The Huntsman of Adamos (Quartet)- draft

CH WAR PLANS

The Guardian of the House of Remus and the Huntsman of the House of Adamos returned to the Kings’ Castle to find Xerxes pacing, he sat down angrily upon seeing them alone. They both bowed to him. As Regulus gave the report of how the Xelusians had used siren’s magic to thwart the attempt to stop them.

“Prince Lucif was seen carrying Lady Fleur onto the Royal Transport by a healer not rendered unconscious by the dark magic,” Regulus finished.

Yurieth kept his head covered up and didn’t look at the king. “Your Highness, there was also no sign of Queen Eonae. She might have already been taken to Xelusia.”

King Xerxes fingers drummed on the arm of the throne of his ancestors. “Prepare a counter attack, I want every available warrior on a transport to Xelusia, we launch in two hours. I am going to address our people, Lord Yurieth as the last surviving member of your house, I want you to stand with me opposite Regulus.”

“Of course, your highness, we will begin preparing immediately.” Regulus bowed, he and Yurieth turned to go prepare for war when the King called after them.

“I know you are the commanders of my guardsmen and assault forces, but I am coming with you this time. We must rescue Lady Fleur before the Xelusians can sacrifice her to their vile Darkness. I want the Blind Oracle back on Aetheria before the Celestial Alignment ends.”

They both bowed again and walked toward the room where the corps commanders and guardsmen waited.

“The King should not be going with us,” Yurieth growled quietly.

“True but this could be an opportunity.” Regulus looked around as they entered the warroom. Standing at the head of the table, he announced, “Warriors of Aetheria , the Xelusians have betrayed the peace, their princess attempted to kill the king earlier tonight and the abducted the Blind Oracle. We need to rescue her before they Xelusians can sacrifice her. The King is going to address the people to tell them the Oracles of the House of Adamos have been killed and Prince Xeus with them. Queen Eonae has vanished, possibly taken by the enemy as another sacrifice.” There was a collective gasp.

“Guardian, what of your son, Huntsman Regis?” One of the commanders asked.

“High Lord Yurieth of the House of Adamos is our last master Huntsman.” Regulus answered without emotion. Yurieth stood in a relaxed warrior stance with his hood up and his head down as Regulus addressed him. “Huntsman, you know the territory around the City of the Temples.”

Yurieth hated that he was about to lead the warriors of Aetheria to futile deaths on Xelusia. Then he had an idea. Flipping back his hood, he assessed the gathered warriors. “The Xelusians are going to expect us to bring the full force of our military against them this night but we will not be lured into traps by being unprepared. I am going to need a small group to protect the King as we infiltrate the Temples. We need the rest of you to make a big show of preparing for launch in three days. We know they still have spies in the city. Let them think we are launching a full invasion on the last day of the Alignment, while we are using stealth to save the last oracle of my house and hopefully the queen. We will bring them war for this treachery, but it will be the full might of Aetheria, planned and prepared.” The next hour was spent falsely planning an invasion that would never come.

The King’s voice boomed on all communication channels.

“My people, it is with heavy heart that I tell you we are at war. On this eve of a once in a lifetime celebration, the Xelusians have broken the peace, attacked us and even attempted to murder me. The Legendary Winter Palace of the Mountain Northlands has been destroyed. They have killed the Oracles of Adamos and Yophriel, and my son, your beloved Prince Xeus with his protector. Queen Eonae is missing, and possibly murdered. The Xelusians have taken the blind Lady Fleur of Adamos, our last oracle, and intend to sacrifice her to bring back the Siren Queen and return the reign of the Blood Mages. We can’t allow this to happen. The last Guardian, the last Huntsman, and I are preparing to lead our warriors to Xelusia soon. We will bring back the last Oracle and the Queen. We will stop the rise of the Blood Mages and banish this evil once and for all. We will not fail you.”

The transmission ended and Queen Eonae turned to look at Lord Oren, “How long until Lord Karstien and Lord Abrieth can open the portal?”

“Four more hours, my Queen.” Oren answered quietly.

“And the device?” Her voice tremored slightly.

“It is armed and ready to be taken to Xelusia.”

Eonae nodded quietly. Regulus had sent her a covert communication that they would need her to go to Xelusia through the portal to be rescued when he killed Xerxes. She walked out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard.

Karstien had set up the Relic of Time, just in case things went awry and they needed to leave quickly. She fingered the list of names in her pocket. Pulling it out, she handed it to Cinna, he looked at the forty names and nodded. Oren glanced at the list then walked away with his lover. He couldn’t hide his worry; Fleur was going to try something that she had only managed to do one other time, force a double trip in an attempt to save a few more children.

Fluer woke up to the sensation of vibrations, she knew it was re-entry. She was laying naked under a silk sheet, the smoothness moved against her skin as she breathed. She blinked slowly at the haze of her vision, someone touched her face. She couldn’t see him beyond the color of his hair and the paleness of his skin but she knew from the feeling of darkness who it was.

