The Aether Knight

by E A Hooper

  “We’ll need to go back to the castle,” Valx said. “It’d be a bad idea for you to use your power in public.”

  “If you’re going to the castle, then I’m letting Thod know about her metamorphosis,” Nevin told them.

  “I understand,” Lilan told him. “It doesn’t really change anything, though. I could kill the king without metamorphosis. And either way, I wouldn’t make it out of Direlight alive. But I’m not here for that. I’m here for peace. Hopefully, showing Valx how to use metamorphosis will convince you. Then he’d be able to stop me. And your side will be better protected at the peace summit if you have someone with metamorphosis.”

  “Tell me something then,” Nevin said. “How many Northerners have metamorphosis?”

  “Just me and my father,” she replied.

  Nevin shook his head. “Gods, I was hoping Reaper didn’t have it.”

  Lilan smirked at him.

  Chapter 8

  Radu read over the parchment one more time to make sure he had all the important information. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the meeting hall watching him and struggled to ignore them. When he finished rereading the paper, he handed the parchment to Beldivare to read next.

  The Snake King’s eyes went across the hall, ignoring all the representatives that had gathered for the meeting. His view fell on the Northerner that had brought the parchment, a woman in her mid-thirties with long, blonde hair. She had arrived without guards, but even more strangely, she seemed to have appeared in the middle of Central without warning. Radu assumed she was greatborn, and possibly dangerous, but she had been nothing but polite and courteous since she arrived at the meeting hall.

  “What did you say your name was?” Radu asked her.

  “Thelmia,” she replied with a curtsy.

  “And you say you’re a wife of Reaper?” he questioned.

  “That’s correct,” she said with a warm smile.

  Radu glanced at Gelmont. “Is she being honest? Seems strange Reaper would risk sending one of his wives here.”

  “She fits the description of Thelmia,” Gelmont said. “Then again, several of his wives look similar. Your father definitely has a type. Slim, long hair, proper.”

  Grenfei glanced from Thelmia to Lullum and then to Radu. “You might have more in common with your father than you think,” she whispered in jest.

  Radu ignored Grenfei’s comment and kept his eyes on the courteous Northerner.

  “Although, there’s an easy way to prove her identity,” Gelmont added. “She can show us her power. I know most of the abilities of Reaper’s family.”

  Thelmia smiled at Gelmont. “You seem like you know a lot. I guess that means we have spies in Castle Titanweir? That’s alright, I understand why you’d be suspicious. King Radu, is it okay to use my power in your meeting hall?”

  “Go ahead,” Radu replied.

  Thelmia approached one of the few empty chairs at the table. She raised one hand and extended her fingers. Radu saw the air shimmer around her hand, and then she chopped through the top and middle arches of the chair. The air shimmered around her hand again, and she flexed her fingers. “I can change my body’s density,” she explained. “Although, making myself denser locks up my muscles. So, I only made my hand denser for a moment.”

  “It’s definitely her,” Gelmont said.

  “So, how did you get into Central?” Lullum asked. “Our guards say you didn’t use the platforms on the sides of the canyon. Some people say you fell right out of the sky.”

  “If I make myself light enough, I can jump far distances and float,” Thelmia explained. “I simply floated into Central.”

  “But why would Reaper send one of his wives?” Lullum asked.

  “My beloved husband only wants to show how honest this proposition is,” Thelmia replied. “You can hold me as a hostage if you like. Then at the peace summit, your king can trade me for his brother.”

  “Or I can storm Eldmoon and take him,” Radu retorted.

  “That would only lead to more bloodshed,” Thelmia said, still smiling. “You wouldn’t want that, would you? Plus, your brother or sister could be hurt in the battle.”

  “You mean my half-sister, Bels?” Radu said. “The one married to Eldsworth? I’m not too worried about half-siblings I’ve never met.”

  “That’s sad to hear,” Thelmia said. “Bels is one of my daughters. I’m sure she and your other siblings would love to meet you. They’re all impressed with everything you’ve accomplished without help from your father.”

