29
Out of all the scenarios Cole had run through his head on the walk back to the fortress…this had not made the list. The blood drained out of his face and he felt like he had gotten punched in the stomach. Did she just say….didn't that mean…
Heavy Metal was dry-washing his face as the leaders spluttered, their expressions ranging from shock to fury.
"You cannot! We will not accept it!" The Northern Leader yelled, and Keyda scoffed.
"I don't need your permission…"
"We had hopes in you, girl," the Eastern Leader snapped. "That even despite this inane Union you would be what was best for this nation… but this has only proven that you are bent on leading this realm to ruin…"
Keyda's eyes continued to blaze and aural winds started. How dare they…
"You never supported me because you believed that I was what was best…you have never consideredme capable!" She spat, her fists tightening as the aural winds picked up. "You chose me because you thought you could use me…sway me to see things your way, do things because I was young and vulnerable…you saw me as your ticket to national influence!"
"Keyda, stop…" Heavy Metal warned, but she ignored him completely. Cole stood with the other guards, still in a daze as he tried to comprehend the fact that Keyda had basically just told the entire room that they were getting married…
"If you wanted us to take you seriously, you should have acted more like a ruler and less like a love-sick child…it's that filthy outsider who's using you for national influence…"
"Get out!" Keyda snapped, her eyes blazing brighter. The Northern Leader was smart enough to shut up after that. None of the leaders moved for a few moments, looking like there was much more they'd like to say, but their eyes flicked between Cole and the aura picking up around the Ruler.
The Eastern leader was the first to leave. She glared at Keyda but didn't say anything.
"We will never accept him…you have alienated yourself from the rest of the nation…and there will be consequences for it!" the Southern Leader spat before heading out after the other leader. The Northern Leader didn't make a move to leave, watching Keyda with narrowed eyes.
"Do you have a death wish?!" she finally snapped, and the leader flinched a little.
"Mark my words girl…this is all going to blow up in your face…" he finally muttered as he stormed from the room. The door slammed behind him and Keyda exhaled angrily as she finally managed to relax somewhat. She turned to the guards and Cole, who was still looking stunned in chains.
"Release him."
The dragon masters hesitated and she took a threatening step closer.
"Now."
They glanced over at Heavy Metal, who had a hand pressed to the bridge of his nose as if staving off a migraine.
"Do as she says," he ordered, his tone both angry and resigned. The guard who had come in to announce the trial pulled a key from his pocket and a few moments later Cole was rubbing his raw wrists as the cuffs clanked to the ground.
Keyda came over to him, frowning at his dazed expression.
"Are you ok?"
He didn't answer right away and she stepped closer.
"Cole?"
He seemed to snap out of his thought process as he looked up.
"What? Oh…fine. I'm fine, Keyds…honest…"
She grabbed his arm, rubbing a finger along his raw wrists. She exhaled angrily out her nose.
"What in ancient's name happened today?"
Cole's jaw clenched. "They were selling children, Keyda…I had to do something!"
She sighed. "I know…but you realize that you've attacked the hierarchy dead on…"
"I can't let them do this anymore! I know those kids…I've visited that village a half a dozen times and…"
"You should have just let it go!"
Cole and Keyda turned to see Heavy Metal shaking his head at them.
""No…I shouldn't have." Cole said bitterly. "I've tried to do things your way…keep all your stupid rules and let a hulking, patronizing guard follow me around everywhere, but there are some things I am not going to…"
"You've attacked the hierarchy…our way of life. Do you have any idea what kind of consequences that's going to have?!"
"It's done!" Keyda cut in. "At this point, it happened…and we have to go from here."
"I'm not sure we can." Heavy Metal snapped. He shook his head and finally sighed. "After today's debacle I wouldn't be surprised if we were on the brink of a new war…"
"What did you want me to do?" She yelled back. "Let them move forward with their trial? Let them walk all over me? Let them execute…"
"Of course not! But announcing a binding in the midst of everything….you couldn't have made things more complicated if you had tried…"
She went to yell something back, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Cole's eyes drop. She felt a twist of anxiety and turned to look at him fully. The ninja looked extremely uneasy and her concern grew.
"Where's Dorhn?"
Heavy Metal's question was directed to Cole, and he glanced up, looking relieved to have the subject changed.
"I don't know… He disappeared after I was taken…"
"I'll need to speak with him. If anyone can give me an idea of what exactly happened in that village today…and what kind of damage was done…" Heavy Metal had nearly left the room when he turned back around.
"Keyda, write to the Dragon Master immediately; if we are on the brink of war, he will need to be aware. In the chance we are overthrown, the war with the dragons will no doubt be restarted…"
"I could just go visit Wu…" Cole argued, but the Captain of the Guard turned and fixed him with an intense glare.
"You are not to leave the fortress under any circumstance…in fact, if you were smart you would stay in your room and lay low. You'll be a target at this point, a big one, and I can't ensure your safety outside these walls…"
Cole stiffened, but he supposed it made sense. Heavy Metal disappeared out of the door, and Cole sighed, irritated and suddenly exhausted. The sun was setting now, and the events of the day suddenly felt like a suffocating weight.
"Cole…"
He turned to Keyda. Her anger had seemingly simmered down, and now she looked self-conscious.
