Interlude: Hanna
My name is Hanna Latria Adele, and I am about to die. And I welcome the embrace of the Shadow-Lover, more then I have welcomed anyone else's-
Except for my sweet Danyen's. But I know that when I embrace the Shadow-Lover, I will see Danyen again, for he has gone on ahead of me, he and my poor Arel. I will see them and everyone else I knew in life, soon. But is this the way it must end? All of us dead, because of the wrath of one thwarted blood-path wizard? I know that Velgarth lies in ruins, though I cannot see for myself: my last sight will be darkness, for my sight is gone. Like everything else I loved.
Lying here, alone, it is easy to look back and see what I should have done, what we should have done. It is easy to blame myself for what happened, and there is no Arel to speak into my mind and try to convince me otherwise with her love, there is no Danyen to hold me and try to make everything alright, if only for a time. They're dead, they're dead, and I am alone. Alone like I've never been since that day nineteen years ago when the Companion Arel looked into the eyes of the lonely little girl I was and Chose me, and then the day when I met the then Herald-Mage trainee Danyen Orie, fell in love and lifebonded to him: I was never alone after that...until now. And it's worse this time, for when Arel and Danyen went, they took pieces of me with them, and I am only half, lying here in darkness, both of blindness and of night. I Feel others die on the battlefield, and I am alone, save for one: Herald Sara Leshyal, and her Companion Reavn are still alive, because she was in charge of keeping the trainees safe, or the few trainees that Leareth did not manage to kill. Among them is Herald-Mage trainee Leshia, the Heir. But the others are dead.
I know it is my fault, partly, for what happened. The Dark Adept Leareth had fancied me, Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele, and had sent his envoy to ask my hand in marriage. I did not want to marry such a monster and would have rather been dead then been Leareth's bride, but did not say so: instead, I politely declined. My official reasons for refusing were that not only was I the 1st-ranked Herald-Mage in the Heraldic Circle and was needed by the side of Herald-Queen Terilee, I was also lifebonded to Herald-Mage Danyen Orie, and that a marriage to anyone other then my lifebonded would be nothing but a lie, and because of those reasons, would not be a fitting bride for Adept Leareth. All reasons that any sane person would accept...
Instead, Leareth attacked...and the results? Every person on Velgarth- with the exception of one full Herald, 15 Herald-trainees, 17 Bardic- trainees, 16 Healer-trainees, 3 full Healers, 4 full Bards, and one dying Herald-Mage (me) and the Companions of said Herald and Herald-trainees-was dead. All would be lost unless I did something...but what?
They call me the most powerful Herald-Mage of my time AND in history. I thought grimly. Let's see that power USED for something.
I reached out and touched the mind of Princess Leshia.
:Leshia.: I Mindspoke her in Private-Mode.
:Hanna?! You're still alive?!:
:Not for long. I'm going to do something that's going to kill me, but save the rest of you. Otherwise, we're all gonna die. I have nothing left to live for, anyway...both Arel and Danyen are dead.: I said, trying to not to break down and weep. :So I might as well go out doing something worthwhile.:
:What are you going to do?: she asked.
:Create a bridge to another world, so all of you can escape. I'll make sure Leareth cannot follow you, but after that, you're on your own. All of you assimilate into the new world's population, but maintain Silence...only those of the new world Chosen or having Healer or Bardic Gifts can know of your existence, and they must keep Silence. Until the day when your descendants are strong enough to combat Leareth and win, that is. Remember everything, remember it all. They will need to know. Goodbye, Leshia.: I hoped that I had enough strength left to construct a bridge to another world, but I didn't say so.
:Goodbye, Hanna.: She responded, and then I severed the Mindspeech link.
I drew on the magic of one last node, that hadn't yet been tapped out, either by myself or Leareth, augmented by my power-what reserves were left-and began spinning the threads outward, bits of myself, to another realm-
Bright Lady, grant me strength. I prayed, and continued my work.
-I call upon the Portal- I cast the Gate spell but 'twisted' it somewhat, as I searched for a new realm.
The threads caught and the bridge snapped into place onto the new world. Earth. I knew her name and knew her story. The realm had strong latent magic-which would flower into being when the refugees arrived-, but it was so far away that Leareth wouldn't think to go there. I hoped.
:Now!: I Mindspoke in Broadsend-mode, and Felt the last of my people flee Velgarth. I cloaked their passing and knew that Leareth had no idea of the whole exodus: he'd have caught the bridge, stopped them mid- crossing, and I'd have Felt if that had happened.
