The Fifth Star - Prologue (2/2) - A Strange Connection

Harlemont was already gone, presumably having slipped out with his knights in the confusion. Now that the spectacle was over, the crowd began to melt away around him. A few minutes later and Darius stood alone on the hill’s descent, guards the only ones left besides himself and a few other officials who were clearing off as well. A dark complexioned woman stood near the tent, wringing her hands and watching the door flap anxiously. The girl is not alone, then. I’ll wait and follow, instead of approaching. They’re not like to trust me.

And so he did. Darius drew his black hood over his head to conceal his face from view, and made his way out of the depressing pit to wait. He stayed along its edge so he could watch for their departure without being too conspicuous.

It didn’t take long before he was rewarded and the girl stepped out of the tent. Even from this distance, the pain was apparent as she limped towards the waiting woman and he felt a deep regret that he had not been able to reach her in time to prevent it; though how he would have accomplished this was a mystery. The girl rejoined her companion and they started off together, the elder supporting her weight and leading her along with a helpful shoulder.

Darius reached inside himself and tapped into the source of his power, an internal fuel for magic known as aethris. He gathered an illusion about himself, making himself invisible to normal eyes, and followed silently at a close distance so as not to lose them in the twisted city streets. He hoped their route would not be long; a spell as demanding as invisibility would quickly drain his magic. The two of them threw occasional glances behind them every so often to check for pursuers, anxiety plain on the older girl’s features. He remained undetected, as she couldn’t see through his spell, and the younger… well, if she sensed anything, it must have been lost in a sea of pain, for she let on nothing.

They passed the nobles district, and the markets, then eventually the docks. The poorest districts were already far behind. Not many options were left to them, Darius realized only minutes before they reached the pleasure district – or the district of sin, as the priests were fond of coining the area during their sermons.

Strange place to bring a child, he thought with a frown as they passed through the minor gate. He followed until they eventually turned down a narrow alley near the middle of the street and entered a building through the back entrance. He attempted to get inside before the door closed, but it slammed shut in his face behind the two women before he could slip through.

He released his illusion while there was no one around to see him reappear and emerged from the alleyway into the street. He then stopped to check the swinging sign over the door of the building they’d entered. The Raven’s Nest Brothel, he committed the name to his memory. I will be back again.

He had no time to go in and pretend to be a patron, to try to catch some information about this mysterious girl. Harlemont had given him orders to attend to after the Homecoming proceedings were done. If he dallied much longer he’d have no way to explain where he’d been. And so Darius left the pleasure district, on his way to much darker work.

**********

Darius started up the curved staircase out of the dungeon, and once out of earshot of the guards he reminded himself to breathe, inhaling deeply and feeling some of the tension leave his aching muscles. His heart was pounding a rhythmless beat against his ribs and his breath was shaking in his chest. Bringing the rebel into the dungeon as he had been ordered had been taxing, both emotionally and physically. He’d expected the same when the Empire’s compulsions had been broken by the girl. But after so long of not having the freedom to act on his emotions, his guilt over the work he usually found so easy was threatening to overwhelm him. However, Harlemont was expecting him, and he could only afford a few precious moments to collect himself.

I need to act normal in front of him, he steeled himself, dreading the meeting. The High Mage warned me this could get difficult. I wonder if this is what she meant. He swallowed hard and moved on, climbing the stairs two at a time.

He made his way through the darkest corridors of the castle, taking the secret passages where he wouldn’t be disturbed by the hundreds of people inside at any given time. Groups of tittering ladies and powdered lords were not something he wanted to face this night. He ascended several floors towards the lord’s chambers.

Darius casually emerged from one of the alcoves so no one would see where he came from and approached the large gilded doors that led to Harlemont’s suites. The two guards posted there crossed their spears across the doorway, blocking his passage.

“Is there a problem?” he asked, his voice dripping with cynicism.

“Identify yourself,” the leftmost grumbled, adding after Darius made no reply, “Harlemont’s orders.”

Darius sighed and reached up to his hood, pulling it back and revealing his face for the men to see. “Darius Alder.”

The guard on the right’s eyes widened in recognition at the name and he pulled his spear back without a moment’s delay. “Apologies my lord,” he said, elbowing the first guard who reluctantly retracted his own weapon. “This one’s new, a thousand pard-”

“No need,” Darius interrupted, pulling his hood back up. The guards both bowed deeply and opened the gilded doors for his admittance, averting their eyes. Darius brushed past without saying anything else, entering the expansive suites.

Visible from the doorway, Lord Harlemont was pacing restlessly in his sitting room. A servant stood motionless nearby, knees locked and doing his best to hide his fear of his liege, bearing a tray with a pitcher of wine. The lord had obviously been imbibing heavily of the same, judging by the flushing of his face and the stagger to his pacing. He looked towards the door and noticed Darius watching him.

“There you are! How long have you been- never mind.” Harlemont bustled over to the door, wrapped an overly-friendly arm about Darius’s shoulder and pulled him into the room proper. “Well? Did you get him?”

Uncomfortable with the too-cheery contact, Darius released himself from the hold and turned to face Harlemont, folding his hands in front of him respectfully and fighting to keep his face neutral. “My lord, it is done. The man you ordered brought to the dungeons has been contained and is awaiting your pleasure in the deep cells.”

“Is he injured?” Harlemont asked, his eyes positively lighting up with this news. His fingers twitched with excitement.

“You asked me to bring him alive. He is alive, yes, but not unscathed,” Darius said. “He was particularly resistant to being arrested and attempted to take his own life.” I’ll never forget that look… when I pulled the poison capsule from his mouth, replaced it with a crippling dagger in his side and started to drag him away…

Harlemont smirked and picked up a dagger from the table, drawing a drop of blood from his thumb as he tested the wicked-sharp edge. “Then I’m sure he has something to tell us. Take me to him.”

Darius hesitated and looked for a way out without showing how shaken he truly was. “My apologies, my lord – I wish to retire to my chambers for the night. The hour grows late and I… I feel I lack the energy for an interrogation.”

Harlemont turned to Darius and searched his face deeply for several tense moments. Darius tried to remain impassive but felt a bead of sweat form on his brow under the close scrutiny. He hoped the lord had imbibed enough not to notice it.

“Very well. You may go,” Harlemont said finally, and Darius’s heart resumed beating.

He turned immediately and started back towards the door when Harlemont’s voice reached him again, “And Darius?”

He paused and didn’t turn. “Yes, my lord?”

“Don’t dwell on that girl in the square. You know it had to be done.”

“As you say, my lord,” he said without inflection, and continued out of the room. He knew, as he walked back to his chambers and forced himself not to run, that he would do the exact opposite. The girl was mage-talented, there was no doubt in his mind. She stood little chance of evading the Seers’ notice, living in the city where their patrols were so much more frequent than the villages… but most mage-talented children didn’t have someone on the inside looking out for them, either. Even now he could feel the slightest pull of the connection between them, the bizarre compulsion-like spell that wasn’t altering his ability to think as the Empire’s had. It was a magic he needed to learn more about, and in the meantime, it most definitely did not belong in the hands of those who would abuse it.

Darius made a promise to himself then. I will not let her be taken to the College. I’ll find a way to keep her from that torture. To watch over this girl he knew nothing about, who so desperately needed protection but even now probably didn’t realize the danger she was in… it was at least a start towards redeeming himself – for all he had done in the past and would have no choice but to do in the future.