Runesight

17 - Jeref

"So." Aymiae started, "That means this whole situation isn't as impossible as we first thought. A dragon wish would neatly explain most of the problems they ran into way back when. Normally when someone opens up the void, Aeinar leaves residue, but no one could find that when they checked out the area. The void is also not a strong enough vacuum to literally pull living people into it, usually it's just any unbound souls in the area that would get trapped."

I nodded, remembering the disintegrating forms of the soldiers and commanders. "I still don't know why she did it, if I wasn't sure that Xien would kill me on sight I would track her down for a little chat."

Aymiae paused, "You...don't know?"

"...What don't I know?" Sparks, did it always have to be one disaster after another these days?

"Xien is dead. There was a scandal about it a few years back, dragonslayers got her. Her kids destroyed three cities in retribution."

I stared at Aymi for a long moment before I couldn't take it any longer. I laughed. Long and hard, the release of tension that I'd been ignoring poured over my muscles. "That's...Sparks really?! She's dead?"

"Yeah, her daughter is in charge of the Aulous Dragons now. They've been a lot less aggressive ever since then, I was even able to go over there and track down some artifacts without drawing any ire."

"Oh wow. I didn't think I'd live to see the day." I basked in the feeling of freedom for a while, the thought that I'd outlived my killer. "That's so strange to think about."

"Hmmm, yeah. Anyway considering the present situation, I wouldn't tell Queen Steris you're alive for now, she'll probably want to either publicly thank you or imprison you. She's got to know that the whole battle was mostly up to chance and she has no idea where your allegiances really lay. She would worry that you're going to topple the kingdom again."

I glanced out the window, "I don't really know, part of me wants to see what the world would do if they knew. It just feels so dangerous to be at the center of it."

"Yeah."

I sighed, "Yeah."

Aymiae nodded, thinking over something. Part of her cross bearing seemed to leak back through as she began to speak. "I know that some nobles pay to wear temporary illusions when they want to pretend to be normal for a while."

I gazed at her in shock, suddenly feeling rather excited, "Are you offering?!" Aymiae had been a sparking good illusionist back in her 20s and there was no way that time had lessened those abilities any.

Aymiae tapped her chin in thought, examining me for a moment, "It would be a tad bit tricky, but I could bind an illusion to a necklace or something to make you look older. Old enough that people would recognise you as her, and hopefully that no one would guess Eliax and Foralen are the same person."

I wasn't sure why, but I really liked this idea. "Do you need payment or anything? I'll pay. How long would it last? Do I need to charge it or anything?"

Aymiae smiled, a strange expression for her, "It'll be free, just give me a couple days to set it up. I'll give you instructions once I've finished it."

"Oh thank you so much Aymi. When should I come pick it up?!"

She laughed, "The day after tomorrow, Fari."

--

I left the city early in the morning.

It's a little-known fact, but sandfrost doesn't keep well in the daylight. It releases spores when the sun sets and the more sunlight it's subjected to the less potent the spores are. Once a spore is dead it's practically dust. Completely harmless.