PART III

It was a thing of beauty—the first sphere of the compleated plane was a desolate landscape of jutting rocks and mountains of artifice, grey-green smog rising from within cracks and false crags. It was there, deep within the bowels of a cave built into the side of one of the mountains overlooking the wasted plains, that he observed the dark hooded figure moving hurriedly through the mists. The messenger had returned.

They were escorted into his audience room, a vast metallic chamber filled with worktables and half-created artifacts, escorted by a small contingent of Phyrexian knights who served as his personal bodyguards.

"You have news?" he inquired, looming over the lowly hooded figure they had tossed to the ground before him.

"Yes, my Lord," the miserable creature replied, pulling themselves off the floor. They lowered their hood. He was always amazed when he saw how truly human the Phyrexian sleepers looked. To the natural eye, one couldn't tell the difference.

"I haven't seen you in awhile. I was starting to wonder if you had been uncovered. I would hate to have to send another. It's not easy getting past all that security."

"I couldn't slip away, my Lord," the messenger explained.

"So, what news do you have to report?"

"They know you are working with us."

"I'm not surprised," he said with a careless shrug. He was truly disappointed.

"There is more," said the sleeper agent.

He waited, crossing his arms over his chest and not expecting anything truly remarkable from this pathetic worm. They had given him so very little since being posted on Ravnica. When they had secured employment in Jace Beleren's residence, he actually thought they would be useful, but they had so far proven otherwise.

"He returned with a rather unexpected surprise—the hated necromancer, Liliana Vess. After some resistance, he and two others managed to convince everyone to welcome her back. She has rejoined the Gatewatch."

"So Vess lives," he said, scratching his chin with a pointed artificial finger. He grimaced. "And she's back with Jace and his little band of heroes. How quaint."

This, in and of itself, was not really a surprise to him. He had always thought she had somehow managed to survive. But it was interesting.

"It gets better," said the messenger, with a mocking smile.

"Oh?"

"They're married."

"Married?" He exhaled. It was almost a laugh. "Never thought Vess to be the marrying type. She always did have a soft spot for the mind reader. So, they are teaming up with the dim hope they will actually stand a chance against Phyrexia."

Now, he made a low chuckle.

"They know about Lorwyn."

"Do they? Well now, that is something new. And I suppose they are planning to stop the invasion?"

"Yes, my Lord," the foul creature answered with a pitiful bow. When he didn't say anything, they meekly ventured to ask, "What should I do, my Lord Tezzeret?"

"Nothing, for now. Let them play their little game. Let them have hope. I will crush it soon enough." He illustrated that point by curling his artificial hand into a fist. Then he said, "Return to your post. I need you on Ravnica to keep an eye on the children as they play. I look forward to our coming reunion, but for now there is much to be done here. From now on, I want you to send a weekly report. If you are unable to slip away unnoticed, you will report to your superior on Ravnica and they will bring me the message."

"Yes, my Lord," said the sleeper with another bow. "Thank you, my Lord."

"Now, go," he commanded, waving his artificial hand to dismiss the creature. It wreaked of servitude and glistening oil—not a pleasant combination. Phyrexians were meant to be masters of the Multiverse, not pathetic worms, bowing and scraping to a human overlord.

Not that Tezzeret was entirely human. Not anymore, at least. He had long been a combination of human and artifact, but now his transformation was almost complete. He had come a long way since his own servitude on Ravnica. With Bolas out of the way, and the Phyrexians practically worshipping him as an embodiment of their Supreme Lord Yawgmoth—he no longer had a need for servitude. He almost believed their delusions, in fact. Here, he was master. The Praetors themselves answered to him, and he answered only to the Great One Himself.

He smiled as he watched the creature slither away, surrounded by his knights. They closed the door on the messenger and took up their post outside, leaving Tezzeret alone with his machinations. Yes, all this was going well. The transformation of New Phyrexia was at its peak and the Supreme Lord Himself was now being fused with the artificial land. It was time for a new plane to be compleated…

Three days earlier…

KAYA

It was with a mouthful of oatmeal that she greeted Jace at the door to her quarters in his Ravnican house. When she realized it was him and not someone annoying—i.e., Lavinia—she quickly swallowed it down and cleared her throat. "Oh, um…hiya, Jace!"

She could feel the awkwardness her smile emitted and wasn't in the least bit surprised, when he said, "You…don't have to do that. It's kinda creepy, actually."

