ESCAFLOWNE WEEK 2021: Day 1: FORTUNES | THE TOWER
The Pyre of Reckoning
NOTE:
Now, the fiery conclusion is here. This was a wild ride but I really enjoyed writing this, even as it exhausted me. It was never really about the mystery but always about revenge.
There is a hint of tragedy about this as well that could not be avoided. But I am satisfied with where the characters are at the end of it.
My musical inspiration was "Seven Devils" by Florence and the Machine.
Enjoy and let me know what you think. Thank you!
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"So it seems you and I have been solving the same puzzle," Dryden Fassa remarked as he took a sip of his tea, "Although, unsurprisingly, you have made far more progress than I have."
"I cannot take all the credit for that, Lord Dryden," Princess Eries replied, "I was simply fortunate enough to have been close to the person behind it."
"Ah, but if you had not been the keen observer that you always are, you would have been duped by her as most of us have been," Dryden pointed out with a smile.
The princess made a subtle gesture that was the closest thing she would ever do to a shrug. "She simply took advantage of the fact that most people have a tendency to underestimate young women, especially if these people are determined to protect them," the princess said coolly.
"I have been guilty of that before so this has been a very valuable lesson indeed," Dryden admitted, although he felt that the comment more directly alluded to the brother of the young woman in question.
However unexpected the answers had been to his burning questions, Dryden was grateful that he had them. He had spent too much time investigating this case and he did not want to be left in the dark. The moment he saw the slightest hint of Zaibach in one of the transactions of the victimized merchants and with the memory of the modes used by the mysterious perpetrator, Dryden could not help but think of Dilandau Albatou. But the fearsome soldier was presumed missing and the only lead that Dryden could follow on this subject was Celena Schezar.
So he reached out to her brother. He and Allen Schezar were hardly the best of friends but were always cordial to each other. Dryden bore the other no ill will for being the object of Princess Millerna's affections, although he always felt a slight pang of jealousy. But they had been through so much together that they seemed irrevocably bound by what they did to survive the war and to support the young king of Fanelia and the girl from the Mystic Moon.
Dryden was careful not to reveal the details of his investigation, so as not to alarm the Knight Caeli, and simply inquired after the latter's sister in a general manner. Allen had not been suspicious and had reassured Dryden that his sister was in good spirits despite being somewhat frail and prone to stay in her room for long periods. She also spent a lot of time in the company of Princess Eries, who had become a confidante as well as a guardian.
At the mention of the second princess of Asturia Dryden immediately knew who better to consult about the state of Celena Schezar, and any lingering connection she might have to her dangerous Zaibach counterpart. He wrote to the princess to request an audience, and he was not disappointed.
The first meeting began in a similar fashion to Dryden's conversation with Allen, general inquiries about the health and wellbeing of Celena Schezar and a vague curiosity about the fate of Dilandau Albatou. Dryden was determined to tread carefully, but Eries saw right through the ruse.
After all, a sixth fire in an energist mine near Freid had just taken place the day before. The timing of his sudden interest was suspect enough but the princess also noted his haggard appearance, recognizing the symptoms of sleepless nights and endless reading. She was no stranger to such activities and so was easily able to detect their effects on others.
"You suspect Dilandau Albatou's involvement in the recent series of fires," Eries said bluntly.
Dryden grinned. "I see I cannot get anything past you, Princess," he admitted sheepishly, "So I won't deny that this is the true purpose of my inquiries."
Eries observed him carefully, seemingly debating whether or not he was to be trusted. Her steady gaze made the merchant slightly nervous, as if he was being put on trial for crimes he was guilty of. But he knew it would be useless to try and deceive the princess, and indeed, counterproductive as well. She clearly knew more about the matter than she was letting on and he was eager to compare notes.
"I've read the reports," Eries said calmly, "And though every incident has been dismissed as an accident, I am not of that opinion. And neither do I believe that these fires are completely unrelated. Are you of the same mind?"
"Exactly, Princess," Dryden said excitedly, "I'm glad that you and I are on the same page."
In subsequent meetings, he began to share his discoveries with her, explaining his theories, showing his notes, and even bringing out some of the evidence he had begun carrying around with him, for fear that these may be stolen from his chambers. Eries listened to him with interest but with an expression that did not betray any deeper knowledge of the events he described.
As the merchant continued to demonstrate how close he was to the truth, Eries decided that he could be trusted, after all. She could see that it would be pointless to dissuade him from continuing his investigation, and she also knew that he was pragmatic enough to understand the situation once he knew all the particulars.
"And that's all I have, unfortunately," he concluded, throwing up his hands in frustration, "But I just know that this all ties back to Zaibach somehow. And that's why I had hoped I would be able to speak with Celena Schezar about Dilandau."
He paused to see what the princess thought of it all and he saw that, once again, she was looking at him with that piercing gaze of hers. She took a few moments to consider all that he had said and he waited with bated breath for her next words. Somehow he sensed that an important revelation was forthcoming.
"Celena is preoccupied at the moment so she is unable to answer your burning questions," Eries said carefully, "But I can tell you all you need to know."
And so she did.
