1 State of Grace

by John Phythyon

  There was more cheering. Mustique was pleased. He could see blood in their eyes now. He motioned for them to bow their heads. When they did so, Mustique raised his arms.

  “Dearest God,” he prayed, “please bless these, your martyrs. They act on your behalf tonight. Show them the way to the light, and welcome them into your arms when their work is done. Grant them the gifts you have promised for their holy work, and give comfort to their families who happily sacrifice them to your needs. In Frey’s name, we pray... .”

  “Amen!” the martyrs said as one.

  They raised their heads. Mustique smiled at them.

  “Each of you knows your assignments,” he said. “Follow your orders and all will be as it needs to be. Frey will carry you in his hands and present you to God.”

  Wordlessly, they filed out. Each elf took a wand as he left and put it in his sleeve. Mustique wished he were going with them. To give himself to God in this way would be the most glorious end he could imagine. But that was not his destiny. He’d been told so by his own master.

  We all have our roles to play in God’s plan, he thought. My destiny lies along a different path than theirs.

  So he watched them go, and he prayed for their success.

  Chapter 35: Betrayed

  (One Hour, Fifty Minutes before Revelation Day)

  May Honeyflower hurried towards the president’s headquarters in the former throne room. She prayed President Spellbinder had not already left for the ceremony. It was getting late. The Feast of the Revelation would be commencing in a little under two hours.

  There were few people moving through the halls of the palace, which May didn’t find too surprising. Most officials were likely with their families preparing for the celebration. However, there were a lot of patrols. She ran across three of them on her way to the throne room, and, when she came across a fourth guarding the door, she became alarmed. This was much more security than the normal duty roster called for, and, while it was possible it was beefed up for the holiday, no one had informed her.

  “What can I do for you, Captain?” one of the guards said. His name was Sunriser.

  “I need to see the president,” May answered.

  “She’s not available now,” Sunriser said. “I believe she has left for the temple.”

  “Damn,” she swore. “What about the rest of the cabinet?”

  “Also on their way,” he reported.

  May’s mind raced. Of course! She’d forgotten the president had wanted a ceremonial tour through the city prior to the event. May had been consulted on security. She’d given her opinion then delegated the job to Cedric Stagheart, one of her chief lieutenants. He’d briefed her several times on the plan. Everything seemed in order. She’d been so caught up in Wolf’s investigation for the past twenty-four hours, she hadn’t thought about the ceremony tonight.

  “Sunriser,” she said. “We’ve got to intercept them.”

  “Why?” he said. He looked genuinely surprised.

  “Because there’s a plot to assassinate the entire government at the ceremony,” she said. “If we don’t get to the temple in time, every minister in the government will be dead, including the president.”

  Sunriser looked confused. He turned to his mate, Griffinclaw. They exchanged a glance.

  “I don’t understand, Captain,” he said. “This is all part of the plan. If you’re here, aren’t you part of the coup?”

  May’s eyes widened. She should have realized Silverleaf couldn’t pull this off without military support. He’d compromised her Guard. Sunriser and Griffinclaw were traitors too.

  They realized she wasn’t a conspirator at the same she understood they were. For a moment, everyone froze.

  “Sunriser,” she said, speaking first. “I command you to stand down at once. You swore an oath to protect Alfar, its government, and its officials. You’re making yourself a traitor.”

  “I’m sorry, Captain,” he said. “This government is corrupt. It has lost the trust and the care of the people. It is more interested in commercial interests with Urland than it is with the spiritual well being of elves. Look around you. The land is dying. This government hastens and facilitates that process. I have sworn an oath to protect Alfar. That includes protecting it from a corrupt government.

  “Now, I’m going to ask you for your sword and your crossbow. If you don’t resist, I’m sure nothing will happen to you. You’re a good soldier, Captain. There will be a place for you in the new regime, I’m certain.”

  “You know that isn’t going to happen, Sunriser,” she said. “So long as I have breath in my body, I have to defend my homeland.”

