XXI
Whilst the temple's outer shell was deceptively small, the basement was anything but. There was no outside light pouring into the room nor any open flames, only carefully placed lamps on top of hard stone. It was dim, but not dark.
?Stacks of books were piled high, a mix of new and old, some appeared as if the pages would crack and disintegrate with a single touch, their bindings unthreading with time.
?James watched as Alex leaned over Fletcher, who sat at a desk, a book on one side and a page on the other.
?"So this word means 'shepherd', so it says that the monarch is the small shepherd to how the people are sheep in the same way the sheep can be shepherds." he could hear Alex explain.
?That didn't sound right to his ears whatsoever but he felt that way about all scholarly drivel.
?James strolled up to them and scanned the text they were translating, some political philosophy twaddle. Fletcher nodded and copied what Alex had said and James laughed loudly once he found the original quote.
?He took the pen away from Fletcher mid-writing and Alex scowled at him.
?"You're wrong." James accused Alex, a smile playing on his face.
?Alex crossed his arms. "No offence, but I'm sure I have a much better understanding of the royal language than you do."
?James hummed in amusement, Alex had no idea who he was talking to.
?He leaned down and crossed out what Fletcher had written, much to the man's confusion.
?"It does say 'shepherd' but it doesn't mean it in the literal sense, this text is pretty archaic.
What it's really saying is that the monarchy is a dog bred for herding, a sheepdog, but in this time era they didn't have a word for that so they would call them mini-shepherds.
They only had one monarch as well, rather than our three. "
?James began scribbling down the correct translation, the angle awkward on his wrist.
?"Also, it doesn't say that 'sheep can be shepherds'," James continued, "but rather it alludes to something else hiding among the flock, you can see here that it uses a feminine article for the sheep, when it's supposed to be masculine; indicating something different about them."
?Fletcher furrowed his brows in thought. "Now I'm just confused."
?James handed the pen back to him, standing up straight to savour Alex's reaction. "It's saying that the people are controlled by their monarch, but their monarch is controlled by something that hides in the crowd; a black sheep hiding in a white coat, if you will."
?Frowning, Alex picked up the book for himself and moved the page closer to his face like it would make him understand it better. Thomas came up to peer at it over his shoulder.
?"You're handsome even when you're wrong." James joked in the language.
?Alex glared at him over the page.
?Thomas came from nowhere, observing James with suspicious accusation-hardened eyes. "How the Hell do you know this language? Not even I do. Alex, did you know about this?"
?Alex plonked the book back on the table, exciting dust with it.
?"Yep, he won't tell me where he knows it from though. Not truthfully." he sighed.
?James inclined his head in thought. "You don't know it, Thomas?" The man shook his head. "How many of the guards do?"
?"Only me and Riley." Alex informed him.
?"Okay, but we can't just skip past this." Thomas voiced, shaking his head in disbelief. "How do you know?"
?"Eris has the power to absorb all the skills of whoever I kill. I'm this close—" James pinched his fingers, "—away from becoming a god."
?"No fucking way."
?Alex clicked his tongue and moved away to examine a shelf of newer-seeming books and documents nearby. "He's messing with you, Thomas."
?"Spoil-sport." James accused lightly.
?Alex shrugged, uncaring that he'd just ruined James' fun.
?"I'm more amazed at how good you are at it." Alex expressed, he turned his head to let James see the curiosity in his gaze.
?James contemplated if he should reveal anything.
Well, it wasn't like his identity was the strongest-kept secret anymore.
Alex would probably eventually find out everything anyway.
Even if Thomas or Alex relayed any of this information to the king, it wouldn't be something they didn't already know.
?"I spoke more of the royal language than I did Khearian as a child, all my lessons were composed in it. It was ingrained in me." James admitted.
?Like how classified documents were written in that language to stop people from peeking, it was the same conversationally. James had spent more time in the palace speaking the royal language than otherwise, in case the wrong person was listening— such as a planted servant or unwanted guest.
