“Your puns are beginning to annoy me.”
“Well, get used to it. We’re heading off now. You can walk freely behind me until you try something. Now, let’s see…ah! You!” Jester shouted towards Nadia who had just removed a little of the rubble smothering her. Only her face showed. “Get your son ready for battle! In 24 hours, I will kill the Princess. He has until then to stop me. Do you got that?”
Nadia sneered and growled his way, showing off her razor-sharp Quietus teeth.
“I’ll take that as a yes. To-da-loo!”
Jester skipped away as Catherine reluctantly followed, looking sorrowfully into Nadia’s eyes and praying that James would recover in time…
* * * * *
“Is that it?” Scarlet asked as Kyran ignored her. They were both lying down in the mud and had been waiting for over six hours, searching for any signs of life, but there was only dead silence. No animals, no insects, no wind. Nothing. It disturbed Kyran to no end. Being accustomed to stealth and the way of shadows, he had never seen anything like it. If one stayed still long enough, no matter the location, there was bound to be movement of some kind. Whether it was the leaves of a tree reaching out to the sky for rain or an ant scouting for nourishment, there was always life, even in the most deserted of places. But from what he could sense, there was only death here. He hadn’t felt this uneasy since childhood, back when he would try to sneak up on Chloe and she would catch him every time.
He felt watched, and it made his stomach churn.
Was this how I made people feel? He thought as Scarlet nearly moved her pinky a millimeter forward. Kyran’s eyes shot her a death stare at it and Scarlet immediately ceased her intrusion. If they were going to break into Zen-echelon undetected, it would do her well to learn the way of Kyran.
“Kyran, it’s empty,” she whined as a strand of her hair fell and tickled up against Kyran’s cheek. Just seeing the scarlet color enraged him and floods of murderous intent pumped through his veins, but he held back. Murder usually left evidence.
“Shut up,” Kyran said against his better judgment. “It’s not empty. Someone is there.”
“Then why haven’t we moved? You should have analyzed its movements by now.”
“I can’t see it. Just sense it.”
“You actually didn’t get confirmation that anything’s out there? Are you serious? We’ve been laying here for hours, and the branches are beginning to dig into my skin. Let’s get moving before the owner comes home or at least adjust ourselves to a more comfortable position.”
“This is all wrong,” Kyran sighed. What was it that bothered him? He felt like a rat navigating a maze for a piece of cheese and he had just noticed the several human faces watching him from above, tracking his progress, waiting for him to take the bait. His senses told him where to go, what path to accept, what to bite into, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that it was one big trap.
“It’s just a castle,” Scarlet scoffed. “And a small one at that. We could have scoured that entire place by now…are you sure this is Zen-echelon?”
“Yes,” Kyran said. “It may just be a castle, but I can guarantee there’s more to it than what we’re seeing.”
“Perhaps it’s underground,” she suggested. “Maybe it’s invisible. You have that ability. Why can’t anyone else?”
Maybe that’s it. Kyran thought nervously. Maybe they were invisible. But if so, he still should have sensed a slight variation in the sand, heard a heart pumping, something for his eidolon to pick up on. But it was all void.
“Maybe we should wait for Arimus,” Kyran said as Scarlet swiveled her head angrily.
“NO!” she whispered. “If you go back, I’m storming this place.”
“You can’t go in there.”
“Since when do you care if I live or die? I’m going in, Kyran. With or without you.”
“No!” Kyran shouted but it was too late. Scarlet rolled away from him and snapped to her feet, running at full sprint past the bushes, the forest line, and out onto the rocky sand, damp and riddled with pebbles. As soon as she took a step forward, his suspicions were confirmed. On her first step out into the open he heard a crashing of the ocean waves by the cliff.
It was like the ocean had been completely still. He thought. And that was impossible, wasn’t it? Six hours of zero activity from the ocean? Especially one so close to a cliff face? Maybe in the middle of it all, sure, but not by the shore. Yet Scarlet’s arrival had triggered the noise. Suddenly there were squawks coming from seagulls in the sky. The winds brushed past his hair and the trees swayed. Sand began rolling away from its surface gently and in the distance, he could hear creaking floorboards coming from the castle.
