Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3)

by Julius St. Clair

  “Excuse me?” Dominic asked, studying the stranger further. At least he wasn’t armed…unless he was a Quietus in disguise.

  “I said that Kyran did not miss. That, I can assure you.”

  “Then…where am I?”

  “The meadow next to the Quietus forest. Though you were dying, you are very much alive now. Though…we can’t talk long. I have guests on their way to my palace.”

  “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “I am the King of Zen-echelon, and I come to you with a proposition.”

  “Why would I talk to you?” Dominic spat. “You’re my enemy.”

  “Funny, considering I wasn’t the one that killed you.”

  “Where’s Catherine?! What did you do with her?”

  “I said I don’t have much time,” the King scowled. “So try to refrain from talking while I explain. I’ve been observing you all, and I’ve noticed that you are the runt of the litter. Misunderstood, neglected, denied, overshadowed…murdered. You have no place with the Sages. And James has no place by Catherine’s side. I wish to restore all to its proper place. Join me. Assist me in my ambitions, and I will not only give you power beyond your imagination, I will also give you the Princess, and the head of James on your wall.”

  “And what is your ambition?”

  “Now…that doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that you get what you desire. Who cares what happens to everyone else? Follow me, and I will give you immortality.”

  “If you can grant me what you say, then I will be your warrior. I haven’t felt like I belonged with him for a while now. But tell me, how did you bring me back to life?”

  “As long as your head isn’t severed, resurrection is not out of my grasp,” he stated. “And if you had denied me…death would have welcomed you once more.”

  How could he have so much power? Dominic thought as the King of Zen-echelon stretched out a hand. Dominic smiled, shook it, and in an instant, they disappeared.

  Chapter 4 – The Kingdom of Zen-Echelon

  The Quietus stared in awe at the power of the Princess - winds originating from the stone swirling around her like a miniature tornado, her hair stretching to its limits towards the ceiling and the strange markings blazing so hot that the sight of them made the viewer temporarily blind. Her eyes had lost their pupils and the raw energy pouring out of her was nearly sending Jester off his chair and into the dirt. Jester was laughing manically as she contemplated her next move.

  “WHEW!” he laughed. “Before you blow dry my hair, can I get a shampoo?”

  “How do I get to Zen-echelon?” Catherine ordered, but Jester just smiled.

  “I already told you. Your threats mean nothing. You carry them out and people die.”

  “We can defend ourselves,” Nadia declared.

  “Maybe,” Jester said, “but the Princess doesn’t believe you.”

  “If you’re here to rip out my heart,” Catherine said. “Why haven’t you done it yet?”

  “Because I’m having fun. Simple as that.”

  “Is there any way we can get the answers we need?” Catherine asked, turning to Nadia. “What of the warriors that encountered him? Did any of them provide any vital information?”

  “They’re not too much help,” Nadia admitted. “After Jester surrendered, it was like their minds got scrambled, like he infected them with a disease.”

  “What are their symptoms?”

  “They’ve gone deaf and blind, and they babble on and on. Nothing coherent. We haven’t figured out what to do with them yet.”

  “Can you bring one of them to me? Preferably one that used to be quite bright. “

  Nadia nodded towards the rooftops and the watchful Quietus began scurrying away to follow their leader’s orders. Catherine sighed and powered down, her hair falling back into its bouncy curls, the symbols crackling back under the surface of her olive skin and her beautiful green eyes flashing back to normal. Jester chuckled as he watched and closed his eyes as if he was to take a nap. Nadia and Catherine didn’t antagonize any further, deciding to wait for the soldier to return.

  After a few minutes, a shuffling was heard from above and two Quietus villagers came down with the prize in tow, held up by the arms on both sides. The former Quietus warrior was babbling alright, foaming at the mouth and letting his scythes unsheathe in and out of his forearms wildly. Catherine could see that the two who retrieved him had already been cut multiple times. One of them had sustained a deep gash across the abdomen and was already trying to regenerate it.

