The doorway this time opened to Luka's chamber quietly, gracefully, and peacefully in the morning, but unlike before, the intent was pure.
It was opened by a person who was trying not to wake him, not take him, and he knew exactly who it was.
Pretending to keep his eye lids closed but now awake, he saw Calysa bring in a tray with a steaming mug of honey tea and buttered bread which she put at his bedside dresser.
She looked down at him and smiled, and she tucked his silver blanket tight to his bare and cold shoulder as she tucked her dark hair around her ear.
As she turned to quietly leave and let him sleep in peace, he touched her arm, not wanting her to leave his presence.
"Cali," he said to her, his eyes now open and smiling back.
She took a seat at the foot of his firm bed, and delightfully folded her arms which were beneath sky coloured silk pyjamas. "I tried not to wake you," She said to him through a morning smile, a smile which resembled a rising morning sun.
Luka shook his head, telling her not to worry. He sat up and took the hot mug in his hands, and sipped, thanking her for bringing him his breakfast as he nibbled on the sweet fruity bread.
The two sat in comforted silence for several moments, both just happy to have a moment of peace amidst the chaos. Luka realized it was what she was trying to accomplish by bringing him breakfast. It was no doubt something her mother Molixma did for her, and she for Molixma and her brother. Both now gone.
She just wanted to do something normal. To feel that her previous life of paradise and peace could still happen again one day, and could happen even during all the commotion. Her life of learning at school, lounging with friends, drinking at pubs, playing Viking.
And bringing the ones she cared for sweet meals.
As they sat there in his chamber together, Luka realized he hadn't talked to her privately about the trial. About his involvement of her people's siege. He sat straighter and cleared his throat.
"Calysa I..." He began, breaking through her peace, thinking back to Orconia City and his role in Lleyton's ambush. "Everything Julien accused me of, it's true. I plotted your people's genocide, how to detain everyone. I deserve to stand trial. Their blood is on my hands. Mikkael's blood, on my hands..."
While Luka thought he had a good heart, and put his life on the line for the Orca people more times than he could count, he learned a simple truth during his adventure east and constantly being betrayed by others, and making mistakes of his own. That good things do not undo the bad, nor do the bad undo the good.
Calysa looked to her feet, and to her own mug of tea. The leaves settling in at the bottom of her golden cup.
"I don't think Julien will continue the trial, not until Goddard returns with Maeve, or with good news, or both, but if he does, I need you to promise me you won't interfere," Luka said forcefully, not wanting any further divisions between the people because of him. When Goddard returned, they would need everyone to fight as one, against Solan and the Dark.
"Luka, I've known all along."
Luka looked into Calysa's eyes, stunned.
"But do you know who I saw running to try and collect those rifles from the fish at our Champion's Feast, before the Outlanders? Not the person who created the plan and wanted to fulfil it. I saw someone who created the plan and tried to put a stop to it. Who tried to right a wrong."
Luka blinked several times. She was indeed the caring and clever Calysa he always knew. While Eeva was eccentric and ethereal and shrouded in mystery, Calysa was as open a book as they came. As open as an Orca was supposed to be.
"I am under no illusion threats were coming for us anyways. But you seem to be under the illusion that you haven't minimized them considerably."
"But Mikkael, Calysa. I led him right into Markus' hands, into the Labyrinth. Led him there and threw him into Markus' arms myself."
A flash of guilt stuck into him so strongly he had to brace himself on the bed with his hands as he said the boy's name again. He realized he had the exact solution at his waist to kill Markus earlier. Instead, he sacrificed a child to prolong the Orcas survival, when another solution was an arm's length away. He felt like puking.
She shook her head indignantly at him. "Mistakes do not warrant a death sentence. Mikkael... was a tough call, Luka. If you didn't push him into that tunnel, we'd probably all be dead. Hundreds of Orcas the same age as Mikkael would have been dead. But maybe we deserve to be if we sacrifice younglings... I don't know. I don't know, Luka. I don't know."
