“I didn’t lie.” Browen looked down with his face twisted in guilt. “I just didn’t tell you the full truth.”
Forrens sighed, but then wrapped his arms around Browen in a deep embrace. Browen squeezed his old teacher back and was surprised with just how much he had needed it.
“At least you’re alright.” Forrens breathed as he released Browen, he then chuckled lightly. “Enemy of the Crown, if I had known, I would have trained you harder. Then again I heard that some new recruit actually pulled one over on old Althis.” He winked. “I’m so proud.”
“I got lucky.” Browen shrugged modestly. “He didn’t expect to face someone who actually had training.” Then he blinked. “Wait, how did you know that was me?”
“Who else could it be?” Forrens smirked then answered with all seriousness. “Althis recognized you from the wanted posters and that stunt you pulled on him, I’m told, was clearly my technique. You couldn’t have known, but Althis was the one who taught me the art of sword play centuries ago. He told me that you had requested to come to the castle. As a favor to me, and in rebellion against the current regime, he decided to grant it. But I didn’t think you would actually be so stupid as to come though.”
“The person I told you about… part of the reason why I left.” Browen’s brow shifted with worry. “She was taken by the King-Regent. I came here to try and rescue her.”
“I’m so sorry Browen.” Forrens shook his head with a frown. “I wish I could help, but I have no sway with the old King. Even if I tried, it would only put your friend in more danger. What are you even doing in Esper? Wait, don’t tell me... anything you say I will have to repeat to the Queen’s spies at some point.”
“You’re not going to turn me in?” Browen asked tentatively.
“Of course, not Browen, your like family to me.” He patted his former student on the shoulder. “But if they ask me about you, I won’t be able to lie about this.”
“Why not? You clearly don’t stand with the Queen.”
“I don’t have a choice, no Na’tyr does.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “She lied to us and now we’re hardly better than her slaves. I don’t blame King Razmir, what else was he supposed to do? And he’s certainly suffered for it. But then there are those who willingly serve her.” He scowled in a show of anger that was rare on his features, then he smiled at Browen. “Be that as it may, you have more allies than you may realize. The Queen’s reign needs to be ended.”
“But you can’t help me?”
“Only in little ways, as I’ve helped your father.”
Browen felt his guilt churn inside him at the mention of his father. He bowed his head and asked in a hushed tone. “How is my father and everyone?”
“I’m going to be honest Browen, these past few weeks since you left, have been really hard on them. Your whole family was put on trial before the Queen. You’re lucky your father is such a skilled talker, and I had enough evidence to support his claims that you betrayed him.” Forrens crossed his arms as he spoke, and his face bore a bitter frown. “They’ve been forced to move off of the estate to live at the castle.”
“Forrens can you tell them that I’m sorry.” Browen took a deep breath to steady the emotions that welled within him. “Especially my father, I didn’t think that the consequences of my leaving would be so great.”
“Your father only cares about one thing Browen, his family.” Forrens answered firmly. “He was made to publicly disown you, but you’re still his son. He’ll be so happy just to hear that you’re alive. And you better keep it that way.” He gave Browen a familiar playful smile. “It will look amazing on my resume if I can say that one of my students overthrew Queen Zarrennia.”
Browen returned the smile. “I missed you Forrens.”
Chapter Forty One
Ezra
Ezra had joined Lord Cassian in his buggy as he travelled to the Masquerade. However, she had stayed in his parked buggy outside of the castle once he arrived. As confused as he was by her request, he hadn’t pressed the issue and only requested that she not do anything to attract attention. But attracting attention was what she had come for. The curtains closed shut and doors locked tight, Ezra closed her eyes and reached out her mind to the castle. Surely Arze would be there, and if he was, she could speak with him for the first time in weeks. She felt almost giddy with excitement while at the same time her nerves tingled with anxiety.
Her mind felt nothing for most of the evening and she worried that the location of the ballroom was just a little too far for their connection. As the hours drew on, she began to also worry that their time apart had severed their connection, or that the power of flame had. More than before she was desperate to at least feel something and then she did.
At the edges of her mind’s reach, she brushed against something familiar. Her concentration almost broke at her excitement and she sucked in a breath as she pressed her mind towards it. While familiar, the mind that she had brushed against was colder than she remembered and for a moment she feared that it was not Arze that she had found.
The presence tentatively reached back towards her, only to recoil and then disappear altogether. Something felt wrong. She couldn’t explain it, but it had sent a chill down her spine and made her stomach twist into a knot. She reached back out towards the presence but found only nothingness again.
She opened her eyes and dared a peek through the curtains towards the castle. Perhaps Arze hadn’t come. But if he not that was even more reason to be worried about her other half. Then there was that faint mind that she had grazed. If it didn’t belong to Arze, she feared whom it may have been. It had felt familiar, in addition to cold and pained before it retracted from her reach.
She tried again, determined that if Arze was inside, she would speak to him. More hours passed and it was late into the night by the time Lord Cassian returned with a bold smile.
“Did you have a pleasant evening Princess?” He asked as he settled into the seat across from her.
“It wasn’t what I had expected.” She replied softly as the buggy rumbled to life.
