Excalion

AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's been a while, but work as well as other affairs haven't really offered me any spare time to write and beta. This is a bit of a long section, but it's a longer chapter than usual. Anyway, enough of my babbling, and enjoy! Remember, reviews and/or constructive criticism are always appreciated!

Excalion
Chapter Three: Dark Clouds and Rumbling Thunder

=[ Part Two ]=


“The guards may not be enough to protect yourself and your family, Your Highness.”

Valos sighed and shook his head. “No. I know that, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

“You and I are both too old to take up those texts that your daughter found in the Royal Library,” Eron said. “Mayhaps we should ask her to study them…?”

The King waved off his advisor’s suggestion. “I will not have my people resort to deceit and underhanded tactics.”

“And if your enemy uses such methods, would it not be suitable to at least observe the like to estimate your enemy’s next maneuver?”

Valos pressed his lips into a thin line. “There are too many variables to consider to formulate a smooth counter-offensive, Eron. My skills on a chessboard have dulled with matters of court.”

Eron grinned. “Your Majesty must bear in mind that your daughter is the leader of your armies. She is also a shrewd tactician. I have seen her pore over the texts. If she was able to effectively implement them…”

Valos shook his head. “Out of the question, Eron. My daughter is intelligent and as intuitive as her mother, I will grant that. However, she has had straightforward battle tactics drilled into her. That is how an Overon deals with his matters, on or off the battlefield.”

Eron frowned. “My King, what if those same methods are the same ones that will lead to your downfall? House Omicronus could easily wrest the throne from you, and Alaia only knows what they have in store for the Kingdom.”

“There are too many risks, Eron. I will not jeopardize any more lives of my people than is absolutely necessary.” He shot his advisor a level gaze. “The Barawani Traveling Fair arrives tomorrow. I will write a message to them, and I will ask that you have someone send it out. After that, we will speak no more of this matter.”

Eron pressed his lips into a thin line before bowing slightly. “As you wish, Your Highness.” The Sorceror Superior left Valos’ side and strode down the scarlet carpet towards the large hall doors.

The King sighed morosely as he leaned to his left, pressing his fingertips against his temple. “Kirana, Shanavale, I’m so sorry,” he whispered to himself as he shut his eyes tightly. “I’m so, so sorry.”


* * * * *


Galia slowed her horse to a stop as she reached Omicronus Keep. A chill ran down her spine as she beheld the building, its exterior built almost completely out of pitch-black rock. She took a deep breath.

“Calling out to the guards right now would be a great way to get yourself killed,” a voice said suddenly. Startled, she turned around to see Jacen leaning casually on a tree, his eyes closed. “Raise my sword up high, and they’ll lower the drawbridge.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Why should I listen to you?”

“Galia, now is not the time for your Barawani stubbornness,” Jacen replied. “There are already six sentries with three arrows each all ready to fire.”

“You promised no harm would come to myself or my family,” Galia argued.

“Indeed, however your family has not arrived in Overon yet,” Jacen replied calmly. “Some of my people are aware of you and your brother arriving early into the city. I’m the only one that knows of your audience with the Princess.”

Galia stared blankly at Jacen, who simply nodded once. Galia turned back to the castle and reluctantly raised the sword. Almost immediately the drawbridge began to lower.

“Come, Galia,” he said as he strode over to her and patted her horse gently. “Consider yourself my guest. If someone so much as looks at you the wrong way, let me know. They won’t live to see the Fair.”


* * * * *


Naomi gave Rishal an uneasy smile. “Don’t let him go too far.”

Rishal shook her head. “He has every right to be angry.”

“Still, Rishal…”

The Mistress Keeper of the Forest Sanctum patted Naomi on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, Naomi. He’s my brother. I know him better than most.”

Naomi frowned. “Send for me after he has talked to you.”

Rishal smiled warmly and nodded as she opened the door soundlessly. Stepping into the room and closing the door as silently as she opened it, she sighed as she beheld her sleeping father, his body covered from the shoulders down with the red bedsheet.

“I’m here, Kai.”

Kai slowly strode into the bedroom from the balcony. “The restoration of the Great Forest has begun, I take it?”

Rishal nodded. “All the Brothers, Sisters and Apprentices have been summoned, yes. Kish'Ron is instructing them.”

Kai nodded. “Good.”

“Why have you sent for me, Kai?”

