by J Clair
“That sounds terrible,” she grimaced. “And you say that’s the birthplace of the Sages? Are they like that?”
“They don’t flip as much as the villagers did, but they had their problems. Sometimes they could be deceptive.”
“The more I hear about and think about the Sages…the more nervous I get. They sounded like people I wanted to meet before. But after knowing Eckard, and seeing how Scarlet was at times…I’m not sure. What do you think? Should we go to Allay?”
“It might be safer than being out here in the open. And there really might not be anyone there. We’ll just be cautious.”
“You never know. We might find some allies there.”
“I wouldn’t hold my breath,” he muttered as they walked on. The forest seemed to continue on forever as they found only treehouses and even more trees. Eventually they hit a dense wall, created out of thorn bushes, thick vines, and fallen branches.
“I’ve got this,” Kace said as he began ripping the debris away from the center. Remi kept her attention on the forest around them but it was still. Eerily silent.
“Got it,” Kace grunted as he removed the last of the makeshift wall. They proceeded forward, to find more trees and less hope of finding Allay.
“We’re just being impatient,” Remi said aloud to herself. “That’s all.”
“It’s got to be around here somewhere. How much further could it…
A colossal iron gate appeared in the distance, just as they walked around a cluster of oak trees. A stone wall that was even higher than the gate itself extended for miles in both directions. Kace whistled as they stopped in their tracks.
“It’s a fortress,” he said as Remi examined it further. She couldn’t see past the gate though there were rectangular slits within the frame. There was a dense fog past its border. The walls were so tall that it appeared to keep out giants. The stones were once ivory white but now they were dirty and caked in mud. Remi frowned as she listened for signs of life. She could swear that she heard talking in the distance, but she wasn’t entirely sure. It was like someone was moving their mouth into the wind as if speaking, but not actually letting any words come forth.
“Should we go on?” Kace asked.
“Yes,” Remi said boldly. “I’m not afraid.” She made the first move, walking up to the iron gate and pushing at it lightly. Surprisingly, even with her lack of strength, the gates moved easily and they swung open wide. The wind died down instantly as the fog seemed to get even denser upon their entrance. Kace moved in front of her and then stared down at his feet. There was gravel beneath his feet. He had never stepped on a substance like it before, and so he wiggled his toes between the pebble like stones, trying to decide whether he enjoyed the sensation or it made his bare feet ache.
Remi walked over to the right side and rubbed her hand across one of the white stone circular pillars that were erected high up in the air. She noticed that there were cuts in the surface, caused by what had to have been a sword. She turned and squinted. The fog lightened up a bit, and she could see that there were pillars on the other side as well, fashioned exactly the same.
“It feels strange here,” Remi said. “Like we’ve walked into a ghost town.”
“Which we know don’t exist,” Kace muttered, looking up at the sky. “This fog is ridiculous.”
“It is a product of the nearby swamps,” a man said, stepping out of the fog as if he was born from it. Kace and Remi jumped up in shock and then scurried to each other’s side. The skinny man in the scholar’s robe chuckled to himself. He reached up and ran his fingers through his mop like hair. “Sorry to scare you. I couldn’t help myself. As I was saying, the fog is a product of our swamps. They were once blocked from the nearby rivers and therefore they weren’t receiving the proper nourishment, if you will. But we’ve rectified that and now we have a smokescreen available to us.”
“You’re Allayan?” Kace asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes and no,” he replied, clasping his fingers together. “I would love to explain further, but I would like to hear your names first.”
“What for?” Remi asked.
“Because it’s polite,” he said, giving them a large grin.
“Kace,” Kace replied. “And this is Remi.”
“Kace is a Quietus designation,” the man nodded. “Are you Quietus?”
“Depends on what that means to you.”
“Nothing bad. We accept all who are willing to be peaceful here.”
“I am Quietus,” he decided to say. The skinny man nodded and turned to Remi. “And Remi, my name is Jalen. Nice to meet you. Based on your designation, I would say that you come from the outskirts of Terra. Correct?”
“It is,” she said. “But what does that matter?”
“It doesn’t,” he laughed. “I just like to challenge myself.”
“We told you our names,” Kace said. “Now tell us where we are.”
“Allay,” he said. “And it’s good you arrived when you did. Terra is no longer safe, and at least here, you have a fighting chance. We’ve been preparing since the beginning, and just because we’re not established in Paragon or Cimmerian, it doesn’t mean we can’t hold our own.”
“What do you mean Terra isn’t safe?” Remi asked.
“I’m sorry to say,” he lamented, bowing his head, “that the war has begun. The first major attack occurred in Paragon yesterday.”
CHAPTER 12 - SMOKESCREEN
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“WHY NOW?” KACE SHOUTED FRANTICALLY, but Jalen put up a hand to calm him down.
“There will be time before such an event’s repercussions meets our borders. Don’t panic. Instead, I would like to ask you to come with me. Our King, Tyuin, would like to speak with you both.”
“Who is he allied with?”
“Paragon, but that’s not the purpose of his request. We’ve heard about your run-in with some Langorans recently. He would like a debriefing if you wouldn’t mind. You can discuss that,” he paused to point at the mark on her forehead, “and we can provide food and shelter as well. Is that adequate?”
