by Emily Wilson
“That's because you're worse than Kato is,” Azrian comments. “Don't deny it.”
Jase shrugs, completely unbothered. “I don't see that as an insult.”
“Me either,” Tague agrees, wrapping his arms around Jasestros’ waist.
“Well, I do. I need to up my game.” Kato decides to go overboard for a few moments, not stopping until every inch of Azrian is blushing and he has a real fear his brother might vomit.
“Enough. Let’s get back to the mountain. At least I don’t have to watch you two suck face all day.” Aleon steps forward to teleport them all back, but Kato stops him with a laugh.
“Mmhm... you mean so you can suck face with Riley.”
Aleon looks like he might smack him, but Azrian holds a hand up to get their attention. “No one will be doing any such thing. We have another council meeting, remember? Fun's over for the day.”
“WE DIDN’T EXPECT YOU back so soon,” Exus states with a sneer. There’s something about him that Kato doesn’t like, but now that he can’t read his mind, he doesn’t know his true motives. He’ll never forget the “good luck” he tossed at them when he sent them to their death at Deadrun... he enjoyed it.
“Does that disappoint you, Exus?” he asks, unable to help himself.
The Itinerae shakes his head with a fake smile. “Not at all. It's wonderful that you four were able complete the task so quickly and effectively.”
“Yeah, I’m sure yo—”
“Enough.” Guara holds up a hand. “I can hear your thoughts, K8.0. Exus is one of my most trusted friends.”
Kato’s entire body tenses as he realizes how loud his thoughts were. Is this how it is to be in a room with a Cogitare? No wonder people don’t like them. Guara smiles at that, surely hearing him as clear as day, and he frowns in response. “My name is Kato.”
She inclines her head but doesn't bother correcting herself. “Now. Exus brings up a valid point. It's most suspicious that you succeeded so quickly when the Regnum have been trying for longer than I care to admit. How did you do it? What information did you have that we did not?”
“Wait, if you didn't think we'd find it, why'd you send us and only give us four days?” Azrian asks.
“These are dire times. We don’t have any time to waste and as I stated, we didn’t think it was even possible. How did you find it, Azrian Mihr?”
“Just because I have a last name doesn't mean it needs to be used every single time one of you wants to accuse me of something or say something dramatic,” he mutters. “You sound like my mom.” Her eyes widen at that, but Azrian continues before she has a chance to speak. “We were led to it by an ursin. I don't know how else to explain it.”
“An ursin?” she repeats, whispering to those around her so quickly it’s nearly impossible to pick out words.
“Yes,” Kato interrupts. “An ursin made sure Azrian was the only one to touch it, which means he’s the chosen one to wield it. It likely would have never been found by anyone but him.”
Linaria barks a laugh. “Him? Chosen for what? We sent him on that quest, not the gods. I'm sure one of us will figure out how to make it work. He's just a boy.”
Everything about Azrian suggests he's about to flip out, but his voice remains steady. “I'm not a child. We handed the Atarax over to you, so why is this even a big deal? Why do you care how we found it so fast?”
“Did you send him on the quest?” Kato intercedes. “How do you even know that all of this isn’t a part of their plans? You don’t. None of us can say, but we saw it with our own eyes. Call Jasestros and Tague if you don’t believe us. They saw it, too.”
“Enough,” Zinna pipes up for the first time. “We believe you.” The look she gets from some of them tells Kato that they aren’t in fact all on the same page, but they don’t speak out against her. “We just wanted to hear how it happened. This is a huge find, and regardless of hurt egos, Azrian found it first. Which means he is chosen. We’ve all held it in our hands, it will not answer to us. Not unless Osyn commands it.”
Azrian's face falls. “So, what? Now I have to go live at Deadrun for the rest of my life if we want to make it a prison?”
“I don’t think so. I think you just have to be the one to plant it there,” she responds, and everything about her makes Kato feel he can trust her. Maybe it’s because she’s Jase’s mother, but her pale eyes are kind. “We could have you there and home within an hour.”
