Page 24

T heron knocked the orb from Aurora’s hands, ending the vision of his demise. As the scream from her vision bled into the scream tearing out of her throat, Theron wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him as her scream faded into a tortured sob, desperately clawing at his back.

“I’m here. You’re safe,” he whispered. “You’re safe. You’re safe.”

He said it as much for his sake as hers. If her vision proved true, his days were numbered. From her vantage point, he’d watched that monstrosity punch a hole through his torso. It was impossible to say exactly what it would destroy, but if it got his heart, or he passed out from the shock of pain and blood loss, there would be no healing himself.

Aurora swallowed her next sob. She breathed through the next.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“I—it had my ankle.”

“Did you feel it?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

He petted her head, holding her close as she regained her equilibrium. His mind raced in time with his heart. Were her visions spun from fates decreed by the weft and weave of the Tapestry, or was there some way to use them to avoid what was coming? He’d be a fool not to try, but what were his options?

“We h-have to leave. Now. While the guards are on the other side of the vivarium. O-otherwise…”

He shook his head.

“I can’t. Not until I’ve paid restitution to Flora and the high priestess has purified me. But you can. And you should. I’ll arrange your safe transport to Aureum. You’ll leave the moment the gates open.”

If she were removed from play, then he would never be in a position to defend her when the monstrosities spawned. He’d have her sent directly to Aureum. A true oracle was an almost unheard-of advantage. Even if he perished, Batea would put her to good use…provided she could stomach beheading a few of her beasts to placate the little fairy.

If he wanted to survive, he had a great number of things to get done. Theron had to plan for every possibility—that the vision could be false, that it could prove true, that it might be avoided altogether, that it could merely be altered, and that it was written in stone. Flora’s gaudy spectacle would happen in three days’ time. He didn’t have a moment to lose.

“You saw what happened! Please, come with me,” Aurora pleaded.

“I’m staying because I saw what happened. I was killed protecting you. If you’re safe, I can focus on my own safety until the paladins arrive.”

He wondered about the man in her vision, the Theron of a few days’ time. Had that man always seen her vision, knowing what was to come? He’d never been given to self-sacrificing heroics—kings couldn’t afford to die so frivolously. What would change in the next few days to alter that? Or had it already happened? Had the future been determined simply by viewing it? What could not be denied was that her powers made her just as valuable a player as he, or more so, though she didn’t yet understand that.

In any case, he would be better off without her here, putting herself in danger and distracting him.

“And we can change that future completely if we both leave! Don’t you see?” she asked, gripping his tunic.

“Have you never considered that your visions are immutable, madam fairy?” He cupped her cheek.

Was she so desperate to change the things she saw that it had never occurred to her that she might not be able to? Had her grief truly prevented her from confronting the possibility?

“I can’t accept that. I won’t.” She shook her head.

“Have you managed to change the outcome of one of your visions before?”

“I…no. But I didn’t understand them before. Are you telling me I shouldn’t try? That you’re willing to accept your death without even trying to stop it?”

“I’m not. But I do know one thing—that you have no place on a battlefield, your magic notwithstanding. I’ve fought monstrosities before. I now know what’s to come and I can protect myself accordingly.”

“You stubborn ass! I’m trying to save you!”

He smiled.

“A shared trait.”

“You—”

He held up a hand.

“Aurora, what do you suppose would happen if we run now? Do you truly believe I could escape the city, with Flora searching for me? I’m her most coveted prisoner. And you shouldn’t underestimate Orithyia’s network. If she’s as cunning as I believe her to be, you’ll have enough trouble evading her grasp without me drawing the attention of the Viridian crown. My life is my responsibility, and I intend to take that seriously. It’s your continued safety that needs addressing.”

Aurora grabbed his hand.

“We don’t have to get away for good to succeed. We just have to stay away long enough not to be there when the monstrosities appear. A few days, at most, would make all the difference.”

“And if we’re caught before then?”

“Then I…I know at least a dozen ways out of here.”

“You assume that all they’d do is slap you on the wrist once you’re caught.”

Given the sadistic natures of the guards here, and the high priestess’ liberal nature in doling out maimings, she’d be lucky if they didn’t cut off her feet just to start. He’d have anyone who touched her killed, naturally, but even he might not be able to prevent her inevitable punishment.

“Whatever they do couldn’t be worse than death, right?”

“There are worse fates than death, Aurora.”

Her green eyes were like chips of ice as she stared him down. Fierce little creature.

“No, there aren’t. As long as you’re alive, there’s a chance. So are you coming with me, or do you plan to die here?”

“You’d leave without me?” he smiled.

