by Reiter
“Shortsighted?!” Davodd exclaimed as he finally pulled his eyes away from Aebrynn. “Aebrynn made things seem desperate, and here you are of the mind that we may not be able to estimate exactly what might be the outcome from this mysterious occurrence?”
“You’ve always been a quick-study, Davodd,” Freund replied. “Glad to see that has not changed.”
“Perhaps we should not be asking anything,” Niadra said as she moved closer to the center of the floor. “Perhaps it is time that we remember that we are Enacranites! Our best and most gifted are fully assembled here and now. While most of you look at this man as an immortal, that status has yet to be given to him among the Olasson. We should not be asking. We should be demanding! What has this thing brought upon us? Or is this simply another of his many ploys and games?”
“I would expect as much from an Olasson spy,” Freund replied, cutting into the rising tide of murmurs and muted statements. “Lead humans to the brink of the matter and then step back while they make a mess of things. But then again, we are good at making messes!” Freund nodded before taking a breath and lifting his head. It was at times like this that so many believed Freund could see. He did not have eyes, but there was a feeling that he was looking directly at a soul, taking in its full measure.
“Foolish child, you are taking what your father has told you to heart without first questioning it in the fashion that you are now questioning me. Should it be said that truth can only be regarded as such by the source from which it comes? If that is the case, perhaps the question should be raised as to why the Olasson brought the Earth humans to the Rims. How convenient that no matter how many times they are asked, the details of their actions have yet to be delivered. Yet you feel you can stand there and even propose you have grounds to make demands of me!
“But if it is the wisdom of the Enacranites to act as you have suggested, then gather your ranks!” Freund suggested. “I will wait for you to have sufficient numbers. We would not want such an epic moment to pass too quickly, now, would we?”
Niadra looked around the room, considering what her next words should be. Very few were looking back at her. They were either looking at Freund, Mulrear, or exploring the place where deep thoughts were composed and turned about. No one would aid her in an attack against Freund and for once, she was glad to be standing alone… it made her retreat simpler.
“Master Freund,” Davodd spoke, making his approach very slow. He held his arms out from his sides as if to plead with the blind entity to give him some level of vision. “…what can you tell us today?”
“Mulrear was not wrong,” Freund stated plainly. He had finally achieved what he needed: the attention of the Enacranites without their arrogance and defended ignorance. “… though he was not acting for the benefit of the Enacranites or even mortals. His link with a divine entity drove his reason and led him, ultimately, to his own doom. A doom he had intended for those foolish enough to answer his summons.”
“Friend of humanity,” Thurgood finally spoke as he adjusted his place in his chair. A High Lord of the Enacranites had seen enough. The time to engage Freund had come. “Please, have a care. This charge you make carries a great weight, not only to Mulrear, but to his estate.”
“Then I suggest, old friend, that you get started with your weights and measures. I was privy to a questionable demonstration of incantation manipulation on my way to the meeting.” Freund tapped his staff to the ground and his escort was brought to the room, the floor tiles of the ship he was on had come with him, and Freund’s eyebrows lifted. “I do hope that you were not too close to the hull of the vehicle,” he said, knowing that it was a wasted sentiment. The remaining passengers on the ship had already been sucked out into the cold embrace of space. “But I suppose it does not matter. You won’t be alive much longer anyway.”
“I meant no offense, my lords,” the man screamed as he dropped to his knees. “Lord Mulrear forced us to assist him!”
“Hmmm, ‘us’, eh? And that is not the tale you were summoned to give,” Freund remarked. “What a lovely motivation the wish to preserve one’s own life is to the objectives of interrogation.”
“So it is,” Thurgood agreed, making a simple gesture with his hand as he forcibly teleported the entire staff of the Enacranite estate into the room. Three were dead due to exposure to outer space. “Master Freund, if you would be so helpful…”
“All but the very frightened female on the third row are involved with this plan,” Freund stated. “That includes the three who called in sick today.” Several of the staff started to speak up, but Thurgood was already prepared to silence them. A second gesture from him petrified the group, casting them all, with the exception of the man Freund had brought and the woman he had pointed out, into stone. The High Lord quickly put his eyes back to Freund and waited for him to speak.
“As you can see for yourselves, the incantation killing Aebrynn is expanding, albeit slowly. The contest that was scheduled for me to witness was won when one student redirected the raw MannA thrust of another around her body and back to her opponent. I suspect that this was Mulrear’s attempt to plant the seed of an easily attainable victory in my head.”
“But it was your commentary that provoked Aebrynn,” Davodd pointed out.
“With a mind as sharp as Freund’s, that is a matter of semantics,” Thurgood countered as he rubbed his chin. “He knew the man was up to something; Freund’s belligerence merely guided Aebrynn to the wrongful conclusion that his plan needed no further baiting. But I am curious as to how you knew to be on your guard and the matter of this questionable sparring match.”
“Seldom do students, even Enacranite students, engage in sparring while shielding their minds from telepathic probes,” Freund shared. “The very hall itself is defense against that… not that it works, but the intention is still there.” Thurgood smiled as Freund found yet another distraction to shuffle into an already tall deck. Members spoke amongst themselves as Davodd spoke.
