Tumbling Down
ARLEZIA, VALERAN LEAGUE TERRITORY
No beast could have expected the fox's return, having just popped out from some random Pathway. He was supposed to be out in Kaldos, protecting Thordan Swalestrom from all that would harm him.
Of course, that does not mean that Hersent was not overjoyed. After all, Isangrim was the fox that had raised her since her childhood, and he was just as happy to see her.
"You're back!" the vixen smiled at her mentor, who was inconveniently absent for the past month. But the elder fox silenced her with a swipe of his paw.
"Your Highness, your son had just made a great discovery."
The otterqueen scowled. "Isangrim! Had I told you not to just appear from out of nowhere? I could have been at a meeting with all that political stuff going on. You were in luck that Corrado's with his bard!" She rolled her eyes. "Now what did Thordan do?"
"He found another pathway in which Conjuration is used!"
The room fell into silence. Another pathway? Conjuration?
"Thordan embraced Conjuration instead of seizing it. Instead of controlling it, he surrendered to it, and changed it from within!"
"How?" Hersent failed to suppress her surprise.
"I don't know. It's a woodlander thing!" The black fox turned to Lorelei. "Try it!'
Strapping Shadowbringers onto her paws, the otter grimaced. "You know full well that this may simply not work, don't you? I am not exactly one used to surrendering."
"Just do it," the fox rolled his eyes as Lorelei closed her own. "Banish everything from your heart and mind, and imagine the void just like you usually do." The fox quickly hid his own trepidation in order to assist Lorelei in her experiment. After all, the Bond they had shared can transmit the slightest of emotions.
"Is it just me, or am I doing nothing?"
'You're doing something, all right." Isangrim smiled as gently as he could, but there was still a hint of mischief in his tone. "Forget everything you thought you knew, and surrender!"
Lorelei's face was in a stone-stoic state, with no sign of anything. Hersent knew full well that the otter used Conjuration like she used Thaumaturgy, as if all the power and energy one used has to be gripped tightly in one's paw. But if Conjuration cannot be seized, then what else can be done to wield it?
Before long, the vixen knew. A burst of wind wrought through the room, sending Isangrim and Hersent flying into the wall. Only a lucky recall from Lorelei saved them from impact. But the furniture was not so lucky, being blown off course like ships, and almost everything was clattered next to the wall.
"It worked!" The queen smiled as she lifted up her paws, ignoring the dazed foxes at the other side of the room.
"Could you had just used an Amplifier?" Isangrim sat up, scratching his head. "Shadowbringers is simply overkill."
"What fun would there be if I used something less powerful?" The queen purred like a cat. "Besides, it's just that fun seeing you panic. It doesn't happen often, you know."
"So did it work?" Hersent chirped like a bird scared away by the aforementioned cat. "Did you embrace Conjuration?"
"I think I did, Hersent. Or something like that. You see, I've never tried anything like this. Surrendering to it was unthinkable before today, but it worked." She then rose to her full height. "Please give my thanks to Thordan, Isangrim. He has advanced my plans threefold. Watch over him, or I'll tell him to watch over you instead!"
"Can't I at least take the morning off?" The black fox groaned. "Thordan's off sleeping and stuff. You know that I'm tired when you're tired, and vice versa."
The queen was having none of it. 'You know that I can't deal with politics half-asleep."
"Who said I was sleeping?" The fox smiled as he stepped through the door - and almost ran into Eduard Muirsch. Seeing the surprised look on the bard's face, and the even more incredulous look on his otter companion's, Isangrim pulled a wise retreat.
Corrado Truetide's eyesight returned from the pile of broken furniture. "What just happened?"
The ottermum told a half-truth without batting an eye. "Renovations."
"Renovations? Really?" The otterlord laughed.
"Your mother has a strange way of telling her tales." The rat cooly closed his mouth shut as he left the chamber, unwilling to poke his muzzle into state business. Of all the vermin of the land, Corrado chose the easy-going, indolent bard as his companion. Of course, Eduard seemed more like a model for all vermin than other favourites of nobles. Young Thordan had picked a hyper-active weasel, and the less said about Lorelei's, the better.
"Anyways," the otterlord brought his mother's attention back onto more pressing matters. Our fleet is in full position to strike at Taralis, and the journey there will take six days and five nights, if the wind blows in the right direction.
Hersent rolled her eyes as Lorelei grinned diabolically for not the first time. 'Well, I am all too sure that the wind shall be on our side."
"I would not be so sure, Mother. War is party to many factors."
