“He has a carrier for his stone,” Kyran confirmed. “He told me so.”
“It makes sense considering the power he displayed,” Arimus said. “And even if he was able to use the stone himself, he wouldn’t, considering he would have died after all the manifestations he just produced.”
“His carrier is his weakness,” Catherine said thoughtfully. “But it’s one that’s not easily accessible. We know it, and unfortunately, he knows it. She, whoever she is, has to be in Zen-echelon, but I’m not even sure a collective attack with all the Kingdoms would be enough. There has to be another way…something we’re missing.”
“He can’t be everywhere at once,” Kyran said. “He has manifestations and people to watch for him…but I’m sure he’s not omnipotent.”
“Then it would have to be a surprise. We would have to sneak into Zen-echelon without his knowledge and kill the carrier.”
“And how will we accomplish that?” Tyuin asked. “No offense, Princess. But it sounds just as impossible as storming his Kingdom outright.”
“What are the odds that he’s watching right now?” Catherine asked first, as everyone at the table considered the question.
“Slim,” Arimus declared. “But possible. I doubt he has someone posing as one of the Prattlians, but he could have a small manifestation listening in our conversation.”
“Regardless, I’ll say this,” Catherine raised her voice. “The only way we can both have a chance at winning, is to gather us altogether first. His plan is to take out the Kingdoms one by one, but not all at once. Why? Because his power will be stretched thin, and there is the possibility of failure. Based on what Arimus said, he’s very confident, and I’m sure that means he doesn’t like to lose. His ego would be damaged and wounded…so this is what we do. We gather the Kingdoms against him as one. We congregate in one place and wait for his attack. In order to defeat us, he will have to concentrate most of his power on our army. Even if he leaves behind a little of his power and manifestations in Zen-echelon, we will have a team of warriors to dispatch them there. This is the only way. It gives him a chance to wipe us all out at once while also providing the opportunity to get to his carrier. If he doesn’t act at all after we’ve come together then all that does is force a stalemate. In which case, we would use that time to strengthen our forces – something he doesn’t want to see happen.”
“It’s insane,” Arimus nodded. “But it’s the only way.”
“Before we carry out that plan,” James said. “There’s one issue we have to deal with first. Dominic and Alexander…one sergeant specializing in combat, the other in intelligence. It makes sense that Thorn would recruit those two – he’s covering his bases. Let’s say there’s someone out there that’s very strong. Maybe a Langoran or a Sage. Perhaps they couldn’t kill Thorn, but there’s always the chance he could be wounded, giving others the opportunity to finish him off…now he doesn’t have to worry about it. Dominic handles those people. He’s the executioner. Alexander – he’s there to constantly assess whatever plan we come up with and counter it. Being a Prattlian, I’m sure that won’t be hard for him. Bottom line is that both need to be dealt with, or we’re only going to get so far. Thorn won’t have to engage us directly if he doesn’t want. He can keep on sending his little manifestations while Dominic and Alexander are on the frontlines, doing his dirty work.”
“He speaks the truth,” Kyran admitted. “The boy is right.”
“Then that’s our job,” Catherine said. “I don’t know how Alexander survived, but he’s our responsibility. The same with Dominic.”
Arimus and James gave each other an excited look. They were both eager to settle the score.
“We will go above ground and head for Languor, ready to engage Dominic or Alexander as they reveal themselves, and hope to win. In the meantime, Tyuin, you and your people use your knowledge to devise a way to expand these tunnels and get to Languor right way.”
“Only by going underground?” Tyuin said in disbelief. “That will take days!”
“I’m sure your Prattlian minds can come up with an efficient way to make it go faster. But don’t worry, that’s all you have to worry about. Just get there. Talk to whoever is in charge and tell them what’s going on. We’ll cover your backs. If we don’t make it to Languor within five days, then head immediately to Allay and tell the people what happened. They are apprehensive when it comes to strangers, but they are good-natured. You can convince them.”
“We’ll get started right away,” Tyuin said as he and his wife nodded to the two guards in the room. They left quickly, relaying the message to the other guards and the people outside.
“Our enemy is not giving us the luxury of time,” Catherine said to her Sages. “Any sleep you managed to get in the past couple of days will have to sustain you. If there is nothing else, we must be going now.”
Catherine got up from her seat and made her way to the door. Everyone followed but James who had fallen deep in thought.
“Catherine, wait!” James shouted at her, coming out of his daze. She turned with a curious expression on her face. “What about Quietus? If he’s headed there…shouldn’t we help them?”
“I’m afraid we would be too late,” she said with weary eyes. “We have to move forward…I – I’m sorry, James.”
The other Sages looked at him suspiciously, but no one said a word as they left the room to prepare for their journey. James sat in silence for a moment, closed his eyes, and then shot up to join them. This was no time to dwell on his heritage, his mother…if he would ever see her again…
None of that mattered.
There was only the mission.
There would always be the mission.
And anything besides it, whether it was love, family, or a life of peace…
Was just a fleeting thought,
And a hopeful dream….
