The Seal of the Arbiter

The Seal of the Arbiter Part I and II

Part 1:

Deep within the bowels of the University of Greyvein, in a far-removed corner of the library, sat two novice scholars with their noses deep in dusty tomes. Ferin, a frigid young man in his early twentieth year, sat hunched over, scanning the pages of an old book detailing predators in Naiadara. Beside him, Rodrick scribbled furiously on a wrinkled yellow notebook, copying the words from another book without bothering to understand them. His beaky nose and strange haircut made him stand out among the other scholars, but not in a good way. Ferin only tolerated his presence because he was the only other Water Wielder among the novice scholars. 

Ferin glanced at Rodrick with a scowl, crossing his arms and leaning away from him, barely hiding his frustration. He slammed another book shut, adding it to the pile of useless texts on the table. He crumpled the parchment in his hand, feeling the ink smudge on his fingers. He had spent hours poring over the books, but none of them had the answers he sought.

Nothing I can use at least, Ferin thought. I need something that will impress them. He wasn't sure who he was referring to. 

A sudden movement in his peripheral vision causes Ferin to look to his right and see a man in swishy dark robes walk past the mouth of the aisle with speed. Turning back to his book, he rereads a line about the hunting habits of apex predators.

"Good afternoon gentlemen. You're the two novice Water Invokers, right"

Both men were surprised by the gravelly voice, turning slowly to face the source, who stood leaning on Ferin's chair with one arm. "We are…" Rodrick answers timidly. "And you are?" Ferin kicked his foot under the desk, gesturing with a sharp eye motion to the gold High Scholar insignia etched into his loose black sleeves. He hoped Rodrick would catch the hint and not embarrass them.

I can't say I've ever seen a High Scholar wear those colours before, Ferin thought. The man looked young at first glance, but the deep facial creases and streaks of grey betrayed his true age. 

Rodrick dropped his head. "My apologies Venerable Scholar. What do you need of us?"

"I am High Scholar Amren. Eminence Barik, your superior, informs me you are Invokers? If so, I have a little invitation I think you'll be interested in. Are either of you familiar with the Arbiter?"

"As in the Traverser?" Ferin asked. Nervously, he fidgeted with the small sky-blue gem dangling on a chain earring. "I read about it, but I didn't think it was real."

"You'd be partially justified for believing that based on what some of those dusty tomes might say. It has been dormant for a long time, but it has recently been detected in the jungle of Northern Ashijan. If you can tolerate the three days it'll take to walk there, there will be great reward in locating it." The man spoke a bit above a whisper. "Wealth and influence as scholars for sure, and if you manage to make a deal with it, you would have access to the most powerful Traverser in all Naiadara."

"Why us?" Ferin asked, narrowing his eyes. "Wouldn't the other High Scholars want to keep this under wraps?" He didn't trust the High Scholar's smile. There had to be a catch.

This time it was Rodrick's turn to kick. "Don't be rude, Ferin. The business of the High Scholars is their own." He grinned at the High Scholar, not caring about the consequences. "What he means to say is that we are interested and that he knows not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Right, Ferin?"

Ferin's eyes flickered to the window, where he imagined his parents finally welcoming him home. He swallowed hard and nodded. Facing the man again, he forced out a reply, his voice cracking slightly. "Yes, we are interested. How hard do you think it will be?" 

It seems almost too good to be true, he thought. But even on the off chance it is… I could get them out of that hovel, and secure a goof life for them. 

It was vain, and he knew it, but his interest had been piqued and found he had already made his decision. Turning back to the man, he said, with a hint of doubt in his voice, "Yes, we are interested. How hard do you think it will be?"

High Scholar Amren withdrew a small folded page of parchment containing a detailed image of a small section of the jungle where the Arbiter can be found. With a hopeful smile and a scratchy voice, he said, "I don't think there will be much struggle."

Without another word, he walked back up the aisle and around the corner. Ferin looked at Rodrick, both of them quickly processing what just occurred before promptly gathering their belongings from the desk and hurrying up the aisle and out of the library toward the dormitory. After pausing at Ferin's door, they decide to pack their belongings today for an early departure, and Rodrick hurries off to his room. 

A few moments after Ferin began to pack, his door bangs open to admit Rodrick, who closes the door and pauses to catch his breath before asking an inane question about shoes. Ferin began to ask him to leave when the door banged open for a second time, this time to reveal their instructor, Eminence Barik. A plump man with entirely too much weight on his hips and a shiny bald head currently the same pink as his exasperated face. 

