Duurth sat down abruptly near Julia’s position in the library. Still, it only earned him a glance.


    “Let me guess, she protested about her breathing lesson earlier?” asked Julia, wanting to roll her eyes.


    Duurth gave her a puzzled look before he responded to her query with his own.


    “You expected her to do so yet hit her regardless?”


    “I was certain she’d run off to her dad or a council official. She complained about me walking away; getting incapacitated would send her running to someone for sure.”


    “If you noticed that detail, why did you still strike her?” Duurth asked, staring at Julia as if she’d sprouted a second head.


    Yeah, whatever, don’t stare at me that way.


    Julia held up her hands in a calming gesture at his unexpected display of emotion.


    “Were you there for the whole thing? You just showed up and spoke like you knew everything. That aside, I know you heard me ask if she was ready. She’d ordered me to exchange pointers, then said I was mocking your customs when I refused. My pointer to her was: don’t go poking people that scare you. I can advise her from personal experience it doesn’t end well. ”


    Julia suppressed a shiver as she pushed the thought aside.


    “Know her father wishes to see you regarding the matter,” said Duurth, his normally calm face furrowed with obvious concern.


    “What now?” Julia asked, grimacing at his expression. “Master Duurth, did I cause you trouble?”


    “Know that you are my guest, and others raised concerns following the scene,” replied Duurth, the apprehension in his face creeping into his tone. “Know I would appreciate it if you talked with her father and settled this calmly; I, however, am not invited to the discussion.”


    Oh!


    “I’ll do the best I can to avert trouble for you, but I can’t force their decision,” Julia declared, struggling to be reassuring.


    “If she is present, will you avoid hitting her?” Duurth questioned, his fingertips skimming the table’s surface.


    “Do you expect she’d call for an exchange in his rooms?” asked Julia. While she held the laughter from her response, it didn’t stop her lips from twitching.


    “Know I didn’t expect her to pursue you as she did today,” grumbled Duurth, making it apparent to Julia she wasn’t to blame for all his obvious distress.


    “My apologies for upsetting you, that was not my intent. ?daka seems to assume she’s allowed to shove me around. Others have ordered and enslaved me, and I wanted to establish I wouldn’t accept it from her,” explained Julia, bowing in apology.


    “Know that a path through rough terrain doesn’t become any smoother by breaking rocks away from your course,” Duurth said, as the anxiety lessened from his voice and posture.


    “What time is the interview?” asked Julia, wondering if she needed to rush off to a meeting.


    “Know that someone will show you to his apartment when it is time.”


    Duurth rose and vanished, but Julia couldn’t bring herself to return to her studies immediately.


    * * *


    When an acknowledgement came from within, the guide ushered Julia inside. Like other parts of the Monastery, it held only modest furniture and minimalistic decorations. Otherwise perfect squares might possess a hint of colour or the impression of a natural stone. Subtle hints to catch the eye and steer it along to another spot slightly out of place in the perfections of the Monastery’s architecture.


    The room’s only occupant was sitting peacefully, his gaze on Julia as she took in the chamber. An older Githzérai, Master Jarith? still appeared younger than Duurth. His hair was a mixture of deep brunette mixed with streaks of silver. While he had the same severe angularity present in his gaunt features, his skin tone was a deeper yellow, and he wore black though equally plain robes.


    “Would you sit?” Jarith? asked, his tone inviting her acceptance and not ordering. A backless chair appeared in a press of will as he motioned towards where he’d formed it.


    Analysis


    [Name: Jarith?


    Species: Githzérai


    Class: High Anarch / Grand Anarch / Enlightened Anarch/ Psion Paramount


    Details: Descended from one of the three founders of the Monastery of Will’s Hand, Jarith?’s family is the only linage that has kept unbroken involvement.]


    A friendlier welcome than I was expecting.


    The chair was plain stone to Julia’s senses, and she didn’t hesitate to accept his invitation. Jarith? didn’t appear inclined to speak immediately but sat watching her, and Julia waited for the silence to be broken.


    “Know that you are very noisy for a new arrival, and have created many eddies in our quiet pool,” Jarith? stated finally.


    “If water isn’t refreshed and stirred, it grows stagnant, which is bad for those dependent on it,” countered Julia, trying to gauge his intent.


