Loss

The rain came down in sheets, drenching passersby and creating a gloom the gaslights struggled to penetrate. Kel Wayfarer was miserable. Today was not her best day. Her negotiations with the Sallust Magician's College had gone sour, their chancellors balking at the price increase for hellebore that her company wanted to impose; her steam car had broken down on the way to town, costing her time and money to repair; and to top it all off, the rainstorm that suddenly erupted as she left the college.

She had spent the last half an hour unsuccessfully trying to hail a cab to take her to her rooms at the Traveler's Rest Inn and was soaked to the skin. Cold settled into her bones and she shivered under the gaslight.

The sound of the rain falling was so loud that she didn't hear the hoof beats of a horse-drawn cab until it was nearly abreast of her. She raised her hand and yelled for the cab to stop, fearing that she had missed her chance.  Surprisingly, it drew to a halt a few yards in front of her. She ran towards it as the driver pulled the lever that opened the door. Breathlessly, she threw herself into the cab, glad to be out of the incessant rain. 

"You never know a good thing until it is gone."

Kel started. She hadn't noticed that the darkened interior of the cab was already occupied. "My apologies, when the cab stopped, I thought it was for hire."

A figure emerged from the gloom. "Nonsense, I told the driver to stop. Didn't seem charitable to leave you standing in this dreadful downpour."

Kel studied the other occupant, a middle-aged woman possibly in her fifties. Kel wasn't sure if the woman was that old, or the recipient of rejuvenation spells or elixirs. The ravages of time could be arrested or removed outright if one had the coin. The woman stared at her with bleary eyes.

"Where are you headed," the woman asked. Kel thought she could smell alcohol on her breath.

"I have a room at the Traveler's Rest," Kel replied.

The woman clapped her hands together. "What a coincidence, I'm staying there myself." She knocked on the roof of the cab with a silver-topped cane. "To the Traveler's Rest Inn!"

The cab started with a lurch. "May I ask the name of my benefactor," Kel asked.

The woman held out her hand. "I am Lady Westfield, though you may call me Leda. Would you return the favor and tell me your name?"

Kel felt a nagging sense of familiarity when Leda mentioned her name, as if she should recognize it, but couldn't place where or when she might have heard it. She shook the proffered hand. "I am Kel Wayfarer, from the city of Landsrum."

"What brings you to our fair city Kel," Leda asked, leaning back in her seat.

"I represent a company that supplies spell components. I am here to negotiate a new contract with the Magician's College."

"And how are the negotiations faring?"

Kel sighed. "Not good. Since the King raised tariffs on hellebore coming in from Ulus, we had to raise our prices, which didn't sit well with the Chancellor."

"Politicians will be the end of us," Leda said.

"Why did you say what you did when I entered the cab," Kel asked. "'Twas an odd way to greet a stranger."

"I was speaking of loss, something that everyone knows something about. I was suddenly struck by the things I have lost and felt compelled to share my story."

That was the last thing Kel wanted to do. She wanted to get to her room, get out of her wet clothing, and have a warm bath and dinner before settling down to bed. She did not want to listen to alcohol-soaked reminiscences.

Leda must have sensed her hesitation as she leaned forward and placed a hand on Kel's shoulder. "I need to talk to someone and when I saw you on that corner, I thought 'Here is a kind soul that would indulge a lonely old woman.' Was I wrong in this?"

Kel wanted to protest, to tell her about the warm bath and warm food, but something about Leda's demeanor moved her. She wasn't sure if it was some subtle spell or her innate compassion that moved her to speak. "I meant no offense, Leda, it's just that I am cold and hungry."

Leda sat back with a smile. "Of course, you are my dear! How insensitive of me! You must come to my suite. I'll have a bath drawn up and order supper. You can borrow some of my clothes, you look to be my size. What do you say?"

Kel found she could do nothing but agree.

They spent the next few minutes in mindless small talk, stopping when the cab lurched to a halt in front of the Traveler's Rest Inn. Leda exited the cab and swept through the inn like a force of nature, with Kel struggling to keep up. People quickly moved out of the way as they made their way to the lifts. "Penthouse suite," Leda told the lift operator.

***

The penthouse suite was an exercise in opulence. Kel had never seen such extravagance. Plush couches and chairs filled the main room, surrounded by walls of rich darkwood. A thick red carpet covered the floor, muffling their footsteps.

"Elara!" Leda called out as she threw herself into a chair. 

A small dwarf woman with dark red hair stepped into the room. "Yes, my Lady?"

Leda beckoned to Kel. "Please draw Miss Wayfarer a bath and order supper. Kel, what say you to steak and fried potatoes?"

"That is most agreeable."

"Elara, see dinner is ordered after you have drawn the bath. Also, Miss Wayfarer is allowed to choose anything she likes from my wardrobe."

"At once," Elara said, bowing. She straightened and beckoned to Kel. "Follow me, Miss Wayfarer."

Kel followed the dwarf to the bathroom. Elara turned on the taps of an ornate marble bathtub. Steaming water filled the tub. "I'll go order dinner," she said. "Towels and robes are over here. Lady Leda's bedroom is out the door to the left."

Elara turned to leave, casting a quick glance at Kel before closing the door. There was a strange look in the dwarf's eyes, one that Kel couldn't decipher.

Thirty minutes later, Kel strode into the suite's dining room. A server was placing huge plates of food on the table. Kel's stomach growled at the sight of it. Leda waved to her from the table. "Come, come, dinner is ready."

