Dissolution

by Kyle West

  “What prophecies?” I asked.

  Fiona nodded. “Things I have kept close to my chest. Only Elder Isandru knew. When I had them, I sent a letter to my father so that he would accept my decision to become a Prophet. The letter didn’t reach him before he passed away.”

  There was a moment of steely silence, King Arius stubbornly setting his jaw as these things were revealed.

  “Don’t give me that face, Uncle Arius,” Fiona said, dropping the formality. “Look at the world! Do you not see that the Second Darkness is coming? Do you believe Anna’s return to be truly impossible?”

  King Arius met her gaze obstinately. “Sitting before me is a teenage girl, not the goddess of prophecy,” King Arius said. “I see the one who murdered King Taris, thrusting Isaru into a responsibility he is nowhere near ready for. He has performed admirably since his ascension; rebellion foments in his lands like cancer. And you, my niece, are only part of the problem if you are siding with the Kalear rebels.”

  “What was even the point of coming here?” Shara asked. “You won’t listen to reason. You refuse to even hear our side of the story. You believe every lie Isaru has told you without even questioning it!”

  “What’s the alternative?” King Arius asked. “Either my niece is being misled, or my nephew is a murderer.” He looked at her critically. “Which of those is easier to believe?”

  “You ought to be more concerned with what’s truth,” Isa said.

  “Tell me, then,” King Arius said. “What is the truth? Why should I trust your word over anyone else’s?”

  “Because Isaru is not himself,” I said. “That is the truth. And if you would only listen to our side, then maybe you would learn the full scope of things. But if you refuse to listen, then you will only know what others have told you, and would have you believe, to you and your kingdom’s detriment.”

  Something in the way I said that gave the mulish king pause. He chewed on these words, and for a moment, I thought he was going to reject them.

  “I’m willing to listen,” he said, finally. “And I hope I don’t regret it.”

  “Listen with an open mind, Uncle Arius,” Fiona said. “For once.”

  King Arius gritted his teeth, but said nothing in response.

  “First of all,” I said, “your nephew, Isaru, is my friend. He was the one who rescued me from the Covenant, along with his dragon, Jorla, who died protecting us in Colonia. We were together through thick and thin. We learned and trained together in the Sanctum, practically inseparable. My parents were thrown in a Colonian dungeon after the Hunters found out about me. While I escaped . . . they rotted.”

  King Arius looked at Fiona, as if to ask for confirmation. When she nodded, he gestured for me to continue.

  “The Hunters sent us on an errand. An impossible one. If we completed it, they would release my parents. They told us to go to Hyperborea to find the Prophecy of Annara for them. We had no choice, so we went, otherwise my parents would die. We trekked over hundreds of miles of desolate waste, but we made it in the end.”

  “And lived to tell the tale, as no person has ever done,” King Arius said.

  “I was there, too,” Isa said. “It’s all true.”

  “For that matter, we’ve all been there,” Fiona said.

  Everyone quieted so that I could continue. “We never found a prophecy. But we did find something dark . . . something evil. We met a man there who had given himself over to the Radaskim, and he was able to possess Isaru. Isaru is no longer himself, King Arius. This evil man, named Rakhim Shal, whose spirit still resides in Hyperborea, uses Isaru as his puppet to do his will. To do the Radaskim’s will. Ever since he’s possessed your nephew, we’ve been trying to stop him, to win him back if possible. All of us will confirm this as true. Isaru sacked the cities of Atlantea and Savannah with his dragon swarm, and used that swarm to take control of Haven, and pinned King Taris’ death on me. I had no hand in his death. I was in Hyperborea at the time, trying to fight Shal and free Isaru from Rakhim’s control.

  “But I was thwarted. After Isaru assumed control of Haven, he next came to Hyperborea to save his master. One of our friends, named Mia, died when he attacked, and Elder Isandru is as good as dead. We barely escaped. We were there not two days ago.”