Even Scarlet noticed this, and she stood completely still as the entrance of the castle, a small man-sized door, suddenly slammed open. Out stepped an obscure figure, appearing to be nothing more than a shadow, walking towards her casually as if they had a meeting scheduled. Kyran fidgeted in discomfort but knew it was best to stay put, no matter what happened. The mysterious shadow may be aware of Scarlet, but there was no guarantee he had been detected. With Scarlet’s foolishness, he might be able to accomplish two missions in one. Not only would the scarlet haired lioness be killed, but he could get to the castle during the distraction and look for the stone.
Bringing Scarlet was good for the mission after all. Kyran chuckled to himself as the shadow was suddenly washed in light. Kyran noticed the man was about his age, with a countenance that looked all wrong. It was smooth and youthful, yet it had numerous jagged scars. He was wearing a dark blue, wool cloak like they had all worn when they left Allay, and he had green, distant eyes. Kyran didn’t know what he expected the keeper of the castle to look like, but it was not this. Perhaps it was only a servant.
The man stopped right in front of Scarlet and studied her face as she remained uncharacteristically silent. The man smiled warmly and extended a hand out for her to shake.
“Welcome. My name is Thorn, King of Zen-echelon.”
Scarlet refused his hand and he let it fall to his side.
“Well, Scarlet, didn’t your mother teach you better manners than that? Or are you still trying to prove your individuality because that’s what fuels your rebellious nature?”
Scarlet was taken aback as Kyran narrowed his eyes. If he went invisible and took his time, he might be able to get into the castle from the right. Going slow, it would take no less than fifteen minutes however. It would feel like a lifetime before he reached the door.
“You know me?” Scarlet asked as Thorn smiled slyly.
“I know everything about you. Even Kyran…KYRAN! Come out, would you? We must talk! C’mon! Stop hiding!”
Kyran froze and glanced up. Thorn was looking directly his way.
“You can come out of your own volition,” Thorn said. “Or, we can fall upon the other option.”
Kyran grunted and climbed to his feet, brushed as much mud as he could off his trench coat and began walking forward.
“You two have made quite the trek,” Thorn smirked as Kyran approached. “I’m sure you’re tired. How about the two of you stay the night as my guests?”
“So you can kill us in our sleep?” Kyran asked casually.
“Of course not,” Thorn chuckled. “You feel it, don’t you? The moment you looked out upon my land? I can kill you all on my own, at any time, and quite clean I might add. Your eidolons are no more of a threat to me than a bee’s stinger.”
“Then there’s no point playing around,” Scarlet said. “You know why we’re here.”
“Again with the lack of manners,” Kyran laughed. “Of course it had to be the two of you in the end. The anti-social. Where is Catherine and her charm? Or Arimus’ condescending warmth? Tell me, is he still recovering at the Conun lodge? Because I can have someone pick him up if you think that will add to the entertainment.”
Scarlet didn’t say a word, but Kyran clenched his jaw tight.
How cou
ld this man know all this? Was this power of Zen-echelon’s stone? Omnipotence?
“Don’t act so surprised,” Thorn said, looking back and forth at the Sages. “I already told you. I know everything about you. Now, come with me or there will be consequences. We’ll talk more once we’re inside. It will be night very soon and it gets cold.”
Kyran and Scarlet obeyed as they followed the King inside the castle. As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a ragged teenager that held out a tray of apples. Thorn waved him away and escorted his guests to a room to the right, leaving them to catch only a glimpse of the inner lobby. A dim, but luxurious and spacious room that had a wide stairway in the middle that winded up and up, leading to multiple floors. Lanterns, in which only half were lit were on the walls in abundance and there were at least three other doors on the left-hand side of the bottom floor that led to more mysterious parts of the house. The floor was carpeted with the skin of an unknown animal of very dark-red fur and the paint on the walls consisted of the same color.
