Answers at last?

Two torches suddenly flared to life, casting flickering lights over the cave’s interior. It was big, as big as a large dining room. Two more torches were ignited, and with the added illumination and their adjusted eyes, Vel and Adeline took in the contents of the cave fully. It was quite cluttered. Rugs littered the floor and shelves and crates were leaning on or stacked against the walls. And filling those crates and shelves were all manner of books and strange trinkets or devices. In the middle of the room was a desk, and sitting at it was an old man in a hooded robe. Two figures in plain brown robes with shaved heads were going around lighting candles, they’d clearly been the ones who lit the torches. The man at the desk, who Vel knew must be the figure from his dreams, beckoned them closer. “Please, my liege, come sit.”

Adeline seemed ****, but Vel assured her it was okay, and she helped him to the chair facing the desk. He audibly groaned as he sat down and stretched his bad leg out as far as it would allow him. “Apologies, my liege, but remaining hidden is paramount. I would have spared you this journey if I could.” Adeline stood next to the chair, seeming completely confused. Vel was eager to start questioning the old man, but what to do about his twin? The old man appeared to understand. “Perhaps your lady sister could wait outside, now that she has helped you sa-“ Adeline immediately interrupted him when she understood where he was going with this. “Nu-uh, absolutely not. No way am I leaving him alone in here. I may have no idea what’s going on, but I know I’m NOT letting him out of my sight.” Vel understood where she was coming from and could sympathize. Again, if the positions were reversed, he’d feel the same way. “It’s okay Adi, I’m safe, really. I won’t send you back outside, but do you think you could give us a bit of space to talk? Maybe you could wait over by the entrance?” Adeline didn’t look thrilled by the idea, but seemed to accept it. The old man was clearly happy enough with it. “Excellent suggestion, my liege, I’ll have a chair brought over for her.” And indeed, one of the two shaven-headed figures was already carrying a chair over and set it down where the twins had emerged just minutes ago. Adeline gave the figure a dubious look before sitting down. She wasn’t out of earshot, but Vel was past caring. It was time for answers, and besides, Adeline had proven her loyalty and devotion time and again. He turned back to the old man. “Well, my liege, where do you wish to begin?” That was a good question.

Vel mulled it over for a few moments, and then decided to get the obvious out of the way. “You are the figure from my dreams.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement that he was giving the old man a chance to refute, but he simply nodded. Okay then. “Are you a mindmage?” Another nod “Yes, my liege. And, if you’ll forgive my lack of modesty, a powerful one at that.” That was probably good, if he was going to learn from someone, he’d rather it be someone powerful. Vel was tempted to ask further questions about mindmages and their powers, but decided there was something else that needed addressing more urgently.

“Besides being a powerful mindmage, who are you? And what is you interest in me” The old man cracked a smile and revealed, to Vel’s surprise, a full set of perfect, pearly white teeth. “Ah, my liege, two questions whose answers are intertwined. My name is Sephian Krosom, though it has been a long time since I used my name at all.” The old man paused to draw breath, clearly intending to continue his answer, but Vel took this chance to interject another question. “So, should I call you Sephian? Krosom? Is there an honorific I should be using, or can I just call you Seph?” The old man smiled again “My liege may call me whatever he wishes, but Seph seems practical, does it not?” Vel nodded in agreement and motioned for Seph to go on. “I of course realize that my liege was asking for more than my name. I am also a senior member of the Order of Watchers, and this is where we stray into the answer to your second query.” Vel had never heard of such an order, probably a secretive lot. Seph needed no prompting to continue “The Order of Watchers is an old and secretive organization, few in number now, and quite spread out.” Again, Vel felt a need to interject “Are all members mindmages?” Seph shook his head “No, my liege. To locate, protect and train mindmages is part of our purpose, and as such we do count a number among our members, but there are simply too few mindmages in existence. And besides, an order like ours has a need for people of many skills and talents. The order is, however, led by mindmages.” “That is not your purpose here though, is it? You have certainly made it sound like I am not just another mindmage.” Just another mindmage sounded quite silly of course, considering, but Seph clearly understood what Vel meant. “Indeed not, my liege. As I said, it is simply part of our purpose. The order’s main goal is and always will be to restore the heir of The Unbound to their rightful place as ruler. Everything we do is, in the end, in furtherance of that aim.”