by Clayton Wood
Almost immediately after they stepped off of the riser, two elite guards rushed down the hallway toward them.
“Stop!” one of them cried. Gravity shields appeared around both of the guards, and Kalibar stopped immediately. Petra stepped backward, a gravity shield appearing around her as well. Kalibar put a hand up.
“At ease,” he stated calmly. One of the elite guards frowned, staring at Kalibar for a long moment. Then his eyes widened.
“Grand Weaver!” he exclaimed, his shields vanishing instantly. He dropped to one knee instantly, as did the other guard moments later. “I'm sorry,” he blurted out. “We didn't recognize you.”
“Quite alright,” Kalibar replied. “Stand up, please,” he added. The guards did so, looking extraordinarily embarrassed. “Is Grand Runic Erasmus around?” he inquired.
“Yes your Excellency,” one of the guards answered. “He's in a meeting with Councilman Goran, in the Grand Runic's suite.”
“Thank you,” Kalibar replied. The guards let them pass, and Kyle followed Kalibar and Petra down the hallway to the door to Erasmus's suite on the left. They stopped before it, and Kalibar knocked on the door. Within moments, it became translucent, and they could see Erasmus standing on the other side. The portly Grand Runic's eyes widened.
“Kalibar!” he exclaimed. The door immediately opened, and Erasmus rushed forward, giving Kalibar a big bear hug. Kalibar laughed, hugging Erasmus back. They held each other for a long moment, and then Erasmus broke away from Kalibar, wiping his obviously moist eyes with the back of his sleeve. Then he cleared his throat, ushering everyone into his luxurious suite. Kyle saw Councilman Goran – looking more exhausted than Kyle had ever seen the man – sitting on one of the many couches in the suite. Goran stood when they entered.
“Grand Weaver!” Goran exclaimed. “You're back early!”
“Councilman Goran,” Kalibar greeted.
“What the hell did you do to yourself?” Erasmus stated, a huge grin on his face, staring at Kalibar's bald head and grizzled chin. Tears were flowing down his cheeks, and he wiped them away hurriedly. “You look like a hobo...and you smell like one too.”
“It's a long story,” Kalibar admitted.
“I've got time,” Erasmus said, still grinning from ear-to-ear. Then he noticed Kyle and Ariana standing there. “You too?” he exclaimed, no doubt noticing Ariana's clothes and Kyle's short blond hair. “What the hell is this, a costume party?”
“Uh, well,” Kyle began. But Kalibar held up a hand to stop him.
“He knows,” Kalibar stated.
“He does?” Kyle asked, turning to Erasmus.
“I do,” Erasmus admitted. Then his gaze fell on Petra, and his eyes widened. “Well now!” he declared, stepping forward and reaching for Petra's hand. He grabbed it – much to Petra's obvious discomfort – and brought the back of her hand to his lips. “Who, might I ask, are you?”
“This is Petra,” Kalibar introduced. “She's from the Barrens, in Orja.”
“Well hello Petra,” Erasmus greeted, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. She pulled her hand away from his, and he chuckled. “So you're not dead,” he added, turning to Kalibar. “That's a start. Your mission...?”
“A success,” Kalibar answered, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“Hot damn!” Erasmus blurted out. “You're serious?”
“Dead serious.”
“You crazy bastard!” Erasmus nearly shouted, grabbing Kalibar and giving him a big bear hug. “You old, crazy, beautiful bastard!” He let go of Kalibar, his eyes once again moist with tears. This time, he didn't brush them away. “Pinch me!” he ordered. “Tell me I'm not dreaming!”
“You're not,” Kalibar said, chuckling at his old friend. “It's over.”
“Well I'll be damned,” Erasmus breathed. “The mother of all suicide missions, and you managed to pull it off!”
“Wait, what mission?” Goran interjected, looking utterly confused. Kalibar and Erasmus turned to the Elder Runic.
“Kalibar may have taken a little...detour on his vacation,” the Grand Runic confessed, trying to contain his pleasure at the man's confusion, and failing miserably.
“Detour?”
“To Orja,” Erasmus added, breaking into another grin.
“Orja?” Goran exclaimed, his eyes widening. “You went to Orja?”