"What is all this running about?" He demanded. "I saw you both burst in here like tubby children in a candy store! What's gotten you so riled up?"

He paused briefly, looking at the paper on the desk and then at Ferin, who was motionless with a bag in one hand, a pair of pants in the other, and a small heap of clothes and other items on his bed. Then he looked at Rodrick, who was holding a different pair of shoes in either hand and back at Ferin. 

"Why does it look like you are going somewhere?"

Rodrick spoke before Ferin could. "We were given a task by a High Scholar to seek a Traverser in Ashijan." His face was a few shades paler than usual and he stood at attention, clasping his hands behind his back with enough force to send a shoe flying from his grip. 

Barik paid it no mind.

"A High Scholar? Ashijan?" Barik repeated incredulously. His eyes suddenly sharpened like a hawk's, and he darted to the paper on the desk, barely beating Ferin to it. He scanned it for a moment before Ferin yanked it out of his grasp, but it was too late. "Tethralith the Arbiter? But that's…hold on. Wait right here. You do not have permission to leave until I have it in writing or else I will have you expelled!"

He dashed out of the room and down the hall, likely to the High Scholar's audience chamber. Ferin's heart thundered in his ears as he assessed his options as quickly as possible. 

After coming to an uneasy decision, he said, "Rodrick, if you're coming, pack everything you need in the next five minutes and meet me by the southernmost gate. We leave now, not tomorrow."

"But-" He began. 

"Do as you will. I will wait two minutes and then I am leaving. With or without you." Ferin said sharply, not even looking at the other man as he continued shoving bits of clothing into his bag. 

Rodrick said nothing else as he sprinted out of the room. Ferin forced himself to be as meticulous as possible while packing to distract himself from the tingling anxiety building in his chest. Not because he's nervous about going, but instead because he is unsure if he just made a mistake allowing Rodrick to come alongside him. 

If it comes down to him or me, he won't get in my way.

Ferin was finished with his bag, and just before leaving, he paused, pulling open the bottom drawer of his desk and withdrawing a small rectangular wooden box from underneath a stack of books. Within, submerged in water from this morning's high tide, was an earring with a grape-size arctic blue gem attached to a short silver chain. The gem on both earrings is known as an Ego and is crucial for all elemental magical Wielding, including Ferin's Invoking. 

Ferin felt far more confident feeling the much larger gem swing knowing it was money well spent despite the ludicrous price he paid for it. Ferin's gaze flickered to the faded portrait of his family on his desk; the only copy they had between them. The potential of providing for them and proving his worth as an Invoker and Scholar fuelled a newfound determination. The sudden well of power tugging at his ear was momentarily disconcerting but he pushed it out of his mind before rushing out of the room. 

After a speedy walk, he arrives at the southern exit from the University grounds a few minutes later. It was a tall wrought iron gate, part of a taller perimeter wall, that Ferin chose due to its immediate proximity to a small pond. 

Behind trees, he quickly dropped his belongings, using a smooth stone to hastily write a note to his family telling them he would be away for a few days but that he felt this was finally his moment. Tying the note with twine, he creeps to the nearby water.

As he submerged his right hand, Eo, the pent-up magical energy within the Ego, rushed into him. The Ego at on his ear glowed brightly from within the cobalt gem. A surge of power coursed through his body like a riptide, radiating off his skin and warping like hot air above a campfire. The pond responded, its surface rippling with an iridescent sheen. 

Closing his eyes, he senses Naiadara, the wellspring dimension fuelling all Water Wielding and housing the creatures Invokers summon. Seconds later, he feels a pushback on his magic, indicating his bait has been taken. The pond ceased to be just water; it became a gateway to a hidden world. It was no longer a mere surface but a doorway to Naiadara, a tangible manifestation of his Invoking ability to pierce through the veil between realms.

He opened his eyes just in time to see a blurred shape shooting upward and landing behind Ferin with a wet thump. 

Turning, he examined the Traverser—a bulky amphibian creature with a flat shell, snapping beak, and toadlike dark blue-grey skin. The Croakshell stared blankly at him, awaiting a command, but Ferin ignored it for now. 

