The Marenon Chronicles Collection

by Jason D. Morrow

  “Go find Silandrin,” he told her.

  The three of them left the prison with a heavy weight on their shoulders. Silas didn’t know what to think about the kiss between Lorcan and Inga and he hated that it clouded his thoughts. That was not where his mind needed to be at the moment, but it couldn’t be helped. He wasn’t angry, but confused. Inga had made no attempt to stop Lorcan, but was it because she felt sorry for him? Or did she have feelings for him? It would be awkward between them, he knew. That’s why he decided that they simply had to focus on her finding Silandrin. If she could follow this trail, they might be able to get to where they needed to be. Silas wasn’t as unsure about Silandrin being the Gatekeeper as Inga seemed to be, but he wouldn’t mention it. All of them knew it was a possibility, but stating that didn’t make anything easier.

  They followed Kaden to the stables where the four sarians were being held. Teymus and the other two guards followed behind them with threatening stares, warning them not to even think about taking them out for a flight. Kaden assured them that he only needed to get to the saddlebag. Once inside, he reached into the saddle and pulled out two green wristbands. The Dunarians often used these to communicate with each other, though Kaden had neglected to use his during their journey. He handed one to Silas and one to Inga.

  “Wear it,” he said softly, out of earshot of the guards. “If you need to contact me about anything, just hold it up and think of me, and the green jewel on mine will start to flash. Be sure to look at yours every now and then too.”

  “I will,” Silas said.

  “I would wait until tonight before you head out, and take the sarians.”

  “Already planned on it,” Silas said. “You really think you can help Lorcan?”

  Kaden shook his head. “I don’t know how deeply the king feels about the situation. I’m not planning to be able to change his mind, but I’m not going to stand by and let them kill Lorcan either.”

  “I feel like we should stay behind and help,” Inga said.

  “Staying here won’t help him,” Kaden said. “You’ve got to move forward and find the Gatekeeper. There’s no knowing what he will ask of you when you do find him. This could be the last time we see each other for a while.”

  “I’ll be sure to fill you in on everything that happens,” Silas said as he clasped the wristband to his arm under his cloak.

  “I can’t help you lose your guards,” Kaden said. “I’ve got to stay clean so I can try to talk to Jiaros.”

  “I’ve got it taken care of,” Inga said.

  “Good,” Kaden said.

  The two of them shook hands with Kaden and said their farewells. He knew neither of them had noticed that his own wristband had been glowing. They had enough on their plate without having to worry about who might be trying to contact him. Kaden cursed himself for having forgotten to check it. The wristband indicated that two people had tried to contact him over the past day or two. One had been Dublin out of Jekyll Rock and the other was one he didn’t expect at all. This person had not spoken with him since he left the council a few months before. For some unknown reason, Julian Hobbes needed to speak with Kaden.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “It’s been a long time, Kaden,” Julian said as he sat on the balcony outside his bedchamber. The afternoon wind blew by calmly, cooling the outside air. It was good to be back in Farlaweer castle, but his anger had not subsided.

  “Yes it has,” Kaden said. The green image of Julian’s former instructor’s head floated above the wristband sitting on the table in front of him.

  “I paid a visit to Jekyll Rock two days ago and I didn’t see you there.”

  “I’ve been busy,” Kaden said. “What were you doing in Jekyll Rock?”

  “The Dunarians are finished, Kaden. You and Nalani are all that’s left.”

  He was met with silence from the other end. Kaden’s glaring look would have stunned anyone else, but Julian wasn’t fazed. He was still upset about the thought that Kaden was surrounded by traitors and never realized it.

  “What do you mean we are all that’s left? What happened?”

  “Myron Lloyd, Katharine Fallera, Quincy Todd and Darius Umar are all under arrest, and are awaiting execution for their crimes against the Humans.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “An orb, Kaden, a memory orb. You’ve heard of them, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “I found one that shows all of them in a meeting with Ward Holden. From the beginning they planned to use Silas and let him side with the Stühocs.”

  “That makes no sense.”

  “But it’s true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

  “Have they admitted it? Have you spoken with them?”

  “What does it matter? I have the proof,” he said. He was beginning to regret this contact. “I’m contacting you out of respect. You are their leader and I think you should be there when they are executed. We’ll show the Stühocs that they don’t own us.”

  “Julian, you’ve got to slow down,” Kaden said. “What about the courts? Can you not at least send it to the courts to determine their guilt?”

  “The courts would take too long and this was an act of war, Kaden! They must be dealt with swiftly, and I want them to see you there watching. They betrayed you; they used me. They’re snakes, Kaden.”

  “There has to be a mistake,” Kaden said. “I know Holden was a traitor. We saw it with our own eyes, but he couldn’t have gotten to the entire council.”

  “He didn’t,” Julian said. “He didn’t get to you, me or Nalani.”

  “What sort of proof did you see?”

  Julian told him of what he saw in Holden’s memory orb. He spoke of the meeting and how they had planned everything from sending Marcus and Theron to go after Silas, to using Julian because of his ties to the throne. Even after the detailed explanation, Kaden was having a hard time swallowing it.

