SITTING QUIETLY UPON A CUSHIONED chair settled against the back wall of the antechamber, Jacquelyn watched through a half-closed eye as Halawir fluttered around on the floor, scattering bronze feathers across the creaking floorboards as he moved.
Ungraceful turkey.
He'd been tolerable in these last few days, keeping a respectable distance from her, though she suspected it was more because the last time he'd tried invading her personal space, she'd torn out a few feathers from his tail.
In all honesty, the idea of killing him and leaving this island to get back to the job she actually liked doing was very tempting, and she'd only restrained herself for her own sake, as she had seen what a shattered bond could do to someone unprepared. The damn concussion that she wasn't able to shake was still there, still a problem she wasn't willing to admit out loud.
It should have been at least manageable by this point. Without the drugs. But it seemed to be the same as, if not worse than, the day she actually received it. It was annoying at best, crippling at worst.
Boredly counting the ticks of the clock high above her head, Jacquelyn's mind began to get fuzzy as the rhythmic sound lulled her into a half-sleep state, which was only interrupted when the door directly across from her perch swung open, yielding the figure of her sister standing there, hands stuffed into the pockets of the casual jeans she elected to wear today.
"How'd it go?" The redhead asked her elder twin, shifting her body and crossing her arms as the wretched cat that was bonded to Lucy stalked out after her, looking as bored and uninterested as ever. He merely sniffed Halawir when the bird came close, which was a better reaction than what he'd done to Briggan earlier for getting too close.
"About as good as you can expect," Lucy shrugged a shoulder, moving away from Cabaro subtly. "Some really weird questions about dreams, something about visions. Didn't pay much attention after Cabaro decided to stare into my soul for thirty minutes."
"Understandable." Jacquelyn stood up and stretched, gaining the attention of her spirit animal as she moved. "She's waiting for me, then?"
Her sister nodded. "Said to send you in when you were ready." She jerked her head. "I'm going to head back to our room. Want me to pick anything up from the mess hall?"
"Ehh, probably just a salad." The redhead responded. "Lettuce, tomato, eggs, cucumber, onions, peppers, and blue cheese dressing if they have it."
"And if not?"
"I don't know, honey mustard or something that isn't a vinaigrette. Even ranch will do."
"You hate ranch."
"Better than whatever acidic shit they throw together to make a vinaigrette."
Lucy nodded, waving to her as she started down the hall. Jacquelyn waited until she was no longer in sight before she turned and walked into the room, immediately yelping when her feral pigeon launched from the shadows and bit down on her unarmored ankle.
"Hey!" She snarled, jerking back and kicking the bird with enough force to send him skidding across the wooden floor with a squawk. "Watch yourself, turkey."
Halawir merely hissed in response, feathers spiked up.
Jacquelyn raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the sight. "You look ridiculous."
He hissed again, but the assassin wasted no more time on his case, striding by him to further enter the chambers from which Lucy had just exited.
The visionary who called herself Lenori sat across from the door, a few steps beyond the front that connected this chamber to the hall. She had seated herself in a towering padded chair which seemed to outshine her smaller and more petite form. She had her bare feet propped up on a stool, and wasn't wearing her green cloak at that moment. Beside her, perched on one leg, was a wading bird of sorts; she guessed an ibis, though was not skilled too much in the knowledge of marsh birds.
She sat down in a chair close to the other woman that she supposed was where she was meant to sit for this conversation, crossing her arms over her chest with a scowl. Halawir sat suspiciously close to her legs on the floor, his feathers now smoothed out and glossy once more. If he decided to bite, she had her reflexes ready to kick out again and send him flying.
"You seem unenthusiastic," Lenori spoke in such an irritatingly calm tone that Jacquelyn could feel her own blood starting to boil with those three words alone.
"Is it that obvious?" She asked sarcastically, causing the older woman to blink in surprise at the sharpness. "Of course I'm unenthusiastic. I have the great destiny of being some damn 'chosen one' just because the universe thinks it needs a laugh."
The visionary frowned slightly. "Your bond to Halawir is no laughing matter."
"Halawir." Jacquelyn scoffed out the name, turning her gaze toward the eagle, watching him walk across the floor to examine the ibis next to the Greencloak. "A name with such historical meaning, but how are you so certain these gods exist? The 'Great Beasts', or whatever they're called, are just a bunch of fairytales to keep children in awe of a higher power. Has anyone actually everseenone of these things?"
