While it is no longer socially acceptable to execute wrongdoers by banishing them to Nuprima, it is unclear whether this is from moral or financial objections. Instead, we offer them the chance to redeem themselves by choosing to go to Nuprima in lieu of further punishment. If they don''t survive, all the better.


    <hr>


    The reasoning wasn''t hard to figure out once Jair thought about it. Maelstrom had always known protecting Raina was their highest priority. They had always been the one to bear whatever cost it took to move her though it would use others'' energy to move themselves or perform the Darkflame rebirth.


    Maelstrom had a full on soul-level connection to Raina, their highest priority to protect, through Tempest. Of course it had imparted some mutant child of Darkflame and Temporal Reversion to give her her own absolute protection against losing herself when he reverted. It was exactly the sort of thing he’d have done if he knew it were possible.


    But even if that part made perfect sense, so much about the situation now did not.


    With Raina no longer fully in meltdown, Jair looked around to see where everyone had ended up at the moment.


    Lilin hung back by Meliarn''s entrance, watching, concerned. Eythron was examining the gateway with deep curiosity, probably trying to work out how to open it.


    This close to the dungeon entrance, the urge to step inside just for a bit and look around was almost unbearable. Jair was angry enough at Meliarn to ignore its pleas, however.


    So Raina, though she’d been dead, had still been brought along both temporally and physically, but there was no sign of Uqiar.


    Jair frowned down at Maelstrom. "You really like making things complicated, don''t you? And Meliarn, you are going to get yourself killed one day if you keep this up, I swear.”


    His dungeon’s only response was the urgent insistence that its highest priority was for him to kill Eythron immediately. And if he could just pop back inside as soon as that was done, all would be right with the world.


    "I''m not killing Eythron for you. If you keep pushing me on this I may let him kill you, though."


    Meliarn was unrepentant. It knew its enemy and it would not pay any attention to Jair''s lies.


    Well, fine, he''d known the thing would be a pain when he agreed to take it on. He''d just need to be a lot more forceful in his mental imaging in future and this shouldn''t happen again.


    “Jai?” Lilin asked, looking around. “Who are you talking to?”


    “No one. Just Meliarn.”


    “What’s wrong with Raina? Is she going to be alright?”


    “I hope so.”


    “What now?”


    Jair considered the situation for a long moment before responding. “I’m going to need everyone to tell me the furthest forward thing they remember. Raina, I think I’ve got enough, but just to verify, Solaria evening?”


    She nodded.


    “Lilin?”


    “Solaria evening. You came and got me, we went back to the volcano with Eythron and you grabbed Uqiar. Then we ended up back here.”


    “Eythron?”


    The old man frowned and gestured back to Meliarn. “We just finished here and reverted. This should be Solaria morning. Is it not?”


    “So you don’t remember the party?”


    “That’s where we’re going next.”


    Jair sighed and thumped his head against the stone outcropping into which Meliarn''s entrance was built. "Of course it couldn''t be that easy. Maelstrom, what chaos have you concocted this time?"


    He thought back to the strain of the reversion, the way things had felt like they were slipping and shifting. Moving so many people so far back with Meliarn throwing its massive soul into the mix had been an unprecedented undertaking, and apparently one not to be pursued lightly.


    Maelstrom''s capabilities were very high and its power extreme, but everything had limitations. Apparently they’d reached Maelstrom’s storage cap.


    So it had prioritized Raina''s survival and memory preservation to the absolute highest degree, drawing enough power to keep her soul stable that whole time, long enough to be reverted safely.


    Lilin was clearly Jair''s next priority, though she was easy since she hadn’t died and was physically present when reverting. Eythron, for as much as Jair respected the man, apparently didn''t rank highly enough in his list of people who needed his protection for Maelstrom to prioritize. So when Meliarn''s interference forced them to start dropping people prematurely, Eythron was the one to go. Probably Uqiar too, considering how little Jair was attached to him. He hadn''t even been brought along physically.


    Well. They could deal with it. Jair was used to things going wrong. After a while you just shrug and try something else.


    "You good to travel?" Jair asked, offering Raina his hand.


    “Yeah.”


    “Let’s get out of here.”


    Jair darkflamed them all back to the Serin estate in the oasis. They’d landed at least a day or two before Solaria, maybe more, so the only person present was a single groundskeeper who looked up from watering the window boxes long enough to give them a curious glance before shrugging and getting back to it.


    Even in the oases, there was almost never any rain, so anything above ground level needed special care.


    But seeing the place brought something to mind. Before anything else…


    “Silverscale. Get out here.”


    Qahrvirna’s assigned dragonling appeared in a flash of green fire, hunched in shame and not meeting Jair’s eyes.


    “I know it’s not your fault.”


    Qahrvirna had, shockingly, managed to undercut even his lowest expectations for her behavior. It was one thing for her to go around seducing Sekir, that was practically expected. But actually joining him in murdering people was a new low.


    He couldn’t talk to her right now. He was absolutely livid over what had happened. She’d also been an ally and friend in enough timelines that he couldn’t quite hold it against a version of her who hadn’t done anything yet. But he wasn’t about to let her do it again.


