210 - “Her Father’s Words” - Thissraelle - A Tale of Heroes

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The two young wizards looked at each other, then sat down. Thissraelle took Eddiwarth’s hand again, squeezing it hard as if asking for support. Eddiwarth’s face clearly showed his fear of his old Guildmaster, but he returned the gesture nonetheless.

“The first question, that of why I ordered the attack on the Cathedrals, is easy to answer- I didn’t.” He leaned back and crossed his legs under his robe in a way that said that this was going to take some time. “When the attack started, I was as surprised as everyone else, although, as I looked back on it, I shouldn’t have been. I was horrified at the thought of our guild members doing such a brazen onslaught. I was especially terrified because I was certain you had been there, and I heard nothing for weeks afterward."

He sighed. “The weeks that followed were tumultuous. The public and the King turned against us. The Church was decimated. Most of its bishops were killed. And all through that I was afraid that you had been, too. I kept trying to find you. I was also under a lot of pressure to find out who in the guild had been involved. I guess I took too long, because the next thing I knew, the King’s Guard raided the Guild Hall. We were all driven underground. Your mother and several others fled to Emberfire, and I followed soon after. It was there that I received an anonymous message that you were well, but it didn’t say where you were.”

“So you didn’t order the strike?” Thissraelle asked, “But the wizards controlling the drakes wore guild robes and guild colors! Who did it?”

“I’m not entirely sure. But while I convalesced in Emberfire, I had a lot of time to think. There is a group, a church, they call it, named ‘The Dragon’s Flame’. I gathered that they worship dragons.” Thissraelle nodded. “Ah. You’ve heard of them. In recent years, I had been told of them recruiting guild member wizards for their cause. Even though I strictly forbade it, just like those Seekers, I imagine there were many who joined. There were also some guild members who, I suspect, were captured and pressed into their organization. I’m almost certain they are the ones that burned the churches.”

Hmm. That could fit. Thissraelle began to feel the tension in her shoulders ease. Her back relaxed and her grip on Eddiwarth’s hand was not so tight. “It was the Dragon’s Flame that attacked us in the forest as well. Did you send the high elf soldiers to capture me?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “High elf soldiers? I don’t know anything about this. Where did it happen?”

“Umbrawood. They attacked wood elven patrols deep in the forest. The wood elves say that Emberfire is amassing soldiers at the foot of the mountains.”

“Flaming stones. That’s not good news. The city is closed up tight, and everyone seems to be afraid of the rest of the world, even more so after the troubles in Twynne Rivers. I had hoped that things would ease with time.”

“Then, what about the quest?”

Again, he wore confusion on his wrinkles. “The quest?”

“Don’t you know about that, either? Didn’t you send illusions to my dreams, someone telling me to find Heathrax?” Her voice was calmer, now, but still carried an edge of harshness.

“Illusions?”

“Visons! Visitations from St. Ivarr? He came to me and told me to find Heathrax. He wasn’t very clear about it, either. He didn’t say why or how to find him. Just ‘go find him’. It might have occurred to him to mention that Heathrax is not a man, but a dragon. That would have been helpful.”

“Honestly, my dear, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You’d better take that up with the dragon himself. I sent you on no quest. Actually, it was Heathrax that told me you were about to be in danger on the mountain.”

“What? How did he know I was there?”

“Again, you’ll have to ask him.”

Thissraelle slumped. “And you haven’t been trying to catch me and drag me back home?”

“Oh, my dear, dear child, what a year you’ve put us through.” He sighed and leaned back in the stone chair. His hand ran through his long white hair. “When you first left, I was sure that the Dragon’s Flame had captured you. I was furious! Your mother was beside herself with hysteria. But it only took a few hours the next day to find you in the city.

“I always knew that at some point you’d want to get out on your own. To be honest, I wanted that for you, too. At the time, I figured that you’d wander through the city and come running back in a few days, happy to be home.”

Thissraelle remembered the dimensional oculus and all that he had done to keep her in the tower, under his control. That was a test!

“I underestimated you. I kept my eye on you, though.” He smiled at her expression of sudden understanding. “Your mother was furious. I tried to explain to her that you would be fine and you would be back soon. After a few days of blame and hostility, I acquiesced to her and agreed to send some of the guild’s finest wizards to retrieve you.”

“That was him?” She said, pointing at Eddiwarth. He smiled.

“Yes. Well, sort of. I didn’t pick him. He and another novice just volunteered. They were first year students. I didn’t expect him to catch you. I didn’t really want him to catch you. But I had to appease your mother. Still, I kept spotting you and getting reports, so I knew where you were, most of the time. I heard what you did in Dirae.” He hesitated and got quiet. “I was... quite proud of you.”

Thissraelle’s heart fell deep. Proud of me? For so long I’ve been afraid of you! You’re... proud of me?

He wiped his eyes. “Many times I lost track of you. When I heard the cathedral was attacked, and that you had been there, I tried so many times to scan the burned out ruin. The city was so angry, I didn’t dare step out of the guild hall. I was so afraid for you.” His shoulders shook.

Thissraelle jumped to her feet and leapt across the gap between them. She landed on his chest and held him tight. She buried her face in his embrace and sobbed. All of her struggles and her fears were melting away into tears in his arms.

“Now look at you. You’re so strong, powerful. You’ve come so far. You’re not my little girl anymore.”

Yes, I am. I hope I never outgrow that.

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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
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