The Third Eye Initiative

by J. J. Newman

  Tsaeris left his basement, and took a moment to check on Elias and Tyrier one last time. Deciding that they would be alright, he opened the door and stepped into the downpour of a vicious storm that had descended on the city.

  Tsaeris was pretty sure that he was going to his death. At the very least, he planned on taking those bastards down with him. Tsaeris closed the door to the house, his seemingly harmless long coat but a thin veil between life and death, and his short sword strapped tightly to his back.

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  A Meeting of Puppets

  The storms intensity had increased, and the wind howled in Tsaeris’ ears. He stood before the gate of the burned and dilapidated Purity Union Compound. He could see light coming from within the glassless windows of the Union Mansion at the far end of the yard. The other buildings had been burned to the ground, but the mansion seemed to have survived the fire at least partially intact.

  Tsaeris placed his hand on the gate and pushed. The gate swung open without resistance, and Tsaeris stepped through. He had expected to be attacked immediately upon entering, but he was halfway across the yard and had yet to see any sign of life, other than the lights inside the mansion. At first he thought that this compound was an odd choice for a meeting place of the Elites, but now that he was here, he understood. The compound was large, and a monument of a grim moment of history that few people would care to visit. The once beautiful mansion had a foreboding look, especially at night. People were superstitious by nature. It reminded him of the church he often slept in as a street kid. It was creepy enough to keep people away, and that made it safe.

  The lights inside the mansion seemed like a beacon for Tsaeris. He didn’t know why, but he felt like that was the intent. He was expected. But why him? Standing now before the door of the mansion, he knew that there was only one way to find out. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Tsaeris pushed open the door.

  Candles lined the interior walls, and gave off just enough light to see by. The inside was in ruins. Walls had collapsed, and the remnants of fine tapestries were now only charred echoes of their former glory. The interior wood was forever stained black with soot, and marble staircases retained none of their once opulent shine.

  Tsaeris kept one hand inside his coat, gripping a glass vial, ready to react if he were attacked. He stepped slowly and silently towards the stairs, but no attack was forthcoming. He stepped onto the staircase, and began his ascension.

  When he reached the top, there was a long hallway that led both left and right. The left side was dark, but the right was lined with candles on the walls. He walked down the hallway, and water poured down on him from a hole in the ceiling above. He could see the raging storm and the flashes of lightning, which illuminated the hallway eerily.

  He followed the trail of candles. The hallway was long, and Tsaeris’ slow and guarded pace made the walk excruciating. Finally the path of candles stopped before a door. This door looked new, and was not stained by soot, and had clearly not been here during the fire. Tsaeris reached for the handle and pushed the door open. The room was lit by a large hearth in the corner, and more candles. It wasn’t exactly bright inside, but it was enough for Tsaeris to see competently. He stepped inside. The room was much bigger than he would have thought. The meager light left a whole half of the room completely encased in deep shadow. In the center of the lit area of the room sat Aedrus, who was bound to a chair, and his mouth was gagged.

  Tsaeris did not immediately go to the boy’s aid. He wasn’t stupid, and knew damn well that he was being watched from the dark side of the room. They were waiting to see what he did.

  “Are we going to play this game?” Tsaeris asked into the darkness. “I’m not an idiot. I know somebody’s there.”

  He waited for a response. A moment later, a figure walked from the shadows. He was cloaked in black, with a hood obscuring his face. For a moment Tsaeris froze in terror, then noted that this man was barely taller than he.

  “Ah, but of course you knew. Of course you did,” The figure, who was identified as a man by his voice, said. “I would have been very disappointed with you had you not.”

  “What do you want from me?” Tsaeris asked. “Obviously you wanted me to come here.”

  “I just want to talk, Tsaeris. That’s all,” The man replied.

  “That’s all? We have a little chat, then me and my friend here just walk on out?” Tsaeris said mockingly.

  “Let’s just see where the talk takes us, shall we?” The man said.

  “Maybe I’d rather just get this over with right now,” Tsaeris said, reaching into his coat and removing two small bombs. He held them tight in his hands, his thumbs under the two pins, ready to pull if the situation demanded it.

