Following my previous encounter with Flinbek, I found an unexpected clue that would finally lead me to both my Adamora's sparesoul and my own. In his haste to escape the wreckage of his poorly considered trap, he left some of his blood behind. Although I felt guilty for doing so at the time for reasons that no longer matter, this allowed me to scry for him using the teachings of Samson Amul. It had been many years since I had used blood magic but, after many months without progress, this opportunity was not worth discounting. I found what I was looking for almost immediately. Flinbek had taken both of the artifacts to a village called Storm Cliff, located on the modern-day Midanian territory of Eagle Island.
At the time, I had told no one of my use of blood magic. Kartal had made himself aware of these activities as a Chaotic templar like himself is considered to have a responsibility to police such magic. In my shame, I told only him of how I came to find Flinbek. With news of a direction in which to head finally being found, Adamora saw no reason to delay our departure, but I was less certain. Even with the work Broger had done to change my magical signature, the use of blood magic in particular opened me up to a threat that was once forgotten. I was forced to send Voltairine, Adamora and Kartal to Eagle Island without me while I awaited the consequences of my simple scrying spell.
Samson came to me that night after my companions were long gone and sneaked into my room, thinking to awaken me unawares. Having anticipated his coming, though, I stayed up to greet him. Years ago, when the bodies of Garanda and myself were one, it would have been the height of foolishness to confront him alone. I remembered how it was only thanks to Garanda that I had scared him away the last time we met. Without the Demon Knight to plague and protect me, I should have been at his mercy. But this was sixty years ago. He had plenty of time in which to expand his master of blood magic, but my travels had allowed me to learn how to use soul magic, control my silverfist form, and apply my use of magic in a true combat situation. Whatever his intent, I was ready to face him.
As it turned out, however, I needn't have worried. His intent to kill me before had been rooted in fear that I would expose him and the coven. Even when I was personally safe from his reprisal, I chose not to do so. This was particularly out of concern for my children's safety, but many years of silence had apparently won back some measure of trust from the coven. He had come to find me in a dingy little motel in Ridge not with murderous intent, but to ask for my help.
The coven had decided to follow a new path in my absence; a plan to bring legitimacy to the art of blood magic so that no one had to practice it in the shadows any longer. At this point I regret to say that I refused his request. With my preoccupation with Garanda and my personal mistrust for Samson combined, I dared not spare the time. I told him that some of the things we had done together proved that the use of blood magic didn't deserve such legitimacy. To my surprise, he accepted this sentiment as fair and changed the subject without any fuss.
He instead began to ask me about my life since leaving the coven and, to my further response, I told him everything. I informed him how the fear he had inflicted on my wife and children caused me to lose my family. I explained how I had come to learn soul magic and how this caused me to become separated from Garanda. I told him of how I had commenced a quiet search for him while working with the resistance to the former Geosian regime in Resta. I even told him of then-recent events and why I chose to use one of the skills he had taught me for the first time in ages.
The Samson Amul I had initially met would have tried to convince me that the answers to all of my problems lied in the blood magic that only he could teach me, but the one I spoke to that night gave me some useful advice instead. In his limited understanding of soul magic, he suggested that therein lied my key to finally bringing Garanda to heel. I already knew this to be the case, but as he asked questions about how I might use soul magic in this case, new thoughts began to form. So it was that the two of us parted on much better terms than we had previously. He left with newfound knowledge of soul magical theory and some recommendations for books with which to begin to study it. I, on the other hand, left for Eagle Island with a plan.
When I caught up to my companions, it was to learn that they had already confronted Flinbek. In his haste to retreat with his life, he had left the black diamond that contained Garanda's soul behind, which had been picked up by Voltairine. I had arrived just as Flinbek, who was then possessed by the power of Adaling's sparesoul, had been cornered at the edge of the bluff outside the village. Using the shadow witch's power, he nearly dropped Voltairine over the edge but I managed to pull her back while Kartal engaged our foe. Flinbek did escape despite our best efforts, but not with the sparesoul.
It was then that I began to lay out my plan for stopping Garanda. What made him particularly dangerous was his freedom from me. While Adaling remained confined to her sparesoul and whoever possessed it, Garanda had his own body. This was the problem I would have to alleviate in order to end the threat he posed, but that was easier said than done with his power. Even if I had found more blood to absorb in order to enhance my strength and magic, his time inside my mind had imbued him with all of the knowledge I had up to the day he was released. Thus, there was nothing stopping him from doing the same thing, least of all my own sense of morality.
I had realized from my discussion with my former master that I would never overpower Garanda. Thus, the only hope I had was to force him out of the body that Broger had given him. With the power of the black diamond, I had the means to do so, but I did not have enough confidence in my growing theory to explain it to anyone else. Instead, I took the diamond from Voltairine and put it in my pocket. I told her not to worry for me. As I plotted my next move, however, Adaling acted up once more by possessing my cousin. With her magic in its original hands, it was easier for her to toss me over the edge. Kartal would have to suppress her without my help, I thought to myself as I fell.
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