Son of Ereubus

by J. S. Chancellor

  Garren looked up. “What?”

  “Ariana. The day you released her from Palingard. Ciara approached her in Arcadia. She was trying to persuade Ariana against going any further, which would keep her from crossing over into our borders. She appeared to her as a child.”

  Garren stood up from his bed and started to circle the room.

  Michael thought for a moment that it was odd that he didn’t feel the urge to pace himself. “I’m unsure what your place is in all of this is. You speak our language when it’s never been taught to you, and in a vision you speak in a tongue that only you and Ariana posses. I can’t ignore that.” Michael knew his next sentence wouldn’t be anticipated. “I’m requesting that you appear before the elders. The council may have questions for you that I want to give you a fair chance to answer. Perhaps if they see the difference in you, as I have seen, it will steer the course of things to come.”

  Garren turned his gaze to the ground. Michael could almost reach out and touch his remorse. It couldn’t have been an easy choice to make — walking away from everything he’d ever believed. Michael had been wrong, Garren hadn’t chosen Adoria based on her leniency, he couldn’t have. He’d never known mercy.

  “I don’t know if in the pace of the last two days that I’ve thanked you for saving Ariana’s life.” Michael dipped his head to catch Garren’s eye. “You don’t know what it’s done to change mine. And dream or not, you saved my life when you thought the threat was real. I felt the blood rushing through my veins at the same pace that it must have yours. While I cannot forget the wrongs that have been done to my people, I can personally forgive you for them. It’s easy to be honorable and just when you’ve always been so. It’s clearly another matter when it’s against all that you’ve been taught to believe.”

  Garren’s breathing quickened. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness. All this time, I assumed my father’s blessings upon my actions and I have done nothing but shame him.”

  Michael shook his head. How many times had he told Ariana that darkness flowed through the veins of all of Eidolon and here he was retracting that statement to his sworn enemy? Maybe the world had fallen to pieces. “You are everything that I would have been, had I been raised in your world, Garren. While our ideals and methods have been drastically different, our dedication to our beliefs is the same. That’s why I want you to meet with the council. I want them to hear your words — see what I have seen.”

  Garren swallowed hard. “I would still be that being had I not found Ariana. Her presence, just the simple touch of my hand on her cheek, irrevocably changed everything for me.”

  Michael remembered what Ariana had told him about their conversation. “I have been relayed a very different version of your feelings for my sister.”

  Garren sat down on the floor. “Ariana dreamt when she was in Eidolon that your father came to her and told her that you would be there soon and I remember well her calling out for you several times in her suffering. My feelings for her are stronger than anything I’ve ever known. But I am at death’s door and have no intention of leaving her with resentment toward you for what must be done. Selfishly, I want her by my side in my last hours. But because I love her, I cannot allow it.”

  Michael was speechless. He’d taken Garren for many things, none of which was selfless. “Then what changes have been wrought in you are not false. What I have witnessed is truth.”

  “Michael, you must listen to me. Merely being in close proximity with her, near her in any fashion, awakens emotions and experiences that I’ve never known. It’s as if I’ve lived two lives, one of righteousness, one of depravity. But it may be a persuasion of one whom you cannot afford to trust, The Laionai or the Goddess herself. Do what you know to be right, and let fate be what it may. It was my introduction into her life that brought all of this on, so perhaps when I’m no longer breathing, it will cease.”

  Michael looked at the floor. Garren’s words had truth behind them, but to what extent? He’d have to trust that he’d know what to decide when the time came. He had no other choice.

  “We’ll see. You haven’t eaten anything. If you are ill, then I will send for our healer. If not, then give your body what it needs. Your judgment in our realm doesn’t include your suffering needlessly.” He gave Garren as much of a smile as he could given the circumstances. “I will send another plate of hot food and a blanket. If you change your mind, let the guard know, and he will summon Aulora.”

  Michael left the cell and stood in the hall for a moment with his back against the wall. He concentrated only on his breathing — everything else was far too overwhelming.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  SEVEN KINGS

  S

  he’d left Michael with the intention of resting, but her curiosity was too much, especially in consideration of all that had transpired. And of course in conjunction with Michael’s revelation — she couldn’t fathom having powers. There had been so many things throughout her life that had made her feel less than normal, but she couldn’t conceive of what he’d described. Yet, she was hardly in a position to argue that what he’d said couldn’t be possible. After all, her father had done what he had for a reason.

  “How far is the Saeculum?”

  Duncan, who’d met her in Michael’s doorway as she was leaving, took a moment before answering. It seemed as though it had been awhile since he’d been there himself. “Not too far. An hour’s ride or so.”

  He scratched his beard, his brows furrowed. “I chose to bite my tongue in Michael’s presence, but if this ever happens again, I won’t leave your scolding to him — I’ll personally make sure that you understand the consequences of your actions. Many died in Eidolon to bring you back here safely. I know you care about Sara, but being whose daughter and sister you are, you must realize your actions have more weight than before. You may not consider it much to risk your life, but it means everything to Michael. And to me.” He reached over, and pulled her to him.

