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For some reason Anders had suspected that someone called Grandfather Snow would be treated to a large going away party, perhaps with a parade, or at least have people insist on sending twenty attendants with him when he left, for what they had clearly stated, was going to be years. A long enough time frame that, instead of simply closing his home up, he actually gave the whole thing to the son of his neighbor, since the young man was planning to marry in a few months.
Then he gave away everything he owned, except for a few sets of clothing, two horses and a saddle. It wasn’t sold, even, for travel funds. Just handed out, with a smile, to anyone in the city who wanted it. Interestingly, about ten of the floating and glowing devic did travel with them, hovering over and around Old Farad as they rode out. So, he had an honor guard of a sort. They were faint enough that most of the people they passed wouldn’t notice them being there at all. Not that they were going to see many people while they traveled.
Heading back was much faster than going had been, the only reason they slowed at all was for the comfort of themselves and the horses. They hunted regularly, and when it came to gathering, having Farad there with them made a vast difference. Anders knew a lot of new edibles, but the other man bothered to search them out. The variety of food was vast, heading back. Not up to the castle’s food standards, perhaps, but it was the best trail food he’d ever eaten.
They slept in inns at night and held up in one of those for a full day, when an intense storm came in and lingered over them, dumping a lot of water, but also filling the sky with lightning and thunder. The wind was enough that Anders went out in the damp and created a full barn for their mounts. He didn’t mention it, but when they left in the morning the old man gave him a warm smile.
“Very wise of you, to protect our friends like this.”
They practiced as they rode, and in the evenings. Not focusing too insanely on fighting, but they did work on both using magic and blocking it, with a good amount of effort. They also talked to devic, learning to understand them and befriending them, mainly by being kind. On occasion, when they didn’t use their own power for things, Farad would inquire of his friends if any of them were willing to aid them. They always did it, and the man was always effusive in his praise of them, after. As if they were friends, or possibly pets, instead of things to fear.
It was, even with that, clear that the creatures were far more powerful than any human was, using magic. It wasn’t even close, as to what they could do. At one point, finding that the road was flooded, one of the devic, not even being asked, simply moved the water, and held it up, off the ground, then easily transported it, a running stream that was beyond its banks, miles away, so the road would remain clear. Anders thought he might have made a dam of some sort and deflected the flow, but he couldn’t have matched what he’d witnessed.
He knew that he probably couldn’t have even made an illusion of it, of an equal size.
After a while, he turned in the saddle a bit, to look at the elder in their midst.
“That was a rather large show of power, back there. Is that devic particularly strong, or good with water?”
There was a grin then.
“No. If anything Rafo is weakest with water. She’s no stronger than the others here, with us. They don’t often need to do things such as that on their own, but traveling with people who have bodies requires more work, at times. I think that’s the feeling from our friends?”
Prince Erold laughed then.
“I can see that! We can barely fly, move on slow horses and keep sleeping the night away. That must be frustrating. I understand that now that it’s been mentioned.” They’d been on the road for long enough at that point that it could have been a real issue for the floating, fast moving, beings.
Anders agreed, so spoke on it as well. The devic didn’t really see, after all. One of their friends was clearly Duke Cohen, but the former man didn’t hold himself as being any different than the others. Still, he called him by name, knowing it.
“What say you, Alder? Are you finding us too slow and annoying?”
That got a laugh which tickled his mind, not a real response, but the green glow that felt like the man settled near him, for a while, on their ride. It was companionable, even if Anders had left him blind once, in life. The fellow, clearly, hadn’t held that against him.
When he spoke next, it was oddly useful.
“Ambush, on the right, bandits. Seven of them.”
Farad clearly heard the words and Anders cleared his throat, rather gently, then whispered.
“Fight ahead, on the right. Bandits. I have this one.” He stopped in the road, pulled out his war bow, and muttered a spell. Then cast a single arrow into the right area. It froze all the bandits solid, leaving their horses untouched. The plants as well.
