by Phoebe Brown
“I think you always saw this day coming.” She said with a wry smile, “You knew that my arrival would mean your death.”
She looked up at the man who stood before her. The man who was the key to her plans.
Abito looked down at her and smiled.
“I knew that your arrival meant life for many.” He said.
His words felt like a burden on her shoulders. He thought she was ready, that she could do whatever the world needed her to do. The problem was that she had no idea if she could do it. in the end, she could end up losing and millions of innocent people could die.
“Abito.” She said, “are you ready?”
He nodded and sat next to her on the bed.
“I’ve seen much farther than my present circumstances.” He said, “Don’t worry too much about what the future holds.”
She wanted to scoff, to tell him that it was impossible to ignore the fact that she was blind to what she was being asked to do.
“What if I fail?” she asked, “If I fail then who will save these people?”
Abito chuckled.
“Gaia, you’re the first Kelwah of your kind to have lived for a millennium.” He said, “A Kelwah who has been awakened. One with a good heart and an unconquerable will. I have all faith that you will do whatever it takes to protect the innocent.”
She smiled and felt much more confident now than she had moments before.
“I’m sorry that it has to be you.” She said.
He nodded.
“I’m glad.” He said, “I have been waiting for you. Now that you’re here, I feel at ease.”
As his last words were uttered, she felt his presence begin to fade. She looked up to see that he was gone. She looked around the room urgently, but he was nowhere to be seen. She lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling, willing all of what she had to do, to be over.
Chapter 28
Gaia awoke, bathed and got dressed with Lolita’s help. Lolita managed to pull her hair into a neat pile atop her head. Surprisingly, the girl produced a tiny tiara and tucked it into Gaia’s hair. There were matching earrings and a necklace. The jewellery was tiny and delicate, and she wondered why Lolita had chosen such delicate items for her.
“They’re a gift from the king.” She said when Gaia asked where she had found them.
Gaia smiled but she felt a sadness deep inside when she thought of Kieron.
“You look like a princess!” Lolita said when she was finally dressed.
The dress fell beautifully and highlighted her slender frame while giving her a royal air. For a moment she felt like an imposter, but she was only doing this on Solomon’s orders. If it was up to her, she would be wearing the orange of her clan. The last item of clothing was the golden cloak. Lolita was surprised to see it as Gaia pulled it across her shoulders and tied it. One moment it was there and in the next, it was gone. Lolita gasped and Gaia laughed.
“Don’t worry.” Gaia said, “It won’t ruin my outfit.”
Lolita nodded swiftly as if she had just seen a ghost. Together, they left the room and made their way through the halls to the classroom which was the meeting area for all students on duty. The servants were in a frenzy trying to prepare for the day’s activities. She saw other students milling about and they all looked surprised when they saw her. Myren was dressed in the orange robe of the Cenobytes and she gasped when she realised Gaia was not wearing the same colours.
Khar and Helen were nowhere to be seen but she assumed they were on their duty. Tafari came walking over to her and she had to admit that he was very handsome in his guild attire.
“You look like an entirely different person.” She said.
“I was about to say the same.” He answered.
The classroom was slowly filling with the other students. She saw Nixon walk in and he too looked every bit as royal as he thought he was. He saw her and walked over to stand next to her. Tafari walked away and she wanted desperately to tell him not to go.
“You clean up nicely Cenobyte,” Nixon said with a sly smile.
She nodded but said nothing.
Kirk walked in and she felt her heart flutter. His eyes landed on her and he smiled. That was until his gaze shifted to the person next to her and his smile faltered.
“Thank you for assembling here this morning.” The headmistress said, “Today you will all get a glimpse of what your roles will be in the future. Each of you has an important task today and you must carry it out to the best of your ability. We will leave here this morning and go directly to the banquet halls.”
Many of the students had never been there but Gaia had snuck in with Lolita’s help the day before. It was a large open room with tables laid out all around and a space in the centre for dancing. Persons would enter from the balconies above and go down the steps. She knew that she and Nixon would be positioned at the foot of the steps to greet each guest as they entered. All around the room, she saw doors that led to an outdoor balcony where the guests could retreat to see the waves crashing below them.
“Let’s go.”
They began moving out of the room and she noticed that Kirk was going in the opposite direction.
“You’ll see him later.” Nixon said, “Don’t worry.”
The headmistress led them to the large banquet hall and down the steps. Gaia walked around the room taking note of all the things she had seen the day before. She knew if the Abyssinians wanted to make an entry they would use the outer balcony doors. Even if they were able to advance past the crowds, she could accomplish her plans before they got close enough to the front of the room.
She made her way towards the very front where a raised platform had been erected. The kings’ throne was the most prominent and next to it on each side were two less elaborate seats: one for the prince and one for the queen. She had no idea where Solomon would be seated but Lolita had told her that the older man would possibly be in the crowd for most of the event. He would then be on the platform standing next to the queen when the sacrifice was being made. He would also be there for the smoking ceremony. At these times, all the royals would be on the platform at the same time.
