Chapter 476 - Caught in the beyond

Leon locked up when Vail’s gaze landed on him.

Her eyes were bright violet, almost glowing beneath the ragged fall of hair around her face. Even from this distance, it felt as if they cut straight through his armour and found the man beneath.

The reports named Vail as the single most dangerous fighter the Cabal could field. The few people confirmed to have faced her and survived were the likes of Gratianus Graham, Rosanna Adlam, and Sahra Thackeray. Even their accounts had been uncertain of her full strength.

The empire had prepared measures to deal with her, but none of them were available here.

And looking at the scene in front of him, Leon wasn’t sure how well they would have worked anyway.

Could they have stood against three members of the Royal Guard? Because that was what Vail was doing now. And judging from the state of His Majesty’s Swords, she looked to be the one with the advantage.

Leon’s brow pulled tighter.

Her appearance was wilder than the accounts had suggested. Her dark clothes were torn in several places, with the short hood hanging loose around her neck. Dust and fragments of stone clung to her, and her violet hair fell in an unruly mess around her face, partially concealing the dull silver growths along her neck and jaw. There was something wrong with her eyes, too. Something crazed that made Leon’s hair rise.

But there were no real signs of injury on her.

What manner of monster was she?

Before Leon had fully broken free of his paralysis, Dame Iyana had already moved. She leapt down the fractured slope with her sword drawn, calling out.

“Captain!”

Leon braced himself, forced the tension from his limbs, and followed.

Sir Tavion turned as they approached.

“Iyana? Sir Leon?”

The surprise was audible even beneath his helmet.

Dame Iyana stepped up beside him, frost whetting the edge of her blade. Leon stopped beside Sir Dariel, still hunched on one knee, and checked the man’s condition.

“The ants just keep coming,” a rough voice said.

A chill ran through Leon as he looked up.

Vail had one hand pressed to her face, fingers half-buried in the tangle of hair covering her eyes. She pulled her head back and dragged her fingers through the violet locks, her features twisting.

“I’ve had enough of killing pests! Your names have no meaning here. You’re useless.”

The ground cracked beneath her feet.

Leon’s eyes snapped wide.

She’d made no movement, but it was as if her rage itself had forced a wound into the world.

A strong hand closed around Leon’s wrist. Sir Dariel gave him a curt nod as he pushed himself upright.

“Thank you, Sir Leon. I’ll be alright.”

The tall knight reached for his greatsword on the ground. At the same time, a faint light gleamed beneath the bloodied break in the plate at his side.

Leon’s attention went to it.

Each suit of armour bestowed upon the Royal Guard was a masterpiece passed down through generations and fitted to its wielder. Their exact functions weren’t widely known, but each had ways of preserving the life of the person wearing it.

Even so, with a wound that deep—

“Iyana. Sir Leon,” Sir Tavion’s words cut through Leon’s thoughts. “Leave. Now.”

Dame Iyana’s eyes snapped towards him. “Captain?”

“We lost sight of His Majesty. You two will need to find him. Iyana, you are best suited—”

The rest of Sir Tavion’s sentence was interrupted as Vail disappeared from where she stood in an explosion of stone. Aura and steel met fist right in front of Sir Tavion a fraction of a second later as Dame Leandra matched the woman’s speed and intercepted her. The impact sent Dame Leandra skidding past Leon, however, her boots tearing a long line through the ground as yellow light flickered around her.

Sir Tavion’s sword cut towards Vail in a single arc.

There was almost nothing to see in the attack. His aura clung so close to the blade that, at a glance, the slash looked utterly plain and ordinary.

It met Vail’s raised forearm.

There was a thin sound, like a blade of grass severing the world. A line of aura cut across the impact, impossibly fine, splitting around Vail and stretching far into the distance.

“His Majesty?” Vail asked. The crazed anger on her face suddenly petered out, and her eyes sharpened. “You’re looking for someone?”

Sir Dariel appeared behind her, his greatsword slashing down in a heavy arc surrounded by gold.

“Then you’re not as useless,” Vail said.

She turned.

“Leave!” Sir Tavion shouted as his and Sir Dariel’s swords bore down on the woman.

“But—” Leon began.

Dame Iyana caught his arm and pulled.

Leon almost resisted, but then he saw the grim expression on her face.

