The Dark Materials

by Amanda Churi

  “And what does that have to do with anything?” Pinion reprimanded fiercely. “He is of the blood of King de Vaux; he knows how to tinker well. Give him more time.”

  “Woman, how much longer can I bear to wait?!” the man bellowed, Seek finally realizing that the voice belonged to Justus. “It’s been two weeks! The boy is distracted over that goner of a girl, and he messes up most everything he touches!”

  “…But he takes an interest in you, no?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “He watches you,” Pinion went on to say. “You remind him a lot of himself, believe it or not. I can tell. He envies your importance to this revolution; you remain in the fog of war and do not get much credit, but he can see just how frail we would be without you. His role in his own war was much the same. Struggling to adapt to such a change in the environment was expected, but give him a chance.” She paused. “Besides, are you sure that’s the only reason you want him out of your hair…?”

  Justus grunted.

  “That’s what I thought,” the queen snorted smugly. “Steel, you can’t ignore your heart if you want to obtain transcendence. Just wait a while longer… Let your emotions run free, and open up to your apprentice—”

  “Then I need you to allow me to go through with my experiment,” he interrupted gruffly. “I will not wait any longer. He needs purpose now, and you know it… Please, let me try.”

  “…Fine…” Pinion finally conceded. “Fix the problem… Just don’t make me regret it.”

  Their voices faded away, and silence claimed the room. Confused, Seek leaned in closer to the door, when it suddenly swung open. She squeaked in surprise, Justus catching her around the arm, though he definitely looked stunned by his prize.

  Knowing that there was no point in denying her eavesdropping, Seek chuckled, smiling wide in an attempt to dilute some of the awkward tension.

  “Seek?”

  Jittery beyond words, Seek fixed her sight onto her successor who stood behind Justus, realizing that she had all of the attention available. “Ha… Hey, Pinion. Lovely night, isn’t it?”

  Pinion’s pupils thinned, parts of her irises almost turning black. “Let her go, Justus,” Pinion commanded. The mechanic immediately released her, though his accusing stare did not lessen. “Come in, Seek.”

  Seek inhaled deeply, gathering her courage as she forced herself to enter the home of her queen and part from Justus’ dark gaze. He watched her closely for a second more before reluctantly shutting the doors behind him, leaving the two supernaturals alone.

  Pinion did not have an extravagant, posh room like many would think. Pinion was simply a minimalist, but what items she kept to herself were vital. The rock walls were mostly bare with the exception of a few metal shelves that held many relics; most were nothing more than random oddities, ranging from paint to small statues of religious idols. Although there were few, the most common entities were books; they were terribly aged and torn, but any scripture that her army could obtain she automatically took into her possession.

  Well, all but one that Flye had from the start of her life, and she was so protective over her literature that Pinion could literally only borrow it for certain periods of time or else the crazed assassin would lose it.

  Colorful rugs littered the ground and surrounded a bright blue crystal sticking up from the floor in the center of the room. It was easily as wide and tall as Seek, and it never ceased radiating colors of all sorts from the heart of the aqua blue vein that ran directly through the middle.

  Aside from that, perhaps the most unique section of her room was her garden of young fruits and vegetables that lined the walls, fed by a radiant spring no stronger than a trickle. Vines and thriving tree branches were nourished by the frail water source, crisscrossing the ceiling, while their trunks grew safely within the walls, where they could not be touched by man.

  “Seek, speak up,” Pinion said sharply, the impatience in her voice bringing Seek back into focus. “What is it you want? Steel kept me up long enough with his frivolous worries, and if you don’t mind, I would like to rest.”

  Seek twisted her mouth uncomfortably. “I need to talk to you…” she began, choosing her words very carefully.

  “Well, I’m listening, aren’t I?” Pinion spat. “Get on with it.”

  Seek lowered her head. “I-I think it’s time…”

  Even with those few vague words, Seek could quickly sense the havoc inside the queen’s heart. Instinctively, she looked up, but Pinion had not moved a muscle. Seek’s statement left her unhinged.

  “Why now of all times…?” Pinion pressed.

