by RG Long
“I wept for a month,” she said through a stifled sob. She was hurt by his words. They stung like a hot poker. “I wanted nothing more than for my brother to return to me. The crew was lost. The rebellion was over. There were other things to worry about. But yes, I longed for you to return home safe and well. All we ever knew is that your ship was besieged and destroyed by a dragon.”
She wiped the tears from her eyes with end of her sleeve as she spoke to him.
“And you were lost at sea. We desired nothing but to have you come home! I desired it. I thought I had you back when you came here. But you’re here with only scant memories of our past. Of what we accomplished together...”
There was a moment of silence as he took a deep breath. He looked at her, searching her eyes. She returned his gaze.
She had lost so much the day he had disappeared.
“I hoped for a better future for our country, yes. But more than anything I wanted my brother back.”
Ealrin shook his head.
“How can I trust you,” he said as he looked down at the floor, tearing his eyes away from hers.
“I’m your sister,” Elise said.
She waited for him to look up. Waited to meet the blue eyes she knew belonged to her brother. She loved him. They had worked together for this. They had wanted the same thing. The same future and the same hope.
“I’m your sister,” she repeated. “That was enough for you once.”
Ealrin didn’t speak.
Tucker cleared his throat and spoke as the tense moment grew longer.
“And the need for rebellion has been taken away as well. So far as we know.”
Elise continue to stare hard at Ealrin. She was just about to open her mouth when she heard something that both she and Tucker and Ealrin at one point had feared ever since they had used the space for her secret hideout.
Footsteps.
44: Doubts
Ealrin heard the echoes in the hallway and knew that Tucker and Elise had heard them too. As they had been talking, the sound of feet marching down the hall had crept up on them.
It was not something the two of them were expecting by the expression on their faces.
“Who’s left?” Elise asked Tucker.
“Emmeric and Jaxon,” he said quickly. “Jill and Bridget as well. Those are the only ones who kept any type of contact. That doesn’t sound like any of their walks. That sounds like soldiers.”
“No one else knows about this place,” Elise said quietly. “Tucker if someone has found out this spot...” she said without ending her sentence.
Tucker nodded. Ealrin looked around the room. There were papers hanging on the walls outlining plans. Maps that had x’s over parts of the three towers of Rerial. And one large piece of cloth that read “The New Rerial Rises” with a likeness of someone Ealrin assumed to be Sollinad, the man who would have risen to power with the rebellion.
“Were as good as goners,” he said.
He lifted up his apron just enough to remove a dagger that he had strapped around his thigh.
“There might not be need of that, Elise said. “I am still the daughter of the Commodore after all.”
Ealrin looked at her. Was she planning to have a rebellion as well as use her station to get out of this predicament?
“I don’t think you can talk your way out of this one, girl,” Tucker said, taking the knife out anyways.
“There’s not another way out of here?” Ealrin asked. Of all the secret places he had been to, there has always been in an escape route that was off the beaten path.
“There was never a need,” Tucker said. “Only a select few people knew about this location, even those in the rebellion.”
The footsteps were closer now, nearly at the door. All of a sudden, Ealrin began to fear for himself as well. What if his name was written somewhere on these papers? What if he was implicated in all of this? He had only just returned. Could his memory loss save him from something he barely remembered being a part of?
Tucker and Elise had nearly guided Rerial into a rebellion. What if he was accused of being sympathetic to them as well? He’d saved the life of the king just two days ago. Would that be enough to absolve him of wrong doing?
And if it did, what would happen to his sister?
The door burst open as two guards dressed in the black and red of Rerial came in with swords drawn.
They crammed into a small space. Ealrin tried to reach for Edgar at his side but the blade turned icy cold at his grasp. He reached his hand back from it.
“No,” the blade whispered.
“That’s right,” one guard said as he pointed his sword tip at Ealrin’s chest. “You tell them all now. Looks like we may have found the hide out of some assassins.”
“I know them, Freddy. These are the Commodores kids,” one of the guards said. “Surely...”
“Polk was very clear,” the guard replied. “It could be anyone. Straight to the king with you!”
The three of them were marched out from their hiding place and down the hall. Guards were searching every room with reckless abandon. Barrels and crates were being tossed out into the greater hall, nearly tripping Ealrin and the others. They were almost dragged up the stairs and back through Tucker’s inn. The Blackthorn bodies had been removed, though their blood still stained the floor.
The two Skrilx who had accompanied them stood side-by-side at the entrance as they were marched up and through the alley and backway until they heard the sound of an airship floating just above.
Ropes fell down from the sky and speakers slid down with them. In moments, Ealrin felt his wrists cuffed and his body lifted off the ground and attached to the ropes. He, Elise, and Tucker all floated up at the same as they were put aboard the small military craft.
