Joryn - 14

## Meeting Aaron, Emery and Timothy

We've picked up three more companions: Aaron, Emery, and Timothy. We encountered them the same night that we left the Academy City-State when we setup our camp in a common area near the road. They were attempting to setup their own camp, but seemed unsure of how to go about it. Their dress, although actually quite fitting for travel, also appeared out of place; it was new, clean, and well-fitted. In contrast to their obvious inexperience with the outdoors, they had a blazing fire that burned suspiciously high and hot.

Given that the three were choosing to camp outside when a roadside inn wasn't far off, it was clear that they were trying to minimize interaction with others. I was curious. Were these three the Great Ones that we saw leaping over the wall? Why were they secretly leaving the city? Were they a threat? Were they part of yet another trap?

Part of me said to leave the matter alone and avoid the potential danger, especially given their efforts to seclude themselves from others. Instead, I approached their camp and quietly began to set it up for them, occasionally giving them brief pointers. They didn't object to my assistance nor did anyone say more than was necessary. I didn't pry and neither did they.

Darius and Vera eventually came over, as well. They, however, were openly inquisitive and attempted to start a conversation. The three were polite at first, but quickly felt threatened when Darius moved to cast a spell. The situation became heated for a moment but eventually calmed down when Darius explained himself. In the end, they shared their food with us and even asked if they might accompany us along the road until our paths diverged.

## Traveling with Great Ones

The three were, in fact, Great Ones or at least apprentices. Aaron is the most senior of them and enjoys discussing magical practices and theory with anyone willing to listen. I listened, inquired, and learned. There are far more rules and limitations to magic than I realized. A great deal of study and practice is required to even begin to manipulate it. Then, even when that's accomplished, those with the gift are limited by the capacity of an inner energy that's exhausted much like one's personal stamina.

I believe the three became comfortable with the notion of traveling with us because we had a basic understanding of their identity, were not bothered by it, and let them keep their secrets to themselves. They, likewise, respected us and our privacy. Even so, two weeks is a long time to spend together on the road and not become more personally acquainted. By the time we reached the point where we were to separate, I couldn't help but feel some bond with them; especially Aaron.

These Great Ones never came across to me as condescending or otherwise like the others that we met back in the city. They didn't treat us like tools. They were reasonably straightforward and didn't seem to try to manipulate us.

## Facing a Lyth

Right about the time that we were planning to part ways with the Great Ones, we came to a village where we found a young dandy, six soldiers, and an angry mob waiting for us; or rather, waiting for Great Ones. The dandy demanded that we turn over Lagreth and our three recent companions, and stated that the rest of us were free to go. When questioned, he responded arrogantly and shortly, then incited the mob against the academy using religious rhetoric.

The dandy was presumptuous, confident, and impatient. He carried himself as if detaining four who were trained in using the gift would be a simple feat. He also claimed to possess divine power, which was either a meaningless gesture, a bluff to gain the favor of the mob, or a cover for magical or other power he possessed.

While hunting a couple of weeks before this encounter, I came across deer tracks that had abruptly ended and were replaced with those of a wolf. There were no signs of a scuffle between a deer and wolf; I'm quite sure that the tracks came from the same creature. At the time, I thought that is must have been another Great One trying to flee the city.

When I asked Aaron about it, he was open to the idea of it being a Great One, but was surprised that anyone would invest so much energy to travel the woods in those forms. Unless they wanted to get somewhere extremely quickly, it seemed impractical and wasteful. Given his reaction, I wondered if the deer-wolf were actually a Lyth. Now I wondered if the dandy were that Lyth.

I whispered to Lagreth and asked him to identify if my suspicion was right. He responded that he looked different from everyone else. I then turned to the other three, informed Aaron that the dandy was the deer-wolf, specifically avoiding mentioning anything about him being a Lyth, and asked them if they'd like to take their chances with this crowd. I wanted to know if they were ready to fight.

I thought that I was going to die that day. Yet, the thought bothered me far less than it ever had before. I was ready to join my friends to fight a battle that I had previously been trying to avoid.

## Killing a Lyth

We fought the dandy and his men. He moved and acted just like Leopold, attacking us in a blur and evading every one of our attacks. When he swung his blade, the force behind it was far more powerful than his physical appearance suggested possible. He managed to incapacitate Vera, slice the arm off of Timothy, and slice the leg off of Emery. He did this in only a matter of seconds.

Thanks to the immediate display of power from the Great Ones, the mob didn't get involved in the battle. Almost as soon as it began, Timothy knocked several of them down with a large blast of air and Aaron intimidated the rest by enlarging Vera to a 20-foot giant. Darius used his magical blur to hold off most of the soldiers while the rest of us struggled to compete with the Lyth.

The Lyth ignored me for the most part. He seemed interested in eliminating the magical threats first. This gave me the opportunity to flank him, despite his miraculous speed. When I finally struck him from behind, an attack that he didn't see coming, I felt an unnatural resistance as if he were wearing armor beneath his clothes. I also felt as if the armor gave in to my blow and allowed my blade to pierce his torso. To my relief, the Lyth reacted with an inhuman roar of pain.

Aaron provided us with the wildcard that we needed to subdue the Lyth; he magically blinded him. Even so, it took several more strikes from me and a few jets of fire from Lagreth to finally put the Lyth down. Once he dropped, we continued our aggression until he suddenly burst into dust.

Darius managed to hold off the soldiers quite well, but he didn't do it alone. Three men hidden on the rooftops unexpectedly helped us by barraging the Lyth's men with arrows. After the battle, they revealed themselves; it was Todd, Jake, and Bron from the island. Rhyzal had apparently recruited them to the order and they came through the gate not far from the village.

## Reconsidered Plans

Instead of parting ways with the Great Ones, I insisted that they join us in going to the Rivillian capital. If they were being hunted by Lyth, then this exodus from the Academy City-State was a trap.

Todd asked me if we had taken care of Leopold. I was grateful to see him but also felt a little uncomfortable. All we had done is locate Leopold, a task that was done merely by contacting the Broker and confirming the lead. Nearly anyone could have done that. Of course, having us do it had the added benefit of providing expendable bait for the order.

In retrospect, I still believe it was beyond us to fight Leopold, but I was off-guard when Todd asked, nonetheless. He would have tried to avenge Skaihl, something I didn't understand until the recent Lyth threatened my friends. I thought that was a hopeless fight, yet I committed myself to it.

Despite my previous plans to avoid the order and explore the Scar, I think I'll try to work with the order. The idea of Lyth executing Great Ones while they're vulnerable bothers me. I dislike being subject to anyone trying to use or control me, but I'd prefer the Great Ones over the Lyth. Furthermore, there doesn't seem to be a personal vendetta between those with and without the gift like there is between humanity and the Lyth. I'll take my chances with what we already have.

I also think that I need to get rid of my assassin's blade. Our contact from the Broker recognized its source when he saw it and so did Aaron. If someone can recognize the discrete, though jagged, glint from the fuller while I'm using it, then its too dangerous. It's a shame that I'll need to get rid of it. I've never possessed such a finely balanced and edged blade such as this.