Another day or two and then Adrian could relax. Not long ago he would have absolutely dreaded going near Cromwell’s sphere of influence, but with Veleria beside him he was beginning to appreciate it. Following three weeks post Oakridge, the mask had started to bleed its poison through the seals, and Adrian began to suspect it was her causing its excitement. Meredith was one hell of a witch, but he bet Cromwell could easily contain the artifact. That was, assuming he was in a generous mood after Adrian flat out refused him all those years ago.
He hoped that wouldn’t bite him in the ass.
Meanwhile, Veleria was standing by the side of the road. She was looking into the distance, her sights set on the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Yelugh. Embers were shed from her hair, her fingertips. She couldn’t feel the biting cold that Adrian had begun to experience.
Adrian brought the horses to her. They had camped nearby despite the change in weather. It was the first time he requested she lie beside him during the night, as Veleria simply radiated heat nowadays.
“We aren’t far from the border now. The roads are much better maintained in his domain, and I have people out this way. Mostly in Ashvale.”
“Big city?” Veleria asked.
“Huge. To get to Mt. Yelugh we’ll pass through it and a few smaller towns, but I know from my network that we won’t be out in the wilderness. They’ve all become connected in recent years.” Adrian joined her in gazing at the mountain. “A lich has only time. As much as I dislike him, I guess he is efficient. Anyway, let’s get out of here—“
Veleria turned her head just in time to see Adrian fall to one knee. The larger of the horses, the stallion, cried out as it, too, fell to the ground. All four of its legs were bent in a horrific manner and, as she stared, disbelieving, its head was flattened grotesquely into the ground. Beside her, Adrian had both hands wrenched behind his back. The sealed mask was but meters away. It must have been knocked out of his hands.
“You’ve gotta run,” said Adrian hoarsely. His breath was catching in his throat. “Get over the…Border, call out…To Cromwell.”
But she couldn’t. Veleria couldn’t move a muscle. Rooted to the spot, she tried to look around, but found she could only move her eyes. Even that took effort. Further down the road she saw the other horse, and next to it was the black-clothed Caed. He had one hand holding his hat and the other on the horse.
She watched, horrified, as the mare met the same fate as its counterpart.
“I almost fucked that up!” Caed shouted, a laugh escaping him. He stepped over the morbid remains of their animal and began walking over to them. “Ya nearly got the mask on, Giarmund. Well done, really. That said, I do have to correct you on one thing.”
Veleria would be hyperventilating if she could breathe. He was in front of them now, looking down at Adrian before turning towards her.
“It’s not that I move objects, per se.” He rolled his wrist. “More like…I do a little push and pull. Anyway, I can’t have ya dying on me, so make sure you get to Ashvale and then go back home where you belong. You do a lot of good, you know.” Caed smirked, lifting his spectacles. He looked Veleria over with a sick sort of satisfaction. “Now then, down to business. I know this is all very sudden, but I can’t have something like you falling into Cromwell’s hands. Bastard has hoarded enough of this world’s magic.”
Something, not someone. The heat rising in Veleria’s chest was overwhelming.
She was going to pass out.
Then, she breathed, seeing Caed just finish snapping his fingers.
“Ah, you make it so easy to go overboard. Most sources are one time use, but you…Well, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.” Caed shrugged with his palms lifted upwards. “I can’t be certain that’s really what you are. Let’s take a look, shall we?”
He reached out and grabbed Veleria’s head.
Initially, the images that Caed saw were expected. He remembered most of it. Poverty, pickpocketing, and then other simple thieveries. Eventually he saw the elves, then even himself among others, and ultimately her death. After that was darkness, and then…Caed saw something he didn’t expect. Nor did he fully understand.
He saw a man in a bright, open-windowed room. The man before his vision was dark-skinned, boasted thick black hair that lie flat against his back, and was clad in a dark regalia. He held his hands behind his back. Below him, Caed could see his reflection. It was Veleria in the same position.
