by E A Hooper
“Is that the Aetherblade?” someone shouted.
Valx ignored them and approached Lilan and Jocy. “Let’s go.”
The two women climbed on their horse, and he followed them through the streets. More people watched him and whispered as he passed. Soldiers stopped and gaped, but none of them tried to stop him. People gasped and shouted and stared, but he kept his eyes on the road. At the densest part of the city, the crowd split out of the way and watched him.
“Wight!” a man with one leg shouted. He used a cane to walk and struggled to keep pace with them. “I was there at the Battle of Castle Stoneborn. A bunch of us knew you were alive. You’re a gods-damn hero. I just want you to know that.”
“You are too,” Valx replied. “Thanks for helping us take the castle.”
The one-legged man slowed to a stop. Valx saw him smile and struggle not to cry as he disappeared in the crowd.
“You’re a real hero to these people,” Lilan told him.
“I guess so,” he replied.
“But in the North, they see you as a terrible villain,” she added.
“I don’t blame them,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be a hero or a villain when I killed my brother.” He paused. “I don’t know what I wanted. Revenge? Maybe I thought it would make the pain of losing my mother and my best friend go away.”
“I hope you got what you wanted,” Jocy said with an irritated voice.
“Not at all,” he replied, grimly.
Jocy glanced at him, and the stern expression she had shown him since they met seemed to vanish from her face. “Well, Reaper hopes this peace summit will give everyone some solace. Even you.”
But all of this is his fault. He and my father planned this war for reasons I’ll never know. Not unless I go to this peace summit—which I won’t do. I can’t let myself get involved beyond talking to Thod. Whatever Bastion wanted of me, it better end with helping Lilan today.
They reached the gates of Skyspire Castle. The guards gaped at him as he approached, and a captain yelled for someone to get a member of the Highguard. “Just a minute, Sir—Mr. Aetherblade.”
“I’m here to speak to the king,” Valx told the captain.
“Yes, but I’m not allowed to let anyone in. I need a Highguardsman to give the okay.”
“We can wait,” Lilan told Valx.
Valx looked back at the massive crowd that had followed them. They all stared at him and his white hair with big eyes. I wonder if any of these people are Shift? She might not have even noticed yet. Might still be prowling the streets for mice or whatever the hell she does.
Lilan coughed into her sleeve and then sighed.
“Your coughs are getting more frequent,” Jocy told her. “Are you sure you shouldn’t have told your father you weren’t feeling well before we left?”
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling weakly. “With Valx here, I’m already starting to feel better in fact.”
“Valx!” someone shouted. Nevin approached the gate and opened it himself to the surprise of the other soldiers. “You’re alive? Bless the gods, I can hardly believe it.” He stepped near Valx but stopped and looked at the two women. “Two of your friends, I assume?”
“Yeah,” he said. “We need to speak to Thod. We have important news for him.”
“News?” the caped man questioned. “Then let’s hurry. Ilona should be informing the king of your return right about now.”
They followed Nevin through the garden and into the castle. Valx looked up and down the lavish halls at paintings and statues. It hadn’t changed much since his last visit, but the castle still left him in awe.
“What a beautiful castle,” Lilan said as they went down the hall.
“Just wait till you see the throne,” Valx told her.
They reached the great hall and then climbed the rows of steps leading to the tall, glistenstone throne. Lilan and Jocy gaped at the massive chamber above the throne and the glow created by light from the high up window panes reflecting off the throne.
“I’ve seen quite a few castles, but none so beautiful,” Lilan said.
“A kind compliment,” King Thod said from his seat. With the back of the throne rising one story high, it was easy to miss the man seated on it.
Valx looked around the room. He saw the queen sitting beside her husband and Ilona standing guard beside them. A man came running into the room with a nervous expression, and Valx recognized him as General Tungosk, the man that had once put him and a bunch of untrained soldiers on the front of a battle.
