I started awake as suddenly as I’d passed out. The realization that I’d passed out made me scream at my body to get up. Even as I tried to push it away, beachside memories floated back to me. Rough fingers kindly stroking my cheek. A soft voice counting as each wave lapped at the shore. Using that lap as a pillow, I teased their counting, “735, 728, 769, 652…”
That’s when the rough fingers moved to tickle my sides. Their kind strength brushed my soft skin. That grasp and its loving warmth made me giggle and squirm.
“Kaorin! Kaorin! Y’all alright?” A terse voice cut through my memory. Disoriented by the memory, my vision was slow to clear. Where white sand was, now was the wooden hallway of the courthouse. The dark eyes of the halfling helper of the Detective reflecting my own face. Bringing soft, pale fingers to this pallid cheek I was reminded, this was my face.
A final shout, louder than the others broke my internal reverie as Etace, the halfling shouted, “Wake up, woman!”
Bringing my finger to pinch the bridge of my nose, I forced my mind to work. She must have registered my clarity because Etace flicked her head behind me. Craning my neck, I was greeted by a Drow in a red and black uniform.
Bowing at the waist the man explained, “I’m a messenger sent by the Legate. He has requested you come to the fourth courtroom immediately. I was sent to guide you.”
Brushing my hair back I let out a deep yawn. My muscles still were aching and I was still groggy from two days of deliberations. Still, it was an invite from the most important man in the city, I couldn’t turn it down. Least of all while Eos was still in custody.
“Alright,” I rose off the bench. Smoothing out my robe, I then followed. We’d taken no more than a dozen steps before the guide stopped and pointed to Etace.
“You weren’t invited and won’t be allowed in.”
“We’ll see about that!” Etace stomped her foot defiantly. It took us only a few moments to arrive at the courtroom. Most were noted only by plaques on the outside. Ours was notable mostly due to the presence of soldiers at the door.
As predicted, Etace was blocked as I stepped inside.
Inside was an elevated platform for the judge to sit. A Drow with horns sat there. Eos sat at a table on my left, still in cuffs and on the right were a pair together. One Elven woman and a male of indistinct origin.
“Welcome,” Greeted the Drow with a self-satisfied smirk. He motioned towards Eos, “Please, take a seat. Our last guest should be arriving momentarily.”
I took a chair next to Eos and whispered, “I fell asleep. How long was I out?”
“Maybe an hour? I was finishing up paperwork and they brought me here.”
Before I could check further, the doors creaked open once more. Stepping inside was a woman wrapped in luxurious fur. Her white dress hemmed with pale, blue fabric. The woman’s long strides held a lurid sensuousness that held every eye as she walked in and took a chair to sit between both tables.
“Now that we’ve all gathered, allow me to take care of introductions, starting with the last of us to arrive,” The legate announced, moving his hand to each person. My eyes slowly widening as each name was spoken.
“Head of the Twilight Church, High Priestess Renneth Leyspeaker. Leader of the Honoria Family, Maura Honoria. Interrogator and Planner for the Honoria, Ferah Windleaf. Myself, Legate of Twilight, Kalein Nightjoy. My records have you down as Eos Sorigean. Mercenary and Assassin. And finally, the mysterious, Kaorin. No family name given.”
Renneth let out a sigh, “Was there a point to this, Kalein?”
“Yes, my lady. Some of us aren’t who we were long ago and so before I can get into why I gathered us here, I need to make clear who I gathered,” The Legate explained. Reaching into his jacket, he produced a silver emblem of a bird clutching a tome in one talon and a spear in another. I bit my lip as memories rushed back, “I will say it again, I am Kalein Nightjoy, Legate of Twilight and former Commander of the Blue Phoenix Talons.”
Maura pulled out the same token and held it out, “I am Maura Honoria, Head of the Honoria family and former Commander of the Blue Phoenix Talons.”
Ferah held out her own, “I am Ferah Windleaf, Second in command of the Honoria family and Former member of the Blue Phoenix’s Head.”
Renneth, holding out her own Token, “The Phoenix’s eyes.”
I reached in and pulled out the token that had set next to my heart for so long. I announced through tearful eyes for the first time in so long, “The Company Undertaker.”
Eos leaned back in her chair, saying nothing.
“Now that our connection is clear, I want to move onto why I called us all here. Eos, does the name Ru’Sala mean anything to you?” Kalein inquired, leaning forward to look down on us.
“No, it doesn’t.”