  “Like I said, I don’t really care,” Radu said, coldly.

  “And my oldest daughter Lilan is enamored with your friend Valx,” she said. “She saved his life at the battle for Wyvern’s castle and says she’ll marry him one day. I hope you’ll go to their wedding.”

  Radu narrowed his eyes. “Does she know where Valx is? I heard he disappeared after he killed his brother. I’ve had my spies looking for him since I heard Reaper’s friend Bastion had some sort of prophecy involving our bloodlines.”

  “Lilan didn’t tell me whether she knew his location or not,” Thelmia replied. “Only that they’d find one another. It’s their destiny to fulfill the prophecy, and their descendant will save Ter’al.”

  “From what?” Radu asked, leaning forward.

  “Fey’al,” Thelmia told him, her face growing cold momentarily.

  Everyone in the room looked at her, and then Grenfei laughed. “Fey’al?” she questioned. “Like the legendary land across the ocean? Is that a joke?”

  “It’s no joke,” Thelmia said. “Bastion saw the Feyans would bring an army of greatborn to Ter’al and cause untold destruction. They’d decimate our nations and enslave our people. The only possible future where that doesn’t happen is one where a descendant of Reaper and Dragon unites Ter’al against the Feyans.”

  “So, that’s what this whole war has been about?” Radu said, leaning back. “Reaper and Dragon planned to take over Ter’al to fulfill this prophecy. Only, it hasn’t gone the way my father dreamed, has it?”

  Radu could swear he saw a bead of sweat on Thelmia’s brow. “No, it hasn’t,” she admitted. “Your father, he’s such a brilliant and wonderful person—the greatest man in Ter’al—but even he is bound by the strings of fate. He and Dragon thought they could force fate down a certain path, but he’s realized there’s only so much he can do.”

  “Greatest man in Ter’al my ass,” Grenfei muttered.

  “So, his plan to conquer Ter’al failed, and now he’s worried Ter’al will be too weak to fight off a greatborn army from Fey’al?” Radu said in contemplation. “So, how long do we have?”

  “He doesn’t know,” Thelmia replied. “He suspects Fey’al will rediscover us in his lifetime. Maybe through explorers searching for new lands. Or maybe they kept legends of us all this time. Once they rediscover us, he thinks they’ll take time to learn about us before a proper invasion. But he feels like Bastion’s prophecy couldn’t have been more than two or three generations from now.”

  “And why’d Reaper keep this a secret for so long?” Radu asked.

  “Twenty years ago, most people wouldn’t have believed his claim,” Thelmia explained. “He’s known as a manipulator after all. Not to mention, the idea that Ter’al would have to be united is a dangerous belief. It would put his descendants at odds with his friend Thod. Not to mention, Reaper and Dragon believed that through Bastion, fate itself had ordained they take control of the situation. My husband has often told me how lucky it was that Bastion couldn’t remember much of what he’d seen because of the delirious sickness that caused his pseudo-ascension. It was destiny that they were the only two who knew what needed to be done. That they could guide Ter’al toward victory.”

  “So, he’s a narcissist,” Radu said. “He gambled the entire fate of our continent because he thinks he can control everything. That his decisions are best for everyone else.”

  Thelmia forced a well-mannered smile. �
�If you knew your father personally, you’d understand he’s the only person suited for the task of saving Ter’al.”

  “She sounds like a cultist,” Grenfei grumbled, glancing at Radu. “I think we’ve dealt with enough cultists in our lifetime.”

  “She does remind me of myself a year ago,” Orphilm’s voice called overhead.

  Thelmia glanced around for the voice.

  “Don’t mind him,” Radu said. “He’s greatborn. He can hear anything in Central and speak across far distances.”

  “Reminds me of Lady Anabella,” Thelmia replied. “Her sight extends over all of Varsith. At night, she enters a deep trance that allows her to view the entire city at once. Crime is almost non-existent because she alerts our guards of even the sneakiest pickpocket. However, she can’t hear anything that she sees.”

