(1)
Several days later, and in the absence of the Kings raining fire down upon them, Kell let herself relax. Nul had recovered quicker than expected, likely due to the fact that Karyn had bullied Nul into eating real food for a change. She even convinced them to have multiple meals per day.
In between the forced feedings, Nul sequestered themself away in their workshop, pouring over the stacks of tomes they had copied from the archives. Kell didn't know, or even understand, the specifics, but Nul was as happy as Kell had ever seen them. They had already started drawing out the King's etchings on great sheets of parchment paper tacked up all over their workshop.
Darling and Karyn had continued on as though nothing had happened. Darling attended meetings, spent late nights pouring over reports and ledgers, and hosting dinners to solidify new relations which, somehow, now included Commander Orlas, General Ahndor, and occasionally Queen Al'Feare.
Karyn had effectively become Darling's shadow, acting as equal parts assistant and advisor. Given that Kell was officially Uhlara's representative Champion, she had become Darling's de facto bodyguard. Kell wouldn't have worried much about Darling's safety if it weren't for Roran's escapades with the agents of Uhlara and the Esmun Republic.
Lately, Roran had been getting back to work for Pelkha and the Kings, though most of that now revolved around babysitting the Prince and attending meetings to suss out what the infiltrators were actually up to. Roran had briefed them a few times on the popular theories but, from what Kell could gather, nobody really knew what was going on.
So Kell pushed it to the back of her mind and focused on spending time with Karyn and Darling, enjoying the togetherness before it came to its inevitable end.
"What do you mean you're leaving?" asked Darling when Kell finally broke the news to her.
They were in Darling's office, a normal sized room that felt small due to all of the large furniture inside, including an oversized couch, polished wooden coffee table, and two desks, one for Darling and one for Karyn.
"There are a couple of things we need to go find," said Kell. "Put away the puppy eyes, we're not leaving soon. Nul still needs to figure out how the King's Crowns work and Sarah is collecting information from her people. It will be another month or two before we're ready to head off."
"And you'll be searching for crowns of your own?" Darling asked. They had given her a brief rundown of their situation and their plans, but a lot of the details had been left out.
"We call ours blades," said Kell. "You know, as in-"
"Assassination, yes, I see. And you need to leave to find them?"
"Nul has to forge them out of remnants, powerful ghosts that are still lying around in the world. Sarah's people hunt them but...lyhlims aren't exactly combat oriented, so the stronger ones are left to rot. we'll be going after them either to turn them into a blade or put them to rest."
"And you can't do that here?" Darling asked, her voice hopeful.
"The only remnants around here are in the arena, and we're responsible for a good number of them. I don't think getting them to work with us is the best idea."
"Okay," said Darling, deflating. She glanced over at Karyn who was skimming through some documents. "Karyn and I will have to manage without you."
Kell glanced over at Karyn, who hadn't so much as paused in her review.
"Karyn will likely be coming with us."
"Oh? Is that true?" Darling asked.
Karyn finally looked up from the document. "I'm not sure. We don't need to make any hard decisions right now. Still working on other problems."
The answer so thoroughly surprised Kell that she was stunned speechless.
"What problems are you working on?" she asked hesitantly.
"Roran problems, Darling problems. These are going to escalate before you can go hunting blades. After all of that is settled, you should be free and clear to focus on your main goals."
"Okay..." said Kell. She gave Darling a look who only lifted her shoulders in a delicate shrug, clearly as perplexed as Kell.
Catching their odd looks, Karyn put down the paper and smiled. "Sorry, I don't mean to be ominous, I've just spent a fair amount of time reading cards and casting smoke over the last couple of weeks. Everything will work out as it's supposed to. At least, it should. Oh, that reminds me." She started rifling through her desk. Pulling out a thick envelope, she handed it to Karyn. "Can you give this to Nul for me when you stop at the apartment?"
Kell accepted the envelope. It must have contained several pages worth of letters. The sides were almost splitting and the flap had been glued into place.
