Of Heroes And Villains (Book 4)

by Julius St. Clair

  “Be careful, Your Highness,” Hakin said. “Your true colors are starting to show.”

  “We just want what’s best for everyone,” Catherine said, her face softening. “And that means handing over the stones for safe keeping.”

  “What do you plan on doing with them? Destroying them?”

  Catherine didn’t respond. She just stared back at him. When no answer came forward, James leaned over and looked at her. She bit her lip as Hakin nodded in understanding.

  “Ah, I see,” he said. “That’s what I thought.”

  “What is it, Katie?” James asked her, but she kept her stone gaze on Hakin.

  “She’s realizing the error of her ways,” Hakin interrupted for all in the room. “She was young and idealistic, even more so then than she is now. She realizes now that destroying the stones of legend were the equivalent of annihilating entire groups of people. Without them, the Quietus, Allayans, Prattlians, Langorans…they all lose their abilities somewhere down the line, and they just become ordinary. That’s all fine and good, provided that there’s no other stones out there. No other groups of people. Now that she sees that there are other stones, that means there could be other groups of people somewhere. People that could easily come and destroy you all in the future with little resistance.”

  “Is that true?” James asked her, but all he could see was a sole tear falling from her eye. She swallowed hard and fought back the wave of emotions flooding over her.

  “Will you hand over the stones?” she asked through a cracked voice. Hakin leaned forward.

  “No,” he said through a clenched jaw. “Never.”

  “Seize him,” Catherine broke down, covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. Zhou was behind Hakin in a second, placing an ordinary sword to the Quietus’ throat.

  “Ah, peace,” Hakin spat at her. James nodded to Zhou, and Zhou wrapped an arm around Hakin’s throat. He lifted him from the chair and kicked the seat aside. With Hakin away from the table, Zhou kicked in Hakin’s legs and began dragging him back toward the secret entrance.

  “Put him in a cell,” Catherine managed to say, her hand still over her mouth. “One without a secret exit please.” Zhou ushered Hakin out the door and kicked it shut behind him.

  “Katie,” James said, standing up to wrap his arms around her. “What are we doing here?”

  “We have to have those stones, James,” she said, closing her eyes. “He’s right. I did doom us all. Destroying them was a childish notion.”

  “This complicates things,” Talia said, shaking her head. “Even if we retrieve them, what then? What if Languor or Prattle still wants the new set destroyed? Or what if they want them divided between the Kingdoms? Who gets the extra stone? And do we really want to go down this route in the first place?”

  “It’s going back to where we came,” James sighed. “One reason the peace works is because we all rely on each other. If everyone has a stone again, everyone will go their separate ways. It could lead to further conflict down the road, especially if anyone decides they want more.”

  “We can’t keep this secret either,” Catherine said, wiping her nose on the sleeve of her dress. “Otherwise, the peace is broken from the start.”

  “What do we do with Hakin and the other Quietus?” James asked. “He did nothing wrong.”

  “We keep him locked up for now,” Catherine sighed. “And his people too. We can’t walk out of this meeting without him. They will know something is wrong and that will stir up trouble. We’ll have to keep them in cells and hidden from the public until we at least retrieve the stones. We have to confirm he’s telling the truth about all of this.”

  “The stones would still be in the old Prattle if anywhere,” Talia said. “We can search there. It will have to be a covert operation though. Maker forbid any of the Orders catch wind of what we just learned.”

  “They will demand the stones be distributed,” Catherine said, staring off into space. “And the people will be behind them. There will be no way we can work out a plan with the other Kings then. They’ll think we’ve been hiding this, and we can’t let that happen. All it will take is a seed of doubt for this to all spiral out of control. We’ll have to get the stones quickly. James, I want you to go since you’re the strongest. Take a few other Sages from the Academy with you as well. Ones that the three of you can trust. Make them Master Sages.”

  “But Catherine, it’s the first day. No one is ready to become a Master Sage.”

  “Find some that can be. We need Sages ready for deploy now. We didn’t get any luxuries five years ago, and we were a lot less experienced than they are now. You’ll need a group.”

  “I could go alone.”

  “No, it’s too dangerous,” Catherine said, turning to look in his eyes. “They could have the stones guarded, or those rogue Sages may return.”

  “Where did those stones come from anyway? And the fact that those Sages were scared off by the stones disturbs me,” Talia said. “What are the odds that there are other misplaced Allayans out there from the Stone Era?”

  “Hmph,” James scoffed. “About the odds of finding displaced Quietus. Ones that have been living in their enemies’ old home for five years.”

  “Whomever these Sages are,” Catherine interjected. “You need backup.”

  “Fine,” James said, crossing his arms. “We’ll choose a few.”

  “And you’ll have to make it quick. Promote them while you’re already on your way if need be. We need those stones tonight.”

  “And what then?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’ll have to think some more. But don’t worry, Hakin and his people will be given asylum, and they will be taken care of. The only way that wouldn’t happen is if this has all been a lie from the beginning. The truth will present itself.”