“Then, as you were informed, you will be exiled for a period of three years from Twilight and the Imperium. However, I have an addendum for it.” Kalein smirked as he pointed to Eos, “You must return after those three years with Ru’Sala or the Exile will become indefinite and I shall add a large bounty on your head.”
Maura rested his feet on the table asking, “What makes three years so special?”
“The Empress will be arriving in three years with an extermination force to clean out all the Devils from the land,” Kalein spoke gravely.
“Now it makes sense,” Eos said leaning forward stand up. She began a sort of half-mad cackling as she strode to the middle of the room. A hand clasped to her face. She turned to face Kalein with a wicked smile, “You coward.”
“What?”
“You need me to say it louder?” Eos sucked in a breath then bellowed, “You’re a coward!”
All of us looked at each other dumbfounded before she began, “Oh, there’s nothing wrong with that but I just had you pegged as a more courageous type after you went up against that Titan all by your lonesome. But I get it, you realized it was small fry and thought you could pick it off before it could grow into a threat. But, that’s fine. Though, it makes sense why you’re adding this rule to me. You expect me to run around looking for some lost champion that might save you all from your supposed woes.”
“I…” Kalein started but was cut off.
“Or, perhaps you’re hoping I’ll find something that’ll help you resist her Imperial Majesty? After all, a war on the Devils would sure make an easy opportunity for her to upset the balance of powers that be politically, right? I may not have been around too long but I’ve heard and read plenty. She isn’t just coming to kill Devils but bring the Church to kneel and provoke the western Republic into an all-out war."
Eos paused, "After all, up north may have steel and coal but food is scarce and growing scarcer. So, when you couldn’t completely bring this city under her control, I imagine due to your past history with the High Priestess here, she’ll be replacing you with a new Legate who will won’t care about starting a war in these walls and beyond. No single weapon, no matter how keen, will change that. Even if you cleared out the Devils around here, she’d still come and replace you.”
“Then what do you suggest?”
“First off, clean up your forces! The Former Legate was beloved and commanded respect. He also didn’t tolerate any corruption. For the love of the Gods, Maura there bribed not one but TWO gates worth of guards to provide cover for our assassination of the Former Legate. Secondarily, start recruiting from the slums! Lots of people will be willing to work the walls in exchange for three meals and a bed. Then start training those new recruits for mounted units! Your forces are so slow to respond to incursions! Even a scout on a mount could lead the Devils into ambushes."
Eos continued, "Finally, give your people something grand to focus on! Reclaim an area and start expanding the city! It’s clear we’re full to capacity as it is, so give people real hope and looking towards the future! You steer the ship by pointing it in the direction, the details are up to your subordinates!”
“Getting told off by an assassin, how far you’ve fallen, Kalein,” Mocked Renneth and gave out a high pitched laugh. Then Eos spun on her heel and faced Renneth. The laughter stopped.
The hall was silent but for Eos’ steps. She leaned over Renneth, who returned her gaze, “I don’t believe you are who you claim to be.”
“What?”
“In all the time I’ve been in this city, I’ve seen no mural, picture or depiction of you at all. So, I’m having a hard time believing this slutty looking dilettante is the reputed High Priestess who halted the Imperial Army by uniting the city behind her. Who negotiated a deal by which the city would be controlled by separate but equal forces. Who showed the wisdom and kindness to share food freely when she could have turned a profit.”
“Judging me on looks? I’ve been busy...”
“Being waited on by your private guards? Hosting little orgies to keep your most loyal Paladins sated and on your side? No, I don’t believe you’re High Priestess, Renneth, not because you look like the most expensive whore in the brothel, but because you wear expensive furs and strutted in here like you were looking to make every cock in the room hard, which, I’m pretty sure you succeeded at. I don’t believe you are because I see intelligence in your eyes that wouldn’t do what you’ve been doing. Wouldn’t play politics for personal convenience."
She carried on, "That your Paladins, when faced with a Titan, flinched and left the battle to me and the Legate. That a Militia of local forces is going to be necessary and that hiding behind the walls won’t be enough. If the Devils are growing more dangerous, then we need to be more cunning to reduce their threat. That you’d develop a system by which citizens patrols the city at night. My job as an assassin shouldn’t have been as easy as it was! Half the time, all I had to do was find one of a hundred ways onto the Church’s walls and I could dump corpses cause you’ve been so reliant on Paladins and they’re not enough of them. Just like I told the coward, RECRUIT! Make use of the population!”
Ferah raised a hand before asking, “And what would you suggest for us?” Maura shot her an annoyed look but Ferah ignored him.