It was well known that Sir Tavion was like a father to Dame Iyana. Abandoning him and the other Swords was as unthinkable for her as it would be for Leon to abandon his own captain and fellow knights. Yet she showed no hesitation, and it reminded Leon of the truth they all knew.

The imperial family came first.

Leon fell into step behind Dame Iyana and ran.

Step of the First Dawn.

Aura gathered in his legs, and his focus narrowed. The world shook behind them. The sounds of fighting made him want to turn, but he forced himself to keep moving forward. They crested the first rise of broken stone and continued across the uneven ground. When Leon finally risked a glance over his shoulder, he saw the three Royal Guards pressing Vail from different directions, barely managing to suppress her.

Somehow, her movements only seemed to grow faster.

Monster.

Leon looked forward.

“Dame Iyana,” he said. “A second, please.”

Dame Iyana’s heel dragged a line of frost across the stone as she pulled to a stop, turning with her sword raised to cover his back without asking why.

Leon silently admired her ability to read the situation. There was a reason people said she was likely to one day succeed Sir Tavion.

He came to a stop as well, sheathing his sword in a single motion before bringing his hands together in front of his chest and closing his eyes.

The Solar Knights’ aura art had been carved out in the early days of the empire. Its progenitors had been Galrath the Great and Rasiel the Resilient, and it was founded on a principle of offence and defence that imitated the holy light of Ittar. As with most aura arts, it wasn’t suited for much outside of direct combat. Aura was too tied to the flesh and form of the body for the sort of versatility spellcasters boasted.

But the Solar Knights’ order was old. Old enough that at least a few techniques had been successfully developed that did more than simply cut and guard.

Dawn’s Quiet Mantle.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Leon’s aura pooled between his fingers, then opened his eyes as it spread outward in a thin sphere. It didn’t shine like Bulwark of the Egis. Instead, it did the opposite. Its surface pulled light inward, keeping the brilliance of his aura close rather than letting it spill into the dark.

He nodded at Dame Iyana.

Would this hide them from Vail? He couldn’t say for sure. It wouldn’t stop sound, so there was no muffling their steps. But at the very least, it would make them harder to track. Hopefully, that would be enough.

Hopefully, the empire’s Swords could do more than simply buy time.

Dame Iyana nodded in response.

They started moving again, with Dame Iyana taking the lead. Whether she knew where they had to go wasn’t Leon’s main concern. He trusted her senses over his own, as had Sir Tavion.

The dim dusk of this strange place seemed to press closer around them. The flashes of light marking distant battles never fully ceased, but they did seem to grow fewer as time passed. Leon chose not to think too much about what that might imply. His steps carried him over jagged rock and occasional stretches of ground that bore signs of fighting, while his mind remained fixed on Vail.

Her presence meant the Hallowed Cabal was involved. That was logical. Reasonable. They had the motive. They had every reason to strike today. But how had they carried out this attack? If they had a method like this, why wait until now to use it? Why not strike at the palace months ago? Why not remove His Majesty before the barrier ever reached this stage?

And Vail herself...

Why had she been in that state? As if she had been stuck in this place for days or weeks? And why had her behaviour shifted so suddenly at the mention of His Majesty?

It was like she hadn’t even known he was here.

Caught up in his thoughts, Leon almost ran past Dame Iyana when she abruptly halted. His feet found purchase as he stopped, breath coming heavier than he liked while he scanned for danger. There was nothing nearby except the dark expanse and distant lights.

No sign of Vail.

Dame Iyana’s eyes narrowed in one direction. She signalled to Leon with one hand, then started moving again. Leon followed.

It was difficult to tell how much distance they covered. Even harder to say how much distance actually mattered in this place. Neither the ground nor anything else changed much. At least, that was what Leon thought. But then he felt a subtle shift in the air. He couldn’t pinpoint its origin or even say exactly what the sensation was, but slowly, the ground seemed to grow heavier beneath his feet.

Finally, he saw something ahead, and it made him pause for a moment.

It was a great tower of bone, stretching towards that night sky he knew he shouldn’t perceive.

Leon blinked once, and then it was gone.

In its place was a grassy glade.

He stared openly as his mind struggled to make sense of the sight. It didn’t align with anything he had seen here until now, yet there it sat among the darkness as if it belonged perfectly.

A quiet glade surrounded by tranquil trees. A still pond reflecting the light of a calm moon that didn’t exist. And standing at the water’s edge was His Majesty, back turned towards them.