Anders, feeling annoyed, looked at the Prince.
“We need to take their heads off and leave them on the side of the road, as a warning to others. I’ll do that, and you two can get their horses?” he knew that both men would have done the bloody, or at least gruesome, work, but it had been his action that had made it needed, so he took the task as his own. No one argued about it.
The animals took longer, since all of them needed to be tended to, for different reasons. One was a nag so old that Anders had to regrow her teeth, just so she could eat again. How she’d lasted that long, he didn’t know. She was so raw boned that he worried, even after healing her, that she might not make it the ten miles or so down the road to Duchy Lister.
He used one of his own knives to take the heads off, after thawing the six men and one woman. That part shocked him a bit, but she’d had a blade out, and was dressed to fight, in leather and brown homespun trousers. None of them had started out smelling nice and dying hadn’t aided them with that task, either. Not that they were rotting yet. After warming enough to cut easily, certain things inside of them released, however, which was less than aromatic.
Then they rode on then, arriving at the duchy that evening.
They were met, actual servants working there already, and with the Duke seeming decently positive about meeting Farad, in person. He was kind about that part of things, and not too suspicious, having been in contact with Anders on the topic of the man. Including that Anders had relived all of his life with him, which would be very hard to fake, he had to believe. Perhaps not impossible, for one so old, but he felt like a good and honest person.
Then, Ganges had seemed more or less like that to him as well. The other man hadn’t let him look into his mind in the same way, of course. Then... Anders hadn’t asked. Too much of what he needed to know was like that. Things that he should have simply spoken of, and had avoided, instead. Mainly out of worry over what he’d find out, which was foolish of him to allow to happen.
The next day they set out again, with everyone in tow, heading back to the castle of King Mathias. Their pace was deliberate, and they brought the oxen this time, but there were no delays. Not even a single day of rain. Most of what Anders did was work out ways to keep people cool, as the temperature rose around them. The crops visible from the road seemed to have come in well, which was good to see, since war years were always a bit lean. It was in all the old texts, and he’d seen enough of that himself to know it was true.
The trip back gave Anders a lot of time to think about what it was he wanted to do, and say. He knew what it was he didn’t want, of course. A fight. Even if he and Farad might win against Ganges and Rothina, it would damage too many people around them to be worth doing. Plus, he didn’t really want to hurt them.
Yes, Ganges had done bad things, in the past. Egregious things that he could understand Farad not being able to reconcile at all. The deaths of children, as a sacrifice, for instance. Except, of course, that Anders had killed as well. So had Farad. In battle, but there were also the family of King Yarler who had been put to death. There was a fine line between murdering children with one’s own hands and doing things that had led to their deaths.
He didn’t know what to do about it, or how to repair the damage done to trust.
If he could do anything at all.
Anders was, as it turned out, still thinking about that very topic when they rode up to the castle. They had to do that, even if they’d gone past the school, where he was planning to live now. They simply had too many nobles with them not to. Plus, those people were living at the castle, for the most part.
As they rode up, the scene arrayed before them was rather interesting, since the King himself had come out to greet them, along with both Hoatha and Lady Martya. Depak was there as well, in rather plain seeming robes for him. Those were a simple, very dark, blue in color. They didn’t shine or have art woven into them, either. Still, he smiled at them. It was a bit tense, around the edges, but hidden well enough. The Queen wasn’t there and neither was Prince Robarts. No one else in his family either. In short, though a lot of the others would miss the message, Anders understood it.
If they were going to fight, first thing, King Mathias wasn’t planning to risk anyone else. Not even the normal servants were there, or the guards. Just the King, Depak Sona, Ganges and the woman with the ancient terror in her head.
Something very interesting happened though, with no one seeming to understand who Farad was. Not as they rode up. Even when they got down from the horses, with King Mathias smiling, grimly, as if he didn’t see a way to save the others there.
Anders bowed to him, then to the others.