"Well, the more you have under your control, the better. I shall go and change into more flexible clothing." With that, the otterqueen left her servant and child, and sauntered out into a corridor.
Corrado turned to the grey vixen. "She's getting madder and madder by the second, hmm? Things could be tumbling down around her, and she could still think that she's on top of everything!"
Hersent gave a wan smile in return. "Though sanity has its advantages, sometimes madness is the only thing that works."
SORLANN, LORDSHIP OF SVARTEMYRR, KINGDOM OF SOUTHSWARD
"No quarter for the false king!"
The army behind Somerled chanted this time and time again, adding to the king's embarrassment as he fled with his tail between his footpaws.
The battle started well enough for the squirrel, but he overcommitted all too easily. Flanking through a forest was too tempting an opportunity to pass, but he had no way of knowing Lord Lorents and his spearbeasts were lying in wait there.
This earned Somerled nothing but hundreds of casualties, and the collapse of his entire left flank. The centre and the right could not hold for too long, but Somerled was among the first to escape, with only four knives and a statue on his belt and nothing else to arm himself with.
Hiding in a nearby village would be impossible - he had burnt almost everything down in his army's methodical approach into Dravania, hoping to make his way towards Thordan's host in Kaldos. But Becker could not have that, could he? No, he just had to cut him off!
And Amalrik was gone - disappeared to who knows where! He said he was to accompany the stoat to pay a visit to a very specific noble - one whose name was not disclosed. Thordan Swalestrom, perhaps? Or his uncle, if Somerled did not pay him enough for his services.
But then, the otter healer did give him the Amplifier, which was rumoured to work wonders upon the world, starting from simple healing. Somerled was no healer, but he knew that these things held power over all life (though not death, to the squirrel's detriment).
The healer spoke all too vaguely about how it is used, but the little statue was one of five things that could help him get out of his mess. The sky was darkening over Dravania, but those blasted soldiers were intelligent to bring torches with them.
Somerled slowly slunk back from his hiding place in the copse. Exactly right into an Otterguard.
The poor beast could only offer a choked scream as a knifetip entered his groin, which failed to alert the nearby searchers. But the damage had been done. The Southards will soon realise that one of them was nothing more but a corpse now, and so he had to run. Fast.
Clutching the statue in his paw, Somerled concentrated, pouring his desperation, his hatred, his downright loathing against all who stood in his way - and successfully summoned a wind.
Well, it was more like a breeze than a full-on storm, but it was enough to turn a few tracker's heads. The squirrel quickly ran into the woodlands.
Of course, he took the opportunity to get hopelessly lost. He had never been here, and the sun was sliding westward down the horizon. I am a squirrel of House Deilart, and I will survive. I am a squirrel of House Deilart, and I will live. I am a squirrel -
The thought hit him like an iron gauntlet. He was a squirrel! A squirrel! Finding an oak tree with leaves aplenty, the noble started his slow ascent.
Somerled had climbed trees in his youth, and in his adulthood he did so once, but that was fifteen seasons ago. But he knew how his paws, both front and hind, would work to propel him vertically, and it took less than two minutes before he was halfway there.
He would not make it though, as he was quickly wrenched from the mighty oak by some force he could not see. Tumbling down from the tree, all he could see is a black mole clad head to toe in white - in dress too fancy for his station. No commoner could become an emissary to kings, after all.
He landed on the ground with a mighty crack. Something was broken - his hip, perhaps, or maybe his thigh? It did not matter. He was doomed either way.
The short beast quickly descended upon the fallen squirrel, and quickly pocketed the statue. Then, with the swiftest of motions, he jammed a dagger of Somerled's into the squirrel's throat.
Screams failed the king as he found himself unable to keep his eyes open. He was forced to close them, and he knew that they will never open again.
I have failed you, King Garmund. This was not a fight you should have started.
Word shall leak out that Somerled, Duke of Deilart and called King of Southsward, accidentally stabbed himself while climbing a tree, while being pursued by enemy forces. Future generations shall remember it that way.
After all, history was written by winners of wars figuratively, and by Archivists in their books literally. Perhaps inconveniently for Somerled, his killer saw himself to be both.
THE SOUND
"Back to Ravesvakt, is it?" Alfyn made his move, playing his first pawn up, right into where Egil could capture it, which the weasel swiftly does.
"I guess so." To Alfyn, Egil was starting to prove himself a friend, though not on Thordan's level. After all, there was more to friendship than having the same benefits. "Beautiful town, is it?"
The weasel rolled his eyes as Alfyn traded his Runner for a Leaper. "City."
