Amendments (14 page)

              Ruith guessed, “I assume you are more than just a wine merchant?”

              Finn again bowed low.  “The full name is Finnigus Rolfen.”  Suddenly, before Noir or Ruith could react, there were two daggers in Finn’s hands and they were both pressed to Noir’s throat.  “And I’m a freakin’ ninja!”  Noir jumped back instinctively, but, he realized that if Finn had wanted to kill him, he would have.  Finn spun the daggers in his hands, and then replaced them to hidden places under his cloak.

              Noir regained his posture once the daggers were out of sight.  “You’re a
ninja
?”

              “Yes, sir.  I trained with my master in Bille’say as a teenager.  There is a secret ninja temple hidden nearby.  They took me in as an orphan, taught me how to live, lie, act, kill, and be one with the shadows.”

              Something was bothering Noir.  Many things he’d seen in this world seemed wrong to him, but he wasn’t sure why.  Somehow meeting a ninja solidified the problem in his mind.  How could ninjas exist in this world?  They were specifically from
his
world… from Japan.  Did Japan exist in this world somehow?  Was he actually even
in
a different world?  He pushed aside the thought for another time.

              Ruith said, “Finn, it is good to meet you, but we are here for the meeting.”

              “Yes,” he responded and pointed.  “Back door.  Go ahead, many are already here.”

              Another seven knocks sounded at the front door and Finn went to answer it.  Noir and Ruith headed to the back door, opened it, and walked down brick stairs.  The air was cold and humid and the floor was covered in wet gravel.  There were at least a hundred other people in the long room.  Massive wine barrels lined the walls.  Men and women were talking in hushed voices, but Noir and Ruith picked up on their conversations.  They had already started debating what they should do.

              A short, fat man hissed, “What better time is there than now?”

              Another group was talking about Ratt.  “His armor glowed green in the night!  He moved so fast he looked like a blur!”

              “Impossible!” a voice replied.

              Several more Tierian men and women came down the stairs and packed in with the others.  In a few minutes, Finn came downstairs following a broad, confident-looking man in fine clothes.  He wore a stylish green hat and coat with embroidered silver that decorated the seams and edges.  It seemed as though this man was the one everyone was waiting for since a hush swept across the room as he entered.

              Finn jumped and climbed on top of one of the massive wine barrels and sat on the edge.  He had to duck to keep his head from touching the ceiling.  “Welcome to my wine cellar, everyone!  You’re all here for the wine tasting tour, correct?”  Noir assumed it was a joke, but no one laughed.  “No?  Well okay, then.  Let me introduce you all to Lord Murik.”

              Gasps could be heard from the crowd.  Someone asked, “Is it really him?”

              Noir leaned in to Ruith and said, “Who?” quietly.

              “A high noble in the capital.”

              Murik nodded slightly to Finn and started speaking with an impressively deep, soothing voice.  “My fellow true loyalists of Tier, I know these are hard times for you and your city.  I have long waited for my time to come out against the king who has turned this beautiful land into a place of fear and servitude.  I support you revolutionaries, and I believe it is time to move against the king.  However, if we move, we must do so with calculation and precaution.”

              In Lord Murik’s pause, someone Noir didn’t get a look at said, “How can we possibly trust you?”  The voice was familiar.

              Murik turned to the voice.  “I understand your trepidation about me.  You, of course, see me as one of your oppressors.  I assure you, this is an intentional facade.  The king is destroying these lands and the only way to make Tier great again is to remove him.”

              “And put you on the throne?”  It was the same voice as before.  Noir strained to see who was speaking and got a glimpse of light-colored hair.

              “It’s him,” Noir whispered so only Ruith could hear.  Ruith strained to see as well, but understood what Noir meant.

              The comment didn’t throw Murik off in the least.  “If that is the will of the people of Tier, then yes.  But, my friend in the back, do not confuse my support of your rebellion for ambition to be king.  I only want what is best for Tier.”

              Finn slapped the top of the wine barrel.  “So, we’ve got financial and political backing, the Savior of Tier is, of course, at our side, and we have a Luxin to help.”  A few people murmured in surprise.  “So we’ve got something real going on here, my friends.  This could work.”

              “But how?” a man to Noir’s right asked.  “What's the plan?”

              Another added, “The Tierian army was upon us in less than one day after The Savior came.”

              Finn responded, “No one fought last time.  They were so shocked by the events.   They didn’t know what to do.  The people of Tier are sadly used to being oppressed.  Also, they have now seen just how oppressive things can get.  I bet if the Savior of Tier returned to help us once more, we would have the support of most of Garmak.”

