33. The Nexus
The Nexus
T wilight bled across the sky in streaks of red and blue and violet, the sun sinking behind the jagged line of the horizon. Shadows stretched thin on the cracked ground, and the only sound was the wind and their footsteps on the rocks.
Isolde felt it long before she saw it – a hum, a weight in the air, thick as early morning fog over the lake back home.
They crested the final ridge, and the Nexus came into view.
She didn’t know what she had expected. A fortress perhaps, stark and imposing, with black stone towers and iron gates and battlements. Not this.
A crumbling causeway lined with weathered statues curved up to a multi-tiered compound.
The first tier was a grand plaza with various buildings surrounding it.
Wide stairs continued upwards to a second tier, full of larger and more elaborate structures – arched towers, sweeping staircases, and intricate sculptures that caught the fading sunlight.
Above that, carved into the side of the mountain itself, was a colossal archway.
Blue light poured out of it, casting an ethereal glow that bathed the entire complex in a cold, otherworldly radiance .
It wasn’t a fortress or a ruin at all. It was what Isolde could only describe as a palace.
Built not for practicality, but for beauty.
All purposeful elegance, soaring arches and graceful symmetry, unmarred by the pragmatism of walls or watchtowers.
It rivalled the grandest buildings she had seen, grander than the temple of the Triad itself.
Around the Nexus, ley lines spiralled outward from the heart of the complex, like threads of light woven into the earth itself.
The presence that resided here pressed on her, dragged at her senses, urging her forward and holding her back all at once.
All six of them had stopped walking, gazing in awe at the sight. Ahead, Caelian and the mercenaries continued towards the complex.
“Now that is something else,” Leif stammered. Mia, behind him, was staring in equally slack-jawed amazement.
Luella was not looking at the Nexus, but at Isolde. “Will you be alright?” She asked her quietly, placing a hand on her arm.
Isolde took a deep, steadying breath and nodded. “Yes. It is just… a lot.” Like a hundred people were talking to her, yet there was complete silence.
Caelian and his guards halted up ahead, and the mage waved, beckoning for them to join him. This was it. No turning back now. Isolde gave herself a little shake, set her jaw, straightened her spine, and continued walking.
***
The mage Kaeloth and his followers had set up their encampment in a series of buildings along the plaza on the first tier.
Encampment did not do it much justice; it looked like they had brought an enormous caravan of goods.
Furniture, animals, all kinds of food supplies, clothing, and more.
Isolde caught sight of two mages in the distance, their crimson robes standing out sharply against the grey stone.
She sensed several more somewhere nearby, and there seemed to be an awful lot of mercenaries around.
Caelian bid them wait at the entrance to the complex, and disappeared into a building bordering the plaza .
Isolde attempted to take in their surroundings, but her head was so loud, this close to the Nexus. She looked up at the archway in the mountainside. It called, pulled, yanked at her soul. She very nearly lost control and barrelled up the stairs right there.
She forced herself to focus on her companions instead. Mia plucked at the strings of her lute. Felix was buzzing with tension, and Luella and Garren looked equally uncomfortable.
“Calm down, Felix,” Mia murmured, her face carefully neutral. “You’ll blow our cover before we’ve exchanged two words.”
“There’s a bloody army here,” Felix grumbled. “Even with Isolde’s power, we can’t possibly take them. They knew that. That bastard Kaeloth is prepared to fight if he has to.”
Luella nodded grimly. Leif held Biscuit close, bundled in his cloak.
“It won’t come to that,” Isolde said. “I won’t let it.” She turned to Felix. “Don’t antagonise them. Not unless we have no choice. Please.”
Felix’s eyes bored into hers, and she wondered if her eyes showed her own fear as clearly.
It was not long until Caelian exited the building again – no longer alone.
Another mage emerged behind him, a formidable, tall man with dark hair, draped in deep emerald robes.
His expression was composed, and he strode in their direction without hesitation.
This, then, must be Kaeloth. Isolde braced herself as he approached.
His power was undeniable, shimmering not only inside him but surrounding him like an aura.
She was fiercely glad she had spent the past few days near Caelian, giving her time to practice control.
She figured that was probably at least half the reason Kaeloth had sent him to find her.
But she would not let him see how far she had come.
“Please,” she said, allowing her voice to quaver a little. “Not too close.” Her eyes darted around nervously. It wasn’t entirely feigned; her heart was hammering in her chest.
