Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3)

by Julius St. Clair

  “Executioner! Rise!”

  The crowd watched in silence as they heard the faint sounds of scurrying underneath. Then to their horror, a small creature jumped out and landed on his feet in the ring. It was only a foot tall but it he had gigantic muscles all over his human-like body that were quivering and struggling not to burst. Bald and a dark red, its beady, black little eyes looked around the arena. It smiled, walked next to the King’s wooden tower and placed a tiny hand upon it.

  “What is that thing?” Zain bellowed as the creature giggled. Catherine wretched free from the Captain’s grip and ran forward .

  “GET IT AWAY FROM THE KING NOW!” she shouted, but the creature was already at its destination. It closed his eyes, its muscles deflated like they were made of air, and then it exploded like a bomb and set the tower on fire…

  * * * * *

  James awoke and felt like his whole body was being torn apart by crashing oceanic waves. His limbs could only succumb to his will for a second before they regained a mind of their own and decided to go limp, throbbing away in agony. His body was so hot that it hurt to move, and the kindling fire next to him wasn’t helping matters. Despite the ache, he managed to sit himself up and look around him. He was in a forest, and from the way the trees extended high into the sky, he could tell it was part of the Langoran forest, probably the outskirts considering his condition.

  He groaned and tried to focus on his right arm but his vision was blurry and his head was stuck in vertigo. Plopping back down onto the muddy grass, he tried to fight off sleep, until he heard a footstep crush some leaves behind him. James shot up to attention and immediately regretted it as he gave out a cry. Whomever it was rushed to his side and began wiping his forehead with a damp cloth that smelled of sweat and musk.

  “James, lie back down. You need more rest,” Arimus replied as he guided the young Sage’s body to the ground. James sighed in relief upon learning his teacher was there, but he refused to close his eyes.

  “Where are we? Near Languor?”

  “That’s right,” Arimus said, wiping down James’ forearm. “I carried you here. There was no place near our battle that I could shelter you so I decided to head for the trees. At least we have a better chance of hearing when an enemy is near.”

  “Arimus…what happened? I don’t remember much…I know I transformed into a Quietus. That’s about where my memories end.”

  “I don’t know how it’s possible,” Arimus said, sitting down near James’ head. “But you came back from the dead.”

  “What do you mean?” James asked wearily.

  “Dominic had the upper hand the entire time. He wounded you greatly, to the point that even your Quietus body could no longer heal…eventually Dominic just crushed your eidolon completely…I watched your body crumble instantly. I thought you dead.”

  “My eidolon was destroyed?” James shot up and then growled under the piercing sensation running down his body. Arimus rushed to his side but James placed a palm on the old Sage’s chest. “No…I have to see this for myself.”

  James placed his right palm out and commanded the Quietus eidolon to emerge, but nothing happened. He closed his eyes and focused on it from within, but it was like looking into an empty vessel. Even the voice was completely gone. When Thorn has promised to allow him to use his Quietus power, it had been reduced to a distant whisper, but he always felt it still lingering, waiting for the right moment to yell. But now it was as if it never existed. Frustrated, James focused on the Allayan eidolon instead and it erupted from his hand immediately, right on cue.

  James examined it carefully, feeling the aura and strength it gave off. He looked up at Arimus and cast his eyes to the ground.

  “I’m alive…but I am very, very weak.”

  “Of course you are,” Arimus assured him. “Your wounds are far from being healed.”

  “It’s not that,” James replied, sheathing his eidolon. “It’s my Sage power…if I had to guess, I’d say it’s down to a fourth of what it used to be.”

  “Well,” Arimus chuckled. “A fourth of a Sage is better than nothing.”

  “I should be able to regain my strength with training, but it won’t be fast enough to make a difference. Especially not to face Dominic again.”

  “You should be grateful you’re breathing at all, James. At least now, you may be able to see Catherine. From what I sense, she’s in Languor with the others. We can head there as soon as you’re feeling better.”

