The Execution Square
The Great Hall emptied in a frantic rush. The announcement of Roxy's execution had turned the crowd into a stampede. Guards stood at the exits, their faces stone-cold, ushering the Bound toward the courtyard of Thornwick where the execution was to be held. There was no trial. There was no delay.
Whispers flew from every direction as I made my way to the courtyard with Kumbuye at my side.
The weight of the crowd pushed me forward, not minding who I was or the position I held as Guardian, everyone just wanted to witness Roxy's execution.
"Move! Get out of the way!" someone screamed.
The panic was infectious. People weren't just walking; they were running, desperate to see the end of the woman who had brought trouble to their doors.
The execution square was a trap of high stone walls. Above us, on the Iron Balcony, sat the seven Ascend overlooking the square.
The iron gates of the Black Hold ground opened up, and the guards marched out in a tight square.
In the middle was Roxy. She looked small. An iron collar was fastened around her neck, designed to neutralize her power. Her eyes were wide, darting left and right, looking for a way out. But there were only guards and a thousand angry faces.
"Traitor!" a man near me yelled, shaking his fist.
The crowd pushed toward the platform. I fought to stay upright, scanning the front row.
Just then, I saw a man in a dark hood. He wasn't yelling or aggravated like the rest. He was moving sideways, sliding through the gaps in the crowd toward the side exit. He kept his face covered, gripping his hood tight.
"Kumbuye," I said pointing to the hooded man.
"Should I go after him?" He asked.
"Yes, he looks suspicious." I whispered.
Kumbuye slipped into the crowd, following the man's trail. My eyes darted to Ascend Corvath, who raised his right hand. The screaming died down into a heavy, suffocating silence.
"High Bound Roxy," his voice was flat. "For treason, you are hereby sentenced to death. Immediately."
He dropped his hand.
The crowd broke into a clamor. Many shouted in support, while some whispered in fear: "If a High Bound can be killed this fast, who then is safe?"
Roxy stood on the scaffold, her face a mix of terror and disbelief. She opened her mouth, perhaps to utter a spell, but the iron collar glowed red, choking her into silence. The executioner stepped out, glancing toward the seven Ascend awaiting a signal or a command to proceed. Ascend Kaelric gave a single nod.
The executioner lifted the long, heavy blade. Roxy was forced onto the chopping block. A single tear fell from her eyes just before the blade reached its peak and struck. The crowd surged forward one last time, the majority of people gasping at once.
I had so many questions after the blade fell. But one lingered, screaming violently in the back of my mind.
Was beheading Roxy the right choice?
I hadn't had the chance to see Kaelric this morning. I wasn't sure I could. Everything had happened so fast.
I slipped through the angry crowd, my shoulders bumping against warm, damp bodies as I tried to escape the noise. I let instinct pull me forward, my feet moving in search of Kumbuye. The streets were twisted and narrow, revealing so many corners. I moved carefully, scouring every shadowed passage, my heart hammering against my ribs at every sudden movement.
At last, in a dim, narrow lane, I found him, pinning the hooded man against the rough stone wall with his arms firmly on the man's chest, holding him in place. The hooded man's hands were raised in a desperate surrender.
"Kumbuye," I called.
He didn't let go. Instead, his fingers bunched into the fabric of the man's cloak, shoving him harder against the stone wall. "Who are you?" He asked. I saw the muscles in his neck rip with tension.
"The blood is barely dry on the square," the hooded man muttered, finally cutting his eyes toward me. "And you're out here looking for more?"
I moved closer, studying him. Kumbuye ripped back the man's hood, exposing a pale, trembling face. He was a novitiate; I'd seen him around the temple a few times but had never spared him a second thought. Without a word and with the anger brewing inside me, I gripped their shoulders and veil-walked us all at once, arriving at Doya's cottage.
"Dana," Doya said startled at my sudden presence.
"Sorry to come in like this, but it is urgent." I turned to look at him. "This one knows something."
Doya's eyes narrowed as he looked over the stranger. "Alright. What do you want to do with him?"
"Kumbuye, put him on that chair." I spoke through clenched teeth. "Do you have a rope?" I asked, glancing at Doya.
"Yes," he said, heading for a shadowed corner. "Take this."
"You cannot stop what's coming," the Novitiate muttered.
"Keep shut," I snapped as I tied the rope tight around his wrists to the handle of the chair, the rough fibers stinging my own palms.
When I was done restraining him, I stepped back and without delay, I muttered, "Kumbuye. Make him talk."
