Chapter 13
The Broadcast
“Greetings, citizens.” The voice, ominous in its reverberation, cloaked with mystery, bounced off the buildings in the Metropolis. Many had stopped to watch, seeing the Reaper’s masked face on every single screen of the vaunted city. Eddie ran behind Tempest Squad and Brynn, their group racing for the Communications Tower. It wasn’t easy, the sea of people providing resistance while they were riveted to what was on the screen. “I am the Reaper of the World Restoration Order.”
“What is this? What’s going on here?”
“How did they even manage to get airtime? Aren’t they criminals?!”
Similar sentiments were repeated amidst the video played on the screen. Eddie, being as unversed as possible in the ways of technology, wasn’t sure if it was some sort of sent-in video, or if, like Rico before them, the Reaper had hacked into the system. All he knew was that the one in charge of the Order had much to say, and just the same as Rico, they had an audience. The world was paying more than enough attention.
“Though many of you are aware of our activities, our message has not been known. Taken by those such as the Renegades, and the Corps, the world is teeming with error and misjudgment,” the Reaper said. Even without the being’s presence, Eddie didn’t want to listen. He just wanted to cover his ears as he ran, remembering that sickening feeling in Lacardia. That was impossible to avoid, though, the leader of the Order breaking through any barrier of sound. “It is causing our world to curdle and shrink in upon itself. A poison. An anathema to our very existence!
“I am sure many of you are confused. Which is the right path? What is the right way? Who are we to believe in? Who are we to follow? The Corps? The Renegades? Perhaps us, the Order? You are all sheep, lost and confused, led astray from your pasture. With naught to believe in, where then can you turn?”
The red building in the center of Communique Plaza was visible now, their group sucking in breaths the closer they got. So, too, did the Reaper’s voice emanate all the more. As in the other parts of the city, people were standing around, staring at the screens in rapt fascination. It was a little creepy, Eddie felt. Like all of them had become nothing but soulless dolls, hanging on the words of an individual that held them by a string. Jay slowed when they entered the plaza, too, and would have continued staring, had Emily not pushed him.
“What is there to believe in? The Corps couldn’t even protect us last month…” a man spoke to his wife. That same evaluation of the message rose, and with its swell, the Reaper raised their fist, and their words rose with it.
“There is, however, nothing to fear!” they said. Every breath was a hiss, one that did not debate with the members of Tempest Squad banging the doors of the Tower open. The message continued to play across screens there while they ran for the nearby elevator. “We are the World Restoration Order. Our aim is not to destroy wantonly, but to rebuild from the ashes. To break things down. To build them up! We will excise the poison of this world and fix what has gone so wrong, by revealing the very truth and the core of our existence! That which is destroying us!”
“Shut this down!” Emily yelled before they were on the elevator. No one listened, transfixed as they were, and Emily offered a “tch” before the doors closed, beginning to bring them up a level. The message played through the loudspeakers even there.
“Already we have begun, and plan to remove the venomous Guardian Corps. There is nothing that can stop this.” Eddie resisted the urge to huddle down, but a reassuring smile from Brynn helped him to resist that untimely temptation. “You all saw this a month ago, how worthless they are to protect you. How they panic when their own precious world is upset. The Renegades made their message loud and clear, and they were right: the Corps is dead! And we’ll prove it by destroying it from the inside!”
“Not if I have anything to say about it,” Emily seethed. The elevator dinged, depositing them on the floor where Bruce and Trent were ready to greet them. “Turn this off.”
“We can’t. Upper management decision,” a technician spoke. He did shrink in when he heard Emily growl, but he didn’t relent. She looked ready to punch his lights out, but needn’t have bothered, for the foreboding message finished before she could, one last remark.
“You see, they run scared because of a murder in their ranks. One perpetrated by an agent serving our great and bountiful goddess. Do take credit for your deeds…” With enthusiasm, the Reaper leaned forward, and the grin was evident through the mask. “…Brother Jarvis.”
