The Empire of Zeth/Chapter 5 (Ero)

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HE JUST TOOK HER'!?!?" Ranth's father's voice booms from outside his recovery room, jarring him awake. "WHO DOES HE THINK HE IS? His blind affection for that girl may have doomed us all!!!"

Ranth struggles to his feet. Girl? What girl... "Evy!?" Ranth throws the door open, to see his father strongly reprimanding a young knight. "YOU INCOMPETANT..!"

"M-My lord, I apologize! I told him of your orders, and that he was not allowed to take her, but he wouldn't listen! I couldn't stop him... I tried, I tried! Please forgive me..!"

Ranth listens without letting them know he's there. His father had a bad habit of trying to keep important things from him... he wasn't a child!

"WHERE DID HE TAKE HER!?" Lord Tristan shouts at the trembling knight initiate. "He s-said he was t-taking the d-drow girl h-home..! A-and that you would f-find there under.. u-under h-his protection!"

Ranth's heart pounds. "Evy??? You found Evy!?!?"

Lord Tristan spins to face his son. "Don't worry, son. I'm handling-" Ranth cuts him off. "Father! I am not a child any longer! Stop trying to protect me! You found Evy - why are you so upset that she is back..?"

Tristan rubs his temples and sighs. He turns back to the young knight. "Tell the commander of the 1st to surround their headquarters." The young knight's face turns ashen. "M-My lord..!?"

"You heard me! I don't want her escaping - or worse! I will be there shortly." The knight stammers. "B-But he w-won't allow th-that! You d-don't expect us t-to... t-to actually take the headquarters of the-" Tristan cuts him off. "I EXPECT you to not let anyone leave. Go! Inform your commander at once!" The young knight flees down the hallway. Lord Tristan turns back to his son. "Ranthian..."

"No, father, don't 'Ranthian' me! What the hell do you think you doing??? Invading the headquarters of the order of the Cleansing Hand!? Are you insane?" Lord Tristan sighs. "You don't understand. The drow girl Evy came back THROUGH the ley li-" Ranth cuts him off again. "YOU MEAN YOU FOUND HER AND YOU WERE KEEPING IT FROM ME!?!?" Ranth scowls at his father.

"I don't know what Master Garath was thinking, taking her from the warded cell, but he took her back to their headquarters.. You must understand..." Ranth looks at his father as if he were a monster. "How... how could you do that to her!? She saved my life three in the last two days!"

"Son, you don't understan-" Ranth cuts him off again. "I don't care! You're going there now, right? Well I'm coming with you!" Lord Tristan shakes his head. "Son, you're not well and it's not safe, you-"

"Unless you plan on locking me up, dad, I'm coming. Please don't try to stop me..." Tristan sighs mightily, looking extremely conflicted. "Very well... you may accompany me, but you WILL NOT confront me like this in front the order, understand?"

"Fine - now let's go." Ranth sets off down the hallway. Lord Tristan sighs and follows his son down the spiral staircase and out he front door of the cathedral. He puts a hand on his son's shoulder, and a blinding white light envelops them both. When it fades, they have vanished.

...

Outside the headquarters of the Order of the Cleansing Hand, Master Garath carries Evy into the headquarters of their order. He continues cradling the exhausted girl in his arms down the hallway, and past the apprentices' wing. Stopping at the last door at the end of the hallway, he unlocks it with a wave of his hand and descends the stairs.

Evy's quarters were a few levels underground. Master Garath had ordered an old interrogation room converted for her use when she first joined their order, hoping that the subterranean area would make her a bit more comfortable. Most Drow spent their lives deep underground, after all.

Master Garth set Evy gently down on her bed, he stroked her forehead gently as a worried father might to their own child. "Evy... they never should have sent you. I'm so sorry."

"It was my duty t.. to..." Evy croaks. "Nonsense! I decide when my students are ready for such dangerous missions, not Lord Tristan! He has gotten such an inflated head since he was named first chair of the council... He's not a damn king! We compartmentalize our organizations for very good reasons!" Garath sighs and his face softens. "But none of that matters. All that matters is that you're safe. I will deal with Lord Tristan..."

