The Wielder and the Source

Chapter 2

The Queen's face clouded over. "Need I remind you that you're the bearer of the Behemoth, one of our most sacred treasures. It's been off of Konian soil along with you for far too long."

"Alright, I'll come home."

Kemah smiled. "I look forward to having you back. And Aldeheid, I'm sure you'll love our kingdom."

Aldeheid saluted Kemah with his wine glass, and the pair walked off. "Why does she hate me so much?" he asked Kitaya.

She shrugged before taking a thoughtful sip of her wine. "Perhaps it's the aura you give off. I wasn't too fond of you during our first encounter either. Thought you were quite the bumbling idot."

"And now?"

"Still bumbling, but a little less of an idiot."

Aldeheid huffed and grumbled under his breath, to which Kitaya laughed. He'd stepped right into that one. There seemed to be nothing she enjoyed more than getting under people's skin for her own amusement. And, damn her, she was good at it.

An attendant stepped amongst the crowd and rang a small bell, signaling that dinner was ready. The massive crowd filed from the antechamber, spilling into the hall beyond and flowing into the double doors at its south end.

The dining hall beyond was a work of marble art, and Aldeheid expected no less from the Aiisha Bastion. Extravagance was their strong suit. Statues and decorative columns lined both sides of the room with three, tiered chandeliers hanging down the middle. The back of the room opened up to a balcony with a view of the city beyond it. Apparently there was a reason to celebrate that he hadn't been made aware of because the spread laid out of the long table was a feast fit for a King.

Kitaya led him to a seat near the head of the table opposite Eriani and Kemah. According to her, they were seated based on clout. Gebarro, the Etheria Bastion's King was at the head, with his Queen and cape at his right. Followed by Kitaya, then Aldeheid – who was sure he was supposed to be at the other end of the table.

When everyone was settled, Gebarro stood and tapped on his goblet to silence the room. "Allow me to officially welcome you all to this meeting. To begin, I have some bittersweet news. Enver, along with the research team in Abydon managed to close the thin space near their lake."

A chorus of excited murmurs rose from the table. The thin spaces that were appearing all over earth and Magika had been a problem long before Aldeheid began his training with Kitaya. They'd allowed all manner of rogue magicians and capes and vicious beast into earth unimpeded, threatening the lives of the humans who called it home. Being able to seal them meant they had a chance to rectify the problem once and for all. It was unprecedented news indeed.

"But," Gebarro continued, his voice ringing clear over the din. "It took the combined effort of four thousand magicians, and more than half were lost in the process."

Aldeheid had to clench his jaw to prevent himself from swearing out loud. Kitaya had stressed to him on multiple occasions that they couldn't afford to lose more people. Yet here they were, losing more people.

"Still, this is a significant step forward. With continued research and efforts, I believe we'll bring ourselves closer to a resolution. We will mourn our dead, but we will not dwell on our defeats."

"Gebarro," Eriani interjected. "Inform the research team that they may visit the archive in Kon. Its nigh as old as Magika, so perhaps there may be more useful information there."

"Of course." He nodded to Ayzel. "Lady Hiroh. I believe you have some news for us as well."

"I do," she said, rising to her feet. "But I'm afraid it's only bitter and not sweet. Leandyr and I were doing reconnaissance at the thin space near Opal Isles, and there were people there. They wore masks and cloaks that bore the seal of the water goddess, and they were tampering with the thin space. By the time Leandyr and I were able to chase them away, the thin space had doubled in size."