Eastland

#### Stone Shire

*The morning shift of miners had not come out on schedule.  And so the afternoon mining group waited under their supervisor’s orders and the hot summer sun for him to return with word of what happened..*

*It was humid this time of year and they could feel the cold cave air before them.  One of the miners piped up “I don’t see that it really matters where we..” but was interrupted by a fit of wheezing and coughing in the mine.  Suddenly their forman came into sight.  The miners all later agreed that there were no words to appropriately describe the horrible sight of him.  His skin was covered in sores that seemed to be worsening by the second.  He dropped to the ground, the final words as he looked up at them ‘don’t - cursed..’*

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*

Rockport

*Gilda’s favorite part of the day was sharing morning coffee with Heironymous, when he was groggy and not too cerebral for small talk.  She hated how possessed he would be with his research.  But when she had his attention he had her heart afloat.  His magic and his stare gave her goosebumps and she actually sort of liked how he would rant obsessively about books and artifacts.  She liked it when she felt he was filling her in anyways (as opposed to just thinking out loud, as he had the tendency to do).  There was something adorably youthful in how frustrated he would get when he couldn’t solve one of his infinite mysteries.*

*Heironymous was more preoccupied than usual when he returned from Stoneshire.  They had been alerted to something magical that had killed all of the morning mining shift and the afternoon supervisor.  When she asked what he found he gave the briefest reply that he found something in the mines that he needed to study.  Rudely even for his standards, he then shut the door without even crossing the threshold, to head to the tower presumably.*

*It was this sort of carelessness to her that hurt her when he would get wrapped up in his work.  She told herself she shouldn’t expect anything different after five years of it and still..  she became angry.  At times she found herself resenting ever having permitted the construction of that tower, though part of her wondered if he would have stayed as much as he did otherwise.  Her sister never approved of him and that made moments like this all the more sour for her.    She recalled what her sister told her the first time she professed her feelings for him, “Despite how close Gilford was with Heironymous he’d always been weary to trust him fully; he said he would keep secrets and feared he put his own motivations above the crown’s."  When she told Catherine she loved him she said she hoped she was wrong.  Gilda wouldn’t tell her how much she loved the sound of having something her sister didn’t have her thumb on.*

*\_*

*The next morning Gilda’s usual meetings were interrupted by screams from the gardens.  She looked out a window and saw a cleaner running to get a better view of something.  It seemed really serious whatever it was.. She opened a window and called out ‘What is happening out there?”*

*“There’s.. s.something in the sky Madam” the lad called back before running out of sight.*

*After taking the time to outfit in the most informal attire she could get away with she hurried downstairs out to the Castle yard.  There was a group of a half-dozen looking up into the sky above the parapets.  Her fears heightening by the unnerving lack of any reaction to the manner in which she was hurrying towards them, their gazes were all to the sky.  And as she approached them and turned her gaze over the keep walls she similarly became transfixed on some sort of meteor radiating a black and green energy.  After staring for some time it was clear that it was headed in their general direction.*

*“Don’t be afraid” Heironymous said calmly.*

*She whirled around, eyes wide with fear.*

*“The cycle must take its course.  And we will be the centre of it.”  He smiled assuredly.  He was outfitted with his mage robes, a staff in one hand and an old book binding in the other.  She recognized the old book cover as a relic he had shown her from one of his private expeditions.  “The shell of inscriptions from a time more ancient than Thera itself..” She had thought the sound of that was either terrifying or mumbo-jumbo, and she became paralyzed with the thought of the former.*

*She slipped away from her thoughts, and listened with her full attention to every word he spoke.  She watched his eyes move over the leathery scraps in awe as he did.*

*“10,000 years have passed.  It’s coming together once more.  The first pages found in a mine but there will be more.  It is lighting the path of destiny!  Embrace it!” He looked to the sky, raising his staff and the book.  It was with a primal readiness at that moment she pounced, grabbing at the book while his gaze was away.*

*“Stop!” he exclaimed, pulling the book back and turning his staff towards her.  Her hand clasped the pages and with a knowing determination that it might be the last thing she ever did, she tore them from the binding.*

*A deafening explosion of fire ensued.  The ceiling and walls gave out.  Darkness.*

*She didn’t know how much time had passed when the sound of faint voices and shifting of rubble moved revealing a perfectly blue sky.  She felt like she was dying the whole time.  “Madam!  Hey! I found her! Over here”*

*Phillip heaved aside some of the remaining debris and made his way down to her.  “Madam, help is on the way.”*

*“Listen to me.” she said.  She saw him realize what she had some time ago; that the heavy stone had crushed her body.  She lifted her battered arm, still gripping the pages.  “You must take this to the Duchess, leave immediately and tell no one”.*

*“Madam we’re going to get you some help.” he said with a look of devastation.  A good lad, he’ll make as good a knight as any she thought.*

*“This is a direct order” she replied.  Do your duty Tor Phillip.*

*\_\_*

*Phillip and his steed rode faster than they had before.  The mare seemed to understand the urgency.  He glanced over his shoulder and watched the glowing meteor collide with the city.  It was the most unusually terrifying thing that it made no sound, but instead a dome of green and black energy emanated from the city in all directions.*

*He turned his gaze towards Goathorn and tucked his head down to avoid wind resistance.  Together him and the best looking horse in the stable rode as hard as any human had done in these lands for a thousand years.  The majesty of that ride was the last thing Phillip thought of before the dark, expanding wave overtook them.*

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