The Right To Rule

Chapter 20

Rodfold leaned back slightly on his chair touching as much Radiation as his body allowed. His body was now living at full capacity of his Radiation. He touch little and his lungs will start to fail him. He was in the mercy for Radiation, as little his body managed, and Skylady Asandria de’Mist.

For the first time since he had set his foot at Betelgeuse, he was nervous. He was afraid for his life, for his ambitions. He knew fear, it was coursing in his veins beside Radiation. Moreover, Minister Ruben Simon’s warning was like a heartbeat in his mind. Asandria is in a foul mood, trend carefully. 

Minister Simon had not given Rodfold many details, but right now, sitting across Skylady Asandria, Rodfold knew without a doubt he has to be forthcoming. It was a time to let Skylady Asandria know almost everything he knew about blacksteel. Just almost everything.

He was sitting on the glass-walled hall he had sat a few weeks ago when Skylady Asandria had invited him. He was even sitting on the same chair he took the last time he was here.

Rodfold looked at Skylady Asandria only to find out she has been looking at him the whole time. There was a dark cloud about her, the coldness of her eyes at the same time she look wounded. Rodfold wondered what would have set her out of balance. She was still in control, he knew that, but there was an air of violence about her. He now understood Minister Simon’s warning.

Skylady Asandria looked to be in her fortieth year; she had light brown ancient eyes which loo gray at times when the light shined on them, her face was smooth and easy to smile. She had her hair show, styled in dark curls. She stood as tall as Rodfold; she had a habit of joining her hands together when she talked.

Beside Skylady Asandria, there were Pitt and Jakob sitting side by side closer to Rodfold as always. Despite the air in the hall, the lads were keeping their Radiation minimal as possible. Such restrain, Rodfold was impressed.

Ahead of him was Minister Simon on his right and Minister James Madese on his left and not surprising, Minster de’Mist was not present. Rodfold had had Minister Simon murmured to Skylady Asandria that Minister Aram de’Asaph had said he should only be called when there was war and only that.

“Ah, but playtime was fun when it lasted,” Skylady Asandria spoke first. “I, for one, had run out of patience. Now tell me, Rodfold, where I can find the original Rings of Fortune?”

Where do I start? Rodfold wondered. For one, he didn’t know the exact location because when he set to the Capital Port he thought he will find blacksteel on the fingers of Ministers. How wrong he was. Cursed those Watchers!

Rodfold had to admit, the time he spent at Vela was not a waste at all. He didn’t find blacksteel, regardless, he found records and writings whispering to him about blacksteel. It was the reason, after his failure, to come at Betelgeuse. He knew Ministers were proud people, but they were merchants, they knew the value of starlings, and with the right amount everything in Sky Kingdoms can be brought. Right now, there was nothing Rodfold can buy except the rising conflicts between Skylady Asandria and Watchers.

“Minister de’Mist had asked a curious question a day before,” Rodfold replied, “he asked why I was visiting important cities and why, if I knew there was blacksteel at Betelgeuse, I passed to Adrastea first?”

Rodfold stopped and inhaled deeply.

“Honestly, I didn’t know there was blacksteel at Betelgeuse,” he replied

“You mean your information came from Vela?” Minister Madese asked.

Rodfold only nodded.

“I reckon I am correct to assume your first information about blacksteel led you to Vela and that’s why you spent a year there?” Skylady Asandria said.

Again, Rodfold only nodded.

“How disappointing that you came back empty-handed,” Skylady Asandria leaned forward and rested her head on her hands. “What did you learn about Rings of Fortune? And it will be very wise not to leave any information behind.”

Barren Lands was where Lord Radiator Ithamar unleashed the power of all Skygods and nearly set Sky Kingdoms in flames. Before the Origin, Barren Lands was not a nation for only Vulcans but for all people of Sky Kingdoms and a second power seat for Watchers. Maybe it was their stronghold, the truth was lost to them. Barren Lands was where Rodfold first knew of blacksteel. Not really, to be correct. First where he knew about artifacts for Vulcans.

Rodfold didn’t tell that to the gathering, instead, he will take them to Vela where he learned about Stoneheart’s strange metal.

There was an elderly man about eighty who was a fisherman at the shores of Adrastea. Rodfold had met him after being in the city for nine months. Rodfold met Geber Bashan when he was visiting the piers to clear his mind. It was frustrating to be defeated, he was not used to it, and for the last nine months, it has not been better to accept it. All Rodfold knew and had was the strength not give-up until his flame gave out.

“You won’t get what are you looking for here expect death and a painful one for one of your kind,” Geber said without looking at him. He was busy with his basket filled with fish.

Rodfold stopped and turned to look at Geber. He didn’t try to deny his intention, he didn’t have the energy for it despite being laced with Radiation.

