“He was with the Unbound,” Cole responded, confused as to why she was staring at him like that. “Ka Reine told us his story in the Arts District. He won the war or something.”
Alvani’s eyes were still locked on him. “Varka was the leader of the Unbound and the founder of our entire way of life. The Unbound embraced Rage, Wisdom, and Passion, bringing the full might of our magic against The Three. I remember the battle well. Oberon’s forces had all but perished before the Unbound arrived. Even though their numbers were small, their might was equal to the swarms of The Three. Sadly, nearly all of them died in battle when Varka failed to return from the Chamber of Wisdom. Roth and Chiron are the only two survivors of the Unbound. If not for their efforts Aeneria would be a very different place.”
A heavy silence fell among the group, broken eventually by Eliza: “Master Alvani, have you heard from Master Roth at all?”
“No, child,” Alvani replied. “I’ve not heard from him since he left you in the White Sands. His mind has been closed to me ever since.”
The silence returned. Eliza approached Alvani, placing her hands on her shoulders. “Alvani, I am so sorry, but I believe Roth met his end in battle. He shackled us with Wisdom while he took flight and locked munisica with an Alpha Colossus. That was when his mind was lost to you. Roth is dead.”
Alvani’s chin drooped to her chest, her breathing slow and steady. She brought her head up a moment later wearing a defiant smile that did not reach her eyes. “You may be right, but Roth and I are bonded with a Passion. If Roth died I would die as well, or have a scar like Chiron. I cannot communicate with him, but I can feel him within my soul. Roth is alive.”
“You’re joking!” Sitra barked, jumping up and down. “Now I can kill him for running off without us!”
“If he is not dead, then he must still be fighting the Colossus,” Valen said. “Or fleeing with what’s left of Morthain. Either way, the Council must be made aware of what has transpired. It won’t be long before the putrid arms of The Three reach their borders. That Colossus was beyond the Rage of Morthain, and as formidable as he is I don’t see how Master Roth could defeat such a foe. It may very well be on its way to Oberon City as we speak.”
“The Celestial Council has been made aware, and their position is as reactive as ever,” Alvani sighed.
“You mean they’re just going to sit and wait for The Three to come to them?” Cole blurted. “It’s as if they actually want to repeat the past. What if The Sill decides not to bail them out this time?”
“We have considered that path,” Alvani said. “When Roth returns we shall deliberate what role The Sill shall play in this coming of the war.”
“The more I hear about this Council, the less I like them.” Cole scowled, clenching his munisica. “I won’t be taking anything lying down, that’s for sure.”
Alvani flashed Cole a slightly disappointed look. Scolding himself, Cole rushed back to his center and with some difficulty, released his rising fury. How could he forget so quickly?
“You won’t be alone,” Eliza said, her voice soft and reassuring. “We will all be with you.”
“Eliza is right,” Alvani said. “The entirety of The Sill is being called into question, so we will all attend the trial. Though we do not identify with any of the Council’s laws, we will acquiesce in the name of diplomacy. The Celestial Council has ever been a powerful ally. To lose their hand would only weaken ours.”
Sitra crossed her arms. “And what if we don’t like what they decide is best for us?”
“We will manage as we always have.” Alvani gave Sitra a sideways grin. “Though I hope Roth returns before then. I rather like his ways of compromising.”
“He’s probably compromising the hell out of that Colossus right now.” Sitra laughed, grinding her munisica together. “He’d better hurry back. I still need to kill him.”
The unit murmured their agreement, though Lileth remained silent. She addressed them all with a pained, worried look.
“This is all very uplifting, but how can we be sure about Master Roth?” Lileth asked Alvani with a brittle voice. “I don’t question your mastery of Passion, but I do know it is an imprecise art. I saw the monster he faced with my own eyes. The thing was beyond munisica and magic. It was a true Alpha Colossus.”