  “They’ve been loyal to the council for years,” Kaden said, disbelieving.

  “Disloyal, you mean,” Julian said.

  “Julian, there has to be some mistake. We need to investigate this further. What you saw looks terrible, I’m sure, but there has to be some sort of explanation to it.”

  “Memory orbs do not lie,” Julian said. “The four of them will be executed tomorrow at noon. You can be there to watch them die as traitors, or you can continue whatever work you are doing. Either way, they are going to pay for what they’ve done. We will show the Stühocs that they do not dominate us, nor will they ever dominate us. This is the first step to victory.”

  “Please Julian,” Kaden said slowly. “Rethink what you are doing. Give it more time. Turn it over to the courts.”

  Julian snorted. “I can’t believe you. You would treat our enemies with respect and leniency.” He shook his head. “If you do not come tomorrow, then I will need you to come here soon.”

  Kaden waited for his explanation.

  “This is obviously going to change the Dunarian’s direction. It will change The Reckoning. I took it upon myself to take the medallions from Jekyll Rock. I don’t want them to fall into the wrong hands. I would like to discuss this with you when you get here.”

  Julian could understand the look of anger that spread across Kaden’s face. He would have been angry too. Julian had trespassed on his domain and stripped him of any power. It wouldn’t be permanent. Kaden would still play a big roll in The Reckoning, but Julian would lead it. He couldn’t trust anyone else anymore.

  Kaden was at a loss for words.

  “I hope I see you tomorrow. It will be a big day in the fight against the Stühocs.”

  It felt awkward to terminate the conversation without Kaden speaking, but after a short moment, he placed his hand over the wristband’s jewel and its light faded out. Kaden may or may not join him in the fight, but it didn’t matter. The Reckoning was going to be finished with or without him. Somehow Silas would be playing a big part in all of this, but t
hat was not Julian’s concern. All Julian wanted to do was win the fight against the Stühocs. And that would begin by executing some of his worst enemies the next day at noon.

  *****

  Kaden swore under his breath when Julian ended the communication. What could have possibly been going on in my absence? He didn’t know what sort of proof or memory orb Julian might have gotten a hold of, but surely it had been falsified. The entire council couldn’t have been working with the Stühocs, could they? How could four members, five counting Holden, have lied to the rest of them so easily? How could he have been deceived for so long? He knew Holden had been a traitor. Though Kaden had not actually seen him in Mudavé, it had been confirmed by everyone else that he was with Maroke that day. Julian claimed to have confronted him and killed him and he had stolen the red medallion to prove it. Now he had all four of the Dunarian’s medallions.

  Kaden’s anger began to simmer, threatening to boil over as he continued to think. Julian had done this without even trying to speak with Kaden first. Julian had acted rashly, as he usually did; thinking with his feelings and not his head. Now, as the king, he was continuing this destructive behavior by ordering the council members to be executed. Where had he gotten Holden’s memory orb? Had he taken it from him when he killed Holden? Kaden had seen memory orbs before but never cared to actually have one himself. He was content with remembering things the old-fashioned way. He had always thought them to be very dangerous, especially for someone with secrets. People of importance often kept them so they could be protected. Nothing was ever lost once a person used a memory orb, but that fact had also been the downfall of many. Some would get lost in their memories, never wanting to leave. Others had tried to use them against their enemies, but that would often backfire and they would find themselves in a mess. Julian was now using it against the Dunarians. If what Julian said was true and he saw all of this in a memory orb, then there was no disputing it.

  Unless…

  Kaden rushed out of the stables and toward the castle. He quickly thought about Dublin and guessed that the keeper of records had tried to let him know what Julian had done. The old man was probably running around the castle frantic, but he would have to wait. He tried to collect his thoughts as he walked hurriedly.

  The Erellens had been the inventors of memory orbs. The items had been around for hundreds of years and everyone in authority in the Erellen kingdom was ordered by law to keep one, even the king. With his guard close on his heels, Kaden rushed up the stairs and toward the Great Hall where they had eaten breakfast earlier. He had made this trip once already and hoped the king would accept him again. He had been in Jarul a few times before and knew that the king worked from his luxurious office just behind the Great Hall. When he came close to the doors of the large office, two guards stood before him, giving Kaden a questioning look.

  “The king is not to be disturbed,” one of the guards said.

  “Tell him Kaden wishes to speak with him,” Kaden said. “He will have me.”

  The guards looked at each other and one of them nodded to the other to make the request to the king. In a few moments, the guard came back out and motioned Kaden to enter.

  He walked through the large wooden doorway into a room filled with bookshelves, paintings and windows. A large desk sat in the middle of the room and surrounding it were two sets of rounded stairs on either side, leading up to a lounge area. Kaden saw the king standing at one of the tall windows, overlooking the kingdom. The doors shut behind Kaden with a loud thud. The king had apparently told the guards to give him and Kaden some privacy. Kaden walked slowly up the flight of stairs to his right, and the king didn’t look away from the window.

  “I’ve never had so many visits from one person in a single day,” Jiaros said.

  “My apologies, but I have just learned of something that I wish to discuss with you.”