“I had a very productive evening.” He beamed. “Which included speaking with your friend, Amri. She was most keen on assisting in my efforts and has offered to rally the staff to fight when the moment is right. A surprising offer but one I could not refuse.”
“That sounds like Amri.” Ezra smiled, glad that her friend was alright. “Did you see Browen?”
“The one you told me had joined the soldiers? I’m afraid that it was nigh impossible to pick one out of that crowd and I dared not ask around.”
She nodded in understanding, then dared to ask. “Was Prince Arze there?”
Lord Cassian seemed to anticipate the question and nodded. “Along with some northern Commander I am not familiar with. The pair were fairly close all evening.”
She frowned with concern and the two sat in silence for a moment as the buggy rumbled down the castle path and through the gates. The danger mostly behind them, Ezra dared another peek through the curtains at the grand structure. A lingering dread had settled over her. She needed answers and she felt like they were just at her fingertips. Arze was actually there, right now, she could speak with him, if only she got close enough. But something didn’t feel right, and it made her nauseous.
As they passed the massive clock tower, she turned to Lord Cassian. “I think I would like to walk the rest of the way, Lord Cassian.”
“Whatever for?” He blinked in surprise, a rare expression on his face. “The streets are far too dangerous for a Princess, especially a wanted Princess.”
“I’ll be fine.” She remarked, a fire flickered in her green eyes. “I need to think over some things.”
Lord Cassian frowned but commanded that his driver stop. Ezra looked back up to the looming castle as she stepped into the warm night air.
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“Don’t linger too long Princess.” Lord Cassian called from his seat.
She nodded and closed the door behind her, then the buggy moved again down the streets towards the Alstrahd estate just outside of the city. The flame burned hungrily beneath her skin. It had been some time since she had unleashed it and it was getting impatient. She moved to the clock tower and rested her back against the stones as she looked up at the castle. In the past the Masquerade continued into the early morning, but she and her sibling rarely bothered to stay that long. There was little of interest for them at such events. She wondered if Arze would stay longer now that he was alone.
With a heavy sigh, she turned to begin her long walk to the Alstrahd estate when she felt a familiar presence in her mind. She gasped and reached back towards it. It was that same cold presence from before.
Arze? She thought tentatively towards the other mind.
The mind twinged with pain but then a voice whispered back. I thought it was you.
Arze! She gasped at the familiar voice and reached lovingly towards his mind.
Mentally he pulled back from her affection and a cold bitterness formed around him.
She felt a chill at the reaction and at the immense pain she felt in his mind. What happened?
What happened? He thought back with an uncharacteristic hiss. You happened! You betrayed your Queen, your mother! You betrayed me!
Arze, it’s more complicated than that and you know it! You know that I would never hurt you. It took everything she had to keep the flame at bay as her emotions flared.
He flinched as he felt the flame burn within his sister. You stole that power from the Queen.
It never belonged to her! She snapped with a hint of fire in her thoughts.
You had your orders, you only needed to follow through with them and we would have been together again. But you chose this power over me. He snapped back; his thoughts were tainted with a deep agony.
It isn’t that simple Arze, I needed to do this. She replied in an attempt to calm both her twin and the flame. You know as I knew that our mother is not a good person. She’s knowingly poisoning the land and doesn’t care. Someone had to do something and… I guess that someone is me.
Any sympathy that she felt in her brother extinguished at her declaration and he hissed back at her. I am loyal to the Queen. Her methods for victory are of no concern to me.
Why? Because you’re her son? Because Fennalee told you to think that? She felt tears run down her face as she continued. We don’t have to be what they want us to be! We can be free to make our own choices.
You don’t get it. He replied in a dark tone that frightened her. I am loyal to the Queen.
As he repeated the phrase, he showed Ezra a memory of a cold, dark cell. He was bound in chains and his whole body was racked with agony. Shadows cut into his mind, broke his bones, tore his skin. The pain was endless, and more than Ezra could bear. She tried to pull her mind free of the torture but Arze pulled her closer, forcing her to experience the last few weeks of pain he had suffered.
The flame roared against the torment and nearly pushed her to burn the mind of her twin, but she resisted. Part of her felt like she deserved the suffering. That she had earned it. As she experienced the unfathomable pain, she wasn’t sure which part was herself and which was her twin through the all too vivid memories.
Ezra forgot herself between the torment of the painful memories and her desperate attempts to reign in the flames before they ran wild. She lost track of where her physical body was through the agony. Her bones snapped as his snapped, her flesh was torn as his was torn, and she felt a phrase cascade through her mind on a repeated loop as she suffered. I am loyal to the Queen. She could do nothing against it. Not without letting the flame have its way, but that would only hurt her twin more than he was already hurting.
She longed to free him of his torment, to show him of the friendship she had found, of the happiness and freedom she had enjoyed since leaving their mother’s influence. But her thoughts struggled to find footing against the raw torment. As Ezra succumbed to the pain, she struggled to hold on to the love she felt for her brother and thought only of how she could make up what she had done to him.
