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*creeps back to GW2 fic that almost nobody reads*
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verse: Ascalonian grudgefic
characters/relationships: Althea Fairchild, Agent Ihan, Logan Thackeray; First Mate Gaets, Captain Barnicus, Crusader Hiroki, Scholar Josir, Countess Anise; Althea & Ihan, Althea & Logan
stuff that happens: Althea extracts the identity of the mysterious Seraph from the pirates and gets the chance to join one of the Orders and head him off.
chapters: 1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28, 29-35, 36-42, 43-49, 50-56, 57-63, 64-70, 71-77
SEVENTY-EIGHT
1
“Well done, you salty dog,” Gaets told me. “Captain, this is a good one!”
Right. Well, Ihan would be pleased, at any rate.
The captain strode over to me, grinning. I forced a lazy smile in return.
“You fight like a pack of wolves, Yardarm.”
2
Damn right, Deborah would say. I wouldn’t compare myself to animals, personally.
“I’d take you aboard in the blink of a mermaid’s eye,” he continued, then sagged, his expression turning melancholy. “Trouble is, my ship is busy cozying up with the seafloor.”
I raised my brows, and—praise the Six—he turned to Gaets and said,
“You tell the tale. Laying out our bad luck’ll set me me weepin’ like a quaggan.”
Faren, on the other hand, would have just burst out laughing.
3
Not that I’d felt any temptation to mimic Faren in this situation, or any situation. But Logan, Faren, even Deborah—none quite fitted my needs right now.
My model would have to be Anise, as I’d thought long ago: no pirate, obviously, but always presenting whatever face best suited the circumstances, and behind the faces, keeping her secrets. I could do that. Had done that, had nearly survived this.
I spared Gaets a look of idle curiosity.
It only took her a moment to put the words together, but that moment seemed to stretch on and on.
4
“A Seraph, by name of Kellach,” came callin’ on our seer,” she said.
And there it was, at last. I didn’t twitch, because I was Yardarm.
“Naturally,” Gaets went on, “we thought we’d feed him to the sharks, but he had coin, and promise of more.”
I tried to look intrigued; by the captain’s sorrowful but unsuspicious expression, I succeeded.
“We’d plundered an Orrian cruiser, plucked her treasures right under the ol’ dragon’s nose.”
What in all the hells?
5
Who could possibly think that a good idea? Who—right, right, pirates, and more importantly, I had a Seraph to track down.
“Kellach wanted the lot; we sold ’em for a pretty penny,” she said.
Kellach, evidently, had been a questionable character from the first. I nodded.
Gaets said, “Then he comes back a few nights later, screaming for the seer, Alastia Crow. He grabs her by the throat and says he’ll kill ’er unless she removes some curse he’s under.”
6
This was it. I’d nearly uncovered the mystery. I dared not speak—but Yardarm wasn’t much of a talker, anyway.
“Behind him come undead like the plague. He ignores ’em, doesn’t even know they’re there, and I hear Alastia whisper to him: ‘Blood of royalty.’”
Royalty? That meant—oh, no, no, no. Queen Jennah!
7
It took all the resolve I had to play out the rest of this farce. I had to get to Divinity’s Reach, to Logan and Anise.
“Kellach stabs Alastia and rushes off screaming, leaving us there to the mercy of the undead,” said Gaets. She scowled. “They scuttled our ship and ruined everything.”
Hurry, hurry.
“And that’s the sad story of the landlocked Ravenous,” said the captain.
SEVENTY-NINE
1
The captain shook his head. “These are bitter days to be a pirate.”
Truly, a tragedy. I squinted against the sun and said,
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m looking for work as a sailor, not a sellsword.” Just about anyone who’d met me would laugh at the idea of either. “If your ship’s not seaworthy, it’s best we part ways.”
I had to get out of here, now—but I’d never pass on my information if I got myself killed.
2
The captain heaved a deep sigh, but looked understanding. “It’s a pity you won’t sail with us, Yardarm. I guess we’ll see you on the tide.”
Right.
“I guess so,” I said.
“For now, I’ve got a ship to mend and a crew to rebuild,” he added, not at all subtly.
Thank Lyssa, I was free!
3
“Aye, aye, captain,” I told him, and with one last farewell, strode out of the camp, none of the pirates paying much attention and certainly none of them trying to stop me.
Once I turned about the edge of the hill they were camped around, I gathered myself and ran, racing towards the rendezvous spot as fast as my legs and my cloud of magic would take me.
Ihan, thankfully, lurked where I’d left him, bag at his feet.
“Our little undead attack went off without a hitch. How’d it play with the pirates?”
“I still think it was risky,” I said—risky and then some!—“but it paid off in spades. I know what Alastia told Kellach!”
4
“Risk is measured by reward, Advocate,” said Ihan, which ... well, I supposed so.
As I pulled my coat and dress over the pirate gear, I quickly relayed what I’d discovered, and Ihan’s eyes went wide.
“By Melandru,” he whispered. “Kellach’s going to attack Queen Jennah! We must send word to Captain Thackeray right away!”
I hadn’t known if he would consider it as urgent as I did. Relieved, I said,
“I’ll meet you back in Divinity’s Reach.”
