The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

She couldn’t stop looking around the room, trying to observe every suspicious door, window, lock or drawer that she could find. There were at least windows this time, the sunlight teeming through the grey curtains. She almost wanted to run for them and see if the others were outside waiting for her. Maybe, somehow, they’d managed to escape into the city, and she could follow them if this man tried to pull anything funny.

  “Pleasure to see you again, Princess Leilana. It’s been some time.” Leilana raised an eyebrow. ‘Again?’ His once carefree voice was replaced with one of undeniable formality, which pulled her from her anxiety-crazed thoughts. His personality was too confusing. He started removing the mask. Leilana’s hands were shaking from the anticipation. This was it, her chance to learn the leader’s identity. Her sworn enemy was opening himself up to her.

  Her stomach dropped.

  “I bet that you didn’t expect me.”

  Indistinguishable copper eyes once so fondly gazed upon. Shaggy brown hair that flowed within the gales of the evening sky, drifting about with each graceful step. The memories of him were too hard to ignore. The lump forming in her throat constricted her words. She almost wasn’t sure if she was still breathing, and when she had forced herself to take in a little more air, the first gasp of air was straining on her lungs, comparable to pins and needles.

  He smirked, arching his back, resting his hands underneath his chin, his elbows firmly planted on the desk. That expression spoke leaps and bounds for what his thought process was merely from watching her reactions. He was toying with her. “It’s all right to be shocked. There’s a lot to take in.”

  “M-Master,” she breathed. “Master Hinju, I…” She grasped the edge of her chair with her right hand in hopes of standing but found that her strength was diminished in seconds. “I don’t understand…”

  Hinju held up his hands in lieu of a shrug. His cunning smirk remained perfectly aligned on his lips. He didn’t care. He didn’t care about her lack of knowledge. He was going to leave her walking in the dark, and he didn’t mind it. He had always forced them to venture into the unknown, allowing them to shape their own ideals, and when it became too much, it was set to rip them apart.

  “Why?” she settled with.

  She leaned forward and finally jumped out of her seat, her hands slamming against the desk. He was entertained by her little gestures; his eyes were dancing on her face, her trembling arms, her crumbling frame that could bring her to her knees. None of it meant anything to him, and that made him more crazed. There was nothing she wanted to say, but there was so much she felt she had to. She was equally responsible—she should have seen that he was the reigning catalyst in this plot from the beginning. Had she developed even a sliver of an inkling, she could have stopped everything. Rem’s parents could have lived longer, and he could continue properly striving for the throne. Solus would have stood at his side and watched his happiness exceed his expectations. Sien wouldn’t have lost her home to demons and villains alike.

  Ennis would be alive, and Minsura would still be standing.

  She lowered her head, her words escaping her faster than she could comprehend, “Do you realize what you’ve done? All of those people that have died because of you.” Tears were spilling from her eyes. “The king and queen of Adrylis, so many villages and towns… all of those innocent creatures, warped and corrupted by dark magic… Ennis… my home…” She slammed her fist on the desk again, her eyes shooting up to him. His stare was so unnerving, unfeeling. Her words were nothing but that. Words, caught in time, unable to be heard. It was like speaking to the wind. “So many people have had to suffer, and it was your fault!”

  “I’m sorry that you found out this way.” His response was nonchalant and callous, which ignited her rage.

  “Don’t give me that! You’re not sorry at all! You knew exactly what you were doing!” The chair was rattling as much as her body. “What was the point? Why did you send us away? Why deceive us into thinking that we would feel nothing if we became Warlords?”

  “It was never deception.” He stood up, and Leilana stepped away. She didn’t want to be anywhere near him. Not anymore. “You are just as much a catalyst in this war as I am, Princess. I always knew your potential, ever since I witnessed your coronation. I gave you the momentum to study magic by lighting the spark in your soul, and with it, you torched your country.”

  She stepped further away from him, her hands finding the door. She touched base with the knob, trying to pry it open, to no avail. She even turned her back to him to force her hands, but it wouldn’t budge. He had locked it tight the second she stepped inside.

