Mara went down the ladder, entering a small room containing a single chest. She approached the chest and opened it. Inside was two books. One was a journal while the other was filled with notes and diagrams. The diagrams were of each and every weapon her father forged; Dad made these in case he needed to recreate the weapon or pass the knowledge onto a successor. There was also another box inside, wrapped in fancy paper and a bow. Holding the glowing flask to her face, she first read the journal.
“I went to see the shaman today,” Mara read out loud. “She told me about my future. I will marry a woman from beyond Andel’s gates and conceive a daughter. The daughter will bring the downfall of the false goddess. The goddess will seek the child’s death.”
She stared at the entry. It seemed there was some prophecy telling of Kallisto’s defeat. She read more of his journal.
“I left Andel behind. It was the only way to protect everyone and the child.”
The words written by her father made her more curious. Mara was surprised to learn he left his home village in order to protect her. It might explain why Dad hardly talked about Andel. As she continued to read, an entry caught her eye.
“Daniella took Mara to a doctor, but her condition grows worse. I returned to the village to see Alkina. She claimed it was the work of the false goddess. The vile witch is casting a spell on Mara to kill her, making it look like an illness. The shaman gave me a moonstone necklace and instructed me to put it on my daughter.” Mara reached for her necklace. “Alkina has decided it was time to give her the strength to fight the goddess. The Melding Ceremony must begin, like in the old tales of Thoron Witches. Mara is to be fed the blood of a shadow beast, the dark hunter. Alkina will perform the ceremony. I’ll have Daniella think I invited a healer from my home village. Daniella is not to know the truth.”
This explained the terrible illness, the strange ritual, and all the things that happened afterwards. At first, it astounded Mara to know her illness was caused by Kallisto. Then again, she knew the lengths the so-called goddess would go to.
She then thought about the ritual. It happened after her recovery from the illness. Though she never knew what the ritual was or what it did to her. According to the journal, she was some witch. Both Lady Lorelei and Morgan had mentioned the Thoron Witches. This Melding Ceremony somehow gave her the power of a shadow beast.
While it was great she had this power, Mara couldn’t help but feel she got more than just the abilities. Her mind went back to the bouts of rage she sometimes experienced, or the moments of joy after a successful hunt. It was probably why Dad took her out hunting—to vent her aggression onto some beast. When the anger subsided, she came home with a strange calmness. Mom was often disturbed whenever her daughter came home stained in blood and not caring what anyone thought.
After closing the journal, Mara turned her attention to the box. It was very ornate and fancy, like a gift. Gold ribbons held it together. A card was attached. Taking the card, Mara opened it and began to read.
“Happy Birthday…”
Mara’s eyes widened. It was a birthday card addressed to her. December 21 was the day of her birthday, which was tomorrow. Recalling the last time she celebrated her birthday, Mara realized there was no celebration for her twenty-fifth because of the wedding that never happened. Looking at the card, it appeared to be written by Dad alone.
“I hope you like it,” Mara read, then went silent.
The rest was a final plea. Mara knew Dad hated Karl, but never expected him to write his true feelings in the card. He hoped she would say no at the altar, and this gift would remind her of their bond. To remind Mara of everything she worked for, and how she was turning her back on it. All the days they spent training, him offering her an opportunity to take over his business, and the hopes she would continue his legacy. Dad wanted to give her a chance to turn back, becoming what she was meant to be. He knew of her fate; all the things they did together was to prepare for the day she would defeat Kallisto. She stared at the card before turning her attention to the box. Whatever was inside, she suspected her father had planned on giving this to her either before or during the wedding, but never had the chance.
Mara grabbed the box and opened it. Inside was a beautiful curved sword. The hilt and guard were made with a golden alloy. The pommel was made of three rings of gold with a hollow opening. Two ribbons of intertwining gold metal formed the knuckle bow. The black leather grip was bound by a thin gold wire.
