Merrin floated down, watching the grand silence that had befallen the structure. There they were…Everyone—all of them- dropped flat and asleep. The sound of snoozing echoing through the air. And of course, he hadn't sent anyone to the Dreaming. No; instead, the desired symbols already existed. Perhaps here, or somewhere close, a person was already asleep.
Fortunate?
He had little idea, not that he cared. The result was the same, regardless. Everyone, every single one of them, was asleep.
"I can't do something like modifying their memories." His feet touched down on a floating platform. "Ah, why exactly did I even do this?"
There was little point. Yes, there was a need to stop them from learning more about him, but what about the things they already knew? What was he to do about that? And, perhaps more problematic, there was no Moeash among this sleeping crew.
Was I mistaken? Or had he escaped somehow?
He hoped for the latter.
Nonetheless, he stepped toward one of the sleeping Guardsmen, crouching before the man and caressing his hair. "Why are you in the Dreaming?"
He felt it. This strange fellow had somehow entered into his world. Not the true grayness, but the other. It was odd, given that Merrin had not chosen it. "Is there some uniqueness to you?"
And on a similar note, the man dreamt mostly of two people: a young girl and an older woman. He did not know their names, for now. Most likely, when he returned to the Dreaming, he would be able to pry that information from him.
"If he's still asleep by then." He sighed. "More complications."
"You know, you're the one who makes those for yourself." A new voice.
Merrin whirled, and standing there was Shae, hair still tied in a bun and knives held curtly at her waist. She, on the other hand, wore an odd look. "What in the Sister is that?"
Merrin stood, silent.
"All that." She pointed fervently. "What's all that you're wearing? Is that darkness? It looks a little too solid, though."
Merrin glanced away, overlooking the square, empty space. "Did you get what you want?"
She dropped her knife to the floor. Then it appeared: a large bag, black with a layered square texture. "Got the kichin."
He frowned.
Her head pulled back in confusion. "It's the sound of money, you bum."
"Lowlander things," Merrin finally said. "I don't care for it."
"Yeah, yeah." She waved him off. "But when you actually get hungry..." She chuckled. "Then maybe, just maybe, you might want to learn the sound of money. Oh..." She laughed now. "Oh, you are so going to be learning it."
What was she going on about? He cared little; his eyes still somewhat locked on the pooled blood of the Excubitor. This will cause me nightmares.
At least you control dreams now… somewhat.
"So…" he uttered. "Are we done? Can I go?"
"Wait, seriously?" Her mouth made an O. "I mean, weren't you enjoying yourself? It seemed you were. I mean, look at this place. Look at this scale. That's some power you have, sunBringer… or is it Shadowman now?"
Merrin winced. "It's Merrin… Merrin Ashman."
"Oh, please." She sauntered toward the corpse of the Excubitor, leaning in for a look. "You know you haven't been an Ashman for a very long time."
The words wrecked something within him. "Not… not true."
She glanced at him, smiling. "Case in point. Aren't Ashmen supposed to be unable to lie?"
Merrin froze.
"Regardless, we did make a deal. But..." She stepped close, standing before him, looking slightly downward. "I'm making a new one with you."
"What?"
"You have another secret."
Merrin's eyes went wild. The form, the mass of shadows over him, began drooling down, fading into the blackness of the world. He was without attention, his mind spinning through the chaos of everything.
Secret? What secret?
She smiled. "The original deal was to keep the whole 'stopping the storm' thing quiet and protecting you from the leaders of the camp."
No… Merrin felt a replay of the past—an act the Gresendant sister had once played on him. Wordplay.
Her beam increased. "But I know something else. I know of a sunBringer who is a supposed God to the sunWitnesses of the mines in Nightfell. My source confirmed it."
NO!
"And then there's this… Shadowman." She leaned toward his ear, whispering. "Your enemy is no longer the leaders, but the Church itself. Can you imagine if they were to learn that a young Ashman is somehow claiming godhead?"
Merrin stabbed his knife forward.
She has to die!
And she was gone.
Flashing into existence a meter away from him, she was laughing. "Oh, my God! Were you actually going to kill me?"
Merrin looked down at the stone knife and muttered, "No."
"You have an odd way of showing it." She shrugged. "But I understand; religious madmen have their own set of morals."
No!
"But I'll have you know," she exhaled, "you are to aid me in something. A rather elaborate set of somethings."
Merrin panted. "And if I don't?" His heart was racing.
"Ah, please don't play the fool. I was hoping you would somehow enjoy this, giving me no reason to resort to this. And although you did enjoy it—"
"I didn't."
She waved her finger. "No, you did. You simply play the lie quite well. But I don't care. Not anymore. As it turns out, you are the right man for the job."
"Why?"
She smiled. "You see, the late Lord of Silent Watch, despite being a brightCrown, had a full head of black hair and was… what was it? Quite intricate with his usage of the shadow."
"A veilCounsel."
"Yes." She snapped her fingers. "And you, my friend, look amazing for it. Isn't that right, my Lucien of the Silence?"
Merrin felt a coldness. "You want me to play a dead man."
"Dead men tell no tales… Wait." She paused. "Does that make sense in this context?"
Merrin looked away. And knew again, the turning of the wheel. More events.
He lowered his eyes. At least I can be sure before the end of it… You all will be dead.
After all… the El'shadie lives too long.
And I saw her, staff in hand. And the waters parted. — From the diary of Saint Alderbert.
Geni stared at the book, silent. What in damnation is this? She flipped it in the air. For hours now, she had spent time reading through this, back to back. And there was nothing of import. The Proetarian seemed to have some idea—one she was not allowed to know.
Ah, I hate not knowing, she spat, her eyes lowering to the high, black skies of Eastos. So eternal they were, stretching on all sides of the world, churning with the winds and the sparkling whiteness. One could marvel at it. Not her, though—not necessarily.
This, as many other things, was a question. What was beyond the darkness? New places? The so-called sun, or something else?
She did not know!
Someday…maybe.
IN any case, here, with her eyes closed, Geni listened to the loud howling of the world and the swaying of the sea above her—yes, above her. Even now, she existed in a tilted reality.
The ground upwards and vice versa. It was the only way to achieve some measure of flight outside the usage of wind. Or maybe something as brute as gravity.
This was cooler, nonetheless.
She sighed. "When is he getting here?"
By "he," she meant the supposed King of the Pirates—or Reivers. This was her mission now: to find him, to learn everything there was about him. And of course, to find the connection between him and the Pained Martyr sect.
"I heard the Princess of Valor was attacked by a member of that group." Geni took a sugar cube from her pouch, tossing it into her mouth. Cringing as a flash of sweetness assaulted her senses. For a moment, that is. She tossed in another.
"Maybe she has some deal with them?" she wondered, knowing this information was undoubtedly not made for the public, and the Church would likely not risk revealing it as they did with the Eiya. There were certain things people were not to know.
People were stupid, after all.
"Not me, though." She smiled. "I should know all of it."
Regardless. "Auron Odium was the middle child of the former Highness of Odium. Although it's currently ruled by Bethany." She tapped her fingers on her palm. "Why is the Geld the Regent, again?"
Probably some political nonsense.
"I don't care for that... but this Auron... former brightCrown, highBorn, and now a pirate?" Her eyes closed again. "What can be more disgusting than that?"
She heard a sound like piercing wind through a cave. Heart pounding.
Finally.
Her eyes opened, and there it was, floating downwards in her view: the skyship of Auron, named the Terror.
Time to play the role.