  “Because Eero cannot control himself with his current diet,” Seek replied, tossing the complex cube in Pinion’s direction. Pinion easily caught it, warily looking the box over. “Look into it if you don’t believe me, but I can assure you, blood is not keeping him satisfied—it’s practically flavored water for him.”

  Pinion frowned. “He needs to learn how to control himself…”

  “But how is he expected to?” Seek retorted. “With so many of his demons now awake, a complete transformation may be inevitable! It is critical that for now we give into his demons and provide them with proper nourishment. If they continue to go hungry, they will continue to lash out and cause havoc both inside and out of Eero! I understand why meat is not the best option right now, as it is currently too enticing, but he either needs those meal cubes or he needs me; if you continue to be stubborn, his demons might finally break him!”

  “I don’t have any cubes ready right now,” Pinion said with a growl, raising her eyes to meet Seek’s. “The last rations were given to the burn victims for obvious reasons, and you… Your souls are to be used for enlightenment… Not to provide an all you can eat buffet.”

  “Demons naturally eat human flesh, human blood, and souls,” she rounded. “If sacrificing a bit of my being is what is needed to keep him under control for now, then so be it!”

  The queen rolled her eyes. “I still don’t think we need that dumbass in the first place.” She turned away from Seek and placed the unique box on a shelf next to a book—a book that Seek never remembered being there.

  Seek’s eyes lit up in recognition. “You took The Book of Lore from them?”

  “They practically forgot they had it,” Pinion answered fluently, facing Seek once more. “Besides, that knowledge is far more useful to me.”

  “But it’s theirs!”

  Pinion scoffed loudly, throwing her arms out beside her. “Do you think I fucking care? Do you think I care at all about what’s theirs? Nothing is truly theirs besides this eight hundred-year-old death toll!”

  “Their blessings are not their flaws!” Seek screamed indignantly as Pinion furiously trudged over to the center of her room, taking a hefty seat on the overlapping rugs. “You of all people should understand that!”

  “Funny,” Pinion hissed. “My blessings haven’t really been much use, have they?”

  “That’s not true. They have protected thousands under your hand; that itself is something to be thankful for.”

  “Please…” she continued. “They’ve led many more to their deaths than they have saved.”

  Seek groaned, pressing her hands to her head. “Look, Pinion, I need to do this. It is time for you to reclaim the crown, and you know you cannot do it if I don’t help.”

  Pinion’s eyes exploded, and she was on her feet in an instant. She sprinted over to Seek, wrapping her hand around Seek’s wrist and yanking it away from her face so that their eyes had no obstructions between them. They stared each other down until Pinion gave in, breathlessly shaking her head. “Seek, there has to be another way.”

  “There isn’t,” Seek said bluntly.

  “B-but what happens if you encounter Typo?! You won’t be able to fight him off! He’ll kill you!”

  Seek paused. That was very much true… But she wouldn’t let it happen. “I will do it before he can,” she told Pinion. “Please… You knew the
day that you took me in that it would eventually come to this. The final battle is nearing; the prophecy is unraveling. You cannot, and will not, stop me.”

  Pinion looked more lost at that moment than ever before. She had seen so many horrific things, and she surely did not want to see more, but ever since she took the reins of the revolution and hid Seek from the eyes of their enemies, both of their fates had been sealed; now, there was nowhere to run.

  “…Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Pinion asked one final time.

  Seek nodded stiffly, smiling inside as she prepared to take her own place in history as a hero. “It’s time to take

  down Father once and for all.”

  Twenty-two

  War of Sunder

  She sat crisscross-applesauce on the floor of the stables the next day, rocking back and forth on her tailbone as she stared at Tripp. Her lips were flat as she watched him nip the hay strung up beside him in a contortion of rope. His eyes sunk into his long, narrow face, his jaw rotating on its hinges in a slow, robotic rhythm as his eyes bore through the bars in front of his face that kept him from obtaining freedom.

