Detention
Unto the Black Portal, Epilogue
Wordcount: 3200
Both the Volans Dentes and the Hydrus left the accursed city behind. The airship was overburdened and the ship upon the water was badly damaged. Both made very poor time on the way to Terminus, taking nearly two weeks on the return trip. Even though they had accomplished their goal, over the course of the trip, the victory felt utterly hollow. Of the seventy-eight acolytes from the Arcanum, thirty-one were returning; one hundred twenty-eight Fraternitas members left Terminus, but only sixty-three were returning; of the three hundred Conexus members, a mere ninety-eight survived. Then, the brave volunteers, bound to none of the three organizations: out of eighty-seven, twelve made it back.All told, the Terminus forces began with five hundred ninety-three heroes, but only two hundred four would be returning. Two out of every three had fallen in battle. Even that was worth celebrating, though, because from the outset, many thought it to be a suicide mission.
Once again in the Speculum Sorcere, in the office of the Magister, Laebuta finished relaying his report of the outcome. His blue robes were clean, and many of the dents and scratches had been buffed out, but the demvir's sleeve on one side was notably empty.
Sergeant Audite stood beside him, the young enlil woman morose, silent unless spoken to. Her superior, Gallus, was still recovering from his wounds. Of course, Exarch, over both of them, was among the fallen. The three prophets were also in attendance, with Deimar especially casting dour looks at the machina.
Magister Eximium was quiet for a long moment after Laebuta finished. Finally, the ancient man nodded and spoke, his aged voice at once kind and dignified. "Castus would smile upon you, child, for He moved you to mercy, and you heeded His words."
Deimar spoke up. "Master Eximium, this is a disaster. In hesitation, the machina saved a handful of lives but put thousands of others at risk! You should have sent one of us! 'Our hands swift--.'"
"Our hands swift, our judgment sure. Viskar, Immaculate of times before, forgive us our discourse," Eximium cited from an old prayer. "It was I that taught you that prayer, yes? I am old, my son, but not yet that old. If this noble machina had not acted, you'd have the right of it. That is not so."
Deimar didn't seem satisfied, but he nodded respectfully. Vexus and Adria, as well, deferred to their senior. Eximium returned his attention to Laebuta and Audite. "Worry not over the future. It would appear that we have aggrieved the revenants, and so we shall work to rectify it. Do not be troubled by the talk of the ritual. True immortality does not exist in this world. The Exul have no such power to give, though it fits their nature to promise it." A kindly smile spread on the magister's lips. "You have both done well, all of you did well, and you will be honored as heroes. Especially the ones you have spoken so highly of."
Audite bit her lip and then spoke up, unable to meet Eximium's eyes. "Um, about that, Magister, sir. There are… some… among our survivors who might be of particular interest to you, but, well, not in a good way?" She swallowed nervously, shaking like a leaf.
Eximium was still smiling, but he lifted his brows curiously. "Is that so, my dear? Please, go on, go on!"
"It's… it's about your a-- the night you…"
"You believe some of the assassins are now masquerading as heroes?" Vexus demanded sharply, putting the pieces together.
From the airship, four individuals were escorted under heavy guard: Aelflead Kirastes, Ignis of Animi, Deniisis Perfide, and Aeria Luxus. For their crimes, known and alleged, they were expected to face justice. Even those who kept watch over the small band were conflicted. More than just another sword in the swarm, these were individuals who had faced down the strongest of Krevati's forces, throwing themselves headlong into danger for the sake of the very city that was condemning them.
They were treated with respect, but locked away, weapons and trophies confiscated. The room they were locked in was lavish for a cell, with a bed for each of them, chairs and tables, even a window for light to shine in. The window was barred on the outside, though, and the entire wall opposite the window was a sturdy iron grate. They were each provided with clean clothing, and Ignis was allowed the remnants of her drone and some spare parts -- though none that could be fashioned into deadly weapons -- to begin repair work.
