Kared's Children - Chapter 2

"Let me get this straight," Gerald said. "You come from an imaginary people, and you study an imaginary creature."

"You yourself have brought stories of what you doubt."

Gerald’s eyelids fluttered. "What is this ‘agreement’ you mentioned?"

"The Agreement of Ramat," Shaerden said. "To end the Remnant War."

Gerald scowled at his friend.

"Indeed." Benjamin nodded. "Centuries ago, all creatures lived, if not in harmony, at least in coexistence with one another. We considered ourselves one people. In time, however, frictions arose between the cultures. We lost sight of our similarities, and we concentrated instead on our differences. We almost destroyed ourselves. The struggles that followed wrecked our economies, ruined our shared social values, poisoned our environment. The Kagatje, who, as I said, always were in touch with nature’s demands, decided that the only way they’d be able to save the world would be to eradicate once and for all those primarily responsible for its ruin."

"Us," Shaerden said.

Benjamin shrugged. "Those who lived then. The Kagatje focused all their energies on the race they thought was the oppressor of all the others: the Karedians. They began to succeed at their efforts. They did, after all, believe it to be a holy requirement, and the queen of the Kagatje herself often led the most critical and destructive attacks. They were wiping out those they perceived as a threat."

"That’s when they-the Karedians-prayed to Corin," Shaerden said, "Who sent them a sorcerer. Us. Sent us. Alara."

Benjamin shrugged again. "Alara commissioned the great weapon. The sword made of the purest alloys. Embued with the greatest magic."

"Tempered," Shaerden said, "In the hottest flames."

Benjamin said, "Those flames only were found in the heart of the earth itself."

Shaerden said, "This sword was to be wielded by the greatest warrior mankind could provide. To be determined by the contest we know as-"

"-The Great Test," Gerald said impatiently. "And the Great Test was won by Aaron. I know the legend."

"It was no surprise Aaron won," Benjamin said. "His strength, his courage, his intelligence were unmatched."

"Yes, yes," Gerald said impatiently. "With Aaron’s help-and the weapon’s-we began beating the Kagatje, until Aaron went against their leader itself. And the battle went on for days, etc., etc. It’s a children’s fable."

"It’s no fable," Benjamin said. "Amid the smoke and destruction of their battleground-"

"-The flatlands," Shaerden said.

"-The onlookers," Benjamin finished, "Lost sight of the combatants." He almost could have been quoting from some text. "The three of them-Aaron, the queen of the Kagatje, and the sword-disappeared in the tumult they created. And from the chaos that ensued arose the Agreement. Fashioned by the Elown themselves."

"Elown," Gerald said flatly. "More imaginary creatures."

"And signed at the ancient city of Ramat," Benjamin said, again seemingly effortlessly ignoring Gerald’s sarcasm. "But something has happened. Something has caused the Kagatje to interrupt the centuries of peace. The elders don’t know what. They fear that Karedians somehow have violated the Agreement of Ramat." He looked at each of them. "They’ve sent me to find out how."

. . .

"Even if we were to assume," Gerald said, "That your story was true-"

"Our history," Benjamin protested.

"That the legends were true," Gerald said. "And you’re from a people themselves descended from some powerful wizard-"