  “Is she another of Reaper’s wives?” Radu asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “Her son Tachios was believed to be Reaper’s oldest child until we learned about you and your brother. I never liked him, if only because he received a lot of attention from Reaper until he developed a weak power. Now, I almost feel sorry for him. Especially since he was blinded by your friend Valx.”

  “How’d Valx do that?” Radu wondered.

  “Tachios can see auras,” she told him. “Valx achieved a pseudo-ascension, and the power he released damaged Tachios’s sight. However, he can still see auras, so he’s not completely useless.”

  Beldivare passed the parchment to Gelmont and looked at Thelmia. “These instructions for the summit seem quite fair,” he said. “But how do we know you won’t hide additional forces outside of Varsith?”

  “You’re free to look,” Thelmia replied. “If you follow our terms, your scouts can ride all over the countryside. You can even send scouts to nearby cities. The West has dragons they can fly overhead. We can bring you several dragons with riders to assist you if you’d like.”

  “Ugh, I’ve dealt with those big snakes before,” Grenfei muttered. “Would rather not have fire-breathing monsters that we can’t control hanging around our camp.”

  “Fire-breathing?” Thelmia replied. “Those must’ve been Cave Dragons. They’re horrid things, to be honest. We’d send you some that Reaper breeds that are well-mannered. They can’t even breathe fire. Well, maybe they burp sparks from time to time.”

  “We’ll wait and see if we need them,” Radu replied. “If the West and East are going, I’m sure they’ll search Varsith and every nearby place. What about the Islanders? Will they be there?”

  “They’ll be there, but they’re only permitted five hundred men like the other small nations,” Thelmia explained. “However, we’re not even sure they’ll send that many.”

  “That’s good,” Radu said. “Means fewer enemies to deal with if Reaper tries something.”

  “It almost seems too imbalanced,” Lullum noted. “If we worked with the West and East, we could take Castle Titanweir.”

  “That would require the West and East to actually work together,” Thelmia replied. “Not to mention, you’d endanger your brother, and King Thod would endanger his brother too. We have Duke Yarlow, remember? And if you all tried something, Eldsworth will enable greatborn powers. We all know the North has more greatborn than the rest of the nations combined. It would be a risky battle, especially in enemy territory.”

  “How many greatborn will you have exactly?” Radu asked.

  “That’s something I can’t divulge,” the well-mannered woman replied. “Partially because I don’t know. Each lord in attendance will bring however many greatborn they feel is suited.”

  “How many lords will be there?” Gelmont asked.

  “Reaper, Embry, Eldsworth, and Cyril,” Thelmia told them.

  “But not Cire or Lito?” the lithe-faced man questioned.

  “They’re located far away and are the least involved with the war,” Thelmia explained. “They will send representatives, however. Similarly, we don’t expect Queen Zelbith to leave Eyl’Bell. We hope she’ll send a vassal on her behalf.”

  “So, likely my brother,” Beldivare told Radu. “Which is good since he’s been cooperating with us. It means we have someone to fall back with if things look bad.”

  “It’s an interesting choice to allow the small nations to bring five hundred men when the West, North, and East get a thousand each,” Gelmont noted as he read the parchment. “Our whole army is barely five hundred at the moment. Less after retaking Eyl’Step. This almost gives us an unfair advantage. Even the Wetlanders may bring five hundred, and they’re barely involved in this war other than the effect it has on trade.”

  “We don’t expect the Bay Nation or Wetlands to even send five hundred,” Thelmia replied. “We thought it was only fair to make the offer.”

  “This says you sent an emissary to the Mountain Territories as well,” Gelmont noted. “For what reason? They’re below the Eastern Kingdom, so the war hasn’t even reached them.”

  “The Mountain Territories also connects to the Wetlands,” she said. “Some tribes of Mountain Men work in the Wetlands as mercenaries. They’ve been trying to contact the lords of the North for the opportunity to join the war. Reaper was even considering their offer before he decided on the peace summit.”

  “But why bring them to the peace summit?” Radu asked, growing impatient. “It’s pointless to involve them unless Reaper wants them to ambush us.”