Getting up, Ferin harnessed the pond's lingering Eo, dismissing the portal and raising a water sphere above his head with a sweep of his hand. His focus intensified, and he immersed his senses into Naiadara once more. Delicately, he sought his target, detecting its erratic movements responding to the subtle allure of his Eo bait. The ball began to shrink into itself, its centre darkening before ballooning outward. With a satisfying pop, the bubble burst, revealing a small Traverser hovering above the trees.

"A Flitterfly!" 

Ferin nearly yelped, turning to see Rodrick looking excitedly upward at the creature, a slightly bulbous bag slung on his back and kept in place with a brown strap across his chest.

"Keep it down or I will leave you behind," Ferin hissed. "I need it to deliver a note and we can leave. I want to get as much of a head start as possible before night falls."

He turned his attention back to the Flitterfly, giving it a mental command to land on his arm. With its speed and sense of direction, this Traverser was the Naiadara equivalent of a pigeon, making it useful for delivering messages. It had shimmering sky-blue scales and pointed dorsal and caudal fin alongside two insectoid eyes with two sets of wide membranous wings that flapped faster than the eye could see.

 It grabbed the rolled note with its two front legs before kicking off with its remaining four, whizzing through the sky toward his parents' farm an hour north of the Greyvein city walls. Ferin hoped his parents would read his note and understand his decision, but he had a nagging feeling that he should've gone to see them recently. 

I don't want to think about that right now. Just focus on the trip. 

Quickly closing the distance, Rodrick stuck his face uncomfortably close. "Is that a new Ego? I thought the gem was smaller before."

"It was." Ferin said, pulling it out of his ear while taking a cautious step back. "This is a Grade Two that I paid through the nose to get." He traced his fingers over the gem, seeing its once-bright hue had darkened into a deep azure, perfectly mirroring the shade of Ferin's eyes.

"I wish I had one that nice. I'm stuck with the basic one the University loaned me." Rodrick moaned ignorantly.

"Work as hard as I do and you'll get there one day."

"You know everyone calls both of the 'The Piddles', right?"

"Shut up, Piddles. Let's get moving."

The pair walked out of the University grounds and into the bustle of the city with the Traverser hopping alongside them. They had to push their way through, but the crowds helped immensely to conceal them and their batrachian companion, who had no issue weaving through the people to stay as close as possible. Ferin kept the parchment from the High Scholar on his person at all times because, without it, they would have no chance of locating The Arbiter or the riches at the end. 

The gaggle of guards posted at the city gate gave them a quizzical look, first for their novice scholar robes, and then for the remarkably strange animal accompanying them, but allowed them both to pass without any hassle.

Probably because we're leaving instead of entering, Ferin thought humorously. But he still did not dare lower his guard yet. Just because they had escaped the confines of the city hardly guaranteed their safe passage. The University is certainly preparing to send a force after us, for if the information I carry is true…

Ferin shuddered, suddenly realizing the implications and consequences of his actions. He clenched his teeth and hoped, with every fiber of his being, that he was not embarking on a fool's errand. However, Ferin was so absorbed in these thoughts that he failed to notice the mental link to his Flitterfly forcibly severed before reaching the city limits.

Part 2:

The sun was high in the sky in the late afternoon of their second day on the road. Ferin was deep in thought, studying the map of Ashijan intently and comparing it to the folded piece of parchment he kept safely tucked away in his sleeve. The parchment given to them by the High Scholar had a detailed drawing of the local geography around The Arbiter, but it took some effort to pinpoint the exact location on a larger map. 

They walked along a dirt road that was not much more than a moderately travelled Desire line. The "road", if you could call it that, was a path of beaten dirt about four feet wide on average, but was messy with rocks and tree roots jutting up every other step. They had started down this path a few hours prior after their destination had them deviating from the main roads. 

To his left, Rodrick walked with a heavy step, groaning intermittently that his feet hurt. He craned his neck to get a look at the map, but plainly had no idea where they were or where to look.

"When will we get off this blasted path?" He nearly shouted, punting a small stone with his toe. 

"I don't think we will," Ferin replied robotically. "This path leads almost directly to a town on Pretion's southern border with Ashijan, which I plan to reach by tonight. From there, we should reach The Arbiter's Shrine by midday tomorrow."

"But we won't get any more proper roads?"

"I wouldn't count on it."

Rodrick groaned audibly but maintained his pace at Ferin' left, with the Croakshell hopping along on his right. 