He passes her a clean set of clothes. Evy was still shaking too badly to dress herself, so he assisted her. She tried protesting, saying she wasn't a little girl and could dress herself, but in truth she did require his assistance. He helped her into a fresh loincloth and breeches, then pulled a tunic over her head and helped her get her arms into it. She let him do it, secretly glad he was helping her. She knew he loved her like a daughter, and the feeling was mutual.

He turned to go, but Evy grabbed the sleeve of his loose-flowing over robe. "M-Master! P-Please don't get yourself in t-trouble over me.." She sniffs. "Evy... its not just you. Lord Tristan interfered with our order in direct violation of our charter. And then he had the sheer ADUCACITY to try to keep one of MY students from me, and IN A PRISON CELL, NO LESS! YOU! OF ALL PEOPLE! IN A CELL!" Rage etches deep lines in Master Garath's face, making Evy shiver. He notices her fear and visible calms himself. "He has gone too far this time. I will deal with him, and remind him of his place..."

Evy grimaces. "Evy? What's the matter?" Master Garath asks worriedly. Light ripples on the bed in front of them, and Evy's eternium rapier appears before their eyes. "It... it won't stay separated from me for too long..." She winces, and picks it up. "It's a part of me..." He helped her set the rapier on a side table.

A junior member of their order rushes down the stairs. "Master! Master! The 1st has surrounded our headquarters!" Master Garth spins on his heels. "WHAT!? IS HE MAD!? Report!"

The initiate stats at attention. "Lord Tristan has just arrived via teleportation nexus! He said to tell you that he will come in without the 1st, just him and his son Ranthi-"

Evy leaps to her feet. "RANTH!? Ranth is here!? Is he okay??" Master Garath turns back to the girl. "Evy, stay in bed. You're not well. You-" Evy insists. "M-Master, please! I must see him! Please let them come in! I don't want to cause anymore trouble..." She sniffs, and a tear runs down her cheek.

Master Garath turns back to the initiate. "The network reports?" he asks in a hushed tone. "Lord Tristan is telling the truth, and he really is alone." Garath sighs. "Very well... escort Lord Tristan and young Ranthian here." The initiate nods and leaves the chambers at a run. Master Garath cajoles Evy back into bed and sits with her, holding her and stroking her hair while they wait. "Evy... I can only imagine what horrors you had to endure because of all this. I am truly sorry to have failed you..."

She looks up at him. "You didn't fail me master... Please don't be sad... Evy hugs him around the waist. He pats her on the back awkwardly." A few minutes later the initiate messenger returns. "My lord, they are here." Master Garath gently pries Evy's arms open and sets them in her lap, getting to his feel. "Very well. Send them in." The initiate nods and heads back up the stairs.

A moment later they hear voices in hushed tones arguing as they descent the stairs. Master Garath looks at Evy and grinds, holding a finger to his lips. Evy giggles and nods. No one outside their order, and indeed not many inside the order either, were fully aware that the spells sunk deep into the walls of this ancient building made it impossible to have a secret conversation anywhere on the premises. It was a secret he told to Evy a few years back and a game they liked to play together, spying on those others of the order who were.. less informed.

"Father, are you mad!? Put your sword away! What the hell are you planning to do with that!?" Ranth scolds Lord Tristan. "The girl may be very dangerous, I will not let-"

"Emery was right - being named first chair HAS gone to your head! Where do you think we are right now!? You are NOT a king - now put the sword away before they see it! If Evy was truly a danger, don't you think Master Garath would be far more qualified to deal with her anyways? Has all that light magic really made you so blind!?"

"Ranth! Be silent! These walls may have ears! You're right, okay? I'm putting the sword away!" Evy looks up at Master Garth who still has his finger to his lips. She puts her hands over her mouth to stifle a giggle. They both turn as the pair walks into the room.

Master Garth scowls at his longtime rival as he walks in. "Ranth! You're okay!" Evy shouts gleefully. Ranth runs over to her bed. "Evy! It really is you! You're safe! Thank the light!" He grabs her in a tight hug. Master Garth watches warily, but seeing that Evy does not protest and returns the hug he gets off the bed and stalks over to Lord Tristan.

