C5 "Mesyth..."

"Mesyth Petora"
(WC 2622)

“Mother!” Mesyth squealed when she caught sight of Delyth. Though she had run away from home a few years before, Mesyth never felt as though she had defied her parents' wishes by her actions. Delyth herself had expressed approval for Mesyth's desires. Only her sister Aelyth disapproved of her plans to become a mage. Seeing her mother again after such a long absence was a great relief to Mesyth.
Delyth had caught up to her daughter late in the day, after Mesyth's studies were completed. They both hurried to embrace each other, but Mesyth immediately realized, in spite of the long absence, something was different about her mother's demeanor.
“What is wrong?” She asked from the safety of her mother's embrace.
Delyth continued to hold her close in silence, knowing that news of Heirzem's death would crush her poor daughter's spirit. Both of her daughters had bonded very quickly with Heirzem after Delyth and he were married. Heirzem filled a much-needed void in their lives, something that Delyth had been concerned about as her daughters grew up. They needed a father in their lives.
Telling Mesyth what had happened was difficult. Part of her wanted to be blunt about it, to have the truth out and clean up after. But another part of her wondered if there might be some other way to tell of what had happened.
“I have wanted to come see you every day.” Delyth began, stroking Mesyth's hair. “Do you remember the project Heirzem wanted to pursue?”
“The settlement?” Mesyth wanted to be sure.
“Yes, Hearkendale. Shortly after you set out for Dour Gujhest, he got approval for the project.” Delyth smiled to herself inadvertently. “He was so passionate about it.”
“So... you have not been at the temple these years?” Mesyth pulled back and looked up into Delyth's face.
“No, daughter, we have been only a little way from here, working hard to establish Heirzem's vision. I have missed both you and Aelyth terribly, but the process of putting it all together has demanded constant attention.” Delyth paused again and gripped Mesyth's hand. “I was planning to come see you soon, but I couldn't help but think that there was something... wrong about Hearkendale. We were both looking into it every day, trying to find the source.”
“Tell me what is wrong, mother, you are scaring me.” Mesyth feared the worst.
“I want you to know that Heirzem and I are both very proud of you.” Delyth steeled herself against the moment. “But I did not come here only to visit you. A demon attacked Hearkendale and the mages have asked me to come and speak with them about what happened. But Mesyth, I was away during the attack and... Heirzem died defending the town.”
“What?” Came the pained whisper. Mesyth's head spun and she staggered a bit, trying to come closer to her mother. Delyth wrapped her arms around her daughter swiftly and guided her to a nearby bench. Mesyth's small body began to shake with sobs as she curled tighter and closer to her mother. How could Heirzem be dead?

