�Did you get it?� Rinn looked up from where he sat cleaning his worn sword.
�Yes, we found it,� she patted her coat�s pocket where the Orb lay protected in a thick leather sack. After they had witnessed the darkness of their path, they had found a room in which the orb sat protected in a crumbling box. There was no magic protecting the Orb, no hidden traps, and Insei was still unsure about the whole ordeal.
�How long were we in there?�
�Barely two days,� he replied as he put his sword away. �We should probably start heading off now, before the sun sets.�
***
A couple of days later Insei found herself sitting on the edge of the window, looking into the busy streets of Talorn. Everyone except for Neko was inside the archery shop, sitting in companionable silence.
�So,� Ihen was speaking. �You two will be leaving today?�
�Yes,� Rinn replied. �We should probably be heading off now.� Insei looked up, and found Rinn looking at her with unreadable eyes.
�Yes, we should go now,� she said in a quiet voice. She stood, lifting her pack from the floor where it had been sitting at her feet. Rinn nodded and stood, and headed out the door.
�Insei�� Ihen began, still sitting.
�Ihen, thank you for your help.� Insei left the shop before Ihen had a chance to say more. Outside she found Rinn had brought their horses out front, and motioned for her to mount. She threw her pack behind the saddle, and climbed onto the gentle horse. Once Rinn was on his, he set the horse to a brisk walk through the city.
At the end of the street, where the archery shop was still visible, Insei looked over her shoulder. Ihen was standing on the front steps of the shop, watching them as they disappeared further into the city. They turned the corner, and Ihen�s image faded from her sight. She clenched her fist, entangling the reins, and tried to keep the tears from falling.
***
The stars surrounded Ihen, swarming his vision. He eyes felt tired, and he rubbed them fitfully with one hand. His hand then fell back onto the tiled roof, making a dull sound, breaking the silence for the first time that night. His aching eyes looked to the stars above, looking for unknown constellations in the swimming sea. But everything eluded him, even his own tired thoughts. This feeling was strange, a sense of tiredness and extreme loss, and he knew not what to do. Something was missing, but what?
A scampering behind him brought him out of his dark thoughts. He slowly opened his eyes as he raised himself heavily into a sitting position. He brought his knees up to his chest just as Neko came into his field of vision. He knew he should say some form of a greeting, but he felt no desire to speak and so remained silent. Neko was silent, and quietly sat next to him.
He rested his head in the crook of his arms that were tightly clutching his legs. He sighed and closed his eyes, unsure of what he should say to Neko. He had never been without a word to say before, and he was unsure of how she would react.
Neko rested her head upon his shoulder, and he silently thanked her for remaining so silent. He sat like this, unmoving, wishing the night so full of stars would never end. He could not bear to see the sun rise once again. But eventually, the silence grew so great, and too strange.
�Neko,� Ihen began, unsure of what would follow.
�Shhh. Do not speak, let this moment last just a little bit longer.� Her voice was full of sadness and a deep sense of loss. His head raised and his sad blue eyes traveled to where her head still rested on his shoulder. The sound of her voice was breaking his heart, as it echoed slowly through his tired mind. But he stopped short; somehow he knew that there was truly nothing he could do.
�You have been sitting up here since morning. You didn�t even eat,� Neko continued after a short interval. Her voice was still the same, but now with a small undercurrent of another strange emotion. He said no words, still unsure of what to say, hoping that all of his unspoken and burning questions would be answered in her words.
�I�ve never seen you like this. Ever since yesterday, when Insei left, you have been like this.� Neko raised her head, fully disengaging herself from Ihen. She looked up into his eyes, sadness creating a depth so deep that he thought he would truly be lost.
�You love her don�t you?� Her voice was barely above a whisper, and her eyes never left his. Ihen, shocked, just stared blankly into Neko�s eyes, unsure of what to feel or say. �You love her. I can tell,� Neko continued, her eyes lowering. �Even your father has noticed. Ihen, promise me you won�t stay here. Follow her, don�t let her go.� Neko stood, and slowly walked across the roof where the ladder led the way back inside.
�Neko�� Ihen whispered. �Why are you telling me this?�
�Ihen�� Neko had stopped at the ladder, and spoke without turning around. �I love you to much to see you like this. Your father packed some of your belongings in a bag, and the horse is ready out front.� And with the last words trailing off, Neko slowly climbed down the ladder and back into the small shop that had been Ihen�s home for most of his life.