Kato grips his hand under the table to get his attention. “What do you feel, Azzy?”
“I feel like there's too much we don't understand and no real way to get answers,” he says honestly. “But if that's what I have to do, I'll do it. You all know that I'll do it.”
Guara clicks her tongue. “If you could do it with a little less attitude, that would be welcome.” There's no warmth or playfulness in her tone — only ice. “We’ll make the arrangements to send you to Deadrun later this afternoon. In the meantime, we need to figure out what to do about Syphon. Has anyone come up with anything yet? Are we going to stand down?”
“Stand down!” Kato barks, nearly standing in anger. “Haven’t you done that enough?”
The place erupts in response, some of them yelling at him for being out of line and others agreeing. It's so chaotic Kato covers his ears and remembers a time where such a thing would have triggered a migraine. Migraine... that’s it! “Shut up!” Kato yells, physically standing this time, and to his surprise they actually listen. “I have an idea. Will you listen? Or tuck tail like always?”
“The Regnum do not tuck tail,” Peilar snaps. “We simply don't jump into every little scuffle that happens on this planet. With that said—” he turns back toward Guara, “—we'd already agreed to deal with this. It would be unbecoming to back out now. If Kato has something to say, we should listen.”
“Thank you,” Kato says with all the sarcasm he can muster as he locks eyes with the Regnum’s Cogitare. “Guara should have thought of this herself, honestly... since she’s the best Cogitare in all the land. Anyway, when you were all squabbling like children, I remembered how it used to be for me. When I was still learning my powers, I couldn’t be around large groups of people because it was overwhelming. Syphon is still learning; it wouldn’t be hard to overwhelm him and make him regret taking the power to read minds. We could have Axis get the animals to help... all of us... it would be enough to make any Cogitare want to turn off their powers.”
Silence falls as each and every one of them try to find a flaw in that plan and come up short — all except for Exus. “What if he’s not learning anymore? This might not be the first time he's taken such powers. How can you guarantee this will work?”
“I know it was his first time. I was there when he took them, he was disoriented. He got a nose bleed from one simple command. Do you remember those days, Guara?”
As much as she wants to deny it, she nods. “Yes, I do. It truly wouldn't take much. It's worth a shot, unless someone else has a better idea.”
When no one answers, Peilar slaps his palm on the table. “Then there you have it. Between that and our considerable talents, he shouldn't stand a chance. We’ll leave for the Rostian Ruins when Azrian returns from Deadrun.”
With a nod, Kato pulls Azrian from the room and doesn't stop until they are near the doors that lead outside. “I don’t trust some of them. What if they turn on us?”
“Then they turn on us. I don't see what choice we have at this point, Kato. We can't take him on by ourselves and I need them to let me use the Atarax.”
As much as he hates it, he knows Azrian is right. They have to get this done as soon as possible. No one else should have to lose their life over this. There’s still so much good they need to do in the world and all of it is impossible without a Regnum prison. He nods, not having an argument to that, then opens the door the way Hanigen showed them. Nut is there to greet them, and Kato can’t help but smile as he drops down to pick him up. “I wish we could just go home.”
“Now you sound like me,” Azrian says fondly. “I've been wishing that for what feels like a really, really long time.”
THE SIGHT OF DEADRUN is nearly enough to make Azrian hurl, but he keeps his spine as straight as possible as Exus leaps them through the bolted door. The Itinerae seems a little too gleeful that the Regnum needed Kato to stay behind to heal Riley of some burns she no doubt got from Cindreg, but Azrian couldn't be further from happy about it. “Let’s just get this over with,” he mumbles as he sends his Videre light through the old lamps.
Now that it's brighter, it seems a little less dreary in there. “Okay, where are we supposed to put it? Have you rebuilt any of the cells yet?”
“In due time, Azrian. Only two Praediti agreed to help make this place fit for a prison, and both of them are working hard every single day. Unless you're volunteering to stay behind and help?” Exus leads Azrian toward the courtyard and pushes the doors open dramatically to enter. “This is near the center of the island. It should be placed here.”
