The Sage's Reign

by Shakyra Dunn

  At least, he hoped he could.

  Solus watched time slip away on a grandfather clock as the sixth hour of the evening chirped out in form of a wooden songbird, trapped in his isolated bedroom. He wasn’t chained down physically, but he felt no better than a prisoner awaiting trial, pleading his case to Adrylis. From the window, he saw newscasters and anyone that managed to get into the kingdom grounds flocking to the castle courtyard. He wondered if any of his friends made the journey to assist them. The guards and those possessed by his Necromancy spell were left to fill the dungeon. The rumors of the walking dead had long since spread, but Hinju was adamant on his decision to keep them hidden so that no one would run rampant, and Solus had no choice but to comply with the idea—they were kept under his thumb, after all.

  There was an hour left before the coronation and announcements. Kinaju stepped into Solus’s room and locked the door, his arms folded behind his back, his head lowered to avoid his gaze. Something was on his mind, and it was becoming blatantly obvious observing his body language. When Solus asked after him, Kinaju brought his attention back.

  “You look regal. I take it that you’ve seen Leilana?” That was a blunt way to begin the conversation. Solus unconsciously found himself nodding. “I happened to run into her sneaking around looking for her grimoire. There isn’t much time, but we have a lot that we need to discuss. She told me that you never heard of our plan. I’m also currently under the guise of informing you of what must be said in precision for the ceremony, as per father’s requests.”

  Solus had to admit, he was stunned to see him so serious. Kinaju hadn’t spoken in this manner since they first met, but as the son of a Lord himself, it was naturally enveloped in him. “I plan to wing the ceremony. There’s too much that I can say of my own accord without incorporating Hinju’s thoughts. Mind bringing me up to speed on this plan that the two of you have concocted?”

  Kinaju gave him a solemn smile. “It’s gonna be loaded. But I’m going to need you to take advantage of your Necromancy powers. I need you to kill me.”

  Solus was stuttering at this point. “You can’t ask me to do that.”

  “I just did,” he said simply, laying a hand on Solus’s shoulder. “No one has any idea what is in store. This is the only way that you can show them the truth. Innocent people don’t deserve to have their freedom and thoughts ripped away. You’re the only one that can stop this, Solus.”

  “This is ludicrous. You’re asking me to assist you with suicide, I… I could never bring myself to kill you. We finally reunited after countless years. Are you out of your mind?”

  Kinaju chuckled at the proclamation. “Oh, I’m very much out of my mind. I don’t want to die at all, and I think taking your own life can be a bit cowardly. There’s so much that I haven’t gotten to see while traveling. But, I don’t want to see you and Leilana die either, so now that I’ve had time to think, it’s okay for me to take responsibility and lay my life on the line.”

  “It’s baffling how many times that I’ve been taken by surprise,” Solus mumbled.

  From behind his back, Kinaju revealed the Lasette, holding it out to Solus. “By the way, Leilana said that she wanted this to be hidden a little longer. Her strength has evolved enough, and she wants to take down Hinju with her own hands as a proper Sage rather than a Warlord.”

  The metallic cover of the ever-familiar grimoire drew him back to his childhood when he first laid eyes on the book. Leilana was barely able to conjure spells, and her experiences only grew as they came to interact with one another. They all became stronger over time, their bonds interlocking. To think, Leilana was rejecting her grimoire for her final fight. He hugged the book to his chest. There were many memories concealed within pages that he would never come to read, but they were words that belonged to his beloved. They would meet again sooner than they could hope for. He already knew the proper hiding place. There was a large chest in his room, and he had the key to unlock it in his back pocket, discovered under a loose floorboard after digging around the room out of boredom. Maybe that chest held secrets, and the room’s previous owner wanted them secure.

  After hiding the book and locking up the chest again, all while avoiding the contents inside to save for another day, Solus and Kinaju sat for some time discussing the inner workings of Kinaju’s mind, and Solus grew more conflicted about what was being laid out in front of him.

  “You expect me to go along with this escapade and not question your sanity?”

