Chapter Forty Five

Proposition & Nightmare

JANUS

"Ludwig," Elsa regarded the man as Janus brought her and a half-asleep Tracy into the main hall where the duke was waiting for them. "What's going on?"

Ludwig looked worried. "Not out here," he motioned for them to follow him.

As they followed Ludwig, Janus glanced at Elsa, who returned him a baffled expression. "He says he'll explain," he told her in a low voice.

"Where are we going?" Tracy slurred groggily.

"To my study." Ludwig answered, looking over his shoulder as though to make sure they were still following him.

The study was located a good distance away from the main hall, tucked away on the second level of the house in one of the wings, relatively obscure and easily mistaken as a broom closet. But inside, the duke's private study was warm, spacious and cozy, the walls lined with bookshelves full of thick volumes and files.

"We won't be disturbed here." Ludwig looked less tense now as he locked the door behind him and lit a new lamp that illuminated the big study. "I can't be certain that the emperor hasn't placed spies in my household."

"I can guarantee you he has," Elsa grimaced. "Trust me. He and I have had a long, unpleasant history."

Ludwig blinked. "A relationship together? I did not imagine you were lovers."

"Not a relationship." Elsa said hurriedly, looking incredibly repulsed by the idea. "We've been enemies for a long time. I know how he thinks. He'd have placed spies in your midst to feed him information about your plans and purposes."

"A good thing this study exists then," Ludwig motioned for the trio to take a seat on the sofa. "Please."

The trio sat, and Ludwig stood in front of his desk, resting his palms against the black wooden edge as he faced them.

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Tracy had fully awoken by now, and was apparently rather grumpy that she'd been roused from her sleep in a bed more comfortable than she'd had the privilege to lie on in a long time.

"Of course," Ludwig leaned against his desk, a troubled expression on his face. "So the emperor summoned the cabinet earlier this morning for an emergency announcement. He had journalists from every major newspaper faction present at the conference too."

"What was so urgent that he couldn't wait till daybreak?" Janus asked.

"Well, it's clear that your escape downtown did not go unnoticed," Ludwig said, then paused. "The emperor declared that he saw no other option but to take the news of your presence in the city public."

Elsa's eyes went wide. "What?"

"By midday, the whole city will know that the three of you are loose in the capital." Ludwig went on. "The emperor painted it in such a way that it seemed like he wants the common people to stand up for themselves to fight against the monsters hiding in his city."

"Things will get ugly." Janus grimaced, his heart sinking.

"Yes," Ludwig nodded gravely. "As you know, we Exonians are brought up to believe that mientalak - how do you say in your language - witches, are an abomination to be cast out and purged from our lands, to be feared and loathed with every cell in our bodies. There will be chaos in the streets when the people hear about your presence in Exon."

"Wait. So Hans put a bounty on us?" Tracy piped up in confusion. "He's trying to paint us as monsters and smoke us out?"

"That about sums it up." Janus said dryly.

"But not you?" Elsa fixed her gaze on Ludwig.

"Not me?"

"You don't think we are monsters?"

Ludwig's mouth formed into a hard line. "Do not get me wrong. I was raised like any other Exonian and still believe that magic is evil and has no place in our society. We were all taught that anyone with unnatural abilities are our enemies. Exonian law mandates that anyone practicing witchcraft must be executed. Every instinct within is telling me that I shouldn't have associated myself with the likes of you," He paused, glancing at Elsa and Tracy in particular. "But in this case, I am prepared to violate everything I've been taught to believe and do. As you say in your language - do a deal with the devil."

"Because of the emperor?" Elsa asked.

"Yes," Ludwig's features remained hardened. "In order to dethrone the emperor, I cannot do this alone. We cannot do this alone."

"Who's we?" Janus probed. It was high time that the duke tell them what he was planning.

"The Equalitar," Ludwig gave a small shrug. "At least, that's what we've been calling ourselves. We are likeminded people in places of power around the capital who see through the deception of the smiling ruler. We see beyond his feigned benevolence. His thirst for power and land will be the downfall of Exon if we do not act against him."

"Wow," Janus said under his breath and folded his arms. The duke was playing a very risky game here, though Janus was sure that the seasoned noble knew it.

"Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if you succeed in bringing down the emperor?" Elsa questioned him cautiously. "You would install a new ruler on the throne?"

"No." A flash of anger crossed his face. "For far too long, Exon has been plagued with ill-suited rulers. An indifferent fool, a tyrant, and now a mad emperor," Ludwig straightened, squaring his shoulders. "It is time Exon earns her freedom. It is time to give the power back to the people."

