Joshy sprang unbidden to the fore of Cole’s mind, carrying his stupid pin-striped fedora. Cole could see his little arms reaching, offering the hat to Arcturus in aid, as if he were about to make everything all right. The Speaker’s eyes found Cole’s, and in that gaze Cole poured his Passion into the broken man, letting him know that everything was indeed going to be all right.
Cole shivered and dropped his eyes to the floor. Why would Joshy appear to him now? What worried Cole on a deeper level was his sudden interest in the arts of Fear. Shelving his confusion, Cole resigned himself to delve at a later time into what had just occurred in his mind. He was eager to see what other parts he might recognize in the quiet of his center.
Roth grunted, his teeth half-bared in a savage grin. “Decreath has taken a Harbinger. I saw it myself. It’s Kreed, the oily bastard-child of turncoat Elites. It won’t be long until Grotton and Sorronis find their own Harbingers, and you’ll be here begging us to pull your asses out of the Hatefire once more.” Roth spat on the floor, limping back to his seat.
Arcturus shuffled back to where his desk used to be and righted his chair, taking a seat while cradling his broken arm. He appeared more composed, though certainly diminished. His eyes met Cole’s once more, but only for a blink before the Council spoke through him once again.
“We have no tangible evidence that The Three have taken footholds or Harbingers. As you are all accused of heinous crimes, your testimony is inadmissible. Furthermore, since the barrier fell, Kreed has only shown the Dark Side complete cooperation and confidence. Even after The Sill’s assault on Costas, Kreed continues to extend the hand of friendship. Kreed is no enemy of this Council.”
Cole’s mouth popped open. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Were they talking about the same Kreed? The same psychopath that burned souls by the thousands and kept Corpulants as pets? They really had no idea what was going on in the rest of their world.
“They don’t believe us!” Cole’s Rage thrummed into Eliza. “Everything we went through in Costas, everything we saw. Storn’s dead! They don’t believe a word of it!”
“And your Rage won’t change that.” Eliza pushed back, dousing his Rage with cooling Passion. “The Celestial Council is governed by logic and facts. We will have to win them over through their means.”
Roth slumped into his chair, his face wincing more loudly than his voice would allow. Alvani immediately set her pinkish glow upon his wounds, stilling their flow.
“If Rothael Bonebreaker has concluded his defense, then may the final representative make his case now,” Arcturus said with the Council’s words.
Chiron waited for Alvani’s nod of approval before standing and facing the Council. “Please, let down your guard and resume whatever spells you wish. You now have full use of your Wisdom.”
Cole noticed Alvani relax somewhat, pulling Roth into her shoulders as she nuzzled into his bladed hair. There was a collective sigh of relief amongst the Council as emerald hands glowed and clouds shimmered. Speaker Arcturus made a few quick swipes of his hands, resuming his own protective spells.
Chiron waited for the chiming magic to cease, then said, “I apologize if our display frightened you, but it was necessary to gain your collective attentions. You all represent the wisest of our kind, yet as you plainly see, we few of the Unbound have disarmed you as easily as a parent would a child. But alas, as we have been your better, just one of The Three would make short work of everyone in this chamber.” Chiron paused, as a tide of indignant muttering rose around him. “As you are all Masters of Wisdom I will make my case as practical and concise as I can. Decreath, Grotton, and Sorronis are still the masters of our ruin. At least one of them has taken a Harbinger and the others will quickly follow. Join us in our efforts to cull the swarms before they take flight, or, simply stay out of our way. You have our response to your charges. Do with it what you will.”
Whispers wafted about the chamber. Cole’s Rage-sharpened ears picked up most of it, but none of it seemed overly alarming. After a moment the chamber grew quiet and somber. Arcturus stiffened in his chair, blank-faced and distant-eyed as the Council once more took control of his tongue.
“We recognize your defense and find it to be inadequate. The charges still stand. Oberon’s Nations will not join you in your engagement against The Three. The criteria for war has yet to be met and there is no evidence to support your claims. Not even your memories would be admissible, as Wisdom Walker Chiron has the ability to alter the recollections of the accused. We find your actions unjust, and warranting punishment. While we recognize that the Celestial Council lacks the means to enforce the punitive actions our laws require, we do hope you will be amenable to a compromise.” The Speaker fell silent, inclining his head.