“You are quite right, Lileth,” Alvani said, placing her hand over her heart. Her brow and shoulders sagged, giving her the appearance of a wilted flower. Gale let out a mournful keen behind her. “I must trust in my and Roth’s hearts. We are only bonded as long as we both love each other with every facet of our souls. If he was enthralled by his bloodlust, he may very well have died without me in his heart, and I would never know.”
“I… I didn’t know that,” Lileth blinked. “Forgive me Master, my ignorance of Passion has made me a fool. You should not have to explain yourself to a student, especially not with such a private matter.”
Alvani closed the gap between her and Lileth in a fluid motion. She cupped her hands over Lileth’s cheeks. “You are no student, and you are no fool. Thank you for your concern. I believe Roth to be alive because my heart still burns for him, as I trust that his still burns for me.” She then turned and addressed the others. “Now I must leave you, and you must make for the city. Follow the center road all the way in. Despite the stereotypes about Wisdom-followers, there is a variety of entertainment to be had throughout the city. You’ll find theaters, shops, inns, museums, and clubs of all kinds. If you hurry you may find a few places still open. Oberon City has no shortage of establishments devoted to indulging your vices. Chiron has asked me to ensure that you all steer clear of these places, lest we risk our already delicate relationship with the Council.”
Alvani’s robes swished as she spun and leapt up into Gale’s saddle. “You may consider yourselves thoroughly warned. On an unrelated note, I will be busy tonight, and won’t have time to check up on you. Just make sure you find yourselves on the shore closest to Oberon Temple by late morning.”
With a grunting chirp, Gale buffeted them all with his wings before launching into the air. Like a shooting star they flew to the peaks, where Gale banked and disappeared into the pass.
“Where do you think she’s going?” Cole asked.
“To find Roth of course,” Eliza replied, gazing up into the pass with a dreamy smile. “I do hope she finds him before the trial. As clever as she and Chiron are, I would feel much better facing the Council with Roth at our side.”
“Let’s go find us a drink!” Sitra grinned wolfishly. “I know I’ll feel much better facing the council after indulging in a few of those vices Alvani talked about.”
“You are as stubborn as you are reckless,” Valen said, shaking his head as he turned and ran down the center road.
The five warriors raced down the paved road, which was soon swallowed up by towering trees and ferns. Oberon poured through gaps in the canopy with rainbow shafts of light from above. Cole felt alive and excited for the first time since leaving The Sill. The prospects of a night of indulgence swam through his mind, painting scenes of him alone with Lileth. Perhaps tonight he would tell her how he felt about her. Then again, maybe he wouldn’t. It wasn’t right, it wasn’t time. He was still tiny compared to her, not to mention he wasn’t the same species. If she rebuffed him then they’d still have to live and work together. Things would be different. With an effort, he released the emotions and brought himself back to his center.
As Cole poured the water over his molten ingot, he was dimly aware of Goran standing on a cliff overlooking the city. Pausing in his meditations, he strummed at their link with his compassion. Cole’s reaching thoughts had no effect on Goran. The mirak gave a gruff snort and retreated back up the mountains.
Cole strummed another message through the link: “I don’t know what’s up with you, and I won’t dig the answer out, but I’m here. I’ll always be here.”
Goran paused, giving Cole’s mind a rough nudge.
As the
unit ran to the city they passed a few locals, each Aenerian greeting them with an offended glare and an upturned nose. Cole laughed to himself, wondering if they were violating some sort of speed limit on the road.
Valen slowed their pace. Even with Rage sharpening their reflexes there were too many close shaves with the growing foot traffic and expensive cars filling the road. The people all looked as if they had just come from a formal dinner, their fine jackets and suits in stark contrast to the rusty cloth armor that the unit wore. The locals had all the warmth and hospitality of ornery librarians. Not a single person said a word or made eye contact, even when Cole almost knocked a frail man over with a clumsy bump of his shoulder. It was unsettling, being surrounded by such a large, silent crowd.