“I know the Sanctum has been in disarray because of the assassination attempt, but why has no one come to look after Father?”

“Kai…”

He slashed his arm through the air between them. “I know you have your duties as Mistress Keeper. I don’t even care that Father changed his mind about who would take his place after Alaia calls to him, but dammit, Rishal, he’s your father!” He turned away from her. “Ever since I have returned, I haven’t seen a single Adept or Apprentice tend to him.”

Rishal bristled. “You have no right…”

Kai whirled around to face her again. “I have every right! As the former Heir to the Forest Sanctum, I did what Father asked me to do. I strengthened the alliances we forged during the Hydra War. I knew he was getting ready to step down as Master Keeper; I wanted to let him step down so I could take on his responsibilities myself. He wouldn’t allow that, instead sending me to Overon as well as to the Lightning Peaks. As a son that did his duty to his father as well as a Brother Keeper that did his duty to the Master Keeper, it was your duty as a daughter and as a Sister Keeper to watch over him!”

Rishal opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Kai. You’re right. I should have done more for him. You had every right to rebuke me like you did.”

Kai looked away. “Father always worried about the greater good, Rishal. You and I both saw that. It was up to us to look after him. Despite your new position that responsibility still falls to us.”

Rishal lowered her head. “No, Kai.”

“What?”

“Until Alaia grows wearisome of taunting us and finally decides to call Father to Her side, the responsibility of looking after Father will fall to me and me alone. You will be relieved of your duties as a Keeper and Ambassador of the Sanctum. I’m not casting you out, but Father had many things prepared in the event of his death. This was one of them.”

“Then…”

“I will have an Adept show you to some suitable rooms. Naomi wanted me to send her to you after you and I talked. I will have someone take her there.”

Kai, dumbstruck at the sudden use of her sister’s newfound authority, could only nod.


* * * * *


Jacen opened the door to a room that was lit only by two wall-mounted torches near a plain wooden table. Two lit candlesticks, a small pile of paper, a quill and a bottle of ink sat on the tabletop, untouched. Galia began to feel uneasy with the fact that the room was quite large and the light from the torches and candles didn’t reach the farther end of the room.

“What is this place?”

“This is the Chamber of Silence,” Jacen answered as he closed the door. “Here we…”

Galia immediately raised one hand to silence him while her other hand flew to her mouth. Her stomach churned and she fought to keep her composure. She’d heard of stories, as well as threats from parents to their children, about being sent to House Omicronus’ Chamber of Silence. It was the House’s interrogation room, and despite its Spartan conditions, there have been countless rumors of torture or other despicable methods of extracting information being undertaken within its walls.

Jacen grinned. “Relax, Galia. Nothing will happen to you here.”

Still uncertain, Galia nodded and slowly moved to one of the seats. Jacen calmly followed and took the chair opposite hers. He passed her several pieces of parchment and pushed the quill and ink towards her.

“Write down all the questions you want answered,” he ordered gently. “We don’t call this room the Chamber of Silence for nothing.”

Galia nodded grimly and dipped the end of the quill into the ink. She wrote as neatly and quickly as she could despite the shaking of her hand and the lurching of her stomach. She looked up and, to her surprise, locked eyes with Jacen, his face devoid of any expression, his eyes cold. A chill ran down her spine as she looked back down at the parchment and scrawled down all the questions that Shanavale told her to commit to memory. How could someone just sit here so silently and so calmly without going insane, she thought.

The very second she finished writing she hastily pushed the sheet of paper towards him. He picked up the page and slowly looked it over. Galia tried to keep herself calm, but the silence in the room began to gnaw away at her mentally. Her eyes flew to him, quietly begging him to hurry up and finish reading what she wrote down. She noticed him look at her for a brief moment before turning to the candle at his left and touching one corner of the parchment to the flame, tossing it onto the floor and letting it burn. She stared at the burning page in horror and turned to rail at him, but a withering glare kept her in silence.

Jacen casually took a leaf of paper from the pile and took the quill, dipped the tip into the bottle, and began to write, unfazed by the silence. Unnerved as she was, she craned her neck a bit to see what he was writing. Unable to make anything out, she instead closed her eyes, trying to focus solely on the scratching of the quill against paper.

Hearing the scratching stop after what seemed like an eternity, she shut her eyes tighter, afraid to open her eyes. She was graced with three almost inaudible taps, followed once more by fearful silence. The sudden scraping of wood against stone, louder and more painful than she’d ever heard in her life, startled her.

