Out of the corner of his eye, Toono glanced at the king, trying to spot that fleeting vulnerability the man tried so hard to mask, but it wasn’t there. He looked straight again and said, “Typically, there were reasons of science or vengeance behind Mendac’s actions. But this ... this seems unnecessary.”
“He was ugly and foul on the inside and jealous of my kingdom’s beauty,” Storshae said. “Thus, he torched our most notorious landmark.”
Toono didn’t bother to counter the hypocrisy of Storshae’s logic. Storshae may not have been as evil as Mendac, but he certainly walked the same path. And Toono wasn’t oblivious to the fact that he, himself, was no different.
The king continued his tirade as they walked. “My mother told me stories while on her deathbed ... so many stories, ranging from her relationship with my father to kingdom traditions. I wish she hadn’t waited for her final moments, but the two of us never had a good relationship—my fault as much as hers.”
Storshae stopped and looked around. “You can’t tell anymore, but we’re standing in the wreckage of the Cosmos Gala. It was the Dev Kingdom’s biggest tourist attraction. Families would visit from all over the Dark Realm, minus the Still Kingdom. They’d spend their week-long vacations right here.
“Talented Dev Weavers from Prayoga would broadcast theatrical plays in the sky at night, illuminating the meadow while tourists lay amongst the chocolate cosmos flowers; farmers from Tames constructed monstrous mazes in the fields; soldiers from Cogdan put their skills on display with battle simulations that highlighted their telekinetic abilities; and people from every corner of the kingdom would set up booths for whatever goods their trade produced.”
Toono nearly smirked at Storshae’s softer side being exposed. “Sounds like fun,” Toono said. He already knew of the history and significance behind the Cosmos Meadows and its Gala, but he didn’t want to interrupt the king’s stories.
“My father always made an appearance at least once a year, according to my mom. Each year he’d visit, he’d give one truth of the universe. Taverns and inns would become fully booked within moments following public announcement of his impending arrival. People flocked to see the Dev King who’d become known as Rehn, the Oracle.”
Imagining what such a place looked like, Toono visually combed the area. It was hard to believe with the bleakness surrounding him. “Who wouldn’t want to experience one of the Dev King’s prophecies in person?” Toono said.
“Exactly,” Storshae muttered. “Nobody knew how my dad did it, but he was capable of seeing truths not meant to be discovered. The scientists in Prayoga are still stumped by his methods. They don’t seem to believe that it could be by chance. To them, everything has a scientific or logical explanation.”
“What would you call it?” Toono asked.
“Divine.”
This brought Toono’s gaze from the meadow to dusk’s amber sky, where the crusted underbelly of two massive islands hovered above. There were a lot of things about Kuki Sphaira that seemed to defy reality. He understood Storshae’s perspective, but ultimately disagreed.
“I side with the Prayoga scientists,” Toono said. “If you think about it, there was likely a point at the beginning of time when nothing was logical. The simple action of bending a finger or blinking lacked reasoning. It took experimentation and discovery of the skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems for a rationale to be provided.
“The same rings true with the energy in our body. It is believed that there was a time when only a handful of people possessed energy, and nobody understood why. Because of this, people called it magic. But now we know what energy is and how it can be woven with nature’s currents to create abilities. It’s no longer magic; it’s science. I believe there was more to it than Dev King Rehn simply ‘having visions.’”
After a short pause, Storshae said, “You’re saying my dad found a way to see these truths through the use of his Dev Energy.”
“I’m saying it’s likely,” Toono said. “Logic is contained within one’s mind and expands according to one’s understanding. This is the distinction in mindset between scholars and peasants. The mind is a cosmos, not a box. And like the cosmos, it’s infinite in scope while limited in reach—meaning you’ll only be able to grab so much of it.”
Storshae shook his head and said, “Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, ‘Think outside the box.’”
“It’s where the name for this meadow was derived from,” Toono explained, crouching down to run his hand over the mulch. “It’s why your father came here every year. The meadow of black flowers was a symbolical representation of the human mind—an expansive cosmos. That’s why Mendac targeted this landmark. He wanted to burn down the ideology of this kingdom.”