Releasing her breath, she relaxed, and said, "Thank the gods, because I felt really bad answering the door like that when I saw it was you, so I guess I was overcompensating…"

"Exactly who did you think it was?"

Hands in her back pockets, she shrugged, "I dunno. So anyway, what's up?"

"Meeting in ten."

"Oh. Like, ten minutes?"

"Yep. I'm on my way down there now. There's been a…new development. I'll explain at the meeting."

"Okay, lemme just finish my breakfast…"

He answered with a nod, and then said again, "Ten minutes."

With that, he walked away and Kaya closed the door. She rubbed the exhaustion from her face and went back to the table. If Jace was calling a meeting this early, and with so little warning, it must have been something big. She practically inhaled the rest of her oatmeal, then wiped her chin, threw on her leather jacket, and rushed out the door.

She wasn't the first one to arrive. Teferi was already there, talking with Jace. Lavinia was at the podium preparing to take the minutes, and there were also the Kenrith twins, Rowan and the quiet one. Kaya couldn't remember his name, until she overheard his sister tease him about something. Will—that was it!

"Hey, Rowan, Will," she greeted them with a nod.

"Hey, Kaya," said Rowan, with all the ease of a confident youth.

Will cleared his throat and waved, barely making eye contact with her. Kaya wrinkled her nose. He had been acting weird around her the past few weeks and she was really hoping the boy didn't have a crush on her. She was only in her early thirties while he was in his early twenties, but that was still too young for her taste. She preferred someone older, more mature.

When Teferi was done talking with Jace, he came over and gave Kaya a warm, fatherly hug. "You're early."

"I thought I was late, but since Chandra's not here yet, I guess I'm doing fine."

They shared a laugh, both well aware of Chandra's habit of being late to every meeting.

After most of the others filed in, Jace began the meeting. "Okay, it looks like everyone's here, so we will begin. Chandra has gone to Innistrad to seek the aid of Arlinn Kord and Sorin Markov, so she will not be here today, but she knows what this is about. You all know Ajani has gone to find Karn, so we will need to catch him up when he returns."

Kaya noticed there was one conspicuously empty chair between her and Jace, which seemed odd, considering he seemed prepared to go on without even mentioning the other absence. It was Teferi who brought it up.

"Wait, where's Liliana?"

Jace stopped and a shadow crossed over his features. "She…won't be coming."

He started to go on, but then Rowan asked, "Why not? Is something wrong? Where is she?"

"She…needs a day off. She's not feeling well."

He was leaning on the table with his hands, his uncombed hair falling over his forehead. Kaya noticed a seeming tension in his jaw, and the way the vessels in his temples throbbed. He looked like he was in pain but trying very hard to pretend otherwise. She wondered if they were having relationship trouble, but decided it was none of her business.

"As I was saying," he continued, "there has been a new development in the Phyrexian issue. Other than Nissa, has anyone here heard of or been to the plane known as Lorwyn?"

Crickets… Kaya glanced around the table. Nobody moved.

"That's what I thought," said Jace. "So, Nissa is familiar with the plane and has some history there. What I know of it comes from her and from some quick research I've done since she returned from there last night with some very disturbing news about the plane."

"You did research since she returned…last night?" asked Teferi with a grin. "When do you ever sleep, man?"

Jace almost smiled. Then he looked at the elf, sitting near the other end of the table, and continued, "Nissa took Chandra to Lorwyn yesterday, but they returned after finding a group of Phyrexians scouting the land. Lorwyn is a plane where humans have no place, unless they are visitors from another plane. It is thus rich in natural resources the Phyrexians find most useful, and from what Nissa overheard, they are planning a full-scale invasion to mine for resources and attempt to set up another Phyrexian plane on Lorwyn."

"Wait, but can they do that?" asked Kaya. "I thought they could only turn artificial planes."

"You came across one of these monsters on Kaldheim," said Jace. "You've seen what they can do to biological creatures. It seems they are planning to do the same to an entire plane, and they've selected Lorwyn as their first testing ground. As guardians of the Multiverse, it is our duty to make sure that doesn't happen."

"What creatures live on Lorwyn?" asked Teferi. "Are they aware of the dangers facing them?"

"I don't think so," said Jace. "Nissa?"

The elf looked up and her face reddened. Then she stood up, and said, "Mostly they are my kind—elves. There are also other races of beings, all who live in harmony with Lorwyn. They are treefolk, giants, flamekin, boggarts, kithkin, merrows, and faeries. But when I connected with the land," she paused and shook her head, "there was much darkness. The Phyrexians have tainted Lorwyn already. What they will do to the people there…and to the land itself…we cannot let that happen."