Ihen�s eyes closed, and with a deep breath, brought the crisp night air into his lungs. Opening his eyes once again, his vision was fixated on the Star of Ether. And all at once, the feeling of loss was gone, and he knew what he had to do.
***
Rinn and Insei, worn from the day's march, silently strode through the gates to the Tower. Insei sighed in relief, glad that she was finally home. She hugged the small leather sack to her chest, feeling the object within. The journey had been so tiring, and she was finally glad to be standing on familiar ground once again. In the courtyard before her, she saw the Magister and his Assistant calmly waiting for the three of them.
Twenty paces away from the pair, the Magister said, "Stop right there. Rinn, put your weapons down and step away from them. Insei, hand over the Orb."
"What? What are you talking about?" Insei asked hysterically, wondering at the menacing look Atan and Trine gave to them. Magister Atan motioned upward, towards the battlements that ran around the top of the outer wall. There stood three archers, bows taut and arrows cocked. Each arrow was aimed at each of their hearts, the cold steal coldly reflecting the warm sun above.
Rinn slowly took his many weapons off, throwing them onto a pile on the ground. Insei took out the leather sack, which held the Orb, and threw it towards the Magister where it landed at his feet. Even though the Magister threatened to end her life, she still trusted him and his wisdom. The Magister picked up the small sack, and looked within, and as he did his face brightened in triumph. Insei looked to her companion, looking at his hard face. Rinn's eyes were cold and set, staring at the Magister as if his eyes could kill.
"Archers, kill the warrior, and bring Insei to me," Atan said as he turned to walk away. The twang of the bow brought Insei out of her disbelief that seemed to make everything slow down to a crawl. She turned just in time to see the arrow enter Rinn's heart, quietly and silently ending his life.
"Julia, I come," Rinn gasped before the last breath left his body, leaving his corpse to fall with a thunderous crash to the earth below. Insei started to cry and scream, running to her fallen friend, her fallen guardian. And as she fell onto her dead friend, she vaguely realized as more guards came out of the shadows and slowly took over.
***
�The Council of Mages is now in Order!� The thick voice boomed through the spacious room, allowing all to hear the words spoken. The room was tall and wide, the top ending in a wide dome. Sound was magically amplified here, each person hearing even whispers spoken. Rows upon rows of faces looked down at Insei, who stood on a small platform near the front of the room. Before her was a row of elegantly draped chairs, each raising higher than the other, each being used by one of the powerful arch-mages. And at the top was seated the Magister himself, looking calmly down upon the quiet mass.
But within a few moments, after all those who lived within the white walls had sufficient time to settle down he raised his right hand bearing the sigil of his rank. A hushed silence fell upon all those in the cavernous room, all eyes affixed to the most powerful man they had ever laid eyes upon.
�Good people of the Tower,� the Magister began, his voice reaching every ear in the room. �Today we brought here for a very grave reason. Before us stands one of the Crossed, Insei Jinmirai.� Whispered voices broke out in the otherwise silent council room. The Magister waited for them to become silent once again before continuing. �She left the Tower without the permission of the Council, and broke into the Tower of Ether to further her own ambitious goals. Normally, those who Cross are banished, where they pose no true threat. But Insei Jinmirai possesses the power of the Ether. We are brought her today to decide a fit punishment for her.�
Insei looked around the room, confused and lost. The Magister was speaking lies� And all the faces that looked upon her were filled with hate and disgust. They all thought that she had committed some evil atrocity, and that she needed to be dealt with. Panic coursed through her as she looked for the one face that she knew would still be on her side. She quickly found Misora within the crowd, sitting near the platforms that held the Archmages.
But her face held even more hatred, as if Misora could not stand to look upon but was forced to. And that shattered any strength that Insei had left inside of her. She barely heard the words as the Archmages above her spoke them.
�She should be Contained��
�That is the only way to deal with her power��
�So be it.� The last words were spoken by the Magister himself. He raised his hand, beckoning for the Mages that stood at the bottom of the platform. Four Mages, one for each of the basic elements, raised their hands and began to chant in a low voice. Soon darkness claimed her.
Our bishel dragon has come from Bishen Realm, no stealy!
Images for this dragon home were made by me,
do not use unless you ask.
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