Yfandes and Kellan follow the bank of the river. They're outside the city proper now, pacing endlessly. Not speaking. There's nothing to speak about. They both know what's wrong and they both know what leap needs to be taken - and what they'll lose if they try for that leap and fall instead. 

It's terrifying. Both of them know they could fail. They watched it happen to Taver. 

And it's so, so hard. 

But it's easier to face it together. 

Eventually, Vanyel concludes that either Cam got the message or he didn't, and either way he probably can't reply. 

...He finds he can barely keep his eyes open, at this point, but - right - Kilchas doesn't know the other part, he would have said, surely... 

[You might have a problem] he sends 

[The Companions are compromised about gods] 

[Or something] 

[Taver repudiated Tran] 

[Delian re-Chose him so he must have figured it out somehow] 

[Savil and my Companion aren't speaking to us] 

[I'm sorry]

[Take care of yourself up there. Please] 

He just barely manages to finish painfully typing out the series of messages, one letter at a time, before he falls asleep. 

- and he finds himself in a snowswept pass, black glassy walls of stone rising far above his head on either side, stretching out for a half-mile behind him. 

And ahead, the familiar army, and the mage dressed in black who leads it. 

"Herald Vanyel." 

Vanyel is so incredibly not ready for this. 

He feels like an idiot, because of COURSE this is new information - and he doesn't even know which 'this' he's referring to in his own thoughts, there are several of them - but he didn't think of it, and even if he had he's not sure he would have known where to start, in terms of trying to prepare words. 

Leareth's black eyes narrow very slightly. 

"I was already aware that it has been an - eventful - few days in Haven. However, I...suspect I am missing some further context." 

Vanyel takes a few steps forward and looks dully at Leareth. "What do you know already." 

To Vanyel's surprise, Leareth answers without hesitation. 

"To give a brief summary: a winged stranger, with extraordinary magical powers, appeared in Haven some days ago, and has worked closely with you. They have some very rapid method of transport, which gives off minimal magic, and have been distributing food to areas affected by the war, and further afield. ...More recently, some sort of incident occurred, which resulted in your being seriously injured, and Princess Karis of Karse's ensuing imprisonment. The obvious inference is that these events were related; I am guessing that Vkandis Sunlord took action against you, with the goal of forcing this stranger to cease action here. Also, a defensive wall has appeared between Valdemar and Karse, in a way which seems physically impossible. It includes some sort of code printed on it, which I have been unable to decipher." 

A pause. 

"- Additionally, since then, I have come into possession of several odd circular designs, printed on paper by a mechanism more advanced than anyone in Velgarth could easily manage. My best guess is that these are related to the powerful winged stranger, and represent some form of alien magic. I have begun studying them in more depth." 

Vanyel thinks vaguely that he might be impressed, except that he's all out of emotions. 

"Congratulations," he says anyway, dryly. "Leareth. What do you want." 

Leareth blinks. 

"I do not think that is very mysterious. I wish for this stranger to remain here in Velgarth, feeding the hungry and ending wars. Herald Vanyel, what do you want?" 

All Vanyel wants is for the world to make sense again. ...Oh, and about six months to sleep and not have any responsibilities. Neither of those are reasonable things to ask of anyone, let alone describe to Leareth of all people. 

"I wish I goddamned understood you," he says tonelessly. "I wish I could ever have any idea whether or not you're telling the truth to me. I - I wish..." 

Leareth takes his own two steps forward. 

"Something has shaken you very badly, Herald Vanyel. I - suppose I understand why you do not trust me, and may not wish to share this information. But I could on many occasions have harmed you, and I did not. I believe we have many goals in common, and -" 

A very slight catch in his voice. 

"- and if I am right, about the implications of your alien visitor's power, then we both might achieve all we wish for this world, at a lower cost than I ever imagined possible." 

Vanyel's hands are trembling. He has them shoved under his cloak, where he hopes Leareth can't see this. 

...How much, at this point, does he really have to lose. 

"You're right that Vkandis tried something," he says flatly. "It's not the first thing he's tried, either. Oh, and the Star-Eyed Goddess badmouthed you to our visitor, or something. I think. He didn't really want to tell me about it." 

"Ah. No, She does not approve of what I am trying to do." 

"She doesn't approve of you conquering countries? How reasonable of Her." 

Leareth bows his head. 

"That is only the first step in my plans. It is likely you will find the rest even more horrifying. I - had wished for more time, to cover some of the intervening ground. But I suppose that if I wish to ask you to trust me, now, then I ought take my own leap of faith." 

Vanyel has no idea what to say. Keeping his face as blank as he can manage, he nods, and waits. 

Leareth takes a slow breath, lets it out, and strides another five yards closer. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. 

"I have fought the gods for a very, very long time, Herald Vanyel. Believe me, I would not have chosen such a drastic course of action had I believed there were any other way - and, at this point, I hope that there will be an alternative, and that my plan will be moot. Nonetheless. I had intended to take Valdemar as the initial kernel of an empire, and then -" 

He swallows. 

"- and then, to create a god. A different kind of god, one built to care about us - about humans, and all other sentient beings in Velgarth - and to communicate with us. But there is a high price to such a working, and that is why I needed an empire." 

Vanyel isn't quite seeing it yet but he's very, very sure that it's going to be horrifying. 

"The power requirement - there is no way to meet it, other than blood-magic." 

"Ten million lives." 

"...You need not say anything, Herald Vanyel. If you prefer never to speak to me again, knowing this, I...would understand. All I can say is - if nobody takes this step, then the world will never, ever change. And that is unacceptable to me." 

How good an actor would Leareth have to be, to say that - to say everything that he's said to Vanyel, over more than a decade - to speak of lights in the world and how they're all worth saving and it's too late to save all of them but never too late to save some - how good would he have to be, to say that so earnestly, and be lying? 

It doesn't matter. He could be that good, if he wanted to. He's had time to learn. 

Which doesn't mean that he is lying.

Vanyel hugs himself, wrapping his arounds around his body. The wind is way too realistically cold. 

"Leareth, I - damn it, if I say it's monstrous you're just going to say you agree, aren't you? Well. It is." 

"Indeed." One dark eyebrow lifts, just a fraction. "All I can say is, I think I am not the only monster in this world, nor the worst. And, Herald Vanyel, perhaps you have seen enough now to agree." 

Vanyel doesn't know. He doesn't know anything, anymore. 

...Except that they need Cam, every day that Cam isn't here children are going to starve, and - and Leareth isn't wrong, that over thousands of years this has never seemed to change - and Leareth didn't need to tell him this, Leareth's right, it's not any less horrifying than conquering Valdemar...

And Cam could check. If this is for real, then surely Leareth has to have written down his god-building plans, at some point. 

Maybe it's time for his own leap of faith. 

"Leareth, I - don't know what to say. I mean, it's obviously wrong and horrible, but - I don't know. It could be the least wrong that things could go."

Vanyel shivers. No going back from this point, if he decides to say it - well, that's not true, there would still be time for Cam to refuse it, and if Vanyel's fast enough then Cam can make that decision informed. 

"The designs you found - you're right, they're a spell. A way of - of sending a message to the alien stranger, telling him where you are and that you want to talk."

Which isn't quite true but it's not totally false either, and he really doesn't want to give Leareth any hints that will help him figure out the bindings. Probably Cam wouldn't answer a summons with bindings, but Vanyel doesn't know exactly how the whole thing works... 

"Er, you want the simpler one. The complicated one contacts - someone else - and it's not what you want. We know the specific alien and he's... He's well-intentioned."