Chapter 33—Inheritors

Rashawn called, “Hey, sis?”

He was still staring at the Spear of Hell and didn’t feel like he could help it. The way the structure moved was like nothing he ever imagined, its glass going from liquid to gas as if the form was just a suggestion. With clouds patching the breaks he got the sense of a powered-on machine, slowly coming to life after decades without use. The Spear of Hell wasn't just an obelisk, but a living tool returned to the right hands. It felt like it was finally what it was supposed to be, putting something in his chest that might be hope or fear.

“Is something the matter, Rashawn?” Fiona spoke, reminding him he called out to her.

“I was just kinda thinking, what does it mean when you say Peter is a Light Eater?”

Fiona smiled. “Your light can be taken from you. That’s why so many of those empty people run through the city.”

“Yeah, I found that out recently. Cerulean turned some of them back to normal though, right?”

“Right, and you could say they did it through a method called soul writing. They just had to trace over something already inside of the Baleful, but that doesn’t work for all of them, does it?”

“I guess not.” Rashawn shook his head. “I mean, if it did, Cerulean would have had a lot more people, yeah?”

“Yeah. So let me ask you a question. If your soul had to get its hands on a light another way, how would it do that?”

Rashawn cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t really know.”

“That’s fair. How could you after all? The soul isn’t something you can look at in most situations. Even if you can look inwardly, what you’ll likely see is something that looks like white fire. However, that doesn’t mean your soul doesn’t already know. The Baleful show us what people are like without that knowledge. They remain desperate to get their hands on a new light, as if they’ll know how to use it.”

“So does that mean something like, A Baleful Peter would try to eat the light?”

“Yes. Mine, however, would only be able to write it.” An arrow grew from her hand. “My arrows look normal to the average eye, but they’re more like a paragraph folded into a shape.”

“Or a bunch of math that equals an arrow?”

“Yes, that’s a good way to put it too. Pete’s soul eats, my soul writes.” Fiona took a good look at Rashawn. “Yours might be a particularly unique version of this as a Scion. Maybe I could say yours reads, absorbing it like you absorb knowledge from a book.” Making the light something that was not solely his. He shared it with the Scions that came before, using it as his predecessors added.

Rashawn turned back to the Spear of Hell.

“Do you think the darkness could work the same way?”

Fiona followed his eyes. “I don’t know, honestly. The light is something we understand. The darkness is what you have when light isn’t there.” Rashawn wondered about that, and what King said about himself.

Dark Disciples were reborn through the darkness.

He crossed his arms.

“Dang, I still don’t know what any of this means.”

Fiona turned back to him. “Are you trying to figure the darkness out?”

“Maybe. Or maybe what’s in it, y’know?”

Fiona stared at the spear again, then shook her head. “It’d probably be like trying to figure out space itself. If you could see the sky and all the stars in it, you could think about it forever and never know what every star means.”

Darkness is the absence of light… In that case, it wouldn't be about pondering the stars, it'd be about pondering the vastness between them. He frowned a bit as he crossed his arms harder.

“Hey, Fiona.” Peter called out in the meantime. “Does Cerulean know how a soul gets its light?”

“I don’t think they did at first.” She remembered back to their attack on the coast. “But at some point, they found someone who does. Of all the people in Castle Cerulean, that person is probably the most dangerous.”

⁘⁛⁘

As Celine looked upon Fang, she thought about Brigid and her odds. Her sister was in dire state, and the castle could not afford to lose them both. She would have liked to believe in her power alone, but she had to trust in Francis instead.

“How do you plan to accomplish this, Francis?” Celine asked the doctor with arms crossed.

“With respects, my lady, I must ask that you allow me to draw out your soul.”

“I beg your pardon!”

“Wait, you can do that?” Elias raised an eyebrow. “No offense, doctor, but that puts you on a level with mom. I know you’re one of the pillars, but I thought all you had going for you was Illumination.”

“I am no where near as skilled as the queen, my lord, but I will be able to do this much.” Francis bowed to Celine. “If the Princess will allow it.”

“I will have your head if I come to regret this, Francis. I want you to remember that with every breath.”

"I will, my lady." Francis's hand came up, pushing light through Celine's chest. She gasped at the pressure, sharply turning her head at the sudden reaction.

Dutifully, Francis ignored it as he eased her soul out. Threads tied it to her body, as blue light swirled within it. Francis took a closer look and the princess blushed, fighting the feeling of a magnifying glass turned upon her. The doctor turned to Elias next, making him jump as he waved him over.