No, this was wrong. This wasn’t a vision. What was—
“So, you can see me.” The man spoke, deep and commanding. He turned around to face his onlooker, and Veleria turned within his reflection alongside him. The golden eyes they shared held unsettling slitted pupils. “I suppose, then, that I can no longer remain as I am. But you…”
Caed blinked, his hand hovering over Veleria now as the woman glared up at him. Her pupils were menacing slits.
“…You have made a grave mistake.”
Her knife was nearly a viper upon his throat. He dodged, but not without taking a nick. Caed put distance between them, perplexed as to how Veleria managed to move at all. Watching her now, however, he could see that she was no longer limited. Using a combination of first pulling the knife, then pushing up from her palm, he was able to force it out of Veleria’s hand. It disappeared into the grass some distance away. Actually touching her body was difficult. It was as if his influence merely slid right off of her.
“Something real dangerous has taken root in your body, girl.” Caed said, lifting his spectacles. The red circle in his eye moved independently of his actual iris. “I had hoped we could do this quickly and painlessly. Of course, that was before I got a good look at the one inside of ya…”
It was when he blinked again that Veleria was barreling towards him. She had pulled another knife out from her boot. Due to the sudden speed at which she was crossing the distance between them he couldn’t get a bead on her weapon. However, instead of trying to hit her again with any magics, he merely grabbed Veleria’s arm before she could knife him in the shoulder. Caed snagged her other arm, forced it behind her back, and then used his own weight to keep her in place.
She was hot to the touch. Even with his gloves on he could feel the heat beneath her skin. Not only that, this prolonged touch was giving him that first-time high in waves. Whatever she was, she was intoxicating on a level he could hardly grasp. It was making it difficult to concentrate on restraining Giarmund, though when he glanced over he could see that Adrian was still struggling.
He opened his mouth to speak, then paused as he felt Veleria strain against him. There was strength in her that hadn’t previously been present, though Caed was still able to hold her without issue.
It happened just as he maneuvered her knife arm out in front of her so he could place his own as a bar against her neck. For just a sickening moment he suddenly felt…Empty. His high was gone. He briefly glanced in Adrian’s direction before looking back down at Veleria just as embers began to shed from her hair. They died against his shirt.
“What was it you called me? A source?” She asked, the makings of a laugh just passing her lips. “How arrogant your lot, believing I am in any way a tool for you.”
Caed braced himself. There was a fluctuation in the air, the flow of magic suddenly shifting to converge onto the woman in his arms. His thoughts raced as he wondered if he should push her away from him. Perhaps he had made a terrible mistake.
But nothing happened. Veleria sighed, then relaxed in his grip. The air around them returned to normal.
“You…We are not yet capable.”
Caed almost missed the whispered words. He too breathed, then pulled a grin over his teeth.
“Alright, that wasn’t too bad. Look love, keeping Giarmund in that position for too long is gonna atrophy his muscles, and I honestly harbor no ill-will towards our man here, so if ya don’t mind I think we’re gonna high-tail it outta here now.”
Veleria was silent at first. After a fair minute, her wrist went limp and she dropped the knife.
“Fine, I submit.” She said plainly, emotionless. Internally, she knew she hadn’t said the words, yet she found that she agreed with them. There was a confidence within them that she only now recognized.
She—They would figure this out.
* * *
Adrian Giarmund was motionless for hours before a stranger and his caravan came down the road. The carnage forced their stop and, when they saw Adrian on the ground they quickly went to his aid.
A few drinks of water helped him speak.
“Ashvale…Are you…Headed there?”
The one manning the horses nodded. The other two, a small woman and a child, kept Adrian propped up and comfortable.
“It’s about a day away. Is that where you were going?” He confirmed.
“Yes. I can pay…”
“We can talk about that when you’ve recovered.”
Adrian breathed a strained sigh. When the horses started their walk he was able to look around the interior of the carriage. All of his belongings, and Veleria’s, were there. He would ensure these people were given the compensation they deserved. Upon closing his eyes, he swore that he and Veleria would be reunited.