“Lucif?” His name whispered from her lips.

“My queen, you should not have tried to use your power on so many when you were injured.” His voice sounded concerned as he pressed a kiss on her forehead. “We escaped without further loss.”

“I was injured?” she murmured.

“Yes, my queen. Demona cut you with a cursed blade. Lady Naphtala’s servant is a healer and was able to treat you but Lady Naphtala says you overused your magic and must rest.” His fingers trailed over the scars on her arm and shoulder. “I wanted to introduce you formally to our people tonight, but in two days at sunset when the alignment is visible will be more impactful. Then you will be sealed to the queen and I to the Lord of Shadows...”

“And we shall fulfill our destinies,” she finished for him.

He bent forward and kissed her gently, from any other she would have believed it was a loving kiss, but from him, she knew better. “Rest, my betrothed, I will send the Pale Lady and her servant to dress you.”

Fleur smiled at him tiredly. “Thank you, my prince.”

Moments later, Naphtala and Yllumina came in. Fleur was shocked as Mina removed her veil and headscarf, to realize that Mina’s hair was as black as hers and her skin was as pale as her cousin’s. “How are you, my lady?”

Fleur blinked. “Numb, I could barely feel his darkness.”

“You used too much magic. Without the shadow altar to draw from as you did when you were in the Towers of Xelusia, the siren’s magic pulled its power from the light of your soul,” Naphtala explained.

Mina took her hand, “Fleur, you must not tax yourself like that again. Not this close to the Gate or She will overcome you.”

“Where is Karstien? I can feel him,” Fleur whispered.

“Kahr and Ghis, my personal guards, are at the door.” Naphtala gave a shortened, altered version of their names. “The other is discreetly tucked away with building stones. They barely made the ship when our plans changed.”

“And the King?” Fleur winced as she raised her arms to slip into the toga style dress.

“We have been traveling and won’t know until we land, but there was a message that made Prince Lucif laugh and declare that by the time the old fool arrived it would be too late to stop him and he would feed the Devourer on the flesh and souls of the Aetherians in three days.” Naphtala revealed as she pinned Fleur’s eye veil in place. “Try to rest, Fleur. Mina will stay with you but keep your light subdued, there are many on board who would sense it if you shared it. Once we are in the Queen’s chambers, the obsidian walls will shield our use of magic to restore you. I will go see if I can glean anything else before we land.”

Naphtala put her veil and headscarf in place and left. Karstien slipped in, even as tired as she was, Fleur could feel his worry. As he got close, she realized his hair was as dark as Mina’s and his skin as pale. She reached out and pulled him closer to squint at him. Her eyes got weaker with every use of the dark magic; she knew she would be completely blind by the time she was dead.

“You look like pachy puke,” Fleur joked quietly in her birth tongue. “I don’t think my queen bestie is going to like this look.”

He snorted, retorting just as softly, “I still look better than you, Daisy. What would Mara say if she saw us now?”

“Just nope, and then she would drag us off for a spa day.” Fleur’s chin trembled at the sudden heartache of never seeing her human stepsister again. Mara was the only human family Fleur had left alive. Mara and Vole, her Aetherian husband, lived on Jura with their half-human, half-Aetherian children, and quarter-Aetherian grandchildren.

“I miss her too,” Karstien said quietly. “I miss them all.”

“I wish I had never been changed,” Fleur repeated a phrase she hadn’t said since the last war, and her soul cringed painfully for all they had lost.

Karstien squeezed her hand. “I’m glad you were. We needed you.”

"It's what I was made for." Suddenly, everything she suspected rushed to the front of her mind and Fleur looked down at their clasped hands so she wouldn’t confront him over what his grandfather had done to her. She withdrew her hand. “Better get back before they miss you.”

Fleur could feel him looking at her oddly, but he went out and stood with Regis by the door, the two giant masked Aetherians were terrifying to the leaner Xelusians.

“What hurts you, daughter?” Mina asked gently, and Fleur wanted to ask her mother by marriage if she knew what Adamos would do, but she didn’t because Mina could still tell Yurieth that Fleur had discovered the truth.

“Humans, those living on the world Adamos and the remnant are going to, they only live to be eighty to one hundred forty years old. Karstien and I have lost almost as many friends to old age as we did to the war.” Fleur evaded the truth by answering with something completely different.

Mina nodded. “I understand.”

“I’m going to try to sleep a little.” Fleur closed her eyes and waited.

Yllumina touched Fleur’s temple to soothe her. Fearing the high oracle might try to read her thoughts, Fleur filled her mind with the math of magic, double checking what was needed for Yllumina and Karstien to do the protection enchantment on Yurieth and Abrieth. It would be close but part of Yllumina’s soul would be carried by and protect Yuri for his entire life and he could return it when she went to the future with Kalyssa.

