Blake rolled over when she heard the curtains rattling and rubbed her eyes, sitting up. Soft light streamed in between the curtains. Melea stood on her perch, holding the curtains open. “Something you need help with?” Blake yawned, her ears going down for a moment then came back up. She got out of bed and got dressed, then sat by her altar to the gods which looked out on the vast property her family owned. She wasn’t entirely certain which god to invoke today. She’d skipped the Weave Offering and the Echo Reflection yesterday because of work which was…unusual for her, but she was so swamped with work that she really couldn’t stop and even eat lunch or dinner. By this point, she was pretty much starving but she hadn’t had much choice; many younger members of the Legion had wanted her to get rid of their memories that had been causing them severe nightmares for a while.
She picked up a large, oval moonstone and took it in her hands, offering a prayer to Selyra the Moonweaver. Right now, it felt like fate and dreams were what she needed help to navigate. She should probably have invoked the Somnarchs, the rulers of the Somnium Veil, for help during sleep, but she hadn’t thought about it. The members of the Emberfang Legion would definitely have to invoke the Somnarchs if they wanted to be free of the nightmares. It wasn’t really her place to deal with the Somnium Veil unless she needed help for her own dreams. People like the Schnees were known for dealing with the different layers of the Weave and the additional dimensions that Liminal Mages could visit and find.
She sat there for a good ten minutes, praying to Selyra for her fate and that of those in the Emberfang Legion to be better. The Void Worshipers were awful people who wanted nothing than to destroy the Weave and undo it, returning everything to the state of the Void. She didn’t understand how people wanted to destroy reality itself. Without the Arcanum Lords and the Weave, there would simply be nothingness. The Void was raw nothingness… She really didn’t understand how people could worship essentially nothing and want to return to a state of unbeing. It made no real sense to her.
She let the worries of the Void Worshipers fall away and she focused on the large moonstone in her hands before putting it back down on the altar. It held a token dedicated to each Arcanum Lord which helped in the Invocation of Dawn. It focused her intent and magical energies for the day and would help her ensure that she stayed connected to her desired Arcanum Lord. Most people of the Bound had wooden implements, but considering her family were Guildmasters, they could easily afford more luxury items. Not as intense as something as what Great Houses could afford, but she was grateful to have stuff like the moonstone in order to focus on Selyra when she needed fate to be guided.
“All right, Melea, let’s go.” She held her arm out to the Murmurean and she fluttered onto Blake’s arm. Rither sat on her knob as usual, his wings glowing a faint silver. She held her opposite hand out to him and he fluttered onto it. She smiled a bit and placed him on her shoulder. It was always nice to wake up to her familiars and handling them. She just really enjoyed spending time with them even if they were largely silent companions. Melea rarely spoke and Rither was entirely silent, though both of them could be quite sassy when they got in the right moods. They could convey quite a bit through their body language and not much else.
She headed down to the breakfast nook where her parents sat with Weiss. Weiss’ moth, Velmora, sat on the back of her chair. Weiss chatted with Kali and Ghira, making Blake smile a bit. Her parents were incredibly warm and giving people that would help anybody out if they possibly could. No, they definitely didn’t mind Weiss staying with them while she was here. It wasn’t like one room was a big sacrifice when their manor home was huge. The family could sometimes be ten, twenty, even thirty members large, depending on if the kids stayed local or fanned out across Nytheris. Countless generations of Belladonnas had been raised in the home over the centuries and a millennium or more. It was a lovely place to be raised especially with all the land that they had.
Kali’s ears twitched and she looked over, then smiled at Blake. “Good morning, honey.”
“Good morning, Mother.” Blake smiled and sat down on the same side of the table as her parents.
“Why didn’t you tell me you brought company over? I would’ve made her more comfortable!” Kali wasn’t yelling, just being slightly emphatic.
“It was late. We both wanted to get to bed as soon as possible. It’d been a long day for me and her.” Blake glanced at Weiss who nodded.
“Yeah, and it was last moment. I really did just want to get to bed…” Weiss smiled sheepishly. “The Emberfang Legion’s records are not in good shape.”
Kali nodded sympathetically. “It’s been a long time since they’ve had a proper recordkeeper. You definitely have quite the task ahead of you. I don’t envy you at all.”
Weiss sighed. “But if anybody can do it, it’s me. I know all the tricks for keeping and maintaining systems…though I’m not sure if this will be a permanent placement or not.” She sighed and Blake felt a stab of sympathy for Weiss. Yeah, it couldn’t be easy. Uprooting one’s life definitely wasn’t the easiest thing and she so rarely ever saw her siblings any longer. They had all gone out on their own to different places to be Echo Keepers. She missed them dearly, but it was their choice to leave. She just missed them awfully.
