Mesmer's Mask

Borderlands

The days we spent in Beacon's Perch passed as if they were some sort of fevered dream- strange and unreal. We were suddenly leaderless and most of us lost the heart to keep going. The shock of Prince Rurik's death left us questioning the wisdom of our actions, and there were many who wanted to turn back.

I was surprised to find Elvea ordering people around the morning after we arrived at Beacon's Perch. Whatever state she had been in after witnessing the prince's death had passed quickly. It was disturbing too see how easily she had put it aside to assume leadership while most of us were still in shock.

Soon enough Master Saberlin was issuing orders too, and by nightfall the place was abuzz with activity. Despite all that, it still took several days to get organised again. People complained and needed to be placated, our supplies were running thin, and just when we thought things couldn't get worse we had to deal with deserters too.

In the end it took four days before we were ready to continue our journey. We were still grieving for those we lost along the way, but our need for a safe haven and new supplies drove us onwards. I had very little to pack, but even so I was one of the last people to head out. I found my friends at the gate, talking to Master Saberlin.

"…when the way is clear, report to Ranger Olson," I heard him say.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Centaur patrols," Reyna told me. "You're just in time to help us get rid of them. They're making a right nuisance of themselves."

"Which will not be solved by standing around and talking about it." Elvea had managed to approach without a sound and as always she had chosen the perfect time to cut in with a harsh remark. She had to have some sort of sixth sense for those moments.

"So let's go already," I commented irritably.

She didn't even look my way as she replied. "Yes, sir." She needed only two words and a look of contempt to mock me. She walked past and headed out of the gate, followed by my friends. They were trying to keep straight faces, but I could hear Orion sniggering. I couldn't help but sulk as I followed them.

My sour mood didn't last long. There simply was no place for it as we travelled. Elvea set a quick pace to overtake the refugees with their goods, and there seemed to be no end to the Centaur ambushes along the way. With every fight I felt my anger making more room for my resolve. We could not save everyone. Our efforts were a constant reminder that for some, we would always be too late. It didn't stop us trying. The losses made the mood bleaker, but we knew that if we just kept going, we could save others. We shared a grim determination that kept us going even long after we started to feel weary. We would rest when everyone was safe.

It was noon when we ran into Ranger Olson. He was waiting beside the road, sitting on a rock and looking impatient. I wondered how he could manage to sit so still in the cold of the mountains. It was an art I'd like to master some day. He leaped up as soon as he saw us and saluted.

"Aidan has gone on ahead into the ice caves to scout the way for you to take the refugees through," he said to Elvea. She nodded at him and he continued. "Master Seeker Nathaniel awaits you in Griffon's Mouth with further instructions."

"Thank you," she said. "Stay on your guard. We took out a good amount of Centaurs on the way here, but there's bound to be more of them about."

"You'd think that with the Summit behind us we'd be safe," he grumbled.

"It's not far now to Kryta," she said quietly. She sounded almost gentle. "We will all be safe there."

"Five Gods willing," he nodded. Once those words had been a prayer, a sincere way of acknowledging the glory of the gods. People really believed that they still watched over us. Now it was hardly a mantra of resolve, at best a melancholy wish for better times.

We saluted Olson and continued on our way. The road led into a network of caves not far from where we had left the Ranger, and Nathaniel was waiting at the entrance in the company of two men in strange armour. It had been made white, and had been polished to shine brilliantly. They also wore a red cloak with a white symbol on it, and I guessed it was a stylised image of one of their new gods. I had never seen members of the order of the White Mantle before, but the men with Master Seeker Nathaniel could not be anything else.

Nathaniel kept his message short and to the point. "This cave is confusing and perilous; you don't want to take a wrong turn or you'll wind up wandering in the cold until you die of it. Aidan has scouted the way ahead, and my wolf can help you track him."

Elvea looked from Nathaniel to the wolf he had tamed, and then to the two men by his side. She looked them up and down slowly, then snorted almost inaudibly. The two men looked at each other reluctantly, then they approached us. Apparently we needed an escort as well as a wolf for a guide.

"Very well, then," Elvea said. "Let's go." She followed the wolf as it strayed into the cave, the two White Mantle fighters close behind her. I looked back at Nathaniel.

"Aidan is a master Ranger," he said reassuringly. "He'll have left his markers for you. If you look closely enough, you'll find them." I nodded and thanked him before I ran off to catch up to the others.

