18. Kyzen
Kyzen
The wooden sword spins lazily through my fingers.
The familiar motion requires no thought, leaving me free to study the…baffling situation unfolding around me.
My gaze settles on the massive strategy table that’s been placed in the Court. Creed, Amick, Lambrit, Sevryn, Doren, Nero, Gladian, Prath, Barir, and Meridamus surround it. The thing belongs in Gladian’s chamber where maps, reports, and battle plans normally clutter its surface.
Not here beneath the darkening, open sky.
There wasn’t enough room in Gladian’s chamber for all fucking twenty of us to pile in there and solidify the plans to invade the Abandon, though.
Not just the Abandon. The horror of a house we were raised in.
The training sword rotates through my grip again as I tear my attention from them.
Iric stares intently at the animation falling from Vullie’s mouth. Riven’s all smiles at whatever it is his friend is saying. Havar stands with them as well, but it appears that he and V are in deep conversation.
I actually believe that Vullie, despite his Designation being Plentiful, could one day be a great asset to the healing villas if everything Riven’s shared with us about him is true and not one of his exaggerated tales.
Sure, some of his concoctions are a tad extreme, but the man took a healing tonic from another realm and modified it to fit our needs. That’s fucking huge and beyond impressive. The lives that could save are immeasurable.
A few feet to their left, Mara and Rose spar lightly with one another. Although neither Rose nor Lambrit will join us on this mission, they still wanted to be here to support us.
And across the Court…my little goddess.
Two days ago, when she released more power to all of us, her initial spark of disappointment didn’t surprise me. I knew the second V dropped the Binding in her palms, she was hoping that was the moment we got every drop of power owed to us.
I also knew that wasn’t going to happen.
Even if Val hadn’t made that clear to her at that moment, deep within me, my power was aware that filling our reserves to the brim wasn’t going to be that simple. Nor is it time we reach that level.
That hasn’t slowed her down, though.
She pays no attention to what’s going on around this arena. Her unyielding focus and determination are set on training with Yemi and Val.
Technically, day four of their training ended an hour ago, but once we arrived here and the others started moving fucking furniture around, she told him to pick back up where they left off in the meadows.
I didn’t get to watch her train today like I did yesterday because I was here in the Court, but the difference between then and now is already obvious in the way her power moves through the space.
They spent about an hour yesterday morning running through a few exercises that she and Yemi have down. Sound and sight are no longer an issue for either of them.
It was very impressive to watch, and I refused to hide my proud smirk, but then they started working on separating the perception of power…
Her confident mood instantly evaporated.
She got so frustrated, and honestly, it’s easy to understand why.
She knows what she’s supposed to be doing.
She’s doing what she was told to do, then her Accord would fight her.
By the end of the day, she could separate my perception of her power for a breath, just long enough I noticed the absence of her essence across my skin. Then she’d lose the connection.
Today is very different. She’s close and she’s refusing to give up.
Val sees that. Well, he sees everything about her.
Either she doesn’t catch the way his eyes soften on her and the utter pride that crosses his face when she gets something right or…she doesn’t want to acknowledge it.
“Everyone, get your asses over here,” Sevryn barks and every head in the Court whips his way.
I stay where I’m standing until Thayla reaches my side and I tug her to me. The exhausted smile on her lips makes me want to wrap her in my arms and carry her home.
Four days of nonstop training are taking their toll.
We all fill in around the table and our attention shifts to the sketch of the house sitting right in the center. Doren’s palms splay on both sides of it and Amick scowls at it like it personally offended him.
“I drew up a design of what I remembered of the interior, but things have apparently changed in the last twenty years,” he says.
Yeah, he’s offended.
“Shit, this house is massive,” Thayla murmurs, leaning an inch more over the table.
“It is. The layout is far different, but think of it as a replica of the Godsdawn. The entire structure holds its own version of the Athenaeum, healing villas, and a Sanctum. Not to mention that it also functions as a normal home with numerous bedrooms, a kitchen, Attendants’ chambers, multiple foyers, dining rooms, and other pointless areas,” Amick continues, drawing circles around the areas as he calls them out.
