The Threads of Destiny - Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Cleric

“Well, that was a bit of fun, wasn’t it? Lucky you all showed up when you did. I mean, I would have handled it, but still, much obliged,” Grace said, and then knelt beside the nearest body and began rummaging through the man’s pockets.

Osric cleared his throat. “Actually, we were looking for you.”

Grace froze in place for a moment before standing back up, sword suddenly in hand, as she backed away from them.

“Is that so? And who exactly sent you?”

“It’s not like that,” Osric said, holding up his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture. “We came looking for your help.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed, and the sword tip dipped a bit. “My help?”

“We’re trying to find someone who is supposed to live in this area. We were told if anyone knew where this man was, it would be you,” Talia added.

For a long moment, Grace didn’t move, her gaze flicking between the three of them, assessing. Then, slowly, she lowered her sword.

“Oh, in that case...” A sly grin spread across her face. “How much are you paying?”

Osric blinked. “Paying?”

“Well, I don’t work for free, do I? Information, like anything else, has a price.”

“I’m afraid we don’t have much in the way of coin,” Osric admitted. “But this is important. We’re seeking an old cleric named Jasper who lives somewhere on the edge of the forest. His knowledge could be vital.”

Her expression changed instantly. 

Shaking her head, the thief said, “No. No way. I’m not going anywhere near that grumpy old codger.”

“This is important,” Rowan said. “What we’re doing could mean all of our lives, the lives of everyone in Aeloria, and the fate of the world.”

“Then you should all get busy dealing with whatever that is and leave me alone. Besides, what do you need me for anyway? I thought you Rangers could find whoever you wanted.”

“It’s not the same thing. Look, I’m certain you have, or will, run into problems with the Rangers. It would be helpful to have one who owes you a favor when that happens.”

Her dismissive expression dropped a bit, and Osric thought she might actually be considering that. Of course, from what they’d heard about her, Rowan was probably right. She had probably already run into trouble with the Rangers … and anyone else tasked with maintaining the peace. 

She didn’t immediately agree, though.

“We just rescued you. Surely that counts for something,” Osric said, trying a different track.

“I didn’t need rescuing,” she snapped. “I had everything under control.”

Talia snorted. “Really? Because from where I was standing, it looked like you were outnumbered and outmatched.”

“Listen here, red,” Grace said, agitated.

“Alright, alright,” Osric said, interrupting them before the insults could actually start. “Perhaps ‘rescue’ was the wrong word. But we did help you out of a tight spot. All we’re asking is for a little help in return.”

“Look, we tracked you down once, and I’m guessing there are plenty of others out there who’d love to do the same. Maybe we should just go find them and see how much they’d be willing to pay for a little help locating an annoying little thief.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“He just told you that what we’re doing could mean the fate of the entire world. If you don’t think that’s worth a few threats, you’re out of your mind. Besides, it’s not like you’ve made us very charitable, have you?”

“Alright, alright, no need to get nasty,” she said, reaching down and grabbing a sword sheath from the body of Garn and putting her newly acquired weapon in it. “I’ll make you a deal. Let me keep whatever valuables we find on these sorry sods, and I’ll take you to see the old man. But I’m warning you, he’s not exactly the friendly type.”

Rowan looked across the scattered bodies, his expression clearly displeased, but the notion didn’t actually bother Osric. Anything these guys had they’d probably stolen from someone else, anyway. So what did it matter if the thief took it for herself? It was better than stealing from people who’d worked for what they earned.

Besides, they needed her cooperation.

“Agreed. You can have whatever they’re carrying. All we want is your help finding Jasper.”

“Fan-bloody-tastic,” Grace said, the words coming out dry and sarcastic, as she knelt back down and resumed her riffling of corpses.

“So, how far is it to where Jasper is?” Osric finally asked after watching her meticulously check each man for anything valuable.

“About a day’s walk, give or take. I’ve had a long day, so maybe we can do that tomorrow, after a good night’s sleep,” she said, straightening up and tucking a small pouch into her belt, before eyeing the bodies all around them. “But maybe we should find somewhere to camp that doesn’t have quite so many corpses lying around, yeah?”

“Agreed. Lead the way.”

