207. The Unforbidden Study
A gleaming sports hovercar sat parked near the vehicle port, a stark contrast to the various military craft surrounding it. Emblazoned on its flank was the royal emblem of the Solis Aeternum’s sun, an icon of glamour and glory. This was, without a doubt, a vehicle reserved for those of the highest status.
Wind howled from the open channel where battleships flew in and out. Two massive Armatus units stood guard, their weapon systems hot.
The trio emerged from a connecting door, their voices raised against the gusting wind. “Come to think of it, where is Friederich?” Zetius asked Aurelia as they reached the car.
Poking her cheek, she clarified, “I met him this morning. The Prime Guardian is still on a joint operation with the League of Shadowbringers.”
That means Ziyue was here, too, Zetius thought. Is she avoiding me? But why? A swell of questions threatened a headache, and he shook them off, gripping the car handle and swinging the door open. “After you.”
“Thank you kindly,” Aurelia dipped into a mock curtsy before slipping into the passenger seat. Cubie followed, perching in the middle of the dashboard.
The car whirred to life. “Buckle in, everyone,” Cubie instructed, her voice cheerful.
A disco track blasted at full volume, the beat thumping in their chests.
“Ahem.” Zetius shot Cubie a hard glare, keeping his own expression nonchalant.
“Oh…” Cubie immediately turned down the volume, letting the upbeat music fade into a background hum.
“Aww, Cubie, I didn’t know you were into disco,” Aurelia commented, a hand on her sternum.
“Mm, mm.” The cube’s holographic form shimmered with alternating colours, twirling to each beat in a mesmerising dance.
Aurelia clicked her seatbelt in place as the car drifted out of its parking slot. “Well, I heard they’ve ruled out all of Master Ignius’s possible hideouts.”
“Hm. And when they find him, what then? Will they be able to take him down? In that fight against Lunarius Willhelm that destroyed Vanguard Bravo, the Celestius walked away unscathed…” Zetius shared, his voice trailing off.
“So you read the report after all,” she replied, her eyes glittering with impressed surprise.
“I don’t have a mission right now, Aurelia. Time is all I have,” Zetius confessed. Or perhaps, no one dares give an order to a sombre man.
“Well, um… all things considered, you should rest as long as you need,” Aurelia offered a weak but sincere smile.
“Nevertheless, we still train daily!” Cubie chimed in, steering the hovercar past the guarding Armatus units.
“Atta girl!” Aurelia praised, patting the cube gently.
Soon, they were gliding over a sharp mountain landscape, the sun hanging low and painting the peaks in hues of orange.
“Have any of the prisoners talked?” Zetius asked, his eyes drifting to Aurelia. He noticed her lips were a plump, healthy red. She had grown into a fine woman.
“Nope…” Aurelia clipped, studying her polished nails.
“Isn’t there a captured Platinum Knight?”
“Yes. Her name is Quin, the former admiral of the Santose V, Rhok’s second-in-command.” Aurelia wrinkled her nose. “She’s the toughest one; her lips are sealed tight.”
“Bummer,” he clipped, resting his head against the side window.
As the hovercar entered a residential zone, the remnants of war were still starkly evident. Without a government to lead them, the survivors suffered. Tents and makeshift structures, supplied by Solis Aeternum, dotted the landscape. Aurelia had taken part in the humanitarian aid effort, an ordeal that had kept her hands full for the past week.
The battle was over, but the suffering continued, a fact made more conspicuous as the hovercar descended. The aftermath was always harshest for those who lived, yet they clung to life, a candle of perseverance flickering amidst the chaos.
“Are you still tied up with the aid distribution?” Zetius asked, watching Aurelia fidget with a lock of her red hair.
“It’s all done. We’ve done what we can for now…”
Zetius touched his lips. “What about Astrid? Have you heard from her?”
“Helping her father, I assume. I doubt she was even on the flagship. Probably went back to the Institute. I haven’t seen her since the battle. The Flames of Aries suffered a heavy blow… They were the last line of defence, the only reason the Zeigerlich stayed afloat…”
The words stuck in his throat, a bitterness he couldn’t comprehend. “I should have let Astrid stay with her unit,” he forced out.
“And have you fight two battlecruisers alone?” Aurelia reasoned, studying his pale visage. “Zetius, you’re an incredibly skilled pilot and Arcanist, but that doesn’t make you invincible.”
“No, on the contrary, I was too weak. People died, and others are suffering because of it.” His hand clenched on the fabric of his trousers, nails digging into his palm.
“Listen, even with Cubie and the Armatus Celer, you would have run out of Arcanite energy long before the end. We would have lost.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Zetius…” Cubie drawled, her light dimming.
He sniffed, turning to face the window. “Sorry.”
Aurelia reached out, her hand landing gently on his shoulder armour. She wished her warmth could penetrate the cold steel and reach him. “A lot has happened, Zetius.”
“Even now, I haven’t been much help, have I?” His tone was deep and hollow.
“It’s fine, Zetius.”
“We’re here,” Cubie chirped as the vehicle stopped.
Parking at the end of a road atop an isolated hillside, they stepped out of the hovercar to face three manors that shared a beautiful panoramic view of Tabit’s mountains. One each for Zetius, Friederich, and Aurelia. Despite their ordinary appearance, the area was heavily guarded by hidden monoliths generating a translucent barrier and various other security measures.
With Cubie on his shoulder, Zetius strode towards his door. Aurelia followed, her hands clasped behind her back.
“Hmm?” He swung the entrance open. “Do you need anything else?”
“Oh, not really,” she said, fidgeting sheepishly with the tip of her shoe, her eyes darting away from his.
“Fine, come on in,” Zetius gestured with his head. A smile immediately adorned her face as she nodded.
