Chapter 13

The Compromise

ARIEI

By the time I return downstairs for the feast everybody has already found their place around the aged circular table. Aaro sits next to Emetia, Bryatt alongside her. Gaevan sits alone, leaving an empty chair between himself and two children. One has to be ten or eleven. She’s scrawny, pale. Her black hair is messy, curls hanging haphazardly. She sees me move over but remains quiet, observing.

The other, contrarily, does not remain silent. He’s a few years younger, wearing a broad smile and a genuine sense of joy. He fidgets idly in his chair, idly trying to make conversation with Gaevan. Gaevan wants nothing to do with it, instead focusing his efforts on rearranging his silverware to the utmost symmetric state. There’s another boy- hazel skin, bright eyes, short dark curly hair- in his early teens. He sees me move over.

“Are you the dead girl?”

I chuckle as I take a seat next to Gaevan.

“I suppose I am.”

The boy smiles slightly.

“We thought you weren’t coming back. We didn’t know until your wounds started healing up.”

I shrug.

“Well, it seems like everything worked out then.”

The boy nods.

“I’m Varia.”

“Ariei.”

Aaro, who’s started scooping the stew into a bowl, turns her head.

“Happy you were able to join us.”

I give her a genuine smile.

“I had somebody to visit.”

Aaro nods. She turns the words over, testing them out, before cutting to the chase.

“Ariei, what happened?”

I keep silent, trying to play dumb.

“You know what I’m talking about. With the arm?”

Shit. This is it. I look to Gaevan, my only confidant, for guidance. He just delivers a wide smile and gives a thumbs up.

Great.

Here I am, sitting amongst a roundtable, all eyes on me. Emetia sits with her arms crossed. The children turn to acknowledge me. Varia, far more interested in this odd occurrence than the other young ones, lends his attention. As Luciaphon slowly descends the stairs everybody turns their attention to him.

This is for both of us to communicate.

“Alright. This is going to sound ridiculous, but you have to believe me.” I pause, eyeing them for any objections. They don’t have any. “When I died- when I was in the midst of dying- I heard a voice. It gave me an offer.”

I nod to Luciaphon. The others don’t seem to understand. He moves slowly towards the table, taking a seat next to me. Nobody speaks- save for Varia.

“...The eidelion spoke to you?”

I nod.

“He spoke to me through my thoughts. He told me- told me of Empaths, humans, just like you and I, who can bond with creatures like them. He’s not an eidelion- he’s something else. A nexumon. When an Empath and a nexumon make a bond, their bodies are restored, and both receive some sort of… gift from the exchange. Not something physical, something invisible. Something powerful.”

Aaro closes her eyes and leans back.

“And you’re telling the truth, Ariei?”

I look at her, surprised.

“What do you mean? Of course I’m telling the truth.”

She nods.

“Okay. I believe you.”

I look to the others. The children are having trouble comprehending. Bryatt has a sly smirk on his face. Emetia looks at Luciaphon with an expression of disdain.

“So you two are buddies now?”

I look at the beast. It bares its fangs. I think it’s trying to grin, but it comes off as unsettling.

“...I suppose..”

She shakes her head.

“I’m not keeping an eidelion near us. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. These things have been killing us- have been our primary obstacle- for as long as Ios stood. My mother was killed in the field. I just can’t.”

I lean forward.

“Emetia, this is not an eidelion. It’s something different. He has a mind, intelligence, morals-”

“IT is a beast. Same as the others.”

“HE can help us. Watch.”

I give him the command.

“See that knocked over chair? I want you to snap through the legs.”

He growls softly in anticipation,

“Gladly.”

As soon as he responds he springs into action, rushing forward. His jaws open- wider than I expected- and, within seconds, the thick legs of the chair have snapped in two, splinters falling to the ground.

“Ariei!”

I turn back to Aaro.

“You’ve made your point.”

I look around the table. Emetia looks uneasy from the display. The younger children seem startled, unsettled from seeing the friendly beast they’ve naively found comfort in being proven dangerous. Gaevan smiles.

Bryatt stands, putting his hands on the table.

“Look, we can talk about all of this after we eat.”

Aaro starts.

“Bryatt-”

“This is a special occasion. Aaro’s friend has returned to us. Let’s celebrate.”

He moves to the pot, finishing what Aaro had started before I moved downstairs. He sets the first bowl next to her, and starts moving around the table in a clockwise motion.

“We have to stick together, you know.”

As he sets the bowl next to Gaevan he immediately starts eating. The wonderful smell hits me. I’m starving. Bryatt continues.

“We’re all that’s left. We have to set everything aside- our differences, our worries, our doubts. We’re a family now, whether we like it or not.”

The bowl is set in front of me last. I pick up the spoon and start. It’s a warm, wonderful stew- vegetables and herbs and flowers coloring the profile as it falls over my tongue. I savor the moment, letting it linger before I return to the situation at hand.

“I’m sorry.”

The words come through easily. Emetia nods.

“I’m sorry, as well.” She lets it linger. “It’s hard. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.”

Gaevan smirks.

“That makes all of us. Fuck it.”