“If I could drag you from here, I would. I want you to survive, but if you’re determined to die here, I can’t stop you. And what I need to do is too important. One life isn’t more important than killing Drakon.” She shook her head.

Theron pulled away, walked over to the orb and picked it up. It was time to see what this Drakon really was, and why she was so bound and determined to kill it. If he was to die, he wanted to at least have his curiosity sated. To know why she could so easily toss aside the only ally she had in Trisia.

“Show me your monster.”

Aurora bit her lip, hesitating to touch it. No doubt she feared another vision. She released a shaky breath and took it from him, closing her eyes.

And showed him a nightmare a thousand times more horrifying than her previous vision.

An expanse of desert was shrouded in unnatural darkness. The skies were crimson, choked with black clouds, the air thick with falling ash. Lightning streaked across the skies, painting the scene in vivid detail. Monstrosities bubbled up between every grain of sand and rock, a veritable sea of diabolical ink, every flash drawing their claws closer and closer. Their shrieks rang out across the land, drowned out only by the roaring thunder. He’d never imagined so many could appear at once. In numbers like that, they would devour towns in an instant, no matter how many paladins you threw at them.

The lone, constant light was a man holding his spear high, its magic banishing the darkness and the monstrosities around him. Behind, a small party of riders, their steeds chasing hers at a frightful pace. But her eyes were drawn to the skies. In the centre of the clouds was her beast. Her picture had not done it justice—it was larger than a palace, its red scales glittering in the lightning flashes, yellow eyes full of madness trained on her. A shiver ran down Theron’s spine.

“Did you think I wouldn’t find you?” it asked, its voice unnaturally deep and rumbling. “Did you think I would let you live?”

Its hatred oozed from every syllable, its malice raising the hairs on the back of his neck. The beast could speak!

Flaming boulders rained down from the skies, spewing rock, dirt and molten material as the beast laughed. Every single one was large enough to flatten a home. Bile rose in the back of his throat. There was no winning against such overwhelming power.

Then it opened its maw, gathering purple fire at the back of its throat. The beam hit the rider at the back of their party, reducing him and his steed to nothing in an instant. Theron’s heart raced in his chest. If this was what awaited them, they were all doomed. That beam alone, aimed over a city, could cleave it in two. The very ground shook and swayed, the loper nearly thrown from its breakneck stride. Between insults, curses, and unfathomable horror, the rest of the riders were similarly obliterated.

When it was down to just two, Aurora opened her eyes, the image disappearing shortly thereafter.

“Merciful Triad…” he swallowed. “ That’s your beast?”

“Yes,” she answered calmly.

He covered his mouth and rubbed his jaw.

“And it’s coming here, to Trisia?”

“If I’m correct, it’s already here. I need to kill it before it regains the power to do what you just saw.”

His heart dropped to his feet. Everyone he’d ever known and cared about would die. Not one person in the whole of Trisia had the power to fight something like that effectively. It was why Batea had been creating her great flying serpents, because with control of the skies, they would own the battlefield. But even if she succeeded, they’d be nothing but gnats battling an eagle.

“How did you survive? How did anyone survive?”

“I got lucky. Everyone else died,” she answered, her voice hollow.

This was bigger than him. Bigger than Aureum and Viridis and their eternal bickering. If this Drakon had come to Trisia, then nothing else mattered more than killing it. Forget his scheming, his honour, everything—he needed to get Aureum’s spies searching for the beast and his army prepared. He needed to force the temples to anoint as many paladins as possible, and for their priestesses to infuse divine magic into every blade and pitchfork in the whole of Trisia. Fuck Flora and her petty posturing. Fuck the vivarium. Aurora was right.

“Let’s go.”

“Do you mean it?”

“Yes. That thing cannot be allowed to destroy Trisia.”

Though if it destroyed Boreas alone, he wouldn’t mind overmuch.

Aurora smiled, relieved.

“Then come. We used this route the other day. I know a better way for someone your size.”

She took his hand and led him away, back into the guest palace proper. They wended their way to the baths, expertly avoiding every guard and attendant. As they entered the empty baths, she pulled him to a far corner where the sculpture of a unicorn’s head spouted water from its mouth. She pushed in its eyes, cutting off the flow of water and then pressed on the face with all her might. A gush of air cleared the area of steam as the once-seamless wall swung open as a door. Aurora motioned him inside and closed the door behind them.

“How in the Loom do you know of this?”

She tapped her temple and placed a finger on her lips.

“The walls aren’t overly thick where we’ll be going, so go as quietly as you can.”