“What do you think?” Kace asked Remi. “Go for it.”
“We have to trust someone at some point. Let them dig their own grave.”
“We’ll meet with the King,” Kace said. Jalen nodded and pointed behind them. “There is a carriage waiting for us outside the gate. It will take us directly to the castle through the north end. We can talk a lot more on the way.”
“After you,” Kace said, and Jalen immediately walked past them and out the courtyard. They followed behind him but they kept their distance, still unsure of what to make of Jalen. There were no guarantees that he was telling the truth, especially since he was the only one there. But true to his word, there was a carriage lying in wait, and there was another lanky man sitting on top with the horses’ rein in his hands. He nodded to the three of them as Jalen stepped into the carriage first. Kace and Remi climbed in and took a seat on the plush cushioning opposite of him. Remi rubbed a hand across the interior, in awe over the craftsmanship. It was made of cherry wood and stained dark while the seats were so soft that she felt sleepy the moment she sat down. There wasn’t much room in the carriage, but it was still comfy.
“Tell us more about the attack,” Remi asked and Jalen didn’t hesitate.
“We don’t know everything, but what we do know is that someone from Paragon helped a small militia from Cimmerian get past its borders. They didn’t do extensive damage, but from what we hear, some vital weapons were damaged in the battle. We also learned that Paragon sent out messengers to Cimmerian to discuss what happened and whether it was an isolated event. The messengers were slaughtered by Cimmerian’s forces in route.”
“So what happens now?”
“It’s believed that Cimmerian is seeing how Paragon reacts before they strike again. Either way, it’s not going to end well. If we strike back at Cimmerian, we may be walking into a trap. If we let this excur
sion go, we may show weakness. No one is sure what to do, but a decision must be made soon. Doing nothing is just as bad as the other two options.”
“That was smart of Cimmerian,” Remi replied. “By it being only a small attack on Paragon, it causes hesitation. No one wants all-out war, and especially if it’s over a hiccup like that. What was damaged though? Vital weapons?”
“Very powerful weapons,” Jalen sighed. “Forged from seven Sorcerers. Seven were given in Paragon and seven were given to Cimmerian in exchange for their neutrality. Like the Sages, the weapons were seen as crucial pieces in the upcoming chess game.”
“If that’s the case, then it had to have been a deliberate attack from Cimmerian. They have the edge as far as the weapons go.”
“We can’t confirm that.”
Remi sighed heavily. “Maybe not for sure. But it sounds confirmed to me. Especially if the messengers were killed.”
“Why don’t you have the Sorcerers make you another set?” Kace asked.
“Because it would be a violation of our agreement. You don’t understand. These Sorcerers are the eldest between the three worlds. They have honed their skills and learned things that we couldn’t in thousands of lifetimes. Once the worlds collided, they were immediately courted by both Cimmerian and Paragon, but not one wanted a part in the conflict as they knew that their contributions would upset the balance. As far as they’re concerned, they don’t exist.”
“But they do,” Remi scoffed. “And it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask.”
“They threatened to kill whoever did that.”
“Oh,” she said, sitting back in the seat. “But…there’s got to be something you can do.”
“Paragon is trying to appear concrete, but on the inside I’m sure they’re scrambling, attempting to make up for their losses. In the meantime, our King is concentrating on what we can do here in Terra, if anything. This is all very delicate.”
“Is Allay protected?”
“We wouldn’t be able to withstand an all-out attack from Cimmerian, but we can hold our own. For the moment we are on lockdown until our King has made a decision. Ah, we have arrived. This is the north end of Allay, where the castle lies in wait. You will be taken in here through a back entrance.”
“Why the back?” Kace asked.
“Because, young Quietus, if you know anything about the history of Allay, you know that the people are an anxious race. Though we have fostered as much independence and courage as possible, it will take many generations before the burdens of their forefathers have left their genetic code. Should we take you through the front, they may think that intruders have infiltrated our borders, or that the King is associating with the dregs of society. I am sorry young Quietus, but your people are not viewed in high regard.”
“No offense,” he muttered.
“Right this way,” he said, as they stepped out the carriage. The lanky man sitting on top of it once again nodded towards them. They nodded back and then headed toward the castle wall. Remi couldn’t see much. The top of it was blanketed by the dense fog and high branches from the trees. She turned her attention back to Jalen who pressed his hand up against the dirty white stone. A low rumble was heard and several stones began to shift backwards and then to the side, producing a man-sized, rectangular hole. They all walked inside and the hole was covered, blanketing them in darkness.
A knock on a steel door echoed throughout the pitch black chamber, and then a door opened from several yards away, flooding the room with light. Kace and Remi shielded their eyes with their forearms as they followed Jalen out. Just as she took a step into the light, it was only then that she noticed the chamber they had come from was a dungeon.
Rotted bones and maggots flooded the corners while hungry rats scurried under the sudden light. Remi gagged a little and tried not to look at it again. The view before her was much more majestic.