              A woman asked, “What if you’re wrong?”

              Finn put his hands in the air to gesture that he didn’t know.  “Then I guess we all die.  Is Tier, and your children’s futures, worth dying for?”

              A long silence stretched after Finn’s comment.  Finally, someone said, “So let’s make a plan.  If the Savior returns, what do we do?  How do we prepare?”

              Finn answered.  “We need to get the word out that there is infrastructure to support a rebellion.  People need to know we have people in power,” he nodded to Lord Murik, “we have the numbers, we have The Savior of Tier’s backing, and we have supplies.”

              Ruith asked, “What supplies?”

              Finn got a mischievous grin on his face like he'd been waiting for someone to say that.  Suddenly, he had a crowbar in his hand from somewhere under his cloak.  He jabbed it into a seam of the giant wine barrel he was sitting on and pulled.  With a grinding, massive creak, the front panel swung down to reveal racks upon racks of swords, spears, bows, arrows, shields, and pieces of armor.  People pushed at each other to see the contents and cries of surprise ran through the crowd.

              Finn boasted, “Three more of these barrels are filled with weapons and armor.  Another six are filled with grain and other food to support the rebellion once it has started.  I’ve been collecting the supplies for over ten years waiting for this moment.”

              Ruith exclaimed, “This is excellent!  We have a chance!”

              Someone else cried out, “Finn, you’re incredible!”

              A few men grabbed weapons and inspected them.  Lord Murik spoke over top of the commotion.  “The last piece of this puzzle is making sure the Savior of Tier will help.  Does anyone know anything about the man?  Can we contact him?”

              Noir started debating whether he should say something when Ratt called out, “You have the support of the Savior of Tier!”

              The crowd turned to stare with confusion at the young man with dark skin.  Someone said, “Do you know him?”

              The way Ratt looked at the ground confused Noir.  Was it shame?  Bashfulness?  “I am The Savior of Tier.”

              A few men chuckled dismissively, but most were shocked and stared at the young man like he was crazy.  Noir hastily said, “It’s true.  This man is my good friend.  I am Luxin Noir and I helped make his armor in Azurite Tower.  He is the one you call The Savior of Tier.”

Chapter 15

Things set in motion...

              “This is ridiculous!” exclaimed one of the women in the packed room.

              “He's just a boy,” someone laughed.

              “Prove it,” called out several people.

              Ratt slung his pack off his shoulder and revealed its contents to those around him.  The people near Ratt gasped.  “It's really him!”  Surprisingly, some people backed away from Ratt.  “It's the Savior or Tier!”

              Ratt closed his pack and slung it back over his shoulder saying, “Please don't call me that.  I'm no savior.  I kill people.”

              Silence swept through the room.  It was obvious this was not the way they thought their savior would act.

              Lord Murik took advantage of the silence and chimed in, “It matters not what you are called, my friend.  It matters what you have done for Tier.  You have given Tier hope.  There is someone willing to and strong enough to fight our oppressors.  I believe I can say for all here that if you fight alongside us, the people of Tier, we have a chance.”

              Ruith cautioned, “It's not that simple.”  All eyes in the room went to him.  “I have tried to start a movement like this in several cities.  Even with the Savior, or whatever he wishes to be called, this will be a hard fight fraught with death, pain, and uncertainty.”

              Murik said after a moment, “And who are you, good sir.  Not meaning to be rude, but where did you get those scars?”

              Ruith turned his head away from Murik, though there was no where he could turn without having eyes study his face.  “When I was a child there was a house fire.  My mother tried to--”

              “No, Ruith,” Noir interrupted.  Ruith turned and looked at Noir with surprise.  “Tell them the truth.  It is part of the reason why we are here.”

              Ruith started at Noir for a moment, but Noir couldn't read his gaze.  Was he mad?  Surprised?  “Luxin Noir is right.  I need to be honest with you.”  He turned and stood straight, not attempting to hide his face from the crowd.  “I am a Luxin as well, though nowhere near as powerful as Noir, here.  The king of Tier did this to me.”  Ruith pointed to his badly scarred face.  “In the bowels of the Tierian capital, they keep a prisoner.  This prisoner is Nidhoggr, the ancient dragon who brought din to this world.”

              Surprised whispers swept through the crowd.  After a moment, Murik said, “In my position, I have never heard anything officially on this, though I have heard rumors.  If this is true, it is a secret of the highest level.  Please tell us what you know.”

