Duel of the Gemini

Truths

Like all legends, the stories of the Five Originals had been distorted by centuries of retellings, individual truths lost in time and reshaped into vague, cautionary tales of morality versus evil. Unlike most legends, the life of a Planeswalker was long enough that they might live to see their stories grow. Liliana refused to speak on any subject concerning her past, and Sorin had sense enough not to press the matter. The light they could see from the tower had visibly disturbed both of them, so now they walked through the city, admiring the commotion that seemed to carry all day and all night. Always there was the sound of conversation, laughter, or argument, and always in the rough, aggressive language of the vampires. As Liliana passed, her subjects offered their Queen silent tokens of their respect: bowed heads, hands moved to the tops of weapon-handles. The musical quality had returned to her voice as she spoke again, this time telling him what she knew of the White Planeswalker Ajani.
“Even the remaining Originals are unsure if Ajani was ever a real creature, or some unexplainable manifestation of mana,” she said. “What is clear is that he is the embodiment of protection magic: the strength to resist any oppression or destruction. It is said that whenever a wielder of White magic enters his final hours, the Spirit of Ajani will emerge to guide the way to victory.”
“I thought the legends spoke of the Sword of Ajani,” Sorin offered.
“As do most people,” she answered. “But I think differently. Perhaps it’s the influence of my people here. In their language, the word for sword and spirit is the same: ‘Malika.’ This is because one’s spirit is always one’s greatest weapon.”
The Black Planeswalker considered what the significance of this story was for creatures like Liliana and her people. “You’re thinking about the humans on this plane?”
“The divide between light and dark magic is stronger here than on most worlds. My people wield Black mana quite naturally: though the males cannot cast spells, they achieve great physical strength through its influence, and the females become great priestesses. Similarly, the humans in their great cities are united in their worship of White mana. In this way a balance has existed here on Zendikar that I have not known anywhere else.”
Of the worlds he had visited, those with magic and those without, Sorin had found only the capacity for war had remained constant. He began to admire the harmony she described between these two polarized species. Suddenly her voice adopted a despairing tone:
“Now that balance is under attack by the Eldrazi. Thus far we have escaped the brunt of their assault: we owe this to the way the vampires build their cities, like great hunting parties, able to move without warning and travel great distances, only to rebuild overnight. But the stone walls and great cathedrals the humans admire have been easy targets for those monsters.”
“If you are right, why does the Spirit of Ajani not protect them?”
“Because I believe the legend has been misspoken, and that the weapon they are seeking, this Sword of Ajani, is not some artefact from the ancient days. They will die never understanding the truth: that it is a manifestation, one capable of drawing on the very soul of the user, to summon a force strong enough to defeat even the Eldrazi. But none of my people can wield it, which is why we must find someone who can before the humans of this world are wiped out completely.”
A singular question burned at Sorin’s mind throughout their exchange, and now seemed the right time to ask.
“You want to use the Planeswalker from the vault? You want Eldranis to summon Ajani…”
“Nothing that he showed you that night was coincidence,” Liliana replied quickly, “though I can’t say much for his skill at introductions.” He nodded in agreement, thinking of his lucky escape falling from the rooftops. “Five days ago he arrived on this planet,” she went on. “He spoke the language of my people and knew I was here. He offered us a weapon that could destroy the Eldrazi.”
“The Sword?”
“Indeed, though I already suspected the sword itself was worthless. There was just one thing he asked in return.” She paused at this, inviting him to guess.
“He wanted you to defeat Chandra Nalaar,” he said finally.
“That’s correct. Naturally I refused. All he was offering was the trade of one impossible enemy for another! And with no proof he even had the power to invoke Ajani, I might have risked my life – and the lives of my people – for nothing. But now…” The smile broke over her face again, illuminating her timeless features. “Now we know the Spirit of Ajani is real, and Sword or no, this Eldranis knows how to summon it.”
Sorin’s mind raced as he listened to the tale of a war igniting between two of the most powerful beings on a thousand words, and considered with concern what role he would play in these bargains. He carried these doubts with him as he followed her inside the large tent.
“Chandra Nalaar is one of the most dangerous creatures imaginable,” he said, temporarily ignoring the fact that the woman in front of him could be similarly described. “How do you intend to fight her?”
“It is as I said...” as she spoke she admired a jewelled dagger on a display against the wall, before picking it up and carrying it back to her chair. She bounced the tip of the blade against her fingers as she continued. “Nothing you saw was by chance. Eldranis sent you to me to deliver a message, he just neglected to tell you its significance.”
“He wanted me to tell you that Chandra is in Ravnica.”
“Correct.” The trademark grin flashed across her lips. “As long as she stays in the city we have a chance. There are those on that plane who would like to see an end to her as much as I would, and they may just have the power to achieve it… with a little encouragement.”
A wave of her hand was enough to summon two guards who took the dagger she offered. No words, just a nod from each to signal understanding. That night, they would gather the high-priestesses from the village and together they would work until morning to summon portals for Liliana and Sorin for their return to Ravnica. Liliana explained that the early hours were the best time to leave the city, with fewer denizens wandering the streets. Thoroughly exhausted, Sorin was taken to a room where he slept until a priestess arrived to bring him to his senses.
As he approached the summoning circles the next morning, in a clearing on the outskirts of the city, he had to admire the work of the priestesses. Despite the speed with which they were created, both of the portals were flawless with intricate runes glowing softly around the edges. Liliana was once again holding the jewelled dagger, which she slipped into a sheath beneath her cloak, out of sight. In unison they released their command spells and the portals opened before them, through which could be seen the vast, sprawling rooftops of Ravnica.