Chapter 8: Keys to the Gulag

Norman was pacing because sitting still might kill him.

The Mighty One had been down for the better part of three hours after that explosion of power. Virgil had been in his second trance for almost as much time.

What could be taking so long? Wasn't stuff that happened inside somebody's head supposed to go faster?

He had to unclench his jaw and take a breath through his nose.

The longer this went, the worse his gut felt about the whole mess. It was bad enough that someone was inside the Mighty One's head. Worse that it was Morgan le Fay, whom he remembered all too well. She had always reminded him of a lightning storm — powerful, impossible to contain, devastating, and yet he could only respect that much force and will bound up together. But, then, Norman had also known her when she had something that eased the roughness of her edges, a target for her wildest energies, a grounding force and anchor.

He had never seen the true depths of her anger, though. By the time she was angry, it was already too late.

But that anger was what Virgil feared. He had always been closer to Merlin (as close as Virgil ever got to anyone not the Mighty One), whom Norman avoided whenever possible. He had learned to get along with Virgil — by the time of Arthur and everything, he did not have the patience to train another know-it-all, let alone a know-it-all wizard. And Merlin, apparently, had not held back in his criticism of his apprentice and student and sometimes-rival. Whatever Merlin had said to Virgil back then, it had colored Virgil's perception of Morgan ever after.

Which was why, of course, Norman had made the decision he did. He was loyal to Virgil, but some things were personal. Some things were private. And some things had never been his to tell.

Besides, Virgil would have scolded him. Which, of course, the Viking was perfectly happy to ignore, but still. Life had been hectic then, and difficult for them all, and upsetting Virgil had seemed like a waste of energy for both of them. So Norman simply held his tongue and let Virgil lead him back out of his Lancelot fame into obscurity.

Right now, Norman was both grateful that Virgil didn't know something, and worried that it might have helped. But there was no way to know. Morgan was so angry at Virgil, and he feared she would hurt the Mighty One. Introducing a new variable, an unknown, could end badly.

And Norman was not there to help.

He reversed his pacing for a while, making a circuit around the room instead of just back and forth at the foot of the bed. On the next pass, he leaned over Virgil's chair.

"Help him, Virgil. Protect him. But don't judge her too harshly, either. Your past has become her weapon. Don't turn hers into yours. She doesn't deserve that, especially from you."

Then he glanced at his boy.

But he didn't need to give the Mighty One any words of encouragement. Norman trusted him to be the truest of heroes, the one with the clearest sight and the heart that was steady.

If anyone could navigate the pitfalls between the stubborn pair and come out safe, it was the Mighty One.

Norman couldn't let himself believe anything else.

But that didn't stop him from worrying.

-==OOO==-

By the time Areti had recovered enough to move under his own power, disturbing sounds were penetrating the thick walls all around him even so deep in the library. He hobbled laboriously as he passed through each of the Doors, flinching at the sounds of shouting and clashing that only grew with every step he took.

Areti emerged into the morning sunlight and into a battle.

For all that Areti had lived his entire life in the Lemurian capital, he had rarely understood just how many people lived within its circles. His time had been spent first in study, then teaching, so he had rarely wandered the other parts of the city. Now he saw what must be the full populace, surging in a massive crowd down every street and clustered in every garden — fighting as if for their lives.

There were the Lemurian warriors, of course, but these were few as Lemuria had no need for guards or soldiers. Now and again, a person might be called from birth to the way of battle, but only ever a handful. Most preferred to study, or to live in other peaceful ways. Those few warriors — Areti did not know a single one of their names, nor had he ever cared to — appeared to be making a stand near where the Elders would normally have been gathering for their day of work administering the whole of Lemuria and examining any students whose cycle had come. S'arelmari and his forces were clashing with them, trying to fight through the stalwart defense.

But so many others were gathered as well. Farmers, weavers, bookmakers, musicians, healers — they swarmed the city's heart, sticks and tools and kitchen utensils in their hands. Areti could see where his allies were holding key points, places where walls and gates made passage difficult, strategically arrayed for maximum effectiveness against overwhelming odds. And fighting at the head of them, turning aside citizens and keeping their small force organized, focused, and inspired, was S'arelmari. Even as the sight sickened him, Areti felt a flush of pride.