“What?!” Jay yelled, and Bruce and Trent were alongside him. Brynn was less forgiving. While Emily turned in shock to her companion, the Home Guard leader unsheathed a knife and held it to the man’s throat. “I have no idea what they’re talking about, I swear.”
“We will lead the world to new prosperity, as it should be. We will restore it…and our world will know true, unified peace.” The message blanked into white haze, and the room was left in stunned silence. The cameras resumed a shot of Freddy Chapman, the commentator for the Alliance Games, sitting alone in his chair.
“Um…well…I’m…I’m not sure what to make of that message. Maybe we should cut to commercial break?” he asked, grabbing a pitcher of water from the table and nearly spilling it over himself. The technicians managed to do just that, cutting to an innocuous advertisement. It didn’t lessen the tension any.
“That thing…they mentioned your name, why?” Brynn demanded. She was just as fierce as when she’d confronted Rico during the Games, and Eddie stepped up behind her to offer support. Emil was with him, his tour clearly canceled.
“I have no idea. Can you remove that thing from my throat?”
“Jay…” Emily whispered. Eddie and the others looked to their acting-captain, the woman’s knuckles red and ready to punch something. “Answer her question.”
“I would if I could, Em! I don’t know-oof!” Emily had socked him in the gut, causing the man to gag. “Cut it out, crazy woman! It’s just a bunch of mind games!”
“Is it?” Emil said. Jay was betrayed, the expression worn all over his face when he saw Emil and Eddie looking back at him with borderline scorn. Emily hauled her compatriot up, and while the knife was gone from his neck, Brynn was still on the prowl to attack. “You were there that night. The night Gaius was killed.”
“I was on duty! Why the hell else do you think I was there?!” Jay screamed. Emily threatened to punch him again, but Bruce and Trent stepped in to intervene.
“It’s true. We were with him at all times. He wouldn’t have murdered that guy.”
“And is this really the place to put him on trial?”
“I want to trust him,” Emily clarified, her every syllable measured as she watched Jay. He coughed a little bit, and Eddie shuffled around, wanting to get a better look into his eyes. What he saw there made him doubt himself. Jay was genuinely fearful…but not because he thought he was caught. “So, I will give you one chance to explain why the Reaper said you carried out a deed for the Order.”
“How many times do I have to say it, Em? I. Don’t. Know. All I know are my own actions that night,” Jay said. He was pleading, his eyes welling. “I left on a bathroom break. Informed the commanders about Gaius’s request, and then came back after twenty minutes to work out the rest of my shift. That’s it! I swear!”
“Bro, you were gone for maybe ten minutes!”
“And it’s a lie!” Emil argued back. Jay tossed him a look of incredulous exasperation, as if he couldn’t believe Emil, of all people, was calling him a liar. In the background, shrill ringing could be heard, the sound of many phone lines lighting up, but the Guardians there were exclusively focused on Jarvis and their interrogation of him. “I was cleaning the hall. You left and then came back.”
“But I didn’t!” Jay stressed. He now made sure to stare at Emily directly, putting all the sincerity in his words, making Eddie’s heart sink. “I only left that once and…and Bruce…I never saw you.”
“Say what now?”
“But…” Eddie began to say. Voices joined the ringing, answering the callers. Prompts on the computer screens scattered around stirred up conversation, and Chapman was talking with a producer, the commercials about to end. Eddie made sure he and Jay were paying attention to each other before he continued. “If you’re innocent, why were you requesting leave?”
“What? Were you following me? I wanted leave to visit my girlfriend and get away from the oppressive feeling of the Corps…and because I wanted to confirm something in an investigation of my own.” Jay sighed, and Emily’s hold on him loosened. “I promise all of you, I didn’t lay a hand on Gaius. I don’t know what the Reaper is playing at, but I had no hand in this. It’s just a frame-up.”
It was difficult for any one of them to counter that. Brynn was the first, chuckling under her breath, the sounds of bitterness coming through. “I get it…Captain Swanson, ask Jarvis here a question. Something only he would know the answer to.”
