The Beginning After the End: Book 7: Divergence

by TurtleMe

  “So, where can we meet?” There was desperation in his voice, but all I could picture was Lady Vera’s stern face, pinched with disappointment when I asked to skip extra lessons today.

  “I’m sorry, Nico, but I can’t. Lessons, you know? But I’m sure everything is going to be okay. Just keep your head down and don’t make trouble. Who knows, maybe this could even be a good thing, maybe someone will take notice and get help for Cecilia so she doesn’t have to rely on just—” I stopped, realizing I was about to put my foot in my mouth. So she doesn’t have to rely on just your inventions…

  “Oh, okay. I’m sorry, Grey. I’m sure you’ve got a lot on your plate, trying to be king and all. I’ll… well, I’ll let you go.” I could practically hear his shoulders slump and his head droop through the receiver. Lady Vera was right though, I had to keep my eyes forward, toward the future. If I became king, not only could I avenge Headmaster Wilbeck, I could keep Nico and Cecilia safe, too.

  “Give me a call once you find out what the enforcers’ intend to do, alright?”

  “Yeah, sure. Bye, Grey.” The line went dead.

  I sat by myself for a moment, thinking about Cecilia and Nico. It’s going to be fine, I told myself. Tell yourself that enough, Grey, and you might start to believe it.

  ARTHUR LEYWIN

  I opened my eyes, letting out a deep breath. It’d only been a few days since my last dream, or memory, or whatever these visions were, and this one was particularly bad. It was a memory that I would never forget, dream or no dream.

  I looked outside the window to see that the sun had yet to fully rise, which meant that I had at most only two or three hours of sleep.

  With a groan, I got out of bed and washed up, hoping cold water would help wash out the fatigue that seemed to have made a permanent home in my body.

  ‘You’re awake?’ my bond asked, not bothering to speak.

  “Yeah. I don’t think I can fall back asleep. Want to join me for a morning stretch outside?”

  ‘As enticing as that sounds, it would require me to get out of bed,’ she replied, pulling the covers over her head.

  “Growing children do need their sleep,” I agreed with a chuckle, drying my hair with a towel.

  ‘That immature retort speaks volumes about which one of us is the child,’ she replied casually.

  I let out a laugh. You got me there.

  After dressing in a plain, loose shirt and dark trousers, I headed for the door. As I passed my desk, I glanced down at the messy paper filled with bits and pieces of the poem that I tried to remember.

  On second thought, I’ll give Rahdeas a short visit. Hopefully he’s functional enough to repeat the poem or, even better, give me a straight explanation.

  I greeted the few maids and workers who were already awake and preparing for the day as I made my way down to the dungeon.

  Walking through the long, dimly lit hallway leading to the entrance of the first level, I spotted a familiar face guarding the door—using the term “guarding” very loosely.

  Albold Chaffer, the young elf who Virion had introduced me to on an earlier visit, was currently nodding off at his post beside the large metal door.

  With a smirk, I erased my presence and softened my breathing. I coated my footsteps in mana in the same precise manner I did back when I was training alone in the forests of Epheotus.

  Cautiously, I crept toward the sleeping guard, but as soon as I was within a few yards of the door, Albold’s eyes shot open and a thick layer of mana covered his body. His swords carved through the air between us as he unleashed a quick crossing attack. I stopped short, surprised that he had noticed my approach and reacted so swiftly.

  “General Arthur?” he said incredulously, quickly sheathing his twin blades. “Sorry about that, I swore I felt someone sneaking up on me.”

  “I was sneaking up on you. Weren’t you asleep?” I asked suspiciously.

  “Ah… you caught me.” Albold looked at his feet. “Please don’t tell Commander Virion. I only have a few days left doing guard duty. I can’t stay here any longer!”

  “Relax, I was just impressed,” I chuckled. “Virion was right, your senses are good.”

  “It’s saved my ass more than a couple times in my life,” Albold said, smiling sheepishly. “So, what can I do for you, General?”

