Cettia's Dawn

by Emily Wilson

  “It's a free world.” He scoots over to give them a little more room, and once they're both seated, he points out over the landscape. “You can almost see Redhaven from here. It seems like a different world, doesn't it?”

  Kato looks over at Az but immediately returns his gaze to Erante. “Yeah... do you sit out here often and think of a different world?”

  “Yes,” he says bluntly. “Isn't that why you're here? Because you dream of a different world? Or am I misunderstanding what brought you into my home?”

  “No, we do. We were hoping that you'd be better poised to help us than any of the other Regnum, since you have a unique perspective. I know I might not seem human, but I promise I am,” Az says. “At least most of the time. I grew up a human, I know how bad it is.”

  Kato listens to Azrian, once again thinking about the life he had to live before his powers manifested. It makes him as angry as it ever has, and knowing others are still suffering the same is unacceptable. He knows he should be quiet, knows Az is in a much better place to relate to someone like Erante — but it's still a struggle to bite his tongue.

  Erante seems to have relaxed. “It's getting better. There was a time when the Praediti would rather kill humans than deal with them, but something changed a couple hundred years ago. Not even our records say what, but now that we know about the Videre, I think it's that. Or something similar. Maybe Praediti figured out that some humans weren't really human after all.”

  He looks between the young men and then turns his attention back to the horizon, causing Kato to lose his internal battle. “Maybe, but how has it gotten better if so many humans still live in fear? Whether they are killed or not, they are still cast aside.”

  “It's better to be alive and afraid than dead,” Erante comments. “We can't do or change anything if we’re dead.”

  “The problem is that many people with power would rather eliminate those that differ instead of learn from them. If they can't eliminate them, they outcast them, they remind them they are above them to keep them down. It's a very effective tactic... force humans to live life in Cettia's shadow and they'll stay out of Praediti's way. Everything about this is wrong, yet the Regnum haven't taken steps to change it, even with you on their council. Why?” Kato knows it might be a little too blunt, but he wants to know exactly where Erante stands.

  For the first time, Erante smiles. “And now you've reached the true issue. They invited me here — to be the first human to be an officially ranked member of the Regnum — but then clipped my wings, if you will. They refuse to admit it’s as widespread of an issue as it is, and even if they would admit it, what would you have us do? We are only a small group compared to the population of this world, and we have very little support in the individual territories. Widespread change doesn't happen overnight. It would take generations, and even then... there's no guarantee it would change.”

  “That's—” Kato pauses to take a breath because everything about what Erante just said makes him extremely angry. “—That is unacceptable. They could have started this years ago and instead, they silenced you. It won't take generations if everyone cares the way we care. They can make laws, for Cettia's sake. Make them and then have the stones to enforce them.”

  Azrian squeezes Kato's hand. “He's not wrong, Kato. I know what we want and what this world needs — and we’re not going to give up — but getting mad at Erante isn't going to help. Let’s just... breathe.”

  “I'm glad you're so passionate about this. We're going to need that moving forward, but I think the first step is obvious. We can't enforce any laws on Praediti without first opening a prison or a place to house them unless we intend on taking ourselves down to their level.”

  “I apologize for my anger being pointed at you. It isn’t; it’s at the world as a whole. You’re right, we have to start with a prison, which we suggested months ago and will bring up again during the meeting. For now, I’m struggling to understand why it’s taken so long. Were we the first to suggest a prison?” Kato asks.

  Erante scoffs. “No. You're just the first one to make a convincing argument, apparently. I don't think the Regnum realized that the Venandi were really a threat, and now that they do, they're more willing to listen. It's bad for business if they let a group run rampant.”

  “But the Venandi are gone,” Az says quietly.

  “No. Belua, Adeinde, even Melior. They were part of something a lot larger and taking one group out doesn't do much in the overall scheme. I'd be surprised if Syphon and his goons weren't part of it,” Erante surmises.