    “Would you teach my offspring?” enquired Jarith?, the question falling into the silence as Julia raised an eyebrow in disbelief.


    “If you mean ?daka, no I won’t,” Julia said, her amiable smile disappearing with the firmness of her statement.


    The silence returned for long minutes, and Julia let it deepen to avoid weakening her refusal, but Jarith? seemed undisturbed.


    “Are you certain?” asked Jarith? softly, but Julia could gauge nothing of his mood.


    “Very. My apologies if this is blunt, but ?daka was rude, contemptuous, and demanding,” Julia stated firmly but respectfully, bowing apologetically. “Your daughter gave no sign she was seeking to learn. Rather she merely behaved as if she wanted to shove me around and prove her seniority.”


    When she finished talking, Jarith? bowed and lapsed into silence.


    “Know that is good, I was worried you’d pander to such a request.” Jarith? finally remarked.


    “Glad I passed your little test then,” responded Julia dryly, still trying to get a sense of him.


    “Know though the council are equals, some will seek favour, even with actions unrequested and made that request I’ve passed along,” Jarith? stated, producing a slight shrug. “Know I have only two questions: How did you come to wear a Demon’s sigil? What knowledge do you possess of the Spawning Stone?“


    Guess he sees through the spell hiding it.


    “Balnérith forced the Sigil on me, an old Fallen. As for the Spawning Stone, only what I’ve learnt from your library and what I’ve told Duurth. It started acting oddly at least three years ago, fertilising eggs faster than it should. Since then, Slaadi have been attacking a Plane called Asgard for hosts. Certainly, the breeding pens from my reading were unusual, but I don’t know what they have planned or what entities are involved,” said Julia, noting his lack of surprise.


    “Know I will cast a spell of scrying to show you the Spawning Stone; it moves endlessly in Limbo’s flows of Chaos,” said Jarith?. A moment later, True Sight showed Julia a glimpse of the spell’s Chaos Mana before an image came between them. The magic hadn’t been a single spell form, rather two woven together, an illusion displaying the results of his scrying.


    The image presented a perfectly shaped orb larger than her torso, with motes moving around it and tendrils of energy emanating from it. Once Julia recognised the motes as fully grown Slaadi, the extent of its size was clear. When she increased her vision further, an object within a large energy conflux drew attention.


    “Are you able to re-focus on that energy convergence above the Spawning Stone?” Julia asked, gesturing towards the spot that had caught her interest.


    The focus shifted, and Julia observed the bloated slug-like shape with distaste. Floating in Limbo’s Chaos the Altar of Set looked as obscene as the first time Julia had seen it. Broken chains that Alfarr had severed still hung from the stone base, allowing little doubt it was the same one. Intense flows of Chaos rippled through it, and from the altar more flows looped back to the Spawning Stone.


    “Know your expression shows you know what that is,” declared Jarith?


    Julia didn’t hesitate but nodded before she fully explained.


    “It’s an altar of a dark power named Set that was fed the energy of a Celestial,” Julia replied, noting how the Slaadi appeared to be keeping their distance. “The altar at some point gained intelligence and power. How do you scry through Chaos?”


    Usd’ghi said it still existed in the Chaos between the outer and inner Planes. Does Limbo’s reach extend between all of them?


    Now I’m going to get to tell Yngvarr, Alfarr and Verdandi that for once it’s their mess, not mine.


    “Know that it requires spells specifically attuned to Chaos; enchanted objects will not hold together,” Jarith? explained as he let the spell end. “Did it appear as if the altar was strengthening the Chaos flows to you?”


    “It seemed so but Set has a strong association with Chaos and Destruction,” Julia explained, her concerned gaze meeting Jarith?’s own.


    “Know I thank you for your time,” said Jarith?, and nodded politely. As Julia stood, he spoke again, making her pause in mid-motion.


    “Know that her animosity is grief augmented, but I see the fault to be hers for letting such emotions mar her behaviour. Know that since we’ve spoken for so long, and I’ve not dismissed you from the Monastery, others will assume what they will assume. Will you allow them the folly of assumptions?”


    Grief? Darn it! Why couldn’t she just fit into the bitch stereotype?


