Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter XCIX : Dark Covenant

Earlmorn of Quartus, Third Day of Duskmoon

Bram was blinded by the light of day as the Heron broke free of the blockage and entered the great skies above Angkor. His miraculous feat, the result of something he couldn't quite explain. A voice had spoken to him from inside the sunstone. It gave him guidance. Told him what to do. All he did was obey.

The voice had come from a figure. Something he had witnessed the first time he touched the sunstone. Back when he was a Gnostic Knight. The day he stole it from Minoa. He saw the same figure inside the stone that day, too. It was faint; more like a shadow or a reflection, something he hardly even thought about until it happened again. Now, it was more distinct, and he felt a strong familial relationship.

Deep in his soul, he knew it was his father, Azazel.

He didn't understand why the Great Sage would contact his son through the sunstone, or why he couldn't stay to answer a few simple questions. But it didn't matter. Baraqiel contacted him through the Servant's Highway and left just as quickly. Great Sages came and went, and the world had esoteric methods of communication that Bram didn't understand. But even if he did, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Despite his estrangement with his father, and despite his father being the mastermind behind the Ahrimen's reappearance and all the supposed evils of the world, Bram felt a bond of kinship stronger than anything he had ever experienced. A sense of trust and unconditional love, so deep he couldn't help but reciprocate.

But now, the sunstone was clear and lusterless. Whatever happened on the way out of the Substratum, he didn't know how to reproduce it. The sunstone was dormant, and something told Bram that he should put it away until it was safely inside the protective field of Minoa's temple.

But he was distracted by morning's early rays, which peeked over the mountains to the west. Cedric and Matthias approached, while Quon emerged from below deck. All wore happy smiles and looked to be in high spirits. They hugged. Tears flowed. It was a time of celebration, relief, and laughter.

Matthias congratulated him by putting two gnarled hands on his shoulders. "Ya did it, mae boy. Take a deep breath an' enjoy th' moment. But later … we should talk."

The old scholar was sure to bring up the sunstone. Bram didn't blame him for worrying. He certainly didn't want to use Abaddon's powers to escape the Substratum. But they never would have made it otherwise.

Yet, he wanted to give some reassurances. He was about to say something when Quon grabbed his attention.

The Kenju wiped tears from his eyes. "Thank you, Bram, Matthias. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for you."

Cedric joined. "I never thought I'd see the light of day again. Never thought I'd walk, either. I don't know what happened to you, Bram, but you're a different man, altogether. And I'm glad you were there to save me when I needed you."

Bram was humbled by all the praise. Free of Angkor's demon hellscape, the air never tasted so sweet, and the birds never sounded so peaceful. The sun warmed, the breeze cooled, and an amber and apricot sunrise cast beautiful hues upon the fields and open plains. The world of Gaia was a gift to humanity. Bram just wished Mica could have been there to see it, too.

Matthias must have sensed his grief as he cleared his throat and made a solemn promise. "We all know this wouldn't 'ave been possible wit'out Mica. Her love for us and th' world was greater than we deserved, yet she chose t' pay the price. Ah swear: Ah don't care how long it takes, but when it's safe an' makes sense t' do so, Ah'll dig deep through the rubble of Angkor t' find her body, so Ah can lay 'er t' rest. An' you're all welcome t' join me."

Bram's heart was full of gratitude. "Thank you, Matthias. Tonight, let us eulogize in her memory and process our grief in our own way. But for now, we must leave this place. It's still not safe here."

He went to the railing and looked upon the smoldering ruins of Angkor's capital. Very little of the city remained, especially the area around the Substratum, which was now a vast sinkhole. He wondered how many innocents had lost their lives. It seemed unlikely that anyone could have survived the destruction.

"Let us hope that someday, people rebuild and achieve a freer, kinder Angkor. But for now, there's nothing we can do."

"Bram, look!"

