From Callas de Navarre's Journal, 1/12/1348

1/12/1348
St. Petersburg, Russia
late afternoon

So, today we went to the place called Brazil, where Juri had mentioned in his note that a plague cure was hidden.

It was summer there. Oh, bliss. I immediately stripped out of my layers of clothing, leaving on only what I needed to keep my armor from chafing too badly. The jungle around us was full of strange plants and animals I'd never seen before, including some things that looked like monkeys, but a different kind than I'd ever seen. The ones I've seen all came from Africa, and this place was evidently an ocean away from there.

Once we got there, Aiden blinked and said, "There are ten of my brothers here. About three miles," he paused to consider, and pointed, "that way." Gaius sent his owl up to look around, and came back with the report that there was a compound in that direction, and a field full of flowers nearby. Juri's note had mentioned the plague being defeated by a four-petaled flower, so I for one was more interested in the field than the artifacts.

Aiden and Riyor (which is still, by the way, an incredibly dangerous combination) turned themselves into Fae'ri, Aiden looking like Juri, and they went to the compound. I turned the rest of us into monkeys like I'd seen in the trees around us, and we went off to the field. We got a sample of the plants, and then went and investigated somewhere that looked like an oil pressing room and a storeroom. They were storing whatever liquid they were making in magical metal barrels, but the liquid itself wasn't magical. I took a good look at the oil pressing machine and riffled through the notes I found (glad nobody happened by when I was doing that), learning what I could.

We were on our way back when we all heard Aiden's voice, saying "Time to go." Aiden had convinced the demons at the compound that he was Juri, and they had gotten all ten of the artifacts out and left an orb in the room so it couldn't be gotten back into. He'd also convinced them to carry the barrels of plague cure to gates scattered all over the world, and gave them instructions to bury them there. He had in tow a drow female, in chains. Evidently, Juri had some...interesting tastes in women. The drow is a Matron Mother of the goddess they call Lloth, who is known to us as Cernannos.

I reluctantly put my winter clothes back on, and we were back to St. Petersburg.

Which, I might add, is cold as Morrigan's heart. Sigh.

Endraya was ecstatic to see us with the plants and a possible plague cure. We should be able to get her some samples of what the demons were making tomorrow, and she can start in on figuring out if this will work on everyone. We're also making more of the dragon cure that I brought her; turns out that Tarn did indeed know what he was on about when he tossed those vials at Riyor.

It's a little bit of hope in this long darkness. Perhaps we'll be able to stem the tide after all. If we can get the cure out to the races that will be completely wiped out if the plague reaches them--the dwarves, the elves, all the rest--and to at least some of the population of the magic-touched, we might be able to save at least some of the magic in the world for the future times. Perhaps Dushela's brainchild won't kill us all after all.

But we still have to stop the council.

And to do that...I am very much afraid that we're going to have to kill Morrigan.

I'm not sure if we've closed all doors but that one yet. Time is beginning to run very, very short, though, and we're not as strong as they are, yet. Removing Morrigan from the equation would level the ground between us.

And, yet. That would remove all doubt that we are just as bad as they are. Perhaps our motives are better; we do not wish to become gods ourselves. But the means will have been the same, though the ends are very different.

To defeat them, we may have to become them.

That's possibly the most frightening thought I've had in a very long time.

[A letter, tucked behind the last page of this entry.]

To Armand, chieftain of the Clan of the Noonday Sun, Madrid

Armand, we have found the second half of what you asked of us before the battle. Please let me know when and where you can take delivery.

I still have one debt outstanding to you. I have not forgotten.

--Callas

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