The Red Glaive

“When the Beast slew the Light Bringer, he ripped him in three. Two of those pieces grew a conscious and became lesser gods, one male the other female. One of them created all the night devils while the other retreated from the world.”

“Let me guess,” Aeria said. “The female created the night devils.”

“How’d you know.”

“Just a guess.”

They were in the library again. Niko didn’t wake until very late in the afternoon after the draught, so Aeria knew she could use it again. Niko had insisted they return to the library as soon as he woke up claiming that since had awoken so late he wouldn’t get through the books he had selected for the day.

“The last piece of the Light Bringer was bestowed by the gods upon the First King to keep it from corruption and to be passed down to his descendants. It gives the males of the royal family their own unique magic capable of - ”

“Niko focus!” Aeria interrupted when her friend started to go off on another tangent. “How is this supposed to be helping us understand why the Beast came to Caius?”

“That’s the thing. Other than minor appearances, like the specific mention of the Beast shredding the Light Bringer in this volume, there is no mention of the Beast. This volume of the cosmogony focuses on the things born of the Light Bringer’s death.” Niko said dropping the book onto the table. The number 23 was embossed into the spine. “This is the complete cosmogony but there’s nothing in depth that speaks of the Beast. There’s a whole volume on the creation of the Scar, another on the life the Colossus brought form his land, even one that details the lives of the first royal family but anything on the Beast is just lacking.”

Aeria sighed. It was beyond them.

That weekend Aeria managed to convince Niko to let her go visit her sister alone. Before she left to the shrine, however, she told Niko not to anywhere where there weren’t other adepts around and to not leave their room except to eat and use the restroom. Niko urged her not to worry, but Aeria still left with a heavy heart. She’d have to talk to Elyon about maybe cutting the weekend a little short.

Arriving at the shrine on Fable’s back, the first thing Elyon did was heal her wounds. “I healed the bones but the muscles were still torn.” Elyon said when she laid her down for the healing. “What has been bothering you the most?”

“This one.” Aeria said pointing at her side.

“Your rib was broke the skin here.” Elyon said as she put her hands over the spot. “I fixed the bone and sealed the superficial wound but the muscle underneath is still torn” said as her hands began to glow. “Muscle is one of the hardest to heal for me, so I save it for last.” she added sheepishly. “I really shouldn’t.”

A surge of warmth spread through Aeria’s body like an the warmth of the sun on a warm afternoon. It soothed her aches and relaxed her to the brink of sleep. It took Elyon close about thirty minutes before she moved on. Aeria had never been healed before, but it was the calmest experience Aeria had ever had. The closest sensation Aeria could compare it to was that of a mother swaddling her baby. All told, Elyon about an hour and a half before she was all healed up.

“Now get changed, I still want an eques flask before you get started in the infirmary.” Elyon said before dashing out of the room. Elyon didn’t question Aeria and carried on as if she knew nothing, it was for them both.

Flasks were easy for her now. Aeria could build one in a few minutes, but made three just for good measure, each one more spherical than the last. She put them in the trunk before leaving to find Elyon.

Elyon put her to work in the infirmary that weekend and Aeria noticed a difference in her healings. She could heal a lot faster than when she started, and when a small child came in with a fractured finger Aeria was able to heal the small bone. Aeria told Elyon about at the end of the night and Elyon excitedly exclaimed that Aeria could now help out with more difficult patients.

Aeria’s healings again took a long time as Elyon sent more broken bones to her. It was only small bones, like fingers or noses but Aeria could heal them with a little extra time. By the end of that day, Aeria began to feel a little worn. Elyon sent her back after that day.

When Niko saw that the bruises were now gone he was disappointed that she had gone to the Sanitarium without him. He asked her to accompany him to the library regardless.

On their to the library, they ran into someone who was speaking angrily to Glaive Lector Tarda. Glaive Overseer Rector stood by the pair.

“Reimar?” Aeria said, his voice was very distinct.

“Of course I blame you for this, you let those bloody sages take him away!” he shouted at Tarda. The old glaive just stood there taking in Reimar’s rage. “They won’t even let me speak to him out of some ancient paranoia while my kid rots in a cell like some bastard thief.”

“He’s only been there ten days.” Rector said which earned him a savage glare from Reimar. Rector raised his palms as if to brace himself from the stare.

“They’re just worried you might coach the boy on what to say.” Glaive Tarda said.

“Coach him on what?! He’s my son and there’s nothing else to it!” Reimar shouted a rage in his voice that Aeria never even thought possible of him. He had been a prick to her but had never shown her anger. Seeing it now was strangely unnerving.

“And his mother?” Rector said and Reimar was immediately silenced with murder in his eyes.

“Tell me when you need me.” Reimar said lowly and walked away silently seething inside.

Aeria greeted Reimar with a smile, but he walked right by them both his mind elsewhere.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Glaive Rector said acknowledging Niko and Aeria “You can see your friend.”

They followed him into the dungeon where they were to wait for the jailer to take them to see Caius. The stone Aeria had found lay somewhere beneath the bench again and out of sight. She could feel it there though.

“Niko?” Aeria called. There was worry in his expressive brown eyes. “Don’t tell Caius what happened with me and, well, you know. . .”