  “Lorcan will stand trial, Kaden. If you have evidence of his innocence, then I am sure you will be allowed to present it when that time comes.”

  “It’s not about that,” Kaden said.

  Jiaros turned to him, his eyebrows furrowed. “What then?”

  “The Dunarians are in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?” he asked motioning to a couple of seats across from each other. Kaden did not wish to sit, but he didn’t object.

  “Four of them are about to be executed based on evidence found in a memory orb. Julian Hobbes plans to carry out the execution tomorrow at noon.”

  “And you wish to be allowed to leave?”

  “Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me more about memory orbs.” Kaden paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. “Can one be fabricated?”

  “No,” Jiaros said confidently. “It is made to capture the true memories of the owner.”

  “What if the owner thought he saw something that didn’t really happen? He would have that memory, even if it wasn’t true, right?”

  “People don’t really have false memories,” Jiaros said. “You can lie to yourself and convince yourself that something is true, but that doesn’t mean that it is. That’s why some find memory orbs so useful. When one forgets something, one can find that memory.”

  “What if that person was possessed?” Kaden asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “By the Stühocs. What if they were possessed and much of what they saw was an illusion?”

  Kaden knew it was a long shot, and he didn’t even really expect an answer. He wasn’t sure if the Stühocs ever possessed Ward Holden, but it seemed the only defense in the council’s case. Jiaros Florelle seemed completely stumped by the question. Apparently, he was not expecting that one. He turned his head to the windows again, not knowing what to think.

  “I don’t know,” he finally said. “I’ve never been presented with that scenario. It seems highly unlikely that it would happen. I still think that the orb would only capture the true memories.” He looked back at Kaden. “Tell me what happened.”

  Kaden quickly recapped the events of the past few minutes. Kaden knew his theory had little substance, but he was running out of time. Julian was serious about this. The council members would be dead tomorrow if Kaden didn’t do something now.

  “Holden was a traitor,” Kaden told Jiaros. “That is proven. It seems possible that, with the Stühoc’s influence, he could remember some illusions as reality. That meeting Julian saw could have been an illusion. What if Holden really believed he had been in a meeting with the council?”

  “Don’t you think he would have tried to talk to the other members about it at Jekyll Rock?” Jiaros asked.

  “Not if he wasn’t leading the traitorous group,” Kaden said. “If he was taking orders from Anithistor or Maroke, they could have told him to keep his mouth shut when he was around anyone else. They could have told him not to schedule any meetings without their consent.”

  “Possession by the Stühocs is a complicated matter,” Jiaros said. “They can pollute the mind of the masses, but it takes a long time to possess one person to the point that you can control what he sees.”

  “Is it possible?” Kaden asked.

  “Very few have been completely possessed by the Stühocs,” Jiaros said. “Very few have been manipulated so thoroughly.”

  “Is it possible?” Kaden repeated.

  Jiaros stood from his seat and walked back to the window, leaning against it. “Yes,” he said. “In fact it’s happened before.”

  “It has?”

  “In the war, seventeen years ago.”

  “I don’t remember anything like that.”

  “You might after I tell you,” Jiaros said. “At the time, we thought that it was just a lie made up by the Stühocs. In the war, we captured several influential Stühocs. We tortured them for information. It was terrible, but it had to be done. The information we gathered from them helped us win the war. Another bit of information came up as well, though we never explored it.”

  “What kind of
information?” Kaden asked standing to join the king at the window.

  “They told us that there were seven individuals who would help bring Marenon to its knees before the Stühocs. We tried to make them tell us who they were, but we never got that information. All of them died before they would tell us any more.”

  “They could have been doing this to try and throw you off,” Kaden suggested.

  “Perhaps. But they all said this under individual questioning. They could have planned to give us false information, but what you’ve told me today might just have changed my assessment. We never did anything about it, because there was nothing to be done. That bit of information didn’t help us win the war, nor did it ever come up afterwards. All we know is that they called the seven possessed individuals the Sleepers.”

  The Sleepers did spark Kaden’s memory. He had heard of them, but he was under the impression they had been merely a legend.

  “We never really found any evidence to suggest the information about these Sleepers was correct,” Jiaros continued. “I would imagine they called them the Sleepers because their true selves are buried deep within them. When possessed by the Stühocs, you are not your own.”

  “But, the Stühocs have possessed many people before.”

  “Not truly. They can brainwash individuals and order them to do things, but those people will heal if they are able to escape the Stühoc’s influence. A truly possessed person doesn’t really come back. According to the stories, there are seven Sleepers, though that was a long time ago.” He paused for a moment and looked up at Kaden. “You were captured?”

  “I was rescued before they could possess me,” Kaden said.

  “Of course. But I imagine that if the seven Sleepers are real, then maybe they were planning to make you the eighth Sleeper.”

  “When I went back to Earth, I encountered two possessed men called Marcus and Theron,” Kaden said. “Do you think it’s possible they were two of them?”

  “Did you get a look at the underside of their wrist?” Jiaros asked. “Our information says that each Sleeper has a small marking, a tattoo perhaps. It’s an image of a dragon, or a serpent with legs. I’ve obviously never seen it myself. It might not even be true.”