Bacorium Legacy (66 page)

Luca let the insults against his brother pass, as well. The value of a person's life could not be judged so easily, but he understood what Tranom was trying to say. As the new leader of the temple, he was frustrated that a good student had died while a poor one had lived. He needed good students if he wanted to restore the temple, and he had so few left.

There was something else Luca remembered - something he chose not to bring up. When he had mentioned the accident during his first meeting with Ash, it had resulted in his brother growing angry and claiming that Allma had orchestrated it in order to turn the temple against him. Again, he had wrote it off as paranoia at the time. But now that he knew the truth of what Allma had planned, and he knew the nature of the accident itself, he saw the plausibility of it. It would not have been too difficult for Allma to have brought down a wall at the right moment.

The man had plots everywhere.

“What's done is done,” Brand said. Looking up, his eyes were full of regret that his words denied. “Let's not linger on the past. If we do, it will eventually come to destroy us.”

“The future is in Zinoro's destruction,” said Tranom. “We will march with the Torachians and the Saeticians - and the Sonoians, if they have honour. Allma will be remembered. We will not forget.”

“It is a virtue to forgive,” Brand said. “A life spent in hatred is an empty life. The cycle of vengeance has to stop somewhere.”

“Perhaps,” Tranom said. “But it will not end with us.”

With that, the conversation was over. Tranom stared at the fire, as did his new students - seeing within the flames visions of their revenge. Brand looked away from them, looking disappointed in his former master.

<> <> <>

Night fell. They were given a place to stay among the Allmans, which they graciously accepted. After setting up their tents, Luca went and lay down on his bed roll, waiting for the hour to come.

A messenger had come to the Allman camp earlier, informing Luca that his presence would be needed at the meeting of the three kings.

He knew why. Because Zaow needed him. Zaow needed him, because he was Lodin's son and Zinoro would hold off his attack if he was given to him. And Luca understood that Zaow was a coward who would do anything he could to prevent the war. Zaow would propose this idea to the other two kings, and they would consider it.

Edmund would not take his side, because the man cared nothing for him. Edmund wanted the war to happen because the Acarians had attacked Allma Temple, a part of his kingdom. And Marcus would not take his side, because Luca was partially responsible for the death of his son. The son who had betrayed him, which was the very reason he had changed his mind on the matter to begin with.

Whether they would agree with Zaow's plan or not, Luca knew he would have no friends among them. Therefore, he was ready to have to fight. If need be, he would leave. He would run away and go south, where the Alliance had no control. He would not let them use him as some bargaining chip in their war.

If it came to that.

Emila was beside him in the tent, unpacking things from her bags. Luca turned his head to look at her, knowing that it might be the last night he saw her. She was beautiful.

The last thing she took out was a bundle wrapped in crumpled paper. Realising he was watching, she looked over at him, alternating her gaze between him and the bundle.

“Is that...?”

She nodded. “Yes. I - I've kept it all this time, but I haven't used it. Not once since they died.”

“Why?”

“I'm not sure.” She frowned, running her hand slowly over the paper. “I try not to think about these kinds of things. There's so many things I try not to think about. Like - my village, Harold and Marie, and my time at the inn - and my family...”

Her lip trembled. “It hurts when I think about those things and I - I just don't like feeling that way... It's...”

She broke down in sobs then. Luca moved to her side and held her, letting her cry into his shoulder.

“What's wrong with me?” she asked him.

He didn't say anything. He didn't know the answer, but he couldn't say that. The truth was that he didn't know enough about the things that caused her pain, but getting her to tell him those things was the source of it.

“I... I'm so afraid. We're so close to him - and I don't want him to take you away from me. You're the only thing that's brought me any happiness since - since he killed my family - and I don't want him to take you, too.”

He frowned. She all but took the words from his own mouth.

“That day when he brought his men and - it was horrible - everyone was screaming - and my mother - my sister and father - they all... I couldn't believe that someone I - that
anyone
- could be so monstrous...”
 