“Maybe dying at Vela won’t be such a bad idea at all,” Rodfold replied. “This was the last place Lord Vulcan Ithamar was before he march to Barren Lands.”

“Aye, it was. Those were the glorious days and gone there are.” Geber looked at Rodfold this time. “There is a place mainland where you can find what you are looking for. Come walk with me, Radiator Kepnes.”

Geber said he had fancied himself as a historian in his youth, he had studied the evolution of Vulcans and Watchers and their energies. Evolution, he said, because the power of both Skygods children seemed to differ from before Origin. For one, Vulcans didn’t know of blacksteel and Rodfold had had he was the first in two thousand years to believe in the power of blacksteel. Or rather, the one who had come to Vela to seek it.

To Geber, everything which was present before the Origin still exists currently; the only thing which he believed Sky Kingdoms had lost was knowledge. Rodfold barely said two words on the road. He only nodded or grunted at some point.

It was then Rodfold knew about Stoneheart, Jeremy Stoneheart. Jeremy Stoneheart was a priest, strangely he didn’t follow the path of moons or sun, but the Creator who mould the world. Jeremy Stoneheart was a very powerful figure in Betelgeuse.

“During the crisis, Jeremy Stoneheart proposed that his family rings have the power to grant fortunes to anyone who wore them and he proposed that all Ministers should wear one if they wish the city to survive.

“It’s the same rings that moved from Azha. I know you all thinking nobody knew the rings were made of blacksteel and how did they found out…”

Rodfold let his words hang in the hall and allowed everyone to digest what he had just said.

“If I remember correctly, by your words, the only way to find out if the metal is a blacksteel, a Vulcan possessing that metal cannot be sensed,” Skylady Asandria replied after a heartbeat.

“That’s correct, Skylady Asandria,” Rodfold said. “There was a Watcher or few Watchers who knew about blacksteel or its rumors because Skylady Mina Rico in her private journal has written: ‘it was very strange for me to see Vulcan Hemic entering Sandfield Inn just twenty feet away from but more strangely was that I didn’t sense him.’”

“Did Mina write about it in detail?” Skyladdy Asandria asked again.

Rodfold only shook his head.

“We can assume she was not feeling sound of mind that day and the rings had are the ones have been there during the time of Jeremy Stoneheart,” Minister Madese spoke, sounding disappointed.

“If their circumstances were different, I would have agreed with you Madese, but you have to remember during the Call they didn’t want to give us the records and the only person who has access to those records is Salene,” Skylady Asandria said.

“Rodfold, let’s hear the rest of the story,” Skylady Asandria added.

Rodfold sighted, pick up his wine and wet his lips and told them everything has told him.

***

Asandria looked at startled Suzanne standing on the door with her right hand on her heart. Asandria was sitting on an armchair with dark wine in her hand.

Suzanne took a few steps inside her apartment and close the door. Asandria can sense Suzanne’s Celestial which was raging a few seconds ago carefully control to a minimal level. Asandria wondered why Suzanne didn’t sense her when she was opening her door. Either way, Asandria was certain Suzanne didn’t expect to find an intruder in her apartment.

“Lady Asandria, what a startling surprise,” Suzanne spoke first breathing more easily.

“Forgive me for lack of manners, I have just become a popular figure at the Sanctuary, hence I cannot go about my business without every Watcher making it their business.”

Asandria watched as Suzanne’s face beamed into a smile as she walked to the armchair opposite Asandria’s.

“Against my best intentions not to trust you, I find myself in need of your help,” Asandria said with a sight.

It has only been three hours since Asandria has been with Rodfold getting to the bottom of this blacksteel matter. Maybe in its quest, Asandria hoped, there might be a hint of what happened moments before the Origin.

There was so much she didn’t know and it frustrated her.

“I need you to find out if there is someone who has the ranks to unlock the records beside Salene,” Asandria continued. “If those records are part of Betelgeuse’s history, there has to be another rank too.”

“A curious request, Lady Asandria. What are you really looking for?”

“An ancient metal called a blacksteel,” Asandria replied.

Asandria was surprised to hear Suzanne gasp. Stars! She knew about blacksteel.

“Do tell,” Asandria said.

“There was a talk about it about forty years ago among Intelligence, just a rumor and an idea, but blacksteel been a myth I didn’t pay much attention to it and you know, Lady Asandria, Intelligence like to keep their secrets.”

“I need to know the ranks, that’s all,” Asandria said.

“I will gladly help, Lady Asandria.”

Asandria nodded, she drained her glass and stood up. She looked down on Suzanne with intending without her usual warm smile.

“I hope this matter will only be between us,” Asandria said, a simple warning.

“Without a doubt, Lady Asandria,” Suzanne replied without a pause or spark of Celestial.

Asandria nodded. Ah, well, I just have to be sure.