Chapter 722: An Argument for Departure

Evening had fallen, and for most folk outside the Heroes’ tent, the camp was still bustling with activity.

Soldiers were busy with defences and logistics. Thameish priests healed the wounded, while strategists poured over maps, planning for the next day. Men and women drank. Some shared a meal. Some spoke of the battle they’d just been through. While others were already tucked in their sleeping rolls, looking for any peace they could get before another attack came.

Outside the Heroes’ tent, the air was bustling, yet restrained.

Though inside, one could hear even the smallest pop and crackle of brazier fires illuminating it.

No one spoke.

It was as though every breath had stopped.

All eyes were on Alexander Roth, the Fool of Thameland, and behind those eyes was the same question; what in the world was he saying?

“The best move is for me to search for it alone.”

With a single statement, he’d declared he’d be leaving them behind, going out on his own to likely face another ambush by the church, the ferocity and divinity of the First Apostle, and all other dangers he found himself caught in within the Irtyshenan Empire.

He said nothing after that, only staying quiet again, eyes unfocused and forehead furrowed in thought.

Theresa broke the silence.

“Have you lost your damn mind?” she shouted.

Others joined her, the abrupt uproar shattered the stillness.

“The blood loss must have drained away your brains!” Thundar shouted. “I’m not letting you go back there by yourself. What’re you thinking?”

“Father…I’m here…to protect you…” Claygon said. “I can’t…let you…do this by yourself…if the ambush had happened when you were…on your own…you would be dead…”

“Exactly!” Theresa pointed at Alex with her sword. “What are you even talking about? Listen, after you went to the Hells, we talked about this!” she snapped. “I’m not made of glass, you don’t have to leave me behind in case I get hurt. We face the enemy together.”

He shook his head. “I know, I know. And I won’t lie and say that I’m not worried about that, but, you were burning, Theresa.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “Just like my parents. If…if you’d died…if you’d died like that…by the Traveller, there wouldn’t be much left of me. But, this isn’t about me trying to protect you. It’s about Selina,” Alex said. “As well as your parents, brothers and Brutus.”

He looked at her grimly, then turned to Claygon. “Listen, we don’t know how the hidden church tracked me. We have no information or any hope of getting any unless we somehow capture one of them. I might be able to guess how they found me…and how they got to the Empire as fast as the did—”

“I’ll bet you they used the fae roads,” Drestra said, smoke rising behind her veil. “If the Gui—” She caught herself. “—if that fae’s leading them, then they’re probably using the fae roads to travel on. They’ll be able to move fast, but thankfully, not as fast as you.”

“How did they know where we were?” Theresa asked.

Alex shook his head. “That’s the thing, I don’t know. Maybe they’re following us somehow, invisibly. Maybe the Guild tipped them off…I just don’t know. We know nothing, and that’s the very reason why we need you back in Generasi. There’s a chance they could go after Selina…or others that we love. They’ll need protection.”

He pointed to his right shoulder. “At the same time, we can’t stop searching for Kelda’s sanctum; the sooner we find it, the better.”

Alex looked at Cedric. “Ravener-spawn attacks have gotten worse, haven’t they?”

“Aye,” Cedric said. “What yous saw today? That there was a light bloody tap compared t’what’s been goin’ on. They’ve been gettin’ a whole lot worse lately.”

“Things are escalating,” Tyris said. “That’s why I’ve been coming here more often to help out.”

“Same,” Thundar admitted. “Isolde and Khalik have been here a lot more too.”

“I have a feeling that the Ravener is building to something,” Merzhin said. “With what we learned from Uldar’s Rise, the Ravener will wish to keep the cycle going, and the hidden church is trying to ensure that the cycle does not come to an end.”

“But now, the cycle’s destabilising,” Drestra said. “Uldar’s Rise has been taken away from the hidden church, we have a fledgling demigoddess emerging in her power, and certain people can control dungeon cores, all of that’s a threat to it…”

“...so it makes sense that the Ravener’s not just going to sit there,” Alex said. “Time is passing, and there’s something coming. I can’t just go back to Generasi and not find Kelda’s sanctum. So, we have to divide and conquer. Everyone that’s here is needed here. We need people looking out for those we love at home.”

He pointed to his chest. “Which means I’m the one that has to go find Kelda’s sanctum, it needs to be my complete focus. The faster we find it, the better, so I’ll have to stay in the Empire until it’s found.”

