The Coming Chaos

by D. K. Holmberg

  Then again, perhaps something had happened to the Great One. There would have to be a reason for others to have been so willing to act out. They had to believe that they would get away with it, didn’t they?

  What if they’d heard something had happened to him?

  She tried to work through the various reasons why his followers would have suddenly abandoned the Great One, and the one reason that made the most sense was they no longer had him to follow.

  There was no one else who could take his place.

  That seemed unlikely.

  And while she wasn’t a fighter, there were others who were.

  Ryn sat upright.

  Maybe that was the key. She had been thinking about how she would break into the palace, get to Dolan and the others, and find some way of sneaking them back out again, but that didn’t solve the problem at all.

  What she needed was to use those who still served the Great One.

  And there were those people. She’d seen them around the outskirts of the palace. From what Dolan had said, there were those who didn’t know about the attack, and they wouldn’t have known what had taken place inside or what had happened to the disciple.

  Ryn still had her sigil. It was the mark of the Great One.

  She had hesitated to go to them before, concerned about their reaction, but perhaps that was what she needed to do.

  She started working through things in her mind while Dillon slept, and as she did, she thought about everything she had seen in the city. It fit with what Dillon had said. There was an absence of life, but he was wrong about the source of it. It hadn’t come from the Ai’thol. It had come from the fact that there was upheaval within the palace.

  Was she capable of doing more?

  She didn’t know. In this case, if she took action, she’d be moving forward on the Great One’s behalf. It was dangerous, but then again, doing nothing was dangerous, too.

  The people in the city needed her to do something.

  Ryn got to her feet. Strangely, the idea of taking action in this way felt exhilarating.

  It was near nightfall when Dillon awoke. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, looking up to the darkening sky before yawning and turning his attention to Ryn. “You let me sleep all day?”

  “I’ve been thinking.”

  “About how to rescue the people inside the palace?”

  She nodded. “Yes, but not the way we were initially planning it.”

  “How, then?”

  “Dolan said there were only a half a dozen or so in the palace.”

  “And we know one of them is incredibly powerful.”

  “Probably all of them,” Ryn said. “But I think they aren’t acting with the rest of the Ai’thol.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean I need to go and be the emissary.”

  “You tried that, Ryn. When you were in the palace. You saw what happened.”

  “This is different. I think I need to be the emissary outside of the palace.”

  “What good will that do?”

  She had given it a lot of thought, struggling to figure out what she could do and how it would make a difference, if at all. “I need to bring the Ai’thol together so they can act on behalf of the Great One again.”

  “Ryn—”

  She turned to him. “You don’t have to do this with me. I know how you feel about the Ai’thol, and I even know how you feel about the Great One. I thank you for everything you’ve done, but I don’t think you’ll be needed to break into the palace.”

  “That’s it?”

  “What more do you want me to say?”

  “I didn’t want you to just send me away.”

  “I’m not sending you away, Dillon. I’m giving you the option of leaving.” He wasn’t a part of this. That was another thing she’d realized while sitting there and thinking as the day stretched on. She’d asked for his help, and he’d given it willingly, saving her life and keeping her from danger, but at the same time, he was placing himself in danger for her.

  There was no reason for that, since he didn’t share her beliefs about the value of the work. He didn’t view the Great One the same way she did. Still, he’d come along.

  “I’m not leaving you like this.”

  “Dillon—”

  He came toward her, grabbing her hands. “I want to help you see all sides, Ryn.”

  She stared at him, meeting his gaze for a moment. “Why?”

  “Why am I helping you?”

  She nodded. “There’s nothing here for you. You don’t have to do this.”

  “I know I don’t have to, but I want to. I want to help you. And more than that, I think I can show you things your Great One cannot.”

  “I don’t doubt the Great One.”

  “I’m not asking you to. I’m just asking you to do what you seem to have been doing anyway. Keep an open mind. Look around you and understand that perhaps everything you’ve experienced is not what it seemed to be.”

  She let out a heavy sigh. “What do you think I will observe that will change my mind?”

  “Maybe nothing. You’ve seen the way your Great One’s people work. These people once served him, and without his presence, they’ve taken it upon themselves to clamor for power. Does that not tell you something?”

  “It tells me men search for power.”

  “And what about you?”

  “I don’t search for power.”

  “No? Then why have you stayed with him? Why have you served as his emissary?”

  “Because he saved me,” she said, turning away and looking at the city of Lexa. In the distance, lights flickered in windows. There was a sense of movement within the city, though much as Dillon had said, there wasn’t the same sense of vibrancy here as she would have expected. Maybe it was nothing more than her imagination, but she couldn’t help but feel as if there was something missing within the city.

  “How did he save you?”

  “I’ve already told you.”

  “Tell me again.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you followed him.”

  “Why does that matter to you?”

  Dillon took a deep breath. “Because I followed someone without considering whether I should.”

