Gunlaug
Harus was taking a while. It was unusual for him not to report straight away. Was he in trouble? That Nightwalker, Kallen was a formidable fighter—likely capable of besting a few average Awakened in a fight, but he wasn't anything special.
From what Gunlaug had observed, or more accurately, what had been reported to him, the boy's aspect was water control. That wouldn't help him against Harus.
It probably wouldn't have helped him in that spider nest either, he thought, but he still conquered it nonetheless. Apparently.
Kallen knew that Harus was coming. Gunlaug wasn't sure how, but there were a million different ways to gather information when aspects were involved.
The only closely guarded secret he still had was his flaw. It wasn't easy to figure out if he kept his mouth shut, but it was easy to exploit once it got out. But it'd been years since he'd arrived on the Forgotten Shore. He'd torn through countless men and countless monsters and to this day, no one had ever muttered its description, or even hinted at it.
Gunlaug's mind wandered. What if Harus actually needed assistance? There could have been traps set up around Kallen's house, among other things, but Harus had faced down more formidable foes than a sleeper with a water aspect before.
Had changing star somehow wound up inside the castle to help him? If that were true, then Gunlaug needed to go pay them a personal visit. No one short of her… or maybe that Caster boy were as dangerous a foe as Harus.
Hmm.
The silence was beginning to unnerve him. Just a little. He shifted in his throne, the golden liquid of his echo-armor rippling, shifting with him like a second skin. The torches on the walls flickered, but still no Harus. No report. No dead Kallen at his feet.
Unacceptable.
He drummed his fingers against the armrest of his throne. The rhythmic tap was loud in the chamber, audible enough that the guards at the door stiffened. They knew better than to interrupt his thoughts.
Kallen. He realized that Nightwalker boy would be trouble ever since the day he'd become a Hunter captain. Halfway too clever to predict, the other half too reckless. Surviving the spider nest he'd arrived on shouldn't have been possible. Surviving that dragon shouldn't have been possible. An assassination from Harus? Impossible.
And yet.
Gunlaug's jaw tightened.
If Harus had failed—if Kallen had somehow killed him—then the kid was more dangerous than he'd let on. Which meant that Gunlaug had underestimated him. A mistake he wouldn't make twice. He rose from his throne.
The guards snapped to attention as if a god had ordered their service.
He waved a hand to the leftmost man, "Get me Tessai."
The guard bowed and hurried off.
Gunlaug released a heavy breath. The streets were quiet underneath the cloudy grey sky. Somewhere out there, Kallen was either dead or celebrating.
He didn't like not knowing which.
Tessai arrived moments later, his massive frame cumbersome in the chamber. The hulking warrior bowed, his voice a low rumble. "You called for me, Bright Lord?"
Gunlaug didn't turn. "Harus is late."
A pause. Tessai's words did not come often or with much thought behind them, for that matter. But he must have understood the implication. "You think he's dead?"
"I think," Gunlaug said slowly, judging the cadence of his voice, "that Kallen is still breathing. And I'm tired of him and that Immortal Flame girl scheming behind my back."
Tessai's knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. "I'll bring you his head, Bright Lord."
"No," Gunlaug finally turned, his helmeted gaze boring into Tessai. The man averted his gaze. "Not yet. Harus doesn't lose. Not to just anyone."
"Then what?"
"Find Seishan."
The order hung in the air, heavy with unspoken meaning. Tessai's expression darkened, but he nodded. Seishan was Ki Song's creature, but she was also the only one who moved freely between Gunlaug's inner circle and the rest of the castle. If anyone had seen something—if Kallen had allies within the walls, she would know.
Gunlaug waved a dismissive hand. "Go. And Tessai?"
The man paused.
"If you see the boy, don't fight him. I want him brought here. An example needs to be made, don't you think?"
Tessai's lip curled, but he gave a shallow bow and left. Alone once more, Gunlaug returned to his throne, and he tapped the arm rest.
Kallen survived the impossible over and over again. It wasn't luck, it was a pattern. One that Gunlaug intended to break.
~~~
For once, Seishan was simply useless. Gunlaug held a lie detecting memory as he questioned her, but she answered truthfully every time.
"Do you know if Kallen is working with Nephis's Cohort."
"Yes."
Truth.
"Do you know if he was expecting Harus tonight?"
"I do not know whether or not he expected Harus tonight?"
Truth.
"To your knowledge, are any of your handmaidens working for him?"
"Not to my knowledge."
Truth again. Gunlaug sighed, letting his shoulders sink into the throne.