5
With that, I launched myself up the side of the hill, then darted into the waypoint and out into Salma’s. Not wanting to raise more alarm than we already had, I didn’t run through the district, but hurried at a brisk pace until I found Hiroki and Josir, thankfully accompanied by Logan. Ihan just preceded me, no doubt through some stealthy trick or another.
“Captain Thackeray,” I said breathlessly. “I’m glad you’re here. We’ve got an urgent situation.”
Logan immediately set his hand on the hilt of his sword; normally I’d find it a little amusing, but I couldn’t find the darkest humour in anything right now.
6
“Kellach’s been corrupted by Orrian artifacts,” I told him. “The pirate, Alastia, told him that the queen’s blood will cure the corruption.”
Logan went white.
“Dwayna’s mercy,” he breathed. “I have to protect the queen! We can’t let him near her!”
He actually turned to go.
7
I caught Logan by the arm, though I had no chance of actually restraining him if he chose to go.
He didn’t. Instead, he paused and looked back.
“I think the undead are following him because he has the artifact,” I said urgently. “As long as he’s out there, they’ll be on his heels.”
Hiroki said, “We don’t have much time.”
EIGHTY
1
Hiroki looked around at all of us. “The undead mob he’s leading is just getting bigger. Kellach’s growing more dangerous by the second.”
Exactly.
“We can’t just think of the queen,” I told Logan, knowing the very words put me on dangerous footing. Never mind that; they had to be said. “We have to think of Kryta.”
2
I swallowed. “If we just defend her, Logan, Kellach will destroy every town from Lion’s Arch to Divinity’s Reach.”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond, just looked down at me. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled.
Opening them, he said, “You’re right, damn it. But when it comes to my duty to the queen …”
I knew; everyone knew.
3
“Never mind that,” said Logan, his voice firm once more. “I’m listening. What’s the plan?”
The representatives all eyed each other suspiciously; I’d hoped for a clear course of action we could all follow, but after one glance at them, I gave up on that.
“It’s time to assault Kellach head-on,” Hiroki announced. “In the Vigil, we swear an oath to stand between the darkness and the light. The only way to be sure is to face this threat directly.”
4
I really hadn’t imagined that she would say anything else. But I was surprised when she swivelled to face me.
“Advocate,” she said earnestly, “join us. You’d make a fine member of the Vigil, and I’d be proud to fight by your side.”
Wait, what? Me, serving in the Vigil? Me serving anything but Kryta and Ascalon?
5
Oh! Now I remembered what Ihan had said earlier, about what I’d need to learn to continue in the Order of Whispers. Had he been thinking of—
“Don’t be thick-headed, Hiroki!” said Josir, visibly impatient. “Knowledge is power. The Durmand Priory’s research is conclusive; the Advocate would be much better-suited among our scholars.”
Me?
6
He grinned at me. “Come, Advocate. We can use the Mortus Virge enchantment to protect the queen, and neutralize this threat intelligently.”
Risking the queen’s life on an enchantment that had yet to be tested? What kind of intelligence was that? No, I wouldn’t do that. If the Priory made habits of that sort of thing, I’d never join.
7
Not that I was seriously considering turning my back on Kryta, but even if I had … no, absolutely not.
Ihan shifted a little, the motion clearly not accidental—if anything ever was with him.
“Kellach has two things on his side,” he said briskly, “an army of undead and complete insanity. We have to use cunning. Lure him in, and then trick him into destroying himself.”
I’d really like more details on how that was supposed to work, but at least we’d gotten back to the matter at hand.
Then he looked directly at me and said, “The Order of Whispers wants you on our side, Advocate.”
EIGHTY-ONE
1
“All you have to do is say the word,” Ihan told me.
If I were to throw aside my obligations to Kryta, I’d at least consider this offer—but I couldn’t, could I? Could I only depend on them if I joined them? What havoc was Kellach wreaking even as I stood here?
“All right, everyone,” I said at last. “Give me a moment to discuss my options with Captain Thackeray, then I’ll let you know how I’m going to proceed.”
If anyone understood obligations to Kryta, it was Logan.
2
I didn’t even have to ask.
“Althea,” he said, meeting my gaze steadily, “all three orders have petitioned for you to join them. It’s a permanent choice, but you’ll gain a powerful ally.”
I searched his face. “What do you think about it, Logan?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he turned thoughtful. Then he laid his hand on my shoulder, as he’d done so many times.
3
“You’ve been a boon to Kryta,” Logan said, “but you can do more with one of the orders.”
Drawing a shaky breath, I said, “Can I do more for Kryta? I’m a loyal subject of the queen.”
“I know you are,” he said, with his trace of a smile. “No one could doubt it.”
“And,” I added, “I’m from Ebonhawke—I always meant to go back and help our people. What about them?”
4
“We won’t have a people if the dragons devour Kryta and Ascalon,” said Logan. He clasped my shoulder. “You should seize this opportunity.”
I hadn’t thought that far. What if the dragons achieved what the Charr had tried? Ascalonians surviving only as Risen seemed even worse than Ascalonians getting wiped off the face of Tyria. And this time, every other people would go down with us.
5
Feeling almost childish, I lifted my eyes to his and asked, “The queen will understand?”