    “We have to learn our own truths. I’ll keep both in mind if ?daka’s tries to provoke me further,” Julia responded, nodding politely before leaving him to his thoughts.


    I shouldn’t have to keep it in mind. I shouldn’t be one to judge on appearance, but I don’t enjoy looking at everyone with Soul Sight, it’s always revealing too many personal things. He’s not interested in politics and is content to use appearance to let others waste their energy chasing their own tails.


    Within her room, Julia sent a message to Yngvarr as she wondered what he’d make of what she’d learned.


    “The Altar of Set that had imprisoned Rana is in a conflux of energies near the Slaadi’s Spawning Stone. Loops of energy go between it and the altar.”


    It was only a few minutes of waiting before a message returned from Yngvarr. His tone was carried by the spell, echoing the concern Julia felt.


    “We should meet and discuss. It will take us a few days to get support to cover our area. Meet us outside Xaos, where the Spire road hits the first foothills.”


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The tone of Yngvarr’s words still didn’t stop Julia from having a request of her own, one that contained a grumble.


    “You better bring Torm along. I’ve been dying to hear his good news.”


    * * *


    Even focused on the strike plate, Julia noticed ?daka’s approach. The will that maintained the training yard was continually reforming it and Julia was racing against the effect. When Julia made a hole, she stepped away to regard ?daka.


    “Know they instructed me to give apologies for my misconduct,” ?daka begrudgingly offered. Her posture was as stiff as her words, and Julia noted her rigidity and the angrily clenched hands.


    “I’m not interested in an apology they ordered you to give,” returned Julia before softening her tone. “Though I’m sorry for your loss, with how you behaved to other students and myself, I’m not sorry for punching you.”


    Julia observed as the muscles in ?daka’s jaw flexed in suppressed rage.


    “If you will not receive my apology, what is it I must do?” asked ?daka.


    “Forced apologies are pointless,” said Julia. As ?daka’s fists tightened in frustration, Julia continued. “Perhaps try to see your behaviour towards others from our perspective. Then consider: would you accept someone acting that way towards you?”


    ?daka fidgeted as she fought to keep an outburst contained, and only after she calmed slightly did she speak again.


    “What did your left-handed statement mean?”


    Julia turned away to strike with her right fist and obliterated her restored target. As the steel’s ash showered down, she turned back to ?daka.


    “Statements and actions can have many meanings. I’d suggest you add that to the list to think about.”


    “Why won’t you just tell me?” ?daka growled. From her expression it was clear to Julia that the harshness was born of frustration, not anger.


    “What is the point of giving you an answer you are unlikely to accept?” Julia retorted, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. “Often people don’t value free things. It''s only if they’ve earned them that they possess significant meaning. Isn’t that why the Masters here let students find their own truths?”


    Julia moved to another strike plate and resumed her practice, wrapping telekinetic force around attacks.


    “Would you allow me to assist your practice?” ?daka offered, and a glance showed her posture relaxing.


    “Genuine help is always welcome,” Julia remarked before continuing her attacks.


    ?daka initial mutter was too low for Julia to catch, but she spoke clearly as she moved towards a different strike plate.


    “Know that I dislike Elves.”


    “Then you should know I’m not an Elf. Are you able to be nice?” replied Julia. “Something else to consider.”


    * * *


    It had been a crush to understand ways to apply each of the Psi skills in the three days she’d waited. It was a mentally exhausted Julia who relaxed, hidden by the grass, waiting for the others. Various sounds from the woods nearby made for a relaxing vibe to enjoy the Outlands’ eternal spring sunlight. Enjoying the energy, she watched the clouds that bordered Judgment, and idle thoughts flipped her hair colour between its electric-blue and assumed autumn hues while her spell monitored the road. When they arrived Yngvarr, Alfarr, Torm, and Rana’s appearance showed their battle-weary state, and as she strode down the hill towards them, they paused for her to approach.


