Finding the Way
Episode 18 - The World Stone - Arc 1 End
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Committing to go under the mountains through Ward’s Way, they come upon two strangers–one Spellweaver and an old man who mysteriously knows Tasol’s name.
Tasol looked across the open expanse in shock that he was being called out by name in this place by a stranger. He’d never seen anyone openly using magic apart from he and his sister just these past few hours from the rings given to them by their mother. It was all so strange and unsettling.
“Who the hell is that?” Myra asked, as she stood at Tasol’s side, an arrow knocked into her bow ready to fire.
“I have no idea,” Tasol whispered back as his hand spun the machetes. He could sense that Myra was nervous, and he was too. They all unconsciously started taking small steps backwards as they continued to assess the situation. Tasol did not answer, but his eyes flicked back and forth from the lone female to the robed figure that had spoken his given name.
He spoke again briefly. “You can put your weapons down Tasol, and Myra, I assume. Your other friend there, him I do not know, but you, my boy, can relax as well. If we were a threat, then those rings Evra made would be glowing something awful by now. You can be rest assured that Evra would not let any threat get this close to you without some pain being inflicted.”
“Who are you?” Tasol asked as he settled a bit, relaxing the grip on his weapon, but not yet ready to lower his guard. The mysterious man was right, as he looked at his ring it was glowing, but no more than it had been since they started their approach to Ward’s Way. However, Tasol had to admit he had no idea how the magic of the rings worked and for that reason, he stayed cautious as did his sister, her arrow knocked and aimed at the lone female clearly seeing her as the larger threat. Tasol couldn’t argue with that assessment, but he needed to know more. “It does seem that we do have to thank you for the relief from the weather.”
The robed figure let out a scratchy laugh that settled in a fit of coughs before he cleared his throat, speaking once again. “That thanks does not go to me. That goes to Jacelyn here. She’s a promising Spellweaver. Like your mother, Evra, once was.”
Tasol turned his head, looking at the Spellweaver as she continued to hold her quarterstaff aloft, the strange wind flushing from it holding the winter storm at bay. Her robes billowed around her and Tasol could tell she was fit, athletic, but most of her remained hidden from him by the billowing robes. He looked back to the robed figure at her side, confused at the continued references to his late mother, wondering how he’d known who he was, why they were here. “So that’s Jacelyn, but I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“You did not catch my name because I did not give it. But we must get along with this and quickly get in shelter as not even Jacelyn can hold this foul storm at bay much longer. My name is Belidor. I’ve been seeking you for years, but that mother of yours was quite skilled in hiding you. You and the artifact. But you have been hidden from us until Evra’s passing. She was wise to keep you hidden, but not wise to keep you hidden from me–I’m guessing that was Artus’ doing. He was always so difficult and often times just plain obstinate.”
“I would hold your tongue when you speak of my father.” Tasol spat out the words before speaking, a trait that he’d apparently inherited from his father.
“Yes, like father like son, but you can calm down Tasol for your father was my brother, so when I speak ill of him we’re all just talking of family affairs and as you loved him as a father, I loved my brother. His passing was a great loss to this world, as is Evra’s, and I’m sad to tell you both, but you and your sister have some rather large boots to fill. Now, enough with the pleasantries. We must get inside, so we can let Jacelyn drop her spell as we take respite from the storm, and we can talk more. I’m an old man, if I stay out here to talk we may not finish what needs to be spoken and heard.”
The end of Arc 1 of The World Stone — Bound by Blood
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