Chapter 3 - Overture III

The knock sounded on his door a few hours before midnight. At night, the Elysium sky deepened into a rich navy blue that glowed a brilliant violet where the eternal light of the Light’s throne hit it. Those who lived in higher islands often used curtains of thick material to block out the lingering light, but it wasn’t necessary in the lower parts of the plane.

The Andire manor was situated on an island floating around medium elevation, and Julius usually preferred to keep his curtains open to stare out into the jewel-toned sky. That night, however, he drew them, ready to retire early when he heard a knocking on his room door. He didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“Come in.”

The doors swung open, pushed by a gentle wind spell, and Lazar appeared at the entrance. In his arms he balanced various plates of food that he set down on the table. Not a single drop of liquid spilled out. Julius frowned down at the array of food.

“I’ve already eaten.”

Lazar just smiled. “You never eat in the hall when the lord and lady are present.”

The seraph pulled out a smaller plate that was noticeably more plain and worn than the gleaming silverware holding the dinner. With an equally unadorned fork, he carefully gathered a small bite of each dish and set it in the bowl, measuring the sections so thoroughly that the bowl wasn’t even an eighth of the way full once he was done.

Julius watched as he sat down and began to methodically taste the bits of food. He frowned, muscles tensing. No matter how many times Lazar did this, he could never fully relax during the process. In the past, Lazar would test the food before bringing it, but after he’d nearly collapsed when one of the dishes was poisoned, Julius had insisted he do it in front of him. That way, if something happened again, at least there would be someone around to act immediately.

In contrast to his own churning gut, Lazar looked completely calm as he checked each dish for poison. One would think that he’d be more concerned after already being poisoned once, but it didn’t seem to faze him at all. Finally, once the last morsel had been swallowed, Julius exhaled. His shoulders slumped back down, and he sat down at the table himself.

The dishes, he realized, were his favorites. Lazar had probably requested that the chef make them.

“Thank you,” he murmured. He picked up the fork and transferred a small amount of each dish to his plate. He didn’t feel particularly hungry—even the sight of the chef’s specialty dessert did nothing for his appetite—but he didn’t want Lazar’s efforts to go to waste.

“You look tired,” Lazar observed. There was a clear question in his words, but he didn’t voice it. Julius took a moment to respond, swallowing his food first.

“The induction ceremony was moved to tomorrow.”

Lazar’s eyes widened, and he leaned forward excitedly. “That means you’ll be a guardian tomorrow!”

Julius’s lips curled up. “Yes, that’s what the ceremony is for.”

The other seraph laughed. “You know what I mean. You’ll meet the Light, too. I’ve always wondered what she was like,” he said absently. “I heard she used to be a guardian herself before she was chosen to inherit the Cycle’s power. Maybe—” He cut himself off, leaning back again with a sheepish chuckle. “Ah, apologies. I seem to have gotten carried away.”

“It’s fine.” Julius’s eyes traced the gilded edges of his plate, where a golden vine pattern decorated the porcelain. “I’m glad you’re excited about it,” he said sincerely. It helped calm his nerves somewhat.

Lazar frowned, and his eyes darted between Julius’s largely untouched plate and his face.

“Are you okay?”

Normally the question would bother Julius. If he displayed enough visible weakness for someone to ask about it, then he’d already failed. With Lazar, however, he found he didn’t mind quite as much. The two had grown up together, and it was pointless to hide things from him.

“I suppose I’m a bit uneasy about the ceremony,” Julius admitted. He cleared his throat. “Guardianhood is a rather… heavy mantle.” Especially now, if what Angus had said about the Oblivion growing stronger was true.

For a moment he considered telling Lazar about it, but Sir Angus’s voice echoed in his head. Please keep this a secret for now, the guardian had said. We don’t want to cause mass panic.

Lazar’s grey eyes studied him closely, and Julius shoved down his rising guilt at keeping things from his friend. This was for the better, he told himself. The two of them were of different stations, after all, and that divide would only become all the more apparent after the ceremony was complete.

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Lazar opened his mouth to respond, but he stopped. His eyes flashed.

It happened in a split second.

One moment Lazar was seated in front of him, the next he stood across the room, muscles tensed, halberd raised and tip resting at the throat of the figure who had just stepped through the doorway.

Julius jumped to his feet. His chair clattered as it hit the ground behind him.

One hand still on the doorknob, Sir Angus stared down at the gleaming blade held a hair’s breadth from his throat. Despite his position, his muscles remained relaxed even as he stared down at Lazar with a considering look, something unreadable flashing across his dark brown eyes.