Such a delicate boy, Ferin thought with a twinge of resentment. If the multiple pairs of suede dress shoes and a ridiculous gold bracelet weren't indicative enough of his spoiled attitude, his poor financial decisions were the final nail in the coffin. 

Ferin was still gobsmacked that he had to spend a full five minutes negotiating with the brat not to buy a saddle for the Croakshell. He was pleasant enough if a little grating, but Ferin could tolerate his presence.

"Why are you doing this?" Rodrick asked suddenly. "Seeking The Arbiter, I mean?"

Ferin was surprised by the question, mostly because he didn't feel Rodrick cared about anyone else's needs but his own. "Trying to prove myself," he said truthfully. "My parents are pretty vocal with their disapproval of me pursing this career, so I want to show them I can do it. I need to do it, for my own sake as much as theirs."

He touched a finger to the large Ego dangling from his ear. This wasn't cheap either. A full year of Scholarship pay will pay it off with a pitiful sum to spare. 

Rodrick was silent for a moment before saying, "At least you have a reason. A real reason." With a considerate look from Ferin, he continued. "My parents are big-shot merchants in the capital, and I thought studying at the University would be an easy way to get time to myself to do whatever I wanted.

"They gave me a large sum of money and off I went. What I didn't know at the time was that the send-off was permanent." He sighed, seized by a melancholy Ferin didn't expect. "I've had to fend for myself since then. The University covers my basic needs, but beyond that… I've got nothing for myself."

We come from similar places oddly enough, Ferin thought. All the more reason to keep an extra close eye on him. Who knows what someone that desperate will do? I wonder if he is thinking the same thing now. 

He felt guilty for thinking it, but at the end of the day, he was making this journey for himself, not Rodrick, so he never revealed any more than he had to. Ferin would be the one to come out on top. It was his only choice. Rodrick looked at the stretch of road behind him, peering as if to spot something in the distance

The sun was beginning to sink behind the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and red when they reached the town. It was a shabby but extensive place, with wooden houses and dirt roads, surrounded by a dense jungle. The air was humid and heavy, and the smell of smoke and spices lingered in the air. They found a small inn near the edge of the town, where a few locals were drinking and chatting. Ferin and Rodrick took a table in the corner and started to argue. Ferin wanted to stop for the night and rest his weary feet. Rodrick wanted to keep going and make the most of the remaining daylight.

Unfurling the map of Ashijan, Ferin pointed to their location. "See this town? The next closest settlement is a six-hour walk in any direction, and The Arbiter's Shrine is here, in the jungle. Best case, we get lost and lose some time. Worst case, a lovely predator feasts on our bones."

"I still think we should go, and worst-case scenario, we can camp on the side of the path like we did last night. It really wasn't so bad."

Despite what all your complaining would suggest, Ferin thought dryly. 

"That was when the forest was a relatively safe place." Ferin pointed a finger toward the dark green mass of dense foliage wrapping around the western half of the village. "That is an untamed jungle, with who knows what malevolent monster stalking us from the branches. If you want to go on, go right ahead. But don't expect to be taking this with you." He finished, patting the sleeve that concealed the parchment map. 

Rodrick narrowed his light blue eyes, studying Ferin's face as if searching for a hidden clue. Ferin found his restlessness mirrored back at him on the face of his companion. "Fine," he said, exhaling obnoxiously. "But if we're staying here, we should at least try to get some information from the locals."

Ferin smiled genuinely. "Finally, the first good idea to come out of your mouth."

"Don't be patronizing."

They paid for a room and deposited their belongings. Rodrick sat in the corner sulking. "Why couldn't I get my own room? I don't want to sleep in the same bed as you." 

Ferin withdrew the money pouch and waggled it in his face. "Considering I paid, be grateful I'm letting you sleep in any room." Rodrick rolled his eyes. 

Being technically in Ashijan, much of the town population was this country's native people, the Relmith—People of the Sea. Relmith are all naturally Water Wielders. Unlike humans, who can potentially use any one of the four elements, but are much less like to be born with any ability at all. 

Ferin pushed open the doors to the town monastery and stepped inside. A small girl dashed past them to pet the Croakshell. Ferin issued a mental command to the Traverser to be docile. They were approached by an elderly Relmith woman wearing white robes with a blue ceremonial rope tied around her waist, denoting her position in the local church. 