“Hoatha, Lady Martya! Depak!” He moved in and gave everyone a hug, including the King, who he patted on the arm. “King Mathias, would you take these others inside, to refresh themselves? I’ll gather the horses for us all?”
The man bowed lower then, fighting tears from his eyes, understanding the secret meaning of his words. Hopefully, it would prove to be the wrong idea, of course.
“I understand... Sir Anders. I could stay, if you wish?”
He smiled at the man’s offer. It wouldn’t aid anything, but he understood the thought behind it. He was offering to stay, and help battle against impossible odds. Even if it likely would lead to his death.
“We’ll be inside in a few hours? We have things to speak of, and don’t want them overheard. You know, about when to bow and what fork to use? Nothing too important, I’m certain.”
Most of the people there didn’t understand what was going on at all. Depak didn’t leave however, simply smiling, rather calmly. Prince Erold simply shrugged and looked at Ganges and Rothina.
When he spoke, it was in a polite, if slightly stiff, fashion.
“We’ve all learned to remove magic, even from beings of great power. For a time, only, and we don’t mean it as a threat, but I thought it only fair to explain that first thing, before hostilities begin?”
Lady Martya frowned at the youngest Prince.
“That sounds rather dire. A bit unneeded, as well. Why suggest such things? Is something amiss?”
Farad moved forward, and bowed.
“Ganges. Rothina, isn’t it? I am Farad Ibn Istel. Perhaps you still recall me?”
Hoatha laughed then.
“Farad? I’d thought you were gone! Over a thousand years ago, or more, fifteen hundred years. I... Is it really you?”
The other man nodded, his snowy hair moving as he did it.
“It is. After I left, I learned much. I also, personally, have thwarted many of your plans, over the millennia. I founded many of the lands on this continent and prepared them to rebuff your efforts. I dare say, whatever you have planned won’t work as e...”
Lady Martya jumped in then, and held the man, closely.
“I do recall you! I too, had always thought you were gone from us. I was so pleased when Anders became you in part. Is that... Why would that be a dire thing, however? Even if you got in our way, a time or two... You were always against certain types of magic, so that’s allowable, I suppose. We don’t use that any longer, anyway. The lives and blood of others? Oh, to activate magics, but only as personal talisman. You know, a patch that you smear your own blood on to make work, in the distance? That isn’t what you hated though, I don’t recall? We don’t need to use that sort of thing personally and haven’t, for over a thousand years.” She seemed rather certain on that point. Also slightly annoyed at the implied accusation. Even if it was coming from her. That indicated a sore point around that topic.
Anders smiled at the idea, and nodded.
“But you have plans, to take over the continent here? Some of those weapons that you two made were used, at least by others, with the blood of those not using them, as well. Also, you’ve made most people here and in the south forget that Ganges exists, outside of legend?”
Ganges made a slightly sour face at that rather pointed accusation.
“Yes. A spell that copies itself in those with magical powers and spreads to those around them. I put it into action when I went to see the new Sula, Darian. I truly don’t wish to be pulled back into being what I once was. As we traveled it spread, of course. I could place any information into such a structure, but haven’t bothered with much more than keeping my name secret. I’m not truly proud of my past.” He seemed a bit down about that, which Anders wasn’t certain he believed.
Not that he had any real reason to think the man was lying. The story did fit with the facts, after all. Parts of them.
Rothina, Lady Martya, waved at Anders.
“I wasn’t part of that. It’s made my life here easier, but I didn’t know it was done, until after those here who knew of what I hold inside all forgot. Most of them, at any rate.”
Farad, not leaving him alone to ask all the questions, made a face at Ganges then.
“You killed those children. Dozens of them, to bring me back.”
For the first time since meeting him again, Ganges actually flashed into anger. It was hot enough that Anders could feel it, standing some four paces away from the man. It made the air fairly ripple, with tension.