The throngs dwindled enough to reveal a waving veil of light that looked eerily like the barrier Cole had torn down months ago. The wild growth along the side of the road had been tamed and trimmed, giving over to subtle technology and hints of magic. Woven brass machines buzzed overhead, carrying dozens of tiny gratia stones and propelled by little jet engines emitting green light. Planted alongside the road were trees that spun rapidly on rotating podiums. Their branches were adorned with specks of light that formed images as they twirled.
One of the rotating trees spun to life as they passed, showing the face of a dark-skinned Aenerian whose neck was layered with lavish amulets and necklaces. The tree hummed and a regal voice rang out from the branches. “Do not believe the lies carried from primitive lands. Our neighboring barbarians hunger for battle and thrive in strife, but we will not oblige them. Oberon City is safe, and so are your families. The Celestial Council will guard you on our path of peace and progress. May Oberon’s light shine on your souls.”
“Hungry barbarians are we?” Sitra spat, jamming her munisica into the twirling branches, halting the tree. “Let’s see how hungry they are for our help when they have Domina and Corpulants climbing over their walls.”
“It’s just propaganda, Sitra,” Eliza said, sidestepping a weedy man who sneered at their clothes. “Fear is the counter to their cold logic and stiff Wisdom. I don’t blame them for trying to keep order, though I do wonder how long the Council will keep them in the dark.”
“They’re doing their citizens a disservice,” Valen said in a harsh tone, looking down his nose at the passing crowds. “Sitra’s right. A single Corpulant would wreak unchecked havoc in a city of this size, leaving fields of panicked Despair that a priest of Sorronis could harvest freely. They are woefully vulnerable.”
A passing woman glared at Valen, storming off and shaking her head.
The unit pushed on, approaching an arch in the shimmering wall. Just before they passed through, a glass orb wrapped in wire dropped in front of them. The orb displayed a face inside and swung about on a mechanical arm. Cole’s eyes followed the arm up, which connected to a robotic thorax and long legs that spread over the entire archway.
“Advance to be recognized,” said a bossy voice from within the glass orb.
Valen stepped forward. “I am Valen, from The Sill. Behind me is-”
The face in the orb cut him off. “Enter the city. Next visitor, advance to be recognized.”
Valen blinked and moved forward.
“I am Lileth of The Sill.” Lileth stepped around the orb before the machine could interrupt her too.
The others checked in and moved through the archway. When it was Cole’s turn the machine emitted an alarming tone and flashed red.
Confused, Cole addressed the face within the orb, “Um, I’m Cole…of The Sill. Is there a problem?”
“You are unregistered. Stand by for detainment and verification.” The machine’s voice sounded rushed and urgent.
“You’re not detaining me!” Cole blurted. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I’m here on official orders from The Sill, just like the others. Alv-” A hand cupped over Cole’s mouth and waist as he was jerked away from the machine.
“Say no more,” Lileth whispered into his ear.
There was a flash of light as Cole felt a chilled tingling cover his skin from the head down. He looked down to see his body disappear. In front of him, Cole saw an image of himself facing the machine, talking to it with his voice.
“I apologize,” said the mirror-Cole. “I will wait here.”
The face within the wire-wrapped globe looked about, suspicious. With Lileth’s hand planted firmly in the middle of his back, he followed the rest of the unit through the archway and into the city.
They wove through the crowds, meandering down a less busy street where the judgmental glances of passersby were all the more obvious. After receiving directions from a pompous group of adolescent boys, the unit made their way to a bus stop from which they would be taken to a commercial district that sold clothes ‘more fitting for civilized culture.’ Pushing Sitra along before she could start a fight, Valen thanked the boys and made for the bus. None of them wanted to appear before the Council wearing their battle-stained Morthainian armor.
A flying, driverless bus carried them to the markets. The exterior looked like a golden bullet and the interior seemed like it was modeled from a luxury hotel. Unlike the loud, clunky Morthainian vehicles, this bus hardly made any noise at all and the ride was smooth, despite whipping by tall buildings at dizzying speeds. The bus glided to a stop in the center of four pyramid buildings whose walls looked to be made from obsidian polished to a mirror finish. The unit hopped out, admiring the statues and fountains towering about the square. The Sill had its own natural beauty to it, but this place spared no expense with the detail in its architecture. The four pyramids had multiple levels and walkways that framed their exteriors. Delicate bridges of brass vines connected each of the buildings, and there was a soft overtone of dinner music permeating the air. Everywhere they looked there were fine embellishments in the stonework, or mesmerizing kinetic sculptures dancing on jeweled altars.
