Elan Pt. 08 - Shattered

Author's Note: Fair warning, this and the next chapter are not sexy. At all.

Shattered

--

The sun was already setting over the Imperial city, the tall stone towers and encircling walls causing the darkness to set in earlier than outside. Sigismund and Silvia were continuing their search through the city, but as of yet finding nothing of importance.

They had been led on several wild goose chases today; with so many citizens residing in the vast metropolis, a few were guaranteed to be sorceresses. Silvia had led them to one practicing her transmutation skills, hopelessly attempting to reconfigure iron bars into gold. After several apologies from Sigismund, they were later led in the direction of an Illusionist performing street theatre for a couple dozen laughing children. Sigismund found the ghostly, dancing apparations that the Illusionist cast to be quite the distraction, but obviously not what they sought today. And so they continued onwards.

"Silvia, I'm going to be perfectly honest here. I met Rayya several weeks ago and I find it very hard to believe that she is behind all of this," Sigismund explained morosely, eyes dancing over the crowd ahead. Silvia didn't respond for a moment, diligently scanning their surroundings. She reopened her eyes two moments later.

"So you don't believe him, then?" Silvia asked softly.

"I believe that he believes it. But Talos usually forms his opinions on gut instinct, and in my experience relying on that alone is dangerous."

"Hmm," Silvia replied wordlessly, reading the clock tower in the distance to ensure they had enough time to reach the western gate for sundown. "I, on the other hand, think gut feelings are correct more often than not. I've saved more than a dozen people who were suffering ailments I didn't have evidence of. Sometimes the back of your mind is just cognizant of things that you aren't."

Silvia returned Sigismund's smile before continuing. "Besides, when has Talos been wrong anyway?"

Sigismund raised a finger, opening his mouth before realizing he didn't have a rebuttal on hand. Silvia whistled a tune he didn't recognize for a couple seconds until he responded.

"He gets involved with sorceresses too often," he shrugged.

"I'm a sorceress, Sigismund. Try again."

"Well, one time in Santaria he-" Sigismund's train of thought halted abruptly as he recognized two garishly-dressed women in the small square before them. Sigismund grabbed Silvia's shoulder and hopped around the corner.

"What?!" Silvia whispered nervously.

He poked his head around the stone pillar, Silvia following suit. "That's her! And she's with... Alanna, I think was her name. Another enchantress."

"That's... not ideal," Silvia replied.

"No, it's fine. Alanna's a nice girl."

"Then why are we hiding?" Silvia whispered apprehensively.

Sigismund didn't respond immediately. The girls he spied on didn't appear to be making a scene, besides attracting the attention of every man in the square with their provocative clothing.

"Let's just follow them," Sigismund nodded in their direction. He left the safety of the pillar, trying to act as nonchalant as he could as he and Silvia stalked them, tailing the sorceresses into an alleyway with stall vendors on either side.

Everything was as normal as could be. Rayya and Alanna appeared to just be strolling down the street, Alanna even checking out the wares of the shopkeepers they passed. Sigismund's heart had stopped racing and was yet again drawn into a sense of security. Just when he decided he should greet the pair, Silvia tugged on his sleeve.

"They're casting something. Big," Silvia warned ominously.

-

Rayya had noticed her shadow.

The man she had met back in Oak's Crossing was now following her, accompanied by another Rayya didn't recognize. She needed to read them, but found she couldn't through the din of the many people nearby. They were just out of range.

Rayya came up with another idea. She didn't need to read them to get away; she merely needed a distraction. She shut her eyes as she reached out to the crowd.

"Rayya, what's up?" Alanna asked nervously, sensing her enchantment. She didn't respond. Alanna swept their perimeter, trying to locate Rayya's target, but found nothing. A dozen or two people were now turning around and walking past them, in the direction that the sorceresses had just come from.

Rayya opened her eyes. "We have to go," she muttered under her breath.

"What's going on?" Alanna asked again, briskly tailing the now-jogging sorceress.

"We're being followed. Not sure by who."

-

Sigismund found himself shoving through a suddenly-present crowd, men and women seemingly unaware of the troubles they were causing him and Silvia. He held onto Silvia's hand as he unsuccessfully tried to make his way through the mass of bodies.

"Get out of the way!" he roared, receiving not a glance in response. A burly man in a long coat jabbed an elbow into Sigismund's ribs, causing him to wince reflexively.

"They're enchanted, Sigi!" Silvia exclaimed, finding more and more souls converging on them.

Enchanted?

Sigismund thought quickly, pushing one woman to the ground who had been reaching towards him with both hands. If this crowd were enchanted, then Rayya or Alanna were absolutely aware of his presence.

Which meant that there was no sense in holding onto his secret weapon.

"Ears!" Sigismund shouted, reaching into his pocket for the bead Vex had offered at the tavern. He punched a portly man wearing merchant clothing in the jaw before he could do the same to Sigismund, causing the man to collapse to the floor. Sigismund didn't have a spare cycle of awareness to notice the steel footsteps closing on him from behind.