"One of them is sitting beside you right now."
"Him? The pigeon?" Jacquelyn laughed, though there was nothing mirthful about the sound. It almost sounded wicked. "As I've so generously explained before, these so-called legends are just stories from the books to keep children on their toes. Even having beasts that are similar to what the stories portray doesn't mean we have reborn gods at our disposal. Those stories you mention also tell tales of animals larger than horses, and this chicken is barely larger than a normal wedge-tailed eagle from Stetriol." Her teeth flashed as she pulled her lips back. "Your oh-so precious stories mention that Halawir specifically could be ridden by a human, taken on a flight through the skies. Doesthis," she gestured down to what looked to be a very offended turkey, "look like an animal that can carry a human through the clouds?"
Lenori's gaze hardened slightly, and the assassin noticed. "Is that the issue?" She asked. "Your lack of belief in the history of our world?"
"It's not history, though," the redhead pointed out. "It's afable. Legends. We have no proof any of that so-called history actually happened."
"I can assure you that it did happen. The proof is in your bond."
Jacquelyn cocked an eyebrow. "A leaderlike wolf, an independent falcon, a prideful leopard, and a healer panda with godlike status were killed by a power-hungry ape and a snake with hypnotic superpowers, who somehow managed to convince an entire nation that ruling the world was somehow possible. After said war that killed four godlike animals, an eagle who elected to remain neutral and a lion who didn't care enough to fight were killed when they wanted to avenge their fallen friends, of all the other gods who actually refused to join them, like the ram, and the polar bear, and slaughtered for no reason, and because they weren't planned to die, the cowardly swan goddess created summoners that would come generations later so they could be reborn, apparently bonded to myself and my sister. Erdas would maintain balance only if all six returned, so some strings had to be pulled, or something."
Lenori stared at her in surprise.
"That is the stupidest story I've ever heard in my entire life." The assassin growled. "And I've heard some pretty stupid shit."
"Watch your language." The visionary scolded.
"Or what?" Jacquelyn stood up, startling both birds that were in the room. "You're not my mother, nor are you anyone with the right to give me orders. I've been patient with you people since I got here, but if all you're going to do is spitbullshitat me in the form of children's stories, I might as well just go home. You can keep the chicken if you want, if you think he's some 'god', but you don't get to shove your damn beliefs down my throat."
The tension in the room had dramatically increased as Lenori stared back at her, expression calm, yet stern enough to remind the young assassin of the stare her mother used to give, an irritating fact that increased the temperature of her blood. Beyond boiling now, she was raging, but she couldn't really launch herself at this insufferable woman with the excuse that her behavior reminded her of her deceased mother. That wouldn't be ethical, and while she wasn't the shining beacon of ethics that people wished she was, if her grandfather had been there to witness her train of thought, he would certainly scold her.
Thankfully, Lenori seemed to realize that she had stepped out of line with a simple stare, and didn't speak on the matter again, giving Jacquelyn a moment to calm the rage boiling in her heart. She sat back down after a moment, inhaling softly, trying to calm herself enough so that a decent conversation could be held without her losing her cool on a dime. She'd promised her girlfriend she would at least try to work on her anger.
"Since you summoned your spirit animal," Lenori told her after a long moment of tense silence, "have you experienced any dreams? Perhaps flashes of things while awake?"
"I don't sleep." At the look she was given, she added, "No, really. I don't. It's part of my training. Remaining alert. I only sleep maybe an hour every few days, and that's just to ensure my body doesn't give out." She paused after a moment. "And I don't dream."
The visionary tilted her head slightly. "Is there a reason for this?"
"No," the assassin shrugged, "it's just a fact of life. I've never slept very well, even as a child, and I don't see a need to sleep if I'm not tired."
"And even when you do sleep, you don't dream?"
Jacquelyn shrugged. "If I do, I don't remember them."
"I see . . ." Lenori's expression was thoughtful. "Halawir was not one of the visionary Great Beasts, not like Tellun or Briggan, but every spirit animal has the potential to grant a new view of the world to their summoner, be it of the past, present, or future." Her gaze flashed slightly. "If you want, I can try to help you. If your dreams are closed off, perhaps your awakened state is more accessible."