An image of a bird was chiselled on the guard. The black sheath was decorated with pieces of light gold. Unsheathing the sword revealed a long cutlass of gold and silver gleaming in the light of the lantern. The sharp edge was coloured in silver hues. The flat edge—from the central ridge to the spine—was dark gold. The dark golden edge was decorated with lighter gold etchings.
The quality and craftsmanship were like nothing she had seen before in her father’s work, though she doubted it was made with real gold and pure silver. She sometimes watched Dad at his forge. He used a solution to create the gold colour. The blade was likely made from steel and carbon with a little bit of silver. A name was inscribed on the guard: Nightingale.
Nevertheless, it was remarkable. This was a gift from the father to the daughter. Holding the grip, she promised to make good use of this weapon. She would not let Dad down. The huntress sheathed Nightingale, then strapped it to her belt. Taking Dad’s journal and the diagram book, she left the Ashwood Workshop.
The sun was rising as Mara emerged. Ignoring the charred corpses of the bandits, she returned to whence she came. After leaving the forest, she stopped and watched the sunrise. The clouds in the sky appeared to be on fire. The horizon had an orange glow as the sun rose to the sky. She once stood here with her father during their days of training. They used to watch the sun rise together. Now she stood alone. Mara held onto the last vestiges of her father’s possessions, trying hard not to cry. She missed her father and never got to say goodbye.
Knowing she couldn’t stay long, Mara returned to Mirahyll.
Chapter Thirteen
Secrets Unveiled
Mara returned to the Moen Residence. The others had to be awake by now. As she entered the home, the younger twin greeted her with confusion.
“Where did you go? Where did you get this stuff from?” James asked, eyeing all of her possessions.
She gazed back at him. “I got these from Dad’s workshop.”
He was mystified. “It’s still around?”
“Yes, but this was the last weapon.” Mara gestured to Nightingale strapped to her belt. “The workshop was stripped bare by thieves.”
“I’m sorry,” James murmured.
“Don’t be,” she said. “It was abandoned for a long time with no one to watch the place.” Mara gazed down at the books in her hands. “At least I got these and his final gift. Not all of his work has been lost.”
“Well, I suppose we should go to the Council Hall,” he suggested.
She nodded in agreement. After putting the book and the journal away, the three left for the Council Hall.
***
They encountered Talon along the way. The old blacksmith spotted Mara, but his eyes were soon drawn to her new weapon.
“Hey,” he greeted, gawking at Nightingale. “Where did you get that sword?”
She gave an odd expression, then looked at her blade. “This was a gift from my father,” she replied, gazing back at Talon.
The old blacksmith kept staring at the sword, like a lecherous man would ogle a beautiful woman. She also noticed Edwin opening his workshop for the day. They walked by the building to get to the Council Hall. He turned his head to scowl at her, but dropped his facial expression as soon as he saw the sword. Even the miserable old fart was gawking at Nightingale as well.
“Really?” Talon seemed curious by her answer. “Who is your father?”
Mara took her eyes off Edwin and addressed Talon. “Mathias Ashwood, but he went by the name, Bear.”
“You realize I had amnesia, right?” Mara asked.
“Well, I knew that! Still…” Talon paused as a thought crossed his mind. “The Ashwood Workshop—is that where you got it?”
“Yes,” she answered, “but the place was robbed. Found three bandits last night. Killed them before they could get away with anything. Only Nightingale remained.”
The slamming of a door drew her attention to Edwin again, but the other blacksmith was nowhere to be seen. He rushed inside, yet no one else seemed to notice. She looked at the workshop with suspicion.
“Very sorry,” Talon said. “If you don’t mind, can you please tell me where the workshop is? I want to see if I can absorb some of the inspiration behind the Ashwood Weapons. It could help revitalize my business.”
She turned to him and shrugged. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tell you. It is north of Mirahyll, at the foot of Ghost Mountain. Keep in mind it was once my family home. I might move in.”
“Okay. I need to run a few more errands, but I’ll be sure to come by and take a look around,” Talon said. “I’m almost done setting up the new workshop, though it’s eerie being next to an abandoned village.”
