Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) (5 page)

“Was there a plan in the works though?”

“Hardly. Sure, the usual complaining and zealous talk, but no actual strategy in place. No committees or order. We all know we were no match for the King and his elite guard. Funny enough though, we’re the only ones to survive the conflict with you and your Sages. All because we’re too common to participate. I don’t think the King expected even half of his warriors to be killed by your friend.”

“She was one of our best,” Catherine sighed. “She gave it her all to save our lives.”

“And yet she wasn’t the one to strike down the King, was she?” Nadia looked to her curiously. “I heard it was one of the males.”

“Yes,” Catherine said, studying the Quietus. “It was James.”

“James is a Sage?”

“He is. He’s been with us since we left Allay.”

“It’s nice to hear that my son became something in my absence…tell me, is he really that strong? To defeat the King?”

“I’m not sure,” Catherine said, glancing at the boy on her shoulder. “He caught the King off guard with his power. Which brings up a question I have for you. You’re Quietus, and James’ father is Allayan. I don’t care to know the particulars of how that union came together, but I would like to ask how that affects James. He in fact, has two eidolons. One that declares his Allayan side, and one for his Quietus. How is that possible?”

“Is it that hard to understand? His heritage is of both.”

“No, I mean…the way they act, it’s as if he has two distinct souls, which is impossible.”

“I don’t know enough about how your stone works to give you a proper answer. All I know is that he’s my son, and that makes him half-Quietus. Does that bother you, Princess? Knowing your warrior is not just from your Kingdom?”

“Would I be following you to the heart of your village if it did?” Catherine said, looking into her eyes steadily. The Quietus smiled.

“I like you,” Nadia replied, chuckling again. “If only your Sages were as amicable.”

“Are we almost there?” Catherine said, clearing her throat. Nadia continued to look towards her as they continued running.

“In fact we are,” she replied, refusing to avert her gaze. She suddenly fell from the rooftop as if a hole had opened up underneath her. Catherine skidded to a stop and looked around for her escort until she saw Nadia’s hand peeking out from a hole in the blanket of roofs, waving her to the proper destination. Catherine jumped down into the hole and tried not to stumble into a rotting wood shelf that kept Nadia’s pots and plates neat and tidy.

Catherine grunted as she kept still, trying to take in the 20x20 foot space, cluttered with two
twin beds, shelves filled with dishes and makeshift wooden ornaments, cracked jugs of clay and a curtain that led to the one-way dirt road. Nadia pointed to the bed signaling where James was to lay. Catherine obeyed and placed him gently on the dirty sheets, then watched as Nadia pulled a blanket from underneath the bed over him, tucking him in meticulously. Nadia stood up and motioned for Catherine to follow her outside to the road.

“James will be fine,” Nadia said, seeing the worry in the Princess’ face. “And
we’ll be right outside. The path is the most spacious area we have for this kind of thing.”

“What thing?” Catherine asked as they stepped out onto the road, which had now stopped winding and became a long stretch for nearly half a mile before it resumed its normal shape
, taking on another set of huts in the distance.

“Interrogation,” Nadia said in a serious tone. “My men saw me running across the roofs so they’ll know I’ve arrived. Look, out there in the distance.”

Nadia pointed down the road and Catherine squinted to see the outline of three figures coming towards them. One was much shorter than the two of them, and…no…it wasn’t that he was short…he was actually bound to a chair and the other two were carrying him forward. Was this the true enemy Nadia spoke of?

Before she could even see his face she could sense the danger emanating from him. As if he was the one who had taken them all hostage and not the other way around. She immediately realized that he could break from his bonds at any second, and that knowledge scared her more than anything they’ve fac
ed so far. What kind of a man just let himself get captured by Quietus?  And who was so strong that their scythes couldn’t penetrate?

“I’ll understand if you activate your stone,” Nadia leaned to whisper to her. “And I hope you don’t mind if I transform a little. I don’t feel comfortable around this…monster.”

“Don’t mind at all,” Catherine shuddered as the white hot symbols began erupting from her skin, her electric purple aura flaring up and lifting her hair towards the dome ceiling.

When the captured man came into view, he looked nothing like she expected. He was wearing baby blue colored pants that were far too baggy, and a black suit jacket that covered up a plain white t-shirt underneath. His feet were hideously large and splashed in puke green
slippers. His hair was straight and combed on the left but wild and dirty on the right, dyed a myriad of colors and hues. His eyes were normal at least, and were actually quite attractive, giving off a gorgeous hazel. But his smile…his smile was abnormally large, as if the ends of his mouth could stretch to the back of his neck if he desired. His teeth were unbelievably perfect in structure and color, and he wasn’t shy about showing them off to the world.

“AH, NADIA!” he called out as soon as he saw her. “I was wondering when we would see each other again. I was beginning to think something horrible happened to you.”

“How does he know my name?” Nadia demanded to the Quietus on the left. Both were in full Quietus form but still Catherine could see the fear in their eyes. Nadia was undoubtedly their leader.

“Don’t scold,” the bound man replied. “They haven’t said a word. I just know these things.”

“Is that so, Monster?” Nadia said, scowling down at him as they men stopped walking. They now stood only a few feet from their leader and Catherine.

“Now, now,” he smiled. “Shouldn’t you be a little kinder to your captive? I mean, he might just start to feel unwanted, and when people feel unwanted…they do things to get attention.”

“Let’s stop the games. I know full well you can break out of those ropes whenever you please.”