"Good evening travellers. What brings you to my monastery?" She asked sweetly. Her eyes were a lighter shade than Ferin's, and her hair, braided and wrapped around her head like a crown, was a similar shade.

"We are High Scholars from the University of Greyvein." Ferin said, lying through his teeth. Rodrick, for all his timidness, did not react. "We were researching The Arbiter, and were hoping if you had any information to share?"

"The Arbiter? That old myth? Why would you be interested in that?"

"Cataloguing, madam." Rodrick said, effortlessly continuing the lie. "Local legends are immensely helpful for pinpointing truth among the myth."

"I suppose. I can try to recall what I know." She said, still looking at them oddly. 

She led them to a table in the back corner of the building and disappeared for a few moments before returning with tea. She was older than Ferin thought at first glance, judging based on how much she was struggling to move. 

"So, The Arbiter. Not a name I've heard in many years. Here in Ashijan, we typically use its given name." She started. "I'm afraid at this point, it's mostly an old wives tale we tell our children so they don't go into the jungles alone. I haven't heard the tale since I was your age, and that was some time ago. Tethralith is the true name, but I doubt many know it by that."

Tethralith, Ferin thought. He tried to imagine what it could look like by its name, but he could think of no creature with its like. That wasn't all that intrigued him. 

"Tale?" Ferin asks, leaning forward. "What does it say about its powers or its disappearance?"

"Nothing that stands out. From what I remember of the story, it was nearly slain by a warrior of old, and now stalks the trees, seeking the man who injured it, and consuming any poor soul it comes upon." She said, sipping her tea calmly. "But it has not been sighted in over twenty generations, so I can't say how much the story has warped over time."

After politely finishing their tea, they thanked the old woman for her time. Upon arriving back at their room, Rodrick sat on the floor, deep in thought, with his knees to his chest, stroking the Croakshell's long neck. After a bit, he excused himself and climbed into bed, his back to Ferin and the door. 

His sullen behaviour concerned Ferin, so he kept the parchment close to his chest. I have the maps, so he won't know where to follow if I leave. Do I have to escape in the night before he does?

The idea was more tempting than he cared to admit, but when Rodrick's soft snoring reached his ears, he went against his better judgment and closed his eyes, enveloped in sleep in minutes, his final thought looping in his mind. It's him or me. I just hope I'm not leading both of us to our deaths. 

The next day, they left the inn as soon as there was enough light to see. Despite the early morning, being this far south meant the air was warm nearly all day, which Ferin appreciated. They opted to wear a basic brown shirt and pants so they wouldn't be recognized on the paths. The streets were nearly empty save for a random ruffian shuffling back home after a night at the tavern. They walked toward the exit, Croakshell in tow, when an unfamiliar grinding sound met their ears.

Striding into town from the closest thing to a road was a glossy grey stallion pulling a sleek black carriage. Ferin was perplexed, and Rodrick looked like he was seeing the Emperor himself, the envy plastered on his face like a vulture. They had barely seen any other travellers on the paths, let alone an expensive horse and vehicle. 

The University wouldn't send a carriage like that to beat us there, would they? We'll have to go even faster to maintain our lead.

Wordlessly, the pair turn back and start down the path, walking directly toward Tethralith itself. 

Their pace was rigorous, but neither dared slow nor stop. They ate and drank while walking, at one point, Ferin and Rodrick considered trying to Invoke a creature they could ride on the back of. That is until they heard something big crunching in the jungle to their left, and not knowing the Naiadara ecosystem in Ashijan, unanimously agreed to just keep walking. 

By almost exactly midday, Ferin slows and stops in the middle of the trail, before turning and facing a barely noticeable desire line leading off the path and into the foliage. "This is it." Ferin said. They both silently stared at the path for a moment. "It should be just a few minutes down this path."

"After you," Rodrick said, gesturing ahead.

Ferin held his gaze for an uncomfortably long time before taking a deep breath and stepping into the wilderness. Eo coursed into his body as he allowed the Ego to flow into him, holding the power at his fingertips just in case. A tingling on his neck told him Rodrick had done the same behind him, and he tensed, anticipating some kind of attack.

But none came. After a few moments of pushing away slick fronds and ducking under arching vines, they stepped into a clearing. Despite the overwhelming humidity, Ferin felt a sudden chill in the air, as if he had stepped into a graveyard. The sensation of foreboding washed over them like a wave, and the hair all over Ferin's body stood on end. The space was reasonably large, and the canopy above was patchy, with several god rays shining through to the ground. In the centre was a wide and circular black stone slab about three feet tall. It appeared to be made from volcanic rock carved perfectly into shape. 

