“I lived amongst the elves of Isvaarheim, their society almost unchanging no matter how many years pass by. I walked through remnants of battlefields so old that only the eldest dragons still remember who combatants were. Then I created new ones, joining in the struggles of humans when it seemed that they would be destroyed by older races.

I was one of them, once. Even if my memories of that time are nothing, but mere shadows now.

During those wars, I witnessed both Essae’s rise to the power and her demise. I just watched as she uttered with her dying breath the curse upon those who once claimed to be her allies.

Sometimes, I still wonder... Should I have reacted at that time? But whom I would have helped then?“

- Traveller’s Endless Journeys

A caravan of ten wagons, with almost seventy guards was really catching attention as it passed through villages surrounding Windhelm.

On the first evening they set up a camp on village outskirts; it was both to prepare them for doing this in the wilderness and to not leave cargo unsecured. Their group was simply too big to fit in a single inn.

After eating by a campfire, Ion saw Maval, the sorceress from Milas' team, spending few minutes to prepare a spell that erected a crystalline dome in which her team disappeared for the night rest. Then the elven druid, Mchac, hit the ground with his staff causing few vines and shadows to rise up from it and cover his party’s place of respite.

Ion felt expectant gazes of his team on himself after witnessing those feats of magic.

‘No, I don’t know those spells, you surely travelled long enough sleeping in tents to endure it for longer,’ he thought hiding inside his small tent, ‘At least Reria hadn’t put a stunt like this.’

****

On the morning, as soon as everyone awoke, Lyssa created an awkward situation expecting all caravan members to join prayers to the Lord of Dawn. Almost a half of the guards, having lived all their life around Windhelm, were eager to join.

Because of her announcement Darren, a gnome cleric, also declared that during their travel he will hold ceremonies to his deity. That caused an enthusiastic response from some other mercenaries, mainly Ciros, most Nanoc’s team members, Mchac and even Arde, who apparently was eager to join prayers to both gods.

For a moment Ion almost expected Lyssa to challenge the gnome to some sort of a duel, but as both deities weren’t opposing each other – Uther also having the portfolio of renewal, birth and vitality, while the Forest Gnome favoured the nature, forests and travels – the priests somehow came to an agreement between themselves. After all, it was common for people to pray to various gods depending on the needs their currently had, even different temples sometimes worked together.

‘Now that I think about it since I seriously started with studying magic I really hadn’t felt a real need to pray to any deity,’ Ion was amused, ‘In dreams I never held gods in high esteem, seeing many of them as beings just a little more powerful than myself… yet for me, someone only stepping into a 3rd spell circle such thoughts are ridiculous.‘

‘Still, my most recent contact with Uther’s church was when I accidentally damaged that statue years ago… Maybe I should seek to pray to some deity of magic or knowledge?’

There were also some people who openly refused to join those ceremonies at all. To name a few Thaleus – who said something about following dwarven gods and Dorian – who claimed to swear the oath to another one. Some other, like Sae, Reria and Maval just disappeared mysteriously when the subject arose.

Ion decided to just tell Lyssa that he finds daily prayers to only a single deity excessive, but would happily join them sometimes. Lyssa seemed disappointed that her teammates weren’t eager to praise Uther, but Ion hoped that with so many other people willing to do so she would get over it.

The wizard also expected Istaro to join the clerical fray that morning, but the older man seemed content only observing the commotion.

“I don’t pray at the dawn,” the priest said simply when he noticed Ion’s questioning stare and returned to eating his breakfast.

****

Most of the day Ion spent listening to Lyssa’s preaching about Uther's greatness and having to fight an urge to ask Maval about the spell he saw her casting yesterday.

‘It’s just a stupid idea, she doesn’t seem to be a person sharing her knowledge willingly.’

After trading spells with Archibald, Ion knew that writing a spell in a manner easily understandable by another wizard was both taxing for the mind and required quite expensive ingredients to infuse written sigils with mana. He smiled after remembering enchanter’s face when he suggested to just write his patterns on normal parchment with regular inks… According to the wizard, every sorcerer visualised sigils differently so one’s notes weren’t really useful without extensive deciphering or prior standardisation; latter required materials able to hold mana for periods of time as well as skills and time to prepare the spell in such a way.