“I did not! You never let me explain that to you! Those weren’t the sacrifices, they were the first people I tried to bring back to life. I failed with those, mainly, but managed to bring back several before I tried it on you. You can only do that kind of thing once, and if you fail, you’ll never get them back. I failed those children, but I didn’t take their lives. I used animals for that, bought for slaughter, and fed to the neighbors in several feasts. It’s no worse to do that than to simply hunt or eat, is it?” The man, seeming more like Ganges, seemed ready to argue the point. He even clenched his right fist.
Anders waved that back, and pointed at it.
“Don’t take this to blows, Ganges. This Farad isn’t what he seems and won’t lose to you, even if you simply strike at each other. Magic isn’t an answer either. Not now. I’ll demonstrate that later, after we finish peacefully speaking? It’s a pretty good new technique we’ve come up with.” He was slightly proud of their efforts that way, in fact.
The other man glowered for a bit, then schooled his face and bowed, a tiny bit.
“That works, I suppose. I wasn’t a killer then. I became a monster, later, and used the blood and life of those fallen in battle, but I rarely killed people to power my magics and never used children for it. Criminals, only. Even as a force of evil, I held to some rules, thank you. Rothina has as well.”
Something occurred to Anders then, and he pointed at the attractive, pale, woman. It was done in a rude, accusing, fashion. She simply glared at him, a small bit. Probably over the pointing, to be fair. He stopped, almost instantly, allowing her to relax.
“You traveled in time, to get here. Ganges told me that it would have taken a small mountain of bodies to power that kind of thing?”
His old friend, the one he’d known, or rather Farad had, let his head move from side to side.
“Because I didn’t want you to travel in time, to go back to the only home that you’d known, Farad. Anders... The truth is, once the tricks are learned, moving through space, or even time, isn’t truly that difficult. You clearly have the power, and the mind, to do that kind of thing. It tends to alter history too much to bother with, however. Also, I was being selfish, not wanting to lose you, so lied. Can you forgive me that?”
He bowed then, with a rueful expression. That sounded fair enough, when he was finally told about it.
“I suppose. For the lies. Stop that now, however? Would you be willing to let us look into your thoughts, to see if that’s all real? Also, Rothina, Ganges, are you both willing to drop your plans for world conquest? At least put those plans in plain sight for the rest of us to see, first? We might argue against them, but it would do a lot to keep the peace.”
Ganges looked at Rothina, not speaking himself. She simply made an annoyed face at Anders.
“Fine. The same goes the other way around, though. No taking over the world without me. My current plan...” She gave Anders a rather tight and vixenish look, suddenly.
Then she winked.
“My current plan is to have you take over the world, unifying them against me. Clearly, taking over by force, or even magic won’t work. So far you managed to undo several key points of my work, and made inroads toward bringing several places together. There’s a bit more, but we can discuss that later? If you kill me here, you don’t really need to know all of that, do you?”
That seemed more or less reasonable, so he nodded.
“We can look into your minds, then? I don’t want to call you liars, but... Farad let me look into his life. It was instructive and reassuring.” It wasn’t a very good reason to do that sort of thing, but Rothina, sighing, stepped forward.
“Go ahead.”
He had to focus for a while first and drop into a trance, but he didn’t start reliving her life, thankfully. It was dark at times, before the crystal was used on her. By her own mother, seeking to use her only daughter to enrich herself. She wasn’t ill or dying when it was used, either. It also wasn’t at all fair to the girl who had, at seventeen, been stripped bare by the five-hundred-year-old mind of Ganges, the Great and Terrible.
Then he watched her, over centuries, mainly teaching and learning, caring for the Lerna and oddly, farming. Eventually, after growing bored, she went traveling and learned that the world, in many places was horrible. So she’d sought to correct that. To her that had meant assassination and a few wars, which she worked on setting into motion for decades, before learning that Anders had a copy of Farad Ibn Istel in him. Then she’d warped time, slowly, over the course of a week, and stepped from the Red Desert into the past, on a different continent.
