Chapter 12
I woke in the early dawn, rising before the sun. I quickly dressed and pulled my cloak on, shrouding myself in blue. I turned to the side table, pulled out a piece of stationary and pen and wrote Liliana a sweet little letter informing her that I will be out the entire day and please don't worry. I signed the letter and folded it neatly; I walked around the bed and planted a gentle kiss on the sleeping necromancer's forehead.
"I will be back later, my sweet," I said, leaving the room and house silently.
I made my way through the still streets to the predetermined meeting place with Gideon and Ral Zarek. Apparently there was an important matter outside of the council that could not be held there. Last night Gideon told me of the meeting place and that he and Ral Zarek needed to spend the day with me. This was going to be dreadful, I could already tell me. But what bothered me most about last night is Gideon went through the trouble of masking his thoughts, or well had his thoughts masked at all to tell me that. Liliana and Chandra's thoughts were covered too, but not quite as much.
As I walked through the quite streets, vendors and other people began to emerge from their homes and proceed to hot selling locations or locations they have license for. I observed families and street urchins make bustle through the growing activity of the early Ravnican sprawl. Many of the homeless children came up to me and begged for food and money, and I gave what I usually brought with me for the underfed and poor. The children's faces lit up like a festival and they scurried off to their brothers and sisters of the streets. I looked to the skyline and all around me, watching as people, who had nothing or who were in debt, go to and fro trying to make ends meet and provide for their families. It saddened me, and I wish I had the power to change this, to change it all and make everyone rich and their belly's full of food and mead, but sadly I couldn't. After taking command of the consortium and becoming the Guildpact, my ability to provide was still limited.
Life in this city is hard, and at times I watch people give up, sell the little they have and ultimately pay the highest price. I can't count the number of times that officials have been murdered for what they have, or the number of times a report of another citizen killing themselves has come to my attention. It's truly heartbreaking, and at times I feel I can do no good for these people. But as long as I continue to breath and move on my own accord, I'll be damned if I give up on them.
Moments pass and I shortly arrive to a local café near the Boros/Izzet line, where I was instructed to meet them. Gideon and Ral Zarek are already there, and sipping on what appeared to be coffee. Gideon spots me, and a smile dashes across his face. He frantically waves and yells for me.
"JAAACCCEEE! Over here! Hey Jace!" the hieromage waved to me.
I see a disgruntled look on Ral's face, and could tell he wasn't a morning person.
"Oh for the love of the Firemind, will you please sit down and stop embarrassing yourself?" he says, with bags under his eyes.
"Well Ral, I would ask if you were a morning person, but from the dark spots under your eyes and the venomous attitude, I gather you're not," I say, taking a seat at the table.
"Piss off, Beleren."
A waitress soon approaches me and takes my order of a cup of coffee. She leaves and returns momentarily with a steaming cup and a napkin. I mix in some cream and sugar and take to drinking the brew, warming my body and relaxing me.
"So, you two wouldn't have called me out here to shoot the breeze and drink a cup of coffee from a tiny out of the way café in the middle of the Boros-Izzet district. Nor would you have gone through the trouble of having Niv-Mizzet block your minds. What's going on?"
Both of the planeswalkers stare at me in disbelief and probably could not understand how I knew all this. Ral Zarek, shocked, sips from his cup and looks at me. After taking a long drag, he sets it down and clears his throat.
"Jace, you're a hard individual to reason with and as stubborn as a Boros Minotaur, we knew that nothing world would get you to come out here, especially considering what we need you to do."
"Jace, my friend, I've known you for a little over a year and know everything you were willing to tell me. You're a powerful mage and an even more powerful ally. I wouldn't put you in a situation you couldn't handle or expect you to do something I couldn't. In fact there is very little that I can do that you cannot. You're one of the most powerful I have ever met but…" Gideon began to trail off.
"But what? What are you talking about?" I said, giving both Ral Zarek and Gideon Jura a look.
"We as well as many of the other council members see that there needs to be an alternative form of defense, especially on your part."
"What do you mean?"
Gideon sighs, and gives Ral Zarek a look. He looks down at the table, then to his hands, before finally reaching to the ground and pulled out a wrapped object.
"You need to take up the sword," Gideon says, unraveling the package, to reveal a glistening silver sword with a single sapphire inlaid in the pommel. It was of intricate work, and some of the finest craftsmanship I've ever laid my eyes on. For some odd reason the blade looked so familiar, as if in a long ago memory this blade served some importance, but I could not place the owner of the weapon. The sword was polished to the finest I have ever seen in this world and added to the fierceness and elegance of the weapon. It was beautiful.