"With pleasure," Kumbuye's mouth twisted into a dark smirk. He stepped forward and placed his palms flat against the man's head and closed his eyes.
Doya and I stood at a corner, watching in a heavy, suffocating silence as Kumbuye dug through the novitiate's mind. Then, the silence shattered.
The man's body jolted against the ropes. A raw, jagged scream tore from his throat.
"What are you—what are you doing doing to me?" he shrieked, his voice thin and sharp with terror.
"Yes," Kumbuye groaned low, "You can question him now, Dana."
I loomed closer and drew a wooden chair in front of the stranger to sit, with Kumbuye's hands still on his head.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous.
"You won't... make me speak..." He croaked.
"You will talk, who are you?"
He screamed, trembling on the chair trying to pull his hands from the ropes. "Please," he winced.
"Start talking," I said, leaning in until I could smell the sour tang of his sweat. "And maybe — just maybe — we'll let you walk out of here."
"My name is Yurich," he forced out.
"Where is the Cranium, Yurich?" I asked, steadying my voice.
"I-I don't know."
I dragged a hand down my face, forcing myself to stay calm. "You will speak, Yurich." I said, anger slipping through. "Tell me everything you know."
"I don't know anything," he cried out.
"Kumbuye?"
"He's lying..." Kumbuye rumbled, his eyes still closed.
I ran a hand through my hair, my patience thinning. "Whether you want to or not, the truth is coming out today. And the best part? You don't even have to open your mouth." I muttered, my voice laced with anger. "We could do this the easy way, or the hard way. That is all up to you, Yurich." I threatened.
I knew that if Kumbuye pushed any harder and got the information himself with force, Yurich's mind would likely shatter completely. He might not survive the night. I watched his pulse jumping in his neck and realized I didn't care. I just wanted the truth, and I didn't mind stepping over a corpse to get it.
Blood seeped from his nose and he began choking in his blood, "I.." he hitched, "I'll speak! P-Plea—" he coughed. "Please stop!"
A strange, dark smile escaped my lips. I laid my hands on Kumbuye's shoulders. "Enough, Kumbuye," I murmured.
The pressure vanished instantly as Kumbuye pulled back. Yurich slumped forward, coughing violently as he tried to catch his breath.
The mental strain must have taken a toll on Kumbuye, too. His hands wouldn't stop trembling, even though he tried to hide it. He was breathing hard, as if he'd just run a mile, and sweat dripped down his neck. I rested a hand on his arm to steady him. He forced himself over to Doya's bed and sat down.
I turned back to Yurich, who was still gasping for air.
"Oh, cut it out and start talking," I snapped.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as his eyes met mine. "I... I don't know where the Cranium is, but I know where it is going," he said, his voice trembling.
My gaze remained stern, expecting him to keep talking.
"It... The Cranium is being taken to Balshak," he croaked. "He will use it to get himself out of that prison."
I kept my eyes on him, trying to process the news. I knew sooner or later that Balshak would escape but I was not ready for it... I was not ready to fight him just yet. I believed I needed more time.
"How long has Balshak been operating here in the Temple?" I asked, struggling to stay calm.
"For as long as I can remember," he responded, his voice barely a whisper.
"Long before I came to the Labyrinth?"
"Yes," he admitted.
"How has he been operating here? How many of you work for him?" I pressed, my voice rising.
"I..." He hesitated, looking down at his shaking hands. "I don't know..." he whispered.
I rubbed the back of my neck and glanced toward Kumbuye. "Can you go again?"
"W-w-w-wait, okay..." Yurich breathed, letting out a sharp, shaky sigh. "We operate under nine districts," he confessed.
"And?" I urged.
"Each High Bound has a circle of five Bound working with them," he muttered.
"Tell me the names of these High Bound."
"I don't... I don't know them." He swallowed hard.
"I don't have time for this, Kumbuye!" I growled.
"I'm not... I'm not lying. Our mode of operation is complicated," his voice faltered.
"Explain."
"The identities of each person are known only to their own circle. All the Bound under a particular High Bound only know each other," he explained, his voice trembling.
He swallowed hard before continuing. "Whenever the High Bound have meetings, they go in secret... always masked. Even if I were there, I wouldn't see a single face. But the Bound... the Bound don't attend these meetings, only the High Bound go, and then... and then they carry the instructions back to the Bound in their own circle." He stuttered.
"They receive..." his voice dropped to a terrified whisper as he continued. "They receive their letters or summons directly from the Paragon." His breath caught sharply.
"Who is this Paragon?" I asked.