“This is where you come in, my lord. Take a close look at your sister’s soul, note how the light moves within, and the way the soul follows. It is the natural state of things, but we can make it better.”

“What does that mean?” Celine glared.

“No kind of insult, Lady Celine. It is merely a matter I’ve come upon in my research. We are all meant to follow God’s plan, but sometimes we are blind to the minutia. With the Prince’s help, that minutia shall be within your reach.”

Elias shrugged. “What do you want me to do exactly?”

“I would like you to reshape Lady Celine’s soul. Make it more appropriate for her light.”

“Why should he do this?”

“Because bearing God’s light is the least you can do. You, Princess Celine, can inherit its splendor.”

“How long have you known of this?”

“For sometime. However, I thought it would be best to proceed with caution. I do not find it wise to speak out of turn, and I would never presume to know better than the royal family.”

“And by inherit, what do you mean?” Elias’s eyes lit up.

“Like a crown, my lord. As your father does as Otto Ludvig Klein V. The soul interacts with God’s light in different ways. Before Refraction, there comes Acquisition.”

“Like eating the light, right?”

Celine glared at her brother. Where did he get that idea?

“Yes. Or in this case, something closer to Donning.”

“And what will that mean for me?” The Princess asked.

“By making your soul better capable of donning the light, you’ll be able to do far more with it. Truly, in the absence of your father, you, my lady, will be the perfect substitute for the Priest King…”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Celine pushed this recollection away. She didn’t know if she was told enough, but didn’t have time to consider it...

⁘⁛⁘

Walker rose from Fang’s shadow, charging the princess with her on its back. Celine centered her focus; her rapier driving the Number's blade aside. As the beast sped past her the woman leaped from its back. A heavy swing fell and Celine pulled away, noting how the blade scraped light from her own. Fang followed on quick feet, slashing after the princess, their battle becoming a dance. One missed attack let Celine slip behind her, stabbing for the back of Fang’s neck.

Tendrils whipped up from the ground!

But Celine leaped high, touching down unscathed.

“I see.” She said. This was how the girl got past her sister?

Something like a breath touched the back of her neck, sending her into a spin. Walker’s claws came and she knocked them aside. Now on two feet, it came at her, lashing, gnashing, animal instinct pushing for first blood. Each swing seemed to move it faster, revealing intelligence within the beast. Knocking its claws wide again, Celine spawned another blade and shoved it deep into its chest. She summoned a third and kicked it back, blocking Fang’s surprise attack. With a whim they whirled around her, spinning into a razor wind. A deep gash tore across Walker’s chest but Fang slipped away. The shadow sank back as she stared on, uncertainty blatant in her dark eyes.

“Are you confused, girl?” Celine turned, leveling her blade.

The princess was certain she had to be, facing Brigid was a different situation. Even as the Paladin, she hadn’t stood a chance, while Celine had yet to reveal her purpose. A frown tugged at the corner of her lips and she fought it. This could have been avoided if Francis spoke sooner, but it seemed the doctor preferred his cards face down. No matter, she'd have a discussion with him later. For now, she had to admit that while she was stronger, she was not quite strong enough. The intruder was a problem for the light; one she'd be wise to finish quickly. While Fang stood back, devising a plan, she'd play her hand.

“I haven’t properly introduced myself, have I?” She smiled. “It’s so easy to forget in a moment like this, but I was raised well. I am Princess Celine Octavia Klein.” Her swords broke, their particles stitching into three orbiting stars. “God’s Lapis Justiciar.” They shot into her, making her body shine.

Fang stood helpless as Celine rose with light spilling out of her. It poured across her chest, over her shoulders, and down to her arms, forming a flowing parted cape as pale armor covered her. It swirled around her waist and twirled down her legs, parting her skirt on either side as her legs transformed, dyed dark blue with large jewels on her knee caps. She touched back down and the floor rippled as one of her hands glowed again. Waving it over her eyes, she made a blind mask with another jewel sitting on her forehead. The ripples continued as she took a few steps closer, and Fang broke the trance as tendrils whipped up.

“I suppose your puppy is gone then?” Celine smiled.

Fang sneered back, “I have seen one of you use this trick before. The outcome won’t be different.”

Celine laughed. “Last time someone said that to me they were talking about Christoph. You’ll be disappointed to hear that this will go the same way.” Celine felt the ripples under her feet.

