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Chapter 4

“But that would lead us into war with the witches! They have what they came for now!” “And let the witches make pushovers out of us?! I think not!” “So you would have us incur even more of the witches wrath?” “Who do you think we are?! We are wizards! Not simple humans! Our responsibility lies in the defense of regular humans and mortals!” “Responsibility?! What of our ‘responsibility’ to ourselves?!” “Then let us retaliate!” “Oh?! And what happens when…”

The girl shut the door behind her, cutting off the angry voices. She sighed heavily and leaned against the door. Her hair, a dark hazelnut brown, was tied back, two braids looped back and flowed down her back. A blue dress covered her form. Her eyes, green as the new grass after a fresh spring rain, were filled with concern. “How are you feeling?”

“I said I was fine.” Yariel replied. She was seated in a windowsill, staring out at the portion of land still unscorched. Wisps of smoke still curled into the air as figures fought desperately to contain the fires from the witches’ magyck.

“What happened…it wasn’t your…” “I said I was fine!” The other girl hissed, turning her face away. “What do you want, Josephine?”

Josephine’s head fell, and she walked slowly to the window. “He was my brother too, you know.” Her sister remained silent. “They’re still arguing over what to do now.”

“And what of grandfather? Where does he stand?” Yariel asked. Her voice was dead; her eyes were glazed over with a lethargic listlessness.

The other girl turned to her. “He hasn’t said a word. Not since…” Her voice faded away, and she turned back to the window.

Without a word, Yariel whirled around and stood. With Josephine wordlessly following, she moved down the corridor. She quickly took a right turn, moving deeper into her ancestral home. As they rounded another corner, hushed voices could be heard coming from a cracked door.

“But would such tactics work? These witches are above par.” So’qure was saying.

“I know Aurora, and the forces at work behind her. It will work.” Switch’s voice, calm, collected, was a steady ship in a storming ocean.

Eyil spoke next, resolved anger dripping from his voice. “I don’t care! If it helps us save Amora…there’s nothing I won’t do.”

Yariel strode ahead, shoving the door open. Those gathered in the room looked up at her, as though they had expected her. “I’m going with you.”

“You can’t! Grandfather hasn’t…” Josephine started, but she faltered beneath her sister’s gaze.

“Life for a life.” Fire burned in her eyes, an anger awaiting to burst into an inferno. “And I will not simply stand by any longer.”

“This won’t be just a skirmish.” Switch said, his cerulean eyes were colder than the northern glaciers.

“We both know who is holding Aurora’s leash. This attack…it was meant to cripple my family.” Yariel replied. Her eyes became hard. “It’s time to put them in their place.”

Her sister cringed back, her eyes wide, fear causing her to tremble. “Y-Yariel…”

“So. What is our plan?” Yariel asked, ignoring the others.

Switch gestured at the table, where So’qure was bent over a map. Eyil sat behind him, hands clenched together, his filled with barely contained rage and anguish. “I managed to find a map that marks out your family’s lands, Aurora’s territory, and the surrounding area that falls under the Order’s jurisdiction.”

The mage straightened, scratching the stubble on his chin. He turned stern eyes to the wizard. “You can’t be serious….you plan on drawing all sides to a confrontation?!”

Switch eyed him, his eyes a cold teal. “The lines have already been drawn. Take it from one who has had his hands in this since I first stepped foot here; it’s taken great pains to get us to this point.”

“But why?! Why go to such great lengths….” The mage’s eyes widened and he took a step back. “No….there’s no way you could…Is such a thing even possible?!”

“It’s rather easy.” Yariel replied. The elder mage glanced at her. “However, nudging an entire Timeline requires a much different perspective from what you and I live in. Isn’t that right, Switch the Arcane?”

The room was silent. Josephine’s face had paled, as the others tried to comprehend what was just said. “The Arcane…so…it is you?! Then…you did save mother??”

