Tayn's Chaotic Quest

by pandaorb

Summary:

Tayn has always been a wayward soul whose reputation for mischief precedes him. How exactly did he come to gain the attention of Eora's Circle of Archmagi?

Notes:

• For Krafty_Corvid.

Chapter 1: Circle business

“If we don’t move now, Concelhaut will retrieve the artifact and Vailia will stand behind him! He can not be allowed this much power!”

“You are hasty, Llengrath,” Arkemyr chided. “We must gather more information on our enemy’s intentions. We can not go into this blind.”

“Blind? You’re the one who’s blind if you think we have a single day to waste where Concelhaut is involved!”

With his fierce gaze on Llengrath, Arkemyr rose from his chair quickly enough for it to fall back with a loud clatter.

“Woah!” Tayn breathed from his spot behind the large pillar not far from the entrance of the chamber.

“Shh!” Minoletta, shoulder to shoulder with Tayn in their hiding spot, kicked at him.

“Ow! Why’d you-”

“Shut. Up!” his companion seethed through gritted teeth. 

Fortunately for the two young eavesdroppers, Kalakoth had interposed herself between the two shouting archmagi and was making an unsuccessful attempt to silence them with her own raised voice.

After several minutes of heated argument, Minoletta began to inch towards the exit and beckoned for Tayn to do the same. With Tayn mere steps from the entryway, silence fell upon the mages and his shoe landed with the barest thud against the floor. Frozen in suspense, he closed his eyes, counting the seconds. 

One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.

Arkemyr cleared his throat and began murmuring about Concelhaut once more. Tayn took a deep breath, shot a brief prayer of thanks to whichever god wanted to take credit, and eased his way into the hall.

“Can you believe it?” Tayn prodded, wide eyed as they scurried across the academy grounds. “The Circle of Archmagi meeting right here, of all places!” He lowered his voice with a grin, “And with only novice levels of protection against old fashioned snooping. Told you they’d be too preoccupied with shielding against scrying!”

“Not here, Tayn! By Rymrgand’s name, do you want to be caught?” Minoletta’s eyes darted around the sparse hall as she increased her pace. 

“I’m sorry!” He hurried in front of her, then turned to face his friend, walking backwards expertly as he did. “I’m sorry. It’s just - it’s SO exciting, you know? About the-” the young man cut himself off, brow wrinkled in thought as he struggled to encode all that he wanted to say. He then smiled triumphantly and Minoletta noticed an increased bounce to his step, “The bad guy and the thing and the place!”

Tayn’s fellow student rolled her eyes and pulled open the door to her room, waiting with evident impatience for him to walk in first before she entered and locked the door behind her. Minoletta’s serious demeanor melted away now that they were in a safe place. With eyes bright and cheeks flushed, she whirled around to face Tayn and threw her arms around him. “We did it! I can’t believe it worked. Your stupid, brilliant plan worked, Tayn, you wonderfully idiotic genius!” Tayn grinned foolishly at this. It was more sincere praise than he’d gotten from his parents for all of his accomplishments combined. “We just got to listen in on a Circle meeting and no one has any idea!”

“No one?” A cool voice cut through the students’ short lived celebration as Archmage Llengrath appeared on the edge of Minoletta’s bed. Legs and arms both crossed, the woman watched them as a dragon watched its prey. 

“Gaaah!” Tayn yelled, backing into a small table and knocking several books to the ground in the process. “L-Lle-Llen- uhhhh…. Archmage! Lady? You- uh, Your Excellence?” He probed, bowing awkwardly. 

Minoletta gaped at the fearsome woman in horror. “Invisibility,” she whispered as she put a trembling hand to her mouth. “You knew we were there the whole time?”

Llengrath waved a hand dismissively and took in the cramped quarters. “It would shame myself and my colleagues to admit otherwise. Let us simply say that my attention was caught shortly after the disagreement between Arkemyr and myself was ‘settled’, and that I excused myself from the meeting after that.” She studied her nails meticulously. “I find myself impressed - not so much with your execution, mind you, but with your determination.” 

The mage stood, meeting the eyes of each youth in turn. “You’ve heard enough to know that The Circle grants me no explicit permission to seek this artifact before Concelhaut gets his treacherous hands on it. And surely my reputation grants you the knowledge that I’ll not be bound by such restrictions. Whatever constraints The Circle may put upon my own hands have no sway over my… pets.” Her piercing eyes seemed to cut through Minoletta first, then lingered intently on Tayn. “Luckily for me, I believe I’ve just found two.”

Chapter 2: Magic missiles

Summary:

Tayn and Minoletta set up camp on the first night of their assignment.

“I can not believe this,” Minoletta’s hands gripped tightly at her hips as she watched their mount fade into the darkening sky. Her jaw was set in a tense frown and her eyes flashed with resentment.

Tayn’s attempt to lighten her mood was not well received. “Can’t believe that we just got to fly on a DRAGON? Once in a lifetime opportunity, Mina!”

“Oh no. You do not get to use that nickname right now. Maybe not ever. Wipe that stupid grin off your face! You’re to blame for getting us into this mess!”

