Chapter 6: Odd Convergence, Part 1

[You know, I only just realized that I have never said this. So I'm going to say this, because it really needs saying.

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Cazeel was… odd. Kerim couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen so many old people in one place. If he hadn’t known any better, he would have called this place a retirement home.

Wait. Do I know any better? David hadn’t put much interest in Cazeel – it appeared on a world map, but Joachim was never supposed to have come here. In David’s script, the party of three (Joachim, Sthana, and Mark) had traveled directly from Koah to Hendell. It was a long trip, but stopping in Cazeel would add an unnecessary day to the trip. Of course, the flight from the Gra’Jak put a different flavor on things.

He grimaced – Looks like She’s finally begun to act. He had been lucky to recognize the howl of the Gra’Jak – it had been just as he’d imagined it to be. Now they were in a place they were never supposed to have been in, and their journey had been lengthened. What consequences would this have?

He followed the others, not involving himself in the search for an inn. Lost in his thoughts, he soon found himself in front of a table. Sthana was sitting next to her bodyguard, Mark (though he had been introduced as just a ‘companion’), and Joachim sat across from them. Kerim sat down next to him, and silently ‘watched’ as they ordered food. He deferred to their judgment when it came to ordering food – certainly, the taste didn’t matter to him.

Soon, a bowl of what appeared to be stew was set in front of him, as well as a flagon of some cool liquid. He spooned some of the stew into his mouth, wondering if it was bland. After all, if this place was like a retirement home, one would expect the food to be on the mild side. Well, there’s no way for me to tell. The spoonful he swallowed was completely tasteless, much like he suspected plastic probably tasted. He had expected that, but it was still disappointing. It certainly smelled fine; as a matter of fact, it smelled quite good. It was a real pity that he had lost his sense of taste.

He had first noticed it back in Koah, at the house of healing. Everything he’d eaten had been completely flavorless, nothing but texture. He had thought that that was just because it was hospital fare (more or less), but he soon decided otherwise. What gave it away was when he realized that he couldn’t taste his own saliva. Even now, he could remember the distinctive taste of saliva, that subtle sensation that tended to remain unnoticed from constant exposure. But when he had thought about it, he’d realized that even that was gone.

He had his theories of what had caused this. At least, he had a theory. He didn’t know how accurate it was, but it bore consideration. What if his soul-

He froze, spoon halfway between bowl and mouth. Just at the limits of his Sight, he’d seen something. Someone. And for her to be here – it seemed impossible. But… what if it wasn’t? Already this world had strayed so far from the script. Was it not possible for her to be here, in this place, at this time? It did not seem so very farfetched, when he put it that way.

He got up. The others looked at him, but he excused himself and began to walk. His Sight was very stable, now. He suspected that the initial chaos was at least partly due to the magic not having ‘settled’ yet. Or maybe he’d just gotten the hang of it. But still, he wasn’t sure where he’d seen her. If he was lucky, she was still in the inn, and he would find her soon enough… There!

He could scarcely believe his senses. But though Magesight was different from regular sight, he’d somehow gained an instant sense of her. And he knew her.

There, at a small table by one of the walls of the inn, sat Kiara. The Voice of Prophecy.

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