In front of His Majesty stood a woman in a bright white gown. Dark hair fell past her shoulders, almost reaching the ground.

Dame Iyana’s and Leon’s steps slowed as they approached.

“Sir Leon. Dame Iyana.”

The emperor’s calm voice reached them.

“Your Majesty—” Leon started, but froze when he saw the dark-haired woman’s face over the man’s shoulder. He stared at her golden eyes. They were so familiar to those of Her Highness, the First Princess.

She was…

Cold air drifted in beside him. Dame Iyana’s sword was pointed at the woman.

“Your Majesty,” she said. “That is not—”

The emperor raised one hand. “At ease, Dame Iyana.”

The Second Sword fell silent.

“I hope you will forgive me for waiting until there was an audience,” His Majesty continued, speaking to the woman in front of him.

Leon simply kept staring at her.

At Her Majesty.

Empress Rosalind Elsinne Aurel.

She looked past the emperor, studying both Leon and Dame Iyana, before turning back to His Majesty and giving a slow nod.

“Your Majesty,” Leon said carefully. “What is going on?”

“A reckoning, Sir Leon,” the man replied. “Requital.”

“…A reckoning?”

His Majesty extended a hand, brushing it across the empress’s cheek. He pushed a fall of hair behind her ear.

“Our empire has committed many crimes in its time. Far more than you know. Regrettably, I am not a man so great that I seek to answer for them all. If I were, we would not be here today. Yet there is one crime so great that it cannot be ignored. One reckoning I have no choice but to face.”

“What crime is that, Your Majesty?” Leon asked.

His gaze moved briefly to Dame Iyana. She still hadn’t lowered her blade.

A low breath left the emperor as his hand fell back to his side.

“Survival.”

He was silent for a moment.

“Our world is much more than either of you understand. It has endured things beyond the ken of us mere men. Forgotten times that left marks where we could not see. What you see around you comes from what was born of those marks.”

Leon took in the glade once more. He looked at the trees, the grass, and the moon resting within the pond’s reflection. Then he looked at the empress.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand, Your Majesty.”

“I do not expect you to,” the emperor said. Something tired sat beneath his words. “This responsibility is mine alone. Simply know that the Empyreal Barrier was of my design, and the deal struck to bring it into being was made by my will. There are terrible things to come. The empire will survive, even if others do not.”

Leon frowned. There was too much there for him to take in at once. The fact that His Majesty claimed to have designed the Empyreal Barrier was a shock, but what about the rest? What deal had been struck? With what?

“Your Majesty.” Dame Iyana finally spoke. “What is she?”

The emperor turned slightly, glancing back at the knight before facing the empress again.

“She is my wife. My darling. My Rosalind.” His voice dropped. “She was her Memory. But…at the moment, she is also part of, and vessel for, something more.”

“What?”

“Eidolon, the Two-Part God. Eidolon of the Void.”

Eidolon.

Leon had heard that name before, but only in passing. He was somewhat familiar with the Pantheon’s Order and had read some accounts of the Harmonious Ways’ practices, but most gods beyond Ittar were foreign to him. Where was Eidolon worshipped, and what was their domain?

More importantly, was the empress before him supposed to be an avatar of that god? If so, why couldn’t he sense anything divine from her? Even Adtia’s power, opposed as it was to Ittar’s, had still carried the clear weight of divinity when Melody used it. There was none of that in the empress. No presence that belonged to a god, as Leon understood the word.

Something shifted in the woman’s demeanour. Her eyes filled with a vivid tension as they focused on the emperor.

“Yes, I apologise,” His Majesty murmured. “I won’t delay any longer.”

A foreboding premonition overtook Leon.

“Sir Leon. Dame Iyana.” The emperor turned towards them. “I had hoped this moment would not come like this, but I will not be leaving this place. Rest assured, however, that I will safeguard your return—and that of any others brought here—to where you belong.”

The meaning of those words struck Leon.

“We’re not leaving without you, Your Majesty,” Dame Iyana said.

“I am afraid you have little say in that,” the man replied.

Dame Iyana stared at him. Then her gaze moved to the figure of the empress.

Her aura sharpened.

“Dame Iyana,” the emperor warned. “I don’t wish to see you die for nothing. There is still much you can accomplish serving my son. As your liege, this is my last command to you. Lower your weapon.”

