Eylderfell || ONC 2024

1-9

And with that, the scene before him vanished. Tavor blinked. Gone was the humble cottage, the warm scent of bread. He stood shivering in the centre of the lake, shoes drenched.

The cat bounded over to him. "You're back!"

"I'm back," Tavor said.

She rubbed her head affectionately against his ankles, tail twining round his legs. She seemed happy to see him. It had been a while since he'd felt welcomed, and the gesture moved him. He bent down and awkwardly rubbed his hand between her ears.

"So?" The crow demanded, perched on her back. "Did she tell you how to find Nestani?"

Unsurprisingly, the crow didn't seem to share the sentiment. Tavor straightened back up. "She said to seek out the Tower."

The cat tilted her head, a confused look on her face. The crow hopped impatiently to the ground.

"Did she get any more specific?"

Tavor shrugged. "How many towers could there be in the Eylderfell?"

"I don't know. One, perhaps, or maybe a hundred. We don't spend a lot of time here, for obvious reasons."

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," Tavor grumbled.

"I'm not the one who almost got eaten last night," the crow shot back. "Is that all she told you? Look for the Tower?"

You have the tools you need to guide you. Tavor knew she was talking about the map. But he had been hoping the crow would know, and they wouldn't have to use it.

He could sense the cat watching him. "Yeah, pretty much."

"What about the contract?" the cat said. "Did you ask about that?"

Tavor nodded. "She said it lasts until the next full moon."

He saw the simultaneous panic across the faces of both familiars. "That soon?"

"What happens after that?" Tavor said.

The crow cast him a disdainful glance. But there was something else behind the look, a shiver of fear. Something had gotten him on edge. "Some things you don't need to know, boy."

Tavor folded his arms. "Imizael said the contract was an agreement between Nestani and the Elder," Tavor said. "What did she mean by that?"

"Hm. Seems you already know enough."

"No, I don't. Who's the Elder? And why is Nestani making deals with it?"

"Shh! Don't speak its name so loudly. You never know what kind of trouble you'll attract." The crow lowered his voice. "The Elder is a very powerful spirit. It calls itself King of the Eylderfell. Nestani entered into a contract with the Elder, to prevent it from attacking the village." He shot Tavor a pointed glance. "To protect your hometown."

"That doesn't mean anything," Tavor said. "She lives there too."

"Yes, though you wouldn't believe it from the way you all treated her."

"What about the way she treated me?" Tavor responded bitterly, but the crow didn't seem to hear.

"The fact of the matter is, the full moon is tomorrow night. There's no time at all." The crow sighed. "How irritating. If my wing wasn't injured, I could fly around and look."

He turned to fix Tavor with a pointed look. The cat looked up hopefully at him, too.

Tavor backed up a step and scowled. "No." Tavor gestured to the cat. "Can't she just climb up a tree and look around for us?"

"Risky," the crow said. "We don't know what lives up there."

The cat got to her paws, shaking her head. "You're right, we don't have time. I'll go."

Her tail flicked nervously as she spoke, but her voice was resolute. The crow looked at her, clearly reluctant. "Fine. But don't take any unnecessary risks."

She jumped up and quickly scaled the tree. Tavor settled onto a rock, while the crow hopped up to perch on Nestani's satchel.

They regarded each other with an uneasy silence.

"This would be a lot easier if you learned to cast the spell," the crow said finally. "Nobody needs to be put in danger."

Tavor cut him a reproachful glare. "I told you not to ask me again."

"If the Elder is let loose it will almost certainly destroy your village," the crow said. "I thought you wanted to protect your hometown."

"It sounds like Nestani is taking care of it," Tavor said.

"Ahh," the crow responded. "So you claim to hate witches, but you're happy to let Nestani shoulder the burden of looking over your town. But if it was in your hands, you'd leave them to perish? Just to keep your hands clean, even of good magic?"

"There's no such thing as good magic," Tavor said forcefully. "It happens every time. Someone learns how to use magic. Initially they think they'll only use it for good. Then over time, they get carried away with it, until they're too far gone to be stopped." He clenched his fists in his lap. "Magic always corrupts the person using it. Always."

"Hm. And you've made the acquaintance of many such magic users, I presume?"

"The village has seen plenty. Kedar the Unyielding. He was a teacher in the village before he learned he was able to use magic. Then he used it to slaughter the chief's son, his rival in the upcoming elections. He was chief for months before he was found out, and he nearly took out half the town once his treachery was uncovered."

The crow scoffed. "One madman does not prove—"

"The Shadow Empress, Sayara. She used magic to control the minds of others around her. Even her family. All slaves to do her bidding." Tavor started to pace. "The One who Watches. They say he was about my age when he realised he was a magic user. At first he swore to only use it to help others. But he became obsessed with it, and eventually it consumed him too. He terrorised the village for years before they managed to kill him."

The crow shook his head, exasperated. "What is it with humans?"

"So, no. I don't care if it's good magic. I don't want anything to do with it. And that's final."

A low chuckle threaded through the air behind him.

"Good magic, bad magic," a voice rumbled from the shadows. "Does it matter? Power is power, after all."

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