“Well, yes,” Kalibar confirmed. Goran shook his head.
“Kalibar, the Council...your Battle-Weavers...they still think you're in Bellingham!”
“A necessary deceit,” Kalibar explained. “The vacation was a ruse.”
“Kalibar, what are you talking about?” Goran demanded. “Your entire security force doesn't know where you are! You could've been killed!”
“Well...” Kalibar replied. “That's actually far less likely now.”
“He went to Orja to confront Xanos,” Erasmus revealed. Goran stared at Erasmus, then turned back to Kalibar. He looked utterly lost. Erasmus, as usual, looked enormously pleased at having stymied the dour Elder Runic.
“Ampir gave us a weapon,” Kalibar explained. “One that he said could destroy Xanos if we could get it close enough to him. Ampir gave us Xanos's location, and we brought the bomb there.”
“Wait, Ampir gave you a weapon against Xanos, and you didn't tell the Council?” Goran accused, his tone incredulous.
“Ampir gave Kyle the weapon,” Kalibar corrected. “I found out about it the same day that these two,” he added, gesturing at Kyle and Ariana, “...decided to sneak out and save the Empire on their own.”
“That's why Kalibar took his vacation,” Erasmus explained. “To go after them.”
“So you knew about this?” Goran pressed, glaring at Erasmus. He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. “You knew about this and you didn't tell the Council? Or me?” Kalibar put a hand on Goran's shoulder.
“That was my decision,” he explained. “I had no way of knowing where Xanos's spies were. The more people I told, the more likely Xanos would have found out, and our mission would have failed.”
“Wait, it succeeded?” Goran blurted out. Kalibar broke into a grin.
“Yes.”
“Xanos is dead?”
“Dead and buried,” Kalibar confirmed. Goran's jaw dropped, and he stared at Kalibar, dumbfounded, for a long moment.
“No,” he retorted. Kalibar chuckled.
“Oh yes,” he countered.
“You're serious?”
“Dead serious,” Kalibar confirmed. Goran stared at Kalibar for a moment longer, then turned to Kyle and Ariana.
“He's right,” Ariana spoke up.
“Xanos is dead,” Kyle piped in. “I saw it with my own eyes.”
Goran stared at them for a moment longer, then turned back to Kyle. His jaw worked silently for a moment, and his arms – still crossed – slid down to his sides. Then the surly Elder Runic did something that Kyle had never seen the man do before.
He smiled, so hard that it nearly split his face in two.
“Kalibar, you crazy...!” he shouted, rushing up and grabbing Kalibar by the shoulders. Kalibar laughed, and Goran embraced the Grand Weaver for a moment, pulling away and staring at him with wonder. “You really did it?”
“Not me, I'm afraid,” Kalibar admitted. “We were waylaid by Xanos's Chosen. Ampir saved us...and killed Sabin.”
“The Ampir?” Goran exclaimed.
“That's right.”
Goran let go of Kalibar, rushing past everyone and making his way to one of the communication orbs on a nearby table. He touched it, sending a stream of magic to it.
“We have to call the Council!” he declared. “We have to tell everyone!” He let go of the orb, turning back to Kalibar and Erasmus. Then he burst out laughing, his eyes darting from Grand Runic to Grand Weaver. He hopped up and down, then rushed at Kalibar again, giving the man another bear hug. Then he disengaged, turning to Erasmus, and – after a momentary hesitation – embraced the portly Grand Runic. Much to Erasmus'
s obvious dismay.
Just then, there was a knock on the front door of Erasmus's suite, and Kyle turned to see a pair of elite guards standing on the other side of it. Erasmus gladly extracted himself from Goran, walking up to the door to let the guards in.
“I want an emergency meeting with the Council as soon as possible,” he told them. “In the War room.” The guards saluted crisply, and exited as quickly as they had come. Erasmus turned back to face Kalibar...and his eyes again shifted to Petra. And to her...obvious gifts.
“Well then,” he stated. “Now, what was your name again?”
“Petra,” she answered, leaning closer to Kalibar. Erasmus grinned, walking up to her and grabbing her hand again, lifting it and bringing it to his lips as he had before. She shrank away from him, glancing at Kalibar in a rather alarmed way.
