Page 92 of Grave Situation

“I’m n-not a priest,” Arimen corrects quickly. “Only an acolyte. B-But… I never thought anyone would shoot at me.”

I bite my tongue to keep from saying acerbically that nobodydidshoot at him. Those arrows weren’t aimed anywhere near the priests—I’d know, since theywereaimed at me.

“I-Is the dragon going to eat me?” he ventures timidly, and this time I can’t stop myself.

“Maybe.”

Jaimin’s fingers dig sharply into my shoulder even as he assures a terrified Arimen that nobody’s getting eaten.

“The healer makes promises he shouldn’t,”Leicht comments darkly, and I grit my teeth.

“Let me explain what happened from our perspective, and what our plans are going forward,” Jaimin says soothingly. “Do you know what the life stone is?”

Arimen blinks a few times, seemingly taken aback. “The creation stone? Father of the gods, source of life?”

At least the temples taught him something, though I question the use of “father.” The stone doesn’t seem to me to have a gender, and it’s never indicated that it wants to be referred to in that manner.

Jaimin isn’t as fussy as I am about nomenclature, though, because he simply says, “Yes. It surfaced here in Camblin—we’re not sure why here—several months ago, and then traveled to the City of Knowledge, where it made itself known to the councils of mages, healers, and dragon riders. It warned of a great evil and selected a team of questers to search out its chosen champion, the one person capable of defeating that evil.”

Now Arimen’s mouth is open in awe. “The creation stone,” he whispers.

“We,” Jaimin gestures in an ambiguous way that could include everyone present or not, “are the chosen questers, searching for the hero who will save us all.”

The light in Arimen’s eyes fades. “B-But… they said he was fleeing a convocation.”

“Technically, that’s true. In Lenledia, the high priestess of Malna demanded we surrender the stone to her. Obviously, that is not within our capability—the stone decides where and with whom it travels. Mage Silverbright—Talon—requested the convocation in order to avoid a disturbance in the king’s palace. This mission, you understand, is secret from all but a few. The evil we attempt to thwart is so grave, it would cause widespread panic.”

Personally, I think Jaimin’s storytelling abilities need work. He’s laying it on a bit thick, and he sounds more like a minstreltelling fairy stories to children than someone relaying the details of a vital mission.

On the other hand, Arimen is still a child by most definitions. Gods’ turds,whatare the temples up to? And how are we going to travel with this boy who’s scared of his own shadow and seems so naïve, he’d buy magic beans from a wandering salesman? Could he even handle the news of what we’re up against?

Or would he crumble at the first sign of trouble?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“We leftbefore the convocation could be called because the stone compelled us to,” Jaimin continues, and I wonder if that could be considered a lie.

~No~

What is it with the people—beings—thingsI’m ignoring insisting on talking to me? Do they not understand I’m infuriated right now and don’t want to hear from them?

The stone wraps me in a metaphysical hug, and I ignore that, too, focusing instead on what our fearless healer is saying.

“Unfortunately, it seems the temples have not heeded the wishes of the stone, and so your bishop waylaid us to again demand its surrender. We were surprised that he was willing to go as far as murder to obtain it.”

Arimen opens his mouth and closes it a few times, seemingly at a loss.

“The Temple of Wasianth—and, if the bishop was truly acting for the convocation and not simply Wasianth, all the temples—has, in the act of firing upon a dragon, broken treaty with the dragons. By killing a dragon rider, the temple has declared war on the dragon riders. It remains to be seen how the Academies of Healing and Magic will consider the act of attempted murderagainst myself and Mage Silverbright. The nations of Lenle and Camblin may also become involved—Coryn is a member of Lenle’s King’s Own Guard, and the Camblish queen may not react well to hostile activities within her borders. That is for others to deal with and decide. What matters now, Arimen, is that the stone has chosen you to join our quest.”

I’ve never seen anyone’s face get that pale before. He begins shaking violently, and then his eyes roll up, and he passes out. It’s only due to Coryn’s reflexes that he doesn’t fall.

“This is a mistake,” I mutter as Coryn lays Arimen gently on the ground and Jaimin goes to see to him.

“It’s the stone’s will,” Master reminds me, his eyes on the young acolyte. “It does seem… But I’m not going to doubt the source of all creation.”

His tone says he’s doubting it plenty.

“Is the academy going to consider this an act of war?” I ask quietly. I hadn’t thought that far ahead—Tia’s death, yes, I knew the riders wouldn’t stand for that. But I’m not dead, and I’ve been threatened by my peers enough times that I’m fairly sure none of them would be too upset if one of those arrows had hit me.

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