What exactly happened during the so-called 'Prismatic Wars' that have so quickly faded into obscurity? Why are there no stories? Why do the survivors refuse to speak of them?

How can something so huge, so definitive, so cataclysmic, disappear within a generation into nothing but legend?

-Forgotten? Ancient mysteries yet-to-be solved

I brushed the sleeve of the flashmail against the ice construct to dispel it. Beneath, Retti looked calm and untroubled.

I felt sick at what I’d just done. But distantly, muted.

I couldn’t think about it. I turned away.

My legs trembled as I got unsteadily to my feet so I pulled on my power, flight easier to sustain. I couldn’t feel my fingers where I’d been holding the ice in place. I tried to rub feeling into my frozen hand, power humming in sync.

I tugged open the crate and looped my power securely around Vess and Daum, their power still flashing erratically around them. Retti had said they’d never stabilize. I hoped it could be reversed, but that wasn’t my department. I wasn’t going to leave them behind regardless.

I made my way back through the compound, flying slowly. I couldn’t say how long it took, how many dead ends or wrong turns. I passed the broken bodies of Pelys and Lan and the woman from the other team whose name I couldn’t bring to mind. I considered bringing them, but doubted I could keep concentration on so many people at once. I should have brought the crate with me. Then the numbness faltered and I nearly lost control over my grief and pain.

Not yet. I had to get Vess out. I didn’t know if time was a factor in him being saved, and I couldn’t afford to risk breaking down yet.

I left the kidnapped nobles chained to their slabs, promising myself I’d send someone to rescue them. I couldn’t do anything more.

I passed the ruined floor where we’d fought Desten, though no sign of him remained. I passed the bodies of four more people I didn’t know, probably one of the perimeter teams who’d come to investigate the sounds of fighting. All missing their powerstones. They must have run afoul of Retti after she found Desten. They should have stayed outside.

Eventually I found the stairway up, ending at a trapdoor that came out in the storage room behind the kitchen. Its top perfectly lined up with the tiles, concealed so well we hadn’t even glanced twice at it despite our thorough search.

Then I stepped out into the afternoon daylight, snow falling lazily from the fluffy clouds above.

I didn’t know the way back to the city where Aneeyha waited.

I didn’t know which direction was home.

My plan hadn’t extended beyond ‘get out’ in practical steps.

I sat down on the frozen ground and stared up at the clouds, blinking as the snowflakes landed uncaringly upon my face.

It was done. Fylen was avenged, for whatever good that did. The last members of an ancient secret society were dead. I’d located the people she’d been kidnapping, at least those who’d survived.

I couldn’t make myself believe it was worth it.

A man in black robes landed beside me in a puff of displaced snow, flurrying around him with the force of his descent. He barely glanced at me before striding into the building.

I laughed weakly. Now the conversant show up? Now? After everything is over?

Somehow, that broke the numbness, and then I was laughing and sobbing uncontrollably as all the emotion and relief and despair poured out in a flood.

It’s over.

It’s over. It’s over.

Another black-robed figure landed in almost the exact same spot, but she only came and stood over me, looking down.

“What took you so long?” If they’d come when I asked for their help all of this could have been avoided. No one needed to die, if they’d just done their stupid jobs properly.

“Thank you for your messages,” she said. “I apologize for what you were forced to endure. Without proof, we were forbidden to actively intervene.”

“So you show up now when everything’s done?” If I had any strength remaining, it should have come out sharp and accusatory. Instead, even to myself, it sounded weary.

“We came the moment the flare indicated a new prismatic being born. Before then, it would have been … complicated.”

“There’s no such thing as prismatics,” I said.

“And there never will be again. You’ve done very well.”

I blinked snow out of my eye.

She stood, waiting.

“Can you save them?” I nodded behind me to where Vess and Daum lay floating, their unstable power lashing out to melt any snowflakes that drifted too near.

“I will try.” She shimmered, like a heat-haze and a soap bubble combined, and held a hand out toward my friends. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen, then the streaks of violent power stilled and calmed, their hues flattening out to their natural shade. A faint stream of coloured dust floated up from each of them, before melting away to nothing. “Done. They will need to rest, but will be fine.”