Progressing through the cave turned out to be as troublesome as the Master Seeker had said. Even though we had his wolf and two men to guide us, the network of caves was confusing and it was slow going as we waited for the wolf to keep track of the scent. To make matters worse, the caves turned out to be an Ettin hotspot, and we were attacked by the ferocious monsters at almost every turn. It was fortunate for us that the beasts were strong, but painfully unintelligent.

It took us a few hours to make it through the network of caves. The light inside was dim, and I lost all sense of direction in that world of ice. Every wall was a mirror, and I was quick to appreciate the escort we had been given. When we finally neared the exit, Aidan was waiting for us in the shadows. I could see the daylight starting to fade behind him, at the end of the last stretch of tunnel. We sat down on some rocks and let Elvea do the talking. We were more than happy to get a moment of rest.

"Where now?" she asked the Ranger as he saluted her.

He folded his arms across his chest and gave her a look. "Good to see you too," he said.

She glared at him. "We have no time for pleasantries. What can you tell us?"

He did not look away as he produced a letter from a pocket hidden somewhere in his long coat. He handed it to her as a sort of peace offering, but his manner showed that it wasn't a surrender. He knew better than to test her patience, it seemed. "Speak with Ambassador Braun. He'll be waiting in Scoundrel's Rise, just outside Griffon's Mouth. He'll help you get the refugees sheltered in Kryta."

"Perfect." She tucked the letter away and moved past him without any further comment.

I got up and sighed, then gave Aidan an apologetic look. He shrugged. I wasn't really sure what to say, so I turned and went after Elvea. It was beginning to become a familiar pattern. Aidan did not come with us, and neither did the two White Mantle men who had helped us through the caves. I suppose they intended to stay until all refugees had been guided safely through.

Ambassador Braun was waiting some way outside the cave exit. He looked tired and worried, and seemed to be displeased as well. He schooled his face to politeness when we approached, but he could not wholly hide his irritation. Elvea saluted him and he nodded to her, then he took the letter she presented.

"I understand that you can get this letter to Ambassador Zain," she said.

Ambassador Braun turned the letter over in his hands a few time, studying the wax seal intently for a moment before looking back up and meeting her eyes. "What news, Your Grace?" he asked quietly.

A shadow passed over Elvea's face. "Prince Rurik has fallen in battle." She paused a moment. "I was told to look for you, Your Excellency, to settle the matter of shelter for the refugees…"

The ambassador sighed softly and shook his head a little, looking down at the sealed letter again. "The Undead have risen from the swamps. The gates to Lion's Arch have been closed. Times are bad indeed," he said. He looked up to meet Elvea's eyes. "Yes… I have been appointed by Ambassador Zain to handle the matter of seeing your people settled. The ambassador will be saddened to hear of your great prince, I am sure."

"What must we do?" she asked.

He finally put the letter away and produced another one, sealed as carefully as the one he had taken. "Here is the letter from Ambassador Zain granting refuge in Kryta. Present it to Witness Casori, the city's regent. Perhaps she can help you." He looked westward, towards where I thought Lion's Arch would be. "There is a town not far from here. You will be able to rest there for the night. The Undead have not reached it yet, so your people should be safe."

"And Witness Casori can be found there?" Alesia asked.

Ambassador Braun nodded at her before turning his attention back to Elvea. "I believe she is leading an offensive from there, to purge the Undead from our lands. If you show her Zain's letter, she will be sure to make some time for you."

Elvea tucked the letter away somewhere in her coat. "Thank you, Ambassador Braun," she said. "We shall be on our way, then." She saluted him again and started down the path into the vale.

"Unseen Ones keep you," the ambassador said.

We saluted him and followed Elvea as she made her way down the slope. We were still fairly high up, and from where we stood we could look miles ahead. I paused for a moment and let my eyes take in the scenery. The landscape of Kryta consisted mainly of forested hills, and I knew that among the trees many areas were swampland. If I strained my eyes a little and looked northwest, I could make out the shores of what had to be a great lake, or maybe a sea. To the south was no more snow, and the rocky landscape of the Shiverpeaks yielded quickly to sands… a beach, perhaps, or a dried-up riverbed.

I was glad to leave the icy cold of the mountains behind me. The temperature rose quickly the further we descended, and soon enough we were taking off our coats to cool down a little. Only Elvea did not yield to the sudden heat and kept her coat on. I wondered if it was vanity or some sort of ability to withstand higher temperatures better.