“She will,” he promised.
I couldn’t see another way. And part of me tentatively warmed to the idea. I’d felt so dissatisfied for so long—I needed to be doing something beyond plugging leaks left by larger problems. I needed to help people, not only the individuals that happened to cross my path.
I just couldn’t do it on my own.
6
I closed my eyes, letting my nerves to settle: a trick that Logan himself had taught me. Then I opened them again.
“What do you think of the Vigil?”
Logan, predictably, liked them: straightforward, honourable, military, and concerned for the common person. When I asked about the Priory, he said,
“I have no use for libraries.”
I nearly smiled; that was Logan, all right.
“But,” he added, “exploring sounds fun.”
7
I wasn’t exactly looking for fun.
“I’d like discovering lost knowledge and history,” he said.
I’d always loved investigating the Ascalonian relics my family had accumulated over the years. Perhaps there was something in that, after all. I still questioned their methods, though.
Speaking of questionable methods—
“What do you think of the Order of Whispers?”
EIGHTY-TWO
1
Logan answered easily enough, “They claim to be master manipulators, hiding in the shadows. They certainly know a lot of secrets—that could be useful.”
True—and honestly, I’d expected more reservations from him.
Biting my lip, I wavered for one last moment. Then I lifted my head and told him, “I’m ready to choose an order.”
He looked as much melancholy as pleased, but then, I felt the same way.
Nothing would ever be the same.
2
After speaking to Hiroki briefly—both Josir and Ihan seemed disappointed—I made the inevitable choice.
I walked over to Ihan.
“The Order of Whispers wants you on our side, Advocate,” he told me. “Kellach’s defeat could be your initiation. Remember, this is a permanent decision—what do you say?”
In all honesty, I didn’t care for all this talk of permanency, as if I might end up with a knife in my back if I ever tried returning to my life in Kryta.
Then again, maybe I would.
3
But I was no warrior, and no scholar; I just liked to know things and achieve things. The Order of Whispers could offer that, and I could offer them what I was—fast and loyal and determined.
“What would the Order assign me to do?” I asked.
“Anything goes,” said Ihan, “from freeing political prisoners to influencing major events. You’ll travel Tyria—and see a little of its dark side.”
Between the Ministry and the Seraph, I’d already seen a good deal of that. Now, more would await me.
4
I looked Ihan in the eye. “I’ll join the Order of Whispers—Kellach is only the beginning.”
“Excellent!” he said, and smiled. “With cunning and foresight, we’ll end Kellach’s threat for good.”
“We will,” I told him, refusing to contemplate any other possibility, and held out my hand.
Ihan shook it, his grip firm, but not quite so crushing as Logan’s. “I’m proud to call you an Initiate of Whispers.”
5
Hiroki, to my relief, just said, “I won’t argue with your choice, Althea. I’ll pray for you, and for the queen. May Balthazar stand with you.”
“Thank you, Hiroki,” I replied, genuinely touched. Of the three, I probably liked her the most, as a person. I’d have liked to fight with her, were it possible.
I added, “I promise you, Kellach’s reign of terror ends here.”
6
She seemed unsure, for once, but gave a nod of encouragement.
Josir was rather less gracious, if complimentary, in his response; he exclaimed, “Blast it, another intelligent mind turned to inefficient purpose!” But after a moment’s consideration, he went on, “It’s okay—I’m sure you’ll do well. Good luck, Althea Fairchild. It’s been a pleasure.”
“Thanks, Josir,” I told him, and fell back on the habits of a lifetime. “I have great respect for both you and the Priory; I hope we’ll meet again.”
7
Two days ago, I’d barely known what the Orders of Tyria were. Now, I was a member of the Orders of Whispers.
I’d abandoned—no, I’d relinquished my duties to Kryta, with official leave and the possibility of aiding Kryta further in the future. But only as it suited the Order’s interests. Now, my service was to all Tyria. I was—
I was Lady Althea Fairchild, and always would be; but I owed that to my birth and rank, not myself. The Lady Althea I’d been seemed strange and distant—and as I returned to Ihan’s side, I couldn’t help but wonder if any part of her remained in Initiate Fairchild.
EIGHTY-THREE
1
Ihan told me to meet him at the queen’s palace, but to act naturally on my way there, since the Order meant to replace Queen Jennah with a clone.
“We don’t want Kellach to suspect anything?” I said.
“Exactly.”
I thought of detouring home to change clothes—or at least to remove the pirate gear underneath my clothes—but this was too important to risk that. I made my way to the palace, greeting the occasional familiar face on the way.
There were no Shining Blade guards outside the palace door. If Kellach were in his right mind, he might find that suspicious; but then, Kellach being in his right mind was not really a concern.
2
I let myself into the palace—speaking of things I’d never have anticipated last year—and, now freed from watching eyes, raced to the throne room.
I found Logan, Ihan, and Anise already gathered; the men both nodded at me, while Anise just watched. Immediately, I walked over to Logan; it was still difficult to imagine myself answering to any other authority, or any other friend.
“Jennah’s in danger,” he said. “Stay alert.”
“You must really care for her,” I said, inanely. I had to say something.
3
“I would give my life for her,” he said, without the intensity I would have expected to accompany such a statement—particularly from him. He said it as he might have noted the rising of the sun.