His student was a hero. And soon enough, all of Lemuria would know it, and would hold them both up in the highest esteem.

Areti shook himself and made his way to the nearest of his allies, a small group dedicated to defending the library.

"What has transpired?" he asked.

The nearest turned to him and gave a short nod. "People gathered in the aftermath of your spell, and we told them the truth. A few believed us, but most didn't. It turned into a shouting match and then people started to bring weapons."

Areti sighed. "Their loyalty is admirable, but misplaced. What is the plan?"

"We're to hold them off until we can break through to the Elders, assuming they don't settle down first. Then we'll get the Elders to prove that we are not the ones who deserve their anger."

"Fair enough. What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. S'arelmari wants you out of sight and protected."

Areti was surprised. "That was not in what we discussed."

"I know. He told us after. He said that working the magic could leave you weak and vulnerable for days, and more than anyone, he needs you well. He also said that it would help our cause if there was one of us who wasn't seen fighting. Then, when the Elders lose support, there will be someone from our side who can appear more neutral and guide the rest of the people to us."

Areti considered. There might well be value in having someone who was not obviously part of the overthrowing force take the part of S'arelmari once the truth was known. It could ease tensions across Lemuria and open the way for others to accept that this unfortunate act was in fact in defense of the people and not contrary to them.

And he did feel rather exhausted still.

"Very well. What did S'arelmari suggest?"

"Remain here in the library. If you are willing, lock yourself in the secret chamber where no one else can reach you. We will join up with the others. S'arelmari will send for you when we're ready."

Areti was about to agree when a cold sense of foreboding wrapped around his heart.

And yet, this was logical. And he was no warrior, nor was he the sort who could command the people by his presence and his words. He was a Teacher. His place was not at the head of the revolution, but in its shadows, laying the foundation for a better future.

Perhaps he was still suffering the after-effects of the spell. Such would explain why his heart pounded and his hands shook.

He drew in a deep breath. "Very well. Then I wish you luck."

He turned and re-entered the library, never looking back. As he retreated through the many Doors, the sounds of fighting became more faint, and he closed his ears to them.

It was not until he stood upon the pedestal descending into the Diamond chamber that he recognized a feeling of wetness upon the feathers of his face. But he closed his heart as he had closed his ears, refusing to let weakness and regret for what should never have been keep him from his Destiny.

Areti could not, however, focus upon study even in this most secret and significant of chambers. Words swam before his eyes, and his mind felt numb when he tried to consider them. Instead, he found a soft bench and permitted himself to curl up upon it, weariness causing his tears to come faster than before.

In the silence of the Diamond chamber, Areti fell asleep, trusting the world outside to his student.

-==OOO==-

Areti had no concept of how long he spent in the Diamond chamber. After his sleep, which refreshed him immensely, he bent to his studies with a will, eagerly reading as many of the forbidden and sacred tomes as he could. The Wisdom of Lemuria was all here, and he was determined to preserve it all within himself so that nothing would be held back from the people when he was called to speak. His body told him it must have been days, but he was well used to fasting while in contemplation, so he was not at all bothered.

But, at last, the pedestal rose from the floor to retrieve another, and S'arelmari himself stood upon it when it returned to the chamber.

"How are you, my friend?" he asked at once, striding across the floor with his long legs to where Areti was ensconced amidst a veritable mountain of books and scrolls.

"I have not been idle," Areti said. "Tell me, what news of the world above?"

"It has been a...difficult time," S'arelmari said. He found a seat nearby and sank into it heavily. "The Elders resisted with all their strength, and the people of the city assisted them. In the end, several injuries from the conflicts became fatal."

Areti gasped.

"Only two days ago, we managed to break through the defenses and took the Elders into custody, along with many of their fiercest supporters. There were so many, we were forced to turn several buildings into secure places we could detain them safely. But there was so much unrest amongst the people, and others from outside the city began arriving…"

"What is it?"