"Do we have a plan on how to stop them?" asked Kaya.

"Not yet," replied Jace. "We have only just learned of this, but it seems there is still time for us to gather reinforcements and develop a plan. After the meeting, I will be sending Nissa back to Lorwyn for some reconnaissance. She will meet with the natives to find out what they know, and to gather more information on the Phyrexian presence there."

"What can I do?" asked Teferi.

"You will find Jaya. Tell her what is happening and persuade her to help us. We will need everyone with us in this, if they are willing to help. In the meantime, Kaya, I want you to find the shieldmage."

"Teyo? I haven't seen him in a couple years…"

"Even so, you're the one he knows best and if anyone can get him to help, it would be you. I, in the meantime, will seek out Ral. And we'll go from there."

"What about Vraska?" asked Kaya.

Jace's jaw tensed and he drew in a deep breath. "I…leave that up to you."

"Right," she replied with a nod. "So, you think she can be trusted…you know, with Liliana here and all that?"

Jace paused as if to consider. "Don't say anything about Liliana just yet. Only tell her about the Phyrexians and Lorwyn. Just…feel her out and then report back to me. I don't think she's a threat, but…we could use her help."

"What about Liliana?" Nissa demanded. "Does she now about all this? What are you going to have her do? If she is Gatewatch…"

"She knows, and she will help us when it is time. For now, though, she needs to rest. She brought us Rowan and Will, and that is enough until we need her to do more."

Nissa scowled but said nothing.

Kaya looked at the twins, who seemed tragically caught in the middle, unaware of the whole history between Nissa and Liliana. Even Kaya only knew the half of it, but she knew enough. When the meeting as adjourned, she decided it was time to pull them aside and fill them in on the complicated history between Liliana and the Gatewatch, from what she knew of it. They would have to talk to Liliana and Jace directly, if they wanted more detail.

Once she had finished giving the twins a bit more background, Kaya approached Jace. "So, where do I start? Teyo or Vraska?"

"I'll leave that up to you."

"Look, I know this is a sore spot for you and all the complication of Vraska and Liliana and all that, but we'll need her, too. The question is, can the two of them work together effectively?"

"I don't know, to be honest," he answered with a shrug. "I hope so. They will likely have no choice. But in the end, I would rather have Liliana with us, if I had to choose."

"Of course," said Kaya. "I kinda figured, but…I still think we need them both."

"Then by all means, go speak with her."

"Hey, I don't wanna butt in where it's none of my business, but is everything okay between you and Liliana?"

"Yes, we're fine. She's just…going through a rough time."

"Anything I can do to help?"

He sniffed and then heaved a sigh. "There's nothing anyone can do to help with this. But thank you. We appreciate it."

Kaya sensed he wasn't willing to talk anymore about it, so she let it drop. As she walked back to her quarters, she wondered whether she should speak to Vraska. What if, out of jealousy, the Golgari guildmaster decided to tell Niv-Mizzet about Liliana being there? But if Jace didn't really seem concerned about it, then maybe it wasn't something she would do? I mean, he knew Vraska better than Kaya did, after all. Still, it seemed an easier task to seek out Vraska first. So, her mind made up, she stopped back at her room only long enough to collect her axes and a few other things, and then she headed out to find Jace's other ex. This was about to get interesting.

ARLINN KORD

The eternal night. The streets ran red with blood. Desperate, wailing cries echoed in the dark that would never end. The forest was no longer a place of sanctuary, but a place where even the monsters were afraid to hide. Her senses at their full capacity, she could feel the blood pumping in her veins, her heart facing. That earthy metallic scent of dirt came through her nostrils at the end of her long snout. She lowered her head, hunched her lupine shoulders, and barred her teeth as she waited at the edge of the forest, ready for anything that came out. Then she heard it shriek; one long, fearsome peal into the night before it charged through the dense brush, ready to destroy whatever stood in its path…

Arlinn awoke in a cold sweat and realized she was shivering. It was only a dream. Only a dream of a time that was once a terrible reality. How Innistrad had managed to survive that endless night long enough for her to help Teferi, Chandra, and Kaya put an end to it, she still wondered to this day. Maybe there was a divine being watching over them—Avacyn was long gone, and yet it seemed there must be some part of her still there, looking out for the people of that plane from the aethers. Or maybe it was all sheer luck and determination.

"Hey, you okay?"