The assassin's own expression shifted. "I don't enjoy people trying to pry into my personal life."
"None of your memories will be open to me." Lenori assured her. "My only goal is to help Halawir access your mind, to help grant you any vision that may be denied right now."
Jacquelyn felt a bit cornered in that moment, the idea of allowing a stranger to have access to both her bond and to her mind, but seeing as Halawir didn't protest with a hiss or a lunge, she assumed the idea was safe enough. He'd let her know if this was dangerous, as she assumed he didn't want her dying anytime soon.
"Fine," she mumbled, locking her gaze back onto Lenori with a scowl. "Let's get this over with, then."
"Turn your gaze upon Myriam, my spirit animal." The young visionary gestured to the ibis beside her. "Watch her as if you were watching a campfire on a cold night."
Hesitantly, Jacquelyn shifted her single eye onto the multicolored bird, head tilted slightly.
Myriam lifted her head slightly and turned to stare right back at Jacquelyn, slowly spreading her wings and shuffling her ridiculously long body to send ripples through her plumage, a gesture that was honestly quite mesmerizing. Hypnotic, in a sense.
The movements continued, and it only took a few moments for the assassin to suddenly feel as though the room were spinning. She blinked, once, twice, three times, and then, she was jerked through an opening in space.
Jacquelyn found herself standing in a familiar room, torches illuminating the wood in a warm and cozy glow that felt somewhat refreshing. She was alone, Halawir and Lenori having vanished from her line of sight, leaving her in a peaceful silence.
That was when she became aware of a distant humming.
It was such a familiar sound, one that took her back to her childhood, when she was young, still learning about the hardships of life.
The room was empty, and yet, when she stepped through the door, the familiar melody became much louder, much more profound.
"Mom?" She called, her voice barely awhisper, andyet seeming to echo through the chambers almost obnoxiously loud. There came no response, and yet the humming persisted.
Jacquelyn passed by a large bed, freshly made with sheets still warm from the day's sunshine. Perched there, staring back at her as if frozen in time, was a dusky-white leucistic fox, black eyes full of mischief. She remembered that look — the creature always wore the expression of a creature ready to cause some trouble, though she remembered him being very cuddly, even after his summoner's death.
"Kevork." Her voice barely reached above a whisper as she reached forward to touch the animal's face. It had been years since she'd last seen him. This felt so real . . . it felt too real.
Shit.
Swallowing back the bile that rose up in her throat, refusing to allow herself to become choked up over a stupid memory, the young assassin inhaled sharply, turning away from the beautiful fox, knowing full-well that the image of his face would haunt her for days. Instead, she passed from the bedchambers and into the study, looking around for the source of the humming.
There. At the very back, sitting at the desk, illuminated in candlelight, there she was.
As soon as she stepped into the room, the figure lifted her head. "Jackie?"
Dammit. She felt like a child again, sneaking into her mother's study when she came home late from her missions, wanting akiss andhuggoodnight from her favorite person.
She glanced sideways in the mirror, taking in her appearance of perfectly-honed muscles, her skin lined with scars and brushes from heavy training sessions, the face that was no longer young and innocent, but frightening and ugly.
If she spoke, would the woman chase her out, fearing a stranger had entered her chambers? Or would she turn, see the one-eyed freak there, and become frightened herself?
The woman turned around, her dazzling blue eyes glinting in the candlelight, and gazed upon the assassin. A moment of silence passed between them before the elder stood up, her white nightgown flowing around her ankles.
"Jackie, dear, why are you still awake? It's well past midnight." The woman reached forward and cupped Jacquelyn's cheek with her palm, running her thumb over the wounds in her face. "Don't tell me you've waited up all this time for me."
"I missed you." The words came out before she could stop them. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry." Her mother laughed, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. "I don't mind seeing you, my little firebird."
Jacquelyn slowly wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, closing her eye and inhaling the sweet scent of the woman she would never see again. She just wanted to hold her in that moment, never let her go. Just one more day, hour, minute . . . she just wanted to feel like this. Safe.
But when she opened her eye again, the study had all but crumbled away, leaving her standing on the edge of a grand cliff overlooking a vast majority of what looked to be Nilo. Vegetation grew all around her, like a forest surrounding the land. The breeze was strong up here, and Jacquelyn felt as though she had reached the top of the world.