His life, however, was not his own to give. My attention, taking in the whole room, abruptly concentrated on him.
“She means more to you than Kryta?”
Logan hesitated, then said, “If there is purpose in my life, it is to keep her safe. She is Kryta.”
4
I didn’t know if I’d say that—but then, I didn’t know if I wouldn’t, either. She was our queen. Logan’s feelings obviously ran beyond that, but I could imagine what it must be to love her, the way that love for country and love for Jennah would feed each other. I felt profoundly sorry for him.
Still unsure of what to tell him, I laid a hand on his arm-plate.
“We’ll keep her safe,” I said at last, “and the gods will watch over us.”
Logan gave a sigh that might have meant anything, then said, “Thank you.”
5
I didn’t know if I’d helped, but I had to move on. I headed over to Anise, who looked particularly alert.
“The Shining Blade guards the Queen of Kryta,” she said, her voice tight. “Nothing that comes through that door will touch her, I swear it.”
I believed her.
When I told her that the Order planned to replace the queen with a duplicate, and asked if she’d still be there, she assured me that she would be; even in his current state, Kellach would doubt the false Jennah if Anise were not beside her. To my relief, the rest of the Shining Blade still accompanied the real one.
6
I almost wondered why we didn’t just add in a false Anise, but I suspected I knew exactly who was generating the clone of Jennah.
“Are you ready to fight?” I asked.
“Fight?” said Anise, with her tinkling laugh. “Darling, I’ll devastate. When Kellach’s minions approach, everyone will see exactly what I’m capable of doing.”
I smiled. “I’m sure we will.”
7
Ihan, who had been studying some peculiar devices secreted about the throne room, turned and gestured at me.
“There you are, Initiate,” he said when I joined him. “Are you ready to lay a trap for our friend Kellach?”
“I am, Ihan,” I replied firmly. “Are your agents prepared?”
“Our agents, my friend,” said Ihan, lifting a brow. “You’re a member of the Order of Whispers now.”
EIGHTY-FOUR
1
“We all work as one,” Ihan told me, his expression earnest—surprisingly so, for what he was.
For what we were.
I’d gotten used to working alone or with one other person, like Logan or … well, mostly Logan. It might take awhile to adjust to this.
As if summoned, Logan strode over to us.
“Everything’s arranged,” said Ihan. “We’ve set up traps throughout the room, and we’ll create a magical duplicate of Queen Jennah to distract Kellach.”
2
Logan’s gaze fixed on Ihan.
“But the real Queen Jennah will be safe, right?” he asked, and now his whole manner was intense, from the clench of his fists to the look in his eyes.
“Absolutely,” said Ihan without hesitation. “You have my word, on the honour of our Order.”
It was nice to know we had honour.
Logan seemed to shake himself out of his haze.
“Good.”
3
“Kellach’s been sighted near palace grounds,” he added. “He should be here any minute now.”
I braced myself. I didn’t like not knowing what to expect, I didn’t like fighting Risen, and I especially didn’t like fighting Seraph; altogether, this seemed one of the worst scenarios I could face. At least I’d have another mesmer at my side, and two warriors, of sorts, in Logan and Ihan, to take the brunt of a potential attack off us.
It was for the queen’s sake, I reminded myself. For Kryta’s.
4
“How do we make a duplicate of Queen Jennah?” I asked, just to be sure. It wouldn’t do for some amateur to break the illusion.
“With the queen’s permission,” said Ihan, “Countess Anise has offered her magic to assist us.”
I relaxed, infinitesimally. “The countess is very talented. Kellach won’t suspect a thing.”
No doubt he knew as much already, but Ihan seemed a little relieved; maybe it was more reassuring, coming from someone who’d personally seen her at work.
5
“So, what’s the plan?”
“We give Kellach a chance to surrender,” Ihan told me, his usual brisk self again. “If he doesn’t, we trick him into attacking the queen, and finding his destruction instead.”
An eloquent way of putting it. But what would we do with an infected Seraph if he did surrender? Jail him?
At this point, though, I didn’t think we needed to worry too much about that possibility.
6
I glanced over at where I’d seen Anise and Ihan planting the bombs.
“I’ve never heard of an aetheric bomb,” I said. “What is it?”
Ihan looked pleased. “It’s a combination of Charr and Asuran technology.”
I held off a scowl, but I could feel my lips tighten.
“It sends out a pulse that’s very damaging to the unliving.”
7
There were worse things, I told myself, than Charr technology going to help Kryta; it could even be satisfying, in an odd sort of way.
Ihan told me how to arm the aetheric bombs, and I hurried from bomb to bomb, pressing down on the small buttons that animated them, then quickly backing towards Logan and Anise.
“We’ve planned for every reasonable contingency,” I said, satisfied. “I’m ready when you are.”
I couldn’t help but wonder just how many tools of the Order of Whispers were like that, though—as harmful to those who used them as they were to our enemies. Maybe that was the price of Charr technology.
Ihan barked out, “Kellach’s here!”
“Advocate,” she said earnestly, “join us. You’d make a fine member of the Vigil, and I’d be proud to fight by your side.”
