Anachronism

Aemon flipped his palm upward and outward in mild frustration as he looked up from the text, “Ok wait, what’s the significance of the blade Kavyr carries?”

Cronos left his unconsumed tea on the windowsill as he made his way back to a chair beside his pupil.

“It’s the Sever Blade the Warder’s gave Kavyr the night Kya attacked him.”

Aemon brow drew down in confusion, “Wait, I don’t recall that happening.”

Chronos reached over and started flipping pages in Aemon’s book, “Sure you do, it’s right here…”

A light breeze picked up and the silence was slowly filled with the rustling of the great ash leaves. Periodically a helicopter pod tumbled down the abyss on either side of the great limb. The hollow blue light dimmed as the night took full hold.

As he peered out into the distance, a glint caught his eye. He saw only one a first, but now knowing what he was looking for, he picked out several more. Arrow tips – sheaf, taunt bows. Aimed right at him… wait, not at him…

Kavyr spun around to the alter, where Kya sat upright. 10 paces away with her back to him. Kavyr reached for the silver blade at the small of his back – with a prayer he’d never draw it.

Kya turned, head and shoulders toward Kavyr. Yellow eyes reflecting unnatural light split by vertical pupils widening as they took him in and just a touch of orange in the dark.

After what seemed a lifetime, “Kavyr?”

Kavyr right hand dropped from the hilt as he finally released the breath he’d been holding, “Welcome back.”

Aemon reviewed the section again, “Yeah, this doesn’t tell me anything…”

Chronos reviewed the passage himself in full and realization spread across his face, “Ah.”

As he frequently did, Aemon smirked as he sat back and awaited a retelling of what really happened. Chronos had a memory that contained far more than any text conveyed, more than personal experience could account for. The timestream itself was his well of historical knowledge – past, future, and as far as Aemon could tell, often from timelines that never or would never happen.

A light breeze picked up and the silence was slowly filled with the rustling of the great ash leaves. Periodically a helicopter pod tumbled down the abyss on either side of the great limb. The hollow blue light dimmed as the night took full hold.

As he peered out into the distance, a glint caught his eye. He saw only one at first, but now knowing what he was looking for, he picked out several more. Arrow tips – sheaf, taunt bows. Aimed right at him… wait, not at him…

Kavyr spun around to the alter where Kya previously lay. She was not only awake, but crouched, coiled to pounce, 10 paces away. Yellow-Green eyes reflecting unnatural light split by vertical pupils widening as they took him in. This was not Kya; this was a predator.

He moved without thinking, flinging his pack to intercept the first three arrows and dove at the feral he wasn’t yet ready to let go as a friend. She repaid him in kind with raking claws and a bite, deep into his forearm locking down hard.

Kavyr outweighed her and brought them both crashing down behind the alter. Made of essentially a pile of twigs, it provided terrible cover against the piercing arrows and while slowed by deflection, one caught Kavyr in the back, just below his ribs.

He had to break line of sight. He stood no chance against elven archers at range. Grabbed the grappling hook that had tumbled from the pack and burying the head in the pile of branches, he took a running leap out into the dark. Rope in one hand and the other struggling to tuck a possessed Kya under his arm as she sliced at his side, the rope snapped taut later than anticipated and swung. Kavyr's grip slipped a few feet burning his hand before he regripped, the momentum hurled them hard on a lower limb. Kavyr made it to his feet, wild animal in arm, only to realize how winded he was. Lungs burning, he tripped head long over a gnarl in the limb.

Unintentional as it was, the gnarl would provide cover till the archers repositioned.

Kya wasn’t thrashing any longer, perhaps winded herself. He had he effectively pinned her though she was still bearing down on his arm.

Kavyr took just a moment to morn. He had refused to do so previously.

Finally, he drew the short, curved silver blade from the sheath at his back and lay the tip below his forearm. Through his own tears, he readied himself to make a clean killing stab at her throat when he noticed tears streaming from both her eyes – eyes yellow with just a touch of orange in the dark.

“Kya?”

Her jaw relaxed. Kavyr sheathed the blade – with a prayer he’d never draw it again.

After what seemed a lifetime, “Kavyr?”

Kavyr wiped his own tears away, “Welcome back.”

“Seems a throat stab would be unnecessary…”

It took a bit longer for Chronos to recover from the recollection, “Ah well, quite right. The Sever Blade only need pierce the skin and it undoes the magic that binds a spirit back to a body once that initial bond is severed. It doesn’t work on entities who have no such binding like angels and demons. And particularly strong entities can resist, but as it’s the blade’s sole function and they are powerful magics at play, it’s highly effective.”