Page 457 of Of Empires and Dust

When Tallia lifted her head, her eyes glowed with a deep red light. The sight of them twisted coils of dread around Kallinvar’s heart.

The woman stepped from the bed, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Kallinvar. “You forced these people to live a life outside the natural world. You placed chains around them and called them safe. You robbed them of choice and of their futures. What did you expect?”

“How is this possible?” Kallinvar summoned his Soulblade, the green light illuminating the chamber. “This place is protected by Achyron himself.”

“Itwas,” Tallia said, staring at him with those gleaming red eyes. “But all things come to an end, little knight.”

“What are you?”

“I am her saviour.” Tallia smiled. “When you offered the people of Lurïnel sanctuary here, what did you expect, knight of Achyron? The illusion of choice is Achyron’s finest deception, is it not? That has always been the way. He brandishes me as a traitor for wanting to protect the souls of a world I love. And yet he dangles sanctuary before the eyes of desperate men andwomen and pretends that it is true choice. You are his slave, not his warrior. He does not care about you. He simply hates me.”

“Efialtír… How…”

“I have always been here. My blood is in the very crust of this world. I have known of this temple for a long time, but patience was needed. And now that the veil is thin enough to reach across…” Tallia stepped closer to the iron bars. “Your Watcher found my body. He understood.”

“A fallen god…” Kallinvar whispered, remembering the old tales his mother used to tell him before she passed. Of how the Sea of Stone had been formed by the body of a dead god. “The Sea of Stone…”

“Well done, knight. But far too late. I tell you now only because you have already failed. I pity you. You are a slave, your choices bound by Achyron’s desires. You are a bird in a cage that believes he can fly. I am not the coming shadow as you believe. I am not here to burn this world. I am here to preserve it, to bask in it. You have been lied to.”

More pulses of Essence rippled through the temple above, and Kallinvar could feel his knights reaching out to him.

“What have you done?”

“I told you,Grandmaster Kallinvar. You are too late.”

A convergence like nothing Kallinvar had ever felt erupted in his mind, bathing over the Sea of Stone, rippling outwards from its centre.

“No…”

“Yes.”

“You found it…”

“Indeed.”

Kallinvar staggered backwards as his Sigil ignited. He felt Brother Valdar of The Third be ripped from the world.

“I do not like to take chances. If you wish to save the people of this place – or at least to try – I would run now. Your brother-knight, Tarron, he told me of your heart. It took a while to pry open his soul… but he acquiesced eventually. Achyron did well in finding you, Kallinvar. I would have had you at my side. There is still time.”

“I would rather burn in the void.”

“Perhaps you will, but I hope not.”

Kallinvar released his Soulblade, drew the sword at his hip, and drove it into Tallia’s stomach. The woman screamed, and those red eyes shimmered with light before dulling.

“Grandmaster?” Tallia whispered, her hands around the blade in her chest, her voice once again what Kallinvar remembered.

“Yes, young one?”

“I’m sorry.” Blood wet the young woman’s tongue. “I didn’t want to die here, in this place. I wanted to see the world, to see Valtara, and Loria, and all the places Watcher Gildrick used to tell me of. When he came to me and told me I had a choice… I…”

“When who came to you, Tallia? Who?” Kallinvar’s heart stopped. “Watcher Gildrick?”

Tallia grunted, blood dripping from the blade in her gut. “Watcher Poldor. He came to me after my father died.”

“Watcher Poldor? No, that can’t be.”

Tallia looked into Kallinvar’s eyes. “I didn’t kill Gildrick. I swear it.” She drew a deep, hacking breath. “Do you think I’ll see them? Will Heraya still take me?”

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