Alex’s jaw clenched. “I don’t want to…I don’t want to disappear from Selina’s life for who knows how long, I don’t want to stop my studies with professor Mangal, I don’t want to stop building golems and helping the expedition. I don’t want to stop going to school and I don’t want to be away from my friends…but it’s only temporary, and it has to happen.”

His teeth loudly ground in his jaws. “They wanted to kill me. They focused on me. If I go back to Generasi, that’s just going to tell them ‘hey, come to where I am and kill my family to get to me!’ If I stay in the Empire, that’ll keep them there, with any hope. Meanwhile, Theresa, Claygon and Brutus will be able to protect the people we care about back home. Or at least, give them a better chance.”

“That’s a noble thought, Alex,”  Birger said. “And it’s none of my business, but they nearly killed you all today; do you really think that Claygon, Theresa and Brutus will be enough to protect who you love back in your city?”

“It’s…it’s better than letting them attack Selina when she’s alone,” Alex said. “And again, if I’m in the north, leading them around the Empire, that gives them a target that’s far away from my family…And maybe the safest place for them to be right now, is back in the insula. I doubt the church and their fae ally would be insane enough to attack the campus, and—Uldar help them if they did, which he can’t. Hobb and the Watchers will be right there. If they attack campus …they risk harming students and the school. And I don’t think they’d like what Hobb would do to them if that happened.”

Alex shuddered, then turned to Theresa. “But this means…you, Selina, Claygon, Brutus, your parents and brothers, will have to leave our new home for a while, but…” He paused, words failing him. “It has to be done. You’ll need to stay on campus to protect Selina and the rest of our family. If the church tries anything, Hobb and the Watchers will have time to react. Hobb can’t be everywhere at once, or Minervus would still be alive, and we wouldn’t have lost anyone in the demon attacks. But, with the three of you there as extra protection from an ambush in Generasi, our family will be safer. The church needs a target that’s far away from my family. And I’m that target.”

Silence hung over the tent.

Tears welled in Theresa’s eyes. “This…are you sure?”

Alex shook his head, smiling sadly. “If you didn’t think I was right, then you’d still be telling me not to do it. This has to be the way, until the church is stopped…but once I find Kelda’s sanctum…”

Anger surged in him. “They’re going to regret ever touching us.”

He stood, looking at Theresa, Claygon and Brutus. “Come on, it’s time to take you back home.”

“Hey!” Thundar jumped up, and crossing the tent, he caught Alex in a bear hug. “I’m gonna miss you, man. Hurry up and find that damn sanctum.”

The young wizard hugged him back, lifting the minotaur off his feet. “I’m gonna find it, I promise…and I’ll be bringing back the First Apostle’s head afterward.”

Cedric caught both the minotaur and Fool from the side, hoisting them off the ground in an even tighter hug.

“Ugh!” Alex squawked. “Cedric…you’re crushing…us…”

“Aye, been workin’ at it,” the Chosen laughed. “Y’better hurry it up, alright? I don’t wanna hear nothin’ ‘bout y’not comin’ back for years or anythin’ like it.”

Drestra touched Alex’s shoulder. “I wish I could help you; I still owe you for all you did for my people. The best I can do is study, grow more powerful and defend our homeland while you’re gone.”

“We’ll keep the realm safe,” Hart said. “And you save some of that First Apostle for me. He owes me his skin. All them hidden church bastards do.”

“I’d just settle for them being dead, no matter what it takes,” Tyris said.

“I…may you do what’s best for Thameland,” Merzhin said, a haunted look in his eyes.

Birger and Bjorgrund were looking at each other until Alex caught their eye.

He knew they had a lot to talk about.

###

“I’m not leaving my home,” Birger growled, glowering at Alex under the late evening light. “You’ll have to drag me from my cottage in a corpse-collector’s cart.”

“Listen, you need to stay in my city for a while,” Alex said. “We don’t know what our enemies know; they could have already found your home, and it’s my fault that you got dragged into this…well, actually, it’s their fault for being bastards, but it’s me that they’re hunting. The point is that I have to take responsibility for you being involved in this; I’m not going to leave you two out in the forest by yourselves.”

“You had no idea they could find you in the Empire,” Theresa said. “Don’t beat yourself up about this…it’s hard enough as it is.”

Something stung in the young wizard’s chest.

Birger shook his head. “Would’ve been nice to know that a death squad was coming after you, I won’t lie. My son nearly died because of them…and now they owe us a blood-debt. We should go back to collect.”

Alex shook his head. “Out of the quest—”

“You can’t tell us what to do, young man. You’re not our chief, and we only met you a short time ago.” Birger frowned. “Drop us off at home, Bjorgrund and I will stay in our ward and deal with them. If you really want to help, ward our home against them.”