  “Of course they are. When I was in their cells, I overheard a few familiar names.” Kato frowns and scratches his head. “I can’t remember them right now, but I know they were names I’ve heard before — wait, Pax? He’s a member of the Venandi. I only met him once and they spoke of him as if he were coming by soon.”

  Azrian’s face falls. “He kidnapped me. I’d kind of forgotten about him and Kareen, especially since Riley ended up on our side. I guess there are still more out there than we thought.”

  “Exactly.” Erante’s gaze hardens. “So, maybe with a little luck, a lot of executions and even more filled cells, we might be able to turn things around.”

  “Every fire needs a spark. We have to try.” Kato realizes how tight his grip is on Azrian’s hand and he lets go, apologizing softly.

  They fall into silence until the sun begins to set, and Erante stands. “Well, if you'd like to be that spark, now’s your chance. It's time for your first council meeting.”

  SITTING AROUND THE table with every member of the Regnum might have intimidated Kato a few months ago. But now, after so much anger at their inaction, he finds himself sitting tall and waiting for his turn to speak.

  Zinna starts by introducing the boys, even though they had already met them all, and then clasps her hands in front of her. “It isn’t often we allow outsiders inside our home.”

  “Thank you for inviting us inside. We’re grateful you allowed us to have an audience with you.” Kato isn’t sure how to start this conversation, so he does what he always does — he jumps right in. “What steps have been taken for the Praediti prison?”

  Scaevol laughs. “You realize we are only eleven people, right? The search for the Venandi and now Syphon himself have taken up all of our manpower. We can only do so much.”

  “You need to do more,” Azrian says. “You've known about this for months. Months! There's no excuse for there not being any progress yet.”

  “Is that so?” Scaevol argues. “Do you think we exist to please you, Azrian Mihr? We serve the world. We get more requests for intervention than you can possibly imagine.”

  “And what? Just ignore them all? Because I was bred right under your noses and you still doubt the horrible things Melior did at Deadrun. How long has there been a human prison?” Kato looks about the room but continues speaking before someone can answer. “You’ve had that long to make a Praediti one. This isn’t some new threat.”

  It's clear from the way that most of them drop their eyes that they're ashamed — but as far as Kato’s concerned, that's a good thing. Linaria is one of the few that refuses to look down. “You're right, Kato. You're both right. I do have one small piece of good news for you. We have begun the work, but in the interest of openness, we’ve hit a roadblock. It's incredibly difficult to Praediti-proof a cell, so there isn't much we can do until we find a way to overcome that. Otherwise, we’ll be looking at mass escapes, which will not only defeat the purpose but also endanger any guards we would place on-site.”

  “Okay. So how do we find a way? Where would we even look?” Azrian asks. “Are there forms of magic in this world beyond what the Praediti, and whatever me and Syphon are, possess?”

  “Of course there are,” Hanigen chimes in. He may not be an official member of the Regnum, but his presence here feels normal. “There are more forms of magic than any of us can comprehend.”

  The blush on Azrian’s face gives away
his embarrassment, but he doesn't lower his voice or back down. “Then all we need to do is find a form of magic that can control Praediti?”

  “Yes.”

  Kato blinks — every single member of the Regnum answered at once. “Well... do any of you know of a such magic? Hanigen?” He turns toward the more eccentric twin. “You seem to know more about magic than most.”

  “I know more about everything than most,” Hanigen says with a smirk. “That's why I'm not allowed in.”

  Neginah smacks his arm. “Hush. Yes, we know of such magic. But finding it... will be nearly impossible.”

  “Why?” Azrian asks instantly. “Why’s it so impossible? Is it hidden in the middle of the Wastes or something?”

  The silence that answers Azrian has Kato’s eyes widening. “No... of course it isn’t... right?” Panic builds in his chest as Hanigen nods, his eyes dancing with amusement.

  “Are you sure you aren’t part Oculare, Az? That was a splendid guess.”

  “So go get it. If you know where it is, go get it,” Az presses. “I don't care where it is. What do you think we’re going to do with Syphon and the others when they're caught? Ask them nicely to stop? Kill them? We need a place to put them, and if the only way to make that happen is to travel into the Wasted Waters to retrieve some ancient magic, then why don't you do it?”