  They stared at each other for a moment. May liked Sunriser. He was a good elf and a fine soldier. He respected her as well. It was unfortunate they were on opposite sides of this matter.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said at last. “I think you know what this means.”

  “Yes,” she said.

  Then she turned and bolted. Her sword was sheathed and her crossbow was unloaded. She had no chance against the both of them.

  “Stop her!” Sunriser shouted.

  Griffinclaw took off in pursuit. She heard his sword leave its scabbard. He was fast, she knew, but she was swift herself, and she had the jump on him. At her first opportunity, she rounded a corner, drew her sword, then placed herself flat against the wall and waited. She hated what she was about to do. Griffinclaw was a good elf. She’d served with him for several years now. But there was nothing for it. It was him or her.

  He came around the corner, and she thrust her sword into his neck. The look of betrayal on his face broke her heart. He dropped his weapon and sank to his knees, clutching at his throat. May yanked the sword out of him and took off again before she could think any further about what she’d done.

  Damn Silverleaf anyway. He had turned elf on elf in a way the Jifanis never dreamed of. She was determined to see him pay.

  That made her think of Wolf. He’d gone after Silverleaf with two of her soldiers. If the Elite Guard was in on the coup, he was walking into a trap.

  She swore again and started sprinting in the direction of Silverleaf’s quarters. She hadn’t gone far when she encountered another patrol. She put on the brakes and tried to look casual. When they stared at her, she saluted them crisply and kept going. She didn’t dare to look back to see if they were following her. Neither of them spoke to her, though.

  After a moment, she chanced a glance over her shoulder. They were gone. She took off at a dead run again, hoping she wasn’t too late to save Wolf.

  Chapter 36: Assassin and Torturer

  (One Hour, Thirty-nine Minutes before Revelation Day)

  Wolf awoke when someone slapped his face. The sting jolted him out of dark dreams. He tried to focus his eyes while his face burned.

  As consciousness returned, he became aware of a few things. First, he was naked. That confused him. He couldn’t remember what happened, but he had no memory of sex or any other activity that might have required him to be nude.

  Second, he was tied up. As more of his senses came to him, he realized he was sitting in a chair with his arms bound behind his back and his legs strapped to the chair legs. Instinctively, he struggled against his bonds and found they were very tight.

  Third, his head hurt. He had a feeling of nausea in his stomach, and his first instinct was to vomit. He resisted it. He didn’t want to be covered in puke in addition to being tied up and at someone else’s mercy.

  “Ah, welcome back, Mr. Dasher,” an all-too-familiar baritone voice said.

  Wolf turned his head in its direction. He fought off another wave of nausea and forced his eyes to focus. Silverleaf stood over him looking triumphant.

  “I hope you enjoyed your little snooze,” Silverleaf taunted. “I’m afraid they’ll probably be your last peaceful moments.”

  “Don’t you have a nation to betray?” Wolf spat.

  “No, Mr. Dasher,” Silverleaf replied. “I hav
e a nation to save.”

  “By murdering hundreds of innocent people, including the members of your government?”

  “That is an unfortunate sacrifice,” Silverleaf said. “I would prefer not to have to kill the innocents, but there is only one way to destroy the entire coalition.”

  “I don’t get you, Silverleaf,” Wolf said. “You fought like a lion against Jifan until they caught you and tortured you. Now you’re allying yourself with them to destroy the country you fought so hard to defend. Did they turn you in that prison? Did their torture break you and make you one of them?”

  Silverleaf smiled thinly. He looked to be trying to control his temper.

  “As usual, Mr. Dasher, you’ve failed to fully grasp the facts in front of you,” he said. “I suppose I should expect nothing more of a human.

  “I am not allying myself with Jifan. I am using her own agents to bring about her downfall. The Sons of Frey will commit an outrageous act of terror against the holiest site in the city. This will be unforgiveable to any elf, regardless of whether he is Shendali or Freyalan. In their vile plan, they will kill every member of the coalition government.”

  “Except one,” Wolf interjected.