“There are more. Down there, she was kidnapping them and chaining them up and—”

“We’ll take care of everything. Don’t worry.”

The peace of understanding that they truly, finally, would take care of everything hit me suddenly and completely. I sagged in relief. “Thank you.”

“No thanks are required. You have suffered much in pursuit of justice and truth. Our task would have been much more difficult without your intervention.”

I hesitated. “Can you give me directions back to town? I need to…”

“No, you have done enough. I will see to it that everything is returned to its proper place. Rest now, Liath Amesorrel. Your part in this is done.”

The exhaustion hit just as hard as the peace had.

I blinked awake in a white room, black curtains and furnishings setting off the brightness in starkly contrasted patterns.

“You’re awake. May I enter?”

I sat up, confirmed that I was wearing a proper nightrobe, and nodded. “Come in.”

The conversant woman entered, and I suddenly felt underdressed.

“Liath, I trust you are well?”

Liath. Was she trying to make a point by bringing it up?

Well, too late. I left that name behind when I chose to become Astesh. Liath Amesorrel died over a year ago, the same night as Fylen Sarosa.

“My name is Astesh.”

“If you insist. Astesh. You are feeling well?”

“Yes.” I was surprised by how well, now that she mentioned it. I felt fully rested, relaxed, and free of the usual weight of concerns tugging me every direction at once. “Who are you?”

“Final Naeyah Sarosa.”

“Final? Is that a title?”

“Yes. It refers to my position as one of the last conversant.”

“Oh.” Was I supposed to bow or something? I sat awkwardly instead until she finally spoke.

“I know you must have questions. I am here to ensure you are satisfied before we part ways.”

“Vess is okay?”

She nodded. “Vesyro and Daumin are fully recovered. They will suffer no ill effects of their experiences.”

Apart from having witnessed their friends murdered in front of them, of course. None of us would be free of those ill effects.

I forced it away from my mind.

After some consideration, I asked, “What will happen to Tali?”

“Talish and her father have been returned to their home. They will be observed, but it is our opinion that they will recover from this terrible circumstance and be able to eventually return to normal life.”

“Her father. Desten Four? He’s awake?”

“The unintegrated stones were siphoned away safely. He still holds dangerous levels of power, but has been instructed on how to ensure it does not become a problem. He has no interest in continuing his wife’s crusade against us, and will act accordingly. He wants only to resume his life and take care of his daughter.”

“Oh, that’s … good.” I smiled in relief. Finally, some truly good news! I’d worried that Tali would end up orphaned and alone. If Desten 4 had recovered and could take care of her, I’d rest a lot easier.

Then I thought of something else, and put a hand to my own chest.

“Is there— can you take Fyless’s stone back to her somehow?” I had the purple one now, but there were still shades of pink in my power, so even if Retti had broken it some part of it remained.

I didn't think I would regret the loss, even if the stones were inseparable and I lost both. Perhaps Liath might return. I would miss the freedom, but it would be a relief to return to an unimportant existence. To be free of concern. And, I thought a bit guiltily, freed of responsibility. But if I could undo what I'd done, return Fyless's rightful heritage to her, I could live with the sacrifice.

“No. It has been fully integrated into your body and mind. It would cause you severe damage to remove at this stage. And it is doubtful whether it would even accept Fyless as a host any longer, even if you were willing to be crippled by its removal.”

I hated the extent of my relief at hearing those words. What did it say about me that I would so gladly carry on with power stolen from the innocent?

“Can you find her a compatible stone somewhere else?" I asked hopefully. "Maybe one of those Retti had stashed away?”

“The other stolen stones have been dissolved. It is not our place to decide their fate, and custom dictates that they be allowed to peacefully fade.”

I looked away. “So, I really did steal her only chance at a normal life.”

“It was not done maliciously or with intent to harm. You may consider your crime absolved. If any requires proof of the validity of your position, we will correct the misunderstanding.”

“And what position is that? What is to happen to me now?”

