[Book II Chapter 13] SARAH: An unexpected visitor

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Why am here? Sarah was piloting Astra’s airship, Exodia, above the Blue Abyss. Lily was leaning on the rails up front, peering down at a trail of ice.

True to her word, Astra was intent on taking care of Kyrgyzstan’s invasion force. Exodia would pick her up once she was done.

I’m so tempted to flip us upside down to sent Lily overboard. Unfortunately she can fly. The little imp had requested Sarah as a chauffeur, and Astra had agreed.

A petty, pointless act on both their part. I have work to do. Plus I’m expecting someone today. Swallowing the complaints, Sarah accelerated. Land had come into view. Might as well enjoy the spectacle.

She parked above the edge of the Blue Abyss and joined Lily. Two miles below, across from the floating wall of water, a small airship armada was traveling above a line of vehicles.

I feel bad for the horses. A cavalry was galloping alongside the convoy, blue pelts and violet manes swaying in the wind. Cloud striders were a popular equestrian breed, capable of briefly running on air to navigate gaps in the fractured earth. I suppose I should pity their riders too. They were just following orders.

“I have never seen Astra do this before.” Lily commented. “I’m pretty excited.”

Sarah didn’t respond, looking back at the approaching trail of ice. There was no indication of whatever horror was swimming in its wake.

Astra followed the ocean’s surface as it curved down, jumping once it went vertical. On wings of ice, she’d soared through the armada before anyone could react.

Then the Blue Abyss exploded, a gigantic coiling mass springing into view. Holy hell, a hydra! The size of a small city, the multi-headed serpent pulled itself out of the water, crashing through Kyrgyzstan’s military.

Astra flew upwards, disappearing into a narrow fissure. Several heads smashed after her, vainly trying to follow. Once it realize it’d lost its prey, the beast raged, turning on the scattering army. Enormous jaws scrapped the earth, soldiers and mounts disappearing between jagged teeth. Smaller airships were swallowed whole. A one-sided carnage caused by a ruler’s mad ambition and Astra’s ruthlessness.

“Before sealing Earth’s End, Astra took out an army of chimeras the same away.” Lily offered. “She’s the only one crazy enough to run on the Blue Abyss.”

Astra returned while the hydra vented its fury, and they departed before it noticed. Sarah piloted while the two immortals conversed outside. Frankly, she was all too happy to be ignored.

She snuck off as soon as they docked at the Isle, making her way through the Obsidian Cavern. Around the formerly Empty City, workers were scurrying about refurbishing buildings. In another year, they’ll be ready to accept inhabitants. She’d been so curious about this place while steward. Never would she have guessed she’d be granted access. Or that I’d become Astra’s slave.

Retrieving her tarot deck, Sarah drew three card. The Chariot, the Knight, and the Hermit. In this setting, the Chariot announced an arrival. The Knight would appear today. That could be any number of people, but, in her experience, it meant her elder brother.

Why would he visit? She dreaded the prospect, while also longing for it. Andrew was everything she aspired to be, and everything she wasn’t. A hero of Tulven, loved by the people and admired by all. Sharing their mother’s air affinity, he’d inherit her martial arts to become one of Enera’s youngest immortals.

She couldn’t even bring herself to be jealous. Andrew was her one true ally. After their father passed away and everyone had given up on her, he’d offered steadfast support, lending an ear to her troubles and doing what he could to resolve them. Without him lobbying mother, I would’ve never been made Steward of the Isle.

While she was certain he’d aid her again, as he always had, she wasn’t sure she had the right to his forgiveness. I failed so badly this time, in so many ways…

When she reached the finance department, the receptionist waved to her, “You have a visitor.”

There he was, Andrew Godspeed, leaning against the wall. Wavy brown hair surrounded his handsome face, with a confident smile on his lips. The metal plates woven into on his leather armor shone silver, and argent clouds covered his black cloak. Tulven’s champion.

Wordlessly, she led him to a unused conference room. She had no desire for Radin’s ghost to spectate this meeting. They silently sat across from each other as emotions wracked her.

Before she could find the words, Andrew took out an unremarkable, gnarled walking stick from a velvet bag and handed it to her. Confused, she accepted.

As her fingers touched the gift, white runes flashed over its surface. She felt it, to the very core of her soul. The magic within was unfathomably deep. Not merely high sorcery, she held a supreme instrument of uncontestable might. Understanding came too. Her destiny would shift with this. It could grant her power the likes she’d only dreamed of.

A lifetime of worry melted way. She’d found her way forward. Sarah gripped the wood so hard she trembled. Despite her profound gratitude, she couldn’t help herself, “If only… If only I’d had this sooner…”

Those years of useless struggling, enduring her mother’s disappointed gaze. The envy of watching others enjoy the life she longed for. The lengths she had descended in her desperation to follow. There would’ve been no need for the feud with Lily, allying with monsters, conspiring to kill children… No need for any of it. Out of relief and grief, Sarah sobbed her heart out.

Her brother watched in quiet understanding. “Sorry…” He whispered.

He’s always felt guilt over his good fortune. This is him once more trying to make amends… And he’s outdone himself.

“What is this,” Sarah asked, finally composing herself. “And how did you get it?”

“It was thanks to Rana.” Andrew explained. Rana was the fortune teller who’d taught Sarah her craft. “When she learned what happened to you, she spent days locked up, scrying the future. She emerged elated, sending me to Nevoir’s treasury.”

Nevoir was a high level dungeon often frequented by new immortals. Successfully navigating its perils entitled a challenger to pick one item from its vast treasure room. Occasionally rare finds were brought back, but she’d never heard of anything like this.

“Clearing the dungeon was hard, but nothing I couldn’t handle. However, I was completely lost afterwards. Rana didn’t give me a description of what I was meant to retrieve. I was left wandering for hours, narrowing down the selection by process of elimination, searching for a sign.”

“So how did you choose?” Sarah asked.

“Would you believe I saw a ghost?” Andrew smiled. “For the briefest moment, an elderly figure in white appeared, pointing to an ordinary stick behind a pile of gold.”

“Rana identified the previous owner upon my return. It belonged to Orion, the wandering recluse, a blind immortal who perished during the last Dark Age. He might be the only one sharing your affinity to have reached the Wall of Legends. His staff was called the Miracle Worker, and I’m sure it’ll help you.”

Sarah cradled her legendary artifact, letting the words sink in. Finally, she awkwardly asked, “How are things in Tulven?”

Andrew grimaced, “Not great. The Twisted Lands have grown unsafe, with rifts suddenly linking to dangerous realms and new ones forming from nowhere. Tulven is too isolated on the coast and will have to be abandoned…” He leaned back, sighing. “Then there’s Mother. She’s never cared for nation building, and, since father passed away, she’s spent much of her time in Aery. It’s taking everything I have to convince her to stay and help organize the evacuations.”

Andrew looked her in the eyes, “I would love to stay and catch up, but I really must go… Also, you don’t really want talk right now, do you?”

Sarah said nothing, simply looking down. He nodded, “I’ll visit again once things have settled down. Till then, hang in there.”

With that, he walked out the door.