    Of the four, only Rana had visible weapons: a sheathed sword and daggers worn over a shifting hued set of chainmail. Hair that Julia had only ever seen him wear long was short now and barely touched his shoulders. His tranquil calmness was now a battle-hardened certainty, with a hunter’s focus. In the motions Julia had scried, his dancer’s grace had become the poise of a predator and he’d prowled along with unceasing energy. The others wore clothes in a similar cut to Master Farhad’s in shades of earthen hues, though Torm’s still showed symbols of Tyr upon them. Noting Alfarr startle at her approach, Julia deliberately slowed her pace, and he visibly relaxed.


    “You move pretty fast. You weren’t trying to scare us, were you?” Alfarr called out, pretending to clutch at his chest. The years looked like they’d only lightly touched him for all his present weariness.


    So much for not playing a prank; either that or he’s griefing me.


    “Pretty sure she gave us all a scare after keeping us so long,” remarked Yngvarr, giving Alfarr an amused glance.


    He encourages him to act up; I’m positive. Maybe it’s Yngvarr who infected Alfarr with that sense of humour of his.


    Julia made little grumbling noises at Yngvarr’s teasing tone, but the smile that lit her face let them know she’d taken it in good fun.


    “I’m sorry,” Julia said, once she got to a normal conversation range.


    “You have nothing to be sorry about. None of us were in your position,” Torm said, smiling as she got close. “We all worried about you.”


    “Though that scare when you broke all the Allegiance Bonds, Eivor almost had a kitten,” chided Alfarr. “Must have scattered her wits because she ended up marrying Moke.”


    “WHAT!” Julia screeched, even as her jaw dropped, birds hundreds of metres away scattered in fright.


    “Eivor has a second child with Moke now, a daughter they named Julia,” Torm remarked casually, and Julia clasped her hands to her mouth as she went misty-eyed.


    “A little girl,” Julia breathed before her eyes went firm. “What exactly went on between those two?”


    “Well, when a man puts his-,” offered Alfarr and stopped as Torm gave him a stern look.


    “Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere off the road,” suggested Torm, gesturing towards an approaching traveller.


    “Would you like to see the Domain I set up in the Outlands?” asked Julia hesitantly and gave Alfarr a glare when he rolled his eyes at her.


    “Indeed, Lady Eakc?,” Rana replied, cutting off Alfarr’s retort. “Amrúngwen told me how it felt to her; it would be an honour.”


    “Others have said interesting things about it, and the Portal you opened to take your Petitioners there,” Torm commented. Smiling at his amused tone, Julia moved close and teleported them to the valley’s ridgeline with an unneeded gesture.


    The wilderness that she’d admired was still present, though scattered buildings now occupied some of the previously wild fields. Homestead buildings that appeared already partly in use. Julia saw groups of Petitioners helping Vargr Drangijaz and Dwarven crafters working on establishing more.


    “Hope they set the ceilings high enough,” murmured Alfarr as he peered to make it out.


    “From this distance, it’s like its turning into a ásgarer village,” Yngvarr observed, reminding Julia that not everyone had her eyesight.


    “I wanted you to look at the entire valley first. Isn’t it beautiful?” asked Julia offhandedly, not admitting to the mistake.


    “She said that with a straight face, I can’t tell if she was lying or not,” huffed Alfarr.


    “What prompted you to select it?” enquired Torm, still watching Julia as she stared out across the valley.


    “It reminded me of a place my family used to go. The plants are different, but the valley’s shape, and general feel, with all the trees spotted with clearings, are similar. I arrived somewhere kilometres back there, and I started running; I felt like I could run forever, enjoying the sun. Then when I crested the valley ridgeline here, it just stopped me in my tracks,” explained Julia, waving back along the line her travels had brought her.


    “Thank you for sharing the first view you had of it with us then,” said Torm, giving her a pleased smile.


    “It’s an honour, Lady Eakc?,” Rana stated, a moment later with his free hand against his chest, as he bowed his head.


    “Stop that Rana, if you keep tacking on Lady I’ll be cross. I’m Eakc?, but I still feel so much like the Julia I started, even if I’m so very different now,” stated Julia. Blinking tears away as memories of her family rose in her mind, and Torm’s fingertip brushed her cheek to capture a rogue tear. His hand brushing her skin was a surprise, but Julia smiled at the intimate guesture.


    “You have tears again?” Torm asked, his voice softening in surprise as Julia blushed. “And can blush too?”