The air above the platform was warped and rippled intensely upward, giving the impression that the stone was very hot, but Ferin knew otherwise. The full magical power of the Ego raced through his veins; more than he had ever held at once before, yet the slight warping around Ferin was unnoticeable compared to the density before them. 

"Is that…" Rodrick said, voice barely above a whisper.

Ferin erroneously assumed he was referring to the ludicrous amount of power emanating from the platform, but upon closer inspection, he felt bile churning in his stomach. Laying on its back in the centre of the slab was a blanched skeleton with a black sword stabbed down through its chest and into the stone below. 

The magic radiated, and Ferin felt a growing buzzing sensation in his core as he got closer. "Rodrick, I think we should hold off-" he started, but the other man scoffed. 

"Sure Ferin, do what you want." He took a step to the platform. "I didn't come all this way for nothing."

"I just mean we shouldn't do anything stupid. We should wait-"

"No one is telling you to stay. If you want to run back to mommy and daddy, I won't stop you." He climbed onto the stone, his clothing flapping from the intense aura. "Unlike you, I don't have anyone to fall back on, so it's this or nothing. I thought we shared that sentiment, but it matters little now."

The words stung Ferin more than he thought, and he held back a retaliatory string of curses aimed at his friend. The same desperate mania gripped him too. 

He wouldn't have gotten here without me, Ferin thought selfishly, taking an unconscious step toward the stone. I deserve this. I didn't come all this way for him to get us both killed. 

He took off toward the platform, shouting for Rodrick, who paid him no mind. Ferin pushed himself up, adrenaline coursing through his veins, as he activated his Ego once more. The small bucket's worth of water absorbed by the Ego, while submerged, slid down and wrapped around Ferin's outstretched left arm. Swinging, the rope of water shoots forward, crossing the distance quickly and wrapping tightly around Rodrick's waist. The other man turned to look at his friend, shock apparent on his face before Ferin strained and hurled his friend into the air and off the platform. 

Rodrick skids across the grass before crawling back to his feet. As he stepped forward through a shaft of sunlight, the smaller blue Ego on the chain around his wrist gleamed intensely. He cast a menacing gaze upward at Ferin, who stood at the platform's edge, awaiting Rodrick's approach. 

There was a sudden rush of wind, and a beam of light reflected off something metallic directly into Ferin's eyes. Blinking the spots away, he looked back to see his friend stopped dead in his tracks. A third person stood behind him, wearing all black, holding a wicked curved sword to Rodrick's throat. 

"You boys got here faster than I thought you would." the stranger said, his voice grating. "But I can't have you killing each other just yet."

The man walked forward with Rodrick, holding him close, and it was only when they were close enough to climb the platform did Ferin recognize him. In matching black and gold robes, High Scholar Amren from the University library smiled innocently up at him.

Ferin took a few steps back, and then a few more. Amren instructed Rodrick to climb, before leaping gracefully up himself. He stayed silent, pointing the hooked blade toward both of them and gesturing for them to continue forward. Forced to obey, the pair walk toward the sword in the stone. 

"Stop. Now stand there." he said. "You can do it now."

The last line barely reached Ferin's ears before he was hit hard in the stomach. Doubling over and heaving, Ferin looked up at Rodrick, a moment of sympathy passing across his friend's pained face.

"But…you…we…" He spluttered.

"He came to me after I left your room and revealed the truth. I just needed you to get me here." Rodrick was unnervingly calm. "It was only ever going to be one of us. I figured you knew that."

I thought I did. 

Walking toward them, Amren dragged his thumb against the sharp blade and a bead of blood seeped up through the split skin. Unexpectedly, he performed a quick downward slash before Ferin could flinch, and the plain tunic fell away, leaving him bare-chested in his trousers. He pressed the warm thumb to Ferin's chest, tracing a symbol in blood right in the centre. Only after looking at the symbol did he finally notice the same marking carved slightly into the surface of the stone platform itself. 

Rage pumped through his body, urging him to lash out, but Ferin stayed in place.

"Here's how this will work. You will summon Tethralith, and I will hold him off until he can be resealed. Got that?"

