Chapter 4: A Helping Hand
As the brotherhood assembled in front of him, Lisbon noted they were seated in the same order they had when the election of the 5th Decree took place. He watched the faces of those who were most visible where he stood. Hiroto held his brooding face, Tadashi was speaking to a group of brothers behind his seat, Safiy looked calm and sat patiently whilst Sosuke sat turned to face the entire brotherhood. His eyes roamed over the room.
No, doubt making sure everyone is here, Lisbon thought.
The cave was packed and all the brothers had been instructed to wear their robes as per custom in important events like this one. Lisbon felt his heart race. They were once here and some of them voted for me. They trusted me, he thought wistfully. Were they now disappointed thinking they elected a killer? Or did they still have even a tiny spark of faith in him?
The last thought sent a warm feeling all over him, but as soon as he saw the voting booth set up behind The Oracle's and the empty High Priest seat it faded.
They should have voted for the High Priest by now, he thought.
Yes, but finding out the High Priest and some brothers were murdered and by a member of the 5th Decree, convinced them to deal with this first, a voice said in his head.
But I didn't do it, he retorted.
Well then, guess you have to do your best to convince them of that don't you?
He sighed and watched as The Oracle stood up and raised his hands for silence. The room fell quiet.
"Now," he said his voice deep and firm. "Most of you already know why we are gathered here at this very moment. This is a trial for the murders of the High Priest, members of the 5th Decree; Haruto and Soshi and Ken who was working in the medical rooms as a doctor. Previously, we believed Haruto and Soshi had died in a car accident, but new evidence shows that heart failure caused by a poison may have caused Soshi who was driving to lose control of the car. The same poison was discovered in Haruto's body. Standing in front of you now is Arata, the accused. Upon finding disturbing circumstantial evidence in his room, the leaders of the High Order voted for a trial. Now evidence gathered against him will be brought forward by Tadashi. Later Arata will be allowed to defend himself and be further questioned by the Keeper of Scrolls. If any of you have questions for him you may ask when permitted. If found guilty, Arata faces execution. We will start the trial with Tadashi bringing forward evidence against the accused."
He beckoned Tadashi to stand, and as he sauntered to where The Oracle was a murmur among the brothers grew. Lisbon looked at the ground in front of him his jaw clenched in determination. If whoever was framing him was watching him right now, he did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing him weak. He listened attentively to Tadashi retelling the story of how he had been voted to investigate alongside Lisbon and Ken after they found out that the High Priest had been poisoned.
From the counting table he brought a familiar box with him, and Lisbon's jaw clenched tighter. It contained the so-called murder tools that had been found in his room. Forcing himself to look up, he watched the others staring intently as the items were brought out once more. Just as he was about to look back down he noticed some heads had turned to face him. He kept his expression neutral and used all his will to hold their gaze.
The Oracle stood and gestured Tadashi to take a seat. He nodded politely and shuffled to his seat.
"We have heard the events that occurred from Tadashi's account. Now it is time for Arata to tell us his version."
Lisbon looked up and felt a feeling of dread as all heads had turned to regard him now. He straightened and looked around the room, and then he spoke.
"Fellow brothers, I found out about the death of the High Priest, brothers Haruto, Soshi, Sora and Ken the same time as everyone else. Ken approached me two days after the death of the High Priest and had me examine his body. I noticed two black spots at the corners of his mouth and asked Ken about them. He told me they were from a residue of a poison. This implied that the High Priest had been murdered. We decided not to tell anyone except for The Oracle of our findings lest we tipped off the poisoner.
The Oracle gave us permission to investigate and report back to him. He allowed us to dig up the bodies of brothers; Haruto, Soshi and Sora to check for signs of poisoning upon Ken's request. Indeed, Haruto and Soshi's bodies showed signs of poisoning, but Sora's did not, meaning his death had been natural. We gave this information to The Oracle who decided we let the 5th Decree in on the investigation.
It was deemed almost impossible to have just Ken and I investigate, so Tadashi was elected to carry a small team with him and collect more evidence. Today I was going to meet Ken at his office when I got a message that my presence was required in the meeting room of the 5th Decree. It is when I got there that I was accused of these crimes and found out that Ken had been murdered."