"I...had no choice." S'arelmari looked away, not meeting his Teacher's eyes. "I was afraid that the violence would only increase, and if we were driven out, there would be no hope for Lemuria's future. I had to stop the conflict. I had to."

Areti moved before he realized he was doing so, crossing the space between them and putting a feathered hand on his student's shoulder. "What we do, we do for Lemuria. Tell me without fear."

"When the people were distracted, I had our allies travel the city. We gathered all the children we could find and collected them in a building under our control. With such hostages, the people ceased their resistance. It has damaged us in their eyes, but it has quelled the uproar."

"You...you stole their children?"

"They left me no choice!" S'arelmari shouted, clenching his white hands into fists. "They would not listen! And our forces were tired of fighting and beginning to doubt! I had to do something or all would be lost!"

Areti found himself swallowing bile and fear. There was something in the light of S'arelmari's eyes that unsettled him, deeply. And yet, he reminded himself that his student had seen horrors while he remained in seclusion. S'arelmari had seen death, perhaps had made the very blows that took lives. He was no longer the innocent student reviled for his heritage — now he had touched blood like any other demonspawn. He must be suffering greatly.

Areti forced his body to calm, his stomach to unclench.

"It is not ideal," he said, "but I trust that you have done your best. That will have to be enough."

S'arelmari looked at him, and now the smile was true. "With you at my side, I am certain that it will be."

"Then, let us go together. We must restore peace and regain the trust of the people, or Lemuria will fall just as surely. But, without the Elders or the Eldest to speak against us, we can reveal the truth. The people will listen."

S'arelmari nodded, but let out a breath. "There is something else. The Eldest has escaped. We have the other Elders confined, but we were not able to locate the Eldest. So he may yet act against us in some manner."

"Together, then, we will prepare. Come, enough time has been wasted." Areti tugged at his student until S'arelmari towered over him once more. "We cannot begin to build our future too soon."

-==OOO==-

The days that followed were torturous. S'arelmari had greatly understated the unrest and distrust amongst the people of Lemuria, and the level of violence required to control them. Areti believed that their allies had failed to inform S'arelmari as to their full actions — such was the only explanation for why S'arelmari had been unaware of the number of deaths and severe injuries incurred in the battle in the city. When Areti calculated the final number and reported it to S'arelmari, his student's face had twisted with rage.

"I will speak to our forces," he had said. He had stalked off, and when he returned much later, confirmed to Areti that several of their allies had been removed from their positions.

"I will not have such disloyalty amongst us," he said.

Areti was in full agreement — they could not count as allies those who would kill indiscriminately, especially not against simple farmers and crafters. The deaths were tragic, of course, but could not be undone now. To have such people, willing to kill so easily and lie about it, weakened their strategic position. He didn't know where S'arelmari had sent those guilty of the deception, and he little cared. As long as they could do no more harm — and S'arelmari assured that they could not.

For days, Areti spoke to gathered crowds about the truths the Elders and the Eldest had concealed — the Krateros, the fall of Lemuria that they had all but ensured until S'arelmari and Areti had intervened. He carried some of the texts up from the Diamond chamber to prove his words, and in the face of them, the Elders could only affirm that he spoke correctly. The Elders were pale when he called them before the crowds, guarded closely by grim-faced allies who were a little too heavily armed for Areti's taste, but circumstances demanded it. The first two times he attempted such an open forum, fighting broke out as the crowd attempted to rescue the Elders, and S'arelmari was forced to lead a charge against them, resulting in yet more injuries.

Areti understood the guards to be a deterrent for the good of the people themselves whose loyalty was still to the Elders, and redoubled his efforts to help them understand.

"Perhaps," he said once to S'arelmari, "if you were to return their children in an act of good faith, they would see that we are their protectors, not their conquerors."

"But without such leverage, the violence would only increase again," S'arelmari argued, "and more lives would be lost. Possibly including your own. No, the children are safe where they are, and the people are better protected when they are not able to behave foolishly. I will not risk your safety or my own for no gain."