Rodrick said nothing, but Ferin fumed. "Was it all a lie?"

Amren's lips curved in an apologetic frown. "I didn't lie to you. Tethralith can grant you everything I promised and more. But what I left out is that you would never get the chance to claim those rewards. Tethralith has been unseen for centuries because it remains locked away, chained to this stone in Naiadara and unable to be called. This is to stop people like you from exploiting Tethralith for your gain."

Ferin understood how he had been duped. The wolf shepherding his sheep.

"Can I at least ask why us?"

"It was nothing personal, my dear. I drew the short stick and got stuck doing it this time." He said casually as if it were merely a chore to him. "I was in the city and needed Water Invokers, and what better place than the University? Impersonating a High Scholar is easy when you're noble-born, y'know. The hauteur comes naturally. All I had to do was find someone to convince and you walked yourself right to your death. The note from the Flitterfly I shot down was very helpful; basically informed me right when you left. Normally, I have to kidnap people, which can be a real pain travelling for longer distances. But I could just lounge in my carriage while you guys walked the whole way. A wonderful change of pace."

Ferin thought he might vomit. 'Walked right to your death.' 

"Normally?" He asked, unsure what else to say. 

"The seal has to be replaced every decade or so. This is my third time miraculously drawing short." His eyes reminded Ferin of a predator; intense and precise. "I've been hot on your tail the whole time, only a few hours behind until I caught you this morning in that lovely little town. The Abbess of the little monastery was so cute, don't you think?"

Warm tears rolled down Ferin's face. There was a sizzling sound, and all three turned to see the skeleton had begun to burn, crackling and crumpling into ash. 

"It's time then." Amren said, pulling the dark sword free from the stone. Carved through the end of the blade was the same symbol carved into the platform and drawn onto their chests; three circles with a triangle linking the midpoints. The air tasted stale, and Ferin began to hyperventilate, frantically looking around him. "Don't bother trying to run. Between Tethralith and I, escape is not possible."

Ferin stood frozen. Tears dried on his cheeks, and his gaze fixated on his chest. The symbol had begun to glow a fierce gold, and a matching light beamed off the platform itself.

Ferin's mind flashed to the portrait of him and his family on his desk and bile rose in his throat. "Please don't do this," he pleaded, now sobbing uncontrollably. "Please. I will help you find another sacrifice. We–we can try to take someone from that town, maybe." Ferin said anything that crossed his mind, any idea that could get him out of this, but Amren said nothing. "Please, I did this for my family. I never wanted riches. All I wanted was to give them a better life. Please. Please…"

A dark look crossed across Amren's face, but if he felt anything, it did not change what he was about to do. 

The last of the skeleton finished dissolving. "I will stand out of sight. All you have to do is summon Tethralith and I will take care of the rest." 

Rodrick stood at the end of the slab. "Don't forget that I am the one claiming Tethralith," Rodrick interjected. "That was the deal."

Amren stopped and looked toward the pair. "It is always quick. I promise."

Ferin's mind went to the skeleton. Amren leapt off the platform and into the thick greenery and was gone. Oppressively quiet once more. And they were alone again. 

"I wish it didn't have to be you," Rodrick said breaking the silence. "I actually kind of like you now.r

"Then why?" 

"I owe too many people too much money, and the vultures have come knocking, Ferin. I thought I told you this. My parents left me with nothing, and Tethralith will give me everything." he patted Ferin on the shoulder. "I really am sorry. It's been eating me alive since we left."

"I started to like you Rodrick, but I was right all along." He looked away from his friend. "May the worms feast on your flesh and turn you into dirt, as you deserve."

The dense foliage surrounding the clearing muffled the sound, making the incessant buzzing in Ferin's chest seem even louder. He looked down at his hands, and then to the treeline, the thought of escape a short-lived one. Rodrick stared in his direction, but where Ferin previously saw cogs behind those blue eyes, now he saw nothing but ice.

When the buzzing was unbearable, he gripped his Ego tightly, and once again let his body be consumed by Eo. Where he previously felt free and alive with power coursing through, now he felt dread and anticipation. He tried to imagine what was to come but found that he couldn't think of anything beyond this moment. Once again, the water slithered out of his Ego and formed into a ball in the air. Ferin focused his mind. 

