1.5

Keri sipped her tea again, while watching Heron from behind her cup. She waited quietly, as though to see what Heron would say this time. But the boy was speechless. So much so, that he couldn’t even manage another one-word expression of disbelief like ‘what’, ‘how’, or ‘why’. He just blinked, looking blankly as though he wasn’t even staring at Keri anymore. As though he wasn’t staring at anything.

Heron’s father put a hand on his shoulder, and his mother asked, “But why now? With such short notice? What’s happened?”

Keri put down her teacup, placing both hands on her knees and leaning forward as she spoke gravely. “Please understand that it is only because the situation requires it. I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do to change that. I thought there would be more time, until I was presented with two crucial pieces of information. Firstly, recent reports confirmed to me that not only are the Coheretist forces gathering strength as their leaders look for the Kaherian Relics, but they are also looking for Heron. I had hoped that I effectively hid all traces of it, but it seems they found out there was a survivor from the massacred Kaheri family. I don’t know what they are planning, but I’m certain they are determined to either use or destroy him. Secondly, a number of old documents I have in my possession tell of prophecies about the Relics, warning that the true quest for one of the Kaheri to find the Relics must be embarked upon when the stars are aligned properly, roughly indicating late summer in a year when the alignment of the joint sets of-”

Keri paused, brushing back a few wisps of white hair that had fallen in front of her face. She then straightened up a little, saying: “I’m sorry, I should just skip to the point of it. Well, I had thought that several different years over the next two decades would fit the description, but very recently I acquired and managed to interpret an older document containing a more complete telling of the prophecies. It indicates an additional convergence of stars that would only align with the others every 100 years. After the next new moon, it will be too late to start the quest under the correct formation of stars.”

Heron’s father nodded slowly. “Everyone knows the most accurate prophecies have always been those which refer to the stars. But the next new moon is less than ten days away.”

“Eight days.” Keri said, and then fixed her gaze squarely on Heron. Her hands shook a little, with anxiety now clearly visible in her posture and expression.

“Heron, you have been chosen by the Hands of Fate. This is not something that can simply be passed on to someone else. If the Relics are to be kept out of the wrong hands, it must be you that finds them, and the quest to that end has to be embarked upon immediately if it is to be successful.”

“You gotta do it!” Sadie exclaimed, running in from the kitchen doorway to throw her arms around Heron in a hug. “You can’t let people who killed your other family get away with it! ‘Specially if they’re gonna come after you!”

Heron hugged his little sister. If they’re gonna come after me? If they do, my family -- this family will be in danger. I can’t let that happen. He looked at his Godmother and said: “I’ll do it.”

Keri leaned back, allowing herself to relax a little. She nodded at Heron. “Good. We must leave by dawn tomorrow. Pack lightly.”

Heron nodded, but really was thinking over ways he could ask for more time. It would be a burden to his parents to not have him around to help with the ranch. And he really had wanted to be there when his uncle came to visit next month. And he wanted more time with his friends before leaving on a long journey. He didn’t even know how long he might expect to be away, but somehow had the feeling that even if Keri knew, she wouldn’t want to tell him. Most likely it would depend on things none of them could know for sure yet. And no matter what he might say, Godmother Keri would tell him that they had to leave in the morning without fail; he was certain of it, from the serious way she had already spoken of the urgency of his leaving.

He took a deep breath and decided against any attempt to argue or negotiate with Keri. His Godmother was sternly stubborn whenever she had made up her mind on anything, and Heron never thought of himself as being good at things like negotiation anyway.

0.1 Prologue (read first, if possible)

Prologue

(five days before arriving at Heron’s house)

All the reports Keri received these days told her the same thing as her own readings of the night sky. She knew that time was getting short, but it wasn’t yet clear how much time was left. Hopefully it would be just enough... or all that she had dedicated her life to would be lost.

She did not like the uncertainty there, but after years of watching for the right signs she was feeling relieved to finally see some. Yes, it had been a long time to wait. She was old now, but still in good enough health to pace around her study; anxious but somehow appearing relatively calm for how impatient she felt. 

Keri had sent her messenger off again as soon as he’d reported the latest updates to her. Now, all she could do was wait for her other hired man to finish preparations to drive her to Little Hastingburn.  A 5-day trip to the middle of nowhere, to fetch someone who might not successfully make it through what had to be done. Though he might not succeed, there was no other option. Keri wished she could manage everything herself, but that was impossible. The one chosen for the task had to accomplish it himself, and the time had to be now. There could be no more waiting; she had to set things in motion quickly and bet everything on this one hand.

Pausing at her desk momentarily, she picked up a magnifying glass and peered once again at a very old parchment. The first things to have been written on it were horribly faded, and had been overwritten more than once; the parchment re-used for some kind of estate bookkeeping, and later on for a letter. But Keri couldn’t focus on deciphering more of the oldest writing on it, she was too anxious. Frustrated, she dropped the magnifying glass back onto her desk, and resumed pacing, reflecting on what she had already managed to learn from the document.

The one who she needed to set on his way towards finding the Kahy Relic would have many difficulties with the task. She couldn’t tell him everything, of course, or he would surely decline. She’d best not tell him about the singular Kahy Relic yet, but if he could find the rest of the Kaherian Relics, he’d surely find the way to that one as well. The rest of the Relics mattered in a way, but the most important would be the one that was once known as the Kahy Vector. No mere relic--though it was called so now--the item was believed to be of such great power and utility as to be the deciding force in any battle or contest of wills. She hoped the old document she’d been studying would tell her more about it--it was essential that she discover more before it was found, so she’d have some idea of how it could be safely handled. When the one seeking the Kahy Relic successfully found it, the very finding of it would seal his doom. That was the part she really had to avoid letting him learn.