The sun was just beginning to climb over the distant horizon as Taegin made his way down the Rhydian Pass into Caegwen. The tops of the sea of snow-crested trees before him glistened with the first rays of sunlight.
It's been almost ten years since I've been back here. I wonder if anything has changed, he thought as he patted his horse's neck.
It was a beautiful white stallion bred from the same family as Celer. Though his horse was nearly a year younger than Celer, it had been trained to the highest levels that Coltend had to offer. A thick leather saddle was beneath him, embroidered with the breeder's symbol as was customary of such a gift.
He continued down the path and sunk beneath the canopy, using mana to push the snow out of the way of his horse. It wasn't merely for convenience's sake, as it helped to serve as a warding spell for any creatures that might want to come too close.
There is only one creature here that could pose a threat to me, but I'd rather not risk my horse's life on his first mission due to carelessness, he thought as he looked as far into the forest as he could.
The trees seemed to bend and move out of his sight, almost as if they cowered at his presence. He sent out multiple tendrils of earth and wind attribute mana to try and find anything that might pose a threat, but after a few moments of searching, he found nothing.
Siraye's first note said that those creatures she fought just before Thoma was taken were hegraphenes, but it shouldn't have been possible for them to be here. Her second was a call for help regarding one of the artifacts. At this point, I'm sure I'll just have more questions than answers until I talk to her, he thought as he furrowed his brow.
Within a few hours of riding, he found himself approaching the borders of Myrdin, where a familiar face was waiting for him. "Welcome home, Taegin," Nenvalur called out with a wave. "It's good to be back. How has your time here been? Uneventful, I hope," Taegin said with a warm smile.
Nenvalur paused, likely thinking of the best way to answer that question. "I wouldn't go so far as to say it was uneventful," he began awkwardly. "Still, I think it would be best if you heard about the situation from Siraye. She's got a lot of information that I think you'll be interested in," he continued, signaling for the massive, root-like gate to open and reveal the city behind it.
"No place like home, right?" Nenvalur said with a grin that Taegin could feel mirrored his own. "No place like home," he said with a soft chuckle before dismounting his horse. "This place almost feels like it's been trapped in time. Sometimes, I wonder if it actually is," Nenvalur said as he followed behind Taegin.
"I couldn't agree more. Every time I come here, I'm reminded of the stagnation caused by the Great Partition, but there is little I can do about that, now," Taegin said distantly, prompting Nenvalur to regard him curiously. "What's on your mind?" he asked bluntly. "Heh, you're not one to beat around the bush, are you?" Taegin asked with a wry smile.
"I try my best to keep things simple. Do this mission. Kill the creatures who threaten our people. Give respect where it's due. Don't mince words. I could go on all day about keeping things simple, but everything in this world has grown so incredibly complicated in the last century that I sometimes wonder if I'm the one in the wrong," Nenvalur said with a shrug.
"It's not a bad way to live," Taegin began, observing a group of children chase a small, glowing ball infused with mana to make it move. "Sometimes, the simpler approach is the best. Right now, however, I think it's best if I save my more pressing questions for my daughter," he continued, feeling a warm smile grow and wrinkling the scar on his face. "Of course," Nenvalur replied with a respectful nod.
They walked the rest of the way, maintaining an idle conversation about trivial matters. It had been nearly a week since Siraye's letter had made its way to Codrean, though even without him getting explicit details of what had happened in between, Taegin could feel the change in the air.
After relinquishing his horse to a stablehand, Nenvalur continued to lead Taegin into the heart of Caegwen's Royal Palace. "I thought Anwill would be here to greet us," Taegin said, glancing around at the foot of the steps that led into the Great Hall of the palace. "Ah, that old bat is busy in the library," Nenvalur sighed heavily.
It's not unlike him to have his nose in a book, but it must be important if he's still there even when he knew I would be arriving today, Taegin mentally noted.
"Did he tell you what he was looking for?" Taegin asked. "Nope, not a fucking word. He didn't even bother telling me what to say if you asked me that question," Nenvalur replied with an upturned lip. "That's odd, but knowing him, I'm sure he has his reasons," Taegin said with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't worry. He will be with us shortly," a familiar voice rang out from the far end of the hall. "Your Majesty," Taegin said, immediately dropping to a knee. "It's good to see you, old friend! How have you been this past decade?" Elhael said warmly.
He was wearing a dark green robe with silver strands inlaid into the fabric to weave leaflike patterns. The cloak clasped around his neck also contained similar patterns, though they stretched from the top down the middle of the cloak, spreading to the edges near the base.
Taegin removed the pendant around his neck, revealing his original, much younger appearance. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about the scar on his face, but that was just the nature of the seal.
"Warmer than you, by the looks of it," Taegin replied with a slight hint of sarcasm. "That's because I've only just woken up. I wasn't expecting you to arrive this early in the morning," Elhael retorted with a yawn. "Then again, I suppose you've always been like that. Gods, I'd almost forgotten where Siraye gets it from," he continued after shaking his head in an attempt to wake up.
"Speaking of which, where is she?" Taegin asked with a short glance around the room.