Quon pointed along the stern as a battalion of airships approached. Bram nearly choked as it seemed he would face his worst fear: that Angkor's fleet had somehow remained. And though their king was gone, and the demon controlling them was vanquished, the men aboard that ship were potentially hostile. In fact, they might very well open fire to anything in their airspace.

Bram squinted. Upon further inspection, he noted that some of the airships appeared to be of Kitezhian design, which seemed impossible. They were supposed to have been scrapped after the War.

"Bram, over there."

Cedric pointed to the largest of the ships, which had a skybridge mounted on its
deck. The wooden structure was used so that men could cross between vessels. They wouldn't have prepared it if they intended to attack. Although, it didn't mean they wouldn't try to commandeer the Heron by force.

"Should we allow them to cross?"

Bram sighed. "We certainly don't want to fire without knowing their intention. Let's see what they want."

He stood by cautiously as the airship approached. The skybridge extended and clamped onto the Heron's starboard side, which faced north. When the structure was secure, a band of Kitezhian soldiers transferred over.

They had swords and firearms ready, but they kept their distance.

"We're friends of Kitezh," Bram explained, but the soldiers didn't respond.

Finally, a man crossed that Bram recognized. Despite being decorated as a Kitezhian general, the Knight hadn't forgotten the man's face.

He was practically at a loss for words. "Géorg …? Géorg Töller?" It suddenly dawned on him. "So you were the ones bombing the city?"

The one-armed man smiled as he approached. "Is good to see you, Friend. Am surprised to see Master Deleuze with you. Good morn to you both."

Matthias nodded politely, but he looked as confused as Bram felt.

"Allow me to explain."

Géorg relayed the aftermath of Rungholt's liberation, including the negotiations with Saladina Clan Lords for refurbished airships, and King Unruh's bold plans for a counterattack, which exceeded everyone's expectations.

Bram was amazed, but he had many questions. "You said the attack was ordered by a surrogate king, but what about Prince Brandt? Has he chosen not to take the throne?"

Géorg shook his head. "No, uh … Master Brandt never returned. We expected his ship week ago, but, eh … did not come."

Bram was aghast. "I can assure you he left Loulan safely. Something must have happened enroute!"

Géorg shrugged. "Would not jump to conclusions. Prince has reputation for, eh … taking detours, shall we say. Am sure he will arrive in Rungholt soon."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Bram wondered if Konrad felt the same way, but he figured it wasn't his place to argue. At least, not in front of the other Kitezhians. Besides, there were too many other things to deal with.

He sighed. "Let's hope you're right. At any rate, I'd like to brief your new king about our journey. We've learned so much about the sunstones and the threat of the Ahrimen. If you'd like, we can follow your ship back to Rungholt before we set off on the next leg of our journey."

"Actually, can speak with King Unruh aboard my ship. We have magical portal and can, uh … communicate remotely. Please join, once we leave Angkorian airspace, yes?"

Bram marveled at the chance encounter, glad to be speaking with Géorg and not another Kitezhian bureaucrat. It seemed so unlikely when he left Kitezh that Rungholt would ever escape Angkorian occupation, yet somehow they managed to cobble together an air fleet and attack while Angkor was at their most vulnerable. Their bombardment had terrible consequences when it came to Bram's escape, but had they not intervened, Bram might not have made it all the way to King Richard. The timing was a matter of Fate, which Bram had learned to trust.

Besides, he had been meaning to cross paths with the one-armed man again. After everything Géorg had done for him, he wanted to give the man something in return.

He reached out. "Before I join you, Captain Töller, there's something I'd like to give you."

Géorg looked taken aback. "Me? Uh … not sure I understand."

Bram explained. "When we first met, I was not in a good place. You had no reason to trust me, yet you offered your help when I needed it most. You provided transportation first to Rungholt, then you took me to the Kitezhian marshlands in search of Prometheus. Rosa wouldn't have survived the magical toxin without that cure. Yet, I barely had a chance to thank you properly. I owe a debt, my friend, and if you'd let me, I'd like to repay it."