"Did you write them a novel?"
"Just some notes I jotted down for them during my divinations."
"Anything else?" Kell asked, amused. Karyn had always been full of surprises, but they were usually good ones.
"Well, I should probably go get ready to greet Orlas. He'll be here in a few minutes."
"You can predict the moment he'll arrive?" said Darling. "I didn't know tarot could do that."
"Yes and no. Reading the cards will not tell me when he'll arrive, reading the clock will." She pointed at the clock standing in the corner. "Orlas is perpetually five minutes early to every appointment, and five minutes late to every social gathering. Since this is a casual dinner, we have about ten minutes before he walks through the door."
"Oh," said Darling, then, "Oh!" as she realized what time it was. "I should also freshen up."
Karyn left her desk, paused to kiss Kell, then left, heading towards the bedroom Darling had assigned to her and Karyn. Darling also rose but paused before leaving the office.
"Your wife is quite talented," said Darling. "I'm very proud to call her my sister."
Kell grinned. "Yeah, she's amazing."
"When we first started working together, I was dubious about her claims to mysticism, but now I'm honestly convinced she can read the future."
"Funny, I felt the same way. Time and time again, she's managed to surprise us all."
"Indeed, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for the commander's arrival. Will you be joining us for dinner?"
Kell shook her head. "Nah, if you two are in good hands, then I'll take the evening to myself. There's somewhere I've been meaning to visit for a while. I'll be back tonight though."
(2)
While Darling went to preen herself for the dinner with Orlas, Kell wandered downstairs to the sitting room where Karyn was settling the Commander in with a drink. Kappa, Orlas's ever present hound, resplendent in its polished armor, sat near his feet, its eyes tracking every little movement Karyn and Kell made.
"I feel like I'm seeing you almost everyday, Kell," said Orlas.
"Getting tired of me already?" Kell teased.
"Hardly, you and yours are a constant source of entertainment. Roran's little stunt with the Prince was priceless. Honestly, it's something I would have accused you of doing."
"It's something she has done," said Karyn. "Multiple times."
Orlas barked out a laugh. He'd always been easy going and genial. Sometimes, Kell even managed to overlook the fact that he'd abandoned her and her friends to die in the frozen peaks of Uhlara.
"I believe you're the only one that manages to stay out of trouble," Orlas said to Karyn.
"Hardly. Just keeping a watch on Kell gets me into trouble. I once had to stowaway on a military ship because of them."
Orlas's eyes lit up and he latched onto the bit of gossip like a dog with a bone. Kell got the distinct impression that Orlas loved playing chaperone to the nobles as much as he loved being a soldier. One activity likely fed into the other for him.
"I'm surprised you managed to sneak aboard. I imagine it was for a short trip."
"Not at all," said Karyn. "I was onboard for over a week."
"You jest! What poor fool carried a stowaway on his ship for over a week? No, don't tell me, I want to guess. Was it Delas?"
"No," said Karyn, grinning.
"How about Captain Rainor?"
Karyn shook her head. "Wrong again. You keep thinking, I'm going to see my wife out."
Kell nodded to Orlas, who was too busy trying to figure out which fool let Karyn sneak aboard their ship to notice, and headed for the door with Karyn by her side.
"Off to the baths?" asked Karyn.
"Yeah, it's been a while since I've had a good soak. I'll come back this evening."
"Enjoy, and say hi to Dez for me." She leaned in to kiss Kell, gripping onto her shirt and pressing her body against Kell full force. Kell wrapped her up in a hug, squeezing her tightly and kissing back just as hard.
Karyn had been extra affectionate the last few days. She'd been extra affectionate ever since her duel with Timara. Not that Kell minded. Karyn had been so busy helping Darling and playing advisor that they hadn't enjoyed as much time together as before, and Karyn seemed intent upon making up for that lost time with extra love and affection whenever they were in close proximity.
"Have fun, be good, know that I love you," said Karyn.