As she stood to exit and let the Wolf ponder to himself privately, she said to him, "What I do know is you need to learn to stop blaming yourself for everything that goes wrong. To start believing in yourself, the same way we all believe in you. Eeva knew this too, even though she didn't always show it. We know mistakes will be made along the way. No one has been able to have a practice run at Armageddon. So no, Luka. This thing you ask of me, I cannot promise."
As she left him in her wake, he thoughtfully and painfully and shakily sipped on his mug and weighed her words. Her words were like Laplan's when he scolded him, only kinder and more delicate.
Luka finally unwrapped himself of his silver sheets after finishing the small meal Calysa brought him, and pulled on the Orca uniform Eeva had provided him, smoothing his hair and tightening his boots. He ran his fingers along the cool steel of his Orca Leader lapel as he looked at himself in a dusty mirror. The trinket looked silly now that he was stripped of the role because of the trial and his remaining at the Eastern Outpost, yet he would continue to wear the badge proudly. He would wear it until he heard the words from Eeva herself that they didn't want him to lead.
He rolled away his chamber door and walked to the main cavern.
All of the non-Orca citizens were now outside, hunting or lounging or breathing the fresh air, while half of the Orca citizens remained within. The main gate was wide open, sentries on the perimeter of the people in case the battered Outlanders who licked their wounds foolishly returned, as the beautiful rising sunlight crept into the cavern but first bounced off the trees.
Luka uneasily walked through the people, their eyes glued to him, as he looked for his friends on the outside.
When his boots reached the green grass after scaling the metal steps, he was overjoyed to see his friends sitting with each other, a picnic blanket beneath them and foods that each province had brought spread amongst it. He saw Signey squeal as Talia gave her a Tiger delicacy that tasted so strange to the Bear, while Tristan and Laplan were playing a slapping game which ended in Tristan losing each time, clearly a game from New Felix.
When his friends spotted him at the opening, they saluted giddily, with drinks in their hands and their arms around each other, waving for him to join them, the picnic blanket forming a mosaic of all the cultures of Gaiathal except for the Orcas and Wolves.
Before he could, the marching of metal steps echoed behind him, an army of feet stampeding out from the cavern. Luka turned towards it.
And it was an army. It was the Orca army, the talented New Gen soldiers at the front, and at the front of them, a smiling Julien, donned in his beautiful blue armour.
"You thought this was over? Arrest him," Julien said, soldiers obeying and putting Luka's hands behind his back, Luka not resisting.
Luka recognized one of the soldiers now putting his hand behind his back. She had seen Luka kill Markus with her own eyes, yet she did what was commanded. And Luka couldn't even hate her. The mounting guilts for the things he had done, both intentionally and unintentionally, began to melt away at the thought that he didn't deserve this. Mikkael's little face flashed in his mind every so often, reminding him that he did indeed deserve a noose.
"I'm sorry, Luka," The soldier whispered into his ear, sharing one of the same thoughts Luka just had.
Beyond Luka's friends, he saw it wheeled in by soldiers in the distance. And he shut his eyes tightly.
It was the same apparatus that Luka had used to hang Julien's father Braxus, standing ominously within the meadow and lightening sky in the green forest of palm trees.
By now, Luka's friends, and everyone for that matter, had seen the commotion and what was happening - again.
Luka's friends jumped up with haste, and rushed to their people, to deliberate and inform, their stranded picnic an eery juxtaposition of what was happening.
As Luka was led to the meadow opening, towards the rope and noose that swung lightly in a breeze, the entire population ascended towards it, forming a crowd and watching on to see the conclusion of the trial.
For the third time, Luka was chained to a seat that sat only meters from his death sentence.
Julien clearly wanted a quick verdict, and a quicker conclusion.
While the Orca population made the bulk of the middle crowd, the much smaller group of Ravens, Tigers, and Bears stood at the perimeter, Luka able to see each of his friends with their people now.
Julien put a hand in the air, and the people took a seat in the soft green grass. "We continue the trial of Luka Fenria."
Calysa ran forth from the cavern opening and into the meadow, now dressed in her Orca military outfit, skidding through the ground with steadfastness.
"I veto," She yelled at Julien and into the crowd. "I veto your decision."