He pulled her close and kissed her brow. It was the only comfort he could give her. His own mind was troubled, and he did not trust his words.

“Luca?”

It wasn't Emila who spoke. A man's voice, coming from outside the tent.

“What is it?”

“Your presence is called for at the gathering.”

It wasn't a request. They were all but ordering him to go. Despite that, he was tempted to tell the man to go screw himself. Why should he leave this girl who needed him to go dance for the whims of three kings who cared nothing for him?

Emila wiped her tears and gave him a shaky smile. “Go on. I'll be waiting for when you go back.”

He was unconvinced, but he knew he had no choice but to go. Squeezing Emila's hand once again, he rose and stepped outside the tent. Waiting for him was a Sonoian soldier carrying a torch.

“Are you ready, sir?”

“It matters little. We mustn't keep the kings waiting, right?”

The soldier stared at him for a moment, as though he had something else to say, then he turned around and started off. “If you'll follow me.”

Luca did so, and the torch-carrying soldier led him from the Allman camp, through the Torachian camp, and then through the Sonoian camp, before they reached the massive stairs at the foot of the mountain. The stairs were wide enough for a hundred men to walk abreast, and they spiralled up the cliffs, leading their way to the entrance of the Elder Hall.

“Don't worry,” said the soldier, noticing his worried expression. “It's not as far as it looks.”

They started up the stairs. Luca thought as he went about the possibility of having to fight his way out. It was unlikely, he figured. Marcus and Edmund would probably want their war tomorrow if they could have it. So what could they need him for at the meeting?

“Can't imagine how things are going in there,” the soldier said as they marched up the stairs. “What I wouldn't give to be on the other side of those doors. This is a historic thing, you know. Tonight's meeting will decide the fate of Acaria.”

“You think the Acarians have no chance against three armies?” Luca asked him.

“I know that there's a lot of people down there in those camps,” the soldier said. “People with families. It doesn't matter which side wins - people will die either way. Widows will be made. War always leaves scars. Zaow has seen war already - he knows this. That's why he's not so eager to rush into it, even if he does think he can win.”

Luca considered that. People certainly would die, even if the Alliance did win. But people had died already. The people of Allma. The villagers of Reven. Emila's family. Arlea. Lodin.

“Zinoro must pay for what he's done,” Luca said. “So many people have already died. More will die if nothing is done. Zaow would have everyone wait, while Zinoro's power grows with each life he takes. The longer we wait, the worse it will get.”

The soldier glanced back at him for a moment. “They say Zinoro is invincible. They say he's immortal, and he has a Rixeor Fragment. How could we fight someone like that?”

“Anyone can die,” Luca said.

Except for himself, he silently added.

At last, they reached the large double doors. The soldier went over to a large brass ring at the side, and with it, knocked three times. The sound resonated through the stone. A moment later, the doors slowly opened to the sound of gears turning.

“Good luck in there,” the soldier said. “I'll be waiting for you when it's over.”

He nodded, and stepped inside. The air inside the cavern was cooler than the air outside, and the dark interior was lit by dozens of torches lining the walls. Within the chamber that Luca found himself, several guards were waiting. As soon as he'd stepped inside, one of the guards started turning a large wheel, and the massive doors behind him slowly swung shut again. The moonlight from outside was cut off, and Luca was left alone with no one but a few faceless guards.

He knew that if they intended to attack and capture him, this would be the moment that it happened.

He took a deep breath, and his hand drifted, concealed within his cloak, down to the hilt of his sword. He looked at the guards, counting them. There were only three, including the one operating the wheel that opened the door. But it was dark, and the torches did not illuminate everything. There could be more hidden in the shadows.

“Sir,” said one of the guards. “The kings are waiting.”

“Right,” he said.

He passed the guards. They did nothing but watch him go. The room funnelled into a narrow corridor, and Luca made his way down, his footsteps echoing far too loudly. He felt vulnerable in the narrow space. The guards he passed could easily follow him, while others could come at him from farther down, attacking him from both sides. He would be unable to defend himself well enough in that situation.