"Love you too," Kell murmured, buzzed from the physical contact.
And then they were apart, Karyn turning back inside to attend to her newfound duties and Kell heading off to enjoy an evening in the baths. She moved slowly through the city, feeling relaxed as she went. She'd forgone the sword today in favor of a small axe that banged against her hip, though she still had her usual bracer and prosthetic hand.
She stopped in at the apartment, dropping off the bulging envelope and checking in on Nul. While they were visible for a change, they were still sequestered away in their workshop, pouring over the notes and diagrams.
"Any luck?" Kell asked.
"I don't need luck," said Nul, their eyes never leaving their diagrams. "I have a detailed map of everything we need. Luck is for those who don't have options, we now have plenty."
"So we'll be ready to go remnant hunting soon?"
Nul shrugged a single shoulder, their spiderweb markings twisting with the gesture, as though they were the strings controlling Nul's body.
"I'm still concepting godspells for you and Roran. Once I better understand how the King's Crowns work, and the best way to dismantle them, then we'll go remnant hunting. Relax and enjoy time with your sister. Besides, Roran will need to quit his job before we can leave, and I have a feeling that's going to be a painful process."
"His problem more than ours," said Kell.
"One we'll all share in resolving," said Nul.
Satisfied, Kell left Nul to their brooding and headed back out into the street, passing Queen Ambrose on the way down the stairs. The two paused to glare at each other. Though the Queen's coachman glanced between the two, his gaze taught with anxiety, neither of them said anything. Kell was tempted to harass the irascible woman but decided that riling her up before visiting Nul would only make things worse. So Kell left without saying a word. There was every possibility that Nul would spin up a shroud and become invisible, avoiding their mother altogether.
Kell completed her journey when she finally arrived at a bathhouse set into the upper side of Mount Vassilis. Dez was inside, working the counter as always. Kell had once asked her if she ever took a day off and she'd responded by asking if Kell ever went anywhere unarmed.
"Good to see you, Dez," said Kell.
"And you Squall. Your life has been rather hectic these last couple of years."
"Tell me about it. I swear, all of my troubles started when I pulled Roran out of the arena."
"Aye, and you seem to be much happier for it."
Kell laughed. "I can't argue there. That kid has certainly made my life interesting."
"He's not much of a kid anymore. The last time I saw him, he almost looked like a proper man. He's grown a lot and aged quickly."
"Being a Champion will do that to you."
"Then why do you still look like a child," Dez teased.
Kell made a rude gesture, then went around the counter to give Dez a hug. Between traveling, losing her hand, and dealing with Timara, Kell hadn't been able to enjoy her friends as much as when she'd been messing around in the Crucible. Part of her missed those days.
"Top floor?" Dez asked when they separated.
"That would be lovely."
Dez grabbed a handful of bottles and passed them to Kell. "Number eighteen, all the way at the end."
Kell, who had memorized the location of every tub in the entire bathhouse, merely nodded and accepted the bottles. She worked her way to the top floor, enjoying the muggy heat and the sweet scents of the soap that permeated the building.
Secluded off in the corner of the bathhouse, Kell found a door marked '18' and she settled inside. Memories of coming here with Roran slowly bubbled to the surface. This was the place where she and Roran had first laid themselves bare, both literally and figuratively. It was here that Roran had seen her scars and got his first glimpse of what it meant to be a Champion.
They had come so far since then, and they still had so far to go. But Kell felt confident that everything was going to work out. They had an entire family now, and they were comfortable with each other. They were able to take on whatever challenges the world threw at them.
Kell upended some of the bottles into the steaming bath and slipped inside, groaning as the heat worked its way into her muscles. She stared out the open window looking out on King's City. Despite all of her loathing for the Kings, she loved this city, she loved its people. The rulers were rotten, as was the case for most empires, but the heart of the city was pure gold.
