Despite Mare’s warning, I did try to break into her core room but whether or not I could dismantle her core ended up being a moot point. I could not even make it into the room. Whenever I tried, the hallway came alive. The walls closed in on me and I was once again grabbed by the putty-like substance. Mare’s mocking voice taunted me the entire time.
Not even Donte could enter the room. In fact, he had even less command over the Preateritum building than before. Mare was in complete control now. It worried me and I would have left the haunted remnant behind if it was not the only advantage we held against Berith’s foresight. For now though, I could only hope Mare would not do something insane. It felt like a blade hanging over my head that could fall at any time but until the Demons were defeated, I had little choice.
I was still coming to terms with the repercussions of Mare’s most recent experiment. Physically I still looked the same but something had changed at the very core of my being. The feeling that I had become fire given flesh would not leave my mind. Mom and Donte both felt similar. The only difference was that they identified with the element of their innate talent instead of fire.
Dad and Charly, however, were different. Mare explained that since they did not have an innate talent, they were not true Adepts. Their process was left incomplete, but they did gain some advantages from the experience. They explained it as understanding their place in the universe and how they could interact with it. I did not completely understand their new outlook but I was very jealous of the effect it gave them.
Dad and Charly could now feel the chaotic energy around them and manipulate it with greater detail than most people with an innate talent. Because of this, they no longer needed special ink or paper to create many simple glyphs. Much as I had combined two flames in the air to create glyphs, Dad and Charly could now manipulate raw chaotic energy into whatever shape they wished. They could effectively create simple glyphs with a thought. More complicated glyphs would likely still need to be drawn but the versatility the two displayed as they showed off what they could do left me a little envious.
That said, it was not as if I had not gained any advantages from the process as well. I had a newfound control over my innate talents beyond anything I had ever experienced. If I wished, I could bath an entire field in flames but only burn a single blade of grass of my choosing. I could even thread a needle using fire without burning the thread. My ability to create glyphs had skyrocketed. What was once a taxing process that required constant concentration was now as easy as breathing.
My main interest, however, was still the golden flame. Thanks to this new connection to fire, I had actually gained some modicum of control. Once the golden flame was formed, I could nudge it in the direction I wanted it to go. It was still just as explosive as ever but at least now I would not accidentally blow myself up in the process. I was ecstatic over this progress, though, I could not shake the feeling that I was missing some vital piece to truly make the flame my own. Trying to control the golden fire was like when I controlled Cyra’s flame. It was disconnected, not something that truly belonged to me. No matter how much I tried, that feeling never diminished.
I practiced with the three flames and experimented with my new control while sitting on the edge of the floating island. From here I could see the entire city of Kala and more importantly, the army Svend had gathered. Despite our clash with the Demons, the army did not delay in its departure. Not quite straight columns of soldiers were beginning their march south. For most, this would be their first experience with war and for many, it would be deadly.
Svend had done well, though. He gave the soldiers an inspiring speech that left all the men and women that heard it full of patriotic energy. My body double had even made an appearance. She played her part extremely well. By the end of her performance, many soldiers declared their undying loyalty with unmatched vigor. I only hoped that high morale would last after their first clash with the enemy.
I was broken out of my reverie when the sound of footsteps crunched behind me. With a big grin on his face, my dad sat down next to me on the edge of the island. Our feet hung over the edge, dangling over the vast distance to the ground below. I leaned my head against his shoulder as we watched the marching troops.
“Seeing them march off like this reminds me of when I was young,” Dad said with a small chuckle, “My very first campaign was against the Kala, you know. Ragnar the Conqueror was before my time but the lands he captured were still vehemently held by his followers. Taking them back was not a bloodless affair. It feels so strange, helping the enemy I once hated.”
“Do you regret it?” I asked softly, “You could have stayed alongside General Arthur. I am sure he has already mounted a counter offense against the Demons.”
Dad put his hand on my head and tousled my hair into a nest of knots that made me scowl. “Never. Even if drag me into the jaws of the Demons themselves, I will never regret trying to help my daughter.”
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I could not help blushing as I smiled and leaned closer. “I love you, Dad. No matter what the future might hold for all of us, that will never change.”
“I know, sweetheart. I love you too.” Dad replied heartily. The two of us sat together, watching the sunrise as the army steadily marched south. The two of us enjoyed the peace of the moment for several minutes before my dad spoke again.
“What do you plan to do now? You are not the type to sit here patiently while others fight.”
“You are right. There are still two weeks until the summit with the other nations. While we have the time, there is one place I need to go. Old allies I can call on in times of need… If Sebastion did not cull them.”
“King Sebastion…” Dad said with a soft sigh, “I always looked up to the man. He was a hero to those of us in the army. Even if he did not excel in politics, I always believed he put the people’s best interests first.”