She felt his vengeful thoughts falter for a brief moment at the emotions sent by his sister and cried out in agony as he continued to make her suffer.
I am loyal to the Queen. His thoughts rang through her mind as everything else faded into pain.
Chapter Forty Two
Ralis
A pungent odor attacked Ralis’s senses and pulled him from the conflict in his mind with a lurch. He cried out as the wind attempted to wrestle control from his conscious mind and he brought his hands to his head. Somehow between the confusion, he felt a hand on his shoulder and pulled back fearfully. From his now outstretched hand, he felt a gust of wind erupt and blast the person away.
Ralis gasped and opened his eyes at the action. It had been the wind’s influence and he cried out as he saw Miri and Mistress Avia painfully try to stand from where they had been slammed against a wall. Mistress Avia was rubbing the back of her head with a pained wince. Miri’s body was covered in scrapes and bruises, and her arm was pulled into a tight sling. Ralis cried out to her, horrified at what he had done but crumpled to his knees as the wind pulled at his mind. He was far from controlling it but his desperation to not hurt anyone further gave him some footing.
Then he remembered what he had done. He had killed someone. Had watched the life drain from their eyes and had been covered in their blood. He felt sick and vomited what little he had in his stomach onto the floor.
“Ralis?” Miri asked as she stepped carefully towards him.
The wind roared up within him and he could feel it dance along his skin. It pulled at his wings, tail, hair and clothes. Loose objects in the room were tossed around him in a whirlwind that was beyond his control. He brought up a hand to keep Miri back as he struggled to reign in the power inside him. The effort was exhausting, and he cried out at the mental strain.
“I do not think we should have woken him.” Miri worried as she turned to Mistress Avia.
“We had no choice.” She shook her head. “It is imperative that both of you are in Frellan tonight.”
Ralis winced when he saw Miri’s fearful expression and wondered if this was how Ezra had felt when she had tackled the power of flame. The wind was unrelenting as it coiled around his mind. It sought out any weakness that it could use to wrestle control from him and Ralis had to shut his eyes as he struggled to keep his mind. He could hear movement around him and voices, but it took every ounce of effort he had to keep the stalemate strong.
But then, he heard someone saying his name, his true name, and he was forced to open his eyes with a shudder. Mistress Avia stood before him and gave him an apologetic frown.
“Ralianaranis.” She said again in a hushed tone.
He only barely heard her over the roar of the wind, both in his mind and billowing around him, but his blood heard the call and he straightened ready for her command.
“Fight this, control the power inside of you.”
Compelled by his blood, he closed his eyes tight and fought against the power in his mind. Fueled by the command he felt himself garner some leeway and pushed the power down. He gasped in momentary relief but could feel the wind still coiling within him. It hadn’t been beaten yet, but he seemed to have a moment’s respite.
The wind that had been tearing up the small room faded abruptly and the small objects that had been tossed around fell to the floor with a crash. He opened his eyes shakily and drank in his surroundings. He was back in Alumeen, and more specifically in the main room of Merria’s home. The only occupants in the room currently, were himself and Mistress Avia. Ralis breathed a sigh of relief that his true name had remained a secret.
She
reached a hand down to him. “Now raise, Bearer of the Wind.”
He took her hand and needed all of her help to stand. His limbs shuddered from unknown hours of strain and his body felt bruised like it never had before. Something stung on his right hand and he looked down to see bandages wrapped tightly around it, a stain of crimson on the palm. Like Ezra, he had been branded with a tattoo of his own. It coiled like gusts of purple wind from the tips of his fingers up to the base of his shoulder. He could feel the power twisting beneath the markings, only temporarily silenced.
“The Bearer of Flame needs you.” Mistress Avia continued as Ralis examined his arm. “I fear it may already be too late. I cannot fathom what it is you are undergoing but you must put it aside for now and travel with Miri to Frellan.”
“Frellan?” He asked weakly, his voice felt strained, like he had been screaming for hours.
“Yes, you must make haste.”
Ralis leaned heavily on her arm as she led him towards the front door of Merria’s home. Outside, Miri waited anxiously with Tylo, Tarmis, Merria and Dia. Wordlessly Miri moved to help Ralis stand and relieved Mistress Avia of the burden.
“Is it over?” Tylo asked nervously.
Mistress Avia shook her head. “It is only a reprieve, but hopefully it is enough that you can make it to Frellan and do what must be done.”
“What must be done?” Miri asked as she struggled beneath Ralis’s weight.
“You will know when you get there.” Mistress Avia then turned to Tylo. “Take them to the clock tower as fast as you can.”
Tylo nodded and gestured for Miri and Ralis to follow. Ralis staggered as he tried to walk and felt bad at how much he needed Miri to stand straight.
“I wish you both luck.” Mistress Avia waved as they departed. “We will meet again.”
Travel through the swamps was even more of a challenge with how fatigued Ralis felt. More than once he collapsed to his knees and needed a moment to rest. The wind continued to howl in his mind, relentless, yet mercifully, not overwhelming. All of his attention was focused on keeping the wind at bay and he hardly noticed when they arrived back in Frellan and slipped through the hidden entrance in the wall.
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