He sat in tense silent for what felt like forever while he waited on Tessai. Gemma had shown up at some point as well, Kido in tow.
Gemma's ambition to become Bright Lord, or to place that artisan as Bright Lord were a known quantity, but not one Gunlaug really cared to address for now. As long as Gemma was useful, he'd let the man aspire.
The weight of a king's displeasure settled in the chamber as the three generals stood beside the throne. Time passed in slow motion, until finally, the double doors of the throne room slowly opened wide.
Tessai strode through, flanked by… by Kallen, who approached freely, a body slung over his shoulder.
But it wasn't Harus's.
Kallen wore a triumphant smile. His armor was battered and there was blood splattered on his handsome, sun kissed face. Those purple eyes of his held an odd, mysterious quality; truly a scion of the House of Night.
He shrugged the body off of his shoulder. The boy Kallen had tied up and bound grunted as he hit the floor, the sound muffled by the bandage wrapped around his mouth.
Gunlaug slowly stood from his seat. Like always, Kallen didn't meet the visor of his golden armor, instead looking just off to the side.
"I have brought you Sunless, the scout of Changing Star, Nephis," Kallen announced, his voice ringing in the hollow chamber. "A known traitor, and the slayer of Harus, The Executioner."
The Memory in Gunlaug's hand told him that Kallen was telling the truth.
Kallen kicked 'Sunless' in the side for good measure, a scowl on his face as he regarded the bound Sleeper.
"I was able to knock him out after their bloody battle, I figure you would prefer to do the honors."
Truth.
Gunlaug took a step forward.
"I believe, however, my great deed is befitting of a great reward." Kallen smiled. "Is it not?"
Beneath his armor, Gunlaug frowned for a moment, before something shuddered through him. The way Kallen worded it… a reward…
Gunlaug's flaw: [The Price of Debt], came alive. Fear took hold. Kallen had placed Gunlaug in his debt, as per the flaw's requirements. If he requested something…
Kallen smiled. "I just wish I could have been there to save Harus."
Lie.
Gunlaug exploded forward. Faster than a Sleeper had any right to. A golden battle axe flowed from the liquid of his armor.
"Give me your Transcendent Echo," Kallen said.
The axe stopped just before Kallen's face. Impulse shuddered through Gunlaug's body. He fought against it, but a burning pressure in his head stabbed him at the mere thought of disobeying the request.
Gunlaug held out a hand, and the metal flowed away, revealing the flesh of his skin. Kallen took the hand in his own, still not looking into the reflective surface of the Echo's visor.
A feeling of powerlessness spread as the golden metal dispersed into a shimmer of white sparks. Gunlaug instantly began the summoning process of an armor and weapon type Memory.
But before the Memories could coalesce, Kallen snapped a kick outward. Gunlaug stumbled back and hit the ground. A moment later, silver armor locked into place around him, and a war hammer of dark chitin crackled into his hands.
He struggled upright, but Kallen was there before his helmet could even form, still clad in that dreadful arachnid armor. The boy lunged. His short sword punched into a gap in Gunlaug's plating. He reeled back with a grunt, clutching at the wound, but Kallen followed, relentless.
The boy seized the back of Gunlaug's head, fingers knotted into his loose hair, and twisted the blade with cruel precision.
"This sword has a fun little enchantment," Kallen murmured, voice low near Gunlaug's ear. "It spits fire from the tip."
He tugged at the weapon again, harder this time.
"So… why don't you just hand over the rest of your Memories? I bet you've got quite the collection."
Gunlaug opened his mouth to roar in defiance, but the pain stole the sound. All he could do was gasp, trembling.
Then Kallen's armor dissolved. In its place, a flowing echo of golden metal poured over him like liquid sun. It slithered like a living thing until a visor sealed shut. With it came the pressure—crushing, psychic, invasive. Gunlaug winced as it pressed into his skull, burrowing toward his thoughts.
"I… won't…" he mumbled, his face twisting with pain. "You need these Memories… you… you're not… a killer. You won't do… it."
Kallen's expression darkened, and for a moment, Gunlaug almost thought he was going to activate the enchantment, but after a dozen beats of his heart's breakneck rhythm, the boy dismissed the Gladius and swept Gunlaug's feet.
"Gemma," Kallen said. "Untie Sunny for me."
"And Tessai… "
The morose man grunted in response.
"Go take the former Bright Lord to the dungeons." He paused. "Ah, if you have those here."
"Yes, Bright Lord," Tessai said.
"And someone go find Harren. I have something I want to say, and I need the whole castle to hear it."