“Come,” he said, his voice echoing throughout the room. “We’re done here.”

Galia nodded quickly and took to her feet eagerly.

“Give me my sword,” he ordered. Surprised by his request, she took the sheathed sword from her hip and handed it to him. Taking the sheath in his right hand, he slid the blade from the scabbard, the ringing of the blade against the metal sheath singing around them both. Laying the sword and scabbard on the table, he folded the sheet of paper until it was as wide as the blade. He pressed the folded message against the flat of his sword and carefully slid his weapon and the note into the sheath. He handed her the sword and walked towards the door.

“Come,” he repeated as he opened the door, his voice more relaxed, just as when she encountered him outside his home. She walked past him and waited as he closed the door to the interrogation room. He led her down the hall.

“I can’t believe it’s still light out,” she said after a while. She lowered her voice. “It felt like I was in there for hours.”

Jacen pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. “I know how you feel, though I’ve learned to keep track of time in there.” He caught her gaze and grinned. “We were only there for half an hour.”

“Really?”

He nodded and chuckled. “Nothing like a bit of time in a parent’s threat to take the edge off your attitude, hmm?”

Galia, startled by his comment, blushed a little and looked at the ground as they reached the courtyard. She took a deep breath, grateful to hear the crows cawing and the wind whistling.

“I’ll escort you to your horse,” he said. “Your brother’s probably worried about you.”

“Yes,” she agreed as she turned to him. A familiar chill ran down her spine as she noticed his eyes flicker, his gaze stony, as if he was in the Chamber of Silence again.

“What…”

“Don’t talk,” he said suddenly in perfect Sandani, House Barawani’s native tongue. “My siblings are watching me.”

“They are…?”

“Don’t look around,” he interrupted her. “If you do, they’ll know I told you.”

“Why are they watching you?” she asked, speaking in Sandani.

“They do not trust either of us, me most of all,” he replied as they reached the stables. “Just trust me.”

“What—”

He stopped her question by taking her hand in his. As she looked up at him with surprise, he pressed her up against him, cupped her cheek in his free hand and pressed his lips to hers. Her entire body seized up, giving him the opportunity to let go of her hand and wrap his arm around her.

Galia’s mind was a complete blur. All that mattered to her in her life was her family and its reputation. House Barawani, as well as its Traveling Fair, were considered good and honorable people, even going so far as to formally arrange marriages and courtships for eligible family members, though offering some degree of freedom as to who the eligible family member wanted to court. She had met her share of attractive men, to be sure, and she grudgingly admitted to herself that Jacen of Omicronus was one of them, but because of her heritage, as well as her fiery temper and lively attitude, no one except Jacen had ever been so sudden, so forward.

“Come,” he said gently in the Common language, “let’s get you back to your horse.”

The way his expression changed so fluidly and quickly from stone-faced and serious to gentle and caring made Galia’s cheeks warm. In some bizarre way, she saw a little bit of her in him. Realizing the danger she was in, she shook her head furiously, rational thought kicking in. Idiot! Stop acting like some love-struck teenager, she chastised herself. He’s a dangerous man that nearly ordered his own men to kill your family. She shifted her gaze forward as they reached her horse, munching lazily on a mouthful of sweet grass. She mounted the horse and grabbed the reins, ready to snap them and leave, when Jacen calmly started walking it out of the stables.

“It’s the least I can do, Galia,” Jacen said in Sandani, answering her unspoken question. “I apologize for what I did back there. I didn’t mean to you in that type of situation.”

She found herself unable to say anything as they reached the main gate. He waved up towards the ramparts, and immediately the drawbridge began to lower and the gate began to rise.

“One final thing,” he continued in her language. “That message I gave you isn’t written in Common. What you family has had to go through is the key to deciphering it.”

She frowned at him. “What do you…?”

“I’ve said too much already,” Jacen interrupted her. “Hurry and return to Castle Overon. Tonight is Last Sliver. You haven’t much time.”


=[ End of Part Two ]=


A/N: Despite being the author of this story, I'm actually shivering with anticipation knowing that Dark Moon is approaching in the story. Many thanks to all who have stayed with me throughout the story so far, as well as those who have decided to return. To any newcomers, I bid you welcome, and I hope that you enjoy the story so far. Reviews and constructive criticism are always appreciated! See you next installment!