Half of the Kingdom(ft. commentary)

~Jan 2

Miryanna was glad that she'd learned something of medicine and healing while up in the mountains. The mountains. How she missed them. She turned her thoughts from fancies to realities and with Iphnis' assistance, got Karayan's wounds cleaned and bandaged, but not without difficulty, for though unconscious, he thrashed about, his body hot with fever. Miryanna didn't have time to think about the recent events and their consequences, so occupied she was with keeping Karayan with harming himself with his jerkings and thrashings.

He was beaten terribly. A few of his ribs were cracked, maybe some broken. His right leg was broken, and he was covered with cuts and bruises. His whole right side was black and blue, and there was a nasty gash just above his left eyebrow.

After what seemed like forever, he was finally calm, and all his numerous hurts were tended. Miryanna sat down in a chair by the bed, exhausted. Iphnis sat in another chair nearby, looking equally disheveled and worn out. Miryanna's gaze traveled to the sleeping form of Karayan lying just a foot or two away from her. He looked a totally different person than he was a matter of hours ago. His skin was pale and marred. He was asleep, more like unconscious, but he didn't seem to be at rest. He still tossed and turned some, and muttered in his sleep. Some of the things he said gave Miryanna chills. She imagined that they must have been things he'd done, or things he'd ordered done. Some of his mutterings and mumbling had a malicious tone, whereas others were mere whimpers, as if he was begging for something to stop.

Miryanna was confused. What kind of man was he? She'd always envisioned him as a ruthless, bloodthirsty, killer, who had no mercy. All that she'd seen him do only strengthened this picture of him in her mind. Yet he defied the even more evil Sorceress and let them go. Had she been wrong? No, there was no way she'd been wrong about him. Then how did this change come over him? She puzzled over it, but couldn't make her tired mind work.

Are redemption arcs a common trope in Terinnian literature? Who knows? Not me.

"Iphnis, why did he change?" She asked.

Iphnis started from where he'd been dozing off in the chair. He didn't answer for a bit, obviously thinking. Finally he replied, "I told him he had a choice."

because apparently everything depends on Iphnis

Miryanna was again puzzled at the Gnome's words. She thought back to the times that Karyana and Iphnis had spoken together. They'd only exchanged words in the library last week, and he'd never said anything about choices then. "What do you mean?"

Iphnis shrugged, "Gnomes can sometimes sneak into other's minds, per se, and I told him he had a choice," He answered simply.

yet another thing gnomes can do when it serves the plot

Miryanna's brows furrowed. "You can 'sneak' into other people's minds?" She questioned.

Iphnis gave a short nod, "Only sometimes, and only on people whose minds have been breached before."

Ah I love logic

"Who breached Karayan's mind?"

"The Sorceress."

Miryanna paused. "Is that what you meant when you said he was being controlled?"

Iphnis nodded again. "For the most part, he didn't know what he was doing,"

And Therefore Karayan Is Now Poor Damaged Boy Who Is Now Good. He Was A Pawn This Whole Time None Of The Decisions He Made Were From Him. This character you've been getting to know and have opinions and feeling about? Nullified with a single decision. "It wasn't actually him." Then what was him? Who is he? This could be an interesting plot factor, but were it done it'd be better closer to almost halfway through the story, not near the end of it.

Miryanna was still confused, but she was too tired to question anything.

"Sleep. I'll keep an eye on him," Iphnis said, seeing her eyelids droop.

She didn't argue. She moved to the small couch near the window and laid down on it falling onto a fitful sleep, full of dreams.

I'm beginning to think there's a lot of sucky things about gnomes too, but Iphnis is a master of tact so he's making it seem like gnomes are just the best