She knew that Solomon would pick one of these occasions to take the palace and kill the king. She wasn’t sure which.
“Curious about whether you’ll be sitting here one day?” Nixon asked over her shoulder.
She wanted to swat him away like a bug, but she couldn’t show the slightest hostility towards him today. Instead, she turned to face him.
“Actually,” she said, “I was thinking of how happy I am that it’s Kirk who will be there and not you.”
She stepped past him and continued her walk around the room. The other students were doing the same and she was happy they chose to ignore her. This was why she was so surprised when someone stopped suddenly before her. Myren glared at her as if she had stolen something.
“How dare you?” Myren asked.
Gaia wasn’t amused by the girl’s actions.
“You should be careful,” Gaia said.
Myren huffed and took a step towards her, she reached up as if to pull the tiny tiara from Gaia’s hair when she stopped midway and cried out. She clutched her hand and continued crying.
“Are you alright?” Gaia asked flatly.
“My hand!” Myren cried.
The headmistress rushed over and grabbed Myren’s hand and looked at it.
“Where did you get this rash!?” she asked, “You shouldn’t be with the others. What if it’s contagious.”
Gaia watched with a blank stare as the headmistress took Myren away. The other students in the room went back to what they were doing but Nixon kept looking at her as if he had finally figured something out.
She walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall as if she was resting. In reality, she was taking in the room from this angle. She could see everything. She decided then that she would sit close to the back of the room, that way she could monitor everyone at the f
ront.
“Interesting that you didn’t go with your guild mate,” Nixon said.
“We never really got along.” She said, “Are you worried about her? You can go check if she’s fine.”
He shook his head.
“Did you see the rash on her hand earlier, I didn’t.”
“I wasn’t paying attention.” She replied.
The truth was that there was no rash and there was also no pain. She had made Myren believe she was in pain. She had also tricked the headmistress into believing that she saw a rash. This was just a convenient way of getting rid of Myren so the girl wouldn’t ruin their plans.
“Ah, here comes the sacrifice.”
Gaia opened her eyes and watched as Khar and Helen walked in. They were followed by a herd of men carrying a large caged bird. The bird was fully white and beautiful. It looked out at the crowd of students curiously but did not move. She wondered if the animal had been bred for this specific purpose and she was saddened by the thought.
Khar winked at her and Helen smiled shyly. She assumed Helen smiled for Nixon’s benefit.
The sacrifice was placed at the side of the room and Helen and Khar were both given chairs on which to sit. They looked far more comfortable than she felt.
“Alright, the guests are arriving. They will be coming into the ballroom soon. Those who are standard-bearers and assistants come with me. The other students filtered out of the room leaving Gaia with Nixon, Khar, and Helen.
“We should go.” Nixon said.
She nodded and followed him to the base of the staircase.
One by one she watched as the leaders of the different Nations and Guilds descended the steps into the room. Lu Radock stood at the top announcing their arrival while the students preceded with their standards. She greeted them with Nixon’s help and it wasn’t long before her face began to tire. The exhaustion of smiling and making small talk was taking a toll on her.
The last standard to be announced was that of the Cenobytes. She watched as Aldon walked with the standard down the steps. She listened to hear who would be in the group with their leader. When she heard Master Kin’s name, she felt relief. At least the master at her temple was someone she trusted. When he came down the steps he clasped her hands and bowed. He looked into her eyes and smiled weakly.
Before letting go of her hand, she felt as his hand traced a symbol in her palm. It was a subtle sign and something she had learnt in her early years as a Cenobyte.
“Careful.”
She nodded and smiled.
Nixon peered down at them suspiciously, but she released Master Kin’s hand and greeted the next person in line. Soon all the kingdoms had entered, and persons were spread around the room greeting one another. Each nation had come with ten representatives in total and so the room was full but not excessively so.
Next Lu Radock began to announce the entrance of the royal family. She wouldn’t need to greet them but she had been instructed to stand there just the same. First came Solomon with his daughter. She took a long look at Nixon’s mom and marvelled at her beauty. She saw the same features of the mother in the son. Although Lilian Temple was tiny and delicate, there was something sinister about her when she looked up at Gaia.
“Son,” she said looking affectionately at Nixon.
She said nothing to Gaia and continued moving along. Solomon bowed to them both.
Next came Kirk. He looked every bit like a prince and she knew all the women in the room were marvelling at his good looks. He walked directly to Gaia and bowed before reaching for her hand and bringing it to his lips. He kissed her gently.
The crowd was silent as if they had taken a breath and were holding it in. He released her hand and gave Nixon a swift small bow before walking away. As he left, the entire crowd seemed to exhale and so did she. She knew Nixon was looking at her, but she didn’t want to see his expression.
