Stalking Darkness - Chapter Thirty-Five

[kalinara]

So last time, we got to see some aftermath of the Oreska attack as well as how Beka's doing. Surprisingly, war kind of sucks.



So we're back with Seregil and Micum. We're told that a white pavilion has been erected for the dead wizards. Enemy corpses have been laid out, mostly soldiers.

They chat about the attack, recognizing various "old friends" amidst the enemy dead. Micum notices one of Captain Tildus's men, while Seregil picks out "Farm the Fish", someone Tym had reported before his murder.

Seregil, by the way, looks terrible: still wearing the same borrowed, baggy clothes, and not having slept in like a week.

They decide to search the bodies for Juggler marks. Jugglers, if you recall, are members of the Plenimarian assassin's guild. There had been one in the dungeon when Seregil and Alec first met. None of the corpses has the mark itself, but a few have suspicious scars that look like a mark was removed.

But the dye runs deep, so after a few attempts, Seregil's able to slice through layers of skin to find the mark underneath. Proof! Though I'm not really sure why it's necessary at this point

One of the drysians come over, aghast at the desecration of the bodies. Micum explains what they're doing, and the drysian says she'll see to it. She was actually sent by Valerius: Nysander is stirring.

I feel like they could wait until Nysander's actually awake, but then we couldn't get dramatic bedside vigil scenes.

To Micum, Nysander looked worse than ever. His face was a dull, chalky grey, his eyes sunken deep in their sockets beneath the unruly white brows. His breathing scarcely lifted the sheet covering him but Micum could hear it, rasping faintly as dry leaves across stone.

The sight of him must have struck Seregil hard as well. He read a hint of despair in Seregil’s face as he approached Nysander, and knew it was born of the conflict between Seregil’s great love for Nysander and his desperate need to learn whatever he could to save Alec.

Nysander does wake though, and Seregil says he found the map. He gets confirmation about the mountain and temple. Nysander corrects him: it's not on the mountain. He's not able to say whether it's underground or at the foot. I'm going to guess that the temple IS the mountain. He tries to say something before passing out again.

Magyana, who is taking care of him, realizes that he was saying a name: an astrologer friend who Nysander had been consulting with about a comet. Seregil realizes that there's a book by the guy nearby. They put together that there's going to be a "synodical event" like the comet, and Mardus will be using it somehow.

Seregil decides to go see the astrologer. Micum comes along, frustrated. Alec's been carried off by butchering bastards, and they're stuck "weaving sails out of smoke". I do like that they both care so much about their friend. Seregil feels confident about this lead though.

He asks after Kari. Micum notes that he'd promised Kari that he'd be there when she sprouts. Seregil notes that he doesn't have to come along, but Micum's made his choice. He'll stick to it. He's worried though: Nysander's prophecy talks about four people. They're already down to two.

“We’re still four, Micum.”

Micum stared down at the mosaic under his feet for a moment, then laid a hand on Seregil’s thin shoulder. “I know what Valerius said yesterday. I want to believe it as much as you, but—“

“No!” Seregil glared at Micum. “Until I hold his body in my hands, Alec is alive, do you hear?”

Micum understood the anguish behind Seregil’s anger all too well. If Alec was alive, Seregil would fight through fire and death to save him. If Alec was dead, then he’d do the same to track down his killers. Either road, he blamed himself.

Micum takes the practical approach, much as he loves Alec, and starts talking about maybe recruiting an archer. But then they're interrupted by a "short, well-fed man in an enormous dressing gown."

The astrologer, Leiteus, offers them tea. He's horrified to hear about Oreska, wondering why anyone would want to harm that decent old fellow. Leiteus is pretty useful: he has the data about the movement of the comet, "Rendel's Spear" and the date it will appear.

Just over two weeks. It's supposed to remain in the sky for nearly a week. AND it's going to coincide with a solar eclipse.

Yeah, that sounds pretty evil portenty.

Apparently, Nysander asked if this happened before. Leiteus didn't even have to calculate that: all astrologers know that there was one that ushered in the Great War, six hundred and eighty-four years ago.

Seregil and Micum leave. They agree it makes sense that this is what Mardus is aiming for, and it explains why tensions have suddenly started up again after nearly twenty years of relative quiet. They still don't know what this all means though, except that it likely has to do with the items from the vault.

So they go back, planning to head out via Rhal's ship. Valerius vetoes Nysander coming along, in his condition. Even translocation is out. He's too weak, and there are only three wizards who can cast it - they'll all need recovery time.

Micum notes that they don't actually have to move him right away. If the timing is right, they'll need him two weeks from now. Valerius and Magyana grudgingly admit it might be possible, but the decision will be Nysander's. Seregil and Micum are happy with that, and they leave an amulet with them. The amulet is connected to the one they'd given Rhal. Nysander will be able to go to him and either Seregil and Micum will be there too, or Rhal will be able to tell Nysander where they went.

Valerius, by the way, is able to check on both Beka and Alec. Beka is doing well, riding with good companions. Alec...well, he can see that he's not dead.

That's the end of this chapter. Next week, we'll see what Alec is up to. And there's likely to be a few content warnings here. Egads.