The thief finished her pillaging, pocketing a few more trinkets before gesturing for them to follow. Osric fell into step beside Talia as they headed east, toward the forest, Rowan and Cinder bringing up the rear. After about thirty minutes of walking, they found a small clearing that seemed suitable for a camp. As Rowan started a fire, Talia pulled Osric aside.

“Maybe we should keep watches, just in case she decides to kill us in our sleep and steal everything we have. Or run off,” she said in a low voice.

That had occurred to Osric as well. The thief had been in good spirits for their short walk, but considering her behavior since they’d met, there was a good chance she’d take the first opportunity to ditch them.

They rejoined the others, and Talia announced she would take the first watch, claiming she needed to study her spellbooks. Rowan promptly volunteered to accompany her, leaving Osric and Cinder to take the second half of the night. Grace, for her part, seemed utterly unconcerned by the watch arrangements.

“I don’t care what you lot do, but I’m not losing sleep over it,” she declared, throwing down her bedroll.

Without further ceremony, she flopped onto it and seemed to fall asleep almost instantly. Osric shook his head, marveling at the thief’s ability to rest so easily after the battle they’d just been through. He supposed when you lived a life like hers, you learned to take your rest where you could get it.

Rowan left to do a once-around the area, just to make sure there wasn’t anything to be worried about, and Talia promptly pulled out one of Elder Miriam’s books, losing herself in it as she did, which meant there wasn’t much need for him to stay awake, since he’d be basically talking to himself.

Settling down in his bedroll, with Cinder curling up next to him, Osric closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

He was still wide awake when Rowan returned. The Ranger moved as quietly as he normally did and didn’t say anything, so it shouldn’t have woken up Osric, but it did. He could hear him stir the fire, shuffle, and just breath. Osric just couldn’t get his mind to turn off. After Farvale and the search for Grace, they were now, finally, close to the cleric from his vision, and thoughts of where that would lead them, what the next step in this journey would be, plagued him.

He’d just begun another loop through possibilities when he realized the low murmur that had started in the background, pushing into his spiraling thoughts, was actually Talia speaking.

“So, Rowan, where are you from originally?” she asked.

“I grew up near Beartooth Ridge, at the bottom of it in the forest. I don’t really think of it as home, though. My family was poor and had many kids, so there were too many mouths to feed. When I was thirteen, I set out on my own.”

“And that led you to become a Ranger?”

“In a manner. I always had a knack for tracking and navigating the forest. Started working at one of their outposts, doing odd jobs like cleaning and repairs. In exchange, they taught me the trade. Eventually, I became a Ranger myself.”

“You’re the first Ranger I’ve ever known personally, so I’m not really sure how you all work. Won’t they be upset that you just up and disappeared?”

“No, it’s not like that with the Rangers. We’re not as structured as knights or city guards. We go where we’re needed, keep our own schedules. Sure, we were originally organized to defend Greenwood and the forest, but it’s not a strict hierarchy.”

“Are they why you worship Wyndra? I didn’t realize those who weren’t clerics could call on her assistance, but you did when we faced that … lake creature.”

“Most Rangers worship her, yes. I think it’s because her principles really resonated with us. The balance between nature and civilization, the importance of preserving the wilderness and its creatures. It makes sense for us. As for calling on her assistance, that … I won’t say it’s unusual, but is fairly new. There are other Rangers who have had success asking for assistance from her, and have told us, which is why I thought to do it. I think it’s rather new. For a while, I thought it was maybe because we were becoming more devout or maybe she was pleased with the work we were doing, but now I realize it’s because this Veil you and Osric talk about is making it easier for her to work through us directly.”

“Then I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“If we’re successful in repairing the Veil, it will cut you off from her just as you’ve found that more direct connection.”

“I … I hadn’t really thought of it. I guess that’s true, but if what you say is true, it will also save our reality and all the creatures living in it, so in that, I am more fully doing my duty to her. Following her teachings.”

“That makes sense. I guess … I’m not very devout. I know most practitioners follow Lorelei, or at least most of those at the Conclave do, but … I don’t know, I just never felt the call.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that. From the sounds of it magic, or at least how you wield the power of the veil, is separate from the gods. I’m just amazed by what I’ve seen you do. To have that kind of power … it’s amazing.”