Areti longed to argue the point, but the near-feral fury he met when he spoke to the crowds had cowed him, and he simply nodded. For all it was vexing to try to teach someone who stood several times his height above, there was a security in S'arelmari's commanding stature and strength, and Areti was grateful to hide in his shadow.

Finally came the day that S'arelmari decided would be the trial of the Elders for their crimes against Lemuria.

"I advise you to remain out of sight," S'arelmari said. "You have spoken to the people many times, and they do not yet trust you, but they respect that you speak what you believe to be true. For them to continue to trust you, I do not want you to be a part of the fall of the old order of things."

Areti felt sure he should object, but he found himself unable to do so. After all, if their goal was to preserve the future of Lemuria, then it was his duty to maintain as much power as possible. Only then could he wield it to guide the future. And S'arelmari had shown himself to be breathtakingly capable at managing perception and power, and had yet to be incorrect about any course of action. So Areti agreed and spent the day of the trial again in the Diamond chamber alone.

"All the Elders have been found guilty of crimes against Lemuria," S'arelmari said when he arrived to summon Areti back from the chamber. "They have been dealt with. However, this leaves me in quite an untenable situation."

"What is that?"

"The trial was successful, but the people are increasingly wary of me. I think they view my strict handling of these matters as a sign of my demonic legacy. They are willing to obey me, but it is out of fear, not trust."

"I will speak to them," Areti offered.

"No, my friend." S'arelmari smiled. "I do not need to convince them. Perhaps in this time of upheaval, such fear can be helpful. If it preserves the peace long enough for the people's hearts to join us, then I will embrace it gladly. But it cannot rule them. They will ever fight the yoke of my power if they fear me. But they would not fight yours."

And that was how Areti became the new Eldest of Lemuria.

With a few of S'arelmari's most trusted lieutenants, Areti established a council, not of Elders, but of allies. They were tasked with observing the peoples of Lemuria and giving him information so that he could decide how to handle matters as they arose. S'arelmari, was, of course, a member of the council, and Areti leaned upon his advice most heavily. He had never intended to be thrust into such power, and as much as it filled the part of him that had yearned to fulfill his Destiny, Areti feared he might not actually be suited to such a role. He was a Teacher, not a hero, not a leader.

"Ah, but is not one who teaches also one who must lead students to truth and insight? And is not the gift of such truth and insight truly an act of heroism?" S'arelmari asked him.

But still, Areti was not comfortable. For all his study and his cleverness, his heart felt cold when he was forced to issue decrees even when they were in the best interest of maintaining the fragile peace that was settling over Lemuria.

If there was any comfort, it was that his role as Eldest took him away from the people and the crowds. Most days he spent with members of his council or S'arelmari, reading reports from outside the city and crafting the wording of decisions. He found it far easier to enact the changes required when he did not need to meet the eyes of the people, eyes that still accused him of treason.

Areti could only hope that, with time, the people would see that he was not their traitor at all. That he was the mechanism by which Lemuria would endure.

For a year, Areti served Lemuria as Eldest, and slowly the tensions eased. The people stopped reacting with force to every change he enacted, and S'arelmari was able to recruit many more allies to join his forces who continued to maintain the peace. With such visible support for S'arelmari and Areti in the streets and out in the far-flung parts of Lemuria, and without the influence of the Elders, Areti became optimistic that they might yet succeed and preserve Lemuria for all time.

Whenever not working with Areti on the governance of Lemuria, S'arelmari moved ahead with their other plans to prevent the rise of the Krateros. Areti's spell had delayed him, pushed his birth back by thousands of years, but there were many, many forces which would serve him, or would add to his advantage, and these must be mitigated where possible. S'arelmari was determined to stymie the Krateros wherever possible, and thus he disrupted every possible avenue of support as identified by Areti.

After a year of service as Eldest, Areti was no more at ease in his role, but he had at least settled into its discomfort. And so he was more than surprised when S'arelmari pulled him aside after a council meeting.

