TWENTY-NINE - Silvan

Silvan encounters an intruder inside the city walls.

Silvan walked down the front steps to the castle, back into the city streets.  He couldn’t get the image of the nearly barren storage room out of his mind.  Somehow actually seeing it made it all seem more real.  He didn’t even realize when he reached the bottom step, and nearly tripped over himself when he tried to lower himself onto another stair and there wasn’t one.  He caught himself and turned back towards the castle.

I have no idea what I’m supposed to do now.  I have no idea how to fix this food problem we’re having.  Xanthus can’t solve the problem, not with Thaddeus planning to kill him.  He won’t even survive long enough to try.  And after that, Thaddeus will try to take control.  Even if everything goes exactly my way in the Outskirts, it may not be enough.  I may have made a terrible mistake.

Wanting nothing more than to lie down and rest, he headed home.  As he walked through the streets, he noticed the complete silence that pervaded the city.  People weren’t working.  They weren’t getting together to spend time with one another.  They were alone, in their homes, waiting for the end to come.  It feels as though everyone is already dead.  This is what the world will be like if we don’t solve the problems.  Big, empty, and quiet.  In a way if felt like it had already happened.

Even the typical distant sounds of the armorers and smiths were absent from the air today.  Apparently Xanthus leaving the city meant that everyone took a day of rest.  That, or they had already given up all hope.  It can’t look good to them… their King, who never worried about anything a day in his life, actually leaving the city and taking command of the Hunt.  They have every right to be worried; every right to give up.

The shocking thing was that even the children remained inside.  Normally at least a few kids would be outside running around the streets.  Perhaps they had been warned by their parents not to play today.  Or maybe they felt it too.  The only people out and about were the guards themselves.

Thaddeus has to know there’s no point in any of us “keeping the peace.”  The peace is keeping itself.  He just wanted us out of the castle so he could take care of his own business.  He certainly wasn’t pleased to see me when he found out I was inside.  Could whatever he’s doing have something to do with his plan to take over the city?  What is he hiding?  And who was spying on him?

Silvan almost reached his home when someone called his name from the darkness ahead of him.  He squinted his eyes to see a dark shape approaching.  After a few moments, the shape became clearer and Silvan realized who it was.

“Castiel,” he said.

“Silvan.  Where have you been today?”

“I was in the castle, checking on Xanthus’s new children from the Outskirts.  The ones you retrieved yesterday.  Why?”

“I just came from the wall.  I wanted to check in with the city guard; just let them know what’s going on.  You know.”

While the King’s Guard was patrolling the city streets, the city guards were surely patrolling the wall, looking out into darkness as always.  Silvan definitely didn’t envy the city guardsmen.  They all hoped to one day be promoted to King’s Guard, but most of them merely walked the wall until their dying day.  There were men upwards of fifty years old still walking the wall, day after day with nothing to do.  No one attacked the city.  No Bareland Beast had been near the city in years.  The people in the Outskirts weren’t organized enough to do any real damage.  So the city guard never really had anything to do.  Silvan had never met most of the city guard.  When Xanthus moved him into the city and promoted him, he bypassed city guard and became King’s Guard.

They may see some action soon.  When they found out that the King won’t be taking in their children and raising them in the comfort of the city, they may find a way to organize.  And if they do, the city guard will finally have an enemy.  And it will be my fault.

“How is everything going on the wall?”

“They’re fine.  As bored as ever.  But they talk a lot.  They’re really worried.  And some of the talk has gotten a little… dark.  I came to find you right away, I was worried something may have happened.”

“What do you mean?  Something may have happened to me?”

“When I got to the wall, Zultan was already there.  And he was talking about you to the other guards.”

“Of course he has.  Is it the same thing as usual?”

“I can’t tell.  People on the wall, they get bitter.  There’s always dark talk going around about rising up and getting what’s rightfully theirs, you know?  But this… it was more specific.  Zultan was talking about killing you.”

“Zultan is always talking about killing me.  He’s hated me since the day I was promoted.”

“Can you blame him?  He stood on that wall for ten years before he finally got a shot at the King’s Guard.  You came in from the Outskirts and rose to that position in no time at all.  As if his prejudice against the Outskirts wasn’t bad enough before…”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I just thought it was the right thing to do.  To warn you, I mean.  I don’t know if anything will come of it, but it sounds serious.  And I would hope someone would do the same for me.”

“What exactly did he say?”

“He said you need to go.  That once you’re gone, it will open up a position on the King’s Guard for one of them.  And that now is the perfect time to strike, because Xanthus isn’t around to protect you.”

“He’s always thought I was Xanthus’s favorite.”

“You have to admit he has a soft spot for you.  You saved his life.”

“He didn’t treat me any differently than he treated any of you.”

“Didn’t?”

“Doesn’t.”

“Then you think he’s dead, too.  All the guards are talking about how Xanthus isn’t coming back.  If that’s true, I’d definitely watch your back around Zultan.”

“Thanks, Castiel.  Where is he now?”

“Still on the wall with the other guards.

“Well, if he kills me he’ll be exiled.  So at least I can take some pleasure in knowing that my death will cause him some pain.”

“Unless, as you say, Xanthus doesn’t return.”

