Chương 37: Suspect (Discoveries)

The first strike is the most unexpected. It almost feels like an accident. One of Dendrak's lackey's slips, pushing Xan toward the tide-way. It's only our reflexes and years of training together that allows me to reach out and grab them by the hand, pulling them to my side and to safety. Even though the water is currently shallow, the fall is far enough that he could have broken bones.

"Xan, you're such a klutz." I try my best to imitate how Farin would say it. Clear. Free. Almost giggly. The direct opposite of myself. Without skipping a beat though, they fall into it.

"Just hoping you'd rescue me."

"Already saved your life twice. You're going to owe me it soon."

"Anytime." And thus the first attack is thwarted. Mithris allows himself a faint grin, but I can't help wondering just why they're trying to off us out here. Or are they only trying to scare us? Is it because there's not enough room where they're taking us. Will we outnumber them once we're all together? Am I being too paranoid? I can barely reason through the constant din in my head. Especially now I promised the elements that I'd find a way out of this. The noise is expectant. The elements around me are tanking.

If they were a ship, they'd be taking on water rapidly. Drowning in themselves. Pulling on chaotic energy, truthfully, both scares and excites me. We enter a large hall. I don't understand the structure of these catacombs. They're nothing like the tall, vast columns underneath Korrien. Instead, this is like a maze. A warren of tunnels and paths that lead around the remnants of tide pools and have rooms in the strangest of places. Deceptively large. Yet, the rock, dirt, and water still sing to me.

There are several desks in here, scrying bowls in place. An alchemy area sits pushed up against a far wall. In the middle there are tables and chairs. And that's where Lareny and the others are. She sees me and waves, but there's a tightness about her expression. Something else is wrong.

"Taria! Glad you made it." Even her tone is off, like she almost wasn't expecting us to make it. I've never heard her this friendly in my life. She pulls me into a hug, which is something she's rarely ever done, and I can feel a piece of paper crumple against my chest. Surreptitiously as possible, I push it into one of my many pockets and escape the hug.

"Of course." I glance around, but I don't see Cedrik as I've heard him described. The actual head of the Sorrishen Enclave. Dendrak takes that moment to clap his hands together.

"Alright. We're all here now. Let's get down to business." Mithris stands, arms crossed, much the same way I've ever seen him in a Prefects presence. Always this edge of challenge to the man. Here though, here I want him to challenge Dendrak. Challenge the man who reeks of blood manipulation and death. Cut all the strings he's attached to, and the ones attached to him.

"Are you going to explain what happened to Cedrik?" Mithris isn't beating around any bushes. I can already see the glimmer of anger in his eyes. He's had enough of this. Everything, up until now, has been diversion. Dendrak's eye's narrow ever so briefly. Then he lets out a laugh.

"Of course. Of course." Just like the weather, his expression changes and a grim frown crosses his lips instead.

"After much consideration, Cedrik was banished from the Order." Xan, Ellir, and Parra gasp. Being expelled from the Order is something only Aarron can do. That they did this here, without any of the customary trials, without any presence from Korrien, only shows how dire this situation is. I'm not surprised, but I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"On what grounds?" Lareny's voice rings out clearly through the murmur that's arisen in the chamber.

"Treason to the Courts and to the Nightshade of course." Dendrak declares almost proudly.

"Not like that," I say quietly, speaking before I think about it.

"We all know the reasons for being banished. We want to know specifics." Silence falls, and I swear I see Mithris' mouth twitch. Maybe he's fighting a smile. Maybe he's restraining himself from punching a technical superior. Dendrak on the other hand looks marginally like a thundercloud. Maybe he even believes what he's saying is true. I guess I am young and hugely lower ranked.

"He took bribes to make contracts fail. He has led many of our brethren to their doom when handing them contracts with false information." Those reasons sound legitimate. But the air around him shimmers oddly, the beat of his heart resounds through the earth to me. Faster, staccato like—when a person lies. Dendrak is lying. And I can see the way Mithris is standing. He doesn't believe a word of it either. Furthermore—I think he knows what the truth is. He sighs and moves languidly.

There's something about economy of movement that I've never seen anyone else execute quite that way. Mithris is getting annoyed. Coiled like a snake.

