Finding Adamora in the Marble Desert wasn't quite the challenge most would anticipate. There were two towns on either side of the Tanisian-Galean border. Contrary to my intention to explore Tanis, my search began on the southern side of the border in the Galean city of Gienah, which was primarily a hub for aeronautics testing. I had hoped that my cousin would be attracted to the novelty of mechanical flight and reasoned that if my worst fears of Adaling's influence were real, she would at least enjoy more comfort there than in the elven village to the North, Marble Oasis. While both of these notions turned out to be false, I was able to learn more about the legend Adamora made for herself as Telandra Dawnstrike from elven visitors to the city.
From these travelers I learned that my cousin had begun to wander the border land while living out of a wagon that did not seem to require anything to pull it. That would certainly have been evidence of the Maloran family's long history with magic as would the tales of her individual deeds that reached my ears. She sounded very much like a spellwarrior as I heard of her robbing a bandit gang single-handed to compensate the losses of a trader caravan they had terrorized, or felling vicious sand beasts with her mace and a wealth of divine magic. I could not help but feel slighted at the time, knowing that she had co-opted the lifestyle I had long coveted, thus proving that it was possible for me as well. I had to remind myself that she was haunted by a danger that I understood too well to shake myself free of the envy I felt.
With a better idea of what I was looking for, I set off back into the sands and began to scan the border from atop my sky rug. I would find Telandra's wagon parked next to the remains of a crashed flying machine, where my dear cousin was picking through the damaged machinery for salvageable parts. When I found her, she reacted with anger upon recognizing me. This was quite understandable considering my long absence in her life, but she had heard the same rumors Kartal had of my actions with my old coven. What was more, she had been intentionally avoiding me and everyone else she knew because she feared any thought or memory she could associate with her curse. This was the entire purpose of her newly asserted identity. She wanted to repress Adaling by forgetting herself completely.
She was clearly displeased with my presence, but instead of acquiescing to her demand to leave her be, I quickly grew angry myself. Quickly reflecting on my failure to control Garanda, I was reminded of how many times crimes I had allowed by trying to do so on my own. My recent encounters with Takaa, Kartal, and Michael Blackstone's resistance were examples of a lesson I had firmly refused to learn until I saw Adamora stubbornly committing to a similar mistake.
I couldn't do this alone and neither could she.
I made the most carefully reasoned arguments I could to that effect and had slowly begun to wear away her irritation. I had to make many of the same confessions I have earlier in this text and put my actions into context to regain her trust, however. I fear that she might be the only one who could understand the depth of the pain that pushed me down my path and the sincerity with which I intend to redeem myself. In this interview, I learned of the brass locket she had used to contain Adaling's spirit. She had learned to do so by observing Adaling's instruction of Flinbek, a fact which confirmed my fear that the Shadow Witch was well practiced in soul magic.
This locket was a form of sparesoul--or tangible object containing a living or recently-deceased soul-- and she had fortunately kept it in her possession in the belief that it would be especially dangerous in the hands of someone who didn't fear Adaling as much as we did. As I began to study it, I began to make deductions of my own about what Broger had done with Garanda. As a fellow soul mage, it would be possible for him to seal Garanda's spirit inside another sparesoul. If I could find this sparesoul, I would possess the means to stop him or at least locate him.
This necessitated a return to Blackstone Farm with the intent of locating some clue as to the sparesoul's location. I would fortunately find the old farmhouse abandoned in a hurry. It seemed that Broger could not trust his countermeasures against my presence to hold me and my questions at bay indefinitely. I could tell from the scattering of documents and research materials that he had left in quite a hurry and their condition hinted that this might have happened recently. Among the many discarded documents, I found what I was looking for: a perfect description of the sparesoul which apparently took the form of a flawlessly cut black diamond.
In addition to research notes, I found a letter from an acquaintance named Fariel demanding that Broger pick up an object he had left in his care. He seemed to have been terrified of this package and deeply suspected it to be cursed. Fariel, fortunately enough, was a name that I recognized. As the proprietor of an inn in the Tanisian city of Arrellys, I had come across his name and establishment countless times in my various travels through Tanis. This discovery felt like providence, but I was apprehensive of rushing into a potential trap. So, I left Adamora to continue her charade as the desert bandit for a while longer as I set out for Arrellys.
I reached the Traveler's Respite late that afternoon, but found that reaching Fariel himself would be far less simple. The effects of the cursed object he claimed to harbor might have driven him into hysterics or he might have been aware that I was coming and unsure of how to handle me. At either rate, I could only patiently wait for him to see me. The first night would have been a complete waste had it not been the fateful night I met Voltairine, the love of my life. I had been reading my copy of my favorite book, "The Butcher by the River" in a corner near the bar while enjoying a glass of bogwine, a popular elven vintage and she seemed to have been there for the same purpose that drives her everyday: enjoying life. She had just finished a conversation with someone else and approached me politely to inquire about my book. I was happy to answer her questions since I wasn't seriously invested in the book anyway; it was my fifth reading. I enjoyed her company quite casually for much of the night, until the bar closed for the night and I was forced to retire to my room.
The next day passed in much the same way as the previous evening, though the bar was much more crowded and I lacked the blessing of Voltairine's company. The noise and the absurdity of being so patient wore on my nerves that day and I was soon compelled to do something drastic. I strode purposefully up the stairs and forced my way into Fariel's office. As I feared, the office was rigged to explode when I forced my way into the door. Though I was able to get away quickly enough to avoid injury, such a destructive clamor in a public place was bound to draw attention that would only impair my quest. Though I predicted that someone would investigate the sound, I never imagined that would be the second time I'd see Voltairine.
While I searched the remains of the office for the package, I found Fariel's corpse among the wreckage. The idea that he would sit in a room that was rigged to explode led me to assume that he was dead before I arrived. Seeing this body, Voltairine's curiosity demanded my attention. While I discouraged her from getting involved with my troubles, she stubbornly insisted on prying into my affairs. I realize in hindsight that I should have been more annoyed that she was wasting time that had been suddenly limited with her interest in what I was doing, but I found her stubbornness oddly endearing. Eventually, I could only give fair warning of the risks my secrets carry and answer a few questions just so I could break away for long enough to continue my frantic search.
What I found, however, was a farce. A small cutting of black diamond was all I found in the package clearly left to taunt me. I could feel a small trace of the spiritual energy that marked it as a sparesoul, but I felt no hint of Garanda's presence. It was clear to me in that moment that I had come to this place for nothing and would need to leave quickly. I took Voltairine with me into a hastily-conjured portal that led us to the city of Orion. With this mere fragment of the sparesoul in hand, I was back to stumbling in the dark without clues, but my disappointment was eclipsed by exhilaration.
In the relative safely of some place far from the Traveler's Respite, Voltairine chose then to bombard me with further questions. Remembering the lesson I had tried to impress upon my cousin the day before and oddly compelled to trust such a beautiful soul, I told her my tale. While she was skeptical and fundamentally uninformed about the legend of Garanda, she seemed intrigued and consequently eager to lend her assistance. Although I saw no practical point to accepting her aid, I thought only of welcoming her company when I did just that. Having gained a new companion, my next move was to return to the desert and discuss an alternate arrangement to protect Adamora from her own curse.
Continue to Part 14
Continue to Part 14
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