  “You may think so now. But trust me. You want to hear what I have to say. I think you won’t want to use those bombs when we’re finished here.”

  “Well, you better get talking. Because, the truth is, I came here expecting to die. So I promise you that I’m going to use these bombs. I have nothing to lose.” Tsaeris said.

  “Nothing? What about the boy?” The man said, pointing to Aedrus.

  “Hey, Ginger,” Tsaeris said, looking at the boy. “If we’re just going to die anyway, you cool with me blowing them up as well?” Tsaeris asked. Aedrus didn’t even hesitate. He just nodded enthusiastically. ‘Atta boy, Tsaeris thought. “You see?” Tsaeris asked the man.

  “Yes, you’ve made your point. But there’s no harm in talking, is there?” The man asked.

  “Like I said, get on with it. Just make it quick. I’m in a pretty foul mood”

  “I think you should join us, Tsaeris,” The man said, bluntly.

  “Why the hell would I want to do that?” Tsaeris asked.

  “That’s a complicated question, with a complicated answer. Let me start by asking you this. Why do you serve the Initiative?” The man asked,

  “Because that’s who I am,” Tsaeris replied.

  “What I don’t understand, Tsaeris, is why you have this sense of loyalty to that organization. I keep wondering, why do you serve Gravelock?”

  “What, instead of serving you? Well, he hasn’t tried to kill me, or my friends, for starters. Let me ask you this. Why do you care? Why do you want me to join you?”

  “I didn’t, at first. At first I was quite decided on the idea that you had to be killed, but you evaded three attempts on your life. Then I started to see what he had been talking about. You were something special. I also realized that you were different in other ways. You don’t seem to have a false sense of righteousness or altruism. You do what you have to, but have managed to remain detached from it all. That’s a valuable asset.”

  “How do you know anything about me?” Tsaeris asked. Then the answer came to him. “Raina.”

  “Raina,” The man replied. “Raina is a dupe. An idiot. A foolish little girl. She should never have been raised to Elite status. She never had the stomach for the work, and I had to keep her thinking that we were still loyal to the Initiative. So you can sleep easy knowing that your friend was not really a part of it all. At least the killings. But she served her purpose. She did give us information about you. And she had no idea that you knew about us. So when I ordered her to seduce you tonight, I expected it would lead you to us. So she is to be rewarded.”

  “If you expect me to be impressed by the level of planning you put into this, don’t bother. I spend most of my time with puppet masters.”

  “Fine,” The man replied. “But there’s an even better reason for you to join me, Tsaeris. We share an enemy.”

  “What enemy?” Tsaeris asked,

  “Gravelock.”

  “Gravelock? Are you crazy?” Tsaeris asked.

  “Gravelock. Let me tell you something about Gravelock, and then you’ll understand. Gravelock doesn’t care about you, me or any of us, save for what we can do for him. He has pulled the strings of your life and mine, and laughed at the collateral damage his machinations have
caused,” The man said.

  “Alright, you got my attention.” Tsaeris replied.

  “Let me tell you my story, Tsaeris. Then you’ll understand why I did what I did. And you will find that we are not so different.”

  Tsaeris was interested, in spite of himself. The man had mentioned Gravelock pulling Tsaeris’ strings. Tsaeris had no problem following orders when it came to it, but he was his own man. He would hear this man out, but he kept his fingers beneath the pins of his explosives, and his ears alert. He would release them at the first sign of danger.

  “I was the leader of Gravelock’s Elites. His most loyal and talented soldier. Yet, my reward for service and for fulfilling my mission to perfection was abandonment and death. You stand in the rotting corpse of one of Gravelock’s plans, Tsaeris. Gravelock wanted The Purity Union gone from the city. He decided that if he had the Initiative destroy it, it would only be a temporary blow, and would all too quickly grow back. No, he decided that the people must destroy the Union. So he sent me, his loyal servant, his most trusted agent, to infiltrate the Purity Union.”

  The man removed his hood, revealing a shock of long blond hair, and a face ruined by fire. Tsaeris blinked. He had never seen this man, but he felt like he should know him.

  “My name is Dormic.” The man said.

