THE KEEPERS RISE

Chapter 11 - Change of Heart - Part 2

*Remember to click the play button to listen to the soundtrack as you read!*

The Keepers gradually grew accustomed to their cell. Velda knew that the tiny amount of red magic that she had taken control of wasn't powerful enough to unblock any of their Powerstones, but she still held it high in the center of the room. It lit the circular space with the air of a dying campfire, and the Keepers made animated shadows on the silvery walls, which were slick with the condensation of below-freezing air.

Beside the door, Ozul was talking happily with Pecci and Lenora, though Pecci was still keeping a close eye on the rest of the room. Titus and Iyan were apart from them and each other, but still listening in. They were forming a team quite well, and Ozul was lifting all of their spirits with some crafty jokes and puns; anything to keep them from thinking about their possible way out. Strangely, Iyan looked uniquely unaffected by the cold, and possibly more comfortable than he'd been through their time on Khar'tohan. Titus, on the other hand, was visibly freezing, though he did his best to hide it.

At the back of the room, Will'ym, Ivy and Velda sat in a tight circle, contemplating their situation. "Can you explain where all of you were being held?" Will'ym asked the elf. He was trying to collect as much information as possible, with the desperate hope that some other vital insight could lead to their freedom.

Ivy thought for a while, so long that Velda suspected she might have not heard the question. Finally, she said, "It was cold and dark, like here. We woke up on the floor with our stones blocked. It was only a few minutes before a group of Dark mages brought us here."

"This may sound odd," Will'ym pondered, "But were you ever restrained in any way? Against the wall, maybe?"

Ivy looked confused. "No. Why?"

Will'ym explained how he and Velda had woken up, gesturing to the buttons and differently-colored metal plates that dotted the wall behind them. He conveniently avoided the more intimate parts of their conversation and didn't mention how they had discovered their shared lack of royal blood. When he finished, he pondered, "Councilor Quin must have been more worried about Velda and me to separate us from the rest of you and restrain us like that. I don't understand why." Ivy nodded but didn't reply.

"So," Will'ym continued, "Any ideas about what's going on?"

Velda spoke up. "I'm starting to think Rhea was right about kathumi. Quin said that he was part of the Dark Council. That means that they probably collectively agreed to have us captured."

Ivy shook her head hesitantly. "There might still be another explanation. The Dark Council has been fairly noncombative more recently."

"We could be missing something," Will'ym agreed. "Let's go through what happened again."

"Really?" Velda grumbled. "This is the third time."

"I think there's a human saying about that," Will'ym said thoughtfully. "What was it again?" He trailed off. "Oh, I know! Third time's the charm." He smiled. "Now, let's start from when we saw the Dark ship for the first time."

"It came fast," Ivy recalled. "That could be because it was headed somewhere specific and had a long way to go, but Admiral Perryn said that there were no specific destinations on their route that belonged to the tarrephaene, and it was armed."

"Okay," Will'ym said approvingly. "Then Quin appeared on the Stargazer's screen. The Light mages showed up behind him, we heard swords, and he left."

Velda nodded. "Right. Then Councilor Rohana showed up on the Stargazer, and Councilor Quin came after her. I tried to attack him, he fought back with a rather bright piece of magic, and now," she sighed, "We're here."

"Wait!"

Velda glanced at Will'ym quizzically. "What? It's not as if the story's changed,"

"The light that came from Quin turned from Dark brightness into Light," Will'ym explained, "But he's a Dark mage, his magic is always Dark."

Velda's eyes widened. "You're right! How did we miss that?"

"Third time's the charm," murmured Ivy calmly.

Then, Will'ym faltered again. "The only ways I know of that his magic could have been Light are illusion magic or possession by someone with Light magic. Councilor Rohana is part of the Light Council, and besides, she was busy running from him. There's absolutely no way that she possessed Councilor Quin during the scuffle."

Velda suggested, "Maybe he could have access to a Light stone somehow?" She looked across the room at the other Keepers nervously. "That would certainly explain Quin's confidence."

"And the feluna said, 'I don't even have wings!'" Ozul cried. A muted burst of laughter came from his companions, followed by a groan from Titus.

Velda approached them and Will'ym followed her. "We have something to tell you," she said.

Once she repeated their realization, everyone looked startled. "You're right, how did that happen?" Iyan wondered. "I'm fairly sure that kathumi can only use Dark Magistones."

Titus gave him a doubting side glance. "And what about you?" he prodded.

"I'm only half kathumis," Iyan said defensively, "My other half is a Light species. The two sides make Gray." Velda nodded in understanding. It made sense; his face wasn't quite as blue or armored as Quin's had been.

Suddenly, the door to the cell opened. Councilor Quin was there, looking uncharacteristically flustered, but he composed himself quickly. "There's a ship on our tail," he told them. "I'd like to know which of you did it."

The Keepers exchanged amazed looks, but nobody spoke. The Councilor surveyed the group and locked eyes with Iyan, and Velda saw his eyes flash before reverting to their usual shadowy glow. Then, he summoned Dark magic that bound Velda's hands in front of her, said sharply, "Come," and stormed out of the room.

It wasn't as if she had a choice. The Dark magic moved to follow Councilor Quin, and it was all she could do to keep up. Velda made sure to take Titus's magic with her, and Quin didn't bother to relieve her of it. From behind her, she heard Will'ym charge forward, yelling, "Get back here, you-"

Quin cut him off by whipping out his magic stream and throwing him to the side of the room. Velda cringed and tried to run to Will'ym, but the Councilor's magic locked her hands in midair like a hovering anchor. "Remember your place," the kathumis spat, and the door slid shut.