‘And according to him from the 3rd circle onwards even to write spells in my own spellbook, I would better use such materials often, as otherwise, I might forget the feeling of some of the symbols used in spells… it might be why I have so many troubles with working on more complicated spells that I saw in visions… at least I’m capable to see how Vision-me visualises his sigils, otherwise, I would still be only able to cast cantrips.’

‘I was so lucky that Archibald was so determined to learn Enfeeblement that he was willing to teach me so much; the more I know the more I appreciate meeting with him…’

“…and that was how Uther saved us during an event that was later known as Dawn Cataclysm,” Lyssa, who rode on a horse beside him finished her story, unconcerned by Sae sitting behind her and dozing in the saddle.

****

During the second night, Ion slept well, yet he was woken up by the sounds of a commotion on the morning. Someone sneaked into one of the wagons and stole some supplies. A trader from the Baaru Consortium, who travelled with them put blame on Milas for not giving carts enough security; in turn, Milas blamed sentries for not being vigilant enough.

Later, one of the rangers found tracks of three people heading from the wagons to the forest, but the trail disappeared after dozens of meters. Nobody expected that brigands would put a stunt like that. As they also heard gossips about bandits raiding nearby villages recently it made many people wary of what awaited them on the road.

This day Ion could finally see that they were leaving a civilised part of the kingdom.

Since morning they hadn’t seen any villages anymore and now only thick trees were visible on both sides of the road. It was well maintained; one of the major trading routes in Rikse – not many were willing to risk using rivers and go through Chull Marshes – but was slowly getting claimed back by the forest, grass breaking through pavements.

“It seems like Rikse is really paying the price for a prolonged war,” Ion commented.

“Not enough people to protect routes so not many merchants are willing to take risks associated with longer travels,” Milas said, “And with no traders willing to go there recently, those brigands must be growing desperate. I am not only speaking about their attacks on nearby villages… Farmers said that two days ago they saw fires coming from the forest. They pointed in a direction where one of the waystations lies. Even with most troops attacking orcs, it should still have a garrison of at least thirty soldiers and almost fifty civilians working there. If they really managed to take it down… Well, I would reconsider going with a whole caravan until we confirm what’s exactly lies ahead… Yet our merchant decided that we have to arrive at Leisha's Crossroads without any delays because of their damned contract. Let’s hope that if they really raided that waystation they suffered many casualties,” the mercenary stopped speaking for a moment, wondering about something. For Ion, he seemed to be a competent leader.

“It’s quite possible actually, because according to our trader of all things our caravan has, only some alchemical mixtures, mainly those used for tending wounds, disappeared. It might be that a commotion Istaro made at night startled them…”

“Did he?” Ion slept without waking up.

“They had some argument within a team, Adre wasn’t willing to share details. But what bothers me is that Alarm spell you wizards set up wasn’t triggered. Maval even checked it afterwards to be sure. We thought that maybe someone from the caravan was working with them, but the spell was completely untouched in the area we spotted the tracks… I’m afraid that they might have a support from some rogue caster…”

Milas rode for a moment silently, then spoke very loudly: “By the evening we should arrive at the river. Normally I’d like to push little harder and spent a night in the waystation, but we are not certain if it is still under Rikse’s control. Nanoc, you will take your squad and some spare horses to scout forward; check if the waystation is safe if in any doubts return and find a good spot for a camp on our side of the river. Ion, gather your group and maybe Hant’s one, you will take lead in their place.”

Ion looked around from the wagon he sat on and started Messaging towards his squad; they were currently spread out around the caravan. Then he took one of the saddled horses – they had quite a few with them; like most of the cargo, they were to be delivered to the military. He left Milas still ordering changes to their formation from the middle of the caravan and rode to its head.

“I see that those bastards actually allowed you to use one of the horses?” he heard Hant voice as the bard jogged forward, an unhappy expression on his face.

His team consisted of four men, only one wearing chainmail, rest in the leather armour. Judging from their looks, Ion wouldn’t like to meet those guys in a dark alley.

