The Aspect: The Cessation's Harbinger

by Ajax Lygan

  As they descended, Tempest felt Ella elbow him in the shoulder. Her eyes were wide as she nodded behind them. Tempest looked back and saw Father Habernackle twisting a silver ring on his pinky finger. As he squinted, he could see the outline of a dagger etched onto the ring that had become all too familiar to him.

  “That’s a beautiful bit of jewelry you’ve got there, father,” Tempest said, nodding toward the ring.

  Father Habernackle looked down at the ring and then back up at Tempest before sliding his hand into his sleeves. “Thank you, it’s a recent gift from the Patriarch himself.”

  “Wow, that’s quite an honor. You must have done something extraordinary to receive such a fine blessing.”

  “Yes, quite,” he laughed, putting his hand in his pocket.

  A sudden thud and silence from the gears from above indicated that they had reached their destination. They were on a perpendicular platform that connected to the bridge and the vaults. On the wall facing them were twin steel doors with the symbol of Bothnan ingrained above them. Father Habernackle led them onto the bridge.

  There were six pyramids along the bridge, but as Tempest looked up, he could see similar pyramids dangling from the ceiling and some mounted into the walls like steel rivets in leather armor. In the center of the bridge, there was a central platform. On top of the platform was a vast array of levers that rose in three cascading levels. It reminded Tempest of a maestro’s organ used to play in a symphony.

  The father took his position on the central platform and pulled the levers in quick succession, like a master pianist playing a final performance. Three of the pyramids that hung to his left, slowly rose into the ceiling. Once they were out of site, Father Habernackle began pulling new levers in a different sequence.

  Tempest watched as the pyramids in the ceiling rotated, paving the way for a hidden wall to open in the midst of the fiery waterfall above the hydra’s doorway. A pyramid that was larger than the three pyramids put together, positioned above them. The size of the base was the same size as the circular platform. As it descended, it obtained the position of the previous three pyramids.

  While the father performed his task, Tempest leaned in to whisper to the rest of his companions. “Father Habernackle is wearing a ring with the same symbol as the amulets. When we get in, let’s do a quick sweep, grab anything we need and then we can question Father Habernackle on our way out.”

  Everyone except Riika agreed. She was too busy bouncing in place to hear anything. Once the door of the pyramid slid open, Riika sprinted inside, her laughter echoing deep in the chamber.

  “Please take your time,” Father Habernackle called out from his station. “I’ll be here when you’re finished.”

  Tempest waved as he stepped to the edge of the platform. The edge of the pyramid’s opening was a foot away, requiring a small hop to enter. That’s when he noticed the pyramid was semi-translucent, like a giant purple hued gem. He could see the red glow of the lake of fire beneath him and the faint glow of the waterfall toward his right. Sconces lined the wall, lit with purple flames, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of the time when Queen Na’esta had performed her ritual. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. He had a sickening feeling that something bad was about to happen.

  The hallway opened up to a central chamber. His eyes lit up at the sight before him. Along the walls were an assortment of ancient scrolls, books, and tomes. Rows of weapons and armor hung on ornate displays. Gaudy furniture was stacked haphazardly in the corner. However, it was the mountain of coins that covered the center of the room that got his attention. Riika was rolling in it like a pig in mud.

  “Riika, we’re short on time, get a hold of yourself.”

  “But I’ve always dreamed about doing this! Can’t you just give this to me?”

  “We don’t have time for this, dump everything, and I mean everything, out of your endless bag and start scooping up as much coin as you can.”

  Riika groaned, but began doing what she’d been told.

  Tempest turned to Ella and Saïgra next.

  “You two, go over to those scrolls, books, and tomes. Grab anything of historical or magical significance. I am going to check out the weapons and armor.”

  The two women nodded and everyone split to begin their tasks.

  Tempest started with the armor first. There were three sets of armor, all displayed on wooden mannequins. The first was a set of full plate armor, which was larger than someone bigger than Riika. When Tempest put the helmet on, his mouth was where the eye slits were. As such, he placed it back on the mannequin.