  They placed the warrior in the dirt, a few yards from Jester, and there he sat with maniacal eyes, staring at the ground like it was the most fascinating thing he had ever witnessed, still releasing and retracting his blades back and forth. Catherine walked towards the man and sat down next to him. Nadia became alarmed and reached out to pull her back but the Princess put up a hand to stop her.

  “No, Nadia,” Catherine said. “This has to be done. Please don’t interfere.”

  “I can’t promise he won’t attack you.”

  “I know,” she said. “But this is the only way.”

  Catherine closed her eyes and reached the palms of her hands forward, slowly extending toward the babbling man’s forehead. As she approached, his mumbling became less erratic and his twitching slowed, but his scythes were still moving at its frantic pace. Catherine ignored the warnings and plunged ahead, suddenly grabbing the temples of his head and powering up simultaneously, her hair exploding and the purple winds surrounding them both.

  Catherine grit her teeth as she focused on healing his mind to unlock the treasures stored within. There was no guarantee it would work, but she was willing to give up many precious years of her life in order to find out.

  After only a few seconds, the man’s scythes sheathed and stayed put. His babbling ceased and his eyes were becoming steady. Soon, he looked directly at Catherine, studying and admiring her. The Princess was sweating now, and her curls had lost its buoyancy, becoming limp and damp. Seeing that she was stressed, the man suddenly grabbed her cheeks with the palm of his hands, making her snap open her eyes in shock. The man smiled.

  “Hi, my name is Lex,” he said seductively. “And what type of angelic creature might you be?”

  “Lex, shut up,” Nadia snapped. “Geez, only two seconds back in reality and he’s already making moves.”

  “No, Nadia, she’s different,” Lex said as he studied Catherine’s lips. “I think I might be in love with this one.”

  “Catherine, are you okay?” Nadia asked, ignoring him. Catherine blinked and then took a deep breath before carefully removing Lex’s hands from her face. She stretched out a hand and together they helped each other stand to their feet. Jester tried clapping in the background but then realized he was still tied up. He began pouting as Catherine wiped the sweat from her brow.

  “Lex, we need your help,” Catherine said. “I understand you faced the creature behind me.”

  “I have,” Lex said, glancing behind her, “but that’s kind of a sore memory. You can understand. Gorgeous specimen like myself drooling and foaming at the mouth is not exactly the look I was going for. The ladies were probably horrified! But…that doesn’t matter anymore. I have you now.”

  “Lex,” Catherine blushed. “Please. You have to focus.”

  “Tell me who you are first and then I’ll be very forward. And I do mean forward…about anything.”

  “My name is Catherine, and I -” she began before Lex cut her off.

  “Ah! So that’s what this goddess is called. Thank the Maker I have had the pleasure of –“

  “LEX!!!” Nadia shouted. “Please answer the Princess’s question!”

  “A Princess?” Lex said in surprise as Catherine shook her head in disbelief.

  “This is important, Lex.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, matting his hair and straightening his clothes. “Sometimes I get ahead of myself.”

  “Do you k
now anything about this man? He claims to be from Zen-echelon.”

  “I don’t know him too well,” Lex said, looking back again at Jester. “I was in the back of the mob when we engaged him…but Zen-echelon. That I do know…hey! What do you know? I can talk about it!”

  “I…don’t understand,” Catherine chuckled as he straightened himself up again.

  “I’ve traveled to Zen-echelon actually,” he said. “But when I returned, it was like a spell was placed upon me. Every time I tried talking about it, my words would gain a life of their own and I began to mumble nonsense. It just got worse over the past few years and once that creature arrived, I completely lost my mind.”

  “You have Catherine to thank,” Nadia replied. “She’s the one that healed you, with the stone of Allay.”

  “Allay?” Lex said in awe. “After our history together, you would come to Quietus? And heal a stranger like me?”

  “Lex, please,” Catherine said. “Tell us more.”

