Altered Destiny

Ch. 28

If you have any last resonance theories, share them now!

No, I totally didn't make up 90% of the magic technobabble here on the spot, I don't know what you're talking about.

--------------------

Life stayed surprisingly normal after making contact with the Enderknights, after revealing Voltar to Kittrian and the twins. Kittrian had been stunned, of course, but once the shock wore off she still treated him just the same as she had before. Ingressus had received a handful of messages from Crown Peak in the past year, asking for the Voltaris's side of the story about their banishment and seeking details about his plans for reparations and rebuilding relations with the other clans. But for the most part things were still simply... life as usual. Hunting monsters. Researching Songs and other magic. Training the kids and helping out in the forge. Even the suspicious glances the more paranoid Ataraxians had given him since word got out of his contact with the enderknights had partially faded, and Ingressus had gotten accustomed to what remained.

It was a different ally who was occupying Ingressus's mind now, though, as he rested under a tree near the market. He and Aegus had been sending messages back and forth about the matter of the Prime Songs, and what could be done with them after the war was over. Ingressus couldn't let the clans have sole control over them, yet after multiple past and violent attempts by the Voltaris to reclaim them, it was no use pretending the other clans could be convinced to return them to their discoverers. The clans feared what the Voltaris would do with the Primes, just as the Voltaris feared the clans' actions. He and Aegus had both contemplated several ideas, each with their own pros and cons.

There is a lot to consider where the Primes are concerned, Aegus had said in his last message. Unfortunately, this will never be easy. But this conversation may be easier to have in person– perhaps I could come to Ataraxia and we could discuss this face-to-face? I await your answer.

When Ingressus had first agreed to speak to Aegus, he hadn't expected the Nestoris Master to help as much as he did. He had been hoping for an ally to have in reserve, to be able to call on when the time came for negotiating with the other clans. Ingressus hadn't gotten his hopes up for much in the meantime beyond simply keeping him secret, but Aegus had gone beyond that: seeking out resources for Ingressus on the resonances, setting aside what supplies he could for the Voltaris who contacted him, giving Ingressus advice on how to handle inter-clan politics and helping him plan for negotiations. It was a testament to the old Voltaris paranoia how long Ingressus had felt that Aegus's willingness to guide him so much was too good to be true. But over the years he had come to accept, even count on and respect the elder Nestoris's advice.

"Ingressus!"

Ingressus was pulled from his thoughts at the sound of his name being called, spotting Saylor hurrying across the street towards him.

"Yeah?"

"Question," Saylor said. "How do you feel about hunting phantoms?"

"Phantoms?" Ingressus echoed.

He had seen the flying undead on occasion before, circling above the mountains as they searched for prey impaired enough to take down. He had even seen one up close once, pierced through by an arrow after it had targeted Zaurak, exhausted and stumbling after fleeing from a near-disastrous encounter with a raider scout. Phantoms liked open spaces to hunt in, and weren't the most maneuverable. They tended to circle high above, from what he knew, then swoop down in quick strikes meant to wear down their target. Lurae's bow could bring them down from afar, and if they could funnel the phantoms into a single approach, then they could catch the mobs on their dives...