  “From Hyperborea to Sylva in two days,” King Arius mused. “Impossible.”

  “Not with a spaceship,” Fiona said. “We could be there by evening if we wanted. It flies faster than any dragon.”

  “I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of the old gods and their spaceship,” Shara said. “We have that spaceship.”

  “I cannot deny what I saw with my own eyes,” Arius admitted, reluctantly, “but it does not prove everything you’re saying.”

  “It’s something, at least,” Fiona said. “And not just something, but a convincing piece of evidence. And if you weren’t so stubborn, you’d see that, too.”

  King Arius nodded, albeit grudgingly. That was something.

  “Where did this ship come from?” he asked, after a moment’s pause.

  “Long ago, it crashed into a mountain out in California,” I said. “We found it. I’d never flown a spaceship in my life, but I still have Anna’s memories to guide me. I was born Shanti Roshar, not even knowing who I truly was until a few months ago. Fiona was there with me during the revelation and can testify to everything. I saw Anna myself. We are the same person, King Arius, and all the memories I have, the dreams, the way I fight, knowing how to pilot a spaceship with no prior training . . . there is no other explanation other than the fact that she and I are the same person.”

  King Arius looked at the serene, clear water of the pool, his blue eyes troubled. He was quiet for a very long time. I could tell that he didn’t want to believe us, that the story was too incredible. Though speaking with him was frustrating, I also knew that from where he was sitting, his skepticism was understandable.

  “This is all very difficult for me,” he said, quietly. “I will need some time to think things over.”

  “Please,” I said. “Take your time. I know it’s a lot.”

  “I’m sure I’ll have more questions for you later,” he said. “But there is much I must do today, and until I can meet you again, you are a guest in my home.”

  “A guest, or a prisoner?” Shara asked.

  “I kindly ask that you do not leave,” King Arius said. “Not until I can figure things out. I give you my word that King Isaru will hear none of this if I determine your words to be true.”

  “King Isaru,” Isa said. “Never thought those words could sound so wrong.”

  “What happens if you determine our words to be false?” Shara asked.

  King Arius looked at her seriously, his solemn face even more somber. “I truly hope that I don’t.”

  Something in the intensity of his gaze told me that was exactly what he expected.

  * * *

  We were led by a household guard to a dining room attached to the guest rooms, on the periphery of the tree we were currently in. The table and chairs were carved from the tree itself, enough to seat ten or so people.

  Food was brought – venison sandwiches with onions with an intricate green salad laced with small nuts and a creamy dressing.

  While we ate, we discussed the meeting with King Arius.

  “It’s worse than I imagined,” Fiona said. “He isn’t normally like this.”

  “What is he normally like, then?” Isa asked.

  Fiona frowned. “Kinder. More open. Something is weighing him down.”

  “His brother’s death,” Isa said. “It can’t be anything other than that.”

  “Yes, but there has to be more,” Fiona said. “Something’s in the air, a tension that’s palpable. It’s only like this when there’s a war on, or there will be a war. You saw the soldiers drilling, the dragon riders in flight, how harshly they treated us . . .”

  What Fiona said made sense. It made our position here all the more precarious
.

  “We need to learn more,” I said.

  “Hard to do that, cooped up in here,” Shara said, taking a massive bite of her sandwich.

  She had a good point as well. Though most of the palace was technically open to us, it was restraining not to be able to go outside it if we wished. If Arius decided we weren’t trustworthy, we wouldn’t be able to leave at all.

  We needed to discuss what to do in that case, but it was hard when a guard or two passed by the room every minute, keeping tabs on us. I was positive Arius was being kept updated on everything we said and did.

  When one of these guards passed, Isa poked at her food glumly. “It’s almost as if you’re not even his niece, Fiona.”

  “He’s being cautious,” Fiona said. “That’s all. We gave him a lot to think about, challenging all the perceptions and information he’s had for months. And there must be some suspicion of Isaru on his end. Remember what Pallos said about him not attending King Taris’ funeral?”