Thorn laughed at their inquisitiveness.
“Oh please, you will find nothing valuable snooping around. It’s all random and of little use to me.” He motioned the two over to a loveseat while he sat in a padded, red throne chair. They obeyed his wishes, sat, and waited for him to continue speaking. Thorn adjusted his seat to better face them and then sat down, a large, warm smile plastered onto his face.
“Now, we can converse in comfort. Scarlet, I believe you were spouting off some drivel about me knowing why you’re here. Please continue.”
“I was saying that you know our mission. You know what we want from you.”
“The stone of Zen-echelon,” Thorn said with grandeur, waving his hands up in circles to the sky. “Yes, I’ve seen what you’ve done to Languor and Quietus. Excellent work.”
“How did you hear about it?”
“I said I saw it,” Thorn corrected. “Not heard. I can see everything.”
“Okay,” Scarlet scoffed as Thorn wrapped his wool cloak further around him.
“So, you want my stone to conclude this irrelevant quest. I understand that, but let me ask you this, why would I do so? After all, you’ve read the letter from Catherine’s father, let’s see, Kyran – three times, and Scarlet – six? It comes right out and says I’m the enemy. I’m the cause of the verdant ether that nearly covers the skies of all five Kingdoms. So why would I help you? Shouldn’t I just execute you right now?”
“It’s a valid option,” Scarlet replied with a grin. “But of course we’d fight back.”
“If you can call it that,” Thorn laughed. “Eidolons. What a joke.”
“So what happens now?”
“Is that it?” Thorn said in surprise. “Conversation over? No negotiations? No begging for your life? Just hey, we’re enemies so let’s kill each other? I really wish Arimus was here. He would appreciate the art of mutual respect despite the circumstances.”
“What do you propose then?” Kyran asked. Scarlet stared at him in shock. What was he doing?
“Let me break this down for you. I didn’t have to invite you into my home. I could have killed you over six hours ago when you first arrived. Heck, even back in Allay before you left, but I didn’t, because I’m not ruthless. I understand that people need a chance to fight against the powers that oppress them. Trust me, I know more than anyone. So just because I can annihilate you all, this doesn’t mean I just should. I do enjoy the occasional talk, a little worship here and there. Am I making sense?”
“You think yourself a god,” Scarlet scoffed. “And we’re just bugs.”
“A crude metaphor, but sufficient. Yes. Though you can relate. As human beings you can look down at your feet and appreciate the structure of the anthill, the organization of their collective and their persistence despite insurmountable odds, yet that doesn’t stop you from crushing their home underneath your shoe if you see fit to do so. It’s not that you hate the ants. The most they’ve ever done to you was tickle the hairs of your arm. But you do it anyways. Because you can. Because something within you yearns for supremacy. For purpose. That you matter as an individual amongst other individuals. I was very much the same way in the beginning, and I had to go through a lot of torment to achieve the status I’m at now. Pain doesn’t even begin to describe what I’ve endured. No word, no feeling you’ve ever experienced can. Most, no, all have died trying to achieve such a feat, and yet, here I am. And now that I’ve ascended, I don’t want to destroy you all just because I have the power.”
“You want to control everyone,” Kyran said flatly. “And everything.”
“Precisely.”
“Then do it. You claim to have the power.”
“It’s not that simple, my beady eyed friend. We all know what would happen. I slam down the gavel of judgment with all my might, and you’re all fashioned into slaves and ordered to follow my decrees and it would be great fun for a while…but two problems remain. Two, very disturbing problems that I am in the process of fixing.”
“Go on.”
“First, I am still bound to mortality. Alas, I may be able to stretch out my years by absorbing others like the Quietus do, but in the end, I will still die. This, I am seeking to fix above all else, while simultaneously solving the second.”
“Which is?”