?"What did he just say?" Thomas demanded, gesturing wildly.
?Alex stared after James for a moment, considering what he'd just been told. James nodded a head towards Thomas, challenging him to repeat the words out loud.
?"Well, what did I say, Alex?"
?James waited in anticipation to see what the man would do.
?"He told me your melodramaticism will be the first thing he absorbs once he gets his sword back."
?James grinned.
?Thomas weakly kicked the ground, the thud echoing. "That's not funny when he described how he was going to kill us all earlier."
?"I told you I was kidding." James teased with a fake bravado he didn't feel.
?So that was what he'd said.
?He rushed to leave them behind and made way to where Ino was, writing something on the other side of the room, not wanting to continue the conversation anymore.
?He examined the page and then sighed.
?"I thought you said I could pick the language?" he grumbled.
?Ino didn't spare him a glance as she wrote about the miraculous appearance of Prince Julian and his relic, the page laid bare for anyone after them to see in plain Khearian.
?"You took too long; I wasn't going to wait for you to finish showing off."
?"Showing off." James echoed, scoffing.
?Ino gave him a knowing glance. "I heard what you were saying. Do you enjoy flaunting the truth over their heads?"
?"Why's that so bad?" James challenged.
?Ino scrutinised him and then continued what she was doing, the ink sprawling red across the page as her relic drew her blood through her fingers.
?James read it as it was written, his sudden appearance and likeness, his relationship with Eris, those who accompanied him. It was uncomfortable seeing it scrawled out on a page. "Why do you have to write about this in the first place?"
?"It's important for our descendants to know their history.
" Ino told him, not looking up. "The truth is easily manipulated by the winners.
Why do you think me and Sofus are hiding in this little temple away from civilization?
I think part of the reason Sofus chose me was because of my desire for knowledge.
That's also why I've been transcribing all his previous writings to share with others. "
?"Why do you think relics pick who they do?"
?"They definitely have preferences. It could be something to do with their previous lives," Ino theorised, "but it's unlikely we'll ever know for sure."
?"And how did you end up with Sofus?" he heard himself ask.
?Relics were like fiercely collected items among nobility, like dragons hoarding gold whilst sharpening their claws, biding their time, awaiting any daring thieves.
It was impossible for the average person to get their hands on them unless it was by freakish chance.
It was strange that the child of a slave, hidden away in the corner of a city, would own one so precious.
?Ino gazed at her quill fondly.
?"As a child, I worked at a casino. I lived in the slums in Edobury, the city that sits on the channel that separates Khearian from Ashad.
" she explained, using her fingers to draw an invisible map for James.
"All sorts of characters around there, from all sorts of different places.
I'm not going to pretend the casino was the most wholesome place, but it was something to do. "
?"So, then, how..?"
?"The Edobury massacre." she stated. "It was a slave uprising, a regular at the casino found me hiding and tried to take me to safety with him. He was a noble scholar and Sofus' previous owner. He died."
?"I'm sorry to hear that." James said automatically, his fake sympathy coming out smooth. He had a feeling that Ino saw right through him. "But, I thought you said relics rarely choose children?"
?She nodded, stroking a delicate finger over the feather. "He didn't actually become mine right away, I kept him, not knowing what he was. It wasn't until a few months later when I got into trouble that he accepted me and showed me a way to flee." she paused. "Did you think about it?"
?"Think about what?"
?"How your Eris knew."
?James took in an involuntary gasp and steadily released it. Ino gestured at the chair opposite him and he slumped into it. He tried tracing the grain of wood under his finger tips to ground himself, but his skin felt nothing.
?"Can I have a hint?" he asked, finding it difficult to think about his childhood. There was often a mental blockage that stopped him.
?She tilted her head, one side of her black hair brushing the page she'd been writing on. "It's pretty obvious." she said.
?James leaned his forehead against his hand, rubbing it, thinking. Stress rose in his body and his leg began to bounce, trying to burn off the extra energy his body supplied him. He thought back to the day he got Eris.