Storshae sighed. “He didn’t want to kill just my father ...”
Toono shook his head. “He wanted to lay waste to everything he represented.”
* * *
Candlelight flickered in the tavern room, casting shadows over the king’s face as he leaned against a wardrobe. He was deep in thought, though Toono didn’t care to ask why.
“Power has shifted,” Storshae stated, breaking the silence. “For the first time in centuries, the Dark Realm has the leg up on the Light. We have an alliance of five kingdoms against four, have killed key players on their side, and have forces comfortably stationed in a Light Realm kingdom for the first time ever.”
Toono waited a moment for a point to Storshae’s rambling. He never gave one, so Toono said, “A great list of achievements.”
“None of it feels like progress—not until my dad is breathing again.” Storshae stared at the floor. “With what you told me today, I’m even more eager.”
Toono slid his feet out of his sandals and kicked them up onto the bed. “I’m as eager as you, but we can’t rush these final three sacrifices. Your patience will be rewarded.”
“There should only be two,” the king muttered. “If you had simply killed Toshik, too.”
“Unforeseen circumstances created missed opportunities,” Toono replied dully, tired of repeating his story of the Archaic Mountains. “Besides, we had entered those mountains expecting to acquire only one sacrifice anyway. It may not have been the planned target, but it was still one we needed.”
Storshae glanced over at him. “Tazama gave Toth the news of the Spirit Jestivan’s death. He bought every fabricated detail and, therefore, agreed not to let word slip to Wert.”
“That’s good,” Toono said. Leaning back against the headboard with a sigh, he added, “Now, can we please discuss the identity of the Dev sacrifice? I’m assuming you chose the person a while ago. Can we not just get it out of the way so I can focus on the remaining two: Adren and Intel?”
Storshae stepped away from the wardrobe and paused in the middle of the room, adjusting his cuffs. “It’s understood that in order for your relic to work, all ten sacrifices must harbor incredible energy sources. This would mean I’d have to offer you someone powerful and useful. And, as you’ve learned about me, I hold such individuals in high regard. Therefore, I wouldn’t risk wasting their value for nothing.”
“You fear my failure,” Toono said, closing his eyes.
“Of course,” Storshae replied. “You aren’t as untouchable as you think you are. The only reason you’re still alive is because of the dozens of moving parts that surround you.”
“That I put there,” Toono stated.
“Whatever. The point is: I’m not feeding you a sacrifice only to have you die before you complete the rest. I would have wasted a valuable asset to my kingdom.” Storshae retrieved a watch from his pocket and said, “I must head to bed; early departure to look forward to.”
As he returned the watch to its home, he gave one last look at Toono. “Good luck chasing your next kill, and safe travels to Balle. Toth said he has a ship docked and ready to go just for you, though he doesn’t know much about what you’re doing after that. Use Illipsia to keep me updated.”
&n
bsp; Storshae turned and left, the door shutting behind him. Toono’s gaze shifted to his ancient, Orbaculum, which resembled a child’s bubble wand, but wooden and grander in size. He then glanced at Anathallo, the five white gems resting on the nightstand, each a representation of one of Kuki Sphaira’s five sanctums.
Three of them glowed bright, signifying that the threshold of two sacrifices had been fulfilled for each of them. These were the Gems of Morality, Emotion, and Spirit. The fourth one, the Gem of Courage, had a softer glow, for only the Powish half of the threshold had been met. Toono needed to eliminate an Adren target in order for it to glow at its brightest.
The last crystal, the Gem of Knowledge, was dull and lifeless, for neither the Dev nor Intel sacrifices had yet to be obtained. Either by coincidence or some kind of subconscious force, they had been saved for last.
“Can someone get me out of here? Does sunlight still exist?”