Where she’d changed her looks using a bit of magic, to that of a teen girl, and had simply walked up to the front gate of the castle and claimed to be Lady Martya, from the west. No one had ever checked on her too closely, after that. It had taken a bit of magic, but for her that wasn’t hard at all.
When he finished there, finding her to be truthful enough, he moved to Ganges, surprised when the man simply nodded at him. That was a bit harsher, since he really had tried to take over the world. Several times, in fact. Twice it had nearly happened. Then, both times, he’d let go of it, fearing what he’d become.
The rest of his life was, in many ways, just as interesting. He’d learned much and had, it seemed, missed his old friend, occasionally. He wasn’t the most honest man to have ever lived, but he didn’t lie casually, either. He was, in the end, simply a man, like any other.
A powerful one, but still a man.
That had Anders smiling, though he stood to the side, waiting for first Farad, and then Depak, to scan their minds, looking for tricks, or clever tracks. It could, possibly, be done, but if so, they were at least bothering to try to seem like decent people. Not like they always had been, but other than having gone to war, Ganges was no worse than many.
Depak Sona summed things up, nicely then.
“Well... I now know far more than I ever wished to about my father. It explains a few things about my own life. I was created in magic? Meant to be a Lerna? Interesting. Also, that you didn’t send Franken here to cause the harm he did. You made the magic for him, that was powered by blood...”
Rothina, Martya, shook her head.
“It was a mistake to send him here. To send him anywhere, in fact. He wasn’t an evil man, but he didn’t do well when under pressure. I had high costs built into some of the magics, hoping it would mean he’d never deploy them. It was there to leave him feeling safer, even if he never activated the things. That he took the life of a good person to power his escape... I should have seen that coming and protected him. Truly, I shouldn’t have had him pressing Anders as he did, to force you into becoming what you have.”
Prince Erold glared at her.
“What do you mean, pressing Anders?”
She looked at the boy, who was a young man, not a child at all. One who, at least possibly, could defeat her in a magical battle. Not that the idea seemed to alter her words.
Not that she taunted him, either.
“I watched him, and what was going on there, closely. He was learning magic at a surprising rate, and proved himself a capable man, defending you and Princess Sweyn from those assassins, using magic. After no more than two or three days of practice. After that, I pressed him in a dozen ways, of course. People don’t grow strong without resistance. Don’t feel left out, Erold. I placed obstacles in your path, as well. True, not great magical hazards, but things that wouldn’t have taken place without a hidden hand being involved.”
He seemed to be thinking for a moment and finally gave the woman a very hard look.
“I see. Stop that?”
She waved at him then, and smiled, sweetly.
“No? Though, if you attend the new school that Anders is putting together, I might not need to do anything that way at all. Though... I have noticed that you didn’t invite either me or Ganges to teach there yet, Anders?”
That was true and not a horrible idea, if they weren’t going to be enemies or try to take over the world. At least without him knowing about it.
“What a wonderful idea! Yes. I’d like that. You’ll both be under Depak Sona, of course. We need to convince Sula Darian to let some of the princesses stay on for at least a time, while they learn enough to go forward on their own. They might be there already, but... Well, I have much to learn myself, still. On a great many topics.”
That was simply clear.
Still, for the time being it was enough, and after passing out some hugs, they all went inside. A war averted, for that day.
Then, Anders walked the short distance to his school, and set up his quarters, getting ready to begin the next adventure of his life.
Teaching.
Also preparing. The current problems were, if not solved, then at least possibly out in the open. Not watching Ganges and Martya very closely would, of course, be a mistake. He thought he could trust Farad, and was on good terms with the others.
He hoped.
Still, for the moment, even if something felt slightly portentous, he was able to relax, smile to himself and start making enough furniture for several buildings. Then all he needed to do was find a few more students, and he’d be ready to open the doors.
Thinking about that, he headed outside, to the woods, to take down some trees.