  “Am I going?” Talia asked, and Catherine shook her head. “You and Zhou need to stay here in case something happens. Besides, my parents can’t watch the school forever. Zhou, you should go back to the Academy and keep watch. Talia, you’ll be by my side. We’ll call for the Kings to meet. I think we should have a sit down whether we have the stones or not, just to be open and honest.”

  “I’ll be quick,” James said. Catherine jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “I know you’re tired,” she whispered in his ear. “But I need you to take care of this. You’re the only one that I can trust 100% to get the job done.”

  “I’ve never let you down,” he said, hugging her tight. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “I’ll keep her safe,” Talia said, nodding toward him. “With my life.”

  “I know,” James whispered into Catherine’s hair. He backed away from the Queen, caressed her face, and then gave her a hard kiss. They both prayed that it wouldn’t be their last.

  Chapter 16 – Promotions

  The students were all walking from the dorms to the dining hall when James appeared. Standing to the side of the passing line, he began pulling some out and having them stand to the side with him. Bastion, Kent and Daisy had been toward the rear, since their dorm room was in the back of the hall, and they watched curiously and silently as they got closer.

  After the fourth Sage student was pulled off to the side, Bastion began seeing the pattern emerge. These weren’t average students. They were top of the class in at least one area. Strength, speed, tactics, manifestation and manipulation—each one had a specialty.

  When they walked by, Bastion wasn’t surprised to feel a hand placed on his shoulder. He looked up at James with curiosity. Whatever was about to happen, did James really want him on the team? Considering what happened earlier?

  Kent and Daisy kept walking, maintaining straight faces. They didn’t know what the Master Sage wanted with Bastion, but they were more than aware of the power their friend possessed. They knew it was only a matter of time before he was taken aside and groomed for greatness. They just didn’t think that it would be the first day.

/>   Once the line of students was gone, James turned to the seven of them.

  “Listen up. What I’m about to say is very important, and I need you to follow my instructions precisely. If you breach my trust, there will be grave repercussions. I’m serious. This concerns the future and safety of the Kingdom.”

  The students nodded and waited. James gave a heavy sigh.

  “From this point on, you will be considered Master Sages in training. The official title will be given to you when I deem fit. In the meantime, you are to present yourself as trustworthy and obedient. I don’t have time to explain all the details, but if you are ready to serve your Queen and Kingdom, then we can begin right away. Are there any questions so far?”

  One student raised her hand and James nodded toward her.

  “Yes, Stephanie?”

  “Does this mean the Kingdom is in trouble? Is there a new threat?”

  “There could be. We’re not sure yet. Quietus, as a matter of fact.” The students began murmuring. The Quietus were thought to be extinct, besides Master James’ half-heritage. “But,” James continued. “There is more to the story than I am telling you. I can brief you on the way to the ruins of Prattle. Bastion, you will have a different mission altogether. I’m going to have to speak to you privately. The rest of you, head back to your dorm rooms and prepare for a long journey.”

  They scurried off as Bastion waited patiently.

  “I’m not going,” he asked, and James shook his head slowly.

  “I’m sorry, but even though you may be the strongest among them, I can’t risk another episode of you losing control, especially if we’re to engage the enemy.”

  “Then why was I pulled out of line?”

  “I said I would be honest with you,” James said. “The truth is, the students know that you are probably the strongest among them. It would make no sense for me not to include you in this group.”

  “So I’m not even a Master Sage in training? I’m a fake?”

  “No. You are,” James winced. “But I’m going to have you focus more on what goes on behind the scenes first. You will be accompanying Arimus on a side mission, but you won’t be fighting. I know you want to, but understand that because you’re given this special task, you’ll be given far more information than the others. In a sense, we will be putting more faith in you than anyone else.”

  “Or keeping a close eye on me.”

  “That too,” James said with a nod. “I’m sorry. But this is how it must be done. It’s not like this arrangement is permanent. Show me in our sparring sessions that you can control what lies within you, and you’ll be giving more battle heavy missions.”

  “Will do,” Bastion replied with no emotion. “Can I go back to the dorm and prepare now?”

  “Yes. Meet Arimus in the center of the village when you’re ready. He’ll be waiting for you.”

  “Okay,” was all Bastion said. What else was there to say? All he knew was that for once, he wanted to be approached because he was actually needed.

  * * *

  “So you are the infamous Bastion,” Arimus chuckled, as he approached the young Sage. Bastion raised an eyebrow and stood in front of the man, waiting for him to say more. Arimus just crossed his arms over his grey wool cloak and glared at him. After waiting for a few seconds, Bastion just snickered and shook his head.

  “Okay, you win,” Bastion laughed.

  “Why were you so serious in the first place?” Arimus said, as his eyes smiled.

  “I thought this was a serious mission.”

  “It is, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun now and then. Don’t be averse to smiling when you can. There is enough in the world that will try to take it away. Besides, we don’t know what we’re up against yet. Did James fill you in on the details?”

  “Not really. I only know that Quietus are involved.”