  Next, there was a suit of leather armor. The leather was almost entirely black, making it difficult to see, even with the nearby torches. Tempest grabbed a bandolier that contained an assortment of knives, thinking they would come pretty handy with his improved force magic.

  Finally, there was a set of robes, draped in a cloak. He realized they were too small to fit him. However, Tempest noticed an amulet that hung around the neck. It was a black, circular amulet that had a silver ring floating around it. Tempest experimented with it, trying to see if it activated something, but to no avail. Frustrated, he moved onto the weapons.

  Much like Balaric’s Arc, there were weapon display racks lining the walls. Tempest scanned them, looking for anything that caught his eye. It wasn’t until he found two blades in a display case that he found what he wanted. Inside, the two swords had a flat straight edge that was lined with the grip. The other side of the blade was serrated like a saw.

  When the two blades laid together, their teeth intertwined looking like a solid blank piece of metal with two grips on the end. The design appealed to Tempest aesthetically. As he looked closer, he noticed that together, they created a single rune etched along the side of the blades. When Tempest picked them up, the rune glowed a blood red.

  He swung them around, getting a sense of their weight and balance. They were perfect. As Tempest practiced his swings, a rumbling of gears echoed all around them. It took a second for them to register what was happening.

  “Run!” Tempest shouted, as everyone took off down the hallway. He knew as soon as he reached the edge that they were in trouble. There was no longer a visible doorway, and there was nowhere to go. Before he could react, he felt himself get pressed up against the hallway’s ceiling.

  They all screamed as the lake of fire grew brighter and brighter as they plunged into immediate peril. Their bodies collided with each other as the bottom of the vault slapped with the high viscosity of the river like a rock in mud. When they didn’t immediately sink, Tempest knew they only had a few precious seconds to make their escape.

  He only had one idea, he just hoped that it worked.

  “Follow me!” he shouted, jumping to his feet. He led his companions to the center of the chamber where he hoped the chain remained. With a huge concentration of energy, Tempest released a blast of his force magic upward, shattering the top of the crystal-like surface. He produced a shield surrounding them as the raining glass fell all over them.

  If it wasn’t for the immediate danger they were in, the cascading rainbow of glass fragments would have made for quite the romantic view. Above them, though, the chain was still attached the top of the pyramid. However, the blast of force magic had left the chain swinging wildly in the air.

  That’s when Saïgra jumped into action. Tempest watched as she extended vines like giant whips from her arms. She extended one to the each of her companions.

  “Grab on tight!” she yelled. With their grip secured, she waited for the chain to swing back in their direction. With a flip of her wrist, she wrapped a vine around the swinging chain’s links. The momentum of the chain yanked them all off the ground. However, Saïgra had planned for this. She began rolling her vines back into herself as they ascended toward the chain.

  With a bit of his own magic, Tempest countered the momentum, giving the group time to watch as the pyramid, coins, tomes, and gear sank into the lake of fire
below them.

  “I am going to make that rat fuck pay for this,” Riika growled.

  “He has answers we need first, Riika,” Tempest said, looking down. “But once we have them, he’s fair game.” Tempest and his companions began climbing up the links on the chain like a makeshift ladder. It didn’t take them long before they were eye level with the central platform.

  Father Habernackle was just making his way off of the command console when he and Tempest locked eyes. His head snapped up as he immediately froze. Tempest didn’t take his eyes off of him as he continued his climb, boosting his companions up further. Once they were in position, Saïgra threw a vine that hooked itself on the bunched-up levers and began pulling the group to the platform’s ledge. At the sound of the snap of her vine whip, Father Habernackle took off, sprinting down the bridge.

