The remainder of Tilsitar’s, Coraadrin’s, and Colthan’s journey to the New Heavens was uneventful. When the remaining riders returned to Acretia, they told her of the strange stone women who they could not touch and that Tilsitar had said that she would be free in the New Heavens. Acretia considered pursuing the but instead dispatched spies to track and follow the trio. She hoped to learn where the New Heavens were and who this strange stone woman was.
The spies of the Lady of War did not struggle to follow the trio, for they prioritized speed in their travel. However, the speed of the three was such that they were never in danger of being caught. For Tilsitar, determined to not fall again into the grasp of Acritia, pushed through her many injuries and addled mental state to reach the New Heavens as quickly as possible.
When they arrived at the New Heavens, they found that Ikata had built a wall around the New Heavens. The area encompassed by the wall was a perfect square with each side aligned with each of the four cardinal directions. Unlike the wall she had built for Aientas, this wall had eight gates in total. A gate stood in the center of each side and corner of the wall. These gates were kept open day and night, under Myliayar’s watchful eye. For like the old heavens, Myliayar looked ever outward, carefully watching the comings and goings of her many children.
Ikata stood in the gate facing north as they crossed the final stretch to the new heaven. The light of the setting sun shone down from the west. Ikata wore a loose grey robe that billowed in the wind. With her stood a water spirit, their form human in shape but flowing within the bounds of the body, and a fire spirit, flesh black as coal and burning. Colthan carried Heaven Maker and led the way with Coraadrin. Tilsitar trailed a few paces behind the couple.
“It has been some time since you were last here,” said Ikata. She looked at Coraadrin and Colthan, continuing. “Two of you are welcome here.” She then turned to Tilsitar. Ikata’s face was firm. “One of you is not. For Myliayar has been vigilant from atop the walls I have built here. She has seen what you did, Tilsitar. I am loath to believe it. So I will ask you now. Did you kill Milyo, first born of Myliayar?”
“I did.” said Tilsitar.
Ikata’s face fell. She turned away from Tilsitar to hide her face. Looking into the city, Ikata took a deep breath, and reared herself to her full height.
“Tilsitar, you are not permitted to enter the new heavens. You are to wait here while we consider what shall be done with you.” instructed Ikata. She gestured to the two spirits who accompanied her. “Uesell and Deafana will accompany you while you wait. Colthan and Coradrin, you are to come with me to see Myliayar. She wishes to hear your account of what happened.”
“Very well,” replied Coraadrin. She turned to address Uesell and Deafana. “It is likely that we were followed. Should someone come to the gates you do not know, do not let them take Tilsitar.”
“We will not, Lady Coraadrin.” said Uesell, the fire spirit. The shifting flames of his body illuminating the gate in the light of the setting sun.
Ikata began to walk into the New Heavens. “Come, let us not keep Myliayar waiting.”
Much had changed in the New Heavens since Colthan and Coraadrin left. Stone homes had been built upon the great foundation that Tilsitar laid. Their construction was simple but precise in their craftsmanship. The streets were wide and smooth. Ikata led the couple down the central thoroughfare to a large domed building in the center of the New Heavens. The dome was silver in color. Through some subtle skill of Ikata, the dome did not tarnish but reflected the light of the stars in the cool night.
Many spirits moved to and from in the central hall under the dome. Myliayar stood in the middle of them all, discussing some matter with a wind spirit and a spirit whose form seemed to be composed of shadow itself. As Ikata approached with Coraadrin and Colthan behind her, Myliayar saw her from the corner of her eye. She excused herself from her conversation, before rushing to her son, Colthan.
“My child!” called out Myliayar, her eyes welling with tears as she embraced Colthan. “It brings me so much relief to see you.”
“It brings me joy to see you as well mother,” replied Colthan, “I wish we returned to you under more joyous circumstances.”
“Yes. Yes, I wish that as well,” said Myliayar. She gestured for her visitors to follow her. “Let us go somewhere we may speak in private.”
The room that Myliayar led them to was a small council room with a stone table in the center. Once they were all seated around the table, Myliayar looked to Colthan and Coraadrin. Her face was strained as though a weight pressed down upon her.
“I will not dally in this discussion, my children,” said Myliayar. “Is Milyos, my oldest son, dead?”