  “Ennis was a prodigy, but you… you were leagues ahead of him, and you thought nothing of it.” She rested her palms against the door, sighing heavily. There was no way that he was letting her leave, not until he’d made his peace and took away what she had left.

  “This isn’t real,” she whispered to herself, a false sense of security washing off of her like water. She wanted to believe it, but there were no reasons against it. “This can’t be happening…”

  “That grimoire of yours carries potent spells, boundless information, and only you are able to conjure them by will. You never had to form a connection with your own hands—you had one thrust upon you. Ennis gave you the duty of carrying on, and you blindly followed until you left Magiten. The book is powerful. You are powerful. But it drains your life, slowly. You should thank me. Allow me to relinquish you from your pain, Leilana. Join my cause.”

  “I don’t even know what your cause is!” she hissed. “There’s nothing that you’ve told me that doesn’t make me belittle you! So many lives have been lost, and for what?”

  Why was he beating around the bush so much? What could he have been hiding that was so nefarious? This ‘plan’ of his was lost on even his associates, people that had no idea who they were aligning with. Did Amiria and Sentora know his identity? How long had he been deceiving the academy, the staff? There were so many questions, and she wasn’t sure what direction she could take with them. One wrong step and everything would unravel.

  “Where is my grimoire?” Her voice was coated with agony, unmasked by the simple inquiry. She almost seemed desperate, exasperated by the new information.

  “So, shouldering the burdens of your famed book, walking the thin line alongside the destructive prince, that is what you have chosen.” Hinju approached his desk again, unlocking a drawer with a flick of his index finger, brandishing the grimoire. He carelessly tossed it to the floor, and the book clanked against the polished ground. The lock was still firmly in place, just as she remembered it. Not a scratch was on the cover.

  At least before now, he’d put great care into it.

  Carefully, she stepped to the grimoire, cradling it. Somehow, the weight had decreased, much easier for her to grasp with just one hand. She was stronger now. She grazed the cover with her fingertips, mumbling the Minsuran alphabet to herself as she examined the letters scribed into the hardbound vines. The light of the sun reflecting from the window revealed thin fingerprint marks on the lock itself—he must have tried many times to open it and failed.

  “Now that I’ve given you what you have desired, I requested your knowledge, and now I’m left with nothing from you. Now, I shall be guided to the prince, even if it means that your life is forfeit.” Hinju took hold of his staff, the crystal gem perched at the top already aglow. Leilana swallowed. So, it really wasn’t going to be a simple trip.

  Leilana swiftly opened the book, holding it in front of her as a wave of electricity shot forward, a barrier encasing her. Hinju was already close to her, trying to cut through the barrier with his staff, the shockwaves reverberating off the thin bubble-like structure. Any second now, he would break through. Her eyes scanned the words on the page she remained on, and once the barrier fell, she held up a hand, a fireball striking his chest. He practically absorbed the blow, striking her with the staff, knocking her back into a nearby wall. She scrambled to her fe
et, signing symbols in the air.

  “Vinticious Kiria (Blessed Shadow)!”

  A stream of vines stretched from the pages, wrapping around Hinju’s body, constricting his movements. He didn’t react to the sensation, overlooking the vines once before stabbing his staff into one of the lower gaps, freeing his left leg. He kicked the vines away, his feet ignited, dispelling the plants. Leilana was already starting up another spell when the staff collided with her face, the book flying out of her hands, her head slamming against the floor.

  For a few seconds, the world was dark. She came to her senses when she realized that her left eye was soaked in blood, and nothing else besides it was visible. She reached up a shaky hand to try and wipe some away, but even as the liquid spilled onto the floor, there was only darkness. Pain erupted in the new wound from the slightest flinch.

