The Temple of Nido. Custodia had not been back to this place since she was a child. Why would she, since the Goddess had been dead for ages. As a little girl, she used to frequent the place often with her mother. They'd pray at the Goddess' feet, tossing coins into the temple's coffers. Back then, she used to pray for trivial things. For the girls to stop bullying her. For the strength needed to work her family's fields. For wisdom, so she could one day live in the city with enough money so that her parents would never want for nothing. She was given the Green Fever instead, and now she had nothing left to pray for.
It had taken the rebels all night to push the trebuchets up the temple stairs. By the crack of dawn, they'd assembled most of the siege engines along the square overlooking the city.
Custodia faced the Palace. It was a marvelous structure, jutting out of the ground like one massive stone spike under a blanket of verdant green grass, the last left to grow in Byzantia. To the left, she saw the gray haze of the Ashfields. And to her right, the bald rolling hills of Turcia.The morning wind picked up as dawn's light broke over the horizon.
A strand of gray hair tumbled past her vision. With a practiced hand, she crooned it back into place. She felt her mind slip into a daydream.
Custodia blinked. Gods, she must have looked like a wayward lover for a moment. It felt romantic enough, as long as she ignored the groan of siege engines and the pounding of hammers behind her.
Despite her best efforts, her thoughts stayed on Dag. What would he be doing right now? Sleeping hopefully. The man had a terrible habit of running himself ragged, even before joining the Vangen. So many nights she'd catch him in the training yard practicing his drills despite threatening to break his hands.
If only things had been different. If only Dag hadn't been so loyal, but unfortunately, it was, after all, the best thing about him. Devoted to a fault. Even against all the odds.
"You've become rather thoughtful as of late." Tyrannus stepped beside her, souring her mood immediately. "Something on your mind?"
Custodia chose her words thoughtfully, careful not to bruise the man's ego. "Are we not being hasty in all this? Won't the Emperor be upset not having a palace to return too?"
"Then we will simply build a new one," Tyrannus snapped. The magick surrounding him flared.
Custodia felt her breath forcefully ripped out, taking everything she had not to choke.
"We've endured enough setbacks already," Tyrannus said. "There will be no more failures. Our victory today for the Emperor must be absolute. He stepped in front of Custodia, blocking her view of the Palace. "Remember that it is I the Emperor chose as his champion. You and the others are merely instruments towards his great return," He moved towards her, so close that she could smell the vile odor in his breath. "And instruments do not ask questions. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal." She wheezed. The pressure lessened by a fraction.
Tyrannus glared at her before he turned and walked away. "See to it that the siege engines are completed before sunrise. I don't want to afford Dux even a sliver of time to plan against us." Only then did Custodia feel the pressure surrounding her finally abate. She sucked in a lungful of air, forcing the sickening feeling in her gut to dissipate.
She watched Tyrannus leave the temple, feeling her hand inch close towards the pommel of her sword. This time the shadow did not try to stop her. She felt its presence reach over, blanketed her in its cold embrace, like winter laced silk.
Slowly, Custodia slipped her blade from its sheath and stalked towards Tyrannus. She imagined the look on his face after she'd buried her sword in his chest, realizing too late that all his talk of instruments and champions was all just misguided horseshit. The shadow had chosen her from the very start; It was Tyrannus who would be the tool. All Sorcerers were in the end. She'd merely borrowed the power for herself.
Custodia raised her blade, feeling the shadow's desire to kill grow within her. With an unplaced feeling of glee, she brought the sword down.
"Stop."
The word struck Custodia like an arrow through the heart. Her whole body went rigid. She couldn't move; Could barely breathe. It was as if she were a puppet pulled taut against the strings.
Tyrannus turned to look at her. His eyes glowed a sickly green shade. "Sheathe your sword." Tyrannus commanded, and Custodia found herself obeying despite herself.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice your treachery against me?" Tyrannus asked. His mouth curved into a sneer. "Did you really think the Emperor had chosen you?"
Custodia tried to open her mouth to speak, but with a snap of Tyrannus's fingers, her jaw clamped shut. She cried out for the shadow inside her to help, but it was silent now. Gone. And only her fear could fill its void.
"What's that?" Tyrannus cupping an ear. "I can't hear you. It must be bothersome trying to speak when your throat doesn't listen to you," He snapped his fingers, and Custodia's jaw went slack. "Go on then. Speak. I know you want to."
"Why?" Custodia choked out the word as she coughed.
"Why?" Tyrannus stifled a laugh. "Why is what you ask? Because the Emperor will not suffer treachery of any kind in his court." He sounded as if it had been apparent from the start. "Did you really think he did not know? About yours and Dux's pathetic little romance?"
Custodia felt her muscles clench in agony as they tried to fight against Tyrannus' magick, but the bastard had her locked in place.
"I am loyal to the Emperor," She pleaded. "Release me."
Tyrannus turned to look at something past her shoulder. As if something were standing behind her. Something tall. "Indeed, you are, but not enough. He sees the lies woven into your truths, Custodia. Your love for Dag has, and always will be, your downfall."
Tyrannus reached out and rested his palms against her temples. "But we can fix that. With a little help, we can make you loyal to the Empire once more."
A nail of searing hot pain drove itself through Custodia's skull. She remembered screaming.