Julien looked at his province's Host, and with a smirk said to her, "We are not barbarians, here, Calysa. We have laws."
Calysa rolled her eyes in exasperation as Julien went through all the formalities.
He yelled, "As second in command of the New Gen after Eeva Alva, and therefore the Interim Leader of Orconia, my sentence for the treasonous and traitorous Luka Fenria, the Last Wolf, is death."
The crowd was silent as they watched on, especially the Orca soldiers who had seen Luka fight for them yet again, even killing the mad Markus. The Ravens and Bears and Tigers stood uncomfortably where they stood.
"This cannot proceed. Goddard and Eeva saw through this, they saw who Luka truly is. They would declare him innocent," Calysa shouted at Julien.
"Goddard is not here. Eeva is not here. In their absence, the law is clear. We move through convictions at the Leader's behest, and make do with what council we have available. And that Leader... is me. And that council, is you."
Those unfamiliar with Orconian Law were unaware with what was about to happen, but those that knew the law knew what was about to transpire. Including Luka and Calysa as they shut their eyes tightly in place.
Don't interfere illegally, Calysa, He thought to himself. Please.
Calysa vetoed angrily with her fist in the air.
A majority formed the veto, which was Calysa, one hundred percent of the council eligible to veto.
And it moved to a vote between Calysa and Julien.
Julien voted death yet again, while Calysa voted innocence.
The crowd murmured, as a majority of them finally realized what happened next.
That a majority of them would now decide Luka's fate.
The vote would now move to the people.
Julien smiled at Calysa and Luka, as his soldiers began handing out ballots to every Orconian citizen, Luka awaiting his fate by a number that would be counted and read aloud.
Julien, Calysa, and Luka watched as the Hosts came forth, with leaders from their Outpost.
Rosaya and Tristan were joined by Indira, the Raven leader of their folk. Tristan and Talia were joined by a second ranked skinny priest of the Tigers named Tika, Talos not making the journey. Signey and Adrian were joined by a short and stocky woman named Boinla. All nine of them appeared to form a consensus before they approached Julien.
The mild mannered Tika stepped forth before Julien. "Orca, I come to you with all due respect, and thanks for allowing us into your fortress. If the Judgement that comes from the west is true, if the evil Solan returns, if we must deal with the remaining Outlander army, we will only follow the Wolf."
Luka looked on, shocked, as Indira stepped forth from the Ravens next. Julien appeared amused.
"The Wolf is the natural leader in what is to come. He cannot put his people first before others, as he has no people. None share his blood. It is destiny and fate that he survives, to lead all the Gifted, not just a single tribe. It is the right play, the only play, and we will not follow anyone else. We ask you retract this outlandish death sentence of a boy who has sacrificed so much," Indira said.
Luka's friends and Calysa watched on, nodding in agreement.
Julien, to everyone's surprise, smirked and adopted a rude tone with the guests he gave sanctuary the night before. "Once this Wolf is killed, there won't be any more threats. But just in case what the Ravens saw in the west is coming, we will make our new home here, which unfortunately for you, is too small for all of us."
The Hosts looked on, their hearts sinking at the words, Luka slumping in his chair even more defeated.
Everything they had done and sacrificed, about to be undone by Julien.
"I now command the largest, most elite Gifted army on this planet. What can your farmers do against us?"
For all Julien's faults, Luka had underestimated how smart he was. He was cunning, and planned his own agenda while Luka was so preoccupied by more pressing enemies.
Julien was right. The rural citizens were no match for the Orca army which outnumbered everyone, and were better trained.
Luka watched the dejected Ravens and Tigers and Bears return to the bulk of their people on the perimeter. Calysa tried her best to console them, to be diplomatic, to inform them their new leader did not reflect the people's views, but they would believe it only when they saw it reflected in the Orca's vote.
A vote that would be next on Julien's political agenda, after Luka swung from his noose. He would declare the non-Orcas to leave, Calysa would veto, and then when Julien's and Calysa's inevitable split-vote happened yet again, democracy would decide whether the non-Orcas could stay.
