“Veralia! Veralia? By the gods of course, we all remember Veralia. She was the muse for an entire graduating class. Everyone wanted to paint her and write songs and poetry dedicated to her. She was an epic beauty, a generational beauty. Why she chose ?rdelon, we'll likely never know. She had dozens upon dozens of suitors. That's her over there,” he said, pointing to an oil painting hanging on the wall near a window looking out on students enjoying the summer sun.
My vocabulary can't begin to describe the beauty of the woman in the painting. Short, raven-black hair, big blue eyes, alabaster skin. I couldn't take my gaze away.
The professor continued. “Veralia was, I think, attracted to the teacher, student, the older guy trope. And ?rdelon presented himself as this sort of melancholic, tragic figure. Plenty of mystery and all that. Valeria found out much later how terribly average ?rdelon was and, I think, that's why she left him. Why she left Cralix with him, I don't know. It didn't make sense then or now.
As interesting as this story was, we were in a rush to find her. “Do you know where she is?”
“The very last I heard, she was in Wikehold, working as a librarian at the Academy of Illusory Magic. I would encourage you to let her be. She's worked hard to distance herself from Cralix and her reputation.”
“Would that we could, Sir, but this is a pressing matter. Well, Janiver, we have our next destination.”
I'll say this for Janiver, she cast her spells in a fraction of the time it took ?rdelon. We were in Wikehold in an instant, at my family home. Pharris was in the great room scolding two of the maids, letting them know full well that he expected Lady Bascombe to be back home at any moment.
“It will be a little longer than that, I said, giving Pharris quite the fright.
“Master Tendil, what a pleasant surprise, and…he said looking to Janiver and expecting an introduction. Janiver this is our majordomo, Pharris, Pharris, this is Janiver, Head Wizard to Queen May of the Gray Elves. Both maids were staring holes through Janiver. Likely the most exotic thing they'd ever seen.
“It's quite an honor Miss Janiver.” Pharris said, bowing.
“May I get the two of you anything to eat or drink.”
Janiver spoke up quickly, “We'll be up late I would assume, Mister Bascombe? Perhaps some coffee and biscuits?”
“That sounds splendid. Yes, Mister Pharris, as she said, thank you.”
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I had Pharris pull out a map of the city and show us how to get to the Academy of Illusory Magic. It was in the East Wall District, a fairly rough neighborhood. I had Jamiver summon a cloak for herself so that she didn't draw too much attention. Her beauty on top of being a Gray Elf could bring the wrong kind of notice.
But, we made it to the school easily enough. Plenty of students helped us find the library. As we entered through that room’s double doors, I couldn't help but notice a woman look our way then briskly duck into a study room behind some of the stacks. She's making it easy on us, I thought. When we got to the room, she was blowing out candles, attempting to blend into the shadows.
When she realized she'd been found, she turned to us and said, “No, no, no! I'm done with that. You can go back to the Taliswood and tell anyone else that needs to know. Is it Cralix or ?rdelon this time?”
I spoke, “It's both I'm afraid.” She didn't seem in the least shocked when I said this. “Have they a history together since you left them?” “Since I left them? " she asked incredulously. “How did that devil get the story flipped so easily?” She seemed angry, frustrated.
“Is that not what happened? I asked.
“Of course not, you idiot! “ Several students outside the room began making “Shhhh!” sounds. I stuck my head out the door and apologized for what it was worth.
“Listen,” I began, "we're here by order of Queen May…
“Who has no authority here whatsoever! “Veralia interjected.
“No, of course not.” I answered. Let us tell you the whole story as we know it so you might understand better why we're here. After hearing that, she sat down. “None of this is her,” she said in a whisper.
“I don't know everything that has been said about me, but ?rdelon seduced me when I was his student. I guess that was twenty-five years ago, yes. I was eighteen. From Wikehold and had never been in such an exotic environment. I went along with the seduction. I'm guilty of that. But I didn't want a child. He forced that on me and I couldn't stop him. He watched me day and night to make sure I didn't go to the hermit, Avricon. I wanted to end it. I had no idea why he wanted a child. Looking through his books and manuscripts, I came to realize that he had dreams of becoming a Lich. But that still didn't explain Cralix.”
“You know I'm a Wizard as well? Not as powerful as you, Janiver, nor ?rdelon. But I have strong magic. I want to use it to kill him, because what I found next chilled me to the bone. You already know, Janiver, so this is for you, Mister Bascombe. When a Wizard ascends into Lich form, they must store their soul, their essence in a phylactery, a container that keeps it safe, if it's destroyed so is the Lich. The more I read through his things I uncovered secrets that don't need to see the light of day, and it became clear, Cralix is meant to be his phylactery. For, if he were to do so and then made her a Lich with himself as her phylactery, he would be truly indestructible, immortal in the truest sense of the word. That is his aim. Whether or not Cralix knows? She could very well be complicit. An ascension like this would have them both very near godhood.”
I was dumbfounded. “This is so unlike the ?rdelon I thought I knew. I counted him as a friend. When did he turn into this monster?”
“Before I met him, in my first year at school, he was different from what I can gather.” Veralia confided. Speaking with some of his servants, it became apparent that he had very strong feelings for Queen May. To the point where he was planning a proposal. She wasn't cruel about it, but she did rebuff him, and it caused him to collapse. He has a tremendous ego and it was simply devastating. Word got around what had happened, and he felt mocking eyes on him wherever he went, heard non-existent laughter and derision. His melancholy was not an affectation as many say it was. He was broken.
“One thing still doesn't make sense. Why are my parents involved in this?”
Veralia’s face went dark. “I'd prefer not to speculate, Mister Bascombe, but to ascend, sacrifices must be made, souls fed to the Darkness to satiate its hunger when the Wizard deprives it of their own. The sacrifices must be meaningful, and your pain would make them so.”
I was feeling desperate. “We have no idea what sort of time frame we're dealing with.When would this attempted ascension occur, Veralia?”
“I can't say for certain, Mister Bascombe, but it's my sense that they'll try to take advantage of the chaos from the upcoming siege of Nez Ambríl to gather as much of the amber as they can. That's the other thing, they can't pull off magic of the magnitude required for this ascension without the Mana from the amber. It's impossible . But if they do get it, the ritual could be carried out at their leisure.
“Maybe we can slow down their plan if we can get to your parents before the plan can be carried out. How long do we have before the war begins?”
“But a day or two, perhaps three,” I answered. You must come back with us Veralia, please. You're instrumental in forming a plan, and we still need to be in Nez Ambríl for the first waves to be brung against her.”
“I'll come. This evil must be defeated and I must do what I can to see that happen.”