‘Was it Wil, Nate, John and someone else? Too many new names to remember.’

“Don’t cry Hant, carts are much more comfortable to ride,” Sae jumped down from a horse she rode together with Lyssa, almost causing the cleric to fall, and quickly climbed on top of the wagon ignoring protests of a coachman.

“There is nothing better than travelling on foot,” Thaleus said with delight, dropping to the ground from the steed he took with Ciros, “Maybe on a war-boar, but horses are monsters.”

Ciros and Dorian rode further ahead to scout; rest of the group staying around the first wagon. Lyssa finally managed to dismount with Hant’s help and was now leading the horse by reins contently. Ion decided to ride on his for a little longer, trying to get more used to this way of transportation.

‘Better to learn now than in the heat of a battle. Having additional mobility as a wizard would be useful.’

“So tell me, Ion, why are you still carrying that spear around?” Sae asked, looking at them from above, “Aren’t a trademark of you wizards is something like an enchanted staff? Both Reira and Maval got theirs, planes, even Mchac got one, you look like an imposter without having your own.”

The redhead started to tease him recently.

“It’s sort of a keepsake from my days before being able to cast spells,” Ion looked at his old spear attached to the saddle, “And Reira just uses a regular staff, no enchants on it; my spear at least has one pointy end. But if you are willing to find me something of Maval’s quality, I’d be glad to take it,” He added jokingly remembering the staff a sorceress from Milas’ group used.

“Deal! But only if you find me a good replacement for one of my shortswords. I already had to stop sharpening it with runes, I’m afraid it won’t last for long. And all reasonably priced weapons in Windhelm were already sold to the military...”

“Hant, sing us something!” Lyssa asked. Ion half expected her to try to talk to them about Uther again.

The bard complied happily and started some ballad.

“Ah, it is so beautiful!” Sae suddenly spoke after a few minutes.

A prideful simile appearing on Hant’s face for a moment.

“No matter how many times I see them it’s always so enchanting. I hope that someday I will be able to travel through one of them, see other planes…” her voice trailed off dreamily.

Ion looked up to see what she was pointing at.

He spotted a small tear in the sky and suddenly his vision shifted.

****

He looked from a hilltop on an enormous stormy, black rift hovering above an immense walled city. A barrier protecting it had been shattered long before their arrival; by now he was sure that all that were unable to teleport away were already dead. Few twisted, two-headed dragons were flying in and out of the rift, some Eldritch Elementals destroying everything in their proximity as they moved, sending unstable energies around with high pitched laughter. They were the worst, yet the invaders were supported by countless, amorphic beings, with evershifting shapes. Abominations were swarming the city walls and everything inside them.

With each passing minute, he could feel the area was becoming more and more corrupted. Before his very eyes, the reality was twisted and reshaped.

'The amounts of wild magic here... the sight both abhorrent and marvellous.'

Not for the first time he was leading an expedition that would quarantine the outbreak and then proceed to cleanse it.

‘At least finally the Council decided there is a need to act…they claimed that we are spending too much just to move troops around..’

He looked at the massive teleportation array wizards created to bring soldiers there.

‘But I am almost sure that recent deaths of archmages, when some of the cities from which they ruled fell, finally awoken them. Especially after we found out that we are not able to resurrect some of them,’ The last thought held a tinge of fear.

He focused on the rift again. A Veil they have created was preventing the enemy from noticing their preparing troops.

‘We need to be able to predict when rifts will appear and stop it from happening… Or at least fasten their closing,' The tear in the sky was shrinking, but painfully slowly, many creatures still passing to their side.

“Report situation in your perimeters” he used Sending to communicate with other mages encircling the destroyed city. Soon they will begin an attack.

****

“…Ion? Are you all right?” he heard Lyssa’s concerned voice. “You look quite pale.”

“A rift! It’s a rift, we are doomed!...” someone shouted.

Ion blinked, it appeared that some time passed during his vision. There was a commotion around, he heard some panicked people screaming. Maval was galloping towards the azure tear.

“…rifts are the bad omen, I want to return home now!”

“Don’t bitch out man, you are such a wimp!”

