by Matt Moss
Arkin grabbed his arm. “How much further? I’m still having a hard time trusting your intentions, and here we are, in the bad part of town. Coincidence?”
Lucian looked at Arkin’s hand that gripped his arm, then into his eyes. “Get your hand off me.”
“Where’s my mother?”
“Not far. She’d be upset to find you with a broken face, so I’m going to give you one last warning to remove your hand.”
Arkin felt the urge to fight rise in him again, but gave in to what little trust he had in the man. He wanted to see his mother. He removed his hand, but never broke his gaze on Lucian.
“Don’t ever do that again,” Lucian told him and continued leading them through the streets.
Lucian avoided the market and kept to the outside of the place as he made towards the docks. Arkin saw him stare in the direction of the newly constructed place as they lurked from alley to street, but Lucian never said anything in passing. Arkin knew that Lucian had destroyed it before and wondered what he thought now—seeing it once again, revived from the ashes. Lucian stopped suddenly, and Arkin nearly ran into the back of him. “What is it?” Arkin asked. Like being pulled by an invisible force, Lucian walked into the market.
“What are you doing?” Arkin whisper-shouted. He looked in both directions of the street, shook his head, and followed. Inside the market, he found Lucian standing in the center, staring up at a statue. Drawing close, Arkin saw it was made in the likeness of Victor, the high priest of the Religion. He stood triumphant with a staff in one hand, a book in the other; the hood from his robe resting on his shoulders to show off his proud face. Arkin felt the urge to break it. He looked to Lucian for a reaction.
“Out with the old, in with the new. Destruction brings forth new life. Life is destructive. And the world goes on,” Lucian mused. He looked into Arkin’s eyes. “Time will erase it all.” He left the statue and Arkin followed him onto the docks.
The torches on the docks were kept burning all night to provide the sailors light for loading or unloading. “Sailors seldom sleep when ashore. Stay close,” Lucian told him as their backs were pressed against a brick wall. When the coast was clear, they stepped onto the brightly-lit docks. Halfway across, a group of drunken men stumbled off of a boat and onto the docks, slurring and laughing among themselves. The five of them stopped and stared at Arkin and Lucian, curious as to what two cloaked men were doing on the docks at such a late hour. Arkin saw Lucian’s hand slowly move for the blade behind his back. He relaxed when the men carried on about their business and walked in the opposite direction.
At the end of the docks, they jumped over a wall and found themselves on the inside of the palace gardens. Arkin looked up and saw only the enormous shadow of the church looming in the distance. “What the hell happened to the king’s palace?”
Lucian grunted upon seeing the fallen building for the first time and moved fast, keeping close to the wall. Arkin followed and noticed the shadow of a large tree ahead. They drew close and Lucian jerked his head, telling Arkin to jump over the wall. “Your mother’s waiting on the other side. Go.”
Arkin looked up at the tree, then back to Lucian. “After I talk to her, what then? What happens next? I can’t just stay in Kingsport. What are you going to do?”
Lucian gave a side smirk in reply. He grabbed Arkin and tossed him over the wall. Crashing on his side, Arkin rubbed at his ribs and cursed Lucian for throwing him like a rag doll. He found his feet, brushed himself off and turned around.
He saw his mother.
Sarie held a candle with an outstretched arm as she walked towards him, each step with trepidation. “Arkin.”
He could see her fiery red hair glowing in the light of the candle, her soft face filled with emotion, her white gown blowing in the breeze. Drawing close, she smelled of jasmine.
“It was you I saw in the capital. You were the assassin who tried to kill Victor. Perhaps, even tried to kill me.”
“Tried. And failed,” Arkin said, gazing into her eyes. “So, you’re his oracle?” She frowned and pursed her lips, her head nodding in shame. “If it makes you feel any better, I wouldn’t have killed you. I was there for Victor.” She grinned at that, and her eyes began to water. “And you are my mother? Sarie?”
“Yes.”
“And you loved my father?”
She paused for a moment and stared into his brown eyes. “With everything in me.”