Almost done... I thought as I spun loose the bridge that had briefly connected Velgarth to Earth. Only one more thing to do, and then I can rest...
I extended my presence out to Earth, and began Weaving the new Web. North, East, South, West-each quadrant with a Herald-Mage Guardian to watch and Guard. But when I tried to connect all the remaining Heralds-trainees, truth be told-into the Web, I realized that I didn't have enough strength to finish the job. I Saw the spell-structure: there was a weak network that was trying to bind the Heralds together as part of the Web, but was underpowered and incomplete...maybe if there was another Herald-Mage of my caliber... I just hoped that the Four Guardians would be enough. And I let go of the Web, and let myself fall...
Back into my own body, wracked with pain and lying in darkness. I opened my eyes, just to stare into blackness-
And to my left, I saw a strange Herald in full Whites kneeling by my side. I was floored-wasn't I blind? How could I see him? But I couldn't concentrate, I was losing my grip on myself, as everything-the pain, the darkness, and the Herald-faded and blurred, and spun. I was past hurting, since the pain had become so intense while I had Worked the Bridge and Created the Earth-Web, that I had grown used to it.
I fell into darker darkness, true darkness, and hoped that Danyen would be there.
Please, please, Danyen, wherever you are, please, wait for me-
And was yanked back by the Herald's voice.
:My hand, Herald Hanna. Will you take it?: he asked.
:Are you crazy?! I almost had it, I was almost dead, but you HAD to hold me back! Just let me go!: I Mindspoke him angrily, as the pain flared again, and it was all I could to keep from screaming with the pain of it, battle-hardened as I was.
:Herald, this is a faster way out.: he told me. :Take my hand, Herald.:
I growled, but managed to scrape up enough strength from somewhere to raise my left hand, just enough to place it in his. His fingers curled about my hand, and he smiled-
And I was standing, whole and healthy, no longer pain-racked, no longer blind. The Herald was with me, his sapphire eyes staring down into mine-he was a full foot taller then I.
"So, am I dead?" I asked.
"Yes." He said. I stared at him, and suddenly realized who I had snapped at, this Power who had chosen to appear to me as a Herald, and who stared at me with eyes of the deepest sapphire blue. Eyes of sorrow, so deep, sad, and serene.
The Shadow-Lover. Death.
I tried to kneel, but he grabbed my collar and held me upright.
"No, Hanna. Do not kneel to me." He said. "I am only a messenger, a servant, nothing more. I have to tell you of much that concerns you. For starters, time has passed since the moment I took you from your dying body on that battlefield."
"How much time?" I asked, expecting a few days. I was proven wrong.
"Many years, Hanna. 10,000 years, which perhaps explains why, all of a sudden, there are 4 Firestarting Heralds, or will be, for only one has been born: none have appeared since the death of Lavan in your time. Your Web holds...the refugees of Velgarth prosper. Silence is maintained, and shows no signs of breaking. You and what happened all those years ago have passed into legend."
"That's good to know." I said. "But why are you telling me this?"
"Because, Hanna, you stand at a crossroads, because of what you were and what you can still be, and what you can become. This situation will not hold...the time has come for change." Death told me.
"But-" I barely got the word out, and then the Shadow-Lover shook His head gravely.
"Danyen has gone on ahead...he waits for you." He told me. "But it remains up to you to choose."
As I stood there, I realized what he meant. "I have to go back."
"But not as Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele." He said. "As someone new, totally different, with a new past, different present, and another future."
"I will go." I said. "Guess I won't be a Herald this time...it might be interesting being a Bard or a Healer this time, if I'm Gifted at all...right?"
"Wrong. I might as well tell you, ke'chara, even though you will remember nothing of this or your old life or identity, except through dreams...perhaps you may gain these memories back at a later time, but perhaps not. You will be a Herald-Mage, even more powerful then you were as Hanna, with all the Gifts, including the two you lacked-Healing and Firestarting. And you will find Danyen again. As for the rest...it is up to you."
"I understand." I said.
"Farewell, ke'chara." The Shadow-Lover said, as everything dissolved around me, and I fell once again into darkness...
I knew my name. My new name, and I spoke it, before everything and myself faded into darkness...
And Hanna Latria Adele was no more, gone if she had never existed, everything forgotten. Instead, there was someone else, someone with a totally new past, different future, and another present, a new beginning, not yet bound by destiny...