The king came next with the queen. They walked hand in hand and Gaia glanced momentarily at Anabelle’s outfit. It was very elaborate and loose-fitting with the added benefit of hiding her midsection. Gaia knew she had dressed this way to avoid being discovered. The queen gave them both short bows but never smiled. Kieron smiled at her and held her hand fondly. She wondered what it was about them and the touching today. Kieron also took Nixon’s hand and held it firmly for a moment before walking away.
They all moved on and took their time greeting the leaders of the nations and guilds. It was a long time before they made it through the crowds and stood at the front of the room. When all was finished, everyone returned to their groups and she assumed they were discussing the strange entrance made by the royals.
“Don’t run off now” Nixon said, “you may miss the show.”
She wanted to tell him the same, but she held back and nodded. She needed to position herself so that she could check on Cettie. Feigning fatigue she pushed through the crowd as they chatted eagerly.
She made her way towards the back of the room and watched as Cettie walked over to the king to serve him a drink. The king drank it and after a few minutes he clutched his stomach. She knew he would have to excuse himself. The potion wouldn’t make him so uncomfortable that he would need his bed, but he would need a toilet.
He walked towards the back of the platform. As he did so Cettie looked around the room to ensure Solomon and Nixon were focused elsewhere. Luckily, they were. Anabelle looked at her husband and then back at the woman before her.
Gaia watched as Cettie took the king’s hand and then they were gone without anyone noticing. At that moment a man dressed like Kieron emerged from behind the platform. He was a bit too tall to be the king but she knew that to everyone else, there would be no difference. It was so perfect she grinned at how well she had managed to hone her skills. The imposter walked over to where the king had stood and resumed where he had left off.
Chapter 29
Gaia sat at her table close to the back of the room with Nixon next to her. The meal was complete and now they were listening to the last notes of the Royal Orchestra as they finished playing. The song reminded her of forests and trees and the sea. It was uncanny how well they were able to mimic the sounds found in nature.
Alternately, it was taking all her concentration to maintain the illusion. With all she had learnt so far, the effects on her body weren’t as bad as it would have been if she didn’t have the potion from Master Morrel.
The ringing of a bell at the front of the room drew her attention and she knew that whatever was going to happen tonight would be happening now. The smoking ceremony had passed over half an hour ago. She had been on guard in case Solomon planned to make a move then, but he hadn’t. Instead, she had felt their movement.
She knew that the Abyssinians had used the small window of time when the palace was shrouded by smoke to silently take over. They had climbed the walls and had entered through the underground dungeons she had seen on the map. The palace had been taken and no-one in the room except Solomon and the others knew it. Now, she felt them waiting and biding their time.
“What’s this?” she asked looking over at Nixon.
His eyes were bright with excitement and she knew that he was caught up in the success of their plot so far. He was almost bursting with joy.
“It’s time for the royal family to carry out the sacrifice.” He said
She looked towards the front as Kieron, Anabelle, and Kirk moved to the platform and took their seats. As the queen sat, Gaia saw her rearranging her dress once again in an attempt to hide her stomach. She looked up and their eyes met. Instead of surprise, she seemed pleased to find Gaia watching her.
“Is everything alright?” Nixon asked.
“I thought I saw a stain on her dress.” She lied.
Nixon left her side and made his way to the front of the room. The rest of the room remained seated and she did the same.
“Bring forth the sacrifice.” Lu Radock said
His voice carried all the way to the back of the
room with more force and authority than she had heard before.
She watched transfixed as Helen and Khar brought the beast forward. It looked around the room in resignation and she felt the urge to move. It was killing her to sit there and do nothing when at any moment, the Abyssinians could make their move.
“Welcome one and all” Kieron said from the throne, “The Kingdom will make this sacrifice in solidarity to the gods.”
The crowd was quiet as they waited for him to continue.
“I am pleased to be serving you as king and leader of the realm. It is my hope that from today onward, we will be a united one. This sacrifice made today will be for the perfection of our commitment to one another.”
Helen opened the cage and the bird looked around sceptically. It came as Helen coaxed it out and Gaia marvelled at the scene unfolding in front of her. The bird limbered out of the cage and stood at its full height on Helen’s shoulder. It was so massive that it seemed to dwarf even Helen. Khar stood transfixed but then the bird looked down at her and let out a screech so loud that it burned her ears. It quieted a moment later and she saw Khar chuckling. Together they walked over to where the alter had been carried in.
“To the glory of the kingdom.” The king shouted.
The room erupted in shouts of agreement and Gaia watched in horror as the bird was taken from Helen by one of the king’s guards and beheaded. The guard then took the head and handed it to Helen who had turned a shade of blue. Khar nudged her on and Helen walked over to Kieron and handed him the head of the bird.
The king stood and held the bird’s head high for the crowd to witness. It was a gross demonstration that made Gaia squeamish, but she figured that as a Cenobyte who had done her share of killing in the last few weeks, she shouldn’t be so sensitive.
As Kieron stood there however, she noticed a shift in the tension in the room. She closed her eyes for a second and felt around her. The Abyssinians who had come into the palace and had been waiting were now moving. They were closing in and surrounding the banquet hall.