  That was true. It told me that his gut reaction to Isaru’s ascension was wariness. In the intervening weeks, Isaru must have been doing all he could to sway King Arius in his direction, little by little. And then we showed up, throwing a kink in all those weeks of careful letters and emissaries from Haven. Perhaps even Isaru himself had found time to come here personally, but for some reason I doubted it. If King Arius saw Isaru in person, he would probably notice something was off.

  Seeing things in that light made me understand our reception here more. And it made me more than a bit nervous.

  “If my uncle comes to our side, it would mean war with Haven . . . and Arius sees Haven as a likely ally against the Novans, who are ever a threat. Never have the Makai and the Annajen raised arms against one another, though there have been close calls in the past. There have been border disputes before, as always, but never king directly against king. It would be a first, and it’s no wonder my uncle is being very careful in how he treads.”

  “He must be convinced of the truth,” I said.

  “If he knows the truth, truly knows it, then he will join us,” Fiona said. “I have no doubt of that. My uncle is stubborn, but in the face of convincing evidence, he isn’t a fool to close his eyes. I know him well. I grew up here until I was old enough to train at the Sanctum. I saw him just a few months ago, before all this happened. The trouble is, he has gone through so much lately and has no one to turn to . . . not since Queen Sylva died.”

  “That was years ago,” I said. “He has never remarried?”

  “It’s . . . complicated,” Fiona said. “Not much discussed. Besides, it’s not really relevant to what we’re discussing here.”

  There was a moment of silence. The food was almost all eaten, and I took another plate for myself. My hunger was already lessening, but compared to before my healing by the Seekers, I was still ravenous.

  “The question becomes,” I said, “how do we convince him?”

  “Give him time to think,” Fiona said. “My uncle is a cautious man. He’ll have an answer for you, probably tomorrow.”

  “The right answer, I hope,” Isa said. I noticed she had hardly touched her food.

  “Is there something we can do in the meantime?” Shara asked. “Something productive, since we’re not allowed to leave this place?”

  “Pallos is due to return this evening,” Fiona said. “We have to let him know what’s changed. Sending a message out shouldn’t be too difficult.”

  “If Arius allows a message to go out,” Isa said.

  “He will,” Fiona said. “If I weren’t here, it might be a lot harder, but so long as I am here, Arius will allow us at least that courtesy.”

  “If it weren’t for you, we might already be in the dungeon, then,” Shara said.

  Fiona didn’t respond to that . . . not at first. At last, she said, “Family counts for a lot.”

  “I want to know what Isaru has already told Arius,” I said. “The king didn’t let on that they had ever talked, but I don’t doubt letters have been exchanged at the very least.”

  “I’ve thought the same,” Fiona said. “But more likely, Isaru had, or even currently has, a diplomat here representing his interests. He wouldn’t risk coming here himself in case Arius suspected him. At least, not at first.”

  “It’s hard to believe he had time to commit the murder and still reach us in the Hyperfold,” Shara said.

  It seemed impossible, but Rakhim Shal had control over the flow of time in the Hyperfold. It was the price we paid by entering it. If we had stayed any longer, Shal could let a dangerous amount of time pass on the outside. Just three months and I already felt as if we were hopelessly behind.

  “He’s had a few months to bend King Arius’ ear,” I said. “That’s an uphill battle, and it’s the first time he’s hearing a new perspective. It’ll take time, especially since Isaru has had many opportunities to meddle.” I sighed. “Perhaps we were naïve to think he would be a willing to ally us right off the bat.”

  “When the lies are separated from the truth, I’m confident he’ll join us,” Fiona said.

  At this point, the same disagreeable guard who had led us to the palace entered the doorway. “Lady Fiona. King Arius has summoned you.”

  She blinked in surprise. “So soon?”

  “Yes, my lady. You are to come by yourself.”

