The Silver Sphinx

 

“The shortest answers, ‘yes’ and ‘no,’ require the most contemplation.”

Philanthis of Thalassia, Olympian Philosopher

 

 

Third Void Day of Savorus , 126 HR

After the door had fallen shut behind Garush, Morânia sighed deeply. “That went … really awry.”

“Should we follow Naghûl?" Lereia asked anxiously.

“The berk." Jana waved her hand in annoyance. “He'll turn up on his own.”

Sgillin seemed to take a similar view of the matter. “Exactly, he should calm down first. He's hardly going to listen to us in this mood.”

“I fear he feels betrayed by us,” Lereia objected unhappily.

“I fear so, too,” Morânia said saddened. ”At least for the moment. But I still think it wouldn't have been right to force Garush to drink Styx Tea.”

Sgillin went to the corner where Naghûl had kicked the vial, picked it up and stowed it in his belt pouch. “If this mistrust of the other factions and thus of the other Chosen is not overcome, we will fail!” he stated grimly, then he looked at Morânia. ”You, as his wife: Where does he go when he's in a bad mood?”

“There are various places,” the bal'aasi replied. “But he knows that I know them and will go elsewhere. And as you just said, Sgillin, he won't listen to us right now anyway.” After all these years, she knew that her husband needed time for his anger to subside. After that, she could talk to him without any worries. But until then, it was better to leave him alone.

“Oh, he should stop making such a fuss,” the half-elf grumbled. ”I wasn't exactly thrilled either when he and Jana doted on their eight-legged cuddly toy. And did I shoot off in a huff?”

Morânia had to smirk a little. “Nice comparison. I understood Naghûl's mistrust, but I was clearly against the Styx Tea action. But Garush will now possibly believe that we wanted to betray her from the start.”

Downcast, Jana hung her head. “I'm sorry.”

“It's not your fault,” Lereia replied.

“Well ...” The sorceress shrugged. “I didn't have to show you. I was overconfident and thought I could keep it to our group. I was careless.”

“Come on.” Sgillin waved it off. ”But it's great that you can now consciously share your visions with us.”

Morânia nodded. “That's right. Even if the images were quite eerie and …” At that moment, the very memory flickered up again, which she had not been able to hold on to during the vision. “The woman on the bier ... I think I know her.”

Jana looked at her intently. “Who is she?”

“You should better ask who she was,” the bal'aasi replied. “I'm sure it's Arella Silvergaze. The image we saw, it was her funeral. It was painted shortly afterwards and printed in SIGIS and in the Tempus Sigilianus at the time.”

“And who was she?“ Sgillin asked, unsuspecting.

“She was factol of the Harmonium,” Morânia explained. “Before Sarin, Lady Juliana and Ulan Delazar, who was her successor.”

“Oh.” Lereia nodded, then an idea occurred to her. “Could he be the man from the second vision?”

“No,” Morânia said. ”I know what Delazar looks like, and it wasn't him. The man in the second scene is a complete stranger to me. Fortunately, I might add, because the sight of him really sent a shiver down my spine.” Lereia's look told her that the young woman felt the same way.

Jana nodded seriously. “I find that the factols of the Harmonium appear strangely often in my visions. The Harmonium seems to play a special role in all of this.”

“Yes, I find that very interesting, too,” Morânia agreed. ”Arella Silvergaze was factol of the Harmonium for a period of about thirty years. She was an aasimar and quite popular in Sigil, revered in her faction. She died about ten years ago when Fortitude, the gate town to Arcadia, was attacked by tanar'ri. She fell in the defense of the city and since the legate chosen by Lady Arella as her successor was also killed in the attack, the next factol was chosen by the Homeworld Ortho, and the Octade installed Ulan Delazar. I have a feeling that the two words mean more than just Arella's end. That her death may have been the trigger for more. That more ended or will end with it?”

“An era, perhaps?” Lereia wondered. “Or something that held back the Prophecy? Maybe it all started with that? What about the second scene from the vision? Did that tell you anything?”

“No.” Jana shook her head. ”I can't make anything of it.”

“Maybe someone who was tasked with something by Delazar or Valiant?“ Lereia wondered. “That could only be realized after the former factol died? But that's just speculation.”

These considerations seemed to have given Sgillin an idea. “Did anyone see how the factol died?” he asked. “Was it really a tanar'ri?”

Morânia frowned thoughtfully. “Yes, I think that is certain. But we could ask Sarin about it, he was supposedly present.”

