“Does Nerian know of this?”
“Yes.”
“And it didn’t change his mind?”
“He never wavered. I spent the last two years learning ancient Seti using the King’s own translations. When I went back to the Iluminus, there were a few more texts dealing with the demise of Seti. Nerian’s actions will bring about a cataclysm caused by a cult worshipping Amuni and using shadelings for their armies.”
Stefan’s eyebrows shot up his forehead. “Dear Ilumni save us.” As he said the words though, more doubts concerning Galiana’s intentions crowded his mind. Her knowledge seemed all too convenient. And it made Nerian appear as vile a man as any. Something Stefan could not believe. “What did Nerian say when you told him?” he asked, voice soft.
“He said that is but one path. He believes he can prevent whatever is coming. At that point, I knew he had to be stopped. Which brings me to the second part of what you can do.” Galiana strode over to the table with the wrapped bundle.
Frowning, Stefan watched as she picked up the cloth and gingerly unwrapped it. When the material fell away, it revealed a plain leather scabbard and a simple hilt. Stefan’s brows drew together tighter. A sword?
“This,” Galiana said, reverently, “is the key, not only for your children but the Setian as a people.”
Eyes full of hope she unsheathed a sword, its metal carrying the high silver shine of imbuement. A divya. But the way she held it out like some offering before the altar of a god spoke of something special.
CHAPTER 9
Unimpressed, Stefan shrugged. “It’s a divya. The King’s armies carry thousands of them much like the one on my hip.” He indicated his sword. “What’s so different about this one?”
“According to the Chronicles this is an Access Key to another, greater divya,” Galiana said. “One able to unleash a power to rival the gods themselves. The tomes also state this is the way to ensure a remnant of the Setian will survive the coming times.”
“Can it be used to defeat Nerian?”
Galiana shrugged. “No one knows how powerful he is, not even me, and I trained against him on several occasions. I lost every session.”
Stefan shook his head in resignation. “If a High Shin like yourself cannot defeat him, how do you expect me, a simple Dagodin, to succeed? The divya is useless to me. Nerian would kill me the moment he senses I’m a threat.”
Galiana snorted. “I never understood why you Dagodin underestimate yourselves. You can do what we Ashishin or any other Forger cannot, yet, you complain.”
“I think you overestimate us. Honestly, do you think wielding some weapon imbued with Mater is better than being able to Forge?”
“Pwah.” Galiana’s eyes glittered angrily. “Has a Dagodin gone mad or died from the influence of the essences? For too long now you have allowed your fear of being a Matii and of Matii in general cloud your judgment. On some days, Stefan, we would trade our places with yours for some semblance of a normal life. The knowledge that our deaths will inevitably come because of our gift is a thing we struggle with every day. Imagine doing so while living to my age.”
“Sometimes I wish I could live to your age,” Stefan retorted. “Many would give themselves for such a chance.”
“Honey.” Thania’s supple fingers touched his shoulder. “She’s right. I dread the day when I won’t recognize any of the people I love. One moment I’ll be well … the next … I’ll be gone.”
His wife’s pain resonated in her eyes. Truth be told, he wouldn’t trade his ability or his shorter life span for the longevity of any Shin. He couldn’t imagine not recognizing Thania’s beautiful face or her sweet voice. He was almost overwhelmed as he studied his children and thought of losing what he’d gained. “So how does the sword work?”
“I’m not certain. The Chronicles were not specific about its use. There was a picture of a Dagodin wielding the weapon and the three elements of Mater flying off into a spire. I …” Galiana shook her head, “I think he was using the sword to Forge.”
“Impossible,” Stefan whispered. The possibility of a Dagodin using a divya to Forge Mater in this fashion would change the scope of every war.
“Normally, I would agree,” Galiana said with a slight nod, “but I’m inclined to believe the Chronicles.” She held out the sword to him.
Gingerly, he took the weapon, turning the scabbard in his hands. The leather was of simple yet intricate craftsmanship. Nothing stood out at first, but upon closer inspection, he could not discern where one part of the material joined with the other. The pieces appeared seamless. He unsheathed the sword. Lamplight glittered off the blade’s edge. He was willing to bet the sword would cut metal if he tried. Runes and glyphs ran up and down the flat of the blade. A tingling sensation crept up his arm and through the rest of his body. He held the weapon out before him and frowned. The sword felt as if he’d wielded the thing for years, one with his arm, like an old lover’s tender caress.
“One other thing about this,” Galiana said.
“Hmm?”
“It is said to be able to warn you if a shadeling is close.”
Mouth dropping open, Stefan was at a loss for words. A weapon able to identify shadelings? A hand stroking his chin, he shook his head as he considered the sword. No wonder the Tribunal had kept such a thing hidden deep within the Iluminus. How many of these did they possess?
“I can see your mind work, Stefan,” Galiana said. “I checked myself. The Tribunal’s Imbuers attempted to duplicate this for nearly two hundred years. Every one of them failed. This is the only divya of its kind.”
“Makes sense then. They would have conquered the rest of the world long ago if they had more.” He sheathed the sword, unclipped his own weapon from his sword belt, and attached the new one. The scabbard felt as if it belonged. “How did you manage to escape with this anyway?”
Galiana smiled mischievously. “I Forged a construct that was an exact duplicate. By the time they realized, I was long gone.”
A sudden thought struck Stefan. “Why do you think this was meant for me?”
“Part of the passage concerning the weapon … it said:
‘When the Setian once again become an empire,
A King shall be blinded by memory lost and desire
To wield the power the gods wrought
He shall sow chaos as his lot
Under the influence and with armies of shade,
Man and child sacrificed for the way laid
Mater feeds life, Darkness descends,
Ever encroaching until the light transcends,
Wielded by a warrior from the line of thorns
The first part of the Aegis will see their ancient line reborn.’
One eyebrow arched, Stefan asked, “That refers to me how?”
“One from the line of thorns,” Galiana explained. “In ancient Seti, your name Dorn means thorn. Your lineage is what the passage speaks of. This sword belongs to the Dorns. Supposedly, only one of you can harness the power residing within it. Coupled with your triumph over the Astocans when the King officially declared Seti to now be an empire, and considering his plans, the conclusion seemed obvious.”
“But you also suggested he will turn to the shade,” Stefan said. “That, I cannot believe.”
Shin Galiana shrugged. “I would not believe he would try to tap into the Forging used to create The Great Divide either, but that is his intention. No one can tell what will happen then. The power in the Divide is as unfathomable and unstable as anything I have ever witnessed.”
“Maybe he knows something you don’t? That none of us do?” Thania said, lips pursed.