  Arguments break out all around them, but Guara holds up her hand to silence them all. “I can see inside your mind, Azrian. Offer, and we will accept.”

  Azrian’s breathing quickens as he turns to Kato with wide, nervous eyes. “Jellycrai, it's the only way. They're obviously not going to go themselves, and we—”

  The pounding in his ears is loud enough that he almost misses what Azrian means. He’s about to offer to go... he’s about to send Kato back on a boat. “Wait... don’t you have people for this? Why does it fall on our shoulders?”

  Guara’s gaze locks Kato’s with hers and when the side of her lip turns up, he knows she just saw his fear. “We have two people willing to go. But a trip across the Wasted Waters is dangerous. If you two were to accompany them, you could save us all time. Time we don’t have. I see what holds you back, Kato, and I see that you will still choose to go.”

  His first instinct is to deny it — to say how wrong she is and how he isn’t traveling the faeching Wastes again. But he can’t, because Kato will always do what he has to do for the good of the world. Even if it means getting seasick. “Stone it.”

  AZRIAN SHIFTS ON HIS feet as he waits for the inevitable explosion. They'd walked out of the council meeting not five minutes ago, but Kato still hasn't said a word. “You okay?” he asks gently.

  “Hmm” is all he responds with, tugging Az along to that room they spent some quality time in the day before. Something about his demeanor tells Azrian this is a different kind of visit, but he lets him lead all the same. When they enter, Kato closes the door and then leans against it, his eyes locked on Az. “Did I actually agree to that?”

  “Yes.” Azrian sits far enough away from Kato to stay out of the inevitable blast zone, but not so far away as to offend him. “We both agreed, and now we have to leave in two days and do your least favorite thing. Would you rather I go alone? Jasestros and Tague will be decent guides, I mean... Guara said they've been there before.”

  “Alone? No. I’d rather neither of us went at all.” Kato reaches him in two strides and cups his face. “Let’s just go home. Shadows with all of them.”

  Azrian doesn't bother trying to stop his smile. “Seriously? Weren’t you the one ready to fistfight them for not doing enough? We can handle this. Jase is an experienced sailor and a powerful Undare. Tague is just as resourceful. I think it'll be okay.”

  “Stop smiling. You know it makes me soft.” Kato backs away and averts his gaze. “We should invent carriages for the sky, this is ridiculous.”

  “You could always see if an avisim will give you a ride, though I doubt you'd find one big enough,” Az jokes. “Seriously, Jellycrai. I think we have to do this. Now that you have more of a grip on your Sana abilities, maybe it won't be so bad?”

  For the first time that day, Kato’s eyes sparkle with hope. “Yeah... I’ll just heal myself and not puke. Good idea. Okay, so what about the damn sea dragon?”

  The existence of said sea dragon had entirely slipped Azrian’s mind, and the reminder of it is unwelcome to say the least. “Well, there's not much we can do about it except hope we don't run into it. We’ll be okay.” He stands then and climbs up onto the couch to kiss him, then laughs as he jumps back down. “You can't hide from me when we’re the same height.”

  It definitely helps lift the tone, and Kato’s grabbing him from behind and tossing him on the couch within seconds. “I’ll never hide from you.”

  “Is that so?” Azrian asks before kissing him again. “Then let me apologize properly for the fact that you have to go on a boat, then we’ll go exploring again. Okay?”

  “Mmhm...” Kato pulls his bottom lip between his teeth to bite back his grin. “You know I love it when you apologize.”

  Luckily for both of them, Azrian enjoys it too.

  “OH, DON'T BE A BABY. Just come on,” Az says as he tries to push Teagon through the extremely narrow corridor. “We haven't been over here yet and Kato and I only have today and tomorrow to explore. I can't believe you got stuck.”

  Teagon grunts and elbows him, but not hard enough to hurt. “Must be nice to be so tiny. Just give me a second.”