  Daisy was highly unsettled after yesterday, going far out of her way to avoid both her parents and Cecil. He wanted to start training her soon, but she didn’t know when or how, and while she had the chance, she was going to sit here and enjoy being alone. It was funny; she had been feeling quite down as of late due to her father’s diverted attention, but now she would have done practically anything to keep him at bay, even if it meant hiding in the horse stalls suffocating on urine and feces.

  You can’t let him know… she reminded herself. You can’t. Who knows what Cecil will do…?

  Say, can we go on a run again today? a husky, choppy voice came, but it was one that Daisy knew. She lugged her eyes back over to Tripp, who continued to nonchalantly munch on his cud.

  Daisy frowned. “You know Daddy won’t let me leave the castle without someone else.”

  That’s not fair! Tripp protested, letting out a frustrated whinny. I want to race! I want to ride! Do you know what these horses talk about, Daisy? Do you?

  She giggled, the hyperactivity of her steed bringing a bit of solace back into her worn heart. She hadn’t told anyone about her ability to communicate with Tripp; it was just something she had always been able to do, and while she did not hide her chats with him, she never openly announced that she wasn’t merely making up a conversation. “No, what do they talk about?”

  Terrible things! he exclaimed horrifically. Some people hook them up to wagons and make them pull things! Others have to fight in battles, a-and do you know what happens if I hurt myself? I might be killed! Yeah, that’s right! They kill us! I don’t want to die! I don’t like this place, I don’t—! His words were drowned out by the only sounds apparent to mortals, whinnies and neighs of all ranges permeating the air as Tripp began to pace irritably in place, tugging on the lead around his bulky neck.

  “Hey, hey!” Daisy began, standing up and flapping her arms as she attempted to calm him down. “It’s alright, Tripp! No one is going to hurt you!”

  Yes, they will! he continued to argue frantically. I liked the meadow better! I liked to talk to Aquila and Chance! I liked to eat flowers! I liked to feel the sun! I liked to—Apple!

  Daisy raised a brow skeptically. “Apple?” she repeated awkwardly.

  APPLE! APPLE! Tripp continued to say, trotting in place at a very high tempo as his tail began to spin. APPLE!

  A muffled, amused chuckle hit Daisy from behind; her head spun around as the wall of iron bars rolled to the side, destroying the barrier between the stables and corridor.

  Daisy had nothing to say as he casually stepped onto the moist hay. His heavily scarred face creased with natural ecstasy as he extended his arm, an enticing, mouth-watering, red apple sitting square in his palm.

  APPLE! Tripp shrieked. APPPLLLLEEEE!

  The man laughed once more, moving to stand beside Daisy as he allowed Tripp to snatch the apple out of his palm. “Yah, apple,” he agreed, roughly tussling the mustang’s dark mane.

  Daisy crossed her arms, turning her nose up and closing her eyes. “Cecil,” she acknowledged, trying to act like a civil princess.

  “Daisy,” he replied curtly, continuing to give the horse his undivided attention. “Tripp.”

  APPLES! Tripp yapped graciously. APPLES!

  Cecil tisked his tongue. “Sorry, boy. Ain’t got no more apples.”

  Tripp pouted, hanging his head with hunger. Apples…

  Daisy slowly opened her eyes, the gateway to her soul dilating. She couldn’t have possibly just heard that. “Apples…? You can hear him?”

  “Of course,” Cecil replied, scratching Tripp behind one of his ears as he tried to hurl the steed out of the self-pity trap that he had fallen into. “Happy to see that ya can as well. Tell me, is it only with this horse, or with many animals?”

  “Uh…” Daisy thought on it for a moment. “It’s easiest with Tripp… But I think that I’ve heard other voices here and there? I don’t know.”

  Cecil grinned, finally glancing at his reluctant apprentice. “That’s good,” he praised. “Invisibility is the easiest thing to get down. Breakin’ the mind comes next; a l’il step up, though sometimes we done hop around a bit.” He paused. “I’m sure Laelia would agree.”

  “Hey, that’s cheap!” Daisy squwaked, throwing her fists down and wishing that she was just a tad taller so that she could wham him across the face.

  Apples are cheap, Tripp input. Apples for me? Please?