Kell lazed there in the water, feeling content and relaxed, and watched the shadows begin stretching across the city as the sun crawled behind the mountains. She watched as the light flickered and something bloomed upward into the sky, a red and orange swirling mass that turned black at its apex.
Seconds later, the rumble of thunder reached her ears. Another dozen blooms rose up to the sky, and then the vibrations hit, rocking the bathhouse, and even more columns of swirling red flames reached up to the sky as explosions blossomed across the city.
(3)
Nul's workshop was a mess. Even on the best of days, calling it tidy was a misnomer. But today it was an utter mess. Sheets of paper hung from every wall, tacked over each other in layer after layer of sprawling designs. More papers covered the ground like snow, slowly drifting into piles near the corners and under the table.
The bookshelves and workbench were also cluttered with papers and diagrams. The single clear space was taken up by Akanos's Amulet, currently showing a perfect recreation of a tome from the King's archives. Nul was painstakingly copying the pages of the book onto a large sheet of paper pinned to the wall, just as they had done dozens of times before, slowly recreating the tomes they'd stolen.
"If I could pull up multiple books," Nul began.
So ungrateful! Akanos snapped.
"I'm just saying. I wouldn't have to draw every single page if I could cross reference multiple books at the same time."
The act gives you time to memorize the patterns yourself. It's best to know the information inside and out rather than having to rely on the source material.
"I'm not memorizing two dozen books worth of diagrams!"
Akanos sniffed.
Nul settled back into the routine of copying the designs. It took most of an hour to fill a single page, and that was after Nul had become proficient at the process. They only took a break when Kell visited and dropped off a bulging envelope from Karyn. Nul had slipped it into their clothes and promptly forgotten about it, going back to work the moment Kell was gone.
This work is the most horrible bit of metaphysical engineering I have ever seen, both good and bad.
"It's certainly complex."
Not particularly, what it does more than anything is take simple patterns and raise them up to an unbelievable scale. The most complex thing built into the design is the immortality aspect.
"That's a rather important piece of the puzzle."
Yes, but not an insurmountable one. The bigger question is how you'll get close enough to the Kings to undo it.
"A problem for the future. First, we need to learn how to undo it, if we even can."
There was a painfully familiar knock on the door and Nul winced, their hand going off track and marring the careful bit of detail they had been drawing, the ink running sideways where it should have run up and down. Nul let out a sigh and wiped the mark away with their thumb, their etchings removing the ink with ease.
Nul straightened as the knock came again and Nul put down their pen, left the workshop, and carefully closed and locked the door behind them.
Letting yourself get distracted?
"I can't keep ignoring this problem," said Nul, softening their voice so nobody else would hear the one-sided conversation.
And what is so important that our foray into godhood must wait?
"My mother," said Nul, and they crossed the room to open the door. Amus had raised his fist to knock again and continued holding his hand up in surprise, looking as though he were ready to strike Nul.
"Yes?" Nul said.
"Child of mine," said Nul's Queen mother. "Good to see you."
"And you, would you like to come in?"
Vivienne hesitated, as though she were being asked a trick question. After a pause, she said, "Yes I would."
Nul moved aside and their mother and her coachman entered the apartment.
"Care for some tea?" Nul asked. "Or water? I'm sure Kell has booze lying around somewhere if that's what you're interested in."
"I'm fine...thank you..." said Vivienne. "I...you're being awfully hospitable today."
"I've had a good day," said Nul. "And Kell reminded me that I shouldn't put up with anyone's crap anymore."
"She didn't give you a 'coming into your own power' spiel did she? I heard so many of those growing up, they're all full of self-righteous garbage. Nobody can change the life they're born into, they can only change the way they handle it."
"Normally, I would agree with you," said Nul, pouring themself a glass of water. "However, there are certain exceptions."
"Such as?"
"Such as the Kings," said Nul. "And their chosen."
