79



You managed to find a quiet wooded area to camp in last night with the meager supplies you had with you, far from any prying Paseman eyes. You grew used to sleeping in the wilderness enough before that it doesn't bother you much, but you still only manage a few hours before Alvis wakes you by packing up his bedroll. He looks like he hasn't slept, not that he's given either of you much time for it. "We need to go back to Archa," he says. "Talk to Letha. Figure out if there's anything to be done."

"There has to be time left," Alvis murmurs as you pull yourself to your feet. You're not certain if he's talking to you or himself. "Whatever Cadafel is and whatever he's plotting, he isn't here yet."

You start making your way south toward Archa, avoiding the road through Pasema itself. You're not far past the town when you come upon two figures in the middle of the road: Min and Meredith, in animated conversation.

Animated on Min's part, at least. Though Meredith's posture has grown more natural since you first saw her at the Academy, she still doesn't quite move the way a human would. Sometimes, you suspect she's forgotten to move at all.

You'd expect Meredith to notice you first, and perhaps she does, but it's Min who turns to greet you. "Ah! Meredith was just telling me you weren't far behind, so I thought I'd wait with her. I imagine you're as eager to continue our conversation from last night as I am, and we're all heading the same direction."

Alvis doesn't look particularly eager, but he approaches Meredith willingly enough.

Despite her claims that she has more to tell you, Meredith is silent and pensive as you proceed down the road, leaving you to ask the first question that comes to mind.

Meredith slows her pace for a moment, staring at you. "That's…your first question?"

"Alvis said there was supposed to be a guard outside that room, and there wasn't," you say. "Did you hurt them?"

"No, of course not," Meredith says, frowning. "I…suggested she go elsewhere."

"Suggested," Alvis repeats, tone heavily skeptical. "I don't suppose there was any kind of unholy weight behind that suggestion?"

"I didn't have time to arrange proper permission to see the Book," Meredith insists. "So I needed her temporarily sent away. She likely didn't even remember the decision wasn't her own when the spell ended. Often people don't, when the suggestion wasn't…traumatic."

"You don't think that not even realizing you're not the one making your own decisions is traumatic in itself?" Alvis asks.

Meredith's walking normally again, unflinching. "It's not my preferred strategy, only the most efficient one," she says. "And, as I said, there wasn't any time."

Whatever alliance you have with her, she clearly doesn't intend on being entirely forthright.

Next

"So far as I can tell, there are two ways Cadafel can be defeated," Meredith continues. "It's the world's belief in you that's making the prophecy come true. I don't think you can halt that entirely at this point, not enough to keep Cadafel from breaking free of the Book. But if enough doubt is cast on your story, that will weaken Cadafel's magic. Perhaps enough to make him a manageable foe."

"So we give up everything we've built for ourselves for a vague chance that he might be slightly weaker when he breaks through to destroy the world," Alvis says, frowning. "What's your other idea?"

"That the magic of belief can go both ways," Meredith says. "If Ithos truly believes in your story, Cadafel won't be able to keep from bringing your side of it into existence. You could gain the powers you gave yourselves, become a prophet and a powerful mage in truth. Jun, you could wield both illusions and elemental forces at once. You'd be genuine heroes. Perhaps enough to challenge Cadafel on his own terms."

Alvis opens his mouth to respond, then shuts it. "Cadafel…would allow that?" he asks. He's gone very quiet.

"So long as he's bringing about the prophecy, he has little choice," Meredith says. "His powers are already restricted by his present position, enough that it took him three years to set the prophecy in motion in the first place. He hasn't yet recovered enough to have much control over what happens or when, outside the prophecy's terms."

Min is frowning. "Gaining powers of your own hardly sounds like enough to take him on, if he regains his full strength. Surely telling the truth is the wiser option, as well as the right one."

"Telling the truth and facing a mildly weakened Cadafel armed with what, a clear conscience?" Alvis snaps. Their bickering gives you a moment to sort out your own thoughts on Meredith's proposals.