“We are faced with a pressing challenge that we can know nothing of and should we fail, we all fall.” Davodd shook his head as his mind tried to grasp what his mouth was saying. “Is there anything more you can tell us? Anything that we can do to assist you in the challenge?”
“What is the Enacranite First Reade?” Freund quizzed and Davodd was quick to respond.
“We are dedicated to the continuance of MajiK and all its workings.”
“No,” Niadra argued. “The first law of the Enacranites is the definition of what we are to the flow of MannA and what that flow is to us.”
“That’s not correct either,” a young, female voice proclaimed from where she sat behind one of the Vohlbred lords… the one who was her lord. She gasped at the sound of her voice, realizing then that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.
Usually the Vohlbred who became Enacranites were pressed to maintain their status above the norm. But Freund recognized the essence of Embrynn Garthov seated in front of the young woman. He was considered a rebel against many of the unsubstantiated traditions of the Enacranites; it would only stand to reason that one of his entourage would have the passion to speak out of turn when the moment required it. Garthov smiled, turned in his seat, and motioned for the young woman to stand as so many turned to look at her. The weight of their stares almost made her knees buckle. Freund was about to cheat and invigorate the young female, but she closed her eyes and stood up straight. “The First Reade of the Enacranites is not a law at all; it’s a spell!” Freund was once again glad not to have eyes as they would have been easily read as a child recalled, accurately, the history of the Enacranites. “It is the incantation that protects the Terran Triangle and Vastion even more so.
“That the light of humanity is fueled by hope, guided by just and responsible souls, and guarded by fortitude, courage, and ambition … so let this MajiK hold and sustain life both within and without. Lord Freund is tasking us to do what we have already sworn to do: protect humanity.”
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br /> “That was a cue if ever I heard one,” Freund thought as he turned on his heels and started once again for the double doors.
“But how will we know where and when?” Davodd cried.
“And here I thought you were practiced in MajiK!” Freund answered before teleporting out of the hall. Many of the Enacranites started to look at one another; conversation ensued… for most. There were two who would not be engaging in any discourse.
Garthov’s soft blue eyes stared at the floor recently left empty by Freund; there was a very respectful gleam in his gaze. He breathed in deeply and put his hands to his knees before giving the effort to stand up. He then looked briefly over the floor and seats, half-listening to the conversations of the many forming groups. For his taste, too many were focused on their opinion of Freund and too little regarding what he had said. The towering InvokeR looked down on his latest source of pride, his great-granddaughter, Illadea. The young woman wanted to smile, but did not know if such an action would be prudent.
“Yes,” Embrynn said softly, tugging on his gray beard. “… you did speak out of turn. But your voice was forced; one does not expect a standing and supposedly serving Enacranites not to know the First Reade. Don’t forget your bag, my dear.”
“I won’t, grandfather,” she quickly replied, taking hold of her shoulder bag as she took hold of her courage. “Do you believe him, grandfather?” She did not know what to make of the chuckling she received in response to her inquiry.
“That’s not the question you should be asking, Dea,” Garthov replied before giving a sharp exhale, blowing out sparkling gray smoke that quickly whisked around himself and Illadea. For those who might have been looking on, it appeared as if the stream of white smoke swallowed the couple and dispersed with the two of them no longer in sight.
Landing on the large flying disc, Illadea put her hand up to her head to keep her long orange-streaked blonde hair out of her face with the sudden gust of wind that riding on the disc often generated. Her green eyes squinted tight together as she looked up at Shuntoras, the automaton Embrynn had created on a dare and a well-won wager. He piloted the disc around the Enacranite Estate and looked to his master who nodded in appreciation, smiled, and softly spoke, “To the ship, my friend.” The large disc banked to the opposite side as it began to climb and gain velocity. Streaking light trailed behind the disc as it pushed its way into the upper atmosphere and then into outer space.
“Fine,” the budding Vohlbred InvokeR conceded. “If you had held any doubt of what was said, you would have voiced them. It is also clear that you do not think the governing body of the Enacranites can contend with the issue. So what are we going to do?”
“We?” Embrynn repeated.
“Surely you don’t think that if the matter is grave enough to affect all of the Rims that some notion of maintaining my safety holds any merit or reason, do you?”
“Well, certainly not any longer,” Garthov admitted. He thought for a moment as his personal spacecraft came into view. “And if that is the case, you should know I was not attending the summons for myself. In truth, the invitation I used to gain entry was not delivered to me.”
“Whose invitation were we using?” Illadea asked.
“Ethadior’s,” the man replied, knowing what his great-granddaughter and student thought of the Enacranite. “And before you get too far down your road of judgment, you should know his warning of these events preceded anything we’ve received from Freund. When he gave me his invitation, he also told me of a discovery he and some of his students had recently made, though he intentionally would not go into detail.”
“We can presume why he didn’t,” Illadea quickly concluded. She timed her stride perfectly and landed on the flooring of the hangar bay as the light disc faded from sight. “Why risk disagreeable discourse when the proof of your claim is to be made truth by another.”