“The families need Legitimacy. All the infighting and bickering needs to end. You want to stand truly equal to the Coward and Whore? Smuggling in goods and trading with all three sides is fine but create channels to convert money openly for all citizens, not just a select few. And much like the Drow, get rid of any corruption! Anyone trying to make extra cash on the clock is caught and gone, no exceptions no matter who it is. Not just that but get formal laws and turn your forces into an independent guard that is supported by the families."
Eos continued, "Organize shelters to get people out of the streets and find places for them to work. Charge low, even when you think you can jack up the price on rent. Money is best like water, changing hands frequently as people get more and more. Specifically to the family? You might look into Seeing if you can start pinpointing the local nests for Devils. It’ll make routes easier to set and get your people not so terrified to be outside the walls. No matter even if a Champion exists to fight the Devils, if no one is willing to be out there, they’ll just come back.”
Turning back to Kalein, Eos smirked, “And that goes double for you. So, if my words will change my sentence to anything else, so be it. I at least spoke my mind honestly.”
“No, your sentence was what it was. I simply wanted a chance to speak with everyone to make my demands and my suspicions known, is all. Step outside and they’ll remove your cuffs.”
Eos walked over and leaned to whisper into my ear, “Alright, I’ll go get my stuff and meet you at the music hall as usual tonight.” She strode past Renneth and disappeared beyond the door.”
Renneth gave a stifled giggle. Maura and Ferah both smiled. Even Kalein gave a true, soft smile. I tilted my head to the side and demanded, “What is so funny?”
“Sorry, Kaorin, you wouldn’t understand,” Renneth sighed, wiping away a tear. She looked over into my eyes, “That was very much his way, the Shadow of Ru’Sala. I didn’t believe Kalein when he said that Eos was him. But after that tirade and you being by her side, I believe Eos really is the Shadow of Ru’Sala.”
“There is a reason I called for you too, Kaorin,” Kalein admitted as he climbed down from the platform. Letting out a sigh he closed his eyes, “Why are you still here? You were a Dragon, weren’t you? All but a handful vanished over a hundred years ago.”
“I haven’t been able to return to my true form for a long time now. This is me. I’m no longer a Dragon.”
Renneth mused, “But you’re still his mate. Waiting all this time for his return while the rest of us moved on. But for him to lose all his memories...”
“Is a small price to pay to have my Sorigean back. If we lose old memories, we make new ones today. If our bodies differ, if we grow weak and crippled, in joy and misery we’re joined. That is what Eos is to me.”
Kalein nodded and sighed, “I didn’t get to tell Eos so pass this along when you can: She failed to convince me she isn’t the Shadow of Ru’Sala. Seeing her fight that Titan and her speech here? I’m convinced she is. And only someone like her could find Ru’Sala. We need the Blue Phoenix to fly once more, so those of us in the Black Phoenix can skulk among the shadows as we wish to return to. Understand, Undertaker?”
“Loud and Clear, Devil,” I smirked at Kalein’s use of my old title and returned it in kind. Distant memories were just that. I left the room to find Etace in handcuffs. Looking at the guards, my original guide shrugged and let her out of her bindings. Her eyes pleaded for answers. I just chuckled and told her, “It was just a reunion of people who should know better. I’m going home, what are you going to do? Wait for Arcavato?”
“Nah, he’s a big boy and this just soured my mood. I’m gonna grab a drink and go home myself. Got a lot to think on.”
Stepping out into the late afternoon sunlight, I stretched my muscles. The courthouse was abuzz with the lawyers and rule of law being decided, so I drew only errant glances. Crossing the city took me till evening. Under the stars, I reached a small clearing in the city. Stone benches lined up before a stage.
Several men stomped in time before one began to sing. Lamenting his labors and the pains they brought, I listened. Eos arrived with a plate of meat and veggies on small wooden stakes. We ate in silence at first, happy to just eat and listen to the music.
After we finished, I leaned against her. Eos arm wrapped around me. As the round of music finished Eos asked, “So, who was this Ru’Sala?”
“A Mercenary, like you. He was successful, capable and respected almost as much as he was feared. Why?”
“I think I’ll go looking for him.”
“Why? We could just never come back. Or just kill Kalein before he can put the bounty up.”
“I lied about not knowing the name. I’ve heard it in my dreams. They can be so vivid sometimes I think they’re real. Messy, bloody dreams. So, that lines up with what they said and I want to know the truth. Besides…”
“Besides?”
“It’s an excuse to make memories with you,” Eos teased and kiss me softly. We held each other close as the next group began to sing. We joined in, horribly singing and dancing the night away together. Saying our farewells to Twilight so we could prepare in the morning with a clear mind.