  Hinju stepped to the grimoire, and Leilana outstretched her hand, the book immediately flying back into her possession. The rage in Hinju’s eyes was unmistakable. He slammed his staff onto the floor, stalagmites rising underneath him. Not a single breath escaped Leilana before the stalagmites pushed her from the ground. Her feet stumbled over the pillars, and her balance slipped away. She clutched the book to her chest, shutting her eyes as her body shot through the glass window.

  “I don’t understand why it was the better option to just wait outside,” Solus exclaimed, his irritation fueled at Amiria. The younger girl folded her hands behind her back and turned away. Despite her budding confidence, confrontation was still far from one of her strong points to adhere towards. “What if something has happened to her?”

  “We can’t afford to think like that,” Rem stated.

  The remaining four unsettlingly waited at the entrance, guided out by Sentora. Amiria was surprised to learn that he was already aware of her deceit, but that didn’t play a part in allowing them to escape. Maybe he knew that something was going down between Leilana and the leader of the Order of Helix. Either way, it didn’t seem like he wanted them to be involved. There was little protest, thinking it better to wait for Leilana. Solus was the only one that had a say on the matter, wanting to find and assist her if necessary, but Rem’s persuasion to avoid further conflict won out.

  “Leilana is strong,” Amiria proclaimed. “She can handle things on her own.”

  As if to contradict her, glass shattering from above ripped through their attention. Sien shakily gasped at a figure dropping like a rock from the window on the top floor. Rem and Solus sprang forward, Rem holding up both hands to cast a barrier that cushioned the blow, slowing the descent for a few seconds before the barrier dispersed due to the lack of range. Solus managed to catch Leilana, rolling onto his back, her weight in tandem with the rapid fall barely contained. She was unconscious, blood spewing from her left eye, but slack in her arms was the grimoire. He rested a hand on her head. At least she was safe from further danger.

  Rem was glaring up at the figure observing the four from the broken window. From this distance, he couldn’t make out his face, but it was enough to draw Rem to the conclusion that this man was the arsonist of Linmus. Vengeance was just around the corner. “Just you wait!” he shouted. “You’re going to get exactly what you deserve!”

  Solus stood up, Leilana in his arms, her head was resting against his shoulder, her fingers still laced around the grimoire for dear life. He squinted at the sight of the man, able to make out his short brown hair, his copper eyes, and his strong jawline. The dark stare back at his party made him tremble. He unconsciously took a step back, his bottom lip quivering. His heart was pounding against his chest, his head spinning, blurring his vision. He swore that one wrong movement would send him to the ground. Sien glanced at him, finding his reaction strange.

  The man leaped from the window, slowing his descent at the last minute by levitating. The moment that his feet touched the ground, he sighed, brushing some hair out of his face. Rem reached for his sword, about to draw it when Amiria whispered next to him, “Master Hinju…?” He slowly withdrew his hand from the hilt of the blade.

  Rem pointed a finger at the man, his bottom lip quivering as he mustered up the words, “That’s your master? He screwed up my life!”

  “I didn’t have any idea!” Amiria insisted.

  “And it was better that you didn’t,” Hinju stated. “Because now that you know the truth, you will never walk safely through Adrylis again. You will live every moment in terror, haunted by the idea that someone is lying in wait to strike you down.” Solus swallowed any words rising to fruition, the chilling words striking a chord in his already wavering soul. It seemed all too familiar to witness.

  Rem extended an arm in front of her, eyes trained on the man. “Not if I’m there.”

  “Ah, Prince Remiel.” He arched his back and bowed, resting a hand on his heart. “A pleasure. Have you come closer to ascending to your throne?”

  “Defeating you will bring me one step closer to facing my people again,” he spat. “Only then will I be ready to take my place as King.”

  “Are you still walking the line of one life equating to the lives of many? I hope that your intentions are not vindictive. If so, then you have quite a way to go before you will be strong enough to eradicate this war. It is already in front of you. Every step that you take will determine the outcome of Adrylis. It is only right that I give you a fighting chance though.” He dropped his staff and opened his arms. “You can end it all right now, Your Highness. One strike is all that it would take. Run me through. You can finish your fight.”