Chapter 10 – Unfinished Business
Scarlet insisted that she go first as she removed the wooden planks that comprised the gazebo floor. Since the entrance to the tunnel didn’t have a ladder, she had to literally burst through the wood, leaving it wide open afterwards. She examined the area, listened through the stillness and was starting to give the okay when she heard a distant rumbling, very faint, but still cause for caution. Arimus jumped up next and Scarlet clutched his shoulder and pointed out towards the west.
“Based on our location,” Arimus sighed. “It must be Quietus. Their battle has already begun.” The others jumped to the surface one by one and listened for the sounds of war to reach their location. “It sounds fierce.”
“If anyone has a chance against Thorn, it’s them,” James said. “Unfortunately, I’m sure Dominic’s there to ensure they only achieve so much. Add that to the fact that Chloe’s killed their King and elite warriors - it will be a lot harder to succeed.”
“Yes, I was thinking about that too,” Catherine said as she began walking forward. Her Sages followed as they listened. “I don’t know if my parents are still alive, but I’m sure they’re in no condition to communicate with me if they are. Thorn wouldn’t allow a letter to be sent to us unless he was in control of the contents.”
Catherine pulled out the letter from beneath her clothing and examined its words.
“This can’t be from my father,” she said with confidence.
“Perhaps he sent it before Thorn got a hold of him,” Arimus suggested, but Catherine shook her head profusely.
“No, I doubt it. If Thorn has been watching all of our movements, I’m sure he would have seen the letter. Even if this is the hand of my father, no doubt Thorn had already examined the contents and allowed it to reach its destination.”
“Which means he may have been the driving force in our mission,” Scarlet mumbled as Catherine ripped the letter to shreds and threw it to the side.
“We’ve already determined that the alliance of our Kingdoms is essential to our survival. With this letter driving us, not only did he ensure tha
t we weakened each of them, but we took away their stones as well. For all we know, Thorn’s plan could have been to wait until we collected them all and then just took them from us in Zen-echelon.”
“Is that why you left the Prattlian stone with Tyuin?” Arimus asked.
“That was part of it. But mostly because it’s better if we don’t have all of them in one place.”
“With the stones in our possession, we are a big target.”
“That’s the point,” Kyran said flatly. “We want Dominic and Alexander to come for us.”
“Exactly,” Catherine said. “So stay alert. I’m sure we’ll run into some kind of trouble before we reach Languor…”
* * * * *
The dreams were vivid and crisp. There he was, standing in the middle of an army of Quietus, none of them armored, but all transformed. Their hair slicked back and their scythes drawn, gazing out at Thorn who motioned for them to attack…
But none moved. Thorn smiled. And then he motioned for Dominic to do what he did best.
The young Sage ran throughout the crowd, swinging his sword at their throats. Even as they were decapitated, their bodies stood vigilant, at attention towards the man that created them. Without a move to regenerate, without their heads being reattached quickly, the bodies eventually began to crumble and fall. Dominic kept moving, row by row, line by line, but James couldn’t move. He only waited for his turn. And when Dominic came upon him, he did not resist, he did not plead. In fact, he stretched his neck further to the sky, and let the Master’s sergeant complete his work.
“WHAT?!” James woke up with a shout, but the word didn’t sound the same. Before he realized it, his Quietus legs began running, bounding through the trees. He didn’t need an eidolon to know where his body was headed: The Kingdom of Quietus.
“No!” James growled and the body stopped. His legs continued to quiver as he tried to constrict his muscles in the moonlight. He closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, carefully retracting the scythes that stuck out of his forearms. Concentrating on one body part at a time, he meticulously reverted back to his normal form. Once he was in full control, he dropped to his knees and panted in exhaustion. Sweat poured down the sides of his temples and suddenly, he felt a hand brush against his back. He threw himself forward in fear and scurried back onto his butt. It wasn’t until his non-Quietus eyes focused, that he realized it was not an enemy at all. Just the woman he loved.
“I take it you couldn’t sleep,” she whispered gently, sitting down next to him. James stared at her with rapidly blinking eyes, still breathing erratically.
“Catherine, you shouldn’t sit so close. I don’t know what just happened.”
“I’m not afraid,” she admitted. “I know you won’t hurt me.”
“Just myself,” he huffed as he leaned his arms onto his knees. “Did I wake the others?”
“No. Well, Kyran was awake, but then again, he’s like a cat. He naps. Never really slumbers.”
“Was he surprised to see a Quietus suddenly jump up from our area and start running?”
“I didn’t see you transform until you were quite a distance away. I don’t think he saw.”
“But you did.”
“I was concerned so I followed you. You know it’s hard for me to sleep considering what’s going on, but we need our rest, even if it’s only an hour or two. It was crazy of me to think we could get to Languor without stopping.”
“Prattle had just been destroyed, and you thought of Allay’s safety. I understand.”
“James…why did you transform? Do you know?”
“I…I was having a dream. About Thorn and Dominic. Thorn had some kind of hold over the Quietus and I was there. Dominic just slaughtered them one by one and no one even lifted a hand against him. I think…it might have been a message of some sort. I think something similar might have happened in Quietus. Notice how we can’t hear the battle anymore?”
