Ch. 29: Sudden Change

We sat gathered in the banquet hall, where the palace chefs had set out a lavish feast in the honor of the Baron's arrival. Yet it was deathly quiet as Dorai'Kur raised his glass to his lips.

"Delicious," He murmured, never moving his gaze from the Queen Omani. "Immensely delectable, almost like something else that has caught my eye…"

Beside me, Illesior snorted disdainfully, shifting uncomfortably to shield me from the Baron's hungry gaze. But he didn't seem interested in me at the moment.

Omani cleared her throat. "Dorai'Kur, I am honored that you have come all this way to ask for my hand in marriage, but I can sense that something is awry. Tell me, why have you really come here?"

Dorai'Kur set down his fork and leaned forward, chuckling softly. "My most heavenly Queen, you are sly and clever. I wish you were the sole reason I have come here, but alas, 'tis not the case. You see, there's someone in the city I'm looking for, who I hope you will help me find."

Omani straightened herself. "Who is it? Give me their name, and I assure you that I may be able to help you."

The Baron narrowed his eyes. "You see, a month ago I sent out my son to test out a new form of magic I discovered, and he hasn't returned since. Many others tell me he is dead, but it is not the case. Rather, he is alive, and hiding out within the city walls, under our very noses. The Spectres tell me so." He twirled his fork between his clawed fingers with barely disguised determination.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Illesior stopped me, covering my mouth with his hand. The Prince then leaned forward expectantly. "Your son? Why are you looking for him? You don't strike me as one who cares for his family." He asked, his words dripping with venomous hatred.

Dorai'Kur met his gaze and scoffed. "I exhibit tough love, which is something you pampered little boy wouldn't understand," He growled.

Omani blinked. "Tell me your son's name."

"His name is Maceren." Dorai'Kur replied.

My blood ran cold and my heart jumped in my throat. Maceren was Dorai'Kur's son? 

Beside me, Illesior froze and shot me a concerned look. Before he could say anything, the Baron added, "He and I aren't on the best terms, but I fear that he is hiding something from me. You must understand that I care about him deeply." He placed his hand to his heart solemnly. "My Queen, imagine if your son was in a position where he might be in grave danger. Wouldn't you want to help him?"

Omani nodded slowly, gazing at her son beside me. "...Yes, I understand." She rose to her feet and waved her hand. "I do not recall anyone named 'Maceren' being enlisted in the city recently, but I will send out trained warriors to find him and bring him back here to you." Suddenly she turned, her gaze raking over each of us: Illesior, Dorai'Kur, Vrotaz, Unydae, and I. "Have any of you known of a 'Maceren' being in the city walls as of late?"

Illesior shook his head enthusiastically. The other murmured their agreements. I simply murmured "No" when the Queen looked at me.

"Baron, tomorrow at sunrise I will send out a search party to scour the city. I assure you that they will likely not fail, given the assurance that your son is, in fact, within our walls."

The Baron nodded. "Very well. That is all." He pushed back his chair and rose to his feet, towering above everyone else seated at the table. He bowed to the Queen and kissed her hand. "Many thanks, my love," He purred. "I take it that there is a room prepared for me?"

Omani chuckled. "Of course, Baron Arrakhan. Unydae will show you." She shot a look at the officer and the heavy set aetyr immediately leaped to her feet, looking flustered. "Follow me, my Lord," She stammered.

The Baron smirked and followed her down the hall, and soon they were out of sight. Omani sighed, then turned to us.

"Illesior, if you are lying about this 'Maceren's' whereabouts," She growled, "Then so help me, you'll be next to join the brother of your confidant."

Illesior met her gaze. "Are you calling me a liar, Mother?"

Omani relaxed slightly when she saw his resolve. "I am only cautious." She turned her gaze to me. "Illesior, you may lead your confidant to her room, but take care not to linger in there. I need you two to resist contact from this point on until the matter with the Baron's missing son is settled."

Illesior looked like he was about to say something, but only nodded brusquely. He intertwined my arm with his and led me away without another word. I could feel Vrotaz and Omani's glare on my back but they said nothing.

Illesior led me through the warmly lit halls and we began to ascend upwards, the light gradually growing dimmer until we reached my room. The Prince pushed open the door and sat me down on my bed.

Before he could speak first, I took the initiative. "Why didn't you tell your mother the truth?" I asked, narrowing my eyes. "I told you about Maceren. And how come you never told me that he was Dorai'Kur's son?"

Illesior sighed tiredly, brushing some of his hair out of his face. "Don't you understand?" He murmured. He reached out to stroke my cheek, but I instinctively moved away from him. Hurt, he drew his hand back. "I don't trust the Baron. If I had told him that I knew where his son was, it would've jeopardized your entire mission."