Géorg shook his head modestly. "I assure you, no payment needed—"

"Please, hear me out." Bram reached for his pouch. "You had something taken from you long ago. With the power that I've been given, my gift is to return it to you."

With the Pisces Stone in hand, he used the same healing power he had used to restore Cedric's feet. A soothing ultramarine light enveloped the airship, though it lasted just a moment. Those onboard were fearful of the presence of magic, but they soon had the wide eyed expression of men who had witnessed a miracle. There was a collective gasp among the crew.

Bram felt good about his new powers. Where the one-armed man once stood, there was now a decorated general with two arms. Géorg blinked in disbelief as he beheld his gift with joyous eyes.

His lieutenant approached. "Sir, the magic … it didn't hurt you, did it?"

Géorg's eyes were as misty as his smile was wide. "No … have not felt this … whole … in a long time."

The Kitezhians cheered as they talked among themselves.

"Have never seen magic like that!"

"Is miracle!"

"Is work of Goddess!"

The joy was palpable and clearly taken as a good sign by the soldiers.

The celebration was short lived, however. The alarm sounded from Géorg's ship, and several Kitezhians ran across the skybridge.

Géorg addressed his men. "What is it?"

"An Angkorian airship, Sir. It approaches from the south."

Bram and Géorg rushed to the port side, which faced the Great Ocean. Indeed, high above the water, a single airship flew in their direction.

Géorg frowned. He looked over to his lieutenant. "Get ready to fire."

Bram looked closely. "Wait. They've lowered their cannons. It's a sign of peaceful intentions."

"Belay order," Géorg told his lieutenant. "But, stay alert and maintain defensive position."

The Kitezhians used hand signals to communicate with the rest of the crew.

The airship approached with its skybridge ready, this time clamped to the Heron's port side. A crew of armed soldiers crossed over, but they were not in Angkorian uniform. Instead, they wore hooded robes.

He received a whisper from Matthias. "Those are scholars, Bram. Be careful."

The last man to cross was a familiar face. One that Bram had hoped he wouldn't have to confront. His heart raced. His stomach churned. And his teeth grinded together.

"Kane, you bastard." Weeks' worth of repressed anger came to a boil. "You'd better not have come here looking for a fight."

Quon backed him up with a rebuke. "You have some nerve showing up here. I haven't forgotten what you did to us back in Loulan."

Géorg stepped forward, too. "You are vastly outnumbered, and we have our own scholars. If you doubt, look once more upon your city." He gestured to the ruins of Angkor's capital.

Kane sneered but ignored the taunts. He faced Bram without flinching. "As much as I'd like to settle old scores, this isn't about us. I came bearing a message, one I believe you'll want to hear."

An ugly malice lingered in the air. Many on the ship scowled.

Bram struggled to contain his rage. "You'd better make your point quickly, or we'll settle this the old fashioned way."

Kane chuckled, but his voice remained stone cold. "First, I must congratulate you on defeating the mighty Abaddon. Have you felt the power of the sunstone, yet. I'm sure you have, if you made it this far."

Bram bared his teeth. "Is that what you want? Why don't you to try to take it!"

Kane shook his head. "I came to propose a trade."

Quon scoffed. "We should rid ourselves of this vermin. He was foolish to think we'd barter with him. We're better off interrogating him, instead."

Bram knew that Kane wouldn't have come without leverage. He faced his betrayer. "Nothing is worth what it cost us to obtain this. For the sake of the world, I'll make sure you never get your hands on it."

Kane sighed derisively. "Come on, Bram. You know we have Rosa Reynolds. You should at least hear me out."

Bram seethed at hearing her name. Of course, he knew. But he didn't think Kane would think him stupid enough to doom the world by handing over the sunstone so easily.

He must have seen the glare on Bram's face. He tisked. "Hate me all you want, but I never wanted it to come to this."

The man was infuriating. Bram wanted to reach for his sword. "To the Burning Pits with your trade. You tell my brother he isn't getting the sunstone. Ever!"