She smiled. “That is up to you. We have no desire to dictate or interfere in your life. You may return to Varon, or to Sarosa, or to another city of your choosing. Or you can choose to live away from the cities, if that is your preference.” She hesitated, then shook her head and didn’t continue.

“Or?” I prompted.

“There is one other option. As you are now in the top tier of powerful, yet untrained, individuals, we would extend to you an invitation to attend the private academy we have established for such circumstances. You are hardly unique in your position, but it is not … conducive to our goals, shall we say, to have a great many people flying about with multihued powerstones. Thus we have established a proper offworld facility for those who are better suited to more active participation in this world’s defence.”

“Ah.”

“I did not mention it as I feel it wouldn't be a good fit for you.”

“You’re right.” I’d had enough fighting to last the rest of my life and then some. “I think I just want to go home.”

“Your curiosity is satisfied?”

“Well, no. It would be impossible to fully satisfy it. I still don’t know why Retti was so set on becoming powerful enough to take on the conversant. Why their conspiracy even existed in the first place. How they escaped your notice for so long if you’re so powerful.”

“The Anlioh conspiracy was founded shortly after the final conversation. We were given very clear instructions to prevent any resurgence of prismatics for a minimum of five hundred years.”

“There’s no such thing as prismatics,” I reminded her.

“Yes, Ovaiss may have painted it a bit thickly with you. Ah, well. Better not to tamper more than necessary. I’m afraid you’ll have to live with it. The point is, we gathered, destroyed, or concealed any information that may have led to the premature emergence of … anyone with too much variety in their powerhues. Meanwhile, Anlioh sought to put that knowledge back together in order to purposefully create people more powerful than can be sustained within safe thresholds.”

“And take you out to clear the path for their ascension as rulers. Though Retti denied wanting to rule.”

“They would never call it ruling, but they would inevitably end up there. It is an absolute subversion of the pacts to which all stoned are sworn by lineage.”

“So it’s a shadow war. Like that between the houses, but even quieter.”

“Yes. And it is a shadow war which is finally over. For good or ill, the last Anlioh has fallen just as she finally attained their foolish objective. If you hadn’t been there to stop her before the power could fully coalesce, you have no idea the damage she could have caused.”

“I do have some idea.”

“You cannot imagine,” the conversant said more firmly. “But I can try to give you an idea. Once, millennia ago, there were ten great lands and countless islands that shared our world. Four of the houses were originally refugees from some of those great lands.”

“But there is only one land, and beyond its edges the ocean goes on forever.”

“Exactly. Now imagine the kind of power necessary to split islands to their hearts, to drown continents and break the sky. Imagine this land being dragged from the depths of the eternal ocean, artificially constructed so that the last remnants would have a place of refuge. Do you understand the kind of power I mean?”

I shook my head, trying to picture it. Like the sculptors from Metako carving the land into shape, but on an insane scale. “You’re saying Retti could have done that? Broken the land, or built a new one?”

“Not at first, not alone. But if left unchecked, yes.”

I exhaled slowly in awe. “Wow. I’m almost sorry I had to kill her. We could really use some more land.”

“There is never enough. What you have is sufficient.”

We were silent for a time, as I tried to comprehend the sheer scope of the power involved in forming this land, dragging it up from the depths.

“Is there anything else you would like to know?”

“What will be done about Raysh?” I asked. “They knowingly sheltered Retti and Desten, and obstructed the other reirns. If they’d been allowed to deal with her properly from the start, she would never have hurt so many people.”

“Reirn Anadeen’s line has been allied to the Anlioh for almost two hundred years. In doing so, they have forfeited their claim to the title and have been replaced. Raysh should not pose any further problem.”

“Apart from their general belligerence.”

“That is a pre-existing condition, and it is not our place to interfere.”

“Fair enough.” I paused a moment. “But there won’t be a war, right?”

“No more than there has ever been.”

I considered a moment, trying to think of any other questions. Nothing came to mind.

“So, what now?”

“Are you satisfied?”

“For the moment.”

“Then I will return you to your world. To which city would you like to be conveyed?”

I shook my head. “No city. Woodedge, a town by the northern forest in Sarosa, south of Midpeak. But, before we go, do you have ordinary clothing available by any chance?”