  “This still doesn’t make sense…if my eidolon broke, I should have been killed.”

  “You were bred of two Kingdoms. Perhaps only your Quietus side died.”

  “But the eidolon is supposed to be a manifestation of my soul. How can half of my soul die? Something is wrong here…maybe it has to do with the Quietus being genetically created…”

  “What?”

  “Tell me, have you ever heard of anyone else that has been in a similar predicament? Someone that was both Sage and Quietus?”

  “Hmm…well, let me see…I can’t say that I have. The closest I can come up with would be the King of Quietus. Because he absorbed Lakrymos, the greatest Sage, he was in a sense, both. Did the King show you his eidolon when you were in battle? That might give you a clue as to why you’re still alive.”

  “He didn’t reveal his eidolon at all,” James said, shaking his head. “Which surprised me even back then. According to the stories, he absorbed Lakrymos to add his power to his own. When I struck him, he should have been able to easily parry my blow. I kept wondering how he could die so easily.”

  “Maybe it has something to do with the Quietus anatomy,” Arimus replied. “The Quietus are known for their aggression and warrior spirit. Their blood or genetics may have suppressed the abilities he gained from Lakrymos. After all, I haven’t heard of a Quietus absorbing a citizen from another Kingdom and gaining their power.”

  “Then the story is exaggerated. The King of Quietus would have had a different reason for absorbing Lakrymos. It couldn’t have been gaining his abilities if he can’t even use them.”

  “Then why the ruse? Why the lie when he already had Allay in his grasp?”

  “I’m not sure…” James trailed off. “But there has to be a reason I’m alive, and I think my genetic make-up, and the story behind the King of Quietus is the key. I learned from my mother that the Quietus used to be regular human beings like you and I. Thorn is the one who took them long ago and made them into the monsters we know with his experiments. He wanted a way to control people, and he partly succeeded. Though he can’t control them at all times, he can for a short period. I believe that’s why the siege occurred on Allay. So knowing that, and his fear of Sages for some reason, there has to be a link we’re not seeing.”

  “He was definitely after the Sages, not Allay,” Arimus said firmly. “There’s no doubt about that. We’ve always assumed it was because they were getting too strong collectively, but perhaps there’s more to the story we don’t know.”

  “Lakrymos is the key,” James said. “I’m sure of it. If the Quietus were under Thorn’s control, then the King was too, or at the very least, he was under specific orders. Let me ask you this: given the option, and knowing that they can’t copy another’s abilities, would a Quietus kill a Sage or absorb them?”

  “Kill them, without question. They’re not known for their mercy, and the only reason they even absorb in the first place is to extend their lives, which they only do when on the brink of death.”

  “So why didn’t the King of Quietus kill Lakrymos? Why did Thorn want his absorption? What would that accomplish? I doubt it was to study him.”

  “I have an idea,” Arimus said, gazing up to the sky. “The siege of 88…this story has been told countless times, and as a result, details get shuffled around. No story is exactly alike, except in one part: the part where the King of Quietus takes down Lakrymos. Strangely enough, even the dialogue has been preserved over the years with unnerving accuracy. Almost as i
f this portion is encouraged to be remembered above all else. When I think about what would have the greater impact: whether it would be Lakrymos being killed, or absorbed. I definitely have to lean toward absorbed.

  “It’s not so bad when you have a hero simply die in battle. This is the stuff that legends are made of, after all. They inspire people to reach for new heights. If Lakrymos and the Sages had merely been killed, I suspect that as soon as the Quietus left, the Allayans would have begun training all over again, even the citizens. Unlocking the secrets to becoming a Sage, rallying together for revenge and strategizing on the next move. There would have been an uprising, and Lakrymos would have had a statue or a monument in his honor. But being absorbed by the enemy? It’s even more horrifying because no one knows exactly what that means. Is Lakrymos still alive in the King? Was his soul eaten and in death, he has been denied Paradise? These are questions that birth nightmares. Imagine it, James. Who would be so willing to become a Sag e under such conditions? The enemy could take the powers you’ve worked so hard for and turn it against your family and friends, or worse, you may have to live forever within the flesh of an enemy. No peace, no Paradise, no future. Just another form of Oblivion. And as you know all too well, Allayans are deathly afraid of Oblivion more than anything else. We didn’t even consider this mission until the ether was approaching our borders…”