A long silence seemed to stretch in the cave, many contemplating Lisbon's account.
"Very well," The Oracle spoke. "We have heard Arata's side, now I call on the Keeper of Scrolls to question him." The Oracle nodded at the Keeper of Scrolls and took his seat as the old man made his way to where The Oracle had been standing. He turned to face Lisbon, his beady eyes studying him closely.
"Arata," he began. "You have been accused of murdering the High Priest, brothers; Haruto, Soshi and Ken. Do you deny having any involvement in their deaths?"
"I never killed them nor did them any harm." Lisbon was glad his voice had not betrayed how nervous he was.
"In your account, you said Ken came to you when he discovered that the High Priest had been actually poisoned. Why is that? Why did he not go to someone else, for example The Oracle with such big news?"
"I am a member of the 5th Decree, he trusted me. He also told me that he knew because of my line of work before I joined the High Order, I would easily recognize any anomalies in front of me, and I would easily understand them."
The Keeper of Scrolls nodded.
"Have you seen the tools that were found hidden at the back of your bed?"
Lisbon shook his head.
"No, the first time I saw them was when Tadashi showed them to us and I was not aware they were in my bedroom."
The Keeper of Scrolls chewed the side of his lip thoughtfully then spoke.
"One last question before I allow other brothers to ask their questions. When was the last time you saw Ken alive?"
"I saw him yesterday in the afternoon. We were discussing the jar containing the poison used in these murders. It was almost empty."
"Did you touch the jar at any point?"
"I . . . I don't know, I don't remember." His admission caused the room to stir and The Oracle had to stand up and raise his hands for silence.
"You don't remember?" the Keeper of Scrolls sounded surprised.
"I hadn't been paying attention to the fact that I might be accused of the murders!" Lisbon blurted. He soon regretted losing his temper there as he saw some of the brothers frown.
"Most of the time we wore gloves during the investigation. But before it even began, just after I was elected into the 5th Decree, Ken used to invite me into the archives to see all the amazing things that were in storage, there were so many I can't possibly remember them all. And yes I handled all of them. Ken was my friend," his voice then was so light and weak, for a moment he himself could not recognize it.
"Those are all the questions I had," the Keeper of Scrolls announced. "Do any of you have any questions for Arata?"
As soon as he asked the question, Lisbon counted three figures standing amongst the seated brothers. The Keeper of Scrolls beckoned them to step forward, and in the midst of the silence in the room, the rustling of robes could be heard.
"Aleksey," the Keeper of Scrolls said to one of the men. "We will start with you."
The man nodded politely and turned to face Lisbon. His face was calm and no hatred emanated from him. He cleared his throat and spoke.
"I have only one question for the accused," his voice heavily accented. Russian accent, Lisbon guessed. "What gave Ken the idea that the other brothers had been poisoned? Why not just assume someone was trying to assassinate only the High Priest? It seems to me a far stretch."
They looked at Lisbon expectantly.
"I don't know. I can't speak for the man but, I suppose he did it on a hunch. After discovering that the death of the High Priest was no natural misfortune, he might have taken a wild guess at the other members of the 5th Decree. It was what made him exceptional after all; he could see connections where others could not." Many heads nodded in agreement at his last words. Satisfied, Aleksey made his way back to his seat.
"Next I call on Anicho," the Keeper of Scrolls said.
Anicho had dark hair and was quite tall. He wasn't old at all but held a sort of surety in his manner. He smiled faintly at Lisbon before he asked his question.
"Why do you think Sora was not poisoned? He was also a member of the 5th Decree. Do you think perhaps the killer knew of his condition already? Did you?"
At the mention of his late mentor Lisbon felt his eyes moisten. He swallowed hard and forced back the tears that were threatening to spill. Not for the first time he wished he was still alive to help him through this. The Oracle had his hands tied because of his position. Though the brotherhood probably knew he would support his mentoree, though he would not flaunt it so openly. He looked at Anicho and found himself able to speak.
"I did not know of Sora's condition. He never told me and I am not surprised. He was never the sort of man who would admit to any weakness. I also do not know why the killer did not target him, perhaps it was for the same reason you said."
