Edge of Extinction war story/Chapter 4

Cagliari Lux stood at the edge of Darkovia looking out into the world beyond. For the moment, the war situation seemed to have abated near this front. Cagliari was struck by the curiosity of this fact—given Darkovia's long history with the forces in question, it seemed odd somehow that Battleon was locked in combat while Darkovia was in a period of relative calm.

A strange wall of shifting Shadow enveloped the camp. Cagliari could see readily through the shifting Light and Darkness, but for most beings living or undead, the tenebromantic effect was enough to cause difficulty. Ironically, had Erebus still been a factor in this attack, it was very unlikely that this shielding would have served any effect, even created, as it was, by a servitor of both the Lady of Light and the Lord of Darkness.

The number of undead and other creatures which fled from the advance of the armies into the embrace of the forest was rapidly increasing as well. The word had rapidly gotten out that undead seeking to survive the massacre being rapidly forced upon them by the warring forces of paladins and necromancers should seek shelter in Darkovia.

Interestingly, it was not merely undead that came. A large number of living beings had come as well; whether in support of the undead or fleeing for their own reasons was difficult to say, but the refugee camp was rapidly spilling past its borders and would need to be expanded again in another day or so.

Cagliari frowned, detecting the movement of a child near the furthest edges of the camp perimeter. What was a child doing there? If he pressed beyond the perimeter, he would quickly become fodder for the roving creatures of Darkovia.

Cagliari moved to redirect the child, but stopped. As he drew close, he recognized the figure for what, and for whom, he was.

“Good evening, Loremaster,” Cagliari said to the young boy.

“Good evening, Brother Lux,” the child stated simply.

“With respect, Loremaster, why are you here? I was under the distinct impression that the Pantheon was maintaining a policy of strict neutrality in these affairs.”

“I have never been one to sit around idly,” Falerin responded. “My fellows can make all of the proclamations they want, and the official position does indeed remain one of non-interference, but I have taken the position, supported by those same individuals, that the non-interference paradigm is restricted to the actual conflict. This camp, therefore, is outside of the matter, and I have received calls seeking aid.”

“It must take a particular individual to contact you.”

“Once, maybe. I have been a bit less than secretive about my home number and address of late, though. Oddly enough, my requests for aid come from two very disparate sources.”

“Lady Cenara and her half-brother....”

“No. That may have been unusual, but it hardly would have been odd, given the fact that Lady Cenara and Lord Donovan both have a standing agreement with me. Interestingly, neither party has asked me for aid in these events. I think they both know that my taking a direct hand would be problematic...”

“My requests come from one of the higher members of the Paladin Order, the Paladin Coueraservi, and a very particular necromancer, Amilara Celegra. You know both parties, I think…”

Cagliari looked at Falerin curiously. “Coueraservi sought your aid in this conflict? And what did he seek?”

“The same thing that Amilara Celegra did, actually, which is actually why I have responded.”

Cagliari frowned. “The same thing...?”

“The protection of the people who have been seeking shelter here from being caught in the crossfire. Those who have gathered under the banner of one of the various lords and ladies who rule this region have their own protection, but those who have taken up shelter here can turn to neither Donovan nor Cenara, neither Constantin nor Safiria... Your comrades here, Cagliari, are the only true innocents in this conflict, and neither Commander Coueraservi nor Amilara wishes to see you caught in the inevitable crossfire.”

“Amilara I can understand, but why would Coueraservi involve himself in this way, especially knowing that it might be considered an act of treason by some within his order?”

“I cannot begin to speculate on the motives of the man. I can only say that those motives are genuine. Perhaps Coueraservi shares more with Commander Paladin than their station or strikingly familiar appearance.”

“They do look quite similar...”

“Paladin himself is bound by the same non-intervention that the others are. It is a risk that the Lady even allows you to be involved, but she knows that this is your direct home, that these are your people. What happened in Luminovia is long ago, but what has happened to you here is very fresh indeed.”

“Yes, I suppose so. I guess I can understand Coueraservi’s motivation, but it seems he takes a grave risk in making such a proclamation publicly...”

“Unquestionably, there are those in the order who would disagree with his choice, but very few in the order would dare impugn his motives. After what Coueraservi suffered for the order, he is viewed as ‘entitled’ to his eccentricities.”

A buxom Brilhado Lich landed in the camp. Cagliari recognized the woman as the same lich who had served as the Lady’s harbinger of Commander Paladin’s return. While there was something apropos in that assignment, it seemed that the Lady of Light, like the Caelestian, was fully prepared to skirt the boundaries of the non-intervention order.

“The Barrier is weak at Quadrant 3, Sector 7, and at Quadrant 4, Sector 9. Are you certain we cannot simply do estate transference as before...?”

“I am certain,” the child answered. He then shifted form into his more muscular human counterpart.