Bram hated to think he was dooming Rosa to death, but he didn't even have any assurances that she was still alive. Not that he would have believed Kane, either way. He just hoped Matthias had an idea for how he could track Kane's airship after he left.

Kane faced him unflinchingly. "You can keep the Pisces Stone. We're interested in something else. I told you, you should have listened. That's always the problem with you, isn't it? You don't think things through. You just pounce and start punching."

Kane was right. Inside Bram was a fire that burned out of control. His old friend didn't deserve mercy, but the situation called for thoughtfulness and wisdom.

"Get to the point. What do you want?"

Matthias whispered in his ear. "Bram, ya need to end this. Now. That filthy liar will use honeyed words t' lead us astray. We're better off not getting' tempted."

Bram faced the old scholar. "We have nothing to lose by letting them reveal their hand. I have no intention of agreeing to their terms. No matter what. Understand?"

Kane laughed. "Please, settle your arguments elsewhere. This offer expires soon."

Bram suppressed his rage, feeling more immune to Kane's insults. "Speak, or we'll let Quon get to work on extracting the information the hard way."

Kane's smile faded, and he was back to business. "A few days ago, the Capricorn Stone was stolen from the city of Kish by the Feylen king, Arcesilaus. We'd like you to travel to Garda to find out why. If you manage to obtain the Capricorn Stone for yourself, go ahead and keep it. All we want is information. We'll contact you in one week. Rosa is our way of making sure you're properly motivated and don't squander your days by wandering off course. If you fail to deliver on time, we'll kill her."

Bram spat in his direction. "Monster! If you so much as touch her, I swear—"

"Don't make threats you can't keep. Don't attempt to block my escape. And don't attempt to track us. We have ways of thwarting your magic, and you'd only be sealing Rosa's fate early." Kane shot back a smug grin before returning to his airship. "Until we meet again."

Géorg stepped in front. "Bram, we can't let him go."

"You must!" he pleaded. "Do this so I can buy some time. You owe me."

Géorg sighed deeply. "Fine. But King Unruh won't like it."

He sent more gestures to his men, who repeated the signal to their comrades. It took only moments for Kane's airship to disembark and sail away to the horizon.

When it was finally out of range, Bram buried his face in his hands. He considered his next steps, and whether he could possibly save Rosa's life without giving the enemy what they wanted. He was sure that Samuel's end game was more than just information, but he didn't know what he truly wanted. Either way, Kane's final twist of the knife wouldn't soon be forgotten.

He groaned, feeling isolated and alone, until a hand landed on his shoulder. Several others followed. Quon, Cedric, Matthias, and Géorg gathered around him.

The Kenju Master spoke with confidence. "You made some very difficult decisions today. Just know that I trust your heart is in the right place. Whatever choice you make, I will support you."

Géorg echoed the sentiment. "I have king's ear. Will be skeptical, but I, uh … will try to convince him."

Cedric joined in. "You saved my life in more ways than you know, Bram. I know how important Rosa is to you, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep her alive."

Matthias looked at the others, then back to Bram. "Ah've no complaints. The way Ah see it, Ya bought yourself some time an' didn't give anythin' in return. T'was a good move."

For a while, Bram thought he would sink back into despair. Even after the euphoria of defeating Abaddon, all it took was a moment for his betrayer to bring back all of the hatred and anger he had as a Gnostic Knight. He might have made strides as a Grigori, but he had a long way to go, and he needed his friends' support.

Fortunately, there was hope. He faced the waters of the Great Ocean, where Kane's airship had disappeared. The sun's rays were gentle and soothing. It warmed his skin, and his lungs filled with the crisp air of morn. He was moved, and he wanted to tell his friends how he felt.

"I'm grateful for your support. Together, we'll be victorious. We've already recovered one of the sunstones. Now let's go get another!"

End of Part I : The Wanton Kingdom

To be continued in Part II : The Faustian Promise