Chapter 6: To Carry Coals to a New Castle

A Chapter by Roselynne

Elliot doesn't mind saying up to keep watch; rather, especially after his and Analise's conversation, he enjoyed the silence. Growing up in the castle, he very rarely got a moment to himself and, even rarer then, it was never quiet. He leans back, staring up at the night sky.

A sharp and clear meow brings his attention to the forest line. What is a cat doing all the way out here, in the middle of nowhere? It meets his eyes then runs back into the trees. Elliot gets the strange need to follow it, but he stays put. It is his job to keep watch, after all.

Minutes later, a woman walks out of the forest, dressed in men's clothing. She advances on Elliot, who instantly stands. He readies his sword, holding it out at her. "Who are you?"

The woman continues moving closer. "My name is Sicily. There isn't much time; your friend is in danger."

Elliot doesn't lower his sword. "What are you talking about?"

Sicily sighs. "A boy-Troy-was separated from the rest of your group, correct? I know where he is. He needs your help. The Elton-"

Elliot cuts her off.. "The Elton have him?" He yells into the shelter, "We need to move," trying to wake everyone up. They had a cycle of bad sleep until they become so exhausted they sleep soundly, and luckily tonight no one was sleeping well.

Within minutes, everyone was dressed and packing up any long-term supplies they have acquired. Analise refuses to speak to Elliot, however, and he notices that everyone is colder towards him than usual.

He faces Sicily. "So, where is he? Wasn't he going back to the castle?"

Sicily shakes her head. "He kept saying how he needed to find his sister." Helen's head shoots up; she was the cause of this? They begin to walk as the woman explains. He made it as far as the crossroads by himself, and I told him to take the shortest path."

"Did you know there were Elton there?" Helen asks, already not liking this new woman who put her brother in danger.

"Yes. However, I had assumed my influence would be enough to keep him out of the dark."

"What happened then?" asks Elliot. The dark night around them goes pitch black as they enter the trees. Thomas uses a small portion of magic to give off light.

"The voices of the Elton finally wore him down. By now, I believe he has made it to the Tower."

"The Tower?" Francine asks, though without any follow up questions.

"The Tower is where the Elton live; along with the darkness that is used to make more." Elliot responds.

"Consuming darkness," Thomas says under his breath.

"Exactly," Sicily finishes. They move in silence, all wanting to save Troy, despite any personal issues they may be having.

Troy is not himself; no he is better than himself, so much better. He runs through the woods with other like him. They all have pale blue skin covered in the marking sof darkness, as well as eyes glazed over with a thin film. Some of his fellow Elton have various injuries, most of which look fatal. Five of them have arrows sticking out of them-two through their heads-but Troy doesn't think anything of it. He knows they can't die, he can feel it in his now immortal bones.

They keep running, and Troy has never felt so free. He is not bound by rules of any sort-the Elton have no morals or laws-and, for what seems to be the first time in his life, he is truly happy. As a collective, all of the Elton stop, having reached a small camp of people. Now, they walk.

The door to the main-and most important-looking-building is open, guards stationed around it. The oldest of them, Jordin, speaks, though his words simply enter directly into the guards' minds. "We are here to see Imspo. Let us through."

The guards stare at him for a moment before Jordin's compulsion gets to them. "Right away, sir." They move aside, and the Elton move inside as one.

Inside the tent, there is a man sitting at a desk. His hair is black, specked with gray, his skin withering and fading. When he hears them enter, he looks up, and his eyes widen. "You-what are you doing here?"

"Surprised?" Jordin asks, again from the mind and not his mouth. "Didn't think we'd come to collect what you owe us?"

You're sure he was here when you left him?" Elliot asks for the third time.

Sicily nods. "He wouldn't listen to me when I told him to go back. Right at that tree," she pauses, focusing on the ground. She moves her hands, using magic that noone of them had seen before. Many paths illuminate. "Helen, do you have anything of your brother's?"

