Knowledge shall lead the...

[Anastasia]

Why Antenora?

It opens to a beautiful image of your main balcony, able to see the lowest parts of the Cauldron from here.

[Corwin]

Seira focuses on the scene....

She's one of our closest friends and allies, and why not? I'm trying to see if I can guide or direct these flashes.

[Anastasia]

"Nothing," Antenora says as she sits, resting.

"Emily..." Amaryl whispers in a sad, broken voice.  She sits next to you and holds you tight.

"Thank you for trying," Seira says, voice hollow.

"Alice keeps searching," Antenora admits, "But I don't think there's any other conclusion than that Shar got her." She bows her head, "We're all heartbroken over it. Alice has cried herself to sleep for a week straight. Little Beth too, more when we tell her she's too young to help search." A pause before, gently, "How is Xera?"

[Corwin]

That won't be happening. Not after Emily ascended. If there is one good thing from her tying her futures to that Alyssa girl....

[Anastasia]

To this Amaryl shakes her head sadly and starts to cry softly, Seira hugging her.

After a few moments Antenora rises and embraces both them. "Emily's like a daughter to me. I promise I'll..."

Donald reaches out and gently closes the book.

[Corwin]

"Let's go out into the gardens."

[Anastasia]

"Yeah," Donald says, "A life where it all goes wrong instead of going right."

[Corwin]

"Just the one? Or several different, parallel bad ends?" Seira muses, though her voice is a bit hollow. Then, they are walking the gardens, a gazebo peeking in the distance. She opens the book again as they walk, focusing on Emily and Xera this time around.

[Anastasia]

"We always know we can fail," Donald says, "But as long as we don't, who cares?" His voice is a little strained as you go there and open the book.

It shows a beautiful image of the gardens, just as you'd expect.

[Corwin]

"We should try to learn from our mistakes and do better afterwards," Seira says, focusing on the image further. "Then, share that knowledge with others to help them and gain their insights in turn."

[Anastasia]

An older Xera is here - perhaps 12 years old. She's in a black dress and curled up in a ball, sobbing. She lies in the garden and sobs her heart out.

In a flash Waukeen is there. She kneels before her as Xera cries away, murmuring gentle reassurances.

"It doesn't matter! She's not coming back," Xera cries out, opening bloodshot eyes. "All the gold in Creation can't bring her back!"

"It's why we're going to stop Shar," Waukeen's voice is hard now, "She goes too far."

"...you can't stop her." A sniffle from Xera, "The Prophecy says so."

Waukeen is still a few moments, "Where did you hear that, child?"

"I didn't hear it. I read it." Empty eyes look up at Waukeen, "No one's coming back. Everyone's going away. The Prophecy of Primus is perfect. Not even M-mom can prove it wrong."

[Corwin]

"How strange to think of it now," Seira notes quietly to Donald. "Right now I've gained the perfect proof he's wrong, but I can't use it with Primus."

[Anastasia]

"Oh child, it's wrong," Waukeen says, but Xera is distant. In time Waukeen leaves and Xera is alone.

Yet not for long, if not in body then she's not alone in spirit.

Let's go see your sister, Xera. Together. You won't hurt anymore. Come to me, Xera.

For the first time, Xera looks up with hope in her eyes.

[Corwin]

Seira closes the book resolutely.

"If I've lost them both there, then I've lost hope," she says. "We wouldn't have needed Vlaakith or any war to sack the Cauldron, because the very idea behind what our realm became would already be gone."

[Anastasia]

"So...can we fix this?" Donald says at last. "Can we make this right?"