The sun had almost set by the time we made it to the sandy area I had seen from the ridge at the end of the caverns. Even though the ambassador had told us that the town was nearby, it wasn't anywhere in sight and we'd walked for the better part of an hour. It would be dark soon, and I wasn't comfortable camping without shelter in the unfamiliar place.

Something moved in the shadows, and Reyna readied her bow immediately. I closed my eyes and focused on the power of fire, then opened my eyes again and looked around. We had all stopped, and were looking around worriedly. We heard a faint rattling sound, but when we turned to look for the source, it was gone.

We continued on our way as the shadows lengthened, and I could no longer shake the feeling that we were being watched, being stalked, but whatever it was that was following us, it was never more than a movement in the corner of our eyes and a strange sound in the distance. I prayed quietly that the refugees would not be targeted by it.

Fortunately it turned out that the small town was only a few minutes away from where we had stopped. It was hidden away between a few steep hills, fortified mainly by these natural defences. We went down a narrow path, following the sounds of a campsite ahead. Whatever had been watching us did not follow.

It was hardly a town at all. There were only a handful of stone buildings that housed a few families of farmers, and the surrounding land had been divided into small patches of carefully irrigated fields. The camp, however, was quite the opposite. There were a great number of tents, and all around us there were members of the White Mantle order lighting fires and cooking meals, or mending equipment.

We were met with some looks of suspicion as we entered the camp, but mostly people looked our way with open curiosity or polite interest. A small crowd was gathering as we walked among the tents, and we were followed by excited whispers. It was odd to be made to feel this welcome by the people of a nation Ascalon had fought against for so long. Whatever friendship Prince Rurik had established through the ambassadors before his death had somehow managed to trickle down to the common man. When Alesia asked for directions to Witness Casori's tent, a dozen people were ready to answer her question.

Witness Casori was a small and slender woman, and even standing on a crate didn't help her look more imposing. She only stood out by virtue of the dark robe she wore, a contrast to all the white around us. The hammer she was holding was almost bigger than herself, and she looked somewhat ridiculous with it. I was glad to see her put it down when she saw us approach.

Elvea immediately produced the letter she had received from Ambassador Braun and walked up to meet her. "I come in the name of the people of Ascalon," she said.

"Yes, Braun told us to expect you," Casori replied. She took the letter from Elvea and broke the seal, letting her eyes run along the lines on the parchment for only a moment. She looked at our little group. "I understand you have Ambassador Zain's decree allowing your people to settle here. I'm afraid, however, that powers above me are ordering my city's gates closed even to Krytans." She folded the letter and put it away. "You've done these people a great service."

"What do you mean by that?" Orion asked irritably before anyone else had a chance to speak up. "We came all this way only to find the gates into Kryta closed on us, and you tell us even the ambassador's decree won't help us get in. How can you talk of service?!"

"Hush, Orion," said Alesia. "You're not helping."

He glowered at her and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, what then?"

"What Witness Casori was trying to say," Elvea cut in calmly, "is that we have done the people of Ascalon a great service by leading them on safely this far. I am certain that we will be able to negotiate a way of entering Kryta anyway."

Witness Casori nodded. "It is late, however, and you are all tired from a long journey. Refugees are arriving at this camp as we speak. Perhaps it would be wise to meet up with them and get some food and rest. We can discuss this matter in the morning."

~*~

I did not get much sleep that night. The refugees had mingled freely among the Krytans, and no one seemed interested in getting some proper rest for the first time in days. We had left great dangers behind us and were finally in a defensible position, with plenty of troops to support us in case of a sudden attack, but despite all that, no one really felt at ease. There was soft-spoken unrest and fear, and I wondered what made the Krytans so edgy.

I got up just before sunrise and sat down by the glowing embers of a dying campfire. A lone White Mantle follower sat with me, staring sombrely at the ashes. "Why is everyone so nervous?" I asked the man.

"Undead," he said grimly. "Swarms of Undead that came out of nowhere and are attacking our homeland, and we have a hard time defending our people now."

I looked at my hands. "Do your unseen gods not guide you, like they did against the Charr?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Who knows the ways of the gods? For every Undead we strike down, two more will appear. They pour from the swamps and attack anything they can find. Perhaps the Unseen Ones wish to test our faith."