The guards all looked apprehensive as they flew towards the Royal Tower. Elise and Tucker did not say a word. Ealrin didn’t know what he should do, so he kept his tongue in his mouth.
Elise had said that the rebellion had died away with the loss of his airship. Had whispers of it remained? Tucker said there were four left. Had they been as tight lipped as Elise? Or as Tucker?
Ealrin did not have long to ponder as the airship landed at the portal that would lead them to the king.
Ealrin had walked this hall so recently that it’s grandeur still amazed him.
But this time, instead of pride, he walked with guilt. He had been a part of the rebellion. They were trying to overthrow the king. The one who was the father to the man he had saved just two days ago. King Belfast seemed like an honorable man. Was his father someone worth overthrowing? Then there was his father.
Would he have really rebelled against him with his sister? Would that have been the right thing to do for Rerial? Would it have been the right thing to do at all?
His mind spun in circles as they were presented to Commander Polk.
He shook his head at them as they move forward.
“I told the king the attempt on his life was coming from somewhere close by,” he said. “Elise and Ealrin. I never would have guessed such treachery from either of you. The king will be devastated. As will your father. Well. He’ll be glad he’s listened to me now.”
“You’ve always been paranoid,” Elise said. “It’s not your strong point to find darkness in shadows.”
“The king’s life was under threat,” Commander Polk said. “And you have provided me with the who was behind the threats.”
He moved his hands to show two cots made out on the other side of the hall. The Blackthorn gang members were laid out there.
“These two men were founded dead at the base of the stairwell that led me to your secret hideout. I wonder what they were after? Perhaps it was a deal that have gone poorly with the rebels against the crown?”
“Or perhaps a notorious gang was trying to kill the son and daughter of the commodore?” Elise shot back.
“Enough!”
The king had come out of his chambers.
Commander Polk’s face fell as he spluttered to speak
“I have reason to believe these are the instigators of the assassination on your life, Your Majesty!”
King Belfast first looked incredulously between Elise, Ealrin and Tucker. “Commander Polk! You cannot be serious.”
He said he raised an eyebrow at the commander.
“Ealrin saved my life not two days ago. What reason would he be trying to take it now?”
“But sir!” Commander Polk said. “We found Blackthorn gang members at the base of their secret hideout.”
“Secret hideout for whom?” King Belfast said.
“Forgive me,” Tucker said bowing down. “My safe house. A man needs a place to hide when things get rough. I hadn’t been down there in ages with the war over and all. Then those Blackthorn guards jumped out of it and...”
King Belfast nodded.
“Commander Polk,” he said as he looked at the man who had brought them from their place of hiding. “I do not need any more interruptions about threats on my life as we are about to enter a war I do not want to fight.”
The commander was beside himself with fury. Ealrin could see it building in his face.
“But your majesty!”
“Gather your city guard,” Belfast interrupted, raising a hand. “Appoint half of them to join the troops marching west. We need to be vigilant for what is coming towards us. As for these three.”
The king motioned to Ealrin, Elise, and Tucker, release them at once and do not trouble me with such worries again. At this point, I would much rather have Ealrin by my side than you worrying with threats that aren’t there.”
With that, the king went to his other advisers who were showing him maps with places that the Court of Three might possibly attack.
Commander Polk still looked back-and-forth between the king and the group he had brought here to him.
King Belfast looked over his shoulder.
“Speakers!” he commanded. “Release them!”
Ealrin felt his shackles drop from his wrists and rubbed them as the pain of their passing left.
“Your father is in the hanger repairing the fleet,” King Belfast said. “It would be wise for you to join him there. I need both of your services in piloting our ships. We will be under attack before the end of the night.
Ealrin looked between Commander Polk and Elise. He didn’t know what emotion to feel. His sister was a rebel. So was he, if he was to believe her story. If the king just unequivocally stated his faith and trust in them, then that meant he was a trusting man. To his fault. The only one who was correct at the moment, was Commander Polk.
The man looked furious, as if you had been robbed of his greatest treasure.
“Let’s get going, Elise. I’d like to join our father at the hanger.”
Ealrin walked behind his sister as they made their way towards the exit.
He had hoped to find out who he was when he returned home. He had thought finding his family would answer his questions.
At the moment instead of feeling sure himself, all he had in his mind were doubts.
45: The Beginning
Blume paced back-and-forth as she waited for Teresa to return. She was unsure why she was so concerned about this book. She found herself much more concerned about its contents than the safety of the princess she just sent to go find it.
She knew that the matriarch of the magical school would not trust her. Such things tended to happen after you almost duel with one another.
Dangler was no longer following her every step either. Instead he had found himself down the market trying to acquire more rimstone and see who he needed to speak with in order to secure passage back to Thoran. Apparently, the task of making relationships with new schools had done nothing for him.
Jeremy said he planned to return as soon as he could in order to ask for a position at the school in Thoran and no longer be transferred around to hunt for new schools to partner with.