In the immensity of the magic, Naiadara pressed upon his mind instantly, and beyond the veil, he could feel it. Tethralith. He began to open the hole between realms when he was struck with a pulling sensation as Tethralith sucked the Eo straight out of his body, consuming everything he had and more. It was too much for him alone to bear. Even the magic in reserve was siphoned out to facilitate the Traverser crossing realms. The bubble of water contracted for a moment before expanding outward, larger and larger until it popped with a bang. 

Drained entirely, Ferin crumpled to the ground, his bare knees scraping against the stone, but he hardly felt it. His arms lay limp at his sides, visibly atrophied and skeletal. His vision was dark on the edges and his ears rang. It took a moment for his mind to pierce through the fog to process what was before him. 

Tethralith, in all its glory, was a monstrous being, with a long trunk and white tusks. It has a ring of blue eyes embedded into a golden wheel floating around its head at eye level, with each eye looking in a different direction. It had many limbs; two hands together just under its chin with clasped, human fingers; two below with its knuckles pressed against each other; and two below that with the palms resting overtop each other pointing toward the opposite elbow. Suspended midair, it sat cross-legged with flat, hoof-like feet. 

"WHY ARE YOU NOT PROSTRATED BEFORE ME."

Its voice boomed, seemingly reaching Ferin's ears from all directions at once as if it were speaking around him. Ferin dropped his head so fast that he dashed his forehead against the stone, but did not dare make a noise. Rodrick, still stunned, remained standing, his eyes transfixed on the behemoth in front of him.

"Tethralith!" He shouted joyously. "I have come to make a bargain—"

"INSOLENCE."

A warbling sound filled the air, and Ferin looked up just enough to see Tethralith holding a ball of water in its middle arms, drawing it back like a bowstring. Without enough time to take a single step, Rodrick turned his head just enough to meet Ferin's eyes before the projectile was released. It snapped forward like an elastic, moving so fast that Ferin was unable to track it with his eyes. Rodrick was standing there one moment, and the next he was nothing more than a red smear filling the pores of the black stone. 

"WHERE IS HE HIDING?"

Everything was happening too fast and too slow. The words took a moment to reach his mind, and Ferin realized It must mean High Scholar Amren. He tried to speak, to say anything at all, but the words refused to come out of his throat. 

"INSOLENCE."

Ferin closed his eyes, his chest rising slowly while the sound of death pulled tight in Tethralith's fingers.

A sudden brightness blinded him through his eyelids, and he gazed up at the source. Amren hovered several meters in the air, and he was surrounded by a nimbus of light before something shot from his outstretched arm. The projectile expanded, blooming like a flower with translucent, gold-feathered wings and trapping Tethralith under a dome-like construct. The platform shuddered as the vast being thrashed against the shield from within. Ferin could hardly believe what he was seeing; the shield was holding. Hope blossomed in his chest. 

There was a soft thump to his right and Ferin looked up to meet his saviour's eyes. Unforgiving eyes stare back. "I'm sorry, kid. This is always the worst part."

Amren hooked his foot around Ferin's shoulder and twisted, splaying him out onto his back. Ferin instinctively raised an arm to do something, but it was futile. Amren raised the black sword high, and Ferin got a glimpse of the sun through the blade before it was driven down, through the golden sigil on his chest and into the stone beneath him.

Ferin's breath hitched, his body convulsing as an unexpected warmth radiated from his chest, spreading like wildfire across the dark stone surface. In his peripheral, the golden shield dissolved, revealing Tethralith entirely wrapped in thick, luminescent golden chains, which continued to constrict inward until it collapsed in on itself, vanishing with Tethralith. 

A shadow fell across Ferin's vision, but he couldn't make out what it was. The sky is too beautiful to look away. 

"Shouldn't have…left the University. Did I…we succeed?" Ferin's words wavered, a haze clouding his mind. A faint smile graced his lips. "I can't remember my why I'm here, but I feel guilty. Strange, isn't it?"

"You did. Thank you." Amren said softly, crouching down to plant a gentle kiss on Ferin's forehead. "Your family, they'll be alright. I'll see to it. No lies here. Rest easy, kid."

The blue hue bled away as the light faded from his eyes. 

Amren turned away, looking at the ground while the grip on his curved sword tightened. Ferin's words played in his head in a loop, Please, I did this for my family. I never wanted riches. All I wanted was to give them a better life. His mind filled with thoughts of his son, thousands of miles away, growing up in an imposter family to protect him. Amren's heart ached in his chest.