The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

  She rested a hand on her tote, where the letter was tucked away safely, continuing to peer down at the sleeping man. The moment that she pulled her hand from his head, his eyes opened, and he tiredly looked up at her. “Sorry, was I here long?”

  “No, not really,” she replied, looking up at the sky. The moon was beginning to vanish, barely visible even under the clear conditions. Another moonless night would be approaching soon. “You need the sleep anyways. Why don’t we head back to Gale’s cottage?”

  “I want to read the note first. Rem doesn’t leave messages for me often. And if this is the last thing that’s he’s given me as a memento, then I have to take great care in his words.”

  Leilana scavenged through her bag before holding out the envelope to him. Solus brandished a small letter opener from his back pocket and cut down the middle of the seal, the envelope flipping open in the process, leaving the paperwork undamaged. The Vesarus family always was full of tricks. There were two sheets of paper, one a handwritten note, and another that Solus identified as a type-written decree. Where had Rem even found the time to craft these?

  He decided to start with the decree, scanning over its contents.

  I, Remiel Ankove Vesarus, heir to the throne of Linmus, hereby renounce my duties as Prince.

  Already, Solus’s hands were shaking. The message was too foreboding. The bold heading, lining words of judgment, was too affirmative for his liking. The matter had become more serious than he thought, and it was bringing him down. Leilana began rubbing his back in attempts to quell his racing mind, but he barely caught her presence.

  In light of unexpected events, I offer my title, my assets, and all other matters involving Linmus to my most trusted advisor, Solus Brenner. It shall be he that I allow to carry out my will and continue to bring Adrylis prosperity.

  “Unbelievable…” Leilana glanced over the sheet, but he pulled it away, just out of her reach, causing her to frown more. “This isn’t a decree, it’s a will,” Solus whispered. The paper was dampening from his sweaty palms, but he continued to clutch it for dear life, eyes swelling once more. “Remiel, you are absolutely sick…”

  I order that no one shall be judged based on their background, social rank, wealth, or any complications that limit them. No man shall be left with the worry of ostracization. Linmus shall become a nation of freedom, not desolation and anguish.

  This is my final vow.

  Solus ogled at the fine-printed signature at the bottom of the page before beginning to read over the handwritten note. There had to be an explanation for this somewhere between the lines. Why would Rem dub him prince in his place?

  He skimmed the date in the top right corner of the page. “September 7th, 1930. That was the day before we left Gale’s cottage.”

  “Five years, three months, and twenty-four days, right on the mark,” Leilana mumbled, folding her hands. He flipped the page, noticing that the sheet was written front to back, not a single mark out of place for the printed handwriting. “He had this prepared that long in advance. Will you read it?”

  That was a silly question. How could he ignore the final will of his close friend? Even if the words left him uncertain, he wasn’t going to just brush them off. Still, it made no sense that he was passing the mantle he had worked so hard to build up this easily to a servant boy that dedicated his life to the young Prince that he’d cared for.

  With both hands firmly on the paper, he started to read aloud.

  Solus,

  I asked Gale to give this letter to you if something were to happen to me before we finished our journey. If I became King of Adrylis, I wanted him to burn it. It scares me to think that one day you could be reading this note. I hope that it never comes to that, but if it does, I have a lot to tell you and not enough time to do it.

  You probably have a lot of questions right now, especially if you’ve read the formal decree first. I don’t think I can imagine what you’re thinking, so I suppose that I should explain myself before you read too far into it.

  How long have we been friends? Five years now, maybe more? I still remember the first day I saw you in the marketplace. You looked so scared and helpless, and I guess it was instinctive to make you laugh, to take you on a journey. I gave you my hand, and I pulled you forward. I wanted to help you to become, well, you. It was always a game back then, and you tagged along anyways. I bet you would never have guessed that you would become best friends with a prince.

  All this time, I’ve thought about your duties as my shield. You chose to train your body past your limits just to prove your worth. You were always so serious and goal-oriented, and you kept your head when it counted. But then you would smile at the little things in life. So many times you acted of your own volition, and you’ve saved my life. You shared laughs with me. You held me as I cried. You made sure that I slept at night, took care of me when I was sick. You treated me more like a human rather than just a member of the royal family.

  I could write a book on the things that you’ve done, but I only have this one page to give.

  I wanted you to become king, Solus. I never believed that I was going to ascend to that position. I tried so hard to fight for it, but I always knew that it wasn’t meant for me—a title with that much grandeur was something for you to ascertain. You were suited for far better things than acting as the advisor to a foolish boy playing the role of prince.

  That’s why I chose you. You were always the unofficial royal.

  You will always be my best friend, and I will forever love you. You were the closest thing I’d ever had to a brother. You made my life better. You gave me the hope that I spoke of so vigorously.

  Do me proud, no matter what you choose in this game of life.

  ~Rem

  Solus was in disbelief, silently gazing at the letter for some time. Rem was fighting a losing battle with himself, and he never let anyone in to know of his struggle. Not even him.