The otter shook his head. "Distinction without a difference."
A few more moves passed until Alfyn flung his Queen on the other side of the board, capturing a Pawn on the way. This set of chess Alfyn's, and it was bought from a trader residing in Kaldos. He was not new to the game, but Lord Stalwart needed a lot more practice. After all, even Thordan could defeat him not once, but thrice, each in different ways.
Alfyn rubbed his chin. "Nice move."
But Egil's mind was not on the chess game. 'How do you manage seasickness? I mean, otters can definitely stand a bit of water, but just how do you do it?"
"Hm, me? I just look into the horizon and hope that my sickness is gone. You should ask Thordan about it. He mastered seasickness by himself."
Egil looked to the horizon, taking the tall otter's advice. "Well, being a healer does have its advantages. His grandfather taught him well about who bodies work, though he had only studied woodlanders in detail. He can do first aid on me as well, if I keep myself still, of course."
"Is that even possible?" Alfyn smiled. To be fair, he could see why Thordan would have liked him. After all, the younger otter was a dour beast, and he needed someone, anyone, to lively him up. With Egil gone with Alfyn, how would Thordan even manage? SIgrun can help, of course, but nothing much could be done to help him until Egil, or somebeast like him arrived in Kaldos, and was not too obnoxious for Thordan.
"Yes, keeping myself still is all too possible, thank you very much." Egil grinned. That grin coming from a vermin usually meant that he wanted something.
"Can I ask a favour of you, Egil" Alfyn's smile faded into a scowl.
"What?" Egil's look became one of shock.
'Can you please stop moving my pieces when I'm looking out to sea? I'm tired of you cheating." The vermin's head hung lower at Alfyn's discovery. 'Do you use this scheme on Thordan?"
'No." Egil sighed. "He simply chooses to lose the normal way." A grin suddenly appeared on the weasel's brown-furred muzzle.
"Besides, you are that big of a fool!" Egil spun out of the cabin, laughing madly all the way.
Alfyn sighed. Vermin… "Hey, Egil! This time we're playing for real! No tricks and whatnot!"
"In a minute!" was the reply.
Thordan, you must be the luckiest fool to over live.
KALDOS, LORDSHIP OF KALDOS, KINGDOM OF DRAVANIA
Walking out of the Pathway was easy enough for Isangrim.
After his little rest in Arleza, the black fox soon snuck back into the Aetherochemical Research Facility, carrying the news of the new method of Conjuration wielding.
Emetselk thought that this was why Arbert was able to momentarily overpower King Thordan in the Rift the last time they met. A likely suggestion, which would mean that the younger Thordan was not the first woodlander to discover Conjuration's alternate pathway.
But then, Isangrim never thought that a teenager would be the one to negate the Southards' advantage. That was still welcome, however, and all was well.
To be honest, a counter-push on Arbert would soon be a reality. After all, the moles are up to no good, yet they seemed to have done nothing lately. The word 'seemed' spoke volumes, as the two were always ready.
Then there was then the question of Thordan's killer. A vermin, he was, unless he had come from another Shard. Lorelei just could not wait for her to get his paws on him or her, yet patience is needed for every plan. After all, Emetselk needed time for his grand entrance into the Source.
"I see that you have returned, Isangrim." A familiar voice spread through the air. It was Thordan Swalestrom, who definitely expected him. He was sent to watch over the otter, after all.
"It did not take me long for me to leave your mother's company, smothering as it may be."
"The envoy is waiting, and we have - I mean you have delayed for long enough."
"Well, tell that to your mother." Isangrim rolled his eyes. Politics. How disinteresting. Thordan will walk out unharmed anyways.
It will be that simple - Joar Rueford, or whoever he was, will offer terms that Thordan will not accept, and he will storm out of the hall. Then Becker will come here and attempt to take the city, only to fail. Thordan does have a Thaumaturge on his side, and unless one of the moles was with Becker, Kaldos will stand.
"They told us to bring only one guard, and only two of them will enter the negotiation chamber. You will serve as mine for the time being. Nobody expects the random fox lying around here to be some seer."
"Thordan, with all due respect, I don't think their beasts would think that I am particularly mundane. You could have brought a woodlander guard, or even Egil perhaps, but some random black fox whispering into your ear? That would give something away."
"Aren't you supposed to have a disguise or something?" Thordan turned to the fox. "You are supposed to be a spymaster."
"Well, Lorelei does them for me. Veiling is a woodlander thing. Conjuration."
"So that would mean that I could do that for you!"
"Wait!"