Tayn’s elated expression faltered. Sure, he’d come up with the idea to spy on The Circle, but Minoletta had been just as eager to find out exactly what the big, important forces of wizardry discussed with one another. After all, she aspired to join their ranks one day. Her towering ambitions along with his unorthodox innovations wove together just as seamlessly as the blues and greens of a Wall of Many Colors. It was why they’d gotten along so well after being paired on their senior project together. 

Blaming this entirely on him wasn’t fair, and besides, was ‘blame’ really even the right sentiment? They’d not only made themselves privy to some of The Circle’s most sensitive information, but met Llengrath herself and been assigned a mission of highest importance by her. And she’d let them ride on a dragon that hadn’t even tried to eat them a single time! They may have gotten themselves into a mess, but it was incalculably more extraordinary than the tidy confines of the academy with all its rules. 

“Fine,” he stated simply. “We might as well set up camp.” He’d never been adventuring, nor camped for the fun of it, but he had gone a year of Ranger training among his dabbling across different studies. Within no time at all his tent was set up on relatively smooth ground, bedroll laid out, and he began cooking dinner over a modest fire. He may have used a little bit of magic to get the fire going, but Minoletta didn’t need to know that. 

He could hear her muttering as she struggled to set up her tent. “Should be simple… doesn’t it just… by the gods!” What Minoletta had managed to get standing came crashing down. She gave it her most offended glare, then marched to the fire and seated herself near Tayn who handed her a warmed piece of bread.

“Sleeping under the stars tonight, huh?”

Minoletta took a deep breath, then chuckled to herself and pushed him playfully on the shoulder. “Help me, please?” She was gratified to see Tayn’s big smile find its way back to his face. “And I’m sorry about what I said before. This isn’t your fault. It’s a fitting enough punishment for what we did, I suppose.” She raised her eyes to study the moon, “I just hope we get out of this alive.”

Concelhaut was a formidable enemy even to the mages of The Circle. Though Tayn and Minoletta were at the top of their class, they both knew their magical abilities were a farce when compared to those of the lich. If they had to face him directly they wouldn’t survive. Tayn decided it would be best not to dwell on it. “Hey, so how are your missiles coming along?”

His question pulled Minoletta out of her reverie and a rare gleam touched her eye. “I was able to make some progress last night. I meant to show you, we just…well, we didn’t have the time.” She pulled out her grimoire, studying it briefly before nodding to herself and twisting her hands, focusing on calling forth the magic and binding it to her intentions. Her incantation flowed similarly to standard spellcraft, but a few intonations were purposefully jagged, forcing the arcane power to bend to her will to create. “ Lavaru bion sik,” she breathed at last. Three purple marbles of corrosive force floated inches above her hand, lethargic in their circular dance. She and Tayn both watched, entranced at the glittering globes. When she felt she could hold her concentration no longer, she pushed her palm towards a nearby boulder and the three spheres raced towards it, dissipating into the night before they reached the halfway point of their destination. 

“Golly, that’s amazing, Mina! Last week they wouldn’t even hold the spherical shape.” He grabbed the grimoire from her lap and ran his finger over her notes, engrossed in the modifications she’d made. He’d never planned to author a spell of his own, but it was such a fascinating idea, and the theory of it certainly didn’t seem too difficult. In fact, with a slight adjustment here… He tapped on one of her scrawled marks. “There, it’s too short. Lengthen it just a bit and I bet those missiles will reach their target next time. Then you’ve just got to figure out how to increase the impact.”

“Are you serious?” Minoletta pulled the book back, shaking her head. “I think you’re right.” She repeated the spell, this time drawing out the phrase in both her incantation and somatic motions. All three missiles struck the rock. Minoletta’s eyes went wide as she let out a delighted squeal. “I can’t believe it! I’m going to finish this spell! I’ll be able to submit a request for consideration to The Circle… I mean, assuming Concelhaut doesn’t kill us and the members who aren’t keen on Llengrath’s schemes aren’t too mad about us butting in on their politics, but I don’t care about that right now. I’ve got a working spell! ‘Minoletta’s Minor Missiles’. I like the sound of it. Of course in the paperwork I’ll credit Tayn Fallinor for-” She caught Tayn shrinking back uncomfortably. “What?”

“Just Tayn, please. I’ve decided to drop the surname. My father is ashamed to have me as a son unless I can inspire awe in his social circles. He doesn’t deserve to share a name with me.”

Minoletta couldn’t bear the solemn expression on the young man’s face. It didn’t suit him, but it always creeped up whenever his family became part of any discussion. She nodded, then busied herself with closing her grimoire. “Right. In the paperwork I’ll credit ‘Tayn, Pitcher of Tents, and Troublemaker Extraordinaire’, how does that sound?”

He laughed for a moment before tossing her own words back at her, “That sounds like a name suited for a wonderfully idiotic genius.”

Notes:

Translations for spell incantations can be found here. I'm not sure if each spell in the game is associated with a particular incantation, but I did my best to select the phrase that seemed to match best.

Edited: Seems like (in Deadfire, at least) Aloth always goes for "Lavaru bion sik" for Minoletta's Magic Missiles, so I updated the spell to end with that.

Chapter 3: Exposure

Summary:

"What exactly are we here for again?"

"Do we have a plan?" Minoletta wondered aloud as she pushed a branch away from her face. "Or are we just going to march into these ruined catacombs like we own the place and everything inside?"