Kel sat down as Elara began transferring steak and potatoes from the large serving plates to their places at the table. Leda poured herself a glass of wine and took a hefty swig. “At one time, I was one of the highest ranking members of the Fire Coven, the most powerful coven in the Southern Archipelago. I had spent years working my way up the ranks and the reward was worth the effort."

Leda lifted a forkful of steak and potatoes to her mouth. As she chewed, she continued her story. "I had power, wealth, and influence beyond my wildest imaginings. Kings and Emperors sought me out for my magical skills, people trembled if I so much as glared at them. I miss the heady sensation of all that power, I really do."

Kel took a bite of steak. It was tender and juicy, with a smoky flavor she couldn't place. "How did you lose it all?"

Leda laughed. "I'm not done talking about all that I had to lose. There was also Bethany."

"Bethany?" Again, a sense of familiarity nagged at her. Somehow, she knew that name. Kel took a sip of wine to cover her discomfiture. "Who's Bethany?"

With a wistful look, Leda replied. "Only the greatest love of my life. We had both been assigned to protect the Queen of the Sunset Realms from potential assassins from the Grand Duchy of Goldport. What a battle that turned out to be."

Kel almost choked on her wine. "That was over two hundred years ago," she blurted out.

"Don't remind me and don't interrupt," Leda chided, taking another mouthful of food. She leaned back and continued. "That battle forged a bond between us that was unbreakable. We couldn't stand to be away from each other for more than a few days. We took jobs together: protecting royals from the Shattered Islands, tracking down a powerful artifact in the Lost Jungle, and countless other adventures. Life was good, I was in love, and the gold came in a steady stream. No job was beyond our capabilities, or so we thought."

Leda stared thoughtfully into the distance. Kel found herself wrapped up in the older woman's story. "What happened," she asked, leaning forward and forgetting about the food and wine in front of her, eagerly awaiting Leda's next words.

"The leader of our coven heard rumors of an ancient artifact of great power hidden somewhere in the Ctesi Mountains. Bethany and I were tasked with its retrieval. We left immediately, taking an airship to a small town at the foothill of the mountains. We braved a great many dangers climbing the mountains: deep snow, avalanches, bitter cold, the occasional snow behemoth looking for a quick meal, but eventually we came to an abandoned ruin cut into the side of the mountain, about a third of the way from the summit.

"The temple was lousy with traps. It took us far too long to disarm them and we almost lost our lives on numerous occasions. Eventually, we reached the center of the temple. There, on a raised altar made of silver and gold that was encrusted with jewels, was the artifact, the Calcified Heart of Ruin!"

At the mention of the artifact's name, Kel felt a shiver run up her spine. Rumors and wild stories about that artifact were to be found in every back alley tavern across the land. It was said that this artifact carried great power, but that power could only be wielded by a mage of considerable discipline and magical ability. Those that didn't measure up paid a costly price for their arrogance. Which one was Leda, she asked herself.

"I see that you heard of it," Leda said, taking another drink of wine. "At the time, we didn't know what it was, our coven leader never gave us any details. We approached the altar and reached out at the same time to touch the Heart. When we did, a field of magical energy surrounded us and the altar. We couldn't move. A mist appeared near the Heart, slowly taking on the shape of a tall, slender elven man. His lips moved and we heard a voice in our minds. At first, it spoke gibberish, but slowly we began to understand it.

"'I am Farryn. I have slept within the Heart for centuries, waiting for this moment. I offer you a blessing, but it comes at a cost. You can have eternal life, power, wealth, anything your heart desires, but you must sacrifice something close to you. One of you must choose, or both of you will perish.' It was at that moment when I lost everything."

"You chose to sacrifice Bethany," Kel exclaimed, her eyes wide. "Why? She was the love of your life."

Leda sighed. "You have it the wrong way around. It was Bethany who sacrificed me. Without hesitation she said the words that shocked me to the core: 'I sacrifice Leda, she who is closer to me than anyone or anything else.'"

"How is that possible? You're here."

Leda looked into Kel's eyes. "It was a trap, you see. Farryn never intended to bestow his 'blessing' on the person making the sacrifice. Bethany realized her mistake at the last minute and screamed as Farryn consumed her.

"Farryn turned to me and asked 'What is your heart's desire?' I could only give one answer, that I wanted Bethany back, even after her betrayal."

Again, Kel felt the nagging sense of familiarity, as if she knew the story Leda was telling. Perhaps it was a long forgotten story her father told her at bedtime, or a story from a book she had read long ago.  

Leda stood and walked to the window and gazed out into the rainy afternoon. Kel felt compelled to join her. She stared down at the rain swept street and waited for Leda to continue. Drawing a deep breath, Leda continued.

"'You really want to be reunited with one who would have cast you aside?' Farryn asked.

"I nodded, tears in my eyes.

"'A most noble desire. You shall have your wish. Until her soul is returned by the Great Wheel, you shall never age, nor shall you sicken. May your reunion be joyful.' He then disappeared and the Heart shattered into dust.

"I was kicked out of my coven when I returned empty handed, dismissing my story as the result of either grief or guilt about Bethany's death. And so I began my search for Bethany.  I wandered the world for decades, telling my story to anyone who reminded me of Bethany, hoping it would jar something, only to experience her loss anew with each failure. 

"But when I saw you standing there in the rain, something inside me knew this time would be different. Please tell me you're in there Bethany."

Kel felt something stir in her mind. It was as if a part of her mind had been locked away, unbeknownst to her, and was suddenly freed. She felt a warm sensation move over her body as Bethany's soul merged with her own. Tears welled up in her eyes and she took Leda's hand.

"Leda," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."