"So remind me again, why we're doing this?"
I braced myself against the back of Broadbark's hand as he came to a halt, and turned to look at Jace from across the clearing.
"Because…" I said, and reached my hand behind my head to tie back what hair had fallen from my ponytail, "…Kelmor agreed to help us if we helped him, and Doran supported the plan wholeheartedly?" I frowned. "What, why are you asking?"
The mage's lips twisted in a mirror image of mine. "You know what I mean, Rana."
No, I don't. I shook my head. Things had been…odd, between him and I, since the night before. One moment I would catch him looking at me out of the corner of his eye almost wistfully – or, well, so part of me hoped – and then the other he would avert his gaze, or speak to me in a voice as cold and distant as if it were addressing a stranger. It was…disconcerting, to say the least. I wasn't sure if I was alright with it or not. Either way, it certainly wasn't making the whole "storm Glen Elendra with a legion of treefolk" thing any easier – especially not with Kelmor, the great black mound of spiked metal he was, looming between us like a physical representation of our discomfort.
Overall, I just wanted to call it quits and planeswalk back to Ravnica for a nice, long nap.
Two straight days might do the trick.
"I meant what I said. Doran already agreed before we did, so it's not like we're rushing straight into something that's not our business…"
"Like that's stopped us before."
My eyebrow twitched in irritation. Spirits, what is with him? "You've always been the group leader, Jace. Don't try to pin things on me."
His brow furrowed at that now, and he opened his mouth to retort, but at Doran's rumbling approach he silenced himself in an instant. Even Broadbark's hand shook beneath my feet as the massive rootbeard lumbered closer.
"And tell me…why are the two of you fighting?" I folded my arms across my chest as the familiar boughs came into view, along with Doran's leafy brow as it raised over one eye. I had to hold myself back from sighing. "The last time we spoke, you were both rather amiable. Or…did I misjudge the situation?"
Jace and I exchanged a look. "It's…nothing, Lord Doran. We're just…" I waited to see if Jace would speak first, but he didn't, so I simply shook my head. "…Neither of us has gotten good sleep in awhile. We need some rest, is all. Once this is over."
The treefolk elder didn't look like he believed me for a second – but thankfully, though, he didn't make any further mention of the subject. "As you say. I came to tell you that my people are stationed throughout the perimeter on all sides, and are ready to advance into Glen Elendra herself at your command. Have you prepared yourselves for breaching her palace?
Kelmor, seated cross-legged atop the palm of another treefolk over to my left, shifted his weight and nodded. "Aye. I've sent all my folk after yers, Lor' Doran. 'll be just the three o' us, but we're planeswalkers. We can manage jus' fine."
Trunk creaking, Doran turned to him and gave a slight nod of whatever part of him passed as his head. "And your plan from there?"
"We'll find Maralen," Jace piped up, before Kelmor had a chance to get another word out. He was standing straight and unsupported on the palm of Odum's hand, several feet over to my right. When I turned from Kelmor to him, I saw that he had, uncharacteristically, planted his hands on his hips, and it took every ounce of self-control I had not to groan. "We'll subdue her, and I'll use my magic to imprison her long enough for us to get some answers. After that, we'll let Kelmor take care of her, and then we'll head back to Ravnica. I have some business I need to get back to."
"But Lord Doran, wait." I whipped right back around again and locked gazes with the elder. "Before we head back, you will allow me to complete the binding ritual, won't you? As you promised?"
Doran nodded. "As I promised. If you succeed in restoring this world to the balance that it needs, as we agreed upon, then you shall have your wish."
Now I nodded, in thanks. Good. This had all fallen into place far easier than I had anticipated – which worried me, to tell the truth, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. My only choice was to either back out (not an option at this point) or to keep on going and trust my fate to the whims of the spirits, without questioning what kind of fortune had tumbled into my lap. I wasn't ungrateful. I was merely…skeptical. But skepticism wasn't going to earn me my damned immortality.
"So we should go, then," I said. "Right now. If everyone is in place, then I don't see any reason to wait…"
To my surprise, though, instead of nodding again and setting off, Doran fixed me with a questioning look. "So anxious, child. You do not wish to prepare yourself any further?"
I blinked. "What else can I do to prepare?" My hands were shaking, balled into fists at my sides as they were, and I just wanted to get this whole fiasco over with. I already had the adrenaline pumping like liquid lightning through my veins, and I wasn't sure how long it would last. "If your army and Kelmor's army is all set, then that's that, right?"
"…As you say."
I didn't even bother to turn to Jace – I could tell that he was looking at me, but I didn't want to look back at him. Rankling my composure was not high on my list of priorities. "So then let's go. Take me in, Broadbark. I'm ready to fight."
The treefolk spoke not a word as he lifted his legs from the ground, and plodded his slow, deliberate way forward toward the edge of the treeline, toward the great wide beautiful clearing that was Glen Elendra and the glowing auras of all of its fae. Thanks to Jace's careful work, the illusions surrounding its perimeter had been dispelled for our eyes and the eyes of our allies, though they remained intact so as not to draw suspicion – so to our boon, we could see the place for what it was. It wouldn't be long before its defenders would be upon us, since Jace's additional sight- and sound-proofing illusions only worked at a certain distance, but by the time they wore off it wouldn't matter. We would be upon them, and they would have to scramble if they wanted to have a chance at mounting a resistance.
My heart pounded harder the closer we drew. I could feel the tingling hum of Jace's spell all around me, but I could also taste the rich mix of black and blue mana that welled like a font from the center of the Glen. It set my nerves alight, and prickled the hairs on the back of my neck.
When we broke through the barrier of their illusions, it felt like plunging headfirst into icy water.
I gasped aloud. By the time I had opened my eyes after having closed them on reflex, I could hear the cried of a thousand angry fae streaming toward us, in a shimmering blur that seemed to blend into one great mass.
Beside me, Doran let out a strange, guttural roar that sounded at once like branches snapping in a storm, and thunderclaps rolling through the hills. His people joined in to form a cacophony even as they rushed forward to meet the defenders, in the midst of an eerie chorus that I would have never expected to emanate from the mouths of trees. I shivered. Finally, almost reluctantly, I turned to Jace before he and Odum were lost among the chaos of the battle that was about to ensue.
His eyes met mine. To my surprise – and pleasure – they held no anger. They held only anticipation, and the faintest note of concern.
It was enough, I supposed.
Looks like it's time to do or die.