Colthan’s voice caught in his throat as he looked at his mother. “Yes,” he said. Tilsitar confesses to it herself and I could find no trace of him myself.” His face set in a grim frown as he fought back tears.
A visceral scream ripped from Myliayar. She threw her chair to the ground, sobs of grief and anger pouring out from her. She gripped the table for support, as she fell to her knees. Tears rolled from her cheek to the table.
Colthan, Coraadrin, and Ikata sat in silence around the table, unsure what they should do next. But before any of them could speak, Myliayar spoke, voice hoarse and breathing ragged.
“And you brought his killer here.” Myliayar pushed herself up from the table. “Tell me why I should not take up my own sword and avenge your brother as you would not?”
A tense silence filled the room as Colthan steadied himself, surprised by the intensity of his mother’s expression of grief. Coraadrin took his hand under the table and Colthan nodded to her. Taking a deep breath, Colthan responded.
“I am full of grief for my brother as well. I have only mourned him only a little for the circumstance we found ourselves in did not permit us to grieve more. That is part of why we have come here. So that we may have a safe haven where I may grieve with you mother.
“You asked why I did not take vengeance upon Tilsitar. When we found her in the city of Irrkengrond she was weak and wounded. It seemed to us that she would likely die if her wounds were not cared for. We did not know what had happened to the city, only that it had been besieged and its citizens had fled, and that it was completely abandoned when we found it. Tilsitar was the only living being in the city, so if we were to learn more about what happened than we needed to save her. And that is what we did.
“Once we nursed her back to health only then did we learn of what she did. We learned much more as well. That she was being driven slowly mad by the voice of Kilomond that spoke into her mind. That Acretia had cruelly turned her into a weapon. She may have struck the blow that killed Milyos, but she does not bear responsibility for the act alone.”
“Mayhaps not! But she struck the final blow!” Myliayar’s response contained within it deep fury. The walls of the room shook. Her hands dug into the stone table. “Why should she not bear punishment for what has been done to my son? Acretia’s day is yet to come, but Tilsitar is here!”
“You forget that she is still under my care, Great Mother,” snapped Coraadrin standing from the table. “Her body may have allowed her to travel here, but she is not whole in mind or body. I will not allow you to harm Tilsitar while my work with her is incomplete.”
“You treat her as if she is one of your own!” replied Myliayar, disgust wrought across her face.
“Yes!” said Coraadrin, “All those I heal are my own!”
Myliayar let out a deep growling sound. Her chair clattered to the floor as she turned away from the table, anger radiating out from her. Colthan stood from his chair, gently taking hold of his wife’s arm. He smiled at Coraadrin, before letting go and walking over to his mother.
Colthan came and knelt in front of Myliayar, her back to the table where Ikata and Coraadrin waited. Tears fell from Myliayar’s eyes, gently falling to the floor. Colthan took her hands in his, as his own tears welled up and flowed forth. They were still for some time before Colthan spoke.
“I know that you have seen what Acretia does to people through her endless quest to rule all things. You were the first to violate the commands of Aientas, to come and teach Coraadrin to save her own mother.” Colthan’s voice was soft. Myliayar looked away from him as he continued. “You know that Tilsitar is just another tool to her. Another chance for her violent tendrils to slither through the greatest walls, into the mightiest hearts and claim a foothold.”
Myliayar bent down holding her son’s hands to her forehead, a heavy sob escaping her lips.
Colthan stood, embracing his mother, holding her as her grief shook her. For some time, none in the room moved. Only the sounds of a grieving family could be heard. Then when her tears slowed, Myliayar steadied herself. She whipped the tears from her eyes. Exhaling deeply, she turned to face Coraadrin and Ikata.
“Forgive me, daughter Coraadrin,” Myliayar said. “Your dedication to those in your care is admirable and beautiful. I should not have besmirched your dedication to your craft. My grief and rage blinded me. I fear they will do so again should I see the one who slew Milyos.”
“That does bring us to the matter of what is to be done with Tilsitar,” said Ikata. “I would not have her stay here. You have said that Kilomond speaks into her mind. I have no wish for someone who may yet be volatile and destructive to live here in the New Heavens.”
“That is understandable,” replied Coraadrin, “Then perhaps we build some place for her, enchanted to ward away Kilomond’s voice. Hidden away so that mortals do not stumble upon her.”
