The Veil (22 page)

The warden raised his eyebrows for a split second. He clearly hadn’t been expecting what she had said. “Of course, Elder Rayene,” he said regardless. “Although it is unlikely they will run into any trouble. Most have long since given up trying to enter the Archives. Any threat should be minor.”

“We accept that, but we would prefer to be careful. This is a delicate situation, Highwarden. We suspect that Alexander might be able to use the power he obtained from The Sorrow to break through the barrier to the Reaper Archives. If he is successful, then it is imperative that your wardens communicate with you immediately. When this occurs, you must send as many Lightwardens as you can spare, and then more besides, to secure the building, and only those who you would trust with your life. The information stored within those walls could be invaluable, and perhaps even what we need to turn the tide of this dreadful war.”

A renewed energy seemed to enter Aegis; he stood up straight, his purple eyes keen and excited. “You have my absolute word, Elders. Should Guardian Eden be able to get inside the archives, then my best men will protect it with their lives, whilst we begin the process of extraction.”

Elder Rayene nodded. “Good.”

Aegis glanced at us both. “What of the other Guardians of Orion? Will they be joining the mission?” he asked Elder Rayene.

“The other Guardians shall remain within the city,” she replied.

I frowned in confusion.
“Why can I not take the rest of my Guardians with me?”
I asked mentally.
“I mean no offence, but I would prefer to have those I know at my side if we do run into trouble.”

“Your words do not offend, Miss De Luca. However, we are afraid that is simply not possible. As much as we do not wish to sound impolite, we know of you through the accolades that precede you from the Alliance, and we know Alexander through his renowned actions. Indeed, it is from those actions alone that he has become the key component to entering the archives at all.  We do not, however, know the rest of your team, one of which, we have been informed, is Umbra.”
I gave Aegis a dark stare. “
The information potentially contained within the Reaper Archives is far too precious to be viewed by those we do not know, and therefore cannot trust.”

“
We
trust them,”
Alex retorted, trying his best to keep indignation from his voice, but failing.
‘They would never betray us.”

“Your opinions have been noted, however, we must still insist. The circle of knowledge for this action must be kept small, lest the information find its way to the wrong people. We are sorry, but if you wish to have our permission to try and enter the archives to discover what can be done for Alexander’s situation, then these are our terms.”

Dull anger still simmered below the surface, but neither of us pressed the issue. After all, the Council of Elders could be giving Alex the possibility of redemption from the Mark of Sorrow here. If I had to jump through a few hoops to help the man I loved, then I was more than prepared to do it. That included keeping a lid on my opinions.

“Are these terms agreeable?”
asked the collective voice.

I glanced to Alex for a moment and he nodded.

“They are.”

The Elders all bowed their heads in perfect symmetry.

“
Now to the subject of Peter Eden.”

Beside me, Alex outright flinched at the blunt mention of his missing father. All he knew was that the man who had been taken from his life when he was still a baby was somewhere in Pandemonia – either trapped in one of the colosseums, free with the other escaped Chosen, or most likely…a corpse, killed by one of the many hostile elements of the corrupted world.
Knowing as little as we do about Peter Eden’s fate is almost the same as knowing nothing at all.
I silently prayed that the Elders held the answers we so desperately needed.

The smoke shifted once more, taking the form of a Middle Eastern town, carpeted by red sand and containing squat buildings made from sandy rock similar to limestone.

We have put out word to our scouting allies for information about the Chosen who escaped from the Abyss Colosseum. We have learned that they traversed the Bloodsand Deserts and have took up temporary residence within Shinroba – the Luminar Earth City, which stands at the north of the Yornheim continent, protected by heavy sandstorms and the Narrow Pass, which make it almost untouchable by the denizens of Hades. Some Chosen have remained there, whilst others returned to Idisa to aid us on the front lines.

The smoky image zoomed forward into the heart of the city, rushing through the streets and showing men and women in the city, some working in various roles – street sweeping, merchandise selling – and others who were bed ridden, having received injuries far too great too allow them to work. My heart started to accelerate. Alex leaned forward, desperate to hear the words the Elders had yet to speak.
Have they found Peter? Have they found Alex’s father?

A collective sigh spread through my mind.
“Unfortunately, of those who escaped and remained in the city, none answered to the name Peter Eden, or reported that he had been among them when they broke free.”

A fist seized at my stomach, twisting it out of shape.
No…

Next to me I could feel that Alex was struggling to keep himself composed, could feel his misery pour through my mind as if it were my own.
“Mia caro, I’m so sorry…”

“I-I left it for too long. I should have come through the Veil months ago. If I had then, maybe…”
Even though he wasn’t speaking aloud, I could still feel the anguish in his words.

“Do not despair yet, Guardians. Our scouts reported back that the escaped mentioned that many still remain in the coliseum – those who were unable to escape when the others broke out. Peter Eden may well be among those left.”

Alex’s cheeks flushed suddenly and he squeezed his hand against the pillar, causing cracks to appear.
“The cowards! They left people to die!”

His angry words had an immediate effect. The eyes of the Gargoyles bloomed red and they all turned and cranked forward towards us, jaws opening and poised for attack. Alex and I recoiled, breaking our connection with Elder Rayene. She held up a hand, which was copied by the male Elders.
“
Protectors, desist.”

A guttural growl escaped the stony creature’s throats and then they rose back up into their previous positions and fell silent.