The ship banked and began to drop. Fleur could feel something, a great darkness under the surface of the planet. She knew what it was. She had last felt it over a century ago, it was the presence of the Devourer. Gritting her teeth, she vowed she would not fail. She would make sure the ‘Against Hope’ device detonated. Her invention would trap the entity the ancient Aetherians had sought to imprison. After looking at all that was known about the Gate and the Temple, Shadz as Oshay had pointed out that there was nothing there that would create the Dark Dust Dimension and Fleur had told him to send the doomsday device back with his grandfather. Fleetingly, she wondered if Karstien’s horror had been as great as hers and Shadz’s had been when he realized how the Triple D had been created. They had done it, to save their dimension and all the realms, they would sacrifice nearly ten million Aetherians and sixteen million Xelusians at the end of this week.

Fleur was surprised to wake when the ship jerked as it landed. She opened her eyes at the same moment Lucif entered. Yllumina bowed as was expected.

He came over to her bed. “Can you walk, my queen? Many have come to greet you.”

Shifting her feet off the bed, Fleur smiled at him. “I am home, of course, I can walk to greet my people. Will you guide me, my prince?”

Lucif took her hand and kissed it. Lady Naphtala followed with Yllumina, Regis, and Karstien behind her. Lucif led Fleur off the ship, she could feel that the sun was just past its zenith. Cheering greeted her ears as they disembarked. She did not raise her hand to wave, only held up her head and raised her chin.

Lucif spoke to the crowd, his voice magically amplified.

“My people. This is a time of great rejoicing. The boon our ancestors promised us was almost stolen by the Aetherians. My mother had chosen one to take her place. She was taken by the House of Adamos and hidden, but she had fought her way back to us and resisted being swayed by those who foolishly value myths over power. As prophesied to return at the time the twin stars align, to end this season of forced peace and bring a new kingdom, my people, the vessel of the queen, who was and is and will live again. Behold, Lady Fleur, the Dark Oracle.”

Fleur walked calmly beside Lucif, the smells of blood and incense hung heavy in the air. She could feel the pain of those cutting themselves as they chanted, ‘my blood and my soul for the shadows.’ She wanted to scream at them to stop hurting themselves and to return to the Light, but nothing she could say in this moment would stop the madness of a people who wished for their own condemnation. Lucif drew her forward and she walked erect and proud. Through Lucif’s eyes, she could see the people tearing their clothes and cutting themselves and each other as she passed. She was relieved there were no children there to be bled or she would have lost it completely. Finally, they reached the palace and temples, the stench of burning blood and incense made her want to gag.

Lucif made the same speech and then murmured to her, “Do you wish to say anything, my queen?”

Fighting against the revulsion of her soul, Fleur held up her hand to the crowd. She inhaled slowly, drawing in the power of the dark magic she felt all around her, breathing out she let the song of the sirens blended with the shine of the oracles wash over the crowd. Many swayed and cried out as they fell to their knees, feeling the euphoria of being loved for the first time. The evil that was the Siren Queen reveled in the power of the thrall under which Fleur held the crowd, but Fleur pushed her away and whispered to the people who had fallen completely silent.

“My children, do you know who I am?”

Several thousand voices cried out, “My queen!”

She held up her hand again and they fell silent. Through the siren’s magic they all heard her soft voice. “Celebrate today and tomorrow but know the King of Aetheria will come after the third day to try to take me from you and bring war back to our world. He will fail, and we will take the war to Aetheria . Our new kingdom is coming, and if we fall, another will rise in our place, nothing can stop us as long as the Gate of Shadows remains.”

The cheering was deafening. Lucif led her inside, where she swayed. He lifted her and carried up flights of stairs, and through several halls room that felt very close to the source of the darkness. He stopped in the middle of a room. “These are your chambers...” He announced then hesitantly asked, “My queen, how did you know Aetheria was preparing for war? While we were traveling, Xerxes declared war and told his people that I had kidnapped you, killed his son and possibly his queen. The last Guardian and the last Huntsman stood at his sides.”

Fleur’s mouth made a slight smile, she shrugged and answered simply. “Xerxes is senile but he loves power. I have seen that he wants me and the Lord of Shadows for himself. He wants what is rightfully yours, my prince. He will come to try to stop you from being sealed to our once and future king. The King wants to kill you and keep me for himself. Lucif?” She hesitated as he set her on her feet, then she put her hand on his arm. “There is a traitor among us because he knows about the prophecy of our son.”

Lucif’s outrage hit her like a slap, then he turned and stormed out of her rooms, shouting for his advisers.

Fleur turned and walked slowly around until she bumped something soft. Reaching down, she could feel it was shaped like a chaise lounge, so she laid down on it. Her head was still thrumming from the use of siren’s magic, and the presence of the Devourer’s Gate ran pins and needles through her veins and over her skin. Closing her eyes, she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately. Her mind retreating to the only place she felt safe, her Room of Light within the Sacred Veil.