"About…about the binding…"
His heart thudded as apprehension and fear mixed in with the guilt and fatigue he was already harboring. She was looking at him intently, but he found he couldn't maintain eye contact.
"Keyds…can we talk about it later?"
She blinked, eyes flicking across his face. He kicked himself internally, but he couldn't bring himself to cross this bridge right now….not with everything else going on.
"I'm exhausted," he tried. She nodded, but her eyes remained unsure.
"Then go get some sleep, Idiot." She finally said. He relaxed and went to leave, but she called out again.
"Cole…"
He froze as he heard her swallow.
"We will talk about it later, though?"
He glanced back at her and tried to give a reassuring smile.
"Of course."
He disappeared out the door and Keyda watched the doorway for a few minutes longer, desperately trying to assure herself that everything was going to work out alright.
"She's still too powerful….if we want this overthrow to take effect, we need her neutralized."
Adalaide shook her head at Dorhn's suggestion, and the large man bristled as he continued.
"It all worked out the way it was supposed to…there can't be a person in the nation that would support her now…it's too dangerous to leave her alive…"
"But with any overthrow there's a power vacuum, Dorhn." Adalaide pointed out. "People will come out of the woodwork the second she's gone, thinking they have as much right to rule as I do….we need something to give me the upper hand against the others who lust for power."
Dorhn clenched his jaw and she patted his arm.
"Soon enough you can rid the realm of her and the outsider…but for now we need them to unlock greater power so we can ensure that my line will not be overthrown again…"
The large Bodyguard exhaled exasperatedly.
"So be it."
Cole took back hallways on the way to his room, his head pounding. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed and try to forget everything that had gone on today…but his stomach was in knots. He was going to have to talk about the whole binding thing eventually…
He never would have guessed in a million years that Keyda would be the first to bring up marriage… didn't she realize how fast this was? How…how…
He exhaled angrily as he heard Phos's voice in his head, mocking him for being scared. He wasn't scared. It was just that these kinds of decisions couldn't just be rushed…and after the events of the last hour he was certainly feeling rushed…
"Cole!"
His head snapped up at the soft voice, frowning as he scanned the seemingly empty hallway. That almost sounded like….
He caught sight of the small, curly-headed figure and blinked in shock.
"Syn? What are you doing here?!" He glanced around suddenly…he wasn't sure if anyone would remember the small child, but with everything that was going on…
"It isn't safe…." he started as he grew close, but he noticed how distracted and uncomfortable she seemed. "Are… you ok?"
"You have to come…now."
"To…Phos's? Syn, I can't…"
"You have to!" she looked up at him now, eyes bright and full of anxiety. "It's an emergency!"
"What?" He put a hand to his head as another wave of stress hit. "What's happened? Are you and Hershel Ok? Is Phos…"
"There's no time! You have to come now!" She grabbed his hand with both of hers, trying to drag him down the hall. He glanced behind him.
"Alright….alright, but I have to tell…"
"It's an emergency…please, we have to go now….please!"
He looked down as her brown eyes filled with tears and sighed. He sent out a mental call to his Guardian as he and Syn raced out of the fortress.
"Syn…you've got to tell me what's going on…"
She didn't answer as a form flitted across the full moon. The Guardian landed, expression confused.
What's going on?
"I don't know…" Cole admitted as he helped a shaking Syn onto the back of the Dragon. "But we need to get to Phos's…and fast."
The Guardian launched into the night, and Cole tried a few more times unsuccessfully to get Syn to give him more details about what was going on. All she'd say was that it was an emergency and they needed him to come as quickly as possible.
The village was silent as the Guardian landed.
"I'll call for you if I need you…but given everything that's happened today, it's probably best you don't stay in the village…" Cole murmured, and the Dragon snorted its understanding, taking off after he and Syn dismounted. The small child took off running to the tent, disappearing through the folds in the door.
"Syn!" Cole called, still not sure what on earth was going on. He reached the tent and entered cautiously; it was dark, and there was no sign of anyone.
"Syn?" he called again. "Phos?! What's going…"
The blow came swift and hard across the back of his head, and he dropped like a rock as the elderly Oni behind him lowered a rod.
Heavy Metal rubbed his temples, angry and stressed. When the Baron was in charge he never had to worry about figuring things out—the Baron had done all the thinking and he had just been expected to implement the cruel Oni's desires. He never wanted to go back to that…but at the moment he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. The stupid outsider getting wrapped up in the slave trade and causing all that trouble…Keyda mentioning binding of all things. Where on earth had that come from?! It had been a fear of his, that they would get to this point…but he had thought they would have had more time. The only thing he could think of was to find Dorhn and figure out just how bad the situation at the village today had been.
The Captain of the Guard frowned as he looked in another room in the barracks…where on earth was Dorhn? He approached one of the guards that had escorted Cole into the office.
"Where is Dorhn?"
His tone was sharp and the guard swallowed.
"Last I heard, he was down in the dungeons…"
"Why?"
"I don't know…he was just checking something out down there…"
Heavy Metal clenched his jaw. After he finished with Dorhn he would have to come punish the fools who had gone against his orders and brought the Outsider into the meeting. He didn't know why they had dared to do that against his direct instructions.