For three days, they waited, unsure what their fate would be. Then, they were summoned.
The four of them, and twice as many guards, soon stood in the center of the Librorum Viskar, in front of the doors to the bottom floor of the Specula Sorcere. Soaring high, high above the Arcanum's home, the Specula Sorcere served as a beacon for the people of Araevis, in both the literal and the spiritual sense. It was a shining blue light, visible both day and night, which led travelers to the great metropolis that was Terminus. It was also an icon of the Arcanum, a reminder of Castus' mercy forever shining down on the people, sheltering them and offering them succor from the struggles that beset them. Faith, it represented: faith in the city of Terminus which served as a bastion of strength that withstood, and recovered from, the Cataclysm; faith in the Arcanum whose benevolence touched the meek and the righteous, offering the light of knowledge and a font of wisdom to those who would seek it; and faith in Castus and the pantheon of the Vis, silent watchers over the people of Araevis, blessing those who best represented their varied ideals.
The guards led them through the ornate wooden doors, into the tower. There on the bottom floor, it was already spectacular. The walls were painted a metallic blue, the color of caelitium. The first floor was completely open, with pillars rising to the next floor and many exotic busts and statues spread around, each telling a piece of history. All around the walls of the cylindrical chamber were other doors, leading to rooms for meetings of the most learned individuals in the Arcanum, or visiting dignitaries from other countries, and other such important individuals.
The tower reached a full kilometer into the sky, housing two hundred individual floors, filled with the highest echelons of the Arcanum. Those with higher standing had positions on higher floors, some even living inside the tower, while the lowest floors of the tower were occupied by speakers for the various cities that held branches of the Arcanum. At the very highest levels were the prophets, and at the tower's pinnacle, shaped into a caelitium flame and enchanted to shine until the end of time, was the home of the magister.
A young laicar woman waited for them, flanked by two armored men, also laicar.
"My name is Arriaune, and I am aide to Magister Eximium," the woman introduced herself. "I want you to understand that your being allowed into this tower is extraordinary. Please do not cause a scene, or the consequences will be severe. I advise you to remain silent until, and unless, asked to speak. Please remain still for a moment and we will proceed."
The two armored men were a strange sight, members of the Arcanum acting as guards. They were wearing yellow robes beneath shining metal breastplates. They carried no weapons, but they didn't need to. They quickly frisked the four detainees, as well as their escorts. The Conexus guards were forced to surrender their weapons to the Arcanum guards.
Once satisfied, Arriaune nodded. "Please come with me." She turned and walked into the glass cylinder in the center of the chamber.
With a sudden command from the woman, the floor beneath them started to vibrate and then shot upward at a great clip. There was no way to accurately count just how many floors flashed by before the elevator came to an abrupt stop. With a soft hiss, a nearly-unseen door slid open.
The elevator opened into a simple circular chamber, painted in metallic blue. Following Arriaune, the 'guests' entered into the connecting room, all of them shaking. Realization slowly dawned on all of them.
They stood in the Magister's own chambers.
The leader of the Arcanum and spiritual leader of all people in Araevis, Magister Eximium was an ancient man. Wrinkles had etched deep into his pale skin, his eyes sunken. Even so, he often had a soft, kind smile on his face, a faint twinkle in his squinted eyes. The magister's chambers were surprisingly opulent, with most of the furniture lined in gold, and various intricate and rare items filling the rooms and hallways anywhere that did not house tomes of indescribable value. The magister himself wore only simple robes, however. They were made of fine satin, sable in color, with vibrant colors across the front and back to show all five Vis.
Eximium himself was known to be an adherent of Solaviskar, which honored only Castus as a deity, but as the head of the Arcanum he was obligated to show support for all of the faiths the schools welcomed. He did so without complaint, much to the consternation of Prophet Deimar.