"You know this isn't a matter for an individual Enclave, right? You've avoided the channels we all operate through. What is your reasoning for this?" His tone is dangerous. I wouldn't want to be the person on the receiving end of it. Dendrak practically growls the next words out.

"We acted quickly to a perceived threat. They managed to thwart our efforts and took off."

"They?" Xan pipes up immediately.

"Cedrik and a group of his supporters." Dendrak isn't even trying to hide his irritation.

"They escaped our grasp and took us by surprise. But are still operating as if they continue to belong to the Order." You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The members of the Sorrishen order are all around us down here. They move in this subtle way, like they're ready to jump to Dendrak's aid at any time. Their eyes have a distant look to them, their bodies lean toward gaunt. Like I looked when I'd sucked myself dry of energy. Blood Ties. No way.

I look around us, through a different lens, following the sound of nature screaming all around me. Asking it to guide me. I'm not sure how I don't collapse on the spot. It's Lareny's voice that pulls me back to myself.

"Are you asking our help to confront him? Is that why you Sevrin send that message?" Now that was clever. I can practically feel the acting Prefect's blood boiling from where I stand. Dendrak balks, blinking, like he's only just realized Sevrin is the reason we're here. From the very way he holds himself, it's obvious the next words are a lie.

"Yes. He's amassed far too great a following for us to take down ourselves." I'm taken aback at how accurate this sense of lying is. Just enough that I don't blurt anything out. Lareny seems to know, too. I'll leave this in her hands, follow her lead.

"Great. Are we headed there now, then?" Lareny is full of no nonsense, standing straight, showing that she's not intimidated. It calms Xan, Parra, and Ellir. Frankly, I think Aarron did the right thing sending more than one group of us. I'd hate to imagine what might have happened had we not walked in when we did. Dendrak balks, and I can practically feel his anger rise. How dare we question him when he has the backing of his entire Enclave? That's the sensations coming from him right now.

Emanating through to me from the damaged earth around us. Only that's just it. From what I can tell, from the flow of the power through this room. From each person to Dendrak and how their energy flows. They're not respecting him, they're not backing him—they're beholden to him. It makes me wonder who he answers to. He doesn't seem quick witted enough to have put this all together.

"It's late. It'll be better if we approach in the dawning light." Dendrak's words sound smooth, but his demeanor is not.

"Very well. Where would you like us to meet you in a few hours?" Lareny's smooth response is both professional and commanding. It's a struggle for Dendrak, even in those few seconds. For him not to react. For him to accept that he is not in charge of our delegation.

"They are camped farther inland. Past the fields, into the forest. We can meet you out by the cluster of boulders north-west of here at dawn." The words sound like they were forced out of him. He's only begrudgingly giving us this much. Part of that is similar to a lie. Probably another trap. I wouldn't put it past him not to see us out. If we're not careful, we'll get lost down here.

"Excellent." Mithris steps in, effectively using body language to usher the rest of our group with him.

"We'll meet you on the morrow then." There's so much tension in the room, I swear I could snap it by flicking my finger. I think Aarron making me a Journeyman had a lot more meaning than he mentioned. Strength, ability, and weakness are things we pride ourselves on at the Korrien Enclave. Aarron sent a show of strength, a show of surprise. To take Dendrak out of his comfort zone. My only question is why he didn't come himself. We move out of the hall without any resistance.

Mithris mutters under his breath as we cluster together on the walkway.

"Don't look back. Walk. No matter what, keep walking." We do as he says, walking until we're back out of the tunnel system, away from Town Hall again.

"Meet at the inn." That's all Lareny says, and we all blend into the darkness, leaving me on my own. I'm hyper aware of the sounds all around me now. While I had my suspicions originally, I didn't stop and think. Because I didn't want to see how widespread it is. I make it back to the inn in the most direct route possible and I can't help feeling this all feels far too easy. I'm not the first back though. Lareny is talking to Mithris when I lower myself through the now open window. She looks up and waves me over.

"Did you bring everything you and Lennick worked on?" she asks. No preamble. Not that we need it.

"Yes." I grab my pack and pull out a padded suede pouch. It holds the majority of my potions, tinctures, salves… you name it. I pull out several vials.

"Generic Healing. Poison antidotes." There are four different types of those alone. We've managed to sort them into groups with types of poisons so we can always have one on hand. Partially effective against a lot of poisons is better than completely effective against only one.

