by Matt Heppe
“But you can’t be. You don’t look—”
He laughed. It was a young sound that gave no hint of his age. “Thou wert imagining a monster? A flame-scaled giant with a mighty ram’s head? Dagger-like steel talons? Perhaps dragon wings as well? Akinos is none of those things, as thou canst well see.”
Hadde tore her gaze from the Orb and looked into Akinos’s eyes. It wasn’t possible. This couldn’t be Akinos. But how could she deny the Orb?
“Five hundred years of lies have turned Akinos into a horrible beast,” he continued. “Five hundred years of stories and legends reviling his deeds have turned him into the Slayer, the Betrayer, the Lord of Death.” He leaned closer in his chair. “But there is another story. One thou hast not been told.
“Akinos’s dear brother was Handrin the Great. Savior of the Light, wielder of the Godshield Forsvar, victor of the War for the Orb, and a most horrible tyrant.”
“But Handrin was good,” she said. “All the stories say so.”
“Thusly his descendants, or shall we name them worshippers, want one to believe. They wrote the legends that have been passed down over the centuries. Dost thou think the House of Handrin wants the truth to be known?” Akinos shook his head. “If Akinos had not slain him, Handrin would have taken the Orb and used it to make himself, not the keeper of life, as Helna intended, but the absolute master of all life. He would have used the Orb of Creation to enslave the world for his own vile pleasures.”
“He was a great man,” Hadde objected. “He slew the veden.”
“Ahh, yes, the veden. The evil slayers of the innocent spiridus—the beautiful, fey creatures of Landomere who lived in harmony with the Great Forest.” Akinos laughed again, but this time the sound was humorless. “Thou hast learned how the evil veden slaughtered them, but those stories are all purest falsehoods.
“They were not evil,” he continued. “They were only the veden. And their only wrongdoing was being on the losing side of a war. The veden were a graceful, magical people. Does it make them evil that they preferred night over day? The stars and the moon over the sun? Thusly their god created them. They worked no evil in their hearts.”
He pointed a finger at her. “Thou thinkest they destroyed the spiridus, dost thou not? The spiridus joined the War for the Orb late—thine own legends tell thee so. But the legends lie when they tell thee the Army of Light was near destruction and the veden were on the verge of conquering all under their evil onslaught. Wishest thou to know the truth, Hadde?”
“I know the truth," she said. "They were evil. The veden came to Landomere and killed all of the spiridus. They destroyed Belavil. I’ve seen the ruins.” In her mind she pictures the beautiful ruins as they must have once appeared—terraces overflowing with gardens of flowers, homes carved from the mountain itself and adorned with flowing scrollwork vines. The veden had left the city a shattered ruin. She had been told so her entire life.
“In truth, the veden dangled on the brink of destruction. They barely held strong their last refuge, in Antok. But so strong was Antok that Handrin and the other human elementars could not break its ramparts asunder.
“The spiridus were convinced to join the war when Handrin promised to craft them another forest in Rigaria, the veden homeland. It was Orlos who made this vile deal and sealed the fate of both the veden and the spiridus. And so the invisible spiridus crept into Antok and massacred the entire population of veden women and children. Every last one was slain.”
“That isn’t true! Orlos—”
“Akinos was there!” The Orb’s pulse quickened and its light momentarily blinded Hadde. She recoiled from Akinos’s anger. “It happened! Only after this heinous crime did the veden swear revenge on Landomere. Only then did the veden take flight, knowing all was lost and their race doomed. They went to Landomere and lay waste to it. The spiridus earned their just reward.”
Akinos fell back in his chair, his breath labored.
Hadde could only stare and shake her head. None of it was true. How could it be? Everything he said went against everything she had ever learned. Her parents, the village elders, everyone knew the story of the destruction of Belavil by the Demon Lords. Akinos denied it all, and there he sat in front of her, Helna's golden orb in his hand. “I’m part spiridus. All Landomeri are,” she whispered. “The Spiridus never would have...”