?Duke Chamberlain had brought numerous relics with him as a favour to their dad, King Leonardo.
By the time James had been summoned to the throne room to hold them, Fabian had already beaten him to it and had tried every single one.
James remembered seeing him playfully hitting his childhood playmate over the head with a bow.
?It wasn't until the duke informed Fabian that there were no more relics for him to try that his mood had a cold snap, playfulness breaking into aggression within a second.
Instead, he had taken into mocking James as, one by one, he was also rejected.
It wasn't until Eris chose him, unsheathing her beautiful blade, that Fabian truly went ballistic.
?"He held her before I did." James realised, his voice hoarse.
?Ino nodded in affirmation. "That would have been the only way. These relics can get a read of people before they choose them, she must have seen something."
?"But, I can't imagine Fabian would have planned a coup before I was picked, he was hardly twelve." James murmured, his shoulders heavy. "It was only after that fact that he felt threatened by me."
?Ino said nothing, watching him, waiting.
?James thought about it, the foggy scene in his mind, the faces twisted and inhuman from the distance James was recalling them from. Then, he grasped it.
?"He wasn't the only one who touched her." he choked, the realisation hitting him square in the chest. "Someone had been planning it for longer than that."
?Who was it? Who else was there?
?His mind raced, hunting down each person in his mind.
His father had been there, Duke Chamberlain too, there were no servants in that room, no servants at all, his dad's advisor was though, so was his brother's friend.
He remembered Fabian hitting him with the bow; had he done the same with Eris, had Eris touched that boy?
?"James."
?But who was he? James closed his eyes, only pale blonde hair came to mind. What was his name? Who was he?
?"James!"
?Suddenly, his hand had been pulled up by someone, he whirled around in a panic, trying to assess the threat.
?He slowly unclenched his fist once he saw it was Fletcher, looking at him in unease. He looked at his hand, blood smeared on his fingertips, his nails cracked and sore.
?"Are you okay, James?"
?James looked around him, getting his bearings.
Ino was no longer sitting opposite him, replaced with an empty chair, only the paper she'd been writing on signifying she had ever been there at all.
Scratch marks and drops of blood had been carved into the wood.
He couldn't spot Alex nor Thomas. No one was down there except for him and Fletcher.
?"Where's Alex?" he asked.
?Fletcher shuffled back, concern and confusion hanging his eyebrows low.
?"James," Fletcher voiced slowly, "you watched them leave, remember?"
?Had he?
?He buried his face into his hands, scrubbing. His heart felt like it was thudding off-beat, his ears hearing the wrong frequency. Something was wrong with him.
?"Eris." he said. "I need Eris. Where is Ino?"
?"Upstairs..."
?He didn't need to be told twice. He knocked his chair over from the force of standing and hurried past Fletcher to get to the staircase, Fletcher didn't follow.
?He scaled them, numerous steps at a time, a ringing echoing in his head that he couldn't shake out.
?"Ino!" he called.
?She was right there, kneeling at the altar in prayer. James' vision honed in on her and he stomped over.
?"Give me Eris, now."
?Alex was there suddenly, holding him back by the shoulders. Pissed off by the overreaction, James launched his head back to get Alex's nose, but Alex saw it coming and he missed. That only pissed him off more.
?"James, you need to stop."
?"Fuck you, Alex." he snarled, getting an elbow in Alex's ribs, causing the other man to hiss in pain. "I need Eris. I need to talk to Ino. I'll fucking kill all of them. His friend was there. I can't fucking remember his name—"
?A sudden sharp pain caught him in the side of his head, he grabbed at it, feeling at the source, but no blood came from it, no crease of a wound, nothing. It throbbed from nothing. Nothing at all; like it had come from the inside.
?Alex spun him round, examining him, his eyes creased in concern.
?"The duke too." James got out in a whisper through painful breaths, trying to tell Ino everything he remembered. "Duke Chamberlain was there too, it could be him."
?Something smacked his cheek and James already had Alex in an armlock before he could register what happened. His face was sore from Alex's strike.
