Forgotten Embers

Chapter 27: Til Here We Find Ourselves Again

She shut the book, having taken her fill of a history of Pyre and its kings, and turned her attentions to the other. She lifted its cover, faded and worn, and read the words of the title printed on the inside.

                                                             Til Here We Find Ourselves Again:

                                                 The Court and Reign of King Stephan Caliphus

                                                                             by E.H. Webber

She began flipping through the pages, reading through a series of listed achievements and matters of interest accompanied by aged photos and personal anecdotes from the author as she considered every word carefully. It told the story of Ramus, a man spiraling out of control, and though it was never directly addressed, a clear picture was painted of his dissent into the darkness of selfish ambition.

As she read about the hero's decline into villainous treason, Avera couldn't help but wonder about the man who was writing. 'It is a brilliant presentation. I wonder how long ago this was.' She closed the book on her hand and consulted the cover. 'E. H. Webber... I'll ask Mr. Waverley about him when I see him.'

She opened the book again, continuing on in her reading.

On another such occasion shortly thereafter, my work brought me to the southwestern region past Laoce, and on my return from the mountains to Pyre, I was stopped by a group of bandits who identified themselves as having been paid to ensure my unsafe passage.

She turned the page over and stopped, her eyes straying to an image down below. It was an old photograph printed in black of a group of dignitaries gathered beneath the portico of a large building with a familiar phrase inscribed.

                                                   Library, for the Betterment of Public Hearts

"The library..." she breathed, astonished. 'No. But the librarian told me that the library had burned; it was destroyed and all the books were lost.'

She touched the picture, almost in disbelief, and tried to envision it as if it were the present time. 'It's hard to believe, but then...' She looked to the caption.

                                                         Dedication of the King's Royal Library 

                                                        Photo: Joseph Vanguard, Public Affairs

'Vanguard? But...' She stared, studying the grainy image, her mind racing. 'Justice, Kypher, Blackridge...'

Here Present: His Royal Majesty King Stephan Caliphus (center); in order from the King's right: Prince Casper Caliphus, Ramus "The Wind of War" (Royal Armor Bearer), Alexander Kypher (Captain of the Guard), Justice Atticus (Chief War Council); in order from the King's left: Sebastian Trimble (Seer), Dorcus Garner (Seer Apprentice), Eliezer Webber (Kingsmen Ambassador), Adrien Blackridge (Knight Apprentice).

'Stephan and Casper, Sebastian and Ramus, standing shoulder to shoulder with... Justice, Kypher, and Blackridge? But, then... this is a recent history, and that means... this book can't be much more than twenty years old, if that.'

She looked to the two names she hadn't recognized. "The only people I don't know are these two," she processed aloud, tapping a finger on the right side of the picture.

"Dorcus Garner..." she read, studying the dull image of a young woman, slender and elegant. 'She seems happy.'

"And... Eliezer Webber," she muttered aloud, consulting the list of names. "I take it he's the author." Her eyes moved to the clean shaven man with glasses. He was dressed in a vest with tie and shirtsleeves, and Avera let out a breath of laughter. "He dresses like Ben."

She stared at the two of them. 'They seem... familiar.'

She began to turn through the pages, looking for something to tell her more of the two of them until she had come to the section marked for interviews. There, she found a chapter titled An Interview with Dorcus Garner.

I was continuing to collect my notes from the various places I'd stashed them, the sound of human screams, breaking glass, and burning buildings still faintly in the distance. We were sealed up behind closed doors, kept in hidden chambers, and very grateful to our hosts. It was against this setting one night that I had decided to consult Miss Garner.

"Dorcus?" I called out softly as I knocked against the wood, "Dorcus, may I come in?"

"Eliezer, please," was the reply.

I entered to find her crying at the foot of the bed.

"Dorcus," said I as I rushed to her side.

"Do you think he's happy?" she asked me through tears. "All the people he's hurt. How could he do this?"

"Pride is the fall of men and angels," I told her, and we went on like that for awhile, discussing present things and what might have been.

"Are you still working on that book of yours?"

"I am," I smiled.

"Here? I can't believe you!" she chuckled.

"Why not? Stephan authorized it. I'd like to say it was finished under his reign."

"Isn't it a little late for that now?"

I shook my head. "They've created such chaos that no one knows for certain what's happened or who's responsible."

"Very well, then. How can I help?"

I opened my journal and readied my pen. "I would like to chronicle what happened at the cottage with Sebastian last night."

She looked to the infant asleep in the bassinet and sighed. "Is it right for one so young to hear of such violence?"

"The world does violence," I told her. "He's come to be a part of it - born in treachery, to be raised in adversity, and destined to reign. The kingdom belongs to his father, but it is his to regain. So, let's hear it."

