“What do you want to know?”
“Tell me about your childhood, your family.”
Elian finished off his tin of beans and reached for the water flask in his pack. He took a swig and wiped his lips.
“My father and mother are serfs. My father, Helias, is a highly skilled carpenter and he’d travelled all over the Imperium before meeting my mother and settling in Fork. Mother served the local baron as his scribe.”
Cassia raised her eyebrows in surprise.
“She could read and write? A rare thing in a serf,” she said.
Elian nodded. It had always been a source of pride for him that both his parents could read and write. He too had been taught by his mother from a young age.
“She taught me to read too. The most rebellious thing she ever did was smuggle old books out of the baron’s library and give them to me to read. I’m sure the baron having them in his possession in the first place was illegal, but I used to love the stories in those pages. Tales of a time long before the Supreme and, all this,” he said gesturing with a hand to the world around them.
“So, you like stories? How about we pass the time and I tell you one?” Cassia said picking up a nearby branch and poked the fire. The flames crackled to cast long shadows on the rocks around them.
“Go on then. I doubt I’ll be able to get much sleep in this place anyway,” he replied enthusiastically. Elian made himself as comfortable as the rocky ground would let him and waited to hear the tale. Cassia drank from her own flask before starting her story.
*
“Long ago, before the peoples of this world knew what it meant to live in cities and towns, they wandered the land. They were tribal in nature, and although conflict wasn’t unheard of, they were relatively peaceful, often banding together when the Larkin hoards would descend from their mountain vastness and cross the Dividing Sea to raid and pillage. Then, one day visitors from another world arrived via something they called magic. Using portals these beings were able to traverse the cosmos seeking new life and knowledge. They educated the tribes and over time civilisation took root. Each tribe claimed lands for their people, and within a few short decades the old kingdoms were formed, the most powerful of which was Aeranyth. The Visitors mingled with the populace and sired children. This mixture of blood created an anomaly in the form of what we call the Power. The natives of our world were unable to use magic in the way the Visitors could and yet the joining of the two peoples created something new. Something that could be harnessed by emotions.
For centuries the Visitors guided the kingdoms and raised those strongest in the Power to the highest levels of society. The Empowered Ones were created and tasked with safeguarding the world from corruption. To protect the weak and uphold the law. Then, suddenly, and without warning, the Visitors departed only leaving a dire warning in their wake. ‘Beware corruption, for it is claiming our world as it will yours if you lose your way.’ It didn’t take long without their guiding hand before the kingdoms turned on one another and the Empowered Ones abused their power.
One day a girl was born in a remote village at the edge of the Kingdom. From the moment of her birth, something was different about her. Her Emergence occurred at the moment she left her mother’s womb, something that had never occurred before. She was immensely strong in the Power, and as she grew up, the other children and villagers were afraid of her. She could do things no other being had been able to do before and soon she drew the attention of the Empowered Ones. A group of them travelled to the village intent on taking the strange girl with them but now she was a headstrong child she resisted. Enraged that her friends and family would surrender her to strangers, she unleashed her powers slaying those sent to retrieve her and destroying the village.”
The fire crackled loudly causing Elian to jump. He’d been transfixed by Cassia’s tale.
“You’re talking about the Supreme, aren’t you?” he surmised.
Cassia stared into the flames as though lost in some distant memory before slowly looking at him.
“I am,” she said softly before continuing.
“Scared and alone, the girl was taken to the capital city of Aeranyth. The city was splendid, more so than any other that stands today. With its white marble towers glistening in the sunshine and brightly coloured banners flapping in the wind. And there, the girl was presented to the Mentors. A council of the most powerful Empowered Ones who were tasked with overseeing all others who possessed the Power. All Gifted were recorded by them and sworn to carry out their will. The girl was terrified of what they would do to her. After all, in her panic and anger, she had slain many people including her own family and those sent to retrieve her. At first, she resisted them, but after many months she began to understand. The Mentors feared her power, but they also saw an opportunity. The girl’s training was brutal and punishing, but out of all of her peers, she was by far the strongest, fastest and smartest. However, as she grew into her powers, the outside world started to fall into darkness. The Visitors warning of corruption had been an apt one, for Gifted and Empowered Ones alike abused their powers. Conflict spread between the kingdoms as each vied for dominance and in the wars that followed countless millions perished. Corruption spread through the ranks of the Empowered Ones to the point where some had declared themselves Kings or Queens and carved out petty kingdoms of their own. Aeranyth itself was carved up by various factions as the true monarchy was overthrown, their bloodline exiled. With the bloodletting getting worse and worse the Mentors made a terrible choice. The Visitors had departed, but to the Mentors, they had entrusted an object of immense power from their world; the Oracle, which they had sealed away in the temple built on the site of their arrival. In a desperate attempt to reassert their authority the Mentors travelled to the temple. In their number were Empowered Ones yet to be corrupted by the lust for power and riches. Included in that number was the girl who was now a young woman. They broke the seal of the temple and went inside, and there they saw it. The Oracle, the Power in its purest form. Soon the Mentors were arguing amongst themselves over who should wield it, and soon even they, the people who were supposed to be incorruptible fell to wickedness. Violence broke out, and soon the Empowered Ones fought one another, yet all the while the girl watched on in horror. It was then that she made a choice. She would harness the Oracle; she would bring order back to the world. As the others fought, she entered the Oracle’s chamber and was forever changed.”
