s still here?”

Ihan shrugged, the gesture barely visible in the shadows. “I can’t say. And for the record, that’s ‘I don’t know,’ as opposed to ‘I don’t tell you.’”

2

“I’m hoping the people at the haven can tell us something,” he concluded.

I wondered just how often the Order hung plans on hope. If so—well, I understood that, too. We had to hang onto something, didn’t we?

“All right,” I said, as decisively as I knew how, “we’ll clean up Kellach’s mess and see if we can find evidence that he’s still in the area.”

As with Hiroki, it belatedly occurred to me that I might not be in charge of the mission, as such. Oh, well.

3

For all his talk of caution, Ihan turned out to be perfectly ready to leap into action when the occasion called for it. His footsteps pounded just behind me as we rushed to the aid of Black Haven—and I had magic accelerating mine.

At first, the battle against the Risen hordes seemed very little different from the one in Lychcroft Mere, except fought on dry ground, and backed by an armed fortress instead of a quickly constructed bunker. Ihan was not quite the force of nature that Hiroki had been, but I hadn’t expected him to be; neither was I.

I felt rather better about it, really, until a brief pause came. Ihan, the Lionguards, and I stopped to catch our breath—and then a Guard above us shouted,

“We’ve got abominations! Take ’em down!”

4

What in all the hells was an abomination?

I quickly found out. Two creatures marched towards us, both of them at least twice Logan’s height and breadth. They actually wore armour, oddly pieced together—and indeed, they seemed oddly pieced together themselves, misshapen walls of bone and flesh carted about on narrow, thick-footed legs. Each carried an enormous spiked club in his rotting fist, had skulls and spikes clustering around his neck and down his back, and each stalked inexorably on, sending Lionguards flying with casual swings of the clubs.

I set my jaw. If there was any time for someone fast and confusing, it was now.

5

I spawned three clones on the spot and nearly staggered, but managed to hold firm. I faded myself into my clones and launched myself after the abominations, ducking under their slow arms and hoping the aether coursing through my sword would be strong enough to block their swings.

It was, if only just; I slipped while ducking, raised my sword, and saw it flash purple light just as the club came smashing down. It hurt, I couldn’t deny that, but it was a dull, sore pain, far less than I expected from the force of the blow—which otherwise could easily have killed me. I sprang up, imagined a hundred times as many Lionguards as were actually present, and blasted the image at the abomination. He floundered, swinging his club wildly, hitting the floor as often as he came anywhere near to an actual person. Several Lionguards realized what I’d done and sprang into action, piercing his legs until he came crashing down, and then stabbing their swords into his vulnerable neck.

6

We all joined the attack on the other abomination, and he went down faster than the first. Gods, was this what the Orders dealt with everyday? No wonder the Order of Whispers tried to find other ways. It must be a nightmare to just constantly fling yourself in the way of these things, or to dissect how they functioned—which I, at least, really did not want to know.

“I owe you one!” said the Lionguard who had first sighted the abominations. “I’ve been in the Lionguard for ten years and I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“I’m glad we came along in time,” I said.

7

What would have happened if we hadn’t? I nearly shuddered at the idea of the fort in Risen control.

“That was a close call,” I added. “Was there a Seraph soldier among the undead?”

Ihan cleaned his sword and dagger with every appearance of nonchalance. I didn’t believe it for an instant.

“Not among the Risen, no,” said the Lionguard, “but there was a Seraph that came along just before that.”

SIXTY-SIX

1

The Lionguard told us that our Seraph had been wild-eyed, twitchy, and talking to himself all the time, muttering about Orr, dragons, and someone named Alastia Crow.

I looked excitedly at Ihan, and he offered a thin smile before pulling me aside.

“She’s a seer,” he said. “The pirates in this area go to her to find out what the weather’ll be like. She’s crew on a ship docked near Nebo Terrace. The Order of Whispers contracts her from time to time to predict the future. Maybe she saw something that drove Kellach mad.”

2

Now we were dealing with some pirate clairvoyant? Really?

“When we find Kellach,” I said, “I swear, I’m going to stick a bag over his head, beat him with a shovel, and bury him in a hill of fire-ants.”

Ihan laughed outright. “I like the way you think, Advocate.” Then he sighed. “I suppose we should get back and share this information with Hiroki and Josir.”

3

“You’re right. Let’s get going—we’ve got a lot of work to do if we’re going to catch Kellach,” I told him, giving up on figuring out who was supposed to be leading whom.

On the path to the waypoint, I said, “It’d be nice to solve this problem without risking more lives. Can the Order of Whispers do that?”

Not risking lives didn’t seem their specialty.

“It depends what Kellach does next,” said Ihan, “but regardless, we’ll use all our cunning to stop him.”