But no other guards came. At the end of the long hallway, he found another set of double doors, these small enough for him to open himself. Would there be guards waiting to attack him when he opened these?

No. No, there wouldn't be. If they were intending to capture him and deliver him to Zinoro, there were a hundred other, better ways they could have gone about it.

Whatever they wanted him for, that wasn't it. He would just have to keep going along with things until they finally made a move.

He took another deep breath and pushed open the doors.

Light flooded out, temporarily blinding him. He stepped in, his eyes adjusting. He found himself in a circular room. It was divided into three sections. Upon a dais in the centre stood the three kings - Zaow, Marcus, and Edmund. There was also someone standing with each king. Selphie stood beside Zaow. Marcus' son Halt was with his father. And with Edmund was the red-haired woman Luca had passed earlier. They were gathered around a large stone table. Surrounding the dais were groups of nobles, generals, and other people of importance.

A moment after he'd stepped inside, he heard the sound of footsteps. Selphie ran down to him.

“Luca,” she said, greeting him with an excited smile. “Things are going well. We told them the things you learnt from Gordon - about Zinoro's powers, and the revenants. Nobody knows about Gordon himself, not even my father. Still, they don't believe us. Since it was you who told us all this, they want to hear it from you.”

Luca stared at her for a moment. “That's why you summoned me here?”

She nodded. “Yes. If you tell them about the revenants, we can end this madness. We can stop this war, Luca.”

She took his hand and led him up to the dais. He followed her, feeling like he was in a surreal dream. She took him to the front of the stone table, where he stood facing all three kings. She gave him a reassuring nod, and ran to rejoin her father.

Luca was the centre of attention within the room. He felt uncomfortable with so many eyes on him. Doing his best to ignore the small crowd of nobles and lords surrounding the dais, Luca focused his attention on the three kings.

“Luca, son of Lodin,” Marcus said. “I believe we've met before.”

“We have.”

“As a member of Princess Selphie's entourage, I trust you are familiar with the situation?” Marcus said. “We are here today to discuss the possibility of a war with Acaria. In the past few months, King Zinoro of Acaria has carried out several attacks and subterfuge attempts against the three kingdoms of the Alliance. He has amassed a large army and has become a considerable threat that merits the possibility of action. We believe he aims to destroy the Alliance in the name of his father, who previously waged war against Sono.”

“I know this.”

“It is a commonly accepted rumour that Zinoro carries a Rixeor Fragment at his side,” Marcus continued. “It is a less commonly accepted rumour that he has various unnatural powers that he gained from what is believed to be a pact with the demon of legend, Ekkei. According to the accounts of Princess Selphie, this is true. She says that Zinoro has been raising an army of the dead with these powers.”

Luca slowly nodded.

“The Princess speaks highly of you,” Marcus said. “She says that you have bore witness to more attacks of Zinoro and his men than anyone else we know of. She says that Zinoro attacked your home and murdered your father, the war hero Lodin. You were at Allma Temple when it was destroyed, and you were also at my palace when one of Zinoro's men infiltrated my guards. I know these two to be true, at least. It is a known secret among the nobility that it was your father, and not Zaow, who killed Manorith in the first Acarian war. The princess says that because of this, Zinoro has taken a personal interest in you, and has put forth a great deal of effort into ending your life.

“What we want to hear is your account of these things, before we make our final decision. As someone who is so closely connected to Zinoro, and has met him in person, we want to hear the truth of the things that King Zaow and Princess Selphie claim. Most importantly, we want to know the truth of whether or not Zinoro truly can raise the dead to fight for him.”

Marcus finished speaking, and everyone in the Elder Hall waited. Luca could feel their eyes on him, waiting with baited breath to know the truth. If he told them about the revenants, it was possible they would not go to war. After all, so long as Zinoro had blood, he could continue to raise the fallen to fight for him again and again.