“They might not have had time.”
“They had plenty of time,” Kyran said. “Perhaps the culprits are still here in the city, watching us from above.”
“Let’s get them before they escape!” Chloe shouted, rushing the building with blinding speed. Kyran tried to keep up, but she was gone before he could take a breath. He stayed the course though, leaping over the wreckage as he slowly made his way to the entrance. He hoped Chloe wouldn’t do anything rash.
Surprisingly, he found Chloe at the entrance, staring down at the ground as she paced back and forth. Kyran raised an eyebrow and approached her cautiously.
“What is it?” he asked.
“It’s him,” she muttered. “I…I can’t go up there.”
“Who? Th—oh,” he said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me? I could use some backup.”
“I’d rather not, if you don’t mind. I…if you get in trouble, I’ll be there.”
Kyran nodded as he burst through the closed double doors. He didn’t look back at Chloe because he had to concentrate on what was up above, but he was still shocked by how paralyzed she was. She was the strongest Sage of them all, and here she was, cowering before the might of another, who had not shown that he was more powerful through brute strength, but by the simplicity of his strategy. It was the kind of power that Kyran would respect if it hadn’t been done on his wife.
Kyran took the platform up, and he stilled his thoughts as he was cast into utter darkness. He could hear nothing. Feel nothing. There were no signs that anyone was up there, and the fact that Chloe had sensed him before he walked into the building was unnerving. Or had his senses dulled since they last met?
Kyran reached the top and his eyes were flooded with light. Instinctively, he clutched his invisible dagger and crouched low, knowing that if he was attacked, they would aim high first.
But no attack came.
And then he sensed him.
Kyran’s eyes adjusted and he saw the lone man standing in front of the gigantic windows with his hands crossed behind his back, as if he was ready to be taken away to prison. Kyran stood up slowly to his feet as to not cause an alarm, and he took a few steps toward the man.
Gideon turned his head toward Kyran and smiled.
“Kyran,” he said, in a friendly, casual manner.
Kyran nodded, but didn’t say a word. He had thought about what he would do if he ever got his hands on Gideon. None of those thoughts could be explained in front of children. The trauma that Chloe had experienced from his hands had nearly been crippling, and it was a miracle that she was still functioning. He wouldn’t risk that again.
“I don’t want to fight,” Gideon said, sensing the Sage’s bloodlust.
“No,” Kyran said. “You want to subdue me through trickery.”
“I’m all alone, Sage. Do a sweep of the surroundings with the eidolon if necessary. You will see that we are alone, besides your wife down below. Why didn’t she come up?”
“You know why.”
“I’m surprised. I thought she was stronger than that. She knows that the people she killed wasn’t her fault, right?”
“She knows, but that doesn’t mean the memories aren’t there. And besides, it’s not like the real killer has truly paid for those crimes.”
“Yes,” Gideon sighed, turning back to the windows. “One could certainly say that. Though I assure you. I am suffering.”
“No one cares,” Kyran said. “You’re here. Roaming free while your victims no longer exist. Their families have to go through life without them, and you want to complain about suffering? You will get no sympathy from me.”
“I wasn’t looking for it. I was merely stating a fact. Now, what I can do for the great assassin?”
“Why are you here?”
“I learned that some of my students had gone through here so I came to investigate. I’m not fond of their handiwork.”
“It seems right up your alley. Murder. Destruction. You’re saying that you didn’t sanction this?”
“Not at all. I am a pariah once again searching for a place to call home. It would seem that in my absence, the Solon movement has evolved in something more sinister. Without proper guidance, the impressionable youth that I once inspired are now seeing violence as the one and only answer.”
“What do they want?”
“I’m not sure. All I know is that it’s based in anarchy. Delilah isn’t the only place that has been affected. Cities in Paragon have as well.”
“You should be proud.”
“No,” he lamented, turning to face Kyran for a moment before glancing back out the window. “I don’t want any of this, and I take it upon myself to stop it.”
“You’re planning on killing them?”
“I’ll try talking with them, but I don’t know if I can persuade them from their taste of blood.”
“They are only following your example. You should have thought of this before you tried to make your mark on the world.”
“It is my fault, and I realize that I was a fool. But I no longer see brute force as the answer. When you’re in a cell, all you have time to do is think—about your shortcomings, what you should have done differently, or how your life could have gone. Perhaps if I had opted for a peaceful life in the countryside, I would be happier. But this is just conjecture. Would it have really brought me happiness? Or would I be screaming as I watched my home burn and my family be slaughtered? We all make grave decisions in the wars of our lives, and it’s not always our fault that we can’t see the forest before the trees. We do what we can with the little knowledge we acquire along the way. We hungrily lap up the bread crumbs in our path without wondering about the origin of the sustenance or who dropped it in the first place.”
“You talk a lot.”
“I do,” Gideon laughed. “That might be my problem.”
“So you didn’t fully answer my question. Why are you here? In this building?”
“I’m searching for the youth, but I can’t find them. I’m lost. I was wondering…if you might be able to help me.”
“I don’t know if you still use your eidolon or not, but if you did, you would notice that there are more important matters to take care of.”