Kali nodded. “That is tough… I can only imagine how close your family must be.”
Weiss nodded. “My family is pretty close, though my sister went off to the whisperthorn forest in order to map it… I’ve heard it’s remained unmapped for a long time.”
“Oh my. I’ve heard it’s quite dangerous.”
“I unfortunately haven’t heard anything back from her in the couple of months she’s been gone…and now that I’m here, it’ll be harder to get news to and from each other.” Weiss sighed and shook her head. “It’s no problem I brought my Volkhund, is it?”
Kali shook her head. “Not at all. We all have one.”
Weiss smiled. “All right then. I hope it won’t cause issues for your Dreadmaw Hounds.”
“The only issue will be is if there’s somebody we didn’t let in of our own will. I’m the master of the Dreadmaw Hounds, but Blake’s also taken them on recently.” Kali paused. “By the way, Blake, we took on a new stablehand yesterday while you were at work. He’s a former Solaris Knight.”
Blake blinked. “A former Solaris Knight as a stablehand? That’s insane. Why would the Knights turn somebody like that out? I know the Obsidian Oath treats everyone like they’re equally worthless, but the Solaris Knights are better than that…” Why would the Knights turn out one of their own? It didn’t make any sense to her. She felt awful for the poor guy… He had no doubt been searching for a place to be for a while… Hopefully things would be better and he could settle down here. Eldoria was one of the larger cities in Nytheris and could definitely support people coming and going from it… He would have opportunities here if he could stand up to the work.
Kali nodded, her ears drooping a bit. “I know… It’s sad. He had an injury that still allows him to work with horses, but he couldn’t keep up with the workload of the Knights. He said he couldn’t even work with the Emberfang Legion as a healer due to not being able to keep up for some reason related to his injury. It’s sad especially because his Aurivex Phoenix hasn’t abandoned him.”
“So he’s still kept the Solaris Code then, huh?” That…was intensely noble of him. He didn’t have to live by the code any longer but he continued to keep it. Then again, she was pretty certain that losing his Aurivex Phoenix would be pretty devastating. She didn’t know what she’d do if she lost Melea. Then again, the Aurivex Phoenix worked differently than a normal familiar like an aetherwing moth or even a Murmurean. They stayed attached to their knight or squire as long as their morals remained pure and clean. If they abandoned the Solaris Code, then that meant they would lose their phoenix. A Murmurean wouldn’t leave their Echo Keeper unless there was a very good reason for it, and it didn’t rely on morals.
Kali nodded. “So it seems… He seemed pretty down, so honestly, it might be good for one or both of you to befriend him.” She looked at Blake, then at Weiss. “Especially since he’ll probably be the one handling your horse, Weiss. We do have another stablehand, but she’s not used to handling certain types of horses… What breed do you have again, Weiss?”
“A Solthari Skyborn.”
Blake blinked. “I thought those were just a myth.” She had heard of the breed, of course, but she hadn’t known they were actually real. They were the thing of legend and seen so rarely that most people who told tales of them were just thought to be lying. It was crazy to think that there was one just sitting in their barn now. “How did you get one?” They lived in the Aetherreach Highlands, a desolate region where only a few odd tribes existed. Few people dared to tread there because of the sheer danger that existed there. They were incredibly cold and that cold could kill. It wasn’t a normal winter chill; it was the fingers of ice itself. There, the Arcane Currents swirled stronger than in many places in Nytheris and it could lead to such a surge in arcane energy for magic users that they were told to never go there unless they had a death wish.
“I went to the Aetherreach Highlands some years ago on my own… I’m no Limial Mage, but I heard that reading the stars there would result in a clear, unbridled view of one’s destiny. This was well before I stopped really engaging with my Astral Weaving. I was maybe fourteen and embarked on a long journey to the Aetherreach Highlands. It was definitely as dangerous as people say they are. The Arcane Currents are so strong there they can definitely kill if you aren’t sensitive enough to read them in the correct ways. I did see my destiny unfold before me in that cold, clear sky… But it hasn’t all been accurate. Things have changed. The stars don’t always foretell someone’s destiny.” There was something in Weiss’ eyes that told that she wasn’t giving the whole truth, but who was Blake to say anything?
“So you bonded with a Solthari Skyborn then?” Blake asked.
Weiss nodded. “I did. Orchid saw me as worthy of his company for the rest of our lives. He won’t die until I die. Some of the tribes there recognised my worthiness and inducted me into their order. I haven’t been back since, but I remain an honorary member.”