Somewhere behind her, an eagle's shriek echoed through the air, but the assassin's gaze was fixed upon a figure standing a few paces ahead, right at the edge of the drop. She stepped forward, reaching her hand out toward the faceless woman whose golden hair felt like feathers against her skin. "Mom!" She cried, but it was too late. Her hands grasped open air as the woman fell backward, vanishing before her very gaze.
No . . . not vanishing. Changing.
Her body rippled and hazed, transforming before the eye of her daughter into something she'd only seen in storybooks from her childhood. Pale skin turned to even paler plumage, and all human features melted away as her mother took the form of a huge bird.
Beautiful, with a slenderneck, andfeathers as white as freshly fallen snow. The creature flew up, scaling the cliffside, and hovered above Jacquelyn's head. Those onyx eyes, both familiar and unfamiliar, seemed to glimmer with the same mischief that had oncepresentedin Kevork.
"Hello, Jackie."
That voice . . . the swan spoke in her mother's voice — same accent and dialect. She stepped back, eye wide with shock, but couldn't summon a voice to her throat.
The swan tilted her head, arching her neck slightly as a sorrowful expression crossed her elegant features. "I'm sorry, my dear. For everything."
And then, she was falling.
Letting out a gasp of what could have been fear, Jacquelyn jerked up, startling Halawir, who sat next to her feet. Her gaze flashed around once she realized she was back in the antechamber with Lenori.
The visionary stared at her with an expression of calm intelligence, which now did not infuriate the assassin, only contributed to the shock that consumed nearly all thoughts.
"What . . . theHelldid you do?" She whispered, her gaze glinting in the flickering torchlight.
"Nothing." Lenori assured her. "I was merely a spectator to your vision."
"Liar!" Jacquelyn hissed. "You did something — you made me see . . . whatever that was. There's no way."
The visionary tilted her head to the side, a gesture that her bird mirrored almost exactly. "Halawir was the one who granted you that vision, Jacquelyn. He was your key to the memories and flashes that were planted in you when you were born. You were always meant to see that. Your mother—"
"Mymother." She growled out the word from between clenched teeth. "Sandrine McKenna, an assassin like me, who died when I was six years old."
"Sandrine was the name of the woman whose body your true mother claimed as a host so that she could start a new line," Lenori told her, "one that would ensure her own flesh and blood would carry on the legacy she created. You and your sister were made to become tethered to the Forgotten Fallen."
The Phoenix stood up abruptly. "That's not true."
"Oh, Jacquelyn," Lenori whispered. "You may not believe in the Great Beasts, but you're more connected to them than you realize."
The one they called the Phoenix stared at her, shaken by what she had just seen.
"You are the daughter of Ninani the Swan," the visionary continued, "the creator of our sacred Nectar, the one who cared enough to change the destiny of the entire world. You are her chosen, the one she created to bind Halawir back to this world."
"There has to be some other explanation," Jacquelyn protested shakily, attempting to rid her memory of those images, the flashes of what was real and what couldn't possibly be real. "Are you saying that I'm half . . . swan?"
Lenori shook her head. "Ninani was human when she bore you and Lucy," she replied, "that makes you human as well. But your blood is far superior. You have the very blood of Erdas in your veins."
The assassin was completely silent, staring at her with so many emotions coursing through her skull. How could she be the daughter of something she didn't even believe in?
"We have been waiting a long time for you to show yourself, Jacquelyn." The Greencloak before her spoke in a calm tone. "What you do now will change the course of our world as we know it. It will affect all beings here, from the smallest mouse to the greatest of beasts, and of course, us humans, where your family has lived for so long."
*.。:。*.:。*.。*.:。*.。:。*.。
Less than an hour later, Jacquelyn strode with purpose past several armed Greencloaks, through multiple sets of doors, until she reached the highest room in the tower. The curtains were drawn so as to shield any light from entering, and within the chambers were Olvan, Lenori, Tarik, Viatrix, Conor, Rollan, Meilin, and Lucy, along with their spirit animals. Jhi, Briggan, and Cabaro laid near their respective summoners, relatively well-behaved, while Essix sat up near a window by herself, preening under one wing. Olvan's moose — whose name the assassin didn't catch — stood ominously near the fireplace, watching them all like a shadow.