In the midst of enticing aromas, a sour stench of soiled rags hit Cole’s nose. Sniffing around, he felt a breeze coming from a waterfall. Eliza halted in front of it, her dirty armor standing out like a rotten mushroom in a garden.
Eliza gave him an amused look. “Is something the matter?”
Cole pinched his nose. “You are the worst thing I’ve smelled since the Colossus.”
“Hark who’s talking. You were actually inside of one. Why do you think I’m standing all the way over here?” she said, taking another step farther.
Cole lifted an arm and sniffed. His eyes stung and his vision blurred.
“Let’s go freshen up, shall we?” Eliza said, admiring the shops scattered throughout the square.
They left the courtyard and found a store with real people modeling clothes in the windows. Having never chosen his own outfits on Aeneria, Cole played it safe and picked out a suit similar to one that Valen chose. When it came time to pay, they discovered that currency in Oberon City was nothing like that at The Sill. After they were scolded by the woman behind the counter, she directed them to a machine called a dispensary, which luckily was not far from the shop. Placing their selections on racks, they left the shop and found the machine.
“I think I get it; we have something like this back on Terra,” Cole said, stepping forward. The machine had an uncanny resemblance to an ATM, except instead of swiping a card, there were three gratia stones mounted at eye level. Cole palmed the green one on the left. “Wisdom stones take memories, right?”
“That is correct, but do be careful,” Lileth warned. “The memory will be lost to you forever.”
“No problem.” Cole shut his eyes and attuned his thoughts to the stone. “Goodbye California Gold Rush,” he said, dumping an entire history lesson into the stone.
The Wisdom stone blinked twice in acknowledgement. There was a sharp click as a single coin dropped into the basin at the bottom of the machine.
“Is that it?” Cole asked, hefting the light stone. “This won’t buy me a pair of socks in that shop.”
“Was your memory detailed enough?” Valen asked, leaning closer to get a better look at the coin. “Wisdom stones usually have a higher yield when copious amounts of detail are applied to the memory.”
“Well it took me weeks to come up with the guts for that memory, so I think it was.” Cole scratched his head. “Ah, of course I can’t remember a damned thing from it now.”
“Let me try,” Eliza said, tilting her head in a curious sort of way.
Eliza hovered her hand over the jade Wisdom stone, but then changed her mind and clapped her palm over the cardinal red Rage stone. She closed her eyes, baring her teeth and munisica. The Rage stone blinked, ringing loudly before a shower of coins poured down, overflowing the basin.
Eliza stepped back, giving the machine a speculative look. “Perhaps in a city full of Wisdom followers, the gratia economy here is saturated with Wisdom. Rage and Passion may be more fruitful for us. Oh dear…” she said, picking up one of the coins.
“What is it?” Valen asked, examining one himself.
Eliza’s eyebrows met as she scowled. “These are made from baileen bones. Ribs, I believe. I hope the creatures were dead before these were harvested. It surprises me that such an advanced city would use such a crude form of currency.” She took another step back, shaking her head.
“Well if you’re not going to take them, I suppose I could bear that burden for you,” Sitra said, twirling a spell in her hand as the pile of coins shot up into her open bag. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to kiss the next baileen I see. Let’s go find some clothes that don’t smell like shit and blood. I’m still going out tonight.”
Following Eliza’s lead, they used the Rage and Passion stones instead, filling their bags to the brim. After paying the Rage stone Cole filled his bag to the bursting point, though he then felt weak and vulnerable. Hopefully he wouldn’t need to call upon his Rage any time soon.
Chapter 13
A Whisper of a Hope
Saving The Dark Side Book 2: The Harbingers Page 25