  “I need to speak to a prisoner,” I replied. “Is Gentry inside?”

  Albold nodded and opened the door. “I can’t think of a time where he hasn’t been inside.”

  Albold led me inside, and we soon found Gentry asleep on a cot in one of the nearby cells.

  “Who... Wh-what’s going on?” Gentry mumbled when we shook him awake. “G-General? To what do I owe the pleasure of your disturbing my rest?”

  “Just returning the favor,” I said with a smirk. “Can you open Rahdeas’s cell for just a moment? There’s something I want to ask him,” I explained.

  The interrogator rubbed his eyes as he stood and stretched, his joints cracking and his bones creaking like an animated skeleton. “Of course—and my apologies again for calling the entire Council. I was certain that the traitor was going to reveal something important.”

  Gentry set about unlocking the door that led down to the lower level of the dungeon. After a few clicks, he motioned for Albold to help, and the two of them heaved the doors open.

  We all froze. Gentry’s assistant was splayed out on the floor with several black spikes through his body. Seeing the spikes, my gaze immediately veered toward the cell that Uto was in; the vault door was open, and the retainer stood just outside it, leaning against the wall.

  Heart hammering in my chest, I immediately imbued mana around me and threw myself in front of Gentry and Albold, fearing that Uto would attack at any moment, but the retainer was completely still and silent.

  “Duve!” Gentry cried, oblivious to the retainer.

  “He—he’s dead,” I muttered, focused solely on Uto. As my mana-enhanced eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could make out the spikes piercing through his chest and stomach, pinning him to the wall like an insect pinned in a box. He was smiling.

  “Rahdeas!” I stepped inside the dungeon and immediately felt the magic-restricting wards draining away my protections. Jumping over the assistant’s corpse, I swung open the door to Rahdeas’s cell, only to see that the old dwarf had met the same fate as Uto and Duve.

  He was dead.

  206

  Brother’s Consent

  I knew that the unexpected deaths of Rahdeas and Uto would be enough to send a ripple of panic through every echelon of the noble families, both within the castle and without. Holding two major Alacryan prisoners created a certain semblance of power and control for the people of Dicathen.

  To prevent chaos, the Council did what countless leaders have done when faced with similar setbacks: They covered it up.

  Gentry, Albold, and I were all questioned thoroughly by the Council since we were the ones present at the scene.

  Considering the black spikes used to skewer the three corpses, it was obvious none of us were responsible for the attack. Still, a majority of my day was taken up by this. Eventually Gentry was left to grieve over his assistant, who he apparently cared very much for, and Albold was released from his guard duty and sent back to Elshire Forest to assist the forces there.

  As for me, I was standing in front of Virion in his private office. He sat behind his desk with a grim expression.

  “Cynthia Goodsky died this way as well, right?” I confirmed.

  Virion nodded, his eyes unfocused.

  “You must be worried about everyone’s safety. Three people have been killed, apparently by enemy forces, in the most secure location in Dicathen—a flying castle that has existed since ancient times.”

  “Do you think I’d allow people to stay here if I was worried for their safety?” Virion retorted. “I’m not in the mood for tests, Arthur. I know you noticed as well. It was the same with Cynthia.”

  “
It’s good that you realized,” I said, smiling sadly.

  No one had infiltrated the castle. No matter how much I thought it over, it just wasn’t possible. The layers of defense that one would have pierce in order to get inside of this castle, not to mention breaching the prison level, just to kill two prisoners—it didn’t add up. If an intruder could get into the castle, why not attempt to assassinate the Council? Or one of the Lances? It didn’t make any sense, which led me to the answer that the attack had to have come from within.

  Not from someone on our side, but from within Rahdeas and Uto’s bodies.

  Just like Cynthia, who had a powerful curse embedded inside her, it made sense for Rahdeas and even a retainer to have that as well in case they were captured. From the way the black spikes seemed to bloom out of Rahdeas and Uto’s bodies, I felt sure that their curse had been activated.