Vivienne rolled her eyes. "Those are grand exceptions. The Kings are the Kings. And their chosen are Champions of the highest degree, warriors distinguished in both combat and achievement and..." Vivienne's eyes narrowed. She focused her gaze on Nul the way an archer focuses on their target. "Unless...Are you telling me that you're now one of the King's chosen?"
Nul snorted. "By the gods no! I've come into my power my own way."
Vivenne's face fell, her sudden look of anticipation crashing back into disappointment and frustration.
"So it is some feel good garbage that-"
"Say my name."
"Pardon?"
"Say my name," said Nul. "My deadname. The name you shackled me with at birth. Say it."
The Queen stared at them, confused by the sudden change in subject. Amus watched with is usual stoicism, saying nothing and giving nothing away. Giving in to temptation, Vivenne licked her lips, opened her mouth to speak, then froze. She frowned and tried again. Nothing happened.
"You haven't been able to do it since I came back," said Nul. "You haven't been able to do it since I 'came into my power' as you would say."
"What have you done?" asked Vivienne. The question wasn't unkind, it was full of curiosity rather than accusation. Lady Ambrose was a smart woman. She had kept her parents' province relatively free of influence from the Kings. She had groveled at the King's feet and used the scraps they'd tossed her to rebuild, to regrow, and to rise back into power. She knew when a new piece was being placed on the table, and she was eager to see if she could use it.
"You want me to get close to the Kings," Nul said. "You want me to become valuable to them and then take over the province so that we have more sway, more power. You want me in a position where I can keep the province independent and profitable. Well I want to do away with the whole damn thing. I want to create a world where we don't have to beg like dogs for an empire that doesn't even remember we exist half the time."
Vivienne held her breath, waiting.
"I want to challenge the Kings," said Nul. "And I now have the power to do so."
(4)
"You're not the first to say that," said Vivienne.
"It's been done before," said Nul. "Multiple times."
Vivienne shook her head. She wasn't dismissing Nul's comments outright, which was good, but she wasn't convinced either.
"That doesn't mean it's possible. There were special circumstances. You must know this. Ordinary people can't challenge the Kings, no matter what the rules say. That's not how the world works."
"They call me the Worldbreaker for a reason. Mother, I can rewrite the laws of reality. You've experienced it first hand every time you've tried to say my name. That word isn't permitted anymore, not around me. Nobody will ever be able to call me by that name, not within my presence."
The Queen took a moment to process Nul's comments. She swallowed, her throat bobbing up and down as she chewed on the information. She opened her mouth to speak and her tongue once more froze in place. It was a neat little experiment, a novelty that cost nothing and proved everything.
After a moment, she said, "I'm not entirely convinced, but I'm willing to hear you out. I'll need more demonstrations. You must be able to appreciate the need for verified evidence and substantiated proof."
Nul had to accept her point. Evidence was warranted and helpful. Taking claims on faith, especially such grand claims as being able to stand against the Kings, simply wasn't an option. She and Nul were alike in that regard.
"However," said the Queen, her eyes shining as she processed this new bit of information, "I am willing to be open to hear what you have to say and listen to your plans."
Nul let out a sigh of relief. Their mother was worse than Kell when it came to powering through an issue headfirst. Once she set her mind to something, it was impossible to make her change course. Nul had accomplished the first task. Vivienne would hear them out and let them make a case.
Nul started thinking of other ways they could prove their power, other metaphysical feats that would prove they could kill a god, let alone three of them together. As their mind worked, they felt a ripple run through the floor. There was an awful noise that activated the protection etchings around Nul's ears and the world outside shifted.
Vivienne slammed her hands over her ears and tumbled sideways. It was only then that Nul realized that the world outside wasn't shifting, the entire apartment building was. The floor cracked and splintered beneath them as the whole building began to collapse.
"Akanos!" Nul shouted.
The ancient sage didn't need further instruction, he went silent as he plunged himself into Nul's etchings. Nul's skin burned as the spider webs rippled, dozens of designs exploding across their skin all at once. Gossamer flooded from their fingers and they dove at their mother.