“Then why the pretense? Why can’t we just go inside your lovely crawlspace and have some tea?”

“I have questions.”

“And there are answers. Doesn’t mean they are the right ones. Doesn’t mean they are the ones you want to hear. Seriously,
how do I even know if you have the right questions?”

“Where did you come from?”

“You already asked that one. This is boring.”

“You haven’t given me a straight answer yet.”

“Because I see no reason to. Now, if you had the power…like say, your new friend here.”

The man turned his gaze to Catherine and smiled wider. Catherine reeled her head back in di
sgust but maintained her gaze.

“My name
is Jester,” the man replied. “And you must be Catherine. I’ve heard a lot about you. Tell me, what are you doing here in the middle of the Quietus village? Didn’t they slaughter your people? Rip their stomachs open, take the guts and –“

“SHUT UP!” Catherine shouted in his face. Jester didn’t budge.

“You’re cute when you’re angry. Can you make that face again?”

“Who are you?” Catherine shouted, pointing a finger at him. “Tell me or I will use my power.”

“Threatening is not your strong suit,” he laughed. “You should leave that to your Sages. They’re much better at this than you are. I mean, just look at what they did to Languor. They were a thriving, successful Kingdom that left yours alone even though you took their people on a regular basis for your sick games. And then you have to go and murder their King and Queen in cold blood! Really, you should be the one bound to this chair!”

“You’re lying,” Catherine stammered, her heart pounding.

“Oh, I always tell the truth. You’re the one fibbing right now. Don’t start blubbering and act like you didn’t know. Deep down, you knew. You knew what your mentors did. You know who the real monsters are. You Allayans. Taking the stones of each Kingdom for yourself while you say it’s all to remove an ether from the sky. What a joke. Even I don’t think that one’s funny. Tell me a different story.”

“You are a monster,” Catherine said low as she took a step back.

“Looking in the reflection of my eyes, Princess?” Jester laughed. “Oh man! This is great guys!” He looked from the Quietus on his left to the one on his right. “I didn’t know you were going to surprise me with games! I thought it was going to be all ripping limbs off and torture! Oh, you two!”

“
Is this true?” Nadia turned to Catherine. “Are you collecting the stones of each Kingdom?”

“It’s not for ourselves,” Catherine said quickly, sensing a number of Quietus creeping towards her from the rooftops. “We need them all to stop the ether that’s covered our Kingdoms. This ether prevents our souls from reaching Paradise.”

“That sounds ridiculous.”

“It’s true,” Catherine said nervously, sending out a pulse to know how many Quietus were in her vicinity. “My intentions are pure.”

“Perhaps yours are,” Nadia said. “But what of your Sages? It sounds like the perfect plan to me. Let them do all the dirty work so you can remain clean. You can throw up your polished hands in the air towards each of the Kingdoms and say you had no part. Try to keep them at bay while you master their stones in private.”

“Listen, Nadia. He’s trying to turn you against me. One of my Sages already has the Quietus stone so w
hat reason would I have to go into your village? With the Allayan stone I could have easily escaped you and the forest. But I didn’t. Because at some point we really do have to stop killing one another and focus on what you’ve said: the true enemy. He’s right here before us. You can sense his power, and yet somehow, I’m the one being questioned.”

“Did you know about the Langoran King and Queen? Their deaths?”

“I…suspected,” Catherine sighed. “But I didn’t want to believe it…my Sages…they’re all my friends and mentors…it’s hard to think of them in a negative light. But whatever damage they’ve done for the good of this mission, I will make it right. I promise that.”

“The murderer’s good,” Jester chuckled. Catherine faced him once more.

“The Quietus have always been an enemy to me,” Catherine declared loudly. “But not anymore. Against my better judgment, I trusted one, and now we’re in a position that no one could see coming. An Allayan and a Quietus, working together. This terrifies you, doesn’t it? That’s the reason you’re trying to poison us with your words.”

“You don’t scare me at all,” Jester said smu
gly, smiling wide as he squint his eyes. “And neither would an alliance of such weak individuals.”

“Would you call this weak?” Catherine said as she let the stone’s e
nergy surge into her fist. Jester was not fazed.

“I know you won’t hit me,” he said, eyeing her fist. “Not someone who’s defenseless. But, if you happen to surprise me and decide to go through wit
h it…” His eyes narrowed. “I’ll kill you, James, and every Quietus in this Kingdom within the next fifteen minutes.”

Catherine’s eyes wide
ned as she felt an alarm go off throughout her body. When he said those words, she immediately believed him, and suddenly she felt weak – as if the stone’s power at maximum wasn’t enough to take him down. Nadia felt it too, and she hugged herself in response, rubbing her shoulders absent-mindedly.

“Ah, t
here we are,” Jester said, leaning back in his chair. “All is as it should be. The fear is back in you all. Now, since you’re all humbled, I’ll give you a little snack for being such good little kiddies. You were right in your suspicions. I am from Zen-echelon. I serve a master so powerful, it would make me a dust mite by comparison, and as for what I’m doing here in Quietus…well…” Jester paused and smiled warmly at Catherine. “I aim to rip the stone of Allay from your chest and watch you choke on your own rich, royal blood.”

Arimus’ eyes snapped open to see a familiar ceiling above him
but he gave it no further attention. Moving his fingers gently he could feel the soft cotton bed sheets underneath him and he grunted in frustration. This was not the familiar grass he last felt as he lay dying next to the Quietus forest…