  “You did?”

  Dillon nodded. “It was a while ago. There was a man who helped me. He offered me safety. A place to stay. Food to eat. I… I didn’t have any of that. I felt vulnerable. He provided comfort.” Dillon went silent, and he stared into the distance. “After a while, he started to ask me to use my ability on his behalf. At first, it was small things. He wanted me to take him places. Seeing as how he helped me, I willingly did that. He continued to train me, showing me how to work at the forge, honing my skill. He promised me that once I reached a certain level, I would find work anywhere as a blacksmith.” Dillon grunted. “If only that were true. Most places have their own apprenticeships for blacksmiths. They don’t like outsiders, though I’m not sure any place really likes outsiders.”

  “What else happened?”

  “After he had me taking jobs for him, we started to break into places. It started small, reclaiming debts he said he was owed, but then it became larger and larger things. Eventually I realized I was being used. I ran.”

  “And you think the Great One is using me?”

  “I don’t know if he is or not. You seem to believe he’s not, and maybe that’s true, but then again, maybe it’s not. It’s possible he is using you.”

  “I didn’t have any powers when he found me. That wasn’t what he wanted me for. He brought me to safety. He gave me a place to stay. But he never asked anything of me.”

  “Hasn’t he?”

  “What do you think he’s asked of me?”

  “Obedience. Following him. Maybe he wants you to worship him.”

  Ryn smiled to herself. “That’s not the kind of thing the Great One does.”

  “Perhaps not that you’ve seen, but others hav
e a different experience.”

  “You keep making comments about that, but I don’t think that’s what the Great One wants.”

  “I hope it’s not. I would hate for you to get caught up the same way I was caught up in things. I was used, and there are plenty of people in the world who would use others.”

  “How do I know you’re not trying to use me?”

  Dillon held her gaze for a long moment. “Unfortunately, you don’t.”

  Ryn stared at him for a long moment, waiting for him to say something more, but he never did. Instead, he just stared at her, holding her gaze.

  Could Dillon be using her? She didn’t think so, but she couldn’t say with certainty that he wasn’t. What would he gain by using her? There wasn’t anything she was capable of doing that would benefit him.

  Other than her access to the Great One.

  If he wanted to harm the Great One, then what better way to do it than to manipulate one of his emissaries?

  “Are you using me?”

  “I’m not, but that’s a question you shouldn’t have taken this long to ask. Others might be. Given your position, it wouldn’t be surprising if they wanted to use you. Even the Great One might be doing so, though I know you like to think otherwise.”

  She remained silent for a while and took a deep breath. None of that changed what she needed to do. She had seen what had taken place inside the palace, and so if nothing else, she needed to act on that first. Once she did, then she could begin to figure out her next step. Somehow, she had to get word to the Great One.

  “Then maybe it is time for you to go.”

  “That’s not what I was getting at.”

  “Really? It seems to me it was. You’ve been trying to convince me I can’t trust anyone, and you’re right. How can I trust anyone when I don’t know them? How can I trust you when I know you don’t follow the Great One or what he’s trying to accomplish?”

  “I would think you could trust me more because you know I’m telling you the truth.”

  Ryn smiled at him. “Is it the truth?”

  “Ryn—”

  She stepped away from him. “I know what I need to do, Dillon. And I know what you need to do—which is return to Dreshen, return to the blacksmith, and continue with your training there.”

  “Just like that?”

  “I think you’ll find more like-minded people in Dreshen than you will here.”

  “What happens if they capture you?”

  “They won’t.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “I know what the Ai’thol will do. They will serve the Great One.”

  “You’ve seen they don’t all serve the Great One.”

  “Some don’t, but I think enough remain who do that we’ll be able to rescue those trapped inside the palace.”

  There had to be a reason they hadn’t drawn in the other Ai’thol. Either they couldn’t, or they hadn’t taken the time to do so yet.

  If she waited, she ran the risk of the Ai’thol in the city being coopted and losing her opportunity. She needed to act now in order to rescue those within the palace. Any further delay would be a mistake.

  “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

  He took a step toward her, and she shook her head. “Don’t. Please don’t.”

  Ryn took a step back and started toward the city, keeping her attention on him. As she went, she kept waiting for him to come after her, and partly expected to feel a surge of nausea, something that would suggest he was going to travel toward her, but it never came.

  As she neared the edge of the city, Dillon still at the periphery of her vision, she turned around, drew herself up, and prepared for the next step she would need to take.

  She would serve as the emissary.

  Only this time, it wouldn’t be a matter of merely observing.

  45

  Ryn

  Approaching the city again left Ryn uncomfortable. She did so slowly, with trepidation, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of excitement at doing so. She was acting on behalf of herself almost as much as the Great One. She needed information, and no longer would she be willing to sit back and wait to see what someone else might tell her. She would figure it out on her own.