The air grew colder as he headed down the steps into the dungeon.
"Dorhn?" he called, but there was no answer. He sighed angrily and began walking down the dimly lit corridors. All at once he heard the creak of a cell door opening and frowned, heading towards the sound. He caught sight of a heavy metal door that was partially open; it was to one of the larger cells, but as far as he knew that cell was empty. Who on earth…
He pushed the door open and stopped dead, cursing when he saw what was in it…things were worse than he thought. He was about to turn to head back to Keyda—he needed to warn her—when he felt the tip of a sword press between his shoulder blades. His heart pounded as his expression darkened.
"Dorhn." he guessed, and the bodyguard behind him shifted his weight.
"Sorry about this, boss…but things are changing, see? Can't have you messing everything up…"
Heavy Metal inched his hand towards his own blade, but the pressure increased on the sword on his back.
"Now don't do anything foolish… you're gonna stand nice and still while Rasher takes your weapons off you, or you're going to be run through. Understand?"
Heavy Metal exhaled angrily as he felt someone remove his sword from his side. He thought about grabbing the weapon and turning in time to fight the massive dragon master off, but he knew he'd never be quick enough. He was getting on in years…and he had trained Dorhn himself; the bloke was quicker than his enormous form would suggest.
"Very good." Dorhn murmured as Rasher removed his ring of keys and the last of his weapons. Heavy Metal scoffed.
"Why not just kill me, Dorhn? What are you waiting for?"
"Adalaide thinks you'll come to your senses." Dorhn's tone betrayed that he wasn't so sure that the Captain of the Guard would change his ways, and Heavy Metal mused at the fact that there was some higher person calling the shots.
"Who in ancient's name is Adalaide?"
"You'll meet her soon enough…but for the time being you're gonna wait in a nice comfy cell until we can bring this government down for good."
"What are you trying to do, Dorhn? Dissolve the realm back into chaos? Is that really what you want?"
The pressure increased again and Heavy Metal grit his teeth as the blade point broke skin.
"Don't you dare…you're the one who's cozied up to this pretender and her little outsider pet…the nation has never been so weak. How could you have let it get to this point?"
"You set it up so the outsider would see those slave trades…" the Captain realized softly and Dorhn scoffed.
"He would've seen them eventually…it was inevitable. All we did was make sure a few choice things lined up nicely." He chuckled softly. "I heard she announced a binding…the plan worked even better than we planned…"
"Dorhn…"
"Don't bother; I've made my choice Captain. Now hold still…"
Heavy Metal clenched his jaw so hard a vein was popping out on his forehead. He felt someone shackle his wrists and resisted the urge to fight back; there was already a small trickle of blood where Dorhn's blade was pushing in. He allowed himself to be steered down a few halls to a secluded, armored cell. Dorhn shoved him in with a meaty hand, and Heavy Metal whirled around as the door slammed closed.
"You have some time to think, boss…if I were you I'd join with the resistance. It's the only way you're getting out of this alive."
30
Phos scrutinized the objects on the table one last time…it was all here, then. He glanced over at the calendar, even though he already knew what it would say. Something rustled and he glanced over at the boy, but Cole was still out cold. Another rustle betrayed the source; a breeze was hitting the tent entrance. He shook his head, muttering to himself about being paranoid. He moved the objects into place: the small jar of hair at the head of the group, a few clear crystals spread throughout to help direct the power stream. He picked up the deep purple stone in the center—the one that the leader had sent with Cole during one of his trips. She had been able to talk that scarred Guard fellow into letting her give one away. It worked out well; there was no way he would have been able to acquire one on his own.
He grabbed the small dagger lying to the side of the organized group, rubbing his thumb across the designs carved into the ivory hilt. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and headed over to the sleeping Elemental Master. He shouldn't be waking up anytime soon…he had given him a dose of lumanim after knocking him out.
The black-clad outsider was leaned up against the cold fireplace, head drooped down to his chest as he breathed slowly. Phos picked up the boy's hand, positioning the dagger's edge over the thumb.
"What are you doing!?"
Phos's eyes slid over to the boy standing in the entryway; Hershel's long hair hung in his face, but Phos could still make out his nervous expression.
"You said you wouldn't hurt him…" the boy continued, and Phos rolled his eyes.
"This is nothing, kid…the Idiot'll be fine. In fact, he'll be a lot worse off if we don't finish this spell…understand?" With a quick motion, the Healer sliced a cut in Cole's thumb. Pain flickered across the sleeping boy's expression, but other than that Cole didn't react. Phos placed the dagger on the table next to him without looking and watched as blood welled up on the pad on the ninja's thumb. He pressed the deep purple stone he was holding into the small pool and muttered something under his breath. Something sparked, and then the stone sparked again. Within moments there was a small dark pool at the center of the stone and Phos held it up to his eyes for closer inspection.
"That should do it…" he murmured to himself. He stood and headed back over to the table.
"Don't just stand their gawking," he chastised without turning around. "Bandage him up, if you're so worried about him…"
Hershel finally moved, grabbing a roll of clean scraps off a nearby table and kneeling down next to Cole. He cleaned the small wound and wrapped it up in the bandages, heart pounding.
"Bring me that knife!"
