Dreamer's Throne

DT4 - Chapter 44

DT4 - Chapter 44

The drop caused Garrett's stomach to flip, but after only a second the wings snapped open once again, rapidly slowing their descent, until Ryn, light as a cat, landed on the roof of a home in the noble district. Still holding on to Garrett, Ryn rapidly scaled down the wall of the building, entering an alleyway. After a few turns they emerged onto one of the main streets, which was packed with people, and a minute later a carriage pulled up, with Obe nodding at them from the driver's seat.

They piled in, and with a crack of his whip the horses lurched forward. Though the streets were busy, Obe kept the horses moving at a rapid pace, scattering people right and left, until they finally pulled into a quieter neighborhood, soon arriving at a relatively simple looking brick home. When Ryn opened the door she had changed, and was wearing a simple black suit with a gold mask. Obe tossed a wheelchair down to her, which she caught and placed on the ground, before helping Garrett out of the carriage and into it. Garrett had changed as well, though he didn't wear a mask, like she did. They proceeded to the house, entering through the unlocked front door without knocking. Once inside Garrett closed his eyes for a moment, and then gestured toward the back of the home.

"He's in the library."

At an unhurried pace Ryn pushed Garrett's wheelchair down the hall and into the small library Victor Klein normally used. There was nobody in the room, but Garrett pointed to a figurine on the mantle, and after Ryn pulled it the entire fireplace, which still had a fire burning in it, shifted to the side, revealing a narrow hallway, just wide enough for the wheelchair to pass through. At the end of the hallway was a door, which Garrett leaned forward and opened, causing the man in the room who was busy packing a bag to freeze.

Shock covered his features as he spun around, a long curved dagger in his hand, his eyes staring wide at Garrett and Ryn. If the curved dagger wasn't enough proof, a discarded robe, crimson in color, and a red mask that had a crude vertical eye running the length of it, lay discarded on the bed. In silence Garrett watched his father, Victor Klein, as the man tried to find something to say. Suddenly Victor's breath seemed to come back, and he straightened up, tossing the dagger onto the bed.

"How long have you known?" He asked, as he calmly began to pack once more.

"Since I met you," Garrett said, "after sending the letter. The deal you made leaves marks."

With a forced laugh, Victor sat down on the bed, his eyes flicking to the gold-masked woman behind Garrett. He felt as if she was shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to get a good reading on her strength. But that didn't matter. He knew that he was outmatched.

"And here I thought you were on my side."

"In a way, I am," Garrett said. "After all, I'm not going to allow you to condemn yourself to a fate worse than death."

"But you will condemn me to death."

"Oh, undoubtedly," Garrett replied calmly.

"So much for the bonds of family." Victor's words contained a hint of bitterness, but Garrett just chuckled.

"You erased the bonds of family long ago, father.”

“Have you been planning your revenge since then?"

"Truthfully, no. I was just happy to be out from under your thumb. But then you decided that the power that came along with being steward wasn't enough, and you set your sights on my people."

"You mean the princess?"

"Queen," Garrett corrected. "Besides, the being you made a deal with is a mortal enemy of mine."

This time, it was Victor's turn to laugh. "Your enemy? You speak as if you're somehow equals. The power she wields is beyond anything you can even imagine, son."

Those who were found to be blameless were allowed to leave, and they quickly hurried off to begin attending the social parties that they had been scheduled to participate in. The Duke had made it abundantly clear that no one was to ruin his niece's Ascension celebration, and that he fully expected each and every one of the nobles to demonstrate just how happy they were in the coming days. The nobles could smell the blood in the air, and knew exactly which way the wind was blowing, so they hurried to assure him that nothing would please them better.

A few hours after the attack had ended, a nondescript carriage pulled up next to the palace gate, and three figures got out. The first was Victor Klein, who looked immaculate as always. Turning around, he helped Ryn down, and then the two of them assisted Garrett in getting down. The guards standing in front of the gate hesitated to let them in, until a servant from the Duke ran over to instruct them to open the gate.

The Duke was still in the middle of interrogating the nobles, and it was an additional two hours until he was finally free. When he walked into the waiting room where they had been passing the time, his aura was back under control, though it flared slightly when he saw Victor.

"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

Taking a deep breath, Victor didn't respond and instead looked at his son, a rainbow sheen flashing across his eyes.

"Your Eminence, might I speak first?"

"As long as what you have to say is worth me listening to, I don't see why not."

Garrett could tell he was on thin ice. The Duke was furious, both with the failure of the palace defenses and of the nobles, who should have been the first to protect the royal family but instead seemed eager to watch it be eliminated.

"I would request that you listen to me until I'm finished speaking," Garrett said, "as it's likely that what I'm going to say will cause you intense anger."

The Duke's eyes narrowed as he transferred the entirety of his attention to Garrett, yet to his surprise, the young man didn't flinch even a little. Though Garrett was sweating internally, his outward expression was completely calm, helped in large part by the power of the dreamer’s throne that thrummed through him, isolating him from the weight of Duke Arkov's aura.

Ever since he had unleashed the power of the throne against Karis, the Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth, Garrett felt as if he had made a breakthrough, and had begun to touch on the manifestation stage, understanding how he should manifest his aura, allowing his soul spark to directly impact the world around him. Though he could barely scratch the surface of its power, just that was enough to shield him.

Taking a deep breath, Duke Arkov nodded.

"Speak, and I'll judge whether what you're talking about is worth my time."

"Thank you."

As the Duke listened, Garrett started at the beginning, explaining what he had discovered about the Black Raven assassins who had been smuggled into the city to initiate the first attack. When the Duke heard that his stationary and seal had been used to issue the orders, his face paled and fury caused the air around him to crackle. Remembering Garrett's warning, he forcefully suppressed his anger and gestured for Garrett to continue.

Next came Garrett's explanation of the various forces that had intended to finish the job they had started, using him to eliminate his niece, only to find their plan untenable when he had instead embraced her return and offered the throne to her wholesale. After that, Garrett spoke of the plan his father had wanted to carry out, and the corruption of his soul by a mysterious power from outside the city.

He explained how he had discovered the oddities in the Mind Crystal, and about how after the event had started that morning, he had realized that it had been compromised, and so he sent Ryn to go and reset it, though he didn't explain how that process had taken place. Finally, he explained how his father, under the control of the Crimson Eye of Shalmoroth, had tried to kill the Queen. The Duke's anger had settled into a cold, hard rage.

"Tell me," he said when Garrett fell silent, "why I shouldn't just tear your father to pieces right now."

"If that is what you wish to do, then by all means, do it," Victor said, bowing to the Duke. "Though I was possessed, there is no excuse for my actions. I am guilty of each of those crimes, and I do not shy away from taking responsibility for them."