  “I’m sorry Duncan,” she whispered.

  He patted her back roughly with his hand, and then released her. Taking her by the shoulders, he leaned down to face her eye to eye. “I heard a rumor that you defeated a few of their men before being apprehended. Is this true?”

  “Eight or nine? I wasn’t really in a position to keep count.” She rubbed her shoulder where Aiden’s blade had pierced her, the memory lingered still.

  “Nine?” He laughed. “That shouldn’t surprise me. I’ll give you this, you’re brave. I have had grown Adorians twice your size cower in their boots at the sheer thought of going anywhere near Eidolon, and you ran off alone in the night to walk right into it. Did you see her? Was she still alive?”

  “Yes. She’s one of the breeders, as you said she might be.”

  He tilted his head to the side, his hands shoved into his coat pockets as they walked down the corridor. “So, you saw her in the outer courts.”

  She knew without asking where this conversation was going. “I followed them into observance. You didn’t think I would go there unprepared to find her did you?” His eyes grew wide, as she expected. “I’m too tired to go over all of this again, do we have to talk about it right now?”

  “No. You don’t really want company today do you?”

  She paused before answering. She felt guilty considering all that he had gone through for her sake.

  “It’s alright. You aren’t going to hurt my feelings. We have been constantly by your side since you arrived here. I will tell you how to get there, just make sure you take Koen with you, please. Give an old Adorian some peace of mind at least.”

  She leaned down to pet him. “Of course, I’d be lost without him.”

  Duncan smiled and began to give her directions.

  As she ventured beyond Cyphrus, out into the countryside, she thought of her conversation with Michael. Why would her father have asked her brother if he recalled the way to the Saeculum, had it not had a purpose? As soon as Michael had said the word
s, she immediately wanted to see it for herself.

  She’d been riding almost an hour, when she saw the thick overgrowth on the rocks ahead as Duncan had described. At first she decided that she’d in fact stopped in the wrong place, but something caught her eye. Beneath the vines and foliage, she saw what looked like stone.

  It was a stairwell, twined with ivy and twisting root. It lay beneath years of detritus. She pulled at the vines and after awhile she found that the stairs led to the mouth of a hall. She looked back at Koen.

  “Well, I suppose this is it, are you coming?”

  Koen stayed frozen in place near the horse.

  “Koen, you coward! Fine, suit yourself. They’ll come after you if something eats me in here.” Taking a deep breath, she started into the hall.

  She’d gone several yards into the darkness when Duncan’s assurance of Aurora stones was made good. Except this time, they weren’t randomly scattered about, they were gathered in groups and held in bowls carved from ordinary stone.

  She continued further, running her hands along the walls as they led her deep into the ground, finding that it was nothing like she’d expected. The hall evolved into a complicated series of columned corridors.

  The light from the stones became so intense it was as though it were daylight. Looking around, she found herself amazed that there were no signs of the years that had to have passed since anyone had been there. There were no spider webs, and just the lightest covering of dust upon the floor. Just like it had been in Arcadia.

  Its beauty took her breath away. She’d already been told by Bronach that the Saeculum preceded Adorian record and she could see where their ancestry had been born. How could Michael have left out how indescribable it was? The deeper she progressed, the more ornate everything became. Sculptures stood esoteric along the length of the halls.

  The immortals. Their eyes pierced her with the knowledge of things that she could scarcely dream of. She could feel it in her blood. The main throughway that she was following led finally to a dead end. A large wooden door with intricate carvings stood before her.

  After trying the door and discovering it to still be locked, she looked for a keyhole and found none. She considered going down another hall, that maybe this wasn’t the door Michael had been referring to, but as she ran her fingers over the roughness of the wood, she came to a shape she recognized.

  She pulled the key from her cloak pocket.

  “Is this what you intended?” She placed the key flat against the door and slipped it into place, where it appeared to merge with the wood. The door moved and resonated with what sounded like pins falling into place from a large lock. She lifted the handle and began to leverage her weight against it. Moving smoothly, the door opened to reveal an immense room. As she walked farther in, she realized there was no light beyond the doorway. She reached back, remembering her luck with the stones in the castle and picked up one of them. Without moving any further, she lifted the stone in her hand, shining the light around her.

  It started slowly at first. Hundreds of sconces lined the walls. Holding the stones like torches, the sconces stirred to life. Once all of them were lit, she could see the room clearly. It was beyond majestic. It seemed similar in size to where Jareth had taken her, but this was a room that had been soaked in complicated forethought. Everything had detail. The floor was made of carved stone. A perfect circle, it reminded her a little of the sanctuary that she’d seen in Arcadia, yet a thousand times more spectacular.

  At the top of the ceiling, words were carved into the border. The characters looked foreign to her at first. She walked out into the center of the room.

  “What did you know that you couldn’t tell us?” she whispered, thinking of her father. Though she knew what she’d intended to say, it sounded strange to her ears. She froze as she realized that she wasn’t speaking either the common tongue or Adorian.