"We should probably make one," Tayn replied, slapping at a biting insect that had landed on his arm. "What exactly are we here for again?"

Minoletta stopped in her tracks to read her companion's face. "Abydon's forge! You're serious, aren't you? You've been going on and on about this great mission from Llengrath and you don't even know what it is?"

Tayn had the decency to appear at least somewhat chagrined. "Sure I do. We've got to get the time thing from the tomb or there will be war. I'm just a little fuzzy on the details." Minoletta's cold glare warned him to be silent, but his big mouth continued on before his brain could stop it. "Look, it's kind of hard to concentrate when this powerful, dangerous woman is looking right through you, talking about the intoxicating allure of magic, and how she owns you and you're going to do exactly what she says... cut a man some slack, would ya?"

"Gods, Tayn! I swear I haven't got a clue how you manage to function."

"In fact, most are of the opinion that I don't," Tayn offered timidly.

Minoletta's palms rubbed at her eyes in frustration. "Okay, Concelhaut is after the Timekeeper's Lament, which allegedly, is some sort of time manipulating artifact that has been lost to the ages. Legend has it that it was buried in the tomb of Emperor Silva, who led Old Vailia during its prominent Golden Age. It's thought that he used the effects of time alteration to buy his country certain advantages during that period of time. Anyway, Concelhaut apparently believes this artifact can help aid him in achieving immortality, and he's struck a deal with the ducs bels. Presumably he’s allowed to go searching for this thing and even keep it for himself, providing that his magical prowess be made available to the Republics in the event that they decide to strike back at Aedyr. And they very much want to do that, if you recall."

"I do have a degree in Political Theory. Bunch of nonsense if you ask me, but I know Vailian pride is still sore over the resources they lost to Aedyran expansion."

"Right,” she admitted, surprised. “So those fool ducs were happy to take Concelhaut up on his offer. They've chartered an expedition, which the lich may or may not be part of. Berath’s will that he isn’t, but either way, we’re out of luck if we don’t get there first.”

“Speaking of our luck…” Tayn took two cautious steps back, “Have you ever seen a wurm in real life? Because,” he pointed behind Minoletta, “here’s your chance!” The beast’s scales were coal black, but that seemed bright compared to the deep pit of hunger in its eyes. Leathery wings beat as a territorial screech emitted through impossibly sharp fangs.

Minoletta summoned a black mist around her fingertips before she finished turning to face the creature. Smoke coalesced around her eyes, but it didn’t impair her vision. She targeted the wurm with an outstretched hand and launched her spell forward. The vapor at her face expanded for an instant just as the tendrils around her fingers encompassed the creature, then quickly dissipated. The beast thrashed its wings frantically, furious at the temporary blindness that had come upon it. “That won’t last long, let’s go!”

The pair pushed their way through the forest, and Minoletta cursed at the overgrown greenery and uneven terrain that slowed their escape. Tayn’s heartbeat increased in pace as the shrieking of the wurm became progressively less desperate and was soon replaced by sounds of predatory wings beating through their natural habitat. 

Closer and closer.

“There!” Minoletta pointed towards a structure of crumbled ruins to the East. “Go! I’ll slow it down.”

“It’ll keep following us. We’ve got to -”

“Tayn, just go!” She began weaving a new spell. Wisps of amber energy seemed to delay time around her until she unleashed the power in the direction of the beast. It dodged her attack, advancing ever closer with its ravenous gaze. Without taking her eyes off of the creature, she took a retreating step back and readied a hand over her wand. 

The wurm screeched when a bolt of lightning flew past Minoletta and crackled along its flesh - the electric pulse burning at tender scales that had not yet hardened into protective armor. It was followed by several blasts of crushing force from Tayn’s scepter, which mercifully resulted in the creature crumpling to the ground in a motionless heap.

Minoletta found herself shaking and the rims of her eyes gathered moisture that she hadn’t known was there. Tayn stood before her in moments, though her perception of time felt warped. He gripped her shoulders firmly, positioning himself between her and the fallen predator. 

“Hey, Mina. You’re okay. We got it.”

Her muscles were rigid despite their tremors. Her eyes searched, trying desperately to see past Tayn - to know that the monster was gone and that she was safe; but all she could see was the familiar face of her friend, and it was wearing an expression of deep concern that it was not entirely accustomed to making. The grip at her wand tightened and she resolutely met Tayn’s eyes. She managed to croak out a flimsy, “I’m fine”. She’d still barely moved, but the trembling had come to a stop. 

Tayn breathed in a measure of relief. She would be okay once the shock wore off. He nodded in acknowledgement and gently pulled her towards the ruins that she’d spotted earlier. “Come on. We can see if this is the temple we’re looking for and maybe take a minute to rest. Wurms are very territorial since they eat so much, you see? They don’t like to share, so I doubt we’ll see another one around here.” He’d learned that during his ten day stay with the Druids. They’d labeled him ‘unfit’ for the craft pretty quickly. That was okay. Wizard magic made a lot more sense anyway.  