“That would be interesting,” the half-elf agreed. “She wouldn't be the first leader to be assassinated in the heat of battle.”

“Maybe.” Morânia shook her head. ”But if that is true, it must have been an extremely well-disguised action. There were many soldiers and officers surrounding her at the time, and Arella was very much revered in her faction. If just one of her own had noticed anything like that, it would have become known, I'm sure of it. One more thing: Did you notice the black leaves?”

“That surrounded the man with the dagger during the storm?“ Lereia asked.

“Yes.” Morânia nodded. “Deep black oak leaves. We should keep our eyes open for oaks with black foliage in Sigil.”

Lereia pondered for a moment. “I just thought about the soul signatures I know so far,” she explained. “But there were no black oak leaves. I'll ask Ambar about it, maybe as a ranger he knows something about such trees in Sigil.”

“And I'll ask the Razor Angels,” said Sgillin.

Jana seemed rather unenthused by this statement, but she didn't comment on it further, changing the subject instead. “By the way, I'm sure that the scenes I see are real images,” she explained. “Not metaphors or symbols. And unlike at the beginning, I'm now also sure that they have a deeper meaning. That they somehow ... guide us into the right way.”

Lereia smiled, apparently pleased that the sorceress had changed her mind. “Yes, I think so, too.”

“I have another thought,” said Morânia. “This house ... it seems to play a key role. After all, Garush knew it, too. And it seems to have a certain influence on our gifts.”

“Yes,” Jana agreed. ”Maybe that's why I was able to share the vision with you willingly?”

Morânia nodded. “Exactly. Therefore, I would like to try to consciously evoke my gift and awaken the Envoy.”

Lereia twisted a thin strand of hair around her index finger. ”The Guardians of Balance also said that we should try to fathom our gifts. That is certainly the right approach.”

“Then you will think of some questions,” Morânia asked her friends. ”Meanwhile, I will go to the other room to focus and hope that I can reach the Envoy that way.”

The others nodded and immediately began to discuss possible questions, speaking in hushed tones so as not to disturb Morânia's concentration in the other room with their conversation. The bal'aasi went to the back room of the house. A quick, searching glance confirmed that everything was as empty and abandoned as it had been on her first visit. Without thinking twice, she chose the center of the room as her meditation spot, settled there, and closed her eyes. Just as she often did in the Great Gymnasium, before her exercises or after a relaxing bath, she concentrated on her own breathing and tried to banish all thoughts from her mind. There was complete silence in the room and for a while nothing happened. Then, again and again, strange premonitions seemed to touch Morânia, but they were too unclear to really grasp them. She tried to listen to her innermost self, to sense the presence of the other soul, to make contact with it ... At first, she sensed nothing and felt like a child vainly searching for a light crystal in the dark to illuminate the room. But then something brushed her mind, as gentle as the feathers of large wings ... Cautiously, she tried to reach out to it, on a purely mental, no, spiritual level. It did not withdraw ... Morânia held her breath, trying to get closer to this other something ... And then she felt that almost familiar sensation again. A sweet warmth and a soothing light inside her, a feeling of safety and freedom at the same time. When she opened her eyes again and saw her friends enter, she knew that she was now only an observer.

“You have awakened me,” she heard herself say. ”So you may ask me.”

Lereia nodded and stepped a little closer. “Envoy,” she addressed her. “Can we trust Garush?”

“Uncertain,” Morânia heard herself answer with a reverberating voice.

Her companions exchanged worried glances, but Sgillin had another question. “Did Garush speak the truth today?”

“Yes,” the Envoy replied.

Lereia and Sgillin now looked at Jana, nodding encouragingly.

The sorceress took a deep breath before asking her question. “Envoy, the child in my second vision, is it ... Well, do you know what I'm talking about?” Immediately she covered her mouth with her hand and gestured frantically. ”No, don't answer! Is the child in the arms of the skeleton from my vision a future factol of the Harmonium?”

Morânia was astonished to find that she felt a slight amusement at Jana's awry questioning even without having control. However, she couldn't say whether this was just her own sentiment or an emotion that the Envoy shared with her. The archangel, who was in control at the moment, answered Jana's question, though: “No.”

That had been three questions. So far, the Envoy had not answered more. And yet ... she did not withdraw. Her presence was still clearly noticeable. She could still give answers, and Morânia hoped that her friends would come up with another meaningful question.

Indeed, Sgillin turned to her again. “Envoy, is Lord Valiant working against us?”

“Yes,” she heard herself answer without hesitation.

And still the archangel was there, still in control ...