He covered an ear and threw the bead at the street, hearing a quick snap when gem met stone. Then he heard nothing.

-

Alanna pressed her hands against her ears instinctively, a loud ringing emanating through her to the core. Rayya was shouting at her, pointing angrily in front of them.

"What in the gods names was that?!" Alanna shouted.

At least, that's what she hoped to shout. She couldn't hear her own voice, but Alanna realized Rayya was telling her to keep running with her hurried hand movements. So she did.

The pair ran as quickly as their heels would allow them to, racing through a market square and onto the main street headed towards the western gate. Alanna noticed that most everyone around them were also clutching their ears and wearing a pained grimace on their mouths. She followed Rayya into a side street off the main road, huffing for air as Rayya knelt on the ground. The ringing in Alanna's ears was slowly receding over time. Perhaps it was her hearing.

"What... the hell... was that?" Alanna asked again through stunted breaths, relieved she could hear herself that time. Rayya shook her head.

"I don't know," she admitted, drained. Alanna took another two steps towards her, looming over the sorceress as Rayya continued to kneel on the ground.

"And who were you enchanting, Rayya?!"

"I... the crowd. I enchanted the crowd so we could escape," Rayya said, looking up into Alanna's rigid stare. "But I don't know what the noise was!" she exclaimed.

"The entire crowd?!"

"Alanna, get away from her."

Alanna spun on her heels, startled by the exclamation of her name. She hadn't heard anyone approach her.

"Casiama? What are... you..." Alanna choked out in surprise, her words falling away when she noticed the elf had her bow drawn and aimed at Rayya on the ground. Casiama glanced to Alanna's belly with surprise before returning to the task at hand.

"It's over, Rayya. Admit to the blood you've spilled and I swear I'll be merciful," Casiama declared coldly, eyes fixed on the blonde sorceress on her knees. Rayya quivered, but slowly rose to her feet with hands raised.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied weakly.

"Cass, what are you talking about? Where's Talos?" Alanna asked. Rayya glanced in Alanna's direction before scowling at the elf and closing her eyes. Alanna felt the magical tremor again. She saw Casiama lower her bow.

"Rayya... don't..."

"Answer the question, Casiama. Where's Talos?" Rayya asked sternly, her eyes still shut as her mouth settled on a mischevious smirk.

"Havelthorn, to the west. Talos is searching for you there," Casiama answered calmly, her eyebrows rising in worry as her mouth moved on its own.

Rayya had already pierced Casiama's thoughts and emotions, finding deep concern when she thought of Talos. Thoughts which appeared often. Rayya determined that she was the elf Alanna had mentioned earlier.

"Rayya!" Alanna screamed, jumping at the sorceress. Rayya shoved her away easily, Alanna's grace being severely impacted by her body's recent changes. "Stop this now!" she declared, raising a fist in anger before running at her again.

"She stole Talos from you! From us!" Rayya exclaimed as she brought both hands to Alanna's chest. Alanna brought her fist down to Rayya's cheek, landing a weak punch in hopes of breaking her connection to Casiama.

"That doesn't matter! Stop it!"

Rayya shoved her away once more, stumbling onto her heels. "Casiama, why is Talos looking for me?" Alanna halted her advance on the sorceress, glancing at the elf with sudden curiosity.

"He wants to stop the suicides you're causing. I don't know what he has planned for you."

"Suicides...?" Alanna whispered, then glowered at Rayya. She jumped at her again, swinging weakly at her arms as she cried. "Rayya stop this, please!"

Rayya held her away. Just long enough. "Casiama. Do you have any knives on you?"

"Yes. One in my right boot," Casiama replied calmly with a contorted face.

"Good. Stab yourself in the heart with it."

"No!" Alanna cried, feebly pushing Rayya against the wall. She had to stop this immediately, and only knew one way of doing so.

Alanna shut her eyes, forcing herself into Casiama's mind as well. Alanna had practice doing it in the past, and found the elf's mind already eager for her commands. Putty to her will.

Alanna halted Casiama's hand halfway from her boot, ordering her to stand straight once more. Rayya persisted, imploring the elf to reach for the blade.

Casiama started to weep as she felt her mind commanding her to perform opposite actions. Then she screamed.

Alanna ran at Rayya again and punched her in the chest, forcing her to knees. She could feel Rayya already entering her mind as well, using Casiama as a proxy. Alanna felt completely and utterly betrayed by the girl, and she realized Rayya was the far more powerful enchantress here. There would be no winning an even battle with her.

"Please," Alanna begged, tears streaming down her face. Casiama fell to her knees, wailing relentlessly as her hands clutched her face in agony. "Stop this..." Alanna whimpered.

Alanna ordered Casiama to run, to run far away from here and not look back. But she couldn't feel the princess's mind any more. Casiama only howled in miserable response.

