“Say what you want, but I told you no such thing. You and your friends were to go out and clean the streets for skipping class. What you did, as despicable as it is, was on your own accord. You are full of spite because you got caught and want to drag me down with you.” There was silence. Theo was sitting straight in his chair, his neck tilted back slightly. He looked at his hands, the table, anything except the boy. Shàn stared coldly back at Theo.
“You are the lowest, dirtiest, most foul smelling type of bile,” Shàn said.
“Shàn,” Daius said, “We do not speak like that during council.” But Shàn continued as if he had not heard him and stood up, his fists on the table, his knuckles grinding into the wood.
“You backstabbing, maggot filled rat. May the skin fall from your face and your skull be pissed on by dogs. May you ever be thirsty, and never find drink, be hungry, and never eat, and may you… live forever.”
When he finished the room was silent. Alkine, Faeris, Wysen and a few others muttered to others and to themselves about the strong language. Mearto whispered something to Emalee and she nodded in agreement. Daius, Theo, the Seer and Isaac sat completely still. The stillness was broken when the Seer nodded to Mearto. Before she could speak, The Captain took a mental note of who had what kind of reaction, and then stood.
“It seems Shàn has some strong feelings against Theo,” the Captain said to the group. “In my experience, I have seen what it is like when a criminal tries to place the blame on another individual who is innocent, and who is not. When the situation is the latter, it does not excuse the criminal, and justice must take effect.” At this, both the boys frowned and looked down at the table. “I am under the impression that both of these boys are telling the truth, and will reduce their sentence to four months in the mines of Linnouse, if anyone can substantiate what they have said.” The Captain sat down and there was quiet talk amongst the Teachers for a moment and then Mearto stood.
“Captain, there is more to my story than I let you first believe. When I saw Theo and the boys leave, I went up to the Seer and expressed my concerns. He Saw the fires, and he told me where I should go and at what times. He also Saw Theo giving that order. It wasn’t until you caught the boys that I was able to divulge this information.
“It is with this information,” she said, speaking to everyone, “that I propose Theo be stripped of his rank as Assistant to the Head, be cursed as Nameless and be banished from this school henceforth. All in favor?” Every teacher raised their hand.
“It is done then,” Daius said. Each of the teachers stood. Theo tried to run away. The other teachers stood and black cords materialized in their hands. Each threw their black rope like a whip at Theo. Before Theo could flee the room, the cords wrapped around Theo and bound him in place, tightening around his chest and mouth so that he could not speak.
Daius spoke, but the sound of the words was like nothing Kosai had ever heard before. Shàn and his friend collapsed almost instantly. Each word, each syllable and each letter held power. The Faye filled the room, but it was not the calming feeling that accompanied Kosai when he created sparks or meditated. He struggled to stay conscious, and focused on listening to the Head Teacher recite what he figured to be the Unspoken.
Kosai tried listenting to the words, but he felt like he woke from a deep sleep and the world was still hazy. He could hear the Unspoken, but the words sounded muffled. The Faye was not inviting, but terrible and dark, the essence of true power. The air crackled and popped and pressed against Kosai and the Captain from every side, as if they were in a box that was getting smaller and smaller.
When the Head Teacher stopped speaking, Theo lay on the ground, pale and asleep. The black cords retracted, and the Head Teacher sat in his chair, breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from his face like hot wax.
“Take him,” he said weakly, waving a hand. Even the teachers seemed momentarily weakened, as if they too were compressed by the power that filled the air. The power and the pressure of the Unspoken lessened, and slowly, Isaac and Xidan moved and dragged the unconscious figure out into the hallway.
“He is no longer Theo,” Daius said, a sound of exhaustion in his voice. “Every essence of that individual has been locked away, deep in the crevices of his mind, and when he wakes, he will know that he is a man, he will know how to eat, but his very identity will be lost to him. He will be like an animal, moving only on instinct. Captain, we are again in your debts. Do you still intend to take the boys to Linnouse?”
“Yes,” the Captain said with serious effort. Kosai looked at his father and saw that he, too, was struggling to stay awake. “They had a choice, and chose incorrectly. I still stand with my sentence of four months.”
“I understand,” Daius said, “though you have presented me with a new problem.” He laughed softly. “I need a new assistant. That decision will be made tomorrow. Until then, this meeting is adjourned.” The remaining teachers stood, as well as the Seer, and filed out of the room. Shàn and the other boy were still unconscious. Kosai was about to leave when the Captain put his hand on his shoulder.
“Mearto,” he called. “The boys can stay.” Mearto was about to lift one of the boys out of the chair. “I can take them, but I need to visit with Kosai for a moment.”
“Of course,” she said, smiling. “I’ll be just outside the door to escort you out.”
The Captain thanked her. Mearto waited until all the teachers were out of the room. The Seer, who seemed to walk slower than Kosai remembered, was followed out by Mearto. Kosai waited a few moments after the doors closed.
“Mearto and the Seer lied,” Kosai said in a matter of fact tone. “I have never seen Mearto hesitate to accuse anyone. Something was off.”