  “You know, you don’t have to decide anything right now,” Leilana stated. “Rem wants you to become prince, but don’t feel like it’s a requirement. Think about this.”

  Solus stared into the barely-lit fire. If he wanted, he could have thrown the decree away and let all of this go up in smoke. Time would keep moving forward. Nobody else but them would ever know what Rem’s final wishes were. But that would mean forgetting him.

  “There’s no thinking involved,” Solus told her, folding the letter and royal decree in half, concealing them within his tucked-in shirt. “This is what he wanted from me. I will gladly take his place as Prince of Adrylis if he wishes it. This world needs someone to protect it.”

  Leilana stood up from her spot, kneeling in front of him, taking his hand in both of hers. “Then, Your Highness… allow me to be the one to protect you.” She bowed her head. “I was given the duty of carrying the Orb of Concord to succession, to act as the prince’s warrior, and to become a guardian of the kingdom of Linmus. Please let me complete it.”

  Solus gently grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stand. “You don’t need permission to stand by my side, Leilana. You always follow where your heart leads. I can only hope that it leads you closer to your own goals and that the rest of your life won’t be spent in valor.” Cupping her cheeks in his hands, he pressed his forehead to hers, kissing her nose. “Someday, you’ll know true happiness.”

  “I like to believe sometimes that I already do in knowing you all.”

  Solus chuckled hollowly, his emotions still swimming down multiple lanes. “That’s good to hear. For now, we have something more that we’ll need to accomplish. Together.”

  “To Linmus?”

  “To Linmus.”

  Leilana stepped out of her room, entering Gale’s private study, where the man was facing a glowing crystal ball, mumbling incantations that she couldn’t decipher. She remained standing in the doorway, unmoving to keep from distracting him. Since discovering the truth about Solus’s origins as a Necromancer, she always wondered where Gale
stood as a clairvoyant. He possessed a similar aura, but he could only speak with the dead rather than restore their essence. She never knew how to address the matter. Maybe someday, she would have the courage to ask.

  “You don’t have to stand there,” he stated. His mantra was still intact, for his eyes were closed, and his attention wasn’t fully divided like she assumed. “The spirits continue to rest in peace. I am only assuring that they are content. How may I assist you, Princess Leilana?”

  “There was something I wanted to talk to you about.”

  “Have a seat. I’ll prepare some tea.”

  Leilana pulled up a chair across from him, scooting in close. “That’s not necessary, I didn’t intend for it to be a winded discussion. It’s about something that I’m sure Ennis has mentioned to you.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “I was deemed the successor of the Minsuran empire, a country that rejected the idea of magic consuming all reason, due to my lack of magical prowess. Ennis gave me the Lasette to study magic.” Leilana outstretched her hand, gesturing to a sheet of paper lying next to the crystal ball, which went adrift by her command. “But somehow, I adapted to using magic without the grimoire. Lunious said that my soul is bound to the book, but before then, I had never used magic without consulting the book’s pages, and the energy that I channel differs. Do you have any idea what this could be?”

  Gale folded his hands, resting them on the table. “As a matter of fact, I do. I’ve always had a feeling that we would have this conversation someday, but I never imagined that it would be this soon. Then again, you’ve long since sealed your fate.” Leilana raised an eyebrow. “You were not destined to become a Warlord. Rather, your experiences have guided you towards the proficiency of a Sage.”

  “What is a Sage?”

  “A Sage is a magic-user who acts in rebellion. By joining Prince Remiel’s cause, you came to resent Hinju’s unorthodox teachings. You unconsciously decided against becoming a Warlord, and once your mind accepted that there was something more to you as a person, your true powers woke from their slumber.” The following words made her heart sink to the floor, “You can never hope to become a Warlord now that you have walked the path of a Sage.”

  In an instant, her world unexpectedly evolved. Her dreams of becoming a Warlord were dashed, all from befriending people that pulled her in line with them. Her desires were wiped clean of possibility the second that Rem’s totem came into play, from the first time that she heard the Warlords of Old offer his use in her life. She took the time to understand him, but there was nothing left for her to ascertain. It drained her of the worth that she was supposed to give back once she had completed her pilgrimage.

  Hinju’s training amounted to nothing when she was first given care by her friends.

  “You may walk a dark path,” Gale told her. “And you may end up losing yourself in the process. Are you still willing to push forward if it means that you can’t turn back?”

  Leilana sighed, stating, “I am going to protect Solus with my life. It is my duty now to act as his shield, just as he has for me. This war is going to change us all. I will see it through to the end. I will honor Rem’s memory, and I will end Hinju’s reign before it becomes too tight on Adrylis and crushes this world in half. Too much is riding on this opportunity.”

  “That’s the spirit. I thought you would be less willing to accept change. It’s good to see that the years of slumber have put your mind at ease.”

  “Change is necessary for survival,” she responded. “I’m going to be changing forever. I won’t sit back and watch the world burn anymore. If I am fated to rebel against all that I know, so be it.” Gale smirked in satisfaction before leaning forward to blow out his lantern.

  She was ready.

