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“It was the mission that brought about the questions I had, about the wellspring of knowledge,” said the former warrior, after the “prey” was safely in the raven’s clutches. “Victory came at a very high price. Klin and Kenshiro have lost their humanity, and if the local cities are anything like those in my homeland, my companions will be unwelcome. This will greatly complicate our mission, if not make its success an impossible dream. Of course, now it will be easier for them to travel through the sands, but an encounter with any caravan or other group of ordinary travelers could end badly for them. And no one could have foreseen the current outcome.”
Alaria took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. She had only described the first part of their current problem, but not the second. The second was her. Or rather, her current state.
“At the same time, as a result of Melisar’s dying treachery, I, an experienced warrior, have become little more than an ordinary person. He sealed my knowledge, skills, and memories somewhere deep within my consciousness, essentially turning me into a burden for the group. I will be someone who slows down Klin and Kenshiro during their daily travels through the desert. Someone who will have to look for shelter and food. Someone whom my now more gifted companions will have to protect. If I go on another expedition through the desert, I know that I will hardly survive it. Therefore, returning to Margel, for retraining or reassignment to another field of activity where I can be of greater use to Her Lightness, seems like a more pragmatic solution to me. Unless,” the Thanarian said with a barely perceptible hint of hope in her voice, “you, oh wellspring of knowledge, know of ways to solve our problems. A way to quickly restore, ‘unlock,’ my skills. To make up for what Melisar stole. Perhaps even restore Klin and Kenshiro’s humanity. It may sound overly fantastic, but I have seen many strange things in my life. I have even been to places like this ‘park.’ So I don’t dare dismiss any possibilities.”