They wandered into the shadow of the ruin and leaned against its walls, pulling out flasks of water as they readied for a break. After a moment of respite, Minoletta jumped at the snap of a twig followed by muffled voices. The sounds resonated from the opposite side of the wall and drew closer with each passing second. Both wizards focused their attention on the incoming group. 

“Belfetto! This is promising!” The declaration was emphasized by a loud clap. “Only Hylea would have a temple this deep in a forest, ne? Vielo, let us search for an entry to the crypt.”

Several minutes of shuffling ensued, followed by grunting and the shifting of a number of  heavy rocks. A female voice called out, “Frero! We have found an underground stairway.”

“Excellent work, aimica! Let us go down to fetch our prize. Ado vidòrio!” 

The group swiftly made its way into the newly opened corridor, and Tayn let out a low whistle. “Wow, we just can not catch a break, can we? Hey, Mina, I don’t suppose you speak any Vailian, do you?”

Minoletta gazed darkly at the spot that the expedition had vanished into, then sighed deeply. “Oh, merla.”

Notes:

Vailian translations can be found here.

Chapter 4: Forgotten goods

Summary:

Into the catacombs we go.

When the cavern forked, Minoletta started down the path from which they could hear clamoring Vailian voices, but Tayn pulled her back with a whisper, “We might be able to find the artifact first if we take the other path.”

“Maybe…” Minoletta considered as her eyes followed the trail after the expedition. “But if they find it first we would have no way of knowing.”

“Stone, parchment, shears?” Tayn asked eagerly.

Minoletta sighed. He was far too old to get excited over such a simple game. “Fine.” 

At the count of three they each threw a hand into the imaginary arena between them. Tayn’s parchment quickly became a stone the moment he saw Minoletta’s shears. She rolled her eyes. He did this every time. With a suppressed cheer of victory, Tayn began bounding down his favored route. 

Before long, light from the outdoors dissipated, and each wizard summoned a small sphere of floating light to combat the encroaching darkness. The structure of the catacombs was surprisingly sound. While sparse growths of fungi incubated along damp stone, Minoletta was pleased to find that the walls seemed sturdy enough that they were in no danger of experiencing a cave-in. The entire area was in such excellent condition that she shouldn’t have been taken aback when Tayn tripped on a crevice in the floor, fell against a wall, and triggered open the door to a hidden room. 

Tayn’s mouth fell open at the sight, and he looked to Minoletta and then back towards the open room. With impressive speed he scrambled inside. “Tayn! Wait!” Minoletta strode after him, now convinced that any long forgotten traps would still present plenty of danger. The room appeared to be a chapel dedicated to the remains of the temple’s priests of old. Paintings of flying birds swept from either side of the doorway, across the curved walls of the rounded room, and crescendoed above three simple coffins that lay centered against the back wall; each had a wooden chest set against its foot. 

“High priests, maybe? Temple founders?” Minoletta wondered aloud. 

“No telling,” Tayn replied, examining the mural. “This is old. I mean, people talk about stuff being this old, but I’ve never been able to see it for myself. It’s kind of amazing.” Minoletta found herself drawn to the middle coffin. A plaque sat upon its head. Eld Aedyran. Yes, this place was old indeed. Her attention was peeled away by an ominous creak. She spun around to see a sheepish Tayn standing in front of an opened chest.

“What on Eora do you think you’re doing?” It was more a shout than the whisper she intended. 

“I guarantee that these people are not using this stuff anymore, and there could be something in here that would help us out. Timekeeper’s Lament might even be in here!”

Minoletta glanced around the room skeptically. “I doubt this is Silva’s tomb. Emperors wouldn’t be shuffled off to some secret room. Still… I guess we can check.” She joined her friend at the opened chest where surprisingly little dust had gathered on its contents over the years. She sucked in her breath at the sight of an engraved golden ring. 

Tayn picked it out of the chest and paused for a second as it sat in his hand. “It’s magic,” he answered with an excitable grin. “I can’t tell what it does, but I can feel it. Here.” He held the ring out to her and Minoletta took it, surprised by its weight. It was oversized against her hand - surely meant for a larger kith, but she slipped it on her delicate finger anyway. It began to shrink until it fit snugly against her, and she felt more determined somehow. 

She didn’t immediately notice Tayn when she looked up. He had donned a cloak the color of deepest midnight and at first seemed to blend into the shadows. “How’s it look?” he inquired with a flourish.

“Almost supernatural,” she moved closer to examine the fabric. “Another magic item? Who was this person?”

Tayn shrugged. “Not all kith have their whole lives figured out, Mina. Most of us have to try a few things before finally settling on what we’re supposed to do - that’s true even for priests.”

“I suppose so,” Minoletta agreed with a touch of amusement. Her eye caught on the remaining item in the chest; it was a single scroll of parchment. Tayn peered over her shoulder as she unfurled it. 

“Arkemyr’s Capricious Hex. Ugh, how would you like to be hit with that one?”

“No thanks,” she threw the scroll to her friend who took a moment to read through it. A delighted smile grew on his face.

“I bet I could make this better. Worse. More fun. Whatever.” He waved a hand nonchalantly. 

“You really think you can improve one of Arkemyr’s spells? Do enlighten me.”