The Healer's voice was sharp and Hershel finished off the bandage and grabbed the dagger off the table. He brought it to Phos and the Healer stabbed it into the table in front of him, hilt up. He laid the deep purple stone in between the knife and the jar with the lock of hair inside, his eyes flicking across the set-up in the candlelight.
"And now we wait for the Apex…" he muttered to himself. Just a few hours left…then maybe he could finally be rid of his growing fears.
Keyda had finished her letter to Wu, but Heavy Metal had never returned to claim it. She sighed as she paced her office. No doubt her second in command was still furious with her. He should be happy…she could have done a lot worse in that meeting than simply announcing a binding…
Her stomach lurched again. Why had she done that?! She almost wished she could take it back…but not because of how the leaders had reacted. It was just that she couldn't get that weird expression Cole was wearing out of her head. When Echo had mentioned binding in that dream she had been against the idea…but only because she wanted to be fixed first. Deep down she had assumed that Cole would be ok with the idea….he was already here, wasn't he? He had already promised that he wasn't going anywhere…that he loved her…so why would he be against a binding? She bit her lip. Maybe when it all came down to it…he really couldn't picture being bound to a broken…
She shook her head, trying to clear away the doubts. They had made it this far, hadn't they? She was just overanalyzing…worrying about nothing. Cole had a stressful day, no doubt he really was just tired…
She tried to sit down but stood back up immediately. She couldn't take this…they needed to talk and they needed to talk now.
She left her office and headed down to Cole's room, her insides twisting with more nerves the closer she got. She tried to stop herself—was she seriously going to wake him up just to make him talk about this?—but with everything else going on she needed to know that she hadn't messed up the one good thing in her life.
She passed few people in the hallways, which was fine by her. Would the leaders spread the word about the whole binding thing? How long till everyone knew? She reached Cole's door and hesitated outside of it. Should she…knock? Or…
She opened the door before she could talk herself out of it. She walked into the room and froze, the door swinging shut behind her.
He wasn't here. She walked over to the untouched bed and felt the mat. It was cold…her heart pounded as she realized that he had never made it to his room. She swallowed hard and sat heavily on the bed. He had either left or something had happened to him…and she wasn't sure which situation would be worse. Maybe he had just gone to see Phos…or Wu…
What if he didn't come back? She stood, feeling shaky and sick. She was overthinking…she was just overthinking…
The door slammed open again and she jumped, turning with flashing fists. Dorhn stood in the doorway, and he looked surprised to see her. His eyes flicked over to the empty bed as she glared at him.
"Where have you been? And how could you allow those dragon masters to…"
"Please, we don't have much time. It's about Cole…"
Her heart thudded harder and she took a step backwards.
"Wh..what? Where is he?"
"Some of the dragon masters overheard what happened and took it upon themselves to take him down to the dungeon pending his trial…"
"He isn't having a trial!" she spat, eyes flashing. He put two hands up in defense.
"I know…I tried talking with them, but I haven't got any authority. They're just following protocol, you see, and won't let him go unless the order comes from you or Heavy Metal…"
She shoved past him, headed for the dungeon. He followed close behind.
"Where is Heavy Metal?" she snapped. She felt rush of relief; she was angry Cole had been taken to the dungeon, of course, but at least now she knew he hadn't left…
"Meeting with the leaders…they're bent on war, it seems, so he's trying to talk them down…"
"Figures." she muttered to herself. She wondered if he'd be able to do it…what kinds of concessions he would have to make…
They had reached the bottom of the stairs and she turned to Dorhn.
"Where are they?"
"This way…" he explained, taking the lead. She followed him down the winding corridors, trying to figure out what to say when she got there. Would she punish the guards, or just make it clear…
"In there…they must be in there with him." Dorhn said, pointing to the large door at the end of the hallway. She had nearly reached it when a voice echoed down the hallway.
"Keyda…don't! Get out of here!"
She froze. It was Heavy Metal…
A large hand grabbed her by the hair, yanking her backwards. She yelled out as Dorhn grabbed both wrists in his other massive hand, kicking open the door and wrenching her inside. Her hands and eyes blazed and she heard him grunt in pain as the flames seared his hands, but he didn't let go.
"Dorhn…what are you…"
A female voice echoed in the room, but Keyda couldn't place where it was coming from. She was too busy cursing and fighting, trying to get out of the hulking man's grasp while her brain worked on overdrive trying to figure out what was going on. Dorhn was a traitor…he had lied…Cole wasn't here…
Where was Cole?!
She caught sight of what Dorhn was pushing her towards and her efforts increased as bile rose. It was the extraction chamber…she had ordered its destruction months ago, and yet here it was…
A small ratty man scurried up a ladder next to the large clear container, pulling the tube off of the top. Dohrn yanked mercilessly on her hair, and tears smarted as he used his massive arm to pin her to him, her arms stuck at her sides. He released her hair so he could begin to climb, and the aural winds around them increased as she continued to struggle to free herself. There was no doubt that he was in a lot of pain—she had burned his hands and arms and was now firing on his legs—but he didn't react.
The ratty man came down and helped grab hold of her to drag her to the opened top, though he cursed as some of her attacks hit home.
"Dangerous little viper…ain't she?"