Holy shit.

“I apologise, but our creations are finally tuned towards any possible threat. Do not fear, though, they will not attack you without our say so,” said Elder Rayene. I glanced around at Aegis, who was frowning back at us, clearly not happy that we had managed to somehow make the gargoyles react. Elder Rayene held out her hands once more. “Please, let us continue.”

Alex and I returned our hands to hers and we re-entered the mental conference.

“We understand your frustrations, Alexander. We are certain that they would have tried to save as many prisoners as they could. However, you must understand that there are thousands trapped within the walls of the Abyss alone, and numerous highly trained guards protect those dreadful places. To ensure survival and escape, it would not be possible to save everyone.”

Alex grit his teeth together.
“I know what I would choose.”

“Perhaps you would. However, decades spent fighting for your life without hope of salvation can break even the strongest.”

“Why didn’t they return home?”
I asked.
“Why didn’t they come back through the Veil to their families?”

“‘Because Hades’ forces are systematically taking control of each section of the Veil. The journey back would be more dangerous than surviving in the coliseums themselves.”

Alex turned away from the Elder and stared out across the high vista, his eyes glistening with the tears that were threatening to spill over. “
They should have tried.
”

The Elders all leaned forward in a collective movement of sympathy. “
Alexander, we understand that what we have told you is distressing, but you must understand that none of this is confirmation of your father’s death.”

“Did your scouts ask if any of those who escaped knew my father?”

‘They did, but none knew of that name.”

“Then how can you think he might still be there?”
I could tell that he wanted to shout, to air his disappointment and frustration, but he was forcing himself to remain calm, to prevent the Gargoyles from reactivating.

“We do not know for certain. There are three coliseums located around Pandemonia, and in truth your father could have been taken to any one of those when he was first bought through the Veil.”
I could feel both of our hopes sinking lower.

“However, you must understand this: Unless those forced to do battle for the spectators fight
and
survive together, they have very rare opportunities for interaction with one another. In addition, those who do survive more than a few shows are always given titles. If your father is still alive, then he has survived sixteen years of in one of the coliseums, whilst others fell. He would certainly have achieved a title, and not hearing one’s true name spoken for that length of time could cause it to easily slip to the corners of one’s mind. It is possible that many of those who escaped have met Peter Eden, but simply did not know his real name.

It was a thin strand of hope. To have survived that long would be an almost insurmountable task. But Chosen were strong – built to last in even the harshest conditions. And the fact that many had lived long enough to escape was testament to that. I had no idea how long those who were now relatively safe in Shinroba or on the front lines with the Luminar had fought within the walls of the Abyss, but there had to have been some that had stayed alive for the same amount of time as Peter, or longer.

“If he is alive, I will find him,”
stated Alex.

“A noble gesture. However, therein lies the fundamental issue. If Peter is alive, then he could be in any of the three coliseums. As we mentioned, all are heavily guarded.”

The smoke around us shifted once more to show a tall circular structure at the end of a long bridge that was some thousand or so feet above the bloody desert below. Guards in dark armour and armed to almost ridiculous levels guarded every conceivable entrance.

The coliseum was a fortress.

Alex turned his head from the scene, his chest rising and falling heavily with emotion.
“I will rip through every single one of those guards and tear down the walls of each coliseum with my bare hands if I have to.”

“A difficult task to achieve alone, even for one such as yourself.”

“He won’t be alone,”
I stated.
Although I have no idea how the hell we are supposed to break through that level of defense, even with all eleven of us, unless… “Elders, these escaped Chosen who stayed in Shinroba…would they be willing to fight back?”

All of the Elders sank back into their seats and let smiles spread across their face. 
“Miss De Luca, it appears you have reached our way of thinking. Those who did not join the Luminar cause are weak and low in morale. They have forgotten that they were once soldiers. All they need is for the right person – or people – to remind them that they are Chosen.”

Alex glanced at me and then at the Elders each in turn, spinning around slowly on the spot as much as he could without breaking contact with Elder Rayene’s hand.
“So you’re saying that if we could reach the escaped Chosen, we could convince them to help us return and rescue the rest of those trapped in the coliseums.”

“We cannot guarantee it. For each of them has faced unspeakable horrors, both within and beyond the walls of those bloodsport palaces. The toll it would have had on their minds is unimaginable. It would be foolish to think that those who chose to remain within Shinroba would be keen to return to battle. Otherwise, they would have already joined their fellow Guardians at the frontlines to help repel the Umbra. However, if there was any reputation that could have a chance of repairing the broken morale of those Chosen and unite them to a purpose, it would be that of the Sorrowslayer.”

I could see the hope returning to Alex, just as it had returned to me. It was a thin sliver, but he was determined to hold onto it with both hands. He nodded enthusiastically as he made the internal decision. He glanced to me and I gave a smile.

“
Whatever you need,”
I replied, answering his unspoken question.

“We’ll do it. We’ll travel there, and whatever it takes I will make them follow me.”

I glanced at Alex, feeling a sudden flare of concern.
It sounds like he’s prepared to force them to do what he wants, which is not the Alex I know.
I hoped it was just adrenaline talking.

“And if your father is not in the Abyss?”

“
Then we keep going. We destroy every one of their colosseums and free those trapped inside until we find my father…or find out what happened to him,”
he added.