"So this isn't just a simple attack on the government," Janus stared at the duke. "It's a revolution."

"Yes it is," Ludwig's eyes were full of determination and resolve. "We are tired of these rulers who have no regard for anyone but themselves. It is time that Exon be a land free of absolute monarchy. It is time for the commoners to govern themselves."

Janus exchanged a surprised glance with Elsa, and then with Tracy. Apparently none of them had expected this. Sure, when Ludwig had said he wanted to dethrone the emperor, Janus had thought that he meant getting rid of Hans and replacing him with someone more competent. Never had he imagined that Ludwig and his Equalitar intended on starting a revolution that would completely alter the course of Exon's history.

"And you want us to help you," Tracy added, her tone mired in both astonishment and skepticism.

"Yes. Like I said, I am prepared to ally myself with the lesser of two evils." Ludwig's expression became slightly uneasy as he shifted. "Your witchcraft will be a means to an end. An end that justifies the acceptance of such an abomination."

"We understand," Elsa nodded slowly. "Could the three of us please have a moment?"

"Of course," Ludwig strode to the door and opened it. "I'll be right outside." The door shut behind him quietly, leaving the trio in the duke's study.

ELSA

Elsa inhaled deeply, then fixed her gaze on Janus and Tracy. Frankly, she didn't know what to say or how to begin, but she knew they needed to discuss this and come to a consensus. Should we get involved in the Equalitar's revolution?

They'd already been a part of one revolution. Or a rebellion, to be more accurate. Back in Denmark, Elsa and her friends had been instrumental in pushing back against the Exonian oppressors and routing the occupiers with the locals' help.

But this was different. They weren't going up against the chaotic and volatile Eleanor whose sole purpose had been to prove herself capable. They were going up against Hans, the most cold, calculating and evil genius that they'd ever faced. And not to mention he had the demon powers of immortality now.

The fact was, Elsa knew that as it were, they had enough problems on their hands. Perhaps more than they could chew. After all, they were being hunted down by the emperor's best soldiers, not to mention the Mage Slayers. The three of them had barely survived their encounter with the demon assassins. And now they were being presented with the option of taking down the Empire from the inside.

But that's why we came to Exon in the first place, isn't it? Elsa found her idealistic half arguing internally against her more pragmatic and circumspect half. To put an end to the Empire's reign of terror, to take down the tyrant in charge, and put the continent back on the path of peace. But things had changed drastically. The tyrant they'd been hoping to defeat had been swapped out for a far worse one, and instead of being the hunters, Elsa and her allies were now the ones being hunted.

But here, now, Duke Voda was offering them the chance of becoming the hunters again. To turn the tables and finish the mission. We've come so far, Elsa protested against herself. It would be a crime not to finish what we started. Especially not when we might actually have a chance this time.

But who's to guarantee that we can pull it off? What if we die trying?

If not us, then who will fight for these people who want to be free?

"This wasn't what I expected when we followed that servant girl here." Janus was the first to break the silence.

"Me neither," Tracy agreed. "We should get out of here before it's too late."

"No, wait," Elsa said. She paused again for a rather long moment before meeting their eyes again. "I think we should help them."

"Help them?" Tracy snorted. " You're out of your bloody mind, Elsa."

"Hold on. Just listen to me."

"We can't even help ourselves!"

"She's not wrong," Janus folded his arms. "We have enough of our own problems to deal with. Taking up arms alongside a foreign people in the enemy's city is biting off more than we can chew."

"But what if it's not?" Elsa stood up. "Helping Ludwig and his Equalitar means getting a better shot at toppling Hans' regime and putting an end to Hans' reign of terror once and for all."

"Girl, are you listening to yourself?" Tracy barked a laugh and stood up too, spreading her hands. "We're way out of our depth here. We're already being chased by the Mage Slayers and the Blitzguard. You really think we stand a better chance going up against them alongside a bunch of politicians and nobles? More likely that they - and we - are all going to get rounded up for treason and executed."

"Not if we do it right," Elsa argued. "Instead of hiding in the shadows and waiting for them to come find us, I say we take the fight to them. But not directly of course. We've tried that and failed. We need to change our strategy here."

"And what would that be?" Janus asked.

"Espionage." she said.

"I don't know about you, but I'd like to get out of here alive." Tracy shook her head. "Sorry. It's a hard pass for me."