The voice came from within the wardrobe and belonged to the most important key to the rebirth, Dimiourgos. It was the other half of Anathallo, but it wouldn’t come into play until the last sacrifice. Fortunately, that moment was quickly approaching. Toono had reached the home stretch.
5
True Light
Intel King Vitio arrived at Telejunction with a platoon as escort. Spirit Queen Apsa and Passion Director Venustas were already waiting on the landing stage below with their respective group escorts.
Vitio gazed across the campus in wonder, absorbing its desertion. School life was nonexistent—no students, staff, or faculty. Even the landscaping had apparently fallen by the wayside. Weeds tangled thick in the grass, and leaves littered the ground beneath cherry blossoms that had died over the past year. Phesaw, once a crown jewel of the Light Realm, was now a shell of its old self.
Upon the Intel King’s arrival to the stage, greetings were exchanged. He took particular interest in the Passion Director. Royal summits traditionally involved only the royal heads.
“How is Queen Fiona doing?” he asked as he shook Venustas’s hand.
“She’s taking care of her children,” Venustas said. “With their father gone, she’s decided her role as a mother required her attention more than that of a queen.”
“You’ve done splendidly well for yourself while filling such an important position,” Vitio said. He turned to Apsa. “Queen Apsa, now that we’re face to face, I’d like to formerly apol—”
Apsa held up her hand. “We’ve moved on ...” She paused, narrowing her eyes at Vitio. “Have we not?”
Vitio smiled. “We have.”
Apsa gazed toward the sun and said, “Supido is late.”
“Should we head down?” Venustas asked, gesturing down the slope of Telejunction’s massive hill.
The two royal heads, energy director, and their soldiers descended the hill. The grass swallowed the bottom half of Vitio’s legs as he kicked his way through. Reaching the main campus, they entered the school and left a few of their soldiers outside the building. The remaining soldiers stationed themselves in the lobby while Vitio, Apsa, and Venustas stepped into the assembly hall.
A beam of sunlight from a spot glass in the ceiling struck a round table sitting at center stage. They made their way down the steps and approached the table.
“I had worried I’d be the late one,” Vitio said, the three of them taking a seat around the table. “There was much I had to squeeze in before my departure—a lot of last-second planning.”
As Venustas tied her dirty blond hair back in a bun, she asked, “You receive your falcon yet?”
“I did last night.”
“I have yet to receive one,” she replied, “but Queen Apsa said hers arrived days ago, so I guess arrival times are staggered. Perhaps, mine is a bit winded.”
Vitio glanced at Apsa. “Ophala will be quite the help, ay?”
“She’ll likely be the most crucial piece to us turning this war around,” Apsa said.
An auditorium door opened, signaling the late arrival of the fourth and final member of the meeting, Adren King Supido. He approached the stage, his silver cloak billowing behind him.
“Good afternoon,” he said, grabbing the final vacant seat.
They each returned his greeting—including Apsa. Perhaps the two of them had put their ordeal to rest.
“Let’s make this quick,” Supido said. They each retrieved notes from their respective bags before passing them around the table.
“It will go as long as it must,” Apsa replied. “This is the most important summit we’ve ever had.”
The stage fell quiet, each of them shuffling through parchment. Vitio glossed over each person’s notes, searching for anything that caught his eye. By the time he found something, Apsa had already begun speaking.
“King Vitio, I see you’re wasting no time in chasing the lead given to you by Ophala.”
Supido’s brow rose, catching sight of the same note on his own copy. “Infiltrating enemy territory already?” he asked. “Bold move—even for you.”
“Which is precisely why this is the perfect time,” Vitio explained. “They wouldn’t expect this so early.”
“They must have heavy security stationed both at their normal teleplatforms and the ‘secret’ ones,” Venustas commented. Her eyes grew bigger as she read further. “And you’ll be sending Jestivan.”
“You of all people should know that the Jestivan are more talented fighters than anyone, and that includes our generals.”
Venustas looked up from her notes and removed her glasses. “Yes, but if you do this, you’re gift wrapping the last two sacrifices and placing them neatly on their doorstep.”