Alanna could feel Rayya's powerful enchantment, attempting to sever her from Casiama. Alanna simply refused for that to happen.

So, she assaulted the spell with her own. And then she screamed.

-

"Disorderly conduct!" the armored guard shouted, a stern finger pointed at Sigismund's chest.

"Disorderly conduct?!" Sigismund retorted, "but they were attacking me, sir!"

"That's not what I saw! Disorderly conduct and assault!" the Imperial guard declared with a roar. Sigismund shook his head.

"And the noise! I saw you throw something!" the guardsman added. Sigismund was in no position to argue, surrounded by six armored soldiers with pikes pointed at him. He already had his hands raised.

Silvia pleaded in his defense. "What he says is true sir. We were minding our own business when they attacked us; the bead was only thrown in self-defense."

"That bead shattered windows down the street! Disorderly conduct, assault, and vandalism!"

Silvia shook her head, realizing that further conversation would just lead to more charges being declared by the impetuous guard.

"We'll get you out, okay?" she reassured Sigismund with a worried smile. Sigismund nodded back to her with a grimace before he was escorted down the street by half a dozen pikemen, his arms raised high.

-

The sun had nearly set when Vex heard the commotion, the wails on the wind. She had already been following the first thunderous explosion caused by one of her beads, then felt the surge of magical aura half a mile away. Markus was right on her heels, dodging a food stall here and an Imperial citizen there.

"Cass!" Vex strode towards the elf laying fetally in the cobblestone road, luckily still wearing her hood before the growing crowd of dozens. She placed two fingers on Casiama's neck, a sigh of relief when she found a pulse.

"Hmm?" Casiama moaned groggily.

"Cass, we have to get you out of here. But please, don't move anything you don't have to until Silvia can look you over, alright?" Vex explained worriedly, pulling one of Casiama's arms over her shoulder.

"Alright." The word had come out too weak. Too distant. Vex shot Markus a worried glance.

"Tell me what you just agreed to, Cass."

"Hmm... I don't remember."

"Shit," Vex said to no one in particular.

"Talos ain't gonna like this," Markus said, hoisting Casiama's other arm.

"Talos... Rayya..." the elf whimpered.

"Did ya find Rayya, Cass? Is that who did this to you?" Markus asked.

"Alanna..."

"Markus, she isn't going to make sense right now," Vex explained in a hurry, eyes darting over the crowd. "Come on, we need to go back to the tavern before the guards get here."

-

Talos stepped through the western gate of the capital, deep in his own thoughts as he returned from the small town to the west. The sun had set a while ago, but he wasn't in any hurry. The silence had given the man some much appreciated time to think.

The locals in Havelthorn hadn't seen the girl in his drawing, nor had there been any sign of her having been there. Not that there was much of anything in Havelthorn, Talos mused. It seemed a silly place for a town, being less than four miles from the capital. He wondered what kind of obnoxious traveler would even stop there, just a short walk away from Imperia itself.

The walk had given him time to ponder, to wonder if he'd ever find it in himself to forgive Rayya. Would he give her the opportunity to explain her actions? Talos couldn't understand her reasoning from the outside looking in, but perhaps there were justifications for her deeds. And no matter how wrong they were, he agreed to himself that he'd at least hear her out. He owed her that much.

He decided to visit the Imperial Hospital to check for leads before returning to the Spellsong, having found none of his party at the western gates. Sunfall had passed at least two hours ago, and Talos hadn't expected his friends to stick around that long for him. Conversations of little importance could always wait until he made it to the tavern.

Funny, that, Talos thought. So many people in the world value idle conversation so highly, yet only a small fraction of those exchanges will ever impact their life in any meaningful way. Most discussions will be forgotten in time; merely in one ear and out the other. Like dust on the wind.

"Hey, Talos."

Talos realized he was staring at his feet as he walked, and was already at the hospital. Silvia greeted him outside, a clenched hand on her chest and tears in her eyes.

His heart skipped a beat. "Sil... what's wrong?"

"It's..." Silvia whimpered and shook her head, unable to find the words.

She escorted him inside with small steps, and led him to the patients quarters. Silvia pointed at a beautiful girl on a bench and brought a hand to her mouth. His heart thumped in his chest.

Alanna was laying on her back, clearly enjoying a deep sleep with a pleasant dream on her lips. What a surprise to see her here, he thought. He imagined the countless stories they could share. He dreamt of her vibrant laugh, of her wonderful smile. He stepped towards her briskly, eager to wake her and enjoy her vivacious spirit once more.

His heart fluttered. How long had she been pregnant? How long has it been since...?

He shook his head, unable to come to terms with words unspoken. He brought a hand towards Alanna and shook her shoulder, but she did not wake. He brought a hand to her chest, and shook her again.

Nothing.

"... Silvia?" Talos asked tearfully. Silvia was shaking her head behind him, her eyes cast to the floor.