  Kinaju folded his hands and shrugged. “I mean, it seemed solid to Leilana. We’ve already put everything in motion. Leilana is moving into the crowd, wearing her brother’s cloak to disguise herself. There might be witnesses that you know out there too. Don’t worry. I’ll be right by your side.” Solus remained silent, staring at his empty palms. They held no sound grip on this newfound reality. Kinaju sighed, deciding that maybe it was time to break out the weapons piercing through the hushed room. Time was running out, and there needed to be a mutual comply. “You know, if you can’t see this plan through, you’ll end up having to seize the kingdom, and in time, you’ll have to marry someone else that is deemed worthy of your hand.”

  This grasped Solus’s attention, and he met Kinaju’s gaze. His expression was set in unmistakable determination, which only pleased Kinaju more. “The only one that I have loved was caged away like some sort of animal. And now she is forced to hide in the shadows, lying in wait for me to turn the tides. Leilana is a princess, and she was long before we met. She was always the one that I fought for. If anything, I am the one who is not worthy of her hand.”

  “Then as soon as this is over, you’d better tell her that and not your kid brother.” Kinaju poked Solus’s forehead, lightly shoving him back. “Now you’re fully on board with the end goal. One more thing before we get this underway.”

  “More?” Solus joked. “What else could there-?” A fair-sized sword came into his line of sight, leaving him a bit more bewildered than he would have liked.

  “You broke your sword, then you let my rapier get broken by some foolish guards that don’t know a Tsurugi from a Katana. This is my prized broadsword, the only one that I’ve given a name. And you will be damned for eternity if anything happens to this one. Meet Kurien.”

  Solus held up both hands in disapproval. “I have a history of busting blades, I implore that you don’t trust me with it.”

  “This is the last time, I swear. Kind of because I have to.” He placed the blade in Solus’s hands, running his fingers along the hilt. Solus stared at the younger man in disbelief. “This time I trust you with all of my heart to keep this one safe. I know you won’t let me down.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he agreed.

  “Great! Now… are you prepared to face the end, Solus?”

  “That’s so foreboding.” Solus rose to a stand, glancing out of the window to face the oncoming crowd. They were waiting for him now; they had no idea that they were walking the road of turbulence right along with him. The end of their sorrows was right in his grasp.

  “There won’t be any turning back once you step out onto that balcony,” Kinaju told him.

  “For Leilana and Remiel, I will see things through.”

  Solus placed his hands on the balcony, overlooking the packed courtyard. There wasn’t a single space where someone hadn’t found a place to stand, and he was certain that several officials had made their way to the far-off country just to hear the announcement. Hinju had arranged things far enough in advance, it seemed, perhaps even from the moment that he learned the truth about Solus leaving Linmus for the first time.

  His eyes darted in every direction, seeking out Leilana from the position that Kinaju assigned to her. His eyes first landed on the familiar face of Erya Kros, who gave him a calm nod. The next person to catch his eye was Lancett Lune on the far-right corner of the courtyard, his hands in his pocket and a sword sheathed at his side, giving Solus a knowing look. They were bearing witness to the birth
of a new era and awaited his commands.

  In the middle of the crowd, he spotted the trench-coat once worn by Ennis Erovina, still in prime condition from the day that the lost Warlord first encountered him and the fallen prince. Leilana’s hair was pulled out of her face, tied back with a ribbon. One look at her allowed him to swallow the stalwart aura flowing from her soul. She was prepared, even while he was feeling hesitant. When did they suddenly switch demeanors?

  Hinju stood at his left side, Kinaju at his right. Solus laid a hand on the hilt of his sword, his eyes darting up towards his father. Hinju glanced at him in the corner of his eye and smiled, which made Solus tense. How could someone that seemed so caring be so sinister? Why was his birthright such a curse for his livelihood?

  “You will do fine,” Hinju told him. Solus looked at Kinaju, and the younger man nodded slightly. They would have one opportunity to ensure that everything worked for the kingdom’s best interest.