“And thou wert told silly fables of midnight trysts and frolicking in the woods only to come back pregnant, always hoping to be kidnapped again. Dost thou wish to know the truth? It is named rape. But that does not make for nearly so charming a tale.”
She glanced from Akinos’s face to the Orb. Her head swam with images from her people’s stories. Were they all lies? She didn’t want to believe it, but her doubt couldn’t get past the Orb of Creation. It brought her back from death. She felt its goodness.
“And what about you? What about the evil you’ve wrought? What about the varcolac?” she asked.
“Some suffering must be endured if the world is to be redeemed.” He leaned forward in his chair. “It took centuries to master the Orb. It would have been easier had Akinos been an elementar. But sadly, he lacked his brother’s blessing. For a time Akinos fled from place to place, pursued by Handrin’s henchmen. He finally found refuge deep under Antok in Rigaria. There, with the help of lore locked in veden tomes, he made his first advances. It took time to accomplish his goals, so at first he used the Orb only to sustain his own life. To extend it and nourish it. That accomplished, he sought answers.”
“To what?” Hadde asked. “What would he—you—accomplish?”
“Akinos sought to create a perfect world. A paradise without want. For in want rests all evil. But just as he found the answer, the Wasting struck. Akinos needed more time, but the Wasting forced his hand. Although he was not yet ready, he had to emerge from hiding. But how would he be received? Could he just ride forth from Rigaria and announce himself? Come everyone, Akinos the Good has come to save you! Would anyone believe him? Would anyone trust him?”
“Maybe they would have. Maybe you could have proven yourself to them.” She didn't believe her own words as she said them. There was no word more vile than Akinos’s own name. There was no stronger word for evil—for treachery.
“Akinos prove himself redeemed? The monster who slew Handrin the Great? Thou thinkest the House of Handrin would rejoice at the arrival of their ancient relative? Akinos had to use other means. He dared not risk a long struggle and possible defeat. Were he defeated, the Wasting would swallow us all. He devised a plan. One that would cause pain, he knew, but only for a short time.
“It was imperative that Akinos accomplish two tasks. Weaken Salador and divide Boradin and Morin. United they could defeat him.”
“Why did you cause so much pain?” Hadde asked. “The varcolac have terrorized so many. They attacked my village! My people! Did you send them out? Did you create them?”
“Do not blame the varcolac. They are not evil. They issued forth to demonstrate unto the people of Salador that their king could not protect them. And so Akinos sent forth the varcolac to do what necessity dictated. If some went to Landomere, Akinos apologizes. They ranged too far.”
Hadde frowned. There was no excuse for what the varcolac did.
“Akinos caused some pain in order to accomplish his goal,” he continued. “But is he unique in this, Hadde? Prince Morin is good, is he not?”
“Yes, he wants to save his people. He wants to end the Wasting.”
“And his answer to fighting the Wasting is slaughtering the Tysk? Knowest thou how he treats them? He and his men slay their warriors by the hundreds. The women and children he steals as slaves for sale in Estoria—those that they deem valuable. The weak, the old, the very young, they kill.”
Hadde clenched her fists. “You’re lying. Morin would never do such things. The Tysk are savage raiders.”
“How dost thou know this? Because he tells you so? Ending the Wasting is not his true motivation. He fi
ghts the Tysk to gain the Teborans and Namiri as allies. For what purpose? To overthrow his brother. That is his only goal, Hadde. That is what consumes him.”
Hadde looked away. She wanted to deny him, but she had heard the same words before. Did you know that Prince Morin is a traitor? Queen Ilana’s words echoed in Hadde’s mind. He will do anything to become king. And if he succeeds he will take me as his wife and adopt Handrin as his heir. You, Hadde, are just a momentary distraction from grander schemes.
Akinos’s voice brought her back. “Why do people do evil things to one another? Because of desire. They covet what others have. Riches, power, and the pleasures of the flesh… and when they cannot have what they covet, they take it. Is this not so, Hadde?”
She shook her head. She wanted to refuse him, but she knew that his words were true. “I’ve seen what you are talking about. Especially in Salador. But people don’t behave that way in Landomere. We treat each other with kindness and generosity.”