“Eliminating the human equation, of course. Throughout the course of history, no matter who is the oppressor and the oppressed, there will always be uprising and revolution. No matter how good or bad a people may live, they inevitably rise up for more, or to overthrow their ruler altogether. Again, I understand, but since I’m on the ruling side, I want to ensure this doesn’t happen.”
“And how will you do this?”
“Now, there’s no reason to reveal everything,” Thorn laughed. “I just wanted to see your reactions and whether you believed me so far. When I give my victory speech on how I’ve become god of this world, I want to make sure it’s a good one.”
“You sound ridiculous,” Scarlet scoffed.
“It seems you two just can’t appreciate a good monologue,” Thorn sighed. “And I’ll admit, my patience is running a little thin. But, perhaps you can only think of yourselves and what interests you. I’ll switch topics…how would the two of you like to join me?”
“No, thank you,” Scarlet scoffed.
“I’ll have to decline,” Kyran said as Thorn nodded his head.
“I thought you would say that, but how about if I make the offer sweeter? What if you could see your loved ones again? Chloe, your wife, and for you, Scarlet, your brother Lem?”
“That’s impossible,” Kyran said as Scarlet shot up to her feet.
“Don’t you ever say his name again?!”
“What, Lem? That is your brother, isn’t it? He can be here within minutes.”
“STOP IT!” Scarlet screamed as she reached over her shoulder and with a sudden flash of light, unsheathed her halberd eidolon, and stuck the long staff into the King’s face. Thorn smiled and sat calmly.
“Strike me down if you like. It won’t work,” he said as Kyran put a hand to her shoulder.
“Calm down,” Kyran said. “I want to hear what he has to say.”
“Are you joking?” Scarlet yelled, sheathing her eidolon. “He can’t bring the dead back to life!”
“I’m very capable,” Thorn assured her. “And I wouldn’t even be so cruel as to ask you to combat your friends. All I want is for you to cease your mission and stay out of my way.”
“Why?” Scarlet scoffed. “Because you’re afraid of what we can do?”
“Not particularly, but one can never be too careful. See, there is a reason I’ve kept my ‘Kingdom’ secret for all these years. In the beginning, I was quite vulnerable. You or Kyran could have dispatched me without batting an eye, but I’ve worked hard, and those times are now behind me. With most of my preparations completed, I’m no longer afraid…of you or anyone else. Not because you can’t fight back, but because m
y power far exceeds your own. It’s just a fact that one way or another, you will have to deal with.”
“If you’re so powerful,” Scarlet said. “Why are you hanging around the house all day? Why don’t you just attack us?”
“Because my dim-witted friend,” Thorn chuckled. “The ether has not yet covered your Kingdom. But ask me that same question tomorrow and I promise that my answer will have changed…”
Chapter 5 – Monsters
“CATHERINE!” James shouted as he sat up quickly in the bed. He winced and rubbed his forehead, then squint his eyes to examine his surroundings. It was completely foreign to him and that immediately put him on guard. Thankfully, there were no weapons on him that an enemy could confiscate. All that he needed was inside him.
James threw off the blankets and wiped the sweat from his arms, trying to think of what to do next. Run off and hope for a familiar marker? Wait for someone to return? What happened to Catherine? Did she drop him off at this place to recover?
James grunted and ran a hand through his hair as he heard the sound of two cups clang together. He turned and saw a woman staring at him, her eyes glowing with excitement and recognition. He couldn’t identify her, but she was eerily familiar, like seeing an old photograph as an infant. The woman cleared her throat and put up her hands in surrender as she slowly approached.
“No further!” James shouted and she stopped. She brushed her hands on the dirty apron strung over her shoulders and smiled warmly.
“James, you probably don’t remember me, but…well, I’m your mother.”
“What?” James snapped in shock, then he promptlyclutched his head in agony. Keeping that manifestation together had done more damage to him than he thought. The woman who claimed to be his mother took the opportunity to scurry over and sit beside him. James glanced at her and studied her face. He was just about to dismiss the possibility when he finally settled on her eyes.
Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) Page 6