    “Blushing, that I could do without. But the tears, I know!” exclaimed Julia, the smile banishing them. “I cried and cried when I first realised I could again. I’m sure I scared things around me, wondering what or who was bawling.”


    “Well, at least you blush, not like Sarah apparently, right Torm?” Alfarr remarked, as Torm moved slightly and stood on his foot. “Are you planning to take us to your Domain, or do we stay here and talk?”


    The question came out over the grunt he suppressed as Torm’s weight bore down.


    “Sarah, what happened with Sarah?!” Julia asked excitedly and spun to grab Torm’s hand. “Stop tormenting Alfarr - even if he deserves it - and tell me what happened.”


    Torm shifted uncomfortably for a moment, and Alfarr took advantage of his change in balance to get free and move out of arm’s reach. Perching himself on a rock, he seemed to take delight in watching the uncomfortable expression on Torm’s face.


    “Go on, tell her about the screaming woman in distress you ran to rescue,” demands Alfarr. The excited amusement in his tone made Julia’s eyes narrow in suspicion.


    “What is going on?” questioned Julia, her tone and expression firmly demanding.


    “Thanks, Alfarr,” Torm remarked drolly.


    “Think nothing of it,“ exclaimed Alfarr, “Now I loved the story but tell it whole not the dribs and drabs we had to drag out of you.”


    “Why don’t we go down to your Domain?” Rana suggested diplomatically, gesturing onwards.


    “I really would like to hear what happened sooner rather than later,” countered Julia, motioning for Torm to continue.


    “Finding the camp was difficult because of the wards they had around it to distract unwanted guests. When I got there, a situation surprised me. Once resolved, things settled down; unfortunately, due in part to the ward’s effects once I entered them, I had to stay, or ruin their endeavour,” Torm stated concisely. As Julia’s gaze tightened in suspicion, Torm continued. “You mentioned Sarah was quite unusual in her tastes. I didn’t expect quite that... unique.”


    “What did you walk in on? Did she have a fake tail up someone’s butt?” asked Julia, her questioning tone so offhand that Rana and Yngvarr looked at her in shock.


    “WHAT!” Alfarr exploded, his eyes going wide with interest. “Exactly what did you expect to send poor Torm into? That sounds like an even better tale than Torm’s story.”


    Julia wanted to groan at his choice of words but motioned him to be quiet instead.


    “Anyway, the wards baffled all sight and sound with illusions, but once I determined they didn’t have intent to trap or harm, I entered. I found the expedition had cut its living area into a hillside that had seemed intact outside the boundary. I also heard a woman screaming, I thought she sounded distressed. Instead, I found Sidero, naked except for a few chains straddling a man. When he went to sit up, she told him that if he lifted his hands from the stakes, their bargaining for the week was done.” Torm report was factual, and his expression was calm, leaving Julia clueless about his actual feelings.


    Yeah, okay, so he was already erect.


    “Dominance play, and?” Julia questioned, motioning for him to get on with it.


    “Wait, I thought you were all virginal and innocent,” interrupted Alfarr.


    Julia just looked at Alfarr flatly, her expression evincing her disbelief at his ignorance before she even spoke.


    “Doesn’t mean I’m ignorant about what options there are. Sarah made a living as a dominatrix, but that’s not mine to judge. Some of her clients were actually rather nice. One insisted on getting me a gift for disrupting a lunch date we were out on. Sarah made him buy me some far too expensive perfume; which made him even giddier, but what did you mean by stakes?”


    “She had stakes in the floor at the end of the bedding. The rules were if he lifted his hands before she was done, their deal for the week was over,” Torm stated blandly.


    Julia snorted before she exclaimed in surprise. “Deal?”


    “They’d come prepared with enchanted objects and Blessings to protect against extreme cold, but where the rift opened, only Sarah and Inger could endure it. The others could only handle the creatures that came through the rift, and Sarah was a stronger combatant than Inger, so Gaius traded orgasms for her gathering and baiting efforts. She required additional fees each week when the kills were coming in too slow for work to progress,” explained Torm, as Julia listened wide-eyed.


    “Extorting orgasms, that sounds harsh; still, a girl needs to go. How many orgasms was she wanting?” query Julia, her interest clearly not academic curiosity.