“Illadea, was that a compliment?”
“Something we cannot define is coming to the Rims which can affect all of them,” the young woman stated as she steadied herself. “That means we will have to contend with not only the impossible Olasson, but the arrogant Empire. If anyone is on our side, we should welcome them with open arms and the finest wines!” Garthov slapped his hands to his belly as he laughed heartily.
“You are my junior, Illadea, but only in the counting of your years!”
Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.
Henry Ford
(Rims Time: XII-4201.09)
After several minutes of consideration and adjustment, Count Quazeki took in a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Enter!” a voice responded and the Count brushed back his hair once more before approaching the double doors that opened without having to be touched. Casdan stumbled, missing his grab at the handles. He was still not accustomed to the level of automation in the manor. He quickly recovered and strode into the room erecting a face of confidence.
“What an unexpected surprise!” Danavyn said as he stood up from behind his large desk. He smiled and chuckled, walking around the office furniture to embrace a now more relieved but still quite disheveled Casdan Quazeki. “It isn’t often that we receive Imperial Ministers here in the Middle Rim. I hope you enjoyed the holidays. Oh wait, I’m sorry. Christmas is not observed in the Empire, is it? But I know for a fact the New Year Festival is always a grand affair!”
“I wouldn’t know, Mr. Veil,” Casdan said softly. “I was dismissed from my position. I am no longer an Imperial Minister.”
“What?!” the man stepped back as he gasped. “Well, this is an outrage! I will hear the reason and I will hear it now!”
“Mr. Veil, there is no need for pretenses,” Casdan said, almost pleading with the man. “I have not only been removed from my office… I have been proscribed! This is literally the last place I could come. You must help me!” Casdan stumbled forward, reaching for Danavyn who was faster in his withdrawal. “I beg you, Mr. Veil! Please help me!”
“Thanneus, I have need of you!” Danavyn called out and the double doors opened before he had finished speaking the summons.
“Yes, Mr. Veil,” Thanneus said softly, an anxious glare in his eyes.
“Escort Count Quazeki to the East Guest House and see to it that the staff is advised we have an Imperial visitor lodged there. Once he is secured, send a communications request to Lord Shalce. I have need of his counsel on this matter.”
“I shall make it so, sir,” Thanneus acknowledged, relaxing his shoulders and snapping his fingers before turning to face Casdan. “Count Quazeki?” Casdan looked at the man as two more servants, both attractive females, entered the room, and received their orders from Thanneus. They both turned and greeted the trembling former Imperial Minister before taking hold of his arms and leading him out of the office. Thanneus waited for the doors to close behind the second of the two servants before he turned to face his employer.
“Can we speak, sir?”
Danavyn looked to his desk before answering. He blinked twice and then smiled. “We can speak now.”
“Trap?”
“Of course,” Danavyn replied as he returned to his seat. “That man had more ears fixed to his person than I care to recount. Which means I am still suspected… and the shell game continues. This is the third time we’ve hit this wall, Thanneus. It is time to alter our approach. While I prepare my futile attempts to have Casdan reinstated, you should endeavor to reacquaint yourself with your contacts.”
“And see if I can spot an alternative means of approach?” Thanneus asked with a slight smirk on his face. Danavyn looked at his Chief of Security and smiled as he sat back in his chair.
“I am listening.”
“At the moment, it’s only rumor, but it’s the sort of rumor that spreads quickly.”
“Which means it probably isn’t true,” Danavyn concluded.
“Or the sort of truth that a lot of people want to hear, but don’t often get to enjoy,”
Thanneus countered.
“And what truth would that be?”
“That a norm took a Chevalier,” the large man advised. “I haven’t put it to the fire, but so far the story seems to be holding up.”
“Turn up the heat!” Danavyn ordered. “Do you have the name of the Chevalier?”
“Falco Sylgarr.”
“What?!” Danavyn said , leaning forward, placing his hands on the edge of his desk.
“You know him?”
“I know the Sylgarr name!” Danavyn clarified. “If memory serves, there is a Sylgarr seated on the Council of the Mage.” Thanneus breathed in deeply as his mouth fell open. “Yes! I agree whole-heartedly. Do what you can to verify this for me, especially to the point of getting me the name of the… norm.”
“Consider it done, sir,” Thanneus smiled as he turned to leave the office.
Danavyn chuckled as he sat back again. “Timing! The very hour I decide to change my approach, an opportunity might have just made itself available. Perhaps I should be prepared to double my efforts to have Casdan returned to his position.”
** b *** t *** o *** r **
(Rims Time: XII-4201.21)
The doors to the cell opened and Vobis quickly scurried into the far corner. The light came on and he turned his face away from the luminescence. Not that he had been kept in the dark. If anything, it was simply the end of his sleep-cycle, but he was not looking forward to another discussion session with the Captain of this ship.
“Take it easy, Vobis,” Jocasta said softly. “We’re all done with questions and answers.” She placed the tray down at the foot of the cot and sat on the edge. “This is the part where I tell you that we’re about to disembark and you’re coming with us.”