Having obtained all seven Keys, Illiom and her fellow Chosen are finally able to continue their search for Sudra’s Orb.
All that delays them now is a fierce Altran winter, but when that passes they will venture west, into the Forbidden Lands.
This forced wait – a source of frustration for Argolan – has been welcomed by Illiom and Tarmel, for it has provided the reprieve they needed to explore the love flowering between them.
The shadow of the ordeal ahead lingers at the edge of everyone’s awareness. They know that this peace is but a temporary oasis, as each day brings them closer to the Illignment.
They are aware that they are heading into the heart of evil, and this has given rise to a nameless dread, for they cannot imagine what horrors they are yet to face.
Sometimes ignorance can feel like a gift, and foresight a wretched curse that paralyses us with terror. Sometimes it is our naivety that lends us the wings of courage we need to sail towards what must be faced.