  As for Duve—Gentry’s unfortunate assistant—it seemed he had just been caught in the explosion of spikes that shot out from within the two prisoners.

  That had to be the case; it doesn’t make any sense otherwise.

  Agrona had made it clear that the whole point of this war was to take over this continent with as few casualties as possible so that he could conquer and utilize the resources—living and non-living—available here to strengthen his power and attack Epheotus head on. It wouldn’t make sense for him to kill only the prisoners if he had the power to send someone inside the castle.

  Does that mean Rahdeas revealed something important? It was too much of a coincidence that he died right after telling me that poem. Had Rahdeas purposely communicated in the form of a poem to try to bypass the curse? Cynthia’s curse had restricted her from revealing, or even thinking about revealing, anything relevant.

  “Any plans for what to do next?” I asked, forcing myself out of the never-ending web of speculation in my head.

  “For now, consolidating the priorities of the Council members comes first. They were already restless after the attack on the southern borders of the Elshire Forest. Now this…” The old elf let out a ragged sigh that seemed to contain a bit of his weathered soul. “To be honest, Arthur, I’m at quite a loss at the moment. This war… the scale is so unlike any war this land has faced, yet—”

  “Things have been too quiet,” I finished. “I agree. I feel like something big is about to happen. I’m just not sure what.”

  The room grew quiet as we both mulled over our thoughts. Eventually, Virion let out a cough. “Well, no use worrying right now. There are things that must be done. Arthur, you’re on standby as of now, correct?”

  “Yes.”

  General Aya was currently stationed in Elenoir, while General Mica assisted in the investigation of the radical group in Darv. General Varay was helping to fortify the major cities across the western coast. Finally, General Bairon was supposed to be scouting the northern range of the Grand Mountains, searching for any signs of retainers or Scythes. I had wanted to help out, but because the Alacryans had been so quiet, despite the seemingly random attack on the outskirts of Elshire Forest, there was nothing that needed my attention.

  “Okay. For now, stay in the castle and get used to your new core. You’ll be sent out immediately if any of the cities report anything unusual, so I need you to be in top condition,” Virion declared. I turned to leave when Virion’s voice called out from behind, bringing me to a stop. “Oh, and Arthur?”

  Looking back at the commander over my shoulder, I responded, “Yes?”

  He smiled. “I know you don’t care for this kind of thing, but as a Lance, don’t you think you should be dressed a bit more appropriately?”

  Looking down at the loose shirt and dark trousers I had on, I chuckled. “Perhaps I should.”

  Several minutes later I had arrived outside of my room, and I could hear a faint voice speaking from inside; it sounded like my sister.

  “...have to help me, okay? Promise?”

  Sylvie must’ve told her I was here because my sister stopped talking.

  Opening the door, I was greeted by Ellie and Sylvie, who were sitting on the couch. Boo, who was lying on the ground with his giant head propped up on top of my bed like a pillow, acknowledged my presence with a snort before closing his eyes.

  “H-hi, Brother,” my sister said, smiling weakly.

  Sylvie gave a simple wave of her hand.

  That’s not suspicious, I thought.

  ‘You’re over-thinking,’ my bond immediately replied back, making it even more suspicious.

  “Anyway, what happened for you to be gone so long?” my sister asked, clearly a bit upset that I hadn’t had the chance to spend time with her since I came back.

  “Just more meetings I had to attend,” I said vaguely. “Anyway, I’m free now.”

  “Does that mean you’ll finally spend some time with your precious sister?”

  “Yup, if you’re okay with the training grounds, that is. Sylv and I both have things to test before an actual fight.”

  “That’s exactly what I was about to suggest!” my sister exclaimed, grabbing her bow, which was propped up against the wall beside her.

  Before we left, I changed into more socially appropriate attire, which was just a high-collared military tunic that covered the red scars on my neck and a more fitted pair of trousers. Compared to the rest of the Lances, I was still dressed rather casually but at least I didn’t look like some farmer’s kid.