“You saw how powerful they are,” Alex pointed out. “I don’t know how powerful of a ward we’d need to keep them out.”

“Too bad, then, I—”

“Father, listen to Alex,” Bjorgrund suddenly cut in. “You should stay far away from our home. I’ll go with Alex and help him as much as I can.”

Alex, Theresa and Birger looked at the young giant in dismay.

“Son, you’ve lost your mind!” the firbolg shouted.

“Birger’s right, there’s no way,” Alex insisted.

“We nearly died, and you’re so young,” Theresa said. “We can’t let you do that.”

Bjorgrund’s face turned bright red. “My father’s old, but I’m young. I’m strong. I’m a warrior.” He looked at Birger and Alex, his jaw clenching. “Both of you would be dead if it wasn’t for me. I defended and bled for all of us. I’m not some scared child who should stay home, but you are old, father. You’ve grown so frail in the last while.”

The young giant’s lips tightened to a flat line. “Why should you die with your guts out in the snow somewhere? You should be at home, by a fire with a blanket—”

“Son, you don’t like it when I treat you like a child, do not treat me like one,” Birger snapped. “And what kind of parent would I be if I waited at home with a blanket by the hearth while my own son—not even fully grown—was out in the world, wandering the wilderness while assassins stalked his companions. No, it will not happen.”

The firbolg looked at Alex. “You wish to take responsibility, you say?”

“Yes,” the young wizard said.

“Then, it’s true, we probably won’t be safe at home. Not anymore.” Pain lay in Birger’s words. “Not until those holier-than-thou bastards are dead and buried. So, perhaps we should come with you.”

Alex scoffed. “Then you’d be at even greater risk.”

“But we’d be beside you, and you teleported us out of there,” Birger said. “We’d all be dead if you didn’t use Kelda’s power the way you did.”

“I…” Alex paused, frowning. “Look, I don’t know why I was able to beat the interdiction…something about it didn’t feel complete, like there were gaps in its defences. Our enemies aren’t stupid; they’re going to figure out that there was a flaw in that interdiction and they’re going to do their best to fix it. I won’t be so lucky next time.”

“Better than being in our cottage just waiting like trapped prey to be slaughtered,” Birger said. “And besides, I am a free man, as is my son. You do not command me, Alex. If you put us in Generasi, we could leave whenever we wanted. It would take time, but we’d find our way back to the Empire. I want to go with you, I want to see Kelda’s sanctum with my own eyes. I need that, and…I know there’s no way my son will listen to me if I tell him to stay behind.”

“No way.” Bjorgrund shook his head, thick arms crossing his broad chest.

“Agh, stop being so stubborn!” Alex snapped. “I’m trying to protect…”

He paused, the words dying on his lips.

What was he trying to do?

Protect them?

Tell them what to do?

Who exactly was he to do that? Was he no better than the church, demanding that the Fool of Uldar sit back and play their foul role? He had no right to tell either Birger and Bjorgrund what they should and should not do.

And…their words were true.

Bjorgrund had protected him and Birger from a gruesome fate.

‘And am I so confident I could survive another attack from the hidden church by myself?’ he considered. ‘That ambush nearly killed all of us, and that was with Claygon there…maybe they’re right. And since when have I acted like the First Apostle; they don’t have family to protect. They are family, and if they’re choosing to come with me, then so be it. Baelin let me take risks, and I sure as all hells want to be more like Baelin than Uldar.’

Alex sighed in defeat. “Are you both sure you want to do this?”

Father and son looked at each other, then Birger nodded. “Yes, we’ll come with you.”

“Alright,” Alex said, hearing a deep sigh from Theresa.

He glanced at her.

Was that…relief?

She caught his eye, but said nothing.

“Then, with that settled, let’s get you, Brutus and Claygon back to Generasi,” Alex said, thinking of his sister. “The faster we’re back in the Empire, the less chance of me putting my family in harm’s way.

…I’ll have to say goodbye to Selina, for a while, though.”

He took a deep breath. “That’s not going to be easy.”

###

Author's Note

Hello thirty-six cool fools, almighty chosen, wise sages, and mighty champions! Thank you for your support!

And here we are-like someone on discord predicted-seeing Alex arguing to leave and go off on his own. It's a good thing he's developed so many skills, I'd say!

Not going to lie the next few chapters were a bit emotional for me to write and I'm excited to share them with you. Stay tuned!

See you, tomorrow!