  With his companion’s safely secured, Tempest jumped, using his force to extenuate his muscles. His feet slid as he landed on the stone floor. Tempest looked down at the fleeing mousefolk man and used his power to halt his progress. At first, the father didn’t seem to notice he was running in place for a few seconds, but once he felt his momentum pull him backward, he dug his hands into the ground, leaving a smeared line of blood as his nails pulled away. He was already crying when Tempest kicked him over.

  “I’m going to keep this short because I am running out of patience,” he said, pressing his foot into the father’s gut. “You’re going to tell us everything about your organization and why you’re trying to kill us.”

  “W-why?” Father Habernackle stammered; his face ballooned as he pointed a shaking bloodied finger up at the group. “Because you’re all a bunch of no-good thieves!”

  “Thieves?” Tempest asked, looking at his companions. “What have we stolen?”

  “Don’t lie to me. I can see the weapons on your back. I can only imagine how much gold and platinum you took from the vault.”

  “This is ridiculous. You said it yourself that this vault belonged to my ancestors.”

  “I knew the system was wrong as soon as I dug into the details. I know what was stored in that vault and who it belongs to. I know the truth!”

  “You mean the Aspects?”

  Father Habernackle froze as Tempest spoke the words. His brow furrowed as he pulled his hand under his chin, lost in thought. “N-No, it’s not possible. There hasn’t been one for centuries. Even if there was a new Aspect, we would have heard the herald’s call.”

  “You’re a fool blinded by your own ignorance,” Tempest said, shaking his head. “The reason I came to Halairim was to have Queen Vatia request a meeting of the IRC to make the announcement. Lady Saïgra is here because we delivered notice to Queen Vatia from Queen Maileath of the Firegrove. She is able to prove who I am.”

  “It’s true,” Saïgra said.

  “B-but Patriarch Markov said…”

  “What did he tell you, that we were common criminals? Think about it, father, the system the bank uses cannot be wrong.” Tempest removed his foot as Father Habernackle slowly came to this realization.

  He sat up, looking up at Tempest with watery eyes.

  “He deceived me. I said the exact same thing when the patriarch and I discussed the results of my investigation around the vault. However, he responded, immediately defensive, like he was the one being investigated. He also said some odd things, like mentioning it being an Aspect vault before I said anything about it being one.”

  The mousefolk man shook his head. “When I questioned him about it, he swore that the Aspects were long gone, never to return, and that this was a flaw he planned to investigate. When I said the system cannot be wrong, he slapped me and called me simple-minded. It was completely unlike him.”

  The little man wrung his hands together. “He’s never been violent. I’ve always known him to be a kind and honest man. Days later, he came to me, thanking me for exposing the flaw in the system. He said they would find the criminals and punish them with the full extent of Bothnan’s will. Then he pulled out this ring and gifted it to me, saying that it was my thoroughness that had identified the problem. I was so blinded by the gift and his compassion that I no longer questioned it.”

  Tempest kneeled down in front of the father who was wiping his tears away. He reached out and placed his hands over the fathers. When he removed them, the father’s hands showed no wounds. Father Habernackle looked at his hands in shock before throwing himself to the ground, gripping Tempest’s boot.

  “I’m so sorry, your Eminence,” he sobbed. “I’m such a fool. I’ll do anything for your forgiveness. If it means throwing myself off this ledge to be cleansed by the fires of Bothnan, I will do it.” Tempest patted the father’s back as he attempted to atone for his sins. Thinking of his last words, Tempest reached into his pocket side pouch and pulled out the silver amulet.

  “Only action will allow your transgressions to be forgiven father,” Tempest said, lifting the man from his boot.

  “Anything your Eminence, just tell me what to do.”

  “Since we have arrived in Halairim, we have been attacked by a group wearing these amulets that contain the same dagger as your ring. The Queen’s lead investigator was investigating who this shadow group is. They are also connected with an unknown beast that killed everyone at The Academy.”

  “But I heard the Queen…”

  “It’s a rumor spread among the locals. It’s not true.”

  “Y-yes, your Eminence.”

  “We need to know the significance of this dagger and discover where the Patriarch would have gone.”