~~~
Seren
Seren still couldn't believe that she was best friends with Night from Night&Gale. There was something off about the idol, however. Well, there was something off with everyone for that matter.
She knew why. She was young, not dumb. When she put all the facts together, it was almost obvious: Kallen had gone silent; Sunny was missing; everyone hid their hushed conversations from her. That all meant that Kallen was probably doing something dangerous, and with Sunny's help.
Everyone was gathered in Nephis's home, all of them tensely waiting on something. It'd been like this for the past few hours. Seren needed to sleep, but she couldn't…
Caster, Cassie, Nephis, Kai, hell even Effie was present. The entire cohort save for Sunny and Kallen.
"Hey, Nephis," Seren said.
The woman turned her head, looking at Seren with a questioning gaze. "Hm?"
"What are you guys waiting for? And why won't you tell me?"
Nephis stared with a blank expression, as if they were discussing something as trivial as the weather tomorrow. However, everyone else in the room seemed unable to hide their discomfort. Even Caster, who was normally able to uphold his decorum.
"We are waiting for an announcement," she responded. "Specifically from Kallen—as he and Sunny intend to overthrow Gunlaug."
Seren blinked. "What?"
The question came out immediately, and without any thought behind it. What Nephis said raised a thousand questions she couldn't hope to ask.
"We aren't worried about him succeeding. Cassie has all but confirmed that he will…"
"Then… why is everyone so… why aren't we there with him?"
"It isn't that we're worried about him." Nephis paused for a few moments. Then she backtracked. "Kallen has a plan to obtain Gunlaug's armor. Something is coming—I probably shouldn't sugarcoat it… an Awakened Titan is coming and he's probably our best shot at taking it down."
"Why?"
"Because, as per his report, not only would the Titan likely be resistant to my flames, rendering my aspect restrained, but I'll be needed on the ground to heal those caught in the collateral. We'll need all the people we can get for when we challenge the spire soon."
We're challenging the Spire soon?
"Thus he is our best option. Besides… he has a sort of hidden trump card. At least, according to Kai."
"Then…" Seren waited for a moment to gather her thoughts. "What's wrong? Why is everyone nervous?"
Nephis stole a glance at Cassie.
Effie didn't appear to care for the conversation, but she did stay unnervingly quiet. Caster kept a stone face, and Cassie couldn't tell that Nephis was looking at her.
"Well, with Gunlaug's armor, Kallen has a sort of unchecked power," Nephis finally said. "That kind of authority can turn the holiest of people into monsters, especially when they have unwavering motivation. When there is conviction and absolute control, the line between justice and cruelty can be easily blurred. When someone believes they're right and no one can stop them…"
Seren shook her head, annoyance bubbling to the surface. She wouldn't pretend to understand any hidden meaning behind what Nephis had said, but she knew the surface level implications. "Kallen isn't that type of person… he wouldn't—"
"You do not know that."
"You don't know him like I do!" Seren's cheeks flushed hot. The words came out louder than intended, and her voice cracked a little. She hated that it made her sound like a little kid. "I don't know what bad thing you think he would do, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't."
Nephis continued to look ahead calmly. There was no hint of displeasure or anger in her eyes. She wasn't arguing, but merely explaining why she was right.
"You say he wouldn't abuse his power. That he is a good man above all else, but I say that a good man is capable of just as much evil as anyone. Take a dutiful father, for example. If the death of his daughter could save a thousand people; a hundred thousand even, and he had the power to make that choice with no one to oppose him, what do you think would happen?"
Seren stuttered.
The white haired woman went on. "It's sort of like the famous trolley problem."
Seren's hands balled into fists at her sides. "That's not fair, you're making up pretend stories to—"
"The trolley problem isn't pretend," Nephis said quietly. She was calm as still water. "Say a runaway train is approaching a split track. On one side of the track, lays a single worker. On the other side of the track—the one that the train is on—lays five others. Another worker controls the lever system that dictates whether or not that train switches tracks. Should he let the runaway train kill the five workers, or should he flip the switch and doom the lone worker on the other side?"
Seren didn't answer.
"Now replace the lever operator with that father I mentioned earlier. And replace the sole track worker with that father's daughter. Do you think he would still pull the lever?"
It took a few moments, but then Seren said, "He would protect his daughter."
"Does the power that the father has to pull the lever change who he is as a person? No, it doesn't. It simply reveals where his motivations lie. Of course a father would chose his own daughter over the lives of five strangers. That doesn't necessarily make him evil, but neither does it make him wholly good as well. There is no such thing. It's impossible because fundamentally, morality is subjective."