"I have a task I can entrust only to you, my friend."

"A task?"

"Yes. I dare not go myself, or I fear it will cause too much outrage amongst those still stubbornly refusing to accept the reality of our position. But you could go in secret, and no one the wiser."

"Where would I go, and for what purpose?" Areti asked.

"There is an item which your own research suggests is tightly bound up in the rise of the Krateros, and in his ultimate success, if he were to achieve it. You know of what I speak."

"Yes. Some sort of cosmic key." Areti frowned. "In all my seeking, however, I have found very little about it, let alone what it is or where to find it."

"I believe that was deliberate upon the part of the treacherous Eldest. For no matter the moves we make, the Krateros could still rise with the power to destroy us all as long as he holds that item at the correct moment. Everything I have done will help us, but none of it will be enough if he gains the cosmic key in time. But, if we were to find it for ourselves, his power would be vastly overwhelmed by our own."

Areti nodded. While the plan remained to remove the threat of the Krateros long before he could ever threaten them, he was still not entirely comfortable with the idea of killing an infant. And there was always the chance that the powers of the Krateros would be enough even at birth to protect him from them — after all, the Krateros's Destiny was stronger even than Areti's own. If he should escape them as a child, holding such an item at the height of his power could be their undoing. Indeed, it would be better if they possessed the item themselves, regardless of whether or not they could remove the Krateros in fifteen thousand years.

"I see. Then you wish me to find the object?"

"Precisely. You can go where I cannot, and you alone can be entrusted with this task, my friend." S'arelmari smiled. "Find it, and the Krateros shall have no recourse. Even if he escapes us at his birth, he will be weakened and vulnerable when we eventually face him."

"Very well. I shall begin at once."

"I suggest you start in Devokan," S'arelmari said. "It is remote enough and well-guarded enough that our influence has not yet reached it. While the people there may yet be loyal to the Elders and the previous Eldest, they might also therefore welcome you as a friend escaped from us and seeking refuge."

"A ruse. I see." Areti nodded. "And Devokan is the resting place of other treasures, so such an item might well be there. It is certainly not here, or we would have encountered it long before now."

"My thinking as well." S'arelmari held out a hand. "Gather whatever supplies you require. I will fulfill your role with the council until you return. I am counting upon you, my friend."

"Have no fear, S'arelmari. For the sake of Lemuria, I shall not fail."

And thus it was that, a few days later, Areti left the city in a set of plain red robes, hood hiding his features from any who might see him pass by. The journey to Devokan would be long, for the hidden city was deep within the tallest mountain range on the planet many days to the north, and every path to it was concealed against intruders. But the knowledge the city held was invaluable, and would surely offer even more Wisdom to Areti, Wisdom he could use to better the future of Lemuria.

It was these thoughts that circled in his mind as he followed the road out of the city, and so distracting were they that he had no sense of his surroundings until it was too late.

There was a burst of sound like a thunderclap, and suddenly a whirling vortex appeared before him. Areti stumbled to a halt, turning when he heard a step behind him.

A figure shrouded in shadow stood behind him, one long arm already outstretched.

Areti could only cry out in horror as he was shoved into the portal and carried away.

-==OOO==-

Amidst the recollections, Max's heart was breaking.

Virg, how dumb could you be? I know Skullmaster is smart, but you've got to be more aware than this! How do you not notice someone committing genocide right under your nose? And stealing the kids to hold them hostage — how could you possibly think that was okay?

But he knew, because he had seen it.

You were so caught up in believing you were saving Lemuria, that it was your destiny and his to be heroes, that you got a big fat blind spot to everything else. Kind of like how you forgot that I was just a kid and couldn't take out Boneface in one swing the first time we met.

You've always known practically everything, but when you miss something, you really miss it by a mile, Virg.

And then -

It feels like you're about to find out the truth. That you've been helping him kill your own people, torture them, beat them into submission. And, probably, that it was all for the wrong thing.

How did you even survive that much guilt?

And what if you didn't?