  “Long story, short. A group of Quietus were found living in the ruins of Prattle. When we arrived though, we found out that they had already been approached by a pair of Sages, who wanted the Quietus group to join them in ‘taking back what was theirs.’ Very disconcerting.”

  “So we’re going to find out who those Sages were?”

  “That’s the plan. I don’t know how long they’ve been working in the shadows, or if we could even get some clues, but that’s our job.”

  “Who do we look into first?”

  “The Order of the Allayans. They have expressed discontent with the Queen before, and they are the obvious suspects in this matter. Even if the Order itself isn’t involved, someone within the organization could be acting on their own.”

  “What are the odds that it’s just a couple of villagers?”

  “We keep track of every Sage that is born within our walls. Not to the extent that we spy, but we are aware of your existence once you release your eidolon. Talia’s senses are very sharp.”

  “But you were only aware of me recently, because I was on the outskirts, and I kept my eidolon release hidden. There was the first time I brought it out, but even then, it was late at night and most people, including Sages, were asleep. After that, I just kept it hidden. Couldn’t this pair being doing the same?”

  “You’re right,” Arimus said, rubbing his fingers down his long grey beard. “What worries me most is that the perpetrators won’t reveal themselves until it is far too late.”

  “If that happens, what’s the plan? What is their plan anyways? What exactly is taking back what’s theirs?”

  “I don’t know. We assume it’s the Kingdom of Allay, but perhaps we’re looking in the wrong direction.”

  “Well, we better get to work either way.”

  “You’re not cross that James put you on investigative duty?”

  “I was at first,” Bastion said. “But if I want to be useful around here, I have to take what I can get. James told me that the fighting comes later, after I’ve proven myself. I assume he meant more than my strength.”

  “And how is James? As a teacher and mentor? You can be honest with me. I won’t express the details of our conversation with him. I understand the importance of confidentiality.”

  “He’s…okay,” Bastion said, shaking his head and chuckling. “He tries, but I don’t think that kind of thing comes naturally to him. Of course, who am I to say? I’m just a kid.”

  “It doesn’t matter. There is this perception that all those who have achieved greatness are better than us, when really we forget that they have simply been on their life’s journey longer than we. We forget that they are just as flawed, if not more, than the rest.”

  “True,” Bastion said, contemplating the words. “But he’s still my teacher. If he doesn’t know how to be a Sage, how do I get better?”

  “Even with an excellent teacher, you can’t grow without your own permission. You want to get better? You want to have more control? Then teach yourself how. Teachers are but a map. You’re the one that has to navigate it, and along the way…” Arimus winked at him. “You can find out for yourself if the teachers know what they’re talking about.”

  “I’ll do that,” Bastion smiled at him. Why couldn’t Arimus be his mentor?

  “Come with me,” Arimus said, lifting his head to scan the area. “We’ll be at the Order in no time.” The village center square was busy and noisy, but there were still eyes on the two Sages, and it was only increasing in number the longer they stood there. There was no way that Arimus couldn’t draw attention to himself, considering his history. “I’m afraid we’ve talked too long. If the Order truly is behind this, they will know we’re nearby. We may have given them time to develop a story.”

  “Then let’s hurry,” Bastion said, pumping energy into his legs. Arimus nodded and did the same. Then he took off, so quick that the only thing the villagers felt around them was the wind. Bastion took off right after him, slowing down just enough to dodge the people that stepped in his way. He didn’t want to hit them, especially since they weren’t Sages, and he
was eager to hear more of Arimus’ wisdom. He had already intrigued him in such a short amount of time. It was no wonder he was Catherine’s father. The two of them just had this electric appeal about them that drew in everyone around them.

  The Order of the Allayans was located in the northeast corner of the village, not quite on the outskirts, but close enough. The Order needed privacy to conduct their business, but not to be so far removed that they couldn’t interact with the villagers—their core support group. The villagers didn’t interact much with the royal court or the Order unless they had a problem, but there was no denying that the Order was gaining more inquires than the court in the last couple of years, especially once it was discovered that the Queen had married a half-Quietus. Hero or not, that deep and bitter distrust prevailed from the Siege of 88, even after it was discovered that the Quietus weren’t at fault.

  The Order temple was a humble yet impressive cathedral. With a large, grey painted, triangular roof and wooden panels making up the structure, painted in dark blue, it looked much more approachable than the Queen’s magnificent castle. The house was surrounded by tall trees and finely cut grass. Birds were chirping away in the air, and dandelions were in abundance along the sides, currently being kissed by bees. Nothing was formidable about the building, yet Arimus knew that there was much contention on the inside. To the unsuspecting and pure minded, it was all about the illusion. The Order may have made the structure look like home, but there was nothing but fractured relationships and displeased voices beyond the entrance.

  “The Order will not like that you are with me, but I will vouch for you.” Arimus’ walk toward the house was noticeably slower. Bastion matched the Sage’s stride.

  “This house isn’t that big. It looks like it could fit two families at most.”

  “Most of the rooms are underground. What you see on the surface is just for the villagers.”

  “Why the secrecy?”

  “Because they are under the impression that the villagers don’t need to know everything.”