“Tell me that this incredible creature isn't your new girlfriend,” Erasmus pleaded, looking at Kalibar, who for once was speechless. Erasmus gave another wily grin. “Say the word, my dear,” Erasmus continued, “...and I'll have my divorce finalized within the hour!”
Petra jerked her hand back from Erasmus, a look of horror on her face.
“Don't worry about him,” Kalibar told her, chuckling despite himself. “He's completely harmless.” He raised an eyebrow at Erasmus. “You do realize she could kill you,” he added.
“My wife?” Erasmus asked.
“No, she’s killing you slowly,” Kalibar corrected. “Petra will do it much more quickly.”
“Less painfully, though,” Erasmus replied.
Goran cleared his throat then.
“Come on,” he stated. “We'd better get to the War room.”
“I'll meet you there in a moment,” Kalibar said, glancing at Petra.
“Me too,” Erasmus added. Goran nodded, then walked out of the suite, the door closing automatically behind him. After he'd left, Kyle saw Petra ogling Erasmus's suite. It was extraordinary, luxurious beyond description, with crystalline walls that tapered to form the shimmering pyramid that topped the Tower. She was obviously very impressed.
“So you're from the Barrens?” Erasmus inquired. Petra turned to him.
“The Barren forest,” she confirmed.
“A hell of a change of scenery, eh?” Erasmus said with a chuckle.
“Who lives here?” she asked.
“I do,” Erasmus answered. “At least for another six years.” Petra's eyes widened.
“You live here?” she exclaimed. Erasmus raised an eyebrow, running a hand through his long white beard.
“Why,” he asked. “Is that so hard to believe?”
“It's just...” she replied. “So rich.”
“Well, so am I,” Erasmus stated.
“What do you do here?”
“I'm the guy who runs the place,” Erasmus replied, gesturing at the crystalline windows giving a magnificent view of the Secula Magna's vast campus...and the skyline of Stridon beyond. “And so is he,” he added, pointing at Kalibar. Petra blinked, then turned to Kalibar.
“What?”
“See that city?” Erasmus answered, again gesturing at the window to the city outside. “We run it.”
“The whole thing?” Petra pressed, clearly taken aback. Kyle couldn't blame her; Stridon was huge, as big as any city on Earth, and while it of course didn't have quite as impressive skyscrapers as those back home, its architecture was mighty impressive.
“And forty-seven other major cities,” Erasmus continued. “Five hundred and twenty-two towns, a few islands here and there, and an army of five hundred thousand infantry, give or take.”
Petra's mouth fell open.
“He never told you?” Erasmus asked incredulously. Petra turned to Kalibar, who, it seemed, could only shrug.
“I'm the leader of an Empire,” he admitted. When Petra continued to stare at him, open-mouthed, he looked down, clearing his throat noisily. Petra's mouth snapped shut, and she pulled away from Kalibar, regarding him with an expression that Kyle couldn't read, but definitely wasn't the good kind.
“You're an emperor?” she exclaimed. Kalibar sighed heavily, not meeting her gaze.
“Yes.”
Petra balled her right hand into a fist, and punched Kalibar in the shoulder.
“I almost killed you!” she accused.
“Actually, not...” Kalibar began, but Petra punched him in the shoulder again, and he grunted.
“Lead with that next time!”
“All right,” Kalibar muttered. “Next time we meet for the first time, I'll tell you I'm an emperor.”
“Oh,” Erasmus interjected. “You didn't tell me she was your new girlfriend, Kalibar!” Both Kalibar and Petra turned to him. Erasmus put up his hands and stepped back, no doubt because Petra looked like she wanted to punch him now. “Well you fight like it,” he added hastily.
Petra paused, then relaxed her fists, turning back to Kalibar.
“You two lead an Empire?”
“I know,” Erasmus said with a grin, walking up to Kalibar and putting an arm around his shoulder. “Hard to believe, eh?”
“I need to sit down,” Petra muttered, turning around and walking up to one of Erasmus's couches and doing just that. She stared off into space.
“Now now,” Erasmus said, sitting down beside Petra and patting his impressive belly with one hand. “I hope this doesn't sour things between you two.” Petra frowned at him.
“What?”