“Do you want to talk to him? I have had limited success getting through his stubborn hide. Maybe one of his own will be able to reach him in a way I cannot.”
Dad hesitated for a second and looked like he was about to refuse but after some internal debate I could not understand, he nodded. “Let’s go. I want to see him for myself as well.”
The two of us left the floating island together and walked the path to the underground prison. Dad seemed nervous the entire walk.
“Relax, Dad. You look like Mom just electrocuted you.”
Dad rubbed his head and gave me a nervous grin. “I can’t help it. He may have become our enemy but he was my king. I made an oath to serve him for as long as I am able. I am not really sure how to face him now.”
“He is just a brat who got handed a crown. Sebastion is not that special. If it helps, I can tell you a story about the time he got bit by a snake right on his…”
As I spoke, Dad and I had entered the underground prison and the long corridor leading to Sebastion. My voice must have carried further than I thought because before I could finish the sentence, a shout roared from the far end of the prison.
“Say another word and I swear I will skin you alive, Aurielle!”
“You get queasy skinning a rabbit! I have a pair of ruined boots to prove it!” I shouted back down the long corridor before turning back to Dad, “You see, little Sebastion went to take a leak behind a tree and…”
“Aurielle!” Sebastion shouted again, sending echoes through the prison.
“I’m not talking to you right now, Sebastion!”
Dad looked embarrassed as Sebastion and I shouted back and forth across the prison without any concern for who might hear. We had drawn the attention of all the other prisoners but I did not care.
“Are all of your conversations like this?” Dad asked.
“No, normally he gives me the silent treatment… Like a toddler!” I shouted the last words to make sure Sebastion could hear me. I did not get a reply this time. Dad just shook his head and decided not to comment on our behavior.
Before long, the two of us were standing in front of Sebastion’s cell. The former king still looked more like a beggar than royalty as nobody had done anything about his tattered clothes. Some stubble had started growing on the burned half of his head, though somehow, that just made the lopsided haircut more ridiculous. Despite this, the man sat perfectly straight, without any signs of embarrassment.
“Who is this then? Did you bring an interrogator for today’s little session?” Sebastion asked as he eyed my dad skeptically.
“Huh? Why would I need to do that? I ruled this realm for four hundred years. Do you really think you know anything I can’t figure out on my own?” I asked in reply, “No, this is my dad. He wanted to meet you.”
“Dad?” Sebastion repeated slowly. He looked at me as if looking for the punchline to a joke he did not understand.
My dad cleared his through as he took a step closer to the cell. “My name is Renald Ventus. I am… I was a knight under General Arthur.”
“Yes, I have heard of you. One of the general’s silver blades, right?” Sebastion asked. His attention was now fully focused on Dad. The weight of his gaze forced him to unconsciously take a step back from the cell. “What do you want?”
Dad squared his shoulders and met Sebastion’s gaze directly. There seemed to be a fire in his eyes as he looked down at his former king. “You are the king of Novus, a hero to people all across this land. How can you abandon them at their most dire hour? Do you know how much those people that look up to you are suffering right now?”
“I can guess,” Sebastion replied flatly to Dad’s accusations, “I overheard from the guards that Ater-Albus fell during my scuffle with Aurielle’s allies. I thought it was a trick at first but it appears to be legitimate.”
“If you know, then how can you sit there calmly while your country is overrun by Demons? You have not even made the barest minimum effort as king. Everyone looked up to you, a man once heralded as a savior. Is a grudge from half a century ago really worth the lives of millions?”
Sebastion’s eyes narrowed as he glared at my dad. “It appears you have a lot to say about me but if you want me to answer one of your questions, first you must answer one of mine. Do you really believe that child standing next to you is your daughter?”
“I do,” Dad replied firmly and without hesitation. “And if you had half a brain, you would see it too. Now, answer my question. Why have you not tried to, at the very minimum, strike a deal to put aside your grudge until after the Demon threat has passed?”
Sebastion chuckled. “Do you know how Aurielle earned her title, the Immortal Calamity? It is not just something people call her, you know. Back before people knew her name, Aurielle was tasked with taking down an empire that sided with the Demons. It was an empire far greater than my little Novus Kingdom. To complete this task, Aurielle created hundreds of undead that all pretended to be her. Each had an army of undead that laid waste to whatever stood in their way. Whenever one ‘Aurielle’ was killed, another would appear to take its place. Meanwhile, the real Aurielle acted as a soldier in the empire. With every fake she killed, she rose in rank until she gained the trust of the emperor himself. Soon after, the emperor died with a blade in his back. That is the kind of person Aurielle is. She will lie, deceive, and mislead you straight into an early grave, all with a smile on her face. That is who your daughter has become.”