-[ ]-

“Mesyth has much to deal with,” Phillip began, “I do not think you could easily convince her to attend to this errand. She has not yet passed beyond the School of Lesser Elemental Magic and I sense there will be a measure of hesitation in her. She will not wish to abandon her studies so soon when there is much left for her to learn.”
It had been almost a day since Delyth was dismissed from the White Council, but Phillip still stood before them, answering questions and sharing any insights that he could muster. The discussion had turned now to an emissarial mission to the Jaltikij kingdom. It had been a long time since the Jaltikij agreed to allow any mage to step across their borders. Long ago, when the Ancient Kingdom was teetering on the precipice of its eventual demise, the Jaltikij legend claimed that it was the mages who fractured what remained. It was the source of distrust between the Jaltikij empire and Dour Gujhest. For their part, the mages had always respected the neighboring kingdom's desire to be free from any mage influence. All of the mages White and Red were strictly forbidden from visiting Jaltikij lands. The White Council took it so seriously that any mage who was known to have broken this one rule would be banished from Dour Gujhest permanently.
But there was nothing in the Jaltikij legend that spoke to exactly why the mages were so deeply distrusted by an entire kingdom. Though they were blamed for the downfall of the Ancient Kingdom, there was no account of what exactly they had done to deserve such infamy. Phillip knew that a convoy into the Jaltikij lands with a mage was an important moment in the history of their world.
He could see the logic of the White Council in suddenly latching onto Mesyth Petora as an obvious candidate. The Jaltikij in recent days had often pointed to the division between the Eclosei and Dour Gujhest as evidence of the corruption they felt permeated the mage society. Sending a young mage who had roots in both the Eclosei and Dour Gujhest would serve to silence those sort of accusations before they would even need to be answered.
Phillip himself worried, though, about the inexperience of Mesyth. Would it really be the wisest course to send a mage who knew very little of magic instead of one who was powerful and well-versed in their ways? It seemed to him that the Jaltikij deserved honesty and experience more than they deserved a token.
Kitcau sighed. “I fear you are right about her reluctance. We are going to call for a day of release.”
The day of release was a great moment in a mage's life. Phillip still remembered his own day of release, the nervousness and the great hope within him to be assigned to something noble or important. His station wasn't so bad, but it certainly hadn't held the romantic nobility of what they were proposing to hand to Mesyth. Being released from Dour Gujhest on an assignment was essentially the same as being ordered to do so. Mesyth would have little choice in the matter if they did call a day of release. She could either accept the assignment with gratitude or she could refuse and be banished from the school. Refusals were no light matter to the White Council. Phillip thought it a cruel position to put a grieving young woman into, but he could understand the importance of the moment. If Dour Gujhest failed to send the correct person on this convoy it could mean another century of strife between the Jaltikij and Dour Gujhest. Mending old wounds was far more important than looking after the fragile feelings of a student. Or so the logic of it seemed to say.
“I too am reluctant to press such a hard task on a young student,” Viligau spoke up, “But I have searched the matter thoroughly and I know this is the right thing to do. Mesyth Petora should go. What we need to know is what you think of Delyth and how she will advise her daughter in this situation.”
“I think Delyth will do what is best for her daughter. I cannot say what that is.” Phillip shrugged helplessly. “My judgement is clouded by what is best for Dour Gujhest, what is best for the Sinzakij, and what is best for the Jaltikij. Delyth left her home at Isteray to take on a mission she deemed to be important. I believe she understands the importance of such work.”
Viligau nodded and sat back. Lylis, Ilsodar and Kitcau were whispering to each other. The White Council had been known to carry on in this manner for days at a time. Mages who had been taught at the School of Life Magic were all instructed in a magical technique which imbued them with the ability to stay awake and alert for days at a time. This sort of magic took its toll eventually, requiring a red mage of Phillip's caliber to seek rest and recovery afterward. The benefit of dealing with such matters fully in one session far outweighed any inconvenience to come afterward.
Fortunately for Phillip, this session would not last for days. His efficiency in relating the details of his experiences and the White Council's desire to deal with the matter of Mesyth Petora were bringing his report swiftly to a close and he could sense it was so. Still, he wondered what the White were discussing between themselves so intently.
“We are releasing you from the matter of demonic research. Losing Ethegra to such corruption is a serious blow to many of us who valued him as a friend. We will mourn together. Though discovering the root of these demonic attacks must still be a priority for us, we feel that your talents would be better served by following Delyth and determining by what means she was able to defeat a demon. If she was granted divine power to free herself and retain her own will, we must know how this is accomplished.” Viligau leaned forward again and repeated for emphasis. “We must know how she defeated the demon. This concludes our meeting.”
As the White Mages stood and made their way out of the room, Phillip pondered how best to discover something about Delyth which she had stated repeatedly she had no intention of revealing. Perhaps he should try to force her to tell him. There were magics that could be used to delve into her mind. The very thought of such an action disgusted Phillip though.
There would be no sense in asking Delyth again about the matter. She would only become annoyed by his persistence. Perhaps if he simply observed her interactions without her knowledge he could glean some insight into what ability she possessed. This would probably be the best method of uncovering the truth. If she thought that she was alone and nobody was watching her, then Phillip could possibly catch a glimpse of what secret she was keeping hidden from the mages. It would be a difficult task, he knew. She was renowned for her ability to disappear suddenly and Phillip himself had struggled to find even a trace of her in the forest outside Hearkendale when Chulon had asked him to find her.
Still, he could think of no other way to uncover the truth of the matter.