“That cowardly ambush?” Niko said. “Caius would want to know.”

“This is my battle. . .” Aeria said though she couldn’t remember the majority of it. Bit and pieces came back to her before vanishing again. If Caius knew, he'd try to avenge her or do something equally violent in retaliation. “I don’t want Caius fighting it for me. Promise me.” She said. Punishment was coming and she and she alone wanted to be the one to put them in their place. It didn’t matter to her how long it took.

“But if-“

“Promise me Niko.” Aeria said firmly. Niko looked down.

“Alright.” he said finally. “But we’re here together. Me, you, and Caius.” Niko said. “You don’t have to go at it alo-“

The door to the prison had opened and the mean faced jailer had emerged the depths of the dungeons. “Don’t waste my time.” he said. Aeria and Niko glanced at each other before following the jailer. It was that look Niko had given her that gave her the assurance that he would keep his word.

They followed him though the filthy cells to where they had imprisoned Caius. “You’ve got ten minutes.” the jailer said before vanishing.

Caius sat on his bed staring scornfully at the small pulse of fire that emanated from his palm. The fire danced in his eyes. “Caius?” Aeria called, and he looked up, the fire in his palm died, but the fiery fury in his eyes did not. It left Aeria unsettled. He was Reimar’s son after all.

“Ariel?” his voice was horse and deep bags were under his emerald eyes which calmed after acknowledging his friend.

“Are you alright?” Aeria asked.

“Some idiot they brought in screams all through the night. I haven’t slept in days.” Caius said. “What’s happened?”

Niko got oddly silent. For a second Aeria believed she would tell him. “Reimar’s here.” Niko said. “I think the sages want to talk to him.”

“Why hasn’t he come to see me?”

“He’s not allowed to speak to you.” Aeria said quickly.

“We weren’t managed to figure out much, but the sages seem more interested on finding out more about your mother from Reimar.” Niko said. “Seems the other glaives are quite curious too.”

“My mother?” Caius said with a yawn. “I never knew my mother. Reimar never spoke of her, he would get angry when I would ask as a child. I learned not to ask.”

“You never knew your mother. . .” Aeria said sadly. Her memories of her own mother were faded, but those few she did remember she treasured. She couldn’t imagine what it was like to not have even that.

“Do you think your mother was from Aestus?” Niko said. “It could explain why the Beast came to you.” Caius and Aeria stared blankly at Niko. “I mean you never really had a home like me or Ariel, and no god to call your patron god. Maybe the Beast appeared because of your mother’s connection to Aestus.”

“Reimar served during the 19th Aestus Rebellion.” Caius said. “He was in Aestus for a couple years defending the main camp from night devils. So. . .I guess it’s possible.”

“But wouldn’t that mean he’d also have a connection to the Leviathan through Reimar?” Aeria said. “The Leviathan outright rejected Caius when he entreated her.”

“Is Reimar really attached to Flumina or the Leviathan though? Seems to me he never really had a place to call home with all the traveling he does. He doesn’t seem very devout either. In Glacies, my parents worship the Goddess and I was raised to do so too. Now the Goddess stands by me.” Niko said watching the back of his hand as if he could see the her sigil there.

“But the Colossus came to me, and my family has never been very devout.” Aeria said. Her father rejected most magics. Her mother, she remembered vaguely, would make totems out of clay though Aeria had forgotten their purpose.

“It doesn’t change the fact that you grew up in Durus, lived there your whole life, and that when you think of home that’s what you think of.” Niko said. The grey bark of the trees of her father’s grove flashed in her mind and she could almost feel the mud which she loved to smush between her toes as a child even now. “Caius and Reimar don’t really have that link. It’s possible that Reimar entreated the Leviathan and succeeded.”

“But if Reimar entreated the Leviathan, that would mean he rejected another god’s power.” Aeria said.

“Not if he didn’t worship any to begin with.” Niko said. “Putting it simply, if Reimar had to entreat it would be because he couldn't get a god to appear. It would mean that there was no godly connections coming from Reimar. If they came from anyone, it’d have to be from your mother Caius. . .Caius?”

Caius’ head was back, his eyes shut and he slowly shifted sideways. “Caius!” Aeria shouted.

Caius jumped. “Sorry what? I was falling asleep.”

“Falling? You fell asleep!” Aeria said disbelievingly.

“Why do I even bother.” Niko said sheepishly.

“He sleeps during the day.” Caius said groggily, his friends stared at him. “The new inmate he- never mind, just give me the short version.”

Niko sighed. “The Beast might’ve appeared to you because of your mother.”

“Why my mother?”

“Really? I just said why I believed that.” Niko said with a heavy sigh.

“Come on Ariel, you tell me.” Caius said.

“You’re just going to fall asleep again.” Aeria said but Caius’ gaze had shifted over their heads. Aeria turned to face the jailer who had approached so silently she didn’t even hear the jangle of his keys.

“Time’s up.” he said.

“Ten minutes haven’t passed.” Niko replied quickly.

“They haven’t, but he’s going to trial now.” he answered.

“Trial!?” Aeria exclaimed.

“It’s the only way for this to be settled today.” The jailer said dismissively before opening the door to Caius’ cell. Caius stared at the opened door suspiciously. “Come on kid I don’t have all day.”