Wait, what? Me, serving in the Vigil? Me serving anything but Kryta and Ascalon?
title: pro patria (78-84)Wait, what? Me, serving in the Vigil? Me serving anything but Kryta and Ascalon?
verse: Ascalonian grudgefic
characters/relationships: Althea Fairchild, Agent Ihan, Logan Thackeray; First Mate Gaets, Captain Barnicus, Crusader Hiroki, Scholar Josir, Countess Anise; Althea & Ihan, Althea & Logan
stuff that happens: Althea extracts the identity of the mysterious Seraph from the pirates and gets the chance to join one of the Orders and head him off.
chapters: 1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28, 29-35, 36-42, 43-49, 50-56, 57-63, 64-70, 71-77
SEVENTY-EIGHT
1
“Well done, you salty dog,” Gaets told me. “Captain, this is a good one!”
Right. Well, Ihan would be pleased, at any rate.
The captain strode over to me, grinning. I forced a lazy smile in return.
“You fight like a pack of wolves, Yardarm.”
2
Damn right, Deborah would say. I wouldn’t compare myself to animals, personally.
“I’d take you aboard in the blink of a mermaid’s eye,” he continued, then sagged, his expression turning melancholy. “Trouble is, my ship is busy cozying up with the seafloor.”
I raised my brows, and—praise the Six—he turned to Gaets and said,
“You tell the tale. Laying out our bad luck’ll set me me weepin’ like a quaggan.”
Faren, on the other hand, would have just burst out laughing.
3
Not that I’d felt any temptation to mimic Faren in this situation, or any situation. But Logan, Faren, even Deborah—none quite fitted my needs right now.
My model would have to be Anise, as I’d thought long ago: no pirate, obviously, but always presenting whatever face best suited the circumstances, and behind the faces, keeping her secrets. I could do that. Had done that, had nearly survived this.
I spared Gaets a look of idle curiosity.
It only took her a moment to put the words together, but that moment seemed to stretch on and on.
4
“A Seraph, by name of Kellach,” came callin’ on our seer,” she said.
And there it was, at last. I didn’t twitch, because I was Yardarm.
“Naturally,” Gaets went on, “we thought we’d feed him to the sharks, but he had coin, and promise of more.”
I tried to look intrigued; by the captain’s sorrowful but unsuspicious expression, I succeeded.
“We’d plundered an Orrian cruiser, plucked her treasures right under the ol’ dragon’s nose.”
What in all the hells?
5
Who could possibly think that a good idea? Who—right, right, pirates, and more importantly, I had a Seraph to track down.
“Kellach wanted the lot; we sold ’em for a pretty penny,” she said.
Kellach, evidently, had been a questionable character from the first. I nodded.
Gaets said, “Then he comes back a few nights later, screaming for the seer, Alastia Crow. He grabs her by the throat and says he’ll kill ’er unless she removes some curse he’s under.”
6
This was it. I’d nearly uncovered the mystery. I dared not speak—but Yardarm wasn’t much of a talker, anyway.
“Behind him come undead like the plague. He ignores ’em, doesn’t even know they’re there, and I hear Alastia whisper to him: ‘Blood of royalty.’”
Royalty? That meant—oh, no, no, no. Queen Jennah!
7
It took all the resolve I had to play out the rest of this farce. I had to get to Divinity’s Reach, to Logan and Anise.
“Kellach stabs Alastia and rushes off screaming, leaving us there to the mercy of the undead,” said Gaets. She scowled. “They scuttled our ship and ruined everything.”
Hurry, hurry.
“And that’s the sad story of the landlocked Ravenous,” said the captain.
SEVENTY-NINE
1
The captain shook his head. “These are bitter days to be a pirate.”
Truly, a tragedy. I squinted against the sun and said,
“I’m sorry to hear that, but I’m looking for work as a sailor, not a sellsword.” Just about anyone who’d met me would laugh at the idea of either. “If your ship’s not seaworthy, it’s best we part ways.”
I had to get out of here, now—but I’d never pass on my information if I got myself killed.
2
The captain heaved a deep sigh, but looked understanding. “It’s a pity you won’t sail with us, Yardarm. I guess we’ll see you on the tide.”
Right.
“I guess so,” I said.
“For now, I’ve got a ship to mend and a crew to rebuild,” he added, not at all subtly.
Thank Lyssa, I was free!
3
“Aye, aye, captain,” I told him, and with one last farewell, strode out of the camp, none of the pirates paying much attention and certainly none of them trying to stop me.
Once I turned about the edge of the hill they were camped around, I gathered myself and ran, racing towards the rendezvous spot as fast as my legs and my cloud of magic would take me.
Ihan, thankfully, lurked where I’d left him, bag at his feet.
“Our little undead attack went off without a hitch. How’d it play with the pirates?”
“I still think it was risky,” I said—risky and then some!—“but it paid off in spades. I know what Alastia told Kellach!”
4
“Risk is measured by reward, Advocate,” said Ihan, which ... well, I supposed so.
As I pulled my coat and dress over the pirate gear, I quickly relayed what I’d discovered, and Ihan’s eyes went wide.
“By Melandru,” he whispered. “Kellach’s going to attack Queen Jennah! We must send word to Captain Thackeray right away!”