"Or it was because you couldn't bring yourself to poison your mentor!" a voice shouted from the seated brothers. Loud voices rang as they tried to identify the speaker. Lisbon felt his heart sink. This was what they thought then, he killed every one besides Sora because they knew he was like a father to him.
"Silence!" The Oracle's deep voice rang in his ears. The activities in the room came to a halt. His ears still rang well after he had spoken and he wondered if The Oracle had used any magic for the effect.
"The last question will come from Vince," the Keeper of Scrolls announced.
Lisbon could only stare in horror as the man strolled into view. His long sandy brown hair glimmered softly in the candlelit caves and was tied neatly at the back. He gave Lisbon a level look and then a sadistic grin played at his lips.
"Arata," he said silkily. "You yourself have admitted that the reason why Ken called you to investigate the body of the High Priest was because you were experienced in that field. Well then, how do we know that this was the very same advantage you had when committing these murders, so nobody could possibly consider you since you would be so close to the investigation?" He blinked impatiently at Lisbon.
Lisbon glared at him his mouth twisted in anger and frustration, but as the man's smile broadened his eyes widened and he clenched his jaw. His thoughts began to wander. Could it be that Vince was the one who was framing him? Under Hiroto's orders perhaps? No, though Hiroto had not been a fan of Lisbon joining the 5th Decree, he was one of the few who did at least consider that he was innocent.
Vince had always hated him, probably for surpassing him on his first year with the brotherhood. It must have hurt to spend so much time here to have a newbie considered for membership in the 5th Decree. He was just enjoying the moment now, proving his sentiments had been true. New members in the brotherhood should not be considered for leadership positions especially in their first year. Unclenching his jaw he returned Vince's level look.
"Sounds to me like you have given much thought to this Vince," he replied coolly. He was amused to see the malicious smirk on Vince's face turn to shock and then anger.
"Indeed, I find it strange there are no witnesses that tell us about any of Arata's activities. Not even the servants!" The speaker had been one of the world leaders seated behind the 5th Decree. As he spoke Lisbon saw Tadashi run a hand through his thick blonde hair looking uncomfortable. Looking back at the speaker, Lisbon noticed the striking resemblance of that thick blonde hair on the man's head. So that must be his father, he concluded.
"Ian is right," another voice at the back said. Lisbon could not see the speaker clearly as he was seated and his face in the shadows. "If he did indeed commit these murders and with his experience in his line of work, you would think he would do a better job of hiding the evidence!" murmurs rose as the brothers considered this.
"Oh yes indeed," another voice piped though this one had a sarcastic tone to it. "That is why his memory is suddenly so sketchy when asked about handling the jar containing the poison or how Ken, his friend conveniently turned up dead the morning he was detained." The murmurs turned to loud voices shouting over each other. The entire brotherhood was in an uproar and for a moment, Lisbon, Vince, the Keeper of Scrolls and The Oracle stared in astonishment. Then The Oracle as usual stood raising his hands for silence and shouted on top of the voices.
"Silence!" The room fell silent, and then he continued.
"I will now ask all to remain seated as the Keeper of Scrolls explains what will happen next. The Keeper of Scrolls turned to face the brotherhood.
"Now, we have reached the moment to pass judgment. The 5th Decree has informed me that they will allow this to be done through a vote since the nature of this case is . . . different. Without the presence of a High Priest who has the ability to overrule any judgment, the final count from the ballots will be the decision and the decision will be final. Every member is expected to participate, this includes the brothers who act as servants and guards as well. All members except of course the accused. We will start with The Oracle, then myself and then move to the 5th Decree and so forth. If the accused is found innocent, he will be given his freedom. However, if he is found guilty, he will be executed."
As he had so many months before, Lisbon watched as the brothers filed in single file to pick a ballot paper, have it inspected and then made their way to the voting booth. He realized he felt numb and the only thing that seemed to be working in his body was his heart which was beating furiously. Unlike the last time however, he had not been offered a seat, and he realized the numbness was from standing for hours during the trial.
