Chapter 17: Reckoning

  Julien

  “Oh son, what has been done to you?” Julien heard his fathers words and an intangible pain sprung up In his chest. He’d been afraid somewhere in the back of his mind that his father had really sacrificed him for his own gains. But seeing the raw naked horror in his father’s eyes, he felt the jagged edges of his emotion smooth just a bit.

  “Honestly, I have no idea but I get the distinct feeling that we are not entirely human anymore.” He tried his best to keep his own terror out of his voice. But he wavered as his mother rushed him. She wrapped her arms around him and held him. He saw tears streaming down her face as she cradled him like she used to when he was smaller.

  Warmth washed over him, in a feeling of love deeper than he had felt before. He melted into his mother’s hug. He hadn’t seen her in months as he’d been avoiding the palace. But he blocked out the guilt.

  “Thank the Bright One that you are still alive!” She exclaimed. A rough thicker arm snaked around his mother’s shoulders and hugged them both. It was his father, beard unkempt and eyes bleary but full of a sparkle as he smiled.

  Julien for his part was stunned. As a kid you always knew your parents loved you. It wasn’t something you really thought about too deeply. Even when they made you mad. But now as he let himself relax into their hug he once again realized just how loved he was. Julien was careful not to hug back to tightly he had no idea what his newfound strength was capable of.

  After a couple of minutes just being together Julien’s father pulled back while also grabbing his mother’s shoulders to ease her back as well. His father’s eyes roamed over his features. Assessing, judging. Whether it was because they were closer or because his father hadn’t realised just how much he had been changed he saw the sharp intake of breath as his father took in his golden hair and facial structure. He hadn’t had time to find a mirror but he was sure he had the same changes as the others. High cheek bones, sharper chin and angled brows.

  His father stepped back pulling his mother with him. But Julien stepped forward not wanting to have to rehash their identities.

  “Father I assure you it’s me if you want proof we can go into the whole argument we had before I went to the Academy, but I don’t think you want some of what I said to be known by those in this room.” Julien saw his father stiffen and then relax considerably.

  A slight breeze wafted through the room bringing with it the slight scent of burned wood from the two torches that lit the room from their sconces.

  “Okay I accept that it’s you but I need an explanation.” His father’s voice firmed as he turned toward his uncle.

  “Now would be preferable.” Julien saw his uncles eyebrows raise but he didn’t challenge. Julien’s mother just kept staring at him.”

  “Come Lana, let’s sit and hear out the story,” his father said gently guiding her to a chair. The quiet submissiveness his mother was showing was so unlike her. She was normally demanding, her temper ever present. A wolf it was said resided within her. Now she seemed more like a wounded dog. She sat down in the chair next to his father but her eyes never left Julien’s.

  Trying not to let himself be distracted he launched into the story once again starting with the battle how they had faced the elf. Altaya sat next to her father who held her close. There was the gleam of she’d tears in his eyes. Yet she still flinched at the mention of her missing arm. Julien caught sight of her reaching over and rubbing the back of her right hand with her left.

  Once he was done silence reigned in the office. Julien saw the moment his father went into planning mode but chose to ignore it. Finally the king spoke.

  “This is a huge development, not only have we discovered something that could be the key we need but we now have five new future assets we can rely on. “Assets.” Julien tried not to cringe at the word. The truth was he and his squad were already part of the military so it wasn’t like they hadn’t agreed to already serve the kingdom. It just rankled hearing the cold words come from his father.

  “We must explore this refuge! I’ll ready a squad of royal knights to go in the morning. Then there will be the council. We will have to decide how to handle them. You said your strength has been enhanced?”

  “Among other things yes,” Julien answered glancing at Altaya. He wanted to point out how tired they were but he also didn’t want to interrupt his father while he was in his political planning state. From the looks both his uncle and Lord Sherman were giving each other they too felt the same but didn’t want to interrupt the king.

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  A almost feral grin split his father’s face, “How much?”

  A slap rang out in the room. In the shocked silence that followed it took him a moment to realize it had been his mother who had slapped his father. Julien felt rather than saw three pairs of eyes look away and focus on anything else. He really couldn’t blame them. He’s never seen his mother so furious.

  “Your son has just been returned to us from the dead alive and healthy,” she began her voice deadly cold. Julien shifted away as his mother stood from his father’s slackened embrace. First a look of confusion, than anger crossed his fathers face. But once his father’s eyes met his mothers it was his father who flinched first.