“That much was obvious to us, but I am not sure if it was obvious to the Teachers. What we can learn is that the Seer wanted him gone, for whatever reason.” The Captain shook his head. “But that isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. I met again with the Council. An uprising is coming, though I don’t know when.” The Captain explained what happened during the meeting and the letter he received from Hemmel about preparing for the worst and the division within the council members. He talked about Paer’s father being a central figure in the uprising and how Beoran admitted he and his brothers knew that the Council was betraying the routes to the nomad tribes and the promise of a monopoly on all transports when the dust settled.
“Aldair and Thuane should be here tomorrow sometime for questioning. After I get a confession, I am going to take the guard and remove those council members who were a part of the betrayal. I can’t allow an uprising to happen.” The other two boys began to wake. “Do you know if the Seer has any other allies with him, or that know that he is part of the betrayal?”
“I do,” Shàn said. He sat up slowly, reached in his pocket and pulled out a key. “My friends and I put together a plan in case Theo betrayed us, which he did. None of us trusted him, but he showed us that he has access to the syndicate grain stores, and out of concern for our families, we did what we did.” He leaned forward and looked at Kosai. “And for what we did to you, I am sorry.”
“All is forgiven,” Kosai said.
“This key will open his office door. I am sure that you will be able to find letters, notes, journal entries, anything and everything against him and those that worked with him if you look hard enough.” Shàn slid the key across the table and Kosai caught it.
“You will tell no one what you have heard or you will be staying in Linnouse for the remainder of your life. Understood?” The Captain glared at both of the boys and they nodded. “Good. Kosai, find the division and charge the Seer and those that side with him. If what Beoran says is true, and is echoed by his brothers, than I will go to the Council and remove them from power. That gives you two days. Do what you can to prepare. Get as many people on your side as possible.”
“Yes sir,” Kosai said. When the Captain gave orders, Kosai executed those ord
ers without question. He trusted in his ability as a Recruit, but as a Conduit, that trust diminished. He took courage in the last part of the order… to get as many people on his side as possible.
CHAPTER 21
Kosai sat in Mearto’s office as she pulled more books down from her shelf and set them on her desk. Kosai tapped his pants pocket, feeling for the key Shàn gave him. The matron was coming and going as well, placing books from the library on her desk, and taking some of the ones Mearto was pulling from her shelves. Once all of the books were on the desk that Kosai was to read from, she placed her hand on the two hour glass and looked at him.
“What did the Captain talk to you about last night?” she asked, her finger tips rolling on the brass end of the hour glass.
“I’ll answer your question, if you answer one of mine,” he shot back.
“Ask away,” she said. Her hand stilled.
Kosai had planned out the next two days as he lay in bed the night before. The first day, he would discover if Mearto was certainly on his side. He figured that she would ask about his brief, but needed, meeting with the Captain. In payment of an answer, he was to ask her one question, a question about her loyalties. Kosai thought long about the perfect question, one that would strike to the heart of the matter and would reveal her true motive if she wasn’t true to his and the Captain’s mission.
If she proved that she was for stopping the betrayal of caravan routes, he would explain what the Captain talked to him about and why it was now important that he learn combative skills. In the evening, he would go into Theo’s office for a brief moment with the book that wrote itself and find out who sided with the Seer.
“Why are you so concerned with the betrayal?” he asked.
“It is the only source of food for most of the people here, without the routes, the people die,” Mearto said cooly.
“That is what the caravans do, but why do you care?” he asked again.
“I don’t think I understand what you mean,” she said.
“Say someone poisoned the spring and we had to find out who it was. This poisoned water killed people instantly, and so now people are dying of dehydration. The fact in this scenario is that people are dying from poison and dehydration. Stating the fact is not a reason for solving the problem. Let me rephrase it then a little more forwardly. What do you have to lose if we fail in stopping the Seer?”
“More than you could ever imagine,” she said bitterly, but there was a slight sound of sorrow in her too. “What did you talk to the Captain about?”
“Depends,” he stayed firm, wanting a more tangible answer. “Why don’t you try my imagination?” Mearto took her hand off the two hour glass and walked to the side of Kosai and sat on the table. The smell of lilac and sea salt filled the room.
“And why do you have that smell about you?” he said, calmer and more relaxed.
“Question for question,” she replied softly. “If the Seer isn’t stopped, I will have no chance at a future family, or to meet one that I love. I do not want to be here, but the Seer has me trapped against my will, and I cannot escape.”
“You love another?” Kosai asked, blushing slightly.
“Not yet. What did you and the Captain talk about?”
“No,” Kosai retorted. “Not a word, now that I know how close you are to the Seer.”
“Don’t you see though--” The smell grew stronger as she spoke, and Kosai felt as though he had woken from a deep sleep. “If you defeat the Seer, I can be free, and that, at this moment, is the only thing that I want.” Kosai stared at her, noticing how she didn’t struggle or fumble over her words. She was telling the truth.
“The Captain found out that the syndicate knew the Council was behind the betrayal of the routes and blackmailed them. In return, the Council granted them full ownership of all trade routes after the expected uprising. The reason the Council, as well as the Seer, would want to purposely risk the lives of the people is beyond us. Why can’t you escape?”