Before the fox could react further, he felt the effects of Conjuration work on him. Thordan, ever eager to learn and try new things, was closing his eyes and clutched the chess piece just above his heart. Before long, Isangrim felt a warm wave silently rush up and drench him.
The vermin was no stranger to such waves - both the elder Thordan and his daughter had used it on him. But this, this was different. This healing wave was merely supposed to take away any malignant effects the fox might have on him - wounds or illnesses. However, Thordan seemed to have taken away his tiredness as well.
That must explain why Thordan sent his grandson to learn healing. He must have a Gift!
"Thordan, you're healing me instead of disgusing me."
"Oh." Within a blink of an eye, the sensations vanished. Lorelei would be very proud of you.
With a crash, a door opened, and random otter blundered into the seers.
"I'm Bodvar, the emissary's bodyguard. One of them, anyways. Sorry, Lord Whatever… What's it again?" The newcomer faltered, clearly expecting a response.
Thordan nodded like a true noble would, despite Bodvar's lack of manners. "Swalestrom."
"Phaw! You're the beast that calls himself King of Dravania nowadays, aren't you? I expected somebeast taller. Well, I'm actually sorry t' disturb you and your vermin friend, but where is the nearest garderobe?"
"Go down the hallway and take the third left."
"Thank you!" With a wave associated with close friends and not mighty kings, he sped down the corridor like a hare does when he sees a feast in front of him.
"Weird little beast, isn't he? I expected you to lose your temper at any moment, being almost king and all that."
"A king is polite and is groomed well," Thordan recited by heart. "And my title is almost one."
Another beast ran into the room, this time in a more civilised manner. A herald.
"The envoy is ready, Your Lordship."
The two stood up, and walked up to the negotiation table. It took a total of two minutes, but they were there at last.
Sitting in front of them were a hedgehog clad in white - the speaker - and nobody else. Well, the bodyguard was absent, inside a restroom.
The doors were closed as all three took their seats. Chests of treasure surrounded them, carried by another otter and a mouse.
Thordan spoke first. "Who are you? You do not suppose that I can be bought, diplomat?"
"I see that you have changed a lot since the last time we met, Lord Regent Thordan Swalestrom. You have wizened up, so as to speak."
"I do not think that we have met. I do not even know your name!" The otter cried out as Isangrim reached for the box Lorelei gave him under the table. This hedgehog cannot be trusted.
"Well I am sure Emmeroloth remembers, does he?" The Veil broke as the hedgehog disappeared, revealing the familiar snout of a mole.
"You!" Isangrim was merely able to pronounce one syllable before something curled across its muzzle, tying it shut. A glance to the left indicated that the same had been done to Thordan, and soon the two were floating up in the air, totally helpless. Isangrim fumbled for the Augmenter in his paw, only for it be wrenched away by invisible paws.
Dagbert immediately opened the box, only to find a smaller tin box that cannot be opened. tThat was his reward already, though he knew it not. "It is truly a pity that it has come to this, Thordan. I wanted to ask you to come to us willingly, but the whole Dravain business seemed to have stopped that from ever happening.
Within seconds, yet another coil of wind-rope surrounded Isangrim's neck, tightening before the gagged fox could form any coherent thought, crushing his throat. If his jaws were free, he would have howled for someone, anyone. Lorelei! Emetselk! Matoya!
Before his sight failed him and his sunk below, he saw Thordan's hopeless struggling come to an abrupt halt, the mouse down below gesturing at them, and Dagbert watching impassively, finally achieving the victory he had long hoped for.
A/N: Ooh! A wham chapter! Review responses coming up!
Grey: Well... the pressure is certainly increasing for Thordan... especially after the events of this chapter. His friends and most of his family all left him alone, he's confused with all his otherworldly abilities, then this chapter hits... Well, an excess of exposition has to be replaced with a major kick to the progression of the plot (and an even more major blow to Thordan's psyche), shouldn't it? Well, the plot moves once more, to the otterlord's detriment...
Sebias: Sigrun's choices aren't many, and are lessened even more significantly after the events of this chapter. Her being the quiet beast that she is, she'll probably remain silent about it until it is time to reveal everything. Lorelei knows about this now, so Isangrim returns to Kaldos pretty quickly - only for Dagbert to hit. Speaking of which, poor, poor Thordan - he trusts everyone - and now he pays the price. Oh, and embracing Conjuration was discovered by Thordan, but the Southard seers beat him to it.
I've waited for this moment for quite a long time. That is all that should be said.
Chapter 28 (The Tug of Fate) will be up on 16/17 October!