Broadswords - 50. Epilogue

Broadswords

Epilogue

She sat silently in her cell. There was a drip somewhere in the darkness, and the occasional scurrying noises made by rats, but otherwise there were no sounds. It made it easy for her to get lost in her thoughts.

Though many people in the kingdom of Jhirdyr might not remember who the king had once been, Rea could never forget. He used to be an advocate for the mancies. Back when Rea was younger and coming into her own, she remembered how the king had supported the abilities of those capable of mancies, both divination and manipulation.

Then one day, things changed. It was sudden. It didn't happen slowly; one day the king was supporting the mancers and the next he'd taken a whole new stance. It was without warning or explanation, which angered Rea more. She'd been so proud to be a citizen of Jhirdyr, with how open-minded and accepting it was. Being an innkeeper's wife with developing abilities, she'd been a huge supporter of the king. But when his opinion changed, so did hers.

She still had no idea what had happened to him. Why he'd completely altered his views. As far as she was aware, he'd never made any kind of formal announcement on the matter, either. Not that it would make a difference. She couldn't imagine that any reasoning he had would be justified.

At the time, she had thoroughly debated what to do. While mancies weren't being outlawed, it was clear that they were being shunned. To be a visible mancer within the community, it would only spell trouble for her and her family. She saw what it did to other mancers that lived nearby. They were driven outward, toward the furthest edges of the kingdom. They were avoided by the other citizens of the city. She couldn't let that happen to her. No, she didn't want to leave them – her husband, her sons. They meant the world to her. But so did her abilities.

Which is when she left Jhirdyr. One night, when everyone was asleep, she gathered a few of her belongings. Some clothes, her locket, a few other random necessities. She kissed them each on the forehead, what she knew could be her final goodbye. And she departed into the night.

Eventually, she'd made her way to Oestra. Along her journeys, she'd heard tales of the powerful Oneiromancers that lived there. She'd need a mentor, so she knew it was where she had to go. And when she got there, aside from the occasional thought of the family she'd left behind, she didn't look back.

Over the years, her powers became incredibly strong. She was a fast learner and according to her mentor, a natural. She'd become a full-fledged Oneiromancer in no time at all, and was soon approached by the Dark Collective. With the fire that still burned in her soul, the anger and resentment she had for the man that had once promised people like her a place to strive, she didn't hesitate to join their ranks. For a while, she thought that maybe it was a hasty decision. But after learning what the Collective was all about, she knew she'd made the right choice. These were like-minded people, people who just wanted the same things she wanted.

And now, sitting in her cell, all of those thoughts were in the forefront of her mind. The king had bested her. He'd locked her up. But he hadn't acted alone.

Her own son had caused this. She thought she could trust him, thought he would understand. Especially once he'd opened up to her in revealing that he might be an Oneiromancer himself. Did he not realize how irrational he was being, supporting a king that forced mancers to keep their abilities quiet?

She'd only come back to this hellhole city to rescue her boys. But it was clear to her now that at least one of them wanted nothing to do with her. And so she'd fallen into a trap.

She surmised that Elsior had probably fallen in battle. While he had been a protégé of hers, he was nothing if not foolish. His cockiness would eventually get the best of him, and it would probably be now. She didn't know what else he had up his sleeve, but she was certain that her son and his cohorts would be involved in trying to resolve everything.

The Collective would likely have to step in soon. Elsior had stirred up a lot of problems, and though his plans were in no way affiliated with the organization as a whole, their name would be brought up. They'd have to get involved in some way. She could only hope that they'd learn of her imprisonment and get her out of there.

But until then, she'd continue dwelling. About the king. About Kep. About the wrongs both of them had done to her. She would get her revenge, in the end.

It was just a matter of time.