Selram wasn’t a large city, even by Ketho standards. As he trudged uphill, Therelin spotted its assorted huts appearing beneath towering bamboo trees. The largest building in town was the storehouse, where Selram’s mine and lumberyard collected their resources before export. The second largest building was the Magister’s Chamber—a meeting building of sorts, designed exclusively for the gathering of the Isle’s inhabitants.
After his time in Saanazar and Noress-That-Was, Therelin found Selram particularly small. He took advantage of that village mindset by making pleasant conversations with a berry forager on the edge of town. “Good day, friend,” Therelin called amiably.
“Welcome to Selram, traveller,” the forager replied. He was a heavyset man with a sweaty beard and balding forehead. He smiled and stood up straight to speak with the newcomer. “From Keth, I assume?”
Therelin wondered if it was only because of his leather sack and modern-styled tattoos that gave away his previous location, or if his very air had changed from his time abroad. “That’s correct,” he said. “I’m here to speak with one of the councillors. But, I’ve been in the forest for a while. Can you tell me the day?” He had realized a few hours after speaking to Olanin that he had forgotten to ask the date—an important first step after any Journey.
“Tomorrow is the last day of the year, my friend,” the forager exclaimed, jovially.
Last day of the year… Therelin repeated internally. There was simply no way that he had arrived in Keth in under a month. It was a two-month Journey at best! He hesitated, though his face likely gave away his confusion. What’s the most normal way to ask this? “What will 1481 bring in?” he wondered out loud. He was worried at the probability that his teleport had reappeared him nearly a year after leaving Noress, though he had phrased his question the opposite.
“Nothing good, I hear,” the forager said. He had not corrected Therelin on the date. 1481 was 2 days away—and Therelin had arrived in Keth City only 25 days after leaving Noress.
Therelin rubbed his forehead, though he thanked the man and walked ahead, toward the Magister’s Chamber. There was only one way to appear somewhere that quickly. If a magician would have died had they not Journeyed, the spell would find a random point in time to reintroduce the disappeared magician. Usually, that point in time was after the expected point of arrival—dates from half a year to two decades later had been recorded. Rarely, that point in time was before the expected arrival, which seemed to be the case this time. If he had tried sailing to Keth along the route he had planned, Therelin would have died.
This was a jarring realization. Therelin could have gone straight to the Magister’s Chamber, but he paused in front of the town bakery to process this. Thank the spirits he had decided against sailing with Captain Marzey. The Grey Sea was growing deadlier by the day.
After a pause, Therelin continued toward the town hall. He hesitated as he saw a few councillors leaving it. He waited a moment longer and spotted Master Myandin, walking with Magister Gollock. When Myandin spotted Therelin, he stopped walking and stared. Gollock realized something was amiss and turned back to look at Myandin, then glanced at Therelin. Therelin bowed his head, from a distance, and folded his hands around his staff.
Myandin said something to Magister Gollock, and the governor of Keth set out for their quarters alone. Myandin stepped slowly toward his old apprentice. “Therelin,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t expect to see you today. Or tomorrow.”
“Do you have a minute?” Therelin asked. He couldn’t maintain mock pleasantries when he was so anxious to know why Myandin had deceived him for so long.
Myandin frowned. His face was heavily weathered from a youth spent on the open ocean, and his forehead creased whenever he grew concerned. “Whatever you need. Let’s step back inside—it should be empty now.”
Therelin waved his hand ahead, so Master Myandin would lead him into the Magister’s Chamber again. A servant was clearing the enormous table that was the centerpiece of the single-roomed structure. A moment later, he was gone, and Master Myandin, leaning against the table, regarded Therelin with worry. “What do you need, Therelin?”
“I am here for answers,” Therelin said, beginning to release his pent-up aggression. “I have twice nearly lost my life in search of these answers only to be told that I should have been given them already, by you. What is the Conclave, what do you know about Master Nolicrin’s involvement, and what is the state of magician involvement in this war on the Grey Sea?”
Myandin’s eyes raised higher with each question. By the time Therelin’s rant was over, the Master Mage was pacing in front of the smooth wooden table. “To the best of my knowledge, these other magicians you are talking about have no involvement in the tragedies of the Great Isle. According to my contacts in Bellasa, it is true that a magician commands an alliance of all manner of filth, but he is not aligned with anyone else,” Myandin explained. He took a deep breath and then turned to face Therelin intently. He held out his hands for emphasis. “He is an old, old power, and the world is right to fear what is happening. We met this week to discuss it and the increase of raids from Korhos. It seems that even those tribes are spooked by recent events.”
Therelin was silent as he absorbed this information. Myandin had barely answered his questions, so he stared at his master expectantly.
Myandin tried avoiding the withering gaze for a moment, but then took a deep breath and began to answer. “I don’t know Master Nolicrin personally, having only met him once or twice. I do know that he remains neutral towards the… group you mentioned, but he offers his expertise with magic and diplomacy to many, on a consulting basis.” Myandin paused. He looked at Therelin with furrowed eyebrows. “But, Therelin, these things you ask about… it’s all schemers, manipulators. It is better to leave them well alone.”
Therelin stepped forward angrily. “You still have not provided any information about the Conclave, even though it seems you are familiar,” he growled. He felt betrayed—how dare Master Myandin decide what was right for Therelin. “Remaining ignorant to their goings-on is naive. This is a group with a lot of power and with unclear motives. I should know everything I can about them in order to ensure I don’t end up getting manipulated myself. Do you not see that I seek answers not so that I may get involved with this group, but so I may preserve my own values and intentions as a magician? This is of the utmost importance and cannot be left alone! I refuse to have my power and skills used as a tool in someone else’s potentially evil—and dangerous—schemes. I need to know!”
“That’s not how this works,” Myandin said emphatically. He held his hands vertically in front of them to explain, “Learning of them is becoming involved with them. Therelin, I am sorry to have kept things from you, but most of my apprentices never leave Keth. My intent was never to put you in danger, but… no good can come of this quest you have given yourself. I only wish the best for you, so please—let this rest. Distance yourself from those who seem involved in it, as I have.”
Not good enough, Therelin thought. He clenched his staff with white-knuckles. “Even so, how can I possibly distance myself without knowing who is and who is not involved? How can I ever trust another magician again if I choose to not know anything about it?”
Myandin scratched his chin and then held his hand over his mouth thoughtfully. After a minute, he spoke again. “I can see you won’t be swayed on this—so, I ask you to have some patience and some trust in me. After these meetings are done, I will take you to get answers.”
Therelin finally let out his pent-up breath. “Thank you!” he exclaimed with relief. “I am sorry to have come at you so forcefully, but this has been quite a trying issue for me.”
His old friend nodded. “I can see that,” he said. He crossed Therelin on his way to the door, but then paused. “I think you won’t like what you will find, but I will do my best to guide you. Will you wait here in Selram or return to Keth until I am finished here?”
“I’ll wait. If there are no rooms available, I can camp nearby. I’ve always been comfortable out of doors—wait, of course, you already know that,” Therelin rambled. His relief had made his tongue loose. He smiled and bowed to Master Myandin as the magician left the hall. He was so close to learning what he was doing in the magic world—or rather, he was close to being able to decide what he would do, without others deciding it for him.