Emily wore a look of bewilderment at the request, but didn’t fight Brynn on it. “Jay, our captain and I once sparred, and I decided to see how well wounds healed upon hitting. What was it you called me?”
“I…” Jay breathed, steadying himself, and his eyes grew steely. “I called you a menace.” Emily hit him with little remorse. “I’m not lying…you didn’t need to hit me…”
“I know you’re not lying. I hit you because it’s a boorish thing to say,” Emily confirmed, letting go of her subordinate at long last. He coughed, clutching to his stomach as he recovered. “And you, why did you have me ask him that?”
“Because Maria uses Mimic Magic. I’ve seen it firsthand, the way she transformed into me,” Brynn stressed. “Your boy here is telling the truth. Whatever this case is, I’m not fully aware, but Jarvis is telling you all the truth: he wasn’t involved in this murder. Someone else is. Someone who looks just like Jarvis.”
“Maria…” Emil said, grinding his teeth while he said it. His shame was palpable, and his guilt made him back away. “I’m sorry for suspecting you…I should have known.”
“How could you have?” Jay voiced. He was straightened, but his voice still made the occasional wheeze. “That was the Order’s plan. They wanted to frame me, but I would have no idea why. I figured something was off when Bruce mentioned he’d seen me. I knew then that there was a game being played, so I wanted to get out of the castle and see whether whoever did the deed took advantage of it.”
“We have a bigger problem than Jay getting framed,” Emily announced. Eddie continued to watch Jay, and like Emil, he felt that same sense of shame, bowing low to express his apology. The lieutenant didn’t see it, staring to his friend as Emily made plain what she meant. “This proves one thing, one we know the Reaper isn’t lying about: the Corps has been infiltrated by the Order. Gaius’s death was just the start, and it means they have some plan from within.”
“Sounds dicey,” Brynn said, finally stowing her knife away. “What can the Home Guard do to help right now?”
Emily had some ideas, or it seemed she did. She didn’t have the time to suggest any if she did, leaving Brynn hanging when the woman’s tablet shrilly joined the rest of the telephone lines. It didn’t help that Chapman was starting to speak, back on air. With so many noises, Eddie stepped away with Emil, towards a spot where they could hear everything with better clarity.
“We’re back and taking your calls about this newest morsel of news,” the announcer said. He was trying hard to keep his genial veneer, but Eddie could see the cracks. The unexpected nature and force of that message was leaving them all reeling. He took the first call as Tempest Squad pulled back, leaving Brynn to join them.
“Yeah, what was that all about? How come the Corps hasn’t stopped these Order bozos yet?!” The angry request unsettled those in the room. Eddie didn’t need to be Meredith to tell which way they were sliding, an even split between dismissing it as balderdash or nodding along with the Order’s manifesto.
“Well, I can’t speak for the Corps, though perhaps I could have some guest stars on the show.”
“It’s just worrisome. You guys are giving them airtime!”
“Erm, yes, well…”
“Sir, we understand, but there’s not much we can do short of destroying the Tower!” Emily was shouting as Chapman attempted to recover the situation of a disgruntled and frightened populace.
“I’m not asking for that, captain.” That was most assuredly Marcus’s voice, and Eddie knew it was pertinent to listen for any scrap of information to determine what was happening. “I’m asking for the Order to be dealt with. I sent you to the Metropolis to gather that information. Have you done so?”
“We have a speculated confirmation of a place where the Order may be gathered, but this video aired before we had any remote chance of confirming it,” the lieutenant said. She looked overwhelmed, her red hair matching the flush of stress dotting her cheeks. “There’s no guarantee, though, but sir…Jarvis…he had nothing to do with the murder of Gaius.”
“I’m tabling that for now, Captain Swanson,” Marcus told her. From Eddie’s far angle, he could see that the chief commander wasn’t alone, convening with his commanders and a few others in the background. “I trust you to deal with your own squad, though it’s disconcerting if there’s a murderer amidst you.”