"Then we've got Truth Serum, Orwellian Dream, and Graven Root." I place the vials of those separate from the others. Graven Root is one of my least favorites. It places great stress on the heart and brain. It's worse than the truth serum because it inflicts pain upon the subject disobeying the question asked. If left without the antidote, Graven Root will slowly petrify the affected target. It's one of the most gruesome deaths I can imagine. Lareny nods solemnly, plucking four of my vials.

Healing, Serum, Dream, and Root.

"Keep those antidotes handy, eh?" The others arrive shortly afterward. While I thought the room was large when we first got here, now it feels cramped. Mithris clears his throat.

"We're not waiting for the morning. We'll head after you all take a quick nap. Eat up, sleep for an hour. And then we head out."

"What's the plan then?" Parra asks.

"We are going to find Cedrik." Lareny says.

"And speak to him where he can't be otherwise influenced first. If he proves to be what Dendrak says he is, I'll be very surprised."

"And then?" I ask. Her smile is grim.

"Then, we deal with the usurpers next." She turns to look at Mithris.

"I'm more rested than you. I'll go without sleep." He pauses, and then nods, like he really had to give it some serious thought. We all settle down. Floor. Couches. Beds. Lareny sits next to me on mine once the others have found their places. I'm just about to doze off when she speaks.

"If you need to use your powers. I'd say now is a good time to stop hiding them." I digest that comment for a few moments. It only stands to reason that Lennick would speak to Lareny.

"You can't blame him for telling me. Especially when I noticed you'd miraculously dropped a quarter of your body weight in a week." She sighs, and I can tell she doesn't like our current situation. None of us do. It's like a dancing on a thin wire over a gaping maw.

"Anyway. Right now, you're the trump card we have. I'm going to need you to do what you need to, so we can all get out of there. Especially if Dendrak does what I think he will."

"Is that why we're going now? Why we're creeping out there under darkness?" She nods.

"We need to talk to Cedrik without Dendrak present. There was pressure when we spoke to Dendrak. Something trying to get into my mind, trying to push past my senses. We can't let him get the jump on us."

"Did we find Sevrin?" She shakes her head.

"We're hoping he's with Cedrik. The message was sent knowing any Enclave could intercept it. That's why Sevrin formulated it the way he did. I think. You should get some rest. I just wanted to make sure you knew that now isn't the time to hide what you can do anymore." I nod, and lay my head down. There's something she's still not telling me, and yet. I think it's all going to get worse before it gets better. The next thing I know, I'm being jostled awake. Lareny's voice is soft and insistent.

"We need to go." Immediately awake, I pull my pouches and bag over before securing them on my person. My long knife goes into a holder against my thigh. I rarely use it, but it's best to have it with me when my life might be on the line.

"Meet a mile north-west of the gate, beyond the boulders at the tree line." Mithris voice echoes back to me, and then he's gone. I can feel him moving beyond the inn, just like I can tell there are a few of us still inside. Never move as a group. It makes us too traceable.

"Together this time?" Xan asks, and I can see the worry in their eyes.

"Together. But don't think this means anything?"

"You mean I haven't become invaluable to you?" I pause for a moment, for once not feeling as flippant as usual. Still, it's what's expected, right? No need to upset the status quo.

"I'd prefer not to have to retrain a mission partner if it's all the same with you." Xan laughs softly as we head out of the inn, shadows blending into the darkness of the night.

"I'll take that." Good. At least one of our fears is allayed. Now we have to hope that our interpretation of the situation hasn't been off this entire time. Now that I've come to know the general layout of Sorrishen, I realize just how well thought out the town is. Everything leads to the water. From the Town Hall and initial entrance gates to where the roads all hook down and lead to the waterfront. Our inn is in the prime position. And the entire city revolves around it.

We move up, and then out, using the darker shadows in the corners of walls, at the edges of houses abutting each other. If you know where to find them, there are hiding places in plain sight all over our world. It's the open fields that bug me. Lareny's meeting point has far less of them than the one Dendrak chose. I can see the boulders he meant off a ways. They stand stark and alone in the middle of the field, the moonlight bathing them as if it's a spot light centered solely on their existence.

We'd be sitting ducks if we'd used that meeting point. And in the dawning light, we'd have been able to see nothing coming at us from any direction. Dendrak is either very clever, or utterly underestimating us. I truly hope it's the latter.