“Well it could do with a few more adverse effects, that’s for sure. Maybe some blindness? Plus it’d be better if it could hit multiple targets, right? And I bet I could make it more stable.” He held up defensive hands at Minoletta’s critical eye. “A sphere! You know they’re more durable than freeform magic. The shape should strengthen the bonded energies of the various curses and make it easier to direct towards multiple targets.”

“Well…maybe, but you can’t just edit a spell like that, can you? It would either become dangerously unstable or completely inert. There’s a reason people aren’t running around modifying spells for fun.”

“Sure, but I could take it apart and build on some of the core components as a base.” His face wrinkled in concentration. “I think.”

Minoletta shook her head at Tayn and his wild ideas. Maybe he’d get somewhere with them one day - even if that somewhere was the depths of Wael knows where. She laid a hand on the coffin before her while Tayn checked the remaining chests. Had this priest led a similar life to hers, only to be forgotten and robbed from in this eternal tomb? She whispered a prayer to Berath, apologizing for stealing from the dead, and wondered if she could ever expect to have any better of a fate.

Notes:

I noticed that Tayn's Chaotic Orb and Arkemyr's Capricious Hex have a lot of overlap, and I like how Tayn's spell is one level higher than Arkemyr's. It just made sense to me that he would have used the older spell as inspiration!

The wearable magic items are a Cloak of Prevalent Shadows and Ring of Changing Heart.

Chapter 5: Discover

Summary:

Will our adventurers find the treasure they seek?

The path they’d taken at the fork eventually wound back towards the other branch. At first the two young mages weren’t sure of whether their competitors were ahead of or behind them, but the answer became clear as the sounds of a mechanical click and a stream of Vailian expletives floated towards them from the hallway beyond. Tayn eagerly volunteered to scout ahead and discovered that the group was in poor condition after triggering a trap further down the path. They were discouraged by the expansive catacombs and their various injuries, and several were petitioning their leader for an early rest. It seemed that he would soon relent. 

“It looks like they’re probably going to set up camp in that alcove up there. We can sneak past and get ahead once they’re settled in,” Tayn reported.

Ordinarily, Minoletta would fret over Tayn’s assumption that they could manage to sneak past anyone in such close quarters, but there were no other options. “Alright. I could use a minute to rest while we wait.” She sat against a wall and began snacking on cheese and jerky. “You know, I’d be surprised if Timekeeper’s Lament is even here - if it ever existed at all, that is.” 

“If that’s the case, it’ll still be out of Concelhaut’s cold, dead hands. Llengrath should be satisfied with that. I’m having fun anyway.” Tayn was studying the scroll they’d found earlier and scribbling in his grimoire. Every now and then he would whisper words of magic, though little more than a vibrant spark or an occasional wave of heat would manifest. 

Minoletta was surprised to see even that much. Deconstructing a spell should have left him with naught but broken pieces and if he was unlucky, maybe an explosion. That in such little time he’d managed to weave together enough magic to produce as much of an effect as he had spoke to his aptitude for spellcraft. She’d poured so much energy into creating her missiles, and here he was, making patchwork of one of Arkemyr’s most powerful spells like it was some plaything. 

She stood abruptly. “Let’s start moving. We can probably get past them now.”

“Hold on,” Tayn made a final, hasty mark in his book, then rose and followed her down the hall. They approached the alcove in which the Vailian company was encamped. It wasn’t far enough detached from the hall to be considered its own room, but Minoletta hoped that under cover of darkness she and Tayn would be able to pass by unnoticed. Both extinguished their magical lanterns and silently picked their way through the darkness. Tayn was in the lead, though Minoletta could hardly tell where he was for most of the journey down the hall.

“Madiccho! Those spikes came out of nowhere. My leg…” a Vailian voice trailed off with a groan.

“Se futtito,” another grumbled, “If this item is so important to that undead postenago, why does he not come look for it himself?”

A woman’s voice cut in. “Hush, amico. The mage has his ways. I’ve no doubt he is listening somehow.”

“Bah! Wizards,” the man spat, but then quieted down. 

Tayn and Minoletta managed to pass without drawing any attention, and soon they put enough distance between themselves and the other explorers that they felt comfortable speaking at a whisper.

“Do you really think Concelhaut is keeping tabs on them?” Minoletta asked anxiously. 

“Nah,” Tayn replied. “Well…maybe. I mean, I would. Yeah. Okay, he’s probably spying on them. I wonder if he knows we’re around.” With great suspicion, he paused to survey their surroundings.

Minoletta shuddered, “Let’s just find this thing and get out of here.”

They followed the hall in silence until it opened up to an expansive cavern. Caskets lined the walls and flanked the two wizards as they made their way towards the raised platform at the far end of the room. Upon it sat a large coffin, embellished with gold in the likeness of a solar corona. 

“The tomb of Emperor Silva,” Minoletta whispered. “I never thought I’d see it.”
A gunshot rang, and a bullet clattered to the ground after hitting the stone wall ahead of them.

“Enjoy the view, tella. That is all you are going to get.” The Vailian leader moved his gun from the position of its warning shot and pointed it directly at her. “I can only assume you and your little friend are wandering this accursed tomb in search of the one thing of value that it holds. Timekeeper’s Lament, ac?” His eyes darted to the embossed casket. “I am afraid I must hand it over to my patron. So if you both would kindly step aside…” The man gestured towards one side of the cavern. 