  “Then it was all deception,” James winced, slowly climbing to his feet. “It was to ensure that few, if any more Sages would be born. It was fear from the beginning that crippled us.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “We have to go,” James declared boldly. “There’s work to be done.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Thorn is very clever in his tactics. He could have destroyed Allay completely. Killed every last citizen. But then word would have gotten to the other three Kingdoms, and they would have aligned against him, knowing there was a powerful enemy near. In this case, keeping us alive and instilling fear within us worked better. He kept us docile and confused while he got stronger. And then he sent us on this ridiculous mission to weaken the others, just in case. He doesn’t care about the stones at all. But what he does fear, are the Sages. We have to get to the Sage Academy.”

  “The Sage Academy?” Arimus stood up in shock. “What can we find there but...but…ah, I see.”

  “Exactly,” James smiled. “There may be clues as to why Thorn sent the Quietus. Why did the Sages make him nervous? What information did they stumble upon that made them such a threat? We might find all our answers there. Where is it located?”

  “Thirty miles northeast of Allay, far away from any other civilization. You’re right. We may find answers there, but Thorn no doubt would have destroyed any information against him.”

  “No, I doubt it,” James said. “He likes to play things close to the chest. Keep things hidden in plain sight and deceive you while the solution is right in your face. I think the Academy is still intact. Such a place may have kept Allayans away out of fear, but you know everyone still has their eyes on the place. If it was suddenly demolished, everyone would want to know why, and that means asking questions that Thorn doesn’t want answered. With knowledge that no Allayans are traveling there, the other Kingdoms stay out the way because they think they have nothing to worry about. Thorn wins again.”

  “It’s possible…” Arimus thought carefully. “But…with the destruction of Prattle and Quietus, the other Kingdoms will now be distracted. While Dominic and Alexander take care of Languor and Allay, Thorn could easily demolish the Academy undetected and long before anyone has the power to investigate. With the Kingdoms in turmoil, there will be much focus on reconstruction, not discovering why the Academy was destroyed.”

  “That’s why we need to go now, regardless of injuries.”

  “There’s one last thing bothering me…if a Quietus cannot use the abilities of another…how are you able to use their power along with an eidolon? It’s the only hole in our theories.”

  “I think we’ll find the solution at the Academy,” James said adamantly. Arimus smiled and brushed off his armor.

  “Well then, let’s get there as fast as possible and put an end to this.”

  “Go full speed and don’t worry about me,” James grunted as he focused his Sage energy from his legs down to the soles of his feet.

  “I won’t,” Arimus assured him. “I realize the grave importance of this new mission all too well. It means our certain death has just gained new life.”

  Chapter 13 – The Second Fall

  The red creatures swarmed out of the gap like ants on the hunt, crowding in horrifying order as they somehow avoided touching each other’s volatile bodies. As soon as they climbed to their little feet, they began searching for a victim. By the time the wooden tower’s base erupted and began to fall, twenty more Langorans had died in the crowds, a group of the red creatures having blown through the chain barricade and taken to the arenas.

  Catherine didn’t even want to think about the hundreds that already been killed below the ring. All she knew was that the situation was far worse than in Prattle. The Langorans relied on their underground tunnels for everything. But now that the acting mines were scurrying around underneath the Kingdom’s infrastructure, there was nowhere to hide or run to. In seconds, Thorn has turned Languor into an all-out slaughter.

  Catherine caught Zain in mid-air with the power of her stone as she let it surge throughout her body. She didn’t know how much she had used in Prattle, but she couldn’t dwell on that now. There were lives at stake.

