Empire of Night

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Preservation

When Inerys opened her eyes, it seemed nothing had changed in the physical world. Dawn's light was no less watery than it had been when she'd reached out to her passenger and Sorisanna still sat beside her with an underlying air of anticipation. The cot squeaked in protest as she pushed herself up onto her elbows and pressed a hand to her temple. Her head didn't hurt, exactly, but she did feel as though she'd woken up after a particularly fitful rest. Which, she supposed, she had.

"Are you all right?" Sorisanna asked.

"I think so. How long was I asleep?" She asked, certain it couldn't have been more than a quarter hour, at most.

"Asleep? You've barely closed your eyes."

"I'm being serious, Sori."

"So am I."

Her brow furrowed, "I didn't pass out?"

"If you had, we'd be having a very different conversation," she said, "what makes you think you lost consciousness?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted, inwardly searching for any sign of Heratezra's presence. The shadowy collection of essence was distant and faint, yet nestled within the same hollow in her soul. In a way, knowing she was still there was oddly comforting.

Sorisanna's face etched in concern as she sat forward to inspect her eyes, "Lay back for me."

Reluctantly, Inerys obliged and did her best to sit still. Her conversation with Heratezra hadn't been particularly long, but she was sure it had lasted at least a few minutes. Had she somehow manipulated Sorisanna's mind too? The more she thought about it, the more she began to doubt the possibility. Doing so would have taken more energy and effort than Inerys believed the woman was willing to waste. With his proximity, she imagined Ephaxus would have had to be factored in as well and he appeared equally unbothered by the discrepancy in time.

However, she sensed her confusion had piqued his interest.

Viper?

I'm all right, she promised, then reached out to Rhydian and said, I have news.

News? Do you need me to come to the tent?

If you can. Are the others still awake?

I'm not sure about Cydan, but I heard Ayduin snoring before I left.

Amusing as the notion was, Inerys couldn't quite bring herself to smile, I can fill them in before we leave, then.

Sorisanna's spiritual sense swept over her, "You were attempting to make contact with the splinter in your soul, do you remember that?"

"I do," she said, "And I did."

"Wait, you actually made contact? Just now?"

"It seemed like it was several minutes ago at least, but . . . yes."

She sat back, considering, "What happened? Were the two of you able to talk?"

"We were, actually. Just, not in the way any of us expected. It wasn't a mental conversation, Sori. I actually met her."

"The woman who attacked you?"

Inerys nodded, eyes flicking toward the entrance when Rhydian stepped inside. His long hair was damp and loose, though windblown in a manner that suggested he must have sprinted here from wherever he'd bathed. In fact, he was still clutching a lathered bar of soap in his off hand. Had he arrived in such a way during any other circumstance, she may have poked a little fun at his oversight. To be fair, she supposed she could always do so later, catch him off guard at a less stressful time.

He looked from Inerys, to Sorisanna, "What have you found?"

Fortunately, it didn't take long to recount the details leading up to their current conversation. Most simply confirmed their earlier speculations in regard to her soul splinter and while Rhydian appeared increasingly concerned by the news, he listened without interruption. What the presence of the splinter meant for his unfulfilled oath, Inerys wasn't sure, but they knew more now than they had going into this mess.

"How did you meet her, exactly?" He asked.

"She brought me to some place called the psionic plane, but mentioned some apparently know it as the Dreamscape. I've never heard of it, but the secondary name led me to believe I must have passed out when my mind was pulled into it. The place was so real, it was honestly a little jarring."

"That's incredible," Sorisanna said, already reaching for her notebook, "I've heard of the mental plane, of course, but dreams and psionic study were never my area of expertise."

"I'm more concerned she was able to bring you there in the first place. What prompted it? Did she lash out when you found the splinter?" he asked.

"Not exactly," Inerys said, trying to decide how best to explain the situation when the sage beat her to it.

"I encouraged her to establish a more viable means of communication."

His nostrils flared, "What? Why didn't you remove it?"

"Because doing so would cause irreparable damage to her primal meridian and we all know she's been through enough concerning the stability of her soul already," she said, angling her chin, "Beyond that, I haven't observed any evidence to suggest the entity intends to obstruct her consciousness. If anything, it's acted in her best interests."

"And the woman acted in her own best interests before that. I'm not sure the sudden change of heart is anything other than self preservation. If her host dies, so does she."

Inerys flinched, but had to admit he had a point. It wasn't as if his concerns were unfounded. Had she not experienced what she had in the Dreamscape, she'd likely be of the same opinion herself.