  Aleon shoves at his brother’s broad shoulders to help him squeeze through and his other giant brother is panting behind him. “This is what happens when you hang out with giants, Az. They don’t do well in tight spaces.”

  Kato chuckles and pushes him from behind. “I like tight spaces, just not ones like these.”

  “For the love of Cettia, Kato!” Az whines. “Can you not say things like that when we’re stuck like this?” He feels his entire body heat up and decides enough is enough — he calls his Videre light to his fingers and blasts some of the rock, which allows Teagon space to squeak through.

  The air comes easier to his lungs when they're finally in the open again, but Azrian starts to think the warmth he felt wasn't from embarrassment at all. The orange glow they'd seen off and on is much brighter here — much brighter, and much hotter.

  What Kato does next is highly inappropriate, but Az slaps his hand away and wipes some sweat from his brow. This isn’t the time to play around.

  “Shadows... it’s hot in here,” Kato complains, brushing back the hair matted to his forehead.

  A high-pitched scream grabs their attention and Aleon takes off at a run before anyone else can even register where the sound came from. Az follows quickly, ignoring the way the superheated air is making it hard to breathe — but just like that, the orange light fades entirely, and he sucks in air as easily as he would outside. “What was that?” he asks through quick breaths. “Who would be back here?”

  Teagon’s eyes dance as he doubles back to where Azrian and Kato had stopped. Whatever he’d seen up around the bend must have been interesting, though he doesn’t bother elaborating; he grabs them both by the backs of their necks and hauls them forward.

  Kato shoves his way out of his brother’s grasp, but just as he’s about to incite a wrestling match, they stop and stare at the scene in front of them.

  Riley is standing a few feet away, holding out her hands and looking slightly irritated by the interruption. “You guys just going to gawk all day?”

  “That’s—” Azrian loses all ability to speak as he takes in the dragon towering over him. Bigger than anything he's ever imagined, the beast is at least ten times Kato’s height and five times as dangerous.

  “A dragon, yes,” Riley says with an exasperated sigh. “She doesn't like strangers, you guys had better clear off.”

  A burst of hot smoke temporarily blinds them all. “I can speak for myself, you know,” a deep voice says. “But I must admit, you're right. I
don't like strangerrssss.”

  The word is as long and drawn out as Azrian’s own sluggish thoughts. He barely registers Riley’s yelled warning to get behind a boulder before the dragon roars and erupts in fire — not just from its mouth, but from everywhere.

  “Shadows... we’re going to burn to death down here,” Kato squeaks out, his eyes wide with fear. “I’m not used to things being taller than me.”

  “Don't be such a baby,” the dragon hisses. “I'm not going to kill you. I'm not allowed.”

  Riley barks a laugh and walks around the boulder they used to seek shelter. “This isn't how I planned on any of you meeting Cindreg, but here we are. Come on out. She wasn't kidding; she's not allowed to eat you.”

  Azrian doesn't think that sounds as reassuring as Riley seems to, but he trusts her more than most. “Riley, I swear to Cettia...”

  “What? If she ate you it’d be over in two seconds. Your threat isn’t necessary.” Riley chuckles as they walk back around to face the dragon.

  Kato stands between the dragon and Azrian even though they both know it won’t do any good. “I’m not a baby. Just not in the mood to die, Cindreg.”

  The gray and black scales on Cindreg’s body look nearly iridescent in Azrian’s Videre light. He swears he catches glimpses of red, orange, green — almost every color he's ever seen.

  “Are you ever in the mood to die, Kato? Or should I call you K8.0? Have you forgotten your own name? I have.”

  Kato still seems taken aback by the use of his old name. He definitely hasn’t forgotten it, but it’s obvious he wishes he could. With a dramatic swoon, the dragon’s mighty neck sweeps past them all and Azrian falls backward while trying to steer clear. He's back on his feet in seconds and relaxing a little — it seems like Cindreg is more than she appears. “How old are you?”

  Cindreg chuckles at that question, blinking her blazing red eyes at him a moment before responding. “Older than your tiny brain can fathom.”