“Wow. All I’ve heard is that those tribes are wild and untamed and refuse to listen to the government and that it causes problems sometimes. They don’t fit into the Magisterium at all. But because so few people go to the Aetherreach Highlands, the government just ignores them.”
Weiss shook her head. “They’re not primitives; they just have their own ways of living. That’s all it is. They see no reason to bow to the Polendina family or integrate into the Magisterium when their own ways of life work for them and have for millennia. Why change what isn’t broken?”
“I guess that does make sense. I don’t know if I’d be able to survive there or not.” The Aetherreach Highlands were such a dangerous place. Blake was far more sensitive to the Arcane Currents than most people, but even she wouldn’t dare dream about going to the Aetherreach Highlands. The Arcane Currents there were just so strong they could kill. A Liminal Mage would probably be the best at being able to navigate because they could and would easily be able to escape at a moment’s notice. As far as she was aware, few to no Echo Keepers had ever been to the Highlands and their history was largely unknown. It did intrigue her, of course, but it was better to stay where she was. Plus, the Emberfang Legion needed her. Kali had passed on the responsibility to her and she couldn’t just up and leave to go to somewhere like the Aetherreach Highlands where the Arcane Currents could very well kill her.
“It’s not easy, that’s for sure. I think the only reason I survived is because I was still trained as a Liminal Mage. I can technically do Liminal Mage work in addition to my Astral Weaving, but I just decided magic wasn’t worth it. Admin work suits me just fine.” She shook her head. “My siblings and parents can deal with the additional layers of the Weave and the save dimensions. There are enough Liminal Mages and Astral Weavers; one person stepping down from them isn’t going to result in the Weave collapsing or fate from being nudged in certain ways.”
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Blake nodded. “I guess that’s fair.” Well, not everyone needed to be a mage even if they were born with the spark for magic. Though she knew plenty of Unwoven wouldn’t see it that way… They were massive embarrassments to their families. Those born into mage families without the spark for magic were seen as a black mark on the family and sent to places like the Obsidian Oath which would basically work the people until they died—one way or another. She’d heard of the place called No Man’s Hearth in Kaelith called Cold Man’s Hearth because of the high rate of suicide there… The Obsidian Oath was a place she was glad to not have ended up… Even if she had been Unwoven, her parents would’ve invested the time and resources into teaching her magic even if it would’ve been hard. “You know you could’ve just read the stars for money…”
Weiss shrugged. “I could’ve, but the stars are too unpredictable for my liking. Despite the reputation of the Highlands, it’s not like what I read there was completely flawless. We still have free will even if the Arcanum Lords often influence our destinies in ways we don’t realise. Things can still change. And I don’t like the feeling of influencing destiny in ways that it wasn’t meant to go… I know most Astral Weavers do have a moral code they follow, but plenty are willing to take whatever money they can get and are willing to try to influence fate in awful ways.”
Blake nodded. “I guess that makes sense… Still, it’s bold to not really engage with your magic.”
“It’s just what I want. It’s my life so I can do with it what I want to.” Weiss shrugged again. “I know I have more privilege than most people but I just don’t want to deal with the stars anymore. I just want to have a predictable life and the stars were far too unpredictable.” She sighed. “I wish I could do something like Echo Keeping… The past is set and rigid and not able to be manipulated like the present and future.”
“Why didn’t you go into Liminal Mage work then?” Blake tilted her head a bit, ears twitching slightly. If Weiss wanted predictability, then Liminal Mage work would be something that would be more amenable to that. Granted, things would likely change day to day. “Echo Keeper work isn’t something that’s always strictly predictable work either, at least depending on what you do. For me, it’s definitely not fully predictable. I don’t know what memories people are holding onto and want taken away. Yes, the past is set and generally can’t be changed, but that doesn’t mean that the job itself is predictable. You never know what echoes you’re going to run into.”
“I guess that’s fair… I’m just so sick of dealing with the future. I tried my best to get a good grasp on it, but I just couldn’t. It was one of the most frustrating things for me to deal with. I was good at what I did but it was just too unpredictable. What else can an Echo Keeper do?”
Blake tapped her chin. “Well, there are those giant, decrepit cities that dot the landscape which nature has taken over again. I wonder what dealing with those would be like…”
“I’m not sure. I’ve always worked with the Emberfang Legion. I do know Echo Keepers that work with them, though. They often find lost technologies then use echoes from those cities to figure out how to make them applicable to our lives with our technology level. It’s like illuminators and coaches; I’ve seen some of those echoes and there are technologies beyond our comprehension that made things on a scale we can’t really replicate since everything here has to be handmade. It’s impressive to see for certain.” She paused. “But I have heard a lot of Echo Keepers go missing and possibly become Void Worshipers due to what they see.”