  Father Habernackle stood from the ground, rubbing his chin. A spark lit behind his eyes and he waved for the others. “I think I can answer both. Follow me to the patriarch’s chambers.”

  10

  The Cessation’s Creed

  Father Habernackle led the group up toward the top floor of the building where Patriarch Markov’s quarters and office were located. They stopped at a nearby corner where Father Habernackle had noticed a couple of the patriarch’s personal guards standing at attention in front of the door leading toward his office and chambers.

  “Okay, I think we need a distraction,” Father Habernackle said wiping his forehead.

  “Can’t you just go talk to them?” Tempest asked.

  “It’s not that simple. His personal guards only report to him. They are not employed by the bank. No one is allowed in his quarters without his permission. If I go up there, they are going to treat me like some hooligan.”

  “How many are standing guard?” Riika asked, popping her head around the pair.

  “T-two big ones,” Father Habernackle said, shaking. Riika shimmied toward the edge and peaked around the corner.

  “Psh, I’ll take care of them.” Before anyone could stop her, Riika began waltzing down the hallway.

  They watched as she waved and began talking to the two soldiers who were standing guard. Once she reached the two, she grabbed both of them by the head and slammed their helmets together. The blow was so severe it left collision dents in both helmets.

  Riika turned, smiling, slapping both of her hands together as if she had just finished cleaning. The rest of the group sprinted down the hallway. Riika and Tempest pulled the guards inside the room after everyone else entered.

  The office surprised Tempest. He had expected it to be rather lavish and gaudy, however, it was even more basic than Father Habernackle’s. It contained a dark wood desk, several chairs, two bookshelves on the far wall, and a shrine to Bothnan in the middle.

  “Huh, I was actually expecting a bit more.” Father Habernackle made a spitting sound with his mouth. “It’s just as fake as he is. It’s giving the illusion of a pious leader who doesn’t hold on to materialism. If only I hadn’t been so blind…”

  “Even when cut, the tree finds a way to grow,” Saïgra called out. Father Habernackle looked back and nodded.

  “Everyone pan out, look for anything that can help us find where the patriarch has g
one to.” Everyone nodded in agreement and began rummaging through the desks and chests in the room. Tempest approached the father from behind, who was staring up at the bookshelves. “Father, I thought you said there are personal quarters, but I don’t see any doors in here.

  “He has quarters on the lower levels with everyone else, but no one ever sees him down there. However, I think it’s just for show. I believe his real quarters are hidden behind this bookshelf,” he said, pointing up. “I had seen him exit from here several times when he thought no one was looking.”

  “Stand back,” Tempest said, pushing out his arm in front of the father. He reached out toward the bookshelf and pulled. A metallic grinding echoed in the room as the bookshelf slid along its hinge. Wood snapped from the side of the bookshelf as it pulled away from the metal locking mechanism. Light shined in from the other room as soon as the hidden doorway was open. Tempest was the first in, and it was exactly what he expected.

  The finest materials Iðna had to offer decorated the room. Giant rugs of eastern beast fur, display cases of ancient pottery, and giant murals painted in the patriarch’s likeness covered the room. It was an open two-story apartment with a main living area, kitchen, dining room, and study. Off to the left was a spiral steel staircase that led to a king-size bed sitting under the all-glass roof that would have given a perfect view of the stars if it wasn’t for the smoke and ash covering the city.

  “T-this is outrageous. Bothnan’s tenants strictly forbid excessive materialistic expenditures for the individual. All income earned by the church must be used for the church related expenditures or for the people of Iðna.”

  “I don’t know, father,” Tempest began. “Your robes look like they cost more than some people earn in a year.”

  Father Habernackle looked down at his robes and then let out a short laugh. “W-well, as I said, it can be used for the church. Just like our soldiers are equipped with the best armaments for their own protection. We eat well, are provided with fine clothes, and are issued a small stipend every month, but this…No one would ever consider this acceptable in the eyes of our Lord.”