Broadswords - 38. The Revelation

Broadswords

Chapter Thirty-Eight
The Revelation

It was a day shy of marking three weeks since they had first arrived in Jhirdyr, and Phërion could sense that Roark was getting restless. Not that he cared much, but the agitation that the younger Pyromancer was displaying was definitely getting on his nerves. It went without saying that he, too, missed his loved ones back in Dorderia. But they were needed in Jhirdyr. Regardless of the fact that Roark still didn't understand a lot of how things worked or how important their role really was.

Thankfully, Roark had at least stopped vocalizing his complaints. Perhaps he'd even grown tired of hearing himself whine. He still puttered around as if he hated life, but it was far easier to ignore him that way. The silence was more pleasant.

On a more positive note, their extended stay had earned them a discounted rate on the rental of the room, which was a welcomed treat to Phërion's pocket. He didn't know how much longer they'd be there, and any breaks they could get would only help. He had more important things to worry about.

He'd been consulting the flame daily, but no new developments had come of it. It wasn't extremely surprising; the visions came when they came. He did, however, use the time to attempt to help hone Roark's skills. It was hard considering they didn't have access to a fireplace at the inn, but a few times they'd gone into the plains in order to start a bonfire. It really was the best way to learn.

Roark wasn't a quick study, but Phërion knew that part of the reason the Reformers chose them to go to Jhirdyr was to see how much Phërion could develop Roark. So as much as he hated it, he gritted his teeth and did what he could to make a sufficient Pyromancer out of the kid.

Much of their time, though, was spent at the inn. While Jhirdyr was a very sizable kingdom, it didn't seem to have as many things to do as Dorderia. They'd explored the city, but they'd run out of things to do after a handful of days. Phërion had taken the time to get to know Sal better. He was relieved to see the innkeep getting out of his funk as the days progressed, and was finding him to be decent company. Better than Roark, anyway.

Despite the amount of time they'd been at the inn, Sal was primarily the brother they'd had any interactions with. They eventually were introduced to Kep, in passing, but like his brother he seemed to be in a different place.

Finally though, that evening found Phërion alone with Kep in the dining room after closing. Sal and Roark had both gone to bed, but the other two men had decided to stay up and have a few drinks.

"I'm sorry I haven't been a more hospitable host," Kep said, looking across the table at Phërion. "I gather my brother has been doing a reasonable job, though?"

Phërion smiled, swirling his ale in its flagon. It was nice, having someone new to talk to. "He has. I could sense that he's been fighting some demons, but he's a good man. He's very capable."

Kep nodded. "He's grown a lot in the past couple months. We all have, really. It's been a very eventful time in this city. Which I know you're aware of, or else you wouldn't be here." They both chuckled, a dark reflex at the slightly uncomfortable underlying meaning. "Obviously I haven't had much time to get to know you very well, but from what I have gathered, it's impressive. Your rescue of Daegon is beyond commendable. I don't know that I've met a mancer before."

The statement didn't surprise him. "I understand there aren't many left in Jhirdyr. At least not openly," Phërion said.

"Is it different in Dorderia?" Kep still seemed like he had a lot on his mind, but it was clear that he was making an effort. Phërion could also tell that the man liked to learn, based on the way he looked at him after asking a question.

"I think it's safe to say that mancies in general have a relatively negative connotation since the Dark Collective has been active. It's still rather underground, but it has certainly had an impact on all of us. But yes, it's not quite as taboo in Dorderia as it seems to be here. Then again, we're not quite as large as Jhirdyr, either."

It was true. Jhirdyr was one of the largest kingdoms across all of the continents. It was also one of the most progressive, one of the most powerful, and one of the best places to live (if one didn't care about options for entertainment, as Phërion did). However, its stance on magical abilities had to be one of the least enlightened.

"I see," Kep said simply, staring absentmindedly into his wine glass.

They didn't say much for a while after that, both of them instead focusing on their drinks. They'd both been through a lot, after all, and alcohol seemed like as good of a remedy as anything. Phërion himself found it hard to think about much else aside from what he'd experienced since he'd arrived in Jhirdyr.

"What has you still up at this hour, anyway?" Phërion asked. He knew Kep was involved with the happenings revolving around the cave. But his sullenness wasn't related to that. Phërion was a perceptive person, and he could tell that there was more to what was going on than just the issue of the dragons. He didn't need to read that in a fire, either. Kep's face bore it all.

Kep sighed. "To be honest with you, I haven't been sleeping well lately. I've been having odd dreams. Not nightmares, necessarily, but still… they're… unsettling. And… I don't quite know how to explain it. They've been… almost foretelling things. It's like they contain things that have been happening… and also things that are about to."

Intrigued, Phërion leaned inward. He wasn't sure yet, but it seemed like the dreams Kep was having were more than regular dreams. There wasn't much to go on, but the hesitation in Kep's voice triggered something within him. "Like what?"

