Vision from the Gods

And so, as Das is patiently waiting in front of his mirror, its dull surface starts glowing a dim, ghostly blue. Then, the scene of a relatively large cathedral is shown with some mortal prince kneeling in front of Das's shrine.

Das looks over the people in the place and he quickly uses one of his powers to determine the greatness of their Fate, their name, as well as their remaining lifespan.

After divining the future for a second, Das looks at an old man, who is currently kneeling down in worship in the front row. The fellow is decked out in magical robes and he has an air of power greater than all the other mortals in Das's mirror… yet the old man looks pale and bony.

"Only a decade or two left to live... and he's a 3rd Gate mage - probably the strongest mage in a country that size. For a 3rd gate mage, 2 decades at most is NOT a long time. Hmm..." Das remarks while studying the old man.

"Granting favors to powerful people who are about to die is always the most effective way to work…" Das mutters as he reaches out to touch his mirror.

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At that moment, as the old man bows his head and repeats after the prince the prayer to Das, a bright light shines from the ceiling, which seems to shine only on the kingdom's archmage.

Das watches from his mirror as everyone surrounding the archmage gasps or shows some other form of surprise. The archmage himself, however, seems to be lost in a trance; he probably can't understand what's happening… or maybe he's just shocked.

As Das pulls the old mage into a "vision", a spectral form of the old mage seeps through the mirror and is left kneeling in front of Das.

Das bends down a little bit and helps the old man up. "Up here. You look far too frail to be on the ground like that," Das says politely to the old man's spirit projection.

After the archmage is back on his feet, he looks at Das and does another bow, "Lord Das! It's my honor, I-"

"We don't have a lot of time to chat, so I'll get straight to the point. You don't have long to live before you die of old age. If you can perform a simple task for me, then I'll give you my blessing and extend your lifespan," Das offers calmly.

The old man hears this, and a few tears dripped down from his cheeks. "My lord... I... don't deserve such favor from you!"

Das waves his hands modestly as if shooing a fly away, "Bah! My task may be simple for you, but I can't directly go and interfere with your world without consequences. You'll do me a favor, and I'll do you a favor – a simple trade from one old man to another."

"What do you need me to do?" the archmage asks cautiously. A favor from a god certainly can't be simple.

"I need you to save a man named Haalfrin," Das explains slowly, "I have a vested interest in his survival, and the... 'evil' goddess Freyya is trying to snatch his soul from me. I need you to make sure that he lives..."

The archmage gets a strange feeling in his chest. "Divinity… Is something terrible about to happen to this man?"

"Hmm… Yes," Das replies as he clasps his hands behind his back. "I've deduced a bit of the future... and I know that he'll be in mortal danger soon. Go! If you succeed, I'll give you another 100 years of life!"

The archmage gives one final bow and says firmly, "I will do as you command, Lord Das!" before being sent back through the mirror.

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The old archmage wakes up to find everyone staring at him. Feeling awkward, he scratches his head and decides to keep shut about his vision… at least until he finds out more about this "Haalfrin".

'If this one called Haalfrin is a man that 2 gods are interested in, then he must have a sensitive identity?' the archmage ponders as the gets back in his kneeling posture. 'I'm not really sure, but it's best to be cautious.'

Once the ritual is over, the archmAge is flooded with curious nobles who want to demand what that divine light was…

Of course, only royalty, or dukes powerful enough to rival the royals, are willing to pester the archmage right to his face, while the others are in the peripheries with curious looks on their faces.

After growing fed up with these people poking their heads into business they don't belong in, the archmage waves them all away and announces, "Divine Das has sent me a vision. The matter is private. That's all."

Everybody already knew this much, but seeing the archmage's stubborn attitude, they don't pester him anymore - or rather - they don't dare to after he's made his stance clear on the subject.

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Once all the nobles are finally on their way out of the temple, Kanus notices Tallus, who was waiting just outside (after being kicked out by the guards during the ritual for poor behavior.)

'Honestly,' Crown Prince Kanus thinks, 'if that bastard wasn't so incompetent, I wouldn't be so irritated every time I see him. I mean, sure he's in line for the throne, but he wouldn't at least be so disdainful if he was actually capable of something.'

As Tallus walks towards him, Kanus mutters just loud enough for his brother to hear, 'Oh dear, what's he here to quibble about this time?'

…

A few moments later, even the guests down the hall can hear Kanus raise his voice slightly – the whole building carries sound well. "Stop making things up."

"But brother," Tallus whines, "it was my men who assassinated General Kaalhyme. I saved this entire operation!"

Tallus knows very well that he tried running away, and that he could be cast out from the royal family and executed for this. Why else would he have enough guts to come here personally and make trouble with his elder brother?

"No, you tried running away, and that mage Haalfrin had to club you over the head. You disobeyed orders! Besides, even if you DID instruct the mage to carry out the plan, you were nowhere to be found at the scene," Kanus retorts.

"I... fell behind on the charge up," Tallus looks down and says softly with a trembling voice. "The outlander... Haalfrin is one of my most trusted men… So… stop trying to use your status to unfairly suppress me! This won't look good when it's brought up to father."

Kanus just snorts at Tallus. "Don't use your status to unfairly suppress me!" - that line is so naive that Kanus almost can't believe anyone is stupid enough to say that.

This is a competition for the throne... Who would ever "play fairly"? Not using an advantage (like status) while you have it is just stupid.

The crown prince steps forward with an intimidating air, and Tallus backs against the wall. Kanus steps even further and puts his face close to his brother's. "Don't call him 'father'. He's your majesty to you. You're just an illegitimate child. Now, as soon as the mercenary Haalfrin wakes up, we'll know the truth of the matter, and whether he was acting on your orders."

Kanus backs up and says softly, "Knowing you very well, you likely ran away like a coward while that mercenary was left without orders. That man fought through hundreds of people and some powerful mages, and he killed one of the most dangerous men from the northern wastes. Your disgusting grab for recognition is embarrassing, and stepping over the corpses of soldiers who actually fought and died while you take the credit makes me sick. Get out before I vomit my breakfast."

Of course, Kanus makes sure to say this loud enough for all the eavesdropping nobles to hear. Rumors about the cowardly prince Tallus should be circulating in the royal court by noon. Heh.

Usually, hearsay is more important than the truth, anyway.

Having lost completely, Lord Tallus leaves the room speechless and fuming mad. He is beyond tired of being treated this way. More than that, Tallus is scared. 'My elder brother is definitely going to get a statement out of the outlander mage, and he's going to get proof that I'm a deserter, a coward, and a liar. I'll be done for!'

Being mediocre like before isn't as damning as lying to the crown, after all. 'I have to find Haalfrin awake before anyone else! I can just throw some gold at him and bribe a lie out of him... or I could just silence him.'