She took the initiative with a fleet-footed charge, dashing with a stabbing blade. Tendrils whipped out, swinging for her body, missing as she disappeared. Rising from a ripple, she savored Fang’s shock, aiming the rapier for her throat. The Number snapped back before the blade bit, and Celine gestured upward, sprouting more from the ground. She noted how they didn’t quite sink in as they tossed the girl up. Drawing them back to her side she sharpened their points, firing again as the tendrils rose to catch them.

“O’ God who waits in the Arbiter’s absence, exact punishment in his great name.” The blades shined and burst, spewing frigid air; splashing frost upon her foe.

She weaved a rapier around the dark vines, bringing it to falling girl’s face. Celine snapped and the blade sparked, blasting her with a mighty bolt. Fang rolled across the floor but rose back to her feet, wiping blood away as if she had only been punched.

“I see.” Celine said, sprouting more blades from the ripples. “That darkness of yours is weakening my attacks. That explains how you managed to get past Brigid.” She snapped again and their hilts began to glow. “I can see why my mother was so afraid. If you ever truly learned to use these powers you could be an actual threat.”

With a heavy and heaving chest, Fang agreed.

But even after battling the other princess and repairing the spear, the Umbra still eluded her. She could feel the breadth of its power against her fingertips, but could not reach out and pull it in. She was not Assassin, who only needed to know he could use it to fight. She was not Celine, who twisted the light into a lie. The rapiers separating them seemed as physical as any other weapon, but through the Umbra Fang could feel their particles tightly packed together. They were following commands, gathering into the shape Celine wanted to see.

Though, maybe she could do that too? Wasn’t it the same as repairing the spear? Fang held her blade out, watching as smoke rose from it. Celine grimaced and she swung, sending a black wave ripping across the room.

Celine flickered to the side but watched the attack fly past. She sneered as the girl came running, realizing her mistake.

Fang watched gears move as she disappeared again. This time the Number stabbed the ground, blocking the ripples; forcing Celine up. Walker rose with her, claws swinging before she got her bearings. A beam lanced from mask, slicing him apart as the princess swung her head. Jumping high to avoid it, Fang tossed another slash. It rolled off ripples in the air as another beam came lancing toward her.

As she moved to block, the beam became the princess. The two of them traded blows in the air, each block shaving blue light away. As a slash tore through Celine’s blade, Fang brought another for her neck. A smile curled across the princess’s face. The blue shavings grew, surrounding them both with a cage of spikes. They left no scars as they passed through the princess, turning Fang into a pin cushion. A thin layer of umbra stopped them from piercing her skin.

Celine sunk back, raising a single hand in prayer.

“O’ God who waits in the Arbiter’s absence, bear down these blades with the weight of her sins.”

Spikes became swords and pushed hard; tendrils sweeping up to stop them. As their tips pulled away, Celine flickered forward and stabbed the floor. The tendrils burned and the Number dropped. Another flash came and Celine was upon her, thin edge trying to break her guard. She matched the speed, standing her ground, and Celine weaved a dagger. Now they danced again—dodge, slash, spin, thrust! Fang forged a dagger of her own, and the air was dyed, flashing blue and black.

Celine bounced back, letting her swords float beside her. “Yes, I can see how this works now.” She said, sweat running around the corner of a smile.

“You can see you have no chance to win?” Fang asked back, circling her foe.

“I’ve already won, girl, I’ve figured you all out. That werewolf from before and those whips both need light to exist. I was feeding God for years, there’s no one who can pull light better than me.”

Was that why the tendrils ignited?

"Your cursed powers may give you a slight advantage, but it doesn't matter how much you pull apart my swords, each drop of light is still under my control." As she said this, blades surrounded Fang.

They stabbed and the Number's arms blurred, whipping a dark curtain around. The blades disappeared and Walker pulled itself free, only to splash against the floor as the light pulled back.

"And no light that belongs to me can ever belong to another." Celine pulled them to her sides, crossing her arms as they circled her. "What hope is there for you? I'm willing to make you a deal though, tell me everything you know about your home and I'll make this death as painless as possible."

So Celine was in the dark like the Priestess Queen. Like Fang, herself. It was strange they could meet at this same place but never as allies. Fang's brow furrowed at the thought. There was determination to fight, despite all the signs saying they shouldn't. If that energy was directed in the right place they could accomplish so much more than this. Cerulean only had to let it happen. But they refused. They rejected a world that wasn’t identical to their plans.

What could she do to change that?