“Well, that Kalibar's a dirty politician,” Erasmus continued. “I've known him for oh, what now? Forty-eight years?”
“Forty-nine,” Kalibar corrected.
“That man,” Erasmus said, pointing at Kalibar, “...is the greatest, most beautiful damn human being I've ever met.” He smirked then. “He looks a hell of a lot better with hair though.”
“He's right,” Ariana stated suddenly. All eyes turned to her.
“I look better with hair?” Kalibar asked.
“I've seen who he is,” Petra interjected, looking at Kalibar. “You told me that I was of fine character,” she added. “And that you wanted a chance to prove that you were as well.”
“I remember,” Kalibar admitted. Petra smiled, rising from the couch and walking up to him. Then she leaned in, giving Kalibar a kiss right on the lips. Kalibar stiffened with surprise, and Petra held the kiss for a moment, before pulling back to gaze into his eyes.
“You are the greatest man I've ever met.”
Chapter 37
The emergency meeting of the Council went exactly as Kyle expected it to. Which is to say that, after a long period of disbelief and shock, the twelve members of the Council burst into joyous celebration, much as Goran had earlier. It was, Kyle had realized, the first time he'd seen them all getting along. After countless back-slaps and tearful congratulations – and a disturbing number of emptied wine bottles – the celebration died away, and the Council, along with Kalibar and Goran, got to work. On planning a more formal celebration, of course. Kalibar and Erasmus were to announce their victory in Stridon's Central Square, after which a parade unlike anything the Empire had ever seen would be had.
Kyle had left the meeting soon after the celebratory part had ended, both he and Ariana going back to Kalibar's suite. Petra had joined them, at least at first, and they'd spent some time catching up on what had happened to each of them, respectively. Kalibar and Erasmus had returned from the meeting afterward, and Kalibar had insisted that everyone come to his suite to have dinner together, like old times. And that is exactly what they did.
Kyle sat at the dinner table in Kalibar's suite, Ariana to his left and Erasmus to his right. Kalibar sat opposite him, as did Petra at his side. Petra had changed out of her Reaper uniform and into more conventional clothing...a simple dress. Of course, on her, the dress had transformed into something quite extraordinary, by virtue of her natural gifts. Kyle was relieved to see that he was not the only one who was having a hard time resisting the urge to look; Kalibar and Erasmus were clearly st
ruggling with the same compulsion, with little success.
Just then, the door to Kalibar's suite opened, and a very familiar person strode in.
“Darius!” Kyle cried, standing up from his chair. It was indeed Darius, wearing his customary golden armor. The bodyguard nodded at Kyle, walking up to the seat opposite Ariana and sitting down. Erasmus rolled his eyes at the man.
“Late again?” he asked. “Are you ever on time?”
“Darius, you're back,” Kalibar stated, clearly surprised. Erasmus snorted.
“He's been back,” he muttered. “Came back a few hours after you left for your 'vacation,'” he added, glancing at Kalibar. He turned back to Darius, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I immediately offered him a lifetime of unpaid vacation.”
“Petra, this is Darius,” Kalibar introduced, gesturing at the bodyguard. Petra stood to shake Darius's hand, and he stayed right where he was, giving her the slightest of nods. Petra kept her hand extended for a moment, then withdrew it, sitting down and giving Kalibar a confused look. Erasmus chuckled.
“You don't have to like him,” the Grand Runic counseled. “No one else does.”
Just then, Jenkins arrived. Ever the faithful butler, he appeared with stacks of plates, bowls, and silverware in his hands. Within moments, the table was set, with all of the instruments of eating within easy reach. Jenkins took everyone's orders – which for most of them was the perennial favorite, roasted duck – and then left as quickly as he had come to carry out their requests. He returned minutes later – an assistant butler in tow – with silver platters and a remarkable assortment of wine bottles. After everyone had been served, Jenkins left, his assistant clearly struggling to keep up with the expert butler's formidable speed and efficiency. Everyone at the table dug in to their meals at once, except for Ariana, of course. For Kyle, the delicious aroma of roasted duck was damn near intoxicating, his mouth watering almost painfully with anticipation. When he eagerly shoveled a juicy slice of it into his mouth, it didn't disappoint.