"No, I-"

Analise cuts Helen off. "His axe should work, no? It will probably show both of your paths, but it would be good enough."

Helen's eyes widen. She hands Sicily the axe, her body on autopilot while her mind is racing. His axe, which would show both paths because of their bond; the same bond that either of them could access at any time. Without giving any explanation, she sits crossed-legged on the ground.

Closing her eyes, she blocks out the rest of the world. Now alone in the darkness, she searches for a soft red light. Finding it, she follows it down into her brother's consciousness. The fact that the link is still there is promising, but she loses all hope when she actually enters his mind. She is completely closed off from him, not able to communicate with him whatsoever.

She opens her eyes, and her own senses come rushing back to her. Elliot is trying to talk to her, but she doesn't listen to his words. "Something's wrong."

Francine laughs. "Well yea, your brother sort of was taken by the Elton."

"No." She stands and notices that Sicily has finished her spell. Glaring at the path that is highlighted, Helen begins to walk forward. "There's something else."

The others stare at her for a moment before following. Francine speaks up. Something else like what?"

"Debt?" The man asks, and all of the Elton remain impassive. "You-You haven't even done your part yet."

Jordin laughs, but it is a dark, musical sound. "Yes, I believe we have." His face contorts into a smile as he finishes talking telepathically. "The group has lost a valuable resource. They will not be a problem for you."

The man slams his fist on his desk in a fit of rage. "You did not convert the Prince like I asked; what would a simple priest boy even be capable of?"

The Elton let out a collective sound, a low hum. Troy walks to the front, reveling in the adrenaline. "What," he starts through his new mental powers as he grips the man's neck telekinetically, "could a simple priest boy be capable? I wonder."

The man visibly swallows, his eyes going wide. "That's-That's not what I-"

Troy continues speaking. "Tell me where the payment is." When the man keeps quiet, he opens his mouth. "Now." This time he speaks aloud. His voice sounds exactly like darkness; it is quiet and loud and holds the promise of anything and everything you could fear.

The man holds out a shaky figure to one of the doors. Three Elton go in, getting their reward. Jordin takes over from Troy, speaking telepathically again. "Is there anything else you'll be needing any help with?"

"So," Francine asks after a while of walking in silence, "Even if-I mean when-we do find him, how do we make him not, you know, a horrible, evil monster?"

Everyone looks at Helen, but she just frowns. " I really do not know."

Sicily speaks up; "Tell me more about this bond you two share."

"Well, it's a common tradition where we come from to be bonded with those closest to you. It involves a simple ritual-"

"What does the ritual entail?" When Helen gives her a look, Sicily sighs. "I have an idea, but first I need to know how closely linked you two are."

"We can sense emotions and strengths, but that's about it."

Sicily frowns. "And pain? Would you feel his pain?"

Elliot steps in. "Why would he be in pain?"

"You do understand what the Elton are, correct?" The rest of the group is silent. "What do they even teach you in school? Well we know that the darkness converts them, but what is the darkness, you may ask. It's not just the absence of light, but it's own being." She turns to Elliot. "Like blood. Or-or laen. It is a darkness that is darker than the blackness that surrounds it.

"This darkness takes form and then suffocates its victim-Troy in this case-and then brings him back to life. This causes damage to the physical body-much less the mind-and if I were to pull the darkness forcibly from Troy, all of that pain would hit him-and you, Helen-at one time."

"There's no way to make it more bearable?" Elliot asks, not wanting to put either troy or Helen through something like that.

Sicily looks at each of them, studying their thoughts, before she answers. "Thomas, you are an illusionist, correct? And Analise, you're an extremely powerful mind mage. If you both were able to use your powers together; Helen do you know any temporary binding spells?"

"Yes, they are standard in our training."

"If you bind Analise and Thomas, they can combine their magic and send a powerful wave of pain suppressant to Troy. Then Elliot could-" Elliot gives her a sharp look, "heal him. You did receive training in medical studies, correct?"

"I did. But first, we have to get the darkness out of him. How do you plan on doing that?"