Supido snorted. “More like their lap.”
“Well, I agree with the decision,” Apsa said. “I was simply shocked that you had the gall to commit to something so brash. After all, you spent all of this past year denying Bryson’s involvement in anything that even sniffed at danger.”
Vitio nodded. “There was no direction then.”
“I gave you direction. You chose not to accept it.”
They eyed each other for a few seconds before Vitio’s gaze dropped. “You’re right.” He sighed.
“Anyway, some good news,” Apsa said, running her finger across her own parchment. “If you look in my notes—the third bullet point—you’ll see that the mission in Stalagmite Sea is underway.”
“How is that good news and why hasn’t that been called off?” Supido asked. “You proposed that battle tactic right in front of Toth Brench. He had to have alerted King Storshae. They know our ships are hidden in the stalagmites; they’ll be cornered.”
She nodded. “The strategy was bait for Toth. While you two rebuked every accusation I made against the man, I stuck by my gut and Ophala’s word. I wanted him to hear that plan. I’ve orchestrated my own mission over the past month. While SCAPD’s fleet will be focused on the stalagmites, our ships will flank. I’ll keep everyone updated as information rolls in.”
“Are there any threats in Light Realm waters?” Venustas asked.
Apsa shook her head. “There’s no sure way to tell, but it’s unlikely. I have someone else keeping an eye on that for me—someone with many eyes all across the Realm Rivers and Sea of Light.”
Supido glared at Apsa. “Gray Whale?”
“Yes.”
“How’s the blockade?” Vitio asked, trying to quickly steer the conversation away from such a topic.
Apsa grabbed another parchment and circled something with her quill. “Nothing has crossed between the Sea of Light and Archaic River, save a few vessels carrying refugees. Every navy vessel stationed across the connector is intact and fully prepared.”
“We might as well call you empress of the True Light,” Vitio said, chuckling to himself.
She glowered. “Don’t patronize me.”
“It’s flattery; you’ve impressed me.”
“Even worse.”
Vitio’s smile vanished. Apsa had changed drastically over the p
ast three years. He returned to an upright position, stroking his gray and gold beard. “Very well.”
“I have the seas under control,” Apsa stated. “That is my job. Each of you must focus on land and teleplatforms.”
Pushing her glasses up her nose, Venustas said, “And everyone must stay wary of Toono’s whereabouts. Ophala said he’s in the Dev Kingdom, but she said he’s the most difficult to track.”
“Indeed,” Vitio said.
The rest of the meeting involved discussion of smaller details, such as the stationing of soldiers throughout the four True Light kingdoms, the rationing of resources between military bases, and the distribution of riches that Gray Whale had obtained from Brench Hilt. As the summit concluded, Spirit Queen Apsa requested the presence of her peers at Wealth’s Crossroads before they either returned home or turned in for the night.
The group split into pairs as they walked outside, a collective unit of platoons trailing behind them by some fifty yards. Vitio made it a point to separate Apsa from Supido and Venustas.
“What is it, Vitio?”
“There’s someone I’ll need in order to make my teleplatform operation a success,” he said. “Not for the infiltration part, but for the studying and experimentation. My Dev servant, Flen, said he can’t do it on his own.”
“You need Joy,” she said.
“Well, yes.”
“When I return to Sodai, I’ll have General Minerva escort her to Dunami. Expect her arrival in eight days.”
“That’s perfect,” Vitio said. “Flen and the team I’ve assembled around him should be back by that point.”
“I hope so,” she muttered.
Vitio glanced at her, then said, “You and Supido ...”
“We’re working on it,” she said, answering his question before he had a chance to ask it. “I’ve invited him to Sodai. He’ll stay in my palace for a few days, and we’ll mend our relationship.”
“I hope so,” Vitio said.
They cut through the roundabout of Wealth’s Crossroads to Lilac Suites, a four-story building that sat at the head of the dead-end. Apsa pushed open the front doors, and the rest of them followed her through.
The Chronicle Page 5
