A Dream of Empire Ch. 010

"Talos..."

"Just-"

"Sure, fine," Tatiana interjected brittly. "Anything's possible when we're dealing with magics we don't understand. Look, it's all unfamiliar to me, and we didn't see what happened. Judging from what I did see..." she pursed her lips, counting off with her fingers, "she ported into the stone, the stone activated, then erupted all it had into the heavens. But, Talos, you can't just... go into the heavens."

Talos nodded. "Yeah? Why not?" he asked, not knowing how ridiculous a question it was at the time. Tatiana's humorless expression told him that.

"There... there's a..." she sighed, shaking her head, "you just can't, Talos. Believe me."

"Okay... well... say, if magic could descend from the heavens. Where would it go?"

Tatiana shrugged again, squinting at him. "Are you joking?" she asked breathlessly.

"No."

"Talos, it could go anywhere. All life descends from, and returns to, the heavens. It's an immutable law of nature. Raw magics could descend to any location, to provide life for newly born... everythings."

Talos nodded, following along as best he could. "Right, right, the lifestream thing. Cass... told me about it a long time back. So, you're saying she went there?"

"I... don't know," she exhaled, shaking her head. "I really don't know. It would be a historical first if she had."

"But if she had, she could be alive?"

Tatiana pouted, then sighed. "It's... not my place to say, Talos."

No heartwarming answers here. Talos released Alanna as softly as he could, kissing her once on the forehead. He then paced about the deck, staring off in the direction of Catriona. Perhaps he was biting off far more than he could chew at the moment.

"Do you see her string?" he softly asked Tatiana. She squinted, as if studying him.

"I... don't," she hesitantly answered. Talos felt his heart drop for a fourth time in a day.

Show them your courage. Talos needed to focus on the immediate future first, before he worried about the implications of that answer. He turned towards the pouting girls, looking at the sorceress in black.

"Very well. You said you would assist me, yesterday? How far does that go?" he asked her with a sympathetic, yet piercing, gaze.

"However much I can. I... have no other obligations."

He nodded. "Okay. In that case, I want you to port yourself and Alanna to Catriona as soon as you can. Get my kid out of there," he turned towards Alanna, "and raid the College for anything we can learn of the island. Anything that can point us towards Cass. Ask around, but don't be direct. Don't draw attention. There's also a meteorite steel sword back home. I need you to retrieve that for me."

"Okay," Alanna sniffled.

"I will sail south for supplies in the meantime, then sell the ship in Santaria," he continued, flicking his gaze between the two. "It's quite the voyage, but let's say you can retrieve me there... at the beginning of the new month. For Lyrasa."

Tatiana crossed her arms, pouting. "No. Forget the ship."

"It's worth a-hundred-and-a-half Imperials. At least. We'll need it."

"I have coin, Talos," she retorted, waving a hand towards the deck. "Sailing this into an Imperial port is too great a risk. I can provide for us."

He shrugged, outstretching his hands. "And do... what would you have me do with the ship?"

"Destroy it," she answered immediately.

Talos and Tatiana shared a silent glare with those two words, and, for once, she didn't back down from his gaze. Talos also refused to give in.

"No. I appreciate your help, but I won't be in your debt more than I have to be."

"And I won't port out of here without you, Talos, not after what happened in Villjord. I'll destroy your vessel myself if I have to. Besides, what is friendship in the end other than the refusal of debts repaid?"

"Mm..."

Talos saw her give a sly half-smile, only for a fleeting moment. "And would you really abandon Alanna, now?"

Talos glanced towards the enchantress with an unexpected smirk. Tatiana had him. A dirty play, but she had him nevertheless. Talos would have said a silent prayer for the Alessia at that moment, if he had known of any.

The man had known many sorceresses in his time, but never had he been repudiated with such assuredness. It would have even been an alluring quality, had it been a simpler time. All from the terrified Tatiana...

Talos shrugged instead, sighing with exasperation. "Alright. We destroy the ship. Perhaps run it aground, make it look an accident. When will you be ready to teleport us?"

"Tomorrow..." her eyes widened; she wobbled against another crashing wave. "Maybe."

Talos leaned against the mast, crossing his arms. Destroying his far most valuable possession, teleporting into a potentially-hostile city. It couldn't have been the worst plan he'd heard in his time, although he couldn't think of another at the moment.

Alanna swayed towards Tatiana when she noticed the hints of fear in her eyes and words, Tatiana's shield doing nothing to hide the obvious. Alanna didn't know the words to assuage her fears, so she collapsed on top of her instead and hugged her tightly, and pecked her on the cheek.

"Thank you," the enchantress tearfully whispered. "He... we are truly grateful for you. Even if he did not say as much." Gloved arms wrapped around Alanna's back, and moon-shaped eyes shut to hold back tears. They came all the same.