“According to Doren, the general location his path leads him to is here.”
I dig my tongue into my cheek as his finger pauses on an area I’m all too familiar with.
“His Sanctum,” I mutter and Amick nods.
“Is it really like our Sanctum? Do you think his Veil is in the same place ours is and so maybe his Binding is in the room the original Gods Binding is here?” Thayla asks.
“It isn’t like ours exactly,” I say, then clear my throat.
“His Veil is somewhere there, but we never saw it directly after our birth. He does have relics and history of the realm decorating the space, but he’s more so made it like his own personal Neutral.
This is where beings are brought to face his judgment. ”
The meaning behind my words clicks for her immediately, and I attempt to wipe any negative thoughts or emotions from my face.
It doesn’t get past her soul, though.
I can’t truly force away the memories of the numerous people I killed at his feet in that room.
This was the one place I was hoping we could avoid.
“Each area of his house has its own entrance,” Creed says, dragging everyone’s attention back to the design of the house. “So rather than going through the main house and maneuvering down the many halls, we’ll enter right into the location the Binding is in. Doren will lead our way from there.”
Yemi shifts closer to Doren’s side, and the clear worry on her face speaks a thousand words. In the past two evenings of training, she’s kept a very close eye on not only him, but Iric and Nero as well.
They aren’t fighters, but they have been trained.
Even prior to this, they knew the basics from their time spent in the Godsdawn before any of our paths crossed.
Since they assisted in our rescue from Valveilious, Sevryn has been even harder on them.
He goes about it in the most dickish way, but it’s paid off in my opinion.
My opinion won’t lessen Yemi’s concerns.
“So we have the route through the house figured out,” Thayla says. “Side note, this is something I’ve wondered but have never asked out loud. It seems important enough now to know, though. What stops Obliteration from just…” She trails off, glancing at my brothers, me, then Val and Meridamus.
“Waving his hand through the air and obliterating everything?” Meridamus asks, knowingly. She nods. “Because that isn’t victory. It’s extinction.”
Thayla frowns. “He could still do it.”
“He could. Kira possesses enough power to erase cities, perhaps even entire ungodly regions, but every action bears a consequence. A ruler without subjects is no ruler at all. A god without worship has no purpose. Power means little when there is nothing left to wield it over. He doesn’t seek an empty realm.
He seeks a conquered one. He wants regions kneeling, gods broken, ungodly beings fearful enough to pray to him alone. ”
His features harden for a flash before he rolls his shoulders out.
“Obliterate everything and who remains to fear him? To obey him? To feed his ego? To fight for him? No one. He would never do that.”
“You sound very sure of that,” I say.
“I am. If that’s what he wanted to do, he would’ve already tried.”
Everyone stares at him for a heavy moment, letting his certainty hang in the air. I’m not so sure that my father would never do that, but I suppose he doesn’t have a good enough reason to yet.
After another strained second, Thayla clears her throat.
“What other details do we have to nail down?”
She glances at Amick for an answer and his hesitation doesn’t get past her. A long breath pours through her nostrils as she pulls her shoulders back.
“Yemi’s and my ability to separate the sound, sight, and perception of power from all of us,” she says.
“Yes, but you are working on it and are very close.”
Val’s tone leaves no room for argument. Which she doesn’t attempt to argue. She gives him a sure nod.
“You and Yemi aren’t who’s holding us up,” Amick says.
“Our father technically is. We still have multiple things to figure out. One, how to get him out of the Abandon for a much more extended period of time than Derivius was able to accomplish the other day. Once we figure that out, on the day of departure, I think it’d be wise for Doren to do another quick location check to make sure, for some odd reason, he doesn’t take his Binding with him. ”
Doren nods in agreement, but Yemi shakes her head.
“You weren’t drained, per se, after the other day, but you were definitely tired. You can’t be tired while we march through the God of Obliteration’s house.”
“Vullie has the remedy for that, bestie. Doren would’ve felt right as rain the other day if he had just trusted me.”
“Forgive me, Riven, but we’re all aware of what happened the last time I trusted you with my drink,” Doren says, and multiple snorts echo around the table.