“How do you know this story?” Elian asked, interrupting once again. Never had he heard this tale, even Vavius had been vague on the details about the Supreme. The way Cassia told it, with such passion and sorrow in her voice made him believe that she’d been there in person or had heard it from someone who had.
Cassia sat back and stretched her back. She smiled.
“It was a story my mother often told me when I was a little girl. It reminds me of her,” she answered softly, her eyes distant.
“What is the Oracle? It’s what made the Supreme immortal right?”
She nodded and poked at the fire once more.
“It is the Power made manifest. There are dark tales that say the Visitors would abduct and experiment on Gifted and Empowered Ones in order to understand it. Some say those experiments succeeded, that they were able to draw out the Power and contain it. No one knows for sure, but when the Supreme touched it, her powers were magnified a hundred-fold.
Once the quarrelling Mentors realised what she’d done, they tried to kill her. None was a match for her, not even the one who had trained her from childhood. She slew them all without mercy for she now saw everything through new eyes. They had been touched by the Corruption the Visitor’s had warned them about. She, on the other hand, hadn’t been tainted but now she understood what was at stake and what the Corruption would bring.”
“And that is?”
Cassia fixed Elian with a hard stare. Her eyes piercing into his very soul causing him to shudder despite the warmth of the fire.
<
br /> “The End of all things.”
A cold chill ran down Elian’s spine at the words. Images of the First Fear flashed in his mind. It too had warned him of such a cataclysm and that the Supreme was hell-bent on preventing it. He looked at his hands, his palms now sweaty. The First Fear had said that he was the key to the Supremes’ plans, that was why she was now hunting him.
“The First Fear told me about that,’ he muttered, ‘but I still have no idea what it meant. It told me it was a power, something that could lead to the extinction of all life. It almost made it sound like it was a sentient force.”
Cassia stood and walked over to him. She crouched next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders.
“Is the Supreme right?” he said, scarcely believing his own words. The end of the world was what the Hollowed had said, and now Cassia’s story added to his confusion. The Supreme had enslaved the world and brought untold misery to its people, but was there a reason why she had done it?
Cassia squeezed his shoulder and shook her head.
“It’s just a story Elian. One that I’m not sure I even believe anymore,” she replied softly. “Now, try and get some sleep we have a long day ahead of us.”
She rose and walked back to the opposite side of the fire.
“I’ll take first watch,” she said, but Elian was already snoring gently.
***
Chapter 8.
The Sojourn Forest
The Sojourn forest had long been a sanctuary for those on the run from the law, which is what made it the best place for the Liberators to hide. The vast ancient woodlands had long been regarded as impenetrable by countless adventurers and explorers, but to the desperate, it was a refuge. Marcian had learnt from his past mistakes that had resulted in a Hollowed finding and destroying his old base of operations. After fleeing Asta, he had set his people to work establishing decoy forts throughout the forest. So far, the plan had worked with several Imperium insurgencies being easily thwarted. Now here they were in the main encampment, a narrow valley covered with tall aspen trees and wild oaks.
The narrow valley was the perfect kill zone, and any force trying to strike would have to run a gauntlet of musket fire and booby traps. The terrain made the use of cavalry impossible, removing one of the key advantages the Imperium had. He walked through the camp; his heart heavy. Hestra had proven that his soldiers could handle themselves, but resources were alarmingly low even after calling in every favour and contact he and Erin had. He nodded to a group of exhausted-looking fighters who were sat around a campfire and made his way toward the command hut, a structure built into the valley's stone wall. He went inside to find Erin deep in conversation with the dark-skinned Arika Visp and her burly bodyguard Tiberio. At seeing him, they ceased their conversation. Erin looked at him and pointed at what looked like a newspaper lying on the planning table. Curious, he walked over to it and immediately regretted doing so.
"The bastards have turned our victory into a defeat," Erin said with barely contained fury.
“It’s propaganda nothing more. Did you really think they wouldn’t use every weapon at their disposal to discredit us? You say a defeat. I see this as a victory,” he replied finger stabbing at the page.
“Oh, and how do you figure that?” Erin retorted.
“Think about it. In all our years fighting the Imperium when have they ever publicised that we even existed? The Venerable Chamber does all it can to keep news of resistance from the people, yet, now here we are on the front page. I think they’re afraid of us; they cannot hide that we defy the Supreme any longer,” he said confidently. He picked up the paper and screwed it into a ball before tossing it to the floor.
“We overthrew Asta’s garrison. We gave their army a bloody nose when they tried to retake it, and now, we’ve struck at the heart of Hestra. Uprisings are taking place right across the Imperium. They are losing their grip, Erin. We’re getting to the bastards.”
Tiberio and Visp nodded their heads in agreement. Erin didn’t look anywhere near as convinced.