“Oh,” Lilan said, staring at the king. She paused and then bowed to him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, King Thod. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Thod raised an eyebrow at her, but then his gaze turned to Valx. He smiled, but Valx could tell the war had worn the king. He looked like he had aged half a decade since they last met. “Young man, I wondered if you’d ever return. I was worried Shift would show herself to reveal you’d perished.”
“So, Roz told you about Shift?” Valx replied.
The king nodded. “I would never have guessed she was still alive, and I couldn’t have imagined she was thousands of years old. What an interesting life she’s lived. Or rather, what interesting lives she must’ve lived. The history she could tell us. The lost knowledge and ancient secrets she must possess. Has she told you any of the sort?”
“She’s barely told me anything,” Valx said. “She only said why she follows my family line. She was in love with one of my ancestors, but her powers prevented her from having children. Instead, she became their protector. However, after so many years, it’s more a way to pass the time than anything. She made me fight my brother by myself because she didn’t care which of us lived or died. She only cared that she had one of us to follow.”
“Is she here right now?” he asked, glancing at the two women.
“Not that I know of,” Valx replied. “I brought this sword, so she’d know to follow me here. Last I saw, she was a cat. She could be one of your guards right now.” He glanced at the guards that had followed them through the castle. About twenty men stood on the steps. The men glanced at one another with confused faces.
Thod chuckled. “Shift, if you’re here, please show yourself. It would be nice to see you again after all these years. Preferably, in the form that I knew you.”
A mouse scurried up the stairs, surprising several of the guards. When the mouse reached the top of the stairs, its muscles and bones convulsed and stretched. Its skin bubbled and enlarged as a human shape took form within seconds. Everyone gaped at the twisted mass of flesh as it grew and changed.
General Tungosk bent over and vomited on the floor. “This isn’t a person, it’s a monster!”
“Hey, that’s my friend,” the king grumbled.
Within thirty seconds, the mass had taken the form of a naked woman with long brown hair and a battle-hardened face. “I’m glad you told me to show myself,” she said. “It hurts staying in a form that small. Cat I can handle. Any smaller, and it drains my stamina.”
I don’t recognize this form. This must be the face she had when she was in the Silver Knights.
“Shift,” the king said in awe. “It really is you.”
Fine hairs poked from her skin. Slowly, the hairs intertwined and formed cloth to cover her nakedness. “Yeah, it’s me, you old bag of bones.”
Thod covered his mouth and choked back tears. “You aggravating bitch. Always had to get on my nerves, didn’t you?”
“To be honest, that was part of the persona I developed when I took that name.”
“Well, you can be a bitch all you want. I really missed it.” The king stood from his seat once Shift’s clothes finished sewing themselves, and he lurched forward and hugged her.
“When did you get so sappy?” she asked. “I don’t remember Old Hammer being a hugger?”
“It happened sometime between our first son and first daughter,” Queen Silvina told her. “Hello by the way. I don�
�t know if you remember me.”
“Of course, I do,” Shift replied. “Bastion’s sister. You only saw me in this form a few times, but I saw you more later when I was disguised as different faces. Thod, you know I fought alongside you all a few more times after you thought I died? Do you remember that bald guy that saved your life at the Battle of Cyrstal Fjord?”
“That was you?” Thod said, his jaw dropping. “Bless the gods, I can’t believe it.”
“Which gods?” she asked. “Several of them are based on me.”
The king stared with wide eyes. “We have a lot to discuss. Stories I need to hear, but I assume Valx came for a particular reason.”
“That he did,” Lilan interrupted. She revealed a parchment with a golden dragon emblem.
General Tungosk gasped and pointed at her. “That’s the lords’ emblem. Guards, seize her.”
“Wait,” Thod bellowed, holding his hands up to stop his soldiers from advancing.
Ilona held up her spear and tightened her hands around it.
“Ilona, don’t worry,” Silvina said. “I don’t feel any bad intentions from her. No one will die here today.”
“Not unless you try to harm me,” Lilan said, grinning.