“Ah, yes. The Sorcerers. Frightening creatures. They make the Sages look like pups.”
“We could use your help.”
“You would partner with me? After all I’ve done.”
“No, I would use you. There’s a difference.”
“And what would your wife say?”
“It doesn’t matter. Feelings have no place in war. There is only victory.”
“In another life, we would have gotten along handsomely.”
“I would have killed you in another life.”
“Then I guess it’s good things went the way they did.”
“Do you know where Elian is? He’s one of the leaders of the Delilah.”
“I don’t know who that is.”
“What about Harry and Lucy? The current leaders of the Sage Academy.”
“Haven’t you heard? The Academy has been destroyed.”
“I’m aware,” Kyran huffed. “Answer the question. Where are they? They wouldn’t just fade off in the background.”
“Last I heard, they were heading to Cimmerian. I don’t know why though. I’ve been busy.”
“Two more questions and I’m done with you. Answer me truthfully and you might live to see tomorrow.”
“Go ahead,” Gideon said, facing him directly.
“Do you know what happened to Bastion and Lily? They were here protecting the city but it’s apparent that they failed.”
“My youth…they…they took the boy away. I didn’t see the girl, so she could either still be hiding or she’s inside of him. Though, if she had seen him in danger, I doubt she would have stayed still with her brash attitude. Also, she wouldn’t stay hidden after seeing me wander the streets, so I have to surmise that she’s with him. I didn�
��t get to the city in time, but from what I could sense, a great battle was taken place. It would seem that my youth defeated him.”
“You said that they carried him off. Where?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. The trail went cold quickly, as if someone knew that I was watching and they were making sure to cover their tracks.”
“Then I have to ask: if you can’t find them, what will you do next?”
“I’m sure I’ll come across the Solons again at some point, but until then, I would like to atone for my sins in any way possible. I know that I can’t make up for the lives I’ve taken or marred, but I can try, beginning with this city. I can help you rebuild, and I would very much like to apologize to your wife.”
“That might not be a good idea,” Kyran said.
“No!” they heard Chloe shout from behind Kyran. “No, it’s not.”
“Chloe,” Kyran began, but she growled at him through clenched teeth. He got the message and shut up for the moment.
“You were taking too long,” she said to him, her face softening. “I thought that he had gotten a hold of you, so I took the long way up. I scaled the inside of the platform shaft with my eidolon until I reached the top. As I got closer…I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Why are you talking to him? Kyran, I don’t understand.”
“In times of war, even enemies can become allies,” he replied.
She glared at Gideon and clenched her fists tight. “I don’t care what’s going on. I’m not going to work with that monster.”
“Chloe, I’m sorry,” Gideon said, raising his hands in surrender. “I think that—”
“Don’t you say my name!” Chloe shouted, her voice so loud that the windows vibrated. “The last time I heard you say my name, you were giving me the order to kill. I still see their faces. I still hear their screams. You think I’m going to just side with you after what you’ve done.”
“Like James, he will pay for his crimes after this has been settled,” Kyran said. “Bastion and Lily have been taken by Solons, and these Sorcerers are too powerful. We need help.”
“They were probably taken under his command!” she shouted.
“It makes no sense for him to be here after retrieving Bastion. I am not saying that I forgive or forget his actions. I am saying that he is an asset that can be used for the greater good.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head adamantly. “Never. I’ll never agree to this. You can side with him if you like, but I’m out. There’s no way I’m doing this.”
“Chloe, you have to put your personal feelings aside. I think that—”
“I AM!” she shouted in Kyran’s face. “I hear what you’re saying. It sounds like a good point, but I just can’t personally bring myself to go along with it. I can’t fight side by side with him. I’m not abandoning you, I’m not running from the war, and I’m not giving up on Bastion. I’m not telling you that you can’t partner up with him to get the job done. All I’m saying is that I’m not. No. Not after what he made me do. I’m not going to risk going through that again, and if you don’t like it, I JUST DON’T CARE!”
Kyran’s eyes widened in surprise as he stepped back in shock. Chloe had never yelled at him like this before.
“Well,” Kyran stammered. “That’s fine. You can look for survivors in Delilah and make sure they’re okay. I’ll work out the details with Gideon.”
“Fetch me when you’re done talking,” she said as she leapt down the platform shaft.
Gideon whistled. “I saw my life flash before my eyes.”
Kyran glowered at him. “Make no mistake. Whether it’s by my hand or hers, you will face execution. James and the Academy may have been light on sentencing, but we are not.”
“It’s funny you should say that, considering Scarlet probably thought the same thing about you.”
Kyran didn’t say anything.
“What?” Gideon asked. “Don’t be surprised. I was a cadet at the Sage Academy, remember? We know all about what went on during the journey of the five stones. Scarlet wanted Chloe dead, and she didn’t care much for you either, but even she saw the value of keeping the two of you around. I hope that you can share in her sentiment.”
“You talk too much,” Kyran muttered.
“So I hear…well, now that we’re working together, what now?”
“We head home for the war,” Kyran said. “I hope you have more friends in Allay than you do here in Delilah.”