Switch turned away, his hood resting about his shoulders. Tousled blond hair rested above his head, falling just over his ears. “Aye, I saved your mother. At the price of your brother, and several of your kin.” Bitterness oozed from his tone. “To see the worlds as I see them…I’m not even sure how I can stand it.”

Shaking his head, he looked from one to the other. “But…nudging a whole Timeline?!”

Eyil, not understanding, frowned, growling, “What does any of this have to do with Amora?”

Ardnius also frowned, crossing his arms. ”And just what do you mean by…timeline?”

Yariel answered before anyone could stop her. Not that they tried. “A Timeline,” she began, answering Ardnius first, “is a reference to this world. The path along which our history moves. The future is not set in stone. Hardly, at any given point, we are constantly shifting the future, ever so slightly, with every choice we make. Right now, right this very second, I am diverting us away from one realization to a completely different one.”

”So, what you are saying…is that at any given moment, there is an infinite amount of possible futures? And each choice we make causes one possibility to realize, while the others are discarded?” Ketala asked.

So’qure nodded. “That’s precisely so, more or less. It’s a tad more complicated that simply that, though. However, while a single person’s choice does affect the whole of the Timeline, the affection is only slight.”

Kodri nodded. “But what Switch and Yariel were referring to…was something on a much more massive scale, wasn’t it? Switch intends to try to affect the whole Timeline, not just a small portion?” He shook his head. “Master is right…how is that even remotely possible??”

Switch gave a wry chuckled. “It’s much easier than you think.” He pulled out a piece of paper. He picked up a quill and dipped in a nearby bottle of ink. He drew one line segment, drawing faint lines leading back. “This represents this Timeline. The bold line represents the path already taken. What has already been realized.” Next, he drew a fork, then continued to add many branches and forks. “This represents the future. As we discussed, it isn’t set in stone. Rather, it’s constantly shifting. However, there is one detail that should be noticeable.”

Ketala sent Kodri a mental picture of the drawing, causing his eyebrows to furrow, as they all thought about it. Eyil’s eyes widened. “Similar paths…” He took the quill and began tracing over some of the lines. “The choices…they all more or less balance out…which causes the Timeline to move in a particular direction! See, look! If a whole nation decides this, it causes the Timeline to shift slightly towards their choice. However, it’s balanced back out by another nation making a different choice. So regardless, it constantly moves along a specific path. See the forks? Those are catalyst points, aren’t they? The represent certain events, right? Culminations of the collective choices.”

Yariel nodded. “Correct. These catalyst points are usually small-scale, but they still carry weight to them. However, look here.” She pointed to a spot on the map of the Timeline. “Look at this one. See how it has more branches than most? This is the True Catalyst. The Breaking Point. This is the point where we are at. And the point where the Timeline is most vulnerable.”

So’qure’s eyes widened with disbelief. “No….it’s been so obvious all this time?! We’ve…we’ve all been played…manipulated!!”

Switch gave a casual shrug. “Regardless, the Timeline would’ve reached this point sooner or later. It’s a natural occurring event. However, with the knowledge I’ve just given you, each of you now have a measure of power and control of your Timeline. During the Breaking Point, a single choice can change the path of the entire Timeline.”

Eyil’s face paled. “Amora…somehow she’s a part of the Catalyst…” He sank back down into a seat. “By the Creator….”

Switch looked at him, his eyes clear, but hard. “As are you. You and she are bound together. Your bloodline is far more important than you know, human.” He took the map from beneath the pile of papers. “We need to get Amora back, and we need to get the both of you to Sanctuary. The sooner, the better.”

Eyil looked up at him. “You’re asking me…to help you nudge the Timeline?”

Switch again turned to him. “No. I’m telling you that in this matter, I’m not allowing you to have a say. I and Yariel know what we’re up against: a necromancer. A necromancer the likes of which you’ve never seen, save for in a forgotten nightmare. I am his enemy, and I will stop him.” He walked to the door, brushing past Josephine. Pausing by the door, he glanced back over his shoulder. “No matter what must be done, he must be stopped. Or else a terrible fate shall befall this world.”