“It’s not good enough,” Rynda said, stabbing a finger at the oracle. “You’ve looked into a dozen futures and what have we learned? Nothing.”
“That’s not entirely accurate,” Mind said.
“Oh?” Rynda swept her hand wide. “Then enlighten me.”
Mind offered a faint smile. “Senia has looked at what we’d thought would be our best options.” He ticked them off with his fingers. “A direct attack against Draeken and Serak at Xshaltheria. Joining the army at Keese and fighting Xshaltheria. And attempting to stop Draeken at Keese—with a few of us, and the entire group. Each time she has seen failure.”
“She cannot foresee my effort to recruit the Bonebreaker,” Tardoq said.
Elenyr looked to the large dakorian, her voice turning apologetic. “Her farsight is limited by indecision.”
Tardoq held her gaze and then turned and exited the mine entrance. Elenyr winced, wishing she could have said it more softly. Tardoq had once served Wylyn, and if he returned to the Krey Empire, he might betray them all, leading to a worse fate than if Draeken succeeded. Rynda glared at Elenyr and then followed him out.
“I can try again,” Senia said weakly.
“You’ve searched the future enough,” Elenyr said. “And you are getting weaker. I believe the time of decision has come.”
“What do you think we should do?” Rake asked.
“I’m not sure,” Elenyr said. “But time advances without our actions, and our fate approaches. We must make a decision.”
She retreated to the back of the cavern and sank onto a seat where the stone had been cut, making a rough bench. With a sigh, she leaned against the cold rock and surveyed those in the cavern, her allies, her friends, her family.
The mine entrance was small, about the size of a small tavern. Mine tracks extended into darkness, the metal cankered with rust, the wooden underlay long since rotted away. A pair of mine carts lay on their sides, a touch of frost on the wheels where snow had blown into the entrance.
In the clearing beyond, the snow had begun to melt, patches of grass showing through. It wouldn’t be long until the branches began to blossom, and the snow in the canyons turned into raging streams and brooks. Then the army at Terros would march on Xshaltheria, and the new spring earth would see the spilling of blood.
Assassins and mages, soldiers of the Krey Empire, Eternals, and her five sons. Just sixteen allies against Serak, the Father of Guardians, and Draeken, the fragment of Power. If that wasn’t enough, Serak had two mind mages in Zenif and Zoric, as well as a red dragon, two powerful generals in Bartoth and Gendor, and soon they would add Famine to their forces.
Mind claimed a seat at her side. “I don’t need to read your mind to see your despair.”
“I’m just worried,” Elenyr admitted.
Her eyes settled on Fire. The fragment spoke with Water, the two speculating on the fourth and final general, the one they only knew as Plague. If they could discover their identity, perhaps they could stop Draeken from claiming the final general.
Mind followed her gaze. “You do not need to worry about us.”
“You’re more vulnerable than ever,” Elenyr said. “You cannot stop me from worrying.”
“Look at Light,” he said. “Do you notice anything different?”
She spotted Light at the opposite side of the cavern. He’d conjured a pick axe out of light and begun striking the stone wall, getting excited when he found a glimmer of ore. Willow stood at his side, encouraging him, even though the ore was probably nothing. The dwarves would not have left anything behind.
Elenyr shrugged. “He’s as impulsive as ever.”
“Perhaps,” Mind said. “But look at how he sees Willow.”
“We both know he loves her,” Elenyr said.
“But now they get to be together,” Mind said.
Elenyr finally understood his meaning. “Now that he is mortal, he can live a life with Willow?”
“Exactly,” Mind said. “I may have ensured our deaths, but at least they will get a chance to be happy.”
She shifted in her seat. “Not you?”
“I’ll be happy when I’ve destroyed Draeken for good.”
Elenyr didn’t comment on his dodging the question. Mind wanted to buoy her spirits, even when his own features were tight with doubt. Mind had given Draeken his freedom, but if he had not acted, the five fragments would have been killed. She hoped that in time he would recognize he had made the right choice.
“We cannot keep using Senia to find a future that works,” Mind said, lowering his voice. “She cannot sustain that level of magic, and she is not gifted in farsight.”
“That is true,” Elenyr said. “But we’ve already looked at the various paths.”
“And parting ways will make us too vulnerable,” Mind said.
Senia’s head snapped up. “What did you say?”
Mind frowned. “We discussed this. If we split up, Gendor and Bartoth will hunt and kill us one by one.”
“No,” Senia said. She put her hand on the cart and stood, Rake ducking under her arm to help. “In that last vision, Draeken left a monitoring mote so he could listen to our plans. He claimed that he would not send his generals to kill us because he wants to witness our demise.”
“I know that arrogance,” Fire said, drifting closer. “It used to be mine.”
“Not all of it,” Shadow said with a smirk. He detached himself from the darkness behind Elenyr and Mind, where he’d been listening to their conversation. He grinned at Mind’s annoyance and plopped down between them.
“Why didn’t you share this before?” Rynda asked, standing in the doorway. Tardoq joined her.