They were inside the castle now for sure. The halls were brightly lit with soft candles and large lanterns, illuminating a floor made of marble and walls covered in beautiful silk banners, landscape paintings and comfortable furniture. The width of the hall was wide, giving the three of them plenty of space to walk side by side, and the length went on for over a half mile. At one point, Kace silently motioned to Remi, in order to ask how she was doing, and she gave him a warm smile in return.
The castle was more than enough distraction. Kace smiled back and they walked on.
Finally they came upon a thick oak door, with hinges that creaked loudly when Jalen opened it. Inside was a thin man sitting at a long oak, oval-shaped table, dressed in the same scholarly robe as Jalen and the carriage driver were. Except his white robe was pressed tighter and the fabric was cleaner. With the bright lighting in the room, the robe shone brightly as if he was a full representative of Paragon, and Remi had the urge to activate her own white Sage robes, if only to see what they looked like in the lighting. It was one of the few times she thought about doing something simply out of fun. No purpose involved.
“Welcome,” the thin, finely dressed man said. He had a long brown beard that was combed and neatly kept. His eyes were small but warm, and he was bald, but from choice, not genetics. The man nodded to Jalen who bowed and took his express leave from the room. The creaking of the door stopped, and Remi and Kace found themselves all alone with the King of Allay. He motioned for them to sit down and they obeyed while they took in the room around them.
It was far less impressive than the hall. There was nothing beautiful per se. While it was bright, there were no paintings or decorations to speak of. Just a few wooden doors, the long table, a dozen chairs crafted out of cherry oak and the high ceiling.
The King cleared his throat and clasped his hands together, leaning onto the table.
“My name is Tyuin. I’m the King of Allay, but I don’t want you to think that you can’t speak candidly here. In the privacy of my home, you can address me as a peer.”
“That’s strange,” Kace commented, and Tyuin laughed heartily.
“Yes, it is. It is thought that a King should adhere to tradition and refrain from casual conversation, but I learned from an old friend long ago that kindness can be a very valuable tool in building relationships with the people around you, even when they may not deserve it.”
“Interesting,” Remi said. She couldn’t help but think of Olivia.
“I normally don’t allow strangers into the castle from the start, but considering I haven’t seen anyone new from outside these walls in six years, I saw it as a great opportunity. There’s much I could learn from you. Not to mention Cimmerian wants you dead. That interests me even greater.”
“The mark on my head,” Remi replied, and Tyuin nodded.
“Yes. For an unknown to receive a mark…you must hold some significance. A hundred marks passed out a year sounds like a lot but considering how many people have died throughout time, it is relatively nothing. For you to receive one…I must know why.”
“It’s because I released an eidolon in the new atmosphere.”
“An eidolon?” Tyuin’s eyes widened. “Are you a Deja?”
“I’m not.”
“So you were born after the Collision?”
“Yes.”
“That’s remarkable. No Sages have been born since then.”
“I’m not a Sage.”
“Perhaps not, but according to their tradition, it is the start of their journey in becoming one.”
“So far I have no interest in them,” Remi said, shifting in her seat.
“At least I now understand why you’re targeted. Let’s say you were able to have children, for example. The odds are that they would inherit your abilities are there. There are already a finite amount of Sages. Cimmerian wouldn’t want a full blown assembly line in the works.”
“Gross,” Remi said and Kace burst out laughing.
“Were you headed to Paragon?” Tyuin asked and Remi shook her head.
“Not really. We’re kind of just e
xploring for the time being.”
“You are welcome to stay here as long as you desire, although, for you Kace, you would have to remain in your current form. Any transformations would cause the Kingdom to go into an uproar.”
“No worries,” he said and Tyuin nodded.
“You will find that this is a safe haven. A sanctuary for your weary travels. You can come and go as you please but know that at any time you can come back here. We were once two races: Allayan and Prattlian, but now we are united as one, and under one roof.”
“Prattlian,” Kace said. “I knew that everyone we saw so far couldn’t be Allayan. I was wondering what happened to the Prattlians though. According to my people, they pretty much vanished.”
“Which of course, doesn’t make sense. No, the Prattlian people are still very much alive, but we all refer to ourselves as Allayans now, since we are united under this Kingdom.”
“Was it a takeover?”
“No, I was made King after a tyrant was overthrown. The problem was that I was Prattlian, and the Allayan people aren’t too fond of outsiders. Therefore, I and my people decided to refer to ourselves as Allayans from then on, so that there is no division amongst us.”
“Have the people responded well?” Remi asked.
“Very much so. And after a couple decades of being together, no one really sees the difference between the two. We are all Allayan here.”
“Nothing tests people like conflict,” Remi said, staring directly at the King. “So I’m curious to know what you and your people are going to do about the recent attack on Paragon.”
Tyuin burst out laughing. “I love the way you talk. It’s like you’re trying to assess a piece of property before you buy it.”
“Kind of,” she laughed. “I guess I’m still trying to figure out where I belong.”
“To answer your question,” Tyuin chuckled, “we’re not entirely sure what we’re going to do next. We’re in a predicament, because we live on Terra, and according to our knowledge, we’re the only established city on the planet. Everyone else is separated, living in camps or abandoned towns, while we have an army, weapons, and fortified walls at our disposal.”