Tayn held his hands in a gesture of surrender. There would be no keeping the artifact away from Concelhaut if he and Minoletta were dead. He moved slowly where directed, catching Minoletta’s eye as he did so, and she followed suit. 

The Vailian kept his gun trained on them as he approached the platform. He climbed the steps and placed his free hand on the head of the coffin. He’d come to scope out the hallway while the rest of his party rested. He didn’t have enough eyes or hands to keep hostages in check while he searched for traps. It would be smarter to take them back to camp where he could get backup. He began to turn -

Stay. A voice commanded in his head, and with a fleeting panic he realized it was the voice of the young woman who stood so unassumingly behind him. His eyes widened as he noticed that he no longer had full control of himself. Open it. His mind screamed in futile protest as he watched himself drop his gun and begin to push aside the heavy lid with both hands. It was heavy, so heavy… he strained, and just as the burdensome stone fell to the floor with a cracking thud, he was encompassed by an impossible cold. 

Tayn watched as the Vailian forced open the casket and then fell to the ground, frozen to unconsciousness by the mechanism that had stored Blast of Frost all these years. If the trap was still intact, then something aside from Silva still rested dormant on that platform. He scrambled up the steps to peer inside, and there it was - an antiquated, compass sized sundial pulsing with arcane energy - the Timekeeper’s Lament.

Chapter 6: Potential

Summary:

Tayn doesn't ever do what he's supposed to.

Tayn lifted the artifact hastily and began inspecting it. This thing was really supposed to change time? He couldn’t get an immediate sense for how it was supposed to work, but it felt powerful. Though magic was purely metaphysical, the object could almost be described as heavy with the weight of it. 

“Minoletta, this is it!” He beamed as he turned to find his companion kneeling beside the Vailian. She looked up at him and then to the item in his hand. 

Eyes wide, she stood to examine it more closely. “We should get this to Llengrath.” She glanced down at the unconscious man on the floor as she ran a finger along the ring upon her hand. She hadn’t imagined that her panicked hope that the man would not return to his group, but would instead open the casket would be materialized by the trinket. The power of it was chilling, but it had saved their lives and as far as she could tell, the man would be okay. Though missiles would certainly be her preference for self-defense once she got them working. Sure, they may be deadly, but somehow it felt like less of a violation than mind control. 

Tayn pushed the artifact into his travel bag and nodded towards an opening he had spotted. With any luck, it would take them around the Vailians and towards an exit. He raised the hood on his cloak and hurried towards the darkness. There was an uncomfortable force pulling at him as he made his way, and he recognized it as the Timekeeper’s Lament. It was as if the item longed to be used after so much time laying dormant in the hands of its lifeless master. He itched to use it - to see what he could do with the power to manipulate time. What if the storms separating the lands had been prevented? What if the gods still roamed along Eora in their bodies? He had the means to bring dozens of different realities into being sitting in his bag and Llengrath expected him not to use it?

“Ridiculous,” he muttered to himself. He pulled to the side, hoping Minoletta hadn’t quite caught up with him yet, and pulled the item out of storage. He felt it pulse in his palm; the insistent tug that he had felt earlier eased and its energy hummed comfortably. Was it a mental trigger? A key word? 

“ Time travel. Future. Past.” He thought at it, but nothing happened. Was it will based, perhaps? He imagined the sensation of traveling through time, the awe at seeing the greatest moments of history and the excitement of creating new ones. In an instant the pulse began to sync with his heartbeat. 

Thump. Thump.

Thump thump. 

Thumpthump. Thumpthump. Thumpthump.

Scenery began to blur and colors whirled around him until they coalesced into a deep black, and he was left in chill darkness for a brief moment before the whole process reversed itself so that he found himself standing at an unfamiliar scene. It was an empty study that glowed in warm candlelight. Books were scattered across the floor and papers littered the large desk which was accompanied by a cushioned chair. Tayn observed the item in his hand and wondered at the faint ticking that seemed to come from it. He couldn’t say whether it was truly audible or simply an impression which resonated in his mind. “Well this is hardly interesting at all,” he sighed.

“Not as interesting as we’d hoped, still pretty useful though, all things considered! I mean, so far this has been the only time I’ve been able to meet myself.”

Startled, Tayn turned to see a robed mage with familiar messy hair and a friendly smile. It was himself, but older. Because time travel, of course. He groaned. “I was hoping to see something phenomenal! Maybe even absurd! Why’d the thing just take me to myself?”

“I’ve had some time to think this over and you may not think so now, but this is pretty phenomenal and absurd. Anyway, that thing doesn’t take you to any time you want. It only shows you the future that you’re on track for. That was enough for Silva to figure out how to build up his empire, but you can’t use it to see gods walking around or anything like that. Look, you don’t have much time before you get sucked back through that time vortex and find yourself in a sticky situation. No , I’m not telling because that would ruin the fun, but you’re going to want this.” The older Tayn thrust a scroll into the hands of his younger self. “I know you’ll want to hang onto it so you can just claim you scribed a spell without actually doing any work, but you should probably use it if you don’t want to die. Plus, you can figure out how to write it later as long as you ignore mundane things like safety and ethics! Well, it was nice talking. Have fun! Bye!”