“I’m still learning. You saw what Godfrey did. I can only do a fraction of what he managed. But, maybe one day, if I study hard enough. Although, as scary as this has all been, I’ve done more magic in the last month than I did the entire rest of my life, so in that, at least, it’s been good.

“And we’re glad you’re along to do that. It’s saved us enough times,” Rowan said. “Although I know that’s not the way you’re doing it. It’s good that Osric has someone special in his life, that supports him like you do.”

“Oh, Osric and I aren’t together,” Talia said quickly. “We’re just friends. We both grew up in Eldham as apprentices, in the care of someone else, so we kind of latched onto each other.”

While she wasn’t wrong, hearing her say that out loud made the bottom of Osric’s stomach fall. Suddenly, he felt a little sick.

“Well, I’m glad you have each other. It’s important to have people you can rely on. I need to add more wood to the fire. Do you want to help me grab some, maybe stretch your legs?”

“Sure,” she said and Osric listened as they walked away.

They didn’t go far, and their voices still a murmur as they walked away. Enough that he thought he could hear a tone change in both of them, a lighter lilt in Talia’s laughter, and a little less somber in Rowan’s baritone.

“Stop,” Talia said, giggling, as they came back into earshot. “That’s so funny. You must have been so embarrassed.”

Osric could imagine her gently putting her hand on his arm, caressing it as she laughed. He could picture Rowan stepping closer to her, their sides touching. An irrational surge of annoyance flooded through him.

“Could you two keep it down? I have to be up for watch in a few hours,” he snapped, his voice harsher than he intended.

He didn’t get up or turn to look at them. He didn’t want to confirm to himself how close they were sitting to each other or her hand on him. He wanted to be able to pretend it was all in his mind.

“Oh, sorry,” Talia said. “I thought you were asleep.”

“Yeah, well, it’s a bit hard with you two chattering away. Weren’t you supposed to be studying your spells?”

Before Talia could say anything, there was a rustling as Rowan stood up and said, “It’s alright. My apologies for disturbing you. I think I’ll do a perimeter check, make sure everything’s secure.”

“Thank you,” Osric muttered, closing his eyes and trying to pretend to fall back asleep.

He could feel Talia’s eyes boring into him, cutting holes in his back, but he ignored it. He didn’t want to turn and face her. After a few minutes, he heard her book open back up and the rustling of pages as she returned to her studying.

Even with the quiet, Osric found falling asleep very difficult.

***

It took just over half a day to reach the forest, all of it spent in silence. Osric tried to make a few passes at conversation with Talia, but she was tight-lipped, answering everything with limited grunts and nods. For his part, Rowan made himself scarce, ranging far ahead of them, saying he was keeping an eye out for more bandits. Osric was pretty sure he could feel the discomfort in the air and chose not to be a part of it.

For her part, Grace ignored it completely. For someone who had to be all but threatened to go along with them, she acted like this was a fun jaunt, and continued a near stream of consciousness dialogue the whole way. It might have been charming had Osric not been so concerned about the damage he’d managed to do between himself and Talia.

Once they reached the forest, the rest of the way only took a few hours, with Grace announcing they’d arrived after they entered a fairly large clearing.

Off to one side of the clearing, nestled against a particularly large tree on the east side of the clearing, was a humble wooden hut, weathered planks gray with age. A rickety fence encircled the dwelling, more of a token gesture than a true barrier. Osric had seen countless such cabins like this in the forest. Although he lived in one of the scattered forest villages, the majority of the people who lived in The Great Forest lived like this. By themselves or with only their immediate family, in their own world away from the rest of humanity.

Grace didn’t even pause to open the fence, choosing to hop over it instead.

Marching up to the door, she banged on it with a closed fist, yelling, “Jasper, open up you old goat.”

She kept banging until the door flung itself open, revealing the man from Osric’s vision. Osric imagined he was normally kindly looking with his greying hair and weathered face, but at the moment it was twisted into a scowl as he looked down at the diminutive thief.

“I thought I told you not to come back,” he started to say, when he looked past Grace to the people who were with her, his eyes locking on Osric. “You. The gods gave me a vision of you.”