"...Well, thanks," I replied, a little taken aback. "I'm glad we're still on the same page. But why didn't you ever tell me that Maceren was related to him?"

"I didn't know!" Illesior suddenly snapped, slamming the bed. Then he paused and glanced at me, noticing that I was frightened by his sudden outburst. "...I didn't know," He murmured, his voice a low growl. "I didn't recognize his name, and it never clicked. I don't know everything, Albino. I'm not an all-knowing god."

"You sure don't act like it," I muttered sarcastically. "You know, if you think of us as equals, then why don't you act like it? You always act like I'm some stupid, helpless creature that needs you constantly by my side. Show some respect once in a while."

Illesior didn't reply. Instead he simply rose from the bed and strode to the door. "Good night," He murmured under his breath.

I sat up. "What? Is that it?"

"I said, good night," Illesior growled, before shutting the door behind him. The light vanished and the room was dark.

I sighed and flopped back on the bed, clutching the covers. "Good night." I muttered, closing my eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I felt someone nudging my shoulder roughly, rousing me from sleep. I groaned and rolled over onto my back. "Go away," I muttered.

"Aven, wake up." I blinked and sat up drowsily, straining my eyes. "Illesior?" I croaked.

"No, Aven." My vision cleared to reveal a tall dark figure in front of me, but it wasn't the Prince. Instead, a cloaked hooded figure stood, holding a small candle. The flame lit up his violet face, dancing along the walls.

"Vrotaz?" I asked.

He nodded and placed his finger to his lips. "Shh. Yes, it's me. Grab your things and follow me. We don't have much time." He stepped aside to let me slide off the bed, and as I picked up my satchel and slung it over my back, I quickly looked through it to make sure that both the Spell Book and Abarin's journal were inside. I looked up at the stern advisor again. "What's going on?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. "Where are you taking me?"

"I'll explain on the way," Vrotaz replied quietly. "Do you have everything?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then there's no time to waste." The violet aetyr murmured a few words under his breath and I instantly recognized the chant: It was the spell for invisibility.

Instantly a faint teal bubble enveloped us, and yet we could still see each other. This wasn't a normal invisibility spell; it was some kind of cloaking bubble. Vrotaz opened the door and led me into the dark halls, then promptly began to hurry along, his footsteps soft and stealthy.

As we traversed the halls, he began to speak again in a low voice. "Illesior told me about your meeting with Maceren," He said. "I knew all along that you both had lied about his whereabouts."

My heart leaped into my throat. "...How much did he tell you? You didn't tell the Queen, right?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it." We both went quiet when we stopped in front of the doorway to a lit room, then silently slid past. He started speaking again once we were out of earshot. "Illesior told me that you had met with Maceren, and he had asked for your help retrieving Arius and going off to meet with an individual named 'Meredith'. He said that he had agreed to the arrangement, but that you had needed to first wait for Arius' release, then take a few others with you."

"...That's right," I replied slowly. "He wanted me to take Strubin, Kirune, Sophi and Zerhea. He chose them because they all helped fight Maelstrom, and everyone but Zerhea were present in the travel party to the Western cities." Then I looked the stern advisor over. "But why did he tell you this? Didn't you two have a disagreement earlier?"

Vrotaz sighed grumpily. "It was a disagreement, and nothing more," He asserted. "He told me shortly after he escorted you back to your room. He said that he was afraid of what might happen should the Baron find his son before you did. Do you have any way of reaching Maceren?"

I paused. "...Can I trust you?"

"As much, if not more, than you trust our Master," Vrotaz replied solemnly, placing a hand to his heart. Then he stopped. "Albino… Aven, there's something I must say to you. I apologize for our first meeting, before you came to the Capital. I never knew… I didn't know the resolve you had inside."

"It's no big deal," I replied, taken aback. "I was a different aetyr back then. It's thanks to Illesior that I've changed."

"All the same, despite how much I disagree with him, he did manage to get one thing right." He fixed me with a silver gaze as he placed his hand on my shoulder, causing me to catch my breath mid-inhale. "I believe that the divide between our kinds has gone on for far too long. Whatever it is that Maceren is planning to do, I trust him. If he is on bad terms with the Baron, then that is a good sign. The Baron would bring about a whole new age of slavery and debauchery were he to rise to the throne."

I was taken aback by his honesty. I didn't think that, out of all Black Manes, Vrotaz would rally to my cause. "...You're not saying this because of Illesior's opinion, right?"

He sighed. "I admit, I wouldn't have if it weren't for his input," He replied. "But I am a changed aetyr."