(End Interlude)
My name is Hanna Latria Adele, and I am about to die. And I welcome the embrace of the Shadow-Lover, more then I have welcomed anyone else's-
Except for my sweet Danyen's. But I know that when I embrace the Shadow-Lover, I will see Danyen again, for he has gone on ahead of me, he and my poor Arel. I will see them and everyone else I knew in life, soon. But is this the way it must end? All of us dead, because of the wrath of one thwarted blood-path wizard? I know that Velgarth lies in ruins, though I cannot see for myself: my last sight will be darkness, for my sight is gone. Like everything else I loved.
Lying here, alone, it is easy to look back and see what I should have done, what we should have done. It is easy to blame myself for what happened, and there is no Arel to speak into my mind and try to convince me otherwise with her love, there is no Danyen to hold me and try to make everything alright, if only for a time. They're dead, they're dead, and I am alone. Alone like I've never been since that day nineteen years ago when the Companion Arel looked into the eyes of the lonely little girl I was and Chose me, and then the day when I met the then Herald-Mage trainee Danyen Orie, fell in love and lifebonded to him: I was never alone after that...until now. And it's worse this time, for when Arel and Danyen went, they took pieces of me with them, and I am only half, lying here in darkness, both of blindness and of night. I Feel others die on the battlefield, and I am alone, save for one: Herald Sara Leshyal, and her Companion Reavn are still alive, because she was in charge of keeping the trainees safe, or the few trainees that Leareth did not manage to kill. Among them is Herald-Mage trainee Leshia, the Heir. But the others are dead.
I know it is my fault, partly, for what happened. The Dark Adept Leareth had fancied me, Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele, and had sent his envoy to ask my hand in marriage. I did not want to marry such a monster and would have rather been dead then been Leareth's bride, but did not say so: instead, I politely declined. My official reasons for refusing were that not only was I the 1st-ranked Herald-Mage in the Heraldic Circle and was needed by the side of Herald-Queen Terilee, I was also lifebonded to Herald-Mage Danyen Orie, and that a marriage to anyone other then my lifebonded would be nothing but a lie, and because of those reasons, would not be a fitting bride for Adept Leareth. All reasons that any sane person would accept...
Instead, Leareth attacked...and the results? Every person on Velgarth- with the exception of one full Herald, 15 Herald-trainees, 17 Bardic- trainees, 16 Healer-trainees, 3 full Healers, 4 full Bards, and one dying Herald-Mage (me) and the Companions of said Herald and Herald-trainees-was dead. All would be lost unless I did something...but what?
They call me the most powerful Herald-Mage of my time AND in history. I thought grimly. Let's see that power USED for something.
I reached out and touched the mind of Princess Leshia.
:Leshia.: I Mindspoke her in Private-Mode.
:Hanna?! You're still alive?!:
:Not for long. I'm going to do something that's going to kill me, but save the rest of you. Otherwise, we're all gonna die. I have nothing left to live for, anyway...both Arel and Danyen are dead.: I said, trying to not to break down and weep. :So I might as well go out doing something worthwhile.:
:What are you going to do?: she asked.
:Create a bridge to another world, so all of you can escape. I'll make sure Leareth cannot follow you, but after that, you're on your own. All of you assimilate into the new world's population, but maintain Silence...only those of the new world Chosen or having Healer or Bardic Gifts can know of your existence, and they must keep Silence. Until the day when your descendants are strong enough to combat Leareth and win, that is. Remember everything, remember it all. They will need to know. Goodbye, Leshia.: I hoped that I had enough strength left to construct a bridge to another world, but I didn't say so.
:Goodbye, Hanna.: She responded, and then I severed the Mindspeech link.
I drew on the magic of one last node, that hadn't yet been tapped out, either by myself or Leareth, augmented by my power-what reserves were left-and began spinning the threads outward, bits of myself, to another realm-
Bright Lady, grant me strength. I prayed, and continued my work.
-I call upon the Portal- I cast the Gate spell but 'twisted' it somewhat, as I searched for a new realm.
The threads caught and the bridge snapped into place onto the new world. Earth. I knew her name and knew her story. The realm had strong latent magic-which would flower into being when the refugees arrived-, but it was so far away that Leareth wouldn't think to go there. I hoped.
:Now!: I Mindspoke in Broadsend-mode, and Felt the last of my people flee Velgarth. I cloaked their passing and knew that Leareth had no idea of the whole exodus: he'd have caught the bridge, stopped them mid- crossing, and I'd have Felt if that had happened.