  Rem drew his sword, but a hand on his blade stopped him in his tracks. He glanced up his gaze meeting with Solus’s. Though the young attendant looked more fearful than ever before, his racing mind continued to cling to reality.

  “Don’t get reckless just because an opportunity has presented itself. Think about what would be at stake.”

  “Yes, Prince Remiel, consider your virtues, weigh your options,” Hinju sneered. “Protect the lost princess with your life and become worthy of your title.”

  “Princess?” the four exclaimed simultaneously.

  “You mean that she didn’t tell you?” Hinju almost laughed. “Surely she trusts you lot enough to tell you that she is Minsura’s princess?”

  “She was always so regal, but she never gave off the air of a princess,” Amiria admitted.

  “The sole heir to a pitiful colony that claims knowledge is the only power meant to drive the world. How shameful to rule such an empire.”

  “Don’t talk about her like that,” Sien hissed. “She’s far better than you’ll ever be as a leader.”

  “Princess,” Solus mouthed, eyes flickering down to the girl in his arms. In an instant, his world unraveled. All this time, he was chasing and falling head over heels for someone that was presumed dead several years ago. He knew that she was a survivor of the crisis alongside her brother; he never put the pieces together that she was royalty.

  “No,” Rem tried to tell himself. “She was dead.”

  “Your fiancée has been right by your side this whole time, Remiel,” Hinju pressed. “Will you allow her to stand and fight in your stead?”

  Rem lowered his sword before returning it to its sheath. “No. I’m going to fight you fairly with my own hands. You’re going to suffer for what you’ve done to this world, and to Minsura.” He pointed a finger at the man, a snarl escaping him. “You haven’t seen it with your own eyes, what you’ve caused, but I swear that I will drag you through the mud, watch you choke on the soot lining the pavement, hear the cries of those trapped in a never-ending nightmare. And you will live with it until your last breath.”

  Amiria and Sien looked to one another, both in awe at the young prince’s words. Solus nodded to himself, thankful that he had chosen the more sensible path. He spoke with pride, his nobility in full bloom. Every day since he’d stepped from the castle, he was coming closer to resolving the conflict within himself and was set to change the world.

  Hinju ke
pt his stone-like gaze on Rem for some time, occasionally shifting his focus to Solus. Rem retained vigilant in case his speech wasn’t enough to sway the man from further action. Solus held Leilana close to him. Fighting this man wasn’t the wisest decision, but if it meant prolonging things, then it was a risk that they would have to take.

  “Brave words,” Hinju admitted, kneeling to reclaim his staff. Rem tightened the grip on his blade. “Let’s see how far they carry you.”

  He stabbed his weapon into the ground, his body dispersing, leaving behind nothing but a gust of wind, which quickly connected with the air around them. Rem blew some hair out of his face merely out of frustration and tore his hand from his sword. He almost wondered what would have happened if he chose not to heed Solus’s warning.

  Amiria breathed a sigh of relief, resting a hand on her forehead. “Never did I imagine that it was Master Hinju behind that mask. I have so many questions that I fear will go unanswered.”

  “You? I’ve got a lot I want to say.” Rem was clenching his fists so tight that his knuckles had long passed the shade of white built up from lack of circulation. They were already numbing. “I want to see him rot. I want him to feel the sting of loss like I have.”

  “There will be time, Remiel,” Solus stated. “For now, you must persevere with the goal you have in mind. You are not in this for vengeance.”

  “Not for vengeance,” he repeated. “Then what is my goal?”

  “Prosperity,” Sien told him. “You want to help Adrylis grow. You’re right to believe that Hinju’s demise would save many lives, but you should consider more than revenge. As Prince, as a warrior, even as a Bloodlinch, you’re very capable. You just need focus. And now that you know the truth about Leilana, you can use it to your advantage. The two of you can work together as heirs to fix things.”

  Rem sighed, taking her words into consideration. He’d need time to think of the right approach with this new information. “Where do we go from here? Staying near Ocula isn’t safe.”