The mage halted abruptly, studying her like a scholar dissecting a specimen. “Lady Isolde, we meet at last. I am Kaeloth, senior mage of the Azuill circle. Welcome. I am so glad you made it safely to the Nexus.” His voice was silky smooth.
A younger mage followed several paces behind – a woman with platinum blonde hair tied into a severe bun and a polished, diplomatic expression.
Isolde kept her features carefully tentative. “Thank you. I am glad as well. It was a long journey, and not always easy.” She looked around at the organized camp. “I hope yours was more comfortable?”
Kaeloth inclined his head. “Indeed. A ritual of this magnitude requires resources and careful preparation; I am sure you understand. Power such as yours must be handled… delicately. For the safety of all involved.”
“You have gone to a surprising amount of trouble to do a favour for a nobleman,” Garren said, his arms crossed over his chest.
Kaeloth’s head swivelled slowly, snake-like, to face him. “It is no favour,” he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “Lady Isolde’s condition is dangerous. Aiding her is in the circle’s best interest. I would go as far as to say it is, in fact, in the entire realm’s best interest.”
“Your mercenaries attacked us on the way here,” Garren continued, “claiming they were under orders to do so.”
Isolde pursed her lips together. She’d finally gotten Felix to hold his tongue, and now Garren was going to act up? She threw him a warning glance, but he did not see it, his eyes fixed on the mage.
Kaeloth pinned Garren with a sharp look. “That is unfortunate. I assure you I gave no such orders for violence. It has been… tense for all involved. The Surgelands are a dangerous place. There is power here that can cause a man to act… irrationally. Misunderstandings happen.”
“So you didn’t order them to kill us?” Garren pressed. “That was a misunderstanding?”
Kaeloth’s expression did not falter. “Lady Isolde’s power is… formidable. And until we knew its extent, precaution was necessary to ensure her safe arrival here.” His eyes slid back to Isolde, and his smile widened a fraction. “I trust you understand. ”
Isolde understood very well. She forced herself to nod sheepishly, just enough to appear acquiescent.
“I… I suppose that makes sense,” she said, staring at her boots.
She let her shoulders slump a little. “I don’t…
I don’t always have control. It is very difficult.
” She clutched her hands together nervously, then risked a glance up at Kaeloth.
Was that a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes? Good.
“Exactly, my lady,” Kaeloth said. “That is why we are here. To help you. To help everyone.” He made an elaborate gesture towards the grand arch in the mountain above them. “Once the ritual is complete, your power will be safely stored here at the Nexus. No longer a burden to you.”
Her hands shook; she didn’t have to fake that. The question came by itself, more out of morbid curiosity, to see their reactions, than anything else. “And I’ll… I’ll be alright? Is it safe?”
The blonde mage stepped forward, her eyes keen and hawkish. “If you follow the ritual exactly as instructed, yes. It is perfectly safe.”
Kaeloth’s face was an unreadable mask, but Isolde did not miss the way Caelian turned away from his colleagues and fidgeted with his sleeve.
Isolde nodded, just enough to be convincing. She looked over at Garren, whose eyes were flinty with distrust, and at Felix, who watched the mage with his jaw clenched so tightly she thought she heard his teeth grind.
Kaeloth clapped his hands together, the sound startling her.
“Excellent. We shall continue our preparations, and should be ready to perform the ritual tomorrow. There are baths in the complex, and we have a private guest room prepared for you, Lady Isolde. Your companions can stay in quarters nearby.”
Isolde forced a smile, hollow and sweet. “That is very generous, thank you. I expect I will need my strength for what you are to attempt tomorrow.” She let the words hang, waiting for his reaction.
Kaeloth’s eyes gleamed. “Indeed, my lady.”
He addressed them all then, his voice louder and more formal.
“Rest, eat, make yourselves comfortable. But please resist the temptation to explore the Nexus; although it is a fascinating and magnificent place, it is also ancient and unstable, and we are unsure of what dangers may lurk deeper within.”
Felix snorted. Isolde shot him a look, but his expression remained defiant .
“Very well,” Kaeloth said, inclining his head in that infuriatingly polite manner. “Tomorrow morning, we will speak of the ritual and what it entails. For now, I will leave you to your well-deserved rest.” He turned and gestured for the other mages, who followed behind him like loyal hounds.