Sicily doesn't answer, seemingly thinking. Analise shakes her head. "She doesn't know." When Sicily shoot her a look, it quickly fades into begrudging understanding. "Mind mage. But-I have an idea."

"What is it?" Elliot asks. When Analise responds, she looks at everyone but him.

"Let me try to extinguish the darkness. Sicily, you have known information that no one has said, as well as insisting that your influence could keep Troy sane; are you a telepath?"

"We really don't know much about you, Sicily. Why don't you tell us about yourself. How did you meet Troy?" Elliot speaks up, his hand once again resting on his sword, just in case.

Sicily sighs. "My full name in Sicily Marlar of the third division, messenger of Opal Seali, Queen of the shifters of the Fortin. All shifters are telepathic, yes, and I was sent here to take you to my Queen."

"And why should we go to your Queen again?" Francine asks, though the rest of them are silent, having received many lessons on diplomacy and their neighboring civilizations.

"Because she is going to lend troops to you. Didn't your Prince explain-oh. I see. He really hasn't told you anything, has he?"

Once on the road again with the rest of the Elton-and their prize-they begin to run. Their reward, a young girl who used to be named Cassandra, but now it has been changed to Claetra. The rest of the Elton are male, but every so often they are able to secure a woman.

They bring her to the Tower, pushing her up the stairs. Once at the very top,they lock her in a room, surrounded by windows of tainted glass. They lock the door behind them, rushing down the stairs, their victory cries echoing off the stone walls.

The Elton readily accept Troy into their group, and he stands close to Jordin during the celebrations. It is loud and primal, everything that Troy had never knew he would enjoy-and enjoy it he does.

Finally, after what has felt like forever, the group reaches the Tower. Sicily lets out a heavy breath, nodding towards the loud tower, full of life for being so shrouded in darkness. "We're here."

"Remember the plan, everyone. Francine and I will rush in, taking Troy down. Helen, you will cast the binding spell to Sicily and Thomas. Analise, you will remove the darkness. Everyone ready?" Both him and Francine unsheathe their swords.

"Wait," Analise calls out, her eyes out of focus. "He's not alone in there. There are so many minds-" she quickly cuts off as her eyes go black. Her voice changes and the sounds from inside the Tower go silent. "State your business."

Elliot takes charge of the situation. "We wish to see Troy."

Analise smiles, though it is not her smile. "That's not possible. We like our new member; though this one-" Analise breaks off as she clenches and unclenches her hands, rolling her shoulders. "I do like this body."

"Leave her alone. Remove yourself from her body this instant." He holds a sword to her throat. "I will not hesitate to kill her."

Analise breaks out into a distorted laugh. "No, you wouldn't. But, frankly, that would just serve my purpose. She would be mind for the taking."

The group goes silent. Sicily then speaks up. "What do you want?"

Claetra can feel the colored sun on her skin, and she classes her eyes against the blindfold. This is what her father wanted from her? To spend the rest of her life here? With these men-if they can even be considered men-that are so primitive it is unclear what they will do to me?

She gives up on struggling, leaning back against the cold, hard, stone chair. Her wrists go slack against their restraints and she gives in to the warm light. Why did everything here have to be stone, anyways?

Because of the darkness, she realizes after a few moments of contemplative silence. Stone is perfect for darkness and silence. It reflects desolation.

The light fills her. It brushes her skin more incessantly, the warmth heating her very core. Her mind leaves her body, the light from within contrasting dizzyingly with the darkness surrounding her. In all of the contemplation, she can hardly bring herself to remember her situation. She feels herself moving further and further away from her body surrounded by darkness.

There is a sliver of white light and she is suddenly brought back to her reality; she has to get back to her body. She struggles to move normally, but soon finds she can will herself towards the light. Once close enough to the white light, she reaches her hand out, touching it. A sharp jolt of electricity shoots through her, but she ignores it, holding tightly to it and pulling herself towards her body. She wasn't going to let herself die here.

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