Joryn - 19

## Cracking the Blockade

The Lyth's hold on society is regrettable. Much how Leopold controlled the island, his brothers seem to have a limitless supply of willing and oblivious puppets to cast against us. And yet, all we can do is try to avoid their pawns or cut them down in hopes of eventually reaching the real players behind this struggle. Or, in this case, escaping another city.

Shortly after commandeering a fishing boat from the docks, we encountered a blockade of two riverboats supported by defensive towers. Each boat was armed with a scorpion and manned by roughly a dozen archers. We were also being pursued by several other fishing boats that had just been launched by soldiers responding to the raised alarm at the docks.

Fighting our way past the towers seemed almost hopeless but we agreed that abandoning the boat or surrendering would have been far riskier.  I suspect that the latter never can be a viable option so long as the Lyth are in control.  And so we charged the blockade, hoping that Lagreth and Matthew might provide us with enough of a magical edge to break through.

Lagreth did manage to set one boat aflame with an immense burst of magical fire, completely destroying the scorpion onboard, but he couldn't do that until we were about two dozen yards away.  By that point, many of my accomplices were already unconscious and bleeding to death.  Darius, in fact, had been struck directly by a load of burning stones launched by a catapult from atop the tower; Yavin had been temporarily knocked off the boat by another barrage; Matthew had his arm completely severed by a bolt from one of the scorpions; Todd nearly lost his arm to another; and nearly everyone else had been struck by multiple arrows.

Despite the odds, our bold attempt to crack the blockade was successful and we escaped the city.  Miraculously, none of us were fatally wounded, though Varris came extremely close.  I had presumed him dead when I saw his little body lying still and filled with arrows.  Fortunately—or maybe not so much—the majority of his wounds were in limbs and easily addressed by Yavin's magical healing.

## Confined Recuperation

After our narrow escape, Matthew led us to a farm not far from the city.  Its residents were friendly to the Vanguard and willing to provide us with a place to hide and recuperate.  We confined ourselves to their barn cellar for the next month, only briefly leaving its cover at times during which we believed it safe.  With few places to go, I was continually forced to endure petty confrontations between Darius and Varris.

Darius was convinced that Varris meant to kill him in his sleep and Varris was likewise determined to believe that Darius was a "bad man."  I was already a little annoyed that Vera decided we should continue to "protect" the child and subject him to our dangerous circumstances instead of permitting him the immediate prospect of returning to his father. I was further aggravated by Varris' imagined dispute with Darius—pathetically pale in comparison to Darius' hyperactive imagination towards him. I decided to address the matter.  I gave the boy reason to be confident.  I gave him one of my knives and began teaching him how to survive as my mother did for me.

In some ways, it became easier to endure my company. Varris did, indeed, become a little more confident and even more vocal—he had been mostly silent and withdrawn before. Darius, likewise, became more vocal; but not in a welcome way. He complained more and more about how the child was dangerous and that we needed to keep them away from each other.

I did nothing to address Darius' concerns. If he wants to fear a 7-year old child being trained to survive and fight, then he'll need to deal with that problem himself.

## Reluctant Reconciliation

Having lied low for roughly a month, I was finally comfortable with the idea of leaving our hiding place and making the trek to Xolmeth. That's when Kaelib found us. Or, more accurately, that's when we learned that The Broker knew our location.

The man that originally came for Varris back in the city apparently works for The Broker.  Having failed to obtain the child from Vera, he brought Kaelib to us.  And, more importantly, Kaelib didn't just want his son, but requested our help in reconnecting him with the Vanguard.  As a token of good faith, he even revealed two pieces of valuable information:  Elric, one of the Great Ones from the academy, was directly responsible for poisoning the peace delegation at Moira's Victory; and Abel, one of our current comrades from the order, was a spy working for the Lyth.

Abel immediately reacted to the revelation of his betrayal and attempted to escape, only to be dropped by a well-placed arrow from Todd.  We later interviewed him, during which he admitted to being a spy without the least bit of resistance.  He also stated that we're foolish to oppose the Lyth, claiming that the only possible outcome would be their victory.

Foolish?  Perhaps.  Opposing the Lyth does appear to be vain.  But joining them as cattle is no better so I might as well take my chances.  Whatever the case, choosing their side didn't save him from dying young.  I executed him and gave his sword to Varris.  Letting him go free would have been dangerous and keeping him prisoner would have been fruitless.  He was just another pawn of no real importance.

We opted to "trust" Kaelib.  He was clearly right about Abel and we obviously wouldn't be able avoid him if we tried; not so long as he claims the patronage of The Broker. We might as well keep him close and see what comes of it. After all, if he turns out to be a spy, he may be easier to manage if he's within our grasp. Or perhaps he could be a mediator for accessing The Broker ourselves, provided that he isn't already owned by the Lyth.

## Trek to Xolmeth

The morning following our reunion with Kaelib, we set off toward Xolmeth. Kaelib purchased a wagon and some goods from our patron farmer and we posed as a small caravan. I took on the role of a caravan guard.

Kaelib's informant that originally came for Varris didn't stick around, but he did bring two others with him: Nathan and Jezebel Rose. Nathan is a hired sword that sticks with Kaelib because "he pays well." Jezebel is a farmer's daughter that Kaelib took to wife due to a "crossbow wedding." Both are from Xolmeth.

I like Nathan. He seems to be candid and reasonable. Of course, most of our conversation has been light and I haven't pried much. I'm very curious about his sword, however, and would like to learn how he obtained it. It's plain in its appearance, but the quality is beyond that of the assassin blades that I discarded.

Jezebel, too, has improved the ambience of our company. She seems to be the only one with positive energy sufficient to lighten the mood. I find her carefree nature and naivety refreshing.

I worry about the other members of the Vanguard that were in The Sisters. Did Arimus manage to make it out with the others? What of those that aren't normally at the school, such as Rhyzal? Did our escape turn out to be a helpful diversion? Was it already too late for them?

## A Return to Dreaming

I've made a breakthrough in studying The Art of Walking Dreams during our trek to Xolmeth. Not only am I reading much better than I had been and more able to focus on the content, but I had an epiphany concerning the techniques illustrated therein.

I was able to recall the images from my dream and observe some of the details more closely. The young mage is Lagreth. He's several years older in my dream than he is now, but so is Kaelib. No doubt that the desert is some land beyond the Scar that I might visit someday.

I find it deeply curious that the only two accomplices in my dream are Kaelib and Lagreth. If this were some message from a divine entity, why would it focus on just those two? What of Vera and the others? What was the message meant to convey? Or was it just a random and meaningless projection?