“Given my own direct involvement in the Lorian pantheon, transport of large numbers of Darkovian undead and random Darkovian creatures into Caelestia for an unknown duration...” He shifted yet again, this time into his more young-adult form. Here he seemed to settle.

“It would raise questions I would be unable to answer. Many would consider it a direct violation of the Farpoint, and learning that I did so with the sufferance of Lorithia, but not with her authorization, would only increase those tensions.”

For Cagliari, this was itself worrisome. He had been around the Powers for enough years to have a pretty strong understanding of Their actions, and if three of them (for where the Lady of Light went, the Lord of Darkness surely followed) were flaunting the orders of the Creator, there must be a very good reason why. This certainty grew for Cagliari until it was unavoidable, and finally he voiced it...

“Why?”

“I assume that the answer is because he fought beside many of you in Donovan’s action; he even fought against many of you, which is bound to have a lasting impact on someone as introspective as Coueraservi.”

“No, I do not mean that. I mean, why are you doing this? Why are any of you involved?”

“You have aided us before,” the lady lich answered.

“And Cagliari,” Falerin supplied, “you know very well that war makes for strange friends...”

"That is not an answer. You know something about this that you are not sharing."

“If that were so, Cagliari,” Falerin said pointedly, shifting into his Lanfiré form in a manner somehow quite distinct from the lazy shifting that had come before it, “how would your asking aid the situation in any manner, shape, or form? In fact, how would your asking do anything, other than to draw unnecessary attention to the fact that...”

Giliara Celegra landed at the edge of the field and crossed to the lich and to Falerin.

“Hello, Gil,” Falerin stated, resuming his normal form.

“Hello, Fal,” Giliara answered. “Why if it isn’t Cagliari Lux... hello, my friend...”

Cagliari considered the dead Brilhado with a sidelong glance. That Giliara was present could only mean that the Lady of Light was taking a firm and direct hand in these matters. This made little sense to Cagliari, however; Commander Paladin was excluded by the Lady, and so instead, she sent one of her most direct servitors...?

Worse, given Giliara's status, he was one even more likely to be perceived as being her direct meddling in the affairs occurring here. Why would she do that?

“I had to be sure neither of my relations was present before landing here. I have been forbidden from direct contact with my brother or nephew in this event. Nor can I aid directly aid or proffer assistance to either side of the warring parties. My attention is instead focused on the plight of my people, and those of the undead.”

“The plight of your people...?” Cagliari began.

“The Brilhado,” Giliara answered, “all Brilhado, and not merely the necromancers, have been affected by this war, and in its aftermath, they stand to be affected even more surely. My purpose in regard to them is simple. I was the first Brilhado communicant of the Lady since the Fall. With the changing face of Lore, we expect others may soon follow my lead; I am to aid the passage of those of our kind who would seek service under the Lady in Aloria.”

“The changing face of Lore?”

Falerin shook his head, cutting off any sort of response from Giliara. “We cannot. He is too involved. Besides, your brother is on the front this very moment... They will learn...”

Giliara frowned slightly, and then, nodding slightly, turned to Cagliari. “Tell my brother and nephew that I miss them; it has been too long since either of them has visited Aloria...”

“You really intend to keep what it is you know secret...”

“We must, Cagliari, for all of our sakes. Know this: war has consequences.”

“I know that very well... better than most.”

“And you know I would never willingly put my nephew or brother in jeopardy. Don’t you, Cagliari?”

“That is true; even when Diviara plainly was acting against us, you refused to cleanly choose sides...”

“So the stakes here...”

“They must be very large indeed...”

“I am afraid that they are,” Giliara finished. “The anchors have been placed, Loremaster. We are ready to amplify the maze of Shadows. You are certain this will work...?”

“I am positive. Given where it was obtained.”

“How does it work?” the lich asked.

“It will increase the maze’s complexity and shifting nature, and it will strengthen the Shadows themselves into a unidirectional mass. Those hostile to the camp will find themselves turned around completely by the Shadows and forced back outward to the edge of the forest. Consider it an opposite variation of...”

Falerin stopped abruptly, but the lady nodded.

“I understand,” she said. “So we have aid from there as well...”

“Favors have been called; new ones are being formed,” Falerin answered.

“Cagliari, these undead will need your guidance; not just your compatriots, but all of those who have sought shelter here,” Giliara stated.

“A number that may soon increase quite a bit...” the lich provided.

“We have said too much,” Falerin said. “Cagliari understands that they will be depending on him. That is the best we can do.”

“Yes, I suppose so,” the lich said. “Giliara, we must depart.”

“Time to leave, Cagliari; send my regards to everyone...” Giliara said, though even as he said it, his appearance and those of the other interlopers was rapidly fading into nonexistence.

Soon, Cagliari found himself once again alone in the encampment, somewhat bewildered. “Just what in the outer planes was going on here?”