  Dormic! How was this possible? Dormic had been killed after the bombing of the Dwarven Arms Fair. An event that had wounded The City and thrown its people into despair. This man had been behind the attack. How could he be a Third Eye Agent? This man was responsible for Cyra’s death.

  “They found your body. You were dead.” Tsaeris said.

  “There are chemicals out there that can make a man appear dead, Tsaeris. My heart beat was so slow, my breath so shallow that they left me for dead before setting my home on fire. When I awoke I barely escaped the fire. My face was ruined, but it was a price I was glad to pay for my life. I’m sure you can relate to that.”

  “Dormic. The only person I ever loved is dead, and it was your fault. I should kill you. And believe me, I’ll make sure that you’re actually dead.” Tsaeris said, holding up one of the bombs.

  “Don’t you understand, Tsaeris?” Dormic said. “I was ordered by Gravelock to infiltrate the Union, and to work my way up into a position of power. Which I did. I played the role to perfection. I acted pleased when the Union had me nominated for council. When elected, I crippled the career of Captain Blorick, one of the only truly good watchmen in the city. I did terrible things, things which I hated myself for. All for the sake of appearances, to protect my cover”

  Dormic paused, and began to pace. The expression on his face was haunted, and his shoulders seemed to slump under the weight of his regrets. He finally stopped pacing, and stared at Tsaeris. “When the power was mine, Gravelock ordered the bombing of the fair. I followed orders, as you do, and saw it done. It was for the greater good, Gravelock had told me. That lie kept me going. The greater good.”

  Dormic paused again, his eyes distant. Tsaeris began to tremble with rage, but didn’t speak. He wanted to hear the whole story. “Gravelock said that the bombing would incite the anger of the people, and they would tear down the Union. Not the Initiative, but the people. So I did as I was told. And Gravelock was right, the people tore the Union apart. When it was over, I was left to die at the hands of the mob. Gravelock had what he wanted, and knew that the people would blame me, and would not be satisfied without my blood. So he gave me to them. Me, his loyal puppet, while he, the puppeteer, lived on.”

  Tsaeris reeled at the revelation. Dormic had been an agent. The Third Eye initiative was behind the bombing of the Dwarven Arms Fair. He felt his world collapsing from beneath him.

  “Cyra was killed because of Gravelock, Tsaeris. If not for him she, and hundreds more, would be alive today. And Jarod, the good Doctor’s son. No, I am not the enemy, Tsaeris. Gravelock is.”

  “Why,” Tsaeris began, and then swallowed his emotions. “Why did you try to kill me?”

  “I tried to kill you to hurt Gravelock, Tsaeris. It was a mistake, and I regret it.” Dormic said softly.

  “How would killing me hurt Gravelock? I can understand how killing Elias and Tyrier would hurt him. But me? I’m nobody.” Tsaeris said.

  “No, Tsaeris. Gravelock has been obsessed with you since you were a boy. He tried to talk Elias into bringing you into the Initiative. When Elias refused, he had to force the issue. He had the Elites tell Pyron and his guild that you were stealing in his district. He knew that Pyron would harm you, and it would force Elias to recruit you to keep you safe.”

  “What?” Tsaeris asked. He was very aware of his missing eye at that moment. “That doesn’t make any sense. What if Pyron had killed me instead?”

  “There were steps taken to ensure that did not happen.” Dormic said, and gestured to the darkness. Another man stepped forward, and Tsaeris recognized his pointed features.

  “Rat Face,” Tsaeris said, shocked. Rat Face had been one of the men in Pyron’s guild, the one who had escorted him to the chamber.

  “Hey there, boy.” Rat Face said. “No hard feelings, yes? I kept an eye on things, would have intervened had Pyron gone for the kill. Sorry about all that. I served the wrong guy back then.”

  Tsaeris put his bombs back inside his coat. He clenched his fists together tightly, his rage threatening to take over. He felt betrayed. His life was never his own, he was a puppet. He had lost his eye, lost the girl he loved, and it was all because of Gravelock.