She watched the child and nodded. "It wasn't a surprise, really. Well... you know how Sebastian was."

"Writing," I abruptly inserted, flicking my pen against the page. "How was he?"

"He saw the thing beforehand. He knew they were coming, and we spent the afternoon making preparations for it. 'Dorcus, help me with this,' or 'Here, take these there,' and so on. He told me some of it, but he knew more than he said or he told me at the time. I think part of it is that he didn't want me to worry. I had an inkling, but this was far worse than I had imagined."

"I see, and what did he tell you?"

"That we had to move some of the papers. He said there was destruction coming from the hearts of violent men who had determined violence against us, that their path was the path of bloodshed. He told me to pray they be restored. I asked if he knew who. He said he did. I asked if these were people we knew. Very simply, he turned and looked at me, and sadly he said, 'It is... familiar friends.' He would say nothing more.

"He told me not to leave the house until they did, then to take my horse (which I had saddled with some papers and supplies according to his instructions) and find Prince Casper. He told me that he and Princess Penelope would be in their bedchamber, and that I should speak to no one else on my way. I was to bring them to the way point in the forest nearest the cottage by way of the tunnels and to hide us in the stables until a clear path opened to come here. Then... the rest, but we shouldn't discuss that now, since you're... recording all of this."

"Quite. Incredible. So, he had the entire escape plot planned out ahead of time."

"Yes, he knew precisely where we should go and when so as to ensure our safety. I assure you."

"I see. Anything else?"

"Yes. He told me... you're a good man."

I dropped my pen, and her eyes met mine. "...What?"

She offered a passing smile, looked away, then back to me. "He said, 'Eliezer Webber is a good man.'"

"I see," I nodded. "Ehm... then what?"

"He blessed me and told me they were coming, rushing my along. I hurried up the stairs to the loft, securing a place on the floor where I would be hidden from view but still able to observe the happenings... Are you all right?"

I nodded.

"Eliezer, you're crying!"

I shook my head. "Please, go on."

"I..."

"Dorcus, please."

"Well... it was a stormy night, but Sebastian could hear the hoof beats in the distance. There was the sound of horses followed by a banging on the door. 'Kick it down!' another man yelled, and I recognized the voice as that of Ramus. The door burst open, and two men came. They were drenched with rain and water poured from their hats down from their dark rubbery attire onto the floors of the house. I could scarcely believe it: there stood Ramus, and Adrien stood there with him."

"Adrien Blackridge."

"Yes. All the while, Sebastian stood by the fireplace, watching the wood burn, and never looked away from it. He didn't flinch, even when they forced the door open.

"Sebastian said it was unnecessary of them, that he would have let them in, and he asked if the king was in good health.

"It was Ramus who spoke. He said that the king was quite ill, as Sebastian knew well.

"Sebastian told him that he had come to inquire as to whether the king might recover, and Ramus said that he supposed he also knew of his plans."

"Plans?"

"To kill the king. Sebastian told him that the king would surely recover were it not for his death by his own hands, and Adrien shook when he said it. Then, Sebastian pointed a finger to address him, also, and he told Adrien that he would see the destruction of Pyre from storehouse to basilica, that he would burn the city with fire and leave women childless. He said that because the two of them have turned to bloodshed and determined evil against us, they will live by their swords and die by their sabers; they will search for their enemies, and they will not find them; they will look to an end, but they will not attain it. He said, 'Pride has been your folly and pride will be your downfall.' He said to Ramus he is a man of violence and violence will follow him. He will try to escape it, to erase the memories of the past, but what is done cannot be undone, and the blood which was shed cannot be brought again to life. He said of him, also, that he has not ascended to the throne but has rather descended into darkness.

"Adrien asked him where I was, and it was strange to me, but he sounded almost concerned."

"That's... not strange," I said, and I knew I had interrupted. "I'm sorry. Please, go on."

Nodding, she complied. "He said that he knew they would come and he sent me away."

"Sebastian, said this?"

"Yes."

"Alright. What then?"

"Ramus ordered Adrien to kill him. He was so unfeeling, but Adrien stayed his hand. 'Fine, I'll do it!' Ramus told him. He seemed angry. He drew his sword, and without hesitation, he thrust Sebastian through.

"So, There Sebastian lay, dying on the ground, and he said, 'So shall your sins follow you.' Ramus was callous. He smirked as he wiped the blood from his cheek and sheathed his bloodied saber. Adrien seemed... much more impacted, but... nevertheless, he followed him. The two of them departed, and I left after, as Sebastian had instructed."

There was more, but Avera shut the book.

'The Ambassador and the Seer... and the child.'

She opened the book again, turning back to the page with the photograph, and contemplated the man who wore the rounded glasses.

'I need to find Mr. Waverley.'