Sorisanna rubbed her brow, "I'm not denying the possibility, but I also didn't see the harm in making contact when the splinter could become a resource."

"What about the blood memories? I thought they were our best option?"

"I'm still working on accessing them," Inerys admitted.

"And in the meantime, we decided to explore an alternative," Sorisanna said, "You know I wouldn't have suggested as much in the first place if I didn't trust Inerys' ability to keep her in check."

His jaw flexed as he raked a hand through his hair, "I do, but I can't help but feel like we're playing with fire."

"We've been doing so for months, we just didn't know how hot the flame was until recently."

"Did we learn anything useful, at least?"

"If we give Inerys the chance to explain, I'm sure we'll find out," she said, briefly inspecting her nails. The sage earned herself a particularly annoyed glance, but she merely smiled back.

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With a sigh, Rhydian turned his attention to Inerys, "I've never heard of the dead coming back for a chat, but then again, your passenger isn't wholly gone, is she?"

"Not yet, at least," she said quietly.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well, she didn't exactly spell it out, but she seemed to imply the splinter would eventually fade."

"Or be devoured," Sorisanna said absently as she wrote, then gave a start when she noticed they'd both looked to her in silent question, "Your rysk was actively feeding on the shackles, right? Who's to say it isn't doing the same to the piece of her soul lodged inside your meridian?"

Inerys turned green at the possibility and had to wonder if it was the reason Heratezra hadn't elaborated. Having her rysk erode the shackles safeguarding her core during her recovery had been frightening enough. The thought of it actively devouring the remnants of someone else's soul was something else entirely. Her need to consume blood was unsettling enough as it was, but this?

"I'd rather not think about that particular possibility right now," she said, "Not after what happened in the Dreamscape."

Rhydian's lips parted in a half formed question, though he appeared to think better of it as he took her in. Instead, he quietly crossed his arms and nodded for her to continue. All she could manage was a small smile of appreciation as she sought to recompose herself. She brushed a stray lock away from her face, took a deep breath and moved to perch herself at the edge of the cot.

"Her name is Heratezra and if I'm honest, she wasn't at all what I expected."

"It's nice to finally have a name," Sorisanna said, "calling her our mystery woman was beginning to grow a bit tedious, for my tastes."

Rhydian shifted on his feet, "Agreed. What was it the two of you discussed?"

"The circumstances surrounding the attack, mostly. She said our encounter was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Not to feed on me, but to pass on some sort of power she called her mantle."

He and the sage exchanged looks, "Did she say why?"

"To preserve it. She said she bore Restoration's mantle. Not that I have the slightest idea what that is or what it means. She didn't elaborate, aside from claiming it wasn't safe here. Honestly, some of our conversation was a little disjointed."

"I can't say I'm surprised. From what I saw of her, she wasn't exactly sane. It's a wonder you were able to have a civil exchange at all."

"That's just it, though. She seemed perfectly normal when we spoke. At least until I started to press her in the beginning about why she attacked me. Her mind fragmented for a moment and I witnessed the memory of what I can only assume was some sort of massacre. I thought it might have been what broke her, but when she alluded to having been attacked by those she called the Interlopers, I started to have my doubts. Whoever they are, I have a feeling they're responsible for what happened. Or were the ones who set this whole ordeal in motion, at the very least."

"It's a concerning prospect. Did she mention anything else about them?"

Inerys shook her head, "All she was able to share was a scent. It's a bit hard to describe, but if I catch it again, I'll know. She claimed she never saw their faces."

"That isn't not much to go by, but at least it's something," he said, "I hadn't received word of any mass deaths prior to our departure, but given Mistwatch's remoteness, word doesn't exactly reach us unless we're briefed."

" I know next to nothing about the world outside the deepwoods, so I could be wrong, but I'm not sure it happened within any of the territories you're familiar with. She urged me to find a way across the sea– to Saeducar, if I remember right. She said she was its monarch, so I can only assume it's where she's from. Maybe it happened there?"

"If that's the case, how did she end up on our side of the stormwall?"

"I haven't the faintest idea. If I figure out how to access her memories, I may be able to tell you more."

"I don't suppose she gave you any insight on how you might go about doing so?"

"She said they're not like the other memories. Not anymore. Now that I've fully changed, they're a part of me. Apparently, I need to come to terms with my new situation before they'll come to me."

"Which I assume is easier said than done?"

She nodded.

"In the meantime, maybe this emissary in Cyllicia can grant us some insight. How much she's willing to share may be a matter of debate, but the title of monarch is bound to hold weight. She has to have at least heard of this Heratezra in passing."