Azrian holds out his hand expectantly. “Fine, hand it over.”
He doesn't miss the hesitation in Exus as he stares into the orb as if he's willing it to respond to him, and when nothing happens, he shoves it into Azrian's hands. “Prove to me she really responds to you.”
“Fine.” He closes his eyes as both hands wrap around the handle. For a long moment, nothing happens — he feels almost like he does when his Videre powers won't come — but slowly, he feels the handle heat up under his touch. His eyelids turn a bright red as the glow of the orb overwhelms the darkness around them and shrouds even his Videre light, but the peace that washes over them both is twice as powerful.
It takes his breath away. Whatever happened on that island, it wasn't this. He’d felt the heat and seen the light, but he also hadn't been trying to get it to do anything once he had it in his hands. Now, he's not sure he ever wants to let go of it.
“Osyn...” Exus whispers sharply next to him, slowly bringing him out of the moment. “Set it in the ground. We'll need guards surrounding it at all times.”
Azrian nearly disobeys. It feels good in his hands, and he's not quite willing to give it up — but he swears he hears Cettia tell him it isn't time. Not knowing what that means, he stares at the ground and tries to figure out how he's going to get it to stand up straight. As if it heard him, it floats out of his hand and settles itself securely in the center of the floor. “And what's going to stop someone from stealing it?”
“Hopefully Osyn. You claim it only answers to you, let us all pray you are correct.”
Something nags in his mind that he can't quite grasp, but he's too tired and too exhausted of Exus’ presence already to pay much attention to it. He takes one more look at the orb and jerks his head toward the door, only now realizing that it hadn't dwarfed his Videre light — it had cut it off. “Let’s get out of here.”
Exus waves a hand toward where they entered with his eyes still locked on the Atarax. “Yes... I think it's time we go.”
HEALING RILEY TOOK minutes compared to how long he’s been waiting for Azrian to return. Kato still doesn’t trust Exus, and he doesn’t think anything could convince him that he’s on their side. Still, he returns with Azrian in tow and Kato nearly squeezes the life out of him to ensure he’s real. “Thank Cettia. They want to go soon. Aleon went to get Cal and we should bring Axis and Nut. They've all helped us in times like these.”
“You're right. Do you think the Regnum are even remotely prepared for this? Should we bring Riley and Cindreg?”
“Imagine a dragon on our side.” Kato grins as he imagines what Syphon’s face would look like if Cindreg landed in front of him. “But I don’t think that’s possible. They’re adamant about her not killing people... even evil ones.”
Azrian sticks his tongue out at him and turns to go find Axis and Nut. “I didn't say she had to kill him. Just scare him. Her roar alone would be enough to give him a nosebleed.”
“Definitely. We can ask, but I don’t need to be a Cogitare to know the answer.”
Within the hour, all of them are assembled in the room awaiting their instructions. Exus and Aleon are going to be doing jumps as quickly as possible in small groups of three. It’ll be work for them, but the less people they take at a time, the easier each jump will be.
“Once we’re all there, we have to approach with caution. We are going in blind with no idea how many Venandi are there. Stay vigilant.” Guara holds out her arm for Exus. “Are you ready, Aleon?”
“Yes, ma’am. Ready when you are.” Aleon stands with his small group and awaits her command, disappearing within seconds of Exus.
The room is quieter now as the rest of them wait for the Itinerae to return. Azrian’s gripping his hand so tightly that he might do some damage if Kato weren't a Sana, but they don't have to wait long before Aleon comes back for them.
“Hold on tight. I'm getting a little sloppy.”
“You're always sloppy,” Teagon says as he puts his hand on Aleon’s back. “Take it away.”
Landing at the Ruins is a little disorienting for them all, but as they catch their bearings in the trees, they prepare for attack. It feels a lot like they’re being watched, and Kato can’t help but feel useless once again. Sure, he can heal someone, but how can he help fight? How can he protect Azrian?
