"Those Enlightened by the Golden Aspect of Restoration are hereby absolved of all prior debts, indentures and allegiances. They stand apart, neutral. They shall be granted universal safe passage across all borders and immunity from all conflict, provided they are engaged solely in the sacred duties of restoration."
- P.A.C.T., Article II, Section 3: "The Sanctity of Healers"
***
25th September, 211 A.D.
West of Vistania, Seer's Covenant
They had travelled for over a week. Medan was paranoid and turned our path several times, in an attempt to lose anyone, who would follow us. But now he relented, they would follow the river until it bent south.
At first they passed through villages, humming with merchants and chatter, but as the days dragged on and they approached the borders, the world began to grow emptier. Even the birds and other animals seems to be vanishing.
By late afternoon, Medan slowed his horse and pulled the reins. "We'll stop here," he said.
"Why?" Anna asked as he helped her down.
"The horses need some rest. We pushed them too hard. If we keep this pace, they'll die before we reach the next village."
He led them to the river and tied their reins to a nearby tree. Then he knelt and splashed water through his hair. "Finally clean," he sighed. "Almost feel civilised again."
"You want something to eat?" Ezra asked.
Anna shook her head. "No. I am good." The thought of stale, tasteless bread turned her stomach.
Once Medan's hair returned to theirs bright green colour he began his sword drill. The same precise dance that he performed every morning and every night before bed. The steel whistled, slicing through the air with fluid precision. When he was done, he washed alleviating the smell of sweat from himself.
"You look better," he said.
"My lumina is mostly replenished," Anna replied. "I'm just bit tired."
"Good. Then it's time to practise."
"Practise what?" Does he expect me to swing a sword? I can barely walk.
"Your radiance," he said, his tone patient. "You need to gain control over it. It's a tool, not just a blessing." His eyes flared faintly green. "Think of it as another pair of eyes through which you see the world differently. The glow is just a side effect of using too much lumina."
"Does it mean it can be concealed?" That would make it far more useful and far more dangerous.
"Yes. I was in a state of radiance ever since we left the castle. It sharpens my sense of danger."
Anna could see the green light fading from his eyes. It was barely noticeable and she had to focus on it. After all, she hadn't noticed that he was in radiance this whole time.
"If you're disciplined, you can keep your radiance without revealing it. You'll even see colours, just muted."
That would changed everything. To tap into aspect without being seen, without drawing suspicion.
She focused, breathing slowly, pulling lumina inwards. Her eyes flared, but she couldn't maintain the in between state of balance.
Time passed and the sun sank behind the horizon. Her eyes began to ache from the constant shift in and out of radiance, but her lumina was barely touched. It indeed didn't require much lumina to maintain the sight.
Even after dozens of attempts, she didn't manage what Medan described, not yet. But she felt, she was getting closer.
When darkness fell, she lay awake, unsatisfied. The ground was hard and uneven, her back protested every turn.
***
Morning came too soon. Her spine felt like wood, her limbs like lead. They ate quickly and set off again.
A few hours past dawn, Anna could feel Medan shifting in the saddle. "What's wrong?"
"Somebody is in front of us," he said.
She looked toward horizon, squinting, she barely noticed the caravan on the road ahead of them. Small, slow moving, with worn banners and old horse. When they approached the caravan stopped.
Medan dismounted first, striding forward while Ezra helped Anna down. She leaned on her cane. Each step felt heavier than the last. The journey was taking its toll.
"The wilds aren't kind to the lame," Ezra said softly, glancing at Anna's legs.
"Spirits be damned for giving me bad legs," Anna muttered, her daily ritual now.
Medan was already speaking with the traveller, a man in layered clothes with a lute strapped to his back.
"Ah, Anna," Medan called, waving for her to come closer. "This is a bard I met in Vistania. His name is ..." he frowned. "Pardon my memory. But what was your name again?"
The bard chuckled. "Memory is a cruel thing to lose, my friend. Let's hope you don't lose your path next. My name's Alistair."
"I'm Medan." He then pointed. "This is Anna, and next to her is Ezra."
"Pleasure, ladies," Alistair said.
"You two are friends?" Anna asked, surprised thinking such thing was impossible.
"Not exactly," Alistair replied. "We crossed paths a week ago in Vistania."
"So you chose the western road after all?" Medan asked.
"The old road follows the river," Alistair said. "Seems fate and geography agree for once."
Anna joined the conversation. "Where are you heading?"
Alistair thought for a moment. "To the south. Looking for a new story."
A new story? She wondered what kind he was after.
"If we are headed the same way," she said, "perhaps we could travel together. It's safer and we're good company."
He grinned. "Whether you're good company is for me to decide." His smile widened. "Stars and sun keep me well enough. But I wouldn't mind trading a monologue for a dialogue." His eyes glinted. "My caravan's slow, though."
"That's fine. If you let me ride it with you," Anna answered quickly. She could feel Medan staring at her. But riding in a cart sounded like bliss. The vision she saw showed snow. There was time to spare before then.
Ezra seemed pleased by the idea as well. Medan, not so much.
"You mind reining one of your horses in?" Alistair asked, "It'll take some weight off mine."
"Of course. I will be riding with you, after all."
Ezra went with Alistair to help him, while Medan pulled Anna to the side.
"Be careful around him," he said quietly. "I don't know if he is friend or foe."
"You said he is a bard?" she whispered back, confused.
"He is, but something feels ... wrong. But I don't sense any hostility from him."
"All bards are odd," she said with a small grin. "They wander the world for stories and sleep under the stars."
He didn't smile at all. "I'll scout ahead." He sighed. "Just stay alert. Don't trust his ease."
"Don't worry," she said cheerfully. "I'll watch him carefully. We'll be fine."
When they returned, the caravan was ready to move.
"Medan's going to scout ahead," Anna told Alistair. "Leaving me and Ezra in your hands."
Medan departed, disappearing down the road.
Alistair glanced at her. "How old are you? Aren't you too young to travel so far?"
Concealing it offered her no benefit and he could probably guess it anyway. "I'm sixteen. What about you?"
"I'm not sure anymore," he said with a sour smile. "Lost track of time ... Do you want to hear a story?"
How can somebody lose track of time?, Anna wondered and nodded in anticipation.
"What about," he said, his voice low but rich, "the true legend about the fall of the last Emperor?"