As she led him through a maze of dark corridors, he heard the chatter of guards, servants, cooks and nobles alike. No wonder she’d managed to elude his spies. Not only could she see the future, she knew of every secret crevice in the whole guest palace. He couldn’t help wondering if she really was a spy. Maybe not one belonging to Viridis, but perhaps back in her homeland. If they survived this, he hoped to get an answer.

Before they reached the exit, Aurora donned her gown, adjusted her hair to cover her ears and grabbed his hand. She pushed down on a lever, and the wall swung open as a door, soundless as a whisper. He squinted against the harsh light of day as Aurora closed the way behind them. They had exited out from a defunct fountain whose water was but a trickle, the bottom full of refuse. The street was abandoned, as expected with the torchlight fever epidemic still burning through Boreas.

“Where now?” he asked.

There were few enough places that would admit strangers during an outbreak, and most of those were controlled by the temples. Scrutiny they couldn’t afford.

She eyed him up and down.

“To the temple of Passion for our rations. They hand out food during outbreaks, do they not?”

“You want to go towards where we’re most likely to be recognised?” he asked, aghast. Had he truly put his life and freedom in the hands of a simpleton?

“I won’t be.” She adjusted her clothes to hide her curves, to appear more like a small child. “I’d planned on getting the rations and hiding beneath the temple of Knowledge. It seems like few enough know of the hoard, and I suspect Orithyia has more pressing things to attend to than counting her treasures.”

“Did you plan to use these few days until the gates open sifting through the ancient relics?”

A blush crept up her neck.

“Maybe.”

He might have laughed if the fate of Trisia didn’t depend on slaying her beast. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. There wasn’t anywhere else in Boreas he knew to hide. Perhaps his spies had a safe house or two, but that would mean potentially outing his spy network in Viridis. Damn, he shouldn’t have been so shaken by the beast she’d shown him. He should have stopped to think.

Out of options and with daylight wasting, he nodded his head and gestured for her to lead the way.

“Once we get to the temple district, go to the back of the temple of Knowledge. I’ll get the rations and join you there.” She handed him her small pack. “For safekeeping,” she added.

They trekked through the city and he was struck by the eerie quiet. Stray dogs fought over scraps from rubbish heaps while the stench of death and smoke clogged the air. Moaning and weeping could be heard coming out of the odd window or rickety door, but most of the city waited with bated breath, fearful of drawing the attention of angry spirits with even a single whimper.

They only saw the odd person, giving each other wide berths as they passed, or simply turning away to go down a different street. But soon they would come across some of the temple clerics. Passion’s acolytes and initiates were responsible for finding the dead, recording their passing, and transporting their bodies to designated pyres to be consecrated and burned. Death, Passion’s sinister twin, might not be openly worshipped, but Passion had taken over Her rites since dualism had gone underground.

The closer they got to the temple district, the more of Passion’s people were in the streets, going into homes and apartments and bringing out the decaying dead. With the plague winding down, they’d begun clearing the city of corpses. It would take them days to sweep the city. Three days, if Aurora’s vision were true. He held Aurora back as one group of acolytes entered the nearest building, waiting until they were ensconced before he ushered her to walk quickly passed. They dodged four more groups before they came into the heart of the temple district. Here, there were a great many more people, either begging at the temple of Passion, or wailing at the temple of Knowledge. Justice’s people were there to keep the peace, to resolve disputes among the bereaved and starving.

“Are you certain you’ll be alright alone?” he asked.

“Yes. Go slip behind the temple of Knowledge and make sure no one notices you. Do you remember how to get into the basement there?”

“I do, mostly.”

He’d informed his people of the basement, but none had managed to open it yet. Finding one brick among thousands was no easy task. He remembered its general vicinity, but that was all.

“Good enough. I’ll be there shortly.”

She went to join the messy queue of Boreas’ hungry citizens. He kept his eyes on her as long as he could, but with her short stature, she was quickly swallowed by the crowd. It seemed there were perks to being so small.

But just as he turned to find his way behind the temple of Knowledge, a contingent of royal guards spilled into the plaza. It was then that he knew their bid for freedom had been doomed by his absence from the vivarium. The guards would not have bothered with Aurora, as she’d managed to stay hidden for days without arousing their suspicion. He shouldn’t have let his fear overrule his better judgment. He should have let his spies secret her away in the dead of night. If he gave himself up now, would that be the end of it? Would they consider their quarry caught? He had to hope so.

Theron marched into the centre of the plaza and was immediately surrounded. It drew the attention of the people gathered outside the temples so that most of the eyes were trained on him. He could only pray that Aurora could see it and would know to stay away. They pulled and pushed him to the ground, binding his hands behind his back. Another pulled her satchel from him and searched it.