  “There is one more thing that I would like to give you.” Gale stood up, exiting the room for a moment. Leilana was drumming her fingers on the table, curious about what he held in his chamber of secrets. Gale was always more of an enigma to trail behind. He meant well, he took all of their interests to heart, but he was too quiet.

  When he returned, he was carrying a bundle in his hands, which made her jump to a stand. “Is that Ennis’s cloak? You still have it?”

  “You expected any less?” He handed it to her. “Ennis would want you to have it, and I think it would suit you now that you are a full-fledged Sage. Black is a color that resonates with the art of rebellion, the perspective of black versus white. It helps that you finally grew up.” Leilana stared down at the cloak for a moment longer before nodding in agreement, grinning.

  “I shall act with pride.”

  “So, you’re going back to Linmus on your own?” Erya asked Solus and Leilana, hesitant for sudden decision brought on the following morning. Sien was still asleep, and Gale didn’t want to wake her, nor did Erya; they knew that she needed it more than ever.

  “Yes,” Solus responded. “We talked it over. We don’t want to put Sien in any turmoil, and I’m sure that the two of us will be able to handle things out there. With Leilana’s powers and my ties to the kingdom, we could stand a chance.”

  “At least let me come with you,” Gale suggested. “Surely sending a two-man army to Linmus will leave a wake of destruction.”

  “For Hinju or our royal companions?” Erya piped up, taking a few sips of his chamomile tea. Leilana and Solus knowingly glanced at one another.

  Gale was sputtering up a response before he sat down, sighing. “I just think that it would be too dangerous for Solus and Leilana. You both could be killed.”

  “Well, nothing is without risk,” Leilana stated. “We’ll be careful. At least, we’ll try to be. You should have a little faith in us. We’ve grown a lot since we started.”

  “We’re ready to get this underway,” Solus agreed. “We have to for Rem’s sake. Now that things have changed, it’s up to us to avenge him and finish his goal. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if we didn’t bring ourselves to try.”

  “This isn’t smart, but…” Gale sighed, ruffling his hair. “All right. We’ll keep our eyes open for you. Just stay safe and look out for one another. I don’t want to face the wrath of the spirits in my crystal ball if they show up saying that you failed.”

  Erya laid a hand on Solus’s shoulder. “Come now, Gale, I’m sure that he is an adequate man to protect your best friend’s younger sister. After all, he’s got a better head than most, which is already a good sign that she picked the right knight.”

  “Flattery gets you everywhere,” Solus joked. “But I suppose I can’t speak much on adequate men if Sien chose you to be her husband. She’s got interesting taste. Take care of her.”

  “With my life, of course.”

  “And Gale?” Solus piped up, earning a look from the man. Solus rested his index and middle finger on his forehead in a salutary gesture. “Keep looking out for yourself too. There are many things I’m going to want to speak to the spirits about that I’d need you to pass on for me if I’m unable.”

  Gale rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ll pull it off fine, Necromancer.”

  Leilana rested a hand on the beads around her neck, smiling softly. “And, could you tell Sien that we’re sorry we couldn’t say goodbye in person?”

  “We’ll make sure that she stays sane,” Erya assured. “Do us proud.”

  Leilana and Solus didn’t get further than halfway through the forest leading north of Erican when they were bombarded with rapid footsteps from behind. Solus pointed his sword at the source before he was met with a familiar face. Sien was glaring at her two friends, breathing heavily.

  “Cici,” Leilana began, taking a step towards the woman, who quickly held up her hand.

  “How could you?” Sien demanded. “This is just as much my fight as it is for the two of you! You think that just because you’re both some chosen royals, you’re allowed to just leave me behind without saying anything? Did you think that I wasn’t going to find out?”

  “Did
you learn why we wanted you to stay?” Solus asked, making sure to word himself carefully to avoid a possible altercation. “We didn’t want to run the risk of you harming your child. This fight could prove fatal for us.”

  “That’s all the more reason that I should go! I could help! I’m a trained healer, someone needs to be there to protect you!”

  “Sien,” Leilana continued. “If Solus and I aren’t able to defeat Hinju, someone has to be able to take our places as a last resort. Our second wind. And, say that we do manage to defeat him and still can’t walk out with our lives. Someone has to make sure that the kingdom is secure for all of Adrylis, and we would put our fate in you, Gale, and Lancett to ensure that. We aren’t leaving you behind because we don’t believe in you—we’re leaving you to act in our stead.”

  Sien pursed her lips and lowered her head. “I just… I wanted to be able to finish this with Rem, and at the end of it all, I wished that I could tell him the secrets that I held close to me. I wanted to tell him how I felt about him. But now that things are different, I know that my will to end this war is still the same. It’s something that I’ve owed to him. If you want me to remain here in case anything happens, I’ll do that, since he gave the two of you his will to fight. But if you two make it out, don’t expect me to sit back and let you go scathed until your deaths are imminent. I will be there at the end for you, and more.”

  “We expect no less coming from you,” Solus responded. “You are a light pushing us forward just as much as Rem. We expect your spirit to remain with us in battle, every moment.”