    “I didn’t ask the exchange rate,” Torm grumbled dryly before huffing in frustration.


    “Did that led to the heated words?” persisted Julia, remembering Amrúngwen’s comment.


    “No, she’s far too perceptive, and after speaking to me about you and your letter. Sidero made some off-colour remarks and asked questions I didn’t appreciate.”


    “I told you she was a smart cookie. What was her situation?”


    “None of the expedition knew her previous state. After she read your letter, she destroyed it,” Torm stated before he hastened on at Julia’s glum expression. “I have something for you, though.”


    “Hold up, I sent you descriptions of the marker stone,” Julia said, turning to look at Yngvarr, seeking an explanation. “Why did you need me to teleport you here? Why meet at Xaos?”


    “That was Amrúngwen’s suggestion,” Rana replied, and Julia gaze turned his way. “She said your presence had grown significantly stronger, and if we ever met up, we should do so - initially - away from your Domain.”


    “Did she think I’d put you in danger?” asked Julia in confusion, looking at them questioningly.


    “No!” Torm exclaimed hastily at the query. “Entering a Power’s Domain heightens their presence, so if it wasn’t under control as you believed, it could have been an issue. It was a precaution that we hoped was unneeded but seemed sensible to have.”


    “That and if we had to run. It’d be best if we weren’t running in the boundary of your home,” Alfarr tossed out his two cents and earned another glare from Torm.


    Yeah, he’s so not helping.


    “I’m pleased I passed the initial ‘she doesn’t fry our brains’ test,” Julia dryly remarked before gesturing towards the Domain. “Should we keep admiring the beauty from up here?”


    “As you wish,” Torm said, motioning towards the valley. “It is a beautiful view; no wonder it stopped you.”


    Julia almost froze at the words but replied quietly.


    “It was breathtaking after so long spent in the Abyss. So, what were they making?”


    What information did Sarah share with him?


    “A sword called the Winter’s Heart,” answer Torm quietly, his lips curving in a smile.


    Oh, she so did, she’s going to get it.


    “What’s the big deal about a sword?” muttered Julia, holding herself steady under Torm’s gaze.


    “It’s an Artifact, Mithras ordained its construction. Six other Deities lent High Priests to assist the efforts, including Skaei,” Torm answered, a sheathed sword appearing in his hand.


    The blade’s hilt was a wolf-head with frosted diamonds for eyes and glowed with more Mana than Julia had seen any object contain. Interwoven within she could sense Order, Metal, and Ice; compressed cables of power ran beyond her perceptions.


    “If it’s such a big deal, then how the heck do you have it?” Julia blurted out, going wide-eyed at the energy of the blade.


    “That isn’t something I wish to talk about at present, and in the end, Sidero’s decision determined it,” Torm replied flatly as the blade disappeared.


    What the fuck happened?


    “Also, not what we’re here to discuss,” Yngvarr interrupted, drawing Julia’s attention. “Tell us about what you saw. We’ve plans to make regarding our first steps if nothing else.”


    “There are thousands of Slaadi near the stone; it will not be a simple matter dealing with them to get at the altar. Are there others helping?” Julia asked, looking between the four of them, not liking the unhopeful looks she received.


    “No,” Torm stated, his tone firm and his expression unimpressed. “I had to appeal to be allowed; it’s only because my role was Verdandi’s bodyguard at the time of the incident that I’m permitted involvement.”


    Rana glanced at Torm before turning to Julia.


    “The Lady’s court is sending Celestials to assist in keeping the boundaries of Asgard secure against the Slaadi. I’m only allowed to take part because it assaulted me.”


    “I’m getting the feeling that there is a vibe of Mortal’s decisions made this mess; they should clean it up,” Julia stated, looking between the two uncomfortable Celestials. “Care to explain what is going on?”


    “The Slaadi are worshipping the developing Power the entity has become. This makes Celestial involvement in any direct attack complicated,” Torm growled in frustration.


    Well, fuck!


    “How does something go from being a carved rock to a Power?” asked Julia, confused.


    “Rituals of dedication, it fed on Rana, then you, went swimming in Chaos, and now Set seems to have invested it with power,” Yngvarr explained. His expression making it clear he wasn’t happy with the explanation either.