Almost done... I thought as I spun loose the bridge that had briefly connected Velgarth to Earth. Only one more thing to do, and then I can rest...
I extended my presence out to Earth, and began Weaving the new Web. North, East, South, West-each quadrant with a Herald-Mage Guardian to watch and Guard. But when I tried to connect all the remaining Heralds-trainees, truth be told-into the Web, I realized that I didn't have enough strength to finish the job. I Saw the spell-structure: there was a weak network that was trying to bind the Heralds together as part of the Web, but was underpowered and incomplete...maybe if there was another Herald-Mage of my caliber... I just hoped that the Four Guardians would be enough. And I let go of the Web, and let myself fall...
Back into my own body, wracked with pain and lying in darkness. I opened my eyes, just to stare into blackness-
And to my left, I saw a strange Herald in full Whites kneeling by my side. I was floored-wasn't I blind? How could I see him? But I couldn't concentrate, I was losing my grip on myself, as everything-the pain, the darkness, and the Herald-faded and blurred, and spun. I was past hurting, since the pain had become so intense while I had Worked the Bridge and Created the Earth-Web, that I had grown used to it.
I fell into darker darkness, true darkness, and hoped that Danyen would be there.
Please, please, Danyen, wherever you are, please, wait for me-
And was yanked back by the Herald's voice.
:My hand, Herald Hanna. Will you take it?: he asked.
:Are you crazy?! I almost had it, I was almost dead, but you HAD to hold me back! Just let me go!: I Mindspoke him angrily, as the pain flared again, and it was all I could to keep from screaming with the pain of it, battle-hardened as I was.
:Herald, this is a faster way out.: he told me. :Take my hand, Herald.:
I growled, but managed to scrape up enough strength from somewhere to raise my left hand, just enough to place it in his. His fingers curled about my hand, and he smiled-
And I was standing, whole and healthy, no longer pain-racked, no longer blind. The Herald was with me, his sapphire eyes staring down into mine-he was a full foot taller then I.
"So, am I dead?" I asked.
"Yes." He said. I stared at him, and suddenly realized who I had snapped at, this Power who had chosen to appear to me as a Herald, and who stared at me with eyes of the deepest sapphire blue. Eyes of sorrow, so deep, sad, and serene.
The Shadow-Lover. Death.
I tried to kneel, but he grabbed my collar and held me upright.
"No, Hanna. Do not kneel to me." He said. "I am only a messenger, a servant, nothing more. I have to tell you of much that concerns you. For starters, time has passed since the moment I took you from your dying body on that battlefield."
"How much time?" I asked, expecting a few days. I was proven wrong.
"Many years, Hanna. 10,000 years, which perhaps explains why, all of a sudden, there are 4 Firestarting Heralds, or will be, for only one has been born: none have appeared since the death of Lavan in your time. Your Web holds...the refugees of Velgarth prosper. Silence is maintained, and shows no signs of breaking. You and what happened all those years ago have passed into legend."
"That's good to know." I said. "But why are you telling me this?"
"Because, Hanna, you stand at a crossroads, because of what you were and what you can still be, and what you can become. This situation will not hold...the time has come for change." Death told me.
"But-" I barely got the word out, and then the Shadow-Lover shook His head gravely.
"Danyen has gone on ahead...he waits for you." He told me. "But it remains up to you to choose."
As I stood there, I realized what he meant. "I have to go back."
"But not as Herald-Mage Hanna Latria Adele." He said. "As someone new, totally different, with a new past, different present, and another future."
"I will go." I said. "Guess I won't be a Herald this time...it might be interesting being a Bard or a Healer this time, if I'm Gifted at all...right?"
"Wrong. I might as well tell you, ke'chara, even though you will remember nothing of this or your old life or identity, except through dreams...perhaps you may gain these memories back at a later time, but perhaps not. You will be a Herald-Mage, even more powerful then you were as Hanna, with all the Gifts, including the two you lacked-Healing and Firestarting. And you will find Danyen again. As for the rest...it is up to you."
"I understand." I said.
"Farewell, ke'chara." The Shadow-Lover said, as everything dissolved around me, and I fell once again into darkness...
I knew my name. My new name, and I spoke it, before everything and myself faded into darkness...
And Hanna Latria Adele was no more, gone if she had never existed, everything forgotten. Instead, there was someone else, someone with a totally new past, different future, and another present, a new beginning, not yet bound by destiny...
(End Interlude)