  Solus took in a gulp of the winter breeze, his tightening muscles becoming loose as he allowed himself to face the people of Adrylis once more. Linmus, a shell that it had become, was still his home, and home it would always be.

  “Good people of Adrylis,” he addressed the crowd, projecting his voice as loudly as he could manage. The simple gesture drew silence in preparation for the news that would follow. Solus’s hands were rattling against the stone, but he kept his head held high. “You have all been gathered today to receive some heart-rending news.”

  Kinaju and Hinju both raised an eyebrow, facing one another, and the newly crowned prince decided to keep from acknowledging it. He supposed getting right to the root of the issue wasn’t smart, but he was far from skilled at speech-giving.

  Solus lowered his head as he stated, “Prince Remiel Ankove Vesarus, heir to the throne of Linmus… has passed away. I was at his side when his life was tragically cut short.”

  Shocked rebuttals and hushed tones emerged from the crowd. Solus watched their once attentive expressions transcend into panic and grief. The Vesarus bloodline had come to an end, for Remiel bore no heir. His eyes darted to Leilana; she had lowered her head and folded her arms, but he could swear even from this distance, he could see the tears filling her eyes. Not once had she cried, though her remorse was always evident. He couldn’t be strong, not like her. His nails were digging into the balcony’s stone bearings, his breaths quickening, his lungs coming close to collapsing into the pits of his stomach. Kinaju was prepared to step towards him as a means of comfort, but Solus held up his hand to stop his movements. He once more lifted his head, his eyes training on Leilana.

  “But there is still hope,” he continued. “Remiel believed that this world could be saved, that there is still good among us. He wanted this kingdom to prosper more than anything. I, Solus Brenner, have been passed his will, and if you should have me, I wish to act on Prince Remiel’s behalf and become your new king. I will allow this kingdom to flourish once more in his stead.” Solus laid a hand on his sword, brandishing the weapon, holding it skyward. “I will cleanse the world of what ails us most.”

  Before Hinju could make any remarks on the speech, Solus plunged his blade into Kinaju’s chest. The younger man had his arms extended outward in preparation, his eyes growing void as he faced his older brother. He coughed, blood splattering onto his clothes, a touch remaining on his lips. He dropped to his knees when Solus snagged his blade free, shaking the blood away.

  Before life could be stolen away from Kinaju completely, Solus laid a hand on the young man’s forehead, shutting his eyes. He knew little of the ancient tongue, but his time in solitude wrought him of reason. He was the deceiver in Hinju’s cruel game, and the wandering warrior with a hidden agenda, playing right into his hands. He was the last living legacy of Hinsuto Leerus, heir to his power, something that not even his own son had inherited before his skills were passed on to followers long gone by now.

  Kinaju’s bones cracked, the torn flesh mending. His skin became pasty, reverting into a shade of grey as grim as the clouds. Solus allowed his fingertips to linger a bit longer over his younger brother’s forehead before pulling away. Kinaju rose to a stand, popped his neck once from left to right, and a mischievous grin spread onto his face as he peered out at the crowd.

  “How may I be of assistance, my liege?”

  Solus folded his arms and lowered his head. “You know the plan, correct?”

  “Of course I do, dear brother!” Kinaju turned his gaze on Hinju, and the man took a step back, glaring down at his two sons before relinquishing his mighty staff. Kinaju seized the bow on his back and fired an arrow, throwing Hinju off balance when the man couldn’t block the attack fast enough and tumbled off the balcony. Before he came close to taking form as a human-sized smear on the ground, he cast a levitation spell to regain his footing, glancing up at the balcony, where Solus was glaring down and Kinaju was setting up for a hearty pursuit.

  “I am a Necromancer, the last from Gularin,” Solus told the world firmly. “And I will shape Adrylis anew with my own hands. I will create a world that Prince Remiel would have fought for, even if it shall cost me my life!” He pointed down at Hinju. “Villains such as you will never take magic away to abuse for your own benefit, no matter what!”

  “Villain, he says,” Hinju hissed. “I only ever gave for you.”