That, I thought, was probably the best answer I would get out of them.

4

Ihan went straight down the road to wait for the others, while I went home, bathed and changed, and returned to find him, Josir, Hiroki, and Logan gathered and waiting. Well, that was what happened when you asked me to fight the undead.

“Alastia Crow had a rare talent for precognition,” Josir was saying. “I wonder what Kellach wanted to know?”

“Whatever it was, I think the information drove him mad,” Ihan replied, sounding almost civil. Then he added, “I’m surprised that doesn’t happen to more Priory scholars, too.”

“Clearly,” said Josir in icy tones, “the Order of Whispers has no respect for pure research.”

5

Yes, well, pure research had its place, but I still didn’t feel at all sure that that place was war against Elder Dragons.

“Althea,” Logan said loudly, “good to see you. How’d your mission go?”

I explained that we hadn’t found Kellach, but we’d discovered his connection to Alastia Crow, and wanted to talk to her.

“Talk with her?” said Josir. “I’m afraid that’s impossible—she’s dead. Her pirate ship, the Ravenous, was destroyed by an undead attack two days ago.”

6

Dead? Gods, it was like everything that could conceivably go wrong had.

“You’re sure she’s dead?” I pressed. “Did any of her crew survive?”

Ihan broke in, “Even if she’s dead, Alastia was a seer. She might have seen this coming, and left something behind that we could use.”

“A few of her crew are still alive,” Josir told us, “camped near the wreckage of their ship—she might have told them more about what’s going on.”

7

Ihan looked soberly at me. “We need to find out what Kellach wanted from Alastia. Pirates don’t tend to be trusting folk—I think a little nautical infiltration and investigation are in order.”

“The Order of Whispers are a shady, disreputable bunch,” said Josir, sniffing. Hiroki, silent thus far, gave a slight smile, and Josir went on, “You and the pirates would get along just fine. I have a better suggestion.”

SIXTY-SEVEN

1

“Even if Alastia Crow is dead, she can still be helpful,” said Josir. “I know an accomplished Priestess of Grenth who could summon the pirate’s spirit.”

I stared at him. Who could what?

Even Ihan looked shocked. “The Durmand Priory’s ‘better suggestion’ is to disturb the dead? You scholars really will turn over every rock to get your answers—even tombstones.”

2

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

“Hiroki,” I said, certain that the other two would reach no consensus, “any suggestions from the Vigil?”

“None, Advocate,” she replied, squaring her shoulders. “While these two are squirrelling for answers, Vigil soldiers will watch for another undead attack.”

“It’s your call, Althea,” said Logan, his expression once again stoic, arms crossed over his chest. “Infiltrate the pirates, or summon Alastia’s spirit?”

I really couldn’t tell what he thought—he wasn’t at all inclined towards stealth, yet I couldn’t imagine that he thought well of disturbing the dead, either.

3

But it was my call. Sure enough, when I asked him what he thought, he said,

“It’s your decision, my friend. I know you’ll make the right choice.”

I appreciated the faith, but I didn’t trust myself nearly as much. I’d have liked at least some input from the queen’s representative.

But no—Logan had come to observe, and likely to prevent any fights from breaking out—and perhaps because he was my closest ally and friend. I was the queen’s representative.

4

I gave up on any kind of substantive input from him. Instead, I walked over to Josir, though I doubted that anything he could say could make his proposed plan any easier to contemplate.

“Tell me more about what this ritual involves,” I said.

“Priestess Rhie is greatly favoured by Grenth,” said Josir. “She can pierce the veil and call Alastia back. It may be dangerous, but we’ll learn a great deal.”

“Interesting,” I said weakly.

5

I made my way over to where Ihan stood talking to Hiroki, who seemed less than delighted with the conversation. She looked at me with open relief and marched up to Logan as soon as I greeted them.

“Very well, Lady Althea,” said Ihan. “Time to choose.”

“Ihan,” I said, “how do you intend to infiltrate?”

“Alastia told her crew everything,” Ihan told me. “The hard part will be gaining their trust … but I already have a plan.”

6

It wasn’t really an answer. I would much rather have known what that plan entailed before deciding on it, but I felt sure that I could extract no more out of him until he knew I was on his side.

Still, I’d take some unknown plan of Ihan’s over raising spirits any day.

“Very well,” I said, “I’m ready to decide.”

7

“Do you want to infiltrate the pirates?” he asked.

I’d probably given myself away a half-dozen times.

“Whatever Alastia was doing,” I said, “it’s the province of mortals, not gods. I’ll go with you.”

Even if he’d expected it, the brightest smile I’d yet seen from him came over his face. “Excellent! I need to prepare—meet me at the Lionbridge Expanse and we’ll take it from there.”