Dame Iyana remained still for several seconds. Finally, however, she lowered her sword.

“That goes for you as well, Sir Leon.”

Leon looked down. He hadn’t even noticed raising his sword. After a moment, he let it fall to his side.

“…Your Majesty,” he said. “The attack on the palace. Will that end?”

The emperor considered him, and the lines around the man’s eyes seemed deeper than Leon had ever seen them before. After a moment, he looked back at the empress.

“Can you put a stop to that?” he asked.

Time passed without an answer. The empress neither spoke nor moved.

Finally, a solemn sigh left the emperor.

“Unfortunately, that will have to be left to you and the others, Sir Leon,” he said. “I have faith that our empire’s brightest servants will persevere.”

Leon pressed his lips together.

“Now there is no more time,” His Majesty continued. “Dame Iyana, I have left—”

A crash rang out.

Leon’s gaze snapped to the side just in time to see a section of trees burst apart, trunks splintering and branches flying in all directions.

From the wreckage, Vail appeared.

Leon’s body stiffened, but only for a moment. Then his aura rose along with his sword.

Vail walked past the broken tree line. Her appearance was even wilder than before, but there were still no injuries on her body.

“Nametaker,” the emperor said with slight surprise. “So you had been caught here.”

Vail focused on Leon and Dame Iyana, studying them both with a primal intensity for several seconds before eventually turning to His Majesty. The ferocity faded entirely.

“You’re that emperor?” she asked.

The emperor inclined his head. “I am.”

She looked disappointed.

“You’re weak.”

“I am.”

Her gaze lingered on him.

“Those who came before you were still strong,” she said after a while. “That is enough.”

Her violet eyes almost seemed to glow as the space around her tensed.

“I am Vail Nejothreb Terlizzi Titus Kolzryrreg.”

The emperor regarded her.

“You will not be taking my name,” he replied.

“You don’t get to decide.”

“I do not. But it is not within your power to take my name today.”

Vail’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

Leon braced himself to protect His Majesty, as did Dame Iyana beside him.

Yet Vail didn’t move. Instead, her gaze shifted to the empress, studying her for several long breaths.

Finally, the tension eased.

It didn’t vanish, exactly. Vail remained where she was, and that alone was enough to keep every nerve in Leon on edge. But the immediate threat faded, as if she had reached some conclusion.

She clicked her tongue.

“No point taking a name from something that doesn’t even exist,” she said. “Wrapping itself in memories to pretend. Pathetic.”

Leon didn’t understand what that was supposed to mean.

Vail looked back at the emperor. “I’ll take the name from one of your children instead.”

His Majesty was quiet for a moment before speaking in a low voice. “I hope you won’t.”

Vail turned and walked towards a fallen trunk. She sat down on it, one knee raised and an arm resting loosely across it like she’d abandoned all hostility.

His Majesty continued watching her. “You believe we are your way out, I presume.”

Vail’s head cocked slightly. “You are. You won’t cage your people here.”

Leon looked between her and the emperor.

So she really had been caught here? Did that mean the Hallowed Cabal had no involvement in this at all?

“Your Majesty,” he said quietly, “if she’s been trapped here, we can’t allow her to escape.”

The emperor glanced at him, but the man’s gaze soon returned to the empress. Her eyes had never drifted from him, even with Vail’s appearance.

“Regrettable as it is, Sir Leon,” His Majesty said after a moment, “if you leave, she will as well.”

Vail nodded from where she sat.

Leon noticed the faint strain at the corner of Dame Iyana’s mouth. Frost kept climbing along her blade, falling away in brumes. Her aura began shaping a technique.

“Where are they?”

Vail turned to her with growing interest.

“The knights you fought,” Dame Iyana said. “Where are they?”

“They refused to let me leave,” Vail replied. “No one can stop me. They learned this.”

The grass beneath Dame Iyana frosted over.

Vail studied her, a trace of regret crossing her face. “Their names were uncertain, so I didn’t waste time killing them. Perhaps I should have.”

The tightness at Dame Iyana’s mouth relaxed slightly.

Suddenly, the empress reached out and grabbed the emperor’s arm.

Something unreadable passed over the man’s expression, and after a moment, he turned to Leon and Dame Iyana.

“Would you do me the honour of bearing witness to my last words?”