Ep. 89 The Road Below Chapter Three

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Ep 89 The Road Below Chapter Three

—Beric, to the Raven

Half of the party arrives at Flamekeep and meets with the current Keeper of the Flame, Jaela Daran. They find out the Raven has been stopping certain resurrections and has become somewhat of a more malevolent being with her growth in power.

## Synopsis

### Flamekeep

Led by Gram, the party travels through Flamekeep to the church. The cathedral is on the highest hill and there are gates leading into the religious district. A couple of paladins stand guard, and stop them. Gram tells them she's the former Keeper of the Flame, and pulls out her papers to show them. The guards let them pass.

Boranel walks next to Gram, and the two have a hushed conversation. The king says they're on the same side now and he's sorry for all the business "back then."

They approach the closed cathedral doors, and the guards let them pass. As they walk Dex keeps and eye on Beric to see the state he's in, but he remains focused and doesn't show anything.

They hear a heated conversation and see Krozen talking with three other people who seem very meek and wear white robes. He stops when he sees them, and calls out to Gram and asks what she's doing back in Flamekeep. Gram teases him and introduces everyone, but she gives the name Lyle Noceros for Dex and Jeremiah Smith for Boranel. She tells him she's here to see Keeper Jaela. Krozen tries turning her away, but hears someone tell him not to and let's them in.

### Jaela Daran

Behind the pulpit is an opening with stairs leading down into a large chamber. At the far end of the room is a silvery chair with the back shaped like a flame with the image of a flame on it. Jaela sits on it, reading a book and swinging a leg back and forth. Skaravojen sits at her feet, and when he sees them he hops up and sprints towards them.

Beric, knowing what the creature is and knowing there's nothing he could do about it, simply braces himself and hopes. When it gets to them it falls on its back, belly-up in front of Gram. She leaned down and rubs its belly, greeting it with familiarity. It growls softly when Dex holds his hand out for sniffs, and Gram tells Dex he doesn't like deception. Dex changes into his changeling form and the dog relaxes.

A soft voice commands Skaravojen to return, and he gets up and goes to her. Jaela comments that it took them long enough and closes her book. She'd been told they were coming. Beric tells her their situation with Paulo, and Jaela says there have been similar reports around the city. Some people are raising and some aren't. Those that are are usually of more significance. Krozen was mad at her for not knowing why, but she can go and speak to the Flame to find out. It gives her warnings, which is how she knew they would be coming - only not for this matter. Before Beric can explain about the stones she tells him about the Torchbearers: three people would come to take some of the Flame for a great fight. One would be a soldier's son, one a deceiver, and one would be small, like her.

Dex pulls out the stones they have and tells her Gram's theory on powering them up, and that their fight will have great implications on the entire world. But the Flame was worried when it spoke to its Keeper; if they take away from of the Flame, that would weaken it. They would need to take a lot for their fight, and either it would need to be returned or there would need to be many more souls that joined with it. Dex promises that they intend to bring it back.

Jaela and Gram speak privately for a moment, and then Jaela tells them they can go into the presence of the Flame now. She'll talk to it and try to convey their message. After they discuss Paulo, the Torchbearers will have to go down and light their torches.

Behind the chair is a set of stairs leading down. Jaela goes down and Skaravojen walks over and sits at the top of the stairs, staring at them. After a moment silver light erupts, washing over the entire room. It subsides and she comes back up, looking confused. They voice spoke of descendant that was interfering. Beric guesses it spoke of Melysse Miron and explains it to Jaela. She's stronger now, because she's bound to him. He summons Erebus on the floor in front of him, taking great care not to touch it. The dragonhound picks the sword up and brings it to Jaela, dropping it on the floor in front of her. She touches a rune and speaks to it. After a few brief sentences she takes her hand off and it disappears.

*"I have questions."
—Beric*

Jaela tells Beric that whatever gives him his power and connects him to the Raven seems to be connected to her, too. Unless something changes, they can't bring Paulo back. She suggests trying to communicate, and Beric tries once again to reach out to the Raven. He feels Erebus pulling him towards the stairs and follows it down.

### Fate

When he moves towards the stairs, Jaela gets up and says they can go down. Only her and the Torchbearers, though. Boranel, already five steps towards the stairs, stops with a sigh.

They descend and see a silver light filling the chamber. It's an immense underground cavern with a stone walkway leading to a swirling column of light. A light Beric saw before, in Dolurrh. Once they reach the end of the walkway Erebus slowly forms in Beric's hand. The sword vibrates and tries to speak, but much like in Syrania, it's disrupted and he can't get his message through.

*"You tempted with fate, Beric."
—The Raven*

The Raven speaks to Beric once again. It was Paulo's time. Melysse is stronger now. She witnesses and sees the threads of time, of the world. People are selfish when they tear it apart. How is death wrong? Death is death. The Raven once believed certain deaths should be undone. Now she wonders how different the world would be if she hadn't brought Beric back. How many wrongful deaths would not have occurred?

*"Is it selfish to undo a wrongful death?"
—Beric*

At this Beric starts showing his anger, as she was the one who put this burden on him. Now she's decided to be something else. She argues that she grew into something else. No one decides their fate. Beric may think he decides his own fate, but fate makes no mistakes. He's always been a soldier. He tried to run from that fate and it pulled him back.

*"Well I'm not interested in being in your army. And you're not the one we came to see."
"Very well, Beric. Good luck."
—Beric and the Raven*

End of episode.

## Quotes

"Beric condescends to no one. [Pauses] At this time."
*—Philip 0:07:03*

"Very few people can handle being in the presence of the Flame. I don't know why I can. I'm very small, and I have no money."
*—Jaela 0:37:35*

"I once believed that certain deaths should be undone, as you know firsthand. And I wonder now, had you not been brought back the first time, how different would the world be? How many wrongful deaths would not have occurred?"
"You laid that on me. You put that on me, you put that in me."
"I know. Though now I know not why."
*—The Raven and Beric 0:55:57*

"I'm not interested in being your weapon. You are *not* what I made a deal with."
"I never considered you a weapon, Beric. You're a solider. You always have been a soldier. You tried to run from that fate and it pulled you back."
"Well I'm not interested in being in your army. And you're not the one we came to see."
"Very well, Beric. Good. Luck."
*—Beric and the Raven 0:59:33*

"Some people like *fun* podcasts."
*—Jeff 1:00:49*

"I would do the sign-offs, but I think Philip's gonna say something really mean when he's actually supposed to say his name so we're gonna skip it this time. Bye."
"And I'm *Jeff*!"
*—Eric and Jeff 1:01:23*