He narrowed his gaze. “Then why did you leave him? Why did you abandon me?”
Tears fell from her face. “I would never have abandoned you. I thought your father was dead. I thought…” She looked away and clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to weep. “I thought you were dead.” Her eyes went back to him. “I felt lost, hopeless without my family. I wanted to die. Victor saved me.”
Arkin crossed his arms. “He saved you? How?”
“I’m not sure how much you’ve been told, but I can give you my account. During the rebellion, Levi and Lucian got into a fight. Swords were drawn and blood was spilled. I tried to stop them, but in the heat of battle, there is always collateral damage. Lucian’s sword cut my throat in mistake, and I felt the life drain out of me. Everything faded away into nothing and I felt my body go numb. That’s when Victor healed me, saving my life. I rose to find the rebellion over and everyone I knew, gone.”
“So you’ve been loyal to him ever since? Never questioning what he says? Never thinking that I might still be out there? How can a mother forget about her son?” Arkin asked, confused, hurt.
“He told me you were dead,” she said, her voice deep, pained. “Victor told me that Lucian killed you, right after his sword tip sliced through my neck. Said he went mad with rage and bloodlust.” She collapsed to her knees, no longer able to stand. Her shaky hand held onto his, and she looked up with tears streaming down her face. “I am so sorry, Arkin. Sorry for everything. No matter what happened between the Order, the Dark Society, the whole bloody kingdom; it’s all my fault that I wasn’t there for you. I am the one to blame. The only one to blame.” She began sobbing uncontrollably.
Arkin knelt down beside his mother and brushed her hair with the back of his hand. “It’s not your fault. It’s nobody’s fault. Everyone is to blame and there’s no rhyme or reason behind it all. People are impulsive, complicated. We can sit around and philosophize about them all day long, and still get nowhere.”
She smiled proudly, nearly laughing with joy. “How’d you get so smart?”
“I love you mother. Deep down, I always have. Even though I didn’t remember you, I knew you. Sure there were times that I was angry and wished to never see you, but I knew there had to be a reason for the way our lives went.” He embraced her in his arms and his tears fell upon her shoulder. At long last, the moment he always wished for came true. On the cold, damp ground at the edge of the capital city, the world disappeared. A son embraced his mother and a mother held onto her son.
At that moment, Arkin felt something restored within his soul.
Love. Forgiveness. Not hatred or remorse.
Love. Nothing else matters.
She held him at arms length to admire her son. “I love you, Arkin. I always have. And I promise that you’ll always have me from now on. I’ll always be there for you.”
Arkin laughed, choking back emotion, and wiped his eyes. “You promise?”
She nearly burst with joy. “For better or worse.”
“Good.” He turned his head and stared at the church.
She tensed her grip on his arm. “Don’t. Let someone else handle him. I can’t lose you. Not again.”
“My path is set, mother. There’s no other way about it. Victor must die.”
She pleaded further. “He’s too powerful, Arkin. He can’t be stopped. Let’s run away, just you and me. We can start over somewhere new.”
He gave his mom a sorrowful look. “There’s no starting over as long as he’s alive. The Religion will spread and reach every corner of the w
orld. And still, that may not prove enough to slack his thirst for power. It ends here.”
She clenched her jaw and turned away. Her resolve solidified and she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Then I will help you.”
“Stay out of it. Please. In fact, you should leave now and hide somewhere safe until it’s over.”
“He’ll find me. I can’t run. Tell me how I can help.”
He looked down. “I can’t tell you that. I guess you can just keep doing what you’re doing.” He looked into her eyes and gave a smile. “Just remember me.”
“As if I had a choice not to,” she said and hugged him tight.
“Goodbye, mother.” He turned to leave, stopped, then turned back to give her a wink. “I’ll see you soon.”
She nodded, her face fighting back a flood of tears. After he left, she let go and weeped. She cried for joy, for hope, and for love found. Her eyes went to the church and she saw a light appear in the high priest’s chamber. Fear gripped her on seeing the light in such an early hour, but she quickly shook the feeling away. She squared up to the high priest and stood in defiance, the wind from the sea blowing her wild hair to the side.