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“That’s the thing, sir. There’s a mole inside the Corps!”
It felt like Emily was screaming to get her point across, the voices of her and those calling in to complain locked in a nasty war that wouldn’t give up until all sides were tired out. That’s their intention…
“But why…?” Eddie voiced to the two with him. They understood the question without Eddie’s elaboration. “What does planting one mole inside the Corps do? What would killing Gaius do? Especially now. Tempest Squad is known as the most offensive unit in the Corps, so if the Corps was infiltrated, they would have to know what’s coming. Why make this message?”
“Even if Maria got on the inside somehow, she can’t control every angle,” Emil said. He was tapping his foot and twitching. No eyes were on him, but it didn’t stop the worrisome movement. “I know from experience. She can mimic people and their magic, but only if she’s as strong as them. Someone like Marcus or the commanders would be out of the question. She couldn’t command Tempest Squad to ship out…”
“But she could leave the breadcrumbs,” Brynn concluded. Emily and Jay were still talking with Marcus, and Eddie heard the chief commander demand they find where the video signal was found. The technicians there were less than helpful. “Perhaps…the information was a little obvious. It didn’t take much reconnaissance.”
“Wait, that’s…” Emil looked suitably disturbed before he cleared up exactly what Brynn was implying with her words. “That would mean the Order intentionally pulled Tempest Squad away, but for what?”
“I’m not privy to what the Corps does,” the pink-haired girl said with a shrug. “Other than that murder, has there been any other change to the Corps?”
“Not really, unless you count us serving as interns or a commander returning,” Eddie shared. A different thought came to mind immediately after, and taking root, his eyes expanded with the thought of it. “Ray was removed from Tempest Squad as captain.”
“No way! You’re saying Mera’s brother is the target?” Emil protested. He was shaking his head so much, Eddie was surprised his scarf hadn’t come unfurled. “That makes no sense. What kind of target does he make against a commander?”
“It’s a theory at best, and nothing confirmable, but there’s no way the Order could control that. It still begs a lot of questions.” Brynn leaned in, her pursed lips presenting the weakest smile to the two boys, and Eddie in particular.
“It’s a start. Right now, that’s all that’s needed.” Eddie supposed so, but he wasn’t about to say otherwise. He wasn’t nearly as confident as he’d like in his suppositions, and was loathe to make the mistake of assuming anything. Brynn, of course, was just as headstrong as his best friend, and had no such compunctions about possibly shooting in the wrong direction. “Mera’s at the Corps’ base, right? Do you think there’s a way you could get her to contact me?”
“Not sure…” Eddie said, his timid voice lost amongst all the others that were yelling. Emil smacked his lips a couple times, his own brain working to discern their course of action. When neither could come up with any answer, the dirty-blond slowly moved his way to where Tempest Squad was talking with the techs, Eddie with him. The tablet was just sitting there, waiting for the confirmation of their discovery.
The commanders, all four, were lined on the screen, appearing so small, though their presence was larger than life. They seemed to be on the move, but behind them were three familiar faces in the form of Raymond, Vivian and Meredith. Eddie swallowed, his words stuck in his throat. What was he supposed to say? Was he supposed to blurt out what he thought the Order’s intentions were? Could he even address the commanders when they were in the middle of something so busy? Whatever the case was there, he lingered long enough for Marcus to take notice of him, the chief commander eyeing him for his intentions. The tablet screen stopped shaking when he did, indicating a cease in movement. Meredith and the others almost bumped into him, and she caught sight of him.
“It would seem your apology tour is interrupted, Mr. Baroné,” the chief commander said. His voice was measured enough that it was impossible to tell how he felt about the growing situation. Emil nodded. “Well, I think serving Tempest Squad’s newest mission will be apology enough. How about you, Amelia?”
“I suppose…” she said in turn. Her eyes were elsewhere, distracted by the developments and her fellow commanders. The news of infiltration made her unsettled, Eddie could tell. Suspicions had ratcheted, and tensions were now running high, but Commander Chavez was still able to note Eddie there. “Anything you want to say, Montgomery?”