Suddenly we turned a corner and began the ascent. "Where are you taking me, anyway?" I asked as we trotted downstairs.

"Illesior wants you to find Maceren and the others before sunrise," Vrotaz replied. "You would have no chance of leaving the city if the Queen's guards found him before you. But first you have to find your first escort."

I caught my breath. "...You're taking me to Arius?"

"SHHH!" He placed his hand over my mouth worriedly. "Keep it down! You'll be scrap fur if someone hears us."

We were quiet for a little while longer before he spoke again. "I knew why you had argued with Illesior," He said with an unusual softness.

"Did he tell you?"

"No. He only confirmed my suspicions." He led me past a few more rooms before going down a level of stairs. "Despite your brother's treachery and horrific crime, I could see that you never truly wanted him to be punished. You wanted to mend whatever you had." He voice dropped lower as he added, "I recognized that resolve from before your father was exiled. And I wasn't about to cut it short like the last time."

I stared at him. "... Are you talking about when his wife was made into a Consumed?"

"So I see that Illesior has told you." He shook his head slowly. "Yes, I mean that. But listen, Aven. I remembered that same resolve that your father had. I knew what you planned to do just from looking at you. So I left the door to the dungeons unlocked."

I gasped, jaw dropping. "...What?"

He nodded. "And I can see that you've already gotten at least somewhere. You defended your brother against the Prince, and I can guarantee that he wouldn't forget that for a while." Suddenly he quickened his pace. "But now I need you to mend it quicker. You won't have time to take it slow before the sunrise. Illesior needs you to leave the city now."

I nodded after a moment, clutching my satchel. "I'll try to manage. How will we escape? Will you cover us?"

"I've been absent for long enough as it is," Vrotaz muttered sadly. "If I'm gone for an hour longer the Queen will be bound to suspect that something is awry. No, I cannot wait for you to return. That is why I've given you an escape route. But be warned: It's highly dangerous."

My heart caught in my throat, beating rapidly, and for a moment I felt like passing out on the floor. But I managed to get it together and ask, "What do you need me to do?"

Vrotaz paused. "...Roughly fifty levels down, at the very bottom of the dungeons, there's a sewer channel that runs through the base. It carries all the waste from the cells to a deposit farther down. It flows into the basin from a river above ground via the underground falls at the edge of the containment area. You can ford the channel and climb to the opening of the falls. It's slippery, not to mention the horrific smell, but it's managable."

I gagged inwardly at the thought of swimming in disgusting scum. Yet I felt hopeful. "That's not so bad. What's dangerous about it? Do you have a jailer or somebody that would report me should they find out? I can take it."

Vrotaz shook his head slowly in disbelief. "...We don't have a jailer. But we do have a prison guard. Years ago, when Kadmus was still a sane creature, he had the birth magic of being able to command rocks and stones. He used his gift to create a creature to keep prisoners from escaping via the sewer system: A golem. He named it Agalaus." He shuddered at the name. "I've never seen it for myself, but the prisoners at the lowest levels say that it bellows at night, shaking the walls and rattling its chains. Some prisoners sent to the lowest levels are never seen again. The royal family doesn't speak of it. I'm certain Illesior has no idea it even exists."

I shuddered. "...So you're telling me that I have to find my brother, make amends with him, then swim in the sewers, all while trying not to get caught by a giant monster?"

"It's for a better future, Aven," Vrotaz replied solemnly. "If there was another way, I'd gladly take it. But the Queen can't ever know that you have a way of reaching Maceren and leaving the city. If all goes well, we should be able to keep her from marrying the Baron, and you can find out how to help his son."

By this point we had reached the doors to the dungeons. They stood dark and unmoving, solid walls of steel that forbade anyone from going inside.

Vrotaz placed his hand to the doors and spoke a quiet chant, and the doors glowed. It was the same spell that Illesior had said when he was in the dungeons with me. Deja Vu made my arms prickle with anticipation and an ominous fear, knowing that the last time I had encountered a situation like this, it had scarred me for life. I could only imagine what I was getting myself into.

I turned back to Vrotaz. "Suppose Arius doesn't go with me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice from trembling. "What happens then?"

Vrotaz sighed. "Then you'll have to go on alone."

That sent chills down my spine. Despite my brother almost becoming a cold-blooded murderer, I would much rather have him by my side than me running around in the dungeons alone, all while with a monster on the loose.

But I straightened myself and brushed back my hair, fixing the advisor with a resolute stare. "I can manage that."

He nodded simply and stepped aside, revealing the gaping maw of the dark depths of the dungeons below. A cold darkness raced along my spines and chilled me to the bone, and I couldn't help but shiver.

"For Aetyria," I whispered, stepping onto the first stair. "And for Arius."