All were being docile, save for the otter that belonged to Tarik. The beast was running around the small room, darting between legs and across shoulders, bouncing off the walls like the entity of energy she had seen him as the moment she laid eye upon him.
The only beast not present in the room was whatever animal Viatrix was bonded to. She'd skillfully kept her bonded partner a secret, which irritated Jacquelyn just slightly. The woman was hard to read, almost skilled in keeping her posture and facial features calm, making her extremely difficult, if not impossible, to profile.
When she took her place beside Lucy, she noted that her elder twin cast her a long look, which she carefully avoided. She had returned to her room following her meeting with Lenori, but had not said anything regarding what happened, still unable to believe it herself. She'd simply eaten her salad and then taken more medicine for the headache that still pounded her skull. Then she'd taken a short shower, in which her sister left, and she soon followed.
Halawir had joined her, and now stood placidly between her feet, fluffed out and loafed ridiculously on the floor.
The commander of the Greencloaks, Olvan, rose to his feet once she'd taken her place, rubbing his hands together and sweeping the room with his intelligent gaze that reminded her a lot of her grandfather, though Merlyn was much, much older. It was interesting to see, that, despite the white which touched the hair of the elder Greencloak, he still seemed strong and ready for battle.
He cleared his throat noisily, testing the strength of his voice, before he began to speak. "I know we have kept you in suspense regarding the roles we hope you will play. You can blame me for the delay — I prefer to know the whole story before I share it. Joining the Greencloaks is merely the first step toward the vital purpose we hope you'll serve. Given recent developments" — he nodded toward Conor, then caught Jacquelyn's gaze, which she broke first uncomfortably — "the time to act is upon us."
She looked down at Halawir between her legs on the floor, watching him as his unsettling eyes focused completely on the commander.
Olvan strolled over to the mantel. When he turned to face the others, his expression was grave. "Centuries and centuries ago, in the last worldwide war, the four nations of Erdas battled the Devourer and his army of Conquerors. Two Great Beasts aided the Devourer — Kovo the Ape and Gerathon the Serpent. Four of the Great Beasts sided with us. Three of them are here today."
Olvan paused to let that sink in. Jacquelyn crossed her arms.
"Before the original Essix, Briggan, Jhi, and Uraza joined the fight, we were losing the war. None of the continents went unscathed. Most of Nilo and Zhong had fallen. The Zhongese and Niloans who escaped fled to Eura and Amaya, only to find those nations besieged as well. Cities were razed. Food was in short supply. It was only a matter of time before the Devourer declared victory." He glanced around at them all. "The Greencloaks were a fledgling organization then, but when four of the Great Beasts showed their support, the Marked flocked to join us. The Greencloaks did what nobody else had done — they mounted a major offensive, taking the fight to the Devourer. The four Great Beasts gave their lives in the fight, which is why they are known as the Four Fallen."
Then, his gaze shifted toward Jacquelyn and Lucy, and more importantly, Halawir and Cabaro.
"At the very end, when Essix's last cry pierced the air, a new wave of Great Beasts whose hearts were moved by the grand sacrifice, rushed to avenge their fallen brothers." Olvan spoke carefully. "Halawir and Cabaro managed to weaken Kovo and Gerathon before they, too, fell to the might of the human armies raised against them. Their sacrifice, though meaningful, was forgotten, overshadowed by the valiant deaths of the Four. This is the reason why we have dubbed them the Forgotten Fallen."
"They were so unimportant to the world that they were never praised or remembered," Viatrix spoke for the first time, her voice smooth as honey. "But the Greencloaks, partly thanks to Ninani the Swan, have always remembered them."
Jacquelyn's gaze flashed toward her sister, whose expression was unreadable. This entire situation had instilled an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"But the Devourer fell as well," the commander continued, "and Kovo and Gerathon were captured thanks to the Forgotten. The cost was great, but the four nations emerged victorious and began to rebuild."
"What about the rest of the beasts?" Rollan asked. "The other nine?"