“No, sir, nothing,” he said, looking at her. She was skeptical on that front, searching his face for an expression, her eyes screaming that he had to be very careful with his words. It communicated one thing expressly: there was no guarantee on who they could trust. No one except Meredith. “Just a suspicion Brynn had. Something about the Renegade Maria being the reason the Order made its call.”
“That witch, is it?” Amelia said. She was relieved, acting like all the tension had just melted away with the confirmation of who had made their way inside. Her eyes told a different story: sharp and receptive. “Well, at least now we can have an idea of who the enemy is.”
“If we can find her,” Cynthia said.
“Were you unaware of her possible role in the Order?” Masters questioned, his facial hair bristling with the thought of it. “You’ve been undercover for years; surely you discovered that.”
“The priests only occasionally met. I couldn’t speak to their full extent, but this feels like a power play on their part.”
“We got it!” Jay announced. Eddie and Emil knew their own conversation and insight into the commanders’ discussion was over, forcing them to step back for the members of Tempest Squad to resume their positions in front of the tablet. “It took some time, but the origin of the video is obvious.”
“It was routed through Guardian Tower again, shortly after we arrived, but the true origin was the very point of the sea we traced it to,” Emily confirmed. “Whatever is there, it might be the biggest Order base we’ve never seen. They’ve certainly gone to great lengths to hide it.”
“Then the course is clear.” Marcus’s voice, in all its authority, garnered attention. Chapman and the rest of the studio within the tower became silent, all sounds fading while he announced their intentions to the world. “Captain Swanson, locate that signal’s source. Gather what information you can, and if it does happen to be a base of the Order’s…take it.”
“SIR!” the four members of Tempest Squad yelled, snapping to a salute. Eddie almost did so himself, but the connection was terminated, the screen blipping out before he did. The hum of sound inside the studio returned, not in the least with Chapman, leaning towards the camera excitedly.
“As you’ve no doubt just heard, despite today’s disturbing message, the Corps is springing into action! We’ll keep you up on all of the news coverage as this story develops!” the announcer said. The phone lines were ready to explode at the mere mention of that.
“Yes, well, let’s get moving before there are any more developments,” Emily commanded of her team. They nodded with agreement, the infamous duo preceding Jay towards the elevator. Emil shrugged and made to follow, but Eddie remained with Emily while she addressed the pink-haired woman that had helped them. “Miss Taylor, I know this is much to ask, but could you call Quake Squad here. I’d like a Guardian on staff in case any more messages come through.”
“Of course. The Home Guard and Corps aren’t enemies. We share the same goal,” Brynn assured the woman, clasping her hand in respect. Brynn nodded at Eddie, as well, giving him the assurance that she would deliver the message as intended. “Good luck.”
Eddie wished that luck was all they needed, but he was grateful for the sentiments either way, and he ran after Emily to depart down the tower’s elevator. They were on the precipice of an important battle, left to the greatest squad that the Corps could offer outside of the commanders themselves. There was no end to the nervousness that Eddie was feeling inside. Even knowing that Meredith and Vivian would be supporting them from inside the Corps didn’t help abate that overwhelming feeling. Emil was the same, wrapping his scarf ever tighter, as though it protected him from what they were throwing themselves into. Conversely, the members of Tempest Squad wore nothing but looks of determination to see this through.
Those same looks were on Sal and Kenny’s faces when the Defender picked them up in Communique Plaza.
“We have the coordinates, captain, and we’re ready for takeoff. You sure about this?” Sal asked, showing the map where the coordinates they had traced were located. It very much was the middle of the ocean.
“We won’t know until we get there,” Emily said. She was breathing heavily, steadying herself, and Eddie found solace. They weren’t alone in how they felt towards this mission. The gravity of it was overwhelming for each of them. In the corner, Jay had managed to dig into a closet, pulling out familiar black cloaks. “If it turns out to be nothing, it’s just nothing…but if it is something…”
“Mm,” Kenny grunted, grasping at the notion of his captain. “We’ll cloak the Defender to be safe.”
