Hail to the Queen (Sage Trilogy, Book 3) Read online

  “Will this do?” the woman asked, her voice much softer and motherly. Catherine searched her eyes and her attire, seeing the similarities between her and the young man she carried on her shoulder. He didn’t have her color hair, but surely the shape of her eyes, her nose and lips. The woman smiled warmly once she realized what Catherine was doing.

  “Of course, while we take care of business, we’ll also have to discuss just what your relationship is with my son!”

  “Don’t try to disarm me,” Catherine warned, her purple aura flickering. “For all I know, the moment I power down, I could be attacked and killed.”

  “I don’t know how else to convince you…if it makes you feel any better, no one will make an attempt on your life unless I give the order. The villagers obey me.”

  “Why should they? Who are you?”

  “I am their leader, their voice against the King of Quietus,” she said proudly. “Sure, the King has his warriors and his followers, but they are the nobility. The commoners of Quietus never wanted him to rule our Kingdom. So they listen to me.”

  “That doesn’t make me feel better at all,” Catherine replied truthfully. “If anything, it just makes you sound more dangerous.”

  “Then leave,” she replied quickly, “and let us take care of our own.”

  The woman stepped to the side to let Catherine escape but the Princess contemplated the situation. Kyran would be running back to Quietus if he was successful in retrieving Zen-echelon’s stone, and James was certainly in no condition to fight. If they came against any kind of trouble on the way out, she would be forced to continuously use the Allayan stone until James regained his strength, and there was no telling how long that would take…or even if she had enough years in her life to expend so much energy. She had to make a wise decision, and quickly, while James’ mother was still acting friendly…

  And what she had said earlier had struck a nerve with her.

  When she said, ‘let us take care of our own.’ There was so much bitterness and hatred simmering behind her words that she could barely contain it. The fact that they saw each other so differently, treated each other as less than themselves, it was something Catherine noticed throughout all their travels. Each Kingdom hated the others, and although they each had their reasons, most of them were fueled by vengeance and a lust for blood. No one trusted one another and it showed, even in the actions of her Sages. They saw only the mission, and cared little for what damage they caused to their neighbors.

  And what kind of relationship was that? How was she going to be able to take care of her people as Queen when they were too busy fighting against a vengeful Languor? Or a rebuilt Quietus? When was the violence going to end? When were they all going to unite and actually turn their attention to an enemy that had secretly declared war on them all?

  And now, here she was, listening to a Quietus leader telling her that their collective enemy was waiting for them, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to investigate.

  Because she still remembered the siege…

  Her mother’s cries that rang through the air so violently and often that she lost her voice.

  Her father’s head hung low as he realized that for all his authority, he had none under the might of another.

  Her beautiful Kingdom, being ripped and torn apart as she simultaneously realized her weakness.

  It didn’t matter who was the mastermind behind it all, Quietus was all she saw, and for the remaining years of her life, that’s who plagued her nightmares and became her boogeyman. It wasn’t a vague enemy like Zen-echelon. To her they were like a lion prowling the wilderness. A predator that would only attack if provoked or if you walked onto its territory.

  But the Quietus, they had made a personal mark in her life, and she had vowed, silently, fervently…that she would return the favor someday.

  She had lost Achan to them.

  She had lost Chloe to them.

  She may have even lost Arimus and Scarlet…

  And now a Quietus was asking for her trust, to follow her against all logic into their hearth, where she would only be more vulnerable - where the mission was even at greater risk…and yet…there had to be an end. At some point there had to be a stop to the bloodshed. At some point the healing and mending had to begin, and it had to start with Allay. It would be meaningless to spout off words of love and unity after the mission was completed. After the Sages had thrust themselves into their homes and made their lives even worse. Cutting down their leaders, taking their stones – their only sources of power. Turning their buildings into ruins, scarring their children, devastating their homes.

  How was she any better than they?

  “I want to trust you,” Catherine said low, her aura disappearing and the symbols on her body fading away. “Based on our history, I have no reason to. But as you said, we both have a true enemy, and it’s not each other. If you would be so kind, I would like you to take me to him, and tend to James as well.”

  “That is very gracious of you,” James’ mother said. “But are you sure you want to come into the Quietus village? There is only one way out. Very hard to escape if danger arises.”

  “I can take care of myself,” Catherine said. “And I’ve made my decision. Now, let’s go.”

  “Follow me,” she chuckled as she took two steps forward, and then leapt into the air towards the crater floor. Over the horizon, the sun was beginning to fall and the various Quietus warriors that had been watching their conversation began to blend in with the darkness. Their eyes shined off the glint of the sunset and they watched the Princess of Allay curiously as she followed her enemy. Once they reached the bottom, they walked casually to the entrance of the village - a plastic looking white door with a handle in the likeness of a Quietus head. James’ mother opened the door with little effort and held it for Catherine to stroll through. The inside was nothing like the out.