The trio entered a spacious chamber with high ceilings and concrete grey walls, fully embracing the Brutalist style common to Tabit’s architecture.
“Seems you’ve been busy,” Aurelia commented, pointing at the piles of tomes scattered across a long stone table.
Her eyes narrowed, sampling a title. “Forbidden Arcane…” She picked up another book with no title, skimming the first page. The word ‘D’Arcane’ jumped out at her.
“Don’t tell me, Zetius!” she exclaimed.
Spinning from the fridge with two glasses of juice, Zetius replied, “It’s not what you think, Aurelia.” He handed one to her and took a sip from his own.
“Thanks.” She accepted the glass, tilting her head in anticipation. “Well?”
“The path to victory is paved with an understanding of the very weapon meant to destroy,” Zetius quoted, his voice husky.
Her heart skipped a beat. “Zeta! You sounded just like Master Ignius.”
“Couldn’t be helped. He was my master for a very long time.” He saw her unblinking, unyielding stare and knew he’d made a mistake quoting his former master. That stubborn look of hers meant she wouldn't let this go.
“I mean, D’Arcane is a formidable power,” he clarified. “We barely won against Rhok, and that was with Dynamis and Adamas. Somehow, Ignius turned a man into a beast.”
“It was a true struggle! Plus, he sucker-punched us!” Cubie interjected. “So it doesn’t count.”
“If D’Arcane could do that to a non-arcanist…” Aurelia pinched her chin, pondering aloud.
“Exactly. We’re dealing with the literal moon-shattering power,” Zetius said, brushing his hand over one of the books. “I need to find its weakness, its limitations. And I’m getting close.”
“Well, it’s good that you’re taking precautions…” She drew her lips into a thin line, clearly unnerved by the idea of him studying D’Arcane. “But we have Empress Aurora on our side! She’ll definitely win.”
“And where was she during the Battle of Thylin?” Zetius retorted.
“Zeta!” She shot him a hard glare.
“She is the strongest arcanist, but she can’t be everywhere at once,” Zetius said, closing his eyes. “Her absence is her weakness, Aurelia.”
Aurelia felt rooted to the cold floor, fearing the worst. “I… I don’t want to lose you, too.” A tear trickled down her cheek. I hate this! A voice screamed in her head. She had come here to console him, and now she was the vulnerable crybaby.
“D’Arcane is everything that stands against me,” Zetius said, his voice firm. “Have you lost faith in me?”
“Never!” she blurted. “I have never once doubted you.”
“Good.” He forced a smile and finished his juice.
“Then I won’t trouble you any longer,” she said, her tone shifting as she pointed a finger at him, suddenly acting like his mother. “Except I’ll be asking Yammi to tidy up this place tomorrow! It’s a mess.”
“She does remind me of Marionette,” Zetius internalised. The past week had offered him a chance to reflect, and memories he had long forgotten were now returning like waves on a shore.
As Zetius escorted her to the front door, she spun around, a sudden idea lighting up her face. “How about I ask Lunarius Willhelm to train us?”
“Will he?” Zetius asked, uncertain of the man’s state. Their last meeting hadn’t been pretty; the Lunarius was equally broken.
“Of course!” Aurelia nodded eagerly, humming a soft melody. “Wait! I almost forgot about the debriefing tomorrow.”
“About the recon mission?” Zetius raised an eyebrow.
“Mhm!” she nodded.
“Cubie and I will pick you up, then.”
“Alright then. Bye, Cubie!” she waved before departing. In serenity, he watched her go, disappearing through the neighbouring door.
The red-haired princess took the sunshine with her. The room grew colder as silence crept in. As evening fell, Zetius returned to his lone study. Each page he turned brought him a step closer to understanding the true essence of D’Arcane.
***
His boots crunched over rubble. Debris and rubbish littered the street. He surveyed the skyscrapers, one of which had been cleaved in two by a massive, inclined cut.
Lancer beam, he recognised the pattern immediately. The stench of ash and fire filled his nostrils, forcing him to cover his nose.
“Is… is this the Eastern Dam?” Zetius questioned, studying himself. He was wearing the armour of an Armatus Knight, not an Arcanist’s attire. I’m in Jack’s armour.
A thud shattered the silence. He snapped towards the source.
There, a lone figure sat on the edge of a concrete slab, his back to Zetius. Brown hair swayed in the wind. He seemed to be staring at the burning husks of an Armatus Lancer and an Aurum Specter — Rhok’s once comrades-in-arms.
“Rhok.” Zetius stepped forward, his chest tightening. He swallowed hard to ease his nerves.
A cold wind blew past his neck, sending an unexplainable shudder through him.
This was the first mistake. Where it all began.
His trembling hand reached for the lone knight, whose armour was tattered. “Rhok… I’m sorry.” Zetius clasped Rhok’s shoulder and spun him around.
“YOU FAILED.”
The distorted voice screamed as the figure’s neck snapped, its cheek pressing flat against its own shoulder. Zetius fell back, screaming in terror. The black, empty voids of Rhok’s eyes made his skin crawl.
“AHHHHH!”
Zetius bolted upright in bed.
Sweat clinging to his skin.
His heart hammering like a drum against his ribs.
In a panic, he scanned the room, panting. The split moon hung high in the sky, its light reflecting through the large window.
Clasping his chest, he forced himself to take a breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves. To some, it was just a bad dream. To him, it was his reality, the haunting consequence of his past.
He ran his fingers over his face, pushing back his silver hair. “Hades’s hell…” he muttered.
“Zetius…? What’s wrong?” Cubie groaned, popping out from his chest, fully awakened by his scream.
“Nothing,” he said. “Just a nightmare.”
“Again?” she probed, her soft blue glow illuminating his face.
He didn’t have an answer for her except a soft grunt. There would be no more sleep for him tonight.