Roth’s pained laughter rumbled throughout the chamber.
“State your terms,” Chiron said, hushing Roth with a raised hand.
“The Celestial Council cannot be unresponsive to your crimes. Such passiveness would diminish our integrity and undermine our authority among the citizens of the Dark Side. Nor can we enforce the penalty of death or imprisonment, as your likely resistance would result in our deaths. Our proposal is thus: The temple shall be your prison and you will remain confined here indefinitely. The remaining citizens of The Sill will not be punished so long as they do not follow in your wake. Should you decide to leave the Temple, all of The Sill shall be expelled from the nations of the Dark Side. The Sill will be excluded from all trade, travel, and communications. Also, the Human will be transferred into Council custody after his trial. Do you accept our terms?”
A chilly flicker of panic lapped at Cole’s insides. They hadn’t forgotten about him. With some effort, he distanced himself from the emotion, though it did not dissolve entirely.
Chiron’s face darkened almost imperceptibly. “Your compromise is reasonable enough, though I will sorely miss watching the sunrises from atop the temple. The sight is truly breathtaking.”
“Are you implying that you will not stay within the temple?” Arcturus asked.
“Oh heavens no,” Chiron replied. “There is too much to be done, and I shudder to think of what nightmares The Three will bring to your borders if we dawdle here too long. No, I intend on leaving after the human’s trial, with the human. I will make it quite plain however, that should you set yourselves against us, or see fit to align yourself with The Three, our actions in Costas will be the least of your concerns.”
Arcturus blinked in acknowledgment. “We assume that your compatriots are of the same mind?”
“Of course,” Alvani replied, giving Cole a warm smile.
Roth sat up higher in his chair. “I’ll stick around for the next trial at least. Someone needs to make sure you bureaucrats don’t rake our only human over the coals.”
“Very well,” Arcturus said. “We will remind you that you hold no authority over the human. The Sill has no jurisdiction in regards to undocumented Travelers.”
Roth chuckled. “And we’ll remind you that you can’t stop us.”
Arcturus paused for a moment, but otherwise ignored the not-so subtle threats. “Your position brings us grave disappointment. We hope you will reconsider, but we must accept your stance. This will conclude your trial. Do you have anything else to add?”
“Only a request to know when the human will be tried,” Chiron said. “I must insist that it be sooner rather than later.”
“The human’s trial will take place tomorrow at the start of the day. You did bring the human with you?” Arcturus asked.
“Certainly.” Chiron extended an arm behind him. “He’s right here, and his name is Cole.”
Arcturus’s face fell into open shock as excited talk broke out among the Council. Cole stared at the floor as he attempted to scratch off something that had dried to his armor. He could feel each one of their eyes on him.
“You’re joking!” cried a Council member on the far end of the room. “He’s no human, look at the size of h
im. What trickery have you brought before us?”
Cole turned slowly. The man leaned over his crescent table, stretching his neck to get a better look at him. He looked older than most of the Council, but his eyes were calculating and his features were keen and pointed like a fox. Cole kept his mouth firmly clamped, unsure if he should speak or not.
Chiron smiled, walking over to the man and placing a hand on his shoulder. “Cole, meet Wisdom Walker Larkin. He is Terra’s representative for the Celestial Council.”
“Um…Hello…Sir,” Cole said with a weak smile.
Larkin jumped, as if Cole had just slapped him. “Come now, Chiron. You know as well as I do that that is no human. I don’t need to be Terra’s Walker to see it. He’d be a freak among freaks to his own people.”
Chiron gave Larkin a gentle pat on the shoulder. “I’m glad to see your eyesight remains undiminished by the passing cycles, but I’m afraid the evidence is against you on this. Ka Reine herself confirmed the boy’s species. You can check for yourself, if young Cole permits it that is.”
