Chapter 5: Fated Return
The five-colored beam of light dispersed, and Jace's feet hit the cobblestone street with a clack. He held a hand to his temple, disoriented by the abrupt trip and the lingering images of swirling brightness. He blinked rapidly and steadied himself, remembering:
This is probably a trap from Bolas.
Reflexively, Jace threw up an invisibility spell to mask his presence, followed by a spell to block any errant telepathic signals from traveling into or out of his mind. Once he felt relatively safe, he finally took in his surroundings.
He stood in the middle of an empty back alley, sandwiched between two buildings of brick and mortar. He took a deep breath through his nostrils, and the mingled scents of industry and civilization filled his mind.
Ravnica. We'd suspected this was the most likely place for Bolas' plans to unfurl. Guess we were right.
For once, Jace took no solace in being correct. He took a few steps out to the alleyway's exit, trying to get his bearings on where in the expansive cityscape he was. As he approached, he saw citizen running past, all going in the same direction. Parents pulled children with eyes and fingers all pointed to the sky. Jace walked toward the end of the alley, and as he approached, he could hear the increasing sound of a gathering crowd not too far from his spot. He took a step onto the main street, turned to the commotion, and felt pure dread crash over him like a tidal wave. He was in the Transguild Promenade, a place he had walked through numerous times, but now there was nothing left, nothing but a larger-than-life statue of Nicol Bolas surrounded by panicked citizens.
Oh Gods, it's already begun! I need to get out of here, regroup with the Gatewatch.
Jace readied himself to planeswalk, felt the arcane power of his spark flow through his body. He took a step forward, ready to see Chandra's mother's apartment on Kaladesh once more. But he didn't, all he saw was the same sight of the statue looming over him, almost taunting him.
"What the…?"
Jace's question fell off as he noticed a golden light appear on his forehead. A circle of runes circumscribing a triangle with an eye at its center. Jace remembered this symbol all too well from his time on Ixalan. It was the symbol of Azor, creator of the Immortal Sun.
The Immortal Sun is here too? Shit, is this all part of Bolas' plan, pluck every planeswalker from across the Blind Eternities and trap them on Ravnica? But why though?
This troubling line of thought distracted him for a moment, causing his psychic barrier to weaken for an instant. That instant was enough, as a welcome voice suddenly entered Jace's mind.
Jace, can you hear me? Teferi's voice ebbed in and out of clarity, but Jace heard him. Teferi specialized in time magic, so his telepathy skills were shoddy at best, but Jace was thankful for even this small connection.
Yes, Jace answered, strengthening their connection with his own mental magic, I can hear you Teferi.
Thank the stars you're here too. Where are you right now? I landed somewhere on the far side of the city, past the Simic guildhall. I'm with Karn, we found each other accidentally.
That's good to hear. I'm in the Promenade, right by the newest art installment. It looks like Bolas has already sprung his trap.
Hopefully we're not too late. Should we make our way to you?
Not yet, let me try and seek out the others. Jace ducked back into the alley and undid the invisibility spell he had been maintaining. With the rest of his power, he sent his telepathic tendrils across Ravnica, searching for the distinct brain patterns of his comrades. He found Ajani near the Boros garrison, Jaya and Chandra close together in the untamed outlands occupied by the Gruul, and Gideon near the Orzhov church.
Can everyone hear each other? he asked out to the group.
Yeah, came Chandra's voice, just don't scare us like that again. Damn near saw Jaya's heart leap out of her chest when you spoke up.
She joked, but Jace still felt a twinge of concern. He needed all his allies in top form for whatever Bolas had in store.
So, what's the plan? Gideon asked. Where should me meet to plan our next move?
Jace knew the best place without a second thought. We can head to my office in New Prahv. The Azorius wards, along with my own security system, should give us the privacy we need. I'll send the location to everyone's mind. Get there as soon as you can, and try not to draw attention to yourselves.
I will try my best, stated Ajani. Chandra let a snort of laughter through her thoughts at this.
Alright, Jace continued, I will see you all there.
He magically sent the rendezvous location out to everyone, then severed the psychic link between them all. Next, he reactivated his cloaking spell and his telepathic blocker. Once he had everything prepared, he headed back out onto the street and walked in the direction of the Azorius Senate.
Jace internally sighed as he thought about their destination. I haven't been to that office in months. Hopefully it hasn't gotten too dusty. Knowing Lavinia, there's no way she'd leave even a speck of dirt in the Living Guildpact's personal quarters.