“Honestly, at this point I am questioning both of your motivations,” Jeremy said as he looked at a small notebook he was writing in. “I greatly desire to study more myself, but I think you’re becoming obsessed with this book. What do you hope to find inside of it?”
Blume shook her head.
“It’s not just one book,” she said. “It’s all of them. We’ve been fighting demons for three years and they’ve been coming for us with more and more furiosity. If we don’t do anything about this, I fear they could overwhelm us. Each time we send that devil Rayg back to the blasted comet, he comes back stronger.
She paced and turned again, looking off in the direction Teresa had flown.
“I’m concerned that if we don’t address the problem, it will be unmanageable next time. The only reason I was able to defeat him was because I had help. Someone to distract him. I need to be stronger. I need to become a better speaker. I think the book might help me get stronger. It may have secrets that I need to know.”
She had felt like it had only been like luck that had allowed her to defeat Rayg the last time they had met. If history repeated itself, they would meet again and she would need to be ready. She would need to be stronger. No magical book that they had found in the library had yet helped her. She knew that she might need to take matters into her own hands.
Jeremy just didn’t understand. He had seen the demons come once. She had seen them multiple times and with greater ferocity each time.
She looked out over the towers of Rerial as they reflected off the setting suns. Teresa had gone to inquire of the headmistress about a possible relationship between their two schools of magic. Something Dangler had failed to do well.
She had taken Urt with her in order to distract the matriarch just enough to allow her to find the book without questioning her about it.
It was certainly not a solid plan. Normally Blume felt more conviction about her plots. She felt like she had no choice at the moment. She was not going to the school again herself. She was sure the security would’ve increased tenfold by now. She looked out over the sky and saw that there was an airship flying from the Royal Palace and in their direction.
“Is that one coming this way?” she asked. “Do you think that’s the King coming to check on the hanger?”
Ever since they had returned from the Gift of Laurels, Lord Evan had been in a flurry of activity preparing the fleet of airships.
Jurrin had gone with him to see what the preparations would look like and check on the friend he had made. An engineer named Jill.
Blume knew that the halfling was enthralled with airships. Just as Blume was thinking that the airship it might take a turn, it’s steered up towards them and came to a halt just beside their portal. It did not hold the king. Instead, inside it was Ealrin, his sister, and rather large man Blume did not know.
The three of them piled out of the airship with mixed expressions. Blume had nearly forgotten about Ealrin since storming away from him the other night. What with all the excitement of the night, the trip to the Gift of Laurels and Gorplin, he had quite slipped her mind. She went up to greet him and gave him a hug. She felt bad for yelling at him.
“How has your time been with your sister?” she asked expectedly. She looked over at Elise who had been fairly distant to them all since they had returned.
At the moment, there was an expression on her that Blume could not decipher.
Ealrin shrugged his shoulders.
“The king thinks Rerial is about to go to war with a Court of Three,” he said. “He wants peace, but the Court seems to be doing everything it can to actively avoid that.”
As he said this, Ealrin glanced at his sister. That made Blume wonder. What did Elise have to do with war in the Court?
“Do you think we
ought to stay in Rerial?” she asked.
Ealrin seem to consider this possibility for some time before he answered.
“Holve and the others were supposed to meet us in Rerial,” he said. “I would hate to leave and then not be able to find them. Or them find us.”
Blume nodded. She agreed. It has been several weeks and they had still have not heard from their friends. She hoped they were all okay.
“It will be hard for them to get here if we are at war though,” she said. “Not impossible, just more difficult.”
“I’m going to check on father,” Elise said breaking into their conversation. “Are you going to come, Ealrin?”
Blume thought it was rather rude of her to butt in, she didn’t have any reason to be too upset. She was going to be waiting here anyways.
The airship she had watched Teresa go to the school of magic in still sat outside its port.
“It’s fine,” Blume said. “I’m waiting for Teresa.”
Ealrin’s expression changed.
“Where is Teresa?” he asked, looking around.
“She went to go ask Mistress Cactus to get us that book I told you about,” Blume said.
“Actually she went to go ask for an alliance between our two nations schools of magic,” Jeremy put in.
“But yes,” Blume said. “Also that.”
It was at that moment that an explosion rocked the hanger tower. Blume stumbled into Ealrin’s arms.
“Where did that come from?” Elise asked as she threw herself against the railing of the porch. “Which direction?”
Tucker looked over at the school of magic and pointed.
“Down there!” he shouted.
Blume looked in the direction of his point and saw a giant cloud billowing up over the school. Rubble and debris were still raining down when a second explosion went off at the royal palace tower.
It was from the port that Ealrin and the others had just come from.
Airships began to pour out of the hanger below them as Lord Evan burst through the doors to the port and shouted at the group there.
“Everyone down to the hangers at once!” he yelled. “We’re under attack!”
