A Fool's Blade

Chapter 17 - A Little Game

        This place reeks of death...of course it reeks of death, it's a coffin. Jade mentally face palmed herself, not having the room to do it physically. Astrid had ordered her to hide in here for Cicero and the tratior's meeting, telling her that sticking to the shadows would be no use in this situation. Despite how disrespectful this was, Jade obeyed, waiting in silence with the ancient corpse until the door creaked open, and Cicero entered humming a little tune to himself while he locked the door.

        "Are we alone? Yes...yes...alone!" The jester crackled. "Sweet solitude. No one will hear us, disturb us! Everything is going according to plan. The others...I've spoken to them and they are coming around, I know it! The wizard, Festus Krex...perhaps even the Argonian, and the un-child... What about you? Have you...have you spoken to anyone? No...No, of course not. I do the talking, the stalking , the seeing and the saying! And what do you do? Nothing!"

        He began to yell, but hushed down, sounding a bit miserable. "Not...not that I'm angry. No, never! Cicero understands. Cicero always understands!" He sighed, "And obeys...You will talk when you're ready, won't you? Won't you...sweet Night Mother."

        Jade heard a voice from inside her head, but it wasn't her thoughts. The voice was whispered, raspy, like the one she heard back in the hut with the captives. "Poor Cicero. Dear Cicero. Such a humble servant. But he will never hear my voice. For he is not the Listener."

        "Oh, but how can I defend you? How can I exert your will? If you will not speak? To anyone!"

        "Oh, but I will speak. I will speak to you. For you are the one."

        Me? Surely you can't mean me...

        "Yes, you. You, who shares my iron tomb, who warms my ancient bones. I give you this task - journey to Valunruud. Speak to Amaund Motierre." The Night Mother said to her.

        "Poor Cicero has failed you. Poor Cicero is sorry, sweet mother. I've tried, so very hard, but I just can't find the Listener!"

        "Tell Cicero the time has come. Tell him the words he has been waiting for, all these years: Darkness rises when silence dies."

        The doors to the coffin flew open. Oh no.

         "What? What treachery! Defiler! Debaser and defiler! You have violated the sanity of the Night Mother's coffin! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"

        "The Night Mother spoke to me! She said 'I am the one.'" Jade said quickly.

        Cicero stared at her in disbelief. "She...spoke to you? More treachery! More trickery and deceit! You lie! The Night Mother speaks only to the Listener! And there is...No...LISTENER!"

        He quickly drew a dagger, putting it against her throat. "It's a shame that you decided to lie about being the Listener. It really is. Yes...Cicero really thought we were good friends, good friends." He laughed, "Gullible Cicero thought that you could be trusted. Oh, but I am a fool. A Fool of Hearts! Yes! That is what I am!"

        Cicero laughed again, pushing the blade further into Jade's neck. She let out a small yelp of pain as he leaned closer to her, whispering softly in her ear. "Oh, but Cicero really does enjoy your company, so I shall play a little game. Yes, yes. A game! What are the words? The Binding Words. Written in the keeping tomes. The signal so I would know. Mother's only way of talking to sweet Cicero."