“They showed me you too,” Osric said. “It’s why we’re here. We’ve come to talk to you.”

Jasper looked past him to Talia, Cinder, and Rowan, before saying, “You better come inside. All of you.”

Entering the now fairly cramped hut, with the four of them plus Cinder, Osric found himself in the same space he’d seen in his vision. A lived-in, cozy one-room cottage. Every available surface was covered in books and scrolls, stacked precariously in towering piles, and the entire place smelled of old paper and aging leather.

“I can’t believe we finally found you,” Osric said, excited and relieved that they’d found him and he was real, not just a lie Godfrey had given to while he tried to get more information. “We’ve been such a long way. The gods led us to you, I think, so you can help us repair the veil before reality. We’ve come from Avendell, sent by the Sage, a druid there, to find the other half of an ancient document, one written before the founding of Aeloria. These tears in reality are, we think, ruptures in the veil and a sign it is weakening, allowing all kinds of beasts from other realities into ours. We think the gods have been leading us to this document because...”

Osric was practically babbling, the words tumbling out of him as fast as he could say them.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down,” Jasper said, holding his hands up.

“Perhaps we should start from the beginning, Osric,” Talia said, resting her hand gently on his arm. “And do it slower.”

Osric looked at her hand and then up to her. It was the first thing she’d said to him since he’d snapped at her and Rowan the night before. Her expression was passive, giving him no clue what was in her head. She only nodded at the old cleric, silently telling Osric to get on with it.

“You’re right, Sorry,” he said. “It’s just that we’ve been through so much trying to find you. I got a little carried away.”

“It’s quite alright, my boy. You all look like you’ve had quite the time of it. Please, make yourselves comfortable. You’re safe here.”

He gestured to the few pieces of furniture in his place. To their credit, everything looked worn-in and comfortable.

As they settled in, Jasper said, “Now, why don’t we take your friends’ advice and start from the beginning? I’m curious why the gods showed us to one another, and what this is all about.”

“It all started when I found this strange ring in the forest near our home village of Eldham,” he said, pulling the chain holding the ancient jewelry from under his shirt and holding it out for the cleric to examine. “Even I could see that it was very old, so I showed it to a wise woman in our village, Talia’s mentor, because she knew about these kinds of things. She told me it was filled with some kind of magic, which we later found out was just a byproduct of being thrown through a tear in the veil from long ago, or something like that. The magic’s gone now, but at the time you could almost feel it.”

Jasper took the ring and turned it over in his hands, nodding but not saying anything.

When he handed it back, Osric continued, “Soon after I found it, a man showed up in our village. I learned later he was part of a secret group called the Brethren, and he tried to kill me and take the ring. I... I got lucky and was able to escape, with the help of my friend Talia here. We fled into the forest, which is where we met Cinder here, who, we think, was tasked by the gods to show us to the ancient ruins of a keep deep in the forest, up toward the Wyndmere. Inside, we found a recently repaired secret door, leading to an area guarded by more of these Brethren. We fought them and, after, discovered half of a document written in a language we couldn’t understand. Since the Brethren were both guarding it and trying to kill me, and because we were led there by Cinder, who at the time we thought was reacting to the ring, we realized it was important and took it. We managed to escape with the document, but the Brethren pursued us relentlessly. That’s when we stumbled into Avendell and met the Sage, a powerful druid who is in charge there.”

Osric paused, reaching down to scratch Cinder behind the ears as the wolf looked up to him, reacting to its name.

“You went inside the barrier?” Jasper asked, a little in awe, at least proving that the cleric knew a lot more about what was happening in the forest than Osric had.