They reached the top and the storm around her grew incredibly fierce, but before she could do anything with it they had tossed her through the opening, closing it off as she hit the bottom. It immediately began sucking power up into the tube, and she ran to the wall to pound her way out.
You're just reacting!
Phos's voice seemed to scream in her mind, and it surprised her enough that she froze mid pound. She had a flash-back to her time on the table…the old Oni's disapproving gaze…her own inability to control herself…and lowered her arms. She was livid…but she needed to think. She needed to think. She looked back up towards the tube and realized that the storm around her was getting sucked away in enormous amounts. She had escaped this prison before…she could escape it again. Hand's shaking in anger, she almost launched herself up there-she was desperate to get out of this horrid cage. But another memory broke through.
Listen, girl…listen and watch. Think your way through any given situation. Then decide what you're going to do about it.
Bile rose as her hands continued to shake in anger and hatred…but she forced herself to wait. She didn't know how many reinforcements Dorhn had out there. They had captured Heavy Metal…she couldn't afford to just react.
"Look what the little miss did to my arms…"
The ratty man's voice was sleazy and annoying, and through the hard, glass-like substance she could see him walking towards a figure lingering in the shadows.
"Can it, Rasher…Dorhn's got it worse than you. What were you thinking, Dorhn? Felt like rushing the plan, did you?"
"Had an opportunity…thought I'd take it…"
The figure came forward into the light of the torches on the walls; it was a willowy woman with short hair.
"This could have ruined everything…"
"We got her, didn't we? You got your source of power…."
Keyda bristled, loathing pouring through her as the container filled with violet aura. She wasn't going to be anyone's power farm…never again.
Calm down…you're giving them quite the power supply now, aren't you girl?
She hated that her inner thoughts sounded like Phos, but she clenched her jaw and looked up at the aura getting sucked into the tube. She needed to calm down…she knew how to get out. She could get free whenever the time was right…she didn't need to fall apart…
The figure turned to Keyda for the first time, eyebrow rising as the aura wafting off of her seemed to slow down rather than speed up.
"Well, isn't that a surprise? I would've thought she'd freak out a lot longer than that…"
Keyda glowered, but she felt a small thrill of victory at the woman's seeming disappointment.
"Who are you?" she yelled through the clear material, and the woman shook her head patronizingly.
"Who are you?! Some little slave brat who thought she could run a nation? Your pitiful excuse for leadership won't be missed…and it won't be long till the realm is finally back to the way it was supposed to be…"
Keyda narrowed her eyes. She needed to know more… her eyes flicked around the room and she noticed that Dorhn and the other man were looking at the woman in a way that made Keyda realize that she was the ringleader here. What did she want, then? The throne?
The woman gestured for Dorhn to come over. She studied the burns on his hands and arms and shook her head disapprovingly.
"Ancients, Dorhn…how are you going to fight like this? Didn't want to just knock her out and spare yourself the trouble?"
"I'm fine, Adalaide." he yanked his arm out of her grasp. "We needed her to start producing as soon as possible, didn't we?"
Adalaide glanced over at Keyda again and scoffed.
"She isn't really producing much at the moment anyways, is she?"
Keyda glared at her, but she forced her anger down. It was excruciating, trying to keep it all at bay, when all she wanted to do is scream and curse and pound on this wretched prison. But she could react later...she wasn't about to give them what they wanted. She shook with effort, but she couldn't get the aura around her to stop completely. She furrowed her brow; if nothing else, she could limit it…
The woman sauntered closer, finger to her lip as if she was solving a tricky problem.
"I guess we'll just have to get your little Outsider in here, won't we? I'd like to see you try and hold in your anger when we give him the punishment he deserves…"
Keyda's stomach lurched again as she struggled to keep herself from reacting. Aura poured out and the woman laughed as she continued.
"I'm eager to meet him myself…I've heard he's surprisingly handsome for being such a freak…and that he's as stupid as they come…"
Keyda's jaw ached from clenching her teeth. She hated this woman…but she clung to a small flicker of hope. They didn't have Cole; if they had him they wouldn't sit here baiting her…they would have brought him in already. He wasn't here. Though she still had no idea where he was…she could at least hope that he was far away, with Wu, out of the clutches of these defectors.
"If you touch him, I swear I'll kill you."
Adalaide raised an eyebrow, apparently surprised her taunting hadn't yielded more volatile results.
"Oh, we plan on doing far more than just touch him…"
She seemed satisfied at the renewed flow of aura, but once again the flow lasted only a few moments before slowing. She shook her head and turned to Dorhn.
"You see…this is why I told you to acquire the outsider first…"
"He wasn't up there…and I didn't want to miss the opportunity," the large guard said, his tone unapologetic. "Getting her in the bottle was the harder part of the plan anyways; the outsider won't be hard to track down…"
"He will if he's with off with the Dragon Master!" she hissed back, but Dorhn shook his head.
"Nah…there's only one place he goes these days…somewhere he was meant to be today but didn't end up going because we had a few other things come up."
Adaliade rolled her eyes. "If you're so sure, then go get him now… take Rasher with you."
Dorhn turned to the ratty man. He was trying to wrap his arms, cringing and cursing. The Larger guard shook his head.