The world twisted upside down and plunged into darkness as the window collapsed, cutting off the main source of light. Nul's gossamer flared to life, a web of glowing tendrils that wrapped themselves into a cocoon around Nul and their mother. The cocoon cinched in tight around them, humming with power as Akanos and Nul adjusted their etchings to create an impenetrable shield.
The cocoon lurched and Nul slammed against the side of the cocoon, their mother landing on top of them with a thump.
"Inertial dampening," Nul barked out.
Suddenly, the movement seemed to slow. It was as though the cocoon were full of water. They were still tumbling end over and end rocking from side to side, but Nul and Vivienne felt very little of the impact.
Then, as quickly as it had started, it stopped. The cocoon settled into a single position and stayed there. Nul's mother was trembling, each breath ragged and unstable. She swallowed hard.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice much calmer than Nul had expected. She had always been a tough woman, and it appeared she had only grown harder in Nul's absence.
"Explosions," Nul said. "The building collapsed around us."
Vivienne nodded. Her face was pale and she was bleeding from a small cut on her forehead, likely from when she had slammed into the side of the cocoon.
"Can we escape?"
Nul closed their eyes and the cocoon shifted, extending thin strands outward to examine their surroundings.
"We're buried," Nul said. "I can get us out, but it seems like there's more going on than just explosions."
"Can we stay in here and wait for a rescue? I'll be a high priority."
"I can't afford to stay," Nul said. "People are out there getting hurt. I need to go help them. I also have a feeling that my friends are in danger."
"Fine, then I'll stay by your side until you can hand me off to a proper guard."
Nul disliked the idea but agreed that it was the most pragmatic course of action.
"Agreed, I'll get us out of here. Stay close to me."
Nul shifted so that they were standing upright, as much as they could within the confines of the cocoon, and pressed their hands against the glowing barrier. Nul let out a wordless snarl and wrenched their hands apart. There came a sound like rushing water and the cocoon began to dissolve.
Daylight flooded in as the glowing fibers melted away. Nul kept their hands spread wide and their head down. A whirlwind surrounded the cocoon, blowing a circle of sand away from them. With another grunt, the whirlwind exploded in a final gust and Nul and Vivenne were left standing in a crater of rubble.
Jagged stone and splintered beams rose up around them like knives. Fresh made sand was flowing between chunks of debris, drifting down to fill the gaps. Bodies were intermingled with the wreckage.
"Amus?" Vivenne said, looking around at the wreckage.
Nearby was an arm sticking up from between the rocks and bent at an awkward angle. A fine silk sleeve was wrapped around the arm, the cuff was embroidered with a golden 'AB'.
"Gone," said Nul. They extended a hand to their mother. "Come on, let's get out of the rubble. It's not safe down here."
Vivienne took the proffered hand and let out a yelp. Her skirts had started drifting upwards.
"I'm adjusting our buoyancy," said Nul. "It will help us climb the rocks."
Pulling their mother along, Nul began to ascend the rubble one rock at a time. The climb was easy, they were able to hop from one crumbling piece of debris to the next, light as a feather. Vivienne practically floated along behind Nul.
At the top, Nul paused. Columns of smoke were all over the city, slowly rising up to the sky. Ships flew overhead, drifting between the black pillars of smoke. Some were lowering gondolas packed full of soldiers, gleaming in their red and gold armor. Others, those lower and closer to the ground, had ropes tossed overboard, with a variety of men descending from them. They wore black and blue and brown and emerald. A menagerie of colors that made up the forces of the Uhlaran Loyalists and warriors from the Esmun Republic.
"Mother," said Nul. "You've seen my bouts?"
"A few of them, yes. Why?"
"Have you ever seen me kill?"
Vivienne hesitated. Nearby, a ship was dropping off a payload of soldiers clad in blue and black armor.
"I...I...I'm not sure."
Nul took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Their etchings began shifting again, reorienting for close combat.
"Well you're about to."