“Yes. We were told the gods let us through, as they’re the ones who put the barrier in place. There, the Sage told us about a veil of energy, or magic, or whatever, that surrounds our world, protecting our reality. He also told us that, on the other side, are other realities, some very different and hostile to our own, and that the veil keeps our worlds separate. He said the veil was breaking down because of people using magic, and that there was a collection of gods, those who’d been watching over Avendell, which he called the Veilguard, that wanted to repair the damage and protect the veil. He told us that it was actually the gods that had been directing Cinder to guide us and that the ring had come through one of these tears in reality, thrown through time by a member of an ancient group called the Calaphium who ruled Peridia before the Age of Chaos and the rise of the first kings of Aeloria. The Sage told us that he believes the Veilguard led us to this document, which was written way back then, by the same person who sent the ring, in order to guide us to repairing the veil. Unfortunately, in the thousands of years since their fall, the document, which is protected by powerful magic, was torn in two, and we need both halves of it to understand, since their language is very complex and impossible to translate without the full thing. He sent us out to find the other part, starting with a place where the veil was the weakest and we could easier communicate with the gods who’d been guiding us this far. Which is when I saw the vision of you.”

“It wasn’t just a vision,” Jasper said. “While you were looking at me, I was seeing you through a tear that suddenly appeared above me. I don’t think that was a vision, but some kind of opening that spanned the distance between us, connecting us.”

“I think so too,” Osric said. “I know this is a lot to take in, and I wish I had better explanations for all of it, about the veil and everything, but …”

“Actually, you’ve explained enough. I know about the veil and the Calaphium, and the Brethren,” he said, pausing for a moment to look at his hands before raising his eyes to meet Osric’s levelly. “I actually used to be one of them.”

Osric sat back, distancing himself from the old cleric, and could feel Talia and Rowan doing the same. As Osric’s hand dropped to the hilt of his sword, Jasper raised his hand in a placating gesture.

“It’s alright. I said I used to be. I left them a long time ago when I realized they were selling nothing but lies.”

Osric let out a breath he’d been holding and asked, “What kind of lies? Can you tell us more about the Brethren? We’ve been running from them since I found this thing, and they’ve tried to kill us more times than I can count.”

“About the organization, some … but not a lot. I was never very high in their ranks, never made it past the second order. They’re obsessed with secrecy, even keeping information from those in the lower orders. It’s how they get people to commit, to become more entrenched and loyal. They dangle the promise of learning more secrets if you climb higher in their ranks. What I do know is that they’re a large organization, very powerful, with members spread across Peridia. But I never knew anyone outside the chapter I was in. Only the leaders of the local chapters knew who the regional leaders were, and only they knew where the other chapters were located. I know it’s broken up regionally, usually based out of a major city. I did learn, after I left, that Greenwood has three chapters - one in Wolfridge, one in Farvale, and a very small one in Mereham, although I’m less sure of that last one.”

“But why are they chasing me? What about this,” Osric asked, holding the ring at the end of the chain up again, “makes them ready to kill me?”

“Its mere existence is enough. Anything connected to the Calaphium is incredibly closely guarded. Then you know enough to know they’re dangerous. When I first joined as a young man, they told me we were protecting magic and the world from those trying to destroy it, which they said were the remnants of the Calaphium. They told me the Calaphium were ruthless in their control of magic. That they made sure they were the only ones who got to use it and removed anyone who tried to stop them. They taught that the Brethren was formed in secret by those who wanted to use magic to help their communities, and slowly rebelled against the control of the Calaphium. When the dictators’ regime began to break, and the Brethren launched an attack on them, the Calaphium chose to tear open the veil in an attempt to end the world rather than lose control of it.”

“That isn’t what the Sage told us. He said that the Calaphium did control magic, but they did so because they understood that its use could damage the veil and weaken the boundaries between realities. When the veil was ruptured, it was a last group of Calaphium leaders who helped close the damage, and then hid away in Avendell with the help from the gods. The fact that the same gods who helped them are directing me to close the veil makes me believe that story more.”

“I’m not doubting he was telling the truth. I studied with the Brethren for years, did their bidding, only to realize much later that they didn’t give a damn about the world or protecting magic. They only cared about amassing power for themselves and relied on the same tactics they claimed were used by the Calaphium they were fighting against. So you really went into Avendell?”

“Yes,” Osric said. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.”

“You know, the Brethren have been trying to gain access to it for years, centuries maybe, but the boundary around it never let them in. We’d heard about the Sages, the line of druids who control Avendell, although we were told the Sage was an ancestor of the Calaphium and the leader of their remnants still trying to destroy the world. I guess that was rooted in some truth, that he’s somehow related to the last Calaphium, from what you said.”

