Unforged Path

The Unfinished Map

Kymestra Aerlyn fingered the aged map preserved by a powerful enchantment, enjoying the feel of the parchment. She could sense the hours her grandfather had spent sketching the craggy mountains of the Drylands, beyond which lied a great desert expanse. On the map, the sand dissolved into nothingness, but the void depicted on the parchment was not accurate. There were unknown lands and life beyond the Asthildi Empire.

"Good morning, Myennea."

Aerlyn did not lift her head. "Father, please do not address me as such." She took a moment before adding, "I am no longer the daughter of Myenne." It had taken years, but she could say that fact in a neutral tone. Aerlyn let her finger drift along the map, imagining the towering sand dunes that could lie at the point in the real world.

"As you request, I will call you by your given name, Aerlyn the Five-Thousand Seven-Hundred Forty-Seventh." Galedyn's voice was as smooth as his unlined elven face. "It is a fine name." She could feel his green eyes studying her. "I remember well the days spent searching for a suitably auspicious one."

"I thank you for your efforts, Father," Aerlyn replied, even though she did not believe fortune derived from having the numeral seven in one's name. From the corner of her eye, she saw her father's blonde head swivel as he surveyed his study, undoubtedly noticing she had handled a few antiquities on the cluttered shelves.

"Have you been here all night, Aerlyn? To escape dreaming?" Her father took a step towards her, fixing his gaze on her face.

Raising her eyes from the ancient map, Aerlyn looked at her father, Opulyn Galedyn, the famed cartographer of Nylena. The belt on his red robe was askew and his golden plaits were untidy. Smiling, Aerlyn uttered the chant that her father had neglected upon rising. "Please do not be concerned. I am perfectly well. I am not the one wandering about the estate disheveled."

"This is not a light-hearted matter, Aerlyn." Galedyn ignored his now smooth hair and the unauthorized use of magic on his person. "Your present circumstances must be... trying for you. Please tell me. Is there a chance the spell-casting dreams will return?"

Aerlyn shook her silver head. "No, Father. I faithfully practice the exercises prescribed by the Lakri. Those dreams were a temporary childhood ailment." She did not tell him that since returning to the family estate, her sleep was frequently interrupted by dreams she could not remember. In fact, she had entered her father's study long before dawn.

Galedyn smiled, holding out his hand. "I am glad to hear that." He encircled the hand Aerlyn gave him with his larger ones. "Your health is more important than any expedition. I will gladly postpone—".

"Of course, you will do no such thing!" Aerlyn smiled as brightly as a Crier giving the Empire its morning brief. "You rarely have the opportunity for true exploration. And I have no wish to obstruct progress." She withdrew her hand to gesture at the blank region on her grandfather's work. "The map must be completed!"

"Aerlyn." Galedyn's compressed lips were the only sign of his distaste. "I do not appreciate artifice. I am not a patron whose whims you need to indulge." His words flowed as quickly as an Academy magician chanting during an examination. "You have become skilled at telling others what they wish to hear. Please, do not use those skills on your own father."

Aerlyn lowered her eyes. "Father, I did not mean to do so." Shaking her head, she added, "I have spent too many decades in the Capitol. Too many years away from home." She studied an intricate platinum ring on her finger, resisting the urge to twirl it. "Now, I'm afraid you will not believe me."

She breathed evenly, sensing the magic coursing through her body. Meeting her father's gaze, Aerlyn said, "I do want you to go. Truly, I shall be happy, anticipating all the wonderful things I will learn when you return. My imagination will travel with you." Her smile faded. "I would relish the distraction."

Galedyn stared at her for a moment, and Aerlyn held his gaze. "You promise to be here when I return, then?"

Aerlyn nodded. "Where else would I be, Father?" She couldn't prevent adding, "There is nothing for me in the Capitol." Aerlyn clamped down on her teeth, preventing the rest of her thought from being voiced. 'Despite all my years of tireless work, curating clients and crafting their magical solutions!'