“Speaking of Hestra, a number of those we freed are experts with demolitions and mining. One of them, in particular, has an impressive resume, a chap named Bron. Was a former sapper in the Imperium army before he defected. He wasn’t on the run for long, they soon recaptured and enslaved him,” said Erin. “He’s already come forward as willing to join our ranks. I reckon he and his comrades would be fine additions to the Blue Coats.”
Marcian nodded.
“That’s good. We need all the men and expertise we can get our hands on.”
“Perhaps you’re right about the propaganda Marcian, but it won’t matter either way unless we can find a way to resupply. We’re dangerously low on food, weapons and ammunition. We used the last of our gunpowder at Hestra,” she explained ticking off each point with her fingers.
“That is where we come in,” Visp said.
Marcian raised an eyebrow at the Arikar. Since Asta, she and Tiberio had proven invaluable at scrounging resources and training the troops.
“Arikar is the only land that the Supreme has been unable to conquer. For two hundred years my people have been fighting her Imperium. Our warriors are excellent, but there is more to our resistance than mere determination.”
“And that is?” Marcian asked.
“White steel. It is an alloy that only Arikar blade masters can manufacture,” she said, drawing a vicious looking curved dagger from her belt. She placed the weapon on the table. Sure enough, the blade shone brightly as the sunlight caught it.
“Far superior to Imperium steel, it can cut through any armour not made from the same metal. In such armour, Arikar warriors can take a lot of punishment, even survive a volley of musket fire, and sometimes the blows dealt out by Gifted.”
Marcian whistled in disbelief at that. To possess such weapons and armour could give the Liberators an advantage.
Visp picked up the dagger and handed it to him.
“Keep it. As a thank you for taking us in.”
Marcian took the weapon by the hilt and marvelled at its intricate design.
“You don’t need to thank me Visp.”
“Why would the Arikar help us? I thought they despised all outsiders and let’s not forget that their lands are a long way from here. We’d need to wrest control of the Dividing Sea, and then we’d need to somehow establish a supply line through hostile territory,” Erin interrupted.
Visp smiled and looked at Tiberio with a mischievous glint in her eye.
“Leave that to me. I have many contacts in the Imperium underworld that can assist us. Some of them are the best smugglers alive and have slipped through Imperium blockades more times than I can count.”
Marcian ran a hand through his black hair and looked Visp in the eye.
“What do you need to pull this off?” he asked.
“Just Tiberio here as an escort and perhaps your lady friend.”
Marcian blinked.
“Lizella?”
“She can handle herself well in a fight, not to mention that she has a way of influencing people. I saw the way she wrapped General Rickon around her finger back in Asta,” Visp said.
It was true that over the past few months Lizella had become a fearsome fighter in her own right. Her determination to learn how to shoot had seen her practice day and night until now she was more than a match for the best sharpshooters in the Liberators. At swordplay, she’d even bested Marcian on a few occasions. It was also true that she did indeed have a way with both men and women alike. Her looks played no small part in her being able to influence the men, but she was also intelligent and kind so that people naturally trusted her. In their time together, he’d grown to respect her as the strong woman she was, and as he now faced the prospect of her leaving his side, he realised how much he cared for her. Despite that, he could find no reason why she shouldn’t go with Visp. She’d proven her metal at Hestra; she was ready for such a mission.
“I cannot speak f
or her. It’ll be her decision if she wants to go or not,” he said finally.
“I’ll go and get her,” Erin said. The fiery redhead left the cabin leaving Marcian alone with Visp and Tiberio.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about,” Visp said conspiratorially.
“My contacts in the Eastern Imperium sent me word that Vavius was sighted in the lands of Forlorn. After Asta, I reached out to my contacts to keep an eye out for him. Seems he was in a hurry and briefly dropped all pretence of stealth. Apparently, he eliminated an Imperium patrol close to the Asylum.”
Marcian scowled at the news. This was news for Elian and Rea not him. Vavius had betrayed them all, but it was they who were hell-bent on catching the bastard. The affairs of Gifted and Empowered Ones was of little interest to the Liberators. Rea had made it quite clear that they would only offer limited support to their struggle. He’d seen how Vavius and Elian had fought at Asta, how between them they’d been able to bring down three Guardians and dispatch numerous enemy Gifted. It had been an incredible sight to witness.
“Did your informant tell you what Vavius was doing there? It seems odd he’d go to the one place all Gifted would fear to tread.”
“Haven’t a clue, but whatever the reason it cannot be good. My man followed him as best he could. He lost his trail at the coast.”
Marcian rubbed his chin in thought. Something was amiss, he could feel it in his gut. He reached for a piece of parchment and hastily scribbled what Visp had told him on its surface. Such news would be of interest to Rea down in Olandis. Word had reached the camp of her arrival in the city only the day before when one of the messenger pigeons arrived from the south. Each Liberator cell operating in each of the Imperium’s cities had a coop of the birds for such a purpose. Once he finished writing the message, he rolled the parchment up and handed it to Tiberio.
“Take this to Jip. He’ll know what to do. The Gifted may have left our side, but we won’t leave theirs,” he said.
The Temple of Arrival Page 6