    What was she thinking? Was she thinking at all, or just exploring the moment? It was a pretty extreme departure, even for her.


    Then again, sorcerer. Even if Qahrvirna’s soul was highly resilient, if Sekir could use his spells to subvert her mind, that sidestepped the issue entirely.


    Either way, it ended now. Her involvement had become a liability.


    “Keep her in the mountain,” he ordered. “Don’t let her leave. If she tries, come to me.”


    The dragon nodded and flew off.


    "I still don''t believe she did that," Jair muttered.


    "What''d she do this time?" Eythron asked, not sounding interested in the least.


    "Seduction. Murder. The usual. But don''t go stabbing her just yet. We may still want her help sometime. Just need to be careful how we get it and ensure she''s not left unsupervised."


    "An ally who can''t be let loose unsupervised doesn''t sound like much of an ally at all."


    "Is Qahrvirna ever much of anything but herself?"


    Eythron only grunted in reply.


    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "She''s proven herself capable of getting close to Sekir, so if we don’t make any progress after a few tries, she may be our best chance at getting more information."


    "Getting it, yes. Sharing it?" Eythron snorted.


    "If it comes to that, we’ll deal with it." Jair sighed. "You sure you don''t remember anything from Solaria?"


    "We haven''t lived it yet, boy."


    "Guess it''s a good thing we debriefed before reverting, then. We definitely did live it."


    If there was an upper limit on the amount of soul-data that Maelstrom could bring back, it had to be enormous. Ordinarily, Jair would never have had to worry. He''d reverted himself years at a time without a problem. But now he had Meliarn eating up a huge chunk of that, they were close enough to the limit that they''d have to be more strategic about ensuring they didn’t lose any more information than necessary even in the worst case.


    “So. What happened?” Eythron asked. “What do we know?"


    Jair recounted the past several days. Eythron''s wisdom would be better utilized if he was back in the loop fully.


    Several times his mentor asked clarifying questions about the situation, trying to reconstruct the whole thing from what he''d told Jair, but the more they talked the more concerned Eythron''s expression grew.


    "What, what''s wrong?"


    "What was the description I gave you again? For the blademaster?"


    "Crimson sylvan elf, mismatched blue and purple eyes, wearing yellow battle robes and a gold chain around his throat. Had poisoned swords and twinblade abilities. Wore you down until you were forced to flee."


    Eythron''s brow furrowed more deeply still. "That''s very strange. I didn''t mention what specific twinblade lycin he was using? Autumn Storm, perhaps?"


    "No, you didn''t mention."


    "And he outfought me?"


    "Unless there''s another reason you didn''t tell me for why you were hiding in a cave just short of bleeding to death. I’m sure you’d never withhold important information out of pride or concern that it made you look bad."


    "While you had the sorcerer occupied elsewhere?"


    "Yes." That part, at least, wasn''t in question.


    "And there''s only one sorcerer?"


    Jair hesitated. "I''ve never seen another one in Sekir''s company, but I can''t guarantee there isn''t more than one. Especially not this early in the timeline. The blademaster is new to me as well." Sekir could have an entirely different network for his early campaign before Jair ever met him the previous times.


    “If he had an ally that powerful, why would he not still be using it in the future?”


    “He’s always struck me as the sort of man who had to be fully in control. He doesn’t have allies, he has subordinates or people he’s fooled or coerced. This blademaster sounds like it would be uncomfortably close to an equal. I’m sure Sekir found an excuse to get rid of him at the earliest opportunity once he’d established a proper foothold in Veor and no longer needed his help.”


    Eythron frowned. “That’s wasteful.”


    “Yeah, it’s cold even for me, but that’s the way he thinks. Anything that could be a threat to him has to be removed.”


    Lilin had been listening quietly, but now she spoke up. "But do we have to keep doing this?" She looked back at Raina, then at Jair. "If the guy has a private vendetta against you, can’t we just leave? Come back later, if we must, when we''re stronger?"


    "We won''t be stronger. That''s the whole problem. Coming back in time resets everything. All you have is knowledge, and against Sekir that''s never going to be enough."


    "You''re avoiding the question, boy," Eythron grunted. "Is there a reason you can''t let it be?"


    "It''s—Sekir is the next thing on the list. The next disaster we need to prevent."


    "But do we really?" Eythron stared at him intently. "Do you need to prevent this disaster? You can’t leave it up to anyone else?”


    “They''ve never been able to deal with it in the past.”


    “But this time you''ve cured the plague curse. The king is in his right mind. It’s his job to deal with his own country''s problems."


    Jair scowled. "It feels wrong, turning it over to someone else. It’s always been my responsibility. If I didn''t do it no one would."


    "This is a new world. You''ve changed things. Perhaps it''s time you take a step back and let the people you''ve rescued live their lives. And you go live yours."


    "This is my life. I''m..." Jair shook his head. Everything felt wrong.


    He looked at Raina, the haunted look in her eyes, the fear beneath her perpetual determination.


    He never wanted to have to be the cause of that kind of expression. Not to her. Not to anyone he’d consider a friend or ally, but especially not to her. She was barely holding it together, but refused to let it show.