  Everything around her began to shift. She turned her gaze toward the ceiling as she tried to regain her bearings. The words started to change shape. When the room stopped spinning and her vision cleared, the formerly unknown words were as known to her as her own flesh.

  Her mind couldn’t wrap itself around what she’d just read. It was too great, too much for her to comprehend. Could it be? Could they have known — even before mortal man had summoned Ciara into Middengard? Adorian history had given no such illusions, yet here upon the walls of those who breathed before all others — here it was inscribed in stone. Everything was there save one small detail.

  Seven. It foretold of seven members of the Laionai, not six as she’d always heard. Jenner himself had spoken of them as six individuals now acting as one collective.

  Seven kings of Man will rule in the last days. Darkness, long awaited, will appeal to them and they will open the gates between the realms and death shall pass over all created kind. A sacrifice will be offered — one life for many. A wager will be made against this sacrifice, the outcome of which will depend upon a battle born of blood and bone, immortal against immortal.

  The souls will be gathered and a great age of suffering shall be ushered in. The Mortal Coil will grant power to the Oni, as the second prophecy is fulfilled and the souls wage battle against the winged ones. The six kings of men will then, in judgment, stand before the seventh. A second darkness, the beloved one, shall come forth to fight the final battle. This day shall bring with it either eternal salvation or immortal death.

  “We’ve been waiting for you.”

  Ariana wasn’t sure how long she had been there, staring at the words in mute awe, before she heard him speak. It was more than a voice. It was resplendent, unlike any mortal being. She turned and fell to her knees.

  Light radiated from the beings before her, casting everything else into shadow. She felt a hand cup her chin and lift her face. “It is not you who should kneel.” He lowered his hand to help her to her feet, bowing his upper body as he did so.

  He had blonde hair and an ageless face, the vague physicality of a mortal man, but the similarities ended there. His skin might as well have been made of light itself.

  “I don’t understand,” she murmured. “Why me?”

  He smiled sadly. “I fear your questions must go unanswered for now. Garren will be sentenced to death by poison. You will see the vial brought to his lips, and then you must trust me — he will not meet death in this realm.”

  “What of the prophecy?”

  The being shook his head, murmuring something below his breath as he touched her on the cheek.

  Ariana bolted upright from where she lay. Looking up at the canopy of her bed, she took a deep breath, remembering that she’d changed her mind and gone to lie down after speaking with Duncan. She shivered despite the roaring fire at the foot of her bed.

  … and then you must trust me.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  I HAVE NOTHING

  LEFT TO GIVE

  G

  arren rose from his bed and walked into the hall to meet Michael. He was still as the guard bound his hands behind his back. As many times as he’d done this to another, it was the first time he’d ever experienced the helplessness himself. He kept his head down as they made their way to where the elders were waiting.

  Two armed soldiers opened the double doors and he was ushered in. He noted the elders were dressed in dark blue and white. He was guided to a chair beside Michael.

  “Garren, we meet as a council to decide your fate. It has been brought to our attention that there has been wrought within you a change of sorts. Do you feel this matter carries enough weight to keep you from your rightful penance?” It was the same elder who’d spoken to Michael at the border to Adoria.

  When Garren spoke, his voice was low, still tired from everything that had transpired. “What has been done at my hands cannot be undone by any change of heart, no matter how sincere.”

  “You have come into this realm then, knowing that your death awaits you. You chose to save one of our daughters, yet
you demand no payment for her return?”

  Garren was taken aback by the question. “She is worth more than any payment my life could bring. I will make no such request, no matter what is leveraged against me. I go to my end willingly.”

  The elder rose, and began to walk around the room. “The Laionai have begun to train an army of men. This is the army that you were commissioned to lead? What purpose did it serve, considering that none aside from our own blood can enter our realm unaccompanied?”

  “I have been in the presence of the Laionai. I believe Ciara’s intentions were to wield what powers I possessed to breach the divide. She must have known that I was part Adorian. I naively assumed I was chosen for the powers I had, but it was my lineage instead. I will be of no use to her dead.”

  The elder stopped, and turned toward him. “You speak in past tense. Are you no longer carrying powers of your own?”

  Garren took a stifled breath. “I have bare abilities, no more than any average Ereubinian. What had been granted by the Laionai was taken from me without my knowledge. I cannot explain what has happened save to say that it directly relates to Ariana. If I were any use to you at all, I would gladly offer my life in servitude instead, but it is my death that will bring you the most benefit. There is no punishment that will justify or right the transgressions I have committed.”

  The elder remained quiet.

  Garren flexed his hands at his sides and looked at the ground. It wasn’t death that frightened him, but the judgment of the Adorian people that surrounded him. The disdain was so thick it was tangible.

  “Michael, what say you?”

  Michael rose, and placed his hand on Garren’s shoulder. “I say it is to be left to a vote. The Adorian people are whom the crimes have been committed against. It will be you who decides. A show of hands. Who among you says he shall live?”

  The silence was deafening. Garren didn’t lift his head, but he heard not a single shred of fabric rub against another. It was unanimous.