SIXTY-EIGHT

1

“We put you in a tough spot,” Ihan said before he left, “but I trust you’re comfortable with your choice?”

Comfortable was hardly the word for any of these choices, but I felt no doubts about the route I’d chosen.

“Those pirates will have information—and it’ll be current,” I told him.

“I like your confidence, Advocate,” said Ihan. “Keep that attitude; it’ll make you a better pirate.”

“Good point,” I replied. “See you at the Lionbridge Expanse tomorrow.”

2

Josir was unimpressed, though no more acrimonious than last time.

“Must’ve been a difficult decision,” he said. “I hope you’re still certain?”

“Don’t worry, Josir,” I assured him. “Ihan and I will get the information from the pirates.”

He looked doubtful. “I’ll continue to worry until you return,” he said, “without a knife in your back.”

3

I felt pretty sure that the Order of Whispers’s campaign to fight the dragons didn’t involve attacking their own allies unless absolutely necessary. I also felt sure that little would persuade Josir of the fact.

“Fair enough,” I said, laughing. “See you soon.”

More out of curiosity than anything else, I stopped by Hiroki and Logan on my way out of our little circle.

“Faugh!” said Hiroki. “Bah on these library crawlers and sneak thieves.”

4

Logan’s brows rose. So did mine.

“The other orders are wasting time, and people are dying!”

Ah.

“I understand your frustration,” I said carefully, “but we have to know where to attack.”

“I know, I know,” she told us. “But I don’t have to like it.”

5

Clearly not, I thought, but I imagined what Deborah would think of all this. I couldn’t help a burst of sympathy.

“Call on me when you have something,” she said, calming a little. “The Vigil will be ready to pitch in again as soon as there’s some real action.”

Logan gave her an approving look.

“Glad to hear it, Hiroki,” I said.

Deborah would definitely like her.

6

I took my leave of them all and headed home. To my relief, my mother had left on business in the Ministry, so I went straight to my personal chambers and flopped onto my bed, exhausted. It was noon.

The search remained urgent, but at least Ihan’s preparations gave me time for something other than casting off remnants of undead flesh and stink. Gods, I hoped we could drive them off soon. I’d take bandits any day over these.

I remembered the time when I’d thought of little beyond games and dancing and snide responses to particularly obnoxious people, and later, when I’d been Anise’s restless protégée, and even after that, when I'd been a hero wandering around, solving small problems throughout Queensdale—what had my life become?

7

I’d meant to rest, but my head was far too full for sleep; instead, I decided to talk a walk around Divinity’s Reach—it was my home, and I’d always loved it, yet it had been a good long while since I’d done more than jump from waypoint to waypoint, always in a hurry for this or that.

On my way out of Salma, a familiar merchant grinned at me.

“You would not believe how good you are for business,” he said gleefully. “I just have to mention your name and boom! Sales galore!”

I couldn’t help but wonder if it was my real name; perhaps people actually knew it, these days.

“Happy to keep the wheels of commerce turning,” I said, and gladly returned his smile.

SIXTY-NINE

1

I continued strolling around Divinity’s Reach, not bothering with any particular direction. It was as soothing as I’d hoped: the greenery winding up and down pillars and stone and wood, the familiar faces and fashions of my people, the statues of our gods, all the sights and sounds I’d known since I was small.

I didn’t go out of my way to eavesdrop, but neither did I avoid overhearing scraps of conversation, and I spoke to people now and then. Several noblemen informed me that they were rich, as if I weren’t, various other people offered friendly greetings, and some started short conversations with me. One woman told me about her distrust of the Ministry Guards and preference for the Seraph and the queen, a man shared his pet theory about Anise’s magic, and another woman returned my polite greeting with,

“Can you believe it? I saw Logan Thackeray, and he looked right at me!”

“Oh?” I said.

2

“It was brief, and I suppose I could have imagined it, but I’m sure he almost gave me a second look. Or would have.”

I thought of Logan, and his total obliviousness to anything not related to the defense of the queen or Kryta, and nearly giggled. Instead, I put on my most sober face.

“I’m sure that’s what happened,” I said.

She did giggle, and turned to her companion. “He’ll take one look at me across a crowded square and be smitten.”

3

“I can hear wedding bells already,” said the friend dryly.

The first woman dropped her voice. “Do you think he’s taken?”

Very much so, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Who, Logan?” said her friend.

The woman’s eyes went wide. “Who else would I be talking about?”

4

“My friend is head over heels for Logan Thackeray,” the second woman confided, while the first peered around, as if he might materialize at any moment.

“I noticed,” I said.

“He’s all she talks about.” Her long-suffering tone faded. “After all, he’s commendable, and he’s good-looking.”