?"James, you need to get a grip, right now." Alex told him.
?"I can see what you mean." Ino murmured. "He's a nutcase."
?James growled in frustration and shoved Alex away, the other man catching himself as he sprawled to the ground.
?As if seeing the dangerous accusation on James' face, Alex glowered. "You needed to be smacked out of it." he justified.
?"I need Eris is what I need." he spat back. "If I dont have her in ten seconds, I'll kill everyone here."
?Ino placed herself between them, hands on her hips as she stared right through him.
?"You're upset." she stated.
?"No fucking shit."
?She sighed. "I'll go get her."
?"Ino—" Alex tried.
?"Ino, what?" James snapped at him. "Get out of my business."
?"Ino— he's too fucking crazy to have a sword in his hands right now— that's what." Alex snapped back.
?Ino waved off their bickering and walked round towards the back of the statue, crouching down to pry up the floorboards from the ground. "He's just emotionally repressed."
?James snorted. "Emotionally repressed? I hardly have any."
?She chuckled darkly, much to James' depreciation.
?Moments passed and both men realised neither was going to attack the other. Alex's frame deflated then, softening. James found himself relaxing in turn, but he remained cautious.
?"I'm not sorry for hitting you," Alex declared, "but I'm sorry it shocked you."
?"Yeah, yeah, fuck you too."
?"I think you should tell me what's going on." Alex said. "Maybe if I understand why you're raving about my dad like a madman I could be more understanding."
?James jutted his jaw out. "That's classified to you."
?"Hey, psycho!" Ino called and James wandered up to the hole in the ground, finding Ino pottering around a tightly packed storage room.
?"What?"
?"Just because someone knows something, doesn't make them guilty," she cautioned him from below, "sometimes people just happen to overhear the wrong thing, read the wrong document, see something they're not supposed to."
?"The fact they never said anything makes them guilty enough in my eyes." James growled, a murderous heat capturing his body.
?Ino gave him a long deliberate look. "Or maybe they just didn't know who they could tell. It's not so simple. Just heed my warning, okay?"
?James could sense Alex coming closer to them, hovering by James' shoulders in case he tried to attack Ino.
?"Get out my arse." he snarled.
?"I thought you wanted me there." Alex shot back in a mumble, humourlessly.
?Ino held something wrapped in pale cloth in her arms. She held a hand up requesting help. Fizzing in anticipation, James hauled her out of the hole and back onto the floor. Ino looked down at where their hands were joined and let go, appearing slightly repulsed by the sight of his bare hand.
?"Looks painful." she remarked.
?"It was." There was no doubt Ino would have known why the skin on his arm looked so mangled. "Why do you think I'm so pissed off?"
?"I'm sure Eris won't do it any justice, but here she is." Ino held the cloth out and James daintily took it from her, like it would fall apart if he was too rough.
?He carefully unwrapped the loose material, feeling the weight of her.
Even through a barrier he could sense her presence, her cold sheath.
She looked like an entirely different sword, a golden frame, shiny but scuffed from centuries of love, her red grip clean and vibrant.
The bindings and mud of her scabbard had been washed off, revealing the intricate and flamboyant gold plated details on the black leather casing.
James couldn't remember the last time he saw her so breathtaking.
?"This is the same sword?" Alex asked, doubtful.
?Like the poison had been drained from his body, James relaxed as he traced her details with his fingers, all heavy weights dropping at once, freeing him.
?"Alex." Ino requested. James was too engulfed in having his friend back to notice the wordless exchange they had, only noticing that Alex was ledoutside by her. He didn't care enough to follow.
?"Hello old friend." he greeted, chuckling. He loved how beautiful and shiny she looked, admiring her but knowing he would have to change it again.
?"Maybe this time we'll get you some posh cloth to wrap you in," he suggested, "something more deserving."
?It's not like Eris could answer, nor did he think she would care about her appearance. Even so, James was just happy to have her back.
?She seemed happy about it too.