Weiss’ eyes widened. “But Void Worship is banned! Why would anybody want to be a Void Worshiper?!”
Blake shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine is. I have no idea either. You might think that Echo Keeping isn’t dangerous, but it definitely can be. You can get too lost in the past and become disillusioned with current society, seeking to make things as they used to be. The world is a strange place and uncovering the past can be fraught with its own dangers. You do not want to be caught in the wrong part of history in order to get caught up in how it used to be. It’s why I deal with people; solitary Echo Keepers can become lost in the past and really only want to deal with it. They can lose their humanity.”
Weiss grimaced. “I didn’t realise Echo Keeping came with such high risks…”
“It’s really only a minority of people that happens to, but it is a very real risk. Seeing the glory of the past can disillusion people with the present. Thankfully, my siblings fully understand that and work in fields similar to what I do. They stick with people rather than just pure echoes.” She really was glad that her mother had been clear on what the risks of Echo Keeping were when she’d been young. Always stick close to people, don’t become too wrapped up in the past. It really was a real danger to lose oneself in Echo Keeping. She wasn’t sure if things had been any better in the distant past, really… She was certain there were things that the distant past did far worse than the current era.
It was then that a young, blond man with short, shaggy hair came into the kitchen. Blake blinked. “Who are you?” She’d never seen him on the property before. No, she didn’t know every servant they had as that would just be very difficult to keep track of, but she knew she’d never seen him before.
“Oh, uh, Jaune. Good morning, Mrs. Belladonna.” He looked at Kali and offered a small bow of his head.
“Good morning, Jaune. You don’t need to be so formal. Here for breakfast?” Kali smiled at him.
He nodded. “I’ll get it and take it back to my room so I don’t impose—”
“Oh, nonsense! Feel free to join us.” Kali’s smile remained on her face. He hesitated, but settled down in one of the chairs.
He fiddled with his shirt beneath the table and kept his gaze down. “So are you the former Solaris Knight my mother told me about?” Blake asked. No, she didn’t know each servant’s individual name, but she could usually at least recognise them as someone that had been on the property for a long time. He was definitely new and she was certain about it. He didn’t really seem to want to talk to them, but she hoped he would feel comfortable here in due time. All of the servants at Belladonna manner were fairly compensated for their work and were given raises over time… She didn’t see any reason to not treat him fairly even if he was a servant.
Jaune nodded, keeping his gaze down. “Y-Yeah…” His voice was quiet and Blake frowned. He seemed really insecure which…was kind of understandable. Going from Solaris Knight to servant wasn’t easy. Blake had no idea what she’d do if she lost her magic and was forced into the position of Bound. The Solaris Knights were the most revered order in all of Nytheris due to their close connection with Vaelis the Radiant Dawn and their training. The Emberfang Legion was a mix of Bound folks as well as nobles without any land to inherit, but it was better than the Obsidian Oath who were Unwoven and cast aside by their families and society on the whole.
“I…did have a question. I woke up early this morning and there was an unusual horse there. He’s a stallion which…I don’t have a lot of experience with, actually, but he was surprisingly calm. His coat was iridescent and pale silvery blue… I’ve never seen a horse like that before. Whose is it?” Jaune looked at Kali.
“Oh, that’s my Orchid. He’s a Solthari Skyborn.”
Jaune’s eyes widened. “A Solthari Skyborn? I thought they were just a myth.”
Weiss chuckled. “That’s what Blake said. But no, they aren’t. They’re just…very rare to bond to since the Aetherreach Highlands are a difficult place to survive in especially if you’re a mage. I didn’t want to geld Orchid since he’s a full-grown horse and not a colt. I can only imagine how long he’s lived since the tribes that live in the Highlands told me that some horses are basically immortal… They’ve seen two people come back for the same horses for millennia.”
Blake’s eyes widened. “Wait, Awakened actually exist? I thought they weren’t real.” She didn’t want to repeat herself—or Jaune’s—wording again about them being a myth. Reincarnation on Caeryss was very real. The Echoed Plane existed and some Liminal Mages worked on the Plane, but few did. One had to be an adherent to Xyphos the Deathforger and/or Selyra the Moonweaver in order to be able to safely traverse the Plane. It was very dangerous and so few Liminal Mages decided to work on it. There was a basic understanding with Liminal Mages on how the Plane worked and it was separate from the Underworld where many souls relented to their final rest when they were finally too tired to continue reincarnating. Some souls reached Divine Ascension, but that was incredibly rare. Most souls reincarnated and went through the Echoed Plane countless times, becoming different each and every time. Few people retained memories of their previous lifetimes…so the fact that two people would come back for the same horses in the Aetherreach Highlands… It spoke to the fact that there were Awakened among them…
“The tribes told me the tale of two Solthari Skyborn that are found and go back to the same person they bonded with millennia ago…before Nytheris existed in its current state. I’m not sure how reliable the tale is, of course… It’s an old oral tale, they said. But it’s been passed down for generations. Apparently, they both came back within the past 40 or so years. The woman came back about a year or so ago to find her Solthari and then left the highlands. The man came some decades ago.”