Larkin scowled, waving his hand dismissively. “Bah! You know how the Council operates. We haven’t the time for the paperwork required. Perhaps I’ll come find the boy after-hours. I will however be reaching out to Ka Reine before the day is out. I wouldn’t doubt if her mind’s been permanently clouded by all those plants she smokes.”
“You may be right,” Chiron said, turning back towards Arcturus, whose impatient frown indicated he now spoke for himself. “By your leave, Arcturus.”
“Begone, all of you,” Arcturus spat as he began preening the blood from his robes with steaming emerald pulses from his fingertips. “And make sure your little troupe makes less noise than they did last night.”
Following the others, Cole left the room through a tall liquid-stone door. Cole shuffled his way closer to Lileth, trying to catch her eye, but she sped off and took a place at the head of their queue. His head throbbed, but his heart hurt worse.
Cole lost all sense of direction as they twisted and wound their way into the temple’s core. Chiron led them to a lift that took them deeper still. After what felt like half an hour the lift shuddered to a halt, opening to a copse of thick, towering trees. There were winding ramps that walked up the trunks and gleaming gratia stones embedded in the bark. Above them the ceiling opened to a blanket of inky black sky pocked with stars. The place looked oddly familiar.
“Either I’m losing it or we’re back in The Sill,” Sitra remarked, punching a nearby tree with a hollow thunk.
Chiron pointed to the sky as a pack of sun-lily leaves rippled above. “I thought these accommodations would be most comfortable for you all.”
Eliza’s face was full of wonderment. “It’s perfect, Master Chiron. Oh-” A soul fly fell out of a tree, halting before Eliza’s face and shrinking into a violet orb the size of a deka seed. The soul fly inched forward, zapping her on the nose before darting off into a flowering bush. Eliza blushed. “This can’t be The Sill, can it?”
“This place is called the Everglen, and it’s as close to The Sill as one can find here in Oberon Temple. The Unbound created the Everglen before the banishing. It was a comfy place to rest our heads in-between Traveling. The Everglen should have everything you need if you look hard enough. I hope it will be much harder for you to offend the citizens of Oberon City in here.”
“Not all of us were so bawdy, Master Chiron,” Eliza said, throwing an accusatory glare at Sitra. “Some of us were perfectly content to enjoy a quiet night of relaxing discretion.”
Sitra crossed her arms but didn’t seem to have the energy to respond. Judging by the bags under her eyes and the sour misery painted on her face, Cole wasn’t the only one nursing a hangover.
Valen cleared his throat. “Masters, what exactly is our intent? Will we defy the Council and leave? Surely there will be repercussions.”
“We will leave after Cole’s trial, and yes, the Council will be a salty thorn in our side until the end of our days,” Alvani said, massaging Roth’s arm. “They are cunning, and if their logic dictates that they act against us then my heart will weep for them. Their combined Wisdom makes them immensely powerful, but to us they will be a mere thorn as I said. I see worry in your eyes, young Valen. Give voice to it.”
Valen looked up. “I am not eager to defy the Celestial Council.”
“Neither am I,” Sitra croaked. “It feels wrong.”
“I would rather not outright disobey the council,” Lileth said, her voice quiet. “There must be another way.”
Eliza swept closer. “Since we’re all in such a sharing mood, I too have no desire to break the law. Nor do I wish to wait in a prison while The Three creep ever closer. I’m with Lileth. There has to be another path for us to take.”
All eyes fell on Cole. He stood as tall as he could. He tried his best to speak from his center. “I’m not going to jail. They weren’t at Costas. They didn’t see… They didn’t have to watch…” Cole twitched involuntarily as Lexy’s burning, deathless corpse flailed before his mind’s eyes. He forced himself back into the Everglen. “The Three have to be stopped. I’d leave right now if I knew where to go. Or what to do.”
For a moment no one spoke save for the symphonies of insects and birds around them. Chiron broke the silence. “There will come a time in each of your lives when you will lead, and be led by those whom you disagree with. Though Roth, Alvani, and I are much older and much wiser than each of you, I still expect you to question us and defend your own morals. As clever as we think we are, we are still vulnerable to bias. If your morals bring you down a different path than our own, then we must accept your choice and make do without you. We won’t stop you.”