“So long as she was not permitted to leave the place we built for her, I could allow it,” said Myliayar, slumping down into a chair at the table. “I will not have the slayer of my son roaming free across the world, lest she cross my path and my grief unleash rage against her.”
“So long as I may visit her to continue her care, I have no objection,” replied Coraadrin.
“That only leaves the question of where to build such a thing,” said Ikata.
After a brief moment, Colthan answered Ikata.
“The Fillian Desseret,” he said. “When she told us of her journey, she said that she spent time there twice before. She likely has some refuge there. It is isolated from mortals. Only the spirits move through the desert with ease. She will be well out of the way there.”
“Go,” said Myliayar. “Make this so, before my grief overwhelms me again and I strike Tilsitar down.”
So Ikata, Coraadrin and Colthan went back to the northmost gate of the New Heavens and found Tilsitar sitting on the ground with Uesell and Deafana standing on either side of her.
When Uesell saw them approaching, he stepped forward to address them.
“Hail,” he said in greeting. “It is as you suspected Lady Coraadrin. Strangers did indeed come close to this gate. But they did not attempt to enter. They moved away from the gate, and I summoned another chamberlain to watch their movements. They scouted around the perimeter of the city and then left.”
“Spies of Acretia,” said Coraadrin.
“So it is only a matter of time before she tries to march here and take our new home for herself,” Ikata replied, a stern and grim expression setting on her face.
Hearing this Tilsitar looked up from where she was sitting.
“If Acretia means to come here,” Tilsitar said, “I will stand with you and fight her. I will repay my debt in combat.”
Ikata’s response was quick and cutting. “No, that is not what we have determined your fate to be. You have betrayed my trust once. You will not be afforded the opportunity to do so again.”
Coraadrin held her hand out in front of Ikata to calm her, before turning to address Tilsitar. “You are to be banished to the Fillian Desert and confined to a compound there. We will build it for you and enchant it so that neither the voice of Kilomond nor the spies of Acretia will ever find you there. You will have what you need to practice forge craft there so that your work might ease your troubled mind.”
Tilsitar, still sitting on the ground, thought for a moment. “So it will be,” she said. “I will teach any who find me, and fulfill any request that the New Heavens give to me. I have nothing to bring with me save my hammer, if you will let me keep it.”
Ikata considered this for a moment before replying. “I suppose you will need it if you are to practice your craft… You may bring it with you.”
“Then I am ready to leave for my fate,” replied Tilsitar.
Thus, Ikata, Coraadrin, Colthan, Uesell, and Deafana set out for the Fillian Desert taking Tilsitar with them. Tilsitar showed them where she had dwelt in the sands. It was a rocky valley with many caves that served as shelter from the heat and wind that ravaged the desert. Ikata set about building a secure confinement for Tilsitar as soon as they arrived. It consisted of a short tower set into one side of the valley. Surrounding it was a simple curved wall with a single gate set in its center. Within the wall was a forge complex that delved into the wall of the canyon and contained storage areas for the raw materials of Tilsitar’s work.
It took six months for Ikata to build the compound and when she completed it, Coraadrin wove many spells over the buildings and walls so that the voice of Kilomond could not be heard. Likewise her spells hid the place from the eyes of all who served Acretia and from the Lady of War herself. When this work was completed, Ikata carved into the door frames secret runes that would prevent Tilsitar from ever leaving once she entered through the door.
So Tilsitar went into the place Ikata built for her, and Coraadrin and Colthan stayed with her for a time. Ikata, Uesell, and Deafana returned to the new heavens immediately after the completion of the work, for Ikata felt a deep betrayal by the actions of Tilsitar, and grieved the loss of a great crafts woman whom she would not work with again.
When the spies of Acretia returned to her, she listened carefully to their report of the New Heavens. They detailed its wall and its gates, as well as the many powerful spirits they had seen coming and going. When Acretia heard these things, her face darkened for she knew that it would be a great period of time before she would be able to gather enough strength to contend with Myliayar and Ikata and all of the spirits who dwelled there. Knowing that defeat awaited her should she march on the new Heavens, Acretia turned her eyes to all of the lands between the Fillian Desert in the east of the Great Plateau of Irrkengrond in the west, consolidating her rule over all their people. Since this time, the people of Atisha who traveled to these regions did not return to their new home and knowledge of the lands east of the Great Plateau became lost to the Atishan people.