Julius hurried forward, but still Lazar didn’t move a muscle. The seraph stood perfectly still, his grey eyes sharp as he met the guardian’s gaze.

“Sir Angus,” he said, voice cool and unreadable. “What brings you here at this hour?”

Neither one moved.

“I wanted to give Julius a gift before his induction tomorrow.” The man’s voice was calm and even. “I apologize for forgetting to knock.”

Julius grabbed Lazar’s shoulder, and slowly, the tension bled away from his frame. Lazar lowered the weapon, and the sudden iciness in his eyes vanished as he took a step back and bowed.

“I see. Apologies for the misunderstanding.”

He straightened, and Julius noted that his grip around the halberd remained firm. “Next time, please knock, Sir Angus,” he said, a bit of that sharpness returning. He nodded at Julius. “I’ll wait outside. Please call me if you need anything.”

Without another word, he turned and strode out the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Julius exhaled, his own shoulders deflating. He rubbed at his forehead partially to settle his lingering nerves.

“Please accept my sincerest apologies, Sir Angus. He doesn’t mean any harm or disrespect.”

Angus’s eyes, however, were fixed on the door, staring in the direction that Lazar had disappeared to.

“That was Lazar, wasn’t it?” he commented half to himself. “I don’t think I’ve seen him since you were children.”

Sir Angus would occasionally visit the manor, mostly to speak with Julius’s parents, but he always made it a point to stop and chat with him for a few minutes. Lazar, however, usually wasn’t present for those conversations, Julius realized.

“He means well,” Julius found himself saying. “He’s usually not like that.”

Ever since they were young, Lazar had held an almost uncanny degree of discipline and determination that could manifest in an unusual coldness when he was especially focused on a duty. It used to unnerve Julius, how quickly Lazar’s eyes could become piercing and detached, but he liked to think he’d grown used to it over the years.

“You’re still friends?” Angus sounded genuinely curious, and Julius nodded.

“I see. I know it can be difficult, when different stations are involved.” The guardian’s eyes shifted left, as though following the seraph through the door. For a second Julius thought he was going to say something else, but in the end the man simply shook his head.

Angus held up a small square box that he’d been holding in his other hand. Its surface was perfectly smooth, without a single scratch or engraving, and the edges were so sharp that they looked like they could cut someone if they weren’t careful. The other seraph handed it to him, and Julius lifted up the lid. Inside, nestled atop a soft silk cushion, was a circular pendant.

On one side, a clear gem rested in its center, its surface smooth and cool to the touch. It looked like glass, but Julius knew it couldn’t be. He turned the pendant over, and on the other side, a familiar symbol was engraved into the silver metal. His eyes widened.

“Your guardian seal,” Angus said. The corners of his eyes crinkled. “I meant to give it to you earlier.”

Julius fingered the gem reverently as Angus continued.

“It’s an ordinary stone right now. It won’t have any power until after the ceremony tomorrow, but it’s customary to wear it to sleep the night before. It helps the gem grow accustomed to your soul’s essence.”

“Thank you,” Julius breathed. He gestured at the plates of food laid out on the table behind him. “Would you like to eat something?”

The guardian shook his head. “I have some other business to attend to, I’m afraid. It was good to speak to you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He reached a hand out, and Julius stood a little straighter. They shook hands, and he recognized the meaning behind the action. Tomorrow, they would be equals.

The thought was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.

—

Lazar quietly stepped back into the room, and Julius almost didn’t notice him at first. His attention was focused on the guardian seal as he held it up to his window and observed the way the distant light hit its surface. He felt Lazar’s curious gaze linger on the pendant, but he didn’t ask about it.

Julius heard clinking porcelain, and he looked over to see Lazar pushing the mostly untouched plates aside, eyeing their full contents with a frown. The seraph muttered a chant under his breath that Julius recognized as one that servants often used to keep food warm.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely. He rose, slipping the pendant around his neck. The metal felt cool against his skin. He paused.

“Lazar, about earlier.”

The other seraph looked up, listening attentively, and Julius felt his words die in his throat. After a moment of silence, he shook his head.

“Nevermind. I think I’ll retire early for the night.”

Something flashed in Lazar’s eyes, grey churning, but in the end he simply nodded and turned towards the doorway.

“May the Light bless your dreams,” Lazar said.

He was gone before Julius had the chance to return the sentiment. He wouldn’t see him again until after the ceremony.