Sitra let out a raspy chuckle. “But you’ll twist us inside out if we decide to go join the Council’s peace-parade against you. We’re not stupid, Master. You know we won’t oppose you, we just don’t want to break the law.”
“As I said, I expect you to abide by your own sense of right and wrong,” Chiron replied. “From the day a person is born they rely upon their senses and memories to build their own reality around them. No two people sense the world in exactly the same manner, just as no two people share the precise sequence of experiences. Thus, no two people live the exact same reality. People are flawed, and people make laws. I would be ashamed to think any of you would follow someone blindly, whether it be the written laws of the Celestial Council or my own advice. I told each of you the day you joined that you may come and go as you wish. The other elders and I will depart tomorrow after Cole’s trial. You may join us or seek your fortunes elsewhere. If you choose to count yourselves separate of The Sill, then may we depart in the highest esteem. Personally speaking, I think you all heroes for your service and sacrifice in Costas, and I wouldn’t dare ask any more from you.”
Roth made to speak, but doubled over in a hacking cough, spraying dark blood over the shiny grass at his feet. He wiped his mouth. “Personally, I think you’re a bunch of petal-hides who need a good kick in the ass. I go to fight. Join me or not, just don’t let me catch you hesitating when it comes time to choose.”
“The only place you’re going is to bed, Rothael,” Alvani said, tucking her shoulders under his arm. Roth was too weak to resist. “You’re at the door to death’s house and you know it. I need to work on you. Chiron, we won’t be joining you tomorrow. Not right away at least.”
Roth let out a weak laugh. “I suppose you’re right. It would be much harder to kill The Three if I’m floating in the aethers. Not to mention my death would likely break the spirits of our whelps here. Let’s go, Alvi.” He nudged his feet along towards the lift, leaning heavily on Alvani.
“I think I’ll come along as well,” Chiron said, sweeping along and grabbing Roth’s other arm. “That is Colossus nest-venom bleeding from you. It will take the two of us and half the stock at the temple’s apothecary to keep you from dying.” He turned back towards the unit. “We will return in the morning. Keep y
our minds open. More importantly, keep your noses out of mischief.”
“Wait! Master Roth!” Sitra cried, clutching her hands. Her eyes were eager and shining. “What of the Alpha Colossus? Did you take it down?”
Roth turned his head, only one black eye and the corner of his grinning mouth visible. “You know it.”
The door to the lift closed behind the elders, leaving a seamless boulder in its place. For a moment the unit stood in silence as they listened to the familiar chorus of forest life. Sitra wandered off, sniffling. Cole turned towards the others. With a pang of heartache he saw Lileth was already gone.
Chapter 15
Grotton’s Promise
“I won’t,” Habbad said in a quiet voice.
Kreed flinched as if dodging a fly. “That’s so odd, perhaps I’ve had too much to drink. For a teensy moment, it sounded as if you had just defied me. Please Habbad, say it again, won’t you?”
Habbad waited a full minute before repeating the words. “I won’t.”
“Oh?” Kreed shifted on the pillow, his pale, hairless thigh slipping from his satin gown. “That’s…what I thought you said.” He rose to his feet, making Habbad feel like a frightened rodent beneath the giant Aenerian. Kreed took a step, tripping on the tassels of another pillow. He regained his balance as he stepped in front of the window, gripping the rusted metal bars with his lotioned hands.
Habbad stared at the pillow below him, feeling the weight of his actions crashing down. What had he done?
Kreed ran his fingers through his hair, muttering to himself as his gown swayed about his legs. “No no no, don’t. Such a sweet boy. He’s not ready. Ready? Yes…get ready for it. Get ready for all of it. No no no! Is he though?” A dark silence fell over the room.
A squeaky giggle hissed from Kreed’s lips.
Father Kreed took a deep breath, turning and walking back to Habbad with the loping grace of a drunken lion. Kreed bent low, scooping up Habbad and the pillow he was perched upon. They were now eye to eye. Habbad choked, swallowing the vomit that crawled up his throat.
Saving The Dark Side Book 2: The Harbingers Page 30