  It was late enough that the streets weren’t all that busy, and she was thankful for that. She approached slowly, her gaze flickering around her as she went, searching for signs of danger. She was a woman—however young she might be—wandering alone in the city. That put her at risk, but she also carried with her the mark of the Great One. That would grant her safe passage.

  At least, it should grant her safe passage.

  Whatever was taking place here needed to be resolved, which meant she needed to be confident, approach the Ai’thol patrolling near the wall, and be prepared.

  Once she did it, what would she do next?

  Probably reinstill a sense of order within the palace. From there, she would decide what to do about Dreshen. If she couldn’t get word to the Great One, then she might have to act on her own.

  Weaving through the streets, she looked for anyone who might attempt to slow her, but she found no one. As she went, she half expected to come across the sense of traveling, that wave of nausea that would roll through her, indicating she was no longer safe, but while there was a distant sense of nausea, there was nothing acute.

  That had to be good, didn’t it?

  She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she needed to reach the edge of the palace. From there she would head for the Ai’thol, looking for additional help.

  It was strange making her way into the city like this. Stranger still was the fact that as she did, she couldn’t shake what Dillon had said to her, the reminder that there was almost an absence of activity within the city.

  That wasn’t supposed to be the way the Ai’thol served. According to the Great One, the Ai’thol served in a way that meant safety and security, protection from the dangerous elements that existed out in the world. People like Lareth. People like the blacksmith. Lorren. The man from Ih who could use the shadows.

  Ryn continued through the city, not stopping as she went. She kept her hood down, and as the palace came into view, she slowed. What she was doing was dangerous, and it was taking on a responsibility that was not meant to have been hers. At the same time, it was one she thought she needed to assume. She watched for signs of the Ai’thol, signs of anything here in the city, and realized that though she was here by herself, making her way through the city alone, she did not appear to be in any danger.

  That surprised her.

  It shouldn’t surprise her. This was a place of the Great One, a place where he had his control, his influence, and where there should be no fear for those who lived within the borders.

  She neared the wall. As she did, She counted three different Ai’thol, all of them patrolling steadily as they made their way around the palace.

  The Great One’s advice lingered in her mind. Observe and report.

  What did she see?

  Was there anything about the patrol that should worry her?

  Not from what she detected. They were no different than the typical Ai’thol, and as she watched, she recognized steady movements.

  Ryn started forward, and when she reached the nearest man, she studied his face. A scar on one side of his face indicated the blessing he’d taken. Not all of the Ai’thol had a blessing, but many did. Often, they viewed taking a blessing as the next step in their progression within the Ai’thol. It was a feeling that she’d shared. When she’d been given the opportunity to take a blessing, she had done so willingly—eagerly.

  Perhaps too eagerly.

  The Ai’thol glanced at her. His gaze didn’t linger, quickly turning to look beyond her, as if she posed no threat.

  And in that regard, he would be right. She wasn’t a threat to him.

  “You,” she said, addressing the Ai’thol.

  The man paused, turning toward her. One
hand went to the hilt of his sword at his waist.

  Ryn brought the pendant forward, flashing the marker of the Great One. “My name is Ryn Valeron, emissary of the Great One, Olandar Fahr.”

  His eyes widened slightly, and he dropped his hands to his waist, bowing deeply. “How may I serve, emissary?”

  That was the response she had expected all along. It was the response she’d not yet gotten, which she should have worried about before now.

  “How long have you been serving Lexa?”

  “I have been stationed here for three months.”

  “And in that time, what have you observed?”

  “Observed?”

  “You have been paying attention on behalf of the Great One, have you not?”

  Hearing those words come out of her mouth almost made her smile to herself. It was the kind of thing the Great One would have said.

  “I serve in order to exalt the Great One,” the man said.

  “As well you should. He deserves to be exalted. I would ask what you’ve seen in Lexa over the months that you have served.”

  His gaze flickered over to the palace. When he hesitated, Ryn knew that she was on to something.

  “There has been strange activity within the palace,” he said. He practically flushed as he said it, and she wondered why that should be.

  “What sort of strange activity?”

  “Up until about a month ago, we would see the disciple make his visit known within the city. Once a week, he would parade through the city, but…”

  “That stopped,” Ryn said.

  The Ai’thol nodded.

  “What’s your name?”

  “Adam Morrin.”

  “I would have you gather as many of the Ai’thol as you can.”

  “Now?”

  Ryn cocked her head, staring at him. “You would question the emissary?”

  His gaze darted to the pendant before lifting to look her in the eyes. “Of course not, emissary.”

  He ran off, disappearing into the darkness.

  Ryn waited. She could have suggested he meet her somewhere, but it was best for her to keep the palace in view. She focused on whether she could detect any sense of nausea rolling through her stomach but found none. She was careful to pay attention to the shadows as well.