"I'll be fine…won't be too hard to get him here, just gotta tell him she's in trouble. Works like a charm on these two…it's like they just can't help themselves."
Keyda's glower darkened as Dorhn disappeared out the door. Adalaide shook her head and turned to Rasher.
"Watch her, then. I've got an appointment of my own with a certain captain of the guard." she turned and gave Keyda a sharp smile. "In the meantime, you should try a little harder to fulfill the role you were always meant for…a nice little power supply for the true ruler of this nation…"
"I'm nobody's asset."
The woman scoffed as she turned to go.
"I guess we'll see…won't we?"
31
Someone was making tea. That was Cole's first thought as he slowly regained consciousness. He blinked, his vision blurry in the flickering light. Where the heck was he? Wasn't he just…
It all came flooding back, and his eyes opened wide.
"Syn? Phos?! Where…"
He blinked in surprise as he realized that his arms were bound behind him…he tried to break through the thick ropes, but he still felt dizzy and couldn't seem to activate his earth punch. His heart pounded as he twisted and wrenched; it seemed that he was anchored to the heavy metal fireplace.
"Calm down, before you hurt yourself…"
Cole looked up to see that Phos had seemingly materialized across the room, staring at him with an unreadable expression.
"Seems you work through luminim quicker than the average Oni. I'd give you another dose but that might be dangerous…"
"What?! Phos, what the heck is going on?!"
The Healer didn't answer as he looked out the tent flap, staring up at something.
"Still a few hours left…" he muttered to himself as Cole tried to activate his earth punch, once again in vain. He strained against the bonds, becoming angrier.
"Why can't I…"
He realized suddenly what this block felt like. Heart still pounding, he located a thick metal band on his smallest finger on his right hand. He looked back up at Phos in anger and disbelief.
"You put Vengestone on me?!"
"Ah…yes." Phos turned back with a raised eyebrow. "Just a precaution…but it does seem to be working nicely. Guess you were right…it did come in handy after all…"
"Let me go…now!"
"What have I told you about shouting? Why don't you act like a good outsider and sit still and be quiet…"
"PHOS!"
Cole tried to get the ring off, but his hands were angled in a way that made slipping it off nearly impossible…especially considering how tight it was. Phos made no move to free him, and Cole burned with betrayal and fury. He squeezed his eyes closed, calling for his guardian, but nothing seemed to happen. He grit his teeth, basically yelling out in his mind.
"Might as well stop…the beast can't hear you with the vengestone on." Phos explained apathetically. He caught Cole's expression and shook his head, guessing his next move.
"You scream out, boy, and I'm gonna knock you out whether or not it does you any harm. In fact, if you're going to be bent on making a scene, I may just kill you and save myself the trouble."
Cole narrowed his eyes, though he felt a twist of fear at Phos's threat.
"Why are you doing this?! What could you…"
He trailed off as a realization hit home and he suddenly felt sick.
"You sent Syn to lure me here?! There's no emergency…."
"The realm is in more danger than you or anyone realizes!" Phos spat back. "So yes…there was an emergency in a way. No need to look so hurt…none of this would have happened if you had just shown up like you said you would!"
"I was too busy getting arrested!" Cole spat back. "And if the realm is in so much trouble, why have you never mentioned it before!?"
Phos ignored his question, going back to the table to look at the various objects scattered there. Cole continued to strain against the ropes, grunting in frustration and anger that he couldn't break through them.
"Relax."
The word was more a command than a comfort, and Cole glared at the back of the Healer's head.
"Untie me, and I'll think about it…" he said bitterly as he continued to fight against his bonds. "Why can't you just tell me what's going on?!"
"You're too unpredictable."
"ME? You're the one who pretends to be our friend, and then you do this!..."
"You cannot leave…and I had to ensure that you wouldn't."
Phos's tone was almost bored as he sat and poured himself a cup of tea. Cole continued to glare at him.
"Why?!"
Phos once again fell silent, and Cole tried with renewed rigor to get the vengestone ring off. He was suddenly aware that his thumb was sore…and seemed to be wrapped in some kind of bandage.
"What did you do to my thumb?!"
Phos rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, I don't know how anyone puts up with you; all you do is complain…"
Cole flushed as he glowered at the Healer.
"Oh….I'm sorry I'm complaining after you lured me to your home in the middle of the night, knocked me out, tied me up, and told me that you'll never let me leave…"
"If you were really sorry you would shut up already…" Phos muttered as he took another sip of tea. He swallowed and furrowed his eyebrows. "And I never said I'd never let you leave…I shudder at the thought of having to put up with you forever…"
The vengestone ring moved the tiniest bit, but then seemed just as stuck as before. Cole clenched his jaw, a bead of sweat going down the side of his face as he concentrated.
"Then when are you going to let me go?"
"You just have to sit there quietly for a few more hours…think you can handle that? Or do you need me to help you out…"
Phos's tone had taken on the same threatening tone as before, and Cole studied the Healer's face as the elderly Oni's eyes flashed. Phos made a show of looking around at the various strange ingredients, knives, and tools he had at his disposal as his tone dropped menacingly.
"In fact, I could promise to provide the least painful death you've experienced so far; you wouldn't even feel a thing…."