"Not to mention the mantle bearer bit. With a title like that, I can't imagine she's any less well known than our dear Wardeness," Sorisanna added.

"True enough," he said, though his lips thinned, "Now, I haven't heard of power being directly inherited, but if I'm understanding this right, you and I are in the company of the current bearer."

Shifting in her seat, Inerys briefly averted her eyes. He wasn't exactly wrong and she honestly wasn't sure how it made her feel. Though she had the suspicion it was related to the aurastone in her core, she didn't voice it. He and Sorisanna had likely already made the connection and if they hadn't, they would soon enough.

"I think I'm more of a vessel than a bearer, Rhydian."

"Whatever the case, it doesn't change the fact you're in possession of it. At best, it makes you valuable. At worst? You're a threat. Either way, you become infinitely more important to both the Wardeness and the emissary. Until we know more about what we're dealing with in the capital, it's best we keep this mantle business to ourselves. The same goes for the blood memories or any mention of the splinter."

"The emissary might actually be able to help. I'm hesitant to trust them, of course, but Heratezra said they were likely sent by someone named Mraize. He's who she wanted me to find across the sea."

His shoulders subtly stiffened, "How does she know they were sent in the first place?"

"I meant it when I said I had a passenger in my head. If I hear, see or experience something, so does she, to an extent. Though, I'm not sure what the limitations are."

"It would be wise to find out," he muttered, "Who is he, exactly?"

"I'm not sure, but I assume he's in a position similar to your Wardeness. I'm sorry, I wish I had more, but I don't. All I really have is speculation. She did say it was important he knew the mantle survived, though."

Rhydian's expression suddenly darkened and he paused, "Survived? Did she use that exact phrasing?"

Hesitantly, she nodded.

Sorisanna's lips parted as she straightened, no doubt coming to the same conclusion Inerys had feared to acknowledge, "Someone was trying to destroy it."

"It has to be the Interlopers," Inerys said, finding her voice, "Her exact words were, 'Your companion may have dealt the final blow, but I was dead long before. The Interlopers saw to that.' Whoever they are, they must have crossed paths with Heratezra before you and the other Talhavar."

He cursed under his breath, "And if they learn her power's been passed to another host, you'll become their next target."

Sorisanna rubbed at her brow, "They could be anywhere."

"Which is all the more reason to keep the knowledge to ourselves until we know more. This isn't to be shared beyond those of this camp, are we clear?" He said, looking between them.

"Yes, firstrider," Sorisanna said.

Inerys gave a quick nod, for her part.

"That includes any mention of it to the emissary," he warned.

"I told you I wasn't keen to trust her outright," she said.

He rubbed his brow, "For all we know, she'll know something's amiss the moment she sees you. Regardless of what happened, I doubt they'll be expecting a newly minted vampire."

Sorisanna's brow furrowed, "Does this emissary even know she exists?"

"The Wardeness hasn't mentioned as much during any of our meetings," Rhydian said, "And she never went into detail as to why she was here. Knowing what we do now, it likely has to do with whatever massacre took place. My guess is she's here to run damage control and collect their fugitive, be it dead or alive."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"If the Wardeness hasn't told her about Inerys already, she will soon. Tensions are bound to be high enough as it is and I imagine keeping a delegation in the dark about something so important would only jeopardize things further."

Inerys grimaced, "I never thought I'd become a part of a political scandal."

"You and I both," he sighed, "But I'm not sure it's a scandal, yet."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Sorisanna said.

"Whatever it is, we'll be walking into the thick of it soon enough. Do you think you can share the scent with Ephaxus and the other wyverns? I'd like to have our bondmates familiar with it before we leave, if possible."

"I can try," Inerys said.

"You should do so while it's still fresh in your mind. It doesn't have to be this moment, but I would prefer if you do so once we get you back to your tent."

"I will."

He nodded, "That being said, we should try and get some rest while we still can. Is there anything else we should know about in the meantime?"

She shook her head, "You know all the important bits."

"Good," he said, reaching for one of Sorisanna's neatly stacked blankets beside the cot, "I'll help walk you back to your tent. Ephaxus' wing can only extend so far and while I know he'll try, he can't walk and keep it aloft to block the sun at the same time."

The wyvern's affronted snort sent the tent flaps rustling, but he didn't argue.

"You know, I think he may have heard you," Sorisanna said.

Rhydian's feigned ignorance had Inerys cracking a smile, "Are you sure that wasn't the wind?"

She rose and playfully thumped his chest as he draped the blanket over her, "Don't be rude."