“I am…” Mearto sighed and took another breath. “I am… not what I seem. My blood has more power in it than the Head Teacher, more than any Conduit ever had, ever has, or ever will. The Seer knows this and if he were to expose me, the Teachers would kill me without a second thought. Though I am powerful, I am not nearly powerful enough to defend myself against all of them. Was there anything else that you two talked about?”
“The Captain is bringing in Aldair and Thuane for questioning. If what they say matches with the confession of Beoran, he will remove the Council from power in two days time. I have till then to find out who is with the Seer, their motives, and remove them. Concerning your situation, if we discredit the Seer of his power, or kill him and those who are with him within that time frame, would you be able to escape?—Wait, no!” Mearto was about to answer his question, but stayed silent at Kosai’s sudden outburst. “That wasn’t the question I wanted to ask. The answer is obviously yes.” Kosai paused and furrowed his brow. “What are you then?” he asked slowly.
Mearto dimmed the light from her lamp and pulled out a candle from one of the drawers in her desk. She snapped her fingers above the wick, creating a spark and lighting the candle. Then she blew out the lamp, letting the dim glow of the candle light the room.
“Tell no one of what you are about to see,” she said. She placed the candle up to her face and placed her other hand over her eyes. When she removed her hand, she looked at the door. For a split second, the iris and pupil of her eyes flashed bright silver. She looked over at the book shelf on the other side of the room, and they flashed again. “Did you see it?” she asked. Kosai nodded his head. She then put her free hand up to her eyes a second time, removed her hand from her face, lit the lamp and then blew out the candle. “The smell is… hard to explain, but consider it my natural aroma. I can control it when and how I would like. Are you convinced now that I am on your side?”
“Yes,” Kosai whispered.
“I can never tell you what I am Kosai, because it would endanger you, beyond the danger you are already facing.” She paused. “We have two days to teach more of the combative types of channeling, as well as the defensive. I wish your Captain was able to give us more time, but considering the circumstances, I must forgive him.” She looked down at the pile of books and the two hour glass, still unturned. “Go meditate and commune for a half hour up in the Oasis. I will come up after that and we will begin your training then. I need time to figure out what I am going to do.”
Kosai stood, bowed and exited the room. He went straight to the West Stair, skipping steps until he came to the Oasis. Chickens clucked and scratched at the ground for beetles and grubs. Bees buzzed around the air, systematically searching for sweet nectar in the vegetable and fruit blossoms. Kosai looked to the center of the Oasis. The egg-like reed chair was empty. A few teachers sat close to the center of the Oasis, meditating and communing with the Faye. A few students walked along the perimeter, smelling flowers as they passed and talked quietly to their friends.
Leery of the bees, Kosai chose the same place Mearto directed him to the last time he communed in the Oasis. He sat cross legged on the grass with his fists on his knees. A honey bee circled him, buzzing too close for Kosai’s comfort. He held his breath as the bee flew aggressively around his head, by his ear, in front of his eye, under his nose and then eventually away to find a flower. He sighed in relief and began to meditate.
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Zenith took the canvas, fashioned some rope out of vines, tied the canvass between two trees, and formed a hammock. His bare leg dangled listlessly out of one side. Kosai walked up to him and rocked the hammock. Zenith jerked awake and rubbed his eyes in the sunlight.
“Good to see you,” Zenith said groggily.
“We don’t have a lot of time.” Zenith stuck out a hand, and Kosai helped him out of the hammock.
“I am aware of your situation,” he said as he stretched. He looked off into the ocean and Kosa
i followed his gaze. Out on the horizon, dark storm clouds rolled across the waves. The lightning bolts, like white oars, seemed to push the storm closer to shore. Zenith slowly pulled his sight away from the coming storm
“You have less than two days to build up enough endurance to stand on your own against the Seer, and possibly the rest of the teachers. Correct?”
“Yes,” Kosai said.
“Impossible,” Zenith said quickly. Then he squatted down and began to draw a circular pattern in the ground. “You would die the moment you tried to match their endurance. There, done.” Zenith stood up and wiped sand off of his finger. “I want you to attack me.”
Kosai took a step forward and struck out with a solid fist. Inches before impact, Kosai’s arm collided with what felt like a feather mattress. Zenith stood, unflinchingly and smiled back. Kosai tried again, and got the same affect.
“What did you do?” he asked.
“That circle,” Zenith pointed at the ground in front of him “is a Circle of Power. It draws on the power that already resides in the earth. As long as that circle remains intact, I cannot be harmed.”
Kosai knelt by the circle and traced the lines with his own finger, trying to memorize every turn and symbol.
“How are you teaching me this?” Kosai asked. “I thought you were just a part of my subconscious. How can you teach me something I don’t know?”
“Simply put, I am not a part of your subconscious. That is one error in the teachings of the school I failed to correct before it was too late. Objects reside in the subconscious but are, as I am, a manifestation of the Faye. You are the blood of his blood and the flesh of his flesh and only I hold the knowledge to defeating him, as well as many other teachings of the Faye. I have been manifested to you to prepare you for what lies ahead.”
Emblems of Power Page 29
