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Chapter 39: Soft Footfalls

Night had engulfed the lonely city streets. There was only a void where there was no sound, no sound where there was no life. There was no life which littered the streets. Nay! Even in this hour of blackness there should have been Archadian civilians strolling the cobblestones.

The curfew imposed by Ortal demanded that all civilians stay within their abodes when the clock has swept past the hour of eight in the evening. There had not been a single soul, bereft of ordinance, out and about since nine.

There was no sound, yet there were souls.

There were three souls which stole through the streets whilst cloaked in the shadow of the night, soundless footfalls as swift as feathers blown by gale.

Their flight ceased suddenly; their armor-clad forms appeared like apparitions out of thin air.

'Zargabath awaits us in the fourth district.' A hushed female voice said the voice was so weak that a bystander would have needed to have stood very closely to have heard.

'Indeed. Old Archades seems to have quite anability at magnetizing conniving Imperials, so true with love-struck Gentries.' A male voice replied just as quiet. He chuckled afterwards but even his chuckles were so silent.

'Let's go!' a third male voice stated. They nodded to each other and disappeared as suddenly as they bounded across the bridge towards Old Archades.

XOXOXO

Judge Majister Zargabath shifted uneasily in his wooden seat. The man with him was one who would attract doubt so quickly.

'Jules, was it?' Zargabath asked intently.

The dirty unkempt man shook his head and shrugged his shoulders in what seemed to be exasperation. 'Here was I to think that Judges were assigned to memorize thousands of written laws and codes and yet here am I in the presence of a Judge Majister who cannot even memorize a simple name. A name!'

Zargabath was looking at Jules with such intensity that it was Jules' turn to shift uneasily. There was a silence and then, 'Yes,' Jules said.

Zaragabath would not cease glaring at the information-peddler.

There was a knocking sound on the door, Jules stood up and walked towards it, not before emitting a silent sigh of relief at being able to escape the Judge's gaze.

'Who goes there?' Jules inquired before the closed door, more than curiosity laced in his voice.

Jules had his body pressed to the door and was looking intently through a gap in the door when there was a sudden creaking noise and splintered wood then three golden, curved, points pierced the door and missed him by millimeters.

Cursing out loud in what seemed to be Archadian vulgar fashion, Jules turned to look at Judge Majister Zargabath who stood up from his seat and staring at the three sword points.

'Friends of yours, your honor.'

Zargabath gestured idly with his gloved hand and Jules rolled his eyes but followed his order. Jules eased from the door as he swung it open. Two men and a woman entered the small warehouse.

'Aquillis, Aurea, Olen.' Zargabath said, his voice evident with relief at the sight of familiar faces. 'So nice of you to come. '

'Greetings your honor,' Olen was the first to speak as Zargabath stood up and shook his hand, 'I bear tidings which bode ill.' The second-in-command of the Order said without hesitation.

'Scipio and Ortal have little trust in your loyalty.' Aurea said without preamble, her face uncharacteristically grave. Zargabath meanwhile did not look unfazed and shook his head at the information.

'Tell me something which I know not.' Zragabath's head twitched in mock-surprise.

The three Order of the Tournesol members looked at each other and then faced Zargabath.

Then Aquillis whispered calmly, 'Ortal has ordered Scipio to grant the foundries permission to manufacture new war-gear and weapons. Also,' he cleared his throat,' Ortal has rigged your bureau: he told your men that you were traitor and to act as though you weren't.'

Jules and the three expected a speech of rage from the Judge, instead, 'Hmm, not as bad as I had expected. Here was I to think that both bureaus were against me.'

'Their loyalty to you or to Lord Larsa is greatly doubted.' Olen said quickly.

Zaragabath chuckled, 'Ah, loyalty is so hard to ascertain. But I warrant you, warrior, the loyalty of the men under Ronsenburg is unswerving!'

Olen nodded apprehensively. The others simply made noises which said that they saw little reason to disagree.

'Right.' The judge said firmly. 'Let's get to our duties,' Zargabath gestured everyone to sit down around the table, including Jules, 'first, I want those foundries decommissioned for at least a month, that will give our allies time to muster their defenses. Aurea, go to Lord Larsa, tell him of what has been conceived here. Jules,' Zragabath leaned towards Jules which was to his right,' I want you to gather information, I will pay you handsomely.' Jules nodded, satisfied.

'What else can we do?' Zargabath asked his companions.

'I will go to Rozzaria and tell Lord Al-cid Margrace of this plot Scipio and Ortal have.' Olen's steady voice interrupted the silence and not only Zargabath looked at him.

'You? Talk to Al-cid?' Zargabath asked doubtfully. For the life of him, Zargabath could not imagine the aloof and distant Olen to be able to converse with the otherwise flamboyant and somewhat exaggerated Rozzarian heir. Olen meanwhile, just nodded serenely, a gesture, Zargabath noticed reminiscent of the Captian Sephyr

'His little birds tell him many things.' Olen spoke in a voice as if implying he knew something the others did not. Aquilis just shook his head, his hair following his movements, while Aurea continued to stare surprised at Olen before Judge Majister Zargabath spoke again.

'Very well.' The judge nodded, relenting to Olen's suggestion. He looked over to the others. " Has Capatin Sephyr returned?' Zaragabath inquired.

'Yes he has." Was the only reply Aquilis said and Aurea was quick to add at the look of inquiry at Zargabath's face. " But he has other matters he must attend to.' Aurea replied.

'That being?' eyebrows rose and the three members of the Order of the Tournesol exchanged glances. In the end, it was Aquilis who replied again, in his shortened answers and they provided no further explanation.

'He did not say.'

'How unprofessional.' Zargabath remarked and once again the three members exchanged silent looks.

"Will his absence affect whatever plans we have?" It was Aurea who asked this question and Zargabath stopped his musings to look at her.

He was silent for a few minutes before Aquilis suddenly stood up and raced for the door, his Tournesol raised. Almost immediately, Olen extinguished the solitary candle on the table and Aurea shoved Jules to the wall as Zargabath stood up, weapons raised.

"What is it?" Zargabath asked. After a few minutes, the three members of the Order seemed to consider it safe already for Aquilis returned and Aurea relit the candle with a short spell.

"Perhaps it is best if we adjourn this meeting for now," Olen spoke steadily, his voice calm once more but his weapon still unsheathed. Silent nods followed this suggestion and almost a few moments later, the candle was extinguished once more and the door creaked again and one by one shadows darkened and the room was left empty. So focused were the people who were previously in the room in going unnoticed that they failed to perceive a deeper shadow in one of the corners and when the five people dissolved into darkness, a slow smile gleamed from that corner and the distinct sounds of footfalls could be heard along with a deliberate little laugh that was soon left to the wind.