Chapter 14 – The Sorcerer’s Gambit
“I regret nothing,” Tyuin said to the sky. Catherine, Red, Violet, Scarlet and James were escorted to the balcony at the castle the moment they hit the eastern gate. The guards recognized the Sages immediately from descriptions in old texts and drawings handed to them by the King himself. James was disappointed that he was unable to see the village and all its newfound glory, but at least he would still be able to witness some familiar sights.
Entering through the north gate and traveling through the dungeons and back halls brought him back to the days when he was younger and he and Catherine ruled the throne. It felt like an eternity ago, but nothing made him think back to the past more than when he saw the meadow before Tyuin. Even though an old friend and the very King of Allay was before him, all he could concentrate on was the soft grass and beautiful landscape below the balcony.
So much had happened on that meadow. It was where he and his friends used to play, where he and Catherine got married, where they defeated Thorn, and now he was back. What new memories would be formed from being there?
“It’s beautiful,” James found himself saying. Puzzled faces popped up amongst his friends. Tyuin chuckled to himself.
“Ever the daydreamer,” he said. Catherine walked over to the King and shook his hand as Red, Violet, and Scarlet remained quiet in the background.
“You said you regret nothing,” Catherine replied. “What do you mean?”
“I assume you’ve heard about Marie and the others. How they were handed over to Delilah forces. I don’t regret my decision. It was necessary for the sake of this Kingdom.”
“Whatever decision you have made for the good of the people is okay with me. Regardless of our allegiances.”
“I wonder if you would say such things if you had been in their number.”
“I might have been angry, and I surely would have fought against you, but at least I would understand when I sat and thought about it. Don’t worry, Tyuin, I won’t hold it against you, though I do hope that they are still safe.”
“The Delilah have not been forthcoming with information as of late. It worries me, and reminds me a little too much of Paragon, who seems to have fallen off the map altogether.”
“What do you mean?”
“No matter how many scouts or messengers I send there, they come back empty handed, saying that they aren’t allowed past the gates. The guards are there, but they say nothing besides that. I’ve sent spy units along the walls and they’ve never returned. I don’t understand. Are we allies or has war been declared without my knowledge? I don’t say much to the people about for fear of panic, but even they have grown suspicious. The rumors aren’t hard to hear in such close walls.”
“I can’t speak for Paragon. I haven’t been there that long, but recently, we did come across a great deal of destruction. It’s said to be the Cimmerian’s doing, but I don’t think that’s entirely true. There are greater threats than even they.”
“I hope you’re not talking about this Sorcerer business.”
“You’ve heard of them.”
“Simply the title. Little more than that. I hear they are like gods. What am I supposed to do with that?”
“The people are scared, and are merely searching for a way to make sense of all this. They know that Allay is the last stable city on Terra. If it falls, there will be nowhere else to go but to foreign lands.”
“So what am I to do?”
“Are you prepared for an assault?”
“Would you be opposed to us doing an inventory?”
“Do as you like,” he sighed, leaning on the balcony’s brick railing. “You might be able to give this old mind some rest. It’s the Prattlian’s plague, you see. We think too much for our health.”
“Scarlet,” Catherine said, turning to her. “Please take Red and Violet with you and perform a sweep of the city. See what where the enemy would attack us from, and how we can defend against it. Tyuin, may we have some of your guards escort them so they won’t come across any opposition?”
“Sure,” he said, waving to two of his armored guards standing beside him. “Take them anywhere they please. We have no secrets here.”
“Thank you,” Catherine said to the guards and then she nodded to Scarlet. They left in a hurry, and Tyuin was aware of their haste.
“It would seem that you have much to tell me,” he said, still watching Scarlet and the Knights take their leave. “Otherwise, there would be no need to hurry.”
“Unfortunately,” Catherine sighed. “Allay will more than likely be targeted next by our enemies. Paragon has fallen.”
“Completely?”
“At least a couple of the major cities. The countryside is intact for now, but none of the warriors and weapons are there.”
“Who’s coming? Cimmerian?”
“Cimmerian may be our ally in all this. Those two men that were with Scarlet? They’re two Ancient Knights.”
“What’s that?”
“We don’t have time to explain. All you need to know is that the Sorcerers are real, and they are trying to control the tide of this battle.”
“Are they like the Quietus?”
“Much worse,” James replied. “We’ll tell you what we can, but we have to start fortifying Allay now. They could be here at any time.”
* * *
“Thank you for coming with me,” Kyran said as they walked through the thick piles of leaves. Chloe cast her eyes to the ground and stared at her feet. She didn’t feel like talking. Kyran brushed his hands along the bark of the trees as they traversed. They were dying, and it didn’t take his eidolon to tell him. The way the bark was so brittle. The color was all wrong. The brown was beginning to fade into gray and the branches were beginning to fall off with the leaves. He noticed that the death wasn’t regulated sporadically either. The whole forest leading up to Allay had declined in health. Though it wasn’t yet winter, there was not a bird or animal in sight. No signs of nests or picked fruit. How were the people of Allay faring?
The Last War (Book #9 of the Sage Saga) Page 11