  “Tell ya what,” Cecil proposed. “If ya be a good boy and don’t go makin’ a ruckus for the rest of the day, I may just bring ya another treat.”

  YAY! OK, YOU’VE GOT IT, BOSS! THOSE APPLES ARE MINE! Tripp’s neck immediately transformed into a lookout tower, his body so rigid and slick that one could have thought Aristocles had chiseled this on-point sentinel.

  Daisy couldn’t help but giggle, Cecil unable to refrain from allowing his amusement to show as well. Daisy looked at him as she cleared her throat and composed herself, her smile not fleeing like it should have. Maybe Cecil had a dark side to him—a super duper weird, mysterious, and deceptive side—but much like she had seen last night, she could also tell that there was a very humane side to him as well. He may have been prideful when in his true form, but as a man, he was very humble and, although she hated to admit it, sweet in his own way that she could not help but admire.

  “Well, shall we head off?” Cecil proposed, facing his challenge.

  “Huh?” Daisy questioned. “Where?”

  “Ya’ll see soon,” Cecil clarified, waltzing past the child and exiting Tripp’s stable, motioning for her to follow with the elegant swish of a hand.

  Daisy’s skin prickled as her body obeyed his instructions. Her small feet stopped before Cecil as he grabbed the gate, swinging it shut and redoing the latches to make sure that Tripp was secure. “So how did you find me anyway…? That’s twice now that you’ve popped up out of the blue.”

  Cecil shrugged, not delving into details as he proceeded to take her small fingers in his. “Just a special connection between us be all.”

  Daisy scoffed. “You and me? A connect—?” Cecil silenced her, pressing a finger to her lips. He turned to look at the floor, not saying a word as his eyes merged with stone.

  Daisy irritably shoved his finger away. “What are you doing?”

  Cecil briefly raised his eyes, flashing her a quirky wink. “Just makin’ sure we’re in the right place.”

  “Can you make sense for once?!”

  He rolled his eyes, grabbing her other hand. “Alright, guess that’s fair.” In an instant, a twinkling river overtook the lively forest in his eyes, Daisy instinctively recoiling. A ripple of blue flushed him out, starting at the head and traveling down the entire length of his body before infecting Daisy as well as he forced his invisibility upon her. He was a shimmering essence of every blue in existence, all othe
r colors absent as he transitioned into his phantomic state, no one able to see them besides each other. “Hold on!”

  “Wha—?!” A scream severed her words, Daisy wailing with dread as Cecil released his ties to the ground, the magical duo falling through the solid earth.

  Daisy would not stop screaming as layers of stone passed by her in a blur, all air resistance nulled. She kicked her legs and thrashed about as her nerves got the better of her, but Cecil never allowed his composition to wane, evaluating their location at all times as they headed deeper and deeper beneath the crust.

  “Stop, Cecil!” Daisy shrieked as darkness became her closest friend. “We’re going to land in Hell!”

  Cecil ignored Daisy’s unrelenting fright for a few seconds more before suddenly grunting. Their melded bodies pushed out a pulse of blue across the stone before they gradually began to slow down, now floating through sheet rock instead of free falling; soon, they were all but moving. Daisy was about to ask Cecil just what he was up to before her feet encountered freedom, the two emerging into an air pocket hundreds of feet below the castle.

  Their feet touched the rough stone floor, Cecil’s powers allowing gravity to take the baton once more. With a simple change in thought, the magic infesting their bodies dispersed, the two beings standing in the dark as creatures of matter once more. Cecil unwound his large fingers from Daisy’s, stepping back and allowing her to take in their location; the only part of him that did not submit to mortality were his eyes, remaining lit so that the two had a small radius of vision.

  Daisy thought at first that Cecil had dumped her in some secluded cavern, but upon closer inspection, her assumption was tested. Her pupils traced over the perpendicular corners created by the floor and slick stone walls that ran several feet above her head, creating a cookie-cutter passageway so vast that the naked eye could not possibly see the end. Her sight searched the area about her feet, detecting several inorganic creations: glass shards, wrappers, and weird, futuristic pieces of metal…