    What have I done?


    In trying to pull her up to his level, he dragged her down as well. Toward the heights of his power… and the depths of his chaos. How much of that until he turned her into an empty echo?


    Never. Not if he had to throw himself into the volcano and never speak to her again. Not if he had to burn out his own soul.


    "What do you want?" Eythron asked. "Where do you want to go, who do you want to be? Not what you think you need to. What would make you happy?"


    Images came to mind immediately. "Training with you…" Months spent in the treacherous Oriad, fighting and becoming better acquainted. The weeks in Meliarn. "Talking with Raina…" Hours spent in the libraries. Days spent debating one thing or another. Arguing for days over which imprints to pursue. Sitting on the walltop as they waited for death. "...Lilin." Seeing her enjoying life for once, no longer restricted and fearful, no longer staring out at the world with resignation at her own powerlessness.


    "And,” Eythron asked into the silence, “is killing Sekir one of those things?"


    Raina and her family and guests all butchered, purposelessly, gratuitously, just to get at him. The image would never leave him, he knew, however long he lived. Rage flooded him.


    “Sekir is a monster,” he gritted. “Sure, he may not have done any of it yet in this timeline, but he''s already proven he will do so. And would do so more than once. This wasn''t an exception, not a one-time thing he was pushed into, this was premeditated. Gleeful. He enjoyed setting up such a display. Destroying Sekir is not for my happiness. It is a necessity. He isn''t going to stop unless someone stops him, and no one else has the knowledge and tools necessary to do so."


    "So if I swear to kill him, you''ll let it go?"


    Jair''s head snapped around to Eythron. "You already know he and his allies can defeat you. What''s the point of engaging a hypothetical that''s never going to happen?"


    "Imagine for a moment that Sekir truly is the absolute monster you claim. That he''s going to do terrible things and sacrifice thousands of souls to the sea as collateral in his own ends. You think that isn''t a creature I could bring myself to destroy?"


    "Imagine he is? This is in doubt? You think he might not be?"


    "Peace, boy, I''m not calling you a liar."


    Jair took a breath, but peace was the last thing on his mind right now. "Then what are you saying? Explain yourself."


    "I am asking you how much this matters. If you care more about Sekir being removed, or in being the one to do the removing. If I commit my resources and knowledge to finding a way to deal with him, you think I can''t do it?"


    "Why wouldn''t you have done so before now if you could? Your knowledge and resources weren''t limited even if you physically couldn''t leave the Oriad. I''ve fought him a hundred times, I know what I''m talking about here. You''re not prepared to defeat him. There''s no way—"


    Eythron''s sword was in his hand between one moment and the next, his voice low and cold as he rested its tip on Jair''s chest. "There''s always a way."


    "You wouldn''t."


    "That''s not the question. If I were to destroy him for you, would that be good enough, or do you have to do it yourself?"


    Lilin’s question lingered in Jair’s mind. Could they walk away?


    Raina hadn’t spoken in the whole time they’d been debriefing and discussing. She put on a good facade of strength and stability, but Jair knew better than most that dying horribly didn’t just go away just because it had been reverted. It may have never ‘happened’, but to you it had.


    Jair wanted to rip Sekir''s manabody apart with his own hands. Banish his soul into Meliarn—or, better yet, Mercurios—and then watch. However long it took for his trapped and screaming soul to finally dissolve into nothing.


    Whatever Eythron''s morals about soulkilling were, Jair had no qualms about wreaking disproportionate retribution. If there even was such a thing. Sekir had gone to extraordinary lengths to antagonize him. Could any punishment come close to sufficient?


    But. But… Raina was here. Confused, angry, hurt, afraid, and alive.


    If Jair went rushing off after Sekir himself, he''d either be dragging her deeper into this private war or leaving her alone when she needed him the most.


    Fists clenched, jaw tight, he gave a short nod. "Go ahead. All that matters is that he''s stopped."


    Eythron''s sword disappeared back into his soulspace and he regarded Jair searchingly. "You''re not as young as you look."


    "I am not."


    Eythron closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "I will speak with this sorcerer."


    "Talk? I thought you said you’d kill him."


    "Oddly enough, I’m capable of doing both. They just require a certain order of operations."


    "And if he brings in his blademaster and kills you?"


    "I’ll handle it. Now, where do we find him?"


    "We can check his underground repository first." Jair held out Maelstrom. "See which one he''s using at present."


    However, when they appeared in the underground chamber in a burst of green-black fire, there was no sign of life. Every slab was filled with its one restrained body, all lifeless.


    "All of them?” Jair turned in a slow circle. “Weren''t there four or five missing last time? How fast does he go through the things? Four in two days?"


    If they were all here and non-animate, that meant Sekir definitely had more than just the one set of backup bodies. Jair had suspected as much, but this was clear confirmation.


    "Not what you were hoping to see?"


    "It puts us back to zero, basically," Jair said. “There’s a few hints I could investigate, but I doubt we’ll be tracking him down easily.”


    “Then leave it to me. If he’s anything like you described, I know how to get his attention.”


    <hr>