“Then…” he trailed off.  He’s right… if Xanthus doesn’t return, it will most likely fall to Thaddeus to decide Zultan’s fate.  How could I not have seen this coming?

“Yes.”

“Then you have the same suspicions as Vanderford and I.”

“That Thaddeus is plotting to take control of the city?  Yes.  And they’re going to get rid of anyone and everyone in their way.”

“What’s the point?  The city is doomed.  If Xanthus doesn’t return with a solution�"”

“It’s a lot easier to take over a doomed city than a thriving one.  They probably figured this was the perfect time to strike.  And who knows what else they have planned?  They could have hunters on their side, people in the Outskirts, armorers… the truth is, we don’t know anything.  This could go deeper than we have any idea.  So be careful who you talk to.”

“If we both make it through this, and the city doesn’t die... I’ll be in your debt,” Silvan said.

Castiel nodded and walked off, back into the depths of the city.  I’m in deeper trouble than I thought.  Now I have to keep looking over my shoulder just to make sure someone doesn’t stab me in the back.  As if things weren’t bad enough already…

Silvan reached for the door to his home but stopped himself.  I’m not safe here.  But where can I go?  I need to find protection.  Who can I trust?

He turned and headed back toward the castle.  At the very least, I can try to meet up with Vanderford.  He may not be on my side, but I know he isn’t on Thaddeus’s side, not after what he said to me after the meeting.

Silvan was nearly back at the castle when he saw a dark shape slowly creeping toward the steps.  He slowed his pace and walked carefully so as not to make any sounds.  Someone is coming for me already… how did they find me so soon?

He hung his torch on a hook on a nearby building and began to back away into the darkness when he realized�"the person wasn’t approaching him.  Either he doesn’t know I’m here, or he isn’t trying to kill me.  He stood perfectly still, barely breathing, trying to get a good look.

The figure turned and for a moment, he caught a good glimpse of the boy’s face in the torchlight.  That’s impossible.  No longer thinking, Silvan ran swiftly towards the person.  It can’t be who I think it is…

He reached the boy and wrapped his arms around him, placing one hand over his mouth so he wouldn’t scream.  It is.  It’s the boy we exiled.  Immediately, Atherton started to squirm, trying to break free from Silvan’s grasp, but his grip remained firm.  Somehow, he managed to turn the boy around and look into his eyes.

“How did you get back here?  You were exiled.  You shouldn’t even be allowed inside the Outskirts, let alone the city.  Is this all a part of Thaddeus’s plan?  Answer me honestly.  And if you try to scream, I’ll kill you right now.”

When he was sure that Atherton understood everything he had said, he took his hand away from the boy’s mouth.  “I’m here to see the King!” he said.  “It’s important… I have something I need to tell him!”

Silvan gripped him by the shoulders and furrowed his brow.  “Is that the truth?”

“Yes, I swear!  I never would have come back if it weren’t this important.  I have to talk to the King.  After that, you can do whatever you want with me.  Kill me, give me to the people, I don’t care!  But I have to speak with him!”

“Your timing is awful,” Silvan said.  “The King isn’t here.”

Atherton’s face fell.  “Where did he go?”

“He left.  With the hunt.”

“He left?”

“I’m afraid so.  So whatever you have to say is going to have to wait until he returns.  Until then, you can wait in the dungeons.”  Silvan turned Atherton around and led him up the stairs into the castle.  The boy didn’t fight back or struggle at all.  He appeared downtrodden.  It must be something pretty big if he’s not fighting against being thrown into the dungeons.

He stopped.  Atherton turned to look at him.  Silvan said, “What is it that you need to tell him?  He might not be returning for a while.  Or at all.”

“What do you mean, at all?”

“I just mean… the hunt is dangerous.  People die on the Hunt all the time and nobody says anything about it.  Xanthus might not make it back.  But you can tell me whatever it is you were going to say to him.  If it’s important, maybe I can help.  You can trust me.”

Silvan struggled to make his face appear trustworthy.  It must have worked, because Atherton studied it for only a moment before continuing.

“All of our lives are in danger,” Atherton said, “and not just because of the food crisis.  The Dome is flooding.  Every single living thing who lives in Xantom, the Outskirts, beyond that… we’re all going to die.”

The Dome is flooding?  Yeah, right.  I feel like I’d have seen something.

“What a convenient story.  As soon as you’re in trouble, suddenly there’s a crisis that only you even know about.”

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes!” Atherton said frantically.  “There’s a crack in the Dome, on the opposite side from Xantom.  It’s hidden inside the cliffs, but it’s there.  Water is trickling in. It’s slow, but it’s happening.  I don’t know how much longer it’s going to take before the entire Dome is underwater, but it can’t be much longer.  If we don’t figure out something to do, every single person is going to die!”

It seems like every few hours there’s a new crisis that’s going to kill me.  We’re out of food, Thaddeus is plotting to steal the throne and kill everyone in his way, Zultan is plotting to kill me with the entire city guard, The Dome is flooding… Can’t I just catch a break?

He started pulling Atherton back down the stairs into the city.

“Wait, where are we going?” Atherton asked.

“It’s not safe in the castle right now.  I’m taking you somewhere else until I know what to do with you.”

“Where’s safe?”

That’s a good question.