A New Horizon

When Shalia saw him, when their eyes locked, she had to fight back to urge to wrap her arms around Koshnem in a big bear hug. Like seeing a dear friend you were thousands of miles from for so long. She had never been too far from the War Chieftain until this year, traveling more than she ever imagined. Maybe that was a naive thought in the first place. She was an extension of his power after all, but this power had been returned to the mountains her heart yearned to see again. To feel the chilly air and light snow landing on her rosy cheeks as winter inched nearer, whispering in her ears. To grow even further in her abilities, continue to be a worthy priestess of Noraura, a battlemage to be remembered long after her prime among Arcadia. Everything began to feel okay the longer she remained among the peaks, valleys, and scattered villages of Fang.

Right where she needed to be.

It was clear that the War Chieftain was proud of everything she had done, of the independence she held over something as volatile as the future of Arcadia. That on her own, representing their clan, Shalia still succeeded with some minor hiccups, but so did every leader at some point. Established powerful alliances and relationships to help the cause, even having brought her own shadow soldiers into the fold. But most of all she was proud of herself.

Tomorrow was the day. There was little room for rest now. She would need to brush up on her combat the rest of the day and use her centering circle to focus energies. War would officially arrive in less than a full day and in the time following, one beat after the other. All the plans put in order and the wheels turning had them barreling toward the last stop. There could be no mistakes, no hesitations, and she certainly couldn’t be distracted with everything she learned from the journals and books on her way back. There was a lot she still needed to digest and properly come to terms with from the desert. What mattered now was the road immediately ahead. A true shame she missed celebrating the spoils with everyone, but when this all resolved and the Stone City fell, fruits of their labor paying off, the prideful gathering would be more marvelous than anything before. She was more than sure of it.

Shalia Nix had come home and with her she brought war.