Cole blanched. His emotions were a strange mix of fury and fear…this strange healer was not at all who he thought he was.
"Phos…why are you doing this?"
Cole's voice had dropped as well, but by now he was basically pleading for the answer. He couldn't understand where any of this had come from.
Phos exhaled slowly and placed his cup down as he picked up a heavy rod leaning up against his chair. Cole's eyes flicked between the rod and the Healer, unsure of what to expect. He was still trying desperately to get the ring off, but it was painfully slow going.
"You're too big of a temptation." Phos said finally, and Cole blinked.
"I'm…what?"
Phos had a strange look in his eyes as he licked his lips.
"Do you realize that elemental masters are incredibly rare? In fact…I don't know if this realm has ever experienced more than just the idea of the possible existence of an elemental master. If anyone here wanted to get ahold of pure elemental power…they would have to go to the dragons for it. And even then, the purest form of elemental power is only found in the Guardians."
Cole didn't say anything, hoping that the Healer would continue his explanation for once. Phos fiddled with the rod.
"But the element found in you…and, I suspect, the other masters who were here months ago…" he shook his head. "They're pure. And such a pure, easily accessed source of elemental power is too big of a temptation..."
"To who?" Cole finally blurted out. "I have yet to meet an Oni who even cares that I…"
"The Oni you deal with are ignorant!" Phos snapped. "Politics…war…money…these are the things that matter to them. But there have always been those who realize that power lies in knowledge." He fell silent, and it was a few minutes before he spoke again.
"There was one…" he hesitated again, glancing over at Cole and then exhaled resignedly. "The more they learned…the more they wanted to discover. Experiment."
"Experiment….how?"
Phos ignored him as he continued. "The story of Echo and Antirock was especially intriguing to them…the idea of mixing Oni and Dragon power…the potential of such a combination consumed the Alchemist until it became their only goal…"
"Wait…the Alchemist? You've never mentioned…"
Phos's jaw clenched.
"The Alchemist worked first to understand the power of the Oni. By this point, the purge had made those with true power scarce, but those who were discovered were studied…at least at first."
Phos scratched his chin, as if he didn't want to talk about it any longer. But he glanced up and realized that Cole truly was a captive audience, and he shook his head.
"It was the Alchemist who built the extraction chamber…the same one that Shazier used against Keyda. Their search for understanding became more of a lust...an unquenchable obsession…" Phos's expression crumpled briefly. "Lives were…lost in their attempt to manipulate and control the power they strove to understand…"
"This is the guy you banished…isn't it?"
Phos looked up in surprise at the ninja's serious expression.
"Yes. There were few of us left powerful enough to stop them…but we managed to in the end. It was then we discovered just how far the obsession had gone…it was also the Alchemist who captured the Guardian of Earth, locking it under the fortress so the Dragon could not escape without prematurely beginning the final battle. I shudder to think what could have happened if they were ever able to get ahold of all four pure elements…"
"How'd you do it? Banish him, I mean…"
Phos got another distant look in his eye, as if reliving some past memory. Suddenly he shook his head and glared at Cole.
"There is nothing gained in knowing the details," he hissed, pushing himself up out of his chair. "You have been told far more than enough…"
"If you banished the Alchemist, then why are you worried about him coming after me? How could he?"
Phos shook his head.
"No spell is perfect…there is no way to truly seal anything forever. The winter solstice is when the banishment is at its weakest…every year the Alchemist frees themselves for a day…"
"What?! You mean this Alchemist's gonna be loose? And he'll come here?"
"Of course not, Idiot! What do you think those runes on my tent are…decoration? I was the main instigator for banishment…thus I am the main target for revenge. I've taken every precaution to keep hidden…until you came along."
Cole bristled slightly at his accusing tone.
"Well, you're the one keeping me here… besides, how would he even find me if…"
"Your powers! You reek of elemental power…and whatever that trick of yours is with the glowing scar…it merely amplifies the signal for miles…"
"Why tie me up? Why not just let him find me…"
"Because I have no idea what the Alchemist would be able to do once they had access to a pure element! Don't you see?! If they get ahold of you it could spell doom for this realm…"
Phos's voice had been rising, but he seemed to get ahold of himself and exhaled angrily, regaining composure.
"I'd rather not have to kill you, but if that is what it comes down to in order to keep that element out of…"
"Why didn't you tell me all of this weeks ago?! Why did it have to be a big secret? Why not tell me about the Alchemist and the danger and…"
"Because you don't listen to reason, you listen to your own internal moral compass. You're unpredictable…and I already knew that you would more than likely track the Alchemist down and foolishly try to defeat them then you would to sit here, safe and hidden, while I finish the spell…"
"What spell?"
Phos glowered.
"The only chance you have at remaining untouchable…"
Cole furrowed his brow in confusion and Phos just rolled his eyes.
"Don't hurt yourself. All you need to do is sit there…quietly…all night and leave the rest to someone who actually knows what they're doing." The Healer walked back over to the table, his voice suddenly dropping as he picked up a glass vial filled with some mysterious green liquid.
"There is no stopping the Alchemist's lust for power...it will consume and destroy everything if it got the chance…"
"Like he destroyed your daughter?"