“Has it saved you?”
“It has saved us from murder and jealousy and theft. We don’t have those things.”
“But has it saved you from the Wasting?” Akinos asked.
“No, but we cannot control the Wasting. It’s a force of nature.”
“Thou art wrong. The Wasting reflects human evil. It is nature’s response to our wickedness. How do we end the Wasting? We end our own evil. How do we end our own evil? We eliminate want. We eliminate human desire.”
“That cannot be done. Everyone wants something, at least a little.”
“The eternals do not want for anything. They do not fear the Wasting. The Orb of Creation provides all they need in life. They feel no hunger, no pain, no sickness, no fatigue, and no jealousy. They feel none of those things because the Orb protects and nourishes them. They do not even fear time itself. The Eternal Knights are immortal.”
“I’ve seen them hurt. Morin slew one.”
“They can be slain.” He grimaced. “What a terrible loss it is. But as soon as our goal is accomplished there will be no more fighting. We will all be eternal.”
“What do you mean? You wish to make us all eternal? We’ll all be like the silver men?”
“That is the paradise Akinos seeks.”
Hadde recoiled at the thought. “But I never… I don’t want—”
The Orb flashed in his hand as he held it toward her. “Touch it, Hadde.”
She shook her head.
“It will do you no harm. It saved you.”
Hadde knew his words were true. The Orb had saved her. Without taking her eyes from the flashing crystal, and almost without thought, she reached out and gently placed her fingertips on the sphere. In an instant its magic overwhelmed her. She gasped as the Orb’s magic thrilled through her torso and into her limbs; the pleasure of it was beyond any she had ever felt. Beyond any she had ever imagined. A warm golden glow enveloped her and left her unable to think or move.
After a while, she had no idea how long, Akinos’s voice emanated from the golden light surrounding her. “Where is the evil, Hadde?”
“There isn’t any.”
“Wouldst thou deny the world the grace of the Orb? Wouldst thou delay the moment at which all could feel the healing touch?”
“No.”
“Then help Akinos, Hadde. Help him heal the world.”
The wonderful cocoon surrounding her receded. Hadde cried out for it to return.
“Akinos is sorry, Hadde,” Akinos replied. “If he could, he would make thee eternal. Thou couldst feel the touch of the Orb at every moment. But he cannot. Not yet. He has not the strength.”
The golden glow receded and Hadde found herself still touching the Orb, but it was cold and the magic was gone. She slowly withdrew her hand.
“Therein lies the problem,” he said, his voice weary. “Akinos lacks the strength. He cannot accomplish his goal because he is too weak. It takes much of the Orb’s strength simply to keep him alive.”
“Why not make yourself eternal?”
“Akinos tried, but it nearly killed him. To become eternal one must be strong of body and of spirit. Akinos is too old. He needs an heir. One to whom he can pass on both the Orb and his knowledge.”
“Who? Morin?”
“No. Akinos desires Morin as an ally, but not as an heir. Nor his brother. They are too set in their ways. Akinos wishes young Handrin to be his heir. He has the innate talent. He is young enough. He will complete Akinos’s vision.”
“Why do you call him an heir? Can’t the Orb sustain you forever?”
He closed his eyes. “And so Akinos prepares himself for the ultimate sacrifice. The moment the Orb leaves his hand, Akinos dies. But his death shall free the Orb’s power to save us all. He must sacrifice himself to save you.” Akinos sagged in his chair. “Akinos grows weary. His children, his eternals, the healing, all draw his strength. But I… Akinos does not begrudge it. They accomplish much as our victory nears.
“Morin will come to you soon. Tell him what thou hast seen. Tell him what thou hast experienced. And soon, this evening perhaps, Akinos will see you both before him.”
Akinos closed his eyes, and for a moment Hadde thought he had fallen asleep. Then, without warning, the two capcaun returned and gently carried him from the room.
For a time Hadde sat and wondered at what Akinos had told her. Could she believe him? She stared at her hands. Whom could she believe? Akinos, Boradin, Morin—all had their own stories. They all thought themselves good.