  “No, no,” Thelmia said. “Part of the peace summit is to make sure Quintessence Way is protected and open to all nations. That includes the Mountain Men. They result to mercenary work because they don’t have many options. One of their emissaries told Reaper that they’ve tried numerous times to open trade talks with the East, but the East treats them like barbarians. This peace summit is their opportunity to join the rest of Ter’al in the modern age. It’s just another step in uniting Ter’al against the future threat of Fey’al.”

  “Reminds me of my own clan,” Vastalt noted, having remained quiet the entire meeting. “Radu, look at how well the Starl Clan adjusted once you gave us a chance. The Mountain Territories should have the same opportunity.”

  “Giving them a chance is different than allowing five hundred Mountain Men to a peace summit,” Radu countered. “I’ve never heard of more than a dozen of them leaving their territories that didn’t even them pillaging.”

  “Don’t worry,” Thelmia said. “The Mountain Men won’t be a problem. They probably won’t send five hundred, and they’re superstitious people that consider the North a legendary place full of demon clans. They’re intrigued and somewhat afraid of us. Their emissary was terrified but fascinated with our greatborn abilities. He was son of a tribe chief and is returning home with our emissary to tell of our great power. I suspect they’ll stay in line at the summit now that they know the legends are somewhat true. The emissary was fascinated in you as well when he heard about you. They’ll be interested in meeting Radu the Demon, especially considering how you loom over Quintessence Way.”

  “Grenfei, you might see some distant cousins,” Orphilm joked.

  Grenfei shrugged. “Whatever. I could care less about my heritage. But if they cause problems, I won’t mind knocking barbarians around.”

  “Any Flatlanders coming from the deep southwest?” Radu asked Thelmia.

  “No,” she replied. “They’re too far away and too far removed from the rest of Ter’al. However, Reaper has considered sending emissaries to some of their larger and well-known villages once our nations are at peace.”

  Gelmont placed the parchment on the table. “I’ve reread it twice and everything seems sensible. If we’re doing this, we need to send an emissary with couriers ahead of us. Who should we send?”

  Whoever we send doesn’t matter, Radu thought to himself. Gelmont’s spies will be doing most the work of figuring out if this is a trap or not. In that case, he’s the best choice. The closer he is to Varsith, the faster he’ll figure out this situation.

  He glan
ced at Thelmia and realized she was watching him. Then again, Boss must’ve told Reaper about Gelmont and his spies. Gelmont would be the perfect emissary—if he wasn’t so obvious. It’s better he stays with me, and his spy network can work in the background. That doesn’t leave too many people I trust to deal with something like that.

  “I’ll do it,” Beldivare said, interrupting Radu’s contemplation. “If there’s something I’m good at, it’s making connections. I’ll talk to the emissaries, make friends around Varsith, and have our scouts look the city up and down. And if it turns out to be a trap, I’m probably the most dispensable person in this room.” He laughed, nervously.

  “You’d walk into Varsith, knowing the danger?” Radu asked.

  “Yeah, I might as well,” he said. “If this peace summit fails, I’m ruined anyways. Might as well use this chance to strike up some business deals in Varsith and with other emissaries.”

  “Hold on, you’re going to make deals?” Grenfei said, leaning forward. “I’m in. Send me too, Radu. I’m way better at making deals than Beldivare. I’ll have friends all over Varsith before you get there.”

  “You can both go,” Radu said. “You two can put together your own team of scouts. Just head out by the end of the week. The earlier you get to Varsith, the faster we can get information back.”

  “Would you like me to escort them?” Thelmia asked. “Or are you holding me hostage until the summit?”

  Radu looked at Lullum, and she shrugged in reply.

  “We’ll keep you with us,” Radu answered. “Just to make sure I have a bargaining chip for my brother.”

  Thelmia bowed to him. “I understand,” she said, smiling. “You’re a wise king for your age. Almost as wise as your father.”

  Radu narrowed his eyes at her. She thinks I’m just a poor imitation of Reaper, doesn’t she? I guess I’ll see what kind of person he is at the peace summit.