  “Your hair is almost as long as mine. When are you going to cut it?” Ellie asked teasingly as I tied my hair back.

  I shrugged. “When I feel the need to.”

  We made our way to the training room. A pair of soldiers guarded the area, and they were arguing over something when we approached.

  “I’m telling you that it’s not the—General Arthur!” The armored man on the left clicked his heels and saluted and his companion did the same.

  “There are currently several mages practicing inside. Would you like us to clear them out?” the guard on the right asked as they let us inside.

  Because of the sheer power that could be generated from a white core mage, the training room was usually emptied and the walls were additionally fortified when a Lance trained.

  “No need. I’m not the one training today,” I said, following my excited sister through the doors. Sylvie and Boo trailed behind us as we stepped onto the loose earth that made up the floor.

  The large room was lively; various nobles around my sister’s age, all well-adorned in stylish robes and tunics, tested spells while guardians and tutors looked on and provided instruction. Those training here all had privileges that extended from family members of high rankings within the army. Being able to live and train in the castle meant that they were safe, a luxury that only the top houses and the families of captains had.

  Seeing the large entrance open, a few heads turned my way, and the private instructors and adults all immediately recognized me and bowed respectfully.

  A woman who looked a few years older than my mother walked up to me with an amiable smile. “It’s an honor to see a Lance like this. If you are here to train, I will take my son and his friends elsewhere to learn.”

  “It’s okay,” I smiled back. “Just here to stretch a little. Don’t mind us.”

  “Hurry up!” Ellie exclaimed, already several yards ahead.

  “If you’ll excuse me…” I followed after my sister with Sylvie and Boo in tow.

  “Your sister really wants to impress you,” Sylvie said with a smile. “Don’t be too hard on her.”

  “Aww, that’s no fun.” I glanced at my bond. “Get ready to ‘stretch’ as well. I want to see what you can do before we get into an actual battle.”

  “Is that okay with all of these people here?” she asked.

  “We’ll tone it down a bit. If we really wanted to go all out, we’d have to find a very large valley somewhere very uninhabited.”

  My bond snorted. “True. Very well, I’m also curious to see how well I’ve a
djusted to this new form.”

  Making our way to the far end of the training grounds near the pond, I launched a slab of earth at my sister.

  “Incom—” I was cut off as three arrows of mana pierced through the slab, shattering it.

  Ellie turned her head back at me with a smirk. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Brother.”

  Sylvie and I exchanged glances.

  “Looks like I might not get the chance to be hard on her,” I said, shaking my head.

  Time passed quickly in the training grounds despite the fact that all I did was create targets for my sister. It gave me the chance to really test the limits of what I could create with organic magic. Freeforming spells into odd and sometimes intricate shapes seemed to fascinate the children who had gathered around us to watch the show.

  The noble kids would ooh and ahh as I conjured birds made of ice to flit around in the air while my sister attempted to shoot them down. Some of these spells weren’t very applicable in battle, but it helped me metaphorically stretch my abilities and see what I could and couldn’t do in a set amount of time.

  I tried raising earthen soldiers like Olfred, the traitorous dwarven Lance, had been able to, but after raising three simple humanoid golems, my control over them faltered to the extent that they simply mimicking each other’s movements. My asuran trainer, Wren, was able to control hundreds of golems at a time, each so precisely that they seemed like sentient beings.

  A shame one is forbidden to help and the other is dead. Not that either would have offered to teach me if they were here. The thought left a bad taste in my mouth.

  Rather than dwelling on the past, I focused my attention on the task at hand. I owed it to Ellie to be present for her.

  Let’s try kicking things up a notch.

  With a wave of my arm, I conjured a current of fire that began twisting and shaping itself into the form of a huge, flaming bear. The ground where its legs touched sizzled from the heat as I willed my creation to walk toward Ellie.