  From the forest to the crater arena, the Quietus Kingdom was like one giant wilderness, simply a place where the Quietus could run and jump freely. Nothing was crowded. The village, however, was the exact opposite. The ceiling above them (which was the dome they saw earlier) was only a few feet above their head. Ahead of them were wooden huts fashioned from the trees of their forest, and they were placed together in alarming proximity. There was absolutely no privacy and the only place to walk freely was a dirt path that winded around each of the huts and throughout the village. The place was dimly lit, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling that were in need of fuel, and it gave the atmosphere a drowsy ambience, making it seem like her eyes were barely open and she was half asleep. The commoners of Quietus were living in terrible conditions, and made the village of Allay look like an oasis. Did they choose this kind of living in order to give them the space to run around on the outside? Or was this the King’s doing?

  “Didn’t expect this, did you?” James’ mother chuckled as Catherine watched several Quietus scurry on all fours across the tin rooftops. It appeared that was the fastest way to travel rather than the one way road.

  “Why is everything cramped?”

  “The King gave his elite the luxurious tree houses about thirty miles north of here. But us…we’re forced to live in more humble abodes, to ensure that if there’s ever a revolution, he can crush us with one fell swoop. As I’ve said, it’s very hard to escape once you’re inside.”

  “I see…uh, what is your name?” Catherine asked, feeling strangely at ease. “I don’t want to refer to you as James’ mother the whole time.”

  “Nadia,” she replied, before leaping effortlessly to the roof in front of them. “Come, I will take you to my home. James can rest there. I hope you don’t mind running.”

  “Not at all,” Catherine smiled as she saw a Quietus nearly fall off the roof in shock over seeing the Princess of Allay in their neighborhood.

  The two of them ran as they talked, allowing other Quietus to pass whenever they met head on. Catherine noticed that the common Quietus were far differe
nt than those she was accustomed to. Quietus were ruthless and always in wait of the next hunt, but these appeared to be more nervous of her presence than she was of them, and their eyes shifted anxiously to the side whenever they met hers. They were a lot smaller than the ones Chloe faced, and thinner.

  “Is there a revolution?” Catherine asked suddenly, seeing one particular Quietus examining his pencil thin scythe.

  “No reason for one now since the King is dead,” Nadia said. “Our focus is to rebuild and figure it out from there.”

  “Was there a plan in the works though?”

  “Hardly. Sure, the usual complaining and zealous talk, but no actual strategy in place. No committees or order. We all know we were no match for the King and his elite guard. Funny enough though, we’re the only ones to survive the conflict with you and your Sages. All because we’re too common to participate. I don’t think the King expected even half of his warriors to be killed by your friend.”

  “She was one of our best,” Catherine sighed. “She gave it her all to save our lives.”

  “And yet she wasn’t the one to strike down the King, was she?” Nadia looked to her curiously. “I heard it was one of the males.”

  “Yes,” Catherine said, studying the Quietus. “It was James.”

  “James is a Sage?”

  “He is. He’s been with us since we left Allay.”

  “It’s nice to hear that my son became something in my absence…tell me, is he really that strong? To defeat the King?”

  “I’m not sure,” Catherine said, glancing at the boy on her shoulder. “He caught the King off guard with his power. Which brings up a question I have for you. You’re Quietus, and James’ father is Allayan. I don’t care to know the particulars of how that union came together, but I would like to ask how that affects James. He in fact, has two eidolons. One that declares his Allayan side, and one for his Quietus. How is that possible?”

  “Is it that hard to understand? His heritage is of both.”

  “No, I mean…the way they act, it’s as if he has two distinct souls, which is impossible.”

  “I don’t know enough about how your stone works to give you a proper answer. All I know is that he’s my son, and that makes him half-Quietus. Does that bother you, Princess? Knowing your warrior is not just from your Kingdom?”

  “Would I be following you to the heart of your village if it did?” Catherine said, looking into her eyes steadily. The Quietus smiled.

  “I like you,” Nadia replied, chuckling again. “If only your Sages were as amicable.”

  “Are we almost there?” Catherine said, clearing her throat. Nadia continued to look towards her as they continued running.

  “In fact we are,” she replied, refusing to avert her gaze. She suddenly fell from the rooftop as if a hole had opened up underneath her. Catherine skidded to a stop and looked around for her escort until she saw Nadia’s hand peeking out from a hole in the blanket of roofs, waving her to the proper destination. Catherine jumped down into the hole and tried not to stumble into a rotting wood shelf that kept Nadia’s pots and plates neat and tidy.

  Catherine grunted as she kept still, trying to take in the 20x20 foot space, cluttered with two twin beds, shelves filled with dishes and makeshift wooden ornaments, cracked jugs of clay and a curtain that led to the one-way dirt road. Nadia pointed to the bed signaling where James was to lay. Catherine obeyed and placed him gently on the dirty sheets, then watched as Nadia pulled a blanket from underneath the bed over him, tucking him in meticulously. Nadia stood up and motioned for Catherine to follow her outside to the road.

  “James will be fine,” Nadia said, seeing the worry in the Princess’ face. “And we’ll be right outside. The path is the most spacious area we have for this kind of thing.”

  “What thing?” Catherine asked as they stepped out onto the road, which had now stopped winding and became a long stretch for nearly half a mile before it resumed its normal shape, taking on another set of huts in the distance.