              Ruith closed his eyes tight and grimaced as if reliving the horrific sight and pain of that day.  “He is held by a massive enchant that binds his physical body and drains his use of din.  The poor beast cannot even move his head.  Beneath the sad creature is a ritualistic altar.  I was made to stand on this altar and slash open the beast's belly with an enchant sword.  I knew the blood was acidic, but I was not prepared for the misery that would follow.”  Ruith's whole body shuddered and he didn't continue his story for a few long moments.  “I could only withstand the torture for a few seconds before I felt like I would pass out from the pain, so the use of din that I gained that day is very minimal.  They are doing this to any Syeter or Luxin they can get their hands on.  For what purpose, I have no idea.”

              “Weapons,” someone moaned.  “They're making them into weapons.”

              Terrified silence flooded the room.  Someone whispered, “Those bastards.”

              Murik said somberly, “I do not mean to downplay your story, Luxin Ruith, but we need solid facts.  Is there anyone who can corroborate these claims?”

              “I can,” Noir replied.  “I was attacked by a man a few months ago whose entire body was covered in scars.  His face was so scarred that he barely looked human.  He controlled me with sye for many hours and also used din.  Through the sye connection, I got glimpses of what the man was thinking on occasion.  In a moment of confusion, the man accidentally let a memory of his past through the connection.  I saw exactly what Ruith described.  Nidhoggr is indeed held captive under the Tierian capital.”

              Lord Murik looked grave.  “If what you say is true, there is all the more need to put a stop to this evil king's rule.”  Murik slowly scanned the crowd as if making eye-contact with each one watching.  “After all we have heard today, is there any doubt in any of your minds that we must act?”  His voice rose in a crescendo.  “Shall we continue acquiescing to this vile rule which oppresses us and our families?!”

              Many in the crowd replied in surprising unison, “No!”

              Murik shook his fist in front of the crowd.  “We are the true Tierians!  We must fight back!  We must fight against our oppressors!”

              “What do we do now?” someone asked.