“But-” Once again, Tayn found himself pulled through time and standing exactly where he was before, only this time he held a scroll in his hand and the artifact no longer pulled at him. He dropped it back in his bag and unfurled the scroll. Tayn’s Chaotic Orb. Something warm bloomed inside him. He’d scribed a spell! Or he would be able to at any rate. Not only had his instinct about improving Arkemyr’s hex had been right, but he’d succeeded in the complicated feat of pulling a spell apart and patching it back together with stronger pieces. The revelation of it was marvelous! He read through it with a grin until Minoletta finally caught up to him. 

“Getting more ideas about how to tear that spell apart?” She asked, assuming he was reading the scroll that they’d found in the tomb. 

“Oh yeah, grand ideas!” He stowed the scroll away with a prideful grin. They could see the moon shining through the exit from the tunnel just ahead. They had only to reach the light.

Chapter 7: Forest Fight

Summary:

Tayn and Minoletta aren't getting off this island without a fight.

“Why are there so many bugs on this island?” Minoletta groused as she waved hands in front of her face. It was dishearteningly ineffective, but the swarms were more unbearable now than they had been during the day. “Do you think Llengrath will show up soon? I sure hope I used the contact beacon correctly…”

“Mmm?” Tayn feigned a response. He was preoccupied. Between letting his mind meander through all the possible ways he could innovate to create Tayn’s Chaotic Orb - which was such a magnificent name - and wondering exactly what sort of trouble was supposed to force him to use his only existing copy of it, he really wasn’t paying attention to much of anything at all. In fact, if he had been, he likely could have avoided stumbling directly into a clearing full of outraged Vailians and an even more furious lich. “Oh boy.”

“Imbeciles,” Concelhaut’s voice dripped with contempt as he glared back towards his hired muscle. “You mean to tell me that you lost the artifact to these mere children?” A few of the Vailians glowered, but none among them braved a verbal protest. The archmage turned back towards Tayn. “I am certain The Circle put you up to this in some misguided attempt to thwart my acquisition of power over time itself, but I assure you that you are incapable of fighting against me.” He held out a withered and papery hand, “Hand over the Timekeeper’s Lament, boy, and I will consider not crushing you and your friend into oblivion.” 

Tayn felt the air crackle as it was primed for a powerful spell, and for a moment he could do nothing but stare at the unnatural creature before him. Surely living a long life wasn’t worth the trade of becoming such a ghastly fiend.

At his pause, Minoletta began to sob. “Give it to him, Tayn! It can’t be worth our lives.” She hid her face to cover her tears. 

“Aww, don’t cry, Mina.” He stuck his hand into his bag, reaching for the artifact. “It really isn’t worth-”

Minoletta’s hands fell from her eyes, which were not at all wet with tears, but instead burned with determination - and magic. A hefty black lance encased in a purple glow pierced through Concelhaut’s paper thin skin. The archmage, eyes flaring, cried out in pain and rounded on Minoletta as the magical weapon dissipated, but she was already making her way back into the cover of the forest. The distraction gave Tayn enough time to slide into shadow under the protection of his midnight cloak. 

“Find them!” Concelhaut growled. The Vailians scattered while the lich followed after Minoletta. 

“Great. Great!” Tayn murmured to himself as he rooted through his bag. The clearing now stood empty as Concelhaut’s cadre had disbanded quickly at their master’s command. At last, Tayn’s hand grabbed hold of the two scrolls that he was searching for and he stuffed them into his belt. “‘Ruin the fun’,” he scoffed, “Yeah alright, Old Tayn, thanks.” 

After a quick look around he began running in the direction Minoletta had gone, not bothering to take any care to reduce his noise or cover his tracks. If Concelhaut was able to find Minoletta after that trick with the Necrotic Lance… no, no. Tayn would find her first, and she would be safe. He would get her back to the academy, and she would finally learn that he was right about how dull it is to earn a degree, and she would finish her spell, and she would be accepted into The Circle just like she’d always dreamed. Tayn found himself wiping angry tears from his face as he ran, and that was when he heard the scream. 

It was close. Tayn’s legs burned as he pushed himself beyond his limits, willing himself to move faster and faster though his muscles ached and breath was scarce. The scream died down, but it was followed by cries of pain until at last he found her.

A Vailian woman sat back against a tree, clutching at a burn on her arm. Four of her companions still stood and all had weapons pointed towards - 

“Minoletta!” Tayn exclaimed her name, overjoyed to see her alive. Scratched and bruised, but alive. Also very irritated. A charge from her wand raced towards the nearest of her combatants who protested at the hit. 

“Tayn! Where’s Concelhaut?”

“I am right here, you insolent girl!” The chilling voice cut through the air, and Minoletta froze on the spot with fear reflected in her unblinking eyes. 

Petrification. Tayn’s blood chilled as the air filled with a familiar charge and the ghostly shape of an enlarged hammer began to form over Minoletta’s motionless body. Reaching towards the first scroll he could pull from his belt, Tayn began casting with all the speed he could manage. “Moeith ixi aneth!” his voice rang, giving Concelhaut just enough warning to turn towards the younger wizard before he found himself sickened and subsequently paralyzed. With its caster’s concentration broken, the hammer that would have delivered Minoletta’s crushing doom dissipated. 