Eddie was sure he had, but he didn’t see the results of it as the ship lifted off the ground, turning south. Passing in that direction, Eddie had to wonder if they’d pass over Lumarina. The thought of it made him remember home, wondering how his parents were doing, and how the diner was surviving in their admittedly capable hands. Closing his eyes, he could just imagine it, all the Guardians coming in for their daily meals, Captain Clive making the place as busy as ever. He hoped the townspeople weren’t giving them a hard time with all that was going on with the Corps.
All that thinking brought him to the Childs’ garage, where skyships were worked on and cared for. As always, it recalled his best friend, and he resisted the urge to snort when he thought about how if she was on this mission, she’d be close to puking her guts out. He wanted to see home again.
“Hey, take this.” Jay’s quiet tones were almost inaudible, but the fabric he foisted into Eddie’s hands was evident enough. The boy wasn’t sure what to make of it. Not at first. “If we are dropping below to investigate, you’re best blending in.”
“We’re going down with you?” Emil asked. Despite his question, he wasted no time in slipping the black robe over himself. “And where did you get these?”
“Previous mission,” was the only answer Jay provided. He left his captain to pick up the slack.
“We’ll need a small team. It’s a maxim that Captain Raymond has acted on before,” Emily informed them. Eddie took a moment to glance out through the window, noting that they were already flying over the sea. The whine of the engine, ever more damaged than before, was a sign to the stress it was enduring. “A small team allows for less suspicious investigation. You two may not be used to stealth missions, but I think the fact that both of you don’t quite carry that Corps air would be a boon for us.”
“Oh, thanks. Nice to know we’re just being used for deception.”
“If it’s to uncover a greater deception, suck it up, Baroné,” Jay snapped. His patience had been tested. Eddie couldn’t blame him. Being framed for a crime that one didn’t commit, and having your closest comrades almost turn against you could not have been a pleasant experience. The Order was most definitely on the top of Jay’s current hitlist.
“Coming up on the signal soon,” Sal announced, fiddling with some controls on the dashboard. “You want us on standby?”
“Yes. Bruce, Trent, make sure the Defender is kept safe. We don’t want a situation like Lacardia.” Emily was trembling, though her voice didn’t warble at all. She was taking command, but there was too much riding on this mission for her to relax. Eddie knew how that felt, and he lost himself to his thoughts, until the force of deceleration jerked his body. They were nearly at the point.
“Holy. Crap…” Kenny gasped, any attempt at eloquence gone. His exclamation brought the rest of them to the window as a beeping indicated that they had arrived at their destination.
Holy crap was right.
The scanner continued to show they were in the middle of the ocean. They were most definitely anything but. Below them, sitting in the middle of a clash of titanic waves, was an island. More than an island, it was a giant island-spanning set of ruins. Eddie couldn’t have known what was once there, but he could imagine a once giant castle and a sprawling town, now reduced to a sea of black and orange. Tents were placed all about, protected from the roaring waves by a stone wall that looked weathered by history, or perhaps the slow decline of the world. It was a horribly majestic sight that drew Eddie’s eyes, leaving him transfixed.
“Cut the engine,” Emily whispered, like she thought anyone below could even hear them speak. Sal did as commanded, the sound becoming a low hum that was drowned by the tempestuous sea. “We need to drop fast.”
“I can handle it. Though I can’t promise being perfect,” Emil offered. He looked eager to help, as if he needed to. “Just need a trajectory for where to land.”
“It’ll have to be somewhere secluded,” Jay said. He, too, kept his voice to a whisper, and with an absence of most sounds, Eddie could hear the tides crashing upon the island. Just watching, he was filled with a sadness of what had happened to turn what looked like a once great empire into this. “If we land in the middle of a crowd, that’ll be the end.”