Prophet Deimar himself stood in front of the ornate desk, facing the newcomers. Faint wisps of snow white hair covered his head, standing out clearly against his lightly tanned skin, and his chin was clean-shaven. Deimar was known to be the sternest of his peers, yet the three vertical white lines that went down the left side of his ocean-blue robes marked the surly Saint as one of the greatest medics the Arcanum had to offer. He hunched slightly, holding his arms behind his back. From beneath a sunken brow, he watched the visitors warily.
To the left of the Magister's desk, Prophet Adria sat in a cushioned chair. Tall and willowy, the elderly woman's steel-gray hair was pulled into a tidy bun. She wore deep red robes with sleeves longer than her arms. Her eyes were a placid gray, and the many wrinkles around her eyes seemed more like laugh lines. She offered the visitors a soft smile.
Prophet Vexus stood to the right of the desk marked by his familiar yellow robes. Before the attempted assassination, Vexus had been the most energetic of the three venerated Saints, almost boyish compared to Deimar and Adria. The events of that night, the loss of his greatest friend and mentor, had taxed him greatly and the continual stress over the following years made sure that the new wrinkles were etched deeply into his face. Even now, though, he stood tall and waited expectantly, ready to take action. Despite his age, he still had a full head of snow-white hair. His eyes focused sharply on the criminals.
The room was full of the most powerful people in the Arcanum. Off to one side, seated on a long couch, the one-armed demvir Laebuta watched silently, sitting beside the enlil Sergeant Audite of the Conexus.
"I must thank you all for coming," Magister Eximium began, offering a kindly smile to the criminals.
Deimar could not hold his tongue. "Do not even think to test us, miscreants! Here, you are--!"
"Silence, my son," Eximium chided gently. "I am not yet so old that I cannot speak for myself." Deimar reluctantly withdrew but retained his threatening glare. Vexus eyed Eximium uncertainly, but said nothing, while Adria didn't seem concerned at all. "Now, as to you four… or five, I see now! You've a little fey one with you." Eximium smiled at Amicus, clutched in Ignis' arms. "What they are telling me is that you young ones were involved in the ugly business from several Nocte Nils' past." He put on a pair of glasses and held up a stack of paperwork, humming thoughtfully.
"Aeria Luxus… and yes, I see, that's you on the end there. Following the attempt on my life, you were engaged in an attack on Prophet Vexus, for which you were incarcerated. It appears you were to be transferred to Repertum to face trial for other crimes. No results of the trial are recorded… Ah, I see. You never arrived. Curious.
"Aelflead… Kirastes? Ah, you have a warrior's physique, my dear, and such a vibrant hue to your hair! Mm, hmm, arrested at the same time as young Aeria, it would seem."
"She broke herself out of prison!" Sergeant Audite put in, feathers ruffling. "I… I was best friends with one of the guards she hospitalized!"
Eximium raised a finger. "Calm, Sergeant. I've the papers right here, I can read for myself. You, as well, Miss Kirastes, please remain calm! I do see here that the prison was viciously attacked, but it doesn't appear there were any witnesses. Even with her mixed heritage, I find it difficult to believe that Miss Kirastes would be capable of such brutality while unarmed and locked away." The magister's visage darkened. "Indeed, this is reminiscent of Astra's methods."
Moving on, Eximium pulled out a folder this time, laying it on the desk and carefully flipping it open. "Mister Deniisis Perfide, I am surprised to find you here. From what I am reading here, you were released from your sentence by Lieutenant Leidan Halbert, for the purposes of joining a special task force, Inimicus. Records are incomplete following your initial pardon. Unfortunately, with the Lieutenant's untimely demise, Inimicus was to have been disbanded. As you never reported back to the Conexus, you are considered absent without leave, and there has been some recommendation to reinstate the prior charges against you for assaulting Prophet Vexus."
Finally, the magister looked to Ignis. "Miss Ignis, come to us from Animi in Boreas. You are quite an elusive one, young lady! How so, when you have such a lively shine to your feathers? As with your compatriots, you are wanted for your part in the assault on Vexus, but unlike the others, you have not served any time at all. Indeed, you've somehow remained out of sight entirely this entire time. Remarkable."