“That’s from Arkemyr!” Tayn taunted, despite knowing that the hold on the archmage was growing increasingly ephemeral. Then, noticing the remaining adversaries, he pulled out the second scroll. “And this one,” his face broke into an enormous grin, “is from me.”

The Vailians ran, but not far enough before Tayn finished reading his scroll. His heart warmed with pride as a large, glowing, blue orb swirled into existence and in a single bound, bounced towards his nearest foe. It flashed with a blast of chaotic energy, and the Vailian fell to the ground in a wave of nausea. The orb bounced again, and again, and again, imparting weakness, blindness, and even paralysis until Concelhaut was the last enemy standing. Minoletta had broken out of her petrified state and held a wand up to the archmage. Tayn fell in beside her, scepter raised, though both knew they were outmatched. 

Concelhaut’s paralysis was at an end. He stepped towards them with a sneer evident in his voice. “I have had enough of your insufferable antics. You have delayed your deaths long enough.” He raised his hands only to be slammed to the ground by a powerful dragon’s tail.

“Gafonercos?” Minoletta shouted in surprise.

“Llengrath?” Tayn asked hopefully.

The woman peered over the side of her mount, eyebrow raised. “You have the artifact?”

“Yes!” Both students yelled. 

The archmage nodded, “Then let’s get out of here.”

Chapter 8: Full circle

Summary:

One last walk through the halls of the academy.

“Admit it, Mina. This is way more exciting than getting a stupid degree.” Tayn was once again walking backwards down the hall of the academy as he talked to his friend. Though both had completed their program, promising students were permitted to stay for an additional semester so long as they continued pursuing research. This particular hallway was familiar as they’d once scurried down it and away from the grand hall; today, however, they walked towards it. 

Minoletta carried a bag full of books and papers which supported the theory behind her missiles. She would have to defend her spell’s viability while it was scrutinized by each member of The Circle. If it was deemed stable, then she would have to duel each member in turn.  Only after total victory would she be granted the title of archmage. 

“Nerve-racking would be more accurate, Tayn. It’s way more nerve-racking than the day I got my degree.” She took a deep breath, and her next words came out in a rush, “And they’re not stupid, by the way. I know no one really credits you for all the degrees you’ve earned. They think your father just handed over enough money to get your name put on paper, but I know you deserve them. You’ve learned a lot from all your schooling and you should be proud of it.” She stopped her walk abruptly and dropped her voice to a murmur, “Just like you should be proud of finishing your spell.”

Tayn was caught off guard by her words. Ever since their adventure all those months ago, he’d worked non-stop on developing Tayn’s Chaotic Orb. But he’d never told her about his progress. She shouldn’t have had any idea that he’d finally finished it mere days ago. “How did you know?”

“Well, you finally stopped locking yourself in your room and your smile these days has been bigger than I’ve ever seen. I don’t think anyone has ever scribed a spell as quickly as you did!” Her face fell. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tayn’s mouth went dry as he thought back to the exhilaration he’d felt using that first scroll with his Chaotic Orb, to his opportunity to read through his own spell before he’d ever written it, to the motivation it had given him to know with surety that he would succeed, and to the fact that Minoletta had persevered in her own spell crafting challenge without the benefit of any of that. He couldn’t bear to tell her the truth - that despite all the work he’d put into his spell, he felt like he’d cheated. So he settled on telling her the next truest thing.

“You had so much going on. I didn’t want to distract you with my news.” He glanced down at the floor before facing his friend. She knew he wasn’t telling her everything, and he could see it in her expression; it was in the way the gleam vanished from her eyes.

“Well…” she began carefully. “Congratulations, then. When are you planning to present it to The Circle?”

“Present? I wasn’t planning to, I guess? I thought…maybe it could just be mine?”

Minoletta gave Tayn the most aggressive eye roll he’d ever seen, and that was saying quite a lot. “I swear once again, Tayn, that you are the biggest dummy in Eora. Go get your research!”

“Go…? Wait, you want me to present? Now?” Tayn was incredulous. “Look, I’m not up for fighting any more archmages. I’ve had enough of that.”

Minoletta considered this for a moment. “You know…The Circle could maybe be persuaded to drop that requirement for someone providing a very generous donation.”

“From my father?” He responded with bewilderment. “After I’ve decided to stop using the family name?”

She flashed an impish grin, “He doesn’t have to know about that just yet, does he? Now, go!” She pointed emphatically back towards his room. “I’ll wait for you.”

With hands held up in surrender, he began backing down the hall at her command. “So I’ll make a big donation and you’ll just join up the old fashioned way?”

“I will! And we’ll always know that Archmage Minoletta can best anyone in The Circle! Including you!” She smiled, and Tayn smiled back, for of that truth he had no doubt.

Notes:

This was so much fun! I loved exploring Tayn's characterization and imagining Minoletta's personality. It's always fun to see the archmages and subsequently see what trouble they inevitably throw other people into. If you've read this far, thanks for sticking around. I hope you enjoyed it!

P.S. Sorry for sewing a *little* bit of tension in this last chapter. I had to. After all, Minoletta does eventually push Tayn into a snake pit.