              “We must garner support from the rest of the city.  The time is right for changing the opinions of our neighbors and friends.  The oppression that the Tierian army, the overseers, and din handlers have brought upon Garmak is a blessing in disguise.  We in this room are but a spark that must ignite a wildfire.  Go to your friends, families, and people you trust and tell them what was discussed here this day.  Convince them that revolting is the only  way forward for them.  With the people's support, we can win!”

~~~

              The crowd left Finn's winery at random intervals as to not draw attention.  Noir had tried to keep an eye on Ratt, but somehow he slipped out with the rest.  Eventually, the only ones left in the wine cellar were Noir, Ruith, Lord Murik, and Finn.

              “So The Savior of Tier is little more than a boy,” Finn said absentmindedly.

              “He's eighteen,” Noir responded.  “Or nineteen by now, I'm not sure.”

              Ruith said dismissively, “It doesn't matter how old he is.  It matters that he is on our side.  How did you meet him, Luxin Noir?”

              Noir quickly told the story of being captured by Talik guards, thrown in jail, meeting Ratt, then going to study with Fafnir.  “He trained by my side with Fafnir and was my best friend for months.  After he got his armor, he... disappeared.”

              Lord Murik interjected, “That's strange.  Why?”

              “Well,” Noir offered, “he did warn me.  It was cryptic, but he said he was afraid of what he would do with the armor once it was finished.  I'm not sure if he was afraid of starting a rebellion, killing people, or what.”

              “Hmm,” Finn said.  “But you are sure we can trust him.”

              “We... can trust that he is a good person.  However, I'm not sure what his intentions are.  I haven't understood him since he left.  He might have a hidden agenda.”

              “Will he fight on our side?” asked Murik.

              “I believe so.  If he said he will, then he will keep his word.  Just don't expect him to be a devout revolutionist.  He has some other larger plan brewing, I believe.”

              Ruith changed the subject.  “So what do we do about Nidhoggr?”

              Murik thought for a second then replied, “What is there
to
do?  If he is in the capital beneath Fort Estelar like you say, then we cannot help until all of this is over.”

              “What?” Noir asked with surprise.

              Murik continued.  “There is no reason to worry about Nidhoggr for now.  The king making dual vigor users is not a major concern.  Plus, there is no way to get to Nidhoggr to help.  Once the revolution has been won, then we can--”

              “No,” Noir interjected.  “We can't wait months or years to free him!  You heard how Ruith described it.  I saw it through the sye connection.  The dragon is in immense misery.  We have to do something.”

              “My boy,” Murik said patronizingly, “if this is all true, I have never heard of it officially.  This means it is even above
my
head.  It must be one of the king's most highly protected secrets.  The physical chambers must be buried deep in the caves under Fort Estelar.”

              Finn chuckled, but Noir responded.  “We can't sit by and do nothing.  We have to try!”

              “It only makes sense after we've taken over the capital and dethroned the king.  What would you even do?”

              Again, Finn chuckled.  The three looked at him.  Noir replied after a moment, “I don't know what I'd do, but do you have an idea, Finn?”

              With a smile, Finn said, “You don't see it, do you?”  The others looked at him in confusion.  “I'm a ninja!  This is the perfect job for someone like me!  This is the ultimate test for a ninja!”  The others still looked confused, so Finn elaborated.  “We'll sneak in!”

              “You'll what?!” Ruith exclaimed, incredulously.

              Murik shook his head.  “That's insane!  The place is a military stronghold!”

              “Exactly,” Finn boasted.

              After a moment, Noir said haltingly, “So... your plan is for us to... sneak in there and rescue Nidhoggr?”

              “Yep,” Finn said flatly.

              “Insane!” Murik repeated even louder than last time.

              “It's not,” Finn claimed in a more serious way.  “I've scouted out the place several times.  I know the perimeter and I know a way in.”

              “You do?” Noir said with disbelief.

              “Yeah.  No sweat.  There's a metal grate on the fort grounds that we can remove.  Once inside, we jump some guards and take their armor, then find our way down to Nidhoggr.  Easy.  The hard part is convincing you to let me come with you, Luxin Noir.”

              All three looked at Noir for a response.  After a moment, Noir replied, “You're right.  It'll be hard to convince me.  How do I know you're telling me the truth?  How do I know you won't betray me once inside?  How do I know you're not in this just for some treasure or something?”

              Finn laughed.  “Oh, I'm most certainly in it for some treasure if we can find some!  But I'm in this mostly for the thrill and biggest test of a lifetime.  As for trusting me...” he motioned to the huge barrels around them, “I gathered all of this equipment for the resistance, didn't I?”

              Lord Murik spoke up.  “Actually, I've been meaning to ask you about that.  Why did you gather all those supplies?  What's in it for you?”

              Finn's smile faded and he started in a serious tone, “My grandfather used to tell me stories of Tier before the king took over.  It used to be full of culture, art, music, and beautiful things.  People could travel anywhere they wanted within Tier and trade freely.  Once upon a time, Tier was better than Chiron not only for its economy like it is today.  It was better because its people were happier.  Now-a-days I feel like just a cog in a machine.  Yes it works, but there's no beauty here.”

              Murik replied, “That is a beautiful story, but one that was only true before your grandfather's time.  The oppression has been increasing for over a hundred years now.”

              Finn frowned.  “Then it was his father before him who told him the stories.  Whatever.  All I know is Tier can be beautiful once again if it's in the right hands.  The people who live today never knew that old Tier.  I want to show it to them.”

              After a moment of silence, suddenly, Lord Murik started laughing.  “You could be a politician with speeches like that, my friend!”

              Finn did not seem to share the noble's humor and instead stared at him with annoyance.  Over Murik's laughter, Finn said to Noir, “Nevertheless, I can get you into the bowels of Fort Estelar.  You have my word.”

              Noir looked into Finn's eyes for a long moment trying to gauge the man's character.  He saw earnest goodness.  “All right.  If we can get this revolution off the ground, then we'll try to get in to free Nidhoggr, Finn.”

              Finn nodded and smiled.  “Thank you for your trust, sir Luxin.  I won't let you down.”

~~~

              Ratt listened from behind one of the large barrels in Finn's wine cellar.  He wore his circlet and right pauldron which allowed him to control the light bending lux effect of his armor.  The effect was not nearly as effective as a Luxin actively controlling the light, so he stayed hidden.

              “Kill him now!” the voice said.

              “No!” Ratt thought, dismissing the voice for the thousandth time.  “He's my friend.”

              Then the urges came.  Images and impulses.  Death.  Ratt's axe in Noir's chest.  “No!”

              “They spell destruction for Tier and Chiron!”

              More impulses.  More suggestions into the deep parts of Ratt's brain.

              Before he realized he'd done it, Ratt had his axe raised above his head in an attack stance and stood next to Noir.  His friend did not see him because of the lux light bending effect, but Ratt fought with the impulses for a long, painful moment.  Everything inside his head was telling him to attack and be rid of the war-bringer.  With force of will, Ratt made his arms replace the weapon in its loop on his back.  He'd beaten the voices again... but what about the next time?