Here, Eximium closed Deni's folder and stacked up the other papers on top of it. Folding his arms, he leaned over his desk, eyeing them each one by one. "Criminals, each and every one of you. What's more, unrepentant criminals, unwilling to face the consequences of your actions!" Aelflead grit her teeth and started to shout something, but Eximium snapped sharply, "Shush, child!" It was such an uncharacteristically sharp tone for the magister, that even the hotheaded spurii was stunned back into silence.
"I've conferred with my peers, the three prophets standing here with me. If Deimar were to have his way, each of you would be locked away in the Arx. Adria, also, feels that it is better to be safe than sorry. Vexus held to a different perspective, however.
"Your actions, he said, have as much merit now as they did then.
"Sergeant Audite and the machina Laebuta have spoken quite highly of your bravery during the mission to stop the Black Portal. The sergeant also informs me that you actually arrived at the sea before the volunteer forces were assembled. Mister Perfide and Miss Kirastes, I am told you were instrumental in raising and restoring the ship used to reach Krevati Evimerias. Similarly, you were all four noted as valiantly attacking the arch-daemons and their masters upon arrival. Not content to rest upon such laurels or recover from your battles, I am told that all four of you were present for the final battle, as well.
"What am I to make of this?" Eximium asked, shaking his head. Slowly, Eximium leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. One hand settled atop the pile of papers. "Your past sins are very real, but so, too, is your current heroism. Should I believe that your prior actions were misguided, or that your more recent activity demonstrates a change of heart? Thus, I am forced to make a decision."
Deimar was scowling, but he looked away and muttered to himself.
Eximium clasped his hands together, eyes still closed. He spoke quietly, in prayer. "O kind watcher, tell the poor fools to hear my words, feel my breath, believe in the world as it should be. Allow them to feel a sweet breeze and know grace." Slowly, his eyes opened and the magister suddenly began speaking quickly. "Mister Deniisis Perfide: your affiliation with the Conexus is to be stricken from the record. As such, you will not face punishment for going AWOL. Your other crimes will remain pardoned, as per the late Lieutenant Halbert's designs.
"Miss Aeria Luxus: for your part in the assault on Prophet Vexus, I consider your time served. With regard to the offenses in Repertum, I find the documentation presented here to be unsatisfactory. I must require you to remain in contact for a period of time, sufficient for proper documentation to be requested. If Repertum fails to produce such documentation, these charges will be stricken from your record.
"Miss Aelflead Kirastes: for your part in the assault on Prophet Vexus, I consider your time served. I do, however, require your full cooperation in relating all details surrounding your escape from prison to the Conexus, such that they can begin pursuing justice. I encourage you to abandon any feelings of camaraderie with the one, or ones, who willfully and most heinously assaulted officers of the law. You do not owe them loyalty.
"Miss Ignis of Animi… You put me in a difficult position, as you have not served any time, nor faced any consequences for your actions. I suppose…"
"Magister, if I may?" Vexus interrupted. At Eximium's confirming nod, Vexus looked to Ignis. "I am willing to grant full pardon. As the affected party, it is within my rights to do so without exercising the authority of the Arcanum. In exchange, all that I ask is for you to tell us, to the best of your knowledge, where the man known as 'Orator' would have gone to ground. Since his escape from the Arx, we have had no word of his whereabouts." Seeing her uncertainty, Vexus nodded solemnly. "The pardon is yours, regardless. In recognition of your bravery and your service to Terminus, to Araevis, I could offer no less."
"Very well," Eximium murmured. "It seems the four of you are free to go. I'd like you to accept my apologies: in better circumstances, I believe you all would be deserving of public accolades. We all must respect the rule of law, however. Please allow them to recover any personal effects which were confiscated, including the boxes that were deposited here in the Librorum.
"Thank you all for your heroism. I hope that if we should ever meet again, that I can offer my words of praise in public."
Outcome
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