A familiar whisper played in her ears. She still couldn't understand it, but in the spear, it still made a difference. It reminded her of how much the darkness belonged to her, and how little Celine knew what lurked in it. So Fang couldn't take her light to make Walker and Lounger? With the touch of the spear against her fingers, she realized she had another choice.

"I won't be dying." She shook her head. "But even if I were I don't have anything to tell you. The Enclave is a mystery to me too. I wanted Cerulean to help me solve it." But… "But you only want that information for yourself." She smiled, but sorrow filled her eyes. "We are taught to do everything we can to save the survivors we encounter in the city. They talk about not knowing how it happens, but it's important to get them to a place where they can do more than survive. I should be trying my best to bring you back, but all I can see is the ruin that would come with you."

Celine frowned. “How very noble of our enemies to spare our lives. How very convenient that you all don’t know where your survivors come from. How very idiotic that you serve a place you know nothing about.” Fury flared out of her.

“I’ll admit that I am a fool, but I’ll confront that after I’m done here. I’m sorry, Celine Octavia Klein.” Fang pulled, feeling the mechanism of the spear answer her.

“I really must know what they teach you in the Enclave to make you think you can escape death.” The princess pulled a sword to her hands. “But I suppose I’ll get my answers from a different intruder.” She flickered forward and the rest followed in a line.

Fang took hold of what she wanted and met Celine's charge. The rapier seemed more like a conductor's baton, stabbing out but guiding the others to stab around her. She blocked the first slash but the rest flew like stingers, tearing through her darkness, shredding but coming back together. As Celine slashed they spun like saws, ripping more darkness away. Fang laid it like skin over her body and let it become her, springing high and away.

A thrust sent the blades forward like vipers, each one missing just to restart their pursuit. She blocked on the move, dodging into the rapier garden. The waiting blades exploded. Still, she stood, rushing in with frost covering her body. Celine flickered forward, stabbing for her face, and she blocked that and the swords that rained down. From their hilt wires whipped out splitting her umbra skin as she tried to escape them too. One caught her leg, reeling her up as Celine charged. The tip of the sword pushed through the skin but went no further as Walker rose again.

“Haven’t we already seen this trick?” Celine ran her sword through his maul. The beast snickered as she pulled it back, tearing at her chest as her eyes went wide. The claws scarred the armor but she got away, bidding the wires to whip out again.

As she slipped back, Fang slid up behind her, a mighty swing coming for her back. Celine flickered past it, stabbing for the neck only for tendrils to stop her. Her blade fell away, becoming beams that tore the tethers. As her fury turned on Fang, Walker leaped down, claws raking her face. She let out a scream as light poured from her mask.

Teetering back put her in another trap as the tendrils bound her arms at her side.

“How!” She barked.

Fang stepped forward. “You were right, I need light to make my shadows, but that doesn’t mean it has to be yours.” Despite the mask, Fang felt the disbelief in her eyes. “You can’t feel the light that lurks just above.” She pointed up. Celine broke into a laugh.

“You presume to say you can sense a Light that I cannot?” Hysterical tears poured.

“It’s true whether you believe it or not.” Flower rose from Fang’s shadow, taking hold of Celine’s face. The shadow got just close enough to kiss.

“Then tell me,” Celine looked past it, trying to look deep into Fang’s eyes. “If you can feel that light, why can’t you feel the one that’s about to take your life?”

Fang’s brow furrowed, then melted from her face. Her chest was suddenly burning cold, radiating out from a sharp pain. Her eyes fell to the long rapier sticking out the front of her. More grew, punching through her body, the pain so strong it broke her shadows. Freed once again, Celine smiled.

“Didn’t I tell you, no light that belongs to me ever leaves my possession. That cursed power of yours was such the perfect defense that you never once felt what I was doing.” Fang dropped to her knees as Celine pulled the swords back. “Each shallow cut left a little bit behind. Each block that tossed some in the air guided others through your blade. I can control the light so small its invisible to our eyes. I am the one that made sure the Arbiter never ate a poisonous meal. I was always beyond you girl, and now, I’m light years beyond that.”

Fang couldn’t talk; couldn’t convince herself to speak. The wounds weren’t closing, the coldness was in her fingers. Celine’s blade grew thinner as it lifted Fang’s chin.

“I thought you said you won’t be dying?” Her eyes narrowed. “On the bright side, you told me everything you knew. Even if it’s nothing, I can at least keep my word.”

Something shot down her body and through her heart. The life faded from Fang’s eyes as she hit the floor…

[Chapter 33 ends...]