“After dealing with the Marionette, I’m sure Haranta will be inhabited,” Mara said. “There should be no reason why people wouldn’t want to return.”
“Very well. I’ll see you later then.” With that, Talon walked away.
Mara rejoined James and Aspen. They went to the Council Hall.
***
As the three reached their destination, Mara noticed several people on the higher levels looking down at them. Ten guardsmen surrounded her and her friends. Chancellor Davis stood before a podium. Even Evan, the interim chancellor of Hema, was here. He stood at the side with some of Hema’s knights as he watched her. Mara didn’t expect to see Lady Isabella’s former steward. Evan hadn’t changed much from the last time she saw him. He still wore his ensemble of red, black, and gold. His blue eyes, blonde hair, and pale skin remained drained of colour. Also before Mara were at least two Holy Blades and a middle-aged man wearing gold and ivory robes. He was a priest of Kallikratés.
“Welcome, Miss Ashwood,” Davis greeted. He gestured to the priest. “I don’t know if you’re acquainted, but this is Father Petyr Vernon. He runs the Grand Cathedral in Mirahyll.”
The name rang a bell. She saw the priest turn around, giving a dismissive look. Mara recognized the overweight man by his greying hair and blue eyes. He was the one who spread those lies about Amara. Mara took a deep breath and stepped forward.
“Yes, I’ve met him after rescuing Commander White from Anna,” Mara said. She kept her eyes on the priest. “Dr. Allen Moen helped me, yet the Faith executed him.”
Some of the crowd murmured to each other, expressing surprise to hear about the good doctor’s passing. Father Vernon, however, kept his dismissive look. He showed no remorse for what happened to her friend.
“How nice of you to show up,” Father Vernon said coldly. The priest glanced to his Holy Blades. “Arrest the Cursed Herald.”
Mara looked daggers at him. The Holy Blades approached her with their swords drawn. She was about to unsheathe her new blade. However, two guardsmen stood between them. They drew their weapons as they stared at the members of the Faith. The Holy Blades and Father Vernon appeared stunned by their actions. Looking around, Mara noticed the other eight guardsmen approaching the priest and the Holy Blades. She was astonished by the outcome.
Father Vernon looked unpleased. He scowled at the chancellor. “What is the meaning of this? You told me she would be here!”
“Yes,” Davis spoke, “but I didn’t invite Miss Ashwood to be arrested. She’s to be rewarded and thanked for her role in the rescue last night.”
Two men appeared with five bags of gold. When they handed her the bags, she found them to be quite heavy.
“How much is this?” Mara questioned. Never in her life had she ever received a bag this heavy, let alone five bags weighing around the same.
“Each bag is worth two thousand gold, Miss Ashwood,” the chancellor replied. “Just don’t spend it all at once.”
Mara and James were stunned. She knew there was a monetary reward, yet never thought it would be worth this much.
“Chancellor Davis! With all due respect, not only are you paying money to an enemy of the Faith, but you are letting her go?” Father Vernon demanded. “This doesn’t bode well for you or the city.”
Terra’s chancellor turned to the priest. “You’re mistaken if you think I’d let her go now. She’s important to a case,” Davis explained, “which is the real reason why I called you here.”
“What do you mean?” Vernon asked in a cold tone.
Evan took a step forward. “We’ve discovered some disturbing allegations about Kallikratés.” He glanced to Davis. “The Chancellor of Terra has called for an emergency meeting.”
Davis nodded. “I sent some guardsmen to Hemal, and invited Evan to this meeting. He rode over night.” Then he addressed the priest. “Care to explain the Faith’s recent actions?”
The priest appeared surprised, but kept his composure. “I’ve no idea what you are talking about.”
Aspen stepped forward. “They were talking about the unnecessary brutality the Faith demonstrated across Ardana.” She looked at the chancellor. “Kallikratés arrested and killed several innocents in search for the so-called Cursed Herald.” She looked back at the priest and removed her visor. Father Vernon and the Holy Blades expressed apprehension upon seeing her inhuman visage. “In which you failed to achieve,” she finished.