“We are far away,” Catherine said with concern. “Perhaps we just can’t hear it.”
“No, I think it’s over,” James sighed. “At least most of it. If there are any survivors, it won’t be enough to pose any kind of threat to Thorn. You saw the Prattlians. They lost most of their people in the attack.”
“So your body was…what? Moving to help?”
“Maybe,” James shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t really know. Or maybe it was running from what’s to come. Either way, it wasn’t a confident stride, I’ll tell you that.”
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t give the order to help,” Catherine said, looking to the side. “I hope you’re not upset with me.”
“Of course not,” James said as he gave a weak smile. “I understand the decision…and besides, I’ve only just met my mother…”
“And it may be your last…you haven’t seen her since you were a child and now that you’ve found her, I’m taking her away from you. The odds of her survival, regardless of how strong she may be - is slim. How could you not be angry with me?”
“Because I know it wasn’t an easy decision,” James said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “I can’t say that I don’t think about her. Wonder if she’s hurt or worse…but I know that you’ve already thought of that too. That’s what will make you a great Queen someday. You do what’s best for your people, but they know you have a heart too. If you could, you would listen to it and go that route, but that’s not always what’s best for them. That’s not what helps them to survive.”
“But is denying your heart always the right decision?” Catherine asked. “I think of how Arimus would handle Allay if he was King. It would all be about ‘the ends justifying the means,’ but I realized early on that’s not the best way to rule. We’re young, you and I, and those over us – the adults, the teachers, our parents and elders…they all like to behave as if their chronological number has given them an inner maturity that guides them, but I’ve seen quite the opposite. They’re children, just like us. They cry, fight, do crazy, unintelligible things. They feel no different than we do – it’s just that some of them have learned how to hide their emotions better. And others, even worse – try to act like their feelings aren’t even there. Like they have a steel resolve…part of me wants to believe their wisdom and life experience is all that matters – that it is all I need to know about how to conduct myself, but deep down, I know it’s a lie. How can all decisions be black and white when the very organ keeping them alive resides in the gray?”
“And that’s why you can’t just listen to Arimus, and Kyran and Scarlet all the time. It’s good to have council, but you’re the one who will become Queen. Not them.”
“And yet…” Catherine smiled, turning to face him. “I know also that the heart can be very misleading…” Catherine reached out and pulled James’ face to her, kissing his lips gently. James closed his eyes and slowly embraced her, sighing heavily over how blissful he felt. This is what he lived for. This is what he fought for. This moment, as brief and rare as it was. It renewed his spirit like food after days of starvation. It was rain after the drought. A warm fire after swimming through the black, icy cold water.
Her fine hair lightly tickling against his cheek, the slight rub of her nose, the sumptuous, warm and tender touch of her luscious lips. It drove him mad, but it was what kept him going nonetheless, and wasn’t that enough? It inspired him to train beyond what was necessary. It pushed him to aspire towards greater heights and levels even when the situations and people around him told him otherwise. Perhaps logic and reason was good when dealing with others’ lives, but when it came to his own, he had only his heart to guide him. Logic told him long ago he was a lazy bum that would never amount to anything. That he was dumb, immature, selfish…and the adults in his life were quick to echo his thoughts.
But it just wasn’t true. Perhaps to them, looking on the outside, he was. He even acted the exact way he described. But it wasn’t him at all. He wasn’t a lifeless drone sucking out the generosity of others until the d
ay he died. He was a human being, just like them. He had dreams, and hope, and goals. It was just that he couldn’t see the path within the confines of the village. There was no one to show him the way. No one that aspired to be more than a merchant or a farmer so that was all he knew.
It wasn’t until he was forced to leave his comfort zone and fight for his survival that he discovered new worlds and new possibilities. Did they seem impossible to achieve? Yes. But he never gave up, despite the odds, and now he had the Princess of Allay wrapped in his arms, his powerful Sage arms…
And the villagers would look at him and smile and nod and say yes, James had matured. He was no longer selfish or a lazy bum, and maybe this was true…but he hadn’t changed because of them. He changed on his own terms. Sure, he had been thrown in the deep end of the pond but it was still his right to drown. And drowned, he had not. He taught himself to swim when no one else would and only then did he decide how far under the water he could hold his breath.
His heart…saved his life. And he wasn’t about to stop listening to it now.
“Catherine,” James took a deep swallow as he pulled her away. She stared at him steadily with her beautiful green eyes, digging into his soul, trying to decipher the intent of his fast-beating heart.
“What is it, James?” she whispered as he lifted his head slightly.
“Will you marry me?”
Catherine’s lips curved up slowly as her eyes darted back and forth.
“James, you can’t be serious,” she laughed playfully.
“I am. Marry me. Be my wife,” he said as he refused to quit his gaze.
“You know I can’t…” Catherine said, becoming more solemn. “And it’s a little unfair to ask this of me at a time like this.”
“We may never get another time like this,” James declared.
“I have so much on my mind…I don’t want to hurt you…”
Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) Page 17