"Wait," Janus looked pensive, his eyes narrowing. Then, he looked up at Elsa. "You're on to something. When I was still a mercenary, I was one of a few hired to topple the regime of a local warlord in a city off the coast of Caltron. We employed espionage tactics to bring him down," He stood up, and Elsa stared up into his eyes. She could see that he knew it was possible, but there was conflict lingering. "If we do this," he said slowly. "We need to be sure we can walk away from it alive."

"It's a risk we're going to have to take." Elsa put a hand on his cheek. "Remember why we're even in Exon in the first place? We're here to put an end to the Empire. Ludwig's offering us a way to do that. And we'll have people on our side who can help us."

Tracy groaned. "Bloody hell. And here I thought we were supposed to find a way to get out of the city alive."

"That can come later," Elsa said firmly. "As much as I want to get out of this damn city and get back to my sister, we owe it to ourselves to complete the mission. Stop Hans, destroy his empire, and then we can go home. We've already come this far."

Janus nodded slowly. "Alright."

Grunting, Tracy kicked the desk leg. "Damn it, I was really looking forward to getting out of here. But hell, you give a good speech." She grinned at Elsa. "Just promise you won't let me die here. There's still places I wanna visit after the war. Maybe retire and live out the rest of my days with my brother in Atlantica."

"Deal." Elsa returned the grin. But inwardly, she knew it was a promise she wasn't sure she could keep, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to do whatever it took to make sure they got out of Exon alive.

"So it's settled then," Janus still looked a little wary. "We'll help Ludwig with his revolution. But keep your eyes peeled. You never know if he or his allies in his Equalitar will sell us out to the Empire."

Elsa nodded. "We'll keep an eye out."

Ludwig was invited back into his own study, and he seemed rather relieved when they told him their decision. "You are making the right choice," He clasped his hands gratefully as he sat behind his desk. "With your help, we can topple the system and establish egalita. A republic where every citizen can finally choose who will lead them. Thank you for agreeing to lend your assistance."

A knock came at the door of the study, and Elsa stiffened. Who was it now? Could it be that they'd been sold out?

"Ah," Ludwig called out in a loud voice. "Come in!"

The door opened and the servant girl who'd introduced herself as Peggy peered in cautiously. "You called for me, Your Grace?"

"Yes, yes. Come on in," Ludwig motioned for her to enter, then motioned at her with his hand as she shut the door behind her. "You know," he looked sheepishly at the trio. "I can't take all the credit for this revolution we're planning to stage," He turned his gaze to Peggy and gave her an appreciative nod. "I'd always disapproved of the way things were being run in Exon, and that sentiment got worse when the emperor took over. But then I happened to hire Peggy as one of my maidservants some time ago, and she was the one who told me I should do something about the system."

"You're too kind, Your Grace," Peggy said softly, averting her eyes.

"It was Peggy who inspired me to act. To reach out to others who felt the same as me and wanted to do something to change things. To tear down the imperial system and establish a republic."

Elsa studied the servant girl. She really didn't look like the bold sort of person who would probe and inspire a duke to incite a revolution. But then again, looks could be deceiving. Peggy caught her eye and gave her an embarrassed smile.

"Right," Ludwig levered himself to his feet. "Please, follow me." He went to the door and opened it for the rest to exit.

"Where are we going?" Tracy asked hesitantly.

"It's all a little rushed, I know, but I think it is time I take you to my associates in the Equalitar." He paused and glanced at the maidservant. "Peggy?"

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"See to it that they look the roles they're meant to play."

Peggy nodded. "Yes, Your Grace."

"Where exactly are you taking us?" Elsa asked.

"We're going where everyone's going to be on the lookout for you three. We're going into the heart of town."

MELODY

One would've thought she would have a good night's sleep after the past few days of constant trekking through the snow, only to finish off with an ambush on an Exonian outpost. And after that much alcohol, a good knockout sleep was almost guaranteed.

But not in Melody's case. Her sleep was filled with dreams. No, not dreams. Nightmares. Nightmares swirling with the after effects of alcohol and panic induced memories. She dreamt of the fight against Emperor Hans. The way he laughed at everything she threw at him. She gave her best, fighting with every ounce of strength and unleashing every technique she knew. But it wasn't enough.

His chilling laughter reverberating through her skull, Hans sent her and her allies flying out of the castle and pinwheeling through the air, falling into a bottomless ravine. They fell without end and Melody screamed, unable to find purchase on the rocky cliff. Her bow had long since disappeared into the abyss.

Deirdre, Eleanor and Maui similarly plummeted at her side, but Deirdre and Eleanor managed to grab onto a ledge or a rock. But not her, and not Maui. The two of them continued to fall into the cold depths of darkness, the yawning drop seeming to swallow them up. An avalanche appeared out of nowhere, rumbling down the cliffs and descending fast, threatening to bury Melody and Maui as they fell.