He picks up the bowl, swigging the stew so the broth is taken first. Aaro shoots him a disapproving look. He sets the bowl down.

“I’ve already told Ariei, and I’ll tell you all again. This is a blank slate. We have to believe everything- otherwise we’ll get left in the dust. Before is dead and gone. All we have is now.”

A silence settles over the table.

“What? Too harsh?”

Varia starts.

“Maybe, Gaevan. May-”

“Bah!”

He leans across the table.

“Maybe what? Maybe it was too much? You have to learn, boy. You have to learn to survive now. There’s no more to gain sitting idly in your hovel while the fighting happens topside. We’re gonna have to stop living and start fighting if we want to make it through-”

“Make it through what?”

Aaro, who’s barely touched her stew, cuts through his statement.

“If you’re thinking of leaving, we’re not.”

I sit there, stunned.

“Aaro, we have to. We can’t stay here.”

The children turn to me. The girl speaks first.

“Why not?”

I lock eyes with her. I’m direct.

“Because, the worst thing we can do in this situation is wait to run out of food, to run out of water, to get sick. We need to find other civilization.”

Aaro interrupts.

“To find Cistria.”

I sigh.

“We have to do something, Aaro.”

“Ariei, look me in the eye, right now.”

It shakes me to see Aaro so angry. Her eyes are filled with a level of distrust, with a level of anger, that I’ve seen very few people possess.

“Ariei. Please, be honest with me. Are you doing this for the good of us? For the children? Or is this another one of your missions?”

“Missions?”

“Please.” She takes a gulp of water. “I know you, Ariei. I know you. You keep secrets. You harbor grudges. And then, to fulfill whatever higher duty you force onto yourself, you forget others. You forget who you are.”

“Aaro, how cou-”

“What were you and Sekra really doing?”

It hits me like a blow to the gut.

“What?”

“What were you and Sekra doing on the day the pods fell? Obviously you were going to sneak into the water treatment plant. But why that day of all things? Why so sudden? Why speak in hushed whispers? If the council caught you leaving it would’ve just been a telling off. But no. You made Sekra set rigs around the lights to shut them off. That’s a serious operation.”

I lean back. Out of the corner of my eye I see Emetia’s trust lessen once more with each passing second.

“If we were keeping secrets, then why would we invite you?”

She chuckles.

“You know why. You would’ve left me behind to keep watch, to warn you of danger like you always used to. I wouldn’t have seen anything.”

I study the floor, wracking my brain for a way out.

There is none.

I lean forward.

“When Braham passed, he left a note behind. There were two- one for me, another for Liet.”

She leans back. The table is silent. I continue.

“He said that a disaster would happen within five days. He told me to go to his barracks, to find a case underneath his bed. There were a few strange objects, and the sword I was using that day. He was the one who told me about the escape tunnel. I wasn’t sure who built it- neither did Liet. He told me- he told me that fires will erupt. That we will make his legacy. He told me to tell nobody.”

She shakes her head. The youngest child doesn’t process it. The girl does. Varia looks at me, his eyes widening. Emetia stands.

“We can’t trust her.”

Aaro shakes her head.

“Emetia, please.”

“No.” She points at me. “She KNEW. She knew all of this would happen. She could have stopp-”

“EMETIA.”

Aaro’s voice cracks as she yells. The entire table jumps. She turns to Emetia.

“You heard what she said.” She looks to each and every person gathered there. “And so did all of you. A superior gave her this information in secret, left out details, and told her not to tell anybody. It was the wish of a dying man. Somebody she trusted.” Once again, she locks eyes with me.

“And you, Ariei. I need to know that I can trust you. From now on.”

“Aaro, you know you can-”

“I can’t. I can’t trust that you won’t run off for your own gain.”

“Aaro-”

“You can not abandon me- or Sekra, or any of us- in pursuit of vengeance. Ten minutes ago- when you mentioned advantages in the field. You plan to turn that thing on Cistria. WE CANNOT STOP THEM.”

I can see tears start to form.

“You can’t do that, Ariei. We’ll figure something out. There has to be other people out there, just like us. If not, then we can blend in to Cistrian society. We can steal from them. We can do something- anything. But we cannot live alongside your anger. I saw it after you fought. I saw it in your eyes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“YOU NEARLY CUT ME DOWN. You couldn’t turn it off, Ariei, until I screamed, until I begged. It could have been too late. We’re all angry- of course we fucking are- but you’ve been brought back. You’ve been given a second wind. And you immediately start planning again, start scheming again, you start displaying advantages like we’re playing a game.”

She’s right. I’m dangerous.

I open my mouth to respond, but Aaro cuts me off.

“Live, Ariei. Just live. Be with us- not alone in your own head. For one night.”

She lets the words settle. I take another sip of the stew, try to calm myself, and say the first words that come to my tongue.

“You’re right.”

The table is silent. It takes a few moments before anybody speaks. I turn to the child to my left. She looks me in the eye. I hate for this to be my first introduction.

“What’s your name?”

Her voice is quiet, cautious.

“Wyen.”

I hold out my hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Wyen.”

I look to the other boy.

“And you?”