*
Libro leaned against the stone balcony and tried his best not to vomit. His head pounded from the hangover, thumping in both his temples like the uniform steps in a parade. He should have refused the third beer that Cent had offered him, and the fourth and fifth beer, but the man had been very giving in both drinks and stories. Far be it from him to refuse someone's generosity.
A wave of nausea rolled in Libro's stomach, spitting sour bile up the back of the throat. He gagged, spat, and sucked in a cold lungful of air. Gods, how his head hurt, and his guts, and his eyes. Even torchlight had been too much for him. Only on the western balcony did he find some comfort, where the sun's light could not reach him. He hid beside a pillar and looked out over the city to distract himself. The blanket of shadow across the landscape was slowly retreating against the rising sun. One by one, the Palace's towers winked awake.
Libro spat and tried to recall what had happened yesterday. It was around his fourth cup that things had gone hazy. He remembered Cent, Moss, and Fig, the trio of guardsmen joining him at the table. Cent, in particular, had been remarkably eager sharing his story, describing the collapse of the Sanguine Bridge, his imprisonment at Gray Hogs, and his eventual escape with the help of Culter.
Libro vaguely remembered the Captain joining later. By then, Cent and the others had drunk themselves stupid. He'd pulled up a chair, sat down, exchanged a few words, and then—,
He'd cried in Dux's arms.
Libro's eyes shot wide with panic. Gods, he'd gone and spilled his guts to the man. About the Empress. Elena. Everything. He swiped a hand over his damp scalp and puffed his cheeks. Laws or not, he'd embarrassed himself in front of the Captain. Crying and clutching at him like a simpering child. Could the day get any worse?
"Hey," A familiar voice called out to him. Libro flinched and slowly craned his head to see Civis standing at the balcony's edge. Nido's tits, of course, it could.
Libro grunted nonchalantly and stared out at the city, hoping Civis would get the message to leave him be, but the man did otherwise. He saddled up beside Libro, arms crossed, quiet as an Inquisitor in confession.
"Had a good night, I see," Civis said.
Libro gave another reassuring grunt, wondering just what the hells Civis wanted. As childish as it was, he was still a tad sour from being cold clocked in Orienta. For a while, they merely stood there, watching silently as the night's blanket pulled away, bathing the city in sunlight.
"What do you want, Civis?" Libro worked up the courage to speak first. Civis chewed on the question for a while before he finally spat out an answer.
"Been thinking, I guess."
"About?"
"About us."
Libro turned to look at him. "What about us?"
Civis shrugged as he worked to find his words. "I've felt like we've never really gotten on the right foot with each other."
Libro blinked. "Yeah, no shit."
Civis whipped his head to look at him. "Damn it, I'm trying to apologize here, okay? Could you fecking give this to me right now?"
Libro held his gaze before giving a withering sigh. He settled against the stone pillar he was leaning on. "Fine. Fine. I'm too hungover to argue otherwise."
Civis paused to collect himself. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry. About Orienta. And I guess everything else really. I had a lot of anger inside me and I lashed out at you."
"No, I get that," Libro muttered, remembering the Emperor's previous study. "I know the feeling all too well."
"Still wasn't right," Civis continued. "It wasn't the Vangen way. What the Captain said back there. About us being more than just a pack of mercenaries. Well, he's right. We are brothers. And brothers don't do what we did to each other. We've got to stick together. No matter what." Civis held out a hand.
Libro felt something stir inside of him as he stared down at the gesture. Maybe it was the hangover, but Civis' words seemed to hit him just right. He leaned forward and clasped his hand.
"No matter what," Libro said.
Libro and Civis smiled as they shook hands. A new silence hung over the two of them then. It wasn't awkward this time. It was calm. Respectful. It was peace.
Perhaps they could get along, after all, Libro thought. They were family, after all. Just like the Captain had said before. And family always paid its debts.
"However," Libro added.
"However?" Civis cocked a confused brow.
"If we're going to start over, then we'll need to be even." Civis opened his mouth to ask what that meant before Libro whipped forward and socked him square in the jaw. Civis went tumbling to the ground. He rolled, shifted, and pulled himself up, eyes wide with shock.
"There. Now we're even."Libro bent down and held out his hand.
Civis grimaced before it turned into a wry smile. He took Libro's hand and hauled himself back to his feet.
"Yeah. I deserved that." Civis rubbed his jaw and spat over the railing. He settled against the adjacent stone pillar.
"It's crazy to think how far we've come. "Civis said. "Practically crawled through this god's forsaken city just to get here."
"I think I've seen more of this city than I ever did back in my childhood," Libro said.
"You lived here?" Civis sounded surprised.
"I did. In the Keevan Rahs Alienage. Just over there. For a time." Libro pointed south.
"Oh," Civis stared in the direction. "I've heard nice things about the place. Very colorful. And the food's good too." He pointed westward. "I lived out there in the Goldspun district, near the—," Civis paused.
"Near where Civis?" Libro looked back. The man's eyes were wide in terror, mouth gaping like a fish. Libro turned to what he was looking at. Off in the distance, a massive chunk of stone was careening towards them.
Libro leaped forward, grabbing Civis by the collar and pulling him away just before the stone smashed into the balcony. Libro was blown off his feet as tiles and masonry exploded all around him. He tumbled across the floor, collided against Civis and fell together in a heap on the floor
Suddenly, his hangover had become the least of his worries.