And Dryden Fassa listened incredulously as the princess calmly and succinctly explained Celena's deception, her and Dilandau's collaboration, and their determination to get revenge on the men who had wronged them. Dryden found that some of his theories had been confirmed but he could never have dreamed that two individuals could have done so much damage in such a short amount of time.
The mystery surrounding Dilandau's fate had helped him stay in the shadows and the underestimation of Celena's capabilities had become her own shield as well. And as Princess Eries concluded her account, Dryden realized that she too had decided to become involved.
The latest attack on the energist mine could not have been achieved without some outside help. Obtaining explosives was one thing, but infiltrating a mine that was that well-guarded required some strings to be pulled. And Dryden could sense that the two victims of Zaibach had found an invaluable supporter in the Asturian court.
He was impressed and he found that he could not fault Celena and Dilandau for what they had done. After hearing about the inhuman experiments conducted by the sorcerers and getting an idea of what those two people had suffered, Dryden truly could not blame them. It helped that the merchants they had ruined were far from noble themselves, and destroying their fortunes actually paved the way to something better.
"Their brand of justice is brutal but undoubtedly effective," Dryden remarked, after finally processing all that Eries had told him of Celena and Dilandau's plans.
Dryden looked at the princess warily, weighing whether he dared ask her about her own motives. But she had trusted him with the truth so it seemed unworthy of him to withhold anything from her, even if it was his own curiosity.
"You were always an advocate of effective solutions," he began carefully, "Was this what convinced you to help them?"
To Dryden's relief, Eries did not glare at him for this. She merely maintained her steady, unreadable gaze. She never nodded but he knew that she had agreed.
"Our interests are aligned," she replied, in her customary matter-of-fact tone, "And I know that there will be a limit to the carnage, which is more than one can say for other vicious vendettas. What was set in motion cannot be undone, but it will also come to an end soon."
"Do you mean their revenge is nearly complete?" Dryden asked, intrigued and terrified in almost equal measure.
"They've forced the hand of their enemies," Eries explained, "And desperate men make foolish choices and take stupid risks like coming out into the open and exposing themselves to even more danger. The moment is coming when Celena and Dilandau will deal the death blow."
Dryden shuddered at this, but could not help but be curious. It was not a matter of stopping the inevitable anymore, only of watching things take their course. If the second princess of Asturia deemed this a worthy cause, he would not stand in her way.
"Justice can be elusive in Gaea," Princess Eries remarked pensively, "The systems we have in place, though established with noble intent, remain shamefully flawed. There have been many guilty parties who have avoided the consequences through legal loopholes and the potent persuasion of gold. Crimes have gone unpunished, their victims deprived of their due, adding insult to injury."
Dryden could not argue against this. And he was certain that the princess had witnessed more than her fair share of injustice in her life, which, despite her position, she had been powerless to prevent. There were always limitations. So when an opportunity presents itself to circumvent such limitations, must one not make the most of it?
"There is no negotiating with an open flame," Eries continued gravely, "You cannot bribe or bargain your way out of being burned alive."
.
.
.
Desperate men made reckless decisions.
The remaining sorcerers of Zaibach, fearing for their futures, called for a gathering between them and their supporters. Communicating remotely was not an option; they needed to meet in person to decide on their next course of action. Carelessly, hastily, the invitations had been sent and the venue determined. A small, abandoned fortress on the outer borders of Fanelia. An ancient structure that was little more than broken stone walls, a decrepit tower, and the ruins of dungeons and torture chambers. Strangely appropriate.
Dangerous men in dark cloaks gathered in the shadows. Their whispers in the dark were carried by the wind. In a span of months, they had lost what scarce resources they had scrambled together. Their supporters, corrupt and greedy men, now doubted their value. Their fortunes had fallen. Little did they know that they would fall farther still.
They failed to notice the threat until it was too late. He did not need the technology of guymelefs to move stealthily. He had been sneaking up on them so many times already. And no one was deadlier than a man with nothing left to lose.
The other men had taken precautions to protect themselves. They had brought mercenaries to fight against their lone avenger. He was outnumbered. Blood was spilled. But still he grinned, that twisted, sinister smile that had spelled the doom of so many of his enemies.
When they thought he had fallen, in a swift, decisive motion, he lit the fuse.
They were trapped inside, screaming as the flames engulfed them and the walls crumbled around them, crushing those who tried to flee. The forgotten fortress had become a tomb, after a funeral pyre unlike any that had ever been seen before, illuminated the night sky.
.
.
.
Celena Schezar entered the room that served as the private office of Princess Eries just as the latter had finished reading the report on the devastating explosion that had taken place in a secluded structure. The two women exchanged a look of grim comprehension.
Celena's expression was bleak and she was trembling slightly, but there was also a strange light in her eyes, a sign of a hard-won victory. She nearly collapsed into the chair that Eries had offered her, finally allowing herself to be overwhelmed by the exhaustion of the past months.
"He did it," she whispered, in awe of what had been achieved at last, "It is over."
Tears streamed down her face as she finally allowed herself to celebrate and grieve at the same time.
Both of them had always known their triumph would come at a heavy cost. But they had always been ready to pay the price.
He had always wanted to go in a blaze of glory.
"We are free," declared Celena Schezar.