“Your time has come to an end, Your Grace,” she said, mocking the title.
After leaving his mother, Arkin jumped over the wall. Lucian was gone.
Didn’t expect you to stay. You did as she asked and brought me here. Thank you.
That still doesn’t erase the past. We still have a score to settle.
Arkin made his way back to the docks and into the market, avoiding the outer city at all costs. The last thing I need today is to fight a gang of little bastards.
The city slowly started coming to life as the sun rose. With his cloak pulled low to cover his face, Arkin knew he had to leave the city fast, before anyone could spot him. Halfway to freedom, a thought crossed his mind and he came to a stop. He turned around and made his way back to the boatyard.
A new shipment was being unloaded as he walked the docks. The sailors eyed him cautiously as they handled the crates. One man cursed and dropped his share of the load, causing the crate to break, drudge spilling onto the docks. “Stupid fool,” his partner cursed.
“Shove off,” he replied back. The two began fighting and Arkin kept moving.
A man sitting with his back against the wall turned his head, following Arkin as he passed, the glow from his pipe emerging from the shadow. “Arkin?”
Arkin stopped. “Who are you?”
The man removed his hood. “It’s me, Neptune.”
“Nep! You’re alive?”
He stood with a chuckle. “Sadly. Ironically, it’s you that everyone thought was dead. There’s been not a word about you since that day.”
Arkin placed his hand on the Seadog’s shoulder. “I’ve been training, preparing to finish what we started. I’m much stronger now and won’t fail.”
“Haven’t learned your lesson yet?” Neptune asked, cocking his head. “It’s over. They won.”
“You’re wrong. It’s not over.”
Neptune laughed and slapped Arkin on the back. “Come on. The others will be happy to see that you still draw breath.”
“They’re alive?”
He gave a tired look at Arkin. “Sadly.”
Arkin shook his head. “What happened to you? You’re the leader of the Seadogs. Master of the high seas. No offense, but you look like a beggar who’s looking for his next high.”
Neptune puffed out his chest. “And what’s wrong with that? Chastise a man for having a good time?” He shoved Arkin in play. “Come on, you son of a bitch.” He led the way through the slums of the outer city, waving his hand at everyone they passed, letting them know that Arkin was with him. Even the Lost Children gave them a pardon as they trekked through the slums of Kingsport.
“Vaylesh took it all,” Neptune finally spoke, stopping to turn to Arkin in an alleyway. “Took my boats, my men, my trade. Left me with nothing. Now he’s the governor of Kingsport, acting like his shit don’t stink. But his little pets are smart and know who I am, so they give me pardon.”
Thanks for the info. Vaylesh is part of the reason why I decided to stay in Kingsport. He’s a loose end that needs tying up.
Arkin spat. “If it wasn’t for him, our mission would have succeeded. He told Victor of our plan, the traitorous bastard. He wasn’t in position when it all went down. When I saw he wasn’t there, I had a bad feeling. But we were in too deep and there was no turning back.”
“Figures,” Neptune said and shook his head. “Nobody was sure, but it seemed awfully suspicious that Vaylesh rose to power so quickly after it all went down.”
“He was supposed to take the shot at the Oracle.” Thank God he didn’t. I may have never met you, mother.
“Son of a bitch. I’ll drown him myself, after I spill his guts with my blade.” He stared into Arkin’s eyes. “You’re wrong, though. We wouldn’t have won, even if Vaylesh was there. There’s no changing fate’s mind, regardless of how you stack the deck. She’s a trifling bitch that always gets her way.” As he looked at Arkin with his back to the safehouse, he threw his hand back and knocked on a door in a combination of raps. The door opened and they went inside.
All eyes went wide upon seeing Arkin.
“Arkin? I can’t believe it!” Hoss said and greeted him with a firm handshake. “Returned from the dead and in the flesh.”