Nephis searched Seren's face for a moment, she allowed herself an almost imperceptible frown, as if it hurt her to reveal this. To shatter a childish illusion. "The trolley problem is real, and it is happening now. Or at least, it is happening in part."
Nephis took a step.
"You see, Cassie predicted a future where Kallen ended up like Gunlaug. Not nearly as tyrannical, but similarly as unwavering when it came to barring any attempt at sieging the Crimson Spire. Do you know why that is?"
Seren shook her head as Nephis took another step.
"To protect you. That is where his conviction lies, and that is what makes his unchecked power so terrifying. He would do anything to ensure your safety, because he loves you. I do not fault him for that, and neither does anyone in this room. But it is counterproductive at times…"
Seren shook her head once more.
"Instead of a train and its tracks, Imagine now a powerful brother, who is trapped in hell with his little sister and a thousand of his peers." Nephis took yet another step. "Imagine that the sister is dying of a curse, and that the brother has the authority to command those thousand people to march towards their death. Whether it be for the hope of freedom, the hope of escaping the hell they are trapped in, or the hope of saving that sister."
Tears began to well up beneath Seren's eyes.
"Do you think that brother would sit idle and watch his sister die. Or would he rage against fate? Would he command that those people siege a fiercely guarded portal out of that hell, despite knowing that hundreds, perhaps all of them could die?"
"You told him…" Seren said, disbelief jolting across her face. The image of Nephis, of a perfect saint cracked a little in her mind, revealing a terribly manipulative and pragmatic strategist. What was one to do when their role model, when the person who'd saved them over and over, had used them to get what they wanted?
"I told him. He would never siege the spire without knowing about your ailment."
Seren's breath hitched. The room seemed to tilt around her. "You… you used me." Her voice was small, fragile. "All that time you helped me train… was that just to keep me alive so that you could use me as his weakness? As his second flaw?"
"No." Nephis reached Seren and knelt, bringing them eye level. For the first time, something akin to regret flashed in her gaze. "I care for you, Seren. I truly do, and I think of you as my own little sister."
Seren looked over to Kai who nodded his head. Nephis wasn't lying.
"But I also need your brother. The Spire must fall, but first, so does that Titan."
Nephis wrapped her arms around Seren. "I gave him a reason stronger than freedom or glory. Something worth conquering hell for. You."
The confession hung. Seren's tears blurred her vision.
The tent flap burst open before either of them could say anything. Sunny stood framed in the entrance, blood streaking his face, his chest heaving.
"It's done," he gasped. "Gunlaug is captured… Kallen has the armor.
In the distance, a sharp, piercing noise like the sound of a microphone being turned on rippled through the outskirts. Harren's aspect.
A voice—Kallen's voice boomed.
"People of the Dark City, this is Kallenir of the House of Night speaking. As of this moment, Gunlaug's reign has ended."
A pause to let the words settle.
"Your previous Bright Lord kneels in chains. His executioner lies dead in the streets. I claimed his golden armor not just through strength, but by exploiting the weakness he so carefully hid. Know this, I possess no such weakness. In fact, I'll bare my own flaw before you now so that you know I speak the truth, my Aspect demands liquid against my skin. This armor satisfies that requirement.
"To Gunlaug's loyalists, you'll keep your lives if you earn them. To his victims, know that this is your justice. But make no mistake, any who raise a hand against this castle now will wish they'd faced Harus instead.
The ground trembled, and a distant roar broke across the sky.
"We face annihilation within the hour. An Awakened Titan approaches. A fire wreathed calamity against which your Memories will be useless. I have battled this horror before. It breathes flames that melt stone. Its scales explode like cannonfire, and it is coming here now.
Names came in rapid-fire. "Nephis. Cassia. Caster. Kai. Effie. Jaric. Lyss. Seren, as well as any Sleeper with a buffing, healing, or debuffing aspect, to the throne room immediately. The rest of you, secure any wounded, take up defensive positions, or take cover. When this is over, we rebuild until I say we're done."
Kallen stopped speaking for a moment. Then there was a final warning: "And if you die today, I'll drag you back from the afterlife so I can kick your ass. That's all."
A stunned silence followed. Seren searched for that comforting gaze of Nephis's, but she found that it wasn't as reassuring as it once was.
Nephis studied her for a moment, then looked at Sunny. "We'll go together."
"Well shit," Effie barked a laugh. She hefted her massive spear, the weapon's edge glinting. "Guess we're going to war. About damn time."