And now he had to endure some more as he watched the brothers continue with their voting. Most of them did not look his way, and those who did, did not have friendly smiles. He heaved a sigh and felt his shoulders droop. This was the last time he might be alive, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had heard others defend him however, and that memory brought a trickle of hope back in him.
It was good to know some did not see him capable of being a monster. He had not seen the faces of most who had spoken in his defense, and as he watched the brotherhood now, he couldn't guess who they might have been either. For a moment he felt a pang of guilt. If he hadn't immediately become a member of the 5th Decree, he might have had a chance to get to know these men better and perhaps make new friends. But that was all too late now.
He was not sure how long he had stood staring at the brothers filing past him. He could not remember when the long line had ended or when The Oracle had announced that the Keeper of Scrolls would start counting the votes. His knees were weak and his calves throbbed in pain. His thighs felt cold and a painful icy chill ran through them and made him quiver. Just as he thought his body would give in to the fatigue, The Oracle announced that the results were ready. From somewhere, the last bit of energy he had made its way to him and he straightened a little and watched the Keeper of Scrolls announce the results.
"The votes are in and the final decision has been made," he said and then turned to face Lisbon. "Arata, you have been found guilty on all four murder charges placed against you and have been sentenced to execution. Your punishment will be carried out by dawn three days from now. Till then, you are to be kept in one of the cells at the bottom of the cave."
Wherever that last strand of energy he had found had come from, he felt it leaving making its way back there. He had no control of his body. He felt his knees buckle and knew he would hit the ground soon, but, the he never felt it and all he could see was darkness.
. . . . .
The meditation chamber was incredibly large. It was however, quite simple and not furnished at all. Compared to the other luxurious rooms Coleske had seen, it seemed out of place. But perhaps that made sense. This was a room where one was meant to focus internally; materialistic things did seem to be somewhat a distraction. None of the people in the Dragon Clan lived in poverty though.
Indeed, the riches of the royal ménage were immense, but even the people's worth was much more than he had ever seen the outside world possess. Yet, they preferred the simple life. The gold they gathered could be seen as a mere a addiction which their dragon side craved. Most of the people wore simple clothing with a gold button here and there, or a piece of jewellery with the precious metal. Some coated their entire part of the caves with it. If there were any squabbles amongst the people here, it was certainly never over wealth.
He turned his attention to the little girl who was now sitting in front of him. They sat on a soft carpet opposite each other but close enough. They had their legs crossed and their hands resting on their thighs. Not far from where they were seated were the Aurum king Urg and the Old Master. His advisors, he noted Elm and Rita were not present. He let out a sigh of relief. Rita was still as hateful as he had last seen her before he was sent to his solitude.
Elm, though not hateful brought with him no warm character either. He was always ignoring Coleske and when pressed to give him his attention, he would not show any interest at all. The Old Master on the other hand was a delightful man. Coleske later found out that he was a very close friend to the king though he was much older. His wise words were always considered before the king made any decision. Even after King Urg had had a fall out with his father as a boy, he had always found comfort in the presence of the Old Master.
Two guards were posted at the two large doors at the end of the room. Coleske returned his gaze on the girl in front of him. Her name was Mira and she did not possess any of the features of the dragon people. But this was because she was from one of the two tribes at the base of the mountain; the Dhaku and Zar.
It is said every one hundred years in the Dhaku tribe, a special child was born. They lived for a hundred years and when they died another was born. The child was a Kidaru or Devourer of the Mind as the locals put it. They had the ability to control the mind and share memories and thoughts by inserting them as visions in their target's mind.
During pregnancy, the mother would know she was carrying a Kidaru because already by that time the fetus would project images to the mother's mind. It was essential to keep the mother comfortable, well-rested and happy. This was to relax the child and train them while in their mother's womb to be able to relax on their own.
If not, it would become dangerous in a matter of time. At first, the child would project innocent images to the mother while still in the womb, and if the mother was not at rest or troubled, the images would become disturbing. If the situation was not handled properly, it would drive the mother to madness and eventually she would end her life.