"I don't know," he said quietly. "No one knows who the Paragon is. We just receive orders from him."
I leaned forward, narrowing my eyes. "You are not a Bound. How are you even involved with them?"
"My only role is to pass on messages or letters. I don't join their meetings."
"But you know their plans," I pressed.
He did not respond.
"Would you like my friend to go back into your head?" I asked. Yurich's eyes darted frantically to Kumbuye, then to Doya, before snapping back to me.
"That is all I know! I swear it!" he whispered, gasping for air.
"He's lying," Kumbuye interjected from across the room. "He knows more."
I clenched my hands together, the knuckles turning white, as I waited for him to speak. Finally, he did.
"High Bound Roxy's death... it was a distraction." He held his breath, his entire body shuddering. "She was just a pawn. A piece sacrificed to draw everyone's eyes toward Thornwick."
"What?" Doya stepped closer, his eyes flashed with anger. "What do you mean?"
Yurich let out a soft, jagged laugh. "The Forsaken... they are surrounding the Temple as we speak."
Silence gripped the room. "Kumbuye?" I managed to call out.
"He does not seem to be lying," Kumbuye responded.
My pulse spiked. Blood rushed to my ears, dulling any sound around me. The war was here. It wasn't coming — it was already at the gates.
I scrambled to my feet, my heart hammering against my ribs. For the first time in a long time, I was actually scared. My head spun, the walls tilted, and I couldn't get enough air into my lungs. Doya caught me, holding me steady as he leaned in close.
"Who moved for Roxy's execution?" he whispered.
My brain was still trying to process what Yurich had told me about the Forsaken. I tried to answer, but my lips wouldn't move. Doya nudged me, his voice getting sharper.
"Dana, focus. If this was a distraction, someone pushed for that death sentence. Who was it?"
"I don't—I don't know," I stammered. "Ascend Corvath and Ascend Kaelric were the ones who pronounced it. But Kaelric would never have supported this if he knew—"
I snapped my head back toward Yurich.
"How did your people convince the Ascend to kill her?" I demanded, the fear finally turning into heat.
"I don't know," he muttered, looking away. "I'm just a messenger."
"We have to tell Ascend Kaelric," Kumbuye interjected.
"No," I said, my voice hardening. "We cannot trust anyone. We have to be smart about this." I took a deep breath. "I believe one of the Ascend has been compromised."
"But we need help, Dana," Doya muttered. "The whole Temple is under siege. We cannot do this by ourselves."
He was right. I knew he was right, but I felt trapped. Aside from Doya and Kumbuye, I no longer knew who stood with us and who had turned against us. Even the Ascend I once revered seemed untrustworthy now.
"Come on, Dana," Doya urged. "We have to move. Perhaps we should meet with Ascend Darveth, he's the one handling the council's affairs concerning these matters. He should know something."
"Ascend Darveth?" I questioned, tapping my fingers impatiently. "I don't know about this, Doya."
"Dana, listen to me." He held both my shoulders, staring me straight in the eye. "He is trustworthy. Ascend Darveth is the only one who can help us right now. He was the one who brought us the lead on High Bound Paciver."
His tone turned sharp, his gaze flickering toward Yurich, who was still restrained to the chair, before snapping back to me. "Even if the trail went cold, he made the effort. I saw the frustration in his eyes, Dana. Every bit of intel he's funneled to us has been sabotaged by someone else before we could act on it."
He paused for a moment, his grip tightening slightly. "He is as hellbent on exposing these workers of darkness as we are."
My thoughts were troubled. I didn't know what to do, but I trusted Doya. He and Kumbuye were my only hope now, and we couldn't do this alone. We needed help.
"Alright," I whispered, finally meeting his gaze with a small, tense nod. "But what do we do about him?" I said, pointing to Yurich.
"I say we keep him here," Kumbuye shrugged, his eyes cold as he looked at the prisoner. "Tie him tighter and put him in a corner so he won't escape. If we take him with us, he's just dead weight."
"No, please! You said you would let me go," Yurich begged, his voice cracking as he strained against the ropes. "I told you everything I know!"
"Kumbuye is right. We can't release him," Doya said.
"But we can't just leave him here, either. What if he escapes?" I asked.
"He won't," Doya stated. "I'll stay here with him. Since I've been expelled from the Sanctum Grounds, I can't go any further with you." His expression softened for a brief second before hardening again. "Take Kumbuye. Once you meet with Ascend Darveth, bring him back here. Only then will we know what to do with him." Doya's gaze shifted back to Yurich.