and the Raiment mostly cloaked, she looked less like the Phoenix Justiciar, deadly avenger of Myrionar, and more like the young woman he’d come to know in the past few weeks. “And even if this doesn’t work out, I am sure we can get some of the best advice on Zarathan here.”
He nodded, following her lead up the mountain. He suspected that he could climb at least as well as she could, though she wasn’t bad, but she’d been up the mountain before, and he hadn’t, so he let her keep the lead. “I can’t argue that. Though I don’t want to infringe on your honor against these false Justiciars.”
She paused as they reached a small ledge and looked over at him, those amazing gray eyes serious. “Tobimar, I guess...I would have been worried about that before Thornfalcon. But if I believe in Myrionar at all—and I do now, with all the faith my heart can hold—then I must believe that It arranged for you, Poplock, and Xavier to be there, either Itself or through Its allies, Terian, Chromaias, the Dragon Gods, even,” she flashed another smile, “Blackwart the Great or the Three Beards. And however it was arranged, it is a sign. You came seeking justice and vengeance, and with wisdom you saw past Thornfalcon’s lies just in time, and saved me from—oh, very literally—a fate worse than any ordinary death. You are a part of this, and—by the commands of justice—I am now bound to your mission as well. So nothing you gain here can infringe on my honor; it is my honor.”
He blinked. “Kyri, my quest might be a never-ending one, a fool’s mission. I may never find the answers, the homeland we left, the Stars or the Sun. There have been dozens of such seekers exiled from my homeland. I would not have you bound to something that may take you from your clear and urgent duty.”
She shook her head. “Justice requires balance. Nor can either of us ignore the fact that too many things appear to be happening at the same time. The power behind these false Justiciars may be the same one—or related to the one—that has set all these other plans in motion. And your ‘Khoros’ already links us. I think, if I’m going to resolve the mystery of the False Justiciars, I will in one way or another have to enter the heart of your mystery, as well.” She gazed upward, judging the angles. “And as Sasha determined, that gateway under Thornfalcon’s mansion went somewhere into Moonshade Hollow, which you believe—I think rightly—is what’s left of your homeland.”
“She’s right,” Poplock said, moving to his other shoulder as they continued the climb. “We’d already come to that conclusion, and it makes more sense the longer I think about it.”
Tobimar shrugged. “I can’t argue that. But...Kyri, while I respect Myrionar—now that I’ve met you and seen Its power in you, and heard Its tenets, I respect It very much—I’m dedicated to Terian Himself, as are all my family. I can’t be one of your Justiciars, so...”
“Don’t say can’t ,” she said with a smile thrown over her shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about that, and do you know, I can’t find a single word in the Teachings that says all the Justiciars have to be dedicated solely to Myrionar. The power of the Justiciars is from Myrionar, yes, and obviously you have to conduct yourself in a manner that the Balanced Sword would agree with, but a follower of the Infinite, the Light in Darkness, would hardly do anything that would disappoint a Justiciar.”
I hadn’t exactly thought of it that way. “You mean a Justiciar could be a follower of another god?”
“I mean I don’t see anything that says he or she couldn’t be such a follower. But don’t worry, I’m not trying to force you into that decision.”
“But then what...”
“...do I think we can gain from this?” she finished. “The Spiritsmith is one of, if not the, greatest armorers who has ever lived. He’s also normally very jealous of his privacy and his
He nodded, following her lead up the mountain. He suspected that he could climb at least as well as she could, though she wasn’t bad, but she’d been up the mountain before, and he hadn’t, so he let her keep the lead. “I can’t argue that. Though I don’t want to infringe on your honor against these false Justiciars.”
She paused as they reached a small ledge and looked over at him, those amazing gray eyes serious. “Tobimar, I guess...I would have been worried about that before Thornfalcon. But if I believe in Myrionar at all—and I do now, with all the faith my heart can hold—then I must believe that It arranged for you, Poplock, and Xavier to be there, either Itself or through Its allies, Terian, Chromaias, the Dragon Gods, even,” she flashed another smile, “Blackwart the Great or the Three Beards. And however it was arranged, it is a sign. You came seeking justice and vengeance, and with wisdom you saw past Thornfalcon’s lies just in time, and saved me from—oh, very literally—a fate worse than any ordinary death. You are a part of this, and—by the commands of justice—I am now bound to your mission as well. So nothing you gain here can infringe on my honor; it is my honor.”
He blinked. “Kyri, my quest might be a never-ending one, a fool’s mission. I may never find the answers, the homeland we left, the Stars or the Sun. There have been dozens of such seekers exiled from my homeland. I would not have you bound to something that may take you from your clear and urgent duty.”
She shook her head. “Justice requires balance. Nor can either of us ignore the fact that too many things appear to be happening at the same time. The power behind these false Justiciars may be the same one—or related to the one—that has set all these other plans in motion. And your ‘Khoros’ already links us. I think, if I’m going to resolve the mystery of the False Justiciars, I will in one way or another have to enter the heart of your mystery, as well.” She gazed upward, judging the angles. “And as Sasha determined, that gateway under Thornfalcon’s mansion went somewhere into Moonshade Hollow, which you believe—I think rightly—is what’s left of your homeland.”
“She’s right,” Poplock said, moving to his other shoulder as they continued the climb. “We’d already come to that conclusion, and it makes more sense the longer I think about it.”
Tobimar shrugged. “I can’t argue that. But...Kyri, while I respect Myrionar—now that I’ve met you and seen Its power in you, and heard Its tenets, I respect It very much—I’m dedicated to Terian Himself, as are all my family. I can’t be one of your Justiciars, so...”
“Don’t say can’t ,” she said with a smile thrown over her shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about that, and do you know, I can’t find a single word in the Teachings that says all the Justiciars have to be dedicated solely to Myrionar. The power of the Justiciars is from Myrionar, yes, and obviously you have to conduct yourself in a manner that the Balanced Sword would agree with, but a follower of the Infinite, the Light in Darkness, would hardly do anything that would disappoint a Justiciar.”
I hadn’t exactly thought of it that way. “You mean a Justiciar could be a follower of another god?”
“I mean I don’t see anything that says he or she couldn’t be such a follower. But don’t worry, I’m not trying to force you into that decision.”
“But then what...”
“...do I think we can gain from this?” she finished. “The Spiritsmith is one of, if not the, greatest armorers who has ever lived. He’s also normally very jealous of his privacy and his
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