“Envoy,” Sgillin said quickly when he realized it. ”Is the child from Jana's vision Sarin?”

“No.”

Then it was over. The light and warmth of the heavenly soul withdrew and Morânia regained control of her body. She felt a slight dizziness and was glad to have sat down on the floor for the meditation. Dazed, she shook her head.

“Morânia?” Lereia asked worriedly. “Are you all right?”

She rubbed her temples. “I'm a little dizzy ... but otherwise I'm fine.”

“That was five questions,“ Lereia noted with a smile. “Very impressive. And I think they helped us.”

Sgillin nodded. “So, Lord Valiant ... I'm sure Sarin will be interested to hear that.”

“Yes,” the bal'aasi sighed. “Damn, I wish we didn't have to deal with him.”

“He ... is a very unpleasant man, isn't he?“ Lereia asked hesitantly.

“I've only met him in person once,” Morânia replied. “He's ... like a diamond. Beautiful, fascinating, appealing - but also cold and hard. He radiates great power, you feel that you're facing a high celestial. But he was also intimidating.”

“How much can he know about us?” Jana asked with obvious unease. “Do you think he's right on our heels?”

“I hope not,” Lereia replied. ”But who knows ...”

Morânia felt the dizziness gradually subside, but it was replaced by a profound exhaustion. “I dare not make an estimate,” she said, supporting herself with both hands on the ground. “He was already powerful and dangerous as Delazar's adjutant back then. Now he is a member of the Octade. It's difficult to assess him.”

“I think I'll meet with the Razor Angels soon,” Sgillin said. ”If he has put us under surveillance, maybe they can find out something.”

Lereia shot her consort a warning glance. “Be careful.”

“Always,” Sgillin replied in his own carefree manner.

Lereia smiled at him and squeezed his hand, while Morânia remained diplomatically silent. She had accepted Sgillin's choice of faction, but she certainly couldn't say that she was comfortable with it. “In any case,” she said, to change the subject, “we should talk to Naghûl before we meet with all our factols. I don't want us to step before them quarreling, disunited and at odds.”

“That's right,” Lereia agreed, but Jana shrugged. “We'll have to conduct ourselves in the presence of the factols, one way or another. I mean, the usual: behave, be polite …“

“That goes without saying,” Morânia replied with a doubtful look. “But we should be able to manage that.”

Lereia raised one of her delicate white eyebrows. “Exactly. I don't behave any differently than usual in their presence.”

Jana raised her hands. “I just mean that it won't matter much if we're still at odds then.”

Sgillin shook his head at Jana's comments, grinning. “I just have to make sure to hide the amulet well enough.”

“Oh, it would be best if you only showed it to Sarin,” Lereia said ironically. “He will certainly understand your choice of faction.”

“Absolutely,” Sgillin replied, amused. “Besides, I don't belong to any faction. As I understand it, it's just a group.”

Morânia raised her eyebrows meaningfully. “A group ... mhm.”

“Personally, I don't think much of anarchy,“ Lereia added somewhat snidely.

Sgillin sighed. “Let's be honest ... Since it now seems almost certain that the Chosen will be spread across all factions, we will have to knock at the Anarchists’ door sooner or later.”

“You've knocked at it very successfully,” Morânia remarked.

The half-elf shrugged and spread his arms as if to demonstrate that he didn't understand the problem. “They steal from the rich and help the poor ... I think that's a perfectly honorable motive.”

“And they want to overthrow the factions,” Lereia added.

Morânia nodded. “And unfortunately some of them also plant bombs and murder people.”

“But not the Razor Angels,“ Sgillin replied firmly.

“I certainly hope not,” the bal'aasi said earnestly.

“If I even catch a glimpse of such behavior,” the half-elf promised, “I'll never wear this amulet again.”

“As long as your Razor Angels really don't do anything like that,” Morânia conceded, ”I can live with it – somehow.”

Lereia shot her companion a quick glance and then looked at Jana and Morânia. “Sgillin is chaotic, but not evil,” she said. “I would stake my life on the fact that he won't carry out any acts of terror. As for everything else ... We'll have to see how it develops.”

The young woman's inner conflict was clearly visible, and the bal'aasi didn't envy her. So she nodded encouragingly as she stood up slowly. “Yes, we should keep it that way. I hope that Naghûl will calm down soon. I'll try to talk to him later tonight. Why don't we all meet in the garden of the Festhall tomorrow at the same time? Hopefully we can talk calmly then.”

The others nodded in agreement, then they silently left the mysterious house.

 

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played October 2, 2012