Jocy placed a hand on Lilan’s shoulder, and Valx remembered the woman had a power that moved people short distances. If someone attacks, she’ll pull Lilan away in an instant. Assuming Lilan isn’t the one who attacks.
“I’m Lilan, daughter of Lord Reaper,” the young woman told them. “He asked me to come here to offer you an invitation. This invitation is going out to rulers across Ter’al. My father wants to hold a peace summit at Varsith to end the war.”
Thod glared at her. “Your father thinks the leaders of Ter’al would walk into such an obvious trap?”
“He’ll give you back Eraterth,” Lilan said. “And your brother, Duke Yarlow.”
“My brother hasn’t been harmed, has he?” the king asked.
“No, not at all,” Lilan said. “My father made sure he stayed safe after the capture of Eraterth. He even let him hang paintings in his room at Castle Titanweir.”
“Sire,” Tungosk said. “Since we have this girl, we can use her to trade for your brother.”
Lilan replied with a smug look.
“No, no,” Thod said. “We need to recapture the entire kingdom. Getting my brother back is important to me, but there’s so much more at stake. This peace summit sounds like a dream come true, but I’m sure it’s only one of Reaper’s tricks.”
“Do you think my father would use such an obvious trick?” Lilan asked. “He’s a lot more cunning than that. He’s even planned it in such a way to prevent trickery. Each nation will send a convoy ahead to search the city and surrounding territory. Even the castle. The West, North, and East will be allowed one thousand soldiers each. Other nations may bring five hundred. Lord Eldsworth will prevent anyone from using their powers at the summit. Also, you’ll be allowed to fly your dragons overhead to search for hidden armies.”
The king scratched the stubble on his chin. “Hm.”
“However, no nation will be allowed to bring archers, catapults, and especially no trebuchets,” she added.
Thod smiled. “He still has nightmares about trebuchets?”
“I believe so,” she replied.
“Well, so do I,” he said with a shiver.
“You aren’t seriously considering this?” Tungosk asked. “According to you, the North has more greatborn than any nation. Even if our numbers are equalized, we’d be at a disadvantage.”
“I’ll be there,” Silvina said. “If Eldsworth allows powers, I’ll immediately know if we’re in danger or not. Then we can make a strategic withdraw. Besides, we have some powerful greatborn ourselves. I’m sure the East will have our backs if Reaper tries anything.”
“He’s even making room on the outskirts of the city to have a place to meet,” Lilan said. “He won’t have the advantage of his castle. All sides will meet in an open area in front of Fort Darkwood. You’d have an easy escape if you wanted to retreat. And like I said, your convoys will be able to inspect everything beforehand. Up to a hundred surveyors, so long as they’re unarmed, and they won’t count as part of your army. We’ll guide them and show them everything in the city, fort, and castle. Or they can go alone. And they can share information with surveyors from other kingdoms.”
“What is he trying to get out of this peace summit?” Thod asked. “I still think it’s a trap, but if it’s not, what does he have to gain?”
“There’s a reason my father started this war,” she told him. “He wants to discuss it with the leaders of the other nations. I’m not supposed to say much, but my father was trying to save Ter’al by forcing the nations to unite under one rule. However, he’s realized this war has dragged on too long and is only weakening Ter’al.”
“Save Ter’al from what exactly?” Thod asked.
Lilan looked at Shift. “Miss, you’re ancient, right?”
“That’s right,” Shift replied, her voice devoid of emotion.
“By chance, did you come from Fey’al?” Lilan asked.
“I did.”
“And what kind of place was Fey’al?”
“I’m sure it was a marvel if you were born to the right class,” Shift replied. “However, I was born in a dungeon where greatborn were bred and brainwashed. I turned on my masters and helped start a civil war that tore our empire apart. When we left, the empire had been reduced to isolationist city-states. Many cities had been razed to the ground in battles between greatborn.”
“So, how long have they had to rebuild?”
“Three thousand years or so.”