  “Well, I was with a group of young warriors who decided to go against reason and throw away their lives by traveling to Zen-echelon. It’s only the young that take on such a foolish challenge. But I had grown weary of the village life and I needed some excitement, so…I decided to be a guide of sorts. From bits of information thrown around the Kingdom here and there, we have a general sense of where Zen-echelon is located. Especially since all who attempt to uncover its secrets announce where their headed so should they return, they will receive all the glory and prestige…anyways, I was ready to die as a Quietus should. Getting past the Prattlian patrols were simple enough as we headed northwest, past the swamps and the volcanoes, past the rocky terrain known as THE END. As impressive as some of the indigenous creatures we encountered were, we were no match for them. And so we traveled, and traveled, thinking that soon there would be no more land left, until…we reached it.

  “It wasn’t the kingdom of legend I expected. It didn’t sit atop an unclimbable mountain. It wasn’t engulfed in a shield of fog. It wasn’t surrounded by monsters taken from the depths of our nightmares. It was just…there. Just a castle or a big house, if you will, simply looking worn and unkept, sitting on the edge of a cliff and staring out over the ocean. I didn’t know what to make of it at first, and to be honest, I was still trying to decide whether it was Zen-echelon or not, but I couldn’t deny the feeling it was giving me: Fear. Now don’t misunderstand me, Princess. I see the skeptical look in your eyes. I see your thoughts playing with distant memories of fear like you actually know what it is. Like you’ve been friends all this time, indulging every little secret about yourselves. No, you have not felt what I have. As a Quietus, we pride ourselves on being fearless, but this…I could not deny. It felt like I was standing before a god…now, I don’t believe in the Maker, but I imagine if he did exist, it would feel very close to what I experienced that day. There are few words that can describe it. It’s like you’re a newborn infant with the awareness of an adult. All you can do is lay there in your own filth and cry, hoping someone will come to save you from your horrible ordeal.

  “There were eight of us in the beginning. As soon as we arrived, one ran away, headed home. The shock of seeing a Quietus running from something made us all nervous, and we remained frozen in fear. I’m thankful I did, because he only made it a few yards when the dirt reached up, in the shape of a claw with teeth, and crashed down on him. He died instantly, and his remains ran along the outline of the dirt-claw freely as it sank back to whence it came. Only a puddle of entrails remained where he once stood. The others lost their mind and began running. I watched as they all died in different manners. One just disintegrated. One was shredded by a swarm of small thorns that flew at him from a passing breeze. Another was decapitated by an invisible force. It was…horrible. I’m not ashamed to say that I defecated on myself. And I do not say this to be vulgar. I just want to tell you, Princess, that if you are contemplating going there, you mustn’t. There is nothing but death.”

  “You survived,” Catherine stated. “Perhaps I will too.”

  “No,” he shook his head. “No, I was allowed to live. When I became the last, a voice whispered in my ear, ‘Go, and be a witness to the horror I will bring to this world.’”

  “Who could have -“

  A blood-curdling scream escaped from their captor, and everyone turned to face Jester who was now bent over, and laughing hysterically. The two men by his side looked at Nadia for guidance as she held up a hand for them to stay vigilant. Catherine couldn’t help but notice that Lex took a few steps back.

  “What’s so funny?” Catherine asked turning to the captive.

  “Oh, oh, oh,” Jester tried to gather himself. “It’s just I love the way my master makes his plans. Your story was just so hilarious!”

  “Seven Quietus lost their lives,” Catherine said angrily. “I hardly think that’s funny.”

  “Oh, and it’s gets better! See, this Quietus’s story was the signal!”

  “The signal?”

  “Yep! My master sent me here saying that I’ll know when to act once I get the signal. And that signal, will come from the mouth of a Quietus, who will tell a story about the decimation of his group. The only Quietus my master has ever left alive! Now, I can begin my work. I hope you’re ready for a little heartburn, Princess.”

  Catherine began powering up the stone just as Jester shrugged his shoulders and the ropes were torn apart into tiny pieces. He smiled and reached out to her just as Lex stepped in the way. Jester didn’t hesitate to plunge his hand right through the Quietus’ chest.