“Hello, Hoss. It’s good to see you again.” Arkin looked around and found Uurs walking towards them. “And the Faceless man, too. The gang’s all back together,” Arkin said with a smile. Uurs placed a hand on Arkin’s shoulder, then gave him a hug.
“Well, not all of us,” Hoss said with sadness. “Lock didn’t make it.”
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry,” Arkin said with remorse. “It’s my fault.”
“It’s nobody’s fault. We knew what we were getting into. And it was worth it, seeing the look on the high priest’s face as he scrambled up the steps with a bolt in his guts,” Hoss said.
Neptune laughed. “Priceless.” He walked to sit on a crate. “Listen to this; Vaylesh told Victor of our plans. If you haven’t heard, he’s the governor of Kingsport now.”
It took a minute to sink in, the knowledge of a friend betraying their trust. “So that’s where the little rat has been, drinking wine and taking baths with the high priest,” Hoss said, his fists clenching.
Neptune popped a bottle and drank. He flicked his wrist, clearing the drink from his throat. “Wait, there’s more. That’s not the best part. Go on, tell them,” he said to Arkin.
Arkin looked from one man to the next. “I’m going to kill Victor. I’m going to finish what we started.”
Neptune laughed out loud and took another drink. Hoss just stared. Uurs gave Arkin a thumbs up, and Arkin nodded at the Faceless man in thanks.
“You’re serious?” Hoss asked.
“He’s been training,” Neptune said with a chuckle and crossed his legs. Arkin extended his hand, his power extending to the crate, causing it to fly out from under Neptune. The sailor fell flat on his rear, spilled his drink and looked up at Arkin in surprise.
Hoss burst out with laughter. “I’d say he’s been training rather extensively, wouldn’t you Nep?” He offered a hand to help his fallen friend. Neptune slapped it away and stumbled to his feet. He straightened himself up and stepped to Arkin. “If we’re going to do this, you gotta promise me one thing.”
“What?” Arkin said, grinning wide at his friend’s serious demeanor.
Neptune clicked his teeth. “We deal with Vaylesh first.”
Hoss cracked his knuckles. Uurs crossed his arms.
Arkin looked down, then looked back into Neptune’s eyes. “My thoughts, exactly.”
EIGHTEEN
The chamber of the high priest was colder than usual. Normally, Victor would rise with the sun and make a fire on a chilly morning, but only a pile of cold ash remained in the fireplace from the previous day. He’d been awake
for hours, sitting on the bed and staring at the message that was carved into the wall from an intruder some time in the night—the mark of the Religion with a slash across the middle, the knife buried deep in the center.
At first, fear gripped him, having been the target of an assassination once before. This was meant to be a message to him. And the messenger must be highly skilled to sneak through the locked doors and slip past the guards. Had the invader wanted, he could have slit Victor’s throat while he slept. The thought of this turned fear into anger, and Victor seethed as he stood staring at the wall.
Whoever you are, you should have killed me when you had the chance. Time is running out.
He smiled to himself, walked to the bar, and poured a glass of wine despite the early morning hours. The glass touched his lips, but he didn’t drink, his mind reeling with revelation. Lucian? Could this be by your hand?
A chuckle came upon realization and he took a drink. Yes. It was you. “Finally, your training is complete. At last, you’ve seen through the lies and have started thinking for yourself.” He strolled to the balcony and overlooked the city as the sun began to peak over the horizon. “And now you come for me. Betrayer. After everything I’ve given to you.” His mouth began to quiver and a tear fell from his eye. “You forsake your place at my side.” He looked down in sorrow; a look that was short lived, his scarred, broken heart, numb and cold. “My son, you have just sentenced yourself to death by my hand. And I will not be quick in dealing it. I will show no mercy to you for you have betrayed me.” His eyes turned fierce as he stared into the sun. “You think you know pain? Suffering? You have no idea. I have one more lesson to teach you, my son.”
He turned around, feeling eyes upon him. Sarie stood in the doorway. “How long have you been there?” he asked.
“Long enough.” She walked into the room and her eyes went to the wall. He met her in the middle of the room, and they both stood and stared at the desecration.