“Wow… That’s crazy to think about…” Blake’s ears twitched slightly. She had no idea what to think about all of that. Awakened were real, apparently. Then again, if Solthari Skyborn were real, just about anything could be true, she supposed.
“Um, is there anything I need to know about taking care of Solthari Skyborn…?” Jaune asked. “I know about basic horses as well as Radiant Equenor, but I don’t know a thing about Solthari Skyborn.”
Weiss nodded. “Basically, don’t treat them harshly. Gentleness is key with the Solthari Skyborn. Orchid has pretty much person-level intelligence and I have an empathetic bond with him; I will know if something’s wrong.” Jaune blanched and flinched. She paused. “You don’t really seem the type to treat an animal badly, but it’s just something of note. Okay?”
Blake smiled and looked at Jaune, smiling at him. “My mother wouldn’t have allowed you into the household if she thought you were of a bad ilk. She wouldn’t trust our animals with you.” Kali had almost a sixth sense when it came to people. Blake knew better than to distrust her mother’s judgement. She was just glad that the Dreadmaw Hounds hadn’t gone after Jaune… That wouldn’t have ended well. But they were all bonded to Kali magically as well as Blake. Nobody wanted to be on the wrong end of a Volkhund or a Dreadmaw Hound. Blake knew all too well what would happen if both types of dog dealt damage. Volkhunds were upwards of 200 pounds and four feet tall while Dreadmaw Hounds were between 200 and 300 pounds of pure muscle. They could and would rip somebody apart if their magically bonded owner told them to.
Jaune nodded a bit. “Do you…have any of those big, protective dogs?”
Blake nodded. “Yeah; my mother, father, all of my siblings, and I all have our own Volkhunds and we have a couple packs of Dreadmaw Hounds. But they won’t hurt you since my mother told them not to attack.”
Jaune blanched even further. “Oh, yikes…”
“I have a Volkhund too,” Weiss said. “Since this is an extended trip, I brought him with me.”
“Yeesh…” Jaune sighed.
“Don’t worry; he won’t hurt you unless I tell him to.” Weiss smiled. Jaune didn’t look convinced. Blake couldn’t exactly blame him; both dog breeds were known for their ferocity and their ability to tear people limb from limb if aggravated enough. It was said that Volkhunds were dire wolves that had been changed by magical experiments. Nobody could confirm it or not, but they were huge dogs and not something to trifle with. Blake felt bad that she’d left her girl behind so much, but it wasn’t really professional to bring a dog to work. She hadn’t seen her since the day before yesterday which was going to be hard since she needed to get back to the Emberfangs as soon as possible. The men were suffering from fighting the Phantom Brigade who were relentless and many needed their memories taken from them.
“Will you be leaving him here?” Blake asked.
Weiss frowned. “Actually…that’s a good question. I had planned to be somewhere else, but that obviously fell through… I know it’s not professional to bring your dog to work but by the same token, he’s going to freak out if I leave him behind here. At least for a bit. I’ll talk to him but…I may need to bring him.”
Blake sighed. “I guess I’ll need to get you a key made for the coach… We don’t have an extra lying around anywhere.” Well that was just great. They didn’t give keys out for the coach too much since it was dangerous and an expensive piece even for one of the Arcane Order such as herself. They were made to order and took a lot of time to make since all of the necessary magical components took time to create and everything had to be made by hand.
Weiss smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I would appreciate it, though.”
Blake looked down at her plate and saw that she was done. Weiss had finished quite a while ago as well. “We should probably head off, Weiss.”
Weiss nodded. “All right.”
Blake looked at her mother. “Do you think you could get an extra key made for Weiss?”
Kali smiled and nodded. “Of course, dear. I’ll take care of that after you leave.”
“Thanks a ton.” Blake got up and hugged her mother, kissing her on the cheek. “Let’s go grab your Volkhund,” she said to Weiss.
Weiss nodded and got up. Blake took off at a jog which made it clear she didn’t want to talk. She went to Weiss’ room and grabbed her Volkhund, then grabbed the keys to the coach. They headed out to the garage and got in the coach, then took off back toward the Legion’s garrison.