  “I have wronged you, Tsaeris.” Dormic said. “I was misguided, and was under the thumb of a monster. I want to make amends for that. That’s why I had Elias and Tyrier drugged. I did not want to take your family away from you. You have lost enough to the machinations of Gravelock. I am your ally. Together we can stop him. Take over the Initiative. Make it better, make it a true vessel of change. Gravelock wanted you because he sensed a power in you. An ability that transcends training. It’s innate, and a part of you. You will sit at my side, second only to me. Your Father and Uncle will be welcome within the new order as well.”

  Tsaeris knew Dormic was right. Gravelock had taken so much from him. Dormic honestly seemed to believe in what he was doing, and had suffered loss himself. Punished and given over to die for simply doing as he was ordered.

  “You belong with us, Tsaeris. You’re willing to do what needs to be done. You don’t have a line, like the others. You see the goal, and are willing to see it done. You’re not afraid to get your hands dirty. I know what you’re thinking. How does this make us better than Gravelock? The difference is that we will always know what’s at stake, what the end game is. There will be no shadow agenda, no loyal brother sent to die. Yes, the ends justify the means. But we deserve to always know what those ends are.”

  “What about Aedrus?” Tsaeris asked,

  “I’m sorry, Tsaeris. The novices must be culled. The brutality of their deaths will hurt the morale of the Initiative, and when we take over we need to start fresh. No novices under the old training. They can’t be set free, and they can’t be indoctrinated. They are too far gone for that. I spare Elias and Tyrier only as a gesture of goodwill to you, and in sympathy of all you have lost already. I can make no more exceptions.

  “I understand,” Tsaeris replied, and he did. It made sense. For this to work, the Elites would have to start the Initiative over again. With new values and new training.

  “I told you, this will be dirty work, and we can have no lines that we fear to cross. Our work will be bloody, but in the end the Initiative will be restored and we will be an order of good. We will stop the corruption, and make The City a better place. But first we must remove this infection. Gravelock’s infection.”

  “You don’t need to convince me anymore, Dormic. You’re right. Gravelock is an infection. He’s infected my life enough already, it seems. You said I would have a high ranking position?”

  “Second only to myself. And more money than you will ever spend.
”

  “Then I’m in,” Tsaeris said.

  “Welcome, brother.” Dormic said, and he embraced Tsaeris. “You’re old novice must be put down, Tsaeris. Do it quick, so as not to cause the boy pain.” Dormic said softly.

  Tsaeris nodded. He removed the short sword from his back, and approached Aedrus. He stared into his novice’s eyes, which were filled with betrayal, hurt, and fear. Tsaeris sighed.

  “It’s the only way, Ginger. I’m sorry,” Tsaeris said. “Close your eyes, boy.” Aedrus stared at him defiantly then, the fear replaced with anger, his eyes accusing. Tsaeris gave his novice one last impressed smile.

  He raised the short sword with his right hand. Aedrus continued to stare, waiting for the blade to fall. Tsaeris nodded to Aedrus, and then tossed a glass vial, that was concealed in his left hand, to the floor. A large cloud of smoke poured from the shattered glass and sticky residue on the floor, engulfing Tsaeris and Aedrus.

  “What are you doing?” Dormic shouted, coughing.

  “You were wrong about one thing, Dormic,” Tsaeris called from the cloud of smoke. “And you’re not the first to make this mistake. Hell, I wasn’t even sure myself until just now. The truth, Dormic, is that I do have a line.”

  Tsaeris emerged from the smoke, Aedrus at his side. Aedrus was holding Tsaeris’ short sword in his right hand.

  “I don’t kill kids.” Tsaeris said.

  Tsaeris tossed two small explosives into the shadows behind Dormic. They exploded almost immediately, sending Rat Face and two other men broken and bleeding to the floor. Flames began to crawl up the wall.

  “Why?” Dormic asked, facing Tsaeris. His voice was hurt, and full of regret. “After all that Gravelock has done to you, you are still his puppet. We could have made The City better, Tsaeris.”

  “I can’t forgive Gravelock for what he did, Dormic. He dealt us both some shitty cards. But I think I hate what you’ve done just a little bit more. I will not build a better city on the corpses of children, Dormic. And I won’t allow you to do it either.”