-[ ]-

The day of release had not gone as the White Council had hoped. Mesyth had not said a word when they assigned her to the diplomatic caravan. She did not acknowledge or accept the assignment, she simply turned and walked away quickly.
Viligau knew better than to push the matter with the young woman. Normally a mage's refusal to respond to the White Council would be a serious offense, but he valued Mesyth for this mission too highly to rush off on brash procedure. They allowed her to leave without a word, hoping that she would return later and accept the assignment. The whole affair had certainly caused a stir within Dour Gujhest. The combined effect of the newfound knowledge of Mesyth's origins and her silence in the face of a highly esteemed release served to grant her some infamy amongst her fellow students. Very few people understood the problems at the root of the situation. Very few people knew that Mesyth's father had recently been killed by a demonic attack. It was this knowledge that held the hand of the White Council in the matter and provided Mesyth an opportunity to sort out how she felt about the matter.
“How could I go?” She cried from Delyth's lap. Mesyth had spent a lot of time crying lately. She wanted nothing more than to return to the Temple at Mount Isteray where she could feel the comfort of her mother and sister at the expense of the rest of the world.
Delyth stroked her daughter's hair lightly, allowing some time before speaking about this new development. She was irritated that the mages had been so inconsiderate in their dealings with her daughter. It would have harmed nothing to wait a few weeks or months before pressing forward with their diplomatic convoy. Still, she readily recognized the value of the placement being offered to Mesyth.
“Darling, there are events of great importance at work in our lives today.” She said softly. “Your father felt the call of greatness just like you are feeling it now. He knew there would be danger and difficulty, but he faced his calling anyway. Let his example guide you.”
Mesyth calmed ever so slightly, her tears running themselves out and her body settling away from the sobs which had ruled it until now. There was warmth and comfort in her mother's embrace and it was a safe place from which she could look out at the rest of the world and think about what lay before her with some clarity. It was a wonderful thing that the bond between mother and daughter had survived the years of absence. Despite the harshness of the events which brought them together again, Mesyth felt just as much comfort in Delyth's presence as she had when she still lived in the same house.
Leaving Dour Gujhest seemed all wrong to her. It had surprised her to be called before the White Council on a day of release for none knew better than Mesyth that she was not yet finished with her training. Kind old Viligau had taken the effort to assure her training would continue once she returned from this assignment. It still seemed so very strange to be released on a matter of such importance before she was finished with even the basics of magical training.
Nevertheless, it was obvious that this assignment was filled with all kinds of prestige. The other mages had looked upon her with such a sense of awe once it had been offered to her. Like she was special in some unseen way and it had earned her special consideration. She wished that were true, but she feared she had only been chosen because of her history with the Eclosei. Delyth had comforted those insecurities away, reminding her that whoever they chose to go would have to be someone worthy of representing Dour Gujhest. It would have to be someone that they were confident in, someone who could be trusted to answer any questions about the mage society with honesty and tact. If the White Council did not feel Mesyth was capable of such things, they would not have asked her to go.
Time passed in silence as she lay in her mother's comforting embrace and pondered the seriousness of it all. This was her chance to make a difference in the world. Her chance to do something which would help all of the mages. It was an important opportunity, and realizing this revealed another part of her, deep inside, which desired to be the person who opened the Jaltikij borders to Dour Gujhest in renewed friendship and trust.
“If I go, will you come with me?” Mesyth looked up at her mother with hope.
Delyth sighed deeply and sadly. “I wish that I could. I want nothing more than to be at your side, my dear. But your sister remains at the temple. I fear she has already heard news of what happened. I need to be there for her as well.”
It was true. What must Aelyth be going through, all alone at the temple hearing news of Heirzem's death?