And then, Maui's hand reached out and grabbed her arm even as they fell. He yelled something at her, and she strained her ears to make sense of it. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't completely hear what he was saying. His words were further muffled by the wind and the roaring of the avalanche.

"What?" She screamed.

It was too late. With a roar, Maui swung her arm up and towards the cliff. Her entire body was catapulted upwards, and she hit the side of the cliff, the air knocked out of her completely. Gasping, she grabbed hold of a jutting rock and held on for dear life. Her eyes flew to Maui, who was still falling into the dark.

"Maui!" She yelled at the top of her lungs as the avalanche overtook her, obscuring Maui beneath a blanket of white in stark contrast to the black abyss below. "MAUI!" She screamed again, choking on her own tears.

A hand shook her and Melody's eyes flew open, her body jerking as she sat up abruptly. Without a wasted moment, her leg swept her assailant's feet out from beneath her and Melody tackled her to the ground, her forearm pinned to her assailant's throat and swiftly drawing her other hand back in a balled fist.

"Stop!" Deirdre wheezed, scrabbling to loosen Melody's iron grip at her throat. "Stop, it's me!"

Gasping, Melody let go and back-pedalled. Her back hit wood, and she melted back down into a seated position. "I'm…I'm sorry." She whispered, aghast at what she'd done.

The fiery sorceress coughed and stood up, looking less annoyed than Melody would've usually pegged her to be. She crossed the room and knelt so that she was level with Melody. "It's alright," She reassured Melody with a hand on her shoulder. "It was just a dream."

"Nightmare," Melody groaned, covering her eyes with a palm. It'd felt so real. The thing was, she was half aware that she was dreaming and none of it was real, but it still felt so horrifically vivid. She swore she felt herself falling to her death and experienced the stark grief afresh when she knew Maui was lost forever to the darkness.

Breathing heavily, her chest and shoulders heaved erratically as she let her hand fall to her side and stared up at Deirdre. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. Just breathe," Deirdre stayed with her as she took a minute to recover.

The hammering in her chest slowed, and the blood rushing through her veins became less aggressive. Melody tried to remember her training, to shut out the panic and to focus on calming herself. They worked, though nowhere near as well as she hoped. But finally, she found the energy to stand, Deirdre aiding her.

"You good?" Deirdre asked.

"Yeah." Melody exhaled deeply and glanced at her friend apologetically. "Did I wake everyone with that ruckus?"

"No, just me." Deirdre jerked a thumb over her shoulder at Eleanor who was still snoring loudly with a glass of unfinished brandy on the wood-panelled floor beside her.

Melody touched the side of her face and came away with cold sweat. She grimaced. The panic, anxiety or whatever this was simply wasn't getting any better.

"You want to tell me about it?" Deirdre asked.

"I saw Maui in my nightmare. He sacrificed his life to save me. Again." Melody groaned, leaning against the wooden wall. "The guilt and grief felt so real in that moment. I could've sworn it was happening."

"Maui's gone," Deirdre said quietly. "Yes, he gave his life but he wouldn't want us to keep feeling guilty. Remember what I said last night?"

Melody nodded in appreciation. It felt comforting to hear the words. Sighing, she straightened and looked around.

They were in a spacious house. A hut, by the looks of it. Her memory was beginning to return to her, albeit with a rather bad headache that came with the hangover. Last night had been the massive celebration, after the villagers had successfully routed the Exonians from their land. Mon Solrak was liberated, and she and the others had spent the night eating and drinking. She also remembered being vulnerable with Deirdre and instantly felt ashamed. But looking into Deirdre's eyes, she saw no judgement there. If anything, the fiery sorceress probably felt like she was a kindred spirit now, both dealing with the guilt of their mistakes.

The trio had been given a hut to stay in, a guest lodging kept by the Mon Solrak locals for visitors and climbers from faraway. And there in that house, the three of them had shared a couple more bottles of drink. Melody couldn't exactly remember the details and what it was they'd talked about, but she remembered Deirdre going to bed first while she and Eleanor continued drinking. Then, it'd been her turn to pass out and the last thing she remembered was Eleanor chortling to herself about how she'd become a shadow of what she was meant to be.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Half past nine." Deirdre responded, reading the clock on the wall. She peered out of the stained window with narrowed eyes. "Sun's already high in the sky. If we want to start climbing and get a good start before nightfall, we should probably get moving."