The child would not die, but become a demon child and feed of her dead body until the elders of the tribe performed a cleansing ceremony of sorts to bring the child back. However, in some cases they were even forced to kill the child because it would grow powers so strong it would drive the entire tribe mad, until they too all killed themselves. It was with the help of the knowledge the Dragon Clan possessed that they were able to control the Kidaru. The Kidaru was invited to live and learn amongst the dragon people. And in this way, the alliance was formed.
The Zar tribe on the other hand was known to carry some individuals who had the ability to turn into dragons, or others who could not do it themselves but passed the ability on to their children or even grandchildren. With the treaty made with the High Order, those who turned too were invited into the mountain.
Coleske had been shocked to find out that before his arrival, this was where Princess Thiora had started spending most of her time. Though her parents were dragon people, she somehow had not inherited the ability. Her mother had died years ago from a fever she got in human form. She had been raised in the palace but had always been a quiet and shy child.
When she was old enough, the king let her out of the mountains to explore the villages below. She had been taken by the way of life of the Zareans. They lived a simple life away from all the dragons and teachings of being a dragon. It was something she could relate with. But since Coleske's arrival, she had hardly set foot there.
Even when he was in solitude, he found out, she had sometimes sneaked in pretending to be a guard bringing him food. The guards had discovered this but not told the king. But the gossip among the Dragon people spread as fast as a wild fire. He wasn't sure how he felt about her though. What he had with Sarah was . . . different, and it certainly felt too soon to be replacing her memories with someone else. He dreaded the day he would have to face this, but for now there other important matters that needed his attention.
"As promised Coleske, we only want you to show us all you know, and in return we will answer all your questions. At the same time, you will be training your mind for balancing the man and the beast. It will not happen in one day, but today is a good beginning," the Old Master said soothingly.
Coleske smiled at him and nodded politely. He turned and looked at Mira. "Shall we begin?"
She nodded and closed her eyes.
"I will need you to relax completely so I can enter your mind. Do not be scared," she commanded. Coleske swallowed and closed his eyes as well. He tried to calm himself but his heart seemed to be beating to a tune of a very fast moving marching band. Suddenly he was aware that he was not alone in his thoughts. He could tell it was Mira, though he was not sure how.
~Show me your life's story.
Mira's voice echoed in his mind. He soon found out that he could do this by simply allowing memories to return to him, at the same time he saw them so did Mira. She watched as the memories came from the earliest to the time he had finally arrived at the mountains. When memories of Sarah came up, he could feel Mira's pity and understanding projected to him. Though she was young, her eyes had been that of an old soul.
~You made a promise to free Kiyohime? You did not tell us this.
~I was not sure if you would help me if you knew the truth.
~What makes you think we will now?
~I know you want to avoid the world descending into madness as much as I do.
~Very well, it is your turn to ask me any question.
~What is the High Order of Monks? Who are they?
As soon as he asked the question, images flooded his mind. He understood that she was relaying memories of the Kidaru that had been alive during the visit of the High Order. He saw a small boy hiding behind his father as a group of orange robed men vandalized their caves. With them the carried bows and arrows coated with the same gold he had seen on the spears of the guards in the palace.
They wanted the secret of turning into dragons themselves. They could not find it as it was entrusted with only the Old Master who had been led to escape into a secret and secure chamber in the heart of the mountains. There was no way they could get to him, and the dragon people were willing to all lay down their lives before they let the High Order get to the magic of the dragon people.
From the hooded robed figures came a man who they referred to as the High Priest and he called for a truce. A few days later the same man returned with another older man whom he called The Oracle. The treaty was made and the dragon people were left alone. However, before the men left the mountain, The Oracle went to speak privately with the king. When the prophecy comes to pass, everything will change. If your people find the man who will fulfill it, you must inform us.
The king had nodded and watched as the two men left. He saw how the High Order over the years had accumulated so much power and incorporated itself everywhere in the world. They were strong but would not be impossible to take down. The dragon people wanted their freedom, and they were willing to lay down their lives once more.
~How do you know what goes on in the High Order?
He sensed amusement from Mira.
~We have people inside, though we are not the only ones. We knew what kind of young men they targeted to recruit and so we trained our own people to be reach their requirements. We have ways of relaying information to each other without the High Order knowing, not even The Oracle as powerful as he is.
~The Oracle, what is he? And what was the prophecy he spoke of?