"What in the name of all that is holy were you thinking, Tristan!? You interfere in MY organization while I'm away doing YOUR bidding, then you try to hide my student from he and treat her like an animal to be caged after she rescues your son at the risk of her own safety!?"

"Garth..." Lord Tristan tries to interject. "I'm not done yet! And after ALL that, you have the AUDACITY to order OUR armies to SURROUND my headquarters! I refuse to believe that the council knew of this!!"

"The necessities of wartime require some aspects of the rule of law to be put aside for the good of all people of the empire..." Master Garath cuts him off. "Bullshit, Tristan! We don't have a king for a VERY good reason, one I'm SURE you of all people DO NOT need reminding of!!!"

Lord Tristan's shoulders slump. "You're right, Garath..." Garth continues, "...and after ALL THAT you have the NERVE to- Huh!?"

Tristan repeats himself. "You're! Right!! I let my fear for my only son cloud my judgment, and I'm sorry!" He pauses for a moment. "However!" He points at Evy. "We do NOT know what happened! Ranth has not had time to tell us, nor has anyone had time to question the girl! Her very nature repels our investigation magics! She could have a sleeper inside her right now and we would have no way of knowing! Quarantining her until we are sure is still the right call!"

Master Garath calms himself. "Fine. You're right. But throwing her in a CAGE like that was beyond cruel in and of itself, and tenfold worse for Evy for reasons I know you're aware of! You should have trusted me to deal with it instead of trying to behind MY back. ME, of all people. You didn't REALLY think you'd be able to hide her from me in the CAPITAL for more than a few MINUTES, did you!?!?"

Lord Tristan looks away. "No, of course not. I was only hoping to slow you down long enough to gather the council before you did anything.. rash. You are too fond of that girl, Garath." He looks Garath in the eyes with a steady gaze. "I understand. Believe me, I really do. But I wouldn't put the entire empire in danger over one citizen. If my own son was revealed to be... I would have... I would have given the order..." His face shadows, but he continues.

"That cell was the only place with strong enough protections on it available for someone of her power level at such short notice. I wasn't trying to be cruel to the poor girl, Garath - she had just saved my son's life! I was being practical! Cautious! Virtues you are always insisting to the council are of paramount importance in these dark times!"

Master Garath crosses his arms. Now it's his turn to look away. "Well... I'm sure you've already noticed that I placed those wards here in this room myself as soon as we entered. I'm not a fool, Tristan."

"I did." The two men stare each other down. "So now what?" Garath asks. After a pause, Tristan speaks up. "I will go and gather the council, and bring them here. Is that acceptable, Master Garath?" He nods slowly.

"Very well. Come, Ranthian. We're leaving." Evy hugs Ranth tighter. "P-Please don't leave..." she whimpers. Ranth pats her on the back. "I won't..."

A funny feeling fills Ranth again as she hugs him tightly around the waist, the same feeling he'd first felt on the train when she appeared. Was he falling ill or something..?

He turns his father. "I'm staying with her. She's frightened and exhausted." "Ranth, Master Garath will take good care of her..."

"Father! I said I'm staying! In case you weren't listening before, I owe her my life THREE TIME OVER! Order to leave me if you like, but I will refuse. Unless you want to petition the courts for an extradition order and have it reviewed by the council at the next grand session, then even YOU cannot force me to leave this building."

Lord Tristan lets out of huff, his eyebrows raised as he turns and stares at the wall. He looks impressed, of all things, which startles Ranth. "No... no I won't order you to leave. You're right, Ranth. You're not a child anymore. I'm sorry for continuing to treat you like one. From now on I will endeavor to treat you as an equal. You grew up, and grew up well, my son. I'm... I'm proud of you. I hope you know that."

Ranth is speechless at this. His father had never told him he was proud of him, not ever. Affection was really not his strong suit, and hearing those words of high praise now of all times...

Lord Tristan turns to Master Garath. "Will you allow him to stay, master of the Order of the Cleaning Hand?" Garath looks at Evy, who has curled up in Ranth's lap, eyes closed. She looks calm and content. "Of course, Lord Tristan. He will be under my protection until you return. You have my word as a fellow member of the Imperial Council." Lord Tristan gives a small nod. "I shall return shortly." He walks out of the room, his grand cape billowing behind him."

Chapter 6: Origins

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