He was both of those things, but I could already tell this wouldn’t go anywhere good—poor Logan!

“And those sad eyes of his are very sexy.”

5

“I, uh,” I said. “I have to go. Sorry … um, I ... I just remembered something I have to do. Goodbye. ”

Well, that was a conversation I could do with never repeating. Still, I grinned once I was out of earshot. Poor Logan indeed.

6

Not all the conversations were pleasant or amusing.

As I passed by the gate to Ebonhawke in my visit to Rurikton, I heard a man say disgustedly, “I’m sick of this.”

Weren’t we all?

“If we had Ebonhawke as a strong ally, we’d have those centaurs surrounded. We’d crush them!”

I stiffened up. I might not have seen Ebonhawke since I was a child, but I hadn’t forgotten what I came from.

7

Ebonhawke had fought the Charr for centuries, had seen its people slaughtered over and over while we were coddled in Divinity’s Reach, and idiots here thought they hadn’t done enough? Great Kormir, who did he think he was?

The man with him looked unimpressed. “Ebonhawke has its own problems.”

Well, maybe it was just the one man, or at least not many.

It better be. Ebonhawke’s problems were our problems; how could anyone forget what they fought for?

SEVENTY

1

Worse, I saw another Charr on my way to the Central Commons. That was two of them, in Divinity’s Reach!

A growl emerged from the Charr’s mouth.

“Move!”

The various humans around him, far from quailing, just glared up at him.

“What’s your problem?” said a man.

I couldn’t help but stare.

2

To my astonishment, the Charr didn’t do … much of anything. He just snarled out,

“Your thin skin.”

“Can’t you just say ‘excuse me’ like anyone else?” said the man.

“Fine. ‘Excuse me.’ Now get out of my way!”

I’d never heard a Charr speak before.

3

I’d never really thought of them speaking at all, in all honesty, much less doing so with—well, not civility, but at least no immediate threats.

The humans stepped aside, satisfied by this much; the Charr stalked past; and nothing at all came of it.

I suppressed a shudder and headed back to Rurikton, nearly running straight into the back of a tour guide, who was speaking to a group of young people, between about fourteen and eighteen. Just a little younger than I was, I supposed, but it felt like an impassable gulf.

“Some say Ascalon is lost,” the tour guide was saying, and I stopped dead in my path, “that Adelbern’s Foefire and the Charr legions have destroyed our kingdom’s soul. This is simply false.”

Damned right it was.

4

I shifted back out of his way, but trailed after the group, pleased and curious. I wasn’t the only one, and he seemed accustomed to it.

At the gate, he said, “That gate leads to Ebonhawke, last stronghold of Ascalon. We send food, supplies, and troops to support them. Without that aid, our troops would be completely cut off.” He paused, and glanced over the little Ascalonian crowd he’d attracted. “The Krytans aren’t as tough as we are; they aren’t ready for our kind of war.”

5

I hesitated, not as certain about that, but the guide had already breezed on.

“Many of our sons and daughters have gone to fight the Charr. Some return to be cared for in Divinity’s Reach. Some never return.”

Several of my cousins wouldn’t, and several more had been injured; the family was still arguing about whether they should be sent here. I thought of Hiroki, too, one of those daughters who went to fight the Charr, but instead found the dragons.

It was hard to know which was the better way.

6

I’d once thought of going to Ebonhawke to fight—I’d walked out of Divinity’s Reach to try myself so that I’d be ready for it, someday—and instead I was back in Rurikton, waiting for a spy who openly worked with Charr, in order to stop assaults from Zhaitan.

Maybe I’d already chosen my side. Maybe—I’d always tried to honour my ancestors and my people, always , but—

“Queen Jennah has been kind to us,” said the guide, “but she’s not our queen.”

My attention snapped to him. What?

“Even now, Divinity’s Reach is trying to forge peace with the Iron Legion.”

7

I knew that, and I liked it no better than anyone, but that didn’t mean—

“I wonder what the Vanguard thinks of that,” he concluded grimly.

I knew exactly what the Vanguard thought of that; my cousin Devona was in the Vanguard, and her letter about it had nearly smoked with rage. But if that was what it took to stop the war and keep Ebonhawke, then … and there were the dragons … but it meant giving up, it meant losing nearly all of our home … but ...

My head ached; I left the guide and the earnest adolescents following him to their own devices, and split off towards some scholars who looked Priory-ish.

They nodded at me, but continued on their own conversation, the first of them saying,

“They escaped Ascalon right before the Searing, crossed the kingdom of Kryta, joined and betrayed the White Mantle, and even faced a lich lord!”

I felt a prickle of interest; it sounded just like our family stories—and I’d definitely rather think about those than about Charr.