~We do not know exactly the origins of The Oracle, his memories are protected. I cannot see them even when I enter his dreams.
She sounded a little annoyed.
~You can do that?
Colseke could not hide his surprise.
~Of course. The Old Master suspects he is from an ancient lost city in a kingdom called Kora. His features are consistent with what we think the Pudreans used to look like. As for the prophecy . . . only the Aurum king and the Old Master know of it. But I can tell you one thing, the king allowing you to live amongst us is no coincidence.
Coleske shivered. Did King Urg think he was the man to fulfill this prophecy? No! He couldn't. His reasons for being in the mountain were simple, take down the High Order, avenge Sara and free Kiyohime, not to fulfill some prophecy.
~I'm afraid things have got more complicated while you were here. I saw a man in your memories, a man you consider a friend, even a brother. Well, I'm afraid to tell you but he has joined the High Order and has been given a very high position as a member of the 5th Decree. Lisbon I think, though the High Order calls him by another name.
Lisbon? Coleske felt Mira absorbing the feeling of horror he had exerted on their mental connection. No, he couldn't. He wouldn't. Not Lisbon!
~I'm afraid it's true.
Mira sent sensing his disbelief.
~There is more. As I said, it is not only our people who have secretly embedded themselves in the High Order, I'm afraid your friend has been caught in the crossfire and may lose his life.
~We can't let that happen! I must go to him at once.
~I'm afraid we cannot let you do that. You already know too much about us and should the High Order capture you they would drain every last one of your memories of this place before they killed you. You are still a wanted man detective.
~I am no longer a detective, I know where I belong and it is here. But I can't just stand by and let someone else I care about die because of the High Order. There must be something I can do.
~The king will be pleased to hear this. And you are right, there are ways you can reach out to the outside world and protect your friend, people we can trust to carry out instructions given to them. The High Order has no allies, and soon all these opposing sides will clash and the world will never be the same again.
~You are talking about this kingdom of Kora and the city Pudre? Where is it?
~You still have time to learn about all that. For now, we must work on helping your friend the best we can. Next time we will begin your mental training.
He felt Mira fade from his mind and opened his eyes to find her smiling.
"Well that wasn't so bad was it?" she beamed.
. . . . .
The Oracle could hardly remember the last time anyone had been kept in the holding cell. He had seen enough guilty souls to appreciate the distinctive look of the innocent ones. The man the High Order was about to execute was definitely the latter. As his feet quietly pounded on the floor, he quickened his pace, his hand clenched tighter to the bundle it held, and the other stretched out the lantern he held to light his way.
There was very little time and this was the only chance he had to see Lisbon. As he made his way down the ragged staircase carved from the caves, memories of Lisbon first arriving in the caves came flooding back.
Lisbon had been nervous then, and very skeptic. He smiled to himself as he remembered how he himself had felt so uncomfortable under Lisbon's curious stares, no doubt Sora had told him about his age. The young man had been silent most of the time, only asking questions with his voice slightly above a whisper. Or perhaps that was his way of showing respect, The Oracle mused. A faint noise brought him back to the stairs. He swiftly turned and remained silent, but no noise came after that.
Satisfied that he wasn't being followed, he continued down the stairs. At the bottom, a long dark corridor led to the cellars. He began walking. There were no other prisoners down here, and he felt the tension of his body relax a little. He hadn't realized how much Lisbon had grown on him. I have two young sons, he mused, thinking back to the trip he had taken not long ago to see the young Gatekeeper.
He too had problems that had required The Oracle's attention. Something was making its way to The Underworld and its origins were unknown. When had arrived at The Gate, he had quickly made his way to The Valley of the Lost Souls. Though the journey was long, he had been glad to have come himself instead of sending someone else. Though the skeletal face of The Gatekeeper showed no emotion, his voice had betrayed signs of weariness and worry.
But that was to be expected of him. He was new and was still learning a lot of things. He hadn't been Gatekeeper for that long so his human emotions still had a power over him. Though he knew the power he now possessed, he could still be easily frightened by things he did not understand. But the discovery he had made in The Underworld was enough to make any old soul quiver.