With obvious hesitation, Kep continued. It seemed like he was nervous to share with someone, but at the same time like he wanted to get it off his chest. "The dreams… they involved people I haven't seen in a long time. Three of them, in fact. My old friend Jeno… I hadn't seen him in years, but then I reconnected with him. It was technically of my own doing, but it was almost like the dream guided me to do so. And my childhood friend Alanna… or, Lana, actually. I hadn't seen her in an even longer amount of time, but suddenly I had an encounter with her, too. But I didn't seek that one out."

There was a lull as the two men sat at the table, Kep still staring at his glass and Phërion staring at Kep. The silence was almost too much to handle. His hunch was becoming stronger. "And the third?"

"Pardon?" Kep asked, finally looking away from his drink and making eye contact. There was a sadness there, a concern that Phërion hadn't seen from someone in a long time.

"Who was the third person, in your dream?"

"My mother," Kep said softly.

Phërion didn't know quite what the tone indicated, so he treaded carefully. "I see. Is she still…?"

The inquiry remained unfinished, but Kep understood. "I don't know. She disappeared when I was ten. Sal was twelve. We don't know exactly what became of her. We woke up one morning, and she was gone. At first, we thought perhaps she'd gone to the market or something of that nature. But she never came back."

It was an awkward moment. It was very evident that it was not a topic Kep was fond of. And for that, Phërion felt guilty. But truthfully, the guilt wasn't as important in Phërion's mind as was the appearance of Kep's old friends and his mother in the dreams. And the reference to the mother got Phërion's gears turning.

"Kep… was your mother a mancer?" It didn't roll off his tongue extremely easily, but the ale helped get the question out there.

"I'm sorry?" Kep asked. Phërion couldn't tell if he was angry, confused, or otherwise. Regardless, the question had obviously taken him by surprise. He wasn't quite as mellow as he'd been, and seemed more focused now.

"Or your father?" Phërion added.

"Not that I'm aware of. He was an amazing chef, a great people person, but his abilities didn't go beyond that as far as I know. He didn't ever indicate that he had a magical bone in his body."

Phërion noted the detail in which Kep provided regarding his father, yet had little to say about his mother. In fact, he hadn't said anything about her at all. He felt he could be pressing his luck, but he continued. "But what about your mother? Do you know if she was a mancer?"

"I really couldn't say. She left us when we were children. She disappeared. I only have vague recollections of her, and most of those are clouded even more so by the feelings of abandonment I've had for all these years." Though he'd only been in Kep's company a short time, Phërion knew it was a sensitive subject. "Why do you ask, anyway?"

Phërion felt like he was on to something. He didn't necessarily enjoy causing Kep to feel uncomfortable, but his suspicions were pushing him forward. So he continued. "Mancies are hereditary, for the most part. There have been mancers born from parents with no magical abilities, and there have been those that didn't acquire a lick of magical blood from two parents who were both capable. But both of those are rare. If your father wasn't able to produce magic, but your mother was, there's a 50-50 chance that you possess mancer abilities."

Kep stared. "What are you getting at?" There was an airy wonder about the way Kep asked the question, as if he was intrigued by what Phërion was saying. As if the thought had never crossed his mind. And if he'd never had any reason to expect it, why would it have?

"Your dreams… I don't think they're normal, run-of-the-mill dreams. They seem prophetic. Divine. As if there's something else there. What I'm getting at… is maybe they're not regular dreams at all. What if you're… what if you're an Oneiromancer?" It was another question he had to force out. While Dorderia certainly was more open-minded about magic, even there one had to be cautious about bringing up the subject so casually.

"A what?" Kep asked. His eyebrow quirked upward on his forehead. Phërion could tell that the word held no meaning to him. He couldn't say he was surprised, nor did he really expect Kep to understand.

He tried to explain it as simply as possible, without making Kep feel stupid. "An Oneiromancer. It's another mancy, like Pyromancy. But it uses dreams instead of fire. Oneiromancers can see things in their dreams. Things that are going to happen."

Kep didn't say anything for quite a while. He stared at Phërion from across the table, but his mouth remained closed. Phërion feared that maybe he'd pushed some buttons after all, but he was sure that he had uncovered something. Whether or not Kep wanted to believe it, Phërion was certain that Kep was developing Oneiromancer powers.

If he was right, it could be a whole new wrench in Elsior's plan that nobody could have expected. If he was right, Kep could be far more valuable in this battle than anyone could have dreamed. Even Kep himself.

Finally, Kep broke the silence. "I… uh… I think it's time for bed. I'm tired, and I've had a bit more wine than I'm used to. I think this is a conversation for another time."

Phërion didn't say anything as Kep stood and slowly walked away from the table. Though he'd gotten his speculations out there, he still had a lot more questions. He couldn't remember having ever met a mancer that wasn't aware of what they were capable of.

As Kep disappeared into the darkness, and the echoes of his footsteps on the creaking stairs in the distance faded, Phërion was left alone with his thoughts. He knew everything was coming to an apex. The battle was brewing, but it was only going to be the beginning of things. Even if Elsior's plan was stopped, even if the man himself was destroyed, a war would emerge.