Maybe Akinos wasn’t the villain she had always thought him to be. She felt the lingering warmth of the Orb of Creation. Certainly nothing about its touch was evil.
***
It wasn’t long before six eternals escorted Morin into Hadde’s chamber. He rushed to her and pulled her close as the eternals withdrew. Suddenly, the background sounds of the tent disappeared and silence enveloped them. It seemed to her a gentle breeze swirled around the room. She glanced around, confused, and then remembered that Morin had done the same thing when she first arrived in Sal-Oras.
“I couldn’t believe it when they said you weren’t dead,” Morin said.
“You couldn’t believe it?” Hadde laughed, glad to be with him. “What about me? I remember everything.”
He hugged her close. “Well, they’ve shown they don’t want us dead. At least not yet.”
“They don’t want us dead at all. Akinos wants you as an ally,” she said, her arms wrapped tightly around him.
Morin pulled back a little. “How do you know?”
“I spoke with him—it was just a short time ago.”
He grabbed her shoulders and stared her in the eyes. “You spoke with Akinos?”
She nodded. “He healed me, Morin. I was dead. Not close to it, but dead, and he brought me back.”
“What did he say?” He paused and stared into her eyes. “Why are you frowning?”
“I didn’t like what he said. He told me things about you.” She paused and then said, “Is it true you take slaves?”
He looked past her.
“And that you plan to overthrow your brother?”
“Let’s sit, Hadde.” He took her arm and led her to the edge of the bed. They sat close enough that their knees touched. Morin leaned close to her. “How long was Akinos with you?”
“We talked for a long time. What about the slaves?” Hadde watched Morin intently. She didn’t want to imagine him as a slaver.
A dark look crossed his face. “They’re Tysk. Savage, brutal people. Each spring they lay waste to Namir. So, yes, when we defeat them we take the women as slaves and sell them to the Estorians. We don’t keep slaves in Salador, as you know.”
“You don’t need them. You have peasants.” She didn't try to hide the anger in her voice.
“We do what we have to do, Hadde. We need the money to fight the Tysk. There is nothing good about that race.”
“You need the money to overthrow your brother. Isn't that what you are up to?”
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“No, my goal is to end the Wasting. But to do that I need to replace my brother. I should be the king. My brother is a fool.”
“That’s why you didn’t tell your brother you knew where the Orb was. You wanted to take it so you would be more powerful than he is. So you could be the king.”
“I wanted to take it because it belongs to me. I’m the true heir to the throne. The true descendant of Handrin the great.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, I think you are.”
“What do you mean?”
“Akinos told me of Handrin the Great, and of the veden and how they were slaughtered by the spiridus.”
“Whatever he said was a set of lies. Akinos is a murderer and a thief. He has deceived you. Has he turned you into one of his followers? Are you, like Astor, a Returnist?”
“The Orb has returned.”
“Am I an evil person, Hadde?”
“No.” For a moment the word caught in her throat. She wondered at her own hesitation.
“I fight the Tysk, who are murderous savages. Yes, I sell their women, but the only alternative is killing them. I make no profit from it. The money funds my efforts to fight the Wasting and continue my war against their evil kind.”
“He said you do kill some of them—the elderly.”
“More lies. And I’ll not harm my brother; I only wish to supplant him. Because he’s ineffective. Because he has done nothing to save us from the Wasting. Because he has led Salador to discord and division. The South Teren is nearly in revolt and the Returnists threaten Sal-Oras itself. If I ruled, it would free him to use his magic for greater good.”
Hadde wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that he was the hero he claimed to be. She closed her eyes. A jumble of conflicting voices assaulted her. Whom could she trust? She saw Morin’s face in her mind.
His strong hand cupped her face. She opened her eyes and looked into his. “I love you, Hadde. I’ve nothing to gain in lying to you.”
Hadde reached up and put her hand over his as it rested on her cheek. He did love her. She was certain of it. “I want it to be you, Morin. I want it to be you who saves us.”