From the energy of the world that lay beyond the scratching, came a wave of fear and despair. He could tell hundreds and thousands of souls were slowly scratching their way into The Underworld. Where had they come from? Why were they not at rest and carried so much anger with them? It was one of the very few mysteries even he did not have the answers to; like the origin of the universe, and the ability to create new life.
An invisible barrier was holding the two worlds apart in The Underworld. From where they had stood with The Gatekeeper, darkness had stared back at them beneath their feet. It was a long hollow hole, and invisible hands scratched away the surface. This is what troubled him as well. Though he knew these were souls, and they certainly felt human, he could not see them. He could sense their emotions, but not what they looked like. He had thought to himself then, there must be something back in the archives at the High Order that he could bring back and reveal their hidden secrets.
The journey back had been long and his mind was constantly riddled with images he could not understand. As they became clearer, he recognized them as the same images from his dreams; a golden throne, a forest and the face of a woman. They were getting more intense and somewhere from within him, he felt the deepest sorrow he could not fathom. At The Gate, just as he was about to leave, one word came from his mouth.
He couldn't remember where he had heard it from, and the more he thought about it, a faint buzzing sound muffled his brain, and a fog swept over his thoughts. Pudre. He shuddered at the memory. The moment he had said the word, the walls of The Underworld began to shake. For a moment he stood there staring at The Gatekeeper in astonishment. When the shaking had stopped, he had quickly made his way back to the High Order.
Arriving, he found Tadashi and the Keeper of Scrolls waiting outside his office with grave news. He hadn't believed it. But the evidence gathered against Lisbon had been strong. Was this a coincidence? He wondered. The moment The Underworld bore witness to strange occurrences, the High Order would fall? But all had not been lost.
In his mind a small voice whispered, what about the prophecy?
He frowned.
Could it be that these events were leading to that moment? He knew the words of the prophecy by heart, but he had much more urgent matters to attend to now. As he finally reached Lisbon's cell, he placed the lantern next to the barred door and reached for the keys in his pocket. Taking care not to make a lot of noise, he unlocked the door. He picked up the lantern and stepped into the small room.
. . . . .
"Taisei," Lisbon murmured his voice strained. As The Oracle entered his cell, a warm feeling of relief had swept over him. He hadn't seen another soul since the trial and that had been three days ago. The darkness of the cell had been overwhelming. They had taken his robes from him and given him simple clothing. He hadn't had food, nor had he had a decent shower in days. His face itched from the small stubble that was growing on his jaw. He had cursed himself for putting off cutting his hair.
Now he would never have a chance and the bangs kept falling to his face. He snorted quietly. Here he was, a man condemned to die worried about vanity. His eyes squinted as the light from The Oracle's lantern shone brighter. Before he could speak, The Oracle grabbed his hand and brought him to his feet.
"Get up!" he whispered. "We haven't much time!"
"Where am I going? Is . . . is it time?" Lisbon asked a lump growing in his throat.
"Almost," The Oracle said. He handed Lisbon a small bundle. "But you will not be here to see it. Everything you need is in there. I have arranged your first transportation for you."
Lisbon's eyebrows rose and he stared at the old man. "You're helping me escape?" he breathed, his voice loud.
"Well, go on then, and tell the rest of the High Order won't you?" The Oracle hissed.
Lisbon shook his head apologetically. "Thank you," he said. The Oracle smiled at him. He embraced him for a moment and then closed his eyes. From the walls of the prison cell, a young woman of Asian descent appeared before his very eyes. She was stunning, but seemed to be very young.
"This is Kiyohime," The Oracle said. "We haven't much time for proper introductions. In a few hours the guards will come to take you. You must leave now and follow the instructions I have left on the letter I wrote you. It is inside. Now go!"
"Will I ever see you again?"
"Everything we know is about to change. Everyone has a destiny and a role to play in all this. So do you. But the High Order is and always will be your family, though at the moment that may not seem as such. I will bring you back home. But now, you are much safer away from here. Go well Arata. "
Lisbon nodded and allowed the strange young woman to grasp both his hands. He held the small bundle under his armpit. As the world around them began to dematerialize, he looked back at The Oracle once more, and then he was gone.