Suddenly a surge of pain gripped my heart. I remembered this blade, and I knew the owner too well. In fact I spent some time in his body, my late friend Kallist. Disgust bore its way into my veins and I looked at Gideon and Ral Zarek with hate.
"How did you get this?" I asked, feeling mana pound in my body.
"Jace, this was a promise to you. Liliana was given this weapon long before the events transpired between you three. Kallist knew that deep down inside this weapon would've served a better use in the future. Liliana was entrusted with this weapon, and was told that when the time came, she would know what to do with it," Gideon said.
I looked down at the ground and hid my face. Why would Liliana keep this from me, and why would Kallist give her his sword? None of this made sense, especially what they were asking of me.
"So what do you want me to do? Do you expect me to use this? This belonged to Kallist and I feel it's a mockery of his memory. You honestly will wield a sword given my past, because if you do you're sadly mistaken," I said, rage beginning to build in me.
"Jace, like I said, I know you so very well. I've known you for a long time, and don't want to see you to get hurt. You're powerful, and strong, but against Garruk you can die. I've seen him fight once and know his capabilities. If you're magic runs out or something else happens, what defense do you have?"
"I'll have you, or Ral, or hell even Liliana. I have backup," I say sneeringly.
"What if we're not there? What then? I know Jace, I know what this means to you, the pain, the suffering. You don't talk about, but you don't have to. When you smile or laugh or talk, it's forced. And I'm not talking about now, this way before Lili. This way before you found an escape." He said, before I cut him off. She is so much more than just an escape from pain.
"SHE'S NOT AN ESCAPE!" I yell.
"I know Jace, look. I know what she means to you! Because of that, because of her, you need to face the past, you need to have an alternative way to fighting him. Think of Liliana, if something happened to you, you know damn well that this city, the city you fought for, will become another Innistrad. Every soul, every person that you care for, that you give out of your own pockets, will pay for your death. Maybe it won't be Liliana who tears this city apart, but I can name several people who would love to see you fall, and fall hard," Gideon said.
His words rung deep and echoed through my body; the truth was there, and Gideon spoke it. I looked at the blade and I could see Kallist in it, his words reverberated in my head and every moment we shared came back. I missed him, and unfortunately as it may be, Gideon was right. It was time to move on, time to accept that he is gone but I could honor him.
I heaved a heavy sigh, and looked at them both, "What did you have in mind?" I say gripping the sword.
A smile spread on Gideon's face and Ral Zarek breathed heavily.
"And here I thought we were going to get eviscerated," the guildmage said.
We travel to a training area not too far from the Sunhome, and the area has already been closed off.
"Seems you were banking on me going along with this ridiculous plan; but you've never lied to me and I suppose it's only fitting I give this a shot."
Ral Zarek approaches me and asks to draw the sword. I do so, the sword felt like any other sword, but given the circumstances it felt like a ton. I looked at Ral and he told me to give a few swings, and I do so. I can tell I'm slow with the blade, but plan to see what they have in store.
"Now Jace, do you know how to bind a weapon, or anything for that matter?" Ral Zarek asked.
"Yes, I don't remember where I learned it, but I do nonetheless."
"Good, now bind it."
"W-what? Like, serious?" I said.
"Bind it," he said again.
I shrug my shoulders and do as he said. The weapon vanishes, and I make sure to have a mental lock on the weapon. I can still feel the weapon but cannot see it. I have no idea where the weapon went, but knew that it still existed.
"Attach the sheath to your side, and picture the weapon there."
I again, did as he said, and the weapon was at my side. I gripped it and instinctively drew it. The sword had a blue aura that took the shape of the weapon. There was now a sapphire in the steel of the weapon just a few inches above the hilt, and there was an ornate wave like design on the lower part of the blade and hilt, resembling water.
"Perfect. Gideon if you would be so kind as to begin his lessons," Ral Zarek said, stepping off to the side.
"Wait, what lessons?" I asked puzzled.
"Well as we explained you need a secondary way of fighting off Garruk, and we believe the sword will help," Gideon said.
"I suppose there isn't much to lose, so I'll give it a try," I said.
We take our stances, and we ready our weapons. I see the intent warrior's look in Gideon's eyes and knew that this training session would not be easy.
"Let us begin Jace," Gideon said.