He doesn’t have long to contemplate these negative thoughts because soon they’re on the move, clearing the brush and staring up at the exposed side of the building that perished in Belua’s fire. They enter two-by-two, silent and poised to attack, but within a few moments it becomes clear that no one is there.
“It’s abandoned!” Guara yells, rounding on the twins that are close behind her. “Did you not see this coming?”
“Of course we didn’t. Why would we waste precious time?” Neginah snaps back, angrier than Kato’s ever seen her.
Cal scratches the back of his head with an amused smile. “I came here for this, huh?”
“Let’s remain calm.” Zinna approaches them from the side. “Bickering won’t help. They aren’t here, so where are they?”
“I HATE THIS PLACE,” Syphon mutters. He kicks at the sand below his feet and throws a rude gesture toward his brother, Tripp, for choosing the middle of Sastrya as a place to hide. “I’m Chosen, I shouldn’t have to hide from them. I should be ripping every single one of them to shreds.”
Tripp keeps his distance as he stokes the small fire they’d made for food and warmth. It doesn’t get as cold in this part of Sastrya as it does in Etria at night, but it still gets a little too chilly for Syphon’s tastes. “We didn’t have a choice,” Tripp reminds him. “They knew where we were and we need to be prepared for them, not surprised. I thought this was as good a place as any to camp out while we regroup. And we do need to regroup, Syph.”
The truth doesn’t protect Tripp from Syphon’s anger, but sheer need does. He can’t kill his only useful brother before the big show, no matter how tempting it gets sometimes. He reminds himself again that he does love him and that life would be boring and quiet without him, but it doesn’t help as much as he needs it to. “Fine. So, we regroup, and then we bring that mountain down. Inais already succeeded once. With his help, we can do it again.”
“I thought he wasn’t talking to you right now?” Zero asks, making Syphon grit his teeth. He seems to sense the shift and backs off, but just his presence is grating on Syphon’s nerves. “Sorry, boss.”
The fact that Inais hasn’t communicated with him once since he gained K8.0’s Cogitare powers is starting to worry him. Surely that would’ve been something to celebrate, something to congratulate him on. Maybe even enough to grant him use of Shadowsiever. “We’re going to have to attack. I don’t think Inais is going to help, and if he does, he’ll wait till the last faeching moment like he always does. All we can do is try,” Syphon says bitterly.
Six, to his credit, stays quiet. Most of this is his fault — the death of that stult
Terrare, the loss of the greatest bargaining chip he’s ever had, and the discovery of his favorite hideout. The Ruins were his home for a much larger stretch than Deadrun was, or any other part of Athoze for that matter, but now they are gone, just like every other godsforsaken thing he’s ever loved. It’s enough to drive a man to do something stupid... but Syphon refuses to give in to that. He’s learned the hard way what happens when he lets his anger drive him.
“I don’t want to be the one to tell you this—”
“Then don't,” Syphon snaps at Tripp. “I can’t imagine that a single thing is going to come out of your mouth that doesn’t make me want to stab you.”
Tripp huffs but stands his ground, and Syphon has to give him credit for that. “Syph, they have the Atarax. On my last supply trip, I heard whispers from some of our more trusted spies. I don’t know what they want the thing for, but they found it. After all this time... they found it.”
“So what? Do you really think some B-list god’s shield is going to be enough to stop Inais? To stop me?” Syphon sits forward, challenging Tripp with every ounce of his attention and stiff posture.
“Osyn isn’t exactly B-list,” Tripp argues. “She might not have gotten involved enough to know the true scope of her powers, but she’s still one of them.”
“And dead, for all we know. Inais himself hasn’t heard a peep from her in centuries. If she is around, she still doesn’t care enough to intercede, which means that orb is all they’ve got.”
Tripp hesitates, but wraps his hand tightly around his wrist. It’s his tell — he wants to leave, wants to run away from Syphon and this conversation — but he won’t. He never does. “But what if they’re—”
“Go ahead, Tripp. Cut to the chase and just say it. Say you’ve lost faith because a couple of faeching morons managed to find a shiny orb they don’t know how to use!”