Chapter 56

"What has bothered you about warfare: the Death and bloodshed or the Hatred that birthed the strife?"

~

Bureau of the Zephanian Arch-Eccleissor,

Auxiliary to the Imperial Castle,

Kingdom of Tristendyre,

The first Phrinight of the Second month,

XXI Year of Regency

"I have fared much deals on the behalf of your succession; you cannot abscond from this path I have paved for you. It is imperative that you fulfil these duties. Otherwise, I would rather that Jaycob Oreius be my son than you", Devland spat his words.

"What does he have to do with the business of our family?" asked his son, Caleb Zephaniah, unnerved by the spite, yet concerned for the lack of coherence in references.

The reigning Eccleissor began massaging his temples as he spoke:

"Inheritance of power from the bloodline. He is a Zephaniah. I found that he had escaped the death we had cornered his family into. But of course, that is none of your present concerns. I bid you this: I have reined the means of eliminating Jaycob's very breath and you needn't fret of his advent."

"Eliminate? I saw him just a few moments ago, quite alive and ripe and squarely powerful", the lad began and Devland tapped his fingers against the desk, impatiently.

"I do hope your understanding of circumstances and of my words grows to be more promising. I refer to his future. The Regent has sent him on a distant voyage for the present week to avoid his entrance into the Under-Ground where the 'Incarnation Warlocks' project is underway. I have arranged for Jaycob's death subsequent to his return", said Devland.

"What is the 'Incarnation Warlocks' project?", asked Caleb, hungry for news.

"It is the most significant and secretive undertaking that the Regent and I have laid hands to. I am not at liberty to disclose the details of our motive to one as rebellious as you. My most trying worry is that I wish Jaycob does not indulge in this", said Devland Zephaniah.

"Why is it so crucial to you that he must be dead? Shall we not allow his co-existence?", asked Caleb Zephaniah, uninterested in the call of needless bloodshed.

"You do not know of the wiles and vices that are that man's, son. He is intelligent and ambitious, he will conquer. It is discomposing to assume he is even faithful to us with all that pent up power that is his.

He almost brought my assassin before Jehoram had I not intervened; and further, when I made appearance before the Regent, the foolish man began interrogating me of whether I had truly planted an assassin under-ground to terminate the Archer without his permission or consultancy", the man began pouring his concerns to his son.

"But had you?", asked the young man, brows twisted in bother.

"Naturally so; it was necessary to protect our race's glory", said Devland.

"I fail to comprehend how our race's glory is dependent on a fellow surviving relative", said Caleb, intentions and concerns distant from his father's.

"I have received grave news from the Regent himself earlier this eve that Jaycob is in possession of power: the auspice that was to be manifested in our Zephanian descent. The hope of the birth of such pending supernatural prowess is the reason, we, the children of Jael, do exercise such vatic glory. If Jaycob emerges before the people as the prophecy's inheritor of the Rook's auspice, we can no more seem relevant on royal front. It is absolutely necessary that we cause his death at the earliest", he explained to his son that seemed intrigued, yet not enough to bring forth the murder of Jaycob Oreius.

"And how do you devise to acquire his death?", the son asked, as though he considered the grand ordeal to matter not so much as a rush.

"I have produced certain forged documents with his signature and seal. There was a letter from the King of Hyll-Decanta proposing war. I had to collect Jaycob's copy of the original response to such letter and counterfeit another in the place thereof to show before the Regent. My freshly manufactured script stating that Jaycob has agreed to bring mutiny against Tristendyre is with Jehoram now and I have retrieved his original copy which I shall burn", stated the man with a white beard as his hands glided through several documents strewed over his davenport.

"What did the Regent agree to?", asked the son.

"He said there was a petition calling Jaycob guilty of murdering Jehu", said the man, distracted with looking for the copy of the original letter that he had specifically retrieved from the Office of the Archer. "Jehoram wishes to acknowledge it truth and execute the Archer before the eyes of the people on such grounds after his return."

"But did Jaycob truly kill the man?", asked Caleb and Devland's irritation escalated.

"Lash the flames! I cannot seem to find the copy of the reply that Jaycob had written to Vericus. I need light", the man called in vexation.

His son walked to the fireside and began igniting the coals. The Arch-Eccleissor turned to look at the casket of restricted documents to find that it was unlocked.

In the shock, he realised that the balcony's door being open mayn't have been a subconscious accident, but a potential trespasser that had intruded into his office.

Devland wondered if someone had broken into his bureau and stolen the document. Worse so, he hoped such interloper had not listened into the conversations lurking around in the dark of the chamber.

Just then, the cold winds blew against his neck and he turned to find the doors of the balcony ajar. There was a swish of a black hooded figure flashing out and down the railings of the deck.

"Halt!" the elderly man cried although the silhouette had left by then into the cloaks of the night.

~