A Shadow in the Salted Lands

**A Shadow in the Salted Lands** is the twelfth chapter of The Forge of the Magus. It was released on Scribblehub on 9th September 2022.

## Synopsis

As night falls in Otenlan, Meriel and the others seek shelter. Telis Heddorel finds a cave which they can rest in for the night. Telis insists on keeping watch over night, though she does let Helicent do a short shift. As they rest, Meriel processes the events of the last few days. She has odd dreams, including one of her mother dead beside a man with an eye of fire. She awakes exhausted. Daylight has broken now, and Telis is making breakfast out of burrbacks.

While Telis cooks, Cad wonders whether she made up the wards on the Falien border in order to force them into the Salted Lands for some nefarious purpose. When Cad goes so far as to suggest that Meriel's father only attacked her because Telis had bewitched him, Meriel shuts him down. Telis serves breakfast. While they eat, she explains all of her actions and intentions since leaving the Village, revealing that the cave they're in has an echo and so she heard every word Cad had said. Just before they set out for the day, Telis goes to fill up their waterskins from a stream in the cave. Meriel goes to her, and asks about A Treatise on the Sidereal Portents, which Telis has been lugging with her all along. Telis explains that she left the book out for Meriel to find, and reveals that it's a book filled with all that remains of the ancient wisdom of the sidereal magic. She explains her concerns, and reveals that her Chain-Mother, Meia Anjol, died just two weeks ago. She explains that there are are prophecies in the book, and she's hoping to find a Magus who can decipher them.

As they move through the Salted Lands, Meriel is amazed to see forests, in a sense. The trees seem to be malformed. Under instruction from Telis, they walk single-file and silent whenever they have to pass through a forest. Cad keeps to himself, looking increasingly bitter. In one particular forest, Helicent observes that there aren't even any bugs. They come upon the ruins of an old village, which makes Meriel think of home. Cad notices that one of the houses still has a roof, and suggests they camp there, but Telis says they will rest for only a few minutes. While they rest, the youngsters talk about home. Helicent says that she is enjoying the excitement of the wider world - and while she supposes she'll return home eventually, she's in no hurry. Meriel disagrees. She wants to become a Magus, and decides there's nothing left for her in the Village.

Helicent hears a noise, giving them a few seconds' warning before an abomination emerges from the foliage. Helicent looses every single one of her arrows, all hitting the creature, but none seem to slow it down. When she runs out of arrows she takes out her dirk and charges at the creature. While she does so, it swipes at Meriel with a limb, sending her flying backwards. She hits a ruined wall and falls, breaking her leg. Helicent leaps to stab the creature. Her dirk gets stuck, and a few seconds later she loses her grip on it. The creature turns its attention to Helicent. Telis conjures some yellow light from her magic, which lifts Helicent and pushes her out of the way. Cad runs after her. Telis draws as much magic as she can, straining herself to the point of corruption but driving back the creature. She goes to Meriel, who wants her friends, and picks her up. She'll carry Meriel to the Octal Tower if need be.

## Appearances

### Characters

* Abomination
* Benifold Egéna (Mentioned)
* Cad Mathe
* Carrette Loghire (Mentioned)
* Desmer (Mentioned)
* Easind Fann (Mentioned)
* Edesa Egéna (Mentioned)
* Helicent Loghire
* Queen Jelestal Egéna (Mentioned)
* Meia Anjol (Mentioned)
* Meriel
* Meriel's father (Mentioned)
* Telis Heddorel
* Wilstan Egéna (Mentioned)

### Locations

* Falien
	+ Aptalis (Mentioned)
* Otenlan
	+ Faradwel (Mentioned)
* Redesca
	+ Camistane (Mentioned)
	+ The Village (Mentioned)
* The Octal Tower (Mentioned)

### Concepts

* The Berylblood
* Chains
* Magi
* Sidhe