I hadn’t known if he would consider it as urgent as I did. Relieved, I said,
“I’ll meet you back in Divinity’s Reach.”
5
With that, I launched myself up the side of the hill, then darted into the waypoint and out into Salma’s. Not wanting to raise more alarm than we already had, I didn’t run through the district, but hurried at a brisk pace until I found Hiroki and Josir, thankfully accompanied by Logan. Ihan just preceded me, no doubt through some stealthy trick or another.
“Captain Thackeray,” I said breathlessly. “I’m glad you’re here. We’ve got an urgent situation.”
Logan immediately set his hand on the hilt of his sword; normally I’d find it a little amusing, but I couldn’t find the darkest humour in anything right now.
6
“Kellach’s been corrupted by Orrian artifacts,” I told him. “The pirate, Alastia, told him that the queen’s blood will cure the corruption.”
Logan went white.
“Dwayna’s mercy,” he breathed. “I have to protect the queen! We can’t let him near her!”
He actually turned to go.
7
I caught Logan by the arm, though I had no chance of actually restraining him if he chose to go.
He didn’t. Instead, he paused and looked back.
“I think the undead are following him because he has the artifact,” I said urgently. “As long as he’s out there, they’ll be on his heels.”
Hiroki said, “We don’t have much time.”
EIGHTY
1
Hiroki looked around at all of us. “The undead mob he’s leading is just getting bigger. Kellach’s growing more dangerous by the second.”
Exactly.
“We can’t just think of the queen,” I told Logan, knowing the very words put me on dangerous footing. Never mind that; they had to be said. “We have to think of Kryta.”
2
I swallowed. “If we just defend her, Logan, Kellach will destroy every town from Lion’s Arch to Divinity’s Reach.”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond, just looked down at me. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled.
Opening them, he said, “You’re right, damn it. But when it comes to my duty to the queen …”
I knew; everyone knew.
3
“Never mind that,” said Logan, his voice firm once more. “I’m listening. What’s the plan?”
The representatives all eyed each other suspiciously; I’d hoped for a clear course of action we could all follow, but after one glance at them, I gave up on that.
“It’s time to assault Kellach head-on,” Hiroki announced. “In the Vigil, we swear an oath to stand between the darkness and the light. The only way to be sure is to face this threat directly.”
4
I really hadn’t imagined that she would say anything else. But I was surprised when she swivelled to face me.
“Advocate,” she said earnestly, “join us. You’d make a fine member of the Vigil, and I’d be proud to fight by your side.”
Wait, what? Me, serving in the Vigil? Me serving anything but Kryta and Ascalon?
5
Oh! Now I remembered what Ihan had said earlier, about what I’d need to learn to continue in the Order of Whispers. Had he been thinking of—
“Don’t be thick-headed, Hiroki!” said Josir, visibly impatient. “Knowledge is power. The Durmand Priory’s research is conclusive; the Advocate would be much better-suited among our scholars.”
Me?
6
He grinned at me. “Come, Advocate. We can use the Mortus Virge enchantment to protect the queen, and neutralize this threat intelligently.”
Risking the queen’s life on an enchantment that had yet to be tested? What kind of intelligence was that? No, I wouldn’t do that. If the Priory made habits of that sort of thing, I’d never join.
7
Not that I was seriously considering turning my back on Kryta, but even if I had … no, absolutely not.
Ihan shifted a little, the motion clearly not accidental—if anything ever was with him.
“Kellach has two things on his side,” he said briskly, “an army of undead and complete insanity. We have to use cunning. Lure him in, and then trick him into destroying himself.”
I’d really like more details on how that was supposed to work, but at least we’d gotten back to the matter at hand.
Then he looked directly at me and said, “The Order of Whispers wants you on our side, Advocate.”
EIGHTY-ONE
1
“All you have to do is say the word,” Ihan told me.
If I were to throw aside my obligations to Kryta, I’d at least consider this offer—but I couldn’t, could I? Could I only depend on them if I joined them? What havoc was Kellach wreaking even as I stood here?
“All right, everyone,” I said at last. “Give me a moment to discuss my options with Captain Thackeray, then I’ll let you know how I’m going to proceed.”
If anyone understood obligations to Kryta, it was Logan.
2
I didn’t even have to ask.
“Althea,” he said, meeting my gaze steadily, “all three orders have petitioned for you to join them. It’s a permanent choice, but you’ll gain a powerful ally.”
I searched his face. “What do you think about it, Logan?”
After a moment’s hesitation, he turned thoughtful. Then he laid his hand on my shoulder, as he’d done so many times.
3
“You’ve been a boon to Kryta,” Logan said, “but you can do more with one of the orders.”
Drawing a shaky breath, I said, “Can I do more for Kryta? I’m a loyal subject of the queen.”
“I know you are,” he said, with his trace of a smile. “No one could doubt it.”
“And,” I added, “I’m from Ebonhawke—I always meant to go back and help our people. What about them?”
4
“We won’t have a people if the dragons devour Kryta and Ascalon,” said Logan. He clasped my shoulder. “You should seize this opportunity.”
I hadn’t thought that far. What if the dragons achieved what the Charr had tried? Ascalonians surviving only as Risen seemed even worse than Ascalonians getting wiped off the face of Tyria. And this time, every other people would go down with us.
