Hierarchy (Book Four of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Avidity Of Ignorance

Katerin felt that immense dizziness that teleportation always offered. A strange, sickening sensation of distance from the world. It ended quickly, though, and she stood on a small cliff looking down on a camp with the black raven banner whipping in the wind. There was a design to match the one in Rastridge's square beneath her feet, but it vanished as Fykes, Arjiah, Brazen, and Telemir joined her.

She turned, fighting to keep her composure. "Thank you, Telemir. Tell Risage I am prepared to return the favor, when she asks." She hated the idea of it, but she had already made peace with that. If the Reclaimer was here, she would kiss Risage's boots if she had to.

His youthful face pinched. "You wish me to leave?"

"Well, you brought us all this way already," Arjiah said. She gestured down the hill to the soldiers in the distance. "Those are the people we were to meet."

"Speaking of," Fykes said, as a small group of the people gathered below noticed them, pointed their bows, and began approaching. He waved to them.

"Risage said I was to aid you, for however long you needed. I thought I would accompany you."

Katerin looked him up and down and grimaced. "Have you ever heard of the Reclaimer's?" she glanced to the approaching party, though they were still a few moments away.

"No," Telemir admitted, looking rather bashful.

"They are titans, ancient weapons with a strange magic that harnesses life itself." Katerin's description was apt, and her tone was cold. That was the quickest way to empress the danger of the situation.

Telemir, despite his obvious magical talent, did not look to her as if he had the stomach for what she expected to find. Nor did she want to endanger or involve anyone who did not know what they faced. Hells, she hardly wanted to involve herself.

Telemir's eyes widened, but he nodded. "I am at your disposal, Lady Katerin. High lady Risage bid me to do whatever necessary to aid you until you should have no need of me. I will not flee from conflict, and if it is as dangerous as you say, then you may have need of my assistance, to get home." His shoulder's straightened, his wispy black hair whipped about like tendrils of midnight in the freezing wind.

Before Katerin could argue the death-wish Telemir had just defended, Dagir's soldier's approached them, weapons forward.

"What are you seeking here?" One commander barked from beneath a black helm.

Fykes stepped forward. "We came because Dagir told us, to. He said commander Alysha detailed the existence of something we've been searching for, in the mines you have been exploring."

The soldier's posture hardened. "You need to talk to commander Alysha then, and we'll be taking your weapons in the meantime."

Fykes sighed, but unbelted Ahlindrion and handed it over while Katerin and everyone else followed suit. They were then escorted down the small path to the camp and left to stand before a command tent. It was not all that large, but there was smoke filtering out a small opening in the top. One man who escorted them ducked inside, and a moment later, a woman stepped out.

"Are... we not welcome here?" Telemir's tentative voice asked, as he eyed the eight men that surrounded them.

"We are, dear. They're simply being cautious." Arjiah's tone was reassuring, as she fixed her cloak tighter about her with a nervous gesture.

Katerin did the same, supposing that the consequence of traveling the world in a blink could be worse than being slightly under-dressed for the weather.