“I think so, but I don’t think he’s trying to destroy the world.”

“I’ve always wanted to see it,” Jasper said, looking off a little before he seemed to snap his attention back to Osric. “Why did the gods send you to me? I don’t know anything about a document or how to repair the veil. I knew about the veil and that it was weakening, but I was taught, by the Brethren, but considering how much of that was lies, that makes me far from an expert. Before I saw you, the gods showed me something else. A great battle, fought around an ancient temple. In the midst of the chaos, a powerful mage cast a spell that tore the earth apart, swallowing the temple whole, sending it vanishing into the depths. When I first saw you, before you turned, I saw you with a book open, and there was an illustration of that very battle. One of the few the Brethren can actually tell from the Reckoning, which is what they call the simultaneous assaults on Calaphium strongholds, the only other one being their great citadel, which was located where Shadowfell is located today. It is remembered by them as their great victory, more so than the battle of the Calaphium Citadel, probably because it didn’t wipe out hundreds of miles of fertile land in an instant."

"So you do know of it?” Talia asked.

“I do. The Calaphium called the temple the Sanctum of the Gods, but the Brethren referred to it, then and still to this day, as the Hall of Whispers. It was one of the Calaphium’s most sacred places, where their practitioners sought to communicate directly with the gods themselves. According to Brethren lore, many of those who used magic without permission were taken there for torture, to give up accomplices, before ultimately being sacrificed to gain favor from the gods. Although how much of that is true, it’s unknown."

"But there was a battle there?” Osric asked.

"There was. As far as I’m aware, the temple was swallowed up and is gone forever."

"But there’s a chance it’s still there, or at least parts of it. Why else would the gods send us there?"

"It makes sense. The Brethren revere that battle. It could be a place they keep something like that. As I said, they were not big on sharing their secrets, so I don’t really know. If you’re going, I’d like to go with you."

"Are you sure?” Osric asked.

Although Jasper wasn’t up to the same age as Elder Miriam, he was still much older than the rest of them, and it would surely be an arduous journey.

“For years, I’ve been praying to Heathus, asking for a way to undo some of the pain and suffering I caused in my years with the Brethren. You have been sent to me, quite literally, by the gods. I don’t think I could have a clearer answer than that."

"Well, I’m glad I could introduce all of you,” Grace, who’d been sitting quietly off to the side, said, slapping her knees and standing up. “I guess my good deed is done for now, so I’ll be on my way."

"Not so fast,” a surprisingly fast Jasper said, his hand snaking out and snatching her by her collar. “I know you well enough to know you’ll sell whatever information you heard here today the moment you reach a big enough town. I’m sorry, my little friend, but you’re going to have to come with us.

"With you? Are you nuts? I’m not going to any creepy buried temple,” she said, proving that she had, in fact, been paying attention.

“I’d prefer not to have to turn you into something unpleasant, but if that is my only other option,” Jasper said, his face completely serious.

Grace clearly believed him too, because she blanched a little at the threat.

“I’m sure there’s going to be some good stuff in there. You seemed pretty keen on taking money off the bandits we defeated, so maybe you’ll come out of this a rich woman,” Osric offered, hopefully to counterbalance the threat.

“Rich?” Grace said, clearly thinking about it.

“Rich and not a frog, or whatever,” Talia said. “Seems like a good deal to me.

“Well why didn’t you say so,” Grace said, smiling in a way that made Osric check his own coin pouch. “Count me in.

"Okay. So where are we headed?” Osric asked, turning back to Jasper.

"I’m afraid I don’t know the exact location of the Hall of Whispers. The Brethren kept that information closely guarded, even from most of their own members."

"So we’re at a dead end?” Osric said, deflating.

"After all they’d been through, all the danger and miles, to be stopped now felt like a cruel joke."

"No, I don’t know where it is myself, but I do know who would."

"Who?"

"The leader of the Brethren in Farvale and the surrounding area. I know the hall is somewhere in this region and he controls this area and had access to ancient tomes and scrolls with all of the Brethren’s knowledge of this part of the world. If anyone knows how to find the Hall of Whispers, it would be Godfrey."

Osric froze and looked over to Talia, who had an equally shocked look on her face.

"Damn," Osric said.