“No, Second. Jauni and I have resolved our differences. We’ve had word from the office of the Red Prophet. Her latest prediction involves most of the Realm. The elves, mages, vampires, demons…and fae.” Halvor waited for a nod to continue. “It seems a half-human, half-guardian will be integral in deciding the victor of a power struggle between the elves and vampires. Representatives from the underworld were also mentioned in the reading, though the nature of their involvement was not clear.”
As if one drop of acid had plopped onto the top of his head and started burning its way down, Romulus felt his muscles tensing one by one.
“A half-human, half-guardian, you said? Half custodes?”
“Yes, Second. The outcome of this battle will decide who rules the Realm.”
“I see. And this halvsie creature is integral to the outcome?”
“Yes, Second, though the winner remains unclear. This is largely because of the role the underworld plays, a component that is too blurred for the Red Prophet to interpret. It is clear, however, that both sides of this battle will seek to enlist the aid of the half-human, half-guardian.”
“Of course they would. That is common sense.”
Romulus’s brow crumpled in contemplation of this news. He brought his elbows up to the armrests of his chair and clasped his fingers in front of his face, rolling through the short list of half-human, half-guardians in his acquaintance. A few had trickled in from the human lands over time. Halvsies were simple, in his experience. Easily pleased. Many of them had inherited the fae’s long life span, but the ones he’d met were all incompetent fighters. Battle one of them, and all your focus went to not killing them. It was no sport at all.
Given that they also lacked skills that would improve the Flush in any real way, they weren’t regarded or esteemed favorably. Their status was low, and their options limited. They had all, so far, found their way to the outskirts of the Realm, living their lives with the lesser fae and probably getting along swimmingly.
How any of them could hope to lead the guardian into battle, Romulus could not imagine.
“Can this prophecy be believed?” he asked. “Is the Red Prophet dabbing in the hallucinogens again?”
“She was sober when she relayed her discovery. I believe it came to her yesterday evening. She spent last night meditating with her people about it, then she hastened to her rendering machine. The scroll was shown to me. The seal was intact.”
Romulus’s eyes widened. “Well, that is news. And were we given a means with which to narrow down the candidate? Leading a battle of this magnitude will be a great honor! I almost wish I had been named. This will elevate the family of the guardian greatly.”
Three fingers on Halvor’s sword hand twitched. Based on all the highly unusual fidgeting, he was clearly flustered. Or possibly excited. He was practically dancing in his skin!
“Speak plainly, Halvor. Out with it.”
“The Red Prophet saw a young woman.”
Romulus stared dumbly for a moment. “A young woman?” He thought back to all the female halvsies he had met over the years. Only a very few had possessed any sort of fighting experience. Most were shocked it was considered normal for males and females to fight each other. “Has someone left our lands that I was not aware of, Halvor?”
“You were the last, Second.”
Acid leached into his blood. “The Red Prophet is sure it was a woman?”
“Yes, Second.”
“I’ve often wondered if she has some way to cheat. And are you absolutely positive she was of clear mind? Sometimes she drops mind relaxants in her morning tea. Remember when she lit the tree on fire and claimed it was possessed?”
“I was thorough, Second. This battle is coming—she gets the feeling it has been building for decades. Now the key players are being named. This young woman is one of them, and the Red Prophet is nearly sure her quest has already manifested. She believes what she saw was an echo.”
A quest was a magical coming of age for a guardian, manifesting when the time was right. The quest holder was to stop at nothing to fulfill the obligation to the best of their ability. A great range of quests was possible, but the more complex ones tended to garner the fae higher status within the community.
If the halvsie woman was fated to lead a battle of this magnitude, she would earn a place among the elite. She was a woman to know, and to watch, which was troubling, since they didn’t know who she was.
A little surge of adrenaline fueled Romulus’s bloodstream as he thought of a battle to come. It had been a while since he’d torn himself away from his gardens and visited the battlegrounds, where they practiced sword work and hand-to-hand combat. He should see to it soon. Focusing solely on one form of his magic—the natural—would leave him out of balance. Fighting was every bit as important as the gardens in this community, especially if there was one on the horizon.