The crowd began to shout and yell at the priest and the Holy Blades.
A middle class man aimed his anger at the priest. “You bastards killed my daughter!”
Many of the people present were families and friends of the victims. Even some of the rescued women were there.
“We committed no crime, yet we were either arrested or slain!”
The growing anger aimed at the members of the Faith was obvious. Mara knew Kallikratés was losing power, and this moment made it more evident. Folding her arms, she approached the priest. Father Vernon took notice and glared at her.
“Stay away from me, vile woman!” Vernon hissed.
She raised an eyebrow. “I’m vile?” Mara asked. “At least I didn’t sell forty women to a group of bandits.”
The priest looked shocked while the Holy Blades frowned at her.
“What? Kallikratés would never do such a thing. You’re lying!”
“I’d be careful with my words if I were you.” The chancellor raised two pieces of paper. “We have evidence of Kallikratés selling the arrested to Theo Blackthorn’s guild.” He held the letters before the priest. “Take a look. Do you recognize your writing on both of these letters?”
Father Vernon frowned as he came closer and studied the letters. Mara was astounded. At first, she thought this meeting was a trap set for her, but it was really meant for the priest. Looking at the letters, she recognized one of them.
“I found this one on the large brute last night,” Mara said, pointing to the letter. “According to this, Kallikratés hired the Blackthorns to terrorize the people of Ardana over five years ago. I assume you did it to get people to pay for an expensive escort service, and some of the profits went to them.”
The priest glared at Mara. “That is untrue.”
“Both letters were written by you. And this one has the official seal of Kallikratés,” Davis said, taking the letters away. He looked down at the two pieces of paper. “At first, I didn’t notice the similar writing.” He glanced at Mara. “After she rescued those women, I began to notice.”
Mara gazed at the chancellor. “I think he set us up to destroy the Blackthorn Guild. They were a major liability since they knew what Kallik
ratés was truly like. It wouldn’t be the first time the Faith used others to achieve their goals.” She frowned at the priest. “Unfortunately, Theo wasn’t present, just his lackeys.”
The crowd was surprised by the revelation. Their blood began to boil. They yelled and screamed again, demanding the arrest of the priest and his men. Father Vernon trembled, his hand tightened into a fist as he clenched his teeth.
“Lies!” Father Vernon shouted. Everyone grew silent. He made one more attempt to save his hide. “I didn’t write that letter. It was fabricated!”
The chancellor sighed. They weren’t getting a confession despite all the evidence. His eyes drifted onto Aspen, giving him an idea. The Watcher sensed his gaze, then turned to look at him. They stared at each other. While it was true the two never saw eye to eye, something in Davis began to change. In this situation, the Watcher’s powers could prove invaluable.
“Watcher,” Davis addressed her. “Has Father Vernon been truthful?”
The Watcher’s eyes began to glow. She gazed at Father Vernon. The priest froze, then his expression turned to horror upon seeing the extra eyes open on her face.
“He is lying,” she replied. “The Blackthorn Guild was hired by Kallikratés to terrorize the people of Ardana. Then the Black Smoke appeared and slaughtered members of the guild. Theo threatened to expose the Faith if the vigilante wasn’t dealt with, and were paid for keeping silent. The Faith complied. Those women were sold because Kallikratés was no longer able to afford their silence.”
Everyone gawked at Aspen except for Mara and James. The priest clenched his teeth. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out a dagger while glaring at Aspen.
“How dare you speak blasphemy, devil woman!” He dashed at her with the dagger poised to strike. “In the name of Kallisto, die!”
All of a sudden, Mara teleported in front of Aspen and stopped the priest from attacking. She grabbed his wrist and held it tight. The crowd gasped. Everyone saw the wisps of black smoke form around her as she reappeared. The huntress saw the dagger, noting the familiar green blade. She had seen this before upon discovering the sealed undying. Mara turned her glare onto him while her grip tightened. The sounds of bones cracking could be heard. The priest cried out in pain as he dropped the dagger.
The Cursed Herald Page 14