  “Interrogation,” Nadia said in a serious tone. “My men saw me running across the roofs so they’ll know I’ve arrived. Look, out there in the distance.”

  Nadia pointed down the road and Catherine squinted to see the outline of three figures coming towards them. One was much shorter than the two of them, and…no…it wasn’t that he was short…he was actually bound to a chair and the other two were carrying him forward. Was this the true enemy Nadia spoke of?

  Before she could even see his face she could sense the danger emanating from him. As if he was the one who had taken them all hostage and not the other way around. She immediately realized that he could break from his bonds at any second, and that knowledge scared her more than anything they’ve faced so far. What kind of a man just let himself get captured by Quietus? And who was so strong that their scythes couldn’t penetrate?

  “I’ll understand if you activate your stone,” Nadia leaned to whisper to her. “And I hope you don’t mind if I transform a little. I don’t feel comfortable around this…monster.”

  “Don’t mind at all,” Catherine shuddered as the white hot symbols began erupting from her skin, her electric purple aura flaring up and lifting her hair towards the dome ceiling.

  When the captured man came into view, he looked nothing like she expected. He was wearing baby blue colored pants that were far too baggy, and a black suit jacket that covered up a plain white t-shirt underneath. His feet were hideously large and splashed in puke green slippers. His hair was straight and combed on the left but wild and dirty on the right, dyed a myriad of colors and hues. His eyes were normal at least, and were actually quite attractive, giving off a gorgeous hazel. But his smile…his smile was abnormally large, as if the ends of his mouth could stretch to the back of his neck if he desired. His teeth were unbelievably perfect in structure and color, and he wasn’t shy about showing them off to the world.

  “AH, NADIA!” he called out as soon as he saw her. “I was wondering when we would see each other again. I was beginning to think something horrible happened to you.”

  “How does he know my name?” Nadia demanded to the Quietus on the left. Both were in full Quietus form but still Catherine could see the fear in their eyes. Nadia was undoubtedly their leader.

  “Don’t scold,” the bound man replied. “They haven’t said a word. I just know these things.”

  “Is that so, Monster?” Nadia said, scowling down at him as they men stopped walking. They now stood only a few feet from their leader and Catherine.

  “Now, now,” he smiled. “Shouldn’t you be a little kinder to your captive? I mean, he might just start to feel unwanted, and when people feel unwanted…they do things to get attention.”

  “Let’s stop the games. I know full well you can break out of those ropes whenever you please.”

  “Then why the pretense? Why can’t we just go inside your lovely crawlspace and have some tea?”

  “I have questions.”

  “And there are answers. Doesn’t mean they are the right ones. Doesn’t mean they are the ones you want to hear. Seriously, how do I even know if you have the right questions?”

  “Where did you come from?”

  “You already asked that one. This is boring.”

  “You haven’t given me a straight answer yet.”

  “Because I see no reason to. Now, if you had the power…like say, your new friend here.”

  The man turned his gaze to Catherine and smiled wider. Catherine reeled her head back in disgust but maintained her gaze.

  “My name is Jester,” the man replied. “And you must be Catherine. I’ve heard a lot about you. Tell me, what are you doing here in the middle of the Quietus village? Didn’t they slaughter your people? Rip their stomachs open, take the guts and –“

  “SHUT UP!” Catherine shouted in his face. Jester didn’t budge.

  “You’re cute when you’re angry. Can you make that face again?”

  “Who are you?” Catherin
e shouted, pointing a finger at him. “Tell me or I will use my power.”

  “Threatening is not your strong suit,” he laughed. “You should leave that to your Sages. They’re much better at this than you are. I mean, just look at what they did to Languor. They were a thriving, successful Kingdom that left yours alone even though you took their people on a regular basis for your sick games. And then you have to go and murder their King and Queen in cold blood! Really, you should be the one bound to this chair!”

  “You’re lying,” Catherine stammered, her heart pounding.

  “Oh, I always tell the truth. You’re the one fibbing right now. Don’t start blubbering and act like you didn’t know. Deep down, you knew. You knew what your mentors did. You know who the real monsters are. You Allayans. Taking the stones of each Kingdom for yourself while you say it’s all to remove an ether from the sky. What a joke. Even I don’t think that one’s funny. Tell me a different story.”

  “You are a monster,” Catherine said low as she took a step back.

  “Looking in the reflection of my eyes, Princess?” Jester laughed. “Oh man! This is great guys!” He looked from the Quietus on his left to the one on his right. “I didn’t know you were going to surprise me with games! I thought it was going to be all ripping limbs off and torture! Oh, you two!”

  “Is this true?” Nadia turned to Catherine. “Are you collecting the stones of each Kingdom?”

  “It’s not for ourselves,” Catherine said quickly, sensing a number of Quietus creeping towards her from the rooftops. “We need them all to stop the ether that’s covered our Kingdoms. This ether prevents our souls from reaching Paradise.”

  “That sounds ridiculous.”

  “It’s true,” Catherine said nervously, sending out a pulse to know how many Quietus were in her vicinity. “My intentions are pure.”