5
Feeling almost childish, I lifted my eyes to his and asked, “The queen will understand?”
“She will,” he promised.
I couldn’t see another way. And part of me tentatively warmed to the idea. I’d felt so dissatisfied for so long—I needed to be doing something beyond plugging leaks left by larger problems. I needed to help people, not only the individuals that happened to cross my path.
I just couldn’t do it on my own.
6
I closed my eyes, letting my nerves to settle: a trick that Logan himself had taught me. Then I opened them again.
“What do you think of the Vigil?”
Logan, predictably, liked them: straightforward, honourable, military, and concerned for the common person. When I asked about the Priory, he said,
“I have no use for libraries.”
I nearly smiled; that was Logan, all right.
“But,” he added, “exploring sounds fun.”
7
I wasn’t exactly looking for fun.
“I’d like discovering lost knowledge and history,” he said.
I’d always loved investigating the Ascalonian relics my family had accumulated over the years. Perhaps there was something in that, after all. I still questioned their methods, though.
Speaking of questionable methods—
“What do you think of the Order of Whispers?”
EIGHTY-TWO
1
Logan answered easily enough, “They claim to be master manipulators, hiding in the shadows. They certainly know a lot of secrets—that could be useful.”
True—and honestly, I’d expected more reservations from him.
Biting my lip, I wavered for one last moment. Then I lifted my head and told him, “I’m ready to choose an order.”
He looked as much melancholy as pleased, but then, I felt the same way.
Nothing would ever be the same.
2
After speaking to Hiroki briefly—both Josir and Ihan seemed disappointed—I made the inevitable choice.
I walked over to Ihan.
“The Order of Whispers wants you on our side, Advocate,” he told me. “Kellach’s defeat could be your initiation. Remember, this is a permanent decision—what do you say?”
In all honesty, I didn’t care for all this talk of permanency, as if I might end up with a knife in my back if I ever tried returning to my life in Kryta.
Then again, maybe I would.
3
But I was no warrior, and no scholar; I just liked to know things and achieve things. The Order of Whispers could offer that, and I could offer them what I was—fast and loyal and determined.
“What would the Order assign me to do?” I asked.
“Anything goes,” said Ihan, “from freeing political prisoners to influencing major events. You’ll travel Tyria—and see a little of its dark side.”
Between the Ministry and the Seraph, I’d already seen a good deal of that. Now, more would await me.
4
I looked Ihan in the eye. “I’ll join the Order of Whispers—Kellach is only the beginning.”
“Excellent!” he said, and smiled. “With cunning and foresight, we’ll end Kellach’s threat for good.”
“We will,” I told him, refusing to contemplate any other possibility, and held out my hand.
Ihan shook it, his grip firm, but not quite so crushing as Logan’s. “I’m proud to call you an Initiate of Whispers.”
5
Hiroki, to my relief, just said, “I won’t argue with your choice, Althea. I’ll pray for you, and for the queen. May Balthazar stand with you.”
“Thank you, Hiroki,” I replied, genuinely touched. Of the three, I probably liked her the most, as a person. I’d have liked to fight with her, were it possible.
I added, “I promise you, Kellach’s reign of terror ends here.”
6
She seemed unsure, for once, but gave a nod of encouragement.
Josir was rather less gracious, if complimentary, in his response; he exclaimed, “Blast it, another intelligent mind turned to inefficient purpose!” But after a moment’s consideration, he went on, “It’s okay—I’m sure you’ll do well. Good luck, Althea Fairchild. It’s been a pleasure.”
“Thanks, Josir,” I told him, and fell back on the habits of a lifetime. “I have great respect for both you and the Priory; I hope we’ll meet again.”
7
Two days ago, I’d barely known what the Orders of Tyria were. Now, I was a member of the Orders of Whispers.
I’d abandoned—no, I’d relinquished my duties to Kryta, with official leave and the possibility of aiding Kryta further in the future. But only as it suited the Order’s interests. Now, my service was to all Tyria. I was—
I was Lady Althea Fairchild, and always would be; but I owed that to my birth and rank, not myself. The Lady Althea I’d been seemed strange and distant—and as I returned to Ihan’s side, I couldn’t help but wonder if any part of her remained in Initiate Fairchild.
EIGHTY-THREE
1
Ihan told me to meet him at the queen’s palace, but to act naturally on my way there, since the Order meant to replace Queen Jennah with a clone.
“We don’t want Kellach to suspect anything?” I said.
“Exactly.”
I thought of detouring home to change clothes—or at least to remove the pirate gear underneath my clothes—but this was too important to risk that. I made my way to the palace, greeting the occasional familiar face on the way.
There were no Shining Blade guards outside the palace door. If Kellach were in his right mind, he might find that suspicious; but then, Kellach being in his right mind was not really a concern.
2
I let myself into the palace—speaking of things I’d never have anticipated last year—and, now freed from watching eyes, raced to the throne room.
I found Logan, Ihan, and Anise already gathered; the men both nodded at me, while Anise just watched. Immediately, I walked over to Logan; it was still difficult to imagine myself answering to any other authority, or any other friend.
“Jennah’s in danger,” he said. “Stay alert.”
