Part the Two-Hundred Eleventh
In which: our heroes return… all of them.
And so, nearly six months to the day since they last left the city, the party returns to the friendly harbors of Dar Pykos.
Meeting the ship are Professor Alexandra, Tenacious the Just, and Dame Jenna of the Attendants. Accompanying them are a man and a woman unknown to the party. The woman is a Sedellan and wears the grey robes of a Harbinger. The man’s holy symbol identifies him as a member of an Ektian order, the Keepers of Light. This last has brought two acolytes who bear a stretcher between them.
Professor Alexandra appears positively relieved as the party disembarks. “Welcome home,” she says warmly.
Anvil speaks for the group, “It is good that our mission is complete that we might turn to selecting an appropriate candidate to serve as your Chancellor,” he replies gravely.
The Professor blinks for just a moment, then smiles to herself. “Indeed.” She continues, “We are all eager to hear of your recent travels, and of your encounters with the last two archmages. If I might suggest we all convene for an initial debriefing this evening?”
She gestures to where the Keeper and his assistants are, under Euro’s watchful eye, carefully lifting the bundle containing Lira’s body onto the prepared litter. “Lira can add her impressions later, if she’s… available… and feeling up to it.”
For his part, Anvil fixes the Keeper with a stern stare. “Who are you?” he demands.
“I am Brother Brightly, of the Keepers of Light.”
“You are not the man that Lira knew before. Why is he not here?”
Brother Brightly spreads his hands. “I was merely told that Devon had requested to be relieved of his duties in this matter, I believe in order to embark on a quest of his own. I have been asked to take over his position as liaison.”
Anvil accepts this with a nod. “It is your intention to
raise Lira then?”
The man nods. “If her soul is willing and able to return, yes.”
“I believe this requires components of some expense. We are prepared—”
Brother Brightly cuts him off. “That is not a concern. We take care of our own.”
Anvil cannot argue. It is, after all, only Just. Standing beside Thatch, Eva feels briefly cold.
The group breaks up, with plans to reconvene at the Temple of Justice that evening after dinner. Thatch uses his immovable rod to secure
The Tranquil Shore until such time as Captail Elsuki can obtain the necessary capital to buy out the party’s shares in the vessel, and then sets out with Eva to see if Mrs. Blackburn has any rooms available. After that, he’ll try to find a place to test out Bob’s new horseshoes.
Reyu goes to seek lodging as well, and Annika and Kiara head back with Professor Alexandra to the Academy.
Anvil, having no doubt as to where he will sleep that night, nods respectfully to Tenacious. “Is there Universal Law yet?” he asks.
If Tenacious finds Anvil’s question amusing, he gives no outward sign. “Not yet, brother.”
###
Mrs. Blackburn does indeed have rooms available and is more than happy to let them to Thatch, Eva, and Reyu. Eva hands over the fee for the week without complaint, despite the fact that she has no intention of making use of her own room. She and Thatch have already had several discussions concerning their return to Dar Pykos. Until they know what the Sedellans might have planned, Eva will not leave Thatch’s side, even if it means sleeping on the floor in his room.
For whatever reason, Thatch seems to think that having
someone else in the room at night will be a benefit to him as well. Eva decides not to ask questions.
That accomplished, it is a quick matter to get Bob settled in one of the city’s stables, and then re-shod with the horseshoes from Barnabus’s pack.
A scant hour and a half later, Thatch and Eva have ridden outside the city walls to a flower-strewn meadow, free from unwanted observers.
Thatch takes a deep breath of the warm, fresh air.
At last. Back on solid ground. Sun on his face. Riding Bob again. Eva clinging tight behind.
It doesn’t get much better than this, he reflects.
Quickly, Thatch brings Bob to a trot, then to a canter and a gallop. And then… “up!” he urges with a slight pull to the reigns, and an instant later—although they are still running through the grass—the sound of Bob’s hoof beats abruptly vanishes.
Bob slows a bit, uncertain what has just happened, but Thatch continues to reassure him and soon the horse has mastered the new rhythm of running without touching the ground.
A minute later, they ford a stream without a single splash.
Behind him, Eva laughs.
It is a
glorious afternoon.
###
Meanwhile, after determining that the cause of Universal Law will survive a few hours more without his attention, Anvil accompanies Lira’s corpse to the Temple of Ehkt.
It is not a short walk from the docks to the Temple District, but Brother Brightly does not offer any conversation and Anvil does not volunteer. The acolytes walk with purpose, but without undue hurry, through the streets, up the steps to the Temple, until they eventually lay their burden to rest in a small sanctuary off of the main nave.
After Brother Brightly and the acolytes depart, Anvil finds a corner near the door, and sits with the body.
Perhaps an hour passes.
Euro paces, clearly distraught by the delay, but Anvil leaves him to it. Nothing has comforted the weasel since Lira’s death, and he does not expect that anything will now. The body, on a raised stone platform near the back wall of the chapel, lies inert.
Eventually, a rather burly Ehktian priest with red hair and a beard enters. He acknowledges Anvil’s presence with a nod, and then goes to his work.
The priest begins by unwrapping Lira’s sailcloth shroud. Although Anvil’s use of
gentle repose has prevented decomposition, it has done nothing to repair her wounds. Anvil notes that it was probably only the acolyte’s careful handling that has kept the body in one piece.
If the priest is shocked by the extent of the damage, he gives no sign. He spends a few moments checking over the body, ensuring that nothing vital to life is missing, and then gives Anvil a small nod.
“Should I go?” Anvil asks.
“If you wish. It is not necessary.”
Anvil retakes his seat, and the priest resumes his work, once again ignoring the Justicar.
He lights four pillar candles, two at Lira’s head and two at her feet.
Once the flames are firmly established, the priest begins to chant.
“Ehkt, Father of the living, Bringer of growth…”
Anvil watches carefully. As the chant continues, the candle flames grow, getting brighter and brighter with the urgency of the priest’s prayers.
“…allow your child to return to us, so that she might face the challenges of a new day…”
Lira’s body is glowing now too, with a golden light, her wounds closing before Anvil’s eyes.
“…that she might once again stand at noon, your time of glory…”
The candle flames rise to fill the air above the dais,
“…under the warmth of your gaze…”
All Anvil can see of the priest is a dark silhouette against the glare.
“Return her to the day.”
Brighter.
“Return her to your light!”
Brighter.
“RETURN HER TO YOUR LIGHT!”
Anvil raises a hand to shield his eyes, but just as the glare becomes unbearable… it fades. The candles recede to their normal level. Lira body lies between them, clean, whole, and perfectly still.
Except for the tiny flutter of a pulse in her throat. Then the hitching gasp of lungs remembering how to work again.
And Lira’s eyes open.
(Although it had never occurred to me that he [Fajitas or El-Suki] hadn't thought about how the ship cut into the treasure divisions.)