  Kinaju landed on the grass in front of Hinju, sharply facing the man. The crowd erupted into shrieks of terror and shocked gasps. Leilana looked on for only a few passing seconds before she made herself scarce and hid among the band of panicked citizens. Erya and Lancett split off from one another, Erya working to gather the crowds to safety while Lancett surveyed the area and kept his focus on ensuring Leilana’s progression.

  “So, this is the side that you’ve chosen, Kinaju,” Hinju addressed his youngest son as Kinaju lined up another arrow to fire. “I was beginning to wonder when you’d stop working with a broken compass.”

  “There is no place for words, father,” Kinaju told him. “I was given orders, and I will follow them until my body crumbles to dust.”

  Hinju outstretched his hand, eliciting a small flame on the arrowhead that burned out seconds later. Kinaju observed the gesture for himself, watching miniscule droplets of ash fall onto the grass before puffing into a dull smog. “What do you say we battle fairly rather than the use of cheap gimmicks like poison arrows?”

  With no more statements, Kinaju went into action, rushing forward as he launched a few arrows at Hinju, who merely knocked them to the ground with his staff. When he closed the distance between them, Kinaju relinquished a small dagger, aimed at the man’s throat. Hinju slapped the boy’s hand down with his own, catching Kinaju’s wrist when he tried to counterattack, thrusting a sharp gale through Kinaju’s body with his free hand, knocking him to the ground. Solus peered over the edge of the balcony, his nails digging into the metal railing.

  “Thanks for showing up to help last minute, Lance,” Leilana began, looking over the peeling walls inside of the castle. There was one more prior objective that they needed to pull off before they could end the ordeal with Hinju, and it was going to take more than one person’s aide.

  “I’m just surprised that your buddy’s message reached us so fast. He even got us speedy passage into the kingdom so that we could be there for the speech.”

  “I’m not. Kinaju is full of surprises, so it’s not an impending factor. I’m just looking forward to ending all of this, and I’m glad that Kinaju made up his mind about finishing the job. Shame that it meant destroying everything that he knew about his father.”

  “There’s always sacrifice in working for the greater objective,” Lancett agreed. “Pain in the ass that it has to be this way, but I can relate. I’m sure Kindall would have thought on the same wavelength as Kinaju if it came down to it.”

  “Five years now, right?”

  “And I haven’t stopped letting him be an influence, even now,” Lancett joked. Leilana peered around a corner, i
mmediately backpedaling when she spotted one of the undead guards looming about the next corridor. Lancett waited for her to get out of the line of fire before he crept up to the guard as he turned his back, plunging the hilt of his sword into the guard’s neck to knock him unconscious.

  “We need to be careful,” Lancett told her. “Especially if we’re looking to release the prisoners and turn the tides even more. Where exactly are we looking?”

  “Kinaju said that the dungeon key should be in the throne room. Now that it’s unoccupied due to him keeping Hinju at bay, we should be able to swoop in and find it.”

  Lancett gave a mere shrug, but inside, Leilana knew that he was probably bustling with excitement. They were going to the throne room, exploring Archbane Castle, and they were at the heart of Adrylis together. His dream of traveling had come true at long last.

  “If only Amiria and Kindall could have been here,” Lancett suddenly piped up. “I’m sure they would have been shocked to see that the root of all the issues in this world came from someone so close to home and would have seen this battle to its end.”

  “Amiria was shocked,” Leilana admitted. “For a while, we thought she was in on it. But in the last moments, she chose to help us. Without her and Rem, I don’t think we would have set foot here as proper warriors. Their sacrifices won’t be in vain—Solus and I will make sure of it.”

  Upon reaching the throne room, they were surprised to find a multitude of undead civilians and soldiers lined up in the court, lying in wait. They didn’t seem agitated, nor did they seem hesitant or concerned. Rather, they appeared marveled.

  “They’re all staring at you,” Lancett spoke through his teeth, leaning in closer to Leilana, who came into the idea for herself and realized that the undead was indeed ogling her. “It’s weirding me out, and it’s not even eye contact with me.”