“You must really care for her,” I said, inanely. I had to say something.
3
“I would give my life for her,” he said, without the intensity I would have expected to accompany such a statement—particularly from him. He said it as he might have noted the rising of the sun.
His life, however, was not his own to give. My attention, taking in the whole room, abruptly concentrated on him.
“She means more to you than Kryta?”
Logan hesitated, then said, “If there is purpose in my life, it is to keep her safe. She is Kryta.”
4
I didn’t know if I’d say that—but then, I didn’t know if I wouldn’t, either. She was our queen. Logan’s feelings obviously ran beyond that, but I could imagine what it must be to love her, the way that love for country and love for Jennah would feed each other. I felt profoundly sorry for him.
Still unsure of what to tell him, I laid a hand on his arm-plate.
“We’ll keep her safe,” I said at last, “and the gods will watch over us.”
Logan gave a sigh that might have meant anything, then said, “Thank you.”
5
I didn’t know if I’d helped, but I had to move on. I headed over to Anise, who looked particularly alert.
“The Shining Blade guards the Queen of Kryta,” she said, her voice tight. “Nothing that comes through that door will touch her, I swear it.”
I believed her.
When I told her that the Order planned to replace the queen with a duplicate, and asked if she’d still be there, she assured me that she would be; even in his current state, Kellach would doubt the false Jennah if Anise were not beside her. To my relief, the rest of the Shining Blade still accompanied the real one.
6
I almost wondered why we didn’t just add in a false Anise, but I suspected I knew exactly who was generating the clone of Jennah.
“Are you ready to fight?” I asked.
“Fight?” said Anise, with her tinkling laugh. “Darling, I’ll devastate. When Kellach’s minions approach, everyone will see exactly what I’m capable of doing.”
I smiled. “I’m sure we will.”
7
Ihan, who had been studying some peculiar devices secreted about the throne room, turned and gestured at me.
“There you are, Initiate,” he said when I joined him. “Are you ready to lay a trap for our friend Kellach?”
“I am, Ihan,” I replied firmly. “Are your agents prepared?”
“Our agents, my friend,” said Ihan, lifting a brow. “You’re a member of the Order of Whispers now.”
EIGHTY-FOUR
1
“We all work as one,” Ihan told me, his expression earnest—surprisingly so, for what he was.
For what we were.
I’d gotten used to working alone or with one other person, like Logan or … well, mostly Logan. It might take awhile to adjust to this.
As if summoned, Logan strode over to us.
“Everything’s arranged,” said Ihan. “We’ve set up traps throughout the room, and we’ll create a magical duplicate of Queen Jennah to distract Kellach.”
2
Logan’s gaze fixed on Ihan.
“But the real Queen Jennah will be safe, right?” he asked, and now his whole manner was intense, from the clench of his fists to the look in his eyes.
“Absolutely,” said Ihan without hesitation. “You have my word, on the honour of our Order.”
It was nice to know we had honour.
Logan seemed to shake himself out of his haze.
“Good.”
3
“Kellach’s been sighted near palace grounds,” he added. “He should be here any minute now.”
I braced myself. I didn’t like not knowing what to expect, I didn’t like fighting Risen, and I especially didn’t like fighting Seraph; altogether, this seemed one of the worst scenarios I could face. At least I’d have another mesmer at my side, and two warriors, of sorts, in Logan and Ihan, to take the brunt of a potential attack off us.
It was for the queen’s sake, I reminded myself. For Kryta’s.
4
“How do we make a duplicate of Queen Jennah?” I asked, just to be sure. It wouldn’t do for some amateur to break the illusion.
“With the queen’s permission,” said Ihan, “Countess Anise has offered her magic to assist us.”
I relaxed, infinitesimally. “The countess is very talented. Kellach won’t suspect a thing.”
No doubt he knew as much already, but Ihan seemed a little relieved; maybe it was more reassuring, coming from someone who’d personally seen her at work.
5
“So, what’s the plan?”
“We give Kellach a chance to surrender,” Ihan told me, his usual brisk self again. “If he doesn’t, we trick him into attacking the queen, and finding his destruction instead.”
An eloquent way of putting it. But what would we do with an infected Seraph if he did surrender? Jail him?
At this point, though, I didn’t think we needed to worry too much about that possibility.
6
I glanced over at where I’d seen Anise and Ihan planting the bombs.
“I’ve never heard of an aetheric bomb,” I said. “What is it?”
Ihan looked pleased. “It’s a combination of Charr and Asuran technology.”
I held off a scowl, but I could feel my lips tighten.
“It sends out a pulse that’s very damaging to the unliving.”
7
There were worse things, I told myself, than Charr technology going to help Kryta; it could even be satisfying, in an odd sort of way.
Ihan told me how to arm the aetheric bombs, and I hurried from bomb to bomb, pressing down on the small buttons that animated them, then quickly backing towards Logan and Anise.
“We’ve planned for every reasonable contingency,” I said, satisfied. “I’m ready when you are.”
I couldn’t help but wonder just how many tools of the Order of Whispers were like that, though—as harmful to those who used them as they were to our enemies. Maybe that was the price of Charr technology.
Ihan barked out, “Kellach’s here!”