“He has a dress in here,” the guard remarked, puzzled.

Another guard pushed his way into the group surrounding him—one missing an ear. He ripped the dress from his fellow’s hand, glaring at it and Theron in turn as his mind turned slowly.

“A dre—the temple’s prisoner has escaped! Find her!” the earless guard shouted.

Shit.

“Couldn’t leave your whore behind, could you, dog?” the guard sneered at him. “Well if she’s good enough to tempt a king, perhaps we should have some fun with her when we get back to the vivarium.”

“I didn’t realise you were so eager to lose another ear.” Theron grinned.

If she were a prisoner of the temple in truth, then there would be little he could do to protect her within the bounds of the law. If the temple saw fit to toss her into the vivarium, then they’d resigned her to a fate like those who had been left to rot there—with all the attendant predations. But if she were tied to him in some way, he could reasonably interfere on her behalf, in a legal sense, at least. But there was no priestess here to consecrate a royal concubinage. Outside of that, all he had were threats and violence, which would land him in deeper trouble with Flora and her disgusting daughter. Theron was once again left praying that Aurora would escape their search or that his threats would be enough to prevent violence against her.

Theron watched from the corner of his eye as the guards pushed through the crowds of the hungry and desperate, ruthlessly shoving aside any who were too slow to comply with their orders. Clerics of both Passion and Justice took umbrage, pushing back and defending the crowds. Perhaps Aurora could use the distraction to slip away.

“There!” shouted one of the guards.

Those who could disengage from the clerics pursued a small figure through the startled crowds.

“Got her! I have her!” one of the guards shouted.

Aurora was hauled into the circle of guards, now very much on the defensive with the riled-up clerics. The guard gripped her by her hair and her forearm, which he’d twisted behind her back as he shoved her forward.

“Let go of me! Let go!” Aurora screamed.

The guard tossed her in a heap in front of Theron. Their eyes met for a moment before the first guard was on her, dragging her back.

“You touch her at risk of your life,” Theron growled.

“You heard him!” the earless guard sneered. “Any injury done to one of us will be done to her tenfold, Your Majesty. Search her for weapons!”

“Theron!” Aurora screamed as the first guard ripped her dress, revealing her foreign clothes underneath.

There was a collective gasp amongst the guards before the guard made to tear more of her dress. She grabbed his wrists but was quickly losing her hold. The guards closed in on her in a circle, egging their friend on, taunting him for failing to strip her. Her shrieks of terror turned to those of white-hot rage. Then the guard was the one screaming in agony.

Theron pushed passed the legs of guards as they stood back. When he caught sight of her again, her breathing was laboured, her green eyes wild with fury, her nails crusted with blood. In a heap before her was a wizened old man, his skin papery thin, his face a mass of wrinkles. What little hair he had was as white as a cloud. And yet the man wore the uniform of the royal guard, now much too large for his skeletal frame.

“Merciful Triad, what…what did you do to him?!” the earless guard shrieked.

“What I’ll do to you if you dare touch me,” she hissed.

But Theron knew it was a bluff. Sweat rolled in rivulets down her face and neck and the red that had suffused her cheeks was already draining away. She’d used her magic recklessly—exhausted it.

“He got what he deserved for angering a fairy,” Theron crowed.

The guards took a collective step backwards, eyeing her with wariness. But her screams had attracted the attention of Justice’s paladins. They pushed people aside in their righteous fury.

“Back to the palace! Now!”

Theron was hauled to his feet and rushed towards the palace gates. He tried to look behind at Aurora, but several guards pointed their swords at him, urging him forward. Aurora tried to call out to the paladins, only to find the blades of the royal guard trained at her throat.

“Move!”

She complied.

The rest of the guards held the paladins off as best they could until those who had him and Aurora hostage managed to enter the palace gates. Once closed, the paladins would have to ask Flora’s permission to enter, which would never happen. Thus trapped, both Theron and Aurora were herded back to the guest palace. He was shoved onto the cool stone tiles as Aurora was put in chains, the collar at her neck linked to her bound wrists, and tied to the nearest column, blades trained at her throat the whole while.

“Strip her,” the earless guard ordered.

“But—”

“Look at her. She’s sweating, pale-faced and about to pass out. She’s used up her freak magic for today. Strip her, take any weapons she’s got on her, and stop whining.”

“Don’t touch her!” Theron roared, getting to his knees before another guard shoved him down again.

“My order still stands, Your Majesty. You hurt one of us, she gets it worse.”