Luka and Calysa watched on nervously and anxiously as the Orconian citizens scribbled onto their ballots with black and red pens to decide Julien's first verdict, Luka's fate, some looking up before they wrote to look Luka in the eyes, some averting them completely as they made their mark upon the sheet.
The leader of the rural Orconian Outpost, named Olaf Foreena, oversaw the vote, the most neutral party that Julien and Calysa both agreed to. Beneath a funny blue cap and dirt covered and rusty armour, the slender man and a select group of rural Orcas collected each ballot, one-by-one, walking up and down the people who handed their papers back to them.
After a half hour, all of the ballots had been cast and submitted to Olaf, while him and a dozen of his rural Orcas began counting the ballots.
Calysa's heart thumped in anticipation, and Luka's racing thoughts jumped from one to the other as fast as Solan had snatched Eeva from them.
Could a majority truly vote me to death? Could a majority truly vote me to live?
Calysa and Luka and all of the Hosts froze in place as the count was finalized. Olaf handed Julien a piece of paper, his face not revealing a hint of the final result.
Julien took the piece of paper in his hands, and before he read it, looked to his people with a confident glare, and then to Calysa and Luka with the same confidence and an additional smirk. It was as if he knew the answer before he needed to read it. It was as if he knew something Calysa and Luka did not.
He slowly flipped the page and examined it, and like Olaf, did not show any sign of what it read.
Five whole seconds passed of Julien's emotionless staring at the page, five seconds that felt an eternity to Luka. But on the sixth second, a smirk formed at Julien's lips.
No, Luka could only think to himself as he hung his head. No, no, no.
"52% have voted guilty. 48% have voted innocent," Julien said loudly, the crowd gasping, the rural folk stirring uncomfortably.
Luka watched on dazed, his ears ringing as soldiers came to his side to ready him for his noose and his end. He looked to the perimeter for his friends, to see their faces, to see their reactions, praying that they stayed put, not risking themselves for him. But they were no where to be seen.
Where were they? Luka guessed they simply couldn't watch their friend and hero executed before their eyes.
As Calysa started to march towards Julien, towards her spineless soldiers that dragged Luka to the noose, to fight them with her bare hands, an inexplicable force tugged at her sleeve.
Luka stood on the platform of the death apparatus, his hands chained behind his back, shining still as a statue in his Orca uniform, proudly. A part of him was glad he was wearing it. He was glad the people that condemned him to death would see him die wearing the Orca lapel and the gold and blue. He made terrible mistakes, but he kept true to his original promise to the Orcas; that the choices he made would be what he believed were the best choices to keep them safe.
His knees shook as he stood on the shaking platform. As the soldiers put the rope around his neck, the fabric burning at his flesh and neck as it tightened in preparation, he thought of Braxus, the man he sentenced to die in the same way, and empathized with the man. He was scared.
Julien walked up to Luka slowly and menacingly. His smile not fading.
"What was it you said to my father before you killed him? 'Now's the time if you have anything left to say'," Julien remarked and clicked his tongue. "Well, now's the time for you."
"I'm sorry, Julien," Luka said to Julien, sincerely. "For everything."
Even Julien did not think Luka was begging for his life. It wasn't Luka's way. He was apologizing, but he was not begging for mercy. He couldn't let Julien have that victory.
"You're not. Not yet," Julien said without his smile this time. "When I tighten this rope, and you hang here, knowing this could have been prevented, then you'll be sorry."
As Julien readied to kick the apparatus and let gravity and the rope kill the lone Wolf, Luka stopped him with a glare. A glare that froze Julien in place. It would be his last thought, and his last words.
"Save Eeva, Julien," He said to him. "If you're not going to let me save her."
The words angered the Orca.
To Luka, Julien killing him was evidence that he didn't value Eeva nearly enough, or that Julien knew he was not as capable as Luka to save her. Luka couldn't tell if it was the former reason, the latter reason, or both, that caused his angered eyes of red.
It didn't matter now. Nothing mattered. Luka braced himself as Julien lunged with his foot to tighten the noose.
The last sight he would see was Calysa off to his left. To him, it seemed she too could not bear to watch her friend exit this world, as she slowly made her way to the beach and rising sun.