  “Run, Princess!” Lex cried out as his body went limp. The two men who had been next to Jester lunged forward with their scythes but Jester ripped the scythes from their forearms and in one fluid motion, stabbed them in the chest. Nadia began transforming but Jester pushed her aside hard, sending her flying into one of the huts that immediately crashed down upon her. Catherine grit her teeth and punched toward Jester with her right hand but he caught it, smiled, and gave it a peck from his lips.

  Then he broke her wrist.

  “Oh, Catherine,” Jester mused as she screamed. “You’re so feisty. Such spirit. I think I could fall in love. Show me your heart.”

  Catherine threw a punch with her left, but Jester caught it also with the same hand, his fingers stretching over both of her closed fists and wrapping around her wrists. As he held onto them, he reached forward with his other hand towards Catherine’s chest, slowly inching his way menacingly as she fought against his strength. Just as the tips of his fingers began piercing the outer layer of her skin, she screamed for him to stop. Jester looked up with a quizzical look and she powered down the stone enough to bring back her green eyes. Jester smiled.

  “Yes, Princess? Need time to stall?”

  “I surrender,” she said, fighting through the pain coming from her wrist. “I surrender to you and your master.”

  “Oh?”

  “But only if you leave the Quietus alone. Don’t kill anyone. Do that and I’ll come willingly. Isn’t that better than having to fight?”

  “I don’t know,” Jester said, looking at her chest. “Seems like I already won to me. Why make a deal?”

  “Because I’ll fight you with all the power I can muster to the very end. And it doesn’t matter if I can’t win. I’m sure I’ll be able to rip off a limb or two.”

  “You make such compelling arguments,” he chuckled. “And I applaud your request. I agree to your terms. But only because my master would be quite angry if I took all the fun for myself. Before we head off though…let me fill you in on something. The Quietus…they are not human. Did you know that? These creatures you’re so willing to throw your life away for, they’re nothing but pawns. Are you so ready to take a deal after hearing that?”

  “I don’t believe it,” Catherine said adamantly, glancing at the Quietus above them, waiting for Jester to drop his guard. “I don’t believe it for one second. They’re no different than I am.”
<
br />   “That’s where you’re wrong,” Jester giggled. “See, they were created by my master a long time ago, experiments gone wrong you could say. Think about it. Prattlians look human. Their stone just grants them higher intelligence. The Langorans, they look human. Their stone just gives them more mass and strength. You Sages make your eidolons out of your soul, which all humans possess…but the Quietus? No. No. No. They were created as slaves for Zen-echelon. Servants. It was just that they were deemed so ghastly to behold that they were cast down to rummage and scavenge and develop their own society. Look at them. They look like monsters. Sure, they camouflage their true form in human skin, but ultimately, they’re nothing but a bunch of chemicals and failed concoctions. Much like your James back there.”

  Catherine’s tried not to waver when she heard his name. She hadn’t forgotten him for a second. Not the whole time she was trying to interpret this Jester. She knew that surrendering seemed foolish. But there was no other choice. At least she could buy herself some time, give James the recovery he needed. With the power he had displayed earlier with the King of Quietus, he had shown her that he had great potential to become a powerful Sage, and Allay needed its warriors. There was no telling how many were left, and with his connection to Nadia, he might be able to rally the Quietus against Zen-echelon…

  “Did you hear me?” Jester snapped, getting closer to her face. “Your boyfriend is nothing more than a failed experiment. Doesn’t that disgust you?”

  “No,” Catherine declared with fervency. “Even if what you’re saying is true, it doesn’t change anything. As I’ve already said, the Quietus are no different than us.”

  “I wonder if you would be so strong if I took his head.”

  “Try it, monster,” Catherine said. “You won’t succeed. He’s stronger than you are.”

  “Oh, is he? I don’t know…from what I’ve seen, he needs a lot more practice, but…now you’ve gotten my attention. Hmmm. Tell you what, I’m feeling generous. I won’t kill him now. How about we go somewhere and wait for him? I’ll leave a trail that an idiot can follow, and then we’ll clash head to head when he arrives. Winner gets your heart.”