Role

Chapter 12

Tomias sat amidst the misty ruins in quiet meditation. How quickly the
world had changed. Was it for the better?

He had often worried if he should be less careful in Thera's cities, if
the gain of a defeated foe outweighed the risk of harm to innocents, or
even, the mere display of violence to those citizens. He loathed the
idea of spreading even more fear about. And now, the most despised evil
being in Thera had removed himself as a judge and enforcer of "justice,"
all in the name of a greater power... the lich Tamazin sought to control
the flow of magic itself and resurrect a legendary and long dead cabal in
his name.

Not all agreed with Tomias that this should not happen - even within
the Fortress. It was a different battle than he'd fought before:
persuading, debating, arguing - and he was trying to be careful not to
sew discord in the ranks, but yet when a young squire challenged his old
friend Prixm in front of everyone - he let it play out, because Prixm
was wrong. But at what cost? Prixm was now gone, but he did he leave
distrust in his wake?

And now Odaza was no more. Like a rush of fresh air reaching a
battlefield rotting in carrion, the mummy's ultimate succumbing
instantly lightened the landscape of Thera. Since he joined the
Fortress, all Tomias knew was war. When fires rage, one cannot
pause and worry over choices. But now there was ash, and quiet.
Suddenly the season for survival had past, and the time for strategy
had arrived.

And then there was that other thing... everything... himself. A break
in the storm meant that there was nowhere now for Tomias to hide from the
mystery of his parents. He had the support of his goddess, he had the
support of the Fortress, but did he have the nerve to ask the brigade
to form an expedition to help him find House Vronzdir?