  “Correct,” Silverleaf said, smiling smugly. “I will be unavoidably detained, sparing me the fate of the others. I will then assume power and rally Alfar to war against Jifan.”

  “And how do you plan to accomplish that?” Wolf sneered. “Alfar doesn’t have the military resources to wage a protracted war, and I doubt Her Majesty will offer any Urlish assistance when she learns two of her Shadows were casualties in your mad ascension to power.”

  Silverleaf strode forward and smacked Wolf hard across the face. He heard a grunt of laughter as pain exploded across cheek. He caught sight of Ravager smiling cruelly as his head turned.

  “Do you really believe I would accept Urlish help?” Silverleaf roared. “You stinking dogs will be getting your ouster in this coup.”

  “I suppose that’s where your Phrygian lackey comes in,” Wolf said, spitting blood.

  “More than I,” Ravager said in thickly accented Urlish.

  “Indeed,” Silverleaf said. “A Phrygian strike force will cripple your base while the Sons of Frey play their role. Then the Phrygian Army will invade Jifan, attacking the capital of Eranbul only hours after I have assumed authority here. Alfari troops will then move into Jifan catching the outlaws in a pincer move with the Phrygians, while our security forces bolster the Phrygian units already in Al-Adan to make certain you Urlanders don’t cause any trouble.”

  “So that’s why you needed General Tupelov,” Wolf mused. “The Phrygians have been in on this from the beginning.”

  “Of course,” Silverleaf said. “They are my masterstroke. I have promised them all the magic trade Urland currently enjoys ... on an exclusive basis. Thus, not only will I have rid the nation of you infidels, I will weaken you considerably in your cold war with Phrygia.

  “But most importantly, Alfheim will be reunited. The land will be healed.”

  “And the world will have you to thank for it,” Wolf growled.

  “Yes,” Silverleaf said.

  “You’re a monster,” Wolf said. “You’ve been corrupted by the Hand of Destiny, and you’re spilling the blood of thousands of elves and humans. And this isn’t for the glory of Alfheim, Silverleaf. It’s for the glory of you.”

  Silverleaf belted him again. The pain was a little more intense this time, but Wolf only smiled. He spat blood onto Silverleaf.

  “I’m a patriot,” Silverleaf said. “Just like you, Mr. Dasher. The difference is I am destroying corruption while you seek to perpetuate it.”

  “Patriots don’t murder their own people, Sagaius,” Wolf said, deliberately using the elf’s first name.

  Silverleaf glared at him for a moment. Then his vicious smile returned. Despite himself, Wolf felt afraid.

  “I think it’s time we educated you a little further,” Silverleaf said. “You’ve seen Ravager’s ability in action.”

  “Eet was very effective against heez driver,” Ravager commented. “And on Shadow Five.”

  “Yes,” Silverleaf said. “But what you might not know, Mr. Dasher, is that Ravager has incredible control over this power. He can make a monster large enough to devour a horse, but he can also make a very small one – one that gorges itself in only a few seconds but causes excruciating pain to the target without killing him. Observe.”

  Ravager came forward. Instinctively, Wolf tried to move away, but the chair and his bonds held him fast. Ravager raised his right hand. A small bubble of Shadow popped up on his index finger. He smiled as he approached. He reached out and dropped the Shadow bubble on Wolf’s shoulder.

  It immediately started feasting, and Wolf couldn’t help but scream as his flesh was chewed away. It only lasted five seconds, and then the thing dissipated. It left an ugly wound on Wolf’s shoulder. Desperately, he tried to put the pain out of his mind.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Silverleaf drawled. “Ravager’s function with the People’s Defense Bureau is twofold. He operates as both an assassin and a torturer. He’s been known to draw the most amazing confessions from people.”

  “Like the Jifanis did from you?” Wolf sneered.

  Silverleaf frowned. He looked at Ravager and nodded. The Phrygian produced another Shadow bubble slightly larger than the last and dropped it on Wolf’s thigh. This time, the thing devoured his flesh for nearly ten seconds. Wolf tried not to scream, but he couldn’t manage it.