Olvan shook his head. "Seeing the damage that two of their own had caused, a few of the Great Beasts offered their aid at the very end. Tellun the Elk, the most powerful of them all, imprisoned Kovo and Gerathon for their crimes following the deaths of the Six, and Ninani the Swan gifted the Greencloaks with the secret to creating Nectar. She also ensured the balance of Erdas would be restored, by guaranteeing the return of the Forgotten, whose deaths were so unexpected that the world was unprepared to return them without help." He sighed softly. "The rest . . . well, the Great Beasts are a strange group. They are seldom unanimous on any issue, and their purposes are almost inscrutable. They tend to remain aloof, only getting involved during times of the direst peril."
"The Devourer didn't count as serious trouble?" Rollan scoffed, and Jacquelyn admittedly agreed with his skepticism.
"One can only speculate." The elder Greencloak replied. "Perhaps some of the Great Beasts felt it best to protect their own territory, or their talismans."
Talismans? Jacquelyn narrowed her eye.
"Each of the Great Beasts protects a unique talisman," Lenori helpfully told them. "A totem that houses great power."
"Except for Kovo, Gerathon, and the Fallen Beasts," Meilin added. "Their talismans vanished after the war. Some suspect that Tellun asked Ninani the Swan to hide them."
"Very good," Olvan praised the Zhongese girl. "You've studied your history. The events surrounding the Great Beasts are often dismissed as legend. I am glad that some in Zhong have considered those deeds worth remembering outside of children's tales."
Meilin reddened slightly. "I heard about that from my nanny, not my instructors."
He frowned, turning back to the group. "The Great Beasts have been out of sight for a long time. We honor the Fallen on our flags, we paint pictures, we build statues, we tell stories, but for most people, the Great Beasts belong to a time long past. Some doubt whether they ever even existed."
"I was one of those," Rollan said. "Until Essix came along."
"I still am one." Jacquelyn added coldly, arms crossed.
Olvan nodded, though gave the assassin a skeptical look. "You're not to be blamed. It's a prevalent opinion, shared in varying measures by the Prime Minister of Amaya, the Queen of Eura, the Emperor of Zhong, and the High Chieftain of Nilo. And yet, during the most critical crossroads in history, the Great Beasts have always played a major role. We are now rushing toward a crisis where the Great Beasts may prove more important than ever."
"You think the Devourer is back?" Meilin asked, her whole body quivering with agitation. "You think that is who attacked Zhong? Why weren't we warned?"
"We had only our suspicions," the commander said sadly. "My voice has been raised in warning to the leaders of all the nations. But I cannot force them to heed me."
"And we still don't know the whole story," Lenori explained.
The elder Greencloak nodded. "We get new information everyday. Whether we're up against the same Devourer who leveled much of Erdas long ago, or some inheritor of his legacy, we're still not sure. What is sure is this — the Devourer can raise vast, powerful armies in a short time. He can be patient and subtle, or ruthless and brash, depending on the need. He inspires manic devotion in his followers. And he would gladly destroy the civilized world to rule over its ashes."
"What do we need to do?" Conor asked.
Olvan glanced at Conor, Jacquelyn, Lucy, Meilin, and Rollan in turn. "Our spies have learned that the Devourer has once again made collecting the talismans a top priority. Each talisman has different powers that can be used by one of the Marked. Our enemy wishes to employ those powers against us. So we're going to recover the talismans before he can."
"Wait," Rollan said as the color drained from his face. "You want us to go after the talismans of the Great Beasts?"
"You won't go alone," Olvan said. "The Greencloaks have no finer warrior than Tarik. He will serve as your guide and protector, alongside Viatrix, our most skilled trainer, and one of our most strongly bonded Greencloaks. I lament that you're all so young, but your connections to the Fallen will be critical in finding and retrieving the talismans. These talismans could change the course of the war. All of Erdas needs you."
Everything about this situation seemed wrong to Jacquelyn, and she didn't know why. She wasn't scared, she'd faced death in the face hundreds of times, laughed at it when she felt like it. Perhaps it was the idea that her team consisted of two adult strangers and three children. That would prove to be a challenge.
Glancing down, she now considered Halawir. The eagle had been silent, feathers ruffled, for some time now, still loafed ridiculously. He hadn't even tried attacking her ankles, which was a shock.
"We'll do our part," Conor pledged, startling her from her thoughts, and her gaze hardened again.
"Speak for yourself," Rollan grunted, giving him a side-eye.