  “And what about my friends?”

  “He didn’t ask for them, my lady.”

  Fiona frowned, apparently not liking the sound of this. She turned to us. “I’ll have to go see him. I’ll try to make it quick.”

  “What do you think he wants?” Shara asked.

  “I have no idea,” Fiona said. She turned back to the captain, standing and smoothing her Seeker’s robes. “Lead the way, captain.”

  She followed the captain out of the room without a backward glance.

  “I don’t like this,” Isa said, once we were alone again.

  I didn’t either. Was he separating his niece to try to convince her to abandon us, and then keep the rest of us under guard?

  “We need to be careful,” I said.

  We ate in silence, not really feeling free to talk since we were being watched.

  After about ten minutes of this, I couldn’t stand it any longer.

  “The rest of you stay here. I want to see what’s going on.”

  Knowing I’d probably end up regretting it, I left the dining room and headed in the direction Fiona and the guard went.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  I WALKED ALONG THE OUTER edge of the palace, by a different way than we had come in. I was about to keep going when I heard Shara’s voice behind me.

  “No way we make it through this place unseen.”

  I was about to turn and ask why she hadn’t stayed behind, and was surprised not only to see her, but Isa. Before I could ask why they had both followed me, I saw that Shara was right: at that moment, a servant left one of the side doors in the hallway, taking note of our presence before moving on.

  “We can at least get the lay of the land,” I said. “Information would be useful.”

  “Excuse me.”

  A male voice had come from behind. I turned to see a young guard with short black hair and a wide, square-shaped face that seemed so flat as to be smashed in. He was probably no older than me.

  “Yes?” I asked, trying to act natural.

  “King Arius requests your presence as well.”

  “There hasn’t even been enough time for Fiona to reach him,” I said. “Guess he changed his mind and wants to see all of us.”

  The guard ignored that observation. “You are to follow me now. Bring your friends with you.”

  Without waiting to see if we would respond, the guard turned and walked the opposite way down the corridor.

  Shara, Isa, and I shared a look before following him, wondering what this turn of events could mean.

  We walked through the central courtyard where we’d had our first audience, passing th
rough an archway on the other side where a wooden staircase spiraled around an upward-growing tree limb. We followed the guard up the narrow staircase. When we surfaced, we found ourselves on a wide, wooden veranda, filled with seats and cushioned couches, overlooking the courtyard and granting a view of the city below, along with the miles of pink and green forest extending in every direction. To the south, I could make out a line of low mountains wrapped in a golden morning mist.

  King Arius and Fiona were sitting together on a couch near the railing of the veranda. The guard left us here, going back down the stairs, while King Arius gestured for us to sit down.

  “I’ve decided,” the king said.

  “That was quick,” Shara said.

  “If you were playing me false, my niece here would have told me. Even alone, she confirms everything you told me before.”

  “We haven’t forced her to say anything against her will,” I said. “Why would you think that?”

  “When I’m not sure of something, I go with my gut,” King Arius said. “Something tells me you’re telling the truth, or at the very least, what you believe to be the truth, despite all evidence to the contrary. But a formal alliance would be . . . difficult.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Fiona answered for him. “My uncle has been informed that the Makai are under attack. As of this morning, Novan forces have been pouring into the Southern Wild.”

  That was the last thing I expected to hear. “That’s crazy.”

  “Needless to say,” King Arius said, “this event changes everything. It is time for us to move past whatever differences we have and work together.”

  “Of course,” I said. “That’s all I wanted.”

  “You want to be friends now that you need our help?” Shara asked.

  “My nephew has grown tired of waiting,” King Arius said, nonplussed by Shara’s directness. “The Novans will keep us busy while he has free reign to do as he pleases.” King Arius looked at Shara seriously. “I never formally joined with my nephew, so rather than wait on my final decision on whether to recognize his legitimacy as Haven’s king, it seems that Isaru has taken things into his own hands.”