The question came from Arlinn's left. She sat up on her bedroll and found the pyromancer crouching over a stack of wood that was set up in a circle around the charred pieces that had been the night's campfire. She held out her hands the way one does when they're warming them on a fire, but there was no fire. And then, suddenly, there was.

Smiling and satisfied, Chandra backed up and brushed off her hands. "Easy as pie."

"I don't know," said Arlinn, rubbing the crook out of her neck as she walked toward the fire for warmth. "I never thought making pie was an easy task."

Chandra chuckled and stood with her hands on her hips, looking around the clearing. She had arrived the night before, just as Arlinn was setting up camp. Seeing that she had come so late at night, Chandra had promised to keep watch while Arlinn slept. Now it was morning on Innistrad, but Arlinn still didn't know exactly why the pyromancer had returned to Innistrad. It had been morning on Ravnica when Chandra 'walked, but the time between planes seldom aligned perfectly. Time was a strange phenomenon for planeswalkers.

"It's kinda weird, being here again," said Chandra. "Seeing the sun shining through the trees. It still seems like no time has passed since we thought we'd never see the light of day again. At least, not on Innistrad."

"It's good to see you again," said Arlinn, smiling warmly, "and in better circumstances."

Much to Arlinn's surprise, Chandra wrinkled her lips. "I'm not sure it's better circumstances."

"Ah, I knew you weren't just here for a casual visit. So, what's going on?"

"The Gatewatch is back together," said Chandra.

"I wasn't aware they were ever apart…?"

"Well, I mean we're coming together for something big—bigger than Innistrad's endless night. Hells, bigger than Ravnica. Bigger than the Multiverse."

"Sounds thrilling," Arlinn said dryly. "So, what's going on? Can we talk over breakfast?"

"You practically read my mind," said Chandra, pulling out a knapsack of dried foods.

Arlinn raised a brow. "You don't seriously expect me to eat that, do you? Just give me a few minutes. I'll whip up something fresh for us to eat."

"Oh…um, okay."

Chandra stayed behind while Arlinn transformed into her wolf form. The ache of bones morphing and skin stretching was nothing to endure, once it was over, for the freedom of the wolf was something Arlinn had come to love. It was not an easy thing to live with—not at first—but she had been a werewolf long enough that she could now appreciate all that being a werewolf had to offer.

Her long jowls hung open and her tongue flapped loosely to the side, as she raced through the trees in search of prey. She could taste it—smell it. The rich scent of animal hide. A rabbit was somewhere nearby. She paused, listened. She could hear it rustling in some grasses near the base of a tree. Her eyes narrowed and she pounced. The rabbit sensed her coming and dashed away, but she pursued it. She enjoyed the thrill of the chase. It wasn't long before she had it clenched between her jaws, the iron taste of fresh blood mingled with the taste and texture of the rabbit's fur in her mouth. It took all her strength of will not to devour it. She had to take it back to camp, to share with her friend.

By the time she returned, Arlinn had transformed back to her human form and slipped into her clothes again. She carried two dead rabbits in her bare hands, their fur stained red with blood. She threw them down at Chandra's feet, and said, "Here's breakfast."

Chandra, who had been sitting cross-legged staring into the fire, winced and moved away. "You don't expect me to eat it THAT fresh…"

"Of course not," said Arlinn, pulling out a hunting knife with a laugh. "You think I want to eat it that way anymore than you do?"

"I…kinda thought so, actually. With you being a werewolf, and all that."

"Only in my wolf form," Arlinn replied. "In human form, I like my meat cooked, just like anyone else. Don't worry. I'll have the meat ready to cook in no time. Maybe while it's cooking, we can talk about why you're here."

"That's fair," said Chandra, sitting down by the fire once again.

Arlinn got to work, skinning the rabbits and preparing the meat. After getting the carcasses set up to cook over the campfire, she rinsed her hands and went to sit by Chandra, where they could talk while she kept an eye on the meat. She would have to turn it every so often, to avoid it burning and make sure it cooked evenly. Her mouth watered, thinking about the taste of rabbit meat.

"So, what's bigger than apparently everything in the Multiverse?"

Chandra gave her a look that suggested she shouldn't make light of it. That gave Arlinn a hint of nerves—it wasn't like the pyromancer to be so serious. Not to this extent, anyway.

Looking into the flames thoughtfully, Chandra said, "There are things in the Multiverse that are hard to understand. This is one of them. Have you ever heard of Phyrexia?"

Arlinn shook her head slowly. "No. What is Phyrexia?"

"It's…this plane that was created."