  “You like to act tough, Mr. Dasher,” Silverleaf said. “But you can no more resist Ravager’s skill than any of his other victims.”

  “Do you expect me to talk then?” Wolf said. “You’re hoping I’ll tell you exactly what we know about your little plot?”

  “No,” Silverleaf said with a laugh. “I don’t give a damn about what you do or don’t know. You’re too late to stop me anyway. I just want to hurt you. You fleeced me at Conquest, you cuckolded me in my own house, and you have insulted my people and me at nearly every turn. I intend for you to die, Mr. Dasher, but I want you to suffer before you do. Thus, Ravager will be torturing you, but it will not be with the aim of learning any secrets. His purpose will be to kill you slowly and painfully. You deserve this for all you’ve done to me, Mr. Dasher. And I just love the fact that you’ll die at the hands of a Phrygian. That just makes my revenge a little sweeter.

  “Goodbye, Mr. Dasher. You were a fine opponent. But, just as in Conquest, I never lose.”

  “You lost to me,” Wolf said, “because you were arrogant and overconfident. It will happen again.”

  “I don’t think so, Mr. Dasher. Worthy opponent or no, you’ve met your match.”

  Silverleaf smiled once more, and then he left the chamber, shutting the door behind him. Ravager smiled a broad, toothy grin. Subconsciously, he stroked his loins.

  “Alone at last,” he said in Phrygian. “This is going to be fun.”

  His next Shadow monster bit into Wolf’s neck. Wolf screamed and tried not to despair.

  Chapter 37: Asking for Death

  (Forty-one Minutes before Revelation Day)

  Mustique Starfellow watched his martyrs file into the Temple of Frey from a distance. Each wore a brown cloak over his white robe to conceal his purpose. None had their hoods up yet. While it was not unheard of for an elf to wear white when not attending a funeral, twelve somber elves filing into the Temple of Frey in white robes and hoods would surely have attracted extra scrutiny from the Elite Guard.

  Instead, the green-clad soldiers merely inspected the papers of each person approaching the giant wooden doors. They gave the physical appearance of that individual only a cursory inspection. If the papers checked out, there was little reason to search further.

  It was, perhaps a gross breach of security, but who could blame the guards? The Sons of Frey may have been inflicting terror on Al-Adan, but who would even consider what they were about to attempt? Destroyin
g a temple – any temple, let alone the most glorious temple in all of Alfar – on Revelation Day was inconceivable.

  And that was why it was going to work. No one saw it coming.

  Mustique felt a little guilty about what was about to happen. He stared up at the grand spires of the temple as they reached towards Heaven. It would be a shame to see them come crashing down.

  It was necessary, though. So long as Alfar was permitted to exist, the land would die. Tonight, the Temple of Frey itself would act as a martyr towards Alfheim’s survival and rebirth.

  Presently, the last of his martyrs cleared security and filed into the temple. Mustique smiled. Ravager had done well. He’d gotten them the things they needed. Whatever the Phrygian was really after, he had assured victory for Jifan. Mustique was grateful. It wouldn’t be long now.

  ***

  Wolf was a bloody mess. Ravager had been torturing him for the better part of an hour. Wolf had wounds all over his body, and his blood oozed slowly from them. Ravager knew what he was doing. He never set one of his monstrosities where it could do enough harm to kill. He made sure to carve off fat and muscle, but never strike vital arteries or organs.

  Several times during the experience Wolf had passed out from the pain. Ravager woke him up. He slapped him or poured water on him or pinched him – whatever he had to do to return Wolf to consciousness.

  Wolf could barely think of anything but the pain. He just wanted it to stop. Ravager had left him hobbled. He suspected his wounds were severe enough his career in the Shadow Service was over. Even his desire for revenge – the lust to make the fiend pay for killing Sara – had drained away from him. He just wanted his release.

  ... death ...

  Wolf was startled. He hadn’t heard the whispers of The Rift since he’d arrived in Alfar. But now it came to him clearly. The darkness hadn’t abandoned him. It had just been lurking, waiting for the right thing to say.