Deliberations were already beginning on where to land, while Eddie found himself closer to the window, staring down to the castle below. The more he scanned, the more he could make out distinct shapes. The tents, combined with the orange of fire that flickered back and forth in wind, were all concentrated away from the ruined castle. Very few black shapes approached that once great bastion, as though it was a spot of great worship for them and their Order. There was something else, too, shining from within.
“The castle,” Eddie said, daring to raise his voice enough so they’d stop discussion. Emily heard first and mimicked his actions in peering below. “There’s not as high a concentration there.”
“He’s right,” the captain said. She tapped a hand on the console. “Prepare for descent. You four, mind the ship. I’ll send up a flare if we need assistance.”
“Understood, captain.” Emily and Sal clapped each other on the shoulder and then split, the acting captain leading the way to the edge of the ramp that opened. In the silence, the sound of it doing so was screeching for Eddie’s ears, but was soon lost in the gales and breaking shore. He steadied himself, the black cloak he hastily fitted on himself withering in the wind. Emily reassured him and Emil both with hands of comfort on their back. Jay didn’t emulate her, his eyes of snarling disdain locked on the ruins below, which looked like a writhing snake the closer Eddie looked.
“Get us to the ground as fast as you can, Baroné. Then steady us out.”
“Right. Just…uh…that kind of precision needs concentration,” Emil said, laughing to cover his nerves. Eddie elbowed him, offering what encouragement he could.
“You can do it. You’re the son of two prominent ministers of Lacardia, and one of its finest students. If anyone can handle such precise magical usage, it’s you,” he told his friend. Emil was taken aback, but accepted the compliment, family ties and all, with a graceful grin.
“Yeah. Take my hand, guys. It’s easier that way, I promise.” He held both out, and Emily took one side while Eddie took the other. Jay joined his hand with Eddie, nodding to the boy as he tried to replace his scowl with the usual cocky grin. “Here goes!”
Emil took a step forward, his foot clanging on the metal of the ramp, and with a bit of pressure behind it, he jumped. Eddie’s body became lighter, like air, to the point that he felt he was floating as a wisp on the wind, away from their skyship. They fluttered, little more than gnats in the sky above the ruins, until they were centered over the castle. Emil squeezed his hand, sending a message they were about to drop. He passed the message along.
Nary a second passed and Eddie felt his body become like lead. They fell.
The sensation was overwhelming, and Eddie resisted the urge to vomit inside his mouth, trying all too hard not to scream. The others looked no better with the speed they were falling at. It was as if their very bodies were about to be torn apart, sliding past the walls, and into the crumbling, ruined structure of the castle. The ground fast approached, and Eddie squeezed back on Emil’s hand. He had gotten the message long before then, their bodies lightening back to a feather now that they were out of sight before Eddie could feel the normal exertion of gravity when they touched the ground.
“Oh, that was a trip…” Jay gasped out, his face green with sickness. Emil didn’t look much better, collapsing to his knees from exhaustion. Eddie barely held on, himself, stumbling into one of the walls. He was grateful it didn’t crumble at his touch, and he felt better when Emily came by with a healing pick-me-up.
“Save your energy, Baroné. You’ll need it for the trip up. Montgomery, you and Jay take point. Your offensive magic will be a first line of defense.”
“Sure,” Eddie breathed, but that same breath got stuck. He had turned around in the small, open room upon which they had landed, and found a hallway stretching behind them, glowing from within. On autopilot, he approached it, realizing he was in just one of many corridors that snaked upwards to the larger room he was approaching. Emily called for him, but he was too captivated by the altar he saw.
When he stopped, staring at what was inside the room, being bowed at by some cultists in heavy meditation, Eddie felt a different emotion overcome him: dread. For what they bowed to was a large blade, one that, like Vivian’s bow, seemed able to transform. It was one he had never seen before, but one he could identify by feel alone at this point. Worse yet, it confirmed a truth far deadlier than any Eddie could imagine: the Order was already in possession of a second Weapon.