He turns. Gaevan appears thankful for the attention to be drawn away from him for just a moment.

“I’m Tira!”

He says it so excitedly that it nearly makes me jump. I have no idea how a child can be this enthusiastic amongst such a dire set of circumstances.

“Well, I’m aware you already know, but I’ll make this my official first introduction. My name is Ariei. I was- am- the son of Edom, sister of Elias, daughter of Sarja. I used to be an emberstrand.”

Bryatt interrupts, locking eyes with me.

“Who’s to say you still aren’t?”

CEREN

“The great burden?!”

I spit the words back at him.

“The GREAT BURDEN?!”

I shoot up, knocking the chair aside as if it were paper.

“Fuck your burden. It’s not yours to carry, you elderly fool. It’s for those left behind to mourn.”

My father’s facade cracks. He nearly snarls like an eidelion, before finally calming himself. He moves close to me. I step back. He understands the message, and remains locked in place.

“Please, Ceren. Understand this. Their deaths were swift. All of them are gone now. They do not have to live with-”

“What about the ones that ran?”

He closes his eyes.

“That was their doing. They decided to share the burden.”

“THAT WAS THEIR DOING?”

I pull the knife from its holster and throw it just past his head. It lands directly behind him in the white wall by his bed. He turns to it, before locking eyes with me.

“You’ve been practicing. Good.”

I turn away from him, returning to stare out the window. The hiari are still dueling each other in the air, tossing a piece of torn meat back and forth. One of them lands on the windowsill, its angular head turning as its glowing eyes gaze into me. It moves closer on its four legs, tentatively poking at my sleeve with its curved beak.

“I remember when you wanted a pet Hiari. We tried to convince you that you could not tame an eidelion, but you just wouldn’t listen. You’ve always been that way.”

“Stubborn?”

“Don’t be down on yourself. Dedicated.”

I snicker, spooking the Hiari as I stand up. My father returns to his seat, letting the Mark get back to work on his back, the map of Ios nearly completed.

“So, why did you call for me?”

He winces as the needle drives over sensitive flesh.

“I have done what I must for Cistria. For our One Order. For us. But there will be chaos ahead, my boy. The others- my fellow Archions- not all believe as I do. Not all belive in the Great Burden.”

I refuse to respond. I wait for further explanation.

“I have decided to advance your rank from lieutenant to knight. A knight of my Order.”

I want nothing more than to strangle him where he stands.

“Why?! I’ve told you, and I’ll tell you again. I want nothing to do with your sickness! YOU’VE GONE MAD-”

He’s stood from his chair. He approaches me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

“You will perform miracles, Ceren. I know you will.”

I can’t look away. His expression is the same one he always wears- vulnerable. Despite the fear he can strike into anybody, his eyes are broken. I can’t respond. I can’t think of anything to say- I just want to leave.

So I do.

I turn, shrugging off his hand. I open the door, ask myself if this is what I truly want to do, and go through with it. I step out into the hall.

I feel something whizz past my head, so close it cuts a few hairs.

“You nearly forgot your knife.”

ARIEI

After Bryatt’s remark the table grows silent once more.

“The guild is dead. We have to move on.”

He smirks.

“Nonsense. The house still holds, right?”

He motions to the environment around him.

“You’re just the last one.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just stating-”

I interrupt immediately.

“Are you mocking the death of my family and friends?”

He smirks.

“Of course not. Didn’t I just say that everyone has to stick together here?”

“Then you’d better watch your tongue.”

He raises his hands.

“Fair enough. My apologies. Is it the Returned tattoo that’s making you distrust me?”

I lean back.

“It’s the fact that I met you thirty minutes ago and you’re already trying to break apart my ideology.”

“If your ideology is so important to you then maybe we can flip it back around.”

“On whom?”

“On them.”

Emetia turns to look nervously at him.

“What do you mean?”

He smirks, running his fork around the bowl to gather anything left.

“If we’re leaving this place, then why don’t we let it be the surviving emberstrand of Ios who do it? It'll make us stronger, won't it? We can do the whole ceremony and everything.”

Aaro shakes her head.

“No, we don’t have the ti-”

Bryatt stands, planting his feet on the table. As he does so the table creaks softly. He reaches his hand towards me.

“Come on, emberstrand. Let’s induct the fine warriors here.”

I smirk, then laugh, genuinely laugh for the first time in a while. I take his hand, springing off of my chair and onto the table. He looks at me.

“All right, how does this work?”

I start the speech.

“Tonight, we are all here to brave the shadows of this world, to carve ourselves a new home, to face the unspeakable terrors that hunt us during our eternal night. My soul is a spark, my blade is a fire, and we will further create the embers that will illuminate this world alongside us. I am of you, you are of I, and, together, we are emberstrand. Aaro, Bryatt, Emetia, Gaevan, Sekra, Varia, Wyen, Tira. Welcome- to our new order.”

I bow.

Unexpectedly, everyone starts clapping. I see smiles, laughter. Aaro’s joy momentarily replaces her stressed, sad expression. Bryatt claps me on the back, far harsher than expected.

It is the first time in a very long while that I feel as though I have a family.