Pieces Coming Together

"Well, how's he doing?" asked Edwards without looking up to the entering Cob.

"Lucky that we had a patrol near his location ending his baking in the sun. Besides a fever from unknown poison to every known torture method done to him, he'll live," answered Cob, "He had to be chained down. During the fever, he attacked the healers."

"Good," getting up, "he'll survive," Edwards said walking away from his desk.

Following Edwards, "Good? One gunslinger's dead."

Stopping at a stone altar, "Gunslingers die. Its part of their life."

"Miss Rivera wasn't just some woman from a village. She was a member of the Dream Ravens."

Circling the altar, "Yes, her connection with the sandwalkers will be lost," said Edwards wavering his fingers as he swept his hand above the altar.

A map of the Territories appeared on the altar's surface.

"Rath said it was a trap and you sent them there."

"You believe that I sent them to die, Cob," Edwards said staring at the map.

"Does Death, War, Pestilence, and Famine sound familiar?"

Edwards's face shot up from the map and stayed on Cob.

"They been giving you restless nights,"commented Cob.

"They're part of a plot."

Turning and laying his right hand on Cob's left shoulder, "Know those two are closer to you then any other students. Those four weren't post to be in Deadwood. Reports had them in Draco."

"Rath reported Deadwood already was dead before they arrived."

Turning back to the map, "They're accelerating their plans," commented Edward, "Cob, the world we know is dying."

"So it's moving on."

"Moving on?" Edwards chuckled, "Look at the borders of the Wastelands."

Cob watched the small area of the Wastelands grow slowly then it accelerated to its present size.

"First, it started out naturally slowly," explained Edwards, "Then exploded," grabbing Cob by his shoulders, added, "Rath's part of our savalation."

Crossing his arms, "How does Ferisulf figure in this grand savalation?" asked Cob.

"Trust the word of man with aegri somnia." pale faced Edwards said.

Staring into Edwards's eyes, "How dare you lie to me after all this years?" grabbing Edwards's wrists, "Rath yelled that name in pain," removing Edwards's hands from his shoulders, "What did you do to him?" pushing Edwards's hands away.

Turning, Edwards's back faced Cob.

Staring at Edwards's back, "I believed the story he fell through a doorway and his memory wiped clean. Convinced him that he was orphaned. Now find out we both were lied to."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Ruining lives for your selfish means. How can you justified that?"

"So I did a soul transfer."

Grabbing Edwards's shoulders and turning him around, "You transferred Ferisulf into Rath?"

"Yes."

Getting close into Edwards's face, "A guardian of beam inside a mortal," inches from Edwards's nose, "What were you thinking?"

"He said it would help."

"Ferisulf wanted this. He would bite the hand that helps him and you listened."

Stepping back and letting Cob's hands fall to his side, "Cob, we known each other since the Sci-Mage Wars."

"Those scarred this world and many others. The suffering witnessed by this ancient eyes don't compare to the gunslingers's missions."

Placing his right hand on Cob's shoulder, "We both witnessed the same thing. That is why any preventive means must be done."

Staring at Edwards's hand then brushed it away, "Edwards when this war's over. We will go our separate path," walking out the room.