“I’m fine, thanks. I probably spent too much time in the saddle,” Ion tried to bluff while dismounting.

‘It felt so real, should I say someone about what I saw?’

Lyssa gave him a strange look, then turned towards the rift again.

‘Some people freak out, but for the rest it seems like a normal occurrence,’ Ion looked around.

Most guards just held their weapons at ready and slowly proceeded forward with the caravan, laughing from those who panicked.

‘And what would I say to them; that I was gathering troops against forces that passed through a rift and devoured a city at least three times bigger than Windhelm? I would be subject of jokes for a whole journey!’

“…if you ever see a rift, you must kill something within two days, or the next one will swallow you! It is what my grandma always told me!...”

“…I heard that if you jump to the other side and back, you will be granted unbelievable riches…”

“Superstitions aside, rifts to the Plane of Water that far from seas usually mean change of the weather. We should expect heavy rains beginning from that night,” Istaro was looking up from his mount; he claimed it despite seeing no traces of clouds in the sky.

Lyssa gave the cleric a hostile look. Istaro shrugged, and after confirming that the commotion wasn’t caused by anything dangerous returned to his position on the rear of the caravan.

“I wonder why all this water doesn’t just flood our side, it’s such a strange sight. It's the same for rifts from which flames can be seen, unless some elemental passes to our side, they won’t ever spread out…” Sae wondered.

Ion was looking at Maval, who now stood just before the rift with her staff extended towards it.

‘Interesting, is she trying to charge or enchant it with energy from that plane?’

In the next minute, the rift collapsed and they continued their journey. Ion still needed time to think about his experience. It was only the second time when he had a vision without sleeping; the first one when he received his Arcane Focus. Yet this vision disconnected him from the reality for much longer.

‘If something like that happens in a combat, it could be really dangerous. I might really need someone to talk about this if it gets worse… but whom I could trust?’ he considered other caravan guards, ‘It’s half bad if they take me for a freak, but being taken seriously and sold as a subject for experiments to some wizards’ guild is also a possibility.’

****

They rode for a few hours. Ion spotted a small shape on the road before them, a wolf perhaps? Dorian and Ciros closed to it and in the span of seconds it suddenly grew and took shape of Mchac.

Milas galloped past Ion heading towards the druid. He decided to follow him much slower; he was still learning to ride.

“…to find us spot by the river, why are you waiting here?”

“We rode all the way to the waystation; it is destroyed. But not by bandits, it is something I have never seen before. The forest is scared… plants are silent… animals deserted the area where the waystation is. There are also some corpses of soldiers who tried to flee. Not many ran in our direction, more were fleeing further away from the river.”

“Towards another waystation than, it’s two or three days of travel at an average pace, even longer without a horse... But did you found out how they died?”

“Some had multiple wounds made by small claws. Others had marks of being bitten and small puncture wounds as if hit by arrows, but with a too regular distance between and no shafts left in bodies.”

“And here goes our easy job. What about a camping spot?”

“About an hour from here if travelling at caravan speed. There is a clearing around the road, big enough so we should be able to put wagons in the centre and set a camp around. There is no better spot around, at least not if we aren’t willing to leave carts behind. It’s not like we would be able to take them into the forest, the wagons won’t pass. Probably no one ever bothered to prepare a camping spot around; anyone would normally spend the night in the waystation.”

“Lead the way then.”

“What is this sound?” Ciros asked after a while, hearing something Ion failed to notice.

“Probably Nonac decided to train a bit,” Mchac answered unconcerned.

Soon Ion heard sounds of metal clinging and shouts. The road turned, revealing an open area where two people sat, cheering combatants in the middle of the road. Nanoc was sparring with Airelav, both of them lightly armoured, woman nimbly dodging most of the man’s blows, only sometimes using her one-handed sword to deflect his greatsword. Both combatants were very fast and agile, something one would not expect from the massive warrior. It was soon visible to Ion that despite her great technique Airelav was pushed back more and more by the attacking man. Ion wondered about his father’s chances against her or Nonac in a single combat.

‘I hope old man is doing well.’