"I meant me and Briggan," Conor explained, flushing.
"Oh, right," the scruffy street kid turned and faced Olvan. "Well, I see why you need us. My question is what do we get out of it? Besides risking our lives to do something we're not ready for."
"As a Greencloak, this is your duty," Lenori said calmly. "Your reward would be the same as ours — the satisfaction of defending what is right, defending Erdas."
"I'm not a Greencloak," Rollan reminded them. "I may never join."
"We'll do it," Meilin said, giving Rollan a disgusted glance. "Jhi and I. This is what I hoped for — a chance to make a difference. I've seen what's coming. Zhong has the best armies in the world, and these new Conquerors are tearing us apart. We mustn't let them get more power. They must be stopped. It would be my honor to join your ranks and defend Zhong as you describe."
Jacquelyn lifted an eyebrow at the determination that came from such a young girl — only eleven years old and willing to fight, perhaps even die, for this war, for the people of her land.
She admitted, there were few people in the world she'd do the same for, but at the top of her list was the Zhongese princess herself.
Perhaps the best way to protect her girlfriend was from here, to stop a war before it could destroy lives.
"I'll humor this little expedition as well," Jacquelyn drawled. "We're all bound for death, anyway, so why not deserve it?"
Lucy smirked. "I second that."
Rollan sighed, as if knowing he was beat. "And if I don't want to become a Greencloak?"
"How selfish can you be?" Meilin seethed, stepping toward the boy. "Zhong is under attack. The rest of Erdas will be soon. What other big offers do you expect the world to give a coward during wartime?"
"I never had any offers until Essix showed up," Rollan snapped back. "The Greencloaks only cared about me once I got my bird. There's a city full of orphans just like me who Olvan was all too happy to pass by until he found Essix. Maybe I wonder why the Greencloaks only include Marked people. Maybe I wonder who put them in charge of the Great Beasts and the talismans. And maybe, unlike you, I don't love getting pushed into situations I don't understand! I want to know exactly who I'm working for and why."
"I'm not joining," Jacquelyn told him, her voice calm, her tone clipped. "As I have already stated, my loyalties are already named, and I won't add a third party to which I tether myself. This is for the greater good of Erdas, for the people who deserve to see an end to this war, not for the Greencloaks."
"Exactly," Lucy stepped forward. "We won't be taking a green cloak, but we will fight as allies. This isn't about joining another weird cult. It's about using what we have to protect those who don't have this luxury, to make the world better for everyone."
"Well, unlike your reasoning," Rollan replied tensely, "I don't want to work for anyone."
Olvan glanced at Tarik, Viatrix, and Lenori. Slowly he stood and walked to where Rollan was seated, until he stood right before him, staring down. An intimidation tactic, if Jacquelyn ever saw one, though his voice was calm when he next spoke "I can understand wanting to take your time with a decision this big. I believe that time spent among the Greencloaks will relieve your doubts as to our sincerity. We don't believe we're in charge of the Great Beasts. We do our jobs because we know that, along with the Great Beasts, we're the last line of defense."
"What about the governments?" Rollan asked. "The prime minister and all of them."
The commander made a skeptical face. "They do what they do. They administer. They make and enforce laws. They squabble about commerce and they occasionally fight with each other. It's just squabbling, human squabbling. But we were gifted to see something beyond the concerns of man. We were each gifted with a spirit animal. And so we will protect Erdas — all of Erdas — with everything we have."
Rollan compressed his lips. "I'm not crazy. I don't want Erdas to become a wasteland." His gaze flickered around. "What — what if I'm not ready to join the Greencloaks, but I'm willing to help?" He gestured to the twins. "Like them, but with the option of joining later, with the supposed intention."
"May I suggest another option for you?" Olvan said. "We frequently work with Marked individuals who don't accept our vows. We don't normally give them access to our weightiest secrets, but these circumstances are extraordinary."
"And we have 'Great Beasts'." Lucy added. "You couldn't deny us anything, anyway, since it is our destiny."
"Let me sleep on it," Rollan conceded, reaching up toward Essix.
Jacquelyn stretched out her body, stepping sideways and glancing at her sister with a tired smirk. "We're digging ourselves quite a grave, aren't we?"
Lucy snorted. "You could say that again."