Phos stiffened visibly, dropping the vial. It shattered and the liquid hissed in the dirt, but Phos didn't even look down.
"That's what happened to her, right? How you lost her?" Cole asked. It was just a guess…a feeble attempt to connect some of the pieces of the puzzle that Phos had let slip here and there. The Healer didn't speak, but his reaction was answer enough. He turned, eyes burning.
"You fool…you realize now I have to go out there to collect a new sample of that before the apex…" he trailed off, as if it wasn't even worth it to explain it to the boy. He reached over to the bowl filled with orange powder and grabbed a fistful. Cole shook his head, remembering what that stuff did.
"Phos…don't..."
The Master of Earth was cut off as the powder hit him in the face. He tried to close his eyes and hold his breath, but his nose burned as some of the dust made it in.
The Master Healer watched as the boy slumped and fell silent. He swallowed, and reached for a new vial with a shaky hand before heading out the back. He passed Syn's sleeping figure and shook her awake. He would have woken Hershel…but the boy was out collecting ingredients that could only be found on the solstice. The small girl looked up at him with a groggy expression.
"Whatever happens…do not let him leave!" he hissed, and Syn nodded her understanding as she slowly pulled herself up off the mat, rubbing her eyes. In the next moment the Healer was gone.
Heavy Metal listened as the footsteps drew closer. He clenched his jaw as he heard the lock click, and the heavy cell door opened with a creak. He looked up at the slender figure silhouetted in the doorway and tried to decide if he could take her or not.
"Don't even think about it…I'm faster than you, old man, and you're weaponless and shackled."
Her voice was no nonsense, but she also seemed young. Not as young as Keyda…but young enough for him to wonder how she had come to lead this whole resistance.
The cell door slammed shut and she went over to a torch, lighting it while still keeping her eyes on the scarred Captain of the Guard.
"I think it's safe to inform you that the slave brat's misguided regime has fallen. I have a man named Yanz upstairs now, spreading the word to the leaders and the dragon masters loyal to us that the time has come to strike…"
"What do you want from me?"
Heavy Metal cut in with an apathetic tone of his own. She raised an eyebrow but his stony expression remained the same.
"Look…Heavy Metal, there is no one in the realm who understands how everything works politically as well as you do. You've spent decades running the realm under the Baron, and now you've spent the last few months babysitting a caustic usurper…"
"Usurper? You're one to talk…"
She bristled, but her tone remained the same as she eyed him in the torchlight.
"You may argue that the girl was voted on…but we had no choice really, did we? She's weak…you have to see that! She would lead this realm to ruin."
He didn't say anything and the woman shook her head.
"This is not an overthrow as much as it is a restoration…restoring the proper royal line back to the throne…"
"Proper line?" Heavy Metal scoffed. "I don't know much about history, but I've heard enough to know Kahzym the third died without having children…"
"Yes, the Oralle line fell…due to empathy and weakness. Like your little slave girl, he had no chance of truly leading this realm to greatness."
"So you are of the line of Virgil." he guessed, eyeing her carefully. She held her head high.
"The true line of kings…there was conflict in our line decades ago, conflict that the Baron took advantage of…but when he fell it should have fallen to me to lead this nation!"
"You weren't there." Heavy Metal pointed out. "You weren't at the decision…."
"But I should have been!" she hissed. "My family has had to hide in the shadows for decades so that the Baron would not discover us…we were not aware of the change until it was too late." She shook her head angrily. "I appealed to the dragon masters, but my voice went unheard. Until I met Dorhn, that is."
Heavy Metal's expression darkened at the mention of Dorhn. She didn't seem to notice as she continued.
"He could see the writing on the wall…where this stupid girl would lead the nation. So we planned and worked and waited for months… We thought we had the perfect opportunity when she fell ill, but of course that didn't turn out quite like we had planned." She shook her head, and suddenly it seemed like she was talking to herself.
"That stupid outsider…we should have gotten rid of him long ago…" she glanced up at Heavy Metal again and smiled. "But I suppose now he provides the perfect motivation for the girl to provide us with plenty of Hatred…"
"Relying wholly on another's strength…is that not just another form of weakness?"
She glowered at him, stepping closer with the torch.
"Don't push me. The only reason you're even still alive right now is because I need you. Well, perhaps need is too strong a word…but having you on my side will help create a smoother transition, heading the realm back towards the way it was always meant to be…"
The Captain didn't say anything and she scoffed.
"Dorhn doesn't think you'll join us…but I just can't comprehend why you wouldn't. You have to be tired of walking on eggshells…of trying to control such a volatile child. You have to see that she and her little Outsider are going to destroy this nation…don't you want to be part of the solution? To fix the mistakes that she has made? I'm giving you that chance Heavy Metal…don't waste it."
He studied her for a few moments longer, and he finally gave a ghost of a smile, shaking his head slightly.
"As long as I'm supporting an emotional child…I may as well stick by the one I helped put in power in the first place. If you want to lead this nation into chaos, I will not help you do it."
The woman stiffened, her eyes narrowing as she spat at him.
"Then you will be the first to die in tomorrow's executions…" she hissed. His jaw clenched as she turned to go. The door slammed as she left, and Heavy Metal went back to trying to pick the shackle locks.
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