“That’s plenty of time to build a new empire,” Lilan said. “A bigger, stronger empire. One more terrible than its predecessor. At least, that’s what Bastion told Reaper and Dragon all those years ago.”
“You’re saying there’s a new Feyan Empire?” Shift asked. “And they’ll become a threat to Ter’al?”
Lilan nodded.
“We can’t trust any of this,” Tungosk said. “You said it yourself, my king. This is clearly a trap. We can’t trust Reaper, and we can’t trust his progeny.”
“I don’t know about Reaper, but we can trust Lilan,” Valx said.
“And why’s that?” Thod asked.
“I received a message from Bastion that told me to trust her,” he answered.
Silvina jumped from her seat. “My brother? He’s alive? Where’s he been all these years?”
“I don’t know anything except what he told my friend,” Valx replied. “However, he said sacrifice was required to save Ter’al. That everyone would lose for us to win. That I needed to help put us on the path to save Ter’al. And the last thing he told my friend was that I’m supposed to trust Lilan.”
Lilan smiled at Valx. “See? It’s fate.”
“Did Reaper know Bastion was alive?” Shift asked.
“No, my father thought Bastion’s sickness had returned and taken him,” she said. “He’ll be happy to hear this. You all must understand that my father wants to save Ter’al. Everything he’s done is for that goal.”
“He killed our friends,” Thod said, solemnly. “You want me to believe he did that as part of his plan to save Ter’al?”
“My father regrets a lot of what he’s done,” she told him. “He didn’t want to betray his friends, however, several of your members discovered his and Dragon’s plan to create the republic and become lords. They knew this would threaten the West—threaten you since your father had just passed, making you king. They didn’t give Reaper and Dragon time to explain. They tried to act against them. To unravel their plans. My father didn’t think anyone would understand because part of his plan involved taking over Ter’al to prepare it against Fey’al.”
“So, what’s changed?” Thod asked. “Why does he want peace now?”
“The war wasn’t supposed to drag out this long,” Lilan told him. “It’s destroy
ing Ter’al’s economy. Weakening all our nations. He thinks if we make peace now, we might be able to prepare ourselves against Fey’al. That we can breed more greatborn in time—”
“Breed?” Shift said, her tone growing harsh. “Like the emperors of old?”
“Not like that,” Lilan said, nervously. “He wants to marry his children to other greatborn. We might still create an army of greatborn to counter Fey’al. They’ll bring an army of greatborn that will turn larger armies to dust. They’ll be unstoppable if we aren’t prepared. You asked what my father wants, Thod? What he has to gain? He wants to marry your children to his. Or to other greatborn if you still hate him after all these years.”
“Of course, I hate him,” Thod grumbled.
“He’s already looking for a wife for your brother,” Lilan said.
“Yarlow will hate that,” Silvina muttered. “The man’s an eternal bachelor.”
“He’ll be happy with it if it puts him back in Eraterth,” Lilan replied. “See, this will be best for everyone. The war will end, but like Bastion told Valx, we’ll all have to lose too. We all have to make sacrifices to save Ter’al.”
The king turned his long face to his wife. “What do you think, my love?”
“I don’t like it,” she said. “However, I trust my brother. If he wants us to follow this path, then this might be the only way left to save our kingdom.”
Thod looked at Lilan, and for a moment, Valx thought he could see hate in the king’s eyes that must’ve been directed more at the girl’s father than her. “We have time to prepare, yes?”
“Following old Northern traditions, the peace summit will begin on the Red Moon,” she said. “That gives you plenty of time to make plans, send your surveyors, and even commune with the other nations. You’re free to send your army ahead of schedule and make camp on the outskirts of any city in the republic. We’ll try to accommodate your army any way we can to make this easier. The earlier you leave, however, the more time you’ll have to survey the situation. We have couriers going to the Bay Nation and Wetlands if you’d like to wait for them since you have better ties to them. I’m sure when the East arrives in our territory, you can share information with them.”