"Like, by a god or something?"

"More like, by an evil planeswalker that aspired to be a god, I think, from what I remember Jace telling us."

"So, Jace sent you."

"Yes," Chandra replied. "We need all hands on deck for this one."

"Of course," said Arlinn, leaning back on her hands and feeling the breeze course by, and watching it rustle the leaves on the trees surrounding them. "Bigger than Ravnica, huh?"

"The Phyrexians want to take over and destroy every plane in the Multiverse. Now they are threatening a plane called Lorwyn. It's a place that's special to Nissa. And the people there…they don't deserve to suffer the fate the Phyrexians have in store for them."

"Nissa," said Arlinn. "That's the elf you were…?"

Chandra nodded slightly and Arlinn noticed her cheeks turn somewhat pink.

"So, are you…?"

"Yeah, we're together now. But that won't be the biggest surprise you've got coming, that's for sure."

"Well, congratulations. I'm glad things have worked out for you."

"Thanks," she answered, her cheeks reddening even more. She tucked a flaming curl behind her ear, and said, "So, Jace sent me here to get you and also to…see if we can get Sorin to join us. As if he'd give a lick about what's happening on another plane."

Arlinn smiled in amusement. She remembered the last time they had sought Sorin's help, and how much Chandra hated asking him for anything. "Well, it can't hurt to try, at least," Arlinn offered.

"Yeah, I guess," Chandra agreed. "I mean, this does kinda go beyond anything we've ever seen before. The Phyrexians won't stop with Lorwyn. Once they've conquered it, they'll move to other planes. What's to stop them from coming here, to Innistrad? If Sorin doesn't help us now, he may have no choice but to face them in the future. At least, we have that hang over his head."

"It might work," said Arlinn, trying to remain optimistic. "So, maybe while we travel to Markov Manor, you can tell me more about these Phyrexians and what we're up against."

"There's so much, I don't even know where to begin," said Chandra. "And…I don't exactly listen very well at the meetings, so I'm not the best person to tell you about it, but I'll fill you in with what I know."

Arlinn stepped away to check on the rabbits. They were roasting nicely. As soon as they were ready, the werewolf and the pyromancer sat down to enjoy a succulent meal of roasted rabbit. They ate in silence, but when they were done, Arlinn noticed Chandra seemed distant and strange.

Wiping the grease from her fingers, she asked, "Is there something you're not telling me, Chandra?"

Heaving a sigh, Chandra looked at her sideways, and said, "Okay, there is more I can tell you, but you've got to promise me you won't be mad and you won't tell anyone without running it by Jace first."

Arlinn stared at her in confusion, and finally stammered, "Um, okay…?"

Taking a deep breath, Chandra began, "Okay, so you remember Ravnica, right?"

Arlinn shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. It's all kind of a blur, but I think I remember the important bits."

"Okay, so…there was this necromancer there, right? At the head of Bolas's lazotep army."

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"I'm asking if you remember her," Chandra replied.

"Oh," said Arlinn, thinking back to it. "I guess. I was more interested in trying to stay alive, but…"

"Okay, well, what do you think happened to her?"

"I…wouldn't know. Maybe she died? Does it really matter? I mean, as long as she's not out there…" Arlinn paused. "Wait, she's not working with these Phyrexian guys, is she?"

"No," said Chandra, "she's actually…working with us."

"Wait, you're working with a necromancer who used to be working for Nicol Bolas? The guy who tried to destroy Ravnica and steal our sparks?"

Chandra breathed deeply. Arlinn was really confused now.

"So, there's a lot more to it than that—I guess you don't really know much about it. Okay, so you know of Liliana Vess, right? She's pretty well known here on Innistrad."

"Wait, is that the same necromancer who was helping Bolas? Because if it is, she's the same one who left a mess of zombies here for the people of Thraben to clean up."

"Yep, one and the same. But she's really not a bad person, y'know?"

"Okay, well, I don't really have much of an opinion about necromancers one way or another—I mean, I'm a werewolf, so that kind of makes me try not to judge people based on superstitions and all that. But, I mean, if she's the same necromancer who was helping Bolas, can we really trust her to help us against the Phyrexians?"

"Liliana's complicated, but…I know we can trust her. It's…a long story. I'll tell you more about it on the way."

"All right. We've got a long way to go, after all, before we reach Sorin. Unless we 'walk, of course. But we should try to conserve our energy, in case we need it."

Chandra, of course, agreed and the two worked together to pack and clean up Arlinn's camp so they could be on their way.