"Perhaps," I said lightly. I had difficulty grasping the new religion of Kryta. I did not understand it and I could not embrace it. As far as I was concerned there were only five true gods, and whatever these unseen ones were, they were not divine. I was certain of it. It was not my place to criticise openly, though, and so I did not challenge his thoughts.

"We believe the Undead are pushing for Lion's Arch," the man went on. If he had detected my underlying cynicism, he showed no sign of it. "That's why no one is allowed in or out. We're here to stop them from taking the city, at all cost."

"We will help put an end to this invasion." I had not heard Elvea approach. I looked up to find her standing just behind me. Somewhere during the night she had managed to wash and have her outfit cleaned, and she looked as fit as if she had not been travelling at all.

"Of course," I mumbled. She pushed a lump of bread into my hands as I got up.

"Eat that," she said. "We'll be leaving soon. Meet me at Witness Casori's tent when you're ready." She turned and walked away without another word.

I mumbled an apology to the man still sitting by the fire and made my way back to the tent I had been given to share with Stefan and Orion, eating the bread Elvea had given me along the way. Stefan was waiting for me and handed me my backpack.

"Orion's gone ahead to meet up with the girls," he said. "I took the liberty of packing your things for you. Hope you don't mind. I'm not keen on keeping the Duchess waiting any longer than necessary."

"It's fine," I said absentmindedly. "I don't mind. Thank you."

We headed to Witness Casori's tent to find the others ready and waiting for us. Alesia and Reyna looked tired, and even in the early morning light I could see that Orion was in need of a shave. Then again, the same could probably be said for Stefan and myself. I really wondered how Elvea had managed to get clean, but then I realised that it had probably involved intimidating the locals, and decided that I didn't really want to know after all.

"Casori has sent some forces ahead to scout the area," Elvea said. "There is a town south of here that could not be reached earlier, and she has sent some forces that way to ensure it is kept safe. It should be well guarded, but its position on the outskirts of Lion's Arch means that losing it would mean a severe breach of the city's defences."

"So if we defend it from the Undead, we will be allowed into the city?" I asked hopefully.

She shook her head. "Not quite. The Mantle should be able to defend it with the troops here, but Casori has told me that her superiors want to fight the Undead on their own territory. The man who has the ability to grant our people passage into the city, Justiciar Hablion, is leading the offensive. I intend to meet up with him. Perhaps we can negotiate entry into the city that way."

Reyna groaned. "Wonderful. We have the ambassador's approval, and we still have to negotiate our way in."

"Consider it a lesson in defending your new home," Elvea said. "Because I suppose once we settle here, that is what Kryta will become- our homeland. Fight for it as if it always has been."

I saw Alesia nod approvingly, and stepped forward myself. "Then let's waste no more time. Let's go."

I thought I saw a small smile flash across Elvea's face, but she had turned and headed south through the small town's gates before I could be certain of it. It was easy to think that I had imagined it, but for that briefest of moments I truly believed that it had been there. I followed her out and heard my friends fall in behind us.

I had expected the Undead to be nocturnal creatures, or creatures of shadow at least, but it turned out that this wasn't the case at all. We had not gone far when we heard people screaming, and when we ran ahead we saw the living dead attacking a few villagers who had been stupid enough to wander out of the camp. The sight of these creatures out in daylight was truly terrifying, and the stench of decay was overwhelming.

It took a lot of effort for me to focus on the skirmish that followed. Between my abject terror and my nausea it was a small miracle I could manage to aim any fireballs at all. There was something very disturbing about seeing animated skeletons fighting, and that it wasn't night just made it worse. The night would cloak some of their hideousness, whereas the day revealed it in all its monstrousness. We managed to slay the creatures and pressed on to the village. If they had managed to get this far northward, the defences had to have been compromised.

The path south led us to the swamp, where we found more foes waiting for us. The monsters we fought were in various states of decay, but the stench of death was equal with all of them. They swarmed our way the moment they spotted us, and we had a hard time fending them off. Their archers shot arrows tipped with a foul poison at us, and there were even great Undead hounds eager to devour us.

It seemed an eternity before we could follow the path out of the swamp again, but when I looked back, I saw that we had crossed little more than a dirty stream underneath some rotting trees. The remains of the monsters we had fought were hardly as numerous as they has appeared. I wondered if their deathlessness somehow affected the sense of time of the living, and made us think their numbers were greater than they appeared. It was as good an explanation of why they instilled fear so easily as any other.

"Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had an indestructible fighter with us who could take the brunt of any such assault," I mumbled wistfully. I sat down on the ground and closed my eyes for a moment, but not before Reyna rolled her eyes at me.

Orion dropped himself to the ground right next to me. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Stefan can only take so many hits, after all." He rested his arms on his knees and put his forehead on his arms. "And I'm exhausted."

We had to rest a while to recover our strength, and Alesia took the time to inspect our injuries. None of them were severe, but she worried about the poison and would not let up until she had inspected us all thoroughly- even Elvea had to patiently endure it.

Reyna produced some sort of roots from her backpack that she had apparently foraged from somewhere. "The taste is horrible," she admitted, "but it will still the worst of your hunger and help you focus on the task at hand." She divided them among us and we chewed on them obediently. I tried not to make a face. It was possibly the most disgusting thing I had ever eaten, but Reyna was right- it stilled my hunger and made me feel a little revitalised.

We continued down the path after that only to find a battle raging outside the village's wooden gate, and we were quick to join in. When the last of the Undead fell before us the gates opened and we were welcomed inside by a man who introduced himself as Justiciar Toriimo. He briefed us on the situation and sent us on to meet with Justiciar Hablion.

We exited through the town's south gate and made our way to the river delta we had been told about. I wanted to stop at every turn and take in all the new sights, but Elvea kept up the pace and didn't allow us to get used to the sight of the sea so nearby. I had never seen a body of water quite like it, but I wasn't allowed the time to let it impress me. There were more Undead on the beach, and even though there were not many, they would not let us pass without a fight to the death.

Some way ahead we could see a regiment of the White Mantle fighting Undead too, and we pressed on to meet with them. Elvea ran ahead to speak with a large man shouting orders, but he hardly made an effort to address her and took even less time to look her way. I decided that Justiciar Hablion was not a man I wanted to cross.

"You've arrived in Kryta at the wrong moment, friend," he said briskly. "I don't have time for long speeches, but I'll make you this deal: help me fight these Undead, and I'll give you and your people passage into Lion's Arch."

"Agreed," Elvea said frostily. She ran forward and joined the fray, and left us no choice but to follow her.

With the added forces and Justiciar Hablion to shout orders we quickly disposed of the main force, and we pressed on into the great swamp to seek out the remaining foes. It was a miserable task, and the reek of the swamp was almost as bad as the stench of the Undead. Our only fortune was that there were paths through the swamp that allowed us to cross a little more easily, but they had hardly been used in recent years and had become very, very narrow.

I was worn out by the time Justiciar Hablion was finally satisfied that the Undead had been purged from the swamp. He looked at the carnage around us and moved to a fallen soldier. He shook his head sadly and knelt down next to the man, stretching out a hand to close the man's eyes.

"Be at peace, brother," he said. "May your soul find peace in the Mists. Your bravery is unquestionable, your honour unmatched."

I bent my head and prayed quietly to Grenth. We had been victorious, but good men had fallen in the battle and there were many souls now astray. I firmly believed in the mercy of the Lord of Death, and as difficult as it was to embrace that part of life, I found myself praying often to this god, for all the lost souls in this changing world.

Justiciar Hablion got up again and walked back to Elvea. "On behalf of the White Mantle, I thank you greatly for your service. Our founder, Saul D'Alessio himself would have been proud to call you his friends."

She smiled politely, but there was no warmth to it. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"As promised, your request for entrance to Lion's Arch has been granted," Hablion went on. I let out a small sigh of relief. "You and your fellow Ascalonians are welcome here. Come, I will escort you to town personally. We will make sure you receive a proper reception."

He made his way back down the path, towards the city. I saw the irritation flash across Elvea's face when he did not look back to see if we would follow. I turned away from her to hide my smile, and made sure I followed behind her as we headed after the Justiciar. I could not resist exchanging glances with my friends, whose faces showed a mixture of amusement and fascination.

Justiciar Hablion led us to two great wooden gates, and at his command they set into motion and opened before us. A cobbled lane led down to a bustling city, the streets filled with people who seemed oblivious about the world outside. I was amazed by the enormity of the city, and more amazed still by how happy the populace seemed to be. It was a far cry from Ascalon City when I had last seen it. I found myself trying to define the city before me, but I kept coming back to a single word. Lion's Arch was alive.

"Welcome," said the Justiciar, "to Lion's Arch."