  “Changes have been wrought upon his body the extent of which we know not and even after your little scheme nearly killed him. The first thing you do is begin making plans to use him some more!” By the end of the rant his mothers thin frame was heaving from exertion. Realization dawned in his fathers eyes.

  Julien watched his mother carefully while silently he cheered her on.

  “You know why I’m doing what I am!” His father contested hotly standing up to face her anger beginning to light his face. “I told you I’d have to make choices that many would not agree with. You think throwing off the yoke of 10000 years of slavery just happens! Most humans don’t even know they are enslaved!”

  “And that excuses your exploitation of our son?!” His mother yelled back. Despite agreeing with his mother Julien found himself shrinking back. His parents had never fought like this. At least not to his knowledge and never in front of vassals.

  “You know if also doing it to protect you and the children as well! Everything was supposed to be safe. We had more than enough men and reinforcements not even two glasses away! I had no way of knowing the elves would stoop to such levels!” His father’s voice broke. And Julien realized his father believed he had been as safe as he could make him. His mother must have also realized this as her voice softened with her next words. But she was still firm.

  “I know you are doing your best! And I still agree that the elven influence needs to be curbed. And now it is more personal than ever. But you need to understand that this is your family okay. Not your political pawns, your Family!” She held his father’s gaze until he nodded solemnly. Then she turned to look at him.

  “We will find out exactly what has happened to you. You and your friends will come back to the palace tonight. The last thing we need is students churning a rumor mill about you guys. Second I will summon Doctor Petra in the morning to give you and your team a full check over. After a day of rest at least. Then and only then will you be allowed to take your father to this, refuge.”

  Her words were quietly spoken. She didn’t shout. She didn’t need to. The authority in her voice was unmistakeable. Nobody responded as there was nothing to talk about it had been decided.

  “But first we need to get you guys into some proper clothes and out of those robes,” she continued her eyes flaring with determination. Julien glanced at his father but all he saw was his father still sitting in the chair but he was looking up at his mother with an easy grin splitting his face. Julien just shook his head. He’d never understand his father.

  “What are you waiting for, I’m tired it’s been one hells of a day and I need to rest.” Julien jumped up at his mother’s voice. The last thing he wanted was her ire pointed at him.

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  Far to the north, past the the borders of the kingdom of Ishtar. Passed even the Sturvian Kingdom, And the Endless forest lay a mountain range. The mountains of this range had not been entered since the end of the Primordial war. The wind here was beyond just cold it was ancient. The few creatures that dared these mountains often found themselves frozen to death by morning.

  The stones were more than ancient many had been present when the world had been created. Myths and stories were all that was known about this range, And its depths hid many secrets. Under one such mountain far into the depths a massive creature slept. The cave it sat in was dark and damp but massive all the same. More than fifty times the length of itself and it was already a massive 100 feet wide. It’s long sinuous form still except for the rhythmic rising and falling of its massive chest.

  Cover in all black scales this creature had been known by many names in ages past. But now none lived that would remember its name.

  a single eye of dark purple fire open breaking whatever spell seemed to make the place feeling like a tomb. The creature stirred it barbed tongue lashing out to taste the air. Confusion filled its mind. Even in its endless sleep it had been well aware of the passage of time. It was not supposed to be awakened yet. Unless… a rumble shook the chamber of dark stone stalagmites fell from the ceiling to crash upon the ground as the massive creature rose to its feet dark talons clicking upon the stone

  It looked around the cave before huffing. The dark purple of its eyes shifted slightly to a lighter shade its vision was inundated by mana threads of every color. Many were the dusky brown of the earth and the grey of decay. But there was also the purple black of shadow. It knew it could reach forward and take the threads into itself. Then it could direct the threads to do his will like a seamstress guided threads through a loom. But that wasn’t what it needed. It scanned the cave until it found what it was looking for.

  A subtle thread of brilliant white gold. Primordial energy, and it was pulsating. A roar tore from its throat shaking the cave and likely the base of the entire mountain. Small creature screeched in fear and fled but he didn’t care. His mission was finally to begin. Primordial energy had once again entered Eden. It was distant and weak but the pulsations from the thread before him couldn’t be faked. It tried to discern the location but all it could feel was that it originated somewhere in the south. His masters had tasked him as a sentinel, and he had work to do. A reckoning was coming.