  “GET OFF ME!” Scarlet roared at the guards behind her. They snapped out their daze and began climbing up the chain fence, trying to escape. Scarlet ran her fingers through her hair once and then called her halberd eidolon forth. With a mighty swing, a wave of fire tore through the red creatures, causing each of them to explode on impact. With only a couple more swings, she completely stopped the assault, but there was no time for rest. Booming sounds suddenly echoed in the distance from all corners of the Kingdom, and the Langorans that were still alive in the stadiums began to gasp and cry.

  “Those Reds are everywhere,” Scarlet shouted as she strutted to Catherine. The Princess had just finished bringing Zain to the ring floor and the people waited in horror to see what the Allayans would do to their King.

  “We’re not going to harm him!” Catherine shouted. “And this isn’t our doing! Languor is being attacked by –“

  “- Thorn,” the King of Zen-echelon laughed playfully as he descended from the skies like he was being let down into the ring by a large, invisible hand. “Hello, everyone!”

  “Thorn! Stop this!” Catherine shouted as Thorn yawned.

  “Princess Catherine. Still loud, I see. We will have to do something about that!”

  Thorn snapped his fingers and a fireball the size of a man shot through the bleachers, the chain fence and right at Catherine. Kyran jumped in the way at the last second with his back turned and took the brunt of the hit as they both went flying through the arena and outside into the golden city streets.

  Scarlet growled and swung her eidolon at Thorn’s head, but he parried it with a steel sword that seemed to appear out of nowhere and then kicked her away in the stomach. Scarlet scrambled to her feet and continued striking but Thorn blocked every attempt, finally tripping her and causing her to fall forward. He reached out and grabbed her hair before she fell face-flat on the ring. He pulled her back hard until she was looking up at him, her neck exposed once again as he placed his steel sword gently upon it.

  “Are we really doing this dance again?” Thorn asked playfully. “Dear, I have work to do.”

  “Let me go,” Scarlet ordered through grit teeth. Thorn tightened his grip on her hair.

  “Seems to me you like this position. You were so willing to accept a blade at your throat only seconds ago. What’s changed?”

  “She’s mine!” Zain coughed, interrupting their conversation. T
horn glanced up but still maintained Scarlet in his grip.

  “I don’t see your name on her anywhere,” Thorn replied casually, looking Scarlet over.

  “She’s a war criminal. The Langorans are to hand out her punishment.”

  “Don’t you have more important things to worry about?” Thorn asked as more explosions went off in the distance. Zain scowled at him and Thorn looked the King up and down.

  “Ah. So you’re not as stupid as I thought. You’re trying to distract me, aren’t you? Giving your people time to run away before I completely set this place on fire.”

  “Who are you?” Zain shouted as his hands began to glow and his hair began to spike up. “Why are you here?”

  “Simple. I’m here to kill your people,” Thorn said as he patted Scarlet’s neck with the face of his blade. “That’s it. After this is Allay, and I really want to take my time with them so you’ll forgive me if I cut our formalities short.”

  Twenty Reds suddenly jumped out the gaping hole and onto Zain’s back and legs as he turned his head in horror. Thorn smiled as they exploded one right after the other, bringing the young King face down onto the ring floor.

  * * * * *

  “Kyran, are you okay?” Catherine groaned as she opened her eyes and saw a red color mixing with the green ether in the sky. High above Languor, she could see familiar winged beasts soaring through the clouds, waiting for orders from their master.

  “More dragons,” Catherine muttered as she sat up and looked over to Kyran, who was standing a few feet from her.

  “Who makes streets out of gold?” Kyran growled as he stretched his back. “The fall hurt more than the dragon’s attack.”

  “We have to get back to Zain,” Catherine said as a house exploded a few yards in front of them. Kyran managed to sprint in front of the Princess and once again shielded her body with his own, splinters of wood and shattered glass smashed into him with so much force that Kyran nearly went unconscious.