Two of Mchac companions that kept guard approached and greeted the arriving caravan. Soon later Milas began to coordinate setting up the camp. As they decided to stay quite far from the river Maval spent some time conjuring a grand shard of ice that would serve them as the water supply during this night’s stay.

Ion along with Reria was tasked with setting up Alarm spell around their camp. As before, they keyed it in a way it won’t activate if someone from the caravan passes through; some people went hunting something for a dinner.

“Why won’t Maval help us today? Warding such a big area is taxing,” Reria complained while they were working.

“To be honest I prefer it without the ice queen,” Ion answered.

‘How could I even consider about asking her for a favour, such as sharing spells?’

“Right, setting wards only with you is a more chilling experience. Ha ha! I must have spent too much time with Hant.”

“Also, she is probably only one Milas trust enough to set up wards around wagons. It’s troubling that someone managed to sneak just like that,” he set up another rune.

“But stealing only some potions and inks? That’s pathetic. If I’d wanted to stole I would at least take something valuable...” Reria compared the symbol she drew with the one in her spellbook.

Actually, Ion was glad when he found out that the caravan was carrying potions for sale; he decided to utilise carrying capacity of his Bag of Holding and bought fifty healing potions for coins he had left after purchasing the cloak, hoping to sell them at a profit closer to the frontlines – as merchants were doing the same he believed it was a good choice. And even if not, potions would eventually be useful during travels…

They worked in silence for a moment. ‘Maybe I take some of the inks they are giving us to create wards and try writing spells I am researching? They are surely better than one I bought recently.’

Ion put another inscribed stone on the ground so it could create the pattern correctly. In the main camp he saw people gathering woods and setting up tents, someone was also playing music.

“Are you getting along with your new team?” Reria asked.

“Well, I’ve met them before,” he told her how they fought against wyverns, “It’s only Lyssa that was someone completely new for me. But she is fine, as long as she won’t start preaching around…”

“Ha, Istaro at least seems to completely not care, fine for me. After all, gods also don’t care about anyone other than their clerics.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say that when I needed their assistance the most, they weren’t willing to help,” hearing that her tone became more harsh Ion stopped drawing and turned towards her. For a moment he saw her pained expression.

“That’s why I decided to learn magic,” she finished and turned away, returning to work.

“And how is rest of your team?” Ion decided to change the topic and break the awkward silence.

“Tori is great, bards should sing about her shooting skills. Actually, Aren already does, whenever he is not arguing with Arde or praising himself in ballads… As for Anton… yesterday Istaro caught him trying to steal his book… and later I found out that halfling took mine even before going for his!”

“Whoa..he tried to steal your spellbook?” Ion was glad that he usually kept his hidden in his Bag of Holding which also served as his pillow. Covered with some sheets it was quite comfortable and he had no better idea where to keep such a precious item at night.

“Yes, but by the time I realised the halfling took it, he already was half dead. Istaro even sliced off his arm with the glaive. It was the only time I have seen him furious, that book must be really important for him… Not that I can’t relate, I would gladly join in the thief’s trashing after I saw my spellbook lying nearby, but he was in such a pitiful state already...

It was when Adre came, she gives that soothing vibe when she wants too… she managed to convince Istaro to treat Anton’s arm and wounds enough so he would survive.

When the halfling regained his consciousness he only cried and said that he just wanted to find out what we were carrying… would you believe it?” she was still clearly agitated by those events, “To be honest, if not for his awful state back then I would bet that it was he who sneaked to the cargo wagons at night… our shouts awoken quite a lot of people, have you really slept through it all?”

“What can I say, I’m a really heavy sleeper,” Ion shrugged, it was very hard to wake him when he had visions during the night.

Ion infused the final symbol with power.

“It seems like we have finished.”

“Yay, time to eat then! I hope Tori hunted something good today.”

“I will catch you later, keep at least some food for me.”

“Don’t stay too long, there really might be something dangerous in those woods,” She gave him a last glance and returned to the camp.

Ion went a little further into the woods; only so far to not be clearly visible from the camp. Recently, if focusing, he was able to create the third Magic Missile using a spell version he used in his dreams; he wanted to spend some time training it undisturbed.